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

Coming up on the program this evening...

China's ambassador to Japan is brushing aside concerns about Chinese oil and gas exploration in the East China Sea.

Chinese officials in Australia are calling on authorities there to fully prosecute a group which tried to storm the consulate in Sydney on Wednesday.

Greece's parliament passes a key set of reforms to try to help it secure another bailout package.

In Business.... new analysis suggesting a majority of A-share listed firms may be poised to record profits through the first-half.

In Sports.... Guangzhou Evergrande takes a 5-game unbeaten streak into tonight's friendly against German powerhouse Bayern Munich.

And in Entertainment... China's media watchdog poised to keep a closer watch on reality television.

All of that coming up in the next hour, but first, just a reminder there are several ways to reach out to us here on the Beijing Hour.

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topChinese ambassador refutes Japan's accusation on gas platforms in E. China SeaChina's ambassador to Japan is lashing back at concerns raised by Japan over Chinese oil and gas exploration in the East China Sea.

The Japanese side says it’s concerned about Chinese oil and gas exploration in the region, even though none of it is being done in disputed waters.

Chinese ambassador Cheng Yonghua says Japanese concerns the drilling might end up raiding oil and gas in neighboring Japanese territory is "groundless."Meanwhile, speaking to the Japanese media at the National Press Center in Tokyo, Cheng Yonghua has also fielded questions about Japan's new defense policies, as well as the much-anticipated statement by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when it comes to Japan's wartime past.

"If the statement is deliberately made vague, or if it lightens responsibility, it will once again rip open the wounds of China and the other victims, and rub salt in them."Many obsevers widely expect Abe's forthcoming statment to mark the end of World War II may end up backtracking on statements of regret from previous Japanese administrations about the country's wartime past.

At the same time, Cheng Yonghua says they're still waiting to hear-back from Shinzo Abe about the invitation they've offered to attend the ceremonies in China connected to the 70th anniversary of China's victory in the "War Against Japanese Aggression."Chinese embassy condemns Tibetan separatist attack in SydneyChina's representatives in Australia are calling on authorities in that country to 'throw the book' at a group of protesters who stormed the Chinese consulate in Sydney on Wednesday.

A group of Tibetan separatists stormed the front court of the consulate in Sydney on Wednesday, injuring a consular officer who attempted to keep the group from getting into the building.

Tang Ying, vice-Chinese consul in Sydney, says they've made formal representations to the Australian government, demanding those arrested be prosecuted to the full-extent of the law.

"This is a very serious attack which violates the international laws such as Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, as well as laws in Australia. The attack severely damages China's national sovereignty, seriously intervenes the work of Chinese Consulate General, and harms the safety of the personnel and buildings of the Consulate General."A total of 10-people were arrested in connection with Wednesday's incident.

Eight of them are now facing charges.

China raises representation with Myanmar over sentences on its nationalsThe Chinese government is raising official concerns with Myanmar connected to the sentencing of more than 150 Chinese nationals for illegal logging.

A court in the capital of the State of Kachin has reportedly sentenced the loggers to 20 years in prison under a half-century old law that punishes those who abuse public property in Myanmar.

Two minors have also reportedly been given 10 year sentences.

Another Chinese national has also been imprisoned for 35 years for a drug offense.

The Chinese government says it’s highly concerned with the verdicts, and says its made official representations with the Myanmar government.

The Chinese embassy has also sent representatives into Kachin to try to provide the Chinese nationals convicted with consular services.

China opens up crude oil import to private refineriesChinese authorities have given private refineries the green light to import more crude oil, opening up a heavily-monopolized state sector.

The Ministry of Commerce has confirmed the requirements for non-state companies to import crude this Thursday.

Qualified firms must have an annual refining capacity of over 2-million tonnes.

They also have to meet efficiency and environmental standards.

China is the world's largest importer of crude oil.

Nearly 60-percent of China's oil consumption comes from imports.

Crude imports have been the almost exclusive domain of the state-run giants.

There are more than 20 qualified non-state importers.

However, their quotas have been very limited to this point.

PM2.5 declines in Beijing and its surrounding areasA new set of figures have confirmed the air quality in and around Beijing so far this year has been improving.

The Beijing Environment Protection Bureau is reporting PM2.5 levels in Beijing-proper through the first half of the year have declined by some 15-percent.

Surrounding areas, including Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong and Henan have also seen PM2.5 levels drop more than 15-percent so far this year.

Chen Tian, head of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, says even more needs to be done.

"The priority is to improve our atmospheric environmental quality of the region as a whole. We are targeting the sources of pollution. But at the same time, we also need to change our energy production structure, our industrial structure and people's lifestyles in the region."The same analysis shows Beijing saw 88 days of good air quality through the first 6-months.

This is 9-more than the same period last year.

A reduction of overall emissions, as well as more favorable weather conditions and a push toward more clean energy production are being cited as the main factors behind the better air-quality figures.

Tianjin FTZ Shows Strong Assemble Effect in Attracting Foreign InvestmentAnchor:

New stats show the Free Trade Zone in Tianjin has attracted nearly 175-billion yuan worth of capital since it was first launched 3-months ago, with both domestic and foreign money flowing into the FTZ.

CRI's Xie Cheng has more.

Reporter:

The figures released by the Tianjin FTZ Commission show that over the past 3-months, the pilot Free Trade Zone, which is still under construction, has managed to attract 7-thousand-53 new players.

At the same time, Jiang Guangjian, deputy director of the Tianjin FTZ Commission, says a lot of foreign cash is making its way into the Free Trade Zone.

"In the first half of the year, 218 projects were created here. The number of companies in the zone has increased over 110-percent, and the registered capital has shot-up by 182 percent. Though the number of foreign companies accounts for only 4-percent of the total, their registered capital makes up 37 percent. This proportion is the highest one among the three new FTZs in China. We feel this shows the foreign-invested projects in Tianjin are of high quality."Canadian aviation giant Bombardier plans to inject 30 million US dollars into Tianjin to set up a business jet maintenance center, which will be the first of its kind in China.

On top of this, Airbus is establishing its new A330 completion and delivery center in Tianjin.

It's being built along-side the existing A320 plant, and will be tasked with finishing the interiors of the A330's, as well as sales.

It's expected to be operational in late 2017, with the first planes to be moved out in early 2018.

Lv Jinzhou, deputy director of the Tianjin Bonded Zone Commission, says the new Airbus investment will make Tianjin more influential in the aviation industry.

"The completion and delivery center for the Airbus A330 is the biggest project connected to Sino-European aviation cooperation since the establishment of the Airbus A320 assembly line. Tianjin is set to become only the world's 4th production center for both single and dual channel airplanes, behind only Toulouse, Hamburg and Seattle."Meanwhile, Li Chunyu with the Tianjin Administration of Culture, Radio, Film and TV says a number of foreign entertainment companies are already showing increasing interest in Tianjin.

"Foreign invested entertainment agencies will be able to set up in Tianjin after getting the proper national approvals. This should attract more international performances to Tianjin and promote the cultural sector of the city. Previous limits on foreign investment in the entertainment sector have been canceled. Joint ventures and wholly-owned foreign entertainment companies are now allowed in the FTZ."Meanwhile, in an effort to try to attract even more foreign investment, the new three FTZs in Tianjin, Fujian, and Guangdong are also streamlining their investment procedures to make it easier for even more sectors to invest in their cities.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

Chinese Military Technologies increasingly employed in civilian sectorAnchor:

Models of around a thousand different products adapted from military technology for civilian use are now on display at an exhibition taking place here in Beijing.

CRI's Qian Shanming reports.

Reporter:

At the exhibition of China's civil products with military technologies, the model of "the 981 drilling platform" is attracting many visitors.

The actual drilling platform, the first of its kind independently designed and constructed by China, is 45-stories high and can take on board a load of up to 9,000 tonnes.

Li Zhong, a representative from the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, which is behind the research and development of the drilling platform, says the project incorporated key technologies of military vessels.

"981 Drilling Platform has an annual output equivalent to that of Daqing Oilfield. It is designed according to the features of the South China Sea. It can withstand huge waves, tides and undercurrents. Technologies in building military vessels are used to increase the platform's stability."Military technologies are also used in everyday products.

A security device displayed at the exhibition can conduct noncontact security inspection on people and their belongings.

Liu Hang from the China Electronics Group Corporation- the inventor of the device, says the most distinct feature of the product is that it is completely radiation-free.

"This security device is very safe and can passively receive the terahertz radiated from human bodies. So it is non-radioactive and can be used widely in airports, stadiums and exhibition halls. It can also be used for counter-terrorism operations."Meanwhile, the information technology sector also sees an increasing number of military-turn-civilian products.

The China North Industries Corporation brings "Beidou Intelligence Navigation System" to the exhibition.

Combining the technologies in "Beidou Satellite Navigation System" and "military transportation of dangerous chemicals", the system not only offers customers more detailed information on temperatures and humidity, it can also guide vehicles or travellers even without cellphone signals.

Qian Songcan from the China North Industries Corporation explains the functions of the system:

"'Beidou Intelligence Navigation System' can be applied to civilian products. For example, armored cash carriers, tourist buses or travellers can use the system to connect with our urban integrated management system. By doing so they can be monitored and rescued."Other products at the exhibition include the Chang'e lunar probe, the Long March-5 carrier rocket, and China's manned deep-sea submersible Jiaolong.

The exhibition runs till Sunday.

For CRI, I'm Qian Shanming.

Theme Songs for Winter Olympic GamesAnchor:

A series of songs written to try to drum up support among children for Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics are now making the rounds in the capital.

CRI's Sam Duckett has more.

Reporter:

Primary school kids from Beijing Yang Fang Dian Centre Primary School are singing a song to express one's love for winter and winter sports. The relaxing and simple melody is easy for kids to sing.

"I really like this song. I like it very much."The children are not detached to winter sports. Zhao Jia-lin, an 11-year-old primary school student, has played winter sports for 4 years. In winter, her family spends almost every Sunday in the ski resorts in Zhangjiakou.

"I started skiing when I was 7 or 8 years old. The first time I skied I was really scared and nervous. But after practicing, I am not afraid anymore. Skiing is really fun, and I enjoy it very much."Ever since Beijing bid to be the host city of Summer Olympic Games in 2001, the school Jia-lin comes from has been carrying out a campaign of 'Olympics into Campus'.

With the promotional activities of 'Olympics into Campus', children can surely learn more about winter sports. As indoor ski resorts have become popular in recent years, children can enjoy skiing all year round. Third grader Yang Qi-hua has already planned to practice skiing with friends in indoor ski resorts nearby during the summer holiday.

Li Ni-na, the ambassador of Beijing's bid, shared her experience of skiing with the students in the promotional campaign. She also shared the experience of Chinese athletes at the Winter Olympics.

"Take a look at this picture. This is me flying in the air. I am an aerial skier. Has anybody ever watched this event? In fact, China has lots of world champions on winter sports events. For example, Han Xiao-peng, the first person to win a gold medal for men's freestyle skiing event in Winter Olympics in 2006. We also have Li Jian-rou, an Olympics champion in short-track speed skating. Their success is not determined solely by luck. They have put in lots of effort. Chance favors only the prepared mind."Winter sports have gained popularity in China. Students from all over the country may become athletes or volunteers in 7 years time at the stadium of 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Wherever they go, the most important thing is the joy it brings from playing winter sports.

Back Anchor:

CRI's Sam Duckett reporting.

Splits remain in Greece's ruling partyGreek lawmakers, after a marathon debate, have passed a series of reforms needed to secure a new 85-billion euro bailout program.

Legislation approved covers changes to the civil justice system, a bank deposit protection scheme and measures to shore up the liquidity of Greece's banks.

All of these measures had to pass if Greece's creditors are to move forward with a bailout.

A third round of legislation is still needed before a new loan package can be approved by European officials.

However, Thursday's vote has highlighted the divisions within the ruling Syriza Party.

A number of government party members voted against the legislation, even though it has been endorsed by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Opposition lawmaker Evi Christofilopoulou says without unity, there are fears the country's creditors may consider backing away.

"There's going to be some more time for the government, however there has to be a plan, and there has to be a national cohesion and cooperation. We can't go on with party politics and populism and all sorts of, kind of party fighting. We have to build a consensus."Greece has to secure a new bailout package before August 20th.

This is when an over 3-billion euro loan payment is due to the European Central Bank.

S-300 not subject to UN resolution: Iranian OfficialThe Iranian government says it expects Russia will be able to make-good on a previous contract to supply it with a controversial missile system.

Iranian deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says the S-300 missile system is not covered under the UN resolutions passed earlier this week by the UN Security Council connected to its final nuclear agreement.

"The resolution listed seven weapons that are banned from being sold, but this doesn't include the S300 missile system. Russia has also announced that the S300 is not subject to the restrictions."Russia originally agreed to sell the S-300 missile system to Iran in 2007, but had to cancel the contract after the UN imposed sanctions connected to Iran's nuclear program.

Russia announced earlier this year that it was making its S-300 system available again, given the headway that had been made in negotiations at that time.

The potential sale of the missile system, which has been opposed by both Israel and Saudi Arabia, could create headaches for the Obama administration, which is trying to convince Congress to support the new Iranian nuclear agreement.

Afghanistan's peace process is long and tough: expertsPreparations are underway for another round of peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

While no official date has been set, it's widely expected the next round of negotiations are likely to take place within the next few days.

This follows on the heels of a preliminary round of talks earlier this month between Afghan authorities and the Taliban in Pakistan.

Despite the initial reproachment, Afghan observers say the negotiations are going to be long and difficult.

Hasina Safi is the head of the Afghan Women's Network.

She's met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani this week, calling on him to ensure women's rights remain fundamental in Afghanistan.

"We said we do not want women's rights to be sacrificed for peace. And, he promised us that he will never sacrifice women's rights in bringing peace."Under the Taliban's strict interpretation of Sharia Law, women are not allowed an education beyond a basic level to read the Koran.

They're also not allowed to work, and must be covered in head-to-toe in a Burka when outdoors.

Meanwhile, beyond women's rights, Afghan observers note the Taliban is also coming under pressure itself, particularly from the Islamic State.

Afghan political analyst Haroun Mir says the rise of ISIS is problematic for the Taliban.

"ISIS itself becomes a warning for Taliban. And, for example, in the east in Nangarhar, they were able to kick out Taliban from some of the districts. That is also a danger for peace process, because I don't think that all Taliban would agree with the peace process."The Taliban held control of much of Afghanistan from 1996 to early 2002 when the US invasion forced the group from power.

It's since becoming one of the leading militant groups in Afghanistan, and continues to draw support from Afghanistan's religiously-devout countryside.

Brazil slashes fiscal saving goalsBrazil has dramatically lowered its fiscal revenue projections for the remainder of this year, as well as next year.

A slowdown in import taxes is being cited as the main factor.

At the same time, the Brazilian government has also announced new spending cuts to underscore its commitment to austerity amid the steep economic downturn currently gripping the country.

Brazilian authorities are still anticipating a surplus of some 2.7 billion US dollars this year.

The originally budgeted goal is about 20 billion US dollars.

Despite this, it’s widely-expected global credit rating agencies are poised to downgrade Brazil's rating.

Brazilian Finance Minister Joaquim Levy says their current slowdown in revenue growth shouldn't affect their overall growth targets for the year.

"We know the announcement of new spending cuts is a significant change and it is happening because of the evolution of the revenues, which we think is a temporary phenomenon, a phenomenon that's the result of a series of factors, which should make it possible to meet this year's goals."The primary surplus, which is revenue available to meet interest payments, is closely watched by both the markets and credit rating agencies.

It's consider a main gauge of a country's capacity to repay its debts.

China RoboCup Winners joins intense competitionAnchor:

It's finals day at this year's RoboCup World Competition in Anhui's capital, Hefei, and things are said to be getting tense.

The 5-day gathering has brought together robot whizz-kids and industry leaders from around the world in the field of robotics.

CRI's Qi Zhi has more.

Reporter:

Defending champions from Australia's University of New South Wales have managed to clinch the robot football title for the 2nd year in a row in a nail-biting match.

They managed to pull through in the final minutes with two back-to-back goals.

New South Wales team member Sean Harris says they felt fairly overwhelmed heading into the back-half of the match.

"Yeah the game went well in the first half, things sort of crumbled a little bit in the early second half and it was 1-1 with two minutes left. And we only had one working robot because we had a few break. We managed to revive them and we scored two goals in the last two minutes to win 3-1. And that was amazing."Harris says with two titles under their belts, his New South Wales team expects even more pressure next year if they hope to maintain their legacy.

Meanwhile, in the humanoid adult-sized competition, the final between the United States' Team ThorwIn and Iran's Baset went into overtime in another white knuckle tie-breaker, which eventually saw ThorwIn inch into victory following a foul from Iran.

Stephen McGill, a graduate student from the University of Pennsylvania and member of Team ThorwIn, says their victory didn't come easy.

"We were trying to struggle with avoiding the obstacles during the match so scoring two goals there was fantastic for us, they matched with the second goal in the final attempt. During overtime, we were able to go three for three which just barely beat Team Baset with the wonderful two-score finish."Even though the competition in Hefei features a number of different classes of robots, the main motivation for taking part in the competition is the same for all of them - to develop robotic research.

Across the hall, teams have already concluded the final of the Rescue Robot competition.

Iran's MRL finished on top.

Dr Farshid Najafi with MRL says the competition was pretty fierce.

"Yeah actually it was very intense competition last night, the competition was between us - MRL - and iRAP Junior from Thailand. They had a very good robot in terms of the mobility, but what we had was a combination of robots - the tele-operated one, an autonomous one and an aerial robot. That's why we won the competition - we were very diverse and very precise on map generations and map merging."This year has seen more than 2-thousand people take part in the event, making up 170 teams from 47 different countries and regions.

This is the second time China has hosted the annual RoboCup competition.

The first was held in Nagoya, Japan in 1997.

For CRI, I'm qizhiMore patients go to hospital in Xinjiang due to disorders caused by heatMedical officials in Xinjiang are seeing a massive spike this week in the number of people dealing with heat-related issues.

This comes amid the massive heat wave currently gripping the western Chinese region.

Temperatures in some parts of the vast expanse of Xinjiang have been creeping up toward 50-degrees in some areas.

Forecasters are warning the heat wave currently gripping Xinjiang may roll into next week.

The high temperatures are also raising concerns about flooding and landslides brought on by melting mountain snowcaps.

weatherBeijing has thundershowers tonight with a low of 21 degrees Celsius; more showers tomorrow with a high of 31.

Shanghai will have showers tonight with a low of 26; more rain tomorrow with a high of 33.

Chongqing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 24, sunny tomorrow with a high of 35.

Headline newsChinese ambassador refutes Japan's accusation on gas platforms in E. China SeaChina's ambassador to Japan is lashing back at concerns raised by Japan over Chinese oil and gas exploration in the East China Sea.

The Japanese side says it’s concerned about Chinese oil and gas exploration in the region, even though none of it is being done in disputed waters.

Chinese ambassador Cheng Yonghua says Japanese concerns the drilling might end up raiding oil and gas in neighboring Japanese territory are "groundless."He says the Chinese side is willing to work with Japan when it comes to addressing these concerns.

China to provide 10-mln USD for Nepal's reconstructionThe Chinese government has agreed to provide a 10-million-U.S. dollars cash infusion for earthquake repairs in Nepal.

An agreement has been formalized in Kathmandu this Thursday.

The cash will be used to help in the initial repairs of buildings devastated by the massive earthquakes which rocked the country earlier this year.

India expresses concerns over U.S. military sale to PakistanIndia is expressing public concern about US military sales to Pakistan.

The U.S. State Department has now approved the sale of Attack Helicopters and Hellfire Missiles to Pakistan in a deal struck earlier this year.

India's External Affairs Minister says the US should be considering the impact on India's security when making decisions about its weapons sales to Pakistan.

The US has been providing annual military financing to Pakistan since the US invasion of neighboring Afghanistan in 2002.

However, direct arms sales from the US to Pakistan have been rare.

U.S. defense chief makes surprise visit to IraqU.S. Defense Secretary Aston Carter has arrived in Baghdad to meet with Iraqi leaders.

As part of his unannounced visit, Carter is due to hold talks with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other key Iraqi leaders connected to the fight against the Islamic State.

Carter's visit to Baghdad follows the launch of a major Iraqi offensive against the Islamic State in the western province of Anbar this week.

This is Carter's first visit to Iraq as Pentagon chief since taking office in February.

4 killed in shooting in Atlanta, U.S.

Police in the US city of Atlanta are trying to piece together the motivation behind a mass shooting.

A total of four people, including the gunman are dead, following the shooting early Wednesday morning.

Local authorities say a man shot and killed a woman and two children under the age of 10 before turning the gun on himself.

The shooter also shot another man, who remains in critical condition at the moment.

Domestic violence is being looked at as the likely motivation at this point.

biz reportsTurning now to business news.

First a look at the numbers from across the Asian markets to close out this Thursday evening.

Joining me on the desk is CRI's Wang Mengzhen.

Reporter:

China A-share market had a solid session, its 6th-straight day of gains.

Today has also marked Shanghai's longest streak of positive sessions since May.

Over 300 stocks in Shanghai climbed their daily limit this Thursday, led by real estate and telecommunication firms.

Observers are starting to suggest the government's measures to stem the major sell-off is now taking a firm hold.

At the close,The Shanghai Composite Index gained 2.4 percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index jumped 2 and half a percent.

The ChiNext Index, China's Nasdaq-style board for growth enterprises, also surged 2.4 percent.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong also closed higher today, with the Hang Seng index up 0.4 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Tokyo shares ended higher on Thursday on a weaker yen.

The Nikkei gained 0.4 percent.

South Korea's KOSPI ended almost flat today.

Singapore stocks finished slightly lower, with the Straits Times Index down 0.1 percent.

Finally, Australian stocks fell today with the benchmark ASX 200 down 0.4 percent.

A share listed-firms show sign of profit gains in H1Despite the overall volatility on the Chinese A-share market this year, new analysis is suggesting a majority of the companies listed in China may end up turning a profit through the first half of this year.

Of the rougnly 28-hundred companies listed on the A-share market right now, around 18-hundred have already issued first-half guidance for their investors.

Of them, around 60-percent expect to turn a profit through the first 6-months.

One-quarter of the companies are forecasting losses.

Huang Cendong with Sinolink Securities says external factors are part of the reason for the profitability of many A-share firms.

"The impact of crude oil price changes is more obvious on chemical products. The crude price was around 30 to 40 U.S. dollars a barrel last year, while now, it's 50 to 60 U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, rising demand for pork and other meat and catering services has contributed to the good performance of the agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery industries."Of the roughly one-thousand companies on the A-share market which have yet to issue first-half guidance, many of them are in the heavyweight sectors, including banking, real estate and transportation.

Chinese banks' forex settlement deficit expands in H1Official stats show China's foreign exchange deficit has grown through the first half of this year.

Chinese banks bought over 860-billion U.S. dollars worth of foreign currency through the first 6-months of this year.

However, they sold-off over 970-billion U.S. dollars in forex through the same period.

Wang Chunying with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange says fluctuations in cross-border capital flows have been stabilizing since the second quarter.

"Statistics suggest that the pressure on China's cross-border capital outflows was down in the second quarter. Domestically speaking, GDP growth remained at 7 percent in the second quarter, the same with the first quarter figure. This shows a sign of improvement in the Chinese economy. Meanwhile, the strengthening U.S. dollar was a key factor in the first quarter, since the US Dollar Index increased 9 percent. However, the dollar index has since fallen in the second quarter."Meanwhile, China's forex reserves have dropped by some 36 billion U.S. dollars through the second quarter.

This is significantly slower than the 110-billion US dollar loss in forex reserves through the first quarter of this year.

CRRC wins the largest subway train order from MTRChinese train maker CRRC has secured a 780-million US dollar agreement with Hong Kong's MTR.

As part of the new agreement, CRRC will supply 93 eight-car metro trains to MTR to replace the trains currently running on Hong Kong's 4 subway lines.

The trains are expected to be delivered between 2018 and 2023.

Meanwhile, CRRC says it has also won a series of other orders worth over 12 billion yuan in total.

CRRC is the entity created from the merger of CNR and CSR last month.

"Belt and Road" provides opportunities to solve industrial overcapacityAnchor:

Chinese authorities are suggesting the new "Belt and Road" initiative might be one of the ways to solve China's current problems with industrial over-capasity.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology this week has suggested the new initiative may provide an opportunity for domestic industrial firms to shift their operations to countries along the "Belt and Road" where there is still significant enough demand for profits.

Despite attempts to shut-down or restructure industrial facilities in China, the government is still struggling to find ways to get this done on a large-scale basis.

This has led to over-supply problems in a number of industrial sectors.

For more on how the "Belt and Road" initiative could help ease this problem, CRI's Zhao Yang spoke earlier with Einar Tangen, former Chair of the US State of Wisconsin's International Trade Council.

Back anchor:

Einar Tangen, former chairman of the US State of Wisconsin's International Trade Council, speaking with CRI's Zhao Yang.

SportsFootball: Bayern Munich Take on Guangzhou Evergrande TonightKicking things off with football action going on right now:

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich are in southern China taking on Chinese Super League giants Guangzhou Evergrande at Tianhe Stadium.

Guangzhou are 3-0-2 in their last five meetings, with their last match against Liaoning ending 3-1 in Evergrande's favor.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich have been on a tear during, winning four of their last five. They are also two for two on their China tour so far, thrashing La Liga club Valencia 4-1 and shutting out Serie A club Inter Milan 1-0.

(UPDATE)Football: NY Red Bulls Beat EPL Champs Chelsea at Int'l Champions CupIn football action from the International Champions Cup:

New York's Sean Davis scored a brace as Major League Soccer club Red Bulls upset Premiere League champs Chelsea 4-2 on Wednesday.

Chelsea got off to a good start, scoring the only goal of the opening half.

But New York's Franklin Castellanos took advantage of an empty net in the 51st minute and put the match at one-all.

Tyler Adams followed up for NY, as did Sean Davis, who scored his first of two goals in the 73rd to put the Red Bulls 2 ahead.

Chelsea answered back two minutes later to linger just one behind, but Davis answered back aftera nother two minutes to score his second goal and New York's 4th to give them the 4-2 win over the Premiere League champs.

Football: Liverpool Completes Signing of Christian BentekeLiverpool completed the signing of striker Christian Benteke from Aston Villa on Wednesday.

Villa were reluctant to let the 24-year-old Belgian international striker leave, but had no option once Liverpool agreed to meet his buy-out clause of 32.5 million pounds　(or 50.71 million U.S. dollars).

Liverpool had money to spend after selling Englishman Raheem Sterling for 49 million pounds to Manchester City.

Having also signed Danny Ings from Burnley and Brazilian international Roberto Firmino, Liverpool coach Brenden Rogers says his side has invested heavily in firepower to improve on last season's disappointing sixth-place finish:

"Last season was a disappointment for us, so we had to ensure that we would bring in the quality of player needed to help us improve, and we've certainly done that. The quality and the mentality of the players is important and I've got a real inherent belief that the players we've brought in can really help us push on again this season."Benteke played 100 games for Villa in three seasons, scoring 49 goals. He was top scorer last season with 15, including 12 in as many games towards the end of the campaign.

Born in Kinshasa, Zaire, he joined Villa from Belgian club Genk in 2012.

Gold Cup: Jamaica Head into 1st Ever Final Against MexicoIn football action from the Gold Cup:

Jamaica scored one of the biggest upsets in Gold Cup history with their 2-1 shock win over the U.S.A. in the semi-finals.

Darren Mattocks and Giles Barnes netted a goal each within five minutes of each other to get the Reggae Boyz 2-0 over the U.S.

American Michael Bradley scored in the 48th minute to help the U.S. avoid a shutout, but it wasn't enough to overcome 40th-ranked Jamaica.

They head into the final to take on Mexico, who beat short-handed and angered Panama 2-1 in their semi-final match.

Panama's Luis Tejada was red-carded in the 24th minute when his hand made contact with Mexico's Francisco Rodriguez's face when they both went up for a header.

Playing the rest of the match with 10 men, Panama's Roman Torres opened scoring in the second half with a header to make it 1-0.

Then Mexico was granted a controversial penalty in the 88th minute, where Torres fell on the ball in his own box. It was called a hand-ball; both sides protested and halted play for 10 minutes.

After things calmed down, Mexico's Guardado converted the penalty to make it 1-1.

Torres was called for a second penalty in extra time, and Guardado again took the kick, which gave Mexico the 2-1 win.

Boxing: Roy Jones Jr. Talks Ahead of 1st Fight in BritainIn boxing:

Former three-weight world champion Roy Jones Jr. says he will show boxing fans he's still got what it takes when he holds his first fight on English soil in Liverpool later this year against Britain's Tony Moran on September 12th.

"I'm still a shocker. I've still got the quickest hands in the game. I'm still as powerful as ever, I'm still a shocker. When you see my hands go they can shock and amaze you still so look to be shocked and amazed."Moran is 15-6 and is coming off a win over Jody Meikle in May, but doesn't have the accolades that Jones will when they square off.

Roy Jones Jr. is aiming to close in on a showdown with Marko Huck for the world cruiserweight title.

Sergio Garcia Speaks on Return to European MastersIn Golf:

World number 10 Sergio Garcia will make his long-awaited return to the Omega European Masters this week, looking to maintain his excellent record in the Swiss Alps.

Garcia has finished in the top-four on his last three visits, but has not played there for nine years because of scheduling clashes on the PGA Tour.

The Spaniard is looking to revisit his 2005 European Masters win.

However, that win was bittersweet for Garcia:

"Well I remember it was a great victory because I won not long after a good friend of mine passed away from cancer at 25 years old so it was very emotional and I remember--I played really, really well and ended up winning the tournament, which was a great experience and a wonderful feeling."Garcia's Ryder Cup team-mate Lee Westwood is also teeing up at the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club for the first time since 2011.

EntertainmentChinese Media Watchdog Regulates Reality ShowsChina's media watchdog is launching a crackdown on reality shows here in China.

The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television has issued a new set of requirements.

They include promotion of Chinese-based programs.

Provisions also include avoiding using only well-known stars.

Regulations also call for not -quote- "falling into vulgarism."Reality programming has been on the rise here in China in recent years.

However, most of the popular programs are currently imported from South Korea.

Singer Wang Feng goes to Court to Defend Public ReputationA court in Beijing has begun hearing a civil suit launched by singer Wang Feng.

The singer is demanding 4-million yuan in compensation from a blogger for publically calling him a "Casino Pioneer."Blogger Zhou Wei is being sued for accusing Wang Feng of gambling on his official microblog, which the singer alleges is slanderous.

Zhou Wei's lawyer has called on the courts to throw the case out, arguing there is nothing slanderous about what his client wrote.

However, Wang Feng's lawyer argues the blog posts have damaged his client's reputation.

The court in Beijing is expected to render a verdict at a later date.

'Monster Hunt' Surpass 1 Bln yuan Mark in Record TimeFantasy film "Monster Hunt" has set another record, becoming the quickest Chinese film to surpass the 1 billion yuan mark.

The film has taken only 8-days to reach the 1 billion yuan mark, compared to 21 days needed by low-budget comedy "Lost in Thailand".

Starring Jing Boran and Bai Baihe, "Monster Hunt" is set in a fantasy world where humans and monstes battle to rule the land.

"Monster Hunt" already holds the title for the biggest opening day revenues, taking in more than 170 million yuan.

It also boasts the record for the biggest opening week revenues, with close to 670 million yuan.

'Jurassic World' Become 3rd Highest-grossing Movie of All TimeDinosaur blockbuster "Jurassic World" has officially become the 3rd highest-grossing movie of all time.

It's now taken in 1.52-billion US dollars worldwide, outpacing 2012's "The Avengers."This puts it behind "Titanic," which is 2nd all-time with 2.18-billion.

"Avatar" still easily holds the top spot with 2.78-billion US dollars grossed.

Universal Studios is already laughing all the way to the bank this year, regardless of what it puts out over the next 6-months.

"Jurassic World," combined with "Fast and Furious 7," has already earned Universal more than 3-billion US dollars.

But while "Jurassic World" has ridden up the charts, many observers expect it to fall out of the top-3 sometime early next year, as the highly-anticipated release of the newest Star Wars film will be out on December 18th.

'Freeheld' Releases First TrailerThe first trailer for the same-sex rights film "Freeheld" has been released.

"Freeheld" stars Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore and Canadian actress Ellen Page, who herself confirmed for the first time last year that she is a lesbian.

The film is the real-life story of a police detective from the US state of New Jersey who launched a battle 10-years ago to get death benefits for her partner after being diagnosed with incurable lung cancer.

"Freeheld" is set for release in US theatres on October 2nd.

'Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp' Premieres in New YorkNetflix comedy "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp" has premiered in New York.

The 8-episode series is a prequel to the 2001 film of the same title.

The series stars Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks.

It revolves around the counselors and campers at a Maine summer camp preparing for their first day there.

The original movie bombed at the box office after receiving mostly negative reviews.

However, it later developed a cult following.

All eight episodes of "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp" will stream on Netflix as of July 31st.

weatherBeijing has thundershowers tonight with a low of 21 degrees Celsius; more showers tomorrow with a high of 31.

Shanghai will have showers tonight with a low of 26; more rain tomorrow with a high of 33.

Chongqing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 24, sunny tomorrow with a high of 35.

Lhasa will be cloudy tonight with a low of 12, still cloudy tomorrow with a high of 27.

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

China's ambassador to Japan is brushing aside concerns about Chinese oil and gas exploration in the East China Sea.

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