新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/03/12

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition

Paul James with you on this Wednesday, March 12, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
A Chinese working group has been meeting with the families of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight as the search expands to try to find the lost jetliner.
This year's annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference is set to conclude later today in Beijing.
Authorities in the Crimea have announced plans for official independence if people there vote for it on Sunday.
In Business... both Alipay and Tencent planning to issue online credit cards.
In sports.... it's now set to be a "winner take all" in the last game of the CBA playoff semi-finals.
In entertainment.... new previews have been released for a forthcoming Chinese horror film.
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be sunny today, a high of 12 degree Celsius in the daytime and a low of minus 2 degrees in the night.
In Shanghai, it will see slight rain today, the highest of 16 degree Celsius, and 10 degrees in the nigh.
Chongqing will be rainy during the daytime, with a high of 18 degree Celsius, and overcast in the night with a low of 14 degrees.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, cloudy, 23.
Kabul, overcast, with a high of 12.
And in North America
New York, overcast, with a high of 14 degrees.
Washington, overcast, highs of 21.
Houston, moderate rain, 24.
Honolulu, overcast, 27.
Toronto, overcast, 6.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, sunny, 26.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny after days of thunderstorm, with highs of 35 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
Search continues for missing Malaysia Airlines plane
 
Malaysia's air force chief is denying media reports the missing Malaysia Airlines fight may have turned back and made its way into the Strait of Malacca on the opposite side of Malaysia.
But while the search for the missing flight is still mostly focused in the Gulf of Thailand, the Strait of Malacca has since been included in the search grid.
At the same time, the Vietnamese Air Force is planning to start an underwater search later on today.
As the search for the missing flight continues, a Chinese working group has met with families of the passengers in Kuala Lumpur.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang:
"The working group met with the first of the Chinese families to arrive in Kuala Lumpur. They also met Malaysia Airline officials, and urged them to look after the families and keep them updated with any progress."
Meanwhile, the head of the US Central Intelligence Agency says they're not yet willing to rule out the possibility of a terror link to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
CIA chief John Brennan's suggestion is running counter to comments made Tuesday by the head of Interpol.
Ronald Noble has gone on-record saying the more information the International Police Organization gets, the more Interpol is inclined to conclude the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight is not terrorist-related.
This comes after reports surfaced this week that the two Iranian nationals travelling on stolen passports on the flight do not have a criminal record.
There has still been no sign of the flight, which disappeared off radar early Saturday morning while on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Of the 239-passangers and crew onboard, 154 are Chinese nationals.
For the latest on the situation, we earlier spoke with Nadiah Abdul Aziz, a journalist based in Kuala Lumpur.
Questions:
- There are conflicting reports about whether the plane has turned back and made its way into the Strait of Malacca. How does Malaysia authority respond to that?
- Does the authority release any information about the other man traveling on the stolen passport?
- What are the focuses of search now?
- The first batch of family members of Chinese passengers has arrived in Kuala Lumpur, what is their situation?
Back Anchor:
That was Nadiah Abdul Aziz, a journalist based in Kuala Lumpur.
 
 
China's top political advisory body to conclude annual session
 
China's top political advisory body is scheduled to conclude its annual session later on today.
Several draft documents are set to be submitted for review to the closing session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
The documents include a draft resolution on the work report of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee.
 
 
Chinese President vows no compromise on national interests
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping is calling on country's armed forces to "courageously" assume their responsibilities in safeguarding China's national sovereignty and interests.
Xi Jinping has made the comments while sitting in on a meeting of the People's Liberation Army delegation at the ongoing legislative sessions in Beijing.
Xi Jinping, who is also the chair of the Central Military Commission, is also calling on the armed forces to be firm in faith and loyal in mission.
 
 
China to free deposit rates within two years
 
Anchor:
The governor of China's central bank has announced the next stages planned for this country's financial reforms.
The measures announced by Zhou Xiaochuan include the liberalisation of bank deposit rates within the next two years.
CRI's Lucy Du has more.
Reporter
Zhou Xiaochuan's announcement came on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature.
The latest stage in China's financial reforms will see a move in July to scrap the floor limit for bank lending rates.
Additionally, December will see the release of a pilot guideline for piloting negotiable deposit certificates on the interbank markets.
The competition posed by Internet finance on traditional banks has been propelling the reform process.
Some Internet financial institutions have already offered annual interest rates of nearly 6 percent compared to the 3.3 percent ceiling allowed for brick-and-mortar banks.
Zhou Xiaochuan, Governor of China's Central Bank
"There is a driving force in the market that promotes the liberalization of interest rate. Newly emergent businesses and modes of operations will push forward the process. The deposit rate will be liberalized and it should be the last step of interest rate liberalization. Many other interest rates have already been liberalized and the liberalization of the deposit rate is surely in the plan. In my view, it will be realized in one or two years."
Zhou's comments came after a government work report said last week that the country is to establish a deposit insurance system this year, the last and most important step of interest rate liberalization.
The steps aim to increase the role of the market in the nation's financial system.
Meanwhile, Zhou added that the internationalisation of the Chinese RMB still has a long way to go.
"We have a lot of homeworks to do before the internationalisation of Chinese RMB. In the past we have been focusing on removing regulatory barriers, but we still have to promote the RMB's exchangeability as an investment currency. After all, we cannot control the speed or tempo on this issue."
He stressed that fostering cross-border use of the currency and opening up the capital account.
In response to questions about the recent depreciation in the value of the yuan, Zhou responded that it was a sign of the growing role of market forces in the economy.
He added that current movements represent a short-term trend that does not warrant panic.
Currently, the yuan is convertible for trade purposes under the current account, while the capital account, which covers portfolio investment and borrowing, is still largely State controlled.
According to global transaction services organization SWIFT, the RMB overtook the Swiss franc to become the seventh most-used currency for payments worldwide in January.
It accounts for 1.39-percent of all global payments, compared to the 38.7 percent accounted for by the US dollar.
For CRI this is Lucy Du
 
 
Crimean parliament votes to declare itself an independent state
 
The Crimean parliament has voted to declare itself an independent state if people there vote to split from Ukraine in a referendum on Sunday.
Vladimir Konstantinov is the chair of Crimea's Supreme Council.
"We adopted the necessary procedural document so that the entire procedure of entry and referendum vote result would be transparent and legitimate from the legal point of view and would not cause any doubts among international experts. We declare ourselves as the republic, and then being a republic to enter into Russia as the constituent territory of Russia."
Russian lawmakers are welcoming the news, suggesting they'll act quickly to incorporate the Crimea into the Russia Federation if Sunday's referendum turns out a majority yes vote.
The Ukrainian government is describing Sunday's forthcoming referendum as illegitimate.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk is calling for countries, including the United States, to defend Ukraine against Russia.
He is pleading with the U.S and Britain to abide by a treaty they signed in 1994, in which they pledged to guarantee Ukraine's security.
Yatsenyuk is due to travel to the U.S. and met with US President Barack Obama later on this Wednesday.
 
 
Turkey faces protests over death of student
 
A new round of mass demonstrations has been gripping Turkey through Tuesday.
This follows the death of a 15-year old protester who was injured in last summer's demonstrations in Gezi Park in Istanbul.
The young man was hit in the head with a police gas canister during last year's mass demonstrations and fell into an irreversible coma.
He died Tuesday.
Word of his death has sparked another round of demonstrations in at least 30-cities across Turkey.
In the capital, Ankara and a number of other cities, police have been using tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse the protesters.
Student demonstrators say they're also planning to continue boycotts and sit-in's this Wednesday which began yesterday after word of the young man's death became known.
The mass demonstrations which gripped Turkey last year began as a local protest in Istanbul, but later expanded into country-wide protests against the administration of Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan, who protesters accuse of corruption and trying to install conservative Islamic values on the country's largely secular youth.
 
 
Lebanon condemns cross-border attack from Syria
 
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has issued a new call for the warring factions in Syria to avoid allowing their dispute to spill over into his country.
The call comes after four rockets fired from Syria hit the outskirts of a Lebanese village near the border, wounding three Lebanese nationals.
Suleiman has since told the Lebanese army to take all necessary steps to defend frontier villages.
Lebanon has long been divided over the clashes in neighboring Syria.
Shiite Hezbollah and its allies back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.
The Sunni-led opposition supports the rebels.
This has led to sectarian violence against the different factions erupting within Lebanon itself.
 
 
Libya Prime Minister ousted
 
Libya's Prime Minister Ali Zidan has lost a no confidence motion and has been replaced by parliament.
This comes amid frustration over the government's failure to stop a local militia from exporting oil in eastern Libya.
Omar Hmedan is a spokesperson for Libya's General National Congress.
"Today the General National Congress took a decision that dismisses Ali Zidan the Prime Minister and assigns Abdullah al-Thani, the Defense Minister, to run the government until we vote for a new prime minister. Therefore Ali Zidan is considered dismissed and Abdullah al-Thani is responsible for running the government."
A militia holding key port in the eastern region of Libya has sparked a three-day crisis after it attempted to load oil into a North Korean-flagged tanker that docked there without permission.
The government says its forces have taken control of the tanker, but the militia is denying this.
It's also being reported the tanker has left the country.
Zeidan's government has been repeatedly criticized for its failure to disarm the militias which helped topple the former Gaddafi government in 2011.
 
 
Former Croatian PM convicted of graft, sentenced to 9 years in jail
 
A former Prime Minister of Croatia has been sentenced to 9-years in prison on a corruption conviction.
Ivo Sanader and four other members of his Croatian Democratic Union party have been convicted of siphoning money from state funds and companies to help bolster the party and their own personal wealth.
In handing down the sentence, the courts in Zagreb have also ordered Sanader to return some 2-million euros worth ill-gotten gains.
Tuesday's sentencing is the 2nd jail term handed to Sanader, who is already serving 10-years in prison on another corruption conviction.
The 60-year old served as Croatia's Prime Minister from 2003 to 2009 before abruptly resigning and fleeing the country.
He was later arrested in Austria and returned to Croatia to face trial on the corruption charges.
Those charges were initiated as part of an anti-graft movement the authorities in the former Yugoslav country launched to try to join the European Union.
Croatia became part of the EU last year.
 
 
Michelle Bachelet sworn in as Chile's president
 
Michelle Bachelet has been officially sworn in again as Chile's President.
The 62-year old takes over from outgoing President Sebastian Pinera.
Leaders from across South America, including the Presidents of Argentina, Ecuador, Uruguay, Columbia and Peru have attended the ceremony in Santiago.
This now becomes Bachelet's second stint at the President of Chile.
The head of a center-left coaltion, Bachelet headed the country from 2006 to 2010.
Bachelet took December's run-off Presidential election with 62-percent of the vote.
She has taken office on a three-pronged pledge to create free education in Chile, overhaul the country's tax codes to fund the new education strategy and adopt a new national constitution.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Reporter:
U.S. stocks ended lower on Tuesday, as the markets paused in its recent run toward record highs.
Most stocks were little changed for most of the session until a late-afternoon sell-off dragged the main indexes lower before a slight recovery before the bell.
The Dow lost 0.4-percent.
The S&P 500 lost half a percent, while the Nasdaq gave up 0.6 percent.
Traders say Tuesday's declines are on light volume and not based on any major events.
On the economic front, US wholesale inventories for January came in up 0.6% on the month.
In corporate news, Jos. A. Bank has gained 3.9% after agreeing to be acquired by Men's Wearhouse for about $1.8 billion US dollars, ending a contentious takeover battle between the rival men's suit retailers.
Men's Wearhouse shares rose nearly 5% on the news.
McDonald's shares gained 3.8% after its CFO announced the company is pushing to stabilize its U.S. operations after four straight months of declining same-store sales.
General Motors shares slid 5.2% after the auto maker stepped up an internal investigation which is looking to answer mounting questions about why it took nearly a decade to recall 1.6 million vehicles for faulty ignitions linked to 13 deaths.
European markets ended mixed, as the standoff in Ukraine and concerns over Chinese growth linger, keeping investors cautious.
Germany's DAX, which has suffered the most from escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia over the past two weeks, did stage a mild recovery Tuesday.
The DAX closed half a percent higher.
France's CAC fell 0.5%.
London's FTSE 100 declined 0.1%.
 
 
Alipay to issue online credit cards
 
Users of Chinese online payment service Alipay will soon be able to apply for credit cards for online use.
Alipay is teaming up with CITIC Bank to issue one million online credit cards starting next week.
The online cards will have a minimum line of credit of 200 yuan.
The maximum line of credit will depend on the users’ personal credit conditions.
The credit cards can only be used online through Alipay's website or its mobile app.
Alipay has more than 300 million registered users, and maintains a large database on its users' credit and spending habits.
At the same time, Tencent is also planning to issue a million online credit cards in partnership CITIC Bank and Zhong An Online Property Insurance.
Users of Tencent WeChat app can apply for the cards, which will have a minimum line of credit of 50 yuan and a maximum of 5-thousand yuan.
The two Internet giants have made the announcement on the same day China's banking regulator announced the companies have been shortlisted as possible pioneers of a pilot scheme to set up private banks in China.
A total of ten companies have been selected to set up private banks.
The first five banks will be established in Tianjin, Shanghai as well as the provinces of Zhejiang and Guangdong.
No timetable has been given for when they may be operational.
 
 
Alibaba takes control of HK-listed ChinaVision
 
Alibaba has agreed to buy a controlling stake in Hong Kong-listed ChinaVision Media Group.
Alibaba is buying just under 12.5-billion existing and new shares of ChinaVision for 6.24-billion Hong Kong dollars.
The 800 million U.S. dollar investment will raise Alibaba's holdings of ChinaVision to 60-percent.
ChinaVision Media Group focuses on TV and film production, print media and mobile new media.
Alibaba's chair Ma Yun suggested late last year the company has plans to invest in new areas such as health care, culture and education over the next 10 to 20 years.
 
 
Firm in landmark bond default to sell assets
 
The first company in China to default on a corporate bond has announced plans to sell some of its assets in a bid to meet interest payments, as possible bankruptcy looms.
Shanghai-based Chaori Solar Energy Science & Technology has defaulted on interest payments worth 90 million yuan on a five-year bond the company issued in 2012.
The decision to allow Chaori to default is being viewed as a landmark move here in China, as traditionally companies which have run into repayment problems have been bailed out by their underwriters or government entities.
China Securities, which is Chaori's underwriter for the bond issue, has asked the company to provide it with its assets, equipment lists and accounts receivable to be reviewed for either sale or auction.
In January, Chaori's investors asked the courts in Guangdong to order payment from the company, its listing exchange and its lead underwriter.
That case is still pending.
China Securities is set to hold a meeting of Chaori's main bond holders on March 26th.
 
 
BOC rolls out first offshore renminbi index
 
The Bank of China has rolled out an offshore renminbi index.
The index will track the scale of yuan deposits, the use of financial tools and other aspects.
Five indicators will be monitored to reflect the performance of the Renminbi in the international financial markets.
The Bank of China created a cross-border renminbi index last year.
The two indices are designed to try to better help track the yuan's internationalization progress.
 
 
Italy's biggest bank in record loss
 
Italy's biggest bank, UniCredit, has reported a record annual loss of 14-billion euros.
In making the announcement, UniCredit has also revealed plans to slash some 85-hundred jobs.
Italy's biggest by assets has already put aside 13.7-billion euros to cover losses from bad loans this past year.
UniCredit is moving to stabilize its financial position before European regulators conduct an industry-wide stress-test in the coming months.
The planned job cuts will see the bank lose about 6-percent of its workforce by 2018.
The bank's huge losses, which are largely due to the financial troubles in Italy and Eastern Europe, are some of the worst suffered by a European bank since the beginning of the financial crisis.
UniCredit is also planning to create an internal 'bad bank' to manage the roughly 87-billion euros worth of potentially bad or risky loans it has on the books.
The bank hopes to reduce its potential exposure to those risky loans to 33-billion euros over the next 5-years.
 
 
SoftBank CEO says still keen to merge US Sprint and T-Mobile
 
Japanese company SoftBank is reportedly trying to buy US wireless carrier T-Mobile US and merge it with its Sprint division.
SoftBank's CEO says he is determined to add T-Mobile to the Sprint family.
However, U.S. regulators have fought hard in the past to keep T-Mobile independent.
A merger of Sprint and T-Mobile, the Number-3 and Number-4 U.S. wireless carriers, could be a big challenge to their wireless competitors, namely AT&T and Verizon.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Search continues for missing Malaysia Airlines plane
 
Malaysia's air force chief is denying media reports the missing Malaysia Airlines fight may have turned back and made its way into the Strait of Malacca on the opposite side of Malaysia.
But while the search for the missing flight is still mostly focused in the Gulf of Thailand, the Strait of Malacca has since been included in the search grid.
Meanwhile, the head of the US Central Intelligence Agency says they're not yet willing to rule out the possibility of a terror link to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
CIA chief John Brennan's suggestion is running counter to comments made Tuesday by the head of Interpol, who says they're seeing less-and-less signs of any possible terrorism element to the disappearance.
There has still been no sign of the flight, which disappeared off radar early Saturday morning while on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239-people onboard.
154 of them are Chinese.
Of the 239-passangers and crew onboard, 154 are Chinese nationals.
 
 
16 victims identified in N China road accident
 
Authorities in Shanxi say they've now managed to identify 16 of the bodies caught up in a massive highway accident earlier this month.
Provincial officials are warning the identification of the rest of the remains may be difficult, as the bodies of the estimated 40-people killed in the crash were badly burnt.
On March 1st, a tanker carrying highly-flammable methanol rear-ended another tanker on highway linking the city of Jincheng in Shanxi with the city of Jiyuan in neighboring Henan.
The collision set off an explosion and fire which engulfed over 40-vehicles.
Of the nearly 90-people involved in the fiery crash, only 47 managed to survive.
 
 
China's top political advisory body to conclude annual session
 
China's top political advisory body is scheduled to conclude its annual session later on today.
Several draft documents are set to be submitted for review to the closing session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
The documents include a draft resolution on the work report of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee.
 
 
Referendum on Crimea "unconstitutional": Ukraine diplomat
 
The Ukraine's permanent representative to the United Nations has issued a new statement, saying the forthcoming Crimean referendum on joining Russia is "illegitimate under the constitution of Ukraine."
But in making the statement, Yurii Klymenko does say the authorities in Kiev are willing to enter into negotiations to resolve the political unrest in Crimea.
Klymenko's comments come on the heels of a new declaration by Crimean Parliament on Tuesday which specifies that Crimea will become independent if some 2-million people there vote in favor of joining Russia in Sunday's planned referendum.
 
 
Michelle Bachelet sworn in as Chile's president
 
Michelle Bachelet has been officially sworn in again as Chile's President.
The 62-year old takes over from outgoing President Sebastian Pinera.
Leaders from across South America, including the Presidents of Argentina, Ecuador, Uruguay, Columbia and Peru have attended the ceremony in Santiago.
This now becomes Bachelet's second stint at the President of Chile.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
CHINA DIALY
Headline
Cities seek hub status on Maritime Silk Road
Summary
China's coastal provinces are angling to become the key hubs along the so-called "Maritime Silk Road".
The new "silk road" initiative is meant to try to create better cooperation among China and the countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The city of Quanzhou in Fujian Province is widely considered the starting point of the ancient maritime trade route, which saw goods from China shipped through southeast Asia and as far away as east Africa during the height of the Tang Dyansty.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Tibetan herders incomes rise.
Summary
New regional statistics in Tibet are suggesting the per capita net income of farmers and herdsmen in the Autonomous Region hit over 65-hundred yuan last year.
This would represent double-digit growth for 11 consecutive years.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Hangzhou Bay to get 2nd bridge
Summary
A plan to build a second bridge across Hangzhou Bay has been given approval.
Authorities say the road and rail bridge will reduce the drive time between Shanghai and Ningbo to less than two hours.
The first Hangzhou Bay Bridge opened in 2008.
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Sinopec employee reported for graft
Summary
It turns out a Sinopec employee who has been standing trial for taking bribes was reported to authorities by his former father-in-law.
28-year old Qiao Hongcheng reportedly had a wife in his hometown in Shanxi and a girlfriend here in Beijing, who had had no knowledge of each other.
Qiao's former father-in-law reported his alleged corruption to authorities after his wife divorced him.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Steamed bun festival
Summary
A steamed bun festival for tourists is taking place here in Beijing.
It's displaying almost 30 types of steamed buns from Beijing and other provinces, as well as more than 70 kinds of dim sum.
Tourists can learn to make the treats at the festival.
YANZHAO METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Baoding to combat pollution
Summary
The city of Baoding in Hebei is planning on closing some of its traditional industries and set up more environmentally-friendly ones.
Baoding has alreayd established 17 new industrial manufacturing parks, aimed at attracting high-tech companies.
This is part of a broader integration plan for the Hebei, Beijing and Tianjin regions.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Yue Opera Endows Beijing Southern Grace
 
Anchor:
A number of leading Yue opera troupes have been touring Beijing recently.
CRI's Li Ningjing with more on this unique form of Chinese opera.
Reporter:
On the stage of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, wearing long flowing gowns and singing rolling and gentle tunes, artists portray the tragic love story between ancient poet Lu You and his wife Tang Wan.
Not only is the performance elegant and graceful, but more importantly, the opera is performed exclusively by women.
This is Yue opera, a unique form of drama and musical theatre born in Zhejiang Province, southeastern China.
Originating from the folk tales and ballads of local farmers, Yue opera borrows many aspects from traditional theatre and even western culture. Featuring soft melodies and exquisite performances, it blends literary classics, fairy tales and historical stories.
In order to promote Yue opera, leading troupes and artists have been invited to perform in the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing from late February till mid-March.
Opera lovers have high expectations about the performances.
"Two years ago, I watched "The Butterfly Lovers" performed by first-rate actresses in this theatre. This time, the cast is different, which is definitely a highlight of the show. "
Some audience members have even brought friends from other lands along to watch the show.
"I booked the tickets a month ago in case all the good seats sold out. See, she flew all the way from Japan to watch the play."
Besides the classics, these troupes also bring fresh pieces to the stage, such as a new adaptation of the hit TV show "Palace of Desires," and a play recomposed from the novel "The Family" by novelist Bajin.
Reportedly, compared with traditional plays, the staging and costumes for these new shows will be a real surprise. More importantly, the cast is no longer limited to women.
However, according to Wu Fenghua, a renowned performer of Yue opera, the changes are not enough.
"First of all, I think we need to be creative when searching for stories, but at the same time following the established traditions. We could learn from other countries. By integrating Chinese drama and foreign culture, we may help develop Yue opera."
Anchor
That is CRI's Li Ningjing reporting
 
 
Sports
 
 
Guangdong Dongguan defeats Beijing Ducks 109-101 in game 4, forces fifth semifinal round
 
Last night in CBA playoff action,
Guangdong Dongguan defeated the Beijing Ducks 109-101 to level their semifinal series at two a piece and force a fifth and final round.
The Ducks were playing at home and had deafening crowd support, but Guangdong still managed to serve them their first home defeat at the Mastercard Center.
Beijing trailed early in the first half, but American import Randolph Morris made 21 of his 31 points in the second quarter alone to help the Ducks cut the 11-point deficit and end the half just two points down.
Guangdong regained a two-digit lead in the third quarter, eventually getting up by 18 points after a three-pointer by Wang Shipeng.
Beijing continued to fight back and narrow the gap, but Guangdong's Zhu Fangyu secured the lead by hitting 7 of 8 free throws in the last minute of the game.
Beijing's star player Stephon Marbury finished with a game high 34 points and seven boards. Yi JianLian had a nice double-double for Guangdong, with 21 points and 15 boards.
The two teams will meet back in Guangdong for the decisive game 5 tomorrow night.
Meanwhile, over in the NBA..
Boston vs. Indiana [score update]
Sacramento v. Detroit [score update]
 
 
Beijing Guoan draws 1-1 with FC Seoul
 
In football,
Beijing Guoan drew 1-1 with FC Seoul last night when the two teams met for an Asian champions league clash here in Beijing.
Beijing was the first to score, when Shao Jiayi headed a ball to Peter Utaka who knocked it in from the right of the penalty spot.
Guoan thought they'd doubled their lead in the 56th minute when Lang Zheng headed in a corner kick, but the referee ruled that Utaka had made a cheap flop to draw a foul. The green-colored crowd strongly disapproved of that call..
Seoul evened the score when Yun Il-lok chipped it to substitute Go Yo-han, who made the shot.
In stoppage time, Beijing substitute Yang Yun was sent off with a red card for challenging a cal on his header.
Seoul had the advantage, but missed the free kick, ending on a draw.
FC Seoul tops group F after two matches. They're one point ahead of the Central Coast Mariners, who defeated Japanese side Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-1 last night.
 
 
China's Peng Shuai and Zheng Jie both through to quarterfinals in doubles play at Paribas Open
 
In tennis, third round action continues at the Paribas Open in Indian Wells California.
Marin Cilic is through to the fourth round after upsetting 16th seed Tommy Robredo of Spain, 6-4, 6-3.
And Roberto Bautista Agut followed up his upset win over Tomas Berdych with another hard-fought victory over Finland's Jarkko Nieminen, slipping into the next round.
Coming up later, number two seed Novak Djokovic will face Columbian player Alejandro Gonzalez to battle for a spot in the final 16.
Djokovic is the top seed after Rafael Nadal was sent packing by 28th seed Alexadr Dolgopolov. The Ukrainian said he thinks the top seeds are more vulnerable to upsets than they used to be.
I think for sure the guys lower ranked now believe more than they did a few years ago. Time after time, you lose that momentum, I don't think it's possible to play like they played all their careers. So I think it's normal to get some up and downs and some of the younger guys get chances to beat them.
On the women’s side,
The final 16 are set with all the top seeds still intact with the exception of fourth seed Maria Sharapova, who was ousted by Italy's Camila Giorgi.
And in women’s doubles,
Two Chinese players are through to the quarterfinals. Top seeded pair Peng Shuai and partner Hsieh Su-wei advanced after easily defeating their Russian opponents.
And Zheng Jie and partner Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic are also through to the quarters after a victory in round two.
 
 
Dallas Stars foward Rich Peverley in stable condition after collapse
 
In NHL news,
Dallas Stars forward Rich Peverley is in stable condition after collapsing during Monday night's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Peverly collapsed on the bench after being called off in the first period, and then it was a chaotic few minutes as his teammates ran out onto the ice to stop the game and get him help.
Dallas's head coach Lindy Ruff said the whole episode was pretty traumatic.
"I was scared. I was, my first emotion was, we need somebody here real quick. When he dropped, it was red alert, don't worry about the game. don't worry about anything else just turn around and scream for a doctor, that's all. It was just, let's get him the, get him the help he needs and they came and got him the help. And that, for me it was something I don't want to witness again."
Peverley missed the pre-season and season opener after he was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat. He had to have a procedure done to correct the condition.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Chinese horror film 'Death is Here' coming soon
 
(Death Is Here)
The terrifying trailer for upcoming Chinese horror flick, "Death Is Here," has been released.
Starring, actresses Yu Xinyan and Guo Yan and male lead Guo Xin, the film tells the story of six university students who take a trip to an unnamed mountain region.
There, they play an ancient Chinese game where they call to dark souls, in a similar fashion to Western the ouiji board tradition.
However, when they succeed in contacting the spirit world, strange things start to happen.
The trailer focuses on Bunshinsaba, an apparition that the six friends are trying to contact. Will it come? What kind of questions will offend it? Do you believe in the curse of Bunshinsaba?
The trailer offers glimpses of the film's thrilling details – a deserted village, an ancient house, a dry well, a female ghost with long, dark hair.
"Death Is Here" will hit Chinese screens on April 4.
 
 
'Noah' movie banned in Arab countries ahead of release
 
(Noah)
Three Arab countries have banned the Hollywood film "Noah" on religious grounds even before its worldwide premiere and several others in the Middle East and North Africa are expected to follow suit
Islam frowns upon representing holy figures in art and depictions.
"Censors for Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates officially confirmed this week that the film will not release in their countries", a representative of Paramount Pictures said.
The film produced with a budget of $125 million stars Oscar-winners Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins.
It tells the story of Noah, who in the Bible's Book of Genesis built the ark that saved his family and many pairs of animals from a great flood. He is also revered by Judaism and Islam and indeed an entire chapter in the Koran is devoted to him.
Cairo's Al-Azhar, the highest authority of Sunni Islam and a main center of Islamic teaching for over a millennium has issued a fatwa, against the film.
Mel Gibson's 2004 film "The Passion of the Christ" on Jesus's crucifixion was widely screened in the Arab World, despite a flurry of objections by Muslim clerics.
The Passion raked in 611 million dollars worldwide after evangelicals flocked to see it, but Noah, by Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky does not appear to have struck the same chord.
 
 
Obama appears on 'Between two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis' to plug Obamacare
 
US President Barack Obama has appeared on the cult comedy show "Between two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis" while plugging his Obamacare health programme.
The mock talk show presented by the big bearded actor from "The Hangover" films is known for its cringe inducing banter.
Here's a clip"
(Obama between 2 ferns)
Zack: "What should we do about North Ikea?
Obama: "Why don't we move on."
Zack: "What is it like to be the last black president?
Obama: "Seriously? What is it like for this to be the last time you speak to a president?
Zack: "It must kind of stink though that you can't run three times…"
Obama: "No actually I think it's a good idea, if I ran a third time it would be sort of like doing a third 'Hangover' movie. It didn't really work out very well did it?"
Zack: Where are you planning on building your presidential library? In Hawaii or your home country of Kenya?"
And so it goes on and on..
There was a serious point to it all as I say, as the US president is trying increase youth participation in Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act. It's important to the success of the program to get fit younger people enrolled in the Obamacare plans.
Obama's crusade to draw in young people has previously had help from singers Lady Gaga and John Legend, as well as sports celebrities including former basketball star Magic Johnson.
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
A Chinese working group has been meeting with the families of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight as the search expands to try to find the lost jetliner.
This year's annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference is set to conclude later today in Beijing.
Authorities in the Crimea have announced plans for official independence if people there vote for it on Sunday.
In Business... both Alipay and Tencent planning to issue online credit cards.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.