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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 Begum with you on this Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program, the Chinese president is calling on centrally administered state-owned enterprises to better serve the overall work of the CPC and the country.
An opposition leader in Japan is calling for the dismissal of an official who said the country should have nuclear weapons.
The European Union's renewed its economic sanctions against Russia, despite efforts to foster direct contact with Moscow.
In business, China's plans for enhancing the transportation system in the new year.
In sports, the winner of this year's Italian Super Cup.
In culture and entertainment, China's first wholly AI-generated animated film.
Now checking the day's top stories.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on state-owned enterprises directly administered by the central government to better serve the overall work of the party and the country and contribute more to Chinese modernization.
He made the remarks in an instruction to the heads of central SOEs at a meeting in Beijing on Monday and Tuesday.
He called on state-owned enterprises to optimize their layout to build stronger capabilities and competitiveness.
President Xi also says these enterprises should emphasize a foundation in the real economy and focus on key technologies and the fusion of scientific and industrial innovation.
Premier Li Cheng attended the meeting also and delivered a speech.
He urged central SOEs to develop emerging and future industries in line with their core functions and businesses, while ensuring stable energy and resource supplies.
Premier Li called on them to strengthen applied basic research and play an active role in serving major national strategies.
China's been stepping up efforts to foster new quality productive forces over the past year, as the country looks to build new engines for growth.
One of the key focuses is innovation.
President Xi Jinping says Shanghai has a historic mission to become a globally influential center of sci-tech innovation.
One of the national level science projects in Shanghai is the Zhengjiang Science City.
Zhao Zhentong, with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, recalled how, in 2007, President Xi, who was the Shanghai Party chief at the time, called on the project to better serve China's strategic needs.
At the time, our main focus was simply to make the project work well, to ensure the engineering itself succeeded.
But Xi Jinping stressed that projects like the Shanghai Synchrotron should serve national strategies.
That message reflected a far-reaching strategic vision.
Zhangjiang Science City is now home to over 40% of China's top 100 pharmaceutical companies.
Half of the world's top 20 pharmaceutical firms have also set up innovation centers in the city.
Shanghai now has 20 major scientific infrastructure projects and is home to over 25,000 tech firms.
Its three leading industries are integrated circuits, biomedicine and artificial intelligence, employing over 800000 professionals.
The city is also emerging as a core innovation hub, with the Yangtze River Delta playing a growing role nationwide.
A collaborative network is also in place, linking hundreds of universities, research institutions and leading enterprises.
Director Luo Dajin of the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission says they'll make further efforts to boost regional integration.
We will follow the guidance of President Xi.
We aim to build a world-class innovation source together with Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Enhui.
We will align strategy, policies and resources to deepen the integration of technological and industrial innovation, which will strengthen China's path to becoming a science and technology powerhouse.
China announced plans to expand Shanghai's role as an international innovation center across the whole Yangtze River Delta during the Central Economic Work Conference this month.
President Xi has also called for efforts to accelerate the development of Beijing into a global sci-tech innovation center.
He urged stronger coordination with neighboring Tianjin and Hebei to encourage innovation within the region in North China.
Li Chouyuan has more.
Zhongguancun is a standout example of Beijing's push for sci-tech innovation.
Covering less than 4 of the city's total area.
This key hub contributes to nearly one-third of Beijing's regional GDP.
It has nurtured over 200 homegrown AI large models, accounting for nearly 30% of the national total.
Innovation entities have also thrived, with more than 90 unicorn enterprises emerging here.
The total revenue of enterprises in Zhongguancun this year is expected to surpass the 10 trillion yuan mark for the first time, highlighting the region's pivotal role in China's innovation drive.
President Xi Jinping has urged Zhongguancun to accelerate its march toward becoming a globally influential site.
Tech innovation center.
He used three imperatives we must not wait, we must not hesitate, we must not slack off to urge and encourage us to firmly seize and make the most of the opportunities brought by the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation.
Beijing has also taken significant steps to promote high-level Scitex self-reliance.
Huairo Science City, another key innovation hub in Beijing, is poised to launch trial operations for the high-energy photon source accelerator, China's flagship synchrotron radiation facility.
A total of 29 scientific facilities and platforms have already entered the research phase, cementing the area's status as one of the world's most densely clustered hubs for major sci-tech infrastructure.
Beyond advancing Beijing's role as a leading center for innovation, President Xi Jinping has also emphasized the need for stronger coordination with neighboring Tianjin and Hebei.
To date, the three regions have jointly funded over 220 basic research cooperation projects and established numerous innovation consortiums to promote development.
At present, the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei region has established seven national advanced manufacturing clusters.
China's central authorities have also expanded the Beijing International Science and Technology Innovation Center to the whole region to further enhance its overall innovation capability.
The expansion of the Beijing International Science and Technology Innovation Center is a major strategic task designed, planned and promoted by President Xi Jinping.
It marks a shift in China's SciTech innovation strategy from breakthroughs at individual points to a new model of integrated regional collaborative engagement, representing an upgrade of the national strategy.
The move has injected strong momentum into accelerating the development of China's primary source of original innovation and jointly building a strategic fulcrum for building a leading global sci-tech power.
That was Li Chouyuan reporting.
China's Central Economic Work Conferences underscored the importance of safeguarding stable and sustainable growth.
Among the key policy messages is a renewed focus on the property sector, with authorities signaling clear expectations on supply, demand and quality.
At the same time, the conference points to the need for a more long-term and institutional approach to housing development, highlighting the direction of future policy implementation and sector adjustment.
For more.
Tian Liu spoke with Dr Yao Xu Jie Chung Kong, Professor of Economics at Chongqing University.
The conference proposes a coordinated approach controlling new supply, reducing inventory and improving housing quality.
How do these measures work together to stabilise the property market?
We used to supply more to the market. but the demand is weakening over the last two years.
So reducing inventory is to make sure that existing housing is totally making available to the consumers.
And if the consumer didn't have a fairly strong demand in some places, the local government may step into the market to buy the inventory for distribution purpose.
For example, government can buy the existing commercial housing and then selling at a relatively lower price to the lower-income people.
Now, building high-quality houses is a new idea.
In the Chinese way, it's good housing.
It doesn't mean that in the past we didn't build good houses.
We actually built lots of good houses.
But the quality is fairly uneven.
Now this conference proposed good housing, it actually set up a standard.
It means that houses should be built to a set of standards that would be providing comfortable easy, safe and low noise, and also green for the housing conditions.
It means that from now on, as I understand, the Chinese government is paying significant focus to improve the housing of new build and also to improve the housing of the renovation of the old city or village within the old cities.
So this will be a new approach to stimulate the construction industry.
The meeting also calls for accelerating the establishment of new development model for the property sector.
So from your perspective, what should be the key priorities in advancing this new model?
The new model.
First of all, it have to have a better calculation about the matching of demand and supply to make sure that the market will not be overpriced, so the house prices will be stabilized.
The second priority, in my view, is to make sure that the housing condition is more sustainable and healthy.
Larger than we see the fairly rapid decline over the last few years, they will be going to be bottom up.
But in order to find the potential demand, there will be lots of attention paid to the housing prices and also the expectation including a contribution to the welfare funding for buying houses, so that they would have sufficient funding for consumers buying new houses.
The third thing is to maintain housing quality where to build, how to build and what kinds of minimum quality conditions that need to be met so that new demand will be stimulated on sustainable and high-quality standards.
That was Dr. Yao Xu Jie from Chongqing University.
Coming up.
A Japanese opposition leader calls for the dismissal of an official who wants to arm Japan with nuclear weapons.
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12 minutes past the hour.
The leader of the main opposition party of Japan has again urged Prime Minister Sanai Takeichi to dismiss the official who advocated for nuclear weapons.
Yoshihiko Noda is the leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party and he says appointing someone who supports such an idea to serve as a senior security policy official is inherently problematic.
Masahiko Yamabe is a researcher who's been studying exhibits related to Japan's war history in museums nationwide since the 1980s.
Warns against Japan's military buildup, saying the government should face the history of past aggression.
Japan's adherence to the current three non-nuclear principles is a fundamental requirement for the trust of other countries.
Yet this commitment is being endangered by the current government.
This approach is perilous, and the Japanese government should halt this tendency.
I do not believe that increasing the defense budget is for the sake of peace.
It seems more like strengthening defense capabilities to enable Japan to wage war.
Such actions could gradually lead Japan toward war.
I consider this dangerous.
People affected by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster have protested the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the largest of its kind in the world.
Because of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
I honestly feel terrified by the fact that people who have already suffered mental, physical and economic damage due to the Fukushima nuclear disaster may face the risk of experiencing another nuclear accident.
As a victim of the Fukushima nuclear accident, I wish that no one, whether in Japan or anywhere in the world, ever again suffers the consequences of a nuclear accident.
What is ICANN's position on the proposed revision of the three non-nuclear principles?
We're quite concerned with this idea to revise these principles.
They have been longstanding and given the risks and the increasing risks around nuclear weapons use overt threats to use nuclear weapons this is not a good time to weaken japan's opposition to producing, possessing or introducing nuclear weapons.
It's not in japan's security interest to add more nuclear weapons to the global mix in any way, shape or form.
Now Japan is not a member of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
It actually has not attended the last three UN conferences on this treaty.
What sort of message, Susie, do you think this sends out?
Well, Japan is the only country on Earth that in which nuclear weapons were used during warfare.
Other countries have experienced nuclear testing.
In fact, there have been more than 2000 nuclear detonations that have taken place since nuclear weapons were first invented 80 years ago and many of those countries where nuclear weapons have been tested on their soil have participated in the conferences on the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons, and several of them are states party to that treaty, because the treaty is a humanitarian treaty, something that japan nationally has dealt with, because japan is a country of which there are still many hebakusha or a-bomb survivors.
Those hibakusha are extremely disappointed in the Japanese government's unwillingness to engage in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Now there is currently a petition that has been submitted, with well over 35 million signatures, just encouraging Japan to fully embrace a future without nuclear weapons.
What does this indicate to you?
There has been overwhelming popular opinion in Japan for decades for an end to nuclear weapons.
It is throughout Japan that there is massive resistance to the idea of nuclear weapons, because people understand the dangers.
They understand the horror. associated with these truly weapons of terror.
That was Susie Snyder, Director of Programs at the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
Tokyo Electric Power Companies announced the completion of the 17th round of ocean discharge of nuclear contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The move brings the cumulative volume of the wastewater released from the plant to since the discharge began over two years ago, to more than 130000 tons.
The 17th round of discharge saw the release of over 7,800 tons of wastewater.
Japan unilaterally launched the discharge in August 2023, despite concerns and opposition worldwide.
Coming up, the EU's renewed its economic sanctions against Russia.
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We're at 17 past the hour.
The European Union's renewed its economic sanctions against Russia for another six months, despite efforts to build direct contact with Moscow,
The bloc approved new measures against those they say support Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers.
Fighting continues with Russian forces striking Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odessa.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russian troops have taken 52 residents of a border village in Sumy into Russia.
The Russian army also reported capturing another settlement in the Kharkiv region.
A Russian investigative committee says Ukrainian special forces could be responsible for a car bomb attack in Moscow that killed a Russian general.
Ukraine has not yet made any comments.
Dasha Chernyshova has more.
Well, the Kremlin is yet to provide its reaction, but we know that the Russian president has been briefed about the ongoing investigation and the Russian investigative committee says that the general died in a hospital after he was badly injured in an explosion, with his car being blasted by the explosive device that was planted under it beforehand.
Now the Russian investigative committee says they are still working on on establishing the coherent version of what has happened.
So far, they have been establishing the forensic expertise on the site, working with the eyewitnesses as well as the cameras.
And one of the versions that we are hearing about is the ukrainian trace.
It has not been um confirmed yet, but some of the analysts here have been suggesting that indeed ukraine may be behind, simply because there have been two early incidents in which russian generals were killed at the hands of the Ukrainian special services.
Yaroslav Moskalik was killed earlier this year, and General Kirillov was killed last December.
He was hiding Russia's chemical weapons directorate and Moskalik was in charge of the main operations.
Director of the general staff.
Now, what we know about Fenil, who was killed earlier in the day, is that he was heading the preparations of the senior military officials within the Russian Ministry of Defense.
And some of the Russian lawmakers are now drawing attention to the very fact that the senior command personnel at the Russian Ministry of Defense has to be better protected and there has to be a very strong response to those who have perpetrated crimes.
This act of terrorism, as they refer to this assassination.
But again, the investigative committee is yet to provide its version of what has happened and to point the blame.
That was Dasha Chernyshova reporting.
The U.S. military set an alleged drug boat in international waters of the eastern Pacific.
The U.S.
Southern Command says that one person was killed.
U.S.
President Donald Trump says it would be smart for his Venezuelan counterpart to leave power.
Nicolas Maduro's responded by saying that Trump will be better off focusing on his country instead of Venezuela.
Trump also said the US could keep or sell the oil it seized off the Venezuelan coast in recent weeks.
Caracas has accused the US of piracy after Washington's seizure of oil tankers in the region and its naval blockade on vessels entering and leaving Venezuela.
Trump has ramped up pressure on Maduro in recent months, including increasing the US military presence in the region and conducting strikes on vessels that he claims have been trafficking drugs.
U.S. forces have intercepted a third oil tanker in international waters.
Stephen Gibbs has more.
In terms of the two previous seizures.
The government here reacted very strongly, describing it as piracy and robbery.
In its view, this is a complete breakage of international law and it wants the whole issue to be taken to the UN Security Council.
The government here has also been trying to point out what it sees as an incongruous situation because, while the United States says there is a total blockade on sanctioned vessels, American oil companies, specifically Chevron that operates here in Venezuela, is still shipping its oil to the United States.
And the vice president here on social media released a short video making that point very clear.
So they think this is sort of bullying and completely unnecessary.
And they are pleased when there are regional and international governments that are taking the point of view on Venezuela on this one.
And as yet, we're not seeing any direct effects.
The effects you'd expect would be things like power cuts and shortage of imports, because this is a petro state.
This is a country that completely depends on the export of oil for its foreign income.
And to try and strangle that will have very serious effects.
So really, the feeling here is what is going to happen if this really does tighten?
As yet we're not sensing it, but there is a real feeling that just after the holidays things could change here quite dramatically.
That was Stephen Gibbs reporting.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns says new anti-terrorism legislation is the single best thing to protect the state's residents following last week's deadly Bondi Beach shooting.
Speaking in Sydney on Tuesday, Minns said that he hopes the legislation will pass the Legislative Council by Wednesday.
We've got one step to go, but it will be a clear message and clear progress to keep the people of New South Wales safe, whether that's on gun regulation in New South Wales or secondly, on protests in order, changes to protests in order to lower the temperature in Sydney and a bit of acknowledgement that in some cases, words lead to actions.
The incident targeted a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach, killing 15 people at the start of the eight-day Hanukkah celebration.
It was Australia's worst mass shooting since a gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania back in 1996.
The French government is pushing lawmakers to approve emergency legislation to keep the state running into next month and avert a government shutdown.
Lawmakers from both chambers failed again to agree on the country's 2026 budget by the year-end deadline.
Sarah Coates reports from Paris.
France's political turmoil in 2025 has been dominated by one question how to pass a budget in a parliament with no majority.
Since last year's European elections, President Emmanuel Macron has governed under fragile conditions and without a majority.
Opposition parties on both the left and right have been able to block key legislation.
A budget standoff earlier this year forced Prime Minister Sébastien Le Cornu to resign, only to return a day later amid political paralysis.
And now, with the year-end deadline missed.
Analysts warn the government's grip on power is weakening.
He said, I am the weakest prime minister of the French history of the 50 last years.
And it is the truth.
It gets no power, it gets no liberty to rule the country.
For many voters, that lack of clout and direction is fuelling frustration.
It's demoralising.
We don't know where we are anymore.
We don't even know who we're voting for.
For now, the government plans to rely on a special law allowing it to keep spending at last year's levels, with budget talks to resume in the new year.
The government's position is very uncomfortable.
Every day everything can crash and we can have a shutdown in France because there is no majority.
The stopgap averts an immediate crisis, but it also puts new policies on hold and pushes uncertainty into 2026.
The political uncertainty in France makes me laugh, because France is one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
The deadlock is narrowing the Prime Minister's room to manoeuvre, also raising fresh questions about the strength of the presidency.
For President Macron.
This budget failure deepens political paralysis and further erodes confidence at home as France heads into the new year.
The next presidential election isn't due until 2027.
But depending on what happens over the coming months, pressure on Macron to bring that vote forward could become immense.
That was Sarah Coates reporting.
Washington's decision to further tighten travel restrictions has hit Africa hard.
The updated list includes 26 African countries.
Poppy Mputing has more from Washington, D.C.
Last week, the Trump administration announced full restrictions aimed at preventing citizens from Burkina Faso Mali Niger, South Sudan and Syria from entering the US.
Of the five countries added to the full ban list, Four are African.
The Trump administration also implemented partial restrictions on 15 countries.
Twelve of those are African nations.
They include Angola Benin Cote d'Ivoire Gabon Gambia Malawi Mauritania Nigeria Senegal Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
U.S.
President, Donald Trump has expanded his administration's travel ban on citizens from countries it deems to have widespread corruption and criminal records, as well as visa overstay concerns.
According to the White House proclamation.
The restrictions and limitations imposed by the proclamation are necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose and advance other important foreign policy, national security and counter-terrorism objectives.
This latest ban adds to a list issued in June instituting a full ban of citizens from 12 countries and severe restrictions on seven others.
Ten out of the 19 countries are in Africa.
The African Union urged the United States to protect its borders in a manner that is balanced, evidence-based and reflective of the long-standing ties and partnership between the US and Africa.
The more hardline US policy comes amid tensions with South Africa, which the Trump administration has accused of committing genocide against Afrikaners.
Although the claim has been rejected by the South African government and Afrikaner groups, the minority white population has been given asylum status by the US.
Meanwhile, in a marked foreign policy shift, the United States is recalling diplomatic staff from at least 29 countries.
Africa is the most affected, with ambassadorial staff and chiefs of mission being recalled from 15 posts.
That was Poppy Imputing reporting.
We're at 29 past the hour.
Beijing's down to minus 5 this evening.
It'll be sunny and plus 5 on Wednesday.
Shenyang will see heavy snowfall.
It's down to minus 16 and then sunny for minus 4 degrees.
Nanchang will see a light rain tonight and tomorrow.
It's a low of 8 and a high of 8 degrees.
Elsewhere in Asia.
Islamabad will be overcast and 8 this evening and then cloudy and 19 for Wednesday.
Vientiane will be cloudy tonight and tomorrow.
The low is 18.
The high is 29 degrees Celsius.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour, the Chinese president's calling on centrally administered state-owned enterprises to better serve the overall work of the CPC and the country.
An opposition leader in Japan is calling for the dismissal of an official who said the country should have nuclear weapons.
And the European Union's renewed its economic sanctions against Russia, despite efforts to foster direct contact with Moscow.
Shane Bigham with you.
Stay with us here on The Beijing Hour.
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Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour, one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host.
Shane Biggum with you on this Tuesday.
Still to come, in business, China's plans for enhancing the transportation system in the new year.
In sports, the winner of this year's Italian Super Cup.
And in culture and entertainment, China's first wholly AI-generated animated film.
Contact us so you can email radio at cgtn.com or follow our X account at CGTN Radio.
First now, a check of the day's headlines, and here's Tianlu.
Thank you, Shane.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on state-owned enterprises directly administered by the central government to better serve the overall work of the party and the country and contribute more to Chinese modernization.
He made remarks in an instruction to the heads of central SOEs at a meeting in Beijing on Monday and Tuesday.
He called on state-owned enterprises to optimize their layout to build stronger capabilities and competitiveness.
President Xi also says these enterprises should emphasize a foundation in the real economy and a focus on key technologies and a fusion of scientific and industrial innovation.
Premier Li Chen attended the meeting and delivered a speech.
He urged the central SOEs to develop emerging and future industries in line with their core functions and businesses, while ensuring stable energy and resource supplies.
Premier Li called on them to strengthen applied basic research and play an active role in serving major national strategies.
China has strongly opposed the U.S. move to put Chinese roadmaker DJI on the national security list.
The U.S.
Federal Communications Commission declared on Monday that the company poses an unacceptable risk.
The decision blocks approvals for new DJI drones in the American market.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the US must stop stretching the concept of national security and unjustly suppressing Chinese firms.
He urged Washington to correct its actions and provide a fair and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese businesses.
Chinese Special Envoy Deng Xijun, engaged in shuttle diplomacy between Cambodia and Thailand to mediate border clashes from December 18 to 23.
He held talks with both nation's leaders and senior officials.
Deng stressed that China is deeply concerned by the conflict and the resulting casualties.
The envoy called for an immediate ceasefire and a return to peaceful dialogue.
Cambodia and Thailand thanked China for its peace efforts, reaffirmed their commitment to peace and pledged to work towards a lasting ceasefire.
China has successfully launched its newest reusable rocket, but the key recovery test failed.
The Long March-12A lifted off Tuesday morning from the Zhongfeng Commercial Aerospace Zone in northwest China.
Its second stage successfully reached orbit, but the objective of landing and recovering the first stage booster for reuse failed.
The cause is under investigation.
Officials say the launch provided vital flight data crucial for future recovery attempts.
Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has called for unity and urgency as his government moves to tighten gun laws and strengthen anti-terrorism measures.
Albanese spoke in Canberra on Tuesday following the deadly attack at a Jewish festival on Bondi Beach last Sunday, where two gunmen killed 15 people.
It's Australia's worst mass shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania.
Albanese noted the rising concern over gun ownership since then.
The terrible events at Bondi show that we do need more guns off our streets.
The fact there are more guns in Australia today than there were at the time of the Port Arthur massacre is of real concern to Australians.
It needs to change.
A poll conducted by YouGov found that 92 of Australians say they support stricter gun ownership laws.
In the wake of the Bondi attack,
The Prime Minister said he had received updates from federal law enforcement intelligence agencies and top ministers after the country's 10th National Security Committee meeting.
Venezuela's National Assembly has approved a bill criminalizing acts that threaten freedom of navigation and trade, calling it an anti-piracy law.
The move comes as the U.S. increases scrutiny of Venezuelan linked oil tankers in Caribbean waters.
Supporters rallied in Caracas on Monday, some wearing pirate costumes, to symbolize what they see as US piracy.
Presented by Admiral Guille C.P.
Alessandriolo.
The bill aims to protect Venezuela's economy and international trade and raise the dignity of the republic.
To the north of our territory lies the Mare Nostrum, the Caribbean Sea.
This is our sea, where all the commercial activities that connect us to the world take place and the world connects with us through that sea.
This law seeks to protect that commercial relationship and protect us from the acts of predation that the United States government is carrying out in our mere nostrum.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro praised the introduction of the anti-piracy law and aired frustration at US.
President Donald Trump's foreign policy.
The legislation is set for a second reading on Tuesday, before being signed by Maduro and published in the official Gazette.
Thank you very much.
That's Tian Liu with headlines.
Coming up in business China's plans for enhancing the transportation system in the new year your window on China and the rest of the world.
In business now, stock markets on the Chinese mainland closed higher on Tuesday.
Shanghai composite was up slightly.
The Shenzhen component gained almost three-tenths of a percent.
Battery and precious metal shares were among the top gainers.
The Hong Kong market ended lower.
The Hang Seng index lost nearly a tenth of a percent.
In Japan, the Nikkei remained almost flat.
China will further enhance its modern integrated transportation system in the coming year.
Vice Minister of Transport, Li Yang, says the sector has maintained stable operations, with steady growth across key indicators this year.
Fixed asset investment in transport exceeded 36 trillion yuan, or around half a trillion US dollars, over the past year, contributing to the addition of over 2000 kilometers of new high-speed railway lines, approximately 8000 kilometers of expressways and five civil airports.
Li says, throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's made significant progress in improving transportation efficiency and service quality.
The Vice Minister emphasized that China will continue to deepen reforms and drive innovation within the transportation sector.
A new fast-track scheme for vehicles is now in effect between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
It aims to boost connectivity and streamline the entry of mainland-made new energy vehicles into Hong Kong.
Under the initiative, eligible EVs can complete Hong Kong's import pre-approval customs process while still at the Shenzhen border.
Months cleared, the cars can be driven directly into Hong Kong and rapidly complete registration.
The integrated customs process is expected to cut logistics delays and reduce storage costs for automakers.
In a related move, private cars from four Guangdong cities, including Guangzhou and Zhuhai, can now drive directly into Hong Kong for stays of up to three days per trip.
The simplified traffic policies are set to provide more favorable conditions for the interconnected development of industries such as commerce, tourism and culture in the Greater Bay Area.
The final link of a high-speed railway between Beijing and the northwestern city of Lanzhou is now in full operation.
The line from Batou to Yinchuan can reduce travel times between the two cities to 2 hours and 38 minutes, less than half the time compared to current passenger trains.
High-value products such as fresh cantaloupes, premium wheat, flour and beef can swiftly reach residents of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province.
This also marks the opening of the high-speed rail era for Bayonur and Wuhai in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Chongqing has issued the first nationally issued official license plate dedicated to Level 3 autonomous driving.
This marks a significant milestone in China's autonomous vehicle industry, signifying the transition of autonomous driving technology into mass production and commercial development.
Zheng Shuang reports.
The vehicle is the first in China to receive a level three autonomous driving license plate.
It's not just a symbol of identity, but proof that this car has passed rigorous certification for human machine co-driving.
Today's test segment spans the Inner Ring Expressway from Rapid Transit and Overpass to Shimahe Overpass, conducted during the morning rush hour.
These sections are major thoroughfares for Chongqing residents, characterized by dense traffic congestion, high vehicle influx and outflow, frequent accidents and ongoing road construction resulting in complex driving conditions.
The standout feature of this vehicle is the traffic congestion auto driving system we have integrated.
This functionality enables level 3 conditional autonomous driving during traffic congestion on highways and expressways.
In congested traffic conditions, the driver simply needs to activate a one-touch command.
When the green indicator light displaying three parallel cars illuminates on the screen, the vehicle enters autonomous driving mode, allowing the driver to attend to other tasks and relinquish manual control.
Safety during vehicle operation remains the foremost concern for all stakeholders.
Our entire testing process encompasses scenario simulation tests, track testing and real-world road testing.
The 5 million kilometers refer to actual vehicle road testing, while simulation testing effectively covers hundreds of millions of kilometers.
The simulation process strategically traverses all potential scenarios a user might encounter during driving, ensuring comprehensive validation.
It is reported that the approval of the L3 autonomous driving system is based on over 5 million kilometers of real-world road testing data.
The testing scenarios encompass 185 different elements exceeding national standards by 49%.
On average, 389 kilometers are required to handle a single complex scenario, with extreme scenarios comprising 36 of the testing.
This data comprehensively validate the safety and adaptability of the system within its design operational parameters.
The nation's first L3 license in place signifies China's systematic advancement across the regulatory, technological and application domains of autonomous driving, marking a pivotal shift from technological adoption to regulatory leadership.
That was Zheng Shuang reporting.
Chinese drone maker DJI says it'll explore all options to safeguard its rights and those of its global users.
The statement comes after the U.S.
Federal Communications Commission added DJI to its covered list of foreign companies considered at national security risk.
The move prevents the world's largest drone maker from obtaining approvals to sell new drones or components in the United States.
DJI defended its products, highlighting their use in filmmaking agriculture, inspections and emergency services, while stressing that their safety and reliability have been independently verified.
Hainan Free Trade Ports launched its first operational 7th Freedom Air Route, a milestone in opening up the island's aviation sector.
The first flight operated by Kazakhstan's Special Cargo Air Transport Airlines departed from Sanya and was bound for Prague.
The 7th Freedom.
Traffic rights allow an airline to carry passengers or cargo solely between two foreign countries, without any connection to the airline's home country.
Lin Hua has the story.
High-end status as an international aviation hub just got another boost.
With China's first ever seventh freedom of the air route.
This flight path is operated by Kazakhstan's SCAD Airlines and uses Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, with one round-trip flight per week.
It adds a new link for the connectivity among countries along the Belt and Road and breaks down the transit barriers for travel between Asia and Europe.
Sanyao is a key city in the development of the Hanan Free Trade Port and actively supports the expansion of the international air transport network.
Prague, as a major European tourism and cultural hub, has significant appeal.
For us, this village is an ideal entry point into the southern freedom transport model.
It combines clear market demand, favorable policy conditions and excellent pilot launch conditions.
Compared to the fifth freedom of the air, the seventh freedom of the air represents a more advanced form of aviation liberalization.
To ensure the smooth launch of the route, Haiko Customs established a collaborative mechanism with the airline and the airport, providing customized guidance on key aspects such as the route, registration and emergency support.
Special expedited clearance channels have also been set up for specific personnel, and multilingual consultation service teams were deployed.
Phoenix International Airport says they hope these detailed services will make cross-border travel more convenient and welcoming.
The successful launch of this route is the result of collaborative efforts between the government and enterprises of China, Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic.
It not only marks the implementation of the highest level of air traffic rights liberalization in China, but also represents a critical step for the Hainan Free Trade Point in building the new international land-sea trade corridor shipping hub and its regional aviation gateway hub facing the Pacific and India oceans, and in developing an international air-sea transport network after island-wide special customs operations.
To date, Sanya has launched 41 international air routes, connecting to 32 overseas destinations.
Its route network now covers multiple key regions in Asia and Europe.
That was Lin Wa reporting.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour and coming up in sports, the winner of this year's Italian Super Cup.
Sideline Story brings you all things sports related.
The hottest topics, latest events, juiciest stories, all with a very personal take.
Subscribe to Sideline Story podcast for heated sports discussions covering events that are happening in China and around the world.
Thank you, Shane.
We begin with football.
David Neri scored twice as Napoli claimed a 2-0 win over Bologna, lifting their third Italian Super Cup on Monday.
The breakthrough came in the 39th minute when Neri controlled a throw-in just outside the box and fired a brilliant shot in the top corner.
Napoli doubled their lead just after the hour mark, with Neri swinging the ball inside Bologna's box and finishing from a tight angle passed on rushing goalkeeper.
Napoli head coach Antonio Conte couldn't hide his excitement after the win.
This experience in Saudi was really good for us.
I enjoyed a lot, not only me, but I think also the players, the group of Napoli, because we worked very well here.
Meanwhile, Bologna head coach Vincenzo Italiano praised his team's efforts despite the loss.
I can't criticize the lads at all today.
They gave their all these past few days, first knocking out a powerhouse like Inter and then giving their all against Napoli who, I repeat, gave us nothing and made no mistakes.
To beat Napoli, we really had to do what they did, go all out to get ahead.
But we didn't manage it.
All the credit goes to our opponents.
With the victory, Napoli now has three Supercoppa Italiana titles joining their veins in 1990 and 2014.
Since 2023, the Super Coppa Italiana has featured four teams the Serie A champion runner-up, and winners and runners-up of the Coppa Italia.
Team China has wrapped up their East Asian Football Federation U-15 Championship campaign with a 3-0 win over Hong Kong.
Finishing third in Group A with one win, one draw and one loss.
Team China took the lead in the 28th minute.
One Sheng Qixin headed in across from Li Yuxuan.
Ke Bowen doubled lead in the 51st minute, curling a shot into the far corner from Sheng's pass.
In stoppage time.
Team China's third came from a corner, as Hong Kong's goalkeeper accidentally put the ball into his own net.
Earlier, China had a goal ruled out for offside following a corner.
In other Group A action, South Korea defeated Japan 3-0.
Eight teams participated in the tournament, divided into two groups based on FIFA Men's World Rankings from October.
Santos forward.
Neymar has successfully undergone surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
The Brazilian Serie A club confirmed that the 33-year-old was discharged on Monday afternoon and will begin his rehabilitation process immediately.
Earlier this month, Neymar revealed that he had been playing with injury during the second half of the 2025 Brazilian season, but chose to play through the pain to help Santos avoid relegation.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star made 28 appearances for Santos this year, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists across all competitions.
Italy honoured its four flag bearers for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in a handover ceremony at the Presidential Palace on Monday.
President Sergio Mattarella addressed the ceremony, expressing confidence that Milan is ready for the Olympics.
This ceremony is always engaging.
This ceremony is always engaging, but this year, this time, it carries an even greater meaning, because we are the ones organizing the Olympics and Paralympics and we are sharing our culture, our friendship and our hospitality.
Short track speed skater Ariana Fontana, cross-country skier Federico Pellegrini, alpine ski, and Federica Brignani and curler Amos Mosana each received their flags from President Mattarella.
Fontana also shared her excitement for the upcoming event.
It will be my fifth Olympics, the first in Europe, close to home.
And I believe that taking part in an Olympics in your own country is a great fortune as well as a great privilege.
On one hand, it can also be a big source of stress.
But I will be the first to try not to see it that way and will try to focus only on the positive aspects of this privilege that only a few athletes have been able to experience.
Fontana and Pellegrini will carry the flag at the main opening ceremony at Milan's San Siro Stadium on February 6th.
At the same time, Brignani and Mosana will carry their flag in a simultaneous ceremony in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Fontana, who holds the record for the most Olympic medals by an Italian woman by V11 across five Winter Games since touring 2006, also had honor of carrying Italy's flag at the 2018 PyeongChang Games opening ceremony.
And before we go, the 2025 World Champions Honouring Ceremony for Trampoline, Rhythmic Gymnastics and Artistic Gymnastics took place in Beijing on Monday, celebrating 12 new world champions for their remarkable achievements.
The ceremony also doubled as the official mobilization meeting for the upcoming winter training session of the Chinese national team, setting the stage for athletes' preparations as they look ahead to future international competitions.
Thank you very much.
That's Yang Guang with sports.
Coming up in culture and entertainment, China's first wholly AI-generated animated film.
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.
Turning to culture and entertainment, China's first animated film created entirely through artificial intelligence-generated content, Reunion Journey, is at a test screening in Beijing.
The film featuring Panda siblings, Tuan Zai and Yuan Niu focuses on themes of reunion and cultural connections.
Through the use of AI technology, the production cycle was dramatically shortened, from the usual three to five years to just one.
Coca-Cola has released a new AI-generated holiday ad for 2025, doubling down after last year's widely criticized campaign.
Isabella Diaz has more.
For nearly 100 years, Coca-Cola has made its mark on the holidays.
You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't seen the classic hand-drawn Coca-Cola ad featuring a plump Santa sipping on a classic bottle of Coke.
It would probably be even tougher to find someone who hasn't seen the classic Coca-Cola Christmas trucks first featured in the company's now beloved 1995 TV ad.
And this year those trucks were once again featured in Coca-Cola's holiday ads, but this time with one major difference.
Artificial intelligence.
To remake the classic Holidays are Coming ad.
Coca-Cola, teamed up with AI Studio's Secret Level and Silver Side AI.
The company says five AI specialists churned out and refined roughly 70,000 video clips in 30 days.
But in total, nearly 100 people were involved in the production.
And those final clips began as generative image models.
Coca-Cola describes the animations as super expressive hyper-realism and touts real cinematic scenes.
But viewers aren't as enthusiastic about the ad.
Comments on YouTube describe the commercial as dystopian and soulless.
Others mocked the ad as the most profitable commercial in Pepsi's history.
Adding fuel to the fire was a behind-the-scenes video for the controversial ad, narrated not by one of Coca-Cola's employees, but you guessed it two AI voices.
AI is enabling creators.
What used to be patching at the end is now designing at the start.
And they needed a big toolbox to handle 70,000 segments.
A whole suite.
But it's not just Coca-Cola.
McDonald's Netherlands released its own AI-generated ad just in time for the holidays and many viewers say terrible it was.
The commercial showcases holiday mishaps and hijinks and ends by encouraging viewers to hide out at a McDonald's until the holiday season wraps up.
Deemed creepy and depressing by one critic, McDonald's Netherlands pulled the ad from YouTube.
Many critics have condemned both ads as the latest examples of AI slop.
Low effort, low quality, mass-produced AI imagery that lacks refinement and originality.
But despite the critiques, the marketing world seems dead set on making AI ads the way of the future.
According to graphic design platform Canva, 94 of marketers already have a dedicated AI budget and 75 expect their AI budgets to grow.
That was Isabella Diaz reporting.
The National Ballet of China has premiered its new version of Le Corsaire at the Tianqiao Theater in Beijing.
This fresh adaptation puts a modern twist on the 170-year-old classic.
For over a century, the heroic tale of passion, freedom and dramatic tension has inspired generations of ballet artists.
Since its debut in China in 1959, it's been a defining milestone in the history of Chinese ballet.
World-renowned violinist Liu Siqing has announced a six-country European tour with the major ensemble set to kick off in February, titled The New Four Seasons.
The tour will feature the European premiere of The Four Seasons of China, a new composition by Chinese composer Wen Ziyang, alongside Hungarian composer Stefan Peter's piano piece Sonata of the Four Seasons.
The concert series will make stops in cities including Budapest, Munich and Barcelona.
57 past the hour.
Checking the forecast before we go for the day in Beijing.
It's down to minus 5 this evening.
Sunny skies and plus 5 for Wednesday.
Shenyang will see heavy snowfall overnight.
It's down to minus 16.
Sunny with a high of minus 4 tomorrow.
Nanchang will see a light rainfall tonight and tomorrow.
The low is 8.
The high remains at 8 degrees.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad is overcast with a low of 8 this evening.
Wednesday is cloudy and 19.
Vientiane will be cloudy tonight and tomorrow.
It's down to 18, then a high of 29.
Phnom Penh will be overcast and 22 this evening, followed by light rain and 33 degrees Celsius.
And that's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making news today.
The Chinese president's calling on centrally administered state-owned enterprises to better serve the overall work of the CPC in the country.
And an opposition leader in Japan's calling for the dismissal of an official who said the country should have nuclear weapons.
On behalf of the staff.
This is Shane Biggum in the Chinese capital, hoping you'll join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour and open a window to the world together.
Find The Beijing Hour at precisely 6pm Beijing time.
We meet you on podcast and on air every weekday.
The Beijing Hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
He can't live without the Yellow River in his eyes.
The Yellow River is so noble and elegant.
Both my grandpa and dad made the living from the river.
Would you like to move away from the Yellow River?
I don't think I will.
I love it so much.
The Yellow River, the second longest river in China, is regarded as a shaping force in the history, economy and culture of northern China.
Today, about 100 million people live within its water basin, making up nearly 9 of the country's population.
How is climate change felt at its headwaters?
And what are the locals doing to cope with it?
What are the descendants of the boatmen doing?
What has kept some people from leaving their home village by the river?
And what has drawn others back?
Could the fading fishing community revive in a time of digital transformation?
From 2021 to 2024.
Our reporters visited the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, talked to the herders farmers boatmen, fishermen and eco-activists who share a close bond with the river, and present their stories in pictures, podcasts and videos, or in our 12-part series, The Yellow River Mosaic, available only on CGTN Radio.
