Antoaneta Bezlova

Global pressure is rising on China to wield its influence over Burma, as it builds its public image for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Beijing has for the first time unveiled an ambitious blueprint for developing space science.

If one in five Chinese doctors smokes, how can the country's 350 million smokers be persuaded to kick the habit?

China's rapidly growing class of brash tycoons is spending money on buying art and relics that two decades ago were regarded as useless remains from a feudal past.

Fearing the animal may spread the deadly virus, the Chinese are bludgeoning dogs o­n the street while owners abandon their pets.

Beijing and its nine million people have overtaken Hong Kong as the Sars hot zone with 39 known deaths and over 700 known cases. Medical authorities are preparing for the worst.

Shock, disbelief and fear greets the disclosure of dramatically higher figures for Sars in Beijing and the sacking of top officials over the handling of the health crisis.

While the world is o­n alert over a deadly flu virus that is believed to have originated from China, the locals in Beijing appear blissfully ignorant of the danger, thanks to the Chinese media blackout of the news.

While it's a long way before China can dump the death penalty, there are signs that the country is starting to move towards that objective.