World Insight with Tian Wei

Global extreme weathers are increasingly more common, disrupting lives and inflicting damage. The World Meteorological Organization reports that periods of extreme heat are becoming more frequent, far intense and longer-lasting. This summer, deadly heat waves hit Europe, with the continent reeling from record temperatures and wildfires. In the United States, July this year was the hottest ever recorded, with the highest temperatures across the country. In Asia, typhoons have spawned strong winds and heavy rainfall. What's driving these changes? How can countries improve early-warning systems toward greater resilience?

Two young Chinese mathematicians, Wang Hong and Deng Yu, recently won Fields Medals — the highest honor in mathematics. On the sidelines of the ongoing International Congress of Basic Science here in Beijing, we spoke to Professor Shing-Tung Yau, chair of the International Congress of Basic Science, who talks about mathematics, talent — and what makes a great mathematician.

Algorithms drive today's top AI applications. Professor Robert Tarjan, the 1986 Turing Award winner, notes that while simple algorithms efficiently compress massive data for human use, truly smart AI still requires intrinsic human curiosity to explore the world. He is in Beijing for the 2026 International Congress of Basic Science.

More than five months into the US-Israel-Iran conflict, the Strait of Hormuz has repeatedly been closed, reopened and thrust back into uncertainty, becoming one of the conflict's most consequential flashpoints. What might that mean for global energy security and the future of geopolitical competition?

The 2026 International Congress of Basic Science or ICBS opens in Beijing on the weekend with the inaugural ICBS medals honoring scientists whose breakthroughs have advanced mathematics, physics, engineering, and so on. Among them is Professor Wang Yifang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, whose work has driven China's rise in neutrino physics, which helps human being to answer. Some of the biggest questions about the universe, where did everything come from? Why does anything exist at all? And what the universe is really made of?

A massive migrant rush to Spain's North African territory Ceuta has rattled the EU exposing sharp divisions within the EU over border and migration policy. The EU has pledged emergency financial and operational support for Spain while acknowledging deep seated disagreements among member states on border sharing. Meanwhile, the UN has been closely monitoring the humanitarian fallout of the event as the High Commissioner for refugee called for the protection of vulnerable people meet the border turmoil. What are the migrant crisis root causes? What does it take to deal with the aftermath now?

We will focus on this season's AI and basic sciences program. Amid rapid AI advances, China has made governance a global priority—recently, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary Rubio agreed in Manila to follow heads-of-state guidance and act across fields including AI. But how can the world prepare for the AI era? I spoke exclusively with UNDP chief Alexander de Croo at WAIC, and also with ex-DeepMind researcher Richard Jane on safety and alignment.

Starting on August 2, the European Commission's AI office extended the scope of the Artificial Intelligence Act, and new transparency rules came into force. Interactive AI systems such as chatbots must now clearly inform users they are not human. AI generated or manipulated content also must carry machine readable markings. These obligations mark a significant step in the phased rollout of the EU's AI Act, but its implications stretch far beyond Europe. How will these rules and related rules meanwhile reshape the trajectory of AI development? What does it mean? For the future of global AI governance, this is a topic beyond Europe.

The latest number: China's GDP grew by 4.7 percent year on year in the first half of 2026. The latest meeting: the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau meeting. It noted that since the beginning of this year, China's economy has shown a trend characterized by new growth drivers and improving economic structure. The meeting called for efforts to advance the planning and development of six major infrastructure networks, strengthen long-term and stable support for basic research, implement the AI Plus Initiative, foster new forms of the smart economy, and improve the governance system for artificial intelligence. Where is the Chinese economy exactly headed?

August 1 this year marks the 85th anniversary of the Flying Tigers, a historic chapter when Chinese and American soldiers fought side by side and entrusted each other with their lives during some of the darkest days of World War II. That shared sacrifice has remained one of the most deeply resonant chapters in the history of friendship between the two peoples. Decades later, veterans and their families returned to China not as fighters, but as visitors carrying memories of a shared past.