新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2016/02/20（在线收听）

The Beijing Hour

Morning Edition

Spencer Musick with you on this Saturday February 20th 2016.

Welcome the Beijing Hour, live from the Chinese capital.

Coming up on the program this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting the country's three leading media providers...

China has urged all parties involved in the Korean nuclear issue to act prudently and avoid aggravating the situation...

And the European Council has unanimously accepted revised terms for UK membership in the bloc...

In the 2nd half of the hour- its the latest edition of our weekly buisness review...

In sports.... an update on the latest action in the CBA playoffs....

In entertainment... To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee has died at the age of 89...

Top News

President Xi Visits China's National News Outlets

Anchor

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday visited the country's three leading media providers and used the opportunity to give words of advice and encouragement to China's journalists.

CRI's Qian Shanming has more.

Reporter

While visiting the headquarters of the People's Daily, Xi used the paper's new media broadcasting system to extend Lantern Festival greetings to the public.

"Hello everyone, Chinese people's traditional festival, the Lantern Festival, is around the corner. I send my festival greetings to all of you. I hope you all can enjoy good health and that everything goes well with your work. I hope your families will enjoy happiness."

During his inspection of the general newsroom, President Xi, who is also the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, encouraged the staff to continue to improve the quality of the Party's flagship newspaper.

At Xinhua News Agency, China's state news agency, President Xi used Xinhua's remote news reporting command system to talk with an agency correspondent currently reporting from a village in Lankao County, Henan Province.

During the conversation, he said that the workstyle of grassroots cadres is integral to the Party's rule and is directly linked to the people's interests. He noted that journalists should undertake more in-depth investigative reporting on this workstyle.

"Grassroots cadres should be close to the people. Your research should also be done close to the people. I hope you can continue to deepen your research and to tell us real, comprehensive, and objective conditions over there, in order to help decide things in various regions."

While at Xinhua, President Xi was also briefed on the news agency's coverage procedures. He encouraged journalists to be more down to earth in their approach and to report on topics that interest the public.

The final stop on his media tour took Xi Jinping to the headquarters of China Central Televison, the state broadcaster. He visited the control room and made a video call to CCTV's Washington-based North America branch, which opened more than four years ago.

Xi praised the branch for its work and sent his greetings to the staff, 90 percent of whom are Americans.

"I see that your team is an international team. I hope you can report developments on the Chinese economy and society objectively and comprehensively, tell true stories of China, publicize Chinese culture, and build a friendly bridge with locals. I believe your work will be better and better."

Following the media tour, President Xi has presided over a symposium on the Party's media work.

He says the fundamental aim of the Party's media work is to strictly adhere to the Party's leadership.

He says that among the missions for news media run by the Party, it should serve the country's overall interests and work to connect China to the world.

The president noted that public supervision and positive publicity are two compatible functions of media. To do so, he urged media outlets to practice critical journalism based on accurate facts and objective analysis.

Calling for innovative concepts, content and methods, President Xi told media groups to make use of new media's edge in publicity work.

He also urged media groups to amplify their voices on the international stage, tell stories about China well and build flagship media groups with strong global influence.

Among the attendees of the symposium are the heads of the three media outlets, and about 180 media officials, as well as representatives of groups of journalists, editors and TV anchors.

For CRI, I'm Qian Shanming

China Urges Prudence of All Parties over Korean Nuclear Issue

China has urged all parties involved in the Korean nuclear issue to act prudently and not to aggravate the situation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei says tougher sanctions and pressure may worsen the situation.

"Under the current sensitive situation of the Korean Peninsula, all parties should stay calm, exercise restraint and should not do things that may escalate the situation. China believes that no hot issues can be resolved through simple means of sanctions and pressure. Nor will any action that hurt the interests of third-parties can solve the problem, and they will only complicate the situation. We hope all parties involved can act prudently and not to cause troubles."

The comment comes after U.S. President Barack Obama signed-off on new sanctions on North Korea.

The new law requires the US government to sanction anyone involved with North Korea's nuclear program.

It also targets anyone who sells luxury goods, launders money or supports human rights abuses in North Korea.

The new US law also authorizes 10-million US dollars a year for the next 5-years to fund non-sanctioned broadcasts into North Korea, as well as to assist anyone who leaves North Korea.

North Korea launched an Earth observation satellite into orbit earlier this month and tested what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb last month.

China Accuses U.S. of Militarizing South China Sea

China's foreign ministry said on Friday that the country does not intend to pursue militarization of the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.

It also criticized U.S. air and naval patrols in the region.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei made the remarks in response to the US accusation that China raised tensions in the region by deploying surface-to-air missiles on Yongxing island.

"The current situation is that, the United States constantly increases its military force in South China Sea, frequently sends out military vessels or planes to the South China Sea to carry out high-frequency close-up military reconnaissance, and sends out guided missile destroyers and strategic bombers to the Nansha Islands and its nearby sea and air space. It also allures and presses its allies and partners to carry out joint military drills in the South China Sea."

U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby has said that commercial satellite imagery suggested "very recent" placement of missiles on Yongxing Island that goes against China's pledge not to militarize the South China Sea.

Hong Lei reiterated that China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters, and that China is serious about its commitment not to pursue militarization of the region.

Hong said that demilitarization requires countries concerned about the future of the region to work together.

He added that Yongxing Island, the largest island in the Xisha Islands group in the South China Sea, is an inherent part of China's territory.

In 1959, the Chinese government set up an administrative office and government facilities on Yongxing Island.

He urged the U.S. side to learn the basic facts about the South China Sea before commenting on the issue.

Central Bank Denied Rumors on Lifting RRR for Banks

Chinese central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan denied rumors the Central Bank will increase the reserve-requirement ratios for some commercial banks because they issued new loans too fast.

He made the remark while attending the annual Chinese Economists 50 Forum in Beijing yesterday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the central bank issued a statement on its website saying that it will abolish preferential reserve requirement ratios for some banks after they failed to meet official requirements.

The central bank has examined banks' implementations of targeted RRR cuts announced last year and found a small number of lenders had failed to meet the standards attached to such cuts.

The standards were related to the banks' support for the farm sector.

The latest changes to the RRR will take effect next Thursday.

US Business Confident of China's Economic Growth

Anchor

Recent statistics show that China surpassed Canada as the largest U.S. trade partner in goods for the first time in 2015.

Business insiders are optimistic about China's economic growth and believe there is huge potential for the trading partnership between Beijing and Washington.

CRI's Guo Yan reports.

Reporter

Statistics show that the annual trade of goods between the U.S. and China exceeded 590 billion US dollars last year.

Many business insiders see new growth opportunities in the enhanced China-US economic relationship.

David Goldin, founder and CEO of Capify, a small-business lender in the United States, says economic growth in China remains relatively strong compared to most other countries.

"The challenge is people were accustomed to China growing at double digit rates, and especially the majority of the S&P companies in the U.S. There's a lot of buyers in China that some of the S&P companies are selling to, and I think there is macro-economic concerns that even the U.S. companies are going to see slowdown based on less Chinese spending and less China growth."

The comment came after US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said that China's unclear policy over its currency was stoking turbulence in global markets and exacerbating global economic growth concerns.

Goldin says people shouldn't be surprised by what's happening with the Chinese economy, calling it a soft landing as officials in the country shift the economy from one that is export-driven to one that is consuming-driven.

"People don't want to face reality sometimes, and I think that people don't want to give up a good thing, especially the last seven plus years with the U.S. economy right after we had the global crisis. So I think the combination of the Fed raising rates, even though we knew it was coming for a long time, and the reaction that the markets had is really the first wake-up call now that economists and both consumers, businesses, and market traders now realizing wait a second, this really is happening."

The trade volume and the stock of two-way investment between China and the US have both increased rapidly.

Official figure shows that the two major economies have made huge contributions to global economic growth of 27.8 percent and 15 percent respectively.

Figures show that China will become the biggest importer in the world by 2022 and that US exports to China will exceed 530 billion US dollars, generating more than 3 million jobs.

It's expected that China-US economic ties will be further enhanced in the coming years.

For CRI, this is Guo Yan.

Chinese Firms to Shine in MWC 2016

Anchor

China's interest in the mobile market is growing with a raft of flagship smartphones ready to take on giants such as Samsung and LG at this year's Mobile World Congress.

CRI's Fei Fei with more.

Reporter

Apart from Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5, analysts are expecting new emerging Chinese players like Xiaomi and Huawei to pop out in this year's MWC in Barcelona, Spain.

Editor at Mobilegeeks Sascha Pallenberg says he is looking forward to Xiaomi's new flagship Mi5.

"Well, it is going to be the show of the flagships. So Samsung is launching its latest Galaxy S7, and the Galaxy S7 Edge. And we will see also the LG G5. Plus for the very first time, and I'm really excited about this, we will see a launch of the new Xiaomi, on the Wednesday of Mobile World Congress. This amazing, incredible, Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi is going to launch the Xiaomi Mi5."

A latest survey shows that Xiaomi's global market share grew to some 6 percent last year.

Its Chinese peer Huawei has also climbed to the third biggest worldwide exporter of smartphones, after Samsung and Apple.

At the same time, Samsung's global market share has decreased to 21 percent from a previous mark of 32 percent.

The South Korean firm has also been elbowed out of the top three vendors in the Chinese market by competitors like Xiaomi and Huawei.

Pallenberg thinks that low prices are the reason for the emergence of Chinese firms.

"The real competition is happening in the market below 200 (US) dollars. And actually the real innovation, in my opinion, is happening there. Because right now, you can buy a Chinese phone at the price point of 200 dollars that delivers flagship device specs of devices that costs like seven, eight hundred dollars about two years ago. So, this is where the real disruption, where the real competition is happening."

Faced with cheap Chinese smartphones, companies like Samsung and LG are trying to stay competitive by introudcing new features, faster processors, and better cameras.

Amir Tamannai, editor at Giga Android, thinks they will also have to boast lower prices.

"For us as a customer it is a good thing, because the Chinese phones, as I said, they are good phones. So you can buy cheap phones which are just coming from China. And, if Samsung and other players react that would mean that devices of traditional manufacturers would go down in pricing too, which would be a good thing for the customer."

The Mobile World Congress runs from Monday to Thursday of next week.

More than 95 thousand attendees and 2 thousand exhibitors are expected to attend.

For CRI, this is Fei Fei.

Researchers Look for Effective Ways to Cure Tuberculosis

Anchor

Researchers worldwide have been taking great efforts to develop more effective ways to diagnose and treat tuberculosis, a global disease which kills over a million people each year.

CRI's Xie Cheng reports.

Reporter

Tuberculosis has taken its toll on not only poor countries, but also poverty-stricken communities in densely populated cities across the world.

Though there are several ways to diagnose the infectious disease, most of them are time consuming or expensive.

One of the disease's biggest setbacks in the past decade has been its growing resistance to antibiotics.

Some patients even have multi-drug resistance, and it sometimes takes 2 years to clear them of the disease.

Doctor Mahdad Noursadeghi, an honorary consultant at University College London Hospital, believes that blood tests are a simpler way to test for the disease.

"The current laboratory diagnosis of TB depends on finding the bacteria in clinical samples from the site of disease and this has the advantage that we can test for antibiotic resistance in the bacteria and tailor the treatment appropriately, but the major problem of that approach is that obtaining samples from the site of disease is really difficult and even when we do get them, finding the bacteria can be very time consuming so there's been a lot of interest in trying to develop a blood test for TB because blood samples are easy to obtain."

Researchers at Stanford University have developed a blood test using a trial of 2000 patients.

However, the test relies on identifying the particular behavior of certain genes, which Norsadeghi believes may not be specific enough, as far as accuracy is concerned.

"I think that it's likely this test will be very sensitive, it will be able to detect an abnormality if it's there, but it may not be very specific, which means that other diseases, or other conditions might give a positive result as well and so, if you like, its negative predictive value is likely to be quite good, but its positive predictive value may not be very good."

Doctors from a mobile TB diagnosis unit in London say there are about 3500 new cases of the disease in the city annually.

The importance of finding a simple, quick and inexpensive diagnosis for TB is as important in Europe as it is in Africa or Asia.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

NY Toy Fair Attracts Thousands Toy Makers

Anchor

Toy makers from over 100 countries have descended on New York to show off their latest products.

Sales of toys in the United States soared last year and the toy fair is seen as a major opportunity for new manufacturers and established brands to build on that momentum.

CRI's William Denselow reports from New York.

Reporter

Thousands of toys but not a child in sight as industry experts get a first look at this year's newest toys.

New York's annual Toy Fair is held in the 422,000 square foot Javits Center on the west side of Manhattan where you can find everything from drones to stuffed animals.

sales in the United States rose nearly 7% last year and toy trend specialist at the Toy Industry Association Isabel Carrion-Lopez says it's advances in technology that continue to move this industry forward.

Isabel Carrion-Lopez, Toy Trend Specialist, Toy Industry Association

"It's a matter of not just having tech toys but having tech enhance the play experience with both traditional and more tech based toys."

And this year a key emphasis has been placed on educational electronic toys.

Learning Resources has launched a robot mouse to get kids familiar with coding. You just enter directions on a keypad built into the mouse's back - and away she goes.

And While tech is a key focus at the this year's fair- some old favorites are also turning heads.

LEGO sales were up 11% in the US last year. And with the Star Wars product line expanding they hope to be a force to be reckoned with in 2016 too.

LEGO's brand relations manager Amanda Santoro says they're also putting emphasis on real-life heroes as part of the LEGO city line. This comes as the toy industry has been under pressure to better reflect real life.

Amanda Santoro, Brand Relations Manager, LEGO Systems

"Our designers are really trying to ensure they're being more inclusive and having that representation of what kids are seeing in the world today. That includes everything from children, people playing soccer and we do have a lego wheelchair in mini figure form for the first time."

Barbie too is making changes. It's product line now includes a curvy, petite and tall version of the classic doll.

It's a move that pleases Julie Kerwin, creator of I Am Elemental action figures. She's been at New York's toy fair for two years and through her all-female collection- hopes to change how female superheroes are depicted.

Julie Kerwin, Creator, I Am Elemental

We're embedding a message in our toys. Part of that message is about body image and part of that message is about what's inside and so we are trying to tie them both together and I think they're equally important."

This year over 1000 exhibitors are showcasing their latest toys. Many won't be on general sale until later in the year but when they are- these manufacturers hope they'll start flying off the shelves.

For CRI, I'm William Denselow in New York

David Cameron Strikes Deal in Brussels to Pave Way for UK in/out Referendum

EU leaders have agreed a deal in Brussels which will pave the way for an in/out referendum in the UK before the summer.

The development came late on the second day of gruelling talks in Brussels between leaders of the 28 member-states, which saw the Prime Minister face opposition to proposals to restrict migrant benefits and provide new protections for countries outside the single currency.

Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite broke the news in a tweet from the round-table discussions.

The breakthrough was then officially confirmed by European Council president Donald Tusk, who said: "Deal. Unanimous support for new settlement for UK in EU."

The agreement clears the way for David Cameron to return immediately to London and call a special Cabinet meeting on Saturday to endorse the deal and set a date for the long-awaited referendum - widely expected to come on June 23.

Humanitarian Aid Access in Yemen Remains Limited: UN

As the conflict in Yemen reaches its one-year mark, the UN says access to humanitarian aid in the country remains very limited.

The UN's humanitarian coordinator for Yemen Jamie Goldrick says many parts of the country are still unreachable.

"The ongoing conflict is still as intense as it was, there hasn't been any shift in terms of the intensity. The same number of places where we are finding it difficult to access remain, there's been no increase in the opportunity to go to many of these places. Ground fighting, shelling and air strikes are a common feature of many parts of Yemen and as a result of that, the populations there are in a difficult situation."

The UN has set up three humanitarian hubs in Yemen. 21 million people in the country, or 80% of its population, require some form of humanitarian assistance.

Conflicts in Yemen began last March, as a Saudi-led coalition campaigned against Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The UN special envoy for Yemen said last week he was unable to call another round of peace talks, due to deep divisions among the warring parties.

580,000 Children "Deeply Affected" by Conflict in Ukraine: UNICEF

The United Nations Children's Fund warns that the conflict in Ukraine has "deeply affected" the lives of 580-thousand children living in non-government controlled areas and close to the front line in eastern Ukraine.

The organization said more than 200-thousand children are internally displaced from the conflict-affected areas. At least one out of every five schools has been damaged or destroyed.

Last year, more than 20 children were killed and over 40 injured. A polio outbreak was also confirmed in Ukraine 19 years after the country was declared polio free.

The UN agency has been working to provide children with basic services, including providing psychosocial support and training teachers and psychologists to identify signs of distress among children.

Earlier this year, UNICEF called for an additional round of some 54 million U.S. dollars to address the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable children in conflict-affected areas.

US Conducts Air Strikes on IS Targets in Libya

US forces on Friday carried out air strikes against militants connected to the Islamic State in western Libya.

The Pentagon's Press Secretary Peter Cook made the announcement in Washington.

"Overnight we conducted an airstrike in Libya targeting an ISIL training camp near Sabratha and Noureddine Chouchane aka Sabir, a Tunisian national who was an ISIL senior facilitator in Libya and associated with that training camp. We took this action against Sabir and the training camp after determining that both he and the ISIL fighters at these facilities were planning external attacks on US and other Western interests in the region. "

Cook adds that Sabir was named a suspect in the deadly attack on the Bardo Museum in Tunis last March. It was not immediately clear whether Sabir was killed in the operation.

A Libyan official said the strike killed 41 people, wounding 6 others. The figures have not been confirmed by other sources.

Austria Introduces Quota for Asylum Seekers

Austria has announced a quota system for migrants and refugees entering the country.

Austrian police spokesman Fritz Grundnig said on Friday the new system will affect migrant flows in and out of Austria.

"As our Interior Minister has announced, starting today the quota system goes into effect. That means a maximum of 80 asylum seekers per day here at the border in Spielfeld. Once we reach the number 80, the border will be closed. Likewise we have introduced a limit for the number of transients. At 3,200 transit requests, we will close the border."

Austria's unilateral move comes as the EU aims to end uncoordinated efforts by member states to address the migrant issue.

Following Austria's announcement, the EU said the country has a legal obligation to accept all asylum requests made on its territory.

More than 1 million migrants entered the EU in 2015, while some 84-thousand have entered so far this year.

Headline News

President Xi Visits China's National News Outlets

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday visited the country's three leading media providers at their headquarters in Beijing and used the opportunity to give words of advice and encouragement to China's journalists.

Following the media tour, President Xi has presided over a symposium on the Party's media work.

He says the fundamental aim of the Party's media work is to strictly adhere to the Party's leadership.

He says that among the missions for news media run by the Party, it should serve the country's overall interests and work to connect China to the world.

The president noted that public supervision and positive publicity are two compatible functions of media. To do so, he urged media outlets to practice critical journalism based on accurate facts and objective analysis.

New Fund Established for Beijing's Second Administrative Center

A fund with an initial pool of 30 billion yuan has been set up to help Beijing build a second administrative center in suburban Tongzhou.

20 percent of the investment is set to be provided by the Beijing municipal government and the remaining 80 percent will come from from Agricultural Bank of China.

The investments will be mainly used in infrastructure, public services and the district's industrial transformation and upgrading.

Officials and experts from financial and audit fields will evaluate projects to ensure the money is used properly.

Beijing is building a subsidiary administrative center in Tongzhou in a bid to cure "urban ills," including overpopulation, traffic congestion and smog.

It is expected to relocate about 400,000 residents from the city center to the suburban district.

China Issues Regulations for Duty-free Shops at Ports of Entry

Chinese authorities are allowing Chinese nationals to buy more tax-free products at duty free shops at ports of entry.

They have also decided to set up more duty free shops in ports across the country.

A maximum of 8 thousand yuan or some 1,230 U.S. dollars worth of tax-free products can be purchased both abroad and at duty free shops for each Chinese citizen returing to China via the ports.

The upper limit for tax-free products bought overseas remains unchanged at 5 thousand yuan per person.

The regulation came into force on Friday.

Weekly Biz Roundup

Biz Weekly Review

Anchor

Time now to take a look at the major stories which have been making business headlines in China in our Weekly Business Review.

This week, we will have a look at Apple Pay's entry into the Chinese market.

This week has also seen figures released on Chinese Spring Festival holiday retail sales and tourism.

Here is CRI's Wenjie.

Reporter

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.

Chinese authorities have decided to lower taxes on home purchases in most cities to help end the property glut.

The finance ministry announced on Friday that houses above 90 square meters will be levied a deed tax at 1.5 percent of the home's value, down from the current 2 percent, for first time buyers in all Chinese cities.

In terms of a second home purchase, tax rates will be cut to 1 or 2 percent depending on the size of the home, but the change excludes first-tier cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Previously the rate was 3 percent, regardless of floor space.

The new policy will take effect on Monday.

China's Commerce Ministry has denied speculation that rising imports from Hong Kong in January means a massive capital out flow 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 are fresh evidence of a hidden money exit through trade channels as the yuan weakens.

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

Despite the economic slowdown China currently faces, the majority of foreign companies still remains confident in the Chinese market and has shown growing interest in investing in the country.

The American Chamber of Commerce in China has suggested in a recent survey that the business environment in China is getting tougher due to rising labor costs and regulatory challenges such as online controls and monopoly probes.

However, the report also shows China remains a top-three investment priority for 60 percent of the respondents, and close to 70 percent of member firms remain positive about China's economic outlook in the next two years.

General Director of Japan's External Trade Organization's Beijing Office, Yoshihisa Tabata says Japanese investment to China is rising.

"China's economy is slowing down. But few Japanese firms feel that the fact has a negative effect on the Chinese market. They believe that an economic slowdown is normal under China's "New Normal". Many Japanese companies think that they should expand their businesses in China in the current economic climate."

Data released by China's Ministry of Commerce shows the amount of foreign capital investment reached over 126 billion U.S. dollars last year, up 6.4 percent year-on-year.

China's consumer prices rose for a third consecutive month in January, signaling easing deflationary pressure.

The CPI, a main gauge of inflation, grew 1.8 percent year on year in January, up from a rise of 1.6 percent in December.

The rise is mainly thanks to rising food prices, which account for one-third of the CPI calculation, edging up 4.1 percent year on year.

Meanwhile, China's producer prices continued to drop in January but the contraction eased notably, also signaling less deflationary pressure.

The PPI, which measures wholesale inflation, dropped 5.3 percent year on year in January, marked the 47th straight month of decline.

China's retail sales during the week-long Spring Festival holiday have grown over 11 percent from the same period last year.

Stats from the Ministry of Commerce show that retail sales and restaurant receipts totaled about 750 billion yuan or some 120 billion U.S. dollars.

At the same time, tourism revenue was also up 16 percent year on year, to nearly 370 billion yuan.

Official data shows that overseas travel became more popular with the number of outbound group tours hitting 8.6 million, up 3 percent.

Chinese outbound tourism to South Korea has gone up 18 percent and reached some 160 thousand trips during this Spring Festival period.

Most of these tourists say they traveled for shopping.

(Soundbites/0216 vox, female, in Mandarin)

"I give it a 9 in terms of shopping. As to travelling experience, South Korea lags behind China a bit."

Major duty free shops saw a 10 percent increase on sales during this period, while sales in Seoul's shopping malls and supermarkets jumped some 70 percent.

Other popular destinations during this spring festival holiday include Japan, Thailand, China's Taiwan, and Australia.

China's production of new energy vehicles has surged by over 140 percent year on year last month, to 16 thousand units.

Xin Guobin, a vice minister at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, says the new energy vehicle industry has benefited from government support.

"At first, we just subsidized each vehicle. Then we gradually rolled out policies that cover research and design, tax reduction, market access and infrastructure. They have basically become a complete system to support the industry."

China is the world's largest market for new energy vehicles.

Leading automakers are now seeking to get bigger shares in the market, such as Volkswagen, who is looking to launch 15 new energy models in the next 5 years in China.

China's Okay Airways signed a commitment for 12 Boeing 737 jets on the Singapore Airshow on Wednesday.

The total deal is valued at 1.3 billion U.S. dollars at list prices.

The agreement is subject to the approval of the Chinese government and will be posted to Boeing's Orders & Deliveries website once all contingencies are cleared.

Okay Airways, the first privately owned airline in China, is headquartered in Beijing with its main hub in Tianjin.

The airline serves more than 100 domestic and international routes.

And that wraps up this edition of the weekly business review. Thank you for listening. I'm Wenjie. See you next week.

Sports

Beijing Hand Xinjiang First Home Defeat to Go 2-1 in Play-off Series

Beginning with CBA action from last night.

Stephon Marbury went rampant and notched his personal season-high 37 points to help the Beijing Ducks to a 117-99 win over Xinjiang on the eve of his 39th birthday.

It was a game the defending champions couldn't afford to lose as they were pushed to the brink of exit at 2-0 down in the best-of-five series.

Marbury's dig handed Xinjiang their first home defeat of the season and earned the Ducks at least one more chance to play at home.

Marbury now has a good reason to celebrate his birthday.

All three other series-leading teams have made into the last four on a 3-0 scoreline.

Liaoning rolled over Zhejiang 127-111.

They will face the winners of the Beijing-Xinjiang series.

Guangdong hammered Shandong 125-105 to set up a clash with Sichuan who sent off the Zhejiang Lions.

Ding Tumbles out of Welsh Open after Maximum Break

In snooker,

Ding Junhui completed a maximum 1-4-7 break in the quarter-finals but is still out of the Welsh Open.

Ding held his nerves to complete the maximum break and save the match point in the sixth frame to come to 4-2 down on Neil Robertson.

He eventually lost to Robertson 5-2.

It was the sixth 1-4-7 of Ding's career.

Ding walked away with the 10-thousand pound prize money that Ronnie O'Sullivan turned down.

O'Sullivan won four frames in under an hour to oust world number one Mark Selby 5-1.

Joe Perry, Ben Woollaston, Michael White and Mark Allen are battling it out in the other session of the quarter-finals at the moment.

Jin Boyang Top Short Program at Figure Skating Championships

In winter sports,

Chinese tennager Jin Boyang is on top of the men's individual short program at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Taipei.

Jin's 98.45 points was his personal best so far in his career.

Yan Han is third.

Japan's Shoma Uno is sandwiched between the Chinese skaters.

In free ice dance,

Japanese-American siblings Alex and Maia Shibutani danced to Coldplay's Fix You and won their first top level gold medals.

The best Chinese pair Wang Shiyue/Liu Xinyu are ninth with music from the "Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon."

Chelsea, City to Play in FA Cup 5th Round in between Champions League Ties

In football,

Chelsea are back home for their FA Cup fifth round tie against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge, just two days after their 2-1 defeat at the hands of Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League.

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink says he places both tournaments at the same level of importance and is not making big changes to the squad for the FA Cup.

"Not many or hardly any (changes) because we take this cup very seriously. We have a serious approach to the FA Cup and what my well respected colleague (Manuel Pellegrini) says, he might also have a lot of interest in the FA Cup. Let's see what happens on Sunday, we'll take ourselves and them very seriously."

It is also a packed schedule for City who have an upcoming Champions League game to play in Kiev mid week.

Several games are scheduled before Chelsea and City are to hit the pitch at midnight.

Arsenal are against second-tier leaders Hull City.

West Brom are in Reading.

And Watford are hosting Leeds United.

Ferrari Launch New Car to Challenge Mercedes in 2016

In formula one,

Ferrari have unveiled their new car for this season as they look to put more pressure on Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton.

The Scuderia launched the SF16-H in an online presentation.

The traditionally red car has part of it painted in white and incorporates a push-rod suspension.

The nose has been redesigned to become shorter and higher for better air dynamics.

Ferrari's double world champion line-up in Sebastien Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen are expected to be the strongest challengers to Mercedes once more.

Four-time world champion Vettel who joined Ferrari last year hopes they can step it up with the new car.

"Naturally our goals are growing. I think we have a fantastic year last year, obviously my first season with the team. Naturally we all want more: last year we finished second overall in the constructors (championship) so there is only one more step, which is a difficult one to take, but hopefully this car hopes us achieve it."

Vettel was the driver that came closest to Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg last season.

He won three grands prix on his way to a third place finish in the driver's championship.

The SF16-H will make its circuit debut at the first pre-season test in Barcelona on Monday.

The new formula one season begins in Melbourne next month.

Spieth Signs Worst 1st Round in California; Holman in 2-shot Lead in Malaysia

In golf,

The world's top two players are both in the Northern Trust Open but are on opposite ends of the table.

Jordan Spieth had two birdies, eight bogeys and a double bogey to card the worst opening round of his career at 8-over 79.

It places him at third to last in the 144-strong field.

Camilo Villegas is the sole leader by three shots at 8-under.

He hit four straight birdies before his only bogey at the ninth.

Bubba Watson is tied for second place.

World number two Rory McIlroy shares fifth place with a round of four-under 67.

Some players are yet to finish the first round due to darkness.

Elsewhere,

Nathan Holman has taken a two-shot lead after the second round of the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur.

Holman followed up his opening round of 64 with a 65 that included seven birdies.

China's Wu Ashun finished the day at 1-under. He is six down on Holman at joint 48th place with Chinese amateur Jin Cheng.

Tennis, Cycling Results

Some quick tennis updates,

Sara Errarni defeated Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-4 to reach the final at the WTA Dubai event.

She goes on to face Barbora Strycova for a second attempt at the title later today.

Some heavy clashes are coming up at the ATP Rio de Janeiro,

Winner in Argentina last week Dominic Thiem are playing second seed David Ferrer.

And top seed Rafael Nadal are against Alexander Dolgopolov.

In cycling,

Winner of all three grand tours Vincenzo Nibali has won stage four of the Tour of Oman and snatched the overall lead from Edvald Boasson Hagen.

It is Nibali's first win of the season.

He is in the red jersey by 15 seconds ahead of Romain Bardet with two more stages to go.

Entertainment

"To Kill a Mockingbird" Author Harper Lee Dies at 89

Harper Lee, who wrote one of America's most enduring literary classics, "To Kill a Mockingbird," has died at the age of 89.

Her death was confirmed by the City Hall in Monroeville, Alabama, where she lived.

Lee's family said in a statement that the beloved author passed away peacefully and a private funeral will be held in the upcoming days.

Her most renowned novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," published in 1960, tells the story of a girl nicknamed Scout growing up in a Depression-era Southern town where her resolute lawyer father Atticus Finch defends a black man who has been wrongly accused of raping a white woman despite threats and the scorn of many.

The book quickly became a best-seller, won the Pulitzer Prize and was made into a memorable movie in 1962, with Oscar winner Gregory Peck stars for Atticus.

By 2015, the total sales of the book were reported to be more than 40 million worldwide, making it one of the most widely read American novels of the 20th century.

Zhang Yimou's Film "The Great Wall" Pushed to 2017

Universal has decided to move back the U.S. release date of movie "The Great Wall" three months to 2017.

Directed by Zhang Yimou, the action-adventure movie which was originally slated to hit theaters on the pre-Thanksgiving slot of Nov. 23, will now rollout on Feb. 17 next year.

Universal did not disclose the reason for the date switch, but it may be a wise move to avoid the full movie slots scheduled during the Thanksgiving holiday period.

Warner Bros.' "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" is set for Nov. 18, while the Nov. 23 slot is occupied by Disney's animated "Moana," and Broad Green's "Bad Santa 2."

Produced by Legendary Entertainment, the movie stars Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal and Willem Dafoe, along with Chinese stars including Andy Lau, Zhang Hanyu and Lu Han.

Shakespeare's "King and Country" Trilogy Makes Debut in China

The Royal Shakespeare Company will bring William Shakespeare's historic dramas, the "King and Country" trilogy to the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing for the first time.

The three plays, which include "Henry IV" part 1 and part 2, along with "Henry V", will offer the Chinese audiences quite a theatre experience for some 10 hours.

Directed by Gregory Doran, the trilogy is produced to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the great writer's death.

During the China tour, director Doran will also appear in an educational event on Saturday, as well as a workshop and theater forum next Monday to introduce the company's unique approach to Shakespeare's works and the project of translating Shakespeare's scripts.

The plays starring Oliver Award winner Antony Sher as Sir John Falstaff in Henry IV, and rising star Alex Hassell as Prince Hal and Henry V, will run from Feb. 18-21.

Ronan Keating Up For Boyzone-Westlife Supergroup

Lead singer for UK boyband BOYZONE Ronan Keating has dropped yet another hint about the rumoured Boyzone and Westlife supergroup, saying he is "open to it".

This is not the first time that the singer has hinted on the two groups' possible collaboration.

Previously, Ronan Keating has revealed that he would "never say never" to Boyzone teaming up with Westlife to create the ultimate Irish boyband, but it won't be happening anytime soon.

Next year marks Boyzone's 25th anniversary.

Keating and his Boyzone bandmates will open to present with fans a "Boyzone extravaganza."

Currently, Keating says he is focused on his solo album "Time of My Life".

Liu Shishi and Huo Jianhua Reunite for TV Drama "The Imperial Doctress"

Fans can finally watch the Chinese TV drama "The Imperial Doctress" on TV after nearly two years' waiting.

Starring Liu Shishi and Huo Jianhua, the drama is now airing on Dragon TV and Jiangsu TV, along with many online video platforms.

That’s it for this weekend edition of the Beijing Hour. Our main headlines before we go.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting the country's three leading media providers...

China has urged all parties involved in the Korean nuclear issue to act prudently and avoid aggravating the situation...

And the European Council has unanimously accepted revised terms for UK membership in the bloc...

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, I'm Spencer Musick. Join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour, to open a window to the world together.