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

Coming up on the program this evening...

Chinese President Xi Jinping has addressed both houses of the British Parliament as part of his trip to the UK.

The British government has announced its relaxing its visa processes for Chinese tourists.

The Australian opposition has announced its support for the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.

In Business...Intel announcing a 5.5-billion US dollar investment in its plant in Dalian.

In Sports... Guangzhou Evergrande looking to make it to the AFC Champions League finals tonight.

In entertainment.....a new trailer for the latest Star Wars movie has been screened at the Great Wall.

Top NewsXi Addresses British ParliamentAnchor:

Chinese President Xi Jingping has addressed both Houses of the British Parliament.

His address to Parliament has focused mostly on bilateral ties, as well as the history of the ties between China and the UK.

CRI's QianShanming has more.

Reporter:

President Xi Jinping, accompanied by his wife PengLiyuan, received a grand and warm welcome on Tuesday in London.

The welcoming activities reflected the great importance the UK attaches to its relations with China. While addressing the British parliament in the afternoon, President Xi echoed the same sentiment.

"Although my visit has just started, I am already deeply impressed by the vitality of the China-UK relations and the profound relationship between our peoples. "Xi's audience included British Prime Minister David Cameron and politicians from all parties in the UK.

During his speech, Xi praised the UK for its long and active engagement with China.

"Since the founding of the new China in 1949, our two countries have led the way in a number of areas in terms of bilateral relations. The UK is the first western power to recognize the new China, and the first EU member to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. The UK is the leading offshore RMB trading centre after Hong Kong. The UK hosts more Chinese students and Confucius institutes than any other EU member country."Looking forward, Xi expressed great enthusiasm for an even brighter future for China-UK relations.

"Shakespeare wrote 'what has passed is prologue.' We are in an age of pursuing peace and development. It is also an age when countries have to meet challenges and work together. As a Chinese saying goes, a mountain can never be too high, nor an ocean too deep. This great new age enables both of us to join hands and move forward from the new departure point of our comprehensive strategic partnership."The Chinese president also called on British lawmakers to lead the way in further strengthening Sino-British cooperation.

"I hope you will, as we Chinese often say, stand higher to see further. I hope that you will continue to promote the UK's relation with China, strengthen our friendship and support our cooperation. And I hope that you will build a bridge of understanding and cooperation so to help us to create a brighter and more promising future for out bilateral ties."On Wednesday, President Xi will hold talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron. A number of deals are expected to be signed between governments, financial institutions and enterprises in various fields. The state visit will conclude on Friday.

For CRI, I'm QianShanming.

Xi's Speech to British Parliament Well ReceivedChinese President Xi Jinping has delivered an address to the British Parliament, discussing bilateral ties and China's history of cooperation with the UK.

MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown says the Chinese President's speech has struck a cord with him.

"I've heard lots of special speeches. I have been a member of the Parliament for 23 years. This is certainly one of the most thoughtful and special speeches. The final phrase was really an important one that our relationship is growing and deepening. And that's a really important thing."Michael Dobbs is a member of the House of Lords and also the author of the bestselling novel "House of Cards.""President Xi made a very fine speech, but not a very long one. He got it absolutely right because he said this is a very important visit. This is an important relationship. He gave many references to Shakespere and to other British authors. And he showed that he is a widely-read man. And also a man who wants to be a great friend of this country."Around 500 people were on-hand for Xi Jinping's 11-minute speech, including Prime Minister David Cameron and opposition Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Queen Hosts Xi at Buckingham PalaceAnchor:

The British royal family has rolled out the red carpet for Chinese President Xi Jinping, including a full-scale state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

CRI's Luo Wen has details.

Reporter:

Following a 41-gun salute, a horse-guard parade and a ride with Queen Elizabeth II in a gilded carriage, President Xi Jinping was then treated to a royal banquet at Buckingham Palace.

Addressing the banquet, the Queen has called Xi Jinping's time in the UK a "special moment.""Your visit to the United Kingdom marks a milestone in this unprecedented year of co-operation and friendship between the United Kingdom and China. As we celebrate the ties between our two countries, and prepare to take them to ambitious new heights."Queen Elizabeth has also lauded the relationship which has developed between the Chinese and UK governments.

"We have much reason to celebrate the dynamic, growing economic relationship between our countries, as well as our success in working together to address pressing international challenges. Your visit is a defining moment in this very special year for our bi-lateral relationship. I am confident that it will serve to highlight the sincerity and warmth of our friendship and to strengthen relations between our countries for many years to come."Queen Elizabeth last visited China in 1986.

She says the Chinese government's work since then to pull people out of poverty has been immense.

"Rapid economic growth and development has transformed the lives of people across China and lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty - a huge and historic achievement with far-reaching positive effects on people's lives."For his part, Xi Jinping has taken time to detail some of the historical ties China has with Britain.

"Britain's industrial revolution rejuvenated the world's silk and ceramics industry. China's tea made the lives of British people more refined. British people used their ingenuity to change it into British black tea. Communication between China and British culture has not only enriched these two (cultures) and driven social progress, it has also made a great contribution to human progress."The president has also issued a call for closer ties in the future.

"This year is the first year of the second 10-year China-UK Comprehensive Strategic partnership. Both parties should steadfastly grasp the opportunity, and step forward hand in hand, together create a brighter future for (China-UK) relations."As part of his time in London, President Xi Jinping has held sessions with Prince Charles and Prince William.

He's scheduled to meet with British Prime Minster David Cameron at 10 Downing Street later on this Wednesday.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

PBoC Issues Offshore RMB Note in London, Extends Currency SwapChina's central bank has launched its first offshore renminbi bonds in London.

Some 5 billion yuan worth of Chinese government bonds are going to be issued with an interest rate of 3.1 percent.

The bonds can be redeemed in 2016.

It's the first time renminbi bonds have been issued outside China.

The move, which has been announced to coincide with Chinese President Xi Jinping's trip to the UK, follows the agreements reached during a series of talks between the Chinese and UK government's last year.

At the same time, the PBoC has also extended an agreement on a currency swap with the UK's central bank.

The Chinese government is going to seed the Bank of England with 350 billion yuan, up from the current limit of 200-billion.

The previous agreement was signed in June 2013.

The bilateral trade between China and the UK surpassed 70 billion US dollars last year.

It's expected to hit 100 billion by the end of this year.

BOC to set up Trading Center in LondonAnchor:

The Bank of China has formally announced the establishment of a trading center in London.

The trading center will provide its UK clients more coverage in foreign exchange, derivatives, commodities and fixed income trading.

The London trading center is expected to become BOC's second largest offshore trading hub behind Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, the bank has also launched a RMB Bond Trading Index in Beijing, London and Singapore.

For more on the new RMB trading center, CRI's Zhao Yang earlier spoke with Professor Huo Deming from National School of Development at Peking University.

Britain to relax visa rules for Chinese touristsIt's been announced the UK government is going to issue a two-year multiple-entry visa for Chinese tourists starting next year.

The British embassy in Beijing has made the announcement.

Under the new rules, tourists will be allowed to leave and return to the UK without refreshing their paperwork for two years.

Chinese tourists are currently issued six-month visas.

The embassy also says it plans to expand its door-to-door fingerprint-collection service, a procedure in visa applications, to 50 different Chinese cities.

This should mean less hassle for people from smaller cities in China apply for visas in the UK.

There are currently only 9 locations around China which have the fingerprint collection services, meaning people in China often have to travel significant distances to go through the process.

Australian Opposition Gives Green Light to China-Australia FTAAnchor:

Australia's Opposition labor party has thrown its support behind the China-Australia Free trade agreement.

The head of the opposition says they've decided to support the new FTA because of the "legal protections" built into it which supports and protects Australian workers.

The Australian government has made it mandatory for businesses to apply labor market testing to all new work agreements.

This will give Australian workers the first right to secure jobs on projects ahead of their overseas counterparts.

There are fears in Australia the new Free Trade Agreement with China will allow Chinese companies to bring in their own staff from China on projects in Australia.

China-Australia FTA was signed earlier this year.

It will ensure 85 percent of all Australian exports enter China tariff-free, rising to 93 per cent within four years and 95 per cent when the deal is in full force.

Australia will eventually reduce tariffs to zero on all goods imported from China.

To talk about the new agreement, CRI's Wang Mengzhen spoke earlier with Alan Oxley, Chair of the APEC Study Center at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

China, ASEAN countries agree to further implement DOCSenior officials from China and ASEAN countries have wrapped up a meeting connected to the South China Sea.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin co-chaired the meeting, which has been put together to discuss the Code of Conduct for issues arising in the region.

"Firstly, we agreed to comprehensively and effectively implement the DOC. Secondly, we will promote pragmatic cooperation within the framework of the declaration. Thirdly, we will speed up to establish three committees to ensure sailing security, marine research and environment protection, as well as fighting against transnational crimes. "The Chinese side says they've also agreed to establish a hotline between ASEAN and China for maritime emergencies.

As part of the Code of Conduct, China or any member of ASEAN has to inform the others of any military movement within disputed territories.

The meeting, the 10th of its kind, comes amid continued tensions in the South China Sea, where the US says it still has plans to challenge Chinese sovereignty over the region through the use of its Navy.

Mainland Authorities Urges Hong Kong to Bring Justice to Victim of HK Shopping DeathMainland authorities are calling on officials in Hong Kong to launch a probe into the death of a mainland tourist who was beaten into unconsciousness and later died following a dispute at a jewelry shop.

The Mainland's National Tourism Administration says authorities in Hong Kong should be doing more to protect mainland tourists.

Dong Yaozhong with Hong Kong's Travel Industry Council says steps are available to punish those found responsible.

"We can punish those responsible under the current rules and regulations which we have. For example, we can revoke the business license of the travel agency or suspend the credentials of the tour guide involved. We can also stop the jewelry store from accepting tour groups in the future. But we have to find evidence to prove their guilt before we can take any action. This is critical."The victim, a tourist from Heilongjiang, was beaten up and later died in hospital following a dispute during a tour in Hong Kong.

So far 4 people have been arrested in connection to the case, which police in Hong Kong are handling as Manslaughter at the moment.

Hong Kong has seen a marked decrease in the number of mainland tourists travelling to the city over the past year.

Syrian President Assad meets Putin in MoscowSyrian President Bashar al-Assad has made a surprise visit to Moscow to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin.

This is his first known overseas trip since the country's civil war broke out in 2011.

The embattled president has taken time to personally thank Putin for Russia's involvement in Syria's civil war:

"If not for your actions and decisions, the terrorism which is now spreading through the region, would have spread over to more territories and states."Russia began air strikes in Syria late last month.

For his part, Putin has promised continued military and political support for Russia's middle-east ally.

"Syria is a friendly country to us and we are prepared to do whatever we can not only in the course of military efforts to fight terrorism but also in the course of the political process. Of course it should be done in close contact with other world powers and countries of the region interested in a peaceful solution."Assad's visit to Moscow was made on Tuesday evening.

However, it wasn't publicized until today after Assad returned to Damascus.

Russia has been a key ally of the Bashar al-Assad administration.

Russia maintains a naval base in Syria, allowing the Russian fleet a home port in the Mediterranean.

Valdai Discussion Underway in SochiThis year's meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club is underway in Russia, with the focus this year in Sochi focusing mostly on Syria.

Valdai Discussion Club is an annual meeting of international experts who focus on Russia's role in the world.

Discussions this year mainly center on Russia's airstrikes against terrorist targets in Syria.

Fyodor Lukyanov, head of the Valdai Discussion Club, suggests the Syrian government can play a bigger role in the fight.

"The key factor depends on the how much success the Syrian government's ground troops and its supporters can achieve. If the government's forces can expand its control of territories and create a settlement between all sides, then the political reconciliation Russia has been talking about can proceed."Chinese scholars attending the meeting are calling for more cooperation in anti-terrorism operations.

Chen Dongxiao, president of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, says Russia should be keeping is allies in the loop.

"Large nations should coordinate with one another on their positions, including military operations. One issue China is highly concerned with is avoiding civilian causalities. We also hope there can be some improvement on the sharing of intelligence as part of Russia's military operations."Over 100 representatives from over 40 different countries and regions are attending this year's meetings in Sochi.

New Canadian Prime Minister Vows to Withdraw figher Jets from AfghanistanCanada's soon-to-be Prime Minister has told US President Barack Obama his administration is going to withdraw Canadian fighter jets from Iraq and Syria.

But at the same time, Justin Trudeau says Canadian troops will be remaining in the region to help with humanitarian aid missions and training.

"About an hour ago I spoke with President Obama and we talked about Canada's continued engagement as a strong member of the coalition against ISIL and I committed that we would continue to engage in a responsible way that understands how important Canada has a role to play in the fight against ISIL. But he understands the commitments I've made around ending the combat mission."Canada has been part of the coalition which has been bombing Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria for months.

The 43-year-old Trudeau, the son of late former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, campaigned on a pledge to have Canadian forces pulled out of the region.

Justin Trudeau is set to become Canada's next Prime Minister after his Liberal Party rode to a massive victory in Monday's election, ending a decade of Conservative rule in Canada.

Israeli Prime Minister slammed for linking Palestinians to HolocaustIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being slammed for comments linking the Palestinians to the holocaust.

Netanyahu has made the suggestion while meeting with Jewish leaders, saying a World War II-era Palestinian leader convinced the Nazis to destroy the Jews.

"This attack and other attacks on the Jewish community in 1920, 1921, 1929, were instigated by a call of the Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin al-Husseini. Haj Amin al-Husseini went to Hitler and said, 'If you expel them, they'll all come here. So what should I do with them?' he asked. He said, 'Burn them'."Holocaust experts, however, say Netanyahu's statement is historically inaccurate.

Other critics also say the comments are only adding fuel to current tensions between the Israeli and Palestinian sides.

WeatherBeijing will have light rain tonight with a low of 9 degrees. Tomorrow will see more rain with a high of 12.

Shanghai will be clear overnight with a low of 19. It will be sunny tomorrow with a high of 26.

Chongqing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 19. Tomorrow, cloudy as well, high of 28.

Lhasa will be clear tonight with a low of 3, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 19.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 31.

Kabul, sunny, 17.

In the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, Brisbane and Perth will have light rain with highs of 21, 27 and 26 respectively.

And finally Auckland will be cloudy with a high of 20 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsXi Lauds "Community of Shared Interests" with BritainChinese President Xi Jinping has addressed both Houses of the British Parliament.

Xi Jinping says he hopes his 5-day visit to the UK will lift bilateral ties to "a new height."In his speech, he also says China and Britain are "increasingly interdependent" and becoming "a community of shared interests."Xi Jinping's visit is the first to the UK by a Chinese head of state in a decade.

Senior Chinese military logistics officer under investigationChinese military authorities have announced that Zhou Guotai, a senior officer in the PLA's general logistics department, is under investigation.

He's been put under investigation for "suspected severe discipline violations."The specifics of why he's been put under investigation haven't been made public.

Military prosecutors are handling the case.

China's hi-res mapping satellite sends back more visual dataA mapping satellite launched by Chinese authorities for civilian mapping programs has now taken pictures of all of China's land territory.

The Ziyuan III satellite, launched in January 2012, has produced images of 190 million square kilometers for mapping, land, mining and water conservancy.

It ended China's reliance on the use of foreign hi-resolution satellite images.

China plans to build a remote-sensing mapping satellite system in 10 to 15 years. Three follow-up mapping satellites are already in the pipeline.

Syria's Assad makes rare visit to Moscow, meets with PutinSyrian President Bashar al-Assad has met Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of a rare trip outside Syria.

Its the first declared visit Assad has made since the beginning of the fighting in Syria some 4-years ago.

The two have discussed their military operations in Syria.

Russian jets began launching sorties against terrorist targets at the end of last month.

Russia is a strong supporter of the Bashar al-Assad administration, as it has allowed Russia to maintain a critical naval installation in Syria as part of an agreement first worked out by Assad's late-father who was Syria's long-running former President.

26 dead in Philippines due to Typhoon KoppuPhilippine authorities are reporting at least 26 people have been killed and 18 others injured since Typhoon Koppu made landfall in the country on Sunday.

More than 900-thousand people have been affected by the typhoon.

The massive storm has cut off 140 different sections of road and made close to 30 bridges impassable because of flooding and landslides.

Power interruptions have been reported in various cities along the Typhoon's path.

The storm itself has now crossed into the Luzon Strait, and is heading out to the ocean again west of Taiwan.

It hit the Philippines main northern island of Luzon early Sunday with winds of up to 185-kilometers per hour, sparking mass evacuations as the storm continued to linger over Luzon until earlier today.

Biz ReportsAnchor:

Time to check today's business news, starting with the closing numbers in Asia.

Joining us on the desk Luo Wen.

Reporter:

While the Hong Kong markets were closed on Wednesday for the Chongyang Festival, markets on the mainland fell from an eight-week high on active trading as investors decided to cash in on the recent stock market rebound.

More than 800 stocks fell by their 10-percent daily limit.

Only around 20 rose to the 10-percent restriction.

Smaller firms ranging from software developers to machine manufacturers led the declines.

At the close,The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index sank 3.1 percent.

The Shenzhen Component Index tumbled 5.9 percent.

The ChiNext Index of growth enterprises plummeted 6.6 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Tokyo shares ended remarkably higher on a weaker yen that prompted buying of export-led shares.

Gainers were led by steel, nonferrous metal and electric machinery issues.

The benchmark Nikkei rose 1.9 percent.

Both South Korea's KOSPI and Singapore's Straights Times indext edged up 0.2 percent.

And finally,Australia's ASX/200 added 0.3 percent.

Intel Plans to Invest $5.5 billion in Dalian PlantIntel has announced plans to invest 5.5 billion U.S. dollars in its current facility in the city of Dalian to increase the plant's capacity for non-volatile memory products.

Non-volatile memory is capable of retaining data even if the power is turned off.

Intel's Dalian facility is also expected to produce 3D NAND technology by the 2nd half of next year.

The technology has been jointly developed by Intel and US-based chip manufacturer Micron Technology.

Yahoo signs ad pact with Google after weak resultsYahoo has signed a new search advertising deal with Google.

Under the partnership, Google will pay Yahoo a percentage of the revenues from ads on Yahoo websites and apps.

The deal has come on the same day Yahoo announced profits of just 76-million U.S. dollars through the third quarter.

Yahoo made 6.8-billion U.S. dollars the during the same period last year.

However, that was when the company enjoyed a one-time gain linked to sale of its shares in Alibaba.

Yahoo's revenues through this latest quarter are up 7-percent from a year ago to some 1.2-billion US dollars.

Google invests in Chinese artificial intelligence firmGoogle has purchased a stake in a Chinese artificial intelligence startup.

Mobvoi is working on developing wearable smart technologyGoogle's investment in the company has not been listed.

Mobvoi has already generated around 75-million dollars in outside investments.

China allows private capital into oil, gas explorationAnchor:

Chinese authorities are, for the first time, allowing the private sector to bid for gas and oil exploration projects in the country.

The announcement has been made at the announcement of a tender for an oil and gas exploration project in Xinjiang.

Under the new policy, bidders still have to be domestically run, and hold net assets of over a billion yuan.

Companies applying for the bidding will also have to be vetted by the Chinese government.

China slims down gov't pricing catalogueChina's top economic regulator has published a revised central government pricing catalogue.

The revised catalogue cuts items subject to price controls by some 80 percent.

This is part of the Chinese government's attempt to allow the market to play a bigger role.

The catalogue now contains 7 categories down from the previous 13 categories.

The specific pricing of items have been downsized from 100 to 20.

The new catalogue will take effect next year.

Chinese authorities say they have plans to lift price controls for almost all goods and services in competitive sectors by 2017.

Toyota recalls 6.5 million vehicles globally over window defectToyota is recalling 6.5 million vehicles worldwide connected to a power window defect that could potentially cause a fire.

The recall covers the Yaris, Corolla, Camry and RAV4 sport utility vehicles produced between 2005 and 2010.

Toyota says a driver's side power window master switch could short circuit and cause parts to overheat and melt.

So far there have been no reports of accidents tied to the defect.

Toyota has been under fire after the recall of millions of cars globally for various problems, including defective airbags supplied by Japanese firm Takata.

The faulty airbags have been blamed for eight deaths and scores of injuries worldwide, leading to the biggest single recall of vehicles in history.

EU Order Starbucks, Fiat Pay back Millions in Tax BreaksThe European Union is ordering Starbucks and Fiat Chrysler to repay up to 34 million U.S. dollars each in tax breaks they received from EU nations.

The bloc's Competition Commission says both companies have received "selective tax advantages" by which companies are lured to specific nations with a promise they will pay fewer taxes than they might pay elsewhere.

The Commission adds that Starbucks has benefited from a tax ruling from Dutch authorities in 2008 and Fiat from a ruling in Luxembourg in 2012.

The precise amount of tax to be recovered will now be determined by Luxembourg and the Netherlands on the basis of the Commission's methodology.

The ruling is part of the Commission's ongoing investigation into similar tax practices in all of the bloc's 28 nations.

China to become world's second largest cruise marketIndustry observers are suggesting China is expected to exceed Britain to become the world's second largest cruise market by 2017.

The suggestion has been made at an ongoing tourism forum in Guizhou's capital, Guilin.

Last year about 1.7 million people from the mainland booked cruises, up 43 percent year on year.

That is also 20 percent above the average rate of growth in the Asian-Pacific region.

China is now the eighth biggest cruise market in the world.

Yum Brands to separate China businessYum Brands is going to separate the China arm of its business, which accounts for 57 percent of the company's revenue.

The owner of KFC and Pizza Hut says the business in China would become an independent publicly-traded company.

The company has believed that the independent China business will continue expanding its presence.

Up to now, Yum Brands has more than 40-thousand restaurants worldwide.

Over 90 percent of the restaurants are operated as franchisees.

Its annual revenue from markets outside China stands at more than 6 billion U.S. dollars.

SportsAFC Champions League previewIn football,Chinese Super League leaders Guangzhou Evergrande is now taking on Gamba Osaka in the return leg of the semi-finals at the AFC Champions League.

Evergrande come into the match with the advantage after winning the first leg 2-1.

The AFC naming Evergrande mid-fielder ZhengZhi its player of the week for his role in that victory.

The winner of this series will be moving on to play Al Ahli in the final.

The UAE club are in following a 3-2 victory earlier today over Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia.

Al Ahli's 4-3 aggragate victory puts the club into the AFC championship finals for the first time ever.

----A pair of matches in the China Football Association Cup are taking place tonight.

Jiangsu Sainty is taking on Shandong Luneng at home,Jiangsu Sainty holds a 2-1 lead over Shandong Luneng after the first leg.

Sainty can qualify for next season's AFC Champions League if they win this tournament.

Shandong Lunenghave the chance to qualify from both third place in the domestic league and as winners of the CFA Cup.

Another match has Beijing Beikong taking on Shanghai Shenhua.

Shenhua won their first encounter at home 3-2.

Beikong, as the only China League team, the 2nd division in China, in the CFA Cup, have eliminated three Chinese Super League teams in a row to make it to this point, including city rivals Beijing Guo'an.

Nigeria and South Korea through to the knock-out stage of U17 World CupIn football,Nigeria and South Korea have qualified for the knock-out stages at the Under-17 World Cup after just two matches in the group stage.

Nigeria managed to secure its spot after downing the hosts, Chile, 3-1.

South Korea also made it to the knock out stage after another 1-0 victory over Guinea.

The team stunned Brazil in the opening round by the same score.

In other action,Croatia drew with the United States 2-2.

Brazil beat England 1-0.

There are 6 groups in this year's Under 17 World Cup.

Only the top 2 of each group and 4 best third-placed teams will be through to the knock-out stage.

Chinese players are all through in the first day of the BWF Superseries in FranceIn badminton,The World Badminton Federation Superseries in France has kicked off.

All Chinese competitors at the event are through to the 2nd round.

In mixed doubles, the Chinese teams of Xu Chen and Ma Jin, as well as Liu Cheng and BaoYixin are through.

Action today includes Chinese ace Lin Dan in action.

He's hoping to secure enough points to qualify for the Olympics.

Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei will also be in action.

Chinese world number-1 Chen Long is not in this competition.

Tennis ATP tournaments recapIn tennis,Top seed David Ferrer has rolled over his Spanish compatriot Albert Ramos 6-3, 6-4 to make it into the 2nd round of the ATP's Vienna Open.

3rd seed John Isner is also through after getting past Kenny De Schepper 7-6, 7-6.

Isner will meet Latvia's ErnestsGulbis in the second round.

At the ATP 250 in Stockholm,Defending champ GrigorDimitrov is through to round-2 after downing FilipKrajinovic 7-5, 6-3.

Finland's JarkkoNieminen has announced his retirement after going down to Nicolas Almagro in Stockholm.

The 34-year old made it to the final of the tournament three times, and made it to world number-13 at the height of his career.

NBA preseason games recapIn basketball,5 games taking place this morning in NBA pre-season action.

It was the Chicago Bulls over the Indiana Pacers 103-94.

The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 106-88.

Phoenix Suns thumped the San Antonio Spurs 104-84Oklahoma City Thunder got past the Utah Jazz 113-102Los Angeles Clippers beat Golden State Warriors 130-95In off-court news,The annual NBA.com general managers' survey has come out, with nearly 54 percent of voters pointing to the Cleveland Cavaliers as the team most likely to win the title this season.

The Golden States Warriors garnered 17.9 percent of the votes, falling behind the San Antonio Spurs, who got 25 percent.

It was the lowest percentage for a defending champion in the 13-year history of the survey by NBA.com.

The survey itself asks all the general managers in the league a series of questions about the forthcoming season, which begins a week from today.

Kansas City and New York Mets lead in ALCSIn baseball,The Kansas City Royals have put the Toronto Blue Jays on the brink of elimination, hammering them 14-2 this morning.

This gives the Royals a 3-1 series lead.

Jays manager John Gibbons says his team hasn't lost all hope.

"Well, there's no doubt it's a big challenge. I mean it's a do or die game for us. But they do it all year. I think these guys will let this one go and they'll show up to play tomorrow. The key is get a good outing out of Marco (Estrada) and we'll see where it takes us. Not a more important game this season, really. So, I know these guys will be ready."The Royals can punch their ticket to the World Series with a win tomorrow morning, Beijing time.

In the National League, the Chicago Cubs are making it difficult for "Back to the Future" day to live-up to reality.

The New York Mets have taken a 3-nothing series strangle-hold in their series with the Cubs after downing them 5-2 today.

The Mets can clinch their first trip to the World Series in 15-years with a victory tomorrow morning.

In "Back to the Future II," the characters travel to the future on this date, October 21st, 2015.

In the film, the Chicago Cubs are being congratulated for winning the World Series.

Tiger Woods sets his return date at some time next yearIn golf,Tiger Woods is promising to return to golf some time next year after completing rehab for his back.

He's made the suggestion while out promoting Bridgestone America's Golf Cup.

(BJH/soundbite/1021 Woods)"I look forward to next year competing against these kids, and playing against them next year, and I'm sorry I cant play this year in this great event but I will be back next year."Woods had another round of surgery on his back a month ago.

He last golfed on August 23rd when he finished tied for 10th, which was his best showing at a PGA Tour event in nearly two years.

Personal problems, as well as medical issues connected to his back and legs, has seen Woods' best golf likely behind him.

Figure Skating world grand prix to be held in BeijingIt's been announced the China Cup Figure Skating is going to be held in Beijing's Capital Indoor Stadium next month.

This will be first high level winter event to be held in China after Beijing won the bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Over 50 of the world's leading figure skaters, including competitors from China, will take part in the event.

It will run from November 6th to the 8th.

EntertainmentFans fete 'Star Wars' on China's Great WallWielding light sabers, "Star Wars" fans have gathered at China's Great Wall ahead of the release of the highly-anticipated next episode of the sci-fi saga.

A new trailer for "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" was shown on Monday during halftime of ESPN's National Football League game.

A Chinese version trailer was released on Tuesday at a Disney promotional event for the movie at the landmark Great Wall, where Stormtrooper figures were out in force.

More than 200 "Star Wars" fans attended the event.

The film will be released in the United States this December, and in China in January.

"Cold War 2" Commences FilmingThe sequel to popular police thriller Cold War has finally commenced filming.

Original cast members, Aaron Kwok, Tony Leung and Eddie Peng will return in the sequel.

Cold War 2 will also be featuring some heavyweight additions to the cast: Chow Yun Fat, Tony Yeung and Chang Kuo Chu.

When the original Cold War was first released in 2012, it received rave reviews – achieving box office takings of nearly 5.7 million US dollars in Hong Kong.

(bjh/soundbites/1021 cold war trailer)It also won nine awards at the prestigious 2013 Hong Kong Film Awards in 2013, including Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Film awards.

The audience were captivated by the acting, as well as the novel storyline, which touched on the consequences of politics and in-fighting within the police force.

But the first film ended on a cliffhanger and left the audience with several questions.

Many are hoping that Cold War 2 will finally resolve all their unanswered questions.

South Korean Seong-Jin Cho wins Chopin piano competitionSouth Korea's Seong-Jin Cho has won the prestigious 17th international Frederic Chopin piano competition in the Polish capital, Warsaw.

As well as prize money of more than 30 thousand US dollars, the award opens the way for the 21 year old to perform in some of the world's best-known concert halls.

The competition - held every five years - is unusual in that contestants play pieces by a single composer and has been the launching pad for many internationally-renowned performers. This year 78 young pianists took part, from 20 countries.

Canadian Charles Richard-Hamelin took second prize, with third place going to Kate Liu of the United States.

The competition has been running for 88 years and previous winners include Maurizio Pollini, KrystianZimerman and Martha Argerich, who was a judge at this year's competition.

Last time round, in 2010, the prize went to Russia's YuliannaAvdeeva.

Director Zhang Wei Unveils Details of New Film 'The Sound of a Dream'

Chinese businessman-turned-director Zhang Wei has been filming with blind and visually impaired children, for the final scenes of his odyssey "The Sound of a Dream."Filming started on the project in September on Mount Everest, or Chomolungma.

Zhang Wei says the cast and crew have been through a rollercoaster adventure just like the characters in the movie.

"Our crew members experienced mountain sickness and frostbite. We have trekked through snow mountains, glaciers, valleys and river before arriving in the city, along with the children. In the film, the children go high up in the mountain and to the sea. They go on this great adventure and cross many bridges."The film tells the story of the life changing journey of three blind children, who leave Tibet to compete on a TV singing contest in the modern city of Shenzhen.

Known for depicting the lives of those marginalized in China, the director says he hopes the film can express the dreams and hopes of such children, rather than serving as a lecture urging care for the blind.

"The Sound of a Dream" is scheduled for released in China next year.

Chris Rock in Talks to Host OscarsIt's been revealed that Comedian Chris Rock is in talks to host the 88th Academy Awards.

The 2016 Oscars, which will be held on February 28th are being produced by Reginald Hudlin and David Hill, who are said to be in discussions with Rock about taking on the high-profile gig.

While the Academy itself declined to comment on the possibility of Rock hosting, the performer certainly knows his way around the show, having hosted the 77th Oscars back in 2005.

His first foray as Oscar host provoked some controversy after he made a joke at actor Jude Law's expense that triggered a response from Sean Penn later in the evening.

Hudlin and Rock previously teamed up for the 2005 sitcom - Everybody Hates Chris - based on Rock's teenage years.

Hudlin directed the pilot for the show, which Rock created with Ali LeRoi.

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

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

Chinese President Xi Jinping has addressed both houses of the British Parliament as part of his trip to the UK.

The British government has announced its relaxing its visa processes for Chinese tourists.

The Australian opposition has announced its support for the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.

In Business...Intel announcing a 5.5-billion US dollar investment in its plant in Dalian.

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