Taipei - Hundreds of anti-China protesters clashed with riot police Wednesday evening trying to prevent Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin from leaving a Taipei hotel where he was attending a banquet.

The protest by members and supporters of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) began at about 4:30 pm (9:30 GMT) and continued until after dark around the Regent Hotel on the Chunghsan South Road.

Beijing - China's two main stock market indices soared by more than 3 per cent Wednesday after an overnight climb on Wall Street spurred regional gains across Asia.

The key Shanghai Composite Index, which tracks shares traded in foreign and local currencies, closed at 1,760.61 after gaining 53.91 points, or 3.16 per cent.

The smaller Shenzhen Composite Index also climbed by 3.04 per cent, or 13.88 points, to end the day at 470.86.

Beijing - China on Wednesday launched into orbit two satellites to monitor the weather and natural disasters and test technology for atmospheric exploration, state media said.

Beijing - China expects continuity but fears trade protectionism once Barack Obama takes office as US president, a leading scholar said on Wednesday.

"China's expectation of the new president is the same as the whole world's expectation, that is, to develop US finance and the economy away from the global financial crisis and economic recession," said Shi Yinhong, an international relations expert at People's University in Beijing.

Taipei - A Taiwan food company will take over the island's largest newspaper group, the China Times Group, it was confirmed on Tuesday.

In a letter to the press, the China Times Group said the Want-Want Group has purchased the China Times for a price of 20.4 billion Taiwan dollars (600 million US dollars). The two sides have signed a memorandum of understanding.

"The Want-Want Group will carry on the spirit and values of the China Times Group and will perform social responsibilities," the statement said.

Beijing- Chinese and Cambodian security chiefs on Tuesday vowed to strengthen cooperate against international trafficking in drugs and people, the Chinese government said.

China's Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu held talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng, saying the two sides "enjoyed increasing exchanges and pragmatic cooperation," the ministry reported on its website.