新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/03/14

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition

Paul James with you on this Friday, March 14, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane may be expanded into the Indian Ocean amid reports of new flight evidence possibly being discovered.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has focused on job creation in his first post-Lianghui news conference as Premier.
Russian authorities are putting forward a tempered tone ahead of a potentially-tense few days connected to the situation in Ukraine.
In Business... Ratings agency Fitch upgrades its growth forecast for China this year.
In sports.... The Beijing Ducks are through to this year's CBA Finals.
In entertainment.... tragedy strikes the famous South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas.
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be sunny today, a high of 16 degree Celsius in the daytime and a low of 2 in the night. The fine weather will continue through the weekend and temperature will also climb up.
In Shanghai, it will be sunny, the highest of 15 degree Celsius, and 4 degrees in the night.
Chongqing will be cloudy today, with a high of 16 degree Celsius in the daytime, and 10 in the night.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, overcast, 21.
Kabul, moderate rain with a high of 12.
And in North America
New York, cloudy, with a high of minus 2 degrees.
Washington, sunny, highs of 2.
Houston, rainy, 17.
Honolulu, overcast, 23.
Toronto, snowy, minus 8.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, sunny, 24.
And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain, with highs of 26 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
Search area may open in Indian Ocean for the missing Malaysian plane
 
Anchor:
A new search area may be opened up in the Indian Ocean, as authorities try to trace the whereabouts of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight.
The latest from CRI's Su Yi.
Anchor:
The White House has alluded to the opening of a new search grid in the Indian Ocean following reports via Malaysian authorities that they may have recorded several "pings" from engine data transmitted to satellites up to five hours after the last transponder signal was recorded.
These reports have suggested plane may have flown toward the Indian Ocean.
This would be in the opposite direction of the plane's planned route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
However, Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein is moving to downplay these reports.
"The last transmission from the aircraft was at 01:07 which indicated that everything was normal. Rolls Royce and Boeing teams are here in Kuala Lumpur and have worked with MAS and investigation teams since Sunday. These issues have never been raised. Whenever there are new details, they must be corroborated. Since today's media reports, MAS has asked Rolls Royce and Boeing specifically about the data. As far as Rolls Royce and Boeing are concerned, those reports are inaccurate."
Rolls Royce engines aboard the Boeing 777 automatically sent data to the engine manufacture as part of a maintenance program.
This has led to speculation the transponder of the plane may have somehow been turned off.
At the same time, Malaysian authorities say they've found no evidence of floating objects thought to have been detected by a Chinese satellite the day after the plane disappeared.
A search yesterday of the area has turned up no evidence of debris.
Amid all this conflicting information, the Chinese government has vowed not to give up the searching for the plane.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, speaking to reporters following the conclusion of the annual legislative sessions yesterday, says every clue to the disappearance of flight MH570 will be investigated.
"This is an international and large-scale search operation involving many countries. The Chinese government has asked relevant parties to enhance coordination, investigate the cause, locate the missing Malaysia Airlines plane and properly handle all related matters."
Over 80 ships and planes from 12 different countries are now combing the waters on both sides of the Malaysian peninsula in the search for the missing plane.
The Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 239-passangers and crew onboard, disappeared about an hour after takeoff early Saturday morning.
154 onboard are Chinese.
For CRI, I'm Su Yi.
 
 
Premier hold news conference after NPC closed
 
Anchor:
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has reaffirmed a 7.5 percent of GDP target for this year, while stressing the importance of creating enough jobs.
The premier's comments have been made at a news conference following the close of the annual session of the National People's Congress here in Beijing.
CRI's Xie Zhao has more:
Reporter:
Premier Li Keqiang expresses confidence of achieving the target, but stresses that the government is not preoccupied with GDP growth
"The reason why China set the growth target at 7.5% is because of the need to create new jobs, bringing real benefits to the people. We also want to raise urban and rural residents' incomes. We are attaching the importance of people's livelihoods and employment to the growth target."
The premier also responds to renewed concerns on the growth outlook of the world's second largest economy.
"We gained good experience in handling economic development last year and the Chinese economy has tremendous potential and resilience. So I believe that we have the ability and the conditions to keep economic operation within a proper range this year."
The premier notes a spate of complex challenges ahead, including enhancing the quality and efficiency of economic development, tackling pollution and saving energy.
In the premier's government work report delivered to the NPC session last week, the government has vowed to keep inflation at around 3.5 percent.
It also set a target to create 10 million more urban jobs to ensure the registered urban unemployment rate does not rise above 4.6 percent.
To achieve these goals, Li Keqiang says fiscal, tax and financial reforms will be priority on the country's overall reform agenda in 2014.
He says the authorities will continue to streamline administration and delegate power to ensure that the market fully play its role in an effective and well-regulated manner
"We will still continue biting 'hard bones' in order to better handle the relationship between the government and the market. A market economy is one based on the rule of law. We need to ensure that market energies can do anything not prohibited by law, and government departments must not do anything unless it is mandated by the law."
On top of the internal affairs, Premier Li Keqiang has elaborated on China's foreign policy in 2014, including the Sino-U.S. relationship.
"There is much more that we can do to further unleash the potential of Sino-U.S. cooperation. We need to make the most of our common ground. Wise people will seek common interests, while the unwise will focus on their differences. Whatever change may take place, it should be conducive to both countries and the sound and steady development of Sino-U.S. ties. China and the U.S. need to focus more on common ground in pursuit of long-term benefits."
During the press conference, Premier Li has also responded to multiple issues, including curbing housing prices, tackling smog and fighting against corruption.
For CRI, This is Xie Zhao.
 
 
What does the word "NPC deputy" entail?
 
Anchor:
Around 3-thousand lawmakers attended this year's annual session of the NPC, putting forward more than 460 motions.
CRI's Liu Kun spoke with one of the delegates from Shanghai to get a better idea about how the suggestions affect average people's lives.
Reporter:
Fifty-five-year-old Shen Zhigang is a professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University and one of the lawmakers at this year's session.
At 9 o'clock in the morning in Jingxi Hotel where deputies from Shanghai stay, Shen is discussing the details of the work report from China's Supreme People's Court with his fellow deputies to examine whether the Court has adequately performed its duties in the past year.
Apart from scrutinizing the work of the central government, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, another important responsibility of China's lawmakers is to deliberate bills and proposals to the presidium of the Congress in an effort to improve the country's legal system.
A bill must get the signatures of at least 30 NPC deputies before the NPC presidium accepts it. But deputies can always hand in their proposals independently.
In December 2013, the standing committee of the NPC formally allowed couples to have a second child if one parent is a single child, representing the first major easing of the three-decades-old family planning policy.
Shen Zhigang is one of the lawmakers that proposed the change to the NPC.
"I was greatly relieved when the new policy came out. I've paid close attention to the issue for a long time. Starting from 2008, I've noticed it in my research and investigations. After the policy was released, at least ten people told me in person that I had done something really good for the people."
Shen handed over the suggestion at last year's NPC session. Then he received a phone call from the National Health and Family Planning Commission, consulting his opinions on the issue.
Eight months after last year's session, Shen's proposal became reality.
Shen says, as a national deputy, he wants to push forward the progress of society as much as he can.
"I always submit bills or proposals with careful deliberation. Before I put forward any suggestions, I've conducted a lot of research, investigations or interviews. I hope that the issues I address are the concerns of the public and in the interests of the country's development and the people's urgent need."
This year, Shen is advocating a regulation on the employment of migrant workers in the hope of solving their unpaid wages.
In 1954, China held the first session of the 1st National People's Congress, at which China's Constitution was created. In the 60 years that followed, China's lawmakers have been making continuing efforts to better the country's laws and regulations.
Shen says the crucial step is to make sure that laws and regulations are effective and that their implementation is supervised by lawmakers and, most importantly, the people.
For CRI, this is Liu Kun.
 
 
Russia tells UN it 'does not want war'
 
Russia's ambassador to the United Nations has told the UN Security Council that Moscow "does not want war" with Ukraine.
Vitaly Churkin says the Kremlin doesn't want any further exacerbation of the situation.
But at the same time, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says Russia will face a 'serious series of steps' from the US and Europe if it takes control of Ukraine's Crimea region.
Kerry's comments come as people in Crimea prepare to vote on joining Russia in a referendum this Sunday.
"There will be a response of some kind to the referendum itself, and in addition, if there is no sign of any capacity to be able to move forward and resolve this issue, there will be a very serious series of steps on Monday in Europe and here with respect to the options that are available to us. Now our choice is not to be put in the position of having to do that."
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the current situation in Ukraine is its internal issue.
At the same time, Putin is putting forward a conciliatory tone toward the US and EU.
"I would like to stress that this is primarily Ukraine's internal crisis. Regrettably, we all understand that we got involved in these developments. Let us think together on the subject of how to build our relations with our partners and friends in Ukraine, and with other partners of ours in Europe and the United States."
Russian authorities have said they will respect the results of the referendum, though the Kremlin has yet to officially say how it intends to respond to the outcome.
John Kerry is due to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov later today in London to discuss the situation.
 
 
Turkish PM condemns protesters for "terrorizing" before elections
 
Turkey's Prime Minister is lashing out at demonstrators across his country, accusing them of moving this week to try to disrupt the forthcoming local elections across Turkey.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is accusing demonstrators of trying to 'incite chaos,' by provoking and terrorizing on the streets.
"And as they can see their future, they are saying let's cause chaos and maybe we'll get a result. But they can not get a result. My brothers in Ankara and Turkey will give the necessary answer on March 30."
Erdogan's comments come amid a series of on-going demonstrations this week in different cities across Turkey following the death of a 15-year old.
The 15-year old died Tuesday after falling into an unrecoverable coma when he was hit in the head with a police tear gas canister amid last summer's original demonstrations in Istanbul.
His death has since spawned a new round of protests against Erdogan's government, which come just a couple of weeks ahead of local elections in Turkey.
At least one person has been killed in the latest unrest in Turkey.
 
 
Egypt's ex-army chief not to run for president
 
A former Chief of Staff for the Egyptian military has announced he will not be a candidate in the forthcoming presidential elections.
In making the announcement, Sami Anan says he won't be forced into something which will harm Egypt or its armed forces.
Anan is a former military advisor to ousted president Mohammed Morsi.
He's faced criticism from his detractors as being a candidate for the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
Anan's decision not to contest the presidency now leaves only recently-retired military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as the only expected candidate from the Egyptian military ranks likely to run for president.
Al-Sisi, who led the military during the ouster of Mohammed Morsi, has officially yet to announce his candidacy for president.
However, he's widely expected to run.
Many observers expect he stands a good chance at winning the forthcoming vote, which has been tentatively set for May.
 
 
Egypt brokers ceasefire between Israel, Gaza: Islamic Jihad
 
An official with Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip says Egyptian mediators have managed to maintain the fragile ceasefire between Palestinian militants and Israeli forces.
The unnamed official says Egyptian intelligence has been in-contact with all-involved in Gaza, and suggests the ceasefire brokered in late 2012 is still holding.
The comments come amid heightened tensions this week, after Islamic Jihad forces in Gaza launched at least 60 rockets into southern Israel from the Gaza strip on Wednesday.
This then prompted Israeli forces to launch a series of counter-strikes on suspected militant strongholds, leaving the ceasefire in doubt.
 
 
New revelations about antiviral drug use in Xi'an kindergartens
 
Authorities in the city of Xi'an are revealing more details about the extent of a scandal involving the use of anti-viral drugs on kindergarten children.
Authorities in Shaanxi's capital now say a pair of kindergartens in the city have been given their students daily doses of a prescription cold medication since 2008.
Police say the authorities at the kindergartens created a system where they would give the children daily doses of an anti-viral drug called moroxydine ABOB during certain periods in the spring and fall.
Authorities say the idea was to try to prevent the children from coming down with colds and increase their anti-viral resistance to improve their attendance.
Health officials are now providing medical exams on the over 14-hundred children involved to determine any long-term effects from the illegal drugging.
Some parents say their children have been complaining of various symptoms, including dizzyness and stomach pains.
So far 5-people, including a pair of doctors, have been detained in connection with the scandal.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
The US markets tumbled on Thursday, registering their biggest one day drop in more than six weeks after authorities here in China reported soft economic data.
The Dow ended down 1.4 percent, its fourth decline in a row.
The S&P 500 slumped 1.2 percent.
The Nasdaq lost 1.5 percent.
Despite the sharp declines, many traders say Thursday's activity didn't feature panicked selling and took place on average volumes.
In corporate news, Amazon.com inched up 0.2 percent after the company announced it will raise the rate for its prime membership to 99 dollars a year from 79 dollars. This is the first price increase in nine years.
General Electric’s shares fell 1.6 percent after the company filed for an IPO for its North American retail finance business.
In Canada, the S&P/TSX gave up half a percent.
European markets also fell, accelerating the recent selloff and pulling Germany's main benchmark index to a three-month low.
The DAX closed 1.9 percent lower, its weakest level since December 16th.
France's CAC 40 tumbled 1.3 percent.
London's FTSE 100 lost 1 percent.
 
 
Global economy growth to accelerate in 2014, 2015: Fitch
 
Fitch appears to be becoming a little less bearish about the prospects for Chinese growth this year.
The global ratings agency has increased its GDP forecast for China this year from 7-percent to 7.3-percent.
Fitch is citing strengthened measures intended to address perceived risks to financial stability.
The 7.3-percent forecast is still below the Chinese government's goal of 7.5-percent.
At the same time, Fitch is projecting global growth will accelerate by 2.9-percent this year.
This is up from its initial forecast of 2.4-percent.
The company is citing a stronger recovery in major advanced economies as the main reason for its improved optimism.
 
 
US lifts BP government contract ban
 
The BBC is reporting US authorities have lifted a ban on oil giant BP that prevented it from bidding for US government contracts.
The ban was imposed after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
The ban has reportedly been lifted after BP agreed to a new set of safety, operational and compliance requirements.
As part of the agreement, BP will also reportedly drop its lawsuit against the US environmental Protection Agency.
If confirmed, the move will allow BP to enter into new contracts with the US government, including in the Gulf of Mexico.
 
 
McDonald's hit by worker lawsuits claiming it steals wages
 
McDonald's workers in three U.S. states are suing the fast-food chain, claiming the company is stealing their wages by forcing them to work off-the-clock and denying them rest breaks.
Seven law suits have been filed in New York, California and Michigan.
McDonald's says the company is reviewing the allegations.
Five of the lawsuits are aimed at specific restaurant franchises, as well as the corporation itself.
McDonald's has been reporting nearly two years of turbulent sales at its established U.S. restaurants amid sluggish economic growth, increased competition and internal missteps that have complicated its menus and slowed service.
 
 
Live call-in with Doug Young on corporate news of the week
 
Anchor:
Let's check out some of the key events on the corporate front in China this week.
Doug Young joins me on the line, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
So, what are your picks of the week?
Story 1
Half Of IBM (NYSE: IBM) Workers Quit At Shenzhen Plant, 20 Fired (this is about the workers at the IBM plant who went on strike because the plant will be acquired by Lenovo and they didn't want to work for Lenovo)
More than 1,000 workers went on strike last week to protest over the terms of their potential transfer to Lenovo, which said in January it would buy one of the server businesses of IBM for $2.3 billion.
In a statement posted on its website late on Monday, Lenovo said the strike was an internal matter for IBM but it also pledged to maintain the salaries and benefits of all workers that chose to stay with the company after the deal is completed.
The striking workers also had expressed concern about their severance package if they decided to leave after the deal, which is awaiting regulatory and government approval.
Questions for Topic 1:
1. Do you think the demands made by the striking workers are legit or are they being unreasonable?
2. Is the strike going to have any effect on the deal reached between IBM and Lenovo?
Story 2
Alibaba, Tencent (HKEx: 700) On List Of First 5 Private Bank Licensees (we have covered this, not with a call-in though)
Questions for Topic 2:
1. The government did not give a timetable as to when will the private banks will be allowed to set up. How soon do you think it'll happen?
2. Both the Tencent and Alibaba are already offering online finance products like Yu'e bao, and they both started offering online credit card this week. If they set up private banks, is it going to shake up the banking sector?
Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
 
 
China's central bank drains liquidity via repo
 
The People's Bank of China is moving to suck some liquidity from the system.
China's central bank has conducted a forward repurchase of 100 billion yuan from the system yesterday.
The 28-day repo, at a yield of 4 percent, together with another 100 billion yuan in repos on Tuesday, has resulted in a net capital withdrawal of 40 billion yuan from the banking system this week.
Yesterday's repo is the 8th time the central bank has moved to drain liquidity since February 18th, repurchasing a total of 565 billion yuan during this period.
The money market rates are running quite low right now, suggesting there is abundant liquidity in the banking sector at the moment.
The Shanghai Interbank Offered Rate, or Shibor, a gauge of interbank borrowing costs, is currently below 2-percent.
The 7-day return rate is currently at around 2.5-percent, meaning banks have to pay relatively little to borrow money from other lenders to pay down their daily obligations.
 
 
China economic data for Jan- Feb
 
The National Bureau of Statistics has released new data about the performance of the Chinese economy so far this year.
Through the first two months, the retail sector here in China has seen its sales growth slow to 11.8-percent year on year.
This is down from 12.3-percent growth in December.
In the break down, urban consumption in the January to February period has increased by 11.7 percent year on year.
Rural consumption growth has come in at 12.8 percent.
Meanwhile, value-added industrial production is up 8.6 percent through the first two-months.
This is up slightly from the 8-percent expansion clocked in December.
However, most economists had been expecting Industrial value-added growth to come in at 9.7-percent.
Fixed-asset urban investment has seen 17.9-percent growth in the first two months of the year.
This was down from the 21.2 percent growth registered in the same period last year, and significantly below the median forecast of 19.4 percent.
 
 
China's Jan.-Feb. home sales down 5 pct
 
New data shows home sales here in China have fallen in the first two months of the year.
Sales of residential homes across China are down 5-percent year on year to 600-billion yuan.
The amount of floor space sold in the first 2-months is down 1.2 percent year on year.
During the two-month period, gross sales of properties, including residential housing, offices and commercial premises totaled 709 billion yuan, down 3.7 percent.
Despite this, property developers are still throwing billions into the system.
Through the first two months, developers have invested 795.6-billion yuan.
This is up over 19-percent year on year.
 
 
U.S. retail sales up 0.3 percent in February
 
New data shows US retail sales have rebounded in February after two straight months of declines.
The U.S. Department of Commerce is reporting combined retail sales in February have increased 0.3 percent, after falling by a revised 0.6 percent in January.
The figure has topped economists' forecast of 0.2 percent.
Retail sales are up 1.5 percent over the past 12 months.
Consumer spending accounts for about 70-percent of the United States' economic growth.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Search area may open in Indian Ocean for the missing Malaysian plane
 
A new search area may opened up in the Indian Ocean, as authorities try to trace the whereabouts of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight.
The White House has alluded to the opening of a new search grid in the Indian Ocean following reports via Malaysian authorities that they may have recorded several "pings" from engine data transmitted to satellites up to five hours after the last transponder signal was recorded.
These reports have suggested plane may have flown toward the Indian Ocean.
This would be in the opposite direction of the plane's planned route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
At the same time, Malaysian authorities say they've found no evidence of floating objects thought to have been detected by a Chinese satellite the day after the plane disappeared.
 
 
Egypt's ex-army chief not to run for president
 
A former Chief of Staff for the Egyptian military has announced he will not be a candidate in the forthcoming presidential elections.
In making the announcement, Sami Anan says he won't be forced into something which will harm Egypt or its armed forces.
Anan is a former military advisor to ousted president Mohammed Morsi.
Anan's decision not to contest the presidency now leaves only recently-retired military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as the only expected candidate from the Egyptian military ranks likely to run for president.
 
 
Shanxi road accident death toll rises to 31
 
Officials in Shanxi now say they've been able to positively identify 31 victims from a horrific road accident earlier this month.
Nine others are still officially unaccounted for.
Because of the intense heat from the fire caused by the accident, authorities are warning it may be difficult to confirm the exact number of fatalities and the DNA of the victims.
On March 1st, a tanker truck carrying highly-flammable methanol rear-ended another tanker while travelling through a highway tunnel linking the city of Jincheng in Shanxi with the city of Jiyuan in neighboring Henan.
 
 
China replaces Germany as 3rd biggest country in patent filing: WIPO
 
The World Intellectual Property Organization says China has replaced Germany as the number-3 patent filer in the world.
The organization says China filed over 21-thousand international patent applications last year.
That represents an increase of some 15-percent over the previous year.
The Director General of the organization is describing the trend as "exceptional," given China only established its patent law 30-years ago.
The organization's annual report says the United States still leads the world in patent filings, followed by Japan, then China.
 
 
China, UK hold fifth defense strategic talks
 
Chinese and UK officials have concluded their latest round of strategic defense talks here in Beijing.
The one-day meeting has been co-chaired by PLA Deputy Chief of Staff Wang Guanzhong and British Vice Defense Chief of Staff Stuart Peach.
The two sides say they hope to deepen their military ties in areas including peacekeeping, military reform and evacuation missions.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
CHINA DIALY
Headline
Fake cigarettes to become electricity
Summary
Authorities have dumped hundreds of thousands of counterfeit cigarettes next to an incinerator in the city of Xuchang in Henan.
The plan is to burn the 80-thousand cartons to help generate electric power.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Macao chicken cull
Summary
Macao's health authorities have culled 75-hundred chicken in the wholesale market after some of the birds tested positive for avian influenza.
The infected chickens are said to have been imported from the mainland.
Authorities in Macao are also banning all live poultry imports for the next 3-weeks.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
New tram routes planned for Songjiang
Summary
The head of Songjiang District in Shanghai says two new tram routes are being constructed, and should be operational by the start of 2017.
The tracks will cover a distance of 28.5 kilometers and will connect to Shanghai's Metro Line 9.
The electric-powered trams will have four carriages with a capacity of over 360 people.
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Beijing hospitals to launch pharmacy counseling
Summary
An official with the Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals says hospitals in the city are going to set up counseling rooms to advise people how to take their medicine correctly.
The counseling rooms will provide the services for free.
Pharmacists on-staff will record cases of adverse drug reactions and report them to health authorities.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Crackdown on expired food
Summary
China's food safety watchdog is vowing to crack down on the illegal sale and disposal of expired food.
Practices such as using expired food as ingredients, falsifying expiration dates, repackaging and recycling expired foods are the focus of the new probe.
Violators could have their licenses revoked and added to a "blacklist."
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Panda's death caused by parasites
Summary
Officials with the Zhengzhou Zoo in Henan's capital now say the death of a 7-year-old female panda has been caused by a parasitic disease.
Experts still don't know how the panda became infected.
The Panda, named Jinyi, died on February 9th.
XIAOXIANG MORNING POST
Headline
China lacks antiquities craftsmen
Summary
A new report is suggesting there are only around 2-thousand trained artifacts restorers here in China.
With this in mind, the director of the Forbidden City is warning that it could take upto a century to repair all the relics stored in museums around the country.
There are said to be more than 15-hundred damaged relics in China urgently in need of repair.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Opera Eugene Onegin kicks off 2014 NCPA Opera Festival
 
Anchor:
A joint Chinese-Russian Opera production is set to hit the stage tonight at the National Center for Performing Arts here in Beijing.
CRI's Luo Wen has more.
Reporter:
Red and green apples are scattered on the lit-up center stage. Soprano Maria Bayankina, as leading lady Tatyana, walks into the scene in a pure white gown. She serenades a passionate love letter to Eugene Onegin.
At opera Eugene Onegin's dress rehearsal on Thursday, director Alexei Stepanyuk is instructing the actors to finetune their performances. They are polishing every pose, gesture and music number before the show opens in Beijing Friday night.
As the first co-production of the Mariinsky Theater and National Center of Performing Arts, Eugene Onegin is the opening act of the NCPA Opera Festival in 2014. From March 14th to March 17th, NCPA will stage two versions of the opera to the audience. One in which Chinese opera singers will play the leading roles while the other features an all-Russian cast.
Chinese soprano Ke Luwa who plays Tatyana says she has gained a deeper understanding of her character from the rehearsals.
"I am honored to work with director Alexei Stepanyuk. He is the most devoted director I have ever met. In order to help us better interpret our characters, the director would explain the character's emotional changes to us. He would also demonstrate certain acts. During the past one and half months, I have developed a thorough understanding of Tatyana."
The Chinese cast's performance certainly earned director Alexei Stepanyuk's recognition:
"I have directed many productions of Eugene Onegin in my career. Each production is a new beginning. This time I work with Chinese opera singers. I know it is quite difficult for them to sing in Russian. But I must say their pronunciations are excellent. They have done a great job. "
With the joint efforts of Chinese and Russian artists, maestro Valery Gergiev, general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, will take the baton. In an earlier interview with NCPA, Gergiev sent his good wishes to the performers in Beijing, hoping the audience will like the new production.
"The new production will bring the wonderful music of Tchaikovsky and also very interesting new ideas. Also young singers will be working together, Russian and Chinese artists. Most importantly we created fantastic cooperation which allows our audience to enjoy both Russian and Chinese music. I hope you will enjoy this wonderful production."
The classic opera is Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky's music adaptation of the titular novel written by Alexander Pushkin. The 3-act opera tells the story of protagonist Eugene Onegin who regrets his rejection of Tatyana's love and his careless incitement of a fatal duel with his best friend.
For CRI, this is Luo Wen.
 
 
Sports
 
 
The Beijing Ducks advance to finals after beating Guangdong 3-2 in playoff series
 
Last night in the CBA playoffs,
The Beijing Ducks have secured their place in the finals after defeating top ranked Guangdong on the road.
The semifinal series came down to a winner-take-all fifth round, and the Ducks pulled out a crucial victory 110-102.
Beijing's playmaker Stephon Marbury did not disappoint last night. The37-year-old finished as the top scorer with 31 points. Randolph Morris backed that up with a double-double, 22 points and 12 boards.
Beijing's Zhu Yanxi and Sun Yue combined for 28 points for the Ducks as well, including Sun's critical three pointer late in the fourth that helped dash Guangdong's hopes for a comeback.
Yi Jianlian led his team well as usual, scoring 30 points and contributing 9 boards.
The loss was a big blow for Guangdong, who have appeared in the finals for the past 12 consecutive years. Beijing will be seeking their second CBA title, when they face Xinjiang Guanghui in the final series, which gets underway on the 19th in Xinjiang.
 
 
 
Li Na, Zheng Jie, and Peng Shuai all through to semifinal rounds at BNP Paribas Open
 
In tennis, at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells California,
China's Li Na advanced to the semifinals after defeating Romanian player Dominika Cibulkova 6-3, 6-2.
The top rank will face the winner of today's quarterfinal clash between Italy's Flavia Pennetta and American Sloane Stephens.
The other semifinal battle will be between Simona Halep of Romania and Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska.
Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov upset tenth seed Milos Raonic of Canada to advance to the semifinals.
And coming up tomorrow, second seed Novak Djokovic will play Julien Benneteau of France for a place in the semifinals.
He's not seeded, but he's won against Tsonga, against some great players you know I'm going to win.. I'm going to try to win. I'm going to go out there and try to win, let me rephrase that.
And in women’s doubles,
China's Zheng Jie and Peng Shuai have both advanced to the semifinals with their respective partners. Another win would see them meeting in the final.
 
 
England takes on Italy in a Six Nations clash
 
In rugby,
England is in Rome to play Italy before moving onto the final round in the Six Nations tournament.
The English squad are level on points with France and Ireland, all having won two and lost one.
But head coach Stuart Lancaster says his team must focus on beating Italy before thinking about potentially snatching the Six Nations title.
Both sides are good. France beat us and we were pretty pleased with out performance that day so we've seen them in that arena, how strong they are but Ireland are a quality side and well coached. They've got good players and good cohesion at the moment. I'm sure it will be a tight game over there but it's an uncontrollable for us. We've just got to concentrate on the Italians."
England's starting 15 remains unchanged from the lineup that defeated Wales at Twickenham last weekend.
Manu Tuilagi will be back on the bench for England after recovering from a shoulder injury.
 
 
Red Bul and Mercedes comment on F1 season start
 
In formula one news,
More drivers commented on the season kickoff at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Red Bull didn't fare so well in the off-season. The team's test drives were hampered by technical difficulties since their supplier Renault encountered tons of problems trying to produce the new six-cylinder turbo engines.
Defending champion and Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel warned people not to write off his chances of a fifth-consecutive F1 title. But red bull's principal Christian Horner admitted his team could underperform this weekend.
(bjh/soundbite 0314 Horner, in English)
"it is going to be a tough weekend for us in all reality. I think it is the first time we have come here without the expectation of being a front-runner. Certainly over the last five years. The regulation changes are pretty significant and particularly with the power-train. Quite openly we are behind where we want to be and where our opponents are and we are working really hard to get back into a competitive state."
Engine problems are a legitimate concern as this 2014 season gets underway, so much so that F1 officials have relaxed the rule that restricts how many hours engineers and crew can spend in the pit lane working on the cars.
 
 
Alejandro Canizares leads after round one of Trophee Hassan II
 
In golf,
Spain's Alejandro Canizares shot a ten-under-par 62 for an early lead in the opening round of the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco.
"I was one of those fun rounds. (I) Played really good and I was really confident. Stuff came easy. I played every shot at the moment, I didn't get ahead of myself and I gave myself a lot of opportunities. So.... I putted well, I hit the ball well and.... ten-under, it's a great round for me."
England's Steve Benson also did well on a windy opening day, and trails Canizares by one.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Two killed after man drives into crowd at South by Southwest Festival in the USA
 
First up some tragic news coming from the South by Southwest festival in Austin, USA.
Two people have died and 23 others have been injured after a suspected drunken driver smashed through police barricades and drove down a crowded street.
South by Southwest is an annual music, film, and interactive conference and festival and many people had turned out to see shows on the street at the time.
The driver struck multiple pedestrians on a block filled with concertgoers. He eventually crashed and tried to run away, but he was tazered and taken into police custody.
Art Acevedo is the Austin Texas Police Chief :
"I can just tell you that it's clear to me from what I've seen that those are the actions of an individual that showed no regard for the human beings that he plowed through in his attempt to get away."
The driver, whose name also has not been released, faces two counts of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault with a vehicle. Acevedo said it was an "intentional act," and that the suspect has been booked and formal charges will be filed this afternoon.
 
 
Paris Hilton opens beach resort in the Philippines
 
Hotel heiress and socialite Paris Hilton has followed family tradition unveiling her first real estate project.
The Paris Beach Club, which she helped design, is a three story beach resort in Manila,, which features a man-made beach and a wave pool.
The 33-year-old turned up to the Philippines to cut the ribbon and officially open the resort. She said this is a dream come true:
"Ever since I was a little girl I really admired my great-grandfather and grandfather for the Hilton hotel empire that they created and I always had such incredible mentors looking up to these men who have done so much in the real estate world. So I always really admire them and wanted to follow in their footsteps and this is my first steps towards it."
Paris, whose fame and notoriety is known to spark interest worldwide, is the great granddaughter of hotel chain tycoon Conrad Hilton.
She also has a growing fashion empire under her name and attributed her success as a businesswoman to hard work.
 
 
Captain America: The Winter Soldier coming soon
 
(trailer)
The new Captain America movie is out soon and it is more brutal and grittier than ever.
The latest in the Marvel series, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" sees Chris Evans' character battling against an old foe from the Soviet era.
Evans said for this film, which unfolds like a political thriller, he pushed for Captain America to have a greater use of his superhuman powers.
Also the film features a major shake-up of the structure of the Marvel Universe, something Evans said was necessary to keep things interesting.
The Marvel films look like they're not going away any time soon. Among other projects the much anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy is due out this August and the company is expected to announce the film Iron Man verses the Falcon some time next week.
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane may be expanded into the Indian Ocean amid reports of new flight evidence possibly being discovered.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has focused on job creation in his first post-Lianghui news conference as Premier.
Russian authorities are putting forward a tempered tone ahead of a potentially-tense few days connected to the situation in Ukraine.
In Business... Ratings agency Fitch upgrades its growth forecast for China this year.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.