Villagers disrupt tourist island plan

Thousands of villagers angry at government plans to build an artificial island in southern China have forced the project to be suspended after clashing with workers and smashing vehicles, state media said.

The government in Wenchang, on the resort island of Hainan, wanted to build an artificial island to attract tourists. Villagers feared it would damage the environment and their fishing grounds, the Xinhua news agency said.

"Construction started last Tuesday, but was forced to stop after angry villagers came to the site," the report said.