新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/05/27

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition
 
 
Shane Bigham with you on this Monday, May 27th, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Chinese authorities are vowing to crack down on terrorism in Xinjiang... this follows a meeting presided over by president Xi Jinping...
Beijing subway police at five major transit stations are now carrying guns...
And Chinese authorities have rejected Vietnam's latest claims over the Xisha Islands...
In Business...millions of old cars in China are to be scrapped, in an effort to fight pollution..
In sports...a preview of Li Na's opening round match at the French Open..
In entertainment...a Chinese pop star at the World Music Awards...
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be cloudy today with a high of 33 degree Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should drop down to around 19.
Shanghai will be sunny during the daytime with a high of 34.
Overnight, it will be clear with a low of 23.
In Chongqing, it will be overcast with a high of 27.
Overnight lows are expected to be around 17.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.
Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 37.
Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 23.
Over to North America.
New York will see slight rain today with a high of 28 degrees.
Washington will also see slight rain with a high of 30 degrees.
Honolulu, slight rain, 28.
Toronto, Canada, will have slight rain with a high of 23 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 15.
And Rio de Janeiro will see moderate rain with a high of 23 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
China vows to maintain stability in Xinjiang
 
Central Party authorities here in China are vowing to harshly crack down on terrorist attacks and maintain lasting stability in Xinjiang.
The pledge comes after a meeting presided by Xi Jinping.
A statement issued after the meeting stresses that the stability of Xinjiang is strategically vital to the whole country's reform and development as well as its national security.
The central leadership also pledged efforts to improve the livelihood for locals in Xinjiang, saying increasing the employment rate should be at the top of the agenda.
The latest meeting follows the launch of a year-long national campaign against terrorism.
Major Chinese cities have seen stepped up security measures following the call.
 
 
Beijing subway partol police equipped with guns)Beijing subway partol police equipped with guns
 
Anchor
Regular patrol officers at 5 major stations along Beijing's subway line 1 are now carrying guns.
CRI's Li Dong has more.
Reporter
Starting this past weekend, police officers are now carrying guns as part of their regular patrols at the Xidan, Dongdan, Tiananmen East, Tiananmen West, and Wangfujing subway stops.
This is the first time regular patrol officers have been given firearms.
Their sidearm, a 9mm revolver, can shoot both real and rubber bullets.
The new show of force is drawing mixed reactions.
"It makes me feel safe to see police carry guns on patrol, whether it's on the subway, buses or trains."
"It also makes me feel a little tense seeing them carry guns on patrol. But I think its a good move, because it's going to make terrorists think twice about doing bad things."
Li Wei, an anti-terrorism expert with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, concedes that giving regular patrol officers a gun isn't likely to be that effective in stopping a terrorist.
However, he says it will help in the aftermath of an attack.
"Regular patrol officers with guns can better safeguard the capital's public safety, especially when terrorist attack takes place. Armed patrol officers will be on the scene much more quickly than special forces can be."
As of this past weekend, subway passengers also have to face security checks at three more stations, namely Bajiao Amusement Park, Tiantongyuan North and Longze.
Unlike previous security arrangements, passengers at these stations now have to go through a metal detector and be cleared by security staff before moving through.
The new security measures come as Beijing and the rest of the country grapples with more violent terrorist attacks.
Li Wei also says the public needs to be vigilant when it comes to suspicious activity.
"Terrorist attacks mostly target normal people. Raising awareness in the fight against terrorism can help public security crack down on terrorism and better protect themselves. The media also has a responsibility to help educate people about what to do in the case of an attack. Normally, a person's natural response to an attack may be to run. But in most cases it may be safer to just lie down or take cover when you hear an explosion or a gun shot."
The new security measures along Beijing's subway lines comes on the heels of last week's terrorist attack on an open-air market in Xinjiang's capital, Urumqi, which left 39 people dead and 94 others hurt.
The attack in Urumqi last week follows a pair of terrorist attacks on train stations Urumqi and Yunnan's capital Kunming earlier this year, and an attack at Tian'anmen Square in October.
Beijing's subway system, which carries around 10-million passengers a day, is considered a prime target for a terrorist attack.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
China refutes Vietnamese comments on Xisha Islands
 
China's Foreign Ministry has refuted Vietnamese comments on the sovereignty of the Xisha Islands, vowing to safeguard territorial integrity.
Earlier, Vietnamese authorities claimed the islands as part of Vietnam.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Qin Gang, says the claim is false.
"Before the 1970s, Vietnam acknowledged and respected China's sovereignty over the islands. In 1956, the head of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry made it clear that Xisha Islands are Chinese territory. For a long period of time, in its official documents, maps and textbooks, the country admitted the Xisha Islands are part of China. "
In 1958, China set its sea boundary at 12 nautical miles, a limit that includes the Xisha Islands.
The Vietnamese Prime Minister of the day said the Vietnamese government respected China's statement.
However, Qin says after 1975 Vietnam breached its previous commitments and claimed sovereignty of the islands.
The spokesperson says the Chinese government is determined to safeguard China's sovereignty.
Meanwhile, in terms of the violence against foreigners in Vietnam which left two Chinese dead, Qin Gang has urged Vietnam to severely punish the perpetrators.
"We have noticed that two people were sentenced in Vietnam, but we do not think the punishment is enough. We are urging Vietnam to conduct a thorough investigation into the riots, severely punish the criminals based on the law, while compensating affected people and companies for their losses."
Atleast 2 Chinese were killed and over 100 other Chinese nationals were injured in the violence broke out two weeks ago.
 
 
Ukraine new president says no negotiation with armed opposition
 
Anchor
Preliminary results show the candy tycoon Petro Poroshenko has been elected as the new Ukrainian president.
The result comes as authorities in Kiev launch air strikes in the eastern capital of Donetsk.
CRI's Ding lulu has more.
Reporter
Heavy fighting is reportedly taking place at the airport in the embattled eastern Ukrainian city of Donestk.
Reports from the ground are suggesting fighter jets are involved in the clashes between Ukranian security forces and armed anti-government activists.
The fresh round of fighting comes with confirmation that confectionary tycoon Petro Poroshenko has won an outright victory in Sunday's presidential election.
The Ukrainian electoral commission has announced that the 48-year-old won in the first round.
Mykhaylo Okhendovsky is the chairman of central election commission.
"Already at this point we can make a very important conclusion - there is no need for a second round of voting. The new president of Ukraine was elected on May 25th, 2014. After all the necessary legal procedures are completed, presidential candidate Petro Poroshenko will become the new president."
Authorities say with 70 percent of the vote counted, Poroshenko has over 53 percent of the vote, followed by ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko with 13 percent.
As the president-elect, Poroshenko has promised to quickly bring the crisis in his country to an end.
"Very soon we will see more effectiveness in the anti-terrorist operation. The anti-terrorist operation cannot and will not take two or three months, it should take hours."
Meanwhile, Poroshenko says Kiev will address the concerns of local in eastern regions and provide assurances on people' rights, including the use of the Russian language on an official level.
The largely Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Luhansk declared independence after Crimea joined Russia in March.
Previously, Kiev and Moscow blamed each other for the unrest in the regions.
On the relationship with Russia, Poroshenko expresses he will meet Russian leaders in the first half of June, adding that restoring stability in the eastern region will require Moscow's involvement.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated that Russia will respect the will of the Ukrainian people and is ready for talks with Poroshenko.
"We constantly call for real dialogue between those who hold power in Kiev and all Ukraine's regions. We are convinced that this is key to the resolution of the deepest crisis of the Ukrainian statehood that we have seen. As the president Putin said a few times, we are ready for dialogue with Kiev representatives, we are also ready for dialogue with Petro Poroshenko."
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also says China respects the Ukrainian people's choice in the election and hopes that all sides can settle the crisis through political dialogue.
The election comes three months after former President Viktor Yanukovych fled Kiev amid street protests calling for closer ties with the EU.
The inauguration of the new Ukrainian president is expected in mid-June.
For CRI, I'm Ding Lulu.
 
 
Libya's new Prime Minister swear in
 
Libya's new Prime Minister, Ahmed Maitiq, and his cabinet have been sworn in amid objections over the election process.
Maitiq is now waiting for acting Prime Minister Abdullah Thinni to hand over power.
Maitiq won a confidence vote in parliament after gaining 83 of the total 93 votes.
But some politicians immediately challenged him, calling the vote "meaningless" as only 93 of the 200 lawmakers attended it.
The Libyan parliament has been stuck in a deadlock between secular groups and Islamists since the 2011 popular protests that toppled the country's former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
 
 
Egyptians to continue presidential election today
 
Egyptian voters are expected to continue voting today, the second day of the country's presidential election.
Many voters in Cairo have expressed their support for ex-military chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, hoping a military strongman can end three years of turmoil in the country.
"We are happy to participate. I hope that it will be a fair election and I hope that the man who will do good for the country wins."
"I think that it was a beautiful day and that the elections are going well and I expect that tomorrow more people will turn up."
Sisi has enjoyed an overwhelming popularity since he removed former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi last July.
He won 94.5 percent of the votes cast by over 300 thousand overseas Egyptians last week.
His only rival in the race is leftist leader Hamdeen Sabahy.
Over 11 thousand polling stations have opened to 53 million eligible voters across the country this week.
The balloting is supervised by monitors from the European Union, the African Union and the Arab League.
Official results are expected on June 5.
 
 
Thailand's Prayuth vows to appoint interim PM, set up cabinet
 
Thai General Prayuth Chan-ocha has issued a new pledge to appoint an interim Prime Minister and set up a new cabinet.
But he has not set a time frame for this.
Prayuth spoke after receiving a royal endorsement for his decision to take over the government last week.
He's now officially the leader of the National Council for Peace and Order.
"The most important thing at present is to maintain peace in the country. We will maintain firm control and deal with those who violate the law or use weapons, as well as any protests or anything that creates a restive situation."
He says while the curfew imposed last week will remain in-place, he's ordered troops to be lenient.
Thailand's military authorities have earlier warned the pubic against rallying and using social media to incite unrest.
Despite the warning however, hundreds of protestors took to the streets in Bangkok on Monday, calling for an election.
The military takeover of the Thai government last week is the culmination of months of political fighting between pro and anti-government camps.
The fighting has caused several deaths.
Anti-government politician Suthep Thaugsuban, who was detained last Thursday, has been released on bail.
Suthep was charged with insurrection and murder, in relation to alleged involvement in the deaths of anti-government protesters in a military crackdown four years ago.
Suthep was deputy prime minister in charge of security at the time.
 
 
China issues white paper on human rights
 
Anchor
The State Council has issued a new white paper on Human Rights.
The details from CRI's Xie Zhao.
Report
The white paper, titled "Progress in China's Human Rights in 2013," says the Chinese government has effectively safeguarded its citizens' right to life and health, personal liberty, personal dignity and other rights of the individual.
The new White Paper also outlines the developments made last year.
Li Yunlong is a human rights researcher with CPC Party School.
"People's livelihoods have improved significantly. Basic public services in both urban and rural settings have been better safeguarded. At the same time, the establishment of the social security system, including better nursing and medical treatment facilities, have also made a lot of progress. China became home to the world's largest social safety last year."
On top of the improvements in the social security system, the White Paper says a lot of achievements have been made toward protecting people's individual freedoms.
The report notes the former "reeducation through labor system" or laojiao, has been abolished.
It also says advancements have been made toward better protecting women and children.
The report also says special attention is being paid to the protection of the rights of people with mental disabilities.
Measures to prevent and rectifying unjust, false or erroneous criminal charges have also been been further strengthened.
Zhao Zhengqun, deputy director of the Human Rights Research Center at Nankai University, says more advancements have been made in the judicial system.
"2013 is the first time authorities have come up with an agenda for improving people's rights in the judicial system. Under the changes, the government has reiterated that China respects and safeguards people's rights. At the same time, advancements have also been made in government transparency when it comes to information. These changes allow people better access to information, and give people more involvement in the system."
Li Yunlong says the new White Paper also highlights the work that has been done before last year when it comes to human rights, in particular the right to democracy and free speech, known here in China as the "two rights."
"For years, western countries have criticized the two rights here in China. The new report notes China has made significant progress in protecting these two rights. China has been involved in the reform and opening-up process for more than 30 years. The Chinese government and all walks of life are becoming more confident when it comes to the two rights. China is adopting a direct and objective attitude toward these rights. China has completed social democracy with Chinese characteristics, and China's free speech rights are developing, and its freedom of speech is expanding."
The report also says the Internet has "dramatically" expanded the space for freedom of speech, saying the Internet has become one of the most important channels for the public to express opinions.
The report does note China is still a large developing country and more needs to be done to establish higher standards for the protection of human rights.
The new White Paper on Human Rights is the 11th since the government began releasing reports on human rights in 1991.
For CRI, this is Xie Zhao.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Anchor
First off, a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe.
Joinning me on the desk, CRI's Ding Lulu.
Reporter
World stocks mostly rose Monday on optimism about the U.S. economy, hints from China about further stimulus and hopes for greater stability in Ukraine after its elections.
But Trading volumes were low today as U.S. and British markets were closed for holidays.
Investors were cheered by the fact that the result of the national election in Ukraine was accepted by both western powers and Russia.
Meanwhile, results from European Parliament elections showed parties that are against the European Union and favor stronger national borders made huge gains.
Among the notable exceptions was Italy, where a strong vote for the ruling party was seen to strengthen its mandate to reform the economy. Italy's stock market jumped 3.6 percent.
Germany's DAX rose 1.3% and France's CAC 40 gained 0.8%.
 
 
China to scrap millions of cars in anti-pollution push
 
China plans to take more than five million ageing vehicles off the roads this year in a bid to improve air quality.
According to a government policy document published on Monday, 330,000 cars are set to be decommissioned in Beijing alone.
The action plan looks to cut emissions over the next two years. The State Council admitted the country failed to reach the targets that had been set for the period between 2011 and 2013.
Xu Shaoshi is with the National Development and Reform Commission.
"Last year we did a mid-term evaluation on the implementation of the "12th Five-Year" plan on the energy saving and emission reduction aspects, but the results were less-than ideal. For the first three years starting from 2011, national energy intensity dropped by 9 percent, Nitrogen oxide emissions declined by 2 percent, and only 54 percent and 20 percent of the five-year mandates have been completed respectively. Those numbers are far away from the requirements."
According to Beijing's environmental watchdog, vehicle emissions in Beijing are responsible for about 31 percent of all hazardous airborne particles in the PM 2.5 category. 22.4 percent of that smog originates from the burning of coal.
The policy document also set new targets for the closure of coal-fired heating systems as well as the installation of equipment to reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions at power stations, steel mills and cement plants.
Chinese authorities have proposed new targets for energy-saving and emission-reductions for this year and next, including reducing energy consumption per unit of GDP by some 4 percent.
 
 
China's SME board's 10th anniversary
 
Anchor
China's SME board, a sub-board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange for the listing of small and medium-sized enterprises, has seen fast growth since its launch a decade ago, May 27th 2004.
More than 700 companies will a combined market value over 3.8 trillion yuan are now listed on the SME.
The board's market capitalization now accounts for over 40 percent of the total market value of all the listed companies on the Shenzhen bourse.
For more on China's SME board, we are now joined live on the line with Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.
Questions:
1. Looking back over the past decade, what are the major achievements of the SME? Which companies are the major players on that board?
2. In the beginning, the SME launched as part of the preparation for the Growth Enterprise Market, or GEM board. How has it changed over the last 10 years and where is it going?
3. What are the major problems on the SME board, and what needs to be done to fix them?
Back Anchor:
Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.
 
 
Ukraine agrees to pay gas debt to Russia
 
Ukraine has tentatively agreed to pay the gas debt it owes Russia in a bid to resolve the gas supply dispute between the two countries.
But European Union Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger says consultations between the sides are not over after his meeting with Russian and Ukrainian energy ministers in Berlin.
"We are not done yet. Both sides need consultations with their prime ministers or presidents and the members of the board of Naftogaz and Gazprom. We've given the parties involved a window until Wednesday night. Then we need to hear back whether further procedures will be accepted."
Ukraine agreed to pay 2 billion U.S. dollars to the Russians by Thursday for the gas delivered since July last year.
Another 500 million U.S. dollars is to be paid by June 7.
According to Russia, Ukraine has not fully paid for several months-worth of gas, accumulating a debt of over 3.5 billion U.S. dollars.
Russia has, since April, twice cut discounts for gas sold to Ukraine, pushing up the price from 268 U.S. dollars per 1000 cubic meters to 485 U.S. dollars.
Ukraine refused to accept the price, accusing Russia of increasing the price for political reasons. The Russians insisted they would discuss a new gas discount only after Ukraine started to pay the debt.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
China vows to maintain stability in Xinjiang
 
Central Party authorities here in China are vowing to harshly crack down on terrorist attacks and maintain lasting stability in Xinjiang.
The pledge comes after a meeting presided by Xi Jinping.
A statement issued after the meeting stresses that the stability of Xinjiang is strategically vital to the whole country's reform and development as well as its national security.
The central leadership also pledged efforts to improve the livelihood for locals in Xinjiang, saying increasing the employment rate should be at the top of the agenda.
The latest meeting follows the launch of a year-long national campaign against terrorism.
 
 
South Korean President meets Chinese Foreign Minister
 
South Korean President Park Geun-hye has met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Seoul.
Park says South Korea is devoted to deepening cooperation among the nations, hoping to enhance high level exchanges with China.
She says South Korea appreciates China's constructive role in resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula, adding that the country hopes to develop ties with North Korea.
For his part, Wang Yi says China insists on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and is willing to work with South Korea to promote an early resumption of six-party talks.
He also suggests linking China's initiatives regarding the "Silk Road economic belt" with South Korea's initiatives to jointly explore new places for cooperation in Asia.
 
 
Ukraine new president says no negotiation with armed opposition
 
Ukraine's president-elect has vowed not to negotiate with armed oppositions in the country's eastern region.
The calls comes after polls confirmed that candy tycoon Petro Poroshenko had enough votes to prevent a runoff election.
Poroshenko and Russian leaders have expressed willingness to talk to each other about the crisis in Ukraine.
The inauguration of the new Ukrainian president is expected in mid-June.
At the same time, Kiev launched airstrikes against targets in the eastern capital of Dontesk.
 
 
Hamas, Fatah agree on Hamdallah as unity gov't PM: official
 
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party and the Hamas movement have agreed on Rami Hamdallah as the prime minister of the transitional government.
This comes an agreement reached last month between Fatah and Hamas to form the unity government and prepare for holding the general elections.
The two sides have also agreed to talk on the final formation of the unity government soon.
Earlier a senior Fatah official has revealed that the new government is expected to swear in within a week.
 
 
Modi swears in as India's PM
 
India's new Prime Minister has been officially sworn in.
Narendra Modi takes over from Manmohan Singh as the leader of the new Indian government.
Dignitaries from several south Asian countries have attended the event, including Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Moments after being sworn-in, Modi assured to forge a "strong and inclusive" India.
 
 
Italy's former minister under house arrest for alleged embezzlement
 
Italy's former environment minister is accused of embezzlement.
67-year-old Corrado Clini has been put under house arrest.
News reports quoting unnamed sources say Clini misappropriated 3.4 million Euros in public money earmarked for a water treatment facility in Iraq.
An Italian engineer overseeing the project has also been arrested.
This is the latest scandal among many in the world of Italian politics. Many cases in recent weeks involve former ministers and officials linked to next year's World Exposition in Milan.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Report slams "unscrupulous" US surveillance over world, China
Summery
A report by China's Internet Media Research Center published on Monday said the US has taken advantage of its political, economic, military and technological hegemony to spy without restraint on other countries, including its allies.
The report says the operations have gone "far beyond the legal rationale of 'anti-terrorism' and have exposed the ugly face of its pursuit of self-interest in complete disregard for moral integrity,"
In particular, it described China as a main target of the US secret surveillance.
THE BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Teen's attackers caught after online outrage
Summery
Beijing police have detained three young men suspected of assaulting the teenager. Film of the attack spread outrage on the Internet.
The video, first posted on social media on Saturday, showed a teenager beaten in turn by three young men who are bare-chested.
The trio have all confessed.
The boy is in a local hospital for treatment, and in a stable condition.
XIAOXIANG MORNING POST
Headline
County in Hunan Province hit by most severe flood in 50 years
Summery
On Saturday, Cheng Tanjiang County has been hit by the most severe rainstorm in fifty years.
The rainstorm caused severe flooding. 1800 local residents have evacuated their homes.
Rescue efforts continue.
BEIJING YOUTH DAILY
Headline
One runner died, 9 hurt in Kunming marathon
Summery
The deceased was a young man. The injured are in comas. Authorities blame the weather. Monday's marathon happened in hot conditions and authorities say the water supply was lacking.
The organizing committee said the causes for death was till unconfirmed.
XINHUA
Headline
3,900 firefighters battle China forest fire
Summery
The forest fire is in southwest China's Yunnan Province.
The fire, which broke out on Saturday afternoon in the city of Anning, has burned an area of 4,500 mu (300 hectares).
Authorities have mobilized helicopters to join the firefighting operation.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Court accepts case against former insurance executive
Summery
Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People's Court has accepted a case in which prosecutors charged the head of a local insurance company with fundraising fraud.
The defendant, Chen Yi, is accused of leaving the country with 500 million yuan ($81.65 million) in stolen company funds. He was the former general manager of Shanghai Fanxin Insurance Agency Co.
The company has not confirmed that Chen stole funds, and the court did not disclose the amount of money involved in the case.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Baby Horse Crosses the River to be made into animation
 
Anchor
The popular Chinese story "Baby Horse Crosses the River" is being made into an animated series.
CRI's Liu Kun has more.
Reporter
Aside from 208 episodes of an animated series based on the popular story, Zhang Gang, director of the animation says the team behind the series are planning to do more on the story of "Baby Horse Crosses the River."
"Firstly, we aim to produce a TV animation with 208 episodes. Hopefully in 2016 we will be able to produce a movie version of the story. And we want to create a chain of products and set an example of how to develop an industrial chain for China's animation industry."
In the original story, a baby horse is asked by its mother to carry half a bag of wheat to the mill. On its way to the mill, a small river blocks its way. The baby horse asks both a cow and a squirrel how deep the water is. The cow responds that the water is very shallow while the squirrel says that one of his squirrel friends died as a result of how deep the river is.
The baby horse runs back to its mother and asks for help. Its mother tells the young foal that only by trying to cross the river will it know how deep the water really is.
The baby horse finally crosses the river and realizes that the water is neither as shallow as the cow says, nor as deep as the squirrel warns.
The original story has been translated into 14 languages including English, French and Japanese.
Zhang Gang says the animation team also have their own ambition of going global.
"We aim to establish an international brand for the Baby Horse and create China's own Mickey Mouse."
The production team has already designed their own image of the Baby Horse character, but in order to create an image that children can really related to, they are planning to solicit designs from all over the country.
"The image of the Baby Horse should deliver messages of optimism and happiness. Children should really love the image."
The story was written in 1955 by Peng Wenxi, a middle school teacher in eastern China's Zhejiang province. The story has featured in school textbooks all throughout China and has influenced several generations of Chinese people.
Hopefully the animation will bring those who have read the story a vivid reflection of their childhood experiences.
BACK ANCHOR:
CRI's Liu Kun reporting.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Djokovic, Nadal, Sharapova all post first round wins at French Open
 
In tennis, Second seed Li Na will begin her French Open campaign later today.
The 2011 Roland Garros champion will play local player Kristina Mladenovic.
The match starts at 5 PM Beijing time.
Li Na faced Mladenovic at this very tournament four years ago.
It was their only other career meeting and Li Na won it 7-5, 6-3.
Also at 5 PM this afternoon, Chinese ace Peng Shuai will play Sloane Stephens of the United States in another opening-round match.
Peng Shuai is now the only other Chinese player at the tournament.
Zheng Jie was eliminated earlier.
Maria Sharapova registered a first round victory against qualifier Ksenia Pervak of Kazakhstan in straight sets 6-1, 6-2.
Sharapova, who completed a career Grand Slam at Roland Garros two years ago, described the tense Grand Slam atmosphere.
"First matches at Grand Slams are always tough, no matter how prepared you are, no matter how many matches you've played. There is always a bit more tension in that type of Grand Slam atmosphere. It's certainly more special, especially when you walk out on court."
Also on Monday, ninth seeded Dominika Cibulkova booked her second round berth after dispatching local player Virginie Razzano 7-5, 6-0.
Italy's Flavia Pennetta and Germany's Sabine Lisicki are also off to the second round.
In the men's draw, second seed Novak Djokovic has opened his French Open campaign.
The Serb, bidding to claim his first French Open title, ousted Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.
The former world number one will next meet Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in the second round.
Djokovic says he is not daunted facing a motivated local player.
"Playing a French tennis player in France, we all know how challenging that is. He had a big win against Federer in Rome, so I'm sure he's very motivated to play his best. But I've been looking forward to this tournament for a long time. I'm in a good form, and hopefully I can use that against Chardy."
Meanwhile, the man bidding to his fifth Roland Garros title in a row, Spaniard Rafael Nadal, also eased through to the second round.
Nadal made light work of American wildcard Robby Ginepri 6-0, 6-3, 6-0 to improve his career French open record to 60-1.
There was one major upset on Monday though, as Japan's Kei Nishikori bounced out after a 7-6, 6-1, 6-2 loss to Slovakia's Martin Klizan.
 
 
Guangzhou and Guo'an draw 1-1 in national derby
 
In football,
Defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande and Beijing Guo'an went away with a 1-1 draw at Workers' Stadium last night.
Guangzhou remains at the top of the table with 32 points while Beijing Guo'an is one point back.
But Guo'an is six points clear of third placed Guangzhou Fuli. The title chase resumes in July after the month-long break for the World Cup in Brazil.
Some football news from Europe,
Spanish giants Barcelona and defender Gerard Pique have agreed to terms on a contract extention.
The renewal will see Pique stay at Barca until 2019.
This year, Barca finished second in La Liga, runners-up in the Copa del Rey and was knocked out of the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
 
 
Indiana try to even series at 2-2 against Miami
 
In the NBA playoffs,
Tip-off for game four of the Eastern Conference final is at 8:30 this morning Beijing time.
Indiana will try to even its series against Miami at two wins apiece.
The Heat took a 2-1 lead over the Pacers after a 99-87 win over the weekend when Miami came back from 15 points down in the second quarter to take the game.
The win tied the second largest playoff comeback in the Heat's history - equaling their performance against the Boston Celtics in the 2012 finals.
Also during the weekend,
Oklahoma City caught up in the western conference final series after they took game three 106-97 against San Antonio.
The Thunder's all-important shot-blocker Serge Ibaka had 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks in his first game after returning from a prolonged injury.
 
 
NHL playoff picture
 
Game 4 of the NHL's Western Conference Final gets underway at nine this morning Beijing time.
The Los Angeles Kings will be looking to take a stranglehold on the series. A win over the Chicago Blackhawks would give them a lead of 3 games to 1 in the best-of-seven series.
Chicago will be looking for a little more from star players like Patrick Kane, who has been held scoreless in the series so far.
Game 5 of the eastern conference series is tomorrow, 8 in the morning Beijing time. The Montreal Canadians will be looking to stave-off elimination, as they trail the New York Rangers 3 games to 1.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Han Geng to perform at WMA
 
(Clown Mask)
Chinese pop star Han Geng is set to perform at this year's World Music Awards in Monte Carlo later today.
Han has been nominated in three categories at this year's WMA, including 'World's Best Male Artist', 'World's Best Video' and 'World's Best Entertainer of the Year'.
He will perform the hit single "Clown Mask" from his second solo album "Wild Cursive".
Han has already gained international acclaim outside of China having won "Best Worldwide Act" at the MTV European Music Awards in 2012.
Other big names to appear at this year's WMAs include Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Ricky Martin and Leona Lewis.
The World Music Awards were founded by Prince Albert II of Monaco in 1989.
 
 
Pharrell William's newly curated Paris exhibit 'Girl' pays homage to women
 
(Pharrell Happy)
The current hottest property in the music industry, Pharrell Williams, has expanded his influence even further by curating an exhibition in Paris entitled "girl."
Showcasing over 40 works by mostly female artists including Marina Abramovic, Sophie Calle, Cindy Sherman and Tracey Emin, the exhibition will open at Emmanuel Perrotin's new space in the French capital, the Salle de Bal on later today (May 27).
The works pay homage to women says Pharrell, whose last album and new unisex fragrance are also called "GIRL".
"Just like my album, what I tried to do, is offer many different facets of my appreciation for women. And that's what this exhibition does. This exhibition, it houses many different perspectives, many different facets, and the expression of what we feel about women," he explained.
The exhibition "GIRL" will be open until June 25th, 2014.
 
 
Macaulay Culkin's pizza band forced off stage by beer onslaught in Nottingham
 
(Pizza)
Former Child star Macaulay Culkin was forced off stage at a gig in Nottingham, England after patrons began pelting him and his group with pints of beer.
The star of the Home Alone movies was performing at Nottingham rock city with his comedy band "The Pizza-Underground".
The group covers popular songs by the Velvet Underground and Lou Reed, tweeking the lyrics to make them refer to pizza, as well as handing out pizza to the audience.
Walk on the Wild Side becomes - Walk on the Wild Slice
It's a Perfect Day becomes - It's a Pizza Day
and so on.
19-year-old Jess from Nottingham was quoted as saying: "I feel really sorry for him. I mean, the music did sound terrible but it isn't very fair to be hit with so much beer and booed is it?"
 
 
Japanese girl band AKB48 cancel fan events after saw attack
 
(AKB48)
The hugely popular Japanese girl-band AKB48 was forced to cancel fan events yesterday after a man attacked two members with a saw.
The girls aged 18 and 19, along with a male staffer, suffered injuries to their heads and hands but are now recovering according to the group's official blog.
The group, which holds the world record for having the most members, is dubbed "idols that you can meet."
On Sunday, the group gave a mini-concert for hundreds of fans before their handshaking event - during which fans who buy special CDs can chat briefly with their favorite member of the group.
As soon as the event in the northern Japanese city of Takizawa started, a man suddenly took out a half-metre-long saw from his jacket and approached the two women standing at the entrance.
Police arrested 24-year-old Satoru Umeda immediately.
Established in 2005, the group has a rotating cast of more than 90 young women and affiliates across the country and in Indonesia, the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
 
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
Chinese authorities are vowing to crack down on terrorism in Xinjiang... this follows a meeting presided over by president Xi Jinping...
Beijing subway police at five major transit stations are now carrying guns...
And Chinese authorities have rejected Vietnam's latest claims over the Xisha Islands...
In Business...millions of old cars in China are to be scrapped, in an effort to fight pollution..
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.