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

Coming up on our program this morning...

The Chinese embassy in Australia has condemned the violent attack on its Consulate General in Sydney on Wednesday...

media reports in Japan say Mitsubishi Materials will issue an apology and compensation to Chinese wartime forced labour...

NASA has announced the discovery of the most Earth-like planet to date, 14-hundred light years away...

In Business...pressure on capital outflows from China have been reduced through the first half of the year...

In Sports...the first mainland-born Major League baseball prospect is heading to the US...

In entertainment...the sequel to John Woo's The Crossing will be in threatres at the end of the month...

Top NewsChina condemns Tibetan separatist attack on its Sydney consulateAnchorThe Chinese embassy in Australia has condemned the violent attack by Tibetan separatists on the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney.

Australian authorities have detained 10 people connected to the Wednesday attack and 8 of them have been charged with a range of offences, including trespass.

CRI's Qi Zhi reports.

ReporterA group of about 30 Tibetan separatists stormed the forecourt of the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney during a demonstration on Wednesday afternoon.

Some hurled stones at the glass door of the main building of the consulate, with one scaling a pole to pull down the Chinese national flag which was flying at half staff to mourn former Chinese top legislator Wan Li who died last week.

A woman assaulted and slightly injured a Chinese consulate officer who was trying to stop the mob from entering the compound.

The violence lasted about five minutes before local police took control and made arrests.

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

"This is an incident of odious nature which severely violates 'The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations' and 'Vienna Convention on Consular Relations', other international conventions and laws in Australia, severely impaired China's national dignity, jeopardized the safety of the Chinese Consulate General and its personnel and posed a threat to them."Tang has also demanded Australia take further measures to safeguard the security of the Chinese embassy and consulates in the country.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has issued a statement, saying the Australian Government takes seriously its obligations to protect the safety and dignity of foreign diplomatic and consular missions and condemns all forms of violent protest.

Since 1959, the Dalai Lama and his separatists have engaged in a series of violent incidents.

Wednesday's attack on the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney is just another in a long history of examples.

Tang Ying says it shows the true nature of the Tibetan separatists.

"The incident exposed the hypocrisy of the so-called non-violent policy advocated by the Dalai Lama Clique and Tibetan separatists once again."She also says Australian police have made a sincere apology to China and vowed to reevaluate the work arrangements and measures taken at the scene.

"Australian police have made clear that there's a lesson to learn from the incident, admitting they had underestimated the protest organizers' propensity for violence. They have promised to reevaluate the risk assessment before each demonstration."10 people, five men and five women, were detained by the New South Wales police following the incident, including a 38-year-old woman who injured the Chinese consulate officer.

A Police spokesperson says eight people have been charged with three crimes including breaking into the protected embassy, tearing the Chinese national flag and offending Chinese consular officials.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

Japan's Mitsubishi to offer apology, compensation to Chinese forced laborers in WWIIMedia reports in Japan say Mitsubishi Materials will offer compensation and an apology to Chinese forced labourers it used during World War II.

The apology has not been confirmed by the company, but it would follow the unprecedented apology delivered on Sunday to US prisoners of war used by the company as forced labour.

According to the Japanese government, nearly 3,800 Chinese nationals were used as forced labour at 12 mining sites belonging to Mitsubishi Materials.

More than 700 of them died.

The plan reportedly includes compensation of two million yen, about 16-thousand US dollars, for each victim, along with an apology.

Mitsubishi is also said to be planning to construct a memorial for the forced labour victims, and to spend about 1.6 million dollars on an investigation of its actions during the war.

The media report says the company and a group of Chinese plaintiffs reached a settlement.

Previous court cases against the company had been rejected.

Earlier reports have indicated that Mitsubishi Materials will also offer apologies to former British, Dutch, and Australian POWs.

Chinese Ambassador Refutes Japan's Accusation on Gas Platforms in E. China SeaAnchorChina's ambassador to Japan has issued a strong rebuke to concerns raised by Japan over Chinese oil and gas exploration in the East China Sea.

CRI's Niu Honglin has more.

ReporterIn the annual defense white paper approved by the Japanese cabinet on Tuesday, Japan demanded that China stop building a new offshore platform that could be used for "military purposes" in the East China Sea.

The country then published 14 photos on its Foreign Ministry Website of the offshore platform, calling it a unilateral action that Japan protests.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua on Thursday refuted Japan's accusation, calling them groundless since all the platforms Japan disclosed are clearly in waters under China's jurisdiction.

"There is no dispute over sea area to the west of the so-called "median line". It is non-disputed territory between China and Japan. Japan has no reason to make objections about the area it mentioned yesterday."Cheng says both countries should respect the principled common understanding on the issue of the East China Sea reached in 2008, and solve problems through dialogue.

Cheng made the remarks after his speech at Japan's National Press Center.

While speaking to the Japanese media, the ambassador also fielded questions about Japan's new defense policies.

"Japan is now actively adjusting its security policy. We're keeping our eyes on whether the Japanese government keeps their promises and maintains its attitude toward the Asian countries and the world."Cheng says China never makes Japan out to be an 'imaginary enemy", calling it a "dangerous move" for Japan to stir "China threats" as the government in Tokyo works to pass its controversial security bills. He points out that "manipulating China as an imaginary enemy" will only serve as an obstacle for Sino-Japanese relations.

In the meantime, Cheng says China will keep an eye on the much-anticipated statement by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when it comes to Japan's wartime past.

He urged Japan to have a correct perception over China's peaceful development and stopdenying and whitewashing Japan's wartime history.

"If the statement is deliberately 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 observers widely expect that Abe's forthcoming statement marking the end of World War II may end up backtracking on statements of regret from previous Japanese administrations about the country's wartime past.

The ambassador reiterated that China welcomes all leaders it invited to participate in the events in September to mark the 70th anniversary of China's victory of the war against the Japanese aggression.

China has invited Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to take part in the event but there has been no reply so far from the Japanese side.

For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

Chinese, ASEAN diplomats to discuss Code of Conduct in S. China SeaDiplomats from China and ASEAN countries are set to discuss the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and senior officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are due to hold talks in Tianjin on Wednesday.

The meetings are expected to focus on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which will include maritime cooperation.

The talks come amid the lingering tensions over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Shanghai detains two for murdering baby with cleft lipPolice in Shanghai have detained 2 people suspected of murdering a newborn who had a cleft lip.

The two include a doctor and the infant's grandfather.

The elderly man has admitted he got potassium chloride from a doctor surnamed Zhou who taught him how to use it.

The grandfather then injected the medicine into the boy, who died a day after he was born.

Ji Hui, a deputy chief of the No.2 People's Hospital in Chongming County, says medical staff contacted police after the boy was found dead without any obvious injuries.

"The police immediately carried out an investigation. It is believed that the newborn was deprived of life and did not die of natural causes."Potassium chloride is usually used to treat potassium deficiency but concentrated doses can be fatal.

The hospital has confirmed that Zhou took the potassium chloride from the hospital a few days before the incident.

The hospital insists that the parents had been informed that the baby's cleft lip could have been fixed.

Media reports have suggested the baby may have been suffering from other physical deformities as well.

The investigation is ongoing.

China's Medical insurance to Cover Expenses for the DisabledChina's State Council has released draft regulations to expand basic medical insurance to cover expenses for the disabled.

Under the regulations, the treatment and rehabilitation costs of disabled people can be paid through the medical insurance plan.

The head of Nankai University's social construction and management department, Guan Xinping, says this move marks a breakthrough in China's medical insurance system.

"In the future, rehabilitation will become increasingly expensive. If it is not included in the medical insurance system, rehabilitation may be too expensive for disabled people. With the new regulations, medical insurance can pay the costs, benefiting most disabled people. I think China's insurance level for the disabled is quite advanced."In terms of costs not paid through basic medical insurance, disabled people can enjoy medical assistance according to relevant state provisions.

The draft also stipulates that children below six years old with visual and hearing disabilities can receive services include surgery, assistance devices and rehabilitation free of charge.

The latest data shows that the disabled population in China has reached 85 million, with over 50 million in need of rehabilitation.

NASA's planet-hunting Kepler Telescope spots Earth's close cousinAnchorScientists using the planet- hunting Kepler space telescope have discovered several new exoplanet candidates.

Among them is a planet 14-hundred light-years away, which is being hailed as Earth's closest twin.

Kepler-452b is older and larger than the Earth and is thought to orbit a sun similar to our own.

Kevin McAleese reports from Washington.

Reporter"Today we're announcing the discovery of an exoplanet that as far as we can tell is a pretty good close cousin to the earth and our sun"An historic moment in NASA's epic pursuit of earth-like planets, as the newly discovered Kepler-452b was officially unveiledThat honour went to administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington John Grunsfeld, who alongside other experts explained that the planet orbits it's star every 385 days, and according to Jon Jenkins, the man who led the discovery team, the surface of the planet stands a good chance of being rocky, cloudy and home to active volcanoes.

"It would likely have a mass 5 times that of earth and surface gravity twice that of earth so you and I would weigh twice as much as we do now but only until we'd walked around for a few weeks and lost some serious pounds"Pouring over vast quantities of data collected by the Kepler telescope over several years, Astronomers had already discovered eight or nine planets similar in size to Earth in so-called "habitable" zones of their stars – where conditions are not too hot, not too cold, and could potentially support life, but with Kepler-452b scientists say they have found earth 2.0.

Didier Queloz, professor of astrophysics at Cambridge University...

"Keep working as well, and we keep being as enthusiastic and we keep designing program like we have done so far I mean it is for sure that one day the issue to detect life on another planet will solved"California based Astronomer, Jeff Coughlin says the Kepler telescope, which uses the largest camera ever launched into space, still has plenty more planet-hunting ahead.

"You might be asking yourself hey is this the end, you just told me that you've analyzed everything in the Kepler data set, is this all we're going to get, is this the end, and my answer is heck no! there's a lot more to come"Kepler is now gathering other kinds of data to help scientists understand other areas of astrophysics, such as how planets are formed.

A year from now NASA plans to release even more mission details, with the Kepler team already confident of further earth-like discoveries on the horizon.

For CRI, I'm Kevin McAleese in WashingtonTurkish forces exchange fire with IS militants near Syrian border townTurkish forces have exchanged fire with Islamic State fighters in Syria after a Turkish soldier was killed and two others were wounded in a cross-border fight.

One Islamic State militant has been killed.

Local media say the clashes were close to the village of Elbeyli, an area where the Islamic State has sent reinforcements in recent weeks.

The fighting comes days after a suspected suicide bombing by the Islamist radical group in Suruc, which killed 32 people.

The Turkish army has stepped up security along parts of the border with Syria.

Around half of the armoured vehicles which patrol Turkey's borders are now along the Syrian frontier.

US and Turkey to deepen cooperation in anti-IS operationIn another development,The White House says U.S. President Barack Obama and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed joint efforts to fight Islamic State militants.

Media reports have revealed that Turkey has agreed to allow the U.S. military to launch air strikes against IS militants from a U.S. air base in southern Turkey.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest didn't confirm the reports citing security concerns.

"And in the context of the conversation that the president had with President Erdogan last night, they talked about efforts to enhance and deepen our cooperation, What they will be focused on is promoting security and stability in Iraq and they will be focused on trying to bring about a political settlement inside of Syria."Turkey, which confronts Islamic State militants directly across its southern border with Syria, has been a reluctant partner in the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamist group.

The U.S. Air Force has not been allowed to fly any bombing sorties against Islamic State from Incirlik (IHN-JEER-LIHK)base in southern Turkey, but it does use the airfield to launch drones.

US Defense Chief Makes Surprise Visit to IraqU.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has made a surprise visit to Baghdad to assess the campaign against the Islamic State.

He has met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and underscored the need for capable Iraqi ground forces to battle the Islamic State, known as Daesh in Arabic.

"We will defeat Daesh because civilization always wins over barbarity. But to defeat Daesh we need capable ground forces that we can enable and support and we will. And getting those forces in turn requires inclusive governance."During Carter's visit, the US military has announced that Iraq has for the first time deployed soldiers trained by the U.S.-led coalition in their campaign to retake the city of Ramadi from IS militants.

A Pentagon spokesman says the roughly 3,000 coalition-trained soldiers joined the Ramadi operation in recent days.

The Islamic State seized Ramadi, capital of Iraq's largest province of Anbar, two months ago, extending its control in the west of Baghdad and dealing a major setback to the Iraqi army and U.S.-backed allies.

U.S. President Barack Obama responded last month by ordering 450 more U.S. troops to set up at Taqaddum base, which is only about 25 km from Ramadi.

One of the goals of a new U.S. deployment to Taqaddum is to encourage Sunni tribes to join the battle against the Islamic State.

Carter says he will also meet Sunni leaders during his trip to Iraq.

No better alternative for the Iran nuclear deal: John KerryU.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has mounted a counterattack against critics of the Iran nuclear deal.

Kerry refutes critics of the deal, warning a rejection of the accord would give Tehran "a great big green light" to swiftly accelerate its atomic program.

He made the remarks while testifying before Congress for the first time following the announcement of the deal, struck between Iran and world powers last week.

"Moreover if the U.S. after laboriously negotiating this multilaterally agreement with five other partners were to walk away from those partners we're on our own.　Our partners will not walk away with us.　Instead, they will walk away from the tough multi-lateral sanctions regime that they have helped put in place.　And we will have squandered the best chance we have to solve this problem through peaceful means."However, Many Republicans have also come out strongly against the pact, which they say will empower Iran and threaten U.S. ally Israel.

Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio says the deal is "fundamentally flawed."Congress has until September 17th to approve or reject the deal.

If a disapproval resolution passes Congress and survives a veto, US president Barack Obama would be unable to waive most of the U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran, which could cripple the nuclear pact.

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 analyist 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 [the] 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, its 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.

More 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.

Doctor Zhang Xinjun with the TCM Hospital of Xinjiang says they're dealing with patients suffering from sunstroke and other heat-related problems.

"The recent heat has brought more patients to our hospital. The number of patients coming in over the past week is 20 to 30 percent higher than that of the same period of last year."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 will see thundershowers with a high of 31 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 21.

Shanghai will have moderate rain with a high of 33 and a low of 27.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 36 and lows of 25.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, slight rain, 28.

Islamabad will see slight rain with a high of 31.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 32.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 30 degrees.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 32 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 28.

Toronto will be cloudy with a high of 28 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will see slight rain with a high of 15.

And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 26 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChinese premier hails BRICS bankChinese Premier Li Keqiang has hailed the opening of the New Development Bank as an "important step forward" in cooperation among BRICS countries.

The comment was made during Li Keqiang's meeting with NDB President K.V. Kamath in Beijing.

Premier Li expressed hope that the NDB can aid the industrialization of developing countries.

Kamath told Li Keqiang the NDB will exploit potential for economic growth and industrial cooperation among BRICS countries in an innovative way.

The NDB opened in Shanghai on Tuesday.

Chinese leaders pledge support for post-quake reconstruction in XinjiangTop Chinese leaders have pledged more support to the reconstruction in Pishan county in Xinjiang which was hit by a 6.5-magnitude earthquake early this month.

The quake left 3 people dead and nearly 300 others injured in the county, inhabited by people of Uygur ethnicity.

Thousands of homes were also damaged.

President Xi Jinping has stressed quality restoration work, saying the central government will provide necessary special support for the reconstruction.

Premier Li Keqiang has also asked departments involved to work out and implement measures for the reconstruction and to properly settle those affected.

Beijing to issue residential permits in 2015Beijing is to introduce a residential permit system this year in an effort to limit the booming population expansion.

People who obtain the permits will be entitled to many of the benefits only enjoyed with the Beijing "hukou", or permanent resident permits.

However, it is not yet clear how the new system will affect population growth.

Beijing's permanent population has exceeded 20 million, limiting valuable benefits and welfare only to those with the Beijing "hukou".

The city government is also pushing for a "point system" to allow its migrants to claim permanent resident permits.

Obama urges Britain to stay in EUU.S. President Barack Obama is urging Britain to stay in the European Union.

In an interview with the BBC, Obama says having Britain in the bloc means much greater confidence about the strength of the transatlantic union.

Obama has also lauded Britain as America's "best partner" for its willingness to project power beyond self-interests to make a safer world.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to hold an "in or out" referendum by 2017 on whether Britain should withdraw from the EU.

4 Egyptian soldiers killed by roadside bomb in North SinaiFour Egyptian soldiers have been killed and another three wounded in a roadside bomb blast in North Sinai.

The bomb struck a passing armoured vehicle during an army raid in the town of Rafah.

Egypt's army has recently been involved in intensified fighting with rising militant insurgency operating from the Sinai Peninsula.

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

Here is our reporter Min Rui.

Reporter:

U.S. stocks declined for the third straight session Thursday as investors meditated on a raft of largely lackluster earnings reports.

The Dow Jones fell 0.7 percent.

he S&P 500 lost 0.6 percent.

The Nasdaq decreased half a percent.

On the corporate front, Amazon shares soared as the retail giant revealed surprise second quarter results that widely beat expectations.

Visa fiscal third quarter profit jumped 25 percent, helped by a double digit rise in payments processed on its network.

McDonald's predicted a return of growth for the burger chain in the second half of this year, after another quarter of slumping sales.

Over in Europe, the Greek parliament passed a bill early Thursday on a second batch of reforms in line with an international bailout for Greece's sluggish economy.

The legislation was requested by international lenders in order to finalize the third bailout and avert default and a Greek exit from the Eurozone.

The British FTSE 100 slipped slightly by 0.2 percent.

France's CAC 40 gained a slight advance.

Germany's DAX closed little changed.

China sees stable capital outflows in H1China saw stable capital outflows in the first half of this year despite experiencing a high volatility of cross-border capital flows.

Statistics show a year-on-year decrease of 10 percent in China's bank exchange settlement in the first half.

The country's exchange sales increased 25 percent year-on-year, making a deficit stand at 105 billion U.S. dollars.

China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange spokeswoman Wang Chunying says pressure on capital outflows was reduced.

"Based on statistics we have, there were no persistent large-scale capital outflows in the first half of this year. What's more, the pressure of capital outflows was reduced and stabilized in the second quarter compared with the first quarter."Wang says the on-going Greek debt crisis hasn't had an impact on China's cross-border capital flows.

However, China will stay alert to the possible consequences as time passes.

China's Bank Regulator Approves 5 Regions to Set up Asset Management FirmsThe China Banking Regulatory Commission has approved five local governments to set up asset management companies to buy bad loans from financial institutions.

This is the third batch of regions approved by the authority.

The five places are Shandong, Hubei, Ningxia, Jilin and Guangxi.

The first two batches include Guangdong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, and several others.

The asset management firms will be allowed to dispose non-performing loans from local financial institutions including banks, trust firms, finance companies, and financial leasing firms.

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

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

====1, Alibaba plans to set up more data centers in overseasAlibaba's cloud computing unit said on Wednesday it will soon open a second data center in the United States, highlighting the company's efforts to expand abroad.

The company will launch the new facility within months.

It also plans to set up more data centers in Singapore, Europe and Japan within a year.

[Talking points]

A, Some say Aliyun is not competent enough to take clients from international players such as Amazon and Microsoft. Its target customers are Chinese companies that are expanding overseas. What is your take on that?

B, What can the new data centers do to help business? (shorten the time needed to deliver Web content from foreign countries to consumers in China and vice versa)====2, Huawei Technologies' H1 smartphone revenue more than doubles in ChinaHuawei more than doubled its smartphone revenue in China during the first half of 2015.

The company is defying a slowdown in the world's biggest handset market that is enveloping rivals Xiaomi and Samsung.

The fourth-largest smartphone maker globally missed shipment targets for two years, but a focus shift to high-margin premium models pushed its worldwide shipments to 48.2 million phones.

That puts it on course to move 100 million mobiles this year, 33 percent more than last.

[Talking points]

A, How did the turnaround happened? What can we learn from the company's business move?

B, With Apple and Samsung are both set to launch new flagship products. Will Huawei continue the winning streak?

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

Pearson agrees US$1.3b sale of FTBritish publishing company Pearson announced it has agreed to sell its flagship business newspaper the Financial Times to Japanese digital media group Nikkei.

Pearson said it will sell the FT Group, which also includes FT.com, for 1.3 billion U.S. dollars in cash.

Pearson had owned the paper for nearly 60 years.

The deal does not include FT Group's 50 percent stake in The Economist Group, or the building in London where the paper is based.

IG market analyst Chris Beauchamp says he doesn't feel that radical changes at FT are imminent.

"Like all news organisations it has slimmed down quite considerably over the last few years and that paywall continues to provide the steady income it needs. I don't think anyone's looking to make radical changes just yet. It fits what it does very very well, and a desire I think from any new owner not to change that current policy."Nikkei Inc, publisher of the Nikkei business daily, is the largest independent business media group in Asia.

It is an employee-owned firm which also lends its name to the main Japanese stock market index, the Nikkei 225.

Analysts and bankers had been waiting for years for Pearson to sell the trophy asset.

The sale of the FT Group to Nikkei is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2015.

SportsXu Guiyuan to be introduced to the OriolesStarting things off with some baseball news,Xu Guiyuan, the first Chinese mainland player to sign with a Major League Baseball team, is to travel to a facility in Florida to be introduced to the Baltimore Orioles.

Nineteen-year-old outfielder Xu will start the new chapter of his career in Baltimore's Minor League system.

Xu has realized he is something of a pioneer in baseball in China.

"I have taken the first step into the Minor Leagues, which is a big motivation, and a push for the development of this sport in China. I hope more Chinese people will play baseball because it is a lot of fun. Playing baseball is like living your life, and it gives you a unique experience that you can't find anywhere else. I really hope more people can join me."Director of MLB Game Development in Asia Rick Dell spotted Xu as a 13-year-old. Dell hopes the signing of Xu is a good start for many more signings from China.

"So I would say it's safe to say that we would hope that we would have some more "Itchies" on a regular basis every year. That's not always going to happen, some years it's going to be a little more fruitful than others, but there's no reason that this can't be the beginning of a very, very great time in China where we are seeing players being signed by MLB from China."Xu will finish high school in China before joining the Minor League in February.

Guangzhou Evergrande beat Bayern Munich 5-4 on penaltiesTurning to football,Guangzhou Evergrande has defeated Bayern Munich, winning on a penalty shoot-out.

Neither team succeeded in scoring a goal in regular play.

Thomas Mueller started first for Bayern in the penalties and his kick was saved by Evergrande goalkeeper Zeng Cheng.

All nine kicks that followed were converted to give Guangzhou Evergrande a 5-4 victory.

As expected, Robinho started for the home team and played the first half.

Evergrande coach Luiz Felipe Scolari faced some of the German players that were on the national team when Germany massacred his Brazil squad 7-1 in the World Cup a year ago.

Scolari is happy about the circumstances in which they meet again.

"In my memories, German players are top class. On that day, they did extremely well. I think they are all nice guys. So I am happy to play against those German players again. Football is not just about winning or losing. Football is eternal. I am really happy that my life goes on after that day. And I am happy to coach a Chinese team today."For Bayern Munich, they lost nothing more than the game as there were no injuries and coach Pep Guardiola is happy about the China tour.

Bayern Munich wrapped up its pre-season China tour with a 4-1 victory against Valencia, a 1-0 win against Inter Milan and the penalty loss Guangzhou Evergrande.

Arturo Vidal set to join Bayern MunichBayern Munich has finalized the transfer of Arturo Vidal from Italian Serie A champion Juventus.

Bayern's chief executive told a news conference in Guangzhou that only a medical examination is needed before Vidal can sign.

Romain Bardet wins TdF stage 18In cycling,Romain Bardet has delivered a second victory to the host nation by winning stage 18 of the Tour de France.

Bardet attacked a splintered breakaway group on a summit with 40 kilometers remaining of the stage and opened up a 40-second gap on the descent.

He then tackled 18 hairpins to reach the next summit and held on to the advantage on the run down to win by 33 seconds at the finish.

There is still no change in the general classification with Chris Froome in the yellow jersey as the favorites closely marked each other and all finished together.

Today the Tour welcomes its queen stage, with four high climbs, including two that are first-category both at the beginning and the end of the stage.

Bolt, Farah to run at Diamond League Meeting LondonIn action from track and field,Usain Bolt will race in the 100 meter at the Diamond League meeting in London after withdrawing from both Paris and Laussane.

Bolt is hoping to spring back to form in time for the world championships in Beijing next month.

"I never doubt myself. That's one thing. I look forward to competition. Beijing is a month away. I'm not really worried about that. I try to take it a step at a time. I have to run tomorrow, get through these two races. As I said, i've been training really hard. I've been pushing myself, so it's all about execution. If I can execute right, and get everything right, then I know I'll run fast. So it's all about just getting the timing right, and when Beijing comes, it will come."Bolt will be the man to beat in London as his major rivals Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay will both be missing from the event.

Meanwhile, Mo Farah will also be taking part in the London meeting and the World Championships in Beijing. The Olympic champion reiterated he is not bothered by doping allegations against his coach Alberto Salazar.

EntertainmentJohn Woo's 'The Crossing' 2 to Be Available in Theatres on July 30John Woo's highly anticipated romantic nautical epic "The Crossing: Part 2" has recently been announced for release on the 30th of this month.

Following the first installment in 2014, the second part of the film continues to center around three couples and their intertwining love stories set in 1940s' Taiwan and Shanghai.

John Woo thinks his upcoming movie will demonstrate how love charms its way out of a disaster.

"Based in part on the true tale of the Taiping luxury liner that sank in 1949 near Taiwan, the feelings of love that arouse at the moment of the sinking of this Chinese steamer would exhibit its power and endurance."With an all-star cast, which includes Zhang Ziyi, Huang Xiaoming and Takeshi Kaneshiro, Woo's 3-D first installment reportedly earned around 32.4 million US dollars in box office last year.

The film is John Woo's first film project after his recovery from cancer.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 trailer releasedThe full-length trailer for Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 has now arrived.

Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss Everdeen, who leads a revolution all the way to the evil President Snow's front door. Returning cast members also include Julianne Moore, Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson.

The franchise has so far made over 2.3 billion US dollars at the global box office and the final chapter is expected to bring this total to over 3billion.

Mockingjay – Part 2 will be released in the US on November 20.

Universal Sets June 22, 2018 Date For Next 'Jurassic World;'

After the smash success of "Jurassic World," Universal has dated a sequel for June 22, 2018.

Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard will return to star in the film, which Steven Spielberg will executive produce through his Amblin Entertainment banner.

Colin Trevorrow, who directed "Jurassic World," will co-write the screenplay with Derek Connolly.

The announcement of a sequel comes as little surprise, given that Jurassic World is the highest-grossing movie ever distributed by Universal.

Jurassic World also currently sits as the third highest-grossing movie of all-time, having recently overtaken The Avengers. It sits behind only Avatar and Titanic.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

The Chinese embassy in Australia has condemned the violent attack on its Consulate General in Sydney on Wednesday...

media reports in Japan say Mitsubishi Materials will issue an apology and compensation to Chinese wartime forced labour...

NASA has announced the discovery of the most Earth-like planet to date, 14-hundred light years away...

In Business...pressure on capital outflows from China have been reduced through the first half of the year...

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.