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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. Tian Lu with you on this Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
on today's program.
Chinese President Xi Jinping pushes for a unified national market and high -quality development of the marine economy.
The US Senate narrowly approves Donald Trump's tax and spending bill following heated debate.
And Iran officially suspends its cooperation with the IAEA.
In business, China launches a summit tourism campaign to boost consumption.
In sports, Chinese player Wang Xinyu powers into the second round at Wimbledon.
In culture and entertainment, the traditional dress Chong San takes a modern twist for festive seasons.
Now checking today's top stories.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for consolidating a unified national market and high -quality development of the marine economy.
He made the remarks in the sixth meeting of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs.
Wang Chao has details.
In his speech at the meeting, Xi emphasized that deepening the construction of a nationwide unified market requires adherence to the fundamental principle of five unifications and one opening.
He stressed the need to unify basic institutions, infrastructure, government conduct standards, market supervision and law enforcement, as well as markets for factor of production.
President Xi highlighted key priorities, including regulating unfair competition, standardizing procurement, integrating domestic and foreign trade, and improving regulatory and evaluation systems. The meeting stressed key moves for high -quality marine economy development, focusing on innovation -driven growth, efficient coordination, industrial upgrading, harmony between humans and the marine environment, and win -win cooperation.
It pointed out that China's top -level design must be strengthened, with more policy support and guidance for social capital to promote the development of the marine economy.
Efforts should be made to boost independent marine research and development, build strategic marine site -tech strength, and nurture marine tech firms, as well as specialized SMEs.
Key tasks include enhancing and expanding marine industries, promoting standardized offshore wind power construction.
developing more than deep -sea fishing and marine biomedicine, creating cultural tourism destinations and upgrading maritime transport.
It also calls for increased Gulf economy development planning, orderly integration of coastal port clusters, strengthened marine ecological protection, comprehensive management of key sea areas, tier -C area utilization and exploration of marine carbon sink accounting.
Globally, China will deepen participation in marine governance, boosting international cooperation in marine research, disaster prevention, and blue economy initiatives.
That was Wang Chao reporting.
Zhong Gong is a professor of economics at the University of International Business and Economics.
He says it is important to build a unified national market in China.
Unified market contributes to economic growth, essentially takes down barriers to trade between provinces.
I think this has been a long go throughout Chinese history.
And I think, you know, we have made great progress in that regard. This falls into the domain of competition policy and antitrust policies.
But I think still, you know, we have still a long way to go in terms of, you know, taking away those sort of administration -related anti -competition policies sometimes implemented by local government.
Moving towards that direction, we need to have a very good top -down design to take down these barriers to work towards a unified market.
In economic theory, a unified market is always a good market.
Gong asked that the country's marine sector has huge growth potential.
China has a very long coastline, and as a result, we also have a fairly large area of maritime economic zones.
China is certainly at the front end of developing technologies related to maritime explorations.
The document mentioned several opportunities like windmill in ocean and also fishing, farming in the sea, deep sea farming.
I mean, this is actually another area of growth in the future.
So I think the central government is paying attention to this area and essentially developing a policy framework for incentivizing further development in that direction.
China is speeding up the development of its marine ranching industry.
Guangdong province in the south is leading the charge.
Its southeastern coast is undergoing transformation to smarter and sustainable use of ocean resources.
The goal is to build a thriving blue granary.
At the Marine Fishery Experimental Base in Guangdong, large broodstock groupers swim in tanks while researchers examine the traits of newborn fish.
There are 160 grouper species worldwide, with tens in China, but only a few are farmed at scale.
Our team focused on breeding the red spotted grouper and this year, we've achieved a major breakthrough in artificial seed production.
Seed innovation lays the foundation.
But smart marine equipment powers growth.
In the vast Lingding Yang waters, the Aquaculture Vessel Bay Area Lingding has officially been launched.
It's the first in the world to combine aquaculture with marine tourism.
tourism. This ship is worth 266 million Yuan with a 35 -year design life.
It can simulate a natural ocean environment for fish farming while also supporting recreational fishing and island tourism.
As marine ranching scales up, smarter ocean use becomes essential.
In Shanwei city, local authorities are streamlining sea -use approvals and building a standardized reserve block system for project development.
We have restructured the marine, urban, ecological and agricultural zones, creating a clear and efficient blueprint for future growth.
From deep -sea aquaculture vessels to global seafood exports, Guangdong is building momentum.
It is also home to the highest number of national -level marine conservation ranches.
Now with innovation complementing tradition, Guangdong is uniting its strength to build the Guangdong Maritime Granary, a new engine for China's blue economy.
That was Xing Renai reporting.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on China and the European Union to achieve win -win cooperation.
He made the remarks while meeting Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever in Brussels.
source. Wang welcomed more Belgian enterprises to develop their businesses in China.
Bart De Weaver expressed his country's willingness to deepen exchanges with China.
He also reaffirmed the support for a greater autonomous Europe.
The Chinese foreign minister is on a week -long trip to Europe, where he will also visit Germany and France.
Li Jianhua has more from the Belgian capital.
He met Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Weaver and had an hour -long closed -door meeting in the residence of a Belgian prime minister.
And right after that, we got the readout.
And this is what we have learned so far.
Wang Yi highlighted Belgium's unique position in the process of European integration and advancing China -EU relations.
In the meantime, he expressed appreciation for what he called the rational and pragmatic approach adopted by the new government towards China.
He also hoped that more Belgian companies would invest in China.
In the meantime, he called for joint effort to support multilateralism and act as an anchor in this uncertain world.
And in response, Bart de Wever said there should be more communication and mutual understanding between China and the European Union in face of this growing geopolitical uncertainty.
He also reaffirmed Belgium's commitment to multilateralism and support for Europe's strategic independence.
Basically, this is what they talked about.
De Wever is not new to China.
He visited the country a couple of times, but not as the Prime Minister of the country, but as the mayor of Antwerp, a rather wealthy region of Brussels.
And he used to be quite business -driven and business -focused.
But ever since he became the Prime Minister of the country not too many months ago, he has been adopting a rather balanced approach towards China, while in the meantime calling for measures to protect the security interests of this country.
Of course, in the coming days, Wang Yi is expected to meet the deputy prime minister of the country, who is also the foreign minister of Belgium.
And after that, he will also meet the president of European Council, Antonio Costa, before co -chairing the 13th round of China -EU high -level strategic dialogue with Akai Calais, who is the EU's foreign policy chief.
And after his stop here in Brussels, he expects to fly to Germany and France, the two top economies in the European Union.
That was Lei Jianhua reporting.
Coming up, the U .S. Senate narrowly approves Donald Trump's tax and spending bill, following heated debate.
From nickel -rich rainforests to battery plants on the rise, Indonesia is teaming up with China to chase the EV prize.
A massive battery project in the Southeast Asian country promises new jobs, growth and green power.
But there are also doubts and questions.
Is it a clean energy leap or a high -voltage gamble?
With big hopes, how could this shape Asia's green future?
Find out on this week's Chat Lounge, wherever you get your podcasts, and on CGTN Radio.
Now it's 11 minutes past the hour.
The U .S. Senate has passed President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill after over 24 hours of deliberation.
The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for final approval.
Jim Spellman has more.
President Trump's massive legislative agenda passed the U .S. Senate by the tightest possible margin.
Republicans could only afford to lose three votes, and that's exactly what happened.
The final vote was 50 -50, with Vice President J .D.
Vance acting as tiebreaker.
Now, the bill moves back to the House of Representatives, where a different version passed last month.
President Trump wants the House to work quickly and get it on his desk to sign into law by Friday.
The bill extends trillions of dollars in tax cuts, provides more funds for border enforcement and the military, while making cuts to the Medicaid health care plan for the poor and food assistance programs for needy families.
Republicans passed the biggest tax break for billionaires ever seen, paid for by ripping away health care for millions of people and taking food out of the mouths of hungry kids.
I think they're going to look at it and see that it's much less conservative than it started out to be, and it's going to add much more to the debt.
And so I think without question, this is not a fiscally conservative bill.
And if you're someone who thinks the debt is a problem, I don't see how you could go for this now.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the bill would add $3 .3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade.
Getting this passed has created serious rifts within the Republican Party.
Moderate Republican Congressman Don Bacon announced he won't seek re -election, citing dysfunction in Washington.
Earlier, Senator Tom Tillis says he won't run for re -election after facing criticism and the threat of a primary challenge.
And Elon Musk, who just a short time ago seemed to be Trump's right hand man in the White House, opposes the bill so strongly that he's vowing to back primary challenges to Republican lawmakers who back the bill and threatening to start a third party, which could hurt Republicans in future elections.
President Trump responded by threatening to revoke government subsidies benefiting Musk's companies.
DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States, I don't know.
I mean, we'll have to take a look.
We might have to put doge on Elon.
You know what doge is?
Doge is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon.
Wouldn't that be terrible?
He gets a lot of subsidies.
Trump even suggested he's open to deporting Musk, a naturalized U .S. citizen born in South Africa.
So how will this impact average Americans?
Well, often Americans will likely do just fine, and those who rely on tips or receive a substantial amount of overtime pay may see more money in their pockets, but lower -income Americans may see their tax burden go up.
According to a CBO analysis before final tweaks to the bill, the highest 20 % of households will see their income go up by about $7 ,500 a year.
The lowest 20 % of households will see their income reduced by about $700 a year.
And more than 10 million people who rely on Medicaid will lose health insurance by the year 2034.
These are some of the reasons the bill is unpopular with a net unfavorability of 20 % or more across multiple polls.
Now with James Bellman in Washington, D .C.
Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill is a sweeping economic package that permanently extends the 2017 individual tax rates and introduces new financial budgets.
Benefits Key tax reforms include fixing the top income tax rate at 37 % and expanding reductions for auto loans and estate taxes.
The bill also creates Trump Accounts, which provides $1 ,000 in federal funds for children under 8.
It cuts medical aid and food aid, repeals former President Joe Biden's green energy subsidies and tightens work requirements for immigrants.
Critics say the bill favors wealthy by raising estate tax exemptions to $15 million per individual.
Las Vegas Mayor Shirley Berkley has expressed concerns over U .S. President Donald Trump's tax breaks and spending cuts bill.
The big, beautiful bill may very be a very bad bill.
am very concerned about cuts to Medicaid.
A lot of people in the state of Nevada depend on Medicaid for their health care needs, especially for the kids.
I'm worried about programs like Meals on Wheels and SNAP and WIC and programs that really make a tremendous difference in the lives of low income families.
If it passes, I think we're going to be in for some financial blows.
And as you well Well, no, the state doesn't have money, and the city certainly doesn't have money at this time to make up the shortfall.
Senate Republicans narrowly passed what Trump called the one big beautiful bill on Tuesday after a tense overnight session.
It is now waiting for final approval in the House of Representatives.
The bill aims to impose deep cuts to popular health and nutrition programs. It also pledges to offer four and a half trillion dollars in tax reductions while boosting spending on border security, the military and energy projects.
Many economists and researchers are warning that the U .S. president's tax and spending bill will widen the gap between the rich and the poor.
Zhongshi explains. Cost of groceries and gas and other goods are rising.
The cost of bananas, coffee, chocolate, wine, iPhones, video games, clothes, all on the rise.
And we're feeling it.
Trump's tariffs are a slap in the face to Americans.
Trump tried to downplay the impacts of the tariffs, saying people would be fine with less.
Well, maybe the children will have $2 instead of $30, you know?
Tax expert Erica York says many low -income taxpayers would be worse off under the combination of Trump's tax bill and tariff plans.
But for the rich, the story is a little bit different.
Who's benefiting? What billionaire just got richer?
Many research institutions and economists also say the U .S. terror policy will exacerbate the gap between the rich and the poor so why do these tariffs only liberate the rich there's a reason why the rich are rich and that is that they have money left over at the end of week month or year those who are on lower incomes by large don't that's because they spend everything that they have on consumption and if the rate of tax on consumption goes up they will therefore suffer the highest overall rate of increase in tax as a consequence of the imposition of tariffs, and the rich will suffer the lowest
overall rate of increase in tax as a result of those tariffs, and therefore we will have a pure regressive tax as a result inside the USA.
They are passing the tax burden of the very richest in the USA onto the mass of people in that country.
The tax cuts under the one big beautiful bill will also benefit the rich, enabling high high -income groups to gain significant profits.
Cutting public service projects that tell vulnerable groups is like giving money to the rich. Penn Wharton estimates that the top 10 % of earners would receive about two -thirds of the total value of the legislation, while households in the bottom 20 % would lose about $1 ,000 in 2026.
That means 70 million Americans in low -income families will lose money due to the bill.
This huge bill could lead to the largest transfer of resources toward the wealthiest Americans in U .S. history.
That was Zhong Shi reporting.
Coming up, Iran officially suspends its cooperation with the IAEA.
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Now it's 20 minutes past the hour.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeskian has suspended Tehran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Parliament earlier approved a bill that that bars inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog unless security at Iran's nuclear facilities is guaranteed by the country's Supreme National Security Council.
This comes in response to a recent IAEA resolution accusing Iran of non -compliance, which Tehran strongly denies.
Iranian lawmakers are also accusing the IAEA chief of bias and calling for Rafael Grossi to be banned from entering the country.
US President Donald Trump has urged Hamas to accept a 60 -day ceasefire in Gaza, saying Israel has agreed to finalize the terms of the truce.
Trump says mediators from Qatar and Egypt were delivered a deal.
Hamas has said it is willing to free the remaining hostages in Gaza under any deal to end the war.
However, Israel says the war can only be ended if Hamas is dismantled.
Trump is hopeful that a deal can be reached next He will meet visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at White House on Monday.
Jonathan Regev has more from Tel Aviv.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved on Monday officially that he will be visiting the White House next week for a meeting with U .S. President Donald Trump while in D .C.
The Prime Minister will also be meeting the Vice President, Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense.
Two main issues will top the agenda.
One is Gaza, the most important one, and the second one is Iran, how it will be treated from now on.
Israel, of course, wants to make sure that strong pressure is maintained.
The United States wants to engage again in diplomacy.
diplomacy. Another issue on the agenda will be the expansion of the Abraham Accords with Syria, as it seems, being the next country to join to sign some sort of a normalization pact with Israel.
Not a peace accord yet.
It's not as if diplomatic missions will be open in Syria and in Israel.
Many issues there to be treated.
All of that, as a prime minister, will head to Washington next week.
Now, as Jonathan Regev reporting.
Israeli attacks throughout Gaza have killed 116 more Palestinians, including those seeking food at U .S. and Israel -backed aid distribution sites.
Gaza's health authorities say the number of Palestinians killed has surpassed 56 ,000 since the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out in October 2023.
Severe fuel shortages have crippled the remaining hospitals in the enclave. Ramial Magari has more from Gaza.
More deadly Israeli airstrikes and bombardments have hit various parts of the Gaza Strip.
The latest of those strikes hit the Al -Zawahida village in central Gaza Strip, as well as the Megazi refugee camp, also close to the Zawahida in central Gaza Strip.
Other strikes hit the Qanunis city and the western parts of Qanunis, mainly the Mawasi area.
These deadly Israeli airstrikes come against the backdrop of more happenings regarding the starvation and hunger in Gaza as the United Nations and more than 100 international humanitarian organisations have called for the halt of the operation of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, That is a U .S. NGO backed by the Israeli Army citing what these organizations suggest, the killing of those seeking aid in different parts of Gaza.
Also, this comes against the backdrop of reports that the Israeli Army shooting are deliberate.
That's according to the Israeli media Haaretz online newspaper.
The Israeli army said it will reconsider the way these aids are delivered to the population of Gaza and that there will be some kind of reorganization of the functioning of that humanitarian foundation that is backed by Israel.
That was Rami Amgharie reporting.
Thailand's constitutional court has launched an investigation into suspended Prime Minister Patongtan Shinawatra over allegations of ethical misconduct.
Patongtan has 15 days to respond to the court.
Duceta Saoka explains the roots of the new crisis and what lies ahead of the country.
There's an all too familiar fault line in Thailand, one where law, legacy and legitimacy collide.
The Constitutional Court's decision to suspend Prime Minister Patongtan Shinawatra from her duties, pending a court ruling on a petition seeking her ouster for alleged ethical violations has sent ripples through a political landscape already marked by fragility and deep division.
Now it's in the deadlock.
So the opposition party also won the election, but they cannot press it too hard because in Thailand, protests don't necessarily mean the step down of the government.
it can mean political deadlock or political vacuum that lead to the coup.
Her rise was swift, her lineage impossible to ignore.
The Shinawat name, powerful, polarizing and persistent, has never been just a surname.
It embodies a two -decade -long saga of populist politics, military interventions, exile and enduring loyalty, particularly from the rural masses.
Her father Thak Sin and her aunt Ying Luk both ousted from office by military and judicial intervention.
38 -year -old Patong Tan was meant to represent a softer sequel, the heir who can modernise the brand and bridge old divides.
Instead, her suspension reopens the wounds the nation never truly closed.
Thailand has suffered from long stretches of political uncertainty in the past, but this current crisis has left Southeast Asia's second largest economy in a leadership vacuum, just as the country is facing serious economic challenges.
It also raises doubts about whether Thailand can break free from this endless cycle of political turmoil.
It is very frustrating.
There's no opportunity in this country.
There's not so much opportunity in this country, unlike places where the political institutions are strong.
I'm worried because I think it might end up being the same cycle again, which means that another coup could happen.
Her party, Peerthai, elected on promises of economic revival and reconciliation, must now navigate a political minefield without its figurehead.
Petong Tan's suspension will severely test her government's resilience, but could also tip the fractured coalition into collapse.
For now, the court has spoken.
But for millions of Thais watching this political theatre on repeat, the real verdict is written elsewhere.
On the streets, in the barracks, in ballot boxes.
It's a nation stuck between election and intervention, vote and verdict.
That was Dusita Selker in Bangkok.
Scorching heatwaves are gripping Europe with countries including Italy, Greece and Switzerland issuing urgent heat alerts.
France has closed more than 1 ,300 schools while 16 regions including Paris remain under the highest -level red alert for extreme heat.
As Europe battles a record -breaking heatwave, firefighters in the central Dutch town of Soest has found a creative way to help residents cool off.
Armed with fire hoses, the team turned a local park into a water playground on Tuesday evening.
Local families were invited for a public soaking and even encouraged to bring water pistols and swimming clothes to add to the fun.
It's a very good idea of them to help and cool us down and entertain us at the same time.
I think they show that they are our friends and you can trust them.
For the children, it's so fun.
You can see all the people around us, the children playing with their water guns.
It's nice that they do it.
With health warnings in effect across several European countries, the initiative offered welcome reprieve from the scorching temperatures that continue to grip the continent.
According to Europe's weather service, June 2025 could be among the top five hottest months ever recorded on the continent.
Now it's 29 minutes past the hour, checking the forecast before the break.
Beijing is down to 24 on Wednesday evening.
Thursday will see thunder showers with a high of 32.
Tianjin is 26 tonight, tomorrow rainstorms and 32.
Nanchang is 29 tonight, tomorrow sunny and 38.
Chengdu is 23 tonight, tomorrow will have heavy rain with a high of 29.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad is 26 this evening.
Thursday will see slight rain with a high of 33.
Vientiane is 24 overnight, tomorrow moderate rain with a high of 29.
Phnom Penh is 24 overnight, then moderate rain and 32 degrees Celsius.
It's time for a short break.
So far on this hour, Chinese President Xi Jinping pushes for a unified national market and high -quality development of the marine economy.
The U .S. Senate narrowly approves Donald Trump's tax and spending bill following heated debate.
Can't leave it with you.
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Even the solid ground beneath our feet.
And right there, in the midst of all, beasts 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. Tian Lu, with you on this Wednesday.
Still to come. In business, China launches a summer tourism campaign to boost consumption.
In sports, Chinese player Wang Xinyu powers into the second round at Wimbledon.
In culture and entertainment, the traditional dress Chang Sam takes a modern twist for festive seasons.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn .com or follow our ex -account at cgtnradio.
But first, check in today's headline news.
Here's Tian Yu. Thank you, Tian Lu.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has encouraged young people to adhere to the right political orientation, deepen reform and innovation and score new achievements on a new journey.
He extended greetings to young people at home and abroad in a congratulatory letter to meetings of the All -China Youth Federation and the All -China Students Federation.
Xi Jinping, who is also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee, urged CPC organizations at all levels to support the healthy development of the youth and young students and create favorable conditions for them to contribute to society.
China has announced that Premier Li Qiang will attend the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro from Saturday to Tuesday.
He will then pay an official visit to Egypt starting Wednesday.
China has called for a political solution to the Iran nuclear issue and a lasting ceasefire to restore regional stability.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning also urged all parties to return to the negotiating table and work towards mutual compromise.
Recently, serious conflicts have erupted in the Middle East and the rights and wrongs of the situation are clear.
China hopes to achieve a sustained and effective ceasefire to restore peace and stability in the region.
On the Iranian nuclear issue, Iranian President Masoud Pazashkian has approved the suspension of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The move follows a parliamentary vote approving a bill that bars IAEA inspectors unless security at Iran's nuclear facilities is guaranteed by the country's Supreme National Security Council.
It comes in response to a non -compliance resolution against Iran passed by the UN nuclear watchdog, which Tehran strongly denies.
Iranian lawmakers are also urging that IAEA chief Rafael Grossi be banned from entering the country.
The United Nations says more than 1 ,400 trucks carrying humanitarian aid have crossed into Syria amid a major shift in US policy towards the war -torn country.
UN Spokesperson Stefan Dujaric confirmed the scale of the deliveries on Tuesday, highlighting the increase in humanitarian assistance.
Our humanitarian colleagues also tell us that cross -border aid delivery from Turkey has significantly increased this year, five times the number of trucks getting in compared to the same period last year.
Since January of this year, more than 1 .6 million men, women and children have received food, received health care, shelter and other support.
The announcement follows U .S. President Donald Trump's executive order on Monday, which lifted many longstanding economic sanctions on Syria.
The move is seen as part of a broader effort to support the country's interim leadership and recovery efforts.
However, sanctions targeting former President Bashar Assad and his inner circle remain in place.
The U .S. also continues to classify Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism, although that designation is currently under review by the State Department.
Poland's Supreme Court has confirmed Karol Narowski's victory in the country's presidential runoff, clearing the way for him to take office on August 6.
The ruling came despite acknowledging voting irregularities in several polling stations, which the court said were not serious enough to overturn the result.
Kreshtov -Wejak is the president of the Polish Top Court.
After analyzing the report of the National Electoral Commission and the opinions issued by the Supreme Court, while considering the election protests, the Supreme Court found none of these irregularities, as well as all of them taken together, provide grounds for questioning the validity of the election.
Conservative candidate Karol Narofsky narrowly defeated Warsaw mayor Rafael Czaskowski last month, winning nearly 51 % of the vote.
The election drew over 50 ,000 complaints, but the court ruled that the issues did not compromise the legitimacy of the outcome.
The 42 -year -old historian will replace outgoing President Andrei Duda, He is expected to challenge Prime Minister Donald Tusk's pro -EU agenda.
Observers say his leadership could steer Poland towards more confrontational stances with Brussels while deepening ties with US President Donald Trump's administration.
Thank you very much. That was Tianyu with Headline News.
Coming up in business, China launches a summer tourism campaign to boost consumption.
The Beijing Hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
36 minutes past the hour, turning to business, here's Wang Zihang.
Thank you, Tianlu. Stock markets on the Chinese mainland finished lower on Wednesday.
The Shanghai composite index shared 0 .1%, while the Shenzhen component index decreased 0 .6%.
Shares in the papermaking and cement industries led the gains.
Those in aircraft manufacturing and electronic information sectors suffer the most. Meantime, the Hong Kong stock market finished higher.
the Hang Seng Index was up 0 .6%.
Elsewhere in Japan, the Nikkei was down over half a percent.
The 2025 Global Digital Economy Conference has opened in Beijing.
The theme of the four -day event is building digitally friendly cities.
The United Nations Development Programme will serve as a co -host of the conference for the first time.
Hou Jing explains. Global Digital Economy Conference 2025 will spotlight emerging fields such as AI, digital security, and digital healthcare.
And the event expects over 300 international guests from more than 50 countries and key international organizations, including the World Trade Organization, the BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
And the conference is both a global and a local event.
As a global platform, it will strengthen international cooperation with the United Nations Development Program as a first -time co -host. Alongside the Beijing government and three others.
Beyond thought exchanges among experts, scholars and innovators in the digital economy, the gathering will showcase practical technology use cases.
And highlights include the release of the Global Digital Friendly Initiative, exhibits of China's top digital applications and the unveiling of the top ten digital benchmark applications of Beijing.
For the first time the conference will host overseas parallel sessions in Europe, partnering with Spain's Mobile World Congress and Germany's Future World Tech Culture Festival.
That was Hou Jing reporting.
Now China has launched a summer tourism campaign in the eastern coastal city of Qingdao to boost cultural and travel spending.
From July to August, over 39 ,000 events nationwide will offer discounts, coupons, and package deals, with subsidies exceeding 570 million yuan or around 80 million US dollars.
Activities include water sports, opera, night tours and study trips.
Li Zhongyi is director of the Water Sports Management Centre of the General Administration of Sport.
This summer, we will organise over 30 state -level water sports events covering a variety of activities such as rowing, kayaking, sailing, and motorboating.
These events will take place across multiple coastal and riverside provinces and cities, including Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Hubei.
This initiative will further promote the integrated development of water sports and cultural and tourism projects, as well as boost the outdoor sports industry.
The summer holiday that spans July and August each year is a peak season for domestic tourism, especially among families with children.
Online bookings show domestic trips will increase by at least 30 % this year.
Beijing Daxing International Airport expects to see over 9 .5 million travellers from July 1st until the end of August, up over 4 % over the same period last year.
The airport will handle around 60 ,000 flights, up 4 .1%.
Demand is rising for family family trips, vacations and cool weather destinations like northeast and southwest China.
Internationally, southeast and east Asia remain top choices, while London, Moscow and Amsterdam are growing in popularity.
Faster visa policies are also boosting travel.
Daxing expects around 100 international flights a day, averaging 17 ,000 cross -border passengers.
Since January, it has served 2 .7 million international travellers.
Over 340 entertainment industry leaders from around the world are gathering in Shanghai to explore China's booming theme park market.
Thousands of global professionals are attending to discuss the latest trends and opportunities.
Chen Tong takes a closer look.
Here at the show, you can find fun, a giant monster, indoor snow, even competitive games.
Games. The IAPA Expo Asia kicked off in Shanghai on Tuesday with market players in leisure, amusement and theme park industries gathering to identify market opportunities in China.
Jason Wallace last time in Shanghai was before the pandemic.
He's back to the city with his new games to fund as many businesses as possible.
We know the Chinese like to have fun.
They like to have a lot of fun So these games all lend themselves perfectly to the Chinese market But also the whole Southeast Asian market as well The happy business is getting larger in China For example, China has become the second largest theme park economy in the world With market value to reach some 7 billion US dollars in 2027 That's why theme park designers are also at the show Our industry is very vibrant So every park needs to do something new every 4 years to keep the people coming to the park.
So a theme park is never finished.
You have to keep innovating and changing.
So that's why we are also here at the show, to show people new things which they can incorporate in their existing parks.
Legoland will open in Shanghai this week.
The Harry Potter Studio Tour and Peppa Pig will also open their parks in Shanghai.
China's amusement economy has been growing fast and industry insiders believe it will also become a crucial way to boost travel That was Chen Tong reporting A bank in Brazil has made history becoming the first in Latin America to use China's cross -border inter -bank payment system for trade between the two countries The CIPS network has now reached over 1 ,300 financial institutions across 110 countries.
Lucrecia Franco has more details from Rio de Janeiro.
BalconBBM, Brazil's oldest bank, founded in 1858, now fully owned by China's Bank of Communications.
Here, an economic shift with global implications is underway.
In 2023, the bank joined CIPS, China's cross -border interbank payment system, a dollar -less exchange alternative to the global giant Swift, which currently handles the vast majority of transactions among the world's banks.
According to the most recent Bocom BBM data, direct trade using local currencies increased 20 -fold between 2022 and 2024.
BBM's chief economist, Cecilia Machado, says that is because using SIPs reduces costs and greatly simplifies direct China -Brazil trade.
The CNY, the Chinese currency, which was in ninth position in terms of currency settlements here in Brazil, has jumped to the fourth position in currency settlements.
This shows that joining Sips has been facilitating an ongoing trend of financial integration between the two countries.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to slap 100 % tariffs on BRICS nations if they move to replace the US dollar as a reserve currency and while his executive power to impose such tariffs is being challenged on a number of legal fronts Trump's threats seem to be having the effect of accelerating BRICS efforts to find alternative currency exchange mechanisms. After a while I moved back.
Ana Garcia a senior researcher at the The BRICS Policy Center says Brazil is being pragmatic, focusing on easing trade barriers, not necessarily replacing the dollar, since most of the country's currency reserves are in dollars.
Trade facilitation is on the agenda.
Every business wants that and also now every country wants that because of Trump's tariffs is more important than ever.
So Brazil has put an emphasis on trade facilitation and this can be tariffs, It can be transparency, it can be everything that is technical or bureaucratic around trade, and it can be the use of local currencies to finance trade.
China is already Brazil's biggest trading partner, making these financial arrangements particularly significant as Jules Ayseburg's leaders summit approaches, with promises to explore further mechanisms for greater economic autonomy.
That was Lucrezia Franco in real.
Thank you very much. That was Wang Zihang with business.
Coming up in sports, Chinese player Wang Xinyu powers into the second round at Wimbledon.
Chaos and the FIFA Club World Cup.
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That's 46 minutes past the hour.
Turning to sports, here's Yang Guang.
Thank you, Tianlu. We start with tennis.
Chinese player Wang Xinyu has battled past Carolina Muchova from the Czech Republic 7 -5 -6 -2 to reach the second round of the Wimbledon Championships.
The 23 -year -old reached her first WTA Tour final at the recent Berlin Open after beating four top 20 players in a row.
Wang said she's really satisfied with her performance.
It was a beautiful match, and I feel very happy.
As you said, I think my opponent plays well on grass, and sometimes I was forced to learn different tactics, as the grass court was very special.
I was aggressive during this match and played with my own qualities as I felt relaxed on my serve.
Wang's next opponent will be Zeynep Somes from Turkey.
In other action, Olympic champion Cheng Qingwen was stunned by Czech double specialist Katarina Siniakova in the opening round 7 -5 -4 -6 -6 -1.
The 22 -year -old fifth seed suffered a third successive Wimbledon first round exit.
exit. As a three -time Wimbledon doubles champion, Senior Cova utilized her net game to great effect to subdue Zheng.
She battled back from a 5 -3 deficit to win the first set, and although Zheng responded to win the second on a market court 3, Senior Cova ran away with the decider.
Zheng believes she needs to sharpen her focus on the court.
The match today, I lost. For sure I can learn a lot about it, but I'm not going to let this enter in my mind, because Because, you know, it's just one match I lost in Wimbledon, another one, I think she played good.
You know, I didn't play that good enough today.
I gave her a lot of easy mistakes.
And then today the weather is really hot and I really believe I should put more focus there on the court.
I mean, yeah, that's all I can say because I already lost here.
So I'm just going to focus on the coming future.
Senior Koval will next face full -time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
In the men's singles, seven -time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic began his bid for a 25th Grand Slam title by beating unseeded Frenchman Alexander Muller in four sets to reach the second round of Wimbledon.
The sixth seed is aiming to equal Roger Federer's haul at All England Club and move past Margaret Court in the all -time list of major champions.
Djokovic said he's happy with Wayne after taking a medical timeout early in the third set for a stomach problem.
it but I think that you know I should be happy with the performance once I you know was feeling good on the court serving very very very well that's one of the probably things that I would take away today as highlights of the game Djokovic would take on British world card Dan Evans in the next rounds in other action vote number one Yannick Sinner stayed cool to reach the second round by beating a fellow Italian and close friend Luca Nardi 6 -4, 6 -3 and 6 -0.
Sinner says as he feels that he has improved on grass since last year.
I'm here to show also myself that I'm capable to play tennis also on grass, hopefully.
I showed it last year.
I felt like I have improved a lot on the surface, so let's see what I can do this year.
But, you know, the preparation has gone really well, so I feel good mentally and physically.
Sinner's other friend, Lorenzo Mussetti, last year's semi -finalist, was dumped out by Georgian qualifier Nicolas Barsilashvili in the opening round.
Turning to football, Real Madrid has edged past Juventus while Niels reached the Club World Cup quarter -finals.
Gonzalo Garcia netted the winner early in the second half, his third goal of the tournament.
French star Kylian Mbappe made his long -awaited debut under new manager Xavi Alonso, coming on in his 68th minute after recovering from illness.
Michel de Grigoria kept Juventus in it with 10 saves, denying chances from Aldo Goula, Aurelian Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, but couldn't stop Garcia's clinical header of Trent Alexander -Arnold's cross in the 54th minute.
Madrid will next face Borussia Dortmund who held off Mon -Trey in the 2 -1 thriller.
Sergio Guirassi scored twice in the opening 25 minutes, assisted by Karim Adeyemi, before four good men but Rami pulled one back for the Mexican side early in the second half.
Monterey pushed hard for an equalizer with chances from Jesus, Corona and Sergio Ramos but Dortmund's defense stood firm.
Notably there will be no Bellingham brothers reunion in the next game as Dortmund's Joby Bellingham is suspended with the yellow cards.
The quarterfinal showdown between Real Madrid and Dortmund is set for Saturday in New Jersey.
Thank you very much that was yangguan with balls, just ahead in culture and entertainment.
The traditional dress chongsam takes a modern twist for festive seasons.
Experience the musical classics of the East. Mingle with the masters of Chinese music.
Music talks. Witness the sound of antiquity and modernity.
now it's 52 minutes past the hour turning to culture and entertainment first popularized in the 1920s in shanghai chong sam the high colored dress with a knee -length slit became widely popular in hong kong in the 1960s but some designers are now adapting this traditional dress with a modern twist for festive seasons such as the chinese new year laura westerbrook reports this is one of the most well -known places in hong kong to buy a Cheongsam, the high -collared Chinese dress that famously featured in Wong Kar -wai's movie In the Mood for Love.
When Taylor Leung Ching -hwa started his business in the 1960s, he said Cheongsams were often worn daily.
Now people mostly wear them for weddings or other formal occasions.
Cheongsam makers in Hong Kong have dwindled to just a handful from the once hundreds in its heydays of the 60s.
Of course, I hope that in the future we can continue to do this, but the reality is that everyone's getting older.
The masters are quite old now and many of them will be retiring in a few years.
There's no one to take over because there aren't many new apprentices.
Leung is among the old guard of tailors here with his Chong San's made in Hong Kong.
Customers choose a style off the rack before deciding on details such as fabric to get a custom -made fit.
As designers look to appeal to younger generations, many are now putting their own spin on the traditional dress.
Among them, Julie Liu, who started cheapology in 2018 after attending a friend's wedding where she says she found it hard to find a modern cheongsam, also known as a cheapow.
I'm very tall, so even shopping in Hong Kong, it was really difficult for me to find something that suited my style and also my height and my body type.
So that was when I realized that there is a void in the market where I can actually try to do a brand that does modern qipaus.
This style keeps the high collar but has an A -line silhouette with pockets, which she says is flattering to all body types.
Red appealed to Yiyi who is here shopping.
Yiyi also wore a cheongsam with a modern twist for her wedding registration.
For my generation, I'm more like a bit modern, resident, traditional but at the same time I also want to still keep the traditional part of me so it's more looking for clothes that are a mix between traditional and modern style.
While the craft of making cheongsams in Hong Kong may be diminishing, designers say the cheongsams will always remain a classic as they try to ensure this traditional dress evolves with the times.
That was Laura Westbrook reporting from Hong Kong.
The 2024 Hong Kong Macau Visual Art Biennale has opened at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing following earlier stops in Hangzhou and Nanjing.
Featuring around 50 works by over 30 artists from Hong Kong, Macau and Beijing, the exhibition explores the theme integration and dialogue, reflecting shared cultural roots and artistic diversity.
The show blends traditional and modern media from fabric sculptures and oil paintings to multimedia installations.
The Beijing leg runs through July 13th and will travel to Guangzhou and Shenzhen, further promoting cultural exchange across regions.
Excitement has reached a fever pitch in the world of superhero films, as James Gunn's new Superman movie prepares to hit theatres next week.
The film promises to deliver a fresh take on the iconic superhero, blending action action -packed sequences with the deeper exploration of his human side.
David Coren Sweat, who plays Clark Kent, says audiences are going to want to see the new film over and over again.
Ultimately what people want is they want to be moved, they want to feel things, they want to see amazing visuals on the screen.
And ultimately what I want out of a movie like that is I want to get to the end and think when the lights come up, like, just let the lights go back down, let's start all over.
I want to go on this ride again.
And I think James has done that with this film.
Rachel Brosnahan plays Kent's love interest, Lois Lane.
Now it's 57 minutes past 8 hour, checking the forecast before we go.
Beijing is down to 24 on Wednesday evening.
Thursday we'll see thunder showers with a high of 32.
Tianjin is 26 tonight, then rainstorms and 32.
Nanjing is 29 tonight, then sunny and 38 degrees Celsius.
Chengdu is 23 tonight, tomorrow heavy rain and 29.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad is 26 this evening.
Thursday will see slight rain with a high of 33.
Bientian is 24 overnight.
Tomorrow, moderate rain with a high of 29.
Phnom Penh is 24 overnight.
Tomorrow, moderate rain and 32 degrees Celsius.
In Africa, Nairobi will see slight rain with a high of 22 on Thursday.
That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour Making News today.
Chinese President Xi Jinping pushes for a unified national market and high -quality development of the marine economy.
The U .S. Senate narrowly approves Donald Trump's tax and spending bill following heated debate.
On behalf of the staff, this is Tian Lu in the Chinese capital, hoping you'll join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour and open the 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 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 boatmen doing?
What has kept some people from leaving their home village by the river, and what has drawn others back?
Could the fading fishing community revive in the time of digital transformation?
From 2021 to 2024, our reporters 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.
