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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meeting visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi here in the Chinese capital...

China criticizing remarks by a top Philippine military official that play up a false so-called "China threat"...

And a US Federal Jury sentencing Dzhokar Tsarnaev to death for the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing...

In our weekly business review...China announcing another major interest rate cut...

In Sports... the latest action from the Chinese Super league...

In Entertainment... Tributes pouring in for the late blues guitar legend BB King...

All of that coming up in just a moment, but first, just a reminder 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, or email us directly at [email protected]. You can also visit english.cri.cn for the latest news and information from China Radio International.

Top NewsModi-Li discussions in Beijing focus on enhancing economic and cultural corporationAnchor:

Chinese Premier Li Kqiang has met with visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Beijing during the second day of his tour. The two leaders oversaw the signing of 24 bilateral agreements ranging from a high-speed rail project to a yoga college in China.

As CRI's Poornima Weerasekara reports, the leaders also promised to set a new course for relations between the two Asian giants.

Reporter:

After a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, premiers of the two countries held a closed-door meeting.

The two leaders later described their exchange as a "candid, constructive and friendly" one when they met the press.

Premier Li Keqiang says the rise of China and India will set the direction of growth for the entire region.

"The acceleration of modernization of China and India will produce a double-engine for Asia. The coming of a real century of Asia has to depend on whether China and India, the two most populous nations in the world, can overcome our difficulties and realize our targets of modernization and improve the lives of our peoples."Li says that the two countries have the political maturity to put aside their differences and work towards achieving common goals like crushing terrorism and enhancing regional stability.

"We do not deny the existence of differences between China and India. However, our common interests are far bigger than our differences. Both sides have enough political wisdom to manage and control the differences. We will not let the differences affect the development of our overall relationship."For his part, Prime minister Modi says that the sides have agreed to intensify confidence-building measures on the border issue.

"On the boundary question, we agreed that we continue to explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution. We both reiterated our strong commitment to make all efforts to maintain peace and tranquility in the border region."The Indian Prime minister received rousing applause when he addressed students at the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing.

He also attended a demonstration of Yoga and Tai Chi along with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the Temple of Heaven. This event was symbolic of the strong cultural exchange that has existed for thousands of years via the ancient Silk Road.

For CRI I'm Poornima Weerasekara.

India to Open E-visas to ChinaAnchor:

During his speech at Tsinghua University, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India plans to offer electronic visa services to Chinese tourists.

CRI's Xyee reports.

Reporter:

Tourists from China will be able to apply for visas online without visiting the Indian mission.

Once approved, the visitor will get an authorization letter which has to be produced during immigration.

India has granted this privilege to 44 countries already, and has plans to expand the service to China and four other countries.

Indian Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma says extending the visa-on-arrival program to China and the other countries will boost the Indian tourism industry immensely.

"Now with 44 countries as on, we have seen about 1200 percent of growth in this and we understand that if these five countries or more are added to this, we will able to reach around 62 per cent of the world tourism market. So, we understand the importance of this."Currently, Chinese tourists account for less than two percent of India's domestic tourism market.

In 2012, fewer than 170,000 Chinese tourists visited India. In 2013, the number barely increased, reaching 175,000.

India and China both have well-established visa-on-arrival programs, but the services had not been extended to each other.

Some experts believe that opening visa-on-arrival for Chinese tourists will have a massive impact on India's tourism industry. Subhash Goyal is President of the Indian Association of Tour Operators.

"Once that is done then tourism from China is going to grow and it is not only group tourism but now with a lot of wealth in the hands of people in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Beijing there are a lot rich Chinese who are also traveling."However, tourism experts acknowledge that India has much work to do in developing its tourism sector for Chinese travelers.

For example, guides need to be trained in Mandarin, helplines for Chinese tourists need to be set up or expanded, and sanitation needs to be improved under the cleanliness drive already enacted by Prime Minister Modi.

The Indian government also needs to take steps to ensure the security of tourists, a particular concern for travelers from China.

As it stands right now, tourists arriving in India are given a list of "dos and don'ts" upon arrival at the immigration counter.

For CRI, this is Xyee.

Kerry starts visit to Beijing todayU.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is due to kick off a visit to China later today.

He will be in Beijing for a discussion with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on issues of bilateral ties and other issues of mutual concern.

Earlier Chinese ambassador to the United State Cui Tiankai revealed that the situation in the South China Sea will also be a topic on the table.

Kerry is also expected to discuss the preparation work for Chinese President Xi Jinping's US visit scheduled for September, as well as the next round of strategic and economic dialogue between the two countries this summer.

After his time in Beijing, Kerry is due to visit South Korea on Sunday.

China Lashes out at Philippines' Playing up "China Threat"China has criticized remarks by a top Philippine military official as playing up the fallacy of a so-called "China threat".

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks on Friday, in response to a Philippine official's remarks on building naval bases in the South China Sea and on welcoming the U.S. ships' patrols.

"The Philippine side ignores the common interests of regional countries and constantly takes provocative actions to complicate and magnify the dispute. This fully exposes that the Philippines 'makes threats by riding on a tiger's back'. I want to stress that China is determined to safeguard its sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests. China will firmly respond to any provocative actions against China,"Earlier a U.S. official said the Pentagon was considering sending military aircraft and ships to "assert freedom of navigation" around Chinese islands in the South China Sea.

Hua noted that China had voiced clearly its "serious concern" toward the U.S. official's remarks and clarified its position.

Hua added that China and most ASEAN countries are devoted to dealing with the South China Sea issue through a 'dual-track' approach and safeguarding freedom of navigation in the region.

According to the "dual track" approach, disputes should be resolved peacefully through friendly negotiations by the countries directly concerned, while peace and stability in the South China Sea should be jointly maintained by China and ASEAN.

Shells from Myanmar Fall in China, 5 InjuredLocal authorities in southwestern China's Yunnan province have confirmed that five people were injured after two shells fired from Myanmar fell on Chinese soil earlier this week.

The government of Lincang City says the shells hit a restaurant in Zhenkang County on Thursday night, injuring one Chinese person and four from Myanmar.　None of the injuries were life-threatening.

On Friday, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that further investigation into the incident is underway.

"We've already urged Myanmar to take action to stop similar events and pacify the tensions, while at the same time restoring peace and stability in the northern part of the country as soon as possible. China reserves its rights to respond further in accordance with the result of the investigation."On March 13, a Myanmar warplane dropped a bomb in Lincang City, leaving five Chinese dead and eight others injured.

An envoy of Myanmar's president apologized for the bombing during a later visit to Beijing, vowing efforts to prevent a repeat occurrence.

Boston Marathon bomber sentenced to deathAnchor:

Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been sentenced to death by a federal jury in the United States.

As CRI's chief US correspondent Xiaohong reports, the verdict has elicited mixed reactions from victims and families of victims of the 2013 attack.

Reporter:

After 14 hours of deliberation spanning three days, the jury came out Friday with its unanimous decision to put Tsarnaev to death.

US Attorney Carmen Ortiz hailed the decision that came after two years of investigation and a 12-week long trial"Today, the jury has spoken. And Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will pay with his life for his crimes."Two bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon two years ago killing three people, including a Chinese graduate student, and injuring more than 200 others.

Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker said the verdict offered a kind of closure.

"At this point of time, I hope this represents some kind of closure for all those who are affected by this tragedy."Karen Brassard, one of the survivors, agrees.

"Once the verdict came, it was like Okay. Now we can start from here and go forward and really feel like it's behind us."The verdict may close one of the most painful chapters in Boston's history. But to some others, closure is still a long way off.

The parents of 8-year old Martin Richards, the youngest victim of the attack, opposed the death penalty, saying that they did not want to re-live their son's death during the years of appeals that are likely to ensue before the death sentence is carried out.

A local resident who witnessed a shootout between the police and the bombers told local TV station WCVB that her life is still not back to normal.

"Very much so. It does haunt me. I do not go out by myself at night. I do not leave this house by myself at night."This is the first time a federal jury has sentenced a terrorist to death since September 11th, 2001.

Xiaohong, CRI, Washington DC.

Ban Ki-moon Warns against Reprisals in BurundiUN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned against reprisals and revenge in Burundi after security forces arrested leaders of a failed coup there.

UN spokesman Farhan Haq said that Ban Ki-moon expects to speak with Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza, whose bid for the third term has caused chaos and crisis in the country.

"Our focus right now is on the imperative need to restore calm and avoid violence in the wake of the attempted coup. As the Secretary-General said in his conversation this morning with President Kenyatta of Kenya, there should be inclusive dialogue. Reprisals and revenge must be avoided. "Though the coup attempt has been foiled by forces loyal to the president, more than 105,000 people have fled the country to neighboring countries.

According to the UN refugee agency, more than 70-thousand people have arrived in Tanzania, 26-thousand three hundered in Rwanda and nearly 10-thousand to the province of South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Kante Manke, head of the UNHCR's Uvira office in South Kivu said the agency is assisting those refugees.

"We are planning a transfer of refugees to a site where we will bring all the necessary assistance to allow them to integrate within the host community."President Nkurunziza is calling for citizens to participate in the upcoming elections due between May 26 and August 24.

The United States, the European Union and Switzerland have urged the postponement of the country's general elections.

Additionally, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands have announced suspension of the aid to the country's elections, stressing that the President's proposed third term bid is in violation of Burundi's constitution.

Obama pays respects to those killed in Nepal helicopter crashU.S. officials have confirmed that the wreckage of a U.S. military helicopter was found on Friday high on a mountainside in Nepal.

All eight on board are presumed dead.

U.S. President Barack Obama has paid respects to those who were killed in the helicopter crash while at the same time stressing the continual need for humanitarian support for earthquake victims in Nepal.

"Our prayers remain with the families of our Marines and two Nepalese soldiers, now that the wreckage of their helicopter has been found in a remote part of Nepal. They went to that remote land to help people who suffered devastating losses in a terrible earthquake. They represent a truth that guides our work around the world -- when our friends are in need, America helps,"The chopper was on a rescue mission in the worst quake-hit area of Dolakha.

As of Friday, the death toll in the powerful aftershock earthquake that rocked Nepal on Tuesday has soared to 117.

Some 2-thousand seven hindered sixty others are said to be injured.

27 dead in China's Tibet after Nepal AftershocksThe latest two aftershock earthquakes in Nepal have killed some 27 people in China's Tibet Autonomous Region and injured 860 others as of yesterday.

Tibet authorities say the two strong quakes have affected 300 thousand people in the area.

So far, the government has relocated almost half of them.

Since the devastating 8.1-magnitude quake on April 25, Tibet has made great efforts to help neighboring Nepal by sending medical personnel and relief materials to quake affected areas.

The region also initiated some 150 helicopter trips to bring in first-aid materials when the border highway was closed due to debris from landslides.

Traffic to the Nepal border has since resumed and road condition are said to be improving.

Greece relaunches privatization process of largest portThe Greek government has re-launched efforts to privatize the country's largest port of Piraeus.

According to Greek Ministry of Finance, three firms were invited to submit binding bids by September for a majority stake in the port.

China's Cosco Group, along with Dutch container terminal operator APM Terminals, and Philippines-based International Container Terminal Services are shortlisted as bidders.

Fu Chengqiu, the general manager of Cosco in Piraeus, said they are actively preparing for the bid.

"The bid has to follow the international rules and as a bidder, we are confident. We can either win or lose. So we are actively preparing for it."If successful, China's Cosco Group will hold a 51 percent stake in the Piraeus Port.

The group has acquired 35 years of management rights for the No.2 and No.3 wharf, creating over 4 thousand jobs in the area.

China's City competitiveness Report Suggests More than CompetitivenessAnchor:

A newly unveiled report on city competitiveness shows China's Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Shanghai are the top three cities in China.

The report also suggests that high-speed railways are helping to drive up the development of cities along their routes.

CRI's Sophie Williams has the details.

Reporter:

The "2015 City Competitiveness Blue Book" has been released by Beijing-based think tank, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

It evaluates a total of 298 cities across China, based on a broad range of indexes covering economic competitiveness, livability, business advantages and sustainability.

The Chinese capital Beijing only managed to clinch the eighth spot.

China's Macau and Taipei are also included in the top ten.

On the Chinese mainland, three cities on the Yangtze River Delta, three cities in the Pearl River Delta, and two cities in the Bohai coastal region made it to the top ten due to the rapid economic growth they have experienced in recent years.

But cities in central and west China lagged behind their east coast counterparts.

Doctor Wang Yufei from the Chinese academy of Social Sciences says that the distribution of the listed cities also indicates the development level of different regions:

"Among the top ten cities are Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, three cities in the Yangtze River Delta, three cities in the Pearl River Delta, and two cities in the Bohai coastal region. Not a single city from central and western regions has made it to the top ten. So we can see that coastal regions have strong economic competitiveness. Moreover, the overall development level of the coastal regions is higher than that of the national average."The report suggests the city of Shenzhen has surpassed Hong Kong for the first time when it comes to economic competitiveness.

Analysis behind the report suggests that this is due to the repaid development of newly-emerged industries in Shenzhen.

At the same time, the report also reveals that the transportation system is playing an important role when evaluating a city's competitiveness.

Doctor Li Chao from CASS says high-speed railways in particular are changing the country's urban competition pattern:

"According to our analysis, cities with high-speed railways system, be they bullet trains or intercity high-speed rails, have an average comprehensive competitive index level that is over 70-percent higher than those who don't have such transportation systems. And the number is some 57 percent higher when it comes to sustainable competitiveness. So if the coordinated development of different regions can not be dealt with properly, the disparity among different cities might get even higher."According to the report, eastern China has seen an overcrowded city distribution while the western region is facing the opposite concern.

It also points out that the inter-links between Chinese cities are not well established.

Experts are calling for more intensive integration of central and eastern regions of China, which can also help to speed up urbanization in surrounding west and northeast regions.

For CRI, I'm Sophie Williams.

Taiwan introduces new rules on Japanese food importsAnchor:

Taiwan has enforced new rules on Japanese food imports amid heightened safety concerns.

This comes after food from near Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant illegally entered the island under false origin labels.

CRI's Yu Yang reports.

Reporter:

Under the new rules that took effect on Friday, importers of Japanese food products will be required to present certificates of origin to prove that the imports are not from the five prefectures including Fukushima.

Jiang Yumei, head of Taiwan's food administration, says the information on the labels should have more detailed information.

"Official authorization, assignment, recognition and entrust are all required. It is not enough to label the food 'made in Japan'. Information should indicate which prefecture the food comes from. Then it is possible to be imported."Jiang Yumei adds radiation inspection certificates will also be required for some high risk imports including aquatic products, tea and baby food.

Taiwan health official Jiang Binghuang explains this news measure does not equate to a trade embargo.

"We are cautions about food safety for our people. The new measure should not affect the whole market and people's livelihood."Anger has been growing in Taiwan since March after food products from the banned Japanese prefectures were found to have been imported and sold in the island with falsified origins listed on Chinese-language labels.

Items including tea, packet noodles, cookies and sweets have been ordered to be taken off supermarket shelves since news of the scandal broke.

Taiwan leader Ma Ying-Jeou says the new policy will continue until Japan solves the problem of falsified labels.

"This is a legal issue instead of a scientific issue. After the false labels are exposed, we need to act to restore the confidence of consumers."Taiwan has banned food imports from five Japanese prefectures including Fukushima since March 2011 after an earthquake and tsunami caused a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.

Preparation for Chang'e-5 Smoothly UnderwayA chief designer of China's lunar exploration program has said the preparation for the launch of moon probe Chang'e-5 is well on track.

The launch is planned for 2017.

The probe is expected to bring back moon rock samples to Earth.

The chief designer, Wu Weiren, says a series of tests are being carried out.

"At present, the program of bringing samples from the moon is progressing well. The preparation work consists of three major parts. One is the construction of the launch site in Hainan which is proceeding well. The second is the development and testing of the large carrier rocket Long March-5. And the third is the development of the Chang'e-5 lunar probe."China's lunar exploration program covers three stages.

It completed the second phase after the Chang'e-3 probe soft-landed on the Moon in 2013, with the country's first moon rover Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, on board.

Southern China on yellow alert for downpoursChina's National Meteorological Center has issued a yellow alert for torrential rains, thunderstorms and hail in parts of southern China.

Heavy rain is expected to continue in a large area along the coast.

The sustained downpours in the region have already affected local transportation.

In the city of Liuzhou in Guangxi, an overnight rain has caused low-lying areas to become waterlogged and many road sections were blocked.

A car owner surnamed Wang says this is causing disruptions to local transportation and people's daily lives.

"Many vehicles were parked there in the beginning, and then they began to move forward. My car also went forward. Later, the water became deeper and deeper, and I couldn't start my car anymore."In Jiangxi province, torrential rains have left three people dead and some 1,600 others have been forced to relocate.

The weather observatory advised residents to stay indoors.

WeatherBeijing will be sunny today with a high of 29 degrees Celsius.

Overnight it will be cloudy and temperatures will drop to 16.

Shanghai will be overcast with a high of 22 and cloudy tonight with a low of 16.

In Chongqing it will be overcast in the daytime with a high of 26 and overnight it will continue to be overcast with the lowest temperature of 21.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be sunny today with a high of 36.

Kabul will have slight rain with a high of 25.

Over to North America,New York will be rainy with a high of 27 degrees.

Washington also rainy with a high of 29 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 25.

Toronto, Canada, will be overcast with a high of 25 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be sunny with a high of 24.

And Rio de Janeiro will be rainy with a high of 24 degrees Celsius.

Headline news Chinese Premier meets India's Modi, 24 deals signedChinese Premier Li Keqiang has met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Beijing.

The two have discussed many topics, aiming to strengthen ties between China and India and to send a positive signal to the world.

Meanwhile, the two countries have signed 24 agreements on areas including infrastructure, bilateral trade and border issues.

They have also published a joint statement on climate change.

The 3-day tour is Modi's first visit to China since taking office.

He will travel to Shanghai today.

Chinese premier meets French FMAlso on Friday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in Beijing.

The two sides signed a dozen contracts to strengthen partnerships in education and sport sectors.

Fabius is also expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to negotiate issues on climate change.

Kerry starts visit to Beijing todayU.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is due to kick off a visit to China later today.

He will be in Beijing for a discussion with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on issues of bilateral ties and other issues of mutual concern.

Earlier Chinese ambassador to the United State Cui Tiankai revealed that the situation in the South China Sea will also be a topic on the table.

Kerry is also expected to discuss the preparation work for Chinese President Xi Jinping's US visit scheduled for September, as well as the next round of strategic and economic dialogue between the two countries this summer.

Death toll rises to 35 after bus plunges into NW China valleyThe death toll of a road accident in northwest China's Shaanxi Province has increased to 35.

The bus carrying 46 people rolled 30-meters down a slope near a forest park on Friday afternoon.

Twenty five people lost their lives immediately.

Others died later despite medical treatment.

Boston Marathon bomber sentenced to deathBoston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been sentenced to death by a federal jury in the United States.

After 14 hours of deliberation spanning three days, the federal jury unanimously chose death by lethal injection for Tsarnaev, a Kyrgyzstan-born U.S. citizen.

Two bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon two years ago killing three people, including a Chinese graduate student, and injuring more than 200 others.

This is the first time a federal jury has sentenced a terrorist to death since September 11th, 2001.

Weekly Biz Roundup(Saturday)Anchor:

It's time to take a look back at some of the headlines from the business world this past week in our Weekly Business Review.

China's central bank has announced a new round of interest rate cuts. April's economic data shows growth in the Chinese economy is still sluggish. A new round of talks for the CJK FTA was held in Seoul. Detailed plans were unveiled to improve broadband speed and reduce fees for Internet services. And a Chinese nuclear giant's IPO was greenlighted by the country's securities regulator.

Let's catch all of that and more with CRI's Wenjie.

Reporter:

China's central bank on Monday announced a new round of interest rates cut, the third time since November last year.

The bank cut the benchmark deposit and loan interest rates by 25 basis points.

After the cut, the one-year deposit rate stands at 2.25 percent, and the one-year lending rate at 5.1 percent.

People's Bank of China researcher Lu Lei says the interest rate cuts should not be interpreted as the Chinese version of quantitative easing.

"Interest rate cut serves as a traditional monetary policy tool. Using the tool means our overall policy is still workable. The outcome of this policy is clear: lowering the financing cost and improving the financial situation of the real economy. As for the saying of Chinese version of quantitative easing, it does not fit the real situation in China, for recent monetary policy in China does not fail to become ineffective."To further boost interest rate liberalization, the central bank also decided to adjust the upper limit of the floating band of deposit rates to 1.5 times the benchmark from the previous 1.3 times.

Zhao Qingming, chief Macroeconomic researcher of China Financial Futures Exchange, says the move can widen the pricing freedom of the financial institutions and improve their independent capacities in fixing prices.

"When for 1.3 times, we have seen some banks first increased deposit rates to the upper limit, then lower the rates. You should say, the competitions among banks are more rational. Even though the central bank widens the floating band once more, I think most banks are more rational and won't raise to the upper limit."The central bank says it will continue to implement prudent monetary policy and make moderate adjustments based on changes in liquidity, inflation and economic situation, striking a policy balance between economic restructuring and growth.

//////////////////Statistics released on Wednesday by the Chinese government shows economic growth is still sluggish.

New stats show fixed asset investment is up 12-percent through the first 4-months.

This is down from the 13.5-percent growth registered in the first quarter.

Property sector investment is up 6-percent year-on-year, down from the 8.5-percent increase seen in Q1.

Industrial output has improved slightly in April.

Retail sales figures have stayed virtually flat on a month-on-month basis.

///////////////On Tuesday, the State Council issued a guideline detailing new goals in the development of foreign trade.

The guideline maps out the country's aim to expand trade relations with more countries and regions as well as to raise the quality and variety of its exports to enhance the country's competitiveness.

It states that China is to export a combination of products, services, technologies and capital by 2020 instead of mainly goods.

It also highlights efforts to enlarge the imports of advanced equipment and products, which could benefit the country's industrial restructuring and upgrading.

Zhang Jianping, senior researcher with the National Development and Reform Commission, says China needs to nurture new growth points in foreign trade.

"China's foreign trade has grown at a slower pace in recent years. This is mainly due to a lack of new growth points. There is too much focus on commodity trade, not enough on service trade. There aren't enough quality exports especially domestic brand products with advanced technology and high added value. The proportion of processing trade is fairly big. And we rely too much on trade with traditional markets, mainly developed economies. We need to conduct more trade with the emerging economies."The State Council is encouraging closer trade ties with countries and regions along the route of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, with a focus on exports of manufacturing equipment and related services.

/////////////////The seventh round of talks for the trilateral FTA among China,Japan and South Korea, kicked off on Tuesday.

Three chief negotiators discussed key issues such as the basic guidelines for talks on market liberalization for goods and services.

Wang Shouwen, China's Assistant Minister of Commerce leads the Chinese delegation.

He says the FTA talks has benefits that go beyond the realm of economics.

"A FTA among three countries will serve as an important vehicle that would strengthen our existing relations not only by expanding trade and investment among us but also by providing a comprehensive and institutional framework in which a wide range of trilateral cooperation would involve. A CJK FTA would be regarded as a milestone in regional integration."In 2012, the three countries began their talks for an FTA, aimed at building a free trade zone having a total population of 1.5 billion, a quarter of the world population.

//////////////The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Friday announced plans to boost Internet speed and cut costs.

By the end of this year, the average broadband speed for users in major municipalities and provincial capitals in China will be increased to 20 megabytes per second from the current 9.

In other urban areas, the average broadband speed will be improved to 10 megabytes per second from the current 7.

More than 1.3 million 4G base stations will be built in urban and rural areas by the year end.

MIIT's deputy minister Shang Bing offers more details on the plans.

"By the end of 2017, optical broadband speeds of 100 megabytes per second (Mbps) will be offered to almost all the urban families. Average broadband speed will reach 30 Mbps in major municipalities and provincial capitals. And average charges for mobile phone Internet and fixed broadband should be sharply decreased by at least 30 percent from the previous year by the year end."In line with the plans, three domestic carries, China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom, have each provided cost-cutting plans.

China Mobile is going to unveil twelve fee-reduction measures which will see mobile Internet fees cut by at least 35 percent by the end of this year.

China Unicom will offer free upgrades to the 4G network for 2G and 3G users and cut mobile Internet fees by around 20 percent.

///////////////On the corporate front,China's securities regulator on Thursday gave the nod to an initial public offering from China National Nuclear Power Corporation, the country's leading nuclear power developer.

The nuclear giant is planning to issue a maximum of 3.89 billion shares to raise more than 16.25 billion yuan or more than 2.6 billion U.S. dollars through its IPO.

Nearly half of the funds raised will be used to replenish working capital.

The rest will be invested in nuclear power projects in Fujian, Zhejiang and Hainan provinces.

It is expected to be the biggest IPO in China's A-share market in the past four years.

The company filed its first IPO application in 2012.

However, it was suspended due to government concerns about large-cap stock flotation.

///////////////////Two Chinese property giants, Wanda Group and Vanke Group, signed a strategic cooperation deal on Thursday in Beijing.

Wanda Group is China's biggest commercial real estate conglomerate, and Vanke Group, the largest residential property developer.

The two leading real estate developers will set up a co-funded company and join hands in acquisition of land and joint project development.

The deal is expected to help Vanke's housing business, and boost Wanda's expansion into the real estate market.

And that concludes this edition of the weekly business review. I'm Wenjie. Thank you for listening.

SportsGuangzhou Evergrande, Shanghai SIPG draw 1-1In football,Top two teams Guangzhou Evergrande and Shanghai SIPG kicked off round 10 of action in the Chinese Super League last night.

Guangzhou and Shanghai both took one point with a 1-1 draw.

Gao Lin picked up the ball from a cross from Li Xueping on the left and knocked it in during stoppage time to put Guangzhou ahead in the first half.

Guangzhou's goalkeeper was able to fend off Dario Conca's threatening volley at the 83rd minute but couldn't keep a firm grasp of the ball.

Tobias Hysen, who was lurking around the goal area, squared it for Shanghai 1-1.

Shanghai are still undefeated after 10 games and are leading in league standings with 22 points after 10 games.

Guangzhou are trailing by 1 point.

Sudirman Cup semi-finals previewIn badminton:

In the Sudirman Cup semi-finals in Dongguan, hosts China will take on Indonesia, while Japan challenge South Korea later today.

Indonesia beat Chinese Taipei with a 3-1 victory.

Although relatively weak in singles, Indonesia is expected to make things hard for China in doubles action.

Indonesia, who won the inaugural Sudirman Cup in 1989, is ambitious despite China's clear advantage to win their sixth straight title.

Japan earlier defeated Denmark 5-3 for a chance to clash with South Korea.

In other action,China's Hong Kong beat Holland 3-1 to win the Sudirman Cup level 2 final.

Hong Kong finished 13th overall while Holland sit at 14th place.

Djokovic, Federer, Ferrer in Rome Masters last fourIn tennis action:

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and David Ferrer all conquered clay and reached the semi-finals of the Rome Masters.

Federer continued his quest for his first Rome title with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Tomas Berdych.

It is one of just two Masters series events that Federer has yet to win.

Federer won four straight games from 3-2 behind to claim the opening set.

He sealed victory in just 67 minutes with two breaks of serve in the second set.

Federer said he depended on the serves to win the match.

"I think from the baseline I was playing very well, my serve wasn't quite there in the beginning, I had to go through too many second serves and he was able to take advantage of that and break early. So for me it was important to pick it up on the serve, which is maybe the easiest thing to do, especially if you are serving, I don't know I'm just guessing, 30, 40 per cent. I just wanted to make sure I got that up. I felt good again on the return and moving well, so as the match went on I think I got into the match better and better."Federer will next face Stan Wawrinka, who surprised seven-time champion Rafael Nadal 7-6, 6-2.

Top seed Novak Djokovic sailed past Kei Nishikori 6-3, 3-6, 6-1;Ferrer, also chashing his first Rome title, earned his spot in the last four with a hard-fought 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over David Goffin.

In women's action,Daria Gavrilova beat Christina McHale 6-2, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals.

The 78th-ranked Gavrilova will meet two-time Rome champion Maria Sharapova. She had beaten Sharapova in Miami this year.

NBA playoffs previewIn the NBA,The Washington Wizards are taking on the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta are leading the series 3-2.

Washington found themselves on the brink of the same situation exactly a year ago when they were eliminated at home.

Paul Pierce is determined not to let history repeat itself and want to face Atlanta again in Game 7.

Later this morning,The Memphis Grizzlies will host the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors are leading the series 3-2. They look to clinch their first trip to the Western Conference finals in 40 years.

Justin Gatlin challenge Bolt in 100 meter with 9.74s winIn track and field action:

Justin Gatlin sent out a warning that he is in shape to challenge Usain Bolt in the 100-meter with a win at the Diamond League in Doha.

Gatlin darted out of the blocks and was away and clear by halfway. He finished in 9.74 seconds. It was his personal best.

Bolt and Gatlin will have a showdown at the World Championships in Beijing in August.

Also eyeing Beijing is long jumper Greg Rutherford.

Rutherford, already champion in the Olympic, European and Commonwealth games, is aiming to complete the career grand slam in Beijing.

Rutherford had always had back luck at World Championships. His highest finish was 5th place in 2009. He is looking to make amends on all the things that haven't gone right.

"Things in the preparation build up to it have been very good though, training has been great, I've hooked up again with my old coach Dan Pfaff out in Arizona, so we've been doing a lot of work together which has been really good, so going forwards I'm on the right path to hopefully having a fantastic year and aim to win that world title as well."Rutherford will be participating in the Diamond League meeting in Shanghai which opens on Sunday.

MLB: Pirates take on Cubs at WrigleyAnd finally, turning to some Major League Baseball action:

The Chicago Cubs hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field.

EntertainmentTributes pour in for B.B KingTributes have been pouring in for blues guitar legend B.B King who died on Thursday.

King, who took his music from rural bars to the mainstream and inspired a generation of guitarists including Eric Clapton died in Las Vegas at the age of 89.

Eric Clapton has released a video on Youtube speaking about his friendship with the musician and his musical influence.

"I want to thank him for all the inspiration and encouragement he gave me as a player over the years and the friendship we enjoyed. There's not a lot left to say because his music is almost a thing of the past now and there's not many left that play it in the pure way that B.B. did."Other musicians including Kelly Clarkson, Lenny Kravitz and former beatles drummer Ringo Starr have taken to Twitter to pay tribute to King.

King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and announced earlier this month that he was receiving hospice care at his home after being hospitalized in April with dehydration related to diabetes.

Chinese actress Fang Bing Bing attends Cannes Film FestivalChinese actress Fan Bing Bing is at the Cannes Film Festival again this year as the ambassador or international cosmetics brand L'Oreal.

On the opening night, she wore a pale pink Ralph and Russo couture gown with intricate green embroideries. For the premiere of 'Mad Max' Fan wowed again in a Marchesa gown covered with 3D flowers.

The 'X Men: Days of Future Past' star often works with her friend, Chinese fashion designer Christoper Bu to create Chinese inspired looks. She says to create these looks you really need to understand the culture.

"The Chinese elements are something that you need to feel with your heart because not all things Chinese are suitable to apply to a dress. Applying Chinese elements to fashion takes an understanding of the Chinese culture and heritage.　You need to understand how to apply them."Fan began her career in television almost 20 years ago and is now one of China's biggest stars.

Also at the film festival, Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke has been honoured with the Carrosse d'Or. The Carrosse d'Or celebrates innovative qualities and courage in international filmmaking.

Avengers: Age of Ultron set to hit $1 billionAvengers: Age of Ultron is on track to hit the $1 billion milestone on its 24th day of release.

Just weeks after Fast and Furious 7 broke the $1 billion mark, Avengers has surpassed Furious 7's domestic takings to become the highest grossing film of 2015 domestically with takings of $339 million.

As of Friday morning, the film's global takings stood at $990m overall with the film set to hit the 1 billion mark. The top markets are South Korea at $76 million, China at $69 million and the UK at $63 million.

Ultron is Marvel Studios' third billion dollar film following The Avengers in 2012 and Iron Man 3.

This year's Billboard awards to take place on SundayThis year's Billboard awards are to take place on Sunday in Las Vegas with model Chrissy Teigen and recording artist Ludacris co-hosting.

The awards show will be a star studded event with performances from Mariah Carey, Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons and Kanye West.

Ludacris says he thinks Kanye West will be on his best behavior for this awards ceremony.

"I don't think he's going to rush the stage this time around.I think he's going to chill. He has a performance you know what I mean? I think he's calming down a little bit more."Taylor Swift leads the nominations for the awards thanks to her album 1989 dominating the charts since its release. She racked up 14 entries in 13 categories. Sam Smith follows closely behind with 13 entries. Meghan Trainor has nine.

The awards finalists are based on album and digital song sales along with streaming and touring figures.

Sarah Brightman cancels space station tripBritish singer Sarah Brightman has decided to delay plans to visit the International Space Station for family reasons.

She had been training at Russia's Star City since January with the hope of taking the trip in the Russian Soyuz capsule in September.

The trip was to cost the singer who rose to fame in the 80s with musicals Phantom of the Opera and Cats, $52 million dollars and was arranged by a private US travel agent.

The singer posted on her Facebook page that she was postponing plans to launch in September and also postponing her cosmonaut training for family reasons.

Brightman would have been the eighth paying tourist to visit the station.

U2 guitarist in onstage accidentU2's long anticipated Innocence and Experience tour kicked off in Tornoto, Canada last night but it wasn't smooth sailing with guitarist The Edge falling off the stage.

Quite frankly living up to his name, the guitarist seemed to misjudge the shape of the stage in the middle of I Still haven't Found What I'm Looking For and fell off the stage.

He took it rather well, recovering and continuing with little interruption.

WeatherBeijing will be sunny today with a high of 29 degrees Celsius.

Overnight it will be cloudy and temperatures will drop to 16.

Shanghai will be overcast with a high of 22 and cloudy tonight with a low of 16.

In Chongqing it will be overcast in the daytime with a high of 26 and overnight it will continue to be overcast with the lowest temperature of 21.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be sunny today with a high of 36.

Kabul will have slight rain with a high of 25.

Over to North America,New York will be rainy with a high of 27 degrees.

Washington also rainy with a high of 29 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 25.

Toronto, Canada, will be overcast with a high of 25 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be sunny with a high of 24.

And Rio de Janeiro will be rainy with a high of 24 degrees Celsius.

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

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

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meeting visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi here in the Chinese capital...

China criticizing remarks by a top Philippine military official that play up a false so-called "China threat"...

And a US Federal Jury sentencing Dzhokar Tsarnaev to death for the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing...

In our weekly business review...China announcing another major interest rate cut...

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