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This is the Beijing Hour, Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour, one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host.
Shane Bigham with you on this Monday, September 15th, 2025.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program.
China-US trade talks in Madrid are into a second day, with Washington's unilateral tariffs, the abuse of export controls and TikTok high on the agenda.
China's criticized the US decision to add several Chinese firms to the export control list right before the talks in Spain.
And Qatar's prime minister says Israeli strikes in his country will not derail mediation efforts for the Gaza conflict.
In business, Chinese economic numbers for August highlight broad stability.
In sports, the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
In culture and entertainment, the winners of the second Golden Panda Awards for film and TV.
Now the day's top stories.
Trade talks between China and the U.S. have proceeded to their second day in Madrid.
Vice Premier He Li-Feng is leading the Chinese side in the meeting with U.S.
Treasury Secretary Scott Besson.
Issues high on the agenda include Washington's unilateral tariffs, the abuse of export controls and TikTok.
Ahead of the meeting, CGTN asked Besson about whether the popular Chinese app will get another extension beyond the Wednesday deadline to put it up for sale or shut it down.
President Trump said last night.
We'll see.
It will depend largely on how the talks go today.
Lee Jianhua has more from the scene.
Scott Besant and Jameson Greer, the US trade representative, came to us and spoke to media.
So this is the gist of what they said to us.
Besant said that the talks were general fulsome.
The talks lasted about six hours yesterday and he said that they have really made goods progress on some technical details of the agreement.
He also said that the chinese negotiators are rather aggressive but the united states wouldn't be willing to sacrifice national security for a social media app, referring to tick tock.
Tick tock is one of the sticking points to this round of trade talks.
So just a recap and some background information of the status of tick tock's operation in the united states.
So far, the trump administration has been asking buy downs to the parent company of the video sharing app tick tock.
To divest is the us operation, giving the americans full control of the company.
The time is quite sensitive and the deadline is the 17th of september, right after the trade talks here in madrid end.
Beijing has been rather consistent.
Beijing has been saying that it would protect the interests of Chinese companies and it would never and it didn't and would never demand data in violation of local laws from the video sharing app, and Beijing also stressed that Washington should provide a fair and balance the business environment for Chinese companies, including TikTok.
So this is where we are right now.
Jameson Greer, the trade representative, also said that, apart from TikTok, they also talked about some other general issues, especially trade.
There was huge trade imbalance, according to him, between China and the United States, and he would like to address that.
Besson also said he would like to maintain the relationship good relationship between China and the United States and he also said if there is no agreement, even if there is no agreement on tick tock, it will not affect the overall relationship between china and the united states and also the relations are rather good at their highest levels.
According to him.
Both sides wouldn't want to show any sign of weakness.
Apparently they have exchanged some really heated exchanges ahead of the trade talks.
The United States added 23 Chinese companies to the entity list, against the intrinsic Chinese companies according to Beijing.
And China also launched two investigations against the United States concerning semiconductor and certain types of analog IC chips.
And also just now, China had just released that, according to the preliminary investigation, they have found out that Nvidia has violated China's antitrust law.
That was Li Jianhua on day two of the China-U.S. trade talks in Spain.
China's criticized the United States for adding multiple Chinese companies to its export control list.
The Commerce Ministry says Washington's abused export controls and targeted Chinese firms under the false pretense of maintaining international order.
The ministry described the actions as unilateral and bullying.
Beijing says Washington aims to suppress Chinese and other foreign companies, distort global markets and undermine the security of global supply chains.
The Commerce Ministry also questioned the timing of the sanctions, which came right before the trade talks in Madrid.
China's vowed to protect the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises.
And for more insights.
Lincoln Humphrey spoke with Liu Baocheng, dean of the Center for International Business Ethics at the University of International Business and Economics.
How would you describe China's stance during the recent trade negotiations led by Vice Premier He Liufeng?
And what does this indicate about China's overall trade strategy with the United States?
I can summarize with three Ps in terms of the Chinese position towards the China-US relationship, particularly during the recent talks.
The first P is principled.
So China is there first to defend multilateralism, and that global platform should be the way to discuss the responsibility, obligation and rights of each other.
So these are really the standard norms that both nations have already committed to.
Second principle is that there must be mutual respect.
So no one should be there to coerce the other into submission and sacrifice the core interest of the other party.
The second P is pragmatic.
Both sides can really be able to make some concessions, But these are really on the technical issues but not on the core interest of each other.
And these concessions must be made so that the and should be a better off position for both sides also.
And, given that these are the two biggest economies, they should be also there to exercise responsibilities for the benefit of the whole world community, particularly in terms of the stability of the supply chain.
And the last P is progressive because there are so much complexities and there are so many differences that exist between these two countries in their institutional setting, in their business model and also in the different advantages of each other.
So the agreement must be achieved in a progressive manner, and there's no one-blow solution to solve all the problems.
But the current imperative issue is how to prevent further escalation of the trade tension so that both sides can really come down to negotiate on a constructive basis.
That was Liu Baocheng at the University of International Business and Economics.
Before the talks in Madrid, Chinese and American delegations also met in Geneva, London and Stockholm.
Li Jingyi recaps how the meetings have unfolded.
The Geneva meeting in mid-May marked a major breakthrough in China-U.S. trade discussions.
As both sides agreed to a 90-day pause on new tariffs, a significant sign of de-escalation.
Following two days of talks, the US agreed to suspend for 90 days the imposition of 24 percentage points in tariffs on imports from China, while maintaining a 10 baseline tariff.
China also suspended 24 percentage points of tariffs on US goods for the same period, likewise retaining a 10 baseline tariff.
Additionally, the US removed the modified additional rates of duties imposed by the executive orders of April 8 and 9.
Meanwhile, China suspended or removed the non-tariff countermeasures taken against the US since April 2.
The two sides agreed to establish a mechanism to continue discussions on economic and trade relations.
The Chinese representative will be Vice Premier He Lifeng.
Representing the U.S. will be Treasury Secretary Scott Basin and U.S.
Trade Representative Jameson Greer.
The London talks came about a month later.
The two sides reached a principled agreement on implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their phone call on June 5th and a framework of measures to consolidate the outcomes of the economic and trade talks in Geneva.
The Stockholm talks between China and the U.S. marked the third such meeting in just three months.
The timing was critical, coming just days before the expiration of a 90-day tariff truce agreed upon by the two sides.
In this round, China and the United States agreed to push for a continued extension of the tariff pauses.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng called on the U.S. to work with China toward more win-win outcomes.
The meeting concluded with both sides issuing a joint statement on economic and trade discussions.
China and the US have agreed to suspend 24 percentage points in tariffs on each other's products until November 10th.
Both sides will retain a baseline tariff rate of 10%.
In addition, China has agreed to suspend or remove all non-tariff countermeasures it had imposed on the US, as stipulated in the Geneva joint statement.
That was Li Jingyi with a brief history of the recent rounds of China-U.S. trade talks.
Coming up, China's inland aquatic farms thousands of kilometers from the coast.
He can't live without the Yellow River in his eyes.
Both my grandpa and dad made the living from the river.
Radio.CGTN.com for more in this program.
We're at 11 minutes past the hour.
Xinjiang is thousands of kilometers from the nearest coastline, but this vast inland region is fast becoming an unlikely supplier of fresh seafood, thanks to advanced aquaculture methods, including artificial seawater technology and precise pH control.
Farms in the Northwest region are successfully raising shrimp, lobsters, and crabs.
In 2024 alone, Xinjiang produced nearly 200000 metric tons of farmed seafood, supplying markets across China and even reaching destinations such as Russia and Spain.
Yushan's in Turpin, one of the driest places on Earth, where she's just visited a company turning desert into a hub for fish farming.
Thanks for joining us.
And how can Xinjiang produce seafood?
Well, yes, Sheng.
Technically speaking, Xinjiang has long had a thriving fish farming industry well, thanks to its abundant natural water resources.
For instance, the Bositong Lake, which is China's largest inland freshwater lake that covers an area of over 1600 square kilometers, now serves as Xinjiang's biggest fishery base.
And it's providing annual fish water catch of over 5,000 tons.
And another famous site, the Sai Li Mu Lake or Siren Lake, has well in recent years become a very popular tourism site, and also it's a major breeding site for a type of fish named Gou Bai Gui, or rather Northern Whitefish.
So this type of fish is also being produced around 5,000 tons per year.
And if you go to Beijing or one of the Xinjiang culinary restaurants in Beijing, you would most likely find Gao Bai Gui on the menu.
That's just how widespread it is now.
And take the rainbow trout fish farm that I just visited two days ago as an example.
It's located right in the center of Agave Desert and it's drawing water from nearby lake that comes from snow melt.
And in fish farms from elsewhere.
Usually during wintertime, the fish farms will go through a five-month long of non-profit period of time where the fish only eats its feed but do not grow.
But here in Turpang, given its very warm weather that keeps the water temperature kind of steady and relatively warmer throughout the year, the rainbow trout here are able to profit and and grow all year round, all of which makes Xinjiang an ideal location for fish farming.
Back to you, Shane.
What impact does fish farming in this northwest region, so far from the coast, have on the environment?
Well, to be honest, the natural environment here is under very little impact from the fish farming industry locally, since the water used here is continuously recycled after being used in the fish ponds.
So again, back to the rainbow trout example.
So the water that's drawing from the nearby lake, it's by design flowing under a tertid structure, so the water from the higher part of the prefecture will naturally flow down to the lower side of the prefecture, requiring no electronic power or electronic pumps.
So this provides just several rounds of the distillation for the fish pond as well.
And after several rounds of sedimentation, the settling tank usually only have the natural fish residue inside, which will not be released outside the fish ponds along with the water after use.
And the water will be recycled for local agricultural use as just natural fertilizer.
And also I interviewed the manager of the fish farm, who told me that their next plan is to collect and process the natural fish residue into fertilizer, which is one more way of bringing profit to both the fish farming industry and local agricultural sector as well.
So, in general, the energy consumption for fish farming in Xinjiang is relatively low and its environmental impact is kept at the minimum level.
Back to you, Shei.
All right, thank you for joining us this evening.
That's Yushan in Xinjiang.
In today's episode of Xinjiang in 70 Years, Progress and Prosperity, we visit Bortela, Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, where an artificial revolution is, or rather an agricultural revolution is taking place.
Advanced digital tools and automated systems are reshaping agriculture and improving people's lives.
Guatlin Jie takes a look.
One of the best places to see next-generation agriculture is here a high-tech farm with 55000 cattle.
Each cattle here is equipped with digital ear tags, which are domestically developed.
And they are not only their digital identity card, but also contain challenging chips that track their entire life cycle, from their temperature weight, age to their health conditions.
From the moment they are born.
Every single cow is tracked digitally using these tags and they enjoy a life that blends freedom with comfort.
They can freely roam and soak up the sunshine, but are never far from the comfort of their indoor facilities.
The ventilation system which provides warm air during harsh winters, ensuring optimal conditions for these cattle all year round.
In this farm, two cows share each unit.
In just 13 months, they grow from 380 kilograms to around 950.
What drives this growth?
But the answer lies across 2,000 hectares of organic feed crops.
Automated feed mixers blend alfalfa, wheat straw and rolled corn into a high-nutrition diet.
And it's not just about the cattle.
This farm is also helping local farmers build better lives.
Whether it's livestock breeding, crop cultivation or even processing, we are collaborating with farmers.
Through this approach, we help increase their income.
As of 2024, Xinjiang is home to more than 84,000 large-scale livestock farms.
The animal husbandry sector is now worth more than 15 billion US dollars.
When we talk about modern agriculture in Xinjiang, it's not just about livestock, but it's also transforming farming.
Here in Xinjiang's Jinghe County, the heartland of China's goji berries, technology is redefining cultivation.
Our new varieties produce approximately 16.5 tons per hectare.
Now, the entire process of weed control, pesticide application and planting has been mechanized.
With long hours of sunshine and big swings between day and night time temperatures, this region offers the perfect conditions for growing top quality goji berries.
Jinghe goji berries are now making their way to Central Asia and the European Union.
How does this fruit remain fresh throughout the journey?
One innovative technology extends their freshness from just one day to 12 months.
We use low temperature vacuum drying preservation technology, which effectively maintains the nutritional content of goji berries, as well as its texture and flavor.
From animal husbandry to plant cultivation, Xinjiang's farms are setting the standard for modern agriculture.
Technology is boosting production and, in return, raising people's incomes.
That was Guo Linzhe in Xinjiang.
Coming up, Qatar says Israeli strikes will not derail Doha's mediation efforts in the Gaza conflict.
Decades on, Xinjiang has completely transformed.
It's the last place you'd expect to find an ocean harvest, and yet it's happening.
Technology is redefining cultivation.
I never imagined such breathtaking lavender fields transform the very structure of the soil beneath our feet.
It's difficult to get a full appreciation of the sheer scale of this facility almost solar panels as far as the eye can see.
Xinjiang isn't just a region where cultures meet.
It's where they mix, evolve and come alive.
Modernization has also given this land a canvas for the future.
And I'm really looking forward to finding out why.
20 minutes past the hour.
Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, says Israel's attack on Doha will not derail mediation efforts to end the war in Gaza.
Peaceful to end the Palestinian issue.
Israel's barbaric and demagogic practices will not deter us from continuing our sincere efforts with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States to stop this unjust war.
Remarks came during a closed-door meeting with foreign ministers preparing for an emergency Arab-Islamic summit.
Delegates discussed a draft statement condemning the Israeli strike on Doha, which targeted several Hamas leaders.
Al-Thani also called on the international community to hold Israel accountable.
Adele El-Marouki reports from Doha.
So this is the first part and it's like a preparatory session for the summit.
Today the foreign ministers of the Arab and Islamic world.
We're talking about 57 countries.
They will be discussing the foundation and the recommendations that they can agree upon so that that resolution can be pushed to the summit where the leaders will be gathering here in Doha so that a final position from the Islamic world and the Arab world is agreed upon.
Basically, we're expecting to see strong solidarity shown to Qatar.
Some are hoping to see some suggestions from ministers to take some actions against Israel.
You know, this is the third emergency Arab Islamic summit to be held since the October 7 attacks in 2023.
And therefore, while the last two did strictly condemn what Israel is doing in Gaza, this time there are hopes that maybe the outcomes could be different.
Stronger against Israel.
So the Arab bloc wants to ensure that such an attack can never be repeated again.
And they also believe that the foundation for that is not only to try and, in the international arena and the United Nations Security Council, to push against actions against Israel, but they also believe that the foundation for a solution so that that never happens is basically to reach a final agreement to the Palestinian crisis, to establish a two-state solution.
Now the United Nations security, the United Nations General Assembly, has taken steps toward that, showing sweeping majority to support the Palestinian state while at the same time ensuring that the Israeli hostages in Gaza will be released, so that, in that sense, Arab leaders want to push the Islamic bloc first in that direction and hopefully to get bigger support from the international community.
And, if that is achieved, at least to start negotiations and talks in that regard.
That will be a great victory for the Islamic bloc.
Yemen's Houthi group says Israeli strikes in Sana'a last Wednesday killed 46 people, including 26 local journalists.
The strikes flattened the offices of two newspapers, 26 September and Al Yemen, in Tahrir Square.
The Houthis insist their media operations will continue.
Houthi health officials say the attacks injured over 160 people, many of them women and children.
Al-Mazira TV showed damaged homes and rescuers pulling survivors from the rubble.
The Israeli military says it hit military camps, the Houthis' public relations hub and a fuel depot.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, pledged to keep targeting Israel until the war and blockade in Gaza end.
Meanwhile, Israel's intensified strikes on Gaza City, leaving at least 30 apartment blocks and leveled, enforcing thousands from their homes.
The escalation now comes as U.S.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Israel.
He's pressing for answers over last week's Israeli strike on Qatar and for a plan to free 48 hostages still held by Hamas and to rebuild Gaza.
Rubio met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday morning for a three-hour discussion on Gaza, Israel's recent strike on Qatar, Iran and other bilateral issues.
Jonathan Regev reports from Tel Aviv.
On the ground.
Of course, Rubio and the Israeli leaders are portraying the perfect image of the very strong relations between the two countries, relations that do exist.
But below the surface, there's very strong criticism in the United States.
It started before the strike in Qatar last week.
There was growing frustration among the American administration from the latest Israeli moves.
It seemed as if Israel is...
The Israeli government, it seemed, according to some American officials, was doing everything possible in order not to reach a deal which would free the hostages on one hand, but end the war on the other.
And it seemed as if Israel was time and time again running away from such a decision.
And then came the strike in Qatar, which was very unpleasant for the American administration, one of the strongest, the biggest allies of the united states in the world, home to a very large american base, and the us is clearly, clearly frustrated.
All of this is not present on the ground.
If you hear uh, the comments, the comments which were made by the Secretary of State before departing the United States, acknowledging that there are sometimes differences but the relations are very strong.
But these differences exist.
We do know that President Trump by now would have wanted to see some kind of an agreement.
He speaks of his commitment to free the hostages.
But it seems as if according to the American administration, according to many people within the Trump administration and the MAGA movement in America, that Israel is not doing enough to end the war, that Israel is derailing this.
As far as Israel is concerned, I think Israel is looking at what may happen in Qatar as of tomorrow, the emergency Arab summit.
And Israel would perhaps want to persuade the United States, to persuade Qatar, to make sure that the decisions taken there are not too harsh against Israel.
Will Israel achieve that?
Not so sure, due to the fact that the anger in Qatar is huge towards Israel and the latest move, the latest strike in Qatar.
That was Jonathan Regev reporting.
Venezuela has condemned the U.S. military for boarding a tuna boat in Venezuelan waters.
Tensions between the two countries have heightened since August, when President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of warships to the Caribbean, citing efforts to combat Latin American drug cartels.
Kate Fisher has more.
In the distance, a U.S. warship can be seen as Venezuelan fishermen film the U.S.
Navy approaching their boat.
They used their means.
They used their resources so that, from a ship they boarded the Venezuelan vessel of 18 men armed with long guns.
Earlier this month, U.S.
Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, visited a different US warship in the Caribbean just days after the US attacked a boat there, killing 11 Venezuelans.
U.S.
President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that it was carrying drugs and members of the Trenda Aragua gang.
As tensions rise, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has called on Venezuelans to brace for an armed struggle to defend sovereignty and peace if necessary.
The part of the popular government and unifier of the political and social force of the historic bloc is obliged to strictly prepare to move to armed struggle with the Venezuelan nation if it's necessary to defend this land.
That call has been heeded by some.
Today we're participating in a civilian military training exercise, following our President, Nicolas Maduro's instructions.
In the civilian military union we seek to consolidate our knowledge of the defense of our country for what's to come, so that integral defense is secured.
On Saturday, training kicked off at 312 barracks around Venezuela.
We're here today giving our best as Venezuelans, staying united in fraternity and standing shoulder to shoulder for what may happen in the coming days.
The US government has given no indication it is planning a ground incursion.
But it has moved warships and more than 4,000 troops to the area.
And last month, President Trump doubled his reward for information leading to the arrest of President Maduro to 50 million, accusing him of leading a cartel that was trying to flood the US with drugs.
That's a claim Venezuela denies. asserting it is not a drug producing country.
That was Kate Fisher reporting.
At 29 past the hour, Beijing's getting thundershowers overnight.
The low's 19, cloudy and 27 on Tuesday.
Lini, you'll see heavy rainfall in 23 overnight, then rainstorms in 30.
Ya'an's getting rainstorms in 21 this evening, then heavy rainfall in 27 on Tuesday.
Nanchang's down to 28, followed by sunny conditions in 37 degrees.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad will see heavy rainfall overnight, a low of 22, a light rainfall in 22 on Tuesday.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour, China-US trade talks in Madrid are into a second day after Washington's unilateral tariffs, the abuse of export controls and TikTok high on the agenda.
China's criticized the US decision to add several Chinese firms to the export control list right before the talks in Spain.
Shane Bigum with you.
Stay with us here on the Beijing Hour.
Listen up.
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It's vibrant and pulsating with the essence of life itself.
From the stem of trees to the gurgle of rivers.
From the silent strength of mountains to the icy whispers of glaciers.
Even the solid ground beneath our feet, Right there in the midst of all, beats the heart of humanity.
What if those other heartbeats were to stop?
Would ours keep on ticking?
Every week to find out what's real with China Africa Talk.
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Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour, one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host.
Shane Bigum with you on this Monday.
Still to come, in business, Chinese economic numbers for August highlight broad stability.
In sports, the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
In culture and entertainment, the winners of the second Golden Panda Awards for film and TV.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn.com or follow our ex-account at cgtnradio.
But first of all, a check of the day's headlines.
Chinese and U.S. delegations have met again for trade and economic talks in the Spanish capital.
Vice Premier He Li Feng is leading the Chinese side in the meeting with U.S.
Treasury Secretary Scott Besson.
Issues on the agenda include Washington's unilateral tariffs, the abuse of export controls and TikTok.
U.S.
President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing for a fourth extension of TikTok's divestment plan.
China's market watchdog will launch a further probe into US chipmaker NVIDIA after a preliminary investigation found violations of the country's anti-monopoly law.
The State Administration for Market Regulation began reviewing NVIDIA late last year over its 2020 acquisition of Israeli technology firm Mellanox Technologies.
The deal, which gave NVIDIA control over a leading provider of network solutions for data centers and servers worldwide, was approved in China at the time under certain conditions.
The administration now says NVIDIA breached those conditions, prompting the regulator to extend its antitrust investigation.
China's central government has hailed the successful election of the 8th Legislative Assembly in Macau as another landmark achievement in the principle of patriots administering Macau.
A mainland spokesperson said it also promotes high-quality democracy that aligns with the conditions of the special administrative region.
The election was the first since Macau amended its Legislative Assembly election law last year.
Central authorities expect the new Macau legislators to achieve even greater successes in economic diversification and contribute to the building of a strong country and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
26 candidates have been elected to the city's eighth Legislative Assembly.
The new legislature will have 33 members in total 14 chosen directly by voters, 12 through indirect elections and seven to be appointed by the chief executive.
Singapore welcomed nearly 400000 visitors from China last month, making it the city-state's top source market.
According to the Singapore Tourism Board, from January to August, China remained the leading source of visitors, with 23 million arrivals, followed by Indonesia and India.
Total international arrivals for the first eight months reached 116 million, up 27 from the same period last year.
U.S.
President Donald Trump is calling a national emergency in Washington DC and is threatening to federalize the national capital.
This comes in response to Mayor Muriel Bowser's statement that local police will not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Trump has deployed hundreds of National Guard troops to the capital and other states to support his immigration and anti-crime crackdown.
The move has drawn thousands of protesters to the streets.
Qatar's prime minister has made clear that the Gulf country will continue mediation efforts to end the war in Gaza, despite Israel's attack on Doha last week.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman bin Jassim Al-Thani was speaking ahead of Monday's emergency Arab-Islamic summit that will discuss the Israeli attack.
Al-Thani urged the international community to abandon double standards and to hold Israel accountable.
Delegates from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic States are working on the summit's joint resolution that will specify specific measures against Israel.
France has sent three Rafale jets to help protect the airspace over Poland and Eastern Europe.
The jets flew patrols over Poland on the weekend under NATO's Eastern Sentry mission.
The move comes after Russian drones entered Polish airspace last week, prompting calls from Warsaw for stronger support.
Moscow is denied targeting Poland.
Romania also reported a drone breach during an attack on Ukraine.
NATO says the Eastern Sentry operation will strengthen air and ground defenses on its eastern flank with equipment from France Denmark, Germany and the UK.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour.
Coming up in business, Chinese economic numbers for August highlight broad stability.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour.
60 minutes of comprehensive news, your window on China and the world.
About 36 past the hour now and turning to business.
Here's Wang Zihang.
Thank you, Shane.
Stock markets on the Chinese mainland closed mixed on Monday.
The Shanghai composite was down nearly a third of a percent.
The Shenzhen component gained over 0.6%.
Battery and gaming shares led the gainers.
Elsewhere in China.
The Hong Kong stock market saw some growth on Monday, with the Hang Seng up over 02.
Stocks in Japan also ended higher.
The Nikkei gained almost 0.9%.
China's economy remained broadly stable with positive progress in August.
The industrial value-added output of major enterprises grew 52 on a yearly basis, with high-tech manufacturing expending 93.
Retail sales maintained steady growth, with social consumer goods retail sales reaching nearly 4 trillion yuan, or around US562 billion up 34.
National online retail sales grew 9.6%.
The policy of promoting trade-ins for consumer goods continued to show positive effects, with significant growth in sales of furniture, household appliances and audio-video equipment.
Foreign trade in goods also continued to expand, with imports and exports reaching almost 39 trillion yuan up 35.
Trade with Belt and Road participating countries grew 5.4%.
Meanwhile, the employment situation remained generally stable and Core CPI continued to rebound.
Now for more.
We are joined live by Liu Jijin, a senior fellow of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China.
Good evening, Mr. Liu.
Thank you for coming to the show.
First of all, in the first eight months the industrial value-added output of major enterprises rose 62.
There was strong output growth in such high-tech sectors had 3D printing equipment, new energy vehicles and industrial robots.
What's your take on this?
I believe that this figure is very positive and also very stable.
That shows the confidence of the market in the Chinese economy.
We see that this figure 6.2% in the past eight months.
Remember that the eight months.
That shows a great resilience of China's economy and also the high dynamic and also very strong potential development in Chinese economy.
So all this shows that these are three major features of China's economy.
And the fourth I think that shows out the very strong innovation power in China, because China is becoming the innovation powerhouse in the world.
That's why we find that the industrial high-valued products, their output grows so well.
So this is the major point.
I hope that This trend will remain very strong in the next three or four months.
And in August, the National Service Industry Production Index increased 5.6% on a yearly basis.
What role is the service industry, particularly modern sectors like IT and finance, playing in boosting the national economy?
I believe that the role of the service industry in China is becoming more and more important than ever.
Because, I should say, in this way, Chinese service industry is becoming the steering wheel, or in other words, that's a navigator.
Because this industry, from service sections, can navigate all investment and all performance from different sections, for instance manufacturing, high technologies and all the high research and in the development investor.
All these parts were being navigated by the service industry.
So that's why we show great attention to the service industry index development for the eight months, and especially for August.
We find a very positive and a very promising figure for this development.
So we hope that in the right time, in the next three months, I think the IT and the financial sections will become more important and more active in promoting China's economy.
All right.
Thank you so much.
That was Senior Fellow Liu Zhijun from Renmin University of China.
The just-concluded 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services has seen over 900 agreements signed in sectors including construction, information technology and finance.
The event drew participants from more than 60 countries and over 20 international organisations.
Fortune Global, 500 companies and industry leaders unveiled nearly 200 achievements in fields such as artificial intelligence, healthcare and green technology.
Among these, over 100 were new product launches featuring innovations in ultra-high-definition audiovisual technology and quantum computers.
Australia, this year's guest country of honour, has secured 15 deals with Chinese partners in finance and education.
Participants initiated more than 8500 business meetings on the fair's digital matchmaking platform, while professional attendance increased 12 on a yearly basis to around 116000 visitors.
45 commercial, tourism and sport activities took place at Shougang Park in western Beijing.
They included...
11 curated business tours offering immersive insights into investment culture and industrial tourism.
The five-day event attracted more than 250,000 on-site visitors.
There were thousands of virtual exhibitors as well.
International participation expanded with on-site exhibitor representation from 26 of the world's top 30 countries and regions in terms of service trade.
Now official data shows.
Residential housing prices in China's 70 large and medium-sized cities continue to see narrowed yearly declines in August, while the prices also dropped monthly.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the prices of new homes in the four top-tier cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, decreased 09 from a year ago, a smaller decline than the 11 drop recorded in July.
Barking the overall trend, Shanghai recorded a 5.9% rise.
Other major cities also reported slower declines, with new home prices in second-tier cities down 24 easing from a 28 fall in July.
Third-tier cities saw a 3.7% decrease, compared with a 4.2% slide the previous month.
On a monthly basis.
The downward momentum in new home prices also eased in first- and second-tier cities, although third-tier markets experienced a slightly wider decline.
Chinese authorities say farmers across the country have sold over 100 million metric tons of wheat so far this year, with the total purchases remaining at a high historical level.
The growing application of intelligent and digital technologies is boosting the popularity of high-quality specialized wheat varieties, which offer a significant price advantage.
In the sampling area of Luohe Industrial Park in Henan Province.
Fully automatic intelligence sampling machines conduct random inspections of wheat from 12 different points.
China has activated a plan for a minimum purchase price in major wheat-producing provinces, including Henan, Anhui and Shandong.
China Grain Reserves Corporation has set up over 670 wheat purchasing and storage points in those provinces.
So far, the group has purchased 30 million metric tons of wheat at the minimum purchase price.
Some of the biggest car makers from Europe and China have unveiled new electric vehicles at the just-concluded IAA Mobility Auto Show in Munich.
The race for market dominance continues to accelerate, but global trade tensions, weaker consumer demand and wavering European regulations are fueling uncertainty at this year's event in the German city.
The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers has issued an initiative to standardize account payments in contracts between automakers and suppliers.
The move aims to promote quality and regulatory development in the automotive sector.
The overall principle is to prevent large enterprises from using their dominant position to infringe on the interests of suppliers.
A core provision mandates that purchase orders must be used to confirm product specifications, quantity and delivery cycles.
Furthermore, the payment period owed by vehicle manufacturers must not exceed 60 calendar days from the date of delivery.
Thank you very much.
That's Wang Zihang with Business.
Coming up in sports, the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
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46 past the hour.
Turning to sports now, and here's Yong Guang.
Thank you, Shane.
We begin with the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Our fan Felix Simbu has snatched the gold in the first photo.
Finish for a marathon at a major championship, edging out Emmanuel Petros of Germany to give Tanzania its first world title.
The race was wide open for much of the distance, with a couple of dozen runners in the leading cluster.
90 minutes in.
The pack then gradually thinned out amid morning heat, leaving Simbu Petros and the Italian Elias Arvani clear of the field coming to the stadium.
The photo finish showed the race was decided by 300th of a second as Simbu surged past the diving Petros at the line.
Simbu and Petros were given the same time of 2 hours 9 minutes and 48 seconds, with Arvani taking bronze.
Simbu said that after 41km he tried to go but it was difficult, so he reduced the pace and planned to try again when they reach the stadium.
When we entered, Peter was in front of us.
But I said I will try to stay behind him.
But when we go to the finishing, I will try to kick.
And when we go to the kick finishing line, With 22 runners bowing out.
In total, China's He Jie finished 26th in 2 hours 14 minutes and 52 seconds.
More from Tokyo, where American Melissa Jefferson Wooden capped a dominant season by breaking the championship record to win the women's 100 meters.
The 24-year-old earned her first individual global title in the championship record of 1061 seconds.
She said it had been a dream year culminated in a perfect race.
This year has been nothing short of a dream that I've literally dreamt.
I've been working so hard for this very moment to be able to come out here and just focus on my execution.
That's literally what I've been doing all year.
It's been working for me.
And to be able to put together the perfect race at the right time just means so much to me.
So I'm just happy and blessed and grateful.
Jamaica's Tina Clayton won silver and St.
Lucia's Olympic champion Julianne Arfrey took the bronze.
At age of 38, Shelley-Anne Fraser-Price made her World Championships farewell, as the Jamaican finished sixth in the race.
On the men's side, Jamaica's oblique Sevilla clocked a personal best 977 seconds, finishing ahead of compatriot Keishon Thompson and defending champion Noah Lyles of the United States.
The 24-year-old's breakthrough marked Jamaica's first men's 100m world title since Usain Bolt's 2016 victory, and his first global title following eighth place at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
China overpowered India 4-1 to win its third women's hockey Asian Cup title and its first since 2009, in Hangzhou on Sunday.
The victory sees China join South Korea and Japan as the tournament's most decorated teams, with three titles each in the event's 40-year history.
The hosts also secured qualification for the 2026 Women's Hockey World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands.
India struck first through Navneet Kavur in the opening minutes, but China captain Ou Zixia levelled the score in the 21st.
Li Hong put China ahead in the 41st minute, before Zhou Meirong and Zhong Jiaqi knighted in quick succession to seal the win.
Head coach Alison Arnon hailed China's performance in the final.
It's an amazing feat.
And I said to the players after the game, it's them that's doing it.
They are just such great athletes to be coaching.
And at halftime we had a talk and I asked some things of them and then they went out and they did it.
And that makes this team so great.
And all we do as coaching staff is challenge them to be better than they are the day before.
And they do that.
Silver medalist at last year's Paris Olympics, China maintained a perfect record across the group stage and super-forced to lift the trophy.
Also on Sunday, Japan defeated South Korea 2-1 to claim the bronze.
In football from the English Premier League.
Manchester United's troubles deepened on Sunday as Ruben Amrim's side slumped to a derby defeat against Manchester City.
City handed the debut to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, but it was Erling Haaland who stole the show with two goals in the second half, after Phil Foden had opened the scoring with a header in the 18th minute.
Jeremy Dokku provided assists for the first two goals as City bounced back from consecutive defeats with a dominant win.
Elsewhere, Mohamed Salah converted a 95th-minute penalty to give Liverpool a 1-0 victory over Burnley.
The leaders now have four wins from four and all of them from late goals.
On Saturday, Arsenal spoiled Angie Pastakoglu's Nottingham Forest debut with a 3-0 win.
And finally, in La Liga, Barcelona thrashed Valencia 6-0 at Johan Cruyff Stadium on Sunday night, despite having to play in front of just 6000 fans.
Barca had to use the smaller venue when Camp Nou renovations are still awaiting city approval.
Firmin Lopez Rafinha and Robert Lewandowski each struck twice, with three goals coming in a devastating 13-minute spell in the second half.
On Saturday, Real Madrid overcame Dean Hoisin's early red card to win 2-1 at Real Sociedad.
Atletico Madrid claimed it's the first win of the campaign, beating Villarreal 2-0 with goals from Pablo Barrios and Nico Gonzalez.
Thank you very much.
That was Yongguang with sports.
Coming up in culture and entertainment.
The winners of the second Golden Panda Awards for film and TV.
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In culture and entertainment.
Thursday will see the premiere of a Chinese historical drama which revisits the horrific World War II era human experiments conducted by Japan's notorious Unit 731.
The film's titled 731, or Evil Unbound in English.
The film tells the story of a local vendor and others who were imprisoned and lured by false promises of freedom in exchange for cooperation with health checks and disease prevention research.
Instead, they became victims of brutal medical experiments carried out by the occupying Japanese forces, including frostbite testing, gas exposure and vivisection.
The film will open in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, coinciding with the release in the Chinese mainland, as well as in Hong Kong and Macau.
The movie is also scheduled for release in the US and Canada on Friday.
Unit 731 was a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base.
Established in Harbin, it served as the nerve center for Japanese biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during World War II.
The release date of the film coincides with the anniversary of the September 18 incident in 1931 that marked the start of Japan's 14-year invasion of China.
The second Golden Panda Awards have given out the top honors in Chengdu.
Italian film There's Still Tomorrow won Best Picture.
The award for Best TV Drama went to She and Her Girls, which is based on the true story of Zhang Guimei.
Zhang's a school principal from a mountainous area in Yunnan province who's dedicated to empowering rural girls through education.
Olivier Grangine from Switzerland served as a juror for the awards.
The thing that makes a TV drama most special for me is when I see a world I haven't seen before.
So she and her girls, I had never seen that, been exposed to that before.
That lifted me up and educated me.
Same with Blossoms Shanghai.
I'd never seen that world before and gave me a new understanding of Chinese culture.
Winner for Best Animation was Ne Zha 2, the highest-grossing film in China.
Norwegian film A New Kind of Wilderness won Best Documentary.
The 2025 Golden Panda International Cultural Forum convened on the sidelines of the event.
Juror Josie Day from New Zealand was among the international guests who held discussions on cultural exchanges and cooperation.
I think new competitions like this are really, really important.
It creates another opportunity for cultures different cultures to get together and to learn from each other.
And this feels like a very, very international competition.
So that's a real opportunity here.
When you have people from different countries around the world, meeting different producers and going, you know, sharing a passion for the same stories, that there could be some, you know great opportunities out of this.
This year's awards attracted more than 5300 entries from 126 countries and regions, with international submissions accounting for over 70 of the total.
Authorities have discovered an engraved stone dated from the Qin Dynasty on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
The Qin was the first dynasty to unify China into a centralized empire more than 2,200 years ago.
China's National Cultural Heritage Administration said the stone is the only one of its kind still preserved at its original site.
The stone is situated on the northern shore of Garing Lake in Majua County, Qinghai Province, at an altitude of around 4300 meters.
We're at 57 past the hour.
Beijing will see thundershowers and a low of 19 on Monday evening.
Cloudy conditions and 27 degrees for Tuesday.
Lini will see heavy rainfall and 23 overnight, then more rainstorms and 30.
Yeah, and we'll get rainstorms and 21 this evening.
Heavy rainfall and 27 tomorrow.
Nanchang's down to 28 degrees, followed by sunny conditions and 37.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad's getting heavy rainfall overnight.
It's down to 22, a light rain, and 22 on Tuesday.
Vientiane will get heavy rainfall and 24 overnight, followed by a light rain and 31.
That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making news today.
China-US trade talks in Madrid are into a second day, with Washington's unilateral tariffs, the abuse of export controls and TikTok high on the agenda.
And Qatar's prime minister says Israeli strikes in his country will not derail mediation efforts.
On behalf of the staff.
This is Shane Biggum in the Chinese capital, hoping you'll join us for the next edition of The Beijing Hour and open a window to the world together.
Find The Beijing Hour at precisely 6 p.m.
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He can't live without the Yellow River in his eyes.
The Yellow River is so noble and elegant.
Both my grandpa and dad made a living from the river.
Would you like to move away from the Yellow River?
I don't think I will.
I love it so much.
The Yellow River, the second longest river in China, is regarded as a shaping force in the history, economy and culture of northern China.
Today, about 100 million people live within its water basin, making up nearly 9 of the country's population.
How is climate change felt at its headwaters?
And what are the locals doing to cope with it?
What are the descendants of the boatmen doing?
What has kept some people from leaving their home village by the river and what has drawn others back?
Could the fading fishing community revive in a time of digital transformation?
From 2021 to 2024.
Our reporters visited the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, talked to the herders farmers boatmen, fishermen and eco-activists who share a close bond with the river, and present their stories in pictures, podcasts and videos.
All in our 12-part series, The Yellow River Mosaic, available only on CGTN Radio.
