Zheng Makes History at Wimbledon, Vows to Help Quake Victims
China's Zheng Jie made history at Wimbledon on Tuesday (July 1), becoming the first Chinese player to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament. The Chinese ace beat Nicole Vaidisova, of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 to set up a semifinal clash with former winner Serena Williams of the US. Zheng said she will use her prize money to help the earthquake victims in her home province of Sichuan.

Shares Hit 17-month Low  
The mainland stock market fell 3.09 percent to close at a 17-month low yesterday (July 1), led by financial and real estate companies as investors worried about interest rate hikes. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index slid 84.49 points to close at 2651.61, with 724 out of 911 stocks closing lower.

Chinese President Hu Jintao to attend G8 summit in Japan
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao announced on Tuesday (July 1) that Chinese President Hu Jintao will attend the G8 summit in Japan from July 7 to 9, at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.

Shenzhou VII Ready for Final Test
The team that developed Shenzhou VII, China's third manned spacecraft, will begin the final test at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province in a few days. Zhang Bainan, chief designer of the spacecraft, said on Tuesday (July 1) that the research and development team of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) will leave for Jiuquan early this month. Shenzhou VII is scheduled to carry three astronauts and blast off atop the Long March-2F rocket from Jiuquan in October.