he joins us from beijing. james? >> reporter: yes, gene, it's a brisk 7 degrees celsius here in beijing, and the city is now abuzz that the congress is under way. signs and banners bearing slogans are everywhere. some read "cheers to the great chinese communist party," for without the communist party, there would be no new china. this is a major political event, and authorities carefully orchestrate every detail. i went for a tour of beijing to see what they've done. signs of the congress are everywhere in beijing. flowers, elegant decorations and banners. when i got into a taxi, i found another sign. ahead of the party congress, local authorities here in beijing have instructed all taxis to take the handles off so that people can't open the windows. chinese authorities are trying to prevent activists from throwing antigovernment leaflets out of the windows of moving taxis. police in beijing have put strict traffic checks in place for vehicles entering the capital. government authorities have mobilized an army of vol

he joins us from beijing. james? >> reporter: yes, gene, it's a brisk 7 degrees celsius here in beijing, and the city is now abuzz that the congress is under way. signs and banners bearing slogans are everywhere. some read "cheers to the great chinese communist party," for without the communist party, there would be no new china. this is a major political event, and authorities carefully orchestrate every detail. i went for a tour of beijing to see what they've done. signs of the congress are everywhere in beijing -- flowers, elegant decorations and banners. when i got into a taxi, i found another sign. ahead of the party congress, local authorities here in beijing have instructed all taxis to take the handles off so that people can't open the windows. chinese authorities are trying to prevent activists from throwing antigovernment leaflets out of the windows of moving taxis. police in beijing have put strict traffic checks in place for vehicles entering the capital. government authorities have mobilized an army of v

george alagiah in beijing. no honeymoon, no time to kick back and enjoy the election victory because of a straight back to business for president obama. on top of his agenda, avoiding the so-called fiscal cliff, the round of tax rises and spending cuts which will be triggered just a few weeks' time. if a budget deal is not reached with the republicans. this report from washington. >> the president returns to washington, for the white house for four more years. he visited his campaign workers to thank them and many here are marveling about the effectiveness of his get-out- the-vote effort. that you washington, well, politics and an urgent task for the reelected president -- what to do about the so-called fiscal cliff? massive automatic tax rises and spending cuts are imminent unless republicans in congress in the president can agree on how to avert them. >republican leaders expressed willingness to compromise. >> mr. president, this is your moment. we are ready to be lead. not as democrats or republicans, but as

nhk world's james tengan is in beijing covering the congress. james. >> reporter: the discussions and deal-making are coming the a climax. roughly 2300 delegates of the congress will pick about 200 members for the communist party central committee. then wednesday, the congress will close. the next day around 20 individuals from the central committee will be chosen to sit on the party's political bureau. after that officials further whittle down the list to see who will be on the plight bureau's standing committee, china's top decision making body. analysts say xi jinping will replay hu jintao in the job of general secretary. they also say the number of politburo standing committee members will be reduce prd the current nine to seven to speed up the decision-making process. if that forecast is correct, seven people will essentially run a nation of 1.3 billion. it's how china's one-party system has functioned for years. but democracy activists consider that system dysfunctional, and they say the communist party under hu jintao has continued to sto

makoto oda, nhk world, beijing. >>> cradle of culture. economic powerhouse. many enjoy the fruits of pros r prosperi prosperity along the path to a new china. but millions are missing out. at a time of growing public discontent, members of the communist party are choosing their new leaders. "newsline" correspondents are reporting from the party's national congress. don't miss our special coverage, "china: the next generation," 8:00 p.m. japan time here on "newsline." >>> two south korean presidential candidate who is joined forces for next month's election are now thrashing out which one will stand. unaffiliated politician ahn cheol-soo and moon jae-in of the democratic united party struck a deal last week that they won't stand against each other. south koreans have shown in polls that a joint candidate would match the support rate of front-runner park geun-hye from the ruling saenuri party. members of both camps are currently discussing how to decide on who would stand. local media have vaunted the idea of a tv debate and an opinion poll. both sides say a de

he joins us from beijing. james? >> reporter: gene, this process is carefully choreographed and controlled. chinese authorities are generally restrictive. but the bamboo curtain really comes down during the congress. that makes the job of jury roomism that much harder. still china's political transition is one of the biggest stories going right now. so despite the controls, no media organization wants to miss out. they got up early to get in line outside the great hall of the people. journalists from china and abroad, hundreds of them, all jockeying to get a better position for the opening of the communist party's congress. journalists from around the world have converged on beijing underlying the international community's keen interest on what direction china will take with the changeover in power. chinese government officials say more than 2,700 domestic and international journalists are covering the meeting. media are trying to find out something, anything about this secretive political process. it's not easy. >>

delegates are wrapping up their national congress in beijing. behind the scenes some are debating the extent of the leadership changes. many wonder whether hu jintao will attempt to keep hold of some power. delegates meet every five years for congress. they revise the party constitution to include president huh's theory. delegates will select about 200 members of the central committee. they will in turn select a new leader, something that only happens once in a decade. much has already been decided. communist leaders sent out signals for months that vice xi jinping will take over as the party's general secretary. the central committee will select the standing committee, the apex of power in china. nine people currently sit on the board. that could be reduced to seven. of the current members only xi and vice premiere lu are expected to remain. some insist he will retire to give the new leader greater influence over the military and a firmer grip on power. many in and outside china are curious about who will fill all of these leadership roles. a h

nhk world's michitaka yamaka in beijing has more. >> reporter: chinese communist party gathered in beijing's great hall of the people to make their long-awaited announcement. they said the national congress will start thursday and run for seven days. the meetings wraps up a ten-year-long, two-term rule of general secretary hu jintao and his associates. they led a nation that has become a global power. china is the world's second largest economy, but it has its share of problems. chinese worry about the widening income disparity between urban and rural areas. they are concerned about the environment and pollution and are angry about widespread corruption among local and national authorities. the case involving bo xilai highlighted this issue. party officials expelled the former head of chongqing city over accusations he abused his power and accepted bribes. he's expected to face criminal prosecution. his wife is already in jail for the murder of a businessman. the communist party wanted to show they take this kind of case and other pressing issues seriously. they are expecting to incorporate

they were trekking on a mountaineer the great wall outside beijing. two women and a man in their 60s and 70s died in the incident. another woman survived, as did the group's chinese guide. the japanese survivor said the group became stuck on the mountain due to a sudden snowstorm. parts of the region have snowfall of more than 50 centimeters, that's the most in over half a century. >>> members of the antiwhaling group sea shepherd have set sail from the coast in australia, setting to protest whaling expeditions. they say they'll confront the whalers in the pacific ocean, instead of the antarctic ocean as in past years. paul watson is said to take part of the operation. he's on interpol's wanted list for skipping bail in germany. sea shepherd activists obstructed whaling activities 12 times during last season's expedition. >>> militants in pakistan have staged another attack against women seeking an education. the targets this time were college students. the attack occurred on a van that was carrying 20 students. they were returning home from their uni

michitaka yamaka, our beijing correspondent. china's next change comes next year when xi jinping is expected to take over as president and li keqiang should become premier. the hu jintao and wen jiabao era will officially come to a close. now it's up to the next generation of leaders to steer china forward. people we met, the hopeful and the critical, all share an understanding that their country's entering a new phase. we'll continue to watch things unfold here and show you where this dynamic and complex nation is going. but for now, that wraps up our coverage from beijing. i'm james tengan. >> james, thanks. >>> north korean leader kim jong-un has sent a congratulatory telegram to china's new leader, xi jinping. north korea state-run media quoted the telegram as saying xi's election to the post is an indication of the people's trust and expectations at a time when socialism is entering a new stage. the telegram said that kim believes the friendly ties between china and north korea will become stronger, as desired by the people

nhk world's james tengan is in beijing covering the congress. he told us more about the main players in china's transition of power. >> reporter: we've got an idea who will head up the next generation of leaders. we've heard their names before, xi jinpi xi jinping. we heard their names before and will be hearing them for years to come. they will be chosen for top party posts next week and unveiled to the world. analysts say xi will become president taking over for president hu jintao. >> chinese president xi jinping is 59 years old. communist party leaders named him vice chairman of the central commission in 2010. xi's taken an act i havi role in diploma city as well as domestic affairs. >> xi jinping's pather was a vice premier, so she became part of china's informal network. princelings gain power by taking advantage of their parents and status and ties to influential fingers. but xi didn't have it easy. authorities ousted his father and jailed him during the cultural revolution. xi was forced to work in the countryside as a teenager. he went

really it's just a waiting game here in beijing. everyone is watching to see how the pieces of chine's leadership puzzle will fall into place and who will secure a spot at the top in the politburo standing committee. the politburo standing committee is the communist party's top leadership. experts say it adopts key policy with a majority vote. right now nine of the party's more than 80 million members are in the bureau. that means the fate of a country with a population of 1.3 billion is in the hands of a small group of people. here's how the process will unfold. delegates to the national congress will select about 200 members to be on the central committee. those individuals then meet the day after the congress closes. they choose china's new leadership, the members of the politburo standing committee. now within that group, there's a pecking order. president hu jintao currently sits at the top of the politburo. he is general secretary of the communist party and chairs the central military commission which controls the people's lib

in washington, 8:00 in the evening in beijing, where the communist party has almost completed the process of handing power over to the next generation of leaders. 2000 party delegates have been meeting for the last week, most of the time behind closed doors. the party congress has now concluded in the coming out of their new leadership lineup. >> as they stepped aside today, the outgoing chinese communist leaders congratulated themselves. under their watch, china has risen so fast that this century is often called china's century. an authoritarian model of the future. many in china, however, were not so confident. the new leadership, rubber stamp, will be unveiled to the world tomorrow with a question, can it continue to keep china's 1.3 billion people excluded from power? there is no sign that the party is willing to engage with those who want real change, like the nobel peace prize winner from china. he remains in this jail for calling for reform. >> people want more reform. people want democracy and freedom. for example, in the constitution it says that people have the right to freedom

nhk world's james tengan is in beijing covering the congress.

nhk world's james tengan is in beijing covering the congress. he told us more about the main players in china's transition of power. >> reporter: we've got an idea who will head up china's next generation of leaders. we've heard their names before, xi jinping and li keqiang. and we'll be hearing them for years to come. they'll be chosen for top communist party posts next week and unveiled to the world. analysts say xi will become general secretary, taking over for president hu jintao. chinese vice president xi jinping is 59 years old. communist party leaders named xi vice chairman of the central commission in 2010. xi's taken an active role in diploma city as well as domestic affairs. >> xi jinping's pather was a vice premier, so xi became part of china's informal princeling network. princelings gain power by taking advantage of their parents and status and ties to influential fingers. but xi didn't have it easy. authorities ousted his father and jailed him during the cultural revolution. xi was forced to work in the countryside as a teenager. h

nhk world's michitaka yamaka in beijing has more. >> reporter: chinese communist party gathered in beijing's great hall of the people to make their long-awaited announcement. they said the national congress will start thursday and run for seven days. the meetings wraps up a ten-year-long, two-term rule of general secretary hu jintao and his associates. they led a nation that has become a global power. china is the world's second largest economy, but it has its share of problems. chinese worry about the widening income disparate between urban and rural areas. they are concerned about the environment and pollution and are angry about widespread corruption among local and national authorities. the case involving bow shin lie high lated this issue. party officials expelled the former head of chang congress city over accusations he abused his power and accepting bribes. he's expect pd to face criminal prosecution. his wife is already in jail for the murder of a businessman. congress nift party wanted to show they take this kind of case and other pressing issues seriously. they are expecting to in

but for now, that wraps up our coverage from beijing. i'm james tengan. >>> u.s. leaders have been tracking china's political transition. president barack obama's administration has watched the chinese economy and military grow and has promised to take a tough stance with china on trade and other economic matters. the obama administration has also closely monitored china's disputes with japan and southeast asian nations over the islands in the east and south china seas. senior officials have refused to take sides. the president announced a year ago he will shift his country's focus to the asia-pacific region. he will have a chance to talk more about that plan over the weekend. obama will begin a four-day tour of southeast asia on saturday. he will be visiting thailand and myanmar and will attend the east asia summit in cambodia. the president promised during his re-election campaign to put more pressure on china to make it meet basic international standards with respect to trade. but analysts say despite his plans the world's top economies are tightly woven togeth

decision makers in beijing also know that this is the case they even know what their has to do to be done to reform and to balance but also most of the decision makers in beijing tell me that there is a problem with the leadership that the leadership is more fragmented than before cannot make it make up its mind about how it wants to implement these changes and that there is and i think this is essentially to stress that there is a growing tendency towards towards nationalism and that of course is going to shape china's position in the global scene it will have more domestic pressures as my my colleague already stressed and emphasized but it will also have more expectations from from the world the leaders will be stuck in between and have not much maneuverability at all to make concessions and compromises you know brian what do you think about the the element of nationalism because jonathan got ahead of me and i agree with him completely you know that that's something to let off a lot of steam when you begin to run into some kind of problems at home you can always you know work the f

back then, beijing was low rise with bicycles. beijing now is one big traffic jam with high rises to the horizon, designer shops seem to be on every corner. people here joke the crane is china's national bird. despite all these changes, actually because of them, the big story remains the same-- china's tremendous economic growth. the challenge for china's new leaders, to sustain growth in the face of staggering problems, rampant political corruption, a widening gap between rich and poor, choking pollution, and a populous increasingly discontent about it all. >> they've got so many problems and economy is slowing down, the current economic mod cell running out of steam. they've got no choice but to reform. >> reporter: my first assignment in china was to cover the brutal crackdown on student protesters on tiananmen square. chinese government television told its people and the world there was no conflict, that no one died at tiananmen square. no one here talks about that any more, but pressure for change today comes not from the squ

that it's economic growth model has become very and sustainable that most of the decision makers in beijing also know that this is the case they even know what there has to be done to reform and to balance but also most of the decision makers in beijing tell me that there is a problem with the leadership that the leadership is more fragmented than before cannot make it make up its mind about how it wants to implement these changes and that there is and i think this is essentially to stress that there is a growing tendency towards towards nationalism and that of course is going to shape china's position in. the global scene it will have more domestic pressures as my my colleague already stressed and emphasized but it will also have more expectations from from the world the leaders will be stuck in between and have not much maneuverability at all to make concessions and compromises you know brian what do you think about the the element of nationalism because jonathan got ahead of me and i agree with him completely you know that that's something to let off a lot of steam when you begin to run

that it's economic growth model has become very and sustainable that most of the decision makers in beijing also know that this is the case they even know what their has to do to be done to reform and to balance but also most of the decision makers in beijing tell me that there is a problem with the leadership that the leadership is more fragmented than before cannot make it make up its mind about how it wants to implement these changes and that there is and i think this is essentially to stress that there is a growing tendency towards towards nationalism and that of course is going to shape china's position in the global scene it will have more domestic pressures as my my colleague already stressed and emphasized but it will also have more expectations from from the world the leaders will be stuck in between and have not much maneuverability at all to make concessions and compromises you know brian what do you think about the the element of nationalism because jonathan got ahead of me and i agree with him completely you know that that's something a lot of a lot of steam when you begin to r

both have become unsustainable sort of fundamental challenge for washington and beijing is to try to rebalance the cause of development in a way that avoids all out trade wars and that especially prevents that economic free public anxiety is going to interment intermingle with nationalism and military power plays that would be really the worst case scenario for both parties know that notwithstanding it is clear that washington has become fairly frustrated with. the way the relations with china develop things haven't really worked out as expected so there has been some sort searching going on but the conclusion has been that there should be more engagement more engagement coupled with there with the terrence and showing where direct lines are ok wait brian if i go to you i mean the interdependency this is what's keeping it together right and if there is any gauge minutes the terms and conditions that's what the chinese have a problem with sometimes. well right i mean let's also put the context the military context for engagement as well of course both militaries engage at some level t

yes absolutely and what i think when you discuss with diplomats and officials in beijing they are and saw positive about their own diplomacy at all china feels as a as a rising power without friends it's sees itself as a power that is challenged by public opinions and insecurity all over the world and it feels sort of trapped in the new people or order it's really desperate to find new allies and partners now a dad of course inside elicits a very vivid debate in china industry a teacher community and here i think more or less you can discern two schools on the one hand you have faults who argued that peace for allies is not viable and that china should become more assertive bolder in in defending its interests somewhat behave like the united states essentially and then you have another school stressing and pushing for a more conciliatory line more compromises also making more economic concessions especially to the neighborhood my take is that at this very moment most of the new lead leaders still side with with with the second strand with the to school of prudence but that still it re

yes absolutely and what i think when you discuss with diplomats and officials in beijing they are and saw positive about their own diplomacy at all china feels as a as a rising power without friends it's sees itself as a power that is challenged by public opinions and insecurity all over the world and it feels sort of trapped in in the new people or order it's really desperate to find new allies and partners now is that of course inside elicits a very vivid debate in china in the strategic community and here i think more or less you can discern two schools on the one hand you have faults who argued that peace for allies is not viable and that china should become more assertive bolder in in defending its interests somewhat behave like the united states essentially and then you have another school stressing and pushing for a more conciliatory line more compromises also making more economic concessions especially to the neighborhood my take is that at this very moment most of the new lead leaders still side with with with the second strand with the to school of prudence but that still it

beijing police are in lockdown mode. the country's preparing for a change of leadership. party officials want to ensure it goes off without a hitch. >>> and autonomy deal has paved the way for peace in the southern philippines, but will the deal hold? we'll take an in-depth look. >>> a piece of cinema history has risen from the ashes. it wiped out cambodia's film industry. a new documentary has rediscovered some forgotten classics. >>> first, the main news. security's tight in beijing. the communist party is opening its national congress on thursday. the delegates will approve a group of leadership in charge of the world's most populous country for the next ten years. party delegates gather for the congress every five years, but the leadership change is a once in a decade event. preliminary meetings are already under way. members of the party's central committee assembled on thursday. their job, to prepare the reports to the national congress in a draft of party rules. analysts say those taking part are engaged in last-minute bargaining over who should be included in the

the president calls on china's new leaders to turn the country into a major naval forces beijing begins a once in a decade communist power transfer. international news and comment live from our new center here in moscow this is r.t. we've got exclusive access to the syrian president who continues to govern from damascus in defiance of foreign calls to step down bush on assad condemning those calls and warned against outside intervention in syria my colleague he said now we spoke to ortiz sophie shevardnadze who interviewed the embattled leader in his capitol. hill had a chance to speak about fifteen minutes before the interview very educated very down to and definitely not. contrary to what people like people praise him in the media very well informed he feels like i think that this whole thing that's happening is like a cancer that either he has to beat or he has to die of it but there is no other way out when what we're talking about western leaders telling him to step down i mean it kind of sounds ridiculous because he really has nowhere to go like when he were to step down where wou

yes absolutely and what i think when you discuss with diplomats and officials in beijing they are and so positive about their own diplomacy at all china feels as a as a rising power without friends it's sees itself as a power that is challenged by public opinions and insecurity all over the world and it feels sort of trapped in the new people or order it's really desperate to find new allies and partners now that of course inside elicits a very vivid debate in china industry a teacher community and here i think more or less you can discern two schools on the one hand you have faults who argued that peace for wise is not viable and that china should become more assertive bolder in in defending its interests on what behaves like the united states essentially and then you have another school stressing and pushing for a more conciliatory line more compromises also making more economic concessions especially to the neighborhood my take is that at this very moment most of the new lead leaders still side with with with the second strand with the to school of prudence but that still it remain

we have this report from beijing. >> he came to beijing 14 years ago as a migrant worker. he collects ravished. his earnings support his parents back home as well as his own family. he collects everything that can be recycled and sells it on to middlemen. they, too, are migrant workers. this is where he and his family live. down in the basement of this tenement blocks. he cannot afford a proper home. the damp cellar is divided into compartments, and his family's spot is below the stairs. he and his wife sleep on the bed with one of his sons. the others have to sleep on the floor. all around 100 people share the bathroom and toilet. an estimated 1 million people across the city live in similar conditions. >> of course we feel this is unfair. after all, we build all these large apartment blocks, and yet, there'sfor us. we even have to fight for this small space here. authorities often clear the basements, so we migrant workers are grateful to find any living space at all. >> a few blocks away, china's elite stutz the week at a popular beijing by. the interior was designed by

has called on china's new leaders to turn the country into a major naval forces beijing begins once in a decade communist power transfer. international news and comment live from new center here in moscow this is r.t. we've gained exclusive access to the syrian president who continues to govern from damascus in defiance of foreign calls to step down but short of assad condemning those calls and warned against outside intervention in syria. he spoke out so he interviewed the embattled leader in his capital. who had a chance to speak about fifteen minutes before the interview very educated very down to end earth definitely not. contrary to what people like people praise him in the media very well informed he feels like i think that this whole thing that's happening it's like a cancer that either he has to beat or he has to die of it but there is no other way out when what we're talking about here western leaders telling him to step down i mean it kind of sounds ridiculous because he really has nowhere to go like him and he were to step down where would he go and we asked in that intervie

neither has explained enough how he would deal with beijing diplomatically. china is now the world's second largest economy. it's also strengthening its military power and it's growing more assertive in territorial disputes. professor zhao quansheng is an expert on asian policy at american university in washington, d.c. he says both obama and romney would, if elected, continue the u.s. policy of engagement in the region. >> asia-pacific is a natural choice for the priority of u.s. foreign policy given the very size of economy, and this is the most dynamic region in the world. think about -- i mean, u.s., china, japan. number one, number two, number three economies, all in asia pacific. >> reporter: zhao says the potential for conflict in the region remains but that the flash points have shifted. >> before there were two historically so-called hot spots may bring the two powers to war, one, korea peninsula, and the other, taiwan strait. but there are two new flashing points now. one is china sea, east sea, and, two, south china sea. >> reporter: the professor

ten, meanwhile, in beijing. a little bit warmer here. 15 in tokyo. we have 24 in hong kong and a hot day in bangkok, 33. all right let's go now across to the americas. very clear day across much of the u.s., mexico, and canada. we've got a system weakening off in the northwest, even out towards the northeast. high pressure is pushing in as that long front moves away. we are still going to see some showers continuing here around florida up into the carolinas. you could see some heavier rain with that as well, some thunder and lightening. temperatures are going to be falling across the northeast. you'll notice a big dip in new york, down to 19, 10 in d.c. and 7 in toronto. meanwhile, 1 degree in win be any peg which is warmer than the past couple of days. taking a quick look into europe. things are looking a little bit dryer in the next 24 hours for the british isles. having a steady stream of moisture coming in, heavy rain hitting western norway as well as scotland and northern ireland and ireland. things are going to get a little bit clearer across t

president calls on china's new leaders to turn the country into a major naval force as beijing begins a once in a decade communist power transfer. international news and comment from the new center here in moscow this is r.t. r t is gained exclusive access to the syrian president who continues to govern from damascus in defiance of foreign calls to step down bashar al assad condemned those calls and warned against outside intervention in syria when i. interviewed the embattled leader in the capital. we had a chance to speak about fifteen minutes before the interview very educated very down to unst definitely not megalomaniac. contrary to what people like people praise him in the media very well informed he feels like i think that this whole thing that's happening is like a cancer that either he has to beat or he has to die of it but there is no other way out when what we're talking about western leaders telling him to step down i mean it kind of sounds ridiculous because he really has nowhere to go like when he were to step down where would he go and we asked in that interview you can

president calls on china's new leaders to turn the country into a major naval forces beijing begins a once in a decade power transfer. this is r.t. from july from the new center here in central moscow we've gained exclusive access to the syrian president who continues to govern from damascus in defiance of foreign calls to step down but. those calls and warned against outside intervention in syria. and these are now we spoke to r.t. so if you have an answer who interviewed the embattled leader in his capital. who had a chance to speak about fifteen minutes before the interview very educated very down to a definitely not. contrary to what people like people praise him in the media very well informed he feels like i think that this whole thing that's happening it's like a cancer that either has to beat or he has to die of it but there is no other way out when what we're talking about western leaders telling him to step down i mean it kind of sounds ridiculous because he really has nowhere to go like when he were to step down where would you go and we asked in that interview. that interv

from beijing, the report. >> welcome to the dawn of a new chinese era. the xi jinping era. a new leader and a new team in charge. these seven men are now going to roll over one-fifth of humidity -- humanity. we do not know very much about them. what they will do for china's future. the communist party's new general secretary, more confident, more relaxed. >> the problems among our party members, corruption, taking bribes, being out of touch with the people. it must be addressed with great effort. >> xi will have to share power with the other six men. the major reforms seem unlikely. on the left, xi has been groomed for power. his father helped lead comment -- china's communist revolution. >> he is not going to be a diet -- the dominant leader. he is going to have to create a consensus in a leading body. that will not be easy to do. >> many believed china needs a change, urgent. economic growth is slowing and people's demands of their new leader are rising. he is 69 and he survives by selling so pemex at home. he wants them to spend more on health care and education. that wi

beijing inflation continues to cool. >>> and we'll hear from the cfo of alliance. >>> and credit agricole pay as steep price to exit greece. it posts a loss in its third quarter. >>> i'm afraid there's only one day left this week to enjoy the if stuff here on on "worldwide exchange." >> but there are two of us. you're back. >> i'm back here. eyes are getting better. >> glasses are gone. >>> so on today's program, we'll

a new team takes charge in beijing. china's next president promises a new style of leadership. can he deliver it? the euro zone has gone back into recession for the first time since 2009. the country is facing the biggest protests against austerity cuts. across the 17 member states, output fell by 0.1% in the third quarter of the year. only germany and france managed to grow. our chief correspondent reports. >> going into reverse, the year as an economy has seen a second successive quarter of contracting output. between july and september, there was a fall of 0.1% in overall economic activity. more problems for the euro zone political leadership as they try to chart a course for the single currency.

neither has explained enough how he would deal with beijing diplomatically. china is now the world's second largest economy. it's also strengthens its military power and it's growing more assertive in territorial disputes. professor sew cha chin is an expert on foreign policy at american university in washington, d.c. he says both obama and romney would, if elected, continue the u.s. policy of engagement in the region. >> asia pacific is the natural choice for the policy of u.s. foreign policy given the very size of economy, and this is the most dynamic region in the world. think about u.s., china, japan. number one, number two, number three economies, all in asia pacific. zhao says the potential for conflict remains but the flash points have shifted. >> before there were two historically so-called hot spots may bring the two powers to war, one, korea peninsula, and the other, taiwan strait. but there are two other points now, one east china sea, east sea and two, south china sea. >> the professor says chinese leaders will act more aggressively as their confi

an entirely new pursuit. >>> beijing has more scope to ease if necessary. ppi industrial drought put, retail sales all better than forecast. eunice, good to see you. all this better data, on the day we get the part i congress out. that's very handy, isn't it? >> it is and i'm glad that i was back. i was frozen before and getting worried that the chinese government was trying to censor move. a lot of people here believe that the economy has bottomed out. fixed asset investment as well as the factory output came in quite strongly. so a lot of people are saying that that part of the equation, the investment part, came in quite well. and the other side of the equation which a lot of people are hoping will grow is the consumption element of the economy. and retail sales numbers came in quite healthy at 14.5% growth. that actually beat analyst expectations, also a lot of it driven by sales of food and automobiles. people are saying that we're really starting to see some rebalancing here, although of course consumption still as a percentage of gdp is just not quit

how will beijing control a rise in nationalist pride and power? how will it ensure that the united states and china don't drift toward confrontation? that's challenge for leaders in beijing and also in washington. we'll be right back. up next, how the past informs the present and the future. a great panel of american historians on the election. pid r visibly reduces fine lines and wrinkles in just one week. why wait if you don't have to. neutrogena®. who have used androgel 1%, there's big news. presenting androgel 1.62%. both are used to treat men with low testosterone. androgel 1.62% is from the makers of the number one prescribed testosterone replacement therapy. it raises your testosterone levels, and... is concentrated, so you could use less gel. and with androgel 1.62%, you can save on your monthly prescription. [ male announcer ] dosing and application sites between these products differ. women and children should avoid contact with application sites. discontinue androgel and call your doctor if you see unexpected signs of early puberty in

how will beijing control a rise in nationalist pride and power? how will it ensure that the united states and china don't drift toward confrontation? that's challenge for leaders in beijing and also in washington. we'll be right back. up next, how the past informs the present and the future. a great panel of american historians on the election. need. machines, tools, people making stuff. companies have to invest in making things. infrastructure, construction, production. we need it now more than ever. chevron's putting more than $8 billion dollars back in the u.s. economy this year. in pipes, cement, steel, jobs, energy. we need to get the wheels turning. i'm p. making real things... for real. ...that make a real difference. ♪ oh, hey alex. just picking up some, brochures, posters copies of my acceptance speech. great! it's always good to have a backup plan, in case i get hit by a meteor. wow, your hair looks great. didn't realize they did photoshop here. hey, good call on those mugs. can't let 'em see what you're drinking. you know, i'm glad we

beijing will only officially reveal the next generation leaders thursday. hu jintao promised political and economic reform, but he stressed china won't abandon one party rule and will stick to the socialist path. eunice is live for us. this is his big final speech, so reading in sort of between the lines almost is very telling. it's the legacy he's trying to cath. and what less gassy is that? >> many here believe what he is saying is significant in that it is his final farewell. he really was just reading through the work report to talks about the achievements, the economic and political achievements that the party has had. and also to outline the future challenges. one of the first challenges you had already addressed is the issue of corruption. he said the government needed to do more to root it out. >> eunice, we're having trouble with your sound. we'll get the bite rolled as soon as we can. when we hear from -- i'd like to go back to eunice if we can to stay on this issue. but there's been a lot of focus in the last couple of days as to whether china's

midday in london, 7:00 in the morning in washington and 8:00 in the evening in beijing where delegates of china's, this party have been deliberating. this week the focus on the world will be on the handful of men about to take their seats at the very top of china's, this party. but what about the other 82 million members. why did people join? do they still believe in communism? from the chinese capital -- interesting times, john. >> they are very interesting times. of course, the focus has been on the very few men at the very top of the party, for good reason. we have heard a lot less from ordinary chinese citizens this week because they have almost no say in the power transition taking place here in beijing. nonetheless, this is all about the party, of course. this is not the changing of the offices of state but the shuffling of key positions at the top of the communist party. in that sense, in the broadest possible sense, the opinions of party members do matter. we have been speaking to just three of them. but people are for most, says the slogan at this factory gate. inside, the fla

both have become unsustainable sort of fundamental challenge for washington and beijing is to try to rebalance the cause of development in a way that avoids all out trade wars and that especially prevents that economic free public anxiety is going to injure him in intermingle with nationalism and military power plays that would be really the worst case scenario for both parties know that notwithstanding it is clear that washington has become fairly frustrated with. the way the relations with china develop things haven't really worked out as expected so there has been some soul searching going on but the conclusion has been that there should be more engagement more engagement coupled with their with the terrence and showing where direct lines are ok wait brian if i go to you i mean interdependency this is what's keeping it together right and if there is a gauge minutes the terms and conditions that's what the chinese have a problem with sometimes. well right i mean let's also put the context the military context for engagement as well of course both militaries engage at some level the

and beijing ushers in a new top officials which will lead the country for the next decade in about ten minutes we'll look at how the world might be changed by china's emerging economic mind. thanks very much for joining us here on r.t. today. live in moscow the israeli military is converging on gaza as it continues to pummel the palestinians from land and sea the operation dubbed pillars of defenses on the verge of turning into a new invasion says it's prepared to go all the way this under the pretext of self defense three israelis and at least fifteen palestinians including children and a pregnant woman have already being killed from the region with the latest bot. some unconfirmed reports from israeli media that tanks are moving south towards the border with gaza we've trying to confirm that with the israeli defense forces they will not confirm that at the moment it seems that that may be happening which would indicate the situation moving towards a ground invasion of gaza as all of that goes on we've also got airstrikes continuing they have continued throughout the night and into to