The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
Shane Bigham with you on this Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Divers searching that sunken ferry off the coast of South Korea have been retreiving bodies by the dozens...
The US remote sub looking looking for evidence of flight MH370 has now covered 80 percent of its search area without finding anything...
and Ukraine's interim president has called for the re-launching of anti-terror operations against pro-Russian activists who have occupied government buildings...
In Business...the reserve rate for rural banks and credit unions will be cut on Friday...
In sports...Chelsea and Atletico battle to a scoreless draw...
In entertainment...the official song of the 2014 World Cup has been released...
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
Weather
Beijing will be cloudy today, with a high of 26 degree Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should drop down to around 14.
Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 22 during the daytime.
In the night, temperatures should dip down to 14 degrees.
Chongqing will be overcast in the daytime with a high of 24.
Overnight lows are expected to be around 18 with slight rain.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.
Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 32.
Kabul, sunny with a high of 24.
Over to North America.
New York will be cloudy with a high of 14 degrees.
Washington will be sunny with a high of 17 degrees.
Honolulu, cloudy, 28.
Toronto, Canada, will be cloudy with a high of 8 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be sunny today with a high of 20.
And Rio de Janeiro will be rainy with thunderstorms to expect, a high of 26 degrees Celsius.
There are several ways to keep in touch with us on the BJH
Weibo/Wechat account: the Beijing Hour
Email: [email protected].
Top News
Death toll of sunken South Korean ferry surged to 121
The number of bodies retrieved from the sunken South Korean ferry has surged to 121 as divers continued searching inside the submerged hull.
So far, 181 people, including two Chinese, are still missing. The bodies of two other Chinese nationals have been recovered.
The number of people rescued remains at 174, unchanged since the sinking.
On Tuesday alone, 36 bodies were recovered.
Officials say most of the bodies have been found on the third and fourth floors of the ferry, where many passengers seemed to have gathered.
Authorities have arrested seven crew members including the captain.
Four crew members appeared in a district court on Tuesday.
They are under investigation for allegedly not fulfilling their duty to safely evacuate passengers.
Shin is the Chief Mate of the Sewol.
"We gathered together after the ferry started tilting, and at first, I tried to bring it back to its original place, but the ballaster and other equipment would not work. After that, the captain decided to report a distress situation, and deploy lifeboats, but the ship was too slanted and could not make it."
He also refutes claims that no evacuation alarm was sounded.
Several survivors have said they did not hear any evacuation order.
It is reported that the captain and several crew members were the first to abandon the ship.
The captain is facing five charges including negligence of duty and abandonment resulting in deaths.
The exact cause of the capsizing hasn't been made clear, though survivors say the ship made a sudden turn before beginning to list.
Bluefin 21 completes more than 80 pct of focused underwater search area
The joint coordination team leading the hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 says its underwater submersible search has now covered some 80-percent of its current focused search area.
Nothing connected to the missing flight has been found to date.
Still, authorities say current search area is the best lead they have at the moment.
Meanwhile, the air and sea search has been put on-hold today because of a tropical cyclone in the region.
The delays and the extended duration of the search are said to be creating growing frustration among Malaysians.
"Actually we must know all the evidence that says that it actually landed in the Indian Ocean. There's no prove and nothing been shown and even the debris is not shown at all. So I think it's a very very disappointing matter."
"Quite late because now we're talking about living in the 21st century and so much science has progressed and all these things. But it's been almost two months and there is no trace. So really, I don't know what to say."
The authorities have turned up no conclusive evidence of the aircraft's ultimate location.
But they believe sonar signals, or "pings", detected in the Indian Ocean search area several weeks ago may have emanated from the plane's "black box" recorder.
Aviation industry observers have been warning the search for the missing flight's black-box recorders is likely to take a long time.
It took close to 2-years to discover the flight data recorders for Air France flight 447 after it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009.
Ukraine to relaunch military operation to retake gov’t buildings
Anchor:
Ukraine's interim president has called for an anti-terror operation to be relaunched in the east of the country, as US Vice President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian leaders in Kiev.
CRI's Yu Yang has more.
Reporter:
Ukraine's interim president, Oleksander Turchinov, made the announcement after the body of a local politician from his own party was found near the city of Slaviansk.
It appears the victim had been tortured.
In a statement, the interim president calls for the resumption of anti-terror measures, to defend Ukrainian citizens.
Earlier, three pro-Russian activists were killed in a shootout at a checkpoint near Slaviansk.
Ukrainian and Russian officials have blamed each other for the attack.
After meeting up with Turchinov, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden warned Russia to stop talking and start acting to reduce tension in Ukraine.
"We have heard a lot from Russian officials in the past few days, but now it's time for Russia to stop talking and start acting. Act on the commitments that they made; to get pro-Russian separatists to vacate buildings and check points, accept amnesty and address their grievances politically. To get out on the record, calling for the release of all illegally occupied buildings."
Biden also voiced his country's willingness to provide all kinds of assistance to Kiev.
The U.S. is to provide an additional 50 million U.S. dollars in aid to help the Ukrainian government with political and economic reforms.
Washington also promised 8 million dollars in non-lethal military assistance for Ukraine's armed forces.
The U.S. Vice President warns Moscow of further isolation over its alleged support for pro-Russia forces.
Meanwhile, Russia's Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, says Russia can minimize the impact of any sanctions imposed.
"Russian business will receive necessary protection should unfriendly actions be taken against it. Our companies have to learn to work in conditions of fierce competition regardless of any sanctions. The economy is global, but companies have to operate by conditions of competition and not by the politically-motivated economic war."
Medvedev says Russia will insist on fair access to foreign markets for its energy exports, and if necessary take legal action at the World Trade Organization.
International negotiators in Geneva reached a deal last week to defuse the tensions in Ukraine. The U.S. and EU have threatened further sanctions on Moscow if the stalemate continues.
The deal calls on pro-Russian activists to disarm and leave official buildings.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is currently in Ukraine to oversee the implementation of the deal.
The team has met up with pro-Russian activists in eastern city of Donetsk, who then agreed to vacate part of the occupied buildings.
Meanwhile, activists continued their seizure of government buildings in at least 10 cities across the largely Russian-speaking eastern region.
For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.
U.S. Frigate Heads for Black Sea via Bosphorus Strait
Meanwhile, a US warship has returned to Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait for the second time in as many months as Vice President Joe Biden visited Ukraine amid high tension in the region.
The frigate USS Taylor was en route to the Black Sea, according to Turkish media.
The Bosphorus Strait links Turkey's Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea, where the Crimean Peninsula is located.
The USS Taylor was in the Black Sea in February on a "routine trip," according to the US Navy, when it ran aground near a Turkish port.
U.S. troops to arrive in Eastern Europe for month-long exercises
In another development, about 600 US Army soldiers will arrive in Poland and the three Baltic states in the next few days for a series of combat exercises.
The Pentagon says the move is part of the steps being taken to reassure NATO allies amid the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
The troops are expected to be in place by April 28th. The exercises are expected to last about a month.
In late May, fresh troops will be rotated into those countries and a new round of military exercises will begin.
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced last week that the U.S. will extend the stay of its air forces and military personnel in Poland through the end of this year.
Yasukuni Shrine a "negative asset" for Japan's leaders: FM spokesman
The Chinese government has released a new statement, criticizing the latest visit to the Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese officials.
Around 150 Japanese lawmakers visited the shrine in Tokyo on Tuesday.
The mass visit comes a day after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made an offering to the controversial Shrine, on the first day of Japan's three-day spring festival.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang.
"The Yasukuni Shrine is a negative asset for Japan. If Japan's leaders insist on carrying it, this negative asset will get heavier and heavier. Unfortunately, it became heavier in just one night."
The Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 Japanese war criminals and is considered as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.
Frequent visits to the shrine by Japanese officials have triggered strong opposition from countries in the region invaded during Japan's military expansion at the start of the 20th century.
S. Korea warns of surprise DPRK nuke test ahead of Obama's visit
The South Korean defense ministry says there are signs North Korea may be preparing to conduct another nuclear test, sometime in the near future.
Citing intelligence gathered near the site of a previous nuclear test, the South Korean side says its working on a theory that the North may be planning the test to coincide with US President Barack Obama's visit in the region.
South Korean Defence Ministry spokesperson Kim Min-seok.
"Our military is currently detecting various activities within the Punggye-ri nuclear test site near Gilju region of Northern Hamgyong Province."
Seoul also says its been hearing an increasing amount of rhetoric coming from North Korea in recent days, including a statement saying -quote- "a great thing will happen before April 30th."
North Korea has conducted three previous nuclear tests.
U.S. calls on DPRK to refrain from provocation as Obama starts Asian tour
In the United States, Washington says it is closely watching North Korea right now.
White House spokesman Jay Carney says the North has a history of provocative actions, and the US side is mindful of the possibility that Pyongyang will make some kind of a move during President Obama's four-nation tour in Asia.
President Obama arrives in South Korea on Friday for a two-day visit, following his state visit to Japan.
Regional naval symposium opens in China
Anchor:
This year's Western Pacific Naval Symposium has kicked off in Qingdao in East China's Shangdong Province.
Naval officials attending the two-day event have inked an agreement meant to head-off maritime accidents or miscommunications.
CRI's Xiong Siqi has more.
Reporter:
The Code For Unplanned Encounters at Sea has been approved unanimously at the Western Pacific Naval Symposium, also known as WPNS.
The agreement outlines how warships should communicate and maneuver when they come into contact in heavily trafficked sea lanes surrounding China, Japan and Southeast Asia.
Chinese Naval Commander Wu Shengli.
"We hope that we can increase understanding and trust among naval forces across the region, and further promote pragmatic maritime cooperation, and achieve expected goals through discussions at this year's symposium."
Participants have also agreed to accept Pakistan as a WPNS observer at the symposium.
Delegates at the event are set to review the work of WPNS-sponsored seminars and other activities for the past year, and deliberate maritime regulations in the region.
Chinese Naval Commander Wu Shengli has also taken time to acknowledge two recent tragedies in the region.
"On behalf of the Chinese Navy, I would like to express our condolences to victims of missing flight MH370 and the Korean ferry accident. We would like to express our sympathy for those who lost their loved ones and gratitude for those countries that provided humanitarian assistance to the rescue operations. I would like to propose that we should have specific discussions on how to organize more efficient international maritime rescue operations during meetings at this year's symposium."
The WPNS was launched by the United States and its allies in 1987, with the goal of promoting cooperation among the navies of countries bordering the Pacific Ocean.
It is the first time China, as one of its 12 founding members, has hosted the biennial symposium.
The organization now has 21 member countries and four observers.
For CRI, this is Xiong Siqi.
3D-printed buildings set up in Shanghai
Anchor:
Several buildings constructed using 3D printing technology have been put to use recently in Shanghai.
Our reporter Chi Huiguang takes a closer look.
Reporter:
Without using a single brick or tile, 10 grey-colored buildings were erected in Qingpu District of Shanghai earlier this month.
From a distance, the buildings that were made using 3D printers don't look too different from the other regular ones. But upon closer viewing, their walls look like layered cakes, with hundreds of grey layers piled up together.
The building's walls were printed out by 3D printers developed by the Suzhou Yingchuang Science and Trade Development Company, in east China's Jiangsu Province.
Ma Yihe, president of company, introduces the company's work:
"The building materials are all printed out using our 3D-printers layer by layer and we piled them on top of one another. All the layers are firmly connected with each other. They won't separate, neither will they deform nor collapse."
A number of office workers have already moved into the buildings in Shanghai.
The buildings were printed during one printing workshop of the Yingchang company.
At witness of onlookers, the 3D printers printed out building materials layer by layer from a mixture of carefully-selected raw materials or "ink", including sand, concrete, and glass fibers.
According to Ma Yihe, the layers are approximately three centimeters thick, but five times as hard as common construction materials.
"We can print out the entire walls here in the factory, and then deliver them to the construction site. Our workers only need to pile the walls up like building blocks by using cranes. The walls are hollow inside. The walls with beam columns are printed with steel bars inside. The workers can just pour the concrete directly into the walls. It's very simple to carry out."
Ma says that the 3D-printed buildings not only help to save construction materials but also prevent projects from being shoddily built.
Ma added that the construction materials are all produced in a fully-digital way through a central computing system which is entirely comprehensive and does not cut corners.
The groundbreaking technology still has a long way to go before being used in mass production, as the 3D-printed buildings need to be further tested with regards to fire resistance, durability as well as internal stability.
Anchor:
That is CRI's Chi Huiguang reporting.
Biz Reports
U.S. stocks rallied Tuesday, as upbeat corporate news helped drive the S&P 500 index to a sixth-straight gain.
Both the S&P 500 and the Dow rose two fifths of a percent. And the Nasdaq gained one percent.
The health-care sector led eight of 10 S&P 500 sectors higher, boosted by news of large deals among high-profile drug makers.
In corporate news, shares of American online video provider Netflix soared 7% after exceeding first-quarter earnings expectations and providing an upbeat second-quarter outlook.
Among Dow components, United Technologies gained more than three quarters of a percent and Travelers added three fifths of a percent.
But McDonald's slipped two fifths of a percent, after the companies reported quarterly results.
In Europe, European markets turned higher as investors returned from the four-day Easter weekend in an upbeat mood.
Both Britain's FTSE 100 and France's CAC 40 gained around 1 percent and Germany's DAX climbed 2 percent.
China cuts RRR for rural financial institutions
China's central bank is going to cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for rural financial institutions beginning this Friday.
The cut is 2 percentage points for county-level rural commercial banks and half a percentage point for rural credit cooperative unions.
After the adjustment, the amount of money most county-level rural commercial banks are required to hold as reserves rather than loan out will stand at 16 percent of their deposits.
And for rural credit cooperative unions, the ratio stands at 14 percent.
The adjustment is aimed at enhancing financial support for rural development and guiding credit flow to rural areas.
The People's Bank of China says the decision will not affect overall liquidity in the banking system.
The RRR sets the minimum amount of customer deposits that each bank must hold as reserves, and is an important monetary tool used by central banks.
Lowering the RRR is often aimed at boosting bank lending and economic growth.
Expectations that monetary policies will be eased have been running high after China's growth slowed to 7.4 percent in the first quarter.
China strengthens rural financing
Meanwhile, China is to strengthen financial support for rural areas through venture capital and private equity funds.
According to a new government statement, China will encourage establishment of rural-focused VC and PE firms to provide more capital to rural projects.
The move is part of a package approved by the State Council to increase support for the agriculture sector, rural areas, and farmers.
The government has also tried to make loans more accessible to farmers by encouraging the use of state capital in setting up guarantee agencies in the countryside.
Other supportive measures in the package include encouraging rural companies to sell corporate bonds, improving agricultural insurance services, and a pilot program to mortgage rural land-use rights.
Top Chinese banks' asset quality declining: PwC
Professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers says that the asset quality of China's top 10 listed banks has clearly declined.
PwC expects an increase in non-performing loans to rise in the near future as the gap between the average delinquency ratio and average NPL ratio has widened.
A delinquency rate is an expression of the number of loans in a portfolio with payments that are more than three months late.
According to a report released by PwC, the NPL ratio grew at a significantly slower pace than the delinquency ratio.
The top 10 listed banks had an NPL balance of 450 billion yuan at the end of 2013, up 20 percent from the end of 2012.
PwC says this across-the-board increase indicates that the slowdown in economic growth is impacting banks.
China's Q1 tax revenue up 9.9 pct
New data shows that China's first quarter tax revenue this year grew by nearly 10 percent, faster than the 7.4 percent GDP growth registered in the same time.
The State Administration of Taxation collected a total of 2.6 trillion yuan, or over 400 billion U.S. dollars, in taxes.
It says tax collected from the tertiary industry grew by more than 13 and a half percent in the first quarter, and tertiary industry tax accounted for more than 53 percent of the total amount.
Despite rising tax revenue, the administration says attaining fast growth will be difficult for the whole year as downward pressure is weighing on the Chinese economy.
Xiaomi simplifies its Web domain to Mi.com to appeal to an international audience
Anchor:
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has simplified its website domain to Mi.com as part of the tech firm's efforts to gradually expand its business beyond Asia.
It also highlights the "Mi" brand, which stands for Mobile Internet.
All visits to the old web address will be redirected automatically to the new domain, mi.com.
Xiaomi revealed that it spent 3.6 million yuan, or more than half a million US dollars, to purchase the web domain.
Online transaction accounts for about 70 percent of Xiaomi's total sales.
Xiaomi sold 11 million handsets over the first quarter this year.
The company aims to ship 60 million handsets by end of this year.
For more on this, we're joined live now by Benjamin Cavender, Principal of Market Research in Shanghai.
Questions:
-- How big is Xiaomi's international audience right now, and how is this new web name expected to influence those numbers?
-- What does Xiaomi need to do now in order to expand further into the international market? Will there be changes to the core business?
-- How strong is the "Xiaomi dot com" branding? Is there any risk of backlash to the change in China or across Asia?
-- How do you expect markets and competitors to react to this?
Anchor:
Benjamine Cavender, Principal of Market Research in Shanghai.
U.S. existing home sales decline 0.2 percent in March
New data shows that U.S. home re-sales in March fell to their lowest level in more than one-and-a-half years.
The US National Association of Realtors says that existing home sales slipped one fifth of a percent from February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of nearly 4.6 million.
It was the lowest level since July 2012.
First-time buyers accounted for 30 percent of purchases in March, up from 28 percent in February.
Existing home sales account for a larger share of the market than new home sales.
The housing market has been a bright spot in the U.S. economic recovery, but it showed signs of cooling down late last year with higher mortgage rates and limited inventory.
Headline News
Death Toll Surges to 121 in S.Korean Ferry Sinking Accident
The number of confirmed deaths from the South Korean ferry sinking has surged to 121 as divers intensified search efforts inside the submerged hull.
181 people are still missing. 174 people were rescued the day of the sinking but after seven days of searching for more survivors, none have been found.
On Tuesday, many bodies have been found in the third-floor lounge and the fourth- floor cabins that had been occupied by highschool students from Seoul.
The ferry capsized and sank off Jindo Island on the southwestern tip of South Korea last Wednesday.
It carried 476 passengers, including 325 highschool students.
Bluefin 21 completes more than 80 pct of focused underwater search area
A US remote sub has now covered 80 percent of its search area, but the international team looking for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 says no trace of the missing plane has been spotted.
Despite this, the authorities still say the current search area is based on their best lead.
It's believed signals from the plane's flight recorders originated from somewhere in the search zone.
Aviation industry observers have been warning the search for the missing flight's black-box recorders is likely to take a long time.
Ukraine to relaunch military operation to retake gov’t buildings
Ukraine's interim president has called for the re-launching of anti-terror operations in the country's east, after the body of a politician from his own party was discovered near Slaviansk.
It appears the victim had been tortured.
The call has come during US Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Ukraine, where he is meeting with leaders in Kiev.
Biden has expressed US willingness to lend support to Ukraine, including 50 million dollars in aid to help Ukraine with political and economic reforms.
Biden also warned Moscow of further political isolated and sanctions over Russia's alleged support for ethnic Russian forces operating in eastern Ukraine.
UN mission condemns killings of civilians, foreigners in S. Sudan
The UN mission in South Sudan has condemned the targeted killings of civilians in Bentiu.
The agency says the killings targeted people based on ethnicity and nationality, and the attacks took place in hospitals, mosques, churches, and a UN World Food Program compound.
UN staff in the country have confirmed that opposition forces, after capturing Bentiu, searched a number of places where hundreds of South Sudanese and foreign civilians had taken refuge.
Hundreds were killed after ethnicities and nationalities had been established.
The attacks took place about one week ago.
The UN is reminding both sides of their obligations to protect civilians and observe a ceasefire that was signed in January.
France says hostage kidnapped in Mali probably dead
The French foreign ministry says a French hostage abducted in western Mali two years ago is probably dead.
This assumption is based on a statement released by the al-Qaeda linked movement Unity and Jihad in West Africa.
The foreign ministry acknowledges that there is no material proof that the hostage is dead, but the statement unfortunately leads them to believe the man has been killed.
Gilberto Rodriguez-Leal was abducted late in 2012 after crossing into Mali from Mauritania.
Newspaper Picks
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Serious workplace accidents decrease during 1st Q of 2014
Summary
The State Administration of Work Safety says the number of serious workplace accidents dropped by nearly 39 percent compared with the same period last year.
The administrations say the death toll from coal mine accidents from January to March dropped nearly 38 percent.
153 people died in workplace accidents during the first quarter.
GLOBALTIMES
Headline
China tackles Windows XP security risks
Summary
An official says the Chinese government is trying to solve security risks for government agencies after Microsoft stopped providing security updates for Windows XP.
Microsoft advises users to upgrade to Windows 8.1 and get a new computer if necessary.
The official says authorities are negotiating with Microsoft to decrease government procurement costs.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Boost for tourism talent
Summary
The World Tourism Forum Lucerne has staged its first ever Talent Boost event in Shanghai in cooperation with East China Normal University.
As part of the scheme, students from Shanghai and other partner universities from around the world will be invited to take part in an international design competition and sit in on future forums.
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Supervisors hired to monitor university recruitment
Summary
Renmin University of China has recruited 10 supervisors to monitor undergraduate enrollment this year.
The 10 supervisors hired this year include education experts, senior educational reporters, middle school principles and even middle school students' parents.
The supervisors will examine the university's recruitment information and process, take rounds in the entrance examination room and report suggestions from the public to the university's admission office.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
China sees larger proportion of invention patent applications
Summary
China's State Intellectual Property Office says the country accepted a larger proportion of invention patent applications in 2013.
Authorities say China accepted over 2 million patent applications and authorized over 1.3 million cases last year.
The number of invention patent applications was more than 800,000, up over 26 percent year on year.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Urinating toddler video sparks outrage
Summary
A viral video of a Chinese mainland mother defending her toddler on a Hong Kong street has ignited debates.
It is reported a mainland girl, about 2, urinated on the street while traveling with her parents.
When a young man photographed the scene, the girl's parents fought with him to remove his memory card.
Police have reportedly arrested the mother for assault.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Google Glass 'works' to bolster image
Summary
An urban patrol officer in Jiangsu province has become an Internet celebrity after he bought a Google Glass as a tool for gathering evidence as he patrolled the streets.
Jiang Yifan says the Google Glass could ease tensions between urban patrol officers and street vendors during work because the glass is not as obvious as traditional recording devices.
Special Reports
Rent An Electric Car to Fall in Love with One-BMW Brilliance
Anchor:
It's time for the latest installment of our special series on the ongoing Beijing Auto Show.
CRI's Liu Min takes a look at how international automakers are exploring China's new-energy car market.
Reporter:
At the 2014 Beijing Auto Show, many car brands have released their new models of all kinds of new energy cars. For example, Porsche's Panamera S E-Hybrid, Volkswagen's up! and Golf Electric cars are some of the highlights at the event.
At the same time, some car manufacturers have taken the initiative to nurture potential customers who may fall in love with driving an electric car in China. BMW Brilliance launched Zinoro 1E at the end of last year. 1E will only be available to private and institutional customers through a leasing arrangement from two initial stores in Shanghai and Beijing.
Vice President of Public Relations Division for BMW Brilliance Sun Wei says customers just need to drive the car and experience it.
"Every electric car to rent has a plate number, and we provide maintenance and service on a regular basis. We can also help install the recharging stations for customers. The rental service can ensure customers to use the car without worrying about anything. This is a step that BMW has taken ahead of many other car brands in China."
According to BMW Brilliance, the daily rental fee for a 1E electric car is 400 yuan, and 7400 yuan per month for a three year contract. The rental time can be as long as three years to one year or for a shorter period of time. They also provide emergency roadside assistance and maintenance services.
Currently, electric cars in China are still not widely used. This is for a variety of reasons. Beijing carried out the first lucky draw for electric car purchase in February this year. But until now, only one buyer has successfully established a recharging station beside his parking space. The inconvenience has driven many people away from the idea of purchasing an electric car.
Vice President of Public Relations Division for BMW Brilliance Sun Wei says BMW Brilliance totally understands the current situation of the market, but the company still believes that electric cars will become a trend in the future. Now BMW Brilliance is trying to nurture customers into the habit of driving electric cars, by having a test drive in one.
"We know that the consumers are not familiar with the electric car technology, the market also needs time to grow, and the country is also trying hard to improve the infrastructure to establish the service network for electric cars. But as a car manufacturer, we can't wait for the market to be mature, but need to take actions now. The rental service now can provide opportunities for more consumers to touch the car and fall in love with it."
According to BMW Brilliance, so far more than one thousand customers have applied for a test drive in their 1E electric car.
For CRI, and China.com, I'm Liu Min.
Sports
Chelsea held Atletico to a goal-less draw in Madrid
European Champions League action,
Chelsea held current La Liga leaders Atletico to a goal-less draw in the first leg of the semi-finals in Madrid.
Atletico did nearly all of the attacking but was unable to break down Chelsea's packed defense and midfield.
The precious draw now gives Jose Mourinho's side home advantage when the game returns to Stamford Bridge next week.
And later tonight, defending champions Bayern Munich will take on Real Madrid in their first leg of the semis.
It's still in doubt whether Real Madrid's key striking power Cristiano Ronaldo will be ready for this game.
But Bayern coach Pep Guardiola says Real still poses the biggest challenge to the German champions' title defense.
No team has ever won back-to-back Champions League titles.
"That's why I am so, so proud about my team, so proud, because last year they won everything, absolutely everything, and they changed the trainer. They accept my little changes about our style, the way to play, and we won. We won the Bundesliga in March, with seven or eight games left, and we are in the final for the POKAL, our Cup, and we are in the semi-finals of the Champions League, so it is a big achievement for us."
Bayern suffered a wobble recently, but the team had recovered some spirit after last weekend's 2-0 league win over Braunschweig.
And for those who have missed out yesterday's big news in the English Premier League, Manchester United has formally sacked Alex Ferguson's handpicked successor David Moyes following a choppy ten-month stint.
Player coach Ryan Giggs will assume the role of a caretaker coach before a permanent manager arrives at Old Trafford.
Guangzhou progress to the last 16 with a 2-1 win over Yokohama Marinos
In the Asian Champions League, title holders Guangzhou Evergrande have secured their place in the last 16 following a 2-1 win over Japan's Yokohama Marinos in Group G.
The other two teams in the group, Jeonbuk Hyundai and Melbourne Victory, finished with a scoreless tie in the night's other match, meaning Guangzhou regained top spot in the group, finishing with ten points.
Guangzhou's Brazilian striker Elkeson scored twice in the first half to give the hosts a comfortable lead.
Manabu Saito scored for Yokohama just 10 minutes from time.
With the win, Guangzhou finishes at the top of its group for the third consecutive year.
Jeonbuk Hyundai moved to the last 16 as Group G's second seed.
In Group H, Western Sydney humiliated Chinese FA Cup holders Guizhou Renhe 5-0 and reached the elimination rounds in its tournament debut.
Japan's Kawasaki Frontale also progressed at the expense of South Korea's former champions Ulsan Hyundai.
Tonight, two more Chinese Super League sides will be in their last group matches for a berth in the last 16.
Tipping off at 6:30 pm, Beijing Guo'an will battle last season's runners-up FC Seoul in South Korea.
At seven o'clock here in Ji Nan, Shandong Luneng will look to beat Japan's Cerezo Osaka and book its tickets in the next round.
Indiana looks to even series with Atlanta
Turning to NBA playoff action:
Top seed Eastern Conference top city Indiana is battling Atlanta right now. It's the second game of their first round series.
Atlanta took game 1.
The Toronto Raptors are looking to even their series with Brooklyn at one game apiece.
That game is underway now.
Later this morning, the Chicago Bulls will be looking to overcome their game-one loss and even their series with Washington.
Entertainment
Official World Cup song unleashed in LA
Recording artist Aloe Blacc and U.S. "X -Factor" finalist David Correy have teamed up to provide the theme song for the 2014 Fifa World Cup which kicks off in Brazil in June.
In preparation of the games, Blacc and Correy performed the song "The World Is Ours" at a special event in Los Angeles.
(World Cup Song)
The song has been touring the globe as part of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola, and local artists have been adding their vocals to their versions of the song, giving it a truly global feel.
There are now 24 different versions of the song in total.
David Corey says the process has helped him expand what he can do with music.
"Having my song in that many different countries, there's no way you can deny how much you grow as a person. I'm multicultural now. I'm getting a chance to understand things I know I would never have done if it wasn't for this situation. I mean Egyptian version, Indonesian version, a Colombian version, that's insane man. You get the chance to learn more about music, the different musicality, the instrumentations, all that. I'm becoming a better artist every day. I'm becoming more deadlier with my music."
Aside from collaborating with David Corey on this song, Aloe Blacc has been keeping very busy touring with Bruno Mars as well as playing a role in the forthcoming film "Get On Up," about the life of James Brown.
More Hollywood execs named in Bryan Singer rape case
A man who is suing filmmaker Bryan Singer claiming he raped him as a teenager has named three more Hollywood executives in lawsuits alleging sexual abuse and rape.
Michael Egan, now 31, is seeking damages exceeding 10 million US dollars against television executives Garth Ancier and David Neuman and entertainment firm executive Gary Goddard.
He claims that as an aspiring teen actor around the turn of the millennium, all those named were part of an underage sex ring in Hollywood and he has called upon others to step forward too:
"Victims of these individuals or other individuals that are out there from childhood sexual abuse, been abused by others, come forward - we have people that can protect us now - Jeff Herman's a wonderful person - you can't change the stigma that's in this world of childhood sexual abuse, unless somebody talks about it."
In a news conference on Monday, Egan was accompanied by his mother Bonnie Mound and attorney Jeff Herman.
Bryan Singer continues to be involved in many high profile Hollywood projects as the case goes on. His latest film "X-Men: Days of The Future Past" is out next month, around which time the film's stars are set to visit Beijing.
The Legend of Zhenhuan film near completion
(The Legend of Zhenhuan)
The TV film "The Legend of Zhenhuan" is near completion and will be released internationally by the end of this year.
The 6-episode franchise is based on the popular Chinese TV series of the same name, which in turn was adapted from an internet novel.
It tells the story of court intrigue involving an Emperor and his many concubines. The series has proved hugely popular both inside and outside of China.
The TV film franchise was directed by Fast and Furious director Justin Lin.
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
Divers searching that sunken ferry off the coast of South Korea have been retreiving bodies by the dozens...
The US remote sub looking looking for evidence of flight MH370 has now covered 80 percent of its search area without finding anything...
and Ukraine's interim president has called for the re-launching of anti-terror operations against pro-Russian activists who have occupied government buildings...
In Business...the reserve rate for rural banks and credit unions will be cut on Friday...
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. |