Qingming Festival holiday sees increased traveling, spending

China's transport authorities have estimated more than 840 million passenger trips during the Qingming Festival holiday - a 6% increase - as people traveled to honor ancestors or enjoy the spring, boosting consumer spending (01:09). Iran says it will retaliate after U.S. President Donald Trump set a Tuesday deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on Iranian infrastructure (10:13). And Chinese authorities have issued guidelines to encourage AI-powered e-commerce (36:51).

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has discussed the Middle East situation in separate phone calls with top diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Germany and the EU, urging a halt to hostilities and the protection of civilian targets (01:11). Many in China are going on vacation looking for new experiences during the Qingming Festival holiday this weekend (12:45). And Russia is preparing to send a second oil tanker to Cuba after a vessel delivered the first shipment to the island in months (22:46).

President Donald Trump says the U.S. is achieving its goals in the Iran conflict, though analysts dispute his claims (01:04). European leaders have pushed back against Washington's threats to quit NATO, reaffirming support for the alliance while staying neutral on Iran (11:40). Chinese EVs are in the spotlight at the Bangkok International Motor Show, as rising fuel costs reshape consumer choices (41:30).

China and Pakistan put forward five proposals on restoring Middle East peace and stability, as their foreign ministers met in Beijing and urged ensuring the safety of non-military targets and navigation, and supporting the primacy of the United Nations Charter (01:04). Xiongan is reporting new progress including a national climate observatory, marking nine years since China announced the plan to establish Xiongan New Area (13:35). And Japan has drawn domestic opposition over the deployment of missiles with counterstrike capabilities, which signals a major shift away from the post-war defense-only policy (22:41).

Iran's parliament has passed legislation to impose tolls on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz as Tehran aims to tighten sovereign authority over the crucial waterway (01:30). A Russian tanker is delivering this year's first oil shipment to Cuba, although Washington says its embargo on the island remains changed (23:20). And China's factory activity returns to expansion in March with the manufacturing PMI climbing to 50.4, marking the fastest growth in a year (36:54).

The Communist Party of China Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping have invited Chinese Kuomintang party chairperson Cheng Li-wun to visit the Chinese mainland in April (01:04). Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps has confirmed the death of Navy commander Alireza Tangsiri (13:32). The 6th China International Consumer Products Expo will take place from April 13th to 18th in south China's Hainan Province (36:51).

China's Hainan Free Trade Port marks 100 days of special customs operations alongside the close of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026, with gains in trade, tariffs, and efficiency (01:16). Tehran has sent its response to a U.S. proposal to end the conflict, as Washington extends a strike pause but weighs more troop deployments (11:09). The Chinese vice president has met South Africa's president, highlighting China's upcoming zero-tariff measures for African countries as both sides pledged deeper cooperation (36:37).

China's top legislator has called for resolving conflicts through dialogue and respecting diversity while addressing the plenary of the Boao Forum for Asia's annual conference in Hainan (01:07). Iran has denied holding any direct talks with the U.S., while Washington insists Tehran is seeking a deal amid rising tensions (13:28). The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade a crime against humanity and calling for reparatory justice (21:38).

Trade tensions have once again emerged as a key topic at this year's Boao Forum for Asia annual conference (01:07). Beijing says it will double down on playing a constructive role in promoting peace and an end to hostilities in the Middle East (11:42). China marks a decade since the approval of a key document which maps out the blueprint for developing the areas along the Yangtze River, the country's largest waterway (18:44).

The Chinese president has called on Xiongan New Area to create a market-oriented and law-based business environment that is up to international standards (01:04). The Boao Forum for Asia has opened its annual conference in southern China, highlighting Asia's resilient economy and its continued role as the world's leading growth engine (11:16). Beijing has expressed strong protest after an intruder broke into its embassy in Tokyo (33:07).