Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China and Canada ties carry significance beyond bilateral relations.
A global survey by a leading EU think tank shows majorities across most regions expect China's global influence to grow over the next decade.
The United States freezes immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries.
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China says it's committed to strengthening communication and cooperation with Canada.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi made remarks during talks with his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, on the sidelines of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to China.
Wang Yi described the trip as a milestone, signaling a potential turning point in bilateral relations.
Anand said Prime Minister Carney is seeking in-depth exchanges with Chinese leaders, a resumption of dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation across a range of fields.
So for more on this, let's have Einar Tengen, Senior Fellow of Center for International Governance Innovation, a Canadian think tank.
Thanks for joining us, Einar.
It's a pleasure, Anna.
Let me start with a broad question.
How do you view Prime Minister Mark Carney's this visit to China?
What on the agenda really caught your attention?
Well, it's the fact that he's here.
I mean, you have to put this in context.
The USMCA, which is the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement, is coming up shortly.
And given the US very aggressive tactics towards Canada, Canada has determined that they need to shift a lot of their trade away from the US.
The US is the largest trade partner, but it's a captive relationship, especially when it comes to energy.
And Canada knows now, given the vagaries of Donald Trump, that long term bookends have moved.
They can't expect the U.S. to be reliable and therefore they need additional trade partners.
Speaking of the captive relations, as you mentioned, the current government has made it clear that over the next decade it aims to increase Canada's non-US trade by at least 50.
This target highlights Canada's longstanding dependence on the U.S. market.
Then what domestic economic challenges had this dependence create for Canada?
Well, you know, if you look at the past year or a little less, since Donald Trump started in later January,
It has been contentious.
He has said things, even recently, that he doesn't care about.
Canada or Mexico can take them or leave them, that they're the ones who want trade.
But then you start looking at the impacts that have been on both sides of the border.
And then you also look at Canada.
And you have a kind of a four-way dance going on here.
China and the US are the main partners.
And then you have Canada and Mexico trying to figure out what they need to do to survive.
Canada has taken the stance, look, we're going to move outwards.
We're going to make sure that we're never in a position where we have been this year.
We're beholden to the US.
We're captive.
We cannot be in that way.
I mean, Mexico has other trade partners and things like that, but Canada has been sole source for many years, despite China being the second largest.
It's second largest by a long way away from what they do with the United States.
So, and then you have Canada, which I mean Mexico, which is seemingly leaning more towards the US, very concerned about the US.
MCA.
But that is a separate game.
So you see in the backdrop that these large forces.
But, you know, what's the moving all of this?
Donald Trump is aggressive terror factions everywhere you know, saying to Canada you're going to be 51st state.
And by the way, you're on my way to Greenland and all this kind of stuff.
These are not the kind of things that Canada expects, especially given, you know, the long and close relationship of a neighbor and supporter.
Canada has been rocked by these this last almost 12 months.
And they, you know, for protection service, self-protection, they have to look elsewhere.
Indeed that reliance has created vulnerabilities exposure to US policy shifts, trade conflicts and economic uncertainty.
So naturally, Ottawa is looking beyond Washington, and China presents an option with a huge market.
We know that China and Canada goods trade topped $117 billion Canadian dollars. in 2024.
So if we put politics aside for a moment, how well do the two economies actually fit together?
And as Canada talks about diversifying away from a single market, just how crucial is Chinese market in that strategy?
Well, it's actually pretty good.
You have to realize that despite everything that happened, trade only slipped by less than 1%.
It was 0.9% year on year.
It shows that the stability of a relationship, even in the face of these kind of political headwinds, is pretty strong.
In terms of how they complementarily are.
I mean obviously Alberta, which is very heavy in energy.
Their exports to China grew by almost 23 228 year on year from 2024, driven by energy.
But manufacturing, it's a big issue.
If Canada says they're going to drop the tariffs on EVs, you could see a massive change.
Donald Trump says he wants all American cars to be made in America.
Now, obviously, over the years, Canada has become an integral part of the automotive industry.
It would cost tens of billions of dollars to American car companies if, in fact, those factories were idled.
So Canada is looking to the future.
And they say look, we have a trade partner who's willing, who doesn't say that we're going to be the next province of China.
They're just saying that we want to trade.
So the complimentary parts are there.
Those factories need to have jobs.
I mean, Canada needs jobs if those factories go away.
That's a large part of their industry.
If there continues to be pressure on hardwoods and things like that, Canada doesn't have a choice.
They're in a situation where, for their future and self-protection, they have to look for other trade partners.
China is a willing one.
If Canada is able, especially in agriculture and other areas, to reduce things that are attractive to the Chinese market, especially as the US pulls away, this could be a very, very good fit.
China and Canada clearly complement each other in areas like energy, agriculture and trade, as you earlier pointed out.
And Canada has resources and food products, while China has a huge market and a strong manufacturing capacity.
But during this visit, where do you see the most realistic chances for new cooperation and how could that help Canada deal with these current economic pressures?
Well, clean energy and supply chains have been on the table, and making those more resilient are very important.
Advanced tech and agriculture.
One of the things that could really help, and which they are discussing, from my understanding, is making it easier for products to get back and forth.
That has to do with the process of certification, et cetera, et cetera.
So getting the bureaucratic hurdles out of the way would make it much easier for Canadian companies and Chinese company vice versa to come back and forth.
Obviously, there are some concerns about what Donald Trump will do.
He's mercurial.
He doesn't want Canada to succeed or have American businesses.
But then he'll also say look Canada, you can't trade with China, as he has said to other countries.
So, you know, both sides are looking at this.
You know, as I said, this is not just a two sided game.
There are other players in it in the US looms large because of the uncertainty of what Trump is doing.
So they're going to take it very step by step procedurally.
But as I keep saying.
Canada really doesn't have a choice, unless it literally wants to become the 51st state of the United States.
Einer, we know under the previous Trudeau government, China was described as an, quote-unquote, increasingly disruptive global power.
But the current government has shifted the tone, talking about recalibrating ties with China and calling China a strategic partner.
So how do you read this change in approach?
Besides economic realities, are there any broader global changes also at play?
Well, obviously.
I mean, Canadians are completely shocked.
Canadians' buying of U.S. goods has dropped dramatically, and there's a Buy Canada situation.
Betrayal is probably one of the strongest emotions out there.
It's one that can take love to hate in an instant.
And there is a strong sense of betrayal by the United States of Canada.
So under those circumstances, yeah, there has been a change.
And it's a very important one because these are the people who are going to be electing governments.
So if you have somebody else, like the previous Prime Minister Trudeau, going on about how we have to fight China, and China's no good people are going to say well no, that's not.
They're the ones who are trying to trade with us, not the ones who are trying to dominate us.
So I do think this has long-term repercussions.
Canadians are unlikely to forget this, because this is, I mean, no one ever.
Whatever your question, if you go before Donald Trump, you know the idea that you'd have an aggressive president doing what he has done would be unthinkable.
They just say, no, that's not going to happen.
We're friends and neighbors and we're allies.
There's no question that we're always going to get along.
Many people say expectations for this visit are quite high.
But one trip alone can fix all the problems right.
What challenges do you think will still need to be addressed going forward?
Well, this is not a two-person dance.
It's complicated.
Canada is going into negotiations on the USMCA.
And it's a three way.
Canada wants to preserve it, even though they're being kicked almost as hard as Canada.
They've been a subject to abuse.
Their people called drug dealers and rapists and criminals and things like this.
But, you know, they see their circumstances slightly differently.
50 tariffs on certain Chinese goods in order to align with President Trump in preparation for these negotiations.
Now, let's look forward.
If these negotiations go badly and Trump tries to force a really nasty deal on both of them, You could see Canada is just saying look, we're not going to sign on to the agreement.
I don't know what Mexico does if Canada pulls out.
So there's a lot of uncertainty going into this.
There's going to have to be more meetings and there has to be an idea of what's happening at these next negotiations.
Einer, one last question very briefly.
We are also seeing other traditional US allies besides Canada, that the European Union moved to strengthen ties with China as global uncertainty grows.
So how do you interpret this trend?
And what does it say about changes in the global economic landscape today?
Well, it's all being pushed by Donald Trump and his aggressive trade actions.
He's very dismissive of Europe.
You know, this whole thing with Greenland has really thrown Europe for a loop.
I'm just saying, look, you know, you do that, that's the end of NATO.
You cannot press these kind of dual attacks on sovereignty and on trade and expect Europe to sit there forever.
Now many countries have tried to sit on the fence saying, well you know, we'll get over this, maybe in three years or somebody else.
And we don't want to lose the U.S.
They're important to us.
But if this continues, there's going to be no choice, because the voters in these countries are going to say no, enough is enough.
We do not want to be a punching bag for Donald Trump or the United States.
We need to be on our own.
We need to have reliable trade partners.
And that would include, I think, China because of its huge markets.
Thanks, Einar, for those valuable insights.
That was Einar Tengen, Senior Fellow at the Center for International Governance Innovation, a Canadian think tank.
Let's move to China's green consumption push.
Kicking off the new year, China has newly released a national action plan to promote green consumption, ramping up pressure while opening fresh opportunities for businesses.
The plan rolls out 20 policy measures across seven key areas, including green agricultural products, energy-efficient home appliances and low-carbon dining and accommodation.
It also introduces incentives such as green consumption points and trading programs aimed at encouraging more sustainable lifestyles.
So to break down what this means for businesses, my colleague Lian Qingxuan spoke with He Guojun, professor of economics at Hong Kong University Business School.
So professor, this new green consumption action plan promotes more green agricultural products, wider use of green home appliances, biodegradable food containers in restaurants and fewer single-use plastics in hotels.
So, from your perspective, do these changes mainly increase pressure on businesses or create new opportunities for them?
I think it's really a mix of both.
But I would say the opportunities are greater, especially for those who move early.
In the short run, yes, I think many companies will feel some pressure.
They need to upgrade their equipment, redesign their packaging and maybe meet some of the new green standards.
And so for some smaller and medium-sized firms, this upfront cost and learning new rules could be a little bit stressful.
But I think we need to look at the bigger picture.
This plan creates a whole new wave of green demand.
When the government signals support for sustainable products like ecosystem farm goods or energy-saving appliances, It actually reduces uncertainties and makes investing in those areas less risky.
So those early adopters can benefit from potential subsidies, stronger branding effects and also younger generations who actually want to buy greener products.
I think, over time, what looks like could be a cost today might turn into a competitive edge, especially as green standards become the norm in the commerce.
The consumer goods trading programs generated more than 26 trillion yuan in sales that's about 360 billion us dollars in 2025, benefiting over 360 million people, and china will extend this policy into 2026, so the new plan also introduces mechanisms such as green consumption points, which encourages consumers to earn points by purchasing green products and then redeem them for discount or service benefits.
So how do these measures boost green consumption?
These policies work together.
I think they have two functions.
One is the wallet and the other would be the mine.
The trading programs that have been launched in the previous years actually lower the financial barriers.
If you're trading an old fridge or a car for a discount, the golden green basically becomes more affordable.
And that helps people to replace those kind of energy-hungry products with more efficient ones.
And the scale, which is hundreds and millions of participants, is very large.
Or at the same time, I think in this new plan green consumption points have kind of become more important, right.
So green consumption points work more on the psychological side.
They make those sustainable choices rewarding and visible.
When you buy green products, you earn points.
You can redeem those points for discounts or future services.
That turns environmental behavior into something that is more engaging and concrete.
Besides, I think having this idea is important because now all the activities, particularly the ones online, would be able to generate useful data for what consumers prefer.
Would be helpful for the future business and also policymakers.
They would be able to fine-tune their products and incentives.
So I think this is a very smart mix of both economic incentives and also behavior nudges.
And we can see from the plan that the green vehicle consumption is another major focus, including incentives for new energy vehicles, as well as car leasing, car sharing and RV camping, etc.
So how important is this shift for China's car industry and people's daily mobility?
I cannot emphasize more about this importance, both strategically and practically.
For the car industry.
Actually, we already see that those new energy vehicles are no longer just a niche anymore.
They are the main growth drivers.
And then these new policies also encourage car leasing, sharing and RV camping, which means that companies now can move from just selling their cars to offering full mobility services.
And this pushes the innovation in charging networks, the softwares and the business models like battery leasing and so on.
I think for the consumer side, this brings also significant changes, right?
You now see, in major Chinese cities there's cleaner air, there's quieter streets and more flexible mobility choices.
And this is really important for young people in cities who might not want to own a car themselves.
And at the same time, I think during this plan, the rise of shared mobility and RV traveling is also kind of discussed.
They are well aligned with the trends towards more flexible and people want to enjoy more outdoor experiences.
In the long term, I think it's not just about cars themselves.
It's really about how we are going to change and reshape people's mobility, how they are going to move, how they are going to live and how they are going to basically live in a society with more personalized services and products.
And Professor He.
The plan also encourages second-hand markets from online resale platforms to community flea markets, but concerns about quality and services remain.
So how can these platforms be better regulated?
I would be very careful in using the words regulated or regulationist markets, because the real challenge with secondhand products or secondhand markets isn't really trying to have standards or trying to standardize every product.
The reason is very simple.
For every used item, they are different.
So, instead of trying to set rigid standards, the policy focus might be on transparency and accountability of the platforms.
And I think platforms can do more here.
They might be able to provide clear inspection reports.
They can trace the product histories.
They might be able to, for example, using AI to examine the products and trying to look at its quality.
And even they have those user reviews that could be used to backed by those verified transactions.
From policy side, I think what is important is to have this part that is called the responsibility sharing.
So platforms should not just act as matchmakers.
They should have some liabilities for, for example, fake listings, missing information and some kind of after sales services.
That requires them to setting up, like refund mechanisms offering limited warranties for refurbished products or some of the products that have high values.
Or they should have some systems that could hold payments until buyers confirm the goods and the quality of the goods.
The last point I want to emphasize is really kind of AI and digital technology.
Nowadays, I think for certain products, we would be able to produce digital product IDs.
We know their past transaction histories.
And we would be able to use AI-driven authenticity checks to make the reselling safer and easier.
Again I want to emphasize the goal for second-hand markets is not try to eliminate all the risk, but to make buyers feel the system is fair and reliable.
When they got into trouble, they have something to resort to.
And once this trust is built, then the second-hand sector and the broader kind of circular economy you can think about can really grow.
Well, as you've said, the artificial intelligence is also mentioned as a tool to support green consumption, from smart products to new usage scenarios.
So, in your view, is AI plus green consumption more of a long-term change, or can consumers expect to see real benefits in the near future?
If you look at the reality, we already see it's happening, right?
So AI is now helping us to live more efficiently.
We have, for example, smart thermostats that would be able to help you to cut energy use.
We have AI systems that can charge electric vehicles when electricity price is the lowest.
And then we also have those algorithms that help you to plan your routes that save more fuel.
And even in the retail sector, which is more traditional nowadays, we see AI can help suggest greener and more eco-friendly products.
We'll give personalized discounts for certain options, low carbon options.
So I would say people already see and people already use those services.
Some are more explicit and some are more quiet.
But in the long run, I think the impacts are going to be even greater.
Think about larger scales, the smart grids, right?
So we want AI to be able to help us to balance the renewable energy and the traditional energy supply, and to ensure a sustainable and, at the same time, reliable grids network.
And also we want to have technology and AI-driven logistics that would be reducing, for example, empty deliveries.
And we would be also very interested in looking at the product designs that is able to really look at the lifecycle data of this materials and from the very beginning to the final product, to minimize the carbon footprint and to minimize the damages to the ecosystem.
And, of course, as we mentioned about AI, we also want to make sure AI itself goes green.
Using more efficient chips, using cleaner data centers.
We can do it right, and I think AI can make sustainability become mainstream in consumption and become the kind of default choice for a lot of consumers.
That was He Guojun, professor of economics at the Hong Kong University Business School, speaking with Lian Qingshuan.
More to come.
A global survey by a leading EU think tank shows majorities across most regions expect China's global influence to grow over the next decade.
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Let's take a look at a global survey by a leading EU think tank.
China's global influence is expected to grow in the coming decade, with more people worldwide now reviewing Beijing as an ally or a necessary partner.
A 21-country poll by the European Council on Foreign Relations shows especially strong expectations across the global south, including South Africa, Brazil and Turkey.
The survey also shows that more than half of respondents in the United States, The European Union, India and the United Kingdom share that view.
Compared with two years ago, perceptions of China as an ally have risen, notably in South Africa, India and Brazil.
The findings suggest that Washington's Make America Great Again approach may be accelerating rather than slowing China's rise.
So to delve into this, joining us on the line is Professor Qu Qiang, fellow of Belt and Road Research Center at Minzu University of China.
Thanks for joining us, Professor.
Thank you.
Professor, this survey covers 21 countries and nearly 26000 people, and it shows something different from before.
In almost every place surveyed.
Most people expect China and its global influence to grow over the next decade.
So how do you rate this shift in global thinking?
Well, I think this is obvious, because I think Well, China actually has been building up on its economy and has been growing really fast, especially in the new productive forces.
So I think this is an octave.
These factors have been acknowledged by many global South nations.
While America are trying to use its power not benefiting the whole world, but try to bully the others.
China are using its you know productivities and also technology just spill over to benefit the whole world supply chain and stabilize the whole world chain.
And I think the policy of America to put America first, actually are making America well, itself so-called great, but actually are jeopardizing Americans' influences.
Not like before.
Well, even though America are still doing the same thing, but I think in Bush's period of time and Clinton's period of time they still have some spell over, in fact all over the world.
But right now, I think they're jeopardizing their heritage.
And secondly, I don't think the South power in America become the attraction or become the only attraction anymore to the whole world.
Because with the rising of China and many global South nations, people for the first time understand that global value can be really diversified.
We are sharing the whole world, the human community with shared future.
So this kind of a multilateral understanding has become a new thing in the global recognition.
So I think all that has been contributing to the falling or slowing down of American impact.
Unlike in the past, most are not concerned about China's growing influence.
What do they say about how the world views China's development path and its role internationally, especially Chinese value, in this development path?
And compared with Washington's foreign policy style, was China doing right?
Seems that resonate more with other countries.
I think the first thing is very simple.
It's about economy, right?
Well, whether a country's rise up can benefit you or not, I will build the first tier of understanding about this country for many other countries, for example, in European Union, which is actually considered as one of the most important competitor of China.
But they've been thinking well.
Chinese EV technology and renewable energy technology actually can help EU to achieve the carbon picking and help with the green development.
And also many EU companies actually believe their joint stock companies or partnership with China actually can help EU to maintain their advantage in the whole world market.
And also global South nations also view China as a global partner, not as a threat, because working with China actually means a opportunity to innovate and also to improve their own infrastructures and also to have more of the technology spill over.
Because China actually are just a business partner.
We do not ask anyone to choose side or have any political string attached.
So basically, we're trying to build this partnership based on the win-win result with, you know, mutual understanding and equal footing.
So this is very, very different from the previous Western model.
Like, if you want my donation, if you want my aid, you probably should join my team and, you know, help us to bully the other country or other people.
And you have to accept our value and also many of extra conditions you need to accept.
And secondly, it's about politics.
What we just mentioned, you know, America always want other country to, you know, true science.
And besides that, I think Americans, you know, policy are always, you know, very unstable.
Clinton and Obama said this and Bush and said that and now Trump said, you know, screw them all.
I have some third way and you have to follow me or otherwise you're going to be screwed.
So it's very unpredictable, right?
And he's going to veto himself or deny himself over the night.
But China provides something really valuable currently.
That is the certainty, stability.
So when china says when we're going to work with it and how we're going to be doing this and what's the spirit and you know framework we're going to do this, it's always to be the same.
And also, like we just mentioned, china is not ideology, you know, or value oriented.
We just want to focus on gross right.
Every country want to have their People have higher living standard and that's it.
China wants the same thing, because in China we understand that a poor chaotic, unstable neighbor.
We don't want that.
We want our neighbor to be well-off stable, peaceful and really friendly, so that we can build something together and we can travel to each other, we can buy services and products from each other right.
So this is the new thinking, this is the new world, and so, and also, i think internationally, a lot of the global south nations want to catch up.
They don't want to get bullied and to follow, they want to just catch up to achieve their own modernization, digitalization and development initiative and development initiative and all that has been providing actual opportunities.
Instead of you know, you only need to serve and follow, otherwise you do not have even a little bit you know, single knuckles or time.
Indeed professor, very interesting.
The report warns that europe risks being squeezed out or ignored on the global stage and Many Europeans now feel the old global order is ending.
So, in a changing world, what practical moves does Europe need to make to become a true polar in a multipolar world?
And what's standing in the way right now?
I think Trump.
Actually, everybody says he's a liar.
I don't think so.
I think Trump is actually the only one who tells the truth.
The truth of having the power is the only truth, right?
Well, when the europe are thinking we have the same value, we are alliance, we are friend, we thought we are friend, but trump tells you, no only thing matters is americans power and america's benefit, and that's it.
All the other things alliance, the ideology, the value sharing, is just a you know, camouflage.
The only thing is to serve American benefit and nothing but only this.
Right.
And also, plus that, Trump actually has been making policy more unpredictable.
Like we just mentioned, not only to you know, the rest of the world, but to the traditional alliances.
Very unpredictable.
Right.
Looking at the Greenland, the Greenland.
Right.
This has been defended by all his alliances.
And now he want to take it.
And also about the value differences.
Well, they thought they believe in the same democracy, same rule of law, same international governance.
But actually Trump tells them well, it looks like the same thing, but we have a different interpretation right now.
You better follow the new version.
Otherwise, you are a pagan.
You are not with us and also they have some direct conflicts of interest.
Um, like on trade right, a tariff pattern is not only on china, on latin america, asian nations, but now on every european nations, their core alliances, uk.
Well, Well done, take it.
Germany, France, take it, right?
This is really some experience new to you, right?
And also about climate change.
Europeans want a cleaner, greener world, but America apparently don't want so.
They want to sell the oil.
They've got loads of oil, shale gas to sell.
And currently the American president has become the president of Venezuela, so they have some heavy oil to sell as well, and also talking about security, talking about their values.
So i think american first is all about america.
It's very, very selfish.
So europe failed to be abandoned and that will make also america to be isolated and also their credit have been damaged and also i think europe has been accelerating to build their own self-reliance and, you know, try to be independent, a player in the whole world.
Thanks Professor, for those sharp analysis.
That was Professor Chu Qiang, fellow of the Belt and Road Research Center at Minzu University of China.
Now turning to Japan's unfolding political battles.
Japanese Prime Minister, Sanae Takeuchi, is expected to outline details of her plan to dissolve the House of Representatives and call a snap election.
Having been in office for less than three months, Takayuchi's move is raising questions about why she's acting so urgently and what a snap election could mean for Japan's economy, domestic governance and broader social stability.
So for more on this, let's have Dr Rong Ying Chair, Professor at the School of International Studies at Sichuan University.
Welcome, Professor.
Thank you for having me.
Professor Takeuchi has proposed dissolving the House of Representatives and calling a snap election less than three months after taking office, a move many media outlets have described as a political gamble.
Why do you think she's pushing for an election so urgently and what major governance challenges is she currently facing?
I think having a snap elections has been always an issue that has been not only speculated by the media and observers of Japanese politics, but also, I think, as far as I can see, in the mind of Takeichi.
Clearly, I think the LDP has a slight majority, even with the coalition party of the Japan Innovation Party.
But Takeichi herself, for the past three months of taking office, has enjoyed an unexpectedly high sort of approval rate.
We're talking about 70 or over 70%.
So how to ensure approval rate hybrids that can be translated into a political leverage to pursue her own agenda, I mean, is always an issue, I think.
The snap election has been long expected, but I think in such an early stage it possibly is a question we need to look at, need to answer.
Since coming to power, we know Takayuchi has pushed aggressive economic policies, sharply raised defense spending and being hit by controversies, from the LDP's money scandals to tough rhetoric on China, South Korea, etc.
With opposition parties gearing up to challenge her in parliament, is calling an early election a way to dodge criticism and shift public attention.
Yeah, that's exactly, I think, the reason why the media reports, I think in Japan and others, are saying that it's going to be certainly a political game, political gamble, and also, could I mean, as a kind of a double-edged sword.
It certainly, I think, makes political sense, as I said, but it can also cause problems in a sense.
Not only I think the results are not guaranteed, But more importantly I believe that the LDP itself, and particularly these big shots in LDP, may not be happy or comfortable for that election.
So this is one.
Secondly, I think it would also may cause problems among the voters.
Clearly, I think the major reason for Takeuchi's decision to call a snap election is to pursue a prepared ground for her own political agenda, which means that she is putting literally putting politics sort of ahead of policies.
The policies I think the voters would like to see, Japanese voters, is the issue of inflation, the economy which, of course, Takeichi also has put forward a so-called growth strategy.
But I think there are big questions, or there are a lot of doubts about how effective that growth strategy is going to help in terms of addressing the burning concerns, the concerns of inflation, rising inflation and long-term structural challenges Japanese economy is facing.
And last but not least, I think the diplomatic aspect.
Its relations with China certainly is one.
The other is, of course, I think, how Japan is going to play a role to ensure that its environment external environment would help for Japan to pursue its much-needed sort of growth, which would be impossible without a proper, stable external environment.
Professor, building on that, we've also seen concern from neighboring countries over Takahashi's push for higher defense spending and constitutional changes.
If this election strengthens her grip on power?
Where do you see Japan's foreign and security policies heading?
That's exactly, again a kind of reason or the consequences that not only, I think, neighboring countries and the countries in the region are watching very closely, but also going to have very much going to impact the domestic politics, the political dynamic in Japan.
And in the wake of the sort of news of Takeuchi's decision to call a snap election, I think the two opposition parties one is the Democratic Party of Japan, that is the largest opposition party, and the Komeito Party, which was a coalition partner for LDP for more than decades have now decided to join together to form a kind of a new party so that it will play a kind of a centrist role or to serve as a centrist force to moderate or to manage Takahichi's conservative, right-wing tendencies.
And the other partner opposition parties we call them Democratic Party for the People, which used to support Takahichi, support LDP on the questions of budget, has also said that they would reconsider this decision in the future debate in the parliament.
So, all in all, I think, whatever the outcome I mean out of this snap election, the consequences are all.
The possible result has already caused a lot of sort of changes, a lot of concerns and impacting the dynamics not only in the domestic politics but also, I think, the regional countries as well.
Thanks, Dr. Rongying, for this in-depth perspective.
That was Dr. Rongying, Chair Professor at the School of International Studies at Sichuan University.
Let's turn to America's hardening immigration policy.
The United States will suspend immigrant visa processing for citizens from 75 countries in its latest move to tighten immigration policy.
The move impacts countries including Somalia, Russia, Iran and Thailand.
The visa phrase follows last year's push to step up scrutiny under the so-called public charge provision of US immigration law, which is meant to block applicants deemed likely to rely on public assistance.
The new measure is set to take effect next Wednesday.
The State Department has revoked over 100,000 visas since President Donald Trump took office.
So for more on this, Xu Yawen spoke with Shending Li, a professor at the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University.
Professor Shen, the US will indefinitely suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens from 75 countries.
Which groups of people will be first impacted?
Many of these countries are those less developed countries, or sometimes we call developing countries or third world countries.
And Trump's second edition government may think that people from this country may pose a threat to the US economically and may be a liability to the US economy because they spend more than they would potentially contribute to the US.
This may be the perception of President Trump and his major cabinet assistants.
So this has created a situation that his government has persistently pursued an approach to stop the total refusal of any people to seek legal immigrant status to the US.
The US still probably would process non-immigrant visa applications from these 75 countries, but no more immigrant visa applications.
Then Professor, how might this policy impact the bilateral relations between the US and these affected nations, especially African nations, which account for about one-third of the targeted list?
US may break this new policy for a reason because US may think a majority of these immigrant applicants from these 75 countries may pose more challenges to the US than potentially a benefit.
So America is willing not to take those tyrants, those so-called good immigrants.
They could contribute to the U.S.
The U.S. would rather not take any of them in order to deny any less contributing immigrants.
How this would create a situation between the US and those targeted countries?
I think none of these 75 countries would feel happy.
They may understand not all immigrants from this country to America may help America a lot, but they think they are viewed as such a country that they are negative to America.
I think they would feel they are not respected.
And they think America no longer respect this country, no longer want to show America is a great country, has a great need to accept those immigrant applications.
I think they would have a bigger psychological distance with America and this would create a lot of challenges for America in the future to deal with them.
Well Professor, we have noticed that the immigrant visa applications often include family members of US citizens and permanent residents, as well as skilled workers recruited by the US companies.
So how will this suspension affect the family reunification and the US labor market's demand for global talent?
First, if immigrants have already been in the US and they want their non-immigrant foreign nationals in one of the 75 countries to come to the US legally as another new immigrant, then Americans deny.
That would force these families to separate or to force those already American legal immigrants to leave America to reunite with their family outside the US.
This is not humanitarian.
Second, many of these immigrants, they can contribute to America.
But now, when US companies want to recruit them, they cannot come to US with an immigrant status.
Of course, they can still come to U.S. with a non-immigrant status.
That would reduce American companies to tap global tariffs. which is not good for US economy.
And after all, since 1945, America has adopted a globalization approach to be liberal, to be open, to be international.
Now, 80 years after the end of the Second World War, America suddenly tried to deny 75 countries, to deny their parents, to deny their people, to reunite people who live in America to have family reunification.
All this would create a very negative psychological and economic defeat to Americans' own interest.
Another thing is Professor.
Some critics argue that the public charge rationale is a pretext for nationally based discrimination.
In your view, what potential legal risks might this policy face domestically in America?
To be honest, I would admit that that some immigrants from this country may pose an economic challenge to America, either unintentionally, and they come to the US illegally, and over time they become a burden.
But they do not intend to become a burden to the US when they come to the US.
And some may intend to be a burden.
I would say that should not be a reason that Americans would deny all applicants for legal immigrant status.
Americans should have better screening, better examination and evaluation and to disallow some of these applicants, But Americans should not have an absolute process denying everyone and each one.
All legal immigrant application would be denied.
That would undermine Americans' greater power status and would affect Americans' economic interest in a negative way.
Lastly Professor, some within the US have suggested that this is the most anti-legal immigration agenda in American history.
What's your take on this?
Does this policy mark a fundamental shift in U.S. immigration policy's core principle?
I would only hope this is a reversion of the previous Biden government's policy, which seemed to be too liberal.
And America would not care if a foreigner would come to the U.S. with a passport, with a visa.
Without a passport, without a visa, America would welcome them.
In my view, that's the other extreme of U.S. immigrant policy.
I feel negative with Biden's policy.
But also I feel not good.
Current American government try to use a total opposite policy, denying everyone from these 75 countries, no matter they have a passport.
They have humanitarian reasons.
They have another reason, because the US company would need them.
I hope probably in the future the next US government will moderate its current position, will take a position neither the Biden position nor Trump's absolute position denying everyone from this country for legal immigrant status.
That was Shending.
Li, a professor at the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, speaking with Xu Yawen.
That's all the time for this edition of World Today.
I'm Gaena in Beijing.
Thank you so much for listening.
Bye for now.
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.
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