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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in China, being greeted by Chinese President Xi Jinping in the city of Xi'an.

China's ambassador to the US calling for diplomacy amid concerns about the US sending Naval vessels into the South China Sea.

Japan's cabinet approves new legislation which creates a major change in the operational status of the Japanese military.

In Business.... fiscal revenue growth here in China continues to slow.

In Sports.... Barcelona just a win away from capturing this year's La Liga title.

In entertainment... Chinese and Indian film studios coming together to create a new joint film.

All of that coming up in the next hour.

A reminder as always there are several ways to reach out to us here on the Beijing Hour.

You can follow us on our weibo account at weibo.com/beijinghour.

Find us on WeChat by searching "beijinghour"Email us directly at [email protected].

You can also visit english.cri.cn for the latest news and information from China Radio International.

TIMECHECKTop NewsHometown diplomacy highlights Modi's China tourAnchorIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been given a traditional welcoming ceremony in the city of Xi'an to start of his three-day visit here in China.

More details from CRI's Qi Zhi.

ReporterThe Terracotta Warriors, famous Buddhist temples and a Tang Dynasty welcome are the highlights of Modi's first day in China.

His official business has also seen him meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who greeted the Indian leader in his home province of Shaanxi.

"I'm very pleased to welcome you in Xi'an. I received a warm welcome during my visit to India last September. That trip left me with a deep and good impression, especially when Mr. Prime Minister accompanied me to visit your home state of Gujarat. Today, we meet in my hometown as we agreed and I'm extremely pleased. This is the first time I have treated a foreign leader in my hometown and I hope you have a happy stay."As part of their meeting, Xi Jinping has lauded the development of bilateral ties, saying China and India have pushed forward cooperation in railways and industrial parks, and says they are managing their border region well.

For his part, Modi says he wants closer cooperation with China in both the "Belt and Road" initiatives and the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank.

The so-called 'hometown diplomacy' between the two leaders is seen as an improvement in the relationship between China and India, which has been marred by border disputes and a lack of trust.

Deputy Director of the China Institute of International studies, Ruan Zongze, suggests this is a sign of a developing interpersonal relationship between the two leaders.

"Xi'an has been chosen as the first stop in Modi's visit to China, which has a clearly implied meaning, because it's the hometown of President Xi Jinping. In this way, Modi hopes to build up his personal relationship with President Xi Jinping. This elaborately planned diplomacy may play a major role in enhancing their mutual trust."After their meeting, Xi Jinping accompanied Modi to several ancient sites in Xi'an.

He also hosted a banquet for him in a building on the ancient city wall.

Modi's time here in China is expected to see close to 10-billion-US-dollar deals signed by the two sides.

Aside from trade and economics, China's Ambassador to India, Le Yucheng, says he believes culture can also bring the countries closer together, noting Xi'an is the right fit for this role.

"Xi'an was where scholar monk Xuanzang started and finished his journey to India, while the Great Wild Goose Pagoda was where he translated the fetched Buddhist books. The city is a witness to the development of the bilateral cultural exchange and Modi is to enhance the cooperation in this regard this time."Xi'an, which was formerly known as Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty, was the eastern terminus of the ancient Silk Road, which linked countries throughout Asia.

This is an initiative the Chinese government is hoping to modernize.

The three-day tour is Modi's first China visit.

Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang will also meet him in Beijing later on this Friday.

For CRI', I'm Qi Zhi.

Indian woman meets long-lost Chinese half-sister first time in BeijingAnchorWith the help of China Radio International, an Indian woman has found her long-lost half-sister, who was left behind by her Chinese father in Shanghai during the Japanese invasion some 70-years ago.

The two sisters came together for an emotional reunion yesterday in Beijing.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara has more.

ReporterWhen 62-year-old Jennifer An and her husband Balaji from the South Indian city of Chennai arrived in Beijing last Friday, armed with a few old letters from Jennifer's Chinese father, they never imagined they would succeed in locating Jennifer's long-lost Chinese half sister.

Jennifer's Chinese father An Chi Pong had always carried a black-and-white photo of his only daughter An Luoxi from his first marriage in Shanghai. But he never made it back to China, after his mercantile ship was stranded in the Indian port of Mumbai in the early 40's.

After 33 years since her father's death, Jennifer An says she decided to take a leap of faith and come to China to fulfill her father's dying wish – which was to see his Chinese daughter one last time.

"We actually thought that we were going to meet her in Shanghai, because the last address my father had for her Remit road Shanghai, 10, Remit road. So were all prepared for Shanghai and we had little days to spend here. So everything is taking a topsy-turvy turn. We never expected to find her in Beijing."Although Jennifer had no definite plan, on how to find her sister amidst the 1.3 billion people in China, a stroke of luck, helped her to fulfill her mission in just four days.

According to Zhao Jiang, Director of the Tamil Service of China Radio International, who helped Jennifer find her sister, the national government database only had two people with the relevant name. One was an 8-year-old and the other the 80-year-old An Luoxi, who turned out to be Jennifer's sister.

"Many people had seen the news about this Indian lady looking for her half-sister in China, and they sent us many useful information. Someone in Jiangsu province found evidence that the father had served in the Navy during the Chinese people's war against Japanese aggression. Someone who had seen the news on social media helped us find An Luoxi's address."But to An Luoxi,the sudden discovery of a half-sister, whom she had never heard of, came as a shock.

Her father had divorced her mother when she was a baby and she was raised by her grandmother in Shanghai.

She says that the pain of being abandoned by her father when she was just 6 years old had shadowed her all through her life.

"Everyone in my Shanghai neighborhood knew my story and they used to say look your father would never come back. My father was the most educated from his family. He had studies abroad and became a ship captain. Loosing such an excellent man left a hole in my life that could never be filled."An Louxi had received just one letter from her father via the Chinese embassy. It was written when he was seriously ill. Jennifer says that after the end of World War II her father An Chi Pong had tried to find information about her lost daughter. He had had finally received a letter in 1982 from the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi with some possible clues as to his daughter's whereabouts. An Chi Pong had immediately applied for his daughter to come to India, but as fate had it, he passed away just 20 days after receiving the letter.

But it was this letter that helped Jennifer track her sister almost 3 decades later. After the tearful meeting, the two sisters exchanged information about their families. Jennifer said their father loved to play Mahjong. And he had also served the Chinese community in Chennai and had even got a separate cemetery for the flourishing Chinese community there.

This fateful meeting coincides with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit to Beijing and will serve as a modern day example of the warm people-to-people relations that have existed for thousands of years between the people of China and India.

For CRI I'm Poornima Weerasekara.

Expert: industrial capacity cooperation high on agenda of Chinese Premier's Upcoming Visit to BrazilChinese and Brazilian observers are suggesting industrial cooperation is going to be high on the agenda of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's upcoming visit to Brazil.

Many of the agreements likely to be signed will include Chinese companies teaming up with Brazilian partners to shift production into Brazil.

Zhou Zhiwei, Director of the Institute of Latin American studies at the China Academy of Social Sciences, says more cooperation between the two sides is needed to increase industrial capacity.

"The relationship between China and Brazil enjoys a solid base and is developing rapidly. However, China's economic downturn and structural readjustments have brought down its needs for commodities, which have been the basis for most of China and Brazil's bilateral trade. So it is necessary to develop new growth points. Industrial capacity cooperation provides opportunities to further develop bilateral trade and will contribute to the transformation and upgrading of bilateral economic and trade relations."China's investment in Brazil, its largest trading partner in Latin America, hit some 19 billion U.S. dollars last year.

Brazil's Ambassador to China, Valdemar Carneiro Leao, says retooling the bilateral economic relationship won't be a quick process.

"The majority of products that Brazil has exported to China are raw materials, while China mainly exports industrial products to Brazil. This situation cannot be changed in short period of time. Of course, Brazil needs to improve its own product competitiveness. Both governments are working for this. However, there is a process in which governments should keep encouraging enterprises to work towards this goal."Brazil is the first stop on Chinese Premier Li Keqing's 9-day trip through Latin America.

Following Brazil, he is also due to make stops in Colombia, Peru and Chile.

U.S. has no right to intervene in China's legitimate activities in S. China Sea: ambassadorAnchorChina's ambassador to the United States is calling for diplomacy amid reports the US military is considering sending in Naval vessels into the South China Sea.

CRI's Xiao Yi has more.

ReporterIn an interview with Washington-based media outlets, Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai criticized reports that the U.S. plans to send military planes and ships into the South China Sea.

"Our foreign ministry has asked the US to clarify the remarks. I think what we are doing is completely within our sovereign rights. No one has a right whatsoever to intervene. Can so many things in the world now be solved through a show of force? The Cold-War mentality, which is prone to the use of force to resolve disputes, is outdated."A US official earlier said that the Pentagon is considering sending U.S. military aircraft and ships to "assert freedom of navigation" around Chinese-made artificial islands in the South China Sea.

Cui says China has consistently opposed the high-intensity close-in reconnaissance activities conducted by the U.S. military along China's coastal waters, and such activities are not allowed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Commenting on the plan by the Philippines to open more of its military bases to the U.S. in an attempt to deter China, Cui stressed that territorial disputes in Asia-Pacific cannot be resolved through the use of military force. China is willing to settle the problem via diplomatic negotiations.

"China has a good record of constructively seeking to resolve territorial disputes through diplomatic talks, which can be demonstrated by the deals China has reached with 12 neighboring countries with common borders on land. We hope countries involved in water disputes with China can also solve problems in this way."On the upcoming visit to China by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry this weekend, Cui says there will be many issues on the agenda of the talks, including the South China Sea.

He says he believes that China and the United States can cooperate on most of the issues, despite some disagreements.

For CRI, I'm Xyee.

Tibet reopens highway route for transporting aid supplies for NepalA vital transportation artery linking southern Tibet with neighboring Nepal has reopened.

The road linking Nyalam County and the border town of Zham in southwest China's Tibet region has been reopened after being shut down earlier this week.

Local road management official Zhao Chun says Tuesday's major aftershock in the area caused significant landslides.

"The 7.5 magnitude quake caused more than 30 landslide sites and around 100,000 cubic meters of obstruction on the road in Zham. Huge rocks made it hard for us to carry out our work."Liu Guorong, deputy commander of China's Armed Police Force in Tibet, says crews had a tough time clearing the rocks away from the road.

"There were more than 10 rocks weighing over 100 tons on the Zham section, and we had to use hammers and even dynamite to break them."The death toll from the major aftershock, which hit just 10-kilometers from the Chinese border in Nepal, has reached close to 100.

Tuesday's secondary quake has set back relief efforts in Nepal, which is still scrambling to try set up more temporary accommodations following last month's major earthquake, which has left well over 8-thousand people dead.

The impending monsoon season in Nepal is another growing concern.

Police officer cleared in fatal train station shootingAnchorA police officer in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin has been cleared of any charges in the fatal shooting of a passenger at a local train station earlier this month.

CRI's Tu Yun has more.

ReporterThe local railway police department released the results of an internal investigation earlier today.

It shows that the shooting at Qing'an County Railway Station on May 2 was done out of duty and the the officer, Li Lebin, did not violate protocol.

The statement says Xu Chunhe assaulted the officer and continued to throw punches at Li despite multiple warnings before he was shot.

Jin Haitao is duputy director of Harbin Railway Police Bureau.

"We have completed all investigation work. All of evidence clearly show that the officer followed the rules on the use of firearms."China Central Television has also released a video clip of the incident, showing 45-year-old Xu Chunhe grabbing police baton to attack officer Li and knocking off Li's cap before Li fired a round.

The video also showed that Xu barred other passengers from checking into the station before the clash erupted and that the officer had tried to stop him from doing so.

Professor Li He from the National Police University of China defends Li's use of his gun.

"In this case, the officer had to use the firearm as he was facing a serious situation, where his warnings had failed while the attacker was endangering the safety of the officer and the passengers nearby."Chinese laws allow police officers to use guns when they are resisted or hampered by force from conducting duties and their warnings are ignored.

The professor notes that Xu was suspected of attacking police and the officer's life was at risk.

"A failure to use the gun at that time might have led to unimaginable consequences. Xu was very likely to endanger the public safety."The incident has caused a stir in Chinese cyberspace, with many netizens questioning why the officer didn't fire a warning shot or at least aim with the intent to wound Xu.

In response, Li says an oral warning was better than a warning shot as there were crowds of people in the lounge and that the officer could hardly aim precisely as his wrist had been hurt.

Meanwhile, a probe conducted by local prosecutors also proved officer Li Lebin was innocent.

Xu Chunhe was traveling with his 81-year-old mother and three children when the incident took place.

Earlier reports said he had congenital heart disease, nephritis and pneumonia while his wife had mental problems.

China Central Television quoted his neighbors as saying that the man often idled about.

Xu was cremated on May 5. His mother has been sent to a nursing home, his wife to hospital and the children to a children's welfare center.

On May 5, local railway police offered compensation of 200,000 yuan to Xu's family.

For CRI, I'm Tu Yun.

Experts in China call for relaxation on "One Child Policy"AnchorNew analysis is suggesting single people and couples without children are increasingly becoming a larger portion of the household demographics across China.

This is spurring new calls for a loosening of the country's family planning policies.

CRI's Guo Yan has more.

ReporterThe report on China's family development outlook is the first of its kind conducted by the country's government. It shows that there is a huge income gap between the richest and poorest families in China.

Wan Haidong, an executive from the commission, says households that adopted the "one-child" policy are generally better off than those that didn't.

"The survey shows that family size become increasingly smaller and households of two or three members become mainstream while single person households and childless households are commonly seen. There is an obvious income gap between different households. The wealth owned by the 20 percent richest families is 19 times larger than the 20 percent poorest families. Generally speaking, households taht have adopted "family planning policy" fare better that those that haven't, especially in terms of economy, health management and inter-generation communications."Zhuang Yaer, a researcher at China's Population and Development Research Center, participated in writing the report.

She is expressing concern over a series of problems facing the elderly who live alone after their only child leaves the nest, often for a job on a major city.

"Population mobility has weakened the family unit, in terms of child rearing and of grown children supporting elderly members. There is less interaction between family members and empty nesters are faced with a lot of family burdens. Over half of them are engaged in agricultural production. and most of them have chronic diseases. They get very limited support from other family members. "China's legislators put forward a "Second Child Policy" in 2013, in which couples with either side being an only child are eligible to have two children. As the public expects a full opening of the "two child policy", the family planning authority has reiterated that it will stick to the basic state policy, yet will modify and improve the rules.

Lu Jiehua, a sociology professor at Peking University, says the pilot scheme of "two child policy" has not met expectations.

"As to fully implementing the "two child policy", I think we should start earlier. And the limitation on age and region should also be loosened. Judging from the implementation of the "two child policy", the effect is not very ideal and it didn't boost births. Fertility desire is influenced by a lot of factors."The country's social services and welfare system face huge challenges brought by an aging population. And the public expect more improvements in family policies.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

Japan Cabinet Approves Draft Security BillsThe Japanese Cabinet has approved a legislative package connected to the country's military.

The package will allow the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to fight abroad.

This marks a major change to Japan's post-war military policies, which had only allowed the Japanese military to engage in domestic defense.

Hundreds of people have held a demonstration outside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's office, calling the new bills "war legislation" that will turn the country toward militarism.

"I join this protest filled with anger. I was born right after the war, but during this time (since the war) Japan was able to gain prosperity and trust from the world because of our pacifist constitution, because that gained trust from the international community, and we all worked so hard to get here, with the peace constitution as our pride."The Chinese government has also issued a response to the changes.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying says the Japanese government needs to reflect further on history.

"We have said many times before that due to historical reasons, Asian countries neighboring Japan, and the international community, pay a high level of attention to any changes in Japan's security policy. We hope that Japan can earnestly learn the lessons of history, uphold the path of peaceful development, and play a bigger constructive role in the Asian region in which we coexist for peace, stability and joint development."The new re-interpretation of Japan's post-World War II contitution will allow the country's military to take part in international missions abroad, which will include coming to the defense of Japan's allies.

DNA tests Needed to Identify 72 Victims in Philippines' Factory FirePhilippine authorities say they need to run DNA tests to properly identify those killed in a slipper factory fire in Manila this week.

The massive blaze has left 72 people dead.

Philippine interior secretary Mar Roxas has met with the families of the victims.

"The problem is that we cannot identify each of the victims, the name or who the body belongs to, so even though the families would want to bury them in their provinces, we do not know what remains we can give them, that's why we need to finish the DNA testing."Officials say the fire was caused by sparks from a welding torch which triggered an explosion involving the chemicals used to make the slippers.

Taliban kill 14 in Kabul guesthouse siegeThe death toll from an assault on a popular guest house in the Afghan capital, Kabul, has come in at 14.

Most of those killed are foreigners.

The victims were killed in an overnight siege on the Park Palace Guesthouse.

Witnesses say a lone gunman appears to be behind the massacre.

"A tall young guy who was wearing black clothes, aged around 23 to 25-years-old, entered the restaurant and ordered a plate of rice, there were foreigners being served at another table so he sat down at an empty table next to them.""He took out his pistol, shot the foreigners, then he shot the receptionist, he then went to kitchen and from the kitchen he then fired on the tables where we were eating."The Taliban is claiming responsibility for the seven-hour assault.

Afghan forces are now solely responsible for security in Afghanistan now that NATO's combat mission is over.

Preliminary Peace Deal Signed to End Uprising in MaliMali's Tuareg-led rebels have initialled preliminary peace accord with the government.

However, a blanket organization representing different groups in northern Mali says it won't be attending a final signing ceremony planned in the Malian capital, Bamako, later on this Friday unless more concessions are made.

Bilal Ag Cherif with the Tuareg-led Coordination of Azawad Movements says they want more guarantees before signing a final accord.

"To reach real peace, that guarantees justice in Mali, especially between the Malian government and the province of Azawad. It is a long conflict and we are all here in order to participate and work hard sincerely in order to put an end to this conflict so that everyone can live with dignity, tranquility and stability."Mali's government accepted the U.N. and Algerian-backed deal in March.

However, the Tuareg-led coalition argues it has fallen short of their demands for the northern region of Mali, which they call Azawad.

The Sahel region of northern Mali had been completely taken over by Tuareg forces during a coup in Mali in 2013, with the group claiming the creation of its own state.

However, extremist elements with ties to al-Qaeda eventually took control, hijacking the Tuareg's push for autonomy.

This forced France, the former colonial power in Mali, to intervene and eventually push out the extremist elements.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy today with a high of 26 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 11.

Shanghai will see thunderstorms with a high of 26 and a low of 17.

In Chongqing, it will be overcast during the daytime with a high of 25 and lows of 11.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, cloudy, 30.

Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 34.

Kabul will be sunny with a high of 30.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 24 degrees.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 27 degrees.

Honolulu, sunny, 28.

Toronto will have rainy with a high of 16 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will see showers with a high of 25.

And Rio de Janeiro will be partly cloudy with a high of 26 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsHometown diplomacy highlights Modi's China tourIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun his three-day visit to China in the city of Xi'an.

He has sat down for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who greeted the Indian leader in his home province of Shaanxi.

As part of their meeting, Xi Jinping has lauded the development of bilateral ties.

For his part, Modi says he wants closer cooperation with China in both the "Belt and Road" initiatives and the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank.

The three-day tour is Modi's first China visit.

Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang will also meet him in Beijing later on this Friday.

150 fugitives captured in "Fox Hunt 2015"New figures from Chinese authorities say a total of 150 suspects have been returned to China since the launch of "Fox hunt 2015" in April.

The Ministry of Public Security says economic suspects from 32 countries and regions have been caught.

Eight of them had been overseas for over 10-years.

"Fox hunt 2015" is part of the broader "Skynet" operation, which targets economic suspects.

Many of them are corrupt officials from government departments or state-owned enterprises who have fled abroad with government funds.

Obama says U.S. would consider using military force to defend Gulf nationsUS President Barack Obama has told Gulf leaders the United States is committed to helping protect their security, including the potential use of military force.

He has also offered Gulf officials assurances an international nuclear agreement with Iran will not leave the nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council more vulnerable.

Obama has made the statements at a summit with leaders of the six-nation council at Camp David in Maryland.

The US and the Gulf nations have also promised new cooperation on counterterrorism, maritime security, cybersecurity and ballistic missile defense.

IS releases 'al-Baghdadi message'

The Islamic State has released an audio message purported to be from its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The message urges Muslims to emigrate to the "caliphate" the group has proclaimed in areas of Syria and Iraq.

A reference to the current conflict in Yemen has also been made, suggesting the message is recent.

If confirmed, it would be the first sign of Baghdadi in months.

Baghdadi's fate has been unclear amid reports he was either killed or severely wounded in a US-led strike earlier this year.

Multiple reports have suggested Baghdadi is under medical care in the Syria city of Raqqa, the would-be capital of the Islamic State, suffering from paralysis.

15 miners still missing at collapsed gold mine in ColombiaRescue workers are searching for 15 missing gold miners in Colombia.

Authorities say they believe the accident was likely triggered by an explosion or power outage that disabled pumps used to extract water and supply oxygen to the crews working underground.

All those missing are feared dead.

Biz reportsAnchorFirst, a quick check on the closing numbers across North America and Europe.

Our reporter Niu HonglinReporterU.S. markets gained significant ground on Thursday, as mixed economic data suggests the Federal Reserve may delay its impending interest rate hike, despite a solid labor market.

A report on weekly jobless claims unexpectedly declined, pointing to stability in employment.

Investor sentiment has also been boosted by the further weakness in the U.S. dollar.

Bucking the trend, Kohl's is reporting lower-than-expected first-quarter sales, sending its shares 13-percent lower, marking the biggest drop among S&P 500 stocks.

At the close.

The Dow Jones surged 1.1 percent.

the S&P also gained 1.1 percent.

The Nasdaq increased 1.4 percent.

Over in Europe,European stocks also finished higher Thursday after the head of the European Central Bank reiterated a commitment to the bank's massive stimulus program for the eurozone.

At close,The UK's FTSE 100 gained 0.3 percent.

Germany's DAX spiked 1.8 percent.

and France's CAC 40 increased 1.4 percent.

China fiscal revenue grows at low levelNew stats show fiscal revenue growth for the Chinese government continues to slow.

Through the first 4-months, fiscal revenue have increased 5.1 percent to nearly 5-trillion yuan.

This is down from the 6.3-percent rise during the same period last year.

Lower global commodity prices and slowing industrial activity are being blamed.

Despite this, the Chinese government still has plans to maintain spending.

It's budget deficit target for this year has been set at 2.3 percent of GDP.

This is up from 2.1 percent last year.

China Vanke Teams up with Dalian Wanda on Real Estate DevelopmentChinese property giants Dalian Wanda and China Vanke have announced plans to establish a joint venture.

It's said the new JV will be involved in land acquisition and development projects.

Details of the new tie-up have not been fully revealed.

Vanke will retain its commercial property business following its tie-up with Wanda.

The partnership is going to be overseen by a joint team consisting of senior executives from both companies.

Corporate News of the Week with Doug YoungAnchorLet's check out some of the main events taking place on the corporate front in China this week.

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

Story 1:

Alibaba is teaming up with the division in the NCAA to stream US college basketball games online in China.

Games will be broadcast live through both its mobile app and website.

The ecommerce giant will also invite NCAA to play two regular session games here in China.

China's video platform LeTV also signed contract with NCAA to carry out 27 men's basketball games in February.

Talking points:

1. Compared with NBA, NCAA is still not quite influential among Chinese audience. As such, how profitable is it for the E-commerce giant to team up with NCAA in the China's sports industry?

Could it be also seen as a sign for Alibaba to launch its own video platform soon?

2. With both NBA and NCAA entering the Chinese market, what is the difference between business models of Chinese and American basketball association?

Story 2:

Xiaomi's Mi Note Pro has gone on-sale.

The device features a 5.7-inch display with high resolution and the latest Snapdragon chipset.

The price was set at 3,000 thousand yuan or about $483.

So far, Xiaomi has received some 1 million pre-orders online.

Back in March, the Chinese smartphone giant has already moved to sell phones offline in India.

Talking points:

1, What are the benefits and potential challenges of launching offline sales for Xiaomi? Any difference between online and offline smartphone sales?

2, By launching the Note Pro, why does Xiaomi eye high-end market this time, instead of keeping its initial target on cheaper products?

Back Anchor:

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

China approves merger plans of rare earth giantsChina's natural resources regulator has approved the merger of 6 rare earth companies.

All 6 companies have already completed the preparations for the merger.

In response, rare-earth stocks on the A share market soared on Thursday, with the share price of all 6 companies reaching their daily limit.

The Chinese government has been moving to consolidate the rare-earth sector to eliminate a number of small-scale operations.

J.P.Morgan expects more RRR cuts in China this yearNew analysis from JP Morgan Chase is suggesting the investment bank expects more interest rate and reserve ratio cuts by China's central bank in the second half of this year.

The head of JP Morgan's Asia-Pacific Branch says the most recent cuts to the reserve requirements for banks hasn't gone far enough.

He suggests reserve requirements can probably be reduced by an additional 10-percent.

The Reserve Requirement Ratio is the amount of money banks have to keep with the People's Bank of China to cushion against any major shock to the financial system to prevent the banks from collapsing.

Loosening the restrictions is favored by the banking sector, as it gives banks more opportunities to lend.

Changan Ford to call back over 170,000 vehicles over steering flawsChangan Ford, a joint venture between Ford and Chinese company Changan Automobile, is recalling around 170-thousand vehicles because of steering problems.

The affected model is the New Mondeo.

The recall will start from June 22nd.

Dealers will do the repairs for free.

Sharp gets rescue bailout of US$1.7bJapanese electronics firm Sharp has secured a $1.9 billon US dollar cash injection following a bigger-than-expected annual loss.

This is the electronics giant's second major bank-led rescue in 3 years.

The company will also cut 5-thousand jobs, or around 10 percent of its global workforce, as part of its turnaround plan.

The company attributes its economic problems to declining LCD TV sales.

SportsFootball: La Liga Strike Postponed for 2 RoundsIn off-pitch news from La Liga:

A Spanish court on Thursday suspended the pending La Liga strike called by Spain's football players' union, allowing the final two rounds of the season to be played.

The players' union said last week it would strike starting this Saturday as a protest against a proposed government law that aims to allows clubs to negotiate the sale of their TV rights, with collective bargaining.

The aim would be to enable a more even distribution of income between big clubs with great viewer appeal and less well-known clubs.

Football: Barcelona Face Atletico Madrid, Sit 1 Win Away from La Liga TitleAnd with the strike off, the weekend's big football match takes place this weekend.

In Action de La Liga:

Leaders Barcelona are one win away from the lead title, but Atletico Madrid stand in their way.

Trailing behind Barca by one point are Real Madrid, who will face lowly Espanyol.

In the Chinese Super League:

Tonight, at 8.pm., Beijing time:

First-place Shanghai SIPG take on second-place Guangzhou Evergrande.

On Saturday, no. 3 Beijing Guo'an will battle Liaoning.

In the UEFA Europa League:

La Liga squad Sevilla dumped Fiorentia 2-0 and Ukrainian side Dnipro beat Napoli 1-0.

The two victors will meet in the Europa finals.

And in the woefully underreported Women's Champions League Final:

1 FCC Frankfurt secured the Women's Champions League title for a record fourth time on Thursday, defeating French club Paris St-Germain 2-1.

Basketball: NBA Playoff PreviewTipping things off with upcoming hoops action from the National Basketball Association playoffs:

At 8 a.m., Beijing time:

The Cleveland Cavaliers hit the court against the Chicago Bulls. Cavs lead the series 3-2.

And at 10:30 a.m., Beijing time:

The Houston Rockets are in Los Angeles to face the Clippers. The Clips lead 3-2; one more win, and they earn their first-ever Western Conference Finals berth.

Tennis: Williams Sisters Out of Italian OpenIn tennis, from the Italian Open:

In women's action:

Bad news for both Williams sisters;Fourteenth-seeded Venus went down to no. 2 Romanian Simona Halep 6-2, 6-1.

Top-seeded Serena had to withdraw due to an elbow injury before her match with compatriot Christina McHale.

Serena says, although quitting felt cringe-worthy, it was the right decision ahead of the French Open:

"It wasn't an easy decision. I talked with my coach and I was like, you know, we're going to see how practice went today and he was like, you know, it wouldn't be really smart for you to play... just not a smart ting and he just kept reiterating (that) we have to make the right decisions for the future, not for now."In other action:

Third-seed Maria Sharapova breezed passed Bojana Jovanovski in straight sets.

Tenth-seed Spaniard Carla Suarez-Navarro downed no. 6 Eugenie Bouchard 6-7, 7-5, 7-6.

Alexandra Dulgheru got an upset 6-4, 6-3 win over eight-seed Ekaterina Makarova.

And no. 4 Petra Kvitova beat no. 16 Jelena Jankovic in straight sets.

In men's action:

No. 1 Novak Djokovic fought back from losing the first set to beat Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.

Second-seed Roger Federer had an easier time, beating South Africa's Kevin Anderson in striaght sets.

Same for fourth-seed Rafael Nadal, who will next meet Stan Wawrinka after the Spaniard ousted American John Isner 6-4, 6-4.

Also through are Kei Nishikori and Tomas Berdych.

No. 3 Andy Murray withdrew, granting opponent David Goffin a walkover.

NFLPA Appeals Tom Brady's 4-Game BanNews from the National Football League:

The NFL Players Association is appealing the league's decision to ban New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady from four games without pay next season in the wake of the "deflategate" report.

The NFLPA is calling for an independent arbitrator to review the case, but league rules dictate that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell or a person Goodell chooses will pick the independent reviewer.

The NFL now has 10 days to pick an arbitrator, but the deadline can be pushed back if the league and player's association agree.

China, South Korea Advance to Sudirman Cup Semi-FinalsIn Badminton action from the Sudirman Cup in Dongguan:

China beat Germany 3-0 for the second time in the tournament to make it into the semi-finals.

World no. 1 mixed-doubles pair Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunle beat Michael Fuchs and Birgit Michels 21-9, 21-11, to earn China their first win.

Lin Dan made it 2-0 in men's singles over Marc Zwiebler 21-12, 21-15.

Men's Doubles pair Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan beat Michael Fuchs and Peter Kaesbaur 21-15, 21-17.

And South Korea beat Malaysia 3-1, avenging their group-stage loss to the Malays to advance.

This afternoon, in more quarter-finals action:

Indonesia will face Chinese Taipei;and Denmark will battle Japan.

Golf RecapIn Golf:

On the European Tour's Open de Espana:

South African Trevor Fisher leads at 7 under at the end of round 1.

And Over in the PGA Tour's Wells Fargo Championship:

EntertainmentChina and India to co-produce "Monk Xuan Zang"One of Bollywood's major production companies Eros International and China Film Corp have agreed to co-produce new movie "Monk Xuan Zang."The film is the first to be made using a bilateral co-production agreement between the two countries, which until recently have had only minimal film industry contact.

"Monk Xuan Zang" is based on the life of a Chinese monk and will star mainland actor Huang Xiaoming.

Xuan Zang is a noted Buddhist monk during the Tang dynasty (618-907), who made an arduous journey to India to study Buddhism.

The film will be directed by China's Huo Jian Qi. Details of budget, other casting and timing have not yet been released.

China and India have two of the world's largest film industries. Along with next week's release of Disney India's record-breaking film "PK" and last year's treaty signing, the production underlines close cultural relations between the two countries.

 "Gone With The Bullets" receives Dirty Ashtray Award for excessive smokingChinese blockbuster "Gone With The Bullets," directed by Jiang Wen, has been given an award of shame for excessive smoking.

The award was given as part of the country's latest anti-smoking campaign.

The Chinese Association on Tobacco Control announced the "Dirty Ashtray Award" after it disclosed the results for an annual smoking scene review.

Among the 30 most popular Chinese films shown last year, 21 contained footage of smoking.

Nine films were given "No Smoking Scene Awards" for containing no smoking footage.

The 21 films contained a total of 435 smoking scenes, and the average amount of smoking in each film was 121 seconds.

"Gone With The Bullets" has a total of 45 smoking scenes.

It was not the first "Dirty Ashtray Award" the director has received, his film, "Let the Bullets Fly," received the award in 2010.

Australia Threatens to Kill Johnny Depp's DogsPirates of the Caribbean actor Johnny Depp and his new wife Amber Heard have less than two days to remove their dogs from Australia or they will be killed.

The stars disobeyed Australia's animal import laws and brought their Yorkshire terriers, Boo and Pistol, into the country without permits or a period in quarantine.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce accused Depp of smuggling the Yorkshire terriers into the country, he ordered him to fly his dogs out of the country by Saturday or they will be put down.

"There is a process if you wanna bring animals in. You get the permit, they go into quarantine and then you can have them. If we start letting movie stars, even though they have been the sexiest man alive twice to come into our nation then why don't we just break the laws for everybody. So it's time that Pistol and Boo went back to the United States, and after that I don't expect to be invited to the opening of Pirates of the Caribbean."Australia has strict quarantine regulations to prevent spreading diseases such as rabies.

Depp is in Australia to resume filming of the fifth installment in Walt Disney Pictures' Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

"Max Max: Fury Road" premieres at Cannes Film FestivalThe second day of the Cannes Film Festival slipped into high gear with the screening of the new "Mad Max" blockbuster.

Critics said the film had fired the starter's gun on its competition for the Palme d'Or prize.

"Mad Max: Fury Road," a sci-fi road battle movie starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, gave some adrenaline and glitz to the Riviera event, which usually leans heavily to art-house films.

Advance press screenings brought rave reviews for its stunts and action sequences.

No other film to be shown at Cannes will match "Fury Road's" budget, estimated at $150 million.

The second day of the festival was more promising than the opening day during which a small-scale French social drama starring Catherine Deneuve, "Standing Tall," was aired.

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

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

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in China, being greeted by Chinese President Xi Jinping in the city of Xi'an.

China's ambassador to the US calling for diplomacy amid concerns about the US sending Naval vessels into the South China Sea.

Japan's cabinet approves new legislation which creates a major change in the operational status of the Japanese military.

In Business.... fiscal revenue growth here in China continues to slow.

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