World Today

①China sets out plans to ensure and enhance people's wellbeing. How significant are they? (00:34)

②The Paris Olympics will use an AI model from Alibaba to power its carbon-neutral efforts. Can AI help the Olympics go green? (16:43)

③Bangladesh has partially restored telecommunication services as nationwide demonstrations taper off.(24:27)

④Global shipping strains spark fears of an inflation comeback. (33:37)

⑤Chinese scientists find first trace of lunar water. How will the discovery help us better understand the moon? (43:06)

①How will China boost all-round innovation? (00:43)

②Palestinian factions agree in Beijing to end divisions. How important is this breakthrough? (13:14)

③US Vice President Kamala Harris has won enough support from her party to clinch the Democratic nomination. But has she got what it takes to beat Donald Trump? (24:35)

④China calls for agreement on no first use of nuclear weapons. (34:47)

⑤G20 Finance ministers meet in Brazil this week to seek consensus on economic policy. What’s on top of their agenda? (44:12)

①How will China work to build a high-standard socialist market economy in all respects? (00:41)

②Joe Biden has announced he is dropping out of the presidential race and endorsed Kamala Harris. What will happen next? (16:00)

③China has reached a provisional arrangement with the Philippines on Ren'ai Jiao. (24:59)

④Israel strikes Yemen for the first time following a deadly Houthi drone attack. What are the risks of a wider regional war? (35:30)

⑤Will the Olympics boost the French economy? (42:53)

Chinese leaders have passed a resolution to further deepen reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization in a high-level meeting of the Communist Party of China. The third plenary session of the party’s 20th Central Committee has called for reforms of the fiscal, taxation and financial systems, vowing to better leverage the market to foster a more dynamic market environment. The meeting has also endorsed calls for high-quality development and creating new growth drivers. The Third Plenum is held roughly twice a decade devoted to China’s long-term reform.

What does the meeting this time tell us about China’s vision for its economy and reform? Host Ding Heng is joined by Einar Tangen, Senior Fellow with Taihe Institute; Zhou Mi, Senior Research Fellow with Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation; Professor Wang Zhengxu from the School of Public Administration, Zhejiang University.

①The World Trade Organization is holding its ninth trade policy review of China this week in Geneva. What's been discussed? (00:45) ②King Charles III has laid out policy priorities of UK's new Labor government in a speech. What are the details? (12:33) ③Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swam in the Seine to prove the cleanliness of the river ahead of the Olympics.(24:30) ④China's express delivery firms nationwide handled over 80 billion parcels during the first half of 2024.(33:16) ⑤The Qianhai pilot free trade zone in Shenzhen has been setting an example for institutional innovation among FTZs in China.(44:10)

①The International Monetary Fund has revised its economic outlook, noting faster growth in China's GDP and a slowdown in the US economy. What are the details? (00:50) ②U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met Israeli officials to push for a Gaza ceasefire deal.(14:55) ③U.S. Senator Bob Menendez has been found guilty on 16 counts tied to a corruption scheme. What are the consequences? (25:12) ④American billionaire Elon Musk has announced that the headquarters of SpaceX and X will leave California for Texas.(35:07) ⑤A law professor says the recent passage of a U.S. bill related to Xizang violates the One China Principle, which forms the basis of China-US relations.(44:30)

①China has requested that the World Trade Organization set up an expert panel regarding the new energy vehicle subsidies under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. What's next? (00:55) ②China's official figures indicate that Chinese enterprises received more than 70 percent of the global shipbuilding orders through the first half of 2024. What are the details? (13:12) ③Vote counting has been underway following Monday's presidential and legislative elections in Rwanda.(25:40) ④The left wing alliance that won the most seats in France's snap election is facing division after its leading party suspended talks over a failure to agree on a prime minister.(37:10) ⑤An EU Commission spokesperson said top officials of the European Union will boycott informal meetings hosted by Hungary while the country holds the EU’s rotating presidency.(45:40)

①China's gross domestic product grew 5 percent in the first half of this year. What are the details? (00:42) ②Hamas has denied halting indirect ceasefire talks with Israel. What's the condition in Gaza now? (13:30) ③The leader of Nepal's largest communist party has become the prime minister for the fourth time.(25:10) ④Japan is hosting leaders of Pacific Island nations this week in Tokyo.(35:42) ⑤Syrians are voting for members of a new parliament in an election on Monday.(44:56)

NATO is boosting its visibility in the Asia Pacific region. For three years in a row, leaders or representatives of four Asia Pacific countries – Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand – have attended the annual summit of the military alliance. The outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has been an ardent advocator of Asia Pacific outreach, and his argument has been echoed by US officials as Washington, DC hosted this year’s NATO summit.

What is behind NATO’s growing interest in Asia Pacific? Will NATO be a force for good if it establishes a sizeable footprint in the region? Host Ding Heng is joined by Digby James Wren, External Relations Advisor to the Royal Academy of Cambodia; Lee Pei May, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the International Islamic University Malaysia; Professor Shen Dingli from the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University.

①China and Bangladesh have elevated ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership. What does that mean for the future of bilateral ties? (00:43)

②Thursday marks China's 20th National Maritime Day. What efforts have been made to improve the marine environment? (14:28)

③Chinese Mission to EU slams NATO's smears and attacks. (24:37)

④China reaffirms its rejection of South China Sea arbitration ruling through report. (32:00)

⑤June 2024 marks the 12th month of global temperature reaching 1.5°C above pre-industrial level. (42:09)