World Today

Episodes

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  Panel: How could Long March spirit empower China's youth? 23.10.2026 53m

  China has commemorated the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March. From 1934 to 1936, the Red Army led by the Communist Party of China broke through Kuomintang encirclement and marched across some of China's most challenging terrain on a route that covered over 12,000 kilometers. In the present day, China's younger generation is living in a different era, yet they have their own challenges to navigate. What inspirations can China's youth draw from the epic military campaign 90 years ago? Host Ding Heng is joined by Yang Sheng, social media influencer and former Chief Reporter of the Global Times; Han Hua, Co-founder and Secretary General of Beijing Club for International Dialogue; Peter Chang, former Deputy Director of Institute of China Studies, University of Malaya.
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  How is the Long March 90 years ago relevant to China today? 22.10.2026 56m

  ①How is the Long March 90 years ago relevant to China's "new Long March" today? (00:51) ②Takeaways from Chinese Premier's visits to Central Asia and Russia (13:13) ③How can the Global Governance Initiative help address the development challenges facing the Global South? Ahead of the Global Governance Forum, we put the question to Dr. Endalkachew Sime, former State Minister at Ethiopia's Ministry of Planning and Development. (25:20) ④What drives Türkiye, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia to sign a defense agreement? (35:10) ⑤Britain's public debt surpasses £3 trillion for the first time. What does it tell us about the state of the government's finances? (44:59)
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  Uncovering EU's new Arctic strategy 21.10.2026 52m

  ①Exploring China's climate lessons for developing countries (00:42) ②One year in power: How has Sanae Takaichi's public support fallen to a record low? (13:34) ③What is driving more international tourists to China? (24:52) ④Uncovering the shifts in the EU's new Arctic strategy (34:51) ⑤Macron secures more diesel from Gulf countries. Can the deals ease pressure on his government? (43:34)
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  Chinese FM's takeaways from his Eurasia trip 20.10.2026 52m

  ①Chinese FM's four takeaways from his Eurasia trip (00:45) ②US bans Chinese AI DeepSeek from government agency IT systems. Is security concern an excuse? (14:15) ③US inflation heats up again, putting the Federal Reserve in a difficult position. How concerning is this situation? (24:44) ④Iran's president meets Russian FM amid US strikes. How far can Moscow support Tehran? (34:42) ⑤South Korea renews push to reclaim wartime operational control from the US. How difficult will it be? (43:59)
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  What is behind China's 4.6% GDP growth in the first three quarters? 19.10.2026 53m

  ①Exploring solutions to global financial challenges at major financial forums in Beijing and Shanghai (00:46) ②What is behind China's 4.6% GDP growth in the first three quarters? (11:48) ③What is the danger of rewriting Japan's wartime history? (25:04) ④Uncovering the root causes of massive protests across Europe (34:49) ⑤Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association sign free trade agreement. How does it differ from Vietnam's other trade deals? (44:50)
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  Panel: Decoding Beijing's reform to turn complaints into change 16.10.2026 54m

  Seven years into the reform on "swift response to public complaints," how has Beijing changed the way public concerns reach the government and lead to action? How does the system turn problems into a form of oversight? And what lessons can other countries learn from its experience? Host Dou Hongyu is joined by Prof. Ma Liang with the School of Government, Peking University, Mario Cavolo, Founder & CEO of M Communications Group and Senior Fellow at the Center for China & Globalization, and Einar Tangen, Senior Fellow at the Center for International Governance Innovation, a Canadian Think Tank.
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  70 years on, will Canton Fair continue to drive win-win trade? 15.10.2026 53m

  ①China's Canton Fair is marking its 70th anniversary. We explore the role of the event in the building of an open world economy. (00:57) ②The Chinese mainland has condemned a so-called "Double Ten" speech made by Taiwan's Lai Ching-te. Why is the speech deceptive and two-faced? (15:51) ③Britain has rejected the EU's demand to raise tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles as a condition for closer ties with the bloc. What is London's consideration? (24:36) ④Why did inflation in the US accelerate in September despite the Federal Reserve's recent interest rate hike? (33:59) ⑤What has made the IMF raise its global growth forecast? (43:02)
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  What's the outlook of the Healthy China Initiative? 14.10.2026 53m

  ①Meeting two African leaders in Beijing, Xi Jinping put forward several proposals for China-Africa mining cooperation and settling Africa's hotspot issues. How much do they matter for China-Africa ties? (00:54) ②Xi Jinping has called for efforts to secure decisive progress in the Healthy China Initiative over the next five years. How can China deliver higher-quality health services to its people? (15:35) ③China's consumer and producer price indexes rose at a faster pace in September. What do they tell us about the country's economic dynamics? (24:57) ④Shanghai has won the first World Intellectual Property Organization City of Innovation award, alongside Liverpool in Britain and Charleroi in Belgium. We explore the key factors that entitle Shanghai to the award. (35:17) ⑤Ethiopia's government forces have reportedly advanced to a town on the border with Eritrea. Is it possible to avert war between the two countries at this point? (44:59)
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  What's prompting China and Russia to deepen maritime and Arctic cooperation? 13.10.2026 53m

  ①China and Russia have vowed to expand maritime and Arctic cooperation. How can the two sides jointly develop Arctic shipping routes? (01:01) ②China's central bank has given its approval to Visa to make preparations for a locally registered bank card clearing organization. Why does this development matter? (15:01) ③China's semiconductor industry is witnessing surging orders, rising exports and growing demand from artificial intelligence. What's driving this momentum? (24:47) ④A new poll in Japan is pointing to growing public opposition to military intervention in a potential Taiwan Strait conflict. Will the Japanese government listen to the voices from its people? (35:44) ⑤What's behind South Korea's decision not to apply for CPTPP membership this year? (45:07)
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  What is lying ahead for China-EU trade talks? 12.10.2026 53m

  ①China has unveiled 19 key measures to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces. What do they tell us about China's vision for high-tech development? (00:56) ②China and the EU have held talks on hybrid and electric vehicle trade. What does the agreement reached during the talks mean to the two sides? (14:15) ③China's central bank says it remains committed to letting market forces play a decisive role in determining the renminbi exchange rate. We explore why China has no need to gain competitive advantages through currency devaluation. (24:55) ④Why is China justified to sanction two officials from Paraguay and Belize over their support for so-called diplomatic ties with the Taiwan region? (35:23) ⑤Yemen's Houthis have launched more strikes on Riyadh's international airport and energy facilities across Saudi Arabia. How far will the war escalate? (45:17)
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  Panel: What's actually driving the war in Yemen? 09.10.2026 53m

  Over the past month, the conflict in Yemen has dramatically escalated. Houthi forces have surged along Yemen's Red Sea coast and seized key islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, prompting the Yemeni government to launch counteroffensives. The conflict has triggered everything from renewed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia to the activation of a mutual defense pact between Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, alongside the maneuvering and compromises of major powers. Why did the fragile ceasefire collapse so completely? What must be the first step towards a peace that truly belongs to the Yemeni people? Host Ding Heng is joined by Adel Dashela, Researcher at the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies and a non-resident fellow at the Finnish Institute in the Middle East; Greg Barton, Professor of Global Islamic Politics at Deakin University; Hussein Askary, Vice-President of the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden.
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  Europe's tougher line on China ahead of talks: Pressure or pragmatism? 08.10.2026 53m

  ① The European Parliament takes a tougher line on China as the EU Trade Commissioner is set to visit Beijing. Can Europe really pressure China into making concessions? (00:48) ② A look into new tourism trends revealed during China's National Day holiday (13:28) ③ The US government proposes a $70,000 fee for international students seeking paid work experience in the country. Could it make US education less attractive? (25:12) ④ Why is growing demand for more education funding and better school conditions turning into a nationwide movement in France? (34:16) ⑤ Yemen's Houthi group launches attacks on Saudi Arabia while warning Türkiye and Pakistan not to get involved. Is this the first test for the Mecca Alliance? (43:15)
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  Three years into the Palestine-Israel conflict: What lessons for the world? 07.10.2026 53m

  ① China calls on France, Germany to uphold free trade after European countries propose new EU trade tool. How will trade defense tools backfire? (00:54) ② Three years into the Palestine-Israel conflict: What lessons for the world? (13:25) ③ How does China build a smarter, more efficient logistics network? (25:30)
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  Beyond scenery and food: Why is China's long holiday drawing foreign tourists? 06.10.2026 58m

  ① Beyond scenery and food: Why is China's long holiday drawing foreign tourists? (00:47) ② Pakistan and Türkiye agree to deploy forces in Saudi Arabia amid Yemeni threats. Can the Mecca Alliance deter Houthi attacks? (17:00) ③ China's urban underground pipeline network: Building smarter, safer cities (30:23)
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  Is G20 still able to manage economic disagreements? 05.10.2026 54m

  ① G20 members put forward different views on multiple trade issues set by the US presidency. Is G20 still able to manage economic disagreements? (00:49) ② US President Donald Trump names National Intelligence Chief Jay Clayton as the new AI czar. What does this tell us about how the US views AI? (14:29) ③ China's six networks strategy：What does China's next-generation telecom network mean for the future of connectivity? (25:30)
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  South Korea's US investment plan: Is there a deal? 02.10.2026 53m

  ①Washington is calling on its European allies to release strategic diesel reserves to help the US address soaring diesel prices. How could Europe respond? (00:42) ②US President Donald Trump has announced a major South Korean investment package, but it has prompted Seoul to clarify that the deal is far from finalized. Will South Korea fulfill its investment commitment for the US? (11:36) ③China's Six Networks strategy: China is stepping up efforts to build a "new power grid". Its plans call for stronger electricity links between regions and upgrades to local networks. What could this investment mean for electricity bills, business decisions and the economic prospects of smaller cities? (25:00)
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  2.1 billion trips, one holiday: a closer look at China's Golden Week economy 01.10.2026 53m

  ①2.1 billion trips, one holiday: a closer look at China's Golden Week economy. (00:37) ②China's central bank rolls out targeted financial support: What does it mean for the economy? (13:33) ③China's Six Networks strategy: China is building a major network of water infrastructure, from cross-regional water supply to flood control and inland waterways. What will China's water network change and why does it matter? (26:13)
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  How could a Section 301-style trade tool against China backfire for EU? 30.09.2026 53m

  ①China has warned the EU against pursuing a reported Section 301-style trade tool targeting China. Is a China-EU trade war still preventable? (00:53) ②How provocative is a new Philippine maritime chart covering islands and reefs in China's Nansha Qundao? (15:36) ③China's Ministry of Science and Technology says the country has become one of the world's fastest-rising innovators. What's the secret behind China's advance? (24:33) ④The US has officially ended its military mission in Iraq. What could be its implication for the Middle East? (35:34) ⑤OpenAI has apologized for the hacking of an Australian government website by a rogue AI agent. What lessons can we learn from this incident? (44:39)
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  What is behind Netanyahu's secret UAE visit? 29.09.2026 53m

  ①Meeting president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade, China's Wang Yi urged Japan to correct the erroneous words and deeds of its leaders on the Taiwan question. We explore why Japan needs to improve its relationship with China from its current low. (00:52) ②Why has the profit growth of China's high-tech manufacturing enterprises far outpaced its overall industrial profit rise so far this year? (15:45) ③EU foreign and defense ministers have met in Brussels to discuss military support for Ukraine and wider security issues. Why has the meeting failed to see major breakthroughs or agreements? (24:55) ④Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu has made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates. What's at stake for the two sides? (34:08) ⑤The US has finalized sharply lower vehicle fuel economy standards. What could be its short-term effects and long-term impacts? (41:59)
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  Why do Swiss voters reject a push for stricter neutrality? 28.09.2026 52m

  ① The Global Development Initiative is marking its 5th anniversary. What has it delivered to the world since its launch? (00:53) ② China and the US have reached positive consensus on multiple economic and trade issues during their latest round of consultations. How much space does it create to stabilize their trade ties? (12:42) ③ The Chinese Embassy in Manila has hit out at Gilberto Teodoro Jr. after the Philippine Defense Secretary attacked China at a forum. Is Teodoro trying to foster a culture of Sinophobia in the Philippines? (24:01) ④ Why have Swiss voters rejected a proposal to tighten neutrality rules? (31:47) ⑤ China has seen strong travel demand during its Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. We explore a broader shift taking shape in the country’s consumer economy. (41:31)