Soon after fighter pilot Yang Liwei was identified as China's first man in orbit, applications to register his name as a trademark started arriving at government offices, according to Beijing Today, a weekly.

One of the first to try and seize the opportunity was Wang Zhijian, an entrepreneur who has made a fortune registering lucrative trademarks.

"I know that because he is in the army, Yang Liwei cannot conduct private business, but it would be a waste for no one to benefit from his great value," Wang was quoted as saying by the paper.

However, Wang's application has been contested by white pear producers in the astronaut's hometown of Suizhong, northeastern Liaoning province, who want Yang's name to adorn their products, the paper said.

"Since Yang has become a world-famous figure, we are trying to think of the best ways to make full use of the power of his name," said Xia Yuen, head of Suizhong county.

Shenzhou V, the spacecraft which took Yang on 14 orbits around the earth last week, is also the object of several trademark applications but these hopefuls are likely to be out of luck.

"Shenzhou V is a special name that has significant political meaning," said Xun Xianzong, a trademark official. "So far, there is no precedent for the use of such names as trademarks."

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