新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2014/05/29

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition
 
 
Shane Bigham with you on this Thursday, May 29th, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Chinese authorities are objecting to the addition of a US missile defense system in South Korea, calling it a threat to regional stability...
Meantime, the US president is calling for restraint when it comes to intervening in global affairs...
And Syrians living abroad have begun early balloting for next week's presidential election...
In Business...Chinese regulators are moving forward with market reforms...
In sports...who's in and who's out heading into the third round at the French Open...
In entertainment...Marco Polo the movie now has a director...
But first... lets get a check on the weather...
 
 
Weather
 
 
China on high temperature alert
 
A weather alert has been issued in China because of high temperatures.
Many cities in central and eastern regions can expect highs reaching 40 degrees Celsius today.
Torrential rain is in the forecast in some western and southern cities.
 
Beijing will be sunny today with a high of 38 degree Celsius.
Overnight temperatures should drop down to around 23.
Shanghai will be sunny during the daytime with a high of 34.
Overnight, it will be cloudy with a low of 23.
In Chongqing, it will be overcast with a high of 25.
Overnight lows are expected to be around 20.
Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia.
Islamabad will be cloudy with a high of 37.
Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 25.
Over to North America.
New York will be cloudy today with a high of 19 degrees.
Washington will see slight rain with a high of 18 degrees.
Honolulu, cloudy, 28.
Toronto, Canada, will be cloudy with a high of 20 degrees.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires will have slight rain with a high of 17.
And Rio de Janeiro will see slight rain with a high of 21 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
U.S.shield in ROK disrupts regional stability: Chinese FM spokesman
 
The Chinese government is raising its objections to the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea, calling it "inconducive" to regional stability.
Washington invited Seoul to join the missile defense system, citing threats posed by North Korea.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang says China is firmly committed to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
"China will never ever allow chaos or war on its doorway. We urge all parties to take concerted efforts, take into consideration the whole situation on the peninsula, and stop doing anything that might escalate tensions."
At the same time, the spokesman reveals that the Chinese government is preparing new rules connected to cyber security.
Qin Gang says while China is more aware of the importance of strengthening information security, foreign investment and enterprises are still welcome in China.
"However, be they foreign enterprises or Chinese-foreign joint ventures, an important precondition is that they should respect China's laws and regulations, and their operations should serve China's national interests and security."
The comments come amid reports Chinese authorities are reviewing the security of IBM's servers in this country.
 
 
Obama argues for restraint from military intervention in global crises
 
Anchor
U.S. President Barack Obama says the US remains the world's most indispensable nation, but argues for restraint before embarking on more military adventures.
The U.S president outlined a broad approach to foreign affairs while addressing the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
CRI's Ding Lulu has more.
Reporter
During the speech, Obama promised that the US will not create more enemies than what it removes from the battlefield.
"I would betray my duty to you, and to the country we love, if I ever sent you into harm's way simply because I saw a problem somewhere in the world that needed to be fixed, or because I was worried about critics who think military intervention is the only way for America to avoid looking weak."
The U.S president defends his decision not to intervene militarily in Syria, saying he thinks it is the right decision not to put American troops into the middle of an increasingly sectarian civil war.
Meanwhile, he expresses a willingness to expand assistance to Syrian opposition groups and step up support to Syria's neighbors including Jordan and Iraq.
He also hails the strategy of relying on diplomacy over military intervention in resolving global crises such as Ukraine and Iran.
The statements come as the opposition Republicans in the US Congress have been contending that Obama's approach to global problems is too cautious.
In terms of anti-terrorism, the US president says terrorism remains the most direct threat to American security.
But rather than launching large-scale military efforts, Obama calls for partnering with countries where militant networks seek a foothold.
Such efforts include a new 5 billion U.S. dollar fund to help countries fight terrorism and to expand funding for the US Defense Department.
"Today, as part of this effort, I am calling on Congress to support a new Counter-Terrorism Partnerships Fund of up to 5 billion dollars, which will allow us to train, build capacity, and facilitate partner countries on the front lines. These resources will give us flexibility to fulfil different missions, including training security forces in Yemen who have gone on the offensive against al Qaida; supporting a multinational force to keep the peace in Somalia; working with European allies to train a functioning security force and border patrol in Libya."
But he also says that the administration will continue to take direct action, including drone strikes, when necessary to protect US interests.
Earlier, Obama announced plans to wind down America's lengthy war in Afghanistan by the end of 2016.
For CRI, I am Ding Lulu.
 
 
Overseas Syrians start to cast ballots in presidential poll
 
Syrians living abroad have started casting ballots in the country's presidential elections.
In Lebanon, thousands of supporters of Syria's President Bashar Assad marched to their country's embassy in Beirut to vote.
Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdulkarim Ali says the voting has been extended by a few hours due to heavy participation.
"This day is the day of the elections outside Syria. There are huge numbers of people in Lebanon and we are receiving a lot of calls that show the enthusiasm of the Syrians and their patriotism to participate in this election. This reflects their shock at what they have seen in the complicated crisis in Syria."
There are about 1.1 million Syrians living in Lebanon as refugees.
The number of eligible voters in and outside Syria is expected to exceed 15 million.
Election day in Syria is next Tuesday.
Three candidates are up for election, including current President Bashar al-Assad.
Assad is widely expected to win the election, which will be the first in some 50-years in Syria.
Previous votes in Syria have been referendums on whether or not the electorate supports the regime.
The Syrian opposition-in-exile has dismissed the current election as a fraud.
Most European and Arab countries are not permitting this voting process in their territories.
The Syrian government has contended that such a move runs against international law and Syrian sovereignty.
 
 
Palestinians to announce unity gov't line-up Thursday
 
The Palestinians are due to announce the line-up of an interim unity government later today.
Current Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah is expected to lead the interim government
Earlier on Wednesday, the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the unity government will include technocrat ministers who don't represent any political party, either Hamas or his Fatah party.
According to a deal reached in April between Hamas and Fatah, the interim unity government will have a six-month mission before general parliamentary and presidential elections.
 
 
Israel celebrates 47th anniversary of Jerusalem's "reunification"/xinhua
 
More than 20-thousand people took to the streets of Jerusalem on Wednesday to celebrate the anniversary of the Jerusalem Day.
It was the 47th anniversary of Israel taking control of the formerly Arab-controlled eastern portion of the city in the 1967 Middle East war.
There was an open-air concert and fireworks to mark the occasion, followed by the march through the city.
A sea of people, mainly nationalist jews, danced and chanted to glorify the importance of Jerusalem to the Jewish people.
In 1980, Israel officially annexed Arab eastern Jerusalem and "unified " the city, but the move has not been recognized by the international community.
The move has been a bitter point of division whenever peace talks are held between Palestinians and Israelis.
 
 
Egypt's Sisi to sweep presidential polls after initial count
 
Initial poll count shows that Egypt's former military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will sweep the presidential elections with an overwhelming majority of votes.
Sisi's campaign team was quoted as saying that he has garnered over 93 percent of the ballots.
The three-day voting will officially wrap up later today.
 
 
Interim Ukrainian government reiterates aim to become a European country
 
The interim Ukrainian Prime Minister is reiterating his aim for Ukraine to become a member country of the European Union.
Speaking in Berlin, Arseniy Yatsenyuk says with a newly elected President, a new cabinet will be announced soon.
"We are convinced and clear in our aims. Our aim is for Ukraine to become a European country. With the new president, together with the government and the parliament, we will do everything that the Ukrainian people expect us to do. And the Ukrainian people expect changes from us."
Yatsenyuk is also calling on the Russians to control their own border, as Kiev has been accusing the Kremlin of supporting terrorists in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian government however is urging Kiev to stop military operations in the Donetsk region.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Kiev's policies are pushing Ukraine into "fratricidal war."
"It's necessary to use the situation after the election to immediately end using the military and launch a broad all-Ukrainian dialogue involving all regions and political forces in order to start a constitutional reform, to stabilise the situation and to create a framework for all Ukrainians."
This week saw a deadly battle over control of the airport in the city of Donetsk which left close to 40 rebels dead.
In light of the escalating tension, the Ukrainian foreign ministry has confirmed that four more monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation of Europe have been abducted by insurgents in Donetsk.
The OSCE said earlier that it had re-established contact with a monitoring group team it lost on Tuesday.
The OSCE said the team remains under detention.
 
 
Russian Rocket sent US, German and Russian crew to ISS
 
Regardless of the critical situation in Ukraine, Russian and US space agencies continue to cooperate.
A Russian rocket successfully took off from Kazakhstan, sending three crew members to the International Space Station.
The Soyuz booster rocket was launched at 1:57 am Thursday and headed towards the darkness over the Central Asian steppe.
New members arrived at the destination in less than six hours and will spend six months in the orbiting station.
NASA's Reid Wiseman, Russian cosmonaut Max Surayev and German Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency will join the old team of two Russians and an American.
 
 
China is stepping up integration plan of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei
 
Anchor
China's central government is providing more details of its plans for the integration of Beijing, Tianjin and the surrounding province of Hebei.
CRI's Cao Yuwei has more.
Reporter
Authorities say the plans are designed to try to solve the current problems facing Beijing, such as the massive population, environmental pollution and traffic congestion.
Fan Hengshan is the Deputy Secretary of the National Development and Reform Commission, or NDRC.
He says integrating Beijing, Tianjian and Hebei is going to come with a lot of challenges.
"For instance, Beijing is a multifunctional city with the population increasing at a rapid speed. And at the same time, there is still a significant development gap among the three regions. What's more, the entire area has too many individual cities, which is putting a lot of pressure on resources, such as water. The region also has a major problem with air pollution. Solving these issues is extremely urgent."
Fan Hengshan says the NDRC has already completed a research report as part of their plans.
He says the research is suggesting one of their key areas of focus is to ensure Beijing remains a functional capital.
"The focus is to ease pressure on areas that aren't critical to Beijing being the Chinese capital. We also want to ensure the region is better interconnected in both transportation and infrastructure. To do this, we need to be innovative when it comes to coordinating social functions and public services. We also have to think 'green' when it comes to construction and our use of environmental resources and energy."
Wang Kai, vice-president of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, suggests certian functions be transferred out of Beijing.
"For example, when it comes to the manufacturing industry, we can do research in Beijing while doing the physical manufacturing outside the capital city. There are a number of other functions, including education and medical services, that can also be transferred out of Beijing. This will be a win-win situation, as it will ease the burden on Beijing and increase economic development in Hebei and Tianjin."
Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, covering over 200-thousand square kilometers, has a total population of over 100 million.
The three areas are closely connected historically, geographically and economically.
The central government says it feels these advantages haven't been made full use of.
For CRI, this is Cao Yuwei.
 
 
Post-1990 generation picky about jobs: research
 
Anchor
A new study shows members of the "post-1990" generation here in China are becoming more picky about their employment options, with many applying for multiple positions and holding out high expectations for their job prospects.
CRI's Li Dong has more.
Reporter
The study, conducted by leading Chinese recruitment website, 51job.com, shows that, when a fresh graduate snags a job interview, he or she is also more likely to miss it, turn down an offer and has no qualms about quitting if the work is not to their taste.
The website surveyed 2,357 enterprises and 1,230 fresh graduates nationwide over 15 days.
Of those surveyed, 45 percent of employers say more than half of job candidates within this demographic failed to turn up on time for interviews.
Shanshan is a manager of an IT company in Beijing.
Act1 Chinese Female
"There was this case in my department. The new recruit came to work one day. The next day she said she was pregnant and wanted to quit and refused to give us any proof. Similar cases also happen in other departments as well. Their excuses to quit may be 'mom is seriously ill,' or 'the work pressure is heavy.' Extreme cases are rare, but they still resign by giving excuses. But our company incurs the losses caused by their sudden departure."
The survey also shows more than 60 percent of fresh graduates also felt they needed help to look for a job.
Zhang Zhixin is a professor of public management at the Capital University of Economics and Business. Part of his job is to provide employment guidance to his students. Zhang Zhixin says the post-1990 generation cares more about the working environment, the happiness they derive from their work and respect from others.
"For the post-1990 generation, their living conditions are much better than the post-1980 and post-1970 generations. They are also an only child in a big family. They grew up in an era when China's economy is booming. Some students already have several properties under their names. I know a student who quit a job just because he didn't like the people he worked with. The post-1990 generation tends to be more self-oriented and lack a spirit of diplomacy and teamwork. It takes time for them to learn what they really want and make long term plans for life--they need time."
However, You Rushi, who will graduate from university this July, says she and her classmates know what they want to do in life.
"We are still young; we still have opportunities. If we don't work hard for the lives we want to live, we will lose passion and can't afford to pursue our dreams when we become old. That's maybe why many of us often redirect our goals and are very flexible in making decision."
Feng Lijuan, the chief consultant at 51job.com, says its members can access lots of information online every day and can find many work opportunities through the site, so they compare and deliberate on different positions.
Feng also suggests employers should communicate with their post-1990 employees regularly and provide counseling to help them deal with obstacles.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Anchor
First off, a quick look at the closing numbers in North America and Europe.
Joining me on the desk, CRI's Ding Lulu.
Reporter
US Stocks turned lower in the final minutes of trading Wednesday, leading the S&P 500 to close just shy of its all-time high.
The Dow fell 0.3%. The S&P 500 lost 0.1%, while the Nasdaq declined 0.3%.
In coporate news, Michael Kors climbed 1.3 percent following the luxury brand's quarterly earnings as sales of its handbags and watches surged in North America.
After the markets closed, Apple announced it will buy Beats for about $3 billion. We have details of the acquisition coming up a little later in business.
Over in Europe, markets are little changed. Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 ended flat. London's FTSE 100 edged up 0.1 percent.
 
 
Apple agrees to buy headphone maker Beats for $3bn
 
Apple has confirmed it will buy headphone maker and music-streaming service Beats Electronics.
The deal is worth a total of 3 billion US dollars and is thought to be Apple's biggest acquisition.
As part of the deal, Beats co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr Dre will join the technology giant.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said the deal would allow the firm to "continue to create the most innovative music products and services in the world".
Beats until recently was best known for its headphones.
 
 
78 companies delisted since 2001
 
The China Securities Regulatory Commission is pushing forward on reforms of the capital market, especially on developing a de-listing mechanism.
Only 78 companies have been de-listed from stock exchanges in China since 2001.
The CSRC recently announced plans to allow about 100 companies to launch IPOs during the second half of the year, while a roughly equal number of companies is set to be removed.
With more on the issues regarding market de-listing, we are joined live on the line with CRI's Financial Commentator Cao Can.
Question:
1. Recently, is was discovered that the Nanjing Textiles Corporation had been overstating its profits for years. The company was punished but it hasn't been forced out of the capital market. Are scenarios like this typical? What kind of issues need to be addressed if the authorities are in fact going to reform the marketplace?
2. Is there anything special about the timing of the reforms, like is this linked to the desire to switch from dependence on manufacturing to a market-based economy?
3. What are the major difficulties in pushing forward the reform on the capital market? What can we learn from the western markets?
Back Anchor:
That was Cao Can, CRI's commentator.
 
 
Service trade fair opened in Beijing
 
The Third China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) has opened here in Beijing, attracting thousands of international exhibitors eyeing a bigger market share.
International Trade Representative of the Ministry of Commerce Zhong Shan attended the fair's opening ceremony.
"The rapid development of the service industry in China is not only a driving force for economic growth and structural adjustment, but also a major support for employment during the economic slowdown. In Beijing, the service sector is 77 percent of the city's GDP, but exports of goods and services are equally important. Since China joined the WTO, we are committed to open 100 service sectors and improve laws and regulations for Hospitality Management. The services sector accounted for 52.3 percent of China's utilization of foreign capital."
China overtook the United States as the world's largest goods trading nation in 2013.
William Danvers, Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD says there's still huge room for China's service trade sector.
Over 25-hundred companies from over 100 countries are attending the trade Fair in Beijing.
The China International Fair for Trade in Services runs through June 1st.
 
 
Chinese premier meets WEF founder, executive chairman on closer ties
 
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has met with World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab in Beijing, agreeing on closer cooperation between China and the institution.
Li Keqiang says, given the current complicated global economic situation, developed and emerging economies need to help each other.
He also says the Chinese economy has been running smoothly despite the complicated external situation, and the country has made positive progress in structural adjustment.
Schwab, for his part, expressed his appreciation for China's support for the WEF, vowing to play a positive role in promoting global economic governance and economic development through such platforms as the Summer Davos Forum.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
U.S.shield in ROK disrupts regional stability: Chinese FM spokesman
 
The Chinese government is objecting to the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea.
Authorities in Beijing say the addition of this military hardware to the Korean Peninsula is detrimental to regional stability.
Washington invited Seoul to join the missile defense system citing threats posed by North Korea.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang says China is firmly committed to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and China will never allow chaos or war on its own doorway.
 
 
Obama argues for restraint from military intervention in global crises
 
U.S. President Barack Obama says the US remains the world's most indispensable nation, but argues for restraint before embarking on more military adventures.
The U.S president outlined a broad approach to foreign affairs while addressing the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
During the speech, the US president says terrorism remains the most direct threat to American security.
However Obama promised that the US will not create more enemies than what it removes from the battlefield.
The statements come as the opposition Republicans in the US Congress have been contending that Obama's approach to global problems is too cautious.
 
 
Egypt's Sisi to sweep presidential polls after initial count
 
Initial poll count shows that Egypt's former military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will sweep the presidential elections with an overwhelming majority of votes.
Sisi's campaign team was quoted as saying that he has garnered over 93 percent of the ballots.
The three-day voting will officially wrap up later today.
 
 
Overseas Syrians start to cast ballots in presidential poll
 
Syrians living abroad have started casting ballots in the country's presidential election.
In Lebanon, thousands of supporters of Syria's President Bashar Assad marched to their country's embassy in Beirut to vote.
The number of eligible voters in and outside Syria is expected to exceed 15 million.
Election day in Syria is next Tuesday.
Three candidates are up for election, including current President Bashar al-Assad.
Assad is widely expected to win the election, which will be the first in some 50-years in Syria.
 
 
Palestinians to announce unity gov't line-up Thursday
 
The Palestinians are due to announce the line-up of an interim unity government later today.
Current Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah is expected to lead the interim government
Earlier on Wednesday, the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the unity government will include technocrat ministers who don't represent any political party, either Hamas or his Fatah party.
According to a deal reached in April between Hamas and Fatah, the interim unity government will have a six-month mission before general parliamentary and presidential elections.
 
 
Thai military releases Red Shirts leaders
 
The Thai military has released leading political figures of the pro-government "Red Shirts" who have been detained for seven days.
The political leaders, including the chairman of the Red Shirts group, have been released from custody only on condition they promise not to do anything provocative.
The Red Shirts supported the government ousted last week and have threatened to take action if the military seizes power.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has been confirmed to staying in Bangkok and not under house arrest.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
THE BEIJING NEWS
Headline
CPC issues documents to ban officials from private clubs
Summary
The Communist Party of China (CPC) has banned officials from high-end private clubs as part of its ongoing campaign against official extravagance.
According to a circular issued by the CPC, officials will face "severe punishments" for "entering members-only clubs, as well as catering, entertainment, beauty, and fitness venues that are closed to the general public."
THE BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Beijing medical team sent to cope with terrorist-attacks
Summary
The Red Cross Society Beijing Branch signed an agreement on Wednesday with the city's public security bureau to strengthen cooperation on dealing with terrorist attacks and other emergencies.
The branch has set up a response team of 50 medical workers from the Beijing Red Cross Emergency Rescue Center.
According to the center, the team is equipped with 20 special ambulances that will be able to respond to a scene within 1 minute.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Xinjiang offers cash to revive slumping tourism industry
Summary
The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region plans to offer a 500 yuan ($80) subsidy to each tourist coming to the region in a bid to revitalize a tourism industry recently wracked by terror attacks.
The director of the Xinjiang Tourism Bureau says "The subsidies, which total 20 million yuan, have been given to tourists from 19 provinces and regions" already.
The government is also encouraging Xinjiang natives to tour their home province.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Teen killed on way to school
Summary
A 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death by his aunt's ex-husband Wednesday morning in Changning district.
The suspect, surnamed Zhu, 58, from Shanghai, was arrested for stabbing the boy and wounding the boy's father with a switchblade.
Police said Zhu attacked the father and son over a family dispute.
The case is still under investigation.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Jade Rabbit close to icy end
Summary
CHINA'S troubled Jade Rabbit moon rover is still alive after more than five months on the moon but is heading for an icy death.
Li Benzheng, deputy commander-in-chief of China's lunar program, said on Wednesday ,the rover, which was launched in December, can still send data back to Earth.
But its functionality has been weakened considerably.
Experts had feared that it might never function again, but Jade Rabbit has so far managed to survive the bitter cold.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Anchors retire from major news program on CCTV
Summary
State broadcaster China Central Television confirmed on Wednesday that two news anchors for one of China's most influential TV news programs will retire from their positions, with the move expected to better cater to younger audiences.
According to a statement by CCTV, Zhang Hongmin and Li Ruiying will retire from Xinwen Lianbo and move to another department within the broadcaster
Li and Zhang could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
NCPA Becomes Art Academy of 2 Primary Schools
 
Anchor
The National Center for the Performing Arts has announced that its become the official art academy for a pair of elementary schools here in Beijing.
CRI's Chi Huiguang has more.
Reporter
At a press conference and signing ceremony initiating arts education cooperation between the NCPA and the 2 primary schools, the NCPA officially became the art academy for the students of both schools, exciting students, parents and school officials alike.
Wen Xuetong is a grade 5 student from Jiaoweihutong Primary School. She says she is eager to learn the artistic knowledge on offer from the NCPA's lessons:
"I'm very happy, because we can get to learn more about the arts. I want to thank the NCPA for providing us with such an amazing chance. And of course, I want to express my appreciation towards my teachers and to my school for giving us the chance to know more about the arts."
Wang Lijuan is a mother of a grade one student at Zizhong Primary School. She expressed her support for the cooperation project:
"I'm pleased to attend the signing ceremony here. As parents, we care about the artistic education of our kids alongside the test subjects that the school provides. We always hope that the school could set up a platform for the students to touch upon the classical arts. We couldn't agree more about this cooperation project. We parents know little about the arts, so we hope that the school can provide such guidance to our kids."
According to the cooperation agreement, artists from NCPA will give lectures on classical music in the schools at least once a month. And the students will be invited to visit the rehearsal of performances held in the NCPA. Wang Lijuan is more than satisfied with the arrangements:
"This will go a long way to cultivating the children's aspirations towards the arts. We often brought our son here to watch plays and children's plays before he entered primary school. He is really interested in such performances."
This gradual project also expresses the NCPA's desire to popularize classical music and promote cultural cultivation. The project is actually the result of the physical and aesthetic education plan launched by the Beijing Education Committee. According to Gou Zhongwen, secretary of the Beijing Education Committee, 25 universities and community agencies in the capital city's 12 districts will cooperate with more than 140 primary schools up until September of this year. Their involvement will improve the usefulness and reach of the overall project. Guo says students will get more than just knowledge out of the arts lessons on offer:
"They will not only learn; they'll also develop their character, behavior, appearance, manners and their style of conversation. Since the project has been supported by the society, we should maintain its course. I hope that arts organizations such as the NCPA take the cooperation seriously. And the schools should make a determined effort to reform the education policy, from the examination-oriented education to quality education. Provide students with healthy, all-round development. And I hope that this period of study will have a positive influence the children."
The NCPA will shortly begin participating with the two schools, gathering special resources, practicing fresh ideas, creating new models to further satisfy the desire and aspirations of parents and society for quality education, and providing children with happy childhood memories.
According to Chen Ping, President of the NCPA, the center has continuously explored different methods of artistic education for young people. A series of special brands have been established over time, including popularity concerts for teenagers, Youth Arts Week, the International Children's Theatre Festival and NCPA Opera lessons.
BACK ANCHOR
CRI's Chi Huiguang reporting
 
 
Sports
 
 
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic through to the third round
 
Starting off with the latest from the French Open,
Local favorite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Roger Federer, and second seed Novak Djokovic have all advanced into the third round.
Frenchman Tsonga beat Austrian Jurgen Melzer in straight sets 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.
"The weather was not enjoyable, but it was a good moment for me because I won. I'm really happy to go through this round. I will have the chance to play a third round here for maybe the fifth time. So it's good."
Meanwhile, former world number one Federer went through after a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 decision over Argentina's Diego Sebastian Schwartzman in his second round match.
Federer will next meet Russia's Dmitry Tursunov.
Earlier, Djokovic went away with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 decision over home-crowd favorite Jeremy Chardy.
Over in the women's draw, Russia's Maria Sharapova avoided the exodus of seeded players after she won her second round match 7-5, 6-2 against Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria.
Earlier, world number one and defending champion Serena Williams was eliminated, as was her sister Venus.
　　
Serena was defeated 6-2, 6-2 by 20-year-old Spaniard Garbine Muguruza.
Muguruza, whose pace was too fast for Williams, will next face Slovakia's Anna Schmiedlova, who beat Serena's older sister Venus 2-6 6-3 6-4 earlier in the day.
 
 
Guangzhou Evergrande pitted against Western Sydney in ACL quarterfinals
 
Asian football news,
Defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande will take on the Western Sydney Wanderers in the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League.
It's Guangzhou's third consecutive quarterfinal appearance in the tournament while it will be Western Sydney's debut.
Evergrande will begin the series on the road in Australia on 20 of August before returning to China for the 2nd leg of the draw a week later.
In other matchups, current K League leader, the Pohang Steelers, are poised for an all-Korean matchup when they take on FC Seoul.
In the West Zone, Saudi Arabia's al-Hilal will be taking on Qatar's al-Saad.
Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates will renew its rivalry against Al Ittihad from Saudi Arabia.
 
 
South Korea falls to lowly Tunisia 0-1 in World Cup warm-up
 
Also in football, Asian powerhouse South Korea was given a World Cup wake-up call as it suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat in front of a home crowd last night.
They lost to Tunisia.
The home side was also given a fright when defender Hong Jeong-ho was forced off after 13 minutes with an ankle injury.
Doctors said the 24-year-old suffered only a bruising, playing down fears that he would miss the World Cup starting on June 12.
The Korean squad will travel to Miami today and face Ghana in a friendly on June 9 before the team takes on Russia, Algeria and Belgium in Group H at the World Cup.
 
 
Miami looks to sweep past Indiana in Game Five
 
In the NBA playoffs,
Indiana is to take on the Miami Heat in Game Five in their eastern conference final in under an hour's time.
The Heat is leading the series at 3-1 and is looking to eliminate the Pacers in this 5th game, booking a ticket into what would be the team's 4th straight NBA Finals.
For Indiana, simply put, this is a must-win game.
Yesterday in the Western Conference final, Oklahoma City evened their series against San Antonio at 2-all.
Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant combined for 71 points to propel the Thunder past the Spurs 105-92.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Rob Cohen to direct "Marco Polo"
 
Rob Cohen has now been confirmed as the director of the upcoming action movie "Marco Polo."
The 3D fantasy will be co-produced by China Film Group Corporation (CFGC) and Paramount Pictures.
At a press conference Wednesday in Beijing, the Hollywood director said the movie would be more like a story of adventure, rather than a biography of the famous Italian figure in the 13th century.
He also said that he is considering to invite Chinese action star Jet Li to join the movie.
Jet Li starred in Cohen's Mummy sequel, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in 2008.
Marco Polo is due to release in 2016.
 
 
Tom Cruise on multi-country promotion of Edge of Tomorrow
 
Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise has gone all out promoting his new film Edge of Tomorrow.
(Edge of tomorrow trailer)
The 51-year-old got started in London yesterday at around 7am local time where he spent two hours signing autographs and talking to fans and the media.
He then jetted off to the French capital for his second red carpet of the day, before flying for more of the same in New York…
And despite that work load he still took time to record a special message for his fans here in China.
"Dajia hao. Today I'm very excited to present my Chinese fans the exclusive debut of my new film, 'Edge of Tomorrow.' The film is an epic romantic adventure co-starring the talented Emily Blunt and helmed by acclaimed director Doug Liman, who made 'The Bourne Identity,' 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'. I hope you enjoy the trailer and I can't wait for you to see the 'Edge of Tomorrow' when it opens in China on June sixth. Xie xie."
The film takes places in the near future where Cruise plays a soldier fighting an alien race. He finds himself in a loop where he re-lives the last day of the battle over and over again getting better as he goes, with the help of a female soldier played by Emily Blunt.
Seems like Starship Troopers meets Groundhog Day with a light sprinkling of Saving Private Ryan.
The films director also had a message for Chinese fans:
"Dajai Hao, hello everyone my name is Doug Liman I'm the director of Edge of Tomorrow. Tom Emily and I couldn't be more excited that Edge of Tomorrow will be released in China on June 6th simultanesously with the US. Edge of Tomorrow is an epic sci-fi adventure with incredible action we can't wait for the Chinese audience to see our film and share our excitement."
 
 
Maya Angelou dies at 86
 
The US author and poet Maya Angelou has died aged 86 at her home in North Carolina.
The African American is known for providing eloquent commentary on race, gender and living life to its fullest in poems and memoirs such as "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," which brought her wide acclaim after its 1970 publication.
She won three Grammys for this and her spoken-word albums and often stressed the importance of books and reading particularly in a technological age filled with audio books, social media and smartphones.
 
 
 
That’s it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
A quick recap of headlines before we go.
Chinese authorities are objecting to the addition of a US missile defense system in South Korea, calling it a threat to regional stability...
Meantime, the US president is calling for restraint when it comes to intervening in global affairs...
And Syrians living abroad have begun early balloting for next week's presidential election...
In Business...Chinese regulators are moving forward with market reforms...
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Shane Bigham in Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.