Clinton publisher axes China deal

The Chinese translation had a first printing of 200,000

The publisher of Senator Hillary Clinton's memoirs has withdrawn republishing rights in China.

US-based publisher Simon & Schuster said the Chinese state publisher Yilin Press had proved unwilling to restore passages it had cut from the book.

In September, Yilin released "Living History" minus sections which were critical of China's Government or mentioned the Tiananmen Square protest.

Other changes were also made, which it attributed to "a rushed translation."

"They no longer have the right to print or sell the book," Adam Rothberg, a spokesman for Simon & Schuster, said on Tuesday.

'Missing passages'

Simon & Schuster - which has seen US sales of 1.5 million since the book's release - withdrew the contract with Yilin after three months of negotiations.

The US publisher has since posted an accurate translation of the original version of the text on its website in Mandarin.

Carolyn Reidy, president of the Simon & Schuster adult publishing group said she was shocked to learn of the alterations.

"We wanted to provide a quick and accurate way for Chinese readers to read the missing passages while we sort out the legal issues with Yilin," she said.

Yilin's deputy editor in chief, Liu Feng, told The New York Times that the company was still reviewing the situation.

'All possible steps'

A statement from Simon & Schuster detailed numerous changes and deletions made to portions of the text dealing with Senator Clinton's views about China and her travels there.

Alterations included Mrs Clinton's comments about human rights activist Harry Wu.

Mr Wu is a campaigner against abuses in Chinese labour camps where he spent 19 years.

Robert Barnett, Senator Clinton's attorney, said he had been instructed by Mrs Clinton "to take all possible steps" to ensure her words are accurately and completely conveyed to readers in China.