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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 Bigum with you on this Tuesday, April 1st, 2025.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour.
We're coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program, China's armed forces have conducted military drills around the island of Taiwan as a warning against separatist forces.
International rescue teams continue to offer assistance in Myanmar following the devastating earthquake that struck last week when a Paris court convicted the leader of the far -right National Rally Party of embezzlement.
In business, China's factory activity expands at the fastest pace in four months.
In sports, Premier League football is back after the international break.
In culture and entertainment, cultural connections between China and India.
Now checking the day's top stories.
The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army has conducted joint exercises around Taiwan.
Senior Colonel Shi Yi says the Army, Navy, Air and Rocket Forces closed in on the island from several directions during the drill.
They aim to test joint combat capabilities.
with the focus on sea air combat readiness patrols, assault on maritime and ground targets, and blockades in key areas and sea lanes.
Liu Chengwei, with the rocket force, says they will remain alert.
We will maintain our high spirits and combat readiness.
At order of the commander, we will resolutely fight the enemy and completely crush any separatist attempts or action.
Eastern Theater Command spokesperson says the drills serve as a warning against separatist forces and are a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity.
Meanwhile China Coast Guard says its fleets have patrolled the waters surrounding Taiwan.
A spokesperson stressed that Taiwan is the province of China and the action was carried out in accordance with the one China principle.
The CCG conducted exercises such as boarding, seizure, and detention.
A Fujian Coast Guard also carried out similar law enforcement patrols.
China's State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office says the PLA Eastern Theater Command drills serve as a punishment for Taiwan leader Lai Zhengde's independence provocations.
A spokesperson said independence means war, and stressed the mainland's determination and capability to achieve national reunification.
The official emphasized that the countermeasures specifically target separatist activities and are not directed at Taiwan's broader population.
Experts believe the exercises around Taiwan will give PLA forces a better understanding of the battleground situation in the region.
Professor Zheng Chue from China People's Liberation Army National Defense University expanded on the purpose and legitimacy of the Eastern Theater Command drills.
After Lai Xinte came into power he's been spreading the idea of great terror while trying to undermine peace across the Taiwan Strait.
He also dished out an idea of the so -called New Two -State Theory, carried out independence action, repeatedly made separatist remarks and designated the Menland as a so -called foreign hostile force.
These actions are more deceptive than damaging and planted the risks of war in the region.
It will harm the interests of the people of Taiwan.
Lai Qingde is a maker of troubles, danger and war.
China will achieve reunification.
It is the trend of the times and nobody can stop this trend.
Taiwan's future lies in reunification.
The interests of Taiwan compatriots are associated with cross -strait peace and national rejuvenation.
These exercises target independence forces and are a legitimate move in order to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity." That was Prof. Jung Chur on the PLA Eastern Theater Command's new military exercises.
US President Donald Trump is expected to announce reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday.
He's dubbed April 2 as Liberation Day, with promises to impose import duties to match the levies from all other countries.
Trump said the tariffs aim to reverse US trade deficits.
There are doubts if it'll have the desired effect.
Goldman Sachs has raised the likelihood of a US recession.
Nathan King reports from outside the White House.
Beautiful, sunny day here in Washington, D .C., but there's a feeling of trepidation in the air.
Wednesday, says Donald Trump in the White House.
Behind me is Liberation Day.
Well, it means essentially World Tariff Day.
Having imposed and taken away and reimposed tariffs, Now we're asking Americans what they think about the new president's policies.
I think it's a negotiation strategy, so it's going to be outrageous and something to catch everyone's attention and then eventually they'll be some negotiation.
Are you a bit worried about prices going up in the medium term though?
Well, they're already up, so, but yeah they'll probably go up.
Yeah, so it's going to be difficult.
He gets it, but he has a plan.
I don't know what his plan is, but I have to wait and see it play out.
Little bit worry about that.
Like your average income, everything is so high.
Everything is in case.
What can you do? House prices.
Living costs, everything.
Like every grocery store, everything is so high.
So we see what he can do.
He just started. Maybe he make a good decision.
And it's not just ordinary Americans who are concerned.
The financial markets are too.
Investment Bank Goldman Sachs, now puts the risk of US recession at 35%, upping its forecast from 20%, ruling about the tariffs tax -like impact on consumer spending and financial markets.
We note that President Trump recently said he expected his planned tariffs to raise the unusually specific figure of $600 billion to $1 trillion over the next year, implying an average tariff rate of 18 to 30 percent on current import volumes.
Of course, President Trump could change his mind on tariffs at any second.
We've seen it already in this administration.
But from Main Street to Wall Street, the feeling is one of worry because there's no certainty.
And certainly people don't want to pay higher prices.
Now is Nathan King on the impacts of looming US tariffs.
Unions representing dozens of trade groups in the US have expressed opposition to potential fees on Chinese shipping vessels docking at US seaports.
They filed a petition with the Office of the US Trade Representative last week.
Experts say the move could also hurt other US industries.
Edis Tien -Chan spoke with John McCown from the Centre for Maritime Strategy about the implications.
According to a recent proposal by the Office of the US Trade Representative, vessels operated by Chinese companies could face a port -call fee of $1 million, and those built in China may have to pay up to $1 .5 million.
A fee is per port call and it's not unusual for a ship on the West Coast going from Asia to the West Coast to call on three ports.
They do 10 voyages a year from Asia to the West Coast. All of a sudden you're looking at $105 million in fees for one vessel, which of course is ridiculous and that those fees that vessel would not continue to operate, it would just stop.
A petition signed by dozens of groups representing U .S. importers and exporters, manufacturers, farmers, retailers and ports have collectively argued that the proposal would hurt the overall American economy, while reducing trade and worsening the trade deficit.
The report they released last week pointed that these port fees could essentially scramble international intermodal traffic, saying shipping lines would likely take steps to minimize or avoid the port entry fees.
You would immediately immediately have container operators change their deployment, immediately pry and route cargo that is going to the US over ports in Canada and Mexico.
That is suboptimal because it adds cost. It has to move more inland, that's a higher cost per mile, and then in the ports in the U .S. that they call, they will immediately rather than call those two or three ports, they'll call one port.
And guess what? Automatically, almost overnight, you'll be back to that congestion situation that we had all feared as something of the past. It was during the COVID -19 pandemic when more than 100 vessels lined up on the coastlines of Los Angeles waiting for weeks to dock in for cargo.
Causing a spike in both shipping rates and delivery times.
Diverting cargo from the U .S. ports to its neighbors may also have ripple effects.
Experts warn about potential layoffs in smaller ports that could also impact regional businesses.
But on a national level they also warn that the additional costs associated with having to bring in more cargo through land from Mexico or Canada would not necessarily be absorbed by businesses but by American consumers.
That was Yidiz Tianchen reporting.
Coming up, rescuers are still searching for survivors of the earthquake in Myanmar. dive in.
Ten minutes past the hour.
International rescue teams are searching for survivors under the rubble after the 7 .9 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar. Chinese rescuers have brought 8 people to safety Tuesday morning, and they're not giving up beyond the 72 -hour golden period.
China Search and Rescue team deputy leader Li Guangnae said they'll not stop, despite adverse conditions.
The temperature is very high, making our rescue more and more difficult.
In the face of this situation, we'll not give up and we will not abandon anyone.
We're racing against the clock, using the Snake Eye detector, radar life detector, and other detection instruments to search for and rescue every survivor.
The strong tremor last week has killed more than 2 ,700 people as of Tuesday.
Myanmar, along with the international community, are providing food and drinking water to the disaster -hit area.
Moa Xiaochin has more on how locals in Mandalay are coping with a shortage of supplies.
According to what I have seen in Mandalay, the local communication situation is still very poor.
Even in the center part of Mandalay, most areas have no signal, some places can receive phone signals, but only weak data networks.
And Wi -Fi is also out in restaurants and locals' homes.
Such communication conditions have also brought difficulties to the rescue operations.
Because some rescue teams separated to rescue different places, and they needed to maintain effective communication with each other, most of the Chinese rescue teams and Myanmar civilian rescue teams concentrated in the Yuna Hall in Mandalay, which is temporarily used as the command centre of all rescue forces, contact centre, and victim settlement centre.
Most of the volunteers here are also local overseas Chinese Manali is currently facing shortage of water and electricity The local power department is stepping up the repair of power facilities damaged by the earthquake Actually Myanmar has been facing electricity shortage problem And there was no public electricity for almost half of today Some residents actually installed portable tech power generation equipment in their homes So after the earthquake, they can provide help to neighbors who need electricity.
There are also many wells in the city.
Because water is coming at home, residents are waiting in line to get water.
However, earthquakes will pollute groundwater, so it may bring challenges to the subsequent epidemic prevention work in the local area.
Most of the urban victims were afraid that aftershores will cause their homes to collapse, so they set up mosquito nets in front of their home to sleep.
Many locals also spontaneously donated food and daily necessities to the homeless victims. The above is the situation I have observed in Man de Ling.
For the Beijing Hour, I am Mo Xiaoxing.
Many structures, including government buildings in Naypyidaw, also sustain damage.
Leo Chong, who works at the Myanmar Office of the United Nations World Food Programme, tells us about the destruction in the capital.
most high -risk buildings suffered significant damage, displacing large populations.
Many displaced families are sheltering in makeshift tents near government complex. There's only one township that the market is in operation, the Piemanta Township.
It is where most of the Nividadore buys supplies.
Even though the market is still opening, part of the township is severely damaged.
Three mosques were collapsed and in the navy door, even the government buildings are collapsed, especially with the buildings of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Even the House of President cannot be used.
The emergency meeting between the Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ASEAN foreign ministers Due to severe damage to foreign ministry in Nividore, caused by the earthquake, officials were seen working outdoors.
Ewan Merker also said local residents still need aid deliveries as road repair is underway.
The roads near water bodies are severely damaged.
The road repair is underway, especially for the road to the airport.
but still there's no electricity and no clean water.
In terms of health facilities there are lots of damages and how speedos collapsed.
Many of the hotels are not operational except Royal Hotel.
The immediate needs we still need to restore the water and electricity and expand the shelter capacities with basic amenities and we also require medical support and reopening of health facilities and as well as infrastructure repairs to ensure aid delivery and mobility.
The rescue efforts were still carried out by local forces.
We're still pleased members of Mama Red Cross Society and members from civil society organizations are helping to rescue people from labor theory hospital.
That was Liu Cheung from the WFP on post quake life in Nay Padaw.
After the earthquake in Myanmar, the local Chinese community and overseas Chinese quickly mobilized into a crucial rescue force Before official aid arrived, they were already on the front lines, offering assistance in fighting to save lives, Zheng Tao reports.
Cao Yatin, a 27 year old Chinese in Yangon, took action on the night of March the 28th.
She posted an urgent call for volunteers to head to Mandalay, the hardest -hit area.
We organized everything ourselves, without a formal structure.
A WeChat group filled up instantly.
People donated money and supplies, forming teams then rushed to Madeleine at incredible speed.
By the early hours of the 29th, Cao's 15 -person team reached the disaster zone and immediately teamed up with local firefighters to begin rescue efforts.
Their goal was to save as many lives as possible within the critical 72 -hour golden window.
When we arrived at 1 am, neither the rescue teams nor we rested.
We used life detectors to check each site, staying awake all night.
Despite severe road damage in Yang, which turned it a five -hour drive into a 14 -hour journey, volunteers drove their own cars, bringing supplies and determination to help.
Cao also noted the growing public support.
People from across Myanmar and China have been messaging me, asking how to send supplies and donate money.
Nearly 100 people have donated so far.
The heat was unbearable, over 40 degrees Celsius.
The ground was so hot, it felt like walking on fire.
I can't imagine the suffering of those trapped under the rubble.
It's heartbreaking, but the selflessness of the Chinese community and other Myanmar citizens is heartening.
Tang Jianzhu, an overseas Chinese and rescue team member, hoped to save more lives before international teams arrived.
It's been four days with little rest. I've seen families in distress pleading for help.
I've been updating the situation in real -time, assuring them we will do everything we can.
Myanmar's fire teams are still working hard and we continue our efforts." Thang and the firefighters barely slept.
When exhaustion hit, they would rest briefly before continuing their work.
By the early hours of the 30th, just as Thang was preparing to return rest, he encountered the Blue Sky Rescue Team, which had arrived from China.
He decided not to leave and stay behind to assist with coordinating efforts between the local and Chinese volunteer groups, helping them familiarize themselves with the area and taking on translation duties.
For the Beijing Hour, this is Jiang Tao.
World Health Organization called the Myanmar earthquake a top -level emergency.
the organization seeking eight million U .S. dollars to save lives and prevent disease outbreaks over the next 30 days.
The WHO also says there's limited surgical capacity in the country for the large number of people who've been injured.
Electricity and water supplies remain disrupted, worsening access to health services and heightening risks of waterborne and foodborne infections.
WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris says major concerns include water and food supplies, as well as disease outbreaks.
All the hospitals are overwhelmed.
At least 20 hospitals have been have had severe damage.
So a lot of them are just they're continuing their work, but they're doing it outside.
People are also terrified and not wanting to go back to their homes even if their homes are not too damaged, because of the many aftershocks and because of the complete uncertainty.
So there are large numbers of people out in the open with not really with access to clean water or food and they're tremendously anxious.
So we're very very concerned about the likelihood of a big rise in infectious diseases on top of the many many injuries.
Thousands and thousands of people have been injured.
Initial priorities for the first 30 days and first of all of course as I just mentioned is trauma and surgical care, getting in close coordination with the authorities and partners, bringing in emergency medical teams And these appear not just a bunch of doctors and nurses, they come fully equipped to that.
They're like a complete outpatient department.
They bring all their equipment, they bring the tents so they can basically provide the care and also bring in lots more emergency medical supplies.
We've got charter flights that have left carrying those things, but we're going to have to continue to bring in emergency medical supplies, particularly trauma and emergency surgery kits.
WHO official also noted the importance of consistent health services for people with chronic diseases or other medical conditions.
The world's longest Teakwood Bridge has suffered structural damage in the powerful earthquake.
The Ubin Bridge in Mandalay is now closed, impacting tourism and daily travel.
The earthquake also dealt a heavy blow to other historical and cultural landmarks in Myanmar. Parts of the Mandalay Palace toppled and parts of temples and pagodas cracked or collapsed.
Chinese rescuers have joined locals in mourning for the earthquake victims. They stood in silence as sirens sounded across Mandalay.
In neighboring Thailand, statistics from Bangkok municipalities show that at least 20 people are dead, dozens more are injured and 12 are in hospital.
And apart from the temblor and Myanmar, there have been several earthquakes around the world in recent weeks.
A 7 .3 -magnitude earthquake occurred near Tonga this week and a smaller one hit Hebei Province, neighboring Beijing earlier.
We asked Dr. Wang Tun at Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of earthquake early warning if the seismic events are out of the ordinary.
Not really. The recent earthquakes, whether in Myanmar, Tonga, or parts of China like Xinjiang or Yunnan, all occurred in well -known seismic zones.
These regions are generally expected to experience quakes and even magnitude 7 or above events fall within the normal range.
Statistically, the frequency and strength of earthquakes we've seen so far this year are consistent with the previous years.
Nowadays, people are more exposed to news of disasters, especially when a deadly quake like Myanmar's makes headlines.
People's increased awareness also makes them more sensitive to seismic news.
I also want to point out that in recent decades, China's placed a greater emphasize on disaster prevention.
Especially in establishing early warning systems and ensuring the safety of buildings.
China's also actively participating in global effort to build multi -hazard early warning systems, offering support to global communities.
That was Dr. Wang Chun explaining the recent earthquakes.
Thanks. Coming up, a Paris court convicts a far -right political leader of embezzlement.
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24 minutes past the hour, Paris courts found French far -right leader Marine Le Pen guilty of embezzlement, the ruling bans her from running for the presidency for five years.
The leader of the National Rally Party said the verdict is political and vowed to appeal.
Ross Cullen reports from Paris.
Well, it's a historic day for French politics.
Marine Le Pen leads the biggest party in the French Parliament, and she leads the polls at the moment, two years out from the next presidential election in April 2027.
It's an election that, as it stands and pending in appeal, she will not be allowed to contest. On Monday, she held a crisis meeting with staff following the verdict in the sentencing in the Paris High Court, and then she came out defiant, in a prime -time TV interview.
Do you realize what a dark day this is?
Monday, March 31st, 2025.
What a dark day this is for our democracy and our country, where millions of French people will be deprived by a judge with no recourse possible of the candidate who is considered the favorite for the presidential election.
That should scandalize anyone who cares about democracy and the rule of law in reality.
Well on Monday Marine Le Pen and eight of her colleagues were found guilty of having used money intended for European Union parliamentary aides to instead pay staff who worked for her National Rally Party.
The lead judge overseeing the case said quote the investigations showed that these were not administrative errors but embezzlement within the framework of a system put in place to reduce the party's costs.
Le Pen was also fined $108 ,000 and given a four -year prison sentence, two years of which will be suspended and the other two will be served wearing an electronic bracelet rather than being spent behind bars.
She leads the largest party in the National Assembly and she ran unsuccessfully for president three times in 2012, 2017 and 2022.
It is the voters who decide in a democracy, and I am here to tell them this evening, don't worry, I am not disheartened.
I am like you, scandalized, indignant, but that indignation, that sense of injustice is maybe another driver in the fight I am waging for them.
Now that she is unlikely to be able to stand in the 2027 presidential election, the race to succeed Emmanuel Macron is now wide open.
Macron cannot run again after serving two consecutive terms in office.
Le Pen's party president, the 29 year old Jordan Bardella, may replace her as the National Rally Candidate if her appeal against her sentencing and verdict ultimately prove unsuccessful.
I was Ross Colin on the implications of Marine Le Pen's embezzlement case.
Algeria and France have agreed to immediately resume cooperation in security and migration.
The leaders of the two countries spoke on the phone and stressed the importance of developing economic ties.
A statement from the Algerian presidency said the French foreign minister will visit Algeria this weekend, and the justice minister will visit in the near future.
The phone call between the two presidents came as a diplomatic rift between Algeria and colonial power France has deepened over immigration issues and historical grievances.
Greenland's new Prime Minister says the island will strengthen ties with Denmark until it can achieve independence.
Jens Frederick Nielsen is leading a four -party coalition government that will face challenges, including U .S. President Donald Trump's plan to control the territory.
U .S. Vice President J .D.
Vance paid a visit to Greenland last week and suggested the United states will offer the Arctic Island better protection.
Nielsen stressed that they don't want to be Americans but the island wants a partnership with the US that's based on mutual respect.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovail Sakalyan has confirmed the recovery of the U .S. armored vehicle that sank in a swamp near the Paw Brad training area in the eastern part of the country.
The vehicle was deeply lodged in the mud.
Local media reports say the incidents claimed the lives of four U .S. soldiers riding the vehicle and that Lithuanian prosecutors have opened a pre -trial investigation into the deaths.
The U .S. Army Europe and African Command said three of the soldiers have been found dead.
Another is still missing, though.
The soldiers were on a tactical training exercise.
Hundreds of Lithuanian and U .S. soldiers and rescuers took part in the search operation.
U .S. Navy divers are looking for the fourth soldier.
We're at 29 minutes past the hour checking the forecast ahead of the break, and Beijing's down to 8 degrees on Tuesday evening.
It'll be sunny in 29, 20 degrees rather, on Wednesday.
Nanshong's down to 9 then sunny in 24.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad's 13 this evening.
Wednesday is cloudy in 36 degrees.
Bien Tien is at 20 overnight then sunny in 32, Petanpan's 24 this evening, and then a slight rain in 31.
In Africa, Nairobi is getting a slight rainfall in 26 degrees on Wednesday.
Compad talk is down to 21, followed by a slight rain in 26.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour, China's armed forces have conducted military drills around the island of Taiwan as a warning against separatist forces.
International rescue teams continue to offer assistance in Myanmar following the devastating earthquake that struck last week and the Paris courts convicted the leader of the far -right National Rally Party of embezzlement.
Shane Begum with you.
Stay with us here on the Beijing Hour.
Shhh. Listen up. Can you hear the heartbeat of our world?
It's vibrant and pulsating with the essence of life itself.
From the stem of trees to the gurgle of rivers.
From the silent strength of mountains to the icy whispers of glaciers.
Even the solid ground beneath our feet.
And right there, in the midst of all, beats the heart of humanity.
What if those other heartbeats were to stop?
Would ours keep on ticking?
Ever wondered what's actually going on in Africa through the perspective of an African?
And how are things really going between China and Africa?
What's the narrative of this relationship?
Well get a perspective with China Africa Talk.
Here 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 Begum with you on this Tuesday.
Still to come. In business, china's factory activity expands at the fastest pace in four months.
In sports, Premier League football is back after the international break.
In culture and entertainment, cultural connections between China and India.
To contact us you can email Radio at cgtn .com or follow our X account at cgtnradio But now a check of the day's headline news.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has compared China -Russia relations as a high -speed train that will not change course.
He's on an official visit to Russia.
The senior diplomat said the two countries will work towards three goals in a volatile world, including consolidating cooperation, expanding opening up and sharing development achievements.
Speaking with Russia Today, Wang called on China and Russia to protect the international order and practiced true multilateralism.
This year marks 80 years since the end of World War Two and the founding of the United Nations.
Tuesday marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India.
China says both are ancient civilizations and members of the global south and becoming partners that complement each other is the right choice.
A foreign ministry spokesperson said China will regard bilateral relations from strategic and long -term perspective and jointly maintained peace in the border region.
The spokesperson said both countries hope to advance ties at this critical juncture.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command has started to conduct joint exercises around Taiwan.
A military spokesperson says the command organized its army, navy, air and rocket forces to close in around the island from several directions.
Shiwei says these drills mainly focus on sea air combat readiness patrols, assault on maritime and ground targets, and the blockade of key areas and sea lanes to test the joint operation capabilities of the troops.
The State Council Taiwan Affairs Office says the exercise serves as a stern warning to separatist forces attempting to undermine peace in the Taiwan Strait.
The office has also described the drills as a necessary action to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In the meantime, several fleets from China Coast Guard have also started law enforcement patrols around Taiwan.
A Chinese civil relief squad dispatched two additional groups to Myanmar to form a 44 -member task force, aiding earthquake relief operations.
The 20 volunteers of the Yunnan branch of Blue Sky Rescue are equipped with life detectors and demolition tools.
The team entered Myanmar on Saturday.
Multiple Chinese rescue teams are working with local responders to search for survivors in disaster -stricken areas.
The number of deaths from Friday's 7 .9 magnitude earthquake has risen to over 2 ,700 as of Tuesday afternoon.
More than 4 ,500 have been injured.
The Kremlin says Russia views efforts to end its conflict with Ukraine as a drawn -out process after U .S. President Donald Trump expressed frustration as he tries to bring about a truce.
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says Russian President Vladimir Putin remains open to his US counterpart.
He said a telephone conversation is not scheduled yet but such contact can be agreed upon very quickly if necessary.
The spokesperson added that the two countries are working on implementing ideas concerning the Ukrainian settlement but there have been no specifics.
We will continue to repeat that in the past it was fulfilled in the past regarding Ukraine but it was never implemented in a part related to Russia.
So now, due attention is being paid to all those details in our contacts, but certain work is yet to be done.
Trump said on Sunday he was angry when Putin criticized the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's leadership, adding that the comments were not going in the right direction.
The Ukrainian President's urged participants at a summit in Buchev to keep supporting his country.
Vladimir Zelensky said that his country has documented over 180 ,000 crimes concerning what he described as the aggression of Russia.
Russia has rejected a U .S. proposal for a full and immediate 30 -day halt in the fighting.
The Paris courts found the leader of the far right National Rally Party guilty of embezzling public funds.
Marine Le Pen was accused of paying ghost European parliamentary assistance.
The ruling bans her from running for the French presidency for five years.
The court said Le Pen and her colleagues arranged for the European Parliament to pay salaries to individuals who were actually working for the National Rally Party.
The amount embezzled reached about 2 .9 million euros or 3 .1 million US dollars.
Le Pen alone was responsible for over 470 ,000 euros.
She's been sentenced to four years in prison and fined 100 ,000 euros.
The national party leader said she'll appeal as quickly as possible.
Do you realize what a dark day this is?
Monday, March 31st, 2025, what a dark day this is for our democracy and our country where millions of French people will be deprived by a judge with no recourse possible of the candidate who is considered the favorite for the presidential election.
That should scandalize anyone who cares about democracy and the rule of law in reality.
Pépin was president Emmanuel Macron's main political rival in the past two elections and she declared that the 2027 presidential race would be her fourth and final attempt at the presidency.
Coming up in business China's factory activity expands at the fastest pace in four months.
The Beijing hour your window on China and the rest of the world.
32 past the hour. Stock markets on the Chinese mainland closed mixed on Tuesday.
The Shanghai Composite was up nearly 0 .4%.
The Shenzhen component remained almost flat.
A forestry and pet care led the gainers elsewhere in China.
The Hong Kong stock market ended higher with the Hang Seng index up nearly 0 .4%.
Meantime, stocks in Japan ended slightly higher.
A Caixin survey shows the purchasing manager's index for manufacturing came in at 51 .2 last month, up 0 .4 points from February.
The latest figure shows China's factory activity in the private sector has expanded at its fastest pace in four months.
It's in line with the official PMI released on Monday, which also surpassed market expectations.
New orders contributed to the improvement, with export orders rising at their fastest pace in 11 months.
The Shaoxing survey covers mostly mid and small sized factories in the private sector.
With more, Zhang Junfeng spoke with Liu Zhiqin, a senior fellow from the Remen University of China.
What are your thoughts on the positive science released in the latest shaoxing manufacturing PMI?
I have two considerations when I read this data, because the general picture is quite positive.
This is the first consideration.
It's very important to see the overall situation at the moment.
We see the first three months, especially in March and February, all this data is very positive.
The manufacturing and economic development are in the expansion field.
This is very encourageable.
And the second consideration is that all positive factors, including this innovation and also So the potential of the change of development are very active.
This is a very important signal that our potential and also the market perspective still remain very stable and prosperous.
So in this way the market confidence has reached again and also the policymakers will have more confidence and more encouragement effort to support economic development at the moment.
How do the Caixin PMI and China's official PMI complement each other?
This is a very good question.
In my opinion, I would like to say that Caixin's information is realistic and official data is more rational.
Why I say in this way?
In my From my perspective, I said mainly the information and data come from the supermarket.
And official data collections information, it comes from the shopping center or shopping mall.
They have different levels, different customers.
So that's why they have a little bit of similarity and also some differences.
But in principle, the general picture is quite familiar, it's quite similar.
so that's why we can say that the Caixi is concentrated on the private companies and also the officials mainly in the state -owned companies.
So they represent different pictures, different groups, so this is a complement with each other.
It is a very good way for the people, for the marketing researchers to make their own judgment.
That was senior research fellow Liu Jurqin from Renmin University of China offering his insights on China's latest manufacturing PMI.
China's published a guideline to improve the social credit system amid efforts to promote its high -quality development.
The guideline includes 23 measures and aims to build a unified national market while maintaining a fair and orderly competitive market environment.
Authorities will establish a social credit system covering all types of entities to promote deep integration of the social credit system into all aspects of social and economic development.
According to China's top economic regulator, credits played a key role in optimizing the business environment, and promoting financial services for the real economy.
The National Development and Reform Commission says construction of the social credit system adheres to the fundamental principles of defending information security and individual rights.
As artificial intelligence propels the global shift towards smart manufacturing, humanoid robots are leading the way in transforming production.
Wang Qianyu delves into the evolution of these robots from industrial prototypes to trusted home companions in Shanghai This is a humanoid robot training center.
The robots here are being trained to learn adapt and evolve Ultimately aiming to become helpful assistance for companions It would be such a mess if I were one of their human coaches.
Now the robot is following me every move And this is what you call learning.
Clearly I'm not a very good teacher.
What these robots have to learn are the things we are often too lazy to do ourselves.
For example in factories, automated machines, which you can consider non -human robots have already taken on a lot of the work that used to be done by human workers.
Those machines are for high precision tasks which are very rigid and require extensive programming.
They cannot quickly adapt to changing environments.
Well think about how many random variables are contained within making your everyday breakfast, cleaning up your kitchen, and even sorting things out.
Here are where the humanoid robots come into the picture.
They need to repeat a single task about a thousand times to master each possible scenario and there are countless scenarios to learn.
If you come here often, you will notice that the scenarios change almost every week.
I had another question.
Why do these robots have to be designed so similarly to a person?
I mean, one head, two arms, and a bit shorter than the average adult.
Our entire society is designed based on human ergonomics.
A humanoid robot can make full use of the tools and infrastructure already created for humans, Which makes it extremely convenient.
Having the ability to conduct working skills is not enough for robots to be intelligent, they need to perceive and understand the world and us.
A 40 -minute drive away from the training center, a company specializing in developing multi -model large language models is using that to help robots precise images, videos and text.
A robot's behavior follows two main steps.
First, a highly generalized, multimodal model interprets intentions, plans, tasks, and breaks them down.
This is crucial. Second, the cerebellum translates these plans into concrete movements.
So the larger database a robot's brain has, the broader knowledge it gets.
Both knowledge and skills are important for humanoid robots to come into our home.
By the end of last year, China has more than 450 ,000 intelligent robot -related companies.
For many of them, the next target they want to achieve is probably to make the robot finish self -directed learning or, in other words, to teach themselves.
That was Wung Chien Yu reporting.
A Xiongan new area has made significant strides integrating business that's transferred from the Chinese capital.
Beijing set up the zone for entities that are not essential for the capital to function.
Located around 120 kilometers south of Beijing, the area is attracted over 300 branches of central enterprises and 1200 supporting institutions.
More than 4 ,000 Beijing -originated companies have established operations there.
The area is also developed into a powerhouse for aerospace innovation, hosting 60 space -related enterprises covering commercial satellite manufacturing and aerospace vehicles.
Over 10 innovation platforms have established ecosystems spanning specialized industrial parks, themed office buildings, and incubators.
In the meantime, talent attraction remains central to Xiongan's development strategy.
Target measures and specific funding programs have seen over 14 ,000 talent cards issued, creating a growing cluster of higher education and research professionals.
Major Chinese banks have increased their financial support to key sectors as well as raising their loans to companies and individuals in 2024.
The measures were part of the efforts to support the country's economic development and the stability of the housing market.
In an effort to further promote high quality development of private enterprises, the major banks have also been implementing action plans to make targeted policies for them.
According to these banks, they'll make more efforts this year to ensure the healthy development of the real estate market.
The Agricultural Bank of China says it'll take advantage of positive changes in the housing market and cooperate better with high quality real estate developers and housing provident fund centers.
Coming up in sports, Premier League Football Action is back after the international break.
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47 past the hour now.
Turning to sports. Here's Young -Gwan.
Thank you, Shane. In tennis, Jakub Menzick says he's aiming for more after winning the Miami Open.
The 19 -year -old defeated Novak Djokovic in two sets for his first ATP title.
Of course, right now it's the biggest win of my career so far and I'm just super happy with that.
But I know that this is not the end and I know that this is just the beginning for me and still 19 years old so I have my whole career in front of me.
Of course it feels really great to have this next to me but it's not just about the one title, one tournament but I'm hungry for more." Reflecting on the match, Djokovic showed frustration with circumstances in the final.
Yeah, it's unfortunate for me.
Two tie breaks, just a very weird match, weird day with Randy Lay and all the things that is happening honestly.
I didn't feel my greatest on the court, but it is what it is.
Nothing to take away from his victory.
He also expressed respect and praise for the opponent.
Never really happy to lose but he is one of the very few players that I would be happier to lose to to be honest. I've seen him play when he was 15 or 16 and invited him.
We had some training blocks together, he was training at my club in Belgrade and you know to see his development and evolution is really great, amazing.
Man 6 victory means Djokovic has to wait for his 100th career title and a record 7th in the Miami open.
The Georgian Lions claimed top position in the CBA regular season while the Nanjing Monkey Kings secured their historic first playoff berth, the Mian Chinese reports.
After 5 1 loophole and an overall total of 460 league games, the Chinese Basketball Association's 30th anniversary regular season is in the books, and the 12 advancing teams know their mission will only get tougher moving forward. The playoffs and regular season are two entirely different types of competition, No matter how many times you have beaten an opponent in the regular season, no one wants to get eliminated early in the playoffs, and the intensity is on a whole different level.
I'm sure it's gonna be more physical.
It's already been kinda physical so far, but I know it's gonna be a little different.
Looking forward to see what it's gonna be like in our placement.
You know, just practice and prepare for where we have next.
With the pressure increasing in the CBA playoffs, having a full and healthy roster takes on paramount importance along with making sure every squad member is focused on one collective goal.
The top four teams from the regular season received buys in the first round of the CBA playoffs while the next eight battled to keep their campaigns alive and continue to pursue their objectives.
Heading into the postseason means a clean slate for every remaining squad regardless of the standings, while those that failed to qualify are left hoping to do better next year.
As the CBA playoffs get under way, the intensity level in each game will only continue to rise as each series going forward is a winner -take -all affair and factors like talent, experience, and determination will play some of the biggest roles in determining which team ultimately claims That was Damien Jones reporting.
And finally in football, the Premier League returns to action after the international break and the weekend's FA Cup quarterfinals.
Arsenal is at home to Fulham aiming to close Liverpool's 12 -point lead at the top of table and strengthen its grip on second place.
Winger Bukayo Sarkar is set to make his return after a lengthy injury.
Manager Michele Lateta says it means a lot for the team.
It's another massive weapon that we have within.
We know the impact that is having the team and how important his role and his contribution is to our success.
So great to have him back obviously.
Fulham travels to North London with a disappointment at seeing its hopes of FA Cup Laurie ended at the quarterfinal stage for the fifth time after a 3 -0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
Nottingham Forest will play at home to Manchester United.
United head coach Ruben Amareni says they are well prepared.
I think yes, you can say that I'm really confident.
I feel that the players are more confident.
The energy is different.
But I also know that this could change with results.
So we are focused on maintaining the energy.
We worked on some things that we have a lot to improve.
Even winning the Games, we can acknowledge that we have a lot to improve.
But we are in a different moment, more confident and ready for this final two months of the season.
The other match will have the Wolverhampton Wanderers up against West Ham.
Right, thank you very much. That was Yang Guang with sports.
Just ahead in Culture and Entertainment, cultural connections between China and India.
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.
52 past the hour, turning to Culture and Entertainment.
Renowned Indian sitar virtuoso, Prabhayan Chatterjee says sitar music can seamlessly blend with Chinese and Indian poetry.
Highlighting the profound historical and cultural connections between the two nations.
The beauty of the sitar is that it is deeply resonant.
It is got a great sustain.
So when you hit a note it stays and resonates and creates this energy almost like an aura around you.
Guqin or the Pippa, they all do that.
Experience the universe in a completely different way.
Anything you can sing, you can play, and anything you can play, you could sing.
During an interview in China, Chatterji said ancient civilizations and arts transcend borders and regions, expressing humanity's shared aspirations and ideals.
So it's a great example of mind -body coordination.
The right side of your brain and the left side of your brain are working to create this amazing universe around you.
And if you are immersed in it enough, then the external universe, which doesn't exist, there is no external universe, then you are connected to your internal universe and you connect to that deeper energy.
I have experienced the same thing with Chinese music and with Japanese music.
These are the ancient music traditions of the world.
That is why I think our great countries are connected on that because we are ancient cultures.
We also stress the need for different cultures to bring tradition and music together to find a deeper meaning.
For the first time this year, Malaysian Muslims have been marking Ramadan in a unique new mosque built entirely in a Chinese architectural style.
The Sultan of the Malaysian state where the mosque stands suggested modeling it after a famous ancient mosque in China.
Ryan Meltzer has more.
Anyone passing the Klang Chinese -Muslim mosque could easily mistake it for a temple unless perhaps they've seen the Great Mosque of Xi 'an in China, the inspiration for this building.
The Sultan of Slangor is actually the overseer for the whole project and it is the one that sends our architect all the way to China to get the information and blueprints for the whole project.
The mosque is adorned with Chinese decorative panels, wood carvings and calligraphy, most created by Chinese Malaysian artisans.
There are a few materials we imported from China.
One is the roof tower, which is for the main player hall, with a curved roof, which is used for the minerals.
Then the other material which we imported, the granite railing, the low railing.
In Malaysia anyway, we don't produce this kind of thing, yeah.
So basically, it is a two -long rectangular space which is partitioned by a series of walls.
But this wall is with openings.
So this allows crossing of nature of effort.
Clearly the minaret looks like a pagoda.
Inter the Chinese architecture you need to have the consistency of the architecture style.
The main play hall is at the higher plane.
That signifies the importance of the location.
In Xi 'an the whole building structure is of timber structure.
We can't afford to do that.
We just decorate with a certain timber banner The mosque aims to be a home for Chinese -Malaysian Muslims. Our aspiration for this mosque is not just being a mosque it's not just being a place for them to pray and instead its a community area where we have community activities as well as classes.
It actually a form or a symbol of unity.
It's attracting worshipers and visitors of all races.
I was very curious about how this place looked, so I came to visit.
This place is really quite surprising.
I didn't expect that Chinese style could actually blend so well with Islamic style like this The hope will be that this new Chinese Muslim mosque will be an iconic addition to Malaysia's religious cultural and architectural landscape for generations to come That was a Ryan Meltzer reporting The Beijing College Student Film Festival kicks off on April 21st A two -week event will take place across multiple districts in Beijing and at the Zhuhai campus of Beijing Normal University.
It will open with a grand ceremony and conclude with the youth night gala.
Highlights include special programs marking the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema, academic forums, the youth honour selections, film screenings and more.
We're at 57 past the hour.
Beijing's down to 8 degrees on Tuesday evening.
It'll be sunny and 20 on Wednesday.
Nanchung is down to nine and then it's sunny and 24.
Elsar in Asia is Lombabats 13 overnight.
Then cloudy and 36 on Wednesday.
Vientiane down to 20 and then sunny and 32.
But on Penz 24 this evening, then a slight rainfall in 31 degrees.
In Africa, Nairobi is getting a slight rainfall and 26 degrees on Wednesday.
Compel is down to 21 as followed by a slight rainfall and 26 degrees Celsius.
And that's it for this edition of the Beijing hour, Making news today, China's armed forces have conducted military drills around the island of Taiwan as a warning against separatist forces in the Paris courts, convicted the leader of the far -right National Rally Party of embezzlement.
On behalf of the staff, this is Shane Bigum in the Chinese Capitol, hoping you'll join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour.
And open a 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 You
