BEIJING - A LEADING Beijing newspaper has chosen actress Zhang Ziyi as the most beautiful person in China for 2008.

In a ranking of the top 50 most beautiful people Friday the Beijing News picked Zhang, whose film credits include 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' 'Rush Hour 2,' and 'Memoirs of a Geisha.'

The paper said Zhang's press conference during the Cannes film festival to raise money for the Sichuan earthquake garnered respect worldwide. The earthquake killed 70,000 people in May.

'I don't pay a lot of attention to matters of appearance,' she told the newspaper. 'Beautiful women are fundamentally independent and confident.'

Cannes best actor winner Tony Leung Chiu-wai came second in the ranking. -- AP