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

Coming up on the program this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jinping saying that China and Britain will build a "global comprehensive strategic partnership" in the 21st century...

China's central bank issuing an RMB-denominated bond in London...

And US Vice President Joe Biden announcing that he will not seek his party's nomination for President...

In Business....British oil giant BP inking a natural gas supply deal with a Chinese firm...

In Sports..... Guangzhou Evergrande make it into the finals of the AFC Champions League...

And in Entertainment....Shanghai Fashion Week wraps up...

Top NewsChina and Britain will build global comprehensive strategic partnership: XiAnchorChinese President Xi Jinping has said that China and Britain will build a "global comprehensive strategic partnership" in the 21st century.

President Xi made the remarks at a press conference after he held talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron.

CRI's Xie Cheng has more.

ReporterDuring the press conference, President Xi says the two countries will enter a golden era of increased cooperation, jointly creating a prosperous future for bilateral relations.

"I had a productive meeting with Prime Minister Cameron, and we reached an important consensus on many issues and agreed to announce here that we will build a global comprehensive strategic partnership between our countries in the 21st century, and jointly open up a golden era of an enduring, inclusive and mutually beneficial China-UK relationship."For his part, Cameron described the golden era as an era of stronger economic ties, deeper trade links, closer people-to-people relations and meaningful dialogue on issues that matter to both sides.

According to President Xi, several inter-governmental and business cooperation documents will be signed.

Among them will be one deal concerning the Hinkley Point nuclear power station in Somerset in southwest England.

President Xi said the project, with the involvement of Chinese companies, will be of great significance for both sides.

"This will be the flagship project of cooperation between our countries in coming years and it will lead to more practical cooperation of this kind between the two sides."For his part, Prime Minister Cameron announced that the Hinkley Point nuclear power station will not only provide energy to the locals but also create numerous job opportunities.

"I'm pleased to announce today that we're signing a historic deal to build the Hinkley nuclear power station, providing reliable, affordable energy to nearly six million homes, and creating more than 25,000 jobs."Some Chinese experts have spoken highly of such deals related to nuclear power projects.

Chen Fengying, an expert with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said the deal will help more products made in China to go international.

"The signing of such a deal means we can cooperate with enterprises from developed countries, and also find markets there. It will bring more confidence in promoting China's 'go global' strategy, and markets in the future will not only be in Britain but also in many other places."The Hinkley Point C project in southwestern England is estimated at 18 billion pounds. China General Nuclear (CGN) and Electricite de France (EDF) announced on Wednesday to jointly construct and operate the British nuclear power plant.

China General Nuclear will take up 33.5 percent of the project. The two enterprises will also cooperate on other British nuclear projects, including one at Bradwell, southeastern England, based on Chinese nuclear technology "Hualong".

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

Xi Shows Confidence in Chinese Economy and 'Belt-Road' InitiativeChinese President Xi Jinping has said that China's economy will keep operating within a proper range and there will be no hard landing.

Xi Jinping made the remarks while addressing the closing ceremony of a China-Britain business summit.

President Xi admitted that Chinese economy is facing downward pressure and structural problems.

However, he said China is undergoing a normal period of adjustment.

"At the moment, what Chinese economy needs is to improve in quality and efficiency, to solve the problems of imbalance, incompatibility and unsustainability so that the economy can run in a more stable manner. We will continue to push forward with the policies of stabilizing growth, promoting reforms, adjusting economic structures, benefiting the public and preventing risks to realize sustainable and healthy development."Xi Jinping also stressed that the "Belt and Road" initiative will bring huge opportunities for China and many countries along the proposed route.

"'One Belt One Road' initiative is openness-orientated. It originates from the ancient silk road but is not limited to the route. Regionally speaking, it links the economic circles between East Asia and West Europe, forming a vast network around Asia, Africa and Europe. All countries interested in the network could join in."The "Belt and Road" Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which were proposed by Xi in 2013 with the aim of reviving the ancient trade routes.

In his speech, president Xi has also reaffirmed his country's adherence to the opening-up strategy, the 37-year-old policy which has been serving as an important engine for the sustained prosperity of the Chinese economy.

Earlier, Xi met with British Prime Minister David Cameron at Downing Street, where the two leaders sealed a number of deals totaling 40 billion pounds, or some 62 billion US dollars.

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.

European Experts: Britain's friendship with China can be a role modelAnchorChinese President Xi Jiping's ongoing UK visit has led observers in Europe to assert that the friendship between China and UK can and should set an example for other EU countries.

CRI's Victor Ning has more.

ReporterIn recent days, "Golden era" or "Golden decade" has been frequently used to describe China and UK's intensifying partnership.

For Carl Dahlman, head of Thematic Division at OECD Development Center, the term signifies something of a starting point for describing relations between the two sides.

"I'm sure it's a beginning. I think that there are big benefits for China and for the UK from this, and I think that they're setting very good foundations to build upon that. It's a tremendous opportunity which I think with more focused actions on both side, you can leverage this potential and turn it into very mutually beneficial elements that would help both countries very much. That's why it's a golden opportunity."President Xi Jinping's stay in the UK is the first state visit to the country by a Chinese leader in a decade.

Russian political economist Sergei Karaganov says Britain's invitation for President Xi reflects the country's high expectations for China, particularly for Chinese investment.

"Britain holds high expectations for China and the Eurasian market. I think we could say that the UK is sailing with Chinese wind. Chinese leaders are intelligent for taking this chance and boosting the China's cooperation with Europe and Britain via the existing system and tools."Back in 2004, China and Britain upgraded their bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership during former Premier Wen Jiabao's UK visit.

This was the first of its kind between China and an EU member state.

Phillipe Moreau Defarges, senior researcher at the French Institute of International Relations says that advancement in China-UK relations can serve as a role model for the rest of Europe.

"One of Britain's advantages is that it can be regarded as the most opened-up country among the European Union, whereas other EU members such as France, or even Germany, incline to stick to their own 'traditions'. From this point of view, Britain somehow has become a role model for other EU countries."Earlier this year, Britain became the first western country seeking to join the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

It is also the main offshore RMB trading centre after Hong Kong.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

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.

China starts import of Australian live cattleChina has started the importation of live cattle from Australia, part of a landmark deal that opens the doors to China's huge beef market for Australian farmers.

The first batch of 150 cattle arrived in southwest China's Chongqing early Wednesday morning.

Chongqing is one of the three cities designated to receive the imported cattle.

The Australian beef, to be locally-butchered, will hit the market in Chongqing as early as next month following quarantine.

Chongqing Hondo, the company that purchased the cattle, said the price of the beef from imported cattle will not be much higher than imported frozen beef.

China has imported cattle for breeding purposes as well as milk cows from Australia, but has never imported live cattle for slaughter on a large scale.

China and Australia signed a deal last year that involved shipping 1 million head of Australian cattle to China each year.

Australian Opposition Gives Green Light to China-Australia FTAAnchorAustralia'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.

For more on the agreement, CRI's Wang Mengzhen spoke earlier with Alan Oxley, Chair of the APEC Study Center at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

Back AnchorAlan Oxley, chair of the APEC Study Center at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, speaking with CRI's Wang Mengzhen.

US Welcomes Iranian Supreme Leader's approval of Nuclear DealUS Secretary of State John Kerry has welcomed the endorsement of the nuclear deal by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

It is the first time Khamenei has openly reacted to the deal, following Iran's highest legislative body, the Guardian Council's approval of the deal.

Kerry said Khamenei's decision proves the historic deal "is for real.""And as you saw maybe today, the Ayatollah, Supreme Ayatollah, formally embraced the agreement which he hadn't done yet, so this is for real. And it is really the start of the most far-reaching readjustment to a nuclear program since the dawn of the nuclear age."However, Khamenei also said in a statement that Iran will adopt reciprocal measures and to halt the implementation of the deal if any party breaches the deal under any pretext, including alleged human rights violations and terrorism.

Iran and world powers jointly announced the implementation of the nuclear deal on October 18, or the so-called Adoption Day.

On the same day, western countries began taking steps to lift the sanctions against Iran as agreed to in the deal.

Iran struck the deal with six world powers, namely the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, in July after 18 months of marathon talks.

UNESCO resolution slams Israel over handling of Jerusalem's mosqueThe United Nation's cultural heritage body UNESCO has adopted a resolution that condemns Israel's handling of Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque.

The resolution was approved by UNESCO's executive board with 26 in favor, 6 against and 25 in abstention.

However, the resolution dropped a clause for the original draft which recognised Jerusalem's Western Wall as a space reserved for Muslims.

The resolution criticized Israel for mishandling the management of holy sites in Jerusalem and restricting freedom of worship.

Israel regards all Jerusalem, including the predominantly Arab east captured and annexed in 1967 as its "indivisible capital".

However, this claim is not recognized internationally.

The newly-adopted resolution also asked Israel to "respect the pre-1967 status quo" at the site.

The resolution comes after more than three weeks of unrest in the region, which has left around 50 Palestinians and 10 Israelis dead.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will not run for PresidentAnchor: U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he will not join the 2016 presidential race, ending months of speculation about his political future and giving former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a much clearer path to the Democratic nomination.

CRI's Washington chief correspondent Xiaohong with the latest.

ReporterAfter keeping the media guessing for months, Vice President Joe Biden has finally made the announcement that he will not make a run for the White House in 2016.

"As my family and I have worked through the grieving process, I've said all along that it may very well be that process, by the time we get through it, closes the window on mounting a realistic campaign for president. I've concluded, it has closed."He was referring to the loss of his elder son Beau Biden who passed away last May to brain cancer.

Even though Biden acknowledged in his speech that running for president is not realistic at this stage, he is determined to be active during the upcoming campaign.

"But while I will not be a candidate, I will not be silent. I will speak clearly and forcefully, to influence as much as I can where we stand as a party and where we need to go as a nation."Biden listed a number of policy priorities he would support in the upcoming campaign.

The Vice President urged Democratic candidates to carry on the Obama legacy.

"This party, our nation, will make a tragic mistake if we walk away or attempt to undo the Obama legacy. Democrats should not only protect this record, or defend this record – they should run on this record."But Biden did not use the opportunity to endorse any of the announced candidates, including the current frontrunner, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton later praised Biden, tweeting that she was "inspired by his optimism and commitment to change the world for better".

Voting in the first stages of the 2016 presidential election will kick off with Caucuses in Iowa next February.

Xiaohong, CRI, Washington DC.

Wikileaks Publishes Emails of CIA DirectorWikileaks has published a number of emails of United States CIA Director John Brennan. A high school student has claimed to have hacked into the email accounts of Brennen and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johson.

On Wednesday, Wikeleaks published emails from 2007 to 2008 with subjects including "Torture" and "The Conundrum of Iran".

Brennan was working in the private sector at that time, said Wikileaks' website, adding he used a private account at the time for intelligence-related work.

The FBI and the Secret Service are said to be investigating reports of the hacking but says no classified information had been compromised.

Cuban Agriculture Suffers Massive Losses from US Trade EmbargoThe US trade embargo caused a 450-million-dollar loss for Cuba's agricultural sector in the one year period ending in March.

Foreign Relations Director at Cuba's Agriculture Ministry Juan Jose Leon made the comments on Wednesday.

"Americans cannot do business with us, the embargo doesn't permit it. There is a lot of interest in America, and we are interested. For example, in the cattle sector, the Americans have the technology in areas such as genetics and food. We could advance with it but currently they haven't been able to invest in agriculture because of the laws."According to the ministry's figures, 230 million of the losses were due to the lack of export opportunities, while no access to advanced technology caused another 50 million.

Leon added having access to credit and the ability to partner with US agricultural organizations would facilitate investment in Cuba.

Relations between the US and Cuba thawed late last year when the two nations announced to re-establish ties. The US has since eased trade restrictions on Cuba. However, US restrictions on offering credit remain in place.

US and Cuba Launch Marine Protection InitiativesUS and Cuban scientists have launched a new initiative to study and preserve shark populations in Cuban waters.

Cuba's marine environment has been largely shielded from tourism and over exploitation, and therefore better preserved than those in other Caribbean nations.

A representative from the US Environmental Defense Fund, Dan Whittle, hopes preservation in Cuba can help to rebuild the ecosystems in neighboring regions.

"For example they discovered there is an abundance of oceanic whitetip sharks here, which are almost disappeared from everywhere else now. If you can protect them In Cuba you can grow and expand them beyond Cuba borders, so it improves the science and it improves the management."The US-Cuban team has completed one study of Cuba's shark populations. Guidelines for local fisherman have been issued to protect the species. Cuban officials have asked the fishermen to tag and release any sharks they catch.

Last month, the US and Cuba announced another plan to create a marine sanctuary to protect underwater environments in both countries.

WeatherBeijing will see slight rain with a high of 12 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 9.

Shanghai will be sunny with a high of 26 and a low of 19.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with during the daytime with a high of 28 and lows of 20.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 27.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 17.

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

Washington, sunny with a high of 24 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 27.

Toronto will be cloudy with a high of 14 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 23.

And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 31 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChina to build global comprehensive strategic partnership with BritainChinese President Xi Jinping has said that his country and Britain will build a "global comprehensive strategic partnership" in the 21st century.

President Xi, who is in London for a state visit to Britain, made the remarks at a joint news conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron after their talks at 10 Downing Street.

President Xi says China and Britain are both major countries with significant influence, and now their partnership is standing at a new starting point.

He said the two countries should seize the opportunities to promote their ties.

During Xi Jinping's visit to Britain, some inter-governmental and business cooperation documents have been signed, including one concerning the Hinkley Point nuclear power station.

For his part, David Cameron says the project will provide reliable, affordable energy to nearly 6 million homes and create more than 25,000 jobs in Britain.

Calling China and Britain "global powers" with shared interests in a stable and modern world, he said that as permanent members of the UN Security Council, the two countries should deepen cooperation across the globe.

Chinese vice president meets Japanese lawmakersChinese Vice President Li Yuanchao has met with a delegation of lawmakers from Japan's Liberal Democratic Party.

Li Yuanchao says long-term and stable bilateral ties are in the interest of both countries.

The head of the Japanese delegation says they hope to work more closely with the Chinese side through exchanges between political parties and young politicians.

26 dead in Philippines due to Typhoon KoppuPhilippine authorities are reporting that 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.

France announces tighter security in Calais, more shelter for migrantsFrance on Wednesday announced plans to improve living conditions for migrants and refugees living in the port city of Calais, where some 6,000 refugees are currently camped out there in cold temperatures.

France's interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said construction work would begin at the beginning of November on a 15-hundered bed temporary centre, and that a centre housing women and children would offer 400 places by the end of the year from the current 200.

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

U.S. stocks ended lower on Wednesday, as Wall Street meditated on a mixed bag of quarterly results from big companies.

Latest data from Thomson Reuters showed that S&P 500 companies' blended earnings in the third quarter will decline 3.5 percent year on year, while revenue growth is forecast to decrease 3.8 percent.

Meanwhile, Ferrari begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday under the ticker symbol RACE.

The luxury car maker priced its IPO at 52 dollars per share, valuing the company at around 10 billion dollars.

At the closing bell,Dow Jones was down 0.3 percent.

S&P 500 fell 0.6 percent.

The Nasdaq dipped 0.8 percent.

Meanwhile in Europe, the equities rose on Wednesday.

At the closing bell,UK's FTSE 100 edged up 0.05 percent.

Germany's DAX gained 0.9 percent.

France's CAC 40 increased 0.5 percent.

Finally in China, the shares made a major correction on Wednesday after more than a week of rises.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped over 3 percent, while the Shenzhen index plummeted almost 6 percent.

BP signs $10 billion gas supply deal with China's HuadianBritish oil major BP has signed a liquefied natural gas supply deal with China's Huadian.

The deal costs 6 billion pounds or 10 billion US dollars.

Under the agreement, BP will supply nearly 1 million tons of LNG per year over 20 years to Huadian, the largest gas-fired power generator here in China.

At the same time, BP has also agreed with China National Petroleum Corporation to cooperate on shale gas exploration and production in the Sichuan Basin.

The potential cooperation also includes jointly working on carbon emissions trading.

It's been estimated that more than 12 billion pounds worth of oil and gas deals will be signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Britain.

SinoFortone to invest 100 million GBP in London theme parkChina's SinoFortone Group has pledged an investment of 100 million pounds, or 160 million U.S. dollars, in the London Paramount Entertainment Resort.

The Paramount resort, worth some 3 billion pounds, includes a theme park, events space and hotels on the banks of the River Thames in north Kent, southeast England.

The resort is expected to receive 15 million visitors per year and create 27-thousand jobs.

It is now being developed by London Resort Company Holdings.

Among its partners are Paramount Pictures, BBC, Aardman Animations and the British Film Institute.

It is due to open in 2021, subject to planning permission from the British government.

China SOE profits tumble in Jan-SeptAnchor:

Latest stats show the profits of China's state-owned enterprises continued to fall in the first three quarters of the year.

Profits declined 8.2 percent year on year in the period to some 1.7 trillion yuan or about 274 billion U.S. dollars.

SOEs in the areas of petrochemical, oil refining and construction materials saw substantial profit declines.

While the steel, coal and non-ferrous metal sectors continued to suffer from major losses.

Profits at SOEs have been down throughout the year due to a febrile economic climate.

The Chinese economy posted 6.9-percent growth year on year in the third quarter, lower than the 7 percent posted in the first half.

For more on this, we are now joined on the line by Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator.

Questions:

Q1: Apart from the downward pressure Chinese economy currently faces, what are some others factors that can be blamed for the further decline in SOEs' profits?

Q2: To support SOEs, the Chinese government has unveiled guidelines to address issues of mixed ownership and to introduce a modern enterprise system. How effective are these policies in helping SOEs so far? Or do you think it is still to early to see the effects?

Q3: At the same time, the government is working to reform the country's pricing mechanism with a target to lift price controls for almost all goods and services in competitive sectors by 2017. What's your take on this move?

Back anchor:

That was Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator.

China issues new gov't pricing catalog to reduce price controlChina has published a revised government pricing catalog in order to further lift government control on the prices of commodities and services.

The catalog includes 20 pricing items in seven categories, covering natural gas, water, electricity, special drugs, transportation and mail services.

Deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, Hu Zucai, says the new catalog narrows down the pricing scope and further improves the pricing procedure.

"In this way, the fruits of the reform are consolidated through institutionalization, and remaining pricing items are clearly listed to facilitate public supervision. The list is subject to dynamic adjustments and the items will be reduced as the reform pushes on."Meantime, Chinese local governments are also pushing forward with the revision of local pricing catalogs.

The new catalog will take effect on January 1.

VW CEO says cost of emissions scandal may riseThe cost of Volkswagen's emissions scandal may yet rise.

The company's new CEO Matthias Mueller visited Volkswagen's Wolfsburg plant on Wednesday.

He said the company is speculating about potential fines.

"The 6.5 billion euros that VW has allocated apply to the recall campaign and all the recalculations we have made in the last days result in this dimension. I can only speculate alongside you about any further expenses. We still need time to determine these numbers. This is in first line dependent on the sales numbers. If the sales volume remains stable, then we wouldn't need further provisions."Mueller's visit came as the automaker stopped sales in the 28-country European Union of the remaining new cars involved in the recent emissions scandal.

Volkswagen confirmed on Wednesday that it has halted sales of as-yet unregistered cars with the EA 189 engine that are still with dealers, or in storage.

It said the measure affects a "very limited" number of vehicles.

Last week, German authorities ordered a recall of all Volkswagen cars fitted with the software currently on the road.

The decision has affected at least 8.5 million VW diesel vehicles across the EU.

SportsGuangzhou Evergrande make finals at AFC Champions LeagueBeginning with the latest football action,Guangzhou Evergrande held home team Gamba Osaka at a goalless draw to progress into the finals at the AFC Champions League.

Evergrande secured their place 2-1 on aggregate thanks to a victory at home two weeks ago.

It is their second appearance in the final in the last three years.

The Chinese champions move on to face United Arab Emirates club Al Ahli in the finals.

Evergrande are visiting in the first leg on November 7, and hosting in the return leg two weeks after.

Jiangshu Shuntian, Shanghai Shenhua in finals of CFA CupIn the CFA Cup in China,Jiangsu Shuntian beat defending champions Shandong Luneng 2-0 at home to make the finals with a 4-1 aggregate victory.

Shuntian now are in serious contention of winning the tournament and booking a place in next season's AFC Champions League.

Their opponent in the finals are Shanghai Shenhua which downed dark horse Beijing Beikong 4-1 and progressed 7-3 on aggregate.

It is the first time in 16 years that Shenhua have made the final.

The first leg of the Shuntian-Shenhua showdown is set for November 22 in Jiangsu; the return leg is a week after in Shanghai.

Champions League resultsMore football action, in the UEFA Champions League,Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic digged deep but neither could help their sides with a goal.

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain scrapped 1 point off of each other as their Group A game came to a goalless draw.

They have seven points each with Real topping the table on goal difference.

In Group B,Anthony Martial played angle and devil for Manchester United as his side drew 1-all with Moscow CSKA.

Martial's handball in the box gave Moscow a penalty and the lead but he later redeemed himself with a header to equalize.

The teams have the exact same points, goals, and goal differences. They sit behind group leader Wolfsburg which downed PSV 2-0.

Man. United's city rivals Manchester City rose to top of Group D with a 2-1 win over Sevilla.

Also in this group, Juventus celebrated goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon's record-breaking field time for the team but nothing else.

They were neutralized by Moenchengladbach and denied their third straight win.

A goalless draw gave Gladbach their first point in the tournament.

In a relatively uneventful Group C,Atletico Madrid beat Astana 4-0,Turkish champions Galatasaray edged Benfica 2-1.

Klopp to make Anfield debut in Europa LeagueStaying in Europe, in the Europa League,New Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp is set to make his Anfield debut when his side take on Rubin Kazan in Group B.

The German coach will be put to the test as they look for their first victory in the tournament, after drawing the first two group games.

Klopp sees the game as a chance to make a statement.

"First of all, we meet here at this wonderful place so often in the week because we want to have success. And this Europa League is quite open. There are no decisions. There's no decision for tomorrow in the game only for the game but it could be a big step for us, of course, in the right direction for this group. And that is, first of all, what we are looking for. Next - of course - we want to see the next step in development, it's not easy. "Klopp took over Liverpool two weeks ago and began his reign of the club with a goalless draw against Tottenham in the Premier League.

He is expected to receive thunderous welcome from the home crowd when he takes to the field at Anfield tomorrow.

More Europa League action coming up,Bordeaux face Sion in the same group,Schalke meet Sparta Prague in Group K,And it is a clash between Turkish and Dutch heavyweights Fenerbahce and Ajax in Group A.

Chen Long, Lin Dan out of French OpenIn badminton,World number one and last week's Denmark Open winner Chen Long has pulled out of the French Open due to unspecified reasons.

All China's hopes in men's singles are on Lin Dan but he delivered with a shock defeat in the opening round instead.

Lin won the first set against Indian player Prannoy Haseena Suni but was bounced in the next two sets.

Other singles players Wang Zhengming and Tian Houwei both progressed.

Malaysia's Lee Chong-wei also sailed into the next round.

Palini wins 2nd stage of Tour of HainanIn cycling,Skydive Dubai Pro Team's Italian rider Andrea Palini has won the second stage of the Tour of Hainan.

Palini is also the winner in the opening stage and is wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey.

He also picked up the green jersey from top of the points classification.

Today's stage three is a 131 kilometer trek from Wenchang to the island province's capital Haikou.

This year's Tour of Hainan starts and finishes in the city of Wanning. It covers nearly 1,500 kilometers over a 9-day period.

China taking part in World Gymnastics ChampionshipsThe World Gymnastics Championships is set to open in Glasgow tomorrow.

615 gymnasts from 91 countries and regions make it the biggest world championships to date.

Fourteen Chinese athletes, 7 for men and women's event each, have already arrived in Glasgow for the final selection.

The teams will announce their six-strong squad before the competition.

China's men's team are looking to retaining their title in the team event and qualifying for next year's Rio Olympic Games.

EntertainmentShanghai Fashion Week Wraps upShanghai Fashion Week wrapped up on Wednesday, with Fairwhale Jeans closed out the gala by showcasing their 2016 spring and summer collection.

The collection also marks the second collaboration between US designer Nick Wooster and the Fairwhale Jeans brand.

Speaking at backstage, Wooster elaborates on the inspiration behind his design.

"So the inspiration is always the same for me - it's clothes I want to wear. And so I really look to my closet as the first place. What's missing? And that was the springboard for what we did here today. Things like sailor stripes, navy blue, khaki - these are summer staples for me and always in my wardrobe."Opened on last Tuesday, over fifty designers have joined the nine-day event in downtown Shanghai, with their latest collections.

Compared with fashion weeks in Paris and London, Shanghai Fashion Week is mainly a platform for young indie local designers, who hope to make a name for themselves.

Celebrations of "Back to Future" Day Kick offCelebrations of "Back to the Future" Day kicked off on Wednesday.

This is in honor of the date Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled through time from the Hollywood film's 1985 setting to Oct. 21, 2015.

The original cast made an appearance at a Lincoln Center in New York, along with fan-centric events being held, and more than 1,700 theaters hosting screenings across the country.

A four-day fan event named "We are Going Back" is set to be held in Southern California as part of the celebration.

The festivities will occur at locations featured in the film series, including a tour of the Hill Valley town square on the Universal Studios lot.

During the event, a documentary about the franchise's legacy entitled "Back in Time" will make its premier.

Other celebrations include a re-creation of Hill Valley is set to open on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Australia has joined global celebrations of the Back to the Future day.

Sandra Bullock's 'Our Brand is Crisis' to Open in the US on October 30thSandra Bullock's new comedy drama film 'Our Brand is Crisis' is getting ready to hit big screens in the United States.

The Oscar-winning actress helped to produce the film, alongside with her 'Gravity' co-star, George Clooney. She unveils more details of their collaboration.

"Trust me, if this was something George had his fingers in and his hands on in order to act in or direct, they would've never let it go - that's the truth. But they were open-minded enough to switch it to a female and that's his massive contribution. I said 'I want to produce it, I want to get this made, I want to go to Warner Bros. and say this is my next film' and they said 'Go.' I'm grateful for that."Based on a 2005 documentary with the same name, the film portrays a fictional political strategist who runs an American-style campaign during a Bolivian election.

Directed by David Gordon Green, the film's star cast also includes Billy Bob Thornton.

'Our Brand is Crisis' will open in the US on October 30th.

South Korea's Seong-Jin Cho Wins International Chopin Competition in WarsawSouth Korea's Seong-Jin Cho has won the prestigious 17th international Frederic Chopin piano competition in the Polish capital, Warsaw.

The 21-year-old native of Seoul expressed his complex feelings after winning the prize.

"First of all I couldn't believe it. And now I feel a little worried because of the future concerts. There are too many concerts in the future and I don't want people to be disappointed, so I have to work hard. Now I'm a little worried."The first prize includes concerts in some of the world's best-known halls, contracts for recordings, and a thirty thousand euro award with a gold medal.

Director of the Chopin Institute, Artur Szklender has praised the winner's performance.

"The winner represented a conservative school but at the same time he was extremely sensitive on the sound qualities and the intuition of form. For me it was very important and that is why I'm very happy with the verdict of jury."Canadian Charles Richard-Hamelin took the second prize, with third place going to Kate Liu of the United States.

The competition - held every five years - is unusual as 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.

The competition has been running for 88 years.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jinping saying that China and Britain will build a "global comprehensive strategic partnership" in the 21st century...

China's central bank issuing an RMB-denominated bond in London...

And US Vice President Joe Biden announcing that he will not seek his party's nomination for President...

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.