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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says China attaches equal importance to improving the environment and growing the economy.

The vice-chair of China's Central Military Commission meets U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter at the Pentagon.

The Chinese government calls for greater help for migrant workers who leave their children behind after four youngsters die after being left at home alone.

In our weekly Biz Roundup.... Train builder CRRC starts trading in the Chinese A-share market.

In Sports... China is through to the Semi-finals at the Water Polo Women's Super Final in ShanghaiIn Entertainment...British TV show Downton Abbey is to be honoured with a BAFTA tribute night.

Top NewsPremier: China is Coping with Climate ChangeAnchor:

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says his country will attach equal importance to improving the environment and growing the economy despite the current downward pressure.

CRI's Guo Yan has more.

Reporter:

At Friday's meeting of the National Leading Group on Climate Change, Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction, Premier Li says China will achieve its energy saving and emissions control targets set in the 12th Five-Year Plan as scheduled.

He said growth of energy-saving and environmentally friendly industries will be integrated into the nation's broad campaign to boost mass entrepreneurship and innovation, while tough limits will be imposed on expansion of heavily polluting and energy intensive sectors.

The premier vows that China will continue to pursue resource conservation and environment protection as a basic state policy while formulating a long-term road map for low-carbon development.

He notes that China is committed to full, effective, and sustainable implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and stands ready to work with all other parties to ensure a comprehensive, balanced and strong agreement at the upcoming Paris Conference.

He adds that China will actively engage in bilateral and multilateral consultations and will, in particular, expand South-South cooperation on climate change.

According to a statement released after the meeting, a South-South Cooperation Fund on climate change will be set up and China will provide capital and technological assistance within its capabilities to other developing countries, small island nations and least developed nations.

China has set a target to achieve the peaking of carbon dioxide emissions around 2030.

The premier says the country will work hard to reach the peak at an even earlier date, which indicates further measures such as substantial cuts in CO2 emission and raising the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption as well as forest stocks.

Last year, China's energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP dropped by around 30 percent and 34 percent respectively compared to the levels in 2005.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

Experts on Meeting between Military Chiefs of China, USAnchor:

The vice-chair of China's Central Military Commission has held a meeting with the U.S. Defense Secretary at the Pentagon.

The topics the two chiefs discussed included military-to-military relations and the South China Sea issue.

Analysts say the bilateral military cooperation will be extended, while the US should stay away from the sea dispute.

CRI's Luo Wen reports.

Reporter:

The dispute over the South China Sea gained emphasis.

Fan Changlong told Ashton Carter that the US should reduce its naval and air activities in the area, saying the construction works in the Nansha Islands are within China's sovereignty.

Doug Bandow, a foreign policy analyst at the Washington-based think tank the Cato Institute, suggests the US not get involved in this issue.

"I don't view this as being primarily an American issue. So I don't see this being primarily an issue for the U.S. military. But this is primarily an issue for Beijing and for countries in the region. It really is not one where the U.S. should want to get militarily involved, especially in the idea of a confrontational relationship with China."The former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan also says the U.S. should be encouraging its allies to lower the temperature.

"Both Japan and the Philippines, when they're working with China, should look for ways to reduce the confrontation, find ways to talk about this."During their talks, Fan Changlong also proposed the countries' militaries establish a new kind of relationship featuring "mutual trust, cooperation, non-conflict and sustainability."The two sides also signed a new agreement which will create a direct communications link between the military forces of both sides.

Zhao Xiaozhuo with the Academy of Military Science says enhanced interactions can benefit the development of the China-U.S. military-to-military relationship.

"I think the exchange of high-level visits have special meanings for enhancing bilateral military ties. The benign interactions have a unique and indispensable significance for improving mutual trust. Besides high-level visits, the functional departments of the two sides, including strategic planning departments, ground forces and navies, think tanks and academies also have a great deal of exchanges. All these are beneficial to the development of military-to-military relationship."Zhao believes the military cooperation between the two sides will extend from the sea to the sky amid the bilateral effort to cement mutual trust.

After a summit between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Barack Obama last November, the two sides announced the Code for Unplanned Air or Maritime Encounters, aiming to prevent accidents at sea or in the sky.

Zhao says even though the code is currently only applied to warships, the two countries will further explore areas for cooperation.

(Act 4)"It was mainly between warships last year. There will be rules between warplanes this year. Meanwhile, the rules are evolving. I think these mechanism and rules can help greatly reduce crises or accidents."Fan Changlong is the most senior Chinese military leader to travel to Washington since President Xi Jinping took office in late 2012.

As part of his time in the US, Fan is also scheduled to hold meetings with other senior US officials at the White House and State Department.

His week-long trip has seen him make stops at the Boeing factory in Seattle, as well as US military installations in California and Texas.

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.

Premier Li urges to avoid tragedy for left-behind childrenAnchor:

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for the avoidance of similar tragedies following the deaths of four young left-behind children in Bijie city, Guizhou province.

Premier Li has asked relevant departments to make sure the country's temporary assistance system can play its role whenever necessary.

CRI's Wang Wei reports.

Anchor:

Following the incident, several officials responsible have been sacked or suspended.

Local police found a suicide note left by the eldest of the four siblings, a boy, saying he had thinking of death for many years.

The four children, one older brother and three younger sisters, had lived on their own without adult guardians since at least March.

Wang Zhenyao, head of the China Philanthropy Research Institution of Beijing Normal University, says it's time to establish a system to deprive irresponsible parents' of child custody when necessary.

"Usually, parents love their children. However, according to research, about 40 percent of Chinese households are scenes of child abuse due to parents' lack of knowledge, among which 4 percent are particularly serious. So it is urgent now for the government to set up a system to supervise irresponsible parents, to punish or even deprive them custody of their children."Both parents had gone to Guangdong to search for work in different cities, making the four siblings "left-behind children."The eldest son received money each month on a bank card his father gave him.

Local government has contacted the mother of the dead and sent people to pick her up, while the father told media that he knew what had happened and would go back home.

The reasons behind the tragedy are still under investigation.

China has at least 60 million children in rural areas who are left with relatives, usually grandparents.

Wang Zhenyao suggests that the government should do more to secure the treatment and welfare of the left-behind children.

"It is not yet clear by law in our country about who's responsible for these left-behind children. We don't know who should be taking care of them under what kind of system or mechanism. To any local government, simple policy making is far from enough. Without money, specialized facility, or professional staff, left-behind children's welfare won't be properly protected."The "left-behind" children can easily fall victim to such tragedies as the one in Bijie City, or become victims of trafficking or suicide.

Wang Zhenyao from the China Philanthropy Research Institution says these children are also more prone to psychological problems.

"According to my experience and years of study, what children need more is psychological care. They need us to watch out for their mental health by providing more love and care."At the same time, The Ministry of Civil Affairs says it will review into its social welfare network and offer psychological help for the needy.

The ministry will also work with other departments, nongovernmental organizations and village communities to launch a special service for rural children who are left behind by migrant worker parents.

For CRI, this is Wang Wei.

China Exercises Strict Control over Military Trade: SpokespersonChina says it has exercised strict and effective control over military trade.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei made the remarks in response to a report saying China-made man-portable air defense systems had fallen into the hands of militants in Iraq and Syria.

The report also questioned the capacity of countries that purchased the weapons, like South Sudan, to ensure the security of depots.

Hong Lei said the report was untrue.

"China does not export weapons to non-state entities or countries and regions that come under the arms embargo sanctions of the U.N. Security Council."Hong Lei added that China requires the recipient country to provide end-user and end-use certification and make a clear commitment not to transfer those weapons to a third party without China's permission.

China Welcomes Myanmar CeasefireChina says it welcomes the ceasefire unilaterally declared by certain parties to the conflict in northern Myanmar.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei.

"We welcome that decision. We hope the two parties involved in the tension remain restrained and make joint efforts to stop the conflicts and achieve peace and stability and normal order in the China-Myanmar border region as soon as possible."Hong Lei adds that China will continue to play an active and constructive role in promoting the peace process in northern Myanmar.

The remarks came after Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army announced a unilateral ceasefire on Thursday.

The ethnic army said it announced the ceasefire at the request of the Chinese government for the stability and peace along the Myanmar-China border and in view of the fact that the country's general election is approaching.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar government says it will monitor Kokang ethnic army's movement following the announcement.

Heavy fightings erupted between Myanmar government forces and the MNDAA on February 9, forcing the government's imposition of a 90-day state of emergency with martial law on February 17, which was extended by 90 days from May 18 to August 17.

China Rebukes Japan's Meddling in South China Sea IssueChina has urged Japan not to weigh into territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei labels Japan a "non-party" in the matter.

"Japan is not a party involved in the issues concerning the South China Sea, and its recent actions are very abnormal when it deliberately meddled in the South China Sea, stirring up conflict among regional countries and maliciously creating tension in this region. Japan's actions won't help settle the issues over the South China Sea and are not in favour of the regional peace and stability, but severely damage the mutual trust in politics and security between China and Japan, in sharp opposite of the easing of tensions in China-Japan relations."The remarks came in response to concern expressed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over China's construction activities on islands and reefs in the South China Sea.

Hong Lei urges Japan to stop hyping up the issue.

"We once again urge Japan to abide by its promise not to have a position on the South China Sea issue; to immediately stop hyping up the South China Sea issue and making groundless accusations against China, to cease entire conflicts for its own self-interest."Hong Lei reiterates that China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and its surrounding waters.

Chinese envoy rebuts Philippine accusations over South China SeaAnchorChina's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Wang Min has refuted accusations made by the Philippines against China over the South China Sea situation.

He says China's construction activities on some garrisoned islands and reefs are "legitimate, fair and reasonable".

CRI's UN correspondent Su Yi has more.

ReporterWang Min has made the comments at the meeting of state parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

"The construction activities on the islands and reefs have been carried out within Chinese territories and fall within Chinese sovereignty. They are legitimate, fair and reasonable. The construction activities are mainly aimed at improving the working and living condition of the personnel and better fulfilling the international obligations of carrying out oceanic search and rescue operations and disaster prevention and mitigation. It is also designed to provide better service to China and neighboring countries as well as the vessels of other countries shipping through the South China Sea."Wang Min says the annual meeting of the convention state parties is not the right place to discuss these issues and this is merely his response to the ten-minute-long accusation made by the envoy of the Philippines beforehand.

"I want to give this state party a warning. You made a mistake and did a bad calculation. The will of the Chinese government to protect its national sovereignty and territorial integrity is as solid as a rock. You won't get what you want no matter how eagerly you make your voice heard either at this meeting or at the United Nations."Wang Min says China has always been a stabilizer in the region that needs peace and stability to realize sustainable development.

"China supports and advocates the double-track approach to deal with the South China Sea issue. The disputes should be solved through dialogue between directly concerned state parties and the peace and stability of the South China Sea should be upheld by China and ASEAN side by side. The Chinese government is willing to work with ASEAN countries to completely and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and reach the Code of Conduct based on consensus at an early date."The Chinese envoy also says China will neither accept nor participate in any international arbitration proceedings on this matter.

The Chinese government made a declaration in 2006, excluding disputes over maritime delimitation and territorial sovereignty from compulsory dispute settlement procedures under this UN convention.

When it comes to broader issues, the Chinese envoy made a three-fold suggestion, including raising the political willingness to build a global community of destiny over oceanic issues, balancing the economic, social and environmental implications of oceanic development as well as seeing developing countries play a bigger role.

For CRI, I'm Su Yi in New York.

Broadband Connectivity in China Below World Average(2'07)The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has listed measures to reform China's broadband connectivity in April.

But a recent report stated that China's broadband connectivity lies below the world average, causing a certain amount of consternation for a society that seems glued to its smartphones. And also Chinese people have to spend 7 to 8 percent of their disposable personal income on Internet connections.

For more on the this, CRI's Tu Yun spoke earlier with Zeng Jianqiu, professor with Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications..

European stocks drop on Greek default fearsAnchor:

Shares on European stock markets have fallen sharply amid reports that senior EU officials have discussed a possible Greek debt default for the first time.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara reportsReporter:

The Athens stock exchange closed nearly 6% lower, while Germany's Dax and France's Cac 40 closed more than 1% lower on Friday evening.

Stock markets across Europe tumbled after negotiators from the International Monetary Fund left the negotiating table on Thursday, after talks with the Greek government ended in a stalemate.

Greece is trying to avoid defaulting on a 1.5 billion Euro debt repayment to the IMF due later this month.

The IMF has been pushing for further austerity cuts in return for another bailout.

But Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufa says the country's new anti-austerity government will never agree to such an option.

"Will there be a deal with a new bailout programme?" "No way, no way. We didn't get elected for this."Athens says it is ready to submit counter-proposals to bridge differences with its creditors at the EU and IMF. But euro zone finance ministers have called Greece's key proposals, which include widening its tax net and clamping down on corruption, as too little too late.

Tensions are high as both sides refuse to budge from their positions. The European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has jokingly called the negotiation room a "torture chamber".

But, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is urging all parties to stay calm and continue the dialogue.

"With regard to Greece I would just like to say once more again as I already did again and again in the past - where there's a will, there's a way. But the will must come from everybody. And that's why I think it's right that we talk to each other again and again."Despite this note of strained optimism from political leaders, senior euro zone officials are taking no chances. They have discussed a series of possible scenarios in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, where negotiators have been holed up for days.

They have concluded that there are three possible scenarios, and that the best of them, reaching a deal next week, was the least likely.

The second scenario was a further extension of Greece's current bailout program funded by the EU, which also expires this month.

The third - discussed formally for the first time at such a senior level in the EU - was to accept that Greece could default.

The Bratislava talks have been called to prepare for the final do-or-die negotiations between Greece and its creditors in Luxembourg on June 18.

This is seen as the last chance for Greece to agree to a reforms-for-cash deal worth 7.2 billion euros after five months of fruitless and ill-tempered talks.

If Greece fails to strike a deal at this meeting, it could thrust the cash strapped country towards a default and a catastrophic exit from the euro, with a heavy fall-out on the global economy.

For CRI Poornima WeerasekaraFormer IMF Chief Cleared of Pimping-apFormer International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been cleared of pimping charges in France.

Henri Leclerc is a lawyer representing Strauss-Kahn:

"You probably know that the day following the indictment we called a press conference where we said that this indictment was based on ideology, put forward on moral criteria but with no legal criteria. We said there would be no facts that would show he was guilty of pimping."The trial hinged on sex parties that took place in the midst of the global financial crisis.

Strauss-Kahn described the events as much-needed "recreational sessions" at a time of intense pressure to steer the world through economic peril.

Spain's Queen Named New Ambassador for Nutrition-5180Spain's Queen Letizia has been named as the new "Special Ambassador for Nutrition" for the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation.　In an address to delegates from FAO's member countries in Rome, Queen Letizia stressed the importance of "mobilising will".

"It is true that we have made great headway but we must continue. This is not just a problem of resources or how the resources are distributed, in this day and age, we have the necessary capacity, technical capacity, to produce healthy food in sufficient quantities for all. Therefore, what we must do is mobilise will to make further progress."According to the FAO, Queen Letizia will engage in raising awareness of global hunger challenges and building public support for hunger eradication, as Special Ambassador.

WeatherBeijing is rainy today with a high of 28 degrees Celsius; tonight cloudy with a low of 20.

Shanghai , cloudy to overcast with a high of 32 and a low of 24 degrees Celsius.

Chongqing will see showers with a high of 26 and a low of 20 degrees Celsius.

Lhasa, is also wet today with a high of 23 and a low of 11 degrees Celsius.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Islamabad, cloudy, 36.

Kabul, also cloudy, 26.

Over in North America,New York will be overcast with a high of 29 degrees Celsius.

Washington, rainy, 30.

Honolulu, cloudy, 28.

Toronto, overcast, 19.

In South America,Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 16.

And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with a high of 27.

Headline newsPremier: China is Coping with Climate ChangeChinese Premier Li Keqiang has said China will achieve its energy saving and emissions control targets set in the 12th Five-Year Plan as scheduled.

At a meeting of the National Leading Group on Climate Change, Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction, Li says the growth of energy-saving industries will be integrated into the nation's campaign to boost entrepreneurship and innovation.

He adds that tough limits will be imposed on expansion of heavily polluting and energy intensive sectors.

The premier also vows that China will continue to pursue resource conservation and environment protection as a basic state policy while formulating a long-term road map for low-carbon development.

China urges U.S. to reduce military activities in S. China SeaThe vice-chair of China's Central Military Commission is calling on the US military to reduce its naval and air activities in the South China Sea.

Fan Changlong has made the call while meeting with US Defense Secretary Ash Carter at the Pentagon.

He's told Carter it's China's right to establish military facilities on the islands it controls in the South China Sea.

At the same time, Fan Changlong has also pressed the US side to respect the one-China policy when it comes to relations with Taiwan.

Despite the differences, the two sides are also signing a new agreement which will create a direct communications link between the armies of both sides.

China, U.S. exchange negative lists during investment treaty talksChina and the United States have exchanged negative lists for the first time during the 19th Round of China-U.S. Bilateral Investment Treaty Negotiations.

Negative lists outline sectors that are closed to investors.

In April the U.S. government added key infrastructure, technology and national security entities into its negative list, blocking Chinese investment without specific definitions over the restrictions.

In the same month, China shorted its negative lists for the pilot free trade zones in Shanghai, Guangdong, Tianjin, and Fujian, but the negative list offers for the BIT talks will be decided through China-U. S. negotiations.

China and the U.S. began investment treaty negotiations in 2008.

Punishment for companies faking environmental monitoring dataChinese environmental authorities have handed down punishments to 7 companies for faking environmental monitoring data.

Among them, a coking plant in Hebei has been found making up environmental data after "maliciously discharging pollutants."The local environmental bureau has fined that company more than 2 million yuan.

Two of its managers have been detained for 7-days.

UN-led consultations on Yemen to take place on June 15 in GenevaThe UN-led Geneva Consultations on Yemen, or Yemen Consultations session is set to begin on Monday in Geneva.

The consultation session will be the first of its kind to involve the different sides of the Yemeni conflict since hostilities resumed.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and his Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Chiekh Ahmed, will meet with Yemeni delegations during the consultations.

The UN chief is also expected to address the press on Monday morning after the beginning of the Consultations.

Consultations between the Special Envoy for Yemen and the parties will then remain closed for the remainder of the process.

Weekly Biz RoundupAnchor:

It's time to take a look back at some of the headlines from the business world this past week in our Weekly Business Review.

Chinese train constructor CRRC started trading in the Chinese A-share market. Coal giant Shenhua's senior vice president is under investigation. Apple announced its new music streaming service, Apple Music. And Twitter's CEO Dick Costolo is stepping down as of July 1st.

Let's catch all of that and more with CRI's Wenjie.

Reporter:

CRRC, the new company created from the merger of train makers CSR and CNR, started trading in the Chinese A-share market Monday.

The two railway giants completed a stock swap last week.

Earlier, Germany's national railway operator, Deutsche Bahn, announced it is considering buying trains and spare parts from China.

Company board member Heike Hanagarth told German media that in the following three to five years, Asia, and China in particular, could assume a key role as a supplier for Deutsche Bahn.

Deutsche Bahn will reportedly begin purchasing some of the 35-thousand wheels it requires annually from Chinese manufacturers by 2017 .

Meanwhile, it is being reported that Chinese firms could also be strong contenders for a 68-billion-US-dollar high-speed rail project in the U.S. state of California.

--China's top coal miner, China Shenhua Energy Company Limited, has announced that its senior vice president, Hao Gui, is under judicial investigation.

Hao Gui also acted as the deputy general manager of the Beijing-based Shenhua Group, a major state-owned enterprise.

The company did not specify the reasons for the investigation.

The Shanghai-listed CSEC says that it has received notice of the investigation from its parent company, Shenhua Group, and that Hao was unable to perform his duties.

The board of directors will make its next moves contingent upon the investigation.

Apple has announced its new music streaming service, dubbed Apple Music.

Calling it a "revolutionary music service," legendary music industry figure Jimmy Iovine took the stage at the company's annual conference for developers to unveil what had been widely expected ahead of the event.

"Technology and art can work together, at least at Apple. So now, in 2015, the music industry is a fragmented mess. If you want to stream music, you can go over here. If you want to stream some video you can check some of these places out. If you want to follow some artists, there's more confusion for that. So I reached out to Tim Cook and Eddy Cue and I said guys, can we build a bigger and better ecosystem? With the elegance and simplicity that only Apple can do?"Apple Music includes a service to connect artists and fans and what the company described as a global radio station called Beats 1.

The "connect" feature of Apple Music will allow artists to post videos, photos and music directly to fans.

The company previewed its new mobile operating system, iOS 9.0, as well as a new Mac OS X, called El Capitan.

European banking giant HSBC is planning to fire around 22-thousand to 25-thousand employees in an effort to cut costs by 4.5 to 5 billion U.S. dollars by 2017.

That is about 10 percent of the bank's staff globally.

The bank also intends to sell its operations in Turkey and Brazil.

HSBC is also targeting a reduction of Group Risk Weighted Assets of about 290 billion U.S. dollars.

Meanwhile, HSBC is planning to accelerate investments in Asia by developing its business in both the Pearl River Delta in China's Guangdong Province, and in the ASEAN region.

HSBC will also complete a headquarters review by the end of this year.

The bank's headquarters is now located in London.

Morgan Stanley Capital International is calling for Chinese authorities to do more to liberalise the A-Share Capital markets.

The call comes amid an announcement by the company that it's not going to list Chinese stocks on its indexes for the time being.

Xu Yuqin, with Sinolink Securities, says once that happens, it should help create more global recognition of China's A-share market.

"Foreign capital will help reform the market and build a bridge to international markets. If you look at H-shares and A-shares for example, H-shares value dividends, profitability and sustainable company performances more, but innovative industries have a high profile and a high market value on the A-share market. They are different."H-Shares are stocks from companies listed in Hong Kong.

Once A-share issues become listed on Morgan Stanley's Emerging Market index, funds that track those indices will automatically buy into a certain amount of A-share stocks when they are included in the index.

It's estimated this could see an additional 40 billion yuan worth of foreign capital moving into mainland stocks.

Chinese tech company Xiaomi has announced an investment of one billion U.S. dollars to build up its business in online video.

The move comes as tech giants around the globe scramble to expand their video businesses, seen as a vital driving force in cyber connectivity.

Lei Jun, CEO of the Beijing-based smartphone maker, says Xiaomi will form an association with video-sharing websites and film makers, but the company will not make content itself.

Xiaomi, one of the world's most valuable tech companies, worth 45 billion U.S. dollars, hopes to gain an edge through about 100 million Xiaomi devices that stream video.

Xiaomi has the second-largest share of the smartphone market in China, with 13.5 million smartphones shipped in the first quarter this year, trailing Apple, whose shipments stand at 14.5 million.

A new batch of Chinese-produced trains designed for use in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro's new subway line are now being tested.

The 15 trains are expected to be used on Line 4 of Rio's metro system.

That line is still under construction.

It's expected to be opened next year.

Of the 15 new trains, 12 are already in Rio.

The others will be delivered before the end of the year.

Close to 20 Chinese-produced trains are already in-operation in Rio's metro system.

China's UnionPay and Australia's ANZ Bank have reached a deal for acceptance of bank cards issued by the Chinese card organization.

The move is seen as a step by the Chinese financial giant to further expand into Australia's banking network.

Cai Jianbo with UnionPay International says the bank cards will be widely accepted at automated teller machines (ATMs) and merchant terminals across Australia.

"Our bank cards can be accepted by 80 percent of ATMs in Australia now and the percentage of businesses that accept Union Pay cards has risen as well, by 10 percent, to reach 55 percent. It will bring great convenience to tourists and business people traveling in Australia."The two sides have also launched a "quick pass" function of UnionPay cards. With the function customers can finish cross-border payment simply with their cellphones.

So far, UnionPay has joined hands with all four major banks of Australia - the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac, National Australia Bank and ANZ Bank.

--Twitter CEO Dick Costolo is stepping down as of July 1st.

Twitter co-founder CEO Jack Dorsey will take over on an interim basis.

Costolo has told the company's investors he has been considering the move since last year.

There has been speculation Twitter's head of revenue and partnerships, Adam Bain, may be tapped to be the next CEO.

News of Costolo's plans to quit actually sent Twitter shares up some 7-percent in after-hours trading before levelling out during the Thursday session.

And that concludes this edition of the weekly business review; I'm wenjie, thank you for listening.

SportsMexico prepare for their Women's World Cup Group F match against EnglandIn football action from the Women's World Cup in Canada,Mexico are to meet England in a Group F match.

Coach Leonardo Cuellar says he expects England to be much more aggressive than they were against France.

"Well, we had the opportunity to see England in the Cyprus tournament and obviously they played way different than they did against the French team. I think they were looking for a very tight result but I expect an English team to be a lot more aggressive. They are going to play ten times better than they did against France, so we expect a very tough match."France currently lead the group after their 1-nil win over England.

Mexico and Colombia each had one point following their 1-1 draw in their opening match.　In other action,France will face Colombia.

Brazil will face Spain.

And South Korea take on Costa Rica.

Football: Brazilian Coach Scolari Arrives to Head Guangzhou EvergrandeIn off-pitch football news,Guangzhou Evergrande's new coach Luis Felipe Scolari has arrived in Guangzhou.

Scolari signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Chinese club to replace departing head coach Fabio Cannavaro, who left a week ago.

The coach led Brazil to World Cup victory in 2002.

Scolari will make his Chinese Super League debut in the game against Shandong Luneng next Saturday. Shandong is tied with Guangzhou Evergrande League leaders.

Football: Gao Jinggang Resigns as Changchun Yatai Head CoachChangchun Yatai FC of the Chinese Super League confirmed on Friday that Gao Jinggang will step down as head coach but will remain as the manager of the club.

Reports say Gao Jinggang submitted his resignation after Yatai's 2-1 defeat to Beijing Guo'an on May 10.

Replacing him is Marijo Tot from Croatia.

43-year-old Tot becomes the 4th foreign coach in the club history.

Tot joined Harbin Yiteng club as an assistant manager at the end of 2013.

After the club's poor mid-season showings he took over as head coach in July 2014 and maintained a 4-4-8 record in 16 games.

The Semi-finals of Chinese University Basketball Association to Get UnderwayIn basketball action from the Chinese University Basketball Association,The semi-finals will get underway tomorrow in Xiamen city,In the women's events,Tianjin University of Finance and Economics will take on Beijing Normal University.

Peking University will meet Tsinghua University.

On the men's side,Civil Aviation University of China will play Taiyuan University of Technology.

And Huaqiao University will take on Peking University.

It will be the 9th title for Huaqiao University if they can make it.

The Chinese University Basketball Association or CUBA, was founded in 1996 and the league was launched in 1998.

It is the most competitive and popular college basketball competition in China.

China Through into Semi-finals at WP Women's WL Super FinalIn water polo,China trounced Canada 6-5 on Friday and advanced into the last four of the FINA Women's Water Polo League Super Final taking place in Shanghai.

Defending champion USA remained unbeaten, stunning Russia 17-6 for their fourth group match victory.

Australia also continued their winning streak, beating Brazil 17-8.

The Netherlands are the last one into the semi-finals after a 8-7 victory over Italy.

This afternoon,China will face Australia and the United States will meet the Netherlands for a place in the finals.

Usain Bolt Stars as Athletes Look ahead to the IAAF Diamond League Meet in New YorkIn Athletics,The ninth-annual Adidas Grand Prix will take place later on today in New York.

Usain Bolt is making his first appearance since he set his first world record in the 100 metres in May, 2008.

The six-time Olympic Gold Medalist said Friday that "everything is coming together" in his training.

"No, it's not where I want it to be but I'm getting there. Every day we're working on different things and everything is coming together. I'm feeling better every day in training so all I need to do now is get more races and just go out there and execute pretty much."The event is the seventh stop on the international IAAF Diamond League circuit.

Sixteen different disciplines will be included in the competition.

Karrie Webb shoots 2-under 71 at Women's PGA ChampionshipIn golf,Australian golfer Karrie Webb fired a 2-under-par 71 to take the early lead at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in New York on Friday.

40-year-old Webb finished at 7-under 139 after the second round.

"Yeah, really good. Nice to finish with a birdie on the last. It was a little bit more difficult today. I think the greens really dried out a little bit, overnight even, I thought they might be a bit more receptive this morning. It was still quite challenging to get the ball close to the hole."Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson was a shot back after a 73.

Sei Young Kim of South Korea came in third.

On the men's side,Frenchman Gregory Bourdy shot a 5-under 67 in the second round to put him four shots clear at the top of the leaderboard at the the Lyoness Open in Austria.

His compatriot Gary Stal and Englishman Chris Wood shared the second place on 136.

Spaniards Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Carlos Pigem tied for fourth.

Fighting: Boxing and MMA PreviewIn fight news:

First, from the world of Boxing--Newly-crowned WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder puts his undefeated streak and title on the line against Eric Molina in his native Alabama on Sunday night.

While Molina has an impressive 68-percent knockout rate, Wilder has ended all but one of his 33 fights by knockout.

Aside from his unanimous-decision win over Bermane Stiverne to win the title, Wilder has not let an opponent make it past the fourth round with him.

With a win over Molina, Wilder is expected to be on a collision course with undisputed heavyweight champ, Vladimir Klitchko.

The weekend's other big clash will be in the world of mixed martial arts:

When Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez takes on interum Fabrico Werdum in Mexico City on Saturday.

The two were supposed to fight seven months ago, but Velasquez injured his knee and was sidelined, while Verdum finished replacement Mark Hunt with a flying knee that got him the interim belt.

Although Velasquez is 13-1 in his career and uses his wrestling to break opponents down with a grinding, unforgiving pace, he hasn't had a pro fight in two years. Verdum, however, has won eight of his last nine and has shown top-notch striking to go along with his world-class jiujitsu.

EntertainmentJurassic World projected North American debut $155 millionJurassic World has taken the Friday North American box office by storm for a projected debut of $155 million.

This marks the biggest opening ever for the month of June.

Looking at the overseas market, the movie is also doing well, grossing another $41 million from 37 markets for a two day total of $65 million from 45 markets.

In China, the film made $17 million on it's opening day.

If the film does meet the projected $155 million domestic debut, it would beat Fast and Furious 7 to become the second best opening of the year behind Disney and Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Jurassic World is the fourth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise and directed by Colin Trevorrow.

Downton Abbey to be honoured with BAFTA tribute nightHit British TV show Downton Abbey is to be honoured by the British Academy of Film and Television with a special tribute night.

The show which comes to an end later this year after six series has been popular around the world achieving large viewing figures in the US and UK.

The show has never won a major BAFTA award missing out to Sherlock for the Best Drama Award in 2011. It has however won awards for best direction and best sound.

In the US, the show has won 11 Primetime Emmy awards and 3 Golden Globes.

The drama follows the Crawley family and their staff after the sinking of the Titanic leaves their estate without an heir.

The tribute will be broadcast on British tv channel ITV later on this year.

Chinese actor Huang Lei to appear in NZ driving videoChinese actor Huang Lei is to appear in a short video warning Chinese tourists to exercise caution when driving in New Zealand.

The New Zealand government tourism agency announced his appearance the day after a Chinese man was jailed for causing an accident that killed a 5 year old girl in the South Island earlier this year.

Cao was driving his car on the wrong side of the road when he collided with a family's vehicle in north Otago, in the South Island.

They said the short video would encourage Chinese travelers to think carefully and consider all of their transport options before committing to a self-drive holiday in New Zealand.

The video will be distributed through all Tourism New Zealand owned channels in China and through public relations activities along with being aired on Air New Zealand's in-flight entertainment program.

Game of Thrones writer asks fans to stop pestering himGame of Thrones writer George RR Martin has asked fans to stop pestering him about the TV drama.

The author posted a blog post on his site asking fans to stop posting comments and questions on his site about the current Game of Thrones television series.

He told fans that he wanted to concentrate on writing his new book The Winds of Winter. He also said that he is hard at work on three shows for HBO and Cinemax.

The plot details in the book and the television series have started to differ and many fans are criticizing the writer for straying from the original storyline.

He directed people to many fan sites about the book and television series so they could vent their anger that way.

Game of Thrones concludes its fifth season on HBO in the US over the next week.

Taylor Swift's 1989 tour earns $17 million in a weekTaylor Swift's 1989 tour has earned the singer almost $17 million in ticket sales this week so far according to a touring revenue ranking.

The singer embarked on the US leg of her tour at the end of last month and has played five dates so far – not including concerts in Japan last month.

Hot Tours compiles a weekly ranking of revenues from ticket sales for concerts.

According to Hot Tours, American country singer Kenny Chesney scores the second position on the charts with $11 million dollars made this week on his US tour.

While U2 sit in third place with their Innocence + Experience tour raking in $9.8 million in just five shows at Los Angeles' Forum venue. The band have so far raked in $22 million after 11 shows at just four venues.

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

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has said China attaches equal importance to improving the environment and growing the economy.

The vice-chair of China's Central Military Commission has met U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter at the Pentagon.

The Chinese government has called for greater help for migrant workers who leave their children behind after four youngsters die after being left at home alone.

In our weekly Biz Roundup.... Train builder CRRC starts trading in the Chinese A-share market.

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