World Today

① Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is in China to deepen ties. We explore the issues topping her agenda. (00:47)

② The 9th Asian Winter Games are ready to open in China’s Harbin. What opportunities can the event bring to the city and beyond? (13:45)

③ What lessons can the US learn from its trade war with China during Donald Trump’s first term? (25:25)

④ US President Donald Trump has restored his ‘maximum pressure’ campaign on Iran. What could be on his mind in taking this move? (35:27)

⑤ ChatGPT search is now available to all users, including those without an account. How might users change their online search habits as new options like ChatGPT search become more widely available? (45:00)

① Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov is on a visit to China. How can China and Kyrgyzstan explore new ways of thinking on Belt and Road cooperation? (00:52)

② US President Donald Trump has proposed taking ownership of the Gaza Strip and redeveloping it. How realistic is it for the US to do so? (14:36)

③ Let’s hear a European perspective on a possible US-EU trade war. (25:22)

④ China’s Spring Festival holiday spending shows strong momentum. (34:25)

⑤ Thailand has cut cross-border electricity supplies to five locations in Myanmar in efforts to stamp out online scam centers. How can regional countries work together to address this problem from the root? (45:29)

① China has announced a slew of measures to counter US tariffs, including additional tariffs of 10% or 15% on some US products, export controls on key minerals and an anti-monopoly investigation into Google. We explore the logic of these countermeasures. (00:50)

② European Union leaders have agreed to do more to bolster their defenses by hiking spending and filling gaps in their military capabilities. What is prompting European countries to do so? (14:56)

③ Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is on a five-day state visit to China. We take a look at two issues that top his agenda: economic cooperation and counterterrorism. (24:56)

④ Eurozone unexpectedly stagnates as German and French economies contract. (34:01)

⑤ What’s at stake when US President Donald Trump wants to create a sovereign wealth fund? (44:36)

① China, Canada and Mexico have vowed swift responses to US President Donald Trump's new tariffs on them. What could be the implications of Trump’s trade war with the three countries? (00:51)

② China’s trade in services exceeded $1 trillion for the first time last year. We explore the growth potentials of China’s services trade. (14:16)

③ US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has threatened that Washington will take measures if Panama does not take immediate steps to end what President Donald Trump calls Chinese influence over the Panama Canal. Is the Trump administration bullying Panama? (25:27)

④ Qatar has called on Israel and Hamas to start work on the second phase the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Is there commitment from both Israel and Hamas to engaging in good faith? (35:09)

⑤ We take a look at some basic facts about the escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (44:24)

① Foreign visits to China surge over 200% as tourists seek Chinese New Year festivities. (00:44)

② Microsoft CEO says DeepSeek has "real innovation" and is "good news". (11:45)

③ How are Chinese EVs reshaping global auto industry? (26:15)

① EU summons auto industry leaders as Tesla, BMW join Chinese firms in court battle over EV tariffs. (00:51)

② Poll: 85% of Greenlanders do not want to be part of the U.S. (16:20)

③ How attractive is China to wholly foreign-funded hospitals? (25:00)

① Japanese PM Ishiba vows to strengthen communication with China. (00:39)

② CMG Spring Festival Gala sets new records. (14:52)

③ The future of China’s low-altitude economy. (25:00)

① President Xi lauds China's solid progress despite challenges in Year of Dragon. (00:50)

② China's Spring Festival box office soars with thriving domestic demand. (14:07)

③ China's visa-free policy: see beyond stereotypes, experience real China. (25:00)

① Meeting with India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on China and India to work in the same direction and commit to mutual understanding. Why are relations between the two countries warming? (00:53)

② US President Donald Trump had threatened tariffs and sanctions to punish Colombia for earlier refusing to accept US military aircraft carrying deported migrants. What could be the implications of Trump’s threat? (13:44)

③ Why has China’s DeepSeek AI app surpassed ChatGPT and topped the Apple App Store’s free downloads in the US and China? (25:28)

④ We take a look at a three-way partnership between a Chinese private aerospace company, Zhejiang University and Turkiye’s Middle East Technical University in preparing to launch two AI-controlled lunar exploration robots alongside the Chang’e-8 mission in 2028. (35:07)

⑤ Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has won another term in office. What challenges might he face in his next term? (44:38)

Before and after taking office for a second time, U.S. President Donald Trump has been stirring up uneasiness among American allies. He said the EU is "very bad" for America and promised tariffs against European imports. He has talked about purchasing Greenland or using economic and military means to take control of the Danish territory because he said the U.S. needs the world's largest island for national security.

How have America's global allies been taking Trump's messages? What does a second Trump administration mean for traditional American alliances in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere? Host Liu Kun is joined by Kathleen Burk, Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary History, University College London; Jonathan Aronson, Professor of Communication and International Relations, University of Southern California; Teng Jianqun, Director for the Diplomacy Studies Center, Hunan Normal University.