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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Commemoration activities are set to take place this week to mark the 50-year anniversary of the formation of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The head of China's central bank and Finance minister have been attempting to ease market concerns at a G20 session in Turkey.

The rejection of a new constitutional draft is set to hold-up democratic elections in Thailand.

In Business... Chinese regulators considering creating automatic trading curbs on the mainland bourses to stop massive sell-offs.

In Sports... China emerges victorious from the Women's World Volleyball Championships.

In entertainment.... a new film starring Shia LaBeouf has premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

Top NewsRegional Ethnic Autonomy Suits Tibet, China: White PaperAnchorThe Chinese government's new white paper on Tibet says the current system of ethnic autonomy in the region is working.

CRI's Luo Wen has more.

ReporterThe latest white paper on Tibet's development has been released ahead of the 50th anniversary of the foundation of Tibet Autonomous Region.

The paper details the steps taken in the Region's economic and social development since regional ethnic autonomy was codified 5-decades ago.

Doje Cezhug, vice chair of the Tibet Autonomous Region, says Tibet has been allowed to modernize.

"A comprehensive transportation system including roads, railways and aviation has been built. An extensive energy system has now been formed with hydropower as the mainstay, but backed by geothermal, wind, and solar energy sources. Tibet has now entered the information age, having established a modern telecommunications network with optical cable satellites and the Internet as the backbone."Data included in the white paper shows Tibet's GDP has soared from 327 million yuan in 1965 to some 92 billion yuan last year, an over 280-fold increase.

The analysis also notes urban and rural areas in are seeing a rapid increase in incomes.

Last year, the per capita disposable income of urban residents in Tibet reached some 22-thousand yuan, a 38-fold increase compared with the average of 565 yuan in 1978.

The per capita disposable income of farmers and herdsmen last year was about 73-hundred yuan, representing an average annual increase of nearly 11-percent.

Ma Jinglin, vice director of Tibet's development and reform commission, says policy support will continue to flow from Beijing to continue helping local farmers and herdsmen.

"Farmers and herdsmen in Tibet enjoy free health care. Under the local educational program, their children's living expenses and tuition from pre-school to senior high school are all covered."Norbu Dondup from the CPC United Front Work Department in Tibet says the freedom to practice religion in the region is also a fundamental right.

"Currently, there are 17-hundred-87 sites for different religious activities in Tibet, and more than 46-thousand resident monks and nuns. These can easily accommodate local religious believers' needs. In Tibet, almost all religious believers have scripture halls or shrines at their homes. And prayer flags and mani stones are seen everywhere. People in Tibet support the Communist Party of China's religious policy and are very satisfied with it."The white paper also says the Dalai Lama's separatist activities violate the Constitution of China.

It also says the Tibetan people are managers of their local social affairs and masters of their own destiny, creating and sharing the material and spiritual wealth of Tibet.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

Central gov't officials in Tibet for 50th anniversary of autonomyThe Chinese government's top political advisor, Yu Zhengsheng, is now in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, to take part in events marking the 50th anniversary of the region's founding.

A 65-member delegation from the central government will be taking part in a ceremony in front of the Potala Palace on Tuesday to mark 50-years since the creation of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Yu Zhengsheng has already met with several active and retired Tibetan officials.

Ahead of the celebrations on Tuesday, the central government has issued a white paper on Tibet, reaffirming its current policy for regional autonomy.

Dalai Lama can't deny China central government's role in reincarnation: officialA leading Chinese official in Tibet is defending the role of the government in the Tibetan Buddhism system of reincarnation.

Norbu Dondup with the United Front Work Department of the CPC's regional committee in Tibet says whatever the Dalai Lama says or does can't change the central government's right to confirm the new incarnation.

He has made the comments in response to an interview published in the New York Times, quoting the Dalai Lama suggesting the CPC says it believes it knows more about the reincarnation system than the Dalai Lama.

The current regulation on the reincarnation system states that a Panchen Lama needs to be confirmed by the central government.

Experts Confident about China's EconomyAnchorA leading Chinese government researcher is suggesting the markets here in China are going to react well this week to speeches made by leading Chinese economic officials at a G20 meeting in Turkey this past weekend.

CRI's Qi Zhi reports.

ReporterChina's central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan, along with Finance Minister Lou Jiwei, has tried to ease concerns over China's economy at the meeting in Ankara, Turkey.

They mainly focused their attention on China's stock market, RMB exchange rate and economic reforms while addressing Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from the G20 economies.

Zhang Liqun with the State Council's Development Research Center says their speeches should help restore confidence in the state of China's economy.

"The key message both Zhou Xiaochuan and Lou Jiwei wanted to convey through their speeches is that people should not doubt the future of China's economy, in spite of short-term fluctuations."Governor Zhou Xiaochuan says measures taken by Chinese government has shielded the stock markets from a collapse, while at the same time, reducing systemic risk.

Chinese markets have shed nearly 40-percent since peaking in mid-June.

Zhou Xiaochuan's speech has heard him suggest that a series of measures that have been taken, including the PBOC providing liquidity to the market, have worked.

He's also told his G20 counterparts the devaluation of RMB isn't likely to last for long, given China's current economic status, as well as its large surplus in foreign trade.

Researcher Zhang Liqun with the State Council says he believes Zhou Xiaochuan's comments will help.

"These messages may help stabilize the stock and currency markets. Chinese stocks have fallen to just over 3-thousand, with the market bubble almost deflated given the low price-earning ratio. And in the forex market, a sharp rise or decline is unlikely to happen again."Finance Minister Lou Jiwei, meanwhile, has told the G20 in Ankara, that China is still maintaining 7 percent growth, despite changes to demographics and a lower rate-of-return on exports.

Lian Ping, chief economist with the Communication Bank of China, says maintaining 7-percent growth over the mid-term shouldn't be difficult to achieve.

"The figures show that China's economy is still stable and the Chinese government is confident it has sufficient policy space to keep a mid-to-high speed of growth. In my opinion, the 7-percent target can probably be achieved over the coming 5-years."Zhang Liqun with the Development Research Center of the State Council suggests economic reforms still remain the key.

"China has been seeking a slower but more stable growth over the past 3-years while pushing forward with reforms. The recent fluctuations in the market won't affect the course of reforms. Efforts will pay off as long as the government can continue to streamline the administration, delegate power and improve market supervision."At the same time, China's Finance Minister has told the G20 meeting in Ankara that 7-million new jobs created in China in the first half year, and says its the government's belief this will continue to stimulate personal consumption levels.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

Ambassador on Parade, Xi's VisitChina's Ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, is suggesting President Xi Jinping's forthcoming visit to the United States is going to include more than pomp and circumstance.

"I believe that President Xi's visit will produce fruitful results, and of course the two sides are still working intensely on these results. They will be announced then, and I hope and believe that they will be a surprise for everyone."At the same time, Cui Tiankai is rejecting suggestions the V-Day parade last week was meant to show China's military muscle.

"The stronger China becomes, the greater contribution it will make to world peace. I think this is the message that we want to convey through the military parade. We didn't mean to show our muscle or scare anybody."Cui Tiankai has made the concerts while attending a concert over the weekend in the US state of Maryland marking the 70th anniversary of the Chinese victory against Japanese Aggression.

Beijingers enjoy blue skies for 15 daysAuthorities in Beijing are lauding their efforts to keep air-quality in-check over the past two weeks.

Zhang Dawei, head of Beijing's Environmental Monitoring Center, says the air-quality for the recently-concluded IAAF World Championships and last week's V-Day military parade have been at historic lows during the period.

"From August 20 to September 3, for 15 consecutive days, the average density of PM 2.5 - airborne particles measuring less than 2.5 microns - dropped by 73.2 percent. The previous record is six days in a row. During this time, the average density of three other major pollutants - sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and PM 10, inhalable particulates, dropped to a historical low since the city begun monitoring these pollutants."During the period, virtually half of all vehicles in Beijing were banned from roads through the odd-even license plate system.

At the same time, nearly 2-thousand industrial firms, including petrochemical and cement plants, were shut down or cut production.

Similar measures were also adopted in neighboring Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Inner Mongolia and Henan.

The same steps were taken during the 2008 Summer Olympics and last year's APEC meetings.

Chinese tourists' outrage over flight delay in BangkokA new viral video has surfaced showing a group of Chinese travelers staging a protest this past week at the main airport in Bangkok, Thailand.

The video shows a group of over 250 tourists demanding compensation and an apology from airport officials after it was announced their return flight from Bangkok to Chongqing was going to be delayed by around 9-hours because of bad weather and other technical issues.

This reportedly sent the crowd into a frenzy, with demands of a thousand yuan each in compensation, as well as apologies.

The spectacle at the Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok is being held-up as another example of Chinese tourists acting-out while abroad.

Ge Lei with China Youth Travel Service says more needs to be done to teach Chinese travelers to behave in a more civilized manner.

"As a matter of fact many of us have yet to learn the right way to communicate with a different world. I think while traveling abroad, one must act like a guest visiting your host and learn to respect the basic rules, even if those rules might be hard to accept for many back in China."The number of Chinese tourists to Thailand soared by nearly 140 percent through the first half of this year.

Tens-of-thousands from China are expected to travel to Thailand during the National Day holiday in October.

Driver Involved in Fatal Accident Has Limited Disposing CapacityChinese authorities have determined a man involved in a high-profile car crash a few weeks ago in Nanjing was suffering from a psychotic break when the accident occurred.

The suspect was driving his high-end BMW at speeds close to 200-kilometers per hour when he slammed into another vehicle, killing the two in the other car instantly.

Authorities say the suspect had limited mental capacity at the time of the crash.

The suspect, Wang Jijin, could still face several years in prison.

However, he may end up being spared prison time if the courts uphold the psychiatric assessment.

Guo Meimei to Stand TrialNotorious Internet celebrity Guo Meimei is to stand trial on this coming Thursday in Beijing for running a casino.

Guo Meimei was arrested after Beijing police took down an online gambling ring allegedly headed by her during last year's Football World Cup.

Investigation allege she opened accounts with overseas gambling websites, placed bets over the phone and through WeChat.

Anyone found guilty of running a gambling ring in China can face up to 10-years in prison.

Guo Meimei first made headlines 4-years ago after going on-line, saying she was operating an organization under the auspices of the Chinese Red Cross and publicly flaunting her wealth and extravagant life style.

Activists cross over to Hungary to rescue hundreds of stranded refugeesAnchorA convoy of over 200 vehicles driven by German and Austrian activists has crossed into Hungary to help gather migrants who have been stranded on the Hungarian side of the border.

It comes after Hungary opened its borders with Austria last week following a week-long standoff among would-be migrants and Hungarian authorities which led to violent demonstrations at one point.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara has more.

ReporterOn Sunday a convoy of about 200 cars and minivans left Vienna for the Hungarian capital, Budapest, as part of a private initiative dubbed the "refugee-convoy."Organizers want to help hundreds of migrant families who are stranded in Hungary cross over to Austria, before the Hungarian government decides to close its borders again.

One of the volunteers says it is an attempt to show the migrants they were welcome in Europe.

"It's really important to give a sign to them that they are welcome and that they don't have to fear Europe, and that especially Germany is a warm country for them, and that they don't have to fear and that they are safe and that they just don't have to sleep other days and nights on the street because it's such a horrible thing."Thousands of asylum seekers, many of whom have fled the fighting in Syria, have been making their way through Austria and heading towards Germany after Hungary decided to open its border with Austria on Friday.

"Four children,... my wife... to go Vienna, after to go Germany. Thank you very much."Hungarian authorities have warned its relaxation on the transit of asylum seekers is only going to be temporary.

The Hungarian Parliament is poised to vote this week on whether to send troops to its border with Serbia.

This is where many would-be asylum seekers enter Hungary.

Meanwhile, Hundreds have rallied in Vienna on Sunday to show their support to the migrant families arriving from Hungary.

"Many thanks for the Austrian help to people from Syria. Many thanks."German officials say well-over 20-thousand migrants have crossed the German border this weekend.

The German government has been pushing for an EU-wide quota system which would obligate EU member states to share the burden of caring for the new arrivals.

However, this has been opposed by a number of European member states, particularly the poorer nations in the east.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven is calling on the EU to come up with a coordinated response to massive inflows of migrants.

"We need a comprehensive and permanent system to make all EU-countries take care of people fleeing for their lives. The EU must take care of more refugees. And we, in Sweden, will do our part for that system."Many migrants have been attempting to move north through the Balkans to try to make it to Germany.

EU rules require refugees to apply for asylum in the first country they land in.

However, Germany waived this rule last month for asylum seekers from Syria, allowing them to register in Germany regardless of where they first entered the EU.

Germany expects to take in 800-thousand people this year.

For CRI I'm Poornima WeerasekaraThai Legislature Rejects Drafts of New ConstitutionThailand's military-backed legislature has rejected a draft of a new constitution.

This will delay a return to civilian control of the Thai parliament.

Kamnoon Sidihisamarn is a member of the committee which put together the failed draft.

"This constitution aims to solve the crises and conflicts we have had in Thailand over the past 10 years that have caused enormous damage to the economy and taken lives of the people. If we have the same old constitution, it would be difficult to solve these problems."The rejected constitution would have been Thailand's 20th in the 83-years since Thailand became a Constitutional Monarchy.

A new Constitutional draft committee is now being put together.

It's going to have to finish a new proposed constitution in 6-months.

It will also have to be approved by the legislature, and will also require approval by a national referendum.

Most observers expect this will push back elections in Thailand to until at least 2017.

Minister discuss finance ahead of Paris climate conferencePoliticians from nearly 60 countries have gathered in Paris for an informal meeting to discuss the forthcoming UN Climate Change Conference set for the French capital in December.

The meetings are the latest attempt to streamline the bargaining positions ahead of December's key session.

This week's meetings are focused mostly on issues connected to finance and technology transfers.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says the sessions ahead of December's meetings are not designed to hijack the process.

"Our consultations are held not to replace the formal process but to complete it. And we consider them all as support to help the negotiators to complete their tasks on time. We are a balanced group and we discuss the major political issues of climate negotiation. And we try to identify the compromises that will form the basis of the final text, that we will, in time, have to adopt."This week's two-day meetings are the latest in a series of gatherings being held in the lead-up to the year-end conference in Paris.

The overall goal is to establish a legally-binding and universal agreement on how to cope with climate change.

A five-day round of official text-drafting talks took place last week in Germany.

Negotiators coming out of that session have expressed frustration at their own inability to make substantial progress.

There are fundamental disagreements on how to share out emissions cuts among developed and developing nations.

Brazil and Germany Build Amazon Observatory to Monitor Climate ChangeAnchorA 325-meter-tall observation tower has been built in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon to monitor climate change, as well as its impact on the region's sensitive ecosystem.

CRI's Victor Ning has more.

ReporterBrazil's National Institute of Amazonian Research and Germany's Max Planck Institute have joined efforts to build the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO). Located along the waterways of a northern tributary of the Amazon River, the observatory was finally finished this year after 8 years of construction.

Jurgen Kesselmeier, the German coordinator of the project gives an update on where the tower is right now.

"The tower is ready, it's ready to get inside instruments as soon as possible, so it's not operational but it's ready to be equipped with all the materials we would like to see there to measure all the trace gases, we would like to do."The specialist equipment to collect data will be installed in the coming months. The tower is expected to be fully operative in 2017.

The equipment will collect data about greenhouse gases, aerosol particles, cloud properties, boundary-layer processes, and the transport of air masses every day.

Kesselmeier says the primary goal of the tower is to track greenhouse gases.

"This tower is looking for, mainly for greenhouse gases like CO2, methane, N2O and ozone, which are heating up the atmosphere and these gases are exchanged with the surface at the ground, from these gases. We would like to learn about the quantity of these gases which are coming out of the system, of the forest, or which are getting in, and to understand how this exchange is working. So, these are the primarily goals, these are the greenhouse gases. "Kesselmeier adds the tower will also look for secondary and primary aerosol particles, which help to build up clouds and indirectly influence climate.

Data collected from the tower will be incorporated into models to predict climate change. Antonio Manzi, the Brazilian coordinator on the ATTO project, says such information will help to influence government decisions on environmental policies.

"Those models will be incorporated to the models that measure pressure of weather, quality of air -pollution- and also to the models of the earth system that work on the forecast of the future climate. All the results, especially those (obtained) in the long term, will be very important to define the public policies, public policies for conservation and management of the ecosystems."The tower will be in operation for at least 30 years.

Germany and Brazil are sharing the costs of the project, which stand at 9.5 million USD. The amount includes construction costs and operation expenses for the first five years.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

Dutch journalist reporting on Kurds arrested in Turkey, againA Dutch journalist and author writing about Turkey's Kurdish minority has been arrested for the second time this year.

Frederike Geerdink had been traveling with a Kurdish protest group whose members were all also taken into custody.

She was reporting in an area where Turkish security forces have been carrying out operations against the Kurdish rebels.

She claims authorities are accusing her of being in a "forbidden zone."Geerdink moved to Turkey in 2006 and writes mostly about the country's Kurdish population.

She was held briefly in January on charges of "spreading terrorist propaganda" for the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party, but was later acquitted during her trial a few months later.

"Why they opened the case is kind of a mystery to me too, especially after today that even the prosecutor asked for an acquittal. That really surprised me... Why would they open a case like this? Maybe to intimidate me, maybe.. I don't know."Late last month, two British reporters were also arrested while reporting in Kurdish city in Turkey's southeast.

They were held on terrorism charges for a week before being released.

Their Iraqi translator is still being held.

Underwater Egyptian artifacts on displayA collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts dating back some 28-hundred years, are now on display in Paris.

The artifacts were first discovered on a sunken Egyptian ship in 2002.

French Archaeologist Frank Goddio says they include a series of statues and around 200 different objects were discovered at a site along the Egyptian coast which is believed to be home to a number of sunken lost cities.

"The cities were submerged because of natural calamities, earthquakes, big tides, collapsing of ground, which made it possible that sea could cover those sites and when we discovered an object, that object was re-covered by sediments and therefore has partially been protected by the sea."The lost city of Thonis-Heracleion, where the sunken ship was discovered, was probably founded around the 8th century BCE.

Egyptian archaeologist Mohammed Abdelmaguid says the exhibition in Paris comes as the Islamic State continues to destroy world history in the region.

"In reality, the exhibition comes at a time when many antiquities are being destroyed in the Arab world. We want to say that no, we should take care of the world heritage because in reality it is not only our heritage only, it is the world's heritage."The exhibition in Paris, hosted by the Arab World Institute, is displaying around 250 artifacts found underwater at sites in Egypt.

WeatherBeijing will be sunny with a high of 29 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 17.

Shanghai will see showers with a high of 29 and a low of 23.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy during the daytime with a high of 34 and lows of 24.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will have slight rain with a high of 34.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 23.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 29 degrees.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 32 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 29.

Toronto will be cloudy with a high of 30 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will have slight rain with a high of 19.

And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 28 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChina issues white paper on TibetA new white paper on Tibet released by the Chinese government is suggesting the current system of ethnic autonomy in the region is working.

The analysis has been released a ahead of the 50th anniversary of the founding of Tibet Autonomous Region.

The paper details the steps taken in the Region's economic and social development since regional ethnic autonomy was codified 5-decades ago.

It shows Tibet's GDP has seen a 280-fold increase since it was turned into an Autonomous Region.

The analysis also notes urban and rural areas in are seeing a rapid increase in incomes.

A number of leading Chinese officials are in Tibet this week to take part in the commemoration activities.

G20 Finance Ministers Meeting Concentrates on Chinese EconomyChina's central bank governor and Finance Minister have tried to ease concerns about China's economy at a meeting of G20 officials this past weekend in Ankara, Turkey.

They mainly focused their attention on China's stock market, RMB exchange rate and economic reforms while addressing Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from the G20 economies.

PBOC Governor Zhou Xiaochuan says measures taken by Chinese government have shielded the stock markets from a collapse, while at the same time, reducing systemic risk.

Chinese markets have shed nearly 40-percent since peaking in mid-June.

Despite this, IMF chief Christine Lagarde says they remain confident Chinese authorities will continue to be able to calm the markets.

China, Africa to hold summit in S. Africa in DecemberIt's been confirmed that a summit of leaders among China and African countries will be held in early December in South Africa.

The announcement follows a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma in Beijing last week.

The meetings will focus on how China can help African countries increase industrialization and economic integration.

China warns of corruption behind high-end mooncakes ahead of festivalsChinese authorities have issued a stern warning against corruption ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

A senior official with the Party's Discipline Inspection division has delivered the warning during an online interview posted on Sunday.

It comes ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which will fall on September 27th.

Authorities are warning of bribery connected to luxury gifts, including high-end mooncakes, wine or cash.

20 killed by lightning in Southern IndiaAt least 20 people have been killed by a series of lightening strikes in southern India.

Many parts of India are being battered by heavy storms being whipped up by the annual monsoon rains, which will run until October.

Heavy flooding is also creating chaos on the roads in northern India.

Over 30 people have been killed this past weekend in traffic accidents in the state of Assam.

Biz ReportsAnchorTurning onto business news. First let's get a preview of what we can expect on the markets this week.

ReporterHere in China, most observers will be watching for a new series of numbers from August.

They will include the Tuesday release of trade surplus and foreign reserve figures.

August's CPI and PPI figures are due out on Thursday.

In the United States, markets will open this week open amid the continued uncertainty about whether the Fed will raise interest rates this month.

Investors will also be watching for any additional signs of volatility amid the sharp sell-offs seen in the US and other markets around the world over the past couple of weeks.

At the same time, US investors will be looking for signs about the US economy on Wednesday through the release of new Labor Department stats on job creation and turnover.

On Friday, the Labor Department will also release August's Producer Price Index.

Most economists expect the PPI for August will be down slightly, after recording an increase through July.

North of the US border, the Bank of Canada is expected to hold interest rates steady at 0.5 percent at its monthly meeting as it waits to see whether the economic pick-up expected in the second half of the year is actually unfolding.

The inflation numbers for Mexico and Brazil are expected to be unveiled on Wednesday and Thursday.

Argentina's Consumer Price Index will be announced on Friday.

On the corporate front, Apple is poised to unveil a new set of products this week, including a highly-anticipated update to its iPhone.

The company may also release an updated iPad mini and a new iPad Pro aimed at business owners.

At the same time, security software maker Palo Alto Networks is expected to report 4th quarter earnings slightly above analysts' average expectations.

On Friday, the European Commission has set a deadline to decide whether or not General Electric's purchase of the power equipment business of France's Alstom can go through.

A positive decision will finally allow GE to carry out a major cost-cutting program, 16-months after first announcing the deal to buy up Alstom's power business.

China stock regulator mulls index circuit breaker systemChina's securities regulator says its looking at options to limit massive market sell-offs during a trading day.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission says its studying the potential introduction of an index circuit breaker system.

It would create an automatic pause in trading for a period of time in response to substantial drops in the market.

Similar trading curbs are in-place in other markets around the world.

Lock-up period of shares worth 116.3 bln yuan to endLock-up shares worth around 116 billion yuan are set to become tradable on the mainland markets this week.

More than 5 billion shares from over 50 different companies will become tradable on the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses later this morning.

Beijing Xinwei Telecom Technology Group will see its non-tradable shares worth almost 53 billion yuan become active in Shanghai Thursday.

This is the largest amount to hit the market.

Under China's market rules, major shareholders of non-tradable stocks are subject to a one or two year lock-up period.

China to integrate customs special supervision areas for economic upgradeThe central government is moving to reorganize trading areas in China under a single management structure.

A new circular issued by the State Council says all current export processing zones, bonded logistics parks, cross-border industrial zones and newly-established special supervision areas are all being put under one umbrella term, known as comprehensive bonded zones.

These zones will be administered under the same authorities.

Authorities say this will make it easier to help lay-out national strategies, including the creation of larger development zones, such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Wanda, Suning forge alliance amid Chinese companies' tie-up frenzyAnchor:

Chinese property developer Dalian Wanda has inked a "close cooperation" deal with China's largest electronics retailer, Suning.

The deal will allow Suning to open stores in Wanda's shopping centers nationwide.

40 Suning stores will be opened at Wanda Plaza outlets before the end of the year.

Suning runs more than 16-hundred outlets across China, together with one of the country's largest online retailing platforms.

For more on the new agreement between Wanda and Suning, we're now joined on the line by Mike Bastin, director of China Business Center based in London.

Q1. Both Suning and Wanda have said that they believe this will be a win-win strategy. How can they benefit from each other exactly?

Q2. What kind of new business model do you think? Is any other similar cases happened in foreign countries?

Q3. In May, Wanda forged a "strategic partnership" with China Vanke, the country's largest residential property developer, to increase price bargaining power amid a lukewarm property market, following its teaming-up with Chinese Internet giants Tencent and Baidu to create e-commerce platform Ffan.com last year.

Why do you think these big names tend to play together? How will this collaboration trend affect the overall Chinese market?

Back anchor:

Mike Bastin, director of China Business Center based in London.

Huawei eyes high-end market with new handsetChinese smartphone maker Huawei has released the pricing scheme for its newly-released handset the company hopes will compete with smartphones produced by Apple and Samsung.

The Mate S is being priced at 780 US dollars.

This is at least 150 dollars more than its previous models.

Huawei's release of the Mate S comes ahead of the anticipated release of a new iPhone model, which is expected to be released at Apple's annual product event this coming Wednesday.

Huawei's sales surged more than 46 percent in the second quarter of this year in China.

However, its 7.8 percent market share lags far behind foreign brands in the country.

HTC is being removed from a major index on Taiwan's stock exchangeTaiwan-based smartphone maker HTC is reportedly to be removed from a major index on Taiwan's stock exchange.

It's being reported that as of September 21st, HTC will no longer be on Taiwan's FTSE 50 Index.

However, HTC will reportedly still be traded on the Mid-Cap 100 Index.

News of this comes just days after HTC reported its lowest monthly revenues in 8-years through August.

HTC has already announced its cutting some 600 factory jobs.

SportsChina Beat Japan 3-1 to Win FIVB Women's World CupIn women's volleyball,China's women have secured their fourth FIVB World Cup title and a berth in the Rio Olympic Games, downing Japan 3-1 last night in their final match of the round-robin tournament.

Zhu Ting led the Chinese team with 27 points.

With the win, China has finished a the top of the standings with 30 points, four points ahead of second-placed Serbia, who also gain a spot in Rio with their result.

The United States finished third.

------------------In beach volleyball,Latvian duo Aleksandrs Samoilovs and Janis Smedins have defeated a German pair to take the gold medal final at the Rio Open.

This is the Latvians' fifth victory on the FIVB World Tour, but their first since May of last year.

On the women's side,A Brazilian duo has taken the title.

Serena Williams into Quarter-finals of US OpenIn tennis,Chan Yung-Jan and her playing partner Chan Hao-Ching from Taiwan have advanced to the fourth round in the women's doubles competition at the US Open after beating a Romanian pair in a final tiebreaker.

In women's singles,Defending champion Serena Williams is into the quarter-finals, after taking out American Madison Keys in straight sets.

Serena is now set to battle her sister Venus in the last-16.

Venus has reached the US Open quarter-finals for the first time since 2010 after knocking out a 19-year-old qualifier from Estonia in straight sets.

Also through is Italy's Roberta Vinci.

She's advanced after Canadian Eugenie Bouchard was forced to withdraw from the US Open after suffering a concussion.

The 20-year old, who has been seeing a resurgence of form at the tournament, fell and hit her head in the dressing-room after a mixed doubles match on Friday.

---------Over to the men's side,Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France has reached the quarter-finals after rolling past compatriot Benoit Paire in straight sets.

The 2008 Australian Open runner-up has been struggling to return to form after missing the first 11 weeks of this season because of an arm injury.

30-year-old Tsonga will next face defending champion Marin Cilic.

Wales versus Israel in Euro 2016 Group BIn football,Wales and Israel have played a goalless draw in their European Championships Group B qualifier earlier this morning.

Wales manager Chris Coleman:

"I think had we scored early - in that first twenty minutes where we really right on top and were playing some great stuff and had a chance. When you're on top like that and you don't put the ball in the net, sometimes it can come back and haunt you a little bit."In other action from European qualifying,It was Turkey upsetting the Netherlands 3-nil in their Group A encounter.

-------Elsewhere,Northern Ireland's players are continuing their training in Belfast as they prepare to meet Hungary in their next Euro 2016 qualifier tonight.

27-year-old defender Jonny Evans notes a victory tonight will push them through.

"We've got a big chance to do it on Monday, but we've also got a chance in the two games after if things don't work out. I think that's the nice thing about it, we've got a cushion. But, like I say, everyone wants to get it done on Monday and I think it will be a fantastic occasion, all the fans will be there, like they always are, making sure we're trying to get it done."Northern Ireland sits atop Group F with 16 points.

A victory tonight will guarantee Northern Ireland a top two spot and a place in next year's finals in France.

Former Nigerian Football player runs for FIFA presidencyIn off-pitch football news,Former Nigerian football player Segun Odegbami has declared his run for the FIFA presidency.

The former captain of Nigeria's national team says it is time that the world's football governing body was led by an African.

Odegbami says he is confident about his chances of being elected from his past experiences on the world football stage.

He joins UEFA president Michel Platini, former FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-Joon and Prince Ali of Jordan to contest the FIFA election in February.

World champion Lewis Hamilton wins Italian GP at MonzaIn Formula 1,Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton has claimed the title at the Italian Grand Prix.

"Look at this crowd. Unbelievable fans here. I couldn't have done it without my team. I don't know if anyone can hear us but this team is just remarkable and what we have achieved here together is so special. So, I am incredibly grateful to them for working so hard through the weekend. Through these last week and through the whole year and giving me the car that I had today and these guys also did a great job."Its his 7th win of the season and the 40th of his career.

Hamilton moves within one victory of Ayrton Senna and Sebastian Vettel on the all-time drivers victory list.

He's also the first driver to secure back-to-back wins at Monza since Damon Hill did it in 1993 and 94.

Sebastian Vettel finished second and Felipe Massa finished third.

Nicole Broch Larsen wins the Helsingborg OpenIn golf,Denmark's Nicole Larsen has won her maiden European Tour title with a victory at the Helsingborg Open.

Larsen finished at 12-under, following a final-round 75.

"It got really close. I was actually very nervous in the end and in the last four or five holes I got very nervous because I didn't get into the flow today but lasted in the end so I'm happy."South African Ashleigh Simon finished second.

--------On the men's side,England's Lee Slattery has won the Russian Open at 15-under.

He held on to the one-stroke victory after a critical chip-in during his final round.

"I think it was. It's funny, the thing that has been letting me down the most is probably been my short game the last few months, so I have worked so hard at that and to chip one in at such an important time it has sort of just meant so much. But it shows that practise pays off eventually - so that was good."This is Slattery's second career European Tour win, and first since 2011.

Japan beat China to qualify for Rio with title at Asian ChampionshipIn women's basketball,Hosts China have missed out on a chance to win an automatic exemption into next year's Olympics.

China fell to Japan in the finals of the Asian Championships in Wuhan.

With the win, Japan automatically qualifies for next year's Olympics in Rio.

China will have to fight for one of five additional Asian berths.

11 other teams will also be battling for those spots.

Entertainment'Man Down' Premieres in VeniceAmerican actor Shia LaBeouf attended the red carpet premiere of his new movie, "Man Down," at the Venice Film Festival.

The star was joined by the film's director, Dito Montiel - whom he worked with him on the 2006 breakthrough drama, "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints".

Shia LaBeouf calls this latest collaboration with the director his "favorite project.""We worked together 10 years ago and that was the, my favorite thing that I personally worked on, in my life, up until recently, very recently, like this film. He's a great support structure, system and we have a really nice way of working together where we can be very honest with each other."The 29-year-old actor who made the headlines consistently for a while for his antics, says Montiel came to him with the project when he needed it the most.

"This script landed on his lap at just the right time and he came to my house when I was in a really low place and offered it to me like therapy like 'Here's a healing process so we can jump into together and get well.'""Man Down" sees LaBoeuf play a U.S. Marine who desperately searches for his estranged wife and son in a savage, dangerous world, with the help of his best friend.

The movie also stars Gary Oldman.

The Venice Film Festival runs until September 12th.

Juliette Binoche premieres her latest film at the Venice Film FestivalFrench screen icon Juliette Binoche has premiered her new movie "L'Attesa" ("The Wait") at the Venice Film Festival.

The star was joined on the red carpet by the film's director Piero Messina and co-star Lou de Laag.

The movie, which is showing in competition at the festival, sees Binoche star as Anna, a grieving mother, struggling to cope with the death of her son.

Set in Sicily, de Lagg plays Jeanne, the son's French girlfriend, who arrives to visit him - unaware of the sad truth.

Caught off-guard by Jeanne's arrival, Anna decides to hold off admitting the truth and instead uses Jeanne to sustain the illusion that her son isn't really gone.

Binoche says she had tried to prepare for the role but had not found a way to approach the character. In the end, she decided to stop her pre-shoot preparations and follow her instinct on set.

"There was something quite physical about this role that I liked. And always thinking that's the moment I'm going to tell her the truth and not being able to say the truth. And the contradiction between those two and the ambivalence she's going through was kind of a very interesting experience to live as an actress. There was something new about acting that I like and when you discover something new as an actor you think, okay, good, you can carry on.""L'Attesa" is one of 21 films vying for the coveted Golden Lion award at the 72nd Venice Film Festival.

China Film Forum promotes cooperation in VeniceThe second edition of China Film Forum has taken place on the sidelines of the 72nd Venice International Film Festival.

Organised by the Venice Days section of the festival, the event brings together directors, producers, investors, film critics and journalists for a series of intensive discussions under the theme "Reasons for Creativity."A major topic at this year's forum is "how to create stories for other cultures."The participants watched the trailer of Forgotten War, an upcoming war-themed film brought to the forum by young Chinese producer Han Yi and director Zhang Duanyang.

Zhang says the goal of the film is to demonstrate China's role during WWII in a way that Western audience can understand and connect with it.

Established in 2014, the forum aims to help insiders of the European film industry better understand the Chinese market, and boost cooperation on film production and sales between China and Europe.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

Commemoration activities are set to take place this week to mark the 50-year anniversary of the formation of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The head of China's central bank and Finance minister have been attempting to ease market concerns at a G20 session in Turkey.

The rejection of a new constitutional draft is set to hold-up democratic elections in Thailand.

In Business... Chinese regulators considering creating automatic trading curbs on the mainland bourses to stop massive sell-offs.

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