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

Coming up on our program this evening...

Nine people have been detained after a deadly fire that killed 17 people in Guangdong province...

Chinese medical experts have now trained more than 10-thousand locals in West Africa in the treatment of Ebola patients...

And Turkish authorities have increased security to prevent would-be Islamic State militants to pass through the country and into Syria...

In business...survey says 'private equity activity' enjoyed a banner year in China in 2014...

In Sports...the football pitch at the Africa Cup of Nations was described as a war zone following some "fan troubles..."

In entertainment...the latest installment in the "Hunger Games" movie franchise will be released in China tomorrow...

First, let's check in with what's happening with the weather...

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will be overcast tonight, with a low of minus 1. It will be cloudy tomorrow, with a high of 3 degrees.　

Shanghai will be clear with a low of 2. Tomorrow will be cloudy with a high of 11.

Chongqing will be overcast with a low of 4 tonight. It will be cloudy with a high of 12 degrees tomorrow.

Elsewhere in Asia:

Islamabad, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 25.

Kabul, cloudy, 7.

In Australia

Sydney, cloudy, high of 28.

Both Canberra and Brisbane will be cloudy with highs around 29 degrees.

Perth will be sunny with a high of 36.

 

 

Top News

 

 

Search for TransAsia Crash Missing Continues

 

Anchor

Authorities in Taiwan have released their preliminary analysis of the flight data from the crashed TransAsia Airways plane.

A preliminary report on the disaster is to be issued in 30 days.

Meanwhile, rescue workers are still trying to find eight missing passengers. The number of deaths has risen to 35.

Our reporter Yin Xiuqi has the details.

Reporter:

Rescuers recovered four more bodies from the Keelung River on Friday.

Rescuers fear those people still unaccounted for may have drifted downstream toward the larger Tamsui River.

An unnamed diver participating in the search operation says they are struggling with their work.

"We have encountered great difficulties in the search and rescue operation. There are strong currents in the river with zero visibility underwater, which makes our work very difficult."

Meanwhile, Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou has visited the injured in the hospital. There are 15 survivors. He has also gone to a funeral parlor to express his condolences.

There were 58 people, including 31 tourists from the Chinese mainland, on the flight which crashed shortly after take-off on Wednesday.

Chen Jian-yu, head of Taiwan's transportation authority, promises an overhaul of the island's flight safety regulations.

"Our priority is to comfort the victims' families and properly handle the aftermath of this disaster. With regards to the safety of civil aviation, we will surely take stringent safety measures and always keep 'safety first' in mind."

Authorities in Taiwan have already ordered local airlines to carry out inspections on all ATR-72 aircraft before they can fly again.

The special checks will look at various aspects of the engine system, including fuel and propeller control.

The exact cause of the crash remains unknown. But two flight data recorders have been found and are being analyzed by specialists.

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je has expressed his gratitude to the plane's captain, who he says made efforts until the last moment to reduce casualties and damage.

Ko says the situation would have been worse if the plane had crashed on the highway or hit nearby high-voltage electricity lines.

Wednesday's plane crash was the second major air disaster in Taiwan over some six months.

Last July, 48 people died on another TransAsia Airways flight as it was attempting to land in the Penghu Islands amid bad weather.

For CRI, I'm Yin Xiuqi.

 

 

9 Detained after Fire Kills 17 in South China

 

Nine people in Guangdong in south China have been detained over a fire that killed 17 people.

The fire broke out on Thursday in a warehouse on the fourth floor of a small wholesale market in Huidong County.

Rescue efforts took 18 hours. 270 firefighters were mobilized to extinguish the blaze.

Firefighters rescued five people from the building. Four fire fighters were injured during the rescue operation, including one who remains in serious condition.

Firefighter Hu Lindi describes the difficulties they met in the rescue operation.

"The fourth floor of the building is a closed space with a great concentration of high temperature and smoke. So our firefighters had to struggle to get to those trapped in the space. Moreover, the ceilings, due to extreme high temperature, were falling down during our rescue operation."

Further investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.

 

 

China opposes any country receiving the Dalai Lama

 

China has voiced opposition to any country receiving the Dalai Lama for interfering in China's internal affairs in the name of issues regarding Tibet.

A foreign ministry spokesperson says the Dalai Lama is seeking foreign support to realize his political ambition, which will never succeed.

The spokesperson adds that the Dalai Lama is a political exile who has been engaged in secessionist activities under the cloak of religion

Media reports says U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed the Dalai Lama at a "prayer breakfast" in Washington on Thursday, but did not meet him directly.

 

 

NATO boosts Eastern Europe defense against Russia

 

NATO will bolster the alliance's military presence in Eastern Europe in response to increased fighting in eastern Ukraine between government forces and rebels.

Six new NATO bases are being set up across Eastern Europe.

The existing rapid reaction force is also being doubled to 30,000 soldiers from the current 13,000 troops present in the region.

This includes a new 5000 strong "spearhead" unit that can be deployed in less than 48 hours.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

NATO has to be able to address both the challenges emanating from the east and from the south. We cannot choose to do either one or the other. We have to be able to do both. And therefore the Readiness Action Plan, the enhanced NATO response force, is something we are developing, both because we see new challenges, a changed security environment to the east, but also because we see challenges developing in the south."

This is NATO's biggest military buildup since the end of the Cold War 25 years ago.

The move comes amid a fresh push for peace in Ukraine.

But the buildup is seen as a deterrent against any Russian threat to the Baltic States or other NATO members should the crisis in Ukraine spin out of control.

Russia denies accusations by Ukraine and the West that Moscow is arming rebels in eastern Ukraine and sending Russian troops across the border.

 

 

Munich security meets to focus on 'collapse of global order'

 

World leaders will focus on the Ukraine crisis, the deteriorating Middle East situation, and the wider "collapse of the global order" when they meet in Munich, Germany today for a global security Summit.

China's State Councilor Yang Jiechi is attending the three day summit and is expected to reaffirm China's position on a series of global security issues.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are among the 400 political leaders and security experts at the 51st Munich Security Council meeting.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is also expected to meet his counterparts over the country's disputed nuclear program.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to talk about her country's growing desire to match its economic might with diplomatic muscle and greater engagement on the world stage.

Merkel has led European diplomatic efforts, fruitless so far, to engage Russia to end the Ukraine conflict that has claimed over 5,000 lives.

Washington is now weighing whether to send weapons to Ukraine to aid the country's government and armed forces against pro-Russia separatists.

The annual Munich Security Council meeting, set up during the height of the cold war, has become one of the top international security forums.

 

 

China Releases Inspection Results of Corruption in SOEs

 

China's anti-corruption watchdog has released its third round of inspection results for State Owned Enterprises.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection has identified collusion between business figures and officials, and other acts of corruption within SOEs.

Some officials with China Unicom are accused of misusing their power to seek money or sex.

Issues including the buying and selling of official positions, and dining at public expense, were discovered at other enterprises.

The discipline watchdog has carried out five rounds of inspections since 2012.

 

 

China to Boost Manufacturing Equipments Export in 2015

 

China's export sector is expected to be dominated by railway equipment and nuclear power technology in 2015.

The National Development and Reform Commission says China's export of manufacturing equipment in 2014 was worth more than 300 billion US dollar, nearly 20 percent of the overall export total. The export of railway products was valued at nearly 4 billion dollars in 2014.

Wang Xiaotao, the Deputy Director of the NDRC, says that in the coming year, China plans to further push forward railway exports as China has many advantages in this area.

"First of all, our systematic integration technique is complete and mature, which is one of our advantages. We also have other prominent advantages in cost, delivery time, quality and cost performance ratio. Last but not least, by absorbing and digesting all kinds of new technologies, we've mastered a variety of production capacity under different standards. This is also a big step ahead of our competitors."

In reference to the promotion of nuclear power technology overseas, Wang says China will strengthen measures concerning designing, construction, equipment supply and maintenance in this sector.

On Thursday, China and Argentina signed a deal to build a nuclear power plant for the South American country, which is a good start for China to seek international coordination and cooperation in this sector.

 

 

China Trains over 10,000 Ebola Medical Staff for West Africa

 

Chinese medical experts sent to West Africa have trained more than 10-thousand local staff to treat Ebola patients.

About half of the local workers are in Sierra Leone, and the rest are trained for eight other countries such as Liberia and Guinea.

The mission was China's first overseas health training program.

WHO has announced that the number of Ebola cases in West Africa has gone up for the first time this year.

Dr. David Nabarro is the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on Ebola:

"In the last week 124 confirmed cases were reported. That's 25 more cases than the previous week. And I think what this reminds us is that in a situation like this there will always be volatility."

The virus has killed nearly 9,000 people in West Africa, and the death rate is estimated to be higher than 50 percent of those infected.

 

 

Chinese police see soaring environmental crimes

 

China has seen soaring environmental crimes over the past year, with police solving more than 4,500 pollution crimes last year.

More than 8,000 suspects were arrested, a six-fold increase over 2013.

The Ministry of Public Security says environmental crimes uncovered included discharging waste via hidden pipes, altering equipment data on paper, and discharging waste to adjacent jurisdictions to avoid local scrutiny.

The ministry attributes the soaring environmental crime rate to some companies and individuals have a weak sense of the law, adopting various unlawful measures to reduce costs and escape supervision.

It adds China has a limited number of eligible institutions that validate environmental data.

The ministry says those agencies play a crucial role in identifying environmental crimes.

 

 

Australian PM Tony Abbott to face leadership challenge

 

Embattled Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott will face a vote on his leadership at a party meeting next week that could potentially allow Liberal Party lawmakers to vote him out of office.

Disgruntled lawmakers from Abbot's Liberal Party have decided to call for a "leadership spill vote" next Tuesday.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott

"I have spoken to Deputy Leader Julie Bishop and we will stand together in urging the party-room to defeat this particular motion, and in so doing, and in defeating this motion to vote in favour of the stability and the team that the people voted for at the election. We have a strong plan. It's the strong plan that I enunciated at the (National) Press Club this week and we are determined to get on with it, and we will."

If the Liberal party decides to go ahead with the spill vote, 102 government law makers will then vote on whether Prime Minister Abbot and his deputy Julie Bishop should step down.

But no major rivals have said they will run against Abbott or his foreign minister.

Abbott has faced a series of challenges including a battered economy as commodity prices continue to plunge since his taking office in 2013.

His tough stance on asylum seekers and his handling of the crisis situation after the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 with 28 Australians on board had won him approval earlier.

 

 

Turkey Increases Security Efforts to Curb IS Recruitment

 

Turkey has increased its security efforts to prevent foreign fighters from passing through the country to join IS terrorist groups in Syria.

The Turkish government has deployed police at airports, its border with Syria, and downtown areas.

It has also set up risk analysis centers at international airports and bus terminals across the country.

But analysts say it remains tough work as many travelers are going between Europe and Asia.

Security analyst Mete Yarar.

"It is really hard to make it. Without detailed materials and travel information of the travelers, it is quite difficult to judge whether a person will join IS or has any connection with IS only by questioning him or her."

Turkish authorities say the country has placed travel bans on over 10-thousand foreigners and deported over 1,000 others.

 

 

Greek, German Finance ministers clash as ECB snub hits Athens' banks

 

Greece's new finance minister clashed openly with his German counterpart on Thursday after Germany said reduction of Greece's debt was off the agenda.

Athens' borrowing costs leapt and bank shares plunged after the European Central Bank refused to accept Greek bonds in return for lending.

Greece's new finance minister Yanis Varoufakis earlier urged Germany to help end the "gross indignity" of the Greek debt crisis.

Practically speaking, our proposal is that there should be a bridging programme between now and the end of May which will give us space, all of us, to carry out these deliberations, and in a short space of time come to an agreement. We would like to call this a new contract between Europe and Greece, and the IMF and the ECB, that would once and for all settle this issue."

But Varoufakis has so far failed to get any support for Greece's plan to renegotiate its massive international bailout.

On Thursday, thousands of people gathered in front of the Greek parliament to back the radical leftist Syriza party that won last month's general election on a pledge to write off half the country's debt.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Anchor:

First, let's have a look at the numbers across the Asian markets on this Friday evening.

Joining me on the desk is Poornima Weerasekara.

Reporter:

Chinese stocks declined for the third consecutive day Friday, as investors held back in preparation for a batch of initial public offerings next week, and the upcoming Spring Festival holiday when liquidity will likely be tight.

Across the board today, the real estate and coal sectors were among the biggest losers.

At the closing bell,

The benchmark Shanghai Composite index finished down by nearly two percent.

The Shenzhen Component lost almost two and half a percent.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index shed around one third of a percent.

Other Asian markets traded higher, as the rebound of oil prices helped boost investor confidence.

Japan's Nikkei and Singapore's Straits Times index both gained four fifths of a percent.

South Korea's KOSPI ended up slightly.

In Australia, the ASX 200 saw an increase by nearly one fifth of a percent, closing higher for the 12th consecutive session.

 

 

Private equity firms enjoy a 'banner year' in China

 

A new survey released by PricewaterhouseCoopers shows that the scale of private equity activity in China reached a record high last year.

According to the report, 2014 was a banner year for new investments by private equity with a record of nearly 600 deals, up 50 percent from the previous year.

The deals had a combined value of 73 billion U.S. dollars, double that of 2013.

And the amount for venture capital deals increased more than 80 percent compared with a year earlier.

Insiders predict that investors will play an increasingly important role in the reform of State Owned Enterprises in the coming years.

 

 

S. Korean move leaves Chinese garlic farmers fuming

 

Garlic exporters in Shandong's Lanling County are now searching for new buyers after rejection by South Korea's Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp.

In January, more than two-thousand metric tons of garlic were shipped from Lanling to South Korea, but were returned with complaints about "quality issues".

Farmers in Lanling won a South Korean government procurement bid last November for the right to export 2,200 tons of garlic.

The garlic was prepared and transported within a month.

After the rejection, one of the farmers, surnamed Song, met with officials from Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp and tried to negotiate with them.

However, one top executive is said to have responded bluntly, telling Song that the Chinese farmers could sue the company through the World Trade Organization, a statement that Song and Chinese Embassy staff found shocking and infuriating.

Farmers believe South Koran authorities deliberately created technical obstacles by using the wrong inspection procedures for Chinese garlic.

The Chinese Embassy in South Korea has pledged to help garlic farmers safeguard their legal rights and interests.

 

 

China to Export Landmark Nuclear Technology to Argentina

 

China's largest nuclear power plant operator, China National Nuclear Corporation, will export its third-generation technology to Argentina under a new bilateral agreement.

The deal, signed by the top leaders from two sides, is worth nearly 13 billion U.S. dollars.

This is the first time for China to export nuclear technology to Latin America.

Analysts say such deals will become a new growth driver for China's exports.

Argentina currently operates three nuclear power stations, using technology from Germany and Canada.

 

 

Tencent cut off WeChat "red envelope"

 

Anchor:

The tussle between Tencent and Alibaba has escalated after Tencent banned Alibaba's Alipay Wallet on its social networking app Wechat.

Starting from this week, users have reported that they are unable to do transactions in Wechat's virtual stores via the Alipay Wallet.

Earlier, Tencent cut off the link between WeChat and the "hongbao" or "red envelope" service of Alipay Wallet.

Additionally, Tencent has banned users from sharing music on Wechat from music app Netease and Xiaomi.

For more on the war between the two companies, the Beijing Hour's Paul James spoke earlier with Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.

 

 

China-High-Tech Benchmark Index released in Beijing

 

The first high-tech benchmark index was released in Beijing yesterday, enabling people to know the industry's state of development.

The index, namely the Zhongguancun Stock Index, reflects the performances of the listed companies registered in the Zhongguancun high-tech science park.

Zhao Hong, vice president of the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.

"The index will send out a signal, indicating how the high-tech enterprises at Zhongguancun have developed, what is the value to invest in them and what are some of the features in their innovations."

By releasing the index, Zhongguancun will draw the attention of international markets on capital and on science & technology innovation.

Zhongguancun is China's hub of high-tech enterprises, with some 260 listed companies, including 68 listed on the growth enterprise market.

 

 

China's Huawei makes $170 million "Make in India" investment

 

Chinese telecom company Huawei has invested 170 million U.S. dollars to open a research and development center in India.

This center can accommodate nearly 5,000 software engineers, and 90% of employees will be recruited domestically in India.

The campus is located in Bengaluru, and is the first such investment made by a Chinese company in India and will be used to develop software components.

It is also the company's biggest R&D center outside China.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been making a push to lure foreign investors to the country and boost its manufacturing capacity.

Huawei says the 8-hectare campus is a response to Modi's "Made in India" campaign.

 

 

China Telecom eyes 100 mln 4G customers in 2015

 

China Telecom, one of China's biggest phone companies, expects to have 100 million new 4G customers this year.

The company ranked second in the 3G and 4G markets in December with some 20 percent of the market share.

China's 4G users topped 90 million at the end of December, almost a year after 4G licenses were issued to China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom.

The 4G licenses allow the use of homegrown Time-Division Long-Term Evolution technology. TD-LTE is one of two major international standards in mobile telecommunication technology.

 

 

Alibaba's Ant Financial to buy 25% of India's One97

 

Chinese ecommerce powerhouse Alibaba's Ant Financial has agreed to buy 25 percent of Indian payment services provider One97 Communications.

This is aiming to tap into India's smartphone and online industry boom.

The companies didn't provide the value of the deal.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

China opposes any country receiving the Dalai Lama

 

China has voiced opposition to any country receiving the Dalai Lama for interfering in China's internal affairs in the name of issues regarding Tibet.

A foreign ministry spokesperson says the Dalai Lama is seeking foreign support to realize his political ambition, which will never succeed.

The spokesperson adds that the Dalai Lama is a political exile who has been engaged in secessionist activities under the cloak of religion

Media reports says U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed the Dalai Lama at a "prayer breakfast" in Washington on Thursday, but did not meet him directly.

 

 

China to Export Landmark Nuclear Technology to Argentina

 

China's largest nuclear power plant operator, China National Nuclear Corporation, will export its third-generation technology to Argentina under a new bilateral agreement.

The deal, signed by the top leaders from two sides, is worth nearly 13 billion U.S. dollars.

This is the first time for China to export nuclear technology to Latin America.

Analysts say such deals will become a new growth driver for China's exports.

Argentina currently operates three nuclear power stations, using technology from Germany and Canada.

 

 

China Releases Inspection Results of Corruption in SOEs

 

China's anti-corruption watchdog has released its third round of inspection results for State Owned Enterprises.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection has identified collusion between business figures and officials, and other acts of corruption within SOEs.

Some officials with China Unicom are accused of misusing their power to seek money or sex.

Issues including the buying and selling of official positions, and dining at public expense, were discovered at other enterprises.

The discipline watchdog has carried out five rounds of inspections since 2012.

 

 

Munich security meets to focus on 'collapse of global order'

 

World leaders will focus on the Ukraine crisis, the deteriorating Middle East situation, and the wider "collapse of the global order" when they meet in Munich, Germany today for a global security Summit.

China's State Councilor Yang Jiechi is attending the three day summit and is expected to reaffirm China's position on a series of global security issues.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are among the 400 political leaders and security experts at the 51st Munich Security Council meeting.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is also expected to meet his counterparts over the country's disputed nuclear program.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to talk about her country's growing desire to match its economic might with diplomatic muscle and greater engagement on the world stage.

Merkel has led European diplomatic efforts, fruitless so far, to engage Russia to end the Ukraine conflict that has claimed over 5,000 lives.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

CHINA NEWS SERVICE

"Temples auction off 'first incense' for lunar new year on Taobao"

At least six Buddhist and Taoist temples in China have offered auctions on Taobao.com, China's largest online marketplace, for services during the upcoming Chinese New Year.

Besides Buddhist prayer beads and statues, intangible items are also on offer, including a temple's first stick of incense or first gong strike on the first day of Chinese lunar new year.

Usually, many people queue outside temples overnight for the chance to pray for good luck for the coming year.

The Chun Yang Temple in Datong, Shanxi province set the price at 5-thousand yuan, or 799 US dollars, for its first piece of burnt incense, while another Temple in Zhejiang province has a price tag of 8-thousand yuan.

The price for some physical items reached as much as 3.1 million yuan, or 500-thousand US dollars in past auctions.

It says all money collected will be used for building new Buddhist Prayer rooms and worshipping halls, which will open to the public in future.

 

CHINA DAILY

"Stricter fireworks control promises quieter festival"

Chinese cities are seeking a balance between traditional celebration and reducing environmental pollution.

The national environmental watchdog will put strict controls on setting off fireworks during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday by expanding forbidden areas and times and conducting more supervision.

A professor with Nankai University says fireworks can increase the concentration of pollutants 10 times over and are extremely harmful for people's health.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection also says cities need to implement restrictions on fireworks to reduce potential air pollution during the holiday.

Many cities have adopted measures ranging from reducing the sale and use of fireworks to levying harsh fines on violators.

In Beijing, fireworks will only be on sale for 11 days starting Feb 13, the shortest period in eight years.

 

ASIA PACIFIC DAILY

"Tiny termites help drylands combat climate change"

Tiny termites are considered to be a serious threat to wood-based structures, but a new study out Thursday said that their large dirt mounds may help stabilize ecosystems in drylands and buffer them against climate change.

The results suggested spotted vegetation patterns created by termite mounds don't signal a dryland's impending collapse, as researchers have proposed, but instead serve as "oases" of plant life.

Researchers found termite mounds may store nutrients and moisture, and allow water to better penetrate the soil via internal tunnels. That is to say, drylands with termite mounds can survive on significantly less rain than those without termite mounds.

The unexpected function of termites in savannas and grasslands also led researchers to believe ants, prairie dogs, gophers and other mound-building creatures could also have important roles in ecosystem health.

 

FOX NEWS

"Americans still stressed about money, survey says"

A new survey has found today money is the No. 1 stress factor for adults in the United States, topping work, family obligations and health concerns.

According to the results, Parents, Generation -Xers (people born roughly between 1960 and 1980), millennials, women and those living in lower-income households report higher-than-average levels of stress — especially when it comes to money.

And people who reported a lot of anxiety about money were more likely to use unhealthy habits to deal with their stress, like binge-watching TV, drinking or smoking.

The American Psychological Association commissioned the survey of more 3-thousand adults from across the United States in August 2014.

Overall, stress levels for Americans actually dipped last year, to 4.9 out of 10 on a stress-measuring scale, down from 6.2 in 2007. But that level still might be higher than what Americans said they considered healthy: 3.7 out of 10, on average.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

US Chinese New Year- Beverly Hills celebrates Chinese New Year

 

Anchor:

Beverly Hills is celebrating Spring Festival and the forthcoming 'Year of the Sheep' through a feast of music, dance, and acrobatics.

The city hopes the colourful cultural event will help attract more Chinese visitors. CRI's Zhang Wan has the story.

Reporter:

Celebrating Chinese New Year, US-style.

In Beverly Hills, attendees are being treated to a special performance featuring performers from Beijing. Staged at the Saban Theatre in the city's downtown, it's a colourful show of music and movement.

There are acrobats from the China National Acrobatic Troupe and dancers from the Beijing Dance Drama and Opera House.

Sponsored and hosted by the Beverly Hills Conference and Visitor's Bureau, China International Culture Association and Beijing Association for Culture Exchange, the show is celebrating the Chinese New Year, the 'Year of the Sheep'.

It's a month's worth of events in Beverly Hills titled "Happy Chinese New Year" and supported by the consulate-general of the People's Republic of China in Los Angeles.

Julie Wagner, CEO of Beverly Hills Conference and Visitors Bureau says Beverly Hills has been celebrating Chinese New Year in this way for the last four years.

"We do this for a couple of reasons. One is to say thank you to all of the local Chinese community who come and visit us and who bring people from China to visit us. We do to this introduce the local Beverly Hills community and the Los Angeles community to the wonderful culture of China. We also do this, because we want people to know that coming to Beverly Hills, when you're coming from China, is really easy and we appreciate the Chinese culture. We want to make it so that people feel comfortable when they come here." 　

For many in China, New Year is a time to be with family, reflect on life and to anticipate the exciting year ahead.

According to Wagner, cultural events like this are perfect for creating a greater bond between the US and China.

"From the US and China relations, you have two of the most important countries around the globe, and it's important that we work together to forge relationships to show each other where we have similar cultures and similar practices, then also, to appreciate our differences as well."

Dong Junxin, vice president and secretary general of China International Culture Association, says events like these are a win win situation.

"On one side, Beverly Hills wants to attract Chinese tourists to visit this place and on the other hand Chinese tourists are also eager to visit Beverly Hills to know its culture."

According to Visit California, 15.6 million people visited the state in 2013.

Around 819-thousand of those were from China, making it California's top overseas market.

Todd Orlich, general manager of Montage Beverly Hills, says it's merely a response to the growing influx of tourists coming to Beverly Hills from China.

"Tourism overall is up in Beverly Hills, California in particular Chinese business which is up over 20 per cent. We decided to recognise this by providing things such as a wonderful Chinese breakfast, a highly engaged staff designed　to take care of all of our Chinese guests that understand many of their traditions and also great activities throughout the community such as Chinese New Year."

With so much interest in China in this area, it's no wonder Beverly Hills tourism officials are keen to stage such cultural events.

Bach Anchor: That is CRI's Zhang Wan reporting

 

 

Sports

 

 

Pitch at Africa Cup of Nations Desrcibed as "War Zone."

 

The Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Ghana and hosts Equatorial Guinea is being described as a war zone, after play was suspended for more than 30 minutes because of crowd troubles.

Players ducked bottles thrown from the stands, Ghana fans sought safety behind a goal, riot police used tear gas and a helicopter hovered over the stadium.

It's now like a war zone, the Ghana Football Association tweeted, claiming barbaric acts of vandalism and unprovoked violent attacks had taken place inside the stadium.

When play resumed, Ghana sealed a 3-0 win to reach Sunday's final, where they will play Cote D'Ivoire, who beat DR Congo 3-1 on Wednesday.

The trouble first flared up at half-time at the game between Ghana and Equatorial Guinea.

 

 

CBA: Beijing to play Jilin Northeast in round one of playoffs

 

In CBA action tonight-

It is round one of the playoffs on tap:

4th ranked Beijing Ducks will be taking on number 5 ranked Jilin Northeast.

Number 8 Dongguan will be taking on top dogs Guangdong.

And it is 6th ranked Shanxi battling the 3rd ranked Qingdao.

 

 

NBA: Charlotte Hornets beat out Washington Wizards 94-87.

 

In NBA action, it was light schedule today:

Gerard Henderson scored 27 points and the Charlotte Hornets stepped up their defense after a reaming from head coach Steve Clifford and beat the Washington Wizards for the second time this week, 94-87.

Over to Cleveland, LeBron James scored 23 points, Kevin Love bounced back from a bad game with 24 and the Cavaliers pushed their winning streak to 12 games with a 105-94 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

And in Los Angeles, where Monta Ellis had 21 points and six assists to lead the Mavericks, minus Dirk Nowitzki and Rajon Rondo, to a 101-78 victory over the Kings.

And it was LaMarcus Aldridge with 19 points and 13 rebounds for his team-record 220th double-double, leading the Portland Trail Blazers over the Phoenix Suns 108-87.

 

 

Tennis: Williams sisters train ahead of match against Argentina

 

Hot on the heels of the Australian Open victory that saw her capture the 19th Grand Slam title of her career, Serena Williams joined her USA teammates in Buenos Aires on Thursday.

Williams and company - including older sister Venus - will take on the Argentine national side this Saturday and Sunday, the 7th and 8th of February respectively.

Venus Williams spoke of her joy and motivation in playing for team USA.

"I love the game and especially my motivation this week is to play well for The Untied States. When people play for their country they play better so I am hoping to have that same spirit on the court and I know the ladies from Argentina will have the same."

With regards to her future in tennis, Serena did briefly comment on her hopes of playing in Brazil for the Olympics.

"Well, my destiny is definitely I hope to play and to compete for the Olympics, but also we are here right now in Argentina to play against Argentina and we want to do the best that we can here and enjoy ourselves and have a great USA team to go all the way."

The USA side had been relegated in the Fed Cup to World Group II after falling in the World Group Play-Offs to France in April of last year.

This marked just the second time in the country's history they will not compete in the World Group.

 

 

Golf: Tiger out after first round of Farmer's Insurance Open

 

In Golf:

Nicholas Thompson leads after the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open.

Tiger Woods was one of 76 golfers who did not complete their rounds.

Woods, however, had to withdraw due to injury. He had said last week at the Phoenix Open - where he shot a career-high round of 82 - that he was at full strength but his back acted up on him here and forced him to call it quits on his 12th hole.

He opened on the 10th tee of the North Course and, if not for a chip-in par save on 11, would have had three straight bogeys to start.

Woods made up for one of those early bogeys with a birdie on 16 but began reaching for his lower back midway through the round.

He managed to claw back to even par with a 25-foot birdie on the first hole but he needed playing partner Billy Horschel to bend down and retrieve his ball from the cup.

Local favourite Phil Mickelson has three holes to complete when play resumes. Mickelson was three over par after seven holes on the South Course but he made back-to-back birdies before the turn - including a 46-foot putt on the par-three eighth - and parred his next six holes.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

Latest Hunger Games film to release in China this weekend

 

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay –Part 1 will be released in China this weekend.

The latest in the Hunger Games series will debut on more than 4,000 screens across the country, making it the biggest rollout for the Hunger Games franchise in China to date.

The film follows Katniss Everdeen played by Jennifer Lawrence in the aftermath of escaping the Hunger Games. Under the advice of President Coin and her friends she fights to save Peeta and a nation moved by her courage.

Last month Jennifer Lawrence recorded a special greeting for Chinese fans of the film.

Mockingjay will also be the first in the franchise to be screened in 3D.

The film opens across the country this Sunday.

 

 

Subtitle website makes comeback after piracy-related crackdown

 

YYets.com, a subtitle website that was shut down in a piracy crackdown last year has made a comeback.

The website returned today announcing that it had transformed into an online community providing information related to American TV series. The site is also advertised as a place where people could make friends with similar interests.

The new website provides information on past and future episodes with a mobile application launching after Chinese Lunar New Year.

Along with Shooter.cn, YYets.com had provided free subtitles for English-language movies and TV series for years until they were both abruptly shut down. The Motion Picture Association of America had accused these sites of linking to pirated content.

 

 

Indian movie Happy New Year to hit Chinese cinemas

 

Indian movie Happy New Year will release next week in China in time for the Spring Festival celebrations.

The film was acquired by M1905 Pictures, the movie distribution arm of China's Central Television from Indian studio Yash Raj Films. It will be released next week as an international director's cut version dubbed into Mandarin Chinese.

Happy New Year will also be given a slot at the upcoming Beijing International Film Festival.

The film was directed by director and choreographer Farah Khan. It stars Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan who also produced and financed the film through his own entertainment company.

The movie was released last October in India and the traditional overseas markets for Indian films grossing some 60 million US dollars.

The film will be released next Thursday.

 

 

US copyright office proposes change to stop cover songs

 

The US Copyright office is proposing a change to the music licensing regime, which could make it possible to ban cover versions of artists' songs.

The new proposals means artists such as Taylor Swift could not only forbid her own works from appearing on Spotify, but also stop cover versions of her songs appearing on there too.

Most artists are honoured by people covering their songs, but there are some exceptions. Prince is one of the most famous anti-cover artists who said he was frustrated with people thinking he was singing other people's songs when actually they were his songs.

The US Copyright office now recommends that artists like Prince should be able to stop cover versions of his songs from being posted on Youtube or being sold on iTunes.

This rule won't apply to songs played live or on physical compact discs, but would certainly apply to the big music streaming sites that are becoming increasingly popular.

 

 

Netflix orders drama series from Baz Luhrmann

 

Netflix has ordered a 1970s music driven drama series from Moulin Rouge and Romeo and Juliet Director Baz Luhrmann.

Titled The Get Down, the 13 part series will follow a crew of teenagers from New York's South Bronx district as they become involved in the city's innovative new hip-hop and punk scenes.

Luhrmann will direct the first two episodes and the final one as well as serving as an executive producer. Luhrmann's wife, four-time Oscar winner Catherine Martin will also serve as an executive producer as well as costume and production designer.

This will be the director's first TV project following five films: Strictly Ballroom, Romeo and Juliet, Moulin Rouge, Australia and The Great Gatsby.

The Get Down will premiere on Netflix in all territories next year.