Disruption of Wen speech slammed as 'despicable'
China voiced strong dissatisfaction yesterday after a protester threw a shoe at Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during a speech at Cambridge University. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu labeled the interruption as "despicable" and said that Wen's speech, entitled "See China in the light of her development", was warmly welcomed by a packed and receptive international audience of over 500 people.

(Photo from:news.qq.com)

Chinese president to visit five Asian, African countries
President Hu Jintao will pay state visits to four African nations as well as Saudi Arabia next week in his first trip abroad this year. Analysts said the trip to Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius would help prove Beijing's sincerity in consolidating ties with the continent. Foreign ministry spokeswoman, Jiang Yu said the purpose of the visit is to help in "further consolidating China's friendship with these countries and promoting the implementation of the measures announced at the"China-Africa Cooperation Forum".

Ford U.S. sales plunge 40%
The American car manufacturer Ford said on Tuesday that sales in the US were 40 percent lower in January than a year ago. Analysts believed that Ford's sales may kick off the industry's fourth straight monthly decline of more than 30 percent.