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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 Wednesday, January 8th, 2025.
We're listening to the Beijing Hour coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program, rescuers are still searching for survivors after the strong earthquake in the Xi Zeng region of southwest China.
China's foreign minister has vowed to enhance international cooperation with Africa.
UN officials say gang violence in Haiti killed thousands of people last year, with casualties rising sharply from 2023.
In business, Spring Festival shopping is picking up at food markets across China in sports.
Final preparations for the Asian winter games in northeast China.
In culture and entertainment, archaeologists find thousands of ancient documents in Hubei Province.
Now, check in the day's top stories.
Rescuers continue to search for trapped survivors.
A day after, a 6 .8 -magnitude earthquake jolted Xi Zeng.
The earthquake emergency response in the southwestern Chinese autonomous region, also known as Tibet, is at the highest level after a quake hit Dingro County in Shigatsa, killing at least 126 people and injuring nearly 190 others.
The disaster also toppled thousands of rural houses on the northern slope of the Himalayas, damaging roads and cutting off power.
Workers have restored communications and cleared all roads leading to the disaster area.
Rescuers are setting up tents for the homeless amid freezing temperatures.
China's central authorities have dispatched 22 ,000 disaster relief items, including tents, winter coats, quilts and folding beds.
It has provided special relief materials for high altitude and frigid areas.
The first batch of relief goods has arrived in Dingro.
Rescue operations are facing challenges due to frigid temperatures and the high altitude.
The director of the emergency management department in Xi Zeng says over 600 aftershocks have occurred so far following the major quake.
Hongli says rescue efforts are focused within a 20 -kilometer radius of the epicenter.
The area is a high plateau, cold mountainous regions with underdeveloped economic conditions and weaker infrastructure in transportation, communication and electricity.
The climate is cold, with significant temperature differences between day and night, making it difficult to stay warm and resist the cold at night.
Currently, the focus of rescue operations has shifted to the resettlement of the victims and post -disaster reconstruction.
Zhang Song -woo has more from the quake's epicenter.
Over 5 ,000 and 800 relief items, including quilts, warm clothing and cotton tents were transported to the epicenter.
And also regarding to medical help, medical experts across China have been in this affected area.
For example, the medical experts from Shanghai have been in epicenter.
And in a local hospital in Din Riu County, which is one of the counties in Shigeti City, there are 30 temporary shelters have been set up.
Of course, so far more than 12 ,000 rescue workers including firefighters, police officers, military personnel have joined the rescue operations.
And so far over 400 trapped individuals were rescued and 14 big relocation sites have been built and over 30 ,000 people from the affected area have been relocated.
The altitude is one of the biggest challenges for most people, especially for those rescue workers from other parts of the country.
For example, the average altitude of the epicenter is about 5 ,000 meters above sea level.
So that would be a big challenge.
And sometimes the high altitude makes people sick.
And also the low temperature is also one of the big challenges.
The temperature at night could be as low as minus 15 degrees Celsius in epicenter in Shigeti City.
But now since the relief items from central government have been transported to the epic center, so that would be not a big problem.
That was Zhang Songwu reporting.
The finance and emergency management ministries have allocated 100 million yuan or roughly 14 million US dollars to support the rescue and resettlement efforts in Shizang.
The funding will also help investigate and address potential secondary disasters as well as repair homes damaged in the quake.
The National Development and Reform Commission has issued another 14 million US dollars from the central budget to aid recovery efforts focusing on rebuilding damaged roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and other public facilities.
Ladsa is one of the hardest hit counties in Shizang.
It's over 60 kilometers away from Dingra where the earthquake struck.
The county chief says they are using safehouses to accommodate affected residents.
People with damaged houses need to be relocated.
The tents we have here cannot accommodate everyone for the time being.
However, we can meet the needs of relocating people by using rooms, in schools, kindergartens and other safe buildings.
And we have added heating equipment inside the tents, their stoves, cotton padded clothes and quilts.
This was what I was most worried about.
And it's also an inspection.
Basically, there's no problem.
We will continue to check the safety of houses, the safety of livestock and the availability of relevant facilities and equipment for medical and health care.
Local residents recalled what happened during the earthquake and expressed gratitude for the help they've received so far.
I fell to the ground when the earthquake happened and a piece of wood hit me on the waist.
The People's Liberation Army soon arrived and rescued me.
I could feel the earthquake was quite strong and buildings collapsed around me.
There have been many deaths and injuries of people and livestock.
I fainted during the earthquake and was rescued by the People's Liberation Army.
I appreciate the help a lot.
My house collapsed, except for the livestock.
No person was hurt, thanks to the soldiers who helped us.
For more on the earthquake in Sizang, Pandang spoke to Leo Juncher, associate professor of the School of National Safety and Emergency Management at Beijing Normal University.
What do you make of the cause of this time's strong earthquake and the casualty number?
Firstly, regions like the Qinghai -Tibai -Blaizhou, the intention collision between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate generates significant tectonic strikes.
This is the main reason for the causes of the frequent earthquake in Sizang district region.
The presence of the active fault and cluster deformation, such as the Deng Muzhou fault near the Lhasa block, can also lead to earthquakes when the accumulative strikes exceed the barren streams of the rocks along these faults.
According to the literature, there are a total of 64 active faults in the Rikaze region, and the ID sensor is located in the Dinghi county, and the focal mechanism is a tensile structure.
Considering the large number of casualties is mainly due to the population density, you know that the population within the 20 kilometers of the IP sensor is about 6 ,900 and there are 27 villages within the 20 kilometers of the IP center.
And Dinghi county also features a total population of about 61 ,000.
It is the most populous border county in Sizang.
Such a high population density in affected areas leads to more casualties.
And secondly, the poor systemic resistability is also one of the key reasons.
Almost 3 ,000 buildings were damaged and collapsed during the earthquake, and most of them were built with bricks, stones, soils, and ooze.
These are reinforced concrete and steel rebuts to withstand such seismic loading, and monthly structures tend to be brought brittle and behave poor, systemic behavior and the circular loading at an earthquake.
It offers limited redundancy for seismic safety, and you know that the actual acceleration and damage from earthquakes often exceeded the design specification by three to six times.
And also the accumulative damage from the aftershocks are not accounted in the design.
Especially after earthquake, transportation, communication facilities also suffer serious damage.
Multiple landslides and cracks have appeared on the road.
It makes difficult for rescue vehicles to pass through, and the communication base station also collapse.
The connection was temporarily interrupted, and electricity transmission, the water supply pipeline are also damaged.
This also poses difficulties and challenges for the rescue work.
Meanwhile, the earthquake also occurred in winter.
The relatively low temperature, low pressure, as well as the high altitude also made rescue work more difficult than the normal conditions.
Professor, earlier you mentioned be careful, be mindful, and be precautionary on more aftershocks.
So what do you make of the situation this time?
Because we know right now every minute counts in rescue and relief work.
Yeah you know from my point of view that after the several earthquakes, you know generally after many earthquakes, aftershocks activity is commonly observed in the affected and nearby regions, and these aftershocks gradually decrease in intensity and frequency over time.
The aftershocks depend on several factors such as the initial earthquake magnative, the geological characteristics, the stress distribution along the fault line, and maybe after, you know that frankly speaking, the larger the the initial earthquake, the larger and more aftershocks.
So it's important to for the residents now in the affected region to remain vigilant and prepared for the possibility of the aftershocks, and also particularly some of the secondary disaster types caused induced by the earthquakes.
That was Leo Trump.
The world leaders have expressed condolences over the deadly earthquake in southwest China.
UN Secretary -General Antonia Guterres says he's profoundly saddened by the devastating loss of life caused by that quake.
He wished for a speedy recovery for those injured, adding that the UN stands ready to provide support if requested.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also extended condolences, saying Russia shares the grief of those who've lost families and close ones in the disaster.
Serbian President Alexander Vucic says their thoughts are with the families of the victims, those injured, and all the Chinese people and the country's leadership.
Leaders from other countries, including Pakistan, Japan, and the Maldives, also extended condolences.
Coming up, China vows enhanced cooperation with Africa.
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12 minutes past the hour, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yiz vowed to enhance international cooperation with Africa.
He made the remarks during his visit to the Republic of the Congo, the second leg of his ongoing trip to the continent.
Wang met the country's president and foreign minister.
He says the two countries agreed to set an example for building an all -weather China -Africa community with a shared future.
The two sides have also pledged to implement the outcomes of the Beijing summit of the Forum on China -Africa Cooperation last year.
And Chris Okamringa has more from Brezerville.
Mr. Wang Yi met with senior Congolese officials, his Congolese counterpart, the foreign minister, and also the president.
And after those meetings, he held a press conference and reassured the people of Congo of China's commitment to deepen the trade relations that they have had for over 50 years.
He said they will continue carrying out infrastructure projects and venture into other areas like health care, agriculture, and they will do all this in a kind of a win -win partnership for the mutual benefit of the people of China and the Republic of Congo.
And he said this was all in line with what was agreed on by African leaders with the president Xi Jinping at last year's Forum on China -Africa Cooperation, the FOCAC meeting that was held in Beijing.
So he's here to ensure that these programs are implemented by both countries.
He said that the Republic of Congo is a country that will co -chair this FOCAC this year.
And so that is a very important position, which is going to help set the agenda for the relationship between China and Africa.
And so this message that he gave raised a lot of hopes in this country, which has a very high level of poverty and some of the projects that China is planning to carry out are deemed as very important in trying to lift people out of poverty.
So there is a lot of optimism.
What's left is to see all these projects being put in place.
The message that he gave to the people of the Republic of Congo has really raised some hope among some politicians, especially, about projects being implemented in this country that will help improve the connectivity of roads and also ultimately help lift people out of poverty.
So people here are really looking forward to this continuation of the partnership between China and the Republic of Congo.
That was Chris Okemringa reporting.
Ghanaian President John Mahama has taken the oath of office, returning to power after eight years.
Mahama staged to come back with a landslide victory during the presidential election last month.
He previously served as president from 2012 to 17.
Mahama pledged to turn the economy around and respond to youth unemployment.
Nabil Ahmed Rufai has more from Accra.
A new dawn in Ghana as John Mahama takes the oath of office, ushering him in as the nation's president for the second time.
He takes over from Nanakufado who has left the country for the last eight years, leaving behind a rising cost of living, high unemployment, and a weakening currency.
Mahama says he will hit the ground running as he tries to put Ghana on the path to recovery.
Mahama lost the 2016 election after overseeing a government rocked with a series of corruption scandals.
But with thousands attending the swearing -in ceremony in Accra's Blackstar Square, many are now prepared to give him a second chance.
I am really happy to witness this event.
I pray that God gives the president strength and wisdom to turn things around because we are really struggling.
I also pray that John Mahama has a peaceful reign as president.
At least 21 heads of states from Africa and other parts of the world were also in attendance.
President Mahama plans to implement 26 key policies to improve Ghana's economy and social development in the next 120 days in office.
The countdown is on and all eyes will be keenly watching as he tries to take millions of Ghanaians out of poverty.
President Mahama is expected to appoint his ministers in the coming days and he will be counting on them to help make his pledge to turn Ghana's economy around a reality.
That was Nabil Ahmed Rufai reporting.
Canadians are now wondering who will lead the country after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this week that he'll step down after being in power for nearly a decade.
The ruling Liberal Party is looking for a new leader to replace Trudeau who will stay on as Prime Minister until that leader's chosen.
Evangela Sipsis has more on the possible contenders for Prime Minister.
He has been one of the longest serving Prime Ministers in Canada, the seventh actually longest Prime Minister in Canada.
He took office in November of 2015 and he resigned in January 2025, some just over nine years.
Some of his achievements or some of his legacy with social policies, climate action, trade negotiations with people around the world but also how he focused a lot on the indigenous community.
That's some of the achievements but all those also have been faced with criticism by the Canadian public.
Now what the next day might look like and who's going to be the leader?
There are four names right now that are popping the charts, let's say.
One is Anita Anand who is currently the Transport Minister of Canada and also served as a Defence Minister here in Canada.
Dominique LeBlanc who is the Finance Minister currently in Canada.
Mark Carney who is the ex -Governor of Canada and ex -Governor of the Bank of England as well and also a surprising name which is Chrisia Freeland, the ex -Finance Minister of Joss and Trudeau who resigned last December and she is the one who's leading in the polls of more popular to lead the Liberal Party.
So that's pretty much what the next day might look like in the Liberal Party and who will lead the country in these upcoming elections.
And I have to say that whoever is going to lead the Liberal Party and is going to run in these federal elections is not going to be an easy task as the opposition right now is almost 20 points difference with Trudeau's party.
That was Evangela Sipsis reporting from Toronto.
South Korea's parliaments rejected bills to appoint special councils and investigate President Yoon Seok -Yul's insurrection charge and his wife's corruption allegations.
The opposition -controlled National Assembly failed to gain the two -thirds support needed to pass the bills.
The floral leader of the Democratic Party said that it'll gain push for the bill against Yoon.
Meantime, Yoon's defence council said he'll comply with an indictment or preliminary detention warrant.
Investigators attempted to arrest Yoon in the presidential residence on January 3rd, but failed as the Presidential Security Service blocked the execution of the warrant.
The Seoul Western District Court issued the second warrant on Tuesday to a rescue extending the validity of the first arrest warrant that expired on Monday.
A Greenland officials rebuffed the idea that the U .S.
could buy the world's largest island.
This comes a day after U .S.
President -elect Donald Trump reiterated interest in taking control of the island.
Aja Chemnitz is a Greenlandic member of Danish parliament.
She says the U .S. takeover should be rejected.
We shouldn't be bought by anyone because Greenland is not for sale and Greenland will not be for sale, but we can have a closer collaboration on business development with the U .S.
Trump has said he wants to make Greenland a part of the U .S.
His eldest son Donald Trump Jr.
visited Nuke on Tuesday, describing the trip to the Greenland capital as a private tourism visit.
Danish Prime Minister Fredrickson has reiterated that the island's future must be decided by its people.
Greenland's an autonomous territory of Denmark gained home rule in 1979 and expanded self -government in 2009.
Coming up, gang violence in Hades claimed thousands of lives in the past year.
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At 22 past the hour, UN officials say that rampant gang violence killed over 5 ,600 people in Haiti last year, more than 20 percent higher than 2023.
Spokesperson Stefan Dujaric said that armed gangs also disrupted the lives of thousands of others last year.
Over 2 ,200 people were injured and more than 1 ,494 people were kidnapped by armed gangs in Haiti.
The Human Rights Office documented 315 lynchings of gang members and people allegedly associated with gangs.
They also report 281 cases of alleged summary executions involving specialized police units.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said that the figures show that human rights violations and abuses remain prevalent in Haiti.
California Governor Gavin Newsoms declared a state of emergency amid a fast -moving wildfire in the southern part of the U .S.
state. The fire was first reported in Pacific Palisades, an affluent neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Around 38 ,000 people have been ordered to evacuate and 46 ,000 homes and businesses are now without power.
Yudhos Tian Shan visited the area to find out more.
A fire that sparked in Los Angeles' upscale coastal neighborhood of Palisades has exploded and spread to more than 500 hectares of land in just a few hours on Tuesday.
The blaze has been fueled by extremely dry conditions and a powerful windstorm with gusts reaching up to 80 kilometers per hour.
This region was already under a red alert for a potentially destructive windstorm on Tuesday.
Officials had warned that intense wind gusts could fuel any spark into a fast -moving wildfire.
The Palisades fire has already spread into a vast area in just a matter of hours while officials say its cause is still under investigation.
Thousands of residents have been evacuated while many had to abandon their vehicles as they were stuck in traffic.
The population threatened is approximately 25 ,748.
Households threatened is approximately 10 ,367.
Structures threatened are approximately 13 ,208.
At this point, we feel very blessed at this point that there's no injuries that are reported.
We do have reports of multiple structures that are damaged.
The Palisades fire continues to rage out of control as officials warn that weather conditions are expected to deteriorate overnight.
The National Weather Service has predicted that the winds are going to pick up and get worse.
We're going to have the most significant wind event between 10 p .m.
this evening and 5 a .m.
tomorrow morning. So it's incumbent that everybody have a wildfire action plan for their home if they live in a brush -covered area.
During a short visit to the disaster zone, state Governor Gavin Newsom warned residents against ignoring the mandatory evacuations.
Many structures already destroyed and the fact that people were still not evacuated, still did not heed the warning, were just coming down the canyon, is a reminder of how serious this moment is and how important it is you listen to these evacuation orders.
Barely two months ago, the mountain fire claimed hundreds of homes burning through 8 ,000 hectares, fueled by the same Santa Ana winds that are once again threatening lives and homes in the region.
How is Edith Tien -Shen reporting?
Many music lovers in the UK have renewed their appreciation for vinyl records.
Isabella Diaz has more on what's behind the vinyl comeback.
It once was considered a medium of a bygone era.
Decades ago, vinyl records with their pops, skips, and scratches were left to collect dust on the shelves, making room for cassettes, CDs, and then finally streaming services.
But in the last few years, some music lovers in the UK have been changing their tune when it comes to digital downloads and online music streams.
Instead, many are opting for music you can hold in your hands and now vinyl is more popular than it's been in decades.
According to 2023 data by the British Phonographic Industry, or BPI, sales for vinyl records in the UK increased for a 16th straight year, selling more than six million records.
Those sales were fueled by vinyl releases for musicians like Lana Del Rey, The Rolling Stones, and largely Taylor Swift.
In fact, vinyl sales in the UK hit a 33 year high in 2023, according to audio tech company A2D2.
Those sales are moving the needle on UK's GDP so much the government's adding vinyl to its shopping basket of goods impacting inflation for the first time since 1992.
And vinyl sales are expected to keep climbing.
A2D2 predicts music artists will make more than 5 .2 billion in US and UK vinyl sales this year.
That's their highest level since 1990.
But for all the hype, don't expect Brits to completely scrap Apple Music or Spotify anytime soon.
According to BPI, streaming makes up more than 87 % of all music consumption in the UK.
Still, some music enthusiasts say vinyl could very well outlive all its successors.
There won't be Apple in the future.
There won't be Microsoft in the future, but there'll be vinyl.
The report from Isabella Diaz.
We're at 28 past the hour.
Beijing is down to minus six overnight.
Sunny conditions and a high of plus two on Thursday.
Nanshunk is down to four, then overcast and five tomorrow.
Elsewhere, Ms Lomabad is five this evening, sunny skies and 20 on Thursday.
Vientiane is down to 16, then sunny and 29.
Phnom Penh is at 22 overnight and sunny and 32.
It's time for a short break so far this hour.
Our rescuers are still searching for survivors after the strong earthquake in the Xinjiang region of southwest China.
China's foreign ministers vowed to enhance international cooperation with Africa.
And UN officials say gang violence in Haiti killed thousands of people last year, with casualties rising sharply from 2023.
Shane Beggem with you.
Stay with us here on The Beijing Hour.
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Bing An. 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 Beggem, with you on this Wednesday.
Still to come. In business, Spring Festival shopping's picking up at food markets across China.
In sports, final preparations for the Asian Winter Games in northeast China.
In culture and entertainment, archaeologists find thousands of ancient documents in Hubei Province.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn .com or follow our X account at cgtnradio.
And now with the day's headline news, here's Dohong Yu.
Thank you, Shane. Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoching has stressed efforts to rescue and treat the injured after a strong earthquake jolted Xi Zang in southwest China.
Zhang underscored the importance of ensuring disaster -stricken people stay safe and warm this winter.
The quake struck Dingjie County in the city of Shigazu on Tuesday, leaving over 120 people dead and nearly 190 others injured.
The Vice Premier led a team to the quake site to guide the rescue and relief efforts.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has outlined plans to enhance China -Africa cooperation after meeting the president of the Republic of the Congo.
Wang emphasized that the two countries will focus on advancing the 10 partnership action plans for China -Africa modernization.
He said specific actions include eliminating tariffs on products from all these developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, building a land -sea connectivity network, and implementing 1 ,000 small -scale livelihood projects.
He also said China and Africa will strengthen development strategy alignment, exchange governance experience, and enrich the spirit of China -Africa friendly cooperation to set a global benchmark.
China has expressed firm opposition to the U .S.
move to list certain Chinese firms as military companies.
The Commerce Ministry said that the U .S.
has generalized the concept of national security, abused state power, and made groundless accusations against China's military -civilian integration strategy to suppress Chinese enterprises unjustifiably.
It noted in a statement that the U .S.
move has seriously disrupted the international economic and trade order and undermined the stability of global industrial and supply chains.
The statement added that China would closely monitor the situation's development and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.
The three astronauts from China's Shenzhou -18 mission have made their first public appearance since returning from space two months ago.
Yiguangfu, Li Seong, and Li Guangsu are in good condition.
They stayed in orbit for over 190 days before returning to Earth last November.
South Korea's parliament has rejected bills to appoint special counsels and investigate President Ji -oh Se -kyo's insurrection charge and his wife's corruption allegations.
The opposition -controlled national assembly failed to gain the two -thirds support needed to pass the bills.
The floor leader of the Democratic Party said that it'll again push for the bill against Yoon.
Meantime, Yoon's defense counsel said he will comply with an indictment or preliminary detention warrant.
Investigators attempted to arrest Yoon in the presidential residence on January 3, but failed as the presidential security service blocked the execution of the warrant.
The Seoul Western District Court issued the second warrant on Tuesday to arrest Yoon, extending the validity of the first arrest warrant that expired on Monday.
Firefighters are scrambling to control a fast -moving wildfire in the Los Angeles hillsides dotted with celebrity homes after a fierce windstorm hit southern California.
The L .A. Fire Department says about 30 ,000 residents are under evacuation orders and more than 13 ,000 structures are under threat.
Officials have not reported injuries.
California Governor Gavin Newsom warned residents not to assume they are out of danger.
Many structures already destroyed and the fact that people were still not evacuated, still did not heed the warning, were just coming down the canyon, is a reminder of how serious this moment is and how important it is you listen to these evacuation orders.
Forecasters predict the windstorm will last for days.
The National Weather Survey said it could be the strongest Santa Ana windstorm across Los Angeles in more than a decade.
Subfreezing temperatures are threatening to dump snow on the southern U .S.
Kenna Mitchell with the Texas Department of Transportation says they're preparing roads for ice and snow.
Right now we are making sure that our trucks are ready to go and also putting down an early application of brine on some of our major interstates and highways and that's going to help us if all goes as expected give us a little bit of an advantage of the ice preventing it from sticking to the roadway
initially so that will help our crews get in there start breaking up any of the accumulations and clearing roadways.
Plunging polar vortex that descended on March much of the U .S.
east of the Rockies has caused hundreds of car accidents and thousands of flight cancellations and delays.
The cold weather has also led communities to set up warming shelters.
Thank you very much that was Duhongyu with headline news.
This is Shane Bigum in the Chinese capital coming up in business spring festival shopping is picking up at food markets across China.
Japan's largest steel maker has brought the U .S.
government to court as the latter has blocked the steel makers acquisition of an American firm.
Why is Nippon Steel so obsessed with the loss making company?
Why would Washington say the deal threatens U .S.
national security? What implications does a failed acquisition have for those hoping to invest in the U .S.?
Find out on this week's chat lounge on your favorite podcast platform and CGTN radio.
37 past the hour now turning to business and starting with the market stocks on the Chinese mainland closed mixed on Wednesday.
The Shanghai composite was up slightly but the Shenzhen component lost over half a percent.
The forestry and fishery sectors were among the top gainers.
The Hong Kong stock market ended lower.
The Heng Seng index decreased more than eight tenths of a percent.
In Japan the Nikkei dropped nearly three tenths of a percent.
Shoppers across China have been flocking to food markets to pick up seasonal ingredients and treats ahead of the spring festival holiday.
The Red Star Agricultural Products Wholesale Market in Changsha offers fresh fruits and produce from 28 provinces and from 20 countries and regions.
The market has recently seen a surge in sales volume.
A Jochen International Aquatic City in Zhejiang Province is also seeing a sales boom with seafood orders increasing online and in store.
Since New Year's Day our sales volume has surged.
For instance, yesterday we got eight trucks and the volume will continue to grow.
Currently we purchase over 5 ,000 kilograms of goods daily and then sell them to Renzhou Fujian and Linbo.
The market prices are roughly in line with previous years and the demand is high.
Sometimes I get more than 100 orders a day.
Since the beginning of 2025 the Red Star market has seen daily fruit trading volume of 12 ,000 metric tons peaking at 20 ,000.
Vegetable trading averages 5 ,000 metric tons per day with the peaks reaching 8 ,000.
China's efforts to promote large -scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade -ins have played a key role in expanding investment, boosting spending, promoting the green transformation and improving livelihoods.
Chen Mengfei has details.
I just came from this press conference that's on the topic of the so -called Liang Xin policy, which means two news.
Now what are these two news?
The first new is new equipment for industrial purposes and that includes large equipment that includes perhaps you know also buses in cities and the second new is the new consumer goods, the government, the NDRC, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Finance Ministry.
And that was Chen Mengfei reporting.
Chinese people are increasingly using emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence to improve the quality of life, productivity and entertainment experiences.
In Shanghai, an AI canteen with no cook in the kitchen is bustling with diners.
Its intelligent cooking system and robotic arms do the work of frying, baking, steaming and boiling raw ingredients delivered from a central kitchen and according to customer orders.
Robotic arms then pack the dishes and adjust the temperature for dine -in or takeaway.
Kong Jai is the vice president of the company.
For example, we can analyze the dining orders given by diners from a block in this canteen and accurately calculate what the elderly people or white collar workers in this block prefer, like how much oil, salt and sugar are used in cooking.
With over 1 ,000 Chinese dishes available, the robot chefs occupy smaller space and have unified operating standards greatly helping the canteen reduce costs and increase service efficiency.
Data from Chinese e -commerce platform T -Mall shows that the main force behind AI spending is people aged 25 to 40 and in the past few years, AI has been improving quality of life in China.
The size of the smart furniture markets maintained double -digit growth for five consecutive years.
Industry insiders expect it to exceed 830 billion yuan or roughly 113 billion US dollars this year.
The world's largest personal electronics show is now underway in Las Vegas.
Some heavyweight tech leaders are making appearances as well as companies from all over the world.
Marc Nio is at the convention center to fill us in on the latest tech and gadgets.
The rush to be the first to see the future.
Crowds were mesmerized by LG's artistic display of transparent and wireless 4K OLED TVs.
Heisen showed a concept car that has holographic film on its windows and a polymer laser projected screen.
CES's first keynote speech featured CEO Jensen Huang of NVIDIA, which due to its AI chip technology, recently became the most valuable company in the world.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is NVIDIA's latest AI supercomputer.
NVIDIA introduced its newest compact supercomputer and its latest AI chips.
The company also unveiled new platforms that can create synthetic data to speed up the training process for AI to help humanoid robots perform more human -like actions.
Humanoid robots, my friends, the chat GPT moment for general robotics is just around the corner.
But it's not only the tech giants that are here bringing the innovation.
Among the 4 ,500 exhibitors are around 1 ,400 startups like BioLite, which has created a portable inverter for home battery backup.
You don't need an electrician.
You don't need a contractor.
It's not a $10 ,000 or $20 ,000 capital investment.
It's a very affordable home backup that you can install yourself in under 30 minutes.
And perhaps there's no better place to get an innovative workout than CES.
I'm here with GymMonster, which is from Speedians, a Shenzhen company.
I lie down to do a bench press, pick up the weight.
It's providing magnetic resistance.
Add some more weight, please.
Okay, now she's added a lot of weight.
At a normal gym, I might be in trouble, help help, or if nobody's around.
But with this, it actually has spotter assistance that allows me to gradually measure my strength and help me get it up.
With all the attachments, GymMonster is capable of 351 different exercises with modes that can automatically adjust the weight during your workout.
You get to choose exactly the amount of how much you want to add.
And eccentric mode is totally on the reverse side.
It means when you are pulling this down, it's 17.
But when it's back, it's 25.
So you can feel it.
So you can really customize how you work out.
Yes, exactly. And also, our weight comes from motors, not just wheels.
So the whole output will be more precise, and the data will get more professional.
Just a few of the many innovations here changing the way people interact both physically and emotionally with the next generation of technology.
I commit my power to reveal your fate.
Anyways, you get the idea of these applications that they can tell you about, they can interact with people, they'll be at stores.
This is the GPT -ingested holograms that can personalize and talk to you in the future.
That was Mark Neill reporting from Las Vegas.
The 20th China International Cooperation Forum on the Exhibition Economy is underway in northern China, the theme of focusing on new quality productive forces for a sustainable future.
This year's forum in Tianjin features high -level dialogues among globally renowned exhibition companies and two plenary sessions on the global major exhibition market.
Additionally, there will be six sessions covering topics such as internationalization of exhibitions, empowering exhibitions with digital technology, and embracing a new era of green and low -carbon exhibitions.
Leaders in the global exhibition industry will discuss the development trends of the industry and cutting -edge insights.
Over 500 industry professionals from 19 countries and regions, including the United States, Germany, Australia, Malaysia, and India have registered.
Organizers will release the China Exhibition Economy Development Report for 2024, summarizing the development trend of China's exhibition industry and forecasting the trends for this year.
China has made significant strides in lithium exploration, emerging as the world's second largest holder of lithium reserves.
Official data shows the country's lithium reserves have increased from 6 to 16 .5 % of the global total.
Researchers have discovered a world -class lithium belt spanning 2 ,800 km in West China.
The lithium resources found in the Xinghai -Xijiang Plateau's salt lakes have also seen substantial growth, positioning China as the third -largest salt lake lithium resource base globally.
Researchers have overcome technical challenges in extracting lithium from a lepidolite, a mineral with high lithium content that's been difficult and costly to process.
Lithium is a critical element for a wide range of emerging industries, including electric vehicles, energy storage systems, mobile communications, and nuclear reactor fuel.
Experts say China's increased lithium exploration will reduce its reliance on foreign supplies and contribute to a more balanced global lithium market.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour, coming up in sports, final preparations for the Asian Winter Games in Northeast China.
Thank you, Shane. Wednesday marks the 30 -day countdown to the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin.
The Games will officially run from February 7th to 14th.
February 8th will witness the first gold medal.
Over 1 ,200 athletes from more than 30 countries and regions have registered for the Games.
This edition is expected to draw the largest participation in the history of the Asian Winter Games.
Cambodia and Saudi Arabia will send athletes for the first time ever.
The athletes' village is getting ready to welcome the participants.
Greg LaFriedi has more details.
Catering and accommodation are the two core functions for the Ice Sports athletes' village.
The dining hall is decorated in Asian Winter Games tones and murals of the beautiful ice and snow scenery of Heilongjiang.
The space is filled with a strong atmosphere of the Games and unique regional cultural characteristics.
The operation of the dining hall is empowered by high technology.
By using AI and other technology, kitchen management, energy conservation, and environmental protection and risk prevention have become more precise and efficient.
The rooms for the athletes and officials are warm and comfortable.
The beds have been specially designed for tall athletes to ensure that every participant enjoys a home -like experience.
Medical services are also one of the most important functions of the village, which features a rescue room, an emergency room, an electrocardiogram room, and an ultrasound room.
Professional medical equipment and medicines are being gradually put into use, and medical staff will practice various treatment procedures.
China has officially announced its delegation of this year's Fisu World University Games Winter in the Italian city of Turin.
The 11 -sport competition will kick off on January 13.
It has attracted more than 2 ,600 athletes and officials from over 50 countries and regions.
The Chinese delegation includes 48 athletes from 13 universities.
They will compete in 27 events across the 6 sports such as alpine skiing, cross -country skiing, snowboarding, and ski mountaineering.
The average age of the athletes is 22.
45 of them are said to make their debut at a world -level multi -sport event.
In preparation, the China University Sports Federation has organized a series of selection events.
Training camps are currently taking place in Beijing and Jilin.
The inaugural edition of the Red Bull best line tennis exhibition has made its debut in Melbourne.
Hugh Garuna beat Casper Root to win the title and wrap up his preparation for the Australian Open.
Six players played in two groups of three in a tiebreak format at Roaglever Arena.
Whoever races to five points first wins the sets.
Runner Agisout, Martijo Berritini, and Kei Nishikori in round -robin, before he beats Root in three sets to win the title.
I think it's very cool.
I mean, I think it's super different.
It's shorter and more intense.
But that was actually a great rally.
You know, some good pressure points as well.
But I enjoyed it. It was nice to play with all the guys.
It was a good atmosphere out there.
Munguten is news China's Suez Sujia has reached the third round of the Australian Open qualifying event.
She beat her opponent in straight sets.
Gao Xinyu is out, losing to her opponent in three sets in the second round.
The Australian Open main draw will begin on Sunday and most of the big stars already participating in Melbourne.
Last year's runner -up, Cheng Qing, won beat Illina Sivitlina in straight sets in the women's singles charity match on Wednesday.
The current world number five will team up with 10 -time champion Novak Djokovic in the mixed doubles charity match on Thursday.
37 -year Djokovic will be aiming for a record -extending 11th title in Melbourne and an all -time record 25th major trophy.
Turning into a football, Arsenal has lost to Newcastle United, 2 -0 at home in the first leg of their League Cup semi -final.
Goals from Alexander Isaac and Anthony Gordon put visitors within reach of the final in March.
It was Newcastle's first win at the Emirates since 2010 and Arsenal's first home defeat since April.
Arsenal manager Michael Arteta says they could be more efficient.
In the meantime, the second leg will take place at St James Park in early February, Arsenal manager is still confident.
Newcastle hasn't won a major domestic trophy since lifting the FA Cup around 70 years ago.
They are now close to second League Cup final in three years after losing 2 -0 to Manchester United in 2023.
Finally, in basketball action from the NBA, the Houston Rockets have clinched their second straight -way in routing the Washington Wizards, 135 -112.
Jayling Rain scored 22 of his 29 points in the third quarter.
Elprin Schengen added 26 points and 10 rebounds.
With the victory, the Rockets improved to 6 -1 on the road against Eastern Conference opponents.
Curry Kisbert scored 23 points in the Wizards' third straight defeat.
Washington leading scorer Jordan Poole missed his second straight game with the bruised left hip.
Fellow starter Kyle Kuzma exited at half -time with a bruised right calf.
The Miami Heat snapped a three -game losing streak by beating the Golden State Warriors won 14 -98.
Nikola Jovic scored a team -high 20 points for Miami.
Stephen Curry led Warriors with 31 .77 rebounds.
Charlotte Honnitz beat the Phoenix Suns won 15 -104.
The Dallas Mavericks beat Los Angeles Lakers won 18 -97.
And the Minnesota Timberwolves got past New Orleans Pelicans won 24 -97.
Thank you very much.
That was Yang Guang with Sports.
Coming up in culture and entertainment, archaeologists find thousands of ancient documents in Hubei Province.
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In 1975, a substantial number of bamboo slaves were nursed, shedding light on the political, economic, cultural, military and legal systems of the Late Warring States period and the Qing Dynasty.
Among the findings is the legal text outlining regulations on agricultural water management and forest conservation, including a stipulation to avoid cutting down trees in forests during the three months of spring.
This reflects the ancient Chinese ethos of respecting nature and practicing ecological preservation.
In addition to legal texts, two family letters written on wooden slips were discovered.
These letters reveal the deep concerns and emotional connections between ordinary soldiers and their families.
The bamboo and wooden slips not only offer a window into regular people's lives and the prevailing system of governance during the Qing Dynasty, but also remind us that the pursuit of order, harmony and human connections has been a timeless threat throughout history.
That was Young Rant reporting.
Woodblock New Year paintings in Fa Shan Guangdong Province boast a history of over 700 years.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Liu Zhongping's involvement with this traditional art form.
For a decade, Liu has not only created masterpieces but also dedicated herself to spreading the culture, Shem Li reports.
Every weekend, the Jie Yong New Year Painting Shop at the Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum draws large crowds.
In her effort to make New Year paintings more accessible to a broader audience, Liu Zhongping founded this brand, offering both traditional works and modern adaptations, such as fridge magnets, bookmarks and fans.
She enjoys engaging with visitors who buy or discuss New Year paintings.
Despite her busy schedule, she always finds time to gather fresh inspiration at the shop.
Creating Fa Shan Woodblock New Year paintings involve over 20 intricate steps, including design, carving, inking, gilding and filling in colors.
Currently, Liu is working on a painting for the Year of the Snake, featuring symbols of prosperity like lions, lotus flowers and carp.
The snake spirals to form the character fool or fortune.
Liu was inspired by the newly opened Shenzhen Zhongshan Bridge, the shape of which resembles a coiling snake.
When I saw the Shenzhen Zhongshan Bridge, I was struck by its winding shape, which looked like a snake.
The connection between roads and wealth brings fortune.
To create something meaningful, you must first feel inspired.
Liu Zhongping, apprentice under Feng Bingtang, a national -level master of this art.
After Feng passed away, Liu continued his legacy.
Notivated to share this art with a wider audience, she began teaching others how to create these beautiful works.
When Liu teaches, I'm always by her side.
Her words are truly moving and inspiring, and proud to have such a talented student.
Carving every stroke and painting every line is very therapeutic.
I am now transforming this flow of the heart into hands -on experience courses.
Today, Fushan Woodblock New Year Paintings are undergoing a transformation into a new modern iteration.
Guided by the belief that every image carries meaning and every meaning brings good fortune, this art form is reaching the public in more diverse ways, bringing more joy and color to homes across China.
That was Shenli reporting.
58 passed the hour, Beijing down to minus six this evening.
That will be followed by sunny skies and plus two on Thursday.
Nanshunk's down to four, then overcast and five tomorrow.
Elsewhere, Islamabad's five this evening, sunny skies in 20 on Thursday, Vientan's down to 16, then sunny skies in 29, but on Bansa 22 overnight, then sunny in 32.
In Africa, Nairobi is getting sunny conditions.
In 28 degrees on Thursday, Kampal is down to 18, and then sunny in 29 degrees Celsius.
That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour, making news today.
Rescuers are still searching for survivors after that strong earthquake in the Xinjiang region of southwest China.
And China's foreign ministers vowed to enhance international cooperation with Africa.
On behalf of the staff, the Shoshane Bigim in the Chinese Capitol, hoping you'll join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour and open a window to the world together.
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