| The Beijing Hour
Evening Edition
It's Shane Bigham with you on this Friday April 10th, 2015.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, live from the Chinese capital...
Coming up on our program this evening...
Chinese authorities have responded to US accusations about China being a bully in the South China Sea...
While the Chinese economy continues to experience downward pressure, the authorities say it is performing reasonably well...
And top Cuban and American diplomats have held a meeting, the highest such engagement between the two sides in decades...
In Business: the main gauge of inflation in China holds steady in March...
In Sports: weekend action coming up in the English Premier League...
In Entertainment: detailed have been released regarding the 2015 MTV Movie Awards...
Weather
Beijing is overcast tonight with a low of 7, tomorrow light rain with a high of 17.
Shanghai is cloudy tonight with a low of 10, tomorrow, cloudy, high of 18.
Chongqing is overcast tonight, 13 degrees the lowest, tomorrow, cloudy, high of 23.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia,
Islamabad, sunny tomorrow with a high of 38.
Kabul, scattered showers, 21.
Over in Australia
Sydney, scattered showers, high of 22,
Canberra, partly cloudy, 22,
Brisbane, scattered thundershowers, 28,
Finally Perth will have scattered showers with a high of 22 degrees Celsius.
Top News
China rebuffs Obama's comment over South China Sea
China says the U.S. has no right to accuse anyone of pushing around anyone else.
The comment comes after US President Barack Obama said Washington is concerned that China is using its sheer size and muscle to push around smaller nations in the South China Sea.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying:
"You've said that the U.S. leader said that China is showing its size and muscle. I think everyone can see very clearly who has the biggest size and muscle in the world. But we have many times explained China's position on the South China Sea. China has always been a resolute proponent of peace and stability in the South China Sea. We have always proactively advocated using a dual track approach to resolve the South China Sea issue."
Hua also says China hopes the U.S. can respect the hard work of China and countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and play a positive role in pushing for peace in the region.
China has reiterated that construction and maintenance work on the Nansha Islands fall within China's rights under Chinese sovereignty.
China's economy at reasonable level: Official
Anchor:
Chinese authorities say although the country's economy is facing downward pressure, growth momentum remains intact.
The comment was made at a State Council news conference as the country released its latest consumer price index data.
CRI's Yin Xiuqi has more.
Reporter:
Yu Bin with the State Council says despite the downward pressure, the economy is running reasonably well.
"Based on the targets set during this year's NPC and CPPCC sessions, GDP growth is expected to reach 7% and the inflation control target is at around 3 percent. Based on the data from January and February, I think the economy is running at a reasonable level. "
According to the latest figure, this month's CPI, the main gauge of inflation, grew 1.4 percent year on year.
Since the middle of last year, due to slowed economic growth, demand and prices for staple goods have fallen, leading to increased downward pressure on the economy.
Despite the trend, China's stocks have made dramatic gains this week, with the main market climbing above 4,000 points for the first time since early 2008.
Yu says the performance of the stock market is a response to the structural reforms to the country's economy.
"I think the key reason is that after years of structural reform and upgrades, the quality of China's economy has improved. This is why the stock market has a good performance. Compared with the previous data, China's growth speed has slowed down. But from a global perspective, a 7% growth rate is relatively strong, and it has bolstered the gain in the market."
Regarding the latest policy changes for the property market, Yu says the new rules are not to lift up the property prices but to facilitate a soft landing for the industry.
"As we know, by the end of last year, the urbanization rate was 55%, it is still a long way to go to reach the target of 70%. It means in the next few years till 2030, the urbanization process will be running at a high speed and there will be a huge demand for housing. So China's property market will have a prospects."
Earlier, China's central bank lowered down payments for buyers of second homes from the previous 60 percent to 40 percent.
Years ago, sky-rocketing home prices forced the government to roll out restrictive measures including raising down payments and banning the purchase of a third home in order to cool the market.
For CRI, I'm Yin Xiuqi.
Sino-Japanese Legislator Meeting Resumed
A delegation with China's top legislative body is paying a visit to Japan.
The delegation is headed by Ji Bingxuan, Vice Chairman of the 12th Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress.
Ji is the most senior Chinese official to have visited Japan in the past three years.
The delegation is in Tokyo for the 8th cooperation committee meeting between China's NPC and the House of Representatives of the Japanese Diet.
The meeting has been suspended for three years due to the strained bilateral ties.
The topics of the two-day meeting range from the Sino-Japanese relationship to cultural exchanges between the two countries.
During a meeting with Diet Speaker Nobu-taka Machi-mura, Ji Bingxuan reiterated that the four consensuses the two sides reached last year is the basis for resuming communications between China's NPC and the Diet.
The last cooperation committee meeting was held in 2012.
China can not be ruled as currency manipulator: US Treasury
The U.S. Treasury Department says that China cannot be labelled a currency manipulator.
The Treasury made the comment in its Semi-Annual Report to Congress on International Economic and Exchange Rate Policies.
The report says China has made real progress in its market-determined rate system.
China's current account surplus fell significantly from 10 percent of the GDP in 2007 to 2.1 percent in 2014.
Meanwhile, the real effective exchange rate appreciated by more than 10 percent in the past six months, the fastest pace since 2009.
The report says China's reduced level of intervention in the foreign exchange market is consistent with the commitment of the Chinese government at the U.S.- China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.
It also says although the Chinese currency faces short-term downward pressures against the dollar, the fundamental factors for RMB appreciation remain intact.
The U.S. Treasury is required by law to provide reports on whether its major trading partners manipulate the rate of exchange between their respective currencies and the US dollar.
In previous reports, the U.S. government has not labelled China as a currency manipulator.
Last month, China's central bank said the country would accelerate reform of its capital market this year to make the Chinese yuan convertible on the capital account.
UN Deputy Chief Calls for Diplomatic Efforts to Solve Yemen Crisis
UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson has called for diplomatic efforts to solve the Yemen crisis as the country is being dragged deeper into chaos.
Eliasson believes that a political approach is the answer to the ongoing crisis. And he says the UN should pay more attention to the pre- and post-conflict stage.
"We tend to, unfortunately, see the conflict only in this mid-section. We don't see that we need to deal with the conflict in the pre, the prevention stage, we don't see that we need to deal with the conflict after the conflict. I think the pre and the post in terms of the life of the conflict is in fact, for the United Nations, more important. This is what we should do."
The deputy chief, who is in Beijing for a four-day visit, also praises China's efforts during the evacuation mission in Yemen.
Since March, China has helped evacuate more than 270 foreigners and about 630 Chinese nationals from Yemen.
Eliasson will also exchange views with Chinese officials on UN affairs and other international affairs of common concern.
China extradites fraud suspect from Greece
The Chinese government's latest effort to repatriate economic criminals has nabbed its first suspect.
The man is accused of embezzling some 40-million yuan from a company he ran in Zhejiang. He has been apprehended in Greece.
He's the first to be arrested under the "Fox Hunt 2015" program initiated earlier this month.
The suspect was tracked down with the help of an Interpol "red notice" issued in October.
Though China has no extradition treaty with Greece, the country's courts have ruled he can be sent back to China.
Zhang Shencai is with the Zhejiang Public Security Bureau's Economic Investigation Office.
"Greece made a ruling on the case according to existing clauses between the two countries. The Greek courts have ruled in favor of extradition. The success of the suspect's extradition should deter suspects from fleeing their economic crimes. It also shows international determination in terms of law enforcement."
"Fox Hunt 2015" is part of a larger campaign called "Sky Net" that combines government, the Communist Party, law enforcement agencies, the central bank, and China's diplomatic services.
The overall goal is to repatriate Chinese nationals who have fled abroad, as well as recoup the money they've stolen.
US Cuba Top Diplomats Meet
The U.S. and Cuban foreign ministers have met in Panama in the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the earliest days of the Cuban revolution more than half a century ago.
The discussions between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez marks the first time the two nations' chief diplomats have met since the historic announcement to normalize relations, made by President Barack Obama and his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, on Dec. 17 last year.
The closed-door meeting took place at a Panama City hotel on the eve of a Western Hemisphere summit where Obama and Castro will cross paths.
An earlier statement from the U.S. State Department said nothing about whether Obama may remove Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. It's widely expected following the rapprochement between the two countries.
Obama's decision to move toward restoring diplomatic ties marks a sea change in relations since the Cuban revolution.
John Foster Dulles and Gonzalo Guell were the last U.S. and Cuban foreign ministers to hold a formal meeting, which took place in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 22, 1958.
The highest-level meeting after the revolution took place in April 1959, between then-Vice President Richard Nixon and Fidel Castro, who had become Cuban prime minister in early 1959.
Relations between the two sides rapidly deteriorated soon after.
No consultation on THAAD during S. Korea, U.S. defense ministers' talks
Defense ministers of the United States and South Korea did not hold consultations on the deployment of a missile defense system in South Korea during their latest meeting.
The South's Han Min-koo and his American counterpart Ashton Carter met today in Seoul.
Carter confirms that the two countries are not at a point where discussion regarding deployment is warranted.
"It wasn't on the agenda today and the reason for that is that we are not at a point yet in that program. This is a program that is in production in the United States. We are not at the point yet of determining where it might be suitably deployed in the future."
Several reports have speculated that the real intention of Carter's visit to Seoul is to discuss the deployment of the system on the Korean Peninsula.
This idea has ignited concern and opposition from neighboring countries including China and Russia.
The two ministers also talked about the triangle alliance among South Korea, the US and Japan.
Han Min-koo agrees there is a need for better cooperation.
"Secretary Carter and I emphasized the importance of information sharing between the US, Japan and South Korea to deter North Korean provocations with its nuclear weapon and missiles. We share the view of a necessity for trilateral cooperation for the peace and stability of Southeast Asia and the world."
Territorial and historical disputes have led to years of tension between South Korea and Japan.
The row escalated earlier this week, particularly after Japan approved new textbooks for middle school students, which claim the disputed Dokdo islets are Japanese territory.
South Korea calls the textbooks another "provocation."
South Korea is the second leg of Ashton Carter's first Asian tour since he took office in February.
Carter arrived in Seoul on Thursday after a three-day visit to Japan.
He will remain in the city until Saturday.
NK accuses Mexico forcibly detaining its ship
North Korea has accused Mexico of "forcibly detaining" one of its ships after it ran aground off Mexico's Gulf coast last year.
It is also blaming the United States for preventing the ship's release.
The ship ran aground last July and damaged nearly an acre of coral reefs.
The North Korean embassy in Mexico was asked to post a 770,000 US dollars bond for damage assessment.
North Korea says it has paid the necessary fees and has no legal obligation to wait to move the ship.
But it is reported that the ship is owned by a North Korean company that is under UN sanctions and should be frozen.
Alberto Antonio Orosco is the Tuxpan port's captain.
"I can report that the Mu Du Bong ship that this captaincy can authorize its leave when it receives the necessary instructions, including that the ship needs to fulfill certain documentation. Whilst the boat doesn't fulfill such documentation."
North Korea's deputy permanent representative to the UN has denied that the ship was carrying anything prohibited by UN sanctions, saying it is strictly a commercial ship.
The official also claims the US is responsible for pressuring Mexico into holding the ship.
The UN sanctions were imposed in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
Indian PM Modi Visits France
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in France, the first leg of his three-nation tour.
France and India have built up strong bilateral ties in defense, space, nuclear power and technology. As for this visit, French authorities hope to discuss a possible deal involving fighter-jets, while the Indian side also has interest in infrastructure.
French President Francois Hollande says ties between the nations are more complex than just talks over a possible 12 billion euro (15 billion US dollars) deal for 126 fighter jets.
Modi is also scheduled to visit the Airbus hub in Toulouse in southern France and the French space agency CNES.
Modi's eight-day tour includes three legs, namely France, Germany and Canada. He will fly to Germany on Sunday.
Devastating Storm Rolls through US Illinois
A destructive storm system has rolled through the US Midwest, leveling houses and businesses northwest of Chicago.
It's been reported that one person is dead and at least seven others injured in the tiny town of Fairdale, located some 120 km from Chicago.
Damage is also reported in and around Rochelle, Illinois, about 130 km west of Chicago.
Roads have been closed all around the area due to downed power lines
And nearly 900 flights have been canceled at O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport.
Melissa Jaime, an employee at a completely demolished restaurant, describes the terrifying scene:
"When I looked out the window and saw it and it was huge, it was huge and coming right for us."
The Red Cross has opened a shelter for the victims and over a dozen state Emergency Management agencies are now providing help.
The weather system is expected to move eastward, bringing the potential of severe weather to the east coast.
Biz Reports
Stocks
Anchor:
First, let's have a look at the numbers across the Asian markets on this Friday evening.
Joining me on the desk is CRI's Luo Wen.
Reporter:
Chinese stocks rallied as the latest inflation data produced some positive surprises.
We will have more on last month's CPI and PPI numbers in just a minute.
Banks, medical care, and pharmacy shares led the gains on the day.
The banking sub-sector surged over 3 percent with Shenzhen-based Ping An Bank shares jumping by the daily limit of 10 percent.
The medical sector climbed by 6 percent, with a string of shares rising by the daily limit of 10 percent.
Analysts expect the upward trend to continue next week in spite of the upcoming wave of IPOs, which will dampen liquidity.
At close,
The Shanghai Composite Index rose above the key benchmark of 4-thousand points for the first time since early 2008.
The index finished nearly 2 percent higher on the day.
The Shenzhen Component Index gained 1.6 percent.
Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index added 1.2 percent.
Elsewhere in Asia,
The Japanese Nikkei inched down 0.2 percent.
The index breached the psychologically important 20-thousand points line for the first time in 15 years in early trade.
South Korea's KOSPI increased 1.4 percent.
Singapore's Straits Times index ticked up 0.4 percent.
And finally, Australia's ASX 200 edged up 0.6 percent.
China March CPI Grows 1.4 pct year on year, PPI Contraction Narrows
China's consumer price index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, gained 1.4 percent year on year in March.
The increase in the CPI is the same as in February. The 0.8-percent gain in January had been the lowest level in more than five years.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices in March edged down 0.5 percent from February.
Meanwhile, producer prices slid 4.6 percent year on year last month.
It is the 37th consecutive month of declines.
The drop in the producer price index (PPI), a measure of costs for goods at the factory gate, narrowed from February's 4.8-percent decline.
On a monthly basis, the PPI contracted 0.1 percent in March, narrowing from a 0.7-percent decline in February.
Experts say the risk of broad-based deflation in China has abated as prices for consumer products rose at the same pace as in February, while declines in costs at the factory gate stabilized.
Professor Huang Yiping is with the National School of Development at Peking University.
"The increase in CPI has dropped below 2 percent from the 5 percent level in China since 2011. I think that indicates the pressure from inflation is declining, but there have not been signs of deflation."
A string of economic indicators for this year, including manufacturing and trade data, have all suggested continued weakness in the Chinese economy.
The Chinese government has set this year's economic growth target at around 7 percent and its inflation control target at around 3 percent.
NDRC Cuts Bond Financing Threshold for Key Sectors
China's economic regulator has loosened bond-financing-requirements to boost investment and consumption in several public projects.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) says four sectors are expected to benefit from the new policy, including urban underground pipelines, strategic emerging industries, old-age services, and urban parking lots.
Specifically, information technology, biology, high-end equipment manufacturing, alternative energy, new materials, and alternative energy vehicles will receive financial support via bond issuances.
Local governments are also going to draft preferential policies to enhance support for such bond issues.
Meanwhile, the NDRC has also cut the debt ratio and rating requirements for qualified issuers.
China Starts Anti-dumping Probe into Paper from EU, US and Japan
China's Ministry of Commerce has launched an investigation into claims that the European Union, United States and Japan are selling a paper product at unfairly low prices.
The ministry says the investigation will decide whether dumping of unbleached sack paper, used for food packaging, has occurred.
The investigation will last one year, with the potential for a six-month extension.
China spends big on environment protection
Data released by China's economic regulator shows more than 150 billion U.S. dollars has been spent since last year on land rehabilitation, air pollution controls, and clean water projects.
The National Development and Reform Commission says energy conservation and environmental protection projects benefit China's economic restructuring.
It also says that the targets for energy conservation and emission reduction were the government's top priorities this year.
The central government is planning to reduce energy intensity by about 3 percent of annual GDP this year.
Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect might Increase in Volume
It's being reported the China Securities Regulatory Commission is considering raising the daily investment quota through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect system.
Reports suggest the CSRC has been talking with several brokerage firms about the planned move.
This follows word the daily investment quota by mainland investors in Hong Kong stocks has been reached in recent days.
Mainland investors used the entire 10.5 billion yuan quota for buying Hong Kong listed stocks on Wednesday.
This pushed up the Hang Seng by some 3.7 percent that day.
A lack of initial interest by institutional investors on both sides had been raising questions about the viability of the Stock Connect system in the early stages.
Apple Watch Preorder Kicks off
Pre-orders for Apple's first smart watch have begun.
The new Apple Watch is available for pre-order online or can be tried on in stores.
Liu Yanjian, a customer from Beijing, says the new watch has a number of attractive features.
"The Apple Watch's digital crown function is quite good, along with its back function and sliding screen, which are all very convenient. With such a small screen on the smart watch, it's not very convenient to use the sliding function. But with the digital crown function, I think it changes the style of interaction between human and machine."
The smart watch is priced higher in the Chinese mainland market than in the US.
The Apple Watch sport will sell at a little below 3-thousand yuan or 479 US dollars.
The high-end "Edition" watch with 18-karat gold alloy is priced at 145-thousand yuan or over 23-thousand US dollars.
The new Apple Watch will officially go on sale on April 24.
Apple's new MacBook laptop has also gone on sale in its online store today.
China Collects over 20 bln yuan in Mineral Resources Compensation Fee
China has collected more than 20 billion yuan in compensation fees for mineral resources last year. The amount is the equivalent of about 3.3 billion U.S. dollars
It's the second highest total following the record of over 21 billion yuan set in 2013.
The mineral resource compensation fee is charged to safeguard the state's property rights and interests over mineral resources.
The fee was introduced in 1994 and assessed at an average of roughly 1.2 percent of sales revenues for miners.
Currently, mineral resource rents in China mainly take the form of resource taxes and resource compensation fees.
Wanda Cinema Line's Net Profit up a third in 2014
The cinema branch of property developer Wanda Group has reported 5.3 billion yuan in operating revenue for last year, roughly 870 million U.S. dollars and up nearly 33 percent from the previous year.
Net profits also increased by about 33 percent to 800 million yuan.
Wanda's 182 cinemas earned 4.2 billion yuan in box office sales in China last year.
Wanda cinemas have a 14 percent market share, the largest share among 48 theater chains nationwide.
The company is planning to open 40 new theatres this year.
Headline News
China rebuffs Obama's comment over South China Sea
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson has condemned recent comments made by US President Barack Obama concerning the South China Sea issue.
Obama has said Washington is concerned that China is using its sheer size and muscle to push around smaller nations in the South China Sea.
In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying says the U.S. has no right to accuse anyone of pushing around anyone else.
She adds that China hopes the U.S. can play a positive role in pushing for peace in the region.
China has reiterated that construction and maintenance work on the Nansha Islands fall within China's rights under Chinese sovereignty.
S.Korea, U.S. defense chiefs make no consultation on THAAD deployment
South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo says he has not consulted with visiting U.S. defense chief Ashton Carter about the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system on the Korean Peninsula.
Han says the U.S. government hasn't made any decision on the deployment of the controversial system and that's why no discussions have been held.
Carter says that the time when the production of the missile system will be completed has yet to be decided. But he notes that the United States is trying to stay ahead of ballistic missile threats.
Before coming to Seoul, Carter made a three-day visit to Japan, one of the two major U.S. allies in Asia along with South Korea.
Pakistani parliament calls for peaceful solution to war in Yemen
The Pakistani parliament has unanimously adopted a resolution, calling upon the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to stop the war in Yemen.
The resolution states Pakistan supports international and regional efforts for the peaceful solution to the crisis in Yemen.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reveals Saudi Arabia has sought Pakistani fighter aircraft, warships, and ground troops.
Lawmakers, during a five-day debate, opposed participation in the conflict but vowed to support Saudi Arabia if its sovereignty and territorial integrity were threatened.
Tensions over the Yemeni crisis are running high amid a Saudi-led military coalition conducting airstrikes against Houthi militants.
Iran, a rival of Saudi Arabia, has reportedly dispatched naval vessels to the Gulf of Aden, claiming to "safeguard naval routes for vessels in the region".
Myanmar holds talks on domestic political issues
Myanmar has begun high-level six-party talks to discuss domestic political issues including constitutional amendments, general elections, and the peace process.
The six parties involve the President, the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services, and the main opposition leader.
The 44-person meeting focuses on three key points: the peace process, the 2015 general election, and political stability in the interim period before and after the election.
Myanmar plans a general election for November. Before that, a draft amendment to the constitution is expected to undergo a nationwide referendum next month.
Newspaper Picks
Xinhua
"China opens training center for Confucius Institute teachers"
China's first training center for Confucius Institute teachers was established in a Beijing university on Thursday.
The center in Beijing Language and Culture University will provide language and culture training for teachers and volunteers of Confucius Institutes in different countries.
It is designed to train 3,500 teachers and volunteers each year.
Overseas branches will also be set up and online training will also be made available.
An important function of the center is to standardize the examination for those who want to teach Chinese to foreigners, a move to improve the quality of the teaching pool.
Deriving its name from the renowned educator and philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC), Confucius Institutes are non-profit institutions under China's Ministry of Education that aim to promote Chinese language and culture abroad.
Los Angeles Times
Researchers discover trick to regrow lost hair
A new research suggests a peculiar, and slightly painful, solution to hair loss.
In a paper published Thursday in the journal Cell, researchers say they provoked fur regeneration in mice by plucking hairs in a precise pattern and concentration.
Researchers say not only did the plucked hairs grow back, but new hairs sprouted nearby.
They added the growth occurred only when many hairs were pulled in an area slightly smaller than the diameter of a pencil eraser.
By varying the spacing, arrangement, and shapes of plucked regions, researchers unexpectedly found that plucking 200 hairs, with a proper distribution can cause up to 1,200 hairs to regenerate.
Researchers explain this unexpected hair growth probably is the result of "quorum sensing," the process by which cells communicate with one another chemically, alerting others to damage and requesting help.
The Guardian
"Online all the time – average British household owns 7.4 internet devices"
The average British household now owns 7.4 internet devices, with four out of 10 households buying a tablet last year.
Smartphones are the most common internet-enabled device, followed by laptops and tablets.
The YouGov survey found some half of people said banking and finance was the area of their lives that would be most affected without the internet or mobile phone, followed by keeping up with current events, shopping and relationships with friends and family.
Meanwhile, other research in the newest Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK Digital Adspend report, found digital advertising hit a record 7.2 billion pounds.
A researcher says advertisers are increasing their digital budgets to reach people as they go online through an increasing array of devices.
Special Reports
Meet in Beijing Arts Festivals will kick off on April 23rd
Anchor:
Final preparations are underway for this year's "Meet in Beijing" Arts Festival.
The event, now in its 15th year, will open on April 23rd and run through May.
CRI's Liu Xiangwei has the details.
Reporter:
Fans of the arts in Beijing, whether they are interested in American ballet dance or northwest China's acrobatics, will have a whole month and more to enjoy a cultural feast at the 15th Meet in Beijing Arts Festival. 42 art troupes and more than 100 musical bands from around the world will showcase their passion and talent.
This year the festival will feature American culture as a highlight. From the ballet classic Swan Lake, to choirs, jazz, even cuisine culture, various art forms from across the ocean will enjoy the spotlight in Beijing.
Latin American culture will also be emphasized, as percussion music, folk songs and modern dance from Argentina, Mexico, and many other countries race to showcase their wares.
What's more, arts fans will set their eyes on northwest China during the festival, where rich cultural treasures are waiting to be rediscovered. A major dance show called "The Youth of the Desert" will be brought from Xinjiang to Beijing for the very first time, a testament to the endeavors of a generation of Chinese on the vast desert there.
Shen Jian is the head of Xinjing Production and Construction Corps.
"During the creative process, we've found a resonant part among all of us, which is our youth. We believe there's only barren desert. There's no barren youth time. We hope our work will convey this message and win ourselves more friends from all over the world."
As the piece de resistance for the closing performance, China's national heritage Peking Opera will be given prominence at this year's festival. A well-known play called Unicorn Purse will feature Zhang Huoding, and showcase the life of a charitable girl. Not long after the festival, Zhang Huoding and her team will travel to New York City, and perform the same piece at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to introduce it to US audiences.
Song Guanlin, head of the China Arts and Entertainment Group, which is hosting the festival:
"To close the festival with a Peking Opera masterpiece, it's like an echo to history, and to the feature country of America. We all know that back in 1930, Maestro Mei Lanfang visited the U.S. with a reverberating Peking Opera performance which had enormous repercussions."
A kaleidoscope of arts and culture, the 15th "Meet in Beijing Arts Festival" will commence on April the 23rd, and last for more than five weeks. 100 indoor and 50 outdoor performances will be seen onstage. Ticket prices will be friendly too. Some will even be issued free of charge.
Back Anchor:
CRI's Liu Xiangwei reporting.
Sports
Football: Weekend Preview
Switching over to football;
In upcoming English Premiere League action this weekend:
Arsenal will look to make a play for the league's top spot when they go into their game against Burnley.
Southampton is home to Hull City;
Everton is on the road at Swansea ;
Sunderland hits the pitch against Crystal Palace;
Tottenham will battle Aston Villa;
West Brom will take on Leicester;
West Ham United will host Stoke City.
On Sunday,
Leaders Chelsea take on the Queens Park Rangers
Third-place Manchester United will go up against fourth-place Manchester City.
In weekend action from La Liga,
Barcelona will take on Sevilla and Real Madrid will go up against Eibar.
NBA: Bulls Ends Losing Slide with A 89-78 Win over Heat
In NBA action from this morning,
The Chicago Bulls snapped a two-game skid with a 89-78 win over the Miami Heat.
Pau Gasol tallied 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Bulls.
Chicago rallied from a 19-point halftime deficit, outscoring the Heat 33-8 in the third quarter before cruising to victory in the fourth.
The Bulls have now won two of three meetings with Miami this season.
In other action, the Golden State Warriors held off the Portland Trailblazers 116-105.
Stephen Curry has eclipsed his own NBA record for most 3-pointers in a season, scoring 45 points for the Warriors with the victory.
Badminton: Li Xuerui Replaces Saina as No. 1 in Rankings
Reigning Olympic champion Li Xuerui of China topped the latest world rankings released by Badminton World Federation on Thursday, surpassing Indian star Saina Nehwal.
Nehwal attained a career-best No. 1 after winning the India Open at the end of March.
Carolina Marin of Denmark is ranked 3rd.
In the men's singles, China's Chen Long, who crashed out of the Singapore Open on Thursday, remains at No. 1, followed by Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark and Lin Dan of China.
Golf: Jordan Spieth Leads by Three Shots at Augusta
Moving to the Masters down at Augusta National:
Twenty-one-year-old American Jordan Spieth turned in a brilliant opening round, challenging the major championship scoring record on the way to an 8-under 64.
The young phenom is quite pleased with his near-record performance.
"Yeah it's the first round, it's nice to...put myself in a position now where I can really stay patient and dig in and keep giving myself opportunities and not worry about anything else, I can pretty much control my own destiny from here and I'm pleased to be in that position here again."
Spieth tied for second at Augusta last year.
In second, Australia's Jason Day also made quite a push, ripping off five straight birdies to get to 6 under before a bogey at the 17th ended his hopes of catching Spieth.
Top-ranked Rory McIlroy is 1 under, as is defending champion Bubba Watson and 12 others who are tied for 19th.
Tiger Woods is through round one at one over par.
The Senators Inch Closer to Post-season with A Win over Rangers
Taking a look at the National Hockey League action from this morning,
The Ottawa Senators upset the New York Rangers with a 3-0 win.
With this victory, the Senators are 22-4-4 since Feb. 10, giving them 97 points in the now three-team race for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
The Senators are now at 97, Pittsburgh at 96 and Boston is at 95.
In other action,
The defending champions Los Angeles Kings went down to Calgary 3-1. With this result, the Kings are eliminated from post season play, while the Flames have secured a spot in the hunt for the Stanley Cup
Montreal upset Detroit 4-3.
Carolina beat Philadelphia 3-1.
Tampa Bay held off New Jersey 4-3.
Boston lost to Florida 4-2.
Chicago fell to St. Louis 2-1.
Minnesota edged Nashville 4-2.
Colorado got past Winnipeg 1-0.
San Jose thumped Edmonton 3-1.
And Vancouver stunned Arizona 5-0.
Australian Cricket Legend Richie Benaud Passes away
Former Australia cricket captain and television commentator Richie Benaud has died at the age of 84.
He died overnight at a hospice in Sydney, surrounded by his wife and other family members.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has paid tribute to him.
"Richie Benaud has been the voice of cricket. There would be very few Australians who have not past a summer in the company of Richie Benaud. He was the accompaniment of an Australian summer. His voice was even more present than the chirping of the cicadas in our suburbs and towns and that voice tragically is now still but we remember him with tremendous affection. He hasn't just been the voice of cricket since the early 1960s he was an extraordinarily successful Australian cricket captain. He led our country for 5 years in 28 tests and he never lost a test series."
Benaud had been fighting skin cancer since late last year.
Benaud led Australia to three successive Ashes series victories in the 1950s and 1960s.
He played 63 tests for his country and was the first player to score 2,000 test runs and take 200 test wickets.
It's reported that he will be honored with a state funeral.
Entertainment
Details of the 2015 MTV Movie Awards revealed
Details of this year's MTV Movie Awards have been revealed.
The show will include new awards such as "best shirtless performance" and a retro stage with a giant dancing popcorn box.
This year's ceremony will be hosted by comedienne Amy Schumer, and according to Jesse Ignjatovic, Co-Executive Producer of the MTV Movie Awards, Schumer will bring something different to the show.
"She's bringing her own flavor into this in terms of how she's hosting, the things that she is doing within the show, the short films that she's created, which are brilliant. And just sort of her tone and her interaction with this room and in this environment. We think that that makes it feel much different than what we've done in the years past."
The show will give audiences an exclusive sneak preview of the upcoming "Pitch Perfect 2," as well as a first look at "Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron."
The 2015 MTV Movie Awards will broadcast on Sunday 12.
"Dragon Blade" to open Far East Film Festival
Jackie Chan's latest movie, "Dragon Blade," has been selected to open the upcoming Far East Film Festival in Udine.
The movie, about exiled Chinese soldiers in the Han Dynasty who teamed up with Roman soldiers to protect China's borders, also stars Hollywood actors John Cusack and Adrien Brody.
Meanwhile, Tsui Hark's "The Taking of Tiger Mountain 3D," starring Zhang Hanyu, Tony Leung, and Lin Gengxin will be the closing film at the festival, though only the 2D version will be shown.
The 17th Far East Film Festival, to be held in Udine, Italy, will be running from 23 April to 2 May.
Jane Zhang set for China tour
Chinese singer Jane Zhang has announced her 2015 'Bang the World' concert tour, which will travel to seven cities in China.
Zhang was initially discovered through nationwide singing talent show Super Girls on Hunan Satellite Television in 2005.
She's known for her unique voice, with dolphin-like vocals that led to her being called the "Dolphin princess" for years, she also appeared on Oprah Winfrey's 'The World's Got Talent in 2009.'
Over the past decade, Zhang has won 42 best female singer awards, and five best album awards.
She explained that she hopes to use this concert tour to summarize the 10 years since her debut in 2005 and set a new starting point for her continued musical journey.
The concert starts on June 27 in Shanghai.
Daniel Radcliff to star in BBC Grand Theft Auto drama
"Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe is reportedly in talks to star in the BBC's next Grand Theft Auto drama.
He is slated to play the role of Rockstar Games co-founder Sam Houser, who developed the popular computer game, Grand Theft Auto.
The 90-minute drama will be directed by Owen Harris, whose previous credits include Misfits and Black Mirror.
Penned by James Wood filming on the project will begin later this month.
The project is part of BBC's "Make It Digital" initiative, which was created to inspire youngsters to get into computer programming.
Jeremy Clarkson pulls out of BBC appearance
Television star Jeremy Clarkson has pulled out of his planned appearance as guest host of BBC show "Have I Got News For You."
He had been due to appear on 24 April in his first BBC appearance since being dropped as co-presenter of the highly successful motor show "Top Gear," following an attack on a producer.
Clarkson has hosted the satirical news quiz on many occasions.
Jimmy Mulville, managing director of Hat Trick productions which produces the show, said that on reflection, Clarkson decided not to ｈost "Have I Got News For You." He expects him to resume his hosting duties later in the year.
That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour. A quick recap of your headlines:
Chinese authorities have responded to US accusations about China being a bully in the South China Sea...
While the Chinese economy continues to experience downward pressure, the authorities say it is performing reasonably well...
And top Cuban and American diplomats have held a meeting, the highest such engagement between the two sides in decades...
In Business: the main gauge of inflation in China holds steady in March |