新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2014/05/28（在线收听）

The Beijing Hour

Evening Edition

Paul James with you this Wensday, May 28, 2014.

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

Coming up on the programme this evening...

The Chinese government is warning Vietnam that its only hurting itself by trying to disrupt a Chinese oil rig in the South China Sea.

US President Barack Obama has outlined new plans for troops withdrawls from Afghanistan.

Authorities in Egypt have extended voting in the presidental election through today.

In Business, new analysis is suggesting consumer confidence remains high here in China, despite a slowdown in the economy.

In sports, round-2 of the singles tournament at the French Open is underway this evening.

And in entertainment, a new Disney film staring Angelina Jolie is set to hit Chinese theatres next month.

First, a check on what's happening on the weather front....

Weather

Beijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 23 degrees Celsius. Cloudy tomorrow with a high of 37 degrees.

Meanwhile Shanghai will be cloudy, with a low of 23 in the night, sunny tomorrow, with a high of 34.

Chongqing will see shower, 20 degrees the low, also rainy tomorrow with a high of 25.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia

Islamabad, sunny with a high of 39.

Kabul, sunny, 30.

Over in Australia

Sydney, sunny, high of 19.

Canberra, sunny, 17.

Brisbane, sunny, high of 27.

And finally, Perth overcast with a high of 21.

Top News

Vietnam damages its interests after harassing and obstructing China's drilling

The Chinese government is condemning an assault on a Chinese oil rig by a Vienamese boat near the Xisha Islands on Tuesday.

Reports are suggesting the Vienamese boat tried to enter the waters around the oil rig, but was cut off by Chinese boats patroling the region.

The Vienamese boat then capsized.

All aboard were pulled from the water alive.

Qin Gang with the Chinese foreign ministry says actions like this will only hurt Vietnam's interests.

"It is necessary to point out that the reason behind this incident is that Vietnam is trying to interrupt normal drilling activities by a Chinese company in a dangerous way. The Vietnamese side has also been ignoring Chinese attempts at talks, warnings and advice over and over again. China is once again urging Vietnam to respect China's sovereignty and stop obstructing Chinese activities in the South China Sea."

The Chinese government is also taking issue with comments from the Japanese government connected to Tuesday's incident.

"Japan should remember that China's Xisha Islands were invaded by Japan's military forces in World War Two. After the victory in World War Two, China regained the sovereignty of the Xisha Islands. Does Japan disagree with that? We're calling on Japan to respect this fact and stop mischief-making and making irresponsible comments".

Tensions between China and Vietnam have been on the rise after Vietnamese boats began harrassing a Chinese oil rig around the Xisha Islands earlier this month.

The dispute over the Islands has led to fierce anti-China riots in Vietnam which left 2 Chinese nationals dead and forced the evacuation of thousands of Chinese citizens working and living in Vietnam.

Obama announces plan to leave 9,800 American troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014

Anchor:

US President Barack Obama has outlined new plans for troop withdrawls from Afghanistan.

The details from CRI's Ding Lulu.

Reporter:

The US President has hinted that the longest war in American history will finally end by the time he leaves office in 2017.

"At the beginning of 2015, we will have approximately 9,800 U.S. servicemembers in different parts of the country, together with our NATO allies and other partners. By the end of 2015, we will have reduced that presence by roughly half, and we will have consolidated our troops in Kabul and on Bagram Airfield. One year later, by the end of 2016, our military will draw down to a normal embassy presence in Kabul, with a security assistance component, just as we've done in Iraq."

The announcement follows a surprise visit made by the president over the weekend to US army bases in Afghanistan.

It also comes weeks ahead of the presidential runoff election in the country.

President Obama is expressing confidence of signing a joint security agreement with the new Afghan government, as the current leader Hamid Karzai has refused to endorse the deal.

"We will only sustain this military presence after 2014 if the Afghan government signs the Bilateral Security Agreement that our two governments have already negotiated. This Agreement is essential to give our troops the authorities they need to fulfill their mission, while respecting Afghan sovereignty. The two final Afghan candidates in the run-off election for President have each indicated that they would sign this agreement promptly after taking office. So I'm hopeful that we can get this done."

Acknowledging that "Afghanistan will not be a perfect place," the president says the US will continue its support of the Afghan government, but more through economic and diplomatic efforts.

The United States first launched its military presence in Afghanistan following the al-Qaeda attacks on September 11th, 2001.

The number of US troops in the country peaked in 2011 at about 101 thousand personnel, and now stands at 32 thousand.

According to President Obama, the remaining troops will focus on two missions: training Afghan security forces, and aiding anti-terrorism operation.

For CRI, this is Ding Lulu.

TODAY on Obama's new plan to withdraw tropps from Afghanistan

ANCHOR:

For more on the Obama administration's plans for Afghanistan, CRI's Xu Qinduo spoke earlier with Qian Liwei, Associate Research Fellow with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

Qian Liwei, Associate Research Fellow with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, speaking with CRI's Xu Qinduo.

EU urges all parties to accept outcome of Ukrainian presidential election

EU leaders are calling on the international community to accept the outcome of this weekend's presidental election in Ukraine.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

"We stand behind the legitimately elected new leadership. And we'll continue to give our full support to stabilise the country and increase its resilience to external pressures."

The Ukrainian Election Commission has confirmed that candy magnate Petro Poroshenko has taken this weekend's election on the first ballot.

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.

"We welcome the holding of Sunday's genuine presidential elections in decent conditions, considering the circumstances. The turn-out was good and the outcome was clear and we look forward to working closely with the new president. I spoke with President-Elect Poroshenko yesterday and reconfirmed the Union's support to Ukraine."

European leaders have also been meeting to discuss the lingering natural gas dispute between Ukraine and Russia.

Russia contends Ukraine owes it some 3.5-billion US dollars in back bills for natural gas deliveries, and is also demanding Ukraine pay in advance for further deliveries.

Ukraine is the main transport hub for Russian natural gas flows into Europe.

S Korean PM nominee resigns over criticism over wealth

South Korea's prime minister nominee Ahn Dai-hee has offered to withdraw from the nomination amid mounting criticism about his excessive salary as a lawyer in the past.

The 59-year-old has been nominated by President Park Geun-hye after his predacessor stepped down following last month's deadly ferry sinking.

Ahn had a 5-month contract at a law firm where he reportedly earned a sallary of around 1.6-million US dollars.

Thai military junta transfers 24 more figures, sets out ruling measures

The Thai military junta has sacked 24 more officials.

The two-dozen being removed include 8 provincial governors and 16 senior police officers.

At the same time, the military government has also set out an 8-point plan for its new national administration.

As part of the new edict, there is now a ban on color-coded political divisions.

Supporters of the ousted civilian government have traditionally worn red, while the opposition wears yellow.

Meanwhile, a number of protest leaders have turned themselves in for questioning.　　

Buddhist monk and protest leader Luang Buddha Issara was one of the first to appear before the Department of Special Investigations.

"I believe we have done the right thing. We did not threaten to assault or kill anyone. We did not destroy the governmental buildings,or lock down the government buildings. They were closed before we arrived. The NPOC sent a letter to us, citing security threats, but we have clear evidence."

Issara and a number of other protest leaders have since been released from detention.

Despite the Martial Law rules banning gatherings of 5 or more, those opposed to the military takeover of the government have been holding demonstrations.

So far, the military has not intervened.

Egypt extends presidential vote for extra day

Voting has been extended for an extra day in Egypt's presidential election.

The decision has been made to try to bolster voter turnout, which has been lower-than-expected amid a sense of apathy and hot weather.

"I think it's a fantastic idea because a lot of people were not able to go out today because of the hot weathe, etc. It also gives the people more of a chance to be encouraged to go out and vote after seeing many people going to vote. And this has been the case today. So I think tomorrow, the turnout will be even bigger."

Ex-military chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is widely expected to score an easy victory over his sole rival in the race.

Leftist leader Hamdeen Sabahy is the only other candidate.

Egyptians are voting to replace Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi.

Al-Sisi led his overthrow last summer.

Overseas Syrians start to cast ballots in presidential poll

Syrians living abroad are now eligable to vote in the country's presidental elections.

There are an estimated 15-million Syrians living outside the country's borders.

Three candidates are up for election, including current President Bashar al-Assad.

Assad is widely expected to win the election, which will be the first in some 50-years in Syria.

Previous votes in Syria have been referendums on whether or not the electorate supports the current Assad, or his father, Hafez, who ruled Syria from 1971 to 2000.

The Syrian opposition-in-exile has dismissed the vote as a fraud.

Most European and Arab countries are not allowing the voting process to take place in their territories.

French police to expel migrants from Calais camps

Police in the northern French city of Calais are set to remove about 800 migrants from Asia, the Middle East and Africa occupying camps near the port.

The authorities say the evictions are needed to deal with an outbreak of scabies.

Police have surrounded the site now that a deadline for people to leave has expired.

The migrants have been trying to get to Britain, and say they have nowhere else to go after the camps are destroyed.

Edward Snowden: I was a high-tech spy for the CIA and NSA

US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden is describing himself as a trained spy specializing in electronic surveillance.

Snowden's comments are meant to try to dismiss US government claims that he was a mere low-level analyst.

In an interview with US network NBC, Snowden claims he worked undercover overseas for both the NSA and CIA.

"I was trained as a spy in sort of the traditional sense of the word in that I lived and worked undercover overseas -- pretending to work in a job that I'm not -- and even being assigned a name that was not mine. What I do is I put systems to work for the United States. And I've done that at all levels from -- from the bottom on the ground all the way to the top."

Snowden contends the US now gets better intelligence from computers than human agents.

The 30-year-old former NSA contractor is currently living under temporary asylum in Russia.

Post-1990 generation picky about jobs: research

Anchor:

A new study shows members of the "post-1990" generation here in China are becoming more picky about their employment options, with many applying for multiple positions and holding out high expectations for their job prospects.

CRI's Li Dong has more.

Reporter:

The study, conducted by leading Chinese recruitment website, 51job.com, shows that, when a fresh graduate snags a job interview, he or she is also more likely to miss it, turn down an offer and has no qualms about quitting if the work is not to their taste.

The website surveyed 2,357 enterprises and 1,230 fresh graduates nationwide over 15 days.

Of those surveyed, 45 percent of employers say more than half of job candidates within this demographic failed to turn up on time for interviews.

Shanshan is a manager of an IT company in Beijing.

"There was this case in my department. The new recruit came to work one day. The next day she said she was pregnant and wanted to quit and refused to give us any proof. Similar cases also happen in other departments as well. Their excuses to quit may be 'mom is seriously ill,' or 'the work pressure is heavy.' Extreme cases are rare, but they still resign by giving excuses. But our company incurs the losses caused by their sudden departure."

The survey also shows more than 60 percent of fresh graduates also felt they needed help to look for a job.

Zhang Zhixin is a professor of public management at the Capital University of Economics and Business. Part of his job is to provide employment guidance to his students. Zhang Zhixin says the post-1990 generation cares more about the working environment, the happiness they derive from their work and respect from others.

"For the post-1990 generation, their living conditions are much better than the post-1980 and post-1970 generations. They are also an only child in a big family. They grew up in an era when China's economy is booming. Some students already have several properties under their names. I know a student who quit a job just because he didn't like the people he worked with. The post-1990 generation tends to be more self-oriented and lack a spirit of diplomacy and teamwork. It takes time for them to learn what they really want and make long term plans for life--they need time."

However, You Rushi, who will graduate from university this July,says she and her classmates know what they want to do in life.

"We are still young; we still have opportunities. If we don't work hard for the lives we want to live, we will lose passion and can't afford to pursue our dreams when we become old. That's maybe why many of us often redirect our goals and are very flexible in making decision."

Feng Lijuan, the chief consultant at 51job.com, says its members can access lots of information online every day and can find many work opportunities through the site, so they compare and deliberate on different positions.

Feng also suggests employers should communicate with their post-1990 employees regularly and provide counseling to help them deal with obstacles.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.

Biz Reports

Asian stocks

Stocks in Asia closed higher today.

Profits are still expanding at China's top industrial companies, though the growth is slowing a bit as the metals sector suffers.

New stats on industrial profits show earnings are up 1-percent in April.

On the back of this, Chinese shares closed higher today, with the Shanghai Composite Index up 0.8-percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index gained 1.5-percent.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index gained over half a percent.

Japan's Nikkei finished up a quarter of a percent.

Australia's ASX settled with a 0.3-percent gain.

In South Korea, the KOSPI finished the day with a solid gain of 1-percent.

Singapore's Straits Times Index closed the day down slightly.

Nielsen: Consumers remain confident in first quarter in China

A new Nielsen survey is suggesting consumer confidence here in China has remained high through the first quarter, even though the economy has slowed down.

Nielson's confidence index for the first quarter has come in at 111.

This is unchanged from the previous quarter, and 3 points higher than a year earlier.

A reading above 100 indicates consumer optimism, while a reading lower than 100 suggests pessimism.

Nielson's global average is 96 through the first three months of this year.

The research notes consumer sales in China have grown 8-percent in the first quarter.

Vehicle sales are up over 12-percent, while sales of communication devices, such as phones and computers, are up nearly 15-percent.

China seeks bigger sway in gold trade

It's being reported Chinese authorities have been approaching both foreign banks and gold producers to be part of a global gold exchange in Shanghai.

The Shanghai Gold Exchange has already been given the go-ahead from the central bank to launch a global trading platform in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone.

For what this might mean, CRI's Shane Bigham spoke earlier with Benjamin Cavender, Principal at China Market Research in Shanghai.

That was Benjamin Cavender, Principal at China Market Research in Shanghai, speaking with the Beijing Hour's Shane Bigham.

China to clean up instant messaging services

Chinese authorities have launched a month-long crackdown on rumors and other harmful content on instant messaging services such as WeChat.

The crackdown is targeting comments made on public accounts and chat groups.

There are around 3-million public accounts on WeChat.

Govt seeks to ease small companies' fee burden

The Chinese government is getting ready to release its plans for changes to the tax rolls for micro-sized and small companies.

The details of the changes have not been fully released.

But the changes will include a previously-announced exemption from the value-added tax for companies which make less than 20-thousand yuan a month.

The tax code changes will also include last month's increase in the corporate tax threshold, which has gone from 60 to 100-thousand yuan.

Small businesses make up three-quarters of this country's employers.

China Broadcasting Network launched

The China Broadcasting Network has been officially launched.

CBN is being touted as this country's "fourth network operator", following China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom.

The newly-launched company registered capital of around 750-million US dollars.

CBN expected to be involved in cable network construction, operation and maintenance.

It will also be involved in consulting and research work.

Alibaba buys stake in Singapore's postal provider Alibaba has grown to become one of the world's biggest one.

Alibaba has purchased a 10-percent stake in Singapore's national postal service, SingPost.

The deal is worth 250-million US dollars.

The move by the Chinese e-commerce giant comes as it attempts to expand its reach further into the Asia-Pacific.

As part of the deal, Alibaba and SingPost are considering setting up an international e-commerce logistics business.

This is the second major investment Alibaba has made in the logistics sector.

In December, Alibaba sunk over 360-million US dollars into a planned logistics joint-venture with Haier.

Quality jobs key driver of economic growth: UN report

A new UN report is suggesting quality jobs are a key driver of economic development.

The report from the International Labor Organization has looked at 140 developing and emerging nations.

The ILO's report is suggesting quality jobs are a common factor shared by countries with a higher per capita income and sustained growth.

It says developing nations that put a focus on creating high quality jobs during the early 2000s have been enjoying significant economic growth since 2007.

The ILO report contends this factor helped cushion these countries from the worst of the global economic downturn in late 2008.

MF warns banking reform has not made enough progress

IMF managing director Christine Lagarde is warning that banking reforms aimed at preventing another financial crisis have failed to make enough progress.

Lagarde is blaming a combination complexity, an industry lobbying and general "fatigue" for the delays.

At the same time, Lagarde also says inequality is also becoming a problem.

"To the extent that inequality is not particularly supportive of sustainable growth, it's an issue and one that we have to look at carefully and try to address in order to maintain stability and sustainability of economies."

Lagarde says some of the biggest problems are with so-called "too-big-to-fail" firms.

These are considered banks which would cause a systemic financial collapse if they were allowed to fail.

Lagarde is calling for "tougher regulations and tighter supervision" to tackle the issue.

Britain gains record 23.9 bln pounds with crackdown tax avoidance

The British government says it's collected around 40-billion U.S. dollars so far this year on a crackdown on tax cheats.

The figures are close to 2-billion US dollars more than the target set by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The British government has collected around 8-billion pounds in additional taxes from large businesses.

GlaxoSmithKline to be investigated by UK fraud body

British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline is to be investigated by the UK's Serious Fraud Office over its "commercial practices".

The company said it would "co-operate fully" with the SFO.

Earlier this month, authorities here in China accused GSK staff of bribing government and hospital officials.

GSK refused to comment on whether the SFO's investigation was connected to this incident.

The pharmaceutical giant is also facing a criminal investigation into similar allegations in Poland and Iraq.

Banks outweigh rivals in mobile payments: report

New stats are showing Chinese banks have outweighed third-party payment institutions in handling mobile payment business with fewer transactions, but of greater value.

A report by the Payment & Clearing Association of China says Chinese banks processed 1.7-billion payments worth 9.6-trillion yuan last year.

Third-party payment platforms handled 3.8-billion transactions worth just 1.2-trillion yuan.

The Chinese government currently allows 90 non-banking institutions to carry out online payment services.

Headline News

Vietnam damages its interests after harassing and obstructing China's drilling

The Chinese government is condemning an assault on a Chinese oil rig by a Vienamese boat near the Xisha Islands on Tuesday.

Reports are suggesting the Vienamese boat tried to enter the waters around the oil rig, but was cut off by Chinese boats patroling the region.

The Vienamese boat then capsized.

All aboard were pulled from the water alive.

The Chinese foreign ministry says actions of this kind will only hurt Vietnam's interests.

Tensions between China and Vietnam have been on the rise after Vietnamese boats began harrassing a Chinese oil rig around the Xisha Islands earlier this month.

Senior Beijing Police Officer under Investigation

A former chief of the Beijing traffic police is being investigated for discipline violations.

Song Jianguo became the head of the capital's traffic management division in 2008 before the Beijing Olympic Games.

He's being accused of using his position to take advantage of the car plate lottery system here in the capital.

The license-plate lottery system came into effect in December of 2010.

It was implemented by Song's division.

109 hospitalized in kindergarten food poisoning

Suspected food poisoning at a kindergarten in Hainan has put over 100 chilren in hospital.

The children developed food-poisoning symptoms after having lunch.

96 of the children have been confirmed with food poisoning.

All of them are in stable condition.

Authorities are now trying to track the source of the food poisoning.

At least 21 killed in hospital fire in southern S.Korea

A fire at a hospital in Seoul has left at least 21 dead.

Eight others have been hospitalized, after the fire broke out in an annex building adjacent to the mental health facility.

Authorities suspect an 81-year old dimentia patient started the fire.

The facility housed mostly Alzheimer's patients.

The fatal fire comes just two days after a fire at a bus terminal in a city north of Seoul killed 7 and left close to 60 others injured.

U.S. resumes direct aid to Madagascar

The US government has begun resuming its direct aide to Madagasgar.

The decision to lift restrictions on aide delivery follows last year's elections, which installed a new civilian government.

The US cut off aide to Madagasgar following a 2009 military coup.

The United States is currently the largest international donor to the island nation.

U.S. court sentences Chinese man for wildlife smuggling

A court in the US has sentenced a Chinese man to 70 months in prison for smuggling rhinoceros horns and ivory artifacts from China to the US.

The sentence is one of the longest ever handed down for wildlife smuggling.

30-year-old Li Zhifei was arrested in January of last year.

He was trying to smuggle 30 rhino horns and numerous artifacts into China, said to be worth some 4.5 million U.S. dollars.

Newspaper Picks

China News Agency

"Self-service libraries in Beijing log onto WeChat "

Librarians in Chaoyang District, has launched a program on WeChat with hopes of encouraging and guiding people to borrow books.

By typing in "cyzz24h" or swiping the designated bar code, people can get access to the librarians in charge of the self-service libraries for consultation. These libraries contain and convey more than 400 books.

Although identity cards are the only valid credentials that these self-service libraries recognize, the possibility to lend books to foreigners cannot be ruled out, said Li Kai, deputy executive head librarian in Chaoyang Library.

This type of service first appeared in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.So far, 125 self-service libraries have been set up in Chaoyang District, northeast Beijing

Shanghai Daily

"3D printers in 100 communities to help students design projects"

3-D printers and modeling software will be available at some 100 local communities and dozens of schools by the end of the year in Shanghai.

Local residents, especially children, can use the printers and modeling software to make their 3D portraits or design work at "innovation houses" for free.

The 3D technology allows users to build a 3D model by simply taking dozens of photos around a person or of objects. Users can also use the applications to design their home or other 3D artwork.

The city government is building the 100-square-meter innovative houses in communities or schools to mainly serve children from 6 to 16 years old. Teenagers can use various tools to study basic mechanic skills.

Channel News Asia

"Financial crisis spurred obesity: OECD"

The 2008 financial crisis spurred obesity's spread in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's 34 member countries, an OECD report said.

The grouping, which includes the world's richest nations, has seen obesity levels continue to rise over the past five years, albeit more slowly than before.

"One in five children is overweight, on average, in OECD countries, but rates are as high as one in three in countries like Greece, Italy, Slovenia and the United States," said a press statement.

The economic crisis was partly to blame, the OECD report said, with less spending on food overall, and a switch to cheaper, high-calorie junk alternatives.

The report noted a 5.6-per cent drop in fruit and vegetable consumption for every one-percent rise in unemployment in the United States in the period 2007-09.

Obesity claims a heavy personal and financial toll in terms of diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Rates in Asian countries were two to four percent among adults.

Yahoo News

"Comfort Food Myth: Ice Cream May Not Boost Your Mood"

The idea that eating certain foods make us feel better when we're down may be a myth. In fact, we may simply feel better after some time has passed, regardless of what food we eat, a new study says.

In the study, people were asked to pick foods that they thought would make them feel better if they were in a bad mood, such as chocolate, cookies or ice cream.

The participants then watched a 20-minute video intended to elicit feelings of sadness, anger and fear. They rated their mood immediately after the video, and three minutes later. In those three minutes, they were served either their comfort food, a food they liked, a granola bar, or no food at all.

As expected, the mood of the participants improved, regardless of whether they had their comfort food, another food, or no food at all.

The new findings suggest that people may not be helped by turning to unhealthy foods, high in calories and fat, when they're down.

Special Reports

NCPA Becomes Art Academy of 2 Primary Schools

Anchor:

The National Center for the Performing Arts has announced that its become the art academy for a pair of elementary schools here in Beijing.

CRI's Chi Huiguang has more.

Reporter:

At a press conference and signing ceremony initiating arts education cooperation between the NCPA and the 2 primary schools, the NCPA officially became the art academy for the students of both schools, exciting students, parents and school officials alike.

Wen Xuetong is a grade 5 student from Jiaoweihutong Primary School. She says she is eager to learn the artistic knowledge on offer from the NCPA's lessons:

"I'm very happy, because we can get to learn more about the arts. I want to thank the NCPA for providing us with such an amazing chance. And of course, I want to express my appreciation towards my teachers and to my school for giving us the chance to know more about the arts."

Wang Lijuan is a mother of a grade one student at Zizhong Primary School. She expressed her support for the cooperation project:

"I'm pleased to attend the signing ceremony here. As parents, we care about the artistic education of our kids alongside the test subjects that the school provides. We always hope that the school could set up a platform for the students to touch upon the classical arts. We couldn't agree more about this cooperation project. We parents know little about the arts, so we hope that the school can provide such guidance to our kids."

According to the cooperation agreement, artists from NCPA will give lectures on classical music in the schools at least once a month. And the students will be invited to visit the rehearsal of performances held in the NCPA. Wang Lijuan is more than satisfied with the arrangements:

"This will go a long way to cultivating the children's aspirations towards the arts. We often brought our son here to watch plays and children's plays before he entered primary school. He is really interested in such performances."

This gradual project also expresses the NCPA's desire to popularize classical music and promote cultural cultivation. The project is actually the result of the physical and aesthetic education plan launched by the Beijing Education Committee. According to Gou Zhongwen, secretary of the Beijing Education Committee, 25 universities and community agencies in the capital city's 12 districts will cooperate with more than 140 primary schools up until September of this year. Their involvement will improve the usefulness and reach of the overall project. Guo says students will get more than just knowledge out of the arts lessons on offer:

"They will not only learn; they'll also develop their character, behavior, appearance, manners and their style of conversation. Since the project has been supported by the society, we should maintain its course. I hope that arts organizations such as the NCPA take the cooperation seriously. And the schools should make a determined effort to reform the education policy, from the examination-oriented education to quality education. Provide students with healthy, all-round development. And I hope that this period of study will have a positive influence the children."

The NCPA will shortly begin participating with the two schools, gathering special resources, practicing fresh ideas, creating new models to further satisfy the desire and aspirations of parents and society for quality education, and providing children with happy childhood memories.

According to Chen Ping, President of the NCPA, the center has continuously explored different methods of artistic education for young people. A series of special brands have been established over time, including popularity concerts for teenagers, Youth Arts Week, the International Children's Theatre Festival and NCPA Opera lessons.

CRI's Chi Huiguang reporting

Sports

French open Day 4

In tennis,

The 2nd round of the French Open singles event is underway today.

On the men's side, those in action include Novak Djokovic taking on home-crowd favorite Jeremy Chardy.

Chardy has yet to defeat Djokovic in the 8 times they've met previously.

4th seeded Roger Federer is also in action later tonight against an Argentinian qualifier.

--

On the women's side, top seed Serena Williams is up against a Spanish qualifier.

A win tonight will put her up against Slovakian Anna Schmiedlova, who fought back from a set down to beat Serena's sister Venus 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

The Williams' matchup will be the earliest meeting between the two sisters in a tournament since 1998.

Of course, the bottom-end of the women's bracket has become a lot less treacherous following the stunning loss last night by Li Na in the first round.

Her vanquisher, France's Kristina Mladenovic, will have an opportunity to continue her run at the French Open when she takes on American Alison Riske in round-2.

Round one of the doubles competition is getting underway today as well.

China's Zheng Jie and her American partner Scott Lipsky have begun their mixed doubles campaign against a duo from Germany and the Netherlands.

Holders Guangzhou face Australian debutants

Defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande are set to take on the Western Sydney Wanderers in the first leg of the knockout series of the AFC Champions League finals.

The draw was held today in Kuala Lumpur.

Evergrande will begin the series on the road in Australia before returning to China for the 2nd leg of the series.

Both Guangzhou Evergrande and Western Sydney saw off Japanese sides in the Round of 16.

In other matchups, current K League leader, the Pohang Steelers, are poised for an all-Korean matchup when they take on FC Seoul.

In the West Zone, Saudi Arabia's al-Hilal will be taking on Qatar's al-Saad. Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates will renew their rivalry against Al Ittihad from Saudi Arabia.

The 2nd legs will take place a week later.

Guangzhou close to signing Alerto Gilardino

In off-pitch football news,

Defending Asian Champions League side Guangzhou Evergrande is reportedly close to signing Italian Seria A striker Alerto Gilardino.

Italian media reports are suggesting the 32-year-old forward from Genoa has agreed to a sizeable deal.

Gilardino used to play for Guangzhou head coach Marcello Lippi at AC Milan.

Genoa is reportedly demanding a 6-million euro transfer fee.

AUSTRALIA-WORLD_CUP_SOCCEROOS

In football,

Final preparations are getting underway for the World Cup.

The United States has downed Azerbaijan 2-nil in a friendly in San Francisco.

At the same time, Team Australia has boarded its flight to Brazil today.

The 27-man Socceroos squad is going to be pared down to 23 on Monday.

The Aussies head into Brazil as the lowest ranked team in the tournament, currently sitting 59th in the world.

Despite this, midfielder Mark Bresciano says they're hoping to make Australia proud.

"It's always a dream going to World Cup regardless of if it's your first or your third. So I'm just as excited as if I was in 2006. Looking forward to it and hopefully do Australia proud."

Australia is grouped with the Netherlands, Chile and Spain.

Spain may be without striker Diego Costa.

Doctors say he has a muscle tear in his leg which may prevent him from making the Spanish squad.

Final lists for the squads heading to Brazil need to be submitted to FIFA by June 2nd.

Spain gets its World Cup campaign underway on June 13th against the Netherlands.

Westbrook, Durant combine 71 to carry Thunder over Spurs

In the NBA playoffs,

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant combined 71 points to propel the Oklahoma City Thunder past the San Antonio Spurs 105-92 this morning.

The win evens the Western Conference Finals at 2-all.

Westbrook had a monster game, knocking down 40 points, 10 assists and five steals.

Kevin Durant finished with 31.

The Thunder held the Spurs' top scorers, Boris Diaw and Tony Parker, to just 14 points each.

Game 5 shifts back to San Antonio.

Tip off for that game Friday is 9am.

Tomorrow morning, the Miami Heat look to book their ticket into their 4th straight NBA Finals when they take on the Pacers in Indiana.

Tip off for that match-up gets underway tomorrow morning at 8:30am Beijing time.

Montreal beat NY Rangers 7-4, trail series 3-2

In the NHL playoffs,

The Montreal Canadiens have managed to keep their season alive, scoring a decisive 7-4 victory over the New York Rangers this morning.

Rene Bourque notched a hat-trick in leading the Habs to victory.

The offensive onslaught by the Canadiens was enough to chase Rangers goaltender Henrick Lundquist from the net.

Despite the loss, the Rangers still lead the Eastern Conference Finals 3-games-2.

Game-6 shifts back to New York on Friday morning, Beijing time.

In off-ice NHL news,

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed head coach Todd Richards to a two-year contract extension.

Richards helped lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-best 43-32-7 record this season, getting them back into the playoffs.

The Jackets were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Entertainment

Tom Cruise greets Chinese fans in new 'Edge of Tomorrow' promo

Tom Cruise has sent out a message to Chinese audiences in a promotional video for his new film, "Edge of Tomorrow."

"Dajia hao. Today I'm very excited to present my Chinese fans the exclusive debut of my new film, 'Edge of Tomorrow.' The film is an epic romantic adventure co-starring the talented Emily Blunt and helmed by acclaimed director Doug Liman, who made 'The Bourne Identity,' 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'. I hope you enjoy the trailer and I can't wait for you to see the 'Edge of Tomorrow' when it opens in China on June sixth. Xie xie."

The film is the story of a soldier fighting a war against an alien race.

Cruise's character himself caught in a time loop.

The film is set to hit Chinese screens on Friday next week.

"Maleficent" to hit Chinese theaters in June

Disney's fantasy adventure "Maleficent" is coming to China this summer.

The film stars Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie as the villainess.

Based on the 1959 animated film "Sleeping Beauty," the new movie is untold story of the evil witch.

Jolie says her children encouraged her to take the role and literally helped her find her voice.

"I thought about my children of course with this and as soon as I got the script, I gathered them around and told them the truth and I wanted to see if it would stick and how they would react to it. And they had such a strong reaction to it, it really touched me. And as I created her I kept running things by them, her voice and things."

"Maleficent" also stars Elle Fanning as Sleeping Beauty, who is cursed into a deep sleep by Maleficent on her 16th birthday.

The film is set to hit Chinese theaters on June 17th.

It's also being reported Angelina Jolie will be coming here to China to promote the new film.

"Maleficent" opens Friday in the United States.

'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' sequel in the works

2002's comedy "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" is getting a sequel.

Leading lady Nia Vardalos is returning to write the script and reprise her role as a first-generation Greek-American woman.

John Corbett will also return to play the non-Greek who fell in love with Vardalos' character.

Playtone Production, HBO and Gold Circle are backing the new project.

The new story follows the Portokalos family, who return after a family secret is revealed.

The sequel will also feature another massive wedding.

Katy Perry performs first London show of 'Prismatic Tour'

American pop star Katy Perry has staged the first of her shows in the UK as part of her "Prismatic" world tour.

The show at London's O2 Arena saw her perform songs from her latest album "Prism."

She also belted out older favorites, including 'Teenage Dream', 'Part of Me' and 'Wide Awake,' much to the enjoyment of her fans, who braved rains to make it to the show.

"She's such an amazing person. A really great role model for people and I really love her music because it really speaks to the daily lives that people lead, and it's amazing for her to really carry on her career with very, very exciting songs."

The "Prismatic" world tour is Katy Perry's third concert tour.

The first leg of the tour includes 17 UK dates.

Beastie Boys rapper testifies at New York trial

American rappers The Beastie Boys are now in-court as part of their suit against Monster Energy Drink for copyright infringement.

Founding member Adam Horovitz has taken the stand in the case, which was first initiated 2-years ago.

The Beastie Boys claim Monster used their songs and images to promote their product without their permission.

The Beastie Boys are seeking more than 2 million U.S dollars in damages.

Horovitz is set to return to the stand later on this Wednesday.

Comedian Don Rickles honored in Spike TV tribute

A new 90-minute TV special honoring American comedian Don Rickles is set to be aired later on this Wednesday on Spike TV.

The black-tie affair was taped earlier this month at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

The show includes roasts from Jerry Seinfeld, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Jon Stewart and Martin Scorcese.

88-year-old Don Rickles is considered an icon in the stand-up comedy world in North America.

The Spike TV program is said to include archival clips of Rickles verbally lambasting celebrites including Johnny Carson, Clint Eastwood, Frank Sinatra and President Ronald Reagan.

A quick recap of the headlines before we go.

The Chinese government is warning Vietnam that its only hurting itself by trying to disrupt a Chinese oil rig in the South China Sea.

US President Barack Obama has outlined new plans for troops withdrawls from Afghanistan.

Authorities in Egypt have extended voting in the presidental election through today.

In Business, new analysis is suggesting consumer confidence remains high here in China, despite a slowdown in the economy.

This is Paul James in Beijing, hoping you'll join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window on the world together.