In today's podcast:

The National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planner, vowed on Tuesday to step up efforts to introduce a package of incremental policies, including an emphasis on scaling up macro counter-cyclical adjustments, boosting domestic consumption, and shoring up capital markets - among others - as part of efforts to steadily promote economic growth.

As the Israel-Palestine conflict has stretched on for a year, the conflict has spread further in the Middle East to countries including Lebanon, Yemen, Iran and Syria, with tens of thousands of people killed. The international community has tried to prevent the escalation of the conflict to no avail, and now worries are growing over a full-scale war in the Middle East, analysts said.

The analysis of the theory of Chinese modernization is fundamentally about caring for a country with a vast population, based on a deep synthesis of experiences and lessons learned from both successes and mistakes in the modernization efforts of other countries, said Giancarlo Elia Valori, an Italian expert on international affairs, in an interview with the Global Times.

From bustling container terminals to state-of-the-art satellite launch sites, various sectors have cultivated exceptional talent, driving Chinese modernization forward. As China makes remarkable strides in technological development, a question arises: Who is answering the call for a stronger technological nation, and why?

20 years ago, a fresh interpretation of The Peony Pavilion, a masterpiece of Chinese Kunqu Opera, a 600-year-old Chinese opera form that combines music, poetry, elaborate costumes and graceful movements, premiered in the island of Taiwan. As the production celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, the Global Times interviewed Pai Hsien-yung, the producer of the play.