新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2015/01/09（打印版）

The Chinese president has vowed to strengthen ties and cooperation in Latin America while addressing leaders from the region at a forum in Beijing...

The terror alert issued for Paris after the Charlie Hebdo attacks have been extended into a region north of the French capital...two suspected shooters remain at large...

And Indonesian authorities are hoping to recover the black boxes and the tail section of flight 8501 from the Java Sea later today...

In business...China's top economic planner says recently approved infrastructure spending is not economic stimulus...

Beijing will be sunny today with a high of 7, clear tonight with a low of minus 5.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to promote stronger ties and cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean states.

It comes as the first ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum, a bilateral cooperation platform, gets underway in Beijing.

The Chinese president says the two sides are writing up a five-year cooperation plan, which will be among the major outcomes of the event.

In his opening remarks at the landmark meeting, President Xi Jinping stressed that cooperation between the two sides has now developed from an idea into a reality.

The China-CELAC forum was only established six months ago during the Chinese leader's visit to Latin America.

"I believe this meeting will achieve fruitful results and send out positive signals to the world of deepened cooperation and common development between China and the CELAC."

President Xi's message has been well received among officials from some 30 CELAC member countries including the Mexican Ambassador to China, Julian Ventura.

"It's a common dream of all of us, a dream of development, equality and people's happy lives. China and Latin America both wish to cultivate good soil for more specific measures for cooperation. I agree with President Xi in this regard."

The collaboration plan under development is expected to define 13 key areas and specific measures of cooperation between now and 2019.

It will cover a wide range of sectors including politics, security, trade, investment, finance, infrastructure, energy, agriculture and people-to-people exchanges.

President Xi says in addition to the Plan, the Beijing Declaration and Regulations on the China-CELAC forum will also be the major outcomes of the meetings.

"We are very interested in the three documents mentioned by Xi Jinping because they emphasized on multi-lateral politics and cooperation. This is an important effort for the whole world."

In his speech, the Chinese President set a goal for bilateral trade between China and Latin American at 500 billion U.S dollars within 10 years.

He also said China's direct investment into the region will hit 250 billion U.S. dollars in the coming decade.

According to Alicia Barcena Ibarra, Executive Secretary of Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, such targets are what's most needed in the region.

"President Xi put forward quantitative targets for the growth of the three engines, namely trade, investment and finance, which are very important to us. This is also what is most needed in Latin America and the Caribbean states."

The two-day forum marks the first time China has hosted the 33-member CELAC, which comprises all countries in the Americas apart from the United States and Canada.

Authorities in France have extended the country maximum terror alert from Paris to the northern Picardie region following the deadly terrorist attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

"As soon as yesterday morning the "terrorist attack alert" level, the Vigipirate plan, was put in place at the request of the Prime Minister for the Ile de France region. It has been expanded to the Picardie region this afternoon. The workforce in charge of the safety of the French people has been strengthened."

34-year-old Said Kouachi and 32-year-old Cherif Kouachi are confirmed as the main suspects.

Ninety people have been questioned in the investigation and nine people close to the two suspects have been detained for further questioning.

Police have focused their search around two towns in a region northeast of Paris, following reports the two robbed a gas station there.

Another suspect, 18-year-old Mourad Hamyd, surrendered at a police station after hearing his name linked to the attacks.

In the meantime, a female police officer was killed and a city employee seriously injured in another deadly shooting in a Paris suburb.

Authorities say there's no evidence of a link between that incident and the fatal Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has outlined the organization's major tasks this year.

He has also taken time to issue a call for tolerance and dialogue in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack in Paris that happened earlier this week.

The UN chief has launched a new campaign, called "2015: Time for Global Action," urging world leaders to make transformative economic, environmental and social changes that will positively impact people's lives and ensure peace and stability.

The campaign has been launched in Ban's wide-ranging address to an informal meeting of the 193-member UN General Assembly.

Ban has particularly noticed several ambitious agendas this year that include advancing sustainable development, developing new streams of sustainable financing, and reach a climate agreement.

"If our work enforces as issued by the end of this year, our organization will be enriched with the due vision for development, the ideas for the maintenance of peace and security and renewed embrace of human rights, and a stronger United Nations to help all to live. This is what we must do. This is our moral and political responsibility. If we must we can and if we can we must"

In the wake of the terrorist attacks in France and Yemen in recent days, the UN chief is calling for a more comprehensive approach in dealing with terrorism and extremism.

"Our response to brutality and extremism cannot be limited to military action – important as it is. We must engage in wide-ranging efforts including by addressing the conditions that give rise to such poison in the first place"

"We need to find a way to live together in peace, in harmony, in full respect of universal human rights and fundamental freedoms"

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations.

Authorities in Indonesia are planning to recover the tail section of the crashed AirAsia plane today.

Bambang Soelistyo, head of National Search and Rescue Agency in Indonesia, made the announcement at a press conference on Thursday.

"To speed up, tomorrow we plan to lift the tail that we have found up onto the surface, having the option of using a floating balloon or cranes that we have prepared on the 'Cres Onyx' ship."

The black boxes of AirAsia flight QZ8501 are believed to be in the tail of the crashed plane.

So far, 44 bodies out of 162 passengers onboard the ill-fated plane have been recovered.

Officials are hopeful some of the bodies still unaccounted for will be found inside the fuselage, which is thought to be lying near the tail.

The flight data and cockpit voice recorders are crucial to helping determine what caused the jet carrying 162 people to vanish part-way into a two hour flight from Surabaya en route to Singapore.

It is not clear what caused the plane to crash, but bad weather is believed to be a contributing factor.

Sri Lanka's presidential hopefuls are awaiting results from the country's most closely fought election in recent history.

Rajapaksa has dominated politics for a decade, but faced an unexpected challenge from his health minister Maithripala Sirisena.

The incumbent, who is credited with ending the country's decades-long civil war in 2009, called snap polls in November seeking an unprecedented third term.

He has been dogged in recent years by accusations of failing to bring about national reconciliation, and of corruption as well.

Election committee announces voting in parliamentary elections to begin on 21 March

Egyptian authorities say they plans to hold much-awaited parliamentary elections between March 21 and May 7.

Egypt is currently without a parliament after the nation's last elected house was dissolved by a 2012 court ruling.

Choosing a new parliament was a key and final step of the political roadmap announced by the army after it overthrew the country's first freely-elected President, Mohamed Morsi, in July 2013.

Egypt hopes that a successful parliamentary election will help improve the country's fragile economy after years of internal disorder.

But the committee has not announced the opening date for candidates to submit their applications.

The U.S. Defense Ministry has announced to shut down 15 air bases in Europe due to tight budgets and a shrinking military.

The Pentagon says it is ending operations at an air base in Britain and handing it and 14 other sites in Europe back to their home governments in a move projected to save $500 million annually.

RAF Mildenhall in the northeast of London will be divested with 3,200 military personnel and their families to be withdrawn over the next several years.

Derek Chollet, Assistant Secretary Defense for International Security Affairs, told a news conference the changes would not affect capabilities.

"With these EIC decisions we are consolidating and reducing some existing support infrastructure in order to be more efficient, but we are not affecting our operational capability. The EIC adjustments do not diminish our ability to meet our commitments to allies and partners."

The net loss of U.S. troops in Britain would be about 2,000, the biggest of the consolidation moves in Europe in terms of personnel.

Many other facilities will also be closed with personnel withdrawn in Germany and Portugal.

John Conger, U.S. Acting Deputy under Secretary of Defense says the measures will preserve and reduce resources.

The Europe base moves come as the Pentagon is under orders to reduce projected spending by nearly $1 trillion over the next decade.

Chinese authorities have detailed their now-concluded drive to repatriate economic crimes suspects from overseas.

The Ministry of Public Security says operation "Fox Hunt 2014" has repatriated 680 fugitives during its 6-month campaign.

Among them, 390 turned themselves in under a promise of a reduced sentence if convicted.

Liu Dong, head of the campaign, says authorities logged a lot of travel time during the 6-month operation.

"Some of our operational teams had to go back and forth to African and South American countries within 3 or 4 days, since the local police can only detain suspects for no more than 24 hours. Our team had to get there in a day with all the paperwork done, including repatriation procedures, customs forms and flight bookings."

China currently has judicial assistance and extradition agreements with over 60 countries.

Authorities have been working to expand that list to eventually round-up more fugitives from abroad.

China's transportation authorities have officially forbidden private cars from taking passengers for profit using taxi-hailing apps.

This comes as local authorities in several major cities cracked down on unlicensed drivers using apps as camouflage.

The Ministry of Transportation released a statement ordering app developers to rule out private cars from their platforms.

The statement requires that all vehicles using the platforms should be owned by taxi or car-hire companies, citing passenger safety as the reason for the move.

The statement comes after a series of major Chinese cities cracked down on such services, which have gained popularity in recent months as many app operators are promoting it as "tailored taxi service."

Earlier this week, Liang Jianwei, head of Beijing's transport commission, warned that many cars providing "tailored taxi service" are indeed "black cabs."

"Any organization or individual is not allowed to provide taxi service without a license, while cars can't be used as cabs without an official test."

The authority has warned offending drivers that they could be fined up to 20,000 yuan, or about 3,200 US dollars.

Similar bans have also been issued in Shanghai, Shenyang, and Nanjing, where officials are citing concerns over an impact on normal taxi services and passenger safety.

But many people who have been using these apps to hail a ride disagree with the restrictions.

They suggest the government should regulate such services instead of banning them.

"Frankly speaking, their service was really good. The driver provided me water for free during the ride and opened the door for me after the arrival."

They say extra cars are needed at times, especially rush hour when it's obvious there are not enough regular cabs to serve everyone who needs a ride.

Experts are also calling for reform of the taxi licensing system that has long been blamed for the cab shortage in big cities.

Despite a higher flag-down rate than regular taxis, the "special cabs" that boast better service became popular, particularly with high-end passengers.

"Silk Road Tourism Year" has begun in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The year-long campaign is being held to attract more visitors on the ancient Silk Road which linked China with central Asian nations.

"Silk Road tourism is both beneficial to the internal development and integration of tourism resources, leading the tourist coordination between provinces along the Silk Road, and establishing pragmatic, efficient and mutual beneficial regional community. We can also further advance the regional tourist communication and cooperation between China and other Asian and Central East European countries."

Inspired by the Silk Road, China will also promote western provinces for their rich culture and tourist appeal.

The CNTA sets a theme for tourism promotion every year in different parts of China.

U.S. stocks climbed on Thursday, extending the strong rebound from the previous session, as improvements in the labor market and a patient Federal Reserve helped Wall Street recover from sharp selloffs at the beginning of the year.

The market was also encouraged by European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, who said on Thursday that the central bank was ready to start full-blown quantitative easing.

In corporate news, shares of Apple spiked nearly four percent after the company announced that its app billing rose 50 percent in 2014.

European stocks also leapt on Thursday, extending gains into a second consecutive session on the prospect of further stimulus measures from the European Central Bank.

China's top economic regulator has denied reports that the country's recent approved infrastructure projects qualify as economic stimulus.

Earlier reports said the State Council approved seven projects valued at 7 trillion yuan, or some 1 trillion U.S. dollars, by the end of last year, arousing speculation of strong stimulus.

"The newly approved infrastructure projects aim to encourage social capital to flow into the regions rather than serving as stimulus based on fiscal expenditure. The projects are different from the 4-trillion-yuan stimulus program in 2008."

Luo did not give out the official value of the projects and said it is still subject to calculation of the NDRC.

Let's check out some of the main events taking place on the corporate front in China this week.

Joining me on the line now is Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.

Hainan Honz Pharmaceutical has filed a lawsuit against Tencent for damaging its reputation.

This comes after false rumors about Honz's product, Nimesulide, an antipyretic medicine, is being spread over Tencent's social app WeChat.

The message first appeared on Wechat in July last year and claims the drug has caused deaths of five children.

Honz has issued a statement clearing the rumor but it has not stopped the message from spreading further on Wechat.

Nimesulide is Honz's most popular product, accounting for 80 percent of its total sales.

Chinese taxi-hailing app Kuaidi Taxi is reportedly to raise 800 million U.S. dollars in the latest funding round.

The amount is much larger than the 700 million dollars raised by Kuaidi's main rival in China Didi Taxi.

Anchor: Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.

Sony will postpone the sale of its PlayStation consoles on the Chinese mainland, which were formerly scheduled to release on Sunday.

Sony and its Chinese partner Shanghai Oriental Pearl Group say the delay is due to "various reasons" and have not given a new sale date.

The delay includes the flagship PlayStation 4, the portable PSV as well as their related products and games.

China last year authorized the domestic sale of game consoles through its first free trade zone in Shanghai, ending a ban originally instituted in 2000.

Microsoft is the first foreign company to enter the mainland market by launching its Xbox One console in September.

China's biggest online tourism service provider Ctrip.com has bought a UK-based low-cost travel platform for more than 100 million U.S. dollars to meet the surging demand for overseas trips by Chinese travelers.

Ctrip has invested in Travelfusion by purchasing a majority stake in the UK company.

China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States are working on mapping out a cooperation plan for the next five years.

In delivering the opening speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping says areas of cooperation should include a wide range of areas, from trade and security to people-to-people exchanges.

Senior leaders from 30 Latin American countries are attending the two-day meeting.

Authorities in France have extended the country maximum terror alert from Paris to the northern Picardie region following the deadly terrorist attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

Police have focused their search around two towns in a region northeast of Paris, following reports the two robbed a gas station there.

Nine people close to the two suspects have been detained for further questioning.

Another suspect, 18-year-old Mourad Hamyd, surrendered at a police station after hearing his name linked to the attacks.

Election committee announces voting in parliamentary elections to begin on 21 March

Egyptian authorities say they plans to hold much-awaited parliamentary elections between March 21 and May 7.

Egypt is currently without a parliament after the nation's last elected house was dissolved by a 2012 court ruling.

Choosing a new parliament was a key and final step of the political roadmap announced by the army after it overthrew the country's first freely-elected President, Mohamed Morsi, in July 2013.

Egypt hopes that a successful parliamentary election will help improve the country's fragile economy after years of internal disorder.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has confirmed that 15 US military bases across Europe will be closed.

The US currently has more than 60,000 troops stationed in Europe, mostly in Germany, Italy and Britain.

The number will remain the same, as the US ramps up rotations within Europe for training programs.

China's "Fox Hunt" operation targeting corrupt officials and economic crime suspects who have fled the country has nabbed 680 people as of the end of 2014.

More than 200 have been implicated in cases involving at least ten million yuan and just over half of those had been at large for over a decade. One of those suspects had been on the run for 22 years.

Local farmers in rural areas of Hebei have started feeding their pigs with fresh cow's milk.

Plummeting milk prices have fueled a rush among local farmers to sell milk at extremely low prices, however possible, including selling to local pig farmers.

Beijing's neighboring province Hebei has reported GDP growth of 6.5 percent in 2014, well behind the 7.7 percent seen in 2013.

Local authorities say lower market demand, overcapacity, and air pollution control were among the reasons for the slowdown.

The International New Year goods purchase exhibition will kick off in Hefei city, Anhui province at the end of this month.

A student from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan city has achieved the record-high score in a global test of tax principle.

Footage from the bus showed that the driver was hit after he refused the passenger's request to let the passenger off halfway between marked stops.

Users can scan profiles, chat with a potential Mr Right or hang out in a group chatroom.

Supporters say the apps help gay men develop a positive self-image and fight social prejudices that force homosexuals to stay anonymous.

A photo portfolio dispaying 63 smiling young faces has become a hit on the internet in China, launching the 69-year-old photographer into the limelight.

Tu Lihua, a resident in the city of Wuhan took photos of the people she felt grateful to, as a return gift to say thank you.

She said the figures in the photos are those who offered their seats to her when she took public transport.

"People often offered seats to me when seeing an elderly passenger like me, but I always felt uncomfortable in such a case, asking myself why should they give their seats to me. After I got this handset, I thought of taking a picture of each of them as my gratitude, and there may be a chance to use them as commendation."

Tu started to take pictures of those tender-hearted young people with a smartphone, beginning in May 2014 and put them in a computer file.

In the beginning, not many people understood her intention and refused her request for a picture. But after explanation, people started to accept.

"Once there was a girl who didn't agree at first but after I showed her my pictures, she agreed then."

"I told her that I wanted to take a picture of her. She was a little shy, but agreed. Then she said, 'Granny, you are fun, and I want to have a photo with you too."

Tu said that if she has to go out, she tries to avoid rush hours in the morning and evening. She said that the young people live a busy life and would be tired after a day's work.

She said that there are more people who give their seats to her. The pictures only account for a small number of them.

After the pictures became popular on the internet, Tu would sometimes check the comments.

"Someone leaves a message saying that those in the pictures are all good-looking. Men are handsome and girls beautiful. Someone answered, 'That's right, the looks are usually reflections of the hearts'."

Tu said that she will continue to record those who help her as a way to show her gratitude.

The Asian Cup gets underway tonight in the land down under, as host team Australia takes to the pitch against Kuwait at 6 p.m. Beijing time.

China has been in Australia for most of the week preparing for their match. Team Dragon will first face off against the Green Falcons of Saudi Arabia in Group B action that takes place on Saturday at 3 p.m., Beijing time.

China is joined in Group B by the Saudis along with the young White Wolves of Uzbekistan and team Chollima—North Korea; the latter two teams go head-to-head on Saturday ahead of China's first match.

Spanish champs Atletico Madrid clinch a shutout win over rivals Real Madrid 2-0. Although it was a quiet game for Atletico's Fernando Torres, on loan from AC Milan, goals from Raul Garcia and young defender Jose Maria Gimenez clinched Atletico the W.

Real Sociedad couldn't keep the momentum from its upset win over Barcelona going against Villarreal. Sociedad went down 1-0.

Semi-final action will see China's Zheng Saisai hit the court against top-seeded Romanian Simona Halep.

Halep has cruised to the semis, most recently upending Serbian qualifier Aleksandra Krunic in straight-sets.

But Zheng has risen to the competition, being the only Chinese player left in singles action after the first round and the only unseeded competitor to make it to the semi-finals. She most-recently finished off fourth-seed Zarina Diyas 3-7, 7-6, 6-2.

Also doing battle in the semis is second-seed Czech Petra Kvitova, who will face eighth-seed Timea Bacsinszky.

The Chinese duo of Liang Chen and Wang Yafan hit the court against multinational pair Calgla Buyukakcay of Turkey and Italian Karin Knapp.

A sluggish Serena Williams redeemed her crash-out earlier this week, eking out a 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 win over Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova. American John Isner won his singles match and the pair won the mixed doubles to sweep the Czechs 3-0 and make it through.

Women's action will see top-seed Maria Sharapova face Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. Sharapova is coming off a straight-set win over Spain's Carla Suarez-Navarro, while Svitolina scored an upset 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over third-seed German Angelique Kerber.

Top-seed Roger Federer will face Aussie James Duckworth. Federer coming off a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over John Millman, also of Australia.

Second-seed Kei Nishikori will do battle over the net against Oz's Bernard Tomic.

Upset last night as seventh-seed Serbian Ivo Karlovic defeated world no. 1 and top-seed Novak Djokovic 6-7, 7-6, 6-4. Djokovic couldn't fend off Karlovic's 21 aces in a match that was set upon by the strong winds of a sandstorm.

But that didn't bother Karlovic's serve, who hit a 73 percent first-serve percentage.

Karlovic will face fourth-seed Spaniard David Ferrer, who finished off German Dustin Brown in straight sets.

NFL: Divisional Playoffs, League Found Not to Have Seen Ray Rice Video Before it Went Public

The Dallas Cowboys make their way to the cold confines of Lambo Field to battle the Greenbay Packers.

And the Colts leave Indie and head to Denver to take on last year's AFC Champions, the Broncos.

Jaycee Chan, son of kung-fu star Jackie Chan, will go on public trial on a drug charge this morning at Dongcheng District court in Beijing.

The younger Chan was detained by police in Beijing along with Taiwan movie star Ko Kai last August.

Prosecutors initiated legal proceedings against him for "the crime of sheltering others to take drugs".

According to China's Criminal Law, Chan faces up to three years in prison if he is found guilty.

Jackie Chan has revealed through his son's agent that he and his wife Joan Lin will not attend the court hearing.

Big names in art and media from both East and West gathered at Beijing's Forbidden City on Thursday to promote an upcoming exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

"China: Through the Looking Glass" will feature more than 130 Chinese fashion items from the past 300 years.

It aims to show how China has fired the imaginations of designers within the country and around the world.

U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus noted the power of that connection between cultures:

"The more people are allowed worldwide to express their spirit, to express their inner creative, innovative efforts, and that happens more, both countries cultivate that and encourage that. Art doesn't know international boundaries."

Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai has lent his support as the project's artistic director.

"As we all know, when we look into a mirror, we can see ourselves. But when we look out of a window, we see the world. I hope the exhibition can serve as a window to show the culture and aesthetics of ancient and modern China to Western viewers."

Elvis Presley, forever known as "the king," would have turned 80 years old on Thursday.

In honoring the Rock & Roll icon's birthday, a number of events, including a birthday celebration, took place at Graceland.

The estate also host an auction of the star's personal items, including his first driver's license and a jacket he wore in the 1964 film "Viva Las Vegas."

Presley has been one of the top-earning dead celebrities in the decades since his death, ringing in at number 2 in 2014, according to Forbes Magazine.

The number one earner among dead celebrities in 2014 was Michael Jackson. He was married to Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, from 1994 to 1996.

新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2015/01/09（在线收听）