World Today

① In an inspection tour to the eastern Chinese province of Shandong, Xi Jinping called for advancing the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. Why does China’s top leadership attach great importance to agricultural and rural affairs? (00:59)

② A recent independent survey shows that a majority of Britons now believe leaving the European Union was a mistake for their country. A decade on, how has Brexit affected Britain? (14:11)

③ A conversation with Dominic Trindade, Commercial Minister at the Australian Embassy in Beijing, on China-Australia agricultural cooperation. (24:52)

④ The US economy at a crossroads: inflation, interest rates and AI investment. (34:24)

⑤ The WHO says the DR Congo has reported the largest number of confirmed cases in the first month of any Ebola outbreak. Will the scale of the current outbreak surpass that of the Ebola crisis a decade ago? (44:00)

① Speaking at the Summer Davos, China’s premier says innovation-driven development is the key to the country’s long-term economic resilience and steady growth. We explore the key messages from his address. (00:53)

② A conversation with a leading economist attending the Summer Davos about AI, energy transition and job creation. (14:02)

③ Why is China looking to promote the full-chain expansion of the auto sector? (24:59)

④ Volodymyr Zelenskyy will skip a high-level meeting on Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction due to a deepening rift with Poland over history. How could the rift affect Ukraine’s war with Russia? (36:03)

⑤ Kenya has signed a $1.2 billion agreement with China Road and Bridge Corporation to expand Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. How could the deal help the Eastern African nation maintain its role as a regional aviation hub? (44:53)

① Meeting India’s national security advisor in New Delhi, China’s foreign minister says bilateral ties have returned to a track of recovery and improvement. How can the two sides further normalize ties and jointly empower the Global South? (00:56)

② China has released an action plan to stabilize foreign investment. How can the country further improve its environment for foreign investors? (13:18)

③ At this year’s Summer Davos Forum, we speak to the Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat on regional cooperation, supply chains, etc. (24:58)

④ A recent poll shows that more than half of Australians see China more as an economic partner than a security threat. How much is this related to the warming of the broader China-Australia relationship? (35:40)

⑤ The election victory of Abelardo de la Espriella marks a return to power for the Colombia’s right-wing forces. What is lying ahead for Colombia? (44:27)

① US-Iran talks in Switzerland have made progress. How can the two sides maintain the momentum for negotiations? (00:55)

② Keir Starmer has announced that he is resigning from his position as the leader of the ruling Labor Party and Britain’s prime minister. We explore why he can no longer resist the pressure against him. (13:45)

③ China has imposed new trade restrictions on dozens of US entities in response to Washington’s move to add more Chinese companies to a Pentagon blacklist. Is China justified to do so? (24:38)

④ China’s business chamber in the European Union has raised concerns over the bloc’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act. Is it a legitimate concern that the act could increase costs, reduce efficiency, and weaken global supply chains? (33:26)

⑤ Japan and the US have launched a joint military exercise, and a larger US-led military exercise is underway across Guam, Hawaii and waters surrounding Japan. How are they raising concerns about regional stability? (43:51)

China has released a white paper introducing its principles, proposals and actions to improve global governance. Why does the world need governance reform? What does China's vision for a fairer and more effective international system look like? And how can these ideas be translated into real benefits for people around the world?

Host Dou Hongyu is joined by Professor Qu Qiang with the Belt and Road Research Center at Minzu University of China, Josef Gregory Mahoney, Professor of Politics and International Relations at East China Normal University, and Zoon Ahmed Khan, a research fellow with the Center for China and Globalization.

① The US and Iran have digitally signed the memorandum of understanding on ending the war. We take a look at the MoU’s text and whether the US has gained anything from the war? (00:53)

② The 27 leaders of the European Union are gathering in Brussels for a two-day summit, and a key agenda is to have a debate on the so-called shockwaves from the Chinese economy. Why is the EU getting tough on trade with China? (15:30)

③ At the 2026 Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai, Chinese officials have pledged to steadily expand institutional opening-up in the financial sector. (24:59)

④ Why has China’s western region seen strong trade growth this year? (35:04)

⑤ US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have attempted to defuse escalating tensions over the killing of three Indian sailors by US forces off the coast of Oman. Can the meeting reset US-India relations? (44:56)

① China has released a white paper on its approach to global governance. What are China’s key contributions to global governance? (00:55)

② Days after the US and Iran announced a framework deal for peace, what is actually in the deal remains unclear. We explore the uncertainties facing the peace process. (15:27)

③ Leaders of G7 nations have promised to support Ukraine and sanction Russia. How much will they turn the promise into real actions? (24:58)

④ What is fueling the strong growth of China’s panda bond market this year? (34:18)

⑤ China says anti-drug authorities of China and the US are maintaining sound cooperation. What does it take to build a professional and pragmatic anti-drug partnership between the two sides? (44:25)

① Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing is on a state visit to China. How could China help Myanmar develop its economy and improve livelihoods? (00:54)

② What do China’s latest official economic figures tell us about the momentum in its industrial production and consumption? (13:11)

③ Across China, universities are racing to launch new majors in fields like AI, robotics, and embodied intelligence. How can education systems prepare young people for a future where humans and intelligent machines increasingly work side by side? (24:56)

④ The European Union has launched the membership accession process for Ukraine and Moldova. What is lying ahead for the two nations? (36:28)

⑤ Japan’s central bank has increased its main interest rate to a new 31-year-high. Has Japan entered an inflationary cycle after twenty years of deflation? (45:26)

① The US and Iran have reached a framework deal for peace and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Will it return the region to a status that existed before the war? (00:52)

② What’s at stake at the G7 summit in France? (14:41)

③ The European Central Bank has raised its interest rates for the first time since 2023. We explore the urgency for Europe to tackle inflation amid surging energy prices. (25:28)

④ Voters in Switzerland have rejected a nationwide referendum to cap the country's population at 10 million by 2050. Why does Switzerland prefer to maintain economic ties with the European Union? (35:09)

⑤ The International Labor Organization has adopted the world’s first binding agreement setting out employment standards for digital platform workers. Why is it important to provide adequate safeguards for gig economy workers? (44:57)

It’s been nearly a month since the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The numbers of confirmed cases and deaths are continuing to rise.

In a situation facing a lethal pathogen and zero approved vaccines, what does it take to stop the spread of the virus? Host Ding Heng is joined by Susannah Mayhew, Professor of Health Policy, Systems and Reproductive Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; Shane Thomas, Professor of Health Promotion at Federation University Australia; Professor Wu Zhiwei from School of Pharmacy, Dali University in Yunnan, China.