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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 Monday, May 26th, 2025.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program, the Chinese premiers in Malaysia were the first summit between ASEAN and Gulf countries in China.
Russian Ukraine have held their largest prisoner exchange since the start of their conflict.
The US presidents delayed new tariffs on the European Union just a couple of days after announcing them.
In business China is rolling out an action plan for digital and intelligent supply chains.
In sports, China finishes strong at the World Table Tennis Championships.
In culture and entertainment, the Chinese directors won a special award at the Cannes Film Festival.
Now checking the day's top stories.
Chinese Premier Li Cheng is in Malaysia to attend the first summit among ASEAN, China and the Gulf countries.
The meeting, involving 17 nations, aims to speed multilateral cooperation.
China said it hopes to expand cooperation with countries in Southeast Asia and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council to safeguard the common interests of the global south.
ASEAN foreign ministers are already meeting to prepare for the talks.
Current ASEAN chair Malaysia called for unity amid global trade tensions.
Ryan Meltzer has more from Kuala Lumpur.
Amid all the neighbourly camaraderie, ASEAN foreign ministers had much serious business to attend to.
Not least the global economic uncertainty, triggered by the U .S.'s tariff threats and its trade tensions with China, ASEAN's biggest trading partner.
We must respond to the potential fall out from global trade disruptions together with cohesion and solidarity and strategic autonomy as one ASEAN community.
This collective effort will enable ASEAN to weather challenges, minimize impact on our people.
But unlike the EU, ASEAN won't be able to negotiate as a bloc, with suggested US tariff rates varying from just 10 % for Singapore to more than 40 % for Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Every country is a sovereign nation.
Therefore, we will definitely support each other in ASEAN to continue their bilateral negotiations.
We continue to stand behind the principles of multilateralism, where we believe in the rule -based multilateral trading, global trading order with WTO at its core.
As so often in the past, Myanmar loomed large over the meetings with the country mired in civil war, and even the recent massive earthquake barely bringing a lull to the conflict.
ASEAN remains committed to seeing Myanmar's military leaders make progress on the so -called 5 -point consensus peace plan they agreed with the other ASEAN countries.
You want to see a long -term ceasefire, non -violence, at the same time to have an inclusive dialogue and of course, to scale up I think this world is clear, they are insistent to assist the people of Myanmar. Once again, ASEAN will not allow any representatives of Myanmar's military to attend this week's meetings, though they can still send a non -political, civilian technocrat to represent that country, as they did at last year's ASEAN meetings.
That was Ryan Meltzer on discussions in Malaysia about regional cooperation.
cooperation. We spoke with ASEAN China Centre Secretary General, Shi Zhengjun, on how the two sides can strengthen regional cooperation amid U .S. tariff threats.
He says recent U .S. trade measures have made protectionism more obvious.
However, we could see a completely different picture in our region.
Confronting unilateral reason and the protectionism ASEAN China set us very successful example of seeking win -win results and integrated development through mutually beneficial cooperation.
The two sides should make full use of the two advantages at least. First, leveraging large combined markets with a total population of over two billion people, a quarter of the global total.
China and ASEAN represent the world's largest economic emergence in terms of scale.
Together, they form a demographic and the consumer powerhouse with unmatched growth potential.
Second, unlocking the complementary strength of the two sides.
China's industrial capacity and technological leadership from AI to green technology could accelerate the modernization of ASEAN countries.
with its comprehensive industrial system, robust manufacturing capabilities, infrastructure and a digital expertise, China is a pivotal force in driving ASEAN's industrial upgrade and digital transformation.
That was the ASEAN China Center Secretary -General on the complementary nature of cooperation.
Ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council have met with ASEAN ministers in Kuala Lumpur in discussed accelerating regional economic integration.
Their talks also cover diversifying markets and charting new paths for collaboration.
Chair Professor Rongying at Sichuan University says the three -way meeting among China, ASEAN, and GCC brings new hope for Asia.
The initiative or the idea, I think, China and ASEAN working closely with other parties, with the third party that have been going on for quite a long time.
But I think the very fact that in a very sort of special way by agreeing and also I think having Premier Li Chang to attend that first ever summit again is a very good example of that.
And of course, the mechanism itself means a lot, not only in terms of a sort of creative way in promoting Asian integration.
But I think the very fact that this mechanism now is taking place as we establish will provide a very good opportunity to tap the potential and complementarity of three big development blocks.
China, certainly, ASEAN as well, and GCC, where the three of them has already enjoyed a very close economic and trade relationship bilaterally.
Now putting them together not only, I think, provide them more a new platform, but they also, I think, equally send a strong signal that ASEAN can manage their affairs.
More importantly, ASEAN agree.
ASEAN and Asia can provide the answer in terms of how to manage uncertainties.
That was Professor Rong -In on cross regional cooperation in Asia.
And ahead of his trip to Malaysia, Chinese Premier Li Cheng paid an official visit to Indonesia and stressed peaceful coexistence and the Bandung spirit in talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
The two countries pledged closer cooperation and better strategic coordination.
Premier Li urged both sides to make a bigger pie of cooperation, strengthen industrial integration and safeguard free trade.
He told Chinese enterprises in Indonesia that Beijing's made full preparations for external shocks.
He pledged efforts to create a favourable environment for the overseas development of Chinese companies.
The Premier also said China's exploring new policy tools, including some unconventional measures, in order to respond to evolving circumstances in a timely manner.
Twenty -nine Asian and countries gathered in Bandung, Indonesia in 1955 under the flag of solidarity, friendship and cooperation, marking the awakening of the part of the world now known as the global south.
Asean member Indonesia has prioritized sustainability at the heart of global investment, from electric vehicles to green energy and digital education, the country is deepening its Belt and Road cooperation with China to shape a more inclusive and low carbon future.
Silkyina Aliwalia has more from Jakarta.
The first Global Enterprise Summit brought together business leaders, policymakers, and innovators, all united by one goal, investing in life -changing projects for a better world.
We unveiled nine inspiring VRI for SDGs pilot projects, from low carbon innovation and digital education through ethnical mining and inclusive village development.
We forge new partnerships and investments that support Indonesia's long -term goals and demonstrate global solidarity through actions.
For Indonesia and China, this summit signals a deepening partnership in clean energy and technology -driven development.
China has become a key investor in Indonesia's electric vehicle ecosystem, supporting the full value chain from nickel processing to battery production.
So actually Indonesia has a potential for the green.
We have the potential capacity of energy close to 3700 megawatt is coming from solar, tidal, wind and then also the other one.
And then, but the number is quietly so small.
So we need the technology partner and then we need also the investment fund to come to our countries to grow.
These collaborations are part of the Belt and Road's evolution from hard infrastructure to smart and sustainable projects.
All around Indonesia we're seeing the impact of Belt and Road partnerships.
cleaner energy, faster transport, and a better electric vehicle industry.
With China investing in everything from solar tech to battery production, this collaboration is helping Indonesia move forward into a greener and more connected future.
During the summit, the attention went beyond mega projects, it also highlighted small and medium businesses in rural communities, with programs promising to support development and digital connectivity.
The event closed with a joint declaration, committing companies across the Belt and Road network to align their operations with the United Nation's sustainable development goals.
That was Silkina Oluwalia reporting.
Coming up, Russia and Ukraine swap prisoners.
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At 12 minutes past the hour Russia and Ukraine have swapped hundreds more prisoners as the last part of a larger exchange.
It was the largest swap since the conflict began more than three years ago.
Kievan Moscow agreed to exchange 1 ,000 prisoners each during talks in Istanbul earlier this month.
Meantime, officials in Ukraine have reported the largest aerial attack from Russia since hostilities began.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is calling on global powers to consider stronger sanctions against Russia.
Audrey McAlpine has more.
Widespread damage across Ukraine, and even children were some of the casualties as young as 8, 12 and 17.
Three children were among those 12 killed here in Kiev, as well.
Videos surfacing all around social media of people building hallway beds.
People that I've spoke with saying they were extremely tired, they've been sleeping in hallways to keep themselves safe from these incoming attacks.
Even Yulia Sridenko, Ukraine's deputy prime minister, calling it a night of terror.
I was with Zelensky in the presidential offices last week and he outlined that he hopes for possibly future talks, maybe to take place in the Vatican or again in Turkey or possibly in Switzerland.
But he said that whoever would organize this would have to make sure that it was a high level delegation.
He didn't go as far as to say that it must be with the Russian President, but that it must be a high -level delegation.
Again, also on the topic is sanctions.
Of course, the EU and the UK passed their 17th sanctions package on May the 20th, but still no sanctions package from the US.
And Zelensky referred to that in his post, saying that the US needed to be a big player in possibly stopping this war.
Of course, it would be their sanctions that maybe could push Russia to the negotiating table.
That was Audrey McAlpine in Kiev.
Russia said it shot down Ukrainian drones, including some targeting Moscow.
Aviation authorities imposed temporary flight restrictions at all four airports in the capital city.
Dasha Chernyshova has more from Moscow.
Well, we are hearing from the Russian Ministry of Defense the confirmation that more than 100 Ukrainian drones have been shot down overnight over the regions of the country.
13 of them at least over the Moscow region they were attempting to target the Russian capital and we are hearing from Moscow mayor Sergei Savinin that more drones have been shut down throughout the day.
Moscow has been previously saying that it would respond to the intensification of those Ukrainian attacks against the Russian regions.
The Russian minister of defense has confirmed that 880 military and 120 civilians have been swapped as part of this unprecedented, largest -ever prisoner swoop, and Moscow has confirmed that this development does give hope that in the coming time there will be a more positive atmosphere for the negotiations, according to Alexander Famine, the Deputy Defense Minister who participated in the talks in Istanbul.
This is indeed a very hopeful development and Moscow has earlier been saying that the The very idea that Moscow initiated the swap, it has completed in a very short period of time, is only proving that Moscow is willing to continue the negotiation.
We now hear from the Russian officials that Russia's memorandum on how it sees the end to this conflict is almost done and it is indeed expected to be passed over to the Ukrainian side following the completion of this prisoner swap.
However, we also see in the intensification of the Russian activities when it comes to the creation of the so -called buffer zone on the Ukrainian territory with the Russian Ministry of Defense confirming more gains on the sumi and hard keep direction." That was Dasha Chernyshova reporting.
The director of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has resigned, saying it's impossible to implement the group's aid plan while adhering to the principles of humanity, neutrality and independence, the organizations responsible for distributing aid in Gaza using an Israeli -initiated plan.
The foundation said it'll begin delivering aid on Monday, Yolo Abdafed reports.
People in Gaza are once again forced to march from the north towards the south.
They're told they'll be safer.
But Israeli air strikes can happen anywhere and at any time since October 2023.
The main enemy is hunger.
Thousands of children are underfed.
their parents are malnourished after an almost total blockade of humanitarian help in the Gaza Strip.
I've been standing since this morning and everyone's pushing.
The numbers are huge just to get food.
Everyone's rushing in.
How can I fill my plate?
I can't. Every day is like this.
In the face of increasing international condemnation, Israeli and US authorities promise to share food before the end of May.
Israel's current plan is to license an organization called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to deliver essential aid directly to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, it says with security, impartiality and urgency when the scheme starts, it promises to distribute 300 million meals in the first three months.
The foundation will create four distribution sites that are meant to serve 1 .2 million Palestinians more than half the people in the region.
There are rumors of foreign funding according to one anonymous source of up to 100 million US dollars and the aid being supervised by foreign mercenaries.
Between five and six hundred aid trucks daily were needed to deliver aid into Gaza before this latest war.
Basic human needs are increasing as tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed and their homes destroyed.
Professional aid organisations say they are being side -lined and disputes that this plan will improve the lives of those who are in need.
It sets an unacceptable precedent for aid delivery not just in the OPT but around the world.
It restricts aid to only one part of Gaza while leaving other dire needs unmet.
It makes aid conditional on political and military aims. It makes starvation a bargaining chip.
After decades of cast -iron military support for successive Israeli governments, this current US Administration says it's troubled by the Palestinian humanitarian situation.
Israel controls how much aid is allowed into Gaza.
For almost three months, barely any food has reached those in need.
As the war continues and hostages still being detained, the plight of Palestinian civilians is increasingly perilous." That was Yolo Apdafid on difficulties in delivering aid to desperate Palestinians.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albarra says the two -state solution is the only viable solution, the unrest in the Middle East. He made the remarks as the Spanish foreign ministry hosted a G5 -plus international meeting to exchange opinions on ways to push for a two -state solution to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
There is no alternative to the two -state solution.
What is the alternative?
Killing all the Palestinians?
Of course not. Deporting them to who knows where, soon someone will suggest deporting them to the Moon.
Of course not. Creating some kind of reserve for them, it is not possible.
Therefore the two -state solution is the only alternative for this to be the last war and not just another war in the Middle East. A meeting brought together European and Arab nations to push for an end to Israel's offensive in Gaza.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said that pressure on Israel and the US is positive.
Obviously, Israel is dependent on its partners in Europe and the United States.
and I think if these countries do take serious actions, Israel will actually listen.
So I think there is a benefit from doing it.
And by the way, this should hopefully mean peace and security for the whole region.
So it's not just a punishment.
I think it's hopefully a way to change behavior that will bring more security and peace for everybody, including Israelis, by the way.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Bader Abdulladi said that Israel lacked political will, which is the main problem.
Meantime, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abella announced that the country will officially recognize Palestine as a state.
Syria is experiencing a severe water shortage following its driest winter in almost 70 years.
Authorities are urging residents to reduce water consumption, warning that drought could worsen in the summer.
Some are hoping that the easing of U .S. sanctions on Syria could helped the government respond more effectively to the crisis.
Haider Kazwini has more from Damascus.
This spring the water dries inside the ruins of a Roman temple, supplying the Syrian capital with clean drinking water for thousands of years.
Now only a trickle can be seen after Syria recorded the lowest winter rainfall in decades.
This year we're experiencing a new situation.
The rainfall in Syria and in neighbouring countries was very poor.
We recorded only 20 % of the annual rainfall, and this was reflected in the flow of water from this spring, which usually floods from February to June, but this year the water did not even emerge.
The annual Fijian Spring and the Perga River at its feet are the main source of water for more than 5 million people.
Government officials warn the drought situation could become worse during the summer and are urging residents to use water sparingly.
This year we have taken measures, we're activating the rationing of water.
Damascus used to be supplied with water on a daily basis, but now will be supplied with water every other day and we're instructed the water rationing.
Poor rainfall is also affecting food security for millions of people, as the Syrian government takes measures to limit crop cultivation that requires too much water.
Muhammad has been a farmer for over 12 years in rural Damascus.
He says this is the worst year he has ever experienced, as his wheat crop has fell.
While vegetables are struggling to grow due to the poor rainfall and water wells being at their lowest ever level.
Due to poor rainfall, we are facing a lack of water and we are trying to get by.
The crops this year are very bad.
Many have grown wheat, but all are wasted.
I grow peas and they must be water every five days but in our current condition we water them every ten days so it won't produce as you row it is hope that sanctions relief recently announced by the US administration will help increase energy supply posterior and contribute to easing the water shortage and we act the water crisis is categorized into two parts one is linked to the groundwater and the precipitation and this has nothing to do with the government but the second part is linked the energy needed to pump water from the wells.
More energy for electricity means more hours to pump water into resident homes and this will alleviate the water crisis.
Syria is mired in protracted crises generated by years of ravaging gold and crippling sanctions.
Now with the lifting of those sanctions and the reintegration of Syria into the international system, a new dawn emerged with the hope that it can bring solutions to Syrian people's daily challenges.
That was a report from Syria about the prospects for a better life after the lifting of sanctions.
Coming up, the US President delays tariffs days after announcing them.
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Twenty -four minutes past the hour, U .S. President Donald Trump has said his country will delay implementation of a 50 % tariff on goods from the European Union from June 1st until July 9th, to buy time for negotiations with the bloc.
The agreement came after a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
We had a very nice call and I agreed to move it.
I believe June 9th it would be July 9th would be the day.
That was the date she requested.
Could we move it from June 1st to July 9th?
And I agreed to do that.
And that she said we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out.
Von der Leyen said in a post on X she had a good call with US President Donald Trump.
In early April Trump set a 90 -day window for trade talks for the EU and the US which was to end on July 9th.
In a social media post Friday, Trump threatened to impose the 50 per cent tariff on EU goods complaining that the bloc had been very difficult to deal with on trade.
Britain's King Charles is on a visit to Canada showing support for the nation as US President Trump covets it as the 51st state.
Charles will open a parliament in Ottawa on Tuesday.
The first time a British monarch has carried out that duty since Queen Elizabeth did it 68 years ago.
Residents in Toronto said they had mixed feelings about the royal visit.
With the tariffs and the trade that's going on, the trade war, if the British monarchy plays a more active role in Canadian politics, and standing up for Canada, then I welcome the British monarchy, but I just find personally that he's been very silent.
I would say they're symbolic more of a historical power, but I do recognize the connection to Great Britain allows us autonomy over our bully state to the south, which is particularly worrisome with the current political leadership of Donald J.
Trump and J .D. Vance.
Not to get overly political.
Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to annex Canada, a proposition fiercely rebuffed by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Charles has made subtle signals of his backing for Canada, including wearing Canadian medals, and calling himself the King of Canada.
However, he faces a tricky balancing act as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is working to keep Trump onside over Ukraine and trade ties.
A senior education policy advocate warns that U .S. President Donald Trump's crackdown on foreign research partnerships and international student enrollment is threatening universities across the U .S. and not just Harvard. Sarah Spreitezer is the chief of staff for government relations at the American Council on Education.
She said many schools are facing federal pressure, citing other major academic institutions.
We've seen other letters sent to like the University of California system, University of California Berkeley, I think has been being questioned about those partnerships.
So, I don't think it's just Harvard for members of Congress, it's other institutions of higher education.
Tensions have intensified between the White House and Harvard University.
Last week, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration's attempt to bar the prestigious university from enrolling international students just hours after Harvard filed a lawsuit challenging the policy change.
Spreitzer warned that the potential enrollment decline could have serious consequences for higher education and the broader economy.
Students at Harvard University have also criticized Trump's move that blocks the university from enrolling international students.
I think it will impact the schools negatively and I think the US will lose a lot of respect from international schools as well.
I think Trump's decision to ban international students from Harvard University is a tragic mistake.
Over 25 % of the student body is international at Harvard. This isn't a small group of students and punishing all students at Harvard is what this decision really does by stealing the opportunity to learn from the global community, which is one of Harvard's greatest assets.
And critics argue the move could have long -term repercussions for America's competitiveness in higher education.
Tens of thousands of polls have taken part in patriotic marches in Warsaw ahead of a June 1 runoff election.
They join Sunday's marches not only to support a candidate but to rally behind sharply divergent visions for the nation's future.
During a speech to a huge crowd, the civic coalition parties, Ravel Trzykowski laid out his vision for a Poland that's inclusive.
It's high time for honesty to win.
It's high time for justice to win.
It's high time for truth to win.
That's what these elections are about.
We have literally the last few days ahead of us.
We need complete determination.
Every vote is needed so that the future wins.
so that all of Poland wins.
Karol Naraki from the Law and Justice Party is also vying for the presidency and his supporters describe him as the embodiment of traditional patriotic values, while his opponent supports abortion rights and LGBTQ plus inclusion.
We're at 29 past the hour.
Beijing's at 17 degrees Monday evening.
Cloudy skies in 32 on Tuesday.
Nansheng's down to 20 followed by thunderstorms in 30.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad is 25th overnight then cloudy in 36th.
Vientiane is down to 23th, then a slight rainfall in 28th.
Lompeng is at 25th overnight, then rainfall in 34th.
In Africa, Nairobi is getting a slight rain, and 24th on Tuesday.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour, the Chinese premier is in Malaysia for the first summit between Aussie and the Gulf countries in China.
Russia and Ukraine have held their largest prisoner exchange since the start of their conflict.
The U .S. President's delayed new tariffs on the European Union just a couple of days after announcing them.
I'm Shane Begum at the YIP.
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 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?
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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 Bigam with you on this Monday.
Still to come in business, China's rolling out an action plan for digital and intelligence supply chains.
In sports, China finishes strong at the World Table Tennis Championships.
In culture and entertainment, the Chinese directors won a special award at the Cannes Film Festival.
To contact us you can email radio at cgtn dot com or follow our ex -account at cgtnradio.
Now with the check of the days headline news, here�s Dou Hongyu!
Thank you Shane. Chinese Premier Li Qiang is in Malaysia to attend a summit among ASEAN, the Gulf Corporation Council and China.
Malaysia is currently the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian nations.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said ASEAN and GCC countries are emerging economies in Asia, important members of the Global South and important partners in Belt and Road cooperation.
It said it's of great significance for the three parties to jointly discuss plans for solidarity, cooperation, development, and prosperity.
Prior to his arrival in Malaysia, Premier Lee paid an official visit to Indonesia.
He stressed peaceful coexistence and the Bandung spirit in talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
Russia and Ukraine have swamped hundreds more prisoners, the third and last part of a major exchange that reflected a rare moment of cooperation in failed efforts to reach a ceasefire.
This happened hours after the Ukrainian capital Kiev and other regions came under a massive Russian drone and missile attack that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens.
Russia also said it shot down drones from Ukraine.
In talks held in Istanbul earlier this month, Kiev and Moscow agreed to swamp 1 ,000 prisoners of war and civilian detainees each. The head of a U .S.-backed humanitarian organization tasked with distributing aid in Gaza has resigned.
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation executive director Jake Wood said he stepped down because the organization could not adhere to the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, which he would not abandon.
Israeli -Palestinian, U .S. and UN officials did not immediately respond to his resignation.
No humanitarian assistance has been delivered to Gaza since March 2, and a global hunger monitor has warned that half a million people face starvation, a quarter of the population in the enclave. Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid and is blocking humanitarian deliveries to Gaza until Hamas releases all remaining hostages taken in its attacks on Israel.
Hamas has denied Israel's accusations.
Hezbollah says the group won't give up its remaining weapons until Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah leader Naeem Qasem also set stopping airstrikes as a condition for discussions.
Israel and the Lebanese group reached a cease -fire agreement six months ago under US mediation.
Israel said it plans to remain indefinitely at key border points in southern Lebanon.
It also continues to carry out near -daily airstrikes.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said the EU will need until July 9 to reach a trade deal with the United States.
Von der Leyen said in a post and asked she had a good phone call with US President Donald Trump.
The call came after Trump said on Friday he was dissatisfied with the pace of trade talks with the EU and threatened to put 50 % tariffs on all EU goods from June 1.
Trump said on Sunday that the US will delay the tariffs to buy time for negotiations with the bloc.
We had a very nice call and I agreed to move it.
I believe June 9 would be, July 9 would be the day, that was the date she requested.
Could we move it from June 1 to July 9?
And I agreed to do that and that she said we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out.
In early April, Trump set a 90 -day window for trade talks for the EU and the US, which was to end on July 9.
Authorities in North Korea have detained three officials over the failed launch of a Navy destroyer.
State media say the shipyard's chief engineer, head of hull construction and deputy manager for administrative affairs, are all in custody.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was present during last week's failure to launch the new 5 ,000 ton vessel.
He said the incident was the result of criminal negligence.
The destroyer had tipped over and damaged its hull.
Kim has ordered the restoration of the ship before a ruling party meeting in June.
A survey shows that South Korean Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae -myung is leading the polls for the snap presidential election next week.
He has a support rate of nearly 49 percent, well ahead of Kim Jong -un of the People Power Party, who had about 31%.
Lee has promised to restore communication with North Korea through channels including a military hotline if he wins the presidential race.
He also pledged to stably manage relations with China.
Well, thank you very much. That was Do Hongyu with Headline News.
Coming up in business, China's rolling out an action plan for digital and intelligence supply chains.
The Beijing hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
Around 37 minutes past the hour now in business, stocks on the Chinese mainland closed lower on Monday.
The Shanghai composite closed almost flat while the Shenzhen component was down by 4 tenths of a percent.
Timothy Pope has more.
Those threats from Donald Trump of putting tariffs on smartphones dented the Chinese markets a bit.
They peaked before sinking into the negative.
We saw the Shanghai Composite Index closing pretty much flat.
Underneath that, foremost of the session was weakness for smartphone maker stocks, particularly Apple suppliers.
Apple, of course, expected to be hit hardest by the smartphone tariffs.
Indeed, these suggested tariffs began as a threat by Trump to tariff Apple specifically.
And then the next time it was mentioned, they'd become tariffs on smartphones generally.
There are a number of A -share companies which are in Apple's supply chain, Luxshare, Assembl's iPhones, Goa Tech makes AirPods, LensTech makes touchscreens.
But despite all of those being down fairly significantly, all of them actually ended either flat or marginally higher by the end of the session.
The stronger Yuan may have helped with that a little bit.
In fact, a note from Goldman Sachs China analysts paints a rosy picture of a strengthening renminbi for the Chinese stock market.
And indeed we did see it pass a bit of a milestone.
Now, that note said that for every 1 % increase for the yuan against the U .S. dollar, Goldman Sachs expects a boost of 3 % for Chinese equities.
How is Timothy Pope reporting?
While elsewhere in China, the Hong Kong stock market dropped over 1 .3%.
In Japan, the Nikkei gained 1%.
China's Rollout in Action plan to speed up the development of digital and intelligence supply chains.
The plan advocates adopting cutting -edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things and blockchain to make supply chains more digital, intelligent and visualized.
It vows to improve the agricultural supply chains, develop intelligent manufacturing supply chains and optimize retail supply chains.
It also pledged to strengthen supply chain integration in the wholesale sector and reduce logistics costs.
The plan aims to establish models for digital and intelligent supply chains with deeply embedded, intelligent and self -supporting systems operational across China's major industries and key fields by 2030.
China's soliciting public opinion on draft guidelines to regulate fees from online transaction platforms. The document aims to promote the orderly development of the platform economy.
It outlines principles to ensure fee fairness, reduce burden on merchants, strengthen platform accountability, standardize charging practices, and enhance supervision.
The guidelines stipulate that platform fees must adhere to the principles of fairness, legality, and good faith, and that charges should reflect service agreements, operating costs, and merchant conditions.
They encourage platforms to adopt flexible pricing strategies and offer fee reductions for small and medium -sized merchants.
The document will prohibit practices such as duplicate charges, the collection of fees without the provision of services, the shifting of platform costs onto merchants.
It also requires platforms to establish management systems, which include risk assessments and pre -charge reviews.
Data from the China National Coal Association shows that raw coal output reached nearly 1 .6 billion metric tons in the first four months of the year.
That was up 6 .6%. The country's coal imports in the period went down 5 .3%, but still over 150 million tons.
Power plants across the country had a coal stockpile of around 200 million tons by mid -May.
China National Coal Association spokesperson Zheng Hong says the coal supply is exceeding demand.
Since the beginning of this year, coal production capacity has continued to be unleashed in China, with the output steadily increasing and coal import decreasing.
The overall coal supply has been sufficient, and the marked trend of supply exceeding demand is obvious now.
And the whole society's coal inventory is at the highest level in history.
The association expects that coal consumption for power generation will continue to grow this year.
It expects demand to grow at least 1 .5 % this year.
The association estimates that domestic coal output will increase around 5 % in 2025.
And China's coal sector is speeding up transition towards cleaner and more efficient production.
The country is taking steps to further curb coal consumption over the next five years.
It is placing restrictions on new coal -fired power projects and cross -regional transportation of such power, and banning coal -burning in sectors such as residential life, agricultural production, and catering.
Participants of the now -concluded Seventh Western China International Fair for Investment in Trade have shared innovative ideas, new opportunities, and a diverse range of products, boosting international cooperation.
him. The fair in Chongqing attracted over 1300 companies and institutions from 39 countries and regions.
The 2025 Western China International Fair for Investment Trade vestified centered on the theme of new vests, new manufacturing, and new services, with an exhibition area spanning 110 ,000 square meters.
Key events included a major project signing ceremony, the Foreign Trade Excel and Products China Tour, Chongqing Stock, the multinational corporations, Chongqing Tour, and the 34 global procurement and matchmaking sessions.
Well, it's more of I'm impressed with a lot of the products that I see as I went around yesterday, the whole day to look at the different companies that are participating here.
I saw that this is really a very vibrant region from SME to big companies, especially in the application of new technology.
The seventh YC fight saw over 200 billion yuan in investment agreements for manufacturing and modern service industry projects.
This is my third time here, third time here, in Chongqing, and I feel good to be here, I think people are nice.
It has always surprised me the way they organized it.
I would like to join in again and I would like to bring more people from my country who can be part of this exhibition.
We have different products and I think it's a great platform.
I'm here for business purpose and I'm seeing some business products.
And I talked already with some suppliers.
I think it's good because there are lots of products and I am seeing and I am gathering knowledge about varieties of products.
The 2025 IC FITE revealed that the development index for the new international land sea trade corridor has reached 192 .3 points marking five consecutive years of growth.
Notably, the trader volume between provinces and cities along the corridor and the 10 Asian countries has exceeded one trillion yuan reflecting an 18 .1 percent increase.
This underscores the corridor's crucial role as a vital link in regional economic cooperation.
Participating in the seventh of Safit allows us to better promote our hometown's products.
We've also attracted interest from international guests including representatives from San Francisco, USA and Australia.
Through this platform, our enterprise aims to achieve greater success by expanding collaborations with both domestic and international businesses.
We got a huge variety of African cultural products and that is what I am actually trying to do.
Promote African cultural products like beading bridges.
This platform helps us to connect with different types of customers.
Currently, Chongqing has launched two -way cross -border railway freight trains on a new international Lamb's Street corridor, linking Laos, Thailand and Malaysia.
Thailand serves as the guest of honor at this year's Wasephit.
It is a source of great pride to see Thai products showcased here.
In 2024, Chongqing would show municipality directly and the central government in the central western region and a significant industrial hub in China reported a gross regional product exceeding 3 .2 trillion yuan, reflecting a 5 .7 percent growth.
The per capita gross regional product surpassed 100 ,000 yuan.
The China Vietnam International Passenger Rail Service has resumed operation after a five -year suspension.
The Nanning Hanoi International trains run daily with tickets sold in -person only.
Passengers with a passport can buy tickets at railway stations in Nanning and three other cities in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Travelers must obtain a paper visa or prepare visa -free documents in advance and complete customs procedures at border stations.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour.
Coming up in sports China finishes strong at the World Table Tennis Championships.
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Our 47 past the hour now in sports at the World table tennis championships in Doha, Team China finished with four golds, one silver and two bronze medals.
In women's doubles, Wong Man Yu and Kuai Man swept past Sofia Polkanova and Bernadette Zox in straight sets, marking China's 19th straight title in the event.
Wong Chuqing took home his first Men's Singles World Title with a strong 4 -1 win over Hugo Calderano fighting through some mid -match pressure to beat the world cup champion.
Calderano played so well in the third game.
Some of his shots were beyond my expectations, and I could not find any solutions.
But I knew I still had the advantage against him.
I started with a 2 -0 lead and I believed I could get back on track in the fourth, so I calmed down and maintained my rhythm in the following games.
In the end, I won the title, which untangled the knot in my mind." In women's singles at the championships, top -ranked Sun Ying -sha held off teammate Wang Man -yu in a tight 4 -3 battle to defend her crown.
The 24 year old Chinese player stated that she's matured since the Doha World Championships.
I'm very happy to defend the women's singles title in Doha.
Actually, I didn't set a specific goal ahead of this event.
My coach just wanted me to enjoy every match and focus on every point.
But finally, I'm delighted to stand on top of the podium." Elsewhere Japanese duo Hiroto Shinizuka and Shunsuka Togami claimed the men's doubles title.
In tennis Olympic champion Zhang Xinwen is off to a strong start at the French Open.
The Chinese player East past former Roland Garros finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova winning 6 -4, 6 -3 in the first round.
The start of a match sets the tone.
Although I took a 4 -1 lead in the opening set, my opponent performed well with several beautiful winners.
So I think it was not easy to beat her.
This is the fourth straight year that Jung has reached the second round in Paris and her winning streak, Roland Garros, now stands at seven matches.
Elsewhere, another Chinese player, Yuan Yuwei, put up a strong fight but fell in three sets to fourth seed Jasmine Paolini.
And in a dominant display, three -time Grand Slam champion, Erida Sabalenka breezed past Camilla Rakhimova 6 -1, 6 love.
On the meantime, organizers at Roland Garros held a grand ceremony to honor the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal.
The 14 -time French Open champion retired at the end of last year, after more than two decades on the pro tour.
Long -time friends and rivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray joined Nadal on the court.
You, you get me some hard time on court.
Honestly, no. But I really enjoyed a lot pushing myself to the limit every single day to compete with all of you.
Amaury retired last year, playing his final match at the Paris Olympics.
Federer stepped away in 2022.
Djokovic, of course, is still chasing titles.
He set to face Mackenzie McDonald in the French Open first round on Tuesday.
In the NBA, the New York Knicks staged a remarkable comeback to defeat the Indiana Pacers 106 to 100 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals narrowing the series deficit to two to one.
The Pacers held a commanding 20 -point lead in the first half.
Rouse scored 61 -42 in the second half.
It marked the Knicks third comeback from 20 or more points this season and the sixth overall for the league, a new NBA playoff record. New York had already pulled off two such comebacks in the previous round against the Boston Celtics.
Karl -Anthony Towns led the way with 24 points and 15 rebounds while Jalen Brunson headed 23.
Indiana's Tyrese Halliburton finished with 20 points.
Both teams shot 44 % from the field.
In football, with the Premier League title and relegation already decided, the final day of the season shifted focus to the battle for European spots.
Five teams were chasing three Champions League places while two others were in the mix for the Conference League.
In second place, Arsenal wrapped up their campaign with a 2 -1 win over Southampton.
Manchester City, already all but assured of a top -five finish, secured third place with a 2 -0 victory over Fulham.
Chelsea clinched fourth thanks to Levi Colbell's second -half goal in a 1 -0 win at Nottingham Forest. Newcastle finished fifth, jumping ahead of Aston Villa, who fell 2 -0 to Manchester United.
Villa's hopes took a major blow, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was sent off just before halftime.
They'll now head to the Europa League next season.
In Formula One, Lando Norris claimed victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, closing the gap in the drivers' championship to just three points behind team -mate Oscar Piastri, starting from the pole after a record -breaking qualifying lap.
Norris held off a strong challenge from Charles Leclerc, despite a brief scare with locked tyres into the first corner.
The win makes Norris the first McLaren driver to win in Monaco since Lewis Hamilton back in 2008.
It's also a personal best on the iconic street circuit for the 25 -year -old Britt, who previously finished third there back in 2021.
Leclerc finished second in the race, his home race, while pastry rounded out the podium, maxed for step and came in fourth, just ahead of Lewis Hamilton in fifth place.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour.
Just ahead in Culture and Entertainment, Chinese directors win a special award at the Cannes Film Festival.
The best military commander is not he who finds a hundred battles and wins every one of them.
The best military strategy does not lead to the desiccation of the enemy's capital city.
Decoding the art of war will help you understand why there's no art in war and how Sun Tzu stayed undefeatable using the science of war with fun stories and insightful breakdown of famous battles.
Find Decoding the Art of War wherever you listen.
52 past the hour. In Culture and Entertainment, Chinese director Bee Gan has won the special award at the 78th Cannes Film Festival for his epic fiction feature, Resurrection.
It's the first Chinese film to receive a nod from the event's main competition section since 2015.
Festival organizers hailed the film as a striking example of Bee's artistic evolution while preserving the century and poetic style that defines his work.
Bee made his Cannes as a leading voice in the new wave of Chinese arthouse cinema.
Bankers, nurses, and professional footballers have all taken to the water in northwestern England for the UK Dragon Boat Festival.
Siobhan McCall has more.
Ten paddlers, a steersperson, and a drummer, Dragon Boat Racers take to the water in a celebration of culture and community.
The drummer is the heart of the team, each beat ensuring the rowers are in sync.
It's a sport that relies on understanding, trust and cooperation – values that are also key in society.
So many conflicts in the world.
Our hope is that we are peaceful and we can get more people to understand each other better and respect each other better.
So, I have a slogan.
We work together, we share the future.
That's our purpose.
That's our hope people can take with them.
More than 40 teams are taking part from companies including Bank of China and Manchester City Football Club.
The day kicked off with a youth race for the first time, featuring students from local colleges.
When you're going up to the race it's such good fun, everyone's getting excited.
And then when you're at the start of the race it's quite a unique experience and then during the race you can't hear anything else.
You're just trying to push hard and win the race, and at the end obviously when you win, it's such a great feeling.
For those who didn't want to make a splash in the water, a cultural event including traditional lion dances was held along the quayside.
China's ambassador to the UK was given a tour of some of the highlights.
The relationship between Greater Manchester and China has been deepening and expanding to the benefits of both sides.
There's a lot more we can do together.
There was also a special performance of traditional Chinch Yang opera.
It's one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera, with vibrant costumes adorned with beautiful jewels.
That was Siobhan McCall reporting.
The 21st China International Cultural Industries Fair is under way in Shenzhen, the event in Southern tech hub highlighted a dynamic fusion of traditional culture and cutting edge technology.
In the Creative China exhibition area, over 500 items from more than 100 cultural institutions are on display.
Visitors can step into digital recreations of ancient paintings, chat with a bionic robot poet or enjoy live piano and martial arts performances powered by robots.
This year's also includes over 120 product launch events.
China Media Group has started production on the short drama series The Miracles, the series that will tell inspiring stories of ordinary people to showcase the remarkable development of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone since its establishment back in 1980.
At the opening ceremony, the production team and lead actors shared their experiences from field visits to nearly a hundred locals who've witnessed the city's growth first -hand.
The miracles is part of a growing trend in online drama featuring videos lasting just a few minutes.
Archaeologists in northwest China have uncovered rock paintings dating back around 2 ,500 years ago on the steep northern cliffs of Sae Ram lake.
The newly discovered rock art includes 30 distinctive carvings depicting animals like Siberian Ibex and Argali sheep as well human figures and hunting scenes.
Experts say the images of lush pastures indicate the area was once rich grazing land supporting ancient herding communities.
Sairam Lake in Xinjiang is also a unesco listed site.
57 past the hour checking the forecast before we go for the day.
Beijing's at 17 degrees monday evening cloudy skies and 32 on Tuesday.
Nanshong's down to 20 followed by storms in 30 elsewhere in ajap islamabad is at 25 this evening then cloudy skies in 36 vn tians down to 23 that's followed by a slight rain and 28 nepan pens 25 this evening then some rain and 34 in africa nairobi is getting rain and 24 degrees on tuesday kampala is down to 19 then a slight rain and 25 juba's 22 this evening followed by a slight rain and 33 degrees that's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour, making news today Chinese premiers in Malaysia for the first summit between ASEAN, the Gulf countries and China.
Russia and Ukraine have held their largest prisoner exchange since the start of their conflict.
In business China has been rolling out an action plan for digital and intelligent supply chains.
On behalf of the staff, this is Shane Biggum 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 PM 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 the 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 history, economy, and culture of northern China.
Today about 100 million people live within its water basin, making up nearly nine percent of the country's population.
How is climate change felt at its headwaters and what are the locals doing to cope with it?
What are the descendants of the boatman doing?
What has kept some people from leaving their home village by the river and what has others back?
Could the fading fishing community revive in the 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.
Or in our 12 -part series, the Yellow River Mosaic, available only on CGTN radio.
