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

Coming up on the program this evening...

Documents connected to the Nanjing Massacre have been enscribed on a UNESCO list.

A new report is warning of the dangers posed by the massive stockpile of nuclear materials currently being held by Japan.

Dozens are dead following a pair of bombings in Turkey's capital, Ankara.

In the 2nd half of the hour, we'll be bringing you our weekly busines review.

In sports... the finals are being set this evening for the China Open tennis tournament.

In entertainment... Chinese Director Jia Zhangke's latest film is set to premier at the London Film Festival.

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

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

We're also on WeChat. Type in "Beijing Hour" to find us.

Email us directly at [email protected].

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

Top NewsMilitary Parade Marks Anniversary of NK's Ruling PartyA huge military parade has taken place in North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

Thousands of North Korean soldiers and other military personnel took part in the event in Kim Il Sung Square in the heart of Pyongyang.

The Communist Party of China was represented at the event by politburo member Liu Yunshan.

He met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday night after his arrival, personally delivering a message of congratulations from Xi Jinping.

Documents of Nanjing Massacre inscribed on Memory of World RegisterAnchor:

Documents connected to the Nanjing Massacre - the systematic slaughter of as many as 300-thousand people by Japanese troops during the invasion of China in 1937 - have been inscribed by UNESCO into its Memory of the World Programme.

CRI's Li Jianhua has more.

Reporter:

The decision was made during a three day meeting of UNESCO in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

China's application includes three parts.

The first part concerns the period of the massacre from 1937 to 1938.

The second part is related to the post-war investigation and trials of war criminals documented by China from 1945 to 1947.

And the third part deals with files documented by the judiciary authorities of the People's Republic of China from 1952 to 1956.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying explains why the documents were submitted to UNESCO.

"We submitted our application in an attitude responsible for history. Our aim is to let the world people, including the Japanese people, realize the cruelty of the war more profoundly, so that they can better remember history, cherish peace and jointly safeguard human dignity.

Over 300,000 Chinese were murdered by Japanese troops during the War of Resistance against Japanese aggression.

Japan had been making efforts to block China's bid to get the documents recognized by UNESCO.

It says the killing of a large number of civilians, looting and other acts occurred, but that it is difficult to determine the actual number of victims.

Japan's top government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, was on record saying that the Chinese application will unnecessarily emphasize a negative legacy from a certain period in the past involving Japan and China.

In response, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying has urged Japan to take responsibility for its history for the benefit of future generations.

"We hope Japan will hold an attitude responsible for history and future generations, sincerely face up and reflect on the history, properly handle the related issues, and take concrete moves to win the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community."The Memory of the World Register is the list of documentary heritage set up by UNESCO in 1992.

The latest list was revealed after a two-year process as part of the 2014-2015 nomination cycle, during which 88 submissions from 61 countries were examined.

The final result includes 47 nominations.

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua.

China Says Japan's Stockpile of Nuclear Materials Poses Serious RiskNew Chinese analysis is raising concerns about the current amount of nuclear materials currently being held in Japan.

A new 40-page report released by the China National Nuclear Corporation suggests Japan currently has enough plutonium to make around 13-hundred nuclear warheads.

Zhu Xuhui with the China National Nuclear Corporation says Japan's massive stockpile is also increasing the risk of nuclear proliferation:

"Japan is the only non-nuclear-weapon state that is capable of industrialized production of enriched uranium and separated plutonium. The capacity is very large. Japan has already stored 10.8 tons of separated plutonium, as well as some enriched uranium. If the Japanese government turns toward militarization, the country may well utilize its industrialized production capacity, which could produce nuclear material to make as many as a thousand nuclear warheads a year."The report also raises concerns over nuclear terrorism, suggesting terrorists could be able to use the nuclear material to make crude atomic bombs.

Chinese authorities have been calling on the Japanese government to take measures to handle the issue.

Japan's stockpiling of nuclear materials has been a lingering concern for its neighboring countries, including China, Russian and South Korea.

A Nuclear Security Summit in the Netherlands last year saw the US government, Japan's biggest ally, call on the Japanese government to hand over some of its enriched uranium.

Japanese governments have long-insisted the country, the only one in the world to be attacked by nuclear weapons, will never become a nuclear-weapons state.

China completes construction of two large lighthouses in the South China SeaA pair of lighthouses have become operational in the Nansha Islands.

The lighthouses are the first navigational aids established in the waters around the Nansha Islands, which are along an important sea-lane in the South China Sea.

The new lighthouses, on top of helping ships navigate by sight, will also provide safety information to maritime traffic in the region.

Emergency services personnel are also stationed at the lighthouses to help in the case of emergencies.

Construction of the lighthouses began in late May.

China voices concern over planned US Navy mission in South China SeaThe Chinese government is expressing 'serious concerns' about reports of a possible US naval mission in the South China Sea.

US authorities are suggesting plans are being considered to possibly sail within 12-nautical miles of the Nansha Island chain sometime in the next couple of weeks.

The move would be to dispute Chinese claims to the Nansha Islands, as sailing within 12-nautical miles of them would be a violation of international laws connected to maritime soverignty.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying says China will not stand for any violations of its territorial waters.

"I want to stress that China has always respected and protected all countries' maritime and flight navigational rights according to international law, but we will never allow any country to violate China's territorial waters and airspace in the Nansha Islands, in the name of protecting freedom of navigation and overflight. We urge the related parties not to take any provocative actions, and genuinely take a responsible stance on regional peace and stability."Its being reported US President Barack Obama has yet to make a final decision on whether to make the move.

The US military has already been conducting over-flights of Chinese-controlled territory in the South China Sea.

China to Help Indonesia Put Out Forest FiresThe Chinese government has confirmed it's been asked to help Indonesia deal with this year's forest fire season.

However, the extent of the Chinese help has not been formalized.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying says they're still in discussions with the Indonesian government.

"The Chinese side is taking the request from Indonesia very seriously, and wants to do what it can to help that country put out the fires. China is keeping in close contact with Indonesia. Government departments are ready to send people into the country to help."Its unclear at this point what requests the Indonesian government has made to China.

There are already some 20-thousand people on-the-ground in Indonesia battling the fires.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has gone on-record saying his country needs are water-bombers which carry between 12 and 15 tonnes of water per load.

The Indonesian government only has water-bombers capable of carrying up to 3-tonnes of water per trip.

Indonesian authorities finally decided to ask for international help this week after repeatedly turning-down previous offers of international assistance.

Singapore's government has been repeatedly offering its help, as the city-state, along with neighboring Malaysia and parts of southern Thailand, have been engulfed in heavy smoke for the past few weeks brought on by this year's forest fires in Indonesia.

The forest fires in Indonesia are an annual event brought on by slash-and-burn forest clearing techniques by farmers and plantation owners.

Smoke from this year's fires has been particularly heavy, with meteorologists suggesting the El Nino effect is making things worse.

China Vows to Continued Effort Against Ivory SmugglingThe Chinese government says it remains committed to the fight against the trafficking of endangered species.

The pledge comes after Tanzanian authorities detained a 66-year-old Chinese national on charges of ivory smuggling.

Yang Fenglan, the head of the China-Africa Business Council in Tanzania, is accused of running an ivory-smuggling network.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying says the Chinese government does not sponsor the illegal ivory trade.

"China is working with the international community towards the protection of endangered species, and is doing its best to fight illegal trafficking. We are putting in a lot of effort to deal with this."Yang Fenglan is accused of organizing a smuggling ring which saw some 700 pieces of ivory delivered to China between 2000 and 2004.

The Chinese government announced a one-year ban on the import of African ivory carvings in February.

Shanhai Pass Removed from China's 5A Tourism AttractionAnchor:

Chinese authorities have downgraded the qualification standard for a tourist site along the Great Wall in Hebei as part of a new national campaign.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has the details.

Reporter:

Shanhaiguan, or the Shanhai Pass, is located in the city of Qinghuangdao.

It's the eastern end of the Great Wall, where the Wall meets the Sea, giving it a rich history.

As such, its one of the more popular tourist destinations in China, and had maintained a 5A rating, which had made Shanhaiguan one of the top-level tourist attractions in China.

However, Peng Decheng with the National Tourism Administration says Shanhaiguan has now been stripped it of its top-level rating.

"The first reason is price fraud. People working at the Shanhaiguan Pass have been accused of forcing tourists to donate in temples. Its Laolongtou Scenic Spot has also hiked prices without authorization. The area also has very poor sanitation. Many of the facilities at the site have either been damaged or are out-dated. The quality of its tourism services has seriously declined."Shanhaiguan is the first top-level tourist site in China to lose its 5A Qualification standard.

Several officials who administer or work at the site have been either fired or demoted as a result.

This is part of a broader, nation-wide campaign launched in September to try to clean-up China's top-level tourist spots.

Tourism regulators have also issued warnings to six other top-tier tourism sites, including Lijiang's Old Town in Yunnan, the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai and the Ming Tombs in Beijing.

All of them, along with Shanhaiguan, have been given 6-months to fix their problems.

Peng Decheng with the National Tourism Administration says this should serve as a warning for the rest of the 5A tourist sites in China.

"At all times, the National Tourism Bureau has managed the 5A sites under the strictest codes. By delisting them or issuing warnings, we're trying to get these sites to prioritize the needs of tourists, rather than just trying to turn a profit. We need them to to maintain a high-level of management and services."Dai Bin, head of the China Tourism Academy, says the new crackdown is a good first-start, but suggests more still needs to be done.

"The management and administration of tourist attractions, as well as the overall tourism market, needs to be scrutinized more to ensure local administrators are following the rules. Handing down punishments is a good start, and should help clean up the management of China's tourism industry. However, the central authorities need to keep in closer contact with local tourism administrations to ensure standards are maintained.

A 5-tiered standard for tourist attraction quality is currently in-place here in China, with 5A as the highest and 1A as the lowest.

The quality-rating system was launched in 2007, with 66 tourist attractions first being given a 5A rating.

That number has since gone up to 200 as of July of this year.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.

China Vows More Efforts to Address Mental Health ProblemsAnchor:

The Chinese government is promising more help for people coping with mental illness.

The pledge has been made on this, World Mental Health Day.

CRI's Luo Wen has more.

Reporter:

The latest data from Chinese health authorities shows around 15-percent of the population in China, or as many as 200-million people in China, suffer from some form of mental health issues.

Of them, more than 4-million are believed to be suffering from severe mental disorders.

To try to meet the challenge, those suffering from medically-diagnosed severe mental disorders are recognized under the National Basic Health Care guidelines.

This gives them easier access to professional care and treatment.

But Wang Bin with the National Health and Family Planning Commission says that group still needs more help.

"From the data we have, its clear that many of those diagnosed with severe mental disorders come from vulnerable groups in society. With a high poverty rate and a low level of education, many of them lack sufficient support from their families and society."Beyond those with severe mental disorders, Chinese medical experts are also warning of a growing problem with depression in China.

Yu Xin with Peking University's Sixth Hospital says this is something the medical community in China simply can't cope with right now.

"It is a conservative estimate to say that around 40-million people in our country suffer from depression, but we only have 20-thousand doctors for them. Even if each doctor saw 100 patients a day, there still wouldn't be enough. So we need to deal with depression at a grassroots level, which will require better training and referral measures."The psychologist also suggests depression should be something that can be diagonsed early.

"Preventive measures can be taken even during pregnancy. Mothers-to-be should always try to remain positive. Research has found mothers who suffer from depression can pass along psychological problems to their children. Research has noted babies living separately from their mothers, as well as older children who are left-behind in rural areas are also prone to depression."Mental illness still remains a cultural taboo in China, with most still unwilling to discuss their problems.

Renowned actress Jiang Wenli, the country's image ambassador for mental health, says people today need to get over that stigma.

"Many people with mental health problems won't see a doctor until severe symptoms begin appearing. We see examples of this all the time. People who begin to exhibit symptoms of depression may not even notice it, or acknowledge it. This just makes treating it that much harder as time goes on."Around one-third of the provinces in China have adopted specific policies to help people with mental illnesses.

Nation-wide plans are being worked on to establish links between the health care system and civil affairs agencies to create better access to mental health care across China.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

FINA Chief on Swimming and ChinaAnchor:

This year's FINA Swimming World Cup wrapped up recently here in Beijing at the National Aquatics Center, better known as the Water Cube.

CRI's Zheng Chenguang caught up with Cornel Marculescu, executive director of FINA, to talk about the event and his views on the development of aquatic sports in China today.

At least 30 killed in 2 blasts ahead of peace rally in Turkey's capitalAt least 30 people are dead following a pair of bombings in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

126 others have been hurt in the attack.

Witnesses say two separate bombs have gone off within minutes of each other at the main train station in Ankara.

This is where hundreds had been gathering for a rally organized by the country's main public sector trade union.

The rally itself was meant to call for an end to the renewed violence between Turkey's Kurdish rebels and the country's security forces.

Initial reports have suggested the explosions could have been from suicide bombers.

However, those reports have not been confirmed.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has called an emergency security meeting to discuss the attack.

The bombings come just a couple of weeks ahead of the November 1st national elections in Turkey.

US to Overhaul Its Approach to Supporting Syrian RebelsThe US government is bringing in changes to the way its going to support Syrian rebel forces.

Among the changes is what US officials say is a "pause" of the training program for Syrian rebel fighters.

Instead, its being reported the US side will instead focus on financing and equipping Syrian rebel leaders who are fighting the Islamic State.

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter says they're looking at ways of "improving" their strategy.

"The work we've done with the Kurds in northern Syria is an example of an effective approach, where you have a group that is capable and motivated on the ground that you can enable their success."The US military launched a program in May to train some 54-hundred Syrian fighters per year.

However, the 500-million US dollar program has been hit with numerous setbacks, including many of the first batch of trainees being killed or defeated by al-Qaeda-backed forces.

The United States originally began financing forces fighting to try to ouster Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a few years ago, but had to curtail that program amid revelations some of the money was being used to finance radical jihadist groups.

Lang Lang in concert in Havana to mark the 500th anniversary since the founding of the Cuban capitalAnchor:

Renowned Chinese pianist Lang Lang has taken part in a concert to mark the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Cuban capital, Havana.

The details from CRI's Poornima Weerasekara.

Reporter:

Chinese piano virtuoso Lang Lang joined Cuban jazz legend, Chucho Valdes for an electrifying outdoor concert in the historic Cathedral corner in Old Havana on Friday to mark the 500th anniversary since the founding of one of the oldest cities in the Americas.

The repertoire included classical works composers like Tchaikovsky and Gershwin and popular Cuban pieces by local composers like Ernesto Lecuona and Antonio María Romeu among others.

It is the first time that a Chinese pianist has traveled to Cuba.

Lang Lang says it was an exhilarating experience.

"It's incredible for me to come to Cuba for the first time. I know Havana, the city, from films, from books, from movies, from the internet, for so many years, and such a beautiful city… and playing Cuban music, in Havana, that's going to be something."One of the highlights of the show was Lang Lang's duet with legendary Cuban jazz artist, Chucho Valdés.

Valdés - born in Havana - has won eight Grammy Awards for his music.

The two musicians met by chance last year in Vienna, Austria.

Valdes says he was instantly taken in by Lang Lang's eclectic style and decided to invite him on the spot.

"It's a treat to have an artist of the stature of Lang Lang doing a concert here, on the 500th anniversary of the city of Havana, the founding of the city of Havana and the people, everyone wants to see the concert, wants to see Lang Lang, the symphony and what we're going to do, so this is going to be incredible."The duo was backed by the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, led by American conductor Marin Alsop.

Music students were invited to the general rehearsals before the big event.

Cuban Piano Student, Magda Lisa Osorio said she was thrilled to see these two great musicians performing together.

"Being able to share with Lang Lang and listen to him, take pictures with him, it is amazing. I, for example could not have imagined being told, 'You are going to meet him and be close to him', it's like having your aspiration, your greatest aspiration so close to you."The New York Times has described Lang Lang as the "hottest artist on the classical music planet." Time magazine recently included him on its list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

The 30-year-old, who has become popular on social media for his spikey hairstyle and for sporting shiny jackets at classical music concerts, is one of the most successful cultural icons of modern China.

For CRI I'm Poornima WeerasekaraLibyans oppose UN backed unity governmentHundreds have taken to the streets of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, to protest the establishment of a UN backed government.

"This is a distorted agreement that is being called so-called consensus. But it's not like that in reality. Even if we forgo the basics that many members of the National Congress signed up for, this draft is not acceptable."A UN-brokered peace process has managed to create a list of potential candidates for a unity government.

The 11th hour deal on Thursday has come after months of negotiations.

However, the two rival parliaments still have to approve the list before a new government can be established.

Libya has been politically split between an Islamist-backed administration in Tripoli and the internationally-recognized government currently operating out of the country's east.

An estimated 2.5-million people have been displaced by the continued fighting in Libya, which has pitted rival factions against one-another in the power-vacuum left after the ouster of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

WeatherBeijing will be clear tonight with a low of 10 degrees. Tomorrow will see sunshine with a high of 22.

Shanghai will be clear overnight with a low of 13. It will be sunny tomorrow with a high of 21.

Chongqing will be overcast with a low of 19. Tomorrow, cloudy, high of 25.

Lhasa will see moderate rain tonight with a low of 4, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 15.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy tomorrow with a high of 32.

Kabul, cloudy, 26.

In the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney will have light rain with a high of 28.

Brisbane, cloudy, high of 24.

Perth, cloudy, 33.

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

Headline NewsMilitary Parade Marks Anniversary of NK's Ruling PartyA huge military parade has taken place in North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

Thousands of North Korean soldiers and other military personnel took part in the event in Kim Il Sung Square in the heart of Pyongyang.

The Communist Party of China was represented at the event by politburo member Liu Yunshan.

He met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday night after his arrival, personally delivering a message of congratulations from Xi Jinping.

17 killed in E China restaurant blastAt least 17 people are dead after an explosion ripped through a restaurant this Saturday in the city of of Wuhu in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui.

The massive explosion hit just before noon as people were sitting down for lunch in the downtown core of the city.

Authorities have not said if there were any survivors.

Initial indications are a gas cylinder exploded inside the restaurant.

Suspect of fishing boat murder caught in E ChinaPolice in the city of Zhoushan in Zhejiang say they've managed to get a confession from the man accused of murdering 5 people on a fishing boat off the Chinese east coast earlier this week.

Police say the suspect, Fang Zhongyue, has confessed to murdering his 5 crew mates.

Their bodies were discovered on Thursday on the fishing boat they worked on.

Fang, the 6th member of the crew, was not found on-board.

A life raft from the boat was also discovered missing.

He was picked up earlier this morning in Suzhou in neighboring Jiangsu.

The motive behind the killings has not been revealed.

Chinese envoy calls for establishment of int' l code of conduct on cyberspaceThe Chinese government has made a new push for an international code of conduct on the internet.

A Chinese envoy has made the pitch as part of a debate at the UN General Assembly.

As part of the Chinese proposal, an international code of conduct would ensure cyberspace could not be used as a means to interfere in the internal affairs of other states or to the detriment of their national interests.

The proposal also suggests the code of conduct should comply with the UN Charter and other basic norms governing international relations.

At least 30 killed in 2 blasts ahead of peace rally in Turkey's capitalAt least 30 people are dead following a pair of bombings in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

126 others have been hurt in the attack.

Witnesses say two separate bombs have gone off within minutes of each other at the main train station in Ankara.

This is where hundreds had been gathering for a rally organized by the country's main public sector trade union.

The rally itself was meant to call for an end to the renewed violence between Turkey's Kurdish rebels and the country's security forces.

Initial reports have suggested the explosions could have been from suicide bombers.

However, those reports have not been confirmed.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has called an emergency security meeting to discuss the attack.

The bombings come just a couple of weeks ahead of the November 1st national elections in Turkey.

Weekly Biz RoundupWeekly Business ReviewAnchor:

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

Among some of the stories we're bringing you include the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the merger of a pair of online Chinese companies.

For the details, here's CRI's Wenjie.

Reporter:

After five days of intense negotiations in Atlanta, the United States and 11 other Pacific Rim countries reached agreement on TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, on Monday.

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman outlines the many benefits the historical trade agreement will bring to the region.

"TPP brings high standards to nearly 40% of the global economy. We expect this historical agreement to promote economic growth, support high-paying jobs, and enhance innovation productivity and competitiveness, raise living standards, reduce poverty in our countries, and to promote transparency and governance, and strong labor and environmental protections."Outside research has suggested the new agreement may end up costing China as much as 60-billion US dollars a year in foreign trade by 2025.

However, Zhang Jianping with the National Development and Reform Commission says he believes there will be ways to overcome the possible loss in revenue.

"China has already signed bilateral free trade agreements with two thirds of the TPP members. We can balance the negative effects of the TPP agreement to a degree. Also, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which includes 16 countries, including China, the 10-members of ASEAN, as well as Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India, will also help."The TPP will lower trade and investment barriers in the 12 partner countries in the Asia Pacific region and set new rules for the global trading system.

China, the second largest economy in the world and an undisputable economic power in the region is not included in this trade deal.

The International Monetary Fund issued a new projection on Tuesday, suggesting China's GDP growth is going to come in at a range of 6.5 to 7.5 percent this year.

IMF Chief Economist Maurice Obstfeld made the suggestion in the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook report.

"There is China's transformation, the economy is rebalancing from exports and public investment to consumption, from manufacturing to services, this is both healthy and necessary in the longer terms but in the near term there are implications for China's growth and for its trading relationships with foreign countries."Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti, the deputy chief of the IMF's research department, says the slowdown in China is something that has to take place.

"We think a slowdown and a re-balancing in China are a necessary process. It is a necessary transformation. Clearly if you are a commodity exporter, the hit has been hard. We think it is, in a sense, an inevitable consequence of how the transformation in the Chinese economy is occurring."Global transaction services organization SWIFT said on Tuesday that China's yuan became the fourth most-used world payment currency in August, overtaking the Japanese Yen.

The yuan has surpassed seven currencies in the past three years as a payment currency and is now only after the US dollar, the euro and the sterling.

Overall, global yuan payments increased in value by 9.13 percent in August, while payments across all currencies decreased by 8.3 percent, according to the organization.

The yuan reached a record high market share of nearly 2.8 percent in global payments for the month, compared to 1.4 percent in January 2014.

More than 100 countries used the yuan for payments in August, of which over 90 percent of flows were concentrated in 10 countries.

More than 1,700 financial institutions made worldwide payments in the yuan, up 14 percent from a year earlier.

About 600 of these institutions used the yuan for payments without a leg with China or Hong Kong.

Stats released on Wednesday show foreign exchange reserves in China have declined by some 43-billion US dollars through September.

This has left the total forex supply in China at just over 3.5 trillion US dollars.

September's reduction is the 4th straight month of declines.

However, the 43-billion decline is not nearly as sharp as in August.

Two months ago, forex reserves dropped by a record 94-billion US dollars.

The first phase of the Cross-border Interbank Payment System was launched on Thursday in Shanghai, promoting the global use of the Chinese currency.

The newly-launched system provides settlement and clearing services for cross-border transactions using the renminbi for financial institutions both domestically and abroad.

Fan Yifei, vice president of the People's Bank of China, says the launch of the new system will make it much easier for companies to do business in China.

"The launch of the system is a millstone in the development of the RMB's cross-border use. It creates a much more efficient cross-border RMB clearing system. It also promotes the worldwide use of the RMB and will have a profound influence in supporting the world economy and China's going-out strategy."The system has been developed and will be administered by China's central bank.

It allows organizations outside of China to clear yuan transactions with their Chinese counterparts directly from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Beijing time during work days.

The week-long National Day holiday ended on Wednesday.

Data from Chinese bank card company UnionPay shows consumer spending on tourist-related activities during the holiday increased by nearly 45-percent compared to the same period last year.

UnionPay says the total transactions amount through credit cards has hit a new high during the week-long holiday, up nearly 30 percent.

Meanwhile, the data also shows that the number of interbank transactions, which are an indication of overall sales, slowed down this year during the holiday.

Chen Han, data analyst at UnionPay, says the timing of the holiday on the calendar is one of the factors.

"The growth rate of interbank transactions during the national holiday slowed down because of the working days.

This year saw the mid-autumn festival and the national day holiday fall very close together. If someone asked for three-days-leave, they could link the two holidays together for a total of 12 days off, which naturally means earlier spending by many ahead of October 1st. This is why shops were giving out national holiday promotion deals earlier. This prompted many consumers to go out and spend earlier this year."The same UnionPay report shows people in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Guangdong were the biggest spenders during the holiday.

On the corporate front,Chinese group-buying site Meituan and restaurant-review website Dianping announced their merger on Thursday.

The new company, to be co-chaired by Meituan CEO Wang Xing and Dianping CEO Zhang Tao, could be worth more than 15-billion U.S. dollars.

Doug Young, Associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief with Reuters, elaborates further on the tie-up.

Investment bank China Renaissance has been tapped to oversee the merger.

Meituan and Dianping will continue to run their businesses in parallel, retain their brands, and remain independent.

It is not clear what the equity ratio of the new company will be.

Meituan is a group-buying site backed by Alibaba.

Dianping is funded by Tencent.

On Thursday, transport authorities in Shanghai issued China's first operating license for running a ride-hailing platform to Didi Kuaidi.

Some are calling this a milestone in urban transport and China's mobile Internet development.

On the same day, Uber China said that it was "actively preparing" documents to apply for the car-booking license to meet new regulations governing the sector expected to be announced soon.

And that concludes this edition of the weekly business review. I'm Wenjie. Thank you for listening.

SportsNadal advances to the finals of tennis China OpenIn tennis,The finals for the China Open are being set tonight.

On the men's side, Rafael Nadal has already punched his ticket, downing Italian Fabio Fognini earlier today 7-5, 6-3.

Nadal will await the winner of this evening's match-up between top-seeded Novak Djokovic and Spain's David Ferrer.

Rising Swiss star Timea Bacsinszky will be playing in her first-ever China open final.

She downed 6th seeded Ana Ivanovic earlier today 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.

Bacsinszky will be up against Agniesta Radwanska/Garbine Muguruza.

Later tonight, the Chan duo from Taiwan will be in action in the women's doubles finals.

Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan will be up against the top-seeded duo of Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza.

England and Spain qualify for the European Championship finalsIn football,The second-to-last group matches for the Euro 2016 qualifiers are taking place this weekend.

Spain, the defending champions, have secured a spot in the tournament with a 4-nil victory over Luxembourg.

However, the victory did come with a price.

Both midfielder David Silva and striker Alvaro Morata left the match with injuries.

Spain head coach Vincente Del Bosque says they're not sure yet how bad their injuries are.

"Regarding the injuries I can't tell you anything, until they carry out the tests, the doctors are doing that now, so afterwards we'll see how they are. And regarding the game, well, I think we dominated the game, we had control of the play at practically every moment. At the start of the game, with their threat, it looked like they could do us some damage, but the rest of the game we controlled quite well, and with quite a few shots on goal."Eight other teams have also qualified for the tournament following last night's action, including England, France, Portugal, Northern Ireland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria and Iceland.

Another batch of Euro 2016 qualifying matches are set for tonight.

Injured Benzema may miss Real's Champions League tie at PSG '

In off-pitch football news,Real Madrid's Karim Benzema is undergoing treatment after pulling his hamstring.

No time-frame for his return to action has been set.

However, local reports are suggesting Benzema could be out for as long as 3-weeks.

This would make him unavailable for Real's Champions League match-up against Paris St. Germain in 2-weeks time.

Both clubs currently sit atop the Group A standings with 6-points.

Benzema is also going to be sidelined for at least a couple of La Liga matches as well.

He hurt himself in France's 4-nil victory over Armenia in European Cup qualifying action on Thursday.

Benzema potted a pair of goals in that match before going down.

Borussia Dortmund eye move for PatoMore football news,It's being reported German club Borussia Dortmund is preparing an offer to try to sign Alexandre Pato in the January transfer window.

The 26-year-old striker is currently playing for Sao Paulo in his native Brazil.

It’s being reported Dortmund is preparing an offer sheet worth 10-million euros for the former AC Milan forward.

However, Pato is also said to be getting interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Schalke.

MLB postseason games recapIn baseball,The Toronto Blue Jays find themselves on the brink of elimination from this year's playoffs after going down to the Texas Rangers 6-4 this morning in a 14-inning marathon.

With the loss, the Blue Jays, who returned to post-season action for the first time in over 2-decades this year, are now down 2-games-none in their best-of-5 series.

Toronto Manager John Gibbons admits coming back against the Rangers won't be easy.

"Sure, it won't be easy, they got a great team over there. They outplayed us both games. Today was a great ballgame and they do, they came out on top. They outlasted us. It doesn't surprise me because they got that good a team. They can keep coming. Very balanced. They've got some real good arms they can keep in the bullpen".

The Rangers will look to close out the series on Sunday at home in Texas.

In other action,The Kansas City Royals have evened their American League Division series with Houston, ralling from a 3-run defecit to beat the Astros 5-4 this morning.

That best-of-5 is now tied at 1.

In the National League playoffs, it was the New York Mets drawing first blood in their series against the Dodgers with a 3-1 win this morning.

And St. Louis Cardinals showed why they finished the regular season with the best record in baseball, thumping the Chicago Cubs 4-0.

New Zealand defeated Tonga 47-9 in 2015 Rugby World CupIn rugby,Defending champions New Zealand are heading into the knock-out stages of this year's Rugby World Cup in strong fashion, hammering Tonga 47-9 last night in their final pool match-up.

The win is New Zealand's 4th straight, and puts them through at the top of Group C.

All-Blacks head coach Steve Hansen says his squad can't rest on its laurels.

"We're really happy, to have got through the pool stage. It's the end of that phase of the competition. We've now given ourselves the opportunity to go and play some finals footie. Whatever happened has happened in the last, month or so is irrelevant now, it's what we turn up with at the Millennium Stadium next weekend will, determine how far further we go. We're excited about that, really excited about it."Later tonight, it's Wales taking on Australia.

Both teams come into the match tonight with 3-straight wins, and are both guaranteed of making it into the knock-out stages.

However, injured Welsh fly-half Leigh Halfpenny says they still want to come out of the match with a victory.

"We've been in games when we've been right in it and they've just nicked it at the end, the last couple of minutes. So you can't afford to switch off against the likes of Australia for one minute. The boys will know that and I'm sure that they'll be doing everything they can to be best prepared for that game, and win that game."Ahead of that match, Scotland can secure its way through to the knock-out stages with a victory over Samoa.

However, should Samoa upset the Scots, it could give the upstart Japanese squad a chance to make it through to the quarter-finals if they can beat the Americans on the last day of the group matches on Monday morning.

Entertainment'Mountain may depart' premieres at the london film festivalChinese director Jia Zhangke's latest film 'Mountains May Depart' has premiered at the ongoing London film festival.

The director made an appearance at the screening with the film's leading actress Zhao Tao.

The movie tells the story of a family that moves from China to Australia.

The theme is of love, loss and disillusionment in a society changing at a breakneck speed.

The opening song for the film was created by the British band Pet Shop Boys.

London Film Festival is the fifth stop for "Mountains may depart" after its premiere in Toranto, san sebastían, New York and Busan.

The film will be premiered in China on October 30.

Chinese piano superstar Yuja Wang releases new album, RavelChinese pianist Yuja Wang has reunited with the Zürich Orchestra – the ensemble with whom she made her European debut in 2003 aged 15 – for her latest recording, Ravel.

Released in Hong Kong on Friday, the album is Wang's first foray into French repertoire on disc, and features Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major and the less familiar Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D major.

Ravel follows Wang's acclaimed recording of concertos by Rachmaninov and Prokofiev last year with conductor Gustavo Dudamel.

The pianist will embark on a tour of Asia together with the Royal Orchestra of Amsterdam that includes stops in Taipei, Kyoto, Nagoya and Tokyo.

The Hail, Caesar! trailer has arrived!

Universal Pictures and Working Title Films have released the official trailer for Joel and Ethan Coen's latest feature film, "Hail, Caesar!"Four-time Oscar-winning filmmakers, the Coen brothers, have written and directed the film.

It is an all-star comedy set during the latter years of Hollywood's Golden Age.

Starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum , Scarlett Johansson and Jonah Hill , Hail, Caesar! follows a single day in the life of a studio fixer who is presented with plenty of problems to fix.

Brolin plays the fixer, based on real-life MGM executive Eddie Mannix.

Universal will release the film on February 5, 2016.

Marvel, Disney and Pixar announce sequel to 'Ant-Man' and 'The Incredibles 2'

"Ant-Man and the Wasp," a sequel to this summer's blockbuster "Ant-Man," is expected to be released in 2018.　Meanwhile, Disney and Pixar have set a June 2019 release date for 'The Incredibles 2," 15 years after the release of Brad Bird's beloved original film.

The "Ant-Man" sequel will mark the first time a Marvel movie will include the name of a female character in a title after the studio was criticized over the issue.

Evangeline Lilly portrayed the Wasp in the first Ant-Man film, which earned over 400 million US Dollars worldwide.

The announcement did not specify whether she or Paul Rudd, who played Ant-Man, would be reprising their roles for the sequel.

But most actors in Marvel films are given multi-year, multi-film contracts.

New York Comic Con Starts 8 octThousands of people descended on the Jacob Ja-vits Convention Center in New York on Thursday for the first day of the New York Comic Con.

Many of those in attendance wore elaborate costumes resembling their favorite fictional characters.

"Because it's the one time of year where we get to do this and we get to walk around and people ask us for pictures and it's not like a ugh 'I want a picture of her because she looks really wierd' its more of a thing like 'Oh wow she actually put effort into her costume' like we spent all night doing this."Tickets were sold out on the fourth day event.

Batman characters were popular at the event with many people dressing as the Joker and his girlfriend Harley Quinn.

The event is primarily for people to buy and sell comic books as well as features many panel discussions with actors and creators of popular films and television shows.

WeatherBeijing will be clear tonight with a low of 10 degrees. Tomorrow will see sunshine with a high of 22.

Shanghai will be clear overnight with a low of 13. It will be sunny tomorrow with a high of 21.

Chongqing will be overcast with a low of 19. Tomorrow, cloudy, high of 25.

Lhasa will see moderate rain tonight with a low of 4, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 15.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy tomorrow with a high of 32.

Kabul, cloudy, 26.

In the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney will have light rain with a high of 28.

Brisbane, cloudy, high of 24.

Perth, cloudy, 33.

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

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

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

Documents connected to the Nanjing Massacre have been enscribed on a UNESCO list.

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