The Beijing HourEvening EditionSpencer Musick with you on this Friday December 18th 2015.

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

Coming up on the program this evening...

The 2nd World Internet Conference wrapping up in Wuzhen with those taking part urging more coordinated governance of cyberspace...

Beijing issuing its second red alert this month for smog..

Russian Defence Ministry officials opening a flight recorder of the military jet downed by Turkey...

In business... Shares of China's biggest residential developer stop trading due to an asset shuffle...

In sports.... Xinjiang looking for a double-victory over Liaoning in the CBA...

In entertainment..... Star Wars the Force Awakens setting huge records at the North American box office...

Top News2nd World Internet Conference ConcludesThe 2nd World Internet Conference in Wuzhen has concluded with participants urging more coordinated governance of cyberspace to ensure the internet industry's healthy growth.

Over 2-thousand domestic and foreign attendees discussed Internet governance and cyberspace cooperation.

During the meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for efforts to build a community of common destiny in cyberspace.

He urged all countries to respect Internet sovereignty, jointly safeguard cyber security, cooperate with an open mind and improve Internet governance by working together.

The 3-day event also witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation deals between Chinese and overseas tech companies.

Beijing issues second red alert for smog this monthBeijing has warned of another wave of smog over the upcoming weekend, issuing its second red alert for air pollution this month.

Li Yunting with the Atmospheric Air Office announced the forecast.

"According to our forecast, the concentration of pollutants in the air will rise to the severely polluted levels on Saturday noon or evening. And the air pollution will continue till Tuesday. The air quality is expected to become better on Wednesday morning. According to our real-time surveillance, the air quality in Beijing downtown and northern districts now are at good levels, but some counties and districts in the southern part have already reached the severely polluted level."The pollution index PM2.5 will probably exceed 500 in Beijing and parts of Hebei province.

34-year-old software developer, Cheng Xianke, expressed his concern for the coming wave of toxic air.

"I'm actually very concerned, I'm concerned about the rather large impact it will have on elderly people and children, because children want to go out to play, for us who commute to work it's not so bad but still I'm very concerned about the pollution, I think the government needs to put more effort into solving this."26-year-old teacher, Fan Xiaoting, said the severe air pollution exerts a great impact on schools, students and parents.

"This will actually have a big impact on the school teaching timetable, students and parents are all really concerned as to whether we can finish this year's teaching assignments and whether the holidays will be pushed back, it's affecting a lot of families so right now we are paying close attention as to whether stopping classes will have further implications."The Beijing environmental bureau said the air pollution this time will be worse than the smog last week.

From 7 a.m. Saturday to 12 p.m. Tuesday, vehicles have to run on roads according to odd-even license plate numbers. Fireworks and outdoor barbecues are banned.

Citizens are advised to reduce outdoor activities and kindergartens, primary and middle schools are expected to suspend classes during the alert.

Shanghai Announces Industrial Polluters' FeeEast China's Shanghai will begin charging fees on the city's industrial polluters.

The fees will specifically target emitters of volatile organic compounds, or VOC, which are the main contributors to PM2.5 and Ozone pollutions.

An official from the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau Tang Qinghe says the measure will tie air pollution to economic incentives.

"By 2017, we will charge 20 yuan per kilogram of VOC emission. By our calculations, the fees will exceed the cost of voluntary pollution treatment by companies themselves. Therefore, the companies will pay more in fees if they don't take care of their pollution, and vice versa."The plan's first phase was retrospectively set to begin in October this year, with the fee set at 10 yuan, or 1.5 US dollars, per kilogram of emissions. It will be raised to 15 yuan per kilogram starting next July. The final phase in 2017 will charge companies 20 yuan per kilogram of emissions.

Targeted companies include those in the vehicle manufacturing, textile, industrial paints, furniture and plastic industries.

Local authorities expect the new measures to cut the VOC emissions in the city by half by 2017.

The announcement came as part of nationwide efforts in China to curb air pollution. In October, Beijing became the first Chinese city to launch such fees, charging polluters between 10 to 40 yuan per kilogram of emissions.

No survival chance for 19 trapped in China mine fireRescuers are saying the 19 miners trapped in a coal mine after an explosion in northeast China's Hegang city have no chance of survival.

According to an expert panel, excessive levels of poisonous gases and high temperatures in the mine made the rescue mission extremely difficult.

The explosion happened at about 2:30 pm Wednesday when 52 people were working underground.

33 workers managed to escape.

On Thursday, another mine fire that occurred in Liaoning province has killed seventeen workers as of now.

Chinese FM to Attend Syrian Meetings in New YorkChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend a meeting of the International Syria Support Group, as well as a UN Security Council meeting on Syrian issues on Friday in New York.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said Wang will present China's views on solving the Syrian crisis.

"China welcomes and supports the third Foreign Ministers' meeting of the International Syria Support Group. We also hope that the meeting will produce more fruitful results based on the previous two meetings. Minister Wang will will offer Chinese proposals on a ceasefire, political settlement, anti-terrorism and post-war construction in Syria."After the meetings, Wang will co-chair a China-Germany dialogue on diplomacy and security. He will then pay an official visit to Cyprus.

China, Russia sign 30 cooperation documentsChina and Russia signed more than 30 cooperation documents after the Prime Ministers' meeting, the singings of which were witnessed by both leaders.

CRI's Niu Honglin has more.

The documents cover areas including energy, investment, finance, high technology among others.

Energy giants Sinopec and Rosneft signed a Memorandum of Understanding on oil and gas projects in eastern Siberia while CNPC and Gazprom inked an agreement on the design and construction of the cross-border section of China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline.

The central banks of China and Russia have also signed a MOU to expand financial cooperation, promoting local currency settlements, bank card issuance, access to local-currency bond markets and credit rating partnerships.

When meeting the press, Premiere Li said there is an increasing commodity imports from Russia to China and a rising bilateral cooperation in energy, equipment as well as high technology and e-commerce.

However, he says that both countries are as well facing common challenges for growth.

"Currently the strength of the global economic recovery, especially in the price of commodities, is rapidly decreasing. Complex factors in the international economy are giving us two neighbors, because China and Russia are each other's biggest neighbors, are bringing new challenges to our two global emerging economies."Medvedev has also called for the two nations to seek new growth points for bilateral trade, especially the potential of cooperation on agriculture.

"China is a country with the largest population on the planet. Russia is the country with the largest territory, which has ten per cent of the world farmland concentrated on it. So if we join these potentials, we will get an absolutely new situation. We agreed to do that and we have signed agreements aimed at the development of our relations in this sphere."Later on Thursday, they have also witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between China Radio International and the Russian Siberian Media Group. Both sides are set to strengthen cooperation on program exchanges and promotion, people to people communication as well as the establishment of a coordinated major-events covering mechanism.

The agreement is a part of the preparation for a China-Russia Media Exchange Year in 2016 and 2017. Li and Medvedev both called on the media to contribute to the understanding and friendship of the people in the two countries.

Speaking at the event, attended by students from China and Russia, Medvedev said the two countries would support each other as friends.

"Friendship comes from the heart; it comes from mutual liking, respect and faith. And it is these feelings that a huge number of people who live in Chinese and Russians share. And you should not doubt these people can always count on mutual support, due to the feelings of their friends"In a joint communique released after the meeting, the two countries pledged to enhance coordination in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and jointly fight terrorism.

Prior to the meeting, Li held a red-carpet ceremony to welcome Medvedev at the Great Hall of the People.

For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

Hong Kong in face of climate change effectAs Hong Kong is on course for its hottest year in history, representatives from Europe and Hong Kong have discussed how to work together to fight climate change.

It follows the historic agreement reached last weekend in Paris, which limits the rise in global temperatures to less than 2 degrees Celsius.

CRI's Li Jing reports from Hong Kong.

The World Meteorological Organization has forecast this year to be the hottest on record globally.

Here in Hong Kong, stats show that every month this year was warmer than normal from January to October, and December has also been warm.

Apart from rising temperature, the seaside city has experienced more frequent heavy rain than before, and a rising sea level in Victoria Harbor.

Under Secretary for the Environment in Hong Kong Christine Loh says climate change requires the city to be more resilient.

"We have a long China coast, Hong Kong is part of China, the gradual increase in terms of sea level rise will require regional and national attention to see what we do in the longer term future. I hope we will be able to set a new target within the course of next year, we will need to work with the power sector, with the transport sector, to look at the reduction beyond 2020."Hong Kong is set to meet its target for carbon intensity reduction of 50 to 60 percent by 2020 as compared with 2005 levels.

Christine Loh says to mitigate climate change, Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland can do more together.

"I think the mainland in terms of technology in renewable power, nuclear power is very advanced. For Hong Kong, the kind of collaboration we can have is looking at energy saving, green buildings, saving water, looking at management systems for the power sector. I think those are the practical areas. "At the same time, the Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, Eric Berti, says he hopes companies from both countries can collaborate to implement the deal struck in Paris.

"We can work on more efficient energy, to limit the pollution of atomic plants for energy, we have French company very much involved in China in waste management for water and cleaning. We have to work for more sustainable development and more respect of the Nature."A coalition of green groups in Hong Kong issued a joint declaration recently, calling for urgent action from all cities to prevent the planet from catastrophic overheating.

For CRI, this is Li Jing in Hong Kong.

Su-24 black box opened before reportersRussian Defence Ministry officials have reportedly opened a flight recorder of the military jet downed by Turkey on Friday.

Reports quote the officials as saying that investigators will begin the analysis of the black box Saturday and the results will be released on Monday.

British and Chinese experts have reportedly joined a panel investigating the downing of the Russian warplane.

Lt. Gen. Sergei Dronov, Deputy Commander of the Russian Air Force：

 “Moreover, for ensuring maximum transparency and objectivity, we have turned to international experts of 14 countries with an invitation to participate in this process (of examining the black box) as observers. However, with the exception of the experts from the People’s Republic of China, Liu Chang Wei, and from the United Kingdom, Jonathan Gillesby, many other experts, citing different reasons, declined to participate.”

Turkey said it shot down the plane on Nov. 24 after it briefly violated its airspace. Russia insists the plane was in the Syrian airspace.

The recorder was recovered by Russian and Syrian forces from the area in northern Syria where the plane was shot down.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had described the downing of the jet as a "stab in the back" carried out by "accomplices of terrorists."One of the plane's two pilots was killed by militant gunfire from the ground after they ejected, while the other was rescued.

Putin annual press conferenceRussian President Vladimir Putin used his annual press conference to address tense relations with Turkey, Russia's economy, and the crisis in Syria.

Putin spoke to the media for three hours on Thursday.

CRI's Albina Kovalyova reports from Moscow.

In his 11th annual press conference, Russia's president expressed confidence in the country's economy.

He said that the peak of the crisis had passed and stabilisation was under way. His optimistic words came despite the low rate of the ruble and poor investment climate in Russia.

Moving on to geopolitics, Mr. Putin had tough words for Turkey and said there is no prospect for better relations between the two countries.

"We believe that the actions by the Turkish authorities with respect to our plane which they shot down, were not unfriendly but an act of enmity.""I don't understand why they did it. What have they achieved? Did they think that we would run away from there? Of course not. Russia is not that kind of country."Last year it was Ukraine and the West that received harsh criticism from Putin. This year, however, the focus has shifted, according to Independent Analyst Masha Lipman.

"Definitely Turkey in Putin's press conference today sounded like the enemy, the enemy country was how he referred to Turkey, and he sounded angry and he sounded irreconcilable...and this contrasted to the reconciliatory tone with regards to the United States which used to be our enemy number one until very recently..."Mr. Putin also addressed the crisis in Syria, saying Moscow and Washington were working together to find a solution- and saying US proposals on Syria were acceptable.

Yet at the same time, the president said Russia will continue to carry out its airstrikes in Syria, so long as the Syrian army continues its military operations.

Russia and the West still remain divided over the fate of Syria. Western allies want to see President Bahshar al-Assad ousted, while Russia continues to back him.

Unlike last year Vladimir Putin seemed to regain his confidence at this year's press conference - despite the economic strain and political isolation of Russia.

FOR CRI, I am Albina Kovalyova in Moscow.

Eropean Council summit in Brussels dominated by talks about the UK position in the EUThe issue of the UK's attempt to renegotiate its membership in the European Union has dominated a summit of EU leaders in Brussels.

David Cameron has met fierce resistance from his European counterparts on his proposal to cut welfare for citizens from other EU nations living in the UK.

CRI's Jack Parrock reports from Brussels.

As European leaders met in Brussels, Prime Minister David Cameron was on a mission to try to force his reforms.

"I think really good progress has been made but it is going to be tough because we are attempting something very difficult, attempting something that hasn't been tried before or tried by another country. That is to renegotiate our position inside this European Union at a time of our choosing with a mandate that the British people have given us in order to get a better deal for Britain, a better deal for Europe and then to hold that referendum."It's the final EU leaders summit of the year and the prime minister hoped to gain support for slashing welfare benefits for EU citizens who move to the UK.

The EU says it will work on the UK's requests but may not be willing to discuss major treaty changes.

Donald Tusk is the European Council President.

"I didn't want to sound too dramatic before the meeting but I do believe that tonight was a make or break moment. Leaders voiced their concerns but also demonstrated willingness to look for compromises."Right now about 40 percent of voters in the UK want to stay in the EU, 40 percent want to leave...so 20 percent are undecided. Besides trying to avoid a so called Brexit...EU leaders also worked on solutions to the ongoing refugee and migrants crisis. In 2015 nearly a million people have arrived in Europe - fleeing conflict in countries like Syria, Iraq and across subsaharan africa.

The European Commission has just controversially proposed the creation of an EU border and coastguard force which the EU could dispatch when a flood of refugees arrive.

But observers like PC say it will be a difficult one to push through.

"Of course it is a really bad idea what the commission has proposed, that a country would be forced to allow foreign border guards on their territory. Can you imagine? This is not practically workable, obviously."Although some EU states say the border force could impeach on national sovereignty, the leaders agreed to adopt a common position before the end of June 2016.

Jack Parrock, CRI, BrusselsSeveral Factors Leads to Deadly Argentina Helicopter Crash: InvestigatorsAviation Investigators have concluded that human error might be one of the factors behind a deadly helicopter crash in western Argentina last March.

The investigators say a lack of sufficient regulation also contributed to the tragic in-flight collision that killed all the 10 people on board both helicopters, including 3 French athletes.

Augusto De Santis of the Argentine Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Board, said there were no technical issue on the type of helicopter involved.

"Really the state of the aircraft, when there is so much fire and with so much damage made it really difficult to find certain clues, some airplane parts that we needed for the investigation where seriously damaged, but we were still able to conclude the helicopters did not have any technical issues."Amateur video of the crash shot from the ground showed the two helicopters circling each other extremely closely before crashing into each other and plummeting to the ground.

The tragedy happened during the filming of "Dropped", a French reality adventure show.

Surveillance Cameras Set for Monitoring Possible AttacksLocal police in Jerusalem have installed 320 surveillance cameras across the Old City in order to monitor the area for possible attacks.

Israeli police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld explains the cameras' importance in preventing terror attacks.

"Police operations that are carried out here in the observation and intelligence centre are one of the many police operations and the technology that is used by the Israeli national police. We also coordinate and work together with the Jerusalem municipality with hundreds of cameras across other parts of the city in order to prevent and arrive at the scenes of any terrorist attack as they take place. What we have seen over the last couple of weeks due to the fact of the increase of terrorist attacks, it is critical that the cameras are working, focusing on individuals, focusing on suspects."The move comes following an increase in violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

The police plan to deploy more cameras next year.

American Football Gains Popularity in IsraelAmerican football is no longer confined to the United States. The game's military-like strategy and physical nature are helping it to grow in popularity in Israel.

CRI's Victor Ning reports.

A call of "set, hike" can be heard from a high school sports field, where helmets are smashing against pads.

Yet this is not a typical American hometown event. The players are teenage boys in Israel, where American-style football has been slowly gaining in popularity.

Italy Ashkenazi coaches local high school team the Hawks in the city of Kfar Saba. He explains the game's appeal.

"They fall in love with the atmosphere, they fall in love with the values we try to build up, you know, the team concept, the getting tough mentality and physicality during this game."Coach Ashkenzai was a star quarterback in the adult Israel Football League until his retirement several seasons ago. Under his guidance, the Hawks have become Israel's four-time defending high school champions.

Around two thousand Israelis now play the game, thanks in part to support from people like New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who brought 19 Pro Football Hall of Famers on a visit to Israel earlier this summer.

In a country where military service is mandatory, American football offers the teenagers more than just athletic pleasure.

Captain of the Hawks Bar Shaul says the game has also prepared him for his time in the army.

"The values emphasized in football and the values emphasized in the army are the same values. It's that you depend on your friend and your friend depends on you and you look in his eyes and you are sure 100 percent that he will be there for you. I'm sure that is what it's like in the army and I know 100 percent that is how it's here, otherwise I wouldn't be here."Like many other places in the world, soccer and basketball still dominate the professional sports arena in Israel. But live NFL TV broadcasts and the growth of the Israel Football League have helped to acquaint Israelis with American football.

The game rules in Israel are different, however. The high school teams play 9-on-9 on a 60 yard field. They are forced to always go for two points after a touchdown, because there are no proper goal posts on any of the converted soccer fields they play on.

Koren Copelovitz is another player from the Hawks. He says the appeal of the game is precisely its sideline status, earning the players respect and appreciation.

"We get a lot of respect for being a football player, because everybody knows how hard we train and how hard we play and how much success we've had, this specific team, over the couple of few years, so you do get respect and friends and people do appreciate it."Coach Ashkenazi comes from a military background. Son of a former Israeli military chief, he also used to serve as a special forces commando. Yet he says to him, football means more than just the military; it is the way of life that he is trying to instill in his young and impressionable players.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

IMF chief to appeal trial decisionInternational Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has been ordered to stand trial in France over her role in a 2008 arbitration ruling that handed 400 million euros to a French business magnate.

Lagarde, who was French finance minister at the time, denied wrongdoing in a statement issued Thursday and said she had ordered her lawyers to appeal the decision.

Lagarde has maintained her innocence since the investigation began in 2011.

If convicted, she could be sentenced to one year in prison.

France's attorney general said Ms Lagarde would have five days to appeal, once the court decision is made public later today or on Monday.

Headline News2nd World Internet Conference ConcludesThe 2nd World Internet Conference in Wuzhen has concluded with participants urging more coordinated governance of cyberspace to ensure the internet industry's healthy growth.

Over 2-thousand domestic and foreign attendees discussed Internet governance and cyberspace cooperation.

During the meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for efforts to build a community of common destiny in cyberspace.

He urged all countries to respect Internet sovereignty, jointly safeguard cyber security, cooperate with an open mind and improve Internet governance by working together.

The 3-day event also witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation deals between Chinese and overseas tech companies.

Chinese scientist among Nature's ten people for 2015Chinese biologist Huang Junjiu was selected as one of the ten most influential people in 2015 by the science journal Nature.

Nature's Chief features editor says this year's list highlights individuals who have played important roles in areas ranging from climate change to gene editing to research reproducibility.

Huang's work in human embryo gene editing has caused debate in the academic circles.

Huang is currently working at Sun Yat-Sen University in Southeast China's Guangzhou.

Typhoon Melor Kills 17 in the PhilippinesTyphoon Melor has killed at least 17 people and left 20 more injured in the Philippines.

Local authorities say around 742-thousand people were evacuated, and it may take months to restore power in affected areas.

The typhoon caused an estimated 19 million US dollars in infrastructure and agricultural damages.

An average of 20 typhoons pass through the Philippines each year. Typhoon Melor has since left the country's central provinces.

Friend of San Bernardino Attackers Arrested in Connection to AttackUS authorities arrested 24-year-old Enrique Marquez on Thursday, in connection with the San Bernardino shooting in California.

Marquez is a long-time friend and neighbor of attacker Syed Rizwan Farook, and supplied assault rifles used in the mass shooting earlier this month.

Marquez is charged with conspiring to give material support to terrorists, unlawfully purchasing assault rifles and immigration fraud. Court papers show that he and Farook had been discussing radical Islam since 2007.

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

Mainland markets held steady on Friday.

Investors focus on economic fundamentals, with a key central government economic meeting likely to offer the market fresh cues.

At close, both the Shanghai Composite and Shenzhen Component Indexes ended almost flat.

This while the small-cap ChiNext Index lost 0.2 percent.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Heng Seng index fell 0.5 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,Tokyo shares ended trading Friday sharply lower as volatile sentiment dominated the market after the Bank of Japan decided on new steps to support its monetary easing policy.

The benchmark Nikkei tumbeled 2 percent.

South Korea's KOSPI declined 0.1 percent.

In Singapore, the Straits Times index lost 0.4 percent.

And finally,Australia's ASX/200 added some 0.1 percent.

China Vanke shares stop trading for restructuringShares of China's biggest residential developer Vanke stopped trading in the afternoon due to "major restructuring and acquisition of assets" in the company.

The company published a statement after its shares surged to their daily limit of 10 percent.

The announcement came after Baoneng Group, a Shenzhen-based conglomerate with real estate and finance, borrowed heavily to buy over 22 percent of Vanke.

If the deal is successfully sealed, Baoneng would become its largest shareholder.

But Vanke worried that its credit score will be lowered by Baoneng.

In response, Baoneng said in a statement on Friday that the group has always abided by the law and has a good reputation in markets.

Vanke's share price grew over 60 percent this month partly thanks to Baoneng's investments.

Mainland, Hong Kong initiate fund approvalsRegulators from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong have announced their first mutual recognition funds.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission approved three funds from Hong Kong.

Four funds from the Chinese mainland were given green light by Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission.

Mutual recognition of funds enables mainland asset-management firms to sell their products to Hong Kong investors, while giving their Hong Kong counterparts direct access to the mainland market.

The approvals come 13 months after the launch of Shanghai-Hong Kong stock link.

China's property sector warms up in Nov. due to stimulus measuresLatest official data show positive signs in China's real estate market last month, as more cities saw their new home prices rising.

The National Bureau of Statistics said that, among 70 large and medium-sized cities surveyed, new home prices climbed month on month in 33 cities, up from 27 in October.

Meanwhile, 27 reported monthly price declines, down from 33 cities in October.

South China's Shenzhen saw the biggest gain in new home prices last month, surging some 45 percent.

The NBS attributed the warming signs to the government's stimulus measures.

However, experts warn that third and fourth tier cities still face overwhelming supply gluts.

Chen Huai, a researcher under the Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural Development, explains the challenges still facing China's housing market.

"Because many third and fourth tier cities used to blindly expand. Their second problem is the net outflow of population. Reducing supply is not the key to the development in the housing market, nor the solution to tumbling in prices. Urbanization and the property market in China needs a long-term strategy."The central bank had cut benchmark interest rates five times since last November and lowered banks' reserve requirement ratio three times since February.

The country also lowered down payment requirements for second-home purchases and some local governments have rolled back restrictions on home purchases.

DisneyLife & BonaLet's check out some of the main events taking place on the corporate front in Chinas this week.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and Walt Disney have announced a licensing agreement for a device that will deliver Disney and Pixar movies and games here in China.

The Mickey Mouse-themed system, called DisneyLife, has been selling on Alibaba's online shopping site Tmall.com.

Also, Alibaba also appears in a privatization deal of a Chinese leading film company.

For more on the stories, CRI's Shane Bigham spoke earlier with Doug Young, Associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief with Reuters.

Apple Pay comes to China after cooperation with China UnionPayApple has partnered with China UnionPay to bring its payment service Apple Pay to China, along with 15 banks in the country.

UnionPay cardholders will be able to use their bank cards on Apple devices for daily shopping at the beginning of next year.

The move is considered to add leverage for the two companies to compete against Alibaba's Alipay and Tencent's WeChat wallet.

China is Apple's second largest market in the world after the United States.

China Unionpay is the country's only domestic bank card issuer. The number of UnionPay cards issued both at home and abroad has exceeded 5 billion.

UnionPay said it also planned to tie up with the Samsung payment system, Samsung Pay, which was launched earlier this year.

British M&S opens first store in BeijingBritish clothing and food retailer Marks & Spencer has opened its first store in Beijing, located in the CBD area.

Costas Antimissaris, International Director of the retailer, says their strategy is to focus on big cities.

"Our strategy is to penetrate tier-one big cities in China where we have a very big middle class and upper middle class that know our brand, that really want our brand in their cities, and that is our strategy to progressively be able to be in all these markets, and depending on the opportunities, on the real estate, and on the local, we will accelerate, but we really have to be selective and find the right balance between online and physical stores."　The firm added that they are also looking to expand online through its online sites on Chinese marketplaces Tmall.com and JD.com.

M&S now has about 10 stores in the Shanghai region and about 20 in Hong Kong, meaning China represents a small percentage of its overall international estate of more than 500 mainly franchised stores.

In the six months to September, M&S's international sales fell 5 percent.

It said revenue in Greater China was up, without giving details.

SportsCBA/NBA updateStarting things off with live CBA action,Xinjiang are looking for double victories against Liaoning.

Xinjiang have a fuller squad to choose from to block Liaoning's attacking force.

The game has just gotten underway and it is (UPDATE SCORE)A derby is happening right now between Guangdong and Shenzhen;The Zhejiang Lions taking on Fujian,The Beijing Ducks entertaining Bayi,Tongxi clashing with Jiangsu,Shandong meeting Shanxi.

In the NBA,Jeremy Lin's 35 points helped Charlotte beat Toronto 109-99 in overtime.

Lin thanked his team for their support and joint effort.

"You know, got hot, got in a rhythm early and tried to attack the basket really. The guys were finding me, coach was doing a good job of just getting me involved and constantly going to me so I got in a good rhythm today and I'm just ... Thank God, man, for real, thank God we won this game."Two more NBA games were on deck this morning,Cleveland defeated Oklahoma City 104-100,The Rockets swept the Lakers 107-87.

Zou Zheng to receive surgeries in Japan; Barcelona hit with more injuriesIn football,Guangzhou Evergrande's midfielder Zou Zheng has been diagnosed with a broken fibula and dislocated ankle.

Zou caught his left leg under him when he fell in the penalty box during Evergrande's game against Barcelona in the Club World Cup semi-finals.

Zou was taken off the pitch on a stretcher in the first half and immediately sent to the hospital.

He will remain in Japan where he will be going through surgeries.

Zou is ruled out for three to five months for the injuries.

Barcelona won the game 3-0 to reach the final against River Plate but are facing a growing injury list.

Dani Alves has incurred a calf strain and missed training.

Barcelona have already lost Neymar to a groin injury.

Lionel Messi also sit out last night's semi-final game with an alleged abdominal pain.

Luis Enrique will have a lot to think about as he attempts to make the European champions the first club to win the Club World cup title three times.

Figo supports Infantino for FIFA presidencyIn off-pitch football news,Portuguese international Luis Figo has reiterated his support for UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency.

"I think that FIFA needs a change, and for a change in structure, for a change in all the process, you need to change the leader. Right now I'm not anymore a candidate. I support Gianni Infantino, because I think he's the only one that can maker those changes, because if not it's going to continue to be the same. So I hope that for the future, for the good of the organisation, that in February all the associations that vote, that they should think really well what they want for the future of our football."Figo was speaking ahead of the Kuwait Champions Challenge "All Star" game which will also feature Ronaldinho, David Beckham and Roberto Carlos.

Figo withdrew his bid for the FIFA presidency in May.

Infantino is one of five candidates for the election next January.

Cristiano Ronaldo invests in CR7 hotelsFigo's Portuguese compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo is investing 37 million euros in his chain hotels.

The Real Madrid star will be collaborating with Portugal's biggest hotel group Pestana which is planning to build four hotels bearing his CR7 moniker.

Ronaldo believes his new venture into business is a good start for his future.

"What is true today, might be false tomorrow and reciprocally. Be it in football or business, because things need to happen naturally. I never thought of opening four hotels, no never though about it, even though it has always been a dream. In the future, other good things will come, I need to weigh the pros and cos and make the right choice but it's certain that I am a lucky person."The hotels will be built in Funchal, Lisbon, Madrid and New York.

They add to Ronaldo's CR7 fashion line which was launched at the end of last year.

Chinese ladies win Water Polo Championship, qualify for RioIn water polo,China's women's team have made it into the Rio Olympic Games with another victory against Japan at the Asian Championships in Foshan.

China followed up their opening day success with a new 9-6 win.

Keeper Yang Jun is voted MVP of the China-Japan playoffs.

On the men's side,Iran took out Saudi Arabia 18-9; Japan edged Kazakhstan 9-8.

Hosts China received a bye after winning their first game against Saudi Arabia.

Mixed results from Chinese teams at Go ChampionshipsIn the board game of Go Chess:

Chinese teams had mixed results from the World Team Championships in Guangzhou.

China's wildcard team of Go masters Nie Weiping, Chang Hao, Gu Li were defeated by South Korean wildcards 2-1 in the third round of qualifying.

Gu is the only one of the three to record a win.

All three players from China's seeded team Ke Jie, Shi Yue, Zhou Ruiyang defeated their South Korean counterparts.

18-year-old Ke Jie remain undefeated with white pieces in all competitions so far this year.

He also did well with black pieces in the fourth round earlier this afternoon where he defeated South Korea's Lee Se-dol.

Chinese and South Korean seeded teams are in action against each other.

Teams from 14 countries and regions are competing in the Championships which offer 2 million yuan in prize money for the winners.

Hester wins dressage at FEI World Cup Western European LeagueIn equestrian,Britain's Carl Hester has won the freestyle dressage title at the London International Horse Show.

Hester beat his protégé Charlotte Dujardin into second place on the horseback of 11-year-old gelding Nip Tuck.

Dutch rider Hans Peter Minderhoud is third.

Five days of showjumping begin today at the London horse show, with Britain's world number one Scott Brash in action.

The dressage competitions make up the sixth leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Western European League.

The next leg will take place in Amsterdam at the end of next month.

Entertainment'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Enjoys Biggest Opening in Film HistoryThe highly-anticipated film 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' has been released in most parts of the world, boasting the biggest opening in film history.

Hollywood reporter says this latest installment is approaching a record Thursday-night opening with some 55 million US dollars in ticket sales at the North American box office.

This number is expected to climb to 60 million US dollars by the morning.

The film is reportedly earning 14.1 million US dollars on Wednesday outside North America, as it launched in its first 12 markets, beating all previous Star Wars films.

As the spoilers have already emerged on the Internet, director J.J.Abrams gives his response.

"The reality though is because of the technology that exists, everyone will know everything instantaneously and I'm hopeful that while there will be spoilers out there it won't detract from the hopeful thrill. I'm grateful for anyone who goes to see the film, I'm hopeful that whether they know what's going to happen in one scene or not, that they enjoy it and it's an experience, it's a fun and emotional one as opposed to just a confirmation of something that they're waiting to see happen, you know."AP reports the film has gained over 100 million US dollars in presale tickets in North America, which has broken ticket vendor Fandango's record for "the most tickets sold for any film over its entire theatrical run".

Chinese force-users are also counting down the days to the film's release here on the mainland.

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' will be released in Chinese theatres on January 9th.

Marvel Opens Pop-up Store in ShanghaiComic book company Marvel has launched a pop-up store in Shanghai, luring fans rushing in for the products modeled on their favorite super heroes.

The store displays over 400 products, including a six-meter tall Iron Man, Thor from 'The Avengers' and Captain America.

More Sense Communication's director Ye Zhen says the Chinese market has shown a growing passion for movie-related merchandise in recent years.

"Each of these super heroes has its own movie. Then Marvel puts them together to make the movie Avengers. Actually all Marvel movies have some links with each other and thus they can gather the specific fan groups together to make a bigger one. Moreover, they launched new movies and products consistently to enhance their loyalty".

Insiders indicate that Chinese audiences' craze for super hero movies has contributed to this phenomenon.

According to official statistics, Marvel-made 'Ant-Man' has grossed over 80 million yuan or some 12 million U.S. dollars in the mainland for its opening day.

And 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' made by Marvel Studios has earned over 1.4 billion yuan in ticket sales in China.

It's reported that the total revenue from the animation-related products reached 1 billion yuan in China last year, a more than 20 percent increase year on year.

Jennifer Lawrence and David O. Russell Attend 'Joy' Special Screening in LondonJennifer Lawrence has teamed up with director David O. Russell again, attending a special screening of their upcoming film 'Joy' in London on Thursday.

The Oscar-winning actress says it's quite challenging for her to play the title role, a struggling Long Island single mom of three children.

"It was challenging but also exciting to find the personal and emotional balance between the woman who loves her children and loves being a mom but also has her own dreams and her own desires and ambitions and that's ok".

Loosely based on the life of inventor Joy Mangano, the film follows the story of a family across four generations, and how Joy eventually found success on a TV shopping network.

Director David O. Russell unveils his interpretation of the title role.

"I don't seek to make it biographical, I seek to make cinema that is surprising and that I haven't seen before, and in this case, my first picture with a woman at the center of it, a woman who has to earn her authority as the head of a family business from nothing, comes out of a metal garage her father runs, a bus garage, and that was very inspiring to me."The film marks the third collaboration between Lawrence and Russell.

Lawrence has grabbed the Oscar Best Actress title for their first collaboration, 'Silver Linings Playbook' and was nominated for best supporting actress for their second film, 'American Hustle'.

This third collaboration has already earned the 25-year-old star a Golden Globe nomination.

'Joy' will open in North America on December 25th, and in UK on January 1st.

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

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

The 2nd World Internet Conference wrapping up in Wuzhen with those taking part urging more coordinated governance of cyberspace...

Beijing issuing its second red alert this month for smog..

Russian Defence Ministry officials opening a flight recorder of the military jet downed by Turkey...

On behalf of the whole Beijing Hour news team, this is Spencer Musick in Beijing. Join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour, to open a window to the world together...