Hello and welcome to World Today, I'm Ding Hen in Beijing.
Coming up, Xi Jinping says China formally supports the Palestinian people in a two-state solution.
China's CATL breaks ground on huge Spanish battery plant.
China's ice and snow economy is likely to surpass 1 trillion yuan this year, as the sector enters growth boom.
And in Argentina, Malay's government unveils a new migration office as part of a wider move to tighten rules on immigration.
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Chinese President, Xi Jinping, has sent congratulations to a UN meeting commemorating the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The Chinese leader said the question of Palestine is the core issue of the Middle East.
President Xi Jinping said the post-war governance and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip should be carried out in the principle of Palestinians governing Palestine, respecting the will of the Palestinian people and taking into account the legitimate concerns of regional countries.
Since 1978, each November 29th has been observed as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people.
So for more.
Joining us now on the line is Dr Zhang Chuchu, Deputy Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies with Fudan University.
So thank you very much for joining us today, Professor Zhang.
President Xi Jinping says that, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China formally supports the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights.
So What has China done to offer support in this regard, and to what extent does the support from China matter?
Well, I think China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has consistently positioned itself as a supporter of Palestinian rights, and it emphasizes humanitarian aid and multilateral advocacy.
And in doing so, actually China has already made great efforts in terms of humanitarian and economic aid.
For example, China has already provided three million dollars in emergency assistance for Gaza refugees in 2024.
And also China has delivered additional aid shipments amidst the conflict.
Also, China always considers it important to provide public goods and make mediation efforts.
And one example is that it has hosted reconciliation talks between 14 Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, in 2024, which aims to foster unity.
And I think, of course, China's position is important because it is a P5 member and is a major power with international influence.
And also, I think China's position contributes to the diversification of international public opinion, as it reflects the voice of the global south.
Regarding the post-war governance and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip Palestinians governing Palestine is a widely recognized principle.
Do you think things are actually moving in that particular direction?
And what do you think are the regional countries' legitimate concerns that should be taken into consideration?
Well, from my observation, the principle of Palestinians governing Palestine is indeed a cornerstone of international discourse on Gaza issue and so far we can see that the United Nations Security Council's resolution 2803, which has been recently authorized.
It mentions an international stabilization force, but actually it frames it as temporary support for a Palestinian-led transition.
And also discussions in Cairo recently focused on a transitional authority with an emphasis on Palestinian reconciliation and governance.
However, I think there are still a lot of challenges, because right now, the ceasefire still remains very much fragile, with aid delivery obstructed and also no full withdrawal of troops.
And that delays reconstruction.
So far, I would say.
The political arrangement in post-war Gaza still faces a lot of uncertainties and it risks external guardianship over genuine Palestinian rule.
President Xi Jinping has also called on countries to confront the root causes of the Palestinian issue, shoulder responsibility and take strong actions.
So do you think implementation of the two-state solution, for example, is going to address the root cause of the Palestinian issue and help achieve lasting peace?
Absolutely, because implementing a genuine two-state solution and focusing on the issue of Palestinian statehood could address the root causes of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
And you know there is an old Chinese saying it won't work if we only treat the symptoms and ignore the root causes of a problem.
So let's say, if a ceasefire is discussed without addressing the key issue of the Palestinian statehood, That means that the deep-seated contradictions between Palestine and Israel will remain unresolved.
And chances are, the two sides may once again fall into a cycle of violence that is not going to stop, as history has already shown to us.
Israel's continued strikes in Gaza have killed hundreds of Palestinians since the current ceasefire deal took hold in October.
What do you think are the other reasons or the factors behind this perceived fragility of the current ceasefire?
Well indeed, the ceasefire in Gaza remains fragile, and that kind of fragility stems from the gap between its immediate achievements, including the partial hostage releases and reduced large-scale fighting, and unaddressed long-term issues.
And right now there are still a lot of fundamental disagreements between the two sides that have not yet been solved, because Hamas insists on the permanent withdrawal of Israeli troops, whereas Israel aims to eliminate Hamas.
So when one party in a negotiation aims to eliminate the other, there is very little room for compromise between the two sides.
And so far, although the 20-point plan is being implemented gradually, there are still many disputes among the parties regarding how the international stabilization force should be deployed and the members of the peace committee is going to be composed of, which has exacerbated the uncertainty of the situation in Gaza.
It is reported that delegations from three countries Egypt, Qatar and Turkey which we know are the mediators, along with the United States, of the current ceasefire deal for Gaza.
Delegations from these three countries met on Tuesday in Cairo to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire.
And we understand.
The second phase concerns disarming Hamas, establishing a transitional authority and deployment of an international stabilization force to the Gaza Strip.
What obstacles should be overcome before things can really enter the second phase?
Well, I think reports indicate that the discussions emphasize overcoming obstacles to entering the second phase of the ceasefire deal.
But I would say several significant hurdles must be addressed before advancing and progressing.
Above all, questions remain about who would oversee governance in post-war Gaza, ensure neutrality and integrate with existing Palestinian structures.
Right now, agreement on the composition and leadership of a transitional government is still very complex and it lacks clarification.
And the second issue here is that Hamas disarmament is another focus of debate.
While the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has emphasized many times his intention to eliminate Hamas.
Hamas has reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire in recent talks, but resist to full disarmament.
And this could arise due to security concerns or internal divisions.
And these kind of disagreements can make things more complicated.
President Xi Jinping says the Palestinian issue is also a test of the effectiveness of our global governance system.
So, in your opinion, Dr Zhang Chuchu, what should be fixed or what should be improved in terms of our existing global governance system so that our international community can better deliver justice or fairness to the Palestinian people?
Well, from my observation, I think several steps need to be taken to improve the global governance system.
On the one hand, it is very important to strengthen enforcement mechanism for international rules, because rulings from the International Criminal Court, for instance, carry moral weight but lack teeth due to non-compliance by states and insufficient backing from international society.
So, in order to improve this kind of situation, it's very important to establish a dedicated United Nations enforcement body or integrate the International Criminal Court decision into automatic international organizations actions.
And also it's very important to enhance funding and independence for these courts, reduce reliance on voluntary contributions from biased donors.
And on the other hand another issue here is global governance reflects post-World War II power imbalances.
And in that case the current international institutions actually marginalize a little bit the Global South perspectives and enable double standards.
And in order to change this kind of situation, we need to reform, for instance, the United Nations General Assembly's role by empowering the group of 77 developing nations in agenda setting, and also institutionalize inclusive peace process involving all stakeholders.
Hmm, your point is well taken.
But thank you very much for joining us.
Dr. Zhang Chuchu, Deputy Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies with Fudan University.
Coming up, China warns that it will crush foreign attempts to interfere over the Taiwan question.
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China has vowed to unite compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to oppose quote-unquote Taiwan independence activities.
A spokesperson with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office warned on Wednesday that China would crush any external attempt to interfere over the Taiwan question.
The spokesperson said that Japan's deployment of offensive weaponry in areas adjacent to China's Taiwan region is extremely dangerous.
He also called for promoting the peaceful development of the cross-strait relations and creating enduring well-being for the Chinese nation.
So for more.
Joining us now on the line is Dr Liu Kuangyu, with the Institute of Taiwan Studies Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Thank you very much for joining us, Kuangyu.
Thank you.
This is Kwong Yu.
So this latest warning from Beijing actually came after Tokyo just announced the plans to deploy missiles on an island that is adjacent to China's Taiwan region.
Why does Japan continue to take provocation regarding the Taiwan question after Prime Minister Sanai Takeuchi's very very, you know, problematic and provocation?
Uh, provocation of provocative remarks on the taiwan question?
But actually the takaichi cabinet is full aware of that uh, her inappropriate remarks have triggered a crisis in china japan relations and that takaichi herself must bear the full political responsibility.
So it is precisely because she does, she dares not acknowledge her political miscalculations that she has adopted an exceptionally stubborn and rigid stance on this issue.
So why simultaneous sending high negative signals to both domestic and international audiences?
I think this shows her weakness.
First, by projecting a hard, hard line poster towards china.
Takashi Arner's stance on the Taiwan question, which she refused to retract, is coupled with concrete actions such as reinforcing military decision on the Ryukyu Islands, which is, like you said, only maybe 100 kilometers from Taiwan, the Chinese territory.
And these moves are intended to substantiate her so-called motivation for military intervention in Taiwan, making Japan's so-called deterrence against China appear more credible.
And second, by demonstrating unwavering toughness, she aims to consolidate support from both domestic and international political forces that are maybe now observing or watching her actions.
Although we see Takeuchi currently enjoys a certain degree of popular support domestically, but a swift reversal of her position, accompanied abandoned ecology to China, will likely cause her support to collapse.
And I think she risks triggering strong backlash from populist factions within Japan and within the LDP party, which could ultimately abandon her.
So I think she cannot afford the political backlash, the backfire of the crisis that she herself provoked.
I take your point.
Now, in the meantime, Japan's ambassador to the United Nations, Kazuyuki Yamazaki, says Japan's basic policy is an exclusively defense-oriented strategy and that Japan's position regarding the Taiwan question has not changed since the signing of the 1972 China-Japan Joint Communique.
Do you think these words we heard from the Japanese ambassador to the UN are consistent with the actual deeds from Tokyo?
Well, apparently not.
We see Japan's remarks and actions are clearly self-contradictory and entirely untenable.
In Takahashi's statement.
Takahashi earnestly referred to Japan as a country, actually even labeling it as Japan's ally countries.
So that means she's denying the internal politics politics, nature of Taiwan, question of China and China's reunification.
And Taikai is framing it as so-called the matter concerning Japan's security and asserting that Japan has a right to intervene by force.
So this constitutes a blatant violation of fundamental principles, of the one China principle, of Japan's political promises to China.
And it's a a direct threat of war against China, which is a betrayal of Japan's own pacifist constitution that renounces the use of force as a means of resolving disputes.
So therefore, Takahashi's statements and actions are entirely inconsistent.
So it is evident that Japan is using the rhetoric of a so-called unchanged policy to mask the gradual shift of its stance over the past decade, or two decades, toward intervening the Taiwan question, including losing their restrictions on its military development.
So if Japan genuinely intends to maintain peace and cooperation with China, it must demonstrate this through concrete actions rather than mere repeating unconstructive and empty statements.
Now, in the meantime, Dr Liu, we understand Taiwan's Lai Ching-de says in a newly published Washington Post op-ed that Taiwan will introduce a 40 billion US supplementary defense budget to try to underscore its determination to defend itself with significant new American arms purchases planned.
He says...
Quote.
In doing so, we are trying to bolster deterrence by inserting greater costs and uncertainties into Beijing's decision-making regarding the use of force unquote.
What do you make of his rhetoric here?
Yes, we can see from Lighting Day's first year performance.
It's very clear that his remarks and policies are highly consistent with his pro-Taiwan independence stance.
He has always actually believed that the only hope for Taiwan lies in the use of force.
That is different from maybe, Tsai Ing-wen and Chen Shui-bian, particularly by drawing in external armed intervention and leveraging outside powers to strengthen Taiwan's military capabilities, to construct the ability of so-called deterrence.
Therefore, since taking office, he has been everything on increasing the military budget for military process from the United States, hoping to gain greater military support or even armed commitments from Washington.
However, now that the Trump administration has fairly shown little interest in intervening directly in the Taiwan Strait,
So I think Lai will likely shift his focus toward Japan in the next stage, more or less.
And so legendous remarks and actions combined with these unusual moves by Japan, by Takaichi.
So I think this makes the situation even more alarming.
The Taiwan question is China's internal affair, and now it's resolved, it's solely up to the Chinese people.
And Taiwan.
Independent forces and external forces have no right to make irresponsible remarks on this matter.
But Taiwan independence forces have reached a point of recklessness where they're eager to provoke war.
So in this context, Takayoshi's stance of armed interference to Taiwan is even more dangerous, appears more dangerous.
So this alignment between the two sides is turning the Taiwan question into a potential flashpoint for a new regional or even a global war.
We have seen a series of rhetorics from Taiwan's DPP authorities following sanai takaichi's taiwan remarks, including one that i guess this one is from lighting the himself that urges beijing not to become a troublemaker for regional peace and stability, and another one that says um, i guess this is from another high-ranking official of the dpp authority that says uh, reunification with the mainland is not an option for taiwan and taiwan is the world's Taiwan, of course quote-unquote.
So do you think these are the signs that Japan's recent remarks and actions have indeed further, you know, emboldened those Taiwan independence political forces, by sending a very erroneous and a wrong signal?
Yes, sadly, yes, I think.
At least it's evident that Takaichi's recent remarks have provided new encouragement and false hope to the Taiwan independent forces on the island.
On one hand, we see that her comments have heightened tensions in China and Japan relations, drawing regional and even global attention to the Taiwan question and its impact on the China-Japan relations.
As a result, Lai Ching-te and the DPP are seizing this opportunity to tried to capitalize on the situation, using the current climate to increase their political exposure within Taiwan and the international community and reinforce their so-called pro-Japan, anti-China and pro-Taiwan independence agenda to bolster their influence on the island.
And, on the other hand, the illusionary promise of military intervention from Japan and Taiwan Strait by majoring You know there's a major neighboring country like Japan along with renewed attempts to even so-called invade China and influence Japan.
So this has elated the Taiwan independence forces.
This is because the Taiwan independent forces, like Lai Ching-te and many people within the DPP, they still regard Japan as their so-called spiritual country or ancestral homeland and claim to their fantasy, that Japan's innovation or the US innovation could somehow sustain or realize Taiwan's so-called independence by deterrence towards China.
So therefore, these dangers of Takashi's gravely misguided and regressive remarks are, I think, self-evident.
Indeed and definitely.
I guess the harmful legacy of 50 years of Japanese colonial rule of Taiwan is still over there in Taiwan, or to say the least on the part of certain minds in Taiwan.
This is very...
And this is very unfortunate.
And really, we hope things will turn for the better going forward.
But thank you very much for joining us, Dr. Liu Kuangyu from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
You are listening to World Today.
I'm Ding He in Beijing.
We'll be back after a short break.
You're back with World Today, I'm Ding Hen in Beijing.
Chinese electric vehicle battery maker CATL, has embarked on constructing the largest battery factory in Spain.
The 41 billion euro program is located in the country's northeastern autonomous community of Aragon and it is expected to begin production in late 2026.
Spain is the second largest car maker in Europe.
The country is positioning itself as a battery hub because of lower labor costs and industrial energy prices.
So joining us now on the line is Dr Zhong Mi, Senior Research Fellow with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
Thank you very much for joining us.
So, this project is actually a joint venture between China's CATL and Stellantis.
In the meantime, there are some funds from the European Union that are involved in this investment as well.
Looking to the future, do you think this project will achieve a multiple-wing outcome for different parties that are involved?
I think this definitely will have this outcome.
We know that Chinese companies are really good at these batteries issues.
And we also are really important to be the new energy vehicles producer.
As you just mentioned that Spain is an important car makers in the European market.
So the collaboration is able to provide a better ability for the Europe to catch up with the leading technology in the world.
We're seeing that.
You know the Spain is one of the very important country of EU.
Well, is a king of Spain just related to China?
I think that both sides has decided that we can create a very important support for Spain to develop its EU industries.
And I think that is also helpful for the EU market because they are suffering from a very high cost and also the inflation is going to have a lot of burdens to the consumers.
So if we are able to produce better and more affordable cars and batteries in this country, I think it gradually will improve the resilience of its supply chain.
This is definitely good for Spain and also the European market also.
Now we understand that around 2000 Chinese workers will help construct this particular factory and about 3000 Spanish staff will be hired and trained later on.
And according to the director general of a local network of automotive businesses over there in this autonomous community of Aragon, CATL's technology is years ahead of them, and all they can do is to watch and learn.
So, Dr Zhou, what is your thoughts regarding the job opportunities that might be created by this program?
I mean, the job opportunities for the locals, as well as the flow of technology?
Well, I think it's very natural for us to understand that the interaction with foreign investors are real, able to provide more opportunities.
Like what we have achieved when we are passing the investment from other countries.
We benefit from that also.
So, as you mentioned, that there are super large number of the jobs can be created because of this kind of joint investment.
So I think it's a really good input for the economy of this thing.
And, as you know, the technology is also one of the important treasuries and also the important goals for the corporation.
I mean, that will help the Spain to improve its resilience based on this kind of collaboration.
And I think that is definitely will have a better the effect of, you know, a diffuse effect from just the one country to another.
Well, from the other side, I think that is also good for Chinese company, because we are not just trying to copy what we have gained to other countries, but on the country we are going to step in to better localization and also meet the demand from the different markets.
So it gave us more diversities on the technology usage and also help us to understand the market of Europe in a better way.
So the creation of the jobs are really a very important task for all the governments.
So for Spain, I think that they really care about the future of the low-carbon.
I mean, this is kind of a very good opportunity for them to reach that goal.
So why do you think China is willing to share its advanced technology in the grain industry with the European side at a time when EU or to say the least, some politicians in Brussels at a time when they tend to see Chinese green products, such as electric cars, with some sort of vigilance?
Yeah, I understand your question.
Because, you know, as for one of these categories, China has put the export of the, the battery-related technology, in some kind of permit-based regulations and mechanism.
But I mean that mechanism doesn't mean that we do not want to export our technology.
So the abilities for the enterprises are really more important.
They decided that they want better integration, and that will be, you know, one of our principle we worship and respect the?
Uh decisions of enterprises.
So uh, on the other side, i would say that europe uh, especially the european unions, are still having different opinions.
Like i said, that maybe spain is one of the countries of the members who do not agree with all the decisions of the new.
So, based on this kind of idea, I don't think that we want to stop the technology cooperation with EU in the general range.
We are still encouraging the companies to take care of all the related restrictions while at the same time to propose the cooperation in a better way.
So, no matter what kind of concerns that EU is now having on Chinese NEVs, I think it's better for us to talk with each other, by the two governments and trying to give the enterprises more support based on the mutual benefits and the consensus.
So lastly, Dr. Zhou, what do you think this particular project we're talking about here tells us about the broader economic cooperation or business cooperation between China and Spain?
Well, China and Spain.
We have many areas of cooperation in the infrastructure, in some of the electricity generation and also something to do with the agricultural products, like some of the cheese and other agricultural products.
So I mean, in the future we can still strengthen the cooperation in the traditional areas while at the same time to improve our cooperation on the digital economy, on the new energy vehicles, you know those kind of things.
So it is much better for us to not just take care of the disputes.
We have more kind of cooperation to improve the mutual understanding and better benefits for both sides.
Thank you very much for joining us.
Dr Zhou Mi, Senior Research Fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
Coming up, China's ice and snow economy is likely to surpass 1 trillion yuan in 2025.
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We'll be back.
India has fully restored global visa services for Chinese travelers.
What's behind the policy change?
Can they realistically expect a quick rebound in Chinese tourist numbers?
What are the biggest factors holding Chinese travelers back?
And could this full restoration of visas become a genuine turning point in China-India relations?
Tune in for insights beyond the headlines in this week's Chat Lounge, wherever you listen to podcasts and on CGTN Radio.
You are listening to World Today.
I'm Ding Hen in Beijing.
China's winter sports industry is entering a new phase of rapid expansion.
The country's ice and snow economy is projected to reach 1 trillion yuan this year about 140 billion and it could well surpass 210 billion by the year 2029.
In one particular case.
The world's largest indoor ski resort has opened in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.
This program is designed to anchor an entire tourism sector ecosystem regarding hotels, retail and exhibitions.
Meanwhile, across China, young consumers are reshaping their family travel budgets, swapping beach holidays in Southeast Asia for ski resort trips to Jilin, Liaoning and Xinjiang, etc.
What's behind this boom, and how sustainable can it be?
My colleague Zhao Yang spoke with Dr Li Lun, assistant professor of economics with Peking University.
So, Professor Li Lun, China's ice and snow economy is estimated to reach 1 trillion yuan this year and could surpass 15 trillion yuan by the year 2029.
So what are the main factors behind this ice and snow economy boom?
Yeah, so we are seeing that ever since Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics, we are gradually seeing a you know target goal of making 300 million people on ice and snow.
So that goal has already been met.
So over 300 million Chinese people have either engaged in winter sports or engaged in related leisure activities since the Winter Olympics.
So right now, I think the ice and snow economy is transitioning from a niche hobby to a fast-growing consumption sector.
For example, we're seeing an explosive build-out of venues and infrastructure in China.
By the end of 2024, China had over 2700 ice and snow venues, including skating rinks and ski resorts.
And for ski resorts alone, we have over 700 ski resorts in China, and that's more than any other country in the world.
Of those ski resorts, more than 60 around 60 are indoor ski centers.
And these indoor ski centers account for about one fifth of all skier visits.
So I think these winter sports and outdoor economy is also boosting consumption sector because you know they uh related to, you know, dinings and restaurants and also like hotels and and airline tickets.
Also, in terms of outdoor apparel sales um, there's a analysis that finds that between 2019 and 2025, outdoor apparel sales in china nearly doubled in this six-year period.
So i think a lot of these winter sports, you know uh, you know, trending winter sports trends are basically driving the more healthy, more experiential consumption pattern that currently is going to be a more popular trend in the future as well.
And young people are the fastest growing participants in the winter sports.
So what is driving their interest and how is this influence the spending in China's sporting goods and tourism industry?
XY.
Yeah, so I think struck, structurally speaking, you know, the young youth participation in these winter sports are.
XY are definitely going to be very high because some of the sports are a little risky or requires you know more.
You know control of your your.
You know body and muscles.
So government research shows that about.
Pengfei Xue, Ph.D.:
: A third of total you know participant of these winter sports are people under 30 and I think the 18 to 30 age group is have the highest participation rates.
Pengfei Xue, Ph.D.:
: And I think it's very significant because for for young people's first they spend more and also they tend to spend more on. experiences rather than goods.
So we're already seeing a lot of skiers, for example, travel all the way to Xinjiang or the northeastern part of China just for a few days of ski trips.
So I think this is going to be very significant because where it used to be, you know pretty, you know boring, for example, especially in winter area, to go to these cold places.
But right now, with the ski resorts you know being built and also all of these you know winter sports being, you know developed, we're going to see more and more people, you know, traveling to the coldest areas of China in the coldest time of year, just to, you know experience, for example, the best ski season.
And this is going to create basically a smoother line for the travel industries, because it used to be not so popular season but now it will become a more popular season of these areas.
And I think also there's going to be a lot of fashion and sporting goods trends for the winter boom, because everything from the skiing helmets and the skiing goggles to these jackets.
I think it's going to have definitely a boost in these brands.
Of course, a lot of these brands are currently foreign brands.
But I think Chinese brands are also upgrading their designs to match these more fashion and performance-driven design in the future.
So I think overall, China's Gen Z and young consumers are definitely not just buying ski equipment.
They're also buying an identity and a lifestyle which is going to reshape the consumption pattern for China future.
And how do you think can China address the regional disparities in access to the ice and snow facilities and resources, particularly in the southern and inland areas, where this may be more limited?
Yeah, that's a great question.
I think, as I mentioned, China already has around 60 indoor ski resorts.
And also, it's a fast-growing sector.
So we're building 20% more ski resorts every year.
So for places like Guangzhou and Shenzhen, these are going to bring winter sports to cities that rarely see natural snow for their weather.
I think this is going to be very important because it's going to spread the winter sports and also the model beyond the northeastern region.
And it's going to develop or form the consumption habit for these people in these areas.
So we're already seeing a boost in tourism from the Guangzhou and Shenzhen area to the northeastern part of China, not just for ski resort, but also for tourists and sightseeing.
So I think once people have developed this habit of winter sports and participation in the winter sports, they're definitely going to be more connected to these areas in Xinjiang or in Inner Mongolia or in Northeastern part.
And that's going to drive the flight tickets, also the local tourism as well.
And Shenzhen now hosts the world's largest indoor ski resort.
So to what extent can the mega projects like this become sustainable in business models, given the energy use and maintenance costs?
Yeah, so Shenzhen.
Right now it basically have a indoor ski resorts that's covering uh, more than a hundred thousand square meters, so it's roughly the size of 11 football fields.
Of course, it's very energy intensive, energy hungry because, you know, it requires a dozens of industrial cooling units and snow cannons, basically making sure that all of the skiers will have a great, great experience.
But i think the business model is I'm going to depend much more than just a ski resort or a ski hall.
So, for example, I think it's going to drive malls and hotels and restaurants and exhibitions or other sports like diving pools and climbing walls.
So basically the idea is that we have a shopping and sports intensive Longfei Li, Ph.D.:
Facility so that people can come into and to basically helps subsidize the heavy operation cost.
And I think the most important factor is that how much, how much of that you know, indoor resorts are actually being used, whether they're they're utilized very frequently or they're they're occupied or not.
So i think these resorts can definitely make money if they're used almost all day, all year, and also at all skill levels, whether it's beginner lessons or it's more.
You know fancier, you know more, more skilled, you know uh, skiers.
So i think currently uh, there 's, as i said, in this industry, data that shows that indoor ski centers are actually covering over one fifth of all skier visits.
So I do think there's a lot of market, a lot of potential for this sector.
And finally, I'd like to mention that we're also exploring greener operations, for example, a shift towards renewable power or invest in more efficient refrigeration technology.
This is also going to bring the cost down for these indoor resorts.
Dr Li Lun, Assistant Professor of Economics with Peking University, talking with my colleague Zhao Yang.
Coming up in Argentina.
Malay's government unveils a new migration office as part of a bigger move to tighten rules on immigration.
This is World Today, stay tuned.
Welcome.
I'm Elav Elad, economics professor and member of the Data Science and AI Center at New York University, Shanghai.
On the World Today program, you can find in-depth and impartial insight, as well as critical commentary, on key trends in the Chinese economy, financial technology, business and blockchain.
To prepare for the world tomorrow, join me on World Today.
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I'm Ding Hen in Beijing.
Argentina has announced the creation of a National Migration Agency, marking one of the most significant reforms in border control and migration policy in recent years.
The new government agency will replace the traditional National Directorate of Migration and will feature its own policing structure, similar to the United States Border Patrol.
The agency will be responsible for coordination of the consolidation of border patrol, border control, rather efforts with specialized training in crimes linked to the border, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal immigration and terrorism.
For more on this.
My colleague Xu Yaowen earlier spoke with Dr Jiang Shixue, professor from the College of International Relations, Sichuan International Studies University.
Professor Jiang, Argentina is moving immigration control from the Ministry of Interior to the Ministry of Security and they're explicitly modeling this new force after the US border patrol.
From your perspective, what's the core strategic thinking behind this reform?
Well, first of all, I want to point out that migrants played a very important role to the economic and social development in Argentina one or 200 years ago.
So it's quite strange that Argentina has decided to take a different attitude towards these kinds of migrants.
But it is understandable that in the past two or three decades many foreigners have been coming to Argentina for different reasons.
Also.
These kinds of things have caused quite a few problems security crimes, drug trafficking, human trafficking, as well as other difficult problems.
Particularly, it's reported that there are lots of people from the South American country called Venezuela.
You know, because of domestic difficulties in Venezuela, around 300000 people went to Argentina on an illegal basis.
So the government of Milan wants to do something.
But at the same time we have to point out that the government of Milan has also taken a welcome attitude towards these people who can invest in Argentina.
So the policy of Argentina towards immigration is twofold.
On the one hand it wants to control the kind of illegal migration but on the other hand it welcomes international investors who can make investment in this country to push forward economic growth.
Well, Professor.
So we know the government has announced this massive budget for this reform.
That's about 181 billion pesos, around 127 million.
At the same time, there are reports of significant personnel losses within the existing border forces, partly due to low pay.
How do you assess the gap between your ambitious vision behind this reform and the fiscal and operational realities on the ground?
Well you know, the economy in Argentina is still not in good shape, although there is a sign of economic recovery.
So the government will do something to push forward economic growth so that the government has more money.
But now, as you mentioned just now, it's only a budget.
Okay, so who knows what will happen in the next year's spending.
Probably.
On the one hand, the government of Malaya promises to spend more money on this kind of immigration control, but in reality Who knows how much money can go to this policy?
So it's still everybody's guess what will happen in the end of the day.
But, as you know, without money, without enough economic resources, it's really difficult to do something about the so-called border control.
So we are going to see what will happen.
Also Professor.
So Argentina government has strong security ties with the United States, as you have also just mentioned, and it plans to send personnel to the US for training in law enforcement techniques.
However, the US model has been controversial, especially regarding human rights violation when it comes to illegal immigrations.
So how will Argentina adapt this approach to fit its own immigration context?
You know, Millet is considered as a kind of a rightist politician.
So Trump and Millet stand in the same political camp.
So Argentina wants to follow the model of the US in every aspect.
And according to Millet, This kind of border control policy in the US is quite successful.
That's why President Milley wants to learn from Trump in organizing this kind of border control organizations, security forces, as well as a budget and all kinds of things.
But you know, sometimes it is possible in the US, but I don't know whether it will be successful in Argentina.
Well, we often hear this kind of expression that Trump wants to do MAGA and the Argentina president Millet also wants to follow the US to push forward his MAGA movement.
MAGA here means Argentina, make Argentina great again.
But Argentina's market is very different from the market in the U.S.
So we cannot say the so-called market in Argentina will not be expected to be successful for 100 percent.
So let's see what will happen.
Then by tightening border controls unilaterally.
How do you expect Argentina's neighboring countries to react to these changes?
Well, on the whole, I would like to point out that people move quite freely among or between different Latin American countries.
So anti-immigration sentiment in the region is not so strong, OK?
But well, over the past several years.
There are lots of refugees from Venezuela going to other countries.
So it is possible that some countries in South America want to do something, want to do something to control this kind of illegal immigration.
But I don't believe that Argentina's policy will have a very great impact, negative impact on the policies of other countries.
Then, do you think, given the interconnected nature of immigration in Latin America, do you think this reform in Argentina could trigger a broader tightening of immigration policies across the region?
No, I don't think other countries will do the same as Argentina.
If you want me to say which country has this kind of largest problem regarding immigration, that would be Mexico, because of the pressure from the US.
So Mexico, I think, is really faced with a very, very serious or tough problem regarding immigration.
And I point out that Argentina has some problem, but compared with Mexico, This kind of problem in Argentina is not as severe, as terrible as Mexico's.
Professor Jiang Shixue from Sichuan International Studies University.
That's all the time for this edition of World Today.
I'm Dinghan in Beijing.
Bye for now.
