新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2016/02/05（在线收听）

The Beijing Hour

Morning Edition

Bob Jones with you this Friday 5th 2016.

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

Coming up on the program...

Four jailed for murder in southeast China's Fujian acquitted after 22 years in jail.

China's top nuclear envoy returns from North Korea as Pyongyang prepares for what is says will be a space satellite launch.

And Chinese tourists expected to go on a New Year international spending spree.

In Business .... China further relaxes rules for foreign investors .

In Sports ....CBA regular season drawing to a close.

Entertainment - Can China overtake the US as the World's biggest film market in two years.

Top News

Four Acquitted After 22 Years in Jail

Anchor

Four alleged murderers in southeast China's Fujian have been acquitted after spending 22 years in jail.

It comes just days after the release of another man from Sichuan who'd been wrongfully convicted.

CRI's Luo Bin has more.

Reporter

Thursday's rehearing by the Higher People's Court of Fujian ended with the four defendants cleared of charges and their original sentences overturned.

Cai Jinsen was among them.

"When the acquittal was announced, I felt relieved. There were many things I wanted to speak out about, but I decided not to do so."

Cai Jinsen, along with Xu Jinlong, Zhang Meilai and Xu Yusen were arrested in 1994 in connection with the death of a 66-year-old man in the pronvince's Putian City.

In June the year after, Cai was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, while the others, initially sentenced to death, had their penalties suspended in April 1999.

Cai was released in August 2014, while the other three remained in jail until Thursday.

At the rehearing, the court said it had found some witness testimony contradictory and possible forgery concerning the finger prints of a key witness.

Mao Lixin, one of the lawyers for the defendants, hailed the acquittal.

"They were convicted largely based on testimonies without any physical evidence available against them. Neither their fingerprints nor the tools they used in the killing have been found."

The acquittal is seen the latest success in China's enhanced efforts against wrongful convictions.

It comes just days after the release of Sichuan native, Chen Man, who had been wrongfully jailed for over two decades on arson and murder charges.

There have been calls for greater efforts to improve accountability in China's legal system.

But Yi Yanyou, Chen Man's lawyer, suggests the priority should be given to having appeal procedures streamlined.

"A retrial is usually required to be completed within a certain period. But there is no time limit for a court to reply, to say whether they accept a retrial application. So in many cases, there would be an endless wait for such a court reply."

Yi added that it even becomes a mission impossible as a retrial application would be reviewed in the first instance by the court that gave the original sentence, which is naturally reluctant to see a retrial.

At the same time, the lawyer also called for attention to be paid to the root cause of the problem.

"Wrongful convictions are taking place while we are trying to correct previous ones. So it's much more urgent to think about how we can prevent wrongful conviction at the every beginning and protect the rights of suspects in an investigation."

As yet, all the four defendants in Putian have applied for state compensation.

For CRI, this is Luo Bin.

China, North Korea Have Talks On Bilateral Relations, Other Issues

Chinese Foreign Ministry has said the country's top nuclear envoy has returned from a visit to North Korea.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said bilateral relations had been discussed among other issues.

"During his stay in Pyongyang, he met with North Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Ri Su-yong and First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Kye-gwan. In addition, Wu held talks with Ri Yong-ho, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. Specifically, they talked about bilateral China-North Korea relations, touching every aspect; they certainly also talked about all the issues related of the situations on Korean Peninsula."

Wu Dawei arrived in North Korea on Tuesday, the same day that North Korea informed UN agencies of a planned satellite launch.

The plan triggered worries that the launch could be used as a cover for a long-range missile test by the country, just weeks after its fourth nuclear test on January 6.

China earlier warned that it will not allow the Korean Peninsula to descend into war or chaos, calling on Pyongyang to exercise restraint.

China, Cambodia Agree To Support Each Other On "Core Interests"

China and Cambodia have agreed to support each other on issues concerning their respective core and major interests.

The consensus was reached in Beijing during a meeting of the China-Cambodia Inter-Governmental Coordination Committee.

Chinese vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said after the meeting that both sides had agreed to continue to push for a proper settlement of the South China Sea issue.

"The issue should be addressed through a "dual-track" approach -- disputes should be resolved peacefully through negotiation between the parties directly concerned, and China and ASEAN countries should work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea."

Liu added that China and ASEAN countries should jointly safeguard the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

The two sides also discussed ways to enhance cooperation in multiple areas.

"Both countries should see big development in infrastructure and inter-connectivity construction and economic and trade investment cooperation and will further enhance cooperation in personnel exchange, tourism, health and the building of the system of preventing and controlling infectious diseases in Cambodia."

The two sides also reached consensus on enhancing people-to-people exchanges and security cooperation.

China, Russia in Communication over Leaders' Visit: FM

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China and Russia will seek more practical cooperation this year.

"In the new year, the two sides will work hard together to implement the major consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, including celebrating 15th anniversary of signing the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation Between China and Russia, deepening the connection between the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Eurasian Economic Union."

Lu Kang also said the two sides are in close communication over high-level exchanges this year.

Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov, president Vladimir Putin plans to visit China this year while Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is expected to visit Russia by the end of this year.

China Considers 1 Mln Yuan Fine for Unapproved Genetic Research

China is considering imposing a fine of up to 1 million yuan on organizations carrying out genetic research without government authorization.

According to the draft rule, violators will have resources confiscated and will be fined between 200-thousand yuan and one million yuan.

Those who violate the rules will also be banned from engaging in research activities for two years. They may also face criminal penalties.

Overseas organizations and organizations with foreign backing, including sino-foreign joint ventures, are not allowed to conduct genetic research unless they are working with a Chinese organization.

Genetic Research is defined as relating to materials such as human organs, tissue, cells, DNA and DNA products, all of which contain the human genome, genes or gene products, as well as information extracted from the materials.

Chinese Government Wechat Gives Lucky Money, Using Xi Jinping's Speech as Passwords

In the run up to the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Communist Party of China's Organisation Department has created a Wechat account to distribute 300,000-yuan worth of lucky money.

It's under the name of "Gong Chan Dang Yuan" in Chinese, or "Communist Party Members."

The passwords are phrases used by Chinese President Xi Jinping in his New Year greetings.

Launched on Thursday morning, the online activity is expected to last three days.

The password for Thursday was "as long as we persevere, dreams will come true." The passwords for the next two days will be different.

The Party's Organisation Department, which is in charge of personnel assignments in China, said this activity is aimed at wishing all netizens good luck in the New Year of Monkey.

The announcement has been viewed more than 100,000 times and liked by about 10,500 users.

Governments of seven Chinese cities, including Guangzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan and Xi'an, have announced similar schemes to distribute lucky money on their Wechat accounts starting from Monday.

On New Year's Eve 2015, Wechat witnessed over 1 billion transactions related to lucky money.

Panda Twins Named By Olympics President

Panda researchers in southwest China's Sichuan have officially named a pair of panda baby twins after receiving more than 3-thousand suggestions from the public.

The winning names Olympia and Fuwa were posted by the president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach.

Fuwa - literally Good Luck Dolls - was the name given to the mascots for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The appeal for names was launched after the female twins were born on June 22 last year,

More than 3-thousand responses were received, including 900 from outside the Chinese mainland.

Five pairs of names were put up for a final vote.

Chinese Tourists to Spend Big In Japan during Spring Festival

Anchor

Japan is expecting a huge influx of Chinese tourists, with money to spend, over the Lunar New Year holiday period.

Cosmetics, electronic appliances, drugs and branded items are top of the shopping list.

CRI's Li Jianhua has more.

Reporter

A recent report shows Chinese mainland tourists spent on average 2,300 dollars per person per stay in Japan. That is 75 percent more than any other nationality.

That's has made Chinese tourists in recent years the most desirable customers for many Tokyo retailers.

Masataka Hattori with the discount store Don Quijote in Tokyo says they now regularly plan their sales strategy around Chinese tourists at this time of the year.

"For the Lunar New Year, we are planning to distribute discount coupons in each shop, meanwhile our other big plan for the season is that we have started sales of brand goods at 11 flagship stores across Japan from February 1st."

A wide range of Japanese goods including cosmetics, electronic appliances, drugs and branded items, are the most popular products among Chinese customers in Japan.

Wang Fei, who was visiting Tokyo with her 10-year-old son, had just arrived in Ginza and was ready to go shopping.

"Of course my child would want to buy Gundam robots and LEGO toys, and I personally prefer some local brands in Japan. I think I will buy high-quality clothing and some Japanese medicine which works quite well."

Chinese tourists are not just spending on products to take home. More and more are also taking in the sights and sounds of Japan's tourist spots.

Aiming at attracting more frequent tourist visits, major attractions have put in place Chinese signs and audio guides.

The industry analyst Mariana Kou says both economic and cultural factors are behind the Chinese people's interest in Japan.

"The yen's depreciation really makes it a lot cheaper to go to Japan, but I think from demand in Japan, it also has a great variety of offerings from really amazing food, really similar Asian cultures."

Around 450-thousand Chinese tourists spent more than 900-million US dollars during the Spring Festival in Japan last year.

Lastest surveys show 37 percent of Chinese tourists who visit Japan consider visiting again in the next three years.

To accommodate the growing numbers of Chinese tourists, Japanese and Chinese airlines have already increased the number of flights between Tokyo and Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

For CRI, I am Li Jianhua.

American Businesses Ready for Chinese Tourist Influx during Spring Festival

Anchor

Despite the strengthening U.S. dollar and a slowing Chinese economy, Chinese tourists are still expected to be visiting the United States in big numbers.

The US Government believes that by 2021, tourists from China could be spending as much as 80 billion dollars in the United States.

For more on this, CRI's Huang Shan reports.

Reporter:

2016 has been dubbed the year of China-U.S. tourism, with the biggest rush expected around the Chinese Spring Festival.

In New York City, luxury department store, Bloomingdales, is celebrating the Year of the Monkey by honoring a Chinese tradition, giving out "hong bao", red envelopes with money inside.

And, Amy Grilly, director of the award-winning restaurant chain Hakkasan Group, says they will also be offering a special Chinese New Year menu over the next few weeks.

"Every guest that dines off the Chinese New Year menu will get a red pouch with a gold coin in it, it's good luck, it's prosperity for the year. Every guest that comes to the restaurant will get a wishing ribbon, so it's a gold ribbon, that you can write your wish on and you can hang it in part of the restaurant. The belief is you write your wish on a ribbon, you hang it from a wishing tree and when it comes it will blow your wish into the new year."

And the readiness to welcome a big influx of Chinese visitors isn't limited to the east coast.

Brian Buchwald, CEO of Bomoda, says many retailers across the States are devising strategies catering for Chinese tourists.

"Chinese tourists have become major spenders and major drivers of growth and stability for large brands worldwide. In the hotel category for brands like Starwood and Hilton and others have really put a focus on the Chinese tourist. But obviously also retail so brands like Macy's and now Bloomingdale's is coming on very strong."

In 2014, 1.8 million Chinese tourists visited the United States and spent an eye-watering 21.1 billion dollars, a figure that's expected to nearly quadruple over the next five years.

Vice president of Bloomingdales' International Programs, Jerry Wu, outlined his company's aim to provide Chinese customers with a comfortable shopping experience.

"I think there is a tremendous amount of growth within China and their willingness and thirst for luxury goods has really propelled a strategic need to cater to them. We are an all-inclusive company, so what we like to do is look at the trends of the countries that are growing and really just provide them with experiences, shopping experiences that they would experience back home."

The U.S. Department of Commerce has said that by 2021, Chinese tourists could be spending as much as 80 billion dollars in the United States.

For CRI, this is Huang Shan.

Syria Donor Conference Wraps Up With Success

The Syria Donors Conference in London has wrapped up. The event was co-hosted by Britain, Kuwait, Germany, Norway and the United Nations.

Senior officials from around 70 countries discussed ways of helping Syria and the region, including China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

After the event, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that six billion US dollars had been raised for the Syrian crisis for 2016, with a further five billion pledged until 2020.

"Today has been and is a day of hope, a day about saving lives, a day about building futures, a day about giving people the chance of a future, the chance of a life."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also lauded the success of the conference.

"Never has the international community raised so much money on a single day on a single crisis. The Supporting Syria and the Region conference has been a great success."

The financial relief comes one day after the Syria peace talks in Geneva were suspended over continued airstrikes in and around Aleppo by Syrian government forces.

Russia Suspects Turkey of Preparing Military Incursion into Syria

Russia says it's seeing signs Turkey's military is planning a major incursion into Syria.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov says they're basing this suggestion on signs the Turkish military is in 'hidden preparations' for active actions into Syria.

"We see it as a dangerous development and an attempt to cover-up illegal military activity near the Syrian border. Moreover we have solid ground for suspecting that Turkey is intensively preparing for a military intervention into the territory of a sovereign state - the Syrian Arab Republic."

The Russian side has offered no evidence of its suggestion, other than to say border check points might be used to prepare the infrastructure needed for a Turkish offensive into Syria.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry says its campaign in Syria has been stepped-up in recent days, with some 900 targets hit.

"Between February 1 and February 4 the planes of Russia's airforce have performed 237 sorties against 875 objects of the terrorist infrastructure of militants in Aleppo, Latakia, Homs, Hama and Der al-Zor provinces."

Fighting in Syria has been dragging on for nearly 5-years.

However, with the backing of Russian support since September, the Syrian army has been able to make headway on a number of key fronts in Syria's western regions, which is home to the country's most important cities.

India Auto Show Kicks Off In Dehli

Anchor

The 2016 India Auto Expo has kicked off in Greater Noida on the outskirts of Delhi showcasing the very latest in car technology and design.

One of the carmakers at the show, however, has been compelled to change the name of one of its vehicles because of an illness that is spreading on the other side of the world.

CRI's Niu Honglin explains.

Reporter

At this year's auto show, both Indian and international car makers are showcasing their latest models, concepts and hybrids for expectant crowds.

However, before the open of the auto show, the World Health Organization declared a global emergency over the explosive spread of the Zika virus, linked to birth defects in the Americas.

To avoid unnecessary conjunction, India's Tata Motors was forced to rebrand a new hatchback vehicle it was previously planning to call 'Zica, even though it was spelt Z,I,C,A.

Girish Wagh, Program Planning and Project Management for Tata Motors explains:

"What we have made is a car which is meant for the youth of the country. It's a very zippy car, very good to drive around in the city, therefore we had named it as Zica. However, you know this virus Zika has also come up and is kind of taking a shape of an epidemic, so we are taking cognisance of that fact. We empathize with all those who have been suffering due to this and taking a call on this. Therefore, we have decided to change the name of the car."

Just like Tata motors, other participants at the expo are following the latest trends inside and outside of India.

A range of luxury cars are being built to satisfy the county's growing pool of super-rich motoring enthusiasts, including Jaguar Land Rover (JLR)and Range Rover SUV.

The undisputed leader of India's auto market, Maruti Suzuki, is another car-maker that joins the trend by launching its new compact SUV - the Vitara Brezza.

Randhir Singh Kalsi, Executive Director of Maruti Suzuki India:

"The young customer, the third generation customer, who is considering his car as an extension of his personality, he likes to have this kind of aggressive, bold and energetic features, and that kind of stance we have provided in this vehicle."

Though hybrid cars aren't yet popular in the Indian market, the influx of hybrid concepts and engines suggests there will be growth in that sector in years to come.

Chevrolet is showcasing the 'Beat Activ' concept car and the 'Essentia' which it plans to launch in India next year.

Tim Mahoney, Global Marketing Operations Leader for Chevy's parent company, General Motors, says India is one of its top ten markets in the world and they are planning to bring ten new vehicles to the country in the next five years.

"Chevrolet is sold in 115 markets around the world but India's really in our top ten. It's a priority market for us. Lots of potential. And you can see it here our investment in the stand, in the display, the products that we're bringing. We plan to bring over the next five years, ten new products to market here in India."

Most cars sold in India have price tags of under 8,000 US dollars.

But global manufacturers are optimistic.

They say with an expanding middle class and growing urbanization, there are long term prospects for growth in the Indian market.

The motor show opens to the public on Friday.

For CRI, this is Niu Honglin.

Assange Illegally Detained: UN Panel

Swedish officials say a United Nations panel has decided that the founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has been unlawfully detained in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

The 44 year old Australian was originally arrested in 2010 on a European Arrest Warrant relating to rape allegations in Sweden. Two years later, while on bail he took refuge in the Ecudorian embassy in London in an effort to avoid extradition. London's Metrpolitan Police have said they would arrest Assange should he leave the embassy.

Christophe Peschoux, the secretary of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, said they expected to rule Assange in his favor, who should be treated as a free man.

"The working group on arbitrary detention is not a court. It is a body, that was created by member states, and by the council on human rights, to look into contentious cases of detention. But it is operating on the basis of international human rights law, which is binding to states. So when its decisions are made, they are made on the basis of whether or not the detention is in contradiction with international human rights law."

Peschoux added that their group upholds the right to challenge the lawfulness of detention.

"In the case of detention, there are two elements that the working group is looking into. One is the legality of the detention, the other is the arbitrariness of the detention. Because the detention can be legal, so it can be made according to existing laws and procedures, but these laws and procedures maybe in violation of fundamental human rights. So if it's the case, then the decision is legal but can be arbitrary, so the working group is looking into both aspects."

But Britain responded it would still have to arrest Assange if he left the embassy, as "a European arrest warrant is still in place".

Wikileaks posted secret American government documents on the internet, and Assange believes Washington could seek his extradition to the US to face espionage charges if he is sent to Sweden.

Poland Reopens Investigation into 2010 Plane Crash In Russia

Polish investigators have relaunched a probe into the death of the country's President and close to 100 other government officials in a plane crash in Russia in 2010.

Poland's new right-wing government, headed by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the twin brother of late President Lech Kaczynski, has launched the new investigation to determine - quote - "Russia's responsibility" in the deadly plane crash.

Polish Defence Minister, Antoni Macierewicz, says the investigation has been re-opened amid suggestions Russia may have played a larger role in the crash.

"It needs to be unquestionably stated that basic facts and basic information have been hidden, which in a substantial way change the view on the events."

The Polish side has not said how it thinks the new probe may change the outcome of the original investigation.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova suggests the Russian side is taking a neutral view on the relaunch of the probe.

"It is a sovereign right of a sovereign state, if they have questions which remained unanswered, I think they have to find answers to them themselves. How can we give our assessment of this - I can't even imagine to be honest."

Lech Kaczynski's plane crashed while landing in the dense fog at Smolensk airport while the President and 95 other Polish officials were on a trade delegation to Russia.

The international investigation has shown neither the air crew, nor the airport at Smolensk, was prepared for a landing in the weather conditions at the time.

An initial report prepared by the first investigation commission had suggested there may have been an onboard explosion which could have led to the crash.

Russia has been holding the wreckage for nearly 6-years, saying it cannot be returned until its own criminal probe is concluded.

Weather

Beijing will be sunny with a high of 4 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to minus 5.

Shanghai will be sunny with a high of 8 and a low of 1.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 11 and lows of 6.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,

Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 22.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 5.

Over to North America,

New York will see slight rain with a high of 6 degrees.

Washington, slight rain with a high of 5 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 27.

Toronto will see sleet with a high of 0 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,

Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 35.

And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 32 degrees Celsius.

Headline News

China To Crackdown Against Illegal Fund-Raising

Chinese authorities are warning of strong action against anyone caught fund-raising illegally.

The statement comes amid revelations an online peer-to-peer platform has been found swindling investors out of billions of dollars.

Online P2P broker Ezubao has cheated 900-thousand investors out of more than 50 billion yuan, or 7.6 US dollars, in fake investment projects.

There are currently over 26-hundred P2P lending platforms nationwide.

They have attracted numerous individual investors with the promise of high returns.

Zimbabwe, China Central Banks Have Yet To Agree On Yuan Settlement

It's understood negotiations on a deal between Zimbabwe's central bank and its Chinese counterpart to use the Yuan as a settlement currency are still underway.

If agreed, the deal would allow the southern African country to settle payments without reference to its own currency, using the Chinese yuan as alternative to the American dollar.

Central Bank Governor John Mangudya says Harare was keen to use the Yuan to settle bilateral trade and repay loans from China.

Zimbabwe has been using multiple currencies since 2009 after abandoning its own which had been ravaged by hyperinflation.

The U.S. dollar is dominant in the multiple currency system, where it acts as the principal settlement currency.

If Zimbabwe strikes a Yuan agreement with China, it will be the first such arrangement for currencies in the multiple currency basket.

Syria Donor Conference Wraps Up With Success

The just concluded Syria Donor Conference has raised around 6-billion US dollars.

At the same time, a further 5-billion has been pledged until 2020.

It has not been made clear at this point what China's contribution is.

The financial relief comes a day after the Syria peace talks in Geneva were suspended over the continued airstrikes in and around Aleppo by Syrian government forces.

The donors meeting in London has also seen officials from around 70 countries discuss ways of helping Syria and the region.

China was represented at the meeting by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is in the UK after wrapping up a 4-nation tour of Africa.

UK's cancer death rates drop by nearly 10 pct over 10 years

New analysis is suggesting cancer death rates in the UK have fallen by almost 10 percent over the past decade.

The UK Cancer Research Center is attributing the falling rates due mostly to improvements in detection, diagnosis and treatment.

The organization says four different types of cancer -- namely lung, bowel, breast and prostate -- cause almost half of all cancer deaths in the UK.

The combined death rate for these four types of cancer does mirror the overall decline, dropping by around 11 percent over the last 10-years.

However, the same research has also found the less-treatable cancers, such as liver and pancreatic, are killing more people than they were 10-years ago.

Biz Reports

US and Europe Stocks

Anchor

Turning to business news, starting with the closing numbers across North America and Europe.

U.S. stocks closed mildly higher on Thursday after wavering between gains and losses.

Fluctuations in crude-oil prices have been witnessed throughout much of the day.

The U.S. Labor Department reported an 8,000 jobless claims this week, above the market expectation.

On the corporate front, shares of Barbie doll maker Mattel jumped 8 percent after it was reportedly discussing a merger with its rival Hasbro.

While shares of Tableau Software sank over 38 percent in Thursday's extended session following its weak quarterly results.

At the closing bell,

The Dow added half of a percent

The S&P 500 gained 0.2 percent.

And the Nasdaq increased 0.1 percent.

In Europe, most stocks turned lower today.

Bucking the trend, the UK's FTSE 100 rose 1.1 percent.

Germany's DAX lost 0.4 percent.

And France's CAC ended almost flat.

China Further Loosens Rules for Foreign Investors

China has eased curbs on investment of Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (QFII) in an effort to further open capital markets and improve convertibility of the Chinese currency.

Under the new rules, participants in the QFII program will be allowed to invest a base amount which is decided by a formula linked to their assets under management.

Previously, China's Foreign Exchange regulator only granted quota approvals to QFIIs on a case-by-case basis.

Meanwhile, the capital lock-up period for QFII redemptions has been cut to three months, from one year.

The new rules took place from immediate effect on Wednesday.

The Chinese government introduced QFII in 2003, as the main way for foreign institutions to access China's yuan equities.

Chinese Utility Provider in a Major Acquisition Deal with German Energy Firm

It is being reported that Beijing Enterprises, a Chinese public utilities provider, is considering acquiring the German energy group EEW for 1.6 billion US dollars.

If completed, the acquisition for 1.44 billion euros - 1.6 billion US dollars - would be one of the biggest-ever direct investments by China in Germany.

Swedish private equity group EQT, which owns over 50 percent of the shares in EEW, said the transaction is expected to be finalised by the end of February.

EEW is a leading energy-from-waste company in Germany, operating 19 waste incineration plants in total.

On Thursday, Beijing Enterprises suspended its trading in the Hong Kong exchanges for reasons not disclosed.

Shanghai Disney Ticket & CMC's New Investment

Let's check out some of the main events that have been taking place on the corporate front in China this week.

====Story 1====

Shanghai Disney Resort announced its ticket prices - 370 yuan or 80 US dollars for daily regular tickets, while prices for peak days have been set at 499 yuan.

The price for a standard ticket is 20 percent cheaper than that for Hong Kong Disneyland.

The Shanghai Disneyland operator said in a statement that the two-tiered pricing is based on in-depth market research and comprehensive analysis.

For more on this, we are joined on the line by Doug Young, Associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief with Reuters.

Questions:

1) There have been mixed reactions to the ticket prices for Shanghai Disneyland, do you see think the prices are reasonable for the Chinese market? Is it maybe charging too much for Chinese consumers?

2) As tickets for similar theme parks in China generally tend to be cheaper than those set for Shanghai Disneyland, do you think the pricing will affect its sales and competitiveness in the Chinese market?

====Story 2====

Elsewhere, China Media Capital has decided to invest 100 million yuan or 15 million US dollars, in a private media group named Hua'erjie Jianwen, which aims to become a leading financial service provider in China.

CMC was founded in 2009 by Li Ruigang, the former head of state-owned Shanghai Media Group.

Initial funding has come from investors including SMG and the China Development Bank.

Questions:

1) In the past two years, Hua'erJie Jianwen has gradually grown into an influential financial online media business. Could you firstly give us an outline of this emerging media group?

2) Prior to this investment, China Media Captial had already made some big moves especially in

Entertainment industry such as its partnership with Dreamworks Animation to make Kung Fu Panda 3 - i seems to be doing something right?

Back Anchor:

That was Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.

China to cut steel capacity by 100-150 mln tonnes in 5 years

China is planning to cut steel production capacity by 100 million tonnes to 150 million tonnes over the next five years.

The state council, China's Cabinet, says no new steel projects will be licensed and outdated plants will be closed.

At the same time, the government says it will also eliminate so-called "zombie" companies, which have ceased operations but have not yet gone bankrupt.

China also urges steel companies to seek acquisitions or mergers.

China's steel industry, also the world's largest, has experienced overcapacity in recent years.

Figures suggest China's crude steel production capacity is 1.2 billion tonnes with output failing to 800 million tonnes last year.

Hackers Trying to Attack Alibaba's Taobao

Hackers in China attempted to access over 20 million accounts on Alibaba's e-commerce site Taobao last year.

A Police investigation shows hackers obtained 99 million user names and passwords from a number of websites, over 20 million of which were also being used for Taobao accounts.

The hackers were discovered by Alibaba in November after they tried inputting details into Taobao.

Earlier, it was reported that hackers had used Alibaba's own cloud computing to access users' accounts in Taobao. But a spokesperson for Alibaba has denied that report, saying the hackers had used outside software to attack the site instead of Alibaba's cloud service.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson said the company detected the hacking in "the first instance," and reminded users to regularly change passwords.

Sports

CBA regular season to close tonight

In basketball,

The last of the regular-season games are set to be played-out tonight in the CBA.

Among them,

Xinjiang is at home to Tianjin, while Sichuan entertains Jilin.

These games will determine who will finish 2nd and 3rd, as both clubs have 29-8 records.

Top-seeded Liaoning will wrap up its season at home to Shanxi.

In other action,

Guangdong, which has moved up to 4th after Shandong's loss on Wednesday, is on the road tonight in Fujian.

Shandong will take on the Bayi Rockets.

Guangsha will take on Foshan.

The 7th place Beijing Ducks close out the regular season tonight in Jiangsu against Tongxi.

Zhejiang Chouzhou is here in Beijing to take on Beikong.

Other action has the Jiangsu Dragons in Shenzhen.

And Shanghai is at home to Qingdao.

-------

Light schedule this morning in the NBA, with only 4 games on deck.

It's the LA Lakers looking for a rare 2-in-a-row as they take on New Orleans.

Portland entertains Toronto.

The Knicks are on the road in Detroit.

And its Phoenix at home to Houston.

Off the court,

The San Antonio Spurs have been dealt a setback, as Guard Manu Ginobli is going to be out 4 to 6-week after undergoing surgery to fix what the team has described as a serious testicular injury.

Ginobli had to leave yesterday's game against New Orleans after taking a hard charge late in the 4th quarter.

The 38-year old veteran has been one of the reasons San Antonio is only 4-games back of Golden State for the best record in the league at 41-8.

Alex Noren Leads at Dubai Desert Classic

In golf,

Guangzhou native Lin Xiyu has made a jump up the leaderboard at the LPGA stop in Florida.

Lin sits at minus-4 on her 2nd round after 16-holes at the Coates Championships, putting her at minus-5 on the tournament.

However, play in Florida has been suspended because of bad weather.

20-year old Beijing-native Feng Simin, who shot a minus-2 to open the tournament, bogeyed her first hole before play was suspended.

She's now sitting at minus-1.

New Zealand world number-1 Lydia Ko has managed to take a share of the lead at minus-7 after getting through 17-holes overnight.

She's tied with first-round leader Jang Ha-na, who didn't get a chance to take the course before the bad weather set in.

---

On the men's side,

Sweden's Alex Noren has fired a 6-under to take one-stroke lead after the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic.

"Well, very happy. I hit a lot of good shots, but a few bad shots and got away with it, and then you may end up (on) 66. So, I'm very happy and, you know, yeah, I didn't really expect it and then it feels even better."

Noren is one stroke ahead of a group of 4 others.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy is well in the hunt, finishing out his first round 2-back at minus-4.

"I had a couple of really good shots on the front nine that set me up for birdie and for the most part I was really pleased with how my game was today. I just need to tidy it up a little in some areas and hopefully I will have a good week."

China's Wu Ashun is well positioned after the first round, sitting at minus-2.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Antonio Lascuna of Philippines fired an 8-under 64 to lead the first round of the Myanmar Open.

Mainland golfer Liu Yanwei sits well back at even-par.

At the PGA stop in Phoenix,

American Rickie Fowler has closed out with a 6-under-65 for a share of the lead after round-1 of the Phoenix Open.

He's tied with Ireland's Shane Lowry.

Kerber Preps with German Team for Fed Cup

In tennis,

Top seeded Richard Gasquet of France has powered his way into the quarter-finals at the Montpellier Open after ousting Ernst Gulbis in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.

Alexander Zverev is also through, downing second seed Marin Cilic 7-6, 7-6.

---

Elsewhere,

Australia's Bernard Tomic has reached the quarter-finals at the Ecuador Open in Quito, knocking out Spaniard Robert Carballes Baena in a three-set battle.

The 23-year-old Aussie will next face sixth seed Paolo Lorenzi, who dispatched Alejandro Falla in straight sets.

Tomic is looking for his 4th ATP World Tour title.

---

In off-court tennis news,

Recent winner of the Australian Open, Angelique Kerber, has joined her team mates in Leipzig for training ahead of their face-off against opponents from Switzerland in the Fed Cup this weekend.

The German Women's team includes stars such as Kerber, Andrea Petkovic and Annika Beck.

Kerber has represented Germany for the past 6 years in the Fed Cup.

The winner between Germany and Switzerland will go on to play either defending champion the Czech Republic or Romania in the semi-finals.

Washington trying to avoid first 3-game losing skid of season

Another busy schedule in the National Hockey League this morning, as the NHL tries to get games out of the way ahead of this weekend's Super Bowl.

Among the action, Washington is looking to avoid its first 3-game losing skid of the year as the Caps play host to the New York Islanders.

Washington remains two points ahead of Chicago at the top of the NHL standings, but having played 6-fewer games.

The Blackhawks are on the road this morning in Arizona.

In other action,

Its Boston in Buffalo.

The Rangers entertain Minnesota.

Florida looks for its 5th in a row at home to Detroit.

Edmonton is in Ottawa.

New Jersey is in Toronto.

Nashville is at home to Philadelphia.

St. Louis entertains San Jose.

Dallas is in Colorado.

Anaheim takes a 4-game winning streak into LA.

And its Vancouver at home to Columbus.

The Denver Broncos Look Ahead To Super Bowl 50

In NFL,

The Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos are wrapping up another day of practice ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl.

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning says he's ready for Sunday.

"It's a very special opportunity to be playing in this game like I mentioned, to be playing in Super Bowl 50. If you have any appreciation for the history of the game and certainly you've watched Super Bowls and played in Super Bowls, have a sibling that's played in Super Bowls, it does make it even more special. So I'm grateful for the opportunity to be here and as I feel like our whole team is. We're excited to be representing the AFC in this game and the Denver Broncos and we're looking forward to Sunday getting here."

Manning helped lead the Broncos to the Super Bowl in the AFC Championships after coming off a few weeks of injuries, and says he's healthy heading into the marquis game.

Many are anticipating the 39-year old will announce his retirement should the Broncos win.

However, the Panthers were the best team in the regular season, losing their 2nd-last game of the season to blow what could have been a perfect 16-0 record.

Odds-makers in Vegas have the Panthers winning by at least 6.

Racing: Schumacher condition 'not good;' Tony Stewart to miss Daytona

Injuries are dominating the headlines from the auto racing world.

A spokesperson for the family of Michael Schumacher is refusing to comments on reports about the possible declining health of the former Formula-One champion.

This comes after Former Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo suggested Schumacher's condition is -quote- "not good."

Montezemolo would not provide other details, and has not said why he is providing the update now.

Schumacher was gravely injured 2-years ago after hitting his head on a rock while skiing in the French Alps.

Details about his condition and recovery have been a closely-guarded secret since then.

Meanwhile,

It's been announced veteran Nascar driver Tony Stewart will not be able to race at Daytona later this month, in what would have been his last chance at winning at the famed track.

Stewart is out indefinately after fracturing his back this past weekend while driving an all-terrain vehicle.

The 46-year old, who has plans to retire at the end of this season, is expected to make a full recovery.

Entertainment

China To Surpass US To Be Top Film Market In Two Years

Film industry observers in China are pointing to the latest numbers as a possible sign the Chinese movie industry could be set to outpace the United States earlier than first anticipated.

While most have been predicting Chinese box office revenues will surpass the US by 2020, some are suggesting that pace could be cut in half.

Observers are pointing to domestic box office totals this past year, which hit around 6.7 billion US dollars.

This is a nearly 50-percent increase compared to 2014.

If the numbers stay the same, box office revenues this year could hit around 9 billion US dollars.

This past year, the US box office drew in around 10.3-billion US dollars, which is down around 5-percent from 2014.

However, the arm-chair observations have not factored in various issues, including the slowdown of the Chinese economy or other factors, including the popularity of particular films to be released.

Beyonce to Debut music at Super Bowl Halftime Show

It's reported Beyonce is to debut at least one new song during Sunday's Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Beyoncé's fansite. "The BeyHive," has tweeted out that the diva is rehearsing two new songs while preparing for the Super Bowl.

If true, it will be the first time Beyonce has dropped new music since the release of her surprise 2013 self-titled album.

The upcoming Super Bowl halftime show is going to feature a slew of artists, as this year's game is the 50th, the "golden anniversary."

Beyoncé will perform alongside Bruno Mars and Coldplay.

The Super Bowl halftime is one of the year's top cultural moments, so anticipated that it is commonly seen by more people than the game itself.

This year's Super Bowl is going to take place Monday morning, Beijing Time.

'Friends' actor Matt LeBlanc Joins "Top Gear"

Former "Friends" star Matt LeBlanc has been tapped as one of the new co-hosts of the BBC's wildly popular "Top Gear" program.

He is set to present the revamped car show with British DJ Chris Evans.

LeBlanc, who starred as Joey Tribbiani on the NBC sitcom "Friends," will be the first non-British actor to host the show in its 39-year history.

The 48-year-old LeBlanc is a self-proclaimed car nut, as well as a massive fan of "Top Gear."

Le Blanc is no stranger to the show, having appeared twice during the reign of former host, Jeremy Clarkson.

"Top Gear" was temporarily pulled from the air last March after former host Jeremy Clarkson was sacked after he punched a producer during an off-set altercation.

Zayn's 'Pillowtalk' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard and Twitter Top Tracks Chart

Zayn Malik's debut solo single "Pillowtalk" has bursts in at No. 1 on the Billboard and Twitter Top Tracks chart dated Feb. 13, following its Jan. 29 release.

Its related music video has already notched up over 42 million worldwide views on YouTube since its premiere.

"Pillowtalk" is the lead single from the former One Direction star's first solo album-"Mind of Mine"due March 25.

The singer is also set to make his first solo TV performance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon next Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Rihanna hustled to a No. 2 entry for "Work", which features Drake.

"Work" is the lead single from Rihanna's eighth studio album, "Anti".

"Work" marks Rihanna's second-highest debut on the Billboard and Twitter Top Tracks survey, after "B**** Better Have My Money" powered to a No. 1 arrival on the chart dated April 11, 2015.

Taylor Swift to get her own mobile game

Taylor Swift is making her first foray into the world of mobile gaming.

She's partnering with Glu Mobile Inc to develop a new game.

Glu Mobile, the firm behind Kim Kardashian's mega-successful Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, has focused on signing up global stars with a large social media following to make personalized mobile games.

Swift has nearly 71 million followers on Twitter, while more than 74 million people 'like' the "Blank Space" singer's Facebook page.

The game is set to debut later this year and what it will entail remains under wrapped.

Playboy's first non-nude issue debuts its cover

The first non-nude Playboy magazine cover and a few inside pics have been released on social media.

The March 2016 issue debuts the men's magazine's transition from women in their birthday suits to women in their swimsuits.

20 year-old model and social media personality Sarah McDaniel appears on the front cover.

Ernest Hemingway's great-grand daughter-actress and fashion model Dree Anderson also makes an appearance in the magazine as its first non-nude centerfold.

In the new-look magazine, Hemingway and McDaniel pose both scantily clad and naked, while partly covering themselves strategically with their hands, bed sheets or rugs.

Playboy announced in October that it would stop publishing nude photos of women, saying they had become outdated due to the plethora of free pornography on the Internet.

Playboy's circulation has dropped from about 5.6 million in 1975 to around 800-thousand in recent years.

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

Recapping our top stories ...

Four jailed for murder in southeast China's Fujian acquitted after 22 years in jail.

China's top nuclear envoy returns from North Korea as Pyongyang prepares for what is says will be a space satellite launch.

And Chinese New Year tourists expected to go on an international spending spree.

On behalf of the rest of the Beijing Hour team, this is Bob Jones in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.