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

Coming up on the program this morning...

China's Ambassador to the US lashing out at the US for sending a warship near islands cliamed by China in the South China Sea.

Germany's ambassador to China suggesting that ties between the two countries are at an all-time high ahead of the German Chancellor's upcoming visit...

And relief work underway in quake-hit areas of Pakistan...

In Business....China set to cap its coal consumption in a bid to promote sustainable development...

In Sports..... only one Chinese player is through to the quarter-finals of the International Snooker Championship...

And in Entertainment.... Charlize Theron pays a visit to Hong Kong....

Top NewsChinese Ambassador on U.S. Warship Entering Waters off South China SeaChina's Ambassador to the US is lashing out at the Obama administration for its move to send a warship to islands claimed by China in the South China Sea.

Cui Tiankai is accusing Washington of launching a serious provocation.

"Well, I think first of all, what the U.S. is doing is very serious provocation politically and militarily. It is a clear attempt to escalate the situation and to militarize the region."At the same time, Cui Tiankai is accusing the US of holding a double-standard, asking players in the region not to militarize the it, while sending its own warships and planes into the area.

"Whatever is happening now will not change our position on the sovereignty in the region. We are not to weaken our determination to safeguard our sovereignty and would not weaken our commitment to seeking a peaceful solution to the disputes with countries concerned. And certainly we're not going to weaken our position and commitment to developing a healthy and strong relation with the United States."The Chinese government has called-in US ambassador Max Baucus in for a sit-down, again calling the US action a "serious provocation."The US Navy sailed one of its warships within 12 nautical miles of Chinese islands in the Nansha Island group earlier this week without first asking permission from China.

The Chinese military says the move is a "show of military force" intended to militarize the South China Sea.

US' Action in the South China Sea Not in Line with International Laws: Chinese ExpertsAnchorChinese military observers are suggesting the US Navy's move to sail a ship into the Nansha Islands area violates international legal norms and threatens stability in the region.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has more.

ReporterOn Tuesday morning, the naval destroyer USS Lassen sailed within 12 nautical miles of Zhubi Reef in the South China Sea without notifying the Chinese government.

This has raised strong oppositions from the Chinese side, as sailing within 12 nautical miles of a territory held by a different country is viewed internationally as a violation of territorial sovereignty.

The US Defense Department claims the ship was conducting routine operations in line with the international law.

Chinese naval expert Yin Zhuo says the US side is in the wrong.

"The right of "innocent passage" insisted by the US sounds plausible, but it has not received widespread recognition around the world. At the same time, international legal documents including the UN Convention on the law of the sea and Convention on the High Seas, along with domestic laws in many countries have clearly stipulated that any military vessels have to obtain permission from the local government before entering the country's territory. "The US government has been promoting a Freedom of Navigation program around the world since 1979, insisting that it is within the framework of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

However, the US itself has not formally ratified that UN treaty.

Two weeks ago, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter warned the US will fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits, saying there will be no exception to that.

Professor Su Hao with the Center for Strategic and Peace Studies at China Foreign Affairs University says that statement appears directed specifically at China.

"We know that the South China Seas' situation is very complicated. The United States, possibly if it wanted, could sail to some other countries and claimed areas. But it is not the real intention of the United States to provoke other countries, and is intentionally trying to make trouble with China.

Naval expert Yin Zhuo says the United States is deliberately intervening in affairs in the South China Sea.

"The main goal of the US is to get more deeply involved in the South China Sea, and is always putting the spotlight on the area when it comes to talking about China on the international stage. The United States sis taking advantage of the South China Sea issue to isolate China from other countries in this region. As such, this could negatively affect China's economic development, especially among the ASEAN Plus 3 and the ASEAN Plus 6 groupings, as well as the free trade area through the Asia and Pacific region."The US Defense Department is dispatching its new head of its Pacific Fleet to Beijing next week for talks.

Commander Harry Harris will arrive in Beijing on November 2nd to meet with Chinese naval officials to try to ease tensions and avoid any unnecessary escalation.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.

China Germany Ties at Historical Best: German AmbassdorAnchorAhead of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to China this week, the country's Ambassador to China is suggesting bilateral ties between the two sides are at their "historic best."CRI's Zhou Jingnan reports.

Reporter"I believe that German-Chinese relations are at their historic best these days. And Germany is obviously the most important partner for China in economic and political things in Europe."German Ambassador Michael Clauss makes the suggestion ahead of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's 2-day visit to China, which will kick off on Thursday.

The ambassador notes that China and Germany have taken part in a number of high-level political exchanges in recent years, with both the Chinese President and Premier visiting Berlin and the Chancellor herself also coming to Beijing last year.

Clauss says stronger business cooperation will be the top priority on Angela Merkel's agenda this week.

"We have 6,000 companies here, German companies in China, which is 10 times more than, for example, the UK has. And she will be accompanied again by a small but very high-ranking economic delegation and it will be partially CEOs of big companies like Volkswagen, which is the company which is most strongly invested into China. And she will also be accompanied by CEOs of small- and-medium-sized companies who are the backbone of German economic strength and innovation."On top of meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing, Angela Merkel will also make a stop-over in Anhui's capital, Hefei, where she will attend a meeting of the Sino-German Advisory Committee on Economics, together with Li Keqiang.

Germany is currently China's biggest partner in Europe in terms of trade and investment.

Trade volumes between China and Germany hit 177.8-billion US dollars in 2014, accounting for around 30 percent of China's overall trade with the European Union.

German Ambassdor Michael Clauss says quite a lot of trade with China is coming in the area of high-tech.

"And also the framework is quite beneficial and positive for Chinese companies, a lot of legal safety; and on the other hand you have a very strong research and development environment. And there is a strong tradition in Germany that companies and research and development institutions closely work together in order to promote innovation, technological innovation."A recent German Trade and Invest report shows China was the largest investor in Germany in 2014, followed by the United States and Japan.

For CRI, I am Zhou Jingnan.

Chinese Mainland Won't Interfere in Taiwan Region's Election: SpokesmanSpokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office An Fengshan says the Chinese mainland will not get involved in or comment on Taiwan's leadership election in 2016.

"We will neither interfere in nor comment on Taiwan's regional leadership election. In terms of cross-Strait relations, the Communist Party of China and Kuomintang have, since 2005 and especially since 2008, made important and positive progress by adhering to the common political basis of upholding the '1992 Consensus' and opposing so-called 'Taiwan independence'."The spokesperson also hopes that the two parties would continue to safeguard the peaceful development of cross-Strait ties.

"The current cross-Strait relations are at a crucial moment again. Based on this common political basis, we hope the two parties can consolidate and enhance the political mutual trust, stick to the correct orientation of peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and continue to make unremitting efforts for peace and stability of the cross-Straits situation for the sake of the people across the Strait."Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang replaced deputy legislative speaker Hung Hsiu-chu with KMT chairman Eric Chu in the island's leadership.

54-year-old Eric Chu was picked as the party's new electoral candidate.

He is set to face chairwoman of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party Tsai Ing-wen and People First Party chairman James Soong Chu-yu in the election, which is scheduled for Jan. 16 next year.

Relief Work Underway in Quake-hit Area in PakistanPakistan's Disaster Management Authority, or NDMA, on Wednesday said although the recent quake that hit Pakistan was massive it did not cause widespread damage to national infrastructure.

Major-General Asghar Nawaz, said at a news conference that relief operations are in full swing and that the survey has been completed.

"We have obtained the reports from all the concerned ministries and the departments regarding reporting of any damage to the infrastructure, the dams, the other key buildings. Nothing has been reported so far. We have recorded about 42 aftershocks up till this time, with a magnitude ranging between 2.3 to 5.3, and as of this moment we are well balanced to take forward this relief operation to the next phase, to carry out the rehabilitation of the affected people."The disaster management chief said the losses were not as severe as those that occurred in the 7.6 magnitude earthquake in 2005.

However, many survivors in Afghanistan and Pakistan were spending a third night without shelter, and some were living in makeshift tents.

NDMA said it had distributed blankets and tons of food.

Further supplies would be delivered to remote areas once roads had been cleared and reopened.

The Monday's 7.5-magnitude earthquake cost some 385 lives in Afghanistan and Pakistan together.

Iran to Attend Int'l Talks in SyriaIran has confirmed that it will take part in international talks over Syria following an invitation from the Russian envoy.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will attend the talks in Vienna which is scheduled for tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said political solution is the only way to solving the crisis.

"We believe that the solution in Syria is only a political solution. Americans and foreign players in Syria have no choice but to accept the realities in Syria. Mr Bashar Assad and the Syrian government have the necessary readiness for talks with insurgents who are committed to a political path."The invitation to the talks came after the United States said it is ready to engage Iran if it might help put an end to the war in Syria.

It marks the first time Iran will appear in the talks since the crisis broke out more than four years ago.

Iran has emerged an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government in the country's long-lasting conflict.

Washington had refused to include Tehran in the political talks, seeing Iran as part of the crisis in the situation.

Iran has refuted such claims.

Analyst on Iran Decision to Join Talks in SyriaFollowing Iran's confirmation to the Vienna talks, some analysts are saying that the move is a positive development.

Political editor with Beirut-based An-Nahar Newspaper, Ibrahim Bayram said Iran's taking part could eventually lead to a solution.

"It is a positive development that expresses the wish of the countries and specially the United States to find a solution and to start a new phase of dealing with the Syrian crisis. All the past attempts were not completed, now with the participation of Iran I think the solution will be achieved and there will be a wish to put an end to this bloody crisis."The US has also welcomed Iran's decision.

US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he hopes for a positive result.

"We hope that that participation can be positive and that they will join in the effort to create a political transition that leads to the end of the conflict but that's an open question but the only way to test the proposition is to actually engage with them and for them to hear all of the other countries that are pushing for political transition and to see what they are willing to do in terms of the influence that they have with the Assad regime."The US, Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have already held one round of talks in Vienna last Friday.

In addition to Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, as well as diplomats from Britain, France and Germany have all been invited to join the new round of talks.

Germany Criticizes Austria over Migrant FlowGerman authorities criticized Austria on Wednesday for leaving large numbers of migrants and refugees at their borders, without coordinating with the German side.

Mayor of the German town of Wegscheid Josef Lamperstorfer expressed his frustration over the way Austria has handled the migrant flow.

"This is simply a mess to be honest, because the Austrians know full well that on our side of the border the refugees, the children, are left standing on the roadside, particularly since the bus drivers seem to have the order to immediately make everyone get off the bus and then return to Austria. "The mayor added that due to lack of information, some people were left at the border at night in freezing temperatures.

The town is only prepared to take in one thousand migrants a day. However, 4-thousand arrived on Monday alone.

Germany's federal police say the biggest challenge is to transfer the migrants " in a calm and dignified way."EU Countries Deploy Police to Slovenia over MigrationA small group of German police officers arrived in Slovenia on Wednesday, to help the country deal with an unprecedented migrant inflow.

Anna Elisabeth Prinz, German Ambassador to Slovenia, said the deployment of five German officers stemmed from a joint European effort.

"What we have to do is to cope with the situation right now jointly and we had now in Brussels a successful meeting with 17 points which we have to implement, that's why the first policemen came today and others will come the next days from other European countries to join hands to have a secure situation."In addition to deploying its own army troops, Slovenia has formally requested assistance from the EU over the migrant influx.

Austria sent 8 officers earlier this month, while officers from Hungary and Slovakia are scheduled to arrive soon.

Paul Ryan Nominated to Become Next Speaker of the US HouseRepublicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have nominated Paul Ryan, a Republican from the state of Wisconsin, to be the Speaker of the chamber.

Ryan, 45, still needs to be elected Thursday in a full House vote. But his winning of the post Thursday is almost a certainty given the fact that the GOP is currently holding 247 out of the House's 435 seats.

To be elected as the Speaker of the House, Ryan would need at least 218 votes. If elected, Ryan will be one of the youngest speakers in American history.

Earlier this month, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy abruptly dropped bid to replace outgoing Speaker John Boehner moments before House Republicans started voting for the party's nomination of a new speaker, thrusting House Republican leadership into frustration.

US Military Blimp Comes LooseA US military blimp came loose from its moorings in the Maryland on Wednesday. The aerostat then floated into Pennsylvania and hovered at around 4,800 meters.

Two fight jets followed the runaway craft, which landed several hours later in Montour County, Pennsylvania. The blimp is equipped with radar technology to detect missile attacks.

The blimp dragged its 3-thousand-meter cable behind and knocked out power for thousands.

Pennsylvania said it was monitoring the situation and discussing it with federal and state officials.

It was not immediately known how the blimp became detached at a US army facility.

Underwater Robot to Raise Awareness of Ocean ConservationAnchorUS developers have invented a wirelessly controlled low-cost robot that can potentially lead to advances in underwater research and help inform the public about the importance of ocean conservation.

CRI's Fu Yu reports.

ReporterIt started off as a treasure hunt.

The idea hit underwater drones developer Eric Stackpole when he found an article about the location of a pile of gold that has been missing for over 100 years.

His co-founder of their firm David Lang explained how Stackpole came to the decision.

"There was this story that there was a robbery and gold was thrown to the bottom of this underwater cave and all of these treasure hunters and scuba divers, no one was able to get to the bottom, so Eric had this big idea that he was going to build this underwater robot to go explore."The company has been working on a waterproof smart phone with thrusters that can operate 100 meters underwater.

The device, called "Trident", sends real time videos, temperature, depth and directional information to the surface through a wireless buoy.

The team also developed software that gives a better user experience when controlling the robot with virtual reality headsets via the internet.

Lang says the low-cost design is proving popular with the science community.

"Ocean science and exploration is really tragically underfunded and there are all sorts of people that are stuck in this post-docalypse who are trying to get the research done with very limited budgets and so this tool has become great for them."Lang says Trident's ultimate value is to educate people on the importance and fragility of the underwater ecosystem.

"The most important thing and the first thing is that we have to get people to care and I think the way to do that is to allow them to engage. It is to give them the tools to actually explore themselves and to feel some sense of ownership in the process."While Lang and Stackpole have had no luck tracking down the gold that set them off on this scientific innovation, their new mission to open up the oceans to a curious public is worth more to them than any treasure in the world.

For CRI, I'm Fu Yu.

'Resembled Venice' in Dalian Starts Offering RidesAnchorA development project bearing a resemblance to the classical Italian city of Venice has started offering gondola rides in the northeast Chinese port city of Dalian.

CRI's Xie Cheng reports.

ReporterThe development project, named "East Montage", covering over 400 thousand square meters, has cost a total of 8 billion yuan, or 1.26 billion, U.S. dollars.

With a canal, European-style buildings, and frescoes reminiscent of renaissance-era Italy, the developer, Dalian East District Corporation, not only aims to build commercial real estate, but also a to build a landmark for Dalian city itself.

Zhang Juan, a local resident queuing up for a ride on the gondola, says the East Montage has already attracted a significant crowd of tourists as of late October.

"This is a good thing. This is an opportunity for people who could not go abroad to enjoy the same scenery as that in foreign countries, and expand their vision to learn more about foreign customs and practices. This is really good."Many tourists believe that east Montage has provided a pleasant blend of nature and classical occidental architecture.

According to Yan Wei, Vice General Manager of Dalian East, four kilometres of a Venetian-style canal have been constructed.

"We took architecture from Venice and France as blueprints. We channelled sea water to the 4-kilometre-long canal to create what is for China an unprecedented kingdom on the ocean and architectural development complex. Proudly, our East Montage project, since the start of its construction, has made room for the capacity of an urban culture with iconic buildings."Yan said that the city is not a direct copy of a classical European city, but is a combination of western and local culture.

"Each building has its own prototype design. I'm not saying that we copied these designs, but we have integrated the maritime and regional cultures of Dalian together with its humanistic principles, and further expanding, innovating, and improving them. It combines the western and Dalian's features, integrating Dalian's ideals and maritime culture."Most of the completed development in East Montage has already been sold, but plenty of the other unfinished buildings in the city are still up for sale.

Development projects such as East Montage are not uncommon across China. In 2007 Shanghai built its own "mini Paris" complete with a small scale Eiffel Tower, and a detailed building-by-building replica of an Austrian village was finished in southern Guangdong province in 2012.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

Serious Problems Exist in China's Domestic Tourism Market: ReportA recent report released by China Consumers' Association, or CCA, suggests that several serious problems exist in China's domestic tourism market that may harm tourists' legitimate rights and interests.

The report comes following an investigation on 96 different tourism routes across the country from September to October.

Results show that serious problems have been found in 74 percent of those tourism routes, and the current tourism services are still not quite satisfactory.

Vice-director in charge of commodity and service supervision at the CCA Pi Xiaolin says those problems mainly exist in 6 aspects including catering, accommodation, transportation, recreation, shopping and tour guides.

"We've found that a quarter of the tourist group meals are inconsistent with the contract, and over 30 percent of the meals are not sanitary enough. The environment of accommodation also needs further improvement. As for transportation, we've discovered that many overloaded vehicles have been applied, which is against the rules."He adds that restrooms are often difficult to find in some of the overcrowded scenic spots with unacceptable environments or unsafe facilities.

Mandatory shopping and tour guides without proper qualifications are also important issues.

Some tour guides even randomly change the routes and force tourists to go shopping.

The tourism market in China has seen tremendous growth for the past decade.

Last year, the tourism market in China saw some 3.6 billion tourist trips, bringing an income of over 3 trillion yuan, or some 477 billion U.S. dollars.

WeatherBeijing will be sunny with a high of 12 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 2.

Shanghai will be rainy with a high of 19 and a low of 15.

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 25.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 17.

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

Washington, overcast with a high of 20 degrees.

Honolulu, rainy, 28.

Toronto will see slight rain with a high of 14 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires, rainy with a high of 24.

And Rio de Janeiro, slight rain with a high of 25 degrees Celsius.

Headline NewsChinese Ambassador on U.S. Warship Entering Waters off South China SeaChina's Ambassador to the US is lashing out at the Obama administration for its move to send a warship to islands claimed by China in the South China Sea.

Cui Tiankai accused the US of holding a double-standard, asking players in the region not to militarize the region, while frequently sending its own warships and planes into the area.

The Chinese government has called-in US ambassador Max Baucus for a sit-down, calling the US action a "serious provocation."The US Navy sailed one of its warships within 12 nautical miles of Chinese islands in the Nansha Island group earlier this week without first asking permission from China.

Park, Abe to Hold 1st One-on-one Summit in Seoul Next WeekIts been announced South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will hold their first one-on-one summit in Seoul next week.

Seoul's presidential office has confirmed the bilateral summit will take place on the sidelines of a trilateral leadership meeting including Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

This year's South Korea-China-Japan summit will take place on November 1st.

It will be the first trilateral summit in more than three years.

Park Geun-hye has refused to meet directly with Japan's Prime Minister since she took office in February 2013 because of past comments Shinzo Abe has made around the issue of "comfort women" during World War II.

Tuberculosis Ranks alongside HIV as Leading Killer Worldwide: WHO ReportThe World Health Organization said tuberculosis killed 1.5 million people in 2014, ranking the disease alongside HIV as a leading killer worldwide.

However the WHO said the fight against TB is paying off, as the death rate in 2014 is nearly half of what it was in 1990.

Most of the improvement came since 2000, the year the Millennium Development Goals were established. Effective diagnosis and treatment saved 43 million lives between 2000 and 2015.

The report highlighted the need to close detection and treatment gaps, fill funding shortfalls, and develop new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines.

US Astronauts Perform Spacewalk, to Set US Space RecordNASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren performed a spacewalk on Wednesday to conduct maintenance tasks on the International Space Station.

The two's assignment included greasing the station's big robot arm, routing cables and removing insulation from an electronic switching unit.

By noon on Thursday Beijing time, Kelly will break the US record for NASA's longest single stay in space. The record of 215 days, or more than seven months, was set in 2007. Kelly has been in space since March and will remain there until March next year.

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 posted solid gains on Wednesday, as Wall Street assessed the Federal Reserve's meeting announcement amid a positive earnings report from Apple.

After a two-day monetary policy meeting, the U.S. central bank left the federal funds rate unchanged, but signaled an option to tighten policy rate at its next meeting in December.

At the same time, Fed officials saw economic activity expand at a moderate pace since September, and reiterated that the risks to the outlook for economic activity and the labor market are nearly balanced.

On the corporate front, shares of Apple surged over 4 percent on Wednesday.

The company announced that its third-quarter revenues reached some 52 billion dollars and net profits came in at 11 billion dollars.

Its financial results were mainly boosted by strong iPhone sales growth here in China.

Meanwhile, a strong rebound in oil prices also provided upward jolts to the market.

At the closing bell,Dow Jones rose 1.1 percent.

S&P 500 gained 1.2 percent.

The Nasdaq advanced 1.3 percent.

Meanwhile in Europe, the equities also closed higher on Wednesday.

At the closing bell,UK's FTSE 100 was up 1.1 percent.

Germany's DAX grew 1.3 percent.

France's CAC 40 increased 0.9 percent.

However, here in China, the shares retreated on Wednesday.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index finished off 1.7 percent, while the smaller Shenzhen index fell 2.3 percent.

German Chancellor Merkel's Visit to China to Boost Bilateral TradeAnchorGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to start her two-day visit to China today.

She is heading a delegation of nearly 20 executives representing the machinery, auto, electrical and telecommunications sectors.

It is expected that Merkel's visit to China will once again drive forward the expansion of cooperation between the two sides.

Director of the Institute of European Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations Feng Zhongping says that as China is still in the middle of its industrialization process and Germany is quite advanced in this regard, great opportunity exists for both countries.

"I think two countries can work a lot, for example, not only in the Chinese market. But also with Germany, China could cooperate closer in the industrial areas in a third country. Chinese companies and German companies can work together in African countries for example and East Asian countries. That would be a good chance for Germany, China and the third country."For more on the economic cooperation between China and Germany, we are now joined on the line by CRI's financial commentator Cao Can.

Questions1: Generally speaking, how do you evaluate the outlook of economic ties between China and Germany, especially against the backdrop of the economic downturn China currently faces?

2:Last year, the two countries launched the Industry 4.0 cooperation framework. This while China has initiated the Made in China 2025 plan. How will these two initiatives work together and what can we expect in terms of the future transformation of China's manufacturing sector?

3: Among the business executives to visit China is German automaker Volkswagen's new CEO Matthias Mueller. How do you think Merkel's visit will help the automaker with its business in the Chinese market?

Back AnchorThat was Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator.

Beijing Opens Wider to Foreign InvestmentBeijing is ready to relax its market accession rules for foreign investment in travel, aircraft maintenance and performance brokerages.

Rules and regulations will be adjusted from now until May 5, 2018.

During the period, qualified travel agencies jointly invested in by Chinese and foreign capital will be allowed to provide services to Chinese tourists traveling abroad.

In addition, Beijing lifted the previous restriction that it must take a controlling stake in aircraft maintenance projects jointly invested with foreign capital.

It will also allow foreign capital to set up wholly-owned entertainment brokerage companies and provide services within the city.

China to Cap Coal ConsumptionChina is set to enforce a strict limit on total coal consumption, and continue to cut production.

The move aims to ensure the sustainable development of China's coal industry.

China has been stepping up coal market reform in recent years.

The country also aims to strengthen cooperation with other countries on coal production and consumption.

In the first three quarters this year, China produced nearly 3 billion tons of coal, down 4.6 percent year on year.

China is going to reduce the ratio of coal in primary energy consumption from 66 percent this year to around 50 percent by 2050.

China's ZTE Expands Basketball Sponsorships to Five NBA TeamsChinese smartphone supplier ZTE has become the official smartphone of the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The telecom equipment company has also renewed sponsorship of other three basketball teams, including New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors.

This expands its presence of basketball sponsorships to five NBA teams.

Meanwhile, the partnership between ZTE and the Chicago Bulls marks another significant step in the team' s international business growth.

ZTE is a leader in China's smartphone industry.

It's now seeking more new partners in the world.

ZTE claimed 8 percent of America's smartphone market in the second quarter of this year, ranking the fourth among smartphone suppliers overall, behind Apple, Samsung and LG.

Alipay to Launch Payment Service in TaiwanLeading electronic payment platform Alipay has received approval to launch a payment service in Taiwan before the year end.

Meanwhile, Alipay is expected to work with E. SUN Commercial Bank in Taiwan to offer a QR mobile payment service.

More than 3-thousand convenience stores and shopping malls in Taiwan will offer the payment service to tourists.

Currently, Alipay has more than 400 million users worldwide and handles some 120 million transactions a day.

Half of those transactions are made on mobile devices.

SportsSnooker ResultsSome snooker action to start us off,Only one Chinese player has made it into the quarter-finals of the International Championship in the northeastern Chinese city of Daqing.

Marco Fu from Hong Kong hit three century breaks to power through Jimmy Robertson 6-3.

Fu goes on to meet David Gilbert in the last eight.

Other action from Chinese players,Mark Allen knocked out Tian Pengfei,And Thailand's Thepchaiya Un-Nooh is the winner against Zhou Yuelong.

More action from this round,John Higgins trounced Shaun Murphy 6-0,Neil Robertson rolled over Graeme Dott 6-1,And it was also an easy 6-3 victory for world number one Mark Selby against Michael White.

China Finish Third in Men's Team at World ChampionshipsNow taking a look at the action from the Gymnastics World Championships in Glasgow,China's dominance in the men's team event for 12 years was terminated by Japan.

Japan won their first title in 37 years.

Out-of-form China finished third behind Britain which took the silver medal.

It is the worst finish for China which have won 10 out of 11 world championships since 1994. The team were on a winning streak for as long as six consecutive times.

Tour of Hainan ResultsIn cycling,Drapac's Australian rider Brenton Jones won the 9th and final stage of the Tour of Hainan as Sacha Modolo became the overall winner.

Modolo secured his Yellow Jersey 9 seconds ahead of second-placed Andrey Zeits in the general classification.

Modolo was also the winner of the Green Jersey, topping the points classification.

Kazakhstan's Zeits picked up the Blue Jersey as the best Asian rider.

The Polka-dot jersey for king of the mountains went to Julien El Fares.

This year's Tour of Hainan started and concluded in Wanning, and covered nearly 1,500 kilometers over nine stages.

Liaoning Renews Contract for Guo Ailun; NBA Season StartsIn basketball,Team Liaoning have finalized their deal and renewed their contract with Guo Ailun for another 2 years.

The team and their ace point guard Guo had been at odds over terms in the contract, and negotiations collapsed at one point.

Both were put under pressure by the deadline for registration set by the Chinese Basketball Association for the new CBA season, which Guo had already missed, but received a green light for postponement.

Guo has now rejoined the team and resumed training.

Liaoning's first game in the new season is scheduled for this Sunday against Qingdao.

Meanwhile,The New NBA season has now got underway.

Last season's winners Golden State beat New Orleans 111-95.

MVP Stephen Curry had a record-breaking 40 points, his personal best in an NBA opener.

Other results from the opening day,Chicago edged Cleveland 97-95,Detroit downed Atlanta 106-94.

More NBA action coming up this morning,Twenty-eight teams hit the court to get the season into full swing.

The Wasington Wizards are playing Orlando Magic,And the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets are set to begin shortly.

Shao Jiayi to Announce RetirementIn football,Beijing Guo'an veteran Shao Jiayi has decided to call it a career, and hang up his boots.

The 35-year-old midfielder is to announce his retirement at a news conference later today.

Shao is expected to play his last game for Beijing Guo'an against Guangzhou Evergrande in the last match day of this season's Chinese Super League this weekend.

Shao started his football career with Guo'an at the age of 18.

He made the national squad two years later and represented China in the 2002 World Cup.

Shao joined Bundesliga's Munich 1860 on loan in 2003 to start a 9-year spell in Germany.

He is known for his left footed goals and is called "Asia's golden left foot" by the German media.

He returned to his home team four years ago and has been with Guo'an since.

Pokal, League Cup, Copa del Rey ResultsMore football action, in Europe,There were some landslide victories for teams in Germany's DFB-Pokal this morning.

Last season's runners-up Dortmund demolished Second Division team Paderborn 7-1;Leverkusen smashed Viktoria Cologne 6-0.

And there were wins for Heidenheim, Augsburg, Stuttgart and Moenchengladbach.

In the English League Cup,Juergen Klopp got his long-awaited win as Liverpool beat Bournemouth 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals;The game between Middlesbrough and Manchester United was dragged into penalties after both regular and extra time ended in a goalless draw. Middlesbrough won the shoot-out 3-1.

Finally in Spain,Barcelona were held at a goalless draw by third division Villanovense in the Copa del Rey.

WTA Final ResultsIn tennis,Petra Kvitova recorded her first win at the WTA Final against her Fed Cup teammate Lucie Safarova.

Both players had lost their White Group openers and Kvitova beat Safarova 7-5, 7-5 in this clash to remain in contention of a semi-final spot.

In another game between two winners from their first matches,Garbine Muguruza defeated Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-4.

On the table today, in the Red Group,Simona Halep will play Agnieszka Radwanska,And it is Flavia Pennetta going up against Maria Sharapova.

EntertainmentCharlize Theron Visits Hong Kong for Promotion ActivityHollywood superstar Charlize Theron arrived in Hong Kong on Wednesday, to promote an Australian luxury property development.

The Oscar-winning actress shared her feelings on visiting Hong Kong for the first time.

"I have absolutely loved my first visit here. It's a memorable one I will always remember. Thank you so much for all the fans for being so warm and so lovely and friendly. It's been a really, really wonderful experience. It's only been two days but it's felt like a week".

The South African beauty looked stunning in a skin-tight metallic dress when she met with the press.

The 40-year-old actress said 2015 had been a busy year for her so far, and she unveiled more details of her upcoming projects.

"I just finished shooting 'The Huntsman' which is the sequel to 'Snow White and the Huntsman' and I'm about to start production on a film called 'The Coldest City.' We start production in two weeks in Budapest and Berlin. I'm getting ready for that."Theron won the Best Actress Oscar in 2004 for her performance as a serial killer in 'Monster.'

She was in Hong Kong for the promotion of suites at the Capitol Grand in Melbourne, in Australia.

'Everest' Makes China Premier in BeijingThe 3D biographical disaster film 'Everest' made its China premier in Beijing on Wednesday, with its director attending the advanced screening.

This mountain climbing thriller features the multi-expedition assault on Mount Everest which was devastated by a severe snow storm, and left eight climbers dead in 1996.

'Everest' was shot on the foothills of Everest in Nepal as well as the Alps in Italy.

Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin and Jake Gyllenhaal star in the film.

The film has opened the 72nd Venice International Film Festival on September 2, and theatrically released on September 18th.

'Everest' is scheduled to be released in China on November 3rd.

Alibaba Pictures to Invest 1Bln Yuan to Support FilmmakesChina's Alibaba Pictures has announced plans to invest one billion yuan, or some 157 million US dollars, in a project to support filmmakers over the next three years.

The company's CEO said on Wednesday, they plan to team up with Youku Tudou Incorporated, the Beijing Film Academy and the Communication University of China, to cultivate filmmakers under 45 years old across the world.

The initiative is also designed to support talent in animation, film design, special effects and comedy.

Among those already selected for the scheme is the winner of Visual Effects category at the 77th Annual Academy Awards, Anthony LaMolinara, along with Chinese director Zhang Yibai, and Hollywood director Renny Harlin.

Earlier this month, the company invested in a South Korean action movie 'Real', which marked a strategic step forward into the global market.

Starring in this action thriller will be popular Korean actor Kim Soon Hyun, who shot to fame for his roles in hit television dramas 'Dream High' and 'My Love from the Star.'

Alibaba Pictures is a subsidiary of China's biggest e-commerce company the Alibaba Group.

Michael Keaton and Liev Schreiber Attend 'Spotlight' New York PremierUS investigative journalism film 'Spotlight' has premiered in New York, with its star cast including Michael Keaton and Liev Schreiber walking the red carpet.

Directed by Thomas McCarthy, the drama tells the story of the Boston Globe's "Spotlight" team, and how it broke the Catholic sex abuse scandal in Massachusetts.

The Oscar-nominated, and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Keaton stars in this film as the head of the investigative reporting team.

He says he took the role because he loves the work of the director and his co-stars.

"I love his work, the cast. As it was coming together, it was me – I think it was me and Mark. Once I heard it was Mark I was really intrigued, because I'm a giant Mark Ruffalo fan and then I read the script and it was just very, very good."The film is based on a true story. Phil Saviano, a real life church abuse survivor gave his thoughts after watching the film.

"It does bring back a lot of bad memories and a lot of pain, but also a tremendous sense of relief. It's a sense of accomplishment and it's a sense of joy that this topic is going to get out there to a much larger audience."'Spotlight' was shown at this year's Venice International Film Festival and also the Toronto International Film Festival.

It is due for general release in the US on November 6th.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

China's Ambassador to the US lashing out at the US for sending a warship near islands cliamed by China in the South China Sea.

Germany's ambassador to China suggesting that ties between the two countries are at an all-time high ahead of the German Chancellor's upcoming visit...

And relief work underway in quake-hit areas of Pakistan...

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.