Welcome to the Beijing Hour; we are coming to you live from the Chinese capital.

Coming up on the programme this evening:

Condolences have been rolling in today following the death of the man known in China as Mr. Olympics.

A Chinese ship is joining the search for the black boxes on the ill-fated AirAsia flight.

Former Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian has been released from prison on a medical parole.

In business.... China's export quota on rare-earths has been eliminated.

In sports... Beijing's bid for the 2022 Olympics is going in to the IOC tomorrow.

In entertainment.... box office records here in China have been broken on New Year's Day.

But first, a check on what's happening weather wise...

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will be clear tonight, with a low of minus 4. It will be cloudy tomorrow, with a high of 6 degrees.　

Meanwhile Shanghai will see slight rain tonight, with a low of 5, tomorrow will be rainy, with a high of 15.

Chongqing will see slight rain tonight, 5 degrees the lowest, tomorrow it will also see slight rain with a high of 9.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia

Islamabad, sunny tomorrow with a high of 15.

Kabul, cloudy, 9.

Over in Australia

Sydney, slight rain, high of 28.

Canberra, rainy, 30.

Brisbane, cloudy, 27.

Finally, Perth will be cloudy with a high of 36.

 

 

Top News

 

 

He Zhenliang – A Man Devoted to the Olympic Movement

 

Anchor:

Tributes have been rolling in following the death of He Zhenliang, a former International Olympic Committee vice president from China, following his death in hospital on Sunday at the age of 85.

CRI's Yin Xiuqi has more.

Reporter:

Nicknamed "China's Mr. Olympics", He Zhenliang was best known for helping Beijing secure the bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics.

He began working on the administrative side of sports way back in 1955 as a member of China's national sports administration.

He said he pushed hard to bring the Olympics to China.

"For all these past decades, I had always been thinking about China's bid for hosting the Olympics. I had been gathering materials and seeking to establish friendship with IOC members. All of these preparatory work I had done was useful for China's successful bid for hosting the Olympics."

He Zhenliang was elected to the IOC in 1981 and became its vice president in 1989, remaining in the position for four years.

He retired from the International Olympic Committee in 2009.

During his almost 30 years at the IOC, He Zhenliang was also a strong advocate for adding diversity and dynamics to the international Olympic movement.

"Our responsibility is to safeguard the legitimate rights of developing nations in the international sports arena while challenging the traditional 'Europe-centric' views of the IOC. I stressed on the importance of cultural diversity, the spread of the Olympic movement and respect for different cultures on many occasions. I'm very happy that we have made some progress in these regards."

Cities in developed nations had almost exclusively been the choice of the IOC to host the Olympics before the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.

But through the help of people like He Zhenliang, this trend seems to be changing, with the IOC awarding the 2016 Summer Olympics' to the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.

Authorities in Beijing are also bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The death of He Zhenliang has created an outpouring of condolence on the internet, with many people taking time to remember his contribution to Chinese sports and the Olympic movement as a whole.

Current IOC President Thomas Bach has also praised He Zhenliang as a "true advocate of the social values of sport and of the Olympic Movement."

The IOC is flying the Olympic flag at half-staff for three days in tribute to He Zhenliang.

For CRI, I'm Yin Xiuqi.

 

 

China's First Large Aircraft C919 almost completes its assembly

 

Assembly of the first large passenger aircraft built by a Chinese company is nearly complete.

The C919 is being developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China.

COMAC is the same company behind the ARJ21, which received its official certification from China's civil aviation authorities a week ago.

The C919 has been outfitted with the latest in aviation technology.

Zhou Guirong is the deputy chief designer of the C919.

"In cloudy or smoggy weather, pilots vision of the runway may be obscured. But with the sensors we've installed in the aircraft, pilots will be able to get an infrared view of what's happening outside during takeoff and landing. The C919 is among the first large commercial jets to have the new technology installed."

The C919 can fly up to 5-thousand kilometers, and can accommodate up to 160 passengers.

Zhou Guirong says the new jetliner is also more efficient than a lot of planes currently in the sky.

"Our engine layout reduces fuel consumption by around 15-percent compared with its counterparts, improving its overall operational efficiency by 10-percent. The C919 is very competitive when it comes to safety, economics, comfort and environmental friendliness."

So far, COMAC has received over 400 orders for the C919.

The aircraft is expected to make its maiden flight before the end of this year.

 

 

Search effort of AirAsia QZ8501 resumes

 

A Chinese ship is going to be joining the search for the black box of the AirAsia plane which went down in the Java Sea.

The Chinese ship is going to join the nearly 30 others who are scouring the area where the plane went down two Sundays ago.

The Chinese vessel is due to arrive on Friday.

Bambang Soelistyo is Chief of Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency

"A rescue vessel from China carrying equipment that can detect black boxes will come to assist us later. From Sunday night to Monday, we will consult further and wait for rescue results from the other five rescue vessels."

Meanwhile, the search at the site is said to be progressing.

So far, 37 bodies have been recovered.

Authorities suspect the remains of most of the 162 people onboard the doomed flight are still in the fuselage of the plane, which still hasn't been located.

The AirAsia plane went down on a flight from Indonesia to Singapore.

Bad weather is being cited as the likely cause of the crash.

 

 

Japan PM Abe visits shrine, says government will compile new statement

 

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced plans to put together a new statement in connection with Japan's aggression during the Second World War.

Abe has made the announcement following a stop at a war memorial in western Japan.

"The Abe cabinet will uphold the general stance of history by successive prime ministers, including the Murayama statement."

The Murayama statement, issued under former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in 1995, is viewed as Japan's main expression of remorse for its colonial past and actions during the war.

Animosity toward Japan's actions ahead of and during the Second World War has long been a stumbling block in its relationships with its neighbors in the region, including China.

It's unclear whether the forthcoming statement from the Japanese government, which Abe says will be issued in August, will be an outright apology or simply an expression of remorse.

 

 

N.Korea denounces US sanctions; S.Korean official declines to speculate on Inter-Korea talks

 

North Korea has issued its response to the new US sanctions being imposed on the country following the cyber-attack against Sony Pictures, which the US side blames on North Korea.

A statement has been read on North Korean state television.

"The US anti-DPRK hostile act that kicked off from the outset of the year is aimed to save its face and tarnish the image of the DPRK in the international arena at any cost, upset by the increased international skepticism about its results of the investigation which stated that the recent cyber-attack was carried out by the DPRK. The US is persistently turning down the just proposal of the DPRK for a joint investigation to probe the truth about the cyber-attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment."　

The US hit North Korea with new sanctions on Friday.

The sanctions target 10 individuals and organizations the FBI has blamed for allegedly being involved in the cyber-attack on Sony.

North Korea's government praised the attack at the time, but insists it wasn't involved in the hack.

The hack targeting Sony came as the company was about to released "The Interview," a comedy about a plot to assassinate North Korea's leader.

Sony, which initially cancelled the release of the film following a series of threats to theatre-goers, has since released the film online and at a limited number of cinemas.

Meanwhile, the South Korean government is describing the latest US sanctions on North Korea "appropriate".

But at the same time, South Korean authorities say its "not right" for Seoul to speculate on whether the new sanctions will impact the relationship between the two Koreas.

 

 

Police turn back on New York mayor again at slain officer's funeral

 

Anchor

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has issued an appeal for reconciliation in a eulogy for one of two police officers shot dead last month in Brooklyn.

The appeal comes amid a dispute between the Mayor and the city's police force, which has seen some of the officers at the memorial turn their backs on de Blasio.

CRI's Su Yi has more from New York.

Reporter:

Thousands of police officers from around the United States, politicians and other mourners joined family members inside a Brooklyn funeral home to honor Liu Wenjian, who is believed to be the NYPD's first Chinese-American officer to be killed in the line of duty.

Outside the funeral home, hundreds of blue-uniformed officers could be seen turning away from de Blasio as the mayor began speaking.

"All our city is heartbroken today. We have seen in the past two weeks the pain that people feel from all walks of life, the sense of appreciation for the sacrifices of this family and Ramos's family, the understanding from the people who have never worn uniform how many dangers the men and women in uniform face and what it means for their families."

Liu Wenjian and his partner Rafael Ramos were ambushed on Dec. 20 by a killer who said he wanted to avenge the deaths of the unarmed black men killed by white officers.

The ambush has led to accusations the mayor contributed to an anti-police climate.

However, many officers attending Sunday's funeral say they just simply want to pay tribute to a colleague who was killed in a shocking attack.

"It is heart wrenching because this is something you would desire to help people. Unfortunately not everybody sees it that way."

Liu's wife Chen Peixia has paid a tearful tribute to her husband, calling him a hero.

"(He is) a caring son, a loving husband and a loyal friend. You are an amazing man. Even though he left us early, but I believe that he is still with us. His spirit will continue to look after us."

Even though fewer officers participated in the silent protest against the mayor than a week earlier at Ramos' funeral, the gesture highlights how far relations between the police force and the mayor have deteriorated since the murders.

It is the latest turn in a nationwide debate in the US over racial relations and law enforcement. The debate was rekindled this summer by the deaths of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City in encounters with white officers.

For CRI, I'm Su Yi in New York.

 

 

Former Taiwan Leader Released on Medical Parole

 

Former Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian has been released from prison on medical parole.

He is now en route to his home in the city of Kaohsiung, where he's going to continue his treatment.

Chen Shui-bian has been coping with depression and the onset of Parkinson's since being imprisoned 6-years ago.

He reportedly attempted suicide last year.

The former head of the now-opposition DPP was handed a 20-year sentence for taking bribes and other illicit behavior while in office.

Chen Shui-bian was Taiwan's leader from 2000 to 2008.

 

 

SOEs salary reform makes performance determine pay

 

Anchor:

China's central government is moving to defend its new executive payment reforms for centrally-administrated state-owned enterprises, which have kicked at the start of this year.

CRI's Min Rui has more.

Reporter:

Authorities say the reforms will trim certain salaries by as much as 70-percent.

In the pilot reform, around 200 executives from 72 different SOEs are going to see their salaries capped at 600-thousand yuan, or 100-thousand U.S. dollars, per year.

The salary structures of these executives have also been changed.

Part of their salaries is now being based on the long-term performance of their companies, with part of their salaries being calculated only at the end of the year, when the annual results of a company are known.

Qiu Xiaoping is China's vice minister of Human Resources.

He says the new salary structure also takes into account the variations in being an executive at different state-run companies.

"Take the nature of companies for example: the profits made by companies in a highly competitive industry should be higher than the profits made by monopolies and non-profit organizations. From this perspective, the salaries of executives work for these companies will be adjusted accordingly, compared to those who manage SOE's with smaller capacity."

The massive salary gap between what SOE top executives have been making compared to the average worker at the same company has generated a lot of complaints over the years.

Senior managers had been earning as much as 30-times what an average employee was making.

The changes should narrow the gap to 7 to 8 times or less.

Ye Tan, a financial commentator for CRI, says the salary reforms is meant to help make managers more accountable.

"Their expenses, apart from their salaries, have long been included in an SOE's operating costs. But now, we've changed the system so managers have to be more accountable for what they spend."

As part of the changes, the salaries of SOE executives are also going to be made public.

For CRI, I'm Min Rui.

 

 

Virus kills captive panda, sickens 3 in northwest China

 

Authorities at a panda research facility in Xi'an have revealed one of their giant pandas is dead, and three others are struggling to survive after coming down with distemper.

The 8-year old panda, named Cheng Cheng, died in early December.

Two of the other three are said to be in critical condition.

The other is said to be stable.

Distemper is a viral infection which normally affects dogs and cats.

It normally attacks an animal’s gastrointestinal and respiratory systems.

However, distemper can also attack an animal’s brain and spinal cord, which is almost always fatal.

18 of the healthy pandas at the research facility have been moved to different sites.

Around 30 specialists from around China are working at the zoo in Xi'an to try to help the pandas through their infection.

 

 

Relatives of 43 missing students to start their own search

 

The relatives of 43 missing Mexican college students are launching their own search for their loved ones.

The families of the students have been holding demonstrations, demanding answers as to what happened to their children.

A demonstration has been held in Mexico City by members of the students' families.

Rafael Lopez is the father of one of the missing.

"We're going to go and look for all of them. We're not going to take the government into account anymore because it doesn't do anything for us. They are just telling us that we should give up, how are we going to give up? Would he President Enrique Pena Nieto give up if it was his son?"

The students disappeared while heading to a demonstration against a local mayor in September.

Their disappearance has ignited indignation across Mexico.

Authorities are working under the assumption the local mayor and his wife contracted members of a local drug cartel to stop the students from disrupting an election rally for him.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Chinese markets have soared to a five-year high on the first trading day of the year on Monday.

At close, the Shanghai Composite Index surged around three and half percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index jumped around four and half percent.

The mining sector rose across the board, with 34 stocks soaring by daily limit of 10 percent, now that the Chinese government has lowered export tariffs on coal.

Property developers also rebounded on expectations that a sales recovery in the fourth quarter will continue in 2015.

The energy sector also posted big gains, with PetroChina and Sinopec both surging by the daily limit of 10 percent.

Meanwhile, shares of private banks advanced over 2 percent after Premier Li Keqiang promised a warm environment to boost development of private banks during a visit to Webank, the country's first Internet-based banking service in Shenzhen.

But in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng ended down by three fifths of a percent.

In Japan, the Nikkei lost a fifth of a percent.

South Korea's KOSPI dropped three fifths of a percent.

In Australia, the ASX 200 gained nearly a third of a percent.

And lastly, Singapore's Straits Times Index ended down over 1 percent.

 

 

China scraps rare earth export quotas

 

The Chinese government has scrapped its 5-year old quota system on the export of rare earths.

This follows a World Trade Organization ruling which has determined the quota system gave an unfair advantage to domestic consumers.

Rare earths are 17 different metals heavily used in the development of high-tech components, including much of what's used in cell phones and other microchip-based technology.

China accounts for over 90 percent of global rare earth production.

The government at the time brought in the quota system in 2010 as a way to limit the ecological damage caused by rare-earth mining.

Implementation of the quotas dramatically drove up the price of rare-earth commodities.

 

 

China Frees Price Controls on Railway Tickets and Rail Freight

 

The National Development and Reform Commission is eliminating price controls on railway cargo and passenger train tickets.

The NDRC says allowing market forces to dictate prices will make the railway sector more attractive for private investors.

However, it’s widely expected the move will trigger a huge spike in the price of train tickets and the cost of rail transport.

The NDRC says it will take steps to prevent massive price swings.

The Chinese government has been moving to privatize part of this country's rail system through private investment channels.

 

 

Shanghai Approves Oil and Gas Trading Center

 

Municipal authorities in Shanghai have approved a plan to create an oil and gas trading center in the city.

The center, said to be the first of its kind in the country, is expected to facilitate the trade of natural gas, liquefied natural gas and crude.

The center is being created by a consortium of ten different companies.

The Shanghai government is hoping to turn it into an international commodities trading platform.

The China Administration of Energy has been moving to give China a larger voice when it comes to the international price of oil, given this country is now the world's largest importer of crude.

 

 

Settlement over Qualcomm's China Monopoly Pending

 

Anchor:

China's anti-trust regulator is wrapping up its 13-month investigation into U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm.

The NDRC has been looking into allegations Qualcomm has been overcharging its clients and abusing its market position.

It's expected Qualcomm is going to be hit with a record-breaking fine.

Authorities are also expected to demand changes as to how Qualcomm licenses its technology to handset makers in China.

Qualcomm is the world's leading chip maker for cellphones.

Sales in China contributed around half of its total revenue in fiscal 2014.

For more on Qualcomm's fortunes in China, the Beijing Hour's Shane Bigham spoke earlier with Mike Bastin, Director of The China Business Centre based in London.

 

 

BMW in 820 million USD Compensation Payout to Chinese Dealers

 

BMW has agreed to a package of lump-sum payments worth around 820 million US dollars to its dealers in China.

The automaker's Chinese dealers have been threatening to stop putting in orders following a year of poor sales and high inventories.

Under the dealership structure in China, automakers are allowed to set sales quotas for their dealers, meaning their dealers are virtually obligated to purchase vehicles from the factory line, even if they know the products aren't selling.

The China Automobile Dealers Association claims that around 70-percent of all BMW dealers in China have occurred losses this past year.

The Association also says average dealer inventories are running at 1.8 times what they're actually selling.

This is well above 1.5 times, which is considered an alert line.

 

 

Last batch of Husi's bad meat destroyed

 

Workers have destroyed the last batch of outdated meat products from Shanghai Husi Foods.

"The packs contain three kinds of Husi meat products. They are Italian pork cubes, beef cubes for pizza and spiced beef steaks."

The meat is the last of 500 plus tons of outdated meat destroyed in several provinces since Husi became embroiled in food scandal in July.

Shanghai Husi used expired meat, altered production dates, recycled products returned by clients and mixed out-of-date meat with fresh cuts.

Husi supplied meat for McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut, among others.

Six Husi executives were arrested in August.

 

 

Huawei posts 15% revenue increase in 2014

 

Chinese telecom giant Huawei is reporting its sales revenues have increased 15-percent through last year.

The company attributes its strong sales performance to its online sales strategy for its handsets.

The company shipped an additional 75 million smart phones last year, finishing third in the global market behind only Samsung and Apple.

Huawei's terminal equipment sales are expected to have come in at around 12-billion US dollars last year.

That's around a quarter of the company's total sales, which have come in at around 46 billion dollars.

The company is currently working on developing 5G technology.

Huawei is also in the process of setting up a network research lab in Europe.

 

 

Glencore resumes coal mines after suspension failed to lift price

 

Glencore, the world's biggest coal exporter, is restarting its mining operations in Australia.

The company shut down its operations for 3-weeks in an effort to combat a global glut in coal supplies.

Glencore says it believes its shutdown reduced global supplies by around 5 million tons.

But the company admits the move has done little to increase coal prices, which are currently trading at just under 62 dollars a ton.

World thermal coal trade went down by around 4.5-percent this past year, driven largely by lower imports to China.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

Tributes roll in for He Zhenliang

 

Tributes have been rolling in following the death of He Zhenliang.

The former International Olympic Committee vice president from China passed ways yesterday in hospital in Beijing.

He was 85.

Nicknamed "China's Mr. Olympics", He Zhenliang was best known for helping Beijing secure the bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics.

He Zhenliang was elected to the IOC in 1981 and became its vice president in 1989, remaining in the position for four years.

He retired from the International Olympic Committee in 2009.

 

 

China to join search for AirAsia jet black boxes

 

Chinese aviation experts and a rescue vessel are joining in the search for the flight data recorders from the AirAsia Flight which crashed last week en route from Indonesia to Singapore.

The Chinese team has been requested by Indonesian authorities.

One Chinese ship has already been dispatched, and is expected to arrive at the crash site on Friday.

Another Chinese ship is on stand-by.

The AirAsia Flight went on December 28th with 162 people on board.

Initial indications are bad weather is what brought down the plane.

While sections of the missing plane, along with some of the bodies, have been recovered, the plane's flight-data recorders have still not been located.

 

 

China nets over 100,000 officials in frugality campaign

 

The latest stats released from China's anti-graft authorities show that more than 100-thousand officials have been caught up in the government's frugality campaign.

The violations have included overseas travel and personal entertainment through the use of public funds, excessive spending on receptions and vehicles and sending or accepting gifts.

The government's austerity campaign has been active since late 2012.

 

 

Bangladesh clashes leave two dead

 

Political upheaval in Bangladesh has left at least two people dead.

Clashes have broken out among supporters of the ruling Awami League party and the main opposition in the capital, Dhaka.

Two supporters of the opposition BNP have been confirmed dead.

The opposition in Bangladesh has been demanding a new election, claiming the ruling party's victory in the polls a year ago was the result of a rigged system.

The BNP refused to take part in last year's election.

Bangladeshi authorities issued a ban on all demonstrations in the lead-up to today.

Members of the opposition have also been put under arrest.

 

 

Two Dead in Sydney Road Crash

 

Two people are dead and four others hurt in a multi-vehicle road accident in Australia.

Seven cars and a truck piled into one-another in Sydney.

Police say the crash appears to be high-speed, as debris from the crash is scattered over a wide area.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

SINA ENGLISH

Shanghai plans to add chopsticks to Intangible Cultural Heritage list

An organization has drawn up measures to add chopsticks to the Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2015.

The move aims to raise awareness regarding the culture behind the use of these utensils, according to Shanghai Chopsticks Culture Promotion Association.

One association authority says chopsticks are increasingly neglected in modern China although they are unique Chinese items.

One curator of the chopsticks museum in Shanghai, notes that China has a recorded history of using chopsticks for over 3-thosuand years.

At least 1.8 billion people currently use chopsticks worldwide.

According to some experts, chopsticks, though small, serve as a means to pass on Chinese civilization.

It's believed that recognizing the cultural value of the custom is an important factor in promoting Chinese traditions.

--

XINHUA

Lawmakers to rule on animal welfare

A revised Chinese law on wildlife protection is expected to regulate the domestication of animals, as some practices have been criticized for being abusive.

According to a professor who attended the discussion on the draft, a new guideline was included saying domestication activities should be "morally acceptable to the public".

The protection of wild animals kept in captivity on farms and parks is a major highlight of the revision.

The provisions are seen as a response to mounting pressure over controversial farming methods, such as the extraction of bile from live bears' gallbladders for traditional Chinese medicine.

Also, Chinese circuses and parks continue to train wild animals and keep them in captivity.

In 2013, a photo showing a child riding a listless Siberian tiger cub at a park triggered online outrage.

--

FOX NEWS

Attorneys with more masculine voices are less likely to win in court: study

When it comes to leaders, no matter men or women, more masculine voices will give the candidates an advantage. But the situation is quite opposite when it comes to courts.

A study conducted by the University of Chicago and ETH Zurich in Switzerland finds that male attorneys with more masculine voices are less likely to win Supreme Court cases.

A team of linguists and legal theorists asked 200 volunteers to listen to 60 recordings of male attorneys making opening statements to the Supreme Court, and had them rate a range of characteristics, including intelligence, trustworthiness, confidence, and how masculine the speaker sounded.

They were looking for bias, and learned that the only predictor to whether the attorney would win a case was if he sounded less masculine, in which case he was more likely to win.

--

HUFFINGTON POST (US)

Pets May Help Improve Social Skills of Children with Autism

A new US research has found that dogs may be particularly beneficial for children with autism, acting as a "social lubricant" that helps them build assertiveness and confidence in their interactions with others.

The study observed that autistic children are more likely to engage socially in social situations where pets were present.

While previous research has focused specifically on the ways that dogs benefit the development of autistic children, the new study found that pets of any type were beneficial for the children's social skills.

According to the observations, the attachment between children and small dogs are the strongest, although parents also reported strong attachments between their children and other pets, such as cats and rabbits.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

ChinaFest, A Starting Point for Your China Frenzy

 

Anchor:

This year's ChinaFest, an annual cultural event in Richmond, Virginia, has attracted thousands to the 10th edition.

CRI's Washington correspondent He Fei has was there.

Reporter:

Although it is a rainy winter day in Richmond, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is still filled with people who have come to be a part of ChinaFest.

"Since I've taken over, the first year I think we had about 250 visitors when we started the family events."

This is Jessica Bauserman, one of the program coordinators with the museum.

"And it has grown to an annual expectation of about 2,500 to 3,200, and this year we're expecting 4,000 to 5,000 people."

To warm up, the lion dance is always the perfect choice.

Instead of only showing acrobatic skills, the performers try hard to entertain their young audience, imitating a timid lion, twinkling its eyes while shaking its body.

In addition to the performances, there are a lot of activities for the children to explore. Every family is given an art passport. They earn a sticker after finishing each activity.

"I love it. It's like a whole bunch of separate things in one."

11-year old Isabella Thomas comes with her mom and brother. Wearing a Chinese Qipao, the cute little girl is excited to bring home her own work, a small china bowl she decorated herself.

"I've done the Chinese knot-tying as you can see; Ming Dynasty China ware and the Lion Dance; make a Chinese New Year's Lantern, and that's what I've done so far."

Chinafest is a free one-day event. Families can learn about the Chinese zodiac, how to tie a Chinese knot, make paper-cutting, and even enjoy some classic brush painting animations.

"She is learning some Chinese in school. I think it gives her an opportunity to have a little bit of exposure to some other cultures."

"We love everything about the Chinese culture but we don't really know much. So this is something that we've always been interested in. And learning how to do the calligraphy and the writing, I think things like that, I hope is their next part that they want to learn. "

And this is also the hope of Rose Chen, or Chen Nanping, who initiated the idea for ChinaFest.

"We're not in a position to educate, we just want to make a cultural presentation and we welcome you all to join us. This is only a start. When you were given the exposure to the culture, you find the interests and then start your own way to dig into that culture."

For CRI, I'm He Fei.

 

 

Sports

 

 

Beijing to formally submit 2022 Winter Olympic Games Bidding Report

 

Beijing will formally submit the 2022 Winter Olympic Games bidding report to the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday in Lausanne.

Chinese Olympic Committee president Liu Peng and Beijing 2022 Bid Committee president and mayor of Beijing Wang Anshun are heading the team, whose presentation in Lausanne will weigh heavily in Beijing's bidding process.

The IOC will send an evaluation team to China in March before it elects the host city of the 2022 winter Games from either Beijing or Almaty, Kazakhstan in July in Kuala Lumpur.

Beijing would co-host the Games with Zhangjiakou in neighboring Hebei province, if it won the bid.

Ice sports would be staged in Beijing while snow events would be held in Zhangjiakou.

 

 

Football: Japan, China look ahead to Asian Cup to kick off on Friday.

 

A simmering Australian summer will come to the boil this week as an anticipated 800 million fans are due to tune in to AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015, which kicks off down under on Friday.

With newcomer Australia hosting the event for the first time, Asian football fans will enjoy a primetime television schedule bumping the global audience to record dimensions.

That could play into the hands of Japan, who landed in Sydney well under the radar on Saturday to take up position in Cessnock, a sleepy, wine-drenched corner of the Hunter Region of New South Wales, [about 50 kms outside the port city of Newcastle].

The Samurai Blue squad that disassembled a strong Australian side in November have enjoyed a nigh-perfect buildup, sneaking a final fling before its Asian Cup title defense controlling possession in a 2-0 demolition of New Zealand club champions Auckland City in an almost private performance for Javier Aguirre.

The former Mexican international - nicknamed El Vasco - has been embroiled in a match fixing scandal that has threatened to rubbish both the highly-regarded Japanese coach and all of Spanish football.

China, meanwhile completed their AFC Asian Cup preparations with an ominous 4-1 dissection of Oman.

The Dragons will take on three-time winners Saudi Arabia in their Jan. 10 opener.

 

 

NBA: LeBron-less Cleveland Cavaliers fall to Dallas 109-90.

 

A full slate of games now on the books in the NBA:

Monta Ellis scored 20 points, Dirk Nowitzki added 15 and the Dallas Mavericks won their fifth straight game earlier today, a 109-90 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who again played without LeBron James.

Over in Detroit:

The Pistons routed the Sacramento Kings 114-95, giving them their first five-game winning streak in more than five years.

Moving down to Miami:

Chris Bosh scored 26 points, Wade scored 10 of his 25 down the stretch and the Heat snapped a four-game losing streak by topping the Brooklyn Nets 88-84.　

In New York:

Zaza Pachulia had 16 points and 14 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks handed New York its 11th straight loss, 95-82.

On to Phoenix:

Eric Bledsoe score 20 points, fellow guards Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas added 18 apiece and the Suns handed the Raptors their second straight blowout loss, 125-109.

In Los Angeles:

Kobe Bryant scored 20 points and hit the go-ahead short jumper with 12.4 seconds to play, leading the Lakers to an 88-87 comeback victory over the Indiana Pacers.

And a full slate of games on tap for tomorrow as well:

The Philadelphia 76ers will play host to the LeBron-less Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Dallas Mavericks are away to Brooklyn.

New Orleans will host Washington.

Up in Boston, it is Hornets at Celtics.

The Memphis Grizzlies are welcoming the New York Knicks to the court.

And the Bulls are hosting the Houston Rockets.

 

 

Tennis: Poland pulls clean sweep over Australia in Group B of Hopman Cup

 

Poland silenced the home fans in Perth as Agnieszka Radwanska and Jerzy Janowicz completed a clean sweep over Australia in Group B of the Hopman Cup.

Radwanska recorded a fairly comfortable victory over Casey Dellacqua in the first game, 6-2, 6-3.

Janowicz recovered after dropping the first set of the men's match to Matthew Ebden, eventually recording a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 win after a calf injury appeared to take its toll on Ebden.

Ebden was replaced by Ben Mitchell for the mixed doubles match, although Poland's victory was a mere formality having won the first two games.

Group B is completed by France and Great Britain.

The Czech Republic beat Canada 2-1 in the opening session earlier on Sunday.

And in today's action:

USA faced Italy in Group A of the Hopman Cup with the Perth crowd treated to two impressive comebacks.

In the women's singles, Serena Williams found herself a set down to Flavia Pennetta after the Italian stormed into a 6-0 lead.

However, the younger of the Williams sisters channeled her experience, taking the second two sets.

It was an even tighter affair in the men's with John Isner facing Fabio Fognini.

The Italian clinched the first set 7-5, before a reverse score in the second saw Isner level the tie.

Isner then took the third in the tiebreak to hand the USA a 2-0 match lead ahead of the doubles.

 

 

NFL: Update from Round 1 of the Playoffs

 

In NFL action, from round one of the playoffs:

The Carolina Panthers got the better of the Arizona Cardinals 27-16.

Baltimore thrashed Pittsburgh 30-17.

It was Colts over Bengals 26-10.

And the Dallas Cowboys beat out the Detroit Lions 24-20.

 

 

NHL: Chicago gets 5-4 win over Dallas.

 

In NHL action:

Patrick Sharp scored 1:17 into overtime to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 5-4 win over Dallas earlier today.

And Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist for Washington as the Capitals defeated the Florida Panthers 4-3.

Other scores now on the books:

The Carolina Hurricanes took out the Boston Bruins 2-1.

Tampa Bay beat out Ottawa: 4-2.

The Edmonton Oilers had a surprise win over the New York Islanders, 5-2.

Columbus edged Colorado 4-3.

And the league-leading Anaheim Ducks beat out the Nashville Predators 4-3.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

China's box office breaks record on NY Day

 

China's box office sales break records on New Year's Day.

China's box office sales broke 183 million yuan, almost 30 million U.S. dollars on the first day of 2015.

It's some 70 percent up compared to last year, which marked a new peak.

According to the Chinese film bureau, movie The Taking of Tiger Mountain collected more than 80 million dollars.

The film beat singles-day box office sales which hit just over 14 million dollars.

Meanwhile, the controversial film Gone with the Bullets approached sales of 80 million dollars.

 

 

Two of Elvis' planes up for auction

 

Two private planes owned by Elvis Presley are going up for auction.

The two planes - the Hound Dog 2 and Lisa Marie are being auctioned off at Julien's auction house by sealed bids.

The Lisa Marie, named after his daughter was bought by the star and refurbished to include a master suite with a full-size bed and conference room.

Neither plane is airworthy but both have been on display at Graceland for more than 30 years for fans to tour.

The planes are being sold as one lot with the option to buy land next to Graceland to display them, independent of the Presley museum.

 

 

Harbin International Ice Festival officially opens today

 

The annual Harbin International Ice Festival in northeast China's Heilongjiang province opens today.

To kick off proceedings, there will be an opening ceremony, fireworks display and a series of theatrical performances.

This year's theme is Ice, Snow, Harbin, Charming China Dream.

Visitors to the festival will be able to see an ice palace, giant maze, grand piano and a life sized steam locomotive.

The festival runs until the end of next month.

 

 

Bono announces he may never play guitar again

 

U2 frontman Bono has told fans he may never play guitar again after his biking accident.

Last year the star was involved in a cycling accident which required him to undergo surgery and intensive therapy.

He posted on the band's website that his recovery has been more difficult than he imagined and as a result has cancelled every public appearance in the run up to his tour.

The band have not performed live as a group since the accident and have been forced to cancel several performances including a show for World Aids Day in New York.

 

 

Palm Springs International Film festival held

 

The annual Palm Springs International Film Festival awards gala took place at the weekend.

The list of films honored at the event included Birdman, Gone Girl and The Imitation Game.

David Oyelowo was honored with the breakthrough performance award for his portrayal of the civil-rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King in the film Selma.

"Behind every overnight success is 10 years of hard work, or 16 in my case. But, in a way, it is a breakthrough. I have never played a role of this significance, and I certainly haven't been in a film that has had this kind of eulogistic reaction, let alone a film that feels so timely -- a film that meets the moment it’s in such a unique way.."

Other festival honorees included Eddie Redmayne and Reese Witherspoon.

The festival is the kick starter for the awards season which culminates with the Academy Awards in February.

 

 

That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour. A quick recap of your headlines:

Condolences have been rolling in today following the death of the man known in China as Mr. Olympics.

A Chinese ship is joining the search for the black boxes on the ill-fated AirAsia flight.

Former Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian has been released from prison on a medical parole.

China's export quota on rare-earths has been eliminated.

On behalf of all 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.