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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, October 20th, 2025.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program.
China's economy has expanded by over 5 through three quarters, demonstrating resilience despite global headwinds.
The CPC's 20th Central Committee has begun meetings on the country's social and economic development for the next five years.
Israel says it's resumed its enforcement of the Gaza ceasefire following conflict in Gaza on the weekend.
In business, Asian markets rally as China reports strong growth numbers.
In sports, China's top-ranked badminton duo makes history in Denmark.
In culture and entertainment.
Beijing International Photography Week is underway in the Chinese capital.
Now checking the day's top stories.
Official data shows that China's economy expanded by 52 in the first three quarters and remains on track to meet the annual growth target of around 5.
The National Bureau of Statistics said the expansion demonstrated strong resilience and steady progress despite global headwinds.
Officials also highlighted the country's achievements in innovation, green transition and exports.
Youyang has details.
The National Statistics Bureau said the country's retail sales increased 3 year-on-year in September.
Well, another important economic indicator, that's china's value-added industrial output, increased 65 percent year-on-year in september, and the core consumer price index, which strips out foods and energy, rose at its fastest pace since february 2024, the value of goods imported and exported reaching a historic high and the growth rates gradually recovering quarter by quarter.
Well, data released by officials show that at the end of September, foreign exchange reserves continued to remain above US33 trillion and the RMB exchange rate remained stable, with an upward trend.
At the same time, since the beginning of this year, new policy production forces have developed further, that's from artificial intelligence to robots, from aerospace to unmanned driving.
That kind of model is called innovation chain plus industrial chain has continuously injected new impetus into economic development.
Meanwhile, new progress has also been made in grain and low-carbon transformation area, with the proportion of non-fossil fuel energy consumption in total energy consumption area increasing by about 17 percentage points year on year.
And authorities believe the stable economic growth in the first three quarters has laid a good foundation for achieving the annual target.
That was Youyang reporting.
We'll get into more specifics about China's new economy data in business news later in the show.
China's top leadership is discussing a plan for national economic and social development in the next five years, as the Communist Party of China's 20th Central Committee convened its fourth plenary session in Beijing on Monday.
General Secretary Xi Jinping of the CPC Central Committee delivered a work report and expounded on the draft proposals for the formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan that will run until 2030.
And this year, of course, marks the end of the 14th five-year plan.
International observers, including Ghanaian President John Ndramani Mahama and former Polish Deputy Prime Minister Grzegorz Kolotko, have noted China's resilient economy and continued contribution to global growth.
You look at the railway map today, high-speed trains and all that.
I mean, it's like a complete, you know, transformation.
And so China understands the need to have that kind of transformative investment.
And that is why it supports Africa in investing in transformative infrastructure.
And I think that that's a good thing.
China has supported Africa in the quest for a permanent seat on the United Nations and continues to support Africa's position.
And so if you have somebody who supports you like that, naturally they are a friend and you gravitate closer together.
Coming to the end 14 five-year plan period, china has caught up with the developed world still farther and despite what i have to stress, unfavorable international uh circumstances and it was not that easy to sustain over five percent average rate of growth during uh these five years.
On the environmental front, China supported improvements in pollution control, ecological conservation and low-carbon development.
The average concentration of PM25 pollutants in major cities declined by more than 16 last year compared with the end of the previous five-year period in 2020.
Forest coverage exceeded 25 last year and contributed around a quarter of global greenery expansion.
China also established the world's largest carbon emissions trading market.
That covers over 60 of emissions in the country.
Zhou Feng spoke with Yu Wei, director of the Carbon Neutrality and Green Development Research Center with China Jiliang University, about the achievements in ecological development within the past five years.
Data shows that public satisfaction with the ecological environment has exceeded 90 for four consecutive years.
From your perspective, which specific improvements have been most palpable in people's daily lives and contributed most to this high level of satisfaction?
From my observation, the most noticeable change has been cleaner air.
When you take a deeper breath now, the air feels fresh and clean, compared to the hazy days we used to have, when the air often felt thick and even choking.
Another obvious improvement is in water quality.
Many rivers and lakes are much cleaner now.
Some are even clean enough for swimming.
And overall, the living environment around us has become more pleasant.
They are also a result of stronger environmental regulations and more effective enforcement.
You've implemented quite a lot of ecological and environmental projects and activities.
Could you briefly tell us something about these projects and some of the major achievements?
NPI is a project we launched in June 2024.
It's a social innovation project focused on ecological and environmental science, education and public participation.
And it also serves as an open platform integrating academia.
Our core model is Nature, which involves integrating the concept of nature into all walks of work and life.
Currently, our work focuses on two main areas creating best practice cases and conducting communication campaigns.
We launched the Nature Pattern Initiative Pilot Zone in Labour County, Sichuan Province this year.
We selected four townships as pilot sites.
The core approach is to train nature partner leaders, such as experienced farmers and local entrepreneurs, who can then mobilize everyone to develop eco-products.
Through these efforts, we are exploring a new pathway in labor to shift from coexisting with nature to thriving with nature.
Regarding international cooperation, in September we co-existed the China-Brazilian Centre for Sustainable Development with IPAM and we will carry out a series of joint activities going forward.
NPI emphasizes people-centered approaches, making everyone a pattern of nature.
We create local job opportunities so villagers can work and earn money close to home.
Through employment, they gain benefits and gradually develop environmental awareness.
This builds a complete protection development that ensures development doesn't harm the environment.
That was Yue with China Jiliang University, talking about China's achievements in ecological development over the past five years.
In addition to the growing economic ties between China and New Zealand, they also share a love for the migrating seabirds that travel vast distances between the two countries on their way to and from Arctic breeding grounds.
China's World Heritage Wetlands on the Yellow Sea plays a crucial role as a refueling stop for birds, including a species which makes a 24000 kilometre return journey from Siberia to New Zealand.
The countries have pledged to preserve wetlands and protect the species.
Owen Poland has more.
Oh look guys, there's a really recent arrival.
Look at the windroof on this one.
So you can come and see some of the birds and the ones that have recently arrived.
They can't hold their feathers up.
It's a birdwatcher's paradise as thousands of migrating shorebirds rest over New Zealand summer after an exhausting 12000 kilometre non-stop flight from breeding grounds in Siberia and Alaska.
But their numbers are declining by around 5% each year.
60 years we've been counting the numbers of shorebirds and you can't do conservation unless you're collecting that data and proving that there's something wrong here.
Up to 90000 godwits make the annual migration from Alaska to New Zealand and on the way home, next March they'll stop to refuel at China's Yalujiang wetland on the Yellow Sea.
So these birds are American birds because they breed in Alaska.
They take their holidays in New Zealand, and to get back to Alaska, they need China.
And it's hoped that China's move to obtain UNESCO World Heritage status for its network of wetlands will help protect the long-distance travellers.
It may be possible, from initiatives like this, to actually arrest the decline of these shorebird populations and maybe start increasing them again, which would just be fantastic.
Also making the long journey from Alaska is a US wildlife expert who's praised China's commitment to protect wetlands at a time when the Trump administration has reduced conservation funding.
China has recognised really the global responsibility that they share and in recognising those sites, I see that as a really important step.
The migrating birds have also inspired closer cooperation between China and New Zealand.
Because the wetlands in China and New Zealand are so important, birdwatchers from both countries have established long-term relationships to gather and share information about birds that can live for close to 30 years.
One of those dedicated bird watchers is Adrian Regan, who first visited China's wetlands 25 years ago and he's helped to tag and track around 1300 birds.
If we as humans can all work to help them get through their journey, then it's great, yeah.
That mutual desire extends to a formal government-to-government memorandum of agreement that was first signed in 2016 and renewed last year to share information and protect wetlands and birds.
This relationship is a perfect example of how we can work together to benefit these extraordinary birds.
Hopefully the amazing journey of the Godwits will inspire future generations for years to come.
It's about collaboration.
We can do all we want here, but we all have to work together to make sure that they can keep coming back.
That was a report about collective efforts from China and New Zealand to preserve breeding grounds for migrating birds.
Coming up, Israel in a mass trade, accusations following a weekend of violence in Gaza.
Across China, change is in motion.
How has the country's development transformed daily life from city streets to rural homes?
Join us for a special series exploring how China's transformation is reshaping the everyday experiences of ordinary people from free trade zones to smart transportation.
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China in Motion, only on CGTN Radio.
Israel says it's resumed enforcement of the ceasefire in Gaza after launching a series of airstrikes and artillery shelling across the enclave.
The army said it took the action in response to a Hamas attack on Israeli troops operating in Rafah.
Hamas dismissed the accusation and condemned Israel for violating the truce.
Israel said the exchange killed two IDF soldiers.
Health authorities in Gaza said at least 44 Palestinians died.
Rami Almagari spoke with medical workers and refugees in central Gaza.
More casualties have been.
Influx have been flown into the Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza Strip following an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Zawahida village in central Gaza Strip that killed five Palestinians while resting in a resting place and on the beachfront in al-Zawahida village.
More casualties have occurred in the same village.
This Israeli escalation comes hours after Israel said there has been some kind of a clash between Hamas militants and Israeli forces in the southern Rafah city.
This comes against the backdrop of hopes by the population here in the Gaza Strip that the ceasefire will hold and their situation will get better, especially with the return of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from south to the northern Gaza Strip, areas like Gaza City and northern Jabalia refugee camp, in which two Palestinians were killed.
It's horrifying.
We were at work this morning.
Then we got notification that there'd been a drone attack in Darabella in a cafe not far from the hospital.
So we started to get ready.
We weren't sure what was going to come in.
And then a number of casualties were brought in, most of them critically injured.
Unfortunately, one of them was deceased on arrival.
But men, women and a young boy, all critically injured. from these latest drone attacks.
They, by their nature, break their pledges, so they want to restart the cycle again to keep the area in a continuous state of war and constant depletion.
Netanyahu wants that so he can escape prosecution, but we as a people do not want the war to return.
We pray to God that this war stops for us and we appeal to the whole world to save us from this war of annihilation.
This war is suffocating us and we want to be rid of it.
There were attacks today.
Why?
We have been suffering for two years, enough slaughter and annihilation of our people.
Israel announced a halt in aid delivery, but a security source said the inflow of supplies will resume following US pressure.
Gaza-based health authorities say Israel has handed over 15 bodies of Palestinians through the International Committee of the Red Cross.
That brings the total number of returned bodies to 150.
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities said a mass has confirmed the transfer of remains believed to be of two hostages in Gaza.
Jonathan Mergev has more about the Haas's swap and escalation of tensions.
Incidents began with two different incidents of fire being opened towards engineering vehicles operating on what is now known as the Israeli side of the yellow line, meaning still inside the Gaza Strip.
In one incident, an anti-tank missile was fired.
In another incident, fire was opened at these vehicles.
There were no injuries as far as we know.
On the Israeli side, two bodies were handed overnight by Hamas.
That means that 16 bodies are still held in Gaza.
Right after all these messages and the strikes coming from Israel, Hamas said that it was able to locate another body and it will hand it over to Israel if the circumstances on the ground will make this possible.
In Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, the government already planning its next steps, changing perhaps the name of the war to the war of redemption, trying to think of the next steps, maybe ahead of elections government perhaps thinking to give this war a new branding, along with bringing back hostage bodies, bringing back the fact that all of the living hostages were brought back.
And now it's left to see how the latest incidents may influence the return of more bodies to Israel.
And that was Jonathan Regev reporting from Tel Aviv.
Families of released Israeli hostages have expressed joy at the return of their loved ones, but emphasized their continued commitment to securing the release of all remaining hostages.
Eli David is the brother of release hostage Eviatar David.
Eviatar is home.
My little brother, the heart of our family, is safe, alive, and with us.
We can finally hold him, talk to him and laugh with him again.
But even in this moment of joy, our hearts are not whole yet.
18 families are still waiting to bring their loved ones home, for a proper burial, to say goodbye and to find peace.
We will not rest until every family has that final moment and the chance to begin healing.
In the past week, Hamas has handed over the remains of 12 hostages.
Israel and Hamas earlier exchanged 20 living hostages for more than 1900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Egypt is calling for the full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, even as differences threaten to derail the process.
Egypt is one of the four guarantors of the ceasefire deal, which took effect on October 10.
The truce plan calls for prisoner exchanges, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the entry of humanitarian aid and fuel.
Adele Al-Marouki has more.
Egypt, Turkey and Qatar joined the United States in brokering a ceasefire deal that helped end the violence in Gaza.
It was expected that the leaders of the four countries would sign that deal at the peace summit attended by several global leaders and former sheikhs.
Instead, they only signed a set of principles which, in theory, would establish peace in the Middle East, without naming any crisis in that declaration.
We're talking about Gaza mainly.
So the plan was made to relieve the situation in Gaza.
When it comes to the Palestinian state, this hasn't been mentioned really.
Of course, we all wish that the Palestinian state be implemented very soon.
God knows where.
This is a bit of a tricky question.
Days before the ceasefire deal, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu insisted there would be no Palestinian state.
That's despite many countries, including major Western ones, backing the creation of such a state during a vote at the UN General Assembly in New York last September.
It will not happen.
A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River.
Trump has, on his part, repeatedly said that Israel's land area is too small and that it deserves more land.
Leaders from across the world recently gathered in Egypt to show support for the deal ending two years of war in Gaza that was agreed on at Sharm el-Sheikh.
The implementation of the first phase of that plan has faced major challenges.
Both of them accused the other of violating the current ceasefire.
All these have complicated the next phases of negotiations, which are expected to focus on disarming Hamas and agreeing on a governance system for Gaza.
The second phase is in doubt regarding achieving security for either Hamas or Israel.
Logically, Hamas arms cannot be taken away.
Hamas has been controlling Gaza since 2007.
Until this moment, Palestinian Authority on its own cannot establish security in Gaza, because it is completely isolated from Gaza.
The biggest threats remain to be internal fighting amongst Palestinians.
Hamas won't allow anyone else to control Gaza.
The Palestinian-Palestinian division is much deeper than the Palestinian-Israel conflict.
Many analysts, however, believe there's a chance for lasting peace in Gaza and the Middle East.
They are pinning their hope on Trump's much-publicized quest to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
The only one who can exert some pressure on Israel is the United States government, the United States Congress, the United States public opinion.
So having a Palestinian state in the long run or in the short run is still a matter of it's an international demand.
I'm optimistic that the Palestinian state might be initiated in the near future through some concessions from the Israeli side.
The push for peace in the Middle East has been given a major boost by the Gaza ceasefire reached in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Getting the signing ceremony concluded, it appears, was the easier part of rolling out the peace plan.
The hurdles standing in its way are huge, but so is the desire by many countries to see peace prevail in the Middle East.
That was Adel El-Marouki in Cairo.
Security sources say Egypt is pressed to mass to agree to a post-war security plan in Gaza, as a senior delegation from the group held talks in Cairo on consolidating a fragile ceasefire.
Egyptian officials urged the group to withdraw from Gaza's security and political scene.
Cairo sees the handover as a key step toward the second phase of the ceasefire agreement with Israel.
Egypt has proposed to send 1000 Palestinian Authority police officers to Gaza to work with an international security contingent.
Coming up, no end in sight for the U.S. government shutdown.
The Yellow River Mosaic is a 12-part series of multimedia stories featuring the people who live by the river and share a close bond with it.
Subscribe to Yellow River Mosaic on your favorite podcast platform or visit radiocgtncom for more in this program.
We're at 23 past the hour.
The US government shutdown continues, with no signs of significant progress to resolve the stalemate.
Jim Spellman reports from Washington.
The Senate has voted 10 times on a Republican measure that has already passed in the House to fund the government through November 21st, and each time the bill has failed.
On the other side of the Capitol.
The House went into recess before the shutdown began and Republican leaders canceled all votes on the matter through the coming week.
I refuse to allow us to come back and engage in anything until the government's reopened.
When the Democrats do the right thing for the people.
They're playing politics and we have to use every ounce of leverage.
We have to make sure they do the right thing.
That means little is being done to end the crisis and reopen the government.
Neither side appears open to compromise.
We will not support a partisan Republican spending bill, which is the bill that they continue to bring before the Senate and that emerged from the House if that bill guts the health care of the American people.
Most federal government employees will likely receive back pay after the government reopens, but have received only partial paychecks for the previous pay period and are set to receive no pay for the next period.
Senate Republicans plan to introduce a measure that would pay the military and government employees required to show up during the shutdown.
But that measure will also require Democratic votes and is unlikely to pass.
Republicans hope to ramp up political pressure on Democrats by forcing them to vote on the record against paying these employees.
That was Jim Spellman on the U.S. government failing to find a way out of a government shutdown.
A poll in the United States shows declining confidence in finding quality employment.
Nearly half of the respondents expressed little or no confidence in securing a good job, a sharp rise from 37 from two years ago.
The survey by AP and the National Opinion Research Center contacted around 1300 adults and highlighted the growing financial strain in the United States.
Americans cited electricity bills and grocery costs as major stressors.
Rodrigo Paz has won the presidential runoff election in Bolivia.
According to the quick count of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, he managed to win over 545 of the votes, nine points higher than former President Jorge Quiroga.
Paz's victory marks the end of two decades of left-wing rule and the beginning of a new political stage in the South American country.
He'll assume office on November 8th for a five-year term.
The newly elected president will have to face a weakened economy marked by fuel shortages, fiscal deficits and a prolonged lack of foreign exchange caused by declining international reserves.
Former Bolivian President, Evo Morales, said neither presidential candidate represents the popular movement.
French police are looking for a team of four thieves after they broke into the Louvre and stole some of the country's priceless crown jewels.
The incident forced a temporary closure of the famous museum in Paris.
The brazen daytime heist is one of several in recent months to target French museums.
Sarah Coates reports.
Major police operation here in Paris after this brazen theft that authorities say happened just after the Louvre Museum opened at about 930.
What we do understand already.
This furniture removal truck it's a lifter mounted on a truck was actually parked outside the museum.
The thieves, between three to four of them went up in the lift, used power tools to smash through a window of one of the most prestigious parts of the museum on the Seine side of the museum, before gaining access, stealing some nine artefacts and then fleeing.
Now we do understand that a crown has been dropped and recovered by police, who are continuing to investigate this theft.
Here's what we heard a little earlier from the Culture Minister, Rashida Doughty.
We came immediately, a couple of minutes after we received information of this robbery.
To be completely honest, this operation lasted almost four minutes.
It was very quick.
We have to say that these are professionals.
Organized crime today targets objects of art, and museums, of course, have become targets because France, as you know, is a country of heritage, a country with historical objects of heritage with great value.
Now people here are reacting with shock to the news of this robbery, while those visitors who were inside the Louvre at the time this happened say there was utter chaos.
They say they were running around banging on doors trying to get out, while on the other side of the doors police were trying to get in.
Now we can tell you that forensic teams are continuing to comb through the evidence and authorities here are calling this robbery extremely professional.
That was Sarah Coates on the theft at the Louvre.
Media in Japan say the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party have effectively agreed to form a coalition government.
Local media say LDP chief Sanai Takeichi and the head of the smaller party, also known as Ishin, spoke on the phone and agreed to sign the agreement.
Ishin's backing pushed the Nikkei Index up by around 3.4% on Monday.
Takeichi won the leadership contest of the ruling LDP earlier in the month and is expected to become Japan's first female prime minister.
Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached a ceasefire agreement to immediately halt cross-border attacks and promote mutual respect for each other's territory.
According to the agreement, attacks from Afghanistan on Pakistani soil will stop immediately.
The Pakistani defense minister said delegations on the two sides will meet again in Istanbul on Saturday to discuss details for implementing the ceasefire and enhancing security cooperation.
We're at 29 past the hour.
Beijing's down to plus one Monday evening.
Tuesday will be sunny with a high of 12.
Nanchang will be overcast in 14, then overcast in 17.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad's 30 overnight, cloudy in 30 for Tuesday.
Vientiane will see a light rainfall in 22 this evening, then some more rain in 32 degrees.
Phnom Penh's down to 25 overnight, heavy rainfall coming down, moderate rain tomorrow in 32.
In Africa, Nairobi will be overcast and 29 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
Kampala is getting heavy rainfall overnight in 19, then moderate rain and 26 degrees.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour, China's economy has expanded by over 5 through three quarters, demonstrating resilience despite global headwinds.
The CPC's 20th Central Committee has begun meeting on the country's social and economic development for the next five years.
And Israel says it's resumed its enforcement of the Gaza ceasefire fall, or rather fallen conflict in Gaza on the weekend.
Shane Begum with you.
Stay with us here on the Beijing Hour.
Shh, listen up.
Can you hear the heartbeat of our world?
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?
Ever wondered what's actually going on in Africa through the perspective of an African?
How are things really going between China and Africa?
What's the narrative of this relationship?
Well, get a perspective with China Africa Talk.
Hear from African diplomats, entrepreneurs, academics, Chinese natives and more.
Get on our wavelength every week to find out what's real with China Africa Talk.
Find us on your favorite podcast.
We'll see you there.
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.
It's Shane Bigham with you on this Monday.
Still to come.
In business, Asian markets rally as China reports strong growth numbers.
In sports, China's top-ranked badminton duo makes history in Denmark.
In culture and entertainment.
Beijing International Photography Week is underway in the Chinese capital.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn.com or follow our ex-account at cgtnradio.
But first of all, with a check of the day's headlines, here's Tianyu.
Thank you, Shane.
The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has started its fourth plenary session in Beijing.
General Secretary Xi Jinping of the CPC Central Committee delivered a work report on behalf of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
He also expounded on the party leadership's draft proposals for the formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development.
Official data shows China's economy expanded by 52 in the first three quarters of this year, demonstrating strong resilience and steady progress despite global headwinds.
The figure is 0.4 percentage points higher than the same period last year.
Key indicators underscore this positive trend.
Employment and prices remain stable, while foreign trade hit a record high, with exports of high-tech products such as electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar batteries all seeing double-digit growth.
The push for high-quality development is also accelerating.
High-tech manufacturing surged by 96, while the production of industrial robots jumped by nearly 30.
The National Bureau of Statistics says these figures underline China's economic resilience and innovation capacity, keeping the country on track to meet its annual growth target of around 5.
The number of overseas buyers at the just-concluded Phase 1 of the 138th Canton Fair increased by 63 from the previous session to reach a record 157000.
Participants attending the event, formerly known as the China Import and Export Fair, introduced their efforts in pursuing high-tech and innovation.
Our core competitiveness increasingly stems from exceptional design, superior user experience and technological upgrades.
This demonstrates that the deep integration of Chinese design and Chinese manufacturing has formed a new advantage for our global market expansion.
The Chinese technologies have improved quite a lot.
It comes from the investment which has been continuously done by Chinese manufacturers, Chinese suppliers.
They always have been focusing on research and development.
That's why they have this kind of good result today in the global market.
Phase 1 featured about 12,000 exhibitors.
Advanced products, including AI wearables and smart robots, drew strong interest from international buyers.
During the event in Guangzhou, exhibitors showcased original designs and integrated solutions, presenting a shift from contract manufacturing to value-added innovation.
China has welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Officials from the two countries have agreed to immediately halt cross-border attacks and promote mutual respect for each other's territory.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun says China hopes that Pakistan and Afghanistan will continue to properly resolve differences through dialogue and consultation and that China supports them in realizing a lasting ceasefire to safeguard peace and stability.
He adds that China is ready to work with the international community to continue to play a constructive role in helping improve the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
And finally, the first container ship operating on the China-Europe Arctic Express route has arrived in northern Poland after a 26-day voyage.
The Istanbul Bridge departed from the Ningbo-Zhoushan port in East China on September 23.
It made stops at ports in Britain and Germany before arriving in Poland.
The China-Europe Arctic Express route takes the Arctic's northeast passage directly to Europe, significantly reducing travel time compared with traditional routes.
Coming up in business, Asian markets rally as China reports strong growth numbers.
The Beijing Hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
36 pass and turning to business.
Stock markets across Asia closed higher on Monday.
On the Chinese mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose by six-tenths of a percent, while the Shenzhen Component gained nine-tenths.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng jumped more than 2.4%.
Tokyo shares ended the day higher, with the Nikkei surging around 34, as the country moves closer to naming its first female prime minister.
China's economies maintained steady growth this year despite a highly uncertain global economy.
Official data shows the GDP expanded by 5.2% in the first three quarters.
Spokesperson Fu Linghui from the National Bureau of Statistics explains.
Globally, China's 5.2% economic growth stands out among major economies.
The country continues to be a key engine for global economic expansion.
China's economy has maintained steady growth and shown remarkable resilience.
This year, different regions have been developing new quality productive forces based on their specific conditions, which helps optimize the economic structure.
We're seeing exciting advances everywhere, from large-scale AI models to robot marathons, from aerospace to self-driving cars.
The close integration of innovation and industry chains keeps bringing fresh vitality to the economic development.
Total retail sales of consumer goods rose 4.5% during the period, reaching over US$5 trillion.
That figure is 1.2 points higher than last year.
A bank lending reached over 270 trillion yuan or roughly 40 trillion US dollars, up by 6.6%.
For more on consumer spending.
Tianyu spoke with Wang Yaojing, associate professor of economics at Peking University.
Professor Wang, how do you see the current trend of retail consumption and people's changing needs?
China's retail consumption in the first three quarters of 2025 shows a steady and increasingly diversified recovery, indicating that consumption is gradually shifting from goods towards experiences and also quality of life services.
Categories such as culture, sports and leisure services, as well as communication and information services, have been particularly strong growth, also reflecting the rising demand for a healthier lifestyle.
Also, digital connectivity and personal fulfillment among consumers.
From Labor Day holidays in May, summer vacation and National Holiday, Golden Week that just passed, we saw clear trends of consumers actively seeking unique, high-quality engagements And this shift towards inclusivity and personal experience is showing China's consumption market is upgrading in quality in this quantity, quality trade off.
Right.
There are some positive signs in the consumption market.
And apart from that, total social financing rose eight point seven percent year on year and new financing reached over 30 trillion yuan, up over 44 trillion from a year earlier, and bank lending totaled over 270 trillion yuan, up 66 year-on-year.
So what do these numbers show about China's economic recovery and what does the rise in lending tell us?
Well.
China's rising social financing and loan growth in the first three quarters signal that the economy's recovery is gaining traction and that financial conditions remain supportive for this expansion.
These figures indicate that both credit supply and financing demand are strengthening, which is a positive sign that businesses and households are regaining confidence in future economic prospects.
Since this September, China implemented interest subsidies for consumer loans and small businesses, loans supporting domestic consumption and local businesses to overcome their liquidity constraints in the short run.
And this loan growth in particular suggests that firms are expanding production, investing in new projects and upgrading technology, while households are more willing to borrow for consumption and also housing-related spendings.
Therefore, ultimately, economic recovery requires innovation as the engine of sustained growth.
And these numbers are confirming evidence that we are on the right track.
That was Associate Professor Wang Yaojing at Peking University.
China's industrial production has grown steadily this year, with equipment and high-tech manufacturing showing strong momentum.
The development of new quality productive forces is creating fresh growth drivers, boosting innovation and accelerating industrial upgrading.
Across the country, various types of expos are underway, reflecting China's technological progress and innovation-driven growth.
Cheng Chunyang has details.
Let's start with the canton fair in guangzhou.
A barometer of china's foreign trade, this year's event has reached new records, bringing together more than 32 000 enterprises and over 74 000 booths.
Among the exhibitors, more than 10 000 high quality enterprises, including high-tech innovators and so-called later giants, now accounted for 34 percent of total, and that marks a clear shift from quantity to quality.
At the expo, Smart manufacturing and grain innovation are taking center stage, with intelligent medical devices, AI-driven machinery and service robots standing out as key highlights.
At the same time, buyers from emerging markets have become the new driving force, showing a more diversified and resilient trade network.
Next, shifting to the digital front.
The 2025 China International Digital Economy Expo showcased China's accelerating digital transformation.
Under the theme Digital Innovation Drives Modern Industrialization, the event featured cooperation on areas like smart interaction, autonomous driving, digital agriculture, smart city development, etc.
And in Tianjin.
The China Helicopter Exposition also showcased the nation's growing strength in aerospace and the emerging low altitude economy.
The event brought together more than 400 exhibitors from over 30 countries and regions and attracted around 20 000 trade participants.
Dozens of helicopters were on display, ranging from advanced utility models to next generation civilian aircraft, underscoring china's expanding capabilities in high-end aviation manufacturing and future mobility.
So, all together, these exports present a powerful picture of a nation moving up the value chain, aligning global partnership with home ground innovation and advancement.
That was Zheng Xuning reporting at the International Digital Economy Expo.
And Ning Hong explores how digital technologies are transforming industries.
This retail store operates automatically.
Consumers can scan a QR code to enter check out on their own and remote consumer support is available via cameras to provide assistance.
A store like this has a technology cost less than 10000 yuan, and there are currently about 30000 such stores in China.
And this is an automatic homework grading machine.
It uses AI to automatically grade students' assignments.
It can identify right and wrong answers as well as write comments and assign scores.
It can handle various subjects.
As for the classroom, you can say goodbye to the blackboard.
Now, smart interactive screens allow students to experience the charm of learning more intuitively.
For our mathematics subject, we often need to draw relatively complex graphics.
For example, when we need to create a 3D geometric figure, our teachers can input a rough drawing on this platform and it will automatically convert it into a precise standard figure.
Furthermore, teachers can tailor the content according to their instructional objectives.
For instance, we can perform fill operations here and generate different types of developments, such as unfolding the 3D shape into various net representations.
Guests from around the world have also shown interest in the digital economy.
We've met cable manufacturers and construction manufacturing company that we want to introduce to our partners in Ghana.
This expo has provided me with a valuable opportunity for in-depth exchanges with global partners and has given me a clearer trends.
I firmly believe we are at a critical historical juncture by leveraging cross sector collaboration, shared wisdom and coordinated actions.
We can not only foster regional prosperity but also contribute concrete strength to building a community with a shared future for humanity.
Besides these, we have also seen many applications of digital and robotic technologies in various fields like transportation, healthcare and industrial production.
That was Ning Hong on the International Digital Economy Expo.
A new Coca-Cola bottling factory has started operation in Henan Province.
The plant in the central province is the first top-level facility in the company's 17 billion investment in China.
The factory focuses on green and smart technology, with more than 30 low-carbon measures, including smart systems for hot water, refrigeration and solar power.
In the past three years, Coca-Cola has upgraded five production bases in China, improving facilities and expanding capacity.
Coming up, China's top-ranked badminton duo makes history in Denmark.
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47 past the hour now.
In sports, here is Yang Guang.
Thank you, Shane.
We begin with badminton from the Denmark Open, where China's Feng Yanzhi and Huang Dongping captured the mixed doubles crown, defeating compatriots Jiang Junbang and Wei Yaxin in straight games.
The top-ranked duel entered the match chasing history, aiming to become the first pair in more than 30 years to win three consecutive Denmark Open mixed doubles titles.
Feng and Huang took the opener 21-13 and maintained their momentum with powerful smashes and sharp net play to seal the second 21-9.
The victory avenged their loss at last week's Arctic Open.
Huang expressed her joy on reaching the milestone.
I feel great about matching that record, as we did not play well in some aspects in Finland last week as we focused on improving on those details.
Meanwhile we enjoyed the competition and that was probably because we had more confidence playing in Denmark.
In men's singles, top seed Shi Yuqi fell to Indonesia's Jonathan Christie, while in the women's final, Wang Zhiyi was etched by South Korea's An Se-yong in straight games.
Turning to football, Manchester United ended a nine-year wait for a Premier League win at Anfield, defeating Liverpool 2-1 thanks to a late header from Harry Maguire.
The victory down to blow to the reigning champions' title hopes and lifted United to ninth on the table with 13 points, while Liverpool dropped to fourth with 15, suffering their first full-game losing streak across all competitions since November 2014.
United stunned home crowd early, as Brian Mbemel scored within a minute, capitalising on Armand Diallo's flicked pass.
Liverpool hit the post three times before Cody Gakpo equalised in the 8th-78th minute, but Maguire rose above Ibrahima Konate in the 84th minute to head home Bruno Fernandes' cross, sealing the win.
United's manager Ruben Amorim says this is a crucial victory for the team and the fans.
I don't have many wins in Manchester, so this is really important.
It's back-to-back, like you said, it's an anfield that is really important.
Every detail of this game, it's something that I am speaking for a while.
The spirit, when we suffer a bad moment or a goal, maintain the composure.
All these small things, today was perfect.
Let's try to do that in the next week.
That is really important.
I think it was really important for our fans.
Meantime.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slott says the team is still confident despite recent poor round of form.
The life of a football manager is an ongoing challenge.
If you win games you want to keep winning, if you lose games you want to start winning again.
So do we lose confidence?
I cannot see it yet, because every single game we've lost, we were able to create in the second half an unbelievable amount of chances.
So if you look back at all the three games we've lost in the Premier League, I don't think if you just put all the highlights behind each other, you would say it's hardly possible that they lose this game.
Despite dominating possession and registering 19 shots to United's 12, Liverpool struggled to convert chances, with Gakpo and Mohamed Salah missing key opportunities.
Still in football, Kylian Mbappé continued his remarkable scoring run, as his 10th goal in nine league matches secured a 1-1 victory for Real Madrid at Getafe, sending the reigning champion back to the top of La Liga.
The host held firm for most of the match, but Getafe was reduced to 10-9 men later on.
Allen and Jorm were sent off 13 minutes from time, just one minute after coming off the bench, and Mbappé capitalised three minutes later with a clinical finish.
Alex Sankris was then shown a second yellow card before the final whistle.
Real Madrid's way moves them two points clear of Barcelona setting up next Sunday's El Clasico showdown.
Real now turns their attention to hosting Juventus in the Champions League midweek.
In Formula 1, Max Verstappen dominated the US Grand Prix from pole position, leading every lap to cut Oscar Piastri's championship lead from 104 points in August to 40 now.
The Red Bull driver also won the Saturday sprint race, completing a perfect weekend in Austin and claiming the 68th win of his career.
Verstappen described the challenge of maintaining pace during the race.
I knew that the race was of course not going to be super straightforward.
I think if you look at the whole race, the pace between myself and Lando was really close.
I think just in that first stint, that's where we made the difference.
I could eke out a little bit of a gap, and that's basically what we kept till the end.
It wasn't easy to manage also the tires on both of the stints, but we kept it in the lead and just incredibly proud of everyone.
McLaren's Lando Norris finished second after a hard-fought battle with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, while PSG crossed the line fifth, maintaining a 14-point advantage over his teammate, with five races and two sprints remaining.
Verstappen's commanding pace left him well clear of the field throughout the race, while Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and other frontrunners shuffled behind following strategic pit stops.
The weekend also saw collisions involving Carlos Sainz and Kimi Antonelli, resulting in a virtual safety car and a great penalty for Sainz at next week's Mexican Grand Prix.
Thank you very much.
That was Yang Guang with sports.
Coming up in culture and entertainment.
Beijing International Photography Week is underway in the Chinese capital.
From north to south, east to west, people in China are chasing their dreams and leaving their mark.
Want to know how they beat their odds and made a difference?
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We're at 53 minutes past the hour.
Turning to culture and entertainment.
Beijing International Photography Week is open in the Chinese capital, launching a citywide celebration of visual culture with themed exhibitions across 12 interconnected zones.
The China Millennium Monument serves as the main venue linking 11 exhibition sites across the capital.
Highlights include the National Image Exhibition, featuring over 200 works from major domestic media, and the Remember History, Cherish Peace section, showcasing powerful moments from this year's V-Day parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II.
Other displays highlight achievements under the 14th Five-Year Plan and explore the fusion of technology and art, including innovative photography created with AI.
China's long-cherished agarwood, deeply rooted in the nation's culture, traditional medicine and spiritual life.
Today, designers in the southern region of Guangxi are giving this fragrant wood a modern twist, transforming it into jewelry and other creative cultural products.
Zhengmeng Yuan visited an exhibition in Nanning to learn more.
The culture of agarwood dates back over 2,000 years.
In Chinese culture, agarwood was highly valued for its aromatic properties and its perceived spiritual and medicinal benefits.
The agarwood jewelry exhibition held in Nanning showcases the understated beauty of agarwood.
The agarwood pieces which undergo minimal processing feature uneven surfaces and unique shapes resembling mountains and valleys.
Consequently, designers have utilized them to create miniature landscape ornaments.
For instance, this piece of agarwood resembled the Yun Gang grottoes, so I embedded some Buddha statues into it, creating a miniature grotto.
Another piece looked like rocks on a beach, so I crafted a small crab basking in the sun.
I aimed to preserve the original shape of the agarwood as much as possible.
Combining agarwood, beads and blocks with silver agate, turquoise and amber, designers create an array of jewelry through techniques such as inlay wire, weaving and braiding.
These agarwood accessories not only preserve traditional Chinese culture, but also fulfill the modern quest for spiritual enrichment.
We are placing greater importance on traditional Chinese culture.
Agarwood has a history spanning thousands of years and is quite popular among young people today.
Agarwood carries a cultural elegance.
We allow it to present a charm that connects the ancient and the contemporary.
The Agarwood jewelry exhibition has attracted a large number of visitors who enjoy the Agarwood's aromatic ambience while appreciating the jewelry and learning about Agarwood culture, experiencing the tranquility and elegance of ancient times.
That was Zhengmeng Yuan reporting from Guangxi.
A symphonic celebration of East and West lit up Hangzhou this weekend, as musicians from China and the United States joined forces to pay tribute to the ancient Liangzhu civilization, a cradle of early Chinese culture.
The Light of Liangzhu concert took place at the Grand Canal Theatre in the eastern Chinese city, blending classical masterpieces with Chinese melodies.
Earlier in the day, orchestra members performed the Butterfly Lovers amid the golden rice fields of the Liangzhu archaeological site.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Leng Ju stands as a symbol of China's deep cultural roots.
And a major cultural showcase celebrating the Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau Greater Bay Area is opened at the Shanghai Art Museum, kicking off a month of fine arts and global performances.
Running through November 15th.
The event features high-profile art exhibitions and an international performing arts conference, highlighting the creativity and dynamic spirit of the Greater Bay Area.
We're at 57 past.
Beijing's down to plus one Monday evening.
It'll be sunny and 12 on Tuesday.
Nanchang's overcast in 14 overnight, then overcast in 17.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad's down to 30 overnight.
Tuesday is cloudy with a high of 30.
Vientiane will see a light rainfall in 22 this evening, then more light rain in 32 tomorrow.
Phnom Penh's getting heavy rainfall overnight, 25 degrees, moderate rain in 32 on Tuesday.
That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making news today.
China's economy has expanded by over 5 through three quarters, demonstrating resilience despite global headwinds.
And the CPC's 28th Central Committee has begun meetings on the country's social and economic development over the next five years.
On behalf of the staff, 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 the 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.
