Beijing, Oct. 10: The United States'' decision to sell arms to Taiwan has been strongly condemned by the Chinese defence ministry.

Huang Xueping, a spokesman of the Chinese Defense Ministry, reacting to Pentagon spokesman Stuart Upton''s remarks on Monday that Washington''s arms sales were consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, said: "We are strongly dissatisfied and opposed to the Pentagon spokesman''s remarks. The so-called ''Taiwan Relations Act'' severely ran counter to the principles of the three Sino-U. S. joint communiqués and the fundamental norms governing international relations."

He added the United States had no right to place domestic law above international ones, or use it as an excuse to sell weapons to Taiwan.

Taipei- Nestle Taiwan agreed on Thursday to refund consumers after 10 more brands of its China-made milk powder were found to contain small traces of the toxic chemical melamine.

"Beginning today, consumers can ask for refund at the sales outlets where they bought the products before November 30, regardless of whether the containers are already opened and whether they still have the payment receipts or not," the company said in a statement.

It also said consumers can choose to replace the old products with new ones supplied from countries outside China by the beginning of November.

Beijing - Riot police beat and detained protestors in southern China's Guangdong province after more than 500 people blocked a main road because of a dispute with local officials, residents and a US-based rights group said on Thursday.

"The farmers who were the leaders of the protest were arrested by the police," one local resident told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa by telephone from Guangdong's Sanjiang township.

Another local resident said Sanjiang was "quiet" on Thursday, following the riot on Wednesday.

Beijing - China's health ministry on Thursday raised the number of infants hospitalized for problems linked to the consumption of tainted milk powder to 47,000, with more than 10,000 still under treatment.

A total of 36,144 children were released from hospitals nationwide after treatment for kidney problems and other ailments believed to be linked to melamine-contaminated milk powder, the ministry said on its website.

Beijing - Pakistan Pr

San Jose, Costa Rica - Chinese President Hu Jintao is set to visit Costa Rica next month, 17 months after the Central American nation broke 63 years of ties with Taiwan to establish a diplomatic link with Beijing, Costa Rican authorities said Wednesday.

During his November 17 visit, Hu is set to meet with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, to discuss bilateral ties in the fields of politics, trade and cooperation.

Costa Rican Congress Speaker Francisco Antonio Pacheco told the media that Hu also plans to attend an event in the legislature.