The unmissable news stories of the day.
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 biggum, with you on this thursday, november 27, 2025.
You're listening to the beijing hour coming to you live from the chinese capital.
On today's program, China's released a white paper highlighting its active role in arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation.
Police in Hong Kong have made three arrests in the high-rise fires that have claimed at least 55 lives.
African officials are calling for the release of election officials after a coup in Guinea-Bissau.
In business, China reports steady growth in industrial profits.
In sports, football results across Europe and Asia.
In culture and entertainment, the Zootopia sequel is breaking box office records.
Now check in the day's top stories.
China's released a white paper presenting its efforts in arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation.
It describes China's constructive role and highlights the country's initiatives and solutions.
The document says China has been and will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order.
Qi Zhi has details.
The white paper titled China's Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation in a New Era restates China's commitment to safeguarding world peace and security and a cause on countries around the world to work together for international arms control.
It notes that China is committed to upholding the international arms control regime, with the United Nations at its core.
It says, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has played a constructive role in multilateral arms control in the nuclear biological, chemical and other fields and has performed its duties on the international arms control treaties.
The paper points out that the emerging fields such as outer space, cyberspace and AI represent new frontiers for human development and create a new focus of strategic security and new territories of global governance.
China.
Proposes that the United Nations play a pivotal role in fostering a global governance framework and standards for emerging fields based on broad consensus, while increasing the representation and voice of developing countries.
The document stresses that China continues to build its domestic nonproliferation capacity, actively participates in the international nonproliferation process, promotes international cooperation on a peaceful use of science and technology and facilitates the improvement of global nonproliferation governance.
The White Paper emphasizes that Chinese modernization follows a path of peaceful development and that China stands ready to work with all peace-loving countries to build an equal and orderly multipolar world.
It also pledges to consolidate and develop the UN-centered international arms control regime, work with all parties to build a community with a shared future for humanity and create a brighter future for all.
For the Beijing Hour, I'm Qi Zhi.
To help us understand the key messages from the white paper, we spoke with Director Guo Xiaobing of the Center for Arms Control Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
It's the first white paper published by Chinese government on disarmament and nonproliferation.
It summarized China's arms control policy and practice in the past 20 years.
And it put forward China's thinking on the arms control principle.
For the first time, it lists four very important concepts.
That is justice, cooperation, balance, and effectiveness.
China will conduct arms control diplomacy in accordance with these principles.
The white paper urged international efforts on arms control and expressed China's determination to contribute to a peaceful world.
Guo said it's a timely call for peace and security in the world today.
We are at a crossroad of history because in recent years the international security situation is facing quite a lot of challenges.
And now we have a choice now. between war and peace, between cooperation and conflict.
China's new white paper on arms control, disarmament and proliferation shares China's thinking, China's intelligence and China's plan for international arms control cooperation.
The new white paper states clearly China is for multilateralism, and against unilateralism.
And we hope that the world can work together to maintain the established international arms control and non-proliferation regime.
That was Guo Xiaobing with the takeaways from China's white paper on arms control.
China is pressing Japan to move faster in disposing of chemical weapons abandoned in China after World War II.
The demand came at the conference of the state's parties of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons at the Hague.
The Chinese delegation said Japan should have completed the destruction of those weapons by 2007.
But the deadline has been postponed four times.
The head of the Chinese delegation accused Japan of insufficient attention, inadequate investment and failure to provide meaningful information about the burial sites of the weapons.
China warned that Japanese chemical weapons continue to pose a risk to Chinese citizens and the environment, urging Tokyo to reflect on its history of aggression and make more efforts in the destruction process.
Former Japanese Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, has highlighted the need for stability in China-Japan relations, while criticizing Prime Minister Sanae Takeuchi for her recent comments on the Taiwan region.
Ishiba said Japan's decades-long understanding and approach to the Taiwan question must not change.
He said, since 1972, Japanese governments have respected the position that Taiwan is part of China.
The former leader reiterated the importance of maintaining smooth diplomatic relations with China, noting that currently, Japan relies on a wide range of imports from China.
Analysts and commentators from countries including the Czech Republic, Uruguay and Argentina have warned that Japan's recent political rhetoric could threaten regional stability.
We hope this is only a mistake made by a single political figure and not the direction Japan intends to take in the long term.
It would not only send a troubling signal to the world, but could in fact open the door to future conflict.
These remarks are undoubtedly a challenge to the basic principles of international law and international relations.
What also worries me is the rise in Japan's military budget.
The resurgence of militaristic tendencies among global military powers is something we cannot overlook.
The one China principle is an unshakable cornerstone.
Since 1971, the United Nations has consistently upheld this principle.
Any attempt by any country to question it constitutes severe damage to the international system.
Critics in Japan say Takeichi's recent statements about military intervention violated the country's constitution and may alter the course of Japan's long-standing peaceful path.
Historical issues left over from Japan's wartime aggression remain unresolved, especially for survivors of Japan's 14-year invasion of China.
Li Shuang tells us about a civilian organization in Beijing that spent over 30 years documenting the survivors' experiences and demanding accountability from Tokyo.
Letters from across China pile up like a mountain.
They are petitions from victims of war.
People taken to Japan as forced laborers, families torn apart by indiscriminate bombings and girls as young as 16 raped by Japanese soldiers.
For decades, these victims never relinquished their right to seek compensation from Japan.
And in one modest Beijing office, that effort continues quietly, persistently and against enormous odds.
The group is called the China Federation of Civil Claims Against Japan.
Born out of a movement in the early 1990s.
It argues that Japan must acknowledge and compensate Chinese civilians harmed during the invasion from 1931 to 1945.
That urgency grows as surviving victims pass away and as perception of war shifts dramatically within Japanese society.
Prime Minister Sanai Takaichi recently made remarks suggesting that a Taiwan contingency should be treated as an existential crisis for Japan and that the self-defense forces may even need to take military action against China.
This shows that the recognition that the war against China was wrong is weakening in Japan.
Over the decades, Chinese victims filed more than 20 lawsuits in Japan, supported by the Federation and by Japanese lawyers like Kei Chido.
But every major case was rejected.
State-to-state war reparations and individual victim compensation are two different things.
Although the Chinese government renounced state-to-state war reparations in the 1972 joint communique between China and Japan, it did not and could not give up the right of Chinese civilian victims to seek compensation from Japan.
A handful of cases did secure limited payments from individual Japanese companies, but always framed as humanitarian aid, not legal compensation.
For the Chinese side, that distinction matters.
In the 1972 joint communique, Japan said it had deeply reflected on the enormous damage inflicted on China during the war.
But in reality, since then, the Japanese government has not followed through, whether in confronting its aggression, addressing it in textbooks or apologizing and compensating the victims.
At the heart of these claims is a simple point.
Japan must acknowledge its wrongdoing.
Without that acknowledgement, the resurgence of militarism is always a real possibility.
Across China, from survivors of the Chongqing bombings and the Panjiayu massacre to those documenting Unit 731's germ warfare.
Their efforts through lawsuits, petitions and public advocacy all aim at the same goal securing justice for wartime victims and ensuring the history is neither forgotten or repeated.
That was Li Shuang on Chinese victims demanding justice from Japan for its historical crimes.
Coming up.
Hong Kong authorities have made three arrests following the deadly high-rise fires in the city.
India has fully restored global visa services for Chinese travelers.
What's behind the policy change?
Can they realistically expect a quick rebound in Chinese tourist numbers?
What are the biggest factors holding Chinese travelers back?
And could this full restoration of visas become a genuine turning point in China-India relations?
Tune in for insights beyond the headlines in this week's Chat Lounge, wherever you listen to podcasts and on CGTN Radio.
We're at 12 minutes past the hour.
Police in Hong Kong have arrested three men for the fire that's killed 55 people at a residential area as of Thursday afternoon.
Investigations suggest that protective nets, waterproof canvas and plastic cloth covering the buildings might have been short of fireproof standards.
The three suspects are executives at a construction company responsible for installing those materials.
Ann Chung reports.
The fire had blazed through seven out of eight blocks of a housing estate.
Reportedly, 45 people are still in critical condition, while around 279 people are still missing.
Firefighters are still working to put out the fire.
There's so much smoke in the air, I can still smell it.
The fire began Wednesday afternoon.
Over 880 firefighters have been at the scene.
The housing estate has been under renovation since last July and this fire started because the bamboo scaffolding and mesh outside the housing block HEADQUARTERS caught fire.
Authorities have said that it's unusual for a fire to spread this much and so quickly.
Styrofoam boards were found to be covering windows at the estate, and police say that this is suspected to be one of the causes of the fire and could potentially have accelerated the spread of the fire.
The fire was categorized as a grade five fire alarm.
This was the highest on the scale and the most severe.
It's also the first number five alarm in 17 years.
This housing estate in Taipo has about 2,000 flats and is home to about 4,000 residents.
So the impact of this fire on this community and estate is expected to be significant.
11 water jets and eight ladders were deployed to douse the flames, while 26 search and rescue teams were handling assistance calls at the scene.
About 100
Ambulances were dispatched.
Eight temporary shelters in this typo area have been opened for residents in need.
While the city has been gearing up for the Legislative Council elections, Chief Executive John Lee has said promotion activities and election forums have been suspended so that the entire government can focus on dealing with this fire.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed condolences.
President Xi.
Also the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has ordered support for the regional government's efforts in putting out the fire.
Meanwhile, Macau Chief Executive, Sam Ho-Fai, has extended condolences and expressed readiness to help.
Some residents who escaped the fire are taking shelter at a nearby community centre.
They expressed concern for missing family members and raised questions about possible faulty fire alarms.
My wife is still in the flat.
When the fire started, I told her on the phone to escape, but once she left the flat, The corridor and stairs were all filled with smoke and it was all dark, so she had no choice but to go back to the flat.
I was out and I just got calls from my family and came back.
I heard from other residents that the fire alarm wasn't working.
My family members all escaped in the nick of time.
This time the fire alarm didn't go off, and I don't know why this fire is burning through so many buildings.
Residents across Hong Kong are offering drinking water and food, and people from all sectors have donated more than 100 million Hong Kong dollars, or more than 128 million US dollars.
China's unveiled a new plan to stimulate consumer spending and align production with evolving demand.
The blueprint by six government departments includes cultivating three trillion yuan level consumption sectors, including products for the elderly and consumer electronics.
It also calls for consumption hotspots featuring items like fitness equipment, pet supplies and civilian drones.
Officials say these areas have demonstrated strong growth momentum and enormous development potential.
The plan running to 2030 is part of China's efforts to rebalance its economy towards a consumption-driven growth model.
China's consumer market is seeing a new wave of growth, powered by what's known as the debut economy.
This is where brands choose major cities to launch new product services or even flagship stores.
Liu Xiaomin takes a closer look at how this trend is reshaping urban consumption and driving innovation.
Across China, a powerful new driver of consumption is emerging.
The debut economy refers to brands launching new products, services and technologies or opening their first stores, and this trend is perhaps most visible in shanghai.
Earlier this year, the city rolled out its upgraded debut shanghai 30 policy, strengthening support for exhibitions, custom clearance and financial incentives.
The goal is to encourage both domestic and global brands to use shanghai as their premier launchpad.
Since the policy was introduced, the momentum has been unmistakable.
From January to April, over 300 flagship stores opened in the city, with nearly 16 being top-tier brands.
It's a welcome development for customers who prefer in-person shopping.
When a brand opens its first store, I think it's a real benefit for enthusiasts.
I still prefer buying from a physical shop because you can experience the product yourself.
It feels more real and direct than shopping online.
Now other cities are joining.
In mid-November, Wuhan hosted the 2025 Wuhan Fashion Week, adopting an innovative model that blends runway shows, exhibitions and sales events.
It highlights the city's strategy to move from a first show to first release to first store building a complete debut economy pathway.
More than 23 runway shows showcased new collections, while pop-up shops activated key commercial districts across the city.
Organizers say they will continue leveraging the debut economy to boost both cultural soft power and the fashion industry.
The debut economy originated from the first store concept.
These stores typically represent the latest trends and have strong creative appeal.
The areas that attract them often become hotspots for commercial vitality and innovation.
Elsewhere, cities are racing to enhance their environments for first releases.
Nanjing has introduced 15 new measures to optimize business services and expand its first store clusters.
Meanwhile, Beijing is building a network of debut centers supported by cultural parks and premium commercial districts.
The capital has already welcomed nearly 300 first stores this year.
From Shanghai's global launches to Wuhan's rising fashion ecosystem, China's debut economy is fast becoming a powerful new engine, driving consumer enthusiasm and shaping the next chapter of urban innovation.
That was Leo Shamin on a new shopping trend in China.
China completed the first emergency launch in the history of its manned space program this week when it sent the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft to the Tiangong space station.
The vehicle blasted into orbit after suspected space debris damaged the Shenzhou-20 craft that was supposed to carry the crew back to Earth.
To reduce further risk, Chinese tech companies unveiled a new system to coordinate traffic in space.
The technology allows satellites to detect fast-moving debris before it becomes a threat.
Lan Hongjie spoke with Jiovis Insider Technology President Niu Wei.
Space debris never hits the brakes, so there's no second chance if something is going to hit you at 7 kilometers per second.
This constellation is built to spot it early and help spacecraft dodge in time.
Commercial space is growing rapidly, not only in China, but worldwide.
With tens of thousands of satellites going up, space is becoming crowded.
We urgently need better space traffic management to understand where objects are and whether collisions might occur.
Our constellation is built precisely for that mission.
Unlike ground-based radars or telescopes, this space-based constellation, or ISAT, is not limited by geography or weather.
With 156 satellites, they can monitor the entire orbital environment, including the orbit above remote regions like the South Pole.
Compared with existing overseas systems, a constellation is designed for higher accuracy and quicker updates.
This represents a step change in how fast we can detect debris and potential risks, adapting to the demands of commercial space operations.
Once fully deployed, ISAT is expected to become one of the world's largest space-based debris tracking systems, adding Chinese data and technological capability to global efforts to keep space operations safe and sustainable.
That was Wen Hongjie reporting.
Coming up.
African officials are calling for the release of election officials in Guinea-Bissau following a coup.
The Yellow River Mosaic is a 12 part series of multimedia stories featuring the people who live by the river and share a close bond with it.
Subscribe the Yellow River Mosaic on your favorite podcast platform or visit radiocgtncom for more in this program.
At 22 past the hour.
The Economic Community of West African States and observers at the African Union have called for the immediate release of election officials arrested in a military takeover in Guinea-Bissau.
Army officers said they'd taken full control of the West African nation following heavy gunfire near the presidential palace.
Incumbent President Umaro Sissoko Mbalo, the opposition leader and several senior government officials were reportedly detained.
The takeover came a day before the release of results from a hotly contested presidential race.
The military has closed borders and imposed a curfew.
Armed forces officials said they made the move in response to the actions of certain politicians allegedly attempting to destabilize the country.
Residents say they're frustrated about the development.
When I heard the gunshot, I focused right away.
I thought it was normal because it's the kind of thing that happens during elections.
We're in a situation where we're thinking about possible conflict, about having to run.
Everyone has to look after themselves if they can, and it's very complicated.
Guinea-Bissau has experienced four coups and multiple coup attempts since independence in 1975.
United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has appealed to all stakeholders to exercise restraint and respect the rule of law.
Police say a suspect's in custody after the shooting of two U.S.
National Guard members near the White House.
Media reports say the suspect's been identified as an Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021.
Senior law enforcement sources said the 29-year-old had been living in Washington state.
President Donald Trump said two guardsmen are critically wounded and the gunman was also severely injured.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrissey confirmed that the victims were from the state's National Guard.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the president has asked him to send 500 more National Guard members to Washington.
Trump placed the police department in Washington under direct federal control in August and deployed the National Guard to the nation's capital.
More than 2,000 National Guard soldiers are reportedly on duty in the district.
Owen Fairclough was at the scene where the incident took place.
We're in the heart of downtown Washington DC where those two National Guard troops were patrolling.
We're at Farragut Square.
This happened in the middle of the afternoon on a balmy eve of Thanksgiving, according to eyewitnesses.
Several shots were fired.
There were children in this area, people running to cafes.
This has been described by Washington, D.C.'
's mayor as a targeted shooting.
We understand There was an exchange of gunfire between these troops involved and the suspect who was shot and we understand has been taken into custody with what are described as not life threatening injuries.
Just two minutes walk away or so is the White House.
But US President Donald Trump was not there at the time.
He's at his Florida resort. for the Thanksgiving vacation.
And just to give you an idea of even how briefly, the magnitude of this incident was, at one point air traffic for Washington's DC.
National Airport a short distance away was temporarily suspended because the flight path is over this part of the downtown here in the city.
Lots of reaction, very swift, including from U.S.
President Donald Trump himself.
In his statement he said this animal will pay a very steep price for the shooter of those National Guard troops.
It's worth noting as well, National Guard troops have been in the city since August.
There's some 2000 of them patrolling the city, supporting the Trump administration's crackdown on crime and supporting immigration enforcement as well.
According to the Trump administration, an extra 500 troops will be deployed be deployed to Washington DC.
That's according to the White House and indeed the Secretary of Defense.
The FBI has also been supporting this investigation.
According to the FBI, they will be supporting this inquiry.
It will be focused on that area where these National Guard officers were patrolling.
That was Owen Fairclough in Washington.
Ukraine's delegation in talks with the United States about a deal to end the conflict with Russia has reportedly refused to amend its constitution as part of any agreement.
The head of the presidential office said Ukrainian and US negotiators have agreed in principle on most points of Washington's proposal that was significantly revised.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signaled acceptance of the updated plan.
Meanwhile, a senior Russian diplomat says Moscow will not make any big concessions on the US-led roadmap to peace.
U.S.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected in Moscow next week to discuss the proposal.
The United Nations says it remains deeply concerned about the impact of heavy rains across the Gaza Strip, where floods have once again swept through tents and makeshift shelters.
Many displaced families are living in structures that offer little protection from the weather, leaving them extremely vulnerable.
Our situation has become unbearable.
We drowned and we have no bedding or anything left inside the tent, which collapsed on us.
Our situation is not just tragic, it's worse than bad.
Why have we ended up here?
Water has flooded into our tent and all our bedding is floating.
We appeal to the entire world to stand with us urgently.
We're a wounded, powerless people and we bear no responsibility for what is happening.
UN agencies and aid partners are working to contain the flooding, but say the scale of need is overwhelming.
Humanitarians warn that restrictions are holding back their efforts.
The UN says it continues to push for barriers to be lifted.
Britain's Labour government is trying to regain control of the political agenda with a tax-raising budget aimed at cutting child poverty and easing the cost of living.
But the rollout was chaotic.
The full budget leaked online just a short moment before Treasury Chief Rachel Reeves delivered her statement in the House of Commons.
It capped weeks of mixed messages and internal Labour infighting.
Reeves acknowledged that some of the £26 billion, or roughly US34 billion, in new taxes breaks the spirit of Labour's 2024 campaign promise not to raise income taxes for working people.
But, she said, they'd seen no credible or fair alternative.
I said there would be no return to austerity, and I meant it.
Yes! will maintain investment in our economy and in our national health service.
I said I would cut the cost of living and I meant it.
This budget will bring down inflation and provide immediate relief for families.
The biggest money raiser is a freeze on tax thresholds until 2031, pulling more earners into higher tax bands as wages rise.
We're at 29 past the hour.
Beijing, cloudy overnight.
It's down to minus 2.
It's sunny and 7 on Friday.
Nanchang's down to 6 overnight, then sunny and 19.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad will be 8 degrees this evening, sunny and 20 on Friday.
Vientiane will be cloudy overnight and through tomorrow with a low of 11, a high of 23.
Phnom Penh will be overcast through the day tomorrow with a low of 18 and a high of 25.
In Africa, Nairobi's getting a light rainfall and 25 degrees on Friday.
Friday.
Kampala will see a light rain Thursday night and through tomorrow with a low of 18 and a high of 26.
Juba is cloudy with a low of 25 then overcast and 37 degrees Celsius.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour, China's released a white paper highlighting its active role in arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation.
Police in Hong Kong have made three arrests in the high-rise fires that have claimed at least 55 lives.
And African officials are calling for the release of election officials after a coup in Guinea-Bissau.
Shane Bigham with you.
Stay with us here on The Beijing Hour.
Shh, listen up.
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And right there, in the midst of all beats the heart of humanity.
What if those other heartbeats were to stop?
Would ours Every week to find out what's real with China Africa Talk.
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Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour, one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now, here's your host, Shane Bigum, with you on this Thursday.
Still to come in business.
China reports steady growth in industrial profits in sports football results from across Europe and Asia.
In culture and entertainment, the Zootopia sequel is breaking box office records.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn.com or follow our ex-account at cgtnradio.
Now, the check of the day's headlines.
Here's Wang Zihang.
Thank you, Shane.
Chinese authorities have released a white paper titled China's Arms Control Disarmament and Non-Proliferation in the New Era.
The document says China plays a constructive role in international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, and the country actively offers its initiatives and solutions.
According to the white paper, China has been and will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order.
China continues to push back against Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takeuchi's recent remarks on the Taiwan region that Beijing says breach key political understandings.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry says Japan cannot gloss over the issue by merely not mentioning the comments and insists they must be fully retracted.
Takeichi recently said she will not mention the issue anymore, but a Chinese spokesperson said it falls short of a retraction.
The official called the Japanese attempt self-deception and unacceptable.
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade says a business delegation will visit the United States early next month.
A spokesperson said bilateral relations have been stable and improving after the leaders of the two countries met during the APEC meetings in South Korea and agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade.
The Chinese delegation includes companies in various sectors, such as agricultural products, electronics and logistics.
Members will host several exchange events with the US business community to explain China's latest economic policies, focusing on its push for high-quality development and high-level opening up.
Authorities in Hong Kong have confirmed 55 deaths as of Thursday afternoon after a fire engulfed some residential towers.
Three men are facing possible manslaughter charges.
Over 200 people are still missing.
The Fire Services Department dispatched hundreds of fires and rescue vehicles and used drones to monitor heat levels to find hot spots.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee has announced a special task force to conduct an inquiry.
A train crash in southwest China has left at least 11 people dead and two others injured.
The crash occurred on Thursday morning when a test train collided with construction workers who entered the track at a curved section of Luoyang Town railway station in Kunming.
Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau have appeared on state TV announcing they have seized power after gunfire ran out near the presidential palace.
The military high command ordered the president deposed, suspended all state institutions and media and closed the country's borders and airspace.
The takeover comes just weeks after presidential and legislative elections.
Outgoing President Umaro Sissoko Mbalo and opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa both claimed victory.
Guinea-Bissau has a long history of political turmoil, with several coups and multiple attempts since independence from Portugal in the 1970s.
A shooter has critically injured two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House in what officials are calling a targeted attack.
The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Afghan National, is now in custody.
He was also shot, but his injuries are not life-threatening.
Investigators are still probing his motive.
The attack happened in Farragut Square on Wednesday, a busy tourist and transit hub in downtown Washington.
President Donald Trump called the shooting a heinous assault and an act of terror and announced a new scrutiny of all Afghan arrivals.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the assault as horrendous and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.
This will be treated at the federal level as an assault on a federal law enforcement officer.
The FBI will lead out on that mission with our interagency partners.
We will work together collaboratively, because this is a matter of national security, because it's a matter of pride.
Meantime, Defense Secretary Pete Hexer said he will deploy an additional 500 National Guard members in the capital.
Thank you very much.
That's Wang Ziheng with headlines.
Coming up in business, China reports steady growth in industrial profits.
The Beijing Hour, your window on China.
And the rest of the world.
36 past the hour.
Business now.
Stock markets on the Chinese mainland closed mixed on Thursday.
The Shanghai composite was up nearly three-tenths of a percent.
The Shenzhen component lost around three-tenths.
Paper and forestry shares were among the top gainers.
Hong Kong stocks remained almost flat.
In Japan, the Nikkei gained over 1.2%.
China's major industrial firms posted steady profit growth in the first 10 months of the year, driven by resilient manufacturing activity and ongoing structural upgrades.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, industrial enterprises recorded profits of around US840 billion, marking a 19 increase from a year earlier.
Operating revenue also maintained an upward trend, rising 1.8%.
High-tech manufacturing continued to lead the recovery with profits Profits at large high-tech manufacturers climbing 8, outpacing the broader industrial sector.
The equipment manufacturing industry also delivered solid results, reporting a 78 increase in profits.
In the meantime, traditional sectors showed notable improvement as they moved toward greater efficiency and modernization.
And for more, Lincoln Humphreys spoke with Lo Jiuqin, a senior fellow at Remen University of China.
Now China's industrial profits will start there, for the large manufacturers in particular have now grown for three consecutive months.
Which sectors or policies are driving this rebound?
As we know from the statistics, we find something very interesting because the data shows the complex picture for the past 10 months, especially in the manufacturing and also the real economy.
We find that some industries have been influenced with the positive increase, but for some sections it has been influenced by a negative increase.
So this is a very interesting picture for the first 10 months.
We see that from high tech and the semiconductor and the space industry, especially for also including some traditional industrial sections, have been well empowered with the new policies.
The policy with the financial support, for instance, a very strong support in the past months that more subsidies from the government and also more the taxation cut to encourage the companies to increase the growth and the efficiency and of course for some traditional one, for the petroleum and coal miners and some other industrial, have been influenced for the lower growth, especially in the profit growth.
But one thing have to pay great attention.
State-owned company has less profit than private company in the first 10 months.
This is a very important signal for all this section because they have to improve the management, also the market excess, including the mechanism and the supervision, in order to increase the industrial section, because state-owned companies are the major player in the market.
That was Senior Fellow Liu Zhiqin at Renmin University of China, offering his insights on China's industrial development.
China has pledged to continue enhancing its business environment to promote high-level opening up.
The Commerce Ministry says the country will further expand market access for foreign investors, with a focus on sectors like telecoms and healthcare services.
China will also make efforts to improve investor services, strengthen the function of free trade zones and address critical issues to establish a first-class business environment.
French pharmaceutical firm Pierre Faber Laboratories has signed a landmark deal with China's Sinopharm.
The agreement aims to enhance the commercialization and localization of Pierre Faber's anti-cancer drugs in the Chinese market.
Chen Tong has details.
This marks Marie-Andrée Garmour's third visit to China this year.
She's in Shanghai to witness a milestone for the company a major agreement with China's leading drug distributor Sinopharm, officially bringing Purefab's chloroctal cancer treatment drug to the Chinese mainland market.
It's also her first deal in the Chinese mainland since becoming CEO.
This is a milestone to your company.
So what's the strategic rationale behind this move?
China we've seen in the last few years has really accelerated the access to innovative medicine, the development of innovative medicine.
So it's by far a country that we prioritize, both from a patient access and an innovation standpoint.
And the reason we did it this time is really because we have one of our new drug that got an approval, which is a targeted therapy for treatment in colorectal cancer.
And we expect an approval coming soon as well in lung cancer.
So we're really at that pivotal moment.
So we needed a partnership that's going to allow us to really ensure that these drugs can be accessed by Chinese patients.
And China said in its recommendations for the 15th five-year plan that high-quality development will be a key in the future.
And it specifically mentioned it allows foreign companies to participate in government procurement.
So what implication does this bring to your company?
Yeah, so the 15 five-year plan is really important for us.
And it's important, I think, as an industry, because it really focuses on the acceleration of innovative medicine.
And that's something we all want from again the vision of LT China 2030, but also from a company standpoint.
It's what drives our growth.
It's what has allowed us to bring new medicines to patients in China.
So for us the 15th five-year plan in China is really critical, with that focus on accelerating innovative medicine.
And what's your future investment plan?
When I look at the expansion plan, it continues to be China for China.
It's our investment in R&D.
If I look at the next five years, China is to accelerate significantly in our R&D footprint.
And I came for a roadshow to meet with biotechs.
There.
It's not China for China, but it's actually China for the world, trying to see how the innovation is accelerating in China, where Pierre Fabre and China Biotech can partner together.
So again, we can answer the patient needs in the market.
So for us, it's really this two approach this China for China and this China for the world.
That is really the acceleration expansion that we see in the next few years.
That was Chen Tong reporting.
Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will work with other departments to support the research and development of high-quality and technologically advanced elderly care products as part of a broader effort to meet rising shifts in consumer demand.
The ministry says as living standards improve, new and divergent trends are emerging.
The country is seeing increasingly pronounced differences in spending patterns among customers of different ages, regions and lifestyles.
The ministry will organized campaigns that will benefit the elderly and support enterprises focusing on high-quality elderly products.
It's released four batches of catalogs to boost the application of nearly 2000 high-quality elderly care products across the country.
The latest beige book from the U.S.
Federal Reserve shows consumer spending weakening further from early October to mid-November.
Most Federal Reserve districts reported softer household demand, with retailers noting more cautious and price-sensitive shoppers.
The recent government shutdown weighed on purchases.
Electric vehicle sales fell sharply after a federal tax credit expired.
It also noted a rising demand for food assistance, indicating growth, a growing financial strain on consumers.
Businesses expect cost pressure to persist.
It remains unclear whether or when those higher costs will be passed on to shoppers.
Despite the broader pullback, high-end retail remained resilient, supported by stronger income consumers.
A freight train loaded with daily necessities, vehicle parts and other goods has departed from the Alishanko port in Xinjiang, Uyghur Autonomous Region, heading for Poland.
Alishanko has handled more than 7000 China-Europe freight trains this year.
Streamlined clearance procedures so that inbound and outbound cargo now moves faster.
Additionally, more and more products from the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta have passed to Central Asian and European markets via the China-Europe Freight Train Service.
Currently 128 China-Europe Freight Train routes pass through this, covering 27 Chinese provincial-level regions and reaching 21 countries.
These trains carry over 200 categories of goods, ranging from vehicles and vehicle parts to garments and electronics.
The Asian Development Bank has approved a loan of over US142 million to protect biodiversity in Fujian province.
The Fujian Coastal Cities Climate Resilient Development and Biodiversity Conservation Project will enhance the resilience of 44 million residents in Fuzhou and Yunqiao by reducing urban flood risk through investments in nature-based solutions.
The project will conserve and restore over 220 hectares of coastal wetlands and mangrove habitats, which served as critical stopover sites for migratory water birds.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour.
Coming up in sports, we have football results from Europe and Asia.
Sideline Story brings you all things sports related.
The hottest topics, latest events, juiciest stories, all with a very personal take.
Subscribe to Sideline Story Podcast for heated sports discussions covering events that are happening in China and around the world.
46 past the hour.
Turning to sports now, and here's Yang Guang.
Thank you, Shane.
Our snow beats Bayern Munich 3-1 in the Champions League.
Arsenal remains perfect with five wins from five and the club moved top of the league phase.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has praised his players for their performance against Europe's best team.
Well, first of all, I have to praise our players, because I think they had an incredible match against, in my opinion, the best team in Europe.
And individually, we were immense to resolve all the challenges that this team brings to the table.
And I've said, yes, they know how hard we work to prepare for every single game.
Bayern equalised midway through the first half, but Arsenal regained control after the break.
Noni, Matuaki restored lead and Gabriel Martinelli sealed it later on.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany says the team will improve after the setback.
I don't think any of us want to be the best team in November.
So we're trying to to, like I say, use everything now to build our season towards being there in the important moments.
That momentum continues, but for us it's something where OK, we get to show how we react now and we get to show how this one will make us improve.
The answers will come, but not everything within a minute now.
The 3-1 win extends Arsenal's perfect record and the club now sits first in the Champions League and the Premier League.
Liverpool's difficult season hit another blow after a 4-1 home defeat to PSV Eindhoven.
It was their first loss in 14 group stage games at Anfield.
Manager Arne Slot said the result came as a shock to everyone.
I think it's a shock for everyone for the players, for the journalists over here, for me, for everyone this is a shock.
That is very, very, very unexpected if you look at the quality we are having.
Is it a lack of confidence?
I didn't see that in the first half.
Of course, it's hard if you concede straight after losing 3-0 straight into this game.
You concede a goal.
But I saw the mentality that these players have shown so many times since I'm here.
Came back in a way you would like to come back.
So created chances.
We kept them on their half.
And after another setback, by conceding the 2-1, I also saw us creating chances again to score the 2-2.
But in the end of the game I did saw that it affected maybe one or two players, that we were 3-1 4-1 now.
Yeah, that's true.
Liverpool fell behind early after handball from captain Virgil van Dijk gave Eindhoven a six-minute penalty, which Ivan Perisic converted.
Dominic Zubel's line equalised in the 16th minute, but PSV pulled away in the second half.
The result lifted the Dutch side to 15th in the league phase, while Liverpool dropped to 13th, still stuck on nine points and searching for answers.
Kylian Mbappé scored four goals to lead Real Madrid to a 4-3 comeback win over Olympiacos, with the second fastest hat-trick in the Champions League history.
He completed his first three goals in just six minutes and 42 seconds in the first half.
It was still a hard battle for Madrid, but the club earned its first ever win at Olympiacos on its fifth attempt, ending a three-match winless run in all competitions as well.
FIFA has cleared Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo to play in his team's opening matches at next year's World Cup.
The governing body suspended the last two games of his three-match ban.
Ronaldo received the ban after elbowing Daryl O'Shea at and getting sent off in Portugal's qualifier against Ireland in Dublin.
He already missed one match, Portugal's 9-1 win over Armenia that secured qualification.
FIFA says the 40-year-old won't face more punishment unless he repeats the offense.
In the AFC Champions League, Elite Visokobi opened the three-point lead at the top of the East Zone with a 2-0 win over Shanghai Shenhua.
The G1 League side notched their fourth win in five matches, while Shenhua stayed on four points in the 11th, three points outside the qualifying spots for the round of 16 in March.
Winwell of Nasser confirmed their place in the knockout rounds with a 4-0 win at FC Istiklal.
Salem of Najee earned an early penalty, Sadio Mane added a third in the 84th minute and Ayman Yahya scored in stoppage time to sealed win and top Group D with five wins in a row.
Switching to youth Football.
China continues to lead Group A in qualifying for next year's AFC Under-17 Asian Cup after crushing Brunei 12-0 in Chongqing.
Midfielder Wang Xiang says the team stands united and prepared for the remaining two matches.
Our team is very united and no matter who the coach puts on the field, everybody gives their all and flows the game plan.
With only two matches left, we're not taking anything lightly.
So we will face the upcoming contest with a positive attitude and show the strengths of the new generation of players.
China quickly took control, leading 6-0 at the break.
Zhao Songyuan scored six goals, and Zhang Bolin hit a hat-trick.
Thank you very much.
That was Yang Guang with sports.
Just ahead in culture and entertainment, the Zootopia sequel is breaking box office records.
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.
In culture and entertainment.
Zootopia 2 has broken records in China, earning the highest opening date and single-day box office numbers for any US animated film in history.
Ticketing platform Maoyan says pre-sales have passed 310 million yuan roughly 44 million US dollars, setting a new record for an imported animated film.
Zootopia 2 also opened strong in North America, earning over 10 million dollars in previews the second best preview start for a Disney animated release.
And in South Korea, opening day sales reached 17 million, the second highest Hollywood launch this year.
A century-old Shanghai factory has become the backdrop for one of the world's top arts awards.
The renowned Art Laguna Prize is making its Asian debut, turning the city's industrial heritage into a striking stage for contemporary art from around the globe.
Famous forest canals and this november its world-class art has docked right here in our city.
The legendary our laguna prize is making its asian debut at ikatan.
For nearly 20 years, this prestigious competition has discovered emerging artists from more than 100 countries.
In Venice, we exhibit at the Arsenale Nord of Venice.
That is an old factory where in the past they used to do one ship every day.
It was the biggest factory in Europe.
There is this connection between Venice and Shanghai in ECA.
More than 120 art pieces, including paintings installations, sculptures and digital art, are on display across the venue.
The story begins back in 1869 with the Pudong Customs Factory.
This 100-acre campus has been reborn after a stunning transformation.
They used to move cargo here.
And now the most valuable thing passing through is a big idea.
This former factory is running a brand new operating system.
Creativity.
One standout piece is Brazilian artist Gustavo Martini's 30 Seconds.
He transforms 30 seconds of phone scrolling into a striking, three meter tall physical object, materializing our digital habits.
So it's really the idea of like materializing the time dedicated to that and saying also that it's not enough.
You know, we need to pause and we need to reeducate and learn how to read the images again.
Honestly, I hope I can stay here and do much more exhibitions in this place.
So how was such a distinctive space created?
This visionary transformation stems from a commitment to reimagine urban spaces.
Starting November 1st, you are invited to witness this stunning fusion of past and future.
Walk through history and discover how world-class art, set against this rich industrial backdrop, creates an experience you won't find anywhere else.
That was a genuine reporting.
The 7th Hainan Island International Film Festival will open in Sanya next week under the theme From Oceans to the Infinite.
The festival will feature the Golden Coconut Awards film screenings and a series of forums.
Secretary General Chen Zhiyong says the event this year has several major highlights.
This year we have invited the renowned Italian film expert, Marco Muller, to serve as the jury president of the festival.
The jury comprises 13 distinguished film professionals from China and abroad.
The festival will feature five professional forums one investment promotion conference on the highland free trade post film industry.
This year's festival received a record number of submissions nearly 4700 films from around 120 countries and regions.
These films will compete for 10 awards, including Best Film, the Jury Grand Prize and Best Director.
But 150 titles will screen in cinemas and at outdoor venues across Hainan Province during the festival.
Full-scale construction has begun at the world's largest ice and snow theme park in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province.
The park will cover around 1.2 million square meters this winter.
Work started three days earlier than last year, using more than 200000 cubic meters of ice stored for months.
A manager of the design and development team says crews and equipment are ready.
The park is set to open next month.
Last winter, Harbin Ice and Snow World drew more than 3.5 million visitors.
Its popular Super Ice Slide returns this year with a new Great Wall-inspired design 24 lanes and a run of more landmarks than 500 meters.
We're at 57 past the hour.
Beijing, cloudy overnight.
It's down to minus 2, sunny and 7 for Friday.
Nanchang, 6 overnight, then sunny and 19. elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad's 8 overnight, then sunny and 20 on Friday.
Vientiane will be cloudy overnight and tomorrow, a low of 11, a high of 23.
Phnom Penh's overcast through tomorrow with a low of 18 and a high of 25.
In Africa, Nairobi is getting a light rainfall and 25 degrees on Friday.
Kampala will see a light rain Thursday and tonight and tomorrow with a low of 18.
The high is 26 degrees celsius.
That's it for this edition of the beijing hour.
Making news today, a china's released a white paper highlighting its active role in arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, and police in hong kong have made three arrests in the high-rise fires that have claimed at least 55 lives so far.
On behalf of the staff, shane biggum and the chinese capital, hoping you'll join us for the next edition of the beijing hour and open a window to the world together.
Find The Beijing Hour at precisely 6pm Beijing time.
We meet you on podcast and on air every weekday.
The Beijing Hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
He can't live without the Yellow River in his eyes.
The Yellow River is so noble and elegant.
Both my grandpa and dad made 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 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.
Talk to the herders farmers boatmen, fishermen and eco-activists who share a close bond with the river.
And present their stories in pictures, podcasts and videos.
All in our 12-part series, The Yellow River Mosaic.
Available only on CGTN Radio.
