新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2015/06/25

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

Coming up on our program this morning...

Annual high level talks between Chinese and US officials have concluded in Washington, with results in business, the environment, and many other areas...

Chinese authorities have released their first-ever report on the country's illegal drug trade...

French authorities summon the US ambassador over spying allegations revealed on wikileaks...

In Business...a draft amendment¹ approved by the state council will give Chinese banks more freedom to lend...

In Sports...for the time being, a three-way tie on top of the leaderboard of the Chinese Super League...

In entertainment...Taylor Swift announces concert dates in China...

Top NewsChina, U.S. conclude annual high-level talksSenior Chinese and US officials have wrapped up their two-day high-level talks in Washington to deepen cooperation in strategic and economic issues and further promote people-to-people exchanges.

The talks included the Strategic and Economic Dialogue and a high-level consultation² on people-to-people exchange, covering a wide range of issues including climate change, cyber security, the South China Sea and a bilateral³ investment treaty.

During a break of the final day of talks, US President Barack Obama hosted the two delegations⁴ to the White House.

More than 40 ministerial-level Chinese officials were in Washington for the talks.

China-US Talks: New Bid on Ocean PreservationAnchorChina and the United States have launched a joint⁶ new initiative to protect the world's oceans.

This is one of the highlights of the final day of the annual China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue held in Washington.

CRI's Qi Zhi has the story.

ReporterPutting aside differences on maritime⁷ security, China and the United States say they are stepping up cooperation on ocean preservation⁵, pledging to jointly⁸ combat illegal fishing and pollution.

The special session on ocean protection was co-chaired by US Secretary of State John Kerry and China's State Councilor Yang Jiechi.

Kerry says the new initiative again shows the two countries can work together to face the world's challenges.

"Once again, we're breaking new grounds with respect to China and the United States' ability to find an area where we can cooperate which has major significance for not just our two nations but for people everywhere."Kerry has highlighted the threats to the world's marine⁹ life, pointing out that a third of the world's fisheries are overfished and ocean pollution from plastic debris¹⁰ is reaching alarming levels.

There are 500 dead zones in the world's oceans -- covering a combined area the size of the UK -- where nothing lives and nothing grows.

He says climate change is leading to the gradual acidification of the seas, warning about the dangers of "an eco-system collapse¹¹".

Kerry is urging the US and China to cooperate to tackle the tough challenges in ocean protection and sustainable development"China and the United States, the two largest economies in the world, two of the top fishing nations in the world, two of the global leaders in ocean science, so we have a very real opportunity here to be able to come together in this special session to deal with conserving¹² and protecting the oceans."For his part, State Councilor Yang Jiechi points out that as one of the world's ocean powers, China is moving to prioritize the ocean in its national development strategy.

"The Chinese government attaches great importance to international maritime cooperation. We're dedicated¹³ to working with countries around the world on maintaining maritime security and developing the marine economy. Our goal is to promote and develop a green ocean that is filled with harmony and cooperation."He says China and the US have broad common interests in global maritime governance and that they could jointly build a "peaceful and tranquil¹⁴" marine environment.

To further boost their maritime cooperation, Yang Jiechi has proposed the two countries increase contact between maritime enforcement agencies, and elevates the level of cooperation in cracking down on illegal drift net fishing on the high seas.

Conducting maritime humanitarian¹⁵ search and rescue and managing transportation of hazardous¹⁶ materials are also included in the proposals.

Yang Jiechi expresses hope that China and the U.S. will build on the progress achieved to turn ocean protection into a new area of growing bilateral cooperation.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

China-US BIT Talks UnderwayOn the economic front, talks on a bilateral investment treaty have been high on the agenda.

Earlier this month, China and the United States exchanged initial negative list offers, which outline sectors¹⁸ that are closed to foreign investment.

The initial swapping¹⁹ of "negative lists" has been hailed as the opening of the final phase in negotiations²⁰ that will lead to an eventual²¹ deal.

Two more rounds of talks on the treaty are expected before September, and the quality of the negative lists will be the next issue.

For more on this, we earlier spoke²² with Jeff Schott, a Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics based in Washington, D.C.

Back anchorThat was Jeff Schott, a Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in the United States.

US-China Symposium²³ on Ebola, Research, and Global Health SecurityAnchorA China-US Symposium on Ebola, Research, and Global Health Security is being held in Washington D.C.

As a highlight of this year's China-US Consultation on People-to-People Exchange, Chinese Vice²⁴ Premier²⁵ Liu Yandong has called for more cooperation in the health sector¹⁷ in order to face the global challenge.

CRI's Sophie Williams has more.

ReporterChinese and American specialists and government officials have gathered in D.C. and reviewed their overall response in fighting Ebola, both domestically and in West Africa. Through this effort, the two sides are looking for more areas of cooperation in the health sector.

Sylvia Burwell, US Secretary of Health and Human Services, describes the relationship between the US and China as close when combating Ebola in West Africa.

"The close partnership²⁶ on the ground between the USCDC and Chinese staff in the mobile laboratory that China sent to Sierra Leone was an important part of the response. China and the US along with other partners came together to save lives, and turned the tide of the epidemic²⁷."Echoing Ms. Burwell, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong says it is not only about bilateral effects but of global significance.

"No matter what nation it is, we all face a double pressure from both the emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Thus, strengthening Sino-US cooperation in the health sector goes beyond the health of our peoples and is of global significance."According to the Vice Premier, after the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa in 2014, China launched its largest foreign aid action since 1949. Over half a century, about 23,000 Chinese medical staff have been sent to 66 countries and regions for foreign aid actions. Their patients add up to 270 million worldwide.

The outbreak of Ebola actually drew the two countries closer in the health sector. For the first time, the China-US Consultation on People-to-People Exchange includes the health sector as one of its key areas to discuss.

More programs such as exchanges among hospital directors and other talents will be carried out to further the cooperation.

"I hope China and US can put talent training as a priority, to nurture²⁸ more outstanding medical staff. I also hope that we can collaborate³⁰ more in scientific research to face the global challenge. And we can learn from each other, as the US represents modern medical science and China has its traditional Chinese medicine. China would like to work with the US in multilateral organizations such as the World Health Organization. In that way, Sino-US cooperation can benefit even more developing countries. "The symposium has also witnessed the signing of Memorandum³¹ of Understanding for the China-US Collaborative Program on Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases.

For CRI, I'm Sophie Williams.

One missing, five injured in SW China landslideOne person is still missing and five have been injured after more than a dozen vessels³³ sank in western China on Wednesday.

The 13 vessels, mostly fishing boats, capsized due to a landslide³² on the northern bank of the Daning River, a tributary³⁴ of the Yangtze River in Chongqing.

One of the injured is in critical condition.

An initial check showed all people aboard the anchored ships had gone ashore³⁵ before the landslide.

The missing one is believed to have been on the riverbank when the landslide happened.

Navigation on the section of the river near the landslide site has been suspended.

The search for the missing person is ongoing³⁶.

First Report on China's Drug Situation ReleasedAnchorChinese authorities, for the first time, have released a report connected to the drug trade in China.

CRI's Xie Cheng has more.

ReporterThe report covers four main areas, including drug abuse, where drugs are sourced, the trafficking of the drugs and the overall situation.

Liu Yuejin with the Ministry³⁷ of Public Security says drug abuse still remains³⁸ a serious problem in China.

"First, the number of registered drug addicts³⁹ has been rising. By the end of 2014, over 2.9 million drug addicts have been registered, while the real number of those who have used narcotics⁴⁰ has exceeded 14 million. About half of those addicted⁴¹ are addicted to synthetic⁴² drugs. Secondly⁴³, drug users are becoming younger. Over half of the addicts registered are under the age of 35. The demographic is expanding to include employees of public institutions, freelancers⁴⁴ and entertainers. Thirdly, 49-thousand drug addicts died last year."Liu Yuejin also says the use of illegal drugs has cost the economy over 80-billion U.S. dollars this past year.

When it comes to the sources for drugs, Liu says areas south of China are still the main source.

"The drug producing areas abroad mainly include the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia, which remains the largest drug source for China's traffickers, especially when it comes to heroin⁴⁵ and methamphetamine. The so-called Golden Crescent in Central Asia, as well as some sources in South America, are other areas where drugs arrive from in China. Domestically, the main sources for producing methamphetamine and ketamine are in Sichuan and Guangdong."The report says China captured 169,000 drug crime suspects last year, 60 percent of whom were under the age of 35.

Over a thousand foreigners were also busted⁴⁶ in China last year in cases connected to drugs.

They hailed from 44 different countries mostly in areas such as West Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.

Liu Yuejin with the Ministry of Public Security says they're now working with law enforcement in other countries to try to stem the tide of drugs entering the country.

"First, we'll enhance cooperation with countries located near the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia, since it's the most threatening and dangerous source for drugs to China. Secondly, we'll also strengthen cooperation with relevant countries like Russia, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan to deal with the Golden Crescent in Central Asia, especially through the platform of Shanghai Cooperation Organization."The most recent stats suggest there are around 200-million drug users world-wide.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

New draft amendments⁴⁷ to the law impose tougher punishments to child traffickersNew draft amendments aiming to toughen punishments against people who buy abducted⁴⁸ children are being put forward to the Standing²⁹ Committee of the National People's Congress.

The move is believed to be a response to a viral post on Chinese social media that has sparked debate over whether capital punishment is suitable for convicted child traffickers.

Ruan Qilin with China University of Political Science and Law says the draft makes sense.

"This means buyers of abducted children shall be under criminal sanctions, regardless if they haven't abused or prevented others from saving children or not. We can see it gives tougher punishments to those child buyers. As we all know, if there is no buying, there is no child trafficking.

Under the current rules, people involved in human trafficking can be sentenced to a maximum of 10-years in prison.

In extreme cases, which involve more than three victims, the criminals can be sentenced to life imprisonment⁴⁹ or death.

Data from the Supreme⁵⁰ People's Court shows nearly 13-thousand people have been caught involved in human trafficking from 2010 to 2014.

China's customs handles smuggled⁵¹ frozen meatAnchorChina's customs agency says they have seized over 100,000 tons of smuggled frozen meat this month. The haul is valued at 3 billion yuan, or nearly half a billion US dollars.

Our reporter Niu Honglin brings more details.

ReporterMost of the confiscated⁵² product lacks origin information or production dates on the packaging, a basic requirement under food security laws here in China.

Some media reports have referred to the seized product as "zombie meat," speculating that some of it may have been frozen for decades.

Associate Professor Zhu Yi from China Agricultural University says these products are extremely dangerous in terms of food safety.

"In order to make more money, those meats with unknown sources escaped testing and food safety regulation. It may be rotten or come from epidemic areas where mad cow diseases occur. Meanwhile, different countries have different food safety regulations. We cannot generally say imported meat is better than domestic meat."　During a month long campaign, China's custom agencies have cracked 21 smuggling⁵³ gangs from South China's Guangdong and northeast China's Liaoning.

They have received orders from places like Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing, Henan and Guangdong.

Wu Bing from the Shenzhen Market Inspection⁵⁴ Bureau says they are tracking the clues.

"The anti-smuggling authorities have detained some suspects. We got some clues regarding local buyers. We will cooperate with the police to bring the suspects to justice."Smuggled meat sells at a lower price than normal product. For example, smuggled frozen beef can sell for 40 yuan per kilogram, while fresh beef may cost double that price.

Professor Zhu Yi warns customers to pay attention to the package when buying meat products.

"They can ask the merchants to provide the inspection and quarantine certificate from the custom agencies. Its package should have labels in Chinese and the abbreviation of China Inspection and Quarantine, CIQ ."To crack down effectively on the smuggling of frozen meat, insiders also suggest setting up a strict monitoring network at borders where smuggling is rampant⁵⁵.

For CRI, this is Niu Honglin.

HK to have a more balanced retail⁵⁶ sector despite declining salesAnchorAfter years of booming retail sales in Hong Kong, observers are suggesting the current downturn should help balance the sector over the long-term.

CRI's Hong Kong correspondent Li Jing has the story.

ReporterWith a slowdown in the mainland economy and a change of tourists' consumption habits, overall retail sales as of the end of April in Hong Kong are down 2.2 percent year-on-year, with as much as 20 percent plunge⁵⁷ in the purchase of watches and jewelry⁵⁸.

Tom Gaffney, Head of Retail Sales at consultancy JLL, says the slowdown isn't all bad news.

"A lot of watch and jewelry brands, unfortunately, their margins⁵⁹ have been squeezed by high rents, as a result, looking not to renew some of the locations or move to cheaper locations. This is creating opportunities for sectors such as cosmetics⁶¹. In terms of other sectors that we are seeing quite decent growth is electrical, photographical and fast fashion."Gaffney also says he believes the transforming landscape will make Hong Kong's retail sector more sustainable.

"Watch and jewelry might be giving up stores, it's been taken up by other sectors. What we will see is in Causeway for example is that rental⁶² drop, that will make way for new brands to take up the stores. So I think the pain is gonna be temporary, maybe another year and a half. "Causeway Bay, which was once the world's most expensive street in terms of commercial rents in recent years, is expected to cut its rents by up to 20 percent this year.

With relatively⁶³ sluggish⁶⁴ local consumption, many brands are looking to the e-commerce market.

Cosmetic⁶⁰ company Lush is one of them.

Annabelle Baker⁶⁵ is the director of the company's Asian business.

"We actually are already on Tmall International, a Hong Kong listed company. We found the sales there have been growing rapidly. Obviously more consumers find that. So actually we could see is that a lot of mainland Chinese consumers are maybe buying more online than they are maybe coming to the shops. "Data shows the number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong during the Dragon Boat Festival this past weekend has dropped by 2.5 percent, the first time in five years.

It's a reversal of the average growth rate of 20 percent for the past three years.

At the same time, starting from this year, top luxury brands like Chanel and Prada are cutting thousands of HK dollars in their prices to consolidate⁶⁶ the market, a rarely seen discount in town.

For CRI, this is Li Jing in Hong Kong.

France summons US ambassador over spying claimsThe French Foreign Ministry has summoned US Ambassador Jane Hartley, following revelations by WikiLeaks that the US National Security Agency spied on the last three French presidents and main officials.

Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Minister, says spying by an allied⁶⁷ friendly country like the United States is unacceptable.

"I summoned the Ambassador of the USA in France in order to say the following: the revelations published in the newspapers show unacceptable practices. It's unacceptable that three Presidents of the Republic, Mr Jacques Chirac, Mr Nicolas Sarkozy, Mr Francois Hollande have been listened in on, included in their private conversations. "White House spokesman Josh Earnest says U.S. President Barack Obama has made a phone call with his French counterpart Francois Hollande, reaffirming Washington's commitment to end such spying practices.

"The President was very clear about the fact that the United States does not target and will not target the communications of the President of France and this is consistent with the conversation that President Obama had with President Hollande during President Hollande's visit to Washington D.C. last year a little over a year ago."Josh Earnest adds that France is faced with a very persistent⁶⁸ extremist terrorist threat. And the United States is pleased to offer a hand to keep people there safe.

Despite protests and widespread concerns, France's parliament on Wednesday adopted a controversial surveillance law aimed at legalizing broad surveillance of terror suspects.

Putin Imposes Extended Ban on Imported Agricultural ProductsRussian President Vladimir Putin has extended a ban on many imported agricultural products for the next year.

The ban, which prohibits most food imports from the United States, the European Union, Australia, Canada and Norway, will be extended to next June.

The list includes fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry⁶⁹, fish, milk and dairy.

Putin says the ban serves as a response to Western sanctions on the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

"As the head of the government suggested, we will extend our retaliatory⁷⁰ measures by one year, starting from today. I think it will be a good guideline for domestic producers.""The European Union earlier this week extended economic sanctions against Russia until next January, keeping up pressure on Moscow to help resolve the Ukraine conflict.

The sanctions on Russia's energy, defence and financial sectors were the EU's toughest response to Moscow's annexation⁷¹ of Ukraine's Crimea region and what the EU says is Russia's support for rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow has denied that accusation⁷².

Meetings on Greek debt adjourn⁷³ in BrusselsGreek and EU finance ministers hit a new impasse⁷⁴ as creditors⁷⁵ accuse Athens of failing to compromise despite a looming⁷⁶ default next week.

Eurozone finance ministers wound up a meeting on Wednesday evening without reaching any deal.

Their talks will reconvene later today.

WeatherBeijing will see thundershowers with a high of 28 degrees Celsius⁷⁷.

Overnight temperatures should drop down to 22.

Shanghai will have moderate rain with a high of 34 and a low of 24.

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

Elsewhere in the world, staying here in Asia,Kathmandu, slight rain, 31.

Islamabad will see slight rain with a high of 35.

Kabul will be cloudy with a high of 27.

Over to North America,New York will have slight rain with a high of 28 degrees.

Washington, cloudy with a high of 29 degrees.

Honolulu, cloudy, 28.

Toronto will see slight rain with a high of 23 degrees.

Finally, on to South America,Buenos Aires will have slight rain with a high of 18.

And Rio de Janeiro will have some rain with a high of 21 degrees Celsius.

Headline newsChina, U.S. conclude annual high-level talksSenior Chinese and US officials have wrapped up their two-day high-level talks in Washington with substantial outcomes in strategic and economic sectors, as well as people-to-people exchanges.

The talks included the Strategic and Economic Dialogue and a high-level consultation on people-to-people exchange, covering a wide range of issues including climate change, cyber security, the South China Sea and a bilateral investment treaty.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has described the talks as "most constructive⁷⁸ and productive".

During a break of the final day of talks, US President Barack Obama hosted the two delegations to the White House.

More than 40 ministerial-level Chinese officials were in Washington for the talks.

5.4-magnitude quake hits China's XinjiangA 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck the city of Turpan in northwest China's Xinjiang early this morning.

The China Earthquake Networks Center says the quake was centered in Toksun county, 170 km south of the capital Urumqi.

The depth of the quake was measured at 9 kilometers.

There are no immediate⁷⁹ reports on casualties or damage.

China mulls cyber security lawChina's top legislature is mulling on a cyber security law, which aims at safeguarding cyberspace⁸⁰ sovereignty and national security.

The draft law was submitted to lawmakers at the bimonthly session of the top legislature.

According to the draft, key information-related infrastructure⁸¹ will be put under protection.

It also highlights the safety of personal information.

The top legislature is also discussing the country's National Security Law, with the inclusion of space and nuclear security.

Lawmakers are also deliberating on regulating emissions⁸² from boats and ships as the country clamps down on air pollution.

Boston Marathon bomber⁸³ Tsarnaev apologizesBoston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has apologized for the deadly attack in 2013 during his latest hearing.

The 21-year-old says he is sorry for the lives he has taken and for the suffering that he has caused.

Victims' families and wounded survivors⁸⁴ were in the courtroom to hear the apology.

The apology breaks two years of public silence by Tsarnaev.

A US judge has sentenced Tsarnaev to death for the bombing that killed three people including a Chinese internatinal student and injured nearly 300 others.

Biz reportsAnchorFirst, a quick check on the closing numbers across North America and Europe on this Thursday morning, here is our reporter Sophie Williams.

ReporterU.S. stocks pulled back amid GDP report on Wednesday, as a setback⁸⁵ in Greece's debt talks weighed on investor⁸⁶ sentiment.

The Dow Jones dropped nearly 1 percent.

Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq decreased 0.7 percent.

The eurozone's Greece talks didn't come to an agreement late on Wednesday and therefore are set to restart later today.

According to media reports, international creditors rejected the Greek government's plan to end its financial crisis, but they have submitted counterproposals.

Greece will face defaulting it fails to make the repayment⁸⁷, which may trigger "capital controls" on its banks.

On the economic front, the final read on first-quarter GDP in the United States decreased at an annual rate of 0.2 percent.

The U.S. Department of Commence said the number is in line with expectations and above a previous estimate of a 0.7 percent contraction⁸⁸.

Over in Europe,British benchmark FTSE 100 edged up slightly by 0.2 percent.

Royal Mail's share price increased nearly 3 percent, topping the gainers of blue chips.

France's CAC 40 closed with a slight decrease of 0.2 percent with Bouygues, the biggest loser plummeted⁸⁹ more than 9 percent.

Lastly, Germany DAX lost 0.6 percent.

China removes regulation on loan-to-deposit ratioThe State Council has approved a draft amendment to China's Banking⁹⁰ Law.

The amendment that passed yesterday will remove the 75 percent loan-to-deposit ratio, giving banks more freedom to lend.

According to a statement released after an executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, the ratio will instead be seen as a liquidity-monitoring indicator⁹¹.

The move will enable financial institutions to increase lending to agriculture and small business.

Cabinet stresses "Internet Plus" strategyChina will put more momentum⁹² behind its "Internet Plus" drive, which aims to integrate the Internet and industry while encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation.

China's State Council on Wednesday said the campaign is very important in creating a new engine for economic growth.

An Internet Plus guideline was approved at the meeting.

It maps development targets and supportive measures for sectors which the cabinet hopes can establish new industrial modes, including agriculture, energy, finance, public services, logistics, e-commerce, traffic, biology and artificial intelligence.

China approves 28 new IPO applicationsThe China Securities Regulatory Commission has approved 28 IPO applications on Wednesday.

10 companies will be listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, 10 on the small and medium enterprise board of the Shenzhen bourse, while the rest will be listed on the ChiNext, the Nasdaq-style board tracking growth enterprises.

In total, 218 companies have been given green light to be listed on the stock market this year.

These IPOs come as China's stock market is on a bull run.

Russia overtakes Saudi Arabia to become China's top oil supplierAnchor:

It's being reported Russia has surpassed Saudi Arabia to become China's largest supplier of oil.

In May, Russia accounted for around one-third of all of China's oil imports, reaching nearly 4 million tons.

That is a 20-percent rise from the previous month.

Observers are suggesting the rise is being driven by increasing oil deals between the two countries, as well as Russia's acceptance of the Chinese yuan in its oil deals.

At the same time, it's being reported oil supplies from Saudi Arabia have slumped⁹³ by over 40-percent to 3 million tons in May.

For more on this, CRI's Paul James spoke earlier with Professor Liu Baocheng at the University of International Business and Economics based in Beijing.

Back anchorThat was Professor Liu Baocheng from the University of International Business and Economics speaking with CRI's Paul James.

China becomes world's largest FDI recipient⁹⁴ amid mixed global outlookA new report reveals that global Foreign Direct Investment inflows fell to 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars in 2014, down from 1.5 trillion U.S. dollars in 2013.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development World Investment Report 2015 was released on Wednesday.

The report indicates China became the world's largest recipient of FDI last year, with inflows reaching 129 billion U.S. dollars, a 3.7 percent increase compared to 2013.

Though there was an increase in FDI to China's services sector, FDI inflows to manufacturing declined, especially in industries sensitive to labour costs.

Though far less than FDI inflows, China's 2014 FDI outflows grew at a faster rate, up 15 percent, reaching 116 billion US dollars.

China to invest big in aviationChina's aviation regulator has unveiled a plan for major investment in aviation projects to help bolster⁹⁵ growth as the economy slows.

China Civil Aviation Administration says around 500 billion yuan, or 82 billion U.S. dollars, will be invested in nearly 200 domestic projects this year.

Aviation infrastructure construction will be prioritized in several key airports in the next five years, namely the airport in west China's Xi'an, southwestern Nanning, and Xiamen on the eastern coast.

83 new international routes will be added during this summer and autumn to meet increasing demand for outbound travel.

Huawei procurement⁹⁶ in Ghana hits 305 mln USDChina's technology giant Huawei has spent 305 million U.S. dollars on procurements in Ghana.

The company says the expenditure⁹⁷ has also created over 4,000 jobs in the country.

The firm currently employs 700 people in the West African country, with 75 percent of that number being locals.

Over the years, Huawei has embarked⁹⁸ upon several projects for the government of Ghana including the National Backbone⁹⁹ Transmission Project, and the E-governance Platform Project.

The firm also works with leading telecoms operators in Ghana on innovations to promote technical development of the local industry.

Supermarket chains Ahold, Delhaize to mergeDutch international retailer¹⁰⁰ Ahold and its Belgian counterpart Delhaize on Wednesday officially announced a merger¹⁰¹ plan.

Though both parties call it a merger of equals, the deal is viewed as a takeover by Ahold, because the shareholders¹⁰² of the Dutch company will own 61 percent of the combined company's equity¹⁰³.

The combination, named Ahold Delhaize, will create a complementary base of more than 6,500 stores with 375,000 associates.

The combination creates one of the largest retailers¹⁰⁴ in Europe and the United States.

The merger is expected to be completed in the middle of next year.

SportsCSL recapA recap of the Chinese Super League action from last night,Shanghai SIPG moved to top of the leaderboard after a 3-1 victory against Liaoning Hongyun.

It is now provisionally tied with Guangzhou Evergrande and Beijing Guo'an on 29 points.

Guangzhou will host Beijing tonight.

Other results from the 15th round,Jiangsu Shuntian beat Shanghai Shenhua 3-2,Changchun Yatai downed Guizhou Renhe 2-1,Shijiazhuang Ever Bright tied 1-1 against Shandong Luneng,Chongqing Lifan defeated Tianjin Teda 3-0,And Henan Jianye took out Guangzhou R&F 2-1.

US prepares for quarter-final against China in Women's World CupIn women's football,The United States is ready to take on China in the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup but is feeling the pressure.

The players admitted they have not played at their best and have had an unspectacular tournament so far.

Defender¹⁰⁵ Meghan Klingenberg believes the key to beating China is to work up both the defense¹⁰⁶ and the attack.

"Our team's shape has been great and I'm really proud of our midfielders and forwards making it easy on the backline. But going forward, I just think we need to finish our chances. It's not like we haven't been able to create quality chances, we just haven't put as many on the board as I think we're capable of and if we do that, we're going to be a pretty tough force to deal with."The two teams will meet again for the first time since the World Cup final in 1999, when the United States was the winning side.

Fermino leading Brazil in Copa AmericaOver in South America,Brazil is hungry for revenge over Paraguay in the quarter-finals of the Copa America.

Willian Borges da Silva says they have to concentrate, playing against a team such as Paraguay.

"In the last Copa America, Brazil was eliminated by Paraguay. So I hope that this time is different, that we are able to play our game, the game that Brazil can play and the way we like to play."Although Neymar is suspended and will miss the rest of the action, Brazil still has Roberto Firmino to lead them on.

Firmino had just joined Liverpool for almost 46 million US dollars, making him the second most expensive player in the club's history.

Firmino has scored four goals in nine games for Brazil's national team.

Nadal seeded 10th for Wimbledon, tennis recapIn Tennis,Rafael Nadal is seeded 10th for Wimbledon, which means the prospect¹⁰⁷ of a showdown with the likes of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray looms¹⁰⁸ in the last 16.

In the women's draw, Serena Williams is the top seed while last year's winner Petra Kvitova is second.

In other action and from the Aegon Open in Nottingham,Lu Yen-Hsun from Taiwan upset defending champion Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals.

Lu will next face Alexander Dolgopolov.

Other quarter-final match-ups,Gilles Simon will play Sam Querrey,And it is Marcos Baghdatis against Simone Bolelli.

Basketball: China 74-70 LithuaniaIn basketball,China has defeated Lithuania 74-70 in Game 1 of a three-game series in the southeastern city of Shenyang.

Wang Zhelin had a team high 25 points and three rebounds¹⁰⁹.

Yi jianlian, returning from training in the United States and playing for China's national team for the first time this summer, had 19 points and four rebounds.

Game 2 is scheduled for Friday in Guangzhou, and Game 3 is Sunday in Changsha.

12 Chinese ping pong players at Japan OpenIn table tennis,The World Tour Japan Open is underway in the city of Kobe.

Twelve Chinese players are competing in singles and doubles in both men's and women's events.

Among them are 2015 world champions Ma Long and Ding Ning.

Shang Kun posted the first victory for China by defeating Kishkama Seiya 4-1 on day one.

Chris Froome names rivals in Tour de FranceIn cycling,Chris Froome is in great form for this year's Tour de France.

He won the Criterium du Dauphine earlier this month and is hoping to follow that victory with a win on the Tour, just as he did two years ago.

Froome says he is motivated and makes clear that he is targeting the general classification.

He also picked out a few names that are contenders and his rivals for the yellow jersey¹¹⁰.

The ones to watch are Alberto Contador, Nairo Quintana and defending champion Vincenzo Nibali.

The Tour starts in the Dutch city of Utrecht on July 4.

EntertainmentTaylor Swift to play concert in ChinaTaylor Swift has announced concert dates in China.

The star will be playing two concerts in Shanghai on November 10 and 11 at the Mercedes Benz Arena¹¹¹.

Swift will be performing songs from her fifth studio album 1989 which sold almost 1.3 million copies in the US in its first week. It topped iTunes' sales charts in 97 countries on its release.

She will also make a stop in Singapore before heading to Australia.

Jonnie To reunites with Chow Yun Fat and Sylvia Chan for latest movieLegendary filmmaker Jonnie To has reunited with Chow Yun Fat and Sylvia Chang for his latest movie 'Office'.

The director from Hong Kong previously¹¹² worked with the pair in his movie 'All About Ah-Long' over twenty years ago.

Even though so much time has passed, To said it really didn't feel that way when they started working together again.

"They're still very full of energy and their relationship is even better than before and we did say that time when we first made the film together that no matter how good the turn out of this film is, whether it's bad or a success, we were still very lucky just to have the opportunity to work together again after so long and it doesn't really matter what the outcome is like."The critically acclaimed¹¹³ filmmaker has a film career spanning five decades during which he's directed 54 titles and produced 70 feature films.

Office is set for release on 1 October 2015.

Fast and Furious now third highest grossing movie everFast and Furious 7 has now overtaken The Avengers to become the third highest grossing film of all time.

Furious 7 has now taken over $1.52 billion worldwide just inching ahead of The Avengers which grossed $1.51 billion in 2012.

The only films to have grossed more are Avatar which is the highest grossing movie of all time followed by Titanic¹¹⁴.

Upon its release, Fast and Furious 7 broke the record for crossing the billion mark in the fastest time taking just 17 days however this was broken this week by Jurassic World which has taken only 13 days to cross the mark.

It's been revealed that Fast and Furious 8 will be released on April 14, 2017 with rumours¹¹⁵ that filming could partly take place in China.

(bjh/ent)Indiana Jones named greatest movie character of all timeIndiana Jones has been named the greatest movie character of all time in a new poll.

The adventuring archaeologist was placed ahead of James Bond, Batman and Han Solo in a poll conducted by movie magazine Empire.

Harrison Ford¹¹⁶ takes two places in the list for Jones and Han Solo who came in third place.

Darth Vader was placed ninth on the list.

The result of the poll is interesting given the fact that Disney has no plans to make a new Indiana Jones movie, choosing to focus on the Star Wars franchise¹¹⁷. There are rumours that when the time comes for an Indiana Jones reboot, it could be Chris Pratt who gets the call to carry on the Indiana Jones name.

The poll also selected favorite TV characters with Breaking Bad's Walter White coming out on top. Sherlock Holmes was placed sixth in the list.

Glastonbury music festival kicks off in UKRevellers started to arrive for the start of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy¹¹⁸ Farm in Somerset in Western England on Wednesday.

Florence and the Machine will cover the main opening night slot at the festival after the Foo Fighters cancelled their European tour because of Dave Grohl's broken leg.

Other headline acts include US rapper Kanye West and British rock band The Who.

Glastonbury is one of the most well-known festivals in the world attracting big names in the music industry to play. In the past ten years stars who have graced the pyramid stage include Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney and U2.

The festival is prone¹¹⁹ to become mud filled and flood if there is excessive rainfall. According to weather forecasts, light rainfall is expected meaning festival goers may escape the muddy scenes of past years.

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

Our top headlines this morning...

Annual high level talks between Chinese and US officials have concluded in Washington, with results in business, the environment, and many other areas...

Chinese authorities have released their first-ever report on the country's illegal drug trade...

French authorities summon the US ambassador over spying allegations revealed on wikileaks...

In Business...a draft amendment approved by the state council will give Chinese banks more freedom to lend...

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.

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