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

Coming up on the program this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jinping hails the role of Confucius institutes in remarks during his state visit to the UK...

New rules on discipline setting a high standard of behavior for all member's of the Communist Party of China....

And former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defends her record from an onslaught of GOP attacks at a hearing on Capitol Hill...

In Business....Agricultural Bank of China Launches a Green bond in London...

In Sports..... a preview of upcoming action in the Chinese Super League...

And in Entertainment.... a British band performs at the Shanghai international arts festival....

Top NewsXi Hails Role of Confucius Institutes in China-UK relationshipChinese President Xi Jinping is hailing the role of Confucius Institutes for its contribution to promoting cultural exchanges with foreign countries.

President Xi made the remarks while addressing an opening ceremony of an annual meeting of Confucius Institutes in Britain.

The President said Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms are important platforms for the world to get to know China.

"As important windows and bridges for linguistic and cultural exchanges between China and the world, Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms have played an active role in facilitating people around the world to learn Chinese language and understand its culture. They have also made important contributions to China's people-to-people exchanges with the world, as well as the development of a diverse and colorful world civilization"Xi was welcomed by students of the institutes with a Chinese song and a poem written by the President back in the 1990s.

Cameron Patterson is a student from the University of Lancaster who performed the poem at the event.

"I think it's a very good idea to recite the poem which pays tribute to Jiao Yvlu. It was also well written. I attended junior high school in China before. I remembered learning a lesson called 'Oasis in the Desert', which tells the story about Jiao Yvlu."Jiao Yulu is a late Chinese model official who worked in the barren Lankao County in central China's Henan province in the 1960s.

So far, there are 29 Confucius Institutes and 126 Confucius Classrooms established in the Britain, ranking the first among European countries.

Xi Jinping said he wishes that Confucius Institute teachers make greater contribution to the China-Britain relations.

"I hope the Confucius Institutes could carry on their motto, which features mutual respect, friendly negotiations, equality and mutual benefits, and make greater contribution to exchanging cultures, communicating the minds and promoting the diversity of world civilizations."Xi Jinping was accompanied by Prince Andrew, the Duke of York to the event.

Xi is on the fourth day of his state visit to the UK, the first of its kind by a Chinese president in a decade.

China-Britain "global" partnership sealed with declaration, personal bondsChina and Britain have issued a joint declaration on building a "global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st Century,".

The declaration comes as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Britain, the first one by a Chinese president in a decade.

The declaration says the two sides will enhance trade and investment as well as political trust based on equality and mutual respect.

Both sides have a strong interest in cooperating on each other's major initiatives, namely China's "Belt and Road" Initiative and Britain's National Infrastructure Plan and the Northern Powerhouse.

They will further discuss a "China-UK infrastructure alliance".

Britain reassured its support for the inclusion of RMB into the International Monetary Fund's special drawing rights basket.

Both sides say they support the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange in their work to carry out a feasibility study on a stock connection.

The two countries also called for the swift launch of a joint feasibility study for a China-EU Free Trade Agreement.

They also agreed to establish a high-level security dialogue.

Chinese and British leaders eat fish and chipsBritish Prime Minister David Cameron has treated Chinese President Xi Jinping to a meal of fish and chips at a British pub in the village of Ellesborough on Thursday evening.

Local media has reported that Xi and his delegation were keen to sample the traditional dish since arriving in the UK three days ago.

During their visit at the Plough and Cadsden, the two leaders were also greeted by locals having a drink at the pub.

The British Prime Minister has earlier welcomed President Xi Jinping to his official country residence, Chequers, on Thursday, during a state visit hailed as a landmark by both nations.

Earlier in the day, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan left Buckingham Palace on Thursday and were seen off by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Xi expressed his sincere appreciation for the hospitality and thoughtful arrangement made by the royal family, the government and the British people, saying the visit has given him a "deep and beautiful impression."Xi arrived in London on Monday evening for a state visit to Britain, the first one by a Chinese president in a decade.

He received the Queen's ceremonial welcome and rode in a gilded state carriage to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

The Queen has lauded President Xi's visit as very successful and wished the Chinese head of state a successful and smooth trip to Manchester, where he will continue his visit to the UK.

As part of his time in London on Thursday, the Chinese President has visited British satellite company Inmarsat, which is a global satellite communication services provider.

President Xi's speech at UK-China Business Summit receives positive feedbackAnchorChinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the UK-China Business Summit in London has received positive feedback from the business community.

CRI's Xie Cheng has more.

ReporterSeveral topics have been covered in President Xi's speech such as trade opportunities provided by the "One Belt, One Road" initiative as well as the promotion of tourism between the two countries.

Lord Mayor of the City of London Alderman Alan Yarrow spoke highly of the speech.

"I mean it showed a real partnership in looking towards the future and the 'golden era'. It was fantastically cooperative; it was helpful; it was supportive of all our private businesses to make sure they collaborate more in the future, helping both the Chinese people and the British people."Yarrow also praised the "One Belt, One Road" initiative as a way of rejoining the East with Europe, saying it's a wonderful illustration of how to get the cooperation and the infrastructure in place to make sure that global trade blossoms in the future.

For his part, acting director-general for UK Trade and Investment, Michael Charlton, said the initiative will bring many opportunities to the UK.

"There's a need to develop infrastructure along the 'Belt and Road' and the Chinese President Xi Jinping has clearly recognized that. And where we think exciting is that the UK can work with China in terms of third country investment. So we have many fantastic construction, engineering, project management firms that can help in that. And of course, we also have the financial companies to enable that to happen. One of the reasons, of course, that the UK was the first country to come forward and support the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank."In his speech, President Xi said China will import more than 10 trillion U.S. dollars of goods over the next five years and that more than 500 million Chinese tourists will travel abroad during that time.

Discussing economic issues, Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Line, expressed his confidence in the Chinese economy and said he is eager to explore the Chinese market in the coming year.

"We expect China to be the largest cruise market in the world over time and we've seen tremendous growth. In fact, we are going to grow our capacity 58 percent next year in China and then we are bringing an additional two brands - our AIDA brand, our German brand, and our Carnival brand from the U.S. - in 2017."For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

New rules set strict discipline for CPC membersThe Communist Party of China has published new norms on honesty and self-discipline and new rules for disciplinary punishments for members on Wednesday.

Authorities say the new rules are stricter and are applicable to all CPC members.

Zhang Jun is the deputy Secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

"The new rules on being clean and honest in duty and self-discipline have set much stricter standards for CPC members. The standards are borrowed from the principle of governing the country by law and by virtue. We should run the Party by rules and virtue, too."According to the new rules, party members must separate public and private interests, put the public interests first, and work selflessly.

CPC members are also required to champion simplicity and guard against extravagance.

The new discipline regulations explicitly list extravagant eating and drinking and playing golf as violations of discipline, which were not included previously.

The new rules on disciplinary punishments have been regarded by many as the most comprehensive and strictest since the opening up and reform drive began in the late 1970s.

Remains of Flying Tigers Pilots Returned to USA Chinese museum is to send the remains of three American Flying Tigers pilots back to the US.

Flying Tigers was the nickname of the 1st American Volunteer Group, which was operational in China in 1941 and 1942, under the command of Claire Lee Chennault.

The bodies were recovered during a search back in August near Bomi County in southwest China's Tibet region.

The search was organized by Jianchuan Museum based in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Fan Jianchuan, the museum's curator, says they want to pay tribute to the soldiers through the activity.

"These martyrs once fought bravely side by side with Chinese soldiers in the war against Japanese aggression. They deserve our respect and it's our responsibility to recover and preserve their remains."Bomi County is located right below the famous Hump air route that passed through the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains.

The Flying Tigers was tasked during the war with protecting the air route to ensure airlift of war materials from India to China.

Gas development in East China Sea not unilateral action: ChinaChina's foreign ministry has restated the cooperative nature of the country's oil and gas development in the East China Sea.

Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the statement at a routine press briefing.

"China's oil and gas development in the East China Sea is done in the undisputed waters under China's jurisdiction. There is no so called unilateral development. We hope Japan can correctly recognize principled consensus on issues related to the East China Sea, and do not raise any unreasonable questions."Hua made the remarks as a response to a Japanese media report, which called into question China's commitment to an agreement signed by China and Japan in 2008.

She also added that the arrangement of the fourth round China-Japan high-level consultations on maritime affairs is ongoing.

"During the 3rd round of China-Japan high-level consultations on maritime affairs held in January this year, the two sides agreed in principle to hold the 4th round of consultations in the second half of this year in China. The two sides are consulting with each other on the time and place of the new consultations and other specific matters."At the same time, the spokesperson denied reports of the resumption of China-Japan leaders' visits next year.

China to carry out residence permit system nationwideAnchorThe State Council, China's cabinet, has taken the latest step toward eliminating the cumbersome restrictions people have to endure in China if they move to an area outside their home town.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has more.

ReporterThe new steps announced by the State Council this week include the removal of the long-existing temporary residence permit requirements for people living outside their registration area.

Under the existing rules in China, if you live outside the area you're registration, or Hukou, is located, you're required to obtain a temporary residency permit.

That temporary residency permit only proves that you're living outside your Hukou.

It doesn't give you any of the social benefits, such as health or education coverage, that you would get under if you lived where your Hukou is registered.

But under the new changes, the State Council is planning to do away with that system, eliminating the term 'temporary,' and potentially giving people who hold the new residency permits more access to social benefits.

Professor Cai Fang with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences says changing the way the residency permits work will be an important transition for the Hukou reform plans in China.

"For many years, the children of migrant workers had no access to urban education in cities due to the shortcomings of the Hukou system. When these kids grow up and become the new generation in the labor force, their skills won't be able to meet the demands of China's industrial upgrades. As such, receiving fair education is not only a key issue for migrant children, but also for China's sustainable growth in the future."It is estimated over 270-million people in China are living and working in cities without the proper registration.,It's believed that number continues to rise as more and more people in China's rural areas gravitate toward the cities for work.

Despite the planned changes, Professor Xu Guangjian with Renmin University points out that barriers are still going to be there when the new regulations take effect.

"The biggest problem is where children of residency permit holders will attend the Gaokao, or college entrance exams. This has a lot to do with the unbalanced academic resources across China. Secondly, there will be questions as to whether local authorities will have enough funding to provide for social housing, especially in the big cities. Again, due to limited resources, residency permit holders will probably have to wait a long time, even their local government does eventually offer them housing."At the same time, the State Council is also making it easier for people to gain access to an urban hukou through a new points system.

A points system is being developed which will allow people to change their hukou if they tick-off enough points through their level of education, skill level and social security backgrounds.

No timetable has been given for the new system's enforcement nationwide.

However, major cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen have already brought in programs similar to what the State Council is proposing nation-wide.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.

Hillary Clinton takes Responsibility for BenghaziFormer US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton firmly defended her actions on Benghazi as she came face-to-face Thursday with the Republican-led special investigation of the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks in Libya.

Clinton, the front-runner to win the Democratic nomination, kicked off a long day of questioning with a plea that the United States maintain its global leadership role despite the threat posed to U.S. diplomats.

The former Secretary of State said she "took responsibility" for the attacks but then implemented every measure recommended by the review board.

"I was the one who asked Chris to go to Libya as our envoy. I was the one who recommended him to be our Ambassador to the president. After the attacks, I stood next to President Obama as Marines carried his casket and those of the other three Americans off the plane at Andrews Air Force Base. I took responsibility and, as part of that, before I left office I launched reforms to better protect our people in the field and help reduce the chance of another tragedy happening in the future."Clinton hailed the efforts of the four Americans who died in the attacks, including Chris Stevens, the first ambassador in more than three decades, but told the House Benghazi Committee that the deadly events have already been exhaustively scrutinized.

For more on this, I spoke earlier to Xiaohong, CRI's chief correspondent in Washington。

Back Anchor: CRI's Washington Chief Correspondent Xiaohong.

Congressman Paul Ryan formally declares bid for house speakerCongressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin has formally announced that he will seek the post of Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, to replace outgoing speaker John Boehner of Ohio.

Ryan had earlier expressed reluctance to run for the post, citing family concerns and the in-fighting in the Republican conference that led to Boehner's stepping down several weeks ago.

Ryan has since received a relatively unified vote of support from the various factions of the House Republican Conference. Some members of the so-called Freedom Caucus, a conservative Republican group, are however still quitely expressing doubts about Ryan.

It is unclear at this point when the vote to elect the next Speaker will be held in the House.

US Soldier Killed in Rescue Operation in IraqUS and Iraqi troops have managed to rescue some 70 prisoners of the Islamic State in Iraq after learning of their "imminent execution".

However, one US soldier died from fatal injuries, the first killed in action since the US joined the fight against IS last year.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the rescue operation did not mean a change in US tactics in the war.

"This was a unique circumstance in which very close partners of the United States made a specific request for our assistance, and there was a deliberate process to analyze the situation and the circumstances, and that's when the decision was made to move forward with this operation."The operation took place near the northern Iraqi city of Hawija in early Thursday morning.

The US side provided helicopters for the mission and sent some troops to accompany the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters who led the raid.

Sword-wielding man kills 2 in Swedish school attackA masked man wielding a sword killed a teacher and a student in an attack Thursday at a school in Trollhattan, Sweden, before being shot dead.

Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said the stabbing attack marked a "dark day" for the country.

"That which should never happen has happened here today. I am deeply moved, I feel great sorrow. I am here to express my, the Swedish government, and the Swedish people's sadness and sympathy."Two others, another teacher and a student, were wounded in the attack on the Kronan primary and middle school.

Police investigator Thord Haraldsson said the injured were reported to be in serious condition at the hospital in Trollhattan.

"We can also say that those still at the hospital are alive and very seriously injured."The suspect was a 21-year-old man from Trollhattan who was shot by police at the scene and later died at the hospital.

Putin accuses West of playing 'double game' with Syria terroristRussian President Vladimir Putin is accusing the West of playing a "double game" with terrorists in Syria.

Putin made the remarks while addressing a meeting with political scientists known as the Valdai Club.

"It's always difficult to play a double game: declaring a fight against terrorists while simultaneously trying to use some of them to arrange the pieces on the Middle East chess board in one's own interests."Russia and the US are carrying out airstrikes in Syria separately.

Russia has insisted that their airstrikes are hitting IS and other terrorist groups.

However, the US and its allies said that Russia also targeted rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Assad made a surprise visit to Moscow on Tuesday for talks with Putin.

It was the first overseas trip for Assad since the war broke out in the country in 2011.

U.S., Pakistani leaders stress cooperation against terrorismU.S. President Barack Obama and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held talks at the White House on Thursday and renewed their common resolve to counter all forms of extremism and terrorism.

Obama affirmed Pakistan's role as "a key counterterrorism partner" and recognized the sacrifices that the Pakistanis have made over the years as they confront terrorism and militant groups.

He added apart that from security, the two countries have cooperated in many other areas.

"Obviously the United States and Pakistan have a long-standing relationship work and cooperation on a whole host of issues, not just on security matters but also on economic and scientific and educational affairs and we're looking forward to using this meeting as an opportunity to further deepen the relationship between the United States and Pakistan."Both leaders expressed their commitment to advancing an Afghan-owned and -led peace and reconciliation process between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban, and called on Taliban leaders to enter into direct talks with Kabul and work toward a sustainable peace settlement.

Sharif said he wants to deepen the Pakistan and America relations.

"The Pakistan America relations span over 70 years and it is my endeavor to further strengthen and solidify this relationship and I look forward to a very constructive engagement with you today to add greater substance and depth to our relationship as you've very rightly mentioned, so thank you for inviting me."The leaders' agenda includes U.S. financial aid to Islamabad and delayed negotiations for peace in Afghanistan.

Sharif's visit comes one week after Obama reversed his pledge to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan before he leaves office.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy with a high of 18 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 9.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 25 and a low of 20.

In Chongqing, it will be overcast with during the daytime with a high of 25 and lows of 19.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 28.

Kabul will see slight rain with a high of 18.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 14 degrees.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 18 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 28.

Toronto will be cloudy with a high of 9 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 17.

And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 29 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChina-Britain "global" partnership sealed with declaration, personal bondsChina and Britain have issued a joint declaration on building a "global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st Century,".

The declaration comes as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Britain, the first one by a Chinese president in a decade.

The declaration says the two sides will enhance trade and investment as well as political trust based on equality and mutual respect.

Both sides have a strong interest in cooperating on each other's major initiatives, namely China's "Belt and Road" Initiative and Britain's National Infrastructure Plan and the Northern Powerhouse.

They will further discuss a "China-UK infrastructure alliance".

Britain reassured its support for the inclusion of RMB into the International Monetary Fund's special drawing rights basket.

Both sides say they support the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange in their work to carry out a feasibility study on a stock connection.

The two countries also called for the swift launch of a joint feasibility study for a China-EU Free Trade Agreement.

They also agreed to establish a high-level security dialogue.

Chinese Premier said there is no basis for long-term depreciation of Chinese currencyChina's Premier Li Keqiang said there is no basis for long-term depreciation of Chinese currency.

He made the comment when meeting with former U.S. treasury secretary Henry Paulson in Beijing on Thursday.

Li said China has taken timely measures to cope with unusual capital market fluctuations, and has forestalled potential systemic financial risks.

He hoped the Paulson Foundation would play a positive role in bringing advanced ideas and technology to China.

China begins large water diversion projectA large water diversion project broke ground on Thursday in central China's Hubei Province, which will benefit nearly 5 million people after completion.

The 270-km pipeline, will divert 1.4 billion cubic meters of water each year from Danjiangkou Reservoir to cities in north Hubei.

With investment of nearly 18 billion yuan, the largest water distribution project will take three years and nine months to complete.

Danjiangkou Reservoir is the source of the middle route of the huge south-to-north water diversion project. The middle route takes water to Northern provinces or cities including Beijing and Tianjin.

China has 208,000 certified social workersChina's Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Thursday that there are about 200-thousand certified social workers in China,The country has shifted focus on social services to maintain social harmony. The central government aims to employ over 1 million social workers by 2020.

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.

Joining us on the desk Qian Shanming.

ReporterU.S. stocks posted solid gains on Thursday, as investor confidence was boosted by remarks from European Central Bank President Mario Draghi.

At the closing bell,Dow Jones gained 1.9 percent.

Both S&P 500 and the Nasdaq jumped 1.7 percent.

The ECB decided at Thursday's meeting that the interest rate on the main refinancing operations and interest rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility will remain unchanged.

President Mario Draghi said the degree of monetary policy accommodation will need to be "re-examined" at the December monetary policy meeting.

Analysts believe that his comments suggested the ECB is prepared to undertake further stimulus for the euro zone.

Meanwhile in Europe, the equities also rose on Thursday.

At the closing bell,UK's FTSE 100 was up 0.4 percent.

Germany's DAX gained 2.5 percent.

France's CAC 40 increased 2.3 percent.

Finally here in China, the shares closed higher on Thursday.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was up 1.5 percent, while the Shenzhen component index rose 3.6 percent.

Agricultural Bank Of China lists green bond in LondonThe Agricultural Bank Of China has listed its green bonds on the London Stock Exchange.

The 1 billion U.S. dollars equivalent climate bond is the first green bond issued by a Chinese financial institution.

It is also the first green bond denominated in renminbi issued by an Asian issuer.

Vice President of Agricultural Bank Of China Li Zhenjiang attended the list opening.

"The green bonds issued by the Agricultural Bank of China abide by the internationally-applied Green Bond Principles, and were accredited by a third party. The proceeds will be used for China's environmental-friendly projects, covering clean energy, organic agriculture and environmental protection."After the listing event, ABC also signed a memo with the London Stock Exchange on green finance strategy to enhance future cooperation.

Li Zhenjiang said it's a joint effort of Chinese and British financial institutions on developing green finance and coping with climate change.

Green bonds are a means for directing financial resources to environmental protection industries and projects.

Merlin, CMC & LeTV, YidaoAnchorTime to check in with some of the stories making headlines from the corporate world this week.

UK-based Merlin Entertainments is going to open an indoor Legoland amusement park in Shanghai.

The deal, involving an investment of around 300 million US dollars, was announced in London during Chinese president Xi Jinping's visit to the country this week.

Merlin is launching the venture in partnership with China's State-owned investment fund CMC Capital Partners.

Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.

Merlin is the world's second largest theme park operator, after Walt Disney.

It has operated five attractions in China, including Madame Tussauds and the Chang Feng Ocean World aquarium.

---------------------------------For more on this topic, we are joined on the line by Doug Young, Associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief with Reuters.

Questions:

1)As we know, The Shanghai Disneyland is scheduled to open next year. In light of this deal with Merlin and CMC, how do you see the future development of the theme-park industry here in China?

2) In recent years, an increasing number of foreign amusement parks have opened in China. Some analysts say that the glocalization/localization negotiation is a potential challenge to these foreign-branded theme parks. How do you think the industry will go about solving this problem?

------------------------------------Technology Company LeTV has invested 700 million US dollars in domestic ride-hailing app Yidao Yongche in return for a 70-percent stake.

LeTV said earlier that it will acquire the stake, becoming the controlling shareholder.

The deal is part of LeTV's expansion into the vehicle market.

LeTV has been working on an electric-vehicle project named super electric eco-system since December.

Questions:

1)LeTV is a company that mainly focuses on developing television and smartphones. So what is the motivation to push LeTV to invest in the car-hailing industry?

2)Meanwhile, Yidao Yongche is also facing a fiercely competition. It has a number of rivals like domestic ride-hailing market leader Didi Kuaidi, and US firm Uber Technologies. Do you think Yidao Yongche can change its position in current car-hailing market, now that it has this investment from LeTV?

Back AnchorDoug Young, Associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief with Reuters.

ICBC, BP ink financial leasing agreementA subsidiary of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is set to provide 18 oil tankers to British oil major BP through financial leasing.

Under the agreement, ICBC Financial Leasing is expected to rent the tankers to BP shipping as the shipowner in the next 10 years.

The deal is estimated at over 850 million U.S. dollars.

It marks the latest effort from ICBC Financial Leasing to explore shipping and financial markets in Europe and America.

Up to now, ICBC Financial Leasing has owned more than 300 ships.

Its total financial leasing assets has reached 45 billion yuan or 7 billion U.S. dollars.

China to set up third-generation nuclear power companyChina's homegrown third-generation reactor design is expected to be used in a Chinese-led and operated nuclear project at Bradwell in southern England.

The third-generation reactor design, known as the Hualong One, will be built by a joint venture of two Chinese nuclear power giants.

China General Nuclear Power Group and China National Nuclear Corporation aim to establish a company to reduce competition in exporting Hualong One into overseas markets.

The president of China National Nuclear Corporation says most distinctive advantage of the Hualong One design is its safety under active and passive circumstances.

It can activate a series of protective measures when the external power is cut off.

On Wednesday, CGN and Electricite de France signed a strategic investment agreement to build a nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point in southwestern England.

The two sides have also plan to cooperate on another two British nuclear projects at Sizewell in Suffolk and Bradwell in Essex.

SportsCSL previewBeginning with some football action that's coming up this weekend,Guangzhou Evergrande head into this round of play with the chance of securing their fifth Chinese Super League title with two more games still to spare.

Evergrande are top of the table ahead of Shanghai SIPG, clear by four points.

They only need two points from the last two games to secure the title.

Standing between Evergrande and a fifth crown are Shandong Luneng and Beijing Guo'an which are no tame opponents to face.

Evergrande have been undefeated since coach Luis Felipe Scolari took over in May. They will be looking to keep that run when they meet Shandong Luneng this weekend.

Meanwhile, it will be an exhilerating battle between Tianjin Teda and Beijing Guo'an.

Teda are one foot in the danger zone and as desperate to avoid relegation as Guo'an are to earn a ticket to next season's AFC Champions League.

Guo'an have Shandong Luneng breathing down their neck in the fight for third place and direct qualification.

Liverpool held by 10-man Kezan in Klopp's home debutMore football action from the Europa League,Liverpool's record in this year's tournament did not improve with new coach Juergen Klopp's home debut.

They were held at 1-all at Anfield by 10-man Rubin Kezan in Group B.

Liverpool have drawn all three group games so far and are at second place behind Sion which beat Bordeaux 1-0.

In Group A,Fenerbahce proved the stronger team in their Group A game against Ajax, downing the Dutch outfit 1-0.

Schalke drew Sparta Prague 2-all in Group K,And it is Sporting Braga edging Marseille 3-2 in Group F.

Ding Junhui in semi-finals at Haining OpenIn Snooker,Ding Junhui has survived a Zhang Anda scare and made it into the semi-finals of the Haining Open.

Ding slipped on the last red ball to gift the fifth frame to Zhang after they had both won two frames each.

Ding saved the match point with a single break of 130 to save the match point and went on to take the deciding frame.

Awaiting Ding in the last four is Jimmy Robertson.

Ricky Walden and Robert Milkins make up the other semi-final match-up.

New Zealand gearing up for semi-final clash against South AfricaIn rugby,Defending champions New Zealand are gearing up for their semi-final clash against South Africa in the world cup this weekend.

Despite the fact that the All Blacks are seen as clear favorites, Coach Steve Hansen says they have come a long way to reach this point and the rest won't be easier.

"When we went through the pool stages and some blokes were telling us we were struggling, which I really appreciated because it keeps us on edge, and then we played really well. We played to a standard that we expect to play at, and there is a number of reason why we did that; a, because it's life or death, you either win or you go home. And if we want to play to the point we were in the final it's the same this week. It's life or death, you either stand up and be counted, or you go home."Hansen has named the line-up for the game, the only change being Joe Moody replacing injured Wyatt Crockett.

The winners of this game will take on the winners between Argentina and Australia in the final.

Hamilton likely to seal title at US GPNow tapping into the world of motor racing,Formula One drivers are back in action after a two-week break.

Lewis Hamilton could become a triple world champion and the first British driver to win two titles in a row at this weekend's American Grand Prix.

The title is his if he wins two points more than his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg and nine points more than Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.

A Mercedes one-two, with Hamilton winning, will guarantee that.

Mercedes have already won the constructors' championship.

US fans will be cheering on local driver Alexander Rossi, the first American driver in Formula One races in eight years.

Rookie Rossi is happy about the vibe and excited to be racing on home circuit.

Obviously to be here at home means a big deal, but at the same time we have a job to do and very clear objectives to meet. I'm looking forward to it; there are a lot of friends and family that will be coming this weekend. But I think once you get in the car and on track you appreciate the fact that there is a bigger picture."Rossi is racing for Manor Marussia but not likely to play any part in the outcome of the championship results.

Rossi, Lorenzo vie for Moto GP championshipThe fight for the title is also heating up as riders arrive for this weekend's Moto GP Malaysia Grand Prix.

It is an internal battle at Yamaha between teammates Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

Rossi leads Lorenzo by 11 points on top of the standings.

He will need to increase the lead to 26 points in order to claim an early title at this penultimate race of the season.

Rossi sees his chance coming but is keeping it low-key.

"Yes, it is the first chance. This means that a little bit more pressure for Jorge (Lorenzo) because he has to arrive in front of me and try to take some points before Valencia. But it is the same, you always have to give there maximum and try especially to work well during the practice, understand what is happening with the weather and especially arrive ready for the race of Sunday."Regardless if Rossi will get his long-awaited championship, he will make history when he makes the start for the race on Sunday.

It will be the Italian veteran's 329th grand prix, making him the rider with most starts in the 67-year history of motorracing world series.

EntertainmentBritish Royal Band Gives Debut Performance in Shanghai International Arts FestivalBritish royal band gave their first performance at the ongoing Shanghai International Arts Festival.

Director of music with the Coldstream Guards Band, Simon Haw says it's a delight to meet the Chinese audience in Shanghai.

"If we weren't here performing for the people of China, we would be back home and performing in London for the President of China, that's our role - state ceremonial and supporting all that tradition in London. The audiences have been so pleased to hear our music and we've had a warm welcome from everywhere we've been."The Coldstream Guards Band, which is well-known for its long history, was honored to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping outside Buckingham Palace earlier on Monday.

The royal band was invited by the festival's committee, as a part of the "Art Space" program.

Under the program, over 90 free performances in the open air, including music, dance and opera, are set to be staged, and aim to enhance the popularity of arts performances amongst the general public.

The 17th China Shanghai International Arts Festival runs until November 16th.

Third Wuzhen Theater Festival in Full SwingThe third Wuzhen Theater Festival, featuring 73 performances from both home and abroad in ten theaters, is now in full swing.

Tourists in this ancient water town in east China's Zhejiang Province, enjoy various opportunities to watch opera performances staged by artists from both home and abroad right on the streets.

A Chinese performer says the festival gives a different experience from regular opera performances, which normally take place in a theater.

"The audiences are just about one meter from us or even closer. You can get feedback from the audience by having eye expressions with them, which actually help us perform better."First held in 2013, this annual event is founded by Meng Jinghui, Chen Xianghong, Stan Lai and Huang Lei.

This year's festival is also set to hold 20 dramas from 12 countries and regions, including France and Russia in Wuzhen's ten theaters.

It will run until October 24th.

28th Tokyo International Film Festival OpenedTokyo International Film Festival raised its curtain on Thursday, as Filipino director Brillante Mendoza took the center stage at the opening ceremony.

Five films from the director have been featured during the ceremony, including his latest film 'Taklub', shown earlier this year at Cannes.

Mendoza says this is a great honor for him.

"It's also an opportunity for us to show our culture, our tradition, our stories about the Philippines ways of life in other countries. But, this is very important for me because it is an Asian film festival and I think this is one of the very first activity this festival had in recent years.

With Cannes, Berlin and Venice awards under the belt, Mendoza indicates he hope to find a collaboration with other Asian filmmakers, making a film that can be shown at next year's Tokyo festival.

Meanwhile, American 3D film 'The Walk' opened the festival.

Starred by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, this biographical drama film portrays French high-wire artist Philippe Petit, as he walked between the former Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.

Oscar-winning actress Hillary Swank walked the red carpet for the festival.

The 28th Tokyo International Film Festival runs until October 31st.

Adele has finally confirmed her third album and it's called 25Adele has finally confirmed the title of her new album, and it's to be called '25'.

After months of waiting, the singer took to Twitter with a heartfelt message explaining the story behind her upcoming third album.

Adele explained that while her previous album '21' was a break-up record, her new album is a "make-up record".

Fans have been eagerly anticipating Adele's return since Sunday, when the star seemed to drop a teaser of new music into an ad-break during the X Factor talent show at the weekend.

There's still no word of an official release date for '25', but it looks as though it could be just around the corner.

Adele's last album, the platinum-selling '21', was released over four years ago.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jinping hails the role of Confucius institutes in remarks during his state visit to the UK...

New rules on discipline setting a high standard of behavior for all member's of the Communist Party of China....

And former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defends her record from an onslaught of GOP attacks at a hearing on Capitol Hill...

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.