新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2016/02/18（在线收听）

The Beijing Hour

Morning Edition

Bob Jones with you this Thursday February 18th 2016.

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

Coming up on the program.

At least 28 dead and 61 injured after a car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Against a backdrop of media hype, China's interests in the South China Sea dominate talks between Australia and China in Beijing.

China calls on any United States' relationship with ASEAN nations to be conducive to regional stability and development.

In Business - Apple Pay enters the Chinese Market.

In Sport - Victory for Liaoning in CBA playoff quarter-final action.

And in Entertainment - The 1984 film "Behind the Yellow Line" heading for mainland theaters.

All that coming up in the next hour.

Top News

28 Killed In Huge Blast in Turkey's Capital

A car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara has killed at least 28 people and wounded 61.

The bombing reportedly targeted military service vehicles, and it's understood that some of the military personnel were among the dead.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said the government had no information on who carried out the attack as yet.

"The findings at the blast scene have come under scrutiny. We don't have any information regarding who carried out the attack and such a statement has not been made so far. But, the perpetrators of the attack will be found as soon as possible."

The investigation into the incident is underway, while parliament spokesperson Omer Celik referred to the blast as a "terror attack."

The attack happened while a high-level security meeting, hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was taking place at the Presidential Palace.

Turkey has endured a series of deadly attacks in recent years.

In July 2015, a blast in southeastern Turkey killed 34 pro-Kurdish and left-wing activists; in October, twin suicide bombings in Ankara claimed the lives of 103 people.

Eleven people, all German tourists, were also killed on Jan. 16 when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the tourist heart of Istanbul.

China-Australia Dialogue Focuses on S.China Sea

Anchor

South China Sea issues dominated the latest round of China-Australia talks which wrapped up here in Beijing on Wednesday, with both sides vowing to promote stability in the area.

The high level talks also touched on events in the Korean Peninsular.

CRI's Luo Bin has further details of the meeting.

Reporter

The dialogue between China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop took place at a time of intense media coverage surrounding China's deployment of anti-air missiles on Xisha Islands in the South China Sea.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Wang Yi said China was simply abiding by international law.

"China's move of setting up limited, necessary and self-defense facilities on the islands and reefs where Chinese troops are stationed, is in line with the right of self-defense endowed by international law to any sovereign state. Therefore there is nothing wrong about it."

Wang Yi also stressed that the existing lighthouses and planned emergency rescue facilities for weather observation, along with shelter for fishing boats, would be made available to the wider international community as a public service.

Responding to a joint statement from the leaders of the United States and ASEAN countries urging non-militarization in the South China Sea, Wang Yi said this needed joint action, not just from China.

"The non-militarization serves the interests of all parties. But the non-militarization should not target a single country or have double or multiple standards. Non-militarization in the South China Sea needs the joint efforts of the relevant countries inside and outside the region."

Wang Yi also ruled out the possibility that China would accept arbitration as a means of solving the disputes in the area.

"China in 2006 declared it would not accept arbitration of disputes concerning territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Chinese government will certainly stick to this position as more than 30 countries, including Australia, have also made similar 'exclusive' declarations."

Australian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, had earlier indicated that talks over the South China Sea issue would be high on her agenda in Beijing. China meanwhile, urged the Australian side to take an objective and fair stance on the issue.

After Wednesday's meeting, Bishop noted that Australia did not take sides on the issue of sovereignty and urged all sides to maintain peace and stability.

"We had a very forthright and candid discussion about the South China Sea. Australia's position both privately and publicly is consistent, we do not take sides on the competing maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea. We have an interest in maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea. As does China and other claimants we urge restraints."

As part of the talks, the two ministers also discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Wang Yi said apart from a new UN Security Council resolution against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, the resumption of the stalled Six-Party talks should also be a priority.

For CRI, this is Luo Bin.

China Says Defense Deployment in S.China Sea Ligitimate

Responding to media reports that China has positioned missiles on the Xisha Islands, the Chinese Defense Ministry has said any defense deployment on China's own territory would be legitimate.

It said China has justified and legal rights to implement defense facilities on its territory to protect national sovereignty and security.

In a statement, the ministry said China started deploying maritime and air defense systems on relevant islands some years ago.

It also accused certain media of trying to again hype up the so-called 'China threat.'

It's being reported that China had deployed an advanced anti-air missile system on Yongxing Island of the Xisha Islands in the past week, citing satellite photos.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has described it as an attempt to create news stories.

At Wednesday's news conference with his Australian counterpart, Julie Bishop, Wang Yi called on global media to pay more attention to the public service facilities China was offering in the South China Sea.

U.S.-ASEAN Relationship should Benefit Regional Peace: FM Spokesman

Anchor

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday that the development of the relationship between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations - or ASEAN - should be conducive to regional stability and development.

His remarks come a day after a gathering between U.S. President Barack Obama and leaders of Southeast Asian countries.

CRI's Luo Wen has more.

Reporter

The two-day US-ASEAN meeting was held in California on Monday and Tuesday.

In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the participants spoke of a shared commitment to "maintain peace, security and stability in the region, ensuring maritime security and safety, including the rights of freedom of navigation and overflight."

Commenting on the gathering, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said that hype surrounding the South China Sea issue would destroy the regional peace and political mutual trust.

"We have taken note of the attempt by some countries to use the meeting to stir up the South China Sea issue, but most ASEAN members did not agree, because such a move would not only damage trust among countries in the region, but would interfere with their efforts in safeguarding the peace and stability in the South China Sea."

The U.S. President Barack Obama said during the meeting that the two sides "discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions, including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and the militarization of disputed areas."

Hong Lei noted that the United States should be cautious with its words and actions towards the South China Sea issue.

"The United States is a country that is unrelated to the China South Sea issue. It should be discreet in words and deeds towards this issue and support the relevant countries to solve the related disputes through peaceful consultation, instead of taking advantage of relevant occasions to hype the South China Sea issue, exaggerate regional tension and sow disorder among the countries in the region."

Chinese political commentator Xu Qinduo says the Chinese government should be prepared to resolve the growing tensions that arise from the South China Sea issues through dialogue.

"The international Permanent Court of Arbitration is set to make a ruling of the case filed by the Philippines regarding China's territorial claims in the South China Sea within the year. If the ruling did not favor China, the U.S. will surely try to persuade ASEAN to take its side and support the ruling. I think China should be prepared for this. The Chinese government should unite the majority of ASEAN members and isolate challengers like the Philippines by negotiating with them about China's policies on the South China Sea."

Meanwhile, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei stressed that the country would support the ASEAN community and bolster regional development through the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation framework, involving China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Hong Lei says the LMC leaders will have their first meeting in March in Sanya, Hainan Province to outline future cooperation, with a senior officials' meeting scheduled for next Wednesday.

For CRI, this is Luo Wen.

UN Official Urged to be fair on China Human Rights Development

The Chinese government has issued a call for the UN's lead human rights official to look at human rights development in China fairly and objectively.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid al-Hussein, has been called-out after suggesting Chinese authorities release several recently-arrested human rights lawyers.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei says his suggestion isn't fair.

"The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights made groundless accusations against China's internal affairs, which is neither professional nor fair, and China is resolutely opposed to it and will never accept it. China is a country with rule of law and everyone is equal before the law. Anyone who violates the law must be punished by the law."

Chinese authorities have been consistent in saying the country's human rights development has been progressing rapidly through the government's push toward the creation of a society built on the 'rule of law.'

Chinese Embassy Expresses Concern over Raid of ICBC Madrid Offices

The Chinese Embassy in Spain is expressing concerns over a reported police raid of a major Chinese bank's offices in Madrid.

It's being reported Spanish authorities have raided the Madrid offices of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China on Wednesday as part of a joint operation connected to alleged money laundering and tax fraud.

It's said to be connected with a major police operation known as Operation Snake, which has led to over 30 arrests in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia since this past May.

The Chinese embassy says it has not received any information about the operation "from any official department in Spain."

An embassy statement says given the information it does have, it says it believes the ICBC offices in Spain don't appear to have acted in violation of local laws.

NDRC Defies Speculation of RMB Exchange Rate Volatility and Unemployment

Anchor

China's top economic regulator has said it's confident the country will be able to maintain a stable RMB exchange rate, and has rejected speculation that there could be an upsurge in unemployment.

Giving an upbeat assessment of the road ahead, it forecast that the economy would maintain a medium-to-high growth rate, and that the government aimed to create at least ten million new jobs in the coming years.

CRI reporter Guo Yan has the details.

Reporter

In an official briefing, a senior official with the National Development and Reform commission, Zhao Chenxin, stressed that cross-border capital flow was changing within a reasonable range.

Zhao said the RMB exchange rate against a basket of currencies had generally remained stable and in some ways was appreciating.

The official explained that the authority was capable of keeping the basic stability of the RMB exchange rate.

"First, China still holds the world's largest foreign exchange reserves. Second, we keep a large yearly trade surplus. Third, the internationalization of the yuan is developing at a stable pace. And the two-way fluctuation of the RMB exchange rate has entered a new normal."

The official also said large-scale layoffs were not an innevitable by-product of China's economic restructuring, thanks to sound economic fundamentals and new growth engines.

He said even though growth had slowed, China's GDP growth was still stronger than other major economies in the world. During the period of the twelfth "five-year plan," employment in China increased over 11 percent compared to the previous "five-year plan" period.

China created more than 13 million new jobs for urban residents last year, exceeding the official target.

The government aims to create at least 10 million new jobs and hold unemployment below 4.5 percent in 2016.

The latest official data shows the unemployment rate in China's cities was just over 4 percent at the end of 2015, unchanged from three months earlier.

Zhao also pointed out that China's economy would maintain a medium-to-high growth rate this year, providing a solid basis for a steady job market.

"We have made every effort to make up for shortfalls in the economy. We will continue to foster new growth points by boosting consumption and promoting investment. The economy will grow at a medium to high pace, which will help to boost employment."

The official also pointed out that the government had already put in place a variety of policies aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation.

And he believes these measures have performed well in creating jobs so far.

"The growth of market participants has been keeping a strong momentum in the past year. Over 4.4 million enterprises were newly registered with a growth rate of 21.6 percent. Around 12,000 new companies are registered daily. We will further promote entrepreneurship and innovation this year and expand employment by encouraging business startups."

The economy recorded its slowest growth in 25 years in 2015, expanding by 6.9 percent year on year, fueling concerns over job losses, especially in industries with excessive capacity.

Zhao acknowledged there would be redundancies in some industries but said the government would distribute funds to help workers re-establish themselves should they lose their jobs.

For CRI, this is Guo Yan.

Public Questions Investigation Results on "Overpriced Fish"

Anchor

The controversy surrounding alleged "overpriced fish" in Northeast China's Harbin, Heilongjiang Province appears to be hotting up.

It concerns claims by a visitor to Harbin City who said he was charged an unreasonable price for a fish feast, and that he was assaulted by restaurant staff when he complained.

The customer involved is now questioning the outcome of the official investigation.

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

Reporter

Just one day after the issue of "overpriced fish" triggered heated public discussion, the local price watchdog released the results of its investigation into the case.

However, the customer involved - surnamed Chen - who said he was charged an unreasonable price for a fish feast during a visit to the Northbank Wild Fish Village in Harbin City, has taken issue with some points in the report.

"I promise the weight of the fish was 5.2 kilogram. And I did not sign the so-called final receipt which shows the Huso sturgeon is 7.2 kilograms. The local authority can identify the handwriting on the bill. Moreover, the restaurant manager gave us a discount of over 3,000 yuan after we were beaten by her staff."

Sun Baisen, director of Harbin Market Supervisory Authority, gave this response to his concerns.

"We have made contact with Mr.Chen. For the next step, we will investigate and verify all the problems he pointed out, in order to get further evidence and to ascertain the truth."

After verifying previous findings with Mr. Chen, the authority confirmed the restaurant had indeed behaved in an illegal way.

Meanwhile, the restaurant has been ordered to stop trading, as it was using the unauthorized term "wild" in its title, allegedly to mislead customers for economic gain. In addition, its Catering Service License was found to have expired.

But there are many who feel the investigation fails to answer the core controversies, such as the actual weight of the purchased Huso Sturgeon, the existence of a physical altercation involving restaurant staff, and whether the fish was wild or not.

Wang Jingbo, a professor at China University of Political Science and Law, says the response made by local authority was perhaps too quick, and far from comprehensive.

"The investigation report was supposed to clarify the facts and reconcile the parties concerned. But the investigation results in this case have only accelerated the controversy, as the report was released in haste without ascertaining the facts comprehensively. Especially the first investigation report, it only demonstrated facts provided by the restaurant owner, without consulting the opinions of the consumer. Though the public want a quick response, regulators should give priority to authoritativeness."

Unreasonable charges in China's catering industry have long been a target of public criticism, especially during holidays, and it's feared the practice is damaging the development of tourism in China.

The National Tourism Administration says the volume of tourists during this Spring Festival holiday surpassed 302 million, a 15.6 per cent increase compared to last year.

For CRI, this is Huang Shan.

Elepant, Geese Go Viral Online in China

An elephant and a pair of geese have been dominating parts of the Chinese internet this week on the heels of Valentine's Day.

The elephant in-question, known as "Zhusunya," or Bamboo Shoot Teeth, is the elephant in Yunnan who, local police say, probably went on a jealous rampage after losing a battle over a mate.

"This elephant sat its body on the car with the plate number of 22827, and the whole car was shaking and damaged badly. Now we can see the rear-view mirror of the car was destroyed, and can't see the rear part."

The angry elephant did damage to at least 25 cars over a 3-day stretch, apparently finding it 'hard to forget' losing out on his intended mate.

Meanwhile, the internet in China is still buzzing over a photo which appeared online during Valentine's Day, showing a gander with his beak joined together with a goose, which just happened to be tied to the back of a bike.

This prompted suggestions the male goose was kissing his lover goodbye.

The photo also spawned elaborate tales about what had been taking place in the lives of the ducks.

But as is often the case, reality isn't nearly as elegant as fiction.

The owner of the birds in Guangdong has confirmed both have since become meals.

China's National Museum Is 2nd Most Popular In the World

New figures are suggesting the China National Museum in Beijing has become the second most popular museum in the world.

This is based on statistics compiled by travel institutions involved with the Themed Entertainment Association.

In its list of the "Top 20 most popular museums around the world," the top three are the Louvre in Paris, The National Museum of China and The Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.

The Palace Museum in Taipei and the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum have also cracked the top-20.

Brazil: Zika Virus Not To Impact Olympic Games

Brazil's Health Minister has made pledge to ambassadors of EU countries that the current outbreak of the Zika virus will not impact the upcoming Olympic Games, saying the country is prepared to cope with it.

Marcelo Castro has told a group of EU ambassadors the risk for tourists attending the Games will be low, as the mosquito which transmits Zika reproduces mostly in the summer months.

The Olympics in Rio will take place during the winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

A one-day national mobilization campaign has already taken place in Brazil this past week.

It's seen health officials, soldiers and police officers visit 2.8 million homes across the country in an attempt to raise awareness and help stamp out the insect's breeding grounds.

Brazilian authorities are promising to continue the mobilization, saying they plan to be particularly vigilant against Zika in the Rio de Janeiro area.

Apple Resists Order to Share Iphone Information

A Democratic member of the House of Representatives has criticized Apple for not helping law enforcement agencies.

The criticism comes after Apple's CEO Tim Cook said his company would fight a federal magistrate's order to hack users in connection with the investigation into the San Bernardino shootings in California.

Democrat Brad Sherman says Apple should fall into line.

"It's been consistent with Apple's policy for quite some time to try to be as unhelpful to law enforcement as possible. They should be on our side in this effort against terrorism."

Tim Cook's ferocious response, posted early Wednesday on the company's website, came after an order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym, that Apple help the FBI break into an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the perpetrators of the December attack.

It has set the stage for a legal fight between the U.S. federal government and Silicon Valley with broad implications for digital privacy and national security.

WFP Food Convoy Arrives In Taiz

The United Nations World Food Programme has successfully delivered food to 18,000 desperate people inside an area of heavy fighting in Yemen.

The convoy entered the central Yemeni city of Taiz carrying rations for 3,000 family.

Muhannad Hadi is the Regional Director for the World Food Programme.

"It's a difficult operation for us but we are proud that our team managed to take this opportunity to go inside the besieged area of Taiz city and deliver food - we've delivered food twice, each time for 3,000 families. I have to say this is not enough, we need to go back, we need to continue delivering food to Taiz but also to the rest of the Yemeni people wherever they are in Yemen."

It is the second time the World Food Programme has gained access to the conflict zone this year.

It has been delivering food assistance to parts of Taiz City since December 2015.

Taiz is one of areas in the grip of a severe food shortage that has reached an 'emergency' level.

Iran Unwilling To Cut Oil Production

Iranian authorities appear to be throwing cold water on the idea of capping crude output in an attempt to increase global prices.

Iran's Oil Minister says the Iranian side has no intention of giving up its global market share, despite the glut on the market.

However, Bijan Zanganeh says if the four countries who first proposed the output cap want to talk, he's willing to listen.

"Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Russia have negotiated to freeze the production ceiling. That itself is discussable, and we should find out what they really mean by that. They should come here and talk to us as well."

The four major oil producers agreed this week to cap production at January levels, provided the rest of the world's major oil producers agreed to do the same.

However, Iran has already announced plans to increase its oil production by 500-thousand barrels per day after the sanctions against it were lifted following its nuclear deal.

It's also being suggested Iranian authorities have no desire to see Saudi Arabia benefit from a rise in oil prices.

Oil prices are hovering around 30 US dollars a barrel, the lowest in some 13-years.

Oil Spill Harms Waterways In Peru's Amazon

Efforts are finally underway to try to contain an oil spill in Peru's Amazon region.

Around 3-thousand barrels of oil reportedly found its way into a local river on January 25th.

However, PetroPeru, the company responsible for the spill, has only now started contingency measures after local authorities in villages downstream from the spill began complaining about the contamination.

"The waters that flow down to the river with oil cannot be controlled or cleaned up. I want to say, if it wasn't contaminated, then I invite any authority from the federal government who comes here to drink this water. I know that water is polluted, that no one can drink from it. That's one of the damages we will not be able to control."

One of PetroPeru's pipelines in the region ruptured.

The region itself is located near the border with Ecuador.

Peruvian President Ollanta Humala is warning the state-run company could face heavy fines for the spill.

Weather

Beijing will be sunny with a high of 9 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to minus 2.

Shanghai will be sunny with a high of 15 and a low of 6.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 15 and lows of 8.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,

Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 23.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 6.

Over to North America,

New York will see sleet with a high of 4 degrees.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 3 degrees.

Honolulu, slight rain, 26.

Toronto will be overcast with a high of minus 5 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,

Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 36.

And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 29 degrees Celsius.

Headline News

28 Killed In Car Bomb Blast in Turkey's Capital

Turkey's capital has been rocked by a major bombing.

A car bomb has gone off in Ankara, leaving at least 28 dead and over 60 others wounded.

The bombing hit during the evening rush-hour as military buses were reportedly rolling by the country's Armed Forces headquarters in Ankara.

A number of Turkish military personnel are said to be among the victims.

So far there's been no claim of responsibility, though it is being described as a "terror attack."

It hit while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was holding a meeting of his security cabinet at the Presidential Palace.

Turkey's major cities, including Ankara and Istanbul, have been hit by a series of attacks in recent months, which officials have blamed on both the Islamic State and Kurdish militants.

China to Improve Support for People with Extreme Difficulties

Chinese authorities are promising new steps to bolster the support system for people living in extreme difficulty.

A new guideline released by the State Council is meant to increase support for those incapable of supporting themselves.

Around 6-million people in China, including senior citizens, people with physical challenges and children under the age of 16 without care givers, fall into the category.

China Starts Emergency Food Aid Plan to Africa

China's Ministry of Commerce has announced an emergency food aid plan for Africa is going to be activated.

Detailed plans are now in the process of being drafted.

This comes amid growing concerns about food shortages amid the poor harvest figures being reported across the continent.

Chinese President Xi Jinping already announced back in December that China was prepared to provide over 150 million US dollars in emergency food aid to affected countries.

Unfavorable weather conditions brought on by the El Nino effect, combined with civil unrest in a number of countries, has severely impacted harvests in certain parts of Africa.

Russia To Deliver S-300 Missile System To Iran On Thursday

Local media reports are suggesting Russia will hand over the first pieces of the controversial S-300 missile defense system to Iran this Thursday.

Iran's Defense Minister is reportedly set to take part in a ceremony in Russia to see the first of the launchers be packed up and shipped to Iran.

Moscow and Teheran signed an 800-million-U.S. dollar contract in 2007 to supply Iran with five S-300 anti-missile systems.

The contract was later cancelled as part of a UN resolution which had banned the supply of conventional weapons to Iran at that time.

Russia agreed to renew the contract this past spring after Iran and first agreed to its nuclear disengagement protocols.

The US and its allies in the region, namely Saudi Arabia and Israel, have balked at the deployment of the system in Iran.

The S-300 system has the ability - depending on the missiles attached to it - to target aircraft hundreds of kilometers away.

Biz Reports

Anchor

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

U.S. stocks surged for a third straight session on Wednesday, allowing the benchmark S&P 500 to post its largest three-day gain since August.

Investors were encouraged by a strong rebound in oil prices as Iran supported an output freeze deal proposed by Russia and Saudi Arabia.

In Wednesday's Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting, policy makers believe the recent global economic turbulence have increased the downside risks for the outlook of the U.S. economy.

Many Fed officials agreed that they will wait for additional signals about the economy before making any further attempts to raise interest rates.

Meanwhile, information-technology firm Ingram Micro announced it will be sold to China's Tianjin Tianhai Investment Company for nearly 39 US dollars per share.

In response to the news, shares of Ingram Micro soared 24 per cent in after-hours trading.

At the closing bell,

The Dow added 1.1 percent

The S&P 500 leapt 1.4 percent.

And the Nasdaq jumped 1.7 percent.

In Europe, stocks also posted gains today following the oil price surge.

The UK's FTSE 100 increased 2.9 percent.

Germany's DAX gained 2.7 percent

and France's CAC rose 3 percent.

Apple Pay Enters China Today

Apple Pay is now available on the Chinese mainland.

Several banks across the country have already launched support for Apple Pay, including Bank of China and China Construction Bank.

More than a dozen other lenders are expected to join up with Apple Pay in the coming days.

Apple Pay is now available after it struck a deal with China UnionPay, which dominates bank-card payments in China.

China is the world's fifth Apple Pay market behind the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia.

For more on this, we're joined by Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator.

[Talking points]

1, Why is Apple bringing in its mobile wallet into China now?

2, What kind of impact will Apple Pay have on the WeChat and Alipay?

3, What steps does Apple have to take to make its debut a success, and what do Wechat and Alipay need to do to defend their respective market share?

Back Anchor:

Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator.

China Commerce Ministry Denies Massive Capital Outflow

China's Commerce Ministry has denied speculation that rising imports from Hong Kong in January means a massive capital outflow from the country.

Spokesperson for the Commerce Ministry Shen Danyang says the increasing imports should be seen in a positive light.

"In January, imports by the Chinese mainland from Hong Kong increased 108 percent. It seems remarkable, but actually you will not be surprised if you take into consideration last year's figures for the same period, which was just 790 million U.S. dollars. The entire market of the mainland is so big and it's expanding import actively now, such as the import of gold and other consumer products, so the increase is substantial."

Mainland imports from Hong Kong more than doubled in January.

This has raised concerns that rising imports from Hong Kong in January is fresh evidence of a hidden money exit through trade channels as the yuan weakens.

However, Shen Danyang says there will be no drastic capital outflows as the fundamentals of the Chinese economy and the market remain sound.

China to Adjust Deposit Rates for Housing Provident Fund

China's central bank has announced it will raise deposit rates for its housing provident fund to ensure reasonable gains for depositors.

The adjustment will take effect from this coming Sunday.

The one-year deposit rate will be adjusted to 1.5 percent from the lower rates of 0.35 percent and 1.1 percent depending on when the deposits were placed.

However, the central bank says the hike will not affect the country's overall interest rate level.

The housing provident fund is a government-devised saving program.

It allows Chinese workers and their employers to pay a part of their monthly wages into the fund as a means to finance their future home purchases.

Alibaba Expands E-Commerce in Rural China under Gov't Support

Alibaba reached a deal with China's top economic planner on Wednesday to expand e-commerce in the country's rural areas.

Under the agreement, the National Development and Reform Commission will work with Alibaba in more than 300 rural areas to develop e-commerce.

The partnership aims to optimize the agriculture industrial chain and encourage people to start new businesses in rural areas.

In recent years, E-commerce giants like Alibaba and JD.com have set up their service stations in villages to train rural residents with Internet skills.

So far, Alibaba has 780 village service stations nationwide.

It is expected build a total of 100 thousand stations by 2019.

Aston Martin Joins hand with LeEco

British auto maker Aston Martin is teaming up with Chinese online video provider LeEco, the new name of LeTV, to set up a joint venture.

The sports-car marker says the partnership is designed to produce the brand's first electric car based on its RapidE S model.

LeEco will provide the power train and battery pack for the vehicle, which will be built in England.

Both companies say the new electric vehicle is scheduled to hit the market sometime in 2018.

Meanwhile, Faraday Future, a start-up electric car company backed by LeEco, will also be involved in the development program.

Investment in Water Projects to Top 800 Bln Yuan in 2016

China's top economic planner has said it will invest over 800 billion yuan or 120 billion U.S. dollars in large-scale water conservation projects this year.

The National Development and Reform Commission says it will also encourage private capital to contribute in China's water security.

China's investment in water projects hit an all-time high during the country's last Five-Year Plan period from 2011 to 2015.

Official data suggests that 2 trillion yuan has been spent in water conservation during the period.

The investment has benefited hundreds of millions of residents through projects to offer improved drinking water in rural areas, flood control and rural hydro-power.

COSCO Declared As Preferred Investor for Greek Piraeus Port Privatization

The Greek privatization fund has formally declared that Chinese shipping giant COSCO will be the preferred investor for the privatization of Greece's largest port, Piraeus.

The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund says COSCO acquired 67 percent of the shares of the Piraeus Port Authority, in accordance with the terms of the tendering process.

Last month, the Fund accepted COSCO's binding offer worth over 410 million US dollars for a controlling stake in the Greek port.

The tender dossier will now be submitted to the Court of Audit for authorities' approvals.

The process is expected to be completed by this May.

COSCO is committed to investing some 390 million US dollars over the next decade for infrastructure development at the port.

Sports

Liaoning beats Zhejiang 138-105 to lead 2-0 in CBA playoffs

In basketball,

Game two of the CBA playoffs quarter-finals were played out last night.

Liaoning once-again shutdown Zhejiang, hammering Chouzhou 138-105 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Lester Hudson scored a game-high 30 points in the victory.

--

Xinjiang has also jumped out to a 2-0 series strangle-hold a 104-101 win over the defending Champion Beijing Ducks.

Andray Blatche led the Flying Tigers with 37-points and 13 rebounds.

Stephon Marbury had a team-high 32 points for Beijing.

--

The Sichuan Blue Whales are also up 2-games-to-none after hammering Guangsha 131-118 last night.

Imports Justin Dentmon, Hamed·Haddadi and Mike Harris combined for 86 points and 39 rebounds in the victory.

Guangsha went down, despite a 41-point individual performance from Lin Zhijie.

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And Guangdong is also out to a 2-nothing series lead.

Chinese veteran Yi Jianlian had 24 points to help the Southern Tigers to a 130-111 win over Shandong.

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Liaoning, Xinjiang, Sichuan and Guangdong can all close out their quarter-final series' tomorrow night.

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In the WCBA,

Game 2 of the semi-finals will play out tonight.

Xinjiang takes a 1-0 series lead into action against Guangdong, while Beijing will look to even its series against Shanghai.

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3 games this morning in the NBA.

Washington is at home to Utah.

Cleveland entertains Chicago.

And the San Antonio Spurs are in LA to take on the Clippers.

Barcelona Beat Sporting Gijon 3-1

In football action from Europe,

Real Madrid has taken the first leg of its round-of-16 European Champions League battle with a 2-0 away victory over Roma earlier this morning.

The other Champions League match had Wolfsburg drawing first-blood in its quarter-final first leg, 3-2 over Belgium side Gent.

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Elsewhere in Europe,

A 3-1 victory over Sporting Gijon has given Barcelona a commanding lead at the top of the Spanish Primera League.

The Catalan club now holds a 6-point advantage over Atletico Madrid - and a 7-point gap over 3rd place Real Madrid.

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A number of Europa League matches are on deck tonight.

Manchester United are on the road to take on Midtjylland.

Wayne Rooney will not be in the line-up after reportedly suffering a serious knee injury.

United head coach Louis van Gaal says there is no timeframe for Rooney's return.

"That's difficult to say, but he was injured in the game against Sunderland and he has a knee problem and we have to wait and see how long that takes. So I cannot say anything about it."

It's being reported the 30-year-old Rooney will be sidelined for up to 2-months.

United is currently 5th in the Premier League, 6 points adrift of 4th placed Manchester City.

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In other action from the Europa League.

Liverpool will be up against FC Augsburg.

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Tottenham Hotspur will play Fiorentina.

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FC Porto will meet Borussia Dortmund.

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And it's Schalke 04 up against Shakhtar Donetsk.

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In off-pitch football news,

Newly-advanced Chinese Super League side Hebei China Fortune has signed Paris Saint-Germain forward Ezequiel Lavezzi.

The transfer fee has not been revealed.

The 30-year-old Lavezzi joined PSG from Napoli in 2012, winning three league titles during his time in the French capital.

Vietnam Beat Japan in 2-1 on Penalties to Reach Semi-Finals

In futsal,

The two-time defending champions Japan have suffered a 2-1 defeat in a penalty shoot-out at the hands of Vietnam in the quarter-final stages of the AFC Futsal Championship in Tashkent.

With the victory, Vietnam advances to the semi-finals, and also qualifies for this year's FIFA Futsal World Cup in Colombia.

Vietnam will next meet Iran, who blew past Kyrgyzstan 7-0.

Japan must now come out on top of a four-team play-off if they are to claim Asia's fifth and final spot at this year's World Cup om Futsal, which is a 5-man, indoor version of soccer.

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In other action,

Uzbekistan is into the semi-finals following a 3-0 win over Iraq.

Awaiting Uzbekistan in the last four is Thailand, which trashed Australia 6-1.

Rafael Nadal Beats Pablo Carreno Busta 6-1 6-4 in the First Round

In tennis,

Top seeded Rafael Nadal has advanced into the second round of the Rio Open after beating fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta in straight-sets.

Nadal admits his 6-1, 6-4 win wasn't easy, given the stifling heat and humidity which his gripping Rio at the moment.

"The conditions were so heavy, so difficult to serve. (We had) a lot of breaks but I was able to survive there and the important thing is to not get frustrated in that moment when you have the advantage and then he breaks me back. I stayed calm, I had every time the chance to break again, it was very important that. A very good victory for me and I am very happy."　

Nadal will next take on compatriot Nicolas Almagro.

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Others into the 2nd round in Rio include 2nd seed David Ferrer, fellow Spainyard Albert Ramos, Italy's Fabio Fognini and last week's winner in Argentina, Austrian Dominic Thiem.

In Dubai on the women's front,

Third seeded Carla Suarez Navarro has been bounced, going down to France's Caroline Garcia.

Her ouster means 5 of the 8 seeded players in the women's draw in Dubai have failed to advance beyond the second round.

Flames Dealt Double Blow, Lose Ramo, Wideman for Possible Playoff Push

From the National Hockey League,

Any thoughts the Calgary Flames had of making a playoff run over the last third of their season has taken a double hit.

The club has announced starting goaltender Kari Ramo is out for the rest of the season after tearing his ACL.

And just hours later, the league announced leading Flames' defenseman Dennis Wideman is going to have his 20-game suspension upheld after he plowed over a linesman in a game earlier this month.

Calgary is currently 10-points back of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

The Flames are one of three teams in action this morning, at home to Minnesota.

Other action has Montreal in Colorado, while the surging New York Rangers play host to Chicago.

Paris, Rome Unveil Their Bid Plans for the 2024 Olympic Games

Rome has officially launched its bid to stage the Olympic Games in 2024, saying it will use the city's world famous historical monuments as part of a cost-conscious event.

The launch of Rome's bid has come on the same day Paris has unveiled its plan to win the Games.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls.

"We give to the candidacy of Paris 2024 a solid ground: beautiful like Paris, passionate as its people, but also open to the world, because it is the history of our nation: all the colours, the blue, the white and the red, but all the colours of the French society and of this colourful youth, the one of Paris, the one of Seine Saint-Denis, the one of France, because it is the mixed France of all colours that makes the strength. Yes, we are also a rainbow nation. Yes, this message, this dream is our strength and we will win it and realize it together."

Paris has technically hosted the Olympics twice.

The first time was in 1900.

However, that event was a side-show to the World's Fair which took place that same year.

If Paris is to win this bid, the 2024 Games would mark the 100th anniversary of the last time the Olympics were held in Paris in 1924.

Paris is competing with Rome, Los Angeles and Budapest.

The host city will be chosen by the IOC in September of next year.

Entertainment

Late Actor Leslie Cheung's Movie Hit Mainland Theaters

It's been revealed that late actor and singer Leslie Cheung's 1984 film "Behind the Yellow Line" is slated to hit mainland theaters on March 25.

The romantic comedy revolves around the love that blossoms between a bumbling young man and an attractive woman he meets on the subway.

It also stars Maggie Cheung and Anita Mui.

"Behind the Yellow Line" was first released in Hong Kong in 1984 and it won a Best Supporting Actress award for Anita Mui at the 4th Hong Kong Film Awards.

The film was also shown at the 2002 Tokyo Film Festival but has never hit the mainland theaters.

The opening date in the mainland comes a week ahead of the 13th anniversary of Leslie Cheung's death.

Madonna "Rebels" in Hong Kong

Madonna has taken Hong Kong by storm on the Asia leg of her "Rebel Heart Tour".

Thousands of fans gathered in their glittery finest to see the super star perform for the first time in Hong Kong.

Their enthusiasm for the pop diva didn't wane even though Madonna was more than one hour late for her appearance on stage.

Tickets for the first of two concerts at the AsiaWorld-Expo Arena ranged from 688 Hong Kong dollars - that's about 88 US dollars - all the way up to a staggering 16,888 Hong Kong dollars - some 2-thousand US dollars for what was called premium VIP packages.

Madonna's latest world tour, which began in Montreal in September, will continue in Macau, Manila and Singapore.

It'll then head to New Zealand and Australia, reaching Sydney on March 20.

Justin Bieber Retakes No. 1 Spot From Zayn Malik in the Hot 100

Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself" returns to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, knocking Zayn Malik's "Pillowtalk" off Number 1.

"Love Yourself" racked up 100-thousand downloads and 17 million streams to claim a second week on top.

It also takes over at No. 1 on the Radio Songs chart.

"Pillowtalk" slips to Number 7 after one week at the top.

Meanwhile, Twenty One Pilots nabbed Number 2 with "Stressed Out" and Bieber's "Sorry" is at 3.

Rihanna's "Work" leaps from 7 to 4 this week, marking the star's 20th Top 5 hit in America.

"Guardians of the Galaxy 2" releases casting news

Marvel Studios has announced that a sequel to the 2014 blockbuster "Guardians of the Galaxy" is now in production.

James Gunn returns as writer and director, along with stars Chris Prat, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, with Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, and Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket.

Meanwhile, it's been announced that Kurt Russell is joining the Marvel movie.

There's no word on who Russell will play, although it's been rumored that the "Hateful Eight" star will play Pratt's Star-Lord father, who was mentioned in the first film and is supposedly of alien origin.

The sequel "continues the team's adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill's true parentage."

The movie is scheduled for release next May.

Casey Affleck and Aaron Paul premiere cop thriller -"Triple 9"

Action thriller "Triple 9" has premiered in Los Angeles.

Cast members Casey Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul and Norman Reedus hit the red carpet for the event.

Casey Affleck, younger brother of Oscar winner Ben Affleck, says "Triple 9" is a new spin on a classic format:

"You know, I think it's one of those movies like those that have a long tradition in Hollywood, like 'French Connection', or a thriller, a good old-fashioned thriller kind of cops-and-robbers movie. And if it's done well, it's always a good ride. The story keeps you guessing and you get good performances-- myself notwithstanding, other people. And, you know, it's sort of what makes going to the movies fun."

"Triple 9" is the story of how a group of corrupt police officers are blackmailed by gangsters to perform an almost impossible robbery.

Kate Winslet also stars in the film, which is due to hit theatres in the US on Friday.

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

Recapping our top stories ...

28 dead and 61 injured after a car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Against a backdrop of media hype, China's interests in the South China Seas dominate talks between Australia and China in Beijing.

China calls on any United States' relationship with ASEAN nations to be conducive to regional stability and development.

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.