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This is the Beijing Hour.
Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour, one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host.
Shane Bigham with you on this Wednesday, May 27th, 2026.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program, China's calling on the international community to step up support for the UN Charter.
The Serbian president has resigned judging province as he continues his state visit in China.
Japan's enacted a law to establish a National Intelligence Council.
As protesters demand explanations for the move,
In business, China's industrial profits for the year are booming so far.
In sports, Chinese tennis stars continue to shine at the French Open.
In culture and entertainment, a Grammy-winning jazz singer has given a performance in Beijing.
Now the day's top stories.
Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, has called on the international community to step up support for the United Nations Charter at a time of global geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
Presiding over a Security Council meeting.
The foreign minister also highlighted China's contributions to the UN cause.
Those efforts include promoting peace talks and providing assistance in major public crises.
China holds the presidency for the UN Security Council this month.
Mitch McCann reports from New York.
Tuesday's Security Council meeting was titled Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-Centred International System, a theme China has promoted during its previous presidencies.
The meeting comes at a time of great volatility in many parts of the world, including Iran Ukraine, the DRC and Sudan, and amid concerns that the world's strongest powers are failing to uphold both the UN Charter and international law.
Before China's foreign minister spoke to the Council, the UN Secretary-General outlined a list of challenges the Council is currently facing.
We are witnessing a dangerous erosion of respect for international law.
Core principles sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, the prohibition of the threat or use of force are being challenged or ignored.
Violations go unanswered. and impunity is spreading.
Wang Yi then addressed members in the Security Council chamber, where he said that the world's major powers have a responsibility to lead by example in following international law and not practice double standards.
The root cause of the chaos in today's world is not that the Charter's spirit is outdated, but that the international order and the basic norms governing international relations, both set out in the Charter, are not being effectively upheld and observed.
The international community should recall the founding vision of the Charter, carry forward its spirit and fulfill the obligations under it.
Wang Yi told the council that during major public crises China races to help.
He said that right now Chinese medical teams are on the ground fighting the Ebola outbreak in Africa.
Following the morning session, Wang Yi met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, before addressing members of the media, where he underscored the importance of a United Nations that is able to withstand challenges to multilateralism.
We don't hope international relations return to the law of the jungle and we all need to uphold the same system.
That is the international system with the UN at the core.
While in New York, Wang Yi will also attend a meeting of the Group of Friends of Global Governance on Thursday and is also set to meet with other foreign ministers before flying to Canada for more diplomatic engagements.
That was Mitch McCann on China's support for the United Nations.
The Chinese foreign minister also called for the advancement of negotiations between the United States and Iran.
He said China's maintained communication with key stakeholders and important regional and international partners.
Wang said China supports the mediation by Pakistan and other countries and also supports efforts made by the United States and Iran.
He expressed hope that the parties concerned can stay committed to pursuing a ceasefire and continue to meet each other halfway, so that peace can return to the Middle East as early as possible.
UN Undersecretary General for Policy, Guy Ryder, says it's important that member states discuss multilateralism within the United Nations framework in order for it to remain relevant.
The Security Council, of course, stands at the centre of everything that the United Nations does, and it's had its divisions and problems over the years.
But I think it is extremely important that it has this discussion on the principles of multilateralism because, in the end, the difficulties that we face and the solutions that we will find depend entirely on the adherence of our member states to the objectives, to the values of multilateralism, and they are to be found in the Charter of the United Nations.
If all member states, with their hands on their art, can say we believe in this charter, we will work together, whatever our differences, to realize the principles and objectives in this charter.
We will put ourselves in a very good position to overcome the difficulties that we face.
And I hope that this dialogue, and this is what happens at the UN, we talk to each other.
The senior official added that if the UN can win greater support and members can identify common ground on multilateralism through dialogue, then it will produce something valuable.
American historian Stephen Schleisinger says the UN Charter helps bring countries together to prevent the outbreak of violence.
All the big powers, as well as all the small countries, in this extraordinary conference that I joined, every land that had not had been on the winning side of the Second World War together in order to create an organization which prevent the outbreak of any Third World War.
The biggest issue then was the security of the world.
The UN Charter is a moral authority for the world.
The historian says any country that joins the United Nations is obliged by its moral authority.
He emphasized the necessity of a charter that helps bring communities together and provides the rules of social engagement.
For some analysis on China's appeal for some support for the UN.
Li Dongning spoke with Professor Wang Xinsong from Beijing Normal University.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on the international community to unite and to strengthen the authority of the United Nations and abide by the UN charters.
But what we are seeing now in the world is quite different.
So what do you make of this, especially amidst the rising uncertainties in the world?
We all need to remember that the United Nations was founded in 1945, after the Second World War, as a very important multilateral framework to ensure that everybody in the world observes the same principles.
We have to understand that the UN Charter and international law does not have the teeth, which means that you don't have the court and the police and law enforcement machines like we see in every country's domestic arrangement.
So that means the UN Charter needs the observation and agreement and consensus from every country, every members.
But what's happening right now is obviously that we increasingly see countries are not observing the principles and norms of international law or the United Nations Charter.
If you look at the interwar period between the First and Second World War, Many of the symptoms we observed over there are showing again in today's world.
So this is why I think the Chinese government has always advocated for respecting the core principles of the United Nations, or going about international affairs with the United Nations at the core of the system, which is very important to drag everybody back to an international consensus over the principles of resolving conflicts and conducting international affairs.
China has been doing a lot in negotiating a peace deal in the war in Iran.
Would you please tell us more about that?
There's no doubt that China has both the moral and material interest in what's going on in the Gulf.
Because of the war.
Now the entire global economy is suffering from the energy crisis as well as inflation.
And materially, obviously, China relies a lot on the Gulf energy.
So for both reasons, China participated very actively in resolving the conflicts.
However, China's role is mostly limited to diplomatic and facilitating role in that China supported, according to President Xi Jinping's four point proposal, China supported diplomatic method and political settlement, dialogue and immediate stop of hostilities, and so forth.
But again, only with China's effort is not enough, right?
And stopping the hostilities, and ending the war in the Gulf needs collective efforts, especially the parties involved in the conflicts, as well as neighboring countries in the Gulf and other middle powers and great powers in the world.
That was Professor Wang Xinsong talking about collective efforts to stop the war in the Middle East.
Coming up, the Serbian presidents visited Zhejiang province.
China's securities regulator has launched a major crackdown on illegal cross-border securities activities, targeting online brokerages operating outside the country's regulatory framework.
Why is Beijing acting now?
What risks are regulators trying to contain?
And does this signal a new era of stronger oversight in China's financial markets?
This week on The Chat Lounge, we unpack the motives, market impact and broader implications of China's latest regulatory move.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts and on CGTN Radio.
It's 11 minutes past the hour.
Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, has expressed confidence in the cooperation in robotic development and manufacturing with China.
He's continuing a state visit in Zhejiang province.
The president spoke to CGTN about his trip to the eastern province.
I love to be here.
I love to see pragmatic and practical terms of our cooperation.
And beautiful young people from Serbia, great young people of China cooperating with each other.
This is my dream.
And my dreams have always been big.
And I was always aiming high.
And without us, nothing would be possible.
Now, today, I am a much happier person than I was yesterday.
Vucic and the deputy governor of Zhejiang attended the unveiling of a China-Serbia Youth Cultural Exchange Center in Jiaxing.
While he was in Beijing, Vucic visited Tsinghua University and tech company Xiaomi.
Lou Cervé has more.
During his visit to Tsinghua University, President Vichy delivered a speech to students, sharing his perspectives on global affairs and evolving international order.
He also spoke about what he described as long-standing Western misconceptions about China, saying many past predictions about China's future challenges had ultimately failed to materialize.
He also urged young people not to take China's achievements for granted.
Don't take today's peace, stability and good life better than ever here in China as granted.
And it's about your leadership, just for you to know, and it's always about leadership.
Students at Tsinghua University asked President Vucic a range of questions on international affairs and global challenges.
Vucic praised China's approach to diplomacy, saying the country has been able to maintain ties with major powers while continuing to support smaller countries such as Serbia.
So at the Great Wall, I feel how deeply he was connected to the Chinese people.
But here at the Tsinghua University, it feels more like he's curious about China's future.
The Serbian president also spoke about his impression of Chinese students and universities, saying he was deeply impressed by the students' discipline, strong work ethic and commitment to their studies.
I'm not a type of guy that is flattering someone just because he's young or old.
But what I saw, it's hardworking approach of Chinese students.
I saw an eye of a tiger here in many of your students.
I saw a desire to invest diligent and dedicated work, which is very important for the future of your country.
Later, President Vucic visited Xiaomi's EV factory, where he test drove the company's latest electric vehicle and toured its advanced manufacturing facilities to learn more about the technology behind the production process.
On the Serbian president's itinerary.
And for some discussions on the outcomes of the Serbian president's state visit to China.
Tian Liu spoke with Serbian-born scholar Dr Vuk Vucanovic, lecturer in foreign policy and grand strategy education at King's College London.
How would you assess the significance of Serbian President Vucic's current visit to China, especially given the evolving global geopolitical landscape?
Well, I would certainly say that the timing is very interesting, the fact that this visit corresponds with visits by Russian President Vladimir Putin to China, as well as US President Donald Trump to China.
Now, I don't think that this was done on purpose, but I certainly think that there is a powerful political symbolism here, which speaks both about the growing geopolitical significance of China, but as well as the fact that China is effectively positioning itself as a pragmatic power able to communicate with all the actors in the international order, whether it is fellow great powers like US and Russia, or whether even distant European countries, small European countries like Serbia.
China and Serbia agreed to deepen cooperation in areas such as AI, the digital economy, green energy and advanced manufacturing.
From Serbia's perspective, which areas of cooperation are the most important and why?
Well, we have to distinguish several areas.
On one hand, China has been.
When the Chinese more massive economic presence in Serbia began to be established, it revolved primarily around infrastructural projects, as well as the fact that the Chinese were willing to take over all the industrial facilities for which there was no appetite by the European investors, primarily capacities like steel mill and copper mining complex.
But these were all the industry, but I think that the new technologies such as AI
And green technologies certainly speak about the fact that China is also in the process of being transformed, of no longer just being a manufacturer, but that it wants to be a driver of new technologies which will shape 21st century society and 21st century economy.
And so, from the Serbian perspective, China is now important, not just as a potential partner of assuming gold industrial facilities, but also trying to improve Serbia's technological infrastructure and potentially helping Serbia become a more technologically more competitive country economy on the 21st century.
Right.
And we know, Serbia maintains relations with a range of major global actors, including China, the EU, Russia and the United States.
How does the closer cooperation with China fit into Serbia's broader foreign policy priorities today?
Yes.
Well, I think that the bedrock for a present-day partnership between Belgrade and Beijing has been laid in 2008, when the Serbian leadership of that time was primarily impressed with the fact that China did not recognize the independence of Kosovo, which was unilaterally declared that year, as well as the fact that they were very impressed with how Chinese economy proved resilient in the face of the global financial crisis of 2008, unlike the European economies back then.
So, from the standpoint of Serbia, China became both someone who was willing to back Serbia on the principle of territorial integrity, as well as a potential source of economic opportunities.
That's Dr Vuk Vuksanovic, lecturer in foreign policy and grand strategy education at King's College London.
Many European drivers are turning to electric vehicles under record high fuel costs.
In Serbia, Chinese EVs have been rapidly gaining ground in the market.
Industry representatives say Chinese brands are reshaping consumer attitudes in one of Europe's slowest EV markets.
Aljosa Milankovic has more from Belgrade.
On the track, a Chinese electric supercar shows its power.
Chinese manufacturers are also turning heads in Serbia's growing electric vehicle market.
Audience has started looking up to Chinese models and Chinese manufacturers much more thoroughly.
Because before, they didn't trust.
They didn't trust the brands.
They didn't accept actually the cars coming from China.
But now, understanding that the whole packaging is completely different from what they thought it is, interest has been much much much bigger competitive pricing and a wide range of models have put chinese brands in pole position the recent belgrade motor show highlighted that shift in consumer demand just finished motor show belgrade motor show where byd has sold i would not use names but has sold uh more more units than other five european brands combined and when i say brands i see i mean mass producers and very well recognized french and german producers Market watchers have also linked the growing interest in EVs to concern about oil price volatility due to the Iran crisis.
And government subsidies of up to $5,800 for new EV purchases are also sweetening the deal.
For years, Serbia viewed electric vehicles as costly niche products.
But Chinese manufacturers are now pushing EVs much deeper into the mainstream market, forcing even some traditional European brands to adapt faster.
While charging infrastructure is still getting up to speed in Serbia, the EV race is well underway, with Chinese electric vehicles helping to accelerate the transition to cleaner transport.
That was Alio Samlenkovic reporting.
Serbia's economy ministers in eastern China, attending discussions with local leaders from central and eastern European countries.
They've gathered for exchanges on issues such as low-carbon development and the digital economy.
Cao Qufeng reports.
The 7th China CEC Local Leaders Meeting opened on Tuesday in Jinan, Shandong Province.
Chinese State Councilor Shen Yingqing delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony, saying China has consistently approached its relations with Central and Eastern European countries from a strategic and long-term perspective.
She also proposed four initiatives aimed at expanding local-level cooperation across multiple sectors.
Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries.
Known as China CEC Corporation, is a cross-regional platform launched in 2012.
Over the years, it has expanded across a wide range of sectors.
Officials from participating countries attended the meeting and highlighted the progress and results achieved through the platform.
The China-CEEC cooperation mechanism has fully proven over the years that genuine partnership is based not only on economic interests, but also on mutual trust, mutual respect and a shared vision for development.
The very platform for cooperation between China and CEC is an example of how, through dialogue, respect and a shared vision, we can create opportunities for all of us.
The meeting in Jinan placed a particular focus on strengthening local-level cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries.
Participants also stressed the importance of expanding exchanges and collaboration at the regional and grassroots levels, alongside broader national frameworks and bilateral agreements.
Local cooperation, of course, plays a crucial role, because they are the ones who implement new technologies, new know-hows and best practices.
In order to speak about solid cooperation, it must be developed at the local level and within each specific field, such as trade industry, education and healthcare.
Only then can we talk about real results.
Beyond speeches and meetings, what stood out here in Jinan was a shared emphasis on keeping communication and cooperation alive, especially at a time when many parts of the world are becoming more divided.
That was Cao Qufeng in Shandong Province.
And coming up, Japan enacts a law to establish a National Intelligence Council.
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At 23 minutes past the hour, Japanese Parliament's enacted a law to establish a National Intelligence Council.
The legislation comes as Prime Minister Sanai Takeuchi aims to consolidate the country's fragmented intelligence functions under a unified command.
Members of the public are calling for explanation, though protesters are demanding the government prioritize more urgent issues.
Japanese political circles should have recognized that so many people oppose this bill.
I believe it is absolutely unacceptable to force a vote on it.
Otherwise, Japan could very well slide back into the mistaken militarism society.
That is precisely why we are deeply concerned about this.
To prevent this from happening we hope more people will come here and take action.
I hope the government will spend its time improving people's livelihoods.
I wonder if this bill is really necessary right now.
We are demanding a halt to the establishment of the Intelligence Committee.
Issues including constitutional revision and the export of lethal weapons were both being pushed through without sufficient debate.
At a time when even NAFTA is in short supply.
The Japanese government is only focused on accelerating its preparations for war, while the lives of the Japanese people are completely neglected.
This situation makes me absolutely outraged.
Kyoto News said the new law lacks provisions for parliament to monitor intelligence activities, leaving questions regarding democratic oversight unresolved.
And media say the government could establish the council as early as July.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says he's ordered troops to deepen military operations in Lebanon.
He claims the move helps protect communities in northern Israel.
Media reported that Israeli ground forces have begun operating beyond a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.
Israeli military clashed with Hezbollah on Tuesday along a strategic river in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops pushed farther north, days ahead of talks in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli delegations.
Zahra Aldersey has more from Beirut.
Israel escalated its military operations in Lebanon, launching intensive airstrikes on areas in southern Lebanon and the western Bekaa.
Several drone strikes also targeted the area around the Qaraoun Dam.
Several areas also saw forced evacuation orders, including the city of Tyre and its densely populated public housing neighborhood.
This is the public housing area entire.
They are striking the elderly, children and innocent people.
There's no one to target and there's nothing here, only the homes of innocent people.
They issued a warning.
Ambulances came to evacuate the elderly and shortly after, the homes were bombed.
We received an evacuation warning and the people left, all of them children and families.
Among them were displaced people from villages who had fled the south, and this strike came on top of their tragedy.
Hezbollah announced that it had carried out several operations targeting Israeli forces and vehicles in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
This enemy is trying to achieve several goals through bombing, destruction and killing.
First, it is criminal in its nature.
Second, it is trying to drive a wedge between the people and the resistance.
And third, it is seeking to portray itself as victorious, doing everything to claim that it has defeated Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has denounced the existing truce as meaningless without its direct involvement and insists disarmament of the group remains off the table.
That was Zahra Alderzy reporting.
Kenya is considering large-scale ethanol production from sugarcane as part of efforts to stabilize fuel prices and revive its sugar industry.
Speaking at the International Sugar Council meeting, Deputy President Kuthuri Kandiki said the government plans to review sugar laws and introduce fuel blending regulations to support domestic ethanol production.
Agriculture Minister Mutahi Kagwe said Kenya must diversify beyond traditional sugar production to cope with economic and energy pressures.
More than 150 delegates are attending the five-day forum focused on sustainability, innovation and the future of the global sugar industry.
NASA Administrator, Jared Isaacmans, unveiled the first phase of plans for a permanent moon base, awarding contracts to several US companies for lunar landers, rovers and drones.
So we are discussing three moon base missions and a series of additional awards, with more missions to be announced in the months ahead.
Now, Moon Base 1 will be the first privately funded lunar lander mission in history.
The Blue Origin Mark 1 Endurance Lander will deliver multiple payloads to the Shackleton Connecting Ridge, a strategic area of the lunar South Pole.
Firefly Aerospace will send drones to the lunar surface.
NASA hopes the equipment will arrive before astronauts land under the Artemis III mission targeted for 2028.
Isaacman said these territory markers are meant to be respectful of other countries' spacecraft and equipment that might be nearby.
Officials say the moon base will support scientific research, future missions to Mars and the development of a long-term lunar economy.
Europe is facing an intense early season heat wave, with record temperatures reported across many countries.
France recorded its hottest day on record for the month of May, while Britain and Austria also saw unprecedented heat for this time of the year.
The forecast calls for temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius in around 20 European cities this week.
At 29 past the hour, Beijing clear overnight.
Sunny tomorrow, a low of 19.
The high is 28 on Thursday.
Shanghai will be cloudy through tomorrow, a low of 23 and a high of 30.
Chongqing is getting moderate rainfall through tomorrow, a low of 25 and a high of 28.
Nanchang will see some thundershowers.
The low is 23, a high of 30 on Thursday.
Less is getting moderate rainfall tonight and tomorrow.
A low of 8 and a high of 18.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad will be cloudy, 26 degrees for a low, 39 for the high.
Vientiane will see a light rainfall tonight and tomorrow, a low of 25 and a high of 35 degrees Celsius.
It's time for a short break so far this hour.
China's calling on the international community to step up support for the UN Charter.
The Serbian president's in Zhejiang province as he continues his state visit in China.
And Japan's enacted a law to establish a National Intelligence Council.
As protesters demand explanation for that move,
Shane Bingham with you.
Stay with us here on The Beijing Hour.
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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?
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Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour, one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host.
Shane Begum with you on this Wednesday.
Still to come, in business, China's industrial profits for the year so far are booming.
In sports, Chinese tennis stars continue to shine at the French Open.
In culture and entertainment, a Grammy-winning jazz singer is given a performance in Beijing.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn.com or follow our ex-account at CGTN Radio.
But now with the check of the day's headlines, here's Tam.
Thank you, Shane.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has expressed a hope that the Czech Republic will take more positive and constructive measures to improve bilateral ties.
Speaking with the Czech Foreign Minister on the sidelines of a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York, Wang said major countries should take the lead in supporting small and medium-sized countries and in safeguarding peace and stability.
He said China is willing to make joint efforts to remove disruptions and obstacles, improve bilateral relations and revive the traditional friendship.
Wang Yi also met with his counterparts from Bahrain and Indonesia.
He expressed a hope for the immediate return of peace and tranquility in the Gulf region and the Middle East and pledged joint efforts in advancing cooperation.
China has announced that the senior Communist Party of China official, Chen Wenqing, will attend the international meeting of high representatives for security issues in Russia.
The senior official will also pay a visit to Russia and Kazakhstan.
His trip begins on Wednesday and will last until Monday.
Israel says it has killed Mohamed Odeh, the newly appointed commanding chief of Hamas' armed wing, in a strike in Gaza.
Defense Minister Israel Katz's announcement comes 11 days after the deaths of Odeh's predecessor, Ezz al-Din al-Haddad.
Gaza health officials said three people, including a woman, were killed and more than 20 others wounded in the Israeli attack on Gaza City's Rimel neighborhood.
There has been no immediate comment from Hamas.
Iran has reportedly demanded the release of US24 billion of frozen assets during the negotiations with Washington on ending the war.
Tehran says half of the amount must be available, the announcement of a memorandum of understanding between the two sides, while the rest must be transferred within 60 days.
A source close to Iran's negotiating team says Tehran is proceeding with great caution amid the US record of breaking promises.
A high-level Iranian delegation visited Qatar on Monday for talks with local officials on a possible peace agreement with the US.
Scientists in Britain are developing a new vaccine to fight the rare Bundibuji strain of Ebola.
Behind the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The current strain has no approved vaccine or treatment.
Health workers are racing to trace contacts and isolate cases, but mistrust and violence have hampered efforts.
Several Ebola treatment centers have been attacked in recent days.
Oxford scientist Professor Teresa Lambie says researchers are speeding up vaccine development by running tests in parallel, but safety checks cannot be skipped.
So truthfully, I think contact tracing and case isolation is absolutely the first thing that we should be doing and are doing in country, the WHO and the government bodies.
And that is what we should be focusing to make sure that we've got all of the potential cases identified and hopefully, under control.
The World Health Organization says Ebola cases are nearing 1000.
As aid cuts and conflict weaken disease surveillance in the eastern DRC,
Authorities in Washington state say at least 10 people, including a firefighter, suffered injuries after a chemical tank imploded at the Pulp and Paper Mill.
Longview Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Gosuch says the blast happened Tuesday morning, causing critical injuries and fatalities.
We're here to provide an update regarding this morning's industrial incident at Nippon Dynamaid Packaging, located on Industrial Way in Longview.
At approximately 7.15, emergency responders were dispatched to the following rupture of a tank containing white liquor at the facility.
Multiple agencies from across the region responded immediately and continued to operate on scene.
The incident is stable but is in recovery phase.
Recovery efforts remain underway at the facility.
Authorities have not yet confirmed how many workers were killed or remain missing.
Some victims suffered burns and inhalation injuries.
Emergency crews are continuing recovery operations at the site.
Officials say there is no immediate threat to the public and the identities of victims will not be released until relatives have been notified.
Thank you very much.
That's Tian Liu with Headlines.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour.
Coming up in business, China's industrial profits for the year so far are booming.
Thank you, Shane.
Stock markets on the Chinese mainland closed lower on Wednesday.
The Shanghai composite was down nearly 1.3%, and the Shenzhen component lost almost 0.9%.
Cinema and battery enterprises were among the top gainers.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index declined over 1%, and in Japan, the Nikkei remained almost flat.
China's industrial production landscape continues to improve.
Profits at the country's industrial firms rose more than 18 on a yearly basis during the first four months of the year.
This marks an acceleration of 2.7 points from the growth rate recorded through the first quarter.
The equipment manufacturing industry sustained double-digit profit growth during the period.
Electronic sector profits more than doubled, serving as a key driver in the sector.
High-tech manufacturing also maintained faster growth, with profits up around 45% from a year ago.
For more analysis.
Lincoln Humphreys spoke with Professor Zhang Gong at the University of International Business and Economics.
So what is your assessment of the profit performance of China's industrial enterprises in the first four months of this year, and which sectors stood out to you?
I think the statistical release by the Statistics Bureau National Statistics Bureau is mostly a story about corporate profits.
I mean, just better performance from a profit perspective.
You're seeing.
We're seeing double digit growth of profitability in quite a few sectors particularly, as you mentioned, in high-end manufacturing, in semiconductor business, in equipment or industrial equipment manufacturing.
And I would roughly call them.
You know these frontier technology areas where these companies are doing very, very well.
I think it's very rare to see that you know basically across the board improvement probability for quite some time.
And this is actually remarkable, a very good storyline for for stock market in the last few days.
As you say, the numbers this year so far very, very good.
But how would you describe the broader current trajectory and trends of china's industrial economy right now?
Are we seeing broad stabilization or still a bit of an uneven recovery?
Yeah, I think we're still very much in the mode of sort of uneven growth.
Clearly we're seeing, you know, stagnated growth or, if any, growth in quite a few sectors, in the old industries.
Things, for example, related to real estate construction.
You know, these things are still stagnating, kind of stagnant.
But, on the other hand, we're seeing, as I said, what I call the frontier industries, frontier technology, technology industries.
I mean, these are growing very fast.
They're cutting edge stuff.
You know things related to AI, robotics and across the board, I think Chinese companies are doing very, very well.
This is my guess, is this is very much to the industrial policy in place by the government, but also by corporate China themselves.
We are seeing very vibrant VC activities.
And also, I think the memory storm is also hitting China as well.
I mean, China is now left behind without being affected.
Clearly we have quite a few very good memory-making companies, and I think their success is also spreading to the semiconductor business as well.
And that was Professor Zhang Gong at the University of International Business and Economics, talking about China's industrial production.
The People's Bank of China has issued the fourth and fifth batches of 2026 central bank bills in Hong Kong.
Each batch has an issuance volume of 15 billion yuan, or around 2.2 billion US dollars.
The fourth batch has a term of 91 days and a win-in-bid interest rate of around 11, while the fifth batch has a term of one year and a win-in-bid interest rate of over 13.
Since February, the People's Bank of China has issued 140 billion yuan of central bank bills in Hong Kong through five batches.
China has sent a new communication satellite into space from the Wenchang spacecraft launch site in Hainan province.
The satellite is primarily for verifying multi-band high-speed satellite communication technologies.
China's second domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Flora City, has returned to port in Shanghai after completing a 12-day maiden sea trial.
A team of over 900 professionals from 12 countries completed nearly 150 tests and verification tasks during the trial, assessing the ship's automation systems, safety and emissions.
Chief Commander Chen Gang says the trial proceeded smoothly and laid a solid foundation for the ship to be delivered on schedule.
According to China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the vessel completed all required trial items in a single voyage, compared with two sea trials for the first domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City.
The ship is scheduled for delivery on November 6 and will operate international routes from the Nansha International Cruise Home Port in Guangzhou.
The latest Case-Shiller Home Price Index shows that the U.S. housing market slowed down in March.
The index rose 0.7% on a yearly basis last month, representing a slight decline from February.
Karina Mitchell has more.
So this Kay Schiller report was a bit of a disappointment because we saw housing prices come down.
But now you might think that's a good problem to have because we're dealing with a housing affordability crisis in the US.
But you've got to look at it in tandem with mortgage rates. which have been climbing steadily.
In fact, Freddie Mac says the average for a 30-year fixed mortgage came in at 6.51% this week.
That's higher than the previous week.
As I say, they've been climbing steadily.
Add on to that higher property taxes and home insurance costs.
It really is making it very unaffordable for some home buyers to jump into the market.
And then if you want to sell your home, you definitely don't want to sell it into a market where you're seeing such a broad swath of declines, according to the data in this Case-Shiller report.
And if you're trying to refinance, also not the best environment when rates potentially could climb higher.
So we are seeing some weakness in the housing sector.
That's borne out in April sales, which came in basically flat.
But this Case-Shiller index did see growth in cities like Chicago and New York.
Seems to be an anomaly.
We saw growth there, gains of 4%.
I spoke to one real estate expert in New York to see what higher energy costs tied to the tensions in the Strait of Hormuz is doing overall to the sector and to his business when it comes to rising construction costs.
Take a listen.
Anytime you have a rise in fuel and oil costs, that tends to flow through the construction supply chain.
Think aluminum, glass, stone.
I think we'd have to anticipate and underwrite a little bit higher numbers for cost of construction.
But hopefully this is temporary.
And I think equity and lenders and any buyers and renters, everybody is a little bit more skittish when there's volatility.
So um, you know, we hope that there's a resolution there soon.
In our portfolio we've been uh you know lucky to have been doing well.
Our for sale product has been selling.
I think the consumers have really adjusted and adapted to the higher rate environment.
And, you know, listen, in the grand scheme of things, the mid 6%.
Mortgage, historically speaking, is not extreme on the long-term standard.
So I think we'll be fine.
But in New York City, we've seen consistent and steady appetite for buyers.
The rental products is hitting all-time high rents.
We're getting really good retention on tenants, seeing a lot less turnover.
At our core.
We're really a construction company and we continue to focus on craftsmanship and delivering high-quality product.
Now Braun says he's optimistic over the next 12 to 24 months and he says that is because New York has shown a lot of resiliency.
But he does admit and acknowledge that that is not the case in many other cities across the country.
And that was Corita Mitchell reporting.
And finally, US consumer confidence dropped slightly in May as persistently high gasoline prices and inflation continue to strain household budgets.
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index dipped 07 points to 931, down from an upwardly revised 938 in April.
The present situation index, which is based on consumer assessments of current business and labour market conditions, retreated by 32 points to 1212.
The expectations index based on consumer short-term outlook for income, business and labour market conditions, rose by 1 point to 744.
According to the conference board, consumer confidence edged downward in May as the inflationary impacts of the war in the Middle East intensified.
The decline in the conference board's metrics, aligned with a separate gauge for consumer sentiment compiled by the University of Michigan, which dropped to a record low this month.
Thank you very much.
That's Tianyu with Business.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour.
Coming up in sports.
Chinese tennis stars continue to shine at the French Open.
Sideline story brings you all things sports related the hottest topics, latest events, juiciest stories, all with a very personal take.
Subscribe to sideline story podcast for heated sports discussions covering events that are happening in china and around the world.
47 pass and turning to sports now.
Here is Yang Guang.
Thank you, Shane.
In tennis at the French Open.
Following her first-round win in the women's singles event, Wang Xinyu and her partner have also booked a place in the second round of the doubles event.
Former champions Wang and He Suwei cruised past Daria Kasatkina and Camila Osorio in straight sets.
I think I quite enjoyed this match and we did breeze through it.
The first set was a bit difficult as our opponents broke first, but we gradually adjusted ourselves and took control of the match.
Then we were able to extend our lead quickly in the second set and wrap up the match efficiently.
Guo Hanyu and Kristina Mladenovic rally to beat their opponents in three sets.
Zhang Shui has suffered a first-round defeat but will continue competing at the tournament in two doubles events.
In the men's singles, top-ranked Yannick Sinner has expressed happiness after beginning the tournament with a night session win.
He cruised past Clement Taboua in three sets, extending his winning streak to 30 matches.
Starting off a tournament is always very special, and playing Night Session is very nice.
He's a very good competitor, so I was looking forward to it.
We had some really good rallies, so I'm very happy about the level of first-round matches.
As I said, they're never easy, so I'm very happy.
Cena has won five straight tournaments.
He hasn't lost since February.
Cena aims to become the first Italian man to win in Paris since Adriano Panetta 50 years ago.
Facundo Diaz, a co-star, defeated China's Zhang Zhijun in straight sets to claim his first ever main draw victory at the French Open.
It's also the third Grand Slam match win of his career.
In football.
Maurizio Pochettino has defended his lack of communication with the players he cut from the USA's World Cup squad.
After informing the 26 players who made the roster on Friday via a video message posted in a newly created group chat, the Argentinian didn't contact those left out, saying it was a matter of respect.
Soon after, those selected received an email officially confirming their place.
I understand the player.
They didn't make the roster.
They don't want to hear me to say, oh, apologize, oh, whatever.
I care.
Do you know why I care?
Because during two weeks, I didn't sleep.
And today still I can't enjoy the 26 guys that are in front of me, because I am thinking in players that are out.
That is about to get, is not to call.
Because if I call, it's about myself.
I say, oh, I call, I am very human about calling and then giving explanation.
Juventus midfielder West McKinney and AC Milan forward Christian Pulisic are among the players on the US squad.
With 15 days to go until the start of the World Cup, excitement is building in North America.
But it's also been tempered by reports of sky-high ticket prices for the games in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Peter Oliver reports from Germany.
For football supporters, the World Cup remains the ultimate pilgrimage.
But ahead of football's biggest showcase, European fans are wondering whether following their team has simply become too expensive.
So for now, it's pretty far.
It's not just around the corner and it's very expensive.
Across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Preparations are well underway for what FIFA says will be the biggest World Cup in history.
In Atlanta, covered stadium pictures have been carefully maintained under artificial grow lights, while in New York, a row between hotels and the unions representing their staff has now been settled ahead of the arrival of throngs of travelling supporters.
Some fans are making the journey to the United States despite missing out on tickets.
We are flying on the 1st of July and staying till the 29th of July.
We tried to get tickets to the VM.
We had six people logged in and none of us got drawn for any of the events in any of the draws.
So you're going but you don't have tickets?
No, we don't have tickets but we have reservations at some sports bars.
But even those making the trip say prices have gone too far.
The prices exceeded what we were willing to pay.
It's too expensive.
For younger supporters, like football coach and England fan Kyle Ashton, attending a modern World Cup is increasingly becoming a luxury, and one that some are prepared to take risky financial action to afford.
100%.
I've got a flatmate up in Scotland.
He is a Scotland diehard, goes to all the games, and he's finally got his last group game ticket.
And I think that came to a total of around $1,900 he's paid for the three tickets.
And he's dipping into his final student loan.
Fans are still willing to travel across the world to follow their teams, but many now wonder whether ordinary supporters are slowly being priced out of football's biggest event.
That was Peter Oliver reporting.
In the NBA, Shea Gilgeous Alexander scored 32 points and Oklahoma's Homer City Thunder beat the Spurs 127-114 to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference Finals.
Alex Caruso and the 22 off the bench while rookie Jared McCain scored 20 in his first playoff start.
Victor Wimbanyama had 20 points but shot just 4 of 15.
Game 6 is Thursday in San Antonio.
And finally, in the CBA finals, the Shanghai Sharks have rallied past defending champion Georgian Lions 101-90 to take a 1-0 lead in the finals.
Kenneth Lofton Jr exceeded early with a shoulder injury, but Brandon Goodwin stepped up with 34 points and 12 assists.
Game 2 will be played in Shanghai on Thursday.
Thank you very much.
That's Yang Guang with sports.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour.
Coming up in culture and entertainment.
A Grammy-winning jazz singer has given a performance in Beijing.
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53 past the hour.
Now turning to culture and entertainment.
Two-time Grammy award-winning jazz vocalist has performed at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing.
Shen Li spoke with Kurt Elling about China's growing passion for jazz music.
Here's the thing about jazz, it never plays the same twice, and that's the beauty of it.
Nearly 10 years ago, Kurt Eileen played to a Beijing audience for the very first time and had them spellbund with that exact magic.
The audience got to feel that thrill all over again.
And that thrill was on full display.
Intricate solos, tight ensemble playing and the electricity of musical conversations unfolding in real time.
There's so many different new people.
And then there are some people God bless them who've heard me before and who choose to come out again.
So I try to kind of light a fire under everybody and just be as hospitable as I can be and make everybody feel at home.
This concert is more than just a show.
It's the snapshot of jazz rise in China.
Over the past decade, the genre has gained a loyal and growing following.
Festivals like Montreux now have permanent additions here, and local music lovers are embracing the change with open ears.
Jazz is pretty relaxing, not so highbrow.
It's a great way to unwind after a long day.
You can really feel more people tuning in to jazz now.
More gigs, more choices.
It just keeps getting better.
The artist also points out that jazz, by its very nature, is ready to absorb musical elements from other cultures.
Any melodies that are beautiful can be adapted into the world of jazz and jazz will absorb it.
And I don't know enough about traditional Chinese music to know where that goes.
I'm hoping to get a lot more experience with it.
But whatever jazz encounters, when it finds something that's beautiful, it wants to absorb it.
So I won't be a bit surprised if, in 20 years, there's a whole new stream of compositions that are happening.
The world of jazz based on its encounter with china for we have fallen to a place where everything is music and singing From a single night of midnight rose to a future full of cross-cultural possibilities.
Jazz in China is only just beginning to play its next note.
That was Shen Li reporting.
Kazakhstan is set to hold an AI-focused film festival.
The Astana International AI Film Festival will kick off in September.
Organizers say submissions are now open for AI-generated short films.
The main competition theme is the future worth living in, with an open category offering five awards.
A selection committee will pick 25 finalists and winners will be chosen by an international jury.
The festival also plans screenings, AI exchanges and pitch events, with hopes of becoming an annual international platform.
Russian and Chinese classical musicians have performed at the Chongqing Grand Theatre as part of the China-Russia Years of Education.
Artists from Chongqing and the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory presented more than 10 works.
Organizers say art education will play a major role in strengthening friendship and cultural ties between the two countries and China-Vietnam audiovisual cultural exchange events taking place in Hanoi.
The event recreated scenes from popular Chinese shows like Journey to the West and Sisters Who Make Waves.
Actress Liu Shixue appeared and Vietnamese audiences enjoyed calligraphy and Kongming lanterns or Chinese sky lanterns.
We're at 57 past, checking the forecast before we go.
Beijing's clear overnight, sunny tomorrow, a low of 19, the high is 28.
Shanghai will be cloudy tonight and tomorrow, a low of 23 and a high of 30.
Chongqing is getting moderate rainfall through tomorrow, a low of 25 and a high of 28.
Nancheng will see thundershowers, a low of 23 and a high of 30 on Thursday.
Alaska will have moderate rainfall through tomorrow, a low of 8 and a high of 18 degrees.
Also in Asia, Islamabad's cloudy.
It's down to 26 degrees, a high of 39 tomorrow.
Vientiane will see a light rainfall through tomorrow, a low of 25 and a high of 35.
And that's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making news today.
China's calling on the international community to step up support for the UN Charter and the Serbian presidents in Zhejiang province as he continues a state visit in China.
On behalf of the staff.
This is Shane Bigham 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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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?
And what are the locals doing to cope with it?
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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, talked 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.
