Deep Dive

With over 16,000 islands spanning both sides of the equator, people in Indonesia rely on a diverse range of transportation systems to travel around the country. In 2015, the Indonesian government unveiled an ambitious plan to build a high-speed railway between the capital Jakarta and Bandung, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. What economic benefits can the railway bring to Indonesia? Also, given the region’s precarious geography and frequent earthquakes, how will the railway ensure its sustainability? We spoke with CGTN reporter Xu Xinchen to find out.

People in Asia and the Pacific region are increasingly concerned as nuclear contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima plant is being pumped into the sea starting last week. And it seems there’s no way to stop it. Protests are raging across the region, from Japan, South Korea to Pacific Island nations. China has also suspended all seafood imports from Japan. Reluctance to consume seafood is also mounting in countries like South Korea. But, the Japanese government insists that the water is safe even though it contains some radioactive elements. We try to unpack the controversy with host Su Yi in this week’s episode.

13 years ago, China championed South Africa’s inclusion in BRICS; now, 13 years later, South Africa is advocating for a new round of expansion to elevate the group to a new level, as more than 20 countries have formally applied to become BRICS members. What did this partnership bring to South Africa? How has the cooperation between China and South Africa developed within BRICS and beyond? We spoke with CGTN Radio reporter Zanele Buthelezi to explore the answers.

On July 26, The Wuhan Earthquake Monitoring Center suffered a cyberattack launched by an overseas organization. This week, preliminary analysis discovered malicious backdoor software with a potential link to U.S. intelligence agencies. Why would state-level hackers target an earthquake monitoring center? We have CGTN Radio reporter Li Yunqi for this episode to uncover some of the mysteries.

The Chinese city of Zhuozhou is one of the most affected areas in this summer’s flooding season in the country. We spoke with CGTN reporter Zhou Yixin who’s in Zhuozhou now reporting on the local rescue efforts and flood control methods.

The recent flooding in northern China was a direct result of super typhoon Duksuri. It is also a prominent evidence of climate change. We explored the implications in last week’s episode: https://radio.cgtn.com/podcast/news/5/Unprecedented-Rainfall-and-Its-Climate-Implications/2708507

Typhoon Duksuri has unleashed heavy rainfalls in China’s inland regions. Beijing reported the highest level of downpours in over a century. Its neighboring province of Hebei is also battling with severe flooding, especially in Zhuozhou City, where hundreds of thousands of locals are desperately in need of help. We have CGTN reporter Huang Yue for this episode to bring us more details from the hard-hit areas.

To better understand the extreme weather events this year, we also spoke with environmentalist Ma Jun.

In the 1950s, a war broke out on the Korean Peninsula known in China as the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. The three-year war involved nearly all major powers at that time and left millions of civilians and soldiers dead. Why did China have to fight with the world’s strongest army? Why is the war still relevant today? We have CGTN Radio host Su Yi to retell this history.

To find more on the war: https://www.cgtn.com/specials/The-War-to-Resist-the-U-S-Aggression-and-Aid-Korea.html​

Situated at the crossroads of Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina boasts a strategic location. But the sluggish development in the country has been driving people away.

A UN survey shows that almost half of the young people in the country are considering emigration, citing poor life quality.

Authorities have rolled out ambitious infrastructure plans to boost economic development and green transformation.

What are changes taking place in the southeastern European country? We checked with CGTN reporter Xu Xinchen.

"Road to a Bright Future" is a special series that look at infrastructure projects around the world under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Argentina used to have one of the world's most extensive railway networks. But since the 1990s, the country had dismantled or deserted many lines. Buzzing towns along these rail routes became quiet.

The Belgrano line is one of them. Once hailed as one of the country's largest commuter and cargo railways, it had experienced a significant decline. But now, Belgrano is known in the country as a "grain corridor.

What has changed? We reached out to Ignacio Conese, a journalist based in Cordoba in northern Argentina.

"Road to a Bright Future" is a special series that look at infrastructure projects around the world under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Next month, Japan is expected to dispose of its nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. The Japanese government claims that the water will be treated to remove most radioactive elements, but not all, before it is discharged.

The 1.3 million metric tons of wastewater has raised considerable questions about its safety and potential impact on the ecosystem and marine life.

To shed light on these concerns, we sought insights from CGTN science reporter Zheng Yibing.