新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2014/07/22

The Beijing Hour
 
Evening Edition
 
 
Shane Bigham with you this Tuesday, July 22nd, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on the programme this evening...
Diplomatic efforts for a truce in the Gaza strip have intensified, but the fighting continues. The Israeli army has confirmed one of its soldiers is missing in action...
A Russian diplomat says experts have confirmed the black boxes from Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 have not been tampered with...
And China's president pledges to expand cooperation with Cuba...
In business, China's fast-food scandal is felt on the markets...
In sports, the fourth round of the Chinese FA Cup resumes tomorrow..
In entertainment, Argentina's vice president can now catch up on some Chinese TV programs...
 
 
weather
 
Beijing will be shower tonight with a low of 24 degrees Celsius. It will be overcast tomorrow with a high of 32 degrees.　
Meanwhile Shanghai will be cloudy tonight, with a low of 27, sunny tomorrow, with a high of 34.
Chongqing will be cloudy tonight, 28 degrees the low, also cloudy tomorrow with a high of 38.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny with a high of 36.
Kabul, sunny, 38.
Over in Australia
Sydney, overcast, high of 18.
Canberra, sunny, 14.
Brisbane, sunny, 22.
And finally, Perth will be overcast with a high of 17.
 
 
Top News
 
Dilopmatic efforts stepped up for cease-fire in Gaza
 
Anchor:
The Israeli military has confirmed one of its soldiers is missing in action in the Gaza Strip.
This comes after a previous claim by Hamas saying the group had captured an Israeli military hostage.
However the Israel Defense Force says it is still working on the identification of the soldier, who is presumed dead.
Meanwhile, a diplomatic push for a truce in the region has been intensified.
CRI's Cao Yuwei has more.
Reporter:
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has met with U.S Secretary of State John Kerry in Cairo to press for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
Ban says he wants both parties to immediately return to talks and address the root causes of the conflict.
"I'm asking that Hamas should immediately stop firing rocket. While I understand all how, why Israelis has to respond militarily, but there is a proportionality. And most of the Palestinian people have been - most of the death toll are Palestinian people. Therefore at this time our first and foremost effort should be focused on ending violence."
Ban says he has already held talks with the leader from Qatar
Kerry has announced that the US will provide 47 million US dollars in direct humanitarian assistance to Gaza to aid civilians affected by the fighting.
However, the US says that Israel has the right to defend itself against the rockets launched by Hamas, urging Hamas to accept an Egyptian proposal to end the fighting.
Chinese special envoy Wu Sike also met up with Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi in Cairo for talks on tensions in Gaza.
China has called for an immediate ceasefire and reiterated its support for the Egyptian brokered ceasefire deal.
Meanwhile, Wu Sike says to reach a long-term peace deal in the region, the two parties need to address the root causes of the conflict.
"Under the current circumstances, internal coordination within Palestine is crucial. The current conflict in Gaza is rooted in the unsettled status of Palestine. The fundamental solution is to build an independent Palestinian state. "
Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas are now holding talks in the Qatari capital of Doha, pledging to work for a solution.
Earlier, Hamas handed Qatar a list of its demands to end the fighting.
Hamas has already rejected the Egyptian proposal, insisting on a lifting of Israel's siege of Gaza and the release of prisoners in order to agree to any truce accord.
The Egyptian plan asks both sides to cease fire without preconditions and to try to negotiate a new border deal easing the blockade of Gaza.
As the international community continues to push for a ceasefire, Israel bombed five mosques, a sports stadium and the home of the late Hamas military chief on Tuesday.
The shelling brought the death toll of Israel's two-week offensive on the Strip to over 580, including 154 children.
For CRI, I'm Cao Yuwei.
For more on the situation in Gaza, we earlier spoke with Professor Li Guofu, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the China Institute of International Studies.
Back Anchor:
That was Professor Li Guofu, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the China Institute of International Studies.
 
 
MH17 blackboxes not tampered with: Russia Ambassador
 
Russia's Ambassador to Malaysia says that experts have confirmed the black boxes of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH 17 have not been tampered with.
The comment comes after Ukrainian rebels handed over two black boxes to Malaysian officials in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk.
Lyudmila Vorobyeva is the Russian Ambassador to Malaysia.
"The black boxes have been handed over to Malaysian experts and Malaysian experts have certified that they were not tampered with. That are the words by Malaysian experts."
The rebels have also announced a ceasefire within a 10 kilometer radius around the crash site to allow international investigators to access the area.
The move comes on the heels of a United Nations Security Council resolution, demanding the armed groups allow unrestricted access to the crash site.
The council unanimously adopted an Australian-drafted resolution calling for a thorough and independent international investigation.
China's envy to the UN says the International Civil Aviation Organization should play a crucial role in the investigation.
China's permanent representative to the UN Liu Jieyi:
"China supports an independent, impartial and objective investigation into this incident. As a specialized agency of the UN dealing with international civil aviation affairs, the International Civil Aviation Organization should play a crucial role in this international investigation. China calls on all parties to cooperate with this international investigation."
Liu also says the current focus should be the establishment of truth of the crash, saying all sides should not jump to any conclusions.
Several nations, including the US and the UK, have been accusing the Ukrainian rebels of shooting down the plane with a weapons system provided by Russia.
Moscow has denied the accusation, saying it has not supplied the Ukrainian rebels with the Buk anti-aircraft missile system.
Meanwhile, European Union countries are mulling further sanctions against Russia.
The plane crashed in the rebel-controlled area of eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people onboard.
 
 
Chinese President pledges to expand cooperation with Cuba
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to expand cooperation with Cuba following his arrival in Havana to start his two day visit in the country.
The two sides are expected to sign documents in areas like trade, agriculture and bio-technology.
Xi Jinping will also hold talks with Cuban leader Raul Castro on a blueprint for the future development of China-Cuba relations.
Cuba is the last leg of the president's four-nation tour of Latin America, which has already taken him to Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela.
China has been Cuba's second-largest trade partner for years, with two-way trade totallying nearly 2 billion US dollars last year.
 
 
Tabliban militants rampant in Afghanistan - updated
 
Talliban militants have launched new attacks in Afghanistan.
A suicide bomb in Afghan capital Kabul has killed four foregin security guards.
Six others were wounded.
In another attack in the eastern part of the country, five civilians were shot dead.
Civilian casualties are also reported in the south on Monday.
The attacks come as severe fightings between the militants and government security forces in the northwestern Afghan provinces.
 
 
China's 1st envoy to Afghanistan vows to help govt's peaceful transition
 
Anchor:
As tensions are running high in Afghanistan, China's first envoy to the country is stressing the peaceful transition of the Afghan government.
CRI's Xie Zhao has more.
Reporter:
Sun Yuxi, China's first envoy to Afghanistan, makes the remark ahead of leaving to the war-torn country.
Sun says his job this time is to help the peaceful transition of the country's government.
"I hope I can finish the task within several weeks. And it is more important for every political power to put peace and stability atop their agendas and reach a national reconciliation. This would require unity and hard work from all parties and political powers as well as solid actions on reconstruction."
Sun Yuxi had been in charge of business related to Afghanistan and Asia in the foreign ministry for more than a decade.
He was the Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan for two years beginning in 2002 after the US launched military operations targeting the Taliban militants in the country.
As the first Chinese diplomat in the country since a transitional government was established in Afghanistan, Sun Yuxi stresses that economic development is more important than military aid to maintain long-lasting stability in the country.
"To ensure the stability in the country is not dependent on what armed forces should be sent there, but to help them restore and rebuild. The international community should help the Afghan government to strenthen its economic power."
China has offered some 240 million US dollars in aid to Afghanistan so far.
The diplomat notes that he will be working to step up business cooperation between the two countries, and more focus would be given to projects covering infrastructure and environmental protection.
Sun also says that China will continue to cooperate with Afghanistan to combat terrorism in the region.
"The East Turkistan Islamic Movement that Afghanistan used to face in the past is now a major terrorist threat to China. China has worked with Afghanistan on combating the terrorism group with positive results. I hope we will continue to deepen our cooperation and eliminate the group one day, to restore peace and safety in the region and around the world."
For CRI, this is Xie Zhao
 
Indonesia's president candidate Prabowo Subianto withdraws from election process
 
Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and his running mate have withdrawn from the developing election process.
By doing so, they have effectively rejected any legal decision issued by the General Election Commission.
The announcement was made in Prabowo Subianto's headquarters in East Jakarta.
The General Election Commission is scheduled to release officials results of the vote count today.
 
 
More public opinions needed in Beijing subway ticket price adjustment
 
Anchor:
The opinion poll on a price hike in Beijing subway system concluded on July 20. City dwellers gave feedback using various platforms like Weibo, Wechat, and in an online forum. Experts say the poll provides the authorities in Beijing with an excellent opportunity to be responsive to the public.
Li Dong has the details.
Reporter:
According to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, the 18 day opinion poll garnered more than 40 thousand opinions via Wechat, Weibo, letter, fax and telephone.
"I think charging according to distance is more reasonable."
"I support raising the price, but just don't raise it too much."
Beijing's rail transit system currently implements a flat fare of 2 yuan, equivalent to 32 US cents, per journey with free transfers on all lines except for its airport express line. The fare is the lowest among all rapid transit systems in China.
Professor Sun YuDong of the School of Public Administration and Policy at China's Renmin University says the large transport subsidies have already placed a big financial burden on Beijing Municipality.
"The subsidy accounts for more than 5 percent of Beijing Municipality's financial expense. This is too high because for similar cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou, the subsidy to the subway only accounts for about 2 percent."
Sun Yu Dong says in the past, opinion polls initiated by the government were like giving the pubic a menu and letting them choose from what was already on the menu, but this time it's different. This time the decision will be made based on a very large sample of diversified public opinion.
"It's not like the opinion poll is initiated just for the sake of collecting opinions. If the government wants to do a better job, they can catagorize these opinions and give proper response to the public. Certain interaction is better. So in the end when the final decision is made, the majority of the public can understand and accept your decision."
Liu Xin, assistant to the dean of School of Public Administration and Policy of Renmin University says, appropriate city planning and properly distributing the resources is more important than simply adjusting the subway ticket prices.
"Why the city should concentrate all the best resources together? This can intensify the congestion in the downtown area. City administration can distribute the public facilities and serviced to the neighboring areas of the city and move some organizations and department out of the central area. So the employment opportunities can be spread the nearby areas rather than concentrating only on the central part of the city. I think this is the only solution which can ease the traffic pressure in downtown areas."
According to Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, a subway ticket price adjustment proposal combined with public opinions, finance departments and other experts will be submitted to a hearing at proper time.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Stocks
 
Asian stocks touched a three-year peak on Tuesday, despite lingering concerns about crises in Ukraine and Gaza and a toxic food scandal here in China.
following the news, McDonald's and Yum Brands fell 1 percent and 4 percent respectively earlier on Monday.
But Chinese shares posted strong gains, as metal prices rose and automakers advanced on news government agencies will take the lead on purchases of electric, hybrid or plug-in vehicles.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite index gained over one percent.
Shenzhen Component Index rose 1.4 percent.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index jumped 1.7 percent, with mainland property developers rising sharply on reports more cities have eased property market restrictions.
Japanese shares rose sharply as trading resumed after a market holiday yesterday. The Nikkei average rose 0.8 percent.
South Korea's KOSPI added half a percent.
Singapore stocks finished almost flat, with the benchmark Straits Times Index up less than 0.1 percent.
Australian shares rose marginally to close at six-year highs as oil and metal prices gained ground. The benchmark ASX closed up 0.1 percent.
 
 
Live discussion on Starbucks, Burger King dragged in as China food scandal spreads
 
Anchor:
So you mentioned the food scandal has affected the stock markets, what's the latest development on this front?
Reporter:
The scandal has dragged in more companies, including U.S. coffee chain Starbucks, Burger King and others.
McDonald's has apologized for the inconvenience caused by this scandal, as switching suppliers has interfered with the availability of some items on the menu.
The US fast-food icon and Yum Brands, owner of KFC, dropped Shanghai Husi Foods after the supplier was discovered to be re-processing and re-selling expired meat products to those fast food chains and other famous brands.
Starbucks said some of its stores previously sold products containing chicken originally sourced from Shanghai Husi.
Fast-food chain Burger King and Dicos, China's third-ranked diner, have said they are removing Shanghai Husi food products from their outlets. Dicos said it pulled all ham products supplied by Shanghai Husi and will stop serving its ham sandwich product for breakfast.
Pizza chain Papa John's said on its Weibo blog that it has removed all meat products supplied by Shanghai Husi and has cut ties with the supplier. Burger King issued a similar statement on the social media site, adding it has also launched an investigation.
IKEA said on Weibo that Shanghai Husi had previously been a supplier, but had not provided the firm with product since September last year.
Domino's Pizza and Subway, named in online reports as customers of Shanghai Husi, said their outlets in China do not use meat products from the firm.
Yoshinoya, convenience store FamilyMart, and Chinese chain Wallace urged diners not to worry, and said they did not currently use any products from Shanghai Husi.
The supplier was shut down on Sunday by local regulators after a TV report showed staff using expired meat and picking up meat from the floor to add to the mix.
The scare has stirred local consumers and become one of the most discussed topics online by the country's influential 'netizens', with some users writing and spreading long lists of firms thought to be tarnished.
 
 
China signs Venezuela oil deal
 
Chinese authorities signed a series of oil and mineral deals with Venezuela during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the country.
The deals include a 4 billion dollars credit line in return for Venezuelan crude and other products.
The money will go into a Joint China-Venezuela Fund, which focuses on infrastructure and economic development in the South American country.
The government says the fund has about 40 billion dollars in it.
China is the second-largest market for Venezuelan oil after the United States.
 
 
China issued new guideline to promote new energy vehicles
 
China has issued a guideline to promote new energy vehicles, highlighting the construction of charging facilities and the elimination of regional protectionism.
According to the guildline, consumers will enjoy tax cuts to buy new energy vehicles from September 2014 to the end of 2017.
Miao Wei is the Minister of Industry and Information Technology.
"Firstly, buyers of new energy vehicles will be exempt from vehicle purchase taxes from September 1st; Secondly, they will enjoy a reduction of the yearly vehicle and vessel taxes; Thirdly, vehicle consumption taxes will be reduced according to different fuel and power consumption of vehicles."
The guideline also called for layouts of charging facilities to be mapped and technological standards to be set, and non-governmental funds are encouraged to participate in construction of charging facilities.
Local governments are not allowed to put additional requirements on auto producers to impede new energy autos from entering local markets.
China produced and sold over 20,000 new energy vehicles in the first half of the year, up nearly 20 percent from that of 2013.
 
 
Companies set up charging piles network to boost electric cars market
 
Anchor:
More and more Chinese companies are moving to take advantage of the government's push to promote electric vehilces by tapping into the growing need for charging stations in this country's large cities.
CRI's Tu Yun has more.
Reporter:
More than 4-thousand electric buses and 800 electric taxis are currently on the roads in the southern city of Shenzhen.
To keep them rolling, charging stations need to be set up to ensure a solid electricity supply.
China Potevio New Energy has already established over 900 charging piles to meet the demand in Shenzhen.
Company vice-General Manager Jiang Jianping says the company also boasts the world's largest battery charging and replacement network.
"There are several mechanisms under this network that can ensure the safety. First of all we have an online supervision system, which can oversee the condition of a battery while it is charged or used. If anything abnormal happens while being charged, there will be a real-time alarm, and we can locate the charger and the car according to a special code, then we can send our technicians to the site."
The company's online center also monitors the conditon of every charging pile and battery of every electric car in the city.
There were around 26-thousand new energy cars sold in China last year.
Industry observers expect that number could rise to some 150-thousand this year.
As a result, cities like Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai, are now working closely with local companies to try to accelerate infrastructure construction.
Authorities in Beijing have announced plans to build 10-thousand charging stations in the city over the next 3-years.
Potevio's Jiang Jianping says the charging stations need to be professionally installed.
"The charging service should be carried out by professional operators, because given the living style in China, it is not possible for most of us to install the charging piles, so there should be some professionals providing fast and public service in this sector, and that is what we are doing now."
As for the drivers of electric vehicles, what they care about is more practical.
"I want them to make some improvements. First of all, the time for charging should be shortened. And secondly, the cars need to be able to travel longer distances once they are fully charged."
The Chinese government has announced a new series of subsidies for new energy cars.
A 10-percent purchase tax for new energy vehicles is being eliminated from September 1 to the end of 2017.
Local governments are also being encouraged to build charging stations and other needed infrastructure to provide support for new-energy vehicles.
For CRI, I'm Tu Yun.
 
 
Suzhou eases housing control
 
Housing authorities in Suzhou, in East China's Jiangsu Province, have loosened restrictions on home purchases.
The policy change allows buyers, including non-locals, to buy more homes greater-than 90 square meters.
 
Headline News
 
 
Dilopmatic efforts stepped up for cease-fire in Gaza
 
The Israeli military has confirmed one of its soldiers is missing in action in the Gaza Strip.
This comes after a previous claim by Hamas saying the group had captured an Israeli military hostage.
However the Israel Defense Force says it is still working on the identification of the soldier, who is presumed dead.
Meanwhile, a diplomatic push for a truce in the region has been intensified as Israel has been continuing offensive in the Gaza Strip for over 2 weeks.
The shelling brought the death toll on the Strip to over 580, including 154 children.
Israeli side also reports more than 2 dozens death of its soldiers.
 
 
MH17 blackboxes not tampered with: Russia Ambassador
 
Russia's Ambassador to Malaysia says that experts have confirmed the black boxes of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH 17 have not been tampered with.
The comment comes after Ukrainian rebels handed over two black boxes to Malaysian officials in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk.
The rebels have also announced a ceasefire within a 10 kilometer radius around the crash site to allow international investigators to access the area.
The United Nations Security Council has earlier adopted a resolution, demanding the armed groups allow unrestricted access to the crash site.
Several nations, including the US and the UK, have been accusing the Ukrainian rebels of shooting down the plane with a weapons system provided by Russia.
Moscow has denied the accusation.
Meanwhile, European Union countries are mulling further sanctions against Russia.
 
 
Chinese President pledges to expand cooperation with Cuba
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to expand cooperation with Cuba following his arrival in Havana to start his two day visit in the country.
The two sides are expected to sign documents in areas like trade, agriculture and bio-technology.
Xi Jinping will also hold talks with Cuban leader Raul Castro on a blueprint for the future development of China-Cuba relations.
Cuba is the last leg of the president's four-nation tour of Latin America, which has already taken him to Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela.
China has been Cuba's second-largest trade partner for years, with two-way trade totallying nearly 2 billion US dollars last year.
 
 
China Typhoon Rammasun death toll rises to 46
 
The death toll from super typhoon Rammasun has increased to 46 in China, with another 25 missing.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs says the strongest typhoon to hit south China in four decades affected nearly ten million people in the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Nineteen deaths have been reported in south China's Hainan, nine in southwest China's Guangxi and 18 in neighboring Yunnan.
 
 
Moscow metro chief dismissed for metro derailment
 
The head of Moscow's subway system has been dismissed over the deadly derailment that happened seven days ago.
A new boss for the state-owned company that runs the subway system has already been named and has pledged to restore confidence in the system.
On Monday, two more officials with the Subway system were arrested.
The accident killed at least 23 people. Among the injured, 109 are still in hospital.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
 
Global Times
"China's new media energetic: report "
China has one of the most energetic new media sectors, among the world's emerging countries and regions, according to a report published by Xinhua News Agency on Tuesday.
In 2013, new media obtained a prominent presence in China's overall media industry and provided a new avenue for social progress, said the report.
It analyzes the trends, innovations, technologies, finance, security and management issues regarding new media convergence.
China News Service
"Ghost Fans Invade 'Haunted' Church in Beijing"
Two dilapidated and allegedly haunted mansions in Beijing have received a largely increased number of visitors.
These mansions, also known as Chaonei Church, are connected to a chilling story about the suicide of a Nationalist Party officer's wife.
They become so popular since a ghost movie called "The House That Never Dies" or "Jingcheng No.81" is being screened in the city, as the mansions themselves are located on Chaonei Street No.81.
However, the owner Beijing Patriotic Catholic Association warns visitors that the 100-year-old mansion might pose safety risks.
The association has added guards and accelerated the application process for repairs to ensure the safety of visitors.
They even asked police to discourage visitors over the weekend.
Sky News
'Girl Summit' Aims to End Child Marriage
The first ever "Girl Summit" is being held in London from today.
It aims at increasing efforts to end female genital mutilation, and child, early and forced marriage within a generation.
Millions of girls and women are being prevented from achieving their potential, or live a life free from violence, because of such harmful practices.
It's estimated that some 14 million girls are married every year before they turn 18, with one in nine across the developing world married by 15.
Many child brides are also taken out of school so they have no formal education.
Although the legal minimum age for marriage is 18 in most countries, loopholes often allow such situations to happen as part of local customs.
Fox News
"Study says raising beef creates more pollution than pork, poultry or dairy"
A new study suggests that raising beef does far more damage to the environment than producing pork, poultry, eggs or dairy.
Compared with the other animal proteins, beef produces much more heat-trapping gases, water-polluting nitrogen, more water and land, according to the study
Because they are bigger and take longer to put on weight for meat, cows eat more food over their lifetimes than other animals raised for protein.
One of the researchers said "eating a pound of beef causes more greenhouse warming than burning a gallon of gasoline."
The message from the study is that "whenever possible try to replace beef with other sources of protein from animal sources," as one researcher concludes.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The voice of the Soil/done
 
Anchor:
As a part of the celebration of the Year of South Africa in China, a year-long program to showcase South Africa's culture and charm, a 4-member South African acapella group has performed in China's National Centre for the Performing Arts. The Soil, known for their heavenly acapella sound, offered a splendid performance to audiences from both China and South Africa.
CRI's Zeng Liang has more.
report:
The music you are listening now is sung by the South African acapella singing group—The Soil. Without any electric and instrumental sound, The soil strives to fuse their voices to deliver melodic and harmonious messages that are aimed at uplifting and healing souls all around the world.
Ntsika Fana Ngxanga, one of the members of the Soil explained that the name of their group comes from the story they want to tell to the world.
"The name of the Soil is related to the music we do. The soil, as a matter, is very raw and basic. And our music is also basic and raw. And with the stories we tell in the music, we want to perform on all world stages, tell our stories and spread all across the world. When you look at the soil, it is everywhere in the world. "
Their beautiful songs got both Chinese and South African audiences dancing at the concert. Li Yuetong, a primary school student said she wants to go to South Africa in the future to listen to more music and stories in that beautiful country.
"The Soil gave a sparkling performance tonight. Their interaction with audiences makes me very happy. And through their performance, I had a certain understanding of South Africans' language and character."
This concert is one of the many cultural activities conducted by South Africa and China for the Year of South Africa. According to Zhao Haisheng, an official in charge of China's Ministry of Culture liaisons, the Year of South Africa introduces South African culture to China through broadcasting, film, TV and seminars. He believes the wide range of events will help Chinese people to understand South African Culture comprehensively.
"Culture is really about people. It is about their heart, communication. Through the art, we'd really know how people live the inner worlds. And through the cultural exchange, both sides can have a better understanding of each other. In the broad sense, it could help to further consolidate the already good overall relationship between China and South Africa."
Apart from this concert in Beijing, more than 50 events about South Africa including trade seminars, art programs and educational projects will be held in China during the year.
BACK ANCHOR:
That is CRI's Zeng Liang reporting.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Fourth Round of FA Cup due to begin
 
The fourth round of the 2014 Chinese FA Cup is set to begin on Wednesday and Thursday.
There are eight matches in total.
Among the Wednesday games, Qingdao Zhongneng will face Hongzhou Green City, and Guangzhou Fuli will play against Shangdong Luneng.
On Thursday, Henan Jianye will take on Guangzhou Evergrande
 
 
Dunga is close to being named Brazil coach for the second time
 
Former World Cup winning captain Dunga is the favourite on a shortlist of candidates to replace Luiz Felipe Scolari as Brazil's national coach.
　　
A new coach will be named soon.
　　
Dunga previously coached Brazil from 2006 to 2010, where he won the 2007 Copa America and the 2009 Confederations Cup
　　
He was fired by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) after losing to the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup.
　　
As coach of Brazil's national team, he led the team to 42 victories, 12 draws and six defeats.
Scolari has resigned as coach after the 2014 tournament where the hosts entered as hot favourites but finished fourth.
　　
They were also humiliated by eventual champions Germany 7-1 in the semi-finals and then lost the third-place playoff 3-0 to the Netherlands.
 
 
Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez to move to Real Madrid
 
Real Madrid is close to sealing a deal to sign Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez from Monaco.
　　
Rodriguez scored six goals for Colombia to claim the golden boot at the 2014 World Cup.
Rodriguez only joined Monaco last summer for 44 million euros from Porto but his performance in Brazil has attracted European champions Real, which is expected to pay anything between 75 million and 85 million euros to buy the rights to the 22-year-old.　
In other action,
Patrice Evra has completed a 1.2 million pounds move to Juventus from Manchester United.
The French left-back, 33, has signed a two-year contract with the Italian champions, ending his eight-and-a-half-year stint at Old Trafford.
Evra would have been competing for a starting berth next season against ?27m signing, Luke Shaw.
Evra has made 379 appearances for United and enjoyed some Premier League success.
He was part of the French squad at the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil.
 
 
Cristiano Ronaldo speaks about the upcoming season
 
Cristiano Ronaldo has reassured his club ahead of the new season.
There are fears over his knee injury, but Ronaldo says he is eager to allay those concerns.
"My injury is gone, I feel very very good and I wanna start the league and the final in good and good shape. And I will try my best for whole of the season like I do it every year. I try to be the best and try to help my team, try to score goals and try to win the titles. This is my goal for every season to prepare myself for 100 % and for me, every season is the challenge. So, I want to be good. "
Ronaldo is on a promotional tour of Japan.
This is his second visit to Japan following his tour to the country in 2008 when Manchester United, then his team, participated in the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Portugal captain had some words of encouragement for a boy who wants to become a professional football player.
"My big message for this boy, is believe in your capacities. Work hard and dedicate yourself one hundred per cent and dream. Believe all the time, believe this is going to be possible."
He is scheduled to continue traveling in Japan to hold further promotional events.
 
 
Rafael Nadal tries his hand at poker in Porto Cristo
 
Rafael Nadal has been relaxing before heading to the United States for the start of the hard court season. Lately, he's been playing poker at his home in Mallorca.
Nadal has admitted he doesn't like to bluff, and he says that when his tennis career is over he could see himself joining the poker tour, maybe even playing in the World Series of Poker.
Following his loss on the grass to Nick Kyrgios in the fourth round at Wimbledon, Nadal has started training for the hard court season.
Nadal will make his return next month in Canada where he begins a three-tournament title defence (Canada, Cincinnati, US Open).
 
 
McCallum scores 29, Kings win summer league title
 
Ray McCallum scored 29 points and helped key a big Sacramento Kings rally in the final minutes, leading the Kings to top the Houston Rockets 77-68 to win the NBA Summer League championship game.
The Kings went 6-1 at Las Vegas, and McCallum more than saved his best for last.
He scored a total of 55 points in his first six games in the tournament, then connected on 9 of 15 shots from the floor in the title game.
Nick Johnson scored 17 for the Rockets.
The league All-Star teams was announced after Sunday's semifinals.
Washington's Glen Rice Jr. has been voted MVP.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
President Xi Jinping presents DVDs to Agentina's Vice President
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping presented Chinese DVD's as gifts to Argentina's Vice President, Amado Boudou, during his recent visit.
The set of TV dramas were "Beijing Youth" and "To Elderly with Love," films that reflect lives of the younger generation in China, created by renowned Chinese director Zhao Baogang.
In return for the DVD's Xi Jinping was given an Argentine football shirt with his name on it. A gift from the Vice President during his visit to the country's Congress in Buenos Aires.
Xi Jinping's recent diplomatic visits have been rich in cultural exchanges, and films and TV drama's have provided a form of media insight into Chinese culture.
 
 
Chinese team wins Dota2 World Title
 
A Chinese team have won the world's most lucrative gaming contest – Dota2 - taking home five million US dollars.
Team NewBee defeated rival Chinese team Vici Gaming to win the world title and take home the prize money.
Created by developer Valve, Dota2 is a multiplayer online battle arena game for the PC. Each player assumes the role of 107 different heroes and must work together to defend their own and destroy their rivals.
The total prize money was 10.9 million US dollars, with the runners up getting $1.4 million, and $4.5 million was distributed among the other 19 teams taking part in the tournament which began on 18th July 2014.
Bars, pubs and gaming centre's around the world held parties for people keen to see the finals. It was also shown on one of the ESPN channels.
 
 
Prince George Celebrates First Birthday
 
Great Britain's Prince George is celebrating his first birthday today.
Images were released by Kensington Palace of the future king visiting the "Sensational Butterflies" exhibit at London's Natural History Museum. The visit was part of his birthday celebrations, with his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The pictures were taken by Press Association photographer John Stillwell, and are from a series of three official photographs to mark his first birthday.
The third-in-line to the British throne was born in the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in central London, the same hospital as his father prince William. Thousands of people all around the world waited patiently for his arrival, as the press filmed outside the hospital all day and night.
An earlier image of the prince walking through the exhibition was released on Saturday.
 
 
Robert Downy Junior Highest Paid Actor in Hollywood
 
Iron Man's Robert Downy Junior is Hollywood's highest paid actor for the second year running.
According to Forbes, the star of Disney's Marvel superhero film franchises, which also include "The Avengers"is said to have estimated earnings of 75 million US dollars.
The 49 year old made the most of his money from June 2013 to June 2014 from Iron Man 3, which made 1.2 billion US dollars at the box office, assuring him top spot again at the annual ranking.
Former wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson who stared in "The fast and The Furious" films jumped to second place from fifth in 2013, with earnings of over 52 million dollars.
He was followed by "The Hangover" star Bradley Cooper with 39 million dollars.
Forbes dot com compiled the rankings and estimated earnings by talking to managers, producers and agents.
 
 
Fargo to Return for a Second Season
 
The US TV miniseries "Fargo" has got the go ahead for a second season.
Cable Network XFX has confirmed the Emmy nominated black comedy, inspired by the Cohen brothers' cult film has been renewed, featuring a new storyline and characters.
The ten episode series filmed in Canada received 18 Emmy nominations and is frontrunner for the best TV miniseries award. Earning more nominations than any single show in the history of the basic cable network, owned by Twenty First Century Fox.
The TV version of Fargo, which airs internationally, is a remake of the blood soaked film of the same name by brothers Joel and Ethan Cohen. The miniseries features a different true crime story and characters, but runs along a similar path to the original film.
 
 
That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour - a quick recap of headlines before we go:
Diplomatic efforts for a truce in the Gaza strip have intensified, but the fighting continues. The Israeli army has confirmed one of its soldiers is missing in action...
A Russian diplomat says experts have confirmed the black boxes from Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 have not been tampered with...
And China's president pledges to expand cooperation with Cuba...
In business, China's fast-food scandal is felt on the markets...
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.