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China has just created its largest university by merging four universities in eastern Zhejiang.

Zhejiang University combines the old Zhejiang University with the province's medical and agricultural universities and Hangzhou University. It aims to be a world-class institution.

Senior state officials including vice-premier Li Lanqing attended a grand ceremony held in Hangzhou, the provincial capital.

There will be at least 30,000 full-time undergraduates, more than 5,000 postgraduate students and more than 10,000 staff.

The merger signals a breakthrough of great significance in China's higher education reform programme said Li Lanqing.

University president Pan Yunhe said: "We plan to build Zhejiang into a top university in Asia by 2005 and one of the world's best by 2015."