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This is the Beijing Hour.
Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour.
One hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host. Shane Bigham with you on this Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program, Israeli troops have pushed into a new part of Gaza, saying they believe Hamas may be holding hostages there.
A northwestern province is growing its role in China's green energy revolution.
Japan's ruling coalition remains on shaky ground following an historic election defeat on Sunday.
In business, China's urban unemployment rate holds steady.
In sports, Chinese divers go for the gold at the World University Games.
games. In culture and entertainment, a sci -fi classic completes a stage run in China.
Now the day's top stories.
Israeli troops in Gaza have pushed into parts of Deir el -Bala for the first time.
The Israeli military says hostages may be held there.
Deir el -Bala has not seen major ground operations during the 21 -month conflict.
Hundreds of Palestinians have fled after Israel issued an evacuation order.
Rami Almeghari reports from Gaza.
The state of outrage and anger by the population who have been forcibly displaced from their areas, from their localities and neighborhoods for the first time since the war has erupted, actually.
Some of them, some of them told us that they have been throughout the war, throughout the war, have been displaced from back and forth to the localities, to their neighborhoods.
But for the time being, they are being outraged and then angry for what's going on the israeli israeli bombardments continue unabated from time to from from time to then during the day there is a sound of asraeli bombardment or very strike we had we had made our way to the to the localities over there cgt and talk to some of of those displaced from those areas, and they are being angry for what's going on, while in fact they have been waiting for a breakthrough by means of a truce that has been expected over the past several weeks by the population.
The bombardments and the strikes continue unabated.
these moments in Dar al -Balah, in about four to five localities to the southwest of Dar al -Balah town.
Some of the population are afraid, are afraid that this will be the beginning of dismembering, dismemberment of the area of the central Gaza Strip.
That is a situation for the time being that the people, thousands of people are being forced to flee their homes.
That was Rami Al -Meghari reporting.
The Israeli military push into Deir el -Balus raised concerns from the families of hostages still remaining in Gaza.
Families demanded an explanation from the army about how it'll protect the hostages.
Jonathan Mergev has more from Tel Aviv.
A minister in the government, Oritz Truk, coming from the far -right party, Religious Zionism, the party of Bezalel Smotrich, said that the army should enter with ground forces to areas such as Deir el -Balakh, where it did not operate before, even if that would endanger the lives of the living hostages.
Even if this would put the hostages, the living ones, in danger, the minister says that the army should push forward. Therefore, no assurances whatsoever for the families.
If anything, it's quite the opposite, and the families are furious.
They are saying that it has been proven all along the 21 months of this war that a military campaign in areas where hostages are held only endangers them.
It was less than a year ago, in late August last year, when six hostages were killed just hours before the army arrived to the area where they were held.
And the hostage families are now very much concerned that the remaining living hostages could go through the same fate due to the fact that the army is now entering these areas.
We can tell you that there's very strong operations still at the moment, mostly from the air and artillery, but also some limited ground operation in the area of Deir el Balagh.
and the hostage families are well aware of what this could mean for their loved ones who have endured 21 months of hell so far.
That was Jonathan Regev reporting.
28 countries and the European Union have issued a joint statement calling on Israel to immediately end its siege in Gaza.
These countries include ones that expressed support for Israel in the early days of the conflict, such as the UK, France and Australia.
Australia. UK Foreign Secretary David Lamy condemned Israel for the suffering of civilians in Gaza.
The Israeli government must answer, what possible military justification can there be for strikes that have killed desperate, starving children?
There is no military solution.
Negotiations will secure the hostages.
Further bloodshed serves no purpose.
Hamas and Israel must both Both commit to a ceasefire now, and the next ceasefire must be the last ceasefire.
A joint statement criticized Israel's aid delivery model as dangerous and condemned the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians.
It said Israel's denial of humanitarian assistance to civilians is unacceptable and that its method of aid delivery fuels instability and deprives human dignity.
The Israeli foreign ministry rejected the statement as being disconnected from reality, accusing Hamas of being the only party responsible for the lack of a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Egypt has rejected Israel's plans to forcibly move Palestinians to Rafah in southern Gaza, which borders Egypt.
Cairo says such action threatens its national security.
Egypt has been frustrated with what it considers Israeli violations of their long -standing peace treaty.
Adel Al -Marouki reports from Cairo.
In a phone call this week with the U .S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Egyptian Foreign Minister Bedra Abdel -Ati firmly rejected Israel's proposal to create a gated camp for some 600 ,000 Palestinians.
Israel reportedly plans to put up the camp, which is dubbed the humanitarian city, to host Palestinians displaced from northern Gaza.
Once inside, the Gazans will be prohibited from returning to their homes indefinitely, according to the Israeli proposal.
Cairo's political stance on this echoes widespread Egyptian public sentiment.
This is their land.
There is no way they lot go of it and leave. Anyone will also do the same.
This is their place, this home.
We will never accept that anyone gets out of our homes.
This is Palestinian land.
No one other than them can decide who to control it.
It is called Palestine for a reason.
No one should be allowed to seize it, exploiting the fact that the Palestinians don't have a military or police force.
They don't have anything to defend it with.
The Arab League has also opposed the setting up of such a camp.
The pan -Arab organization stressed that there is no humanitarian cause behind the camp, indicating that the plan reflects Israel's continued intention to pursue what it calls an ethnic cleansing strategy.
Israel is not concerned about humanity.
We've seen the crisis it created when the U .S. decided to directly distribute aid in Gaza.
There is now a real catastrophe which the international community is disregarding.
500 ,000 Palestinians are starving.
Israel only intends to force Palestinians to migrate.
agreed. Kairou was worried that if the camp is put up, this could trigger a mass influx of Palestinians to the Egyptian border with Gaza.
It also means that Israel would set up its security presence in a zone between the two countries where such a deployment would be a violation of the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
Such developments threaten to further expand the Israeli regional war, to include Egypt.
The wider this war gets, the more unsafe it becomes for Israel.
We've seen how they attacked Iran and how Israel's security was at jeopardy.
They faced losses which they've never seen since the 1973 war with Egypt.
Terminating the Palestinian state, too, won't bring peace.
Peace is only achievable with a two -state solution.
Israel is divided from within as its implementation is likely to increase financial pressure on it.
Internationally, several Jewish communities in Europe and the United States fear it could fuel anti -Semitism and could be similar to building a concentration camp for Palestinians.
That was Adel Al -Marouki reporting.
The Houthi group says it carried eight out of five drone attacks targeting military and vital sites in Israel, including Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
A military spokesperson said the attacks were in support of Palestinians in Gaza and in response to Israeli airstrikes on Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday.
Ahab Alfandi has more from Yemen.
Israeli planes launched a new attack on the port of Hodeidah in western Yemen.
The Israeli army called the operation the law parade the attack was carried out using drones this is the 10th strike was kind on the port israel says its response to attacks by the asala group against israel and its interests in the red sea the last of these attacks according to the israeli accounts caused two ships on their way to israeli ports to sink this led tel aviv to increase its strikes The port is a vital lifeline where most basic goods for Yemen pass through.
On the other hand, the Ansar Allah group says the Israeli strikes will not stop them from continuing their operations.
They say they will only stop their attacks if the war ends and the siege on Gaza is lifted.
There are fears that targeting the port will worsen the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
Millions of people rely on goods and supplies that come through Hodeidah.
With the relief routes becoming more difficult and access harder, warnings are growing about the direct effects on food security and the basic needs of civilians.
And that was Ahab Alfandi reporting.
Israel's siege of Gaza has displaced the majority of the 2 .3 million residents in the region since October 2023.
2023. Pets, livestock, and other animals have also been caught in the crossfire or left behind as the situation worsens.
Nadra Al -Tibi reports from Gaza City.
In Rafah, southern Gaza, the Juma family used to turn the local zoo.
When the war escalated, they were forced to flee their home but they refused to leave their animals behind.
Together, they evacuated with lions, monkeys, monkeys and other zoo animals to the city of Khan Younes.
But displacement was only the beginning of the hardship, hunger became a shared reality for humans and animals alike, with food supplies nearly nonexistent.
Many animals died from starvation, others died under the rubble from bombings.
The survivors are now severely malnourished.
During the war, the majority of animals in Gaza's zoos were wiped out.
I managed to save some and flee with them.
When the ceasefire began, I returned to the zoo.
All I found were skeletons.
In Gaza, suffering doesn't end with people, animals.
Whether in zoos or homes, have been dragged into this humanitarian crisis crisis – between starvation, bombings and forced neglect, they too are struggling to survive.
It is a reflection of a deeper tragedy, where all living beings here are caught in a fight for survival.
Marie Mbaz, a young woman in Gaza City, had turned her home into a shelter for dozens of cats.
But heavy shelling in her neighborhood forced her to flee, leaving most of the animals behind with no food, no water.
I had around 40 cats.
Under bombing and explosions, I could only take six.
I had to leave the rest, 35 cats, with no food, no water.
I don't know what happened to them.
Maybe shrapnel hit them when the buildings collapsed.
Dr Moatesm Kaddoura, a veterinarian in Gaza City, chose to stay behind in his clinic despite the risks.
He is using the limited resources available to treat injured animals.
Most cases we received during the war are animals pulled from under the rubble.
Many suffer burns and fractures.
Some die because we lack the tools and medications to save them.
The devastation of Gaza's war hasn't disperred any life.
Humans and animals now potentially share the same fate, either death from bombing or slow that was nadra ltb reporting coming up chinghai province takes a leading role in china's green energy future china has broken ground on what's said to be the world's largest hydropower station high on the chinghai sizong or tibet plateau a new engine for green energy but beyond clean power what will the massive project on the yarlung zambu river mean for china's vast west and its south station neighbors?
What challenges lie ahead and could it reshape regional cooperation?
Join us as we explore the facts, the controversy and high -stakes engineering behind this mega project on this week's Chat Lounge, wherever you listen to podcasts and CGTN radio.
Fifteen minutes past the hour.
Qinghai, known for its vast landscapes and bright skies, is growing its role in China's green energy revolution.
The Northwestern Province launched a groundbreaking initiative in July of last year.
The first clean energy and green computing dispatching center in China is built upon Qinghai's smart dual -carbon big data platform.
The center, operated by Qinghai Green Energy Data, is a symbol of how renewable energy and digital infrastructure are merging to shape a greener and smarter future.
For more on how Qinghai manages to coordinate clean electricity with computing power and what it means for the future of green energy.
We're joined live by Guayan in Qinghai.
Good evening. Thanks for joining us.
And what makes Qinghai uniquely positioned to take the lead in building a clean energy and green computing dispatch center?
Good evening, Shane.
Qinghai is uniquely suited for this role because of its exceptional clean energy resources.
It has some of the highest solar radiation levels in China.
Speaking of the solar radiations, I don't know if you've seen my latest social media update.
I was fully geared up today with my sunblock equipment.
That should tell you just how strong the sun is out here.
And also, Qinghai has vast land areas for large -scale wind and solar farms and strong hydropower capacity from rivers like the Yellow River, because Qinghai is known for being the head of water for three major rivers in China, including the Yellow River, the Yangtze River, as well as the Lantang River, which is also known as the Mekong River after running through some Southeast Asian countries.
So it has strong solar power as well as hydropower.
And in fact, nearly 90 % of the province's electricity already comes from renewable resources.
That gives Qinghai a solid foundation to explore just how clean power can support emerging industries like data computing.
And this new dispatch center, which I will visit today, builds on that strength.
It combines Qinghai's natural energy advantage with digital technologies to create a smart, integrated platform that can manage both electricity and computing in real time.
And I think it's a natural next step for a province that's already ahead in green development.
Now back to you, Shane.
Well, how does the dispatch center support companies in terms of reducing their carbon emissions?
Well, a lot of China's renewable energy facilities, like the ones operated by the China Three Gorges Corporation, which I visited today, are located in remote areas like deserts, like Gobi Deserts, where living and working conditions can be really harsh.
Now with the dispatch center's high -tech monitoring systems, staff no longer needs to be stationed out in the wild.
They can live in the city and still monitor operations in real time through large data screens, managing wind and solar facilities from a distance.
And besides, the platform provides carbon footprint data for a lot of companies.
That helps them attract their emissions and make greener choices, which directly supports China's dual carbon goals, which are carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.
And so whether it's helping engineers work smarter or helping tech companies go greener, the center in Qinghai shows how digital tools and clean energy can work hand in hand.
And I think it's a powerful example of how innovation on the grid can help power a more sustainable future, not just for Qinghai, but for China as a whole.
Now, back to you, Shen.
Thanks for joining us this evening.
That's Guoyan in Qinghai province.
Beijing's hosted a forum for local and international journalists from media outlets around the world to understand China's role in defeating fascism.
fascism as the country commemorates the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese aggression.
Youyang has more. Chinese authorities say that in the Eastern battlefield, the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese aggression lasted from 1931 to 1945.
It was the earliest to begin, the longest lasting, involved engaging and eliminating the largest number of Japanese Chinese troops and came at the highest cost. And it played a decisive role in the complete defeat of Japanese fascism.
When taking a question on whether China is reinterpreting history to enhance its international influence, Chinese authorities give a clear answer on China's stance.
The CPC Central Committee has set the theme of this year's commemoration as as memorize the history, honor the modern, cherish peace, open up to the future.
First, we need to remember the great contribution that the Chinese people made to the victory of the world anti -fascist war.
To cherish peace is to condemn the war crimes and crimes against humanity of the aggressors.
To open up to the future is to promote national rejuvenation with Chinese -style modernization in all round the way.
This is our new thinking and new interpretation of history.
When answering a question from CGTN, authorities said China played a critical role in post -war reconstruction following World War II, as well as in the founding of the United Nations.
Reporters with CGTN, after World War II, an international order centred on the United Nations was established, which remains the core and the foundation of the current international order.
What role did China play in this process?
China is not only a founding member of the United Nations, but also a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
China was the first country to sign the UN Charter and remains the only developing country among the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Therefore, China has consistently upheld the provisions of the UN Charter through its propositions and actions, demonstrating its responsibilities as a major country.
as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese People's War of resistance against the Japanese aggression the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the world anti -fascist war Chinese authorities say the country will also hold joint commemorating activities with Russia well enhancing communication between the youth of the both sides Beijing said it also appreciated America's helps in the world war 2 adding that the developments of of bilateral ties is beneficial to the peoples of both sides.
That was Yo -Young reporting.
Coming up, Japan's ruling coalition is on shaky ground.
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23 past the hour. Japan's ruling coalition remains on shaky ground after it lost control of the upper house in Sunday's election.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to stay on to negotiate tariffs with the United States, saying the country is faced with a severe situation and it could be called a national crisis.
Voters say the results reflected their disappointment with the current administration's handling of crucial economic issues.
Terence Tereshima reports from Tokyo.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ichiba's Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, lost the majority in the upper house of the parliament in the election held on Sunday.
The ruling coalition only secured 47 seats, three short of the 50 seats needed to maintain control of the 248 -seat upper house chamber.
The defeat is seen as a reflection of voters' frustration with the Ishiba administration's handling of the rising cost of living, wage levels and trade negotiations with the United States.
I think the result was as expected.
LDP and Komeito clearly did not have an understanding of the public's needs.
Democratic Party for the People and the populist Sanseido Party each gained 13 seats at the LDP's expense.
Analysts say it reflects voters' expectations for relatively new parties to change the direction of Japanese politics.
with the coalition having already lost its majority in the lower house last year unless say the defeat will mean further political deadlock the ruling bloc would need cooperation from the opposition to pass bills right now we have to strive to survive I don't think the public can expect anything from the government right now I feel that at the root every politician every party has the same idea.
They use different expressions, but when you boil it down, there are very little differences.
Some LDP members said the prime minister should resign to take responsibility for the defeat.
However, is she about to remain in the office and see through the tariff negotiations with the U .S.?
That was Terence Tereshima reporting.
The Pentagon's announced the withdrawal withdrawal of around 700 U .S. Marines from Los Angeles.
Protests, though, have showed no signs of abating.
Edis Tian -Chan has more.
The Trump administration has ordered the withdrawal of half of the 4 ,000 California National Guard troops that were deployed in Los Angeles last month to quell protests over immigration and customs enforcement raids.
Local and state governments want a complete withdrawal.
In addition, the Pentagon announced Monday some 700 Marines are being pulled out of Los Angeles saying things have stabilized.
The administration has finally understood that they need to withdraw the troops.
Let me say that this is what happens when the city stands strong because we have been united.
When people peacefully protests, when people raise the concerns about having National Guard in a situation where they were as far as I'm concerned used as props Los Angeles has been a flashpoint in the US administration's latest crackdown on immigration with some of the raids sparking a violent backlash in some communities and the deployment of the National Guard and Marines which reportedly will cost an estimated 134 million dollars has only triggered more protests.
Terrorizing all of us here in the community.
They're not safe. They're painting this picture that we're being there but we're rioting but we're not doing anything we're just peacefully trying to send our message across that we want them out of here and we want them to stop terrorizing our people in our community.
The White House says the troops are there to protect federal office buildings against violent mobs but California's governor says there's more to it.
This is a preview of things to come.
If you think this is about California, you are fooling yourself.
These are operations you're going to see all across the United States of America.
They've tested the boundaries of the law.
They've tested the boundaries of public perception and what the public will accept.
And they're going to export, including potentially members of our own state National Guard, to other states.
So when they draw down and demobilize, the question is, for what?
To go where? The partial withdrawal of the National Guard troops comes after an intense public outcry, legal challenges, and growing pressure on the White House, with critics calling the deployment a dangerous overreach of federal power, as California officials had not requested military support, and several members of Congress warned the deployment risked militarizing civil space.
That was Edis Tien Shan in Los Angeles.
Typhoon Wipa has made landfall in Vietnam.
Its coastal provinces are under emergency alerts and airlines have cancelled flights.
Fu Xinra has more from Nam Dinh.
According to the official weather information, Typhoon Wipa has made its landfall on Vietnam and we are very close to the center of typhoon now.
The rain has stopped for a while but the wind remains very strong.
I am standing in front of a farm of palm trees which is a very common economic plans here the owner tried to strengthen the trees with some bamboo sticks but still they have fallen due to strong wind along the way we came here we saw many trees with the branches broken by the wind and also many residences where the owners tried to block the main gate to prevent the damages made by the wind and the The Vietnamese government, they have presented some protection measures to farmland, fishponds, and forests.
And they have motivated 350 ,000 soldiers and officers to participate in the disaster prevention job.
That was Phu Xinhua reporting.
We're at 29 past the hour.
Beijing down to 24 degrees Tuesday evening.
Thundershowers and 31 on Wednesday.
Jilin is down to 23, followed by sunshine and 32.
Jinan in Shandong Province is 24 overnight, then thundershowers in 33.
Nancheng's down to 27 degrees, followed by cloudy conditions in 35.
Elsa in Asia, Islamabad's 23 overnight, moderate rainfall in 30 on Wednesday.
Vientiane's down to 24, then moderate rain in 28.
Phnom Penh's at 26 this evening, then a slight rain in 32 degrees.
In Africa, Nairobi, you'll get a slight rainfall and 22 degrees on Wednesday.
State, compatless down to 19, then a slight rain and 24 degrees Celsius.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour, Israeli troops have pushed into a new part of Gaza, saying they believe Hamas may be holding hostages there.
A northwestern province is growing its role in China's green energy revolution.
And Japan's ruling coalition remains on shaky ground following the historic election defeat on Sunday.
Shane Biggum with you.
Stay with us here on the Beijing Hour.
Shh! Listen up. Can you hear the heartbeat of our world?
It's vibrant and pulsating with the essence of life itself.
From the stem of trees to the gurgle of rivers.
From the silent strength of mountains to the icy whispers of glaciers.
Even the solid ground beneath our feet is right there in the midst of all beast -a -heart of humanity.
What if those other heartbeats were to stop?
Would ours keep on ticking?
Ever wondered what's actually going on in Africa Through the perspective of an African.
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Find us on your favorite podcast. We'll see you there.
Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour, one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host Shane Bigham with you on this Tuesday.
Still to come. In business, China's urban unemployment rate holds steady.
In sports, Chinese divers go for the gold at the World University Games.
In culture and entertainment, a sci -fi classic competes or completes a stage run in China.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn .com or follow our ex -account at cgtnradio.
Now checking the day's headlines, here's Tian Ye.
Thank you, Shane. China has expressed hope that the U .S. will work with China to enhance mutual understanding through dialogue and communication.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakui made the remarks after U .S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said the next round of trade talks between the two countries could include China's purchases of Russian and Iranian oil.
He called on the two sides to reduce misunderstandings and strengthen cooperation to promote the steady, sound and sustainable development of China -U .S. relations.
Israeli ground troops have pushed into areas of central Gaza's Deir e Baloch for the first time.
The Israeli military believes that's where hostages may be held.
Deir e Baloch is an area of Gaza that has not seen major ground operations or suffered widespread devastation during the 21 -month conflict.
Hundreds of Palestinians fled west or south after Israel issued an evacuation order.
UN Secretary General António Guterres has voiced strong concern over the ongoing violence against civilians in Gaza as international pressure grows on Israel to halt its military campaign.
Stéphane de Jauric is the UN chief's spokesperson.
person. The secretary general is appalled by the accelerating breakdown of humanitarian conditions in Gaza where the last lifelines keeping people alive are collapsing.
The secretary general strongly condemns the ongoing violence including the shooting, the killing and the injuring of people attempting to get food for their families.
Civilians must be protected, civilians must be respected and they must never ever be targeted.
Guterres also stressed Israel's responsibility under international law to ensure unimpeded access for aid organizations.
The UN chief's remarks came as 25 countries, including major U .S. allies such as the UK, Japan, Canada and several EU nations, issued a joint statement on Monday demanding an immediate end to the Gaza conflict.
Analysts say the coordinated message reflects a growing unease among Israel's allies and a significant hardening of diplomatic language.
The UN World Food Programme has warned that Gaza is facing a catastrophic hunger crisis with conditions rapidly approaching famine for large segments of the population.
Senior official Ross Smith said the situation has breached astonishing levels of desperation.
Information we have is a third of the population are not eating for multiple days in a row.
This includes women and children.
A quarter of the population are facing famine -like conditions.
We see severe acute malnutrition surging, so more than almost 100 ,000 women and children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and need treatment as soon as possible.
People are dying from lack of humanitarian assistance every day, and we are seeing this escalate day by day.
The warning follows a deadly incident on Sunday when a 25 -truck WFP convoy carrying critical food aid into northern Gaza was met by large crowds of desperate civilians.
The UN Food Agency said the convoy came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers, and small arms fire shortly after passing the final checkpoint.
Recent weeks have seen hundreds of civilians killed while seeking food.
And finally, the Iranian foreign minister says his country cannot give up its nuclear enrichment program even after recent US airstrikes caused extensive damage to several key nuclear sites.
In an interview with Fox News, Syed Abbas Aranchi insisted that nuclear enrichment remains a core national interest. Tehran has said it would renew talks with European nations this week over the country's nuclear program.
The talks to be held in Istanbul on Friday will be the first since a ceasefire was reached after a 12 -day war waged by Israel against Iran last month.
rate hold steady the beijing hour your window on china and the rest of the world 36 past the hour with business now here's wong zhang thank you shane stock markets on the chinese mainland closed higher on tuesday the shanghai composite was up over 0 .6 percent and the shenzhen component gained over 0 .8 engineering machinery and infrastructure shares led the gainers elsewhere in china the Hong Kong stock market also ended higher, with the Hang Seng index up over 0 .5%.
Meantime, in Japan, stocks in the countries ended slightly lower on this trading day, with the Nikkei remaining almost flat.
The surveyed unemployment rate in China remained at 5 % in June, unchanged from a year ago.
Nationwide, the country added nearly 7 million new urban jobs in the first half of the year.
The Human Resources and Social Security Ministry says they have handed out more than 17 billion yuan, or around US $2 .4 billion, to subsidize companies in support of job security and recruitment.
For more, Zhou Fang spoke with Liu Zhuchin, a senior fellow with Renmin University of China.
In the first half of this year, urban employment creation reached 58 % of the annual target.
What do you make of this progress?
I believe that this figure shows a great achievement has been made during the first half of this year, especially in the job creation.
So now the government has tried its best to give more favorable conditions and the policies to support the employment market.
So the first six months, I think almost 7 million new jobs have been funded.
So this shows that all these policies are very efficient and also know the ground demands of the market.
And the second is that the market itself has been realized how to cooperate with policy making in order to get a better support and assistance from this government.
We know the market job is always decided by the market mechanism and also by the policy from the government, when the both combinations have been well coordinated and cooperated and that will have more effect on the market itself.
We are facing the new creation challenges.
For instance, the AI technologies have made people that are fearing that they will lose their job positions and also have less competitiveness, if compared to the AI technology or robots, for instance.
Many young people are a little bit worried.
But nowadays, all these policies we have already supported new opportunities, and when more more training courses for the young generation young people they found a good position that job let's talk about measures specifically what measures could be taken in the second half to achieve the four -year employment goal as we know that all the measures necessary to be taken is always to meet the demands of the market at the moment the market itself but the demand is is very limited to not so active as many people hoped that we could have millions of new jobs to be found out.
But nowadays, the people that are trying to have more policies supporting the job creation, for instance, there are subsidies from different levels, from different organizations, organizations especially from the government to reduction of the unemployment insurance on that and all the measures will be taking place and especially very important that the subsidies for training for more skilled people when the job hunters are well trained well with high -skilled technologists.
I think the job market will find new opportunities to have more employees.
There was senior fellow Liu Zhijin with Renmin University of China talking about China's latest employment situation.
Now as China doubles down on stabilizing employment amid global uncertainties, internet giants are stepping up in a big way.
From hiring sprees to upskilling programs. Platforms like Tencent and Didi are rolling out ambitious plans to support job creation and workforce resilience.
He Jingyi has details.
Amid global uncertainties and with graduation season in full swing, China's tech titans aren't slowing down, they're hiring up.
In April, tech company Tencent unveiled what it calls its largest campus recruitment campaign to date, with plans to offer 28 ,000 positions over the next three years.
At Tencent, graduates have always been a key talent source, and with the rapid rise of large models, fresh young minds are more important than ever to shape our future in this space.
Zhang Yating, a junior student and new intern at Tencent, joined just a week ago.
Goal. Within days, she's already experienced the process from both sides as a job seeker and a recruiter.
Tencent's online recruitment marketing is really effective.
They constantly update across social media so we can easily track which departments are hiring and how many positions are open.
Now working as a recruitment assistant, Zheng helps brainstorm how to better ...better reach young talent from interactive exchange sessions to house visits.
Meanwhile, mobility giant Didi is also stepping up.
The company has committed 2 billion yuan, or 275 million U .S. dollars, to stabilize employment.
We're investing 1 billion yuan to boost driver subsidies, raise incomes, strengthen protections and lower entry barriers.
Another billion will be used to subsidize passengers, passengers, which in turn boosts driver income.
This heat map shows regional demand across Beijing.
Red indicates more rider demand than driver supply, signaling a persistent employment gap.
From April to May this year, Didi onboarded more than 770 ,000 new drivers nationwide.
Chenfei is one of them.
I used to run a cross -border e -commerce business, but capital turnover became an issue.
you now Aditi I get paid daily which helps with my cash flow during the busy May day travel period Chen joined a nighttime service team at Beijing Daxing airport earning an extra 180 yuan per day in subsidies leveraging their technological and ecosystem advantages internet platforms are no longer just job providers but job enablers and this momentum can translate into long -term gains for the broader economy.
That was He Jingyi reporting.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry says the country's goods trade -in program stimulated consumer spending in the first half of the year.
In a bid to stimulate consumer spending, China rolled out an extensive trade -in policy covering multiple sectors, ranging from automobiles to home appliances and real estate.
Data shows the sales of home appliances grew nearly 31%.
The sales of communication equipment, office supplies and furniture all grew more than 20%.
The retail sales of new energy passenger cars increased over 33%.
In the first half of the year, the import and export volume of the Yangtze River Delta region reached nearly 8 .2 trillion yuan, or around 1 .1 trillion US dollars, up 5 .4%.
The eastern Western Chinese region's import and export volume accounted for 37 % of the total value of the country's foreign trade.
Exports in the area surpassed 5 .2 trillion yuan, up 9 .9 % and accounting for 40 % of the total national export value.
Imports reached nearly 3 trillion yuan, accounting for over 33 % of the country's total imports.
reports. The accumulated issuance of Panda bonds, where yuan -denominated bonds issued by foreign financial institutions in China, exceeded 1 trillion yuan, or about US $139 billion as of Tuesday.
Since the start of the year, many internationally renowned issuers, including the AIIB, the New Development Bank, and the African Export -Import Bank, have successively issued Panda bonds.
This has demonstrated their strong confidence in China's long -term development prospects and their continued commitment to deepening their presence in the Chinese market.
The AIIB has recently completed an issuance of two -year -term panda bonds worth 2 billion yuan in China's interbank bond market.
So far, more than 90 institutions have issued panda bonds.
Yuan -denominated international financing, including panda bonds, bonds now rank as the second largest bonds globally by volume.
And finally, US ratings agency Fitch says, a quarter of US economic sectors face deteriorating outlook due to increased uncertainty, slowing growth and expectations for higher interest rates.
According to the agency's mid -year update, business and consumer confidence has weakened despite declined recession risk, following easing China -US trade tensions.
The rating ace agency also says Trump's big and beautiful bill and extension of earlier tax cuts is likely to push the U .S. debt -to -GDP ratio to 135 percent by 2029.
In the meantime, Fitch expects the U .S. high -yield bond and leveraged loan default rates to rise this year.
Thank you very much. That was Wang Zihang with business.
Coming up in sports, Chinese divers go for the gold at the World University Games.
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47 past the hour now.
With sports, here's Yang Guang.
Thank you, Shane. We begin with the World University Games in Germany.
Chinese divers dominated women's 3m springboard with 1 -2 finish.
Wang Weiyin took gold with over 340 points while Chu Qixin claimed silver.
Germany's Lena Hetschel earned bronze.
Wang also won gold in a synchronized 3m springboard and silver in the 10m platform earlier in the competition.
In swimming, China grabbed silver in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay finishing behind the US.
A Yan Han advanced to the women's 200m freestyle final, while Ge Chuchun reached the 200m individual medley final.
And on the track, Slovenia's Clara Lucan broke the event record to win the women's 10 ,000m.
China's Ma Xiuqin and Li Yincui finished 12th and 17th respectively.
In swimming, twin sisters Li Yan Han and Lin Yan Jun claimed the silver in the women's duet technical final at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
After placing second in the preliminaries, the Chinese duo secured their spot in the 12 -pair final.
Performing their routine Warriors of Moon Shadow, they scored over 301 points to finish behind Austria's Ana Maria and Arini Marina Alexandri.
Browns went to neutral athletes Mayad Roshkel and Tatiana Gade.
In the men's solo free final, 17 -year -old Guo Muye won silver on his World Championship debut, Gabriel performing an expedition set to music from the video game Black Myth Wukong.
Guo earned over 220 points.
Guo says he's learned a lot from the tournament.
I'm very happy right now, but it's still a pity that I wasn't able to win gold at both solo events.
I've learned a lot from these competitions.
I will keep working hard and try to win gold medals in the future.
Neutral athlete Aleksandr Morzev took gold while Italy's Filippo Pilatti finished third. third. Also on the tournament, China secured ninth place by defeating New Zealand 10 -6 in their final women's water polo match. China started strong with three quick goals, leading 6 -3 at halftime.
They extended their advantage in the second half to finish 10 -6.
Coach Miki Oka praised the team's performance against a strong opponent.
Good job, very good job, especially in defence, scoring and getting only six goals against New Zealand.
That is a team that is growing very well and with strong players, good swimmers.
Yan Siyang led the tournament for China with 15 goals while Xiao Yixian contributed 10.
In football, Manchester United has signed forward Brian Mbemel from Brentford on a deal running through 2030 with an option for an additional year.
The Premier League giant paid over £65 million with a potential £6 million in add -ons for the 25 -year -old Cameron International.
Mbembele enjoyed a standout 2024 -25 season, scoring 20 league goals to help Brentford finish 10th.
Only Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isaac and Erling Haaland scored more.
Known for his versatility, Mbembele excelled on the right wing and as a central striker, starting every league match last season.
He joined Brentford from a League Two side trias in 2017 -19, making 242 appearances and telling 70 goals and 51 assists.
United will debut their new signing during their U .S. preseason tour with matches against West Ham, Bournemouth, and Everton.
In basketball, 12 -time All -Star Chris Paul is returning to the Los Angeles Clippers on the one -year deal reportedly worth $3 .6 million.
The 40 -year -old veteran enters his 21st NBA season, having previously played six years with the Clippers from 2011 to 2017.
team. During that stretch, he led the team to five 50 -win seasons and remains the franchise leader in assists with over 4 ,000.
Paul joins a retooled Clippers roster that recently added Bradley Beal, John Collins and Brooke Lopez in free agency.
An 11 -time All -NBA selection, Paul has averaged 17 points and 9 .2 assists over a career spanning seven teams, most recently the the San Antonio Spurs.
He ranked second in NBA history with over 2 ,700 career steals only behind John Stockton.
And finally, in tennis, Olympic champion Chen Qingwen has withdrawn from the US Open to recover from right elbow surgery.
The ball at number 6 revealed last week on Instagram that she had been dealing with persistent elbow pain affecting her training and matches.
The 22 -year -old which will take a short break from competition to focus on recovery.
Zheng enjoyed a stellar 2024 winning Olympic gold in Paris and reaching the Australian Open final.
However, her run was cut short at Wimbledon losing in the first round.
With her withdrawal, Francie's Leolia Zhang Zhang will enter the US Open main draw, which starts August 24th in New York.
Thank you very much. That's Yang Guang with sports.
And just ahead in culture and entertainment, a sci -fi classic completes its stage run in China.
the musical classics of the East. Mingle with the masters of Chinese music.
Music talks. Witness the sound of antiquity and modernity.
Fifty -three past the hour.
Turning to culture and entertainment.
Chinese -French collaborative stage adaptation of Jules Verne's classic 20 ,000 Leagues Under the Sea has just completed its China tour.
Yuheng Yi has more.
Spider crabs, jellyfish, and a giant octopus.
The sci -fi classic 20 ,000 Leagues Under the Sea was given a wave of life on a stage in Beijing this July, captivating audiences with drawing and imagination.
That's wonderful. Wonderful!
It perfectly matches the imagery I envisioned in the book.
This is such an unforgettable night.
Such an extraordinary performance.
The nighttime Moliere Award -winning French director Christian Heck collaborated with Chinese artists exploring adventure, humanity and the scientific utopia.
Let's dive down and take a peek below the surface.
face. 2000 Leagues Under The Sea is a co -production between Hong Kong Arts Festival, Central Theatre Academy and Tempest Project, and it's a very adventurous collaboration between Chinese and French artists.
The subject itself tells an immense humanity story of how we live as an individual within nature within the situation of unknown so I think it's a very timely subject to discuss now and the staging is absolutely magical because how do we imagine people in a submarine in the sea and we use a blacklight theatre we use no technology whatsoever we use handmade puppets we have actors who are sometimes characters and also playing all of the puppets and the creatures into the sea It's an absolutely magical spectacle, and it's very rare to see theater works like this in China because we always love a lot
of multimedia, a lot of lighting.
With this show, we really want to create a world of magic, but with very handmade, artisan way of creation.
The Chinese creative team not only reworked the script, incorporating different humor and the character costumes, or by introducing a new puppet.
We created a new puppet inspired by a magical beast from very famous Chinese story Shan Hai Jing, the story of mountain and sea.
We really want to make the sea as immense and as international and as diverse as possible.
2025 marks 50 years of China -EU diplomatic relations.
With over 50 years of experience in the international theatre industry, One has observed how theatrical exchanges between countries have evolved over time.
That was Yu Haini reporting.
Singapore is hosting its first ever Chinese Opera Festival, featuring five local troops performing in different dialects.
Organized by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre and the National Arts Council, the event aims to introduce traditional opera to new audiences.
Among the performers is the Tian Yun Beijing Opera Society, and President James Liu, who's been involved in the arts since 1964, says the key is to connect with the audiences emotionally.
He recalls starting a youth group in the 90s to keep the art form alive as older members aged out.
This year they present Mei Yu Pei, a comedic love story tailored for younger audiences, alongside short social media clips to help expand their reach. A new exhibition in Beijing is celebrating the legacy of Chinese art through a major donation to the China National Academy of Painting, co -organized by CCTV Arts.
The show features nearly a year's worth of contributions from renowned artists' families, contemporary creators, and public donors.
Among the highlights are works by Qi Baishi, Feng Zhekai, and Liu Guangjiao.
Curators say the donation significantly enriched the Academy's collection, with Qi Baishu's paintings filling a notable gap.
The exhibition goes beyond paintings, as visitors can also see sculpture sketches by Liu Kaichu and ceramics from Qing -era shipwrecks and classical furniture.
Each piece offers a glimpse into a major chapter of China's artistic history, allowing the public to engage with rare works that were previously unseen.
seen 57 past the hour checking the forecast before we go in beijing's down to 24 degrees on tuesday evening thundershowers in a high of 31 on wednesday jilin's 23 this evening then sunny in 32 gnan and shendong province is down to 24 followed by thundershowers in 33 nanchang's 27 overnight then cloudy in 35 degrees elsewhere in asia islamabad's 23 this evening then moderate rainfall fall in 30 for Wednesday.
Vientiane's down to 24 and then some rain in 28.
And that's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making news today, Israeli troops have pushed into a new part of Gaza saying they believe that Hamas may be holding hostages there.
The northwestern province is growing its role in China's green energy revolution.
On behalf of the staff, this is Shane Begum 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.
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Today about 100 million people live within its water basin, making up nearly 9 % of the country's population.
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