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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 Thursday, July 17th, 2025.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
capital. On today's program, guests at China's international supply chain expo say the country's continuous upgrades are attracting much overseas interest. China calls for respect for Syria's sovereignty and territory after Israeli forces strike Damascus.
International delegations have visited the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing.
In business, China's progress in protecting intellectual property rights.
In sports, Team China basketball remains perfect at the Women's Asian Cup.
In Culture and Entertainment, the 2025 China Film Directors' Night in Yantai.
And now, checking the day's top stories.
Thursday marks the second day of the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing.
Over 1 ,200 enterprises, institutions, and supply chain partners from 75 countries and regions are participating.
The expo involves 15 themed events, including advanced manufacturing, innovation chains, Smart Transportation and Green Agriculture.
The event is the world's first national -level exhibition focusing on supply chains.
Co -events such as the Mexico -China Business Promotion Conference and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Business Forum are also on the agenda.
Many guests say China's supply chain is witnessing continuous upgrades and attracting a growing number of overseas enterprises to seek cooperation and business opportunities in China.
Viachain Conference is very useful and we're seeing more and more non -Chinese participants in it because people are coming here, developing those personal relationships, developing the trust, which gives them confidence not just to enter into contracts but potentially to invest in here as well.
So it's not just multinationals, it's actually smaller businesses building those partnerships as well.
And it's our third time being here.
Now I see more and more foreigners here.
China is a global supply chain center And I realized that more and more countries realize that and they come here to sell and buy.
So it's a very good connection point.
Hong Kong is stepping up efforts to strengthen its role as a global supply chain hub amid rising geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainties.
Song Rui -Hsin spoke to Benjamin Wong, head of transport and logistics and industrials at InvestHK at the China International Supply Chain Expo.
So given the geopolitical and economic environment, such as the impact of tariffs, global supply chains currently facing challenges like geopolitical risks or cost fluctuations, what is Hong Kong's investor environment?
I mean, how would you describe it?
How does it respond to these changing dynamics?
For this, actually, I think of the environment, I would like to recap it a little bit.
According to the World Bank in 2023 the number of restrictive trade policies being implemented around the world is over 3 ,000 such policies being implemented.
Now this actually is giving a very difficult situation to the whole local business community.
When you are comparing that the similar kind of trade policies in 2015 this has been increased by five times so is a very different environment than before.
So for the direct investment globally that's why we we have seen a drop on that.
We actually have a global reduction in the foreign direct investment.
However for the ASEAN countries, because of the environment a lot of the companies are going global south and also belt and road countries.
So ASEAN actually they have been benefited by this.
While the global foreign direct investment has been dropped by eight percent, the ASEAN foreign direct investment actually have been increased.
Now they are at about 23 billion US dollars.
dollars, so this is actually their global high.
And for this actually our Chinese foreign investments overseas we have US $3 ,000 billion dollars overseas.
Now, this has given the companies a very dire need for them to manage their supply chain much better.
So, that's why this symposium, the platform is fantastic.
The number of foreign companies that have come to this symposium, I believe actually it has increased substantially and even for the American companies I think they have been increased by 15 % so this is a very good platform.
As for Hong Kong actually I think we have been saying that we have the role of the super connector and also the super value adder.
Now on the super value adder actually we see a lot of companies also coming to Hong Kong for listing for this half year first half year actually, we have increased it by 7 times comparing to the same time last year.
so, over $100 billion Hong Kong dollars have been raised.
So, this is a very good platform for companies to raise their value and also their resources.
And with this, then, actually it will mean that they will have the resources in a much bigger size to deal with the supply chain and also do political issues and this is where we come in.
And of course technology, we are doing a lot on that also.
We have put in 200 billion Hong Kong dollars actually into the system to support the technology sector.
And when we say about the new form of productivity power, actually the supply chain also we need to have this new form of technology.
So HSBC recently released a survey titled 2025 Global Trade Pulse, Which reveals that a significant number of business in Hong Kong are actively adjusting their supply chains.
And re -assessing their operational models and locations.
From your perspective, what key trends have you observed in this ongoing process of adjustment and adaption.
Especially in terms of near showing, digitalization and ESG compliance or diversification of sourcing markets.
What we are looking at is that, given the geopolitics environment, this is actually getting much more difficult for companies to manage their supply chain.
So for Hong Kong, actually, we think we can have a very good supply chain management ecosystem to support the companies.
That's why, for this supply chain symposium this time, we would like to meet with the different companies and also listen to all the new ideas in the industry, especially especially in the application of technology.
We have seen actually more interest in using Hong Kong for the supply chain management.
One main important point is that for the complicated geopolitics and tariff environment now, actually they need even better supply chain management before.
And supply chain management, there are a lot of supply chain finance inside also.
When you're talking about financial, the supply chain finance, then it also relates to the cross -border management of payments and funds.
So for that, Hong Kong Monetary Authority is doing a lot of work.
For example, we have this business data exchange, which is allowing companies that participate in this scheme to allow their information to be read by the trade financing banks.
So with that, then that will be able to allow them to have faster trade financing being done.
I was Benjamin Wong, the head of transport, logistics and industrials at InvestHK.
And for more in -depth discussions on the issue, tune into World Today.
The products showcased at this year's China International Supply Chain Expo include dried fruits and rubber from Thailand, the guest country of honour.
Chen Tong has details on Thailand's exhibition.
Well, you know, Thailand is a guest country of honour this year.
So here at Expo, there are many products brought by the government and the Thai companies.
And here I am at the Pavilion of Thailand, and I'm going to introduce you some of the highlights this year.
The very first thing I'm going to introduce you is the Thai fruits.
Well, everybody knows Thailand is famous for its fruits.
But unfortunately, we're not seeing so many fresh fruits this year.
But these are the very popular dried fruits brought by Thailand companies.
And, you know, last year, bilateral trade between China and Thailand reached 134 billion US dollars, a year -on -year increase of over 6 percent.
And also this year marks a 50 -year anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between China and Thailand.
And over the past five decades, agricultural products have been playing a very crucial role.
You know, now is the season for Thai durian.
and Thai fruits have been very popular in China.
And because of the China -Laos -Thailand railway, fresher Thai fruits are coming to China in a quicker way.
But the next thing I'm going to show you probably not everybody is very familiar about.
But in addition to the Thai fruits, well, many people here in China, they are familiar with.
There's a very important product that playing a key role in the relationship between China and Thailand.
Thailand. This is the Thai rubber.
Actually Thailand is the world's largest producer of Thai rubber and rubber can be produced and can be used in many productions, including pillows and gloves and also tires and mats.
And you know China is a very large consumer of Thai natural rubber and Thai natural rubber are exported to countries including China, China, Japan, the Southeast Asian nations, and then they can account for almost 85 percent of the Thai exports of rubber.
While speaking of rubber, you know, as I mentioned, Thailand is the guest country of honor this year, but China's province of Shandong is also one of the guest provinces this year, And yesterday, a special activity was held to help promote the trade between Thailand and the province of Shandong.
And you know, Shandong province is also a large consumer of Thai rubber.
So we spoke to some of the guests and its activity.
Take a lesson. Thailand is an agricultural country.
Most of our dried cassava is exported to Shandong.
The same goes for rubber.
Shandong is our biggest market.
We are a cross -junction of the Belt and Road Initiative.
So we have the port of Qingdao, for example, connected to almost every individual port of the world.
You can just get a strong feeling of the growth of the economy, not only the Chinese economy, but, you know, the connection.
That was a report on Thailand's exhibition area at the China International Supply Chain Expo.
The third China International Supply Chain Expo has seen the release of this year's Global Supply Chain Promotion Report.
Zhou Yixin has more on some of the key takeaways.
Well, the report introduced a new global supply chain index matrix.
It includes four indexes, promotion, connection, innovation and resilience and tracks changes from 2018 to 2024.
All four have shown steady improvement.
Well, according to the report, resilience only rises when the other three indexes go up.
This shows the importance of joint efforts in creating a better development environment, stronger connectivity and greater innovation across supply chains.
The report notes that positive factors do outweigh the negative, despite rising global uncertainties.
The report maps out the supply chains of several products, including tech products like drones and AR glasses, reflecting how emerging technologies are reshaping global supply chains.
Besides the global trends, the report outlines China's contributions to the global supply chains.
As the world's largest manufacturer and trading nation, China continues to supply high -quality, cost -effective products to global markets.
Its complete industrial system supports diverse production needs and helps reduce costs while boosting efficiency.
While China is also advancing high -quality productive forces, injecting fresh momentum into global supply chain upgrades.
Attendees at opening ceremony jointly issued the Beijing Initiative after in -depth discussions.
It calls on the global business community to safeguard the security and stability of global supply chains, drive innovation and accelerate intelligent transformation, build greener, sustainable supply chains in line with the UN's 2030 agenda and deepen cooperation within the community.
That was Zhou Yixin reporting.
The China International Supply Chain Expo highlights six major sectors, including green agriculture, which has also become one of the key focuses in China -Africa cooperation.
The two sides are uniquely positioned to collaborate in this field, with great potential to accelerate the development of sustainable green agricultural supply chains.
Tune into our podcast China Africa Talk where Chinese and African experts discuss the latest trends and opportunities shaping green agriculture in China and Africa.
Coming up China urges respect for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Global sovereign wealth funds are warming to China again as country posts another quarter of better than expected growth.
growth? What's fueling the optimism?
Which sectors are showing resilience amid global uncertainty?
While second quarter growth outpaced annual targets, it slowed from the first quarter.
Is this a sign of fading stimulus or just a natural rebalancing?
And looking ahead, does China have what it takes to sustain momentum through the rest of the year?
Tune in as we unpack the data, the trends, and the outlook on this week's chat lounge.
wherever you listen to podcasts and on CGTN Radio.
Fifteen minutes past the hour.
China's called for respect for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks following Israel's heavy airstrikes on Damascus on Wednesday.
Lin said no actions escalating tensions should be taken in the Middle East. Interim Syrian leader Ahmed al -Shara says protecting Druze citizens sins and their rights is a priority, as Israel vows to destroy Syrian government forces for attacking Druze communities in southern Syria.
Today, as we face this new challenge, we find ourselves in the heart of a battle aimed at preserving the unity of our nation.
The Israeli entity, known for its repeated attempts to destabilize us and sow division, once again seeks to turn our land into a battlefield of chaos and to dismantle the fabric of our people.
We are committed to holding accountable those who wronged our Druze brothers and sisters.
They are under the protection of the state, and it is through law and justice.
In his first televised statement after Israel's heavy airstrikes on Damascus on Wednesday, Al -Shara said the Syrian people are not afraid of war and are ready to fight if their dignity is threatened.
Syria's interim authorities and leaders of the Druze minority have announced a renewed ceasefire with the army withdrawing from Sueda.
The Druze community follows a religion derived from Islam and is part of a minority group that has members in Lebanon and Israel.
Jonathan Margev reports from Tel Aviv.
We've seen a string of strikes targeting this time not only the contested area of Sueda where the forces are, but actually the general staff in Damascus, the presidential palace, key installations in the capital Damascus, And the message is clear.
Israel is not only targeting the forces, but targeting the Syrian state.
Israel views the Syrian state as responsible for anything that is happening there.
And it is the Syrian state that will pay the price in bombings in key installations in the capital, in Damascus, the General Staff, the Presidential Palace, other key locations.
And Israel is achieving two things according to the way things are seen here.
One is preventing Syria from placing armored vehicles and army forces in southern Syria close to the border with Israel.
That is one thing. The second thing is helping the Syrian Jews.
And this due to the very strong pact that Israel has with its own Jews living in Israel, both in Israel proper and on the Golan Heights.
and they already, the Druze, a couple of them actually, hundreds of them today already, crossed the border into Syria, aiming to actually go and participate in the fighting, prompting the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to set out a statement calling on them not to cross the border, to come back and to allow the army to do what it has to do.
Israel is standing by the Druze in Syria, in support of the Druze in Israel, and also making sure that it will not allow the Syrian army anywhere close to its border.
That was Jonathan Regev reporting.
Countries in the Middle East have condemned Israel's airstrikes targeting Syria.
The Arab League denounced the attacks as a blatant assault on Syria's sovereignty.
It also accused Israel of seeking to cause chaos in Syria by exploiting recent events in Sueda.
Egypt said Israel's actions only serve to deepen tensions that represent a fundamental source of instability in Lebanon, Syria and the broader region.
The Iraqi foreign ministry affirmed its rejection of endangering the lives of Syrian civilians and exacerbating their humanitarian suffering.
And for more on the tensions in Syria, Li Dongning spoke to director Wang Jin of the Centre for Strategic Studies at Northwest University.
In his televised statement, interim president Al -Sharaa said that protecting the Jews, Jews, people and their rights is their priority now, and the Syrian people are not afraid of any war and will be ready to fight.
What signal are you reading from his address?
I think the statement from Shahla is very clear that he has already noticed, or the Syrian central government, from interim government has already noticed the very danger of the ongoing tension in the South and Syria.
Because we know that in the southern Syria as we stressed just now that it faces several challenges.
One of the challenges is the relations between Syrian interim governments led by the Sunni, particularly some of the Sunni extremist groups, and the local dual people.
Well, there are different religions, different ideological, different sectarian, relations might further prolong the conflict and the distrust. And then the second problem and obstacle is the relations between Syrian interim government and Israel, because there are no diplomatic relations, there are no direct political dialogue between the two countries.
And the third one is that Israeli's understanding of the ongoing tension in the southern Syria, because Israeli, from their perspective, they are doing, trying their best to protect the Dawood people, people, who have the connections with the Dawood people inside Israel, so that they have to strike the targets in southern Syria.
So that's why there were both internal as well as external obstacles and challenges for the Syrian interim government so that Shah and his interim government should help to try their best to manage the crisis as early as possible.
Apart from pressure domestically, what's behind Israel's multiple ongoing ongoing conflicts in the region with – is still involved in Gaza, it just finished the conflict with Iran for now, let's say, and now attacking Syria.
What does he aim to achieve?
I think Israel is trying to show their very assertive and very aggressive stance in the regional issues, because the ongoing war is still there in the Gaza Strip and the relations between Israel and Iran over the nuclear issue is still very intensified, and also that Israel now started their military strikes against the targets in the southern Syria.
So everything now becomes interactive with each other and the tension becomes very, very rising.
So that's why I think for Israel now that their attitude is very clear.
They want to be very aggressive and assertive to pacify the tensions through their own understandings of the original situation and through their own military way.
So that would make nobody safe in this region because the military strike would be escalated into more tension.
So then finally, I think Israel will have to manage more and more crisis and the tensions in this region.
That was Wang Jin with Northwest University sharing his insights on the tensions in Syria.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher says food supplies in Gaza are running out and civilians are being shot while seeking something to eat.
Rami Almagary has more from Gaza.
Twenty people, more than 20 people have been reportedly dead out of suffocation while crowds have been gathering over the place where the distribution of aid takes place by the American U .S. or the American NGO that is backed by the Israeli army.
me actually this is not that it's not that the first time that these people are killed the food seekers or the eight seekers many many others more than 500 others or 600 others according to united nations have been reportedly killed since may when this organization started distributing aid to the gaza population and this could happen because of the logic routes that overflow or flow into the site or either in Rafah or either in Nederim and central Gaza Strip and those people are killed by the Israeli fire actually lately there has been a sort of a statement or I say to a state a sort of warning
by the American institution of the Gaza humanitarian foundation the American NGO on the Facebook it's our warning the people against approaching the site when there There is a red flag.
While there is a green flag, this would mean that they can enter, but there is a red flag hanged in the site.
They cannot enter. That is a latest warning by the institution itself on the social media.
What's going on, actually, on the ground is very desperate for the population, as this This goes with the continuation of Israeli airstrikes and bombardments over the area where more than also 10, 20 people have been killed.
Lately, six Palestinians in central Gaza Strip, town of Deir el -Balak, also in the Nusayraf refugee camp, and central Gaza Strip have been killed.
Others in the Mawassi area, coastal area of Khan Yunis.
Others also in the northern parts of the Gaza Strip.
Actually, Israeli army actions continue unabated, while talks for ceasefire seem to have failed so far and not bringing any kind of hope for the population that is bearing a very big brunt of Israel's actions against the Islamist Hamas party in the Gaza Strip.
That was Rami Amogari reporting.
Coming up, international delegations have visited the museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing.
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At 24 minutes past the hour, a number of international representatives from countries including Palestine, Cuba, and the Gambia have visited the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing.
The visit is one of the activities of a workshop for members of the Global Development Promotion Center Network, which aims to help international guests learn more about Chinese policies on development issues.
Youyang has more. A number of high -profile officials and scholars visited the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, and they believe the trip has helped them to learn more about the CPC's history as well as the country's overall development routes.
Because it has given us the opportunity to learn more about China, especially from the revolutionary roots to its present current status as the global power.
The TROIP is part of the workshop for members of the Global Development Promotion Center, NETSWG, and the China International Development Cooperation Agency, which aims to promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative while assisting more international guests with learning more about China.
That's the concept of China.
No more wars, but development.
No more pain, but more great work for the people of the world.
So, from here to the people of the world, there's a big message.
China is here to stay and China is here to prosper.
And not alone, but rather to bring the whole world.
Well, China has been a very strategic partner in many global South countries, especially the Gambia.
It has offered a lot of development, especially in infrastructure when it comes to energy, healthcare, education.
So this has really, really improved the living conditions of many Global South countries.
The workshop runs until next Monday and during their stay in eastern China, the participants will also learn about China's AI industry as well as the country's rural revitalization.
Of course, you know, the trip is very promising.
very exciting focusing on artificial intelligence does not bring china to the world but rather bring us to china shanghai and hushu there are very very great cities as things because i know that we will be in an enterprise that is unite magic margins i think that is very important for us learn about that too that was a report on a visit by international representatives to the museum theme of the Communist Party of China in Beijing.
U .S. President Donald Trump says Washington will stick to a 25 % tariff rate on Japan.
Trump says Washington's very close to a trade deal with India, adding that an agreement with the European Union could be reached.
His comments came as an Indian delegation is in the U .S. Capitol for talks.
The EU trade chief is also heading to Washington for tariff discussions.
Trump also says it's too soon to say whether a deal with Canada can be reached.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says for his country's free trade partners, excluding the U .S., steel imports above 2024 levels will face 50 % tariffs.
Indonesia and the U .S. have agreed to a trade deal which will result in tariffs of 19 % compared with an earlier proposed rate of 32%.
Trump says Indonesia is committed to purchasing Boeing jets and U .S. energy and agricultural products.
Indonesia has yet to reveal any details.
details. U .S. Vice President J .D.
Vance has made the Trump administration's first big pitch to sell the public on President Donald Trump's sweeping budget and policy package in the swing political turf of northeastern Pennsylvania.
Local voters shared mixed reviews.
While some say that the bill will improve the country, small business owner Megan Zielinski dislikes its favoritism toward billionaires over workers.
There are several things about this bill that I do not like.
I do not like that it continues to support the billionaires instead of the working class people of America continuing to give them tax breaks while middle -class America suffers living paycheck to paycheck and struggles even as a small business owner, right?
The struggles are endless.
Democrats plan to attack the law's Medicaid and food stamp cuts in next year's election around 29 minutes past the hour beijing's down to 24 degrees on thursday evening cloudy conditions in 35 for friday nanchang's 29 overnight then thundershowers in 35 chungqing's 32 this evening and then cloudy in 40 degrees uh tulafan in xinjiang province is 31 overnight friday's sunny in 44 elsewhere in asia islamabad's 24 this evening and then a slight rainfall in 32 on friday Bintians down to 24.
That's followed by heavy rainfall and 33 degrees.
Phnom Penh's at 26 overnight, then a slight rain and 34.
In Africa, Nairobi will get some rainfall and 22 degrees on Friday.
Kampala's down to 19, followed by a slight rain and 25 degrees.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour, guess it, China's International Supply Chain Expo said the country's continuous upgrades are attracting much overseas interest. China calls for respect for Syria's sovereignty and territory after Israeli forces strike Damascus.
And international delegations have visited the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing.
Shane Bingham with you.
Stay with us here on the Beijing Hour.
Shh, listen up. Can you hear the heartbeat of our world?
It's vibrant and pulsating with the essence of 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.
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?
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Now checking the day's headlines, here's Tianyu.
Thank you, Shane. China has called for respect for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks following Israel's heavy airstrikes on Damascus on Wednesday.
Lin said no actions escalating the tensions should be taken in in the Middle East. Interim Syrian leader Ahmed al -Shahra says protecting Jews citizens and their rights is a priority as Israel vows to destroy Syrian government forces for attacking Jews communities in southern Syria.
Today as we face this new challenge, we find ourselves in the heart of a battle aimed at preserving the unity of our nation.
The Israeli entity, known for its repeated In his first televised statement after Israel's heavy airstrikes on Damascus on Wednesday, Al -Shara said the Syrian people are not afraid of war and are ready to fight if their dignity is threatened.
Syria's interim authorities and leaders of the Druze minority have announced renewed ceasefire with the army withdrawing from Suwaidah.
The Druze community follows a religion derived from Islam and is part of a minority group that has members in Lebanon and Israel.
Iraqi officials say a fire at a new mall southeast of Baghdad has killed over 60 people.
The interior ministry said civil defense teams were able to rescue more than 45 people.
The mall that opened a week earlier in Al -Quds was in a five -story building that also housed a restaurant and supermarket.
The governor of Wazir province said local authorities have filed legal cases and promised to release preliminary findings within 48 hours.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al -Sudani said he has directed the interior minister to go to the site.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher has told to the Security Council that Israel must follow the same laws as other nations to protect civilians in Gaza.
He stressed that all parties must respect international humanitarian law, including ending civilian starvation and releasing hostages.
We hold all parties to the standards of international law in this conflict.
We don't have to choose.
And in fact, we must not choose between demanding the end to the starvation of civilians in Gaza, and demanding the unconditional release of all the hostages.
And we must reject antisemitism.
We must fight it with every fibre of our DNA.
But we must also hold Israel to the same principles and laws of all other states.
He also warned that Gaza's crisis is worsening.
We are beyond vocabulary to describe conditions in Gaza.
So let me instead share share facts.
Food is running out.
Those seeking it risk being shot.
People are dying trying to feed their families.
Field hospitals receive dead bodies and medical workers hear stories firsthand from the injured day after day after day.
Fletcher said humanitarians face access barriers created by these really authorities.
He said with these obstacles in place, the aid may never reach UN distribution points.
And even if it does, getting it at scale to those in need remains deeply uncertain.
The European Commission has proposed a 2 trillion euro budget from 2028 to 2034 for the European Union.
The plan increases spending to over 1 .25 percent of the bloc's gross national income up from around 1 .1 percent from 2021 to 2027.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the plan for the budget, known as the Multi -Annual Financial Framework, supports Europe's ambitions and tackles challenges.
The next MFF will be the most ambitious ever proposed.
It is more strategic, more flexible, more transparent, and we are investing more in our capacity to respond and more in our independence.
It includes a new European competitiveness found, over 400 billion euros to boost defence, innovation and clean energy.
Thank you very much. That's Tianyu with headlines.
Coming up in business, China's progress in protecting intellectual property rights.
The Beijing Hour. Your window on China and the rest of the world.
37 past the hour. In business, stock markets on the Chinese mainland close higher on Thursday.
The Shanghai composite was up nearly four -tenths of a percent.
The Shenzhen component gained over 1 .4 percent.
Telecommunications and aerospace equipment shares led the gainers.
Elsewhere in China the Hong Kong stock market remained almost flat In the meantime stocks in Japan ended higher The Nikkei gained around six -tenths of a percent China's intellectual property protection has scaled new heights During the country's 14th five -year plan period Which began in 2021 The National Intellectual Property Administration of China Highlighted the establishment of 128 national IPR protection centers Across the country Along with short periods for new patent review view and trademark registration, and improved social satisfaction.
According to the administration, the country's Global Innovation Index ranking rose to 11th in 2024, the highest among mid -income economies.
In addition, the country has established partnerships with over 80 countries and regions.
With more, Zhou Feng spoke with Shen Yiyang, Director of Inclusive Development Research, the Inclusive Development Research Center.
Well, according to the Global Innovation Index index report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, China rose to the 11th place.
The number of Chinese science and technology clusters in the global top 100 has led the world for two consecutive years.
Chinese companies have won WIPO global awards for four straight years, with the highest number of winners among all countries.
So, So how do you view these achievements in China's innovation, particularly in science and technology?
I think China has been growing very fast from a production center, a global factory, to a kind of research and R &D center in green technology, in artificial intelligence, infrastructure.
China has become a kind of champion among all the developing countries, even among all the world.
China is becoming the largest unified market.
So that means a lot of technologies come to China to become products.
On the other hand, the Chinese government has been promoting education on science technology.
technology. That means the researchers and also engineers in China put more efforts to apply for patents, apply IP.
I think this is the trend.
And in the future, I would see more integration of Chinese technology and other countries.
I mean global technology and create a better market and improve the so -called sustainable development.
China has signed patent prosecution highway agreements with dozens of countries and regions, including the United States, EU and Japan.
And nowadays, the patent prosecution highway covers 84 countries.
So what do you make of China's cooperation in this regard?
Yes. Patent Procurement Highway means we are using a kind of simplified procedure to promote the rapid registration of patents and provide better protection of international intellectual property.
This kind of speed up mechanism could support the technology in different countries, especially in those most important sectors.
For example, the green technology sectors.
Many countries, Japan, US, EU has been promote the green technology patents speedup program under WIPO.
And of course in China, there's also such kind of, you know, design of mechanism, but I think this kind of mechanism It should be interconnected in deeper and wider scale.
So such kind of mechanism is good for intellectual property to be better protected.
That was Shen Yiyang with the Inclusive Development Research Center, offering his insights on China's intellectual property protection achievements.
Chinese officials say in the first half of the year, the country's agricultural and rural economy maintained a stable performance with a positive trend.
The country's summer grain production overcame the impacts of severe drought in some regions, achieving stable output and a good harvest. The national summer grain output reached nearly 150 million metric tons, making it the second highest yield in history.
The supply of vegetable basket products remained sufficient with ample and diverse supplies of vegetables and fruits.
The per capita disposable income of rural residents reached nearly 12 ,000 yuan, or roughly $1 ,660 U .S. dollars.
That was a real increase of 6 .2 % after adjusting for food price factors and was higher than the income growth rate for urban residents.
The chairman of the All -China Federation of Industry and Commerce has called for bolstering economic and trade cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Gao Yunlong made the remarks at the opening of the SEO Business Forum in Beijing on Thursday.
day. Gao said economic and trade cooperation are powerful drivers for the SEO's dynamic development.
He said China's ready to work with other parties to further align regional development strategies and enhance the quality and level of economic and trade cooperation.
Gao added that these efforts will promote the building of an SEO community with the shared future and contribute to lasting global peace and shared prosperity.
Hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the forum attracted nearly 400 participants from government institutions and the business community from home and abroad.
China's railway network recorded a historic high of over 2 .2 billion passenger trips in the first half of the year.
According to the National Railway Operator, the figures represent a 6 .7 % increase from the same period last year.
More than 11 ,000 trains operated daily, up 7 .5%.
The first day of the May Day holiday recorded the highest daily passenger traffic, with over 23 million passenger trips, and that was an all -time high.
Chinese railways also saw rapid growth in foreign passenger numbers, with visa policies further eased.
Foreign travelers took nearly 9 .2 million trips within China, a 30 % increase.
Cross -border railway transport also expanded rapidly.
The China -Laos Railway recorded 139 ,000 passenger trips, an increase of 19%.
In Silicon Valley, generative AIs become so important that some conferences there are lasting an entire week.
Martineau visited Gen AI Week Silicon Valley to learn of the latest technology on the horizon.
In jam -packed rooms at Gen AI Week Silicon Valley, some of the biggest names in the industry share their wisdom about the future of AI.
I think the trend that we're seeing is that the cost and the accessibility of intelligence will be driven towards zero, and that any knowledge we want to know from the public Internet will become instantly available.
AI is moving in new directions.
ToblerLife AI demonstrates how their robots, created by Chinese company, Unitree Robotics, can quickly climb stairs and spin around without slipping.
But the company says their robot's AI, that they're currently working on, could take security to another level.
Using AI to give these robots the power to do the jobs on their own, no humans involved.
So, things like a security dog that automatically wakes up at night, A security dog that has object recognition, facial recognition.
It connects to the internet and it can patrol your whole building and it can tell you if there's anything wrong, like if there are people or a broken window or anything like that.
And at the event, we also get a look at how AI is impacting the auto world by getting a rare glimpse of the Tesla CyberCam.
It recently was rolled out in limited fashion in Austin, Texas, but it's expected to go into full production in 2026 and aim for a cost of $30 ,000 or less.
But the cyber cab might look tame compared to other vehicles here, like the Aleph flying car, which is targeting production by early 2026.
And next to that sits a much larger vehicle that could redefine the concept of smart mobile living.
What the heck does a transformer mean?
Is it a robot? Like it's a piece of robot that moves around?
Yeah, that's exactly what it is.
AC Futures board director Eleanor Chin explains that this transformable home can not only be driven around on wheels, but also expand and contract on three sides.
Even if you are living in a house that's at ADU or even if it's just like 400 square feet you cannot move it because when you're on the road you have to be narrow you have to be eight feet on the width side but with this technology we're able to contract them so they fit in what can goes on the road.
That's how we are going to disrupt not just RV but mostly the housing industry in general.
The transformable home uses artificial intelligence for climate control and much more.
Our unit also has the ability to generate electricity from our solar panel and the ability to generate water.
So how much water do you still have?
How much water do you need?
Just one more example of AI adapting to whatever form necessary to meet consumer demands.
That was Mark Niel reporting.
Coming up in sports, Team China basketball remains perfect at the Women's Asian Cup.
China's Yang Hansen has taken the NBA Summer League by storm.
This week on Sideline Story, we break down Yang's electric trailblazers debut with Jukic -like passes and solid defense, and why Portland might be his perfect launch pad.
Plus, we dive deep into the off -season shakeup, Which teams are now true title contenders after massive moves?
Get inside analysis with Sideline Story.
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defeated Indonesia and South Korea and continued their dominant form in this match. Han Xu opened scoring after before Yang Shuyu hit a 3 -pointer to give the hosts an early 6 -point lead.
Teen sensation Zhang Siyu entered late in the first quarter and made an immediate impact, using her 7 -foot -1 frame to control the paint and help extend China's advantage.
By halftime, China led by 19 thanks to fast break plays including a Wang Siyu assist to Pan Zhenqi.
Zhang continued to shine, finishing with the game -high 12 points alongside teammate Han.
Luo Xinyu and Jia Saichi also contributed as all 12 Chinese players got on the scoreboards.
Coach Gong Luming says both teams were testing different tactics during the game for the knockout stage.
I believe everybody watched this game as it was the final group game and both teams have already sealed the places at the knockout stage.
age, so the focus was on trying different line -ups and exercising different tactics.
I think both teams made preparations for falling face through this game.
China will face Japan or New Zealand in the semifinals.
In football, China and Japan play to a goalie's draw and the rain soaked Suwan World Cup stadium in the final round of the Women's East Asian Championship.
China had an early chance in in the fourth minute, but Xiao Ziqin couldn't keep her body on target.
Japan responded quickly with a goal from Yuzuki Hamamoto only for it to be ruled out for offside.
Zhang Wangshuang then tested Japanese defence with a solo run but missed the bottom corner.
Japan threatened again in the 27th minute, forcing a fingertip save from keeper Pan Hongyan.
In the closing stages, Chika Hirao denied Zhang Linyan's header and Xiao missed the rebound.
Japan Japan nearly stalled Wayne in stoppage time but Hana Takahashi fired wide with Gold at her mercy after a defensive mix -up.
The match ended 0 -0, with South Korea taking the title after beating Chinese Taipei.
China finished second, Japan third. Also in football, Christina Girelli struck a dramatic 90th -minute winner to secure Italy a 2 -1 victory over Norway, and her place in the Women's European Championship semi -finals for the first time since 1997.
Italy started brightly and took the lead early in the second half, with Giurelli glancing in Sofia Kantori's cross.
A second goal followed soon but after was disallowed for offside.
Norway responded through Ada Huygberg, who missed the penalty but later equalized in the 66th minute with a composed finish.
With both teams pushing for a late winner, Giurelli rose to the occasional again, heading home and far post in the final minute to seal the win.
Giorelli says she believes the team would achieve something special once they arrived in Switzerland.
I don't know. It's something magical.
But to tell you the truth, I felt something special in the air since we arrived in Switzerland, since the coach took over the coaching of this team.
And I felt something special.
And when, you know, a woman never gets her feelings wrong.
And that was the case this evening too.
And reaching the semifinals and being among the top four in Europe is certainly something wonderful, special, but it's also a demonstration of how much this team believed from the start.
Italy will face either England or Sweden in the semifinals.
In cycling defending champion today, Pogacar crashed during stage 11 of the Tour de France just 5 kilometers from the finish.
After clipping wheels with another rider, the Slovenian quickly remounted, and thanks thanks to the peloton easing off, rejoined the group without losing time.
He appeared unhurt aside from bruises and abrasions and has been cleared to continue racing.
The stage ended dramatically as a protester ran onto the final stretch with a political message, but was quickly tackled by security.
Norway's Jonas Abrahamson then edged out Mauro Schmidt in a two -man sprint to claim his first Tour stage win, just four weeks after breaking his collarbone.
unas shared his excitement after winning the stage and coming back from the injury yes i broke the quarterbone four weeks weeks ago in belgium tour and i was crying in the hospital because i think i was not riding to the france but the day after i was on the home trainer and hope i can go to tour of france and every day i did everything i could to come back and here i'm standing in tour de france to win the stage is amazing at the start of the stage A major fast start saw a five -man breakaway form before the peloton backed off.
Abrahamson and Schmidt led on the final steep climb, with Van Der Poel chasing in vain.
Stage 12 brings the tour's first summit finish and the legendary hot camp.
All right, thank you very much. That was Yang Guang with sports.
Just ahead in culture and entertainment, the 2025 China Film Directors' Night in Yantai.
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.
At 53 past the hour, in culture and entertainment in the coastal city of Yantai, The brightest minds behind the camera have gathered for the 2025 China Film Directors' Night.
Now in its second year, this prestigious gala co -hosted by a China media group, the China Film Directors' Guild in the city of Yantai, celebrates cinematic artistry.
Julian Wagon has details.
It's the annual celebration and a homecoming of sorts.
Filmmakers have converged on Yantai Shandong province, a city etched in Chinese cinema's DNA.
In 1898, film first arrived in China via American missionaries right here.
Now 127 years later, the China Film Directors' Guild honors his best when the story started.
Snatching this year's Best Director award is director Guan Hu for his film Black Dog which won the Uncertain Regard at the Cannes in 2024.
for this award means everything to me because just like director zhang yimou said last year this is an award selected by our fellow directors the directors and this guild you're the perpetual engine of chinese cinema the best picture of the year went to the sinking of the lisbon maru a powerful documentary about a world war ii prisoner of worship that capsized en route to japan first time director finally explains why he made this film against all odds an apostrophist tribute this year's jury's honorary best director award went to the late payments dunn the reviewed shisan director who passed
away in 2023 at the age of 53.
his son who received the award on his behalf has already been carrying on his legacy the most poignant lesson my father has taught me is his courage to pursue the truth that has led him to making films about his hometown and his version of the world through his eyes truly is not the only young director who stepped up onto the stage gao pong received the best young director prize for his film a long shot chinese director vivian chu talks about the film and director that she rivets us again and again again for inspiration over the years spring time in a small town by a female it's a it's a film
that every few years I like to visit revisit and every time it gives you such an inspiration Jackson he claimed best actor for his transformative role in big world or you may and sungja made history sharing the best actress award in the awards first every tie as the final notes rang out.
Yantai, where Chinese cinema first began, stood as a living testament.
Great stories never end.
They simply find new voices.
That was Julian Wagon reporting from Shandong province.
Chinese archaeologists have uncovered new insights into the lives of Qin nobles during the Eastern Zhou dynasty, shedding light on ancient social hierarchy, dietary habits, and cultural integration Immigration, published in Heritage Science.
The study, led by Sheng Shui from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, had support from national research institutions.
The team examined two noble tombs and sacrificial burials in Shanxi.
Findings revealed that the male noble consumed more meat than commoners did, reinforcing the link between diet and status.
The female noble, likely from a warmer eastern or southern region, adapted from a childhood diet of wheat and rice to millet in adulthood, evidence of political marriage.
Noble children were typically weaned around age three, unlike sacrificial victims who weaned earlier.
Dietary shifts in adolescence also reflected emerging societal roles and class distinctions.
HBO's officially begun production on its Harry Potter TV series, unveiling a first look at Dominic McLaughlin as the young wizard in the iconic Hogwarts uniform, glasses, and lightning bolt scar.
Filming is underway at Warner Bros.
Studio in the UK. with a release date in 2027.
The series marks a full reboot of J .K.
Rowling's books nearly 14 years after the final film, Deathly Hallows Part 2.
We're at 57 past the hour.
Checking the forecast before we go.
And Beijing's at 24 degrees Thursday evening.
Cloudy conditions and 35 for Friday.
And Nanchang's 29 this evening, then thundershowers and 35.
Chongqing's at 32 overnight, then cloudy in 40.
Tulufan in Xinjiang province is 31 overnight, night and then sunny and 44 on friday and elsewhere in asia islamabad's down to 24 degrees a slight rainfall in 32 for friday vientiane's at 24 overnight then heavy rainfall in 33 mompans at 26 this evening and then a slight rain in 34 that's it for this edition of the beijing hour making news today guests at china's international supply chain expo say the country's continuous upgrades are attracting much overseas interest on behalf of the staff this is shane Jane Biggum in the Chinese capital, hoping you'll join us for the next edition of The Beijing
Hour and open a window to the world together.
Find The Beijing Hour at precisely 6 p .m. Beijing time.
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He can't live without the Yellow River in his eyes.
The Yellow River is so noble and elegant.
Both my grandpa and dad made a living from the river.
Would you like to move away from the Yellow River?
I don't think I will.
I love it so much. The Yellow River, the second longest river in China, is regarded as a shaping force in the history, economy and culture of northern China.
Today, about 100 million people live within its water basin, making up nearly 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 the boatmen doing what has kept some people from leaving their home village by the river and what has drawn others back could the fading fishing community revive in the time of digital transformation from 2021 to 2024 our reporters visited the upper middle and lower reaches of the yellow river talk to the herders farmers boatmen fishermen and eco -activists who share Share a close bond with the river and present their stories in pictures, podcasts and videos.
All in our 12 -part series, The Yellow River Mosaic, available only on CGTN Radio.
