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

Coming up on the program this evening...

cities in Fujian and elsewhere in southeast China are bracing typhoon Soudelor, which will make landfall this evening...

The Chinese ambassador to Japan is urging prime minister Shinzo Abe to face history, ahead of the PM's statement marking the end of World War II...

And there are more reports that Apple will announce a new iPhone and a new iPad next month...

In the 2nd half of the hour, we'll bring you some of the business stories making headlines this past week.

In Sports...results from the ongoing World Swimming Championships in Russia...

And in Entertainment...a lifetime achievement award for actress Li Lihua...

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

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Top NewsChinese coastal provinces brace for super typhoon SoudelorFujian Province in east China issued its highest typhoon alert today, as super typhoon Soudelor approaches the coast.

The storm, which is expected to land in the province later on tonight, has already brought heavy rainfull to many cities.

Gao Shuanzhu, chief forecaster from China Meteorological Administration, says the impact of Soudelor for the Chinese mainland will be much longer and broader than the huge storm Chan-Hom, which hit the region last month.

"When typhoon Can-Hom landed, it only covered part of the coastal area of Zhejiang Province. This time, typhoon Soudelor will impact and cover the whole eastern China, which directly leads to a much longer torrential rain period in the region."Flights to the provincial capital Fuzhou have been canceled.

About 100 trains running through the city of Xiamen have suspended services.

The airport in the city of Quanzhou has also canceled its flights.

Authorities in Fujian have also organized an emergency team to tackle any flooding that may be caused by the torrential rain.

Jiang Hongyun, chief of the training department from the Fujian Coast Guard team, says they are fully prepared to face any emergency.

"We now have prepared rubber boats, assault boats, spades, stand bars and life buoys. We will be on stand-by for 24 hours and ready for any emergency rescue work"About 158,000 people in the province have been evacuated to safer locations.

Neighboring Jiangxi Province also issued a typhoon alert and suspended some trains.

The typhoon struck Taiwan early today, killing 6 people and and injuring over 100 others.

Four people are still missing.

The typhoon made landfall with the storm centered 60 km west of Hualien, a county in the east of Taiwan.

An unidentified rescuer said the typhoon also caused much trouble in Tao Yuan county.

"We received a report from people earlier that there was a mudslide then we sent fire truck and rescue vehicle to here to evacuate people. At present we are rescuing about 7 households and around 21 people."All offices and schools across the island were closed today.

High-speed rail lines and regular train networks suspended services in the early afternoon on Friday.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan urges Japanese leader to face up to historyThe Chinese Ambassador to Japan has urged the Japanese prime minister to face up to history when making an upcoming statement to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced today the statement would be issued as a cabinet decision, which is often quoted as the official position of the Japanese government on the issue of its wartime aggression in the early 20th century.

Previously Abe planned to issue the statement on a personal basis on August 14.

It remains to be seen whether the so-called Abe Statement will admit the war waged by Japan was aggression or if it will include an apology to World War II victims.

The Chinese ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua says China, together with other countries invaded by Japan during the war, is very concerned regarding the content of the statement.

"Upon the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, the 'Abe Statement' is closely watched by international society, including China, as to what message it will convey on the war of aggression waged by Japanese militarism. Only by facing up to its history and showing a clear attitude toward its war responsibility can Japan face up to the future and open a new chapter in history."South Korea, whose peoples were also victims of wartime atrocities committed by Japan's military, has continually urged successive Japanese governments to face up to the nation's military past.

Ties between Japan and its Asian neighbors have been frayed by the efforts of some Japanese politicians to deny or whitewash Japan's wartime wrongdoings.

Australian minister recalls China's vital role in WWIIAnchor:

Australian Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull has reminded fellow Australians of China's vital role fighting against Japanese forces during World Word Two.

Our Australian correspondent Wang Xiao has more.

Reporter:

When addressing the Australia-China Business Week in Sydney this week, Mr. Turnbull said at the very beginning of his speech that it is important not to forget that in Australia's battle for survival against Japan their longest ally was China.

On February 19th, 1942, 242 Japanese aircraft bombed Darwin, Northern Australia.

They attacked ships in Darwin's harbour and struck the town's two airfields in an attempt to prevent the Allies from using them as bases.

The town was only lightly defended and the Japanese inflicted heavy losses upon the Allied forces at little cost to themselves.

The urban areas of Darwin also suffered severe damage from the raids and 243 civilians were killed.

The attacks were among almost 100 air raids against Australia in 1942 and '43.

The Minister said "in our darkest hour, when our foes were literally on our doorstep, when our cities were under direct military attack, then, at that tipping point in our history, China was our staunch, indefatigable ally."China had been invaded by Japan in 1937 and fought alone until Japan's attack on the US base at Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Mr. Turnbull said that without China's endurance and courage in the face of Japan, Australia's war history may have ended very differently indeed.

He said Australian people cannot imagine modern Australia without China's contribution to their people, culture, and prosperity.

For CRI, I'Wang Xiao from Sydney.

Japan Marks 70th Anniversary of Nagasaki BombingAugust 9th marks the 70th anniversary of the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan by US forces.

Along with another atomic bomb dropped by the US three days prior on Hiroshima, the event led to Japan's unconditional surrender in WWII.

The anniversaries of the bombings this year comes amid Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's unpopular efforts to expand the role of the Japanese military.

Sumiteru Taniguchi is a survivor of the Nagasaki bombing.

He says the recent development heralded by the Abe administration causes concerns for those seeking peace.

"Japan is becoming a country that is once again willing to go to war after saying that the war is over. We are slowly going back to an age where war exists".

In commemoration of the second bombing, the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum has released medical footage filmed by US military personnel in Japan at the time. The footage shows graphic details of the injuries caused by the Nagasaki bombing, which killed around 70,000 people.

Son of late US airman rescued by Chinese expresses gratitudeAnchor:

The rescue of a U.S. airman by Chinese guerrilla forces in Hong Kong during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression has brought families of the two countries together after many years.

CRI's Guo Yan has more.

Report:

In February 1944, Lt. Donald W. Kerr of the U.S. Air Force had his airplane shot down by Japanese troops during an Allies' operation to bombard the Kai Tak airport.

The airport in Hong Kong had been occupied by Japanese troops since 1941.

Lt. Kerr managed to parachute from the airplane and landed in the mountains in Hong Kong's Kowloon.

The Japanese, who were eager to catch a U.S. airman, had deployed thousands of soldiers to look for him.

A guerrilla force formed in south China's Guangdong Province later found and rescued him.

David Kerr, son of Lt. Kerr, talked about the historic moments that his parents had told about him many times.

"When he was in the burning airplane, he got burned. He got bad burns on his leg. His eye was burned. And when he jumped out of the airplane, his shoulder hit the tail of the airplane and he couldn't use his arm. So he had a lot of problems. And these kids, I mean, 12, 13, 14-year-old kids were getting him away from the Japanese."The rescuers are with the Hong Kong-Kowloon brigade of the Chinese guerrilla force, called the Dongjiang Column, formed in 1942 to reinforce China's war efforts against Japanese Aggression in the region.

Kerr said his father told him that a small boy brought him up into the mountains. There he was cared for by the soldiers of the guerrilla and local villagers.

"...And although he was only 12, 13, maybe 14 years old, he had an important job of taking messages for this guerrilla organization from the city of Hong Kong, Kowloon around different islands. And that's why he knew that it was important to rescue my father."Lt. Kerr was later escorted by the East River guerrilla to the U.S. air base in Guilin, south China's Guangxi.

He went on to record his experience with a memoir entitled "I bring you go home now".

After Lt. Kerr's death, his son David Kerr had come to Shenzhen, Guangdong to look for the old soldiers, especially the "small boy" who had been frequently talked about by his father.

The name of the small boy is Li Shi, said Kerr, who finally met him.

"He was in a retirement home. He had a stroke, so he couldn't talk to me. But through an interpreter, I was able to thank him on behalf of our family for the great risks that he took so many years ago. And, that was so important to our family as you might imagine."Kerr said he also visited other soldiers who had escorted his father at different places along the way.

The memoir, with photos and cartoon drawn by Lt. Kerr have been compiled into a book by the Dongjiang Column history research association.

The book was first published in Hong Kong on Aug. 5.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

China's foreign trade drops 7.3 pct in first seven monthsThe latest numbers show China's foreign trade dropped 7.3 percent year on year in the first seven months of 2015.

The total trade volume by July stood at 13.6 trillion yuan, about 2.2 trillion U.S. dollars.

Exports edged down by 0.9 percent annually while imports slumped by 14.6 percent.

The trade surplus doubled to hit 1.87 trillion yuan in the Jan.-July period.

The numbers show weak demand from the EU and Japan, but increasing export volume to the markets in the US and ASEAN countries.

Apple May Announce New iPhone and iPad in SeptemberApple is reportedly to announce a new iPhone and a new iPad in the coming month.

CNN is reporting the new iPhone will include enhanced features such as the force touch display, an upgraded camera and a faster processor.

The new iPad could be a 12.9-inch Pro version.

The date is said to be on September 9.

Apple has not made any official comments.

It did, however, announce the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models on the same date last year.

Apple recently reported lower than expected iPhone sales and expected the trend to continue.

China remains an important market for iphone.

According to the tech research firm Canalys, Apple dominated in China's smartphone sales during Q1 this year but slipped behind Xiaomi and Huawei in Q2.

Convention Center Fined for Breaking Smoking BanA convention center in Bejing has been fined 5,000 yuan for breaking the smoking ban and disturbing law enforcement.

Officers inspected Jinyeyuan convention center on Friday and issued a letter of administrative penalty, imposing a fine of 5,000 yuan.

Staff members from the convention center, an affiliate of China National Tobacco Corporation, barred a group of anti-smoking inspectors on July 31.

It is the first such case reported since Beijing rolled out a new smoking ban on June 1, which covers all indoor public places, workplaces and public transportation.

The news soon triggered wide attention as China Tobacco is also China's largest cigarette producers in terms of sales.

Later, the company apologized and sacked employees involved in this case.

Beijing Enrolls Anti-smoking VolunteersAnchor:

Nearly ten thousands volunteers will be mobilized to help the enforcement of a blanket smoking ban in Beijing, which took effect on June 1.

Authorities in the city are encouraging more people to join the anti-smoking team to ease the shortage of law enforcement personnelCRI's Wang Wei reports.

Reporter:

Two months after Beijing introduced the new smoking ban local authorities describe the control efforts as satisfactory.

However, they are confronted with a shortage of personnel- there are more than 4 million smokers in the city, but only around 1,000 law enforcement personnel to police the anti-smoking ban.

Zhang Jianshu, head of Beijing Association on Tobacco Control says they are now recruiting volunteers to support the smoking ban.

Nearly ten thousands people have registered online.

"They are from all walks of life. We previously predicted that most of them will be retired people. The youngest one is only 14 years old, while the oldest 81."Zhang Jianshu adds the registration system is still open to the public. Those registered will receive training before they start working.

"We plan to set up a network to cover all the volunteers in different enterprises and institutions. Volunteers will not only file complaints but also handle them. We will forward complaints related to their own workplaces to them."Among the registered volunteers are some senior anti-smoking activists.

A woman surnamed Liu is one of them.

"At first those smokers were unwilling to accept our persuasion. But, later they would say thanks to us. The process, changing from rejection to acceptance, makes us feel warm. And so do they."Mei Hongguang, vice director of Beijing Patriotic Public Health Campaign Committee calls on more people to join the team to stop smokers from lighting up.

"We have 1.8 million enterprises and institutions in Beijing, and more than 4 million smokers. Based on those huge figures, a smoking ban in the city is an unprecedented job. Before June 1, many people doubted whether we could make it or not. Now, two months have passed, everybody has seen the progress."The committee is now soliciting designs for an anti-smoking badge.

Volunteers will wear the newly-designed badges to identify themselves in the future.

For CRI, I am Wang Wei.

Hostages freed from hotel seige in MaliFour hostages are said to have been freed after police raided a hotel in central Mali, ending a deadly siege that sees at least four dead.

Media reports say the dead include one UN worker and some suspected Islamic State militants.

The freed hostages include two South Africans, one Ukrainian and one Russian national.

The hotel is said to be a popular place with UN workers in the central town of Sevare.

Gunmen stormed Sevare on Friday, attacking a military base and killing 13 people before taking over the hotel.

No group has claimed responsibility yet but the IS has carried out most of the recent attack in central and southern Mali.

Explosions in Kabul add to anxiety among residentsAfghanistan is now on high alert after a series of attacks in its capital city on Friday.

A third explosion in Kabul was heard at a military base in the northern part the city.

The suicide bombing was followed by gun shots with sporadic firing lasting 'til Saturday morning.

Nine people were reportedly killed in the attack, including a NATO soldier.

Residents near the military base say they are tired of conflicts.

"We are tired of conflict. Security is getting worse day by day. Hundreds of our countrymen were killed and wounded by a bomb yesterday. It's really shocking."The first explosion hit Kabul on Friday morning. A truck bomb killed at least 15 people and injured more than 400 others, mostly innocent civilians including women and children.

The second attack in the shape of suicide bombing targeted a Police Academy on Friday evening, killing at least 20 recruits and wounding 25 others.

Afghan President, Mohammad Ashraf Ghani is to hold a special meeting on Kabul security.

UN Security Council adopts resolution on Syria chemical weapons probeAnchor:

The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution to launch an investigative into the deadly chlorine gas attacks in Syria.

CRI's Xie Cheng reports.

Reporter:

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-body council " reiterates that no party in Syria should use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain, or transfer chemical weapons."The council also says that those responsible for any use of chemicals as weapons must be held accountable.

Within 20 days of adoption, the UN chief and the head of the Organization For the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will submit to the Security Council recommendations for a Joint Investigative Mechanism to identify the perpetrators.

Permanent UN representative of Syria Bashar Ja'afari has called for the investigations to be fair and transparent:

"The government of the Syrian Arab Republic reaffirms that neutrality, transparency, credibility, integrity and removal from politicization. These must be the guiding principles of the activities of the mechanism created by the resolution."US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power says the adoption of the resolution represents only a modest step forward.

"When the day comes, and it will come someday, that we have an effective accountability mechanism, this evidence gathered by the Joint Investigative Mechanism, the identification of these perpetrators will become very, very important. So this is not a panacea by any means. It is a modest step. It fills a gap in the international system."China's permanent representative to the UN Liu Jieyi reiterates that China's position on the chemical weapons issue is clear and consistent.

"We resolutely oppose anyone to use chemical weapons under any circumstances. We are concerned about the use of chlorine gas as a weapon in Syria as confirmed by OPCW findings. We suport fair, objective and professional investigations into these incidents and bring those perpetrators to justice based on concrete evidences."Liu also notes political settlement is the only way out for the Syrian issue.

The UN Security Council passed a resolution in 2013 requiring the verification and destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles after the war-torn Middle East country agreed to join the Chemical Weapons Convention.

A fact-finding mission of the Hague-based OPCW was established in April 2014 to investigate chlorine attacks in Syria.

It has published three reports saying that toxic chemicals, most likely pulmonary irritating agents such as chlorine, have been used "repeatedly and systematically" as a weapon in the Syria conflict.

The Syrian government and the rebels have accused each other of using chemical agents, including chlorine, in the nearly four-year war that has killed more than 210,000 people.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

Palestinian man wounded in last week's arson attack diesA Palestinian man who was seriously wounded last week in an arson attack that killed his 18-month-old son has himself died of his injuries.

The baby died during the attack on July 31st when someone tossed firebombs into the family home in the Palestinian village of Duma.

The attack has been blamed on a group of Jewish settlers.

A four-year-old boy who was seriously injured in the attack is still in hospital.

The Israeli intelligence service continues to investigate the attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials have called the incident an act of terrorism.

The attack has triggered protests across Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

Two Palestinian youths have been killed during clashes with Israeli security forces in the past week.

Former South Korean First Lady Concludes Visit to North Korea93-year-old Lee Hee-ho, widow of the late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, has returned to Seoul after a rare visit to North Korea.

Lee was invited by North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, as a gesture of gratitude for her condolences last year to mark the 3rd anniversary of Kim Jung-Il's passing.

Kim Jung Il was former leader of the North and Kim Jung-un's father.

Lee said the 4-day trip did not carry any official agenda.

"I was not assigned to carry out any official duties . But I finished off my trip following the spirit of the 6.15 Joint Declaration."Lee's husband Kim Dae-jung was known for his pro-north position.

The first summit between the two Koreas was in 2000, attended by Kim Daa-jung and Kim Jong Il.

The summit led to drastic improvements in bilateral relations and resulted in a peace agreement - the 6.15 Joint Declaration. 　A delegate accompanying Lee on the trip said the former first lady did not meet with Kim or receive any letters from him.

Her itinerary in the North included visits to an orphanage, a nursing home, an exhibition center and a temple.

Lee's last trip to the North was when she attended Kim Jung Il's funeral in 2011.

Colorado Movie Theater Shooter James Holmes Gets Life SentenceJames Holmes, the gunman who killed 12 and injured 70 in a Colorado movie theater in 2012, has received a life sentence without parole.

A jury of 12 deliberated for less than 7 hours but could not agree on the death penalty, an outcome many had expected.

Many who were expecting a death verdict were disappointed.

Robert Sullivan, who lost his 6 year old grand-daughter in the shooting, says he is confounded by the jury's decision.

"You know, I read the jury questionnaires and they go into great depth and detail about the possibility of death and how they could handle that and when you look at every stage of the verdicts, it doesn't support backing out at this stage, at the very final verdict. Doesn't make sense and I don't believe it."George Brauchler, the District Attorney in charge of the case, also expressed his disappointment.

"And while I am disappointed in the outcome, I am not disappointed with the system and I am not disappointed with this process. I thought death (sentence), I still think death is justice for what that guy (killer James Holmes) did but the system said otherwise and I honour that. I respect that outcome"Last month, 27-year-old Holmes was found guilty on all counts for the mass murder in July 2012. His defense team had cited mental illness for his actions, but the jury denied such arguments.

Costa Rica's Hunting Ban Creates Side EffectsCosta Rica outlawed recreational hunting in 2012, becoming the first nation to do so in the Americas. However, lawmakers are now seeing some unintended effects.

Yolanda Matamoros is the director of Fundazoo, which oversees public zoos in Costa Rica. She says since the ban, there has been a sharp increase in illegal trafficking and exporting of wild animals.

"Yes. We have the sense that there's been a very big increase since this law was enacted, in the illegal trafficking and above all the export (of wild animals). We don't know how the animals are being taken out (of the country), but we do know they are making it to other places."Matamoros suspects that authorities have relaxed their oversight on targeted animals, assuming the ban would effectively stop hunting and trading of protected species. She says the government was better at tracking some wild animals when hunting was legal.

weatherDue to the approaching super typhoon Soudelor, Fuzhou, the capital city of Fujian Province in east China will see heavy rainstorm tonight with a low of 24; heavy rain continues tomorrow with a high of 28.

Moving to the capital here, Beijing has scattered showers tonight with a low of 23 degrees Celsius; cloudy tomorrow with a high of 33.

Shanghai has showers tonight with a low of 27; moderate rain tomorrow with a high of 30.

Chongqing will be overcast tonight with a low of 23, still overcast tomorrow with a high of 29.

Headline newsChinese coastal provinces brace for super typhoon SoudelorFujian Province in east China issued its highest typhoon alert today, as super typhoon Soudelor approaches the coast.

About 158,000 people in the province have been evacuated.

Flights to the provincial capital Fuzhou, which is being battered by heavy rain and strong wind, have been canceled.

About 100 trains running through the city of Xiamen have suspended services and the airport in the city of Quanzhou has also canceled its flights.

The typhoon struck Taiwan early today, killing 6 people and and injuring over 100 others.

Four people are still missing.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan urges Japanese leader to face up to historyThe Chinese Ambassador to Japan has urged the Japanese prime minister to face up to history when making an upcoming statement to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced today the statement would be issued as a cabinet decision, which is often quoted as the official position of the Japanese government on the issue of its wartime aggression in the early 20th century.

It remains to be seen whether the so-called Abe Statement will admit the war waged by Japan was aggression or if it will include an apology to World War II victims.

The Chinese ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua says China, together with other countries invaded by Japan during the war, is very concerned regarding the content of the statement.

Ties between Japan and its Asian neighbors have been frayed by the efforts of some Japanese politicians to deny or whitewash Japan's wartime wrongdoings.

Chinese teacher sentenced to life for rape of studentsA former kindergarten teacher has been handed a life sentence by a court in northwest China, after the man was found guilty of raping or molesting 12 of his students.

Huang Zhenxin was sentenced by the Intermediate People's Court in northwestern city of Yinchuan.

Police say Huang sexually assaulted each of the 12 girls after telling them he would tutor them on their homework.

The kindergarten has offered compensation to each of the victims.

Twin pandas born in SW ChinaA breeding center in southwest China has announced the births of healthy twin pandas.

The mother, named Nini, gave birth on Friday at a facility in Sichuan province.

The female cubs are the fifth set of twins to be born at the breeding center this year.

Chengdu center has bred more than 200 pandas so far.

Weekly Biz Roundup(Saturday)Anchor:

It's time to take a look back at some of the headlines from the business world this past week in our Weekly Business Review.

Property taxes are expected to be enacted in more areas in China soon.

The IMF is to review the RMB's special drawing rights qualification by the end of 2015, as planned.

China's supreme court has validated private loans for businesses, at least in certain circumstances.

Let's catch up on all of that and more with CRI's Wenjie.

///////China's top legislature has announced plans to review its proposed Property Tax Law by early 2018.

However, no official timetable has been set for when the new property tax law may actually be brought in.

China's property tax aims to rein in Chinese soaring building prices.

Huo Deming, Professor of China Center for Economic Research, Peking University, says the tax rate will decide whether it will curb the soaring property prices.

Property taxes began being levied in Shanghai and Chongqing on a trial basis in 2011.

However, their extension and expansion has been postponed, mainly due to a lack of legal backing.

//////////The 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 in2010.

////////////Last month, official stats for Chinese Manufacturing activity, a key measure of factory activity, fell slightly from 50.2 to the benchmark 50.

This is the first retreat for manufacturing PMI in 5 months.

Industry observers suggest this is due to fewer new orders and a weaker demand for manufacturing sectors.

In response, Zuo Xiaolei, chief economist at China Galaxy Securities, says there is no need to panic over the seasonal fluctuation.

"During the Summer season, we usually encounter situations like floods, which could pose threats to transportation and normal factory activities. Meanwhile, pork manufacturers have also reduced storage and production due to rising pork prices. However, there is need to over-state these fractional changes in PMI figures."So far, the Chinese government has been conducting a structural reform as well as seeking new growth momentum for the country's slowing manufacturing industry.

///////////The Chinese government is moving to ease concerns about the recent spike in the price of pork, amid concerns it could have implications for its monetary policy.

The Commerce Ministry is describing the price uptick as a normal market correction, saying there will be no shortage of supplies.

The price of pork has risen by more than 20-percent between March 20th and July 17th.

Food prices account for around a third of China's Consumer Price Index, the main gauge of inflation, with pork prices being one of the dominant elements of the food-price basket.

The Commerce Ministry is suggesting it will be taking action to stabilize pork supplies during upcoming public holidays and festivals.

/////////////China's Ministry of Commerce announced on 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.

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."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.

////////////China Securities Regulatory Commission announced on Monday that 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.

Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures, explains the motivation behind CSRC's move.

"From last month's China stock market trading, we can see market vibration has increased a lot compared to before. so we have seen a lot of fluctuations during the last two months. to some extent, the programmed trading is kind of blamed for this."Program trading usually focuses on a basket of stocks with buy and sell orders executed by a computer program based on predetermined conditions.

Meanwhile, CSRC says it has caught 20 cases of insider trading so far this year.

In making the reveal, the 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.

/////////////Chinese companies will be allowed to lend and receive private loans for the sake of production.

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

The judicial explanation clarified 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 is the Director of the Institute of Finance and Banking, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"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.

///////////The European Union and Vietnam have reached an agreement in principle for a new free trade agreement after two and a half years of negotiations.

The agreement is the first of its kind that the EU has concluded with a developing country.

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom is hailing the agreement as a "milestone".

"This agreement sets an EU new model for trade policy in developing countries. Once the agreement is up and running, it will provide significant opportunities for business, investment and for jobs here in Europe and in Vietnam. It will remove nearly all tariffs on goods traded between us. "Two-way trade between the EU and Vietnam has grown three-fold to more than 30 billion US dollars in the last 10 years.

The new deal is expected to take effect in late 2017 or early 2018.

The EU is also holding separate talks with two other ASEAN members, Malaysia and Thailand, to try to secure similar free trade agreements.

Negotiations with China on an investment deal are underway.

However, the EU says free trade talks are "not on the agenda at the moment".

/////////On corporate front,China Southern Airlines has launched a direct flight to Kenya.

The Guangzhou-Nairobi route will operate three flights a week on an Airbus 330.

Guo Jianye, director of marketing committee of China Southern Airlines, says this is a significant air line"This is a significant airline. Firstly, it is an important node of our 'One Belt and One Road' initiatives. Secondly, it has filled in a blank in the air routes between China and the African continent."This is China Southern's second direct air route to Africa.

The first one was launched last year between Shenzhen and Mauritius.

More than 120-thousand people traveled between China and Kenya last year.

The new air route is part of a broader plan to boost trade and economic ties between the two countries.

/////////////Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has signed exclusive partnerships with more than 20 different clothing brands, including Zara and Timberland.

Alibaba's Tmall.com is set to become the 3rd online retailer in China to carry international clothing brands.

Financial details haven't been disclosed.

This comes after Alibaba's main rival, JD.com, recently announced plans to sell U.S. products such as Converse, Samsonite and other major apparel brands to Chinese customers through a new store on its site.

/////////////Thank you for listening. I am Wenjie See you next week.

SportsSwimming updateBeginning with the latest action from the swimming world championships in Kezan,Shi Jinglin won China another bronze medal in women's 200 meter breaststroke.

Shi is tied with two other swimmers for third place.

Newly crowned 100 meter free champion Ning Zetao, not yet recovered from the strain of his historic victory, failed to make the final of the men's 50 meter.

In men's 200 meter backstroke,Xu Jiayu and Li Guangyuan finished sixth and eighth in the final.

Shen Duo finished eighth in the final of women's 100 meter free;And Mao Feilian was also eighth in men's 200 meter breaststroke.

East Asian Cup: China vs. Japan previewIn football,In a few minutes, China's women's team hits the field against Japan for the last game in the East Asian Cup.

Both teams are out of contention for the title after two losses against South and North Korea.

China will fight for a win as a farewell gift to coach Hao Wei, who will leave for men's football in the Chinese Super League after the tournament.

Lazio and Juventus Clash in Shanghai for Supercoppa ItalianaAt the same time, Italian Serie A heavies Juventus and Lazio took to the pitch at the Supercoppa Italiana in Shanghai.

Lazio coach Stefano Pioli says although Juve lost some of its top players, his squad can't sleep against the Serie A winners:

Juventus did have changes, but they are not changing and becoming weaker. Their players have good understanding and that's one of the strengths of Juventus. Their players have very good communication. We will see who will be the best after tomorrow's match."Lazio are in a favourable situation for this Super Cup match, as it had one more week of rest and the team is not much bothered with players' injuries.

This is the fourth time for this Italian soccer event to be staged in China since 2009. Beijing hosted the three prior matches.

PSG begins defense of title with 1-0 winOver in Europe,Paris Saint-Germain's defense of its French Ligue 1 title got off to a good start, on the road, as they beat Lille 1-0 in the season opener.

PSG was down one man when midfielder Adrien Rabiot upgraded two yellow cards to a red at the 28th minute.

But the champions' defense held firm and Lucas Moura's 57th minute winner secured three points for PSG.

PSG was without striker Alatan Ibrahimovic and its newest recruit Angel Di Maria.

Chelsea extends contract with MourinhoIn the English Premier League,Defending champion Chelsea has extended the contract of coach Jose Mourinho for another four years.

Mourinho led Chelsea to the league title and league cup last season.

The 52-year-old and his team begin the defense of those titles against Swansea City shortly after midnight Beijing time.

Mourinho says they will bring on some serious football which will constitute success in the new season.

"You progress in the cups or at least at some. In the championship you compete at the highest level against the top teams. And then if somebody was better than you, a little bit better, a couple of points more than you, one goal more than you in a knockout phase, then I don't think it's a failure. I just think credit to the others. Let's try to be a good team and let's try to be here in March, April speaking to you about the possibility of winning something."The English Premier League kicks off later tonight with five games.

Snooker qualification resultsIn snooker,Five Chinese players are into the third round of qualification for the Shanghai Masters.

Tian Pengfei had a break of 133 in the opening round against compatriot Yu Delu. Tian eventually eased past Yu 5-1 to set up an encounter with Matthew Stevens.

In other action,Lu Ning edged out Norway's Kurt Maflin 5-4;Li Hang upset Alex Taubman 5-3;And it was also an easy victory for Cao Yupeng who beat James Wattana from Thailand 5-1.

Zhang Anda had earlier made it through.

The only Chinese player knocked out of action is Zhang Yong, who lost 5-0 over David GilbertThirty-two players will be vying for the Shanghai Masters championship next month. The world's top guns, including Mark Selby, Neil Robertson and local favorite Ding Junhui have been given a bye into the finals. The qualifications will decide the other 16 players.

Jim Furyk leading WGC Bridgestone Invitational by four shotsIn golf,Jim Furyk is leading the field at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational by four shots after two rounds.

Furyk started the day one shot down on overnight leader Danny Lee and had a fine round of four-under 66.

That places him at eight-under 132 overall.

Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson and Shane Lowry are sharing second place.

Jordan Spieth is six shots off the pace.

China's Liang Wenchong is at five-over 145 overall.

Basketball: Venezuela beat China; McGrady retires in ShanghaiIn basketball,China's Olympic team finished the Stankovic Continental Champions Cup in last place with four losses, no wins.

Guo Ailun's 20 points gave china a comfortable 14-point lead going into the last quarter against Venezuela. But Venezuela surged with a 22-5 run that eventually helped them overturn the deficit to win 71-68.

Top scorer Guo also had five assists, 3 steals, and one rebound.

Some off-court basketball action,Former NBA star Tracy McGrady has had a retirement ceremony in Shanghai to put an end to his career.

A tearful McGrady looked back on his experience in China and his last memories in basketball.

"It's a great thing to have right now, bring back a lot of memories of my career, all the support an love that I've been given by Chinese fans, just reminiscence of the last five weeks of my career. Being here on my last days with these guys is a very special moment."The ceremony was followed by an exhibition game between the McGrady all-star team and the Shanghai Sharks. McGrady scored 23 points to lead his side win 87-77.

EntertainmentJD CEO Liu Qiangdong, Zhang Zetian marriedFounder and CEO of e-commerce giant JD.com Liu Qiangdong and Zhang Zetian have obtained their marriage certificates in Beijing.

Deputy executive of JD.com Xu Lei confirmed the news on Sina Weibo account.

Zhang and Liu met during their student days in the United States.

The couple have been in a relationship since April of last year.

Zhang, who first known to the public as an internet celebrity, was the host of an online quiz show in January.

Venerated Actress Li Lihua to be honored with Golden Horse's Lifetime Achievement AwardTaiwan's Golden Horse Film Festival will honor the 92-year-old actress Li Lihua with this year's Lifetime Achievement Award.

The 1969 movie "Storm over the Yang-Tse River" in which Li starred will be shown at this year's Golden Horse Film Festival.

Nicknamed "The Evergreen Tree" of the Chinese cinema, Li Lihua began her movie career in 1940 and appeared in over 120 movies before retiring in 1973.

She played a leading role in the 1962 epic film "The Magnificent Concubine-Yang Kwei Fei", which is the first Chinese film to win an award at the Cannes Film Festival.

This year's Golden Horse Film Festival will begin on Nov. 5, with the awards ceremony scheduled for Nov. 21 in Taipei.

Prison Break to ReturnFox has confirmed that the fan-favorite Prison Break is returning in 2016 with a 10-episode series.

The sequel is going to bring back both brothers, played by Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell and some of the iconic characters from previous seasons.

Original show creator Paul Scheuring will be writing the script again.

The sequel is set a few years from where the last season left off.

Regarding the death of Wentworth Miller's character Michael, Fox says creator Paul Scheuring has made a very logical and believable explanation for why he is still alive.

Prison Break revolves around two brothers - one who has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit and the other who devises an elaborate plan to help his brother escape prison and clear his name.

The series ran for four seasons from 2005 and has recently become one of the most-watched shows on Netflix.

David Beckham could be Hollywood Newest StarDavid Beckham could be swapping football for movies.

Filmmaker Guy Ritchie has taken the former captain of the English national team under his wing and cast him in two of his upcoming films.

The football star will be making a small cameo in The Man From U.N.C.L.E, where he plays a projectionist, but Ritchie teased a bigger role for him in The Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur.

Guy Ritchie says at the premiere for The Man From U.N.C.L.E that David Beckham is fantastic in The Knights of the Round Table and actually enjoys acting.

"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." will be released in British theaters next Friday.

And The Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur is set for a US release date of July 22, 2016 and stars Charlie Hunnam, ?strid Bergès-Frisbey, Jude Law and Djimon Hounsou.

Two Ben Affleck Movies Pushed BackThe release dates of two Ben Affleck movies have been pushed back.

The move is partly due to the actor's busy schedule for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The Accountant has been pushed back from its January 29, 2016 slot and will now open in US cinemas on October 7 next year.

The Gavin O'Connor-directed action thriller also stars Anna Kendrick and JK Simmons.

Originally set to hit cinemas on October 7, Live by the Night now hasn't been assigned a release date and won't be out until some time in 2017.

The Argo star can next be seen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, released on March 25, 2016, and will reprise his role as the Caped Crusader in Suicide Squad, in theaters August 5 next year.

weatherDue to the approaching super typhoon Soudelor, Fuzhou, the capital city of Fujian Province in east China will see heavy rainstorm tonight with a low of 24; heavy rain continues tomorrow with a high of 28.

Moving to the capital here, Beijing has scattered showers tonight with a low of 23 degrees Celsius; cloudy tomorrow with a high of 33.

Shanghai has showers tonight with a low of 27; moderate rain tomorrow with a high of 30.

Chongqing will be overcast tonight with a low of 23, still overcast tomorrow with a high of 29.

Lhasa has some clouds tonight with a low of 12, more clouds tomorrow with a high of 24.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, slight rain tomorrow, 35.

Kabul, cloudy, 29.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, cloudy with a high of 17.

Brisbane has clouds with a high of 18.

Perth, slight rain, 13.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand has slight rain with a high of 11 degrees Celsius.

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

A quick look at the headlines before we go...

Cities in Fujian and elsewhere in southeast China are bracing typhoon Soudelor, which will make landfall this evening...

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Shane Bigham in Beijing hoping you'll join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour, and open a window to the world together.