apartment legal advice

Hi, I'd like any advice you can offer on my situation.


I signed a 1 year contract in late March for an apartment in Beijing, with the proviso that I can break it if necessary. I paid 3 monts rent and one month extra as deposit.


I went to pay the next 3 month installment today (July,August,September), but I need to leave Beijing on August 15th. So I had a Chinese friend write a note explaining this (my Chinese is fairly basic), and that I'd like to pay 1 and a half months rent and I'd like my deposit back by Aug 15th. Which I thought was reasonable.


They wouldn't take the cash I was holding and seemed reluctant to deal with me. I've since recieved texts from an English-speaker in the office telling me I have to pay for 3 months, and am expected to pay for the whole year whether I leave or not!


I'm now considering not paying a thing since they have my deposit so I'm technically paid up until the 1st August. Does the landlord have the LEGAL RIGHT to change the lock or throw my stuff out the place before then? My experience renting in England and Japan was that this is illegal until you overstay your rent by a few months, but I don't know if I have the same protection here.


I have an English speaking agent who I will speak to to try and sort it out, but she's a bit useless.


Any advice from Beijing veterans appreciated, sorry for the length of the post, just thought I should get it all down from the start.


thanks a lot

-Paul

Also, if the contract is written in both English and Chinese, I assume the Chinese one has the final say?


I'm concerned that the English translation might not be accurate