新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2015/03/26（打印版）

Investigators say they've managed to pull audio from the black box recording recovered from the downing of a German airliner in the French Alps.

The Chinese-backed Asian Infrastructure investment bank set to highlight this year's Bo'ao forum set to open later today in Hainan.

In business... two of China's "big-4" state banks reporting slower profit growth through last year.

In Sports... an update on the assessment for Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Games.

French investigators say usable data has been extracted from the cockpit voice recorder of the Germanwings airliner which went down on Tuesday in the French Alps.

However, officials say it's still too early to say what might have caused the jet to go down.

"We just succeeded in getting an audio file which contains usable sounds and voices. We have not yet fully understood and worked on it to be able to say: 'Ok, this is starting at this precise point in flight, this is ending at this precise point in flight."

Officials do say the Airbus A320 hit the ground at high speed, suggesting there was no in-flight explosion.

"This is an ongoing work, for which we hope to have first rough ideas in a matter of days, and having a full understanding of it, in conjunction with all the information coming in particular from other recorded parameters, will take weeks and even months."

The fight from Barcelona, Spain to Duesseldorf, Germany slammed into the mountains following an eight-minute descent on Tuesday, killing all 150 people on board.

Most of the victims are German and Spanish nationals, though victims from a dozen different countries were on the flight.

There are now reports that bodies are being recovered and airlifted from the crash site.

The China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is expected to top the agenda of this year's Boao Forum for Asia, which gets underway later today in Hainan.

Themed "Asia's New Future: Toward a Community of Common Destiny", this year's Bo'ao forum will cover a number of different topics including the macro-economy, industrial transformation and regional development.

Yang Xiyu, deputy director of the Boao Forum's Research and Training Institute, says the AIIB will also be one of the hot issues on the agenda.

"As we all know, the AIIB is now a hot topic. This is not because of us, but because of the different stances taken by countries in the West. Some countries have expressed doubts that the bank lacks good internal practices. We will discuss what the best practices are during the forum. I believe the discussions will help make the AIIB more inclusive, transparent and sustainable."

Austria this week has become the latest European country to announce plans to join the AIIB, making it the 6th European state to join as a founding member.

Chinese authorities say all countries are welcome to join the bank, which is designed to diversify infrastructure financing in Asia.

Decision making mechanisms and other issues about how the AIIB will operate are currently under discussion.

As one of the countries to join this year's Boao Forum, Indonesia says the AIIB will create more funding channels for the country's infrastructure development.

"The infrastructure development is the biggest priority for economic development for Indonesia. Having this program, infrastructure development is a big issue. We have to have enough funding. We have to have good governance in the projects. We see this as one alternative for us in Indonesia that can be providing more options, more alternatives of fund sources for infrastructure development. "

With an expected initial capital of 50-billion US dollars, the AIIB is expected to become formally operational by the end of this year.

Apart from AIIB, the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road are also expected to top the agenda during this year's Boao Forum.

The two initiatives, which include a network of railways, oil and gas pipelines, as well as other infrastructure projects, are being championed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in a bid to boost regional connectivity.

The Presidents of Armenia, Austria, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Zambia will attend the annual meeting.

Leading officials from other countries, including Malaysia, the Netherlands, Sweden and Russia, are also set to take part in the Bo'ao Fourm.

The Boao Forum is an organization which hosts high-level discussions for leaders from government and business in Asia.

The Chinese government is rebuffing reports that it's planning to forgo veto plan for the AIIB, insisting there has never been a plan for that in the first place.

"The member countries of the AIIB will be divided based on whether or not they are located within the region. With the increasing number of countries joining the bank, the share for each member will be dropped down naturally. There is no such proposition that China is seeking or giving up the one-vote veto right."

At the same time, leading Chinese officials have not said whether consultations have taken place with the United States or Japan about the AIIB.

China's vice Finance Minister has said the US and Japan are welcome to join the AIIB if they so choose.

The State Council is forcing local governments to publish lists of who controls administrative powers within their governments.

The move is meant to try to create more accountability and transparency in local governments.

"The powers most people are concerned about are those held by officials closely connected with business activities. Those should be highlighted in administration list, including who controls licensing, fines and administrative enforcement. On average, around 70 percent of those in a position of power have some connection to those areas.

Meanwhile, the State Council is also demanding local governments do away with local regulations which don't have any legal basis or contradict existing laws.

A coordination system for the distribution of government powers will also be established.

Once in effect, officials say those who fail to carry out their responsibilities will be held accountable.

A series of so-called baby hatches which were opened across parts of China last year are now being shut down, with many of them being overburdened with unwanted children, many of whom have been born with disabilities and illnesses.

The controversial baby hatch program for unwanted infants is now struggling to find a way forward due to mounting financial pressure and staff shortages.

A baby hatch in the city of Quzhou in Zhejiang has been relocated to a welfare center for children where the babies will receive better care.

Officials with the facility say they're going to have to limit the number of abandoned infants they can take in, saying they're only going to be able to accept children from the city of Quzhou itself.

The baby hatch in Quzhou is also going to limit the hours it can take unwanted children, and will be shut down on the weekend.

Critics of the program argue the hatches encourage parents to abandon their children.

Supporters say the baby hatch program is a sign of social progress which protects children.

"If the parents know that they can send their unwanted child to a baby hatch, they aren't likely to do things such as abandonment or even infanticide. I think the baby hatches are important. Admittedly, it's not clear whether it may lead to more abandonment. However, we do know the baby hatches do save lives."

Baby hatch programs in the cities of Guangzhou, Jinan and Xiamen have all been shut down or suspended due to financial difficulties and staff shortages.

However, the facility had to be shut down two months later, as it was unable to support the 262 babies left at the shelter during that period.

Despite the problems they face, those who run the baby hatches have been pressing for help to keep them open.

"Babies are also humans, and they are innocent. Their parents may send them to baby hatches for various reasons. However, life comes first and we should protect them."

Since then, 32 other shelters have been opened up across the country, providing care for more than 14-hundred abandoned babies.

The Chinese government is making steps to try to make it easier for foreign nationals to move here to China, including the creation of a so-called "skilled immigrant" policy to attract overseas talent.

Millar, who is from America, has been working in China for five years. If the opportunity arose to improve his living and working conditions, he says he would take it.

"I live and work here, if there are any benefits I can get from the government for being a Chinese citizen, I sure will consider it."

Millar is not alone among foreigners in China. However, getting a green card in China was difficult in the past.

Statistics show that from 2004 to 2014, fewer than 5 thousand green cards were approved by the Chinese government.

That is in sharp contrast to countries like the US and Canada, where millions of new immigrants are welcomed very year.

But the situation in China is about to change. A recent state issued Opinion on improving innovation and development points out that China is about to adopt a skilled immigrant policy.

"The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Public Security Ministry jointly issued a green card policy in 2003, which is China's permanent residence policy. However,taking the country's current situation into account, there is no access for skilled immigrants or investment immigration. Meantime, lots of foreign students and overseas Chinese are trying to come to China. For them, we need to adopt some more open talent polices."

Wang Yaohui says that foreign residents in developed countries usually account for about 10 or 11 percent of the population and China has not yet reached that level. Improving the immigration system may help China reserve its intellectual resources.

The Opinion also reads that foreigners with permanent residency will get national treatment when starting technology-based enterprises or other innovation activities.

Zhang Rizhong with China Merchants Bank says that in order to provide a sense of belonging, a sound and relevant support system is also necessary.

"Firstly, they should get most-favored national treatment, with their salary standards applying to market-driven principles. Secondly, there should be relevant welfare. For example, for those who have families out of the country, maybe there should be home leave annually; for those who are married in China, their kids should get proper education. "

So far, the time for the official policy to issue is not yet announced, but it is safe to say that in a recent future, more foreigners would be not only welcomed to china but also welcomed to become permanent residents here.

The U.S. State Department has confirmed Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi "is no longer at his residence" in the southern Yemeni city of Aden.

Reports have been suggesting Hadi has fled the country by sea from Aden, as Shiite militias advance on the southern port city.

Foreign Minister Riad Yassin says aircraft have been launching raids in Aden in an attempt to kill Hadi.

"They are trying to attack the president. Their planes are trying to fire rockets at the president. They also tried breaking into several institutions in places surrounding Aden. Thank God until now Aden is still standing and the president is still in Aden and he is trying as hard as possible to withstand."

A request has been made by the ousted Hadi administration to the Arab League to send a military force to intervene against the Houthis.

Meanwhile, local authorities say troops loyal to Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, an ally of the Houthi militia, have captured an airport in Aden from forces loyal to Hadi.

Over the past year, the Houthi militia have battled their way out of their northern strongholds, overwhelming the capital, Sanaa and other regions along the way.

Aden, the country's economic hub, is the last area of the country where Hadi can draw support from.

Representatives from Iran and P5+1 world powers are due to resume their nuclear talks in Lausanne, Switzerland later on this Thursday.

The last-ditch talks come just days ahead of an end-of-month deadline to reach a framework deal.

Negotiations were suspended last week, with neither side making headway on issues such as sensitive atomic research and the lifting of sanctions.

"Now, what happens if as our critics propose we just walk away from a plan that the rest of the world deemed to be reasonable? It could happen. Well, the talks would collapse, Iran would have the ability to go right back to spinning its centrifuges and enriching to the degree that they want."

At the same time, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the world powers need to choose between putting pressure on Iran or reaching a deal with it.

"It is necessary for the five plus one group, specifically the four Western members of the group, to seriously come to a definite conclusion and reflect it in their talks too; That conclusion is choosing between an agreement or pressure."

The two sides have set a March 31st target to get the outline of an agreement, which would see curbs put on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Argentina's Economy Minister is accusing Citigroup and a US judge of breaching the country's laws.

U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Griesa has ruled Citigroup, which is one of the trustees in-charge of Argentine government bonds, can begin paying out the money bond-holders are entitled to.

"The fine print of this deal seems to be trying to circumvent Argentine law while at the same time listening to Griesa and Griesa forcing them to violate the law and at the same time favour the vulture funds. The agreement is to favour the vulture funds."

Citigroup has been caught in the middle of a battle between the Argentine government and a number of venture-capital firms in the US who have been demanding they be repaid for helping bailout the Argentinian economy.

Argentina has refused to pay back its debts in full, claiming it doesn't have the money, while at the same time, accusing the venture-capital firms of being predatory in moving to help fund the Argentinan government in the first place.

Meanwhile, the Argentine government had threatened to cancel Citibank operating license in Argentina if it makes payments to the bond holders.

U.S. stocks fell sharply on Wednesday, with all the three major indices extending their losses into a third straight session.

Data released by the U.S. Commerce Department on Wednesday shows new orders for manufactured durable goods in February unexpectedly decreased 1.4 percent, well below market expectations of a modest gain.

Analysts attribute the selloff to pre-earnings season jitters, as well as investors cashing out of stocks in companies that have seen big runs recently.

Meanwhile, European shares slid broadly, despite better-than-expected data from Germany in the wake of Wednesday's crash of a German passenger jet in the French Alps.

The Chinese bank's overall profits increased just over 8-percent last year to some 27-billion US dollars.

While significant, the rise in profits is still down from the over 12-percent the Bank of China earned a year before.

Meanwhile, the Agricultural Bank of China, another leading state-owned lender, has announced profit growth of nearly 8-percent last year, down over 6 percent from 2013.

The slowdown for traditional banks comes amid the rising popularity of Internet finance services offered by companies such as Alibaba and Tencent.

Australia's competition watchdog has launched an investigation into comments by a senior mining company executive.

Fortescue Metals Group Andrew Forrest has reportedly told a banquet in Shanghai this week that mining companies should be putting a cap on production levels to help push up iron ore prices.

The Australian Competition Commission is now looking into the statement, saying the proposal could breach competition laws.

For more on Iron Ore price, we're now joined live by CRI's Financial Commentator Cao Can.

1 Australian Iron ore prices have been falling sharply and failed to rebound in offshore trading, hitting their weakest level since the first half of 2009.

2 FMG chairman Forrest has invited its largest competitors including Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Vale to form a cartel that would put a floor on the commodity's continuing price fall.

Do you think they could finally cap the price? If so, what impacts would this bring to market and consumers.

3 What challenges do you think face these giant miners in reversing the falling trend?

The European Union is poised to start anti-dumping duties later today on imports of cold-rolled stainless steel from China.

Tariffs of up to 25 percent will be applied for sheet, coil and strip imports from the mainland.

European steel producer Eurofer claims stainless steel imports from China, worth some 670 million US dollars a year, are unfairly being dumped on the European market.

London Stock Exchange has launched a new product, allowing small investors into the Chinese bond markets using the local currency.

The new exchange-trading fund offers both institutional and retail investors exposure to money market instruments that invest in the China Interbank Bond Market via Germany's Commerzbank and China's CCB International.

Britain last year became the first country in Europe to launch a yuan-denominated sovereign bond.

Alibaba will launch a joint initiative with Italian banks Intesa Sanpaolo and UniCredit to bring more made-in-Italy products into the Chinese market.

The initiative will provide Chinese consumers direct access of selected Italian brands from fashion, food to other sectors.

The initiative follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Alibaba Group and the Italian government last summer.

Condiment maker Heinz and US food producer Kraft have agreed to merge, creating the world's fifth largest food and beverage company.

They include Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital, as well as billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway.

French investigators say usable data has been extracted from the cockpit voice recorder of the Germanwings airliner which went down on Tuesday in the French Alps.

But officials insist it's still too early to say what might have caused the jet to go down.

Officials do say the Airbus A320 hit the ground at high speed, suggesting there was no in-flight explosion.

The fight from Barcelona, Spain to Duesseldorf, Germany slammed into the mountains following an eight-minute descent on Tuesday, killing all 150 people on board.

Representatives from China's tourism administration are en route to Thailand to discuss tourist safety.

Their trip is part of an emergency response to an accident which has left Chinese tourists dead.

The three were killed after their tour bus plunged off the road and down a valley on Wednesday morning.

China's top legislature is vowing to strip the State Council of its authority to levy business taxes.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress is said to be working to nullify a 1985 resolution which gives the Chinese cabinet to ability to levy business taxes.

However, only three -- individual income tax, corporate income tax, and vehicle and vessel tax -- are levied through legislation.

The rest are imposed through formal or provisional regulations issued by the State Council.

A US soldier who was released by the Taliban in a prisoner exchange last year has been charged with desertion by the US military.

Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl was freed in May after 5-years of captivity by the Taliban.

In exchange for his release, 5 senior Taliban commanders held at Guantanamo Bay were transferred to the custody of the Gulf state of Qatar, triggering a heated political row in the US.

Fellow soldiers say Bergdahl knowingly wandered away from his unit while deployed in Afghanistan in 2009.

A new study is suggesting Ebola is more likely to be fatal for children under the age of 5.

Scientists from Imperial College London and the World Health Organization have come to the conclusion in analyzing data from Ebola cases in children under 16 from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

They have found Ebola tends to affect young children most severely, killing around 90 percent of children under the age of one, as 80 percent of children aged one to four years old.

Nearly 4-thousand children under 16 have been affected by Ebola in the current epidemic.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection is set to stop providing environmental evaluation services for commercial projects by the end of next year.

A new document from the Beijing municipal government suggests authorities are going to be looking more towad the private sector to build more subway lines in city.

A concept car built using 3D-printing technology has undergone testing in the city of Sanya in Hainan.

The State Council has announced plans to launch a more competitive system to attract overseas talent.

New cabinet guidelines are expected to make it easier for foreigners in China to become permanent residents.

Authorities in Shanghai are planning a new dredging program, as well as a revamp of sewage treatement facilities in the city as part of a major campaign to clean up the waterways in the city.

Analysis shows most of the waterways in the city have been polluted by factories built during the height of urban development in Shanghai in the 1990s.

Droves of customers have been flocking to the Xin Cheng Noodle House in Beijingi's Xicheng district to say goodbye to the restaurant with a last meal.

The Hong Kong International Film Festival is underway, with movie fans and experts sharing their insights about Asia's film industry.

China's "New Silk Road" initiative has been widely heralded for its potential to reshape Asia's economic landscape.

Ma Runsheng, a renowned director and producer from Beijing, believes it will also have a profound impact on the region's movie and entertainment industry.

"A Bite of China has been translated into 9 languages and aired in more than 70 countries and regions. Each single episode of the documentary has been well received. So I was considering whether we could produce A Bite of Asia, or A Bite Along the Silk Road, to introduce Asian food in new areas. That would be delicious. "

Aired in 2012, A Bite of China is a series of food documentaries telling the histories and stories behind Chinese cuisine. It was a big hit and has drawn millions of viewers online.

Ma Runsheng also has a suggestion for what filmmakers can do to promote their works globally.

"You can introduce your productions to us and we can translate them and distribute them to other countries, so they can be appreciated by global audience without language barriers. I also hope good Chinese movies, TV dramas, animations and documentaries can be played in overseas TV channels."

Yasushi Shiina, Director General of Tokyo International Film Festival, says movies have no boundaries.

"Movies provide a diverse platform for Asian countries to exchange ideas and understand each other better."

Director of Busan International Film Festival Lee Yong-Kwan says they have learned a lot from the region's film festivals.

"We have set up trans-national movie foundations to invite students to go abroad to study and travel, so they can learn others' cultures and in return, put their knowledge into practice."

India's "Bollywood," Japan's "J-pop" and South Korea's "K-pop" have already established their names globally, while the ASEAN countries, strategically located on the first leg of the "New Silk Road", have committed to opening their film markets this year.

Asia's movie industry is booming as the world's largest and fastest growing film market. Last year, combined box office receipts in this region accounted for 80 percent of all global growth in the sector.

The Beijing 2022 Bid Committee confirmed yesterday that the key infrastructure required to host the games is already in place supported by the region's experience in hosting international events.

The confirmation was delivered as the Bid Committee presented its plans regarding accommodation, transport and media operations to the IOC Evaluation Commission in Beijing.

The Bid Committee explained how they will fully utilize this experience for the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games, helping fans all over the world to enjoy the Games and feel part of the Chinese New Year Spring Festival celebration, which falls during the 2022 Olympic Winter Games

In the afternoon, the IOC Evaluation Commission delegates visited proposed sites and venues in Yanqing, which would host alpine skiing, luge, bobsleigh and skeleton events.

Australia skipper Michael Clarke is confident his side will have no problem handling the local expectation when they meet reigning champions India in their World Cup semi-final match today.

Australia are the most successful team in history but they have never won the trophy on home soil.

"Expectation is there because we are the number-one ranked one-day team in the world, the expectation is put on you because you have performed. There's no greater expectation than what you put on yourself, you want to perform at the highest level, you want to perform against the best. I think the boys will be fine,"

Clarke, projecting a calm he undoubtedly hopes will rub off on his side, said the secret of Australia's success had been in doing the same things consistently well and that nobody should expect that to change just because they are playing a World Cup semi-final.

The two sides play each other today in Sydney with the game starting at 11.30am local time.

In the NBA this morning there's a full slate of games. So here are the ones to look out for.

The Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers will play two pre-season games in China including a first visit to Shenzhen.

As part of the league's Global Games China 2015 program, the Clippers will meet in Shenzhen on October 11 and again in Shanghai on October 14.

This will mark the Clippers' second trip to China following games in Beijing and Shanghai in 2012. The Hornets however have never played in China. Team Owner Michael Jordan expressed his excitement at the prospect in a team statement.

The NBA in 2004 became the first American professional sports league to compete in China, with two exhibition games between the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings in Shanghai and Beijing. Following NBA Global Games China 2015, the NBA will have played 20 games in Greater China since 2004.

Britain's Heather Watson battled past Russia's Evgeniya Rodina to win 3-6 6-1 7-5 . She will play 13th seed Angelique Kerber of Germany in round two. The pair have met before when Kerber beat the Brit on home soil at Wimbledon last year.

Less than a week after Serena Williams withdrew from her Indian Wells semi-final with a knee injury, the defending champion says she's hoping to be fit to play tomorrow.

Williams considers the Miami Open her home tournament and is determined to play. She has an incredible record at the tournament winning the title seven times.

The tennis star practiced for the first time yesterday after being treated with an anti-inflammatory injection at Indian Wells.

Williams received a first round bye and won't fully test her knee until she steps on court for her second round match against Monica Niculescu of Romania.

Lewis Hamilton is hopeful that he can perform well at this weekend's grand prix in Malaysia despite the challenges the course brings.

The season opening Australian grand prix was dramatic as defending world champion Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes one-two ahead of Nico Rosberg in a race where only 13 out of a possible 20 cars were racing by the end of the first lap.

Teams face unique problems in Malaysia where they face heat and humidity on an abrasive track along with the threat of rain which could leave standing water on the circuit.

"Been in training to get your body used to these temperatures because the race is the hardest race of the year physically. Humidity is a killer yes but generally I love coming here. Every year I come and have a fantastic time, a very very warm welcome from the people here."

United States Ryder Cup captain Davis Love says Tiger Woods is confident of qualifying for the 2016 team.

In an interview with the BBC, Love said he was in regular contact with Woods and was not ruling him out, despite his current struggles with fitness and form.

After recovering from surgery from a pinched nerve, he failed to make the cut in his first tournament of the season, the Waste Management Phoenix Open when he carded an 112 over par 82 – the worst round of his professional career. Woods however is hopeful that he will play his first major of the year at the Masters next month.

Chinese film "Blind Massage" directed by Lou Ye has won the "best film" prize at the Asian Film Awards.

Best actor has gone to Liao Fan for his portrayal of a police officer turned alcoholic security guard in "Black Coal, Thin Ice."

The biggest winner on the night was Jiang Wen's "Gone With the Bullets," which won three technical prizes.

Shooting for the third installment in the hit kung-fu series "Ip Man" is due to begin later on this Thursday.

The former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson is joining Donnie Yen in the movie, along with a computer-generated Bruce Lee.

The story in the third installment focuses on the master-student relationship between Ip Man and Bruce Lee.

British singer-songwriter Ella Henderson is due to join British boy band "Take That" on their new tour as a special guest.

"It was actually a gig and it was amazing just to be back in the U.K. and in London doing a performance of my music and doing a longer set as well. But yeah it's definitely exciting. I can't wait to go on tour with the boys,"

A former UK "The X Factor" contestant, Henderson has huge success, including a platinum debut album and three hit singles.

The group have nearly 30 Top-40 singles and 17 top 5 singles in the United Kingdom, 12 of which have reached number 1.

It's been announced Paul McCartney, Metallica and Sam Smith are going to be among 130 different acts at this year's Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago.

At the same time, Metallica is heading back to teh Lollapalooza stage for the first time since 1996.

Others scheduled to perform at this year's event in Chicago will include Kaskade, Alesso, NERO, Dillon Francis, Carnage, Nicky Romero and DJ Snake.

Lollapalooza is a three-day music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands.

This year's festival will take place from July 31st to August 2nd in Chicago's Grant Park.

Chinese film company Beijing Galloping Horse has appointed former Ivanhoe co-chief Ray Chen as its general manager.

At the same time, Galoping Horse is lining up two US-China co-productions with producers Jerry Weintraub and Cameron Jones.

Weintraub is the executive currently producing martial arts action film "Legion of One" which is to be directed by Christopher Cain.

Jones is producing a romantic comedy musical called "Forever Young," to be directed by American actor Eric Stoltz.

新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2015/03/26（在线收听）