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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Economic growth in China has slowed to its lowest rate in more than two decades, but is said to be within "market expectations..."

The Chinese premier has landed in Switzerland where he will attend the annual World Economic Forum...

And Indonesian authorities say the crashed AirAsia plane was ascending at an abnormal speed before disappearing from Radar

In business...China, Switzerland to sign financial deal on offshore RMB market in Zurich

In Sports...the 1st round winners at the Aussie Open tennis tournament...

In entertainment...the full competition lineup has been unveiled ahead of the Berlin Film Festival..

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will be sunny in the day with a high of 5 degree Celsius, clear tonight with a low of minus 6

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 14, also cloudy tonight with a low of 3.

Chongqing will be sunny with a high of 16, clear tonight with a low of 6.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.

Islamabad, sunny with a high of 22.

Kabul will be snowy with a high of 3.

Over to North America.

New York, cloudy with a high of 2 degrees.

Washington, sleet with a high of 3 degrees.

Honolulu, sunny, 27.

Toronto will be overcast with a high of minus 3 degrees.

Finally, in South America,

Buenos Aires will be sunny with a high of 26.

And Rio de Janeiro will be partly cloudy with a high of 34 degrees Celsius.

 

 

Top News

 

 

China Growth Slows to Lowest in Two Decades

 

Anchor:

New figures show China's economic growth slowed to just 7.4 percent last year, the weakest rate in over two decades.

But the rate is within market expectations, and comes amid the government's efforts to rebalance the economy.

CRI's Yin Xiuqi has more.

Reporter:

The official growth rate for last year has come in just below the official target of 7.5 percent growth.

However, it's the slowest rate of growth in China since 1990 when growth that year tumbled to just 3.8 percent.

Ma Jiantang, director of the National Bureau of Statistics, admits the Chinese economy faces headwinds.

"Generally speaking, China's economy has achieved stable progress with improved quality under the 'new normal' in 2014. However, we should also be aware that the domestic and international situations are still complicated and China's economic development is still faced with difficulties and challenges."

Growth in fixed asset investment, a key growth engine, eased to just under 16-percent on an annualized basis last year.

The property market - a major driver of demand across a range of domestic industries - also saw slower growth this past year.

Investment expansion in the property sector decreased by over 9 percentage points from 2013.

The Chinese government is pinning the overall slowdown as a function of the government's attempt to transform the economy, weaning itself off overreliance on investment and trade in favor of domestic consumption.

Retail sales gained 12-percent this past year.

The service sector managed to expand its overall market share, representing some 48-percent of China's GDP.

David Dollar, an economist with Washington-based Brookings Institution, says he expects China's economy to do well this year.

"Chinese economy is basically doing quite well. The growth rate is slowing down, which is natural at this stage of development. China has built up a lot of excess capacity in different sectors, so it makes sense for the investment to slow down, bringing down the growth rate. But China's exports are holding up well. Consumption is holding up well. So the overall growth rate is a little bit above seven. And I think that's quite good. For 2015, I would expect the growth to slow a little bit more but still could be around seven percent."

Alfred Schipke, a senior IMF official in China, is recommending the Chinese government take a balanced approach to the management of the economy this year.

"The risk is that the government is faced with three tasks at the same time. On the one hand, it is trying to reduce vulnerabilities in the economy. At the same time it tries to facilitate the adjustment that is going on. But the third point is very important that it tries to avoid a too sharp slowdown. So macro policies need to carefully calibrated."

The IMF has cut its forecast for the Chinese economic growth this year to 6.8 percent.

It's widely expected Chinese policy-makers are going to set their own growth targets for this year at around 7-percent.

Steps have been taken to ensure the Chinese economy doesn't head towards a so-called hard-landing.

The People's Bank of China is thought to be looking at another interest rate cut after cutting interest rates to 2.75 percent in November, the first time the central bank has moved on interest rates since 2012.

For CRI, I'm Yin Xiuqi.

 

 

Premier Li arrives in Switzerland for Davos forum, working visit

 

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is now in Switzerland to attend the annual World Economic Forum in Davos and pay a working visit to the country.

Li says he hopes to see efforts at the forum to grow the world economy in a strong, sustainable and balanced manner.

In his keynote speech at the meeting, the premier is expected to deliver a clear message of confidence about the Chinese economy through an explanation of the so-called "new normal".

This is a term the Chinese government has been using to describe a slower rate of growth in China amid reforms to the overall economy to a more consumer-driven model.

The Chinese premier is leading an 80-plus-strong delegation comprising high-ranking government officials, business elites and prominent academics, including influential business leaders such as Alibaba founder & chairman Jack Ma and Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei.

Ding Yifan, a scholar with China's Development Research Center of the State Council, believes that China, under the "new normal", will inject positive energy into the world.

"On the one hand, China's 'One Belt and One Road Initiative' plays a key role in improving infrastructure in relevant countries, which will bring Europe and Asia ever closer together. On the other hand, certain prominent Chinese entrepreneurs like Jack Ma and Ren Zhengfei are accompanying Premier Li at the forum, which is good news for foreign investors."

"The New Global Contest" has been set as this year's theme in Davos.

Over 2,500 participants from more than 140 countries, regions and international organizations are expected to exchange views on a wide range of issues like the global economy, environmental protection, and non-traditional security.

 

 

Rescue Underway for Missing Fishing Boat with 14 Crews on Board

 

The search continues for a missing fishing boat and 14 crew members in the East China Sea.

Lin Qianke, deputy director of Zhejiang Provincial Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, says some fishing net has been found.

"We divided a thousand square nautical miles at the scene into six areas. Each vessel takes charge of one area, searching for the missing boat, back and forth."

All seven rescue vessels will expand the search area today.

Contact with the fishing boat was lost early Monday morning off the coast of Zhejiang Province.

 

 

Ling Jihua faces removal as the vice president of CPPCC committee

 

China's leading political advisory group has approved a draft resolution to remove Ling Jihua as Vice-President and member of that group.

The draft from the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference will be submitted to a standing committee for further approval.

Ling has been under investigation for "suspected serious disciplinary violations," a term often used in corruption cases.

He's one of a number of high-profile officials to be caught up in the Party's wide-ranging crackdown on corrupt officials in China.

 

 

Abnormal climbing speed may be the reason for the crash of

 

Investigators may have determined what caused the crash of Air Asia flight 8501.

Indonesian Transport Minister says the flight was climbing at a speed of some 1,800m per minute and plunged suddenly before disappearing from radar.

Ignasius Jonan says such a speed is "abnormally high" and can only be achieved by a fighter jet.

The comment comes after the plane's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder was found last week.

Initial investigation shows the pilot had requested to climb to a higher altitude to avoid bad weather conditions before losing contact with the air control.

Investigators had said that the crash is unlikely to be caused by terrorism.

 

 

A flight 'blacklist' system under discussion in China: Aviation experts

 

Reporter:

Aviation industry insiders say discussions are now underway in China about the possible creation of a "blacklist" for people involved in illegal or disruptive behavior on flights.

The discussion comes on the heels of a series of incidents involving Chinese travellers.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has details.

Reporter:

In one of the latest incidents, a man was arrested in Inner Mongolia's capital Hohhot last week after he tried to open the emergency door while on a fight from Hunan's capital Changsha to Hohhot.

Witnesses say the man appeared to be drunk.

This incident is the latest in a series of air-rage events involving Chinese travellers.

A few weeks ago, a flight from Bangkok to China had to return to the Thai capital after Chinese passengers became involved in a dispute with the air staff on the flight, leading to a flight attendant being scalded with hot water.

Incidents involving disruptive Chinese travellers appear to be growing.

Zhang Qihuai, an aviation expert with a Beijing-based law firm, says there are some factors that tend to lead to air-rage.

"On the one hand, the educational background and temperament of passengers can be quite different. They can act-out and break laws and regulations without even knowing it. But at the same time, the quality and temperament of flight crews, as well as customer service at the airports, can also lead to problems."

Numerous brawls among passengers and attacks on cabin crew are often filmed and posted online in China, creating a growing perception around the world that Chinese travellers are rude and hard to deal with.

As such, Diao Weimin, an associate professor with the civil aviation management institute of China, says steps can be taken to ensure rowdy passengers don't become a potential threat.

"Based on the rules laid-out by the International Civil Aviation Organization, airlines do have the right to prevent passengers who have disturbed a flight or failed to follow orders from the cabin crew from flying. This has become an international convention. However, the application of the rules is different among different domestic flight companies. I think we should set up a unified 'blacklist' system to root out problem passengers."

However, legal expert Zhang Qihuai says he's not sure a unified "blacklist" system is necessary.

"In my opinion, the existing laws and regulations are sufficient to limit illegal behavior among passengers. It is not right to set up a 'blacklist' for passengers with bad manners, since it is only supposed to be used to keep suspected terrorists or criminals off flights. It's also not right for individual airlines to start drafting rules covering the aviation system."

While there have been numerous incidents involving unruly and potentially-dangerous acts on airlines involving Chinese passengers, at this point, none have led to any mid-air catastrophes.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.

 

 

Abe says hostage taking "unforgiveable"

 

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is calling a threat made by the Islamic State group to kill two Japanese hostages "an unforgivable terrorist act" and has pledged to free the men.

A video released Tuesday purported to show an IS figure demanding a 200-million-US-dollar ransom for the hostages, a freelance journalist and a private security company head, or they will be executed within 72 hours.

It came as Abe was wrapping up a six-day tour of the Middle East.

At a joint news conference after talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Abe says he has asked for help from the Palestinian leader.

"President Mahmoud Abbas mentioned that this terrorist act is unforgivable and will challenge any terrorists. He expressed his hope that this case will be resolved as soon as possible and the two Japanese citizens will be released. He also mentioned that he is willing to provide further help and is ready to work closely with Japan to resolve the case."

The IS figure in the video appeared to link the ransom to a pledge Abe made Saturday of nonmilitary aid to help the Iraqi government and to assist Syrian refugees who have fled the Islamic State's brutality.

Abe and other Japanese officials have declined to say whether they would pay a ransom, though the prime minister has dispatched a deputy foreign minister to Jordan to seek the country's support in resolving the hostage crisis.

A Japanese government spokesman says Abe has cancelled other events on his schedule in the Middle East.

He is due to return to Japan later on today.

 

 

Shiite Houthi gunmen seize presidential palace in Yemen's capital

 

Yemen's Houthi rebels have seized the presidential palace in the capital Sannaa a day after they signed a ceasefire deal with the government that ended deadly clashes.

A government source says no clashes happened as the guards at the palace handed over their arms and left.

The Shiite rebels also shelled President Abdo Rabbu Mansour Hadi's home, accusing the president of violating last year's power-sharing agreement.

Last September, the Houthis seized control of most of the capital, but under a power-sharing deal the country's president and government were left in place.

The rebels and the presidential guards engaged in fierce clashes on Monday near the presidential palace, leaving 9 people dead.

The two sides then reached a ceasefire deal and agreed to set up a committee to monitor the truce.

The chaotic situation in Yemen has prompted the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has called for an immediate halt to hostilities.

Stephane Dujarric is Ban's spokesperson.

"The Secretary-General calls on all sides to immediately cease all hostilities, exercise maximum restraint and take the necessary steps to restore full authority to the legitimate government institutions."

A popular uprising in 2011 forced out long-time Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.

President Hadi was then elevated to the post as part of a deal brokered by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.

Both Hadi and Saleh have collaborated closely with US attacks on Sunni militants in Yemen.

 

 

FMs to meet in Berlin on Ukraine crisis

 

Foreign ministers from Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany are due to meet in Berlin today amid escalating tensions in eastern Ukraine.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says the meeting aims to renew a political compromise under increasingly difficult circumstances.

The forthcoming Berlin meeting comes as Kiev accuses Russia of attacking Ukraine forces in the eastern Luhansk region, which borders Russia.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says de-escalation of the conflict in Ukraine will never happen while Russian forces continue to enter his country.

"As far as today our intelligence report two battalions of Russian tactical groups, total number up to 2,000 troops, entered my territory, and not simply entered but participated in the combat operation. I think with this type of approach we'll never reach the de-escalation."

There has been no independent confirmation of the latest Ukrainian allegations, which have been denied by Russia.

The European Union has announced that it will not consider easing sanctions against Russia as long as the fighting continues.

 

 

Russia to build weapons but no arms race: Putin

 

Russian president Vladimir Putin has said that Russia will develop new weapons to ensure its security without entering a costly arms race with the West.

He added that Russia's military modernization plans should be realistic and take into account the current economic situation both domestically and abroad.

Putin also said Russia could respond to military threats without spending as much as others on defense.

Putin has visited a military research institute outside Moscow where he was shown recent weapons and developments in military equipment, including a combat robot.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Stocks

 

Anchor:

First, a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe.

Joining me on the desk, Bejan Siavoshy.

Reporter:

U.S. stocks slid mid-day Tuesday after the International Monetary Fund cut its global economic forecasts for the next two years.

Oil prices fell as well.

Light, sweet crude for February delivery plummeted more than two U.S. dollars to settle at 46 dollars and 40 cents per barrel.

The U.S. dollar climbed against most major currencies, as the Federal Reserve moves closer to raising interest rates.

The Eurozone business investment rate was nearly stable at 21.7 percent in the third quarter of 2014, according to data released by the European Central Bank on Tuesday.

At close,

The Dow Jones dropped 0.8 percent and the Nasdaq ended down over half a percent.

The S&P 500 shed nearly two-thirds of a percent.

At the closing bell,

UK's FTSE 100 increased over half a percent.

Germany's DAX jumped a fifth of a percent.

And finally France's CAC 40 rose close to one-fifth of a percent.

 

 

China, Switzerland to sign financial deal on offshore RMB market in Zurich

 

China and Switzerland are poised to sign a financial deal to pave the way for the establishment of an offshore renminbi market in Zurich.

Under the deal, China will give Switzerland a quota of about 8 billion U.S. dollars to support the establishment of the Zurich offshore RMB market.

A Chinese bank will be permitted to open a branch in the Swiss financial hub after the RMB clearance plan has been approved by both sides.

The Chinese and Swiss central banks already signed a bilateral currency swap agreement worth 24 billion dollars in July last year, which was intended to provide liquidity support to economic and trade exchanges between the two countries.

China has established offshore RMB markets in Hong Kong, London, and many other places in a drive for the internationalization of its currency.

A report from the PBOC shows nearly a quarter of all cross-border payments in China last year were settled in yuan.

 

 

Itochu and CP take 20% of CITIC Group

 

Japan's third-largest trading house, Itochu Corp, and Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Group are planning to invest 10 billion US dollars in China International Trust and Investment Corporation, or CITIC Group.

CITIC is China's biggest conglomerate for attracting and utilizing foreign capital and introducing advanced technologies.

Itochu and CP Group will take a joint stake of as much as 20 percent as both investors seek opportunities in China's real estate, infrastructure, agriculture, and new-energy services.

The deal comes as Citic has been broadening its investor base as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's efforts to reform state-owned enterprises.

 

 

ZTE posts 94% jump in net profit in 2014

 

ZTE Corp, China's biggest listed telecommunications equipment maker, posted results yesterday showing a 94 percent jump in net profit in 2014.

Surging demand for 4G network equipment and high profit margins from growing sales of smartphones overseas are credited for the huge increase.

Net profit totaled 423 million US dollars last year.

The rapid development of 4G services in 2014 also fueled the demand for 4G base stations.

By November, China boasted 75 million 4G users.

China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom have built a total of 700,000 base stations, surpassing an original target of 500,000 stations.

On the other hand, ZTE expanded business in overseas smartphone markets which offer higher profit margins compared with the domestic market.

ZTE aims to double sales to 20 million units in the US market this year.

 

 

Twitter buys mobile marketing start-up

 

Twitter has announced it will buy Indian mobile phone marketing start-up ZipDial, reportedly for 30 to 40 million US dollars.

The US microblogging service looks to expand in the world's second-biggest mobile market.

ZipDial gives clients free phone numbers for use in marketing campaigns.

Consumers call the numbers and hang up before connecting and incurring charges, and then receive promotion-related text messages.

The service capitalizes on a local tradition of communicating through so-called missed calls.

A person may give a friend a missed call to signal arrival at an agreed destination, for instance, without having to pay the cost of a phone call.

Twitter did not disclose terms of the purchase.

 

 

Economic impact of Ebola less severe than previous estimates, World Bank

 

A World Bank research report shows the economic costs of the Ebola epidemic outside of the worst-affected countries, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, are much lower than previously estimated.

That is mainly due to the intensive global and national responses that prevented the disease from further spreading in recent months.

The report estimates the economic losses for sub-Saharan Africa will be 500 million U.S. dollars in 2015 with the current limited spread.

But for the three worst-affected countries, the cost will be at least 1.6 billion U.S dollars.

In the worst case scenario the cost for African economies could be as high as 6 billion dollars.

 

 

Chinese Tech Firms Seeking US Listings to Halve this Year

 

Market observers are suggesting the number of Chinese internet companies looking to go public in the US this year is going to be half the number seen this past year.

Analysts at Rosenblatt Securities and JG Capital both expect that only around half-a-dozen Chinese Internet companies will apply for US offerings this year.

Among the companies likely to go public are Dianping.com, a consumer review website akin to Yelp in the US, as well as Meituan.com, which runs a discount site similar to Groupon.

The Nasdaq attracted 12 Chinese internet firms to its board last year, including the record IPO by Alibaba.

 

 

Shanghai to Build China's Largest Ocean Park

 

Haichang Holdings, a Dalian-based ocean park operator, has announced plans to create an ocean park in Shanghai.

The new park, to be around 30 hectares in size, will include an amusement park, marine-themed hotel properties and a number of entertainment facilities.

Haichang bought the land portion of its proposal for around 120-million US dollars.

The company is hoping it will be able to compete with Shanghai Disneyland, which is finally due to open this year.

Haichang's ocean part is set to open in 2017.

 

 

Google stops sales on Glass

 

Google Glasses are now off-the-market.

The company has decided to stop selling Google Glass to individuals.

But Google is going to continue to provide them to businesses and developers.

Google says future versions of Google Glasses will be made available -quote- "when they're ready."

The company has been facing problems with questions about privacy with the devices, as well as their practical applications for everyday use.

 

 

PetroChina Gains Key Seat at Arctic Frontiers Conference

 

PetroChina has been granted a seat at this year's Arctic Frontiers conference.

The seat has been granted after PetroChina bought a 20 percent stake in a Liquefied Natural Gas project as part of a joint-venture with Russia.

The Arctic Frontiers Conference had been exclusively reserved for policymakers and businesses from the Arctic Council member countries.

The US Geological Survey estimates the Arctic holds over 20-percent of the world's total oil and gas reserves.

 

 

Xiaomi Unveils House Safety Keep Devices

 

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has unveiled a new device called the Smart Home Suite.

The devices will allow home-owners real-time monitoring of their homes by putting sensors on doors and windows.

The sensors are then remotely hooked up to an app on your phone which allows the home-owner to monitor the devices in real-time, including video.

It comes on the heels of Xiaomi releasing a new handset, the Xiaomi note, last week.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

China Growth Slows to Lowest in Two Decades

 

New figures show China's economic growth slowed to just 7.4 percent last year, the weakest rate in over two decades.

The rate is within market expectations, and comes amid the government's efforts to rebalance the economy, weaning itself off overreliance on investment and trade in favor of domestic consumption.

The International Monetary Fund has cut its forecast for the China's economic growth this year to 6.8 percent.

It's widely expected Chinese policy-makers are going to set their own growth targets for this year at around 7-percent.

 

 

China, Switzerland to sign financial deal on offshore RMB market in Zurich

 

China and Switzerland are poised to sign a financial deal to pave the way for the establishment of an offshore renminbi market in Zurich.

The deal is to be signed during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Switzerland, where he is due to attend the annual World Economic Forum in Davos and pay a working visit to the country.

Under the deal, China will give Switzerland a quota of about 8 billion U.S. dollars to support the establishment of the Zurich offshore RMB market.

A Chinese bank will be permitted to open a branch in the Swiss financial hub after the RMB clearance plan has been approved by both sides.

 

 

Official investigation report for the Shanghai stampede to be released today

 

The municipal government of Shanghai is due to release a report today on what caused the fatal stampede in the city on new year's eve.

The incident took place in the city's famous bund area, leaving 36 dead and 49 others injured.

A lack of public security has been widely blamed for the incident.

The report is also expected to include investigation results regarding district officials said to have been at an opulent banquet at the same time of the incident.

 

 

U.S.-Cuba to discuss re-establishing diplomatic relations

 

The top U.S. diplomat for Latin America is travelling to Cuba to discuss re-establishing diplomatic relations with Havana.

Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson will spend four days in Cuba discussing technical and logistical arrangements such as embassy operations, staffing and visa processing.

President Barack Obama announced a historically new policy towards Cuba last month, in a move to end more than five decades of estrangement between the two countries.

 

 

Ugandan rebel commander to face ICC trial

 

A top Ugandan rebel commander is being flown to The Hague to stand trial on war crimes charges.

Dominic Ongwen, a commander of the Lord's Resistance Army, was taken into US custody in the Central African Republic earlier this month.

US and African forces had been searching for Ongwen since 2011.

He is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including enslavement.

Ongwen is said to be the deputy to LRA commander Joseph Kony, who is still on the run.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

Beijing Morning Post

Headline

Highway toll free days

Summary

China's drivers can enjoy a total of 20 toll-free days on highways this year.

Authorities say small passenger cars are free from tolling during four national holidays, including the upcoming Spring Festival.

China Daily

Headline

Health official defends hospital in girl's HIV infection

Summary

The provincial health authority says a hospital and blood center do not bear any liability for a five-year-old girl's infection of HIV during an operation in Fujian.

Further investigation confirmed that the girl contracted HIV from a blood transfusion during an operation for her congenital heart disease.

The HIV blood was from one donor who passed routine tests during the blood donation because his own infection was so recent it was not yet detectable.

Chongqing Morning Post

Headline

Scholarship offered by teacher

Summary

A journalism professor from Sichuan International Studies University has set up scholarship in his own name for students with outstanding performance.

The professor says he wants to encourage students to focus more on academic study and service spirit.

The scholarship depends on students' class attendance, daily performance, field research, and participation in student affairs.

Huaxi Metropolitan Daily

Headline

The arrest of "city hunter"

Summary

Eight people have been arrested for killing seven wild animals in Sichuan.

Local police say the poachers were driving luxury cars late at night when they went hunting.

It added local forest police have launched a crackdown on poaching.

Global Times

Headline

Monkey trainers cleared of wildlife violations

Summary

Four monkey trainers charged with illegally transporting rare wildlife were found not guilty after a second trial in Heilongjiang Province.

The court says the four trainers transported six nationally-protected macaque monkeys from a county in Henan to Heilongjiang without a wildlife transportation license.

But since they did not harm any of the monkeys, they were cleared of the charges.

Shanghai Daily

Headline

No link between sick US pets and Chinese snacks

China's top quality supervisor says that tests have found no direct evidence to connect pet sickness in the United States to snacks made in China.

It said its testing — and that of the US Food and Drug Administration — have not found any connection or any poisonous ingredients in the snacks.

The statement came after US retailer Petco said earlier this month that it was pulling all pet treats made in China from its 1,300 stores.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

Jeju Governor: Chinese investment still welcomed in Jeju island

 

Anchor:

A number of questions are being raised following a decision by authorities on South Korea's Jeju Island to cancel a number of Chinese-funded projects.

Local authorities have also taken steps to make it tougher for Chinese nationals to invest on the island.

For more on these moves, CRI's Luo Yu spoke with Won Hee-ryong, the provincial governor of Jeju.

1. In recent years, the fear that "Chinese capital is nibbling away at Korea" was frequently seen in the South Korean press. And you once claimed that that "no Chinese investors will be allowed to set foot on Hallasan". Why is this move?

'I think there are some misunderstandings. I would like to take a chance to express our sincere thanks and clarify the misunderstandings. Jeju island is listed as a United Nations world natural heritage site. Protecting the environment is the most important thing for us. As such, we've not only increased the threshold for Chinese investors, but South Korean investors as well. We need strong legislation to protect the natural environment. But I want to reiterate that we warmly welcome Chinese investors.'

2. You've mentioned that the environmental protection there in Jeju Island is one of the major concerns for the government. Of course local people worry about real estate price will be surging if there are so many investors who get their permanent residency. But at the same time, the investment is really boosting the economy there, and it also helps create a lot of job opportunities. What's your take on this?

'Jeju's environment helps create jobs and income for the local residents. This is something we pride ourselves in. However, the more money that rolls into Jeju, the higher home prices become. This is a basic fact of the market. We're currently dealing with an over-supply of homes, as well as too many casinos. As such, we feel the rapid increase in investments on the island are becoming detrimental to the local economy and environment, so we have to make adjustments. We need to have a balance between preserving the environment and allowing for growth in the economy. As we revise our policies, we're also trying to coordinate with investors. We want to develop Jeju island through prudent investment.'

3. Generally to Chinese business investors there, how would you assess their investments so far? And what is Jeju looking for from the Chinese investors?

'I would personally like to thank all Chinese investors in Jeju. They've increased the brand value of the Island. However, we have to deal with the long-term concerns of the island, including its environment, culture and the future of the industries, including wind power, electric vehicles and information technology. But at the same time, we want to create more cultural exchanges with the Chinese side.'

BACK ANCHOR:

Won Hee-ryong, provincial governor of South Korea's Jeju Island, speaking with CRI's Luo Yu.

 

 

Sports

 

 

Tennis: Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic Win 1st Round Matches at Aussie Open

 

First we take a look at the Australian Open;

World no. 1 Serena Williams seems to be back in top form after routing Alison Van Uytvank 6-Love, 6-4.

Williams is tied with Maria Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for most majors won at 18—a win at the Aussie Open would be her 19th Grand Slam title in 58 showings.

Venus Williams also came through with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor.

China's Zhang Shuai crashed out after going down 6-3, 6-2 to France's Alize Cornet. So did fellow Chinese competitors Zheng Saisai and Zheng Jie.

Meanwhile, Belarussian Victoria Azarenka is through after defeating American Sloane Stephens. She will go on to face eighth-seed Caroline Wozniacki, who beat the U.S.'s Taylor Townsend 7-6, 6-2.

Eleventh-seed Dominika Cibulkova, Wimbleton champ Petra Kvitova and no. 6 Agnieszka Radwanksa are all through, as well.

On the Men's side of things;

World no. 1 Novak Djokovic looked to have shaken off the effects of a cold to down Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. Djokovic looking for a fifth Australian Open win after having his 25-match winning streak in Melbourne snapped last year by 2014 winner Stan Warinka.

Defending champ Wawrinka finished off Marsel Ilhan 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in just an hour and a half of his first-round match.

Japan's Kei Nishikori, Canada's Milosh Raonic and no. 9 Spaniard David Ferrer are all through after winning their respective matches as well.

 

 

Basketball: CBA and NBA Preview

 

Over in basketball:

Action continues tonight in the CBA at 8 p.m., Beijing time, after a week's break;

Tianjin are taking on Zhejiang Chouzhou;

Guangdong Foshan will face Fujian;

Liaoning hit the court against Zhejiang Guangsha;

Jiangsu Dragons hits the court against Guangdong Southern;

Beijing and Xinjiang will go head-to-head;

Shanxi will face Jilin Northeast;

Dongguan take on the Shanghai Sharks;

Chongqing and Shandong will meet;

The Bayi Rockets will face Jiangsu Tong Xi;

And the Sichuan Blue Whales are on the road to face Qingdao.

Over in the NBA; just two games on deck this morning as we approach this season's half-way point.

At about 8:30 a.m., Beijing time;

The Oklahoma City Thunder are on the road in Miami to meet the Heat. OKC is coming off their 127-99 thrashing of Orlando to break a four-game losing skid. A win against Miami would break the Thunder's .500 record in their favour.

And at around 10 a.m., Beijing time;

The Denver Nuggets will host the San Antonio Spurs.

 

 

Asian Cup: Japan Tops Group D; Iraq Runners Up

 

In football;

Down at the Asian Cup in Australia last night;

The Blue Samurais top Group D, as Japan booted Jordan from the tournament with a 2-0 victory.

Japan had the ball in the net after 10 minutes, but Takashi Inui's effort was disallowed after the officials decided the ball was out of play when Shinji Kagawa delivered the cross.

Japan continued to dominate and found the back of the net again in the 24th minute.

This time, it counted.

Keisuke Honda finished with a simple tap-in after goalkeeper Amer Shafi parried Shinji Okazaki's shot into his path.

That was Honda's third of the tournament, and his first from open play.

Japan led 1-0 at the interval.

It was effectively over, on 82 minutes.

Shinji Kagawa completed a well-worked team move as he got his first goal of the tournament.

The win meant Japan top Group D with nine points and will face the United Arab Emirates in the quarter-finals in Sydney on 23 January.

And Iraq became runners up after shutting out Palestine 2-0. Iraq needed to win to seal their quarter-final place, while Palestine had only pride to play for, having already been eliminated.

With the win, Iraq will go on to face neighbors and tournament heavies Iran in quarter-finals action on Friday.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

2015 Berlin Film Festival unveils full competition lineup

 

The complete lineup for the 65th Berlin International Film Festival has been announced.

A total of 19 of the 23 films in the competition program will be vying for the Golden and Silver Bear Awards.

The program includes 21 world premieres with 29 participating countries and regions.

Chinese director Jiang Wen's "Gone with the Bullets" is one of the international movies in the competition, and will have its global premiere at the festival.

Berlinale announced the last five missing titles for the competition including the Chilean production of "The Club" by Pablo Larrain and "Sworn Virgin", the debut film of Italy's Laura Bispuri.

The 65th Berlin International Film Festival begins on February 5th at the Berlinale Palast, and will close on the 15th with a screening of the winner of the Golden Bear Award.

 

 

5th Beijing International Film Festival to be held in April

 

A date has been released for the fifth Beijing International Film Festival.

The organizing committee announced that the event is scheduled to run this year from April 16th to 23rd.

Renowned French film director Luc Besson will head the international jury for the "Tiantan Award."

In 2014, his action thriller "Lucy" earned 412 million US dollars in global box office sales, breaking the record for his previous films.

Since its launch in 2001, the Beijing International Film Festival has developed into the largest international film expo in Asia.

As part of the festival, the Chinese and Foreign Film Cooperation Forum is held annually.

It provides a platform for international film exchange, with the participation of film and TV production studios, film industry associations and related agencies.

 

 

DreamWorks Animation begins layoffs

 

DreamWorks Animation, the mastermind behind the likes of "Shrek" and "How to Train Your Dragon" has begun a round of layoffs.

Media reports have indicated that up to 400 employees could be cut from the studios workforce.

Months after talks to find a buyer and just a few weeks after high-level management changes, DreamWorks, run by Jeffery Katzenberg, intends to "significantly reduce" the size of its workforce.

During what are considered as robust years for animated features, DreamWorks suffered from big misses on films like "Turbo" and "Rise of the Guardians."

The studio currently employs around 2,200 people, including animators, story-board artists and production personnel and support.

 

 

Justin Bieber Prepares to Be Roasted

 

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber is gearing up for his Comedy Roast.

The teenage heart-throb will be publicly ridiculed by a host of comedians during an upcoming Comedy Central roast.

Comedians, who have yet to be announced, are expected to poke fun at a range of topics including his legal troubles, run-ins with the police and recent Calvin Klein campaign.

A representative from the network said Justin has been asking them for years to roast him.

Bieber has added in a series of tweets, "Finally after all that hard work for my 21st birthday it's happening. Thanks Ryan Seacrest & Comedy Central for the announcement. Let's do it."

James Franco, Charlie Sheen and late comedienne Joan Rivers have previously been roasted by Comedy Central in the past.

Bieber will become the butt of all jokes at the next Comedy Central Roast, which will tape on March 7.