Morning Edition

Paul James with you on this Wednesday, April 22, 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 arrived in Indonesian for the 2nd leg of his current overseas trip.

Chinese lawmakers are stepping up to explain their rationale behind potential changes to the laws surrounding agricultural seed development.

Libyan authorities have arrested hundreds of would-be migrants amid the mass exodus of people from North Africa trying to make their way into Europe.

In Business... provincial authorities in Heilongjiang have stepped in to help save one of the largest employers in the region.

In Sports... an update on the NBA playoffs, with a number of game 2's being played out this morning.

In entertainment... a new film starring award winner Vicki Zhao has premiered in Beijing.

Top News

The First Bandung Conference in Indonesia

Anchor

Chinese president Xi Jinping has arrived in Indonesia to take part in this year's the Asian-African Summit, along with activities to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference.

The Bandung Conference in 1955 was China's first multilateral diplomatic foray since the founding of the People's Republic of China less-than 6-years earlier.

CRI's Huang Shan has more.

Reporter

The first Bandung Conference took place in 1955 in the Indonesian city of Bandung. Delegations from 29 Asian and African countries participated in the conference.

The attending countries, mostly newly-independent, represented nearly a quarter of the Earth's land surface, with a total population of 1.5 billion.

Addressing the conference, Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, said Bandung means an important transition of world politics after WWII.

"This is the first intercontinental conference of colored peoples in the history of mankind."

The conference aimed to enhance Asian-African economic and cultural cooperation, and, oppose neocolonialism or colonialism by any nation.

During the conference, the countries held different opinions on issues including the interaction between newly-developed countries, the reconstruction of world order, and the relationships with former colonial powers.

As such divergence was progressing into disputes, China's then Premier made his declaration.

Zhou Enlai states that the Chinese delegation has come to the conference "to seek unity, but not to quarrel, to seek common ground, but not to create divergence."

His speech solidified the foundation for reaching consensus and promoting the success of the conference.

The conference adopted a final communique containing ten principles, which underlined respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations and recognition of the equality of all races and nations.

The Bandung Conference also incorporated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence initiated by leaders of China, India and Myanmar in 1954.

The five Principles include mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.

In comments, Indonesian President Joko Widodo highlights the positive role of the Bandung spirit in the new world pattern.

"Mutual respect and peaceful co-existence is still useful to safeguarding international relations. We hope to remind the public through the Asian-African Conference that the ten principles reached in the conference are the basic foundation of the international relations."

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference.

Various activities are now underway from April 19 to 24 in Jakarta and Bandung.

For CRI, I'm Huang Shan.

Xi lauds ties with Pakistan in address to Parliament

Chinese President Xi Jinping has delivered a speech at a joint sitting of Pakistan's parliament, calling for enriching the content of what he calls the China-Pakistan "community of common destiny".

Xi Jinping has used his speech to Pakistani lawmakers to describe ties between China and Pakistan as unique, saying the two countries support each other on their core interests.

"We will not forget that Pakistan is one of the first countries that recognized the People's Republic of China and the first Islamic nation to establish diplomatic ties with China. At the same time China has always stood firmly behind Pakistan whenever there is a need. China will unswervingly support Pakistan's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity."

As part of his speech, Xi Jinping has also raised a series of proposals to increase ties in various sectors, including non-traditional security.

"China and Pakistan should stand together through storm and stress to jointly address security challenges. We're ready to strengthen our cooperation to face the threat from non-traditional security in order to provide a secure environment for the two countries' economic cooperation and common development."

During his time in Pakistan, Xi Jinping oversaw the signing of over 50 bilateral agreements.

Most of them are connected to the China-Pakistan Economic Cooridor initiative.

This is a plan to create an economic path running from the western Chinese city of Kashgar to the Chinese-run Port of Gwadar in Pakistan's southwest.

The initative is said to be worth some 46-billion US dollars.

Chinese FM on controversial war shrine

The Chinese government has issued a response to the latest controversy surrounding the Yasukuni Shrine.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has delivered a ritual offering to the Tokyo-area shrine on Tuesday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei notes China's position on such moves remains consistent.

"As I pointed out, because this year is a crucial year that marks the 70th anniversary of the victory in WWII, the Japanese leader must follow the commitment and statements of previous governments, squarely face and reflect on Japan's history of aggression, properly handle the issue and gain trust from its Asian neighbors and the global community with concrete action."

Abe's previous visits and offerings to the Yasukuni Shrine have drawn sharp rebukes from China and South Korea.

His last personal visit to Yasukuni in December 2013 was also criticised by Washington.

The Yasukuni Shrine honors Japan's war dead, including 14 Class-A criminals of World War II.

China to Strengthen Regulations on Genetically Modified Plant Seeds

Anchor

Chinese officials and experts are moving to explain the reasons behind proposed new changes to the country's existing laws surrounding seeds.

As CRI's Wang Wei reports, Chinese authorities say the move has been prompted by concerns over genetic modification.

Reporter

The draft amendment to the Seed Law calls for stricter supervision on the use of GM plant seeds.

It also stipulates that information on GM seeds should be publicized in a timely manner.

Enterprises that produce seeds of GM plants are also required to be licensed by the agricultural and forestry departments of the State Council.

Liu Zhenwei, vice-chairman of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of China's top legislature, explains the proposed articles.

"To respond to the consumers' concern over the safety of genetically modified products, the draft states that the selection, trials, approvals and promotion of genetically modified plant seeds should undergo safety evaluations, and be subjected to strict safety control measures."

The amendment also touches upon seed business involving foreign companies.

Seed research and use involving foreign individuals, enterprises and other institutions are subject to approvals by the authority.

Li Liqiu, secretary general of China National Seed Association, says the regulatory move is a bid to safeguard the quality of China's seed resources.

"We should protect the quality of seed resources from a legal perspective. Foreigners should not be allowed to randomly collect seeds, and cooperation with Chinese enterprises also needs approval. Some scientific researchers have weak awareness in this regard and lose the resources in cooperation. The law does not contain detailed rules in the past, and the new regulation will be a very effective measure to protect seed resources."

Meanwhile, China's lawmakers are emphasizing new varieties of plants, encouraging innovation and cracking down counterfeits in the draft amendment.

As the seed industry is a high-technology industry, insiders believe that intellectual property is the core to the development of this sector.

Lu Hong, CEO of a seed company, Beijing Golden Maker, expressed his hope for enhancing legal protection and intellectual property in the seed industry.

"If the seed variety is of good quality, the development will be very fast, and vice versa. The previous Seed Law covers some areas, but there are still some ambiguous regulations or insufficient legal protection. The revised law shows an obvious improvement for intellectual property, and we regard it as very good news."

This is the first amendment to the Seed Law since 15 years ago.

For CRI, I'm Wang Wei.

Investigators find old rice contained in state-run silo

A probe into a suspected scam among state-run rice silos has discovered that some 7-thousand tons of grain examined in a warehouse in the province of Jilin contains excessive amount of so-called yellow rice, or old rice.

The investigation follows reports managers of state-run silos in Jilin and Liaoning have been purchasing old rice, but writing it up as new.

It's being suggested the scam may have cost the government millions of yuan.

Song Changquan is with the Jilin Food Safety inspection Office.

"Our examinations shows the rice in the silos is made up of between 2.5 to 21-percent of yellow rice. This is well beyond the range we would expect to find in grain produced by the farmers on a regular basis."

Authorities are focusing their investigation on one particular grain dealer, who happens to be related to one of the managers of a grain warehouse in Jilin.

Here in China, state-run silos are supposed to purchase new grain from farmers, providing them with a minimum purchase price.

Libya arrests hundreds of migrants amid mounting migrant deaths

Libyan authorities have detained around 450 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.

The migrants are said to be among those hoping to make the treacherous journey to European territory.

Word of the arrests comes as European rescue teams continue searching for an estimated 900 migrants believed to have drowned following the capsizing of migrant boat off the coast of Libya over the weekend.

Adrian Edwards is with the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees.

"UNHCR now believes the number of fatalities to have been over 800, making this the deadliest incident in the Mediterranean that we have recorded. We have currently a total of about 1,300 deaths in April, this means that April of 2015 has truly been the cruelest month, the highest numbers that we have seen deaths in any month on the Mediterranean."

In response, the European Union has proposed a 10-point action plan this week to deal with the massive influx of migrants from North Africa.

Joel Millman with the International Organization for Migration is warning the death toll may end up being 10-times greater if things stay the way they are.

"IOM now fears that the 2014 total of 3,279 migrants (dead) in the Mediterranean may be surpassed this year in a matter of weeks, and could well top 30,000 by the end of this year. It could actually be even higher, but 30,000 would be almost ten times last year's death toll."

Tens of thousands of migrants have been trying to make the crossing from North Africa, particularly Libya, to the southern Italian island of Lampedusa over the past couple of weeks.

Well over a thousand of them have already perished trying to make the journey.

S Africa sends army to stop the xenophobic violence

South Africa's government has begun deploying the army in areas of Durban and Johannesburg to try to stop attacks on foreigners.

South African Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.

"It is the police who must say we think at this point we do need your help, and once they say they need your help, then of course the commander-in-chief takes the ultimate decision, reports to parliament. But, of course, we will report to parliament after the fact because now we are deploying because there is an emergency to do so. "

The South African cities of Durban and Johannesburg have been embroiled in xenophobic violence for close to a month, with locals targeting foreigners amid rampant complaints about high unemployment.

The violence, said to have been spurred by a xenophobic speech delivered by a tribal Zulu King some 3-weeks ago, has left 7 people dead and some 5-thousand others homeless.

The targets have mostly been other Africans, including people from Zimbabwe, Somalia, Ethiopia and Malawi.

No Chinese nationals have been injured to this point.

However, a number of Chinese owned businesses have been targeted.

A number of countries are working on plans to have their nationals moved out of the country.

So far the Chinese government has not laid out any plans to evacuate Chinese nationals from South Africa.

Hope operation in sight as Decisive Storm ends in Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition has ended its air campaign against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, citing success in achieving its military goals.

The Saudi Defense Ministry says the air raids have destroyed numerous Houthi heavy weapon and missile sites.

The campaign, dubbed "Decisive Storm" began in late March.

However, it has largely failed to halt the rebels' advance.

A new operation called "Restoring Hope" is now being launched, with a focus on a political solution in Yemen.

Yemen has been in chaos since the Houthi rebels took control of the capital, Sanaa, in January.

This eventually forced President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee abroad at the end of March.

Egyptian Revolutionary Council reacts to Morsi verdict

Supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi are blasting his first conviction since his ouster.

The courts in Egypt have sentenced Morsi to 20-years for his role in the killing of protesters in 2012.

The so-called Egyptian Revolutionary Council, based in Turkey, is describing the verdict as a "complete breakdown in the rule of law."

Maha Azzam is the president of the organization.

"The complete disregard to (of) the rule of law that we have seen today in the passing of a sentence of 20 years against the elected president of Egypt is not only symbolic, it represents facts on the ground. It represents the fact that this regime will not respect any international law, it will not respect its own laws and as such it is a threat to every citizen of the world, and every nation that wants to do business with a country that has some semblance of legality."

Mohammed Morsi, Egypt's first democratically-elected President, was overthrown in 2013 following a popular uprising which led to the military stepping in.

Since his ouster, Morsi's predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, has seen many of the previous convictions against him and his supporters overturned by the courts.

Global Auto Maker Gather at Shanghai Auto Show

Anchor

Despite the slowdown in the Chinese economy, international automakers remain out-in-force at the Shanghai Auto Show, still hoping to capitalize on the world's largest auto market.

CRI's Li Ningjing has more.

Reporter

The cooling of the Chinese economy is starting to be felt in a number of areas across the country, including the auto sector.

Auto analyst Yale Zhang says this is being reflected in a number of high-end foreign automakers seeing their sales beginning to slow.

"We do see some premium sectors are impacted a little bit. The economy slowing down will result in some kind of slowing down of the premium segments. We see, like BMW, actually started decreasing a little bit, and Audi and Mercedes they grow much slower than previous years. So, I think that is a sign of the economy issues."

Despite this, all of the players mentioned, along with many others, are still representing themselves at this year's Shanghai Auto Show.

Mark Fields, President and CEO of Ford, suggests the slowdown of the economy may provide an opportunity for his company to expand in the China market.

"It's clear that the market is off the double-digit growth rate as we have been seen in the last couple of years, but still it is 7% which is the consensus growth of this year. That's still one of the best growth around the world and it's the largest growth market in the world. So from that stand point we are very encouraged. We are actually opening new plants because we are out of capacity and part of this is because of the sales success that we're having in the market place. So we are adding new capacity with these new products in new segments that we haven't been in before here in China."

Ford has also debuted its latest Taurus model at the Shanghai Auto show.

German automaker BMW is also showing off its new products, unveiling its newest X5 xDrive 40e in Shanghai, a plug-in hybrid.

Ian Roberston, BMW's Senior Sales Executive, says his company believes new-energy has a bright future in China.

"We think new energy vehicles have a very very strong position for the future in this market place. The government is very clear that they are going to reduce the CO2 of most of the vehicles that are coming into the market in the years ahead. "

Vehicle says in China hit just under 23-and-a-half million last year, well ahead of the United States.

China has been the world's largest auto market since 2009.

As such, the Shanghai Auto Show has become a key event for both global and domestic vehicle makers.

For CRI, I'm Li Ningjing.

The China International Film Festival London to be held in May

Anchor

Countries around the world are putting on Chinese film festivals, which happen to coincide with the Beijing International Film Festival, which has been underway all week in the Chinese capital.

CRI's Chloe Lyme has more on what is happening in London to promote Chinese films.

Reporter

The China International Film Festival London is one of the most prestigious and far-reaching overseas Chinese film events to date.

The two nations have come together to encourage attention and support from international audiences by introducing Chinese films to the UK, with the hope to motivate filmmakers from both sides to connect and share ideas.

Carma Elliot, the British Cultural and Education Minister and Director of the British council, says the festival is a great way for filmmakers from China and the UK to connect.

"It's really important that people in the UK can see what's coming out from china and making it more accessible, bringing it to London so people can go along, and when it is part of a film festival it gives it profile as well so it helps directors and producers here, the industry here to connect into the UK ."

By introducing fresh Chinese movies to the UK, it's a way of showing industry insiders and audiences a new angle to film making and story-telling.

Hong Kong director Peter Chan agrees that the festival is good for Chinese filmmakers, after his latest film received lots of praise at the previous event.

"I feel greatly honored to attend such an event and I'd like to express my support for the event. Last year, I attended the China International Film Festival London and my work "Dearest" received great encouragement and finally a big prize."

China and the UK have just signed a co-production treaty, and this festival will give filmmakers young and old, a chance to see there's now an accessible platform for production between the two countries. It's very much about the next generation and making those connections for the future.

Chinese actress Yan Bingyan said the festival, which is in its third year, has a very young feel to it.

"When I first attended the event, I was surprised that so many young people are working on such a magnificent film festival. The atmosphere was very young, vigorous and fashionable."

The China International Film Festival London will begin on May 13.

For CRI, this is Chloe Lyme.

Kiwifruit Changes Ya'an Residents' Lives for the Better

Anchor

Locals the southwest Chinese city of Ya'an are working to revive their economy, devastated by an earthquake 2-years ago, by planting Kiwi fruits.

CRI's Sophie Williams has more.

Reporter

Ao Wenhua, a local farmer from a quake-hit village, is happy to share his financial prospect. He says it is a far rosier picture than that before the earthquake.

"My kiwifruit is expected to make me twenty thousand yuan a year after it ripens. Before the earthquake, I had to travel far away from home to find a job and I only managed to earn three thousand yuan a year."

It seems an unlikely jump, but according to Long Jiayan, the news spokeswoman from Ya'an Agricultural Bureau, it has happened for two reasons.

"First, geographically, the six counties in Ya'an are ideal places for growing kiwifruit. Second, kiwifruit has relatively high economic values."

Village official Wang Qi agrees, and elaborates a bit more on Long's first point.

"There are a few contributing factors. First, we have fertile soil. Second, there is plenty of water to go around. And third, the lands here are wide. These are all advantages when it comes to growing kiwifruit."

Official figures put the current kiwifruit fields in Ya'an at 1,900 acres. Wang says the number is expected to reach 5,000 in the near future.

The advantages of growing kiwifruit are evident now, but initially, farmers were on the fence. Local official Yuan Chao, who is a farmer himself, found a way to ease their worries.

"I encouraged them to embrace the idea. Naturally, they would ask me, 'You promise me that I can earn 800 yuan an acre if I grow kiwifruit. What if I cannot?' I told them we would be fine because the government guarantees the profits. We can always go to them."

Apart from economic considerations, Yuan also thinks about the future of the region.

"Most of our youths are out for work, and therefore leave our land fallow and idle. Once we grow kiwifruit, they can come back and have their own businesses, in addition to what we can make from agritourism. Isn't this way better than before?"

What Yuan means by "agritourism" is a derivative industry developed from the kiwifruit industry. It aims to attract tourists by allowing them to pick kiwifruit themselves and enjoy the beautiful scenery around.

Fu Liangyong, deputy head of Huo Ju village in the region, says this smart thinking has started to produce results.

"We sold out our kiwifruit last year in a single week! Instead of going to the markets, customers came to our village and picked it all."

There are still ruins and wastelands in Ya'an, but most of them are starting to turn green. And the green is helping to provide more opportunities for local people.

For CRI, I'm Sophie Williams.

Death toll rises to 16 in China mine flooding

The death toll from the flooding of a coal mine this week in Shanxi has risen to 16.

However, hope of finding others still alive is still there, after 3 of the trapped miners were pulled alive from the mine in Datong on Tuesday.

Rescuers are racing against time to rescue the remaining 5 miners still trapped underground.

24 men became trapped after the mine flooded on Sunday night.

Authorities believe a build-up of water in an abandoned section of the mine led to the flooding.

China to continue to relax price control: NDRC

China's top economic planner is promising a further relaxation of price controls.

The National Development and Reform Commission says the cost of medicine, railway transport, postal services and some other professional services will now be determined by the market.

The central government began relaxing its pricing controls for low cost medicine, telecom services, tobacco and air transport last year, along with natural gas and electricity prices.

Solar plane reaches China final leg Nanjing

The "Solar Impulse 2" has finally arrived in Nanjing.

It took nearly 17 hours for the Swiss-made aircraft to arrive in Nanjing from Chongqing, where it had been grounded for over a month because of bad weather conditions.

Co-pilot Bertrand Piccard.

"I love to fly in an aeroplane that uses no fuel. And the more you fly, the more energy you have. And you load the batteries. My batteries are almost full now, although I flew half of the night."

The plane first arrived in Chongqing on a flight from Myanmar.

Co-pilot Andre Borschberg had been scheduled to fly the plane to Nanjing.

However, he had to return to Switzerland because of health problems.

The plane will remain in Nanjing for an unspecified number of days before it makes the next leg of its journey to Hawaii.

The "Solar Impulse 2's" around-the-world adventure includes 12 stops.

It's scheduled to be completed in five months.

However, the delay in Chongqing is likely to push that schedule back.

Weather

Beijing will be sunny today with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 14.

Shanghai will be sunny with a high of 24 and a low of 14.

In Chongqing, it will see showers during the daytime with a high of 22.

Overnight it will also see showers with a low of 16.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,

Islamabad will be sunny with a high of 43.

Kabul will be sunny with a high of 26.

Over to North America,

New York will have showers with a high of 17 degrees.

Washington, showers with a high of 22 degrees.

Honolulu, showers, 28.

Toronto, Canada, will see showers with a high of 9 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,

Buenos Aires will be sunny with a high of 24.

And Rio de Janeiro will have showers with a high of 28 degrees Celsius.

Headline news

Chinese president arrives in Jakarta for Asian-African summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Indonesia for an Asian-African summit and activities commemorating the 1955 Bandung Conference.

Xi Jinping is due to deliver a speech to the leaders' meeting in Jakarta where he's expected to lay-out thoughts on how to increase Asia-Africa cooperation.

He's also due to have several bilateral meetings with other world leaders before heading to the city of Bandung to attend events marking the 60th anniversary of the first Asian-African conference.

This is the first time Xi Jinping has been back in Indonesia since October of 2013.

That's when he first put out his vision for the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Xi Jinping's time in Indonesia follows a state visit to Pakistan which saw him oversee the signing of over 50 bilateral investment treaties connected to the China-Pakistan Economic Cooridor.

Chinese lawmakers debate tough curbs on tobacco advertising

Chinese lawmakers are now debating whether to further restrict tobacco advertising as part of an amendment to the country's Advertising Laws.

The new plans would forbid tobacco advertising through mass media and in public places.

The draft is said to be close to what's being required under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

However, there has reportedly been heated discussion around ambiguities in the wording of the amendment, including how to define a "public venue."

China is both the world's largest tobacco consumer and producer.

South Korean Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo offers to resign

South Korean Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo has offered his resignation amid a growing political scandal.

Lee has already transferred his duties as the chair of cabinet meetings to his deputy.

However, he will still maintain the position of Prime Minister until President Park Geun-hye accepts his resignation.

Calls for Lee to resign began after South Korean tycoon Sung Woan-jong took his own life in early April.

Investigators have since accused Lee and several other politicians of alleged involvement in a bribery scheme with the late-tycoon.

Lee has denied the allegations.

Japan's maglev train breaks new world speed record

Japan's state-of-the-art maglev train has clocked a new world speed record, hitting the 603 kilometers per hour mark.

The record has been set on a test run near Mount Fuji.

Japan Railway Central is hoping to have the train in service in 2027, plying the route between Tokyo and the central city of Nagoya, a distance of 286 kilometres.

The service, which would run at around 500 kilometers per hour, is expected to connect the two cities in only 40 minutes.

Biz Reports

Anchor

First, a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe.

Joining me on the desk, Niu Honglin.

Reporter

U.S. stocks closed mixed on Tuesday, as investors digested a spate of corporate earnings.

Shares of IBM fell 1.1 percent after the company announced that its sales through the first quarter came in down, the 12th straight quarter of year-on-year declines.

Shares of DuPont also dropped after the company missed revenue targets.

Shares of Verizon were also down after the largest telecom company in the US reported its quarterly revenues declined to 32-billion US dollars.

At close,

The Dow Jones dipped half a percent.

The S&P 500 edged down 0.2 percent.

The Nasdaq gained 0.4 percent.

Over in Europe.

European equities ended slightly higher, despite concerns about Greece's debt problems.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker issued a statement yesterday, critical of Greece's willingness to negotiate a solution to its debt crisis.

Juncker says the willingness of the Greek government to talk has increased somewhat, and says he's not satisfied with the outcome of the talks so far.

Despite this,

The UK's FTSE 100 added 0.2 percent.

Germany's DAX picked up 0.4 percent.

And France's CAC 40 inched up 0.1 percent.

Helongjiang Rescues Largest Coal Mine in the Northeast

Provincial authorities in Heilongjiang have come to the rescue of the region's largest coal mine.

The Heilongjiang Provincial government has loaned 500-million yuan to the Longmay Mining Company.

At the same time, it's also set aside another 500 million to help the company through its restructuring, which will include significant lay-offs.

Longmay Mining reported a 5-billion yuan loss last year due to the drop in coal prices and high production costs.

The state-owned firm, which has 240-thousand people on its payroll, has already laid off thousands of employees.

It's planning on cutting another 16-thousand administrative staff by August.

Longmay's difficulties are part of a wider economic slowdown in Heilongjiang.

The northeastern Chinese province only registered growth of 5.6-percent last year, much lower than the national rate of 7.4 percent.

China's northeast, including the provinces of Helongjiang, Liaoning and Jilin, is known as the "rust belt," as it still relies on outdated, state-sponsored heavy industry built in the 1950s and 60s.

Chinese steel firm gets full ownership of Sirra Leone mine

A Chinese state-owned iron and steel company has acquired the full ownership of a mining project in Sierra Leone.

Shandong Iron and Steel Group says it has purchased the remaining 75-percent stake in the Tonkolili Iron Ore mine.

The price-tag for the acquisition has not been made public.

However, the company's previous purchase of the first 25 percent of the mine cost it some 1.5-billion US dollars back in 2011.

The mine has been mostly idle since November because of a debt default.

Call-in with John Ross Premier Li urges boosting employment

Anchor

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has unveiled a new series of measures to encourage people to start their own businesses.

At the same time, the Premier says the government is planning to open up the infrastructure sector and other public service areas to private investment.

The statement from Li Keqiang also suggests mass entrepreneurship and innovation is the way to make China strong.

The Premier has been suggesting China's rising e-commerce sector is one area where employment growth can be achieved, promising more government support for the so-called Internet Plus sector.

For more on the direction the Chinese government wants to go with employment, we're joined on the line by John Ross, Senior fellow with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University.

Talking points:

1, Why is the premier making these statements, how serious is the unemployment pressure facing the Chinese government this year, or these coming few years?

2, Entrepreneurship and innovation always sound a high note on the premier's speech. Aside from tax breaks and streamlining business red tape, what else can spur up the start-up spirit?

3, The Chinese government is now undertaking reforms with the state owned enterprises, which so far have been big employers, will this reform going to jeopardize the employment balance in the short term? What does the long term picture look like?

Back anchor:

John Ross, Senior fellow of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University.

Apple Defends Siri Voice App in IP Lawsuit in China

An appeals court in Beijing has handed Apple a victory in a long-running lawsuit its been dealing with connected to its Siri application in its iPhones and Ipads.

The Beijing Higher People's Court has ruled in-favor of Apple in a patent lawsuit filed by Shanghai Zhizhen Network Technology.

The Chinese company had claimed Siri infringed on a patent it holds for a voice-assistant program called 'Xiao i Robot.'

After Zhizhen succesfully sued Apple in the lower courts, the Beijing appeals court has now determined Siri does not infringe on Zhizhen's technology.

The original suit by Zhizhen Technology in 2012 is one of a number of patent disputes Apple has been fighting in China since authorities allowed the introduction of its products into the mainland market.

Foxconn starts selling restored second hand iPhone sets

Foxconn is now taking online orders for refurbished second-hand iPhones.

E-commerce platform of flnet.com has been contracted by Apple to sell second hand iPhone 5S and iPhone 4S at half the price of new products.

A restored iPhone 5S is selling at 21-hundred yuan.

The restored iPhone 4S is selling at 900 yuan.

It is unclear when Foxconn will begin deliveries.

Apple announced its "reuse and recycling program" here in China earlier this month.

Hainan duty-free sales exceed 13 billion yuan

Customs authorities in Hainan are reporting the island province's offshore duty-free sales have surpassed the 13-billion yuan mark since being put into place four years ago.

The roughly 2.2-billion US dollars worth of sales came from 4.7-million customers who have visited the two duty free shopping centers since they opened.

Hainan's two duty-free shops are in the provincial capital Haikou and the resort city of Sanya.

Hainan's tourism has been suffering a moderate contraction in recent months.

Numbers have been down since December after Russia's currency crisis hit its peak.

Russia has traditionally been a major foreign tourist base for Hainan.

Sports

NBA Playoffs Preview

Over in the National Basketball Association playoffs:

Cleveland and Boston are in the middle of game two. The Cavs took game one, but needed to rally back after being outscored by the Celtics in the first half to eventually win.

Tipping off at 8 a.m., Beijing time:

Washington hit the court against Toronto; The Wizards took game one in overtime--hopefully, Paul Pierce's trash talking, saying the Raptors don't have "the It" to worry him won't come back to bite the Wizards in game two.

And later,

Houston head into game two against Dallas; If the Rockets can continue the cohesive playing that gave them the game-one win over the Mavs, they could be on their way to sweep the series.

Football: Beijing Suffers 1st Loss in AFC Champions League

In football:

First, from the Asian Champions League:

Brisbane Roar upset previously-unbeaten Beijing Guoan 1-0.

Mistakes on defense and a squad that may be suffering fatigue from playing in the domestic league and the AFC were reasons for the loss, according to Guo'an coach Gregorio Manzano.

"While our team are playing both domestic league and the Asian Champions League, players are all physically exhausted. In this kind of situation, I have given our players chances to have rest in shift. Now we still have the initiative to enter the last 16 of ACL, we are not in despair."

Beijing will be at Suwon on May 5th for their final Group G match with a draw being enough to send both clubs through to the knockout round.

And Guangzhou Evergrande sealed the place of the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League after a 0-0 away draw with FC Seoul.

Football: Bayern Munich, Barcelona Through to UEFA Semi-Finals

IN the UEFA Champions League:

Bayern Munich obliterated Portuguese giants FC Porto 6-1, avenging their loss in the first leg to win 7-4 on aggregate and reach the Champions League semi-finals.

And Barcelona booked their Champions League semi-final berth for the seventh time in eight years after beating Paris St. Germain 2-0, thanks to a pair of first-half goals from Neymar.

In upcoming Champions League action:

City rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid prepare to do battle in the second leg of their derby, after drawing 0-0.

Real's Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric are all out injured, while Marcelo is suspended.

But Real coach Carlo Ancelotti says he has faith in the men he will field in the match:

" I have said a lot of times I have the best squad in the world so I think is not important who is not going to play and focus in who is going to play. And for this reason I have a lot of confidence in my players, and we are going to do our best."

In tomorrow's other match, Juventus prepare for AS Monaco; Juve is up just one point on-aggregate after eeking out a 1-0 win in their first meeting.

Tennis: Kei Nishikori Through at Barcelona Open

Taking a look at tennis--

In men's action down at the Barcelona Open:

Kei Nishikori started the defence of his Barcelona Open crown beating Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili on Tuesday.

The Japanese hit 22 winners to take it 6-3, 6-4.

Nicolas Almagro also advanced to the second round, where he will face eight-time winner Rafael Nadal, after opponent Paolo Lorenzi retired.

Last year, Almagro stunned Nadal in the quarter-finals, ending Nadal's run of 41 straight wins at the tournament.

Over in women's action from the Porche Tennis Grand Prix:

France's Caroline Garcia beat fifth-seed Ana Ivanovic 7-6, 6-4;

Garbine Mugurza downed Czech Barbora Stryvoca 6-1, 6-4;

Spain's Carla Suarez-Navaro ousted Russia's Evgeniya Rodina 6-2, 6-7, 6-4;

and Sixth-seed Ekaterina Makarova beat American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4, 7-6.

Chinese Volleyball Star Xue Chen Returns After Ankle Injury

Chinese beach volleyball star Xue Chen kicked off her new season, with partner Xia Xinyi, on Tuesday at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour stop in Fuzhou, competing for the gold medal after recovering from injury.

Xue injured her ankle last season and had to rest for more than half a season, which dropped her down to 27th in the rankings. Xue and Xia won the bronze medal last year at the Fuzhou Open.

The 2015 Fuzhou Open is qualification tournament for the 2016 Olympic Games.

NHL Playoffs Preview

Taking a look at hockey action from the National Hockey League Playoffs:

Going on right now, the Tampa Bay Lightnight are battling the Detroit Redwings in game 3 of their series--both teams are even at one game apiece.

And The Washington Capitals are a game down to the New York Islanders, as game three gets underway.

Later Today, Chicago is looking to widen its one-game lead over Nashville when they meet for game 4 of their series.

And Vancouver will take on Calgary, where the Flames lead the Canucks 2 games to 1.

Entertainment

Vicki Zhao, Huang Xiaoming's "Hollywood Adventures" premieres in Beijing

A new romantic comedy "Hollywood Adventures" has premiered in Beijing.

The film stars Vicki Zhao, Huang Xiaoming and Tong Dawei.

The film is about a pair of friends, Huang Xiaoming and Tong Dawei, who visit Hollywood and subsequently become enamored with the character played by Vicki Zhao.

Zhao's character in the film, a confident and sultry seductress who speaks American-accented English, is a sharp departure from her last film.

"Dearest," which earned Vicki Zhao best actress at the recent Hong Kong Film Awards, saw her play a simple villager.

"Hollywood Adventures" is slated for release in Chinese cinemas on July 26th.

Brad Pitt, Christian Bale to star in 'The Big Short'

It's been revealed actors Brad Pitt, Christian Bale and Steve Carell are set to star in a new film about traders taking advantage of the markets ahead of the global financial meltdown.

The film, "The Big Short," is going to be produced by Michael Lewis.

Lewis is the man behind "Moneyball," which stared Brad Pitt.

"The Big Short" is based on a screenplay about investors who 'shorted' the market during the housing bubble ahead of the 2008 financial collapse.

Production is already underway in New Orleans.

'Transformers' Sequel Expected in 2017

"Transformers" appears poised for yet-another reboot.

Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner has gone on-record saying they "expect" a fifth sequel in the popular franchise within the next 2-years.

Akiva Goldsman is to lead a group of writers to really create a strategic plan for "Transformers."

The films have been seeing reduced returns in the US.

However, the films remain popular in overseas markets, particularly in China.

"Transformers" has already earned billions for Paramount, which developed the franchise based on a series of cartoons, which are based on Hasbro's line of toys which came out in the 1980's.

Director Michael Bay, who has been behind all the previous "Transformers" movies, has said he's unlikely to direct a 5th installment.

Director talks Venice Film Fest winner 'A Pigeon Sat on a Branch'

After winning the top prize at last year's Venice Film Festival, surreal Swedish film "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence" is flying onto U.K. theatres.

Director Roy Andersson completes says he's hoping UK audiences will be both amused and touched by his film.

"There are some historically interesting and very hard subjects in it so that is important to discuss. Above all I hope that people can see that the daily life can also be poetic even when it's banal."

Two characters that pop up intermittently throughout the film are a pair of unsuccessful, melancholy, novelty jokes salesman played by Holger Andersson and Nils Westblom.

Holger Andersson admits the film might be difficult for some people to wrap their heads around.

"I think it's very peculiar and sometimes funny and sometimes sad, I think. Very dark. Some scenes are very dark."

"A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence" is being released in the UK on Friday.

Gwyneth Paltrow files for divorce from singer Chris Martin

Gwyneth Paltrow has officially filed for divorce from Chris Martin.

Paltrow is citing irreconcilable differences for the breakup of her marriage to Martin after more than 11 years.

The court papers have revealed the couple has been separated in May of 2013.

Paltrow and the Coldplay frontman were married in December 2003 and have two children together.

Paltrow is seeking joint custody.

In March of last year, the pair announced they were separating and undergoing a process they both describe as "conscious uncoupling."

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

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

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Indonesian for the 2nd leg of his current overseas trip.

Chinese lawmakers are stepping up to explain their rationale behind potential changes to the laws surrounding agricultural seed development.

Libyan authorities have arrested hundreds of would-be migrants amid the mass exodus of people from north Africa trying to make their way into Europe.

In Business... provincial authorities in Heilongjiang have stepped in to help save one of the largest employers in the region.

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.