Podcast
World Today
Hosted by China Plus · EN
With in-depth panel discussions on domestic and global news and current affairs, World Today gives you the story behind the headlines.
123episodes
Episodes
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Key focus of the China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism
Jun 3000:53:07Tap to summarize① China and the EU launch trade and investment consultation mechanism. What is the key focus? (00:44) ② How is the CPC's institutional system guiding the country's growth? (14:04) ③ China's outbound investment regulation will take effect on July 1. How can the country balance openness and security? (24:46) ④ How is the Middle East conflict hitting Americans' finances and travel plans? (35:10) ⑤ What is behind South Korea's massive AI and chip investment drive? (43:04)
Transcribe →What to expect from China-Belarus ties?
Jun 2900:53:43Tap to summarize① Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for efforts to further advance the China-Belarus relations to a higher level. What to expect from bilateral ties? (00:47) ② Why can the CPC steer China's modernization? (14:05) ③ Morgan Stanley doubles China humanoid robot shipment forecast. What does it tell us about the industry? (25:25) ④ Extreme heatwave continues to grip Europe. How severe is it? (36:40) ⑤ China's pharmaceutical innovation opens new doors for global collaboration. What opportunities will this offer? (45:52)
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Panel: Beyond buying cars: Is China building a new auto economy?
Jun 2600:54:55Tap to summarizeChina has launched a 40-city pilot program and introduced 17 policy measures to expand the auto market. By removing unreasonable purchase restrictions and boosting the auto aftermarket, China aims to stimulate growth across the entire automotive value chain. What exactly is included in this “full-chain” approach to auto sales? Will we see an auto aftermarket boom here in China? What new opportunities could be unleashed for consumers, businesses, and the broader economy? Host Xu Yawen is joined by Dr. Li Lun, Assistant Professor of Economics at Peking University; Prof. Muhammad Ali Nasir, Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge, Visiting Professor at Peking University, and Professor of Economics at the University of Leeds; and Subramania Bhatt, Founder and CEO of China Trading Desk.
Transcribe →A decade on, what has Brexit brought to Britain?
Jun 2500:53:10Tap to summarize① 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)
Transcribe →How could Ukraine’s rift with Poland affect its war with Russia?
Jun 2400:53:10Tap to summarize① 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)
Transcribe →With Abelardo de la Espriella elected, what is awaiting Colombia?
Jun 2300:53:24Tap to summarize① 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)
Transcribe →Behind Keir Starmer’s decision to resign
Jun 2200:53:10Tap to summarize① 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)
Transcribe →Panel: Where could China's vision for global governance lead the world?
Jun 1900:54:09Tap to summarizeChina 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.
Transcribe →What has US gained from Iran war?
Jun 1800:53:24Tap to summarize① 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)
Transcribe →What’s fueling panda bond boom?
Jun 1700:53:05Tap to summarize① 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)
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