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

Coming up on the program this morning...

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations inking a protocol on deepened bilateral cooperation.

Southeast Asian nations also signing an agreement to create freer movement of trade and capital.

And the death toll in the landsides in Myanmar rising to at least 100...

In Business.... China sees fresh opporunties in the area of old-age financial services..

In Sports...a Chinese skater takes home gold at the world speed skating championships...

And in Entertainment.... Adele's new album set to break records...

Top NewsChina, ASEAN Sign Upgraded Trade Cooperation ProtocolChina and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have signed a protocol concerning deepened bilateral trade cooperation.

Covering a wide range including trade in goods, services and investment, this protocol is a supplement to the original agreement of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area, which was fully completed 5 years ago.

Both sides have agreed to improve and further open their services to each other, allow each other to establish solely-owned or joint-venture companies, as well as reduce regional restrictions.

China is the ASEAN's largest trade partner while ASEAN is China's third largest partner.

Bilateral trade volume between China and ASEAN has surged to over 480 billion U.S. dollars by last year thanks to the preferential policies, and the two sides are now targeting the volume at 1 trillion U.S. dollars by 2020.

Mutual investment between the two sides has added up to more than 150 billion U.S. dollars.

China-Asian Cooperation Help Boost New Growth PointsExperts are expressing the view that the Chinese Premier's proposal on China-ASEAN cooperation will help the region find more opportunities for future growth.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has proposed the integration of the "One Belt and One Road " initiative with the regional strategic plans of ASEAN countries.

Wei Ling is the director of the Asian Affairs Institution of China Foreign Affairs University.

She believes the proposal offers a good growth opportunity for countries in the region.

"Interconnectivity and regional integration among ASEAN countries will play a central role in promoting its strategic development. The idea of “One Belt and One Road" that has been raised by China will not only benefit China itself but all the countries along the way, which will also be a great opportunity for ASEAN's future development."Wei believes that China's 13th five-year-plan will also help boost economic development of the region.

"So I think pursuing sustainable development which puts security as a precondition should be a consensus between China and other ASEAN countries. China's next five-year-plan, which highlights sustainable development, will provide a driving force for ASEAN's development."The comment came after Chinese premier Li Keqiang put forward a six-point proposal during the ASEAN-China leaders' meeting in Malaysia.

Li Keqiang Visits Malaysia's Malacca PortChinese Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday visited Malacca, a port city about two hours away from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Malacca was a docking place for Zheng He, an ancient Chinese navigator who promoted trade and cultural exchanges between China's Ming Dynasty and other Asian countries.

The Chinese Premier says the Malacca represents a significant part of Chinese history.

"600 years ago, Seafarer Zheng He made five trips to Malacca. These visits facilitated the cultural exchanges between China and Malaysia and represent our friendship."The premier has also inspected a miniature of an industrial park, which is associated with Malaysia’s grand Malacca Gateway project.

The Malaysian government has decided to expand the project as an active response to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

The Chinese premier will hold talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Monday.

Chinese Premier Proposes Ways to Resolve South China Sea DisputesChinese Premier Li Keqiang has raised a five-point proposal in an attempt to stabilize the situation in the South China Seas during the annual East Asian summit in Kuala Lumpur.

It comes as leaders from the 10 ASEAN states, three East Asian nations, India, Australia, New Zealand, the US and Russia joined the summit on Sunday.

Premier Li said countries should stick to the UN charter as well as the principles of international law to settle sovereignty and jurisdictional-related disputes through consultation.

Li Keqiang said he hoped countries could soon carry out the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Premier called on countries outside the region to refrain from taking action that might cause tension.

Prime Minister of the host nation Malaysia Najib Razak also stressed the role of "international principle" in the summit's opening remarks.

This is the tenth East Asian Summit since 2005.

Membership has been expanded to 18 countries following the entry of the US and Russia in 2011.

Chinese vice FM Criticizes US Warship's South China Sea IntrusionOn the sideline of ongoing regional meetings in Kuala lumpur, China's Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said US's intrusion into the South China Sea was a "political provocation" in the name of "freedom of navigation."During a news conference on Sunday, Liu Zhenmin stressed that China always respected the freedom of navigation by other nations.

"China highly respects freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, so we hope regional and non-regional countries can provide constructive contributions to our efforts to maintain the peace and stability of the South China Sea. So they can sail freely on the sea but at the same time respect the countries in the region. Do not look for trouble but seek constructive cooperation."In late October, the naval destroyer USS Lassen sailed within 12 nautical miles of the Zhubi Reef in the South China Sea without notifying the Chinese government.

This raised strong opposition 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 Chinese vice foreign minister expressed China's concerns about some countries' behavior in the South China Sea.

"The countries in the region should properly manage their military activity. Now we've seen some big countries from outside the region send their vessels and patrol ships to the South China Sea in the name of practicing their freedom of navigation. There are other big countries trying to strengthen their military cooperation with countries in this region, isn't this militarization? We are concerned about that."Earlier, US president Barack Obama said his country would continue to assert its freedom of navigation rights in the Sea, while calling on nations to stop militarizing their claims.

However, Liu Zhenmin has defended China's rights to build military facilities as a protocol of national defense and as a way to protect the islands.

Leaders of ASEAN Declare the Establishment of a Formal CommunityAnchorThe Southeast Asian nations, meeting in Kuala Lumpur, have signed an agreement to establish by December 31 a formal community aimed at creating freer movement of trade and capital.

CRI's Li Jianhua has more.

ReporterThe establishment of the ASEAN Community will create a free trade and investment environment in an area of 625 million people with a combined economic output of 2.6 trillion USD.

Despite the different backgrounds of the ten ASEAN member states, the economic community offers the most concrete opportunities for integration in a region whose combined gross domestic product makes it the world's seventh-largest economy.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak says the establishment of the ASEAN Community will make their manufacturing industry more competitive in the global market and reduce cost for every member state.

"We now have to ensure that we create a truly single market and production base with freer movements of goods and services with common standards, far greater connectivity, and removal of the barriers that make our borders a hindrance to growth and investment."In addition, they have also agreed to enhance the connectivity of their transportation infrastructure and communications, better facilitate electronic transactions, integrate industries to promote regional sourcing, and enhance private-sector involvement in the economy.

Najib Razak expressed his confidence in the overall development of the ASEAN Community, quoting a forecast that ASEAN has the potential of being the 4th largest economy in the world by early 2030.

Also he believes the building of the ASEAN Community will contribute to the peaceful development of the region.

"Forging ahead together and our task remains the same: to echo the conclusion of the Bangkok declaration - it is to bind ourselves further together in friendship and co-operation, and through joint efforts and sacrifices, secure for our peoples and for posterity the blessings of peace, freedom and prosperity. The ASEAN Community is a landmark achievement on the way to reaching those goals."The formal establishment of the community will also allow eight groups of professionals to work more easily throughout the region, including engineers, architects, nurses, doctors, dentists, accountants, surveyors and tourism professionals.

ASEAN was established nearly 50-years ago as a political grouping of ten Southeast Asian nations.

It's since developed into a regional economic and trading power, and has been looking to expand its role in Asian affairs through the creation of the ASEAN Economic Community.

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua.

100 People Killed in Myanmar LandslideIt's been estimated that at least 100 people have been killed and many more are still missing after a landslide occurred near a jade mine in Myanmar's northern Kachin State.

Search and rescue teams have combed through the rubble looking for survivors.

Officials have also announced that nearly 80 bodies have been pulled from the site so far, and the figure has also been confirmed by a local lawmaker and a rescue worker.

The landslide occurred in the early hours near a mining site in Hpakant, a large jade-producing region.

Local media outlets have also reported that many of the miners were sleeping in huts when the collapse took place.

Belgium Remains on High Security AlertThe terror alert level in Brussels remains at its highest level.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said on Sunday that local authorities are anticipating similar attacks to those in Paristwo-weeks ago.

"I confirm, as I was able to indicate yesterday, that we are fearing a similar attack to that which took place in Paris, involving several individuals, who might launch an attack on several different locations at the same time. We have information that leads us to believe that the potential targets are places which are regularly frequented by large crowds."Belgium's National Security Council decided on Sunday to keep Brussels' schools closed and subways shut down. The city was kept mostly shut down over the weekend.

One suspect in the Paris attacks was last seen crossing into Belgium.

Diverted Turkish Airlines Flight Resumes its JourneyA Turkish Airlines flight diverted to Canada after receiving a bomb threat has now been cleared to continue its journey after it was reported that no explosives were found.

The flight originally bound for Istanbul from New York has now safely departed.

The incident comes after another two flights bound for Paris from the U.S. recently was also diverted to different places earlier last week.

Two Air France flights were diverted for several hours following anonymous bomb threats which turned out to be false.

One of the flights leaving Washington was diverted to Halifax in Canada, while the other from Los Angeles diverted to Salt Lake City.

Those diversions were made as security officials are on high alert after Islamic State militants claimed responsible for the deadly attacks this month in Paris, as well as the downing of a plane returning to St. Petersburg from the Sharm al-Sheikh resort in Egypt.

Ukraine Ready to Restore Electricity Supply to Crimea: OfficialUkraine's maintenance crews stand ready to restore electricity supply to Crimea within four days once they're granted access to the site where damaged power lines are located.

The power cut happened late Saturday after four transmission pylons in Kherson region of southern Ukraine were damaged, leaving about 1.8 million people in the Crimean peninsula without any electricity.

Local residents and business owners have been trying alternative sources of power.

Oleg Nikolaev, a restaurant owner, said diesel generators are being applied as one alternative.

"We were expecting the power to be switched off a year and a half ago. That's why the only disadvantage we've faced is having to use generators powered by diesel, but in general we are ready for this."Blankets have also been used at a local zoo and safari park to keep the animals warm.

Ukraine Interior Ministry said it has opened criminal investigation to the incident, yet no details have been revealed concerning possible organizers of the power line attack.

Brazil's Damburst Damages Local EnvironmentThick orange mud from burst dams in southeastern Brazil reached the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday.

It flowed across two neighboring states, killing 11 and wreaking havoc on local towns and businesses.

The November 5 dam burst at an iron ore mine in the state of Minas Gerais disgorged 60 million cubic meters of mud, across over 500 kilometers of land and water.

Brazilian miner Samarco has agreed to pay a preliminary 262 million US dollars to cover the cleanup costs and compensation. But it argued that costs already exceeded its insurance cap for civil damages.

Lawyer Jose Alexandre Boas representing businessmen affected by the disaster said that future compensation is not enough.

"We are trying to work with the judicial powers to guarantee some legal protection so that these people do not lose all income and go bust. I believe that future compensation will help to resolve some things, but it is no good paying future compensation to someone who has gone bankrupt. Beyond this there is great stress throughout the community which has to be avoided."Regencia is a small fishing village popular among surfers and vacationers.

Apart from the economic impact, the mudslide could also impact residents' health, agriculture and the ecology of the region.

Mauricio Macri Expected to Win Argentine ElectionExit polls show Mauricio Macri is the expected winner of Argentina's presidential run-off election on Sunday.

Voters cast their ballots between the center-right Macri and Daneil Scioli, successor to outgoing President Cristina Fernandez.

Macri has served as Buenos Aires mayor, and says he wishes to usher in changes for his country.

"I wish that a new era will start in Argentina, all together. Whatever happens tomorrow, we stand all together. We hope that from tomorrow we will work united, not just all Argentines but also all Latin Americans."Macri has promised major economic and market-oriented reforms. He will end 12 years of leftist government in Argentina, if his victory is confirmed.

Both candidates received about a third of the votes during the first round of voting in October, but the results were too close for a winner to be selected.

About 32 million people are eligible to vote in Argentina. The winner will succeed President Cristina Fernandez from Dec 10th.

Classic Peking Opera Wows British AudienceAnchorTen years after its UK tour in 2005, the China National Peking Opera Company returned to the theatres of Liverpool and London with two of its masterpieces, which met both critical acclaim and public enthusiasm.

CRI's London Correspondent Duan Xuelian has more.

ReporterThe Warrior Women of Yang and Farewell My Concubine are two of the most famous productions by the China National Peking Opera Company. Their debut at London's Sadler's Wells last week met with remarkable enthusiasm by more than 1000 audiences.

The Chinese opera company was headed by Yu Kuizhi and Li Shengsu, both are very well known for their career as opera performers. Yu was also the Vice President and Artistic Director of the company. He said in an interview before the performance that to accustom to western theatre tradition, the company has made several adjustments which include adding Chinese and English subtitles to the performances and reducing the length of the productions.

"British plays usually have an interval, which is about 20 minutes, and originally our play is 3 hours and a half, counting in the interval, it might be too long for British audiences' taste. So after careful adaptation, we have kept the essence of the play and left out the less important bits."Yu's colleague, Li Shengsu was with the company when they toured the UK ten years ago. Returning as the leading role in The Warrior Women of Yang, she felt that British audiences have a much better understanding of traditional Chinese culture and in particular Peking Opera.

"For instance, when we performed in Liverpool, I can clearly hear British audiences joining the Chinese fans cheering for us, and they know exactly when to give us their applauses, it feels almost like we are performing at home in China."The Chinese opera company was also hailed by British theatre critics. Christopher Curtis writes reviews for Bachtrack.com, the world's largest online guide for classical music, opera and dance shows.

"I would probably rate this show four stars out of five. As you can hear from the audience, there is a very mixed audience tonight with people who are familiar with Peking Opera and people who are very new to it, and they loved the performance."Curtis admits that the buoyant opera music may sound a bit odd to western ears but the storyline is what reaches out to the audiences.

"The story is all set up in the first half, and the acrobat bit in the second half is just spectacular. I love the movements, the richness of the costumes, but the story is really powerful. It's a story about family and honor and that communicates very well between cultures I think."The Chinese opera company's UK visit was also part of a series of programs to mark the Year of China-UK cultural exchange.

For CRI, I'm Duan Xuelian in LondonWushu Hopes to Go to Olympics by 2024AnchorWushu, often called "Kung Fu", pits fighters against one another in hand-to-hand combat or intricate acrobatics focusing on flair and weapon work.

Now, the sport is hoping to go a step further by following other martial arts, like Japan's judo and Korea's taekwondo, by becoming an Olympic sport.

CRI's Niu Honglin reports.

ReporterThis year's World Wushu Championships in Jakarta features a record number of 600 athletes and attracted thousands of viewers.

Many of those rising to the medal dais come from emerging Wushu nations. Russian Wushu athlete and former gold medalist Daria Tarassova believes that the sport should be in the Olympics.

"I believe, and I'm sure that Wushu now is well known all over the world so it should be in the Olympics soon."The efforts of the International Wushu Federation suffered a setback when Wushu was dropped from a shortlist of sports being considered for the Tokyo 2020 Games.

However, the organization has not been put off.

Vice President of the International Wushu Federation Anthony Goh is confident of inclusion in next Olympic Games.

"I think Wushu is just visually spectacular and I think that people who have never seen it for the first time. They are totally impressed and say 'wow, I didn't think it looked so good'."Wushu has come a long way since a rising martial artist named Jet Li demonstrated the sport at the White House in 1974.

It has transformed from a centuries-old, exclusively Chinese combat discipline into a professional sport with a world federation and global participation.

U.S. national team coach and long-time Wushu fighter Mario Martinez says the sport is quite popular in the country.

"Our hope is really for Wushu to ultimately develop into an Olympic sport. We believe that it's already there."Martinez adds that many US athletes on his squad worked full time to fund their travel for Wushu tournaments abroad.

He is still confident Wushu will be accepted by the Olympics.

"It's developed in a format that's perfect for competition, it has fighting, it has weapons, it has all of the fast moving action of all martial arts condensed into one."For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

Australia Looks to Chinese Elderly Care MarketAnchorWith a China-Australia Free Trade Agreement expected to come into force by the end of the year, preferential access to each other's markets will open, including the health care sector.

Australia's Medical service suppliers will be able to establish hospitals and for-profit eldercare institutions in China.

CRI's Yu Yang has more.

ReporterWe all get old one day. But China, the world's most populous country, is probably ageing faster.

According to Hao Fuqing, a senior official from National Development and Reform Commission, China has galloped towards an aged society since the turn of the 21st century.

"So far, we have 212 million senior citizens over the age of 60, accounting for 15% of the whole population. Presumably, by 2020, the number of elderly in China will reach 243 million. Coming to 2050, the amount may jump to 300 million."Although many worry about a prospective labor shortage and acute transformation of the society, China's aging profile may not be a bad omen for businesses.

Susan Malone is the managing director of Independent Management Group, an Australian company providing senior living consulting service. She has been the eye-witness of the birth of elderly care market in the country.

"Six years ago, when I came to the early conferences that were being held, there were very small conferences. If people from the development sector said to me: 'What do you do?' I said: 'Senior's living.' Then (they responded with) 'What? What is that?' And now when you say senior's living, (they would say) 'what a growing market! How wonderful! Could we talk?'"Malone's firm is not the only foreign senior care provider that scents the emerging market.

Peter Hennessy works for a retirement community catering for overseas Chinese. After successfully opening operations in Malaysia and Indonesia, the company is looking forward to scale up.

"(At the) present time, we have been looking in China, Huangzhou and also Wuhan. We have had approaches to go and getting (got) involved with partners there. Whether it is a working model already (established) for Australian aged care facility, or retirement living facility in Shanghai, I am going to look at that. "However, there are certain elements that may hinder entrants.

Dean of the Institute of Health Industry from Beijing Geely University, Dr Wu Danxing, points out that although the sheer number of seniors in China promises a lucrative future,the widespread stereotypes, absence of qualified staff plus the deficiency of standards and regulation prevents foreign firms from moving forward.

"China has its unique characteristics. We cannot let our current strategy be continued but at same time, blindly following other countries is no-go. We cannot be commercialized like America, or learn from welfare states. What we could draw on from Australia is how it built up its aged care system."But Michael Clifton, a Minister from the Australian Embassy to China, remains optimistic.

"In social context, the challenges are precisely the challenges that Australia faces but all be on a much lesser scale. So whether it is skill training, facility operation, architecture design, all these various elements of health care sector are growing and developing in Australia and they are at the stage where they want to take that expertise offshore. As China's been such a large market, it's about learning, it's about investing into the future. "According to the recently released five-year plan, China will fully open its elderly care sector in the near future.

Back anchor: CRI's Yu Yang reporting.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy with a high of 0 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to -6.

Shanghai, slight rain with a high of 20 and a low of 14.

In Chongqing, overcast with a high of 20 and lows of 17.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad, cloudy with a high of 24.

Kabul will be rainy with a high of 7.

Over to North America,New York, sunny with a high of 5 degrees.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 6 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 27.

Toronto will be rainy with a high of 1 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires, slight rain with a high of 23.

And Rio de Janeiro, rainy with a high of 28 degrees Celsius.

Headline NewsHeavy Snow Causes Flight Delays in BeijingSeveral flights have been delayed or canceled at Beijing Capital International Airport after heavy snow hit the capital from yesterday morning.

Nearly 300 flights have been canceled as of 6 p.m. yesterday with 119 from China Southern Airlines as of 8:30 p.m.

Domestic flights are not allowed to land at the airport until this morning as de-icing work is still in progress to guarantee the safety of airplanes' on the tarmac.

Three runways in the airport need to be cleared in turns while highways around the airport have also been closed.

International flights have not been affected by the heavy snow so far.

China Issues Alert for Cold SnapChina's weather observatory has issued a blue alert for a cold front set to sweep north and central China in the coming 2 days.

The National Meteorological Center have forecasted that the cold snap will bring a sharp temperature drop of some 12 degrees Celsius, bringing strong winds for the next 2 days to most parts of northwest, central and northeastern regions in the country.

Affected areas have been suggested to take precautions for the plunged temperatures.

Blue alert is the lowest level in China's four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe followed by orange and yellow.

India Testfires Home-made Supersonic Interceptor MissileIndia has testfired an indigenously developed supersonic interceptor missile off the coast of the eastern state of Odisha.

The move aims to ensure its capability of destroying any incoming ballistic missile midair.

The 7.5-meter long, solid rocket-propelled guided missile is fitted with a navigation system, as well as a hi-tech computer and an electro-mechanical activator.

It's part of India's efforts to develop a full-fledged, multi-layer ballistic missile defense system.

Israeli Woman Killed at West Bank JunctionAn Israeli woman has been stabbed death by a Palestinian at a bus station in the Etzion bloc of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

The killer was later shot dead by the police.

The incident comes following a series of incidents in the West Bank leaving 3 Palestinian attackers dead so far.

Earlier, a Palestinian teenager was killed by security forces while trying to stab 2 Israeli women at a junction in the area.

In another incident, another Palestinian was shot dead while trying to ram a taxi into Israelis at a junction near Jericho and the started stabbing them.

The security system in Israel has been challenged by a surge in street violence since the beginning of October.

83 Palestinians and 19 Israelis in all have been killed during attacks and clashes.

Biz ReportsMarket PreviewTurning onto business news. First let's get a preview of what we can expect on the world markets this week.

As Thanksgiving holiday is ahead in the US, a shortened week will see the first three days loaded with data on housing, sentiment, income, spending, durable goods, and GDP.

Starting with existing-home sales Monday, there is also consumer confidence and a second look at third-quarter GDP on Tuesday, but Wednesday's personal income and spending data will be most carefully watched. It includes the PCE deflator, the Fed's preferred inflation measure.

Investors would be looking towards Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens' speech on Tuesday for interest rate expectations and Wednesday's construction activity figures.

There is also durable goods data due Wednesday, with a few earnings, including Deere on Wednesday Hewlett Packard and Tiffany's on Tuesday.

Stocks usually gain in the week of Thanksgiving, led by the retail sector which enjoys its busiest time of the year stateside, and many analysts expect the market to continue higher even into year-end, though its course could be choppy at times.

One possible negative for the week ahead could be further sell-off in oil, which dipped below $40 several times in the past week.

Over in Europe, last week, shares slumped in the wake of the attacks in Paris.

However, stocks has impacted by recent terrorist activity, analysts believe they are now priced into their valuation.

New steel and aluminium contracts to be launched on Monday by the London Metal Exchange are expected to attract initial interest from customers.

The launch is a key element of a strategy by the LME's owner, Hong Kong Exchanges and Cleaning, to boost profitability at the 138-year-old exchange.

IMF policymakers are also expected to add the Chinese currency to the Special Drawing Rights basket later this month.

ASEAN Welcomes China's Pledge of 10 Bln USD in Infrastructure LoansA senior Cambodian government official on Sunday said that ASEAN welcomed Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's pledge of 10 billion U.S. dollars in infrastructure loans.

Kao Kim Hourn, Minister Attached to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, says the loans would give greater possibility for connectivity and development in the bloc.

Kao Kim Hourn's comments came after Li pledged on Saturday during the ASEAN-China Summit in Kuala Lumpur that China is offering infrastructure loans totaling 10 billion U.S. dollars to ASEAN countries.

Also, the world's second-largest economy will provide free assistance worth 560 million U.S. dollars to underdeveloped ASEAN member states in 2016.

Founded in 1967, the ASEAN groups 10 Southeast Asian countries including Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand.

Tencent to Expand WeChat's Payment Reach to 20 CountriesTencent expanding its WeChat mobile payment system to stores in more than 20 countries to tap into the growing purchasing power of Chinese outbound tourists.

Foreign stores can apply to be part of its WeChat payment ecosystem as long as they have a trading license and a website or an application.

The move will enable Chinese outbound travelers to pay bills by scanning the quick-response codes on WeChat, which will partner with banks to automatically convert renminbi payments into a specific type of currency that foreign stores can accept.

Currently, the payment system supports transactions in nine currencies, including the euro, dollar, pound and yen.

Alibaba as a major rival of Tencent, is also expanding the international presence of its mobile payment tool Alipay.

The e-commerce giant is offering similar services at more than 30,000 stores in South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong, and plans to expand the figure to 1 million within the next five years.

CCB First Commercial China Bank to Launch Pension Funds SubsidiaryChina's fast growing aging population has prompted fresh business opportunities in the area of old-age financial services.

China Construction Bank has launched a pension funds management subsidiary.

The new firm, named Jianxin Pension Fund Management Corporation, is the first of its kind in China.

The company has a registered capital of 2.3 billion yuan or about 360 million U.S. dollars.

85 percent of the company's shares belong to China Construction Bank, while the rest are held by the National Council for Social Security Fund.

China's pension funds, which account for roughly 90 percent of the country's total social security pool, had net assets of 3.5 trillion yuan at the end of last year.

The Chinese government announced last month that pension funds will be ready for investment in stocks and equities next year.

For more on this, we're joined live by Mike Bastin, Director of The China Business Centre based in London.

Talking pointsQ1: Compared with pension fund management firms set up by for example fund management firms or insurance companies, what advantages do the bank-led ones have in pension fund management? Any disadvantages?

Q2: Media reports say other commercial banks are also applying to set up their own pension fund management arm. Why do you think banks are starting to tap into the pension fund market?

Q3: What about the situation for foreign investors?　Do you think China's pension fund market is still off limits for foreign investment at the current stage?

Back AnchorMike Bastin, Director of The China Business Centre based in London.

China to Address Foreign Investors' Concerns on TransparencyChinese vice Premier Wang Yang on Sunday said that the Chinese government will listen more to foreign investors during the policy-making process.

He made the comments at a CEO roundtable conference attended by dozens of entrepreneurs from both China and the United States.

He said the Chinese government is committed to building a fair and transparent business environment, stressing that feasible suggestions provided by foreign investors will be embraced.

Wang also urged the U.S. side to remove obstacles on visa, financing, participation in infrastructure construction and security review of mergers and acquisitions, so as to provide a fair and equitable environment for Chinese investors, especially state-owned enterprises.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Trade Representative Michael Froman also attended the conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the China-U.S. Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade.

China Set to Lift Services to Bolster ConsumptionChina's cabinet on Sunday pledged to promote the development of the retail, health, travel and sports sectors in a bid to boost domestic consumption.

The State Council said in a statement on its website that it will encourage financial institutions to accept a broader range of collateral for extending loans to "lifestyle-related businesses".

Other sectors that the government highlighted are services related to families and the elderly, culture, law, accommodation and catering as well as education and training.

SportsZhang Hong Wins Third Gold at Speed Skating World CupBeginning with some latest action from the Speed Skating World Cup in Salt Lake City,China's Zhang Hong has won a third successive gold medal in women's 500 meters in a face-off between two Winter Olympic champions.

Zhang beat South Korea's Lee Sang-hua by one hundredth of a second to claim the title. She finished in 36.28 seconds.

Zhang's previous gold medals came from the first 500 meters finals on the opening day and from the same event in Calgary last week.

Brittany Bowe and Heather Richardson, both from the United States, are second and third.

The other Chinese skater Yu Jing finished in fifth place.

Finals Day at Badminton Hong Kong OpenIn badminton action from the Hong Kong Open,Malaysia's Lee Chong-wei followed up his China Open success with another title in Hong Kong, beating China's Tian Houwei in straight sets 21-16, 21-15.

Lee flashed some of his best form in recent matches, having beat Olympic champion Lin Dan and world number one Chen Long this year.

This title lifted Lee to 6th place in the world rankings.

In women's singles,It took world champion Carolina Marin three sets to beat Japanese player Nozomi Okuhara.

China wrapped up the tournament with two doubles titles.

Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei won the all-Chinese women's doubles final against Yu Yang/Tang Yuanting; and Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei were the winners in mixed doubles against Liu Cheng/Bao Yixin.

South Korean pair Lee Yong-dae/Yoo Yeon-seong won the men's doubles.

Shuntian, Shenhua Draw in First Leg of CFA CupIn football action from China,The first leg of the CFA Cup finals ended in a goalless stalemate between Jiangsu Shuntian and Shanghai Shenhua.

Shenhua will have the home advantage when they host the return leg a week later but they must avoid conceding any goals to secure the trophy.

The final showdown is scheduled for next Sunday in Shanghai. The winners will qualify and become the fourth Chinese team in next season's AFC Champions League.

EPL, Liga, Bundelsiga ResultsElsewhere in football,Tottenham enjoyed a 4-1 home win over London rivals West Ham to remain undefeated in the recent 12 games in this season's English Premier League.

Despite the stellar record, Tottenham are fifth on the table.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino thinks they have the qualities to finish in the top tier of the EPL and is optimistic about the rest of the season.

"We are in a process, in a period, that today, tonight, we'll feel very proud for, because today I think that you can see how the players believe in the way we play and when you, with the group, with the squad, you share the same philosophy and you are convinced that the way that you play is the best in the world, and to apply or settle for us. And this is because we feel very proud for them."West Ham are right behind Tottenham at sixth place.

Leicester City are leading the standings with 28 points from 13 games.

More football action from the weekend,Gradana beat Athletic Club 2-0 in La Liga,Atletico Madrid downed Real Betis 1-0,And Ingolstadt rounded up the round of play in the Bundesliga with a 3-1 win over Darmstadt.

Djokovic Beats Federer to Win Fourth Striaght Tour FinalsIn tennis,Top-ranked Novak Djokovic proved he is the best player of the season by winning his fourth straight title at the ATP Finals.

Djokovic brushed off six-time champion Roger Federer in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

It capped an almost perfect season for the Serb who won three of four grand slams and reached the final in the other.

Djokovic finished the season on top of the world rankings. The result of this game puts Federer at world number three behind Andy Murray.

McIlroy Wins World Tour Championship, Race to Dubai; Two-way Lead at LPGA CME ChampionshipIn golf,Rory McIlroy recovered ground to win the World Tour Championship by one shot and scooped the Race to Dubai season-long competition.

McIlroy's late birdies turned his three-shot deficit on overnight leader Andy Sullivan into a one-shot lead.

The Northern Irishman almost missed the season-ending tournaments for having not played in enough competitions due to an injury.

McIlroy is thankful for the opportunity and is looking forward to a full season.

"I'm sure there is a few guys that don't agree with the outcome but obviously I am grateful to the European Tour for allowing me to be here this week and to win the Race to Dubai in the amount of events that I have, it just shows that when I have played, I have played well. So I am obviously delighted with how I've played this season and can't wait to play a full European Tour schedule next year."Over in the LPGA Tour,South Korean golfer Jang Ha-na and American Christie Kerr are sharing a two-shot lead over world number one Lydia Ko after round three at the CME Group Tour Championship in Florida.

China's Lin Xiyu is at 21st place; Feng Shanshan is tied for 56th place.

CBA ResultsFinally some quick CBA results,Liaoning couldn't do much without Zhao Jiwei who retired with an injury as they went down to Shanxi 108-103.

A tension-filled game between Shandong and Guangdong saw Yi Jianlian draw blood from his brow bone. Yi's Guangdong side won the game 108-104 in almost 2 hours.

The Beijing Ducks suffered their fourth defeat of the season, losing to Fujian 113-102.

Beikong were the better Beijing team, beating Shanghai 99-89.

Xinjiang upset Tianjin 118-94,Jiangsu thrashed Shenzhen 110-86,And it is Tongxi all over Foshan 121-107.

EntertainmentDaniel Wu on His New Character in US TV Series 'Into the Badlands'

Daniel Wu, a Hong Kong-based Chinese-American actor has opened up about his new role while filming and starring in the US TV series 'Into the Badlands'.

During an interview with China Central Television, Daniel says he faced the difficult challenge of bringing martial arts to an American TV series.

"I mean we know why our main goal is to put martial arts on American television, and we know why that hasn't been done before, because it's very, very challenging, very, very difficult. But luckily, I came out of it without any injuries. I had a cracked rib but that was about it and so I'm okay."Starring as a warrior named Sunny, a leading character in the TV drama; Daniel is also one of the executive producers of the show.

Though he originally had no intention to star in the show, the 41-year-old actor says he feels good to finally see Chinese faces on the small screen in the US.

"Growing up in America, there was never any Chinese-Americans on TV or Chinese on TV period. So that's why I watched Jackie Chen and Jet Li, all those things and watched HK movies and Chinese movies, because those were the only ways I can get Chinese people on my screen. So it's kind of good to see 40 years later, although it took a very long time."'Into the Badlands' features a warrior and a young boy together seeking enlightenment while taking a journey through the dangerous feudal land.

The six-episode TV series debuted on AMC on November 15th.

Adele's '25' Set to Break NSYNC's Album Sales RecordAdele's new album '25' is set to break NSYNC's longstanding record by selling 2.5 million copies in its first week.

With more than 900,000 copies sold through iTunes on its first day alone, the album is on track to break NSYNC's record of 2.42 million first-week sales, according to Billboard.

The boy band currently holds the record for the largest sales week since Nielsen Music began tracking point-of-sale music purchases in 1991, with over 2.4 million copies of their album 'No Strings Attached' sold in 2000.

It is also the only album to move more than 2 million copies in the U.S. in a single week.

Adele's third studio album, '25', was released on November 20th.

Prior to its release, '25' was expected to move 1.5 million physical copies in the first week, with an additional 1 million digital sales, which allowing it to surpass Taylor Swift's 2014 release '1989' as the best-selling album of 2015.

'Danish Girl' Premiered in LA'Danish Girl' premiered in Los Angeles, with its leading cast members Eddie Redmayne and Amber Heard walking the red carpet.

Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Tom Hooker, this British biographical drama film portrays the famous painter Lili Elbe, who also known as the first recipient of a sex-change operation.

The Oscar-winning actor Redmayne eblaborates on his concerns before playing a trans pioneer.

"I think I had so many anxieties on this film, when I read Lili's story, she was such an icon. And then when I met women from the trans community, their generosity in telling me their experience in order to educate me was pretty wonderful. When people open their hearts to you, you want to sort of tell the story as truthfully as possible. So there were hundreds of anxieties I had but it may have been up there."'The Danish Girl' is inspired by the novel of the same name by David Ebershoff, published in 2000.

The film will hit big screens in the US on November 27th.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations inking a protocol on deepened bilateral cooperation.

Southeast Asian nations also signing an agreement to create freer movement of trade and capital.

And the death toll in the landsides in Myanmar rising to at least 100...

In Business.... China sees fresh opporunties in the area of old-age financial services..

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.