I’ve neglected my reporting on China for a bit. Here’s a sample of the current news.

BBC: China village fury at ‘land grab’
Chinese villagers have clashed with police after blockading a warehouse they said was built on illegally seized land, Hong Kong media reported.
Thousands of villagers in southern Guangdong province moved on the building on Wednesday as dozens of officials gathered for its opening. Police arrived with tear gas after the villagers refused to leave, demanding an official inquiry.

Rural unrest over alleged illegal land grabs in China is a growing problem. There are thought to be thousands of protests a year, with farmers in villages whose land has been taken often directing their anger at corrupt local officials who skim off the profits of its sale to developers.

BBC: China-Egypt nuclear energy deal
China’s official news agency said the agreement had been confirmed at talks in Beijing on Tuesday between Mr Mubarak and President Hu Jintao. No further details of the deal have been made public.

Egypt plans to revive its nuclear energy programme, frozen 20 years ago after the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Russia has also said it is willing to help Egypt to develop a nuclear energy programme.

Following his talks in Moscow and Beijing, Mr Mubarak has moved on to Central Asia.

Egypt announced plans to revive the civilian nuclear power programme in September. A plant will be constructed at al-Dabaa, on the Mediterranean coast, within the next 10 years, it was announced. Demand for electricity has been growing at an average rate of 7% a year and the country faces worsening shortages.

BBC: Trade to top China-Africa summit
More than 40 African heads of state and ministers are in Beijing for a summit with China on trade and investment.

“We take great pride in China’s strong and warm friendship with Africa,” said Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi at the opening of the conference.

As its economy booms, China’s drive to buy African oil and other commodities has led to a big increase in two-way trade, worth $42bn (£22bn) in 2005. Africa is also a growing market for Chinese goods. But critics say Beijing is stifling African manufacturing.

Some analysts have said Africa is the only place left to go, as most of the world’s other big oil reserves are already being developed by major Western energy companies.

China has to move into Africa, but they will be working very hard on securing the trade routes to and from the region. That means the nations between the two areas should beware.