Riots in western China leave one policeman dead, several others injured

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING - China's state media says one policeman has been killed and several others injured in riots in western Sichuan province.

The official Xinhua News Agency gave no other details regarding the riot.

Xinhua also said 381 people involved in protests in another Sichuan county, Aba, had surrendered to police.

The Communist leadership has faced the biggest challenge to its rule in the Himalayan area in nearly two decades after protests in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa exploded into violence on March 14.

That sparked sympathy protests in the neighbouring provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai.

© The Canadian Press, 2008