Welcome to a special National Day Holiday edition of the Beijing Hour, live from the Chinese capital.

Coming up on our program this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jinping celebrates the National Day holiday along with representatives from China's five autonomous regions...

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stating that China will be able to meet economic targets this year....

And the flag of the state of Palestine being raised at the UN as Abbas seeks full recognition from the world body...

In Business.... gold futures falling on a stronger US dollar...

In Sports.... Simona Halep suffers a surprise upset at the Wuhan open here in China...

And in the second half of our program, we will bring you a holiday edition of People in the Know...

All of that coming up in the next hour.

A reminder as always there are several ways to reach out to us here on the Beijing Hour.

You can follow us on our weibo account at weibo.com/beijinghour.

Find us on WeChat by searching "beijinghour"Email us directly at [email protected].

You can also visit crienglish.com for the latest news and information from China Radio International.

topXi Celebrates National Day with Ethnic Minority RepresentativesChinese President Xi Jinping has met in Beijing with 13 representatives from the five autonomous regions, who were invited to the National Day celebrations for their contribution to ethnic unity.

The five autonomous regions including Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Tibet, Ningxia and Xinjiang, host the majority of population of the nation's ethnic groups, which together account for nearly one tenth of the country's total population.

Xi acknowledged the representatives' devotion to ethnic solidarity.

He says all people of various ethnic groups have created the People's Republic of China, and made outstanding contributions to the nation's development.

Two representatives from Xinjiang spent two months making an embroidery inscribed with words "striving for the Chinese dream with one heart."They have sent the embroidery to President Xi as a gift.

China able to meet economic goals this year: premierChinese Premier Li Keqiang has expressed confidence in China's ability to achieve its goals for economic development in 2015.

Premier Li says China will be able to meet its main goals and tasks of economic and social development for this year.

Li made the remarks at a reception held at the Great Hall of the People to mark the 66th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, together with top legislator Zhang Dejiang, senior leader Liu Yunshan, top discipline inspector Wang Qishan and Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, and some 1,100 people from home and abroad attended the reception.

Li says China's economy still operates within a reasonable range, with the quality of development further improved and systemic risks effectively checked.

Facing a sluggish world economy and mounting downward pressure at home, he says China has adopted effective and targeted and discretionary macro-economic regulations.

Yu Zhengsheng visits various groups in Xinjiang during anniversary celebrationChina's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng is leading a central government delegation to festivities marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

A ceremony is scheduled today in Urumqi to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the autonomous region.

Yu Zhengsheng has been meeting with local officials and people from all walks of life.

During the meeting with high-ranking officers of the Xinjiang Military Area Command in Urumqi, Yu highlights the role of the Chinese military in Xinjiang stability, saying troops should play a bigger role in fighting separatism, terrorism and extremism.

Yu has visited various ethnic groups in Altay, which is home to a sizeable Kazakh community, in northern Xinjiang. He has noted that ethnic unity is the prerequisite and foundation of economic development and the improvement of people's lives.

When visiting Kizilsu in western Xinjiang, the top political advisor also urges local enterprises to seize the opportunity of the "Belt and Road" initiative and join enterprises from bordering countries to achieve win-win results.

Having been living in Xinjiang for over half a century, my heart belongs to this land: offspring of expats Li YizuAnchor:

Starting from today, we will bring you a series of stories, featuring the lives of local people in China's Xinjiang Uygher Autonomous region. In this edition, we will take a look at an offspring of expats Li Yizu, who has spent most of his life in Xinjiang.

CRI's Liu Xiangwei has more.

Reporter:

Bayanbulak Grassland is located in the hinterland of the Tianshan Mountain in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. With an altitude of more than 3,000 meters, the vast grassland surrounded by cloud-kissing snow mountains attracts a large number of geologists and tourists every year.

Li Yizu, a silver-haired, yet very hale and hearty geological expert is introducing the spectacular and inspiring scenery of the place. With a typical Caucasian face, it's hard to believe the man who speaks in fluent Beijing dialect has lived in Xinjiang for more than 50 years.

Sitting in his office, the 77-year-old veteran geologist recalls his past.

"I lived in Beijing for 23 years, and then came to Xinjiang after I graduated from China University of Geosciences in 1961. I majored in geological exploration. All my classmates and I were looking forward to coming here, which was an undeveloped area at that time, using what we learned to do something meaningful."Li Yizu's life is anything but ordinary. Born in a missionary hospital in Tianjin in 1938, Li Yizu's parents were among many Americans who left China when the war against Japanese aggression entered its fiercest period. He was adopted and raised by a Chinese family, who brought him to the capital city Beijing.

He became a geological engineer of No. 156 coalfield geological team in Xinjiang after graduation. From the Altai Mountain to the Gangdise Mountain, his footprints covered almost every corner of west China in the next 20 years, including the A-Li region in Tibet, where the altitude is above 5,000 meters.

He says he never regrets his choice. For Li Yizu, there is no place he cannot go.

"We tramped over hills and dales with a map and compass. We tried to reach every corner. Sometimes we walked more than 40 kilometers per day, but we never felt tired. Each time we found mineral products, that kind of happiness was all worth it regardless the hardships behind it."Working as a geographical explorer made him fall deeply in love with every inch of the ground he has stepped on and also with local people.

"Working outside was easier since there was no shortage of helping hands. Once in 1975, our truck was stuck in a ditch in the middle of nowhere. There was a family approximately one kilometer away – two elderlies and one child, all Kazaks. They helped us pull out the truck. I took pictures of them as a thank-you gift. The old man changed clothes and put a pen in his upper pocket. All of them looked happy."Li Yizu says he has many similar stories. He says he believes human beings are shaped by the land around them. The blue sky, white cloud, high mountains and wide horizons, such boundless glamour of nature influencing the lives there. Therefore people from different ethnic groups in Xinjiang are unpretentious, passionate, bold and unconstrained.

Fifty-four years have passed since Li Yizu came to Xinjiang. With so many ups and downs in his past, his life seems more than legendary. However, Li insists that he is just an ordinary Chinese who loves the land he walks upon.

"I have been here for 54 years. It's very meaningful to live in such a fantastic place with beautiful mountains and rivers, and of course, lovely people. People always say I am a man with a foreigner's face, but a Chinese heart. I was raised by a Chinese mother. My heart will belong to China forever. Now I am in my 70s. I just want to do something useful, and try my best to do them well."The old man smiles proudly and satisfied. It's obvious he has been living the way he wants, with dignity, courage, intelligence and composure.

Back anchor: That was Liu Xiangwei reporting.

Death Toll from China Letter Bombs Rises to 7At least 7 people are dead and 51 are injured after 17 suspected mail bombs exploded in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Wednesday afternoon.

Two people are still reportedly missing.

The explosions occurred at the seat of Liucheng county and the surrounding areas, including a shopping mall and the dorm of a local animal husbandry bureau.

The first blast was heard at around 3:15 p.m.

Three people died in the dorm, which was badly damaged.

Police have identified and captured a suspect, a 33-year-old man named Wei who is a native of the county.

The Ministry of Public Security has sent criminal investigators to the scene.

According to a preliminary investigation, the case is not a terrorist attack.

China Arrests Two Japanese nationals for SpyingThe Chinese government has confirmed that a pair of Japanese nationals have been arrested in China on suspicion of spying.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei confirmed earlier reports by the Japanese government, who say the two have been detained separately in Zhejiang and Liaoning.

"The legal basis of the arrest is that these two people engaged in spying in China. If there's anything in common for these two people, it's that both of them engaged in spying in China. The arrest of the individuals is lawful. The Chinese authorities will deal with this case according to the law."Details connected to the specific allegations against the two suspects, both said to be men, have not been released by either side.

China to Launch New Food Safety Laws on Oct 1Anchor:

A new set of food safety laws have taken effect across China as of this Thursday.

They include tougher punishment for producers of unsafe foods and a tracking system to allow consumers to trace the origins of their food.

CRI's Victor Ning has more.

Reporter:

The new food safety laws will force food producers and vendors to set up electronic tracking systems so consumers can trace-back where their food has come from.

This will be done by allowing people to simply scan QR codes on the foods they buy.

"To provide vegetables that consumers feel safe buying, we will now provide QR codes on all of our produce. Buyers can find out about the items' origins, description and quality standards. It's basically establishing an identification system for food."Luo Yunbo, Dean of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University, says the new step will make it much easier for regulators to trace back problems through the food chain during food recalls.

"The tracking feature increases the responsibilities of food producers and suppliers when it comes to food safety. If a problem occurs at any stage during production or supply chain process, we can now accurately identify who is responsible, as well as limit potential damage. The laws require producers and supplies to establish systems using information technology, which will make it much more effective."The new changes to the food safety laws also have tougher legal ramifications for unsafe food production, including higher fines, as well as a life-time ban for serious offenders.

Zhang Yong, head of China's State Food and Drug Administration, says the tougher new laws cover a number of areas.

"Under the new rules, licenses will be revoked for any producers who is found using toxic or harmful additives. They will also face a fine up to 30-times the value of their products. Anyone found guilty of criminal acts due to violations of the food safety laws will be given a lifetime ban. Criminal convictions will ban people from performing food inspections, as well as holding management roles in food production and supply companies. This will apply to food inspectors who have been let go for providing falsified safety reports."The new laws are also meant to make government officials more accountable.

Any official found negligent in a food-safety incident could face removal from their position.

The new legislations are designed to address a growing number of food safety violations in China in recent years.

With the increasing popularity of online shopping, the new laws also require third-party food vendors to implement real-name registrations of their food suppliers.

If consumers are unable to obtain compensation for unsafe food products from the original producers, the third-party vendors will be held responsible for reimbursing the consumers.

For CRI, I am Victor Ning.

Typhoon Dujuan causes losses of 1.4 bln yuanAn official assessment shows that Typhoon Dujuan has caused economic losses of 1.4 billion yuan or 250 million U.S. dollars since it made landfall on the Chinese mainland in east China's Fujian and Zhejiang provinces.

China's State Flood Control authority said it has affected nearly one million people and 57,000 hectares of farmland in Fujian and Zhejiang.

No casualties or injuries have been reported.

Dujuan, the 21st typhoon this year, made landfall in Fujian on Tuesday morning, packing winds of up to 33 meters per second.

It also killed two people and injured 324 in Taiwan.

Electronic travel passes to facilitate Taiwan residents visiting Chinese mainlandThe Taiwan Affairs Office of the Chinese State Council said at a press conference in Beijing that the issuance of electronic travel passes for Taiwan compatriots, replacing the current paper version, has made travel more convenient.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office explained that the electronic travel pass is the latest move to make visiting easier by increasing the efficiency of pass issuance and check-in procedures.

"The name of the pass does not change, neither does the function, and the personal information registration has not been expanded, with the terms of validity staying as five years. Taiwan compatriots carrying current paper-version travel passes may continue to use them. The move is to make visiting easier and increase the efficiency of passes issuance and check-up procedures."The Chinese mainland began issuing electronic travel passes from Sept. 21, in response to the willingness and request from Taiwan compatriots, who can apply and convert their paper ones to basic computer readable ones at all public security departments above the county level.

Earlier, the Chinese mainland simplified its entry rules for Taiwan compatriots in July, whereby only a travel pass is required for entry, instead of one permit for each individual entry.

As to Tuesday, a total of 238,000 electronic travel passes have been issued since the trial date July 6.

Russia begins Syria air strikes as war enters volatile new phaseAnchor:

Russia has launched air strikes in Syria on Wednesday in what is seen as Kremlin's biggest Middle East intervention in decades.

But as CRI's Poornima Weerasekara reports, Moscow's claim that it had hit Islamic State targets has been immediately disputed by the United States and Syrian rebels on the ground.

Reporter:

Russian air strikes on Wednesday have plunged the four-year-old civil war in Syria into a new volatile phase.

The Russian defense ministry says the strikes targeted military equipment, communication facilities, arms depots, ammunition and fuel belonging to the Islamic State terror group.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says pre-emptive action is needed to combat international terrorism.

"Today a number of countries, The United States, Australia and France - are already using its combat aviation to perform strikes on positions of ISIS militants in Syria. We have always supported the fight against international terrorism. At the same time we are confident that it should be performed only in strict compliance with international law."Putin and US President Barack Obama had reached an agreement on fighting ISIS and opening lines of communication between their militaries to prevent any accidental conflict when they met at the United Nations earlier this week.

But Moscow and Washington offered conflicting accounts of which targets had been struck on Wednesday.

U.S. officials say targets in the Homs area, where local militias are fighting against the Syrian President appeared to have been struck, but not areas held by the Islamic State.

Josh Earnest, the White House spokesperson says Washington is concerned that Moscow is more interested in propping up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad than in crushing ISIS.

"The president is keenly aware of the fact that there's no military solution that can be imposed by Russia or anybody else on Syria. And the root of this problem can only be solved by the kind of political transition that results in President Assad leaving power."The Pentagon says Moscow had given Washington only an hour's notice before they launched the airstrikes and raised a red flag saying such short notice could lead to disastrous cross-fire situations on the ground.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, has also raised concerns over Russia's targeting of anti-Assad militias.

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China advocates extensive and comprehensive international counter-terrorism cooperation within the UN framework.

A coalition led by the United States, Arab countries and France have been carrying out air raids on IS targets in recent weeks.

The four-year-long conflict in Syria has killed over 150,000 people and displaced more than 11 million others.

For CRI I'm Poornima Weerasekara.

Palestinian flag raised at UN as Abbas seeks full statusThe Palestinian flag has been raised at the United Nations in a symbolic gesture on Wednesday as Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas called on the world body to grant them full membership and recognize the state of Palestine.

The call from the Palestinian leader comes amid a stalemate in the peace process with Israel.

Palestinians in Gaza say the raising of the flag at the UN will takes the state of Palestine a step closer to receiving international acknowledgment.

"The Palestinian flag is the symbol of the state of Palestine, I support raising the flag at the United Nations. It is a necessity to serve our state. Last year we were approved as a non-member observer state at the United Nations, We thank all the countries that backed raising the Palestinian flag. It is the beginning towards the establishment of the Palestinian state."Meanwhile, Abbas warned of the risk of a third uprising as clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians at the sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem continued to escalate.

The Israeli-Palestinian peace process has stalled in recent months after the latest US-backed initiative collapsed last year.

US Congress averts government shutdown by passing spending billThe United States congress has passed a stop-gap spending measure, averting a potential government shutdown.

The bill keeps the US Federal government funded through December 11th.

In the lower house of congress, the measure passed over the strong objections of conservative members of the Republican caucus because of strong levels of support from Democrats.

Republicans aligned with the Tea Party movement had been threatening for months to force a government shutdown if congressional appropriations for the controversial women's health organization Planned Parenthood were not removed.

Japanese retailers woo Chinese tourists during Chinese National Day holiday shopping spreeRetailers in Japan are gearing up for a rush of Chinese tourists heading there to shop during the Chinese National Day holiday.

Numerous promotions are being set up by Japanese retailers to try to court Chinese spending.

The upscale Tokyo shopping district of Ginza has transformed a part of one of its parking lots into a cosmetics sales area specifically targeting Chinese customers.

At the same time, duty-free shops in Japan, which are particularly popular among Chinese tourists, are also getting ready.

Around 220-thousand people from China visited Japan during last year's Chinese National Day holiday.

This is up some 84 percent from the previous year.

The latest stats show around 2.2 million people from China travelled to Japan through in the first half of this year.

Gold falls for 4th session in row on stronger U.S. dollarGold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell for a fourth straight session, as the U.S. dollar and global stocks regained their footing.

The most active gold contract for December delivery lost 11.6 U.S. dollars, or 1.03 percent, to settle at 1,115.2 dollars per ounce.

Gold prices fell by more than 1 percent for the second time in the past three sessions, as the U.S. dollar showed its strength Wednesday amid upbeat data.

1.2m UK vehicles affected in VW scandalGerman automaker Volkswagen says 1.2 million vehicles in the UK have been affected by the company's diesel emissions scandal.

Globally 11 million vehicles are reportedly affected by the scandal, after the company revealed that special software installed in some of its diesel engines was capable of cheating emissions tests.

The German car-maker says that details of affected cars would be released to retailers 'in the coming days.'

The company also plans to set up a 'self-service process' for customers to check if their vehicles need a refit.

Meanwhile, the UK transport ministry is planning an independent test of Volkswagen cars.

Tennis: Konta upsets Halep at Wuhan OpenSwitching gears over to sports,Johanna Konta of Great Britain upset top-seeded Simona Halep to advance to the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open.

Konta raced through the first set.

But the Romanian struck back in a big way, winning seven of eight games from 4-3 ahead in the second set to take that second set, 6-3, and build a 5-1 lead in the third, seemingly on her way to runaway success.

Halep never sealed the deal, however, and Konta - battle-hardened through the qualifying rounds and two more victories in the main draw already - started ripping her huge groundstrokes into the corners again, reeling off the last six games in a row to finish off the improbable upset in style, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.

Venus Williams will play Konta in the quarter-finals.

Apple Music Now Available in ChinaApple's new Music service is now available in China as of Wednesday.

It features millions of Chinese songs in its catalog, as well as a wide range of international artists.

Apple Music will provide a 3-month free membership before users will be charged 10 yuan per month for the service.

Apple is also offering a family plan at 15 yuan per month for up to 6 family members.

The prices are less than one-sixth of those in the U.S. market.

Apple Music was first introduced in more than 100 countries and regions in June.

At the same time, iTunes Movies and iBooks are now also available in China.

Australian Actor Hugh Jackman attends watch exhibition in Hong KongAnd finally in entertainment,Australian actor Hugh Jackman was in Hong Kong Wednesday to attend a watch exhibition.

Jackman was a guest of honor for the event held by German brand Mont Blanc for which he serves as the global ambassador.　The 46-year-old actor has been in Hong Kong since Monday to promote his new film "Pan," a live-action prequel to the classic Peter Pan story. Jackman plays the villainous pirate "Blackbeard."　After the promotional events end in Hong Kong, Jackman said that he'll be heading back to Australia for a "song and dance show."　The "Wolverine" star was referring to the music show "Broadway to Oz," which is based on Jackman's career from Australia to Broadway and Hollywood.　It will feature songs from important moments in Jackman's career as well as tributes to classic musicals. The show will go on tour in Australia until mid-December.

weatherBeijing will be sunny today with a high of 22 and low of 10 degrees Celsius.

Shanghai has light rain today with a high of 25, tonight it will be cloudy and lows of 17.

In Chongqing, it will be overcast with a high of 23, tonight will see some clouds with a low of 18.

Lhasa will be cloudy today with a high of 23, it will be clear tonight with a low of 8.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will have sunshine with a high of 33.

Kabul will also have sunshine with a high of 23.

Over to North America,New York will see some rain with a high of 21.

Washington DC will be overcast, highs of 21.

Honolulu, cloudy, 29.

Toronto will be cloudy with a high of 14 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 22.

And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jinping celebrates the National Day holiday along with 13 representatives from China's five autonomous regions...

Chinese Premeir Li Keqiang stating that China will be able to meet economic targets this year....

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