新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2016/02/25（在线收听）

The Beijing Hour

Evening Edition

Shane Bigham with you on this Thursday, February 25th, 2016.

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

Coming up on the program this evening...

The US president has stressed the importance his country's relationship with China during a White House visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi...

Issues regarding sustainable economic growth are expected to top the agenda at the G20 summit in Shanghai on Friday and Saturday...

The UN Security Council is discussing a draft resolution to endorse the Syrian ceasefire deal brokered by the US and Russia...

In business...stepping up efforts to cut production capacity in saturated sectors in China...

In sports...six of eight gold medals at the diving world cup go to Chinese athletes...

In entertainment...the lineup for the 40th Hong Kong International Film Festival has been announced...

All of that is coming up in the next hour, but first, a reminder, there are several ways you can reach us at the Beijing Hour.

You can follow our weibo account at weibo.com/beijinghour.

On WeChat: search "beijinghour"

Email us at [email protected].

Visit ChinaPlusnews.com for the latest news and information from China Radio International.

Top

Obama calls for continued U.S.-China communication

U.S. President Barack Obama has stressed the significance of U.S.-China relations, urging the two countries to continue to maintain lines of communication.

He made the remarks at a White House meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang has expressed China's support for the US' hosting of the fourth nuclear security summit in Washington at the end of March.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Obama are expected to hold their first meeting this year on the sidelines of the summit.

Wang Yi was in Washington for his first US visit of the year, with the South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula at the top of his agenda.

China to participate[ate in 2016 Pacific Rim

China will send warships to participate in the 2016 Pacific Rim Joint Military Exercise.

Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian.

"2016 Pacific Rim Join Military Exercise is going to be held from June 29th to August 4th in Hawaii. It's helpful for China's Navy to improve its ability to cope with non-traditional security threats, and to further professional communication and pragmatic cooperation with navies of other countries participating in this military exercise."

According to the spokesman, China has sent working teams to the U.S. for two exercises and has been planning meetings concerning China's participation in this initiative since last year.

The spokesman has also commented on a missile defense system to be deployed by the US and South Korea.

Wu says the deployment of the THAAD system would directly impair China's strategic security interests and undermine global strategic stability.

Wu notes that the coverage of the missile defense system, especially the monitoring scope of its X-Band radar, goes far beyond the defense needs of the Korean Peninsula and reaches into the hinterlands of Asia.

The US and South Korea are reportedly to start meetings about the deployment within a week.

Sustainable global growth tops the agenda of G20 Finance ministers meeting

Anchor:

Policies for boosting growth will be high on the agenda at the next G20 meeting of central bankers and finance ministers, which is to be held in Shanghai on Friday and Saturday. China holds the group's rotating presidency this year.

The meetings are expected to focus on stabilizing global financial markets and promoting economic growth.

CRI reporter Guo Yan has detail.

Reporter:

Zhu Jiejin is Associate Professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University in Shanghai. He says economic growth will top the agenda.

"Several days ago the world bank reduced its global economic growth prospect from 3.3 percent to 2.9 percent. It's below 3 percent. It's a bad prospect for the G20 finance ministers and world bank governors .The ministers and governors will review the ongoing economic development its growth prospects and recent volatility in Financial market. I think they will take decisive actions to keep the global economy in check."

The remark is echoed by Chinese Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao, who said on Thursday that coordinated effort is need among the group to send positive signal to the world market.

On Wednesday, the International Monetary Fund has also warned of higher risks for a derailed global recovery and called for urgent policy actions to strengthen growth and manage vulnerabilities ahead of the upcoming Group of Twenty,

Financial leaders are also facing a range of issues including wavering decisions on interest rates, slumping oil prices, and volatile currency exchange rates.

Wei Liang is a senior researcher with the China institutes of contemporary international relations.

"The phenomenon of exchange rate fluctuation is in general brought about by the currency policies of developed countries and their spillover effects. The phenomenon will be easily dealt with once the major issues in the meeting are properly handled."

At a meeting held by the Institute of International Finance, the vice president of China's central bank said his country will continue to keep flexible exchange-rates based on supply and demand in the market.

Yi Gang says China will maintain the basic stability of its exchange rate, though fluctuation against the US dollar will increase a little.

Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew pointed out that China should make it clear that the Renminbi will not go through a large-scale depreciation, and more importantly, the country should resolutely stick to its reforms.

Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank, has also made similar suggestions to the Chinese government, while he is in China to attend the Group of 20 meeting of central bankers and finance ministers.

"The message, of course, is stick with its structural reform agenda. And the second advice I would give is communicate, communicate, communicate. Now the thing is we've already seen change. And I think Premier Li Keqiang has stated very clearly that communication about decisions that are being made in terms of fiscal and monetary policy will be more important for China going forward. I think that's very, very welcome."

The World Bank chief made the remark after meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang earlier in Beijing.

Premier Li Keqiang has assured the head of the World Bank that China is seeing a new dynamic for economic growth and creating new jobs.

Li Keqiang said China had gained rich experience from its past development and has sufficient policies and tools to deal with the difficulties it faces and any new challenges and risks.

Despite China's slowdown in economic growth, Kim said the country's nominal GDP for 2015 was still worth more than 13 trillion U.S. dollars and China's structural reform is actually working, and sets a good example for sustainable world prosperity.

For CRI this is Guo Yan.

Chinese shares dive over 6 pct

Anchor:

Stock markets in China tumbled on Thursday, a day before a gathering of finance ministers and central bankers from the US, Europe and other major economies in Shanghai for the latest G20 meeting.

The benchmark Shanghai composite index lost 6.4 percent while the Shenzhen component index plunged 7.3 percent.

More than 1,000 stocks on the two bourses tumbled by the daily limit of 10 percent.

The ChiNext Index of growth enterprises was hardest hit, slumping by 7.6 percent.

For more on China's A-share market, we are now joined live on line with Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.

Talking points:

Q1: What are the reasons behind the sharp drop on Chinese stock markets during trading on Thursday?

Q2: Not every sector declined. Some stocks related to green energy actually rose during trading. What are the reasons for this?

Q3: What kind of message are investors looking for from the leaders gathered at the G20 event in Shanghai, and what impact can these messages have on the market?

Back Anchor:

That was Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.

Beijing replaces New York as billionaire capital of the world

This year's Hurun Global Rich List shows Beijing has replaced New York as the billionaire capital of the world.

Hurun noted that out of a record 2,188 billionaires in 68 countries and regions, China has 568 places on the list, with a hundred of them based in the capital.

The addition of 90 wealthy Chinese to the list this year also means China overtook the US in the total number of ultra-rich for the first time.

Leading the Chinese billionaires is Wang Jianlin, chairman of the Dalian Wanda Group, China's largest real estate developer and the world's largest movie theater operator.

Topping the list are Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and renowned investor Warren Buffett, with 80 billion and 68 billion US dollars, respectively.

The combined wealth of the billionaires' club expanded by 9 percent to 7.3 trillion US dollars, higher than the GDP of Germany and the UK put together.

China's richest individuals contributed 1.4 trillion US dollars of the total, close to the GDP of Australia.

For more on this, CRI's Ding Heng earlier had a chance to speak to Hu Run (Rupert Hoogewerf), the publisher of the Hurun Report.

China's five major banks announce transaction fee cancellation for mobile account transfers

China's five major banks have announced that they will cancel transaction fees for mobile account transfer services.

The big five are the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China(ICBC), the Agricultural Bank of China, the Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and the Bank of Communications.

ICBC and China Construction Bank started to implement the decision on Thursday, and the other three banks will announce their timetables later.

Vice chairman of China Construction Bank, Yang Wensheng:

"We canceled all the transaction fees as from 11:00 a.m. on Thursday for individuals who transfer money via our mobile banking app, and for those who transfer money below 5,000 yuan via online banking services."

6 other smaller banks, including China Merchants Bank, China Zheshang Bank, and China Citic Bank canceled transaction fees via online and mobile banking services earlier, to attract more clients.

Chinese banks collected between 2 and 50 yuan in transaction fees when clients transfered money from one bank to another or from one city to another.

China steps up support for new energy vehicles

Anchor:

China's State Council has announced new policies to encourage cooperation between business, universities, and research institutions in support of new-energy vehicles.

CRI's Min Rui has more.

Reporter:

The State Council pledged that more battery charging facilities will be built, with the new-energy vehicles sector receiving increased investment and subsidies.

Other measures include increasing the share of new energy cars in the public transportation system and enhancing their quality.

The policies came as the Chinese government is looking to the industry to push industrial upgrades, ease pressure on the environment and foster new growth engines.

Though favored by many, some have found the choices on these cars are rather limited.

Mr. Cao hails from Beijing.

"Frankly speaking, there are only a few models, I have been to several dealerships, but only seven or eight models are on sale."

Statistics show the actual number of new energy models in China increased from 15 to 23 last year, but those choices still fall short of consumer demand.

Last year, the Chinese production and sales these vehicles more than tripled from the previous year.

China EV 100 Association head Chen Qingtai says technology upgrading is much needed as sales surge.

"Actually, the market is driven by government policies, which the government has subsidized a lot. China has many shortcomings when it comes to electronic technology."

Beijing is following the central government's call to build more charging posts, encouraging private capital to participate in the plan.

Lin Xiaofeng with the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission explains what they are doing.

"Radiating from the center of the capital, the charging network will expand toward the suburbs of Beijing. With the 5 thousand posts already built, we plan to build 5 thousand more this year. In 2017, we will be able to accomplish a charging network with a post located every 5 kilometers."

As the charging network is built, the authorities are making an effort to clamp down on fraud, announcing that investigations of companies that commit fraud to obtain state subsidies in the new-energy-vehicle- sector will be stepped up.

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Deputy Xin Guobin says supportive policies are improving.

"At first, the country only subsidized production per car, then, the policy changed into a combination on various factors like R&D, tax exemptions, market permits, and facilities construction. So now the combo policy is almost perfect."

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers predicts the sales of new-energy vehicles will more than double this year.

After surging threefold last year, sales number could reach 700 thousand units.

For CRI, I'm Min Rui.

China's second Zika patient discharged from hospital upon recovery

The second Zika patient in China was discharged from hospital in Guangzhou on Thursday.

Yin Chibiao is the president of the Guangzhou No.8 People's Hospital, where the patient recovered.

"We have tested the patient every day, including blood specimens, urine specimens, semen specimens, and saliva samples, which are all negative for the Zika virus. His fever and rash have gone and liver function has returned to normal. All his physiological indexes have reached the standard of clinical recovery. So he will be discharged from our hospital today."

The 28-year-old man was confirmed to be infected with Zika on Feb.12, days after he returned from Venezuela.

So far, there have been 5 imported Zika virus cases in China and two of patients have been released from hospital upon recovery.

China is now on high alert for more Zika cases as the weather is beginning to warm up across the country.

Meanwhile, Chinese scientists have isolated two Zika virus strains, which will assist research into a possible vaccination and the transmission pattern of the virus.

Chinese New Year drives record month for New Zealand tourism

The Chinese Lunar New Year holiday was a boon for tourism in New Zealand.

Officials in the country say a record number of visitors arrived on the islands last month, in the lead-up to the holiday in early February.

More than 340-thousand people traveled to New Zealand in January, a 14 percent increase year-on-year.

There was a 59-percent increase in the number of visitors from China.

UN discusses text to endorse Syria truce

The UN Security Council is discussing a draft resolution that would endorse a ceasefire in Syria brokered by Russia and the United States.

The council hopes to adopt the text on Friday when UN envoy Staffan de Mistura reports on efforts to revive the peace talks in Syria.

Moscow and Washington have set a deadline of midnight Damascus time Friday for the "cessation of hostilities" between the Syrian government and non-jihadist rebel forces.

The deal marks the biggest diplomatic push yet to help end the five-year conflict in Syria.

Australia sets to increase defence spending

Australia will increase defence spending by over 20 billion US dollars over the next ten years.

The country's new strategic defense plan has been designed to address issues of the changing nature of regional security, with a particular focus on US plans for broader involvement in Asia-Pacific.

Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne:

"Australia's strong network of regional and global defence relationships will be even more important to meet the challenges we will face and to position Australia to take full advantage of those opportunities available to us in the future. This White Paper recognises that we can better protect and promote our interests by working strongly with our international partners."

The White Paper also notes China’s rising influence in the pacific region and urges China and the ASEAN bloc to agree on a code of conduct for the South China Sea as soon as possible.

In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has urged Australia to have a correct and positive view of China's development and strategic intentions.

FBI asking Apple to write software equivalent of cancer

Apple CEO Tim Cook is defending his company's decision to resist an FBI demand for help cracking an encrypted iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters.

Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people at an office party in an attack at least partly inspired by the Islamic State group.

Cook told a television interviewer on Wednesday that the software the FBI is asking Apple to write is the equivalent of a cancer.

"The only way we know - would be to write a piece of software that we view as sort of the software equivalent of cancer. We think it's bad news to write. We would never write it. We have never written it. And that is what is at stake here."

The FBI says it is only asking for narrow assistance in bypassing some security features on the iPhone.

Apple has argued that doing so would make other iPhones more vulnerable to hacking by authorities or criminals in the future.

Apple is expected to file its legal response in court by Friday.

FIFA reduce Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini bans from eight to six years

An appeal committee with FIFA, the world governing body of football, has reduced but otherwise upheld the bans imposed on former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, and former UEFA president Michel Platini.

The decision comes two days before FIFA officials elect a new president.

It's been reported that Blatter was very disappointed by the decision while Platini has called the decision "insulting and shameful."

Analysts say that although the bans were reduced from eight years to six years, the longevity of the bans still means the end of each man's football career.

Blatter and Platini were initially found guilty of wrongdoing by FIFA's independent ethics committee over a previously-secret 2011 financial transaction.

Blatter had authorized a payment of two-million Swiss francs to UEFA president Platini which was found to be unethical and a conflict of interest.

But following hearings last week, the appeal committee said in a statement that their service to football over the years should be considered as a mitigating factor.

Blatter and Platini can now file appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport when they get detailed written judgments from FIFA's appeal committee.

Weather

Beijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of -5; more clouds tomorrow and a high of 8.

Shanghai, cloudy tonight with a low of 4; also cloudy tomorrow with a high of 15.

Chongqing will be overcast with a low of 8; same skies tomorrow, highs of 16.

Lhasa will have some clouds tonight with a low of -4; cloudy tomorrow with a high of 8.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Islamabad, sunny tomorrow with a high of 23.

Kabul, cloudy, 5.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney will have slight rain, highs of 27.

Brisbane, sunny, 30.

Perth, cloudy, 36.

And finally Auckland will be cloudy with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

Headline News

Obama calls for continued U.S.-China communication

U.S. President Barack Obama has stressed the significance of U.S.-China relations, urging the two countries to continue to maintain lines of communication.

He made the remarks at a White House meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang has expressed China's support for the US' hosting of the fourth nuclear security summit in Washington at the end of March.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Obama are expected to hold their first meeting this year on the sidelines of the summit.

Wang Yi was in Washington for his first US visit of the year, with the South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula at the top of his agenda.

China says THAAD deployment in ROK to undermine global stability

China has again stated that the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea would directly impair China's strategic security interests and undermine global strategic stability.

Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian says China is highly concerned about the possible deployment, noting that the coverage of the THAAD system goes far beyond the defense needs of the Korean Peninsula.

Wu Qian has emphasized that China resolutely opposes any country using the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue as an excuse to encroach on China's rights and interests.

Recent media reports suggest the United States and South Korea will soon hold talks on the proposed deployment of the THAAD missile defense system.

Tens of thousands of Fijians homeless after cyclone

Tens of thousands of Fijians remain homeless in the aftermath of a devastating cyclone on the weekend.

At least 42 people were killed though officials in the country expect that number to rise.

It is estimated that 35,000 people are sheltering in evacuation centers, some of which are damaged and running short of food and other supplies.

International aid agencies say supplies are being delivered but the scale of the damage to infrastructure is making it hard to reach remote communities where help is needed most.

All bodies of plane crash victims recovered in western Nepal

All 23 bodies from the plane crash in western Nepal on Wednesday have been recovered.

Officials say the bodies will be brought to Pokhara, from where the plane took off, for identification.

Snowfall on Wednesday evening had delayed the airlifting of the bodies.

The small plane with 20 passengers and three crew members crashed shortly after taking off.

The victims include two foreigners - one from Hong Kong and another from Kuwait.

The cause of the crash remains unknown.

Biz Reports

Anchor:

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

Here is Min Rui.

Reporter:

Stock markets in China tumbled on Thursday.

At the close,

The benchmark Shanghai composite index lost over 6 percent while the smaller Shenzhen index plunged more than 7 percent.

The ChiNext Index of growth enterprises was hardest hit, slumping by 7.6 percent.

More than 1,000 stocks on the two main bourses tumbled by the daily limit of 10 percent.

In Hong Kong, shares also decreased on Thursday, with the Hang Seng down 1.6 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Tokyo shares ended higher on Thursday.

The benchmark Nikkei added 1.4 percent.

South Korea's KOSPI moved up 0.3 percent.

Singapore's Straits Times dipped 0.6 percent.

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

China cuts overcapacity to deal with "zombie companies"

Cutting overcapacity has been listed as one of the five major tasks in China's supply-side structural reform along with reducing stock, deleveraging, reducing costs, and shoring up weak growth areas.

The Chinese government has stepped up efforts to slash excess production capacity in saturated sectors, especially steel and coal.

Feng Fei, vice minister of industry and information technology, says dealing with "zombie companies" is the key to solving the excess capacity here in China.

"Local governments and banks must stop providing loans to those so-called 'zombie enterprises.' Meanwhile, we need to strengthen law enforcement in such aspects as environmental protection and energy efficiency, so as to provide an incentive to the market and a better environment for companies."

Feng adds that the processes of dealing with poor-performing "zombie companies," as well as undertaking mergers and acquisitions, means that job losses will be inevitable.

China is to establish a 100 billion yuan or 15 billion U.S. dollar fund to help those who lose their jobs as a result of industrial restructuring.

The fund will focus on training and job seeking.

At the same time, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has released a report on growth in 2015.

Minister Miao Wei says the current industrial situation is facing downward pressure.

"China's industrial growth is maintaining a reasonable range. The industries above the designated scale maintained a growth in their added value at 6.1 percent last year, an obvious drop compared with the figures of the last two years. But considering the changes in the environment at home and abroad, the growth is not low and it still maintains a reasonable range."

He says that the environment for enterprises, especially small- and micro companies, has improved a lot in recent years.

China launches 10 pilot schemes for SOE reforms

Anchor:

China has announced a new round of reforms to overhaul its state-owned enterprises - or SOEs.

10 measures have been unveiled to advance reform plans in this area.

The reforms cover payment distribution, investment of state-owned capital, mergers and reorganization.

Meantime, China has chosen two state-owned companies to pilot SOE reforms.

They are assets management company China Chengtong Holdings and capital operating company China Reform Holdings.

China has 150-thousand SOEs, which hold 100 trillion yuan or 15 trillion U.S dollars in assets and employ more than 30 million people.

For more on this topic, CRI's Bob Jones spoke with Cao Can, CRI's Financial Commentator.

Japan's Sharp decides to accept Foxconn takeover offer

Electronics maker Sharp has agreed to a takeover by Taiwan-based Foxconn.

The deal is the largest acquisition of a Japanese tech firm by a foreign company and one that will bolster Foxconn's position as Apple's biggest supplier.

Foxconn, known formally as Hon Hai Precision Industry, is set to invest more than 650 billion yen or nearly 6 billion US dollars in Sharp.

The decision comes after five years of courting by Foxconn founder Terry Gou, who sees ownership of Sharp as a way to better compete with Asian rivals such as Samsung Electronics.

But media reports say that Foxconn received new information which need to be clarified before the deal could be done.

Export companies enjoy RMB exchanges benefit

The latest data shows the central parity rate of the Chinese yuan weakened 16 basis points to against the U.S. dollar on Thursday.

The exchange rate is a little over 6.5 yuan to the dollar.

The yuan has fallen more than five percent against the U.S. dollar since August of last year.

However, the continued depreciation of the Chinese currency has seen some Chinese companies make gains.

Zhang Bin is general manager of a company making steel kitchenware in Shanghai.

"Exporting companies have very thin profits. We expect the yuan will continue to depreciate for a while, so we are delaying our currency exchanges as long as possible to get a better deal."

Other companies nationwide are also enjoying the same advantage.

But Zhang Xiaoli, analyst at the Institute of World Economy at Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, says there's no sign the yuan will continue to depreciate in the long run.

"Small-sized companies will benefit the most from the depreciation. Bigger companies usually have fixed foreign exchange rates with banks to lock in their profits. But I think the advantages will be temporary and limited. It takes a long time to transfer a price change into a competitive advantage."

She also points out that globally weakening market demand is likely to balance out the advantages of a better exchange rate.

China's UnionPay helps Thailand set up first local debit card network

UnionPay International of China has officially launched a joint venture with banks in Thailand, creating a new system for electronic payments in the Southeast Asian country.

Thai Payment Network, in which Bangkok Bank and UnionPay each own a 50 percent stake, plans to introduce its own debit cards in May.

The company aims to issue over 3 million debit cards in Thailand by the end of this year.

Three other commercial banks — Krungthai Bank, Siam Commercial Bank, and Kasikornbank — are expected to become TPN shareholders and own a 15 percent stake each.

Currently, a majority of debit cards circulating in Thailand are issued by Visa.

Sports

China Dominates Diving World CUp

In some diving news:

China has secured their dominance in the aquatic sport by winning six out of the eight gold medals in the Diving World Cup, which came to a close on Wednesday in Rio De Janeiro.

The first medal would be won by Chinese athletes, Chen Ruolin and Liu Huixia, for their performance in the women's synchronized 10 meter platform.

The second would come from Shi Tingmao and Wu Minxia, who conquered the women's 3 meter synchronized spring board.

Shi would follow-up with a second medal for her performance in the women's 3 meters spring board.

Following their lead, Chen Aisen and Lin Yue would take the gold for the men's 10 meter synchronized platform.

Also 15 year old, Ren Qian, would take the gold for the women's 10 meter platform.

And on the final day of the tournament, China's Qiu Bo would win the men's 10 meter platform

There were only two male category's where the gold medal would escape China.

This competition was a test event for the upcoming Olympic games, but as it stands, China could be dominating the sport.

CFA gains more autonomy over Chinese Football

and in some domestic football news:

China has "abolished" the government's football management body and returned control to the Chinese football Association according to an announcement released by the CFA on Wednesday.

The Chinese football administration was one of 21 sports departments under the umbrella of the China's General Administration of sports.

This new change allows CFA control over things like personnel management, pay rate settling, football marketing and selection of national team coaches.

This new change comes as the Chinese Super league is seeing unprecedented amounts on investments being made into new talents and training facilities for clubs.

Ferrer eliminated from Abierto Mexicano

and in some tennis news out of Mexico:

After advancing into the 2nd round, top seed and 4 time winner, David Ferrer has been eliminated from the Abierto Mexicano tournament by opponent Alexandr Dolgopolov in straight sets as of Wednesday.

Ferrer's loss is a huge upset as many expected the returning champion to advance well past the second round.

After the match, Dolgopolov speculated with the press about why he came out on top.

"Well I think the humidity suits me quite well. I play good here and I play good in Rio (de Janeiro). I play good in Miami and the conditions as well. I like to play evening matches which is nice. I don't like to wake up too early. So it's nice. The crowd is really good here. They love the tennis. So I just like it here."

This loss adds to the string of bad luck Ferrer is seeing.

The Spaniard has recently fallen in the world rankings to the number 8 spot after some disappointing performances in Argentina and Rio.

Wawrinka advances in Dubai

and in another tennis update:

Stan Wawrinka moved into the quarter-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championship on Wednesday, after beating opponent Franko Skugor in straight sets.

This is good news for Wawrinka after struggling in previous Dubai championships.

Before this year, the tennis star had never made it passed the 1st round.

But after winning the second round yesterday with a 7-5, 6-1, it seems the Swiss might be able to take it all this year.

Up next for Wawrinka will be a face-off against Phillipp Kohlschreiber.

Update from preseason F1 racing

In some F1 news:

With the new season right around the corner, preseason racing is well underway.

As drivers race for the fastest time, Wednesday saw Force India Driver Nico Hulkenberg come out on top.

Other drivers would see some struggles in trying to compete for the top spot.

Ferrari Driver Kimi Raikkonnen explained the problem he was having in a press conference after the race.

"Obviously the whole car is different. So everything is new. So I think overall the handling is good. In many areas where we redeveloped we have to improve from last year. So from there is many other areas."

Many drivers are using this time to become familiar with the new changes made to their cars.

But they had better hurry, as the new F1 season will kick off with the Australian Grand Prix on March 17th.

Wales praises France in Six nations Tournament

and in Rugby:

The welsh side has given praise to the French team's new coach, Guy Noves, as they prep to play each other on Friday for the Six Nations tournament.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Wales head coach Warren Gatland, let the French squad know, he approved of their new hire.

"The thing about Guy Noves is, as a coach, if you look at his track record and what he has done with Toulouse, he's been absolutely exceptional. He has been outstanding as a coach and what he's succeeded. If I look at that from the outside, to have a coach like that come in, he is already going to command respect for what he has achieved as a coach, and that makes a big difference to a squad and to a team, and the players coming in respect him for what he's done."

So far, Wales and France have played each other 3 times in the tournament.

And for all of those times, France has walked away with the win.

But Friday could be a different story as the Welsh squad will be playing on their home turf.

McIlroy and Mickelson prep for Honda Classic

and in some golf news:

Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson have been prepping in Florida, ahead of the upcoming Honda Classic.

McIlroy will be coming into the tournament with a lot to prove after some disappointing play in Riviera which earned him a final spot of 20th in the tournament.

And for Mickelson, the tennis pro is excited to be playing better than he has in the past few years, with a lot of his success coming in the first month of the new season.

Each tournament means a lot for these pro's as they aspire to play in the Augusta National, the first major for the year.

Tee-off for the Honda Classic will start this Thursday.

Entertainment

The 40th annual Hong Kong International Film Festival announces line up

The 40th Hong Kong International Film Festival announced its upcoming lineup yesterday.

Comedy "Chongqing Hot Pot" and gangster movie "Trivisa" have been chosen to open the festival, while "Creepy," a Japanese thriller, will bring the festival to a close.

Actor Louis Koo, who's been appointed as the ambassador of the film festival for the third time, expressed excitement over newly proposed Hong Kong Government funding for the film industry.

"When I saw the report that the government will spend $20 million Hong Kong dollars to support the film industry, I felt really happy. However, I think the most important thing is that we make great movies and put the money to good use. That's important. I would like to see new, innovative and local films to come out of Hong Kong. "

The two films chosen to open the festival are sure signs of a booming film industry in the region.　

Director Qing Yang's "Chongqing Hot Pot," starring famous Chinese actors -Chen Kun and Bai Baihe, follows the story of classmates who share a failing hot pot business together but then discover access to a nearby bank vault, which changes everything.

"Trivisa," by celebrated Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To, featuring Taiwan actor and singer Richie Jen, and also includes contributions by three promising young directors from Hong Kong.

Director Wong Kar Wai's classics including "2046," "In the Mood for Love," and "Chongking Express," are also included in the lineup as part of a celebration for the 25th Anniversary of his film production company, Jet Tone Films.

Over 240 films from 66 countries and regions will be screened at the event, which runs from March 21st to April 4th.

1st Berlin Chinese Film Festival kicks off

The 1st Berlin Chinese Film Festival kicked off at the Kino Babylon on Wednesday.

40 Chinese films will take part in the 4-day-event to offer local citizens a different way to understand Chinese culture and society.

Hundreds of people attended the opening ceremony and the screening of Taiwan director Chen Yushan's Golden Horse Award winning comedy "Our time."

15 other pictures, including thriller "Port of Call" and crime comedy "North by Northeast," are the main competition for the best movie award at the Film Festival.

The jury contains ten judges from both China and Germany.

The event will come to an end on Saturday.

"Meeting of Shakespeare and Tang Xianzu", Marking the 400th anniversary of their death, is underway

The year 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of two great masters: Great Britain's William Shakespeare and Ancient China's Tang Xianzu.

A series of activities titled "A dialogue between East and West: a meeting of Shakespeare and Tang Xianzu" is now underway in China.

The "King and Country" Trilogy, including Henry IV parts 1, part 2, and Henry V, brought by the Royal Shakespeare Company, has been performed in Beijing's National Center for the Performing Arts.

It was also the trilogy's debut in China.

Li Zhixiang, vice president of NCPA says there will be more activates for Chinese Shakespeare fans.

"We are going to hold a drama forum including artists from both China and the UK, as well as workshops and master classes. The goal is to offer audiences multiple choices to learn about both historical artists Tang Xianzu and William Shakespeare."

According to Li, a joint project involving Chinese and British artists to translate Shakespeare's works into Chinese is also underway.

Adele Dominates Brit Awards 2016

A tearful Adele was crowned queen of the British music scene with four prizes out of five nominations and a soulful performance at the Brit Awards on Wednesday.

Her trophies include best British female solo artist of the year, best single of the year for "Hello," the Global Success Award, and the album of the year award for the multi-million selling "25."

The world-conquering diva was very excited and emotional accepting all the awards.

"To come back after so long away and be so warmly received is really lovely, thank you so much! I can't work if I'm crying cause of that video. My kid is gonna think I'm so cool! I said earlier, but to come back I was… I got really lost for a while. I didn't know if I'd ever come back. And to be, for you to be so kind to me, it's too nice!"

The ceremony also featured a music tribute to David Bowie, who died last month, by New Zealand singer Lorde and Bowie's touring band.

Other winners include Coldplay with best British group, James Bay named Best Male artist, One Direction honored for Best Video, Tame Impala for best international group, and Justin Bieber won best international male.

Weather

Beijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of -5; more clouds tomorrow and a high of 8.

Shanghai, cloudy tonight with a low of 4; also cloudy tomorrow with a high of 15.

Chongqing will be overcast with a low of 8; same skies tomorrow, highs of 16.

Lhasa will have some clouds tonight with a low of -4; cloudy tomorrow with a high of 8.

Elsewhere in Asia,

Islamabad, sunny tomorrow with a high of 23.

Kabul, cloudy, 5.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney will have slight rain, highs of 27.

Brisbane, sunny, 30.

Perth, cloudy, 36.

And finally Auckland will be cloudy with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

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

Recapping our top stories...

The US president has stressed the importance his country's relationship with China during a White House visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi...

Issues regarding sustainable economic growth are expected to top the agenda at the G20 summit in Shanghai on Friday and Saturday...

On behalf of the Beijing Hour team, it’s Shane Bigham in Beijing. Join us for the next edition of the Beijing Hour, to open a window to the world together...