BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Hu Jintao on Sunday appointed Cui Tiankai new ambassador to Japan to replace Wang Yi, who is now vice foreign minister.

    Cui, born in Zhejiang Province in October 1952, served as Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs before the appointment.

    Wang, born in Beijing in October 1953, had once been a counselor with ministerial rank of the Chinese Embassy in Japan. He served as assistant foreign minister from 1998 to 2001 and vice foreign minister from 2001 to 2004 before being appointed ambassador to Japan.

    BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — A book containing idioms mentioned in the anthology of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin was published by the People’s Publishing House here on Sunday.

    The book collected about 1,000 idioms and literary quotations in Jiang’s works and provided easy-to-understand explanations.

    The book displays Jiang’s delicate skill in Chinese literature and helps readers better understand the important thought of “Three Represents” and other theories, according to the Publishinghouse.

    Xu Jialu, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and a renowned linguist, wrote the preface for the book.

    BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — A backbone network of e-government linking China’s central-level departments started operation on Sunday.

    With such a standard platform, the organs of the Party, National People’s Congress, government, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, court and procuratorate will have their own websites or sub-network linked together, said Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan at the opening ceremony.

    The existing e-government networks at central-level departments will be linked to the backbone network, he said.

    China announced in May 2006 that it will finish a backbone network linking all Party and government departments at the central and local levels in three years.

    Management rules, technical standards and service policy will be issued to make sure the stable performance of the network, Zeng said.

    Meanwhile all departments are urged to build database and computerize information to facilitate information sharing.

    ”E-governing will help the government to improve efficiency and service to the public as an important part of the country’s administration reform,” he said.

    BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — A Nigerian man has been detained in Zhuhai City, south China’s Guangdong Province, after he was detected carrying more than two kilograms of heroin, according to a statement posted on China Customs’ website on Sunday.

    The incident occurred at 4:57 p.m. on Sept. 26. Police attention was drawn to the man as he entered the Gongbei Customs hall with his luggage, wearing a pair of weird sandals, the statement said.

    Police X-rayed his suitcase and found another pair of strange sandals in it, said the statement.

    Further inspection led to the discovery of four packages of yellow and white powder, which was later confirmed to be two kilograms of heroin, concealed in the soles of the two pairs of sandals, it said.

    Customs officials did not reveal the name of the Nigerian man or his destination.

    Officials say traffickers have come up with more ways to smuggle drugs, which has brought challenges to their detection work in recent years.

    Gongbei Customs have cracked a total of 21 drug trafficking cases so far this year, seizing 19.55 kilograms of various illegal drugs.

    By June 15 this year, China Customs had seized 229 kilograms of heroin and detained 180 drug trafficking suspects.

    BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — A couple in south China’s Guangdong Province have ended their one-year battle to protect their house from being razed by developers after receiving compensation.

    The old couple, Cai Zhuxiang and Zhang Lianhao, from Shenzhen, refused to reveal details about the compensation but it is believed to be between a staggering 10 million and 20 million yuan(about 1.3 million to 2.7 million U.S. dollars).

    The couple’s seven-storey brick building lies in the booming downtown area of Shenzhen’s Luohu district. A photo on China’s portal website Sina.com shows it is erected on a bare excavation site as large as 63 football fields against the backdrop of a forest of fancy buildings.

    Cai, 57, received the notice ordering him to move this April, when the compensation offered by developer was only 5,000 yuan (657.9 U.S. dollars) per square meter. “Departments near my house were all sold at a price above 16,000 yuan (2,105.3 U.S. dollars),” he said.

    He noted that the building, which was built ten years ago, cost him one million yuan.

    The site is expected to be turned into a financial center including a 439-meter-tall skyscraper, according to the developer Shenzhen Kingkey Group.

    Another three “nail house” owners are having further negotiations with the developers, according to local media reports.

    Disputes between house owners and developers have long been a problem in resettlement work. Early April, a couple in southwest China’s Chongqing municipality became the focus of the international media by winning a battle with developers after achieving an additional compensation.

    Experts believe that the protests reflect a growing dissatisfaction among common people about the way sites are commandeered and buildings demolished.

    China passed its landmark property law in March with a new emphasis on the protection of private property. The law is to become effective from October 1.

    This is the first time that equal protection of state and private properties has been enshrined in Chinese law, which analysts say marks a significant step in the country’s efforts to further economic reforms and boost social harmony.

Special report:   2008 Olympic Games 

    BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua)– Olympic host Beijing has picked out 870 volunteers who had served in 14 sports events held in Beijing in August and September to be volunteers for next year’s Olympics and Paralympic Games, according to the Beijing Olympic organizing authorities.

    The volunteers, chosen from 11,185 volunteers, mainly came from colleges, companies and hospitals. They showed warm-heartedness and devotion in their services in sports events.

    A total of 100,000 Games-time volunteers will be chosen for the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics - about 70,000 for the Olympics and about 30,000 for the Paralympics. Around 560,000 people from both home and abroad have offered applications.

    Most of the recruitment will be finished by the end of next May.