World Today China Plus

Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Serbia for a state visit. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic held a welcome ceremony for the Chinese leader at the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.
In a statement issued upon his arrival, the Chinese president spoke highly of the traditional friendship between the two sides. He also said he looks forward to taking this visit as an opportunity to have in-depth exchange of views with President Vucic on the bilateral relationship and other issues of mutual interest, renew friendship, plan for cooperation and explore development.
President Xi Jinping arrived in Serbia after concluding his state visit to France. Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife held a farewell ceremony for the Chinese leader in the town of Tarbes.
So what are the highlights of President Xi Jinping's state visit to France? What can we expect from his time in Serbia? Host Liu Kun is joined by Chen Weihua, China Daily EU Bureau Chief.

① During Xi Jinping's visit to France, China and France have issued a few joint statements to strengthen cooperation and coordination in areas ranging from agriculture to AI. Why is cooperation the mainstream tone in the relations? (00:53)
② Xi Jinping and Emmanuel Macron jointly call for the “concrete implementation” of a two-state solution in the Israel-Palestine conflict. We look at the consensus between Beijing and Paris on the Gaza crisis, as well as the latest in the negotiations of a ceasefire deal. (12:52)
③ The Eurozone economy expands at fastest pace in nearly a year. (24:43)
④ China's top climate envoy has embarked on a trip to the United States for talks with his US counterpart. What could we expect? (34:59)
⑤ Chinese provinces are rolling out policies to incentivize companies to offer flexible job roles so as to make it easier for women to balance work and childcare. Does this model offer effective relief of burden for women who want to give birth to babies? (45:24)

Chinese President Xi Jinping says China and France will promote cooperation in multiple areas such as agriculture, finance, aerospace and more. He made the remarks when he jointly met the press with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris. President Xi also said he welcomes President Macron to visit China again.
Earlier the two presidents held talks, during which President Xi Jinping suggested the two countries uphold mutual benefits, jointly oppose acts of "decoupling" and disrupting industrial and supply chains, and say no together to building barriers.
So what are President Xi Jinping's messages to France during his state visit to the country? What are the key areas for the two to work with each other on moving forward? Host Liu Kun is joined by Dr. George Tzogopoulos, Director of EU-China Programmes and Senior Research Fellow at European Institute of Nice.

① Xi Jinping is in Paris for a visit to France. Are ties between China and France a good model of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems? (00:56)
② A conversation with China’s Minister of Science and Technology on China-France cooperation in his field. (16:23)
③ China saw a 7.6% surge in domestic tourism during the five-day May Day holiday. (24:53)
④ Last-minute candidate José Raúl Mulino wins Panama's presidential election. We explore the things at stake in the election? (35:27)
⑤ A study finds more than 1 million children in the US have lost a parent to a drug overdose or gun violence over the past two decades. What societal problems is it pointing to? (45:47)

The Indian population, the largest of the world today, has been going to the polls for the country's 2024 general election. The voting will span several weeks and results are expected in early June.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term. His team has rolled out an ambitious scheme named "2047 Viksit Bharat," or Developed India, which aims to elevate India into a developed nation by 2047. A group of opposition parties, led by the Indian National Congress, are challenging Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies.
What are Modi's chances of winning? How will the Indian election influence regional and global geopolitics? Host Liu Kun is joined by Dr. Rong Ying, Senior Research Fellow at China Institute of International Studies; Swaran Singh, Professor of International Relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University; Dr. Lee Pei May, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the International Islamic University Malaysia.

①US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Hamas to accept a ceasefire agreement. But are the truce talks at a standstill? (00:39)
②China expresses firm opposition to unilateral US sanctions against Chinese companies over the war in Ukraine. (13:42)
③Solomon Islands lawmakers have elected Jeremiah Manele as the new prime minister. What will be at the top of the new government’s agenda? (24:59)
④What's behind the Federal Reserve's decision to keep interest rates unchanged? (33:41)
⑤Personnel exchanges between China and France surge over 200% since the start of this year. (43:10)