World Today

①Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee has delivered his third annual policy address. What are the highlights? (00:44)

②China's foreign trade hit a record high for the first nine months of this year. What are the primary drivers for this growth? (15:09)

③As relations between Canada and India deteriorate, the United States has urged New Delhi to take Ottawa's allegations seriously. (24:05)

④The United States has given Israel 30 days to boost humanitarian aid access in Gaza or face potential cuts to military support. (34:54)

⑤The World Bank acts to boost lending capacity by $30 billion over 10 years. (43:39)

①Chinese Premier Li Qiang is visiting Pakistan and attending the SCO meeting in Islamabad. What to expect? (00:45)

②Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged de-escalation in phone calls with his Israeli and Iranian counterparts. We discuss China's mediating role in the Middle East conflicts. (14:29)

③India and Canada have expelled each other's top enovys in a growing diplomatic standoff. What sparked this crisis, and where might it lead? (24:55)

④New findings of a Chinese investigation show that U.S. intelligence agencies have carried out cyber espionage activities around the world. (33:58)

⑤Tesla unveils Cybercab robotaxi. (41:24)

①The Chinese People's Liberation Army has conducted military drills around the Taiwan island. What message does the move send out? (00:45)

②China and Vietnam have agreed to properly handle their difference through friendly consultation. We take a closer look at the relationship between the two neighboring countries. (12:23)

③China says it will soon introduce new fiscal policies to boost the economy. (24:03)

④Sam Hou Fai has been elected as the chief executive designate of China's Macao Special Administrative Region. What will be his key priorities? (34:39)

⑤Israeli tanks have forced their way into a position of the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. (43:03)

China’s latest economic stimulus package is marking a critical step to restore investor confidence and promote high-quality development. The monetary part of the package features cuts in policy interest rates and the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves. Measures to support the property sector include cuts in mortgage rates and down payment ratios. Additional financial market tools have been introduced to spur activities in China’s stock markets. There are also signs that fiscal stimulus is gaining traction among policymakers.

To what extent will the package supercharge China’s economy? Will it also place China on the right track to fulfill its long-term goals?

Host Ding Heng is joined by Professor Angus Chu, Head of the Department of Economics with University of Macau; Feng Qu, Associate Professor of Economics and Head of the Economics Division with Nanyang Technological University in Singapore; David Blair, Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization.

①Chinese mainland has slammed Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te's independence remarks, reiterating that there's only one China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. (00:44)

②China's central bank has launched a 500 billion yuan swap facility to boost capital market. What impact will this have on market sentiment and investor confidence? (11:43)

③World Meteorological Organization says 2023 was the driest year for global rivers in over three decades. (24:10)

④The US government is considering a breakup of Google. Will this be a wise decision? (34:38)

⑤An interview with China's Ambassador to the WTO Li Chenggang (41:56)

①Chinese Premier Li Qiang is attending a series of ASEAN meetings in Laos. What are the major priorities on the agenda? (00:49)

②China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao has urged the US to lift sanctions on Chinese enterprises in a phone call with his American counterpart Gina Raimondo. (13:29)

③China has condemned the US government's recent approval of military aid to the Taiwan region.(25:00)

④Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has dissolved the Lower House of Parliament for a snap election. What are the calculations behind this move? (33:25)

⑤Israel is expanding its ground operation in Lebanon with the deployment of a new army division. (43:36)

①Chinese authorities have reaffirmed commitment to promoting the continuous and sound development of the country's economy. What are the details? (00:50) ②Transportation authorities in China estimate that there were more than two billion trips in the country during the week-long National Day holiday.(12:20) ③Preliminary results show Tunisian President Kais Saied has won a second term in office. What will be the main tasks for Saied moving forward? (24:50) ④Vietnam and France have agreed to upgrade diplomatic relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.(35:20) ⑤U.S. officials have warned that the rapidly approaching Hurricane Milton presents a "multi-hazard" event that will bring storm surges, flooding and power outages.(44:02)

①European automakers have voiced objections to higher EU tariffs on China-made EVs. What's behind their concerns? (00:39)

②As we mark one year since the October 7 attacks, the conflict in the Middle East shows no sign of abating. What lessons has the international community learned from this ongoing crisis? (13:36)

③An interview with Dr. Shahbaz Khan, Director of UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia (25:00)

① US port workers have agreed to suspend their strike after reaching a tentative deal with port operators. But could this be just a temporary reprieve before automation replaces more jobs? (00:44)

② OpenAI has raised $6.6 billion in a new funding round. Will this influx of capital push the company to seek a more profit-driven model in AI development? (14:26)

③ An interview with Erik Solheim, President of the Green Belt and Road Institute, and former chief of the UN Environment Program. (25:00)

① Why is NATO’s new secretary general Mark Rutte repeating the rhetoric that “China is a decisive enabler of Russia's war in Ukraine”? And to what extent does it matter to NATO now that Rutte has taken over as its secretary general? (00:52)

② China's box office earnings during the National Day holiday surpassed 1 billion yuan, or $142 million, on the third day of the seven-day holiday. Is China there yet in terms of becoming a powerhouse in film? And to what extent is box office reflexive of the consumption momentum in China? (12:58)