新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2013/09/27

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition
 

RH with you on this Friday , September 27th, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Security Council passs draft resolution on Syria's chemical weapons stocks
Iran begins talks with the P5 +1 on its disputed nuclear programme on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
China vows to cement a bilateral partnership with Laos
Business
US Republicans demand healthcare law delay for debt rise
Sports
In Tennis Petra Kvitova eases into the quarter-finals at the Toray Pan Pacific Open
Entertainments
Singing legend David Bowie becomes the new face of Louis Vitton
Plus
In special reports London’s Christie's has held its first-ever stand-alone auction on the Chinese mainland, we take a further look.
First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be sunny today, with a high of 26 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be cloudy tonight with a low of 14.
In Shanghai, it will be cloudy today, 26 the high, and it will be overcast tonight, the low of 21 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will be cloudy in the daytime the temperature's at 22, and tonight will be cloudy with a low of 7 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 34.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 31.
And in North America
New York, overcast, with a high of 21 degrees.
Washington, overcast, highs of 24
Houston, sunny, 33.
Honolulu, moderate rain, 31.
Toronto, sunny, 19
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, overcast, 18.
And Rio de Janeiro will be overcast with highs of 24 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
Security Council passed draft resolution on Syria's chemical weapons stocks
 
The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council have reached an agreement on a resolution to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.
Britain is set to introduce the text to the 10 other members of the Security Council at a meeting Thursday night.
The U.S and Russia have been at odds on how to enforce the resolution, but Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power confirmed the last hurdles to the agreement had been overcome.
The agreement comes a day after Russia's deputy foreign minister agreed that the resolution would include a reference to Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter.
Chapter 7 allows for military and non-military sanctions if a Security Council resolution is violated.
In Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov offered to provide troops to guard facilities where Syria's chemical weapons would be destroyed.
 
 
Top UN officials urge greater efforts towards nuclear disarmament
 
Anchor
The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is calling on all countries to take renewed steps to rid the world of nuclear power.
The top UN official made the remarks during the first-ever High-Level Meeting of the United Nations Gerneral Assembly on Nuclear Disarment.
CRI's Marc Cavigli has more.
Reporter
In his opening speech, Ban Ki-moon said the world would be much safer and more prosperous without nuclear arms.
"Some might complain that nuclear disarmament is little more than a dream. But that ignores the very tangible benefits disarmament would bring for all humankind. Its success would strengthen international peace and security. It would free up vast and much-needed resources for social and economic development."
The UN chief appealed to nuclear-weapon states, in particular, to intensify their efforts to cooperate with the international community and move towards disarmament.
"Today, I once again call upon the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to demonstrate its commitment towards verifiable denuclearization. I urge the Islamic Republic of Iran to fulfil its pledge to enhance the transparency of its nuclear programme. I urge those countries outside the NPT regime to accede to it without delay and without conditions."
Also at the meeting, the new Iranian president Hassan Rouhani made his call on Israel to join an international treaty banning the spread of nuclear weapons.
"Almost four decades of international effort to establish a nuclear weapon free zone in the Middle East has regrettably failed. Urgent practical steps towards the establishment of such a zone are necessary. Israel, the only non-party to the non-proliferation treaty in this region should join it too, without any further delay."
Israel is the only Mideast nation that has not signed the landmark 1979 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Iran has insisted that the country's nuclear use is peaceful.
For CRI, I am Marc Cavigli
 
 
Iran and P5+1 talks start
 
Meanwhile Iran has started talks with six world powers on its disputed nuclear programme on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The meeting marks the highest-level direct contact between the US and Iran in six years.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who hosted the meeting said talks between Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany were "substantial."
Ashton added that a new round of talks between Iran and the six world powers are expected in October in Geneva.
 
 
Palestinian president take his plea of statehood again to the UNGA
 
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has again taken his plea for Palestine independence to world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly.
Abbas told the assembley that the current peace talks could be a last chance to resolve the 65-year-old conflict between Palestine and Israel.
"The hour of freedom for the Palestinian people has rung. The hour of the independence of Palestine has rung. The hour of peace for two peoples, the Israeli and Palestinian people has rung."
In his address, Abass also urged the international community to condemn Israel's continued settlement construction in occupied Palestinian land.
Israel's settlement construction was the main reason for the peace talks between the two sides to break down three years ago.
A new round of talks was brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry only resumed on July 29.
According to Kerry, the two sides recently agreed to intensify their discussions and increase the U.S role in the talks.
US President Barack Obama, as well as Kerry, are due to meet Israell Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next week in Washington, as they try to keep up the momentum in the negotiations.
 
 
China vows to cement bilateral partnership with Laos
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to cement an all-around strategic partnership with Laos.
The president made the remarks during talks with his Lao counterpart Choummaly Sayg/nasone here in Beijing.
Xi Jingping says China and Laos are friendly neighbors and constitute a community that share the same destiny as well as extensive common interests.
"China is willing to see close high-level interactions. I believe the visit of secretary general Choummaly's visit is of great significance. It will definitely further promote mutual political trust as well as bilateral cooperation, and enrich and further develop the all-around strategic partnership between China and Laos."
For his part, Chou/mmaly also spoke highly of the bilateral relationship and agreed to elevate the partnership.
"I am very glad to pay an official state visit to China. Our party, government and people regard China as a close and reliable friend."
Following talks, the two leaders also witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation deals.
Choummaly's visit in China will last till next Monday.
 
 
Euro-Asia 2013 opens in Xi'an
 
Anchor:
This year's Euro-Asia Economic Forum has opened in the city of Xi'an, with 75 countries taking part.
The 3-day forum will include sessions on finance, energy and the environment in an effort to try to better promote regional cooperation.
CRI's Lucy Du has more.
Reporter
Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang has delivered an opening speech.
He says European and Asian countries have a lot of opportunities to tighten their ties.
"We should deepen our cooperation on e-commerce, logistics and customs to facilitate trade and communication, agree on convenient road transport plans among countries to drive regional economic cooperation, strengthen our collaborations on finance and trade and minimize trade barriers. Our cooperation will enable us to take full advantages of regional strengths as well as to complement one another."
This year's forum is themed "from collaboration to mutual booming".
Aside from trying to facilitate communication, the forum is also designed to try to implement a number of projects proposed at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit earlier this month.
Muratbek Imanaliyev from Russia is the secretary-general of Shanghai Cooperation Organizaiton.
"Trade and investment cooperation inside the framework of SCO include enlarging projects on transport and communications, infrastructure construction and establishing logistic, trade and tourism centers. Our focuses on innovation and energy efficiency also attract regional partners and powers."
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who is attending the event, says he stands behind this month's regional economic proposal made by Chinese president Xi Jinping at the SCO summit in Kazakhstan.
"We endorse Presidnt Xi Jinping's proposal for the development of a Silk Road Economic Belt. The renewal and promotion of the silk road including Afghanistan as a part will not unleash and present opportunities for regional cooperation and integration but also will contribute to the global economic growth and security."
The Silk Road Economic Belt is an allusion to what was known as the Silk Road in antiquity.
The Silk Road was a group of routes ancient European and Chinese traders followed through Central Asia to establish trade links.
The then Chinese capital of Chang'an, which is now modern-day Xi'an, was the terminus for the Silk Road.
The concept of the "new" Silk Road is not only meant to foster trade.
It's also meant to help develop regional cooperation in areas such as transportation, energy and tourism.
For CRI, I am Lucy Du.
 
 
China urges Japan to face up to history: FM spokesman
 
The Chinese government has issued a new call for Japan's leaders to face up to history and win the trust of the international community with concrete action.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei.
"Japan has been trying to deny or glorify its history of aggression, and has been condemned by its Asian neighbors and the international community. Japanese leaders should treat the concern seriously."
The comments came in as a response to a speech by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday in the United States.
Abe says Japan's increase in defense spending has not been as big as that of "an immediate neighbor."
This is being viewed as an apparent reference to China.
 
 
China, India to hold border talks in Beijing
 
China and India are scheduled to hold a two-day meeting in Beijing starting to discuss border issues.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei says the fourth meeting of its kind will focus on cooperation between the border control departments of the two countries.
"The border region has been, on the whole, peaceful and stable at present. The border troops of the two countries have been meeting regularly and the two sides have maintained close communication and coordination on border issues."
The meeting is also due to touch upon specific measures on safeguarding peace and stability of the border region.
China and India share a border of some 2-thousand kilometers along the Tibetan plateau.
The border has not been formally delineated yet.
The two sides signed an agreement in New Delhi in January of last year to formally launch a working mechanism on this issue.
 
 
China offers earthquake assistance to Pakistan
 
The Chinese government says it's going to provide aid to Pakistan following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake which rattled the country this week.
The aid will include money and supplies worth about 2-million US dollars.
Meanwhile, Chinese Defence Ministry says the Chinese armed forces will spare no efforts to carry out the assistance work as ordered by the Chinese government.
The earthquake on Tuesday has officially left 355 dead.
 
 
Analyst says shopping mall attack affects Kenyan economy
 
Anchor
Life is returning to normal after a deadly attack at an upscale shopping mall in Nairobi.
However, analysts warn that such attacks are hurting the country's economy, the biggest in East Africa.
Report
Public transport have returned to normal near the Westgate shopping mall, which went through deadly attack on Saturday
Across the road from the mall are some antique shops which are normally busy with tourists buying African handicrafts.
However business here has not been good since the attack that killed more than 60 civilians.
"There are no customers yet, we are idling around I didn't get money since the morning of the attack, it has affected us."
"No business at all we just open and then we close we have been affected."
It may not only be these small traders who are feeling the negative effects of the attack.
Aly-Khan Satchu, a prominent economic Analyst in Kenya says the attack will also have a big impact on foreign investment, a leading economy in East Africa.
"For foreign investors, as long as this is a one-time event, this is one of the risks of investing deep at the frontier; but if it represents a new and more uncertain normal, it will be problematic for all our market including the shilling and the stock market as well."
Following Saturday's attack, the East African country has suffered another violent and deadly attack.
This time gunmen stormed a local police station in a town in northern border area among Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia
Two local police officers died during the incident.
This attack followed a grenade attack in another Kenyan town just hours earlier, which left one person dead and 4 others hurt.
This community is also close to the border of southern Somalia, which is the stronghold of the al-Shabaab militant group.
Some analysts say Kenya will now need to spend more on security to put investors at ease and to minimize the negative impact on its economic development.
For CRI, Iam Hu jia.
 
 
29 people killed in Sudan's protests as rioters call for the ouster of president Bashir
 
As many as 29 people have been killed during anti-government protests over fuel subsidies in Sudan.
The victims, including both civilians and policemen come after three days of violent protests in the capital city Khartoum and Wad Medani, a city just south of Khartoum.
The rioting began in Wad Medani after the government decided to lift subsidies, immediately doubling prices of petrol and fuel.
Sudan lost most of its main oil-producing territory when South Sudan broke off as an independent state in 2011.
Protesters are calling for the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir, who has ruled the country for more than two decades.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Anchor
First off, a check on the stock market of North America and Europe.
Join me on the desk, CRI's Hu Jia.
Reporter
US stocks rose, breaking out a five-day rut that was the longest losing streak this year for the S&P 500.
Gains were modest but broad.
In economic news, the revised GDP for the second quarter has come in at 2.5 percent, which is below economist forecasts of 2.8 percent.
On corporate side, eBay shares climbed 4.5 percent after the owner of electronic-payments service PayPal said it will acquire its rival Braintree to expand in the mobile payments service.
When the market closed,
The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.4 percent.
The S&P 500 tacked on 0.3 percent.
The Nasdaq gained 0.7 percent.
In Canada, the S&P/TSX closed nearly flat.
European stock markets struggled for direction as worries about renewed political instability in Italy and debt-ceiling negotiations in Washington.
Supporters of Silvio Berlusconi threatened to leave parliament if the former prime minister is ousted from senate due to a tax-fraud conviction.
As such,
France's CAC 40 lost 0.2 percent and Germany's DAX was slightly lower.
The U.K.'s FTSE 100 rose 0.2 percent.
 
 
Republicans demand healthcare law delay for debt rise
 
The US republicans have again challenged President Barack Obama saying they will only agree to raise the debt ceiling if the Obama health law is delayed one year.
House Representative Speaker John Boehner.
"We're not going to ignore Washington's spending problem and we're not going to accept this new normal of a weak economy and no new jobs and shrinking wages."
The House Republicans say the Affordable Care Act will hurt the country's economic recovery.
President Obama has defended this claim
"Now, they are threatening steps that actually would badly hurt our economy, not because of the Affordable Care Act, but because of what they are threatening to do. Some have threatened a government shutdown if they can't shut down this law. Others have actually threatened an economic shutdown by refusing to pay America's bills if they can't delay the law. "
Obama has warned repeatedly that he wants a debt limit increase with no strings attached.
"The reason is reforming healthcare is going to help the economy over the long term. Not only will it help lower cost for businesses, it will free up entrepreneurship in this country. You got the ability now to get your own coverage. That's security. That's freedom."
The US is set to hit the debt ceiling on October 17th, leaving the government short of money to pay its bills.
In addition to the debt ceiling, the federal government will shut down most of its operations, if a budget bill to keep its funding is not passed, by October 1st.
 
 
Cross-border e-commerce hits $375b in 2012
 
A robust growth in cross-border e-commerce transactions has had China's e-commerce business a banner year, with the entire volume hitting 8-trillion yuan, or some 1.3 trillion US dollars, for the past year.
Yao Jian is the spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce.
"Cross-boarder e-commerce has become the new growth point over the development of China's e-commerce business. There're more than 200 thousand companies carrying out their international trade business through cross-baorder e-commerce. Total volume for that business has surpassed 2 trillion yuan. We see this as a good sign for domestic firms to pivoting from Made-in China into China Marketing"
Meanwhile, he also noted that obstacles are there for a fully-fledged taking off of hot new business.
Online trade volume was just 9.5 percent of China's total import and export volume in 2012.
It is expected the market share will be up to 18.5 percent in 2016, reaching 6.4 trillion yuan, or about 1 trillion US dollars.
 
 
Call-in Sina Weibo, Hisense Roll Out Smart Air Conditioner
 
Anchor:
Let's check in with some of the key events on the corporate front in China this week.
Doug Young joins me on the line.
He's an associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
1 Hisense and Chinese social media site Sina Weibo have teamed up to make the foray into smart air conditioner.
That will enable every Weibo users to control the temperature, humidity and power of the air conditioner via a private message over the Weibo account.
---How do you scale the feasibility of the idea, Doug, are you personally an enthusiast for the smart air conditioner?
---I'm wondering whether Sina Weibo will accidentally become part of Hisense's after sales service arm, as how will the two parties handle the problems if any during the control and feedback occurred. Is this essentially a good thing for Sina?
---My biggest question is how easy will the operation be? And what will be the key elements for the collaboration to succeed?
---As we see Sina Weibo is trying to build up a business model between its accounts and some physical business entity, such as home appliance giants like Hisense, Will the move bode well for Weibo compared to Wechat and Alibaba's angle?
2 KKR, Modern Dairy to Build Large Scale Farms in Shandong
China Modern Dairy and two PE (Private Equity) firms, will team up to build two large-scale raw milk dairy farms, in east China's Shandong Province.
The new JV aims to deliver premium raw milk to Chinese consumers.
--How much is the demand coming from premium dairy products within China?
When our per capita liquid milk consumption is less than 10 kilograms per year, while Japan consumes 32 kg and the US-78 kg?
--How likely is it the market share here in China will be changed regarding premium milk products?
--I'm afraid to say the idea of 'an expensive price tag some how guarantees quality' is especially true in terms of food safety, do you think the new JV is trying to profit from the idea?
-- Will the new deal somehow integrate the fragmented milk farms industry here in China as that would finally be a good sign for the quality of milk supply?
Back Anchor:
Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
 
 
Singapore Manufacturing output rose 3.5 percent in August
 
Singapore's manufacturing has increased 3.5-percent year on year in August.
The figure is weaker than the market expected.
This is mainly because of poor performance in Singapore's pharmaceutical sector, which has experienced a 1.9 percent contraction year on year in August.
Excluding biomedical, industrial production would have grown 4.8 percent year on year.
The output of the electronics sector in Singapore is up 5.3 percent year on year.
The city-state's transportation engineering sector has reported a growth of over 18-percent, thanks to higher contributions from rig building and ship conversion projects.
Singapore has been trying to recover from a decelerated rate of growth in recent years.
The city-state was hammered by the global financial crisis in 2008.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Security Council passed draft resolution on Syria's chemical weapons stocks
 
The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council have reached an agreement on a resolution to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.
Britain is set to introduce the text to the 10 other members of the Security Council at a meeting Thursday night.
The U.S and Russia have been at odds on how to enforce the resolution, but Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power confirmed the last hurdles to the agreement had been overcome.
The agreement comes a day after Russia's deputy foreign minister agreed that the resolution would include a reference to Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter.
Chapter 7 allows for military and non-military sanctions if a Security Council resolution is violated.
In Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov offered to provide troops to guard facilities where Syria's chemical weapons would be destroyed.
 
 
Iran and P5+1 talks start
 
Meanwhile Iran has started talks with six world powers on its disputed nuclear programme on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The meeting marks the highest-level direct contact between the US and Iran in six years.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who hosted the meeting said talks between Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany were "substantial."
Ashton added that a new round of talks between Iran and the six world powers are expected in October in Geneva.
 
 
China vows to cement bilateral partnership with Laos
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to cement an all-around strategic partnership with Laos.
The president made the remarks during talks with his Lao counterpart Choummaly Sayg/nasone here in Beijing.
Xi Jingping says China and Laos are friendly neighbors and constitute a community that share the same destiny as well as extensive common interests.
For his part, Chou/mmaly also spoke highly of the bilateral relationship and agreed to elevate the partnership.
Following talks, the two leaders also witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation deals.
Choummaly's visit in China will last till next Monday.
 
 
Cross-border e-commerce hits $375b in 2012
 
A robust growth in cross-border e-commerce transactions has had China's e-commerce business a banner year, with the entire volume hitting 8-trillion yuan, some 1.3 trillion US dollars for the past year.
Online trade volume was just 9.5 percent of China's total import and export volume in 2012.
It is expected the market share will be up to 18.5 percent in 2016, reaching 6.4 trillion yuan, some 1 trillion US dollars
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
Beijing News
Son of PLA singer gets 10 years for rape
Summary:
Li Tianyi, son of a renowned military singer, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for gang rape.
The four other defendants, including three minors, will serve 3 to 12 years in prison with two receiving probation.
The case has come under national scrutiny for seven months over whether the teenager's elite family background would influence the verdict.
South China Metropolitan Daily
Tsinghua approach poisoned family
Summary:
The parents of Zhu Lingling, former student of Tsinghua University, have been approached by the school.
Zhu was allegedly poisoned by thallium in 1994. She suffered serious neurological damage and has been physically paralyzed.
The police never solved the case.
Yanzhao Metropolitan Daily
Hebei leaders hold criticism forum
Summary:
Members of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Hebei Provincial Committee have pointed out shortcomings of their co-workers and of their own during the three-day sessions.
This is part of Xi Jinping's "mass line" campaign, which requires all Party members to constantly engage in criticisms and self-criticisms to solve the Party's problems.
Global Times
Disciplinary inspectors report back
Summary:
The 10 disciplinary inspection teams sent to various provincial regions and State-owned enterprises and institutes have wrapped up their work.
Seven of those teams have announced their results and transferred public tip-offs to related agencies.
The remaining three teams will soon make their results public
Beijing Times
Official detained for spreading rumors
Summary:
An official in Central China's Hunan Province has been detained for spreading rumors about a local restaurant.
The deputy head of the housing and urban-rural development bureau in Yueyang, posted online that the restaurant had been using swill as oil.
He also posted that the supervision bureau had received bribes of 600,000 yuan ($98,040) from the restaurant.
Investigations proved his posts to be defaming.
China Daily
Air pollution penalties increased
Summary:
Beijing's legislature has raised financial penalties for incidents of air pollution.
It canceled the maximum fines for five types of air pollution incidents if offenders had already been penalized by law enforcement departments twice or more.
Shanghai Daily
419m-year-old fish face could be a missing link
Summary:
An international team of scientists has discovered what may be the earliest known creature with a distinct face in China's Yunnan Province.
The 419 million-year-old fish could be a missing link in the development of vertebrates.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Christie's first auction in Chinese mainland
 
Anchor
Christie's has held its first-ever stand-alone auction on the Chinese mainland, as the company looks to make inroads into the world's second largest art and antiques market.
CRI's Jordan Lee has more.
Reporter
Christie's, which has long operated in Hong Kong, has been organizing its sales here on the mainland since 2005 by authorizing a Chinese auction firm to use its international trademark.
This is because of the strict regulations on setting up a solely foreign-invested auction house.
However, the auction house has now been granted a license to operate independently in China, making it the first international auction house to hold its own branded events on the mainland.
The auction at the Shangri-la Hotel, Jing'an district, Shanghai on Thursday night was its first.
Jonathan Stone is the chair and International Head of Asian Art at Christies.
"I think it is one of the most important steps that the company has taken in almost 250 years of history. It is as important as arriving in America in the 1970s."
The auction included works from both East and West, from Asian Contemporary to European Modern Masters and American Post-War and Contemporary.
Highlights included a contemplative 1963 still-life by Giorgio Morandi, a 1969 work titled "Homme Assis" by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol's "Diamond Dust Shoes" from 1980.
China has one of the world's largest and fastest-growing markets for art, with Chinese buyers now common at international auctions.
Rebecca Catching, Director of the OV Gallery in Shanghai, says it is a status symbol for Chinese people to buy art at auction.
"They can be basically anyone with money and he wants to show that they a have a bit of status by buying in Auction, they can say this work sold for ah you know two million at Auction, if their friends question their taste they can say, well it was sell for two millions at Auction"
The new license for Christies to hold auctions on its own does come with restrictions that Chinese auction houses don't have.
Christie's is not allowed to sell cultural relics that predate 1911, as the Chinese government considers them vital to this country's cultural heritage.
Fan Ganping is a spokesperson for the Shanghai Auction Industry Association.
"Now Chinese society is still undergoing development. Law and regulation is not perfect and people's awareness of following them is not strong. The government fears if the ban is lifted graves robbery and culture relics smuggling will become more. So the culture relics experts reserved and have concerns. These are very common"
Christie's has over 450 auctions every year around the world.
The auction house found itself in a bit of controversy back in 2009, when two bronze animal heads looted from Beijing's Old Summer Palace in 1860 were put up for auction in Paris.
The bronzes were eventually acquired by French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault.
They were returned to China in June of this year.
For CRI, I am Jordan Lee.
 
 
Sports
 
 
IOC Chairman Jean-Claude Killy approves Sochi 2014 Winter Games
 
Jean-Claude Killy, chairman of the international Olympic Committee, IOC Coordination Commission, has approved the 2014 Winter Olympics.
He made the announcement during a news conference in Russia on Thursday.
The trip marks the committee's tenth and final visit to Sochi ahead of the Games.
Killy says the IOC is pleased with the ongoing construction of Olympic venues.
The IOC visit coincides with major storms, unusual for Sochi in September.
Killy says he is confident that any weather problems "would not stop the games".
"So much rain in such a short period of time. No damage anywhere whatsoever, which is a compliment to the quality of everything that has been built here. And as you know there is here and there very-very technical bridges, tunnels, buildings. It was a fantastic test. We organise test events all the time in sports. This was a fantastic test. And I'm pretty sure it would have gone almost unnoticed during the games."
Sochi 2014 Winter Games is set to get underway on February 7th next year.
 
 
Second seed Radwanska out of Pan Pacific Open
 
In tennis,
Seventh seed Petra Kvitova eased into the quarter-finals at the Toray Pan Pacific Open on Thursday with straight sets 6-2, 6-2 win over 18-year-old American Madison Keys.
The 23-year-old will now face Russian Svet/lana Kuz/net/sova in the last eight.
Kuz/net/sova, a former US Open and French Open champion, dispatched Romanian Sorana Cirstea.
Venus Williams beat Canadian teenager Eugenie Bouchard to advance to the semi-finals for the first time.
Williams will now take on either Svetlana Kuz/net/sova or Petra Kvitova in the semis.
It is also a relatively easy contest for Caroline Wozniacki in her quarter-final.
The fourth seed defeated Lucie Safarova 6-1, 6-1 to gain a straightforward progression into the last four.
"I saw Lucie (Safarova) play yesterday against Sam (Stosur) and she was playing really well so I knew she was going to come out strong. She played really well, especially in that first set. I was just looking after the balls and I tried to grind my way and I took my opportunity and I am really pleased about the way I kept my head cool and kept fighting."
Wozniacki will meet fifth-seed Angelique Kerber of Germany in the semi-final stage.
 
 
Alois Kankovsky wins third stage of Tour of China II
 
In cycling,
The Tour of China II continued on Thursday with a Stage three.
The riders were tasked with a gruelling 132-kilometre ride from Xiangyang Lao/hekou to Xiangyang Gucheng in wet and misty conditions.
ASC Dukla Praha rider Alois Kankovsky rode to the win on the day.
The Czech rider dropped Frenchman Benjamin Giraud and Malaysian Anuar Manan in the sprint to the line.
Firaud took second and Manan a hard-fought third in what was a typically frantic and bunched finish.
The win allows Kankovsky to assume ownership of the leader's yellow jersey.
He will now take a 12-second lead over stage one winner Daniel Klemme into stage four.
Later on this Friday will see the race resume with Kankovsky the man to catch in a 207.3-kilometre (128.8-mile) ride from Zaoyang to Wuhan Caidian.
 
 
Five-way share for the lead following first round of Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
 
Former Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson has boosted his chances of regaining his European Tour card by scoring an 8-under 64 in the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland on Thursday.
That has allowed the Englishman to end the day as one of five players with a share of a narrow one-stroke lead at the top of the leaderboard.
However the real story at the top of the leaderboard belonged to Wilson, who made the most of his sponsor's invitation by making one eagle and six birdies in bright but windy conditions on Kingsbarns.
Meanwhile fellow Englishmen Tom Lewis and Richard McEvoy also shot a 64, along with Chile's Mark Tullo and Frenchman Alexandre Kaleka.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
David Bowie to be Face of Louis Vuitton
 
According to several reports eccentric rocker David Bowie has signed on to be the face of fashion company Louis Vuitton.
(bowie clip)
He will reportedly appear in the company's L'invitation au Voyage campaign alongside model Arizona Muse.
Bowie filmed a television ad earlier this year which is expected to air later this year.
He follows in the footsteps of other musicians who have sold Louis Vuitton products including Madonna, Bono, and Keith Richards.
 
 
Pink Floyd Reunion?
 
Nick Mason, the drummer for legendary psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd has revealed he's interested in staging a Pink Floyd reunion.
(pink floyd clip)
The band, which formed in 1965, has only played together twice since 1985, once at a Live 8 fundraising gig in 2005 and again in 2011 at singer and bassist Roger Waters' The Wall Show at London's O2 Arena.
Mason says he's ready to go if the other band members are, although he admits the context for a reunion would have to be for a charitable or awareness raising event.
Waters recently confessed he felt guilt over taking legal action against the band after his departure in 1985.
He sought damages from bandmates Mason and David Gilmour for their continued use of the Pink Floyd name and songs.
Earlier this year Pink Floyd's catalogue appeared on the music streaming service Spotify, a deal the band resisted for a long time as they intended for people to listen to their albums from start to finish.
Since its appearance on Spotify their song Wish You Were Here has been streamed 1-million times.
 
 
Star Wars to Use IMAX Technology?
 
Star Wars Episode 7 may be shot on IMAX cameras in a bid to resurrect a floundering movie industry by getting people into theaters.
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With the 3D phase gasping its last breaths filmmakers need to give people an experience they cannot recreate in their own cave-like homes.
Star Wars will follow films like The Dark Knight Rises and the upcoming Gravity by incorporating the technology to combat piracy and boost ticket sales.
And of course to make dazzling spectacles even more... dazzling-er.
IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond has revealed the company is speaking with Star Wars director JJ Abrams to film some of the scenes in the massive film format.
You can be sure after hearing this news the light sabers of geeks around the world will be growing in anticipation of reading the iconic title scroll on a screen 8-stories tall.
 
 
New TV Show Takes Place in Batman's Gotham City
 
(batman clip)
A TV series set in Batman's fictional world of Gotham City is in the works.
The series, titled Gotham, will follow the early days of Police Commissioner James Gordon, Batman's ally on the police force.
The role of Commissioner Gordon will be filled by actor Gary Oldman who played the part in filmmaker Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Batman trilogy.
The series will take place before Gordon meets Batman.
The superhero will not appear in the show at all though many of the city's infamous supervillains will.
English screenwriter Bruno Heller is in charge of making the show happen.
 
 
 
That's all we have time for on the show as well.
Recapping our top headlines....
Security Council passs draft resolution on Syria's chemical weapons stocks
Iran begins talks with the P5 +1 on its disputed nuclear programme on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
China vows to cement a bilateral partnership with Laos
Business
US Republicans demand healthcare law delay for debt rise
On behalf of the Beijing Hour team, I'm Rebecca Hume in Beijing, hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together!