Get the unmissable news stories of the day 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, August 25th of 2025.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program, many postal services worldwide. are suspending deliveries to the US as Washington prepares to scrap duty-free treatment on low-value parcels. the Qingdao demonstration area is expanding trade opportunities among members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Israel has launched a new round of attacks on the Yemeni capital in retaliation to a missile attack from the Houthi group.
In business, China is a top three trading partner for 157 countries and regions. in sports, the table tennis smash event in Sweden. and Culture and Entertainment, a Chinese movie about a WWII rescue, has debuted in North America.
Now the day's top stories. Postal operators worldwide are suspending parcel deliveries to the United States as Washington prepares to end duty-free treatment. low-value imports later this week.
The U.S. administration's announced it'll abolish what's known as the de minimis exemption, which currently allows international shipments under 800 US dollars to enter the country with minimal paperwork and no duties.
The policy change is set to take effect on Friday, will impose new customs, declarations, and tariffs on millions of small parcels arriving daily from overseas.
Industry observers are warning that consumers may face higher costs and longer delays shipments are redirected to private carriers.
Karina Mitchell reports on why getting mail from overseas just got a lot harder for Americans.
Several European and Asian countries have started suspending some key mail deliveries into the U.S.
Postal services in Europe, including Germany, Italy, Denmark and Sweden, temporarily halted most merchandise into the country.
The same with Singapore and Thailand. France and India will follow on Monday, the UK on Tuesday.
The move is a direct result of a July order signed by US President Donald Trump. suspending an exemption on tariff duties for lower-value packages for all countries effective August 29th.
The longstanding waiver had provided for goods and packages worth $800 or less to enjoy duty-free status and allowed many companies to save billions of dollars in taxes.
The White House ended the exemption for China, including Hong Kong, in May.
Eliminating the U.S. duty-free status enjoyed by popular bargain Chinese brands, including Timu and Shein.
US companies like Amazon and Etsy have also benefited from the exemption.
The change means commercial packages with a value of $800 or less will be subject to tariffs.
However, letters and personal gifts worth less than $100 will not be impacted.
Many postal operators say the pause comes amid a lack of clarity on how duties In a statement, DHL and Deutsche Post say...
The reason for these likely temporary restrictions is new processes required by US authorities for postal shipping.
Key questions remain unresolved, and the problem could get worse.
A group of 51 European public postal operators says if no solution is found before the end of this week, All its members will suspend mail services to the U.S.
That was Karina Mitchell reporting. In Europe, Germany's DHL group will temporarily stop accepting commercial goods in certain private parcels. bound for the US, but the measure will not affect gifts valued under $100.
The UK's Royal Mail will halt shipments by Tuesday to allow packages to arrive in the US before duties kick in.
Francis LaPoste is stopping parcel services for goods from Monday. except for express shipping documents and small gifts.
Austrian Post is declared Tuesday as the last day it'll accept commercial shipments to the United States.
Post Europe, an association of 15 European public postal operators. says most of its members are likely to follow suit if there's no solution by Friday.
Asian Postal Services are also feeling the impact Singapore's SingPost is suspending standard mail service for commercial goods heading to the U.S. from Monday.
Miro Liu has more. I'm standing right in front of the National Postal Service, a SIM post. they have suspended acceptance of items with any commercial value It's a standard postal service for shipping to the U.S. to ensure that shipments can reach the US before This Friday, August 29th, when new regulations apply.
Now, many small businesses that used to ship to the US, oftentimes e-commerce businesses, using basic postal services will be affected.
I spoke to the receptionist earlier on the inside of the same post.
She told me that before small items below 2 kg, the minimum shipping to US would only cost $11.90.
And from today, items below 2 kg will start from a hundred and $159, so almost $160. huge increase for small business owners.
In fact, I was looking on the SingPost social media platforms some People are saying that one person said, I ship small parcels weekly to the US that used to cost me. as the confirmed $11.90 via Singpo's international register service, the basic service, now that it's going to cost 160 and this person sells like small phishing accessory to the US via e-commerce platforms.
Another small business owner pleaded to Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister, Gam King Yung, who chairs the Singapore's task force set up to address the impacts of the new US tariffs.
That person said, dear sir, hope you and the task force will be able to negotiate a good deal with the United States. as this announcement by Singapore Post is like a final nail in the coffin. for small-time businesses in Singapore, whose main pool of clientele online comes from the USA.
Similarly, in other Asian countries, Thailand has also halted parcel services to the U.S. disrupting millions of global shipments.
In a similar move, India has decided to temporarily suspend the booking of all types of U.S.-bound parcels accept letters and documents and gift items up to 100 in value.
In Korea, Korea Post also announced it will stop accepting parcels to the U.S. citing the inability of current postal network to handle the new declaration and tariff requirements.
So this is really another blow for many small businesses in the region. latest example of US President Donald Trump not only hurting US consumers, but also hurting small businesses in the region.
That was Mira Liu in Singapore. And for deeper analysis, Xia Cheng has spoken with Professor Joseph Mahoney at East China Normal University. to find out the real-world impacts of these new policies.
Well, first, clearly this is targeting e-commerce platforms.
Now, of course, it will also impact international sellers everywhere. including small businesses and handicraft makers all over the world. who sell specialized products through platforms like Shopify,
Etsy, and many of whom report half or more of their sales are to US consumers.
Second, that's where we've seen a slow uptick in U.S. inflation.
There were so many tariff exemptions, waivers, pauses. and loopholes that many consumers were seeing relatively small impacts aside from a favorite product or two.
This slow uptick has been described by some in the U.S. as sneakflation.
Now, however, we expect inflation to be less sneaky and a lot more obvious to consumers and we expect it to have a disproportionate impact on lower income households that have relied heavily on ultra affordable e-commerce sites.
That said, some believe the policy was timed to allow U.S. families to make their traditional back to school purchases before being hit.
E-commerce platforms are required to collect and pay state sales taxes on each product they sell.
So we'll have to see how these developments impact state tax receipts and budgets.
So this is creating sort of a conflict between the federal and state level.
Of course, if we listen to the White House, then most of those directly impacted will be criminals. shipping illegal drugs and those evading duties.
But this is nonsense. This is just playing politics with border security, an issue where Trump's approval ratings have been plunging in recent months.
And I suspect this new policy on de minimis shipping will further undercut his border agenda. as well as agitate voters already sick of inflation.
With several US allies already suspending their postal services to comply, how will this reshape e-commerce trade these countries?
Well, you know, we've seen some including the Royal mail in the UK, suspending services to give themselves time to adjust. their systems to ensure they're in compliance with US policies.
This increases systemic costs. But, you know, even with these adjustments, many UK sellers are reporting the tariffs will still force them to abandon the US market.
Other national post services have announced suspensions but have yet to say what their next steps will be.
I think many are likely hesitant to reconfigure their systems to accommodate what Trump is doing today when they know he might change course again tomorrow. and all the more so if they realize that many of their customers are going to quit shipping to the US anyway.
Instead, they're likely to let businesses move to private, more costly carriers like DHL Express.
FedEx and so on, further increasing costs, which will of course be passed on to consumers, assuming those sales are even booked.
Ultimately, American allies will face the same impacts already experienced by Hong Kong and the mainland. including logistical challenges and delays as carriers and marketplaces struggle to adapt.
Again, increasing costs for producers, sellers, consumers and even foreign governments. and creating unfortunately disruptions in supply chains that reverberate around the world.
That was Professor Joseph Mahoney at East China Normal University.
Coming up, looking ahead to this weekend's summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
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At 11 minutes past the hour, China will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit this weekend.
The two-day event starting Sunday will be the largest gathering in the group's history.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech and host a welcome banquet.
He's also scheduled to attend a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines.
The summit will bring together leaders from dozens of countries and international organizations.
Over the years, SEO members have continued to benefit from expanding ties.
Qingdao, a special economic zone, is fast becoming a vital hub for international trade.
The China SEO demonstration area is using innovative methods from e-commerce live streaming to integrated logistics to boost commerce among member states by linking sea, land, air, and rail routes It's moving goods faster and connecting businesses smarter.
Daikai has a story. The lights are on, the cameras are rolling, and the live streamers are in action.
Introducing products from Central Asian countries to audiences in China.
They speak the language and they understand the culture on both sides.
So when they pitch brands to consumers in either market, they know exactly how to make it work.
In my country, we usually buy a lot of Chinese products, clothes, the shoes. and also the cars, the machines for the factories.
And also now we have a lot of Chinese businessmen in my country They open the factories, they open, for example, the shops and they, for example, produce the Chinese products over there.
One key purpose for this demonstration area located in eastern coastal Qingdao is connecting businesses from countries under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization also known as the SCO.
Part of the area is a cross-border e-commerce hub that's helping businesses work both ways. with some of the region's leading e-commerce players on board, including Russia's Ozone and Wildberries.
When we have this kind of technologies, I mean the live streams, we can, for example, introduce our products all over the world to promote the products of the ECO countries. in China and also promote the Chinese products to the people from this year.
After orders are placed, the next step is to ensure that the products are shipped to their destinations quickly and efficiently.
When goods hit the road, time is money. That's where the TIR system comes in, cutting paperwork and custom delays It means less waiting and more goods moving faster across boulders.
As part of a UN-backed transport convention, the TIR system digitally links customs offices With one TIR document, trucks can clear borders using a special green lane without offloading cargo or switching vehicles mid-route.
PR vehicles are mainly transported to some high...
TIR mostly carries high-value, time-sensitive items such as precision instruments, machinery and equipment. as well as food products, candy and refrigerated items like ice cream.
Using our road transport service helps improve both delivery speed and cargo safety. to further strengthen cooperation from policy, talent, finance, We're deepening e-commerce cooperation with countries under the SCO framework. while expanding and upgrading our overseas warehouse network.
The goal is to build a globally recognized e-commerce service platform. one that strengthens the Silk Road e-commerce brand and sets a model for how local regions can engage in international digitalization. trade.
A launchpad for regional cooperation, the area strengthens connectivity by empowering local economies to thrive. in the global marketplace. state media from Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries have unveiled an initiative to enhance cooperation and foster deeper ties.
At an SEO forum in Beijing, Government officials and senior executives from the media outlets stressed the importance of communication among different civilizations. and express hope for joint efforts to promote the Shanghai spirit.
China Media Group President Shen Haixiang urged SEO media outlets to convey a message of win-win cooperation. and facilitate the harmonious coexistence of civilizations.
CMG and media from countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan. along with the SCO Secretariat, launched a cooperation scheme at the event.
China has completed a third and final rehearsal for the event marking the 80th anniversary of the victory. the Chinese people's war resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war.
Organizers said the rehearsal over the weekend focused on the coordination between all processes and segments.
The massive V-Day military parade in Beijing is scheduled for September 3rd.
China Media Group will broadcast to global audiences in 85 languages.
China says the event serves as a tribute to the huge sacrifices that people suffered during wartime and an opportunity to exhibit its will in safeguarding national and world peace.
Zhao Yunfei visited the parade training base where soldiers are practicing hard for the big day.
Practice for the moment of glory. This is behind the scenes for the military parade at Tiananmen Square on September 3rd. a grand gathering marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japanese aggression and fascism.
For the soldiers, the event will also be a highlight of their military life.
It will be my first time attending the parade.
I am extremely proud. It will be an honor that I will never forget.
The soldiers say they want to present the spirit of the People's Liberation Army. a strong force not only with strict order, but also makes contributions to world peace.
Among the parade, there's a formation of China's peacekeeping units.
As a peacekeeping soldier attending this parade, I am not just a participant.
I am representing my fellow soldiers who are now conducting missions It is peace that brings hope.
China has participated in the United Nations peacekeeping missions for 35 years and has dispatched over 50,000 personnel to more than 20 countries and regions.
It's China's commitment to the UN Charter and the post-World War II order.
I've conducted many international missions, I can deeply understand that most countries and peoples in the world love peace, and hope for long lasting peace.
We Chinese people are the same. The soldiers say they are paying respect to the revolutionary predecessors, loyal and brave They're carrying the spirit of those who sacrifice in the war.
With discipline and pride, the Chinese military is preparing for the parade. a solemn moment commemorating the past.
As China commemorates the victory, it's also paving the way for peaceful development.
That was Zhao Yunfei reporting. One of the lesser known stories of solidarity during the Japanese invasion of China involves a group of dock workers in Australia.
In 1938, the workers refused to load iron ore or iron onto a Japanese ship, fearing that it would become weapons used against Chinese civilians.
More than eight decades later, their story of incredible bravery and personal sacrifice remains fondly remembered.
Greg Navarro has details. On a wedding day.
During a recent search for photographs of his father.
He was a real character. He was full of life.
Norm Gamble came across a handwritten note he'd never seen before.
And there's my father's. name just there.
He's known as Sunshine. was written by Norman Sunshine Gamble when he was a 26-year-old dock worker on the wharfs in Port Kembla.
There was no job security. You just turned up and they'd pick out who they wanted for that for a day's labor and you'd worked in pretty pretty harsh conditions.
Sunshine Gamble wrote about an 11 week standoff he took part in. when about 180 dock workers refused to load iron onto a ship, the Dalfrim, bound for Japan.
The workers feared the iron would become weapons used against the Chinese and would eventually come back to a The workers went without wages to feed their families for nearly three months. no pay, no food.
So if it hadn't have been for the goodness of some businesses in Port Kembla, and from the Chinese market gardeners in Sydney bringing food down to workers here. people would have done it extremely tough. who refused to load the ship also endured physical violence.
The Delferum dispute was more than an industrial stand-up.
It was a moral protest, fueled in part by a concern for the welfare of people the workers had never met.
They believed in what they were doing. They believed it was the right thing.
They would have seen their children go without meals.
They would have seen their children a little skinnier.
I think we can put that on social media.
Sandra Peer has produced and directed a documentary of the ordeal called the Dalfrim dispute in 1938.
It was essentially about what was happening on the other side of the world. but that the men felt strongly about.
Tian Lizu is a Chinese-born artist living in Sydney.
In 2018, she was approached about creating a monument to honor the Delphine dispute.
To see the sacrifices, especially the men, women, children, and it's actually the whole community stood together. to doing something maybe not even many of them know who the Chinese are but the the sense of the humanity and for peace I was very touched.
I was very moved. The sculptures are created now sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean in Port Kembla.
It includes a ladder symbolizing a bridge between two cultures then, strategically placed holes that represent the Chinese friendship knot.
Before this monument was unveiled in 2018, the only visual reminder of What happened here more than eight decades ago was a small unassuming sign sitting in the middle of a nearby car park.
When you consider they could have taken the easy way out and back down and loaded the ships and have work and getting paid for that.
But they didn't. They stood their ground.
Because, Norm Gamble says, his father and the rest of the men working on the docks here in 1938 believed that doing the right thing regardless of the personal cost was much more important than doing nothing at all.
That was Greg Navarro on China-Australia solidarity in World War II.
Coming up, Israel and Yemen's Houthi group continue to trade fire.
United in Purpose during World War II. The Chinese military and people stood as one fearlessly resisting Japanese fascism.
China's unwavering whole-nation effort forged the pivotal Eastern Front.
Through fierce battles, immense sacrifices, heroic endurance, and decisive support to the Allies on the European and Pacific battlefields.
China has helped secure liberation, the final victory. and a lasting legacy for global peace and human progress. resolve and resilience the main eastern battlefield of world war ii Only on CGTN.
23 past the hour. Israel continues to expand its military operations across the Middle East. new wave of airstrikes on the Yemeni capital.
Houthi officials say the attack killed at least six people. and wounded over 80 others.
The Israeli military says it strikes in Sana'a hit a military compound that included the presidential palace. along with two power plants and a major fuel storage facility.
Israel says the action was in response to a Houthi missile fired toward Israel A launch the group claims was carried out in solidarity with the Palestinians.
Jonathan Regev has more from Tel Aviv. Strikes hitting the Houthi targets. in Yemen.
The presidential palace, oil refineries and power plants in Yemen.
Why now? Why the Israeli strike? There was a very concerning missile launch from Yemen towards central Israel. on Friday why was it so concerning it was one missile as always but This time, for the first time, the Houthis fired what is called here a cluster missile.
What does that mean? It means that when the missile is about to arrive to its destination Instead of one big warhead, there are several small warheads which separate from the missile and fall throughout the area through scattered areas it basically means that instead of one big missile a you can look at it as if the hooties fired several missiles true with smaller warheads but several missiles.
That is why several booms were heard in the skies over Tel Aviv on Friday night when that missile was fired, something which does not usually happen. when there's one missile fired from Yemen, and even a piece, one piece of debris, fell in a house in a community not far from Ben Gurion Airport.
And this caused a lot of concern in Israel because Israelis as strange as it is to say that have gotten used to the missiles from Yemen.
A missile fired every few days usually being intercepted, not causing damage and a few minutes in the shelters and that's it.
Now there's an understanding that the Houthis have capabilities which they do not have did not show before and maybe missiles that were brought in from iran and therefore following that cluster missile that was fired from Yemen on Friday.
Already on Saturday, we heard calls from Israel saying that the Houthis have to pay a substantial price for that.
That was Jonathan Regev reporting. the Israeli army stepped up its ground operations in and around Gaza City.
Tanks moved into residential neighborhoods under the cover of airstrikes and artillery fire raising fears of a full-scale invasion of the densely populated enclave.
Gaza health officials say at least 42 Palestinians have been killed in the latest attacks.
Rami Amigari has more from Gaza City. Israeli army actions have intensified over different parts of the Gaza Strip, particularly here in Gaza City, as the Israeli airstrikes bombardment had different neighborhoods including the northern Gaza city neighborhood of Sheikh Erdogan where an Israeli airstrike hit a home and causing the burning of a car right beneath or in the bottom of that toe. other strikes at other parts of Gaza City including that main Zaytoun, Sabra and Tufah neighborhoods where strikes have hit homes causing the death of several people over there.
This comes against the backdrop of repeated Israeli army threats and warnings for the Gaza population. to leave and to take action here in Gaza City, taking over the city. as Israel describes it, as the last stronghold for Hamas.
This caused the displacement actually of many families.
We have seen many families just moving from Gaza City towards the southern parts of the Gaza Strip, mainly the Mawassi area where Israel wanted the population or ordered the population to live for amidst this very new situation of displacement and Israeli actions on the Salah al-Din main road in central Gaza Strip.
There have been a number of tents scattered over there of those who have been forced to this place. forced to leave their homes in the neighborhoods of Gaza. city uh let us mention here that the death of a toddler by gaza officials gaza health officials death of a child who had succumbed to hunger, as reported by the health officials. here in Gaza City.
More than 10 people including three were killed of those seeking aid on this in the sites of distribution eight and central Gaza Strip and southern Gaza Strip.
That was Rami al-Maghari reporting. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says a group of nations, including Permanent members of the UN Security Council should act as guarantors of Ukraine's security.
As regards the security guarantees for Ukraine, those principles proposed by Ukrainian delegation, I underline this once again, They provided for creation a group of guarantors. and Garantas would be guaranteeing the security of Ukraine, which must be neutral, which must be non-aligned with any military block, and which must be non-nuclear Lavrov says the Russian president is ready to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that direct talks between the two leaders would be the most effective way forward.
We're at 29 past the hour. Beijing down to 21 degrees Monday evening.
Thunder showers and 30 in the forecast for Tuesday.
Nanchang's at 29 overnight, then sunny and 38 degrees.
Feng Chenggang in Guangxi Province will see heavy rainfall and 25 degrees overnight.
Tomorrow has moderate rain and 29. Sanya will see torrential rainfall and 24 degrees overnight, followed by thundershowers and a high of 32.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad's down to 22 and then a light rainfall in 28.
Vientiane's at 24 overnight, then heavy rains in 27 degrees.
It's time for a short break. So far this hour, many postal services worldwide are suspending deliveries to the US as Washington prepares to scrap duty-free treatment on low-value parcels.
The Qingdao demonstration area is expanding trade opportunities among members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Israel has launched a new round of attacks on the Yemeni capital in retaliation to a missile attack.
Shane Bigum with you. Stay with us here on The Beijing Hour.
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Right there, in the midst of all, beats the heart of humanity.
What if those other heartbeats were to stop?
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Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour, one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host, Shane Diggum, with you on this Monday.
Still to come. In business, China is a top three trading partner for 157 countries and regions.
In sports, the table tennis smash event in Sweden. in culture and entertainment a chinese movie about world war ii rescue has debuted in north america To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn.com or follow our X account at CGTN Radio.
Now checking the day's headlines. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's called on China and South Korea to keep their ties on the right track. and achieve steady and sustained growth.
He made the remarks while meeting Special Envoy of the South Korean President in Beijing.
Park Byung-sook is leading a delegation in China until Wednesday.
One called on the two countries to expand common interests and properly handle sensitive issues.
He also called on the two sides to jointly safeguard global free trade and oppose trade protectionism.
Park said South Korea is willing to work with China to expand cooperation and boost people-to-people exchanges.
He said South Korea is willing to develop relations with all major countries, including China. and jointly safeguard regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
The meeting on Sunday coincided with the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and South Korea.
China's Ministry of Natural Resources has released a report saying the US concept of freedom of navigation lacks a foundation in international law.
The report assesses US claims and practices related to navigation under international treaties and customary law.
It concludes that US practices often rely on self-created standards that contradict international law. and the practices of many nations.
The report argues that the US approach may or rather it distorts international legal interpretation reflects power politics and threatens regional stability through military coercion.
It asserts that such actions serve US geopolitical interests while undermining the lawful rights of other states.
Meteorologists in Hainan Province say Kijiki is the strongest typhoon to hit Sanya on China's southernmost islands since records began.
A Kijiki strengthened into a severe typhoon on Sunday afternoon.
Maximum sustained winds Near its center hit level 14 or over 150 kilometers per hour.
China's national observatories issued an alert forecasting gales and rainstorms in the southern and southwestern regions through Tuesday.
The UN's calling for urgent international action to address what it calls a man-made hunger crisis in Gaza.
It comes days after UN-backed monitors reported the presence of famine in northern Gaza.
Israel rejected the report, describing it as an outright lie.
Palestinians in Gaza are fleeing south as Israel moves forward with its assault.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government will continue to be a strong advocate on the global stage for a two-state solution in the Middle East.
Australia is planning to join Canada, France, and Britain in formally recognizing Palestinian statehood. at the United Nations General Assembly next month.
Tens of thousands of people took part in more than 40 protests across the country over the weekend calling for an end to Australia's arms trade with Israel. and La Famine in Gaza.
And Francis summoned the U.S. ambassador after he accused President Emmanuel Macron of failing to curb anti-Semitic violence.
In an open letter to the Wall Street Journal, American envoy Charles Kushner urged Macron to act more forcefully against hate crimes and to soften criticism of Israel.
He said support for Palestinian statehood fuels anti-Semitism.
The French Foreign Ministry called the allegations unacceptable.
His comments follow similar criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Macron's condemned anti-Semitism as against French values. and increased security for Jewish sites while continuing to speak out against civilian casualties in Gaza.
Coming up in business, China's a top three trading partner for 157 countries and regions.
The Beijing Hour. Your window on China and the rest of the world.
36 past the hour. With business now, here's Wang Ziheng.
Thank you, Shane. Stock markets on the Chinese mainland closed significantly higher on Monday.
The Shanghai Composite was up over 1.5%. the Shenzhen component gained nearly 2.3%, telecommunications and aerospace equipment shares led the gainers.
Elsewhere in China, the Hong Kong stock market also ended higher, with the Hang Seng index up over 1.9%.
Meantime, stocks in Japan also gained a little, with the Nikkei rising 0.4%.
Now China's A-share trading volume just reaches second highest on record, closing with more than 3.1 trillion yuan. with $420 billion in daily transactions. the startup-focused China export touched a three-year high,
60% of individual stocks in the Chinese mainland market traded higher on Monday.
Tech shares, especially those related to artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing, led the gainers.
Chinese customs authorities say the country remains one of the top three trading partners for 157 countries and regions worldwide.
Trade with BRI-participating nations reached $3 trillion, accounting for over half of China's total trade.
Commercial ties with emerging markets, including ASEAN, Latin America and Africa, has grown at an average annual rate of more than 10%.
Meanwhile, the country has added and expanded 40 ports since the start of the 14th five-year plan period. bringing the total to over 310.
Authorities say these ports are accelerating the global reach made in China products and bringing more international goods into the Chinese market.
Now with more, we are joined live by Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow with Chinese Academy of International Trade. and economic cooperation thank you so much for your time mr joe Given that China is the top trading partner with so many countries and regions,
Would specific policies or initiatives have been critical in maintaining and strengthening these international trade relationships?
Well, in my understanding, there may be three main factors.
First of all, the government has sent very clear signals of openness and trying to fulfill our commitments in the continuous way.
So we opened our markets in the different levels and trying to open to all the world.
And second, I think that is coming from hardware of the China's infrastructure like the ports you have mentioned. that we are open to almost every regions and countries in the world.
And the third one is about the mechanism. like the free trade agreements or other kind of commitments in the multilateral system like the WTO.
Right. How has the Belt and Road Initiative specifically contributed to this growth then?
Oh, BRI is very important because based on that initiative, we are recommended and also suggested by all these realistic holders.
So we can give our suggestions and trying to do a better interconnections in different levels we can have some policy coordination and also improve our mutual understanding about how can we deal with the different resources and also the abilities.
So based on the BRI, we have supported so many new initiative and also included some of the innovative ways like the e-commerce.
Right. And the final question I would like to ask is that with the expansion of ports and infrastructure during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, How have these developments promoted imports and exports in emerging markets?
Well, they can establish the better lines to connecting different ports with China I think that poles are not only on the coastal areas, they are also connected by the rails, by the roads I think that is definitely very important for us to share the opportunities with our partners and also we are supporting them by the operating abilities and also some of the infrastructure of handling different kinds of cargoes in the containers or other kinds of ships.
Right. That was Joe Mi, a senior research fellow with Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
China has remained the world's largest trade of goods for eight consecutive years, driven by new business models and products that are powering high-quality growth.
Sun Meijun is the head of the General Administration of Customs.
We have innovated regulatory models for new forms of business. such as cross-border e-commerce, overseas warehouses and Bonded Plus platforms. promoted coordinated regional development and accelerated the rise of new drivers for foreign trade while making supply in industrial chains more secure and stable.
Exports now carry more innovation. Import sources are also more diversified.
Meanwhile, regional trade structures have been improved, with eastern regions consolidating growth in volume and quality.
According to CERN, agricultural and food exports have expanded. to 271 new products from 81 countries and regions over the past five years, Import of bulk commodities, advanced equipment and key components also became more diverse.
China's goose trade reached 43.8 trillion yuan, of around $6.1 trillion in 2024, maintaining its top global ranking for an eighth consecutive year.
From January to July, its imports and exports rose 3.5% on a yearly basis, with exports climbing 7.3%.
China has the world's largest fleet of electric drone mining trucks.
Over 400 guests from more than 30 countries gathered at an open pit mine in northern China this past weekend.
They witnessed the country's role in driving the shift to zero-carbon smart mining, Zhou Yixin reports.
Over a hundred unmanned electric mining trucks have been in operation here at a coal mine in Pullenburg since May.
The recently deployed unmanned electric vehicles are transforming the operations at this coal mine making work safer and more environmentally friendly.
These trucks working with electric excavators and loaders boost efficiency while cutting emissions.
Industry insiders say green and smart mining is becoming a global consensus. and it is remarkable to see it now put into large-scale practice.
We were just hearing things about this, but it seems that it's real, it's working.
It's like a sci-fi movie, actually. but the future become reality right now and it's very very impressive for us.
Tracks working without operator. efficiently without any accident and fear of accident.
Productivity is high. We are looking to implement such technology in Saudi Arabia, inshallah.
For Chinese companies, the focus is on creating safer, smarter, low carbon solutions. that can be applied worldwide.
The mining industry faces challenges of safety, environment and costs.
We offer multiple new energy pathways, from intelligent vehicles to smart fleets, an integrated management system delivering a complete green mining solution.
Mine workers also welcome the change. They say improving safety in open-pit mining means fewer workers on site and making carrier trucks unmanned is the fastest way to achieve that shift.
These vehicles rely fully on radar to operate.
At first workers were worried about the cab-less design, But after large-scale use, they found the trucks highly precise and well integrated into mining operations.
Guests also exchanged views on sustainable development with over 20 cooperation agreements signed.
They say from this one mine to projects worldwide, China is helping to shape a smart and zero-carbon future for global mining.
That was Joe Yixin reporting. China's intelligent computing power is projected to grow by more than 40% in 2025.
An industry forecast from the just concluded 2025 China Computing Power Conference since the robust growth signals that China's computing industry is entering a stage of high-quality development.
Soaring demand for intelligent computing is expected, to provide strong momentum for innovation across various sectors.
Data presented at the conference showed that the country's total computing power has seen been growing at an average annual rate of around 30%.
Now Nepal's central bank says telecommunication equipment, ready-made garments and machinery emerged as the top three products the country imported from China in the 2024-25 fiscal year, which ended in mid-July.
Nepal's imports from China stood at around US$2.4 billion. the top five items accounted for nearly 37% of the country's imports.
China is Nepal's second-largest trading partner after India.
All right. Thank you very much. That was Wang Ziheng with business and coming up in sports, the table tennis smash event in Sweden.
Sideline Story brings you all things sports related. the hottest topics latest events juiciest stories all with a very personal take Subscribe to Sideline Story Podcast for heated sports discussions covering events that are happening in China and around the world.
At 45 past the hour. And with sports now, here's Yong Guang.
Thank you Shane, we begin with table tennis from the WTT Europe Smash in Malmo, Sweden.
After winning the women's doubles title together, built number one, Sun Yingxia beat world number 2 Wan Manyu 4-2 to claim her 4th Grand Smash title.
I feel really happy to win the match. I'm quite familiar with Wang Manyu, and each time we play against each other, it's tense and wonderful.
I might do better in dealing with problems and would not interrupt after leveling at two games.
I reminded myself to focus on each point.
In the main singles final, World No.1 Lin Xudong battled local favourite Truce Morigot, through seven tight games, with the score tied at 3-0 Morrigan held firm to win 4-3.
It was very tough. Lin is a great player. fantastic from every position of the table, also the world number one, so I knew it was going to be a tough task to win. super happy that i could do it in n he was a long time ago i beat one of the top chinese players and It was a long time ago I won the title, so I'm very happy for this day.
It was the first Grand Sommage Singles Trophy of Murray Gard's career.
The Swede won silver in men's singles at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In tennis, we go to the US Open in New York.
World No. 1 arena Sabalanka began her title defense in style. with a straight sense win over Rebecca Massarova.
For Sabalanca, this is her last chance to win a major this year. after losing in the finals of the Australian and the French Opens and the semi-finals at Wimbledon.
She will face Polina Kutmatova in the second round.
On the man's side, Novak Djokovic eased past unseated 19-year-old American Leonard Thien 617662, earning his 75th consecutive first-round victory at a Grand Slam tournament.
The 38-year-old has not lost an opening match at a major since the 2006 Australian Open.
He will face American qualifier Zachary Svajda in the second round.
China's Yang Peiqi won her fifth title in the Women's 200m Freestyle and World Junior Swimming Championship. in Romania on Sunday.
She clocked 1 minute 56.26 seconds in the new championship record.
The 18-year-old was named the best overall female athlete as she won the 400, 800 and 1500m freestyle events.
She also joined her teammates to win the 4x 200 meter freestyle relay.
Italy's Carlos D'Ambrosio was named the best male athlete. while the United States won the best team award with 10 golds, 6 silvers and 6 bronzes.
In football from the English Premier League, Manchester United was held to a 1-0 draw away at Fulham, following its opening day defeat to Arsenal.
Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty for United, but his side went ahead in the 58th minute. when Lenny Euros header deflected into the Fulham net.
The home team responded well, with Emile Smith's role volleying in the equaliser in the 73rd minute, shortly after coming on as a substitute.
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim said his players abandoned their attacking principles after taking the lead.
It was a tough match. I think the When we score the goal, we forget about maintaining the way we should play.
We were just thinking about maintaining the results.
We want to win so bad that we forget about maintaining the possession, try to push the opponent.
We just gave a little bit the game to Fulham.
In the off-season, United spent around £200 million on revamping their attack.
On Saturday, Arsenal cruised to a 5-0 home win over Leeds United on the same day the club confirmed the signing of Ebreci Ezi from Crystal Palace.
Arsenal manager Mikel Latteta talked about the new signing.
Delighted to have him. The talent is unquestionable.
He's on it in this league. The personality, unbelievable.
I mean, very, very, not surprised, but I would say gladly witnessing everything that he's about. and his family as well.
So they have the right feelings to this club and you can tell that what happened to him on that pitch means the world to him.
In other action, Newcastle United hosts Liverpool on Monday. with Liverpool's pursuit of Newcastle striker Alexander Isaac. adding extra intrigue to that fixture. over in the Spanish La Liga, Kylian Mbappe scored since Real Madrid maintained its perfect start to the season, with a 3-0 win away to newly promoted Oviedo.
Elsewhere, Villarreal cruised to a 5-0 home win over Girona after racing to a 4-0 lead inside the first 28 minutes.
On Saturday, FC Barcelona came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at newly promoted Levante.
Atletico Madrid struggled again, drawing 1-1 at home to Elche.
Now turning to basketball, Angola lifted the championship trophy for the record 12th time at the 31st Afro Basket Tournament, defeating Mali 70-43 on Sunday.
Since making its afro basket debut in 1964, Mali reached the final for the first time this year.
In the third place game, Senegal overpowered Cameroon 98-72 to claim bronze for the second straight tournament.
And finally, the 21st edition of the Basketball Without Borders Africa Camp is open in Rwanda.
It marks the first time the global basketball development and community outreach program has reached East Africa.
Running until Tuesday, the four-day camp gathers 60 of Africa's top male and female basketball players under 18 for training, mentorship and competition.
Participants can learn directly from current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches while also connecting with peers from across the continent.
Previous editions were hosted in Angola, Egypt, Senegal and South Africa.
14 former BWB Africa campers have been drafted into the NBA and WNBA since the first BWB Africa Camp in 2003. including 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid.
Thank you very much. That's Yang Guang with sports coming up. culture and entertainment a chinese movie about a world war ii rescue is debuted in north america The first military commander is not he who fights a hundred battles and wins every one of them.
The best military strategy does not lead to the desiccation of the enemy's capital city.
Decoding the Art of War will help you understand why there's no art in war and how Sun Tzu stayed undefeatable using the science of war with fun stories and insightful breakdown of famous battles.
Find Decoding the Art of War wherever you listen.
At 53 past the hour, turning to culture and entertainment.
The World War II film, Dongji Rescue, is in cinemas in North America following its release on Friday.
The film is inspired by the 1942 Lisbon Maru incident.
It depicts Chinese civilians' heroic deeds of rescuing British prisoners of war, captured by the Japanese army from a shipwreck.
Keith Munro is a cinema manager in Vancouver, Canada.
A lot of people did die during World War II.
Obviously, my great-grandfather was in the war as well, too.
So it's good that we're able to see this.
And younger generations, especially like mine, they're able to learn and actually understand what happened and we can learn from our mistakes as well.
The film has struck an emotional chord with the local audience.
Because I haven't seen this kind of movie before and I haven't done enough reading about Chinese perspective in the history of the World War II.
Yes, I think I think it's been a really important learning experience.
What comes across from both the Chinese movies that I've seen, which is dead to right, And this one.
Both the movies were really quite brutal.
And I think that that's... That's a real portrayal of what did happen.
I think it's horrendous. The film in Mandarin with English subtitles is screening in about 70 theaters across dozens of North American cities, including Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto. directed by Chinese filmmaker Guan Hu, a Cannes Award winner, alongside Fei Jiansheng,
The film stars Zhu Yilong, Wu Lei, Nini, and British actor William Franklin Miller.
China's 2025 summer box office revenues exceeded 11 billion yuan. approximately 1.5 billion U.S. dollars as of Sunday. domestic productions are dominating the top three spots.
Dead to Rights A film about the Nanjing Massacre during World War II has over 2.7 billion yuan in ticket sales since it was released on July 25th.
May 5th. Now in second place is Nobody, a spin-off from the acclaimed Yao Chinese Folk Tales animation series.
Since opening on August 2nd, the film has set a record for the highest-grossing 2D animated film in China.
The Litchy Road, a bittersweet period drama adapted from a best-selling novel set in the Tang Dynasty, holds third place.
18 films will compete for 10 categories of the Golden Deer Awards. at the 20th ChungChun Film Festival.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the birth of Chinese movies, and the 80th anniversary of the establishment of ChungChun Film Studio, one of China's largest film producers.
The film festival runs until Thursday in the northeastern Chinese city.
After a two-year hiatus for renovations, New York's free Shakespeare in the Park has returned. to Central Park's Delacorte Theater.
The production will play six days a week until September 14th.
New York's Public Theater celebrated the opening of Twelfth Night last week, with a star-studded cast including Peter Dinklage, Sandra Oh, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
Oscar-winning actor Lupita Nyong'o and her brother Junior portrayed twins Viola and Sebastian in the production.
Oh man, I mean it's my dream realized. I've been thinking about doing Twelfth Night with my sister for quite a long time.
And so to be able to actually get to do it, it's just like so much fun.
We've had so much fun in rehearsal and all through the preview so far, so we're just ready to get the party started, honestly.
And Shakespeare in the Park began over 45 years ago as a way to expose people to theatre for free.
Past performances have featured James Earl Jones in Othello, Meryl Streep in The Taming of the Shrew. and Marcia Gay Harden in The Seagull.
We're at 57 minutes past the hour, checking the forecast before we go for the day.
Beijing's down to 21 degrees on Monday evening.
Thunder showers and 30 in the forecast for Tuesday.
Nanchang's down to 29, followed by sunny conditions and 38.
Fengchenggang in Guangxi province will see heavy rainfall and 25 degrees overnight.
Then it's moderate rainfall in 29. Sanya will see torrential rains in 24 this evening, followed by thundershowers and a high of 30.
32 elsewhere in asia islamabad's 22 overnight then a light rainfall and 28 on tuesday BNT ends down to 24, then heavy rains in 27.
Phnom Penh's 25 overnight, then a light rainfall in 30 degrees.
In Africa, Nairobi is getting some rain and a high of 24 on Tuesday.
And that's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making news today. Many postal services worldwide are suspending deliveries to the U.S. as Washington prepares to scrap duty-free treatment on low-value parcels.
On behalf of the staff, this is Shane Biggum in the Chinese capital, hoping you'll join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour. and open a window to the world together.
Find the Beijing Hour at precisely 6pm Beijing time. we meet you on podcast and on air every weekday The Beijing Hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
He can't live without the Yellow River in his eyes.
The Yellow River is so noble and elegant.
Both my grandpa and dad made a living from the river.
Would you like to move away from the Yellow River?
I don't think I will. I love it so much.
The Yellow River, the second longest river in China, is regarded as a shaping force in the history, economy and culture of Northern China.
Today, about 100 million people live within its water basin. making up nearly 9% of the country's population.
How is climate change felt at its headwaters?
And what are the locals doing to cope with it?
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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 Talk 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.
Or in our 12-part series, The Yellow River Mosaic, available only on CGTN Radio.
