The Beijing Hour
Evening Edition
Shane Bigham with you on this Tuesday, March 11th, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this evening,
Two Chinese military planes have been dispatched to help in the search for a missing Malaysian passenger jet.
Ukraine's dismissed president, Viktor Yanukovitch, is making another statement from Russia.
And Pakistan's former military ruler will be formally indicted on Friday.
In business, China's central bank Governor has announced the next stages in the country's sweeping financial reforms.
In sports, CBA playoff action, Beijing is looking to clinch a spot in the final.
In entertainment, a fan-financed film debuts at a major festival.
Weather
Beijing will be rainy tonight with a low of 3 degrees Celsius. Sunny tomorrow with a high of 10 degrees.
Meanwhile Shanghai will be rainy tonight, with a low of 10, also rainy tomorrow, with a high of 16.
Chongqing will be cloudy, 14 degrees the low, rainy tomorrow with a high of 18.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny with a high of 22.
Kabul, sunny, 12.
Over in Australia
Sydney, sunny, highs of 28.
Canberra, cloudy, 27.
Brisbane, sunny, 29.
And finally, Perth will be cloudy with a high of 37.
Top News
Q&A on the searching for missing jet
The Chinese air force has sent two military aircraft to reinforce the search effort for the missing Beijing-bound Malaysian plane.
The aircraft set off from south China's Sanya City in Hainan Province for waters where the plane lost contact.
Meanwhile, Malaysian officials have released photographs of the two men believed to have been travelling on stolen passports on that missing jet.
The information was released this afternoon during a press conference held by the Malaysian police department.
For more from the press conference and the rescue operation, we spoke earlier with Nadiah Abdul Aziz, a journalist based in Kuala Lumpur.
…
BACK ANCHOR:
That is Nadiah Abdul Aziz, a journalist based in Kuala Lumpur
Russia drafts proposals to deal with Ukrainian issue, Yanukovych to make another statement
Dismissed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych says he would ask U.S. Congress and Supreme Court to give legal assessment of U.S. government's actions concerning his country.
Yanukovych is making another official statement now in Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, where he met with reporters late last month.
The statement comes days ahead of a referendum in the Crimea about whether the autonomous republic should join Russia.
Meanwhile US Secretary of State John Kerry has rejected an offer of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine.
Kerry has told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that Moscow's military intervention in Crimea had made any negotiations extremely difficult.
US officials say there will be little to talk about if the referendum on Crimea's future goes ahead.
The referendum is to be held on Sunday.
Russia has said it's drafting counter-proposals to a US plan for a negotiated solution to the Ukrainian crisis.
The Russian proposals came after the United States proposed solutions to the Ukraine crisis, which Russia is not satisfied with.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov,
"During the latest round of our contacts, the European partners came up with a proposal that we and the Americans try and identify approaches that will be acceptable for all. John Kerry last Friday passed on a document to me, that we reported to you about, in which we found a concept which does not quite agree with us because everything was stated in terms of allegedly having a conflict between Russia and Ukraine and in terms of accepting the fait accompli."
Regardless of Russia's proposed solution, the U.S. Senate says senators are preparing a bill that includes further sanctions and aid provisions.
British Prime Minister David Cameron says Britain is to host an international meeting to discuss possible sanctions for a list of Russians, if Russia does not set up a contact group and start a dialogue with Ukraine.
However, Cameron has also highlighted the difficulty in implementing the sanctions.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has cautioned against "hasty actions" and "provocative rhetoric," calling on the international community to help calm the situation in Ukraine.
Meanwhile China on Tuesday reaffirmed its stance in favor of political solution to the tensions in Crimea and called for regional peace and stability.
China Calls for Israel and Palestine to Continue Efforts for Peace
Anchor:
China's special Middle East Envoy has issued a new call for the Israeli and Palestinian sides to push for peace, suggesting the negotiations are now at a critical stage.
The call follows meetings with both sides the past couple of days.
CRI's Alexander Aucott has more.
Reporter:
China's Middle East Special Envoy Wu Sike emphasizes in Jerusalem that both Israel and Palestine should make efforts to eliminate obstacles at the critical stage of peace talks. He takes the Israeli settlement issue as an example.
"The settlement issue concerns the Palestinians as well as the international society. Israel should consider the concerns. China has also expressed to Israel our concern about this issue, and this is a very important aspect in our efforts to push the two sides towards each other."
The Palestinians and Israelis resumed peace talks in last July. The two sides have been tasked with reaching an agreement within nine months.
Wu talked on Sunday with Palestinian officials and met on Monday with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Tzipi Livni, Israeli Justice Minister and the top negotiator in talks with the Palestinians.
Lieberman says Israel is willing for peace.
"We tried in the last eight months to do everything to achieve some strategic breakthrough in our relations with Palestinians. I think at least Israel has proved that we are ready to move forward. We are ready to deliberate reasonable stands and proposals. The problem is the readiness of the Palestinian side to do similar steps."
As the deadline of the peace talks approaches, Wu says both sides need more determination to make progress.
"China encourages both sides to show flexibility during the negotiations and make joint efforts to overcome difficulties. Both sides need to make some compromises to reach an agreement and solve the problem by 'two-state solution'. We hope finally an independent Palestinian state can be established and coexist peacefully with Israel."
For CRI, I'm Alexander Aucott.
Urbanizatoin-Settle in nearby township
Anchor:
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has said in his first government work report that China will carry out a new type of people-centered urbanization.
With China's largest cities being overpopulated, CRI's Cao Yuwei brings you more on how the government proposes to have more people settle in smaller areas and townships.
Reporter:
Official statistics show that China's urbanization rate increased to 53.7 percent by the end of last year, 17.5 points higher than the end of 2000.
Premier Li has vowed to turn 100 million rural people into urban residents in the near future.
He also pledged that to construct equivalent housing and other facilities for them, and guide them to settle in nearby western or central areas of China.
Pan Jianhua is an official from Rudong county in east China's Jiangsu Province, who is also an NPC deputy.
He says the emphasis on people is crucial for China's urbanization process.
"The urbanization we have seen in the past was only pursuing its scale, and was powered by the real-estate developers, with the government playing a dominative role. But the new urbanization focuses more on the people."
He says the new type of people centered urbanization will grant rural people who live in cities more social welfare currently enjoyed by the city dwellers only.
Ning Guiling, another deputy to the National People's Congress, agrees.
She says job opportunities are also important for those move from rural areas to big cities.
"For those who live in rural areas and own a piece of farmland, when they move to a city, and the government gives him a nice apartment and compensation for loosing the farmland, they cannot sustain a living if they don't know how to earn money in the city."
Meantime, Pan Jianhua suggests local industries should play a bigger role in the new urbanization process.
"A key industry can absorb populations, which further creates consumption demands. The consumption demand is the dynamic of urbanization, and it can attract social capital. If we blindly rely on the government to support the urbanization, we will come to a dead end."
The urbanization rate in Rudong county where Pan Jianhua comes from reached 56 percent last year, which, according to Pan, is being driven by modern agriculture, industrial production and trade flows.
Pan adds with well-developed local industries, the next step should be focused on removing institutional barriers.
These barriers include imbalance in the household registration and the social welfare systems.
He also notes that further reforms should be made in transferring land operation rights.
For CRI, I'm Cao Yuwei.
Pakistani court to formally indict Musharraf in high treason case on Friday
Pakistan's former military leader will be formally indicted on a charge of high treason on Friday.
The special court set up to hear the case has confirmed the timetable.
Pervez Musharraf, who seized control in a bloodless coup in 1999, has been accused of committing high treason after he suspended the constitution and imposed emergency rule in November of 2007.
Musharraf was supposed to appear on Tuesday but was granted an exemption because of a fresh round of security threats.
The Interior Ministry has circulated a letter from intelligence agencies, saying the Taliban and al- Qaeda militants have planned an assassination attempt on Pervez Musharraf.
Anti govt protesters clash with police; Maduro announces arrests; El Salvador elections
A small group of anti-government protesters has clashed once again with national police officers in Altamira Square in Caracas.
President Nicolas Maduro says 11 people were arrested early on Tuesday.
"Today at 2 a.m., the Bolivarian national guard entered the parking in Altamira Square and captured eleven of these masked people (responsible for lighting a metro booth on fire) who are now in prison."
Maduro also has congratulated Salvador Sanchez Ceren, the National Liberation Front (FMLN) presidential candidate and former leftist guerrilla fighter, who has a thin lead over his conservative challenger in elections in El Salvador.
"Even with the brutal campaign and the millions and millions spent in El Salvador, the guerrilla commander from the FMLN won today - president-elect Salvador Sanchez Ceren, to whom we send public congratulations on behalf of the Bolivarian people of Venezuela."
El Salvador continues to wait for a final vote count.
The weeks of protests that have roiled Venezuela since February have left at least 21 people dead.
Japan marks 3rd anniversary of quake-tsunami disaster
Anchor:
Japan is marking the third anniversary of the quake-tsunami disaster which swept away 18,000 victims and sparked a nuclear emergency.
Remembrance ceremonies are being held in towns and cities around the disaster zone.
Many local governments switched on a tsunami alarm siren at 2:46 pm, marking the exact moment the 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake struck, unleashing a towering tsunami.
Currently, there are over 26-hundred people still officially listed as missing.
CRI's Jordan Lee has more.
Reporter:
Yasuo Takamatsu, a 57-year-old bus driver, is learning how to dive in order to search the seabed for any sign of his missing wife.
His wife, Yuko, was at her office at a local bank when the earthquake struck in 2011.
Of the 13 people who managed to escape onto the roof of the two-storey building that day, only one survived.
Of the remaining 12, only four bodies have been found.
Takamatsu says he received one last message from his wife before she disappeared.
"She wrote, 'I want to go home.' Because I know that, that she feels that way, I wanted to look for her."
During the days following the earthquake, Takamatsu looked for Yuko at evacuation centres, hoping she'd still be alive.
He then searched the coastline for clues.
But it wasn't until two months after the quake that he began visiting mortuaries.
Though police and the coast guard continue regular searches for the missing, finding them remains a daunting task, given the vast coastline.
Takamatsu asked the Japanese coast guard to search for his wife last autumn, but three searches have yielded no clues to her whereabouts.
He then started to learn diving so he can look for his missing wife himself.
He eventually received his diving license in December, but is still struggling to keep his balance underwater.
It will take many more dives before Takamatsu will be experienced enough to take part in underwater searches for his wife, but he says it is a start.
"Of course, I hope her body would show up. I suppose it would be her remains by now. I hope I could find something, even a small piece."
His dive instructor Masayoshi Takahashi, along with a group of volunteer divers, have been searching underwater at least twice a month, looking for
"Last month, we found driving licenses, and two identity cards, so we're still finding things. I think there is still a chance we could find something more. We've also found bones."
A magnitude 9.0-earthquake struck off Japan's northeast coast in the mid-afternoon on Friday, March 11th, 2011, sending walls of water upwards of 40-meters high in certian cases, leaving close to 16-thousand dead, and tens of thousands of others homeless.
For CRI, I'm Jordan Lee.
Biz Reports
Stocks
Mainland shares edged up following the PBOC's announcement of impending deposit rate liberalisation.
The Shanghai Composite Index added 0.1 percent
The Shenzhen Component Index gained 1.3 percent
Over in Hong Kong, The Hang Seng ended flat
Elsewhere in Asia,
Japan's Nikkei added 0.7 percent
Singapore's Strait Times Index added 0.1 percent
South Korea's Kospi added 0.5 percent
Over in Australia, the ASX 200 ended flat.
China to free deposit rates within two years
Anchor:
China's central bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan has announced the next stages in the country's sweeping financial reforms.
The measures includes the liberalisation of the deposite rate within one to two years.
CRI's Lucy Du has more.
Reporter:
Zhou Xiaochuan's announcement came on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature.
The latest stage in China's financial reforms will see a move in July to scrap the floor limit for bank lending rates.
Additionally, December will see the release of a pilot guideline for piloting negotiable deposite certificates on the interbank markets.
The competition posed by Internet finance on traditional banks has been propelling the reform process.
Some Internet financial institutions have already offered annual interest rates of nearly 6 percent compared to the 3.3 percent ceiling allowed for brick-and-mortar banks.
Zhou Xiaochuan, Governor of China's Central Bank
"There is a driving force in the market that promotes the liberalization of interest rate. Newly emergent businesses and modes of operations will push forward the process. The deposit rate will be liberalized and it should be the last step of interest rate liberalization. Many other interest rates have already been liberalized and the liberalization of the deposit rate is surely in the plan. In my view, it will be realized in one or two years."
Zhou's comments came after a government work report said last week that the country is to establish a deposit insurance system this year, the last and most important step of interest rate liberalization.
The steps aim to increase the role of the market in the nation's financial system.
Meanwhile, Zhou added that the internationalisation of the Chinese RMB still has a long way to go.
"We have a lot of homeworks to do before the internationalisation of Chinese RMB. In the past we have been focusing on removing regulatory barriers, but we still have to promote the RMB's exchangeability as an investment currency. After all, we can not control the speed or tempo on this issue."
He stressed that fostering cross-border use of the currency and opening up the capital account.
In response to questions about the recent depreciation in the value of the yuan, Zhou responded that it was a sign of the growing role of market forces in the economy.
He added that current movements represent a short-term trend that does not warrant panic.
Currently, the yuan is convertible for trade purposes under the current account, while the capital account, which covers portfolio investment and borrowing, is still largely State controlled.
According to global transaction services organization SWIFT, the RMB overtook the Swiss franc to become the seventh most-used currency for payments worldwide in January.
It accounts for 1.39-percent of all global payments, compared to the 38.7 percent accounted for by the US dollar.
For CRI this is Lucy Du
China's new yuan loans down in February
New analysis shows lending through February has come in at 645-billion yuan, down from a four-year high in January.
The People's Bank of China says the latest figure is less than half of January's new lending, but is 24.5-billion yuan higher than the previous February.
It's being suggested the fluctuation of the credit figures have been mainly caused by seasonal and holiday factors.
Meanwhile, the M2, a broad measure of the money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, has increased 13 percent year on year to 113-trillion yuan as of the end of February.
The narrow measure of the money supply, the M1, which covers cash in circulation plus demand deposits, has expanded 7 percent year-on-year to 32-trillion yuan as of the end of last month.
Its being suggested the expansion of the M1 is mainly due to capital flowing back to the banks.
The surge of the M2 has come on the back of new funds being released after the Spring Festival holiday.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang outlined in his government work report last week that the M2 is expected to grow by about 13 percent this year.
China Banking Regulatory Commission announce private bank trial.
China Banking Regulatory Commission has announced that a trial of five private banks will be rolled out in further liberalisation of the banking sector:
Each of the banks will be co-sponsored by at least two private capital providers.
Ten private companies, including Internet firms Alibaba and Tencent, have been selected to take part in the preparation work for setting up the banks.
The private institutions will be subject to the same regulation and supervision as existing commercial banks.
However, services provided by the private banks will be predominantly geared towards small and micro businesses as well as residential communities.
Whilst a timetable for the establishment of the private banks has yet to be set, they are expected to spread across the country if proven successful.
China becomes world's largest agricultural insurance market
China has become the world's second largest agricultural insurance market after the United States.
The figures were given by the country's insurance regulator along the sidelines of the ongoing NPC meetings.
China's agricultural insurance covered 1.1 billion mu (73 million hectares) of crops in 2013, accounting for 45 percent of total planting acreage.
The agricultural insurance scheme paid 20.9 billion yuan (3.4 billion U.S. dollars) in compensation and benefited 33.67 million rural households last year.
The head of the China Insurance Regulatory Commission, Xiang Junbo, says that the country will continue to extend the coverage, strengthen supervision and pay high attention to risk control.
Xiang also stressed the importance of establishing a catastrophe insurance system, adding that it would relieve the financial burdens on the government.
Compensation from catastrophe insurance normally covers 30 percent to 40 percent of losses internationally, compared to the meager 1 percent that is given in China.
China Agricultural Bank applies for branch banking license in Britain
The Agricultural Bank of China is applying for a branch banking license in Britain.
The move will allow the bank to further expand operations in Europe, which it identifies as a vital market.
Through its subsidiary in London, the bank rolled out "zero time difference" cross-border Chinese currency clearing services for its European clients in December 2013.
In 2013, the bank settled cross-border trade of 1.1 trillion yuan.
However, without the banking license, the bank is currently unable to open full-fledged branches.
The attainment of the license could place the bank at the centre of the development of London's offshore renminbi market.
British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne pledged in Beijing last October that his country would ease restrictions on the establishment of branches by Chinese banks in Britain.
Osborne said in Hong Kong last month that the British and Chinese governments are "in active discussions" about setting up a clearing bank in London for China's currency.
South Korea and Canada sign FTA
South Korea and Canada finalized years of negotiations on their bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) on Tuesday.
The agreement came after summit talks between South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper.
The Canadian Prime Minister arrived in Seoul Monday evening to conclude the long-drawn-out FTA negotiations.
Headline News
One suspect on missing Malaysian flight possibly not terrorist: police
Malaysian police say one of two passengers using stolen passport on board the missing Malaysian Airline flight has been identified as an Iranian who is not believed to have terrorist links.
Police said the identity of the other man using stolen passport is being investigated.
Meanwhile, the massive international search for the missing plane is now in its fourth day but no traces of the plane have been found.
There's also growing skepticism that the flight with 239 people on board was the target of an attack.
Countries involved have expanded the search to a 185km-radius from the point the plane vanished from radar screen between Malaysia and Vietnam.
China has so far dispatched nine rescue vessels and four helicopters to the area.
In its latest statement, Malaysian Airlines says authorities are looking at a possibility of an attempt made by flight MH370 to turn back to Subang.
The carrier noted that the Boeing 777 underwent maintenance 12 days before the ill-fated flight and "there were no issues on the health of the aircraft."
North Korea wraps up parliamentary election
The official KCNA news says the parliamentary election in North Korea has wrapped up.
KCNA says 99.97 percent of registered voters across the country participated in Sunday's ballot.
North Korea's top leader Kim Jong Un has been unanimously elected to the parliament, and 687 candidates have been elected to the 13th Supreme People's Assembly, or SPA.
The SPA is the DPRK's highest legislative body.
It has the power to adopt, amend or supplement enactments to the constitution, determine state policies and budgets, and adjust the country's leadership.
S.Korea, Canada urge DPRK to give up nuclear weapons program
South Korea and Canada have issued a joint statement urging North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program in a complete, verifiable and irreversible way.
The leaders of the two countries also shared their views on the peaceful reunification of the two Koreas, based on liberal democracy and market economy, stressing the importance of dialogue and cooperation across the region.
The statement and comments were made following the signing of the new free trade agreement between South Korea and Canada.
19 Indian security personnel killed in rebel attack
At least 19 security personnel have been killed, and many more injured, in an ambush in central India.
Local media in the state of Chattisgarh say the attack was carried out by left-wing rebels.
It happened in a forested stronghold controlled by the rebels, the same spot where a convey of the ruling Congress Party was attacked a year ago.
The firefight is said to have lasted three hours.
More security forces have rushed to the area.
Bus collision kills 25 in Egypt
At least 25 people have been killed and 27 others injured when a bus collided with a truck in the entrance of Egypt's south Sinai.
Reports say the bus was shattered into pieces due to the strong collision.
All the dead were Egyptians, including a child and three policemen.
Newspaper Picks
Xinhua
"UNEP recognizes China's Chongming Island as green economy model"
China's experiment in developing a green economy on an Island in east China's Shanghai has been recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as a recommended model of green economic development.
The island is the world's largest alluvial island and the least developed district of China's commercial hub of Shanghai.
It covers less than 1,300 square km and has a population of some 600,000 people.
Chongming was approved as a national development zone for sustainable development in 2010.
According to UNEP's evaluation, development on the island has effectively integrated social, environmental and economic perspectives.
Chongming has a unique setting as a rural county within a highly-urbanized municipality. It mirrors the complicated challenges and pressures that the world's ecosystems face today, including food security, poverty eradication and creating a sustainable future.
The island's wetlands have been preserved, and its traditional village has been renovated and preserved. Green and organic agriculture and eco-friendly industries have developed as economic pillars.
Shanghai Daily
"Public urged to adopt, not plant, trees"
Shanghai authorities are taking to the Internet in a bid to encourage people to adopt a tree rather than planting one this Arbor Day.
They said the amount of space available in Shanghai for planting trees falls every year.
There are now only three parks in the city that have enough space to accommodate all the requests from people wanting to plant.
In contrast, there are 126 green spaces full of trees in need of care.
People traditionally plant trees on tomorrow's Arbor Day but, with the amount of available space dwindling, authorities are hoping the public will instead help cover the cost of caring for the city's existing green areas.
The telegraph
"Good looks help you get ahead in business(if you're a man), Harvard study finds"
A recent study by Harvard University shows that good-looking male workers are more likely to secure opportunities in business. However, this trend does not apply to women.
The study found investors were more likely to put money into ventures if the man making the pitch is handsome.
In the study, researchers found that men who were deemed good looking were 36 per cent more likely to be successful than those viewed as unattractive. However there was no difference for women.
Researchers say gender and physical attractiveness did play a part in business besides experiences and proposals. Pitches by good looking males are more persuasive than female narrators reading the same pitches.
Medical Daily
"Cell Phones Are Distracting Too Many Parents; Disrupting Communication With Kids"
A new study finds that too many parents are using up valuable time at the dinner table on their phones, rather than communicating with their children who are sitting right in front of them.
Previous studies have shown that kids learn best through live interactions with their parents and other adults. However, being on their cell phones prevents parents from providing adequate interaction.
For the study, researchers watched 55 random caregivers at fast food restaurants as they ate with one or more young children. They found that 40 of the caregivers used their phones or other devices during the meal.
Special Reports
New dashboard technologies shine at Geneva Motor Show
Anchor:
Automakers at the Geneva Motor Show are incorporating the latest dashboard technologies into their vehicles to create high-performance, smart-phone-compatible models.
CRI's Wang Wei has more.
Reporter:
Integrated phone and vehicle technology is a big theme at this year's car show with Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari all getting in on the act.
A new system by Apple – called CarPlay - allows drivers to access some cell phone applications through their car while on the road.
Anna Buettner, manager at IHS Automotive, says with this system installed in your vehicle, drivers can view phone apps on the in-vehicle screen.
"For sure it's going to be your Apple Maps, for navigation, phone functions, music functions. When it comes to social networking apps, they're going to limit it.
They're gonna not allow you to have full access to Facebook like you have it on your phone. They're gonna probably reduce it to two-liners that type of thing."
Car show attendee, Susanne Aichberger, says she's ready to embrace this new technology.
"Because it's much easier if you can connect everything and I can hear my own music, but I think it depends on how it is handled. So if it's easy to be handled, then yes, of course."
Ferrari says they have begun taking orders for CarPlay in the FF model, which will be delivered during the summer months. Volvo plans to feature the iPhone system in its redesigned Volvo XC90 sports utility vehicle. Mercedes-Benz expects both its S-Class large sedan and C-Class midsize sedan to be compatible with the system.
Automakers are also endeavoring to produce cars that will give drivers the utmost smooth and seamless driving experience.
Infiniti unveiled a new high-performance concept vehicle - the Q50 Eau Rouge. The car's tire angle and steering inputs are controlled electronically, transmitting the driver's intentions straight to the wheels faster than standard mechanical steering.
Infiniti Vice President, Fintan Knight says the Q50 is a technological revolution that is inspired by Formula One and tested by its drivers.
"This is the world's first digital steering and for many of the new generations of premium buyers what they're looking for is something that goes beyond the conservative and the traditional, and to have a digital steering that has been tuned by a world, four-time world champion Formula One race driver is something very exciting."
In the meantime, Rolls Royce introduced their new 2015 Ghost Series II vehicle which features satellite aided transmission technology.
Debuted at Geneva in 2013, this technology works with its gearbox to handle GPS data so that gears can be selected based on what's detected on the road ahead.
Jim Holder, Editor of Autocar magazine, thinks the technology creates a more seamless drive. He says many other car manufacturers are presenting assisted driving features and that they're perhaps more reliable than human drivers.
"I think we're seeing from all car manufactures now that they're getting closer and closer to autonomous driving and actually these systems tend to be much more reliable than the human at the wheel."
Thousands of visitors have come to see the newest offerings by the world's carmakers since the show started earlier this month.
The motor show will runs until March 16.
For CRI, this is Wang Wei
Sports
Luneng plays Osaka while Guo'an hosts FC Seoul
In football,
Two Chinese Super League sides are now in action in the Asian champions league.
Over in Japan, Shandong Luneng beat J-league side Cerezo Osaka 3-1.
Luneng went into this match having drawn Thailand's Buriram United 1-1 in round one.
Here in the Chinese capital, Beijing Guo'an is hosting last year's runners-up FC Seoul.
FC Seoul got away with a 2-0 home win against Australian side Central Coast Mariners while Guo'an settled for a draw with Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their first round match.
Former FC Seoul captain Ha Dae sung, who arrived at Guo'an during the winter break, will start for Guo'an against his former club.
Arsenal looks to overturn a 2-0 deficit against defending champions Bayern Munich
And in European football,
Arsenal will face European champions Bayern Munich later tonight in the second leg of their Champions League clash.
Arsene Wenger's side will be looking to overturn a 2-0 deficit after their first Champions League round of 16 tie in London.
"Bayern is at the moment a team that is, of course, full of confidence because they are doing well, but we have a great opportunity to do it and I am absolutely confident that, mentally, we will be ready to play at our best."
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid gets ready to take on AC Milan in their Champions League Round of 16 second leg clash.
Atletico has a one goal advantage over Milan after their meeting two weeks ago, and is looking to snag a place in the final eight for the first time since 1997.
Beijing faces deciding game to make into the playoff final
Onto basketball,
Fourth round action in the semifinal series between the Beijing Ducks and the Guandong Southern Tigers has just started.
With the home court advantage, Beijing is hoping to advance to the final with a win tonight.
Beijing is up 2-1 in the best of five series after an overtime victory over Guangdong last week, in Guangdong.
Guangdong can force a fifth and deciding game only if it gets away with a win tonight.
Otherwise, this will be the first time in 13 years that Guangdong has failed to make the finals.
Miami snapped three game losing streak
Seven games in the NBA today.
Dwyane Wade scored 22 points, including 13 in the final quarter to bring Miami to a 99-90 victory against Washington.
The desperately needed win snapped the Heat's three game losing streak and helped them clinch a playoff spot.
Over in New York, the Knicks handed the 76ers their 17th straight loss, 123-110.
Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Knicks with 28 points and rallied the team to snatch its fourth game in a row.
And in California, Blake Griffin provided 37 points as the Los Angeles Clippers won their eighth consecutive game, beating the Phoenix Suns 112-105.
The Suns have slipped a half game behind Memphis for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Phoenix hasn't made the postseason since 2010.
Elsewhere, Atlanta snapped its six game losing streak, edging past the Utah Jazz 112-110.
Milwaukee defeated Orlando 105-98.
Charlotte beat Denver by the same score.
And Brooklyn fought off Toronto 101-97.
Nadal, Sharapova crashes out of Paribas Open
In tennis,
Rafael Nadal was knocked out of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
Nadal, the 2013 champion, was sent packing by Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3 3-6 7-6.
"I saved a tough situation on the first day, today I was close to saving another one but at the end when you are on the limit this thing happened so I lost today. I congratulate him, he played I think better than me and that's it. Now life continues and I am going to keep working hard to try to be ready for Miami."
Meanwhile, fifth seed Andy Murray advanced to the fourth round, having to dig deep to get past 20-year-old Czech Jiri Vesely.
Roger Federer also advanced after a tough workout, having to win two tiebreakers to triumph 7-6, 7-6 over Russia's Dmitry Tursunov.
On the women's draw,
Australian Open champion Li Na has eliminated Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 at Indian Wells.
Li Na will next meet Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak in the fourth round.
Earlier, defending champion Maria Sharapova was knocked out of the tournament after a shock third round defeat to Italian qualifier Camilia Giorgi 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.
Another Italian, Flavia Pennetta, seeded 20th, ousted former US Open champion Sam Stousur.
Petra Kvitova dumped Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova in straight sets to set up a fourth round clash against Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova.
Australian Open finalist Cibulkova was a 6-4, 7-5 winner over Russian Ekaterina Makarova.
Jelena Jankovic, Simona Halep, and Caroline Wozniacki were among other third round winners.
Ding Junhui wins the first round at Haikou Open
In snooker,
World number two Ding Junhui has got his Haikou Open campaign off to a winning start.
Ding beat compatriot Li Yan 5-1 in the first round and set up a second round clash against Thailand's Pankaj Advani.
Advani earlier dumped Chinese player Xiao Guodong 5-4 in their first round clash.
Ding flew into Haikou, the capital city of the resort island province of Hainan having made it into the final of the Welsh Open.
Englishman Ronnie O'Sullivan was the winner in Wales.
Also from Haikou, Shaun Murphy ousted his fellow countryman Jimmy White 5-1 to book his second round place.
Murphy will next meet the winner between China's Cao Yupeng and Mark King of England in the last 32.
Entertainment
Fans bring "Veronica Mars" Back With New Spin-Off Movie
The movie spin-off of the canceled TV series "Veronica Mars" had its world premiere at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. It is the first "fan-financed" film, having been funded by fans that used the crowdfunding website Kickstarter to raise money for the film. The private screening in Texas was for hundreds of the film's financial backers.
Writer and director Rob Thomas, as well as lead actress Kristen Bell, were present at the screening. Thomas described the occasion as "very emotional" and remembers how, when the show got canceled, he believed "Veronica Mars" was finished.
Originally running from 2004 to 2007, the show attracted fewer than three million viewers a week in the US but gained a cult following. It tells the story of a quick-witted, sharp-tongued teenager named Veronica Mars who investigates the murder of her best friend. Bell, who plays Mars, says that the show's fans were completely devoted.
Devoted indeed – "Veronica Mars" fans collectively donated $6 million to fund the film. The movie sees Veronica, now a young lawyer, return to her home town of Neptune, California, after her on-off boyfriend Logan is accused of murder.
Reaction from fans and critics has so far been positive and, after the six years it's been since "Veronica Mars" went off the air, the fandom says the reward was worth the wait.
"Death Is Here" trailer released
The terrifying trailer for upcoming Chinese thriller, "Death Is Here," has been released. The film stars actresses Yu Xinyan and Guo Yan and male lead Guo Xin.
"Death Is Here" tells the story of six university students who take a trip to an unnamed mountain region. There, they play an ancient Chinese game where they call to dark souls, not unlike the Western ouiji board tradition. However, when they succeed in contacting the spirit world, strange things start to happen.
The trailer focuses on Bunshinsaba, an apparition that the six friends are trying to contact. Will it come? What kind of questions will offend it? Do you believe in the curse of Bunshinsaba?
The trailer offers glimpses of the film's thrilling details – a deserted village, an ancient house, a dry well, a female ghost with long, dark hair. Hints of intimate scenes are also shown in the trailer.
"Death Is Here" will hit Chinese screens on April 4th.
China's "fifth-generation" directors gather to mourn Godfather of film industry
China's well-known "fifth-generation" directors gathered at the Beijing Film Academy to mourn their respected teacher, Wu Tianming on Monday, expressing gratitude and respect for the "Godfather" of China's film industry in the 1980s.
Wu died from heart failure on March 4 at the age of 75.
Under Wu's leadership, directors like Zhang Yimou, Tian Zhuangzhuang and Gu Changwei rose to fame. Wu was known for cultivating young directors in the 1980s, many of whom have become successful filmmakers at home and abroad, including Chen Kaige and He Ping.
Zhang Yimou says his first film, "Red Sorghum," would never have been made without Wu's support.
Taylor Swift top money maker
Taylor Swift has reclaimed the top position on Billboard's annual list of music money makers, a title she held in 2012 but relinquished last year to Madonna.
Twenty-four-year-old Swift earned $39.7 million in 2013 from a combination of music sales, royalties and touring. Country star Kenny Chesney came in second place and Justin Timberlake came in third.
Swift's global Red Tour helped her top the money makers, with six months in the U.S. bringing in an estimated $30 million. The tour also boasted three hefty sponsorship deals.
Swift's album sales were eighth in the list of best-selling records in the U.S. last year. Meanwhile, Chesney enjoyed his seventh chart-topping album in 2013 while Timberlake received an ecstatic welcome back from his fans after a seven-year break from music.
Other notable mentions that made the list include rock acts Bon Jovi and the Rolling Stones, rounding out this year's top five. Beyonce's surprise album at the end of the year earned her sixth place while Maroon 5's Adam Levine took seventh.
One Direction Collaborating with Good Charlotte and Kodaline
Hit British boy band One Direction is writing with US rock band Good Charlotte for their new album.
One Direction's Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne have teamed up with Joel and Benji Madden from Good Charlotte. Tomlinson posted on Twitter, "Great working with the Good Charlotte boys today," confirming the news.
Meanwhile, Benji Madden posted about the collaboration as well, letting fans know that the new One Direction album will be "crazy." Joel Madden added a photo of him and his brother posing with Payne.
Last week fellow One Direction member Harry Styles was revealed to be working with Kodaline on 1D's upcoming fourth album. The band's third album, Midnight Memories, became the fastest selling album of 2013.
"Book of Mormon" Goes to Salt Lake City
Popular musical "Book of Mormon" will land in Salt Lake City, Utah for the first time next year, near the location of the Mormon church's headquarters.
The musical is written by South Park's Matt Stone and Trey Parker and pokes fun at two na?ve missionaries who visit Uganda. The show heavily satirizes both faith and musicals themselves - it has won widespread popularity and received six nominations in this year's prestigious Olivier Awards.
On learning the musical was to arrive on its doorstep, the Mormon Church reiterated its previous position that the production "might entertain audiences for an evening, but the real Book of Mormon changes people's lives forever. Salt Lake City was founded by Mormon settlers in 1847 and as much as 58% of the population still practices the faith.
"Book of Mormon" is scheduled to run from July to August at the Capitol Theatre, less than half a mile from The Churck of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' flagship temple.
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
Two Chinese military planes have been dispatched to help in the search for a missing Malaysian passenger jet.
Ukraine's dismissed president, Viktor Yanukovitch, is making another statement from Russia.
And Pakistan's former military ruler will be formally indicted on Friday.
In business, China's central bank Governor has announced the next stages in the country's sweeping financial reforms.
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