新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2015/12/07

The Beijing HourMorning EditionBob Jones with you on this Monday December 7th, 2015.

Welcome to the Beijing Hour, live from the Chinese capital.

Coming up on the program .

Chinese President Xi Jinping back home after his latest round of successful globetrotting diplomacy.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China is willing and able to build an ideal partnership with AfricaBig gains in local elections for the far-right National Front in FranceIn Business...... China's planned circuit breaker - will it stabilise the markets.

In Sports...... Guangsha posting CBA success.

And in Entertainment...... The magic of Harry Potter reaches Shanghai.

Top NewsChinese president back home after visits to Paris, AfricaChinese President Xi Jinping has returned to Beijing after a week-long tour to France, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

During his stay in Paris, Xi Jinping attended the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and delivered a speech.

In his speech, the Chinese President expressed China's resolve in fulfilling its commitment to combating global warming.

The meeting aims to yield a new international agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emission beyond 2020 when the 1997 Kyoto Protocol expires.

Following his Paris stop, Xi Jinping then paid state visits to Zimbabwe and South Africa.

In Johannesburg, he co-chaired a summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Xi Jinping and African leaders reached a consensus on lifting China-Africa relations to the level of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

They also adopted a package of programs, proposed by President Xi to strengthen China-Africa cooperation and support Africa's development in the next three years.

Chinese FM says implementation of Africa industrialization plan underwayAnchorChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China is willing, and also has the capacity to make itself the ideal partner with Africa, helping the continent achieve economic and political growth.

He made the remarks after the conclusion of a landmark summit between Chinese and African leaders in Johannesburg.

CRI's Fei Fei reports.

ReporterWang Yi says China is best suited to provide all-round support for Africa.

"We not only have the strong will but also the practical capacity to do this. After decades of industrial accumulation, we already have a large amount of high-quality production capacity, mature technology and necessary financing support. And especially the production capacity and technology of China are suitable for the development need of African countries, as they are of high quality and reasonably priced."With economic cooperation in a full swing between the two sides, Wang notes that China is also willing to help solve hot issues on the continent by playing a bigger role, on the basis of equal consultation.

"Implementation of the 10 major plans will help Africa solve the long-puzzling issues involving employment, food and clothing, health and medical treatment. We will also help Africa radically solve three major bottlenecks in development, namely poor infrastructure, shortage of talents and lack of funding."For her part, Maite Nkoana Mashabane, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, says the FOCAC Summit has exceeded expectations.

"We welcome partners like China that says that they will respect the sovereignty of each of our states, but work with us through our Africa agenda 2063 and also work with individual sovereign states on the growth path that they have chosen."According to the Chinese foreign minister, a pilot project has already started in Kenya, as part of the country' plan to help Africa to pick up its pace of industrialization.

These include new industrial parks that contain several firms operating in various economic sectors including manufacturing for export.

In Ethiopia, China has built industrial parks which are currently producing footwear for both domestic and overseas markets.

The foreign minister adds Beijing is also promoting made-in-Africa goods in the country by setting up free exhibition space and trade booths.

For CRI, this is Fei Fei.

Mobs Raid on Police Inspection Station in Inner MongoliaIt's reported that over 100 people with masks broke into an inspection station in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Sunday afternoon, injuring 13 police staff and destroying 11 police vehicles.

According to the Beijing based Chinanews.com, the Malianjing Law Enforcement inspection Station was completely demolished in the attack.

Chen Tiejun, a local official in the region, is on record as saying that the masked people were wielding sticks and carrying stones.

The gang also used pepper spray on police staff at the station, before intimidating and beating them.

Chen said the mobs then abducted some staff and left them in the Gobi Desert.

The mob then reportedly returned to loot the law enforcement inspection station, taking phones, clothes and money.

As they left the station, they severed the communication network and drove away two trucks, destroying the rest of the facility and l vehicles in the station and at the nearby police quarters, an area totaling 5,400 square meters in all.

The police are investigating the case and are hunting down the suspects.

Chinese Nobel Laureate Tu Youyou Calls for Joint Efforts to Combat MalariaChina's Tu Youyou who won the 2015 Nobel Prize for Medicine for discovering new drugs against malaria has called for joint efforts to tackle the disease.

Tu made the call while attending a news conference at the Nobel Forum, together with the two other Medicine Prize laureates, Irish-born William Campbell and Japan's Satoshi Omura.

Tu expressed her deep concerns about the possible further spread of malaria, saying Chinese herbal medicine could help prevent such a situation:

"Traditional Chinese medicine is a great treasure, so we really have to work hard to improve it. I have been using it to alleviate the symptoms of malaria for many years,"Death rates from malaria have plunged 60 percent in the past 15 years.

Even though the diseases still kills around half a million people a year, most of those are babies and young children in the poorest parts of Africa.

The other two co-winners, who discovered new drugs that can effectively eradicate river blindness and lymphatic filariasis, also said teamwork was the key to success.

The three scientists were awarded the Prize in early October and will be presented with the award this coming Thursday.

The medicine prize is worth some 960-thousand US Dollars and is the first of the Nobel prizes awarded each year.

China Successfully Tests Self-Developed Near Space CraftAnchorChina has successfully tested its first independently made near-space airship. The technology will have a significant impact on civil and military services.

CRI's Victor Ning reports.

ReporterOn a cold October day this year in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, about 100 scientists were busy preparing to test their independently developed high-altitude airship.

After a 22 hour flight around 20 kilometers above the earth, the airship successfully landed.

The project was jointly developed by Beijing University of Astronautics and Aeronautics and Chinese company Nanjiang Space.

Associate Manager of Nanjiang Space Liu Dongxu says the test flight opened a new territory in China's aerospace development.

"Near space offers a bridge between aviation and space exploration. Few projects have been conducted in this area. We had little previous experience to draw upon in terms of the environment we are dealing with. It has very specific requirements for the material and the overall performance of the aircraft. "Airplanes can fly within 20 kilometers above the earth, while satellites operate above 100 kilometers from the ground. That leaves the middle section called near space, or stratosphere, which is yet to be utilized by humans.

Countries including Japan and the US have been vying to conquer this space in recent years.

The Chinese airship is named Yuanmeng, or "to fulfill a dream", referring to the Chinese dream to independently design and produce a near space ship.

Liu says the blimp is 75 meters long, has a volume of 18,000 cubic meters and a longest diameter of 24 meters. It can carry up to 300 kilograms in weight.

Finding the right material to enable long-duration flight has proven a challenge for scientists. The Chinese airship is filled with helium, so the frame of the ship must be also very light to allow it to float.

"The materials of the airship must be able to balance or cancel out the load of the aircraft itself. So we used high strength fiber in building the blimp. Secondly, the material must ensure very low levels of helium leakage. So we designed and produced the material based on these specifications."Solar batteries are used to power the ship, which carries a volume equaling around 10 professional swimming pools. To lighten the weight of the batteries, scientists used membrane-like designs to power the ship.

Compared to planes and satellites, airships offer much lower costs. They do not need airports and can be used repeatedly. Most importantly, they can stay over a specific location for extended periods of time, which make them very useful in traffic or environmental monitoring. They also offer great potential in communications, intelligence gathering, electronic suppression and early warning systems.

The team behind the airship is already planning to commercially test the technology. Zhu Ming, Associate Professor at the Beijing University of Astronautics and Aeronautics says near space airships could prove very useful in civil missions.

"We look at the ships as low-altitude and stationery satellites, and they will be more useful in providing civil services. For example, the blimps can carry communication base stations and provide continued 4G services to coastal or certain other areas. "The team plans to send three more ships to near space in 2016.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

China Issues Yellow Alert for SmogChina has issued a yellow alert for smog which is expected to cover the country's northern regions.

Xue Jianjun, senior engineer at the national weather observatory says two new rounds of smog will hit cities in China, with different levels.

"Beijing, Tianjin, as well as parts of neighboring provinces of Hebei, Henan and Shandong will be shrouded in moderate smog from 8th to 10th and 14th to 16th, while the southern part of the capital will be choked by heavy smog."Meanwhile, the education authority in Beijing says all elementary and middle schools will have to suspend outdoor activities, as the city issued another orange alert - the second-highest-level for smog.

Earlier, China's Ministry of environmental protection vowed to strictly punish agencies or personnel who fail to launch emergency response plans in a timely manner to cope with the upcoming smoggy days.

Shanghai Takes Measures Against Rising Sea LevelsAnchorShanghai has constructed hundreds of kilometers of protective sea walls as a precaution against potential flooding brought by rising sea levels due to increasing global temperatures.

CRI's Xie Cheng with the story.

ReporterZhang Zhenyu, of the Shanghai Flood Risk Information Center spokesperson, said the seawalls virtually encircle half of the city.

"These are all the sea walls we have built, including from Hangzhou Bay to up at the top at the border with Jiangsu province, including Chongming island, Hengsha island and Changxing island – those three islands – all have sea walls."Over 520 kilometers of Shanghai's shoreline is lined with those sea walls, which could reduce the threat brought by rising sea levels to some extent.

Many experts have predicted that Shanghai is facing a serious danger of flooding with annual rainfall in the city 20 percent higher than the global average, causing sea levels expected to rise between 20 and 60 centimeters by 2050.

Apart from rising sea levels due to melting ice caps, increasing temperatures could also bring more extreme weather events such as typhoons and torrential storms.

Zhang Zhenyu said Shanghai itself is hit by an average of 2 to 3 typhoons annually, and the effects could be utterly severe if the torrential rains occur simultaneously with spring tides or Lake Tai floods.

But he also expressed confidence that the trend is still controllable.

"The sea levels here are rising, but although in recent years this trend has increased, it is still within the levels of being controlled. The controls we have in place already should be able to deal with the next 20, 50 – even 100 years of rising sea levels."Apart from coastal protection, Shanghai also has a number of other river flood protection methods, such as a mechanical gate rising and falling once a day so as to regulate the water level in the Suzhou Creek which leads into the Huangpu River running through the center of Shanghai.

However, Shanghai doesn't only face rising water levels, but also has to deal with gradual sinking.

The city has sunk on average about 8 millimeters annually since the mid-1970s, but the trend has slowed to around 1 to 3 millimeters per year.

Shen Shuilong, a professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University, explained that the problem has come under control now thanks in part to government regulations that require strict outlines in the planning stages.

"Development is unavoidable, cities need to develop. But ground subsidence should be controllable if there is a plan in place for the protection of the ground and environment during planning and design stages."For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

France's far-rightist party leads in first-round regional electionsFrance's far-right National Front has seen record-high results in regional polls, a major victory for the party as it gears up for 2017 presidential run-off.

The FN leader Marine Le Pen welcomed what she called a "magnificent result" in the first round of polls.

"We are grateful for this result coming from the activists and the voters, who with their engagement, their support and their votes allowed us to receive this magnificent result which we welcome with humility, seriousness and with a deep sense of responsibility."According to the exit polls, the National Front garnered up to 30 percent of the votes outpacing the conservatives who collected up to 27.5 percent.

The governing Socialist Party led by President Francois Hollande won between 22 and 23 percent of the votes.

The Socialists have languished behind the National Front and the centre-right Republicans led by former president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Sarkozy has refused to consider any tie-up with the Socialists in order to beat the FN in the second round.

"Tomorrow I would propose to our political bureau to refuse any merger and any withdrawal from lists. Clarity and consistency are the only two political choices in terms of the interests of your regions, my dear compatriots, and the interests of France."The polls are being held under a state of emergency just three weeks after Islamic extremists killed 130 people in Paris.

Iraq Threatens Turkey with UN actions over military deploymentIraq has threatened Turkey with UN action if Ankhara does not withdraw its military sent to regions near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul within 2-days.

Iraq's President Fuad Masum said the presence of Turkish troops is a "violation" of international law and was contributing to increased tensions in the region.

In defending the move, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu denied that his country had expanded their military operation in Iraq.

Davutoglu said their mission was to defeat the Islamic State group and Turkey did not have "their eyes on any country's soil".

Mosul has been in the hands of the Islamic State group since last year.

A Turkish military battalion had been deployed to a position close to the city as part of a training mission.

Obama to Make National Speech on Terrorism, Pakistan Offers Help to Investigate Female AttackerThe United States President Barack Obama is to address the American nation shortly to give an update on the investigation into the San Bernardino shooting that killed 14 people.

The White House says the President will also talk about the broader threat of terrorism, how it has evolved and how he believes that threat can be defeated.

This will be Obama's third such address. Oval Office speeches are rare, and are only made in extraordinary circumstances.

The U.S. authorities are treating last Wednesday's mass shooting on a holiday party for civil servants in San Bernardino as an "act of terrorism".

Tashfeen Malik, who mounted the attack alongside her husband, were later killed in a shootout with police.

The Iraq- and Syria-based Islamic State jihadist group has claimed the couple as its followers.

But it has not said whether it was in contact with them or that it had directed the attack.

Meanwhile Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan says Pakistan is willing to give any assistance that the United States requires to investigate the female attacker.

"In this regard, we have offered them (United States) whatever legal assistance will be required, and it is our international responsibility. Whenever we are asked any legal assistance, we will fully provide it to them."Malik was born in Pakistan but spent most of her life in Saudi Arabia before she came to the United States to marry her husband, a U.S. citizen.

She had a degree in pharmacy from a university in Pakistan's central city of Multan.

Britain's counter-terror police investigating stabbing in E LondonBritish anti-terror police are investigating a knife attack in which a man suffered serious knife-related injuries at a subway station on Saturday.

Richard Walton, head of the Counter Terrorism Command of London's Metropolitan Police, said the man had also threatened other bystanders.

The attack is being treated by police as a "terrorist incident.""The counterterrorism command is investigating it. We're not sure yet precisely what the motive was that lies behind this attack and obviously inquiries... urgent inquiries are in place to try and establish the motive for this attack."The 29-year-old man wielded a knife and reportedly shouted "this is for Syria" before attacking commuters at Leytonstone Underground Station in east London on Saturday evening.

Officers fired Tasers at the attacker who was then restrained and arrested for attempted murder minutes later.

The suspect remains in custody and local police urged witnesses to come forward and share with investigators any video footage they possess.

Greek youth commemorate 2008 death of teen by police fireClashes broke out as Greek youths took to the streets on Sunday to commemorate the death in 2008 of a Greek teenager as a result of police fire.

The death seven years ago sparked the worst riots in the country in four decadesRallies marking the anniversary of the killing of Alexandros Grigoropoulos in Athens ended in scuffles with anti-riot forces.

Protesters claimed to be protesting against police violence and the harsh austerity of recent years that has left six out of 10 young Greeks people jobless.

"We believe that the spirit and the discussion of the 2008 riots still exists. This is a period of wide social numbness due to the strengthening of economic and social pressure and police brutality."No serious injuries have been reported.

At least 15 protesters were detained.

Anti-riot forces responded by firing tear gas to disperse groups of about 500 hooded anarchists.

The clashes came after the Greek Parliament approved the country's 2016 budget.

The budget makes around 6 billion dollars in public spending cuts, including around 2 billion from pensions and 540 million from defense. It also includes tax hikes of just over 2 billion dollars.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras says the budget was made with social equality in mind.

"This budget plan is a difficult task for us, being a government that wants to leave its mark with social justice and redistribution of resources during a period of economic austerity and hardship. Behind the numbers of our budget, one can see the struggle to support workers and the more vulnerable members of society."Greece agreed a bailout deal with the EU worth 93 billion dollars in August, the third of such deals for the country in five years.

The Greek government has forecast no economic growth this year and a contraction of 0.7 percent in 2016.

Debt is forecast to grow to 356 billion dollars, or 188 percent of GDP, about a 7 percentage point increase from this year.

Venezuela holds momentous election with potential opposition victoryVenezuelans voted for a new legislature on Sunday in parliamentary elections which could challenge President Nicolas Maduro.

Voters will elect all 167 members of Venezuela's unicameral National Assembly.

Maduro on Sunday cast his vote in the Catia district of west Caracas and said the results of the election were important not only for Venezuela, but for all of Latin America.

"Immediately, as soon as parliament is installed, or before, I have the idea to call together a series of working meetings with the new representatives in order to establish meeting points that are necessary for the country's development."The election is regarded as a referendum on Maduro, who previously served as vice president to the late President Hugo Chavez, taking office after his death in 2013.

The results are expected later on today.

29 workers missing after fire engulfs oil platformAzerbaijan declared Sunday a day of national mourning, after 29 people went missing in Friday's oil rig fire in the southern Caspian Sea.

The fire broke out on a rig in the Guneshli offshore field, during a severe storm.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev issued the order to fly the national flag at half mast throughout the country and by diplomatic missions abroad.

The state oil company SOCAR said the platform was still burning on Sunday because it had reached one of the oil wells.

As hopes of finding survivors faded, SOCAR said a severe storm was hampering rescue efforts.

The company's vice president Khoshbakht Yusifzade said that the explosion was caused by waves hitting the platform.

He ruled out any possibility of sabotage as being a cause of the disaster.

"One of the pipelines bringing gas from the wells to the platform could not stand the force of the waves. As a result there was an explosion. The explosion was not related to the platform and wells. As gas was flowing there, it was the same case as with similar platforms."The company also asked the four other countries who share the Caspian Sea to search their own territorial waters for bodies of the missing oil workers.

SOCAR said notices were sent to the border guard services of Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan.

In all, one person has been confirmed dead, 33 others were rescued.

Jimmy Carter says he now has no cancerFormer U.S. President Jimmy Carter said on Sunday that his most recent brain scan showed no signs of cancer.

Carter said in a statement that he would continue to receive regular three-week immunotherapy treatments of pembrolizumab.

Carter was first diagnosed in August with melanoma which had spread to his liver and brain.

He immediately received treatment after the announcement.

Apart from radiation, Carter also received injections of an immunotherapy drug which is designed to boost his immune system and fight melanoma.

The 91 years old served as the 39th U.S. president in the 1970s.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his commitment to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts.

WeatherBeijing will see smog with a high of 3 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 0.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 12 and a low of 7.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with during the daytime with a high of 16 and lows of 10.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 21.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 8.

Over to North America,New York will be overcast with a high of 13 degrees.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 13 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 28.

Toronto will be overcast with a high of 7 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be sunny with a high of 28.

And Rio de Janeiro will have slight rain with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChinese president back home after visits to Paris, AfricaChinese President Xi Jinping has returned to Beijing after a week-long tour to France, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

During his stay in Paris, Xi Jinping attended the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and delivered a speech.

In his speech, the Chinese President expressed China's resolve in fulfilling its commitment to combating global warming.

Following his Paris stop, Xi Jinping paid state visits to Zimbabwe and South Africa.

In Johannesburg, he co-chaired a summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Xi Jinping and African leaders reached a consensus on lifting China-Africa relations to the level of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

CPC to target gov't organs, public institutions in discipline inspectionsThe Communist Party of China Central Committee plans to put all government organs and government-sponsored institutions under its discipline inspections next year.

Luo Liping from the office of the CPC Central Committee inspection leadership group made the remarks on Sunday.

Discipline inspections have grown more intensive since the 18th CPC National Congress in late 2012.

The inspections have been focusing on investigating and punishing officials violating Party or frugality rules, especially those embezzling public money, taking bribes, and selling or buying government positions.

Iraq Threatens Turkey with UN actions over military deploymentIraq has threatened Turkey with UN action if Ankhara does not withdraw its military sent to regions near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul within 2-days.

Iraq's President Fuad Masum said the presence of Turkish troops is a "violation" of international law and was contributing to increased tensions in the region.

In defending the move, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu denied that his country had expanded their military operation in Iraq.

Davutoglu said their mission was to defeat the Islamic State group and Turkey did not have "their eyes on any country's soil".

Orbital ATK resumes U.S. cargo missions to ISS months after rocket explosionsAfter several weather related delays, the Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft lifted off without incident heading for the International Space Station on Sunday.　The launch took place a year after the company's Antares rocket exploded during launch.

Cygnus, an upgraded cargo ship, was scheduled to carry more than 3,500 kg of food, clothing, supplies and science experiments to the space station, including a prototype satellite that astronauts will put together like a Lego kit.

Also on board are two Microsoft HoloLens headsets, which will provide station crew and onlookers in ground control centers with digitally enhanced images of whatever the astronauts are looking at.

Biz ReportsMarket PreviewAnchorLet's get underway with a preview of what we can expect from the markets this week.

Here in China, the country is set to release the figures on foreign reserves and trade surplus today.

On Wednesday, China will announce official consumer and producer price index data for November.

Figures for new yuan loans and money supply are expected to be revealed on the same day.

In the United States, on Monday, the U.S. Federal Reserve is scheduled to report the outstanding credit extended to American consumers. The figure for October is expected to have decreased to 20 billion dollars.

Investors will be keeping an eye out for this week's retail sales numbers, the producer price index, wholesale inventories and the University of Michigan's data on consumer's sentiment.

On Wednesday, the US Commerce Department is expected to show a 0.1 percent gain in wholesale inventories.

On Friday, data is expected to show that U.S. retail sales rose 0.3 percent in November, a bit higher than its October reading.

On the same day, the preliminary number for December consumer sentiment is expected to show an increase to 92.0 from 91.3 in November, and producer inflation is likely to have dropped 1.4 percent in November.

On the corporate front, on Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is set to decide on the approval of Alexion Pharmaceuticals's rare metabolic disorder drug, Kanuma, to treat an ultra rare and potentially fatal disease.

The drug, which is already approved in Europe, is intended to treat patients with lysosomal acid lipase deficiency.

Discount retailer Dollarama is set to post higher third-quarter profits on Wednesday, helped by lower costs and a rise in sales of high-priced items.

On Thursday, Photoshop maker Adobe Systems will report fourth-quarter revenue and profit in line with estimates, after it lowered its revenue and profit guidance for 2016 in October.

China to Launch Circuit Breaker Next YearAnchorChina is set to officially launch a planned circuit breaker mechanism in January 2016.

The draft has been approved by China's securities regulator and published by the two main bourses and China Financial Futures Exchange.

The move aims to curb wild swings in the stock market.

According to the latest draft plan, if the index changes by 5 percent after 2:45 p.m., or if the index rises or falls by 7 percent, trading will be suspended for the day.

The suspension time in the event of a major swing would be set at 15 minutes.

The new mechanism covers trading of all stocks, convertible bonds and stock options and futures contracts.

China has seen a number of wild swings this year.

The Shanghai Composite Index has seen slumps of over 7 percent six times.

For more on this, we're joined live by Mike Bastin, Director of The China Business Centre based in London.

Questions1. China's stock exchanges and securities regulator has taken a number of actions to protect investors' interests. Do you think they are going to work? Can investors expect a more stable market next year?

2. Considering China has already set a daily trading limit of 10 percent for the rise and fall of individual stocks, there are worries that the limits are too strict to affect the liquidity on the share market. What is your take on this?

3. Other countries also have similar systems. How are they working? Will China follow suit and make changes in the future?

Back AnchorMike Bastin, Director of The China Business Centre based in London.

Chinese Banks Waive Online Banking Transfer FeeMany banks here in China have been waiving their online banking transfer fees for individual customers transferring money using electronic channels, including online banking, mobile banking and at ATM's.

The move is aimed at countering the punitive costs of third-party payment services.

So far, many joint-equity commercial banks, such as China CITIC Bank, Bank of Beijing, China Zeshang Bank, have implemented the policy as a means of attracting new clients.

Industry insiders say more banks are likely to follow suit in the near future.

Thailand to build distribution center in SW ChinaThailand is seeking to build a new product distribution center in China's Sichuan Province.

The center is the country's third such facility here in China, after similar ones in Guangdong and Guangxi.

The southwestern province will become a major portal for Thailand to make connections with the western region of China.

Thailand will in turn serve as a gateway for Sichuan providing access to other ASEAN countries.

In 2014, trade between Thailand and Sichuan hit 730 million U.S. dollars.

Rice, fruit and cosmetics from Thailand are among the most popular products in Sichuan.

JD.com clinches deal to sell Italian artisan productsChina's online direct seller JD.com has signed an agreement of cooperation with an Italian service provider.

The move by JD.com is aimed at bringing a variety of Italian artisan brands into the Chinese market.

The agreement between JD Mall's Apparel and Home Furnishing and Milan-based Ge.Fi. Gestione Fiere S.p.A was signed during L'Artigiano in Fiera, the world's largest international trade fair dedicated to craftsmanship.

Under the deal, Ge.Fi. will be responsible for getting the Italian brands onto the JD.com platform.

At the same time, JD.com will be responsible for the advertising and promotional activities on the website.

The Italian brands offered on JD.com include fashion clothing, jewelry, shoes, home furnishing, handicrafts and makeup.

Microcredit value reaches at 900 billion in ChinaThe total amount of loans offered through microcredit companies here in China has so far this year reached 900 billion yuan, or 140 billion US dollars.

Microcredit companies offer very small affordable loans to individuals and small businesses who typically lack collateral, steady employment or a verifiable credit history.

Statistics released by the People's Bank of China show that by the end of September, there were nearly 9-thousand such companies in China, employing more than 110-thousand people.

President assistant of the Beijing Jieyue Union Information Consulting Company, Zhang Yajun, says small cities have become fertile places for microcredit companies.

"Microcredit companies set up service stations in three- or four-tier cities or even county-level cities. Most of them can get loan if they have a stable capital turnover."Apart from this expansion, microcredit services have also been reaching out to people and enterprises at a grass-roots level.

Currently, over 300 microcredit companies across China are engaged in providing financial service in poorer areas.

Egypt to pay Israel Electric $1.76 bln for halting gas suppliesIsrael Electric Corporation, a state-owned electric utility, says Egyptian natural gas companies will pay compensation of 1.8 billion U.S. dollars for halting gas supplies.

Egypt had been selling natural gas to Israel under a 20-year agreement.

However, the deal collapsed three years ago after months of attacks on the pipeline by militants in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Egypt Mediterranean Gas, the company that oversaw the gas deal, sued for 4 billion US dollars in damages.

But an international arbitrator awarded Israel Electric 1.8 billion dollars plus interest and legal expenses.

Israel Electric had suffered heavy damages after gas supplies were halted.

It had to buy more expensive fuel to generate electricity, raising its costs.

SportsCBA updateStarting from some CBA action:

Eli Holman scored 26 points for Guangsha in their victory against Jilin 118-93 on Sunday.

It was a home game for competitors Jilin but that didn't seem to help them in their game against a dominant Guangsha.

By the 3rd quarter the visitors had scored 100 points and led the game.

Jilin's Peter Ramos fought hard to keep his team in the game by scoring 24 points.

In the end, it wouldn't matter as Guangsha gave Jilin their seventh consecutive loss so far.

Up next for Jilin is a visit to Tianjin on Wednesday.

And Michael Beasley took Shandong to new heights on Sunday when he scored 29 points in his team victory over champions Beijing, 109-88.

It would seem Beijing had a slow start as Shandong took a commanding lead in the 1st quarter.

Stephen Marbury was only able to score 2 points for Beijing in that time.

As the game continued, five Shandong players would score double-digit points and in doing so destroy Beijing's confidence.

Beijing's next chance at redemption will be on Wednesday when they face Guangdong Southern.

and lets take a look at CBA games for tomorrow:

It's only gonna be one game, starting off at 5pm Beijing time.

Qingdao is gonna play Guangdong Foshan at the Foshan Lingnan Mingzhu Gymnasium.

Currently, Qindao is ranked 16th with 4 wins and 9 lossesGuangdong Foshan is in 18th with 3 wins and 10 lossesNadal holds tennis clinic for children in ManilaIn some tennis newsFormer world number one and 14-time Grand Slam winner, Rafael Nadal held a coaching clinic for Children in Manila on Sunday.

Nadal was in the Philippines to compete in the International Premier Tennis League event.

While competing, Nadal took the time to conduct a tennis clinic for kids in the city.

Nadal is one the top tennis players to be playing off-season tournaments, others are world number 2 Andy Murray as well as World number four Stanislas Wawrinka.

Lindsey Vonn win's Canada's Super G skiing eventIn skiing newsAmerica's Lindsey Vonn has won Canada's Super G event on Sunday.

The race took place at Canada's lake Louise where contestants would compete in downhill racing.

Lindsey won in a time of 1 minute, 19.79 seconds. Behind her was Austria's Tamara Tippler in second and Cornelia Huetter in third.

Vonn now has 14 downhill victories and four "Super G" wins at this venue.

Spain's Sergio Garcia wins Ho Tram Openin some golf news:

Spain's Sergio Garcia has won Veitnam's Ho Tram Open as of Sunday.

Conditions for athletes on the final day of the tournament were hardly perfect, with persistent wind throughout the day.

Garcia saw some ups and downs in his game until the last putt on the green won him the victory.

"It was just luck, when you hit a putt like the one I had, obviously I hit a great drive, didn't hit a great second shot, and when you hit a putt off, I don't know, thirty-thirty five feet, even if you hit a great putt, you have to get lucky to make it and I was lucky enough to make it. And then managed to get to the next hole and then unfortunately (Himmat) Rai pulled it a little bit left into the bushes and I managed to make 4 and that was that."This is the first win for the Spaniard this year.

Garcia has a record of 28 international tournament wins around the world.

Bubba Watson leads 3rd round of Hero World Challengeand in some additional Golf news:

Doubles Champion Bubba Watson will take a two-shot lead heading into the final day of the Hero World Challenge after he and Paul Casey shot matching round of 63 to set a new course record at Albany on Saturday.

This was the third round of the tournament hosted by golf legend Tiger Woods.

Players in attendance included some of golf's biggest names, such as world number 1, Jordan Speith.

But for the third round of the tournament, the biggest name of the day would be Bubba Watson who tied the course record with a 9-under 63 to build a two-shot lead at 19-under.

When asked about the day's success, Watson responded by saying that when he plays, he tries to feel as calm as possible.

"Yeah, for me it's.... if I could get that thought process on every event I'm a lot better. When I'm playing practice rounds or when I'm playing home with the boys, I play a lot better. I don't get so caught up in bad swings or bad thoughts. I just play golf and so that's the mindset I need every week, but this week obviously it's working right now. And I'm not really too stressed out right now, just happy to have my family here and be here."England' Paul Casey had set the record 10 minutes before Watson had tied it.

Casey made nine birdies in his first 13 holes before closing at a 5 par for his 63.

This left the Englishman 2 shots-behind Watson.

EntertainmentHarry Potter Magic World tour arrives in China for the first timeThe Harry Potter Magic World Tour has arrived in China for the first time.

The show was first launched in 2009, and has already travelled to cities such as New York, Toronto, Sydney, Tokyo and Singapore.

This Harry Potter experience opened in Shanghai's Super Brand Mall over the weekend, with the Wesley brothers' actors James and Oliver Phelps given the honour of waving the wand to officially open the show.

[harry potter]

The show has brought more than 1-thousand costumes, props and life-sized models to Shanghai, to recreate the original magic world of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Visitors can walk through the Grand Hall of Hogwarts, Harry Potter's dormitory, the Quidditch playing field, and forest keeper Hagrid's wooden cabin, or take the opportunity to explore the dark magic and creatures in the forbidden forest.

The Shanghai tour also provides a special audio guide, with behind-the-scene stories being related by the film's producers, costume designers and magical creature designers.

The show runs till the end of February of next year.

Stars talk about 'Star Wars' before open releaseThe cast of the new "Star Wars" movie - "The Force Awakens" - are remaining tight-lipped about the film's plot just days before the show is due to hit cinemas worldwide.

But they promise the new film is going to be good.

Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, the film will contain many of the themes that made the original movies so popular.

"There are elements in this that sadly, good versus evil, we can relate to things in the world that are happening far too frequently and horrifically. We didn't set out to tell an allegorical story. We set out to tell a story, an emotional story, an adventurous story. There is dark in this movie. There is definitely surprise and evil and yet there's also, I think, an incredible sense of adventure and hope.""The Force Awakens" features new characters as well as the return of Princess Leia and Han Solo.

Solo - played by Harrison Ford - said his role had expanded to an extent in the new series, but he's still keeping the details secret.

"In order to get the character to the place where he becomes useful again in a different way than he was in the first three films they've created a back story, which I won't tell but which I think creates the expectation that the character will be changed in certain ways which get played out, illustrated, in the storytelling but it does deepen and broaden the character of Han Solo to an extent that I found interesting.""The Force Awakens" is set some 30 years after the events in "Return of the Jedi," but the plot for Abrams' film has remained shrouded in secrecy.

The film is set for release in the US on December 18th.

It has also been confirmed the film will open in Chinese theatres on January 9th.

That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.

Recapping our top stories this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jinping back home after his latest round of successful globetrotting diplomacy.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China is willing and able to build an ideal partnership with AfricaBig gains in local elections for the far-right National Front in FranceOn behalf of the rest of the Beijing Hour team, Bob Jones in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.