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

Coming up on the program this evening...

President Xi Jinping delivers a speech on gender equality and women's empowerment at a UN forum co-hosted by China...

New Zealand's defense chief is in Beijing for talks aiming to promote a stable and prosperous Asia-Pacific region...

and southeast China braces for the approach of super typhoon Dujuan, expected to reach the mainland tomorrow morning...

In Business...industrial profits in China continue to fall...

In Sports...Team China in action again on the hard court at the Asian Championships...

And in Entertainment...Lost in Hong Kong appears to be on pace for a 100 million yuan opening weekend in China...

TopGlobal Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's EmpowermentAnchor:

About 80 heads of state and government have gathered at UN headquarters in a bid to improve gender equality and women's empowerment around the world. As co-host of a high level summit on this issue, China has made strong commitments to support the advancement of women's rights worldwide.

CRI's He Fei reports from New York.

Reporter:

This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the Beijing World Conference on Women and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Since then, the declaration that arose from that conference has been a guideline to push for gender equality throughout the world. With that in mind and in conjunction with the UN Summit on Sustainable Development, China and UN Women have jointly held the "Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment: A Commitment to Action" in New York.

As the co-host of the high-level meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of gender equality.

"The pursuit of gender equality is a great cause. A review of history shows that without women's liberation and progress, the liberation and progress of mankind would not be attainable. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the 20th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, it is of great significance for us to convene this Global Leaders' Meeting to reaffirm our commitment to gender equality and women's development and make plans for a better future."Some 80 heads of states and governments are gathered for the event at the UN headquarters, including Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon. According to UN Women, it is the first time that commitments to women and girls have been made at this level at the United Nations.

To raise awareness and narrow down these gaps in the development process, Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for the international community to work on the following four areas.

"First, we should strive for women's development in tandem with social and economic progress. Second, we should protect women's rights and interests. Third, we should make efforts to build harmonious and inclusive societies. We must eradicate all forms of violence against women, including domestic violence. Forth, we should foster a global environment favorable for women's development."UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon co-hosted the event with Chinese President Xi Jinping. At the meeting, Ban Ki-moon calls for the world to continue work on improving gender equality through policy making, financing and monitoring mechanisms.

"I see three areas where you can help transform our societies. First, create and energetically implement coherent gender equality policies. Second, provide significant financing for gender equality. And third, monitor progress so that all governments will hold themselves and each other accountable."To support women's development worldwide, China will donate 10 million US dollars to UN Women. In the coming five years, China will also help other developing countries build 100 "health projects for women and children," send teams of medical experts to provide services and implement 100 "happy campus projects" to finance the schooling of poor girls and raise girls' school enrolment rate. It will also host 30,000 women from developing countries for training programs in China and provide 100,000 skills training opportunities in local communities of other developing countries.

For CRI, I'm He Fei in New York.

Gender equality, women's empowerment crucial for world sustainable development: UN officialDeputy Executive Director of UN Women Lakshmi Puri has spoken highly of the commitment made by the Chinese President to promoting gender equality and women's empowerment.

"We have worked with the Chinese mission here and then also with the capital, All China Women's Federation. All of these have been partners and then of course here at the meeting we heard from (the) president himself how committed he is to this agenda, how committed he is to the partnership with UN Women, how strongly he appreciates what UN Women's mandate and mission is and how well we are doing it."The deputy executive director continued saying that it's an "historic" moment as gender equality issues have been emphasized in the UN Sustainable Development Agenda.

"And, it is really historic because for the first time gender equality and women's empowerment is not just a side issue, it is a central issue. Those recognition that unless half of humanity, that is womanity, realizes their human rights, that they are able to live in a gender equal world, that they are fully empowered, none of the other goals will be met."Puri said that gender equality and women's empowerment is a universal value shared across the world and thus requires worldwide efforts to achieve.

Xi reaffirms China's climate ambition, urges concrete actionsPresident Xi Jinping has reaffirmed China's utmost efforts to fight climate change and called on developed countries to live up to their pledges.

Xi Jinping did so at a working luncheon at UN headquarters on Sunday.

He urged developed countries to transfer environmentally-friendly technologies to their developing counterparts and live up to their other pledges in terms of funding and technology.

The president also pledged to launch the China South-South Climate Cooperation Fund, which aims to help other developing countries combat climate change, as early as possible.

China pledged the 20-billion-yuan fund in a China-U.S. joint presidential statement on climate change signed Friday during Xi Jinping 's first state visit to the United States.

2016 China-US Tourism Year to Promote More Cooperation on TourismAnchor:

2016 has been set as the "China-US Tourism Year." The announcement was made as the Chinese president continues his state visit in America.

Analysts say a greater focus on infrastructure, and on entry-exit policies, will help to stimulate tourism between the two countries.

CRI's Qian Shanming reports.

Reporter:

Sino-US tourism has recorded over 25 million trips between the two nations at an average annual growth of 7.6% since the China-US Tourism Leadership Summit was established in 2007.

The summit includes tourism bureau chiefs from 31 Chinese provinces and 50 American states.

Among that, the number of Chinese tourists travelling to the United States has grown at an annual rate of 18.4 percent.

Shi Peihua, a director with the National Information Center, says the US tourism market meets the new demands of Chinese tourists with their diversified services and products.

"China's tourism market is being upgraded. In the process, the market is growing at fast speed in three aspects. One is for Children. Many people travel abroad with their children and many children will study overseas. The second one is marriage travel and third one is overseas travel as a reward by many companies."It has become more and more convenient for Chinese people to travel to the United States since the implementation of a ten-year validity visa in 2014.

Over 2 million Chinese people went to America for travel last year, making China the fourth biggest source country travelling to the United States.

Dun Jidong, senior manager of Shanghai-based Ctrip, a Chinese mainland-based travel agency, says this policy will continuously provide strong impetus to the promotion of the tourism markets for these two countries.

"The ten-year validity visa has been implemented for nearly one year. The policy itself is very beneficial for tourism for both countries. And it still has much potential in the future as many people are applying for the U.S. visa for the first time. He or she will cherish the chance to apply for a ten-year validity visa. So they will reuse the visa. Then the cardinal number will become bigger and bigger."As the year of 2016 has been set as the 'China-US Tourism Year', Shi Peihua says more facilitation on infrastructure construction, as well as entry/exit policies will bring more benefits to the area of cooperation on tourism between the two countries.

"To get sustainable tourist development, the visas of both sides should be facilitated further. Both sides should be more open to each other. Take aviation for example. Can the prices be lower when the air lanes are improved? After all, the costs are so high as of now. What's more, both China and the United States should improve their reception system. And then, China and the United States should increase mutual investment, which will attract people from these two countries to travel overseas".

For CRI, I'm Qian Shanming.

New Zealand Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee Visits ChinaAnchor:

New Zealand's defence chief says his country regards its relations with China as a crucial avenue in maintaining a stable and prosperous Asia-pacific.

He made the remark during a stop in Beijing on Monday.

CRI's Niu Hong Lin has more.

Reporter:

New Zealand Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has given a speech, outlining New Zealand's perspectives and security priorities.

He thus speaks highly of China's contribution to the UN peacekeeping mission.

"In peacekeeping, New Zealand is very grateful for the force protection provided by People's Liberation Army soldiers working under the United Nations banner in South Sudan, side-by-side with our troops. China is now one of the world's biggest contributors of peacekeepers to United Nations missions, and we commend you for your commitment to maintaining international peace and security through these means."Brownlee says because New Zealand's interests in maritime domain are global, free navigation is especially important for his country.

In talking about the issue of the South China Sea, he says over half of New Zealand's maritime trade passes through the region.

"It is of particular importance to New Zealand, reliant as we are on seaborne trade and the security and freedom of navigation for our economic prosperity and well-being. Over half of New Zealand's maritime trade passes through the South China Sea."The comment comes after Chinese president Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Barack Obama jointly announced last Friday that both countries' support the freedom of navigation and over-flight that countries enjoy and insist on solving disputes among directly concerned parties through peaceful negotiations and consultations.

Gerry Brownlee says being a long-time ally to the United States, New Zealand doesn't think its military ties with Washington contradict relations with Beijing.

"We do not see our defence relationships with the United States and China as mutually exclusive. We believe that the United States and China want the same thing for the Asia-Pacific – peace and prosperity. This is New Zealand's desire as well, and we will work with all parties to achieve this outcome."He adds that an inclusive dialogue will ensure all nations will integrate into a rules-based international order so that territorial disputes can be properly dealt with.

The China-New Zealand relationship was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during President Xi's visit to New Zealand last year.

Following Brownlee's visit in Beijing, he will go to Chengdu Military District, meet with commanders, and visit a military base.

Since Brownlee has some personal experience in disaster response and recovery, he also hopes to learn from the perspectives and expertise of Chinese leaders and officials who dealt with the tragic 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

For CRI, I'm Niu honglin.

China- EU economic and trade talks kick off in BeijingAnchor:

China and the EU have pledged to speed up talks on an investment treaty.

The pledges were made at a high-level economic and trade dialogue concluded today in Beijing.

CRI's reporter Guo Yan has more.

Reporter:

Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai says Monday's talk aims to enhance bilateral trade and investment.

"Under the theme of promoting bilateral trade and investment from a strategic height, this round of dialogue has had in-depth and candid discussions on a wide range of topics and we reached extensive consensus."Major topics during the talks include an investment treaty between China and EU.

Talks on this agreement started in early 2014.

Officials from China and the EU also signed an agreement on 5G technology and communications industry development.

The European Commission's Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Jyrki Katainen told a joint news conference that both sides had agreed to set up a working group to discuss these issues.

"The first issue which we agreed today was a real breakthrough, because we wanted to, we agreed to set up a joint working group to increase cooperation between the EU and China."The group is expected to further discuss how to better cooperate on China's "One Belt and One Road Initiative" with an economic plan backed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

The Junker plan, with the aim of reviving European economy, also features large infrastructure projects.

After Monday's dialogue, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met the EU delegation headed by Katainen.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

Coastal cities in China brace for Typhoon DujuanChina's southeast is bracing for Typhoon Dujuan as authorities order the cancellation of flights and evacuations from coastal areas.

Dujuan, the 21st typhoon of the year, is forecast to land on the coast of Fujian Province on Tuesday morning, likely before noon, after reaching Taiwan on Monday night.

Strong wind and rains have already disrupted traffic in the island.

In Fujian province, Xiamen Airlines canceled its flights to and from Taiwan on Monday.

Airports in the cities of Xiamen, Quanzhou and the provincial capital Fuzhou will cancel all flights on Tuesday.

Zhu Dingzhen, a senior expert from the National Meteorological Center, warns that precautions are urgently needed.

"This is a peak season for tourism between the Mid-Autumn Day and the National Day holiday. The typhoon will have a great impact on the traffic; meanwhile, it is very likely to lead to some secondary disasters. Therefore, more measures shall be taken to weather off the disasters, such as floods and landslides, which might happen in mountainous areas."Nearly 130,000 people have been evacuated from homes and more than 25,000 ships have returned to harbor or other safe waters.

The typhoon will also bring gales, torrential rain and high waves to neighboring Zhejiang Province.

Residents are asked to stay indoors.

Bangkok Basts Retaliation Against Crackdown on Human Trafficking: Thai AuthoritiesThai authorities announced on Monday that the two bombing attacks in Bangkok last month were likely acts of retaliation against government crackdowns on human trafficking.

However, they added that other possible motives have not been ruled out.

Arrest warrants have been issued for 17 suspects. Two suspects already detained, Adem Karadak and Mieraili Yusufu, have been determined to be responsible for planting explosives at the blast sites.

The nationalities of the two suspects have not been confirmed. Police say they have confessed their crimes.

Meanwhile, China says it is closely following the investigation of the cases.

Hong Lei, Spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the comments on Monday.

"China has closely followed the latest development and kept frequent communication with Thai authorities. We support the Thai government's investigation of the cases. We believe all those involved in the cases must be justly punished by law."The Aug. 17 bombing killed 20 people, including 7 Chinese, and injured more than 120 other people.

A second explosion the following day at another site caused no casualties.

Four Chinese Dead in Mecca StampedeFour Chinese nationals have been confirmed dead in the stampede near Mecca last Thursday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei made the announcement on Monday.

"The Chinese delegation on the pilgrimage has confirmed that around 14,500 of its members have completed their activities in Saudi Arabia and will start returning to China. Four Chinese participants have died in the stampede."The spokesperson added that the Chinese embassy in Saudi Arabia will continue to monitor new developments and manage issues.

Two million pilgrims took part in the Hajj's last major rite at the Mina valley near Mecca.

Putin Comments on Syria and Upcoming UN AddressRussian president Vladimir Putin has again defended his country's military support to Syria.

"Regarding what you have called our presence in Syria, it manifests itself today in arms supply to the Syrian government, in training of personnel, and in humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. In that case we deal with the request of the Syrian government to give military support. And what we do is completely within the boundaries of legal international agreements."Putin made the comments ahead of his address at the UN General Assembly later today.

Putin says he plans to give the "Russian perspective" on current international affairs and the future of the UN.

"We are all always discussing this - how the UN should change, how fast it should change, what qualities should be changed. And of course I have to say, I will need to use this UN address to give Russia's perspective on today's international relations and the future of the UN to the international community."Putin says his speech will also address the global fight against terrorism, which he calls "a challenge for all of us."The Russian president is scheduled to meet with his US counterpart Barack Obama in New York after their UN speeches.

It will mark their first in-person meeting in almost a year.

The crises in Syria and Ukraine are expected to top their agenda.

A Giant Sinkhole Could Swallow Australian PeninsulaAnchor:

A major sinkhole opening up in Australia's Queensland peninsula continues to grow, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate from the area.

Experts are warning the entire area could be swallowed.

CRI's Fu Yu has more.

Reporter:

The sinkhole, now the size of a football pitch, is in the Wide Bay-Burnett region of South East Queensland.

The latest update shows that the cavity now has stretched to a length of 200 metres, a width of 50 metres, and a depth of nine metres.

It has grown since it was first noticed on Saturday night near a popular camping site at Inskip Point.

Holidaymakers at the site, near a popular Queensland beach, were woken up suddenly overnight as the ground gave way.

"I hear a bit of commotion going on and when we woke up we looked out and there was the police up here with the lights on and people running round saying the sinkholes taken everyone's van and what have you.""We were just going for a cruise and then all of a sudden we came to stop over here and there was SES truck and then there was coppers and it was hectic. There was just this hole, we didn't even know there was a caravan in it."Thee hole swallowed a car, a van, a camping trailer, and tents over the weekend.

Although the whole tourist site remains relatively stable, campsites near the sinkhole have been closed.

About 300 people have evacuated the area.

No injuries were reported.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service will continue to monitor the situation and will consult engineers to provide an assessment of the site.

During an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Company, geotechnical engineer Allison Golsby said the area has a history of sinkholes, and scientific reports indicate the entire peninsula could eventually fall away.

For CRI, this is Fu Yu.

Fire services called to be strengthened after a blaze sweeps a typhoon shelter in HKAnchor:

The Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter in Hong Kong has been cordoned off after a fire destroyed at least 10 boats, and injured five people on Sunday afternoon.

The cause to the fire is still under investigation.

CRI's Hong Kong correspondent Li Jing has the story.

Report:

The blaze was finally extinguished shortly before midnight, with five people suffering minor injuries, and ten boats damaged.

Initial reports say a fishing boat was the first to catch fire, and quickly spread to neighboring vessels after its anchor rope reportedly broke. Loud explosions were also heard on the other side of Victoria Harbor.

At least two fishing families have been left homeless.

"They cut the rope and let the burning boat drift on the sea. They should have secured it, then a dozen other boats wouldn't be in trouble."A man surnamed Ng who is in charge of yachts at the Shelter has moved some of his belongings away from the scene.

"All the stuff on the boat, I will take away as much as possible, I am lucky enough to do so. I hope the fire department could deploy more fire extinguishers along the seashore, and coach the fishermen how to deal with fire."Some groups are criticizing the fire department, saying it did not react quickly enough. Hung Chi Kit is a Community Organizer of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

"The fireboats are not ready or on stand-by. In case of emergency, distant water cannot quench a fire nearby."But the Fire Department has denied the allegation, saying the congested traffic at the shelter slowed the process, and windy weather is also a contributor to the fast spread of the fire.

The cause of the fire is not known yet.

For CRI, this is Li Jing in Hong Kong.

Total Lunar Eclipse Coincides with "Supermoon"Many people around the world were treated to a rare astronomical phenomenon Sunday evening through early Monday morning.

A total lunar eclipse coincided with an occurrence called the "Supermoon", when a full moon appears larger and brighter as it reaches the point in its orbit that is closest to Earth. The eclipse gives the "supermoon" its reddish hue.

The event began at 2:47 am Greenwich Mean Time on Monday morning, and lasted for a little over an hour.

It was the first time the two natural phenomena have made an appearance together since 1982.It will not happen again until 2033.

WeatherBeijing is overcast to light rain tonight with a low of 14 degrees Celsius; cloudy to light rain tomorrow with a high of 17.

Shanghai, light rain tonight with a low of 22; light rain to moderate rain tomorrow with a high of 24.

Chongqing, showers tonight with a low of 20; overcast tomorrow with a high of 26.

Lhasa, clear tonight with a low of 10; sunny tomorrow with a high of 24.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, sunny tomorrow with a high of 32.

Kabul, light rain, 21.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney will cloudy sky with a high of 23.

Brisbane, light rain with a high of 22.

Perth, cloudy, 24.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be cloudy with a high of 16 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsXi reaffirms China's climate ambition, urges concrete actionsPresident Xi Jinping has reaffirmed China's utmost efforts to fight climate change and called on developed countries to live up to their pledges.

Xi Jinping did so at a working luncheon at UN headquarters on Sunday.

He urged developed countries to transfer environmentally-friendly technologies to their developing counterparts and live up to their other pledges in terms of funding and technology.

The president also pledged to launch the China South-South Climate Cooperation Fund, which aims to help other developing countries combat climate change, as early as possible.

China pledged the 20-billion-yuan fund in a China-U.S. joint presidential statement on climate change signed Friday during Xi Jinping 's first state visit to the United States.

China observes 2,566th anniversary of Confucius's birthCelebrations have been held in a number of cities across China to mark the birthday of Confucius, the Chinese sage and philosopher.

He was born in Qufu City in Shandong province 2,566 years ago. On Monday, more than two thousand people marched toward the Confucius Temple where a ceremonial dance was performed.

Government officials, UNESCO officials, scholars, students, and descendants of Confucius were in attendance.

Along with founding Confucianism, which has deeply influenced many generations of Chinese, the philosopher was also the first person to set up private schools in China and enroll students from all walks of life.

There are about 1300 Confucius temples in China and around the world.

Sixteen Turkish workers held in Iraq since early September have been released.

Sixteen Turkish workers held in Iraq since early September have been released.

A group purportedly behind the kidnapping said in an online statement on Monday that the release was made after the Turkish government met the captors' demands.

The videotaped statement showed a black banner reading "Oh Hussein," a reference to Imam Hussein, the third of the 12 imams recognized by Shiite Muslims as the successors of the Prophet Muhammad.

Iraqi security authorities and the Turkish embassy in Baghdad have no immediate comment on the release of the kidnapped Turkish workers.

The workers were kidnapped on Sept. 2 in Baghdad.

Maldives President unhurt in speed boat explosionMaldives President Abdullah Yameen has escaped uninjured after an explosion on his speed boat.

However, first lady Fathimath suffered minor injuries, along with a bodyguard and a member of the President's Office.

The blast occurred after the engine of the speed boat caught fire as Yameen was on his way to the capital on Monday.

The president had just returned to the country after completing the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

At least 24 people were onboard the boat with all of them being rushed to nearby hospitals.

The injured people included 16 Chinese nationals.

The incident is now under investigation.

Biz ReportsStocksAnchor:

Time now to check today's business news, starting with closing numbers across the Asian markets Here's Victor Ning.

Reporter:

Chinese shares closed higher on Monday despite weak industrial data.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed up nearly 0.3 percent while the Shenzhen Component Index gained more than 2 percent.

Shares related to Internet security, media, and softwares were among the biggest winners while banks and insurance companies lost the most.

Analysts believe market sentiment will recover as regulators finish deleveraging of the A-share market.

In Hong Kong, the market was closed for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Elsewhere in Asia,Japan's Nikkei lost 1.3 percent, as investors remained cautious ahead of a series of Japanese economic data due out later this week.

The South Korean market was also closed for the holiday.

Singapore's Straits Times Index tumbled 1.4 percent.

And finally, Australia's ASX/200 added 1.4 percent.

China's Aug. industrial profits decline fasterChinese industrial firms' profits further declined in August, indicating increased downward pressure on the economy.

The latest figure from China's National Bureau of Statistics show profits of major industrial firms fell 8.8 percent year on year in August, down sharply from a 2.9-percent decline posted in July.

The poor performance was mainly caused by a drop in the prices of industrial goods due to weak domestic demand, a rise in unit costs, the stock market rout, and volatility in the yuan exchange rate.

Facing lingering downward risks, Chinese authorities have ramped up efforts to prop up the economy.

The central bank has cut the reserve requirement ratio of banks four times in nearly seven months and cut interest rates five times in nearly nine months.

Despite overall weakness, the manufactured goods inventory in August has been rising much more slowly than the previous month, which helped enterprises release inventory pressure and operation difficulties.

Tianjin warehouse owner to compensate for losses caused by blasts 3'19Anchor:

Authorities in north China's port city of Tianjin say steps are being taken to secure compensation from the owner of a warehouse for those affected by two fatal blasts at the site on Aug. 12.

165 people died in the explosions, while another eight have never been found.

The blasts damaged 11,000 houses and affected over 400 companies.

The compensation process for the affected residents has begun.

The warehouse is owned by Rui Hai Logistics, which was founded in 2011.

Several company executives and local officials have been arrestedFor more on the compensation issue, CRI's Victor Ning spoke with Ling Bing, Professor of Chinese Law at the University of Sydney.

…Back anchor:

That was Ling Bing, Professor of Chinese Law at the University of Sydney, speaking with CRI's Victor Ning.

Guideline on regional cooperation and growth in Bohai RimChina's State Council published a guideline pertaining to the cooperation and development of areas around the Bohai Rim.

This is a major step forward in its national-development strategy.

The guideline calls for major infrastructure to be built to establish inter-regional transportation, energy, water resources and information networks.

Bohai Rim connects China's northern, northeastern and northwestern regions, including Beijing, Tianjin Municipality - Hebei, Liaoning, Shandong, and Shanxi provinces - and Inner Mongolia.

The Rim links sea and continent, and features rich natural resources and a solid industrial foundation.

Industrial cooperation was also highlighted, as it would relieve Beijing of its non-essential functions.

The guideline also relates to the "Belt and Road" initiative, as a trade and infrastructure network.

The initiative will connect Asia to Europe and Africa, promoting economic prosperity and regional economic cooperation, and enhance exchanges.

LeTV becomes major investor in charging station producerInternet entertainment giant LeTV has become a major investor in the maker of a new-energy vehicle-charging station.

As part of its green auto campaign, LeTV invested in the largest electric-car charging station in Beijing, located near the capital's South Railway Station.

Beijing Dianzhuang Technology, which is building the charging station, says it has received "tens of millions of yuan" from LeTV.

When complete, the station will be able to charge 100 electric vehicles at a time.

Earlier this year, LeTV released its electric auto plan that included the establishment of a research and development team of about 260 engineers in California's Silicon Valley.

The investment comes after the State Council set policies last week to accelerate the construction of charging facilities for electric vehicles.

According to the new policies, charging posts will be standardized and newly built housing, office buildings, shopping malls, hospitals and hotels are requested to include charging posts in their parking areas.

The plan is expected to be issued by the end of the year.

High-speed rail maker CRRC officially establishedThe establishment of Chinese high-speed rail maker CRRC Corporation was officially announced on Monday.

Approved by the State Council, two former HSR giants, China North Railway and China South Railway, merged to become CRRC.

The merger was first announced on Oct. 30 last year.

The new conglomerate debuted on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Hong Kong Stock Exchange on June 8.

Cui Dianguo, CRRC's chairman, says the corporation will help accelerate high-end equipment manufacturing in China, as well as the reform of state-owned enterprises.

CRRC aims to become the world's leading investment group with high-end manufacturing and diversified capital operations.

SportsAsian championship: China vs. LebanonBeginning with some latest basketball action at the Asian Championship,China beat Kazakhstan 75-62 in the last 12 to secure a place in the quarterfinals.

Yi Jianlian was the pillar of the team, hitting 15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists.

China have won all four games so far in this tournament.

In other action,The Philippines bounced Iran 87-73 to end Iran's perfect 4-game winning streak,Jordan downed Qatar 84-73,India edged Hong Kong 76-71.

On the court right now are China and Lebanon.

Shanghai Shenxin first team to be relegated from CSLIn football action from the Chinese Super League,Beijing Guo'an knocked Shanghai Shenxin down to China's second division with a 4-0 victory.

Shenxin became the first team to be relegated this season.

They have 17 points after 27 games, 10 points down on third-to-last placed Tianjin Teda with three more games to spare.

The Chinese Super League and the second-division China League exchange two teams each for relegation and promotion for the new season.

Good news for Guo'an though, they moved up to third place and within contention for direct qualification for next season's AFC Championships league.

Guo'an are at 53 points, one point clear of Shandong Luneng.

Dejan Damjanovi? netted two of the four goals and is threatening Luneng striker Aloisio's place as the league's best scorer.

Damjanovic is down by two goals at 16.

Lin Liangming to play in U-19 Champions League for Real MadridIn other football news,Chinese teenager Lin Liangmin has been called up for Real Madrid's squad for the UEFA Under-19 Champions League.

Lin will become the first Chinese player in the tournament's history.

He could make his debut at the champions league in Real's game against Swedish team Malmo later this week.

The 18-year-old winger joined Real Madrid's youth team last month and has already played in Spain's youths' league.

Rugby World Cup recapIn rugby,Scotland came back from a poor first-half to beat the United States 39-16 in Pool B at the world cup.

The Scots were trailing 13-6 at the end of the first half but a Tim Visser try 90 seconds into the second half kicked them back into action.

They went on to score four more tries to pick up a bonus point.

Scotland coach Vern Cotter acknowledged the turning point for his team.

"I mean, we're very happy to get the win and the bonus point. It was a game that was difficult to construct because we had a physical team in front of us and we weren't particularly accurate probably in the first 40 minutes. Scoring early in the second half certainly got us back on track and we managed to build through what was a reasonably difficult day of rugby, the win. So hats off to the guys. "Scotland returned to top of the group and will take on South Africa next weekend.

In action from Pool D,Ireland beat Romania 44-10.

Tommy Bowe and Keith Earls scored two tries apiece for Ireland.

Coach Joe Schmidt praised Bowe's superb form in helping them with the win.

"I thought he had a super game. He finished the try in the corner incredibly well, well he finished both tries but.... I thought he was incredibly strong in the air. He made a fantastic low tackle to allow Jared Payne to get on the ball and make a turnover in the second half. So both sides of the ball, I felt that Tommy was really good today."Romania are still bottom of the group, having lost all their games at the world cup.

But player Florin Surugiu quickly put it behind him and proposed to his girlfriend on the pitch following the game.

She said yes without hesitation among cheering teammates.

Jordan Spieth wins Tour Championship, FedEx CupIn golf,Jordan Spieth closed the Tour Championship with a round of 1-under 69 to win by four shots.

He also captured the FedEx Cup title to add to his US and Masters win this season.

Spieth says it gives him reassurance and self esteem after going through ups and downs.

What this means for me this week is it's validation to the year. It's validation to these playoffs, and how can you go through the lows of a season so quickly after you're so high. People can give up on you easily. And to not care about that, to worry about our own stuff, and to come into the brightest stages and perform is going to give me a lot of confidence going forward because there's going to be ups and there's going to be downs, I know it. But to be able to bounce back this quickly from the low in my season is really cool."Spieth bagged almost 1.5 million US dollars in prize money.

The tournament's opening leader Henrik Stenson, Danny Lee and Justin Rose all finished tied for second place.

World number one Jason Day was never spot on from the start and finished tied for 10th place at 2-under.

Peter Sagan wins mens' road race at world championshipsIn cycling,Slovakia's Peter Sagan emerged from the poloton on the final cobbled climb to win the men's road race at the UCI World Championships.

Sagan went over the summit alone and opened up a decent gap with his superior bike handling skills.

Sagan says he timed the attack with perfection.

"I was hoping for the last..... last cobblestone.... climb, and from there I did, yeah, I was just full gas on hill to finish because also if, the group take me I was very tired for the sprint and then I did just one attack and it was, I think, the right attack."Sagan covered the 259.2 kilometer course in 6 hours, 14 minutes, 37 seconds to capture his maiden world championships title.

He will be wearing the world champion's rainbow jersey for the next 12 months in all UCI events.

At the conclusion of the championships, the Netherlands top the combined national standings with 545 points.

EntertainmentLost in Hong Kong on course for $100m weekendChinese comedy Lost in Hong Kong is on course to hit a $100 million weekend.

The movie opened on Friday with a $31 million opening day making it the biggest opening day for a Chinese movie. It's also the third largest opening in Chinese cinema history behind 'Fast and Furious 7' and 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'.

According to Ent Group, the film took a further 38 million on Saturday.

Lost in Hong Kong is the third film in the Lost franchise and is directed by Xu Zheng who also stars in the film along with Wang Baoqiang. A fourth film in the franchise 'Lost in India' is currently in pre-production.

In second place on the weekend box office was 'The Third Way of Love' which also stars Bao Beier who stars in Lost in Hong Kong. The film took 5.31 million in its first two days.

Wanda Group open theme park in YunnanWanda group have opened a giant theme park in Yunnan Province.

The park located in Xishuangbanna took four years to build and cost some 16 billion yuan.

It's the first outdoor theme park that Wanda Group have built and shows their expansion from commercial property and cinema.

The Wanda Xishuangbanna International Resort includes an outdoor park, international stage show, Wanda shopping mall and luxury hotels.

The park will contain five lands and include a rollercoaster that is 45 meters high.

Last year Wanda announced plans to build 100 theme parks in urban locations including shopping malls.

Stars of the intern attend European premiereAnne Hathaway and Robert De Niro, stars of The Intern attended the European premiere of the film in London on Sunday.

The movie features Robert De Niro playing a retired widower who becomes an intern for a fashion start-up entrepreneur. Through the film, they impart their wisdom on each other and the rest of the team.

Anne Hathaway says she managed to get a few tips from De Niro about acting.

"What I learned from him sometimes I think when you're younger and you get a little overwhelmed, maybe get a little anxious, get a little worked up about things. There's no rocking that man's cool. He's calm all the time and it's a beautiful thing and that's where he creates from and I started trying to do that on set and it worked out much better for me."The film also stars Aders Holm, Nat Wolff and Adam DeVine.

The intern is out in the UK on October 2.

Jackman talks about new wolverineActor Hugh Jackman says he likes the idea of an unknown actor taking over his role of Wolverine.

The actor has already announced that he will make just one more movie as the superhero 'Wolverine'. The upcoming film has a release date slated for 2017.

He says because he was a fairly unknown actor he'd like someone else in a similar situation to have the chance.

"I was a complete unknown. I was someone who had done some stuff in Australia, done some theater. I did an audition. ... I was one of probably 4,000 people who did an audition. In the end it sort of worked out. I kind of like the idea of it being an unknown person, why not, you know? And maybe someone...I was 30 when I got the role so it would be interesting to take it back before that."Jackman is currently promoting his new movie Pan which is a live action prequel to Peter Pan. It tells the story of a young orphan boy Peter and his journey to becoming the famous Peter Pan. Jackman plays a pirate in the movie.

Pan opens in the US on October 9.

Ed Sheeran confident about upcoming albumsMusician Ed Sheeran says he's feeling pretty confident about his next couple of albums.

Speaking with Rolling Stone magazine, Sheeran said he is about to start recording his third and fourth records. He says they will have more great songs than his last album 'X'.

'X' sold more than 10 million copies globally and has stayed in the UK album charts for a long time.

Just this weekend he shared the stage with Beyonce at the Global Citizen festival. The pair performed Beyonce's hit single Drunk in Love. During Sheeran's own set he was joined by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin to sing his song 'Thinking Out Loud'.

WeatherBeijing is overcast to light rain tonight with a low of 14 degrees Celsius; cloudy to light rain tomorrow with a high of 17.

Shanghai, light rain tonight with a low of 22; light rain to moderate rain tomorrow with a high of 24.

Chongqing, showers tonight with a low of 20; overcast tomorrow with a high of 26.

Lhasa, clear tonight with a low of 10; sunny tomorrow with a high of 24.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, sunny tomorrow with a high of 32.

Kabul, light rain, 21.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney will cloudy sky with a high of 23.

Brisbane, light rain with a high of 22.

Perth, cloudy, 24.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be cloudy with a high of 16 degrees Celsius.

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

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

President Xi Jinping delivers a speech on gender equality and women's empowerment at a UN forum co-hosted by China...

New Zealand's defense chief is in Beijing for talks aiming to promote a stable and prosperous Asia-Pacific region...

and southeast China braces for the approach of super typhoon Dujuan, expected to reach the mainland tomorrow morning...

In Business...industrial profits in China continue to fall...

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