新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2014/06/26

 
 
The Beijing Hour
 
Evening Edition
 
 
Shane Bigham with you this Thursday, June 26th, 2014.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on the programme this evening...
The central government is taking steps to ensure the safety of Chinese workers in Iraq...
The UN has sanctioned the leader of Nigeria's Boko Haram islamist group...
And despite the ceasefire declared by Ukraine's president and agreed to by rebel leaders, fighting rages on in eastern regions of the country...
In business, shares of three new Chinese IPOs soar to the maximum allowable level...
In sports, some team are already home, others advance to the round of 16 at the World Cup...
In entertainment, Begin Again premiers in New York...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be clear tonight with a low of 23 degrees Celsius. Sunny tomorrow with a high of 34 degrees.　
Meanwhile Shanghai will have moderate rain tonight, with a low of 21, light rain tomorrow, with a high of 25.
Chongqing will have light rain, 22 degrees the low,the rain will continue tomorrow with a high of 27.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny with a high of 39.
Kabul, sunny, 35.
Over in Australia
Sydney, partly cloudy, high of 19.
Canberra, cloudy, 13.
Brisbane, sunny, 23.
And finally, Perth will be sunny with a high of 19.
 
 
Top News
 
 
China closely work with Iraqi govt to ensure workers' safety: FM
 
The Chinese government says it is closely coordinating with the Iraqi government to ensure the safety of Chinese workers in the Middle East country.
Earlier, it was reported over a thousand workers for a Chinese machinery company have been trapped in the Salah-Aldeen power plant in Saladin Province, north of Bagdad.
The extremist Sunni militants group ISIL has captured two villages in the province.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying:
"The coordination and communication between the Chinese embassy in Iraq and the Iraqi government and army is smooth. Our embassy in Iraq is in close touch with the relevant Iraqi departments to ensure workers at Chinese companies can safely, smoothly and in a timely way be evacuated to safe places."
Currently, there are over 10,000 Chinese workers in Iraq.
Chinese authorities say most of them are in safe areas, with only a small number in more dangerous parts of the country.
 
 
Thousands Iraqis fled as PM rejects calls for salvation government
 
Anchor:
Thousands of Iraqis have fled their homes, attempting to seek sanctuary in the country's Kurdistan autonomous region after more attacks from Sunni militants.
CRI's Xie Zhao has more.
Reporter:
Hundreds of Iraqis from villages outside of Mosul have crowded to the edge of the country's Kurdish-controlled territory.
The city of Mosul was overrun earlier this month by fighters led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, as the militants seek to carve out a purist Islamic state.
Meanwhile, thousands of Christians have fled their homes in the north of Iraq as Sunni insurgents launch attacks on their villages.
The shelling of the villages is reported in an area 75 kilometers from the frontier of the self-ruled Kurdish region.
Ahmed Hussein is a local.
"ISIL is cutting off heads. There are eight dead bodies on the river banks. No one knows what the group wants. They are looting, they pillage our homes, and they blew up the Imam Jaffer Mosque. They left nothing behind. They raped women. They left nothing behind."
ISIL has captured two villages in the province.
The Iraqi government has been struggling to repel advances led by ISIL, a well-trained force thought to have some 10,000 fighters inside the country.
The U.S. has so far refrained from carrying out air strikes on the rebels, while sending 300 military advisers to Iraq to help the country's security forces.
Washington has called for a more inclusive government to address the concerns of Sunni groups.
But Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has already rejected calls for a national salvation government to help counter the offensive by the rebels.
"It is not a secret to Iraqis, the grave intentions harboured behind the call for the formation of a so-called government of national salvation. It is an attempt to eliminate our nascent democracy and to ignore voters' opinions. The call to form a government of national salvation would torpedo the constitution and the political process."
Meanwhile, al-Maliki has also promised to start forming a new governing coalition by July.
It is reported Iran is sending drones and military equipment to help the Shiite-led government to cope with the current crisis.
The Untied Nations says at least 900 civilians have been killed and 650 others wounded since the fighting started at the beginning of this month.
For CRI, I'm Xie Zhao.
 
 
U.N. Security Council blacklists Boko Haram leader, splinter group
 
The United Nations Security Council has sanctioned the leader of Nigeria's Boko Haram and a splinter group.
Leader Abubakar Shekau and Boko Haram faction Ansaru will be banned from international travel and their assets frozen under the U.N. al Qaeda sanctions list.
It's the first individual and entity to be designated by the world body since the Islamist militant group was blacklisted last month.
Shekau is the purported leader of Boko Haram. A year ago, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry authorized a reward of up to $7 million for information leading to his location.
 
 
Fighting reported continue in eastern Ukraine amid cease-fire
 
There are reports that fighting continues to rage in eastern Ukraine despite a cease-fire plan.
Residents in the city of Slovyansk say the fighting has damaged houses and killed at least one woman.
The city's people continue to struggle with the ongoing crisis, queuing for hours at communal water pumps after electricity shortage cut off water supplies.
Svetlana is a local.
"In our neighbourhood there has been shooting for about a week. This is the third time that it has been so bad. Yesterday it was very bad. It was very close. We were all sitting here, even the dog came in. We were shaking and trying to cover the kids."
The Ukrainian government announced a cease-fire last Friday and earlier this week rebel leaders said they would honor the plan.
The U.S. has accused Russia of allowing fighters to cross into Ukraine along with heavy weapons to confront government forces. Russia has denied those allegations.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin revoked a previous decree which would have allowed Russia to intervene in Ukraine.
China has applauded Putin's move.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying:
"China thinks highly of President Putin's decision and the constructive efforts of all parties involved in the Ukraine crisis. We believe that these decisions and efforts will help to achieve a political resolution on the Ukraine crisis."
Ukraine and the European Union are scheduled to sign a new comprehensive Association Agreement on Friday, the same day the cease-fire is due to end.
The agreement will remove tariffs on around 90 percent of the goods traded between the two sides.
 
 
Counting starts as Libya wraped up parliamentary elections
 
Votes are now being counted following the latest parliamentary election in Libya.
The country's election commission says 1.5 million registered voters had the chance to cast ballots for 200 new members of parliament.
The turnout is much lower than what it was in 2012, when 2.8 million voters were registered.
High temperatures and fears of violence at polling centers are believed to have affected turnout.
Some polling stations stayed shut for security reasons in eastern regions where tribes regularly clash.
Habib Masoud is a polling station manager.
"The voting finished without incident and thanks to God, we started the counting procedure, and God willing, people who voted have made the right choice and may God protect Libya."
Armed clashes broke out in the eastern city of Benghazi amid the vote, leaving 3 dead and dozens of others injured.
Feuding between the ruling Islamists and their opponents has virtually paralyzed the political system in Libya.
To discourage political infighting between parties, candidates were required to run as independents rather than as party representatives.
Around 1,600 candidates were on the ballot.
A special body to draft a new national constitution has still not finished its work, leaving questions over what kind of political system Libya will eventually adopt.
 
 
9 killed in bomb and grenade attacks in Yemen
 
Bomb and grenade attacks at a military base and an airport in southern Yemen have resulted in at least nine deaths.
Officials say at least 12 others have been wounded.
An officer at the airport says the facility's control tower was completely destroyed by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Fierce fighting in the regions is said to be ongoing.
The Yemeni military and security forces, garnering support from the United States, have recently intensified operations against suspected al-Qaida strongholds throughout the country.
But al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has vowed to hit back in Yemen' s main cities.
 
 
New search area announced for missing Malaysian Airline
 
The Australian government has announced a new search area for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss says analysis of satellite information has defined a search zone of up to 60,000 square kilometres along an arc in the southern Indian Ocean.
"We expect that the underwater search element will commence in August and take about 12 months to complete. In addition, the search effort will include equipment provided by Malaysia which includes vessels fitted with search equipment including towed sonar systems which will be used to search the sea floor."
In the latest shift in the search for the missing airliner, investigators say they are confident the jet was on autopilot when it crashed.
The new priority area is still focused on the same seventh arc in the southern Indian Ocean where the aircraft last communicated with a satellite.
Malaysia and Australia are currently developing a memorandum of understanding to split the workload of this new phase of the operation.
The Boeing 777, carrying 239 passengers and crew, disappeared on March 8 shortly after takeoff while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
 
 
China's top cop declares "people's war" on drugs
 
The head of China's anti-drugs agency is calling for a "people's war" to stop the spread of drugs.
Guo Shengkun, who heads the National Narcotics Control Commission, made the call on the eve of today's International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
He is calling for all social forces to participate in drug control, education, and rehabilitation of addicts, and to expect severe punishments for drug crimes.
The official stresses that drug use, trafficking, and manufacturing should all be targeted in the war on drugs.
The drug control situation in China is grave and drug crimes have been spreading from border and coastal areas to the nation's heartland.
In the first five months of the year, Chinese courts sentenced nearly 40 thousand criminals for drug offenses, up 27 percent over the same period of last year.
 
 
Chinese fleet arrived at Pearl Harbor for RIMPAC
 
A Chinese fleet with about 1,100 soldiers and officers has arrived at Pearl Harbor to take part in the Rim of the Pacific multinational naval exercise.
The fleet is composed of four vessels, including a missile destroyer and the hospital ship.
The vessels departed from China earlier this month and sailed from Guam along with vessels from the U.S., Singapore and Brunei.
Zhao Xiaogang, the drill director of the Chinese fleet, says fleets from the four countries conducted a pre-exercise during the trip.
"During the exercise, we got to know the formation and communication process of the multinational fleet. By visiting other fleets, the crew members have a better understanding of each other. So I think the pre-exercise will build a solid foundation for the upcoming drill."
The multinational drill will start next month.
Chinese vessels will participate in exercises including weapons firing, anti-piracy and disaster-relief operations.
RIMPAC is the world's largest multinational maritime military exercise.
A total of 23 nations will participate in this year's drill.
It is the first time the Chinese navy has participated in the drill.
 
 
Smithsonian Folklife Festival Held in the U.S. with Chinese Elements
 
Anchor:
This summer, Chinese culture will shine on Washington's National Mall during the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival, one of the most popular cultural exchange gatherings of its kind in the U.S.
For more details, here is our Washington correspondent, He Fei.
Reporter:
Every summer, people in Washington experience different cultures at the National Mall, one of the most important tourist destinations in the city, for the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival. About 100 million people visited last year's festival. And this year, after nearly half a century since it was established, the festival for the first time brings the Americans a genuine Chinese cultural feast.
Over the following two weeks until July 6th, the festival will gather more than 100 Chinese artists to show how the Chinese, despite current change and pressures, are working to preserve and adapt their traditional culture in meaningful ways.
Talking about Chinese arts, one of the first things that come to mind may be the local operas, such as the world renowned Peking Opera. However, the Smithsonian Festival explores goes deeper, bringing the ancestor of Peking Opera, the Wu Opera, to America from eastern Zhejiang Province.
This is Lou Fang, an award-winning young performer of the Wu Opera.
He says the troupe has tailor-made a performance for the American audience to show them the highlights of Wu Opera.
"We chose opera pieces with more action instead of merely arias. For example, we'll perform The Broken Bridge, which tells the legend of the White Snake--the signature piece of the Wu Opera. The love story of Lady White and Xu Xian is just as popular as the western classic romance, Romeo and Juliet. I hope we could act the traditional Chinese romance out in from of our foreign audience. And since we have a different approach to romance, as I said, with a lot of actions, I believe it will catch people's eye."
As its tradition, the Smithsonian Festival is open to the public for free at the National Mall, an open grass lawn connecting Capital Hill and the Lincoln Memorial. The area is dotted with a dozen pavilions hosting different Chinese art forms. In addition to the performing arts, the craftsmen, all of whom are masters in their fields, also attract the crowds. Chinese calligraphy, the Suzhou embroidery, paper cutting, kites and dough figurine…the craftsmen use their hands to create a vivid picture of the living traditions of China, showing various aspects of the country beyond the giant panda.
Among the thousands of visitors, children are always the most excited.
"I like the games, but the most game I like is the calligraphy."
"I like the textiles. Those are really cool. It's expressive. Some of those looked like paintings or photographs."
"It's kind of interesting thinking about what it might be like in China cause it is so different from what it is like here. We don't really have an art like that and we don't do a lot of pottery."
"I like the kites a lot, like how they made them. They said it take a long time to make them. He said the big one he took over a year to make them. So it's really cool."
Li Hong with the Chinese Embassy to the U.S. in Washington, D.C., is one of the organizers of this year's China Program. She says the Smithsonian Folklife Festival reminds her about a popular line the renowned Chinese pioneering researcher, Fei Xiaotong, once said: Every form of beauty has its uniqueness and if beauty represents itself with diversity and integrity, the world will be blessed with harmony and unity.
"You share your form of beauty and I share mine. All kinds of beauty comprise our world with diversity. Art is beyond the language; when you see a piece of Chinese batik, you'll think of other batik arts that you see in other countries. In fact, this is our common cultural heritage. To appreciate the cultural heritage of mankind and to share the experiences and preserve them is the aim of the artists taking part in the festival."
During the two weeks, Chinese artists will also meet with their American and Kenyan counterparts to discuss how to preserve the traditional culture in a practical way.
For CRI, I'm He Fei in Washington.
 
 
China US- New US ambassador delivers first public speech
 
The new US ambassador to China, Max Baucus, has delivered his first public speech since taking on the role.
Baucus says he will devote himself to strengthening trade ties between the two powers.
"No bilateral relationship is more important than US-Chinese."
The former Democratic Senator from Montana has made the comments to a luncheon here in Beijing.
"Our presidents have agreed to work toward a new model, a new model of relations. Conflict between a rising power and an established power is not inevitable. It's up to us. We both agree that stability in Asia-Pacific is the key to the 21st century prosperity."
Baucus says the US side has a lot of expectations when it comes to China's economic reforms.
He adds the two sides need to expand cooperation in trade and work toward a new bilateral investment treaty.
Baucus takes over for Gary Locke, who left his position as Ambassador in March.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Stocks
 
Anchor:
First off, a quick look at the closing numbers across Asia.
Joining me on the desk, CRI's Ding Lulu.
Reporter:
Asian stock markets rose Thursday as investors looked past gains by Iraqi militants and poor first-quarter growth in the United States.
Chinese shares rose on Thursday as the first initial public listings in more than four months rose sharply, bolstering sentiment.
The Benchmark Shanghai Composite Index went up 0.7 percent.
The Shenzhen Component Index gained 1 percent.
Hong Kong markets also regained some momentum, with investors hoping for a further delay in interest rate hikes in the United States.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng surged one and a half percent.
Japan's Nikkei added 0.3 percent.
South Korea's Kospi rose 0.7 percent.
Singapore's Straits Times Index is up half a percent.
Australia's ASX gained 1.1 percent.
 
 
Shares of 3 Chinese firms soar 44 pct on debut
 
Shares in three small Chinese companies have soared by over 40 percent in their debuts on Thursday.
All three companies rose by 44 percent, the maximum amount allowed on the first day of trade.
These are the first mainland listings in over four months.
Analysts say the surge highlights the challenges stock regulators faces in weeding out speculation and curbing volatility in the market.
The three IPOs on the Shenzhen stock exchange drew robust demand, with subscription rates of between 120 and 218 times over the number of shares on offer.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission resumed the IPO market earlier this year after halting listings for 14 months.
But after a two month flurry of activity, no offerings were approved until early June, when seven companies got the go-ahead.
 
 
China Removes Cap on FX Deposit Rates in Shanghai
 
One of the new liberal banking policies being piloted in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone will be expanded into the rest of the city on Friday.
It means that more banks in the city will now have the freedom to set foreign-currency deposit rates.
The move has been approved by the China's central bank.
This should fully liberalize interest rates offered on smaller foreign currency accounts in Shanghai.
Under the plan, China will first liberalize interest rates on small-sum foreign exchange deposits from companies, and then expand the scheme to individuals.
The People's Bank of China abolished the upper limits on deposit rates offered by banks on foreign exchange accounts holding below three million US dollars in March.
China launched the Shanghai FTZ last September.
 
 
China Central Bank's new survey
 
Anchor:
A new survey by the People's Bank of China shows around 47 percent of bankers surveyed say they believe China's economic climate has been "relatively cool" through the second quarter.
The same survey also shows that more and more people believe business confidence has cooled.
But at the same time, the analysis from the central bank suggests a growing number of bankers in China believe the PBOC is on the right track when it comes to its monetary policies.
The central bank polls bankers, households and businesses every quarter to get their views on a range of issues, including the economy, inflation and home prices.
For more on the Central Bank's new survey, Paul James spoke earlier with Cao Can, CRI's financial commentator.
…
Back Anchor:
Cao Can, CRI's Financial Commentator.
 
 
China to introduce more forex derivatives, strengthen supervision
 
China's foreign exchange regulator says it will increase the number of foreign exchange derivative products available on the market.
The State Administration of Foreign Exchange also says it will strengthen the supervision of derivatives trading by banks.
The move is aimed at ensuring that the trade helps reduce risk for companies, and expands the variety of tools available, focused on foreign exchange options.
The regulator says it will add principal swap transactions for currency swaps and lower the entry threshold for companies and bank branches.
 
 
China Merchants Securities gets UK nod for commodity risk business
 
China Merchants Securities has been approved by UK regulators to broker listed derivatives as it aims to build up a commodities business in London.
It is one of China's top five investment banks.
The bank plans to initially offer commodities risk management services to meet demand within China.
London is competing with other financial capitals such as Singapore to become an offshore yuan-clearing hub.
The yuan is expected to become a leading reserve currency, meaning it will be stockpiled by central banks.
 
 
Gazprom says yuan payments may feature in dealing with China
 
Russia's top natural gas producer Gazprom is preparing to accept payments in yuan while selling gas to China.
Gazprom's Chief Financial Officer Andrei Kruglov says the company has agreed to sell 38 billion cubic metres of gas a year to China starting from 2018.
Kruglov says Gazprom is "ready for payments in yuan."
The deal is valued at 400 billion US dollars.
 
 
GM halts sales of Cruze model over airbags
 
General Motors has told dealers in the US and Canada to halt sales of some Chevrolet Cruze models due to a potential problem with the airbag.
It says the driver's side airbag in the affected cars may not deploy properly, due to a wrong part being used.
The part was supplied by Japan's Takata Corp.
A defective part from Takata is already the subject of a major global recall by various manufacturers.
But GM says its issue was not related to a defective part.
The recent moves by various car makers including Honda, Nissan and Toyota, to recall million of cars globally, were triggered by the use of a defective part.
 
 
Samsung, LG launch smartwatches with new Google software
 
South Korea's Samsung and LG have launched rival smartwatches powered by Google's new software "Android Wear."
Samsung's "Gear Live" and LG's "G Watch" are the first devices to adopt the new Google software specifically designed for wearables.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
China closely work with Iraqi govt to ensure workers' safety: FM
 
The Chinese government says it is closely coordinating with the Iraqi government to ensure the safety of Chinese workers in the Middle East country.
Earlier, it was reported over a thousand workers for a Chinese machinery company have been trapped in the Salah-Aldeen power plant in Saladin Province, north of Bagdad.
The extremist Sunni militants group ISIL has captured two villages in the province.
Currently, there are over 10,000 Chinese workers in Iraq.
Chinese authorities say most of them are in safe areas, with only a small number in more dangerous parts of the country.
 
 
NATO says soldier killed in southern Afghanistan
 
The U.S.-led international coalition in Afghanistan says one of its service members has been killed in an attack in the country's south.
NATO says the soldier died as a result of an enemy forces attack on Wednesday, without giving further details.
All foreign combat troops are scheduled to be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of this year.
Southern Afghanistan is a Taliban stronghold. On Wednesday, Afghan security forces fought back against a fierce Taliban attack by about 800 militants in southern Helmand province.
 
 
More cross-Strait city exchanges expected: mainland's Taiwan affairs chief
 
The chief of the Chinese mainland's Taiwan affairs office has expressed hope that officials in New Taipei City will continue to deepen ties with cities on the mainland.
Zhang Zhijun made the remarks while visiting with the mayor of New Taipei City.
Zhang notes that the city has already established close cooperation with mainland cities in many fields, including trade, agriculture, education, health care, and environmental protection.
There have also been many grass-roots cultural exchanges between people.
The Taiwan Affairs chief is in the middle of a four-day visit to the Island, the first official of his level to do so since 1949.
 
 
S.Korea retains incumbent prime minister
 
South Korean President Park Geun-hye has decided to retain incumbent Prime Minister Chung Hong- won after two nominees for the government's No.2 post withdrew their candidacy.
Park has now turned down Chung's resignation, which was offered following the deadly ferry sinking in April that killed hundreds of people.
The decision comes after former Prime Minister nominee Moon Chang-keuk withdrew his candidacy amid rising criticism for his past pro-Japanese comments.
Ahn Dai-hee, Park's former choice for prime minister and a former Supreme Court justice, was forced out for receiving exorbitant salary as a lawyer at a local law firm.
 
 
Philippines, U.S. hold naval exercises
 
Troops from the Philippines and the United States have begun their annual joint naval exercises in the northern and western parts of the Philippines.
It's part of a broader bilateral exercise series the U.S. Navy conducts with nine partner navies in South and Southeast Asia.
The U.S. embassy in Manila says the exercises are aimed at addressing shared maritime security priorities.
The Philippines has participated since the series began in 1995.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
China News Service
"Chinese city debuts female-only parking spaces"
A shopping mall in Northeast China's Dalian city has rolled out wider and bigger parking spaces for their female customers.
The spaces, outlined in hot pink with a sign saying, "Women only," are located by the road and close to the mall's entrances.
Mall manager Yang Xiangdong says the move is meant to make parking easier for female customers.
Designating parking spaces for women isn't quite a new idea. In May, South Korea's Seoul spent $100 million on female-only parking spaces to promote safety and security for drivers.
Shanghai Daily
"Psychologist scheme to cover all of Pudong"
Psychologists will be on hand to give free advice in all 36 townships and neighborhoods in the Pudong New Area by the end of the year.
The service, run by Women's Federation of Pudong, a non-government organization, is aimed at residents who could not otherwise afford to seek advice and counselling.
Founded in 2011, it currently covers 23 townships and neighborhoods.
Last year, almost 4,300 residents sought advice in areas including marriage disputes, education and family relationships.
Currently, some 300 licensed psychologists support the Pudong service, assisted by nearly 12-hundred volunteers.
Each has their own specialty in counseling according to the needs of the area.
In Shanghai's financial district the focus is on helping white-collar workers reduce work pressures.
Australia Network News
"Mobile banking and shopping surges among young Australians, new data reveals"
Australian Communications and Media Authority data shows a jump of 450 per cent compared with three years ago.
The latest figures show 3.4 million people used a mobile-commerce service by the end of last year.
The report says almost four million Australians used their cells for other business such as checking account balances and researching products.
It also shows younger Australians are the most likely to do business on their mobile phones.
In the 25-34 year old group, 55 per cent are doing banking, paying bills, or buying goods and services.
Among the 18 years and over group the result was 41 per cent.
The Telegraph
"Three hours of television a day can kill"
A study has found sitting around watching television for three or more hours a day doubles the risk of an early death, even for young people.
Researchers followed more than 13,000 university graduates for an average of 8.2 years and discovered that those who spent hours glued to the box were more likely to die young.
Even when the academics accounted for other lifestyle factors, watching television still increased the chance of dying prematurely two-fold.
Nearly half of the deaths were caused by cancer while nearly one fifth were as a result of heart problems.
However researchers found no significant association between the time spent using a computer or driving and higher risk of premature death from all causes.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Lost Ritual Bronze Back to China
 
Anchor:
A 3,000-year-old Chinese bronze wine vessel, called Mingfanglei, is finally going on display to the Chinese public after being overseas for about 100 years.
CRI's Chi Huiguang takes a closer look at the "king" of bronz wine vessels.
Reporter:
The bronze piece is a large ritual wine vessel made in the late Shang Dynasty, which means the bronze piece is more than 3000 years old. It was unearthed in Taoyuan County, central China's Hunan province, in 1922. Named Minfanglei, as showed by the epigraphs engraved on its bottom, it is the biggest bronze piece of its kind ever found in China.
After spending more than three-thousand years buried under the earth, the big bronze piece went through vagrancies.
In 1924, the body of the bronze vessel was sold to the city of Shanghai, and then auctioned to foreign collectors. It had later been auctioned in a series of countries such as the United States, the UK, France and Japan; only its lid had been kept in China.
The Hunan Provincial Museum learned in 1994 that Japanese collector Tochi Nitta was in possession of the bronze vessel. The museum's head visited the Japanese collector to close a deal to bring the bronze artifact back to China.
Xiong Chuanxin is the head of the Hunan Provincial Museum that went to meet the Japanese collector in '94. He recalls the negotiation with Nitta:
"Imagine that this cup is the Minfanglei, and the lid is the one we keep in our museum. The cup is in Nitta's hand right now. He said the body of the bronze was the main part, and the lid was a miniscule piece, so he hoped we would give the lid to him. But we hoped that he would give us the bronze body."
After the Japanese collector rejected Xiong's offer, the body of the bronze artifact was auctioned off again in 2001 by New York-based art auction house, Christie's. A French collector made the winning bid.
The French collector passed away earlier this year, over a decade after he took home the artifact from the auction. Christie's planned to organize a second auction of the bronze piece on March 20th. Learning that, Taiwan collector Robert Tsao called on many collectors in the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and overseas Chinese to refrain from participating in the auction, in an attempt to make it easier for the Hunan Provincial Museum to submit the winning bid.
Robert Tsao says:
"When the auction began, I wanted the bronze artifact to be reunited with its lid, so I texted everybody and called for united action."
The Hunan Provincial Museum also sent a letter signed by collectors both in China and from abroad to Christie's, expressing the museum's intention to purchase the bronze vessel. With their efforts, Christie's announced on March 19, one day earlier than the auction date, that an agreement between the auction house and the Chinese side had been reached, and the artifact will be sold to an association of Chinese collectors without going through auction.
The bronze is now undergoing custom declaration procedures in China and will be shown to the public, together with its lid, on June 28.
BACK ANCHOR: CRI's Chi Huiguang reporting.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Lionel Messi scores twice to bring the Argentinians through to the last 16
 
Continuing with World Cup action in Brazil.
Lionel Messi scored twice this morning to put the Argentinians to the knock out stage.
The see-saw match saw Messi open the scoring in the 3rd minute before Nigeria's Ahmed Musa levelled a minute later.
Messi's second goal came in the first half's stoppage time, but Musa again equalized for Nigeria early in the second half.
Argentina's Marcus Rojo scored the winner and helped his team secure first place in its group.
Despite the loss, Nigeria still moves on and will face Group E leaders France in the knockout stage.
Also this morning, Xherdan Shaqiri scored a hat trick to bring Switzerland to the next round.
The Swiss ousted Honduras in the 3-nil final group match and will next face Argentina.
And coming up midnight tonight,
Germany will face the United States in their last group match.
The two sides are now in a 1-2 position in Group G.
If they draw, both teams will go through, but a win for either side could possibly allow Ghana or Portugal to slip into second place.
Germany's coach Joachim Loew and US coach Jurgen Klinsmann are close friends outside the arena.
There has been gossip of the possibility of a non-aggression pact between the sides to ensure both teams go through to the next round.
But German midfielder Mesut Ozil dismissed such suggestion and said the team will give its best to aviod a second draw in the group stage.　
And at 4 am Beijing time tomorrow, Asia's last team in the tournament South Korea will take on Belgium in their last group match.
Belgium will be without Vincent Kompany and Thomas Vermaelen, both on the bench through injury.
Belgium has already qualified for the last 16, but they still need a point to guarantee first place in the group.
Iran, Japan and Australia have all been bounced from the tournament.
 
 
Zheng Jie in action now, Li Na through to the third round
 
Moving onto tennis action at Wimbledon,
Chinese ace Zheng Jie is now battling against Serbia's Ana Ivanovic in second round play.
Zheng came into this match as a straight sets winner over Germany's Annika Beck 6-1, 6-3 in the first round.
Ivanovic is seeded 11th and ousted Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone in her first match.
Earlier, Chinese world number two Li Na made short work of Austrian Yvonne Meusberger 6-2, 6-2.
Li Na will next meet the Czech Republic's Barbora Strycova in round-3.
"I think the last time we met was on clay court, so I know she was a pretty smart player. She can use a lot of access on the court, and I think it's good for her to play on the grass court. For me, I think I should just play my game, be more aggressive as much as I can, come to the net to follow the plan."
Chinese doubles specialist Peng Shuai is also looking strong in single's competition.
She's also into the 3rd round after dispatching Russian Maria Kiralenko 6-love, 6-3.
Two major upsets on the women's side, 8th seed Belarussian Victoria Azarenka was a 3-set loser to Serbian Bojana Jovanovski.
While 12th seeded Italian Flavia Panetta went down to American Lauren Davis, 6-4, 7-6.
Coming up on the men's side,
World number one Rafael Nadal will start his second round test against Czech player Lukas Rosol, the man who ousted him at the same second round stage at Wimbledon two years ago.
Around the same time, fifth seed Stan Wawrinka will face Chinese Taipei's Yen-Hsun Lu.
Earlier,
top seeded Novak Djokovic got through to the 3rd round after dispatching Czech veteran Radek Stepanek in 4-sets.
Home crowd favorite and defending champion Andy Murray also looks on-form, demolishing Slovenian Blaz Rola in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1, 6-love.
 
 
Rockets trade Omer Asik to Pelicans
 
Off court in the NBA,
The Houston Rockets have reached agreement on a trade to send center Omer Asik to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for a future first-round draft pick.
For the Rockets, this is the first step in clearing salary-cap space to pursue LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony in free agency.
Asik had asked for a trade a year ago, wanting out of Houston after the team signed Dwight Howard to become its starting center.
Inside sources also suggest that Houston will move Jeremy Lin next to create space for a third maximum contract on the roster.
Dwight Howard and James Harden are already on max contracts for the Rockets.
 
 
Tiger Woods prepares comeback from back injury
 
In golf,
Tiger Woods is now back to competition following a three-month absence.
The former long-time world number one took part in the Quicken Loans National Pro-Am at Congressional Country Club.
Woods was a bit rusty at the Pro-Am, making one birdie and a single bogey.
But the winner of 14 majors didn't show any pain, which could still be an issue following his back surgery.
"As I said, it was little bit rusty and I gotta knock off some rust and, you know, really manage my way around this golf course - this golf course is playing tough and the guys aren't going to go really low here. So, just got to keep it in front of me and obviously put the ball in the right spots on these greens because if you're in the wrong spots, it's an awful tough task to make birdies."
Woods is set to tee off in Thursday's opening round with emerging 20-year-old American Jordan Spieth and Australian Jason Day later tonight.
Woods, who is the host of the Quicken Loans tournament, earlier said he won't play again after this weekend until the British Open.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
US Begin Again- Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine attend premiere
 
Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, and Adam Levine have attended the Begin Again premiere in New York.
Knightley has never sung on screen, or at least not like she does in this film.
"I was terrified. I'm not a singer. I've never really done it before. I sung in one other film, but it was a very kind of like 40s theatrical style, so nothing like this. It was very much getting into the studio and see what we can get and base it on the character and keep our fingers crossed."
The soul-stirring comedy is written and directed by John Carney -- he's best known for the classic film and Tony-winning musical, "Once."
Carney feels thankful for the success of "Once" as both a film and stage musical.
"It's fantastic, because now people can have a reference by watching other films or the Broadway version of 'Once.' Many of us went out to see the show on Broadway again just to sort of remind ourselves again as we made this film."
"Begin Again" tells the story of Gretta, played by Knightley, and her long-time boyfriend Dave, played by Levine.
The college sweethearts and songwriting partners come to New York when he lands a deal with a major label.
But the trappings of his new-found fame soon tempt Dave to stray, and a reeling, lovelorn Gretta is left on her own.
"Begin Again" is slated to open in U.S. theaters on Friday.
 
 
Chris Brown Rejects Plea Deal in D.C. Assault Case
 
Grammy-winning R&B singer Chris Brown has rejected a no-jail plea deal in his misdemeanor assault case and will go to trial in September.
Defense attorney Mark Gergos
"What happened today was they made an offer. The problem with the offer was it was for time served, no jail, no probation but they wanted him to read from a script that wasn't true and he was not going to do that and I was not going to let him do that. So if they want a trial, that's what they will get. We are confident that the amount of resources that has been spent on this case for a misdemeanor is beyond belief."
The "Turn Up the Music" singer was charged with misdemeanor assault after a man claimed Brown and his bodyguard punched him and broke his nose when he tried to jump into a photo outside a Washington hotel last October.
Brown was released this month from a Los Angeles jail where he was serving a one-year sentence for violating probation from his 2009 assault of pop singer Rihanna.
Brown had been locked up since March 14 after he was kicked out of a court-ordered rehabilitation centre in California for violating rules.
He must also undergo therapy and random drug testing and complete community service.
 
 
Robin Thicke's new music video hints at split from Paula Patton
 
Robin Thicke is apparently using his music to express himself about his split from wife Paula Patton.
The couple announced their separation after nine years of marriage last February.
Since then, he's made no secret that he hopes to win her back.
His upcoming album is called "Paula" with a tracklist of songs called, "Love Can Grow Back", "Forever Love" and "Too Little Too Late."
He's released the first video of the album for the song "Get Her Back."
"Paula" hits stores July 1 in the U.S.
 
 
Beyonce and Jay Z kick off their joint tour in Miami
 
Beyonce and hubby Jay Z have kicked off their joint tour in Miami.
It's titled "On the Run."
The show switches between them with both playing their greatest hits and duets.
Beyonce released her self-titled fifth album last December. It has sold 2 million copies.
The tour will cover cities like Houston, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Toronto.
There will also be two dates in Paris in September.
 
 
That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour - a quick recap of headlines before we go:
The central government is taking steps to ensure the safety of Chinese workers in Iraq...
The UN has sanctioned the leader of Nigeria's Boko Haram islamist group...
and despite the ceasefire declared by Ukraine's president and agreed to by rebel leaders, fighting rages on in eastern regions of the country...
In business, shares of three new Chinese IPOs soar to the maximum allowable level...