The Beijing Hour
Evening Edition
Shane Bigham with you this Friday, July 04th, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on the programme this evening...
The Chinese president has repeated his call for a denuclearized Korea in a speech delivered in Seoul...
Police in Beijing are inspecting gas stations as part of their latest effort to curb terrorist activity...
And Sunni militants have captured the largest oil field in eastern Syria...
In business, a new milestone for the Dow Jones...
In sports, a preview of the World Cup quarterfinals...
In entertainment, a film cooperation pact between China and South Korea...
Weather
Beijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 23 degrees Celsius. It will see smog tomorrow with a high of 31 degrees.
Meanwhile Shanghai will have slight rain tonight, with a low of 23, tomorrow heavy rain, with a high of 26.
Chongqing will be cloudy tonight, 23 degrees the low, tomorrow sunny with a high of 34.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny with a high of 36.
Kabul, slight rain, 27.
Over in Australia
Sydney, sunny, high of 16.
Canberra, slight rain,8.
Brisbane, sunny, 22.
And finally, Perth will be cloudy with a high of 21.
Top News
Chinese President calls for denuclearized Korean Peninsula
Anchor:
Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed his hopes for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula while giving a speech at Seoul National University.
The comment comes as the President wraps up his two-day state visit to South Korea.
CRI's Xiong Siqi has more.
Reporter:
In his speech, the Chinese president stresses that China is a country committed to maintaining peace and stability.
Xi Jinping says China will stick to the path of peaceful development and continue to strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries for mutual benefits.
"China opposes the existence of nuclear weapons in the Korean peninsula and insists all issues, including nuclear weapons, of the Korean peninsula are resolved through conversation and negotiation."
Xi Jinping also says as a neighboring country, China is more than happy to see improved relations between the two Koreas.
"As family relatives wish each other to be successful, among neighbors things are the same. China prays that the two countries in the Korean peninsula improve their relationship and uphold the Korean peninsula's independence. We hope the two countries can ultimately achieve peaceful unification."
Xi Jinping says the region is now facing different kinds of security threats. Countries in the region can not change what happened in the past, but have the ability to build a better future together.
In terms of cooperation with South Korea, the Chinese president hails the partnership between the two countries.
"China and South Korea have become strategic partners by every definition. Bilateral ties are now at their best. Now, Chinese people are striving for the realization of the Chinese dream. At the same time, South Korean people are working towards the South Korean dream, which aims to build a new era of hope and national happiness, as well as to create a second miracle on the Han River. This has provided a historical opportunity to step up cooperation between the two countries. "
Xi Jinping has pledged to conclude a free trade agreement with South Korea by the end of this year so as to inject fresh energy into the Asian economy.
He also points out that young people are the future of both countries, hoping there will be more cultural exchanges between the younger generations.
As part of the cultural exchange program, 100 students from Seoul National University have been invited to join a summer camp in China in 2015.
During the President's last day in Seoul, Xi Jinping has also met National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa and Prime Minister Chung Hong-won respectively.
He has also attended along with South Korean President Park Geun-hye a high-level forum on bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
The two countries have issued a joint statement and signed a number of deals including a direct trading mechanism between RMB and the South Korean won.
As victims of Japanese agression before and during World War II, China and South Korea have also expressed shared concerns over Japan's recent moves regarding military policy and changes to the country's pacifist constitution.
For CRI, I'm Xiong Siqi.
Denuclearization serves interest of both China and South Korea: Expert
Anchor:
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, China and South Korea agreed that denuclearizing and maintaining peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula are in the common interests of all countries involved in the six-party talks.
For more on the statement and expert analysis, here is CRI's Cao Yuwei.
Reporter:
China and South Korea issued the joint statement during President Xi Jinping's state visit to South Korea.
International Strategic Studies expert Zhang Liangui from Party School of Central Committee of CPC says Xi's visit is based on consensus on a number of issues between the two countries.
"China and South Korea have reached consensus on issues such as further promoting strategic partnerships, strengthening trade corporation and personnel exchanges, as well as maintaining regional peace and stability in Northeast Asia. These are all matured preconditions for the President's visit."
In the joint statement, the two countries called on all relevant parties to solve the nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation.
It also urged all relevant parties to unremittingly promote the process of the six-party talks.
Professor Zhang also says there are some divided opinions on how to achieve denuclearization on the peninsula.
"The six part talks aim to persuade North Korea to give up developing nuclear weapons, and the international community will provide compensation for the losses it may face. But the North is refusing. The parties are in confrontation concerning this issue. This has created barriers for resuming the six party talks."
Zhang adds that the US has said it's open to all possible sanctions toward North Korea over the nuclear issue, which could also affect its allies' attitudes.
The joint paper noted that all parties should respect one another, strengthen communication and coordination on both bilateral and multilateral levels, and address the concerns of all parties involved.
The six-party talks have been suspended since late 2008.
The six-party talks involve North Korea, South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.
For CRI, I'm Cao Yuwei
South Korea strong in culture export
Anchor:
The growing popularity of South Korean television shows here in China is starting to raise more questions about what the TV industry in this country needs to do to keep up when it comes to exporting Chinese culture.
CRI's Li Dong has more.
Reporter:
Many Chinese audiences have been used to watching some Korean TV series during the past a few years, but the one called "You Who Came From The Stars" even attracted many Chinese viewers who don't normally watch shows before. It not only achieved a record high of 2.5 billion clicks on video websites in China when it was shown last December, but also boosted Korean culture, like restaurants and catering, tourism and entertainment.
According to Jiang Wanxi, the chief representative of Korea Creative Content Agency, Beijing Office, cultural products like TV series and other entertainment programs are playing a significant role in South Korea's culture export industry.
"As of 2012, Japan ranks first in terms of Korean TV show imports, then comes the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, and the US. The Chinese market plays a big role in Korea's culture exports. So production companies will consider the needs of Chinese audiences and tailor TV products targeting that audience, For example, translated subtitles and dubbing."
China's TV show exports are still at the initial stage. Jiang Wanxi says the production process of TV shows in South Korea is very different from China.
"First, in China, the TV show will be censored after the final product is done. As far as I know, nearly half of these shows will not be aired. This results in big waste. In Korea, the censoring is synchronized with the shooting of the TV show, so the production companies can change the plot as the shooting is in process. Also the censoring standard is much less strict compared to China's. "
Jiang says content is always the No.1 priority in the production process for South Korean TV shows and movies. This helps the shows to gain acceptance in overseas markets.
His opinion is echoed by Ma Xiaolan, general manager of a Shanghai based TV production company.
"We should attach importance to the content of our TV product. Also the way we tell stories should be more appealing to the audience. China's TV industry should aim high and make preparations for the long term."
Jiang Wanxi agrees. He says China's entertainment companies and agencies still focus on short term returns rather than actually putting more investment into cultivating quality.
According to statistics, the revenue of South Korea's media exports reached 242 million US dollars, up 3.3 percent from 2012.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
Peng: Young Xi Jinping Looked Like Actor Kim Soo Hyun
As we just mentioned in the report about the popular South Korean TV program, "You Who Came From The Stars," here is another interesting story on this topic.
Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, is on-record saying that her husband, when he was young, looked like the main actor in the show.
We here more from our reporter Ding Lulu.
DLL:
Thanks Shane.
The news is from South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
Peng Liyuan made the remark while visiting Changdeokgung, a historical site in Seoul.
She was accompanied by Cho Yoon-sun, the acting "first lady," who sent Peng a pair of bottle openers carved with the Korean words "star" and "flower."
Talking about "You Who Came From The Stars," Cho suggested that the First Lady can use the "flower" patterned opener, while President Xi can use the "star" one.
Peng Liyuan then answered that both herself and her daughter think that her husband, when he was young, looked like Kim Soo Hyun, who plays Duminjun (needs to be checked) in the series.
Beijing police start inspecting gas stations
Anchor:
Beijing police have started inspecting nearly 1,000 gas stations across the Chinese capital in the latest move to crack down on terrorism.
CRI' Alexander Aucott has more.
Reporter:
Beijing police have drawn up security plans for each of the 995 gas stations across the capital.
Each gas station is equipped with security alarms and full-time security staff.
In a bid to minimize safety hazards, the authorities have cut down the number of self-service gasoline pumps from the previous 3 in each station to 1.
Staffers from the gas station will also require drivers to show their licenses before using the DIY service.
"We will check the driver's car plate and license. We need to make sure that the photo showed on the license matches with the driver. Only then will we allow the driver to use the service. Plus, the driver also needs to register with us."
Vehicles and motorcycles without license plates or those with their plate number covered are not allowed to refuel in gas stations.
Meanwhile, customers who want to purchase bulk gasoline are required to provide relevant papers issued by the local police department.
Security has also been beefed up in subway stations and train stations across the city.
The efforts to clamp down on terrorism comes in the wake of a series of bloody terrorist attacks in the country.
The latest move also comes ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which will be held in the capital later this year.
Li Wei is the director of the anti-terror center of China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
"Recently, we have seen an increasing number of terrorism attacks in the country, such as the knife attacks at Kunming railway station in March and the bombing in Urumchi in May. The attacks have taken lives and damaged properties. The beefed-up security checks in subway stations and gas stations have caused inconvenience to the public. But it can also help to better protect our safety. "
Since May, Beijing has launched an anti-terrorist campaign, which includes mobilizing some 850,000 safety volunteers.
In public transportation, some 2,000 safety supervisors have been on duty on 31 bus routes.
The police are also offering 50,000 yuan to those who provide tip-offs on illegal activities including selling knives banned by police and making explosive devices.
For CRI, I'm Alexander Aucott.
ISIL captures biggest oil field in eastern Syria: activists
Sunni militants have reportedly captured the biggest oil plant in eastern Syria.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has reportedly taken the oil field after the Syrian-based Nursa Front withdrew from the region.
The ISIL and Nursa have reportedly been fighting one-another for control of the region, which is home to large swaths of oil reserves.
The field in-question reportly has the capasity to produce as much as 75-thousand barrels of oil a day.
New round of Iran nuclear talks underway
Iran and six world powers are trying to reach a final deal on Tehran's nuclear program before an interim agreement expires on the 20th.
Officials with the P5+1 side have privately acknowledged that an extension of the talks might be needed.
Michael Mann is the spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who leads the negotiations on behalf of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany.
"There is no set timing that I am aware of. We are going to negotiate for as long as it takes to get a good agreement. Of course everyone is aware of the July 20 deadline. We have said already, a sense of determination to get the agreement by that deadline and we hope that the Iranian side would come in a similar spirit and we can get the agreement."
Failure to reach an agreement before then will see previous sanctions imposed on Iran restored to their original levels.
Iran will also be able to restart its enrichment activities it scaled back in negotiating the interim agreement.
Biz Reports
First off, a quick look at closing numbers across Asia.
Joining me on the desk, CRI's Cao Yuwei.
Reporter:
Asian shares rose to a three-year peak on Friday, though the dollar inched away from overnight highs hit on U.S. jobs data which underscored the strength of the economic recovery.
Chinese shares however closed lower, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.2 percent.
The Shenzhen Component Index ended flat.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng edged up less than 0.1 percent.
Japan's Nikkei rose 0.6 percent to more than a five-month closing high.
South Korea's KOSPI trimmed less than 0.1 percent as worries about stronger local currency to the U.S. dollar pulled down share prices of large exporters.
Singapore's Straits Times Index traded sideways.
Australia's ASX gained 0.6 percent.
Dow Jones Industrial Average hits 17,000 for first time
The Dow Jones Industrial Average has closed above 17,000 for the first time, buoyed by investor confidence about the global economy.
The US stock index is made up of some of the biggest global firms.
Investors pushed shares higher after a better-than-expected jobs report showed the US economy added 288,000 jobs in June.
Overall, low interest rates have led investors to pour money into stocks.
That has pushed US indexes - including the S&P 500 - to new highs in 2014.
Bank of Communications designated as the yuan clearing bank in Seoul
Central banks in China and South Korea says that Bank of Communications had been designated as the yuan clearing bank in South Korea.
Bank of Communications is China's fifth biggest lender.
Leaders of China and South Korea agreed on a series of steps aimed at spurring offshore use of the yuan and investment in Chinese capital markets.
Increasing renminbi deposits in South Korea have made renminbi settlement in the country increasingly important.
The renminbi has become the second most popular foreign deposit besides the US dollar in South Korea.
China eyes modern fiscal system: finance minister
Chinese finance minister Lou Jiwei has outlined the top priorities of Chinas current round of fiscal reforms.
Lou says improvement to budget and tax systems are urgently needed.
"The most urgent is the budget reform. Then we will focus on tax system reform and adjustment of power and spending responsibilities between the central government and local governments."
The minister also reiterated the importance of establishing a fiscal system where power and spending responsibilities match.
"Local issues should be managed by local governments. It means we should define spending responsibilities. Who should pay? The central government or local governments? This is the division of powers and expenditures. We should pay special attention that spending responsibilities match powers."
On the independent issue and repayment of local bonds, Lou said that China would encourage more local governments to sell and repay bonds on their own.
Lou added that key reforms should be completed before 2016 and a modern fiscal system should be established by 2020.
Corporate news of the week
Anchor:
Time now for the key events on the corporate front in China this week.
German fashion house Hugo Boss is taking full control of its store network in China's mainland and Macau, and Mobile Game Maker Ourgame Drops 17 Percent On its Trading Debut.
With more on these events, CRI's Paul James spoke earlier with Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
Back Anchor:
Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
Investigator says bribery at GlaxoSmithKline China 'credible'
An investigator hired by British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline says the allegations against GSK in a major bribery scandal in China are credible.
Peter Humphrey was hired to investigate who was behind a suspected smear campaign against GSK.
Humphrey said the company had assured him the allegations were false, but that his own inquiries suggested that wrongdoing had taken place.
GSK has not explained on why Humphrey was not given the full details of the allegations.
The pharmaceutical giant is accused of spending as much as 320 million Pounds bribing doctors and officials in China to win sales.
China approves Lenovo, IBM $2.3 billion server deal
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce's anti-monopoly bureau has approved Lenovo's deal to buy IBM's low-end server business.
Lenovo announced its plan to purchase the IBM business for 2.3 billion US dollars in January.
Lenovo Chief Executive Yang Yuanqing said earlier this week that the deal is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
It still requires U.S. regulatory approval.
Wanda Cinema Co. China IPO denied
The plan by China's largest cinema chain, Wanda Cinema, to list on the Shenzhen stock exchange has been denied by China's Securities regulator.
The company failed to produce the required documents for an initial public offering.
Earlier this week, Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties's plan to go public in China's A share market was also terminated by the Chinese regulators.
Dalian Wanda Group is the largest owner and operator of movie theaters in the world.
U.S. urges Argentina to find solution with holdout investors
The United States has urged Argentina to negotiate a solution with holdout investors after a string of U.S. court decisions that have pushed the country to the brink of default.
Roberta Jacobson, U.S. assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs, said it was in Argentina's interest to normalize relations with all creditors and fully participate in the international financial system.
Headline News
Chinese President calls for denuclearized Korean Peninsula
Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed his hopes for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula while giving a speech at Seoul National University.
The comment comes as the President wraps up his two-day state visit to South Korea.
Xi Jinping says China will stick to the path of peaceful development and continue to strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries for mutual benefits.
Xi Jinping also says as a neighboring country, China is more than happy to see improved relations between the two Koreas.
Xi Jinping has pledged to conclude a free trade agreement with South Korea by the end of this year so as to inject fresh energy into the Asian economy.
During the President's last day in Seoul, Xi Jinping has also met National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa and Prime Minister Chung Hong-won respectively.
He has also attended along with South Korean President Park Geun-hye a high-level forum on bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
The two countries have signed a number of deals including a direct trading mechanism between RMB and the South Korean won.
North Korea to establish investigation committee into Japanese abductions
North Korea's government has announced the organization of a "Special Investigation Committee," saying a "comprehensive investigation" has begun looking into all Japanese residing in the country.
The official KCNA news agency reports the committee has been given a special mandate from the National Defense Commission to investigate and mobilize all relevant institutions and people who may have details about this issue.
The announcement comes after North Korea and Japan held inter-governmental talks in Beijing, during which the Japanese side agreed to lift some of its sanctions against the country.
The Japanese government on Friday officially published its decision to lift several special restrictions.
These include restrictions on personnel visits, remittances, the amount of funds allowed to be carried by visitors to North Korea and the embargo on the entry of North Korea-flagged ships with humanitarian missions into Japanese ports.
ISIL captures biggest oil field in eastern Syria: activists
Sunni militants have reportedly captured the biggest oil plant in eastern Syria.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has reportedly taken the oil field after the Syrian-based Nursa Front withdrew from the region.
The ISIL and Nursa have reportedly been fighting one-another for control of the region, which is home to large swaths of oil reserves.
The field in-question reportly has the capacity to produce as much as 75-thousand barrels of oil a day.
New round of Iran nuclear talks underway
Iran and six world powers are trying to reach a final deal on Tehran's nuclear program before an interim agreement expires on the 20th.
Following informal contact on Wednesday, the chief negotiators from Iran and the P5+1 have restarted direct talks in Vienna.
Officials with the P5+1 side have privately acknowledged that an extension of the talks might be needed.
This round of talks has been characterized as the last opportunity to reach a final deal before the 20th.
Failure to reach an agreement before then will see previous sanctions imposed on Iran restored to their original levels.
Iran will also be able to restart its enrichment activities it scaled back in negotiating the interim agreement.
Newspaper Picks
Shanghai Daily
Birds' deaths blamed on contaminated rice
According to officials, rice suspected of killing sparrows in a city in central China's Hubei Province has been sealed before it reached the public.
The sparrows swooped on rice that spilled when it was being loaded onto a ship in Yichang at the end of last month. Later more than a dozen of them were found dead.
It is reported that the rice from north China was bound for the southwestern city of Chongqing, but was sealed when it arrived.
The Yichang government said that tests on the sparrows had found evidence of a highly-toxic insecticide, one that could be fatal to humans even in small amounts.
China's use of pesticides is much higher than the world average, according to Greenpeace.
Besides normal crops, even traditional Chinese herbs are contaminated, it said.
--
China daily
Experts urge China to detail port emissions
Experts in China suggests that the country should establish emissions inventories for all major port cities as soon as possible to detail pollutants from ships and ports.
They say these pollutants may account for as much as 20 percent of the cities' airborne pollutants.
Experts have also called for the diesel fuel standard for ships to be strengthened to reduce pollution.
This comes after a white paper said pollutants generated by ships and ports include PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds.
The white paper said the amount of PM2.5 emitted by a medium-sized container ship in one day is equivalent to that emitted by 500-thousand cars running on diesel.
It said 70 percent of the pollutants are discharged within 400 km of coastlines and can reach up to 2,500 km inland.
--
Channel News Asia
Heavy Twitter use can be bad for marriage
A study shows that heavy Twitter use can lead to conflicts and other damaging effects on marriages and romantic relationships.
The study followed up on previous research which showed similar impacts for Facebook and raises questions about whether social network use in general is bad for relationships.
The study found that "active Twitter use leads to greater amounts of Twitter-related conflict among romantic partners, which in turn leads to infidelity, breakup, and divorce."
The author, University of Missouri doctoral researcher Russell Clayton, concluded that these findings add to the evidence about social network use's dark side for personal relationships.
Clayton's research last year found that a high level of Facebook usage was associated with "negative relationship outcomes."
Experts say these findings highlight the need for more study on social network use.
--
Sky News
20mph Zone Road Crash Casualties Rise By 26%
Figures have shown that the number of serious accidents are rising significantly last year on British roads with speed limits of just 20 miles per hour.
Statistics from the Institute of Advanced Motorists revealed that serious crashes on 20mph roads increased by 26% last year.
Local authorities tend to reduce speeds by putting up new signs or introducing 20mph zones with speed humps and chicanes.
But experts said putting signposts up was not enough.
Some citizens believed the speed humps and width restrictions are often ignored. Some even thought traffic calming measures can infuriate drivers more than calm them down.
So far there hasn't been any clear reason why the number of serious crashes has risen.
Sports
Preview of two matches at World Cup quarter-finals
In the world cup,
Two European powers are due to meet in a quarter-finals matchup.
France vs. Germany starts at midnight on Saturday Beijing time.
France coach Didier Deschamps says Germany's experience of playing high-pressure games might give them an edge.
"Until now we have had a very good World Cup. Our challenge will continue to grow because Germany is used to this competition, and they went so far in the last two competitions. They have experience on their side but we will play Our Cup all the same."
France has surprised many fans after Les Bleus only qualified for the tournament via a last-ditch playoff against Ukraine last year.
But Germany has struggled in some of its matches.
The upcoming encounter conjures up memories of one of the competition's greatest ever matches, when Germany defeated France in the first World Cup penalty shootout in Spain in 1982 after the two sides drew 3-3 in a semifinal. Four years later, Germany again defeated France in a semifinal.
Deschamps is able to restore Mamadou Sakho to the centre of defence after he missed the Nigeria game with injury, alongside Raphael Varane who suffered from dehydration and spent some hours in hospital after that match but has fully recovered.
In other action,
At 4 am Saturday Beijing time, two South American powers are due to fight each other.
Hosts Brazil will take on Columbia.
Columbia's coach Jose Pekerman says he hopes the ref has a good match and his squad is able to show its full potential against Brazil without any errant calls being made.
"We hope the referee plays a good match. No suspicion here, we don't think it will have a major influence. Colombia are here to play. We are playing the World cup for the first time in many years. We just want to enjoy and show our potential."
In the two team's 25 previous meetings, Colombia has won just twice, with the last victory coming 23 years ago.
However, Colombia can take some comfort from their last four meetings, which all ended in draws.
For more on the World Cup, we spoke earlier with Mark Dreyer, founder of the China sports insider website.
Back anchor: Mark Dreyer, Founder of the China sports insider website.
China's Zheng Jie and Andrea Hlavackova cruised into the semi-finals
In tennis from Wimbledon,
The men's semi-finals are set to take place tonight.
Top-seeded Novak Djokovic is set to takie on hard-hitting Bulgarian Gregor Dimitrov.
Following that match, former Wimbledon champion Roger Federer will be looking to make his way back into the finals when he takes on 8th seeded Canadian Milos Raonic.
The men's semi-finals will get underway tonight at 8pm Beijing time.
--
On the women's side, the final has been set.
It will be Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in her first career Grand Slam final against Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova.
Bouchard talks about her hard fought 7-6, 6-2 victory over Romania's Simona Halep
"Well I felt like it should have happened a game earlier so I already had that emotion in my head already. It's not like a surprise to me, I expect good results like this so for me it's like good, it's a step in the right direction, I get to play in the final and I still have another match, so it's not a full celebration yet."
Bouchard's opponent, Kvitova, defeated her Czech compatriot Lucie Safarova 7-6, 6-1 to earn her spot in the final. It will be Kvitova's second appearance in a Wimbeldon final after winning the tournament two years ago.
The match begins at 9 o'clock Saturday night Beijing time.
--
China's Zheng Jie and her Women's doubles partner, Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic, are in action right now against the Italian duo of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci.
Preview ahead of British GP at Sliverstone
Last year, at Silverstone, Lewis Hamilton claimed the pole position for Mercedes by half-a-second. But after opening up a clear lead in the race, he was one of the first to suffer from a spate of spectacular tyre failures.
Hamilton trails his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg by 29 points after eight races in the 19-race championship.
"You never know how the weekend is going to go. You never know how people have developed, improved. But of course, us as a leading team we'll hopefully have a good shot this weekend and I'll do everything I can to at least bring a little bit of joy to and add to some of the great success that some of the top athletes have (on the track)."
In the meantime, Felipe Massa is set to race his 200th Grand Prix.
Massa, enjoying a renaissance at Williams after a struggle in his final seasons with Ferrari, claimed the pole in the last race in Austria, his first since 2008, as Williams proved their revival is for real.
He has finished fourth behind team-mate Valtteri Bottas, as the two Mercedes drivers have recovered from being off the front row of the grid for the first time to finish first and second.
Entertainment
Chinese series Legend of the Ancient Sword shows on Tencent video
Chinese series Legend of the Ancient Sword is now available on Tencent video.
It will be updated every Wednesday and Thursday.
(sword trailer)
Legend of the Ancient Sword, adapted from a domestic computer game tells a story of an orphan teenager's hard life after he lost his memory.
The fantasy series set in ancient China has an all-star cast including Li Yifeng, Yang Mi, Zheng Shuang, Qiao Zhenyu and Zhong Xintong.
Due to the series' popularity many big names have expressed a desire to appear in the show. It has also aroused intense controversy among the Chinese audience as some say it has changed a lot and no longer conforms with the original game.
More than 100,000 people posted comments on the Sina Weibo after the debut this week.
But according an official poll, over 80% of the audience show great expectation for it.
China, S. Korea seal film cooperation pact
China and South Korea have signed a pact to expand cooperation in joint film production.
The film cooperation agreement was signed after a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Park Geun-hye.
The deal means more South Korean movies will be able to access the Chinese market.
Under the agreement, jointly produced movies will be recognized as both South Korean and Chinese films. Therefore they will not be subject to China's quota system for foreign movie imports.
Jointly produced films will also get larger shares from box office takings in China.
China currently imports 34 films each year on a revenue-sharing basis.
American Hustle out in Chinese cinema
American Hustle is out in Chinese cinemas today, which is of course the US Independence day 4th July.
(American Hustle)
The film which was released in December in the US won three golden globes and was nominated for 11 Oscars, including best film.
Set in the 70's, American Hustle tells the story of real-life con man Irving Rosenfeld, played by Christian Bale, who along with his partner Sydney Prosser, played by Amy Adams is forced to work for a wild FBI agent played by Bradley Cooper, who pushes them into a dangerous world of Jersey powerbrokers and the Mafia.
The movie has proved a big hit so far, taking more than 250million USD in the box office worldwide since it was released.
Transformers 4 Chinese box office bigger than US
(Transformers 4)
"Transformers: Age of Extinction" is busting more box offices in China than in the U.S., according to China Movie Media Group.
Grossing over 134 million U.S. dollars in its first five days of hitting the big screen here in China, "Age of Extinction" is outpacing its 121-million-dollar five-day U.S. showing.
China Movie Media Group, which is a production-partner for "Age of Extinction," says that the latest "Transformers" outing is on its way to surpass Avatar's China showing, which netted over 217 million U.S. dollars.
The film's success in China over the U.S. is attributed to the involvement of China Movie Media Group, which assisted with promotion for "Age of Extinction" on the mainland.
The previous "Transformers" movie earned about 165 million U.S. dollars in China, according to entertainment trade publication, Variety.
Japanese pop star ASKA released on bail following drug arrest
(Asaka girl)
The Japanese pop star ASKA, known in China as Fei Niao Liang, has been released on bail after being charged with drug possession.
Bail was set at 7 million yen, equivalent to 69,000 USD, after the 56-year-old singer was found to be in possession of a small amount of MDMA.
The Japanese star is part of a popular duo alongside CHAGE.
ASKA originally denied the accusations, saying he has "never possessed illicit stimulants," but later recanted and admitted to possessing and using the drug, saying he acquired it from the Japanese mafia or yakuza.
The pop star has a large fan base across East Asia. The first court hearing will be in late August, with the verdict expected in September.
That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour - a quick recap of headlines before we go:
We have the latest from the Chinese president's historic state visit to South Korea...
The Chinese president has repeated his call for a denuclearized Korea in a speech delivered in Seoul...
Police in Beijing are inspecting gas stations as part of their latest effort to curb terrorist activity...
And Sunni militants have captured the largest oil field in eastern Syria...
In business, a new milestone for the Dow Jones...
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. |