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

Coming up on the program this evening...

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Singapore for what's set be an historic visit.

Calls for China to forge a deeper friendship with VietnamThe latest batch of quake relief from China reaches PakistanIn Business... Chinese infant formula plant gets go ahead in New ZealandSports... An American golfer takes over the lead at the HSBC Championships in Shanghai.

In entertainment.... A star wars exclusive for an ailing fan.

Top NewsXi Starts Visit to SingaporeChinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Singapore for what's going to be an historic visit.

His trip coincides with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The upgrading of a bilateral free trade agreement is expected to be among main topics in bilateral talks between himself and Singapore's leadership.

He's also due to delliver a speech on China-Singapore and China-ASEAN ties.

However, as part of his time in Singappore, Xi Jinping is due to meet with Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou on Saturday in an historic first.

He's arrived in Singapore after wrapping up a state visit this Friday to Vietnam.

China, Vietnam Seek Ways to Manage Maritime DifferencesAnchorA joint communique between China and Vietnam has been released, saying how the two plan to manage their differences in the Beibu Gulf.

It's been released as part of President Xi Jinping's now-concluded trip to Vietnam.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has more on the China-Vietnam joint communique.

ReporterAs part of their joint communique, China and Vietnam have agreed to inspect the waters outside the mouth of the Beibu Gulf next month.

The two sides also planned to steadily promote the negotiation mechanism on demarcation of the waters in the region.

Nie Huihui, an expert from the China Institue of Contemporary International Relations, says such inspections could be seen as an important step to gain mutual trust, though more patience is still needed to solve the disputes.

"The inspection echoes actively to the agreements on the demarcation of the Beihu Gulf and fishing cooperation. It has taken both countries 30 years or so to deal with the issue of disputed territories. South China Sea dispute is complicated and has a big impact on the whole region. The two sides should give it more time."The Beibu Gulf is a half-closed bay surrounded by Chinese and Vietnamese territories and a traditional fishery place for the two countries.

Back in 2000, the two countries signed agreements on the demarcation of the Beibu Gulf and fishing cooperation in the area.

Apart from maritime cooperations, the two sides have agreed to expand industrial cooperation within the framework of China's Belt and Road Initiative and Vietnam's 'Two Corridors and One Economic Circle' plan.

Among all industrial projects, both countries have agreed to a feasibility study of a railway project worth some 28 billion yuan, or over 4 billion US dollars.

The railway is set to link the Vietnam capital Hanoi and northern city Lao Cai near the China-Vietnam border.

Nie Huihui says both sides could strengthen their industrial cooperations in the following aspects.

"One is the interconnection of infrastructure, such as that of motorways, ports, etc. The other is strengthening industry docking. Both countries can complement each other with each countries' advantages."Based on the communique, bilateral trade volume between China and Vietnam is expected to reach 100 billion US dollars in 2017.

Last year, Vietnam became China's second largest trading partner inside ASEAN as bilateral border-trade has grown steadily.

Earlier this year, Vietnam and 11 other nations concluded their talks in the Trans Pacific Partnership deal.

Nie Huihui says the recent TPP deal will not affect China-Vietnam trade relations given their large-scale imports and exports, especially in agricultural and acquatic products.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.

Xi Jinping Calls for Continuing Traditional Friendship with Vietnam in the National Assembly AddressChinese President Xi Jinping has called for a deepening of the traditional friendship with Vietnam during a speech to its National Assembly today.

Such an address in the Vietnam legislature is considered rare by a foreign head of state.

President Xi said China was willing to strengthen ties with its southeast Asian neighbor despite their differences at sea.

"There is an old Chinese saying that neighbours wish each other well, just as loved ones do to each other. It is normal for neighbours to have rows, yet the two sides should always keep the overall interests of our relations in mind and properly control and manage our disputes through peaceful and friendly negotiation. We should prevent our relationship from sheering off the right course."Last year, relations between the two neighbors sank to a low point due to territorial disputes over the South China Sea.

But the two sides have seen warmer ties of late, with frequent high-level contacts this year.

In his address, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he hoped both countries could work together to build up regional order.

"China supports Vietnam to play a more important role on the global and regional stages. We are also willing to strengthen the cooperation with Vietnam in global and regional mechanisms to ensure our common interests and promote the common development of the region."The Chinese leader also held talks with the General Secretary of the ruling Vietnamese Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, calling for a party-to-party communication.

Earlier today, Xi Jinping also met over a hundred Chinese and Vietnamese young people before heading to Singapore for the second leg of his Southeast Asian visit.

Vietnamese Government Researcher Scholar Hails President Xi's Byline ArticleChinese President Xin Jinping's byline article, "China and Vietnam Should Join Hands to Create a Bright Future for Bilateral Relations," has strengthened confidence in the economic and trade cooperation between China and Vietnam.

Dr. Bui, head of the Vietnam's Institute for Development Strategies, says the article has received a warm welcome in Vietnam.

"The two countries have a tradition of establishing peaceful and cooperative relations. This is another sign that marks a better future between our two countries. I believe this message is the one that both sides are willing to hear. Both the peoples and the nations expect to establish a friendly relationship, keep the peace and stability and create a sound business environment. It's not only for the two peoples, but also for the whole region."The researcher also added that more practical experiences, such as each countries' reforms over a long period of time, should be exchanged to create a better development environment.

This year marks the 65 anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam.

China and Singapore to Promote Economic Ties: AnalystsAnchorExperts say economic cooperation between China and Singapore will be enhanced by Chinese President Xi Jinping's official state visit to Singapore.

CRI's Min Rui has more.

ReporterLeading experts believe that Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Singapore will widen economic ties, as the two sides are facing new opportunities while exploring emerging areas for cooperation.

Experts say the two countries depend on each other economically, as China needs to learn from Singapore's experience in developing its economy, while Singapore wants to make inroads into China's vast market.

Zheng Yongnian, a leading Chinese researcher of East Asia studies at the National University of Singapore, says the past inter-governmental cooperative programs have generated significant results and had helped China to solve practical problems.

"The project in 1994 was called the Suzhou Industrial Park because China was going through the phase of industrialization. The Tianjin Ecosystem City project in 2008 was initiated when China's urbanization called for a solution to solve its environmental problems. Now here is the third inter-governmental, connective project. As you can see, China is going out again and every project reflects China's needs in different phases of development."In fact, the third inter-governmental cooperative program is expected to become a flagship project in the China-led "One Belt, One Road" initiative.

Alexander Neil, a senior researcher with the Shangri-La Forum Singapore, says the "Belt and Road" initiative will create new opportunities for economic cooperation, as well as for Singapore's future development.

"There is infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia which are bringing connectivity to Singapore with its Southeast Asian neighbors to the north. So at this junction point, it really is an important node on the 'One Belt, One Road', particularly the maritime silk road element of the 'One Belt, One Road' initiative."As a trading nation, and a leading, decisive member of the ASEAN, Singapore has been regarded as an effective channel for China's capital to flow into Southeast Asia.

Zheng Yongnian with the National University of Singapore said that the China-Singapore relationship matters not only for the development of the two countries, but also for the achieving of prosperity and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

"China is also embracing new development in a new phase. The world order is actually experiencing a transition from both the regional and global perspectives. So I think this time the leaders of the two states will not just focus on finalizing the projects. I think the concrete decisions are easy to make; however, the general direction and consensus are the most important topics."President Xi's visit comes at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and as Singapore will become the coordinator for the ASEAN-China Dialogue.

As a financial hub of Southeast Asia, Singapore can act as an intermediary for China to reach various markets.

Official statistics from Singapore show that China has been Singapore's top overseas investment destination for seven consecutive years, and its top trading partner in goods since 2013.

For CRI, I'm Min Rui.

For more on Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Singapore, CRI's Zhou Jingnan spoke earlier to former Singaporean foreign minister for foreign affairs George Yeo.

Back AnchorFormer Singaporean foreign minister for foreign affairs George Yeo, speaking to CRI's Zhou Jingnan.

Xi to Open China Culture Center in SingaporeDuring his time in Singapore, Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the China Cultural Center.

The center was designed by Liu Thai Ker, the master planner of Singapore, and features the combination of Chinese culture elements and modern architecture philosophy.

Xiao Jianghua, the cultural counselor of China Embassy, says the center will mainly help with the bilateral exhange of art.

"The then minister of Singapore's information, communications and the arts said, all sectors of Singapore, especially the culture sector, expected much from Chinese culture. They hoped, through the China Cultural Center, that high-quality artworks could be imported to Singapore, acting as a reference and lead the way for local art groups."As Chinese Vice President, Xi Jinping broke ground for the center five years ago, along with Goh Chok Tong, then Singapore's Senior Minister.

The center will be operated by the Chinese government.

Taiwan Public Looking forward to Xi-Ma MeetingExpectations are said to be running high in Taiwan ahead of tomorrow's historic meeting between the leaders from Taiwan and the mainland.

Professor Cheng Yu-ping with Taipei University says many expect the meeting will open new doors for people in Taiwan.

"What the people in Taiwan are highly concerned about is how the lawmakers in Taiwan can use this meeting to improve cross-Strait relations. I think most people feel this meeting on Saturday will expand people's minds a bit about cross-Strait affairs, and hopefully help them realize that by having a better relationship on both sides will create more opportunities. We are already happy with the steps that have been taken to maintain a peaceful relationship, but we're also hoping this meeting between the two leaders will create even more stability and opportunties."The meeting between Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou will be the first of its kind since the end of the civil war and the creation of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

The meeting will take place in two parts, one which will be open to the media, and one which will take place behind closed-doors.

China's Latest Relief Supplies Arrive in PakistanThe latest batch of quake relief supplies from China have arrived in Pakistan.

10-million yuan worth of materials including tents, blankets and electric generators have arrived by plane in Islamabad.

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Sun Weidong, says China stands ready to do whatever Pakistan needs.

"Our two countries have a long tradition of helping one another when we have problems. We consider this disaster in Pakistan as our own disaster, and will always be ready to help."Pakistani Information Minister Pervez Rashid says the Chinese help is special.

"When the earthquake happened, so many countries offered their help to Pakistan. But we only ask that we are thankful to them because Pakistan has the ability and the capacity to help our own people. But when Chinese government offered this help, we accepted it because we know and we understand that we have very special relations with China, these are brotherly relations."An 8.1-magnitude quake hit the Hindu Kush region on the Afghan side of the border last month.

The powerful quake killed close to 280 people and caused damage to around 100-thousand homes across northwestern Pakistan.

This batch of relief materials follows on the heels of a 100-thousand US dollar cash donation the Chinese Red Cross Society put out just days after the quake hit.

Online Media Get Reporting RightsOnline media outlets in China have, for the first time, been granted media credentials.

This will allow them to legally report and conduct interviews.

Almost 600 employees working for 14 major portals have been granted media acreditation.

The online portals for the People's Daily, the Xinhua News Agency and the regional government of Tibet are among some of the websites being given full media credentials.

Those working for commercial news portals such as Sina and Sohu are not included.

Non-accredited websites in China are banned from reporting their own news, and are only allowed to edit and publish news from accredited media sources.

Two-child Policy Expected to Bring 3 Million Extra Births Each YearChina's family planning authorities are now predicting up to 3-million extra births are year may happen in China because of the new policy to allow all families in China to to have two children.

Yang Wenzhuang with the National Health and Family Planning Commission says the two-child policy will keep China's population on an upward trajectory.

"It's estimated that over 90 million families qualify for the new two-child policy. The policy will keep China's population rising in the coming years and the maximum yearly growth could reach 20 million. It's expected to bring over three million extra births annually."Under the new policy, its expected the population in China will hit 1.45 billion by 2030.

Authorities say they believe the new policy is likely to help balance the demographic imbalance.

But at the same time, family planning authorities admit this is going to bring additional pressure to the health care, childcare and education sectors.

They say this can be overcome through more investment and better allocation of resources in these areas.

Robots and New Energy Automobiles Highlight China International Industry FairAnchorRobots and new energy vehicles are said to be some of the highlights at this year's China International Industry Fair taking place this week in Shanghai.

CRI's Chi Huiguang has more.

ReporterThe most cutting-edge robots made by both domestic and foreign manufacturers are on display during the robotics show.

Among all the robots on show, those independently developed by Chinese companies account for about half.

Dai Liu, deputy director of the fair's Organizing Committee Office, introduces:

"The robots outnumber visitors in this 30,000-square meter exhibition hall. It is the first time that we gather all the professional robot technologies and showcase them here in China."The industry fair has become one of the most important platforms to showcase the intellectual creations invented in China. It marked the first time they added areas for domestic robots and aerospace theme related robots.

Feng Fei is the vice minister of Industry and Information Technology.

"There are a few highlights in innovation and structural adjustment, especially smart manufacturing showcased on this industry fair. Our technologies are advancing and industrialization capability is getting stronger, especially in the field of equipment manufacturing. High-end equipment manufacturing is also facing some new breakthroughs."The new energy automobiles and latest technologies displayed on the industry fair reflect the latest achievements of China's innovation in this sector.

The latest data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers shows that the total output of new energy automobiles reached over 144 thousand and sales reached about 137 thousand units in the first three quarters of this year. Sales of new energy automobiles are expected to exceed 200 thousnad units by the end of this year.

Feng Fei explains the operational objectives in the future.

"The key for our next step is accelerating the promotion of usage. We should especially promote the construction of charging facilities which becomes bottleneck the expansion of usage. And secondly I think we should further inspire the companies."This year's industry fair encompasses nine categories including robotics and aerospace technology, with more than 2,200 companies from 28 countries and regions attendance.

Back AnchorCRI's Chi Huiguang reporting.

Future of German Auto IndustryAnchorGermany is one of the major players in the global auto industry.

But Volkswagen's ongoing emissions scandal has shown just how tough it is to stay competitive in today's rapidly-changing world.

For a look at the different strategies the big German automakers have chosen, and what we might expect from the 'future of mobility', let's hear from our reporter Ira Spitzer in Berlin.

ReporterThe German auto industry hopes it may be driving towards a new future.

Volkswagen's recent diesel emissions scandal rocked the world's third largest auto exporter.

Germany's big three of VW, BMW and Daimler may have to look beyond diesel, which now accounts for over half the cars in Europe, to remain competitive.

Felix Creutzig of the Mercator Instiute.

"I think there will be a major shift. Diesel up to to now has been a strategy, clean diesel has been a strategy for the German car manufacturers. I think there will be a shift to electric cars in the next five to seven years."BMW has already led the way in electric.

Its i3 has entered the ranks of the elite electric cars, joining the likes of the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Model S.

But while electric is certainly a major strategy, it's not the only one.

Autonomous vehicles have been making waves at this year's car shows.

And Daimler just released a trailer for the self-driving Mercedes Vision Tokyo, marketed towards so-called urban trendsetters.

It's not just traditional automakers that are getting involved.

Apple is allegedly exploring the market with its top-secret Titan project and Google has been making self-driving cars for years.

Still, there are many years to go before autonomous vehicles could be put into any sort of wider use, according to Jens Stoewhouse, the Editor-in-Chief of Intellicar.de.

"They are I believe in the first stages, so not really competition for the classic German automobile market, but they surely will change the perception of automobiles in society."Longer term though it may be the emergence of car sharing companies and Taxi services like Uber that could represent the biggest threat to the industry.

"If the big automakers can't transform themselves into service providers, that simply can offer mobility as a service - which they're all trying to do at the moment. If they can't do that, to be taken more seriously as a service provider, than I don't think it will be easy."While it may be a challenging transition for Germany's big car companies, the rewards could be significant.

Imagine for example self-driven electric vehicles delivering on-demand orders to your doorstep.

Providing the backbone of an entirely new infrastructure would mean big opportunities down the road.

For CRI, I'm Ira Spitzer in Berlin.

WeatherBeijing will have sleet tonight with a low of 2, tomorrow will have slight rain with a high of 7.

Shanghai will have slight rain tonight with a low of 19, tomorrow will have thunderstorm, high of 24.

Chongqing will be rainy with a low of 16, tomorrow will be overcast, high of 20.

Lhasa will be cloudy with a low of minus 2, tomorrow will also be cloudy with a high of 11.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 23.

Kabul, cloudy, 12.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, slight rain, high of 21,Brisbane,rainy,30,Perth, cloudy, 24,And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be sunny with a high of 20 degrees Celsius.

Headline NewsXi Starts Visit to SingaporeChinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Singapore for what's going to be a historic visit.

His trip coincides with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The upgrading of a bilateral free trade agreement is expected to be among main topics in bilateral talks between himself and Singapore's leadership.

He's also due to delliver a speech on China-Singapore and China-ASEAN ties.

During his time in Singappore, Xi Jinping is also set to meet with Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou on Saturday in an historic first.

He's arrived in Singapore after wrapping up a state visit this Friday to Vietnam.

China, Vietnam Agree on Joint Inspection in Beibu Gulf WatersAs part of Xi Jinping's time in Vietnam, a new agreement has been reached launch joint inspections in the Beibu Gulf in December.

The two sides have also agreed to hold talks over demarcation issues and possible joint development of the sea area.

The waters of the Beibu Gulf, which borders Guangxi and northern Vietnam, have not been completely delineated.

Meanwhile, the sides have also announced a feasibility study for a rail link between Hanoi and Hai Phong in northern Vietnam, which could be built with Chinese help.

Xi Addresses Vietnam's National AssemblyChinese President Xi Jinping has delivered a speech to Vietnam's National Assembly.

In it, the Chinese President has talked about the development of bilateral relations and "socialism building" in both nations.

Ahead of his speech to Vietnamese lawmakers, Xi Jinping laid a wreath at the mausoleum of late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh in the capital, Hanoi.

Ho Chi Minh had tight ties with China, having spent time living in the country before returning to Vietnam to help lead the fight to pull Vietnam out from colonial control.

Xi Jinping is now set to travel to Singapore.

Online Media Get Reporting RightsOnline media outlets in China have, for the first time, been granted media credentials.

This will allow them to legally report and conduct interviews.

Almost 600 employees working for 14 major portals have been granted media acreditation.

The online portals for the People's Daily, the Xinhua News Agency and the regional government of Tibet are among some of the websites being given full media credentials.

Those working for commercial news portals such as Sina and Sohu are not included.

Non-accredited websites in China are banned from reporting their own news, and are only allowed to edit and publish news from accredited media sources.

Brazil Dam Collapses, Killing 15At least 15 people are dead and dozens others missing following the collapse of a dam in southeastern Brazil.

Authorities say 45 others are missing.

The search for any possible survivors is being held-up amid fears there could be more collapses at the site.

The cause of the dam collapse remains unknown.

Biz ReportsMarket PreviewAnchorTime to check in with today's business news, starting with the closing numbers in Asia,Markets on the mainland ended the last trading day of the week higher, adding to gains made during the previous two sessions.

Market sentiment has been bolstered by a series of proposals likely to be included in the next 5-year development plan for China.

Securities firms are among the biggest winners on the day today.

Industrial Securities and Everbright Securities rose by the daily limit of 10 percent for the third consecutive day.

At the close, the Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.9 percent.

The smaller Shenzhen Component Index added 2.8 percent.

The ChiNext Index for growth enterprises surged 3.8 percent.

Down in Hong Kong, the Heng Seng closed the trading week down 0.8 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Tokyo shares closed higher as the yen's ongoing retreat against the U.S. dollar prompted investors to pile into export-related issues.

However, the gains were somewhat muted as a large number of investors chose to hit the sidelines in late-day trading, deciding to take a wait-and-see approach ahead of a key U.S. jobs report due to be released later on this Friday.

At the close, the Nikkei gained 0.8 percent.

Both South Korea's KOSPI and Singapore's Straits Times Index shed 0.4 percent.

And finally,Australia's ASX/200 edged up 0.4 percent.

China to Restart Initial Public OfferingsChina's securities regulator says it is going to resume initial public offerings after a four-month hiatus.

The initial public offering market was suspended in July in the wake of a stock market rout starting from mid-June.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission added that it will give IPO approval to 10 companies in the next two weeks.

The news of the resumption of public listings comes on the heels of a technical rebound in the A-share market.

China's JD.com Sues Alibaba's Tmall over Unfair CompetitionA court in Beijing has agreed to hear an unfair competition lawsuit launched by e-commerce firm JD.com against Tmall.com.

JD.com is accusing Tmall of exaggeration on some of its outdoor and newspaper ads in September that promised same-day delivery in Beijing.

JD.com says only people living in certian parts of the city are eligible to get the service, and only on items ordered before a certain time of the day.

The company notes many people still have to wait until the next day to get their packages.

JD.com is demanding Tmall stop posting the ads and release a statement admitting they had been deceptive.

Alibaba, which owns Tmall, has yet to comment on the suit.

The lawsuit comes after the State Administration for Industry and Commerce formally accepted JD.com's request to investigate Alibaba for possible unfair promotional practices.

JD.com claims Alibaba is "forcing merchants" to choose to deal exclusively with one e-commerce site for their promotional activities.

Alibaba has denied the accusations.

Chinese Infant Formula Plant Launched in New ZealandChina's Yashili New Zealand Dairy Company, a subsidiary of China's Yashili International Holdings and Mengniu Dairy Compay, has opened an infant formula plant Pokeno, south of Auckland.

The 145 million U.S. dollar plant which was constructed over three years, will produce formula for the Chinese market.

The new plant will employ 85 staff and have an annual production capacity of around 52-thousand tons of formula product.

Shipments are expected to begin early next year.

China is the fastest growing dairy market in the world.

Its infant formula market is expected to grow to about 21 billion U.S. dollars by 2017.

China's Exports to Remain Flat, Imports to Fall This Year: Ministry of CommerceThe China Commerce Ministry has forecasts that exports this year are expected to remain generally flat, while imports may fall substantially.

A report released on Thursday shows foreign-trade growth fared well with a smaller drop than the global average and most major economies.

For the first three quarters, foreign trade dropped 7.9 percent year on year to some 18 trillion yuan, or 2.8 trillion U.S. dollars.

The report said the drops were due to the sluggish global economy, high costs and slumping commodity prices.

It also points out China will face complex global conditions, subdued international market demands and increasing trade frictions next year.

However, China is likely to post faster growth than the global average and hold a bigger share of the international market thanks to opening-up policies such as the Belt and Road Initiative and overall economic restructuring.

BoE Benchmark Interest Rate Unchanged at 0.5 PctAnchorBritain's central bank has kept the benchmark interest rate at the record low of 0.5 percent, where it's been for the last six-and-a-half years.

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted by 8 to 1 to keep the rates unchanged.

The bank put its decision down to sluggish growth in developing markets and lower energy costs.

It also noted that inflation would remain below the bank's target rate of two percent.

For more on this, CRI's Lincoln Van der Westhuizen spoke to Terrill L. Frantz, Assistant Professor of Management & Director of Global Development at Peking University's HSBC Business School.

Back anchorTerrill L. Frantz, Assistant Professor of Management & Director of Global Development at Peking University's HSBC Business School speaking with CRI's Lincoln Van der Westhuizen.

Nicaragua Gives Green Light to Canal ProjectNicaragua has given the green light to a new canal project linking the Pacific with the Atlantic.

The Inter-oceanic Grand Canal Commission has given the go head for Hong Kong-based firm HKND to start the structural and construction design phase of the project.

The 50 billion-U.S.-dollar project is being built in the country's southwest region.

It will rival the Panama Canal when completed in 2019.

The 278 km-long canal will be able to accommodate cargo ships with a maximum capacity of 18-thousand shipping containers.

It is expected to potentially turn Nicaragua into a Central American trade hub.

Toyota Won't Use Takata Inflators Made with Ammonium NitrateJapanese automaker Toyota Motor says it will no longer use Takata's inflators containing ammonium nitrate but would consider other Takata inflators as long as they were safe.

Despite this, Toyota says it will not abandon Takata as a supplier of air bag inflators.

Regulators say Takata's inflators, which use ammonium nitrate as a propellant, can explode with too much force and spray metal fragments inside the car.

The defective inflators have led to the recall of tens of millions of vehicles worldwide.

SportsGolf: American Kevin Kisner Takes Lead at HSBC ChampionshipsIn Golf,American Kevin Kisner has taken the lead at the HSBC Championships in Shanghai.

Kisner, who started the day tied for 2nd, fired a 6-under-66 today to move into the lead at minus-14 heading into the tournament.

Scotland's Russel Knox has moved into sole possession of 2nd at minus-12 after a bogey-free 7-under-65 today.

First round leader, South African Branden Grace, has slid down to 3rd after a 1-under-71.

Chinese golfer Li Haotong now sits tied for 4th, moving up 4-spots on the leaderboard after a 3-under-69 today moved him to minus-9 heading into the tournament.

World number-1 Jordan Spieth struggled today, finishing at even-par to sit well back on the leaderboard at minus-4.

The other top golfers in the field in Shanghai also struggled a bit today, with Rory McIlroy also finishing at even-par.

Australia's Adam Scott had another troublesome round today, finishing with a 4-over-76 today to put him at plus-7 heading into the weekend.

At the LPGA stop in Japan,Americans Angela Stanford and Ryann O'Toole share the lead after the first round of the Japan Classic.

Both carding 7-under-65's on the day.

Taiwan's Tseng Yani well in the hunt.

She's 2-back of the leaders at minus-5.

Mainland golfers Feng Shanshan and Lin Xiyu are not taking part in this weekend's event in Japan.

Basketball: Beijing Ducks Looking for First Win in JilinIn basketball,The remaining games in Round-2 of the CBA season are taking place tonight.

Its the defending Champion Beijing Ducks are looking to rebound from their opening-night loss to Xinjiang as they take on Jilin.

The Northeast Tigers come into tonight off a first-round win over Beijing Beikong.

In other action,Its Shandong on the road in Shanxi.

Xinjiang has its home-opener against Jiangsu.

Fujian is at home to the Guangsha Lions.

And its the battle of Guangdong tonight, with the Southern Tigers entertaining Foshan.

From the NBA this morning,It was the Chicago Bulls moving to 4-2 on the season with a 104-98 win over Oklahoma City.

Miami downed Minnesota 96-84.

Charlotte dumped Dallas 108-94.

Jeremy Lin with 7-points coming of the bench for the Hornets in the victoryIt was Utah over Denver 96-84.

And it was Portland over Memphis 115-96.

Tennis: Isner to Battle Ferrer after Knocking out Federer in ParisIn tennis,Quarter-final getting underway tonight at the Paris Masters.

It's 13th seeded American John Isner up against Spainyard David Ferrer.

Isner is into the quarter-finals in Paris after downing Roger Federer in a hard-fought, 3rd set tiebreaker.

In other action tonight,It's Stan Wawrinka up against Raphael Nadal.

Novak Djokovic is up against Tomas BerdychAnd its Andy Murray taking on Richard Gasquet.

Action at the WTA Elite Trophy tournament continues today in ZhuhaiChina's Zheng Saisai will be in-action tonight as she takes on American Madison Keys in her final Group-A clash.

Neither of those two will make it into the semi-finals, as Venus Willams has already secured her ticket there by downing Zheng last night.

In earlier action,Elina Svitolina is through to the semi-finals as well, after downing Carla Suarez-Navarro this afternoon.

Svitolina dropped the first set in a tiebreaker, but dominated the 2nd and 3rd, winning 6-7, 6-1, 6-3.

In Group D action, its Roberta Vinci taking on Anna Schemeldova.

This tournament, played in a round-robin format in 4-different groups, has gathered the top 11-players which didn't make the cut to play in the WTA Finals last week in Singapore.

Zheng Saisai was brought in as a wild-card.

If Venus Williams, Suarez-Navarro, Karolina Pliskova or Roberta Vinci win this tournament in Zhuhai, they'll replace Rising Swiss star Timea Bacaskinski as the world number-10 heading into next season.

Coach Li Yongbo Honored by Guinness World RecordsIn badminton,China's Sun Yu has reached the next round of the Korea Masters, beating Kaori Imabeppu of Japan in straight sets.

Fellow Chinese shuttler Shen Yaying has also progressed with an easy win today over Chen Hsiao Huan from South Korea.

In off-court badminton news,The head coach of Chian's National Badminton team is going to be named in the next edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.

Li Yongbo is going to be listed as the Coach who has won the most Sudirman Cups.

The 53-year old has led China to 10 Sudirman Cup victories from 1997 to 2015, missing out in 2003 when China lost to South Korea in the Finals.

The Sudirman Cup is a world mixed-team Badminton championship held every 2-years.

China won this year's event in Dongguan.

The next Sudirman Cup will be held in 2017 in Australia.

Tottenham Edge Anderlecht for Europa League VictoryIn football,Europa League action from this morning,It was Tottenham a 2-1 win over Anderlecht, moving Tottenham to the top of Group J with 7-points.

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.

"I think we showed character. It's difficult to play in every game where we create chances and build from the back like our philosophy. Today I congratulate the players because I think we showed character and we competed. Sometimes it's not possible to play well, you need to show character and compete and suffer. Today will need to learn a lot."In other action,Borussia Dortmund have booked their tickets into the Europa League knockout stages after thumping Gabala 4-nil.

This is Dortmund's third win in four games.

It was Monaco drawing 1-1 with Qarabag.

Liverpool edged Kazan 1-nil.

Ajax and Fenerbahce ended in a scoreless draw.

And it was Fiorentina over Lech Poznan 2-nil.

Mali is into the final of the Under-17 World Cup for the first time after getting past Belgium 3-1.

It's going to be an all-Africa final in Chile, as Mali will be taking on Nigeria.

The Nigerians are into the final after beating Mexico 4-2 in their semi-final match.

The Under-17 World Cup Final will take place on Sunday.

Here in China,Hosts China is set to take on Iran tonight in round-robin action in Under-16 Women's Asian Championship in Hubei's capital, Wuhan.

China was held to a 3-3 draw by South Korea in their opening match, while Iran went down to Thailand 4-nil.

A total of 8 teams are taking part in the tournament.

The top two will qualify for next year's Under-17 Women's Football World Cup in Jordan.

NFL: Bengals Remain Undefeated after Downing BrownsIn the NFL,The Cincinatti Bengals have moved to 8-0 on the season after making easy work of the Cleveland Browns 31-10 this morning.

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton hooking up with Tyler Eifert 3-times for touchdowns in leading his club to the win.

Cincinatti's 8-0 start is the best in the club's history, and only the 22nd time in the Super Bowl era that a team has accomplished the feat.

The loss moves the Cleveland Browns to 2-7.

NHL: Patrick Kane Not to Face Prosecution on Rape AllegationsIn the ice from earlier today,It was the Washington Capitals handing Boston its first road loss of the season, downing the Bruins 4-1 in DC.

Alexander Ovechkin with his 7th goal of the season in the win, putting him just one-goal short of tying Sergei Fedorov for the most goals ever by a Russian-born player in the NHL at 483.

Elsewhere,It was Tampa Bay over Buffalo 4-1.

Montreal scored 3 goals in the 3rd to dump the New York Islanders 4-1.

Ottawa edged Winnipeg in a shoot-out, 4-3.

It was Nashville hanging on to beat Minnesota 3-2.

Calgary edged Philadelphia 2-1 in overtime.

Arizona doubled up on Colorado 4-2.

The Columbus Blue Jackets upset the LA Kings 3-2 out on the West Coast.

And up the road, it was San Jose beating up on Florida 5-2.

EntertainmentAdam Lambert to Visit Beijing Next WeekAmerican Idol runner up and glam pop star Adam Lambert is due in Beijing next week for T-mall's November 11 Concert.

The star-studded extravaganza, held in celebration of the excuse for massive, unrestrained consumerism known as Singles' Day, will be held at the Water Cube on November 10.

Lambert will perform songs from his third album, The Original High, which was released in June.

The album follows the success of his second album Trespassing, which saw him top the Billboard charts.

The erstwhile Queen collaborator is set to return to China in early 2016 as part of his world tour.

Big Bang, EXO Come Out On Top with the Most Watched K-Pop Music Videos in 2015The Korea Times has compiled a list of the most-viewed K-pop music videos of the year to November.

Big Bang took the top two spots, while EXO and Girls' Generation followed closely behind.

The most-watched K-Pop music video of 2015 so far is Big Bang's "Bang Bang Bang," which racked up an astonishing 73.8 million views on YouTube.

Big Bang's "Loser" came in second, while EXO's "Call Me Baby" followed on in third place.

Big Bang's "Bae Bae" took fourth, and Girls' Generation's "Party" rounded out the top five.

The top ten songs included more Big Bang music videos, as well as songs by 4Minute, Miss A, and Girls' Generation.

Red Velvet is the newest K-pop group to make the list, with their song "Ice Cream Cake" viewed over 27.2 million times on YouTube.

Ridley Scott Receives a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame"Gladiator" director Ridley Scott received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Thursday afternoon accompanied by Kristen Wiig, Russell Crowe and Salma Hayek.

The Oscar-nominated English director was given the 2,564th star in front of the Egyptian Theatre.

Scott said he was thrilled to receive the star alongside talented artists in - what he called - this wonderful business of entertainment.

"We are the luckiest people to be functioning in this business which is just great. That's why I still charge along and do the best I can."77 year old Scott has been directing films for about 50 years now.

Other directorial credits include "Black Hawk Down," "Exodus: Gods and Kings" and "American Gangster."Scott's star has been placed near those of other British entertainers such as Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Helen Mirren and Malcom McDowell.

Terminally Ill "Star Wars" Fan Granted to Watch the New "The Force Awakens" Film ahead of Its PremiereA terminally ill "Star Wars" fan, who was given just a few months to live, was granted his wish to see the new "The Force Awakens" film on Thursday, nearly two months before it comes out in theaters.

Daniel Fleetwood, a 31-year-old Texan man suffers from an aggressive form of cancer that has spread to 90 percent of his lungs.

His dying wish to see "The Force Awakens" went viral on social media in the past week.

Disney said on Thursday that the screening for Fleetwood had taken place.

The company did not say where the viewing happened, but given Fleetwood's poor health, it's believed it took place at his home.

The plot of "The Force Awakens," the seventh installment in George Lucas's massively popular "Star Wars" franchise will see the return of veterans Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mayhew. Details of the plot have been kept tightly under wraps.

Fans have only been given three brief teaser trailers in the past year.

Pre-sales for the opening of "The Force Awakens" in theaters have already broken U.S. and international records.

Noomi Rapace Starring in Amy Winehouse BiopicIt's understood Noomi Rapace is in talks to star in a bio-pic about the British singer Amy Winehouse, with Kirsten Sheridan directing.

Lotus Entertainment will finance, produce and handle international sales in the American Film Market.

Sheridan - who will direct her own screenplay - received an Academy Award nomination along with her sister Naomi and father Jim for the 2002 film "In America."Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning in 2011, five years after rising to international fame with her "Back to Black" album.

Rapace is best known for starring in "Prometheus," along with Swedish film adaptations of the Millennium series: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "The Girl Who Played with Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest."That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour...

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

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Singapore for what's going to be an historic visit.

Calls for China to forge a deeper friendship with VietnamThe latest batch of quake relief from China reaches PakistanOn behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Bob Jones and Paul James in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together...