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 Biggum with you on this Monday, January 26, 2026.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program, the Prime Minister of Finland's in China until Wednesday on an official visit meeting with the Chinese president and other top officials.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carriers arrive in the Middle East as Iran issues a warning against any potential attack.
And Washington's defending the latest shooting of a US citizen by immigration officers in Minneapolis.
In business.
China's consumer spending surpassed the 50 trillion yuan mark last year for the first time.
In sports, tennis action from the Australian Open.
In culture and entertainment, an art fair in Southeast Asia features CGTN's China Crafted show.
Now check in the day's top stories.
Finnish Prime Minister Pateri Orpo is in Beijing for an official visit to China which runs until Wednesday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to meet Orpo, who will also hold talks with Premier Li Cheng and top legislator Zhao Leji.
Finland was among the first group of Western countries to recognize and establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry said it expects the visit to yield outcomes including new business agreements and institutional cooperation.
Zhao Yang has more.
Leading a delegation of more than 20 Finnish companies, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has begun his four-day visit to China.
He is the second leader from a European Union member state to visit within three weeks.
The delegation includes companies from key Finnish industries such as machinery forestry innovation, clean energy and food.
Finland is one of China's key economic and trade partners in Europe and was the first European nation to sign an intergovernmental trade agreement with China.
Under the strategic guidance of both countries' leaders, bilateral cooperation has continued to expand.
In 2025, China-Finland trade exceeded US8 billion, whilst two-way investment surpassed US23 billion.
During the visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Prime Minister Orpo.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang and China's top legislator Zhao Leji will also hold separate meetings to exchange views on bilateral ties and issues of common interest.
Both sides are preparing for the sixth meeting of the China-Finland Innovative Business Cooperation Committee, with around 50 companies expected to participate.
During the visit, China's Ministry of Commerce will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Finland to strengthen the committee's role.
Companies from both countries are also set to sign several commercial cooperation agreements.
Officials note that China and Finland have strong complementary strengths in the green transition and innovation-driven development, with further potential in areas like information technology and the digital economy.
China says it will continue to expand high-level opening up, enhance policy coordination and support businesses from both sides in pursuing deeper and more practical cooperation.
That was Zhao Yang on the Finnish Prime Minister's visit to China.
China and Finland have been sharing a long-standing and friendly relationship built on business, trade and technological exchange.
Evangelo Sipsis has more on the current state of bilateral ties.
In Helsinki, China-Finland ties aren't abstract.
They feature in everyday life.
Goods moving through the port, Finnish exports going out and Chinese products coming in, heading for homes, shops and on the roads.
And the roots go deep.
China and Finland marked 75 years of diplomatic relations last October with business leaders saying one of the biggest changes is how the view of Chinese technology has evolved, especially when it comes to EVs and consumer electronics.
Pretty much people are changing or they have changed their attitude for the Chinese technology.
So it's not anymore that kind of cheap stuff, but it's pretty much kind of a trusted brand.
They are meeting our requirements and compliance, and that's good.
On the Finnish side, the strength is often in solutions with a focus on cleantech and services that travel well.
Well, if we are looking at the Finnish-Chinese trade and also the presence of Finnish companies in China, I think there's a lot of potential in cleantech, but also in areas like education and other services.
And then, on the other hand, we in Finland are actually now very much hoping to get investments in battery technology from Chinese companies.
Here's the relationship in plain language.
It's practical and positive.
When there's a demand, companies move.
And when something works, they build on it.
And some here say, there's one difference you feel right away when doing business across both markets.
The pace.
So if you're working with the Chinese companies, you always see that you know the speed is so important.
And it's good old saying that Europeans are spending half a year of drinking coffee.
And sometimes that's true.
So we are quite slow.
So it's also like giving us much more that kind of pressure in positive way of speeding up how we are doing things.
Not only talking and planning, but delivering the first products and then scaling those up.
And soon, it will get easier to connect in person too.
China Southern Airlines are resuming direct Beijing-Helsinki flights in March.
From Helsinki, the picture is clear.
Long ties, active trade. and a relationship that keeps finding practical ways to grow together.
That was Evangelo Sipsis in Helsinki.
Senior Finnish diplomats expressed confidence that Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's ongoing visit to China will yield tangible business outcomes.
Marko Tesmaki at the Finnish embassy in Beijing says Finnish companies are keen to tap into the vast potential of the Chinese market.
We have at the moment about 250 Finnish companies that we are closely following here.
Up to 300 companies we are discussing that are looking into coming into China.
You can't give a simple answer.
But what I personally I think and observe is one is then that China's very strong ecosystem for production manufacturing,
And the second thing is that the newcomers, especially Bringing a new innovation from Finland and taking the benefit of China market's ability to scale up, put them into commercial use is a very strong combination.
China is one of Finland's key trading partners.
Their cooperation focuses on areas including the low-carbon economy and climate change mitigation.
For more about China-Finland economic ties.
Do Hongyu spoke with Wang Le, assistant professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at East China Normal University.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has brought a large business delegation to China.
What concrete outcomes could this visit deliver?
Prime Minister Orpo's visit, accompanied by a large business delegation, is likely to focus on pragmatic, economic-driven outcomes rather than grand political signalling.
Concretely, this visit could deliver new commercial contracts or memorandum of understanding in sectors where Finland has clear comparative advantages, such as clean energy technologies digitalization telecommunications, smart manufacturing, forestry and health technology.
Finnish firms are particularly competitive in green transition solutions, including energy efficiency, circular economic models and industrial decarbonization, all of which align with China's long-term development priorities.
This visit could also help stabilize and expand market access for finnish companies already operating in china by addressing regulatory concerns, supply chain reliability, data governance and intellectual property protection through this direct government to government dialogue.
In addition, finland may seek to attract chinese investment into high value manufacturing or RD activities, while carefully managing national security and EU-level screening requirements.
Sounds like a lot of trade opportunities.
And the Finnish Prime Minister's visit marks the second trip to China by a European leader in the first month of the year.
What does this tell us about Europe's evolving diplomatic and economic approach toward China, especially amid ongoing global uncertainties?
So this fact that this is the second visit by a European leader to China within a single month suggests that China, and also Europe, is actively recapitulating its engagement with China.
European governments continue to view China as an indispensable economic partner that cannot be ignored or isolated.
This pattern points to a more nuanced European approach, often described as de-risking, not decoupling.
European leaders appear intent on maintaining high-level dialogue to safeguard trade, investment and supply chains, while simultaneously reducing critical dependencies and addressing security concerns.
This visit indicates that Europe is seeking autonomy in managing its China policy, balancing values, strategic interests and economic realities.
Moreover, the timing reflects broad global uncertainty, including slow economic growth, we say, and also energy transition challenges and in disability in global supply chains.
So overall, these visits underscore a pragmatic European strategy engaging China where interests align, managing differences more directly and also keeping diplomatic China open in an increasingly pragmatic international system.
That was Ong Le, assistant professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at East China Normal University.
Canadian economists say they're optimistic about Canada-China cooperation.
They shared that view during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's official visit to China earlier this month.
Chief Economist Pedro Antunes at the Conference Board of Canada is confident about expanding trade in agricultural products.
First of all, I think it was certainly a positive.
I think it's a positive for both countries.
I think China can gain from some of our agri-food products that are very high quality and, I think, well regarded in China.
But also for Canada, it's obviously a very important gain.
B. John Omidy is the executive director of the Canada-China Business Council.
He says stronger bilateral economic ties will deliver tangible benefits for Canadian workers.
This deal is opening up and it was very specifically emphasized by Prime Minister Carney in the agreements and joint statement by the two leaders of Canada and China that it opens up opportunity and that the plan is for Chinese automakers to come and partner up and invest in Canada.
So it's actually opening up a path for job creation rather than for imposing pressure on our Canadian workers.
China and Canada have made specific arrangements to address trade issues in areas including electric vehicles, steel and aluminum products, and agricultural and aquatic products.
Canada reduces 100% tariff to 6.1% on up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles annually.
Coming up, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is now in the Middle East.
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13 past the hour.
U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has arrived in the Middle East.
Israeli media reports say that a ship carrying missile defense systems is approaching Israel.
Reports also indicate that the US military is preparing to bolster defenses on land, with a THAAD air defense battery expected in the coming days.
A senior Iranian military commander says the country is ready to give what he calls a regret-inducing response to any adventurism by its enemies.
According to media reports, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Deputy Commander Ahmad Vihadi says Iran will never surrender to its enemies and that the country's emerged from the 12-day conflict in June stronger than before.
Iranian lawmakers have also strongly condemned a resolution adopted by the European Parliament which accuses the Iranian government of human rights violations during large protests this month.
The resolution also calls for designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.
Iran says the resolution interferes with internal affairs and only serves to cover up the European Parliament's failure to address its own problems.
U.S. sanctions have hit the Iranian economy hard, pushing major companies to the brink of collapse.
Local residents are also struggling to survive amid the high inflation and a weakening currency.
Ehsan Kevani has more from Tehran.
This is the reality on the ground.
Companies that were once engines of the national economy are now struggling to survive, while ordinary Iranians bear the cost.
We sought interviews with the country's corporate giants, but all declined.
Their silence speaks volumes.
For Iran's major industries and its citizens.
Years of comprehensive US sanctions have imposed severe economic challenges.
The policy continues to shape the business environment and drive up the cost of living across the country.
We interviewed an Iranian diplomat at Iran's Institute for Political and International Studies who believes sanctions are just one piece of a larger puzzle.
I would prefer to call these U.S. actions as unilateral coercive measures.
Sanctions are merely one component of such measures.
Washington employs a variety of models in other countries, including what is known as the trade war.
On the factory floor, the pressure is tangible.
Manufacturers describe facing a constant battle against isolation and rising costs.
Intensifying US sanctions have created significant challenges for us, primarily by restricting technology transfers and impeding trade with global firms.
US sanctions have significantly affected Iran's industrial sector, driving up production costs and leading to higher overall prices.
It is the public that absorbs the shock.
Annual inflation has surged, consistently hovering above 50%.
The rial has lost more than 90 of its value against the dollar over the past year, eroding the dream of a stable, middle-class life for many.
As the sanctions regime persists, debate over its effectiveness and morality grows louder.
But on the streets of Tehran, for business owners and families, it is not a debate.
It is a daily struggle for normalcy in an economy under siege.
While the stated targets of these sanctions are specific sectors, their impact is universal, felt in the price of bread, the scarcity of medicine and the uncertain future facing an entire generation.
That was Eson Kavani reporting.
Coming up, Washington's defending the shooting of an American citizen in Minneapolis.
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A light on literature brings to life China's literary heritage and a look at the world in a new light.
Washington's defended the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by immigration agents in Minneapolis.
The death of Alex Preddy's intensified protests in the city.
The Trump administration claimed that Preddy assaulted officers first, but video evidence contradicts that claim.
Preddy's killing marks the second fatal shooting in Minneapolis by immigration agents, following the first one that killed a 37-year-old woman earlier in the month.
Dan Williams reports from the city.
Here, at the scene of where Alex Preti was shot and killed, there remains a real sense of heartbreak and anger.
People have been coming here throughout the day, laying flowers, lighting candles, perhaps even saying a prayer.
We also now are hearing some chanting as protesters make their voices very much heard.
Of course, there is a huge outpouring of anger, of course, following the horrific footage that we saw of Preti being shot and killed by federal agents.
Now, of course, the key element here is now around the different views as to what led to his death.
The Department of Homeland Security.
They called it a case of domestic terrorism and that Preti confronted agents with a gun.
But locals here, and certainly local democratic lawmakers, they see this.
That's a very different kind of story.
And a little earlier Tim Waltz, the Minnesota governor.
He once again reiterated his view that ICE agents should leave Minnesota.
So my question is, what's the plan, Donald Trump?
What is the plan?
What do we need to do to get these federal agents out of our state?
You thought fear, violence and chaos is what you wanted from us, and you clearly underestimated the people of this state and nation.
We believe that Donald Trump needs to pull these 3000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another person.
We've also been hearing from Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino as well today in a news conference that the focus for them is very much on why the agents were there.
They say that they were targeting a dangerous person, that that person remains at large and that they were prevented from carrying out their duties.
They say that Preti got in the way of law enforcement.
This is what he had to say.
The victims are the Border Patrol agents.
I'm not blaming the Border Patrol agents.
The victim are the Border Patrol agents.
The suspect put himself in that situation.
The victims are the Border Patrol agents there.
So on a political level, huge divisions.
And we could see that further exacerbated later in the week.
The U.S. potentially heading towards a potential government shutdown by the end of the week.
Senior Democrats are opposing a funding package that includes appropriations for homeland security.
So not only are tensions high here on the streets of Minneapolis, but also the stakes are also high politically as well.
That was Dan Williams in Minneapolis.
A major winter storm has swept across the US, killing many people and prompting power outage warnings.
New York City has reported five deaths.
Well, Austin also saw fatality caused by the storm.
Two people in Louisiana died from hypothermia.
US weather officials warned that grid icing could leave millions without heat, as the brutal cold continues to impact communities nationwide.
Experts say cost-cutting moves by energy companies have left the power infrastructure fragile, raising the risk of blackouts.
Jim Spellman reports from Washington, D.C.
The winter weather began in the center of the US, bringing heavy snow to states including Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, leaving some motorists stranded as crews tried to keep up.
We'll just keep going around the clock, and as the snow falls, we'll continue to plow.
Overnight the storm moved east, hitting mid-Atlantic cities like Philadelphia, New York and Washington.
Trouble for many, but fun for others.
They're all sledding down.
They're having a great time.
More than 10000 flights have been canceled, thousands more delayed as airlines made changes early to avoid airports full of stranded passengers.
Idrissa Saul was hoping to make it to Armenia to begin his professional basketball career, but his flight was canceled.
Honestly, right now, I'm currently just doubling down on just trying to find my way to Armenia, whichever route they can find me, and the soonest route they can find me.
So that's where my mind's at right now.
In many areas, snow is followed by sleet and ice, weighing down trees and electric lines, leading to dangerous power outages.
And because there's so much ice over entire states, It could take days to restore power.
And we know behind the storm, there's more cold air.
So if you are stuck without power, you're going to want to find a way to make sure that you can keep your home warm and keep yourself warm for potentially days after this storm.
These sub-freezing conditions are expected to remain in place for a week or more in some areas, including here in Washington DC.
Schools, government agencies and some businesses will be closed Monday and likely beyond as the digout and cleanup continues.
That was Jim Spellman in Washington.
Philadelphia Mayor Sherelle Parker has asked residents to stay off the roads as heavy snow blankets the US city.
But speaking of bitterly cold temperatures that will remain, they will continue to remain with us.
I want to reaffirm several of the safety messages that we shared with you yesterday.
First, please remain off the roads if you do not have to travel.
This challenging forecast means that we must completely clear the roads of snow.
The massive winter storm dumped sleet, freezing rain and snow across much of the US on Sunday, bringing sub-zero temperatures and paralyzing air and road traffic.
More than a million homes are without power and authorities canceled around 10000 flights on Sunday.
The National Weather Service said low temperatures could cause dangerous travel and infrastructure impacts to linger for several days.
U.S.
President Donald Trump has approved emergency declarations for at least a dozen states.
Wildfires have raged across parts of central and southern Chile, leaving homes destroyed and people dead or injured.
Local resident Kiera Concha says she lost her home to the wildfires.
It's very painful because all my memories were here.
I grew up in this home.
So it's been very hard to pick up the remains of my home and put them inside sacks, to put years of my personal history, my family's history, into sacks.
So while we've received a lot of help from my friends and family, it's very painful.
Authorities say the affected people have moved to safer areas.
More than a dozen people are confirmed dead after a passenger vessel sank off the southern coast of the Philippines.
Over 300 survivors have been rescued, with search and rescue operations still underway.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the incident.
Gretchen Malalat has more from Manila.
A passenger shipping vessel carrying more than 330 people sank early Monday in southern Philippines after encountering trouble off the southwestern tip of Mindanao.
The ship identified as the MV Tricia Kirsten 3 left the port of Zamboanga City shortly after 9 pm.
Sunday, bound for Holo Island in the Sulu province, when the incident occurred.
About four hours into the voyage, the sea marshals on board sent a distress call reporting that the vessel was taking on water.
The Philippine Coast Guard immediately deployed multiple rescue boats to the area, while commercial ships in nearby waters were diverted to assist in the search and rescue operations.
Authorities say more than 300 passengers have been pulled from the water and brought to safety.
Several were rushed to hospitals for treatment.
Authorities say more than a dozen people have been confirmed dead, while search teams continue to look for those still missing, while officials warned the death toll could continue to rise.
The Coast Guard says the cause of the incident remained under investigation.
Officials are examining possible mechanical failure, rough sea conditions, and human error.
Search and rescue operations remain ongoing as authorities work to account to everyone who was on board.
That was Gretchen Malalad reporting.
Civil groups in Japan have convened in Osaka to criticize Prime Minister Sanai Takeuchi's remarks on China's Taiwan region.
Participants say her actions have damaged Japan's political relations with China, and they've also questioned the country's rising defense budget.
Takeuchi said in November that a military conflict over Taiwan could be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, warranting the exercise of collective self-defense rights.
Her remarks have faced strong criticism globally and domestically.
Two giant pandas in Japan are set to return to China on Tuesday, amid strained ties between the two countries.
Fans from across Japan are queuing up to catch a final glimpse of Xiaoxiao and Lele.
Terence Tereshima reports from Tokyo.
Ever since the announcement that giant pandas Xiaoxiao and Lele will be returning to China...
Thousands have flocked to Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Garden to take a last look at the twin bears before they depart at the end of January.
Interest has been so great that the zoo has had to start a viewing lottery, with winners only able to observe the bears for just one minute per visit.
Xiaoxiao and Lele were born at the zoo in June 2021, and many of the fans have watched them grow from cubs into adulthood.
Some fans even visited them as often as once a week.
The pandas were such a comfort, so it's truly heartbreaking that they're leaving.
But since Xiangxiang is out there playing energetically in the mountains, I hope the twins will live happily like that too.
This family has been to the zoo three times just to see the pandas.
I was able to see from the front.
It was eating bamboo all the while.
But that was really cute.
The winter zoo has hosted 15 pandas over the past 53 years, making a name for itself as a zoo with pandas.
It's sad to see them go.
They're going back to China, right?
I wish they could have stayed longer.
When these last two pandas, Xiaoxiao and Leilei return, Japan will be left without a panda for the first time since 1972.
Their fans wonder if they will ever see panda in their country again.
That was Terence Tereshima reporting.
We're at 29 minutes past the hour.
Checking the forecast out of the break.
In Beijing's overcast overnight, it's down to minus 7.
Tomorrow's cloudy with a high of 2 degrees.
Nanchang's getting a light rainfall and a low of 5, a high of 9 on Tuesday.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad will see a light rain and 7 overnight, then a high of 13 on Tuesday.
Vientiane's down to 16, then sunny and 29.
Phnom Penh's overcast and 20 this evening, followed by sunshine and 32.
In Africa, Nairobi will get a light rainfall and 28 degrees on Tuesday.
Kampala will see a light rain and 20 overnight, followed by moderate rainfall and 28 degrees.
Juba is overcast and down to 25, followed by a light rain and 39.
And finally to Oceania.
Port Vila is getting heavy rainfall and 23 this evening, followed by a moderate rain, and 27 on Tuesday.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour.
Prime Minister of Finland's in China until Wednesday for an official visit meeting with the Chinese president and other top officials.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East as Iran issues a warning against any potential attack.
And Washington's defending the latest shooting of a US citizen by immigration officers in Minneapolis.
Shane Bigham 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?
Would ours keep on ticking?
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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 Begum with you on this Monday.
Still to come.
In business.
China's consumer spending surpassed the 50 trillion yuan mark last year for the first time.
In sports, tennis action from the Australian Open.
In culture and entertainment, an art fair in Southeast Asia features CGTN's China Crafted show.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn.com or follow our ex-account at cgtnradio.
Now, the check of the day's headlines.
Here's Do Hongyu.
Thank you, Shane.
Chinese President, Xi Jinping, has called on the country and Vietnam to advance cooperation to deliver more benefits to the people of both sides and jointly realize socialist modernization.
The General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during phone talks with To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee.
He also called on the two countries to enhance collaboration in global and regional affairs, jointly oppose hegemonism and block confrontation, and build a community with a shared future for humanity.
To Lam said Vietnam will adhere to the One China policy.
He said his country will strengthen political mutual trust and advance cooperation with China and jointly bolster friendship between the people of both sides.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the partnership with Islamic countries sets an example of solidarity and cooperation within the Global South.
He made the remarks while meeting with Hissin Brahim Taha, the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
He is leading a delegation from the OIC General Secretariat on an official visit to China running until Tuesday.
Wang said China and Islamic countries should work together on multilateral platforms to jointly uphold international fairness and justice and promote global peace and stability.
China and Islamic countries have a long tradition of friendly exchanges.
Historically, we have both suffered national calamities and the dimming of our civilizations.
At the same time, we have shared common aspirations and supported each other on the path of national liberation and independence.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and Islamic countries have consistently respected and supported each other, upholding the principles of equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.
These efforts have contributed to the development, rejuvenation and well-being of our respective nations and peoples.
The 57-member OIC is the largest intergovernmental organization in the Islamic world.
It serves as a key platform for collaboration among Islamic countries and represents a significant force within the Global South.
Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi will pay a state visit to China next month.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry says the visit will run from February 1 to 7.
Local authorities say gunmen have killed at least 11 people during an amateur football game in central Mexico.
The attack took place in Salamanca, Guanajuato State.
Witnesses said, several armed men arrived in two pickup trucks, got out and fired indiscriminately at players and spectators.
Japanese Prime Minister, Sanae Takeuchi has announced that she would resign immediately if the ruling bloc fails to secure a majority in the upcoming House of Representatives election.
Speaking at a party debate, Takeuchi said a defeat would prevent her from continuing as prime minister or advancing her agenda.
The election is set for February 8 following the dissolution of the lower house.
It marks Japan's shortest post-war campaign period of just 16 days.
Two Slovenian military officers have traveled to Greenland to participate in Arctic Endurance, a Denmark-led international military exercise.
The Slovenian Defense Ministry says the officers will remain for several days, with further deployment decisions dependent on operational needs.
The Danish Defense Command says the exercise will run until the end of the year.
It says soldiers from multiple NATO members are already on the ground. conducting preparatory work.
Democratic officials and protesters in the United States are demanding that federal immigration officers leave Minnesota after Border Patrol agent fitly shot a man in Minneapolis.
Police identified the victim as Annex Preti, a 37-year-old defense care unit nurse.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is urging President Donald Trump's administration to pull the agents out of his state.
Meanwhile, Border Patrol Senior Official Gregory Bovino turned blame for the shooting to Preddy, saying he chose to interfere with law enforcement officers.
Preddy's family said he had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond a couple of traffic tickets.
All right.
Thank you very much.
That's Du Hongyu with the headlines.
Coming up in business.
China's consumer spending surpassed the 50 trillion yuan mark last year for the first time.
Beijing hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
37 past the hour.
In business, stock markets on the Chinese mainland closed lower on Monday.
Stocks related to non-ferrous metals, oil and gas, and chemical engineering led the gainers.
Shares in the commercial spaceflight and semiconductor device sectors suffered major losses.
Timothy Pope has more.
What i think we're seeing is the markets continuing to respond to regulator and exchange efforts to slow down the rally in equities a little bit.
The shanghai composite index ended fractionally lower.
The shenzhen component was off by around 09.
There's been a bit of a flurry of regulatory action so far this year, the biggest move, of course, being the change to margin lending rates a couple of weeks ago.
We've also seen some firm action taken against investors suspected of market manipulation.
Just on Friday, we saw a billion yuan fine handed down to an individual investor.
And exchanges have also been publishing notices of hundreds of what they've termed abnormal trades.
And it seems like this is working.
It's definitely slowed the pace of gains, but hasn't prompted a broad-based correction.
What we have seen is investors switching out of tech stocks.
They have been a pretty persistent drag on the market over the last two weeks, and that continued.
A sub-index tracking Chinese semiconductor shares, dropped 23 and the country's most valuable semiconductor stock Cambricon, shared 26.
The other big trend this month has been metals prices, with Venezuela, the whole Greenland madness, or was it Iceland?
And that's created a lot of geopolitical uncertainty.
Gold has cracked $5,000 an ounce for the first time.
Onshore Chinese gold prices have been even higher.
So Chinese mining stocks have been going gangbusters and we're really seeing that supporting the market.
Chinese oil stocks were also up as well.
We saw crude prices rising, and also because domestic refiners are probably going to have to pick up a bit of slack as imports from both Venezuela and Russia have been dented in the new year.
That was Timothy Pope reporting.
Hong Kong's stock market ended higher.
The Hang Seng Index was up nearly a tenth of a percent.
In Japan, the Nikkei ended down over 1.7%.
In 2025, China's consumer spending surpassed 50 trillion yuan for the first time, more than 7 trillion US dollars, remaining the number one driver of GDP growth.
The nationwide trade and policy and the departure tax refund policy for foreign tourists have played major roles in boosting consumption.
Commerce ministry officials said the country's trade volume and the trade surplus also reached new highs, despite lackluster global demand.
Outbound Chinese investment continued to rise and the number of foreign companies in China grew by nearly 20.
Officials say the ministry will vigorously develop trade and services and introduce policies and measures to expand inbound consumption.
They said China's working to stabilize multilateral cooperation and report a progress in trade talks with the United States.
Meanwhile, leveraging big data on taxation, the State Taxation Administration revealed multiple new highlights in China's consumer market in 2025.
It said, consumption demand for household appliances, mobile phones and new energy vehicles was unleashed.
New consumption models and scenarios continued to innovate and integrate.
The elderly demographic demonstrated substantial consumption potential and inbound spending by overseas tourists gained notable momentum.
Global leaders from the public and private sectors have gathered in Hong Kong for the Asian Financial Forum.
They're discussing market trends, high growth industries and the vital link between finance and the real economy.
Ann Chung reports.
Yes, the 19th Asian Financial Forum is underway here in Hong Kong.
The theme for this year is co-creating new horizons amid an evolving landscape.
Chief Executive, John Lee, gave opening remarks and he touched on Hong Kong's progress and achievements.
For example, he shared that the number of foreign and mainland affiliated companies based in Hong Kong reached a record high, and this represents a vote of confidence in Hong Kong.
Lee said that the number of firms in Hong Kong that have parent companies overseas or on the mainland reached around 11000 in 2025, which is an 11 year-on-year increase.
The chief executive further shared that robust growth was seen in firms coming from Singapore France Australia, the US and Switzerland, which all increased by 11, while firms from ASEAN increased by 10 and firms from the mainland increased by 17.
He also shared that the number of startups in Hong Kong rose to record high, increasing by 11 in 2025, year on year.
Earlier, Hong Kong signed a cooperation agreement with the Shanghai Gold Exchange, and this marks a new milestone in deepening cooperation between the gold markets of Hong Kong and Shanghai.
This agreement covers two major areas of cooperation, one of which is establishing a high-level collaborative governance structure for Hong Kong's new gold central clearing system.
The second is opening new avenues for fiscal infrastructure synergy and market interconnectivity.
That was Anne Chung on the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong.
The stock market in Hong Kong had a standout year for initial public offerings, solidifying its position as Asia's leading fundraising hub and the world's second largest.
According to Exchange Data, 119 IPOs raised US$37 billion.
Laura Westbrook reports from Hong Kong.
Hong Kong's financial centre has been buzzing with activity as its IPO market roared back to life last year.
Julia Charlton advises companies and sponsors on their public listings in Hong Kong.
She says around 300 IPO applications are currently in the pipeline, dominated by firms from the Chinese mainland.
So far this year, the majority of companies going public in Hong Kong are from the AI and semiconductor sectors.
I think a lot of people are seeing that the market momentum is still with us and would like to move as fast as possible to actually make sure that they can ride that wave of market momentum.
The release of DeepSeat's low-cost yet powerful AI model sparked a surge of enthusiasm for Chinese technology companies, particularly among investors from the Chinese mainland.
Analysts say this momentum, combined with the global AI boom and policy support from Beijing, helped drive the Hong Kong market's recovery last year.
Mainland-listed companies also turned to Hong Kong for secondary listings.
Among them was EV battery giant CATL, which raised more than US52 billion, the world's second-largest international public offering, last year.
These are the sectors which China has chosen to focus on as being important for future development in the technology sectors, predominantly healthcare biotech, AI and so on.
And if they have overseas capital they may be remitting that back to China for development in China.
But it will also immensely facilitate their overseas expansion as well.
Economists expect that, in terms of value, Hong Kong's IPO market will continue to be resilient this year.
The US used to be the number one destination for any Chinese firms to list overseas because of the high valuation.
But the risk has definitely changed from the regulatory perspective, both from the US and the China side.
So this is why Hong Kong has also benefited from that perspective.
For regulators, the challenge will be diversifying listings beyond Chinese companies.
But as competition in artificial intelligence between China and the United States continues to intensify, analysts say Hong Kong is well positioned to benefit from Chinese firms seeking an international launchpad.
That was Laura Westbrook reporting.
Chinese tourists made over 6.5 billion domestic trips last year.
That's a rise of more than 16%.
A survey shows that urban residents accounted for about 5 billion trips, while rural ones took 15 billion trips.
Tourism spending last year reached 6.3 trillion yuan.
That was up nearly 10%.
Urban travelers spent 5.3 trillion, and their rural counterparts around 1 trillion.
The increase shows strong growth in domestic travel, especially from the countryside.
China had almost 470 million motor vehicles in 2025, with over 360 million being cars.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, nearly 560 million people held driver's licenses and over 520 million drove cars.
For the 11th year running, new registration topped 30 million.
Over 100 cities now have over a million cars, that's seven more than 2024.
New energy vehicles reached nearly 44 million, with close to 13 million newly registered in 2025.
The second-hand car market also remains very active.
China's corporate credit level remained high and stable in 2025.
In the fourth quarter, the National Enterprise Credit Index reached 16218, rising slightly from the previous quarter.
Most regions maintained positive growth, with Anhui Shanxi Beijing, Tianjin and Chongqing among the leaders.
All major industries also saw improvement, led by finance, real estate, and business services.
While the overall trend stayed strong, some monthly fluctuations occurred.
Authorities say the foundation for continued credit health is solid.
Official data shows Beijing added over 2,400 new overseas-funded companies last year.
That's a rise of nearly 20%.
The city recognized 28 new foreign-funded firms as multinational regional headquarters.
It also attracted 121 foreign-invested projects, each worth more than $10 million.
This year, Beijing plans to open up further and bring in more high-quality overseas investment.
Strong foreign trade also helped to boost the city's openness.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour, coming up in sports.
Tennis action from the Australian Open.
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.
We're at 47 past now and turning to sports.
Here's Yang Guang.
Thank you, Shane.
In tennis, from the Australian Open World No.
1, Carlos Alcraz reached his third straight quarterfinal at Melbourne Park.
It followed a straight sets win over Tommy Paul to keep his speed for Korea Grand Slam on track.
Alcraz said the straight sets win boosts his confidence.
Well, I think Grand Slam is always great, winning straight sets, saving energy for the next round.
So I'm just really, really happy with the level that I played today and I'm excited to see how it's going to be in quarters.
The six-time Grand Slam champion is moving closer to capturing a career slate full of major titles, having never tasted success at the season-opening Grand Slam.
Alcres will play a blockbuster quarterfinal against sixth seeded Alex Domingo, who produced a flawless straight sets victory over 10th seed Alexander Bublik.
In other action, Lena Tian got past the three-time Australian Open runner-up, Daniel Medvedev, in straight sets.
Tian expressed satisfaction over the result.
I definitely think I played close to my best.
If not, I'm really happy with how I played from start to finish.
Even when I was that big, you know, I just tried not to let my foot off the gas.
Obviously, Daniil is pretty dangerous from any scoreline.
So I know that firsthand from playing last year.
So I'm super happy to get off in the straights.
The 20-year-old advanced to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal and he will have a showdown with 2025 finalist Alexander Zverev.
In women's singles Arena, Sabalenka made a statement with a straight set win over 17th seed Victoria Mboko in 1 hour and 26 minutes at Rod Laver Arena.
Sabalenka next faces American 29th seed Eva Jovic.
Meanwhile, China's Wang Xinyu saw her Australian Open round end as she lost to American No.
4 seed Amanda Anisimova in the fourth round.
Wang was China's last remaining singles player in the draw.
She will leave Melbourne with confidence though after matching her best Grand Slam result.
World No.
46 is also set to rise to No.
33 in the WTA rankings, one place below her career high set in 2023.
As one of the host cities for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, Cortina in northern Italy is drawing growing international attention.
Mayor Gianluca Lorenzi said the successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics has set a new benchmark for organizing major Olympic events.
He noted that Cortina will follow a sustainable development approach, giving priority to upgrading and reusing existing venues and infrastructure, while promoting inclusivity and barrier-free access across the city.
Environment in mountainous areas is something that we need to protect with great care.
As a matter of fact, the guiding principle for these Winter Olympic Games is trying to minimize the use of more land and reuse more existing facilities.
Lorenzi said the Winter Olympic Games are not only a celebration of sport, but also a powerful platform for cultural exchange and social development.
In football from the English Premier League, Manchester United loosened Arsenal's grip on the title race with a 3-2 win in North London.
Wayne continued a dream start for Michael Carrick in his second spell as the United's interim manager.
The former United midfielder led his side to a stunning win over rivals Man City in a surprising debut.
Facing leaders Arsenal, the Red Devils almost conceded in the 18th minute when Sand Lemons denied a close-range header from Martin Zubimendi.
The Gunners broke the deadlock in the 29th minute when Martin Oudgaard's low shot forced an own goal from Lisandro Martinez.
A terrible mistake by Muzubi Mendy in the 37th minute gifted United the chance to get level and Brian Mbembele rounded David Raya to score.
The visitors took the lead five minutes after the break.
A wonderful 1-2 play from Bruno Fernandes and Patrick Dogu led to a great finish from the Danish winger substitutes.
Mikel Moreno branded hosts' level in the 84th minute by scoring from a corner.
However, United was far from finished and Matthias Koenig curled, in a low effort, past David Raya from 25 yards out, to spark wild celebrations amongst the travelling fans.
Man United interim head coach Carrick said he's proud of the players.
Yeah, it was a tough game for us today.
I think we knew that it was never going to be the perfect kind of game for us.
The way the boys were, the belief, the confidence, the spirit everything that came together made me really proud today.
Arsenal suffered its first home loss of the season, but the club still has a four-point lead at the top.
Elsewhere, Chelsea beat Crystal Palace 3-1 away.
Young Brazilian Estabal scored opener and set up João Pedro for the second, before Enzo Fernandes added a penalty to make it 3-0.
Chris Richards pulled one back late for Palace, which was also had Adam Walton sent off.
Nottingham Forest won 2-0 away to Brentford, with Igor Jesus heading in during the first half and Tyrell Avoni adding a second in the 79th minute for Morgan Gibbs-White's assist.
Thank you very much.
That's Yong Guang with sports.
Coming up in culture and entertainment.
An art fair in Southeast Asia features CGTN's China Crafted show.
From north to south, east to west, people in China are chasing their dreams and leaving their mark.
Want to know how they beat the odds and made a difference?
Footprints brings you the true life stories of their journeys.
53 past now, turning to culture and entertainment.
A global art fair based in Southeast Asia featured CGTN's virtual exhibition, China Crafted.
Art SG 2026 wrapped up in Singapore over the weekend.
The exhibition marked the latest season of the CGTN art series.
It also reimagined traditional Chinese elements through immersive displays and interactive experiences, inspiring dialogue across cultures.
Yang Xinmeng reports.
Sometimes art can feel overwhelming because it doesn't always explain itself.
So we let time do the talking.
We brought 3,000 years of Chinese heritage to the biggest art fair in Asia today.
And the reaction surprised me.
We didn't bring many objects, but we have something more interesting time.
So we see the painting from the song dynasty, the architecture of town dynasty and also the handcrafts of the shang dynasty.
You walk through the time and you can literally touch it.
This is song dynasty fashion over a thousand years ago, and i can do her eyebrows and lipstick, no loud colors, no dramatic shapes.
Everything is settled and controlled.
The highest culture of China, Tang and Song.
I wanted to see more.
And then subsequently when I saw your VR, there was this depiction of your golden bowl.
There were beautiful other animals like ducks and deer roaming around my facility.
Now I'm picking flowers to make a Song Dynasty floral arrangement.
It's not just a decoration, it's how people recognise nature into their everyday life.
Ta-da!
Now I'm literally walking inside a Tang Dynasty architecture.
So you go through a desert.
I did see a big glass of desert.
Into the murals, it brings me into the Dunhuang Bihua, into a structure of a wooden temple.
Once you got to the temple and started giving the history of how it was built, with the dimensions of like blueprint drawings, it made me interested actually seeing the thing in person.
This hairpin is inspired by Fu Hao, a Shang Dynasty queen and military leader.
This tiny object connects power, gender, ritual, and daily life from 3,000 years ago.
If there's one thing I learned from this art fair, it's that cultural exchange isn't about explaining culture.
It's about letting people feel time.
And today in Singapore, time felt surprisingly Chinese.
That was Yang Xinmeng reporting.
And Italian cities hosted a cultural program for the upcoming Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
The 2026 World Ice Art Championships in Sesto San Giovanni near Milan ran until Sunday.
24 sculptors from 16 countries competed in the finals, carving more than 20 tons of ice into authentic works of art.
Chinese ice sculptor Ji Huilong said his work reflects friendship between China and Italy.
It's my honor and I feel very happy to be a part of this competition, because I think it's the best in the world.
The sculpture of the two fish represents both Italy and China, like old friends meeting in a river.
The World Ice Art Championships follows in the tradition of China's famous Harbin Ice Festival, which attracts millions of viewers and visitors each winter.
Some of the artists competing in Italy had previously taken part in the Harbin event.
The companion book to the award-winning Shanghai documentary series China Before China is now available.
The book delves into China's rich history through archaeology, tracing the roots, origins and formation of Chinese civilization.
It features more than 400 high-definition color images from more than 230 archaeological sites, museums and research institutions across the country, highlighting discoveries and achievements.
It also brings together academic discussions and creative journals by historians and documentary filmmakers, providing a glimpse into the vast expanse and enduring magnificence of Chinese civilization.
The documentary's first season was well-received by international audiences online.
57 past Beijing, overcast overnight.
It's down to minus 7.
Cloudy with a high of plus 2 on Tuesday.
Nanchang's getting a light rainfall tonight and tomorrow, a low of 5, a high of 9.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad's getting a light rain with a low of 7 and a high of 13.
Vientiane's down to 16 this evening, then sunny in 29.
Phnom Penh's overcast in 20 overnight, then sunny in 32.
In Africa, Nairobi will get a light rainfall in 28 degrees on Tuesday.
Kampala will see a light rain in 20 overnight, followed by moderate rainfall in 28 degrees.
And that's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making news today.
The Prime Minister of Finland is in China until Wednesday on an official visit meeting with the Chinese president and other top officials.
And the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carriers arrive in the Middle East as Iran issues a warning against any potential attack.
On behalf of the staff.
This is Shane Biggum in the Chinese capital, hoping you'll join us for the next edition of The Beijing Hour and open a window to the world together.
Find The Beijing Hour at precisely 6 p.m.
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?
What are the locals doing to cope with it?
What are the descendants of the boatmen doing?
What has kept some people from leaving their home village by the river?
And what has drawn others back?
Could the fading fishing community revive in a time of digital transformation?
From 2021 to 2024.
Our reporters visited the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, 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.
All in our 12-part series, The Yellow River Mosaic, available only on CGTN Radio.
