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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 biggum, with you on this tuesday, december 30th 2025.
You're listening to the beijing hour coming to you live from the chinese capital.
On today's program, china's mapping out its priorities for the country's rural work next year the start of the 15th five-year plan.
The PLA Eastern Theater Command continued its drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, with live fire exercises north and south of the island.
China Media Group's top 10 international stories of 2025 highlights global politics, security and governance over the past year.
In business, China will update tariff rates on select products starting in the new year.
In sports, looking back at China's title-winning success in 2025.
In culture and entertainment.
Launching season 10 of the Chinese poetry competition on TV and online.
Now check in the day's top stories.
China's held its annual Central Rural Work Conference in Beijing to map up priorities for the country's rural work next year.
The two-day meeting deliberated over important instructions from President Xi Jinping on work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers.
The conference said agricultural and rural modernization affects the overall progress and quality of Chinese modernization.
It urged accelerated efforts to build China into a country strong in agriculture.
The meeting called for stabilizing the production of grains and edible oils, strengthening water conservancy infrastructure, enhancing meteorological monitoring and improving capacity for disaster prevention and mitigation.
It urged efforts to enhance the capacity for a diversified food supply, strengthen arable land protections and advance high standard farmland construction.
The conference also called for stronger key agricultural technologies and steady income growth for farmers.
It urged stable employment for rural migrant workers and improved rural living conditions governance, reform and revitalization.
Wang Mengjie has more.
Modernizing agriculture and rural areas, boosting grain production and raising farmers' incomes were top priorities at this year's meeting.
AMA advancing China's comprehensive rural revitalization.
The conference emphasized that modernizing agriculture and rural areas is key to China's overall progress and the quality of its modernization.
Grain production remains a major focus, with efforts next year aimed at stabilizing output of grain and oil products to strengthen China's agricultural capacity.
China marked another bumper harvest in 2025, with the grain output topping 714 million tonnes, according to National Bureau of Statistics, data driven by increases in planting area and yield per unit.
The conference also called for stronger agriculture policies to benefit farmers, improve rural living standards, consolidate gains in poverty alleviation and improve governance and social civility in rural areas.
In order to promote modernization of agriculture and rural areas, emphasis should be put on enhancing production output and capacity, improving production and ecology, and increasing both production and income.
The conference emphasized the need of technological breakthroughs and the application of scientific advances to safeguard China's food security.
With over 128 million hectares of farmer land, advancing rural revitalization is no small task, but technology can make a difference.
Emerging tools such as gene editing and artificial intelligence are developing rapidly, with science and technology now contributing more than 63 to the agricultural sector, according to Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
Scientific and technological achievements should not be confined to journals or research departments.
They should be truly applied in the field to benefit farmers.
I believe China's transformation of agricultural science and technology achievements has been significantly upgraded.
The year 2026 marks the starting point of China's next five-year plan.
Strengthening agriculture will be a key priority.
Experts say the meeting has set a clear tone for steadily implementing tasks in the agriculture sector, laying the groundwork for continued advance of Chinese modernization.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a New Year message, 7 p.m.
Beijing time Wednesday.
It'll be broadcast across China media groups, TV channels websites, apps and new media platforms on New Year's Eve.
Coming up, China's continued its military drills around Taiwan for a second day.
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The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army continued its military drills around Taiwan on Tuesday.
It's the second day of the drills, codenamed Justice Mission 2025.
Gao Junya has more.
The drills include assaults on maritime targets, as well as anti-air and anti-submarine operations in areas north and south of Taiwan.
On Tuesday morning the ground forces of the PLA Eastern Theater Command conducted long-range live-fire drills in waters to the north of the island.
The forces also organized live-fire training and conducted long-range joint strikes with units of the Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force in the waters to the island's south in the afternoon.
A spokesperson for the command said the two groups of drills achieved desired effects.
The military drills around the island focus on air-sea combat, readiness patrols and blockades on key ports and areas.
Military experts say the drills send a strong signal to the world that the one China principle cannot be challenged.
Cao Yanzhong, with the PLA Academy of Military Science, says the exercises prove that the DPP authorities' arms purchases are in vain.
The main purpose of the Justice Mission 2025 joint military exercise is to target the so-called Taiwan independent separatist activities and their collusion with the United States in arms sales to Taiwan.
The all-dimensional deterrence outside the island chain is set to resist any possible interference from external forces.
Lai Ching-de as a die-hard separatist is very stubborn in his stance.
The so-called reliance on external forces to seek independence, and seeking independence through force are reflected in his military purchases that cost Taiwan resources and affect its well-being.
Such armed purchases would be in vain in the face of the increasingly powerful People's Liberation Army and in the face of the increasingly unbalanced military capability between the two sides of the strait.
Researcher Wang Wenjuan with the PLA Academy of Military Science says the drills serve as a warning and deterrence to separatist forces and external interference.
This operation has full legitimacy and justification, which is precisely the meaning embodied in its codename.
The word justice reflects the legitimacy and just nature of opposing Taiwan independence separatism.
From the perspective of international law, sovereignty is the fundamental attribute of a state.
It represents supreme authority internally and independence externally.
The principles of sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs are basic principles of international law, affirmed and reaffirmed by the UN Charter, the cornerstone of the current international legal order.
Domestic law.
Safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity is an inherent right and a core interest of any sovereign state.
No government, people or military would ever sit idly by in the face of attempts to split the country or interference by external forces.
Wang said the exercises enforce a red line that DPP authorities and external forces cannot touch.
For the Beijing Hour, I'm Gao Junya.
People's Liberation Army launched this week's major military exercises around Taiwan.
The move comes after the US announced an 111 billion arms sale to Taiwan and Japanese Prime Minister Sanai Takeuchi's provocative remarks about intervening in Taiwan.
Expert Shen Yi from Fudan University says the exercise is a strong reminder of China's resolve to defend its territorial integrity.
Zheng Tao has more.
The exercise, dubbed Justice Mission 2025, includes air, sea and land operations.
A spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command emphasized that the military show of force is not just about power, but also a clear warning to Taiwan's pro-independence forces and any external entities attempting to interfere in Taiwan's affairs.
Professor Shen Yi from Fudan University explains the purpose of the exercise.
This year-end military exercise serves to effectively deter and punish Taiwan's pro-independence forces, who have been colluding with the United States and Japan.
China has the capability to precisely manage these actions effectively, punishing their moves, while continuing to guide Sino-US relations under the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit, towards a new model of shared prosperity.
The frequency of PLA operations around Taiwan has been increasing.
In 2022, the number of military vessels conducting missions around Taiwan was about 60.
As of 2025, this number will exceed 200.
Professor Shen describes this shift in strategy.
With the systematic enhancement of China's military capabilities, Our ability to safeguard Taiwan-related core national interests continues to improve.
Through actions such as Taiwan encirclement patrols, we're sending a strong strategic deterrence to both Taiwan and any forces attempting to intervene in the Taiwan question.
While these exercises clearly show strength, the professor says they also underscore the delicate political and diplomatic balance at play.
After the initial emotional upheaval, the people of Taiwan will increasingly question the policies of the Taiwan authorities.
Lai Ching-te's wrong policies have not only angered the mainland and worsened Taiwan's external environment, but also sacrificed Taiwan's economic interests to the US and Japan.
If there are no real benefits, mainstream public opinion in Taiwan will begin to reject these policies.
Shen Yi adds that the full geopolitical impact of these exercises is yet to be seen, but they certainly provide a rare opportunity for cross-strait relations to move toward peaceful reunification.
For the Beijing Hour, this is Jiang Tao.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says an increasing number of countries have reaffirmed their commitment to the One China principle.
He said these countries expressed explicit opposition to all separatist acts seeking Taiwan independence and support China's great cause of reunification.
Wang made the remarks when addressing a symposium on the international situation and China's foreign relations in 2025.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's restoration to China.
Wang Yi said that realizing the complete reunification of China is a historical mission that must be fulfilled.
He reiterated that the Taiwan question is an internal affair and it's at the core of China's interests.
He said it's only natural that China takes robust countermeasures in the face of provocations from independence forces and the massive arms sales by the United States to Taiwan.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson says this week's PLA drills around Taiwan are necessary to safeguard the country's national sovereignty.
Lin Jian made the remarks in response to comments by U.S.
President Donald Trump regarding the military exercises.
Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory.
The military exercises conducted by the People's Liberation Army are a stern punishment against the Taiwan independence separatist forces seeking secession by force and are a necessary action to defend China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The joint military drills ran on Monday and Tuesday.
Chinese Kuomintang Chair Cheng Li-wan says Taiwan leader Lai Ching-de's misguided cross-strait policies the reason for the situation escalating into heightened military tension and anxiety.
In fact, it is the wrong cross-strait policy that has pushed the situation to the brink of military confrontation and war, causing deep anxiety in the international community.
He has continued to provoke tensions or, in other words, to cross red lines, with no intention of easing cross-strait relations or seeking to build peace across the strait.
The more confrontational cross-strait relations become, the greater the risk of conflict and war and the more it serves his interests in stoking fear for political gain.
He has made up his mind and is determined to go down this path to the very end.
This is a dead-end road, a road to ruin, when that drags all 23 million of us down with it.
Taiwan scholar Fred Tso also said that the DPP authorities are the root cause of tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
Now, the root cause of the tensions across the Taiwan Strait is that the DPP authorities refuse to admit the 1992 consensus and the one-China principle.
They seek separation with external support and using military means and heap up malicious slander and attacks against the mainland.
They express willingness to improve the cross-strait ties but have no sincerity.
The arms sale with the US this time infringes upon the peace and stability across the strait and people's interests.
The DPP authorities should abandon illusions towards external forces and do not take risks for the well-being of some 23 million people in Taiwan.
We added that the ongoing PLA drills around Taiwan are not a prelude to war, but a necessary measure to maintain peace, and that the drills aim to defend justice.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanai Takeichi's remarks on China's Taiwan region continue to face criticism in Japan and around the rest of the world.
Professor Shimizu Mazahiko, with the Nippon Sports Science University, said the Prime Minister should step down.
From the perspective of Japan's security legislation and the UN Charter, Takeichi's remarks are seriously problematic.
By denying the Asaino-Japanese joint statement and disregarding the law, she has exposed her own ignorance and become a destabilizing factor in East Asia.
Her statement should be retracted.
If that is not possible, I believe she should step down as early as possible.
The experts said Japan should maintain a most cautious stance on nuclear issues, as the only country to have suffered atomic bombings.
But the Japanese political landscape has seen discussions about possessing nuclear weapons and attempts to undermine the three non-nuclear principles.
Mashihiko said, such moves ignore lessons from history and deviate from the long-standing anti-nuclear consensus in Japanese society.
After experiencing the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan established the principle to never possess nuclear weapons.
Attempting to alter this without parliamentary deliberation completely disregards.
The principle of sovereignty lies with the people, as embodied by the national diet.
This is absolutely unacceptable under a constitution that pursues peace.
Takeichi triggered tensions between China and Japan in November when she said in parliament that a military conflict over Taiwan could be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, warranting the exercise of collective self-defense rights.
Coming up, CMG's top international news stories of 2025.
The commander is not he who fights a hundred battles and wins every one of them.
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Find Decoding the Art of War wherever you listen.
China Media Group has released its list of the top 10 international news stories of 2025, highlighting major developments that shaped global politics, security and governance over the past year.
Li Yunqi has details.
China's head of state diplomacy stood out in 2025.
In September, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Governance Initiative at the SCO Plus meeting in Tianjin.
Together with the Global Development, Security and Civilization Initiatives, the proposal reinforced China's vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity.
China also marked the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II with a large-scale military parade in Beijing on September 3.
The event reaffirmed China's commitment to peaceful development, as countries and regions around the world held commemorations marking the end of fascism.
The Gaza conflict remained a major international concern this year.
While a ceasefire appeared to take hold toward the end of the year, observers noted that continued arms supplies and diplomatic positions by the United States worsened the humanitarian crisis.
Israel has launched another round of strikes on what it claims to be Iranian military.
In June, US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and Israeli attacks triggered a brief but intense regional escalation.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict continued with no settlement in sight.
Fighting and negotiations moved in cycles amid widening divisions between the United States and its European allies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would consider a referendum on a peace plan, while Russia said Kiev's proposal differed sharply from discussions held with Washington.
The expansion of the SCO and the BRICS highlighted growing solidarity among developing economies is reshaping trade and diplomacy on the world stage.
The BRICS summit in Brazil welcomed Indonesia as a new member, along additional partner countries, while SCO leaders voiced support for a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness and win-win cooperation.
And extreme weather events intensified across the globe in 2025, aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 7 to 10 percent.
China responded by announcing its 2035 climate targets, pledging deeper emission cuts, a greater share of non-fossil fuels and a massive expansion of wind and solar power.
On average, the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Mexico and Canada, have you heard of them?
U.S. tariff policies also drew widespread criticism during the year.
Analysts warned they undermine WTO rules and disrupt global trade.
Against this backdrop, China's economy maintained steady momentum, helping inject confidence into a world economy facing uncertainty.
Remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Tsunai Takeichi on China's Taiwan region sparked strong opposition from China and concern with Japan.
The comments also raised broader international worries about historical revisionism and the security risks in the Asia-Pacific.
Ms.
Takeichi claims that the security environment is becoming increasingly precarious, but isn't this entirely her responsibility?
In my view, a prime minister who disregards the.
The release of a new US national security strategy signaled a strategic shift toward prioritizing the Western Hemisphere.
Experts warn the approach echoes a revived Monroe Doctrine and could increase instability in Latin America and beyond.
The year also saw the longest federal government shutdown in US history come to an end in November.
The episode exposed deep political divisions, rising public dissatisfactions and persistent structural problems in the US political system.
Those are China Media Group's top 10 international news stories of 2025, a year defined by conflict, climate challenges, shifting alliances and competing visions for global governance.
For the Beijing Hour, I'm Li Yunqi.
U.S.
President, Donald Trump has discussed breaking the Gaza deadlock with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida.
Trump also said that the US could support another strike on Iran if it resumes its nuclear weapons program.
Philip Crowther with the Associated Press has more from Palm Beach.
Well, in the end, this was neither the time or the place, here in Florida, at Donald Trump's private estate at Mar-a-Lago, to announce a swift move into a second phase of a ceasefire in Gaza.
That maybe was the hope. didn't end up happening.
Right now we're still in that initial phase of the ceasefire in Gaza that is still holding but might be struggling a little bit.
And Donald Trump certainly wants it to move forward as quickly as possible into the next phase.
And that includes a very critical part of Donald Trump's 20-point plan for the ceasefire in Gaza.
And that is the disarming of Hamas.
We talked about Hamas and we talked about disarmament.
And they're going to be given a very short period of time to disarm.
And we'll see how that works out.
Steve Woodcuff and Jared Kushner will be in charge of that from our side.
But if they don't disarm as they agreed to do, they agreed to it and then they'll be held to pay for them.
The ceasefire is holding, but both sides are accusing each other of violating that ceasefire and there are almost daily Israeli attacks, deadly Israeli attacks on Gaza.
The disarming of Hamas as part of that second phase of a Gaza ceasefire that is supposed to happen soon.
There are other steps still to be taken during that second phase.
That includes a further withdrawal of Israeli troops and also the start of the very arduous, of course, rebuilding process in Gaza.
And US President Donald Trump wants to play a leading role in that.
Well, there were warnings from both the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the US President, Donald Trump that further military intervention in Iran could be possible.
Now, what could those circumstances be?
Well, essentially, if Iran starts rebuilding its nuclear program, certainly from the US perspective.
Donald Trump saying here in Florida that he believes that Iran might be working on building a nuclear program in other sites, different to those that, according to the Trump administration at least, were completely destroyed during US military airstrikes in June.
Here is what he said.
The United States would have, quote, no choice but to quickly eradicate that buildup.
So today here in Florida, we heard threats from both.
Israel and the United States to potentially intervene militarily again in Iran.
Philip Crowther reporting.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Begay, has criticized Israel for escalating regional tensions and engaging in what it calls sabotage.
Israel has repeatedly used Iran as an excuse.
It has used Iran's peaceful nuclear program and defensive capabilities as excuses to create tension in the Middle East.
At the same time as we have seen, Israel is engaged in sabotage activities in many parts of the region, creating an environment of insecurity.
Fortunately, countries in the region have come to the conclusion that the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the Middle East is to contain Israel.
Spokesperson says Iran will respond harshly to any Israeli aggression.
Russia has accused Ukraine of trying to attack President Vladimir Putin's residence west of Moscow.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Ukraine targeted the property with over 90 long-range drones, all destroyed by Russian air defenses.
Moscow has not provided evidence of the attack, but says it's reviewing its stance on peace talks.
Putin's repeated calls for Kyiv to withdraw all of its forces from the Donbass area.
Dasha Chernyshova has more from Moscow.
Well, we had Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov issue in a statement that says that Ukraine attempted to attack Putin's residence in Novgorod region with 91 drones.
All of those have been intercepted by the Russian air defense systems, but that certainly leaves a trace and the sort of footprint on the negotiation process.
Sergei Lavrov, saying that, given the degeneration of the Kyiv authorities into state terrorism, Moscow is going to review its negotiating position but will not walk away from the negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement.
We're also hearing that Moscow condemned this move, and Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko was quoted as saying that every time that Moscow and Washington are getting somewhat closer towards a final settlement on the Ukrainian conflict, Ukraine is trying to derail and torpedo the negotiating process.
So Moscow is saying that it will be retaliating against those attacks by Ukraine.
And the targets have already been, according to Moscow, decided upon.
But Moscow will not be announcing when and how these response will be carried out.
So obviously, Russia is quite unhappy with this incident taking place as the negotiations proceed.
But keep in mind that the Russian president was also meeting the military on Monday and he visited the front lines just over the past weekend, suggesting that Moscow holds the upper hand on the battlefield.
So Russia is willing to achieve the goals of its operation either through diplomacy, which is, according to Moscow, a preferred way, or through the military means.
There was a positive phone conversation between the leaders of Russia and the United States.
The Kremlin has earlier been saying that indeed, there would be the phone call between the two, suggesting that this phone conversation will be something that will be explaining to Russia what was discussed in the United States between Zelenskyy and Trump the day before.
But there was another conversation that Putin held with Trump ahead of meeting with Zelenskyy.
And in that conversation there seems to be some sort of coordination of the positions of Russia and the United States.
So at this stage, we understand that the shadow diplomacy is something that is ongoing, that is likely to continue.
But obviously all of those attacks by Ukraine as seen in Moscow as an attempt to torpedo the negotiating process.
That was Dasha Chernysheva reporting.
We're at 29 past now, checking the forecast ahead of the break.
Beijing's down to minus 8 tonight.
It's sunny and zero for Wednesday.
Nanchang will be cloudy and 9 degrees this evening, then a light rain and 15 for Wednesday.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad will see a light rainfall and 8 degrees this evening.
Wednesday is getting moderate rainfall and 14.
Vientiane will be cloudy with a low of 16, then overcast and 28.
Phnom Penh's cloudy and 20 overnight, then overcast and 30.
In Africa, Nairobi's getting a light rainfall and 24 degrees on Wednesday.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour, China's mapping out its priorities for the country's rural work next year.
The start of the 15th five-year plan period.
The PLA Eastern Theatre Command continued its drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, with live fire exercises north and south of the island.
China Media Group's top 10 international news stories of 2025 highlight global politics, security and governance.
Over the past year,
Shane Bigham 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,
And right there, in the midst of all beats the heart of humanity.
What if those other heartbeats were to stop?
Would ours keep on ticking?
Ever wondered what's actually going on in Africa through the perspective of an African?
How are things really going between China and Africa?
What's the narrative of this relationship?
Well, get a perspective with China Africa Talk.
Hear from African diplomats, entrepreneurs, academics, Chinese natives and more.
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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 will update tariff rates on select products starting in the new year.
In sports, looking back at China's title-winning success in 2025.
In culture and entertainment.
Launching Season 10 of the Chinese Poetry Competition on TV and online.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn.com or follow our ex-account at CGTN Radio.
Now checking the day's headlines.
China's held its annual Central Rural Work Conference in Beijing to map out priorities for the country's rural work next year.
The two-day meeting deliberated over important instructions from President Xi Jinping on work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers.
The conference said agricultural and rural modernization affects the overall progress and quality of Chinese modernization.
It urged accelerated efforts to build China into a country strong in agriculture.
The meeting called for stabilizing the production of grains and edible oils, strengthening water conservancy infrastructure, enhancing meteorological monitoring and improving capacity for disaster prevention and mitigation.
It urged efforts to enhance the capacity for a diversified food supply, strengthen arable land protections and advance high standard farmland construction.
The conference also called for stronger key agricultural technologies and steady income growth for farmers.
It urged stable employment for rural migrant workers and improved rural living conditions governance, reform and revitalization.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a New Year message at 7 p.m.
Beijing time Wednesday.
It'll broadcast across China Media Group's TV channels websites, apps and new media platforms on New Year's Eve.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command has dispatched amphibious assault ships destroyers, frigates and unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct drills in the waters to the east of Taiwan.
The command said the drills will test task force coordination operations and precision strike abilities on key targets.
Earlier, the ground force of the PLA Eastern Theater Command carried out long-range live fire drills to the north and south of Taiwan.
Other exercises included assault against maritime targets, as well as anti-air and anti-submarine operations.
In the meantime, the Fujian Province Coast Guard continues to organize law enforcement patrols in the waters off Taiwan.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for defending the hard-won victory of World War II, achieved through bloodshed, and safeguarding the hard-earned peace and stability, while made the remarks when addressing a symposium on the international situation and China's foreign relations in 2025.
This year marked the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war.
Wang said it's a special year for people around the world to draw lessons from history and jointly pursue peace and development.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will pay a state visit to China next week.
The Chinese foreign ministry said the visit will last from Sunday to Wednesday.
This will be Lee's first visit to China since taking office in June.
Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China and South Korea are important neighbors and partners.
And he said China expects the visit will play a positive role in further advancing the strategic partnership under the guidance of the two heads of state.
The chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council has declared a 90-day nationwide state of emergency.
Rashad al-Alimi has cited the need to safeguard national security and public order.
The decision includes a 72-hour air, sea and land embargo on all ports and border crossings across the country.
Al-Alimi also cancelled a security pact with the United Arab Emirates after the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council seized swaths of territory in Yemen's provinces of Hadramaut and Almara.
He ordered the withdrawal of those forces from both provinces within 24 hours.
Mexico has launched an investigation into a deadly train derailment in the country's south that killed at least 13 people and injured dozens more.
The Interoceanica train linking the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz derailed on Sunday while rounding a curve near the town of Nizanda.
Authorities say 241 passengers and nine crew members were on board with 44 people hospitalized.
President Claudia Scheinbaum said the trains equipped with the black box, similar to those used on airplanes, And analysis is ongoing.
As the Admiral rightly said, the train carries a black box like those on airplanes.
It contains a great deal of information.
And it is in the chain of custody of the Attorney General's office.
So it can be analyzed by the prosecutor's office and the Railway Transport Regulatory Agency.
So the goal is to clarify what happened and, if anyone is found responsible, justice should follow from this investigation.
Scheinbaum said senior officials are on site to assist victim families, stressing that supporting them is the top priority.
Mexico inaugurated the interoceanic train in 2023 as part of a project to develop a major trade corridor.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour.
Coming up in business, China will update tariff rates on select products starting in the new year.
The Beijing Hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
37 past the hour.
In business, stock markets on the Chinese mainland were mostly flat on Tuesday.
The Shanghai Composite closed unchanged, while the Shenzhen Component rose 0.5%.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index gained over 0.8%.
In the meantime, Tokyo stocks fell, with the Nikkei down nearly 0.4%.
China will update tariffs on select products starting next year, lowering duties on medical supplies such as artificial blood vessels and diagnostic kits for certain infectious diseases.
Experts say the adjustments will help support innovation in public health, while reinforcing China's trade competitiveness.
Maintaining the agreed tariff rates with 34 key partner countries continues to cover 48 percent of our total trade volume, a level that has remained high over recent years.
The implementation of provisional import duties on 935 products stands out as a significant highlight in itself.
Amid the current turbulent and complex global landscape, China's strong commitment to continuing these provisional tariffs injects much-needed stability into the world and underscores its role as a responsible major trading nation.
Smart bionic robots and cleaning robots have been added as new tax categories.
China's robotics industry has grown rapidly in recent years, with domestic brands expanding quickly.
Creating dedicated tax categories for emerging products helps industry players accurately track trade data, assess trends in overseas markets and formulate more effective development strategies.
It also enables the government to monitor domestic and international industry developments in real time, supporting the sector's high-quality growth.
The plan also revises tariffs and tax categories for key components, advanced materials, energy resources and bionic robots.
China will maintain agreed tariff rates with 34 key partner countries, covering 48 of its total trade volume, a consistently high level in recent years.
After the changes take effect, China's overall tariff level will remain at 73, preserving its globally competitive position.
China's video game industry has drawn global attention following the release of Black Myth Wukong, which became an international hit.
Official figures show that Chinese games generated 20 billion in overseas markets in 2025, and that's up 10 from the previous year.
Michael Morillier reports.
Black Myth Wukong was one of the fastest-selling games in the world.
Chinese developers wanted to build on that success in 2025, so they needed a game plan.
They started by focusing on their domestic base, which is massive.
Industry groups say 683 million people now play video games in China.
They also found ways to get more money from that base.
Chinese gamers spent $49 billion over the past year.
That's an increase of nearly 8%.
Now, games made in China account for 83% of domestic revenue.
That focus on local games helps Chinese developers improve year after year.
At the same time, revenue from those games helps pay for big budget international releases.
And we've already seen signs of that.
Delta Force is one example.
It now has, on average, 30 million active users per day.
Wuchang Fallen Feathers came out in July.
At one point it ranked eighth in the world in terms of pre-orders on Steam, an online platform for buying games.
There was also Where Winds Meet.
The developers say 15 million players tried it in the first month.
Black Myth reached 20 million in a month, so not quite at the same level, but still some impressive numbers.
Meanwhile, official figures show that Chinese games made 20 billion in overseas markets, and that's 10 higher than the year before.
So this growth in local skills is taking the industry to a new level, a level where it can play with the world's best.
And wherever you go in China, you see this tech culture.
We saw robots playing chess.
We saw robo dogs at the airport.
There really is a big culture behind tech.
And we really saw that at the gaming studios as well.
It's no wonder the industry is booming.
That was Michael Marillier reporting.
And for more insights.
Sally Burdett spoke with senior analyst Alexander Champlin from a video game market research firm.
Overseas sales of Chinese games increased 10% in 2025.
That's extraordinary growth.
What do you attribute that to?
I think we've been really impressed with the performance of the games market in China in 2025.
We were initially a little bearish, kind of owing to trade tensions and just kind of a fear about the market at the start of the year.
But really strong kind of domestic performance um, kind of an improving market at home, has been great, and then, of course, game exports has been has been really impressive this year.
We've seen really strong growth from kind of mid-size chinese developers around mobile games as well as kind of triple a titles as well, and we're looking forward to what in the next year and i was going to say for 2026 do you expect to see that growth trend for chinese games globally to continue?
Yeah, so nico partners kind of does.
Uh, you know a market model at two points in the year and you know, at the start of the year we were looking at kind of two percent growth through 2029 um, and we've updated that at the uh at the end of the third quarter to look more like three percent growth going all the way through 2029.
So we're pretty, we're pretty bullish on the future outlook and I think those titles that you're describing are really what's gonna kind of open up the market and really the sort of the push of Chinese publishers to reach more international consumers.
One of them that's generating a lot of attention already is Absolute Phantom.
That's due to be released in September next year, but it's quite similar to other wuxia-themed games like Black Myth, Wukong and also Where Winds Meet.
I'm wondering if this Chinese warrior theme is part of the reason for the growing popularity of Chinese games globally.
Yeah, I think so.
You know, and I think it also kind of helps the market at home.
There is this kind of interest in seeing culturally relevant themes represented.
Black Myth Wukong was, you know, was really a fantastic hit For Chinese AAA studios.
You know we also saw the announcement this year that the sequel will be coming out for that title.
So, you know, I think this is a trend that we can expect to see continue.
But I think growth is being pushed by a lot of segments at kind of the same time.
Well, that was senior analyst Alexander Champlin of Nikko Partners.
China's Council for the Promotion of International Trade approved more than 3900 Chinese companies to participate in around 130 trade shows in the United States this year.
The council also issued nearly 80000 certificates of origin for Chinese exports to the US.
Over 200 Chinese companies are expected to attend the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Among them, more than 120 small and medium-sized tech firms will showcase products in areas such as artificial intelligence, smart wearables and smart home devices, covering a total exhibition space of over 4900 square meters.
China's state-owned and state-controlled enterprises reported generally stable performance in the first 11 months of the year.
The Ministry of Finance says operating revenues reached 75.6 trillion yuan.
That's roughly 11 trillion U.S. dollars and up 1% from a year earlier.
Total profits came in at nearly 4 trillion yuan, roughly $560 billion.
Silver prices have fluctuated this week, reaching a new peak before pulling back.
The precious metals market has surged in 2025 as investors seek safe haven assets amid global economic uncertainty.
Siobhan McCall has details.
Silver passed 80 an ounce for the first time earlier, briefly hitting a record peak of 8362, before then retreating by more than 5 in a volatile day of trading as investors booked profits.
Now, 2025 has been a remarkable year for precious metals.
Gold has jumped by over 70%.
And look at the last 12 months for silver.
It's up close to 180% in the past one month.
And that means that silver is currently the world's third top asset by market cap.
These are the figures from earlier.
Gold is top, Nvidia second and silver third.
So why is silver proving so popular?
A softer greenback and rising geopolitical uncertainty have driven so-called safe haven demand from investors.
And traders are pricing in two U.S. rate cuts next year.
And assets like silver do well when interest rates are lower.
That was Siobhan McCall reporting.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour.
Coming up in sports, we're looking back at China's title winning success in 2025.
Sideline Story brings you all things sports related.
47 past the hour and turning to sports now.
Here's Yang Guang.
Thank you, Shane.
Authorities say Chinese athletes have won 146 world titles across 31 disciplines in World Championships and World Cups this year.
That is, according to the 2025 report on achievements of Chinese athletes by the General Administration of Sports.
47 of the 146 major titles came from Olympic disciplines including speed skating shooting rowing weightlifting boxing swimming, artistic gymnastics, table tennis and badminton.
Chinese athletes also set 17 world records. including four in Olympic disciplines.
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the nation's athletes have won over 4200 major titles and broken world records more than 1400 times.
During the period of the 14th Five-Year Plan from 2021 to 2025, China's athletes have won over 660 major titles and broken world records more than 90 times.
Turning to Chinese basketball, from the CBA, He Xining scored game-high 29 points to lead the Shenzhen Leopards past the Liaoning Flying Leopards 93-90 at home.
That was Shenzhen's first win in the head-to-head series in nearly seven years.
Four-time champions Liaoning mounted several rallies, but fell short in the final minutes, suffering their third straight loss.
Elsewhere in the CBA, the Shanghai Sharks came away from the nation's capital with a 90-70 victory against Beijing Royal Fighters to grab their fourth consecutive win.
Shanghai Sharks coach Lu Wei praised his team on their defense.
We are mainly focused on defense and I think our domestic players did a good job.
All of us did well in carrying out the defensive strategy, but we were a little bit impatient in the fourth quarter.
They played at a fast pace and we needed to concentrate better.
The Shanghai Sharks have won six of eight games since the CBA's 2025-26 regular season kicked off on December 12th.
In table tennis, women's singles world number one Sun Yingsha of China has withdrawn from the upcoming WTT Champions Tournament in Doha.
Du Haikem from Hong Kong's Special Administrative Region will replace her.
Sun pulled out of a women's singles semi-final match against compatriot Kuai Man at the WTT finals earlier this month due to discomfort.
She then missed the China table tennis Super League finals, which wrapped up in Nanjing on Sunday.
Despite the move, she finished as the year and world number one for the fourth season.
Following Sun's announcement, China's women's singles lineup in Doha from January 7th to 11th now features Wang Manyu, Chen Xintong, Wang Yidi, Chen Yi and Kuiman.
FIFA says it has received more than 150 million ticket requests for the 2026 World Cup, setting a new ticketing record for the event.
Fans from over 200 countries and regions flooded FIFA's ticketing platform after the random selection ticketing phase opened on December 11.
The phase will end on January 13.
FIFA says the 2026 World Cup is oversubscribed more than 30-fold, based on verified individual credit card numbers submitted with each ticket application.
It also says demand is 34 times higher than the overall number of spectators who have attended over 960 matches that make up all 22 editions of the competition combined since 1930.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has described the response from passionate fans as a true representation of how the World Cup is loved globally.
The 2036 World Cup will kick off on June 11th with the final scheduled for July 19th.
The event will run across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
It features 104 matches and a record 48 teams.
Turning to football in Africa, Egypt rested its key players, but remains unbeaten at Africa Cup of Nations.
Egypt held a goalie's draw against Angola to finish on top of Group B with 7 points.
Egypt sealed its place in knockout phase and changed the entire starting line-up for their win from over South Africa.
Key players like Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Manchester City's Omar Mahmoud were rested.
Angola had better chances during the game, with Chico Banza's shot going wide shortly before half-time.
Angolan captain Freddy Ribeiro shaved outside of the post with a free-kick in the 53rd minute.
Egyptian substitute Ahmed Zizou also had a late chance but was thwarted while in good position.
Egyptian coach, Hossan Hassan, praised the team players.
Regarding the players, i am satisfied.
For the first time, many of them have played in the africa cup of nations and they face a team that is working hard and trying to advance.
Angola had the ambition of winning and qualifying for the next round.
That ambition and desire made this a difficult match for our players who are debuting.
So i salute them for their performance, because this is a start and they have now competed in an international match in a major tournament like the Cup of Nations.
Seven-time African champions, Egypt will face one of the best third-placed finishers next Monday, while Angola's two-point haul means they have to wait to see whether they can advance as one of the best four third-placed teams.
All right, thank you very much.
That was Yong Guang with sports.
Coming up in culture and entertainment.
Launching season 10 of the Chinese poetry competition on TV and online.
People in China are chasing their dreams and leaving their mark.
Want to know how they beat the odds and made a difference?
Footprints brings you the true life stories of their journeys.
It's 53 minutes past the hour.
In culture and entertainment.
Now, the 10th season of the Chinese Poetry Competition is kicked off on TV.
China Media Group, the Ministry of Education and the State Language Commission jointly produced the program on CCTV1.
Viewers can also enjoy the program on CMG's online platforms.
The season integrates innovative technologies into live performances and on-location filming, showcasing the creative evolution of traditional Chinese culture.
The program has also seen an update to its competition format, with all previous champions returning and facing challenges from new contestants, using poetry as a bridge.
The Wuwengdun Tomb in Anhui Province is the only royal mausoleum of the ancient Chu state that China scientifically excavated so far.
Built in the Warring States period, the site sheds light on the divination practices and architectural aesthetics of the Chu state, dating back over 2200 years.
A new exhibition at the National Museum is showcasing a selection of the site's most valuable artifacts.
Shen Li reports from Beijing. unraveling the legacy of ancient Chu state.
From jadeware with elaborate dragon motifs to compelling brownsding or cauldrons resting on free legs that were used as ritual vessels.
Over 200 sets of artifacts unearthed from the Wuwang Dun tomb have shed more light on the ritual systems, musical traditions and dietary habits of the ancient Chu state.
This is the first time we have excavated a tomb belonging to a king of the Chu state, and it remains relatively well preserved.
It's undoubtedly one of the most important archaeological finds in recent years.
The artifacts discovered vividly illustrate the richness of Chu culture and the continuity of Chinese civilization, from institutional systems to everyday life.
This exhibition offers an extraordinary journey into the imperial grandeur of the ancient Chu state.
And among its treasures, what captures me the most is a lacquered wooden table.
Its commanding presence and intricate artistry remain as vibrant today as they were over 2000 years ago.
Equally mesmerizing are one perfectly preserved sets of chime bells whose lingering resonance, once awakened, seems to carry the whispered echoes of history itself.
Several multimedia installations have also been set up to help the audience better appreciate the richness of ancient Chu culture.
The biggest interactive installation uses holographic projection to recreate the entire structure of the coffin chamber of the Wuwang Dun No.
1 tomb, as well as the overall process of its construction.
As such, visitors get a more immersive experience.
Organizers hope the exhibition will immerse visitors in a rewarding archaeological journey, deepening the public's appreciation of unique role true culture played in the multifaceted yet unified tapestry of Chinese civilization.
That was Shen Li reporting.
Disney animated sequel, Zootopia 2, has surpassed 100 million admissions in China, becoming the first imported film to reach this milestone.
It's also the seventh film in China's box office history to reach that mark.
The film has so far grossed nearly 4 billion yuan roughly 570 million US dollars, ranking it among the top 12 films on China's all-time box office chart.
Its global box office has reached over 1.4 billion dollars.
According to Disney Films' official Weibo account, Zootopia 2 will extend its theatrical run through January 25th.
The film's strong performances also fueled a wave of merchandise sales and cross-industry collaborations.
Zootopia 2-themed products, including blind box collectibles apparel footwear, beverages and jewelry, have shown strong appeal among consumers.
We're at 57 past the hour.
Beijing down to minus 8 this evening.
It's going to be sunny and zero on Wednesday.
Nanchang's cloudy overnight, down to 9 degrees.
A light rainfall in 15 tomorrow.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad is getting a light rain and a low of 8 this evening.
Wednesday has moderate rainfall and 14 degrees.
Vientiane will be cloudy with a low of 16, then overcast in 28.
Phnom Penh's cloudy this evening, 20 degrees Celsius.
Tomorrow's overcast and 30.
In Africa, Nairobi will be getting a light rainfall and 24 degrees on Wednesday.
And that's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making news today, China's mapping out its priorities for the country's rural work next year, the start of the 15th five-year planned period.
The PLA Eastern Theater Command continued its drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, with live fire exercises north and south of the island.
On behalf of the staff, Shane Bigum, 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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The Beijing Hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
He can't live without the Yellow River in his eyes.
The Yellow River is so noble and elegant.
Both my grandpa and dad made a living from the river.
Would you like to move away from the Yellow River?
I don't think I will.
I love it so much.
The Yellow River, the second longest river in China, is regarded as a shaping force in the history, economy and culture of northern China.
Today, about 100 million people live within its water basin, making up nearly 9 of the country's population.
How is climate change felt at its headwaters? what are the locals doing to cope with it?
What are the descendants of the boatmen doing?
What has kept some people from leaving their home village by the river?
And what has drawn others back?
Could the fading fishing community revive in a time of digital transformation?
From 2021 to 2024.
Our reporters visited the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, Talk to the herders farmers boatmen, fishermen and eco-activists who share a close bond with the river, and present their stories in pictures, podcasts and videos.
All in our 12-part series, The Yellow River Mosaic, available only on CGTN Radio.
