Podcasts about five year plan

During a speech at a dialogue on China's development opportunities for the world, China's ambassador to the United States Xie Feng noted that 2026 is a big year for bilateral relations, and urged the U.S. to walk with China in the same direction, manage differences, and promote cooperation.

China has released a new five-year economic plan that projects GDP growth of around 4.5 percent in the coming year. That would be the country's slowest growth rate since its era of reforms began in the 1980s. Adam and Cameron dig in. Also on the show: The economics of St. Patrick's Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On 12 March 2026, China approved its 15th Five-Year Plan, setting the country's economic and strategic direction through 2030.  In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan and Alicia García-Herrero sit down with Bert Hofman for a first assessment of the plan. They discuss its key priorities — from industrial policy and export-led technology growth to social policy and redistribution — and examine what Beijing's new blueprint means for the European economy. This episode is part of the ZhōngHuá Mundus series of The Sound of Economics. ZhōngHuá Mundus is a newsletter by Bruegel, bringing you monthly analysis of China in the world, as seen from Europe. Sign up now to receive it in your mailbox!

The US and Israeli attack on Iran coincided with what was already an eventful week in China, especially with the conclusion of the Two-Sessions of the National People's Congress and the publication of the draft 15th Five-Year Plan (15FYP) Outline. In today's podcast, Michal Meidan and Anders Hove dig into the implications of the new […] The post OIES Podcast – China, Iran and the Five-Year Plan appeared first on Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

Chinese lawmakers have approved the government work report at the national legislature's annual session.

As Hong Kong approaches the 30th anniversary of its return to China, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has revealed that the city is exploring the development of its first-ever Five-Year Plan. The initiative is expected to focus on economic growth, improving livelihoods, and strengthening the city's global competitiveness, before undergoing public consultation. Why is Hong Kong considering a Five-Year Plan now? How would such a framework work in a city long known for its market-driven governance?

In a complex global environment and amid a substantial rise in foreign-related cases, Chinese courts are committed to ensuring equal protection for all entities and have implemented various measures to enhance the nation's business environment, offering "Chinese solutions" for resolving international disputes, according to the head of China's top court.首席大法官、最高人民法院院长张军在两会期间接受《中国日报》专访时表示，面对复杂的国际形势和增多的涉外案件，中国法院坚持平等保护原则，多措并举，以优质高效司法服务持续优化营商环境，积极为国际纠纷解决贡献"中国方案"。"Openness is a key feature of Chinese modernization, and the rule of law is the foundation for achieving high-level global engagement," said Zhang Jun, president of the Supreme People's Court, in an exclusive interview with China Daily on the sidelines of the ongoing annual meetings of the nation's top legislative and political advisory bodies.张军指出，开放是中国式现代化的鲜明标识，法治是高水平对外开放的坚实保障。Citing data from the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, Zhang said that Chinese courts concluded 128,000 first-instance foreign-related civil and commercial cases involving more than 100 countries and regions, an increase of 65 percent from the previous five years."十四五"期间，中国法院审结一审涉外民商事案件12.8万件，较"十三五"期间增长65%，涉及100多个国家和地区。In 2025 alone, courts nationwide handled over 67,000 foreign-related commercial and maritime cases, up 44 percent year-on-year, he noted.据张军介绍，2025年，全国法院新收一审涉外商事海事案件达6.7万余件，同比增长44%。With global supply chains restructuring and digital trade on the rise, Zhang said that disputes over international goods contracts, service trade, and related cross-border payments, transportation and insurance are increasing.随着全球供应链的重构和数字贸易的兴起，国际货物买卖合同纠纷、服务贸易纠纷，以及与之相关的跨境支付、运输、保险纠纷持续增多。As Chinese companies expand globally and foreign investment grows, particularly with the Belt and Road Initiative, relevant cases are also rising, he said. "The rapid increase and diversity of foreign-related cases highlight China's deep integration into the global market and its shift from focusing on goods flow to regulatory and institutional opening-up," he added.张军表示，随着中国企业"走出去"和外资"引进来"的双向流动加速，以及高质量共建"一带一路"的深入推进，相关纠纷也不断涌现。他补充说："涉外民商事案件数量的快速增长和类型的日益多样化，是中国经济深度融入全球市场的生动写照，勾勒出中国对外开放从商品和要素流动型开放向规则等制度型开放的转变。"To address the growing number of cases and meet diverse judicial needs, Chinese courts have been striving to provide more equitable, efficient and accessible services to both domestic and foreign litigants, Zhang said.张军说，"面对涉外案件数量持续攀升和当事人司法需求更为多元的新形势，中国法院努力为中外当事人依法提供更加公正、高效、便捷的司法服务和保障。"In June 2018, the first and second international commercial courts of the Supreme People's Court were established in Shen­zhen, Guangdong province, and Xi'an, Shaanxi province, where litigants are allowed to resolve disputes through mediation, arbitration, or litigation, based on their needs. By the end of 2025, these two courts concluded 37 cases involving litigants from 21 countries and regions.2018年6月，最高法院第一、第二国际商事法庭分别在广东深圳和陕西西安成立，当事人可根据需要选择调解、仲裁或诉讼解决纠纷。截至2025年底，这两个法庭审结涉及21个国家和地区当事人的案件37件。China has also set up international commercial tribunals in 18 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou in Jiangsu province. In 2025, these tribunals concluded more than 1,700 foreign-related commercial and arbitration review cases involving litigants from over 50 countries and regions, a year-on-year increase of 24 percent.中国还在北京、上海、苏州等18个城市设立了国际商事法庭。2025年共审结涉外商事、涉外仲裁司法审查等案件1700件，同比上升24%，当事人覆盖50多个国家。Zhang said that while respecting litigants' preferences for dispute resolution methods is important, the importance of mediation in handling foreign-related cases is also significant.张军表示，中国法院充分尊重当事人选择仲裁、调解解决争议的意愿。He cited a case involving a foreign oil tanker that was unloading at Qingdao port in Shandong province in January, noting that the dispute was resolved within 24 hours following the Xiamen Maritime Court's swift coordination with the Qingdao Maritime Court, and the use of online and offline mediation methods.他举例说，今年1月，厦门海事法院与青岛海事法院快速协调，运用线上线下调解方式，在24小时内成功化解一起外籍油轮在青岛港卸货纠纷。Expanding intl influence扩大国际影响力The international influence of China's foreign-related judiciary is also expanding, thanks to the development of foreign-related adjudication and optimized legal services, Zhang said.张军称，涉外审判的发展和司法服务的优化，也提升了中国涉外司法的国际影响力。In September 2022, a Liberian container ship and a Panamanian oil tanker collided in the Strait of Malacca, and the courts in five countries, including China, had jurisdiction over the case. The parties involved proactively chose the Ningbo Maritime Court in Zhejiang province to resolve their dispute under Chinese law, he noted.2022年9月，利比里亚籍集装箱船与巴拿马籍大型油轮在马六甲海峡发生碰撞，包括中国在内的五国法院均有管辖权。双方当事人主动选择中国宁波海事法院解决纠纷，并适用中国法律。"More parties involved in foreign-related cases, even those with no substantial connection to China, are voluntarily choosing to address their disputes in Chinese courts, which is a strong endorsement of China's judicial system and its international credibility," Zhang said."越来越多与中国并无实际联系的涉外案件，当事人自愿协议选择在中国法院诉讼，这本身就是对中国司法制度和国际公信力的充分认可。"张军补充说道。On their part, Chinese courts are continuously exploring and improving judicial services, he said. In March 2022, a Norwegian company applied to the Shanghai Maritime Court, seeking recognition of a judgment of a United Kingdom court. Despite the lack of an applicable judicial assistance treaty, the Shanghai court recognized the judgment based on the principle of reciprocity, prompting UK courts to recognize two court judgments of China later.中国法院也在不断探索和完善司法服务。2022年3月，挪威一家公司就英国高等法院的一项生效判决向上海海事法院提出承认申请。在缺乏可适用的司法协助条约的情况下，上海海事法院依据互惠原则承认了该判决，促使英国法院此后承认了中国法院的两项判决。This move not only provides a practical judicial example for establishing a reciprocal relationship, but also breaks the "zero record" of mutual recognition of commercial judgments between Chinese and UK courts. "The initiative demonstrates China's sense of responsibility and judicial confidence," Zhang said.张军表示，此举不仅为认定互惠关系提供了可操作的司法范例，也突破了中英两国法院商事判决互认"零记录"。"中国法院率先承认英国法院判决的背后是中国大国担当、司法自信的有力体现。"From 2024 to 2025, Chinese courts received 1,620 applications for recognizing and enforcing foreign judgments, and they concluded 1,510 such cases, he said. "This data shows China's determination to protect the rights of both domestic and foreign parties in foreign-related trials, maintaining a fair, open and inclusive judicial stance," he added.数据显示，2024年至2025年，中国法院共受理申请承认和执行外国民商事判决1620件，审结1510件，充分彰显了中国涉外审判平等保护中外当事人合法权益，以及公正、开放、包容的司法立场。Mission highlighted使命凸显In today's volatile global landscape, Zhang underscored the judiciary's mission to use legal certainty to address external uncertainties. "A stable, transparent legal business environment is vital for protecting foreign investments and promoting international economic cooperation," he said.当前，国际形势复杂多变，全球经济面临诸多不确定性。张军强调，在这样的时代背景下，中国司法肩负着以法治的确定性应对外部环境不确定性的重要使命。"一个稳定、公平、透明、可预期的法治化营商环境，是保护外商投资权益、保障跨境交易安全、促进国际经济合作的'压舱石'。"他说。Chinese courts have participated in the legislation and amendment of significant foreign-related laws — such as the Foreign Investment Law and the Law on Foreign Relations — to enhance China's judicial framework, Zhang said, adding that courts across the country have also shared their judicial expertise to improve international rules and promote global trade.中国法院近年来积极参与我国外商投资法、对外关系法等一批重大涉外法律的立法和修改工作，促进涉外法律体系完善。全国各地法院也分享司法经验，以完善国际规则，促进全球贸易。In December 2025, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the UN Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents. Zhang said this convention is the first international treaty in the transportation sector that originates from Chinese judicial practice, and was initiated and developed with China's full participation.2025年12月，联合国大会审议通过《联合国可转让货物单证公约》。张军表示，该公约是首部源于中国司法实践、由中国发起并全程参与制定的运输领域国际公约。"Through judicial decisions, Chinese courts will continue to play a crucial role in guarding against external risks, stabilizing market confidence and promoting global trade and investment, thereby protecting our national interests," he said.通过司法裁判，中国法院将继续在防范外部风险、稳定市场信心、促进全球贸易和投资方面发挥重要作用，从而维护国家利益。"Through efficient judicial services, we aim to provide certainty for the stable development of both the Chinese economy and the global economy, acting as a 'navigator' for opening-up and an 'anchor of stability' for global trade," he added.以优质高效的司法服务为中国经济和世界经济的稳定发展注入宝贵的确定性，努力做高水平对外开放的'护航者'和全球经贸秩序的'稳定锚'，张军补充说道。foreign-related case /ˈfɒrɪn rɪˈleɪtɪd keɪs/涉外案件first-instance /ˈfɜːst ˈɪnstəns/一审institutional opening-up /ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃənl ˈəʊpənɪŋ ʌp/制度型开放litigant /ˈlɪtɪɡənt/诉讼当事人mediation /ˌmiːdiˈeɪʃən/调解arbitration /ˌɑːbɪˈtreɪʃən/仲裁litigation /ˌlɪtɪˈɡeɪʃən/诉讼proactively /prəʊˈæktɪvli/主动地volatile /ˈvɒlətaɪl/动荡的

As China advances its Healthy China Initiative, successful efforts made to prevent and treat altitude sickness on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau prompted a heartfelt response from President Xi Jinping on Friday, when he joined national political advisers from the sector of medicine and health, among others, for a group discussion in Beijing."Altitude sickness has long been one of the greatest difficulties facing those who work and live on the plateau," Xi said after Pasang Drolma, a national political adviser from the Xizang autonomous region, spoke about her years of work related to the prevention and treatment of the medical condition.According to Pasang Drolma, a professor at the School of Medicine of Xizang University, China has made remarkable strides in this field. During the construction of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway, which began operating in 2006, not a single death was caused by altitude sickness. In addition, during the construction of the Sichuan-Xizang Railway, which is still underway, measures such as smart oxygen chambers and real-time blood oxygen monitoring helped significantly reduce its incidence, she noted.The medical situation in the Qinghai-Xizang region remains close to Xi's heart. Conditions and technologies have improved greatly, but China still needs to strengthen the medical work on the plateau, he said. "To build a healthy China, we must shore up these weak links in remote areas," he added.Calling for a multipronged approach, Xi said that traditional Chinese medicine, along with traditional Tibetan, Mongolian, Miao and other ethnic medicines, are valuable treasures of the nation.He encouraged medical experts like Pasang Drolma, who have dedicated themselves to the plateau, to continue drawing on their rich experience, step up efforts to prevent and treat altitude sickness, and better safeguard the health of people living in such areas.Ma Xiuzhen, a national political adviser from the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, shared her views on how artificial intelligence could help foster new models of primary-level diagnosis and treatment."The foundation for on-the-ground medical and healthcare services must be further strengthened," Xi said in response, adding that places where conditions permit may explore the use of AI, but this should be done step by step to steadily build a stronger foundation for public healthcare.The discussion moved from healthcare to primary-level medical services, and then to broader changes in health awareness.As China's average life expectancy reached 79.25 years in 2025, up 1.32 years from 2020, Wang Lu, a national political adviser from the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, said the target set in the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) to raise the average life expectancy further to 80 years by 2030 is "both inspiring and motivating".In response, Xi noted that "it is vital to foster healthy lifestyles and promote mass sports participation".As the discussion drew to a close, Xi voiced his expectations for the advisers. "You should make full use of your professional strengths and contribute your wisdom and expertise to the building of a healthy China," he said.altitude sickness 高原病Healthy China 健康中国primary-level medical services 基层医疗卫生服务ethnic medicines 民族医药

You see it all the time. Mega successful people sharing their business advice online. But does any of it actually stack up when you're running a small business day to day? Today we're taking 10 business lessons from the new Audi F1 team boss Jonathan Wheatley and pressure testing them against the reality of small business life to see what actually resonates and what's unrelatable. On this episode, we discuss: (00:00) Intro (01:05) Ten Business Lessons from the New Audi F1 Team Boss (02:20) Invest Properly from the Start as a Small Business (05:06) Stop Keeping Up with the Joneses When Starting Out (06:00) Why Playing the Long Game Pays Off in Business (09:18) Why Every Small Business Needs a Three to Five Year Plan (10:35) How to Blend Experience with New Talent When Hiring (13:45) What Leading by Example Really Means in Small Business (16:55) Define Roles Clearly and Give Your Team Autonomy (19:36) Build a Strong Identity and Brand at Any Size (20:49) The Pricing Power of Having a Strong Brand (21:50) How Budget Constraints Actually Force Innovation (24:16) Leverage Data but Trust People to Make Decisions (26:39) Combine Proven Performers with Rising Stars Episode Resources: The AFR article we reference in this episode:https://www.afr.com/companies/sport/10-tips-to-overtake-the-competition-from-the-head-of-f1-s-newest-team-20260129-p5ny0x Check out the free resources from Inovayt here. Send us an email: hello@thenumbersgamepodcast.com.au The Numbers Game is brought to you by Future Advisory & Inovayt. Hosts:Nick ReillyJason Robinson This podcast is produced by VIDPOD. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chinese President Xi Jinping says the military must achieve the centenary goal of building a strong armed force and advance the modernization of national defense and the military with high quality during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

China says it has better protected the health and well-being of its people during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, making historic achievements.

All eyes are on Beijing as Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivers the 2026 Government Work Report during the Two Sessions. What does the new economic growth target reveal about China's priorities? And as China deepens its commitment to opening up, what opportunities lie ahead for global businesses and trading partners? Host Xu Yawen is joined by Andy Mok, a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University; Liu Baocheng, director of the Center for International Business Ethics at the University of International Business and Economics; and Dr. Lee Pei May, an assistant professor of political science at the International Islamic University Malaysia, to unpack China's Government Work Report and its new five-year plan.

President Xi Jinping called on Thursday for provinces serving as China's economic powerhouses to pilot efforts in analyzing new circumstances and solving new problems, while stressing the need to develop new quality productive forces and promote common prosperity.The president, who represents Jiangsu province as a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, highlighted the imperative for China to cope with an even more complex environment and solve more deep-seated issues to accomplish targets and tasks set out in the nation's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, joined a deliberation with his fellow deputies from Jiangsu, the nation's second-largest provincial-level economy.According to the government work report of the Jiangsu provincial government, the province's economy grew 5.3 percent year-on-year in 2025, with the absolute increase remaining the largest among all provincial-level regions in the country.During Thursday's deliberation, Xi spoke after six deputies shared their insights on issues such as advancing new industrialization, promoting the integration of sci-tech innovation with industrial innovation, and accelerating breakthroughs in core technologies.The development of new quality productive forces is instrumental in advancing high-quality growth and enhancing economic competitiveness, Xi said, adding that Jiangsu should take the lead in this regard.He called for integrated efforts to promote education, science and technology and talent development, highlighting the need to secure new breakthroughs in strengthening original innovation, tackling key core technologies and securing the high ground in science and technology.New approaches should be explored to promote the integration of the innovation, industrial, capital and talent chains, and to accelerate the efficient commercialization and application of sci-tech achievements, he said.The president encouraged Jiangsu to make new progress in upgrading traditional industries, fostering and expanding emerging industries, and planning for future industries.Xi emphasized that only when major economic powerhouses maintain a strong foundation for growth and strong resilience against external shocks can they support the stability of the world's second-largest economy as a whole.According to data cited by Xinhua News Agency, China's top 10 provincial-level regions by gross domestic product accounted for 62.2 percent of the country's overall economic growth in 2025. These regions, including Guangdong, Jiangsu and Shandong provinces, helped boost the national growth rate by 3.1 percentage points, the data showed.The president said that Jiangsu should continue to strengthen economic resilience by improving its internal strengths, enhancing its own capabilities, and fully integrating into the unified national market.He called for taking steps to expand high-standard opening-up, actively explore global markets and better connect with the international economic cycle, adding that a mindset of responding to worst-case scenarios must be adopted in order to prevent various risks.Xi pointed out that Chinese modernization is the modernization of common prosperity for all, and Jiangsu authorities should accurately grasp the new expectations of the people for a better life, as well as the evolving characteristics of work related to public well-being under the new circumstances.The province should proactively address key issues such as ensuring high-quality and adequate employment, increasing incomes for both urban and rural residents, and further improving the level of basic public services and social security, while exploring effective pathways to promote common prosperity, he added.Xi stressed that the more effective the Party's self-governance is, the stronger the guarantee will be for economic and social development.He called for steps to properly carry out the Party-wide education campaign to promote a sound understanding of governance performance.

China's Five-Year Plan aims for steady growth, innovation-driven R&D, carbon cuts, and improved public well-being.

National political advisers have been urged to build consensus and pool wisdom for the country to achieve a good start for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).全国政协委员为“十五五”开好局、起好步广泛凝心聚力，贡献智慧和力量。The fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body, opened on Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, raising the curtain on this year's two sessions of China's top legislative and political advisory bodies.3月4日，全国政协十四届四次会议在北京人民大会堂开幕，标志着今年两会正式拉开帷幕。President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other leaders attended the opening meeting, joining around 2,100 CPPCC National Committee members from across the country and various sectors.中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席习近平等党和国家领导人出席开幕会，与来自全国各界、各领域的约2100名全国政协委员共同参会。Wang Huning, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, delivered a work report on behalf of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee, saying that 2025 was a pivotal year for China's path to modernization.全国政协主席王沪宁代表政协第十四届全国委员会常务委员会作工作报告，指出2025年是中国式现代化进程中具有重要意义的一年。Amid complex global and domestic challenges, China concluded the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) successfully, with strength in the economy, technology and defense reaching new heights, he said.面对错综复杂的国际形势和艰巨繁重的国内改革发展稳定任务，我国 “十四五” 圆满收官，经济实力、科技实力、国防实力迈上新台阶Over the past year, the CPPCC National Committee contributed to the country's development by organizing 98 consultative and deliberative activities. It received 5,992 proposals from members, of which 5,061 were accepted for processing and the response rate for the accepted proposals reached 99.9 percent, providing reference for the government, according to the report.一年来，全国政协共举办各类协商议政活动98场次，收到提案5992件，立案5061件，办复率99.9%，为政府决策提供了重要参考。Wang called for suggestions and deliberation during the session to be centered on the implementation of the new five-year plan.王沪宁指出，要围绕“十五五”规划实施议政建言。"We should focus on key issues in fields including economic development, scientific and technological innovation, reform and opening-up, social construction and people's livelihoods, and reflect social conditions and public opinion in a practical manner," he said.要围绕经济发展、科技创新、改革开放、社会建设、民生保障等领域重点问题，实事求是反映社情民意。Wang said the CPPCC National Committee will implement a democratic supervision work plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan period to help promote the implementation of major decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee.全国政协要实施好“十五五”时期全国政协民主监督工作计划，助推中共中央重大决策部署贯彻落实。The CPPCC National Committee will also hold activities to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen, a revered national hero and pioneer of the country's democratic revolution. It will strengthen foreign exchanges and better tell the stories of China's democracy, he added.要办好纪念孙中山先生诞辰160周年活动。要加强政协对外友好交往，讲好中国故事、中国全过程人民民主故事。Jiang Ying, CPPCC National Committee member and chairwoman of Deloitte China, said that as the nation gets ready to start the 15th Five-Year Plan, its push for high-level opening-up and win-win cooperation shows it is committed to high-quality growth through openness.全国政协委员、德勤中国主席蒋颖表示，在"十五五"规划即将开启之际，我国持续推进高水平对外开放和互利共赢合作，彰显了以开放促高质量发展的决心。"This is good news for global businesses — giving them more confidence and new opportunities," Jiang said, adding that China's continuous progress in areas like the digital economy and green transformation is attracting more multinational enterprises to base their research and development in China."这为全球企业带来更多信心与机遇，我国在数字经济、绿色转型等领域的持续突破，正吸引越来越多跨国企业将研发中心落户中国。"She said that managing cross-border data flows has become a key issue in high-level opening-up and her proposal this year highlights the problems enterprises face in cross-border data flows, aiming at making it easier and more convenient for enterprises to comply with regulations.蒋颖指出，跨境数据流动已成为高水平对外开放的关键议题，今年她重点关注企业数据跨境流动痛点，助力提升企业合规便利化水平。Li Shufu, a CPPCC National Committee member and chairman of Geely Holding Group, identified the "new trio" — electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaics — as pivotal trends for social progress.全国政协委员、吉利控股集团董事长李书福认为，电动汽车、锂电池、光伏产品"新三样"已成为社会发展的重要趋势。While noting that the auto industry is shifting from "involution-style" competition toward sustainable growth through technology and quality, Li said that Geely is working to convert unstable wind and solar energy into stable liquid fuels for storage and transportation.当前汽车行业正从"内卷式"竞争转向依托技术与质量的可持续发展，吉利正探索将不稳定的风光资源转化为稳定的液态燃料，实现能源的跨时空存储与运输。Clarence Ling Chun-kit, a CPPCC National Committee member from Hong Kong, said that given current cross-Strait tensions, frequent communication is more important than ever and he will focus more this year on youth exchanges.来自香港的全国政协委员凌俊杰表示，面对当前两岸关系形势，加强交流沟通至关重要，今年他将重点关注两岸青年交流。Noting that cross-Strait integration in scientific areas like artificial intelligence and computing during the 15th Five-year Plan period is essential, Ling said Hong Kong serves as a "natural bridge" to help Taiwan compatriots understand the "real situation on the Chinese mainland" through shared cultural and trade ties.他强调，在"十五五"规划期间推动人工智能、算力等科技领域的两岸融合发展尤为重要，香港可发挥天然桥梁作用，通过深化文化经贸纽带，帮助台湾同胞更好了解大陆真实发展情况。cross-border data flows /ˌkrɒsˈbɔːdə ˈdeɪtə fləʊz/跨境数据流动 photovoltaics /ˌfəʊtəʊvɒlˈteɪɪks/光伏 involution /ˌɪnvəˈluːʃən/内卷

China on Thursday unveiled major development targets for the 2026-2030 period as a government work report was submitted to the country's top legislature for deliberation.5日提请全国人大审议的政府工作报告，明确了中国2026年至2030年的主要发展目标。Over the next five years, China expects to keep its GDP growth within an appropriate range, with annual growth rates to be determined in light of actual conditions, according to the report.根据报告，未来五年，中国将保持国内生产总值增长处于合理区间，并视实际情况确定年度增长目标。This will lay a solid foundation for achieving the goal of doubling China's 2020 per capita GDP by 2035 to reach the level of a moderately developed country, the report said.报告称，这将为到2035年人均国内生产总值比2020年翻一番、达到中等发达国家水平打好基础。To pursue innovation-led and green development, China projects an annual average increase of at least 7 percent in nationwide R&D spending, and envisages a total reduction of 17 percent in carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP between 2026 and 2030, it said.报告指出，为追求创新驱动和绿色发展，中国预计全社会研发经费投入年均增长7%以上，并计划在2026年至2030年间实现单位国内生产总值二氧化碳排放累计降低17%。China also proposes raising the value added of core digital economy industries to 12.5 percent of GDP and life expectancy to 80 years, according to the report.报告提出，中国还将数字经济核心产业增加值占国内生产总值比重提升至12.5%，人均预期寿命提高到80岁。To ensure effective implementation of the objectives and tasks of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China proposes a total of 109 major projects in six areas, ranging from steering the development of new quality productive forces to ensuring and improving public well-being, the report said.为确保"十五五"规划目标任务有效落实，报告提出，从引领新质生产力发展到保障和改善民生，中国将在六大领域推进109个重大工程项目。envisage /ɪnˈvɪzɪdʒ/展望，设想life expectancy /ˈlaɪf ɪkˌspektənsi/人均预期寿命improving public well-being /ɪmˈpruːvɪŋ ˈpʌblɪk ˈwelˌbiːɪŋ/增进民生福祉

We discuss how Ankara will position itself as regional attacks continue and hear from Iranians fleeing to Turkey. Then: China’s annual Two Sessions gathering begins in Beijing and Nepal prepares for its first election since youth-led protests toppled the government.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's national legislature has set the agenda for its annual session this year. Deputies of the 14th National People's Congress will deliberate the government work report, and examine the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan.

China's "Two Sessions" is currently underway as policymakers map out the country's next stage of development amid global uncertainty. Deputies to the National People's Congress and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference will review the government's work report and 2026 budget, while also formulating the blueprint that will shape the 15th Five-Year Plan through 2030. How will this impact the world's second-largest economy and the wider international landscape?

China's top political advisory body has opened its annual session as over 2,000 advisors consult on state affairs and provide democratic supervision (01:05). China has entered a new era of development, laying the groundwork for its next Five-Year Plan as long-term strategies—from cutting-edge science to rural revitalization—begin transforming daily life (13:02). Global markets continue to tumble, as analysts warn that U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran could hit several sectors hard (36:25).

When China's top political advisory body and legislature convene this week for their annual sessions, the major item on their agendas will be a draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). The deeper story, however, lies in how these gatherings have evolved into a mechanism through which the country's leadership translates strategic vision into operational governance and concrete results.Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping has participated in deliberations and exchanges with National People's Congress deputies and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee more than 60 times, guiding the trajectory of China's modernization.Xi's emphasis during these meetings on high-quality development, innovation-driven growth and people-centered governance has provided a consistent policy framework that has helped China navigate a volatile global environment while sustaining growth and stability.China's GDP surpassed 140 trillion yuan ($20.4 trillion) last year, amid supply-chain disruptions and rising geopolitical tensions — evidence of a system that has prioritized resilience and structural upgrading over short-term stimulus.What distinguishes Xi's engagement at the two sessions is its granular focus. Xi has communicated extensively with NPC deputies and CPPCC National Committee members on factory productivity, rural incomes, eldercare services, environmental remediation, talent cultivation, etc. This micro-to-macro feedback loop is effective in strengthening communications between the leadership and those from all walks of life. When a steel plant manager reports that digital upgrades have raised productivity, or a community social worker describes improved eldercare services following targeted policy guidance, these examples become data points in a broader effort to recalibrate national priorities toward quality, efficiency and equity in national social and economic development.A theme emerging from Xi's participation in these discussions is the primacy of high-quality development. His assertion that without high-quality development, there can be no socialist modernization reflects an understanding familiar to economists: growth that relies on diminishing returns, environmental degradation or excessive leverage is self-limiting. By urging authorities at various levels to develop new quality productive forces while upgrading traditional industries, the leadership has sought to promote technological diffusion and industrial modernization rather than premature deindustrialization.The results are visible in multiple sectors. Artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing are reshaping production models, while breakthroughs in materials science and power equipment are reducing dependence on foreign inputs. These developments suggest a pragmatic strategy to move up the value chain while preserving and optimizing the country's manufacturing base.Xi's calls to improve talent-training mechanisms and align education with economic needs reflect a recognition that human capital is the foundation for these endeavors. The development of national engineering academies, university technology transfer centers and industry-education partnerships indicates an attempt to institutionalize this linkage. In economic terms, China is trying to internalize the spillover benefits of innovation by embedding research, production and skills development within a unified policy ecosystem.Equally notable is the sustained focus on people's livelihoods. Xi's exchanges with farmers, migrant workers, grassroots civil servants and researchers on poverty alleviation, rural vitalization, employment and eldercare underscore the people-first principle of the country's public policies. The transformation of once-impoverished villages through infrastructure, e-commerce and eco-tourism, and the expansion of community-based services for the elderly, illustrate a shift from subsistence security to quality-of-life improvements. This aligns with the goal of advancing common prosperity — which balances efficiency with social fairness and justice.Environmental policy provides another lens through which to assess the modernization agenda. The concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets has been operationalized through nationwide ecological restoration, renewable energy deployment and desertification control. Regions once defined by environmental degradation are now experimenting with solar power, eco-tourism and sustainable agriculture, suggesting that environmental stewardship is being integrated into local growth models rather than treated as an external constraint.Xi's engagement with the national lawmakers and political advisers at the two sessions since 2012 highlights the way in which the country aligns good governance with economic transformation and social welfare in pursuit of national modernization.

Oil markets are rattled, Trump is escalating, and China is speaking out. In this episode of China Decode, Alice Han and James Kynge break down how China is responding after Trump's strikes on Iran — and what soaring oil prices mean for Beijing's energy security and global strategy. Is this about principle, protecting its oil lifeline, or quietly capitalizing on U.S. distraction? Then they turn to China's next Five-Year Plan and its aggressive push into AI and advanced manufacturing. Is Beijing accelerating economic decoupling for good? And finally, a fatal crash involving a Chinese EV sparks a nationwide safety rethink. Does this dent China's global EV ambitions — or make them stronger? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

China's legislature is meeting in March to approve the nation's new Five Year Plan, which aims to promote higher quality growth, and make China increasingly self-sufficient in new technology of all kinds, from AI to semiconductors. Yet it comes against a backdrop of uncertainty and tariff wars abroad, and high youth unemployment and a slumping property market at home. Xi Jinping has pinned his hopes on boosting domestic consumption and has pledged to promote the private economy, which he had previously hit with a major regulatory crackdown. But will this be enough to stimulate the kind of economic revival the government is hoping for? Andy Rothman, founder of the consultancy Sinology LLC, former China-based analyst and diplomat, and now senior advisor to the DGA Albright Stonebridge Group and senior China fellow at the Asia Society Northern California, discusses China's economic prospects — and the challenges for consumer confidence and private enterprise.Photo credit: Yu Ko / UnsplashFor information about the SOAS China Institute Corporate Membership scheme, please contact SCI director Steve Tsang: steve.tsang@soas.ac.uk ________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI) SCI Blog SCI on X SCI on LinkedIn SCI on Facebook SCI on Instagram ________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

① A top meeting in China has described the next five years as a critical period for socialist modernization. How will China focus on economic development during its 15th Five Year Plan? (00:46) ② Why is Canada putting aside the frictions over the killing of a Sikh activist and seeking to re-engage with India? (10:24) ③ Iran has vowed to use all its strength to make its enemies pay a heavy price following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes. To what extent could the conflict widen? (24:58)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Friday chaired a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to discuss a draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for economic and social development and a draft government work report to be submitted by the State Council to the upcoming annual session of the national legislature for review.It was noted at the meeting that the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) has marked a momentous and extraordinary period in China's development.The CPC Central Committee with Xi at its core has united the entire Party and Chinese people of all ethnic groups and led them in withstanding the severe shocks from a once-in-a-century Covid-19 pandemic, responding effectively to many major risks and challenges, and securing significant new achievements in the cause of the Party and the country, according to the meeting.The meeting noted that the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) will be critical as China works to reinforce the foundations and pushes ahead on all fronts toward basically realizing socialist modernization by 2035.Under the leadership of the Party Central Committee, the scientific formulation and effective implementation of the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan will be of great significance in consolidating and building on strengths, removing development bottlenecks, and shoring up areas of weakness, the meeting said.Looking ahead to China's economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the meeting underscored the need to pursue economic development as the central task, with reform and innovation as the fundamental driving force and full and rigorous Party self-governance as the fundamental underpinning for all efforts.It also emphasized promoting higher-quality economic growth while achieving an appropriate increase in economic output, and making solid headway in promoting well-rounded personal development and common prosperity for all.

China calls for stronger innovation and technological self-reliance, as the country's top leadership reviews the draft of the 15th Five-Year Plan (01:09). China's space program is gearing up for a busy year of space station missions while steadily advancing toward its goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030 (01:51). Pakistan says "open war" with Afghanistan has begun, as both sides exchange airstrikes and retaliatory attacks on military targets following deadly border clashes (13:55).

Starting May 1, 2026, China will eliminate tariffs on all imports from the 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, a move expected to accelerate industrialization and economic development across the continent. The policy comes as China enters its 15th Five-Year Plan cycle, a period set to emphasize high-quality growth, stronger domestic demand, and a deeper level of opening-up. What impact will this comprehensive zero-tariff arrangement have on African economies and on broader global trade dynamics?

On Thursday afternoon, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz walked into a leading Chinese robotics company in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, for a tour and a robotic performance before wrapping up a two-day China visit that was both fruitful and significant.At Unitree, Merz watched the same martial arts performance by quadruped robots that was showcased during the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, which was livestreamed to hundreds of millions of viewers at home and abroad. Merz showed interest in the company's robotic hands and quadruped robots, learning about their applications and development.The one-hour tour, part of Merz's first trip to China since assuming office in May last year, demonstrated the two countries' shared desire to seize new opportunities for future development.Merz was the first foreign leader received by China in the Year of the Horse. Upon his arrival on Wednesday, he wrote in Chinese in a social media post: "Berlin and Beijing are nearly 7,500 kilometers apart. For many years, we have been very happy to bridge this distance. For me, it is very important to maintain and deepen our diplomatic and economic relations. To achieve this goal, we need open channels of dialogue."President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang met separately and held talks with Merz on Wednesday. Together with over 60 Chinese and German business leaders, Merz and Li also attended a symposium of the China-Germany economic advisory committee. The two countries inked a number of cooperative agreements in green transition, customs, sports and media. They also issued a joint media statement in which the two sides agreed to properly resolve each other's concerns through dialogue.Speaking to reporters at the end of his trip, Merz said he witnessed and supported the launch of new business partnerships during the visit."For me, it was important to gain a firsthand impression of the country, including through discussions with government leaders and business representatives," he said, noting that he was impressed by China's high level of technological development.For example, he said he was impressed by "Mercedes-Benz's advances in autonomous driving in China, Unitree's progress in robotics, and companies producing in China for the global market".Siemens CEO Roland Busch, who was among senior executives from about 30 leading German companies accompanying Merz, said Hangzhou is a highly innovative city — "perhaps the Tech Valley of China".Busch noted that China is seeking to boost productivity through automation and digitalization, areas in which Siemens holds strong global advantages — in industrial software and automation.As 2026 marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, the world's two major economies are expected to foster greater synergy between the plan and Germany's development strategies, in order to achieve mutually beneficial cooperation at higher standards, analysts said.Michael Schumann, chairman of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade, said China's rapid progress in robotics and industrial artificial intelligence — visible during Merz's visit to Unitree — creates significant opportunities to combine German strengths in precision engineering, automation and industrial software with China's scale and speed of technological deployment."With continued dialogue and practical cooperation in future industries, Sino-German business ties can contribute meaningfully to global technological progress and sustainable industrial transformation, for the benefit of people in both our countries and beyond," Schumann said.Feng Zhongping, director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Merz's visit shows a return to a pragmatic and rational approach in Germany's China policy."Merz's visit sent a signal that as the world's third-largest economy, Germany sees broad space for cooperation with China, the second-largest economy, and is seeking to expand cooperation grounded in mutual benefit," Feng said.He added that German officials and business leaders are willing to better understand China's upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, including its development priorities and strategic focus areas, in order to identify new opportunities for collaboration.Jin Ling, director of the Department for Global Governance and International Organization Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said Merz's visit carries significance against the backdrop of debate within Europe over how to approach China.By emphasizing partnership and a cooperative tone, Merz has sent a signal aimed at filtering out "noise" and external interference, she said.Merz is the latest in a string of Western leaders to visit Beijing within just a few months, following visits by French President Emmanuel Macron, Irish Taoiseach, or prime minister, Micheal Martin, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer."These visits reflect recognition of China's global role and the opportunities presented by its market. Missing out on the Chinese market would mean missing out on opportunities," Jin said.

For the first time, the Global Governance Initiative, a framework for reforming international relations, is set to feature in the recommendations for China's new Five-Year Plan. This comes as national lawmakers and political advisors prepare to gather in Beijing for the annual “Two Sessions” in the coming days. GGI emphasizes sovereign equality, international law, and multilateralism. It prioritizes the Global South, focusing on true multilateralism, a people-centered approach, and tangible results. What does “people-centered” actually mean for communities in the Global South? Host Xu Yawen is joined by Özgür Altınbaş, Chief of the Foreign News Service at Aydinlik in Türkiye, and Muhammad Zamir Assadi, Director at the China Desk of Lord Media Network in Pakistan, to explore how these ideas translate into everyday impact around the world.

Is China's latest Five-Year Plan about to reset its economic model and tackle the imbalances weighing on both the domestic and global economy?Speculation always builds ahead of a new Five-Year Plan. But this time, the stakes feel higher. With growth slowing, debt risks lingering and external tensions elevated, could this Plan mark a genuine turning point?That is what Julian Evans-Pritchard will be watching for as the National People's Congress opens in Beijing on Thursday. On The Weekly Briefing, he joins Group Chief Economist Neil Shearing to talk to David Wilder about the outlook for China's domestic and external imbalances and to address the key questions, not least how this adjustment will proceed, how willing its trading partners will remain to absorb China's goods surplus and whether this all risks tipping the world into crisis?Elsewhere in the episode, Megan Fisher from our Commodities team revisits the cocoa price boom she had long warned was unsustainable. Now that prices have collapsed, she sifts through the fallout to explain what comes next and whether chocoholics are likely to see any relief.Events and analysis referenced in this episodeChina NPC Drop-In https://www.capitaleconomics.com/events/china-drop-key-takeaways-npc-and-new-five-year-planUK Spring Statement Drop-Inhttps://www.capitaleconomics.com/events/uk-drop-chancellors-spring-statement-fiscal-signals-political-risks-market-implicationsUS non-farm payrolls previewhttps://www.capitaleconomics.com/publications/us-employment-report-preview/health-care-likely-be-key-driver-payrolls-again

Why does water baptism carry such deep meaning for believers around the world, often far more than in Western churches?In this episode of The Unshakable Church, Ron explores the powerful spiritual significance of water and baptism through a global lens. Drawing from firsthand experience among national church planters, he explains how new believers from Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim backgrounds understand water as a symbol of cleansing, rebirth, and devotion.Ron then unpacks five profound biblical truths that water baptism represents for believers today: spiritual rebirth, cleansing from sin, the work of the Holy Spirit, eternal life, and God's provision. These realities help explain why baptism is not just a ceremony, but a bold declaration of transformation and allegiance to Christ.Discover why this sacred act carries such urgency, joy, and meaning in places where revival is spreading rapidly across the world.

Dave is so bullish on the Giants, that he believes a Super Bowl will be won in the next five years. Do you agree with him? Plus, an edition of Cuddle, Marry, Trash! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

China is expected to put boosting domestic demand — especially spurring consumption — at the core of its economic agenda this year, with policymakers likely to roll out stronger fiscal support and structural reforms to further unlock the potential of household spending, a senior expert said.资深专家表示，今年我国将把扩大内需尤其是激发消费潜力置于经济工作核心位置，预计决策层将推出更有力的财政支持政策和结构性改革举措，进一步释放家庭消费潜能。Wang Wei, senior researcher and former director of the Institute of Market Economy at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said that to ensure stable economic growth during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, China needs to achieve a notable increase in final consumption as a share of GDP.国务院发展研究中心市场经济研究所原所长、二级研究员王微表示，为确保"十五五"时期（2026-2030年）经济稳定增长，我国需要显著提升最终消费占GDP比重。"That means China's future economic growth will need to rely more on domestic demand — particularly on the sustained, steady growth and innovation of consumption — to provide effective support for overall growth," Wang said during a recentexclusive interview with China Daily.王微日前接受《中国日报》独家专访时表示，这意味着未来中国经济增长需更多依靠内需，特别是消费持续平稳增长与创新，为整体增长提供有效支撑。She said China has finished the "from nothing to something" stage of household consumption over the past four decades, but the next phase — especially under high-quality development- must focus on improving consumption quality and expanding the space for development-driven consumer demand.她指出，过去四十年我国已走过家庭消费"从无到有"的阶段，下一阶段特别是高质量发展背景下，必须着力提升消费品质、拓展发展型消费需求空间。"Services consumption such as education, healthcare, culture, sports, entertainment and eldercare will have very large room for growth as people's living standards rise. With the impact of technological innovation, many new forms of innovative consumption are also entering daily life, forming new drivers of growth."随着人民生活水平提高，教育、医疗、文化、体育、娱乐、养老等服务消费将拥有巨大增长空间。在科技创新影响下，许多创新消费新形态也正进入日常生活，形成新的增长动能。Wang expects that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China's final consumption expenditure may exceed 90 trillion yuan ($12.99 trillion), accounting for around 60 percent of the country's GDP.王微预计，"十五五"期间我国最终消费支出有望突破90万亿元，占GDP比重将提升至60%左右。"The contribution of final consumption to economic growth will remain above 60 percent, and the share of household services consumption in total consumer spending will rise to 50 percent," she said.最终消费对经济增长的贡献率将保持在60%以上，居民服务性消费占消费总支出比重将升至50%。According to the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, over the next five years, China should achieve a notable increase in household consumption as a share of GDP.根据《中共中央关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划的建议》，未来五年我国要实现居民消费占GDP比重显著提升。It also emphasized that special initiatives should be advanced to boost consumption, and the supply of high-quality consumer goods and services should be expanded. China should focus on easing market access and integrating various forms of business to boost consumption of services and strive to build market-leading brands, raise standards, and apply new technologies to expand and upgrade goods consumption.规划同时强调，应实施促进消费专项行动，扩大优质消费品和服务供给。要聚焦放宽准入与业态融合促进服务消费，着力打造领军品牌、提升标准规范、运用新技术拓展升级商品消费。"To that end, in 2026, consumption should remain the priority of economic development. Special initiatives to boost consumption should be further implemented, with strengthened inclusive policies directly benefiting consumers. Supply-side structural reform and policy innovations should be continuously advanced to steadily enhance consumers' spending power and willingness, promoting a stable increase and shifting the incremental economic growth to innovation-driven forms," Wang added."为此，2026年应继续将消费摆在优先位置，深入推进促消费专项行动，强化普惠性政策直达消费者，持续推进供给侧结构性改革和政策创新，稳步提升居民消费能力与意愿，推动消费稳定增长并向创新驱动型增量转变。"王微补充道。Wang said policymakers should continue to strengthen countercyclical macroeconomic policies in 2026, provide more support for services consumption, and accelerate the establishment of an institutionalized empowerment mechanism that integrates policy support, digital empowerment and industrial funds to better support the development of micro and small enterprises.她建议决策层在2026年继续加强逆周期宏观政策调控，加大对服务消费支持力度，加快建立政策支持、数字赋能与产业基金相结合的常态化赋能机制，更好支持小微企业发展。More efforts should also be made to maintain subsidies for the goods trade-in policy, support housing rentals such as providing rental subsidies for university graduates, new urban residents and migrant workers, and capitalize on the debut economy to strengthen backing for consumption innovation.同时应延续消费品以旧换新补贴政策，支持大学毕业生、新市民、农民工等群体住房租赁补贴，借力首发经济强化对消费创新的支持。final consumption /ˈfaɪnəl kənˈsʌmpʃən/最终消费domestic demand /dəˈmestɪk dɪˈmɑːnd/国内需求exclusive interview /ɪkˈskluːsɪv ˈɪntəvjuː/独家专访eldercare /ˈeldəkeə/养老服务market-leading brand /ˈmɑːkɪt ˈliːdɪŋ brænd/领军品牌supply-side structural reform /ˈsʌplaɪ saɪd ˈstrʌktʃərəl rɪˈfɔːm/供给侧结构性改革incremental /ˌɪŋkrəˈmentl/增量的countercyclical /ˌkaʊntəˈsɪklɪkəl/逆周期的debut economy /ˈdeɪbjuː ɪˈkɒnəmi/首发经济

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President Xi Jinping talked with United States President Donald Trump by phone on Wednesday, saying that he stands ready to continue working with his US counterpart to guide the giant ship of China-US ties through wind and waves for a steady voyage in the new year, and do more big, good things together.While the US side has its concerns, and the Chinese side has its own concerns as well, solutions can be found to address each other's concerns as long as both sides move toward each other in the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit, Xi said.The phone conversation was the first interaction between the two leaders in 2026. In the past year, Xi and Trump held four phone calls and exchanged multiple messages, and the two leaders also met successfully in Busan, South Korea, in October.Xi said that this year, both China and the US have a number of important agendas.While China is entering the first year of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, the US will mark the 250th anniversary of its founding, he noted, adding that the two countries will also respectively host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting and the Group of 20 Summit.Xi said that the two sides should act on the common understandings they have reached, strengthen dialogue and communication, properly manage differences and expand practical cooperation.Citing an ancient Chinese adage that "an act of kindness, no matter how trivial, is worth performing, while an act of evil, no matter how small, must be shunned", Xi called on China and the US to work through things step by step and constantly build mutual trust to forge the right way of getting along with each other.The two countries can make 2026 a year in which China and the US, as two major countries, move toward mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, Xi said.Regarding the Taiwan question, Xi told Trump that it is the most important issue in China-US relations.The Taiwan region is part of China's territory, and China must safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will never allow Taiwan to be separated from the country, Xi said, urging the US to handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with utmost prudence.After the phone call, Trump wrote in a social media posting that he had "just completed an excellent telephone conversation with President Xi of China. It was a long and thorough call", and many important subjects were discussed.Trump said in the phone call that the US and China are both great countries, and the US-China relationship is by far the most important in the world.He noted that he has a great relationship with President Xi and that he has a lot of respect for him. Under the guidance of the two leaders, the US and China are doing well in the areas of economy and trade, Trump said.Trump said he wants to see China succeed, and the US would like to work with China to make more progress in bilateral ties.The US president said he understands how China feels about the Taiwan question, adding that he would like the two sides to continue talking with each other and keep the relationship in good shape during his presidency.practical cooperation /ˈpræktɪkəl koʊˌɑːpəˈreɪʃən/务实合作peaceful coexistence /ˈpiːsfəl ˌkoʊɪɡˈzɪstəns/和平共处win-win cooperation /ˌwɪn ˈwɪn koʊˌɑːpəˈreɪʃən/合作共赢national sovereignty /ˈnæʃnəl ˈsɑːvrənti/国家主权APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting /ˈeɪpek ˌiːkəˈnɑːmɪk ˈliːdərz/亚太经合组织领导人会议G20 Summit /ˌdʒiː ˈtwenti ˈsʌmɪt/二十国集团峰会

Shanghai aims to become one of the world's top three cities by economic scale within this decade, driven by an ambitious annual GDP growth target that was outlined in the draft of the city's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).根据上海市"十五五"规划纲要（2026-2030年）草案提出的宏伟年度经济增长目标，上海计划在本十年内，在经济规模上跻身全球前三甲城市之列。Already one of China's most dynamic economic hubs and the first city to surpass the GDP mark of 5 trillion yuan ($720 billion), Shanghai is targeting an average annual GDP growth rate of around 5 percent over the next five years. The goal is expected to significantly enhance the city's overall economic strength, global competitiveness and residents' livelihoods.作为中国最具活力的经济中心之一，也是首个地区生产总值突破5万亿元（7200亿美元）大关的城市，上海为未来五年设定了年均GDP增长约5%的目标。预计这一目标将显著增强城市的整体经济实力、全球竞争力及居民生活水平。The draft outline was unveiled at the annual session of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress, the city's legislative body, which opened on Tuesday.该规划草案已于1月23日开幕的上海市第十六届人民代表大会第二次会议上提交审议。According to the plan, this targeted growth pace is expected to lift Shanghai's economic aggregate beyond 7 trillion yuan by 2030. At that scale, the city would rank among the world's top three by economic size, trailing only New York and Los Angeles.根据规划，这一目标增速预计将使上海的经济总量在2030年突破7万亿元。以此规模，上海将跃居全球经济规模前三，仅次于纽约和洛杉矶。After reaching the 5 trillion yuan milestone in 2024, Shanghai's GDP climbed further to 5.67 trillion yuan in 2025, placing the city among the world's top five urban economies. Meanwhile, per capita GDP rose to $32,000 in 2025, comparable to the level of a moderately developed economy.在2024年达到5万亿元里程碑后，上海GDP在2025年进一步攀升至5.67万亿元，使该市跻身全球城市经济总量前五。与此同时，2025年人均GDP上升至3.2万美元，相当于中等发达经济体水平。The draft makes it clear that the next phase of growth will focus on improving workforce skills and, more importantly, strengthening industrial development through scientific and technological innovation.草案明确指出，下一阶段的增长将聚焦于提升劳动力技能，更重要的是通过科技创新强化产业发展。"Shanghai will accelerate the intelligent transformation of key industries, establish more than 50 additional smart factories, and foster new artificial intelligence-native business formats," Mayor Gong Zheng said while delivering the Shanghai municipal government work report during the session.上海市市长龚正在作政府工作报告时表示："上海将加快重点产业智能化改造，新增50家以上先进智能工厂，积极培育智能原生新模式新业态。"Gong added that the city will also upgrade specialized industrial parks for sectors such as integrated circuits and large aircraft manufacturing, and will vigorously develop future industries including brain-computer interfaces and fourth-generation semiconductors.龚正补充道，上海还将升级集成电路、大飞机制造等领域的专业产业园区，并大力发展脑机接口、第四代半导体等未来产业。The shift toward future industries is already reflected in key indicators, experts said. In the past five years, the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 residents in Shanghai rose from 29.6 to 65. The target for 2030 is about 85.专家表示，向未来产业的转变已反映在关键指标上。过去五年，上海每万人口高价值发明专利拥有量从29.6件增至65件。2030年的目标约为85件。Shanghai also plans to raise spending on research and development from about 4.5 percent of GDP in 2025 to more than 5 percent by 2030. In addition, the draft sets a goal for the value-added output of core digital economy industries to account for more than 20 percent of GDP by 2030.上海还计划将研发投入占GDP比重从2025年的约4.5%提升至2030年的5%以上。此外，草案设定的目标是，到2030年，核心数字经济产业增加值占GDP比重超过20%。The draft outline will be reviewed and discussed by lawmakers and political advisers during the annual meetings, which run through Saturday, and is expected to chart the course for the city's next phase of development.在持续至本周六的年度会议期间，人大代表和政协委员将审议和讨论该规划纲要草案，预计它将为上海下一阶段的发展规划路线。Many lawmakers and advisers said that Shanghai's economic structure is continuing to improve, with its three leading industries — AI, integrated circuits and biomedicine — posting rapid growth.许多人大代表和政协委员表示，上海的经济结构正在持续优化，其三大先导产业——人工智能、集成电路和生物医药——均呈现快速增长。Legislator Liu Zhi, vice-president of ShanghaiTech University, said the Shanghai high-repetition-rate XFEL (X-ray free-electron laser) and extreme light facility, known as SHINE, which has been built by the university, has entered the installation phase and is scheduled to begin testing this year.上海市人大代表、上海科技大学副校长刘志表示，由该校建设的上海硬X射线自由电子激光装置（简称SHINE）已进入安装阶段，计划于今年开始测试。"There are only two such facilities globally, the other being under construction in the United States," Liu said. "The facility will provide strategic support for tackling fundamental scientific challenges in frontier fields such as energy, biology, biomedicine and chip manufacturing. Strength in basic research means gaining greater initiative in setting standards and shaping future industrial development.""全球仅有两处此类设施，另一处正在美国建造，"刘志说，"该设施将为攻克能源、生物学、生物医药和芯片制造等前沿领域的基础科学难题提供战略支撑。基础研究的实力意味着在制定标准和塑造未来产业发展方面获得更大主动权。"Looking ahead to 2035, the draft envisions a comprehensive upgrade of Shanghai's role as an international center for economic, financial, trade, shipping, and scientific and technological innovation, with key indicators reaching globally leading levels.展望2035年，草案描绘了上海国际经济、金融、贸易、航运和科技创新中心功能的全面升级，关键指标达到全球领先水平。"Shanghai's overall capacity and core competitiveness are expected to rise significantly by 2035, with per capita GDP doubling from 2020 levels, establishing Shanghai as a world-influential socialist modern international metropolis," Gong said.龚正表示："到2035年，上海的整体实力和核心竞争力预计将显著提升，人均GDP较2020年水平翻一番，将上海建设成为具有世界影响力的社会主义现代化国际大都市。"economic hub /ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk hʌb/经济枢纽/中心legislative body /ˈledʒɪslətɪv ˈbɒdi/立法机关economic aggregate /ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk ˈæɡrɪɡət/经济总量future industries /ˈfjuːtʃər ˈɪndəstriz/未来产业brain-computer interfaces /breɪn kəmˈpjuːtər ˈɪntəfeɪsɪz/脑机接口high-value invention patents /haɪ ˈvæljuː ɪnˈvenʃən ˈpeɪtənts/高价值发明专利value-added output /ˈvæljuː ˈædɪd ˈaʊtpʊt/增加值产出socialist modern international metropolis /ˈsəʊʃəlɪst ˈmɒdən ˌɪntəˈnæʃənəl məˈtrɒpəlɪs/社会主义现代化国际大都市

For Huang Xiaozhen, the future of artificial intelligence isn't about computing power or algorithmic scale, but about something far more ordinary: the quiet click of a light switch.在黄晓真看来，人工智能的未来并不取决于算力规模或算法复杂度，而在于更为日常、甚至平凡的场景——比如轻轻按下电灯开关的那一刻。As head of business-to-business operations at MiniMax Group Inc, a rising Chinese AI unicorn, Huang sees the current wave of innovation less as a technological leap than as a transition toward being ubiquitous.作为中国新晋人工智能独角兽企业MiniMax集团的B端业务负责人，黄晓真认为，当下这股创新浪潮与其说是一场技术飞跃，不如说是一次走向“无处不在”的转变。"As the technology iterates, AI will become like water, electricity or coal — the fundamental infrastructure of our existence," Huang said. "It will be everywhere in our lives and work."黄晓真表示：“随着技术不断迭代，人工智能将像水、电、煤一样，成为支撑我们生存与发展的基础性基础设施，它将无处不在，融入我们的生活与工作之中。”The vision widely shared by AI optimists has increasingly aligned with the nation's official policy.这一在人工智能乐观主义者中广泛流行的愿景，正日益与国家层面的官方政策形成高度契合。In its recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for national economic and social development, the Communist Party of China Central Committee called for "forward-looking plans" for future industries, urging exploration of diverse technology road maps, application scenarios, business models and regulatory frameworks.在关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划（2026—2030年）的建议中，中共中央提出要对未来产业进行“前瞻性布局”，并鼓励探索多样化的技术路线、应用场景、商业模式和监管框架。The document explicitly listed quantum technology, biomanufacturing, hydrogen and nuclear fusion energy, brain-computer interfaces, embodied artificial intelligence and 6G mobile communications as new drivers of growth.该文件明确将量子技术、生物制造、氢能与核聚变能源、脑机接口、具身人工智能以及6G移动通信等列为新的增长动能。The confidence of China's AI practitioners received a major boost in April 2025, when President Xi Jinping visited the Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center, one of the country's most active AI hubs.2025年4月，习近平主席考察上海大模型创新中心——这一全国最为活跃的人工智能集聚区之一，中国人工智能从业者的信心由此大幅提振。Standing among developers and entrepreneurs, Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, described artificial intelligence as "a young cause, and a cause for young people", encouraging them to align personal ambition with China's modernization drive.在开发者和创业者中间，习近平总书记将人工智能形容为“一项年轻的事业，也是一项属于年轻人的事业”，并鼓励大家将个人理想追求融入中国式现代化进程之中。According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China had more than 6,000 AI enterprises last year, while the scale of the country's core AI industry was expected to have exceeded 1.2 trillion yuan ($172.6 billion) in 2025.工业和信息化部数据显示，去年我国人工智能企业数量已超过6000家，2025年核心人工智能产业规模预计突破1.2万亿元人民币（约合1726亿美元）。The president's visit, combined with subsequent policy measures, has strengthened confidence among startups facing intense competition, according to executives working inside the ecosystem.多位业内高管表示，总书记的考察以及随后出台的一系列政策举措，显著增强了在激烈竞争环境中奋战的初创企业信心。Zhang Yun, a deputy general manager at the center, said the visit validated the pace and direction of the hub's development.该中心副总经理张云表示，此次考察充分肯定了创新中心的发展节奏和方向。"Nearly 75 percent of our workforce is under the age of 35," Zhang said. "We're seeing founders who are barely 30. As AI tools become more powerful, teams are getting smaller, younger and faster."张云说：“我们团队中近75%的员工年龄在35岁以下，一些创始人甚至刚满30岁。随着人工智能工具能力不断增强，团队正呈现出规模更小、成员更年轻、反应更迅速的趋势。”The center operates on what participants describe as a philosophy of proximity. "Upstairs and downstairs are upstream and downstream," Zhang said, referring to the close physical clustering of foundational model developers and application companies, which allows for rapid iteration and feedback.该中心运行秉持着参与者所称的“近距离协同”理念。张云解释说：“楼上楼下就是上下游”，基础模型研发团队与应用企业在物理空间上的高度集聚，使快速迭代和反馈成为可能。Yao Zhendi, CEO of Cyber Partner AI Co, said the youthfulness of the sector reflects the nature of the technological challenge itself."We're no longer doing 'one to 10' innovation, where you just improve something that already exists," Yao said.上海魂伴科技有限责任公司首席执行官姚振迪表示，该行业的年轻化正是技术挑战本身特性的体现。“我们不再是做‘一到十'的创新，只是在原有基础上改进。”他说。"We're doing 'zero to one'. There's no formula and no homework to copy. We're defining what this technology becomes."“我们做的是‘从零到一'。既没有公式可循，也没有作业可抄，而是在定义这项技术最终会成为什么。”He added that national planning documents emphasize not only AI, but the integration of embodied intelligence across industries, with a forward-looking approach to development.他补充指出，国家规划文件强调的不只是人工智能本身，还包括具身智能在各行业中的融合应用，并以前瞻性视角推动相关发展。Over the next five years, he said, AI is expected to penetrate daily life and a wide range of sectors in line with the 15th Five-Year Plan.他表示，未来五年，在“十五五”规划指引下，人工智能有望深入渗透日常生活和多个产业领域。His company is working on the convergence of the "brain", meaning large-scale models, and the "body", referring to embodied intelligence — a frontier where software meets robotics.其公司正致力于推动“脑”（即大模型）与“身体”（即具身智能）的融合，这一前沿领域正是软件与机器人技术的交汇点。Paradigm shift范式转变The national strategy outlined in the 15th Five-Year Plan proposals calls for a paradigm shift in scientific research and a focus on self-reliance in breakthroughs in chips, algorithms and data.“十五五”规划建议所勾勒的国家战略，呼吁科研范式发生转变，并将重点放在芯片、算法和数据等关键领域的自主突破上。For Wang Le, CEO of Shanghai SiliconPear Technology Co, the transformation is already playing out on factory floors and toy shelves.对上海喜梨信息科技有限公司首席执行官王乐而言，这一转型已在工厂车间和玩具货架上悄然展开。Wang's company exports to more than 30 countries and uses AI to upgrade traditional manufacturing.王乐的公司产品出口至30多个国家，并通过人工智能技术推动传统制造业升级。"We're turning toys from simple manufactured goods into high-tech consumer products," Wang said."It's no longer just about branding. It's about embedding technology to upgrade the entire supply chain, which gives Chinese products a distinct global competitive edge."王乐表示：“我们正在把玩具从简单的制造品转变为高科技消费品。这已经不只是品牌问题，而是通过技术嵌入实现整个供应链的升级，从而赋予中国产品独特的全球竞争优势。”Xi's visit to the Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center came after he presided over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, highlighting the need to promote the healthy and orderly development of AI in a beneficial, safe and fair direction.习近平考察上海大模型创新中心之前，曾主持中共中央政治局集体学习，强调要推动人工智能朝着有益、安全、公平方向健康有序发展。Huang, from MiniMax, said that companies across the AI value chain are directly feeling the impact of State support. From his perspective, policies aimed at supporting models and application scenarios are accelerating innovation and technical iteration across the industry.MiniMax的黄晓真表示，人工智能产业链各环节企业正切身感受到国家支持带来的影响。在他看来，围绕模型和应用场景的政策扶持，正在加速全行业的创新和技术迭代。"It's clear that more and more enterprises, scenarios and applications are moving toward AI," Huang said. "Many new startups are designing products and use cases based entirely on current AI capabilities. This looks more like a society-wide embrace of AI, and the growth of the entire industry chain is extremely fast."他说：“可以清楚地看到，越来越多的企业、场景和应用正在向人工智能靠拢。许多新创公司完全基于现有AI能力来设计产品和应用场景，这更像是一场全社会层面的AI拥抱，整个产业链的增长速度极其迅猛。”Zhou Chen, CEO of Zhejiang Dex-Robot Intelligent Technology, said Xi has explicitly called for accelerating the application of AI in technological innovation and industrial development, a signal that Zhou sees as materially beneficial for enterprises.浙江灵巧智能科技有限公司首席执行官周晨表示，习近平明确提出要加快人工智能在科技创新和产业发展中的应用，这一信号对企业而言具有实实在在的利好意义。He pointed to concrete policy measures such as subsidized computing power and pilot programs for new models. China launched a 60 billion yuan AI industry investment fund to support the development of the whole AI industrial chain.他指出，诸如算力补贴、新模型试点项目等具体政策措施正在落地实施。同时，中国还设立了规模达600亿元人民币的人工智能产业投资基金，用于支持整个AI产业链发展。"They allow companies to be bold and try things first," Zhou said."Ultimately, it helps improve human efficiency and reduce defect rates in manufacturing."周晨表示：“这些政策让企业可以大胆探索、先行先试，最终有助于提升人效、降低制造业缺陷率。”Zhou cited incentives including free or subsidized computing resources, early access to models, and funding for major research projects as mechanisms that encourage companies to experiment.周晨列举了多项激励机制，包括免费或补贴算力资源、提前接入模型以及重大科研项目资金支持，这些都有效鼓励企业开展探索性实践。He argued that China has structural advantages in pursuing such technologies: a complete industrial supply chain, a wide range of real-world application scenarios that generate data, and growing domestic computing capacity.他认为，中国在发展相关技术方面具备结构性优势，包括完备的产业链体系、能够持续产生数据的丰富现实应用场景，以及不断提升的本土算力能力。While much of the focus remains on domestic self-reliance, officials and researchers say China's AI ambitions also have an outward-facing dimension.尽管当前重点仍放在国内自主可控上，但多位官员和研究人员指出，中国的人工智能发展目标同样具有面向国际的外向维度。International public good国际公共产品Yan Weixin, chief scientist at the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, said Xi has called for AI to be developed as an international public good that benefits humanity.上海人工智能研究院首席科学家闫维新表示，习近平提出要将人工智能打造为造福全人类的国际公共产品。Yan said China has launched initiatives related to AI reinforcement learning and sustainable development, and has begun sharing algorithms and models with partner countries, including those participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.闫维新介绍称，中国已启动多项与人工智能强化学习和可持续发展相关的倡议，并开始与包括共建“一带一路”国家在内的合作伙伴共享算法和模型。These technologies are being applied to areas such as disaster warning systems and low-carbon industrial facilities overseas, he said.他说，这些技术已在海外被应用于灾害预警系统和低碳工业设施等领域。Highlighting the link between energy and computation, he said: "AI consumes energy, and energy defines computing power. In the future, there will be deep integration between new energy and dynamic computing."他强调能源与计算之间的关联指出：“人工智能消耗能源，而能源决定算力。未来，新能源与动态计算之间将实现深度融合。”Otto Heinrich Herzog, an academician of the German National Academy of Science and Engineering and a professor at Tongji University in Shanghai, said he has been struck by the speed with which policies translate into implementation in China.德国国家科学与工程院院士、同济大学教授奥托·海因里希·赫尔佐格表示，中国政策从制定到落地实施的速度给他留下了深刻印象。"When something aligns with strategy in China, it really gets implemented," Herzog said. "That's something you don't experience in the same way in Europe."赫尔佐格说：“在中国，只要一项举措符合国家战略，就会真正被执行落实。这是在欧洲难以同样体会到的。”forward-looking /ˌfɔːwəd ˈlʊkɪŋ/前瞻性的embodied artificial intelligence /ɪmˈbɒdid ˌɑːtɪˈfɪʃəl ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəns/具身人工智能value chain /ˈvæljuː tʃeɪn/价值链pilot program /ˈpaɪlət ˈprəʊɡræm/试点项目dynamic computing /daɪˈnæmɪk kəmˈpjuːtɪŋ/动态计算

China's national immigration authorities significantly enhanced their service efficiency in 2025, processing a record 697 million border crossings, a 14.2 percent increase from the previous year.2025年，中国国家出入境管理机关大幅提升服务效率，处理出入境人次达6.97亿次，创历史新高，较上年增长14.2%。According to data announced by the National Immigration Administration on Wednesday, foreign nationals accounted for more than 82 million crossings, a year-on-year rise of 26 percent. Notably, over 30 million foreign nationals entered China visa-free, almost 50 percent more than last year, making up 73 percent of all foreign entries.根据国家移民管理局周三公布的数据，外国公民跨境入境超过8200万人次，同比增长26%。值得注意的是，逾3000万外国公民免签入境中国，较去年增长近50%，占外国入境总量的73%。Residents from the Chinese mainland made 335 million crossings, up 15 percent, while those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan made nearly 280 million crossings, up 10 percent compared with 2024.来自中国大陆的居民跨境往来达3.35亿人次，同比增长15%；来自香港、澳门和台湾地区的居民跨境往来近2.8亿人次，较2024年增长10%。Lyu Ning, the administration's spokeswoman, noted that the immigration sector has advanced policy reform and innovation, implementing targeted measures to underpin high-quality development and inject new impetus into the national economy.国家移民管理局新闻发言人吕宁指出，国家移民管理局推进政策创新改革，实施精准举措，为高质量发展提供支撑，为国民经济注入新动力。To facilitate exchanges, authorities expanded the pilot program for online travel document applications for mainland residents to 50 cities, with 457,000 successful online applications recorded.为促进交流，国家移民管理局将内地居民网上申请旅行证件的试点计划扩大至50个城市，共录得45.7万宗成功网上申请。Additionally, Indonesia was added to the list of countries eligible for the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, and five more ports in Guangdong province were designated for the policy, bringing the national total to 65.此外，印度尼西亚被纳入240小时免签过境政策适用国家名单，广东省新增5个口岸实施该政策，使全国实施该政策的口岸总数达到65个。Visa-free entry for tourist groups from Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries to Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province was also launched. In coordination with relevant departments, the administration increased the count of China's unilateral visa-free countries to 48 and mutual visa exemption countries to 29, bringing the total number of countries granting unilateral visa-free access to China to 28.同时，对东盟成员国旅游团赴云南省西双版纳傣族自治州实施免签政策。经协调相关部门，中国单方面免签国家增至48个，互免签证国家增至29个，对华实施单方面免签的国家总数达到28个。Lyu noted that while ensuring efficient cross-border travel, these initiatives have fueled the boom in "Travel in China" and "Shop in China" campaigns, elevating China's image as an open, inclusive and dynamic country.吕宁指出，这些举措在保障跨境出行高效顺畅的同时，也推动了“中国游”和“中国购”活动的蓬勃发展，提升了中国作为开放包容、充满活力的国家形象。Data from the Ministry of Commerce showed that the expanded visa-free policies and optimized tax refund measures have further boosted these campaigns, with sales of tax-refundable goods nearly doubling.商务部数据显示，扩大的免签政策和优化的退税措施进一步推动了上述活动，退税商品销售额几乎翻了一番。Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, pointed out that China's tourism industry has become more open and inclusive over the past year and over the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, making important contributions to the prosperity of the global tourism sector.中国旅游研究院院长戴斌指出，过去一年及“十四五”期间，中国旅游业更加开放包容，为全球旅游业繁荣发展作出重要贡献。China's high-level opening-up policies, covering visas, immigration, port access, tax refunds and payment facilitation, have significantly improved entry convenience for international travelers.中国实施的高水平开放政策，涵盖签证、入境、港口准入、退税及支付便利化等领域，显著提升了国际旅客入境的便利性。He described 2025 as a landmark year for China's institutional opening-up in tourism. China is now a global leader in tourism exchanges with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia, West Asia, Africa, and Latin America, while tourism exchanges with Europe have almost returned to the 2019 levels, he said.戴斌将2025年称为中国旅游业制度性开放的里程碑之年。他表示，中国目前已成为与东南亚、西亚、非洲和拉丁美洲等“一带一路”沿线国家旅游交流的全球领头羊，而与欧洲的旅游交流已基本恢复到2019年水平。Looking ahead to 2026 and the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, Dai emphasized that China is poised to play a bigger role in global tourism development.展望2026年及第十五个五年规划（2026-2030年）期间，戴斌强调中国将在全球旅游业发展中发挥更重要的作用。The National Immigration Administration said it will continue to expand and deepen high-level opening-up to the outside world, optimize immigration policies and respond to public demands, with a view to boosting economic and social development through continuous reform and innovation.国家移民管理局表示，将持续扩大深化高水平对外开放，优化移民政策，回应公众诉求，通过持续改革创新推动经济社会发展。

In the new year, leaders of nations in Asia, Europe and North America have traveled to China to discuss reinforcing bilateral ties and expanding pragmatic cooperation, and countries such as Finland have confirmed or planned visits to China by their leaders in the near future.Observers said one major reason behind the visits is that Beijing projects great predictability and consistency in its domestic and foreign policy, signaling tangible and continued mutual benefit in a world plagued by soaring geopolitical tensions, unilateralism and hegemony.The next guest will be Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, who is scheduled to make a four-day official visit to China starting on Sunday.The first head of state and the first foreign minister that Beijing received in 2026 both came from neighboring countries — Republic of Korea President Lee Jae-myung and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar.After President Xi Jinping's meeting with Lee on Jan 5, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of 15 cooperation documents covering fields including scientific and technological innovation, the environment, transportation and trade.The official visit by Taoiseach of Ireland Micheal Martin, from Jan 4-8, was the first by an Irish prime minister in 14 years, giving fresh momentum to both bilateral and China-EU ties.Last week, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made an official visit to China, and the two sides issued a joint statement of the China-Canada leaders' meeting, vowing to advance outcomes in areas including trade, energy, public security, culture and multilateralism.As reported by the Canadian newspaper Toronto Sun, Melanie Joly, Canada's industry minister, told reporters in Beijing that "the conversations here have been more predictable and stable than sometimes with other countries, including our neighbor".Recently, media outlets in Britain and Germany have reported that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz may visit China later this year.The visits to China have helped nations, and will help more countries, improve their perception of China and rediscover the vast potential of the Chinese market, experts said.Vice-Foreign Minister Sun Weidong told a symposium on Monday that this year marks the first year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period and that China "will further step up its high-level opening-up".Wang Huiyao, president of the Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization, said the visits to China took place as unilateral bullying practices "have sparked widespread concern in the international community", and "the momentum of unilateralism is on the rise in transatlantic relations".Taking Canada as an example, Wang said the rebound in China-Canada relations "is both a testament to the strategic wisdom of both sides and a natural choice that aligns with public opinion and market realities".Gao Fei, president of China Foreign Affairs University, said countries clearly know who are serving as stabilizers in this volatile world, and "China is the most predictable one among the major countries".As many countries speak positively of China's role in peace, stability and growth, some of their leaders visited in the new year to learn more about China's wisdom and solutions, he added.As part of efforts by working teams from China and these countries to realize the leaders' fresh consensus, Chinese and ROK officials on Monday kicked off the 13th round of follow-up negotiations on services and investment under the China-ROK Free Trade Agreement.Wang Junsheng, a researcher on Northeast Asia studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' National Institute of International Strategy, noted that as the global economy remains sluggish and trade protectionism prevails, countries such as the ROK are grappling with challenges like tariff wars."In this context, maintaining stable economic and trade cooperation with China is crucial for the ROK's economic growth," Wang said."The global industrial supply chain is being disrupted by trade protectionism, so stable cooperation between the ROK and China in supply chain-related sectors is also of the utmost importance," he added.

China's top economic regulator says authorities will unveil a plan within the year on implementing the strategy to boost consumption. It will cover the 15th Five Year Plan period until 2030.

China's economy hit a major milestone in 2025, surpassing 140 trillion yuan in GDP. What has driven this growth — and what challenges lie ahead? In this episode of The Hub, host Wang Guan is joined by a panel of experts to discuss economic resilience, technological and industrial upgrading, the priorities of the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, and China's evolving role in the global economy. What forces are shaping China's next phase of development?

China's economy demonstrated strong resilience in 2025, with growth holding firm despite mounting external pressures and internal structural adjustments, while new growth drivers are taking shape to support sustainable expansion going forward, said officials and experts.政府工作人员和专家指出，2025年中国经济展现出强劲韧性，在外部压力不断加剧和内部结构调整的双重背景下，经济增长依然保持稳健，同时新的增长动力正在形成，为未来可持续扩张提供支撑。Official data released on Monday showed that China's gross domestic product grew 5 percent last year, meeting the country's annual target of around 5 percent. The hard-won performance, achieved amid heightened tariff pressures, has laid a solid foundation for a steady start to economic growth in 2026, reinforcing confidence that the world's second-largest economy remains on a stable trajectory.官方周一公布的数据显示，中国去年国内生产总值增长5%，实现了约5%的年度增长目标。在关税压力加剧的背景下取得的这一来之不易的成绩，为2026年经济增长平稳开局奠定了坚实基础，增强了市场信心，表明这个全球第二大经济体仍保持着稳定发展态势。As China enters the opening year of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, economists said policymakers are set to press ahead with front-loaded fiscal support to boost domestic demand, alongside a moderately accommodative monetary stance aimed at lifting prices and easing financing costs.随着中国迎来第十五个五年规划（2026-2030年）的开局之年，经济学家指出，政策制定者将推进前置性财政支持以提振内需，同时采取适度宽松的货币政策立场，旨在提振物价并降低融资成本。The country's annual GDP came in at 140.19 trillion yuan ($20.13 trillion) in 2025, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the Chinese economy grew 4.5 percent year-on-year, following 4.8 percent growth in the third quarter.国家统计局数据显示，2025年中国国内生产总值（GDP）达140.19万亿元（合20.13万亿美元）。2025年第四季度，中国经济同比增长4.5%，此前第三季度增速为4.8%。Kang Yi, head of the NBS, said that the latest indicators fully demonstrate the Chinese economy's steady progress, resilience under pressure, and vitality in moving toward higher-quality and innovation-driven development.国家统计局局长康义表示，最新指标充分展现了中国经济稳步前进的态势、在压力下的韧性，以及在迈向更高质量、创新驱动发展道路上的活力。"China's average annual contribution to global economic growth stood at around 30 percent throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period. With a complete industrial system, China has played a stabilizing role in global supply chains and injected much-needed stability into a world economy undergoing turbulence and transformation," he said.中国在“十四五”规划（2021-2025年）期间，对全球经济增长的年均贡献率保持在30%左右。凭借完整的产业链体系，中国在全球供应链中发挥着稳定器作用，为动荡转型中的世界经济注入了急需的稳定力量。Guan Tao, global chief economist at BOCI China, said that China's economy has delivered "hard-won" results in 2025, featuring breakthroughs in technological advances and emerging consumption phenomena, setting the stage for a 2026 GDP growth target possibly at 4.5 percent to 5 percent.中银证券全球首席经济学家管涛表示，2025年中国经济取得“来之不易”的成果，技术进步实现突破性进展，消费呈现新形态，为2026年GDP增速目标设定4.5%至5%的区间奠定基础。"In 2025, when people talked about China, things like DeepSeek, Ne Zha 2, Unitree humanoid robots, the overseas expansion of innovative pharmaceuticals, and Jiangsu Football City League, or Suchao, all showed that China's economy has been full of highlights, whether in consumption recovery or technological innovation," Guan said.管涛表示：“在2025年，当人们谈论中国时，话题转向了诸如DeepSeek、《哪吒2》、宇树人形机器人、创新药出海、江苏城市足球联赛‘苏超'等新事物；焦点无论是消费复苏还是科技创新，都展现出中国经济的亮点纷呈；都无不印证着中国经济的蓬勃生机。”Citing the latest indicators, Sheana Yue, a senior economist at British think tank Oxford Economics, said that the fourth quarter's continued momentum appeared to be driven by stronger industrial activity and exports in December, which offset still weak domestic demand.英国智库牛津经济研究院高级经济学家岳喜娜援引最新指标指出，第四季度经济持续增长的动能似乎源于12月工业活动和出口的强劲表现，这抵消了国内需求依然疲软的影响。NBS data showed that China's value-added industrial output rose 5.2 percent in December, following 4.8 percent growth in November.国家统计局数据显示，中国12月工业增加值同比增长5.2%，高于11月的4.8%增速。"Our estimates suggested high-tech manufacturing, including transport equipment, electrical machinery and electronics manufacturing, continued to outperform at the end of 2025," Yue said.岳喜娜：“我们的估算显示，包括运输设备、电机和电子制造在内的高科技制造业，在2025年底仍保持着强劲增长态势。”According to the NBS, retail sales, a key indicator of consumer spending, increased 0.9 percent in December, while China's fixed-asset investment decreased 3.8 percent in 2025.据国家统计局数据显示，作为消费支出重要指标的零售额在12月增长0.9%，而2025年中国固定资产投资同比下降3.8%。Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International, said that looking ahead to 2026, the impact of high tariffs imposed by the United States on global trade and China's exports is expected to become more pronounced, weakening the contribution of external demand to economic growth and requiring domestic demand to step in more decisively.东方金诚首席宏观分析师王青表示，展望2026年，美国高关税对全球贸易和中国出口的影响预计将更加显著，这将削弱外需对经济增长的贡献，需要内需更果断地接棒。"We expect that, with more proactive and effective macroeconomic policies continuing to gain strength, consumption will accelerate further in 2026, and investment will stabilize after bottoming out," he said.王青表示：“随着更积极有效的宏观经济政策持续发力，预计2026年消费将进一步加速增长，投资将在触底后趋于稳定。”With 2026 marking the opening year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, Xu Hongcai, deputy director of the economic policy committee of the China Association of Policy Science, said that ensuring a smooth economic start will be critical, and called for stable, consistent and moderately forceful macro policies.2026年标志着中国第十五个五年规划的开局之年。中国政策科学研究会常务理事、经济政策委员会副主任徐洪才指出，确保经济平稳开局至关重要，呼吁实施稳定、连贯且力度适中的宏观政策。Fiscal policy should remain proactive, he said, suggesting that the fiscal deficit ratio remain at around 4 percent, supported by the continued issuance of long-term treasuries to boost consumption, improve public well-being and mitigate local government debt risks. He added that monetary policy should stay moderately accommodative, with room for further cuts to interest rates and the reserve requirement ratio.徐洪才表示，财政政策应保持积极，建议财政赤字率维持在4%左右，同时继续发行长期国债以提振消费、改善民生并缓解地方政府债务风险。他还指出，货币政策应保持适度宽松，存在进一步下调利率和存款准备金率的空间。Going forward, Xu said that China's economic growth in 2026 is expected to remain within a reasonable range, with improving quality, a more optimized structure and steady progress toward high-quality development.徐洪才表示，展望未来，2026年中国经济增长预计将保持在合理区间，质量不断提升，结构持续优化，朝着高质量发展稳步迈进。Choi Yong-ho, chief executive officer and chief happiness officer of South Korean entertainment technology company Galaxy Corp, said China's market holds virtually unlimited development potential. "It is creative, innovative and dynamic, and it is already at the global forefront in multiple industries."韩国娱乐科技独角兽Galaxy Corp首席执行官兼首席幸福官崔龙湖表示，中国市场蕴藏着几乎无限的发展潜力。“这个市场充满创造力、创新精神和活力，已在多个行业处于全球领先地位。”"China's strong capabilities in robotics and artificial intelligence are leading industrial development, and its younger generation represents a highly capable and promising talent base. With these advantages, I believe the Chinese market will continue to grow, with a very optimistic outlook," he said.崔龙湖表示：“中国在机器人和人工智能领域的强大实力正引领着工业发展，其年轻一代代表着一支能力出众、充满希望的人才队伍。凭借这些优势，我相信中国市场将继续增长，前景非常乐观。”humanoid robot/ˈhjuː.mə.nɔɪd/n.人形机器人trajectory/trəˈdʒek.tɚ.i/n.轨道；态势

Where do you see yourself in five years? Does that question fill you with excitement, or a quiet sense of dread? We are wired differently. For many people, myself included, the question is not difficult to answer because we lack imagination. It is difficult because it speaks a different language from our natural way of being. We are not compelled by any outcome-oriented approach to planning, conceiving, or measuring success. And yet this orientation is often treated as a default mode we should all operate within. When the Five-Year Plan Feels Constricting Rather Than Motivating “But everyone has a dream,” we might be told, as if struggling to articulate a five-year vision means we are hiding something from ourselves. I have never been able to articulate a grand plan in the way this question assumes. I struggle to picture the future concretely, because it unfolds piece by piece. It always has. And I genuinely love watching how things emerge across different areas of life in ways I could not have foreseen. What drives me is something quieter and steadier. A creative impulse. A desire to make things, to explore what might happen, to respond to what is in front of me, and to integrate what has come before. My life does not move in straight lines. It has grown around and within my values, with seemingly unrelated dots connecting in unexpected ways. Maybe you relate to this? https://youtu.be/qFqIvsBB9HA “If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there.” This quote, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, reminds me of the five-year question. For some, it sounds like a warning. A demand to define the destination so the “correct” road can be chosen. For others, it feels like permission. A reminder that movement itself shapes direction, and that choosing a road does not require certainty about where it leads. Two Approaches to Growing Life There is research that can help us better understand this difference. In an episode about Late Blooming, Kendra Patterson pointed to a study by David Galenson and Bruce Weinberg, who observed patterns in the careers of Nobel Prize winners in economics. They identified two broad orientations to creative innovation. Some people are conceptual innovators. They work deductively. They begin with a clear idea and organise themselves towards it. In the study, these individuals often made their most significant contributions early in life, sometimes in their twenties. Others are experimental innovators. They work inductively. Their contribution emerges step by step through trial, discovery, accumulation, and integration. Their most meaningful work often did not appear until their fifties. Sometimes later. That is a thirty-year difference. Experimental Thinkers and Emergent Direction Experimental lives unfold differently. They need time, space, and patience. Decisions cannot be judged too early, and meaning emerges through lived experience rather than advance planning. These lives are not oriented towards a clearly imagined endpoint, but towards allowing something to take shape over time. Our dominant culture tends to favour the conceptual orientation for obvious reasons. Goals are easier to measure than processes, and outcomes are more reassuring than slow inquiry. So when more experimental people are asked to account for themselves in conceptual language, we can experience a disconnect. The five-year plan. Starting with the end in mind. Being asked to justify movement only if the destination can be named in advance. We might learn to force an answer anyway, for fear of sounding vague and sketchy. Perhaps we adapt our path to fit the question, sometimes tethering ourselves to targets that outlive their purpose. If You Can’t Articulate The Plan, You May Be Asking Different Questions Experimental people tend to better orient around different questions. Not “where do I want to get to?” but “does this path feel worth exploring?”Not “how will I know I have succeeded?” but “what tells me I’m on the right path for now?” This does not mean anything goes. Our values provide an inner compass. A filter through which decisions pass. Experimental consistency grows in relationship with deeper principles, even when they are not fully formed or easy to articulate. We sense them in how something feels. Whether it feels solid, expansive, and quietly right, even in the face of uncertainty. That is very different from hit-and-hope searching. An Unfinished Map The problem begins when we are pressured to live by a map that does not match the territory of our own experience. The Return To Serenity Island grew directly out of this recognition. It was never designed to answer the question of direction. It emerged from understanding the difference between conceptual and experimental ways of moving through life, and from a desire to honour growth and change without forcing myself into a shape that did not fit. The image of mapping an island felt natural. A way of imagining life not as something to optimise along a straight line, but as a living territory. An unfinished map with seasons, weather, history, and forgotten paths. A place where things fall away to make room for what comes next. Where time moves differently across the landscape, and where connections form quietly, often long before they make sense. It has become a counterpoint to directive, outcome-driven models of goal setting. A place to reconnect with intuition, judgement, and possibility. To meet creativity not as a tool for achievement, but as a way of relating to life as something we are growing into, rather than something we are meant to complete. The optional live sessions begin on Saturday January 24th 2026 and run for six weeks. You can find more information at serenityisland.me. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a message. I would love to hear from you if this sounds like something you would find helpful.

Show LinksSelf-Paced Resources.Subscribe To The Interview Podcast: https://yourlevelfitness.com/podcastNew To The YLF Philosophy? Start Here: ylf30.comDaily Accountability And Structure For Your Self-Paced Inside/Out Process: https://yourlevelfitness.com/daily-emailQ&A Response YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjSupgaY5KA66MD2IdmCwFhLFbDe-pk1lIndividualized Guidance From Daryl.Join The YLF Experience: https://app.moonclerk.com/pay/5t93iox9udm3Compare All Service Levels: https://yourlevelfitness.com/coachingGet Your Merch, Mugs & Wall Quotes.Shop The Current Collections: https://yourlevelfitness.shop/collectionsEpisode DescriptionIn this episode, I talk about plans, the comfort we get from knowing what is supposed to happen, and why flexibility matters more than most people want to admit. Having a plan is important, but life rarely moves in a straight line from point A to point B, and the route or even the destination often changes along the way. When we look back five years, most of us realize our lives did not unfold the way we imagined, and that is not a failure, it is growth.As we move into a new year full of goals and expectations, I encourage you to be clear and intentional with your plans while staying open to adjustment. Curveballs, setbacks, and unexpected opportunities are part of the process, and you have already proven that you can navigate them. I also share why connecting with yourself and living from an inside/out place can quietly shift what you go after and how you define success, using fitness and health as a practical starting point that carries into every other area of life.Please share this episode with anyone you think would be interested in listening to it.Visit darylperrypodcast.com for links to the show page on each of the major podcast directories. From there, you can subscribe and share this pod.For comments, questions, topic ideas, possible collaborations please email daryl@yourlevelfitness.com

If you ask a bestselling novelist how long it took to go from aspiring writer to published success, the answer is usually about ten years. One reason it takes so long is that most authors learn about writing in a haphazard way. They read a blog post here, listen to a podcast there, attend a conference where they receive a firehose of information, and then watch YouTube videos hoping to fill in the gaps.It is an overwhelming way to learn. If you have ever felt overwhelmed by everything you need to know about publishing, you know exactly what this feels like.But what if you could cut that ten-year learning curve in half?In our latest podcast episode, I talk with Christy Award Hall of Fame author James L. Rubart about the Five-Year Plan for Becoming a Professional Author. It's a step-by-step training approach designed to help fiction writers build skills in the right order (without the overwhelm).This isn't a “shortcut” or gimmick course. It's a craft-first path that helps writers avoid wasted years, bad habits, and out-of-order learning.In this week's episode, you'll discover:Why most authors stall outHow to accelerate the mastery of storytellingWhat separates “good” writers from professional-level authors in the current publishing landscapeIf you've ever wondered whether you're developing your craft in the smartest way possible, or where you should start, listen in or read the blog version.Support the show

MAO'S XENOPHOBIC REVOLUTION AND THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD Colleague Professor Sean McMeekin. Moving to China, McMeekin explains that Mao Zedong's ideology was a "bizarre melange" of Marxism, class envy, and intense xenophobia. Unlike European communists, Chinese communism was driven by a deep resentment of foreign imperialism. The conversation analyzes the catastrophe of the Great Leap Forward, where Maoattempted to surpass British economic output by collectivizing agriculture and creating "industrial armies"—an idea taken directly from the Communist Manifesto and Stalin's Five-Year Plans. This experiment resulted in the death of 40 to 45 million people. McMeekin notes that Mao ignored warnings from Soviet advisors to avoid their past mistakes, driven instead by a competitive desire to outdo the Soviets and a "fantasmagorical" hatred of foreign influence. NUMBER 5

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Chinese equities enter 2026 on a strong footing, with policy tailwinds from the upcoming Five-Year Plan expected to sustain momentum despite recent consolidation. While tech-led rallies have dominated, attention is shifting toward domestic consumption as policymakers prioritise demand-side reforms—a potential turnaround for lagging consumer sectors if stimulus materialises.Meanwhile, ongoing concerns over stretched valuations in US tech and AI names underscore the case made for diversifying into non-US markets, such as China and Japan. Structural drivers, including a weaker U.S. dollar and gradual yuan appreciation, add to the appeal. On commodities, strong fundamentals and AI-driven demand for industrial metals signal further upside, building on this year's broad-based rally in materials.This episode is presented by Richard Tang, Head of Research Hong Kong at Julius Baer and Hong Hao, Managing Partner and CIO of Lotus Asset Management Ltd.

China's Economic Slump: Export Decline, Policy Failures, and Property Market Stagnation Guests: Anne Stevenson-Yang and Gordon Chang Anne Stevenson-Yang and Gordon Chang discussed the unprecedented slump in China's economic activity, noting cooled investment and slowing industrial output, with exports falling 25% to the US, attributing this long-term decline to the government's 2008 decision to pull back economic reforms and the current 15th Five-Year Plan lacking viable solutions or bailouts for hurting localities, while consumption remains dangerously low (around 38% of GDP) and is expected to shrink further as the government prioritizes technological development and factory production, with the property market collapsing as capital investment, land sales, and unit prices decline, forcing people to hold onto decaying apartments and risking stagnation for decades similar to Japan post-1989, a problem largely self-created due to overcapacity, although other countries like Brazil are also restricting Chinese imports.

SHOW 11-17-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 1899 UKRAINE THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT POTUS... FIRST HOUR 9-915 Pakistan's Military Dominance: Field Marshal Munir's Power and US Relations Guest: Ambassador Husain Haqqani Ambassador Husain Haqqani detailed the institutional dominance of Pakistan's military, noting that Parliament recently granted Field Marshal Asim Munir legal immunity for life and expanded his power by designating him Chief of Defense Forces, giving him control over the entire military, as Munir aims for presidential privileges without directly taking power, backed by a national narrative that Pakistan is perpetually under threat from India, and gained significant political and psychological advantage through two meetings and praise from President Trump, despite no new US aid or weapons, while Trump, who favors strongmen, may also be using this praise to leverage concessions from Indian Prime Minister Modi, as Munir is taking risks by adopting a firmer stance regarding violence on the Northwest frontier with the Taliban, an approach not well received by the Afghans, with Pakistani politicians historically conceding ground to the military to secure a shared portion of power. 915-930 CONTINUED Pakistan's Military Dominance: Field Marshal Munir's Power and US Relations Guest: Ambassador Husain Haqqani Ambassador Husain Haqqani detailed the institutional dominance of Pakistan's military, noting that Parliament recently granted Field Marshal Asim Munir legal immunity for life and expanded his power 930-945 China's Economic Slump: Export Decline, Policy Failures, and Property Market Stagnation Guests: Anne Stevenson-Yang and Gordon Chang Anne Stevenson-Yang and Gordon Chang discussed the unprecedented slump in China's economic activity, noting cooled investment and slowing industrial output, with exports falling 25% to the US, attributing this long-term decline to the government's 2008 decision to pull back economic reforms and the current 15th Five-Year Plan lacking viable solutions or bailouts for hurting localities, while consumption remains dangerously low (around 38% of GDP) and is expected to shrink further as the government prioritizes technological development and factory production, with the property market collapsing as capital investment, land sales, and unit prices decline, forcing people to hold onto decaying apartments and risking stagnation for decades similar to Japan post-1989, a problem largely self-created due to overcapacity, although other countries like Brazil are also restricting Chinese imports. 945-1000 China's Role in Global Drug Epidemics: Meth Precursors and Weaponizing Chemicals. Guests: Kelly Curry and Gordon Chang. Kelly Curry and Gordon Chang detailed China's crucial role in the global drug trade, asserting that China's chemical exports are fueling a "tsunami of meth" across Asia. Chinese manufacturers supply meth precursor chemicals to warlords, notably the Chinese-aligned, US-sanctioned United Wa State Army in Myanmar. This production (Yaba/ice) is believed to have been diverted from China's domestic market in the 1990s. Both guests confirmed this activity is impossible without the explicit knowledge and support of the Central Committee, noting China grants export subsidies, tax rebates, and uses state banks for money laundering associated with the drug trade. China benefits financially and strategically by weakening US-backed allies like Thailand and South Korea who are flooded with the drugs. This structure mirrors the fentanyl crisis in North America, and experts predict increasing co-production and sharing of chemical methods between Asian drug groups and Mexican cartels. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 Syria's Complex Geopolitics: Air Bases, Sanctions, Accountability, and Great Power Mediation Guest: Ahmad Sharawi Ahmad Sharawi discussed the non-transparent situation in Syria, focusing on reports of potential US air bases (Mezzeh and Dumayr), with denials from the Syrian government suggesting they won't possess the bases but might allow US use for counter-ISIS missions or potentially a security agreement requested by Israel for deconfliction, noting a recent US C-130 spotted landing at the Mezzeh air base near Damascus, while during a reported White House visit, Syrian requests included the removal of Caesar sanctions (partially waived by President Trump) and an Israeli withdrawal from the southern border buffer zone, with domestic movement towards accountability for the Suwayda province massacre and government security forces being arrested, as a Russian military delegation visited Damascus and southern Syria, potentially acting as a deconfliction mechanism between Syria and Israeli forces, with Russia's goal appearing to be balancing regional interests while maintaining its bases in western Syria. 1015-1030 CONTINUED Syria's Complex Geopolitics: Air Bases, Sanctions, Accountability, and Great Power Mediation Guest: Ahmad Sharawi Ahmad Sharawi discussed the non-transparent situation in Syria, focusing on reports of potential US air bases (Mezzeh and Dumayr), with denials from the Syrian government... 1030-1045 Venezuela Crisis: Potential Maduro Exit and Shifting Political Tides in Latin America Guests: Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo discussed the crisis in Venezuela, noting a powerful US fleet gathered nearby, with Maduro fearing military intervention and reportedly wanting to discuss surrender conditions with President Trump, though his exit is complicated by his ally Diosdado Cabello, who heads operations for the Cartel of the Suns and has no path for redemption, while Maduro's potential fall would deliver a severe blow to the organized crime and drug trafficking networks that permeate South America's political structures, with the opposition, led by María Corina Machado, having transition plans, and Brazilian President Lula neutralized from strongly opposing US actions due to ongoing tariff negotiations with Trump, as the conversation highlighted a new conservative political wave in Latin America, with optimism reported in Argentina following elections that strengthened Javier Milei, and in Chile, where conservative José Antonio Kast is strongly positioned, representing a blend of economic freedom, anti-organized crime platforms, and conservative values. 1045-1100 CONTINUED Venezuela Crisis: Potential Maduro Exit and Shifting Political Tides in Latin America Guests: Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo discussed the crisis in Venezuela, noting a powerful US fleet gathered nearby, with Maduro fearing military intervention and... THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 1/4 Jews Versus Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion and the Cost of Diaspora Revolts Professor Barry Strauss of Cornell University, Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, discusses the history of Jewish resistance against the Roman Empire as detailed in his book Jews versus Rome. Following the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, rebellion continued among Jewish communities scattered across the Roman world. 1115-1130 CONTINUED 2/4 During Emperor Trajan's campaign against the Parthian Empire, a widespread and coordinated "diaspora revolt" erupted in 115–117 AD, beginning in Libya and spreading to Egypt, Cyprus, and Mesopotamia. This was a major challenge, forcing Trajan to divert a legion, as Egypt was the empire's strategic breadbasket. The revolt was spurred by the insulting Jewish tax, the fiscus Judaicus, paid to Jupiter, and the frustrated expectation that the Temple would be rebuilt within 70 years. The Jewish community in Alexandria, possibly the largest Jewish city in the ancient world, was wiped out during the suppression, a disaster for diaspora Judaism. 1130-1145 CONTINUED 3/4 srajan's successor, Hadrian, revered the war against Parthia but recognized the Jews' disloyalty. Starting in 117 AD, Hadrian planned to rebuild Jerusalem as a pagan city named Aelia Capitolina to demonstrate that the Temple would never be restored and to discourage collusion between Jews and Parthians. This provoked the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 132 AD. The leader, Simon Bar Kosa, took the messianic title Bar Kokhba, meaning "Son of the Star," and was accepted as the Messiah by some leading rabbis, including Rabbi Akiva. 1145-1200 CONTINUED The rebels utilized successful asymmetrical warfare, operating from underground tunnel systems and ambushing Roman forces. The conflict was so severe that Hadrian deployed reinforcements from across the empire, including Britain, and the Roman army was badly mauled. The revolt ended bloodily at the stronghold of Betar. As lasting punishment for centuries of trouble and rebellion, the Romans renamed the province from Judea to Syria Palestina. Pockets of resistance continued, notably the Gallus Revolt in 351–352 AD. Guest: Professor Barry Strauss. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 Iran's Multi-Faceted Crises: Water Scarcity, Pollution, and Transnational Repression Guest: Jonathan Sayah Jonathan Sayah discussed the multi-faceted crises plaguing Iran, reflecting poor management and ecological decline, with Tehran overwhelmed by severe water scarcity as dams dry up and crippling air pollution with CO2 levels 10 times the WHO standard, while the water crisis is worsened by the regime, especially IRGC-affiliated contractors, who prioritize their support base through unregulated mega-projects, leading to rivers and lakes drying up, a deliberate deprivation of clean water that constitutes a human rights violation, as environmental disasters have driven widespread internal migration into Tehran, taxing infrastructure and leading to issues like land subsidence, with the population considered "prime for unrest," while separately, Iran continues its policy of transnational repression, highlighted by the recent foiled plot to assassinate Israel's ambassador in Mexico, as Iran targets both Israeli/American officials and relies on criminal networks to repress Iranian dissidents abroad, while consistently holding American dual citizens hostage as political leverage. 1215-1230 CONTINUED 1230-1245 Ukraine Conflict: French Arms Deal, Sabotage, and the Perilous Battle for Pokrovsk. Guest: John Hardy. John Hardy reported that Ukraine signed a letter of intent with France to obtain 100 Rafale warplanes over 10 years, along with air defense systems. While this partnership is encouraging, Hardy expressed concern that Ukraine is excessively over-diversifying its future air fleet (including F-16, Grippen, Mirage, and Rafale) which complicates long-term sustainment and maintenance. Simultaneously, alarming reports surfaced that sabotage was blamed for an explosion on a major railway line in Poland used to supply Ukraine, fitting a pattern of suspected Russian covert operations against European infrastructure. On the battlefield, fighting continues in Pokrovsk (Picro). Hardy warned that if Ukrainian forces prioritize a politically motivated hold, they risk the encirclement and destruction of troops in nearby areas. Poor weather, such as fog, plays a significant role in the conflict, as Russians often time assaults during these conditions to impede Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance and FPV drones 1245-100 AM raq Elections and Yemen's Houthi Crackdown Guest: Bridget Toomey Bridget Toomey discussed recent developments in Iraq and Yemen, noting that Iraqi parliamentary elections saw a higher-than-expected 56% voter turnout, with preliminary results suggesting Shiite parties close to Tehran performed well and might secure enough seats to form the next government, despite internal infighting and votes remaining largely sectarian, while Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani received credit for stability and his party performed strongly, though many Iraqis doubt the elections affect real change, believing critical decisions are made via elite backroom deals, and turning to Yemen, the Houthis announced the arrest of a purported Saudi-American-Israeli spy ring, a paranoid crackdown following Israel's successful targeting of Houthi government and military leaders in August, with arrests including 59 UN workers and prosecutors requesting the death sentence for 21, aiming to intimidate domestic dissent and signal resolve to Western and regional adversaries, especially in sensitive Houthi locations in Sana'a.