A top Chinese fired for graft

A Chinese deputy minister was dismissed on charges of corruption and incompetence in the first case of a senior leader's losing his post since a campaign against graft began last year, the People's Daily reported. The newspaper said Yang Yibang, a deputy chemical industry minister, had obtained visas to visit Belgium and Japan through business contacts in Hong Kong rather than through official channels. It said he also caused the state to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars as a result of mismanagement.

Two other items of interest on China buzzed along the wires Tuesday.

In Taiwan, the Taipei Tennis Association offered political asylum to Hu Na, defecting top woman tennis player of the People's Republic of China. Taipei also offered living expenses and the best available coach. Miss Hu requested asylum at an office of the US Immigration and Naturalization Service in California Monday after disappearing from her hotel last week.

China's exports in the first half of the year totaled $10.2 billion, up more than 10 percent on the same period in 1981, the China Daily reported. Overseas sales of Chinese petroleum and machinery rose 15 percent and 19 percent, respectively, the report said. First-half imports, meanwhile, dropped 19.7 percent, to $7.8 billion.