Some jade works by famed folk artists such as Jiang Xi and Jiang Chunyuan from Suzhou, Jiangsu province, go for auction at Beijing Changfeng autumn sales, at the Beijing International Hotel. Hundreds of handicrafts, known as "Treasures of the Study", such as brush-holders, ink slabs, and ink sticks as well as ink paintings by modern ink artists, will also be auctioned off.

China and the European Union, in a joint statement, vowed to step up efforts to promote trade and investment and increase effective market access. The statement was issued on the sidelines of the 12th China-EU Summit held in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province in east China.

Shanghai Yuyuan Tourist Mart Co, a major Chinese retailer, Thursday forecast a 50-percent growth in annual profits for last year.

Peruvian authorities have agreed to a request by China to airlift 20 stranded Chinese Taiwan tourists from Machu Picchu after torrential rains and mudslides closed the historic city over the weekend, embassy sources said Wednesday. The request came after the Chinese Foreign Ministry received an emergency call from the leader of a Taiwan tourism agency who appealed for help via the Chinese embassy in Lima.

The unique culture, the Voodoo religion, fascinating music, art, food, beaches and tropical climate would make Haiti a tourist destination at least as attractive as Sanya in South China's Hainan Island, which is now teeming with Chinese and foreign tourists.

In view of the challenge of climate change and China's growing energy demand, WWF initiated a low carbon city program in Shanghai and north China's Baoding in early 2008. Shanghai's actions correspond with China's latest commitment to a greener energy pathway. China announced on November 25 it intends to limit its greenhouse gas emissions per unit of economic output by 40 to 45 percent by 2020.

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic, an offshoot of Branson's Virgin Atlantic Airways, reveiled SpaceShipTwo, after two years of secret development in the Mojave Desert. The spacecraft is about the size of a large business jets, with wide windows and seats for six well-heeled passengers to take a thrill ride into space. It is billed as the world's first commercial spaceship. The company plans to sell suborbital space rides for $200,000 a ticket, offering passengers 2-hour flights that include about five minutes of weightlessness.