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

Coming up on the program this evening...

The Chinese and American Foreign Ministers discuss a range of issues, including President Xi Jinping's US visit and issues in the South China Sea...

A 10 member team from China has arrived in flood-ravaged Myanmar to provide aid and rescue...

and aviation experts have gathered in France to inspect wreckage that may be from missing flight MH370...

In Business...the IMF confirms plans to discuss whether to add the Chinese currency to the benchmark currency basket...

In Sports....silver for China in the 200 m men's freestyle at the world swimming championships...

And in Entertainment...action star Jackie Chan opens up about his son Jaycee, who was arrested for drugs last year...

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's Foreign Minister Wang Yi Meets with US Secretary of State John KerryAnchor:

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met with his US counterpart John Kerry in Kuala Lumpur.

The meeting agenda included Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to the US and the recent tensions in the South China Sea.

CRI's Wang Wei has more.

Reporter:

Wang Yi met with John Kerry during a meeting at an ASEAN regional security forum.

Before the meeting took place, John Kerry said the agenda included a number of topics.

"We will discuss a lot of issues before the ASEAN regional forum. We will talk about President Xi's visit to the United States, we will talk about the great cooperation on the Iran's negotiations. We'll talk about everything."After the meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters that his meeting with John Kerry had centered around Chinese President Xi Jingping's upcoming visit to the US in September.

"An important topic discussed during the meeting was the preparations for President Xi's upcoming state visit to the US. We want to ensure the success of the visit, both as a blue print for future China-US relations and as a positive signal to the rest of the world. Secretary Kerry and I were in complete agreement on this topic."Wang Yi said he and Kerry also discussed the South China Sea issue, as well as other China-US cooperation.

"We had a good atmosphere, which facilitated our mutual understanding. The US welcomes China's position that we would like to resolve the South China Sea issue via peaceful negotiations. The US again emphasized that it welcomes a strong and prosperous China. The US is also willing to work with China in Asia-Pacific affairs, to ensure regional and global stability. Of course, we reached consense on many topics."Regarding the upcoming 70th anniversary of the end of the Chinese People's War agaisnt Japanese Aggression, Wang said Kerry acknowledged China's important role in ending WWII in the Asia Pacific.

For CRI, I am Wang Wei.

Chinese rescue team arrives in Myanmar to help flood victimsA ten-member Chinese rescue team has arrived in Yangon by plane to extend a helping hand to people in Myanmar affected by severe flooding, which has already killed 69 people and affected over a quarter million.

Members of the Blue Sky Rescue Team, China's largest non- governmental humanitarian organization, is the first international rescue team arriving in Myanmar and they will rush to Rakhine State, one of the worst-hit areas, for rescue operations.

Zhang Yong, leader of the team, updates us on the situation in Myanmar.

"The flooding today has eased a lot as water is draining away into the sea. But several flood-stricken areas are still hard for us to enter. So we have brought equipment for water rescue and we can boat there to see the flooding situation. Tomorrow we will check the places that are most severely affected by the flood and take some necessary action. "Chinese rescue operations led by Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Hong Liang have begun operations covering Rakhine State and other regions with relief aid worth 300,000 U.S. dollars.

Also, Blue Sky team leader Zhang Yong says they have brought high-tech rescue equipment to ensure a successful mission.

"The traffic does not allow food and living necessities to flow to the people who need them. So we cannot use the rescue boats and we will use a helicopter to provide people food through airdrop"Another Chinese group will be dispatched to carry on rescue missions in central Magway Region within the week and a special family rescue package was designed to provide people with daily necessities.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, more than 850-thousand acres of farmland is submerged, of which Rakhine state suffered the most.

China National Tobacco Corporation apologize for breaking smoking banChina National Tobacco Corporation has apologized for breaking the smoking ban in Beijing and disturbing law enforcement.

This comes after staff members from a training center run by the company barred a group of anti-smoking inspectors last week.

It was the first such case reported since the Chinese capital issued a strict new anti-smoking regulation in June, which bans virtually all indoor smoking in public areas.

Wang Benjin is a law enforcement officer from Beijing Health Inspection.

"We found many other violations in the training center. First, they don't have a tobacco control system. Second, there are cigarette butts. And there are cigarette advertisements attached on the tissue boxes and bottles."The news soon triggered wide attention as China Tobacco is also China's largest cigarette producers in terms of sales.

Although company has apologized for breaking the law and disturbing law enforcement, experts claim that the implementation of the smoking ban still has long way to go.

Chairman of Beijing Tobacco Control Association Zhang Jianshu says the anti-smoking effort should cover more than just the general public.

"We should step up effort to the enforcement of the smoking ban, especially when it comes to certain individuals or groups who might deter the ban due to their financial links to the tobacco industry. The police department, city management department, and health inspectors should coordinate with each other to ensure a better implementation of the smoking ban."Since the new smoking ban took effect, authorities in Beijing have launched over 20,000 inspections at 13,000 locations, handing out fines and other punishments to 73 companies and 179 individuals.

BBC Documentary Stirs Debates on Chinese Teaching MethodsAnchor :

A recent documentary produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation has caused a stir in China and in the UK.

The documentary, featuring Chinese teaching practices and discipline techniques used on British students, is making people take a hard look at Chinese education methods.

CRI's Niu Honglin has more.

Reporter :

The new series, titled "Are Our Kids Tough Enough? Chinese School" revolves around five Chinese teachers who are sent to teach 50 UK teens at a school in Hampshire.

The teachers instruct the students for a month. The pupils are then tested, and the results are compared to those of their peers who have continued in the regular UK education system. The idea is to see if the Chinese method improves academic performance.

The Chinese teachers used their own teaching ways but received strong resistance from the students.

A clip from the documentary, circulating online, shows some problems, with Chinese teachers calling their students "lazy" and lacking in discipline, while the students say the high pressure and harsh teachers are driving them crazy.

This has spawned a new debate in both China and the UK, with some arguing the teenagers need more restraint and regulation.

Others say Chinese methods encourage rote learning instead of independent thinking.

"For instance, Chinese language teachers should do more than pass on knowledge about words and characters. They should inspire students, helping them feel the sentiment from Chinese literature. This is a higher level of teaching."Yang Dongping, Dean of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, says the divergence is actually a function of totally different cultural backgrounds.

"The Chinese teaching method is designed to strictly train the majority. Foreign teaching methods, however, are more natural and relaxing, designed to inspire students' interest in learning. Education methods are based on culture. That is why a successful education method in one place may not work that well when simply "transplanted" into another place."Some Chinese teachers documented in the film say they think the British students don't have that high competition pressure like Chinese kids since their country provides high social welfare.

Returning to China, Li Aiyun, one of the featured teachers, reveals that after getting used to the Chinese way of learning, their students actually get along with them quite well and achieved great scores in the final tests.

Yang Dongping from the 21st Century Education Research Institute says the documentary does reflect some problems rooted in traditional Chinese teaching methods.

"Nobel-laureate physician Yang Zhenning used to give a very fair comment on this issue. He says the Chinese-style education method works for most ordinary qualified students effectively, helping them reach high level standards. However, it may compromise the training for high-potential outstanding students."The expert notes China has started to pay more attention to helping students learn with joy. However, the exam-oriented education system still needs to be improved.

For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

Network to boost pollution monitoringChina's environmental protection ministry has announced plans to develop a comprehensive network, including satellites, drones, and remote sensors, to detect pollution.

The system, monitoring the country's land, sea, and air, is to be in place by 2020.

Satellites and drones have already been used in monitoring pollution here in China, but only in a supportive role.

Last year, the ministry started to use drones to monitor pollution.

Vice Minister Zhai Qing said in March the ministry is seeking more advanced technical methods to take care of environmental problems"For the next step, we will further seek help from high-tech equipment to discover illegal pollution discharge. Last year, we tried to use drones to detect illegal behavior. The drones can stay in the sky for two hours and cover dozens of Square Kilometers. We've tried it in Hebei Province recently and we are planning to use it in major cities and areas around the country."The ministry says it will boost the use of these tools by also accelerating research on satellites with higher resolution.

400 million dollars has already been invested to build the system.

The ministry will be in charge of monitoring the system, instead of local governments, which do the work now.

The new plan aims to set up a national unified standard for pollution detection and punishment.

China now has more than 2,700 surveillance sites managed by 60,000 professional staff spread all over the country.

Soudelor to hit China twice, coastal cities in high alertAnchor:

Provinces in eastern and southern China are on high alert for approaching Super Typhoon Soudelor, which has developed into the most powerful storm in the world so far this year.

After slashing the Northern Marianas, Soudelor is expected to land in China twice before it weakens.

For more on its movement and impact, we are joined by Wang Tianyi, a forecaster from the China Meteorological Administration.

Anchor:

So what impact will Soudelor bring to the coastal regions?

Back Anchor:

That is Wang Tianyi, a forecaster from the China Meteorological Administration.

Training of Peacekeepers Key to Mission SuccessAnchor:

Today, we're bringing you the final report in our series about the involvement of China's armed forces in UN peacekeeping missions.

In this edition of our series, CRI's Victor Ning takes us through the Ministry of Defence's Peacekeeping training center.

Reporter:

Skills in communication and protecting civilians have been highlighted in the training of China's peacekeepers to be deployed in various missions abroad.

The Peacekeeping Center in Beijing, in cooperation with UK Ministry of Defense and UN Women, recently launched two special training programs that highlight the training of such skills.

The intensive training programs have allowed around three dozen Chinese peacekeepers to sharpen their skills in conducting missions abroad, say to deal with challenges on the ground.

Director of the Centre Zhou Zhe says communication is the basic requirement as peacekeepers will collaborate with international partners and reach out to the local communities when deployed in foreign soil.

"Based on our evaluation in the field, the performance gap for our peacekeepers is mainly in the language field, not in some professional fields. We want to overcome the performance gap in terms of language skills and we want to train more talent for our peacekeeping contingents, our regional command and improve their all-round capabilities."Major General Patrick Cammaert is a senior adviser to the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. He says that in a conflict situation, peacekeepers are first expected to defuse tension through negotiation, and only opt for the use of force as a last resort.

"Peacekeeping is difficult. We have no enemy and we have no opponent. And if you can do your job to prevent atrocities to happen with one word and to convince people not to do it, you have accomplished the mission. If you have to step up force, by making sure that people abide by the rules, then you have to step up your efforts and that requires extra training."In expanding its peacekeeping missions globally, China also increases the number of female peacekeepers to serve under the UN flag. Females play an indispensable role, especially in civilian protection.

Ms. Julia Broussard,the Country Manager for UN Women's program in China, stresses such a role of female peacekeepers:

"International experience has demonstrated that women peacekeepers are in a better position to deal with female civilians. They are more likely to be trusted. They are more likely to be communicated with them. They are more likely to understand their needs in special circumstances. So it's critical to have female peacekeepers in situations where we need to protect a female population."And nearly one third of officers enrolled in the Protection of Civilians program are women.

Wei Li, a female officer who's being trained at the Peace keeping centre for upcoming deployment, says safety is her biggest concern in combat zone:

"I think maybe the biggest challenge is safety and security of myself. For example, there will be some diseases or illnesses. These two things will be the biggest challenge for me."Female peacekeepers like Wei Li, in face of the rising attacks to them, remain committed to their responsibilities, as the presence of trained female military and police personnel help reduce charges of sexual assault leveled at peacekeepers themselves.

So far, the Peacekeeping Center under the Ministry of Defense has held more than sixty training programs, aiming at improving the operational skills of peacekeepers, the commanders of peacekeeping troops, and military observers that will be deployed on foreign soil.

More than 3000 officers have participated in these training programs.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

Back anchor:

For more on China's participation in UN peacekeeping missions, go to crienglish.com where we have a special page set up.

Verification of Found Boeing 777 Debris Expected to BeginInvestigators and experts from France and Malaysia are scheduled to begin examining a Boeing 777 wing fragment today to determine whether it is from missing Flight MH370.

A piece of plane debris was found on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean last week. It was later identified as a wing flap from a Boeing 777. MH370 is the only 777 that's unaccounted for.

The part was earlier transferred under police escort to a military lab near Toulouse in southern France, where the examination will take place.

The same laboratory investigated crash of an Air France Airbus 330, which went down in the Atlantic en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. It took nearly two years for investigators to locate the black boxes and resolve the case. Aviation expert Pascal Roches warns that the MH370 case is much more complex than that of the Air France flight.

"We have very very little information on the route it took for at least one hour. For example, for the Rio-Paris flight, we had a period of uncertainly of 10 minutes and it took us two years to find the black boxes. So I think it's going to be complicated."The verification of the wing part is expected to happen quickly, which could then limit the search area for the plane.

Flight MH370 disappeared on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014.

Most of the 239 people on board are from China.

U.S. VP Speaks with Japanese PM After Website Exposed SpyingU.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over alleged U.S. spying on Japanese officials and companies.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga says Joe Biden apologized to Japan for "causing trouble".

In the call, Biden underscored the strong U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Japan alliance.

Yoshihide Suga says Shinzo Abe expects the US to investigate the reports and respond appropriately.

"In response, Prime Minister Abe said that in case it is indeed true that Japanese entities were subjected to spying, there is potential that this could threaten the trusting relationship of the US-Japan alliance, and there would be no choice but to express serious concern over the issue. After saying this, he asked that an investigation be made into the matter and for its results to be explained to Japan."The Wikileaks website on Friday posted U.S. National Security Agency reports and a list of 35 Japanese targets for telephone intercepts, including the Japanese Cabinet Office, the Bank of Japan, the country's finance and trade ministries, and major Japanese trading companies.

According to the website, the eavesdropping dated back to 2007, a year after Abe's first term began.

Japan gets ready to mark 70th year since Hiroshima, Nagasaki attacksAnchor:

Observers from China and Korea are planning on paying close attention to what's said tomorrow by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as he commemorates the 70th anniversary of the US atomic bombing of the city of Hiroshima.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara.

Reporter:

At 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, the nuclear bomb "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima by an American B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay.

Dr. Jeremy kinney, Aviation Curator at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, where the Enola Grey remains on display, recounts what happened on that fateful morning"They reach Hiroshima about 30,000 feet and Tom Ferby the navigator drops the bomb, it falls for about 40 seconds and detonates about 2000 feet above the city, in the city center actually"Keiko Ogura –was only eight years old when the first bomb fell in Hiroshima - and was just two kilometres away from the place where it detonated.

"The blast was so strong, it blew me into the middle of the street and knocked me out."The Bomb directly killed over 80,000 people on that day. But by the end of 1945, the death toll almost doubled, due to the effects of high-levels of radiation.

Kimie Mihara, is another survivor"I survived because I was late. So I feel lucky because I was not here at the time, but when I think of those who were killed because they were diligent and on time, I am just so sorry for them. I feel bad for them."Every year hundreds of survivors and families of the victims gather at the Peace Park in Hiroshima and thousands of lanterns - the symbols of the journey to the afterlife - are floated on the Motoyasu river in memory of all those who perished in the world's first atomic bomb attack.

Nagasaki - the second and last city to feel the full force of the atomic bomb – plans to release thousands of Origami cranes to mark the fateful event.

While some of the physical damage and scars have healed, emotions run high every year on the anniversary of Japan's surrender at the end of World War II.

Japanese prime ministers traditionally mark the occasion with a speech, and anticipation of what current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will say in this year's speecg in Nagazaki is creating tension between Japan, China and South Korea.

The deep historical wounds are feeding into current tensions between Japan and China over disputed in the East and South China Sea.

These tensions are threatening to drown out the message of peace from the few survivors of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and NagasakiFor Cri I'm Poornima WeerasekaraS. Korea's ex-first lady arrives in Pyongyang for 4-day visit amid cross-border tensionsLee Hee-ho, the widow of late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung has arrived in Pyongyang for a four day visit to the North.

She is accompanied with an 18-member entourage.

The 93-year-old flied to Pyongyang along the direct flight line, a rare approval by top North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Such flights were banned after the 1950-53 Korean War which ended in armistice, not in peace treaty.

Ahead of her departure, Lee said via her spokesman that she hopes people of the two Koreas heal the wounds and pain of the 70-year division and reconcile and cooperate with each other with the June 15 spirit.

weatherBeijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 22 degrees Celsius; overcast tomorrow with a high of 31.

Shanghai will be clear tonight with a low of 27; sunny tomorrow with a high of 35.

Chongqing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 24, more clouds tomorrow with a high of 34.

Lhasa will see moderate rain tonight with a low of 11, slight rain tomorrow with a high of 19.

Headline newsChina's FM Wang Yi Meets with John KerryChina's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met with his US counterpart John Kerry in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The agenda includes Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to the US and the recent tensions in the South China Sea, as well as areas of China-US cooperation.

Wang met with Kerry during a meeting at an ASEAN regional security forum earlier today.

Wang Yi said the US welcomed China's position that it would like to resolve South China Sea issue via peaceful negotiations.

Japan PM to release landmark statement on Aug. 14Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to release his landmark statement marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II on August 14.

The Japanese government announced the news today.

The speech is considered the official stance of the Japanese government on its actions during WWII, which caused inhumane suffering to millions of people in East Asia and Southeast Asia under Japan's aggression or colonial rule.

Abe has drawn harsh criticism from the international community for forcing a security package through the parliament, to allow Japan's forces to conduct military operations abroad, even when Japan itself is not directly threatened.

Many have criticized the changes as unconstitutional.

32 killed as 2 trains derail in central IndiaA total of 32 people are confirmed dead and 70 others injured following twin train derailments in central India.

Six coaches on an express train from Mumbai derailed from a railway bridge into a swollen river just before midnight Tuesday.

The tracks of the bridge were reportedly flooded and their base washed away by rains which hit the area over the past several days.

Another train, traveling in the opposition direction, derailed at the same spot within minutes of the first accident.

Earlier, officials said more than 100 people may have been killed.

2 dead, over 20 rescued as ferry carrying 200 capsizes in Kenya's Lake VictoriaAt least two people have been confirmed dead and over 20 rescued after a ferry collided with a fishing boat early today in Western Kenya.

There were some 200 people on the ferry.

The accident took place in in Lake Victoria.

Search and rescue efforts are ongoing.

Local authorities say they are still unaware of why the accident took place.

Taipei Mayor to Attend Cross-Straits ForumTaipei Mayor Ko Wen-je is expected to attend the Shanghai-Taipei Forum later this month in Shanghai.

The three-days forum will kick off on August 17.

Municipal authorities in Shanghai says the forum will mainly focus on urban development and self-employment among young people.

Shanghai and Taipei also plan to share their experiences and enhance exchanges on issues such as cultural development, smart cities, community health care, and career development for youth.

biz reportsAnchor:

Turning now to business news.

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

Joining me on the desk is Victor Ning.

Reporter:

Thanks Shane.

Chinese stocks declined Wednesday as financial shares posted weak performances.

Banking, brokerages, and insurance companies led the losses as their sub-indexes each dropped about 2 percent.

Bucking the trend, shares related to Tibet, cement, and reforms on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) gained on Wednesday, preventing further losses for the Chinese stocks markets.

At the closing bell,The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 1.7 percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index lost 1.5 percentHong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.4 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Tokyo's Nikkei added half a percent, on firm earnings for domestic companies between April and June. The yen's weakness against the U.S. dollar also lifted investor sentiment.

South Korea's KOSPI was up 0.1 percent.

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index closed almost flat.

Australia's ASX 200 dropped 0.4 percent.

Back to you Shane.

Chinese stock investors' confidence rises in July: surveyA recent survey shows restored confidence among Chinese stock investors in July.

The survey was conducted by the China Securities Investor Protection Funds.

The survey found that July's investor confidence index for the A-share market was up 6 points from June and nearly 2 points from a year earlier.

It says the country's economic fundamentals and policies boosted equity markets.

The Chinese market has shown signs of recovery on the heels of government rescue measures, including a reduction of IPOs, bans on short-selling, and the introduction of a six-month ban on the selling of shares by those holding a large amount of a company's stock.

IMF to review RMB's SDR qualification by end of 2015 as planned: officialsThe International Monetary Fund still plans to formally review the possibility of adding the Chinese currency to its benchmark currency basket by the end of this year.

Senior IMF officials, who asked not to be named, made the remarks in Washington on Tuesday.

Some Western media reported earlier that the IMF may delay the inclusion of the Renminbi in its the special drawing rights (SDR) basket until September 2016.

The IMF stated in a report released on Tuesday that the international use of the RMB "has increased substantially" since the last review of the SDR basket in 2010.

China service business activity at 11-month high: surveyA private survey shows business activity in China's service sector accelerated to an 11-month high in July.

The Caixin China General Services Business Activity Index came in at 53.8.

The report attributes the growth to rising business volumes and solid growth in new orders.

The Caixin China Composite PMI data, which covers both manufacturing and services, signaled a further increase in activity during July. However, the Composite Output Index posted only a fractional above the neutral mark, 50.0, the weakest rate of expansion in 14 months.

China's new energy vehicle production rises rapidlyChinese automakers produced more new energy vehicles in July, following government incentives.

Over 20-thousand new energy vehicles were assembled last month, 3.5 times as many as July of last year.

The data brought total output of new energy vehicles in the first seven months of the year to 99-thousand units, up 300 percent over the same period last year.

The Ministry of Commerce announced earlier this year that China will continue to build charging facilities in cities and allow tax exemptions and subsidies on purchases new energy vehicles.

The Failure of the recent Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade TalkAnchor:

Questions are being raised about the likelihood of the US-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement being tabled in Congress under the Obama administration.

This follows the failure of the latest round of negotiations, in Hawaii this past week.

A number of observers have suggested the discussions in Hawaii may have been the Obama administration's last chance to get the deal finalized and before US lawmakers before he leaves office after next year's elections.

The proposed TPP, which would involve a dozen different countries in the Asia-Pacific region, does not include China.

Chinese officials are on-record saying they hope the TPP will help contribute to free trade and investment in the region.

For more on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, CRI's Sophie Williams spoke earlier with Professor Liu Baocheng with the Beijing-based University of International Business and Economics.

Back Anchor:

That was Professor Liu Baocheng from the University of International Business and Economics speaking with CRI's Sophie Williams.

LA clinic seeks to access Chinese fertility marketA Los Angeles clinic is promoting its egg-freezing treatment on Alibaba's group-buying website Juhuasuan.

Southern California Reproductive Center is currently in talks with Juhuasuan about bringing Chinese women to the United States for treatment.

This follows a Chinese website's recent successful sperm-donation program.

The program connected more than 22,000 donors with sperm banks through online booking last month.

Alibaba has taken a cautious approach amid a national debate over women's reproductive rights.

Under Chinese law, only married women with infertility problems or cancer are allowed to have their eggs frozen because of concerns about egg trafficking.

SportsSun Yang wins silver in 200m, makes 800m finalChinese swimmer Sun Yang has taken a silver medal in the men's 200 meter freestyle at the World Swimming Championships in Kezan.

The gold went to Britain's James Guy.

Sun had just competed in the 800m freestyle semi-final on the same day and said fatigue somewhat hampered his attempt at victory.

"I am tired. I didn't get any rest and have been here all day, which affected me. I did everything my coaches told me to do. I am the one who took part in the most races among the eight finalists in this event, and I will do my best in other races to come. I have never competed in the 200 meter at the world championships before, and my start and turns weren't so good. I will work on that in the upcoming year."Sun has also made the 800 meter freestyle final where he will be competing for another gold medal later today.

In other action, two world records have fallen in the pool.

Cameron van der Burgh from South Africa broke the men's 50 meter breaststroke record, only to have it shattered on the same day by Britain's Adam Peaty.

And Britain's Katie Ledecky set a new world record for the women's 1500 meter freestyle. She won with a time of 15 minutes, 27.71 seconds.

East Asian Cup: China vs. North Korea previewIn football,China will take on North Korea later tonight in its second game at the East Asian Cup.

A victory is the only option if China wants to keep hope alive for winning the title.

China had already suffered a 2-0 defeat against South Korea.

Several players are injured, with Yu Hai ruled out and Yang Xu remaining doubtful.

China is using the East Asian Cup as a warm-up for the World Cup qualifiers and hopes to boost morale.

On the women's side,North Korea defeated China 3-2 to meet South Korea in the final.

China will take on Japan for the bronze.

Real Madrid signs Lin LiangmingLa Liga's Real Madrid has sealed the transfer of Lin Liangming of China's youth national team.

Eighteen-year-old Lin joined Real on a five-year deal worth 220 thousand euros.

Lin is already on his way to Madrid and will officially become a part of the club after passing a physical.

Real will assess Lin's capabilities before assigning him to either its B team or the under-19 team.

Russia defeats China 101-75 in summer campIn basketball,China has been handed a setback in the first game of its European summer camp in Moscow, losing to Russia 101-75.

Wang Zhelin scored a team high of 17 points with four rebounds.

Zhou Qi and Yi Jianlian contributed 14 and 12 points respectively.

China will play Russia again before taking on Venezuela, Serbia and Canada.

Over in China, Venezuela had just defeated China's Olympic team 92-80 in overtime at the Stankovic Continental Champions Cup.

It was the second consecutive loss for China at the tournament after going down against Mexico in the first match.

Rafael Nadal to play at China OpenIn tennis,Organizers for the China Open have confirmed that Rafael Nadal will be playing in this year's tournament.

Nadal joins Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic who will be defending his China Open title.

Chinese veteran Zheng Jie earlier denied rumors of retirement and confirmed her participation.

Ticket pre-sales have opened for the China Open, which will take place in Beijing in October.

First US PGA Tour to land in ChinaIn golf,The US PGA Tour will visit China for the first time ever next month.

The 27 club will host the Pacific Links China Championships in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin.

The course for the tournament features 27 holes designed by 27 grand slam winning golfers, eight of whom will take part in the inaugural Chinese event.

The championship will award 2.5 million US dollars in total, with 375 thousand going to the winner.

One-year countdown for Rio Olympics beginsToday marks the start of the one-year countdown for the Rio Olympic Games.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach is in the city for the celebratory activities. Bach hails Rio's efforts, which are to become the legacies of the Olympic Games.

"If you look at the many legacy projects here in Rio de Janeiro, I think that the Cariocas (Rio citizens), Rio de Janeiro and Brazil can be very proud of this. This is a real boost for Rio de Janeiro. There are many more legacy projects that have been realised than have been promised at the time of the bid. So, in this respect, Rio de Janeiro will over-deliver with regards to legacy. And I think this is of what everybody can be proud of."Organizers say preparations are well on track and within budget.

Rio is cleaning up the polluted Guanabara Bay for the sailing events, and construction on a tunnel linking the athletes' village and the Olympic Park is underway.

Designer of logo for Tokyo Games denies plagiarism accusationsJapanese designer Kenjiro Sano is defending his logo for the Tokyo Olympic Games, denying accusations of Plagiarism.

Sano says his design is original and he never saw the emblem of a Belgian theatre which he is said to have copied from.

"As an art director and designer, I've never once plagiarized anything. I take a lot of time with every design, raise them almost like my own children. So this kind of talk is really unfortunate and rather sad."Questions about the logo came up when lawyers of Olivier Debie, designer of the theatre emblem, demanded a response from the Japanese Olympic committee last week.

Debie might ask Tokyo to withdraw or change the logo. Officials for the Tokyo Games say legally there is no problem and they are working on a response.

EntertainmentJackie Chan speaks about relationship with his sonJackie Chan has spoken out about his relationship with his son Jaycee.

The Kung-Fu star's son who is also an actor and a singer was released from a six-month prison sentence in February after pleading guilty to allowing others to use marijuana at his apartment in Beijing.

Chan said that his son's incarceration has been a good learning curve for him.

"Now he reads a lot of books, writes a lot of songs, watches a lot of TV and movies and writes a lot of scripts. Before that happened, everyday he'd just fly to Japan, fly to Taiwan to see friends. Maybe he'd take two days to ten day to write one song. Now he writes so many songs."Chan says he is now looking for suitable movie projects for his son. In the meantime, the pair will be working together on the Kung-fu star's upcoming record which is set for release at the end of this year. Jaycee will produce the album and may even sing with his father on one track.

Earlier today it was revealed that Jackie Chan is the second highest paid actor in the world.

According to Forbes magazine's official yearly rankings, Chan is said to have made $50 million last year only being beaten by Robert Downey Jr.

Lady Gaga ready to make new albumLady Gaga has announced that she's ready to make a new album.

The singer who has just wrapped up a co-headlining tour with Tony Bennett, posted a picture to her Instagram account saying she was ready for her fifth album.

Her last album release was jazz duet album 'Cheek to Cheek' with Tony Bennett which won a Grammy award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

Her last solo release was 2013's ARTPOP which had mixed reviews among her diehard fans.

It's unclear at the moment what direction the new album will take and whether her recent experience in the world of jazz will influence the next release.

Fantastic Four film premieres in New YorkThe stars of the latest adaptation of 'Fantastic Four' attended the movie's premiere in New York on Tuesday.

With two critically panned films behind them, the newest version of Marvel Comics' 'Fantastic Four' has to be good to impress comic super fans.

The new adaptation focuses on the characters before they get their powers. Their lives are changed completely by their new found powers. Together they learn how to use their powers to help save the earth from a former friend turned enemy.

Miles Teller who stars as Reed Richards, also known as Mr Fantastic says the new version is more realistic.

"I guess we are trying to do a more realistic approach to it. That it's not like, all of a sudden we have powers and we are fighting Dr. Doom, we kind of focus on the transitional period from normal kid to superhero,"The Fantastic Four created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby are among Marvel's longest running series.

"Fantastic Four" opens in the U.S. on Friday, 7 August.

weatherBeijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 22 degrees Celsius; overcast tomorrow with a high of 31.

Shanghai will be clear tonight with a low of 27; sunny tomorrow with a high of 35.

Chongqing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 24, more clouds tomorrow with a high of 34.

Lhasa will see moderate rain tonight with a low of 11, slight rain tomorrow with a high of 19.

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

Kabul, overcast, 30.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, cloudy with a high of 14.

Brisbane, cloudy with a high of 17.

Perth, overcast, 17.

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

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

The Chinese and American Foreign Ministers discuss a range of issues, including President Xi Jinping's US visit and issues in the South China Sea...

A 10 member team from China has arrived in flood-ravaged Myanmar to provide aid and rescue...

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, I'm 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...