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

Coming up on the program this evening...

The Chinese foreign minister says building closer relationships with ASEAN nations is a priority for China...

Taiwan and Fujian prepare for Typhoon Soudelor. It's already pounding the Chinese coast...

IS militants have abducted hundreds of people, including women and children, in central Syria...

In Business...enhanced penalties against insider trading in China...

In Sports...a Chinese athlete makes history at the Swimming World Championships...

And in Entertainment...a release date has been announced for a fantasy movie based on a famous Chinese novel...

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.

topChinese FM Wang Yi Speaks About ASEAN FM MeetingAnchor:

China's Foreign Minister says that building closer relationships with ASEAN countries is a top priority for China.

Wang Yi made the remark as this year's ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting wrapped up in the Malaysian capital.

CRI's Victor Ning has more.

Reporter:

China is willing to build a closer community of destiny and cooperation with the ASEAN nations, Wang Yi told reporters on Friday, citing such proposals by Chinese President Xi Jingping and Premier Li Keqiang.

During this year's ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting in Kuala Lumpur, China put forward 10 proposals to implement the strategy based on the needs of the ASEAN nations and China's development.

Wang Yi says the word "cooperation" best summed up the achievement of the meeting.

"The first priority is to dovetail the building of 'One Belt One Road' with the development strategy of ASEAN, especially the strategy of building the ASEAN community of common destiny by the end of this year. For this end, we will draw up a five-year cooperation plan. The second noticeable issue is to make a plan on China-ASEAN connectivity. And another important proposal is to launch cooperation on international production capacity.'

As requested by Japan, Wang Yi also met with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida at the sideline of the ASEAN meetings.

During their talks, Wang urged Japan to face its role in WWII with responsibility, adding that Japan should value peaceful development in its foreign policy to avoid past mistakes.

On its attitude towards China, Wang says Japan should not "grapple with" China in all respects; instead it should recognize China's development and see China as a partner.

"We hope Japan can have an objective and sober recognition of China's development; otherwise it will make its life tiring."On the South China Sea issue, Wang Yi says China proposed the establishment of a Code of Conduct in the region, adding that nations outside the region should support such agreements by countries within it and avoid actions that may cause tension and complications.

Wang Yi reiterates that China proposed to have countries pledge to exercise and protect their freedom of navigation and over flight in the South China Sea in compliance with international law.

Wang Yi cautions people should look at the South China Sea issue calmly and objectively, instead of falling for media hype.

"Especially during the ASEAN Plus One and ASEAN Plus Three meetings, the South China Sea issue was a very small topic. But after the meeting, the questions that people asked were mostly about the South China Sea, which arouses suspicion of hype and exaggeration. The fact is not what the media has reported. I think, in general, the parties still hope to maintain a cooperation momentum."The top Chinese diplomat notes that maintaining a peaceful atmosphere and facilitating economic development should be all nations' priorities in Asia.

This year's ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting concluded on Thursday. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, established in 1967, comprises 10 Southeast Asian countries.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

Coastal province Fujian prepares for Typhoon SoudelorTyphoon Soudelor has killed two people in the choppy water off the coast of Taiwan's northeastern Yilan county. A third person is missing.

Soudelor is expected to land in the island around midnight tonight.

It will be the strongest typhoon in two years to hit Taiwan.

As a result, authorities in Taiwan have canceled flights and closed schools.

Security has been set up in some areas to prevent tourists from getting too close to the waterfront.

Meanwhile nearly 5,000 people in eastern Fujian have been evacuated to safety.

According to National Meteorological Center, Soudelor will land on the eastern coast of Fujian Province on Saturday night.

Fujian has been preparing for the approaching typhoon.

Chen Nongzhong, deputy head of Huangqi Township says soldiers are patrolling the port to help fishermen anchor their vessels.

"We have sent them the alerts on the typhoon through the Beidou satellite navigation system installed on the vessels. Now, some fishing boats have docked in port, and most fishing boats are on the way to return. We will make sure that all the vessels will dock in the Huangqi Port or the nearest port before 10:00 on Friday before the typhoon comes."Authorities in the neighboring province of Guangdong have also ordered fishing boats and and aquatic farm workers to return to shore.

Seaside tourist destinations in eastern Guangdong have been temporarily closed.

Over the weekend, a number of trains from Beijing to Fuzhou, provincial capital of Fujian Province, have been cancelled, in order to guarantee travelers' safety.

About 120 trains, mostly running from Shanghai to major cities in Fujian and Guangdong, will be taken out of service for the weekend by railway authorities.

France to Expand MH370 SearchMalaysian authorities have given out more details explaining why they believe the wing flap that washed up on a beach on Reunion Island belongs to missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Transport Minister Liow Tong Lai remarked after French experts said there are "very strong presumptions" that the part is from the missing plane, but more testing is needed before that can be "conclusively confirmed.""We're convinced that is MH370 and well we also respect the French they want further test. So it's a choice of words that we use, but it's important that this piece of wreckage, the flaperon, we are satisfied that it belongs to MH370 because we have the MAS (Malaysia Airlines) track record, maintenance track record and we have the technical details of the MAS plane, and we're very convinced that this is MH370."Despite the mixed messages, France has conducted air, land and sea searches in and around the island, hoping to find more debris which could be linked to MH370.

MH370: relatives in China skeptical about debris linked to missing planeAnchor:

Relatives of the victims of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are demanding more answers and more accountability following increasing evidence the missing flight did indeed crash into the Indian Ocean last year.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara has more.

Reporter:

Chinese relatives of the passengers have been reacting with both grief and frustration after Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak announced a piece of wreckage found on the Indian Ocean of Reunion last week is from the missing plane.

But many of the relatives of the Chinese vicitms say they're not happy with the answers they've been given by the Airline.

Yang Jinbo from Liaoning lost both his wife and daughter in the tragedy.

"We request Malaysian Airlines to fulfil their promises. Last year they told us that they will fly us to wherever the first signs of debris of MH370 were found. Secondly, we need to see the video of the boarding of the plane itself. We were only given the airplane ticket as proof that our relatives were on board. "The relatives are also criticising the airline's choice of using a simple text message to inform them of the latest information after 515 days without any news.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who had been attending an ASEAN regional meeting in Kuala Lumpur, has used part of his time there to call on Malaysian authorities be open about what they know.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai has confirmed more plane parts have been found washed up on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion, which is located just east of Madasgascar.

Their discovery some 4-thousand kilometers from where the search for the plane has been focused is raising questions and concerns among the families of the victims, with some suggesting the search area should be changed.

However, Judith Zielke, chief coordinator of the Joint Agency overseeing the search off the west coast of Australia, says the discovery of debris on Reunion Island is consistent with the drift modeling conducted by experts.

"Look, the overall search area is 1.1 million square kilometres, that's an area around the size of South Australia, so it is huge. Our target area is 120,000 square kilometres within that and we've searched over half of that area to date. So, we're making good progress.

While certian materials of a downed airliner can float and drift in the ocean, heavier materials, including an airliner's flight-data recorders, cannot.

Discovery of the flight-data recorders on MH370 will be critical in determining what has led to the biggest mystery in aviation history.

For Cri I'm Poornima WeerasekaraSenior official from China's Securities Watchdog expelled over bribery chargesA senior official from China's securities watchdog has been sacked over bribery charges.

Li Liang served as the head of the investors' protection bureau.

The bureau is in charge of reviewing bond issuance by companies and corporate listing on overseas stock exchanges.

He was also expelled from the CPC.

Li has been under probe over suspected bribe charges since the end of last year.

He allegedly took bribes during his time in office which started in October 2013.

China's Draft on Cyber Security Wraps up Soliciting Public OpinionsAnchor:

The draft of China's new cyber security law has just finished soliciting public opinions.

Issues such as how to construct a safer online environment and how to better safeguard the rights and interests of citizens and internet enterprises are the focus of public concerns.

CRI's Niu Honglin has more.

Reporter:

The 68-article draft law looks at the safety, operation, and information of Internet products, services, and network data.

It also stresses the protection of personal information from theft, leakage, or illegal use.

This follows a string of incidents concerning personal information.

Li Yuxiao is the head of Internet Governance and Law Institute at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunication.

He believes more emphasis should be put in the protection of personal information:

"In terms of the society as a whole, we should consider there are different groups and they have different needs on the issue of cyber security. Some of the groups are more vulnerable than the others, such as teenagers and children."The latest stats suggest the past twelve months have seen a loss of over 80 billion yuan due to information leakage and scams.

The draft law also raised concerns over trans-border data sharing or limiting data flow.

The draft says operators in charge of keeping key data should evaluate security conditions before providing any information overseas.

Du Yuejin, vice-chairman of the security response center of internet giant Alibaba, expresses his concern:

"Now many internet related industries and businesses are booming in China, and some are connected to international businesses. Under this circumstance, cross border date-flow has become ever more significant. If we don't manage it well, Chinese enterprises that potentially may become competitive globally through internet will face bigger challenges."Observers also dismiss concerns that if the draft law is approved, foreign products and services will face restrictions.

Zuo Xiaodong, deputy director of China Electronic Information and Security Institute, says such worry is unnecessary.

The expert notes the need to strengthen such management is necessary, as China has been one of the countries hit most by internet security threats.

"They tried to attack our management system on cyber security which reveals their political motives. They say we restrict people's freedom on the internet. But we know the free flow of information on internet is under the precondition of security and we have to ensure the rights and interests of our country and our people."Over 3-thousand public opinions have been solicited and delivered to China's top legislature.

For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

Chinese Traditional Banks Take Advantage of Internet Finance WaveAnchor:

Traditional banks here in China are moving into "Internet Finance", taking advantage of online resources to speed up reforms.

This comes amid the increasing challenges posed by other financial players.

Details are from CRI's Wang Wei.

Reporter:

Traditional banking in China is facing a constantly changing operating environment due to China's economic transition and industrial restructuring.

The marketization of interest rates is speeding up, posing threats to banking's traditional profit model, which is gaining the interest spreads of deposit and loan.

Meanwhile modern technologies such as the internet, big data and cloud computing are increasingly employed in various sectors and internet finance is rapidly growing.

Yu Xuejun, head of the National Shareholding Banks Supervision Department under China Banking Regulatory Commission says all these factors also prompt the traditional banking system to seek new growth points.

"Besides the traditional P2P mode, the establishment of WeBank and MyBank is grabbing public attention recently. They're using their online resources and advantages to offer small loans for small and medium enterprises as well as individuals. This sets a good example for the future development of traditional banks."China's largest commercial bank- the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China - is taking measures to find its place in internet finance.

It has already established an internet finance marketing center and a financial center targeting individual credit consumption.

Gao Zhixin with the bank says another internet financing center targeting small business is set to open in September:

"The internet financing center will offer online financing products for individuals and legal personnel. This will meet the need of small businesses."Meanwhile, some problems and hidden risks have cropped up in China's burgeoning peer to peer sector.

New guidelines have been released to tighten the regulation of P2P businesses, through measures including new registration rules, requiring third-party fund trusteeship, and external audits.

Xue Hongjian, who's in charge of product innovation management at ICBC, says the move provides a growth point for banks.

"The guidelines have made it clear that banks should be chosen as fund depository agents for P2P platforms. ICBC is now studying funds trusteeship relevant to P2P and are getting ready to provide businesses concerning trusteeship."Analysts say it is necessary for commercial banks to embrace internet and push forward reforms.

For CRI, I'm Wang Wei.

8 killed, 400 injured in Kabul truck bombingThe Afghan capital is tense and security tight after an early morning truck bomb killed 8 and injured 4 hundred others.

All the victims are said to be civilians, including women and children.

The truck bomb exploded near a military compound in the center of Kabul, destroying part of the army base and its nearby homes and shops.

"The ground was shaking when the explosion took place. I thought it was an earthquake. It was so horrible.""All residents in the area were shocked. We are concerned about the security which is getting worse day by day. There is no guarantee how long we will live."There's no claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Afghan Taliban remains the primary suspect.

The attack comes a day after a suicide bomber killed three policemen and 3 civilians in the city of Puli Alam.

The Taliban claimed that bombing, which was the first major attack since the insurgents confirmed the death of the group's former leader last week.

According to the latest UN figures, nearly 1,600 civilians were killed and more than 3,300 others wounded in Afghanistan in the first half of this year, all due to conflicts and Taliban-led attacks.

IS militants abduct dozens of Christians in central SyriaIslamic State militants are accused in the abduction of dozens of Christians, including women and children, from a town in central Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the Christians are among 230 people captured by IS in the province of Homs.

The number includes at least 19 children. The UK-based group says the fate of those children is not known.

IS militants overran the area on Wednesday following a series of suicide car bombings on the outskirts of town.

Fierce fighting with government forces, supported by the air force, failed to stop the militants.

Reports say the army withdrew and repositioned to avoid losses as the air force and artillery continue to hit the town.

North Korea to switch to new time zoneNorth Korea has announced that the country will use a new time zone starting from August 15, the day marking the country's liberation from Japan at the end of World War II.

North Korea is currently in the same time zone with Japan and South Korea, which is nine hours ahead of GMT.

The new time zone, called Pyongyang Time, will see clocks set back by a half an hour compared to the present setting.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency quotes an official by saying the decision "reflects Pyongyang's unshakeable faith, and the will of service personnel and people on the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation."The South Korean side has expressed concern that the switch could hamper inter-Korean affairs.

Jeong Joon-hee is the spokesman of South Korea's Unification Ministry.

"There will be a 30 minute time difference between the South and the North. It could bring minor disruption in inter-Korea exchanges including entry to the Kaesong Industrial Complex. In the long term, it could hamper efforts for inter-Korea integration, standard integration and in narrowing differences between the Koreas."Observers believe the move of establishing a new time zone is more of a symbolic meaning.

Egypt's Sisi opens new Suez Canal to boost economic recoveryAnchor:

Egypt has officially opened a major extension of the Suez Canal that is expected to give a major shot-in-the-arm to the country's economic recovery after years of unrest.

CRI's Luo Wen has more.

Reporter:

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has signed an official document presented by the Suez Canal Authority to open up the new waterway.

"We promised, as Egyptians, a gift to the world and today we are fulfilling this promise in record time."Sisi gave the go-ahead for the "New Suez Canal" project a year ago, and ordered it to be completed in just one year.

The project includes a newly-dug 35-kilometer waterway, which runs alongside the original 190-kilomter Suez Canal.

It also includes a 37-kilometer expansion and deepening of certain parts of the existing Canal.

"Within just one year we are providing the world with an additional artery for prosperity, another channel for connecting civilizations, to facilitate and enhance the movement of international maritime traffic, broaden the horizons of growth and enable the realization of the hopes and the aspirations of Egyptian people."Inaugurating the new Canal, the former General notes the work did not take place under normal circumstances.

"Egypt did not only present this project during this year or the previous two years, to be exact. History will record that Egypt stood against and fought the most dangerous extremist ideology. If it were able to put hands on this land it would have burnt it to the ground."Cairo has had to face an increasingly brazen insurgency in the area around the Suez Canal, which is located in the Sinai peninsula.

The insurgency by both local tribesmen and supporters of ousted former President Mohammed Morsi has left numerous soldiers and police officers dead.

Despite this, Egyptian authorities are promising the safety of ships through the strategic canal will not be an issue.

The new Suez Canal project is meant to double its capacity and revenues over the next 7-years.

However, some observers are suggesting the political gains for Sisi are likely to outweigh the economic ones.

Sameh Rashed is a political analyst and researcher with Egyptian daily newspaper al-Ahram.

"This is not a new Suez Canal, but it a new partial waterway, precisely it's the eighth, so there were seven previous similar projects in the Suez Canal. Also, the increase in the capacity is not only subject to the dimensions of the canal, but also subject to the increase in world maritime trade. International organizations expect that in the next ten years it won't increase much, on the contrary reports say that other waterways could draw the traffic from the Suez Canal."The Suez Canal Authority predicts a jump in revenues from 5-billion to over 13 billion US dollars by 2022.

In the long term, it's also expected the expansion will create at least a million new job opportunities.

A number of new development projects around the canal region are also due to break ground in the near future.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

US Hosts First Republic Presidential Debate for 2016 ElectionWith the 2016 presidential election just 15 months away, the US Republicans have hosted their first presidential debate.

The debate took place on Thursday evening in Cleveland, Ohio.

The combative performance of Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman, was one of the main talking points following the debate.

In the opening minutes of the debate, Donald Trump, the outspoken-billionaire turned candidate, said he would not rule out an independent run if he does not win the Republican nomination. The move could divide the Republican vote, leaving better chances for the Democratic candidate.

"I cannot say, I have to respect the person that ... if it is not me, the person that wins.

(Brett Baier, FOX reporte): "You are not going to make the pledge?""I will not make the pledge at this time."The debate featured 10 candidates who were selected according to their ranking in five recent national polls.

Overall, 17 Republicans are seeking the party's nomination.

The video "killing the world biggest whale shark" in Guangdong is under investigationTwo fishermen suspected of involving in a viral video called "killing the world's biggest whale shark" are being sought by the fishery department in Guangdong Province.

It's believed the two are out on the water now, in the fishing boat that was also seen in the video.

In the video, two men use a long knife to kill a whale shark and cut it into pieces, as they are crowded by screaming people and others who took pictures with the whale.

The uploaded video has been criticized by many Chinese netizens, saying it is cruel and heartbreaking.

Whale sharks are on the state protection list so the fishermen involved in the video will face penalty if caught.

weatherBeijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 23 degrees Celsius; still cloudy tomorrow with a high of 32.

Shanghai has showers tonight with a low of 27; more showers tomorrow with a high of 31.

Chongqing will see thundershowers tonight with a low of 25, showers tomorrow with a high of 31.

Lhasa has thundershowers tonight with a low of 10, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 24.

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

Kabul, cloudy, 30.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, cloudy with a high of 16.

Brisbane has sunshine with a high of 19.

Perth, slight rain, 14.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand has slight rain with a high of 12 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChina urges Japan to send "correct" message on wartime responsibilityChina is urging Japan to send a "clear and correct" message on its wartime responsibility.

Chinese Foreign Ministry released the statement as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to make a statement marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II next week.

A mimistry spokesperson says Japan can realize real reconciliation with its Asian neighbors only by clearly recognizing its wartime crimes.

In a report released as a reference for his upcoming statement, a 16-member panel to Abe mentioned the country's wartime aggression and colonial rule, but stopped short of saying whether the prime minister should apologize for the atrocities.

Abe has reiterated that he would not use such words as "heartfelt apology" or "aggression and colonial rule" as previous prime ministers did in their annual war anniversary statement.

China renews alert for Typhoon SoudelorNearly 5,000 people in southeast China have been evacuated to safety ahead of Typhoon Soudelor's arrival in Fujian province on Saturday.

The National Meteorological Center has raised the alert for the typhoon from yellow to orange, the 2nd highest level.

Forecasting models are expecting the eye of Soudelor to hit the east coast of Taiwan sometime around midnight tonight.

The storm has already led to two death in the island.

It is forecast to land on the coast of Fujian Province on Saturday night.

US Secretary of State visit Vietnam in marking 20th ann of diplomatic tiesUS secretary of State John Kerry says Washington will not take sides, and it supports a peaceful resolution to issues in the South China Sea.

Kerry made the remarks in Hanoi after meeting with Vietnamese leaders.

His visit comes as the US and Vietnam are marking the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

He also took time to talk about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, saying it would spur regional economic integration.

Vietnam is one of the negotiators in the trade agreement talks.

Abducted French Woman in Yemen FreedA French woman who was kidnapped in Yeman in February has been freed, according to the French president's office. She is expected to arrive in Paris on Friday.

31 year-old Isabelle Prime was consulting for Yemen's Social Fund for Development when she was abducted along with her translator, who was released earlier.

Additional information, including the identity of her abductors, has not been revealed.

A number of foreigners have been taken hostage in Yemen in recent years, often by tribesmen who attempt to press the government for services or other exchanges.

biz reportsAnchor:

Turning now to business news.

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

Joining me on the desk is Victor Ning.

Reporter:

Chinese stocks rose on Friday after reports emerged that trillions of yuan will likely re-enter the equity market.

Foreign Media reports the Chinese government agency tasked with buying stocks to prop up the country's wobbling markets is seeking an additional 2 trillion yuan, or over 320 billion US dollars in funds.

At the closing bell,The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rebounded 2.3 percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index gained 2.7 percent.

The ChiNext Index tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, surged 3.9 percent.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng moved up 0.7 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Tokyo shares ended trading on Friday slightly higher on the Bank of Japan's policy of maintaining its ultra-loose monetary policy.

Japan's Nikkei inched up 0.3 percent.

Singapore stocks finished slightly higher, with the benchmark Straits Times Index up 0.2 percent.

South Korea's KOSPI dropped 0.2 percent.

And finally Australia's ASX200 edged down 2.4 percent.

CSRC to enhance the penalty on insider tradingChina Securities Regulatory Commission says it has punished 20 cases of insider trading so far this year.

In making the revelation, the securities watchdog also vows to enhance punishment on insider trading.

The CSRC says it will first hit information leaks at the source. It will also strike against those who seek inside information.

Leaking information through media, like wechat, is also going to be investigated.

China's forex reserves fall for third straight month in JulyChina's foreign exchange reserves fell to 3.7 trillion U.S. dollars at the end of July.

The country's central bank on Friday said the country's foreign exchange reserves decreased by a total of 42.5 billion U.S. dollars last month.

This is the third consecutive month of decline.

Meanwhile, the country's gold reserves also fell to 59 billion U.S. dollars at the end of July, down 3 billion U.S. dollars from June.

China's forex reserves fell by 40 billion U.S. dollars in the second quarter of this year, marking a seven-quarter low and a four-quarter consecutive drop.

China's supreme court validates private loans for rightful purposesChinese companies will be allowed to lend and receive private loans for the sake of production.

The Supreme People's Court gives its explanation on private loans on Thursday.

It defines "private loans" as financial exchanges among individuals, legal entities and other organizations.

The judicial explanation clarifies that private loan contracts signed by companies for production management should be recognized by courts as long as they do not violate Contract Law, and such financial exchange activities should be protected.

Zeng Gang, Director of the Institute of Finance and Banking, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, applauds this explanation,"In fact, it gives acknowledgement to private lending. I think this provides a good direction for interest rate liberalization, financial marketization, and increasing financial support for the real economy."Chinese courts closed more than 1 million private loan cases last year, a year-on-year increase of 20 percent.

According to the Supreme People's Court, the law protects the lending activity if the annual interest rate is below 24 percent.

The rules will take effect on Sept 1.

Report suggests China to cut interest rate laterA new report is suggesting China cut its interest rate in the second half of this year.

The report was jointly released by the Institute of China Development Bank, the State Development Center and Shanghai Securities.

The report says cross boarder capital outflow, RMB depreciation and stock turbulence will disturb the capital distribution in the following months.

It says to keep a stable economic growth, China needs to cut interest rates.

Cargo train links NE China port, SlovakiaA new cargo train service links Northeast China's Liaoning province and Slovakia.

The first train departed on Thursday morning from Liaoning's Yingkou Port, carrying mainly electronic products from the Republic of Korea.

It will go through Russia and Ukraine before reaching Slovakia in 15 days.

The service starts by running one train a week on the 11,000-kilometer line.

Lots of Japanese and South Korea commodities are transported overland from Yingkou Port to Europe.

The port is also linked by direct cargo train services to Moscow, Warsaw and Belarus.

Alibaba and Yongda Co-establish a Car O2O PlatformAnchor:

Chinese online shopping platform Alibaba is teaming up with a Chinese car dealer in an attempt to shift vehicle buyers from the showrooms to an online marketplace.

CRI's Li Jing has more.

Report:

Yongda Automobiles and Alibaba Group have jointly launched an online car sales platform, which allows customers to purchase high-end cars, such as Cadillacs and Bentleys, by a simple click just like buying any everyday product.

Cai Yongzhi, a senior executive at Alibaba's car division, says the two companies are teaming up to provide one-stop online-to-offline services.

"Buying a dress online is easy, but buying a car is different, which costs thousands or millions of dollars. We have resolved the problem of online payment, and we offer good quality cars with uniform prices across the country. Customers can simply pay online, then sign the contract and pick up the car offline. "He says customers in smaller cities will benefit from the new sales model because many high-priced cars have not yet entered the local markets.

Once the orders are placed online, cars are expected to be delivered to a dealership nearest to the consumer within a week.

At the same time, Deputy General Manager at Yonda Automobiles Tang Liang says the innovation in e-commerce has created a new distribution model.

"We are launching the first Internet car festival, people no longer have to go to an auto show for new cars. Capitalizing on our nationwide distribution network and Alibaba's big data analysis, we are able to serve custom cars to our consumers."Despite slower overall car sales in China last year, car-related e-commerce has been booming over the past years. On November 11 last year, Alibaba's business-to-consumer platform Tmall sold more than 50 thousand cars during the annual online sales and promotion day.

A number of Chinese technology giants, including Tencent and Baidu, are also exploring business opportunities in car products, given online sales expected to account for 10% of all car sales in China in the near future.

Data shows that nearly 24 million vehicles were sold in the country last year, up 7 percent from the previous year, making China the largest auto market in the world for six consecutive years.

For CRI, this is Li Jing.

Ford's sales fall in ChinaUS automaker Ford has seen its July sales fall 6 percent year-on-year.

Ford sold over 77 thousand vehicles in China last month.

Its sales in the first seven months also dropped 1 percent from the same period last year.

Its joint venture Changan Ford, which produces passenger vehicles, sold less than 60 thousand units in the month, a 4 percent fall year on year.

Ford's partner JMC, which produces Ford's commercial vehicles, saw its last month's sales dropping 12 percent year on year.

10-year report reveals habits of Chinese online shoppersA new report shows online shoppers in China have expanded their foothold to more than 100 countries and regions in the past decade.

The report was done by a unit of China's largest shopping website, Taobao.com.

The report shows Chinese buyers preferred shopping websites in Hong Kong and Macao in the early years of online shopping. And now they have switched their attention to a wider range of areas, including Japan, South Korea, North America, Europe, and South Africa.

These shoppers prefer local specialties in other countries and regions. But the hottest items are cosmetics and skin care products, which have been bought by more than half of these buyers.

SportsTwo golds, four bronzes from China at Swimming World ChampionshipsNing Zetao has made history again by winning the men's 100 meter freestyle at the world swimming championships in Kezan.

It makes Ning the first Asian swimmer to do so in this event.

He couldn't contain his excitement after his success.

"It feels like I'm in a dream. There are no words. I want to tell the world that I am Asian, I am Chinese, and I did it. I showed the world that we are in it to fight for victory in men's short-track swimming."Shortly after Ning's victory, Fu Yuanhui claimed gold in the women's 50 meter backstroke.

Liu Xiang won bronze in that event.

There were three other bronzes for China on the day, including Wang Shun in the men's 200x4 medley, Zhang Yufei in women's 200 butterfly and in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay.

In other action,Shi Jinglin won a tie-breaker and has made the final of the women's 200 meter breaststroke, scheduled for tonight.

China wins bid for 2019 FIBA Basketball World CupChina has won the bid for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Eight cities across China will jointly host the event, including Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Thirty-two teams will be competing in the tournament.

The first edition of the basketball world cup was held in Spain last year. It is scheduled for every four years but the next edition has been postponed for a year to dodge the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Angel Di Maria signs for PSGIn football,Paris Saint-Germain has completed the signing of Angel Di Maria.

The Argentinean winger joined PSG from Manchester United on a four-year deal worth 63 million euros.

It is the second most expensive signing in the history of French football.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi thanked Di Maria for choosing them, and hopes he will help them realize their biggest ambition.

"It really is an honor for the club to finally sign Angel. We want to pursue our big European dream, everyone knows what our great ambition is: the Champions League. Now, I'm more confident. We're getting closer to our dream - it's difficult, we know that, but we're close. We'll try again this year and Angel will give us a lift, a boost to our team, especially in the Champions League - which he has already won with Real Madrid."Di Maria was coveted by several other clubs but says the same goal prompted his decision to join the French champions.

"PSG has won everything this year, I saw it, I actually saw the last matches. I will try to bring my best to PSG, to try to help them get pass that Champions League quarter-final level which they never managed to break through. Thanks to Paris Saint-Germain for wanting me."Di Maria has already been unveiled by his new team and will be wearing the number 11 jersey.

Liaoning Hongyun's Sun banned for violence in CSLOver in China,Liaoning Hongyun defender Sun Shilin has been handed a four-match suspension and a fine of 20 thousand yuan for violence against a rival player in the Chinese Super League.

Sun kicked Shuntian's Wu Xi in the calf when the ball was already out of reach in a game between Liaoning Hongyun and Jiangsu Shuntian last month.

Wu was substituted for the injury.

Sun got away with a yellow card despite protests and chaos from the field.

Floyd Mayweather picks Andre Berto for last fightIn boxing,Floyd Mayweather has picked two-time welterweight champion Andre Berto for his last fight.

Mayweather, who won the "fight of the century" against Manny Pacquiao in May, will put his glorious record on the line in Las Vegas next month.

The undefeated boxer says Berto is a worthy opponent.

"I am okay, very well off. I am pushing myself. Actually I am working I think harder this camp than I did last camp, but you know you can never overlook any opponent. I am not overlooking this guy, gotta stay focused, gotta continue to push myself."Berto is up for the challenge and promises an exciting bout.

"And my time is now. There is no better day than the present so I am looking forward to it. I have been knowing this man to the right for a very long time and he ain't no stranger to me at all. Even when I look into his eyes, it looks like I say, I have been knowing this guy for awhile, nothing changes about the situation so I am looking forward to it, I am dialed in, we are already heavy in camp. September 12th, everybody you definitely do not want to miss this one."With a win, Mayweather will extend his winning streak to 49 to match the record of the late heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano.

At 38 years old, Mayweather said boxing is a young man's sport and cited his age for the reason for retiring.

He said he will remain a part of boxing even after leaving the ring.

Danny Lee leading by one shot at WGC Bridgestone InvitationalIn golf,Danny Lee from New Zealand is leading by one shot at five-under after the opening round of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio.

Lee shot seven birdies to establish the early lead.

Close behind and tied at second place are Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell.

Jordan Spieth finished at level-par for the day.

The only Chinese golfer in the tournament Liang Wenchong played a rather safe round. Liang carded a 2-over 72 with two birdies to tie at 44th place.

Tennis: Citi Open resultsIn tennis,Kei Nishikori is in the quarter-finals of the Citi Open in Washington DC after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Leonardo Meyer.

The second seed will meet Sam Groth who upset Feliciano Lopez.

US Open champion Marin Cilic is also through after overcoming challenges from Sam Querrey.

And it will be an all-American match-up between Jack Sock and Steve Johnson.

EntertainmentChinese fantasy movie based on tomb raider novels set for National Day Holiday releaseAn upcoming fantasy movie based on one of China's popular tomb raider novels is set to hit movie theaters during the National Day Holiday.

Ghost Blows Out: The Nine-Story Demon Tower is inspired by bestselling novel Gui Chui Deng.

The film's plot revolves around fighting monsters and also the exploration of unknown civilizations.

Lu Chuan who won international attention for 2004 crime thriller 'Kekexili: Mountain Patrol' directs the film.

The film stars well-known actors Li Chen and Li Guangjie.

In order to make the film more authentic, the crew spent over a month in remote areas of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Gansu province.

Published in 2007, the eight-volume novel Gui Chui Deng has sold over a million copies and has a huge fan base.

Wanda has the adaptation rights to the first four volumes.

Fantastic Four director criticizes final versionFantastic Four director Josh Trank has posted a tweet online saying that the final version of 'Fantastic Four' is not his own.

The tweet sent out on Thursday claimed that the director had a version that he deemed was perfect a year ago, however he says that there are changes that were made that he did not agree with. He claimed that had his version been released the movie would have received better reviews.

The message was quickly deleted but not before many people had re-tweeted and saved screen grabs of it.

The film currently has 10 percent positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, only one percent higher than Catwoman.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fantastic Four has been plagued with production problems from the start.

Fantastic Four hits US theaters today.

Vin Diesel promotes new film "The Last Witch Hunter"Having already starred in 'Fast and Furious 7', one of the biggest films this year, Vin Diesel is busy again promoting his newest film "The Last Witch Hunter" set to be released in October.

The movie sees a change of role for the actor as he steps into the fantasy world to play immortal character 'Groot' who travels through time.

Diesel said he wanted a challenge.

"Everyone knows I love challenges, who else would play a three monosyllabic word character like 'Groot' and like the challenge of that? And I guess the challenge of this was being able to play an immortal character that crosses in and out of various centuries and generations that he has. And that felt like an interesting challenge as an actor."The trailer for "The Last Witch Hunter" has just been released and despite the film not hitting screens for several more months, a sequel is already in the works.

Vin Diesel recently came third in a list of the highest paid actors in the world by Forbes Magazine. He was beaten only by Robert Downey Jr.and Jackie Chan.

"The Last Witch Hunter" is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 23.

Jon Stewart bids farewell to 'The Daily Show'

Jon Stewart bid farewell to 'The Daily Show' on Thursday, ushered out by Bruce Springsteen and a reunion with some of his colleagues during his 16 years as host.

After nearly 2,600 episodes of political satire on Comedy Central, Stewart was joined by names such as Lewis Black, Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell for his final episode.

People queued for hours for the chance to be in the audience.

Tara Seymour who managed to get into the show says the farewell was sweet and funny.

"Bruce Springsteen came on and did a sign off for Jon. All the correspondents came back, whoever had been on the show before came and said goodbye. Colbert had like a really awesome goodbye to Jon and it was just, it was very sweet and funny. The perfect way to send Jon off."Stewart announced last winter that he was getting restless and it was time to move on.

He is being replaced by South African comedian Trevor Noah next month.

weatherBeijing got thunderstorms tonight with a low of 23 degrees Celsius; still cloudy tomorrow with a high of 32.

Shanghai has showers tonight with a low of 27; more showers tomorrow with a high of 31.

Chongqing will see thundershowers tonight with a low of 25, showers tomorrow with a high of 31.

Lhasa has thundershowers tonight with a low of 10, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 24.

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

Kabul, cloudy, 30.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, cloudy with a high of 16.

Brisbane has sunshine with a high of 19.

Perth, slight rain, 14.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand has slight rain with a high of 12 degrees Celsius.

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

The Chinese foreign minister says building closer relationships with ASEAN nations is a priority for China...

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...