Economic cooperation

　　CHEN GANG, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Beijing Sub-Council, and Walter Nettig, president of the Vienna Economic Chamber, have signed an agreement in Beijing on economic cooperation.

　　According to the document which was signed Monday, both sides will exchange economic and trade information, encourage member companies to do business with their counterparts in the other city and set up joint ventures. Both cities will also exchange trade missions and provide each other with business advice.

　　Memorial service

　　A SOLEMN public memorial service was held in Fushun in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, Monday to mark the 70th anniversary of the Pingdingshan Massacre. 

　　"The memorial is to remind the Chinese people of the national humiliation 70 years ago," said Fushun Mayor Wang Daping. Some 4,000 people _ including 400 Japanese _ attended the service which was sponsored by Fushun Municipal Government.

　　Farewell

　　THE Liaison Office of the China's Central Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) held a reception Monday afternoon to fareweel outgoing director Jiang Enzhu and to welcome new director Gao Siren.

　　Gao Siren expressed his appreciation of Jiang Enzhu's work over the past five years and said the "one country, two systems" principle had witnessed great success since Hong Kong's return.

　　Gao said he was proud of his appointment and conscious of the great responsibility of the position in this critical time of Hong Kong's economic and social development.

　　Luxury auction

　　CHINESE authorities raised US$620,000 auctioning off dozens of cars and other luxury goods belonging to an alleged smuggling kingpin and fugitive, the auction's organizer said Monday.

　　Items sold included a stereo worth US$80,000, artworks and a 15-kilogram crystal ball that used to grace smuggling suspect Lai Changxing's 300-kilogram desk — which were also sold to the highest bidder.

　　All 1,443 items on offer went, except for Lai's bulletproof Mercedes and a Porsche sports car. These were too expensive for the room, said Mr. Ji, a spokesman for the Xiamen SEZ Auction Co.

　　About 100 buyers turned out for Sunday's auction, which lasted three hours and earned the Fujian provincial customs office more than 5.1 million yuan (US$620,000), Ji said.