vietnam is engaged in territorial disputes with china in the south china sea. it's keen to bolster defenses amid china's growing maritime presence. >>> and that's going to do it for us this week. thanks for watching. we'll see you again next week on "asia 7 days."

in july china formed a new body that governs the disputed islands in the south china sea. the new ordinance underpins the central government's hard line strategy. china's to leadership changed hands this month and the new regime is showing no sign of easing its tough stance on issues involving the philippines and other neighbors. >>> more low cost airlines began operating this year out of japan's airport. to succeed they have to overcome a serious problem. pil >> reporter: pilot training by a low cost company. it costs more than $1.2 million to train a pilot so budget airlines try to cut costs by hiring pilots already licensed. to expand their services low cost carriers need to hire more pilots but finding ones with a license is hard. >> translator: we have a minimum requirement for the number of pilots so we need a few plan to hire more. if we are to accomplish our business plan hiring is a priority. >> reporter: while executives see this as a challenge, others consider it a potential opportunity. pilot trainees learn the rope at a private school north of tokyo. this year

firm stance against the claims of countries like the philippines and vietnam to islands in the south china sea. but elsewhere, china is using its economic and cultural influence to win friends, including here in cambodia. the cambodian economy relies on china. nearly half of overseas investment over the past five years has come from china. chinese-funded buildings and roads are everywhere. at this market in central phnom penh from clothes to food, most of the goods on sale are imported from china. eight chinese language newspapers are published in cambodia, and it isn't only workers from china who read them. >> translator: chinese newspapers help me understand china well. as a student of chinese, i also find them useful through learning. >> more and more cambodians are learning chinese. about 50 chinese language schools operate in the country with instructors dispatched from china. >> translator: my mission is to teach chinese culture to people in cambodia. i contribute to deeper bilateral relations. >> translator: if i can speak chinese, i can get the good job and my future will be bright

the waters around the disputed islands in the south china sea are believed to hold large reserves of oil and natural gas. >>> china's rise. wealth, power and problems. an income gap divides its people. pollution threatens their health. and disputed seas strains relations with neighbors. find out the problems china faces on "newsline." >>> south korean leaders are looking to their counterparts in china to put pressure on north korea. a top envoy from the south is visiting beijing amid signs beonyang may soon attempt another missile long. lim sung-nam is the chief negotiate over pyongyang's nuclear problem. he'll meet with officials including the chair of the six-party talks on the north korean program. he'll likely ask china to persuade the north to skrapt launch. u.s. analysts said recent satellite photos said pyongyang may fire another missile. north korean military leaders launched what they called a satellite from the same pace in april. western intelligence analysts said the device, which crashed, was a long-range missile. >>> people at a japanese electronics company are intereste

several pending issues with china and south korea. but we have been able to move on with the things we need to press forward. >> many japanese companies are staying away from china because of the bilateral territorial dispute. their investment showed a sharp drop in october. a spokesman for china's commerce ministry said japan's investment plunged 32.5% last month from a year earlier to $460 million. total foreign direct investment came to $8.3 billion, down 0.2%. that marked a fifth straight month of decline. observers say rising labor costs in china and the global economic slowdown are responsible for the decline. >>> japan's central bank has decided to keep its monetary policy unchanged. policymakers want to assess the impact of easing measures adopted in the last two months. bank of japan policymakers made the decision unanimously in a two-day policy meeting. they released a statement that said japan's economy has been weakening somewhat. the global economic slowdown and worsening relations with china have driven down domestic prod

in july, china formed a new administrative body that governs the disputed islands in the south china sea. hainan's new ordinance underpins the central government's hard-line strategy. china's top leadership changed hands this month, and the new regime is showing no sign of easing its tough stance on territorial issues involving the philippines and other neighbors. keiichi tanaka, nhk world, manila. >>> malaysia's rule cog ligs has been in power for more than half a century as the country's largest political party, it is supported by the malay ethnic majority. but it is feeling pressure as general elections are expected early next year. at a convention on thursday, the prime minister lashed out at the opposition. and here's the hands-on report from shi ka shi takaoka. >>>. >> reporter: many people who listened to the prime minister's speech felt the ruling coalition's sense of crisis. malaysia enjoyed steady economic growth under the strong leadership of the former prime minister who took office in 1981. such growth led the country to be dubbed the model student of southeast asia. the

these costs that these fields so that that the country so the us in our region the it over the south china sea china is going to try to lead to talks to develop it may come the same it how to deal with the territorial disputes in the south china sea between last stand and china on one side what are the on the other side in the united states like last year but i must say yes council meet that it could be a good forum for to discuss maritime security but i see an quantas one to the need to us and because they don't want to upset china china is barry barry such a subset of people do they issue a international i say share of the south china sea these fields it invaded on issues related to those disputes so we are left with a sorry for interacts with all those issues that now how important is the timing of obama's visit one of very important because of the coincides with the us and solve meet on putting aside each show or maybe the pain show see the south china sea you know it's also promoting theiss in the context of the transpacific partnership which already. he was known as the transpacific

japanese leaders are aiming to build on the fda to improve its ties with china and south korea. also on tuesday in cambodia, the t ten-member association and regional partners including china and south korea will likely agree to start discussions discussing regional economic partnership. >>> now let's chick on the markets for this tuesday morning. first the u.s. markets posted gains for monday on politicians' remarks indicating they're ready to compromise to avoid the fiscal cliff. the dow jones industrial average gained by 1.6% to close at 12,795. all 30 components ended in the positive. the nasdaq also surged nodding a 2.2% rise. now for hus talks in japan. we go to ramin mellegard at the tokyo stock exchange. quite a solid move across the board in the u.s. >> definitely seeing a follow through yuko. let's go straight to the opening levels so you can see what i'm talking about for the nikkei and the topix for this -- for today november 20th. 9,171. closing at a high. it's been up almost 6%. we'll see how the trade today. 2 billion shares were traded today. that compares to 1.3

and barack obamas looks set to flag the south china sea issue. and ban ki-moon has called for an immediate cease fire in gaza. and a lot of noise, not a lot of effect. an analyst's words on credit suisse's plans to consolidate. that sent the shares to the bottom of the smi. pretty solid gains for global equities. today a cautious start indicated for u.s. markets. s&p 500 at the moment just less than two points below fair value. right now the nasdaq is some six points below fair value. and the dow currently some 28 points below fair value. the global 300 looks like this. pretty flat really. just down a point or so. and european stocks have been fairly flat. no big moves. you can see the ftse right now down 0.2%. we were up over 2% yesterday. xetra dax up 0.2. not big reaction to the fact that moody'ss as followed s&p by cutting aaa rating. and ibex down about a third. spain raising a little bit of have a money. they started funding for 2013 ahead of 12 and 18 month t-bill auction today. 12 month yields a little bit lower. 18 month demand not as mu

i think it's much more consequential than what has was not gone on into south china sea, although i'm by both. and will china be of a mind to keep a lid on these tensions to see whether or not there are ways you can backup the possibility? that's not for the u.s. alone to control but it's something we'll have to be very, very mindful of spent just one point, i'm sorry. chris, you asked what we have seen that you are not seeing. one thing, if we were seeing day, sort of a, nonmedicated chinese suspicion, concern about what the u.s. is up to, rather than a reflective approach to i think we've seen different record. what we're seeing is ferociously anti-japanese rhetoric on the subject, but rather careful evaluations of the u.s. role on the subject. that's what we hear from visiting think tank people and that's what we're seeing in the media. that creates some problems for us, frankly, from a policy point of view because of the u.s.-japan relationship and the importance of our being closely aligned with japan on alliance issues. but the chinese rhetoric on the issue tortoise has been far

japanese leaders are aiming to build on the fda talks to improve ties with china and south korea. the ten member association of southeast asian nations including japan, china an south korea will likely agree to start discussing a region wide economic partnership. moody's has downgraded france. it lowered its assessment from its highest level. the move comes amid ongoing certainty. moody's officials said they downgraded to double a one. that's one notch below the highest aaa. the french economy is looking at a decline in its long term growth potential. negative factors include rigid labor market and structure problems. this is the second time for french debt to be reduced from the highest rating. in january this year standard and poor's cuts its assessment of french government bonds. let's check on the markets now. tokyo stocks opened higher on tuesday morning regaining the 9,200 mark in two months. the nikkei average is trading at 9,168 that's up .2% from monday's close. tokyo shares are losing ground as investors are selling recent gainers to lock in profits. now to currencies on

we observed that the south china sea is a potential source of energy supplies for china and that there is a contention among the nations in that region as to where the ownership and rights of access are to the south china sea. and this is conceivable that china might seek to reestablish its claim there by military coercion and that could lead them into a confrontation with the united states' desire to maintain free access. the best way of avoiding that military conflict is what we should see because the military conflict with china would be catastrophic for both nations, indeed for the whole region. so, we want to avoid that. i believe the best way of avoiding that is by maintaining a -- continuing to maintain a strong naval presence in the region, and by having an unambiguous commitment to doing that. i believe that our new national security strategy is that unambiguous commitment, and i believe that the u.s. navy is capable of maintaining that unambiguous military strength. as we sit here this morning aboard the uss macon island, in san francisco bay, looking out to the pacific, it i

so they're laying claim to south china sea and other parts of the east china sea as well. primarily for oil and fishing rights. china's a growing population, it's a hungry nation, they're flush with cash. and they spend it on big ships. and they want to enforce their territorial claims. >> part of it is bullying by china. to get its neighbors to yield. but there's a sense that china won't ever really resort to force. is that the same sense that people in the rejohn have? >> i don't think so that -- region have? >> i don't think that -- i believe that china wants to win without fighting, that's sort of an ancient chinese saying. >> it's from sun t u actually. >> they seem to become very aggressive all at the same time. whether that's actually under beijing's thumb opt. it's not clear what they're doing. but they're using these sort of initiatives to drive a wedge between the different nations particularly over fishing rights. they push into the eezs and no one -- >> the exclusive economic zones. >> right. and vietnam is pushing back a little bit. the philippines is having t

the dispute is east sea or in south china sea may still need the -- some kind of cooperation or even co-management between ey to establish peace and stability in the asia pacific lies in thands of the next u.s. president. in a short while, we will know who will be in this position. susumu kojima, nhk world, washington. >>> china has also been the focus for the japanese auto industry of late. sales are dropping. gong gi canning is here with more. >> we already heard from honda, mazda and toyota about how the dispute is affecting their sales. this time we're hearing from nissan. japan's auto industry is shifting into low gear because of the yen strength stemming from a territorial dispute. nissan is among the most hardest hit, exposed most heavenly to the chinese market which accounts for 26% of its global sales. nissan says its first half operating profit dropped 7% in yen terms from a year earlier to about $3.6 billion. that's mainly because of the yen's strength. the company predicts that profit for the entire business year ending next march will fall nearly 18% from its previous pr

the dispute in east sea or in south china sea may still need the -- some kind of cooperation or even co-management between washington and beijing. >> reporter: more than ever china poses economic and diplomatic challenges to the u.s. the key to establish peace and stability in the asia-pacific lies in the hands of the next u.s. president. in a short while, we will know who will be in this position. susumu kojima, nhk world, washington. >>> japan's auto industry is shifting into low gear because of the yen's strength and flagging sales due to a territorial dispute. nissan motor is among the hardest hit. it's exposed most heavily to the chinese market, which accounts for 26% of its global sales. nissan says its first-half operating profit dropped 7% in yen terms from a year earlier to about $3.6 billion. that's mainly because of the yen's strength. the company predicts that profit for the entire business year ending next march will fall nearly 18% from its previous projection to a little over $7 billion. nissan officials attribute the drop to not just the strong yen but declining sales

the asian pivot which is really a china pivot obama announced earlier this year and what is happening is a u.s. military deployment in australia in japan and. in south korea that. really. has the focus on china encircling china's. freight pathway from from the persian gulf to get its energy supplies its energy resources so the chinese see this as very much a threat when obama in the presidential debate referred to china as an adversary that did not fall on deaf ears in beijing so they have a what they see is a real security challenge that. washington whether. obama in the next four years escalates sharply or not clear but certainly the tensions are very real between washington and china and the chinese are quite concerned about this and are trying. to leave possible to color the anti missile defense shield the u.s. is building up not only against russia but also now against china using japan and australia as a launch pad for that yes and that's an interesting point isn't it that because there we have washington setting up those all helping south korea to set up those long range ballistic missiles and yet we've got china trying to control solve the t

challenges at home and abroad because of your research william angle told me corruption and the south china sea will be tough bones to crack in the coming years. the corruption issue and that's a huge issue among the chinese population i've talked with students as recently as three weeks ago when i was in beijing. and i asked them what they considered the greatest weaknesses and this is a pervasive sense among young people that the party leadership is not. in touch with the aspirations of the younger generation or the people generally in this this is a question of the very legitimacy of the party and that i think is a huge challenge that they're going to have to address to the chinese are very concerned about these so-called obama pivot the asian pivot which is really a china pivot that obama announced earlier this year the south china sea the provocations there with oil in the eastern part of that with the islands next to taiwan where the japanese government made an extremely provocative move no doubt at the behest of washington to claim that those islands are our japanese islands because

>> talking about the south china sea or east china disputes as alan alluded to. a lot of people believe the chinese action in those two areas is not something that china actually initiated out of a grand plan, but rather a reaction to provocative acts by other countries like in the case of the philippines, resting, chasing in the case of the islands dispute if the nationalization of the islands by japan against repeated chinese warnings. so how do you resolve this? does china have to back off? can china back off? at the philippines and japan at least partly to blame? how would the united states act as a neutral, you know, peacekeeper? thank you very much. >> erik ammon to your left. if you keep your answers short look at at least one around. >> fort institute policy analysis. the last exercise i could remember we have the pla military was 2006 i think. are we hopeless on that count? to shoot out some confidence that way? kind of the atmosphere is not conducive now, but should we be trying to make it that way? >> okay, who wants to start? >> and reverse order, the

government plans to use drones for surveillance in the east china and south china seas. china succeeded in a test flight in october. >>> tuna draws customers back in. they are discussing how to manage the fish in the atlantic ocean and mediterranean sea. they were at odds before the talk began. members for the conservation of atlantic tuna are meeting. delegates are expecting to call for an increasing quota. members say in recent years stocks have started to recover. japan is the world's largest tuna consumer. japanese delegates plan to urge those from other fishing nations to strengthen measures to prevent overfishing and poaching. >>> south korea prosecutors have obtained documents involving president's son. his expected to be involved in the illegal purchase for a plot of plan. part of the money was funnel frd t funneled from the office. they were rejected from searching the office even though they had a search warrant. they are considering the president's wife in the matter as well. >>> two more bbc executives stepped aside monday amid fall out over the corporation's

south korea. the agency said china's relations with south korea are expected to strengthen. >>> north korean leader kim jong-un has sent a congratulatory telegram to xi jinping. north korea's 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 of both countries. china is north korea's biggest ally. the economic ties between the two countries, including trade and investment, have strengthened in recent years. north korea wants to rebuild its economy with china's cooperation. attention is focused on when kim will visit china for talks with the new leaders. >>> three israelis have been killed after a rocket fired from gaza hit a building in the south of the country. they're the first casualties there since israel's military carried out an air strike that killed the hamas military commander ahmed jabari. a rocket fired by hamas and palestinian milita

one of the top items will be territorial disputes over islands in the south china sea involving chinaphilippines, vietnam among other country. the u.s. administration said last year it should shift its diplomatic and security focus to the asia pacific region. obama will be keen to reassure leaders his position remains unchanged. >>> the united states has launched a protest with iran after several iranian warplanes attacked a u.s. military drone. the pentagon says the attack occurred last thursday in international aerospace over the persian gulf. >> unarmed, unmanned mq 1 military aircraft conducting routine surveillance over the arabian gulf was intercepted by iran january craft and was fired upon with guns. >> little says the iranian jets fired at least twice at the drone but failed to hit it. the u.s. believes the pilots intended to shoot the aircraft down. he says the u.s. uses the drones in accordance with international rules and they will continue to conduct such flights. the obama administration intensified surveillance of iran and also stepped up economic sanctions. the actions

talk about disputes between china and member countries including vietnam, as the islands in the south china sea likely to be taken up for discussion at the summit. obama is expected to join asean members in the call for china to establish the code of conduct to peacefully resolve the disputes. such an appeal would certainly provide asean with leverage for the tough goal of winning china's agreement. the obama administration shifted diplomatic and security policies last year, placing greater emphasis on the asia-pacific region in view of china's growing clout. the planned trip will be an opportunity for southeast asian countries to assess whether u.s. focus is likely to remain on the region during the obama's second term. jun kobayashi, nhk world, bangkok. >>> pakistan is showcasing state-of-the-art weapons and military equipment at a technology fair as it steps up its anti-terrorism efforts. pakistan is a major world importer of arms, and china is eager to boost sales in the country. pakistani government is hosting the fair in karachi where 130 military-related companies from 21 countries g

clash with china over these islands so i think that is a problem area, china being tough in the south china those territories they understand tie waun straits stay out of the yellow sea. i think we're headed for collisions with china but neither country has interest whatever in any kind of war with each other. it's going to be a tough relationship. we're going to be bumping up against them for decades. >> how do you describe our current relationship with china? >> chinese have become more assertive and chinese have now got an aircraft carrier which is a statement to project power, they've been very hand fisted and have united other countries in the region in the south china sea. i think that the chinese have been a great disappointment from our expectations in making a gradual transition towards democracy which has been seeing a latest exchange of power by a group of men that, none of us know their names. i'm convinced chinese are going to have huge problem was a group of people, 1.3 billion people who have accessed a chumpx communications, social networking and they're going to want more t

summit in cambodia to talk act disputes between china and the countries including the islands in the south china sea likely to be taken up for discussion at the summit. obama is expected to join asean members in the call for china to establish the code of conduct to peacefully resolve the disputes. such an appeal would certainly provide asean with leverage for the tough goal of winning china's agreement. the obama administration shifted diplomatic and security policies last year, placing greater emphasis on the asia-pacific region in view of china's growing clout. the planned trip will be an opportunity for southeast asian countries to assess whether u.s. focus is likely to remain on the region during the obama's second term. jun kobayashi, nhk world, bangkok. >>> pakistan is showcasing state-of-the-art weapons and military equipment at a technology fair as it steps up its anti-terrorism efforts. pakistan is a major world importer of arms, and china is eager to boost sales in the country. pakistani government is hosting the fair in kara shi chi where 130 military-related companies from 21 countr

clash with china over these islands so i think that is a problem area, china being tough in the south china, claiming those territories they understand tie waun straits stay out of the yellow sea. i think we're headed for collisions with china but neither country has interest whatever in any kind of war with each other. it's going to be a tough relationship. we're going to be bumping up against them for decades. >> how do you describe our current relationship with china? >> chinese have become more assertive and chinese have now got an aircraft carrier which is a statement to project power, they've been very hand fisted and have united other countries in the region in the south china sea. i think that the chinese have been a great disappointment from our expectations in making a gradual transition towards democracy which has been seeing a latest exchange of power by a group of men that, none of us know their names. i'm convinced chinese are going to have huge problem was a group of people, 1.3 billion people who have accessed a chumpx communications, social networking and they're going to w

government plans to use drones for surveillance over the disputed islands in the east china and south china seas. a 1/4 scale model of the j-31 was also attracting a lot of attention. china reportedly succeeded in a test flight in october. >>> cradle of culture. economic powerhouse. many enjoy the fruits of pros r prosperity along the path to a new china, but millions are missing out. at a time of growing public discontent, members of the party are choosing their new leaders. nhk correspondents are reporting. don't miss "china: the next generation" 8:00 p.m. japan time here on "newsline." >>> south korean prosecutors have obtained documents in connecticut with the dubious land deal with bak's son. suspected of being involved in the illegal purchase of a plot of land for his father's retirement. part of the money used in the deal was allegedly funneled from the office. to submit documents related to the deal such as hard copies. that was after they were rejected from searching the office even though they obtained a search warrant. were insufficient. they're considering questioning president

their turn of course will continue to engender a lot of frictions and competition with china's direct neighbors with south korea with vietnam with japan and so forth brining i mean i guess you would want to say diplomatically but the united states is trying to contain china in every way possible. well i think the united states is trying to contain china limit china it's trying to move in and really compete aggressively with china i think that's what's happening with the island disputes i think that's what's happening in terms of the the missile defense shield in japan which is nothing other than a prescription for a potential first strike attack against china and i think china perceives it that way the chinese government and the chinese society in general understands that china's rise is being confronted early by japan but now principally by the united states what is the united states real agenda i believe that even though they see china as a large and expansive market where you can make mega profits alternately the hostility the decades old hostility of the rule of the chinese communist party in china by

a situation in which china doesn't actually have full control of the south china sea for its exports and imports of oil and other natural resources into china. so the issue for the two countries is that being driven by very different factors. >> i know japanese businesses have sort of started to think about the cost benefit of doing business in china because the chinese government has demonstrated their ability to impact business. so i was talking to -- let's he's bring in andrew on this. i suppose the question is whether the chinese are feeling any pinch on their side. >> trade is not everything. don't forget it's not just a financial issue only between china and japan. don't forget the american pivot to asia has complicated things. and also of raising nationalism both in japan and china. a look at japanese politics recently, the current administration has weakened very much by the economy, but also by the rise of another political party and the political party is driven by japanese nationalism. and they would like japan to adopt a more aggressive role in the region if necessary boos

they claimed the islands in the south china sea. in the east china sea, there is an issue with japan. in the japanese archipelago to taiwan, the philippines, [indiscernible] china ultimately expressed a strong interest in the maritime security and the territorial claim among those islands. this is a chinese maritime strategy. >> that is an important point. what you're basically saying is this is about power. china is clearly becoming more powerful. you are seeing lines challenged. i remember talking to george soros after he so-called broke the back -- broke the bank of england and he saw the chance to drive so hard against the line that fundamentally the institutional power and the bank of england side had to collapse. i have looked at asia and these tests of powering the region. but china is more vociferous and robust, the complaints about south korean exercises this sailor detained by japan and taken into custody for a while, do you think this is china's rise to test the solvency and strength between the relationships and the more

chinese authorities recently boosted their presence in the east china and south china seas. obama has refocused u.s. attention on asia, by strengthening the military in the region. these moves have strained u.s./china ties. obama has criticized china for unfair trade practices. members of the u.s. congress share his view. they've decided some chinese business activities. human rights and democracy are also a point of difference. obama's secretary of state hillary clinton has been outspoken on these issues. china may disagree but its leaders could be confident a serious standoff with the u.s. is unlikely. the two countries economies are too intertwined. nhk world, beijing. >>> the heads of other nations have joined the leaders of china and japan in offering barack obama congratulations on his re-election. south korean president lee myung-bak is among them. lee sent a written message saying he's very pleased. he said he's sure the u.s. and south korea will continue to develop their alliance. he added the ties linking the nations have gotten stronger and more dynamic than ever o

in south korea encircling china's. great pathway from from the persian gulf to get its energy supplies its energy resources so the chinese see this is very much a threat when obama in the presidential debate referred to china as an adversary that did not fall on deaf ears in beijing so they have a what they see is a real security challenge. that. washington whether. obama and the next four years sharply are not clear but certainly the tensions are very real between washington and china and it's like a noose that the chinese feel is tightening around their neck so it's a very provocative kind of game that's going on between japan and australia in the .

it wrangled with asian nations over control of islands in the south china sea and east china sea. >> reporter: the congress opened thursday morning in beijing's great hall of the people. it's about a ten-minute drive from our studios. i went there to watch it unfold. 2,300 delegates from across the country gathered inside the great hall of the people. >> reporter: president hu jintao is now in the midst of giving a work report on past achievements and future goals. >> translator: the communist party has united all ethnic groups across the country and led the people. we have also transformed the old, underdeveloped china into a new china that is prospering every day, but we have to realize there is room for improvement in our work. the unbalance of development and the lack of sustainability are still evident. there are many obstacles -- the disparity between urban and rural areas is wide, the gap in income distribution remains large, and corruption is still a problem. >> reporter: hu spoke for about 90 minutes. he laid out an economic challenge for china. >> translator: let's work tog

it is aggressively pushing for control of the south china sea and now the east china sea. the chinese are trying to draw us in a game of chicken. >> like any game of chicken, what is going on out here is very dangerous. since we left the islands, chinese ships have been reported inside japanese waters every single day. the japanese government is so far resisting the urge to act. but with a game of chicken, if both sides refuse to back down, there is usually only one possible outcome. "bbc news" in the east china sea. >> a rare look at the tiny islands causing a huge problem between china and japan are being watched from around the world. now for this next story, you may want to sit down because most of us were exhausted just hearing about it. running a marathon is a taxing thing, but manage tackling seven of them across seven continents. that is challenge one doctor is tackling to express the importance of exercise. >> he is a man on a mission embarking on a challenge. around the world in a week, running seven ultramarathons along the way. >> running is my way of seeing th

it wrangled with asian nations over control of islands in the south china sea and east china sea. >> and joining us now is michitaka. michitaka, you were with me in the great hall of the people when president hu was giving his final speech as communist party general secretary. what do you make of his words? >> the most notable part of the speech was when president hu spoke about the concept he's long supported. he was to make scientific outlook on development one of the communist party's guiding principles. it calls for review of the party's growth and economic policy and aims to incorporate sustainable development, which takes into account social welfare and the environment, making this concept a guiding principle would be part of hu's legacy. it would give him the same status as leaders past including dung zhao ming and deng xiaoping. and it will help him maintain influence within the party after he steps down. hu also advocates during his speech that china's wealth gap is wide and widening, and he said that the communist party would continue its effort o fight corruption. >> trans