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This is The Beijing Hour.
Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is The Beijing Hour, one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host. Shane Bigham with you on this Monday, July 21st, 2025.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
capital. On today's program, top European leaders will visit China this week for the 25th China -EU summit.
Japan's prime minister vows to keep his job despite an election loss for his ruling coalition.
And Hong Kong's lifting emergency warnings after a typhoon brought strong winds and torrential rains.
In business, China's accelerating development of its world -leading transport network.
In sports, updating the World University Games in Germany.
In culture and Entertainment, the 7th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival is opened.
Now checking the day's top stories.
The Chinese foreign ministry says President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will visit China on Thursday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with them.
Premier Li Cheng and the two European Union leaders will jointly chair the 25th China -EU summit.
The The visit coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two sides.
Tsai Ing -wen is the Chinese ambassador to the European Union, and he says this year is an important year for developing bilateral relations.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, an important year in the development of China -EU relations.
Over the past fifty years, this relationship has travelled an extraordinary journey and maintained a steady growth momentum.
Early this year, President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with President Antonio Costa of the European Council.
They had in -depth discussions and reached important consensus on future China -EU ties, providing strategic guidance and charting the course for the relationship.
He says bilateral cooperation and exchanges have seen fruitful results over the past 50 years.
The past 50 years has witnessed more practical cooperation.
When China and EU established diplomatic ties, their trade volume was only US $2 .4 billion, and bilateral investment was nearly zero.
As of 2024, according to Chinese statistics, the trade volume has reached US $784 .8 billion U .S. dollars and a two -way investment in stock as a 260 billion dollars.
The past 50 years has witnessed the deepening of friendship between the Chinese and European people.
As China continues to grow, more and more Chinese citizens have come to Europe to experience its beautiful landscapes and rich cultures.
Meanwhile, the fascination with China and Chinese cultures continue to grow and captivate audiences over time.
Data from China's customs authorities say goods trade between China and the EU surpassed 780 billion U .S. dollars last year and were up 0 .4 percent.
And China became the third largest market for EU exports and the largest source for the bloc's imports.
Some European business leaders who participated in the now concluded China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing say Europe's ties with China on supply chains are robust. I haven't seen in the world this kind of platform so well organized organized for the companies all around the world, to connect to each other, to integrate big companies, medium -sized companies, small companies, but all the ecosystem around the supply chain and value creation chain in all the industries.
And that is, I think, very specific what we have now here in Beijing.
The messages have been very strong and very straightforward. forward. It's a message of multilateral cooperation, of believing in innovation and of partnership, be it bilateral or multilateral.
If there was a standard for the supply chain, I would say China is number one because the supply chain is what connects.
We can see it like this.
What connects the businesses where things are produced and China is the factory of the world with the consumer where things are consumed?
So I would say if you look at that, that China is number one in supply chain.
And the benefits of having an efficient supply chain is that the cost of the products to the final consumer will be much, much better than if the supply chain is not efficient.
The third China International Supply Chain Expo concluded in Beijing on Sunday.
Chinese battery brand CATL is increasing its investment in Hungary.
as the country pushes to become a top battery producer amid the global electric vehicle boom.
Pablo Gutierrez reports.
Workers cut and stitch fabric precisely at this suit factory in Debrecen.
But for Bato Ulzibadrak, owner of Tittem Suits, business isn't just about fashion, it's about change.
Debrecen has been developing very intensely over the last 10 to 15 years.
It's becoming an industrial city.
Atar arrived in Debrecen from Mongolia in the early 90s to study engineering, work in a soot factory and eventually opened his own.
Back then, he was one of the few foreigners in town.
Now his customers come from around the world.
Engineers, executives and workers brought in by global companies.
A German company opened nearby and they started shopping here.
We see South Korean and Japanese customers too.
The development in Debrecen is promising for business.
One of the biggest drivers of change is Chinese battery giant CATL.
The company is investing $8 billion in what will be Europe's largest battery plant set to supply automakers like Mercedes -Benz and BMW.
Debrecen is the right place for CATL and CATL is the right company for Debrecen because we are dedicated and we think to stay in Debrecen for a very long time.
CATL has already created hundreds of jobs with more expected when production starts later on this year.
We reached almost 650 employees.
20 % is expats out of this.
Hungary is becoming one of the world's top battery producers with Debrecen at its core.
The city's rapid expansion is fueling an economic boom and real estate is surging to keep up.
Hungary is already Europe's fourth largest battery producer.
By 2030, it could rank second behind only to Germany.
Global giants like CATL, BMW, Mercedes and South Korea's Ecopro BM are investing billions in the country.
And here in Debrecen, the boom is changing everything.
Construction cranes mark the skyline.
Apartment buildings, offices and infrastructure projects are rising to meet demand.
City officials say sustainability is a priority and CATL says its plan will meet the environmental demands.
Soon after the start of operation of our factory in Debrecen we also aim carbon neutrality.
For now, Debrecen keeps growing.
Growing, a city known as a center of learning and literature for hundreds of years, is now leading Hungary's modern day green transition.
That was Pablo Gutierrez reporting.
Picked vegetables, or pao cai, is not only a staple of the local diet in Sichuan province, but also a symbol of cultural pride.
The dish is gaining global recognition and product protection thanks to a landmark agreement between China and the EU.
Ta Yuan visited Mei Shen, the heart of the pao cai industry, to learn more.
The pickled vegetables is part of everyday life here, served as a snack, a side dish or cooked into stir -fries, soups and noodles.
If you take pao cai out of Sichuan cuisine, it loses its very meaning, it loses its soul.
Without pao cai it's no longer Sichuan cuisine.
cuisine. In the west, most pickles use vinegar but pao cai is made using salty water or brine, the vegetables fermenting in their own juices to create unique flavors.
The jar is sometimes passed down for generations with old brand reused like sourdough starter.
Mei Shan, just on the outskirts of the provincial capital Chengdu, is the unequivocal king of the pao Caocai Empire.
Each year, factories here churn out 150 tons of cabbage, radish, carrots, beans, potatoes, chili, ginger and more.
Everything can be pickled, anything at all.
In the past, families made their own paocai at home.
Now with industrialized and standardized production, we are creating tastier and more diverse products.
Now, five years after the China–EU agreement on cooperation and protection of geographical geographical indications, pao cai is protected, meaning no one can put a Sichuan pao cai label on products made outside the region.
It proves the product's safety, quality and reliability are all certified by the government.
I think that brings real benefits.
275 GI products from each side are covered in the China -EU agreement, including China's Anji white tea, Baoshan coffee and Pishan bean paste.
European protected GIs include things like Italian parma ham and Greek feta cheese, a landmark achievement in China -EU cooperation.
From humble preserved vegetables to a specialty with growing global appeal, paocai has become a symbol of tradition, innovation and international flavor.
That was Taoyuan reporting from Sichuan province.
Coming up, Japan's ruling coalition loses its majority in the upper house of parliament.
China has broken ground on what's said to be the world's largest hydropower station high on the Qinghai -Sizang or Tibet Plateau, a new engine for green energy.
But beyond clean power, what will the massive project on the Yarlong -Zambu River mean for China's vast west and its South Asian neighbors?
What challenges lie ahead, and could it reshape regional cooperation?
operation. Join us as we explore the facts, the controversy and the high -stakes engineering behind this mega project on this week's chat lounge, wherever you listen to podcasts and CGTN radio.
All right, 11 minutes past the hour.
Japanese Prime Minister Ishiguro Ishiba has vowed to stay on after the ruling coalition lost its upper house majority following Sunday's election.
Media reports say Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party and its partner Komeito had to win 50 seats in Sunday's vote, but they only secured around 47.
The outcome weakens Ishiba's grip on power, with the August 1 tariff deadline with the United States looming.
It comes months after Ishiba's coalition lost its majority in the lower house, the LDP's worst result in 15 years.
Terence Tereshima reports from Tokyo.
I can't explain a lot of things questions from the press.
Now, the reasons for defeat, he understood that the public was not satisfied with the policy made by the LDP in Palmetto, and he vowed to work on that to present policies that would enable for the public to see wage hikes put stop to the rising prices, crisis, etc. And also there were questions from the press that whether he's going to take responsibility and whether there is a voice from within the LDP for him to step down and take responsibility for this defeat.
And at the moment he said that he has not received any calls for his resignation and And he would not talk about if he's asked to resign or not when he has not yet been asked to do so.
So for the moment, he will concentrate on the policies and will discuss with the oppositions in working out new policies and new measures to counter the problems that Japan faces.
That was Terence Tereshima reporting.
Soaring prices are among the top issues for voters.
Real estate prices are rising.
It's becoming a situation where Japanese people can't afford to buy homes.
This is mainly because foreign investors are buying properties for short -term investment purposes, which drives up prices.
I believe foreign labour is necessary, especially with the labour shortage.
When it comes to foreign -related problems, I think Japan should be more open to accepting refugees.
The idea of exclusion doesn't sit right with me.
I voted with those hopes in mind.
With more now, we're joined live by Professor Lim Tai -Wei, an East Asian expert at Soka University in Japan.
Thanks for joining us this evening.
And if you could tell us, what are the factors that might have accounted for the prime minister's loss and his long -ruling party's loss in this election?
Well, according to the many surveys in the media, it is mostly bread and butter issues.
Issues like the level of salary for ordinary Japanese, the level of inflation, and also in general, the rise in prices.
but in particular the rise of prices, which appears to resonate with the voters when it comes to their concerns about daily expenses or monthly expenses.
Therefore, in summary, it's really bread and butter issue that appears to be on the top of the voters' minds in this upper house election.
election. Well, despite his insistence on carrying on with the job, the PM's political career does appear to be hanging in the balance right now.
So how do you think this election will impact Japan's politics as we move forward?
Well, on the one hand, it will probably end up as a balancing act, as has happened for the lower house, where the prime minister, if he stays on, will try to balance between different factions.
The fact that the opposition itself is somewhat fragmented, especially now with the rise of certain minority parties, therefore it offers opportunities for the Prime Minister to negotiate with the opposition parties based on an individual basis.
It would, however, also present him with a weaker hand when it comes to international national negotiations, especially in negotiations, for example, in the terrorist top.
All right. Thank you very much for joining us this evening.
That's Professor Lim Tai -Wei, an East Asian expert at Soka University, Japan.
Tensions between the United States and Brazil are on the rise after Washington revoked visas for eight Brazilian judges responsible for the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who's on trial after being accused of trying to overturn the 2022 election, which he had lost. Frances Kwa reports.
A strained relationship between the U .S. and Brazil, now growing more fraught, with Washington now revoking the U .S. visas of a top Brazilian Supreme Court judge and several of his fellow justices.
U .S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the action on social media, saying Brazilian Supreme Court Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes' investigation into former President Jair Bolsonaro amounts to a witch hunt that not only violates the basic rights of Brazilians, but impacts the U .S. as well.
The justices are presiding over the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro on charges of plotting a coup to stop current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking power after Lula won the 2022 election.
election. On Friday, Brazilian police raided the home of Bolsonaro and ordered him to wear an ankle monitor.
The former leader once again called the trial politically motivated and gushed about the support from his close ally, Donald Trump.
I have deep respect and admiration for President Trump, and I know he likes me.
President Lula attacked the visa revocation as another arbitrary and baseless measure to undermine Brazil's sovereignty.
This just days after he called out a separate move by Trump in support of Bolsonaro, a threat to slap Brazil with 50 % tariffs on Brazilian imports to the U .S. to take effect August 1st. Lula termed it unacceptable blackmail.
A gringo is not going to give orders to this president of the republic.
While Brazil's electorate is highly polarized like the U .S., Many Brazilians want Bolsonaro held accountable for his alleged crimes and are also angered by the U .S. attempts to interfere in Brazil's internal affairs, a sentiment unlikely to stop the Trump administration from building up the political pressure against a country that was once a close ally.
That was Frances Coate reporting.
A Gaza civil defense agency says Israeli forces have opened fire again on crowds of Palestinians who are trying to collect humanitarian aid.
The attack on Sunday killed 93 people and injured dozens of others.
Gaza's health authorities say they've reported 86 hunger -related deaths since March, including 76 children.
Rami Al -Meghari has more from Gaza.
The people who are being killed every time when they want to access food aid provided either by the American institution that is backed by Israel or within the truckloads that enter the Gazashireb from time to time all the time long ago.
Hundreds, dozens of truckloads entered.
People rushed to get some aid from those truckloads within a close proximity, within a very close proximity between them and the Israeli forces, Israeli tanks and artillery fire.
People are getting very hungry by day and health officials here warn of a looming hunger crisis in the territory.
I came to get flour for my children because I don't have a speck of flour at home.
The situation is very difficult and the world is watching us but no one cares.
I know I'm risking my life coming here.
There's a chance I may not return home.
home. But I have to try.
It's my first time here.
I had no choice. The marketplaces here in the territory are almost empty of the goods and commodities.
Some very little goods are available and sold out for very inflated prices and skyrocketed prices that not the majority of the people can afford for the time being.
That was Rami Amoghari reporting.
Gaza's health Both authorities say nearly 18 ,000 children in the strip have died since the Israeli -Hamas conflict began in October 2023.
The percentage of children accounts for around 30 % of the 58 ,000 Palestinians killed during the period so far.
The children died from bombardments, hunger or malnutrition due to Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid.
Michael Morillier reports.
reports. In Gaza, this is now normal.
An Israeli missile hitting a school.
It was used as a shelter for the homeless.
Now it's a bomb site.
Gaza's health ministry says Israel has killed nearly 18 ,000 children since it began its attacks in October 2023.
And for every child, there is someone somewhere who loved them.
Iman Abed lost her daughter, Khaloud, after Israel struck a camp for displaced people.
Khaloud had just turned 17.
She was hoping to celebrate with a small meal.
IMAN ABED, Today was her birthday.
She went all around to find a piece of bread.
She went all around.
She told me that she would buy one even if it cost her eight shekels.
The United Nations says many children who aren't killed by missiles could eventually die from hunger.
It's accused Israel of starving civilians.
Among them, one million children.
We have screened over 240 ,000 children against malnutrition.
10 % of those children screened or 1 in 10 have been diagnosed with malnutrition.
What that means is that at least 25 ,000 children are simply not getting enough food to sustain their bodies.
Much of Gaza has been reduced to wasteland during a war spanning more than 21 months.
There are fears of an accelerating hunger crisis and officials say more aid is desperately needed.
normal life in gaza is now anything but because it is life filled with death that was michael reporting coming up a powerful typhoon sweeps across hong kong you're listening to the beijing hour 60 minutes of comprehensive news your window on china and the world 23 minutes past the hour.
The Hong Kong observatories cancelled all warnings for tropical cyclones after Typhoon Weipa left the city.
Transportation services are resuming now.
The airport authority says the three runways and all facilities at the Hong Kong International Airport are functioning well.
The observatory forecast rainstorms and big waves on Monday in the wake of the typhoon.
It's alerted residents to stay vigilant and stay away from the coast. Weipa made a second landfall in Guangdong province on Sunday evening as a strong tropical storm.
Guangdong and Hainan provinces are bracing for strong winds and heavy rains.
Shu Hua reports from Guangdong.
Actually, Typhoon Weipa is now moving away from southern Guangdong province and life and production here are gradually returning to normal.
Zhuhai City has lifted its citywide suspension measures allowing normal production and daily life to resume though some rail lines have you know are still suspended but most of the real network has resumed its passenger services and major sea crossings have reopened including the Hong Kong Chuhai -Macao bridge and the Shenzhen Zhongshan Link and however However, other maritime activities are still suspended, with Chunchou Street ferry services expected to resume.
The typhoon has forced the evacuation of 660 ,000 people across Guangdong province.
The central government has dispatched 33 ,000 relief items, including beds and emergency emergency lighting to Hainan and Guangdong Province to assist those affected communities.
And looking ahead, heavy to torrential rain is forecast into Tuesday in some areas of Guangdong, Hainan and Fujian Provinces and the Guangxi and Zhuang Autonomous Region, as well as the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions.
And the local governments and emergency teams are still on standby for potential flash floods and land slides.
So all the vessels in the affected areas are advised to stay in harbor.
And also residents in those areas are still urged to stay alert and, you know, monitor official updates.
And that was Shu Halt reporting.
The Kashmir region is seeing some of the worst effects of climate change in decades, from disappearing glaciers to cracked paddy fields.
Scientists and residents are sounding the alarm.
Mohit Al -Islam reports.
The ice -cold waters of the Sindh River in Kanderbal on the Indian side of Kashmir originate from mature glaciers in Ladakh's Dras region.
The river, essential for irrigation, drinking water and hydropower, is also being fed by glaciers like Kholahoi, Amarnath and Tajwaz before merging with the Jhelum River and flowing into Pakistan.
But the glaciers fearing it are melting rapidly.
Studies show that the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has lost about 30 % of its glacier mass in the past six decades.
Experts warn that if the trend continues, up to 70 % could vanish by the end of the century, threatening severe water scarcity across the region.
So this is a cause of concern for Kashmir Valley.
And the main reason for that is that the climatic change that is taking place, they have not been able to limit the rise in temperature as was anticipated by the global world body.
In June, Kashmir recorded its highest temperatures in over seven decades.
The extreme heavy triggered a drought -like situation.
Petty fields cracked open, crops began to wither and drinking water supplies came under severe stress.
Aquatic ecosystems also suffered, as shrinking water levels and reduced oxygen left fish and the species gasping for survival.
Irshad Ahmad Dar, a farmer who cultivates both saffron and paddy, is feeling the impact of climate change first hand.
He says the production of both red gold and rice has sharply declined over the past five years due to inadequate snowfall and rainfall.
To ensure food security, there's a dire need to conserve water resources in the valley.
If these resources disappear, our entire farming sector will collapse.
Perhaps. Researchers believe that the concentration of greenhouse gases has played a critical role in the interaction between third -port glaciers and the changing climate.
They add that smaller, stand -alone glaciers, particularly those in the Pir -Panjal range, have been among the most affected.
One of the main reasons, if we look at the various studies, which has basically aligned the glacier decession in Kashmir Himalayas with the increase in the greenhouse gases, which ultimately leads to the climate change, and climate change ultimately heats up our atmosphere.
When our atmosphere basically gets heated up, then various interactions happen.
While governments and institutions have a role to play, currently, many believe the real change also begins at the local level, with people, especially the youth, stepping up to protect what remains.
The youth of Kashmir need to gear up, go into local communities, carry out plantation drives, protect waterbodies and make people aware of the impact of burning of fossil fuels on our environment.
In Kashmir, signs of climate change are now visible from shrinking glaciers to disturbed seasons.
The land that has supported life for generations is under stress and needs protection.
This is Muhit Al -Islam reporting.
Around 29 past the hour, Beijing down to 23 degrees Monday evening.
Thundershowers in the forecast and 33 degrees for Tuesday.
Turpin in Xinjiang is 29 overnight, then sunny in 43.
Nancheng is down to 27.
Thunder showers in 31 tomorrow.
Xiamen is 25 degrees overnight.
Heavy rain falls and 27 degrees on Tuesday.
Hong Kong is 26 this evening, then heavy rains in 30.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad is down to 24 degrees, then a slight rainfall and 30 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour, top European leaders will visit China this week for the 25th China -EU summit.
it. Japan's Prime Minister vows to keep his job despite an election loss for his ruling coalition.
And Hong Kong is lifting emergency warnings after a typhoon brought winds and torrential rains.
Shane Bigham with you.
Stay with us here on The Beijing Hour.
Listen up. Can you hear the heartbeat of our world?
It's vibrant and pulsating with the essence of itself.
From the stem of trees, to the gurgle of rivers.
From the silent strength of mountains, to the icy whispers of glaciers.
Even the solid ground beneath our feet, right there, in the midst of all beats the heart of humanity.
What if those other heartbeats were to stop?
Would ours keep on ticking?
Ever wondered what's actually going on in Africa through the perspective of an African?
How are the things really going between China and Africa?
What's the narrative of this relationship?
Well, get a perspective with China -Africa Talk.
Hear from African diplomats, entrepreneurs, academics, Chinese natives and more.
Get on our wavelength every week to find out what's real with China Africa Talk.
Find us on your favorite podcast. We'll see you there.
Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour, one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host. Shane Biggum with you on this Monday.
Still to come, in business, China's accelerating development of its world -leading transport network.
In sports, we're updating the World University Games in Germany.
In culture and entertainment, the 7th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival is open.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn .com or follow our ex -account at cgtnradio.
Now checking the day's headlines, here's Tianyu.
Thank you, Shane. The Chinese Foreign Ministry says President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Council Commission Ursula von der Leyen will visit China on Thursday.
day. Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with them.
Premier Li Qiang and the two EU leaders will jointly chair the 25th China -EU summit.
China has called for advancing relations with Croatia on the basis of openness and win -win cooperation.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Croatian counterpart Gordon Grealish Redman in Beijing.
Wang suggested the two sides strengthen exchanges at various levels, consolidate mutual trust and enhance synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Croatia's development strategy.
He also said stable and healthy China -Europe ties are conducive to common aims of both sides.
Redman expressed Croatia's readiness to strengthen cooperation with China in areas such as trade, investment and connectivity.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership between the two countries.
The Hong Kong Observatory has cancelled all warning signals for tropical cyclones as Typhoon Wipha left the city.
Transportation services are resuming in Hong Kong.
The observatory forecast rainstorms and big waves on Monday in the wake of the typhoon.
Wipha made a second landfall in Guangdong Province in South China on Sunday evening as a strong tropical storm.
Guangdong and Hainan Provinces are bracing for strong winds and heavy rain.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to stay on after the ruling coalition lost its upper house majority following Sunday's election.
Media reports say Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party and his partner Komeito had to win 50 seats in Sunday's vote, but they only secured around 47.
The outcome weakens Ishiba's grip on power, with August 1st tariff deadline with the United States looming.
It comes months after Ichiba's coalition lost its majority in a lower house, the LDP's worst result in 15 years.
Heavy rain in South Korea has killed at least 18 people since Wednesday.
Nine others remain missing.
The country's southern regions were hit with some of the heaviest hourly rainfall on record. The rain has also triggered heavy floods and landslides, with significant damage to infrastructure and farmland.
Authorities have evacuated over 13 ,000 people.
Israel has widened its ground assault and ordered civilians to evacuate parts of central Gaza for the first time since the conflict with Hamas began.
An Israeli military spokesman announced on social media that the IDF would launch a powerful assault on the southwestern area of Deir Ebalach. He urged residents, including thousands of displaced people, sheltering in makeshift camps to evacuate immediately.
But many locals simply don't have the means to travel.
There is no means of transportation.
Everyone must carry their belongings on their backs or in a cart.
And the bombing is continuing.
They dropped evacuation leaflets.
Now all of Kan Yunis is under evacuation.
All of Rafah is under evacuation.
And now is the turn for where will we move to the latest israeli military push comes as indirect negotiations continue in doha qatar where israeli and hamas officials are reportedly discussing a deal involving a temporary ceasefire and the release of 10 hostages still believed to be alive and finally ongoing sectarian clashes in southern syria have forced tens of thousands of people to flee, as violence between Druze militias and Sunni Bedouin clans threatens to destabilize the country's already fragile post -war recovery.
Local residents have spoken out about their fear.
We fled due to the shooting.
They were firing on houses.
Neither side harmed us, but we were scared for our children because the bullets were hitting our houses, so we came here.
We left because we were scared for ourselves, our children and our girls.
You can see how bad the situation here is.
And now there's no water.
The situation is really bad.
The unrest began with a string of tit -for -tat kidnappings between local Druze and Bedouin communities and quickly escalated into violent confrontations that spread across Swetha province, reaching the provincial capital.
All right, thank you very much. that tianyu with headlines coming up in business china's accelerating development of its world leading transport network the beijing hour your window on china and the rest of the world 37 past the hour and with business now here is wong zhang thank you shane stock markets on the chinese mainland closed higher on monday the shanghai composite was up over 0 .7 and the shenzhen component gained nearly 0 .9%.
Infrastructure and engineering machinery shares led the gainers.
Elsewhere in China, the Hong Kong stock market also ended higher, with the Hang Seng index up nearly 0 .7%.
Meanwhile, Japan stocks ended lower, with the Nikkei losing 0 .2%.
China is accelerating construction on a transportation network linking rail, rail, highways, waterways and aviation.
The country has already built the world's largest high -speed railway, expressway and postal and express delivery networks.
It has completed over 81 % of its high -speed rail network that centres around eight mainlines linking north and south and eight connecting east and west. More than 70 % of national waterway projects have met standards.
Port capacity has ranked first globally for years.
Meantime, the country has invested over 100 billion yuan annually, or around 14 billion US dollars, in airport infrastructure.
Air transport services now cover over 92 % of prefecture -level administrative units and 91 % of the population.
Sun Ye has details.
China now has the world's largest high -speed railway, highway and postal networks, making life easier for people across the country, the country, including those in remote areas.
These are some of the transport sector achievements made under the country's 14th five -year plan.
We have built the world's largest high -speed railway network, highway network and postal express delivery network, with high -speed rail operational mileage reaching 48 ,000 kilometers, accounting for more than 70 % of the world's total high -speed rail mileage.
Highway mileage has reached 191 000 kilometers covering 99 of cities with populations over 200 000.
the postal industry has established more than 500 000 business outlets the last few years also saw china's transport sector established brand name programs as the sector works to become smarter and even the more self -reliant.
China's high -speed rail, China's roads, China's bridges, China's ports, and China's express delivery services have become even more prominent Chinese name cards.
The CR450 high -speed train has been unveiled, the first domestically produced large cruise ship has officially begun operations, and the C919 large passenger aircraft has entered regular commercial commercial operation automated terminals have maintained world -leading positions in construction scale operational efficiency and technical level autonomous driving intelligent shipping and smart logistics are flourishing while drones driverless vehicles and unmanned vessels are being rapidly promoted and applied China's transportation segment had been advancing outside of the country too the Ministry
of Transportation had cited projects like the China Laos railway way, Peru's Chiang Kai -Port, as well as the China -Kyrgyzstan -Uzbekistan railway, which is a project still in progress, as some of the examples that the Circle of Friends in transportation international cooperation is expanding.
That was Sun Yeh reporting.
Now for more on China's drive to modernize its transportation infrastructure, Zhou Fang spoke with Ina Tiangan, a senior fellow at Taihe Institute.
China is making efforts to construct a comprehensive transport network with railways as the backbone and highways as the foundation.
It will also utilize waterway and aviation advantages.
How do you view China's transport network development so far?
So China is leading the world in terms of its transportation.
And I don't mean that just in sheer numbers, which it is.
It added 50 new airports over the last 10 years, bringing the total to 250.
That's astounding. Then you start looking at waterways.
Currently at 16 ,000 kilometers, they plan to push that up to 25 ,000 kilometers.
In terms of high -speed rail, 42 ,000 kilometers by 2023, representing over two -thirds of the world's global total.
They're trying to make everything as efficient as possible.
So if you have very heavy loads that can be more easily transported and cost -efficiently transported on water, you do that.
If you have something that's just -in -time delivery, you can use airplanes.
You have the road system, and then you have the high -speed rail, which offers an incredible advantage.
But it's not just internally.
Externally, China is leading the way through the Belt and Road Initiative.
You have the railway that has cut the time to get to Europe to about 12 days.
What role do you think Chinese high -speed railways have played in facilitating travel and economic development?
Well, I mean, if you start looking statistically over the last 10 years, cities that are connected to high -speed rail have grown in excess of 30 percent versus those that are not.
You know, you look at the Beijing Guangzhou corridor, 2 ,298 kilometers, and can be done in eight hours compared to 22 hours by conventional rail.
I mean, this this has just increased everything.
It's a game changer.
The total ridership exceeds 2 .3 billion trips a year.
So imagine if that were on the roads or that was on trucks or people just simply didn't do it.
Now, it's not just commercial activity.
It has also led to a huge boom in tourism and creates this regional integration, you know, where you can get from Chengdu to Chongqing in one hour travel time.
It boosted economic ties between the cities, increasing cross -city business by 35 % since 2020.
Similarly, the Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong express rail integrates the greater Bay Area.
And having these different options is going to help China do very well.
And then you add on the digital tools that are now available in terms of logistics.
logistics, and this allows companies to mix and match and say, oh we can get it from here to there for this price and then we can load it onto trucks and get it over to there.
And then we can use rail to get it to various other places, and then back onto trucks again.
Having that ability will stand China in very good stead, versus many other countries, especially developed countries, which don't have a plan, have seemed incapable of creating this kind kind of master system that will allow them to be efficient.
Those are the tension on China's achievements in transport capacity building in the past five years.
China's foreign trade has continued to expand during the 14th five -year plan period.
Goods trade reached nearly US $6 .2 trillion in 2024, a 32 .4 % increase compared with the end of the 13th five -year plan period, which ended in 2020.
The country has maintained its global top position for eight consecutive years.
Last year, trade in services exceeded US $1 trillion for the first time, ranking second in the world.
The export share of private enterprises increased from 56 % at the end of the 13th five -year plan period to nearly 65%.
The cross -border e -commerce import and export volume reached 2 .7 trillion yuan, or around 376 billion US dollars, a 67 % increase over five years.
ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner for five consecutive years, with trade volume up 9 .6 % in the first half of the year.
In 2024, the trade proportion with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative exceeded 50%.
China's loan prime rates remained unchanged in July, meeting market expectations.
The one -year LPR, a market -based benchmark lending rate, came in at 3%.
The over -five -year LPR, on which many lenders based their mortgage rates, stood at 3 .5%.
LPRs reflect the level of financing costs for households and businesses.
is, though this marks the second consecutive month of stability following the central bank's 10 -basis -point reduction to both rates in May.
Official data shows China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, recorded robust expansion in June.
Power use climbed 5 .4 % on a yearly basis to 867 billion kWh last month.
Electricity consumption by the primary industry grew 4 .9 percent.
The secondary sector saw a 3 .2 percent increase, while the tertiary sector recorded a 9 percent increase.
Residential electricity consumption rose nearly 11 percent.
All right, thank you very much. That's Wang Ziheng with business.
And coming up in sports, we're updating the World University Games in Germany.
All with a very personal take.
Subscribe to Sideline Story Podcast for heated sports discussions covering events that are happening in China and around the world.
47 past the hour now.
Turning to sports and here is Yong Guang.
Thank you, Shane. We start with World University Games in Germany.
China clinched the gold in the Badminton Mixed Team Final with a 3 -1 win over Chinese Taipei.
Cui Hochen and Peng Jiaqian opened with a men's doubles victory victory, followed by Yuan Anqi's comeback win in the women's singles.
After Chinese Taipei took the men's singles, Liu Jiayue and Wang Yiduo sealed the title in women's doubles.
In diving, Zheng Cunzhi and Mo Yonghua captured gold in the men's synchronized 10 -meter platform with over 430 points.
Lu Wei topped the podium in the women's 10 -meter platform with over 400 points, while Wang Weiying secured silver.
China also claimed two golds in taekwondo as Ma Jinyue triumphed in the 49kg division and Xin Jianyi won the 67kg final to continue the Chinese team's strong showing.
In swimming, China has claimed gold in artistic swimming team Free Routine with a near -flawless performance at World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
pool. The eight -member team scored around 350 points for their routine titled Gravitation, marking China's second gold in artistic swimming at the events, following Xu Huiyan's win in the women's solo technical final.
The result continues China's strong momentum in international artistic swimming where the team has consistently reached the top of the podium.
Coach Zhang Xiaohuan talked about the hardships the team went through behind the victory.
Now that the competition is over, I can tell you how much our team has gone through in preparations over the past two weeks.
If making one substitution is considered a huge blow, then we have suffered that pain twice.
The whole team has been shadowed by various difficulties.
That's why we really needed this gold medal.
Japan secured silver silver and Spain took browns.
Artistic swim events continue through Friday, with China remaining a top contender in solo, duet, mixed duet and team categories.
In badminton, Jiang Jinbang and Wei Yaxin won the mixed doubles title at the Japan Open after a hard -fought match against Team Thailand.
The Thai pair had early upset China's world number one duo but ultimately fell in the deciding game of a 62 -minute final.
In men's singles, Shi Yuqi She avenged last year's loss to Alex Lanier by capturing the title with consistent and patient play.
China's Liu Xinshu and Tan Ning successfully defended their women's doubles crown, while South Korea's Anne Se -young continued her dominant season by defeating China's Wang Zhiyi to claim another women's singles title.
In golf, world No. 1 Scotty Scheffler claimed his first Open Championship title with a dominant four -shot victory at 17 under par at Royal Portrush leading American sweep of the podium.
The 29 -year -old built an early cushion with three buddies before a double bogey on the eighth but remained unchallenged to secure his fourth major title and second of the year following his PGA Championship win.
Scheffler shared his excitement after winning this trophy.
It's a very special feeling.
It takes a lot of work to get to this point in my career.
This was a tough week.
It was challenging.
The golf course was playing really tough.
and I had to focus very hard over the course of the weekend and really the only blemish over the last 36 holes was the double on eight but did a good job of kind of resetting and coming back with a birdie on nine and I guess this one was different than the PGA in terms of I had a decent lead to start the day but PGA I felt like I struggled a little bit on the front nine and then I was able to kind of push forward and win it on the back nine whereas this one I felt like I built up a lead.
It got a little close there after the double on eight but like I said, bounced back on nine and was able to keep a pretty sizable lead for most of the day.
Li Haotong made history as the first Chinese man to play in the final group at a major, sharing fourth place at 11 -under alongside Matt Fitzpatrick and Wyndham Clark.
Li said he was really happy to finish in top four and was looking forward to the next major appearance.
It's pretty good and like I said, I didn't expect anything like this.
But I'm super happy to finish top four and get in the Masters again Harry's English finished the run -up at 13 -under with Chris Gottröm, one shot further back.
And finally, in basketball, China secured third place with commanding 101 -66 win over South Korea and women's Asia Cup in Shenzhen.
After a semi -final loss to Japan, China rallied strongly led by Luo Xinyu's key three -pointers and Yang Liwei's 14 points, including seven first -half 3 -pointers.
18 -year -old centre Zhang Siyu made a significant impact in the paint, helping extend the lead early.
Wang Siyu added a game -high 19 points as Gong Luimin's team dominated through the second half to claim bronze.
Captain Yang Liwei said the team gained good experience through this tournament.
We finished our last game at the Asia Cup.
Although there were some regrets, we also gained a lot.
We bounced back from yesterday's semi -final defeat against japan and displayed our spirit by beating south korea today our team proved that we are able to make adjustments and get out of difficulties i think this is a necessary process for us to sum up experiences and improve ourselves we should put our focus on the future competitions the result is already there and most importantly we need to play better in the next event.
In the final, Australia captured their first Women's Asia Cup title by defeating Japan 78 -69.
Thank you very much. That was Yang Guang with sports.
Just ahead in culture and entertainment, the 7th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival is opened.
From north to south, east to west, people in China are chasing their dreams and leaving their mark.
Want to know how they beat the odds and made a difference?
Footprints brings you the true life stories of their journeys.
53 past the hour in culture and entertainment.
The 7th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival has opened in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
It features 52 performances over 17 days.
This year's edition brings together 24 art troops including ensembles from eight countries alongside 16 domestic groups the program spans dance dramas operas ballet and contemporary dance the festival also includes the 2025 Xinjiang Silk Road street dance show the village community dance performances an international dance Carnival and a traditional opera week Malaysia has seen a surge in Chinese tourists since the visa free policy between the countries took effect last week the new policy to see covers tourism and business travel and is expected to further boost economic and cultural exchanges.
Ryan Meltzer has more from Kuala Lumpur.
Night or day, the Petronas Twin Towers are a top tourist draw, and increasingly, those tourists are from China.
Starting late in 2023, first China, then Malaysia, started allowing visa -free entry for each other's citizens.
Though initially, only for a maximum 15 days and with no guarantee how long the policy would last. On Thursday, an agreement came into effect to formalize the mutual visa waiver.
It allows people to visit the two countries for tourism or business for up to 30 days at a time and a total of 90 days every six months.
Malaysia says the policy will be enforced for the next five years with an option to extend for a further five.
Chinese national Keith Lee runs an agency specializing in travel between China and Malaysia.
This announcement is both timely and highly welcome.
It's really a positive state, you know, that forces stronger ties between the two nations.
Visitor arrivals from China to Malaysia are up by more than a third so far this year, eclipsing pre -pandemic numbers.
Individual travelers and families have particularly benefited from the visa waivers.
Before getting a visa required planning months ahead, it was a hassle.
Now we can just pack our bags and go whenever we want.
This is our first overseas trip.
We were nervous about the visas and language barriers but everything has been smooth.
it's not a one -way street with malaysian visitors to china also hitting record numbers and with the visa waiver policy now cemented more chinese and malaysians than ever before will find it easy to discover and explore each other's countries that was orion melzer reporting from the malaysian capital the bird's nest art festival ongoing at the bird's nest culture center offers an immersive display of China's intangible cultural heritage, highlighting the lasting link between traditional craftsmanship and modern life.
A key feature of the exhibition is the Zhexia teapot, crafted from purple clay and regarded as a cornerstone of Chinese tea culture.
The torch festival of the Yi ethnic groups in full swing in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, running through Wednesday.
Streets and squares glow with firelight as locals in traditional dress perform folk dances to the da san shan or three -stringed lute central to the celebration a highlight of or a highlight is the torch procession where flames are believed to drive away misfortune and bring good harvest beijing down to 23 degrees monday evening thundershowers and 33 for tuesday turpin in xinjiang is 29 overnight then sunny and 43 nanchang's down to to 27 degrees, followed by thundershowers and 31.
Xiamen's 25 overnight, then heavy rainfalls and 27.
Hong Kong's 26 this evening, followed by heavy rainfall and 30 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
Elsa and Asia, Islamabad's down to 24, followed by a slight rain and 30.
Vientiane's at 25 overnight, then torrential rains and 27 degrees Celsius.
That's it for this edition of The Beijing Hour.
Making news today, top European leaders will visit China this week for the 25th China -EU summit, and Japan's prime minister vows to keep his job despite an election loss for his ruling coalition.
On behalf of the staff, this is Shane Biggum in the Chinese Capitol, hoping you'll join us for the next edition of The Beijing Hour and open a window to the world together.
Find The Beijing Hour at precisely 6 p .m. Beijing time.
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