Chongqing Deputy Mayor Wang Lijun's (王立軍) suspected effort to seek asylum in the United States consulate in Chengdu, Sichuan, and his apparent arrest by Beijing security is an embarrassment to Beijing and reveals a power struggle ahead of a decisive Communist Party of China (CPC) congress later this year, Chinese scholars said yesterday.

Another Tibetan has set himself on fire in western China to protest government policies while thousands marched in another part of China to show support for their exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, a report said.

Global art auction sales surged to a record US$11.5 billion (8.7 billion euros) last year despite the weak world economy, with China cementing its spot as the top market, research showed Wednesday.

Long-winded politicians in China's southern metropolis of Guangzhou may find themselves reined in as city officials consider restricting the length of interminable speeches.

China's inflation rebounded in January as food prices soared, renewing pressure on Beijing to control living costs as it tries to boost slowing growth amid warnings of a looming global downturn.

The Year of the Dragon rolled in with a whimper instead of a roar for China's auto industry. Car sales in the world's biggest auto market fell 24 percent in January from a year earlier, industry figures show.

China's ruling Communist Party has faced repeated struggles to tame bouts of politically dangerous inflation while keeping economic growth strong.

Another Tibetan has set himself on fire in western China to protest government policies while thousands marched in another part of China to show support for their exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, a report said.

Long-winded politicians in China's southern metropolis of Guangzhou may find themselves reined in as city officials consider restricting the length of interminable speeches.

Global art auction sales surged to a record US$11.5 billion (8.7 billion euros) last year despite the weak world economy, with China cementing its spot as the top market, research showed Wednesday.