SANYA (China), Dec 1: Pre-contest favourite Miss China won the Miss World 2007 title in her own country late on Saturday, much to the delight of the audience, in front of an estimated two billion viewers around the globe.

Twenty-three-year-old Zhang Zilin was crowned the winner in Sanya, China.

Miss Angola came second and Miss Mexico third at the beauty pageant, held on the southern holiday island of Hainan, dubbed China’s answer to Hawaii.

Viewers in 200 countries were expected to tune in to watch the show, which saw Miss China take the crown ahead of 105 of the world’s most beautiful and talented women.

The audience in the 2,000-capacity Beauty Crown Theatre, specially built for when Sanya first hosted the event in 2003, roared in delight as Zhang was crowned the winner at the end of the two-hour-long contest, which was conducted mainly in English.The secretary from Beijing was the pre-contest favourite with British bookmakers, along with Miss Dominican Republic.

At 182 centimetres (six feet), Zhang was also the tallest contestant.

“There are 1.3 billion people behind me,” she said during the interview stage of the contest, referring to China’s population.

“If I win I want to become a link between the Olympic Games (in Beijing next year) and the Miss World Organisation.” “I want to use the power and beauty of Miss World to support those in need,” she said, speaking throughout in hesitant English, adding a few words in Chinese.

Zhang earlier told the contest her favourite past times were the 100-metre hurdles and the high jump.

Fireworks exploded above the crown-shaped theatre, where visitors had paid up to $300 for tickets, after the popular decision was made.

Miss Mexico had also been strongly fancied, while Miss Angola was an outsider.

“I want to tell you that I am a strong woman and also a dreamer girl and I don’t accept failures in my life,” Carolina Moran Gordillo, Miss Mexico, said earlier in the contest.

“This is my dream and I worked very very hard to get here,” the 19-year-old student added.

Portuguese-born Miss Angola, Micaela Reis, 18, said she wanted to win the coveted crown so she could spread awareness about AIDS/HIV.

Contestants were rated on an array of disciplines including physical fitness, style, dress, personality and beauty.

The 106 were whittled down to 16, then five, with hotly tipped Miss Dominican Republic not making the final five despite strong support from the mainly Chinese crowd.

The 57th edition of the contest was being held on World Aids Day as organisers wanted the annual showcase of gloss and glitz, seen by critics as a sexist throwback, to help increase awareness of the fight against HIV/Aids.

To underline their commitment to Aids awareness, organisers invited former South African president Nelson Mandela’s eldest daughter Maki to serve on the panel of nine judges.The Noble laureate’s son Makgatho died of an Aids-related illness in 2005, and the family has since been active in the global fight against HIV/Aids.—AFP