Several Chinese government bodies have recently held mid-year meetings to better support economic growth for the rest of the year. The People’s Bank of China pledged to increase the money supply and lower borrowing costs to ease financial burdens and stimulate demand. To unleash domestic spending, the Finance Ministry committed to rolling out personal subsidies and business loans in the services industry. At the same time, China is doubling down on emerging industries and innovation, with high-tech and equipment manufacturing reporting sales growth of nearly 10% in the first half of the year. What’s the strategy behind all these moves? How will they shape China’s economic outlook? How will today's policy support lay the foundation for sustainable growth in the long run?

The International Monetary Fund has raised its global growth forecast for 2025, with China getting the strongest boost among major economies. The IMF now projects China’s economy to grow by 4.8 percent this year, up from its four percent forecast in April’s World Economic Outlook. Why is the IMF upgrading China’s economic forecast? To what extent is the rebound in China’s growth tied to fundamentals, versus external factors like the tariff truce with the U.S.? What sectors of China’s economy are likely fueling this upward revision?

In December, China’s Hainan Free Trade Port will launch island-wide independent customs operations. What are the details (00:45)?

A new study from Invesco shows that nearly 60% of the world’s sovereign wealth funds plan to increase their investments in China. What is driving this? What sectors in China are desirable to these funds (13:25)?

Economic figures for the first half of the year are out, and China’s performance has exceeded forecasts. Its GDP grew by 5.3%, foreign trade in goods increased by 2.7%, hitting a record high, while exports jumped more than 7%. What explains China’s resilience amid the trade war launched by the U.S.? What’s driving China’s strong economic growth?

Leaders of the BRICS countries wrapped up the two-day summit in Rio de Janeiro, what’s the outcome (00:40)?

Nvidia becomes the first company in the world to reach a market value of 4 trillion US dollars. What are the main factors for its growth? What is Nvidia's China strategy (17:42)?

According to the latest data, the U.S. economy shrank at an annualized rate of 0.5% from January to March. Being the first contraction in three years, it’s raising fresh concerns regarding the strength of U.S. consumers, the impact of high interest rates, and the resilience of the broader economy. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, China posted a stronger-than-expected 5.4% GDP growth in the same period of time. The country’s economic engine appears to be strong and gaining momentum. What’s really driving this divergence? What are the main engines of the Chinese economy? What role do monetary policy, trade dynamics, and geopolitical shifts play in shaping this economic narrative?

Host Zhao Yang spoke with Yan Liang, Professor of Economics, Willamette University; Dr. Zhou Mi, Senior Research Fellow with Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation; Andy Mok, senior research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization.

At this year's Summer Davos, Chinese premier Li Qiang says the country will continue to foster a first-class business environment. What does the message signal to international investors and multinational companies operating in China？How have foreign businesses in China responded to recent efforts to improve the business environment (00:45)?

Shenzhen is in the spotlight for its deepening reform agenda. What can the city do to become a hub for artificial intelligence and aviation (21:02)?

The second China-Central Asia Summit has taken place in Kazakhstan. Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the summit in Astana. He has laid out a vision for cooperation between China and Central Asia, calling for unity, win-win development, and deeper people-to-people ties. He also outlined plans to promote regional prosperity, security, and integration. What are the outcomes of the China-Central Asia Summit (00:40)?

From a digital RMB center to new measures for offshore finance, China's central bank has announced eight major financial policies at the Lujiazui forum in Shanghai. What do they mean for China’s financial opening up (18:28)?

China's trade in goods continued to grow in the first five months of the year. From January to May, foreign trade totaled nearly 18 trillion yuan or around 2.5 trillion US dollars. That represents a 2.5% increase despite the uncertain global economic environment. Several multinational investment banks, including JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and UBS, have raised their forecasts for China's GDP, citing the positive impact of the government's growth policies. Why are they upbeat about China’s economy and capital markets? Where is the economic resilience coming from? Host Zhao Yang spoke with Li Lun, an assistant professor of economics at Peking University; Dr. Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation; and Yan Liang, a professor of economics at Willamette University.

This year’s Dragon Boat Festival boosted travel and consumer spendings across China. The country saw 119 million passenger trips, a yearly increase of 5.7 percent. Meanwhile, China's consumer goods trade-in program has generated 1.1 trillion yuan in sales in the first five months. What strength does China’s consumption show amid the new reality (00:40)?

DeepSeek updates its R1 AI model. What does it suggest about China’s AI potential (18:52)?