And I'm Paul James. Welcome to the Beijing Hour, live from the Chinese capital... Coming up on the program this evening...

Foreign ministers from China and five countries discuss greater Indo-china co-operation.

A Chinese Firm takes over the operations of a major port in Pakistan.

The State Council releases fresh measures to boost Consumption.

In business.... The Chinese yuan weakens against US Dollar for an 8th dayIn sports... Sergio Garcia opens up a one-stroke lead after round-1 of the BMW Championships in Shanghai.

In entertainment..... Chinese pop singer Tiger Hu set for US sitcom debut.

All of that is coming up in the next hour, but first, a reminder that there are several ways you can reach us here at the Beijing Hour.

You can follow our weibo account at weibo.com/beijinghour.

On WeChat: search "beijinghour"Email us directly at [email protected].

Visit crienglish.com for the latest news and information from China Radio International.

Top NewsFMs Meet for Indochinese Peninsula CooperationForeign ministers from China and the five countries making up the Indochina Peninsula have sat down for a meeting of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation grouping.

The meeting in Yunnan is the first time the Foreign Ministers from China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam have sat down in this setting.

All are connected by the Mekong River, known as the Lancang here in China.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the overall hope is to formalize a new regional economic grouping.

"We hope the South-North cooperation mechanism is not only established, but that it makes tangible achievements as soon as possible so that people from all six countries can really feel the substantial benefits that the new cooperation mechanism will bring to all the people in all the countries in this region."Thailand's Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai says all of the Ministers have agreed to work together on political and security issues, economic development, and people-to-people exchanges.

"I think this is the very core of the cooperation on Mekong-Lancang, which has never existed in other areas. I'm glad that we are able to take care of all the issues in our cooperation here."While the countries along the Mekong have been working together for a number of years in combatting crime on the river, economic and social collaboration among the 6 countries, as a group, has not been a priority.

Chinese Firm Begins Management of Pakistan's Gwadar PortA Chinese firm has officially taken control of Pakistan's Gwadar Port free-trade zone.

Under the agreement, China Overseas Holdings Limited will manage the free-trade zone on a 43-year lease.

The formal handover signals the Chinese side's control of all the port's business affairs.

Gwadar port is a deep sea port that sits next to the Strait of Hormuz, the key oil route in and out of the Persian Gulf.

As part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor scheme, China plans to make Gwadar a transportation hub by building a 3,000km railway linking Xinjiang, in western China, with Gwadar.

State Council Release Fresh Measures to Boost ConsumptionAnchor:

While huge numbers of Chinese consumers took part in yesterday's record-breaking Single's Day shopping event, the State Council, China's Cabinet, has also been taking new steps to shore up the country's consumption over the longer term.

CRI's Wang Mengzhen has the details.

Reporter:

At Wednesday's regular government meeting, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for more reforms and innovation to boost domestic consumption.

As part of a raft of policies, the Chinese cabinet has promised to speed up reforms on the household registration system, or known as "Hukou".

By helping people relocate to cities, it's hoped the reform will in turn boost home sales and consumption of home appliances.

Yao Jingyuan, researcher at the Counsellors' Office of the State Council, says restrictions in the Hukou system are indeed a barrier the domestic consumption.

"Currently, migrant workers living in cities could not share the public goods and services with their urban counterparts. This is an obvious problem we face when pushing forward urbanization. We need to ensure that migrants to have the same medical care and pension fund system. Also, their children ought to enjoy compulsory education like urban kids. As such, this will not only improve people's livelihood, but to offer large-scale potential consumption."Under existing rules in China, if you live outside the area of your registration, or Hukou, is located, you're required to obtain a temporary residency permit.

Last month, the State Council took the step of eliminating temporary residency permits, potentially giving people more access to social benefits.

At the same time, the Chinese government vowed to improve the country's business and consumption environment.

This requires the authorities to tighten supervision, better protect intellectual property rights and crack down on counterfeits.

Zhao Ping, a campaigner for consumer rights, listed the key challenge in China's private consumption.

"Chinese consumers are usually in a situation of asymmetric information. As such, they tend to be overly cautious while shopping. To tackle the problem, we need to set up a sound credit information sharing system. This could allow consumers to be well informed and thus encourage them to purchase more."In addition, the government will encourage imports of consumer goods, open more duty-free shops and improve tax refund policies for foreign tourists.

Yao Jingyuan explains why Chinese shoppers have been slow to spend overseas.

"First, the price of foreign products is always quite high in China. Secondly, we failed to identify marketable products to satisfy consumers' real demands. Therefore, it is significant for authorities to expand imports of goods that are warmly welcomed by Chinese consumers."The newly-released measures are seen as part of China's ongoing economic transition to help foster a consumption-driven economy.

In the first three quarters of this year, the Chinese economy expanded 6.9 percent year on year.

This is the lowest rate of expansion since the second quarter of 2009.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.

Smog disrupts traffic in NE ChinaLingering smog in northeastern China has been disrupting life this Thursday in Liaoning.

A dozen expressways across the province had to be shut down for a time today because of poor visibility.

High-speed trains in the region were also forced to delay or slow down their trips over safety concerns.

Officials in Liaoning have launched a new sweep of the province to check for illegal emissions from companies.

The smog in Liaoning has been letting up somewhat over the past few days.

Four cities in the province are still classified as suffering from severe air pollution, which is down from the 11 cities shrowded in smoke on Sunday.

China air showing signs of improvementAnchor:

Despite the appalling haze Beijing has been coping with this week, officials insist the air pollution problems which have been plaguing the region for years are getting better.

CRI's Li Jianhua has more.

Reporter:

While conditions in the capital and other parts of northern China may not reflect it this week, figures are suggesting the air this year in Beijing has improved.

The Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau is reporting that through the first 9-months of this year, all major pollutants being recorded by the city's 35 air-quality monitoring centers have seen declines.

Yi Bo with the Bureau's air management office says this includes a nearly 20-percent drop in PM2.5 levels, and a 40-percent decline in sulfur dioxide readings compared with last year.

"As a responsible government, we need to be constantly pushing to improve the quality of our city's environment. This is a process that will be sustained in the long term. Our aim is to reduce PM2.5 pollution levels by 25-percent in 2017 compared to those of 2012 levels."Despite the promises, and the overall reduction of pollution levels, when bad-air days hit Beijing, it becomes an instant topic of conversation.

"I think things would improve if we had fewer cars, and tightened traffic controls. For instance, we could institute a full-time odd-even system for license plates to keep cars off the road. Maybe then things will get better.""In the winter, because of the heating, the pollution gets worse and the situation often turns bad. Not that long ago, we had many blue-sky days, for instance, during the military parade. So we know that when the city wants to clear out the smog, the results can be amazing."To get back to those days of "amazing" weather, the government has been replacing coal-fired boilers with natural gas-powered power plants, as well as raising exhaust emission standards and forcing older, more polluting vehicles off the road.

Authorities have said they expect to shutter or move around 300 polluting factories out of the region this year.

Another measure the Municipal government in Beijing is using to improve air quality is promoting the use of clean energy.

Wang Qian, vice-director of the Goldwind wind turbine factory in Beijing, says the demand for their products has been on the rise over the past couple of years.

"According to our predictions, next year the demand for our wind turbines is expected to grow significantly. The demand for our equipment this year has already increased over last year's figures."But while steps are being taken, pollution is still a major problem in Beijing.

The average for PM2.5 in the capital this year is 70-micrograms per cubic meter.

While down 20-percent compared with the same period last year, the figure is still double the Chinese government's standard for clean air, which is 35-micrograms per cubic meter, and 7-times the World Health Organization's standard of 10.

It's estimated some 1.4-million people in China die every year from issues connected to air pollution.

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua.

World Chinese Economic Summit Held in LondonAnchor:

With the ASEAN Economic Community officially set to come on-stream next month, economic ties among China, Southeast Asia and Europe are high on the agenda at an annual Chinese economic summit being held, for the first time, outside Asia.

Our reporter Catherine Drew has more from the UK's capital, London.

Reporter:

200 delegates from around the world gathered at the 7th annual world Chinese economic summit,a magnet for business and political leaders.

It follows the successful state visit of China's President Xi's the UK last month, which China's ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming told the gathering heralded a new era"Together we can build a golden era for China-UK economic cooperation."The conference was also used by Chinese and Asian delegates to promote President Xi's Belt and Road trade initiative, which envisages an opening up of trade along the Silk Road from China to Europe, as well as maritime routes.

And at this year's gathering, ASEAN nations also took centre stage. Malaysia's deputy prime minister Dr Ahamad Zahid Hamidi addressed the gathering to promote the belt and road trade initiatives, saying after the ASEAN group is a full partner to it's powerful neighbour.

"We have played a vital role in strengthening our relationship with China, and because we are their biggest trading partners, and we are providing 600 million new marketplace for their products and I reckon the achievement of around 400 billion US dollars has shown that the region is very significant to China's economy."Next month ASEAN's Economic Community is due to come into force, which integrates member countries' economies and create a single market and production base.For some, Like Malaysia's Minister of Transport, Liow Tiong Lai,this achievement deserved reflection.

"It will be the Asian age now and we hope that with China coming in, the dialogue partner with ASEAN we'll be able to make this region more interesting.""And of course, Europe, many regions taking note of what's happening"?

"Yes, Europe, Middle East even Latin America, US, also very keen to have these dialogue partners especially these economic block with 600 million population and that kind of 4-5 per cent growth rate will actually initiate a lot of economic opportunities."For some delegates, the fact that this summit was held outside Asia this year, was also noteworthy. The London based Asia house helped organise the gathering and it's chief executive Michael Lawrence noted London't recent prominence when it comes to international trade.

"You can't talk about China is in isolation anymore, you can't talk about ASEAN in isolation, it really is about talking about those regions in the context of the rest of the world. It follows the state visit which from all accounts seems to have been enormously successful, so the timing is very interesting, but it's looking at Asia through the prism of a global view."This conference was of course arranged well ahead of President Xi's visit to the UK last month but it is something of a coup for London to host this summit, the first time it has been held outside Asia.

For CRI, I'm Catherine Drew in LondonChina to be Main Topic for G20Some economic observers say China will be a topic that nobody can avoid at the upcoming G20 Summit in Turkish city of Antalya.

Wim Mijs, Chairman of the European Banking Federation's Executive Committee, says China could help maintain a balance of policies.

At the same time, some say China could take the opportunity to promote its ideas about the world economy.

Among them is Oliver Garnier, a chief economist with a European independent investment bank.

"I think, as you know, next year China will have the presidency of the G20. And I think it's very important that China assume this responsibility by promoting new ideas, including I was just on the panel about the international monetary system in the conference."Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the summit scheduled for this coming weekend.

The summit next year will be held in eastern China's city of Hangzhou.

Putin asks internal investigation on doping scandalRussian President Vladimir Putin has asked for an internal investigation into claims that the country's athletes have been part of a national doping system.

Putin's order came after a World Anti-Doping Agency independent commission revealed its findings on Monday.

He said he wanted "professional co-operation" with anti-doping bodies.

"As for recent events connected to our athletics federation, I ask the sports minister and all colleagues connected to sports in some way to pay the utmost attention to it. That's firstly. Secondly, we must carry out our own, internal investigation and to ensure the most open, I want to stress this - the most open professional cooperation with international anti-doping structures."Putin added that if problems were found someone would have to assume personal responsibility for the issue.

The allegations have raised the prospect of Russia's track and field athletes being denied participation in next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Korean Court Upholds Lifetime Sentence for Ferry CaptainSouth Korea's top court has upheld a lifetime sentence for the captain of a ferry that sank last year en route to the resort island of Jeju.

The country's Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that Lee Joon-seok, captain of the ferry Sewol, committed homicide by "willful negligence.""The acts of the defendant, Lee Joon-seok originated from his intent which allowed his non-performance to lead the passengers and others to death, although he was aware of such an outcome. So his charge of wilful negligence in murder by non-performance is acknowledged. Therefore, for the intent of the law as that of the original trial, it is justified to acknowledge the defendant Lee Joon-seok's charges of homicide and attempted murder by wilful negligence that Lee Joon-seok's appeal cannot be accepted."Lee was accused of fleeing his ship without giving an evacuation order although, as captain, he is required by law to take measures to save his passengers.

The court also upheld prison terms ranging from 18 months to 12 years on 14 other crew members.

The ferry Sewol sank off South Korea's southwest coast in April last year.

A total of 304 people died in the incident. Most of them were from a single high school.

The relatives of the victims have been calling for a stronger investigation into the government's responsibility for the disaster, which was blamed in part on official incompetence and corruption.

Top climate expert previews Paris talksIn the run up to the climate change summit in Paris, Nicholas Stern, one of the world's foremost climate experts, has spelled out the consequences of its failure.

He said unchecked global warming would turn some areas into deserts, and force others underwater.

"If we don't manage climate change well, we can create an environment that is so hostile – some areas underwater, some areas becoming deserts – that people's livelihoods really would be destroyed. And hundreds of millions, perhaps even billions, if we're talking a hundred years or so, would have to move."He also added that "a failure in Paris would be a deeper disappointment than the failure in Copenhagen" in 2009.

Meanwhile, he expressed confidence that the Paris talks among world leaders would end in success.

The Paris climate change summit will be held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 this year.

It will gather 196 parties to reach an agreement aimed at limiting the rise in global temperatures to less than two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) between pre-industrial times and the end of the century.

Also, one other key issue to be discussed in this summit is how rich countries can provide financial and other support to help the poorest counties reduce emissions.

UN China peacekeeping exhibitionAnchor:

An exhibition is underway at the United Nations showcasing China's commitment to global peacekeeping over the last 25 years.

And while it's already a major contributor to UN peacekeeping, China's President Xi Jinping has pledged to do even more.

William Denselow reports from New York.

Reporter:

The celebration of a milestone. For the past 25 years China has been working with the United Nations to build peace and security around the globe.

And kicking off this week-long exhibition put on by China's UN mission- Ambassador to the United Nations Liu Jieyi says the timing is significant for the world's governing body.

"This is a special year for the United Nations. A year of the 70th anniversary of the organization. It is a time for stocktaking and also for forward looking."And that's exactly what this photo exhibition hopes to achieve. Dating back to 1990, some 64 paintings and photos hang from 6 foot high dividers in a subterranean section of the UN's New York headquarters.

Some 30 thousand Chinese men and women have served in 24 peacekeeping missions over the past 25 years. And taking a guided tour of the exhibit- the UN's Undersecretary General for Communications and Public information Christina Gallach- says it's vital to honor the 10 Chinese men and women who lost their lives in the line of duty.

"It is important that we are all aware of the sacrifices that are made and how necessary is it to have quality troops contributing to the ever more demanding peacekeeping landscape."China is currently ranked 9th when it comes to total UN peacekeeping contributions. And despite nearly 3,000 troops currently engaged in UN operations China's President Xi Jinping pledged at this year's United Nations General Assembly to go further.

As well as a planned $1 billion donation to the UN peace and development fund, China vows to train 5000 foreign peacekeepers and up its own permanent peacekeeping force to 8,000 troops.

Critics say this is a bid to exercise soft power but China's ambassador to the UN Liu Jieyi says these peacekeepers work for the international community.

And with China being the biggest contributor of troops from the UN's permanent Security Council members- he says they are just setting a precedent.

"We would hope that all countries would follow the example of the current big troop contributing countries and contribute to the UN peacekeeping operations."The ambassador describes this renewed commitment to the UN as Chinese peacekeeping 2.0. With the hope that this new push will have a lasting success in ending global conflicts.

For CRI, I'm William Denselow at the United Nations in New YorkWeatherBeijing will have slight rain tonight with a low of 6, tomorrow will be cloudy with a high of 10.

Shanghai will have slight rain tonight with a low of 15, the rain will continue tomorrow, high of 18.

Chongqing will be overcast with a low of 14, tomorrow will be cloudy, high of 20.

Lhasa will be clear with a low of minus 2, tomorrow will be cloudy with a high of 12.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad will have slight rain with a high of 24.

Kabul, cloudy, 13.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, rainy, high of 27,Brisbane,cloudy,27,Perth, sunny, 36,And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be cloudy with a high of 17 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChina, Mekong Countries Launch Lancang-Mekong Cooperation FrameworkForeign ministers from China and the five countries making up the Indochina Peninsula have sat down for a meeting regarding the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation framework.

The meeting in Yunnan is the first time the Foreign Ministers from China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam have sat down in this setting.

The Ministers have agreed to work together on political and security issues, economic development, and people-to-people exchanges.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the overall hope of the meeting is to formalize a new regional economic grouping.

While the six countries have been working together for years in combating crime along the Mekong River, economic and social collaboration among them, as a sub-region group, has not been a priority.

China's Top Graft Buster Exposes Official DecadenceThe Communist Party of China has unveiled its latest list of officials who have been found in breach of the Party's codes of conduct.

Those on the list are mainly local government officials.

Those listed are involved in 131 different cases, including some who have been caught accepting bribes, embezzlement, shirking their duties and abusing their power.

The punishments they've been handed range from warnings to dismissals.

The CPC has been publicly-shaming officials caught up in scandals since last year, as part of the broader campaign to crackdown on those in the Party who abuse their position.

Indian PM embarks on visit to BritainIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun a 3-day trip to the UK focused on courting British investment and defense cooperation.

It's the first trip to the UK by an Indian Prime Minister in almost 10 years.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the last to travel to the UK in 2006.

Modi is also set to become the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Parliament of India's former colonial power.

As much as 18 billion US dollars worth of economic deals are expected to be signed.

At the same time, Modi is expected to sign-off on a defense agreement which will see 20 UK trainer fighter jets built in Bangalore.

Brazil to conduct thorough investigation into dam disasterThe Brazilian government is promising a full investigation into the fatal collapse of a pair of dams at a mining operation this past week.

Brazilian authorities are vowing anyone found negligent in the deadly incident will be punished.

Brazil's Environment Minister also says Samarco, the company which runs the mine, is going to pay to have the site cleaned up and the dams replaced.

Two tailings dams broke last Thursday amid heavy rains, unleashing a torrent of mud and clay, which has left at least 6 people dead.

19 others are listed as missing and feared dead as well.

The collapse of the dams in Brazil's southwestern region also wiped out a large swath of forested area.

Biz ReportAsian StocksAnchor:

Time to check today's business news, starting with the closing numbers here in China.

Markets on the mainland ended slightly lower on Thursday despite robust surges in shares related to green cars.

The new energy vehicles sector - including charging facilities, lithium batteries and smart grids - all surged on the day, with 15 shares hitting the daily increase limit of 10 percent.

Recently listed companies continued their momentum, with 40 stocks reaching the daily upper limit.

Brokerages extended the previous positive performances, but saw less gains.

Shares of Western Securities went up 3 percent after soaring nearly 80 percent in the past seven days.

At the close, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index lost half of a percent.

The smaller Shenzhen index dipped 0.3 percent.

The ChiNext Index of growth enterprises shed 0.8 percent.

While in Hong Kong, stocks closed higher with the benchmark Heng Seng Index rising 2.4 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Tokyo shares ended trading largely flat as initial investor sentiment was boosted by the Cabinet Office, reporting robust machinery orders but that was offset by concerns the market may be overheating following gains made during a recent winning streak.

Utilities and metal products led the gains, while banks and mining-related stocks comprised the day's major decliners.

South Korea's KOSPI trimmed 0.2 percent.

Singapore's Straights Times index declined 0.8 percent.

And finally,Australia's ASX/200 ticked up a fraction of a percent.

Chinese yuan weakens against USD for 8th dayThe central parity rate of the Chinese currency yuan against the U.S. dollar fell for the 8th straight day on Thursday to the lowest level in more than a month.

The yuan weakened by 14 basis points against the U.S. currency.

Analysts have attributed the fall to a stronger U.S. dollar and the IMF's upcoming decision on including the yuan in its Special Drawing Rights basket.

The IMF is expected to make its decision on whether to include the yuan in the SDR later this month.

On China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day.

The central parity rate of the yuan against the U.S. dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day.

MSCI to Include U.S.-listed Chinese Firms on its IndexesAnchor:

It's being reported that index provider MSCI is ready to add overseas-listed Chinese shares to its emerging market indexes later this Thursday.

If the move goes ahead, it would be the first time overseas-listed China shares, also known as American Depositary Receipts, are included on the MSCI's indexes.

It is said that major Chinese companies with ADRs traded in the U.S. including Alibaba and Baidu are likely to be among around 14 Chinese companies added to indexes such as the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and MSCI China.

It is also estimated that about 70 billion U.S. dollars could flow to the stocks of the Chinese firms set for inclusion.

The move comes after MSCI decided not to include China's 'A' shares in its global indexes back in June.

For more on this, CRI's Spencer Musick earlier spoke with Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator.

Lenovo Reports Q2 LossLenovo is reporting its biggest-ever quarterly loss through its second quarter.

The Chinese computer maker has posted a net loss of 714-million US dollars for the period.

This compares to a net profit of 262-million U.S. dollars during Lenovo's 2nd quarter a year ago.

However, the loss is narrower than analysts' estimates.

Lenovo has suffered from a decline in global demand for PCs, which account for around a third of the company's revenues.

Sales in Lenovo's PC business are down 17 percent year-on-year to around 8 billion U.S. dollars.

In response to the shrinking demand for PCs, the Beijing-based company made two multi-billion-dollar acquisitions last year, including Google's Motorola handset unit and IBM's low-end server business.

Despite the quarterly loss, Lenovo shares increased 3.4-percent today in Hong Kong.

China's Singles Day shopping frenzy spreading to BrazilChina's e-commerce giant Alibaba has set its sights on replicating its Singles Day success overseas.

With its online shopping platform, Aliexpress, Alibaba this year opened a dedicated Portuguese-language website for Brazilian online shoppers.

The website teamed up with 20 of its best-selling brands to provide discounts to Brazilian shoppers.

Chinese smartphone sensation, Xiaomi, which launched in Brazil earlier this year, cut the prices of its products by 30 percent on the day.

Chinese sportswear line, Li-Ning, also slashed its prices by up to 45 percent on its trainers and jackets.

Meanwhile, Aliexpress has also partnered with Brazilian Post to ensure shoppers receive their latest purchases quickly and securely.

Alibaba saw record breaking sales of more than 90 billion yuan, or 14 billion US dollars, on Singles Day on Wednesday.

That number represents a 60 percent increase on last year.

BMW Buys Chinese Firm to Tap Car Lease MarketGerman auto maker BMW has acquired Chinese firm Herald Leasing as part of its bid to broaden its activities in its biggest market to include car leasing.

The company says it's responding to the increasing importance of the emerging leasing business in the world's largest vehicle market and laying the foundations for further growth.

Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.

The acquisition will allow BMW to add leasing options to its local financing services.

Herald Leasing has offices in 58 Chinese cities and reported revenues of over 200 million yuan or 33 million US dollars last year.

China's new yuan loans up in OctoberData from China's central bank shows China's new yuan-denominated lending in October hit 514 billion yuan or nearly 81 billion U.S. dollars, up 48 billion yuan from a year earlier.

The data also shows M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, increased 13.5 percent year on year to 136 trillion yuan at the end of October.

Meanwhile, the narrow measure of money supply, which covers cash in circulation plus demand deposits, rose 14 percent year on year to about 37 trillion yuan at the end of last month.

Apple in talks with US banks for person-to-person payment service: ReportIt's being reported that Apple is in talks with U.S. banks to develop a person-to-person mobile payment service.

The service is said to be able to compete with PayPal's popular Venmo.

It would allow users to transfer funds from their checking accounts through Apple devices.

The report also says that the service would probably be linked to the company's Apple Pay system, which allows customers to make credit-card and debit-card payments with their mobile phones.

It is still unclear if any of the banks have signed an agreement with Apple.

SportsGarcia takes lead after round-1 of BMW Masters in ShanghaiIn golf,World number-11 Sergio Garcia has opened up one of his final attempts of the year to win a tournament in solid forum.

The 35-year old Spainyard managed to card an 8-under-64 today in the first round of the BMW Masters event in Shanghai.

He's one stroke clear of South Korea's An Byeong-hun and France's Victor Dubuison at minus-7.

This week's event at the Lake Malaren course is the last before the European Tour's season-ending tournament in Dubai.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlory, the current Race to Dubai leader, is not playing in Shanghai this week.

This gives the players chasing him a chance to gain some ground.

England's Danny Willett is second in the standings, Ireland's Shane Lowry third and South African Louis Oosthuizen 4th.

However, all three struggled today.

Willett could only manage a level par 72, while Lowry and Oosthuizen both carded 2-under-70's today for a share of 24th.

England's Justin Rose increased his chances of improving on his 5th place standing in the Race to Dubai.

He fired an opening round 5-under-67.

--Both the PGA and LPGA stops this week get underway tonight.

The men are making their only stop in Mexico on the tour at the OHL Classic.

The women are also in Mexico for the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

China's top female golfers, Wang Shanshan and Lin Xiyu, are not taking part in this week's event in Mexico as they gear up for the season-ending Tour Championship tournament next weekend in Florida.

China Takes on Bhutan in 2018 World Cup QualifierIn football action from last night,China's Olympic team has opened a four-nation series with a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in Hubei's capital Wuhan.

The young Chinese team will also take on Morocco and South Korea as part of the tune-up series ahead of the Olympic qualifiers.

This is the Chinese squad's last chance to prepare for the qualifiers in January.

China is in a qualifying group with Iran, Qatar and Syria.

-----------------Meanwhile, China is taking on Bhutan today in the Asian 2018 World Cup qualifying tournament.

China hammered Bhutan 6-nil in their first meeting, but are under more pressure this time, as the Chinese currently sits third in Group C behind Qatar and the team from Hong Kong.

---------------In other action,Japan is playing Singapore in a Group E qualifier.

Japan head coach Vahid Halilhodzic.

"The most important thing is to win the game. But of course, we have to score as many as possible. For that, we have to approach the game with determination, and the players must have the desire to progress and score the goals when we can."40 teams are competing in the qualifying round in 8 groups.

The top teams of each group will be assured a spot in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and will advance to the final round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

--------------------In Latin America,Brazil's national team has arrived in Argentina ahead of their World Cup qualifying match.

Brazilian head coach Dunga.

"Argentina has the home advantage. It has many other great players at their roster, playing at the best European teams. Argentina was runner-up during the World Cup, have a work over the last ten years with almost the same players. That shows how difficult this game will be."Brazil is being bolstered by the return of captain Neymar after completing a 4-game international suspension.

Argentina are playing at home without the services of a number of key players, including international superstar Lionel Messi.

Argentina has yet to win a match in the South American World Cup qualifiers, going down in a 2-nil home defeat to Ecuador and a goalless draw with Paraguay last month.

Chen Long into Quarter-final of China OpenIn badminton,Lin Dan has cruised into the quarter-finals of the China Open in Fuzhou after thumping France's Brice Leverdez 21-6, 21-10.

Chen Long is also into the quarters after downing a competitor from Taiwan in straight sets.

Chen is poised to surpass the 100-thousand point plateau in the world rankings if he can make it to the finals of the tournament.

Malaysia's Lee Chong-Wei did it last year.

----------------In women's action,Chinese shuttlers Li Xuerui, Wang Shixian and Wang Yihan have all progressed.

Defending champion Saina Nehwal and world champion Carolina Marin are also through.

-------------In mixed doubles,China's Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei had to come from behind to get past their South Korean opponents in a three-set affair.

Tennis: China's Wang Qiang advances at Thailand event (update)In tennis,China's Wang Qiang has reached the third round of the Hua Hin WTA event in Thailand.

The 23-year-old is through after knocking out her compatriot Wang Yafan in straight-sets.

She's joined in the next round by Chinese compeditor Duan Yingying, who took down Japan's Kurumi Nara in a 3-set battle.

Zheng Saisai, coming off her wild-card appearance at last week's WTA Elite Trophy Tournament in Zhuhai, is out in Thailand, going down to double's specialist Hsieh Su-Wei from Taiwan.

On the men's side,Later tonight in Japan, it's China's Yan Bai up against top-seeded John Millman from Australia in the quarter-finals of the Challenger Series event in Kobe.

Basketball: Brooklyn with first win of NBA seasonIn basketball,The Brooklyn Nets have finally entered the win column.

Bojan Bogdanovic came off the bench to score a season-high 22 points, adding 9 rebounds to lead the Nets to a 106-98 victory over the Houston Rockets.

In other action,The Golden State Warriors remain perfect on the season.

Stephen Curry had 28-points to lead the Warriors to 100-84 win over Memphis.

The 9-0 start is the best in franchise history, going back to the days when the Warriors were back in Philadelphia back in the 1960-61 season.

--It was Orlando adding to LA's woes this season, edging the Lakers 101-99.

--The Toronto Raptors have snapped a 3-game winning streak, keeping Philadelphia winless on the season with a 119-103 win.

--Jeremy Lin knocked down 17-points in helping Charlotte to a 95-93 win over the New York Knicks.

--It was the Pacers over Boston 102-91.

--Dallas beat the LA Clippers 118-108.

--Atlanta got past New Orleans 106-98.

--Denver edged Milwaukee 103-102.

--It was Sacramento snapping a 6-game losing skid with a 101-92 victory over Detroit.

Veteran Rajon Rondo with a triple-double, with 14-points, 11-rebounds and 15-assists.

--And it was San Antonio over Portland 113-101.

Will McDonald to Play for Jiangsu DragonsIn off-court CBA news,The League has confirmed newly-signed Will McDonald will be eligible to play for the Jiangsu Dragons tomorrow night against the Zhejiang Lions.

The 36-year-old center is coming in to help fill the gap left by the injured Greg Oden.

Oden, the first-overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, hurt his hand in pre-season action.

Will McDonald played for Jiangsu Tongxi last season.

He averaged 25.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

The Jiangsu Dragons remain winless on the season.

Pittsburgh hands Montreal rare lossIn action from the National Hockey League,The Montreal Canadiens have been handed a rare setback.

Sidney Crosby scored the winner in the shootout past Montreal back-up Mike Condon for a 4-3 victory.

Montreal's star goaltender Cary Price is going to be out of the Canadiens line-up for at least another week with a shoulder injury.

--In the only other game on the docket in the NHL today,It was the Edmonton Oilers adding to Anaheim's early-season woes, edging the Ducks 4-3 in overtime.

EntertainmentChinese singer Tiger Hu to guest star in '2 Broke Girls' Season 5Chinese pop singer Tiger Hu has revealed that he is set to guest star in the upcoming season five of the CBS sitcom "2 Broke Girls."Hu has also posted a photo on his sina weibo account which he took with Beth Behrs, who plays Caroline Channing in the sitcom.

There has been no official confirmation but Netizens suggest he could play a role connected with the restaurant owner Han Lee in the series.

Tiger Hu is known for his talent for arranging music.

He gained public recognition after the 1999 release of his first album became an instant hit in China.

The album won Hu many "Best New Artist" awards in China and overseas, and his song "the Monk" made the Top 10 of several charts.

The singer has so far released five albums.

Hu become better known after he took part in the Chinese version of 'I Am a Singer', which he came fifth.

Pianist Lang Lang releases new albumPianist Lang Lang's latest album, Lang Lang in Paris, has been launched at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing.

Recorded in Paris, the new album features the pianist performing Chopin's four Scherzi and Tchaikovsky's Seasons, 12 works commissioned by a Russian music magazine in 1875.

The mark the album's launch, the pianist also staged a special recital at the Versailles' Hall of Mirrors, with the performance also released on DVD to accompany the new album.

His 2012 release 'The Chopin Album' proved to be one of his most successful albums to date.

The pianist also announced that he will launch a tour from December when he will perform in Guangzhou, Taipei, Hangzhou and Wuhan.

He will perform in Beijing on Jan 3.

Queen get Living Legends honour at classic rock awards ceremonyThe band Queen have been honoured with the Living Legends award at the 11th annual Classic Rock 'Roll Of Honour' awards.

The band, who are also celebrating the 40th anniversary of the week their iconic hit Bohemian Rhapsody first charted, were presented with the award at The Roundhouse in Camden, in London.

Brian May, who rose to fame as Queen's lead guitarist, was presented with the award by American instrumental rock guitarist Joe Satriani.

Previous recipients of the award include Alice Cooper, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Lemmy Kilmister, Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop and ZZ Top.

Led Zeppelin's Page took home the Reissue Of The Year award for the re-release of the band's catalogue in a deluxe box set.

Other winners included the Foo Fighters who were awarded Best DVD/Film for their documentary Sonic Highways.

Former EXO Member Kris Wu Named Most Influential Male In AsiaThe fans have spoken and voted Wu Yifan, best known by his stage name Kris Wu, as the most influential male in Asia at the 2015 Asian Influence Awards.

Chinese Canadian Singer songwriter, Kris Wu is a former member of EXO and the former leader of its sub-group, EXO-M.

He's recently been most active in China.

Three other current and former EXO members in China were also in the running for the award, namely Luhan, Tao and Lay, but Kris won with a convincing lead in the poll.

Kris also managed to edge out the wildly popular Chinese music 'kid band' TFBOYS, top Chinese actor-singer Li Yi Feng, and Korean actor Lee Jong Suk.

The award comes as no surprise given the number of projects and endorsements Kris has carried out in China in the past year.

On July 17, 2014, Wu released his first solo song, "Time Boils the Rain", a movie soundtrack from the Chinese box office movie, Tiny Times 3.

Recently he was confirmed to star in the Chinese 3-D movie L.O.R.D.: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties which has begun releasing teasers and will hit theaters in July 2016.

Justin Bieber Announces a Comeback with 'Purpose World Tour'

Justin Bieber has announced a comeback on Wednesday with 58-city tour next year.

The pop star says his 'Purpose World Tour' will open in Seattle, Washington on next March 9th.

And the tour is set to wrap up in New York City at Madison Square Garden on July 18th next year.

WeatherBeijing will have slight rain tonight with a low of 6, tomorrow will be cloudy with a high of 10.

Shanghai will have slight rain tonight with a low of 15, the rain will continue tomorrow, high of 18.

Chongqing will be overcast with a low of 14, tomorrow will be cloudy, high of 20.

Lhasa will be clear with a low of minus 2, tomorrow will be cloudy with a high of 12.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad will have slight rain with a high of 24.

Kabul, cloudy, 13.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney, rainy, high of 27,Brisbane,cloudy,27,Perth, sunny, 36,And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be cloudy with a high of 17 degrees Celsius.

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

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

Foreign ministers from China and five countries discuss greater Indo-china co-operation.

A Chinese Firm takes over the operations of a major port in Pakistan.

The State Council releases fresh measures to boost Consumption.

On behalf of co-host Paul James and the rest of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Bob Jones in Beijing hoping you'll join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together...