The Point with Liu Xin

Today, more than 180 countries, including the United States, officially recognize that there is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. As the international situation evolves, China-U.S. relations have experienced dramatic changes. But Taiwan stands at the heart of the matter. What's really behind the U.S. meddling in the Taiwan question?

In ancient Greece, a temple was built to pay tribute to the nine divine muses of art and science. Today we call such houses museums. As we mark the 48th International Museum Day, how can we make museums friendlier to the general public than they are now? While new technologies are transforming our lives, how can museums participate in the change? What more can museums do to bring peace to this turbulent and divided world?

A Filipino civilian convoy that calls itself Atin Ito, meaning "This is ours" in Tagalog, claims to have breached China's so-called “blockade” around the Huangyan Island in the South China Sea. The flotilla is said to have reached the shoal and resupplied Filipino fishermen operating there. But media reports suggest they stopped 50 nautical miles from Huangyan before returning. The Philippine Coast Guard and Navy watched the mission. What is it that the mission aimed to accomplish? Are the fishermen being exploited? Are there other forces behind this sudden assertiveness?

A blockade in the South China Sea? That's what the darling of the Filipino media Ray Powell says in a tweet about what China will do in Huangyan Island in the coming days. He is a former U.S. air force serviceman who now heads the Sealight Maritime Transparency Project, an organization that overtly counters China. He warned that China will blockade Filipino vessels carrying activists, foreign observers, journalists, and fishing crew to what is known in English as Scarborogh Shoal, a disputed area. What exactly is Ray Powell up to? Who's behind him?

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to wrap up his five-day visit to France, Serbia, and Hungary, on his first official tour to Europe in five years. The three countries rolled out the red carpet to welcome their Chinese guests, stirring a China fervor among the local people and heated discussions in the media. While new opportunities are set to open up in Beijing's collaboration with these countries, skepticism lingers over EU policies on how to approach the bloc's second largest trading partner. To what extent has this trip brought clarity to the issue?

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in France, the first stop of his three-nation European tour. The trip will also take him to Serbia and Hungary, two important partners of China in Central and Eastern Europe. The visit came on the heels of a major speech by French President Emmanuel Macron on the risks facing Europe. It also coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France and the 75th anniversary of China-Hungary diplomatic ties. Why these three countries? What are the risks or "mischief" that Europe should worry about? And where does China fit in?

At the Beijing auto show 2024, 278 NEV models were on display, with Chinese car makers stealing the show and foreign carmakers feeling the pinch. German, Japanese and South Korean giants are teaming up with their Chinese partners to "catch up with Chinese carmakers." How advanced is China's NEV industry? Will these partnerships with Chinese players all become grist for the mill for foreign automakers? With more trade barriers on Chinese NEVs looming, is the West shooting itself in the foot?

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz just wrapped up his 3-day visit to China. With a packed schedule, the Chancellor's delegation was nothing short of impressive with ministers of environment, agriculture and transport, and also executives from big firms including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Siemens. The trip came as Brussels announced earlier this month an inquiry into Chinese-made wind turbines on top of another investigation into Chinese made new energy vehicles since last Oct. Is Scholz trying to have his cake and eat it too, promoting German businesses in China while staying in sync with Brussels? If so, how will that work? Was this visit to China a disappointment like some are saying? Or was it the latest example of respect-based dialogues between the two economies?

This year marks the 40th anniversary of financial dialogue and cooperation between China and Germany. Over the years, 300 projects across China with some 10 billion euros of investment from Germany have been jointly implemented. As German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is visiting China, how can the two sides keep building the trust and strengthen cooperation to address new challenges facing the world today?

The United States, the UK and France came out to point fingers at China after a few recent run-ins between Chinese and Filipino vessels near the Ren'ai Jiao. But can they really defend their argument? What have their governments been saying about the subject in secret vs. in public since the beginning of the 20th century? One scholar decided to find out and spent years digging through piles of archives in the three countries. What he found really surprised him. He later put his findings in a book called The History and Sovereignty of South China Sea. What more do we know about this book?

What flows in the veins of the world's oldest continuous civilization? Today we're in the picturesque Mount Wuyi, where a 12th century scholar Zhu Xi spent 50 years and developed Neo-Confucianism. He also became known as a sage, second only to Confucius himself. His ideas have not only been absorbed by the Chinese but have also travelled to other parts of Asia. With China emphasizing a Chinese approach to modernization, it's necessary to find out more about this ancient figure and his ideas. Who is Zhu Xi and how have his ideas helped to shape the Chinese?

What flows in the veins of the world's oldest continuous civilization? Today we're in the picturesque Mount Wuyi, where a 12th century scholar Zhu Xi spent 50 years and developed Neo-Confucianism. He also became known as a sage, second only to Confucius himself. His ideas have not only been absorbed by the Chinese but have also travelled to other parts of Asia. With China emphasizing a Chinese approach to modernization, it's necessary to find out more about this ancient figure and his ideas. Who is Zhu Xi and how have his ideas helped to shape the Chinese?

Once again, some uninhabited reef in the South China Sea has come under the spotlight in the press. China is blamed for "bullying its small neighbor, encroaching on international freedom of navigation, and being unrestrained". The reef called Ren'ai Jiao is at the center of the dispute. The waters around the reef have become choppier over the past month, when skirmishes erupted frequently in its vicinities. Who is making waves in the South China Sea? What are facts and what are fallacies? Who is the agent provocateur?

From the end of March to the beginning of April, China will have received 5 successive state leaders from Global South countries, including Dominica, Nauru, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Kazakhstan. Dignitaries are warmly received by top Chinese leaders including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, and agreements have been reached to further deepen ties. What do these visits have in common and what do they mean for the wider international community?

When we talk about China, we often mention Chinese characteristics. What exactly does this term mean? What make up the Chinese characteristics? We have two international scholars join us today to share their thoughts on the concept.

China operates a democratic system that covers a population of more than 1.4 billion from 56 ethnic groups. What are the challenges? And steeped in a continuous civilization spanning thousands of years, how does Chinese culture influence its modern political system?

"You can't eat democracy," Zambia's President Hichilema put it bluntly last year. It is a stark reminder that governance isn't just about abstract ideals; it's also about putting food on the table. An international survey on democracy conducted in 30 countries found that people in developed countries have lower levels of trust in their politicians and don't believe they work in the best interests of the people: That's 29% in the U.S., 20% in the UK, 12% in Japan. But the numbers are much higher in developing countries. China, for instance, leads by a whopping 76%. This is a clear slap in the face for Western politicians who speak of democracy incessantly. We delve into how China's democracy is able to win that high-level of trust.

As the Chinese society has turned nearly cashless, newcomers may find it hard to enjoy their stay to the full, had they not prepared to adapt to the new digital scenario. To solve this problem, China has taken a series of measures including boosting the acceptance of overseas bank cards in venues where foreign visitors frequent. On March 14th, the People's Bank of China published a bilingual step-by-step guide to payment services in China. How effective have these measures been in facilitating payments for inbound travelers? What further improvements can be made?

Hong Kong is set to pass its own national security law, finally fulfilling the region's constitutional duty. Nearly 27 years after the handover, the outstanding loopholes in this regard are to be plugged with a bill called Safeguarding National Security. After a month-long public consultation period, the bill, as stipulated in Article 23 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was introduced in the legislative council on March 8th, with majority support. It has not been passed yet, but it has come a long way. Now, on the heels of the bloody unrest that rocked the city in 2019 and 2020, the central government in Beijing enacted a National Security Law, or NSL, for the region in June of 2020. Why does the region introduce its own bill? What are the new offences that have been outlawed? And why are Western governments and mainstream media making so much noise about the bill, as they did nearly 4 years ago when the NSL was about to be introduced?

Global trade was expected to have shrunk by nearly 5% in 2023, according to a UN estimate last December. The UN report shows geopolitics as having greater impact on global trade patterns. The most vivid example is "friend-shoring," that is trading with politically aligned partners. Meanwhile, China will strengthen its major trading partner status with over 140 countries, with new energy vehicles, solar panels and lithium battery exports growing rapidly. How will these contradictory dynamics affect all of us? How can global governance on trade catch up with the ever evolving challenges?