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

Coming up on the program this evening...

The Chinese premier is in Columbia on a mission to improve economic ties and bilateral relations...

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has warned the United States about provocations in the South China Sea...

And officials in Beijing have condemned the latest visit to the controversial Yasakuni Shrine in Tokyo...

Business: a Chinese company denies speculation of trouble following a massive drop in the stock price of a subsidiary...

In Sports: a look at tonight's football action in the Chinese Super League...

In Entertainment: a Chinese contender for the top movie award at Cannes has been screened...

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, find us on WeChat by searching "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.

TopChina and Colombia to improve economic tiesAnchor:

China and Colombia agreed to seek cooperation in a host of areas including production capacity, equipment manufacturing and infrastructure construction to boost economic ties.

The agreement came as visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos at the presidential palace for discussions on bilateral relations and international issues of common concern.

Our reporter Guo Yan has the details.

Reporter:

Premier Li was welcomed by the Colombian President at the Narino Presidential Palace.

The visit marks the highest ranking visit by a Chinese authority to Colombia since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1980.

Li and Santos signed accords pledging cooperation regarding infrastructure, education and agriculture, among other areas.

Premier Li says that Colombia is in the process of promoting peace in the country and this creates favourable conditions for investing in new infrastructure.

"China has rich experience and advantageous production capacity in infrastructure construction and equipment manufacturing. We stand ready to set up plants in Colombia to produce iron and steel, construction materials and engineering equipment according to the needs of the Colombian side."Li added that bilateral cooperation is expected to lower the cost of production and provide jobs for local communities.

Bilateral trade between the two countries has exceeded 17 billion US dollars as China has become Colombia's second largest trading partner.　President Juan Manuel Santos stresses the feasibility of further improving the bilateral trade.

"Today, the trade volume between the two countries is fifteen times higher than that of a decade ago. The bilateral trade volume reached 17billion US dollars last year and there is still a huge potential for growth in terms of trade volume. So we initiated research on the feasibility of bilateral free trade agreement to see the possibility of strengthening economic ties between the two countries. "He says cooperation with China will be conducive to advancing the reconstruction and social-economic development of his once war-plagued country.

Premier Li says the announcement by Santos sends a positive signal to the business sector on both sides.

"President Santos has announced that we're going to start negotiations on the feasibility of signing a free trade agreement between China and Colombia. I believe this can send a strong positive signal to the business sector from both countries. That is to say that we could experience great development in bilateral commercial trade."The two leaders also agreed to give 200 Colombians scholarships to study in China, among other plans to boost the bilateral relationship.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

China and Peru's economy are highly complementary : Peru ambassadorPeruvian diplomat Juan Carlos Carpnoy says China and Peru complement each other's economies.

He commented as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang makes his way to the country on the next stop of his Latin-America tour.

"As to the relationship between China and Peru, there are three important elements. First, the economies are complementary. The free-trade agreement between China and Peru makes China the most important trade partner of Peru ahead of Europe and America. Second is technological interactions. The agreements signed recently have proved this point. And finally, the political consensus between us. Both of us have joined APEC and other groups in the Asia-pacific region. "Statistics from China's customs authority show that trade volume between China and Latin America has surpassed 160 billion US dollars.

Huang Huimin, the Chinese ambassador in Peru, says there's still huge potential for the two countries to cooperate in trade and economic development.

"Our friends show great interest in China's 'one belt and one road initiative'. As a pacific gateway, Peru has kept a close relationship with China and other countries around the Pacific Ocean. Hopefully we can build a community of interests and seek development for both sides through cooperation."China is the biggest trade partner for Brazil, Peru and Chile.

China Warns US to Stop Provocative ActionsChina has warned the United States to stop provocative actions or risk causing an accident after a US military plane flew over part of the South China Sea.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei made the remarks at a routine press conference on Friday, saying that China is "strongly dissatisfied" with the US action, calling it a security threat to China's islands and reefs.

dangerous and detrimental to regional peace and stability. We express our strong dissatisfaction, we urge the US to strictly abide by international law and international rules and refrain from taking any risky and provocative actions."Hong Lei adds that China will continue to closely monitor this area.

"China will continue to monitor the area and take the necessary and appropriate measures to prevent harm to the safety of China's islands and reefs as well as any sea and air accidents."The Chinese navy issued eight warnings to a US surveillance aircraft conducting a fly-over on Wednesday.

US Attorney General Urged to Probe "Spy Case"Members of the United States Congress have urged the Attorney General to review espionage-related charges against a Chinese-American and asked her to determine whether race played a factor in the so-called "spy case".

House Representative Ted Lieu, on behalf of 22 Congress members, held a press conference Thursday in Washington, saying that they have submitted a letter to Loretta Lynch, the Attorney General in the country.

The letter asks Lynch to determine whether federal agencies have used race or national origin in targeting Sherry Chen, a National Weather Service employee who was accused of spying for China.

59-year-old Chen was publicly arrested at her workplace in Ohio in October 2014.

The National Weather Service employee was charged with a felony, largely built on the suspicion that she had been working on behalf of the Chinese government to threaten US infrastructure.

However, the US government dismissed all charges against her in March, without explanation.

Congresswoman Judy Chu is chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC).

She says the Attorney General should review the policies of federal agencies.

"More than half of the economic espionage indictments since 2013 have a connection to China. That's why I joined my fellow CAPAC members, Representative Ted Lieu and colleagues in Congress to ask the Attorney General Loretta Lynch to review her agency's policies to determine whether race is unjustly and unfairly used as a factor in economic espionage cases."Following her arrest, Sherry Chen was suspended from her job without pay.

Chen is now awaiting a decision from a government department as to whether it plans to reinstate her.

Washington's enhanced crackdown on so-called "Chinese spies" has sparked rising concerns from Beijing in recent years.

In the latest case, professor Zhang Hao from Tianjin University was arrested on "economic espionage" charges.

China's foreign ministry has expressed concerns over the arrest.

Both Zhang and his school have denied the charge.

China reacts to latest Japanese Yasukuni Shrine visitChina has rebuked Japan after the wife of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei has urged Japan to face its history and reflect on its aggressive past.

Hong has also appealed to Japan to gain trust from the international community and its Asian neighbors through real actions.

Akie Abe said on her Facebook account on Thursday that she had visited the shrine.

The Yasukuni Shrine honors Japan's war dead, including 14 Class-A criminals from World War II.

Premier's Article on Administrative ReformAnchor:

Chinese premier Li Keqiang has published an article underscoring both the importance and significance of ongoing government reforms.

XYee has more details.

Reporter:

At the beginning of the article, Premier Li Keqiang notes that moves to deepen administrative reforms and transform government functions are a strong driving force and important guarantee for development.

He highlights the transformation of government functions as the core of administrative reform, blaming excess governmental intervention and supervision for sapping economic vitality, incurring high administrative costs, and providing breeding grounds for corruption.

He says China's history and reforms and opening-up over the past three decades have proved that over-regulation stifles progress.

The premier makes it clear that the overall goal of the reform is to streamline administration and delegate power, combine power delegation with effective oversight, and improve service, all in a coordinated way.

He believes such a three-pronged approach will encourage mass entrepreneurship and innovation - a driving force for the country's prosperity and the improvement of its social equity.

He also underscores the role of the reform in boosting a medium-high-level growth rate under the "new normal."Meanwhile, he notes that deepening this reform will take courage and wisdom, as more deep-lying problems and vested interests will be targeted and the accustomed style of management will be changed.

He says such a reform is just like taking a knife to one's own flesh.

In deepening the administrative reform, Li emphasizes that the process must be transparent and carried out in unison between the higher and lower levels of government, with the reform's effectiveness evaluated by the public.

He adds that while reducing and delegating powers, the government should step up the management and restriction of its powers through a strong system, introducing rule of law, enhancing law-based administration, and making itself a law-based government.

Finally, the Premier urges enhanced leadership and planning to ensure the reform moves forward in an active yet prudent manner.

Over the past two years since the reform started, agencies of the State Council have canceled or delegated administrative approval power for nearly 540 items, meeting its target two years ahead of schedule.

The number of investment projects subject to central government approval is down by 76% and most overseas investment projects can now proceed without administrative approval.

At the central government level, 420 administrative fees and government managed funds have been abolished or reduced, resulting in a cut of nearly 100 billion yuan, or about 17 billion US dollars, in revenue.

For CRI, I'm XYee.

3 police officers stand trial for NE ChinaThree police officers have stood trial in Heilongjiang Province for alleged abuse of power and dereliction of duty.

Prosecutors have alleged that Zhang Gequn, former director of the prison in Yanshou County, acted beyond his power to change the rules and reduce the number of guards.

Zhang Xiuli, former deputy director of the county's public security bureau, is suspected of being negligent in inspections.

Fan Deyan, vice director of the prison, has been accused of failing to uncover rule violations by guards.

Three inmates fled after killing a prison guard last September.

The trial is still awaiting verdict.

Xiamen University plays active role in bringing Chinese language and culture to the worldAnchor:

The head of the Overseas College Education course at Xiamen University in Fujian is suggesting the institution is working on producing more high-quality teachers in an effort to promote Chinese language and culture.

CRI's Wang Wei has more.

Reporter:

As one of the oldest institutions in China offering Chinese language programs for overseas students, the Overseas Education College at Xiamen University has attracted thousands of international students since its inception in 1953.

Emily Hollins from the UK is one of those who has chosen to enroll at Xiamen University.

"Well, initially I first visited China in 2010 and that was after the Beijing Olympics. I saw all the culture when I was visiting. I thought wow this place is really like something quite incredible. So I want to come back and the British consulate offered a scholarship and it was lucky to get it so I'm back here."Every year there are more than two-thousand international students who enroll in OEC from over 100 different countries.

7-years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xiamen University became the first in southern China to offer Chinese language education for international students.

Many of the students who enroll in the program are from Southeast Asia, including countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Most end up returning to their home-countries and find jobs connected with China.

Zheng Tongtao, the dean of OEC, says they're hoping to take the program beyond just language learning.

"I think the main goal for the Confucius Institutes, or OEC, is to offer a platform to make the world know more about China and to understand each other better. We are going to produce more professional teachers to better promote the Chinese language. We think language learning should be followed-up with the consistent use of the language. That's why we're also offer accounting, international trade and other classes to our overseas students."Since 2005, Xiamen University has been behind the launch of 16 Confucius Institutes across the world.

Mao Tongwen is one of the directors in-charge of moving the program to other parts of the world.

"The 16 Xiamen University-launched Confucius Institutes are developing well and our cooperation has also been working well. We and our overseas counterparts work well with each other. Most of the institutes are very active in promoting the Chinese language. They are seeing an increasing number of students as well as higher recognition. Local students are not only learning Chinese as a foreign language in the institute. They're also taking what they've learned into college."To help facilitate the increasing number of people interested in studying Chinese, the central government has also established training programs specifically to help mould directors and teachers for Confucius Institutes.

For CRI, this is Wang Wei in Xiamen.

Ireland Holds Referendum on Same-sex MarriageAnchor:

Voters in Ireland are going to the polls today to decide whether to legalize same-sex marriage. If the Yes vote wins, Ireland will be the first country to approve gay marriage by way of a national referendum.

CRI's London correspondent Duan Xuelian has more.

Reporter:

The debate on whether to allow same-sex marriage has divided public opinion in Ireland. At the moment, the country's constitution does not define marriage as being between a man and a woman, but uncertainty remains on the legitimacy of gay marriage.

Yes campaigners like Brendan O'Carroll are trying to change the status quo.

"When I was a young girl, there was a big hoo-ha about mix-marriages, you know Catholics marrying Protestants, black people marrying white people, but you know what? They still went and got married. And the world didn't end. No. And we all grew up a little bit. And you know, we all need to grow up a little bit now. Marriage isn't easy, changing the law isn't easy and changing attitude is even harder. But we can do it, we've done it before."On the other side, people from the No camps are saying a Yes vote would encroach on religious beliefs and have a negative effect on children.

"There is more here to this proposal than simply equality. Will we be allowed to speak about marriage being between a relationship between a man and a woman? What can we teach at schools in the future? Will people be able to voice their conscience and their genuine belief that marriage is between a man and a woman?"A number of opinion polls indicate that the vote will be in favour of same-sex marriage, with about 60% voters saying Yes.

In Ireland, where more than 80 percent of the population is Catholic. Homosexuality was only decriminalised in 1993. But Dr Oran Doyle, an expert on equality law at Trinity College Dublin says there has been a swift change of opinion in the last 20 years or so.

"I think the referendum will really accelerate a trend towards a greater acceptance of gay people, particularly in rural areas of the country where that might be not so strong at present."According to Dr Doyle, a 'yes' vote will see the first same-sex couple getting married in a few months’ time.

"What is more likely to happen then is that people will just get used to the change. In Ireland in 1995 we had a referendum to allow people to divorce, divorce used to be prohibited in the constitution, and it passed by a very narrow margin less than one percent. And then within five to ten years, everybody just accepted what had happened. So I think if the voted has carried, it will be same this time, people will get use to the idea."According to the Irish Times, more than 3 million people have registered to vote in Friday's referendum.

For CRI, I'm Duan Xuelian in LondonUS and Cuba Extend Talks on Reopening EmbassiesDespite a wave of optimism, the US and Cuban negotiators meeting in Washington on Thursday could not reach an accord on reopening embassies in the two countries.

Discussions will continue on Friday until an agreement is reached.

White House Press Secretary, Josh Earnest says today's discussions will focus on ironing out major differences.

"One of the many sticking points in those conversations has been rules that govern the activities and movement of US diplomats in Cuba and so, we'll leave it to them to resolve those differences in those negotiations to make sure that we come under an agreement that will allow US diplomats in Cuba to do what US diplomats do in countries all around the world, which is to not just engage the leaders of the government, but also to engage the people and in this case we would welcome the opportunity for US diplomats to have the opportunity to engage more freely with the Cuban people, including Cuban citizens living outside of Havana."Washington has also expressed concerns over the Human rights situation in Cuba. Havana for its part has been vocal in its opposition to US-funded democracy programs on the islandBut the two sides say they are making progress.

The Cuban government opened its first bank account in an American bank on Thursday.

Earlier, it had to deal solely in cash when working with the United States. Stonegate Bank, a Florida-based bank that opened only a decade ago, will host the Cuban government's finances.

Obama has also told Congress that he intends to remove the Caribbean island from a US list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The diplomatic push has been advancing since US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced in December that the two countries would seek to reestablish full diplomatic ties. US-Cuba ties had remained frozen for more than half a century before that.

Thailand's coup, one year onAnchor:

It's been one year since Thailand's military toppled the country's elected government. Thailand current leader says maintaining peace and order, and moving the country forward, remains his top priority.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara has more.

Reporter:

Thailand's Junta leader-turned-prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha says he is satisfied with his government's performance in the past year, especially on security issues, but more needs to be done to shore up the economy.

He was speaking on Friday on his weekly televised talk show, marking the one-year anniversary since the military coup in Thailand.

Thailand was one of the Tiger economies in Asia in the late 90's but a decade of political turmoil has seen its economy loose much of its steam.

The Prime Minister says he wants to put that right. He also insists that he is not proud of having taken the reins of power through drastic military intervention"I want to thank the people. It is not my performance and I'm not proud at all to take this position as coup-maker and prime minister. I thank the people who understand the country's situation. They should consider what they should do next. How the country can move forward. The most important thing nowadays is to maintain peace and order, move the country forward, solve urgent problems."Earlier this week, the Thai government agreed to hold a public referendum on a newly drafted constitution that could pave the way for setting up a civil administration.

But critics say that this is merely a ploy to delay general elections.

Activists and opposition politicians say the military government has turned a blind eye on political reforms and let the economy flounder.

During the coup last year, key political figures and several outspoken academics and journalists were detained.

Former Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang was one of those arrested. He was later released but with tough conditions that limit his freedom.

Chaturon says the new draft constitution could divide the nation even further"One year after the coup, it doesn't seem that there has been any attempt to resolve the conflict of the country. Meaning there has been no attempt to address the reconciliation process at all. So there has never been any discussion by the people in charge on what are the roots of the problem."Thailand has seen numerous protests, street violence, bloody crackdowns and two military coups in the past decade. Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was deposed in a coup in 2006 after being accused of corruption and disrespecting the country's monarchy.

The military stepped in again last year, to oust Thaksins's sister Yingluck Shinawatra from office after more violent street protests by those who saw her as a proxy for her billionaire brother.

Yingluck is currently standing trial for her part in a rice-subsidy scandal and may face up to 10 years in jail if convicted. Her supporters claim she is being framed. They accuse the military regime for plotting to keep the powerful and popular Shinawatra family out of Thai politics.

A year since its latest coup, Thailand remains deeply divided between different political factions making reconciliation difficult.

For CRI I'm Poornima Weerasekara.

Japan, S Korea Meet over Japan's UNESCO BidsJapanese and South Korean officials have met over Japan's bid to register some 19th century industrial facilities as United Nations world heritage sites.

Japan's move to list 23 industrial sites dating back to 1850 in a UNESCO program has stoked anger in South Korea as another attempt to gloss over Japan's colonial and wartime past.

WeatherBeijing will be clear overnight with a low of 17, then cloudy with a high of 33.

Shanghai, overcast tonight and tomorrow, a low of 18 and a high of 25.

Chongqing will see showers with a low of 18. Rain on Saturday with a high of 22.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, cloudy, 38,Kabul will see some showers and a high of 28.

Australia,Sydney will see slight rain with a high of 17,Brisbane, cloudy, 21,Perth will see slight rain with a high of 21 degrees Celsius.

Headline NewsChina, Colombia vow cooperation in production capacity, equipment manufacturing, infrastructureChina and Colombia have pledged cooperation in various fields to boost economic ties.

The move comes after visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.

The two countries have signed a series of bilateral cooperation deals in areas including trade, culture, science, and technology.

The two sides have also agreed to launch a feasibility study on a bilateral free trade agreement.

The Chinese premier is due to take part in a seminar on people-to-people exchanges between China and Latin America.

Colombia is his second stop on a four-nation tour in the region.

China, Russia end joint naval exercisesA joint Chinese-Russian naval exercise in the Mediterranean has come to an end.

The Chinese commander of the 11-day drill says the exercise help enhance the abilities of both navies in conducting collective operations.

The "Joint Sea-2015" drills, involving six Russian and three Chinese ships, were focused on maritime defense, replenishment and escorting.

This is the 4th time China-Russia have teamed up for sea drills since 2012.

Death toll rises to 9 from SW China building collapseRescuers have retrieved another body from the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in Guiyang.

Nine people have been confirmed dead while seven others are still missing.

More than 100 rescuers have been working at the site.

Police say a rain-triggered landslide is believed to be responsible for the disaster.

It has been about 48 hours since the building collapsed.

Rescuers say the first 72 hours are crucial in terms of survival, so they are still holding on to hope of finding living victims in the debris.

Air quality improved in Beijing ahead of Olympic voteAir quality officials in Beijing say pollution levels have been reduced.

The Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau say air quality has been much improved over the last four months, with the average density of PM2.5 down nearly 20 percent compared to the same time period of last year.

The statement comes with just three months to go before Olympic officials vote on Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Zhangjiakou, the city co-bidding for the games with Beijing, has the best air quality among 70 cities monitored by the authorities.

The International Olympic Committee is set to vote on Beijing's bid against Almaty, Kazakhstan, on July 31 in Kuala Lumpur.

Top negotiators of S. Korea, U.S., Japan to gather for DPRK nuke talksNuclear envoys from South Korea, the United States and Japan are poised to meet in Seoul next week to discuss North Korea's nuclear program.

At the 2-day meeting in Seoul, negotiators will share assessments of potential threats from North Korea.

The meeting comes amid new claims by North Korea that its been able to miniaturize its nuclear weapons and install them on its long-range missiles.

US analysts remain skeptical of the claim.

Biz ReportsAnchor:

Turning now to our business news. Lets have a look at the numbers from across the Asian markets to close out this Friday evening.

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

Reporter:

Chinese stocks continued to advance, extending gains for the fourth day and sending shares to a 7-year high.

The securities, healthcare, artificial intelligence, coal and banking sectors were among the day's biggest winners.

The securities industry rose by over 5 percent, with shares Sealand Securities and Dongxing Securities both surging by the daily limit of 10 percent.

The banking sector rose by nearly 2 percent.

Market sentiment remained buoyant as investors continued to pour money into the capital market in hopes of further government stimulus to arrest the economic slowdown.

At close,The Shanghai Composite Index surged 2.8 percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index added 1.1 percent.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 1.7 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Japanese stocks ended higher on the day with the benchmark Nikkei index logging a sixth straight day of gains, on the Bank of Japan's decision to maintain its ultra- loose monetary policy.

The Nikkei edged up 0.3 percent at close.

South Korea's Kospi gained 1.1 percent.

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index climbed 0.3 percent.

And finally, Australia's ASX 200 ticked up slightly.

Hanergy Squashes Speculation on OperationAnchor:

Chinese solar panel equipment maker Hanergy Holding Group has denied speculation the company is in trouble after shares of its Hong Kong-listed affiliate, Hanergy Thin Film Power Group, plunged 47 percent on Wednesday.

Shares of the subsidiary were halted from trading that day, wiping out over 18 billion U.S. dollars from its market capitalisation.

The shares remained suspended on Thursday.

Hanergy Group didn't mention its subsidiary by name when it commented on the speculation.

The group also didn't address a Reuters report that the firm is being investigated by Hong Kong's securities regulator for alleged market manipulation.

For more on Hanergy subsidiary's stock plunge and China's solar panel industry, CRI's Zhao Yang earlier spoke with Winston Wang, Managing Director of Shipstone Group Limited.

Founding members agree on AIIB's charterNegotiators from the 57 prospective founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have reached agreement on the bank's charter.

They are scheduled to sign at the end of June in Beijing.

Representatives of prospective founding members will bring the charter back to their countries for legal adoption processes after signing the charter.

It is reported that China would likely take a 25 to 30 percent stake in AIIB.

India is likely to be the second-largest shareholder in the bank.

Mexico to Compensate CRCC $1.31 million for Canceling Rail ProjectAn official with Mexico's Transport Ministry says the country will compensate China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) 1.3 million U.S dollars for cancelling a 3.75 billion U.S. dollar high-speed rail contract.

A consortium led by CRCC won the contract last year which was later revoked over controversy in the biding process.

The Mexican government re-opened the bid earlier this year then cancelled it for a second time citing budget cuts.

CRCC then gave the ministry a list of costs incurred during the tender and requested compensation.

The ministry says the amount of compensation has been set based on the analysis of the list of costs.

Less Double Taxation to Promote Chinese EnterprisesChina has signed agreements with 99 countries to avoid goods being taxed twice as they cross borders.

the move is designed to benefit domestic enterprises going global.

The agreements aim to avoid double taxation and prevent tax evasion in accordance with international laws.

The agreements will also provide a procedure to negotiate or cope with bilateral disputes on taxation.

The State Administration of Taxation is attempting to sign taxation agreements with more countries to support more businesses and fuel the Belt and Road Initiative.

Public-private Partnership Encouraged in Affordable HousingThe Chinese government is promoting public-private partnerships (PPP) in the affordable housing sector to attract more funding for the program.

Local governments are required, from this year, to carry out PPP pilot programs in affordable rental housing.

Governments will select companies for the partnerships and sign contracts with them, guaranteeing policy support and earnings through rental fees.

The companies will mainly be responsible for funding and operating, and the governments will focus on supervising.

China set a goal of constructing 36 million units of affordable housing between the start of 2011 and the end of this year.

HP Sells 51% of China-based Server FirmU.S. tech giant Hewlett Packard is going to sell a 51 percent stake in its China-based server business to Tsinghua Holdings for 2.3 billion U.S. dollars.

The deal creates a joint venture called H3C worth 4.5 billion U.S. dollars.

The new company will have 8-thousand employees and 3.1 billion U.S. dollars in annual revenue.

It will be the exclusive provider for HP's server, storage and networking services.

Meanwhile, HP says it will still fully own its existing China-based enterprise services, personal computer business, and other operations in China.

SportsChinese Super LeagueTwo games are being played in the Chinese Super League tonight,Leaders Shanghai SIPG is taking on struggling Guizhou Renhe;Shanghai SIPG is without captain Sun Xiang and right back Wang Shenchao.

They remain on top of the leage standings with 22 points, just 1 point ahead of Guangzhou Evergrande and Beijing Guo'an.

In other action,Hangzhou Greentown is on the pitch against Shijiazhuang Yongchang.

This weekend,The battle of Guangzhou kicks off when Evergrande meets city rivals R&F.

Beijing Guo'an will play Jiangsu Sainty.

And Shandong Luneng will play Shanghai Shenhua.

In off-court football news,German champions FC Bayern has formally announced its China tour this summer.

The club will visit China from July 16 to July 24.

It will play three friendly games against Valencia CF, Inter Milan and Guangzhou Evergrande in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

FC Bayern's last China tour was in 2012 with two friendlies.

Golden State Beat Houston 99-98 to Take a 2-0 LeadIn the NBA Playoffs,The Golden State Warriors held off the Houston Rockets 99-98 on Thursday to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals.

Australian centre Andrew Bogut had 14 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocked shot for the Warriors.

Stephen Curry, who scored 33 points in the game, spoke highly of Bogut.

"He was huge. He's given us what he's got and that's what Boges does, putting his body on the line, going against Dwight (Howard) for however many minutes and bailing us out, and certain drives to the basket and cleaning up the glass. And he was finishing on the (inaudible) as well. A huge impact on the game at both ends of the floor and I'm ready to see what a healthy Boges looks like in a couple days."James Harden had 38 points and Dwight Howard overcame a sprained left knee that slowed him down to finish with 19 points for the Rockets.

Houston is 0-6 against the Warriors this season.

They have been winless at Golden State since Dec. 13, 2013.

Game 3 is in Houston on Saturday.

Ding Junhui to Team up with Xiao Guodong at Snooker World Cup 2015In snooker,Home favorites Ding Junhui and Xiao Guodong will team up to compete in the Snooker World Cup 2015 in the city of Wuxi.

World champions Mark Selby and Stuart Bingham make up a strong English team.

And John Higgins and Stephen Maguire will represent Scotland.

24 teams are divided into four groups of six teams, with each team to play five matches in the group stages.

This year's tournament will run from June 15 to 21.

Thiem and Mayer into ATP Nice Open Semi-finalsIn tennis,China's Liang Chen and her partner Chuang Chia Jung from Chinese Taipei reached the finals of the Strasbourg International on Thursday.

They came from behind to get past American duo of Taylor Townsend and Raquel Kops-Jones 3-6, 6-3, 10-6.

On the men's side,Austria's Dominic Thiem advanced to the semi-finals of the Nice Open on Thursday with a 6-2, 6-4 win over his training partner Ernests Gulbis of Latvia.

This marks his third time in a row reaching the last four of the Nice Open and his first semi-final of the year.

The world number 42 will next face the second seed, American John Isner.

Thiem is joined by the fourth seed Leonard Mayer, who overcame his Argentinian compatriot Juan Monaco 6-3, 6-4.

Awaiting Mayer in the semi-final is Borna Coric from Croatia.

Chen Penbin Finishes Half of 100-marathon-in-100-day CampaignChina's first international ultra-marathon champion, Chen Penbin, finished marathon #50 yesterday, marking the half-way point of his 100-marathons-in-100-days campaign.

The 37-year-old started his journey from Guangzhou on April 2 and is expected to complete #100 in Beijing on July 10.

Chen ran 100-kilometers in the South Pole in 2014, making him the first runner to complete ultra-marathons on all seven continents.

Chicago Blackhawks Beat Anaheim Ducks 2-1In the NHL Playoffs,The Anaheim Ducks took a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals on Thursday with a 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Frederik Andersen made 27 saves, helping Anaheim kill off five power plays.

The 25-year-old says his teammates played well.

"I think every team is going to come down hard in the third, if they're down by one, which they did and I think we did a good job of just battling with them, get it out, yeah, take as many icings as we wanted. Pretty disciplined - got the one penalty I think and then we did a good job on the kill."This is the third consecutive game that the Ducks held the Blackhawks without a third-period goal.

Game 4 is Saturday night in Chicago.

Francesco Molinari Takes Lead at BMW PGA ChampionshipIn golf,Italy's Francesco Molinari shot a 7-under 65 and took a 2-stroke lead on Thursday after the first round of the PGA Championship at Wentworth.

"You know, around here it's a great place, it's obviously a flagship event, so it's, you know a great start, but unfortunately nothing more than that, you don't get the trophy on the first day, so I need to, you know, keep my head down and do the same tomorrow and Saturday and Sunday and see if that is going to be enough."Defending champion Rory McIlroy fired a 1-under 71, leaving him six shots behind Molinari.

Elsewhere,Jordan Spieth, Ryu Ishikawa, Boo Weekley and Kevin Na all carded a six-under-par 64 to share the opening round lead at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Country Club in Texas.

EntertainmentHou Hsiao-Hsien's film screened at Cannes to compete for Palme d'OrTaiwan film "The Assassin" from director Hou Hsiao-Hsien has been screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film, which is competing for the coveted Palme d'Or award, is set in 9th century China during the Tang Dynasty.

Young Chinese actress Shu Qi plays the daughter of a general. she is kidnapped by a nun and trained in martial arts.

"I'm really happy that the film was nominated. The Director Hou Hsiao is one of the greatest I have ever worked with. Every time we cooperated in different ways and I've learn a lot in the process.""The Assassin" is Hou Hsiao-Hsien's 7th film to be nominated for the Palme d'Or.

He won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 1993 for "The Puppetmaster."Hou also earned the Technical Grand Prize in 2001 for "Millennium Mambo."A total of 19 films are competing for the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year.

The festival wraps up on Sunday.

Ng Chun-yu to Negotiate with Hunan TV for compensationHong Kong actor Francis Ng Chun-yu and his lawyer are negotiating with Hunan TV in order to seek compensation for an injury sustained by the actor's son.

On Tuesday, Ng expressed frustration during the premiere of his new film 'Love without Distance' in Beijing, saying it's totally unacceptable that his boy hasn't received insurance compensation in the past one year.

7-year-old Feynman suffered an eye injury while shooting Hunan TV's reality show 'Daddy, Where Are We Going?' in New Zealand last September. The boy has suffered permanent damage.

Ng says he is furious because the network has not taken responsibility for the injury, nor compensated his son.

In the meantime, the TV channel has responded through its official weibo account saying that the insurance process is still not completed because Ng has not provided any medical appraisal of his son's injury.

For his part, Ng adds that he's not expressing hostility but just wants the case to be solved as soon as possible.

Free Musical Tribute to be held for B.B. KingThe eldest daughter of Blues legend B.B. King says a free tribute concert will be held at a venue on the Las Vegas Strip, after a public viewing of her father's body at a funeral chapel.

Shirley King says when people are done being sad about her dad's death, she wants them to come out and let the good times roll.

A public viewing is scheduled today at Palm Mortuary west of downtown Las Vegas.

B.B. King died in his sleep last Thursday at his home in Las Vegas at age 89.

GEM to conclude China tour in AugustFamous pop singer Deng Ziqi, also known as GEM, is going to wrap up her tour in China on August 1st.

The gig, which is part of her 'GEM XXX Live' tour, will be held in Beijing Workers' Stadium.

During the performance, Deng will perform all her hit songs, old and new, including the ones she performed earlier this year during the Spring Festival Gala.

The tour has taken the singer to many big cities in China including Chongqing and Shanghai.

'PK' officially screened at Chinese MainlandIndian romantic comedy movie 'PK' officially screened on the Chinese Mainland today.

The movie stars Aamir Khan and tells a story of an alien called PK who comes to earth for a research mission, but gets lost in India's Rajasthan Desert. He later fell in love with a journalist who tries to help him find the remote control for his spaceship in order to go home.

The movie reveals many dark sides existing in Indian society through the eyes of the alien, ultimately urging people to welcome the world with love and sincerity rather than prejudice.

Aamir Khan went famous in China after starring the comedy film '3 Idiots' which screened on the Chinese Mainland in 2011.

WeatherBeijing will be clear overnight with a low of 17, then cloudy with a high of 33.

Shanghai, overcast tonight and tomorrow, a low of 18 and a high of 25.

Chongqing will see showers with a low of 18. Rain on Saturday with a high of 22.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, cloudy, 38,Kabul will see some showers and a high of 28.

Australia,Sydney will see slight rain with a high of 17,Brisbane, cloudy, 21,Perth will see slight rain with a high of 21 degrees Celsius.

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

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

The Chinese premier is in Columbia on a mission to improve economic ties and bilateral relations...

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has warned the United States about provocations in the South China Sea...

And officials in Beijing have condemned the latest visit to the controversial Yasakuni Shrine in Tokyo...

Business: a Chinese company denies speculation of trouble following a massive drop in the stock price of a subsidiary...

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...