Morning Edition

 

 

It's Paul James with you on this Monday, March 30, 2015.

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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Chinese President Xi Jinping has delivered a speech to the Bo'ao Forum for Asia, saying China remains a solid destination for foreign investment.

Indian officials attending the Bo'ao sessions have been promoting infrastructure as that country's go-to investment platform.

Tens of thousands have paused to say goodbye to former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew.

In business... China's finance minister suggesting the current debt-swap program may be expanded.

In Sports... Australia secures this year's Cricket World Cup.

In Entertainment... a new Chinese drama has premiered in Beijing.

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

 

 

Weather

 

 

Beijing will be hazy today with a high of 23 degrees Celsius.

Overnight it will have slight rain with a low of 11.

Shanghai will also have slight rain during the daytime with a high of 17.

Overnight it will be overcast with a low of 16.

In Chongqing, it will be cloudy with a high of 29 and a low of 20.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,

Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 34.

Kabul, overcast with a high of 18.

Over to North America,

New York will be cloudy with a high of 13 degrees.

Washington will have showers with a high of 17 degrees.

Honolulu, also have showers, 28.

Toronto, Canada, will be windy with a high of 5 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,

Buenos Aires will be clear with a high of 29.

And Rio de Janeiro will have thundershowers with a high of 31 degrees Celsius.

 

 

Top News

 

 

Chinese President Speaks for China's Attraction as Top Investment Destination

 

Anchor

Chinese President Xi Jinping has used a session at the Bo'ao Forum in Hainan to reassure the international community that China remains open to foreign investment.

CRI's Qian Shanming has more.

Reporter

Xi Jinping says his government is expecting trade volume between China and countries involved in the "Belt and Road" initiative to surpass 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars a year in the next 10-years.

The Belt and Road Initiative is a land-based Silk Road Economic Belt and the sea-route into Southeast and Southern Asia.

To help finance the initiative, the Chinese government is backing both the Silk Road Fund and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Xi Jinping has told potential investors in Bo'ao his government's plan will help open China to more foreign capital.

"China will only increase its openness to the outside world. Our long-held policy of welcoming foreign capital will not change. Our firm stance to protect the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors will not change. And our commitment to provide ever better service for foreign companies in China will not change."

Addressing foreign businesses concern over the "new normal," Xi Jinping is suggesting the slower pace of economic growth represents a new opportunity for more optimized investments.

He suggests this will include more opportunities for quality products, green technology and innovative business models for foreign investors.

The Chinese president has also taken time to assure investors China remains an open destination for foreign capital.

"Some people worry that China may not need foreign investment anymore, arguing that the country is seeing bigger outbound investment than foreign capital inflows. Others worry that China's anti-trust campaign is protecting domestic players by targeting foreign investors. These two perceptions are both misled and misleading."

China remained the top foreign direct investment destination last year, attracting nearly 120 billion US dollars of FDI.

Over 40 international as well as domestic business leaders were present at the conference.

For CRI, I am Qian Shanming.

 

 

Developing infrastructure leading to better connectivity tops India's new reform Agenda

 

Anchor

Indian business leaders attending this year's Bo'ao Forum for Asia have been focusing on infrastructure investment as an opportunity for potential growth.

CRI's Luo Yu with more.

Report

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India should follow a two-pronged strategy to drive its economic reforms. This involves having a larger vision, with big infrastructure projects, while making sure that the growth trickles down to the grassroots, by for instance creating a bank account for every family.

But investment in infrastructure development has been identified as a corner stone of "modi-nomics" as it is the foundation for India's future economic growth.

According to the latest budget for the fiscal year 2015, India will increase investment in infrastructure by $11.3 billion to upgrade its road and rail network in a bid to boost growth. Meanwhile, a national-level fund has been established to help infrastructure finance companies to leverage extra equity to invest in large-scale projects.

Jyotsna Suri is chairperson & managing director of Bharat Hotels Limited.

'The most important aspect that the prime minister's development agenda is focusing on is 'make in India'. But 'make in India' needs infrastructure. We are also going to generate a lot of jobs, you know, 40% of jobs are created out of construction. And India is going to be in the construction mode for quite a while building that infrastructure.'

When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited India last year, he promised to invest 100 billion dollars to help improve the development of infrastructure in India. Dr. Baizhu Chen, professor of Clinical Finance and Business Economics at the University of Southern California expects this move to be a win-win scenario.

'China definitely can and should play a role in India's infrastructure development. And given that China is gradually moving away from labor intensive manufacturing I think there is a lot of complementarity between the two economies. If China does not play a role in India, somebody else will.'

On a broader scale, India is one of the founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and an key player of the New Development Bank, formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank.

Dr. Alwyn Didar Singh, Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry has a positive outlook on the potential for cooperation in infrastructure development among emerging economies.

'Emerging economies and developing economies have a lack of infrastructure. The single biggest issue is financing. So if you can manage to get financing done with emerging economies and developing economies, be Brazil, India, China, South Africa - if they are able to get their infrastructure right, they will be able to increase their competitiveness. And when they increase their competitiveness, obviously the growth and development agenda is better.'

India endeavors to revamp or build up infrastructure across the country. According to the latest forecast from the Asian Development Bank India's economy will grow at 7.8 percent this year.

But the most important outcome of investing in infrastructure development is that it would allow more people to share the fruits of economic growth due to greater connectivity in the second most populous country in the world.

For CRI, I'm Luo Yu.

 

 

How will the AIIB and the Silk Road initiative influence Asia?

 

Anchor

Questions about what the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Chinese government's "Belt and Road" initiative are being raised by Indian officials attending this year's Bo'ao Forum for Asia.

CRI's Liu Xiangwei caught up with Ajit Ranade, chief economist of India's Aditya Birla Group, to discuss India's plans when it comes to these to Chinese initiatives.

Back Anchor

That was Ajit Ranade, chief economist of India's Aditya Birla Group, speaking with CRI's Liu Xiangwei.

 

 

China to evacuate more than 500 nationals from Yemen

 

Plans are being laid out for the evacuation of Chinese nationals from Yemen.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says they've been working on the plans since Thursday.

This comes amid the Saudi-led airstrikes against the Houthi rebels which currently control much of Yemen.

There are 590 Chinese nationals registered in Yemen.

 

 

Two Fugitives Arrested in Latest Anti-corruption Operation

 

Anchor

Chinese authorities have made their first arrests as part of the new anti-corruption crackdown.

"Sky Net" is a follow-up to the "Fox Hunt" campaign launched last year meant to track down overseas fugitives.

CRI's Qi Zhi has more.

Reporter

"My name is Pang Shunxi. I've come back to surrender myself to the police. I will cooperate with the investigation."

Pang Shunxi, a former tax official from Tianjin, is accused of accepting bribes.

An Huimin, a former general manager of a trading firm in Tianjin, is accused of offering the bribes.

The two fled to Laos after prosecutors started an investigation in December.

They've since turned themselves in to the Chinese embassy in Laos.

Liu Dong headed the original "Fox Hunt" office with the Ministry of Public Security.

"This mission is the first successful one since we launched the "Sky Net" operation. It is also the prelude of the upcoming 'Fox Hunt 2015' operation."

"Fox Hunt 2014" was launched last summer.

It's goal was to target suspected economic criminals who fled the country.

The campaign ended up netting 680 suspects in 69 different countries over the 6-month operation.

The "Sky Net" program, a follow-up to "Fox Hunt," was announced last week.

It involves several government departments, including the Ministry of Public Security, the Foreign Ministry and the People's Bank of China.

"Sky Net's" stated goals are to apprehend fugitives in corruption cases, as well as those suspected of work-related crimes, illegal private banks and offshore accounts.

It also includes a tightening of the checks on government officials to ensure they don't have an avenue to flee the country.

Part of the campaign for "Sky Net" is stronger collaboration with other countries to build a wider and tighter net.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

"We also hope we will have cooperation and support from the international community when it comes to tracking down rogue Chinese officials and recovering their dirty assets. We hope the countries involved will give us their understanding and support. Never let your country be the paradise for corrupt officials to escape and hide in."

The Chinese government currently has 39 extradition treaties in-place with other countries.

Another 52 countries have signed-on with mutual legal assistance treaties.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

 

 

Singaporeans flock to bid farewell to country's founding father

 

Thousands have lined the streets of Singapore for the funeral procession for former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Chinese Vice-President Li Yuanchao represented China at the ceremony on behalf of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a personal appearance at the ceremony.

"I'm visiting Singapore at a sad moment, The passing away of his excellency Lee Kuan Yew marks the end of an era. He was among the tallest leaders of our times. Singapore's transformation in one generation is a tribute to his leadership."

Lee Kwan Yew has been dubbed the "father" of the city-state.

He was Singapore's first prime minister after gaining independence.

He died on March 23 at the age of 91.

He is credited with transforming the city state from a British colonial outpost into one of the world's wealthiest nations.

 

 

Iran nuclear talks in 'endgame'

 

Negotiations among Iran and the P5+1 in Lausanne, Switzerland are heading into the final push ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says progress has been made.

He's been calling on everyone at the meeting to remain flexible in working toward an agreement.

At the same time, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says Iran needs to make some tough decisions.

"We're here because we believe a deal can be done. It's in everybody's interests that a deal does get done. But it has to be a deal which puts the bomb beyond Iran's reach. There can't be any compromise about that. So if we're going to get this done here over the next few hours, Iran has got to take a deep breath and make some tough decisions to ensure that those red lines can be met."

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is on-record saying an agreement could be close.

A framework deal is supposed to be finished by tomorrow.

A final deal is supposed to be hammered out by June.

The final agreement is meant to curb Iran's nuclear program in-exchange for a lifting of economic sanctions.

 

 

Saudi-led Airstrikes on Sana Continue

 

Arab leaders have made an agreement to create a joint military force in the battle against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

This comes following a meeting among Arab leaders this weekend in Egypt.

A Saudi-led coalition began a campaign on Thursday to try to hold back the Houthi forces who ousted President Abd-rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Yemeni Foreign Minister Riad Yassin.

"Operation Decisive Storm will be stopped once the mission has been completed, and the reconstruction and reconciliation process will begin, with dialogue among all Yemenis - and of course the surrender of weapons."

Nabil al-Eraby is the Chief of the Arab League.

"The Arab challenges have become obvious, as Yemen was on the brink of the abyss, requiring effective Arab and international moves after all means of reaching a peaceful resolution have been exhausted to end the Houthi coup and restore legitimacy. And this will continue until the Houthi militias have retreated and handed over their arms."

The proposed force would be made up of 40-thousand troops.

It's also going to be backed by jets, warships and light armour.

Shiite Houthi forces in Yemen now control much of the country after rising up late last year.

The uprising has forced Abd-rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the country.

Iran is said to be behind the Houthi offensive, raising the spectre of a regional conflict.

Iranian authorities have denied the allegation.

 

 

Sarkozy's conservatives lead France's regional election

 

France's Conservative UMP Party and its allies appear to have come outthe winners of the final round of regional elections.

Exit polling is suggesting the UMP, led by former President Nicolas Sarkozy, may secure at least 68 local councils.

This would be up from the 41 the UMP currently controls.

Former French President and UMP chief Nicolas Sarkozy.

"Through their vote, the French people have massively rejected the policies of Francois Hollande and his government. The disavowal with respect to the governing power cannot be disputed. Never has a majority lost so many local councils. Never has a sitting government given rise to such defiance and rejection. Never has a political party embodied such failure at all levels."

The far-right National Front also appears to have made gains.

At the same time, the ruling Socialists and their allies may lose about 30 departments.

The local elections in France are seen as a litmus-test for the presidential election in 2017.

 

 

Biz Reports

 

 

Market Preview

 

Anchor

First let's get a preview of what we can expect on the markets this week.

Reporter

Market volatility is expected to continue this week, with investors dealing with earnings forecasts, as well as uncertainty of the direction of the US dollar.

US jobs data to be released this week may also create some waves.

The ADP employment report is due out on Wednesday.

The weekly jobless claims are out on Thursday, and the government's nonfarm payrolls report on Friday.

Markets in the US will be closed on Friday for the Good Friday holiday.

On Wednesday, Mexico's finance ministry will releases its fiscal balance for February.

Wednesday also sees the release of fixed investment data January.

HSBC's PMI readings for the US will also lay-out how factories fared in March.

The PMI in the US hit a 3-month low in February.

On the corporate front,

On Wednesday, Automakers are set to unveil new, mostly luxury models at the New York Auto Show.

General Motors is set to unveil its new Cadillac CT6 at the event.

On Thursday, U.S. used-car seller CarMax Inc, is scheduled to report earnings for the second quarter.

Web hosting company GoDaddy's initial public offering also due this week.

The company is hoping to generate some 410-million US dollars through the offering.

 

 

China Aims to Expand Debt-for-Bond Program to Ease Pressures

 

China's Finance Minister is suggesting the government's current one-Trillion yuan debt swap program for local governments may be expanded.

Lou Jiwei has made the suggestion at the Bo'ao Forum, saying his ministry is "communicating" with the National People's Congress to make a final decision.

Under the existing program, local governments are being allowed to convert up to a trillion yuan worth of debt into lower-interest bonds.

But in making the suggestion of expanding the program, Lou Jiwei is also warning the central government is not prepared to offer bailouts if local governments run into trouble repaying their debts.

It's believed local government debt here in China stands at some 4-trillion US dollars.

 

 

The Outlook of China's Online to Offline (O2O) business

 

Anchor

Wanda Group has begun beta-testing its online-to-offline e-commerce platform "feifan."

The platform is a collaboration with Tencent and Baidu.

It allows people to use their smart phones to find and purchase goods and services close to them.

A launch date hasn't been announced.

This comes amid word brick-and-mortar retailer Wang Fujing lost over 6-million US dollars in its online shop through this past year.

For more on e-commerce in China, we are now joined live by Mike Bastin, Director of The China Business Centre based in London.

Questions:

1) By teaming up with Baidu and Tencent, how could Wanda Group differentiate itself from rivals like Alibaba and JD.com in the ecommerce market?

2) What are the advantages of creating such Online to Offline business model, which is still an emerging trend in China?

3)On the other hand, traditional retailers such Wang Fujing and Yintai are struggling to attract online customers in their newly-established online platforms. Why is that the case?

How could they find a way out by making the best use of the O2O business model?

Back Anchor

Mike Bastin, Director of The China Business Centre based in London.

 

 

Food prices in China see lowest rise in 2014

 

New stats show Chinese food prices through last year increased just over 3-percent.

The National Bureau of Statistics says the 3.1 percent rise in food prices is down from the near 5-percent rise the previous year.

Liu Zhi is the head of China's National Food Industry Association.

"The price index of the food industry is going down as well as overall food prices nationwide. I think the trend will go on in 2015 as we have sufficient food supply in market. The price will experience a small decrease and also at a stable level."

Among the price increases, fruit prices jumped 18 percent last year.

Egg prices have increased 10 percent.

 

 

SOHO, Baidu mulls China's 1st estate-Internet tie-up

 

Chinese Real estate giant SOHO is said to be working with internet search-engine Baidu to sell homes online.

Executive from the two companies have made the suggestion while on a panel discussion at the Bo'ao Forum.

Details haven't been made clear.

Baidu President Zhang Yaqin says talks are at a very early stage.

SOHO has established a number of high-end properties around the country.

 

 

UAE central bank partners with China's UnionPay

 

UnionPay International is now available in the United Arab Emirates.

UnionPay card holders now have access all 48-hundred ATMs in the UAE.

The UAE has seen a steady rise of Chinese tourists through the last few years.

Last year, Dubai saw tourist numbers from China increase by 25-percent on an annualized basis.

 

 

Chinese-bought Pirelli may re-list

 

China National Chemical Corporation has gone on-record saying it hopes to re-list Pirelli on the Italian stock exchange once its take-over is completed.

ChemChina is part of a consortium of international firms which have teamed up to buy the Italian tire maker.

The deal is worth some 8-billion US dollar.

 

 

Headline News

 

 

China eyes 2.5-tln-USD annual trade volume with Belt and Road countries

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping says he expects annual trade volume between China and countries involved in the "Belt and Road" initiative to surpass 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars in a decade.

He's made the comments to a group of entrepreneurs on the sidelines of the Bo'ao Forum for Asia in Hainan.

At the same time, Xi Jinping is calling on foreign entrepreneurs to work with Chinese firms to help with the creation of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Maritime Silk Road.

 

 

China to evacuate more than 500 nationals from Yemen

 

Plans are being laid out for the evacuation of Chinese nationals from Yemen.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says they've been working on the plans since Thursday.

This comes amid the Saudi-led airstrikes against the Houthi rebels which currently control much of Yemen.

There are 590 Chinese nationals registered in Yemen.

 

 

Xi's Wife Peng Liyuan Attends Campus Event against AIDS, Tuberculosis

 

President Xi Jinping's wife, Peng Liyuan, has attended an event for AIDS and tuberculosis prevention in Hainan.

Peng Liyuan has taken part in the event along-side Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

The event has also included the airing of an anti-discrimination video featuring Peng Liyuan.

Peng is a goodwill ambassador of the World Health Organization for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

 

 

Sarkozy's conservatives lead France's regional election

 

France's Conservative UMP Party and its allies appear to have come out as the winners of the final round of regional elections.

Exit polling is suggesting the UMP, led by former President Nicolas Sarkozy, may secure at least 68 local councils.

This would be up from the 41 the UMP currently controls.

The far-right National Front also appears to have made gains.

The ruling Socialists and their allies may lose about 30 departments.

These elections are seen as a litmus-test for the presidential election in 2017.

 

 

Germanwings crash: 78 DNA strands isolated

 

Investigators say they have isolated nearly 80 DNA strands from the remains of the Germanwings flight which crashed in French Alps last week.

Recovery of human remains from the crash site remains slow.

Recovery teams have so far only reached the mountainside on foot or by helicopter.

Searchers have so far been unable to find the second-half of the black-box, the flight-data recorder.

The cockpit voice recorder has been found.

Investigators have determined the co-pilot of the plane intentionally downed the aircraft.

His motive remains unclear.

 

 

Air Canada flight slides off Halifax runway

 

An Air Canada plane has skidded off a runway while making a landing during a heavy snow-storm in the east coast city of Halifax.

More than 20 passengers and crew were injured, though not seriously.

The Airbus A320 was on a flight from Toronto with 138 people on-board.

Investigations are now underway.

 

 

Newspaper Picks

 

 

SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY

Headline

Hong Kong tourism slow-down

Summary

Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung is expressing concern 45 percent slump in mainland tourists numbers through March compared with last year.

It's being suggested the slowdown is linked, in-part, to the crackdown on cross-border smuggling.

BEIJING TIMES

Headline

Campaigner jailed

Summary

A well-known anti-graft activist is behind bars for solicitation.

Police in Hunan's capital Changsha say they caught him trying to pick up prostitutes.

The unemployed man from Guangzhou, known as Uncle Ou, is well-known for campaigning against the use of official vehicles.

SHANGHAI DAILY

Headline

Film deal

Summary

Shanghai International Film Festival and Alibaba Group have announced a three-year deal.

Alibaba's Yulebao - a crowd-funding site that allows members of the public to make small "investments" in entertainment projects - will be the festival's "interactive entertainment partner".

GLOBAL TIMES

Headline

Food poisoning

Summary

Over one-hundred people who attended a wedding over the weekend in Yunnan have come down with food poisoning.

The victims came down with stomach pains, diarrhea and nausea.

Initial investigations suggest a bacterial food poisoning.

CHINA DAILY

Headline

Smart city plans

Summary

Inner Mongolia's regional capital Hohhot is now in the midst of a "smart city" project.

This includes projects to create more mobile Internet and cloud computing.

Areas of focus include transportation, health care, education, energy conservation and the environment.

SHENZHEN DAILY

Headline

Garment stats

Summary

New analysis is suggesting the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen has become the most prominent base for fashion design and export in China.

Around 60-percent of women's clothing sold in China's first-tier cities is reportedly made in the city.

Official data suggest over 2-thousand clothing companies are operating in Shenzhen, employing around 15-thousand designers.

 

 

Special Reports

 

 

China works to improve food safety standards

 

Anchor

Food safety has become one of the topics of discussion at this year's Bo'ao Forum for Asia, with Chinese officials noting a new set of regulations are being put out to deal with food safety concerns.

CRI's Liu Xiangwei has more from Hainan.

Reporter

Food safety scandals are making headlines around the world more frequently in recent years, as the global trade in food has increased, making it harder to ensure quality across long, complex supply chains.

This has also been a concern for China. Premier Li Keqiang highlighted the problem in his Government Work Report earlier this month.

The issue is being taken up again at the Boao Forum for Asia with China showing a greater commitment to ensure food safety by strengthening international cooperation on this front.

Zhi Shuping, Minister of China's quality watchdog, the AQSIQ.

"China is shouldering more responsibly and playing a more important role in international organizations regarding food safety. For example, we hosted two technical committees of the CAC (Codex Alimentarius Commission), regarding standards food additives and monitoring pesticide residue. In the future we will work more closely with the WTO, overseas governments, and international companies to tackle the problem together."

CAC, or the Codex Alimentarius Commission is a body that was established in 1961 by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. It is dedicated to promoting international food safety standard.

China's participation in the organization is in line with its latest working plan on tackling food safety issues proposed by the state council. The plan focuses on implementing food safety standards in China, and also takes local requirements into consideration.

International companies are also working with China to help improve the country's food quality control mechanisms.

A global food safety center will be established in Beijing later this year by the American confectionery company Mars, Inc.

Victoria Mars, Chairperson of Mars, Inc. details her company's decision to tackle the problem of food-safety head-on in China.

"Why Beijing. Why China? Clearly China is a very big market. In the future, China is going to help dictate what would be the standards of food safety. This is a global food safety center, not just a Chinese food safety center. This is where scientists can come, where people from universities can come, and the government regulators can come, to work and learn together to help solve the problem together. "

This safety center is expected to provide research and education facilities to train inspectors at the grassroots level in the food industry.

According to Paul Conway, Vice Chairman of American Cargill Incorporated, the biggest issue that threatens food safety in China is the ignorance among food producers at the grassroots level.

"Because you have very many small farmers, who don't know, who don't have the education and that is the biggest thing that needs to change. And that is happening, as everything in China is happening very quickly."

Another area of expertise, where the international food industry can contribute to China's fight for food safety is to develop accurate tracing systems that allow food products to be tracked across the supply chain.

French-based Danone is one of the major food producers in the world. 60% of their products are sold outside Europe, yet every bottle of water can be traced back to its source. Last year it used its tracking system to recall some food product successfully, and identified the problem with a supplier. And now Danone is working with Zhong Liang, China's largest food producer to improve food safety controls.

Frank Ribound, Chairman of Danone.

"If you look at this bottle of water, you can see a small number written on the bottle. And we can tell you on which line that was produced, at what time that was produced and at what date that was produced, and the number of bottles coming from the same line. So the traceability helps us to understand. It's not just to know what happened. That will also help us to correct the process that we have."

Ribound says the same technology can be applied to any product, including items like infant formula, a product that has been the subject of many high-profile food scandals here in China. Consumers can also find more information about the products they buy , including its ingredients and suppliers through this tag.

Zhi Shuping, head of China's quality watchdog told CRI that China is also building a traceability system that will be highlighted in the new food safety law which is being drafted.

"We are building the credit system, both at the government-level and the enterprise-level. Every step of the food processing value chain is covered by the system, from the purchasing of raw-materials to the transport and storage of the final product. Only in this way could we win back the consumers' trust and address their worries."

Experts say that with the adoption of universal quality standards, establishment of international communication mechanisms and creating a sound traceability system, China is slowly winning its battle to prevent large-scale food safety scandals.

For CRI, I'm Liu Xiangwei.

 

 

Sports

 

 

Australia win Cricket World cup

 

In cricket.

Australia have beaten New Zealand by seven wickets in the final to win the World Cup for the fifth time.

Grant Elliott top scored for the Black Caps with 83 but New Zealand's hopes of winning the World Cup for the first time were dealt a blow when their captain Brendon McCullum was bowled for a duck in the first over of the day.

Clarke, who announced before the match that he was retiring from one-day internationals, guided his team to victory with a 74, departing to a standing ovation.　

Australia captain Michael Clarke on what the win means to him.

"To fight my backside off and work as hard as I possibly have to get back into the team, number one, after surgery, and then I guess to deal with what we've all dealt with over the last few months and to win a World Cup in front of your home fans, it's taken amazing discipline from all the players, a lot of hard work, and it's a fitting reward, like I say, for the pain everyone has gone through,"

Australia's win was the second in as many tournaments by a host nation after India's triumph four years ago.

 

 

NBA action

 

In the NBA, this morning two games have been played already.

The Houston Rockets have beaten the Washington Wizards 99-91

And the New Orleans Pelicans have smashed the Minnesota Timberwolves 110 – 88

The Detroit Pistons are currently taking on Miami Heat.

Later on this morning Dallas Mavericks play Indiana Pacers

Oklahoma City Thunder take on Phoenix Suns

Memphis Grizzlies play San Antonio Spurs.

 

 

China win at the badminton Indian Open

 

In badminton,

China have won both the mixed doubles and the men's doubles at the Indian Open in Delhi.

Liu Cheng and Bao Yixin pulled off an upset over the favorites and world number two team of Joachim Nielsen and Christinna Pederson of Denmark. They wrapped up the contest in 51 minutes, winning in straight games 21-19 21-19.

It was the first Super Series title for Liu and Bao, ranked five in the world.

And in the Men's doubles, Chai Biao and Hong Wei took just 45 minutes to overcome the Danish pair of Mads Conrad-Petersen and Mads Pieler Kolding in straight games 21-18, 21-14.

Meanwhile in the women's doubles, Chinese duo Luo Ying and Luo Yu were beaten by Japan's Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi 21-19 21-19.

 

 

Vettel wins the Malaysian Grand Prix

 

Sebastian Vettel put in a faultless display to record his first victory for Ferrari at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Starting from second place on the grid behind Lewis Hamilon's seemingly unbeatable Mercedes, Vettel and Ferrari produced a tactical masterclass to overhaul the Brit and cross the line 8 and a half seconds ahead of the double world champion.

Sebastian Vettel on the result.

"It's been a while since I was on the top step. It was a big change over the winter and the welcome the team gave me was fantastic. I have only done two races but it's really a great atmosphere. I'm very very happy and proud of today, we beat them fair and square."

The victory ended a long drought for the Italian Formula One team, whose last win was at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2013.

Vettel, who failed to win a race for Red Bull last year after four successive titles, has now won grands prix for three separate teams - Toro Rosso, Red Bull and Ferrari.

 

 

Scotland's Richie Ramsay wins Trophee Hassan II

 

In golf,

Scotland's Richie Ramsay claimed his third European Tour title and survived Romain Wattel's late surge top win the Trophee Hasson 2 tournament in Morocco.

Ramsay shot 3 under 69 to win by one shot on 10 under 278.

Richie Ramsay on his win.

"I'm pretty overwhelmed. Obviously it was a rollercoaster day. I would like to say I was one of the steadiest players out here, but today it was fireworks the whole day. I just dug in there. I played lovely golf and just tried to execute each shot one at a time and tried to focus on which shot I wanted to hit."

Romain Wattel of France finished second, recording 2 under 70 for 9 under 270. Wattel hoping for a first European Tour win, sank three birdies but also a bogey at the 14th.

South African George Coetzee who needed to win to qualify for the Masters finished tied third on eight under.

 

 

Andy Murray on course to hit ATP milestone

 

At the Miami Open, Britain's Andy Murray moved into the last 16 after beating Colombia's Santiago Giraldo 6-3 6-4 to move him within one win of 500 victories on the ATP Tour.

If he wins his next match he would become just the ninth active player and only the 46th man in the open era to achieve the milestone. He is set to play South African's Kevin Anderson.

Murray's latest win, in bright sunshine on stadium court, was a relatively straightforward matter although Giraldo's free swinging approach in the second set brought the contest alive a bit.

The match between Fernando Verdasco and Rafael Nadal has just finished. Fernando Verdasco has beaten nadal 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.

Meanwhile in the WTA,

Serena Williams beat Catherine Bellis 6-1 6-1

Flavia Pennetta beat Victoria Azarenka 7-6(5) 7-6(6)

 

 

Fiji win at Hong Kong sevens

 

Fiji have reclaimed the IRB World Series Hong Kong sevens title after beating defending champions New Zealand 33-19 in the final.

It was the 12th time these two sevens heavyweights had met in the decider of the Hong Kong Sevens.

The win was Fiji's third in four years in the Hong Kong Sevens, and a record-extending 13th in the tournament it prizes above all others.

The win puts Fiji just two points behind South Africa in the overall series with 108 points. The Fijian side are just one point ahead of third placed New Zealand.

The Japan Sevens is next weekend in Tokyo.

 

 

Entertainment

 

 

"Ever Since We Love" premieres in Beijing

 

Chinese film "Ever Since We Love" has premiered in Beijing.

Director Li Yu and actors Han Geng and Fan Bingbing have turned out for the event.

The film is based on Chinese writer and poet Feng Tang's novel of the same title.

The story follows a medical school student through his experience of love and friendship.

"Ever Since We Love" also stars Chinese actor Sha Yi and singer Wu Mochou.

The film is set to hit Chinese theatres on April 24th.

 

 

'Home' tops North American charts on $54m

 

New film "Home" has topped the Will Ferrell-Kevin Hart comedy "Get Hard" to top the weekend box office standings, pulling in an estimated 54-million US dollars in its opening weekend.

"Get Hard" also did well, earning 34.6 million US dollars.

Last week's top film, "The Divergent Series: Insurgent," slid to third with 22.1 million US dollars.

Disney's Cinderella came in fourth.

 

 

First trailer for new Bond movie-"Spectre" released

 

The people behind the new 'Bond' movie "Spectre have given us another taste of what's to come.

"Spectre," or the "Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion," delivers a cryptic message from Bond's past, sending him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization.

Daniel Craig is reprising his role as 'Bond," his 4th as 007.

Filming is taking place in Italy, Morocco, Mexico and Austria, on top of London.

"Spectre" is scheduled for release late next year.

 

 

Angelina Jolie gives inspirational speech at Kids' Choice Awards

 

Actress Angelina Jolie has delivered an inspirational address while attending this year's Kids' Choice Awards.

Jolie has made the speech while accepting the "Favorite Villain" award for her role as the title character in "Maleficent."

"When I was young I was told I was different. And I felt out of place: too loud, too full of fire, never good at sitting still, never good at fitting in. When someone tells you that you are different, smile and hold your head up and be proud. Cause a little trouble. It's good for you."

Jolie attended the event this weekend on the heels of her having her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed.

The actress and director has a genetic disorder which leaves her prone to cancer.

She had a mastectomy a few years back.

 

 

Sacha Baron Cohen to direct and star in Queen biopic

 

It's been announced comedian Sacha Baron Cohen is going to play Freddie Mercury in a forthcoming 'Queen' biopic.

Queen manager Jim Beach has made the announcement at the Artist & Management Awards in London.

Sacha Baron Cohen is an English actor and comedian, best known for his role as 'Borat.'

Cohen is reportedly going to produce, write and direct the film.

There's still no timetable for the film's release.

 

 

That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.

A quick look at the headlines before we go...

Chinese President Xi Jinping has delivered a speech to the Bo'ao Forum for Asia, saying China remains a solid destination for foreign investment.

Indian officials attending the Bo'ao sessions have been promoting infrastructure as that country's go-to investment platform.

Tens of thousands have paused to say goodbye to former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew.

In business... China's finance minister suggesting the current debt-swap program may be expanded.

On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James Beijing hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together.