Chinese rail official moved

The spokesman for China's railways ministry has been transferred to Poland after a high-speed train crash last month that killed at least 40 people.

The crash prompted Beijing to suspend construction of new high-speed lines and recall trains, in a reversal for a project that had national prestige equal to China's space programme.

Ministry spokesman Wang Yongping sparked outrage when he said it was "a miracle" that a two-year-old girl was found unconscious in the train wreckage 21 hours after the crash.

The girl was found after the search for survivors was called off. Many questioned why rescue efforts were stopped so quickly.

Xinhua News Agency reported Mr Wang would represent China in the International Organisation for Co-operation of Railways, based in Warsaw. It described the move as a transfer rather than a demotion.