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

Coming up on the program this evening...

marking 40 years of diplomatic ties between China and the European Union...

Chinese leaders hope to strengthen friendship and ties with Russia as president Xi Jinping travels to Moscow this week for ceremonies marking the end of World War II...

and a US presidential hopefull calls for a "path to citizenship" for undocumented migrant workers in the US...

In Business: public private partnerships in China...

In Sports: a Chinese track star will end his career on the 17th in Shanghai...

In Entertainment: Furious 7 outraces the competition at the Chinese box office once again...

TopChina EU mark 40 years of tiesAnchor:

Chinese and European Union leaders have sent out messages of congratulations to mark the 40th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic ties.

In his message to European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed the strategic importance of the China-EU relationship.

Tusk and Juncker reciprocated by saying the two sides should continue working together for peace, prosperity and sustainable development of the world at large.

Amid the anniversary, the latest round of high level strategic dialogues between the two sides have been held.

Yu Yang has more details.

Reporter:

The start of the latest round of high-level strategic talks between the two sides, co-chaired by Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, took place Tuesday on the eve of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the EU.

Yang Jiechi says the talks have been fruitful.

"Through our discussions we have been able to deepen our mutual understandings of each other's policies and our strategic trust. We've also agreed to step up our communication and coordination on important international and regional issues such as the Iranian nuclear issue, counter-terrorism, and our efforts in tackling climate change."The Chinese State Councilor also says one of the priorities in the bilateral relationship is to implement a consensus Chinese President Xi Jinping and European leaders reached in March, 2014 when he visited the continent.

That consensus calls for the building of a civilized partnership based on peace, growth and reform.

For her part, Frederica Mogherini says this current round of talks should help speed-up negotiations connected to a bilateral investment treaty between China and the EU.

"We have discussed the importance of developing our investment cooperation through an ambitious investment agreement that can be at the level of our impressive economic relationship. And we have discussed the need to find synergies between our respective infrastructure and connectivity policies, such as the European Fund for Strategic Investment and China's 'One Belt One Road' initiative."The two sides are scheduled to start a new round of negotiations on the investment treaty next month.

Activities this week also include events to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the European Union.

For CRI, this is Yu Yang.

Q&A on China-EU relationsFor more on China and EU relations, Our Zhou Jingnan earlier spoke with Dr. Cui Hongjian, Head of the European Studies Department, China Institute of International Studies.

President Xi to Join Victory Day Parade in Moscow to mark 70th anniversary of WWIIAnchor:

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia later this week to attend the Victory Day Parade in Moscow marking the 70th anniversary since the end of World War II. The visit is seen as an opportunity to take the long-standing friendship between the two countries to the next level.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara has moreReporter:

China's top envoy to Russia says President Xi's trip to Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus is a clear signal of China's commitment to safeguarding the hard-won peace following World War II and promoting regional co-operation.

China and Russia were two of the main theaters of war in Asia and Europe during the Second World War and both countries made enormous sacrifices and contributions to the victory over fascism. The two sides have decided to hold a series of events to mark this historic milestone together and have vowed to work hand-in-hand to uphold international justice.

The Highlight of President Xi's three-day visit to Russia is attending Saturday's Victory Day Parade at Red Square in Moscow to commemorate the 70th anniversary since Russia clinched victory in the Great Patriotic War.

China's ambassador to Russia Li Hui says the visit will help take the China-Russia relationship to the next level.

"Both China and Russia fought against fascist aggression during the Second World War and the victory that we secured is very important to all of us. Therefore, commemorating the 70th anniversary of this historic milestone is an opportunity to cherish the peace that has been established since then and ensure that this period in history is not forgotten. It is also an opportunity to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries."President Xi is expected to honor WWII veterans in Moscow.

According to Ambassador Li, the Chinese President will also sign a number of bilateral co-operation agreements in strategic areas like energy, finance, investment and infrastructure.

In recent years, there have been frequent exchanges between the top leaders of both China and Russia. Since March 2013, when President Xi paid his first state visit to Russia, the two Heads of State have met 11 times at various bilateral and international gatherings.

According to Ambassador Li, this shows that there is a good working relationship between President Xi and President Putin and that there is a close personal friendship between China and Russia.

President Xi is also set to promote a framework for the establishment of the ambitious Silk Road Economic Belt. This will focus on creating trade and infrastructure networks across Eurasia, as well as the development of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union.

Ambassador Li says the two sides need to come up with innovative co-operation models to push forward a complementary development agenda that can bring peace and prosperity to people in both China and Russia.

"The Russian leadership at every level, and academic circles, have all paid close attention to the Silk Road initiative. Russia has also expressed its support for this idea in various occasions. There are several unique advantages for Sino-Russian cooperation when promoting the Silk Road initiative. This includes geographical proximity, close political ties and complementary economic interests. Therefore, the collaboration covers a broad spectrum of issues."President Xi will kick-off his 3-nation tour with a trip to Kazakhstan on Thursday. After his three day visit to Russia, Xi will pay a visit to Belarus, the first by a Chinese president in 14 years.

For CRI I'm Poornima WeerasekaraChinese Ambassador on the upcoming visit of President Xi to KazakhstanAhead of President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Kazakhstan on Thursday, the Chinese Ambassador to the central Asian nation says the countries have broad prospects for faster economic and trade cooperation.

"Currently, China and Kazakhstan are implementing a series of major projects, including capacity cooperation. China will export some factories, advanced equipment and manufacturing enterprises to Kazakhstan to build a relatively complete industrial base and industrial system through bilateral cooperation in the next five to ten years"Ambassador Zhang Hanhui also reveals what the leaders will talk about during President Xi's visit.

"The leaders of the two countries will exchange opinions on urgent international and regional issues and deepening bilateral relations and cooperation, and draw a blueprint for the development of bilateral relations,"Sino-Kazak relations reached a new level in September 2013, when the two sides pledged to build a community of common destiny and share interests.

China signed cooperation documents worth 14 billion U.S. dollars when Premier Li Keqiang visited Kazakhstan last year.

UN marks the 70th anniversary of World War IIAnchor:

To mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, a Peace and Unity tree has been planted on the grounds of the United Nations.

The ceremony along with a special meeting held later aims to urge the international community not to forget the wartime sacrifices and Fascist atrocities.

Our reporter Guo Yan has the details.

Reporter:

United Nations General Assembly President Sam Kutesa and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon lead the ceremonial tree planting.

Ban hopes dignity and peace can spread to the whole world.

"There is much distance still to travel until the seeds sown seven decades ago blossom into lives of dignity and peace for all. In planting this tree today, we remember all those who have died and sacrificed in pursuing the mission"Kutesa explains the particular meaning of the tree.

"For generations to come, this delicate, restful tree will serve as an enduring symbol of peace and unity here at the United Nations headquarters."Inside the U.N., the General Assembly convened a meeting to commemorate all of the victims of World War II.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, says the country has made great sacrifice in combating Fascism.

"China's war of resistance against Japanese aggression collaborated with and supported the war efforts of the Allies and aided the action of the European and Pacific theaters, which is of great strategic significance."Liu adds that remembering history is not about continuing hatred, but for calling on people to respect peace and hold on to peace.

Thomas Mayr-Harting is the head of the delegation of the European Union to the United Nations. He believes people should not forget the darkest hours of European history.

"We are gathered to mourn all those men, women and children who, soldiers and civilians alike lost their lives as victims of the war. And we are also gathered so as never to forget the darkest hours of European history when totalitarianism, despotism, hatred, intolerance, racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia led to a global conflagration that brought untold sorrow to mankind for the second time in one generation."Samantha Power, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, urges people to stick to the principle of peace.

"If we are truly to honor their sacrifice, we must do more than memorialize. We must constantly ask ourselves whether we are doing enough. Enough to defend the principles they fought for. Enough to ensure the rights that they affirmed do not exist only on paper."This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN. The world's biggest international organization is going to hold a series of commemoration events through the year.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

8th China-US Party Dialogue Held in BeijingThe 8th China-US high-level political party leaders dialogue has been held in Beijing.

Leaders have exchanged views on rule of law, anti-corruption campaigns, and international challenges.

Bob Holden, Chairman of the MidWest US-China Association and former governor of the state of Missouri said that it is important for both sides to communicate.

"I don't know anybody, any organization that has this caliber for exchanges. The foundation of the two systems rely on the people politically involved. So these are the people that we need talking to and listening to. Your political leader of your culture and our political leader of our culture can see each other as partners in what they want to achieve. So we have much greater chance of having economic success as well as social stability. "Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee Wang Jiarui says that under the background of a changing global situation and the upcoming US presidential election, the meeting will enhance mutual understanding, and play a constructive role in building bilateral relations.

At a sideline meeting, entrepreneurs from both sides also held in-depth discussions on deepening trade and economic cooperation.

Indian Media: Trade Expected to Top Agenda of Indian PM's China TripAnchor:

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on his visit to China within a fortnight. Most analysts in India are expecting his visit to be momentous.

Our correspondent Sun Yang has more:

Reporter:

Modi will be arriving on a three-day visit to China on May 14th, his first after taking over as prime minister.

He is scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang.

After Beijing, Modi will also visit Xi'an and Shanghai and participate in a series of cultural and business events.

The trip follows a visit by Xi Jinping to India last September, where the two leaders emphasized cooperation and business deals, including funding for railways.

Indian newspaper, the Hindustan Times, reports that enhancing trade and investment ties will top the agenda of Modi's visit.

According to the newspaper, China is India's biggest trading partner with two-way commerce totaling close to 70 billion dollars a year. But India's trade imbalance with China has been growing over the past decade.

It quotes experts as saying that India must bridge the gap with China by seeking greater access to the Chinese market, with the two sides targeting annual bilateral trade of 100 billion dollars this year.

India's leading business newspaper, the Business Standard, reports that the Indian Prime Minister might push for greater services trade, and raise the issue of India having some access to China's 'One Belt One Road'.

Regarding strategic affairs, both sides are expected to seek an early settlement to a controversial boundary issue.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has also tried to promote his trip and get closer to the Chinese people.

He opened his account on China's twitter-like Weibo service this past Monday and put out four posts yesterday, recalling the meeting with President Xi last year in India and looking forward to the upcoming visit.

For CRI, I'm Sun Yang in New Delhi.

6th Hong Kong Forum held to promote the Basic LawThe 6th Hong Kong Forum has been held at Hong Kong's Convention and Exhibition Center.

It aims to promote the Basic Law of the Special Administrative Region and mark the 25th anniversary of its promulgation.

Chan King Wai is the chairman and president of the Hong Kong China Chamber of Commerce.

Addressing the forum, Chan said Hong Kong's constitutional development should be gradually carried out under the framework of the Basic Law.

He believes the smooth implementation of the Basic Law is very crucial to the long-term peace and order of Hong Kong.

"As we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the law, we focus on the understanding of the Basic Law, its important role in implementing the policy of 'one county, two systems,' and the current controversies in Hong Kong's constitutional development. So, we call on everyone to act in accordance with the Basic Law."Ten keynote speeches were delivered during the forum about the significance and status of the Basic Law in Hong Kong and various experiences people had of drafting and implementing the law.

The Hong Kong Forum was established as a communication platform to enable people from all walks of life to understand the policy of "one country, two systems" and maintain the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong.

Since it was first held last June, it has attracted a total of over 4,000 attendees.

Workers repaired key aid line destroyed by Nepal earthquakeWorkers have repaired a key road destroyed during the Nepal Earthquake in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

The 14-kilometer-long road section between the Gyirong Town and Gyirong Port had been blocked by a landslide. The road can now be used as part of the aid route into Nepal.

A Rescue team removed the landslide layer by layer. Xing Xiuyin, general director of the rescue operation, says the task was not easy.

"We deployed commandos to repair the aid line. The workers repaired this landslide mass along with the other 27 masses at the same time as to ensure the roads would be open, which was important for the following rescue work."It took 8 days to make the repairs along 2 kilometers of road.

Japan and Philippines Hold Coast Guard DrillCoast Guards from Japan and the Philippines have conducted a joint law enforcement exercise in Manila Bay.

During today’s drill, the guards worked together to try to retake a cargo vessel that had been captured by pirates.

Japanese Coast Guard Captain, Koichi Kawagao, says the drill aims to enhance the capabilities of the two sides against piracy and armed robbery at sea.

"The target of this exercise is for mutual interest such as pirates, illegal trafficking, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking. So because of mutual interest we will continue this kind of cooperative efforts."China Coast Guard Chief-of-Staff Wang Hongguang was one of the exercise observers.

The major-general has been in Manila for high level meetings involving the heads of Asian coast guard services, concluding today.

Clinton Vow to Address Citizenship for Undocumented ImmigrantsUS Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is calling for a "path to citizenship" for undocumented immigrants.

"And if we claim that we are for families, we have to pull together and resolve the outstanding issues around our broken immigration system. The American people support comprehensive immigration reform not just because it is the right thing to do - and it is- but because they know it strengthens families, strengthens our economy and strengthen our country."Clinton made the remarks while addressing students at a high school in Nevada on Tuesday.

The move is seen as part of her efforts to court Latino voters and draw a line between herself and Republican rivals for the White House in 2016.

Republicans are seeking to win a bigger slice of the Latino vote than three years ago when they were perceived by many Hispanics as being too tough on illegal immigration.

Republican candidate, former Florida Governor, Jeb Bush, has proposed legal status for undocumented immigrants that falls short of full citizenship.

However, Clinton said Republicans were offering "second-class status."Another potential rival of hers, Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, played a prominent role in drafting a broad immigration bill two years ago which ultimately failed in Congress.

Rubio has since backed off a comprehensive reform effort.

Ex-governor Launches Second White House BidFormer Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has declared his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.

"I grew up blue collar, not blue blood. So, I ask you to join with me today, not just so I can be president, but so we can preserve this great republic - and, someday - so that you're children and grandchildren can still go from Hope to higher ground."Huckabee is the third Republican to enter the race this week.

Former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson launched their presidential campaigns on Monday.

This time Huckabee hopes to expand on the support of evangelical Christians who helped him win eight states in the 2008 primary campaign which he eventually lost to Senator John McCain.

Huckbee announced his bid in his hometown of Hope, Arkansas, the same small town where former President Bill Clinton was born.

The South Korean government Urges NK to release the detained SK studentThe government in Seoul is urging an immediate release of a South Korean student detained by North Korea.

A Unification Ministry spokesman urges the North to guarantee the young man's safety.

Won is a student at New York University and has permanent residency in the US.

He was arrested on April 22nd when he illegally entered North Korea by crossing the Amnok River from the Chinese border town of Dandong.

The North has said that Won has admitted his violation of a law and is being investigated.

Seoul's Unification Ministry also calls on the North to release two other South Koreans, who were detained in March over alleged espionage.

WeatherBeijing will see slight rain tonight with a low of 10, tomorrow sunny with a high of 25.

Down in Shanghai, overcast tonight with a low of 17, tomorrow cloudy, high of 26.

Chongqing is cloudy with a low of 17 tonight, sunny tomorrow and a high of 26.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia,Kathmandu, cloudy, 29,Islamabad, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 44,Kabul, overcast, 30.

Over in Australia,Sydney, sunny, high of 20,Brisbane, cloudy, 25,Finally Perth will be sunny with a high of 23 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChina-EU leaders send messages marking 40th years of tiesChinese and European Union leaders have sent out messages of congratulations to mark the 40th anniversary of the China-EU diplomatic ties today.

In his message to European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Chinese President Xi Jinping is hailing the strategic importance of the China-EU relationship.

For their part, both Tusk and Juncker have sent out a similar note, saying the two sides should continue working together for the peace, prosperity and sustainable development the world at large.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has also sent out a series of congratulatory messages to EU leaders.

Death toll in Nepal quake updated and China's assistance to NepalThe number of deaths following the earthquake in Nepal has exceeded 76-hundred, with more than 16-thousand others injured.

Six more Chinese transport planes have been added to help with earthquake relief efforts in Nepal.

They have brought with them relief supplies, including tents and generators.

Dozens of members of Chinese search and rescue teams are already on-the-ground in Nepal.

Their main focus is mostly disease control and prevention.

LatAm bloc to bolster cooperation with ChinaForeign ministers from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States have agreed to hold a series of forums with China to boost and consolidate bilateral ties for both sides.

A wide variety of topics are to be discussed, including agriculture and infrastructure.

The forums are going to take place in China and Latin America over the next few months.

The first meeting is expected to be held in June.

UN chief condemns killing of UN peacekeepers in DRCUN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the attack on UN peacekeepers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

In a statement, Ban said the UN remains committed to taking all necessary actions in line with the Security Council resolution to protect civilians and neutralize armed groups in the area.

A convoy of the UN Mission for Stabilization of Congo was ambushed in the pvovince of North Kivu earlier on Wednesday.

The attack left two peacekeepers killed, 13 injured and four others missing.

Iran's leader urges nuclear negotiators to "stick to redlines"Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has urged Iranian nuclear negotiators to stick to the country's redlines in the ongoing talks aimed at reaching a deal by the end of June.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for country’s Foreign Ministry is insisting that Tehran will never accept what she called "unusual" inspections into Iran's nuclear establishments.

She added that Iran's nuclear programme should be treated as that of any other signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Biz ReportsStocksAnchor:

Turning now to our business news, but first let's have a look at the numbers from the Asian markets on this Wednesday evening.

Join me on the desk is CRI's Luo Wen.

Reporter:

Chinese stocks continued to drop after a sell off on Tuesday following warnings from authorities on market risks.

The ship manufacturing sector led the decline, down by 4.3 percent.

Shares of China Shipbuilding Industry Company slumped almost 7.7 percent.

Most heavyweights dropped with shares of PetroChina and Sinopec down 3.1 percent and 2.2 percent respectively.

At close,The Shanghai Composite Index dropped 1.6 percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index shed 0.7 percent.

In Hong Kong, shares also ended lower on the day with the benchmark Hang Seng index cutting 0.4 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Markets in Japan were closed for holidays.

South Korea's Kospi declined 1.3 percent as it resumed trading following a holiday.

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index trimmed 0.3 percent.

And finally, Australia's ASX 200 slumped 2.3 percent.

China Promote Private Investment through FranchisingAnchor:

China's top economic regulator has unveiled new laws allowing private investors to jointly-build projects in the energy, transportation, water and environmental protection sectors with the government.

The new plans, known as Public-Private Partnerships, will be open to both foreign and domestic private tendering in June.

Li Pumin, Secretary General of the National Development and Reform Commission, says the investment model makes sense for China.

"This regulation can help attract private money into infrastructure and public projects via corporate investment. Companies, be them either domestic or foreign, will be treated equally in the bidding process for infrastructure and public projects."Policy banks and other lending institutions are also being forced to provide "differentiated" credit support to the projects.

This will include loans of up to 30-years.

For more on this, I earlier spoke with John Ross, Senior fellow of Chongyang Institute for Fiancial Studies at Renmin University.

China Services PMI Continues to Grow in April: HSBCAn industry index released by HSBC shows China's service sector continued to expand in April.

The HSBC/Markit services purchasing managers' index (PMI) came in at 52.9 in April, up from 52.3 in March.

This is the quickest expansion registered in four months.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion.

HSBC has attributed the growth to the further expansion in new business, with the pace of new order growth picking up over the month.

The bank has also cited improved customer confidence partly due to the strong recent performance of the Chinese stock market.

Earlier this week, HSBC announced that China's manufacturing sector PMI in April stood at 48.9, lower than the market forecast of 49.4.

It is the fastest contraction for Chinese manufacturing in a year.

Home Sales in Major Chinese Cities Spike in AprilA new report shows sales of new homes in China's major cities posted a solid gain in April, citing recent policy easing for the gains.

New home sales in 30 major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, surged about 15 percent in April from March to about 16.5 million square meters, also representing an increase of nearly 31 percent from the previous year.

Among the first tier cities, Beijing witnessed the strongest new home sales growth at some 70 percent in April compared with a year earlier.

In late March, China's central bank cut the minimum down payment requirement for second home buyers to 40 percent.

Business taxes will be exempt for sales of homes purchased more than two years ago, instead of the previous requirement of five years.

Analysts estimate that policy easing should further lift home transactions in the months ahead, with a strong rebound expected in the second quarter.

China Plans Medicine Price Checks following Market ReformChina's top economic regulator has asked price watchdogs to organize a six-month check on the medicine market.

The National Development and Reform Commission says the move aims at detecting any illegal practices disrupting market order, such as price fixing and artificial inflation of prices.

The regulator has also urged local authorities to create an online platform for better price monitoring.

The move comes after the regulator announced plans to lift price controls on most medicines from June 1.

Only narcotics and some listed psychotropic drugs will continue to be controlled by the government.

Alibaba Vows to Slash Prices of Wine Imports via E-commerce ModeIt's being reported that China's e-commerce giant Alibaba is slashing prices of wine imports to China by offering direct sales to retailers.

Alibaba subsidiary 1688.com will use a business to business (B2B) model to connect exporters in Spain to retailers in China.

A bottle of wine for 10 euros or about 68 yuan in Spain can cost more than 240 yuan in China after import and transport procedures.

Each handler in the process will normally raise the price by 15 percent before handing the wine down, plus the costs of duty and logistics.

With the B2B platform of 1688.com, a 10-euro bottle of wine in Spain could be sold in China at less than a half of the price imported through normal channels.

Shanghai GM to Recall Chevrolet Captiva CarsShanghai General Motors is recalling more than 6,400 Chevrolet Captiva cars imported to the Chinese mainland due to defective ignition locks.

Long-time use of the ignition lock could result in abrasion and pose potential safety hazards.

The recall involves Captiva manual transmission cars manufactured from Sept. 20, 2007 to Oct. 6, 2010.

Shanghai GM is a joint venture between U.S. automaker General Motors and China's SAIC Motor Corporation.

SportsLiu Xiang to Bid Athletics Farewell at Diamond League ShanghaiChinese star hurdling champion Liu Xiang will officially say goodbye to the sport at the Diamond League Shanghai athletics competition on May 17.

Liu first announced his retirement via Weibo in early April; the Olympian will make it official with a personal farewell in Shanghai, ending his 19-year career.

Dubbed China's "flying man," Liu became the first Chinese to win Olympic gold in track when he topped the 110-meter hurdles at the 2004 Summer Games. He later broke the world record in 2006, and won the world championship in Osaka in 2007.

Liu became the first male hurdler to own Olympic gold, the world title, and world record at the same time.

But Liu wouldn't have a repeat performance. A recurring Achilles tendon injury has kept him on the sideless since 2012 and has hastened his retirement.

Football: Shandong Luneng, Guangzhou R&F PreviewIn AFC Champions League action,The last round of group games are underway at the AFC Champions League.

On the field right now,Visiting Shandong Luneng faces its most important game this season against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

It would be Shandong's first ever victory over a South Korean football team in AFC Champions League play should they make it.

Luneng has played 5 times in South Korea since 2007 and has a 0-2-3 record.

If Shandong Luneng can progress, they will have a chance to play Beijing Guoan in the knock-out stage.

In other action,Guangzhou R&F is playing Buriram United of Thailand.

Guangzhou R&F has already been eliminated from this year's AFC Champions League after a 5-0 loss to Gamba Osaka of Japan on April 22.

Memphis Grizzlies Beat Golden State Warriors 97-90 to Level SeriesIn hoops action from NBA playoffs,The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Golden State Warriors 97-90 on Tuesday, leveling their Western Conference semi-final series 1-1.

Wearing a transparent mask to protect his swollen face and red left eye, Mike Conley returned just eight days after having facial surgery. He scored 22 points.

The Grizzlies guard says he just want to contribute to win the game.

"Well like I said earlier I didn't expect to come out and score the ball or score 22 points anything like that. I just wanted to come out and do what I do for the team, run the team, take advantage of what I see. I was aggressive early, I had some good looks and that really did me well for my confidence, so outside of that I just wanted to come in here and run the team and try to win the game."With the victory, the Grizziles ended Golden State's 21-game home-winning streak.

The Warriors dropped to 42-3 this season at Oracle Arena, losing for the first time at home in more than three months.

Game 3 is Saturday in Memphis.

In other action,The Atlanta Hawks beat the Washington Wizards 106-90 to even series 1-1.

DeMarre Carroll scored 22 points for the Hawks.

China Beat Thailand 3-0 in Asian U23 Women's ChampionshipIn volleyball,The Chinese women overcame Thailand 3-0 on Tuesday to take their second victory in Pool F in the classification phase for 1st and 8th place in the Rebisco U23 Asian Women's U23 Volleyball Championship.

Liu Yanhan had a solid scoring performance for China with 14 points.

China will next meet Philippines on Thursday to book a place in the semifinals.

Chinese hammer Zhang Wenxiu Gets Asian Games Gold Medal ReturnedThe Olympic Council of Asia has announced Wednesday that it will return the Asian Games gold medal to Chinese hammer thrower Zhang Wenxiu after her positive doping result was cancelled.

The 29-year-old Zhang won the women's hammer throw at the Asian Games at Incheon last September, but was later disqualified and stripped of the medal after failing a pre-competition test.

She tested positive for the banned substances Zeranol and its metabolite.

The three-time Asian Games champion then lodged an appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in October, saying her positive case resulted from contaminated food.

4.4 Million Tickets Applied for 2016 OlympicsThe first phase of ticket sales for the 2016 Olympics will close on Wednesday.

The organisers announced yesterday that 4.4 million ticket orders have been registered on the website.

The number is just short of the total load of 4.5 million tickets available for request.

Ticketing Director Donovan Ferreti says they are very happy with the sheer volume of requests.

"We are in the first phase of the draw so we are very happy with the demand that there has been and that we are having now. It's more than 4.4 million tickets requested so it's a great number. We are very happy because we have demand for all the states in Brazil and for all disciplines, for the 42 disciplines. So we are very happy with the numbers until now."Tickets for the final of the men's volleyball event are the most popular with football and basketball also ranking highly.

Calgary Flames Beat Anaheim Ducks 4-3 in Game 3In NHL Playoff action,Mikael Backlund scored on a delayed penalty in overtime to help the Calgary Flames beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 in Game 3 of their playoff series on Tuesday.

Anaheim lead the second-round Western Conference series 2-1.

It was a first defeat for Anaheim in these playoffs, following their clean sweep over Winnipeg.

Game 4 is scheduled for Friday in Calgary.

In other action,Chicago beat Minnesota 1-0 to take a 3-0 lead.

Patrick Kane scored the only goal in the first period.

Entertainment"Furious 7" remains unrivaled at China's box officeThe American blockbuster "Furious 7" has continued to rule China's box office with nearly 300 million yuan, or 50 million U.S. dollars, in ticket sales last week.

The movie has surpassed "Transformers 4" to become the most successful film in China.

So far, its total ticket sales have exceeded 2 billion yuan or 300 million U.S. dollars.

"Transformers 4" grossed under 2 billion yuan in its first month in China last summer.

New Trailer of Sherlock Holmes film 'Mr. Holmes' releasedA new trailer of the forthcoming Sherlock Holmes film "Mr. Holmes" has been released.

The film stars Ian McKellen as a more mature version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic detective, now 93 years old and struggling to enjoy his retirement.

The aging Sherlock Holmes lives in a remote Sussex farmhouse and teams up with his housekeeper's son to grapple with an unsolved case about life and love.

Directed by Bill Condon, the film is based on Mitch Cullen's novel "Slight Trick of the Mind" that puts a twist on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional sleuth.

The film is set for a release in the U.K. on June 19.

Re-discovered wartime documentary premieres in ChinaA documentary about China's resistance against the Japanese invasion during World War II has been shown to Chinese audiences more than 70 years after it was made.

The Oscar-winning documentary 'Kukan': The Battle Cry of China premiered in southwest China's Chongqing municipality.

The documentary, filmed by American correspondent Rey Scott between 1937-1940, recorded the destruction of Japanese invaders and the hardship of ordinary people in war-torn China.

The documentary premiered in the United States in 1941 and was watched by late U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt.

It has never been screened in China and was considered lost after World War II, only to be re-discovered by Chinese American filmmaker Robin Lung.

China's first 3D Peking Opera film debuts in ShanghaiThe first 3D Chinese film featuring Peking opera, "Farewell My Concubine: The Beijing Opera," debuts in Shanghai on Tuesday.

"Farewell My Concubine" is a love story based on the legend of ancient hero Xiang Yu and his beloved concubine Yu. In the story, Xiang loses a battle for the throne, and Yu commits suicide with his sword.

The film, starring famous Beijing opera artist Shang Changrong and actress Shi Yihong, was shot as an opera, combining Chinese culture with 3D technology.

The film will be screened in nine cinemas starting today in Shanghai. A 2D version will also appear in cinemas.

The film made its international debut in Hollywood at the Dolby Theater at the end of May last year.

It won the "Live Broadcast Music Entertainment" award from the International 3D and Advanced Imaging Society in January of this year.

2015 Beijing book fair to openThe 2015 Beijing Book Fair will start on Friday at Sun Park in the capital's Chaoyang District.

The fair has attracted 230 domestic publishers and nearly 470 exhibition stalls.

300,000 Chinese and foreign books, audio and video products, and electronic publications will be on display and for sale at the book fair.

The fair has been held annually since 1990 to promote reading among citizens.

WeatherBeijing will see slight rain tonight with a low of 10, tomorrow sunny with a high of 25.

Down in Shanghai, overcast tonight with a low of 17, tomorrow cloudy, high of 26.

Chongqing is cloudy with a low of 17 tonight, sunny tomorrow and a high of 26.

Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia,Kathmandu, cloudy, 29,Islamabad, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 44,Kabul, overcast, 30.

Over in Australia,Sydney, sunny, high of 20,Brisbane, cloudy, 25,Finally Perth will be sunny with a high of 23 degrees Celsius.

That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour...

A quick look at the headlines before we go...

marking 40 years of diplomatic ties between China and the European Union...

Chinese leaders hope to strengthen friendship and ties with Russia as president Xi Jinping travels to Moscow this week for ceremonies marking the end of World War II...

and a US presidential hopefull calls for a "path to citizenship" for undocumented migrant workers in the US...

In Business: public private partnerships in China...

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Shane Bigham in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.