新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/04/04

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition

 
Shane Bigham with you on this Friday, April 04th, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
The authorities are closely watching the case of a Chinese tourist who has been kidnapped from a resort in Malaysia...
Malaysia's prime minister has wrapped up a trip to Perth, where he observed the continuing effort to find missing flight MH370...
As Tomb-sweeping Day approaches, a commemorative event has been held to honor and remember the country's organ donors...
In Business...China's government vows to maintain a 'prudent' monitary policy to maintain reasonable growth levels..
In sports...Chinese snooker ace Ding Junhui is in the quarterfinals...
In entertainment...actor Morgan Freeman tells us about the Lemurs of Madagascar...
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be sunny today, with a high of 24 degree Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should dip down to around 8.
Sunny weather will last during the weekend, with daytime highs at 20 degrees on Saturday and 23 on Sunday.
Overnight lows are around 10 degrees.
Shanghai will be sunny as well with a high of 18 and a low of 10.
Chongqing will be cloudy with a high of 21.
Overnight lows are expected to be around 15.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.
Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 28.
Kabul will be rainy with a high of 16.
Over to North America.
New York will see slight rain with a high of 8 degrees.
Washington will be cloudy, the high of 19 degrees.
Honolulu, mostly sunny, 29.
Toronto, Canada, will see periods of rain with a high of 10 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be overcast with a high of 22.
And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.
 
 
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TIMECHECK
 
 
Top News
 
 
Chinese woman abducted in Malaysia
 
A massive search is underway in eastern Malaysia for a group of armed men who abducted a Chinese tourist and a Filipino resort worker.
The Filipino military has put its naval vessels in the southern Philippines on high-alert following last night's kidnapping.
Liu Dongyuan, China's deputy Consul-General in Kuching, says the abduction took place at the Singamata Reef Resort in Malaysia's eastern state of Sabah.
"We have not received confirmation who the abductors are. People who called us said they appeared to be armed Filipinos. But the Malaysian police haven't confirmed with us yet. We are waiting for their investigation results."
Malaysian and Philippine authorities are now coordinating their search efforts.
The Chinese government has also activated a response to the abduction.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei.
"The Foreign Ministry and the Chinese consulate in Kuching are paying great attention to the incident. The consulate has initiated an emergency response, sent officials to the area, and requested the local police to start its investigation and rescue as soon as possible and guarantee the safety of the abductee as well as other Chinese tourists in the area."
Initial indications are the two women were taken captive by at least 7-suspects who arrived by boat.
The two women were snatched at the resort's jetty.
Sabah has become a popular tourist destination for Chinese tourists in recent years.
However, the region has also faced security problems due to its proximity to the restive southern Philippines.
In February of last year, more than 100 armed Filipinos landed by boat and launched attacks on Malaysian security forces, sparking a major security crisis in the area close to the Singamata resort.
 
 
Malaysian PM ends trip to Perth as search for MH379 continues
 
Anchor:
The search is continuing for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight, as Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak ends his trip to Australia.
CRI's Alexander Aucott has more.
Reporter:
The prime ministers of Australia and Malaysia have promised to do everything possible to find the airliner, which has been missing for about a month.
Following a meeting with his Malaysian counterpart in Perth, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot says efforts to refine the search area will not stop.
"Every day working on the basis of just small pieces of information, we are putting the jigsaw together and every day we have a higher degree of confidence that we know more about what happened to this ill-fated flight."
Abbot also appealed to the families of MH370 passengers to be more patient after more ships joined the search in southern Indian Ocean.
For his part, Malaysian Prime Minister Razak is promising not to give up the hunt despite the difficulties.
"I know that until we find the plane, many families cannot start to grieve. I cannot imagine what they must be going through, but I can promise them that we will not give up."
Razak visited Australia to see for himself how the search mission is progressing.
Some eight planes and nine ships, including seven Chinese vessels scoured the search area on Thursday.
Chinese authorities say a total of 18 vessels, 8 helicopters and 3 aircraft have taken part in the search since the flight went missing.
A British submarine has already arrived in the southern Indian Ocean to assist in the multinational operation.
An Australian navy ship with equipment for detecting the plane's black-box flight recorder is heading to the region.
Experts have warned that the battery power of the flight recorder could run out after 30 days.
But the Malaysian civil aviation authority has stated the black box will be found.
Meanwhile, a criminal investigation is going on over the disappearance of the flight.
Earlier, investigators cleared all passengers of possible involvement.
The police say they have conducted over 170 interviews with family members of the plane's pilots and crew members.
They are now looking into the cargo and food served on the plane in case of sabotage.
For CRI, I'm Alexander Aucott .
 
 
Karzai urges Afghans to vote for Saturday's presidential election
 
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai is urging his nation to participate in the upcoming presidential election, as Afghans prepare to go to the polls on Saturday.
In a televised speech, Karzai says participating in the polls will be a response to the country's enemies.
"The significant participation of our people in this election will be the biggest guarantee of the continuation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. A strong participation will be the greatest response to those who believe violence and destruction will act as a deterrent against our people."
Around 5,500 polling centers have been set up nationwide.
Taliban insurgents have repeatedly warned Afghans that they will be targeted if they try to vote this weekend.
The Taliban has staged a series of attacks in the past weeks, aiming to disrupt the election.
Nearly 200,000 Afghan forces are being deployed to protect voters and polling stations.
The election will mark the first democratic transfer of power from one president to another since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001.
So far, eight presidential candidates have signed up for the polls.
President Karzai, who has led Afghanistan for more than 12 years, is constitutionally barred from seeking another term in office.
 
 
Kerry urges Israeli and Palestinians to lead peace talks
 
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says Israeli and Palestinians have to make decisions and compromises in order to obtain peace.
Kerry made the comment during a visit to Algeria after Middle East peace talks ran into trouble with the Israelis and Palestinians accusing each other of failing to honor commitments.
"But in the end my friends, as all of you know, you can facilitate, you can push, you can nudge but the parties themselves have to make fundamental decisions and compromises. The leaders have to lead and they have to be able to see a moment when it's there."
Earlier, Israel refused to release a group of Palestinian prisoners as promised unless it received assurance that the Palestinians will continue with negotiations beyond an initial end-of-April deadline.
As a response, Palestinians signed 15 UN conventions as part of renewed campaign to win UN recognition.
Kerry earlier cancelled a visit to Ramallah after the Palestinians signed the conventions.
 
 
Envoys from U.S., Japan, ROK to meet on issues related to DPRK
 
Special envoys from the United States, Japan and the South Korea are scheduled to meet in Washington on Monday to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue.
The talks come amid heightened tensions in the region, following multiple short- and medium-range missile tests by North Korea in recent weeks.
Topics include how to persuade the "verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner."
Earlier this week, North and South exchanged artillery fire in each others' territorial waters.
Pyongyang has also threatened to conduct what it calls a "new form" of nuclear testing, in response to hostile US policies.
 
 
Syrian troops kill 20 rebels near Damascus
 
The Syrian government says its troops have killed 20 rebels during a wide-scale offensive in the eastern countryside around the capital, Damascus.
The action on Thursday targeted a rebel-held area in the suburb of Jobar, regarded as a hotbed of the insurgency.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says government troops bombarded Jobar, adding that 10 rebels from radical militant groups were killed in another rebel-held suburb.
The Syrian troops decided to rid the eastern rim of Damascus of armed rebels following the army's successive victories in the country's central and northern regions.
More than 150,000 people were killed and millions displaced in Syria since opposition started protests in 2011, which later turned into war between the Syrian army and armed rebels.
 
 
Syrian refugee in Lebanon marks one million
 
The number of Syrian refugees who have fled to Lebanon has officially topped one million.
18-year-old Yehya Charkieh has been declared the one-millionth refugee.
"The number one million is too big for refugees in Lebanon. Refugees inside Syria are moving from one area to another, and when fleeing to Lebanon, they are finding it very hard here. One million is too big for Lebanon."
The United Nations refugee agency is describing this as a devastating milestone.
Ninette Kelley is with the UNHCR in Lebanon.
"There are over 2.5 million Syrian refugees in the region, over 6.5 million Syrians inside Syria displaced. The extent of the human tragedy is not just a recitation of numbers, but each one of these numbers represents a human life who like us, have lives like our own, but they've lost their homes, they've lost their family members, they've lost their sense of future."
With a population of just four million, Lebanon now has the highest per-capita concentration of refugees worldwide.
The UN estimates 25-hundred new refugees from Syria are registered every day.
Syrians have also fled to Turkey, Iraq, Jordan and Egypt.
The 2.6 million Syrian refugees are soon set to overtake Afghans as the world's biggest refugee population.
 
 
Online organ donation
 
Anchor:
As Tomb-sweeping Day approaches, a commemorative event has been held to honor and remember the country's organ donors.
Meanwhile, an online organ donation website has been launched to improve public access to organ donations.
Xiong Siqi has more.
Reporter:
A commemorative event was held on the morning of April 2nd in the academic hall of Peking Union Medical College Hospital to honor and remember the nation's organ donors. The event was organized by the Red Cross Society of China and China's National Health and Family Planning Commission. He Xianhang is the father of He Yue, a young girl who voluntarily donated her organs.
"When she knew that she was running out of time, she told me her decision. Her words touched me. Now I am a devoted organ donor."
An online organ donation registry website, organized by the society's China Organ Donation Administrative Centre, was also launched on the day of the commemorative event. The registry, register.rcsccod.org.cn, was set up in order to improve public access to organ donations for life-saving transplants and to raise awareness among the general public. Hong Junling is an officer with the China Organ Donation Administrative Centre.
"After entering our website, you can fill in a spreadsheet online and register quickly. You can also fill out paper application forms. All the data will be collected in our database."
Anyone aged 18 and above can sign up to become an organ donor by following the simple instructions on the website. Personal information required includes a donor's name, gender, nationality, ID details and contact numbers. Donors can modify or withdraw their registration via the website and the registry is also open to foreigners.
Previously, people usually had to go to their local Red Cross branches in order to sign up to become donors; an inconvenient process compared to signing up online.
China has the world's second-largest demand for organ transplants. According to statistics from the National Health and Family Planning Commission, about 300,000 patients suffer from organ failure each year, but only around 10,000 could finally receive transplants, resulting in a severe shortage of organ donations. The supply and demand ratio is 1 to 30, while in western countries; the ratio is about 1 to 3. Zhao Baige, executive vice-president of the Red Cross Society of China, said an organ donation system based on the principles of fairness and scientific efficiency is being set up in China.
"A scientific, fair and ethical organ donation system is being built. Relevant laws and regulations are also being improved gradually. Financial support has been increased and the China Organ Donation Administrative Centre was established specially for improving the situation of organ donation in China."
However, questions related to the transparency of the country's organ donation system are the main reason as to why some people hesitate when it comes to donating organs. On this issue, Huang Jiefu, chairman of China Organ Donation and Transplant Committee, said that China is seeking to build a transparent donor system.
"If we want people to trust us, we must set up an honest and fair system. Now we have established an organ donation and transplant committee, which has five work systems, including an organ donation system, organ capture and distribution system, organ transplant system, a registration system, and an organ donation supervision system. Only if the five systems work together can we guarantee that our entire system is fair, honest and transparent."
The online registry system collates the information of donors who intend to donate their organs after they've passed away.
Back anchor:
That's Xiong Siqi with the report.
 
 
Tomb Sweeping Proxy emerges
 
Anchor:
With the Qingming Festival approaching, the issue of 'tomb-sweeping' proxies is once-again up for discussion here in China.
CRI's Li Dong has more.
Reporter:
Traditionally, tomb sweeping is considered to be a ceremony only for the family members of the dead.
But the distance as well as congestion of people and vehicles at cemeteries has made it a painful experience for some during the brief period. As a result, tomb sweeping by proxy has emerged.
On Taobao.com, China's biggest online shopping portal, there are more than 20 online stores offering Tomb-Sweeping service ranging from 100 to 3000 yuan.
Mr. Wang is one of the tomb sweeping service agents. He explains the service on offer.
"When we get there, we will sweep the tomb first and make the surroundings clean and tidy. Then we will hold a mini ceremony, including mourning, reading the words you want us to read, pouring liquor, burning paper sacrifices, and donating flowers. If you want to burn a tailored sacrifice like a paper car, you need to pay additional money. On average, it will cost you around 1,000 yuan. Everything will be recorded, and we accept online transactions."
Yang Xuan, a girl who has been working in a city far away from her hometown, welcomes such service.
"If the tomb is close to where you live, and you can afford the time; that's good. But nowadays, working and studying in another city or overseas is common. Distance is definitely a barrier. If you really can't make it back, and you want to pay respects to your family members who have passed on, tomb sweeping service is a viable choice."
But Yang also says people should not rely on such service. If you can make it back, you should go back. Nonetheless, this event only takes place once a year. Jing Xiaowei is a young girl in Beijing who shares the same thought.
"For me, tomb sweeping should be a serious ceremony for mourning those family members who have passed away. If you have strangers do that for you, like the tomb sweeping agent, it will not be honest. It has nothing to do with your actual emotions. So, if people choose this service, what is the Tomb Sweeping Festival for?"
The idea of tomb-sweeping by proxy has also raised concerns about the commercialization of the festival.
Professor Yu Jianrong from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences says it is acceptable to ask others to help in tomb-sweeping. However, as for people making a profit from the festival, the commercialization of the festival is completely out of place. The nature of tomb-sweeping is to pay respects to the dead. This meaning will get totally lost when people start pursuing profit instead.
So far, most of tomb-sweeping service offered by on-line stores has attracted few customers.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
The U.S. stock market dipped in and out of negative territory and ended Thursday marginally lower, breaking a four-day winning streak.
The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average hit intraday record levels in early trading.
But gains faded out by afternoon, ahead of the March jobs report due on Friday.
Initial reaction to Thursday's economic reports was muted.
Weekly jobless claims rose by more than expected, the U.S. trade deficit gap widened by more than forecast and the ISM services index rose in line with estimates.
S&P 500 ended the day 0.1% lower.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down less than a point.
The Nasdaq finished the day down nearly 1%.
Stocks across Europe finished with minor gains Thursday.
On the economic front,
market-research group Markit said expansion in France's service sector in March ended four months of decline, driven by a rise in incoming new work.
The activity index reached a 26-month high at 51.5, versus 47.2 in February.
Among country-specific indexes, Germany's DAX 30 slightly settled up.
France's CAC 40 pushed higher by 0.4%.
But the U.K.'s FTSE 100 ended a fraction of a percent lower, with losses for most finance issues and metal producers.
 
 
ECB keeps interest rates on hold at 0.25%
 
The European Central Bank has kept its benchmark interest rate at a record low of a quarter of a percent.
It comes despite the fact that inflation in the currency bloc fell to a five year low in March.
Eurozone interest rates have remained unchanged since November 2013, when the bank said it expected "a prolonged period of low inflation".
This week figures showed inflation continued to fall in March to half a percent, well below the ECB's target of 2%.
March was the sixth month that inflation in the eurozone was trapped in what ECB President Mario Draghi has called "the danger zone" below 1%.
 
 
China to keep prudent monetary policy
 
China is going to continue its prudent monetary policy and maintain "moderate" liquidity so as to achieve reasonable growth in loans and social financing.
The country's central bank, People's Bank of China, says it will closely watch new developments in the domestic and international economy and finance, and changes in international capital flows.
The statement comes as the central bank's monetary policy committee concluded its quarterly meeting.
The meeting calls for improvements in the structure of financing and credit, deepened financial system reform, and enhanced capability of the financial sector to facilitate the real economy.
The monetary policy committee also urges authorities to "further push forward market-oriented interest rate reform.
The committee holds that China's economy remains in the "proper range," but it still faces complicated situations with favorable and unfavorable factors co-existing.
 
 
Corp news with Doug
 
Anchor:
Let's check out some of the key events on the corporate front in China this week.
Doug Young joins me on the line, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
1.       Second private Chinese firm defaults on bond: Report
A small construction materials company failed to pay interest on 180 million yuan of bonds, marking China's second default on a domestic bond.
Xuzhou Zhongsen Tonghao New Board missed a payment due March 28th on high-yield bonds issued last year.
It comes after Shanghai Chaori Solar Energy Science and Technology missed an interest payment on a yuan bond last month, becoming China's first-ever domestic bond default.
Questions:
--What's your take on the default of Xuzhou Zhongsen, will the government step in and help or has a new course been set when it comes to this kind of problem?
What does this second default tell us about China's overall economic well-being?
--What other industries are vulnerable to default?
2.  SMG Joins Shanghai Media Overhaul
Shanghai Media and Entertainment Group and Shanghai Media Group announced a merger on Monday.
These are two big state-run media organizations coming together, ostensibly to improve efficiency and better serve the overall market.
Questions:
--What needs to be done now to make this merger work?
--Following the announcement, shares of Shanghai-listed Oriental Pearl and BesTV, subsidiaries of the former Shanghai Media Group, slumped. The market reaction is not very positive. Is that a short term thing or do you think it reflects something more serious?
--Do you agree that the transformation and merger set an example for the future market reform of China's media system?
Anchor:
Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
 
 
Wider U.S. trade deficit to weigh on first-quarter GDP
 
New data shows the U.S. trade deficit has unexpectedly widened in February as exports hit a five-month low.
The US Commerce Department says the deficit on the trade balance increased nearly 8 percent to surpass 40 billion US dollars, registering the largest deficit since September last year.
In February, exports fell some 1 percent to 190 billion, the lowest level since September.
Exports dropped in nearly all categories, with the largest decline in industrial supplies and materials.
The trade deficit gap widened to 50 billion US dollars from around 48 billion in January.
Economists, who had expected the deficit to narrow to 38 and half billion US dollars, said trade could slice off as much as half a percent from first-quarter GDP.
Despite the trade setback, the US economy remains on track to regain momentum as the year progresses.
Other data showed activity in the services sector accelerating in March after being hampered by unusually cold weather.
The economy grew at a 2.6 percent pace in the final three months of last year.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Chinese woman abducted in Malaysia
 
Malay authorities say they believe the suspects involved in the kidnapping of a Chinese national on Wednesday evening at a resort in eastern Malaysia are now likely in Philippine waters.
The head of the police forces in Sabah says the group of armed men, believed to be Filipino, are no longer in Malaysian territory.
Authorities also say they suspect there may have been someone coordinating with the suspects inside the resort where the women were taken from.
So far no ransom has been demanded.
The pair were taken Wednesday evening while on the jetty of a popular resort in Sabah.
 
 
Malaysian PM ends trip to Perth as search for MH379 continues
 
Today's search effort for missing flight MH370 is already underway. It's been nearly a month since the plane disappeared.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has just finished a trip to Perth, Australia, where he reviewed search operations and met with his counterpart, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
The two leaders have promised to do everything possible to locate the airliner, saying efforts to refine the search zone will not stop.
Abbott says crews are "putting the jigsaw together" and every day there is a higher degree of confidence regarding what happened to the ill-fated flight.
Some eight planes and nine ships, including seven Chinese vessels scoured the search area on Thursday.
The Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing had 239 passengers and crew on board. 154 of those people are Chinese.
 
 
Syrian troops kill 20 rebels near Damascus
 
The Syrian government says its troops have killed 20 rebels during a wide-scale offensive in the eastern countryside around the capital, Damascus.
The action on Thursday targeted a rebel-held area in the suburb of Jobar, regarded as a hotbed of the insurgency.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says government troops bombarded Jobar, adding that 10 rebels from radical militant groups were killed in another rebel-held suburb.
The Syrian troops decided to rid the eastern rim of Damascus of armed rebels following the army's successive victories in the country's central and northern regions.
 
 
UN airlifts supplies for 335,000 vulnerable, uprooted Syrians in March
 
The United Nations says it supplied aid to over 300-thousand vulnerable and displaced Syrians in the war-torn country in March.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says it took eight emergency airlifts to move the supplies, which included medicines, health and hygiene kits and shoes.
Some of those supplies went to the besieged city of Douma, the first UN relief to reach that area since November 2012.
More than 9 million people in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 6.5 million internally displaced persons.
Over 2 million people have sought refuge in neighboring countries and North Africa.
The number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has officially topped one million.
 
 
Nordic defense ministers to discuss cooperation, security situation
 
Defense ministers from Europe's five nordic countries will gather in Norway next week for talks on regional cooperation and security.
Ministers from Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland will discuss such issues as the sitation in Ukraine, cyber defense, and joint tactical air transport.
They will also talk about the lessons learned from their respective cooperation in international operations in Afghanistan, Syria, and Mali.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Early warning system for smog in place
Summary
The Ministry of Environmental Protection says an air quality early warning system is now in operation.
The vice-minister says smog can be forecast two or three days in advance with an accuracy of 60 to 70 percent
The new system covers all prefecture-level cities in the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, areas surrounding Beijing and the capital cities of other provincial regions.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Draft on protecting waterways passes
Summary
A draft law on protecting and making full use of the country's limited waterway resources has been passed .
The draft has made clear stipulations on the planning, construction, protection and maintenance of waterways.
pouring gravel, soil or any other waste into waterways or their surrounding areas has been banned. Certain fishing restrictions are also in place.
GLOBALTIMES
Headline
New courses for farmers
Summary
More educational opportunities for farmers have been promised in a document issued by Chinese authorities.
All farmers below the age of 50, including agricultural business owners and managers, are eligible.
Courses will include both theoretical and practical training, covering farming, husbandry, aquaculture, agricultural engineering and business management.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
New campaign seeks to reduce risk of vector-borne diseases
Summary
Health authorities in Shanghai has launched a month-long, citywide campaign to improve people's awareness of the health risks posed by mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches and rats.
The Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the recent warm weather has seen a steep increase in the density of mosquitoes in the city.
People are advised to get rid of standing water, where the bugs like to breed.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Chinese grassroots policemen to get arms training
Summary
The Ministry of Public Security has launched a three-month program to train Chinese grassroots policemen in using arms.
The ministry says the training is aimed at improving officer's legal knowledge and practical skills, so they can effectively use weapons when they are dealing with violent crimes.
The training will mainly focus on policemen who patrol streets and handle emergencies in big cities and county-level regions.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Pet pooch standards
Summary
A new committee to standardize the raising of companion animals has proposed pet dog standards.
Dogs would be categorized as working, sporting, herding, toy and other species by tests to determine whether they are suitable as pets.
Other proposals include signs in public areas to ease tensions between pet owners and other residents.
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Dying boy's kidney goes to save mother
Summary
It is reported that a family with two members suffering from deadly diseases made a tough decision to use a kidney from a dying 7-year-old boy to save his mother.
Doctors in a hospital treating the two said the son cannot be cured and he was going to die in the near future.
The family then made the decision to use one of the boy's kidneys to save his mother after he dies.
The family has also decided to donate the boy's other kidney and liver for two other patients.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
China to expand aviation coop. with Latin America
 
Anchor:
Chinese exhibitors at the now-concluded Chile International Air and Space Fair are suggesting there is a lot of room for growth when it comes to aerospace cooperation between the two countries.
CRI's Chi Huiguang has more.
Reporter:
The 18th International Air and Space Fair, or FIDAE, concluded last Sunday in Santiago, capital of Chile.
This year's fair is reportedly the largest since the FIDAE was established in 1980, with about 580 aerospace and defense technology companies from 43 countries and regions displaying their latest products.
Among the activities staged during the event, aerobatics probably impressed visitors the most.
This year, sky-writers from Argentina drew an "arrow through the heart" with smoke trails coming out of their aircrafts. The world's largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, also made an appearance at the fair, showing visitors its unusually large size.
Edu is a big fan of the fair. He said:
"I've been coming to the fair since its first edition in 1980. Aerobatics of combat aircraft are rare to behold. They are not something we can see everyday, so it's important to enjoy the special week once every two years."
At the fair, state-owned China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, or CETC, displayed the latest achievements of China in aviation and aerospace technologies.
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Chinese ambassador Yang Wanming and Chinese astronaut Wang Yaping visited the booth of the corporation.
Zhao Ming, president of CETC, said that Chinese aviation and aerospace firms have their own advantages.
"We have our own advantages with regard to product performance, prices and after-sale services. Thus, many of China's technologies and products are increasingly gaining recognition among Latin American customers."
Chile has reportedly become China's second largest partner in Latin America within the aviation and aerospace sector. As China's technologies continue to develop, Zhao says Chinese companies like his own are eying further cooperation with their Latin American counterparts.
"We are not merely a product supplier. We can also cooperate in a wide range of fields, including development and manufacturing."
Established in 1980, the International Air and Space Fair is the largest event of its kind in Latin America and is held every two years in Chile.
For CRI, Im Chi Huiguang
 
 
Sports
 
 
Ding Junhui eased past John Higgins to set up quarterfinal clash against Mark King
 
In snooker,
World number four Ding Junhui is now into the last eight of the China Open and will take on Mark King later today.
Ding eased past Scotsman John Higgins 5-2 in the third round while Mark King booked his place in the last eight after knocking out Jamie O'Neil 5-3.
Defending champion Neil Robertson also kept his title defense alive after overcoming a scare to beat Chinese Yu Delu 5-4 yesterday.
Neil Robertson will meet Graeme Dott of Scotland in their quarterfinal match today.
Also in the last eight draw, it's Ricky Walden meeting his English compatriot Allister Carter.
World number-one Mark Selby faces Mike Dunn.
 
 
Juventus beat Lyon1-0 in Europa League last eight's away leg
 
European football news from the Europa League last eight draw.
Serie A leaders Juventus beat Lyon 1-0 to move a step closer to their first European trophy since 1996.
Antonio Conte's side broke Lyon hearts with a late goal from Leonardo Bonucci just five minutes from time.
The defeat is only the second time Lyon have lost in this year's competition, along with their defeat to Viktoria Plzen in the last sixteen.
The game returns to Turin in seven days' time.
Elsewhere, it was Portuguese champions FC Porto beating Spanish side Sevilla 1-0.
Another Portuguese side Benfica won 1-0 against Netherlands' AZ Alkmaar on the road.
And lastly, Swiss side Basel thrashed Spanish side Valencia 3-0.
 
 
Barca president slams FIFA sanction
 
Also in football, Barcelona's new president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, is calling FIFA's 14-month transfer ban on the club a "grave injustice".
"We are outraged and the victims of a grave injustice. With this sanction, FIFA is punishing a model that has existed for 35 years and which is the essence of this club. A model that FIFA itself has acclaimed for many years. What comes to my mind is Leo Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez picking up the Ballon D'Or."
FIFA announced on Wednesday it had banned the Spanish champions from the transfer market for two consecutive windows and fined them over half a million dollars.
Barca said they would try to get the transfer ban suspended until their appeal is heard and would take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if necessary.
The club also insists it still plans to buy at least a goalkeeper and a central defender in the close season.
 
 
San Antonio look for a franchise record 20th straight win
 
Basketball now,
Only a pair of games in the NBA this morning.
Western Conference leaders San Antonio are looking for their 20 straight victory when they take on Oklahoma City later on.
Tip-off at 8 am sharp Beijing time.
The Spurs are playing back-to-back after they beat Golden State 111-90 yesterday.
The Los Angeles Clippers are also playing a second game in consecutive days, taking on the Dallas Mavericks at home.
Having extended their winning streak to four yesterday after thumping Phoenix 112-108, today the Clippers will look to grab a fifth straight victory and leapfrog the Thunder as the second seed in the Western Conference.
 
 
Roger Federer team up with Wawrinka to face Kazakhstan in Davis Cup quarter-final
 
Tournament favorite Switzerland will take on Kazakhstan in the Davis Cup quarterfinal later today.
The three-day singles and doubles competition will see Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, who is now ranked above Federer, team up.
Warinka moved to world number three after winning the Australian Open earlier this year.
Federer says he doesn't mind he is now ranked one notch below his partner.
"Well I mean it is good that I have played some doubles match this year already, like in Brisbane and at Indian Wells we played well together so I hope we can keep up the good run."
The Swiss pair will have to get past Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin and Andrey Golubev, both of whom are outside the world's top 50.
The winners of the draw will take on the winners between Italy and Great Britian, who clash in Naples in another last eight draw.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Morgan Freeman narrates Island of Lemurs: Madagascar
 
Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman - who narrated the 2011 documentary "Born To Be Wild" is back using his golden voice once again, this time for "Island of Lemurs: Madagascar."　
(Morgan Lemur)
The new IMAX 3D film documents the efforts of Dr. Patricia C. Wright to protect the primates, which are only found on the island.
The lemur expert says Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island and its vast array of different kinds of habitats have led to over 100 species, of lemurs evolving.
So with all these different kinds of creatures how do you tell what is a lima, well among other things they all have one thing in common.
"All　these lemurs have one thing in common - from the little one to the very largest one - they all have female dominance.　The females are the leaders.　The females are the ones that make the choices of where they go and what foods they eat and where they're going to sit and if the males don't follow what the females say - the lead females - he will be reprimanded."
Dr Wright helped establish the first national park in Madagascar in 1991 after finding one species that was thought to be extinct, as well as discovering a brand new species of lemur.
There have now been 18 national parks established but the plight of these amazing creatures is still terrible. "Ninty-percent of the lemur species are endangered, critically endangered or threatened.
The film "Island of Lemurs: Madagascar" opens in IMAX theaters in North America today (April 4th.)
 
 
Pandas settling in to Belgium zoo
 
While we're talking about cute creatures, Two giant pandas are now settling into their new home at a zoo in Belgium.
The Pandas Xing Hui and Hao Hao have been leased by a conservation and research centre in southwest China's Sichuan province.
Steffen Patzwahl the director of Pairi Daiza zoo says he expects the black and white creatures will get visitors flooding in :
"Well, last year we had 1.2 million visitors here in the seven months the park is open in the summer, and we think - well, we know from other zoos like Edinburgh, Madrid and Vienna, who already have pandas - that, of course, the attraction of a panda will raise the visitor numbers, so we are thinking there will be a small increase in visitor numbers this year as well."
Giant Pandas are one of the world's most endangered species, around 1,600 live in the wild, mostly in the mountains of Sichuan Province, while more than 300 live in captivity.
 
 
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa gets US release
 
(Alpha Papa)
Alan Partidge finally hits cinema screens over in the US today.
The big screen version of the British cult comedy classic came out in its home country last summer, but now Coogan, who recently starred in the Oscar nominated Philomena, will get the chance to see how the fictional radio DJ will be received by our cousins across the pond.
Steve Coogan explains some of the intricacies of the plot:
"Well, Alan Partridge is a local DJ in Norwich, quietly running his small radio programme for his, for　local listeners and a big multinational media conglomerate come along, buy up the radio station, suck all of the life out of it, try to put this cookie cutter kind of generic status, generic identity onto the radio station and, as in all these things when these big companies take over, there's human detritus. People are forgotten. People are just cast aside because they're not fashionable anymore and one of those people decides to not take it lying down and a siege ensues. A very dangerous situation develops and Alan Partridge is at the heart of it and is brought in by this disgruntled DJ, Alan Partridge is brought in as the sort of go-between try to and, as the negotiator between the police and the authorities outside and this disgruntled DJ."
Alpha Papa is out in the US today (April 4)
 
 
US sanctions could cause stars to cancel gigs in Finnland
 
(Miley Cyrus)
Finnish music fans may have to miss out on a host of live acts visiting this summer due to US sanctions against Russia.
Stars including Miley Cyrus and Justin Timberlake had been set to perform at Helsinki's Hartwall venue, owned by Gennady Timochenko and brothers Arkady and Boris Rotenberg.
All three appear on a US sanctions list as part of Russian President Vladimir Putin's "inner circle."
Timchenko was estimated to be worth 15.3 billion US dollars before sanctions were announced last month.
Other artists set to perform at the venue included Robbie Williams, Peter Gabriel, Aerosmith and Elton John.
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
The authorities are closely watching the case of a Chinese tourist who has been kidnapped from a resort in Malaysia...
Malaysia's prime minister has wrapped up a trip to Perth, where he observed the continuing effort to find missing flight MH370...
As Tomb-sweeping Day approaches, a commemorative event has been held to honor and remember the country's organ donors...
In Business...China's government vows to maintain a 'prudent' monetary policy to maintain reasonable growth levels..
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Shane Bigham in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.