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

Coming up on the program this evening...

China's Ministry of Commerce announcing progress in trade with countries along the "One Belt One Road"UN officials hailing new sustainable development agenda...

US President Obama unveiling new plans to regulate carbon emissions from America's coal-burning power plants...

In Business.... China cutting retail fuel prices from tomorrow...

In Sports.... Senior Chinese volleyball official being investigated for graft....

And in Entertainment... Jackie Chan denying he will be retiring any time soon...

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.

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

WeChat: search "beijinghour"Email us directly at [email protected].

Visit crienglish.com for the latest news and information from China Radio International.

TopChina makes progress in trade with countries along 'One Belt One Road'

Anchor:

China's Ministry of Commerce announced at a press conference in Beijing Tuesday morning that the country has made solid progress with nations involved in the "One Belt One Road" initiative during the first half of this year.

CRI's Xyee has more.

Reporter:

Shen Danyang, spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce, says the total foreign investment as well as the number of enterprises that were invested in by relevant countries have both increased.

"In terms of absorbing overseas investment, a total of 948 enterprises were invested in and established by countries involved in 'One Belt One Road' initiative, with a year-on-year increase of 10.62 percent; the total foreign investment stood at 3.67 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 4.15 percent."Statistics released by the MOC showed that the total volume of bilateral trade with those countries stood at around 485 billion US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 8.4 percent.

Export volume reached over 290 billion US dollars, while the import volume stood at nearly 190 billion US dollars.

Shen adds that a number of industries have been greatly absorbing overseas investment.

"In terms of the industries that are being invested in, industries of information transmission, computer service and software, industries of finance, rent and industry of commercial service saw significant increase in absorbing overseas investment."China has directly invested in 48 countries involved in "One Belt One Road" initiative with total investment volume reaching over 7 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 22 percent.

Shen says China has made remarkable achievements as far as service outsourcing is concerned.

"As for service outsourcing, Chinese enterprises have signed 7.06 billion US dollars' worth contracts with countries involved in 'One Belt One Road' initiative. Among which, a total of 4.83 billion dollars' contracts have been executed, a year-on-year increase of 17 and 4.1 percent respectively."The over 1,400 contracted projects cover fields such as electric power projects, telecommunication engineering, housing construction, communication and transportation to petrochemical industry.

For CRI, I'm Xyee.

UN officials hail new sustainable development agendaAnchor:

Officials from the United Nations are hailing a new sustainable development program which will last through the next 15 years.

A senior Chinese UN official has also expressed his support.

CRI's Xie Cheng has more.

Reporter:

The Sustainable Development Goals listed in the roadmap document, or SDG, is set to replace the Millennium Development Goals, or MDG, a set of eight anti-poverty targets to be reached by the end of this year.

Wu Hongbo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, says all UN member states are involved in the formation of the Sustainable Development Goals from an early stage.

"One notable characteristic of the 2030 agenda is that it is an innovative three-pronged concept consisting of sustainable economic development, social progress and environmental protection."He adds that the new objectives are aimed at all countries and regions, not just underdeveloped areas, and that the 2030 agenda will help China and many other developing countries integrate their development roadmaps with global development strategies.

"The formulation of the 2030 agenda is an example that China can use when it draws up its 13th Five-Year Plan. It can broaden our policymakers' horizons and teach them lessons on international standards and international pioneering ideas. This would help integrate our country's development strategy with global development strategies."UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made the comments following days of marathon talks that ended on Sunday evening with an ovation for the reaching of the final text.

"This is truly a we the people agenda. The outcome document is called quote Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is a roadmap to ending global poverty, building a life with dignity and leaving no one behind."The document outlines 17 ambitious Sustainable Development Goals, ranging from issues of poverty, gender equality and economic development to climate change and ocean resource protection.

Meanwhile, the UN chief is also calling on the international community to maintain momentum and try to reach a new global climate pact at the Paris climate summit later this year.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

Obama's Carbon emission plansAnchor:

US President Obama has unveiled new plans to regulate carbon emissions from America's coal-burning power plants.

Mr Obama said it would be shameful if the US waited any longer to tackle the causes of climate change.

The plan however is expected to face some strong congressional opposition.

Kevin McAleese reports from WashingtonReporter:

Speaking on Monday the US president was blunt and to the point"no challenge poses a greater threat to our future and future generations than a change in climate"The tough new federal restrictions on Green House gas emissions from coal power plants in the US requires states to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent, over the next 15 years.

"The simpler layman's way of saying that it's like cutting every ounce of emission due to electricity from 108mln American homes or the equivalent of taking 166mln cars off the road"Since last year The US has already made joint announcements alongside China and Brazil to slash carbon pollution, but Mr Obama's call for a shift to cleaner energy left some Republican lawmakers cold...

Earlier this year Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, representing coal-rich Kentucky, urged states not to comply with the plan in a letter to all 50 governors.

"Jobs and the economy are clearly what the voters are concerned about we need to do everything we can to rein in the regulatory onslaught which is the principal reason that we haven't had the kind of bounce back after the 2008 recession that you might expect"A fellow republican hopeful for the White House in 2016, Rick Perry, told Fox News that the economy would suffer under the carbon cuts.

"The pres is going to destroy people in this country economically if he continues down this path of taking our American energy away from us"Some republicans have already vowed to take legal and congressional action to stop the new regulations, over concerns it will be a job-killer and send electricity bills soaring.

The president however was in no doubt the deal was good for the economy, US security and the health of the American people.

"We only get one planet. there's no plan B I don't want my grand-kids not to be able to swim in Hawaii or not to be able to climb a mountain and see a glacier but we decided not to do something about it"The next challenge for the Obama administration's environmental ambitions will come later this year at an international climate agreement in Paris.

For CRI, I'm Kevin McAleese in WashingtonChina and ASEAN work together to uphold regional peace and stability: Chinese FMWang Yi, who is in Kuala Lumpur to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum, an annual Asian security gathering, said China and ASEAN member states are capable of working together to maintain peace and stability.

Wang Yi also made comments on the South China Sea issue.

"It's not a constructive move to exercise double-standards on this issue. Other countries should support ASEAN (The Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and China to implement the DOC (Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea) properly. China and ASEAN are capable enough to work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea."The Chinese Foreign Minister made the remarks during a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Tuesday at the 48th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

Wang Yi will also join other foreign ministers from the 10 ASEAN members on Wednesday to discuss global and regional issues.

China Vows More Efforts for AccessibilityAnchor:

There have been new calls here in China to make public facilities and services more accessible to people with disabilities.

CRI's Yu Yang reports.

Reporter:

The China Disabled Person's Federation has come out with new analysis, suggesting that while a lot of strides have been made toward making China more accessible to people with disabilities, more can still be done.

In making the suggestion, Federation vice-President Lv Shiming does note advancements have been made in recent years.

"It has been more convenient for people with disabilities to take planes and trains. The college admission exams have opened doors for these people and for visually impaired citizens, they can now board subways with guide dogs and use internet-based services provided by some mobile operators and financial institutions."But at the same time, Lv Shiming says the progress is still far from meeting the overall demands of disabled people.

A recent survey conducted by the Federation among some 30-million people registered as disabled shows there is still a lot of demand for a barrier-free environment.

The analysis is suggesting an overall lack of awareness of accessibility needs, on top of poor construction methods and lax management of public facilities are still the major concerns among the disabled in China.

The Chinese government says it is already taking steps to try to rectify the situation.

Liu Can with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development says the voices of the disabled in China are being heard.

"We will continue to improve regulations and standards related to barrier-free environments and step up the efforts to increase the public awareness of accessibility for the disabled. Efforts will also be made to address the needs of home renovations for these people, especially in less well-off households."China has more than 80 million people with disabilities, which accounts for over 6-percent of the total population.

Regulations have been in-place for the past few years to try to create barrier-free environments to improve accessibility for the handicapped.

Stats from the State Council show over 500-thousand households across China have been retrofitted over the past 4-years to help make them more accessible for people with disabilities.

This has included the installation of stair-lifts for wheelchairs and barrier-free modifications to bathrooms and kitchens.

Chinese authorities are also pledging to take steps to make the internet more accessible to those who are visually impaired.

For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.

Peacekeeping, the game of the brave: Chinese PeacekeeperAnchor:

We continue our series today on China's armed forces involvement in UN peacekeeping missions.

Our reporter Niu Honglin speaks with a pair of Chinese military observers who have served in some of the most dangerous UN Peacekeeping missions around the world.

Reporter:

"You need some tact to play the game of the brave."This is how Nan Yixu sums up the essence of his job – that of a military observer deployed in Lebanon,As a member of the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in Lebanon, Nan Yixu's job was to supervise the ceasefire line in the volatile tri-border region of Lebanon, Israel and Syria. Place names of that region often appeared in breaking news at that time: Bekaa Valley, Golan Heights -- all about tension or conflicts. There are constant cross-border skirmishes triggered by illegal transfer of arms, crossing of combatants and the flight of refugees.

Nan Yixu's mission was to observe what was happening on the ground, to look out for any unexploded ordnance like bombs, shells, grenades or land mines buried under the roads. His duty was to report what he saw and heard in a timely manner through the appropriate channels.

Military observers are the eyes and ears of UN. Higher level commanders need their input to understand the ground situation and make the right decisions.

Nan Yixu says even though they were only there to observe, there were constantly exposed to danger.

"When we were patrolling alongside the Blue Line, anything could happen. For instance, people from different forces might turn their guns at you simultaneously. You looked up and saw all the red dots, the laser sightings, on your teammate's face. Both of you rushed back to the car, found somewhere safe to hide and immediately reported what you'd seen. You never asked for these things to happen, but they did make you better teammates, closer friends."Like Nan Yixu, He Xing has also carried out some similar mission several months ago. He served under the UN flag as Force Engineer at Force Headquarters in the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) in Western Sudan from May 2014 to June 2015. He was the Force Commander's advisor on all engineering matters related to post-war reconstruction in a region that has undergone a bloody war.

He Xing was responsible for assigning engineering tasks to different teams, evaluating the performance of engineering companies in the mission; communicating with different sections and civilian organizations to prioritize engineering tasks; and monitor the progress made.

He Xing is now back in China, teaching in a university in China's eastern city of Nanjing.

He says he will always cherish the experiences he has gained as a peacekeeper"In each and every peacekeeping mission, there's always danger, security concerns. Accidents happen. I wish all the peacekeepers can finish their mission successfully and safely. And I wish during the mission they should learn from foreigners from their counterparts. And try to maintain a good relationship with local communities. "He Xing says he witnessed Chinese peacekeepers overcoming the challenges one by one and making steady progress in various aspects.

For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

Back anchor: For more stories on China's participation in UN peacekeeping missions,you can visit crienglish.com to find a special page on it.

1st Batch of Aid from China Arrives at Flooding MyanmarA rescue mission led by the Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar on Monday handed out the first batch of aid to Myanmar's flood-hit regions.

Close to 50 people have been killed in the flooding in Myanmar's northwest region. More than 200 thousand others have been affected.

Hong Liang, Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar, says Chinese rescue operations will assist some 1,500 families in Kalay and 20,000 families in Sittway.

"We went to see the relief camps earlier, therefore, we had prepared exactly what they needed. What we brought here is useful, the relief supplies are exactly what the flood victims need."Special family rescue packages were designed to provide flood victims with daily necessities including rice, oil, salt, drinking water, clothes, and medicine.

More than 6,000 families are sheltered in 130 relief camps in 12 regions and states across the country.

The United Nations is warning the scope of the flooding may be worse than is currently known, as poor infrastructure and communications in the worst-hit regions is limiting access to information.

The flooding has also affected the political process as the country gears towards its national election later this year.

The deadline for candidates to register for the election has been extended by a week.

At the same time, the next session of parliament, scheduled to start next week, has been postponed indefinitely.

Chinese Airborne Troops Rank 1st in Russia Military TournamentChinese airborne troops took first place in the opening stage of the platoon parachuting competition, part of the 2015 Russia Military tournament.

The competition is taking place in Ryazan, southeast of Moscow until August 13th.

A total of 22 Chinese parachuters took part in the first round of the competition, competing against counterparts from Russia and Belarus.

Andrew Kholzyakov, head judge of the parachuting event, says the Chinese team won the event but the competition is still ongoing.

"There are four rounds in the competition so it's hard to say which team is the final winner in spite of China's victory in this event. However, the victory today belongs to China."The competition includes racing, chasing and relay races.

Moscow and Beijing agree to jointly promote "red tourism"Anchor:

Moscow and Beijing have agreed to jointly promote "red tourism" in Russia and China by creating special routes including sites with a revolutionary legacy. Travel to Russia has become more affordable for Chinese tourists in the last year following the devaluation of the Russian currency against the dollar and the euro.

From Moscow, Anya Ardayeva reports.

Reporter:

The Gorky estate and museum some 20 kilometers south of Moscow are among the main attractions for "red tourists" from all over the world. This is where Vladimir Lenin, the leader of Russia's Bolshevik revolution lived from 1918 to his death in 1924.

"These are personal belongings of Vladimir Lenin which he used when he lived here in Gorky and we've been keeping them since then".

Igor Konyshev is the director of the Gorky museum. He says that last year, over ten thousand Chinese tourists visited the site.

"Of course, Lenin and the political history of the early 20th century is interesting for Chinese tourists. They are also very curious and want to hear our stories about the everyday life at the mansion and the everyday life of peasants."In May in Shaoshan City, the birthplace of Mao Zedong, Chinese and Russian tourism chiefs signed a memorandum on cooperation, agreeing to develop ten red tourism routes in the two countries. From 2015 to 2017, Moscow and Beijing will work together to popularize red tourism under this agreement. Oleg Safonov is the head of Russia's Federal Tourism Agency.

"We are hoping to attract different categories of tourists. Of course these routes will be very interesting for tourists of middle and older age because they know a lot about this from school and their life is very much connected to this period of life. But we also think that these routes will be interesting for younger generation as well."The proposed routes will begin with four Russian regions – Moscow, St.Petersburg, Kazan and Ulyanovsk, the birthplace of Vladimir Lenin. Svetlana Pyatikhatka, the executive director of Russia's travel foundation, says that last year's devaluation of the Russian currency, the ruble, made travel to and inside Russia more affordable.

Red tourism has a special meaning for Chinese people, perhaps a lot more meaning than it has for Russian tourists. Red tourism is a type of tourism which will help to attract more Chinese tourists to Russia.

China's red tourism sites received more than 4 billion tourists in the past decade. In 2014, Russia launched a "China Friendly" program aiming to create a comfortable environment for Chinese tourists by providing language support to some 400 thousand Chinese tourists who visited Russia last year – more than from any other country. They spent a total of over 1.2 billion dollars here.

For CRI, I'm Anya Ardayeva in Moscow.

French Expert weighs in on MH370 debrisPascal Roaches, an aerospace professor at France's School of Aerospace Engineering, released a statement on Monday claiming that despite the possible discovery of a piece of wreckage from MH370, more information is needed to discover the plane's fate.

"I doubt that we can know everything about the accident from such a piece of wreckage. I think we still need more parts and objects from the plane to find out what happened, what had caused that to happen, and where the plane is. Now we only have one piece of wreckage, it is too small compared with the size of the aircraft."The piece of debris found on Reunion Island will be tested on Wednesday at the Aeronautical Technologies Center of the General Directorate of Armament under the French Defense ministry.

The test follows a meeting between French and Malaysian investigators on August 3.

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai has emphasized that people should not speculate that the wreckage is in fact from MH370.

"As all of you know that undue speculation is giving a lot of stress to the next of kin and also people waiting for the news. So let us not speculate. I am as anxious as all of you to know the verification result. I will inform as soon as we get the confirmation."MH370 disappeared on March 8th of last year enroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people onboard, two-thirds of whom are Chinese nationals.

Iraqi defence minister meets UK counterpartIraqi Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi has held talks with his British counterpart Michael Fallon in Baghdad on Monday evening.

The pair discussed Britain's continued support in fighting the Islamic State group militants.

Britain is currently part of the US-led coalition that is taking part in airstrikes against the militants in Iraq.

27 people injured in a fire in former air-raid shelter in Hamburg27 people have been injured in a fire and explosion at a former air-raid shelter in Hamburg, Germany.

Local media reports that the blaze broke out at a carpentry workshop in a six-story building that dates back to World War II.

An explosion occurred as firefighters tried to extinguish the blaze in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Hendrick Freese, spokesman for the Hamburg Fire Service, says weather conditions may have something to do with the fire.

"According to our information, this air-raid shelter is being used as a carpentry workshop. When we arrived on site there was a massive production of smoke, and it was not only the air-raid shelter affected but houses along the entire street. This is indeed unusual and definitely a result of weather conditions, with absolutely no winds at all."Around 100 tons of essential oils were being stored in the building, but the cause of the blast is still under investigation.

The fire brigade have evacuated more than 60 people from nearby residential buildings.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 22 degrees Celsius; cloudy tomorrow with a high of 30.

Shanghai will be clear tonight with a low of 28; sunny tomorrow with a high of 36.

Chongqing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 28, showers tomorrow with a high of 32.

Lhasa will see showers tonight with a low of 11, slight rain tomorrow with a high of 20.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, slight rain tomorrow, 34.

Kabul, overcast, 31.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, sunny with a high of 15.

Brisbane, sunny, highs of 17.

Perth, cloudy, 18.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will see slight rain with a high of 15 degrees Celsius.

Headline NewsChina and ASEAN work together to uphold regional peace and stability: Chinese FMChinese Foreign Minister says China and ASEAN member states are capable of working together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.

Wang Yi made the remarks in Kuala Lumpur, where he is attending the ASEAN Regional Forum, an annual Asian security gathering.

Wang Yi said other countries should support ASEAN and China to implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea properly.

The 48th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting opened on Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur.

Former Yunnan vice governor tried for briberyShen Peiping, former vice governor of southwest China's Yunnan Province, stood trial on Tuesday in Beijing for taking bribes.

The Beijing First Intermediate People's Court says Shen was accused of taking advantage of his post to seek profit for others and accepting bribes worth more than 15 million yuan or over 2.6 million U.S. dollars from 2000 to 2012.

Shen confessed in court.

The verdict will be announced at a later date.

Shanxi to turn WWII camp into museumA World War II Japanese camp in Northern China's Shanxi Province is being turned into a museum.

The camp was used to conduct bacteria experiments on Chinese civilians and prisoners of war.

The remains of the site are two lines of brick buildings.

Built in 1938, the camp imprisoned 100,000 to 120,000 Chinese soldiers, militiamen and civilians.

Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province, has invested the equivalent of over 320 thousand U.S. dollars into the renovation of the "Taiyuan Camp".

Japan to suspend Okinawa U.S. base relocation workThe Japanese government announced on Tuesday that it will temporarily suspend planned relocation work of a U.S. military base within Okinawa Prefecture.

This is to defuse tensions with local authorities on the standoff over the planned relocation of US Marine Corps' Air Station.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the central government plans to hold "intensive consultations" with the local government to resolve the issue.

The Japanese government and the U.S. forces in Japan have agreed to move the Futenma base from a densely populated area in Ginowan to the less populated Henoko district of Nago, but the plan has triggered strong opposition from local residents.

S. Korean health minister replaced by doctor after MERSSouth Korea's Minister of Health and Welfare Moon Hyung-pyo was replaced on Tuesday by a veteran doctor after the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS.

The president's office said that President Park Geun-hye nominated Jeong Jin-yeop as a new health minister.

Jeong is a doctor at Seoul National University Hospital in Bundang, Gyeonggi province.

Jeong has worked at the university hospital for 25 years.

Biz ReportsTurning now to business news.

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

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

Reporter:

Chinese stocks rebounded from a three-week low, as authorities announced more measures to shore up market confidence.

Over 650 stocks climbed to their daily limit today.

Aerospace and industrial companies are leading the surge.

According to the Chinese securities watchdog, starting from Monday, investors who sell borrowed shares now need to wait one day to pay back their positions.

This prevents investors from short selling stocks on the same trading day, which affects market stability.

At the closing bell,The Shanghai Composite Index gained 3.7 percent, returning to 3700 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index advanced 4 and half a percent.

The ChiNext Index for tracking China's growth enterprises surged 6.1 percent.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng ended almost flat.

Elsewhere in Asia,Tokyo shares closed lower as concerns over the U.S economic outlook remain.

The Nikkei was down 0.1 percent.

South Korea's KOSPI gained 1 percent.

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index lost 0.1 percent today.

And finally, Australia's ASX 200 was up one third of a percent.

CSRC's Latest Move Focus on Programmed TradingAnchor:

China's securities regulator has frozen one of the US hedge fund Citadel LLC's accounts, accusing it of short-selling A shares on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

This comes after the China Securities Regulatory Commission announced it would be keeping a closer eye on programmed, electronic trading by institutional investment firms.

So far, exchanges in both Shanghai and Shenzhen have already restricted 38 accounts in connection with this.

Regulators say some individuals or organizations have maliciously driven up or suppressed share prices of weighted stocks like PetroChina and Sinopec.

Program trading usually focuses on a basket of stocks with buy and sell orders executed by a computer program based on predetermined conditions.

For more CSRC's latest move on programed trading, CRI's Paul James spoke with Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.

China cuts retail fuel pricesChina's top economic planner says that Chinese drivers will enjoy lower gasoline and diesel fuel prices starting from Wednesday.

The retail price of gasoline will drop by 220 yuan or 35 US dollars per tonne, while the price of diesel will fall by 215 yuan per tonne.

This is the fourth consecutive drop in fuel prices since June this year and the seventh since the beginning of the year.

Under China's current fuel pricing system, the National Development and Reform Commission adjusted domestic fuel pricesUnder China's current fuel pricing scheme, the National Development and Reform Commission adjusts domestic fuel prices when international crude prices change by more than 50 yuan per tonne within a period of 10 working days.

Sinopec recalls overseas staff to cut costsDomestic energy giant Sinopec has announced plans to reduce 40 percent of its overseas staff in an effort to cut costs.

Some 160 employees from a Sinopec subsidiary targeting overseas upstream businesses will be brought back to its Beijing headquarters.

The recent drop in crude oil prices is one of the major reasons for the relocation.

The state owned company recalled 100 overseas staff in 2014.

Another oil giant, PetroChina has reported a profit drop of over 80 percent for the first quarter of this year.

Beijing 60-year-old snack shop will go publicQing-feng, a Beijing-based restaurant chain known for its steamed dumplings, has announced plans to go public next year.

The company says it hopes to list on the New Third Board in either March or April.

New Third Board is a pilot national share transfer system for small and medium-sized companies that allows individuals to buy equities over-the-counter before an IPO on either the Shanghai or Shenzhen stock exchanges.

State owned Qing-feng is part of the Beijing Huatian Food group.

The company will inject assets to another share-holding subsidiary of its parent firm in order to go public.

Meanwhile, Qing-feng has also announced plans to set up five new logistics bases in Heilongjiang, Henan, Jilin, Shaanxi and Shandong.

The restaurant chain currently has over 300 outlets nationwide.

It plans to increase that number to a thousand over the next 5-years.

Tencent offers to acquire shares from ElongTencent has offered to buy all stakes of domestic online travel firm Elong, offering 18 US dollars per share.

The proposed purchase price is a 27% premium to Monday's closing price.

So far, no agreement has yet been reached.

This would be Elong's first step in going private and delisting from the New York Stock Exchanges.

Apart from Tencent, other investors of Elong include online travel giant Ctrip and Keystone Lodging Holdings.

Earlier, Ctrip went on record saying it will team up with Tencent in the proposed takeover deal.

UK starts selling stake in Royal Bank of ScotlandThe British government has begun selling stakes in bailed-out Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), aiming to reduce national debt.

The government has sold 5.4 percent of RBS's stakes for ?2.1 billion, or 3.3 billion US dollars.

The British government owns nearly 80 percent of the bank's shares.

SportsSenior Volleyball Official Being Investigated for GraftIn more Chinese sports news:

A senior volleyball official with China's General Administration of Sport (GAS) is under investigation for graft, said China's top discipline inspection agency Tuesday.

Pan Zhichen, director of the GAS volleyball administrative center, is being investigated for "serious violations of discipline and law," said a statement on the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China, quoting the GAS discipline inspection division.

China's anti-corruption campaign has swept various sectors and fields, including the country's sport administration.

In June, Xiao Tian, then GAS deputy director, was investigated by the CCDI for "serious breaches of discipline and law." He was dismissed in July.

The CCDI conducted an anti-corruption inspection on the GAS from July to September of 2014 and criticized the administration for bureaucracy, poor management and malpractice, including manipulating games.

China vs. N. Korea in the EAFF, Shanghai SIPG Takes on Atletico MadridIn football,China's women's football team is hunting for its first win at this year's East Asian Cup as they hit the pitch against defending champions North Korea in the Chinese city of Wuhan tonight at 9 p.m., Beijing time.

A loss by the Chinese side will leave it at the bottom of the standings for the second consecutive year.

Elsewhere in Chinese football,Shanghai SIPG will be on the pitch against Atletico Madrid in an international friendly in Shanghai tonight at 8 p.m., Beijing time.

Shanghai SIPG head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson says he has a lot of respect for what Atletico head coach Diego Simeone has done with his club.

"Well, I suppose it is like the characteristic of the coach. As a player, he has quality, a lot of qualities. Technically good, but very very aggressive. And Atletico Madrid is a very aggressive team. They don't allow the opponents to play. So he is doing a great job with them. But it was like he was a player. It was like he was a player. I understand that he likes that type of football."Shanghai SIPG is now on top of the Chinese Super League standings, ahead of Guangzhou Evergrande and Shandong Luneng.

FINA World Championships RecapLet's splash into aquatic sports news from the FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia:

In upcoming swimming action later tonight:

Chinese swimming star Sun Yang will compete in the men's 200-meter finals.

His compatriot, Xu Jiayu, will battle for the gold in the men's 100-meter backstroke tonight.

In women's swimming action:

Fu Yuanhui will compete in the 100-meter backstroke finals.

In the 200-meter freestyle semis, Shen Duo is representing China.

And Shi Jinglin is in the pool for China in the 100-meter Breastroke.

Taking a look at swimming action from yesterday:

Three world records were broken in the pool lanes.

Early on in the day American Katie Ledecky broke her own world record in the 1500m Freestyle before Sarah Sjostrom from Sweden then set a new world best time in the 100m Butterfly.

The record breaking day wasn't over though, as Hungary's Katinka Hosszu set a new best ever time in the 200m Individual Medley later on.

Elsewhere, Great Britain's Adam Peaty fought off Cameron van der Burgh to claim gold in the men's 100m breaststroke and Florent Manaudou claimed gold in the 50m Butterfly.

Golf: Rory McIlroy to Test Ankle Injury in Weekend PracticeIn golf news:

Northern Ireland golf star, Rory McIlroy will test his injured left ankle this weekend when he hits the Whistling Straits golf course in the U.S. city of Milwaukee for a practice round a week ahead of the PGA Tour event there.

The World No. 1 damaged ligaments in his foot while he was playing a game of soccer with his friends back in his home country in early July.

The injury has sidelined McIlroy from competition, including the Scottish Open and The Open Championships, where he would have been defending champion had he participated.

McIlroy or his representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

McIlroy's potential return to competition could put him back in contention in time for the year's final major--the PGA Championship, which tees off later this month.

Murray and Nishikori Speak Ahead of Citi Open MatchesIn tennis:

At the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.:

Britain's Andy Murray and Japan's Kei Nishikori spoke ahead of their matches, which take placer later in the tournament.

Murray, who hasn't been in the tournament in nine years, says he's getting his game in gear for the U.S. Open:

"I thought with the Davis Cup, I decided to stay in match mode. I've played a lot of matches over the last few months. I thought it would be good to try and keep that going. That's why we came here. It's very tough conditions. It's good preparations for the rest of the American hard court swing and that's why I'm here."Japanese star Kei Nishikori is seeded second in D.C. He says the tough competition and conditions will keep him motivated as the hart-court season kicks off:

"I see a lot of top players here. But I think it's great for the tournament and also good motivation for me to win this title. I hope I can do well and I had a good preparation so I hope I can do well in this first round for me tomorrow."Nishikori will take on Australia's James Duckworth tomorrow.

Fighting: Ronda Rousey to Play Herself in Biopic, Zab Judah Will End Long LayoffIn fighting news outside the ring:

Fresh off her knockout win, Ultimate Fighting Championship women's featherweight titleholder, Ronda Rousey, is headed to the big screen once again.

Paramount Pictures said Monday that it has acquired the rights to Rousey's autobiography, "My Fight/Your Fight," with plans for Rousey to play herself in the adaptation.

She's already drawn interest from Hollywood, appearing in the films "Furious 7" and "Entourage." In a bout Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, she won by knockout 34 seconds into the first round.

EntertainmentJackie Chan Promotes His Film 'Dragon Blade'

61 year old Kung Fu action star Jackie Chan says he won't be retiring from action movies any time soon.

Jackie Chan made the remarks while promoting his latest film "Dragon Blade" in Beijing.

"If Stallone and Schwarzenegger can fight, I still can fight. Movies are not like UFC and boxing. We can do so many…right now, of course, I need some doubles, special effects and camera angles to help me do all the action. I think action for me is still easy.""Dragon Blade" has cost 65 million US dollars for production.

The plot of the movie is set 2,000 years ago, centering around Chinese forces and Roman soldiers coming together to protect the Silk Road.

Jackie Chan says he aims to send out a theme of peace through the movie.

"I tried to make this kind of movies long long time ago. If you see my older movies, even 'Rumble in the Bronx' and 'Twelve Zodiac,' it's about peace. Everything is about peace. Especially these days - Japan, China, India and America, the kinds of things have happened, so it is about time to make a movie to show the world. I think everybody has a responsibility to do something for peace."Hollywood actors John Cusack and Adrien Brody also star in the movie.

The movie was released in China earlier this year earning more than 115 million US dollars at the box office.

It will hit American theaters on September 4.

China's Music Providers Delete 2Mln Unlicensed SongsChina's copyright regulator has announced that music streaming services had deleted more than 2.2 million unlicensed songs by the end of last month.

The National Copyright Administration announced that the online music copyright situation has been further improved by the measures taken by streaming sites.

Internet companies have been playing a more positive role in copyright cooperation.

The regulator has promised to facilitate music streaming services to find a suitable way in terms of paying royalties.

It will continue to check for violators.

This move is part of the anti-piracy campaign, "Sword Net 2015", which aims to enhance online copyright management, safeguard rights of royalty holders and restore confidence in China's copyright system.

'Monster Hunt' Continues to Break China's Box Office RecordLive-action fantasy film 'Monster Hunt' is continuing to break Chinese box office records.

The film has already grabbed the record for the highest grossing Chinese film of all time with takings of more than 1.8 billion Yuan, or nearly 290 million US dollars.

It has surpassed 2012 comedy "Lost in Thailand" only 10 days after its release.

The film has also out-paced "Avengers 2: Age of Ultron" to become the third highest grossing film of all time in China.

Meanwhile, "Jianbing Man" is also doing well at the box office. The comedy has taken more than 1 billion yuan in China in 19 days.

It is the second domestic film to surpass the 1 billion yuan mark this year following "Monster Hunt.""Jianbing Man" cost only 18 million yuan to produce, making it one of the most profitable films in the country.

The new data released by China's entertainment authority shows that China's box office hit a record high in July with takings of 5.49 billion yuan.

BIGBANG to Release New Songs for "MADE" Album Series EKorean pop group BIGBANG are set to release songs and videos from their 'M.A.D.E' album series E on Tuesday.

The album includes songs such as 'Let's not Love' and 'Zutter'.

This is the final installment of the series album which was separated into four mini albums marking the group's comeback after a three-year hiatus.

The band has been releasing new music every month from the M.A.D.E series since May.

So far, the group has released hit singles, including "Loser", "Bae Bae" and "Bang Bang Bang", which have dominated Korea's music charts and even topped Billboard's World Digital Song chart.

BIGBANG now kicks off their massive world tour with stops scheduled in China, Indonesia, the US, Canada and Australia.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 22 degrees Celsius; cloudy tomorrow with a high of 30.

Shanghai will be clear tonight with a low of 28; sunny tomorrow with a high of 36.

Chongqing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 28, showers tomorrow with a high of 32.

Lhasa will see showers tonight with a low of 11, slight rain tomorrow with a high of 20.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, slight rain tomorrow, 34.

Kabul, overcast, 31.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, sunny with a high of 15.

Brisbane, sunny, highs of 17.

Perth, cloudy, 18.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will see slight rain with a high of 15 degrees Celsius.

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

A quick recap of the headlines before we go...

China's Ministry of Commerce announcing progress in trade with countries along the "One Belt One Road"UN officials hailing new sustainable development agenda...

US President Obama unveiling new plans to regulate carbon emissions from America's coal-burning power plants...

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