In this episode of Beyond the Finish Line, we look at a surprising headline from Beijing E-Town: a humanoid robot outran the human half-marathon world record by nearly seven minutes. But beyond the speed spectacle, a more meaningful question emerges: what does a running robot have to do with ordinary life?
China will send two giant pandas to Zoo Atlanta in the United States under a new 10-year conservation agreement, the China Wildlife Conservation Association announced Friday, renewing a partnership that produced seven cubs over a quarter-century. 中國野生動物保護協會週五宣布，根據一份全新的十年期保護合作協議，中國將向美國亞特蘭大動物園出借兩只大熊貓，延續雙方長達 25 年、共育七只熊貓幼崽的合作關系。 A male named Ping Ping and a female named Fu Shuang, both born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, will make the journey to Atlanta under an agreement the zoo and the association reached last year, the association disclosed in a news release. 該協會在新聞稿中透露，一只名為平平的雄性大熊貓和一只名為福雙的雌性大熊貓均出生於成都大熊貓繁育研究基地，依據該動物園與協會去年達成的協議，兩只大熊貓將啟程前往亞特蘭大。 The agreement will begin a new 10-year conservation partnership between the two sides, marking the continuation of cooperation on panda conservation between Ch...
A familiar refrain has returned to international debate: China is "causing" global economic imbalances. It is an easy argument, but not a convincing one. Earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund released a dedicated policy paper titled Understanding Global Imbalances, and held focused discussions on the widening of global imbalances and the underlying causes. 國際輿論場上又響起了那個熟悉的論調：中國正在"導致"全球經濟失衡。這種說法信手拈來，卻經不起推敲。本月早些時候，國際貨幣基金組織（IMF）發布了題為《理解全球失衡》的專題政策報告，圍繞全球失衡加劇及其深層成因展開了重點討論。 That timing matters. The IMF analysis shows that the world economy has become more imbalanced, and that the reason cannot be attributed to one country exporting too much. Recent data released by China's General Administration of Customs reinforce this point. 這個時間節點值得關注。IMF的分析表明，世界經濟確實更趨失衡，但其根源並不能簡單歸咎於某個國家的過度出口。中國海關總署近日發布的最新數據也印證了這一...
Further opening-up seen key to driving high-quality growth of fast-rising sector 進一步開放是推動這一快速增長行業高質量發展的關鍵所在。 China will intensify efforts to upgrade its fast-growing services sector, aiming to foster an open, competitive and high-quality ecosystem that benefits both Chinese consumers and global providers, experts and executives said. 多位專家和企業高管均表示，中國將加大力度推動快速發展的服務業提質升級，旨在打造一個開放、競爭、高質量的生態系統，使中國消費者和全球服務提供者共同受益。 To achieve this vision, the State Council — China's Cabinet — unveiled on Tuesday plans designed to steer producer services toward "greater specialization and higher positions in the value chain", while making consumer services "more quality-oriented, diversified and convenient". 為實現這一願景，國務院於週二發布了一份政策文件，旨在引導生產性服務業向“專業化和高端價值鏈延伸”，同時推動生活性服務業“向高品質、多樣化、便利化發展”。 China's services sector has grown steadily over...
Regardless of whether it is via digital screens or printed pages, the act of reading remains a timeless and universal pursuit that has the ability to expand horizons, deepen understanding of the world, and foster empathy and compassion. 無論是通過數字屏幕還是紙質書頁，閱讀這一行為始終是一項永恒而普遍的追求，它能夠開闊視野、加深對世界的理解，並培養同理心與同情心。 In China, the government promotes reading as a means to build a more educated, innovative and morally cultivated society. To facilitate the act of reading, a government regulation on promoting nationwide reading, which took effect in February, sets out measures to improve reading facilities and services, reinforcing mechanisms to support reading initiatives. 在中國，政府倡導閱讀，並將閱讀作為建設一個更具文化素養、創新精神和道德修養的社會的手段。為促進全民閱讀，一項旨在推動全民閱讀的政府法規於今年2月生效。該法規提出了改善閱讀設施與服務的措施，並強化了支持閱讀活動的機制。 The designation of the fourth week of April as Nat...
Chinese streaming platform iQIYI's newly announced artificial intelligence performer database plan, under which actors can authorize the creation of digital doubles for future film and television production, has sparked broad online debate in China over whether actors could one day be replaced by AI. 愛奇藝近期公布的“AI藝人庫”計劃引發輿論熱議。根據該計劃，演員可授權制作數字分身用於未來影視拍攝，此舉引發關於“AI是否會取代真人演員”的廣泛討論。 Experts said AI-generated content, or AIGC, may be suitable only for certain genres, such as science fiction and historical dramas, and that human actors, with their own life experience and understanding of characters, are unlikely to be fully replaced. 專家指出，AI生成內容可能僅適用於科幻、歷史等特定題材，而真人演員憑借自身生活閱歷與角色理解力，短期內難以被完全替代。 On Monday, iQIYI CEO Gong Yu unveiled the AI performer database, called Nadou Pro, at a launch event, and said more than 100 performers had agreed to join, including well-known ...
A sharp acceleration in infrastructure spending has emerged as a key pillar of China's investment stabilization drive, offsetting a persistent decline in the property sector and helping overall investment return to positive growth in the first quarter, officials and economists said. 隨著基礎設施建設支出顯著提速，我國穩投資格局初顯成效。在房地產開發投資持續探底的背景下，基建領域的強勁增長有效對衝了行業下行壓力，帶動一季度整體固定資產投資重回正增長區間。 The rebound came after authorities vowed late last year to halt the investment downturn, following a 3.8 percent contraction in fixed-asset investment in 2025. 此番回暖發生在此前投資增速持續承壓之后。數據顯示，2025年全年固定資產投資曾收縮3.8%，有關部門於去年底明確釋放了遏制投資下滑的政策信號。 According to the National Bureau of Statistics, fixed-asset investment reached 10.27 trillion yuan ($1.51 trillion) in the first quarter, up 1.7 percent year-on-year. Beneath the headline figure, however, lies a sharp divergence. Infrastructure ...
At 5 am on April 3, 22-year-old Zhao Rongyan set out with a group of students along a road leading to the Renshanhe Martyrs Cemetery. 4月3日淩晨5點，22歲的趙榮彥與學生一起出發，沿著一條通往任山河烈士陵園的道路前行。 Back in 2016, she had stood in a similar line as a middle school student, embarking on the same long journey to honor fallen heroes. A decade later, she returned — not as a participant, but as a teacher at Guyuan No 2 Middle School — this time guiding her own students along the familiar path. 早在2016年，她還是一名中學生時，就曾站在類似的隊伍中，踏上同樣的漫長旅程向英烈致敬。十年后，她再次歸來，不再是參與者，而是固原市第二中學的一名教師，這一次，她帶領著自己的學生沿著這條熟悉的路前行。 "I see this as a form of cultural inheritance, a way of passing on values," Zhao said."I've taken the baton once handed to me and now pass it on to my students." 趙榮彥說：“我認為這是一種文化傳承，一種價值觀傳遞的方式。”“我接過了曾經遞給我的接力棒，現在把它傳遞給我的學生。” Her exper...
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will extend the ceasefire with Iran as the current two-week truce is set to expire on Wednesday night. 美國總統特朗普21日表示將延長對伊朗停火協議，原定為期兩週的停火將於“華盛頓時間22日晚”到期。 "Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal," Trump wrote on Truth Social. 特朗普在"真實社交"平臺發文稱："鑒於伊朗政府目前處於嚴重分裂狀態（這並不令人意外），且應巴基斯坦陸軍參謀長阿西姆·穆尼爾元帥與總理夏巴茲·謝里夫的請求，我們已同意暫緩對伊朗發動軍事打擊，直至該國領導人及代表能提出統一方案。" The US president said he will "extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other." 特朗普表示...
Mideast: China willing to deepen Sino-Saudi ties 中東局勢：中國願深化中沙關系 President Xi Jinping called on Monday for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and a cessation of hostilities in the Middle East and the Gulf region, highlighting that normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz should be maintained. 2026年4月20日下午，國家主席習近平應約同沙特阿拉伯王儲兼首相穆罕默德通電話時強調，中東和海灣地區應立即實現全面停火止戰，並應保持霍爾木茲海峽的正常通行。 Xi made the remarks during a telephone conversation with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud upon the latter's request. Both leaders exchanged views on bilateral ties and the current situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region. 雙方就雙邊關系及中東、海灣地區當前局勢交換了意見。 On the Middle East situation, Xi emphasized that China advocates an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, supports all efforts conducive to restoring peace, and insists on res...