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

Coming up on our program this morning...

The Chinese premier has arrived in France for a visit following meetings and agreements with EU officials in Belgium...

50 nations have signed the articles of agreement for the creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank...

And EU leaders have warned the Greek government about its future in the Eurozone...

In Business...stock regulators in China say recent declines are an adjustment after weeks of gains...

In Sports...looking back at day one and ahead to day two at Wimbledon...

In entertainment...Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about his return to the Terminator franchise...

Top NewsChinese premier arrives in France for official visitThe Chinese premier has arrived in France for a four-day visit.

During his stay, Li Keqiang is scheduled to visit Paris, Marseilles, and Toulouse, deliver a speech at the headquarters of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and attend the closing ceremony of a China-France business summit.

He will meet with the French president and prime minister during this trip.

An array of deals are to be signed, ranging from aviation and finance to civil nuclear power and more.

Li arrives in France following his visit in Belgium.

Premier calls for breaking new ground in China-EU cooperationAnchorChinese Premier Li Keqiang is calling on China and the European Union to deepen political trust and break new ground in bilateral cooperation.

The premier made the call while visiting Brussels to meet with the new EU leadership.

CRI's Qi Zhi reports.

ReporterOn a busy schedule in Brussels, Premier Li Keqiang co-chaired a China-EU leaders' meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker and President of the European Council Donald Tusk.

He also addressed the opening session of a China-EU business summit, emphasizing bilateral cooperation on infrastructure construction.

Li Keqiang has told the EU leadership that China is ready to join the European Commission's three-year, 300-billion-euro investment plan launched last year to revive the European economy.

"The Chinese side is of the view that China-EU relations, particularly economic relations and trade, is not only about buying and selling. We should expand mutual investment and even make joint investment. The Chinese side is willing to positively participate in the EU side's investment plan."China believes the so-called "Junker Plan", named after the current European Commission President, fits well with the Chinese government's "Belt and Road" initiatives.

Addressing the business summit, Li Keqiang says China is considering launching a China-EU investment platform to back the plan, in particular large infrastructure projects.

He says as two major economic powers, China and the EU should also join hands in promoting international industrial capacity cooperation.

He has proposed to combine China's advantages in production capacity and equipment manufacturing with the advanced technology of European economies.

Li Keqiang has also emphasized the financial cooperation between China and the EU, saying China will buy more bonds issued by the European Investment Bank.

Following the China-EU leaders' meeting, the two sides issued a document outlining future cooperation priorities and a statement on climate change.

Li Keqiang has reiterated the Chinese government's stance on climate change.

"We are willing and we will make strenuous efforts to tackle and address climate change. By the end of this month the Chinese side will submit to the U.N. Secretariat on Climate Change our Intended National Determined Contribution plans."As part of his time in Brussels, Li Keqiang has also met with his Belgian counterpart Charles Michel, and both witnessed the signing of an array of cooperation deals between China and Belgium worth more than 18 billion euros.

The Chinese premier's visit to Brussels coincides with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of official ties between China and the EU.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

China gets 30 percent stake in AIIB as founding members sign its legal frameworkAnchorDelegates from 50 out of the 57 countries set to become the founding members of the China proposed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have signed a formal charter that will serve as a blueprint on the governance of the multilateral lender.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara has the details.

ReporterThe signing of the Articles of Agreement or the mini-constitution for the AIIB at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing wraps up six-months of intense negotiations paving the way for the bank to become operational before the end of this year.

Australia was the first country to sign the formal charter creating the AIIB's legal framework that would determine the number of shares that each member would get and the bank's initial capital.

Seven other prospective founding members, including Denmark, Kuwait, Malaysia, Philippines, Poland, South Africa and Thailand are still waiting for domestic approval before signing.

The AIIB led by China aims to fund energy, transport and infrastructure projects across Asia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met the delegates after the signing ceremony.

He said that much progress has been made towards the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank since the idea was first proposed in October, 2013.

"We are very happy today to see representatives of the prospective members of AIIB gathered together. This shows a spirit of unity and cooperation, openness and inclusion. I trust that if we continue with this spirit of multilateral cooperation, then the preparation work for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will be conducted successfully."The bank will have an initial share capital of 100 billion US dollars and China will contribute 29.7 billion US Dollars out of that.

This makes China the largest shareholder in the bank with a 30 percent stake. This will also give China 26 percent of the total vote.

Neighboring Asian heavyweight India is the second-biggest shareholder, but with just over an 8 percent stake. Russia and Germany will become third and fourth biggest contributors.

According to its legal framework, Seventy-five percent of the bank's shares will be distributed among Asian countries, while the other 25 percent will be assigned to members outside the region like the UK and France and many Latin American and African members .

The Articles of Association also specify that the bank's president must come from the Asian region and will serve a maximum of two consecutive five-year terms. The bank will be headquartered in Beijing.

Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei says he was confident that the AIIB could start functioning before the end of this year.

"I'm confident that through our united cooperation and unremitting effort, we will successfully accomplish the next stage of preparation work as scheduled, so that the AIIB will be formally established by the end of this year and be put into operation at an earlier date than initially thought."Chinese authorities say the new bank will complement other established global lenders, like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

The launch of the Beijing-proposed bank has been hailed as a diplomatic and strategic win for China.

For CRI I'm Poornima Weerasekara.

Former Pakistan PM talks about the AIIBAnchorFor more on this, our reporter Luo Yu caught up with Shaukat Aziz, former Prime Minister of Pakistan. He spoke about the significance of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank after the signing ceremony of the bank's Articles of Agreement Monday in Beijing.

Back anchor:

That is Shaukat Aziz,former Prime Minister of Pakistan speaking with CRI's Luo Yu.

Xi to attend BRICS, SCO summit next weekChinese President Xi Jinping is set to attend the 7th BRICS summit and 15th SCO summit next week.

The two meetings will be held in the Russian city of Ufa.

It has been announced that Xi Jinping will attend the BRICS summit on July 8 to 9.

He is also scheduled to participate in the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on July 9 to 10.

President Xi makes the visit at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

China Urges Japan to Act Prudently regarding to Military SecurityAnchorThe Chinese Foreign Ministry has released a new statement, urging Japan to act prudently and appropriately regarding military security.

This comes after media reports revealed that Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe told media in early June that security reforms target China and issues in the South China Sea.

CRI's Huang Shan has more.

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying says if the reports are true, Japanese leaders owe an explanation.

"Due to historical reasons, any military security policies or tendencies of the Japanese side will draw wide attention from its Asian neighbors and the international community. Any words or deeds of Japan that aim at creating tension and instigating confrontation go against the current world trend of peace and development and won't win support."China has announced another round of talks with ASEAN countries in the Malaysian capital starting from tomorrow.

The talks will be focusing on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and the consultation of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

They will also discuss the establishment of a hotline for search and rescue at sea.

In noting such effort, the Foreign Ministry also urges the United States, as a country outside the region, to stop meddling in regional issues.

The remarks came after U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed China's land reclamation activities in the area are "a threat to peace and stability" and change the status quo."During a recent forum in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expanded on China's sovereignty in the South China Sea using historical facts.

"During the Second World War, the Nansha Islands were occupied by Japanese forces. After the end of the war, in accordance with the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, the Chinese government openly reclaimed its sovereignty over the Nansha Islands. China and the United States were allies at the time and Chinese troops were actually on US military vessels on their voyage to Nansha to reclaim China's sovereignty. Our American friends should be well aware of that."Also on Monday, China expressed strong dissatisfaction over a documentary issued by the Philippine government on issues in the South China Sea.

The Philippine foreign ministry, presidential press office and press bureau jointly made a three-episode documentary in which it accused China of infringing on Philippine territories and pillaging resources that belong to the Philippines.

Chinese officials say the move is an attempt to ignore facts and instigate contradictions between the Chinese and Filipino people.

For CRI, this is Huang Shan.

Reports Show Renminbi Trade Volumes in London More than Double in 2014AnchorA new report published by the City of London Corporation shows that Renminbi trade volume in the city more than doubled last year, a positive sign for the internationalization of the Chinese currency. CRI's London Correspondent Duan Xuelian finds out more.

ReporterAccording to the report, London's overall RMB trade volumes in 2014 saw an increase of 143% compared with 2013 and the average daily volumes reached 39.1 billion pounds or 61.5 billion us dollars.

Mark Boleat, Policy Chairman at the City of London Corporation says the importance of the RMB will continue to increase on a global scale and its internationalization is an unprecedented financial event that is irrevocably changing the global market.

"As the worlds' second largest economy, perhaps to become the largest depending how you calculate, the exchange rates even the largest now, China is an obvious priority market for bilateral trade and investment. Combined with the Chinese government's dedicated programme of reform towards market liberalization, it is logical that the country is also the priority market for the city of London. In an increasingly interconnected world, China is and will increasingly become an important player."Boleat is also one of the leading members who started the City of London renminbi initiative in 2012. As part of the project to support the development of London's RMB markets, the organization has jointly funded a report entitled "Renminbi Ascending: How China's Currency Impacts Global Markets, Foreign Policy and Transatlantic Financial Regulation".

The Initiative's Dr. Chris Brummer says the internationalization of the RMB is a complicated process and presents opportunities for investors in the United States and Europe.

"Firms and investors in the United States and Europe will join new means of potentially diversifying their portfolio as will China's savers and this is huge particularly when one looks at the percentage of the global allocations to Chinese indices and investments and obviously the exposure of the rest of the world to Chinese growth. "Speaking about the motivation behind the international recognition of renminbi, Bao Mingyu, Bank of China's Europe Chief Representative who also attended the report's launch in London, says that market will continue to play the most significant role in the progress.

"The so called internationalization of the Chinese currency has been market driven and its future development will continue to be market driven and all the policy authorities including the People's Bank of China can do is to provide a policy framework to support to facilitate and provide convenience for international investors and market participants to engage in this process."Later this year, the International Monetary Fund will start to review renminbi's credibility to decide whether to include the Chinese currency in its Special Drawing Rights or SDR basket which currently consists of dollars, pounds, yen and euros.

For CRI, I'm Duan Xuelian in LondonChina calls for further reform on the global credit rating systemAnchorChinese authorities are calling for a new international credit rating system that is objective, just, rational and balanced.

This, as political leaders and business insiders gather at the World Credit Rating Forum here in Beijing.

As CRI's Guo Yan reports, economic experts say global credit chains have become more vulnerable and the world is facing the challenge of another credit crisis.

ReporterGuan Jianzhong, Chairman of Universal Credit Rating Group or UCRG points out that the forum is being held to raise awareness of the flaws of the incumbent world rating system and to promote reform of the system.

"The credit rating practice that has been proven as faulty in the credit crunch is still playing a leading role in directing international capital flow. In this context, increasing credit bubbles are very likely to trigger another worldwide credit crisis."He adds accusations on the faulty credit rating system have yet to be converted into a worldwide consensus and commitment to a global rating system reform.

In this case it is imperative for the international community to reach a consensus to building a renewed international rating system.

His appeal is echoed by former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin who is also the chairman of the International Advisory Council of UCRG.

Dominique believes that it's imperative to take the initiative because the world's economy is facing threats as never before.

"The first threat is dependency on debt that has in no way been reduced since 2008. Public debts keep growing despite the austerity policies particularly in Europe. Greece remains today an important political issue. The country is unable to pay for its debts without further destruction and damage for the Greek people. But the country is still unable to default on its debt because remaining in the Euro zone it will not boost its economy by a strong devaluation."Dominique points out that private and public debts are creating financial threats all over the world.

He adds the failure of risk evaluation has led the world to the situation it finds itself in today, while noting that the world's current credit rating system is highly monopolistic, with the top three raters all from the United States.

"The existing credit rating system is dominated by the big three credit rating companies S&P, Moody's and Fitch . They are all US-based who represent 96 percent of the rating's market. The existing system has failed in many ways. This risk evaluation has proved inefficient in the past in assessing the risks. These ratings are prove to have a pre-cyclical effect in the financial crisis, too high ratings before the crisis have produced speculative effects while quick down grading after the crisis in order to protect the credibility of the rating agencies has led to deepen the downward trend. "To face these difficulties and challenges, China's vice finance minister Zhu Guangyao notes that the country is ready to work with all other countries to push for the perfection of the existing credit rating system and the establishment of an Asian credit rating system and standards that suit regional characteristics.

"Our basic policy is to protect and perfect the existing global financial system to make it better promote global economic growth and the stability of the International financial market."The Forum will last into Tuesday while proposals including the establishment of an International rating regulatory systems and innovations regarding rating theory and criteria are also under discussion.

For CRI, I'm Guo Yan.

EU leaders warn Greece against no vote in referendumEuropean leaders are warning Greeks that a "no" vote in Sunday's referendum on new bailout terms with creditors would mean leaving the euro.

European Parliament president Martin Schulz says he's willing to go to Greece and campaign ahead of the referendum.

"I will run and I will fight to convince Greek people to take that stretched hand of the Europeans and to stay in the eurozone and to go together with us and a better future."Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has called for a "no" vote but insists he wants Greece to stay in the euro.

He has hinted he would resign if the result of the referendum is a "yes" voteTalks between Greece and its creditors have broken down, forcing Greece to shut its banks and impose capital controls for this week.

In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has left the door open for the Greek government to reopen talks with creditors, even after the referendum.

"If the Greek government, after the referendum for example, asks for further negotiations, we will of course not refuse such negotiations."Greece faces a deadline on Tuesday to pay back 1.6 billion euros to the International Monetary Fund - the same day its current bailout expires.

Tsipras has been asking EU leaders to extend Greece's bailout until the referendum.

Egypt's prosecutor general dies of blast injuriesEgypt's Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat has died in a hospital in Cairo following serious injuries from a bomb attack launched by extremists.

Nine other people were injured in the blast that targeted the country's top prosecutor.

Egyptian Health Minister, Dr. Adel El Adawi paid his respects to the state prosecutor and condenmed the attack.

"With great grief and deep sorrow we mourn Prosecutor-General Hisham Barakat, who died as a result of a heinous terrorist attack in the holy month of Ramadan and with God's will the Egyptian people will revenge his death."The bombing came after a Sinai-based militant group, an affiliate of the Islamic State group, posted a video clip on Monday supposedly showing attacks in May that killed two judges and a prosecutor.

The group has vowed more attacks on judges in revenge for mass life sentences and death sentences handed down to Islamists.

UNESCO, World Heritage committee launch global coalition to protect heritageThe United Nations cultural agency is condemning the destruction of antiquities and heritage sites in conflict zones by the Islamic State and other groups, saying it could amount to war crimes.

The resolution was reached during the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee meeting in Bonn.

UNESCO also launched the "Unite4Heritage" campaign, a global coalition for the protection of cultural heritage.

Irina Bokova is the Director-General of UNESCO:

"We think that this is an important event, the Bonn declaration, the launching of this global campaign which mobilises even more the international community, our partners, the, I would say, law enforcements in many countries around the world, the expert community, civil society, around the idea that we have to respond to this global challenge."Meanwhile, the committee is also examining proposals at the meeting to add 37 sites to UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Nominations for the list this year include the "Tusi" chieftain system from China, jointly represented local authorities from Guizhou, Hubei and Hunan where the ancient ruins of the system remain.

WeatherBeijing will be cloudy with a high of 30 degrees Celsius.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 19.

Shanghai will have moderate rain with a high of 34 and a low of 23.

In Chongqing, it will see heavy rain during the daytime with a high of 28 and lows of 26.

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, slight rain, 30.

Islamabad will see slight rain with a high of 34.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 28.

Over to North America,New York will be cloudy with a high of 27 degrees.

Washington, slight rain with a high of 32 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 26.

Toronto will see slight rain with a high of 21 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will be cloudy with a high of 16.

And Rio de Janeiro will be cloudy with a high of 26 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChinese premier arrives in France for official visitChinese premier Li Keqiang has arrived in France for a four-day official visit.

He is due to tour the cities of Paris, Marseilles, and Toulouse, and deliver a speech at the headquarters of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The premier will meet with the French president and prime minister during this trip.

An array of deals are to be signed, ranging from aviation and finance to civil nuclear power and more.

Li Keqiang arrived in France following his visit in Belgium.

Xi to attend BRICS, SCO summit next weekChinese President Xi Jinping is set to attend the 7th BRICS summit and 15th SCO summit next week.

The two meetings will be held in the Russian city of Ufa.

It has been announced that Xi Jinping will attend the BRICS summit on July 8 to 9.

He is also scheduled to participate in the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on July 9 to 10.

President Xi makes the visit at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

1 dead in Taiwan water park blazeOne of the nearly 500 people injured in a water park blaze in Taiwan has died in the hospital.

Doctors say the 20-year-old woman suffered burns to 90 percent of her body.

The fire broke out after a large amount of flammable powder exploded in the park in New Taipei City on Saturday night.

Some 200 people are severely injured.

The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.

But it's believed the blaze was caused by an explosion of a colored theatrical powder sprayed on the crowds.

In light of the accident, mayor of New Taipei Eric Chu has ordered a complete moratorium on the use of carbon powder in the city.

Solar Impulse passes 'point of no return' over PacificA solar-powered plane has now passed the "point of no return" in its second attempt at making a record-breaking flight across the Pacific Ocean.

Solar Impulse took off from Japan's Nagoya on Sunday for the journey to Hawaii that is expected to take about 120 hours.

The pilot now no longer has the option to turn around and return to Japan, if the weather forecast changes.

The team spent nearly two months waiting for clear weather to cross the Pacific.

The Pacific crossing is the eighth leg of Solar Impulse's journey around the world.

Biz reportsAnchorFirst, a quick check on the closing numbers across North America and Europe.

U.S. stocks suffered big losses on Monday as the deterioration of the Greek debt crisis rattled market sentiment.

The Dow Jones dropped nearly 2 percent.

The S&P 500 lost 2.1 percent.

And the Nasdaq shed 2.4 percent.

Greece was in shock on Monday as it woke up to closed banks, capital controls and an increasingly imminent default risk.

European equities have been hit hard on Greece uncertainty, with Spanish stock market index Ibex-35 plummeting 4.6 percent.

The British benchmark FTSE 100 decreased by nearly 2 percent.

In Germany, the DAX lost 3.6 percent.

In France, the CAC 40 closed with a decrease of 3.7 percent. All of the 40 selected companies experienced decreases, the largest drop in three-and-a-half years.

Dampening investor sentiment, global stock markets witnessed heavy sell-offs on Monday. Chinese shares witnessed the biggest swing since 1992, sending most stocks lower.

We will have more analysis on this with an interview coming up shortly.

Risks from share funding controllable: stock watchdogAnchorChina's stock regulator has responded to a sharp plunge in the market, saying the decline was an adjustment of the previous breakneck rally, and risks from share funding have been greatly unleashed.

Chinese stock markets saw sharp fluctuations on Monday despite surprise rate cuts from the central bank on Sunday.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed down 3.3 percent while the Shenzhen Component Index lost nearly 5.8 percent. Hong Kong markets also dropped over 2 percent.

Zhang Xiaojun, spokesperson of the China Securities Regulatory Commission said the risks from margin trading were controllable as the outstanding volume on Friday shrank by 4.3 percent to 96.5 billion yuan from two weeks ago.

Betting on a strong bull run, some individual investors borrowed money to purchase shares, which increased concerns about stock bubbles.

It is reported the recent two-weeks of volatility have kicked out a great number of speculators and cooled the stock fervor.

The spokesperson has also warned that an overly rapid retreat will jeopardize the steady and healthy development of the market, which is significant to the economy.

He urged investors to remain "confident and rational" and "make contribution to a steady and healthy capital market".

For more on Monday's volatile trading on the Chinese markets, CRI's Spencer Musick earlier spoke with Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures.

Back anchorThat was Gao Shang, analyst with Guantong Futures, speaking with CRI's Spencer Musick.

China Plans for up to 30% Pension Funds to Enter Stock MarketChina will release a plan as soon as this week to allow pension funds be invested in the country's stock market.

Up to 30 percent of pension funds are likely to be freed up for investment in the market.

Official stats show China's urban and rural pension funds amounted to 3.5 trillion yuan or about 563 billion U.S. dollars at the end of last year.

However, they face a severe depreciation risk as they earn interest at an annual rate of only two percent.

China's Legend Holdings Edges up in Hong Kong DebutChina's Legend Holdings Corporation, the parent company of the world's biggest PC maker Lenovo Group, raised nearly 2 billion U.S. dollars in an initial public offering in Hong Kong.

The IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Monday saw the share price make gains shortly after opening. But, influenced by the overall weak performance of the market, the stock closed flat.

Legend Holding's Chairman and Executive Director Liu Chuanzhi attended the ceremony to mark the company's listing onthe Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

He says he is focused on the long-term development of the company.

"I am excited because this is a new milestone for myself and my colleagues. I am calm because we do not pay too much attention to the ups and downs of the stock market. What we care about is our long-term future."The company secured 950 million U.S. dollars' worth of commitments from 24 cornerstone investors.

Among them are Hong Kong tycoons Cheng Yu Tung and Walter Kwok, mainland Chinese investors such as Fosun International, CITIC, and the asset management unit of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

Chinese banks in top-4 profit spots globallyIt's being reported that China's banks are strengthening their positions as the best capitalized and biggest profit makers in the world.

According to The Banker magazine's annual rankings of profits and capital strength, China had four names in the top-six strongest banks.

In total, the four Chinese lenders made more than US$180 billion in 2014, and collectively earned almost double the amount of their US rivals.

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's 59 billion U.S. dollar profit last year topped the rankings, ahead of China Construction Bank, the Agricultural Bank of China and the Bank of China.

US bank Wells Fargo ranked fifth with a 34 billion U.S. dollar profit, followed by JPMorgan and HSBC.

ICBC also topped The Bankers' ranking of the strongest banks in the world for the third year, which is based on the amount of capital held, in amount rather than as a ratio of assets.

Chinese online direct sales company JD.com launches Australian MallChinese online direct sales company JD.com launched its Australian Mall platform on Monday in Melbourne.

It provides Chinese consumers easier access to authentic Australian products.

At the same time, Australian Mall on JD.com offers Australian brands a market 70 times the size of the Australian market.

Of all products in the mall, Australian dairy and cosmetics are the most favored by Chinese consumers.

It is said that the Australian products being sold on the platform will be able to reach Chinese consumers in only two days.

SportsWimbledon day one recapTipping things off with tennis,Wimbledon has officially kicked off at the All England Club in London. No surprises on day one, as all top players fought through the opening round.

Top seed Novak Djokovic crushed Philipp Kohlschreiber in three sets, each of them 6-4, calling it "a difficult first round".

Djokovic was thrilled about honoring the tradition of being the first player on Center Court as defending champion.

"Of course, it is a special feeling, completely different from any other tournaments. The tradition and history is nurtured here, respected. can instantly sense that when you're stepping on the Centre Court. So I did have also the memories, positive memories, from last year. Obviously it feels great stepping on the court where you won the title the last time you were there. So that has given me the extra, I'd say, intensity and positivity before this match that wasn't easy at all."Other action from the day,Fifth seed Kei Nishikori rallied to a five-set win over Simone Bolelli,French Open champion Stan Wawrinka got past Joao Sousa 6-2, 7-5, 7-6,Also through are Richard Gasquet, Kevin Anderson, Alexander Zverev and eleventh seed Grigor Dimitrov.

2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt, playing his last Wimbledon, bowed out of the tournament after a five-set defeat.

On the women's side,Serena Williams, aiming for her sixth Wimbledon title and her 21st Grand Slam victory, came through 6-4, 6-1 against an inexperienced Margarita Gasparyan.

It has been a victory-loaded year for Williams and she is enjoying it.

"I've had such an amazing year, I ended up winning the Open, the Championships, the Australian and France. I couldn't have dreamt of a better 12 months. So it's been really great. Yeah, I'm just excited about that and really focusing on that. I always focus on the moment. You know, I don't live too far in the future, and I don't live in the past, I just live in the present."Serena's sister Venus Williams opened her campaign with a powerful 6-0, 6-0 win against Madison Brengle.

China's Xu Yifan was knocked out after the first round after losing 6-1, 6-1 to seventh seed Ana Ivanovic.

The other two mainland players, Zhu Lin and Wang Qiang are also out.

Hsieh Su-wei from Taiwan is through.

On the table today,Women's defending champion Petra Kvitova will play Kiki Bertens,Zheng Saisai and Duan Yingying are all scheduled to play.

Guangzhou Evergrande signs Paulinho, Jiangsu Shuntian coach steps downIn football,Guangzhou Evergrande has announced it has signed Brazilian midfielder Paulinho to a four-year deal.

His rights were purchased from Tottenham for 14 million euros.

The move is considered part of Evergrande coach Luiz Felipe Scolari's effort to carry the team to a fifth successive domestic League title.

Elsewhere... Jiangsu Shuntian coach Gao Hongbo has resigned after the team's recent 4-1 home defeat against Shanghai SIPG.

Gao said at a post-game news conference that he was willing to step down if the club has a better choice.

Several fans were injured in a violent clash against security after the game, as they shouted for Gao to leave.

Jiangsu Shuntian has yet to announce a replacement.

Copa America semi-finals live updateSome live football action,Host nation Chile is playing Peru in the semi-finals of the Copa America.

Peru is having a full squad to choose from for this match up; Chile's defender Gonzalo Jara is banned for three games and will miss the rest of the tournament.

The other semi-final is between host nation Chile and Peru. That game is set for tomorrow morning Beijing time.

The match will put Paraguay to the ultimate test after they beat Brazil in a shootout.

Being free agent brings opportunities: Jeremy LinIn basketball,Jeremy Lin is in Taiwan for a week-long camp with 60 high school students.

The former Los Angeles Lakers player has opted to be a free agent for the forthcoming season. Lin says it gives him an opportunity to find the team that fits his style of play.

"This is the first time I have become a restricted free-agent. Actually, I am quite happy about this. It's because I feel that it is important to me to find the team, the coach with the style and the system that fit me, for example, I like a fast game, I like a pick-and-roll."Lin played for the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets in the NBA prior to joining the Lakers.

Snooker: Xiao Guodong out of Australian OpenIn snooker,China's Xiao Guodong suffered an early exit at the Australian Open.

Xiao forced two tie breakers but was eventually beaten 5-3 by England's Ian Burns.

World champion Stuart Bingham also had a shock 5-4 defeat against Fergal O'Brien.

O'Brien will play four-time world champion John Higgins in round two.

Some other names that are through,Stephen Maguire, Judd Trump, and Matthew Selt.

Selt will be going up against local favorite Neil Robertson later today.

Also playing today is world number one Mark Selby, who takes on Mark King.

EntertainmentThe whole season of "The Lost Tomb" to be airedFans of the Hit Chinese TV series "The lost Tomb" , in Chinese Daomubiji, can soon enjoy the whole season of the adventure drama.

Video website iQIYI.com is set to air the whole season as of Friday.

However, only registered members of the site can enjoy the whole season of the drama.

The popular TV series is currently aired one episode a week on iQIYI.com and four episodes have been aired so far.

There have been 700 million plays so far.

"The Lost Tomb" revolves around the adventures of five people in ancient tombs.

The first season consists of 12 episodes and cost over 10 million yuan to produce.

Schwarzenegger on His 'Terminator' franchise Return"Terminator: Genisys" has premiered in the US.

The movie is the first new installment of the action franchise since 2009, and the first to feature star Arnold Schwarzenegger since 2003.

Schwarzenegger says slipping back into the title role is "like riding a bicycle":

"It is fun when you put that leather jacket on again, and that tight T-shirt and those leather pants, or sometimes jeans, and sometimes motorcycle boots and sometimes workers' boots, and all that stuff. And so it's fun to slip into all that stuff and then, when you start deteriorating and your metal parts are sticking out of your face and all that, and your hair starts getting singed -- I love all that."Director Alan Taylor and actors Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke and Jai Courtney were also present for the release of the film in Hollywood.

Courtney talks about his 67-year-old co-star, Schwarzenegger:

"I've got nothing but admiration for the old boy. You know, at 67 he's still sort of knocking about with the best of them. And that's cool."Schwarzenegger says he'll seriously consider an invitation for another turn as the Terminator as long as there is demand.

Singer Miguel on the pressure to deliver the goods on his new albumBritish RnB singer Miguel is back with his new single "Coffee".

The recording artist says the single is inspired by a trip to Amsterdam:

"I didn't drink coffee until I got a vaporizer, and ended up in Amsterdam and had coffee at a coffee shop and was like, 'Wow, now I get it. I can enjoy this, this is cool.'""Coffee" is the first taste of his third studio album "Wildheart," the follow up to 2012 hit "Kaleidoscope Dream," which spent 20 weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Meanwhile, fans of "Kaleidoscope Dream" may notice a change in the new album.

The singer explains:

"It's more - the energy is more aggressive and I think it comes across sonically and that is because I know, I'm a lot more clear about where I stand in my life, where I am, I'm a lot more sturdy and so I suppose it gives you a different level of confidence, I suppose, to just give it, you know and just go, no second guessing."Single "Coffee" and album "Wildheart" are available now.

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao Top Forbes' Highest Paid Celebrities ListBoxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have topped Forbes list of the world's 100 highest-paid celebrities.

This comes on the heels of their lucrative clash in Las Vegas last month.

Nicknamed "Money", Mayweather is the undisputed champion, with an estimated $300 million in earnings over the past 12 monthsPacquiao follows him with an annual income of $160 million.

Meanwhile, Singer Katy Perry's massive Prismatic World Tour helped her nab third place with $135 million.

She's followed by British boy band One Direction with $130 million and TV and radio host Howard Stern with $95 million.

Other big names who have made to the Top Ten List include country music star Garth Brooks, pop singer Taylor Swift and actor Robert Downey Jr..

Forbes compiled its annual list of the most powerful celebrities from the worlds of sports, television, music and books by estimating pre-tax earnings from June 1, 2014 to June, 1 2015.

Management, agent and attorney fees were not deducted.

NBCUniversal fires Donald Trump over remarks about MexicansNBCUniversal has ended its relationship with real estate developer Donald Trump and his "Miss USA" and "Miss Universe" shows.

This comes after the GOP presidential candidate made derogatory comments about Mexicans when he began his run for president last week.

Trump was already not going to take part in "The Apprentice" on NBC, a show in which Trump uses his signature "You're Fired!" as he eliminates competitors.

The billionaire comments on NBC's decision:

"I've had a great relationship with them (NBC), they didn't want me to run because they wanted me to do "The Apprentice." And as long as I'm running for president they were not happy with it. They wanted me to do "The Apprentice" and now with my statements on immigration, which happen to be correct, they are going to take a different stance and that's ok. I mean, whatever they want to do is ok with me."Trump adds he's unsure whether he will look into suing the media giant.

Trump described migrants from Mexico to the United States as drug-runners and rapists in announcing on June 16 that he was seeking the Republican Party nomination for the presidential election next year.

He defends his more divisive remarks on the grounds that he's worried about border security, jobs in the United States, and trade arrangements.

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

Recapping our top stories this morning...

The Chinese premier has arrived in France for a visit following meetings and agreements with EU officials in Belgium...

50 nations have signed the articles of agreement for the creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank...

And EU leaders have warned the Greek government about its future in the Eurozone...

In Business...stock regulators in China say recent declines are an adjustment after weeks of gains...

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