Transfer for Chinese rail spokesman

The spokesman for China's railways ministry has been transferred to Poland following a train crash last month that killed 40 people.

The 23 July crash prompted Beijing to suspend construction of new high-speed lines in an embarrassing reversal of a project of national prestige.

The ministry spokesman, Wang Yongping, sparked outrage with his misjudged comments after the crash, and the Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday that he was heading to Warsaw, a move it described as a transfer rather than a demotion.