World Today

①Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. (00:43)

②The US, UK and Australia are considering working with Japan through the AUKUS security pact. Does the AUKUS have the potential to become a NATO-like alliance? (11:44)

③The leaders of Japan and the Philippines will go to Washington this week for a trilateral summit to boost defense ties. What brings them together? (24:36)

④Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the country has set a date for an assault on Rafah. (33:37)

⑤China rejects accusations of "overcapacity" in EV industry. (41:20)

①Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with the chairman of Vietnam's National Assembly. How does cooperation between China and Vietnam benefit both sides? (00:44)

②US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reiterates that Washington doesn't seek to decouple from China. We bring you more on Yellen's trip to China and her engagement with Chinese officials. (13:43)

③What are the latest travel trends in China during Qingming Festival? (24:31)

④Israel has significantly reduced the number of troops in Gaza. What could happen next? (34:46)

⑤Mexico cuts diplomatic ties with Ecuador after Ecuadorian police stormed the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest former Ecuadorian Vice-President. (44:15)

Tensions between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea are showing no signs of calming down. China was widely seen as the target when Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently ordered his government to strengthen coordination on maritime security to confront what he called "a range of serious challenges". Twice in three months, China’s foreign ministry has delivered a warning to the Philippine side that the bilateral relations are at a crossroads.

Are there still conditions for Beijing and Manila to lower tensions? Host Ding Heng is joined by Rong Ying, Senior Research Fellow at China Institute of International Studies; Herman Laurel, President of Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute; Howard Co, Philippine entrepreneur and currently a graduate student studying international relations and contemporary Chinese studies at Renmin University of China.

①Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met foreign ministers from Timor-Leste and Laos. What are the details? (00:48) ②Former chairman Ma Ying-jeou of the Chinese Kuomintang Party has attended a ceremony honoring China's legendary Yellow Emperor in Shaanxi Province. (12:05) ③The World Bank says India is not creating enough jobs to sustain its young population, even as the country enjoys the world's fastest economic growth. What's the background? (25:26) ④A survey says that China has emerged slightly ahead of the United States as the preferred choice among Southeast Asian nations if countries are forced to choose between the two major powers. (36:06) ⑤Saudi Arabia said the country's tourism industry celebrated a significant milestone by welcoming 100 million tourists in 2023. (46:12)

①Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden had a phone conversation. What was discussed? (00:53) ②NATO foreign ministers gather in Brussels to discuss more aide for Ukraine as the bloc prepares to mark its 75th anniversary.(24:55) ③A UN spokesperson stresses safety of humanitarian workers in Gaza after seven staff members of an international food charity were killed in an Israeli airstrike.(35:00) ④Taylor Swift has become the first person to join Forbes’ Billionaires List based solely on earnings from her music and performances.(44:20)

①Chinese President President Xi Jinping has held talks with visiting Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto in Beijing. What are the details? (00:50) ②Iran's ambassador to Syria has vowed responses after a suspected Israeli strike flattened Iran's consulate in the Syrian capital and killed seven people. What's the latest? (13:00) ③The US and UK have agreed to cooperate on artificial intelligence safety.(25:20) ④A survey conducted by Japan's central bank reveals that business sentiment among major non-manufacturing companies in Japan has reached a three-decade high in the first quarter of 2024.(35:00) ⑤Germany has legalized possession of limited amounts of cannabis. What's the controversy? (45:03)

①Meeting his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China is willing to work with France to build a more solid and dynamic bilateral relationship.(00:50) ②Thousands of Israelis marched in Jerusalem over the weekend, calling for more efforts to free the hostages in Gaza and for early elections in the country. What's the latest? (11:40) ③China's manufacturing sector has returned to expansion territory.(25:15) ④China’s Ministry of Commerce has strongly opposed America's latest revised rules on the exports of U.S. chips and chip making tools to China.(34:10) ⑤Chinese tech giant Huawei says its profits more than doubled in 2023, as smartphone and auto businesses picked up. (42:10)

The Boao Forum for Asia has concluded on the tropical island of Hainan in southern China.

Under the theme of "Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibilities," the event focused on global security, the world economy, sci-tech innovation, and the impact of artificial intelligence.

What are the most pressing challenges facing Asia and the world today? How can Asian countries work together to develop stronger resilience to global uncertainties? And what role can they play in advancing equitable multipolarity and inclusive economic globalization?

Host Zhao Ying is joined by Dr. Lee Pei May, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the International Islamic University Malaysia; Dr. Zhou Mi, Senior Research Fellow with Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation; and Mike Bastin, China observer and senior lecturer at the University of Southampton.

① Beijing's Global South diplomacy is in spotlight amid multiple China visits by senior leaders from the developing world. (00:51)

② We take a look at the annual Boao Forum for Asia where China’s top legislator has called on Asian countries to stay united and oppose decoupling. (12:20)

③ China has announced that it will remove tariffs on Australian wine, marking another key sign of the improving ties between the two countries. (24:48)

④ China has filed a complaint to challenge Biden's electric vehicle plans at the World Trade Organization. We look at how the US Inflation Reduction Act is excluding China’s EV industry from the American market. (34:00)

⑤ Ukraine’s foreign minister is in New Delhi to strengthen ties with India. Is India interested in boosting relations with Ukraine? (42:47)

① We look at the key messages from Xi Jinping’s meeting with US CEOs and strategists in Beijing. (00:53)

② Japan’s cabinet has approved a plan to sell future next-generation fighter jets to other countries. Why is it a controversial step? (12:59)

③ Baltimore’s bridge disaster: rescue efforts and possible causes. (25:26)

④ China has lashed out at the US and the UK for slapping coordinated sanctions over alleged Chinese cyberattacks. Is the cyber security issue increasingly hijacked by ideological and bloc confrontation? (36:32)

⑤ BYD’s profit soared 80% in the year when the Chinese EV giant overtook Tesla. (42:47)