In Brief
Japanese leader looks to year of co-operation ahead of visit
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who is to visit Beijing this week, said Japan and China had many opportunities to co-operate in the year ahead. In his New Year's greetings published in a magazine dedicated to Sino-Japanese friendship, the prime minister hailed 2007 as 'a year of great improvement' in bilateral ties. He noted increasingly frequent travel between the two countries and said events such as the Beijing Olympics would provide more opportunities to expand ties. Mr Fukuda called on both sides to make constructive contributions to a better relationship, which he said was crucial to the peace and prosperity of Asia. Staff Reporter
Shanghai developer held over alleged company theft, assault
A Shanghai property tycoon was arrested for alleged embezzlement and hiring thugs to beat a business partner, Shanghai news media reported yesterday. Zhou Xiaodi, a property developer, confessed to police he had hired several thugs to attack a fellow company representative in July. According to one news report, Zhou bought a piece of land from the district government for 700 million yuan in 2001. He invited three companies to jointly develop it. But Zhou planned to exclude the partners illegally. After his plan failed, Zhou hired thugs to attack one partner who he believed had foiled his scheme. The victim suffered fractures to his head, arms and legs. Staff Reporter
Thick fog causes traffic accidents
Thick fog continued to blanket parts of the north and central mainland, causing traffic accidents, flight delays and highway closures. A red fog warning - the highest level - was issued yesterday in Hebei and Henan as visibility in a dozen cities was reduced to less than 50 metres. Staff Reporter
Broadband users number 122m
The number of broadband users on the mainland would reach 122 million by the end of the year, Xinhua reported. It said 60 per cent of internet users had broadband connections and the figure was growing fast. About one-third of the new users are in rural areas. Staff Reporter
