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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Paul James with you on this Thursday, July 18th, 2013. International Nelson Mandela Day.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
A Chinese lawyer is now in consultations with the families of the victims of this month's Asiana Airlines crash landing in San Francisco.
Foreign Direct Investment here in China has spiked this past month, despite the overall slowdown of the Chinese economy.
US Secretary of State John Kerry is suggesting we may be closer to seeing a potential restart of the Middle East peace negotiations.
In Business, US Fed Chair Ben Bernake has testified before the US congress.
In sports... rumors are swirling around the Australian cricket team ahead of today's start of the 2nd test in the Ashes.
In entertainment.... Hollywood action-thriller White House Down is set to hit Chinese theatres next week.
First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...
Weather
Tropical storm Cimaron approaches S China
Tropical storm Cimaron is now approaching the southern coast of China.
The storm is situated in the South China Sea just south of the southern tip of Taiwan.
It's tracking toward southeastern Guangdong, and is expected to hit the coast in the next 36 to 48-hours.
It's packing winds of around 65-kilometers per hour at the center.
Forecasters don't anticipate it will gain any more intensity before hitting the coast.
However, it will bring significant rains with it.
Flooding here in China this year has already left over 500 people dead or missing.
Beijing will see thundershowers today, with a high of 28 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will see moderate rain tonight with a low of 22.
In Shanghai, it will be sunny today, 36 the high, and it will be cloudy tonight, the low of 28 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will see slight rain in the daytime the temperature's at 22, and tonight will have slight rain with a low of 14 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 36.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 35.
And in North America
New York, sunny, with a high of 33 degrees.
Washington, sunny, highs of 34
Houston, thundershowers, 31.
Honolulu, moderate rain, 29.
Toronto, overcast, 33.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, sunny, 18.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with highs of 27 degrees Celsius.
Top News
Asiana passengers sue Boeing
Anchor
A Chinese lawyer is now consulting the families of the three Chinese teenagers killed in the crash landing of the Asiana Airlines flight in San Franciso earlier this month.
CRI's Xie Zhao has more.
A total of 141 Chinese were among the 291 passengers aboard when the Asiana Airlines Flight made a crash landing at the San Francisco International Airport on July 6th.
Speculations are mounting on whether these Chinese victims can file a law suit in the US, where they are likely to get millions of dollars of compensation, much more than that in their homeland.
Zhang Qihuai is a lawyer with the Beijing-based Lanpeng Law firm and Secretary General of Beijing Municipal Lawyers Association.
He says the Chinese victims would be eligible to sue the airline or Boeing either in China, South Korea or the US.
"The Montreal Convention has issued regulations and rules regarding international transportation. China, U.S and South Korea are all the contracting parties."
Zhang is now working as legal consultant to the families of the 3 girls who died in the crash, as invited by the local government where the casualties came from.
Meanwhile Ribbeck Law Chartered, a Chicago law firm has taken steps to sue aircraft manufacturer Boeing, on behalf of 83 passengers, mostly Chinese, from the flight that crash-landed in San Francisco.
Monica Kelly, is a lawyer from the company.
She says the company wants to protect evidence as soon as possible.
"We filed it against Boeing seeking to identify the different component parts of the manufacturers. For example with the seat belts, that would be another party that is liable. And there all component parts of the plane made by Boeing. Boeing is the one who authorizes which company needs to make what for the plane."
Zhang Qihuai highlights it is not important at this point whether it is the airline company or Boeing to be sued, but where the suit is filed.
He explains that the amount of compensation is mostly decided by the country's personal income in the previous year.
"So given the fact that the per capita income in the US is much higher than that in China, the compensation for these 3 girls might be about 1 million yuan in China according to the Chinese law, while the number might exceed ten million U.S dollars if the suit is filed in the US."
The lawyer adds that currently he is working on a best compensation plan for the victims, and in which country the families of the 3 casualties would file their lawsuits is yet to be decided.
For CRI, this is Xie Zhao.
FDI into China surged in June
Anchor
New stats here in China show that despite the overall slowdown of the economy, Foreign Direct Investment this past month has grown at its fastest pace in more than 2-years.
CRI's Zhang Shuangfeng has the details.
Reporter
The 20 percent increase came as a surprise as it marks a significant surge from the 0.29-percent year-on-year increase in May.
But Shen Dan Yang, a spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce cautioned the upbeat figure didn't represent a rebound.
"We can not conclude that China's FDI has rebounded by simply looking at just a single month's data. But we do expect the FDI in the second half to grow steadily."
Though June's upsurge follows four straight months' growth since February, the total FDI in the first half of this year only increased 4.9 percent year on year.
The establishment of foreign-invested enterprises also failed to pick up steam during the period, as the number of such companies decreased 9.1 percent from a year earlier.
The spokesman added however, that the investments which arrived this year did see a move towards better utilization.
"The FDI increase proved the competitiveness of the Chinese economy and international investors' recognition of the investment environment in China."
Meanwhile, China's outbound investment rose 29-percent year on year in the first six months.
Shen Danyang said the increase was matched with an improved efficiency and better investment structure of Chinese enterprises going overseas.
"More and more Chinese investment overseas are bearing fruit, which boosted companies' confidence to explore new territories for growth. Chinese companies are now fast becoming a competitive force with increasing foreign recognition."
Data from the Ministry of Commercealso shows Chinese outbound investment is now favoring commercial service, retail and wholesale sectors over traditional manufacturing and mining sectors.
For CRI, I'm Zhang Shuangfeng
China-US Bilateral Investment Treaty Prospects
Anchor
The plans between China and the US to resume their negotiations toward an eventual Bilateral Investment Treaty is drawing mixed reactions among some observers.
CRI's Lucy Du explains.
Reporter
A major breakthrough was achieved last week when the two sides agreed upon the Pre-establishment National Treatment or PENT with a "negative list" approach. The PENT grants foreign investors national treatment in the pre-establishment phase of business.
This is a major move for China, who has previously limited its agreements to post-establishment national treatment. The "negative list" approach also signals China's widening of FDI activities protected by national treatment status.
He WeiWen is the co-director at the China-US Study Centre and former Counsellor at Chinese Consulate General in New York. Whilst welcoming the agreement, he stresses the importance of symmetrical attitudes.
"I have to mention that PENT and negative list are reciprocal. It does not apply to China only but to the US as well. For example, there is the recent case of Shuanghui's acquisition of Smithfield, and there is much cry in the US over worries about the fate of pork production. And in this case we should say is pork production on a negative list? If not it means that the pre-establishment of the Chinese company has the right to make an investment".
He believes that aside from the PENT and negative list, other issues are insignificant. This view is not shared by all.
Meric Sar is an arbitration attorney and BIT reasearcher at Georgetown University. He argues that the government would not look over any area of contention given the inherent cost of entering into a BIT.
"A BIT forsees a self contained legal mechanism where an investor can sue the whole State by circumventing the local courts. States tend to not like this. To give the autonomy and power to an arbitral tribunal to decide on State is something sovereign States choose to do only if it pays off."
For CRI, I am Lucy Du.
Chinese president urges development through scientific innovation
Chinese President Xi Jinping has issued a new call for a greater focus on scientific innovation, saying it should be the driving force for China's development.
Xi Jinping's comments have been made during a stop at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
He says a strong command of science can help "revitalize" the country.
"We should introduce and learn from international advanced technologies, and more importantly to take an unbeaten path. To be innovative, we should bear with innovative thinking and the courage to challenge exsisting theories, as well as to open up research in new direction, to eliminate obstacles and achieve execellency. "
Xi Jinping has also called on the scientists at the Academy to be more ambitious and eliminate the obstacles that hinder scientific development.
Japan urged to stop being provocative over Diaoyu Islands
The Chinese government is once again calling on Japan to stop any provocative actions connected to the Diaoyu Islands.
The call comes after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited two small islands near the disputed islands and spoke with Japanese Coast Guard officers there on Wednesday.
Abe has told the Coast Guard officers the Diaoyu Islands are "an inherent part of Japan's territory" and said Japan "will not recede" over the issue.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has responded, saying China possesses undisputable sovereign rights over the islands.
EU's Ashton urges release of Egypt's Morsi, new timeline laid out
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is calling for the release of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi if there are no charges against him.
Ashton also says all other political figures currently being detained should also be released if they aren't facing charges.
"I've made it clear in my statements and in all of the meetings I've had that I believe he should be released and I believe that political prisoners should be released. I make the distinction between people who may be being charged for other things and those who are being held."
The call comes as Egyptian prosecutors extend the detention of 8 leading members of the Muslim Brotherhood for additional 15-days.
They're being held while prosecutors investigate allegations they incited a violent uprising against the military earlier this month which left over 50-people dead.
Meanwhile, interim President Adli Mansour has outlined the timetable for amending the Egyptian constitution and holding new elections.
The Egyptian constitution will be re-tooled within 4-months.
And within 2-months after the constitution is re-drafted, parliamentary elections will be held.
And once the parliament is in place, the Presidental election will be called in a week.
John Kerry says Israeli-Palestinian peace talk gap narrowed
US Secretary of State John Kerry says he's won the Arab League's backing of his plan to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
"Through hard and deliberate, patient work, most importantly through quiet work, we have been able to narrow those gaps very significantly, and so we continue to get closer and I continue to remain hopeful that the sides will soon be able to come to sit at the same table."
The announcement comes follows meetings among Kerry and representatives of the Arab League in Amman, Jordan.
This is Kerry's 6th trip to the Middle East in as many months as the United States' top diplomat.
Meanwhile, it's being reported Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is calling a meeting of the PLO leadership to discuss Kerry's ideas.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled since the Israeli government began allowing settlement construction in areas the Palestinians hope to repatriate as part of an eventual two-state solution.
Protests after school lunch killing in India
Violent protests have broken out in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, where a tainted school meal has killed at least 20 children.
Another 27 children and the school cook have been hospitalised.
The children are all aged between 8 and 11.
A preliminary investigation suggests the food contained traces of an insecticide used on rice and wheat crops.
K.M. Dubey is a doctor at one of the hospitals treating the victims.
"Organophosphorous is a compound, also used as a pesticide for crops. It is very dangerous. Even a small quantity of it would prove fatal for small children. Looking at the critical condition in which they were brought to the hospital, it seems like there were large quantities of poison in the food that they consumed."
A food inspector has been suspended and the school's headmaster will be facing criminal negligence charges.
Free food is provided to school children under a federal government program.
The Mid-Day Meal program is the world's largest school meal scheme, covering over 12 million children across India.
UN urges protection of journalists in armed conflict
UN Security Council has held a special session to discuss the protection of journalists in armed conflict zones.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson is calling on the international community to do more to protect journalists.
"Last year in Syria, 41 journalists, including those who use social media, were killed. In Iraq and Afghanistan, 180 journalists have been killed since 2006. The majority of the victims are local journalists and media staff."
Chinese UN ambassador Li Baodong says the protection of journalists is an important part of civilian protection in armed conflicts.
Violence against journalists has worsened in recent years, with some 120 journalists killed around the world last year.
Putin says Snowden must not damage relations with US
Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed to give a clear answer as to whether or not his government is going to give temporary asylum to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Speaking to reporters during a stop in Siberia, Putin does say Snowden has been warned against taking any action that would damage ties between Moscow and Washington.
"Human Rights work is usually connected with side effects for those who do it. When this kind of work is done under the aegis of United States and with their support, with their financial support, with the information and political support, then it is a very comfortable work. If somebody plans to criticise the United States itself, then it is much more difficult."
Putin also says the relationship between Russia and the United States is more important than any intelligence scandal.
Under Russian rules, Snowden could be transferred from the international transit zone at Moscow's main airport to a temporary shelter for refugees while waiting a decision about his asylum request.
Snowden has applied for temporary asylum in Russia, three weeks after arriving in Moscow airport from Hong Kong.
Washington has been calling on the Russian government to turn Snowden over.
He's facing a series of charges for leaking classified US intelligence information.
Daughter says Mandela has made "remarkable" progress, UN chief hails
One of Nelson Mandela's daughters says her father is making "remarkable progress."
Zindzi Mandela's characterization of her father's health is in sharp contrast to court documents revealed earlier this month, where the family describes the soon-to-be 95-year old as on life support and near death.
"There was a time that we were all extremely anxious and worried and we were prepared for the worst, but he continues to amaze us every day. I saw him yesterday afternoon with my mother and he was watching TV with his little headphones, gave us a huge smile and he responds very well."
Although Mandela will be spending his 95th birthday in hospital later on this Thursday, Zindzi says he may be going home "anytime soon."
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon is describing Mandela is "a giant of our times".
The UN chief is also calling on people around the world to devote at least 67 minutes of their time this Thursday to community service in honor of Mandela.
International Nelson Mandela Day is today, July 18th.
It was declared by the UN in 2009 to mark the former South African president's 67-years of public service.
Mandela has been in a Pretoria hospital since last month battling a serious lung infection.
Biz Reports
Anchor
First off, a check on the stock market of North America and Europe.
Join me on the desk, CRI's Su Yi.
Reporter
U.S. stocks managed to move up with modest gains in choppy trading on Wednesday as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke broke no new ground in his testimony to the U.S. Congress.
The Dow inched up 0.1 percent.
The S&P 500 added 0.3 percent.
The Nasdaq rose 0.3 percent.
Meanwhile, Canada's S&P/TSX gained 0.4 percent.
In Europe, Germany's DAX rose 0.7 percent.
France's CAC 40 was up 0.6 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 also up 0.2 percent.
Bernanke tells Congress Fed flexible on bond buying
US Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke has testified before the US congress the Fed is going to base its adjustments of its bond purchasing program on how the economy performs.
Bernake, in his latest monetary report, says US economic recovery has continued at a "moderate pace" in recent quarters, despite the strong headwinds created by the federal fiscal policy.
He also says he believes an adaptable monetary policy is still what's needed.
"With unemployment still high and declining only gradually, and with inflation running below the Committee's longer-run objective, a highly accommodative monetary policy will remain appropriate for the foreseeable future."
Bernanke has also told lawmakers plans are still in place to conditionally scale back its bond purchasing program.
"If the incoming data were to be broadly consistent with these projections, we anticipated that it would be appropriate to begin to moderate the monthly pace of purchases later this year. And if the subsequent data continued to confirm this pattern of ongoing economic improvement and normalizing inflation, we expected to continue to reduce the pace of purchases in measured steps through the first half of next year, ending them around midyear."
Bernake's comments are his latest attempt to try to reassure the markets.
U.S. economy expanding at "modest to moderate" pace: Fed report
The U.S. central bank's latest Beige Book Report is suggesting U.S. economy has maintained "modest to moderate" growth in June and early July.
The analysis of the Fed's regional banks has determined manufacturing has expanded in most of its 12 districts.
Many of the districts are also reporting increases in new orders, shipments and production.
The Fed also says consumer spending and auto sales have increased, which should help to underpin the recovery in the third quarter.
Phoning China launches crackdown on pharmaceutical sector
China's food and drug watchdog has formally ushered in a nationwide crackdown on the sale of illegal medicine.
It comes just days after police detained four senior excutives from GlaxoSmithKline's Chinese operations.
The four excutives are being held on charges of bribing officials and doctors to try to boost sales and raise the price of medications here in China.
The State Food and Drug Administration said the six-month campaign will target illegal online drug sales and the sale of fake traditional Chinese medicine.
At the same time, the National Development and Reform Commission is now examining the prices charged by 60 local and international drug makers.
For more on this, we are joined on the line by CRI's financial commentator, Cao Can.
1. Apparently this latest crackdown is unwrapping an orchestrated effort to clean up the sector, give us some idea why fake and overpriced drugs are such an incessantly recurring issue here in this country?
2. Many big foreign pharmaceutical makers are now on the hotplate, how much of this round of crackdown is targeted at foreign drug suppliers?
3. Most analysts believe the country's still developing regulatory environment is to blame for most of the problems in the sector, what regulatory shortcomings are we talking about here?
Back anchor: CRI's financial commentator Cao Can.
China renews pledge to push property tax expansion
Anchor
A new pledge by the authorities here in China to expand property taxes is drawing warnings by some observers, who are warning the government not to misuse the property tax program to artifically push down housing prices.
CRI's Shen Chengcheng explains.
Reporter
China's State Administration of Taxation has recently issued a circular that it will research the possibility of expanding the property tax pilot programs.
The comment is the latest in a string of official statements, in which authorities have vowed to implement a property tax plan.
The plan is currently being used in the cities of Shanghai and Chongqing.
However, despite repeated statements, the government has yet to make any substantial moves regarding the property tax.
Business commentator Wen Xing says this is because the pilot programs in Shanghai and Chongqing didn't exactly fulfill their goal of cooling the housing market.
"We don't know how much tax revenue the government has collected and whether the pilot programs are effective or not after they have been implemented in Shanghai and Chongqing for a year. However, one thing is for sure is that the trend of housing prices going up remain intact."
The pilot tax programs in Shanghai mainly targeted the ownership of multiple houses while the Chongqing trial programs focused on taxing high-end housing.
But due to limited rates ranging from 0.5 to 1.2 percent, the taxes imposed were considered too low to be effective in keeping local housing prices in check.
Chen Yuyu is an economic professor at Peking University.
He says the property tax can't be tied together with the housing prices.
"Property tax shouldn't become a tool of regulating the housing industry. Rather it should be a properly-planned local tax to pool money for its long-term development. We shouldn't make it an opportunist tool to push down housing prices."
However, some analysts do believe the property tax program will be expanded and the expansion plan is possibly be issued in the third or fourth quarter of the year.
For CRI, I'm Shen Chengcheng.
China capable of withstanding shocks, reform remains priority: IMF
The International Monetary Fund is suggesting China's economy will expand at 7.8 percent this year.
But at the same time, the IMF says risk of moderation has grown.
In its annual report on China's economy, the IMF is emphasizing the importance of reforms to secure more consumer-based and sustainable growth.
The IMF is predicting growth here in China will pick up moderately in the second half of the year in-line with a projected mild recovery in the global economy.
The report also says inflation in China is continuing on a downward path.
The IMF is predicting the inflation rate is likely to remain around 3 percent this year and next.
The IMF is suggesting the Chinese government should accelerate the transformation of its new consumer-based growth model.
The new analysis does warn the growth outlook here in China is clouded by mounting domestic vulnerabilities in the financial, fiscal, and real estate sectors.
Greek parliament approves key public-sector job cuts
The Greek government has approved a new austerity and reform bill which contains massive job cuts in the public sector.
The move is needed to unlock further international bailout funds.
Under the new plan, 25-thousand Greek civil servants on the labor reserve will be dismissed next year if they're not transferred to other posts.
The provision is the key request by European Union and International Monetary Fund.
The next rescue loan is worth of 6.8-billion euros.
The new conditions also include amendments to the tax structure.
Headline News
Japan urged to stop being provocative over Diaoyu Islands
The Chinese government is once again calling on Japan to stop any provocative actions connected to the Diaoyu Islands.
The call comes after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited two small islands near the disputed islands and spoke with Japanese Coast Guard officers there on Wednesday.
Abe has told the Coast Guard officers the Diaoyu Islands are "an inherent part of Japan's territory" and said Japan "will not recede" over the issue.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has responded, saying China possesses undisputable sovereign rights over the islands.
Daughter says Mandela has made "remarkable" progress, UN chief hails
One of Nelson Mandela's daughters says her father is making "remarkable progress."
Zindzi Mandela's characterization of her father's health is in sharp contrast to court documents revealed earlier this month, where the family describes the soon-to-be 95-year old as on life support and near death.
Although Mandela will be spending his 95th birthday in hospital later on this Thusday, Zindzi says he may be going home "anytime soon."
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon is describing Mandela is "a giant of our times".
The UN chief is also calling on people around the world to devote at least 67 minutes of their time this Thursday to community service in honor of Mandela.
Over a dozens killed in separate attacks in Iraq: police
A series of attacks across Iraq have left over a dozen people dead on Wednesday.
Three children have been killed and 5 others wounded by a roadside bomb near the city of Baquba.
Not far from that site, gunmen opened fire on the vehicle of a local Sunni tribal chief, killing his wife and wounding himself and two others.
A number of other attacks have also taken place in different parts of the same region.
Sectarian tensions have been running high in the so-called Sunni triange of Iraq, with both Sunni's and Shiite's accusing one-another of supporting extremists and local militias.
Five policemen killed in attack in northern India
At least 5 police officers are dead amid a rebel attack in northern India.
Local authorities in the northeastern state of Bihar say leftist-rebels launched the attack after police showed up amid word the group was trying to destroy a bridge in the area.
Seven other Indian police officers have been wounded in the attack.
It's unclear how many casualties there are among the rebels.
A left-wing insurgency has existed in northeast India for decades.
China capable of withstanding shocks, reform remains priority: IMF
The International Monetary Fund is suggesting China's economy will expand at 7.8 percent this year.
But at the same time, the IMF says risk of moderation has grown.
In its annual report on China's economy, the IMF is emphasizing the importance of reforms to secure more consumer-based and sustainable growth.
The IMF is predicting growth here in China will pick up moderately in the second half of the year in-line with a projected mild recovery in the global economy.
Newspaper Picks
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Shanghai airport to screen 4D movies
Summary
Shanghai's Pudong International Airport is building two mini 4D cinemas at its terminals that will hold 10 people each.
It's being reported the mini-cinema at Terminal 2, equipped with seats that rock with the movie and spray mist, is expected to be finished by the end of the year.
The plan involves displaying films less than 10-minutes in length, rather than features.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Student vacation safety
Summary
The Ministry of Education says it is planning to rate the performance of local governments with a new criteria - the unnatural death of students.
This follows a recent string of accidental drownings across parts of China.
The Education Ministry is reportedly planning to make safety education a compulsory course.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Discovery may lead to new drugs for diabetes
Summary
Shanghai researchers, working together with US and European scientists, say they've successfully decoded the structure of a protein that offers a new biomarker for a possible drugs to treat Type II diabetes.
China has more than 90 million people diagnosed with type II diabetes.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Regulator relaxes control on scripts
Summary
The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and TV has released a new policy which will allow films involving "general subjects" to no longer need to have their scripts vetted by the institution.
Filmmakers will only be required to publicize a synopsis on the administration's website to get a license.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Three Gorges protection regulations
Summary
The government is considering creating new regulations that will help to protect and maintain the safety of the Three Gorges Dam, which is home to the world's largest hydropower project.
Safety control zones will be set up for the dam's land, water and airspace regions.
The regulations will also control traffic and the movement of personnel around the dam site.
GUANGZHOU DAILY
Headline
Apology for tainted rice comment
Summary
A government official in Guangdong has apologized for recent comments suggesting cadmium-tainted rice is not toxic.
At a recent discussion session about the farmlands which have been found contaminated by heavy metals, the official said cadmium-tainted rice is not toxic or harmful to people's health if only eaten for one or two years.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Confusion delays rescue
Summary
An injured couple in Shanghai reportedly had to wait more than 34 minutes for an ambulance Tuesday night due to confusion over which of the city's emergency dispatch services was responsible for sending it out.
By the time the ambulance delivered the couple to hospital, the 57-year old woman had succombed to her injuries.
The confusion comes despite attempts by the municipal government in Shanghai to integrate the city's emergency response system.
Special Reports
A Chinese report on govn't public service capacity controversial
Anchor
A new survey about the efficiency of municipal governments here in China is drumming up controversy, with observers casting doubt about its results.
CRI's Wei Tong explains.
Reporter
The report, issued by China's Sun Yat-sen University was conducted on the basis of three indices, which include the governments' desire and capacity in dealing with public demands, the quality of the public service and their efficiency in responding to public opinion.
The top three cities whose governments have performed the best are Guangzhou in southern China, Nanjing and Ningbo in eastern China. However, Beijing and Shanghai are lag far behind.
The survey also used the popularity of the government's microblog, an online social network,as an indicator in its performance evaluation.
The report shows that the microblog for the Guangzhou government has received comments from over two million bloggers, far outnumbering that of other surveyed cities. This is one of the primary factors enabling Guangzhou to lead the ranking.
However, according to Zhou Shaojie, a senior researcher from Tsinghua University, judging a government's service ability by the number of microbloggers it has is subjective. It cannot be relied upon to provide conclusive information.
"Opinions appearing on microblog cannot be guaranteed as impartial and unbiased, since many cynical microbloggers use the online platform to unleash their emotions, especially lopsided resentment or hatred on society. What's more, the private microblogs of some movie stars have much more followers than the government ones. So directly associating the number of followers with the government's performance is not justifiable."
Zhou Shaojie suggests the survey be conducted by door-to-door with written questionnaires to make sure the collected opinions are comprehensive.
The report will later be delivered to all the 19 surveyed municipal governments.
Yao Yongling, associate professor at the Renmin University of China, however, notes the report can only serve as a reminder to governments since it cannot be enforced by law.
"In some western countries, the mayor of a city is hired by the city council. Their relationship is like the manager of a company. City residents voice their demands to the city council, which will then set targets for the mayor to fulfill. Assessment of what the government has accomplished is carried out through legal process, rather than via an academic report. The report cannot be compulsorily implemented, so it may not be effective in spurring governments to better serve the public."
But professor He Yanling from Sun Yat-sen University, who led the survey of the report, argues that competition has been brought in by making comparisons among the city governments, providing an impetus for them to improve.
"I believe that in the name of competition, the municipal governments will be motivated to enhance its public service by improving living conditions for the residents. We need to build a city into an eco-friendly homeland instead of just an economic engine. We can only achieve this by raising the governments' capacity to serve."
He Yanling adds the governments should not care too much about rankings, but rather focus on trying to serve the public well, as the people's servants.
For CRI, I am Wei Tong.
Sports
Australia cricket team assaulted by rumors ahead of Lords
The second Ashes test at Lords will get underway later today.
More rumors have surfaced within the last few days about renewed tensions within the Australian camp.
Some of it has to do with former coach Mickey Arthur's impending lawsuit against Cricket Australia following his abrupt sacking a month ago.
There has also been talk of factions within the team, the main feud being between captain Michael Clarke and Shane Watson.
But Clarke insists that his team is focused on playing well at Lords.
"For us and this team right now it's about looking forward. I think we showed all of the media and the public that over the last five days playing at Nottingham, and we'd like to continue showing that in this second Test match at Lord's. So our focus is making sure we're as well-prepared as we can be, in regards to training today and then get out there and enjoy this second Test match."
Meanwhile, England is calm and collected ahead of the second test. Captain Alastair Cook says the last thing they are thinking about is Australia's off-field drama.
"It's not for us to comment on, and it never has been. One of our strengths is that we concentrate solely on ourselves. We know how important team spirit is. We know how important the team culture is. We've experienced difficulties in the past. But for me to comment on what's happening in the Australian camp would be wrong, and as I said, you saw what happened in Trent Bridge - it doesn't seem to have affected them."
Day one begins at Lords at 3pm London time.
Adam Scott and Luke Donald both eager for victory at the Open Championship
The Ashes is on the mind of Australian golfer Adam Scott who is getting ready to tee off at the Open Championship today.
Scott hopes a win in Scotland might in some way inspire his country's cricket team to beat the English.
"It would be a fun storyline (to win here and inspire Ashes victory) but hopefully - absolutely I would love to get in here this week. And maybe spur our cricket team along to leveling the Test series. It is tough times being an Aussie over here at the moment to be honest with you. I move around very quietly around town."
At last year's Open Championship, Scott gave up a four shot lead in the final day to finish in second behind Ernie Els.
World number nine, Luke Donald also has high hopes for Muirfield this year. The English golfer says the course has historically favored the experienced players.
"It does tend to bring out pretty solid golfers as winners in the past, here. It's guys that have a lot of control in their golf ball. You don't get too many sort of unknowns or surprises that win it at Muirfield. I think it's going to suit the players that have experience, that know how to play links, that are in control of their game and obviously the top players maybe have a little bit of an advantage."
The first groups of players tee off for round one later today.
Chris Froome wins another stage at the tour de france
At the Tour de France,
Race leader Chris Froome won stage 17's individual time trial, to increase his overall lead to four minutes and 34 seconds.
It was another testing day for the cyclists. The 32-kilometer route included two tough second category climbs and a pair of technical descents.
The course suited Alberto Contador's strengths however, and the Spaniard seemed to have a handle on the lead going into the final meters.
Froome was 11 seconds behind after wasting some precious seconds changing to a new bike.
But the Team Sky rider didn't give up the attack, and steadily gained on Contador in the finals meters, managing to beat his rival by 9 seconds in the end.
Contador's finishing time was enough to push him ahead of Bauke Mollema to second overall.
Three more days in the Alps loom ahead of the cyclists. Up next, stage 18 features a mountainous 172.5 kilometer trek.
Roger Federer and Tommy Haas are through to the next round at the German Tennis Championships
At the German Tennis Championships,
The top two seeds Roger Federer and Tommy Haas have both advanced to the third round after wins at Hamburg.
Roger Federer dropped the first set to Germany's Daniel Brands, but bounced back admirably to win the next two.
The Swiss champ is looking for his fifth title win at Hamburg and a chance to get some of his mojo back.
After being upset at Wimbledon by Sergiy Stakhovsky, a player who ironically didn't manage to qualify for the main draw at Hamburg, Federer dropped to number five in rankings.
That's the lowest he's been in a decade.
35-year old Tommy Haas outlasted Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia after dropping the second set and wasting a 4-1 lead in the third.
Also through to the next round is defending champion Juan Monaco of Argentina, who dispatched France's Gael Monfils in two sets.
Formula One teams test out young drivers
Formula One teams headed to Silverstone yesterday for the 2013 Young Drivers Test.
The test is an opportunity for teams to scout the field of emerging talent.
Some young bloods making their debuts this year are GP2 pilot James Calado in the Force India.
Daniel Juncadella, winner of the 2011 Macau GP, for Williams. And Daniel Ricciardo is looking to replace Mark Webber for Red Bull.
Part of the fallout from last month's British Grand Prix where several drivers suffered tyre blow-outs, was a rule change for this year's test.
Race drivers can now only take part if the purpose is to conduct tyre development.
Entertainment
Rolling Stone magazine cover sparks controversy
Rolling Stone magazine's decision to put Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on their front cover has caused a public uproar.
The altest issue features a photo of the 19 year old with the caption "How a popular, promising student was failed by his family, fell into Radical Islam and Became a Monster".
The magazine has attracted more than 5000 complaints on its Facebook page in the 12 hours following the cover's online emergence.
Many cited resemblances to the iconic Jim Morrison covers for the magazine as signs the editorial was glamourising Tsarnaev.
Popstar Pink were amongst the critics, panning the cover as "a horrible, classless and stupid choice".
However, Rolling Stone has come out in defence of the move.
The editors claimed that the article "reflects the publication's commitment to serious, thoughtful coverage".
The magazine added that the suspect's age group corresponds with that of its readership, makiong the issue one worthy of exploration.
Two retail chains have already announced that they will refuse to stock the forthcoming issue.
The April 15th bombings are the worst attack on US soil since 9/11, having left 3 people dead and over 260 injured.
Tsarnaev is facing 30 counts of using a weapon of mass destruction, 17 of which carry a potential death sentence.
Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty on all charges.
So Solid Crew removed from Lovebox lineup
Tempers have been flaring upon news that So Solid Crew has been axed from the Lovebox line up just days ahead of their mainstage performance.
(So Solid)
MC Harvey, one of the founding members, took to Twitter to vent his frustrations.
The 34 year old hinted that the decision was because of rivalry with a fellow artist who blocked the band from performing at this year's festival.
Harvey added that the decision had come with "no valid explanation" accusing Lovebox of conspiring to make So Solid a "scapegoat".
Despite Harvey's angers, reports suggest that So Solid Crew is just one of four artists who received a cut due to crowd control reasons.
The band were initially scheduled to appear alongside the likes of Rudimental and girl of the moment Azaelia Banks.
(Azaelia)
The 30,000 people festival kicks off tomorrow in London's Victoria Park.
Moby releases self directed MV for latest single
EDM legend Moby has unveiled the self directed video for his latest single "A Case of Shame".
(Moby)
The collaborative effort with Cold Speckts is the first cut from his forthcoming album "Innocents".
The video shows Moby underwater, surrounded by masked chacaters wearing sheets from the album art.
The 47 year old says that he wanted to depict himself drowning and meeting people who hide their shame in the afterlife.
The video is the first Moby has made for his own music and was shot at the star's LA home.
Aside from Cold Specks, fans can expect to hear the likes of Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, Skylar Gray and Damien Jurado on the upcoming album.
"Innocents" is set to hit the shelves in September.
White House Down comes to China
White House Down has become the latest Hollywood blockbuster to make its way here to the Chinese mainland.
(white house trailer)
The latest offering from Roland Emmerrich features Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx who must protect the White House from paramilitary invaders.
Emmerich is best known for films such as 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, and Independence Day.
So far the film has received mixed reviews and hasn't performed as well at the US box office as hoped.
White House Down has pulled in just over half of its 150-million production cost.
The film will receive its nation wide release this coming Monday.
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