World Today China Plus

① Meeting Olaf Scholz in Beijing, Xi Jinping called for developing China-Germany bilateral ties in an all-round way from a long-term, strategic perspective. We take a look at Xi’s main messages to Germany. (00:51)
② China’s economy showed good performance in the first quarter of 2024, growing by 5.3% year on year. We delve into what drove the growth. (13:19)
③ China’s foreign minister has held phone calls with his Iranian and Saudi counterparts in efforts to help reduce tensions in the Middle East. We explore China’s position on Iran-Israel tensions. (25:01)
④ Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he will step down on May 15th. What’s Lee’s legacy? And what can we expect of his successor Lawrence Wong? (34:58)
⑤ We take a look at a historic criminal trial in the US that for the first time involves a former president of the country. (45:46)

① What’s at stake in German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s China visit? We are joined by Professor Hans-peter Burghof with University of Hohenheim in Germany and Professor Cui Hongjian from Beijing Foreign Studies University. (00:49)
② UN chief calls for restraint after Iran's attacks on Israel. To what extent has the attack intensified concerns that the Middle East is being pushed into a full-blown conflict? (25:19)
③ China issues new national-level guidelines aimed at addressing stock-market volatility. (36:07)
④ We look at a France-UK dispute over fishing rights in the post-Brexit era. (45:48)

U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. held a joint meeting at the White House on Thursday. Pointing fingers at China, a joint statement by the three leaders said they aim to advance the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. The Chinese Foreign Ministry responded by saying U.S. accusations on China's position in the South China Sea are baseless, calling them attacks that merely malign China.
How will the summit impact security in Asia? Host Liu Kun is joined by Dr. Zhao Hai, Director of International Political Studies at the National Institute for Global Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Dr. Clifford Kiracofe, Washington-based author and former Senior Professional Staff Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; Dr.Alan Chong, Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

①General Secretary Xi Jinping of the Communist Party of China Central Committee meets with Ma Ying-jeou in Beijing. (00:42)
②US and Japan announce new military agreements. Is Japan shifting away from its pacifist stance? (14:39)
③South Korean prime minister offers to resign after election defeat. What factors have contributed to the ruling party’s defeat? (24:28)
④China’s March CPI up 0.1%, PPI down 2.8% (34:05)
⑤JD.com bolsters video content creation with 1 billion yuan investment. (42:30)

①Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for more cooperation with the Federated States of Micronesia. How will the collaboration benefit both sides? (00:43)
②China says it's regrettable to see Fitch Rates downgrade the country's sovereign credit rating outlook. (13:26)
③EU launches probe into Chinese wind turbine companies. (24:35)
④US adds 303,000 jobs in March as unemployment rate dips. (34:18)
⑤UK employees now have the right to request flexible work from day 1. What changes will it bring to the workplace? (44:12)

①Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. (00:43)
②The US, UK and Australia are considering working with Japan through the AUKUS security pact. Does the AUKUS have the potential to become a NATO-like alliance? (11:44)
③The leaders of Japan and the Philippines will go to Washington this week for a trilateral summit to boost defense ties. What brings them together? (24:36)
④Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the country has set a date for an assault on Rafah. (33:37)
⑤China rejects accusations of "overcapacity" in EV industry. (41:20)