The widow of the well-known Chinese author Qian Zhongshu registered a "temporary victory" on Monday in her fight to prevent Qian's private letters from being sold at auction.

Sungari International Auction in Beijing intends to put letters written by Qian under the hammer on June 21 as part of its spring collection.

However, the writer's 102-year-old widow, Yang Jiang, opposes the sale, saying the letters reveal extensive details about her husband's life and literary views. She has attempted to stop the auction by launching legal action, accusing Sungari of copyright infringement.