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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Washington for a highly-anticipated meeting with US President Barack Obama.

He's arrived in the US capital after a series of meetings in Seattle, including a chat with high school students and teachers.

Hollywood with a sharper eye on China amid the growing box office revenues.

In Business.... Chinese authorities set to cut a series of administrative fees next month.

In Sports.... China now 2-0 at the Asian Basketball Championships.

In entertainment..... A Niu premiering his new film at the Silk Road International Film Festival in Fuzhou.

Top NewsChinese President Arrives in WashingtonChinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Washington D.C. to continue his current visit to the United States.

U.S. President Barack Obama is set to play host to the Chinese leader at the White House.

The heads of the world's two biggest economies are expected to discuss an array of topics, ranging from climate change to hotspot issues around the world.

Xi Jinping is in Washington after starting out his trip in Seattle.

The Chinese president also be in New York starting on Sunday for a series of events marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

President Xi Tours Lincoln High SchoolChinese President Xi Jinping has made a stop-over at a high school in the city of Tacoma in Washington State.

Meeting with teachers and students at Lincoln High School, Xi Jinping has drawn from an old Chinese saying to encourage them to learn more about China.

"As we say in China, a person has to read thousands of books as well as travel thousands of miles. So we hope you will travel thousands of miles in the future. And every one of you is welcome to visit China and experience China for yourselves. I hope through your in-depth exchanges with Chinese youngsters, and also through close engagement with ordinary folks, you will have a fuller and deeper understanding of my country.

Xi Jinping has also put out an invitation for 100 Lincoln High students to travel to China as his personal guests next year.

As a thanks, the Chinese President was given a football and a personalized jersey from Lincoln High School.

Xi Hopes Chinese Community in U.S. Contributes More to Sino-American FriendshipChinese President Xi Jinping is calling on the Chinese community in the United States to help booster China-US ties.

He's made the call as part of a reception put on by the Chinese community in Seattle.

"On behalf of our country as well as the 1.3 billion fellow countrymen, I here express to you, and also to all the fellow countrymen working and living in the United States and Chinese-Americans via you, my sincere regards and best wishes! I also would like to express my sincere gratitude for the efforts you have made for our current visit,"The US West Coast is home to a large and growing Chinese population.

Former Washington State governor and former US ambassador to China, Gary Locke, is of Chinese decent.

Peng Liyuan Visits U.S. Cancer Research CenterChinese First Lady Peng Liyuan has taken time to visit a U.S. cancer research institute, issuing a new call for closer bilateral cooperation in health care.

Accompanied by Bill and Melinda Gates, who are major donors to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Peng Liyuan has taken time to meet with Chinese medical staffers working at the Center.

"Let me first express my congratulations to the Center's fruitful achievements, which have helped many people get a chance to live longer and better lives. I hope you can cherish your opportunity to study here, at the meantime, combine traditional and modern medicine and sharing advanced medical technologies and ideas, so as to bring more benefits to the two nations and contribute shared wisdom on global health challenges."The Center near Seattle is on the leading edge of research into cancer and AIDS.

Peng Liyuan, who is also a UN goodwill ambassador for HIV/AIDS research, is traveling in the US with husband Xi Jinping.

Another Corruption Suspect Repatriated from U.S. to ChinaChinese authorities are hailing the latest repatriation of a Chinese national accused of economic crimes as a symbol of what can be accomplished between China and the United States if the two sides work together.

Kuang Wanfang was sent back to China on Thursday by US authorities.

She's wanted here in China on corruption and bribery charges, and had been living in the United States since 2001.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei says her return to stand trial is the latest in a series of steps law-enforcement on both sides are taking.

"Following the repatriation of corruption suspect Yang Jinjun on Sept 18th, this new development shows China and the United States have achieved a new level in anti-corruption cooperation. China stands ready to strengthen collaboration with the international community in areas of anti-corruption and fugitive repatriation. We also expect to get even more support and coordination with the United States to prevent any corruption suspect from finding place to hide overseas."China and the United States currently don't have an extradition treaty.

However, the Chinese government has been collaborating more closely with US law enforcement over the past couple of years since the so-called "Fox Hunt" campaigns first began to track-down Chinese fugitives abroad.

China, U.S. Sign Military Annexes to Enhance Mutual TrustThe Chinese Defense Department has announced the Chinese and US militaries have formalized a new set of agreements meant to try to head-off conflicts.

Wu Qian with the Chinese Ministry of Defense says the agreements formally establish lines of communication to allow both sides to tell one-another about major military operations.

The agreements also cover codes-of-conduct in dealing with air and sea encounters between the two militaries.

"It is a practical measure, and implements a strategic decision made by the leaders of the two countries. It is conducive in creating more strategic mutual trust, preventing misunderstandings and coping with air and maritime accidents. It will also contribute to the establishment of a new type of relationship between China and the US, as well as the militaries of the two powers."The Chinese and US sides formally agreed to establish the new reporting systems in November after being proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his meeting with Barack Obama in June of 2013.

More Chinese travel to US with increasing people-to-people exchangesAnchorAs part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's continued push for more people-to-people exchanges between China and the US, both sides have been taking steps to make it easier for people to travel to one-another's countries.

The latest figures suggest these new policies appear to be working.

CRI's Luo Bin has more.

ReporterThe number of Chinese travelers to the United States increased by 21-percent last year to more than 2-million.

The U.S. Commerce Department is predicting a 17.5-percent annual increase in Chinese visitors on an annual basis, with some 6-million Chinese travelers entering the United States per year by 2020.

In the Washington D.C. area, the largest number tourists already come from China.

Stats show Chinese travelers to Washington are also spending more, on average, than any other nationality.

Matt Gaffney is the CEO of Capital Region USA, which is the official group which markets international travel to Washington, as well as neighboring Maryland and Virginia.

He says the new visa rules implemented earlier this year are having a big impact.

"Partly, this is due to a longer length of stay. It's about almost two weeks that they are visiting us. The average is nine nights. Chinese travelers are at almost 14 nights. So that by its nature means a longer spend because you're staying more nights, but on a per-night basis, their spend is higher than the average as well."Under the new policy, tourists and business travelers are now able to apply for visas for up to 10-years.

The changes don't affect the length of stay on each trip, but mean the visa-holders don't have to re-apply each time, making the travel process much more convenient.

Matt Gaffney with Capital Region USA says this is likely to encourage more people from China to explore different parts of the United States.

"They're able to travel for a longer stay perhaps, they are traveling independently or with very small groups, so there's much more flexibility in where they are going; they are really getting in to see the heart of America, as opposed to just the major American cities."The U.S. tourism industry is targeting international travelers with new advertising campaigns, even recruiting celebrities such as movie producer Spike Lee to make the pitch.

Sean Zhu is facilitator who helps Chinese students and tourists learn more about the life and culture in the U.S. capital.

"They are not only for, you know, to see the sites. They are here to see whether there are opportunities for if you are a businessman, they also want to seek opportunities here. If you ask students, you want to see what it's like here, you want to see how the schools look like, and if it's possible that they will study here. And also there are people who want to just want to enjoy the different culture right here."Chinese visitors to the United States spent about 21 billion U.S. dollars last year.

Some estimates suggest that figure could go as high as 80-billion U.S. dollars a year over the next 5-years.

For CRI, I'm Luo Bin.

Hollywood Eyes Booming Chinese MarketAnchorWith the box-office returns in China continuing to soar, despite the current slowdown of the overall economy, many in Hollywood are beginning to take more notice.

CRI's Niu Honglin reports.

ReporterLatest stats are suggesting the Chinese box office may surpass the U.S. as the world's largest by as early as 2018.

Jim Rainey is a senior film reporter with US-based film industry publication 'Variety.'

He says the overseas markets have become something U.S. filmmakers can no longer ignore.

"In the old days, if you opened a film in the U.S. and it did good box office in the U.S., that's all you needed to worry about. But now most of these big, especially these big tentpole, the big event movies, they're making three quarters, roughly, of their box office overseas."One area which is gaining a lot of attention among film industry observers in the United States is the draw toward big-budget films in China.

A number of recent high-budget films have had poor showings in the North American market, but have seen their bottom-line bolstered by revenues from China.

A prime example of this is the latest in the "Terminator" series, "Genysis," with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The film cost 155 million dollars to produce, but pulled in less than 90-million at the U.S. box office.

But in China, "Genysis" has raked in more than 100-million US dollars.

However, it's not just about ticket sales in China.

Hollywood films are also starting to use more and more Chinese money to back projects.

The latest "Mission Impossible" film, "Rogue Nation," was partially funded by Chinese internet giant Alibaba.

Jim Rainey with 'Variety' says this is prompting more and more filmmakers to take steps to try to cater to the Chinese market.

"To get that stamp of approval from the Chinese government, I'd like to say that American filmmakers are going to stand strong by their principles and never bend. But if they think they can get into the Chinese market and they have to make a few alterations, I think they will alter the content.""Transformers: Age of Extinction" is one film which U.S. critics panned for its overtly Chinese themes.

However, some say the strategy has paid off.

"Age of Extinction" is one of the highest grossing films of all time in China.

At the same time, Chinese filmmakers are hoping to turn a one-way street into a two-way exchange.

Chinese film producer Jean Su suggests the growing interest and understanding of Chinese culture among people in North America is something producers need to capitalize on.

"Our stories are organic. It's not just in order to put a diversity into the film you put an Asian for a small role and say a few words. No. Our stories, it came from our experiences."One film being touted as an opportunity to promote Chinese stories to a North American audience is the latest installment of the "Monkey King" franchise.

The new film, "Monkey King 2" is a joint Chinese-U.S. production combining talent from both sides of the Pacific.

The original, though getting mostly luke-warm reviews, was a major hit in China and abroad, grossing over 180-million US dollars internationally.

"Monkey King 2" is due out in early February.

For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

Hajj stampede death toll soars; King orders safety reviewThe death toll from a deadly stampede as part of the annual Hajj pilgrimage near Mecca in Saudi Arabia has surpassed 700, with nearly 900 others injured.

Officials say those figures are still expected to rise.

In the wake of this, Saudi King Salman has ordered a new safety review.

"Regardless of the investigation results, the improvement of the methods and mechanisms of the Hajj season will not stop, we have instructed the concerned entities to reevaluate the current policy and the distribution of responsibilities."The stampede occurred as some 2-million pilgrims were taking part in the Hajj's last major rite at the Mina valley near Mecca.

Organizers of the Chinese pilgrims attending this year's Hajj say they're checking to see if there are any Chinese casualties.

The Saudi government has already formed a committee to look into the incident.

Interior Ministry spokesperson Mansour Turki.

"From what I can see, these are the apparent reasons for the accident: a rise in the number of people, overcrowding and an overlap of crowds, as well as the collapse of the pilgrims and certainly contributing to that, a rise in temperatures and also the tiredness that the pilgrims were experiencing due to the effort they had already exerted in the previous stage."It is the deadliest incident to occur during the pilgrimage in 25 years.

A similar stampede in 1990 left more than 14-hundred dead.

Thursday's stampede is also the second deadly incident in the Mecca area over the past 2-weeks.

A crane collapsed earlier this month at the Grand Mosque, killing 109 people.

China Firmly Curbs Terrorist Crimes in Xinjiang: White PaperAnchorAhead of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region next week on October 1st, the Chinese government has issued a new white paper, outlining steps that have been taken over the years to promote ethnic harmony in the predominantly Muslim region of China.

CRI's Wang Wei has more.

ReporterXuekerat Zakir, governor of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, says the regional government is resolved to stop the violence in the western Chinese region.

"Violent and terrorist crimes go against humanity, society and civilization. It is recognized worldwide as excrescences which we will resolutely cracked down on in accordance with the law. We will not condone such crimes to exist in our country, in our hometown. We will firmly curb such crimes to maintain social stability."According to the white paper, since the 1990s, three forces - ethnic separatism, religious extremism, and violent terrorism - have led to a series of incidents involving terror and violence in Xinjiang, and elsewhere.

These incidents include explosions, assassinations, poisonings, arson, assaults and riots, and have caused great loss of life, and the destruction of property, affecting innocent civilians from all ethnic groups.

Zakir has noted that all ethnicities in Xinjiang have now involved themselves in combating terrorism, safeguarding stability, and countering extremism in the region.

"We have been making constant efforts in Xinjiang for many years in strengthening rule of law. And we have come up with many effective ways to punish violent terrorist crimes and promote social development. For instance, the activities themed "anti-violence, rule of law and order" have been carried out to arouse the awareness of people in Xinjiang."The white paper reveals that the public security agencies in Xinjiang are on high alert of signs of violent attacks and terrorism, and respond with the utmost severity.

Meanwhile, the autonomous region has always pursued the policy of freedom of religious belief, protecting normal religious activities.

Zakir continues to highlight that proper handling of cultural differences can wipe out potential conflicts and ensure social stability.

"Xinjiang is a place with multi ethnics and various cultures. If we don't handle the cultural issues properly, it may escalate to conflicts or may cause collisions. That is why we say cultural issues should be solved through cultural solutions."The white paper noted that Xinjiang has been home to people of many of Chinese ethnic groups and that the system of ethnic regional autonomy in the region is a measure that accords with the situation in China and with the realities in Xinjiang.

The white paper was released to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

For CRI, I'm Wang Wei.

China, ROK, Japan Start 8th Round of FTA TalksAnchorThe latest round of high-level talks among China, Japan and South Korea to establish a free trade area is underway in Beijing.

However, observers are suggesting major progress is unlikely.

CRI's Qi Zhi explains.

ReporterThe two-day session is mainly focused on areas such as trade in commodities and services, as well as investment.

Chinese vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen says taking down trade barriers is critical, particularly given what's been happening in East Asia this year.

"During the first eight months of this year, bilateral trade between China and Japan decreased by almost 11 percent. China-South Korea bilateral trade dropped by close to 5 percent. Trade between Japan and Korea is not that good either. So this, again, indicates the importance of the work we are doing at this moment."The combined GDP of China, Japan and South Korea is over 16-trillion U.S. dollars.

This represents over 20-percent of the world's economic volume.

Bilateral trade among China, South Korea and Japan came in at around 600-billion US dollars last year.

However, a number of factors, both political and economic, have seen the 3-way talks make little progress over the past 3-years.

Chinese trade observer Mei Yuxin says the Japanese government has been digging its heels in on a number of issues.

"What Japan wants is not practical, and it's starting to impact its economy. Japan has missed opportunities in China this past decade of rapid growth. The Japanese side has put forward a number of high benchmarks as part of the talks, but no one knows whether these standards will boost trade."With the Free Trade Agreement between China and South Korea taking effect back in June, South Korean exports to China now outnumber Japan.

Because of this, Chinese trade specialist Jin Baisong says the South Korean side appears to have become somewhat territorial when it comes to its market access in China.

He says this is starting to raise questions about whether a 3-way trade agreement may actually work.

"In fact, I don't think China will benefit from a trilateral FTA agreement, given the other two sides are not willing to open their markets as widely as we do. Japan may want to push forward with the talks, given the substantial benefits South Korea has gained from the FTA with China. But the South Korean negotiators have been becoming more reluctant to make concessions, as they don't want to see any more competitors in China."Despite this, Jin Baisong says the three should still be thinking about the bigger picture.

"Though the negotiations continue, it is hard to predict what will happen. I suggest the three countries should be looking beyond East Asia, and start considering an FTA that also includes the 10 ASEAN countries, as well as Australia, New Zealand and India. It's just a bigger opportunity."The tri-party FTA talks started in November of 2012 after the leaders of China, Japan and South Korea reached a consensus in May of that year.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

Unique fashion trend of sprouts on heads hit BeijingAnchorAnyone who's strolled around tourist areas in Beijing recently may have noticed a unique fashion trend, with people wearing plastic plants on their heads.

CRI's Niu Honglin has more.

ReporterThe trend began in mid-August when social media was flooded with people posting photos of them wearing "sprouts" on their heads.

However, the new trend didn't seem to win the hearts of Beijing residents until recently.

"Sprouts" are actually a new style of hairpins which come in many shapes and sizes, ranging from clovers to mushrooms.

24-year-old medical student Yan Xue, who sometimes sports at least two sprouts on her head, said she began wearing them after celebrities caught onto the trend.

"When I first saw it, I thought it looked pretty strange, but everyone was wearing them and it became a popular trend, I sort of thought it was really silly and fun, then I started wearing one. And then a lot of celebrities started wearing them, and taking photos (of themselves), so I started to go with the flow. I think it's really fun. Walking here on the street you can see a lot of people wearing them, so I bought some. Importantly, they're not expensive."The sprouts are usually sold for around five yuan, less than one US dollar, for a pair in most parts of the city.

They are most prevalent around Nanluoguxiang, a popular tourist area mostly comprised of gentrified hutongs.

Shi Song, a street vendor who has been selling the sprouts since early August, explained how well the hairpins have been selling.

"When seeing someone wearing it and looking good, he gets one too. That is how it works in general, so in the end many people end up buying it. One person buys first, then ten would follow, then many more would buy too. This is how it works."The growing popularity of sprouts has also ignited a hot debate over the origin of the hair decoration.

The blame was at first placed on Chengdu, capital of southwestern Sichuan province, where the sprout had already been spotted earlier this summer.

Some netizens have drawn comparisons between the sprout and certain regional headwear trends documented in ancient Chinese history, while others say they are merely a reference to a character from a popular home-made cartoon, known as "Pleasant Goat".

Beijing has seen a number of strange headwear fashions in recent years, from bunny ears to furry hats.

Whatever the actual origins and meaning of the sprouts, some would say they just want to have fun.

For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

WeatherBeijing will be sunny with a high of 26 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 13.

Shanghai will see slight rain with a high of 26 and a low of 22.

In Chongqing, it will be overcast during the daytime with a high of 23 and lows of 21.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 34.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 23.

Over to North America,New York will be overcast with a high of 22 degrees.

Washington, overcast with a high of 24 degrees.

Honolulu, overcast, 28.

Toronto will be overcast with a high of 21 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will have slight rain with a high of 17.

And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 35 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsHajj stampede death toll soars; King orders safety reviewThe death toll from a deadly stampede as part of the annual Hajj pilgrimage near Mecca in Saudi Arabia has surpassed 700, with nearly 900 others injured.

Officials say those figures are still expected to rise.

Saudi King Salman has ordered a new safety review and the government has already formed a committee to look into the incident.

The stampede occurred as some 2 million pilgrims were taking part in the Hajj's last major rite at the Mina valley near Mecca.

So far there have been no reports on any Chinese casualties.

It is the deadliest incident to occur during the pilgrimage in 25 years.

A similar stampede in 1990 left more than 14-hundred dead.

Chinese President Arrives in WashingtonChinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Washington D.C. to continue his current visit to the United States.

U.S. President Barack Obama is set to play host to the Chinese leader at the White House.

The heads of the world's two biggest economies are expected to discuss an array of topics, ranging from climate change to hotspot issues around the world.

Xi Jinping is in Washington after starting out his trip in Seattle.

The Chinese president will also be in New York starting on Sunday for a series of events marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

China issues white paper on Xinjiang ethnic equality, unityChina has issued a white paper on ethnic equality, unity, and development in Xinjiang.

The paper states that the development and progress in Xinjiang marks the successful implementation of China's system of ethnic regional autonomy in the region.

The white paper stresses that implementing regional autonomy in areas where ethnic minorities live in concentrated communities is a basic political system of China and is an important step on the correct path of handling ethnic issues in a Chinese manner.

It was issued on Thursday by the State Council Information Office.

China plans more watchdogs for journalistic misconductThe Chinese government is demanding all provincial-level regions set up so called "journalistic ethics committees" to regulate journalistic behavior.

Under the provisions of the new policy, the committees will be tasked with dealing with journalistic ethics and catching misconduct such as paid journalism, false reporting and blackmail.

New media is being touted as one of the key target areas.

The committees have to be in-place before the end of this year.

Putin to talk with Obama on Syria crisis in NYIt's been announced Russian President Vladimir Putin is hoping to talk about Syria when he meets with US President Barack Obama next week at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Washington has been increasingly concerned about Moscow's military build-up in Syria to back the Bashar al-Assad administration.

However, the White House says Obama plans to focus his attention during the meeting on the situation in Ukraine.

The relationship between Washington and Moscow is at its lowest point in years amid the conflict in Ukraine, which began after Russia annexed Crimea last year.

Biz ReportsAnchorTurning onto business news. First, a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe as well as a recap on the Chinese market.

ReporterU.S. markets ended down for a 3rd straight session on Thursday, as investors digest a batch of mixed economic reports ahead of a speech by U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.

The U.S. Commerce Department has announced sales of new single-family homes through August came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 552-thousand, beating market expectations.

In corporate news, shares of Caterpillar fell 6.3 percent after the company announced it was going to cut 5-thousand jobs.

At the closing bell,Dow Jones dipped 0.5 percent.

S&P 500 lost 0.3 percent.

The Nasdaq moved down 0.4 percent.

Meanwhile in Europe,More volatile trading has taken place amid the Volkswagen scandal.

At the closing bell,The UK's FTSE 100 slid 1.2 percent.

Both Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 decreased 1.9 percent.

Finally in China, shares rose on Thursday.

The Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.9 percent, while the Shenzhen Component Index rose 1 percent.

China to cut admin fees to relieve firms, individualsAdministrative fees are being cut in a dozen different areas here in China.

Fees for property transfers, trademark registration and software copyright applications are being lowered.

Among them, the property transfer charge will be cut by one-third.

The cuts are set to take effect on October 15th.

Cisco and AlibabaAnchorTime to check in with some of the stories making headlines from the corporate world this week.

We're joined on the line now by Doug Young, Associate professor at Fudan University, former China company news chief with Reuters.

----------------------------US-based Networking powerhouse Cisco Systems has announced a 100-million-U.S. dollar joint venture with China's information technology firm Inspur Group.

The JV will be located in China. But the specific place has not been announced.

The deal includes reselling Cisco networking gear and jointly developing a broad spectrum of software and hardware.

Inspur Group will have a 51 percent stake in the new venture, while Cisco has 49 percent.

The JV would deliver advanced technologies and services in information technology infrastructure, the cloud, data centers, smart cities and big data.

Questions:

1) Do you believe the Joint venture is win-win cooperation for both Cisco and Inspur?

2) Does the deal mean a trend that big American companies develop their businesses in the Chinese market?

---------------------------Alibaba's online marketplace Tmall is going to establish its second headquarters in Beijing.

Reports say Alibaba's intent is to have Tmall co-headquartered in both Beijing and Hangzhou.

Currently, the office building, located in Wangjing, Chaoyang District, in under construction.

It's being reported that Tmall is scheduled to move in the building in November.

Questions:

1) Analysts say the action looks like a smart move to improve relations with government regulators, and can help Tmall to avoid future clashes over issues like piracy. What do you think? Do you agree with the opinions?

2) Do you think Alibaba's idea that sets up its another headquarters in Beijing is helpful to its business?

Back anchor:

Doug Young, Associate Professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.

Yili Group, US partners establish Sino-US Food Wisdom ValleyA new collaboration agreement has been announced between a Chinese food producer and a group of US universities.

Sino-US Food Wisdom Valley is to be established in Seattle by Chinese dairy producer Yili and University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, as well as UC Davis, Cornell University and the University of Minnesota.

Sino-US Food Wisdom Valley is being tasked with creating cooperation among Chinese and US agri-food companies, universities and research institutes.

It's main focus will be in areas such as nutrition and health, as well as product development and food safety.

Letv releases new TV model in HKChinese online television provider LeTV is out with a new smart-TV.

LeTV chief designer Wang Zhi has unveiled the uper TV 3 Max 65 at an event in Hong Kong.

"Everyone can see the Max 65 to the left of me. Our super voice system 2.0 allows you to communicate with the TV just by talking to it. You actually don't need any other equipment to control it. You can use this function to control the EUI system. It even allows you to turn the television on and off."LeTV's new smart-TV is also programmed for online gaming.

It will go on-sale next week.

It's priced at 85-hundred yuan.

An update to the software which runs the system is scheduled to be available by the end of the year.

Toshiba in white goods deal with China's SkyworthToshiba has announced plans to shut down two of its sales subsidiaries in China.

The Japanese company is also planning to sell its stake in Skyworth Digital Holdings.

The decision is part of a broader corporate revamp following a 1.3 billion U.S. dollars accounting scandal.

As part of the deal, Toshiba has also authorized Skyworth to produce and sell its home appliances.

UPS to extend services to more second and third tier citiesLogistics giant UPS has announced plans to try to tap more second and third tier cities in China.

The company is planning on establishing a presence in 8 new lower-tier cities.

Customers there will have direct access to UPS' full portfolio of services.

Currently, UPS serves over 300 cities across the country.

Fake iPhone 6s, running Android system, appear in ShenzhenIt's being reported fake iPhone6s and iPhone 6s Plus' have been found on sale in Shenzhen ahead of the official worldwide launch of the legitimate phones today.

The copycat version of new iPhone actually runs the Android system.

It is priced at 580 yuan, only around 10 percent of the price of the real one.

It's being reported a number of stores have been taking pre-orders.

Apple has yet to comment on the reports.

SportsChina Beats South Korea 76-73 in FIBA Asian ChampionshipIn basketball,China has come from behind to beat powerhouse South Korea 76-73 last night at the Asian Championships in Changsha.

19-year-old Zhou Qi hit a game-best 26 points in the victory.

"It's so exciting. We are united and it helped us to victory. We did what our coach told us to do. We were well prepared for the game. We didn't have full control of the game at the very beginning. We were lacking a bit on defence."This puts China at 2-0 in the tournament.

Up next for China is Jordan, who hammered Singapore last night 98-68.

Jordanian head coach Rajko Toroman.

"They are the biggest contestant of the championships. There is a few reason that I understand them like big contender. They played home, they play here in China. Secondly, they have ...in Europe, a little help them a lot. Then they have very experienced plays like Jianlian and they have a lot of young players."----------------------Defending champions Iran has also clinched their second win in a row with a 88-66 victory over India.

Up next for the defending champs is Malaysia, who was thumped by Japan 119-48 yesterday.

----------------------In other action,Chinese Taipei went down to Kazakhstan 84-73, becoming the first seeded to be bounced from the tournament.

Qatar upset Lebanon 105-100.

Philippines downed Hong Kong 101-50.

And it's Palestine rolling over Kuwait 90-69.

-------------In off-court basketball news,Jason Richardson has officially announced his retirement from the NBA after 14 seasons.

The 34-year-old played just 19 games for the Philadelphia 76ers last season after a more than 2-year layoff due to injuries.

Zheng Saisai out of Guangzhou OpenIn tennis,China's Zheng Saisai has been bounced from Guangzhou Open after losing to third seeded Italian Sara Errani in straight sets.

World number three Simona Halep has also been handed a surprising setback, knocked out of the tournament by Danisa Allertova from the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-3.

In women's doubles,Chinese duo of Xu Shilin and You Xiaodi have reached the semi-finals after getting past compatriots Liang Chen and Wang Yafan 6-3, 6-4.

--------------------At the Korea Open,Irina-Camelia Begu is into the third round of the tournament, knocking out Polona Hercog in a three set affair.

Elizaveta Kulichkova, Aliaksandra Sasnovich and third seeded American Sloane Stephens have also progressed.

-------------------Elsewhere in AsiaFormer champion Agnieszka Radwanska has booked a place in the last 8 of the Pan Pacific Open after beating Elina Svitolina in straight sets.

This is the first time that she has reached quarter-finals of the tournament.

---------------On the men's side,Canada's Milos Raonic has blast past Russian opponent Evgeny Donskoy and into the quarter-finals at the St. Petersburg Open in Russia.

Raonic will be up against Spanish veteran Tommy Robredo, who beat Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 7-6, 6-1.　Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut has also advanced, winning a close match against Russia's Teymuraz Gabashvili.

Top seed Tomas Berdych has knocked out of tournament, losing in straight sets to Italy's Simone Bolelli.

Chinese Super League PreviewIn football,Three games on deck this Saturday in the Chinese Super LeagueLeague leaders Guangzhou Evergrande will be up against Guizhou Renhe.

Shandong Luneng will face off against Shanghai SIPG.

And its Shijiazhuang up against Shanghai Shenhua.

-----------------In Europe,Leicester City has a weekend date with Arsenal in the English Premier League.

Leicester head coach Claudio Ranieri.

"We are ready. We are in good condition. We respect them a lot. It's a very good team - smart, fast technical, everything. They are ready to fight for the title. It will be a very good match."----------------In other action,Manchester United will host Sunderland.

Liverpool will battle Aston Villa.

Southampton are on the road in Swansea City.

Bournemouth will play Stoke.

And it's West Ham United taking on Norwich City.

Former Real coach Luxemburgo to coach China League teamIn other football news,Former Real Madrid and Brazilian coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo has agreed to coach one of China's second-tier league teams.

He's going to take over behind the bench for Tianjin Songjiang.

Luxemburgo will take charge of the team in January on a one-year deal.

If he gets Tianjin into the Chinese Super League after next season, he will be given a 2-year option to extend his contract.

Tianjin Songjiang are now 11th in the standings in the 2nd-division here in China, and promotion is out of reach with just four games remaining this season.

63-year old Luxemburgo managed Brazil's national team from 1998 to 2000 and had a 11-month spell at Real Madrid in 2005.

England name team ahead of RWC Pool A clash versus WalesIn Rugby,New Zealand thumped Namibia 58-14 in a Pool C game earlier this morning.

New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen says Namibia aquitted themselves well, despite the loss.

"Really happy for Namibia. Had them in the changing sheds (rooms). They're a good bunch of guys and I thought they committed themselves commendably and they'll be happy with their night's work."This is New Zealand's second win at the tournament.

The All-Blacks are the defending World Cup champions.

---------------On Saturday,England will take on Wales.

England head coach Stuart Lancaster says it will be a tough game.　"Wales are a very difficult team to play against, home or away. They’re got a very specific defensive system and, very, very hard to break down. Very little space on the wings because of the width they hold in defence, and, a lot of our strengths of, and playing against them have been playing through the line rather than playing around it."Both clubs are so-far undefeated at the World Cup.

Thai Trio Lead CTBC Ladies OpenIn golf,A group of Chinese golfers remain in the hunt after respective rounds of 68 at the CTBC Ladies Open in Taipei.

Yan Panpan, Lu Ya-huei, Hsu Wei-ling, Cheng Ssu-chia and Doris Chen are all tied for 4th.

A trio of Thai players sit 3-shots ahead of them.

----------------In Europe,Austrain Bernd Wiesberger and Frenchman Benjamin Hebert share a one-shot lead after the first round of the European Open in Germany.

"At least today I felt very much in control about my ball flight and my yardages and I had a coupe of hiccups on the greens but you can't have it all."Both of them have carded a 7-under-64 to take the lead.

Englishmen Graeme Storm and Richard Bland are among five players sitting in 2nd at 6-under.

A group of 11 golfers are at 5-under, including German veteran Bernhard Langer.

EntertainmentMalaysian Singer, Director and Actor A Niu Promotes "Rembat" at Silk Road Film FestivalMost here in China are familiar with the songs of singer-song writer A Niu.

However, the multi-talented Malaysian is also an actor and director.

A Niu has run the red carpet in Fuzhou at the Silk Road International Film Festival to promote his new comedy "Rembat."The film itself is a comedy about two hardcore supporters of the Malaysian national football team.

The so-called "Ultras Malaya" are known as some of the most rabid fans in Asian football.

A Niu says he wanted to create a film which, while making you laugh, would also cross territorial and cultural boundaries.

"The film 'Rambat' is special because Malaysia is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural. It has local Malaysians, people with Chinese origins, as well as people with Indian origins. The head of the production company is the descendent of a local Malay and a man from China who settled in Malaysia in the early Ming Dynasty when Zheng He commanded voyages through South Asia to East Africa. Given his background, he wanted to be sure "Rembat" is a multi-ethnic movie which includes Malaysians, Chinese and Indians."This year's Silk Road International Film Festival is set to close on Saturday.

Chinese star Jackie Chan Fan Bingbing, Yao Chen, Zhang Guoli and director Chen Kaige are due to take part in the closing ceremony.

Giant monster from 'Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe' joins director and co-stars for premiereAward-winning director Lu Chuan, along with cast-members Zhao Youting, Yao Chen and Tang Yan have walked the red carpet in Beijing for the premiere of their new film "Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe."The film is an adaptation of the fantasy novel "Ghost Blows Out the Light," which was published online in March of 2006.

Director Lu Chuan recruited John Sheils, visual effects supervisor for the "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy to try to give the movie a more Hollywood feel.

"There are more than 1500 special effects shots in this movie, which were made by over 4000 editors of eight multinational companies worldwide. It took six months. I really appreciate their hard work".

"Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe" will hit Chinese theaters on in 3D on Wednesday ahead of the National Day holiday.

Youku to hold big offline music festivalVideo streaming site Youku Tudou has announced plans for a large-scale music festival next month.

The Dream Music Festival will include shows in Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan.

36 solo singers and bands, including Chinese rock singer-songwriter Xu Wei, rock group Buyi and folk singer Li Zhi have signed-on to take part.

As scheduled to perform is 18-year old Dou Jingtong.

Dou Jingtong is the daughter of pop singer Faye Wong and rocker Dou Wei.

She released her first English single, With You, in 2012.

The Dream Music Festival will be held in Beijing and Shanghai during the National Day holiday.

It will hit Wuhan on Oct 17-18.

DiCaprio to Receive SAG's Actors Inspiration AwardOne of the most nominated men in Hollywood is finally getting his due.

Leonardo DiCaprio will be this year's recipient of the coveted Screen Actors Guild's Actors Inspiration Award.

He's to be given that honor at a ceremony on November 5th.

The award comes in recognition of DiCaprio's onscreen accomplishments as an eight-time Screen Actors Guild nominee and five-time Oscar nominee.

He's also being given the award for his off-screen work.

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation was founded in 1998.

It's generated more than 30 million US dollars in donations toward environmental and climate awareness around the world.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Washington for a highly-anticipated meeting with US President Barack Obama.

He's arrived in the US capital after a series of meetings in Seattle, including a chat with high school students and teachers.

Hollywood with a sharper eye on China amid the growing box office revenues.

In Business.... Chinese authorities set to cut a series of administrative fees next month.

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.