The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
It's Paul James with you on this Friday, July 18, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
A Malaysia Airlines plane with nearly 300 people onboard has crashed along the Russian-Ukraine border, with reports suggesting the jetliner may have been shot down.
Israeli forces have launched a large-scale ground offensive into the Gaza Strip.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has signed off on a series of agreements with his Brazilian counterpart as part of his time in the country.
In Business.... there are new suggestions Post Savings Bank may be preparing to go public.
In Sports... China now into the Semi-Final of the Asia Cup basketball tournament.
In Entertainment... Chinese film Tiny Times 3 is dominating the Chinese box office.
First, let's check in with what's happening with the weather....
Weather
Beijing will be cloudy today with a high of 35 degree Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should drop down to around 25.
Shanghai will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 34.
Overnight, it will be cloudy with a low of 26.
In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 35.
Overnight lows are expected to be around 26.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.
Islamabad will see slight rain with a high of 33.
Kabul will be sunny with a high of 30.
Over to North America.
New York will be cloudy today with a high of 28 degrees.
Washington will be overcast with a high of 31 degrees.
Honolulu, cloudy, 27.
Toronto, Canada, will be cloudy with a high of 25 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will be sunny with a high of 13.
And Rio de Janeiro will have heavy rain with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.
Top News
Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine, 295 killed
Anchor
A Malaysia Airlines passenger jet carrying 295 people has gone down in eastern Ukraine near the country's border with Russia.
Initial reports are suggesting the airliner has been shot down.
The details from CRI's Qi Zhi.
Reporter
Malaysia Airlines says it lost contact with the Boeing-777 as it was due to enter Russian airspace.
It was flying at a height of around 10-thousand meters.
Images from the crash site show shattered pieces of the plane scattered in a field near the Ukrainian village of Grabovo, which is said to be in rebel hands.
No one onboard is believed to have survived.
Flight MH 17 was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, with 15 crew members and 280 passengers from several different countries.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak says his government is dispatching a special team to Kiev.
"At this stage however, Malaysia is unable to verify the cause of this tragedy. But we must and we will find out precisely what happened to this flight. No stone will be left unturned. If it transpires that the plane was indeed shot down, we insist that the perpetrators must swiftly be brought to justice."
Several witnesses have reported hearing a large bang and shots before the plane hit the ground.
Kiev is blaming the rebels for the tragedy.
President Petro Poroshenko is calling it an act of terrorism.
"I've just finished a conversation with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands and expressed my condolences. On behalf of Ukraine, I invited professionals and experts from the Netherlands to investigate this terrorist attack transparently. I want to point your attention to the fact that we call it neither accident nor catastrophe. It's a terrorist attack."
The rebels are accusing Ukrainian government forces for downing the plane, saying they don't have the sophisticated weaponry to shoot down the jet 10-kilometers above the ground.
Russia's Interfax news agency is reporting the separatists have located the plane's black box.
US media reports are quoting officials as saying American intelligence agencies have confirmed the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.
In the fallout from all this, Ukrainian authorities have closed all of Eastern Ukraine's air space.
Half of the passengers are Dutch.
Other nationalities include Australian, Malaysian, Indonesian, British, German, Belgium, the Philippines and Canada.
So far there are no reports of any Chinese nationals aboard the plane.
The disaster comes just four months after Malaysia Airlines lost contact with flight MH370, another Boeing 777 carrying more than 200 people.
The fate of that aircraft remains a mystery.
For CRI, this is Qi Zhi.
Ukrainian journalist on rebel offer of ceasefire and condolences in Kiev
For more information on the ground, we spoke earlier with Ukraine-based TV presentor and journalist, Andriy Kulikov, who says the rebels are ready to offer a ceasefire so investigators can come in.
"I have just received information you know it is published one of the Ukraine sites with the quote from a Russian information agency Novosti. It is said that militants have said they are prepared a temporary ceasefire because of the downing of airplane. What they say is that they are ready to hold ceasefire for 2 or 3 days in order to provide the investigation of the details of downing of the airplane. One of the spokesman said they will allow international representatives to go to the site."
Kulukov also says people in Kiev are offering their condolences to the victims.
"People are gathering in front of the embassy of Netherlands, some also in front of the Malaysian embassy with candles and flowers and all sorts of expressions of their sympathy to victims of the crash."
That was Ukraine-based TV presentor and journalist, Andriy Kulikov.
UN chief, China, U.S. express condolences over airline crash
The Chinese government is expressing 'shock' at the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.
A statement from the Foreign Ministry says its China's hope the cause of the crash can be found as soon as possible.
At the same time, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expressing his condolences over the downing of the Malaysian airliner, calling for a full and transparent international investigation.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is describing this as the largest air disaster in Dutch history.
There were 154 Dutch nationals on board the flight.
Dutch authorities are calling for unhindered and safe access to the crash site in eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden says that the downing of a Malaysian airliner near the Ukraine-Russia border apparently was "not an accident" and that the passenger jet was "apparently blown out of the sky."
"This is truly a grave situation, nearly 300 souls have been lost, the families need consolation and our prayers and there are many questions that need to be answered. They will get those answers and we will take the next steps accordingly."
Other countries which have also lost nationals are also demanding answers.
Israel launches ground offensive in Gaza
ANCHOR
The Israeli military has launched a major ground offensive in Gaza after a brief truce between Israel and the Palestinians.
The ground assault follows a night of heavy Israeli bombardment from the land, sea and air.
CRI's Su Yi has more.
REPORTER
The Israeli Defense Force says it has launched the ground assault following repeated Hamas rejections of offers to de-escalate the situation.
The Israeli military says it is focusing on destroying tunnels from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory.
Mark Regev is an Israeli government spokesperson.
"The goal of our operation is to protect our people, to end the rocket fire from Gaza on Israeli cities. If that goal can be achieved diplomatically that would be good. Up until now, Hamas has closed the door to any diplomatic solution, and that means that we have to strike at terrorist targets in Gaza to protect our people."
Hamas is calling Israel's move "irresponsible and dangerous".
Israeli helicopter gunships have been seen hovering over the northern Gaza Strip.
This is the same area where thousands of Palestinians had been warned by the IDF to stay in shelters or any protected areas.
The ground assault comes on the heels of a brief, 5-hour ceasefire observed by both sides on Thursday to allow people in the region to gather essential supplies.
Meanwhile, officials in Gaza have confirmed an air strike on Thursday has left three children dead.
Marzouk Shahaibar is the grandfather of the three children.
"We were sitting downstairs in the house. My grandchildren were playing on top of the roof and feeding the chickens and the pigeons. They were struck from above without even realizing it. They weren't doing anything, they didn't go outside, they weren't fighters, they did nothing."
This comes on the heels of four Palestinian children being killed by an Israeli strike while playing on a beach near Gaza City.
The United Nations and the US government are calling on Israel to do more to protect civilians.
Palestinian officials say close to 250 people have been killed and nearly 18-hundred other injured since the start of Operation Protective Edge last week.
For CRI, I'm Su Yi.
China signs plane deal and various trade agreements with Brazil
A series of trade agreements have been signed between China and Brazil as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Brazil.
Deals include Chinese companies purchasing 60 E-190 airplanes from Brazil's Embraer. The plane deal is believed to be valued at 3.3 billion U.S. dollars.
In the financial field, the Export-Import Bank of China will provide 5 billion U.S. dollars over three years to support Brazilian mining giant CVRD to purchase or lease equipment, vessels and other services from Chinese companies.
The Bank of China has also signed a deal to help CVRD arrange global financing for the next three years.
Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"We will continue stimulating the stable growth of our bilateral trade and actively cooperate to invest in areas including oil, electricity, iron ore, agriculture and others."
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff says the new agreements have made ties between China and Brazil stronger than ever.
"May this lesson inspire the Sino-Brazilian partnership in the sustainable development of our countries and for a peaceful, democratic and inclusive international order."
The two have also discussed China's potential participation in the construction of a proposed railway that would link Brazil's Atlantic coast to Pacific ports in Peru.
Other agreements have been reached in sectors including mining, education and construction.
Xi Jinping pledges advanced ties with Brazil
Anchor
Chinese President Xi Jinping is promising tighter Chinese ties with Brazil to develop a more balanced international order.
The pledge has been made by the Chinese President while addressing the Brazilian National Congress.
CRI's Cao Yuwei has more.
Reporter
During the speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping hails the solid ties between China and Brazil.
"We are happy to see that the bilateral ties are grown stronger and more mature after 40 years. Brazil is China's first strategic partner among developing countries, and also the first Latin American nation to forge a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. We are important partners and the development of our bilateral ties has set a good example for South –South Cooperation."
He put forwarded a three-point proposal to bolster the partnership between China and Brazil. To further boost ties, the Chinese President calls on the two countries to boost coordination on macroeconomic policies and speed up the implementation of the ten-year cooperation plan.
China and Brazil upgraded bilateral ties to that of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2012. The two sides then signed a ten-year cooperation plan to promote trade and cultural exchanges. China is now Brazil's largest trade partner.
The Chinese President also calls for the two countries to continue to deepen trust and support each other on major issues such as sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
He also proposes the two countries to shoulder more international responsibilities.
"We should promote the idea of seeking common development of all people. A nation should address other country's rational concerns while protecting its own interests. We should strengthen our cooperation within the UN, WTO, G20 and BRICS, actively participate in global governance and strive for more rights to speak for developing countries."
The BRICS bloc has already agreed to set up a development bank worth 100 billion US dollars in a bid to support developing countries. Currently, developing countries including the BRICS nations only hold 35 percent of the voting rights in the International Monetary Fund.
For his part, Brazilian Senate President Renan Calheiros says Brazil is willing to enhance friendly cooperation with China and jointly pursue world peace and prosperity.
Brazil is the first leg of Xi Jinping's ongoing Latin America tour, which will also take him to Argentina, Venezuela and Cuba.
For CRI, I'm Cao Yuwei.
China-Latin America ties are dynamic
Anchor:
As Xi Jinping continues his Latin America tour, observers on both sides have been expressing optimism about the development of ties between China and Latin America.
CRI's Ding Lulu has more.
-----
reporter
Official numbers show that trade volume between China and Latin American countries has soared over 20 times in the past decade.
China has become Latin America's second largest trading partner and third largest source of investment.
And Latin America has also become a major energy and resource supplier to China, as well as an investment destinations of Chinese enterprises developing their "going global" strategies.
Take Argentina as an example.
Since the two sides established diplomatic relations in 2004, the number of Chinese companies registered in the country has increased from single digit to around two dozen.
Retail businesses run by Chinese nationals have also been booming in the country.
Sergio Césarin is a professor from the National University of Tres De Febrero in Buenos Aires.
He says Chinese companies and businesses have brought benefits to Argentinians.
"In recent years the general public in Argentina has had a very positive evaluation of Chinese companies and businessman in our country. As Argentina was experiencing an economic downturn, they have become an important pillar of local economies. For example there are a lot of supermarkets run by Chinese nationals that provide goods at reasonable price and good quality. It not only brings convenience to the locals, but also help alleviate living pressures for some low-income people."
Besides economic and trade relations, China and Latin American nations are also involved in nearly 100 science and technology cooperation projects each year, with focus on aerospace, astronomy and bio-technology fields.
Dr. Yang Zhimin is the Deputy Director of the Institute of Latin American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
He believes closer ties between China and the Latin America region can infuse fresh vigor into the region, which is transforming from the "backyard" of the United States to a vanguard in global development.
""Recently, the state secretary of the United States announces that Monroe Doctrine has finished. That means nowadays the Latin American is not the backyard of the United States. 2011 we had the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States or CELAC established in the region. It is a good platform for China to develop the all-hour cooperation with the whole region."
During the Chinese President's visit, Xi Jinping has also called for joint efforts with Latin American and Caribbean nations to bolster the forum between China and the CELAC, and foster a partnership featuring equality, mutual benefit and common development.
For CRI, this is Ding Lulu.
Biz Reports
Anchor
First off, a check on the closing numbers in the U.S and Europe.
Joining me on the desk, CRI's Fei Fei.
Reporter
The global stock markets slumped on Thursday following an escalation of violence in Gaza and the downing of the Malaysia Airlines passenger jet on the Ukraine-Russia border.
American markets saw their worst day since April.
The Dow Jones ended down around 1 percent lower.
The S&P 500 dropped 1.2-percent.
And the Nasdaq declined nearly one and a half percent.
Over in Europe, markets there fell just before the close on the news of the downed plane.
Britain's FTSE 100 fell over half a percent.
France's CAC 40 gave up 1.2-percent.
And Germany's DAX dropped over 1 percent.
Chinese estate agencies freed to set fees
Chinese authorities have relaxed their grip on setting real estate service charges, giving agencies more freedom to set their own rates.
The decision, which actually took effect on July 1st, was only announced yesterday.
The move is expected to improve the pricing mechanism for real estate services.
Under the old rules, the government regulated real estate service fees via a rigid "government-guided price" mechanism.
The right to fix prices for real estate brokerage services has been delegated to provincial-level governments and local housing bureaus.
These authorities can either dictate brokerage service prices to real estate businesses or let the businesses decide their own prices.
China's real estate sector has cooled since the beginning of the year.
The National Bureau of Statistics is set to release housing prices in this country's 70 major cities through the first half of the year later on today.
Microsoft to cut 18,000 jobs this year
Microsoft has announced plans to slash up to 18-thousand jobs this year.
This would represent around 14-percent of Microsoft's total workforce.
70-percent of the layoffs are reportedly going to come from the Nokia telephone business, which Microsoft acquired in April for over 7 billion US dollars.
The layoffs are expected to cost the company 1.5-billion dollars over the next four quarters.
Microsoft says the first wave of layoffs will affect around 13-hundred people in the Seattle area, which is Microsoft's home-base in the US northwest.
The company says the shift is designed to help Microsoft become a primarily software-focused company to one that sells online services, apps and devices.
Call-in on corporate news of the week
Anchor:
Let's check out some of the key events on the corporate front in China this week.
Doug Young joins me on the line, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
Story 1:
US-based mobile app Uber has officially launched its car service in Beijing this Monday.
The company reveals that it will offer two kinds of services in the city.
One is called UberBlack for premium cars such as Audi A6, and the other UberX for medium-level vehicles such as Volkswagen Passat.
Normally, hiring an UberBlack car costs considerably more than a regular taxi.
In some cities, Uber prices fluctuate with demand, similar to airfares.
Questions:
1. Do you see a competitive edge of Uber in the well-established taxi and rental car businesses in Beijing? How would Uber differentiate itself from taxi hailing apps like Kuai Di and Didi?
2. As Beijing's traffic can be extremely heavy and Uber's fares are relatively higher than most taxis in the city, how would Uber generate revenues on a long-time base?
3. Uber also offers a range of services overseas like Uber Taxi and Uber SUV. Why do Uber only launch two types Black and UberX in Beijing this time? Do you think it will expand its services in the future?
Story 2:
Alibaba taps into entertainment business when announcing its collaboration with Lions Gate Entertainment, the studio behind the "Hunger Games" films this Tuesday.
Lionsgate Entertainment World will also offer premium content and subscriber benefits such as invitations to screenings.
Alibaba would also carry on their cooperation with Wasu Digital TV Media Group on online content and Internet TV.
They were looking forward to launching a new TV box this Wednesday.
But the launch is halted after authority has tightened controls of broadcasting non-licensed television shows and movies.
Questions
1. What influences would the e-commerce tycoon bring to the entertainment business? Do you see the collaboration with Lions might take further to production level?
2. Alibaba has said the halt of their TV box is not related to the authority's controls and all their shows are approved and licensed by authorities. What's your take on their reasons of the halt of the new TV box?
3. Do you think Alibaba's penetration into the media and entertainment sectors would influence its IPO listing in New York?
Back Anchor
Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
Post Savings Bank of China adds fuel for IPO filing
China Post Savings Bank is adding more fuel to speculation it might be planning to go public.
The bank has released a small statement, saying it is -quote- "working to bring in strategic investments and speed up transforming."
Reports have been suggesting China's Post Savings Bank is considering launching an IPO which could potentially be worth billion of US dollars.
Post Savings Bank of China is the only state-owned commercial bank that is not listed on the markets.
Its total assets of last year came in at some 4 trillion yuan, or around 640 billion US dollars.
This makes Post Savings Bank the sixth largest bank in China.
Most of the state-run bank's assets come from this country's rural areas.
Car firms make inroads in Brazil
Chinese automaker BYD is building a new plant in Campinas, Brazil.
The cost of building the plant, BYD's first in the region, will be about 90 million US dollars.
It is slated to open next year.
The automaker says the new plant will have a maximum production capacity of a thousand electric buses, as well as all of their batteries, in the first year of operation.
The vehicles are expected to be sold in local markets or exported to other countries in the region.
BYD's move is the latest by Chinese automakers entering the Latin American market.
Chery is set to start production at its plant near Sao Paolo this month.
Geely also plans to form a joint venture in Brazil.
China UnionPay issues 1st credit card in Africa
China UnionPay has issued its first credit card in Africa.
UnionPay's international arm has jointly issued three types of credit cards in partnership with Cim Finance from Mauritius.
The credit cards will be accepted in 140 countries and regions, including China and Mauritius, without a foreign transaction fee.
China UnionPay started to issue debit cards in Africa nearly a year ago.
China's SOEs of local government achieve profits in 1H
New figures show the profits of China's state-owned enterprises are showing faster growth in the first half of this year from a year earlier.
The combined profits of both centrally administered and locally-run SOEs have increased 9-percent year on year to 1-trillion yuan, or over 150 billion U.S. dollars, in the year half.
However, growth in profits from SOEs administered by the central government have been declining, while local government SOE's are becoming more profitable.
Local SOE profits are up around 10-percent compared to the same period last year.
U.S. sets preliminary dumping rate on another China's product
The U.S. Commerce Department has set preliminary dumping rates on imported calcium hypochlorite from China.
Calcium hypochlorite is mostly used to sterilize water in swimming pools.
The US side launched the anti-dumping and countervailing probes in January.
Chinese companies are being accused of dumping the product into the US market at margins of over 200-percent.
US imports of calcium hypochlorite from China amounted to around 8 million U.S. dollars last year.
Headline News
Malaysia Airlines plane taken down in eastern Ukraine
A Malaysia Airlines passenger jet carrying 295 people has gone down in eastern Ukraine near the country's border with Russia.
Initial reports are suggesting the airliner has been shot down.
It was flying at a height of around 10-thousand meters.
It's being reported US officials have confirmed the plane was taking down by a surface-to-air missile.
Authorities in Kiev are blaming separatist controling the area where the plane came down.
The rebels are pointing to the Ukranian military, claiming they don't have the equiptment to take down a flight at a height of 10-kilometers.
Flight MH 17 was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, with 15 crew members and 280 passengers from several different countries.
So far its not believed there were any Chinese nationals aboard.
Israel launches ground operation within Gaza
The Israeli military has launched a major ground offensive in Gaza.
The ground assault follows a night of heavy bombardment from both the land, sea and air.
The Israeli Defense Force says its launched the ground assault following repeated rejections of offers to de-escalate the situation.
Israeli helicopter gunships have been seen hovering over the northern Gaza Strip.
This is the same area where thousands of Palestinians had been warned by the IDF to stay in shelters or any protected areas.
The ground assault comes on the heels of a brief, 5-hour ceasefire observed by both sides on Thursday to allow people in the region to gather essential supplies.
Japan greenlights export of missile part to U.S
The Japanese government has approved the sale of missile components to the United States. It's the first such approval since Tokyo eased restrictions on arms exports back in April.
At the same time, Japan's National Security Council has decided to conduct joint research with Britain on air-to-air missiles.
Both deals are being reported by local media in Japan.
Japan's moves to ease longstanding restrictions on arms sales and the foreign deployment of its troops has caused considerable alarm across northeast Asia and around the world.
Trains collision injuries at least 17 in southwestern France
Three people are in critical condition following a high-speed train crash in southern France.
The passenger train collided with a regional express train in the Pyrenees early Thursday evening.
A total of 17 people have been injured in the collision.
There were close to 180 people on the train at the time.
The cause of the crash remains unclear at this point.
Red typhoon alert issued for Rammasun
A red-alert has been issued as Typhoon Rammasun approaches southern China.
Meteorologicial authorities are warning the storm is going to bring heavy rains and winds to Hainan, Guangdong and Guangxi.
Rammasun is due to hit the Qiongzhou Strait, which separates Hainan and Guangdong, later on this afternoon.
The storm, which has already left over 20 dead in the Philippines earlier this week, is still packing winds of over 150-kilometers per hour.
Authorities are warning the storm is also going to bring heavy rains and possible flooding to inland areas, including possible landslides, in Yunnan, Hubei and even further north in Henan.
Ahead of the storm, emergency officials have already begun evacuating people from coastal areas along the storm's path.
Newspaper Picks
THE BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Epidemic alert
Summary
Authorities in the city of Jiuquan in Gansu have issued a level III emergency alert in response to the death of a resident from pneumonic plague.
The victim died after contracting the serious lung infection.
Local authorities say the over 150 people who had close contact with the victim have been put into isolation.
BEIJING YOUTH DAILY
Headline
11 killed in landslide
Summary
A landslide in Sichuan yesterday afternoon has left 11 peopld dead.
19 others have been seriously injured after the slide rolled over a number of vehicles on a highway.
Rescue work is still under way.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Fire safety measures
Summary
Local bus companies in Shanghai are taking steps to improve passenger safety in the wake of a number of recent arson attacks on buses in other parts of China.
Shanghai's Buses are going to be equipped with emergency release buttons fitted to the outside of rear doors.
Bus companies are also being required to improve their driver training programs to to deal with emergency situations.
PEOPLE DAILY
Headline
Official receives life sentence
Summary
Wang Suyi, a former senior official from Inner Mongolia, has been sentenced to life in prison for accepting bribes.
Wang has also had all of his property confiscated.
THE BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Woman dies in custody
Summary
A middle-aged woman has died after being taken for questioning by railway police in Fujian.
Bruises have been found on the woman's body.
She was being investigated in connection with re-selling rail tickets.
Police and prosecutors are now investigating.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Thailand visa exemptions
Summary
The Thai military government has agreed to exempt Chinese tourists from visa fees for three months starting August 1st.
The number of Chinese tourists to Thailand has dropped significantly due to the political unrest in the country.
The visa fee exemption will last until October.
Special Reports
Made-in-China Products on the World cup
Anchor
Even though there was no Chinese presence on the pitch at the just-concluded World Cup in Brazil, a significant number of Chinese products did find their way into the stadiums.
CRI's Liu Xiangwei has more.
Reporter
An online picture showing the bottom of the FIFA World Cup trophy showing a little sign reading "Made in China" has become viral on the Internet. Despite the doubt on the authenticity of the picture, one thing is real: a lot of important large-scale equipment in the Brazil??? are made in China.
"We provide the security inspection device for all the nine football fields."
"We provide air conditioning equipment for the arenas."
"We provide subway trains for Rio."
"We provide clean-energy buses for Curitiba in southern Brazil."
Those are the presidents of some of the Chinese manufacturers that participated in the Brazil World Cup project.
Cui Dianguo, Chairman of China CNR Corporation, says there's huge demand on railway transportation equipment in Brazil. That's why they are bringing their skills and products here.
"Brazil is one of the BRICS countries. It's also a developing country. The fast development yields a great demand on traffic. In addition, the country has a vast land. All in all, the Brazilian market needs us."
However, it's not an easy process. The company conquered many difficulties to meet the requirements of Rio, a vastly different place from Chinese cities.
"First, the weather in Brazil is hot, which raise up high the temperature standard for the train. Second, the train track in Brazil is different from ours. It's broader. We have to adjust to that. Last but not least, the Brazilian people have different standards for different parts of one project. For example, they apply American standard to the train body, British standard to jointing, and French standard for the mode of connection. So we have to be very experienced and highly skilled to meet all these standards at the same time."
Good news is many Chinese enterprises have already passed the high standards required for not only the Brazilian projects, but also those which are highly anticipated all over the world.
Dong Mingzhu, a renowned entrepreneur in China whose company produces air conditioners and other home appliances, voices her belief on how to succeed in the international manufacturing industry.
"We should not target on making some products and making money or what. But instead we should focus on designing unique products with our own intellectual rights. That will change people's lives. And that's our goal."
However, experts say there are still problems on Chinese companies going abroad. One of the major problems is the price war between Chinese companies who compete for one bid.
BACK ANCHOR
That is CRI's Liu Xiangwei reporting.
Sports
China Advance to Semifinals of 2014 FIBA Asia Cup
In basketball,
China has booked a berth in the semifinals of the FIBA Asia Cup after a 84-37 hammering of Singapore.
Chinese Taipei has also advanced to the semis after downing Japan 76-62.
China will battle Chinese Taipei later today in Wuhan for a spot in the final.
Iran is also through to the semi's after beating Jordan 75-60.
Iran will next meet Philippines, who edged India 70-66.
China Sweeps Synchronized Titles at FINA Diving World Cup
China has swept all the synchronized diving titles at this year's FINA Diving World Cup in Shanghai.
Beijing Olympic men's 10-meter platform synchronized champion Lin Yue claimed both the 10-meter platform and the 3-meter springboard synchro titles with partner Cao Yuan.
Olympic champion Chen Ruolin and her partner Liu Huixia also won the women's 10-meter platform synchro title.
Chen has decided to skip the singles events in Shanghai due to injury.
McIlroy Leads Woods by Three at British Open
In golf,
Rory McIlroy holds the first round lead at the British Open, following a bogey-free 6-under-66.
McIlroy's final birdie on the 16th put him at the top of the leaderboard.
"Any time you shoot 66 at the Open Championship you're going to be pleased. There was plenty of opportunities to make birdies and I was able to take a few of them. So, another great start and yes, looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow."
Matteo Manassero currently sits one stroke back after a 5-under-67, one ahead of fellow Italians, brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari.
Tiger Woods has made a promising return in his first major of the year,, finishing his first round at 3-under 69.
Defending champion Phil Mickelson struggled a bit, finishing his first round at 2-over-74.
Mickleson may have been jinxed a bit by his playing partner Ernie Els.
Els' opening tee-shot of the tournament hit a spectator in the face.
Although the spectator was bleeding profusely, tournament officials say the man in his 60's will be fine.
Els, admittedly rattled, ended up hitting a triple bogey on the hole, and ended his first round at 7-over.
Post World Cup FIFA rankings come out
In football,
The latest FIFA world rankings are out following the World Cup.
Germany, winners of the World Cup, have taken over top spot in the world rankings.
Former number-1, Spain, has dropped 7 positions down to 8th after its dismal showing in Brazil.
Argentina, the runners-up, move up 3-spots to 2nd.
The Netherlands has jumped 12 positions into 3rd.
Columbia now sits 4th, while Belgium has moved up 6-spots into 5th in the World Rankings.
China has moved up 9 spots, mostly by virtue of the rise and falls above and below it, into 94th in the World.
Damjanovic Joins Beijing Guo'an; Alberto Gilardino Trains with Guangzhou Evergrande
In football news here in China,
Montenegro striker Dejan Damjanovic has joined Chinese Super League side Beijing Guo'an on a one-and-a-half year deal.
The deal is reportedly worth 3 million US dollars.
Before joining Beijing Guo'an, Damjanovic played with Jiangsu Sainty for half a year.
He has also played for K League giant FC Seoul.
----
Italian striker Alberto Gilardino has started training with his new team mates after joining Guangzhou Evergrande.
Gilardino has signed a two-and-a-half year contract with the Chinese Super League club.
Gilardino's former teammate, Alessandro Diamanti, has already joined the club.
There's speculation head coach Marcelo Lippi might pair the two together for the club's next match on Sunday against Shandong Luneng.
Ferrer, Kohlschreiber Advance in Hamburg
In tennis,
Top seed David Ferrer is through to the quarter-finals of the Hamburg Open after scoring a three-set win over 16th seeded Andreas Seppi.
Ferrer will next meet compatriot Pablo Andujar, who defeated local favorite Dustin Brown 6-1, 6-2.
Seventh seeded local favorite Philip Kohlschreiber is also through after battling past 12th-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon, 7-5, 6-3.
Next up for Kohlschreiber will be Lukas Rosol, who upset third-seeded Tommy Robredo of Spain.
Tobias Kamke has taken out fourth-seeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov 7-5, 2-6, 7-5.
Alexander Zverev knocked out 11th-seeded Santiago Giraldo of Colombia, 6-4, 7-6.
Argentina's Leonardo Mayer thumped Dominic Thiem of Austria, 6-3, 6-2.
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In the WTA Istanbul Cup,
Second seed Roberta Vinci has reached the quarter-finals after opponent Alexandra Dulgheru retired.
Eighth-seeded Karolina Pliskova has also moved into the quarters with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Israel's Shahar Peer.
Pliskova will next meet top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki.
Serena Williams, Li Na to Feature in WTA Wuhan Open
In other tennis news,
Serena Williams and Li Na are set to headline a star-studded field at the inaugural WTA Wuhan Open in September.
Eight of the WTA's top 10 ranked players are scheduled to compete in the event.
Russian Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic are among those who have been tapped to participate in the tournament, which will be Li Na's showcase event.
Li Na is a Wuhan native.
The Wuhan Open is one of three WTA events set to take place here in China this calander year.
Alexander Kristoff Wins Tour de France 12th stage; Nibali Retains Overall Lead
In cycling,
Norwegian rider Alexander Kristoff managed to hold off Peter Sagan of Slovakia in a sprint finish to claim victory in the 12th stage of the Tour de France.
Arnaud Demare of France finished third.
Despite this, Italy's Vincenzo Nibali retains the yellow jersey.
He still holds 2:23 lead over Australian Richie Porte, and a 2:47 advantage over Spaniard Alejandro Valverde.
Today's stage 13 will see demanding high mountain climbs.
Entertainment
Tiny Times 3 Stands Strong in Domestic Debut
China's best-selling author, Guo Jingming's Tiny Times franchise, Tiny Times 3 is premiered on Wednesday.
( "Tiny Times 3" trailer)
The third instalment of author-turned-director Guo Jingming's youth-driven drama, "Tiny Times" raked in over 100 million yuan, or some 16 million US dollars on its first day at the box office Wednesday.
Figures roughly tallied by China's mainstream cinemas show that "Tiny Times 3" overtook two-thirds of the domestic box office on its premiere date.
Based on Guo's own novels of the same name, the "Tiny Times" series tell the stories of four females in their 20s chasing love, success and their own respective slices of the luxury life.
The series has been widely criticized for promoting shallowness, wasteful spending and an obsession with material possession among China's youth.
Guo himself is something of a living example of his stories. Not born into a family of privilege, Guo is now one of China's richest writers and was counted among Forbes China's "30 Under 30" successful entrepreneurs in 2012.
CCTV Tapping U.S. Talent Pool for 2015 Lunar New Year Gala
China Central Television is looking west for its next pool of amateur entertainers to perform in the 2015 Chinese New Year's Gala.
"I Want to Perform in China's New Year Gala," the not-so-subtle name of the state-broadcaster's talent show for the event, is holding open auditions in the United States.
Try-outs will be hosted in New York, Washington, D.C., Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco, according to CCTV's notification for the "talent hunt."
Although the gala has enjoyed staggering ratings since the first event was held in 1983, it has been criticized in recent years for not showcasing enough relevant content to net in China's changing demographic, especially the country's youth.
The gala's producer, Wei Dangsheng, told the Wall Street Journal that he is looking for acts that might not emerge from the Chinese mainland.
Performing in China for a televised event that nets over 700 million viewers on average offers prospective U.S. performers a "big opportunity" to access "a huge market."
Those looking to strut their stuff in China's biggest TV event need to submit their applications by Monday.
SARFT Sets New Regulations for Online TV and Streaming Content
China's State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television has warned seven internet-TV providers that their broadcasting licenses will be revoked if they breach new internet TV and set-top-box regulations implemented recently, The Beijing News reports.
The seven content providers were warned by the media watchdog that they needed to take down any unauthorized content within seven days.
In failing to do so, offending content providers will face additional penalties, including having broadcasting licenses revoked, according to the paper.
Content providers offering online TV services or set-top-boxes in China are required to obtain a content license and integrated service license, according to the watchdog’s new regulation. The latter gives China's media-watchdog oversight of the holder's content.
BEYONCE LEADS MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATIONS WITH 8 NODS
Doing a visual album has paid off for Beyonce: She's the leading nominee at the MTV Video Music Awards.
MTV announced Thursday that Beyonce is up for eight moonman trophies, including video of the year for "Drunk in Love."
(Beyonce: "Drunk in Love")
Australian performer Iggy Azalea and rapper Eminem are nominated for seven awards each.
But Pharrell is the only male nominated for the top award.
(Pharrell - "Happy")
Along with Beyonce, his "Happy" will compete with Azalea's "Fancy," Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" and singer Sia's "Chandelier" for video of the year.
The VMAs will air live on August 24th from The Forum in Inglewood, California. Performers will include Grande, Usher and 5 Seconds of Summer.
American Stage Icon Elaine Stritch Dies
Elaine Stritch, the brash stage performer whose gravelly, gin-laced voice and impeccable comic timing made her a theatrical icon, has died at the age of 89.
Stritch died at home Thursday in American state of Michigan.
Although she appeared in movies and on television, garnering three Emmys, the actress is best known for her stage work, particularly in her candid one-woman memoir, "Elaine Stritch: At Liberty."
She worked well into her late 80s, most recently as Madame Armfeldt in a revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical, "A Little Night Music." The actress replaced Angela Lansbury in 2010 to critical acclaim.
Stritch's signature style was wearing a loose fitting white shirt, high heels and sheer black tights.
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
A Malaysia Airlines plane with nearly 300 people onboard has crashed along the Russian-Ukraine border, with reports suggesting the jetliner may have been shot down.
Israeli forces have launched a large-scale ground offensive into the Gaza Strip.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has signed off on a series of agreements with his Brazilian counterpart as part of his time in the country.
In Business.... there are new suggestions Post Savings Bank may be preparing to go public.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together. |