1.   The Chinese authorities have asked for aid to help the earthquake victims.

2.   The Chinese authorities denied that Wang and Chen were on hunger strike.

3.   Chinese officials were reported to have indicated to Sir David that the Chinese authorities would not welcome the appointment of Martin Lee or Szeto Wah to Exco.

4.   This was the first occasion on which such a figure had been published by the Chinese authorities.

5.   Chinese authorities are releasing few details and state T V has made no mention of the disaster.

6.   Although Chen was said to suffer from testicular cancer, granting medical parole is a face-saving way for the Chinese authorities to show leniency without reversing a political verdict.

7.   Although individual Chinese airlines negotiate with Boeing and Airbus for new planes, the actual orders are placed by a central Chinese buying authority.

8.   Amnesty International, the human rights group based in London, accused Chinese authorities of blatantly violating the legal rights of followers of Falun Gong.

9.   And Chinese authorities took steps to quell a small anti-American demonstration near the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

10.   And the reluctance of any higher Chinese authority to rein her in suggests that she wields considerable political clout.