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

Coming up on the program this morning...

China lodging strong objections with the United States ambassador after a US warship patrol entered Chinese territorial waters....

Discussions around the 13th 5-year plan of national development from 2016 till 2020 are now in full swing...

Rescuers rushing to the hard hit areas in the Afghanistan earthquake as the death toll climbs to more than 340...

In Business....Denmark inks and agreement with China regarding the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank...

In Sports..... China's Ding Junhui crashes out of the International Snooker Championship...

And in Entertainment.... Traditional Chinese elements dazzle at the China Fashion Week ongoing here in Beijing...

Top NewsBeijing summons U.S. ambassador over U.S. navy patrolChina has summoned the US ambassador after a US warship patrol entered waters near China's Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui summoned US Ambassador to China Max Baucus, calling the US action a "serious provocation."The USS Lassen entered waters within 12 nautical miles of Zhubi Reef without notifying the Chinese government on Tuesday morning.

Zhang said China is "strongly discontented with and firmly against" the move.

The vice foreign minister reiterated China's claim of sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and its adjacent waters while denying China's activities will restrict freedom of navigation and overflight in the region.

Zhang warned that China will do whatever necessary to oppose deliberate provocation from any country.

Zhang also urged the US side to remember its commitment that it would take no position on territorial disputes.

Meanwhile, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun has said the action by the US side was "a show of military force intended to militarize" the sea.

Yang added that the US side has threatened China's national security and regional security as well as China-US relations.

Yang Yujun also warned that China will take any measures necessary to safeguard its security.

Raising Quality and Returns of Development to be Main Focus on 13th 5-year Plan: ExpertsAnchorDuring the on-going 5th Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the discussion of the 13th 5-year plan of national development from 2016 till 2020 will be high on the agenda.

Many experts believe that raising the quality and returns of development will be one of the main focal points of the session.

CRI's Xie Cheng has more.

ReporterAccording to some analysts, maintaining economic growth might be the top priority among all the objectives of the new national 5-year plan.

Wang Jun, an expert from China Center for International Economic Exchanges, says China's economy should grow at least 6.5 percent on average in the next 5 years, so as to ensure the realization of the goal of doubling the 2010 GDP and per capita income of urban and rural residents by 2020.

"We believe that if the economy grows at a level between 6.5 and 7 percent, the first goal of the two centenary goals, which is building of a society of moderate prosperity in all respects, could be reached, and all objectives will be completed by 2020."He adds that a stable environment for economic growth is of the essence for deepening reform.

Zhu Lijia, a professor from Chinese Academy of Governance, suggests that amending weakness of development may be one of the main topics to be discussed in the plan, and that government reform is of great importance.

"To maintain growth, transform development modes, adjust structures and pursue innovation, all these are relevant parts of government reform. The measures will include streamlining administration and delegating more power, making negative lists and power lists, enlarging space for social and economic development, expanding employment and enhancing the development of service industries and agriculture."The next 5 years will be a crucial period for China to develop its economy with high quality, and China's economic growth will also face a series of challenges.

Wang Yukai from the Chinese Academy of Governance says deepening reform is especially required for raising quality and returns of economic growth.

"We should stick to the market-oriented reform and also adhere to reform on interest rate liberalization and finance, as well as the reform of state-owned enterprises, so as to achieve high-quality growth."In the meantime, strengthening the construction of ecological civilization has been included in the discussions around the 5-year plan for the first time.

Analysts believe that the country needs to continue to significantly reduce discharge of pollutants so as to improve environmental quality.

Thus industries and technologies concerning clean energy and new materials will see rapid growth in the next 5 years.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

Reform of state-owned enterprises remains major topic in development planAnchorAs China's leadership is now meeting here in Beijing to discuss the next five-year plan for the country's development, analysts say reforms of state-owned enterprises will remain a major topic in the next plan.

CRI's Victor Ning has more.

ReporterDeputy Director with Shanghai State-Owned Capital Operational Research Institute Yang Jianwen says the key for SOE reform in the next five-years lies in being able to cope with China's slowing economy.

"The 13th five-year plan is a mid-term plan, but we have a short-term target, which is to steer the economy out of a slump. Still, we also have to prepare a long-term economic plan. That will depend on companies to demonstrate that they have the energy to revive the economy. State-owned companies need to improve their internal management structure, and also beef up their external competitiveness. I think these reforms will advance further in the 13th five-year plan period."Yang says the major reform sectors will be in high-tech and manufacturing as they are of great importance for boosting China's ability to compete globally.

In September, China introduced its guidelines for the next stage of SOE reforms.

However, only over a dozen state-owned enterprises (SOE) in Shanghai have started reform programs this year.

Chief Economist with Orient Securities Shao Yu says more motivation is needed for companies in Shanghai to step up their reforms.

"So far the motivation for either the SOEs or the local governments to reform is still relatively weak, because there will be some risks if you push the reforms on a larger scale too fast. We can see the companies and local officials are very cautious about how they are going about it."Shao adds that the refrom can be accelerated by carrying out more specific mechanisms.

"I think we should have more specific mechanisms for rewards and punishments. Those who don't do anything or who do little to help improve their company's performance should be penalized as they failed to properly carry out their duties. I think that would help accelerate the reform process."The Chinese economy expanded 6.9 percent year on year in the third quarter of 2015, the first time the quarterly growth rate has dropped below 7 percent since after the global financial crisis in 2009.

It's being reported SOEs account for at least 30 percent of China's total GDP. Some estimates put the share as high as 45 percent.

Experts say reforms in state-owned enterprises and the financial sector will give a fresh push to the Chinese economy.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

China vows UN climate change supportChina has pledged to work with the international community to promote the UN conference on climate change to be held in Paris at the end of this year.

The conference is aimed at achieving a new climate change agreement.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said the agreement should be comprehensive, balanced and strong, and be achieved on the basis of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

He made the statement when meeting with Mogens Lykketoft, president of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.

Lykketoft said he hopes China will continue to play a positive role in coping with global challenges including climate change.

The Paris Conference will set up post-2020 international regimes to tackle climate change.

Li Keqiang said China is ready to work with other countries to fulfill the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Spokesman of HRSS refutes speculation on more recruitment due to personnel drainChina will recruit more than 27,000 public servants for the central government organs and affiliated agencies this year.

Li Zhong, spokesman for the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, said this has been the largest recruitment drive since examinations were instituted.

He contradicted the speculation that the higher recruitment is due to the result of personnel drain and listed the reasons for increasing recruitment this year.

"First, it is because some large government affiliated agencies have more people to retire and many posts need to be filled. Second, more personnel will be recruited for grassroots governments at the country level and below. The number of recruits planned for the grassroots accounts for 78 percent of the planned total."The total number of on-line candidate entries received by Monday had reached nearly two million, with 1.4 million of them having passed qualification test, in a similar fashion as last year.

China Considers Loosening Second Child PolicyAnchorTalk of the loosening of China's birth restrictions are heating up as the central leadership meets to discuss the country's development plan for the year 2016 to 2020.

CRI's Li Jianhua has more.

ReporterCurrently, one in ten Chinese citizens is 65 or above.

And this proportion is likely to increase to one third by the year of 2050.

Meanwhile, the working population is also aging.

Wang Jun, professor at Sun Yat-Sen University, says this trend would pose a threat to China's economic vitality.

"Migrant workers and others in the working population are also aging, which may affect our country's economic vitality. The situation can be improved to a certain extent by changing the birth policy."A major policy change at the end of 2013 allowed couples nationwide to have a second baby if either parent is an only child.

Initial estimates suggested two million more babies would be born annually as a result of the change.

However, the actual increase last year was only half a million.

Many parents say they couldn't afford a second baby.

"Now I'm working and my wife takes care of our son. If we have a second child, both of us would have to work and hire a nanny, but we can't afford that."However, this doesn't necessarily mean most parents are against the loosening of the second child policy.

Experts say it would be better if the government would assess whether the current number of hospitals, schools and other facilities could meet future demand before making the decision.

China introduced its family planning policy to control population growth in the late 1970s.

According to the policy, most urban couples could only have one child, and most rural couples could have two if their first child was a girl.

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua.

China solicits public views to better regulate taxi and private car hailing servicesAnchorChina's Ministry of Transport has released the results of a public consultation on its recently released draft regulation on the taxi industry.

Opinions on whether the traditional taxi management model should be applied to emerging private car hailing services have aroused heated discussion among the respondents.

CRI's Luo Wen reports.

ReporterThe Ministry of Transport offered two drafts for public comment earlier this month. The aim was to promote the healthy development of the traditional taxi industry and better manage private car hailing services.

The core issue of the rules on online car hailing service concerns the status of these vehicles.

The draft makes it clear that the vehicles with seven or fewer seats for online booking services are categorized as taxis.

According to online car-hailing platforms, 75 percent of those providing the service are part timers.

Ye Yun is the chief public relations officer and senior inspector general of public affairs with Didi Kuaidi, China's major mobile-based car-booking company.

He is expecting coordinated management from the government.

"We hope the government will manage the platforms and allow the platforms to supervise the specific vehicles. The platforms are responsible for managing both vehicles and drivers."As for pricing, most people think online service platforms shouldn't reimburse customers, falling into line with traditional taxi services.

And the promotional price they offer shouldn't be lower than the minimum fare offered by traditional services.

Zhou Hanhua, researcher with the Institute of Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says the design of the rules would actually allow more room for price setting.

"The rules said the power to follow government-guided prices or market prices should be delegated to local governments and should be fairly flexible."When it comes to the issue of whether the number of taxis - both traditional and online - should be limited, more people felt that too many taxis on the road would only lead to congestion and unemployment.

Others believed the number of taxis in cities should be subject to demand instead of government control.

Ministry of Transport officials say the most important thing is to strike a balance between the traditional taxi service and emerging private car hailing services.

For CRI, this is Luo Wen.

Beijing exhibition reflects on war-time sexual crimeAnchorAn international exhibition about the sexual crimes during the Second World War is now underway in Beijing.

Organizers and artists say they want to use art to reflect on that matter.

CRI's Liu Xiangwei has more.

ReporterThe Intimate Transgressions exhibition in the 798 Art District showcases the art works of 35 artists from different countries.

Curator of the exhibition, Irish artist Fion Gunn is a victim of sexual violence herself. She points out the importance of this show.

"What we did not want to do, was to make images so horrible, people will be afraid and not want to look. It is important the people look and understand the complex legacy. It is about destruction, but also about the loss of beautiful things, that feeling of safety and security, the feelings of warmth between men and women. It is important to let people know, when these things occurs in times of war, everybody loses. Nobody wins, everybody loses in this case."One of the darkest sexual war crimes committed during the Second World War was the sexual slavery organized by the Japanese imperial army. It's reported to have victimized countless Asian women and girls.

Post-80 Japanese artist Atsuko Nakamura says it is important for the younger generation to know exactly what happened back then.

"For this exhibition, I did a lot of research including the Japanese comfort women, during the WWII, what the Japanese did to those women, not only China, but also in other countries. It is quite tough to find information. I did a lot of research in Japan, but it is the history, no one can change it anymore. But the important thing is we need to know what happened at that time. As a Japanese, I think I have a responsibility to know what happened at that time."Nakamura, with her work 'Border of Consciousness and Unconscious', conjures up an intense feeling of menace and encroaching threat in her chilling series of drawings.

British Artist Michael Lisle-Taylor was a serviceman in the air force for 12 years. With his work 'Bedlam' and 'Crossing the Line', he is trying to evoke the sad remnants of tragedy on a vast scale.

"I think the most important thing is to never underestimate the consequences of your action and to question the morality of certain actions."Exhibition organizer, Sam Chen says it is critical for young people to never forget that part of history.

"Most people think comfort women or World War Two are behind them. They do not really think they can relate to it. Most of the time, they are not interested in it. We use art to make them come in and enjoy the art, so they can also get some knowledge. It is a very good way to reach out for young people."The Intimate Transgressions was exhibited in New York earlier this year. The exhibition will last until Nov 1st before heading to Guangzhou and several other Chinese cities.

Back AnchorCRI's Liu Xiangwei reporting.

Rescuers struggle to reach victims of Afghanistan earthquakeRescuers are rushing to the hard hit areas in the Afghanistan earthquake as official data shows the death toll has climbed to more than 340, mostly in Pakistan.

A 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit north-eastern Afghanistan on Monday morning, with strong tremors felt in Pakistan, India and Tajikistan.

Pakistan and Afghanistan authorities have both sent military men and helicopters to rescue the victims in the remote areas.

Pakistan Information Minister Pervez Rashid said medical help, tents and blankets were all much in need.

"Right now the demand is for tents and blankets. These two items have been provided by the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) in more than the required quantity. Some have already reached the victims; the rest are on the way. God willing, in the next few hours these items will reach the affected people. They will reside in the tents until they rebuild their houses."Rashid also said that militant organisations would not be allowed to distribute aid as a cover for their activities in the aftermath of the quake.

At least 228 people are reported dead in the country.

Meanwhile, Afghan officials said the death toll in the country has soared to 115.

Afghan deputy presidential spokesman Zafar Hashimi said that the government has provided 50 million Afghanis around 770-thousand US dollars in aid.

"The Afghan government provided and emergency fund of 50 million Afghanis for these nine provinces and other aids that include blankets, tents and food MRE's (meal ready to eat) so that people who are in their relatives' houses and other places in shelter could get emergency food."Officials are warning that casualty figures are likely to increase futher once relief workers return from remote villages where communications are cut off.

WHO fears spread of disease in quake-hit areasHealth officials are worrying that disease and other health risks could rise in the aftermath of the massive earthquake in Afghanistan earlier this week.

World Health Organisation spokesman Christian Lindmeier said his agency expects to see various health problems in the quake-hit areas.

"Apart from the immediate trauma and injuries, we can expect to see a number of health risks such as waterborne diseases, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A and E, acute respiratory infections, other vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, pertussis, tetanus and so on so forth. Then, of course, we have post-traumatic stress disorders, wound infections, injuries, malaria, dengue, and so on and so forth."However, the unstable security situation has posed a major challenge to international aid groups that have been targeted by insurgents.

Yet the Taliban has called for the aid groups not to hold back, saying they will not stand in the way of aid efforts.

China plans to provide emergency aid to Afghanistan, PakistanChinese Ministry of commerce says it has started a contingency plan to provide emergency aid to help Afghanistan and Pakistan in after-quake relief work.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Afghanistan on Monday has caused more than 300 lives.

Governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan had called for international emergency aid due to the heavy casualties and economic losses.

The Ministry of commerce said they are discussing details of the aid plan with related authorities and are ready to give humanitarian aid to the two countries.

US and Iraq May Join Forces to Fight IS: US Marine GeneralUS Marine General Joseph Dunford said on Tuesday he might recommend combining US and Iraqi forces to fight Islamic State militants.

"If it had an operational or strategic impact and we could reinforce success, that would be the basic framework within which I'd make a recommendation for additional forces to be co-located with Iraqi units."The top military officer made the comments during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

Dunford said combining the forces would increase the coherence and effectiveness of the campaign, in addition to improving intelligence awareness and arms delivery.

Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the US has intensified its strikes against the IS militants in Syria and Iraq. He said the US is not cooperating with Russia, and will not let Russia impact the pace of its military actions in the region.

UN Condemns US Trade Embargo on CubaThe UN General Assembly on Tuesday condemned the US trade embargo on Cuba.

The resolution was adopted by the assembly with all but two members voting in favor.

Only the United States and Israel voted against it.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez welcomed the international support for lifting the trade restrictions.

"It has been a historic, record vote of the United Nations General Assembly resolution, entitled, 'Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba,' which was adopted by 191 votes in favour, two votes against and zero abstentions. Almost the entire international community has expressed its support."Despite improvement in ties between the US and Cuba, a US trade embargo on Cuba remains in place.

While the UN resolution is non-binding, it does carry political weight. The UN General Assembly has adopted similar measures for 24 consecutive years. However, support for the resolution was unprecedented this year.

US President Barack Obama had previously expressed his support for lifting the embargo.

Thousands of refugees arrive on Greece's shoresThousands of refugees trying to reach Europe arrived on Greece's shores on Tuesday.

EU leaders agreed on Sunday to cooperate in managing migrant flows through Greece and the Balkans to help ease the crisis.

Greek migration minister Ioannis Mouzalas said the European Union had offered to pay the costs of accommodating 20,000 more migrants in temporary camps.

"Instead of the 60,000 hospitality positions in one camp that they (EU) were asking of us, and which in reality would be more like a concentration camp, we succeeded to get approval for 20,000 places of temporary residence with subsidised rents."The 20,000 new places will be in addition to some 30,000 Greece already agreed at an earlier EU summit to provide for refugees. But these figures are small compared to the sheer numbers of people now arriving.

More than half a million migrants have transited through Greece so far this year, many fleeing Syria's civil war from Turkey on inflatable rubber boats.

Mouzalas said that EU border security agency Frontex would provide assistance in registering refugees near Greece's northern borders.

Rejected asylum seekers back deported to Kosovo by GermanyGermany deported 83 more rejected asylum seekers and flew them from Munich to Kosovo's capital Pristina on Tuesday.

It is the first wave of accelerated deportations since the government adopted new measures.

The tighter rules aim to speed up asylum and extradition procedures for migrants originating from southeastern Europe, in order to focus on refugees from war-torn countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

German officials say they will no longer announce deportations going forward.

Bavaria is bearing the brunt of the inflow of migrants into Germany from southeastern Europe.

Germany expects a record influx of more than 800,000 migrants this year, by far the most in the European Union.

WeatherBeijing will be sunny with a high of 15 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 6.

Shanghai will be cloudy with a high of 21 and a low of 16.

In Chongqing, it will be overcast with a high of 19 and lows of 16.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 24.

Kabul will be sunny with a high of 14.

Over to North America,New York will be rainy with a high of 19 degrees.

Washington, rainy with a high of 20 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 28.

Toronto will see heavy rain with a high of 16 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires, cloudy with a high of 26.

And Rio de Janeiro, slight rain with a high of 26 degrees Celsius.

Headline NewsBeijing summons U.S. ambassador over U.S. navy patrolChina has summoned the US ambassador after a US warship patrol entered waters near China's Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui summoned US Ambassador to China Max Baucus, calling the US action a "serious provocation."The USS Lassen entered waters within 12 nautical miles of Zhubi Reef without notifying the Chinese government on Tuesday morning.

Zhang said China is "strongly discontented with and firmly against" the move.

The vice foreign minister reiterated China's claim of sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and its adjacent waters while denying China's activities will restrict freedom of navigation and overflight in the region.

Zhang warned that China will do whatever necessary to oppose deliberate provocation from any country.

Bank robber billionaire arrested in central ChinaPolice in central China's Henan Province have arrested a real estate tycoon who allegedly robbed a bank 16 years ago with four other suspects.

The main suspect surnamed Shi who was previously a construction project contractor, was arrested on Oct. 21.

Three others were apprehended the same day, and a fifth suspect on Oct. 24.

On Dec. 5, 1999, Shi and four others allegedly robbed a bank branch of 2.08 million yuan, or 320,000 U.S. dollars, in cash and injured two bank workers in Zhengzhou.

He is alleged to have masterminded the robbery.

Police say Shi claimed most of the money from the robbery and used it to develop real estate in Zhumadian, earning him billions.

IDPs reach 10 pct of Yemen population: UNThe UN Refugee Agency indicated the number of internally displaced persons in Yemen has reached 2.3 million.

This means that close to one in 10 Yemenis have had to seek refuge elsewhere in the country as a result of the ongoing conflict which erupted in March this year.

The lack of basic services also compounded the situation.

The refugee agency reported that it has provided 22,883 IDP families with emergency relief items since the end of March.

90 bln USD investment deals inked at west China expoInvestment contracts worth 90 billion U.S. dollars were inked at the first Western China Import Expo and International Investment Fair.

The five-day expo, which closed on Tuesday in Chengdu, saw over 700 investment deals. Projects with investment of more than one billion yuan accounted for nearly 70 percent of the total.

It will boost investment and trade in the development of Sichuan and western China.

The fair attracted more than 2,400 companies from 34 countries and regions as well as 16 Chinese provinces.

Biz ReportsMarket PreviewAnchorTurning 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 declined on Tuesday, as investors meditated on a batch of quarterly earnings reports amid downbeat economic data.

Latest data from Thomson Reuters showed that S&P 500 companies' blended earnings in the third quarter are expected to decline 2.6 percent year on year, while revenue growth is forecast to decrease almost 4 percent.

Investors remained cautious as the U.S. Federal Reserve began its two-day meeting on Tuesday and will release a new policy statement Wednesday afternoon.

On the corporate front, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba reported revenues of 3.5 billion U.S. dollars for the third-quarter, an increase of over 30 percent from a year ago, beating market estimates.

At the closing bell,Dow Jones dropped 0.2 percent.

S&P 500 lost 0.3 percent.

The Nasdaq dipped 0.1 percent.

Meanwhile in Europe, the equities also closed lower on Tuesday.

At the closing bell,UK's FTSE 100 was down 0.8 percent.

Both Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 decreased around 1 percent.

Finally here in China, the shares gained on Tuesday.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.1 percent, while the Shenzhen Component Index rose 0.6 percent.

Denmark signs AIIB agreementChina and Denmark have signed an agreement over the latter's participation in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing.

The China-initiated AIIB is a multilateral development institution tasked with financing infrastructure construction across Asia.

The 60-article agreement outlines the financial share of each member, policy making, business and operational systems, as well as governance structure.

After signing the agreement, all of the 57 members must get the green light from their legislatures by the end 2016, before becoming founding members of the bank.

Chinese investors are buying up British private schoolsAnchorInvestors from China have started to buy up British private schools as an increasing number of Chinese want their children to be educated in the UK.

Its been reported that Chase Grammar School, one of Britain's top 100 private schools, was recently bought by Achieve Education, a Chinese-owned company.

The Staffordshire-based school has 300 pupils, of which 40 come from China.

International schools in China can no longer meet the demands of rising wealthy families, who hope to see their children educated in an all-English and creativity-nurturing environment.

Private schools in the UK are also keen to woo international students, which could bring them substantial revenue.

For more on this, CRI's Bob Jones spoke earlier with John Ross, senior fellow with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University.

Back AnchorJohn Ross, senior fellow with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University speaking with CRI's Bob Jones.

China's proved shale gas reserve reaches 500 billion cubic metersFigures show China's proved shale gas reserve have reached some 500 billion cubic meters.

So far, shale gas productivity exceeds 6 billion cubic meters in the four major producing areas, including Fuling, Changning, Weiyuan and Yanchang.

Researcher with the China Geological Survey Ren Shoumai says that shale gas output has soared rapidly over the past three years.

"China's shale gas output was 25 million cubic meters in 2012 and that soared almost six-fold in 2014 to reach 1.3 billion cubic meters. Beginning from 2015, shale gas exploration in China has sped up and the output is expected to top 5 billion cubic meters this year, meaning China will become the third country in the world for shale gas commercial development after the US and Canada."Currently, the exploration area of shale gas in China covers 170-thousand square kilometers, mainly in the Sichuan Basin and its surrounding areas.

In the meantime, the country had finished the drilling of some 840 shale gas wells at the end of this May.

China drafts province-level pension planChina has drafted a province-level old-age pension plan.

Up to now, more than 30 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities as well as Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps have introduced their own province-level pension plan.

Spokesman for the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security Li Zhong says China is studying the cases in order to formulate a state-level plan.

"Currently, we have made calculations based on relevant pensions and formed a rough draft of the state-level old-age pension plan. We plan to make further discussions and report it to the State Council or the central government at a proper time."In addition, over 90 percent of Chinese cities have formed city-level unified medical insurance systems.

This has solved 60 percent of the nation's reimbursement problems resulted from receiving medical treatment in different places.

China, Dutch to strengthen cooperation in civil aviationChina and the Netherlands are planning to strengthen cooperation in civil aviation.

The two countries are expected to establish a working group and accelerate cooperation in producing environment-friendly and safe aviation products.

Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima are visiting China this week.

It is the King's first state visit to China since he ascended the throne two years ago.

He is leading a huge trade delegation with 250 business people from 150 Dutch companies.

China, Britain launch film investment fundThe first China-UK Film, TV and Media Investment Fund has been established.

The fund aims to provide financial support for British film and TV personell working in China.

Beijing Zhongze Culture Industry Company, Propeller Culture and Media, Pairstech Capital Management as well as Varcale Management of Britain have jointly set up the fund.

So far, initial seed investment of 50 million pounds has been secured, with 50 percent to be provided by each side by early 2016.

The fund is expected to increase to 1.5 billion pounds by 2020.

The governments of China and Britain are set to endorse the fund and offer assistance.

Chinese insurance giant Ping An bets on U.S. real estateChina's insurance giant Ping An Insurance has formed a 600-million-U.S. dollar fund to invest in U.S. real estate with Blumberg Investment Partners.

Ping An says the portfolio consists of logistics assets across the United States, including New York City, Atlanta, South Florida and Colorado.

Blumberg Investment Partners will look for more projects for their further cooperation.

Ping An has also decided to invest 400 million dollars more in other logistics projects in the US.

The move is part of a growing trend by cash-rich Chinese insurance companies to invest in developed countries, particularly in the real estate sector.

EU to abolish mobile phone roaming charges from mid-2017The European Union has decided to abolish mobile phone roaming charges from 2017.

Members of the European Parliament have voted through a complete ban on roaming charges for using mobile phones abroad in the EU.

Roaming fees for calling, sending text messages and using the mobile internet abroad in the EU are expected to be banned from June 2017.

The vote sees the deal reached between European authorities in June to end roaming charges within the EU passed into law.

SportsDing out of Snooker International ChampionshipBeginning with the latest snooker action from the International Championship in Daqing,Ding Junhui wasted his match point when he was leading 5-4 and lost to Ryan Day in the last 32.

Ding failed again on a red ball to allow Day to win the 10th frame and equalize.

The red ball proved tricky for both players in the deciding frame as they exchanged leads. Ding conceded the frame and match when he saw Day's unassailable lead.

China's hopes are not yet dead without Ding Junhui. Two mainland players and a Hong Kong player are in the last 16.

Tian Pengfei beat Liang Wenbo 6-3 in a Chinese derby,World Cup winner Zhou Yuelong brushed aside Sanderson Lam 6-0,Hong Kong's Marco Fu downed Jack Lisowski 6-3.

Yu Delu is the other Chinese player who tripped in this round, going down to Ben Woollaston 6-5.

Other big names including Neil Robertson, Mark Selby, John Higgins and Shaun Murphy all went through.

China win silver medal at women's team event at World Gymnastics ChampionshipsIn Gymnastics,China were runners-up in the women's team event at the World Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow.

The United States won their third consecutive championship by nearly 5 points.

Britain made a breakthrough by making the podium of this event for the first time, taking bronze medal in front of home crowds.

Andrey Zeits wins stage 8 of Tour of HainanIn cycling,Astana's Kazakh rider Andrey Zeits have won the 8th and queen stage of the Tour of Hainan.

Zeits conquered three intermediate sprints and three climbs to grab the maiden stage win in his career.

With that he snatched the blue jersey from China's Ma Guangtong as the best Asian rider.

Lampre's Sacha Modolo is still leading the overall and points classification.

Today's final stage goes from Wuzhishan back to the tour's start Wanning.

China win International Women's Football TournamentIn football,China have won the International Women's Football Tournament in Yongchuan in coach Bruno Bini's debut with the team.

China defeated England 2-0 and drew Australia 1-all in the four-nation invitational.

Wang Shuang was awarded the tournament's best scorer with two goals in two games.

Captain Li Dongna was voted MVP.

China announce line-up for November world cup qualifiersIn men's football,China have announced their 24-man line-up for next month's world cup qualifiers.

Favorites Zhang Xizhe and Huang Bowen made the list.

Gao Lin is still not on it.

Gao was dropped for China's game against Qatar last month.

Coach Alain Perrin made technical adjustments and loaded on the midfield but kept the majority of his squad from that game.

China have two games coming up in November. The mainland team host Bhutan on November 12, and then visit Hong Kong a week after.

Germany football recapMore football action, in Germany,Bayern Munich have avenged their DFB-Pokal semi-final loss from last season, beating old foes Wolfsburg 3-1.

Wolfsburg are the championship holders. They rolled over Bayern Munich and later Dortmund to lift the trophy last season.

They couldn't defend their title against a rampant Bayern this time. The Bundesliga leaders secured the win in as early as the first half, scoring three times in 19 minutes.

Some off-pitch action from the Bundesliga,Underdogs Hoffenheim have announced Julian Nagelsmann as their new coach for next season in a surprise move.

Nagelsmann has been with the club's under-19 team and will become the youngest head coach in Bundesliga history.

28-year-old Nagelsmann has been offered a three-year deal.

Hoffenheim's sports director Alexander Rosen sees great potential in Nagelsmann as their new coach.

"He continues to be very successful with his Under-19 team. He has been with us at the academy for five years already. He has been coach since 2006 and despite his young age, he already has a lot of experience. He just perfectly fits our club. We are convinced about his qualifications and about his authority."Hoffenheim sacked manager Markus Gisdol and appointed Huub Stevens as interim coach until the end of this season.

The teams are currently second from bottom on the table with six points from 10 games.

League Cup resultsA very quick look at the latest results from England's League Cup,Holders Chelsea crashed out of action as Eden Hazard missed the net in a game against Stoke City.

Regular play ended in an 1-all draw and neither side succeeded with a goal in extra time.

Stoke City won the penalty shoot-out 5-4.

And it is Sheffield posting a surprise 3-0 victory over Arsenal.

WTA Finals resultsIn tennis,US Open champion Flavia Pennetta avoided an early exit by beating Agnieszka Radwanska 7-6, 6-4 in the red group at the WTA Finals in Singapore.

Pennetta suffered a heavy loss to Simona Halep in her first group game and has no option but to win the second if she is to have any ambition of making the semi-finals.

Halep posed no serious threat and lost to Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-4.

Sharapova tops this group but all four players are still in contention for a semi-final berth.

EntertainmentTraditional Chinese Elements Dazzle at China Fashion Week in BeijingHomegrown labels unveiled collections full of traditional touches at the ongoing China Fashion Week in Beijing.

Indie brand D.CNTEX showcased a collection by Li Shiyong, with featured outfits inspired by the Tang Dynasty.

The designer explains the inspiration behind his design.

"I love Chinese traditional culture and I feel it is in my blood and genes, so that's why I staged this show, to show my knowledge of traditional culture."In addition, a color make-up show also dazzled the fashion week with its traditional Chinese elements.

Designer Mao Geping explains the three main colors of royal purple, orange and red featured in his show, are inspired by the sunrise.

"In this design, the black chignon represents a Chinese tripod. The clouds and magpies here are both traditional auspicious patterns in China. So the whole headdress is designed around Chinese elements."The nine-day fashion gala will cover everything from menswear and womenswear to bridal gowns and makeup.

Opened on Sunday, the event will present latest fall and spring collections from over 70 designers both domestic and abroad.

Established in 1997, the 2015 China Fashion Week runs until November 3rd.

2nd China-Australia Film Festival Wrapped upThe 2nd annual China-Australia Film Festival has just wrapped up, with strengthened exchanges in the film industry.

Chinese film companies showcased 16 Chinese films in Brisbane, Sydney and other cities in the country, including the Wolf Totem, Monkey King: Hero is Back, and the animated film Mr. Black.

Vice president of the China Film Association, Ming Zhenjiang says the film festival aims to do more than introduce Chinese movies to Australian people.

"The film festival itself is a platform. The platform not only gave our two countries more exchanges on films and culture, but also, which is more important, helped promote the development of the film industry."As the film industry develops quickly in China, the Chinese stories told through films are attracting more and more attention from the international market.

Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason says more and more works is happening in both countries.

"Australians are going to film and make projects in China, and a lot of Chinese are coming here to use the landscapes and crews. So, again, this created commercial opportunities for both countries."China's film industry has risen to become the second biggest market in the world.

Adele's 'Hello' Becomes A Record BreakerAdele's new song "Hello" has already set records in less than a week.

Released on last Friday, "Hello" has ruled the iTunes singles chart in 85 countries.

According to official figures, the music video averaged one million views per hour for its first two days since going online.

In addition, "Hello" is already a record breaker as it reaches 200,000 Shazams, an app which users can identify the music by listening to a short sample of audio.

Last week, Adele has explained through a heartfelt message posted on Twitter, that while her previous album '21' was a break-up record, her new album is a "make-up record".

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

The singer's sophomore album '21' has sold over eleven million units in the Unites Sates, and won the Grammy Award for album of the year.

Migrant Dram 'Brooklyn' to Hit Big Screens in USIrish Oscar-nominee Saoirse Ronan takes on her first homegrown project with 'Brooklyn', a migrant drama took place in the 1950s.

The 21-year-old actress recalls she felt unusually connected to the tale of this young Irish woman who moved to America.

"I had been sent the script and I had read the book a couple of years before I had read the script, read it and I knew as soon as I read it was the right first Irish project for me to do and I was really looking out for the right thing. I didn't just want to jump into an Irish film for the sake of it, but it was very important for me to do that."Adapted from the award-winning author Toibin's 2009 novel with the same name, 'Brooklyn' is directed by John Crowley.

The film portrays a young Irish immigrant navigating her way through 1950s Brooklyn, and her struggles of choosing two men and two countries.

Ronan also indicates the theme of feeling torn between birth place and adopted home is universal.

'Brooklyn' is scheduled to be released on November 4th in the United States, and on November 6th in the UK and Ireland.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

China lodging strong objections with the United States ambassador after a US warship patrol entered Chinese territorial waters....

Discussions around the 13th 5-year plan of national development from 2016 till 2020 are now in full swing...

Rescuers rushing to the hard hit areas in the Afghanistan earthquake as the death toll climbs to more than 340...

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.