Well, the Chinese characters used to translate Manchester accompanying the English sign on the facade are man luen, which as all local soccer fans know, means Manchester United.

The developer of the building, which went up in February, could be in breach of copyright. The name Manchester United was registered as a trademark in Chinese in 1998 as man lian (mainland pronunciation) by Manchester United, according to Andrea Murphy, the club's trademark manager.

However, Ms Murphy said the club had not registered the mark for building use.

'I doubt very much we would put the name on a building,' she said.

Lai See thought the team might like it if the building were painted red and white with a big fluorescent Posh and Becks stuck on the top.

Ms Murphy didn't like the idea.

'Not really, no.

'It might indicate a link with Manchester United,' she said.

Really?

Ms Murphy said she would get on the blower to lawyers in China who would come down and take a look.

She couldn't confirm if the lawyers would bring the stuffed Barn Owl signed by Alex Fergusson we'd ordered.

Lai See called up a Hong Kong-based lawyer with an international law firm to find out their take on the situation.

We were told: 'We normally charge for that kind of advice'.

Huh?

But we just want to know . . .

'The developer could be our client so we cannot comment on the case'.

Thanks. Cheque's in the post.

Lai See also couldn't find any truth to the rumour Sun Hung Kai Properties is planning to build a Yeovil Town View on the Peak.

Shoot to thrill: The latest craze sweeping China is the wildly popular game for all the family, 'Shoot the Cadre'.

As we reported some weeks back, Web site FM365.com has developed a fun-packed form of entertainment which allows Internet surfers to 'execute' corrupt officials.

Visitors to the Web site can use a mouse click to fire 'shots' at four prominent Chinese officials who have either already been executed for corruption or who committed suicide before their executions were carried out.

A spokesman for the Web site's company told the Shanghai Daily newspaper that the hunt-and-shoot game is 'a very suitable way to gather public opinion'. The number of shots fired determines who is regarded as the most corrupt official.

As a prelude to establishing the shoot-the-officials Web site the company used a picture of Li Hongzhi, the US-based founder of the Falun Gong, as a target.

The Web site places the four targeted officials in different situations. For example, one tries to sneak, accompanied by a blonde woman, unnoticed out of a hotel. And another tries to escape aboard a ship with a bundle of cash in his hand.

The newspaper said that in 1999, after the Nato aerial bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, a similar shoot-the-villain game was offered over the Internet.

Then US president Bill Clinton was the target.

Lai See is currently developing a 'dodge the Chinese fighter' version which he doesn't expect the current US president to be very good at.

Graphic: whee04gbz