新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2016/02/23（在线收听）

The Beijing Hour

Evening Edition

Spencer Musick with you on this Tuesday February 23rd 2016.

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

Coming up on the program this evening...

China's top court responding to public concerns over the country's urban development plan...

Beijing Municipal authorities detailing yet more measures to strengthen air pollution control efforts in the capital...

And Syria saying it consents to a cessation of hostilities as agreed upon by the U.S. and Russia...

In business..Consumption in China forecast to grow at a quick pace this year...

In sports...Chinese clubs have got their AFC Champions League campaign underway...

In entertainment...The cast of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny" make their US debut...

Top News

China's Top Court Addresses Public Concern Over Urban Development

China's top court on Tuesday addressed public concerns brought in the course of recently released national urban planning guidelines.

China's central authorities on Sunday released new guidelines on urban development, which said the country would no longer build enclosed residential communities in cities.

The document also indicated that existing residential areas would be gradually opened for public access.

The announcement has caused concerns that the planned measures would infringe on the legal rights of existing property owners.

Cheng Xin-wen is a presiding judge at China's Supreme People's Court. He explained on Tuesday that under China's property laws, residents of enclosed communities collectively own private roads and spaces within the communities.

But Cheng urged lawmakers to properly address the private to public transition within the legal framework, and to facilitate China's long-term urban planning goals.

Fu Zhong-wen is a senior partner at China's Long An law firm. He explains further.

"Residents and developers paid for the land when the construction began, therefore they legally own the private spaces in their communities. However, according to China's property and urban land management laws, the government could expropriate the land if public interest is involved. And residents must be properly compensated for the public use of the land."

China began building enclosed residential communities in the 1950's. However, as the pace of urbanization quickens, city planners say these structures have hampered proper urban development.

Beijing to Take Several Measures to Control Air Pollution

Beijing Municipal authorities have pledged to strengthen air pollution control efforts in the capital.

Measures include setting up more air quality monitoring stations, as well as building a web of ventilation corridors to expel smog and pollutants.

Chen Jining, Minister of Environmental Protection, said there are a variety of issues to be resolved.

"First of all, we should solve the coal burning issue in Beijing. By the end of this year, coal in 400 villages in the capital will be replaced by clean energy sources, and all the power plants burning coal will be shut down. Secondly, controls on automobiles burning diesel oil will be strengthened, and the restriction measures on such vehicles during periods of heavy pollution will be intensified."

The issues also include pollution brought by some industrial plants in the capital, as well as strengthening the emergency response during heavy pollution days.

Beijing will also cooperate with neighboring Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province on the issue.

The area will start using uniform criteria while issuing pollution alerts by the end of March.

Yu Jianhua, chief engineer of Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, said these efforts can maximize regional environmental benefits.

"The coordinated regional development could pave way for the 3 sides to help supply each other's needs and work collaboratively. For example, Beijing could make good use of its advantage on funds so as to enlarge the environmental benefits in Hebei through our assistance."

The uniform alert system will first apply to Beijing, Tianjin and 4 other cities in Hebei Province.

Chinese Smartphone Makers in the Spotlight at Mobile World Congress

Anchor

Chinese smartphone makers have been continually gaining ground in the global market as of late.

CRI's Victor Ning reports that this trend is on full display at the ongoing Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Reporter

Huawei, TCL Alcatel, Xiaomi and Lenovo are among the Chinese smartphone brands exhibiting this week at the Mobile World Congress.

Making their global ambitions known, these companies are vying to steal the spotlight at the show with new product launches.

Mid-range specifications and lower prices seem to be the main strategies that these Chinese firms are employing.

Shenzhen-based ZTE came with the ZTE Blade V7. The smartphone has a 5.2-inch, full HD screen with 2GB of RAM. It also has a 13 megapixel back camera and a 5 megapixel front camera.

It is expected to go on sale for about 275 US dollars in markets like Spain, South Africa, Ethiopia and Mexico by this summer.

ZTE's CEO Adam Zeng says the company has global ambitions.

"In the future, our strategy is to leverage our success in China and the US, and the European markets, to expand into additional strategic countries around the globe. We hope that in the next three to five years, ZTE can be a top third smartphone vendor in select markets."

According to market tracking firm Strategy Analytics, ZTE currently claims 2.7% of the global smartphone market. That figure beats some well-known brands like Sony, but is still lower than those of other Chinese companies like Huawei, Xiaomi and Lenovo.

Best known for its computers, Lenovo brought to the show its latest Vibe K5 Plus phone. Main features include a 5-inch display and a Snapdragon 616 Octacore processor. Most importantly, it will only sell for 149 dollars in emerging markets.

Lenovo currently ranks fifth in the global market share race, with strong sales in Asia and especially in India.

Neil Mawston is a smartphone market analyst at Strategy Analytics. He says an ever changing market place has provided opportunities for companies from developing nations like China.

"The market historically for the last 30 years, in mobile, has always changed. Companies like Siemens from Germany used to make phones, now they don't. So the market always changes. I think how it is changing at the moment is that we are seeing a swing from developed markets to developing markets. So, more Chinese brands. More Indian brands. And I think potentially also more African brands in the future as well."

Some more established brands are feeling the Chinese competition. Sony purchased the mobile division of Ericsson mobile in 2012 and is aiming to make a splash in the smartphone sector.

Sony brought to Barcelona the Sony Xperia X, which has similar mid-range features to the Chinese phones.

While Sony has not announced a price, Editor Nicole Scott from tech website MobileGeeks says the company faces some formidable Chinese rivals.

"So we are seeing the impact of the Chinese manufacturers here at Mobile World Congress. Everybody is launching a mid-range phone, because it is all about pricing. And we are definitely seeing that at the Sony launch, with the launch of the Xperia X which is a mid-range phone. But Sony is doing it with their own style, it looks good, everything feels high-end, but the specifications are quite budget. And that is definitely in competition to what we see from the Chinese manufacturers."

The Mobile World Congress runs until Thursday.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

Chinese Tourists' "Bulk Shopping" in Japan Defused: Retailers

Anchor

Retailers in Japan say that Chinese tourists spent less in Tokyo shops during the Lunar New Year holidays compared with last year.

Experts suggest that the phenomenon might be the result of a stronger yen as well as slower economic growth at home.

CRI's Xie Cheng reports.

Reporter

The number of Chinese mainland visitors to Japan last year doubled to 5 million from 2014, bringing the country's total tourist numbers to nearly 20 million.

Bulk shopping by some Chinese tourists at department stores and electronics shops has resulted in an enormous boost in retailers' sales after decades of sluggish demand from domestic consumers.

Such a phenomenon even created a buzzword in Japanese: "bagukai", meaning explosive buying.

However, at this time of the year, many retail shops and department stores discovered an overall drop in sales by 25 percent, even though the number of Chinese tourists to their stores remained nearly the same.

Katsuhito Takahashi, assistant manager at an electronics store Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo, said many tourists started to look at products very carefully.

"They used to buy just popular items like stainless steel bottles, now they've started to choose their favorite items such as cosmetics."

Other stores like Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings said though they served a spiking number of Chinese mainland customers, each of them spent 15 percent less than a year ago.

Some Chinese tourists say they are moving away from the bulk purchase of Japanese goods and focusing more on other reasons for travel.

"I think the quality of Chinese products is getting better, so we don't need to come to Japan to buy daily necessities. The quality of Chinese products meets our everyday needs. As a young person, I think travelling is for gaining experience and knowledge, not merely for shopping."

"I think a lot of rich people intend to come here to buy electronics, but most of the young people like us want to experience more. We are here for sightseeing and eating good food."

Mizuho Research Institute Chief Economist Hajime Takata said the lower spending may result from the rise of Japan's currency, as well as a slowdown in China's economy.

However, he also believes that despite their shopping incentives having decreased, more Chinese tourists will become interested in experiencing Japan by visiting cultural spots or exploring nature.

"With the stable increase of Chinese tourists, I think Japan will enter a new phase of expanding its tourism beyond 'explosive buying,' into establishing a new business model of utilizing 'experiences', rather than merely consumption, in broader sectors and areas of Japan."

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

QA with Dr. Shao Yuqun on North Korea Nuke Issue

Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, is due to pay an official visit to the United States from today unitl Thursday.

During his trip, Wang Yi is due to meet with senior U.S. officials including Secretary of State John Kerry.

China's Foreign Ministry says that the North Korean nuclear issue would top Wang Yi's agenda for the trip.

Previously, the Wall Street Journal reported that the White House secretly agreed to peace talks just before Pyongyang's latest nuclear bomb test.

The White House responded by saying that the United States rejected a North Korean proposal to discuss a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War because it did not address the issue of denuclearization on the peninsula.

For more on this issue, CRI's Brian Kopczinsky spoke with Dr. Shao Yuqun, Senior Research Fellow at Shanghai Institute of International Studies.

Back

Dr. Shao Yuqun, Senior Research Fellow at Shanghai Institute of International Studies, speaking with CRI's Brian Kopczinsky.

Syria Agrees to Cessation of Hostilities

Syria's Foreign Ministry has said the Syrian government consents to the observation of a cessation of hostilities as agreed upon by the U.S. and Russia.

The ministry says the military campaign against the Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front will continue in accordance with the U.S.-Russian agreement.

It however warned that the Syrian army has the right to respond to any violation by opposition forces.

UN Official: Cessation of Hostilities in Syria a Big Challenge for UN

A UN official said plans for a cessation of hostilities in Syria could be a big challenge for the United Nations in terms of monitoring the ceasefire.

U.N. Deputy Chief Jan Eliasson made the remarks on Monday in an interview.

"If you have a ceasefire, a cessation of hostilities, which does not cover territory which is dominated by al Nusra and Daesh - ISIL - then that is of course a huge challenge for us in terms of monitoring and that we have to face later but it is a very complicated situation definitely but I think the danger that this could turn into something even more dangerous unites everybody right now."

The United States and Russia announced plans for a cessation of hostilities in Syria would take effect on February 27th.

The deal exclude militants from the Islamic State, Nusra Front and other groups the United Nations deems as terrorist groups.

Under the terms of the deal, the Syrian government and allied forces will cease attacks against armed opposition forces only.

Meantime, White House spokesman Josh Earnest has said though it will be difficult to implement, the move presents a "moment of opportunity" and that the United States will try to capitalize on it.

"After all for years we have been trying to reach a diplomatic resolution to the many problems that plague that nation that has broken apart. But this is a moment of opportunity and it is the result of tenacious diplomacy on the part of Secretary Kerry and we are going to continue to try to capitalize on this moment of opportunity and we are hopeful that all of the other signatories to the document will do the same thing."

The remarks came as U.S. President Barack Obama has called Russian President Vladimir Putin at his request to discuss the agreement for the cessation of hostilities in Syria.

In a related development, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported that President Bashar al-Assad had set April 13th as the date for the parliamentary elections in Syria.

UNSC Syria Meeting

Anchor

The United Nations has confirmed it will investigate the use of chemical weapons at seven locations in Syria.

The announcement comes on the heels of a UN report which is suggesting all groups involved in the fighting in Syria have been engaged in activity among civilian populations that could amount to war crimes.

CRI's Nick Harper has more from UN headquarters in New York.

Reporter

The sensitive nature of this topic was clear at the United Nations, the first briefing from the new Chemical Weapons team taking place behind closed doors.

For the first time this team is mandated to apportion blame, to hold perpetrators accountable.

That's after the former mission established chemical weapons had been used inside Syria on several occasions, mainly against civilians.

Something the head of the mission, Virginia Gamba, said would simply not be tolerated.

"Any use of toxic substances weapons by anybody anywhere under any circumstances is totally abhorrent, and these acts will be identified and that they will be held accountable for their actions."

Gamba explained the mission has identified seven locations. Inspectors hope to begin work at those sites at the start of next month.

Also on Monday, came the release of the latest report from the independent investigation group that's tasked with looking at alleged violations of international human rights law in Syria.

Here's the chair of that commission, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro.

"Not a single warring party respects international humanitarian law, the Geneva conventions, or the conventions on human rights. There is an encompassing disrespect for the rules of engagement in this war."

The latest report details how the widespread killing of civilians continues, with all sides carrying out "indiscriminate" attacks.

"The ongoing destruction of homes, hospitals, schools markets and bakeries makes it nearly impossible for people to meet most basic needs and forces them to live in constant fear for their lives. The Commission thinks that suffering of Syrian people must stop now. This carnage has to end."

The meetings at the United Nations came amid the news US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov had set a new date for a "cessation of hostilities" - a temporary halt in the fighting - which is scheduled to start on Saturday.

However, last week a similar deadline came and went, and Syria was rocked by a weekend of violence with suicide blasts in the cities of Damascus and Homs.

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon may have welcomed the new date, but internationally there's already skepticism whether the fighting will cease in any form on Saturday.

For CRI, I'm Nick Harper in New York

Death Toll of Cyclone Winston in Fiji Rises to 29

The death toll from a powerful cyclone that struck Fiji over the weekend has risen to 29.

Many officials have predicted that the casualties may continue to rise due to the number of injured and challanges in providing treatment.

Filipe Nainoca from Fijian Red Cross said authorities have taken measures to assist the country's 7th-largest island Koro.

"The government is sending teams, I think, the worst-hit island we call Koro Island, in the Lomaiviti group. The boat left last night (on Monday) with full team of government officials and also Red Cross staff to see the islands. They should be there this morning (Tuesday) and we should be hearing reports from them soon. But initial reports that were able to be established is that in this island villages were devastated."

A relief vessel with about 30 people aboard arrived at the island with medical supplies, food and water.

Temporary shelters are also being built for thousands of residents on the island.

Aid workers have also warned of potential outbreaks of Zika and Dengue viruses, since mosquitoes carrying the viruses may breed in stagnant water left by the storm.

The destructive winds from Cyclone Winston have reached around 300 kilometers per hour, making it the strongest storm in Fiji's recorded history.

Rising Tigris River Levels Spark Mosul Dam Fears

Rising water levels along the Tigris River in Baghdad have elevated fears of flooding among residents and businesses.

Earlier US officials have warned of up to half-a-million deaths if the Mosul Dam, nearly a thousand miles upstream, collapsed due to poor maintenance.

But Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources has downplayed the risk and assured citizens that the rising water levels are normal.

Ali Radhi Thamir, Director-General of the State Committee of Irrigation and Drainage Projects described the situation.

''The measures taken by the Ministry of Water Resources to let some quantities of water flow into the river is something ordinary and normal. The ministry has annually taken such measures, mainly from storage in the dam in order to ensure safer and proper levels and to provide more space to the water quantities coming to the dam during the spring season.''

The dam was captured by Islamic State group militants in 2014.

A water resources engineer said the IS group occupation of the dam has had a negative effect on its safety, especially since the militants destroyed the superstructure and other necessary equipment.

Man Charged in Kalamazoo Rampage Denied Bail

A man charged with six counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder in a series of random shootings in Michigan has been denied bail.

Forty-five-year-old Jason Dalton of Kalamazoo Township made his first court appearance Monday and indicated that he understood the charges.

President Barack Obama said on Monday he's pledging all needed federal assistance in response to the shooting.

"Earlier this year, I took some steps that will make it harder for dangerous people like this individual to buy a gun. But clearly, we're going to need to do more if we're going to keep innocent Americans safe. And I have got to assume that all of you are just as tired as I am of seeing this stuff happen in your states. So that's an area where we also need to partner and think about what we can do in a common-sense way, in a bipartisan way, without some of the ideological rhetoric that so often surrounds that issue."

The charges filed Monday by Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting also include weapons violations. The murder charges carry a mandatory life sentence.

An Uber passenger says he called the police to report an erratic driver more than an hour before authorities allege the driver began the shooting rampage.

Dalton was arrested on Sunday in Kalamazoo.

Headline News

Xi Urges Improved Policies for China's Aging Population

Chinese President Xi Jinping is calling for timely and comprehensive measures to cope with the country's aging population.

In a written instruction, Xi Jinping called for improved polices for birth, employment and elderly care.

He says coping with an aging population is crucial for development and the well-being of hundreds of millions of people.

He has stressed that the issue will be a key part of the government's development plan for the next five years.

Americans Continue to View China as Top Economic Power: Poll

A new Gallup poll shows that more Americans believe that China, rather than the United States, is the world's leading economic power.

The poll finds that 50 percent of Americans view China as the leading economic power, compared to 37 percent who believe their country is the top economy in the world.

Meanwhile, Gallup finds more Americans predicting that the United States will be the world's leading economic power in 20 years.

44 percent expect the US to be No. 1 at that time, eclipsing the 34 percent who name China as the world's future No. 1 economy in 20 years.

China Calls for More Representation of African Countries in UN Security Council

China's United Nations ambassador says Security Council reform should give top priority to increasing the representation of developing countries, especially African nations.

Addressing a General Assembly meeting on Security Council reform, ambassador Liu Jieyi noted that most issues deliberated at the council concern developing countries.

He says the reform of the council should reflect this a reality.

The number of UN member states has grown from 51 to 193.

Most of the newer members are developing countries.

Cuba to Deploy 9,000 Troops to Prevent Zika Virus

Cuba is deploying 9-thousand troops to strengthen vector control and sanitation efforts in a bid to prevent the entry of the Zika virus.

It's the latest move by the government to counter a possible outbreak of the virus.

A week ago, Cuba reinforced its epidemiological surveillance at 24 border points.

10 airports and 14 seaports have installed temperature scanners to inspect travellers.

The mosquito-borne disease has so far affected 32 countries in Latin America.

Biz Reports

Stocks

Anchor

Time to check today's business news, starting with the closing market data here in Asia.

Here is CRI's Fei Fei with the numbers.

Reporter:

Mainland stocks closed in slightly negative territory on Tuesday on underperforming heavyweights.

The property sector led the losers witha 1.1 percent fall, along with shares in banking and energy.

At the close,

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index finished off 0.8 percent.

The smaller Shenzhen Index was off 0.7 percent.

The small-cap ChiNext Index of growth enterprises slumped 1.2 percent.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index also edged down 0.3 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Tokyo shares ended the choppy trading Tuesday lower by erasing gains in the morning session.

Sentiment was lit up by rising oil prices but the Japanese yen's advance triggered selling of export oriented issues.

The benchmark Nikkei was off 0.4 percent.

South Korea's KOSPI inched down 0.1 percent.

Singapore's Straits Times added 0.4 percent.

And finally, Australia's ASX/200 dropped 0.4 percent.

Back Anchor

CRI's Fei Fei reporting.

China's Consumption Will Continue to Grow Fast in 2016

Consumption in China is forecasted to grow at a quick pace this year.

The country's Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng made the remark at a press conference in Beijing.

"The consumption growth in 2015 was continual based on the growth in 2014. I personally believe, and this is a general assessment, that this trend will extend into 2016."

He added that the country's online retail sales last year ranked the first in the world while the total retail sales of consumer goods coming in second globally.

China's economy is in the process of transition to a consumption-led growth model from a traditional reliance on exports and investment.

Consumption made up for over 66 percent of China's GDP growth last year.

At the same time, the official also said that foreign trade continued to see good performance last year.

"China's foreign trade in 2015 outperformed other countries and has secured the top position for the three consecutive years since 2013."

China has been the number one developing country in attracting foreign investment for 24 straight years and is the third in foreign direct investment in the world.

Gao also noted that yuan's devaluation will not damper trade numbers.

"So I don't think the recent yuan fluctuations, after carrying out yuan midpoint mechanism in the process of promoting yuan reform, will significantly impact trade performance."

The minister said that China's economy will keep a medium-high rate of growth this year.

The yuan has fallen a further 3 percent against the dollar after China devalued its currency by nearly 2 percent on last year.

China to Roll out More FTZs

China is expected to roll out 5 to 8 more free trade zones after the annual two sessions scheduled early next month.

A report from Economic Information Daily said that these new FTZs will be located inland and in near-border areas.

These new zones will focus on China's Belt and Road initiative that will link the country with Asian and European countries.

They will also help to open up the country's inland areas.

As many as 21 provinces have tabled proposals to build FTZs in their local legislatures since the start of this year.

These measures will be handed over to the country's top legistlature for debate next month.

Net Outflow of China's Financial ODI Surges in 2015

Anchor

Figures are suggestomg that capital outflows through the financial system in China over the course of this past year have not been as significant as some observers have been suggesting.

Stats from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange indicate foreign investment by Chinese financial firms through 2015 hit around 75-billion yuan, or some 1.2-billion US dollars.

This is double the amount spent by Chinese financial institutions during 2014.

Figures released by the Chinese government also show foreign financial companies poured in just under 70-billion yuan into the Chinese market last year, but also pulled around 20-billion out.

The net inflow of around 50-billion yuan through 2015 is down just under 2-billion yuan compared to the whole of 2014.

For more on the data, CRI's Bob Jones spoke earlier with Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.

Back Anchor

That is Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures, speaking with CRI's Bob Jones.

Chinese Uber Users Travel to 320 Cities Worldwide in Lunar New Year

Uber China has said that its users traveled to some 320 cities worldwide during this Spring Festival holiday, more than twice that of last year.

Data from the U.S. ride-hailing service show that the U.S. is the most popular destination, with Los Angeles being the city of choice.

China's financial hub Shanghai reported the most Uber users choosing to travel overseas, followed by Beijing, the southern metropolises of Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and then east China's Hangzhou and southwest China's Chengdu.

One Chengdu user had traveled 360 kilometers in one trip while in Miami, the longest of all Chinese Uber users.

Uber released its first Chinese New Year cross-border travel report last year.

Official data showed that six million Chinese travelled overseas during the holiday, spending an estimated 14 billion U.S. dollars.

China Reform Reportedly to Join Syngenta Purchase with ChemChina

Chinese investment firm China Reform Holdings is said to be in talks with China National Chemical Corporation to join a 43 billion U.S. dollar acquisition deal targeting Swiss company Syngenta.

ChemChina is also said to be in talks with several other investors regarding its proposal to purchase the Swiss seed maker.

Those include a number of Chinese entities and also funds from Asia and other parts of the world.

Neither company has responded to the report.

The company agreed to buy the Basel-based Syngenta earlier this month.

Once the deal was sealed, it would be the largest such acquisition by a Chinese firm and also help to transform ChemChina into the world's largest supplier of pesticides and agrochemicals.

Anta Profit Surges 20 Percent in 2015

China's sportswear brand Anta has said its net profit surged 20 percent last year, thanks to a growth in kids' lines and online sales.

Its earnings rose to just above 2 billion yuan or 310 million U.S. dollars over the past year, in line with market expectations.

Sports

Luneng, Suning AFC Champions League Update

Beginning with Chinese football action.

Chinese clubs have got their AFC Champions League campaign underway.

Shandong Luneng who broke through two play-offs to qualify for Group F are visiting double Japanese champions Hiroshima Sanfrecce.

Luneng are without Wang Yongpo who is serving a one-match suspension for receiving two yellow cards in the play-offs.

Luneng are going to be hard-pressed to make it into the knockout stages from the "group of death" which also includes Korean Cup winners FC Seoul and four-time Thai champions Buriram United.

The Luneng-Hiroshima game is approaching full time and it is (UPDATE SCORE)

Also on the field are CFA Cup winners Jiangsu Suning against Vietnamese side Becamex Binh Duong.

New recruits Alex Teixeira, Ramires are both on the starting line-up.

The game has come to its last few minutes and it is (UPDATE SCORE)

The other two Chinese teams, Shanghai SIPG and defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande are scheduled to play tomorrow.

Champions League Favorites Prepared for Last 16 Tie

Anchor

In more football action,

The UEFA Champions League round of 16 starts to spice up tomorrow morning when two favorites take to the pitch.

CRI's Fu Yu brings us the breakdown.

Reporter

European heavyweights Juventus and Bayern Munich are meeting in Turin for the first leg of their last 16 tie.

It is a well-matched game in every perspective as the Italian and German giants are both leading their respective domestic leagues.

And both have been hit with a string of injuries to weaken their defense.

Bayern Munich are short of central defenders. Holger Badstuber, Jerome Boateng and Javi Martinez are all sidelined.

Manager Pep Guardiola says they will have to make do with what they have.

"Well, yes, we have problems but what can we do about them? We have to face them. The fact is that we have lost power in our defense. Of course we still have Tasci and Benatia. One has just arrived and the other has had just a few training sessions, but this is the situation and we can't complaint about it. We will do our best with the players we have available."

The good news for Bayern is Franck Ribery's strong comeback and the immaculate form of attacking duo Thomas Mueller and Robert Lewandowski.

Arturo Vidal is back in Turin to face his old teammates with whom he fought into the final last year.

Mario Mandzukic remains a doubt but could recover in time to play against the team that he won a triple crown with.

Giorgio Chiellini and Sami Khedira can also be expected for Juventus.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are making their final preparations at home against tournament favorites Barcelona.

The Gunners have been knocked out twice at the stage by the Catalans.

But they beat Bayern Munich in the group stages and were the first of only two teams that have been able to upset the unstoppable German giants this season.

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud says this will inspire them to go all out.

"I think it will be a different game, but it's true that we can do very well in the Champions League - we just need to focus and be 100 per cent all together with good team cohesion. We will put what we need into this game, a lot of commitment, determination and obviously this kind of game against Bayern needs to help us to win tomorrow."

Arsenal are hoping to reach the last eight for the first time in six years.

Luis Enrique's side are motivated to get through the Gunners on their way to becoming the first team that successfully defended the Champions League title since the reform.

Back anchor

CRI's Fu Yu reporting.

Warriors Fastest NBA Team to Reach 50 Wins

In the NBA,

The Golden State Warriors have become the fastest team to reach 50 wins in history after defeating the Atlanta Hawks 102-92.

They hit that mark in 55 games.

In other results,

Detroit got past Cleveland 96-88.

Miami downed Indiana 101-93.

Toronto sank New York 122-95.

Milwaukee upset the Lakers 108-101.

Minnesota edged 124-122.

And it is the Clippers demolishing Phoenix 128-84.

Tennis Results

In tennis,

Kei Nishikori is in the second round of the ATP 500 event in Acapulco, Mexico with an easy 6-0, 6-3 success over Thiemo de Bakker.

Other winners of today include Victor Estrella, Donald Young and Robin Haase.

In Dubai, Novak Djokovic, Feliciano Lopez, Vasek Pospisil all cruised past the first round.

Andreas Seppi and Viktor Triocki were stunned.

On the women's side,

Chinese pair Zheng Saisai/Xu Yifan powered their way into the second round of the Qatar Open in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.

In singles action,

Winner in Dubai Sara Errani progressed in three sets over her Bulgarian opponent.

Roberta Vinci, Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic are all through.

Vettel Fastest on First Day of Testing

In formula one,

Ferrari showed positive early signs on the first day of pre-season testing in their attempt to challenge Mercedes this upcoming season.

Sebastian Vettel ran for 69 laps on the Circuit de Barcelona in his new SF16-H.

He was almost half a second faster than Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes W07.

Vettel is generally happy and felt "at home" in the new car.

"For us we didn't do that many laps but I think overall we have plenty of reasons to be happy. Equally as I said we have plenty of things that we need to improve. Time is limited. It's not a secret that in four weeks we will be in Australia and that's why we know we have a lot of work to do."

Hamilton covered more than twice of Vettel's distance in 156 laps.

Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was third, more than a second down on Vettel.

Eight other drivers tried out their cars on the day.

Hamilton's teammate Nico Rosberg and double champion Fernando Alonso are bringing their engines to life today.

Entertainment

Michelle Yeon Premieres "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" Sequel in California

The cast of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny", made their debut in Universal city, California on Monday for the upcoming sequel which will hit U.S. IMAX theaters and Netflix on Feb. 26.

Chinese-Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, who returned to reprise the iconic original role of the swordswoman Yu Shu Lien, expressed her excitement after many years' waiting since the first film of the series gained huge success.

"Yu Shu Lien is a character that I love. From the first day that I met her, I felt that she represents Chinese women well. She has inner beauty and she's a heroine with a loving heart. To play her again 16 years later, I felt that she's ascended to a different level. She leads a reclusive life and she's a true heroine. To protect the Sword of Destiny is a promise she made, and that's why she returned."　

The sequal also stars Australian actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo, who is in her first movie appearance, playing Yeoh's apprentice.

The newcomer joked about her martial arts skills during shooting.

"Master Yun himself, the legendary Master Yun, was there for my first day of holding a sword where I think I dropped it and hit myself in the face like five, six times. So yeah, no pressure at all."

Having already been released in China from last Friday, the sequel made a successful opening over the weekend with box office sales reaching about 21 million U.S. dollars.

'Faust' Tale Told with Peking Opera

A Peking Opera performance based on Goethe's masterpiece "Faust" was staged at the Mei Lanfang Theater in Beijing over the weekend.

Created by artists from China, Italy and Germany, the play is an experimental way to render Western classics with Chinese artforms.

Previously, the opera was performed in Bologna and Modena in Italy and Tsinghua University in Beijing last year.

It was also shown in New York in January this year.

Co-produced by the China National Peking Opera Company and the Italian Emilia Romagna Theatre Foundation, the performance this time was staged after revisions in its dancing, lighting and book.

"Friends" Cast Reunites for James Burrows Special

The "Friends" cast, including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc, reunited on stage Sunday night during an NBC special in honor of celebrated TV director James Burrows.

Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing in the hit sitcom, was the only "Friend" to miss out, but did appear in a message via satellite to share his own memories.

During the special event, the cast mentioned that it's Burrows who helped them forge an important bond with one another and gave them probably the best ten years of their acting careers.

Recalling the cast's instant connection, Aniston, who played Rachael Green in the series, talked about their bond with one another.

"In the beginning it was not a hard thing. We really just wanted to hang out with each other. We really just fell in love and adored each other instantly, and would hang out at each other's houses and watch the show together."

First debuting on NBC on September 22, 1994, the series lasted ten seasons. It received acclaim throughout its run and became one of the most popular television shows of all time.

Villainous Role Revealed in New Trailer of "Alice Through the Looking Glass"

Prepare to step once more into Wonderland!

Disney released their newest look at "Alice Through the Looking Glass" on Sunday night during their TV special "The Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60".

The minute-long trailer offers another glimpse at the adventures awaiting Alice, while the villain "Time" makes its debut.

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

Recapping our top stories...

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And Syria saying it consents to a cessation of hostilities as agreed upon by the U.S. and Russia...

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