China

WSJ.com: China Real Time Report
Looking for iPhone Users in Beijing

6 Nov 2009 | 4:11 am

The Wall Street Journal’s Loretta Chao went on a hunt for iPhone users around Beijing after China Unicom said it had as few as 5,000 users of the Apple phone that just officially launched in China.
BYD’s Wang: Upward Mobility in China

6 Nov 2009 | 2:26 am

Chinese auto and battery tycoon Wang Chuanfu has had quite a ride. BYD Wang, the chairman of BYD Co., was named China’s richest individual this week by Forbes magazine, which cited his net worth at $5.8 billion. Wang grew up anything but wealthy in Anhui Province and had lost both his parents to illness by the time he was a teenager. He went to college only after the encouragement and support of his older siblings, who also helped rear him. “I was born on a rice farm very, very poor,” Wang told The Wall Street Journal in an interview last year. “Both of my parents were farmers; they…
Xinhua Sends In Back-Up

5 Nov 2009 | 8:03 pm

Last week, China Real Time Report wrote about a story published by Economic Information Daily( our report in English here and in Chinese here), whose Chinese name literally translates as Economic Reference. Economic Information Daily was the first economic publication to be founded under the sprawling Xinhua umbrella after China’s economic reforms that began in 1978. Imaginechina via AP Images Pollution plagues many of China’s rivers Economic Information Daily’s story, published Oct. 15, detailed allegations of untested sludge from two iron ore mines illegally dumped into a stream…
Bird’s Nest: A ‘Financial Albatross’

5 Nov 2009 | 6:50 pm

Beijing’s iconic Bird’s Nest stadium may have attracted a crowd of 91,000 for the Olympic opening ceremony, but the stadium’s director is having a hard time trying to recreate the enthusiasm. A story by state-run newspaper China Daily this week called the stadium a “financial albatross,” and quoted the arena’s director of research and development as saying he has to rack his brain continually to prevent the 3.6 billion yuan venue from becoming a “white elephant.” According to the China Daily story, it costs an average of 200,000 yuan per day to…
Bond, Swap Curves Foretell Rate Hikes

5 Nov 2009 | 4:44 am

Even as Beijing remains reluctant to abandon the loose monetary policy that has propelled China’s swift economic recovery, China’s fixed-income market sees two interest-rate hikes by the central bank in the coming year. Despite China’s strong recovery and simmering inflationary pressure, authorities have stressed the importance of maintaining fiscal stimulus and a supportive monetary policy. At the same time, Beijing has left itself some room to fine-tune policy. But the interest-rate market appears far less ambivalent: Two-year interest-rate swaps on the one-year deposit…

CNReviews
Off To 2009’s 5th Annual CnBloggerCon We Go!

Kai Pan

5 Nov 2009 | 8:22 pm

It’s been pretty quiet around here lately and we haven’t done much “reviewing” of China as we should have (which probably royally pisses Elliott off). Of course, most of it is my fault as I’ve been incredibly busy over the last month and, much to my chagrin, will continue to be for the upcoming week or two. Whenever I’ve had a free moment, I squandered it away defending ChinaGeeks‘ privilege to write about western media bias and entertaining thought experiments meant to prove unprovable kinky Chinese internet tales on chinaSMACK. Sigh. For CNR,…
English Blogs About China: Moser Interviews Goldkorn & Anti

Kai Pan

29 Oct 2009 | 12:41 am

Two new, interesting videos are currently up on Blue Ocean Network (BON) featuring host David Moser and guests Jeremy Goldkorn and Michael Anti discussing English Blogs About China. Both Part 1 and Part 2 are approximately 30-minute long streaming videos. If you’re not familiar with BON, you’re not the only one. Apparently, however, it’s “a brand new, pioneering television network producing a wide range of objective English language content bringing the human side of China to homes across the Western world. BON goes live on air in Summer 2009 in the United…
Taipei & Beijing To Set Up Tourism Offices By February 2010

Baoru

25 Oct 2009 | 8:54 pm

At the opening of the 2009 Taipei International Travel Fair last October 21, Lai Seh-jen, director-general of the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, announced that Taipei and Beijing will soon be setting up tourism offices in each other’s capitals by February 2010. According to Taiwan Today, “If the offices can be opened before the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, it will make it easier for mainland tourists to visit Taiwan during the Chinese New Year holidays.” With this new development, Taiwan is aiming for a majority of mainland…
Quote: Andy Keller on the CCP

Kai Pan

18 Oct 2009 | 7:30 am

“…the Party seems to view itself as more of a shepherd in charge of moving sheep around…than the vanguard of a rising world power.” Andy Keller from Portrait of an LBX suggests of the Chinese Communist Party, and the government they run over mainland China. Portrait of an LBX subtitles itself as “a search for humanity in China”, a search conducted by three foreigners on bicycles touring the Chinese countryside where, they say, “real China” can still be found and experienced. They’ll be on the road for a year, probably more, and frankly, I…
Kyochon: Korean Fried Chicken In Pudong, Shanghai

Kai Pan

17 Oct 2009 | 9:22 am

After reading Shanghaiist’s positive review a few days ago, I simply had to try Kyochon Fried Chicken. Given that I live in Pudong and semi-regularly rustle up some groceries at the Carrefour at Big Thumb Plaza where it’s located, I didn’t really have an excuse not to. So, after a lazy Saturday morning, I hopped into a taxi and made my way over for a late lunch to fuel an afternoon of grocery rustlin’. Unfortunately, I really should’ve known that the “18RMB for four pieces” described in Shanghaiist’s review meant chicken wings instead of actual,…

Silicon Hutong
Whose Moral Relativism?

David

14 Oct 2009 | 1:59 am

In the HutongDry dry dry dry1701 hrsUber-establishment public intellectual and Newsweek International editor Fareed Zakaria does a decent job calming the otherwise financially panicked in a pallative column from June 13. What I found most intriguing about the article was the conclusion (proving, once again, that it does occasionally pay to read long essays all the way through,) where he explains that the West is in the throes of a crisis of morals as much (or arguably more) that a crisis of finance. When he first started this bit of his rant I shook my head. "Yes," I thought.
Indra Nooyi's "focus" On China

David

11 Oct 2009 | 11:34 pm

In the HutongFall hath Fallen1634 hrs.Pepsico CEO Indra Nooyi did a grand tour of China not too long ago, forgoing the normal jet-in-jet-out itineraries that frame most global CEO China visits. Given the time constraints that face any CEO, regardless of the size of the business, carving 12 days out of the executive schedule to do a deep dive anyplace is no mean feat. It must have been that much harder for Nooyi, who runs a Fortune 500 fast-moving consumer goods company with a global market. Even better, Nooyi prepped extensively for the trip before she even got on the plane, and once here she…
Afghanistan 2009 = China 1945

David

8 Oct 2009 | 7:40 pm

In the Hutong Contemplating Awareness 0936 hrs Starting to catch up with my reading - I'm at least four years behind - I came across some of the writing CFR Fellow Elizabeth Rubin is doing from Afghanistan, in particular an August 4 piece in the New York Times Magazine called "Karzai in His Labyrinth." I spend less time than I should reading into the situation in China's neighbor to the southwest (an oversight, because much of China's thinking about the world is dictated by the "near abroad"), so this piece was something of an eye-opener. The more I read…
Questioning China's CyberLegions

David

7 Oct 2009 | 6:44 pm

In the HutongNot a Caveman1045 hrs.The Open Society Institute is not an organization you would classify among China's great supporters. But OSI Fellow Evgeny Morozov suggests in the Boston Reviewthat our fears of "digital Pearl Harbors" and "cyber-Katrinas" launched from non-democratic countries are, at best, overblown, and at worst distract us from more worrisome threats. Not least of those in Morozov's mind would be the implicit threat to democratic regimes by their own governments who may curtail freedoms in the effort to secure their systems, driven by good…
Banks and The China UnStrategy

David

6 Oct 2009 | 10:50 pm

In the HutongTrying to like our new birds1156 hrs.The Financial Times has a style of reportage that I would place somewhere between a newswire and The Economist. The reporters are superb, the coverage is excellent, and I happily pay my monthly subscription for online-only access. But because of that same style, the FT all too rarely delivers stories that can deliver memorable analysis and insight. Those sorts of things tend to get shunted into "special reports" and the opinion section.But occasionally there is an exception, and Sundeep Tucker and Jamil Anderlini penned one in early…

Danwei Media
The Mouse looms over Shanghai

5 Nov 2009 | 12:35 am

Xinhua Daily TelegraphNovember 5, 2009 San Jin City News Disney is coming to Shanghai. The Shanghai government announced yesterday that its proposal for a Disney theme park in the city had been approved by the central government. Today's Xinhua Daily Telegraph announced the news with a front-page cover image of a woman pedaling down a street in rural Pudong, where the project will be located. An inset photo shows a reporter taking a shot of a village committee notice concerning land rights for the project. A flashy graphic that Xinhua prepared for its feature on the Disney story ran on…
Taiwan to open memorial museum for 228 incident

4 Nov 2009 | 9:10 pm

Taipei Times reports. The museum will be open for memorials in 2010. Link picked by Danwei.org
World Bank: China's economy to grow 8.4% this year

4 Nov 2009 | 8:52 pm

The New York Times reports: The bank now expects the Chinese economy to grow 8.4 percent this year, according to its latest quarterly review of the country, up from the 7.2 percent it forecast in June. It predicts growth of 8.7 percent next year. The new 2009 estimate is just shy of the 8.5 percent being projected by the International Monetary Fund, which likewise raised its forecast for China and the rest of Asia last week, and also echoes recent upward revisions by economists at several private banks. AFP also has a report, via The Telegraph. Link picked by Danwei.org
Hundreds protest after man died in Kunming

4 Nov 2009 | 8:46 pm

ChinaSMACK has a translation of a story about a man in Kunming beaten to death by the Chengguan. Link picked by Danwei.org
Soong Mei-ling and Christianity

4 Nov 2009 | 8:23 pm

Biographer Hannah Pakula has written an biography of Soong Mei-ling. The New York Times has an extract about her religious upbringing: Religion had made Charlie Soong's life. The Methodist Church had educated him and given him a place in the world. This was not necessarily the case with his third daughter. Required to live up to the behavior of her three older siblings, May-ling found daily prayers "tiresome" and "hated the long sermons" in church on Sunday. Family prayers were little better, and she often pled thirst in order to slip out of the room. "I used to think Faith, Belief,…

XINHUA NEWS
United Commercial Bank 120th bank to fail this year in U.S.

7 Nov 2009 | 2:24 am

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The San Francisco-based ...
12 militants killed in NW Pakistan tribal area

7 Nov 2009 | 2:21 am

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 militants were ...
Official investigation launched into Russia's far-east plane crash

7 Nov 2009 | 2:19 am

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Pacific ...
5 die in village fire in south China,196 houses burnt down

7 Nov 2009 | 1:44 am

SANJIANG, Guangxi, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Five people have been ...
U.S. Dollar picks up at end of week amid rising unemployment

7 Nov 2009 | 1:29 am

NEW YORK, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. dollar on Friday ...

EastSouthWestNorth
Three Teens Drowned In Jingzhou

6 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am

Three reports from Xinhua, Southern Weekend and Tianya Forum about the tragic case of three university students who died while trying save others.
The Case of Reporter Yao Haiying

30 Oct 2009 | 9:00 am

Changjiang Business News reporter Yao Haiying reported on a case about the leaking of business secrets and finds himself the target of an investigation for graft. In frustration, he publicized his case on the Internet and got justice (more or less).
Donald Tsang Blames The Media For His Troubles

27 Oct 2009 | 9:00 am

Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive lashes out at the media for biased media coverage. Here are the front page stories in Apple Daily, Oriental Daily and The Sun over the past two weeks.
The Shanghai Illegal Cab Entrapment Case

24 Oct 2009 | 9:00 am

When 18-year-old Sun Zhongjie was 'entrapped' by a 'righteous hitchhiker,' he got so angry that he cut his small finger off with a chopper. Now his case is drawing national attention.
The Guanxian County Cyber Cafe Shutdown

18 Oct 2009 | 9:00 am

Cyber cafes in Guanxian county, Shandong province, have been shut down for more than two months. Could the reason be an Internet post about how the local family planning office forced a 9-month-pregnant woman to undergo an abortion during which mother and baby died?

Shanghaiist
This week in Shanghaiist

Elaine Chow

7 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

We documented our Halloween celebration with pictures, more pictures and even a video! We went to Origin on Taikang Lu and found their sandwiches and salads refreshing and delicious. Then we headed over to three different places to get some soup for comforting our flu-ridden bodies. We laughed at a photo of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson playing chess on The Bund. We discussed, and then let other people discuss, Disneyland coming to Shanghai. We laughed at, but then agreed with a quote by a Guangdong family planning official that proposed giving sex toys to migrant workers. We recorded…
Presented By:

6 Nov 2009 | 6:17 am
Who are the top 10 foreign athletes in China?

Elaine Chow

6 Nov 2009 | 6:17 am

Hint: Tiger Woods is not one of them. Check out the whole list here.
Extra! Extra! Police and prostitutes, journalists and propaganda departments, and kids and condoms

Elaine Chow

6 Nov 2009 | 2:30 am

A recent prostitution bust in Henan has gotten netizens into a fury... against the police, who were videotaped interrogating a naked woman in an incredibly rough fashion. [CNNGo] We can't get enough of stories about the Chongqing corruption trials, so we're glad we get to hear two of our favorite China journalists, Paul French and Malcolm Moore, discuss "China's Chicago." [Ethical Corp] So how are Chinese propaganda departments dealing with new media rules that don't allow them to really "stop" people from being interviewed? By wining and dining reporters and other "soft" forms of…
Shanghai Tattoo now selling Chinese indie rock CDs

Elaine Chow

6 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

We know, we know. We live in a digital era so it makes sense for us to just download everything. But sometimes, there's something nice about looking through cover art and popping in a CD. No, not a vinyl. We're not THAT music snobbish. In any case, there's now a place in Shanghai to get all your Chinese indie rock music in shiny jewel cases: Shanghai Tattoo, located at the Cool Docks in Huangpu. They're selling CDs from rock labels Maybe Mars, Pilot Music & Modern Sky (which means you can get bands like Convenience Store, PK14, Carsick Cas and Hedgehog) for from 20RMB to 70RMB. If you're ever…

Imagethief
Sail a river of moonshine at Guizhou's expo pavilion

will

28 Oct 2009 | 4:47 am

From the strange PR files comes this article in today's Shanghai Daily about the Guizhou provincial pavilion at the Shanghai Expo. The theme is apparently liquor and girls. This seems like a winner on many levels (after all, it worked for the NFL), but the implementation is a bit weird:The province will make the liquor the centerpiece of its pavilion because it's world famous, Yang said. The liquor won the gold prize at the Panama World Expo in 1915 and became renowned across the world. A highlight of the pavilion will be a giant upturned bottle of Moutai that pours water on a model of the…
Don't scoop the reporter who interviews you, and other PR basics

will

23 Oct 2009 | 11:28 pm

Note: As threatened, Imagethief is coming out of hiatus from time to time, when things catch his eye. Last Wednesday, the 21st, the IT news channel of giant Chinese portal Sohu published the transcript of an interview of Sohu CEO Charles Zhang by Hong Kong-based BusinessWeek journalist Bruce Einhorn. All well and good, you might think. Chinese portals regularly translate and run foreign media articles, and it makes sense that a portal might want to run a high-profile interview with its boss. But there were two problems. First, the interview was on the rather sensitive topic of the dueling IPR…
The only version of China's National Day Parade you need to watch

will

2 Oct 2009 | 5:16 am

An outstanding video from photojournalist Dan Chung, who was in the stands for yesterday's National Day parade and has produced a three-and-a-half minute version with a mix of time-lapse and slow motion. Much more watchable the tedious CCTV version (which, airplanes aside, felt like it was all in slow motion). More on the parade from me soon. Also worth your time is Danwei's collection of October 1st front pages from Chinese newspapers. PS: I am not "back". This is just another one of those hiatus interruptions I said would happen.
Video: Tanks roll in Beijing for the PRC 60th anniversary parade rehearsal

will

6 Sep 2009 | 5:41 am

We interrupt this hiatus, as we threatened we would from time to time, to bring you some video from this evening's dress rehearsal for the upcoming military parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. As it happens, the mustering area for many of the armored vehicles participating in the parade is just north of my apartment complex, in a large empty lot with a convenient rail spur (they didn't drive the tanks all the way in). This evening at about 4PM they started blocking Dawang Rd. between Guanghua Rd. and Jianguo Rd. (which becomes Chang'an Ave, the main…
Five-year retrospective -- Imagethief on hiatus until 2010

will

31 Jul 2009 | 9:24 pm

Imagethief arrived in China on June 6th, 2004, a naive and wide-eyed whelp of just 36. The last five years have been quite an education, and it's an older and (incrementally) wiser Imagethief who corresponds with you today. China years are like dog years. It's not so much the frequency of events as the amplitude. China seems a nation always on the threshold of crisis, with about one reliable trip per year over that threshold.Let's be honest: I'm addicted to the rush. To be a foreigner in China is to live in a state of perpetual voyeurism, like being a guest in the household of a proud but…

China Law Blog
China U.S. Dispute Over Raw Materials. Rare Earths Are Key.

6 Nov 2009 | 4:28 am

The U.S. has formally requested the WTO establish a dispute resolution panel concerning China's recent decisions to restrict exports of certain key raw materials. This follows on the initial request for review made by the U.S. in June of this year. These US government actions highlight the importance of China in the trade of certain key materials. The materials referenced in the complaint are: bauxite, coke, fluorspar, magnesium, manganese, silicon metal, silicon carbide, yellow phosphorus, and zinc, all of which are key inputs for numerous downstream products in the steel, aluminum, and…
China's Changing Worldview Is Bad For Your Business

5 Nov 2009 | 8:28 pm

In a recent article, entitled China's GDP growth likely to reach double digits again, Xinhua repeats another of the endless reports we here in China are constantly seeing projecting double digit growth for the Chinese economy for the mid and long term. But the important thing about this article is not its prediction. The important thing is its underlying assumption that the U.S. and European economies are now irrelevant and the economies of China and India are now set now set to dominate the world: "The U.S. economy will recover pretty slowly, and its contribution to the world's economic…
How To Network In China. Tis Better To Give Face Than To Take It Away.

5 Nov 2009 | 4:28 am

I usually find these things way corny and stereotypical, but I actually kinda like this one. Shanghai Networking News has an article out, based on its having asked questions on Linkedin, on "What The Chinese Want You to Know About Networking." Here are their findings, which I will follow up with my own analysis: They're not that different. People often get so caught up in the differences that they fail to see the similarities between Chinese and western cultures. Just be yourself and don't worry about skipping across the cultural minefield. Just as most of us would go easy on any local who…
Geely, China's Two Markets And Brushing Off EVERY Criticism Of Chinese Companies

4 Nov 2009 | 11:28 pm

I apologize for the recent onslaught of posts on China's consumer market, but I cannot help it. There has just been a plethora (I know that's a pompous word, but I've always loved it anyway) of great stuff out there of late. The latest is from Jack Perkowski over at Managing the Dragon (h/t to Adam Daniel Mezei) in which he does a great job discussing how Geely's purchase of Volvo and its relationship to China's "two markets": Geely’s purchase of Volvo underscores the powerful forces that are being unleashed by China’s two markets. MTD readers are well aware of the fact that for any…
China Joint Ventures Again. This Time We Blame The Victims.

4 Nov 2009 | 7:28 am

By Steve Dickinson Dan did a recent interview on joint ventures in China with Amcham and a couple of follow up posts, entitled, "Love The One You're With. When China Joint Ventures Make Sense," and "The China Joint Venture. It's BACK!!!" We are writing about joint ventures so often these days because we are seeing a pronounced resurgence both in companies wanting to go into Chinese joint ventures and in companies coming to us needing legal assistance with their failed and failing joint ventures here in China. We have often expressed cautions about joint ventures in the past, and nothing we…

All Roads Lead to China
What to Make of Obama’s Upcoming Trip to China.

Rich

6 Nov 2009 | 12:25 am

The other day a few of my students and I were commenting on the fact that in a week Obama would be coming to town, and that unlike previous administrations, the first official meeting of new US leadership was occurring on Chinese soil. That this campfire, unlike some others, was sure to be a hot one as Obama would be getting it from all sides on where the US stood on big issues. Namely, the economic recovery, the US Dollar, cleantech trade war, and of course… all those new trade barriers that were erected… which has set MOFCOM on fire: “China resolutely opposes the abuse…
Take Part in the Green Supply Chain Survey

Rich

5 Nov 2009 | 12:36 am

Following my presentation (click here to view) yesterday at the Supply Chain Council’s 2009 CHaINA conference, I received the below email inviting companies to participate in their annual green supply chain survey. Working closely with the council for the last few years on CSR and sustainability, I encourage you to take the 10 minutes to fill out the survey. Already about 100 firms have participated, and the findings have been quite interesting thus far, but the important of this survey will be to provide Max and his team with some valuable data that they can use going forward when…
China’s Singular Story

Rich

4 Nov 2009 | 12:22 am

Last week while catching up on TED ‘09 videos, I came across Chimamanda Adichie’s presentation, The danger of a single story. It was a presentation that essentially was about how we often times make judgments based on knowing a single point of view, or as she lays out in more detail, are told on a frequent basis through the media. What made it interesting to me was that while she was speaking about the perceptions people had of her native country, Nigeria, or of her continent, Africa, she herself found that she was also guilty of acting on a single story within her own community:…
Class Update and Call For Partnerships

Rich

1 Nov 2009 | 5:16 pm

For those of you who have been wondering why All Roads has been lite on posts lately, I apologize. As you may recall I am now a Visiting Professor at CEIBS and last week I had 36 mid semester progress reports submitted for grading. Overall. I cannot tell you how impressed I am. There have been a lot of people over the last few months who have expressed their opinions on what the likely outputs will be, and if there is one thread that I think ties all these progress reports together it is this. Sustainability in China is a deeply personal issue. It is not an intangible “save the…
Upcoming Event: CHaINA ‘09

Rich

31 Oct 2009 | 7:39 pm

Just a quick heads up for those of you in the logistics/ supply chain field who will be in Shanghai this week. On Wednesday the 4th, the Supply Chain Council’s yearly event CHaINA will be going on all day at the Zhongshan Park Renaissance Hotel, and I highly recommend taking the time to attend (agenda here) to see some of the presentations and keynotes speakers. I myself will be leading the Green Panel with my own presentation: Greener is not Green, Brown isn’t an Option: The Business Case for Sustainability, and hope to see you there. For more, go to the event website

China Herald
How can Apple save iPhone in China? - Shaun Rein

Fons Tuinstra

6 Nov 2009 | 11:56 pm

Image via WikipediaApple's partner China Unicom sold since its 30 October debut only 5,000 iPhones, while some market analysts predicted a sale of millions. Shaun Rein explains in Forbes how Apple and China Unicom had it all wrong and how they can save the iPhone by changing strategies fast.When the official iPhone launched, its cracked edition was already very popular and had actually been selling for a premium at China's early adopters. A few million iPhone were already in China when Apple basically tried to tap into what could have been their market, if they would have acted faster and…
Why Zong Qinghou could beat Danone - Paul French

Fons Tuinstra

6 Nov 2009 | 12:44 am

Paul French by Fantake via FlickrRetail expert Paul French comes in Forbes with a few reasons why in the epic battle between French giant Danone and its now former China partner Wahaha, the CEO of Wahaha Zong Qinghou comes out as the winner. Just as in the case of many more foreign companies in China, their Chinese counterparts (competitors, partners or the fatal combination of both) seem to be better able to understand the Chinese customers, and act unrestrained by foreign headquarters.Forbes:But perhaps the best is yet to come for Zong and Wahaha. The end of the relationship with…
Disney's missing link in China

Fons Tuinstra

4 Nov 2009 | 12:16 am

Image by Joe Penniston via FlickrThe long-awaited approval of the new Disney park in Shanghai by the central government in Beijing is reason enough to be cheerful. No other project has been on so many drawing tables for such a long time, at least ten years.Many parts of Shanghai had already enjoyed the arrival of the new Disney Park, as time-after-time the deal got into trouble. Mostly because the eager Shanghai authorities were unable to secure the blessing from the central government. But - and that is now conveniently forgotten - because Disney itself has some misgivings about its…
US manufacturing is alive and well - William Overholt

Fons Tuinstra

2 Nov 2009 | 1:59 am

Image by Fantake via FlickrHas US manufacturing moved to China, asks Bloomberg a group of experts. No, manufacturing is alive and kicking in the US, says also William Overholt. Manufacturers are doing more with less people, but...Still, the idea that job losses mean U.S. manufacturing has hollowed out is a “myth,” said William Overholt, a senior research fellow at Harvard University’sJohn F. Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts. All industrialized and industrializing countries go through the same process as their manufacturing becomes more sophisticated and…
Facing the chasm between Chinese and US internet users - Kaiser Kuo

Fons Tuinstra

29 Oct 2009 | 2:26 am

Image by Fantake via FlickrA great speech by Kaiser Kuo earlier this month at the University of Nebraska, addressing the Sino-US relations and how the internet plays an growing role. Few people outside China have an idea how the largest group of internet users, the Chinese, are using their newly-found freedom. You can find the link here.The speech, Shouting Across the Chasm: Chinese and American Netizens Clash in Cyberspace, can be listened to here. A warning ahead: first you have to go through some Nebraska information and you might have to use a fast internet…

China Web2.0 Review
Apple Acquired EditGrid?

Tangos

13 Oct 2009 | 9:57 am

Apple4us, the leading Chinese blog on Apple, reported that Apple has acquired EditGrid, an online spreadsheets service provider in Hong Kong. In April 2006, we profiled EditGrid when it just launched public beta test. EditGrid actually is one of my personal favorite Chinese web 2.0 services, since it kept on introducing innovative features and its good user interfaces. In June 2007, EditGrid raised a US$1.25M Series A financing from WI Harper. David Lee, founder of EditGrid, posted an article on EditGrid’s blog on Sept 24, it may make people suspect it is dying, because it discontinue…
Sina Starts Twitter-Like Service

Tangos

29 Aug 2009 | 8:43 am

About ten days ago, Sina started testing its Twitter-like service, Sina Microblogging, when many other Twitter-copycats in China have been shut down by the authorities. Like Twitter, Sina Microblogging allows users to post short messages less than 140 Chinese characters, you can follow other users to get their updates, but Sina called followers as fans. You can send SMS or MMS to update messages after you set up your mobile phone. It also support hashtag # syntax for easily tracking topics. Users can also add an image to their message. Sina even provides official url shortener too, all url…
Baidu to Build Product Database for Ecommerce

Tangos

12 Aug 2009 | 2:04 am

Youa.com, the ecommerce site of Baidu, announced an “Ark Plan”, which aims to build up standardized products database for online shopping. The purpose of the Ark Plan is to build an unified and structured products database, which include all the information needed when a buyer go shopping online, such as the specification of the product, price info, users’ reviews, related products and etc. The information can be used by sellers on Youa.com, then they don’t need to bother to input basic information of products. On the other hand, after the implementation of the…
No Xiaonei Anymore, Here Comes RenRen

Tangos

5 Aug 2009 | 7:10 am

If I ask who are the popular social networking sites in China? I think most of you will talk about Kaixin001.com, QQ, 51.com and Xiaonei.com. However, since yesterday, there is no Xiaonei.com anymore, Joe Chen, CEO of Oak Pacific changed its name from Xiaonei.com to RenRen.com. But why changing the already well-known Xiaonei.com brand to Renren.com (brief history of Renren below)? Some people think it is because Xiaonei means “in campus” in Chinese, which limited its users bases on university and college users. By changing its name to Renren, which means “everyone” in…
[Event] Geeks On A Plan

Tangos

3 Jun 2009 | 8:07 am

From June 8th to 16th Web2Asia in cooperation with Dave McClure and Founders Fund are organizing a tour of Silicon Valley tech investors & entrepreneurs through Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai. In each city they will hold several events to have leading local companies, startups and experts in their respective field present to the international crowd, events in China include: Beijing: Thursday, June 11th: Startonomics Beijing 09:00am - 06:00pm. I will be on a panel at this event. If you runs a startup pre-series A, please contact us for a discount code for registration. Thursday, June 11th:…

The China Vortex
Links for 2009-10-15 [del.icio.us]

16 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am

Study Says China Is Ripe for Carbon Storage - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com
Does Chinese Govt’s Cheap Money Policy Defer Risk, Volatility to Future?

admin

23 Aug 2009 | 10:01 pm

If you look at the prevailing wisdom in business magazines, the view is that through the Chinese govt’s massive pumping of solvency into the economy beginning in November 2008, China has acted as a responsible global citizen, saving the world from a massive global meltdown which, left uncontrolled, would have forced the global economy back into the Stone Age. Without this massive stimulus package, Chinese factories would have had to lay off many more workers leading to more social problems, and maybe even social instability. And social instability is a no-no in China, especially when…
Links for 2009-08-20 [del.icio.us]

21 Aug 2009 | 12:00 am

Gallery - Picture of the day - Image 1 - New Scientist
Remembering the 5/12 Earthquake Victims

admin

11 May 2009 | 9:03 pm

It has been a long time since I last posted, for which I apologize. I won’t insult your intelligence by offering some excuses, but I will try to get back on a more regular schedule. I thank you for your understanding. If you would like to follow an unadulterated distilled real-time version of my thoughts, then I’d encourage you to follow me at twitter.com/pdenlinger Today is the first year anniversary of the May 12 earthquake which killed an estimated 100,000, mostly in Sichuan, and causing untold damage and suffering. It also awakened the Chinese government and people to the…
It’s Worse Than You Imagined

admin

8 Mar 2009 | 1:27 am

Warning: If you are easily frightened, upset and can get depressed, please do not read this article. The content is strong not in its language, but in its implications. On Twitter I have acquired a reputation for my “Tweets of Doom”. For the most part, I do not consider myself to be a pessimist but a realist. My main area of interest in the unfolding financial crisis is how economics, history, demographics and politics come together and give us hints about future trends and show us where we are heading to. Recently, I have read a fine article by Michael Lewis in the April Vanity…

China Photos, China Travel for Charity, Education and Undertanding
Adventures in China remain with students

Four Manalapan High School students and science teacher Heather Sullivan have returned from a 15-day trip to China, where they studied kung fu at a martial arts school, rode in rickshaws, and scaled the Great Wall of China. The all-expense paid trip was organized by Discovery Student Adventures, the Discovery Channel's ...
Texas State says ni hao to Mandarin

This fall, Texas State students will be able to take Mandarin Chinese for academic credit as the Department of Languages unveils its newest course listings. The classes are made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to Texas State’s Center for International Studies. The grant is in support ...
IELTS TRAINING BEGINS IN GUANGZHOU

One of the projects we have worked on for over a year to develop is an IELTS training program for China. It begins this week in Guangzhou in conjunction with Broadlearn and Queensland in Australia. Using Cambridge and Queensland University content the Dreamblogue is delighted to be part of this ...
IELTS and TOEFL – What They Are, What They Mean to You

The IELTS and TOEFL exams are known and feared by English language students worldwide. Both exams are used by universities to assess the English language ability of applicants. IELTS is widely used in the UK and Australia and also recognised by most American and Canadian universities, including Harvard Business School; ...
Wedding & Tourism Expo held in Wuhan, China

Trainees from a makeup school put on makeup for model brides at the 2009 Central China Wuhan Wedding and Tourism Expo held in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 15, 2009. More than 100 companies in photographing, catering, wedding arrangements etc. participated in the expo to provide the ...

ChinaTechNews.com
Cloud Computing On Chinese University's Horizon

ChinaTechNews.com Editor

5 Nov 2009 | 5:14 pm

Beijing University of Technology is one of almost two dozen global educational institutions that have signed on to a new cloud computing initiative from IBM. IBM has launched the IBM Cloud Academy, a global forum for educators, researchers and information technology personnel from the education industry to pursue cloud computing initiatives, develop skills and share best [...]Copyright 1999-2009 ChinaTechNews.com. All Rights Reserved. If you would like to syndicate these articles and posts for personal non-business use in which you have no monetary gain, please utilize the RSS feed for this…
Lenovo's Sales And Gross Profit Down From Last Year

ChinaTechNews.com Editor

5 Nov 2009 | 5:09 pm

While Lenovo did well in China, its worldwide growth is still down from a year ago, stated the company as it reported results for its second fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2009. Consolidated sales for the second fiscal quarter decreased 5% year-over-year to USD4.1 billion, but grew 19% over the previous quarter. The company's gross profit [...]Copyright 1999-2009 ChinaTechNews.com. All Rights Reserved. If you would like to syndicate these articles and posts for personal non-business use in which you have no monetary gain, please utilize the RSS feed for this online publication, which…
China's Suning Net Profit Up 15.38% In Q3 2009

ChinaTechNews.com Editor

5 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pm

Chinese electronics retailer Suning has published its financial report for the first third quarters of 2009, stating its performance maintained a stable growth and the expansion of its new outlets went smoothly. The report shows that Suning made revenue of CNY41.574 billion during the first three quarter of 2009, an increase of 6.32% compared with the [...]Copyright 1999-2009 ChinaTechNews.com. All Rights Reserved. If you would like to syndicate these articles and posts for personal non-business use in which you have no monetary gain, please utilize the RSS feed for this online publication,…
HiChina Invests CNY300 Million In Internet Infrastructure Services

ChinaTechNews.com Editor

5 Nov 2009 | 2:02 pm

HiChina, the Chinese Internet infrastructure services provider, has announced plans to invest at least CNY300 million in the next three years to enhance its Internet infrastructure services. This has been reportedly the company's first large move since it was acquired by the Chinese B2B e-commerce company Alibaba.com in September 2009. According to Alibaba, the CNY300 million investment [...]Copyright 1999-2009 ChinaTechNews.com. All Rights Reserved. If you would like to syndicate these articles and posts for personal non-business use in which you have no monetary gain, please utilize the RSS…
China Launches First Barrier-free E-commerce Website For Blind And Elderly

ChinaTechNews.com Editor

5 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pm

China's first "barrier-free" e-commerce website, Leohe.com, was recently launched during the 6th China Information Accessibility Forum held in Beijing. Aimed at helping elderly and visually-impaired netizens, the website focuses on the online sales of green farm products. Leohe.com has cooperated with Hitachi Beijing Tech Information System Company Ltd. in the establishment of a website to ensure [...]Copyright 1999-2009 ChinaTechNews.com. All Rights Reserved. If you would like to syndicate these articles and posts for personal non-business use in which you have no monetary gain, please…

Hao Hao Report
“China’s number one voice actress” Shanghai girl jailed for voice acting pornographic novels

ChinaHush

5 Nov 2009 | 1:31 am

For those of you who do not know already pornography is still illegal in China. China has been cracking down on “obscene” (yellow) internet content for years now, thousands were arrested and thousands of websites were shut down over the years. However this time the “obscene” content usually described as “disgustingly unsightly” should be described as “disgustingly intolerable to the ear”.
Chinese authorities at war over World of Warcraft

coljac

4 Nov 2009 | 6:59 pm

Chinese regulators are fighting over the right to oversee World of Warcraft, a popular online game, in a bizarre battle that has thrust bureaucratic rivalry for control of the internet into the open.
50% of new expats leave China early

nstanosheck

4 Nov 2009 | 1:09 pm

Almost half of new expatriates leave China early because they have difficulty adjusting to the lifestyle. Spouses of executives who have been assigned to China can have the hardest time adjusting. Identity loss and depression are more widespread among expats than many people realize.
Top 10 Reasons to Learn Cantonese

haoqide

3 Nov 2009 | 9:39 am

A friend of mine just sent me a link to a New York Times article about how Cantonese is slowly dying out in New York’s Chinatown. I couldn’t help but get a little sad reading it. Sure, it’s a ridiculously difficult language to learn (which is why it should be spelled Can’t-onese), but it’s also an amazingly interesting language brimming with character. read more
The Chinese Social Media Landscape

nstanosheck

3 Nov 2009 | 7:47 am

For those who want to work with Chinese social media, I have put together a simple diagram that outlines the main companies in various segments of the Chinese social media landscape. Inspired by Fred Cacazza, who put together a clear Social Media landscape diagram for Western marketers.

China Digital Times (CDT)
New Friction and Vast Agenda Await Obama on China Trip

Paulina Hartono

6 Nov 2009 | 9:08 pm

Ian Johnson of the Wall Street Journal reports on the state of U.S.-China relations on the eve of Obama’s first trip to China: A decade ago, most issues discussed at China-U.S. summits were limited to three issues: human rights, nuclear nonproliferation and trade. Now, the list of topics has grown to include almost every problem facing the world, from clean energy and the war in Afghanistan to African development and fixing the world economy — all of which are expected to have a place in talks between Mr. Obama and his Chinese counterpart, President Hu Jintao. “For the first…
Photo: Pagoda Chinese Restaurant

Paulina Hartono

6 Nov 2009 | 8:45 pm

Pagoda Chinese Restaurant, in Zanzibar, via yewco. © Paulina Hartono for China Digital Times (CDT), 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh
‘Rape on a Whim’? New Catchphrase Raises Ire

Paulina Hartono

6 Nov 2009 | 8:22 pm

In a court ruling by Nanxun Court in Huzhou City, Zhejiang province, a rape committed by two police associates has been ruled as 临时性的即意犯罪, or an unpremeditated crime, also translated as “temporary crime on a whim” by Jessie of chinaSMACK. ChinaHush provides background and details on the incident. Key’s translated China News Net report: October 29, 2009 China News reported two police associates, being part of the law enforcement knowingly violated the law. They raped a woman while she was drunk and passed out in a hotel. Eventually they could not escape from…
Three Teens Drowned In Jingzhou

Paulina Hartono

6 Nov 2009 | 7:38 pm

Roland Soong of EastSouthWestNorth posts “three reports which reflect the diversity of information sources in China: (1) the Xinhua report which paid tribute to the three heroes; (2) an in-depth investigative report by Southern Weekend; (3) an Internet forum post from a local resident” on the story of three teenagers in Jingzhou who drowned in their efforts to rescue two children from the Yangtze River. The story has spread quickly on the Internet, in part due to the many assertions that the teens’ deaths could have been avoided, had people on a nearby fishing boat been…
How Volleyball and Pop Have Shaken China’s Idea of Race

Paulina Hartono

6 Nov 2009 | 6:39 pm

What does it mean to be Chinese? Isabel Hilton writes on how national volleyball player Ding Hui and reality show contestant Lou Jing — both children of Chinese mothers and black fathers — have sparked debates over the question of race. Via the Guardian: Earlier this year, China picked Ding Hui, a young man from Hangzhou, for its national volleyball team. Last month a 20-year-old Shanghainese, Lou Jing, made the last 30 in the Chinese version of Pop Idol. Neither event would have attracted unusual notice but for the one thing the two young people have in common: they are in a…

Zhongnanhai Blog
One Country, Many Markets – McKinsey’s Alternative Method of Analyzing Chinese Consumers

5 Nov 2009 | 1:30 am

Joel at the China Observer blog writes: Due to pressure from the financial crisis, MNCs in China are not just expected to grow, they’re under pressure to achieve profitable growth. Thus, companies can no longer assume the existence of a homogenous “China market” and monolithic block of 1.3 billion consumers, adopting a one-size-fits-all strategy. They are forced to recognize the fact that while China is one country, it is comprised of distinct regions, cultures, dialects, and consumer preferences. Just like my Chinese vocabulary expanded over the years, so has that of the…
The Supplier Diss

1 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

Suzhou-based Bill Dodson writes on his This is China! blog:A GM told me in Shanghai recently that one of his local Chinese suppliers cancelled production of an order my friend had queued weeks before. The supplier explained the factory had chosen instead to fulfill and order from an American company that had ordered the maker’s full kit, not just some components. The Americans were going to pay a lot more, too, and the order was going to put pressure on the the factory’s capacity. Of course, my friend was not pleased by the change, especially as his order was to begin production…
Public Pajamas Persist in Shanghai

30 Oct 2009 | 11:00 pm

The WSJ reports: Government memo to pajama-wearing Shanghainese, whether shopping, gossiping, playing mahjong or walking dogs in their sleepwear: Get dressed. Shanghai itself has been getting new coats of paint in the run-up to the 2010 World Expo, but the locals’ deep-seated penchant for wearing pajamas is still a nagging worry for officials eager to present a sophisticated metropolis to millions of Expo visitors. The Shanghai government in July established a team of 500 volunteers to use persuasion at such venues as bus stops to get residents looking “uncivilized” to…
China's Miraculous Recovery, Too Good To Be True?

30 Oct 2009 | 1:30 am

Jacobo Chiu writes in the Atlantic:When China announced that its economy grew 8.9% in the third quarter, you'd expect China-boosters to pour into the streets, acclaiming the nation as the world's new engine of economic growth. But instead of praise, experts are casting a skeptical eye on the Middle Kingdom's economic figures.This is a major turnaround from the spring, when many pundits applauded Beijing's mammoth $586 billion stimulus package as a sign of the country's migration away from an export-intensive economy. Though a coterie of columnists (Fareed Zakaria, in particular) still fawns…
Data troubles in China: Retail statistics don't tell the whole truth

22 Oct 2009 | 3:00 am

The China Economic Review reports: China's stratospheric retail sales growth is drawing in consumer firms like flies to name-brand honey. Retail sales grew 15.4% year-on-year in August, up from 15.2% in July - figures particularly alluring to foreign brands at a time when US retail sales are flat in most areas. As many retail businesses in China are aware, however, business is good, but not that good. Particularly in coastal provinces, where consumers in more developed markets have been relatively exposed to the global economic downturn, the national retail sales numbers conjure an…

Sinosplice: Life
No Longer Happy with DreamHost

John Pasden

2 Nov 2009 | 9:51 pm

I haven’t been blogging much lately because I’ve been looking for a new web host in my spare time. I’ve been with DreamHost for years, but recently their service has become unforgivably bad. My main complaints are: My site was hacked while at DreamHost once. (One time is forgivable) My site was later hacked again, which was probably due to outdated web app installations (and not the previous hack). But DreamHost proved amazingly unhelpful in shutting out the hacker. I thought I had shut him out once, but I was wrong. The best solution in this case, then, is to back…
Michael Love on the Pleco iPhone App

John Pasden

26 Oct 2009 | 8:18 pm

The following is an interview with Pleco founder Michael Love, regarding the Pleco iPhone app, which is now in beta testing. John: The long wait for the iPhone app has caused much distress amongst all the Pleco fans out there. Any comments on the development process of your first Pleco iPhone app? Michael: Well, much of the delay stems from the fact that we really only started working on the iPhone version in earnest in January ‘09 – before that we were mainly working on finishing / debugging Pleco 2.0 on Windows Mobile and Palm OS. We laid out the feature map for that back in…
The Pleco iPhone App (beta)

John Pasden

21 Oct 2009 | 8:57 pm

I just recently had the pleasure of trying out the beta version of the new Pleco iPhone app. In case you’re not aware, Pleco is the software company behind what is regarded as the best electronic learner’s Chinese dictionary for any mobile device (and possibly the desktop as well). Given the dearth of really good Chinese dictionaries for the iPhone, Chinese learners have been eagerly awaiting the release of this iPhone app for quite some time. The wait has not been in vain; Pleco for iPhone is an outstanding app. The Video Demo Michael Love, Pleco founder, has made a two-part…
Slumming it with nciku

John Pasden

19 Oct 2009 | 5:20 pm

I recently looked up the word (meaning “slum”) in nciku. The definition included this example of usage: She decided to slum it for a couple of months. The Chinese sentence, translated back into English, would be: She decided to stay in a slum for a couple of months. I think the translator missed something in this particular case, and the content of the sentences (as well as the order) strongly suggests that the Chinese is a (not so great) translation of the English. So how nciku is getting its sample sentences for Chinese words? The OED is the champion of the dictionary quotation…
Hong Kong Maternity Tourism

John Pasden

14 Oct 2009 | 5:36 pm

I just learned recently that in mainland China there’s a whole business centered on getting pregnant women into Hong Kong to give birth so that the babies get extra Hong Kong citizenship privileges. This trend has been dubbed “maternity tourism.” Surreal. Of course, there’s also a backlash. But anyway, the reasons to do it: Giving birth in Hong Kong not only guarantees them world-class health care but in many cases secures citizenship in the city of 7 million for children who would otherwise be entitled only to a Chinese passport. Hong Kong citizenship entitles the…

Managing The Dragon
How Much Are China’s Railroads Worth?

Jack

5 Nov 2009 | 1:55 am

The big news out of the United States this week was the $26.6 billion bid by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway for the 77 percent of the stock of Burlington Northern Sante Fe Corp. that it doesn’t already own. Taking into account Burlington Northern’s debt of $10 billion, Buffett’s offer values the company at $44 billion. The [...]
Geely and China’s Two Markets

Jack

31 Oct 2009 | 9:59 pm

It’s hard to believe that just over 10 years ago Geely was producing $100 motorcycles for China’s local market for transportation. When Li Shufu, the company’s visionary founder and chairman, announced in 1997 that he wanted to enter China’s fast-growing passenger car business, everyone in the world, including nearly everyone in China, thought it was [...]
A Newsworthy Week in China

Jack

26 Oct 2009 | 2:24 am

Last week was particularly newsworthy in China, with an important milestone being reached and the release of positive economic data. The production of the 10 millionth vehicle by China’s auto industry this year represents a key milestone in the country’s development. Many government and industry officials gathered in Changchun, home to First Auto Works, to celebrate [...]
Joint Ventures in China

Jack

23 Oct 2009 | 7:19 pm

Volumes have been written regarding joint ventures in China. Nonetheless, they are required in some industries in China, and may actually be the right way to go for some companies. I recently met with the executives from a company that is new to China, and was asked a series of questions abut joint ventures. Following [...]
Consolidation In Steel: Still Waiting

Jack

18 Oct 2009 | 9:46 pm

It’s a fact of life: economic forces within China tend to create overcapacity in every industry. Outside of China, rising quality and technology requirements and the forces of competition have reduced the numbers of companies making most products to a handful of global players. Yet, hundreds of companies may be making the same or similar [...]

China IWOM Blog- Making Sense of the Buzz
Meizu BBS Casestudy: How the M8 managed to beat the iPhone in terms of buzz

Patrick

2 Nov 2009 | 7:51 pm

In 2008, when looking at which mobile products generate the most talk (or what we like to call buzz), the clear winner was the Apple iPhone 3G, which due to netizens recycling content from traditional media to forums and then back to traditional media, helped it to rise above the rest in terms of buzz. In 2009 Q1/Q2 however, despite Apple releasing the upgraded iPhone 3GS, due to stiff competition from HTC with the G1 & G2, Palm with the Pre and Meizu with the M8, the title of most talked about mobile is still far from clear cut. Now while we’d guess that most people have heard of the…
Likemind Shanghai Friday 16th October

Sam

14 Oct 2009 | 7:37 pm

Likemind Shanghai is back tomorrow from 8.30am – 10.30am at Amokka. For those who didn’t make it to the last one Likemind is a monthly global coffee date held in cities like Mumbai, Sao Paulo, New York, Melbourne and now Shanghai, and is a place where you can treat yourself to an Amokka breakfast, drink coffee and chat about the future of advertising, marketing and design in China with likeminded friends. Time: 8.30am – 10.30am, October 16th 2009 Where: Amokka, 201 Anfu lu near Wulumuqi lu Hosts: Patrick and Rand (Kindly standing in for Jenn) For more info about Likemind Shanghai…
CCI and CIC’s New Youth Report: How IWOM goes beyond traditional market research

Sam

25 Sep 2009 | 3:34 am

A few years ago, we launched a framework for understanding/approaching IWOM, something we called L-K-P (aka Listen-Know-Participate). Recently, I have been using an updated name for this framework: Content, Context and Implications. Content: This includes findings that are similar to what you would find in traditional market research. However, unlike traditional focus groups, a IWOM study like the one we conducted in our recently launched “Youth Report,” (see teaser slides here), offers brands a huge ‘focus group’ where hundreds of thousands of consumers are naturally…
IWOM watch August: The Birth of New Entertainment Ways

CIC

23 Sep 2009 | 6:44 am

Since the internet is always changing, in this latest issue of IWOM watch, we identified emerging trends in online entertainment. Firstly we saw the birth of a new type of offline entertainment gathering organized online called “Shan Wan”(闪玩), or to “quick fun/play.” The event targets white collar workers who are looking for quick friends to join sports, KTV or other activities of common interest. Secondly, we reported on Zhuan Tie (转帖 cross-posting), which is a common communication style that has spread to SNS communities. In addition, we looked at how…
Likemind Shanghai Friday 18th September

Patrick

8 Sep 2009 | 10:12 pm

After the success of last month’s event where over forty people from the advertising, marketing and design industry showed up, we’re happy to announce that we’re holding it again on the 18th September from 8.30am-10.30am at Amokka. For those who didn’t make it to the last one, Likemind is a monthly global coffee date held in cities like Mumbai, Sao Paulo, New York, Melbourne and now Shanghai, and is a place where you can treat yourself to an Amokka breakfast, drink coffee and chat about the future of advertising, marketing and design in China with likeminded friends. Time:…

China Esquire
weil gotshal even more active in hong kong

Thomas Chow

27 Oct 2009 | 5:17 pm

Just saw this article in Legal Week about Weil Gotshal poaching 2 corporate partners in Hong Kong. Seems like the perfect time to pick up some more partner level attorneys: when the economy is down, but supposedly getting better. Article after the jump. Weil Gotshal & Manges has boosted its Asia practice with a double hire from Simmons & Simmons in Hong Kong. Henry Ong has joined Weil’s Hong Kong office as a partner along with Jasson Han, who joins as a partner-level senior consultant, the same title he held at Simmons. Ong’s practice focuses on M&A and technology,…
give2asia philippines disaster assistance call transcript

Thomas Chow

21 Oct 2009 | 11:16 am

For all of you who weren’t able to attend the Give2Asia call about disaster response in the Philippines earlier this week, Give2Asia actually released a transcript of the conference call that I thought might be of interest. You can download a copy of it here. Enjoy!
updated twitter feed username

Thomas Chow

19 Oct 2009 | 11:26 am

Some quick updates for everyone. First, I decided to update my twitter account username. Chinaesq is shorter, but since my China Blog is China Esquire, I decided to go with the full name. Please let me know if you think its a bummer idea. http://twitter.com/ChinaEsq Please update accordingly. Hopefully those following will get it updated automatically. Second, I will be using twitter a lot more actively since I can still give my thoughts on a wider variety of matters than putting full posts together. So if you follow the blog, I encourage you to follow the twitter too! UPDATE: I am…
philippines disaster recovery call – 10/19

Thomas Chow

15 Oct 2009 | 12:00 pm

Was invited by Give2Asia to share this information with my readers: Give2Asia is hosting a teleconference to brief donors, advisors and friends about relief and recovery needs and effective philanthropic strategies in response to the disaster in the Philippines on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 8:30 am PST/11:30 am EST. More details after the jump. The call will be moderated by Mr. Joe Lumarda, Trustee of Give2Asia and SVP, Capital Group Companies. Based in Manila, Dr. Steven Rood, Philippines Country Representative at The Asia Foundation, is monitoring first hand the destruction caused by…
the need for a moral compass

Thomas Chow

14 Oct 2009 | 12:07 pm

I haven’t done too many posts responsive to other bloggers recently, but I really felt the need to emphasize something I read at Silicon Hutong today. David published a post today entitled, “ Whose Moral Relativism?“ I found it definitely worth the read because there’s a lot of food for thought… both for China, and just in general as well. Yes, this post might sound sort of preachy and hit on moral values, but I think its useful to think about such issues because so much of business is predicated on this. Wolf writes: What I found most intriguing about…

China Environmental News Digest
4 Nov 2009 | 9:56 pm

4 Nov 2009 | 9:56 pm

Hummer Is a 'Garbage Brand' China's top climate-change negotiator makes a case that his country is gearing up for the December summit in Copenhagen. By Melinda Liu | Newsweek Web Exclusive Nov 3, 2009 In September at the United Nations, Chinese President Hu
28 Oct 2009 | 10:32 pm

28 Oct 2009 | 10:32 pm

Ma Jun: the call of rivers www.chinaview.cn 2009-10-28 18:14:28 By Gong Yidong BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- When Ma Jun stood on the banks of the mighty and yet polluted Yangtze River in 1994, he had vague idea that one day he would devote himself to a Mission Impossible: saving China's dying rivers.
26 Oct 2009 | 11:03 pm

26 Oct 2009 | 11:03 pm

George Monbiot on China and climate change October 26, 2009 Via GreenPeace Environmental activist and journalist, George Monbiot, talks to Greenpeace China about China and climate change. Beijing, China — China would be a lot more proactive on climate change if the West stepped up and took their share of the
26 Oct 2009 | 10:52 pm

26 Oct 2009 | 10:52 pm

China's Water Needs Create Opportunities The Qinghe Wastewater Plant in Beijing. China's water shortage, especially in the northern part of the country, is driving a need for wastewater recycling. By HILLARY BRENHOUSE Via Nytimes.com MONTREAL — The staggering economic growth in China has come at a heavy cost, paid in severe contamination of the country's air, soil and
26 Oct 2009 | 1:41 am

26 Oct 2009 | 1:41 am

Tower of Power By Austin Ramzy Monday, Nov. 02, 2009 Big fanA worker prepares for the installation of giant rotor blades atop a wind-turbine tower in China's Gansu province Ariana Lindquist / The New York Times / Redux In China, one doesn't have to look far to see the

The Peking Duck
What Chinese and US PR people can learn from each other

Richard

31 Oct 2009 | 8:43 pm

My recent interview, over here.
Kaiser Kuo on China’s Internet

Richard

31 Oct 2009 | 4:43 pm

Last night I spent more than an hour listening to a speech Kaiser Kuo gave at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln on what the Internet has meant for China, and for US-Chinese relations. I was thinking about breaking the speech down, but then saw that a friend of mine had already done so, with greater patience and diligence than I would have mustered. I can’t recommend strongly enough that you listen to the speech and read my friend’s response and partial transcript. Kaiser and I don’t always see eye to eye on China. But I thought this speech was practically perfect,…
Away

Richard

26 Oct 2009 | 9:35 am

I’ll be traveling to LA for a few days and won’t be on line much. You can use this as an open thread.
October 1 PRC parade - the big picture

Richard

24 Oct 2009 | 6:46 pm

Get a load of this. Awesome. (It says October 4 but I didn’t see it until today.) Via this article.
Pollution, pollution

Richard

21 Oct 2009 | 10:23 pm

The Tianjin Steel Plant in Hebei province. Indescribably beautiful (if that’s the right word) photos by Lu Guang of the underbelly of China’s economic miracle, the part we all want to forget. Simply breathtaking in their eerie, terrible beauty. If anything is to keep China from from becoming a true superpower, the smart money is on pollution. Via Danwei.

China Hearsay
Yet Another US Trade Action Against Chinese Imports

Stan

5 Nov 2009 | 9:05 am

The United States has said it set preliminary duties ranging from 2 percent to 438 percent on hundreds of millions of dollars of imported steel wire decking from China to offset government subsidies. It was the latest in a growing list of actions against imports from China, the US’s second-largest trading partner. There were five new complaints filed against China in September, a record for a single month. Since January, the US Commerce Department has launched at least one dozen investigations into charges Chinese companies receive government subsidies that allow them to sell more…
Legal Jargon, Legal Fees, and an Unexpected Summary of my Teaching Philosophy

Stan

5 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am

One of the many benefits of being a practitioner/professional thrust into the role of an educator is the self-examination process. I mean that both with respect to my own actions as a lawyer as well as my fellow professionals. When you prepare lectures to students on different areas of the law, some stuff just jumps right out at you as supremely odd. I spent the past couple weeks on a variety of topics relating to foreign investors in China, including labor and taxation. These subjects are generally straightforward, and the lawyers that practice in these fields (and write about it) pretty…
US, EU and MX Move Ahead With WTO Case on China’s Raw Material Export Restrictions

Stan

4 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am

This one was simmering for a while. Just got the news from USTR (they send me press releases for some reason): The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced today that the United States requested the World Trade Organization (WTO) to establish a dispute settlement panel regarding China’s export restraints on numerous raw materials critical to U.S. manufacturers and workers. The materials at issue are: bauxite, coke, fluorspar, magnesium, manganese, silicon metal, silicon carbide, yellow phosphorus, and zinc, key inputs for numerous downstream products in the steel,…
Novartis to Drop USD 1 Billion on a China R&D Facility

Stan

4 Nov 2009 | 9:04 am

Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG is investing $1 billion to build the largest pharmaceutical research plant in China, emphasising the importance of developing markets for future growth. Novartis and other drugmakers are keen to tap into markets such as China as they face slowing growth and loss of exclusivity on key products, including the Swiss group’s top-selling blood pressure medicine Diovan. Novartis said it was also investing $250 million in a second research and development and manufacturing facility in Changshu. (Reuters) This story interested me mostly in what the wire report…
Ad Age’s China Blog List Also Includes 19 Others You Should Be Reading

Stan

4 Nov 2009 | 8:44 am

In a bizarre turn of events, it appears as though my readership has surged past that pesky single digit limit that has plagued me for so many years. No, seriously, some nice recognition for China Hearsay by being included on the China blog list compiled by Ad Age: Blogging has become a national obsession in China, with over 50 million Chinese regularly contributing to local blog sites. A handful of these sites are written in English, and provide a fascinating perspective on a country that is changing quickly. Below, Ad Age China identified 20 blogs that can serve as a great resource for…

The China Sourcing Blog
EVENTS: International Automobile Manufacturing & Production Facility Expo

Mandy

1 Nov 2009 | 8:08 pm

China (Beijing) International Automobile Manufacturing and Production Facility ExpositionVenue: China International Exhibition Centre, BeijingDate: 11-13 November 2009Organisers: China Academy of Railway Sciences, MOR, China World Trade Centre Co. Ltd. Tel: +86 (0)10 5233 8075Briefing:The objective of the event is to facilitate the development of China's automobile manufacturing industry and to promote fair…
EVENTS: Metro China 2009

Mandy

1 Nov 2009 | 7:47 pm

Metro China 2009Venue: Beijing International Exhibition CentreDate: 10-13 November 2009Organisers: China Academy of Railway Sciences, MOR, China World Trade Centre Co. Ltd.Tel: +86 (0)10 6505 1012Briefing:As the largest metro show in China, Metro China 2009 is intended to be a platform for exhibitors at home and abroad to seek partners, tap market potential and conduct exchanges in the urban rail transit…
EVENTS: Metalworking and CNC Tool Show 2009

Mandy

1 Nov 2009 | 7:33 pm

Metalworking and CNC Machine Tool Show 2009Venue: Shanghai New International CentreDate: 3-7 November 2009Organiser: Hannover-Messe International GmbH, Hanover Milano Fairs Shanghai Ltd., Shanghai World Expo GroupTel: +86 (0)21 5045 6700Briefing:As the most internationally-recognised business event in the metal working sector of South-East China, this event attracts various industries like…
The Outlook for China's SMEs - A Review

Barry

29 Oct 2009 | 11:37 pm

Gauging the current outlook for China's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is not easy. Depending on the way you a look at them, China's SMEs can be an unwieldy mass hard to regulate and prone to quality and intellectual property (IP) violations (as this blog has reported before), or a rising class of innovative entrepreneurs who traditionally struggle on their own, unable to obtain financing from China's banks. For obvious reasons related to their vast numbers, varying sizes, locations, industries and types of business, they are not an easy bunch to pin down. Yet if you heard anything…
俄罗斯对中国公司态度的转变 Changing Attitudes in Russia Toward Chinese Companies

Julia

19 Oct 2009 | 3:49 am

The following article analyses perceived changes in the attitude of Russians to Chinese companies in terms of trade and investment.2009年9月30日，在中国举行六十大庆的前一天，我去莫斯科参加了第五届俄罗斯矿业论坛暨展会：MINEX…

Silk Road International Blog
Read very very carefully

david

1 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am

Sometimes the details that really kill you are not in the printed text but in the white spaces–what’s not said. Here are four examples of how careful reading gives a completely different story than what was originally reported. 1. Retail sales are NOT good in China. Unless, of course, you count food, services, gas and auto loans sales—which China does count and much of the rest of the world does NOT. ***Quick Monday Morning update. The iPhone isn’t selling well (subscription required). Really? No kidding? Well let’s think about this for about 2 seconds. 1.
“What you must do, what you should do and what would be nice to do.”

david

27 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am

Do you know the difference? Johnny Sandhu of BV does and he presents a great PP on it at the Global Sources Trade Show Seminar, Buying from China: What new buyers need to know. First, what you must do includes anything that is mandated by either the Chinese government of the government of the country that you’re importing into. If you don’t comply with these regulations you’ll be breaking the law and maybe get your goods either confiscated or stuck in port. Part of this is also your necessary research into what expenses (duties, taxes) you’ll be paying to legally export and import…
The City of *#$&ing Yes.

david

14 Oct 2009 | 11:10 pm

Questions from Buyers at the Global Sources Electronics Show in Hong Kong this past week. 1. Buyer Question: So where do you live in Cina? My Answer: Shenzhen. Buyer Response: “Ah… the (beeping) city of (beeping) ‘Yes.’ To bad I’ve never found a (beeping) factory that can actually do what they (beeping) say they can.” (No exaggeration, he really said this. Actually, I probably left out a couple of bleeps.) Following up on this—just this AM—in the office we’re talking about a shipping schedule that is later than we’d like due to the recent holiday. The question in…
Hangzhou, Hainan and Hong Kong

david

11 Oct 2009 | 7:47 pm

I spent a week last month working with a factory in Hangzhou. The factory was great but I’m sure that I lost a week of my life due to the pollution (lucky I didn’t lose my life due to the traffic). Hangzhou was so polluted that it makes the PRD look clean and sunny. Maybe it’s the recession that’s making the PRD look so nice lately… But back to Hangzhou, I’m really not sure which was worse, the traffic or the pollution. I’ve lived over here for more 10 years and the traffic there was surprisingly awful but each night I could feel the grit on…
Being a “Boss” in China

david

21 Sep 2009 | 4:54 pm

Last week I had the opportunity to eat dinner with three bosses from four factories that we were doing a couple projects with this last month. One owns a large-box printing factory with 200+ employees. Another was the owner of a plastics stamping factory with about 150-200 people. And the most vocal guy was the owner of two factories, a wood furniture factory and a clothing factory. (I’ve written about bosses before and I find these guys, a generation of true entrepreneurs in China, to be fascinating.) As we sat around the table they started to tell me how difficult it was to be a…

China Venture News
China Business Myths

29 Oct 2009 | 8:16 pm

© Chi King Forbes ran an interesting piece on China this week. It looked at three myths that are widely believed to be true, but are, well, not quite as simple as people (and the media) tend to think... Myth number one: China's economy is led by exports. Myth number two: China's supply of cheap labor is (almost) endless. Myth number three: Your connections are everything. The examination of the number one myth is revealing (if you haven't been keeping up with China). While a few years ...
Will an Innovation Shortage End China's Economic Growth?

25 Oct 2009 | 6:09 pm

© jiazi BusinessWeek ran a couple of articles this week (here and here) on China's economic growth and the expansion of the China economy into "sophisticated industries." Can the growth rate of 8% continue? There are skeptics. China has moved into auto and airplane manufacturing, solar power, and silicon chips (to name of few of the so called sophisticated industries). But much of the 8% growth rate is driven by infrastructure projects designed to stimulate the economy. Many analysts doubt that China can maintain the growth rate ...
Seen that? - Intel Capital Makes Swift Investments Post-Alibaba Deal

24 Oct 2009 | 6:18 pm

Intel Capital Makes Swift Investments Post-Alibaba Deal at China Venture News Intel Corporation's $200 million China Technology Fund has wasted little time making an undisclosed investment in three companies. Although industry analysts speculate that the investments were modest, the timing from a fund only established two months ago does reinforce Intel's support for ...
China's Entrepreneur Confidence Index is Up

14 Oct 2009 | 7:57 pm

© Stephen_AU China has a entrepreneur confidence index - a scale of 0 to 200. And for the third quater of the year it's up almost 10 points, to 120.1 according to China CSR.The index, which measures the understanding, views, and projections of entrepreneurs, ranges from zero to 200. When it is higher than 100, it indicates optimism for an economic boom. But when it is lower than 100, it means there is an expectation of economic downturn.Computer services and software indexed at 150.5, making ...
China's Problems with the Falling Dollar are its Own Fault

11 Oct 2009 | 9:52 am

© somegeekintn Peter Morici has an interesting analysis of the current situation with the US dollar and China's yuan. As the dollar falls against the euro, yen and other major currencies, China and other emerging economic powers holding lots of dollars and U.S. securities are crying foul, and for an end to the dollar’s central status in global commerce. If they are truly disgusted, they should look to themselves for answers.Morici goes on to trace events from the 1970's when Nixon ended fixed gold prices and the Bretton ...

Dan Washburn
Attention

Dan Washburn

6 Oct 2018 | 10:28 pm

I won't be updating this blog anymore. Please access my new blog (with all the same content) here.
Temporary membership has its privileges.

Dan Washburn

9 Oct 2009 | 10:21 am
$800,000 in five months? I really should have studied iTunes App development in high school.

Dan Washburn

14 Apr 2009 | 1:15 am

http://www.macrumors.com/2009/04/13/all-time-top-iphone-app-sales-figures-and-estimates/
Brazilian President Blames White People For The Economic Crisis

Dan Washburn

27 Mar 2009 | 2:30 am

Sorry, everyone. My bad. http://www.businessinsider.com/brazilian-president-blames-blue-eyed-white-people-for-the-crisis-2009-3
Death link to too much red meat [BBC]

Dan Washburn

24 Mar 2009 | 12:30 am

For the most part, I stopped eating meat early last year (except when I visit the Bloomsburg Fair). So I probably won't die. Ever. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7959128.stm

Responsible China
How Did RespChi Represent on 350 Day of Climate Action?

Erica Schlaikjer

27 Oct 2009 | 9:36 pm

Photo courtesy of Alex Pasternack. Our man Mark Hiew and friends John Romankiewicz (of China’s Green Beat) and Alex Pasternack (of Treehugger) called awareness to climate change on 350.org’s International Day of Climate Action on October 24 by rapping at the Roots & Shoots China Summit and Climate Action Carnival in Beijing. From Treehugger: …dropping green knowledge was legendary Beijing green rapper Sustainable John, of China’s Green Beat (see an old video here), accompanied by beatbox extraordinaire Huan Bao Panda (huan bao means environmental protection) and…
Environmental Virtue: What Can We Learn From China?

CC Huang

27 Oct 2009 | 8:01 pm

Lu Guang (??) from won the $30,000 W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography for his documentary project “Pollution in China.” Image via ChinaHush.com. Previously, I’ve blogged about environmental justice as a framework of looking at environmental protection and why we should act. In the past few years, a new form of environmental ethics has been gaining momentum - environmental virtue ethics (EVE). Aristotle saw moral virtue as a reflection of a certain state of character, rather than our passions or our faculties and it is this kind of virtue - a consistent, repeated,…
The Rise of Environmental NGOs

CC Huang

4 Aug 2009 | 8:41 pm

Baihua Lake, China. Image via the International Wushu Federation. I’ve recently found two stories about environmental NGOs in China directly taking a stance against the government to improve environmental policy. The first is a landmark case in which a court accepted a lawsuit brought on by a charitable organization, The All-China Environment Federation. They are suing the government for allowing the construction of a ice cream workshop in Baihua Lake, a beautiful scenic area. This article is reported in both English and Chinese. Also, the China Environmental Law Blog has a good…
Videos: “Advancing Sustainable Enterprise in China”

Erica Schlaikjer

14 Jul 2009 | 5:27 pm

New Ventures, a program of the World Resources Institute, recently debuted a series of videos about sustainable enterprise in China. The six videos were produced in partnership with theWarehouse, a media program of the journalism school at Shantou University. They tell stories of Chinese entrepreneurs that have developed “innovative business solutions to China’s biggest environmental challenges.” Beijing Kingbo Biotech produces an organic pesticide line with ingredients sourced from a sustainably managed plantation in Inner Mongolia. Beijing Sinen En-Tech uses micro-filtration…
International Youth Summit on Energy and Climate Change

Erica Schlaikjer

3 Jul 2009 | 2:18 pm

International Youth Summit on Energy and Climate Change July 18, 2009 - July 19, 2009 Beijing, China Hosts: Tsinghua University Student Green Association Peking University CDM Club China Youth Climate Action Network To learn more, visit the official Web site: http://www.iysecc.org/en/index.html Executive Summary The International Youth Summit on Energy and Climate Change (IYSECC) will bring together 300 Chinese and international students from over 35 universities around the world. It is the first international youth conference in the field of energy and climate change to be held in China. As…

ChinaCSR.com
Novotel Greens Three More Hotels In Hong Kong

editor

5 Nov 2009 | 11:32 am

Novotel has announced that 32 hotels and resorts throughout Asia Pacific have achieved Green Globe Sustainable Tourism Certification, including three hotels in Hong Kong, and a further 40 hotels have attained benchmarking status — the first significant step towards certification. The most recent Novotel brand hotels to achieve certification are Accor's three Novotels located in Hong [...]
Computer Games Companies Exposed For Illegal Operations In China

editor

5 Nov 2009 | 11:30 am

China's Ministry of Culture has issued a circular which exposes 188 computer games companies for illegal operations. Of the 188 companies, 14, including Haikou Dongwang Xianfeng Network Company, were said to be advertising their network games products in a vulgar manner; eight companies including Beijing Tang'ai Shikong Network Company were involved in spreading computer games products [...]
Tianjin Tightens-up On Tour Group Operators

editor

5 Nov 2009 | 11:29 am

Tianjin municipality has published the "Tianjin Tourism Administrative Penalty Discretion Standard (for Trial Implementation)" which will be put into force from December 1, 2009. The standard specifies the penalties for wrongdoings by travel agencies and tour guides such as cheating tourists. It states that travel agencies can be fined up to CNY500,000 as a result of [...]
China Asks Central Enterprises To Be CSR Role Models

editor

4 Nov 2009 | 11:31 am

Li Rongrong, the director of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, said at a recent corporate social responsibility working conference that central government enterprises should gain a better understanding of CSR and set themselves up as examples of CSR best practice. Li asked central government enterprises to disclose their information in [...]
SAIC Invests CNY6 Billion In R&D On New Energy Vehicles

editor

4 Nov 2009 | 11:30 am

Hu Maoyuan, the president of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, has disclosed to local media that SAIC Group will invest CNY6 billion over the next two years for research and development on new energy vehicles. At the China Clean Energy International Summit, Hu said that CNY2 billion of the CNY6 billion investment, will be used to set [...]

Global Voices Online » China
China: Made-in-China Snow

Michael Kan

3 Nov 2009 | 4:36 pm

This past Sunday on Nov. 1, Beijing saw its earliest snowfall in 22 years. The sudden change in weather, which blanketed the entire city in snow, surprised many residents. But the news media later reported that the snowfall had actually been enhanced by the city’s weather modification office. The reasoning behind the forced precipitation was because Beijing had been experiencing a drought. The night before the snow, the government had fired silver iodide into the skies. The resulting effect increased the amount of snow by 16 million tons. “We won’t miss any opportunity of artificial…
China: The worker struggle

Oiwan Lam

2 Nov 2009 | 9:17 pm

The China study has an in-depth report on the rise of semi-autonomous worker struggle through collective actions in China..
Russia: AK-47 & Copyright; Time Zones

Veronica Khokhlova

2 Nov 2009 | 5:39 pm

Eternal Remont writes about “copyright protection for the AK-47″; FP's Passport writes about plans to cut the 7-hour time difference between Moscow and Vladivostok to 4 hours.
China: Electoral Reform

Andy Yee

1 Nov 2009 | 7:28 pm

China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress, has started discussion on a draft amendment to the Electoral Law, which will ensure voters in the countryside have as much influence as voters in the cities. The draft amendment tabled for first reading at the bimonthly legislative session of the 11th NPC Standing Committee last week, requires “both rural and urban areas to adopt the same ratio of deputies to the represented population in the election of people's congress deputies”. Under existing law, each rural deputy represents a population four times than in urban areas.
Bangladesh: Chinese Pressure Censors Tibet Exhibition In Dhaka

Rezwan

1 Nov 2009 | 10:50 am

Poster Of Tibet Photography Exhibition Students for a Free Tibet, Bangladesh (SFTBD), the Bangladesh chapter of the Students for a Free Tibet organization, in partnership with Drik Bangladesh, has organized a photography exhibition on Tibet named “Into Exile | Tibet 1949-2009” at Drik Gallery in Dhaka which was scheduled to start today and run for a week. Drik Bangladesh is an internationally acclaimed photo agency which is led by renowned photo journalist and blogger Shahidul Alam. Phayul.com reports quoting a spokesperson from SFTBD: “On 29th October 2009, Qian Kaifu, Cultural…

Crossroads
CSR in China

Rich

5 Nov 2009 | 11:33 pm
A Rare Gift to the Young Persons You Know

Rich

2 Nov 2009 | 12:10 pm

Hi friends, Almost two years ago, I wrote a paper entitled “Everyone a Changemaker — Starting with Youth” (see attached file) for the HK Journal of Youth Studies, advocating the launch of some programs in HK similar to Youth Venture in other parts of the world (an Ashoka program). The most important idea behind Youth Venture is the society-wide redefinition of youth years as a time of leadership and positive social initiative. What the program is saying to the young people are: If you have an experience at a young age of taking initiative and leading an effort to…
Deducting Charitable Donations from Chinese Tax

Rich

19 Sep 2009 | 8:40 am

A recent post at China Briefing China Clarifies Tax Deduction for Charitable Donations highlighted a clarification announced in February of this year on deducting charitable donations from corporate and personal taxes. In short, for donations given to one of the sixty nine organizations listed (click here for list), corporations can deduct up to 12% of their yearly profit and persons can deduct 100% of the donation. While many will notice that all of the organizations listed are GONGOs (Government ORganized Non-Government Organizations), it should be noted that deductions can be taken if…
Frog Celebrates 40 Years with China Events (Sept 24 - 27)

Rich

17 Sep 2009 | 2:10 am

In the past 40 years, our work include: Apple Macintosh computer, Sony’s Trinitron television, Lufthansa’s brand and fleet image, Disney’s Cruise Lines and Consumer Electronics, and Louis Vuitton’s brand aesthetic etc.In honor of frog’s 40 year anniversary, we will host a series of programs in China to celebrate! In honor of frog’s 40 year anniversary, we will host a series of programs in China to celebrate! frog design mind event Date : Sept 24, 2009 5:00 to 6:00 pm Open ceremony and cocktail party 6:00 to 8:00 pm FDM event- Convergence of Business, Design and…
A Pitch for Social Innvation

Rich

16 Sep 2009 | 8:57 pm

As a social entreprensur, and managing 3 researchers studying social innovators, I found this video quite interesting… and motivating.

China Dialogue
“China needs time”

Simon Zadek

6 Nov 2009 | 5:55 am

On Thursday, Graciela Chichilnisky proposed that the carbon market is used to avoid a stand-off between the US and China at Copenhagen. Here, Simon Zadek responds.Graciela Chichilnisky’s proposal (see “Saving Kyoto”) offers food for thought, and an innovative mechanism of moving money elegantly from the United States to China. My issue, however, is not so much whether the mechanism would work – as whether it addresses the right challenge. America will not pay for China’s mitigation costs through any route. First, this is because the domestic political optics do…
Saving Kyoto

Graciela Chichilnisky

5 Nov 2009 | 4:52 am

The carbon market can be used to avoid a stand-off between the major emitters at Copenhagen and forge a consensus among nations. Graciela Chichilnisky sets out her proposal.As nations get ready for the climate-change showdown at Copenhagen in December, the pieces are falling into place for a major confrontation between the two largest emitters: China and the United States. The United States does not want to limit its emissions unless China does. Yet China is protected by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Article 4, under which developing nations are not…
Corporate values, green governance

Tang Hao

4 Nov 2009 | 8:34 am

The failure of companies to report environmental pollution in China exposes challenges for governments in the developed and the developing world, writes Tang Hao.Eighteen multinational and Chinese companies, all of them listed in last year's Fortune Global 500 or Fortune China 100 – including Shell, Samsung, Nestle, LG, Kraft, Motorola, Denso and Bridgestone – failed to report environmental pollution at 25 different sites in China, according to a survey by Greenpeace last month. The eight non-Chinese firms on the list would not be so bold in their countries of origin: they would…
“There’s no doubt it’s getting warmer”

Joydeep Gupta

3 Nov 2009 | 4:14 am

Receding glaciers increase the risks to already perilous lives and livelihoods high in the Himalayas. Joydeep Gupta reports from the mountains of north-west India.The annual monsoon that is the lifeline of south Asia stops at the 5,000-metre slopes of the Pir Panjal range in the Himalayas. The Tibetan plateau effectively starts on the northern slopes of the Lahaul and Spiti valleys in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Little glaciers roll down both the northern and southern slopes, later turning into streams that feed the mighty Indus River system that straddles India and Pakistan. The…
Hard times in Siberia

Luke Harding

2 Nov 2009 | 4:43 am

For 1,000 years, Nenets people have herded reindeer on Russia’s Yamal peninsula. But their survival in the remote region is under serious threat as ancient permafrost melts, Luke Harding reports.It is one of the world’s last great wildernesses, a 700-kilometre-long peninsula of lakes and squelching tundra stretching deep into the Arctic Ocean. For 1,000 years, the indigenous Nenets people have migrated along the Yamal peninsula. In summer, they wander northwards, taking their reindeer with them, across a landscape of boggy ponds, rhododendron-like shrubs and wind-blasted birch…

China Economic Review - Daily Briefs
Schumer: US should block Chinese wind turbines

Democratic Senator Charles Schumer said that the US government should bar a US$1.5 billion wind farm project from receiving government stimulus funds because the farm would use Chinese turbines, Bloomberg
Statoil partners with CNOOC in Gulf of Mexico

Norwegian oil company Statoil ASA announced yesterday that it has agreed to sell part of its interests in the US Gulf of Mexico to the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the AP
Australia approves Chinese investment in Centrex

Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board has given unconditional approval to a US$245 million investment by a Chinese firm in iron ore explorer Centrex Metals, state media reported. Wuhan Iron and
Beijing considers HK suffrage

A central government think tank has implied that Beijing may grant Hong Kong universal suffrage if democrat lawmakers on the island agree to the government's proposed electoral reforms for 2012, the
Google's China music service posts growth

Google's mainland online music service is showing strong growth, according to a top executive at the US search company's Chinese partner Orca Digital, the Wall

Marc van der Chijs' Shanghaied Weblog
The end of my Android G1 - and the real reason why the iPhone doesn't sell well in China

Marc van der Chijs

4 Nov 2009 | 8:04 pm

Bad luck, I dropped my G1 phone last night and my screen did not survive it. Because the phone has a touch screen it is virtually useless now. I am going to try to get it repaired, because I really like the phone's operating system. If that doesn't work I will need to start looking for a new phone. Not sure what I will do in that case, another Android or going back to the iPhone?I like Android, but I also still like the iPhone. However, buying a iPhone 3G or 3GS in China does not make sense. The hacked version cannot be used on China's 3G networks and the official one has no wifi. Even more…
Shanghai Disneyland to open in 2014

Marc van der Chijs

3 Nov 2009 | 8:39 pm

It took a few years, but Shanghai Disneyland has finally been approved! The original idea to build a Shanghai Disneyland was thought up by former premier Zhu Rongji in 1990 during his tenure as mayor of Shanghai. It took Disney and the Chinese authorities almost 20 years to get from an idea to an approved plan! In 2006 it seemed there would be a go (see my blogpost about it), but it seemed the Shanghai mayor was not able to get it past the State Council.The park will be about 1000 acres, which would be similar to the parks in Tokyo and Paris, and bigger than the original Disneyland in…
Tudou.com again included in the Silicon Alley Insider list

Marc van der Chijs

31 Oct 2009 | 9:21 am

While going through my RSS feeds from the past days I noticed that Tudou.com was again included in the 2009 version of the Silicon Alley Insider top 60. This is a list of the 60 most valuable private Internet start-ups. Last year Tudou landed at place 22 with a USD 300 million valuation, this year we were at place 27 but at a higher valuation of USD 500 million. The analysis that SAI provided:Tudou is largely seen as the YouTube of China, which represents a large growth opportunity as more and more Chinese aggressively consume online video. A year ago the site had 60 million monthly unique…
Halloween 2009: Trick or Treat!

Marc van der Chijs

31 Oct 2009 | 8:07 am

Today is Halloween and probably for the first time in 10 years in China I am celebrating it. Most Chinese have no idea what Halloween is, but in an expat compound like the one that we are now living in it is a big thing. On Friday Scott's kindergarten already did a Trick or Treat (Scott could not join, because he was still sick), and tonight was the big Halloween night.This afternoon my wife and I went Halloween shopping: we bought a Halloween costume for Scott and masks for ourselves, plus a lot of decoration materials for the house. We also bought candy bars and chocolate for about 50 kids.
Short trip to Holland

Marc van der Chijs

27 Oct 2009 | 5:22 pm

I am in Holland at the moment where I will give a speech at the WECBA Executive Conference this afternoon. It's a very short and also very busy trip, but that's how I like it.I arrived in Holland Monday evening around 7 pm and had dinner with my parents in Amsterdam. The next morning I got up early to catch up on emails and then went directly to the Spil Games office in Hilversum, where I had several meetings during the day before leaving around 4 pm to go to The Hague. At 6 pm I had a cocktail reception followed by a dinner in the Ridderzaal (The Knight's Hall), with among others Dutch…

Cal Poly MBA Trip
Red Guards Against Rednecks

Chris Carr

31 Oct 2009 | 10:07 pm

Check out this video presentation (click HERE) of Kaiser Kuo at my undergrad alma mater, the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. An excellent, excellent piece, and well worth the investment of your time. It is a 1 hour and 18 minute broadcast (includes Q&A). His talk is titled, Shouting Across the Chasm: Chinese and American Netizens Clash in Cyberspace. FYI, Kaiser is a UC Berkeley grad and two years ago he spoke to our MBAs during our trip to China. Below is a more beefy bio for Kaiser. Your thoughts and takeaways from his talk? Kaiser Kuo: Born in the U. S. to Chinese…
How I Survived China …

Chris Carr

23 Oct 2009 | 4:54 pm

I recently finished James Fallows terrific book, Postcards From Tomorrow Square: Reports From China. Can’t recommend it enough. It will be required reading for our next China trip. I also just came across his most recent article in The Atlantic, How I Survived China. Also a great read. Regardless of whether one agrees with what Fallow’s sees and/or concludes, the guy can flat out write, and I have to utmost respect for those who can do so.
Today (Not 2,000 Years Ago), Can China Effectively And Consistently Innovate In Business, And Do So On A Meaningful Scale?

Chris Carr

14 Oct 2009 | 10:45 am

I don’t know the answer to this question. For me, it depends on the day you ask me, and, the product, issue and/or industry in question. This BBC podcast (click HERE) I just listened to is one of the more thoughtful and balanced pieces I have come across on the subject. For those of you who have been to the PRC, what say you on this topic and after listening to this podcast?
Man, Have These Guys Come A Long Way From The Days Of Wearing Mao Suits ….

Chris Carr

5 Oct 2009 | 10:24 pm

Check out this impressive 3.5 minute video by photojournalist Dan Chung (click HERE) who covered China’s 60th Anniversary National Day parade with a mix of time-lapse and slow motion. This was much more enjoyable for me to watch than the (pretty) boring CCTV snippets I have seen. A h/t to the Imagethief blog for the heads up on this video. This birthday bash, and the Beijing Olympics, have convinced me that the Chinese are finally “getting” (note I did not say “mastering”) this thing in business and politics called …. marketing. E.g.,…
Job Opportunities in China (and India) - The Sky ‘May’ Be The Limit, BUT … Do Your Friggin’ Homework

Chris Carr

1 Oct 2009 | 9:31 am

I am often asked by students and alumni about job opportunities in China (and India). The answer is often much more complicated than they like to hear. For example, I can report that managers and CEOs in both China and India, uniformly tell me that it is not enough that you have a pretty American smile and that you studied or majored in “global or international business” in the US. Your “value-add” must be more than than this. The resources I noted below collectively highlight some of the issues, complexities, challenges and opportunities that surround this…

China Business Blog
Briefly…Top Ten Tweets (From Bridge Building, Bai Jiu & Beautiful Pollution, To Stimulated GDP & Retail & Autos & Consumption & Carbon Emissions…)

Administrator

2 Nov 2009 | 12:35 pm

The news moves fast in China, but you can keep up with some of the key business issues here. For our latest, edited highlights from our Twitter feed, ChinaBlogTweets, see below: A different sort of export RT @chinanetwork. Chinese Construction Co Starts NY Bridge Renovation Project … http://bit.ly/3jFG6H Not pretty RT @ChinaRealTime: RT @shanghaiist Photographer Lu Guang’s Pollution in China: http://tinyurl.com/yh94col Acquired taste RT @chinabizculture: LVMH Acquires Chinese Traditional Spirits Distillery …Baijiu http://bit.ly/GbGEX RT @BullishChina: China’s Growth…
Blog Links Are Good (But Ignore The Banner Ads!)

Administrator

23 Oct 2009 | 1:51 pm

Update 26/10/09 – Glad to report that we have fixed the problem described below, and are back to normal. We have gone to great efforts to include many useful links to China information sources on this blog, and we aim to create value for our readers. Sadly, as you may have noticed, our site has just been hacked by someone taking advantage of a weakness in WordPress security. The “medicinal” ads in the blog’s banner, are not meant to be there, and we are working to have them removed ASAP. In the meantime please enjoy our many (spam and medicine-free) posts, and note…
Briefly…Top Ten Tweets (From Stimulus, Wind & West China, To FDI, Exports & Probes…)

Administrator

23 Oct 2009 | 10:44 am

After 2 Very Busy weeks, we are catching up with the news. Lots of interesting things going on, and below is our pick from last week. RT @chinastakes: RMB 4 Trillion Stimulus vs RMB 5 Trillion Debts: Looming Local Government Credit Risk Explosion http://bit.ly/3gg4w6 8:42 AM Oct 17th Can China tech win? RT @AdeMoubray: China Wants China-Grown Wind Turbines, for Itself and Europe http://bit.ly/XTS1t http://bit.ly/3Qf3lH 2:51 AM Oct 17th RT @CRIbrk: ...full financial service coverage to all townships in 3 years (Xinhua) http://bit.ly/1MDkNE 2:26 AM Oct 17th West China Fair RT @CSDTrippon:…
Event: Opportunities in China’s ICT Stimulus Programme, 13 October, London

Administrator

2 Oct 2009 | 7:55 am

UKTI / China-Britain Business Council Seminar Opportunities in China’s ICT Stimulus Programme Tuesday 13 October 2009, 10:00 – 12:00 China British Business Council, 1 Warwick Row, London, SW1E 5ER Supported by: UK Trade & Investment and China-Britain Business Council Speakers Jeremy Gordon – Business Specialist, UK Trade & Investment Ting Zhang – CEO, China Business Solutions Ralph Rogers – China Business Advisor, China-Britain Business Council In November 2008 China announced a RMB4 trillion fiscal stimulus plan. Additional spending has since been…
China Greentech Report. Read It!

Administrator

2 Oct 2009 | 1:36 am

This report, issued for the first time, is an important, and fascinating, piece of work. The National Day holidays provide some useful downtime to read it (and it does run to 164 pages…). Nobody can doubt the importance of the environmental and sustainability agenda in (and for) China. This research lays out the facts, along with the context and opportunities. It is a must-read report. Kudos to AmCham, PwC, and The China Greentech Initiative. Here is the intro: CGTI Launches the China Greentech Report 2009 “On Thursday, September 9, 2009, the China Greentech Initiative (CGTI),…

Smart China Sourcing
How to use supplier audits to ensure effective China sourcing

3 Nov 2009 | 5:11 pm

By Mike Bellamy Among the biggest risks of outsourcing is ensuring that your supplier delivers according to your requirements. Overseas trading companies can disappear overnight or, after signing a contract with one factory, your goods may end up being produced at an unknown subcontractor. Fortunately, supplier audits can help to mitigate many of these problems. This week, Smart China Sourcing spoke with Mike Bellamy from PassageMaker (http://www.psschina.com) on the benefits of supplier audits in reducing risk in your global supply chain.
Contacts of 'good factories'

29 Oct 2009 | 7:37 pm

By Renaud Anjoran in 'Quality Inspection Blog' These days I am exhibiting on a trade show (China Sourcing Fair (http://tradeshow.globalsources.com/TRADESHOW/HONGKONG-UNDERWEAR-SWIMWEAR.HTM) in Hong Kong).
Corruption of quality inspectors

29 Oct 2009 | 7:28 pm

By Renaud Anjoran in 'Quality Inspection Blog' This week my company had a booth on a China Sourcing Fair (http://tradeshow.globalsources.com/TRADESHOW/HONGKONG-UNDERWEAR-SWIMWEAR.HTM). I noticed that some questions/remarks came back regularly. A few days ago I wrote about importers who ask us the contacts of good factories (http://www.qualityinspection.org/contacts-of-good-factories/). Another hot topic was how easily a supplier bribes an inspector.
Using penalties effectively

29 Oct 2009 | 7:05 pm

By Renaud Anjoran in 'Quality Inspection Blog' Some importers can afford to conduct business in a friendly way with their Chinese suppliers. I am thinking of buyers who give regular orders to a few stable vendors, who donâ€™t work under intense timing pressure, and who enjoy a large degree of flexibility (for example, they keep a safety stock in their warehouse).
China Trademark Law. It's All Good.

29 Oct 2009 | 1:28 am

By Dan Harris in 'China Law Blog' The World Trademark Review, in its article, "Research reveals increased US confidence in Chinaâ€™s rights enforcement regime, (http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=7585956b-12d5-42ee-a0a2-bf27139ca3f1&q=Dickinson#search=%22Dickinson%22)" [subscription required for full article] just came out with a story on a recent US-China Business Council (USCBC) survey finding that US brand owners are becoming less concerned with IP rights enforcement in China.

Top News
Chengdu teachers strike for more pay

Hundreds of teachers from private high schools in the western China city Chengdu called a strike this week to protest low salaries and deplorable working conditions.
US unemployment rate hits 10.2%

U.S. unemployment rate rose by 0.4 percentage point to 10.2 percent in October, the highest in more than 26 years, the Labor Department reported Friday.
Michael Jackson' father wants his share

The late pop singer Michael Jackson's 81-year-old father demanded his share of 15,000 dollars from the late son's estate as monthly expenses, his attorneys said Friday.
Scholars push for actions in addressing global challenges

Some 300 scholars from home and abroad gathered in Beijing Friday to push for actions to achieve harmony in addressing global challenges.
Premier Wen arrives in Egypt for official visit, FOCAC meeting

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Cairo Friday, starting a two-day official visit to Egypt preceding a top-level review of action to build China-Africa cooperation. • FOCAC Senior Officials Meeting opens in Egypt • Wen: Chinese companies can contribute to Africa

Wangjianshuo's blog
Day 2 of YLF 2009

5 Nov 2009 | 7:08 am

During the discussion at night, we started to talk about voice mail - why there is no voice mail in China. I happened to write a Chinese blog about it more than one month ago: The Network Effect of Technology Application. In that blog, I argued that Chinese don't use voice mail because of lack of network effect. Voice mail is only useful when more people (at least more than half) will actually check their voice mail if you do leave one, or people will often check their voice mail only when you get at least one voice mail once every year! (I setup an answer machine with Wendy's and my greeting…
Day 1 of YLF 2009

4 Nov 2009 | 9:20 pm

Day 1 of YLF 2009. Just finished the morning sessions, and the afternoon will happen in Gulang Yu (the tomorrow's afternoon session will be in Nan Putuo Temple). The morning session was wonderful - the success and failures. My notes about the topic is, it is all about dimension, and the diversity of the standard, and acceptance for the failure. Will write about it later when we are back from the afternoon and night session. Let me post some photo of the noon view of the nice hotel room. Related Entries: YLF Day 2 of YLF 2009 November 5, 2009 Day 1 of YLF 2009 November 5, 2009 Flying to Xiamen…
Luggage (Me) is Still in Hongqiao

4 Nov 2009 | 1:37 am

My Spring Airlines 9C8807 to Xiamen is further delayed to 18:20. I am still at Hongqiao Airport waiting to get on board at a restaurant. Yesterday, I just read Feld's suggestion: Pretending You are Luggage when you are traveling by air. I agree. Luggage never complain and is never in a hurry. The reception at the outdoor grassland of YLF will start soon, and this big luggage is still in Shanghai. Hmm.... Don't complain. Drink some water, and continue to pretend I am a luggage. Update November 04, 2009 I finally sit in my nice sea view room at Seaview Hotel. The flight was delayed by 3 hours,…
Flying to Xiamen for YLF 2009

3 Nov 2009 | 2:22 am

I am flying to Xiamen tomorrow to attend the YLF 2009 (Young Leader's Forum). Very excited and cannot wait to see the great people there. I will be in Xiamen from November 4 to November 11 with the main session from November 5 to November 7, and the extension trip from November 8 to November 10. Related Entries: YLF Day 2 of YLF 2009 November 5, 2009 Day 1 of YLF 2009 November 5, 2009 Flying to Xiamen for YLF 2009 November 3, 2009 Congratulations to Andrew McLaughlin May 31, 2009 Erik Paulsen and Gabrielle Giffords November 6, 2008 Random Note During Meeting September 24, 2008 Photos from YLF…
Milk Tea Business

1 Nov 2009 | 7:23 am

It has been few days after Wendy opened her milk tea shop. Let me share some of my thoughts for this small business. My Position I support Wendy with all my heart, but I intentionally keep a far distance from the business. There are several reasons. First, it is Wendy's business, not mine (well, although legally speaking, I am also an owner). I know it is her dream to own a shop, and I let her do it without interference. Second, to run a shop requires a lot of time and energy, and I have my business to take care of. Sometimes, to put a firm line and won't over commit is a must in today's…

Lost Laowai China Blog
Photo: Farmers at the Gate

Lost Laowai

5 Nov 2009 | 7:54 pm

Another great photo from Beijing-based photographer Zhao Hua Xi Shi, previously “Elephant on a Bicycle”. I encourage everyone to browse through this talented self-taught photographer’s photostream. The photos do an amazing job of telling intricate and intriguing stories that show the complex mosaic of modern China. Submit Your Photos Every week(ish) we’ll feature an interesting, funny, beautiful or otherwise noteworthy photo here. If you have a photo you think might make a good Photo of the Week, throw it in the pool at the Lost Laowai flickr Group and if you’ve…
Tan’s Traffic Talk Show

Ryan

3 Nov 2009 | 4:08 pm

Ever wonder what happens when an edutaining Chengdu traffic cop runs square into China’s fēi zhǔliú culture? Well, wonder no longer. Thanks to the relatively new blog, Veggie Discourse, having subtitled this in English, we can all enjoy a gender-bending, hair-raising motorcycle safety video together: If you’re outside of China, or have a good VPN, be sure to check out the original blog post, where blogger “PH” breaks down some of the culturally unique (*) points noted in the subtitles. H/T to ToRiseFromAshes @ Hao Hao Report
Two Links For Learning Chinese

Matt

1 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

Now back to my regularly scheduled language beat, I’d like to share a couple of links with you that should help put the study of Chinese into perspective. First, Ben Ross debunks the myth that Chinese is the hardest language to learn in the world, even if it certainly seems like it at first. And from back in 2003, here’s a Brendan O’Kane post going through the basics of mastering our beloved 中文. Enjoy!
Hello Ladies

Fink

1 Nov 2009 | 7:41 am

Salutations! I believe a short introduction in order before we engage in relations. Entirely platonic, I assure you. I have nothing but the most noble intentions for the readers here at LLW. I’m the new jerk! Fink, a Laowai who is most definitely Lost without a road map, currently wandering through the streets of Shanghai. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Pleasantries out of the way, shall we begin? Have a seat in my internets. As I assure most of my companions, my performance will be brief. For my inaugural post, I’ve chosen to serve up fare slightly less shallow than what…
Why Do Foreigners in China Drink So Much?

Matt

31 Oct 2009 | 10:59 pm

On a recent Friday evening, at a promotional party organized by a foreign-managed bar, a very drunk foreign man accidentally dropped a very drunk Chinese woman whom had been sitting on his shoulders. She fell backwards, hit her head on the pavement, fell unconscious, and was ultimately hospitalized with a serious concussion. The event sparked a heated forum exchange on GoKunming, the city’s popular English-language blog. (Full disclosure: I once wrote for GoKunming, know the principals in the incident slightly, and was even at the bar for awhile that evening. Yeah, Kunming is that…

bezdomny ex patria
good news for Beijingers

wangbo

6 Nov 2009 | 7:49 pm

新京报/The Beijing News reports that Beijingers can get free vaccinations against Influenza A H1N1. Anybody over the age of 3 who is willing and gives their informed consent and who is a registered Beijing resident can get their free vaccination from any of 402 vaccination centres any time between November 16 and December 13. I take “registered Beijing resident” to mean that foreigners and Chinese whose residence is registered in a province, municipality or autonomous region other than Beijing still have to pay for vaccines. Unfortunately the 3.63 million doses of vaccine…
立冬

wangbo

6 Nov 2009 | 6:00 pm

And so today is 立冬, the start of winter. After a week of obssessively bleeding radiators to try and encourage hot water to come through the pipes, only for cold water to drip out, we seem to have some heat. Well, not so much “heat” as “not cold”. Still, it’s enough that the temperature inside our apartment climbed to 17 degrees last night, and 18 degrees by the time I got up this morning. It’s amazing how much of a difference those precious few degrees of warmth make. Waking up to 15 degrees was chilly, prompting me to crank up the aircon so we could…
three

wangbo

2 Nov 2009 | 7:11 pm

Three headlines grabbed my attention this morning: Beijing: CCTV building soon repaired. Actually, I don’t care too much about this, but that burnt-out shell has been sitting there for so long… If, as the article says the architect claims, the structure is basically sound and it is salvageable, then cool, salvage it. And in not-so-good news: 5.0 earthquake in Yunnan, 28 injured, Civil Affairs Bureau launches level 4 response. The quake hit Bingchuan, up near Dali, at 5:07am yesterday. No reports of deaths, at least not in that article, which is fortunate- and hopefully it stays…
snow!

wangbo

31 Oct 2009 | 6:37 pm

All Saints’ Day. I wake up a bit after 7, properly awake, no way to get back to sleep, so I get up. My wife was still sleeping, so I left her in peace, wandered in to the lounge room, open the curtains, and SNOW! It’s snowing! I knew it had suddenly got cold yesterday, but yesterday was dry, clear blue sky, and I didn’t realised it had suddenly gotten that cold. And snow on November 1, isn’t that a little early? So I fire up the computer and start brewing tea. I sign into Kaixin001 and see Guoan won the championship, Chen Lin is dead, and a video of a Chinese guy (Sun…
one love

wangbo

30 Oct 2009 | 5:14 am

I think this is about the awesomest thing I’ve seen online all year.

China Post Online - Taiwan , News , Taiwan newspaper
U.S. jobless rate tops 10 percent

6 Nov 2009 | 7:02 pm

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The unemployment rate has surpassed 10 percent for the first time since 1983 -- and is likely to go higher.
Premier Wu will quit if allegations proven

6 Nov 2009 | 7:02 pm

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Premier Wu Den-yih yesterday threatened legal action against a former opposition lawmaker who accused him of colluding with a gangster.
U.S. army post shooting rampage leaves 13 dead

6 Nov 2009 | 7:00 pm

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Military officials were starting Friday to piece together what may have pushed an Army psychiatrist trained to help soldiers in distress to turn on his comrades in a shooting rampage that killed 13 people and wounded 30 in Texas.
Troubled portrait emerges of Army shooting suspect

6 Nov 2009 | 6:55 pm

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - His name appears on radical Internet postings. A fellow officer says he fought his deployment to Iraq and argued with soldiers who supported U.S. wars. He required counseling as a medical student because of problems with patients.

3Q2U
The Buick Riviera concept car, conceived in Shanghai...

31 Oct 2009 | 7:30 pm

The first car I drove was my grandfather's 1963 Buick Riviera. That was one sweet ride. The 425 V-8 put out 360 horsepower. He took me to the cemetery, and told me to drive around. "You can't hurt anyone here," he said. I was about 12 or 13 then. As I got older I was allowed to park it, then after that I pretty much was the chauffeur. So I know a little bit about 1963 Rivieras. Today while it's snowing outside in Beijing I'm reading a NYT article about Buicks now being designed in China. This caught my eye since a few months ago I asked one of my friends out at GM to arrange a private factory…
Don't Sleep Be Happy

15 Oct 2009 | 10:28 pm

I think these billboards surrounding a construction site on Gongtibeilu are a good example of what's happening to Beijing.
White gogo boots in China

26 Sep 2009 | 11:49 am

I finally got around to putting my white gogo boots project online. Please check out www.whitegogobootsinchina.com As most of my friends know, my attention easily gets diverted while walking down the street, in meetings, at lunch, in an elevator, on an escalator, or at the grocery store as I try to snap a passing shot for my "art project." It all began last year when I just started noticing a lot of white gogo boots walking around. I found this fascinating, so began a chronicle. Some call it a fetish. I prefer project. Just the other day I saw this post at china.org.com when I realized my…
Server moving is always a drag

23 Sep 2009 | 1:44 am

I'm hosted in Sweden now, but the move has been bumpy. MySQL issues, backup issues, permission issues... I could go on but it's just whiny nerd talk. If this post displays then things are looking up. Hmmm. That didn't work out... Looks like this is the hack to MT to get it to stop the 666 permissions (755 is your friend): DBUmask 0022 HTMLUmask 0022 UploadUmask 0022 DirUmask 0022 But archives are whacked, so....another rebuild of everything. If this works now, it's time for a coffee. But not yet. Add this: HTMLperms 0775 Ah, coffee.
Geeks can't dance

14 Sep 2009 | 5:14 am

During dinner tonight I had a funny geeky globalization moment similar to the time the guys on that comedy, Big Bang Theory, got so excited by an internet ping they sent around the world to turn on their lamp. (The Cooper-Hofstadter Polarization Episode for those serious DVD addicts who just need to know.) Anyway, I downloaded the new Nokia Internet Radio application which works really well, and decided this would be our new mode of enjoying dinner - tuning in to Radio Tanzania or Rio Rocks, or any of the other amazing streams available, through the phone, over the speakers. I felt a little…

Thomas Crampton
Google Employees Earn US$302,314 (for the company)

thomas@crampton.com (Thomas Crampton)

31 Oct 2009 | 6:44 am

Interesting chart from Silicon Alley Insider on how Google’s revenue per employee has hit a three year high, with a revenue per employee hitting US$302,314.
ASEAN online advertising market

thomas@crampton.com (Thomas Crampton)

26 Oct 2009 | 3:49 am

Online advertising numbers are notoriously difficult to estimate in Asia, with some claims of market size at multiples of estimates by others. This estimate for online adspend in ASEAN, released in December 2008, is the The Yahoo!-Nielsen “Online Industry Review” study. Here’s how they describe this study: While there have been some online advertising estimates put forward by different firms in the past, these are mostly ad-hoc, general or cover only specific markets in this region. The Yahoo!-Nielsen “Online Industry Review” study is the first-of-its-kind formal study of the…
Asians Search Prior to Purchasing

thomas@crampton.com (Thomas Crampton)

21 Oct 2009 | 8:01 pm

Not surprisingly, Asians tend to search a great deal before making an online purchase. What I find interesting about this study by Mastercard and IPSOS, in fact, is that a great many people DO NOT search before making an online purchase. What’s up with Thailand and Japan? They really like to search! Technorati Tags: Mastercard, Search, TNS
President Oba Mao Heads to China

thomas@crampton.com (Thomas Crampton)

20 Oct 2009 | 7:33 pm

China is gearing up for Barack Obama’s upcoming visit. As pictures from Wen Xue City show, the T-shirt vendors are already warmed up, Mr President! (While in Ireland this summer, people referred to the US President as O’Bama, as in O’Brien.) My question: Will Obama meet with his half-brother Mark Ndesandjo who lives in Shenzhen? Technorati Tags: Mark Ndesandjo
Asia’s Most Newspaper Loving Nations

thomas@crampton.com (Thomas Crampton)

20 Oct 2009 | 8:11 am

This chart is taken from the fascinating WAN IFRA research report on the state of newspapers in China, India and Southeast Asia. Not surprising to see Hong Kong off the charts, with a combined paid-for and free daily circulation of 590 copies per thousand adults. What is interesting about Hong Kong is that a huge portion of newspapers (probably 95 percent or more) in the territory are sold off of the newsstands (not via subscription). This creates a fierce tabloid culture where publishers must literally grab readers each day. Some other highlights: Newspaper circulation in Asia grew +3.44…

Simpson's Paradox
Still Lost In Blue

Meg

5 Nov 2009 | 12:58 pm

The other day I was googling for “I’m stuck on an island with a total moron,” er, I mean, reading a bit about Lost in Blue 2, and I stumbled upon this Guide 2 Games review of Jack and Amy’s adventures. Sexual Content At one point, the two teens discover a hot spring, and there’s the option to have them bathe together. Amy responds to this by telling you she’s a little shy. However, both are shown with their clothes still on even in the water. Still, at first the implication is there that this was not the case, especially if you choose one of them to go in alone.
No, I’m Just Oblivious

Meg

31 Oct 2009 | 5:04 pm

Random guy outside library: Are you an angel for Halloween? Meg: What? Guy: Is this your angel costume, baby? Meg: No, I… Oh! Wait! You’re hitting on me! Thus proving that the library really is the place to meet boys! From the blog Simpson's Paradox, please comment here:No, I’m Just Oblivious
NoDa, Charlotte

Meg

30 Oct 2009 | 6:55 am

A few weeks ago, I was trying to pin down what I don’t like about Cary. I know some of it is feeling like Cary is an extended blank verso between the close of our Beijing adventure and the beginning of the next chapter. I’ve been trying to put into words exactly what it is I’m not getting from perfectly nice complexes of shops with manicured grass in the lane dividers, or from perfectly nice houses on branching cul-de-cacs. What I meant to say was, I wanted this. From the blog Simpson's Paradox, please comment here:NoDa, Charlotte
My Boyfriend

Meg

26 Oct 2009 | 6:37 am

I’m playing and reviewing THQ’s My Boyfriend DS game right now, which was funny before I even opened the game. Stick’s asked me if I like My Boyfriend, if I’m glad I got My Boyfriend, if I’m going to write about how great My Boyfriend is, and so forth. (He gets like this sometimes.) It’s been nonstop since I got the game. “Wow, this is an awful cover design.” I said. “Are you saying My Boyfriend is ugly?” Stick asked. “Don’t be shallow, Meg, you should only care about what’s inside.” I try to ignore him, but…
North Raleigh Optimist Club

Meg

23 Oct 2009 | 2:36 pm

Optimist Club Originally uploaded by Simpson’s Paradox This proves my theory that the people I hear talking about how great it is to live in the south and avoid winter, or how convenient everything is to the beltway are all secretly in league with each other. From the blog Simpson's Paradox, please comment here:North Raleigh Optimist Club

Absurdity, Allegory and China
Of Time, Trees and Pleasure Palaces

Jim Gourley

10 Oct 2009 | 11:08 pm

The first time I walked down the tree-lined lane between Hujialou Xili and Nanli was in the late afternoon of March 24, 2008. The trees were all on the Nanli, the east side of the lane, though Nanli literally means “south neighborhood”. The short stretch of lane runs north from Chaoyang Lu. The first photo I took was of a young girl, 6-8 years old, who was riding in the back of three-wheeled bicycle pedaled by an older man who I assumed to be her grandfather. Grandparents often assume the duties of transporting students back and forth to/from school, since parents are, more often…
More Chinese Drywall Info

Jim Gourley

5 Oct 2009 | 5:23 am

I started following the U. S. tainted drywall story back in January (2009), since one of the main Chinese drywall manufacturers is located here in Tianjin: Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd. Since then the story has grown and is now making it’s way awkwardly through the U. S. courts. For those who end up here in their search for info concerning this issue I recommend that you head over to China Law Blog, where Dan Harris of Harris and Moure has a lot of very good information concerning the drywall cases and how this may likely play out in China. See his most recent post Chinese Drywall…
When Art Hunts The Artist Down

Jim Gourley

4 Oct 2009 | 11:22 pm

Coming clean: I have watched Chinatown more than I’ve watched any other film. I have—more often than I could or care to quantify—played Chinatown roulette: pop in the VHS (80’s – 90’s) / DVD, hit fast forward and stop it at random and watch five minutes for a guaranteed hit of really great art. The last time I pulled that trigger was three weeks ago, before Roman Polanski wandered into what a petition for “immediate release” is claiming to be an extraterritorial film festival. Or rather, what everyone who is not a peckerwood should clearly understand to be an event reeking of…
Noise

Jim Gourley

2 Oct 2009 | 8:36 pm

There are lots of congrats being passed around on China’s turning 60, though I must say I am not in a “pass around comps” mood right now. In the process of greasing the skids for the happy face of holiday, they’ve gutted access to the internet, and I have an uncomfortable sense of certainty that what has been stripped away for the grand celebration of making Mr. Hu the next TAM idol, will not be coming back this time. And though I could be wrong, this bold upshift of draconian control is more than just a shot across the bow. This has allowed the fixers the opportunity…
Showtime!

Jim Gourley

30 Sep 2009 | 5:41 pm

I have been quiet in here of late for a few reasons (excuses?), but my focus has temporarily shifted to creating more of a web presence beyond the blog by building a website to display photos and other content that is not necessarily blog-able. Doing this with a web connection that has done nothing but deteriorate over the last two months has not been easy. This morning, the day of the big show, I am having a difficult time keeping the MLB.com audio connection as I try to listen to a baseball game before watching the spectacle on TV. A few of my former Tibetans students who are now in…

China Bystander
Beijing In No Rush To Buy IMF’s Gold

chinabystander

5 Nov 2009 | 3:51 am

People close to the central bank are pouring cold water on the idea that China should buy the large stock of gold the International Monetary Fund is looking to unload. Li Yang, a former advisor to the bank, was quoted by Reuters as saying it would be cheaper to buy domestically mined gold than buy [...]
Chongqing, Corruption And The Next Generation of National Leaders

chinabystander

3 Nov 2009 | 7:22 pm

This Bystander will leave to others the more lurid details of the trial and conviction of the Chongqing “Godmother”, Xie Caiping. The 46-year old has been sentenced to 18 years in goal for running illegal gambling dens in nightclubs and casinos, harboring drug users, running protection rackets and bribing police. The court also fined her [...]
Qian Xuesen, Rocket Scientist, Dies

chinabystander

31 Oct 2009 | 11:01 am

But for a twist of history, Qian Xuesen, whose death at age 98 was announced Saturday, might be being remembered as another immigrant rocket scientist who had made a significant contribution to America’s space technology rather than as the father of China’s space program. After graduating form Jiao Tong University in 1934, Qian studied on a [...]
Geely Looks Set To Buy Ford’s Volvo

chinabystander

28 Oct 2009 | 7:47 am

Greely has emerged as the preferred bidder for Ford Motor’s Volvo car business as Detroit’s old-line car makers continue to consolidate. Ford bought Volvo in 1999 for $6.5 billion when its strategy was to acquire a stable of premium marques. No indication yet of what price Hangzhou-based Greely might pay — $2 billion is being [...]
Drought In Southeast Worsens

chinabystander

27 Oct 2009 | 3:59 am

No relief to the drought in the southeast. Xinhua reports that approaching half a million people in Jiangxi face drinking water shortages. Nine rivers in the province are said to be at their lowest record levels. Attempts to create artificial rain have failed and the hot, dry weather expected to last into mid-November. The drought-causing hot, [...]

Mutant Palm
Happy China Internet Maintenance Day!

中国网站维护日快乐! Truly, my new favorite Chinese holiday. The traditional way of celebrating offline involves umbrellas. It's as if they've been watching Simpsons reruns in ZNH. And they've probably seen it in the dorms of Beida, or the equivalent, but it just doesn't pack that same wallop it does for the overseas ...
CIRC 2009

I'll be speaking, listening and blogging the 7th Annual Chinese Internet Research Conference in Philadelphia this Wednesday and Thursday (evenings in Beijing) over at the nested domains of http://2009.circ.asia/, which resolves to http://www.global.asc.upenn.edu/circ, where the blog is a wrapper around http://www.lokman.org/. In other words, you'll find me, Lokman, Weiyu, Anne ...
Chinese Al Jazeera? No Chance.

Reading David Bandurski's ever keen observations over at China Media Project in "As China shout its line on Tibet, is anybody listening?", I got struck by deja vu all over again. Three times. First, there's the endless drumbeat of the official line in Chinese media Bandurski illustrates thusly: In People’s Daily: “Treasuring ...
Teacup Feet

by otisarchives3 World War I era photo of Chinese woman's feet from the Otis Historical Archives at the National Museum of Health & Medicine in Washington, D.C.
China Strange Maps: Cannibals, Frenchmen & Mu

Cleaning out the aggregator. Here are several China-related maps from the Strange Maps blog. MAPS OF CHINA Populations of China Compared to Countries China as an Island (from "The Geopolitics of China" at Investors Insight) CHINA IN THE WORLD The Cannibal Map of the World (Tibetan literature apparently does talk about eating human body parts) The ...

China Economics Blog
Foreign direct investment, processing trade, and the sophistication of China's exports

Economist

18 Oct 2009 | 4:02 pm

Just how sophisticated are China's exports becoming? This paper is distantly related to the Puga and Treflet paper below but is far more readable.Another paper on my "must read" list.Foreign direct investment, processing trade, and the sophistication of China's exportsBin XU and Jiangyong LUReceived 28 October 2007; revised 23 January 2009; accepted 26 January 2009. Available online 5 February 2009.AbstractChina's export structure has shown a rapid shift towards more sophisticated industries. While some believe that this trend is a result of processing trade and foreign direct investment, the…
"Wake up and smell the ginseng"

Economist

18 Oct 2009 | 3:38 pm

A good paper in the recent issue of the Journal of Development Economics - the premier development journal.The paper attempts to model incremental innovation in low wage economies such as China and India. The model makes sense and this represents a potentially important paper.Puga and Trefler and premiership academics - this is a quality piece of work.Wake up and smell the ginseng: International trade and the rise of incremental innovation in low-wage countriesDiego Puga and Daniel TreflerReceived 12 September 2007; revised 27 January 2009; accepted 27 January 2009. Available online 9…
The evolution of renminbi yuan and the protracted debate on its undervaluation

Economist

18 Oct 2009 | 3:31 pm

A good paper in the Journal of Asian Economics. Summarises the various issues very well.The evolution of renminbi yuan and the protracted debate on its undervaluation: An integrated reviewDilip K. AbstractFor virtually a decade, the undervaluation of RMB yuan has become an issue of impassioned debate in international monetary economics. This issue kept the academic and policy circles engrossed in argumentative deliberations. That RMB yuan is undervalued is widely acknowledged. With China's emergence as an economic superpower of the future, this debate no doubt has considerable merit and…
Foreign Direct Investment in China

Economist

13 Oct 2009 | 2:35 am

The latest Review of Development Economics issue has a number of papers on FDI in China.Some interesting topics - I shall try to get around to reading the Kunal Sen paper.Review of Development EconomicsSpecial Section: FDI, Employment, and Growth in China and India (p 737-739)Amelia U. Santos-Paulino, Guanghua WanPublished Online: Aug 27 2009 3:45AMDOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9361.2009.00512.xAbstract | References | Full Text: HTML, PDF (Size: 35K)FDI Liberalization as a Source of Comparative Advantage in China (p 740-753)Sebastian ClaroPublished Online: Aug 27 2009 3:45AMDOI:…
China's Exchange Rate Policy, Its Current Account Surplus and the Global Imbalances

Economist

5 Oct 2009 | 2:37 am

A recent paper by Max Corden in the Economics Journal has a good account of the "China surplus" debate.China's Exchange Rate Policy, Its Current Account Surplus and the Global ImbalancesW. Max Corden 1University of MelbourneABSTRACTThis article is stimulated by current criticisms of Chinese exchange rate policy. The concern is really about China's current account surplus. The article discusses the factors that determine the surplus, and the reasons why the surplus increased sharply from 2005. The international implications of China's surplus and growth are discussed, and how it has affected…

The Green Leap Forward 绿跃进
Energy Service Companies in China

Julian

27 Oct 2009 | 10:11 pm

Guest blogger Tristan Edmondson (right), partner at Mint Research, a clean tech consultancy, describes China’s growing Energy Service Company (ESCO) industry. China has one of the worst ratios of energy use to GDP in the world, two and a half times the world average. This undoubtedly creates investment opportunities for a country that is awash in capital. But despite the huge potential of China’s ESCO industry, it has yet to approach the size of the ESCO industry in the US where it is an industry worth six billion dollars a year. What is an ESCO? Under an energy performance…
Carbon trading, taxes and putting the cart before the horse

Julian

12 Oct 2009 | 10:11 pm

There have been mixed messages lately about whether China will soon adopt a carbon emissions trading scheme. On the eve of President Hu Jintao’s speech at the UN Climate Summit in New York last month, Times Online ran a sensationally misleading story suggesting that China would adopt a carbon emissions trading scheme that would “for the first time, place limits on the amount of greenhouse gases Chinese industries are allowed to emit.” The article went on to say: A delegation from the China Beijing Environmental Exchange (CBEEX), a government-backed platform for trading…
A Birthday Wishlist: China’s Climate Challenge and the Next 60 Years

Julian

30 Sep 2009 | 8:19 pm

Originally published by the Center for American Progress and China Dialogue. The clean-energy float at the 60th Anniversary celebrations on October 1st in Beijing. (Photo credit: Xinhua/Li Gang) This week [October 1st] marks the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. The first 30-year phase was one of revolution, marked by one bloody internal purge after another, but the next 30-year phase was one of pragmatism, which underpinned economic and social reform leading to unrivaled rates of economic growth. China now finds itself at a crossroads. As the country struggles to come…
China’s Carbon Intensity Plans and its Impact on Climate Progress

Julian

25 Sep 2009 | 4:56 pm

Updated Sep 30: Reactions from U.S. legislators and Chinese translation of main blog piece. President Hu Jintao (pictured right) of China announced that China will build on existing domestic climate change policies as embodied in its National Climate Change Programme and current Five Year Plan to step up its efforts on energy efficiency, development of low-carbon energy such as renewables and nuclear, and increase of forestry cover. [For a transcript of President Hu's speech, click here] Most noteworthy was president Hu’s introduction of a new goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions per…
TV Interview on “Foreign Exchange” with Daljit Dhaliwal

Julian

22 Aug 2009 | 10:38 am

Here’s a 7 minute television interview I did with the US television foreign policy program “Foreign Affairs”, discussing China’s clean energy policies. If you based in the U.S., it may not be too late to catch this on the TV (check schedule). (p.s. not sure what the first visual on “a new direction for Hong Kong” means!) Watch 606 - Julian Wong in News | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com I suspect there may be some questions regarding my remarks about what percentage of China’s economic stimulus is being allocated to green projects. I…

China Environmental Law
Checking In

cmcelwee

10 Oct 2009 | 7:18 pm

I just want to report that I am alive and well, and will be back shortly with more regular updates. There is certainly a lot to talk about. The trip to Washington provided lots of fodder. Best quote from an unnamed Senator: “Why it’s the trees that produce most of the CO2, isn’t it?” Frightening. Here I am on the Speaker of the House’s private balcony (I’m the tallest one): If you are dying to hear me you can check out this NPR On Point Radio feature on Green China & the Clean-Tech Race (last third of show). International climate change…
CELB Lite

cmcelwee

27 Aug 2009 | 5:48 pm

I am going to be completely submerged for the next several weeks.Consequently, the posting frequency will take a noticeable dip and the general inattention to all things blog related will increase. This is unfortunate timing given the nice plug from Brad Plumer. Plumer, who calls this resource indispensible, is author of the truly indispensable blog, The Vine, for The New Republic. i’ll be back full time and even stronger in October, just in time for the 60 day countdown to Copenhagen. In the meantime, don’t forget the Greentech: A Call to Action conference on September 7-8 in…
Hardening?

cmcelwee

24 Aug 2009 | 12:19 am

If there has been a gradual “softening” in China’s climate change rhetoric lately, it was forcefully arrested today by the frosty, hard-line comments of China’s top climate change official, Xie Zhenhua, before a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC).Here’s what he said, in bullet form: The conflict between developed countries centers on economy, technology and global dominance whereas developing nations fight against restrictions on their developments. The conflicts are driven by commercial and political interests. The ongoing international…
The Climate Group Preaches Revolution

cmcelwee

20 Aug 2009 | 10:44 pm

The Climate Group launched its second homage to China’s low carbon efforts yesterday, “China’s Clean Revolution II : Opportunities for a low carbon future.” It starts well-enough with an acknowledgement (page 5) that In recent years the scientific evidence on climate change has become increasingly clear: it is now almost universally accepted that, in order to minimize the risk of irreversible damage to our planet and our livelihoods, we need to strive to keep the average global temperature increase below 2°C. It is also widely recognized that, to achieve this, we…
A New Era of Environmental Crimes in China?

cmcelwee

19 Aug 2009 | 8:13 pm

You may have read about the water contamination case in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province. If not, Greenlaw and New Energy and Environment Digest (NEED) have good summaries. NEED states that An estimated one million of the city’s 1.5 million residents were left without water due to what government identified as the presence of two variants of carbolic acid - carcinogen hydroxybenzene and phenol - in the city’s water supply. The local government identified Biaoxin Chemical Company as the party responsible for the tainted water, which illegally discharged the toxic chemicals from its…

www.web2asia.com Blog Feed
Interview Series: Kevin Li from Ku6

3 Nov 2009 | 9:40 pm

Here we go with another China interview from our Geeks on a Plane Tour participants Adrian Bye. Adrian runs MeetInnovators, which features interviews with founders and CEOs of web-based companies. The full transcript and mp3 files of this interview can be downloaded on Adrians CEO interview ressource http://www.MeetInnovators.com here. Personal Info Hobbies and Interests: Travel, Books and Ping Pong Tennis. Favourite Books: Books by Lu You and Confucius. Favourite Entrepreneurs: Jack Welch, Robin Li from Baidu, Charles Zhang from Sohu. Personal blog:…
Chinese game developers invading Japanese social networks

25 Oct 2009 | 9:56 pm

Asiajin has an interesting post on Chinese game developers infiltrating Japan's largest online social network Mixi. And yes: its farm games :-) Mixi's no 1 ranked app currently is Sunshine Farm by Chinese developer Rekoo. The game reached two million users in less than two months since its launch. On no 3 is already the next China-developed game Everyone’s Farm with 500,000 users by Yicha.
Interview Series: Nick Yang from KongZhong Corporation

22 Oct 2009 | 4:41 pm

After our Geeks on a Plane Tour, one of the participants Adrian Bye was so thrilled that he decided to stay in China for another 2 weeks to do some 1:1 interviews with Chinese entrepreneurs. Adrian runs MeetInnovators, where he publishes interviews with founders and CEOs of web-based companies. Today's interview is with serial entrepreneur Nick Yang. The full transcript and mp3 files of this interview can be downloaded on Adrians CEO interview ressource http://www.MeetInnovators.com here. Personal Info Hobbies and Interests: Art collecting, golf. Sports teams: Manchester United. Favourite…
Lunch 2.0 Shanghai - Oct 23 @ ChinaNet Cloud

21 Oct 2009 | 5:52 pm

Oh no … we’ve been lazy announcing our Shanghai Lunch 2.0’s here recently since it all runs through our Facebook Group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13224258265. Anyways, here is this weeks event: October Lunch 2.0 is on Friday! For the month of October’s Lunch2.0 we’ll be going over to the China Net Cloud offices near Xujiahui. This month’s theme is Expo 2010. Is your company doing anything Expo related? What project/business ideas are out there to tap into Expo potential? Does the Expo even mean anything, particularly for…
Exclusive: Clarification from the Ministry of Culture on Chinese online game investments

15 Oct 2009 | 2:03 am

Tuo Zuhai, deputy-director of the Culture Market Department of MOC during GDC China We have just received several documents relating to last weeks announcements from the Chinese General Administration of Press and Publications (GAPP) “prohibiting foreign investment in domestic online gaming operations through joint ventures, wholly owned enterprises and cooperatives.” We had reported earlier this week about the contradicting statements from the Ministry of Culture and the GAPP, as well as the underlying reasons for this continuing power struggle between the two institutions. The…

Asia Sentinel: Alice Poon Blog
My First Encounter with Death

3 Nov 2009 | 12:12 am

To a five-year old, what does death mean? Some images that gave me a first taste of it just got forever stuck in my mind since that day when my adult relatives gathered in my (maternal) uncle’s home to mourn the death of my (maternal) grandmother.
Stories of the Poor Lack Market

26 Oct 2009 | 12:57 am

I’ve stumbled upon an RTHK interview with Hong Kong social worker and grass roots activist, Ho Hei Wah (何喜華) on The Duke of Aberdeen blog and would like to share it here.
Fret of the 4th Generation HKers

18 Oct 2009 | 11:55 pm

The story of the doctor/lawyer couple who phoned in a complaint to Donald Tsang at a radio talk show has stirred up a storm among young Hong Kongers.
Chinese Peasants and Democracy

12 Oct 2009 | 11:35 pm

I’ve been inspired to write this post by Xujun Eberlein’s (Inside-out China) recent posts titled Why Didn’t Peasants Riot During China’s Three-Year Famine?
Identity Not Equal to Pride

5 Oct 2009 | 10:24 pm

Translation of a blog post by Dr. Fat @ West Kowloon titled “Looking at China Rising through Some Elementary School Patriotism Teaching Materials”.

Fool's Mountain: Blogging for China
Who Holds the Family Purse in China?

Allen

5 Nov 2009 | 9:04 pm

Despite great strides made over gender equality in the last 60 years, there are still a lot China can do as a nation to promote greater equality and promote the livelihoods of women – especially in the rural areas. But in the city at least, the power dynamics between men and women seems to be changing – at least on a family per family basis. Here is an entertaining video from James Fallow on who holds the family purse in China? If you live in or have been to China, what are your thoughts? Do women really hold the family purse in China? Are there difference among the major cities…
Fool’s Mountain’s Photo Page

dewang

3 Nov 2009 | 11:16 am

Fools Mountain’s Favorites on Flickr Some of you might have noticed the “Photos” page on our top navigation. I want to give you a quick introduction. We now have a “photostream” on Flickr.com containing photos of China we think you will find interesting. In the future, we will bring you more photos through this page. We hope to bring the photographers who took these pictures and share with you their thoughts. Currently running on the “Photos” page are some amazing pictures of modern day Shanghai. The version in the post is shrunk to not take up so…
How to more effectively brainwash others with your ideas

dewang

28 Oct 2009 | 2:43 pm

Mark Rosenfelder over at zompist.com has a really good article about how to debate, titled, “HOW TO ARGUE WITH ZOMPIST or, Social Skills 101.” (This link came via courtesy of Wukailong.) The article is not about brainwashing others with your ideas, of course. It is about how to debate more effectively and points out all the common fallacies people make, especially in heated discussions. (Well, for some of us wanting to brainwash the world with our ideas, this will be helpful too, I think.) I think I have been guilty in committing almost all of the sins he has warn us against. …
Psst … is China a currency manipulator and cause of the world financial crisis?

Allen

23 Oct 2009 | 11:53 pm

According to an op-ed by Paul Krugman in the NY Times today, China is not only a currency manipulator, but also a cause of the world financial crisis. I usually have some respect for Mr. Krugman, so I’ll try to take his op-ed seriously. Krugman wrote: Senior monetary officials usually talk in code. So when Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, spoke recently about Asia, international imbalances and the financial crisis, he didn’t specifically criticize China’s outrageous currency policy. But he didn’t have to: everyone got the subtext. China’s bad behavior is posing a…
The folklore behind a Chinese antithetical couplet

DJ

21 Oct 2009 | 1:23 pm

The NYT just posted a report on how Cantonese is being “swept aside” by Mandarin in Chinatowns of North America. This post has nothing to do with that story. The photo above is used by the NYT to illustrate a New York Chinese School classroom scene. Those vertically arranged Chinese characters shown in the background are the first half of a 对联 (Chinese antithetical couplet). And there is an interesting story behind the couplet. This story has been attributed to a number of famous Chinese luminaries in history. One of the more popular versions is based on 苏轼 (Su Shi), a…

旧书店
第17计　恐吓计

旧书店

6 Nov 2009 | 8:31 pm

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第16计　双面计

旧书店

5 Nov 2009 | 9:30 am

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第15计　观色计

旧书店

5 Nov 2009 | 2:30 am

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第14计　自嘲计

旧书店

4 Nov 2009 | 11:29 am

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第13计　退让计

旧书店

3 Nov 2009 | 11:28 am

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Biz China Update - News, Reports
The Week in Statistics: 31 October-7 November 2009

6 Nov 2009 | 4:25 pm

Between July to mid September, the volume of yuan-denominated cross-border trade totalled RMB70m, according to the People's Bank of China.
RMB As The Next Major Global Currency? - Part II

6 Nov 2009 | 4:57 am

Current DynamicsChina’s State Council continues to demonstrate its concern on the issue, appointing a high profile task force to create a road map for the internationalisation of the RMB. There will be three main steps: (1) the direct settlement of trade in RMB; (2) designation of the RMB as the...
RMB As The Next Major Global Currency? - Part I

6 Nov 2009 | 4:54 am

China has experienced dramatic economic growth and development over the last 30 years, multiplying GDP by nearly 1,600 per cent. In earlier years, the export of manufacturing goods at competitive prices was the absolute driver of GDP growth. To sustain this cost advantage in international trade, exchange rate control has...
BizTalk Interview: Tina Kanagaratnam & Amy Fabris-Shi, Co-Founders, Silk Guides

3 Nov 2009 | 5:10 pm

In advance of this weekend’s Cuisine Festival expo in Shanghai, BizChinaUpdate talks to Tina Kanagaratnam and Amy Fabris-Shi, Co-Founders of Shanghai-based Silk Guides, which has just published the debut Shanghai Eat Drink Guide. Tina and Amy discuss the Shanghai dining scene’s strengths and weaknesses, where to get great...
Author Nien Cheng Dies Aged 94

3 Nov 2009 | 4:06 am

Author Nien Cheng, whose powerful book, Life and Death in Shanghai, remains one of the seminal literary recollections of life during China's Cultural Revolution, has died in Washington DC at the age of 94.

Lost Laowai China Blog
Photo: Farmers at the Gate

Lost Laowai

5 Nov 2009 | 7:54 pm

Another great photo from Beijing-based photographer Zhao Hua Xi Shi, previously “Elephant on a Bicycle”. I encourage everyone to browse through this talented self-taught photographer’s photostream. The photos do an amazing job of telling intricate and intriguing stories that show the complex mosaic of modern China. Submit Your Photos Every week(ish) we’ll feature an interesting, funny, beautiful or otherwise noteworthy photo here. If you have a photo you think might make a good Photo of the Week, throw it in the pool at the Lost Laowai flickr Group and if you’ve…
Tan’s Traffic Talk Show

Ryan

3 Nov 2009 | 4:08 pm

Ever wonder what happens when an edutaining Chengdu traffic cop runs square into China’s fēi zhǔliú culture? Well, wonder no longer. Thanks to the relatively new blog, Veggie Discourse, having subtitled this in English, we can all enjoy a gender-bending, hair-raising motorcycle safety video together: If you’re outside of China, or have a good VPN, be sure to check out the original blog post, where blogger “PH” breaks down some of the culturally unique (*) points noted in the subtitles. H/T to ToRiseFromAshes @ Hao Hao Report
Two Links For Learning Chinese

Matt

1 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

Now back to my regularly scheduled language beat, I’d like to share a couple of links with you that should help put the study of Chinese into perspective. First, Ben Ross debunks the myth that Chinese is the hardest language to learn in the world, even if it certainly seems like it at first. And from back in 2003, here’s a Brendan O’Kane post going through the basics of mastering our beloved 中文. Enjoy!
Hello Ladies

Fink

1 Nov 2009 | 7:41 am

Salutations! I believe a short introduction in order before we engage in relations. Entirely platonic, I assure you. I have nothing but the most noble intentions for the readers here at LLW. I’m the new jerk! Fink, a Laowai who is most definitely Lost without a road map, currently wandering through the streets of Shanghai. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Pleasantries out of the way, shall we begin? Have a seat in my internets. As I assure most of my companions, my performance will be brief. For my inaugural post, I’ve chosen to serve up fare slightly less shallow than what…
Why Do Foreigners in China Drink So Much?

Matt

31 Oct 2009 | 10:59 pm

On a recent Friday evening, at a promotional party organized by a foreign-managed bar, a very drunk foreign man accidentally dropped a very drunk Chinese woman whom had been sitting on his shoulders. She fell backwards, hit her head on the pavement, fell unconscious, and was ultimately hospitalized with a serious concussion. The event sparked a heated forum exchange on GoKunming, the city’s popular English-language blog. (Full disclosure: I once wrote for GoKunming, know the principals in the incident slightly, and was even at the bar for awhile that evening. Yeah, Kunming is that…

chinaSMACK
Chinese Girl Shows Off, Becomes Internet Joke

Fauna

6 Nov 2009 | 2:59 pm

From Mop, China.com, & XiCi:A netizen from Nanning Sky Web, claiming to be female, claimed to be young and rich with over 200,000 monthly income, and wears a Vacheron Constantin watch. The image below is the portrait she uses on Nanjing Sky Web, claiming to be a self-photo:Continuing on…a frightening scene occurred, as netizens one after another stormed in… A netizen came in with a PK portrait: [The netizen] claimed the watch in the picture is a Patek Philippe, and the diamond ring is a Tiffany’s.Not to be outdone, other netizens one after another came into PK. The…
Gang Rape Ruled ‘Temporary Crime on a Whim’ By Judge

jessie

5 Nov 2009 | 11:21 pm

From Youth Times:On October 29, the Nanxun Court in Huzhou City, Zhejiang province sentenced a rape case. Two defendants raped a girl who had just finished high school and were judged guilty, and each of the men received a three-year-prison term. The criminal charge was identified as a “temporary crime on a whim” (临时性的即意犯罪), so relatively light sentences were imposed.But most people haven’t heard the phrase “temporary crime on a whim”, so this judgment attracted a huge controversy. Within a few days, the discussion on the matter was very hot at…
Emperor Qianlong’s Jade Imperial Seal In London Auction

Joe

5 Nov 2009 | 7:05 am

Earlier this year at a Christie’s auction regarding the sell of two bronze Zodiac Heads caused uproars of nationalistic sentiments online. Today, another auction at the Sotheby’s Auction House in London once again provoked in the minds of the Chinese netizens the past histories of humiliation and loss. The main item of attraction is Emperor Qianlong’s own jade seal, estimated to fetch up to 600,000 British Pounds. Historically, the Imperial Seal represents the very raison d’être of a dynasty. In fact, the character for country “国” contained the character “玉”, or…
Kunming Protest After Chengguan Beats Man to Death

Tingting

4 Nov 2009 | 8:18 pm

From Mop:Yesterday [Oct. 31st] around 8PM, more than 100 people carried a gurney with a corpse and surrounded Kunming Guandu District Guanshang Street Office Fude District Branch Chengguan’s entrance, and started to burn paper money [fake money for the dead to use in the underworld]. Including spectators, there were hundreds at the scene. A large police force arrived and the situation was mostly contained. But up to 3AM today, the congregated people still haven’t left…The direct reason for this incident is, a three-wheeled-bike driver whose tool to make a living had been…
Netizen Selects Top Ten Most Annoying Chinese Phrases

Python

3 Nov 2009 | 9:21 pm

Not only derogatory terms irritate people. Phrases that are too often heard or spoken can drive listeners nuts too. Different cultures and languages may have different “most hated words” according to situations. Researchers at Oxford University drew up a list they found annoying in spoken English and the top ten offenders are:1 – At the end of the dayWe use this expression before we say what we believe to be the most important fact of a situation. In conclusion and when all is said and done have the same meaning.2 – Fairly uniqueThis is an example of an oxymoron – two…

China Briefing News
SAT Clarifies Deed Tax Calculations on Transferred State-Owned Land Use Rights

China Briefing

6 Nov 2009 | 5:54 am

Nov. 6 – The State Administration of Taxation has clarified how taxes are to be paid on transfers of state-owned land. The “Reply on Clarifying the Basis of Deed Tax Calculations Imposed on Transfers of State-Owned Land Use Rights” states that all economic benefits paid by transferees in obtaining their state-owned land use rights are subject [...]
World Bank Raises China GDP Growth to 8.4 percent

China Briefing

4 Nov 2009 | 8:49 pm

Nov. 5 – The World Bank became the latest major institution to raise its forecast for growth in China on Wednesday when they projected China’s economy to grow by 8.4 percent this year. The organization had forecast the economy to grow by 7.2 percent in June. The new 2009 estimate is just short of the 8.5 [...]
Autumn Canton Trade Fair Buyers Increase

China Briefing

4 Nov 2009 | 6:21 pm

GUANGZHOU, Nov. 5 – Overseas visitors to the autumn Canton Trade Fair “appeared 20 percent higher” than the previous two fairs earlier this spring and last autumn according to reports from the local office of Dezan Shira & Associates. The fair, which is now held every six months, has recently moved to larger premises, while the [...]
Disneyland Gets Approval for Shanghai Park

China Briefing

4 Nov 2009 | 5:32 pm

SHANGHAI, Nov. 5 – The Shanghai municipal government has confirmed reports that the central government has finally approved the Shanghai Disneyland Project. The Shanghai Disneyland park, which has been on the drawing board for the past twelve years, had originally been passed over in preference to Hong Kong. The new Disneyland is scheduled to open in [...]
China Joint Ventures: Understanding the Intangibles

China Briefing

4 Nov 2009 | 12:42 am

Part Four in our “Joint Ventures as a Strategic Investment” series By Chris Devonshire-Ellis and Richard Hoffmann Nov. 4 – The intangible aspects of entering into and running a successful joint venture in China include the business areas where culture, common sense, law and an understanding of finance all cross over and weave together. They are not [...]

2point6billion.com - Foreign Direct Investment in Asia
The Brazil BRIC: Ready to Shine, but Social Issues Still Remain

2point6billion.com

6 Nov 2009 | 2:01 am

The emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China, or BRIC bloc of countries, represent 40 percent of the world’s population and together, a growing economic force. Chris Devonshire-Ellis is traveling to the four BRIC nations to observe the impact these countries are having on one another, and the impact they are having on the world. In this final article he focuses on Brazil. By Chris Devonshire-Ellis Nov. 6 – Brazil is South America’s most influential country, the tenth largest economy in the world and one of the world’s biggest democracies. However, like…
India Bans Foreign Journalists from Covering Dalai Lama Tawang Visit

2point6billion.com

6 Nov 2009 | 1:38 am

Nov. 6 – The Indian government has refused to permit foreign journalists to cover the Dalai Lama’s visit to the Tawang Monastery in Arunachal Pradesh. Requests for permits allowing foreign correspondents to travel to Arunachal Pradesh state were declined, and the government revoked passes previously given to four of them, including two Associated Press journalists. Foreigners require special government permission to visit the mountainous state, which has recently been at the center of border frictions between India and China. The monastery is just a matter of a few hundred yards…
Legatum Institute: India more Prosperous than China

2point6billion.com

6 Nov 2009 | 12:45 am

Nov. 6 – The Legatum Institute, an academic investment group think tank based in London, has just released its latest global prosperity report. The 2009 Prosperity Index values prosperity in a number of ways, and not purely based on economic indicators. They include personal freedoms, quality of life, entrepreneurship, health, education, innovation, governance and social capital in addition to economic fundamentals. In the results, India scored 45th on the index, while China ranked low in 75th place, below even pariah state Venezuela. The reasons for this have to do “in the way…
Pressure Brewing for China in Dollar Scarcity

2point6billion.com

6 Nov 2009 | 12:36 am

Nov. 6 – Resurgent expectations of yuan appreciation have made dollars more scarce in China’s foreign exchange market, tripling six-month dollar funding costs and creating new complications for Beijing’s stable RMB policy. The Economic Times reports that over the past two months, Chinese banks have become eager to sell extra dollars to the central bank, fearing the U.S. currency could fall in value, while their corporate clients are increasingly keen to borrow dollars to buy RMB. This was used to speculate on RMB appreciation or for arbitrage. With expectations of RMB…
Indian Spice Worth More than Gold

2point6billion.com

5 Nov 2009 | 1:33 am

Nov. 5 – The price of gold has been trading at historic highs for the past few months, but in a week where India purchased 200 tons of the commodity from the IMF, it is being outperformed by the price in weight of a staple Indian commodity, turmeric. Turmeric is the golden yellow spice that is an ingredient in many curry powders. Endemic to Southeast Asia and related to the ginger plant, Turmeric is roasted, then ground and used in an array of cuisine preparations. In Erode, the southern city in Tamil Nadu, a 100 kilogram bag of turmeric now costs more than 8 grams of gold. Erode is the…

ChinaTravel.net Features
Xinjiang motuoche diaries: Far west China by motorcycle

27 Oct 2009 | 4:55 pm

Josh Summers had been blogging his Xinjiang adventures for the past three years at Far West China when events overtook him, along with everyone else in the "Uyghur Autonomous Region." Since the Urumqi riots, his blog has been blocked, but it hasn't stopped him from exploring Xinjiang by motorcycle. We're pleased to present a bit of Josh's Xinjiang motorcycle diaries here on China Travel. ...
Off road & out of bounds: Shangri-La's Xiao Zhongdian by motorcycle

21 Oct 2009 | 4:13 pm

Racing down Yunnan Highway 214 at 90 km/h with jowls flapping and eyes watering in a blast of cool mountain air beneath towering rocky peaks and past winding streams, I'm suddenly a believer: Shangri-La is paradise. After brief missteps in Kunming (too modern) and Lijiang (reduced to a crowded theme park version of Naxi culture), and a less-than-death-defying trek into Tiger Leaping Gorge (beau ...
44￠double-decker Shanghai bus tour: Any cheaper and you're walking

16 Sep 2009 | 12:03 pm

Shanghai's best budget tour? The open-air 3 RMB double-decker No. 1 bus cruises the heart of the city for the cost of a plate of dumplings. Shanghai is a steam bath from June through August, but by mid-September things begin to cool down, dry out and clear up. Fall is easily the best time to make the most of the city and its environs, whether that be a day trip to a nearby canal town like Zhou ...
Suzhou bike tour: Sleuthing paradise on a pair of wheels

14 Sep 2009 | 6:14 pm

A skeptical cyclist tests Suzhou, finding charm in silkworms and Song Dynasty streets alike. Is the old line about "paradise" still true? When Marco Polo visited Suzhou in the 13th century he saw "no fewer than fifteen thousand vessels" on the canals and compared the city's intricate bridgework and architecture favorably to his hometown of Venice. Even through the mid-18 ...
Yangshuo Getaway: Sans Souci in the Land of Shan Shui

9 Sep 2009 | 12:37 pm

Not a worry, not a care. Rivers and mountains everywhere. Though only a two-hour flight from Shanghai, Yangshuo is worlds away from the urban jungle. I've been away from Shanghai for 14 hours, and I wake in a fuzzy near-dream state convinced for a moment that I haven't left at all, but rather that the city has miraculously transformed around me. Outside my window, shadowy towers jut into mis ...

China Expat - China Expat City Guide blogs
Four Means More Than Death

Ernie

6 Nov 2009 | 12:03 am

Notice anything missing? Most expats misinterpret the Chinese disinclination for the number four. Just because it's left out of elevators and hopefully phone numbers doesn't mean four commands taboo juju power over the Chinese heart. Saying "four" sounds like saying "death", and so having fours out in plain view where they must be seen and said is somewhat distasteful, like having a president named Dick, or Bush. Above coincidental homophones, the Chinese respect numbers for the relationships they symbolize. Beyond a death word,…
A Most Empowered Concubine

Ernie

3 Nov 2009 | 11:02 pm

The older a fellow gets, the easier it becomes to condone, if not openly endorse, concubinage. Especially in China. Back west, almost all taboos have fallen, but not our need for them. Hence the ongoing prejudice there against May-December relationships, even May -September. Far better a young woman slave away as an underpaid secretary or waitress then suffer the exploitation of having a sugar daddy. Certainly, certainly. But in China, the concubine's status is a little more complex. Before 1912, an er nai [second breast] had rights of support, and…
My First Chinese Wedding

Ernie

1 Nov 2009 | 6:29 pm

~ by Jeffrey Walsh "Married couples who love each other tell each other a thousand things without talking". - Chinese Proverb The blushing young bride is a surgeon who works the night shift at the local hospital. Her strikingly handsome groom is also a doctor and surgeon.at the same hospital. It is quite evident that they are deeply in love. The young professionals join hands as they enter the grand banquet hall together. Cue the music, start the cameras, light the fireworks and let the wedding festivities…
Chengdu's Old Towns: No Hurrying or Worrying

Ernie

29 Oct 2009 | 12:17 am

It still takes the more adventurous type of expat to go settle down in Chengdu. Despite reports of more bars than Shanghai with less than half the population, Chengdu is no hub of the WTO like Beijing or Shanghai, and hence perceived as somehow less civilized. To combat the misperception, Chengdu now strives with Chongqing for the "Western China Financial Center" title, which is a shame. Let all those coastal people persist in the illusion that trade numbers determine a city's greatness. For nigh on two-and-a-half millennia, Chengdu folk…
Old Shanghai Antiques: Genuine Copies

Ernie

26 Oct 2009 | 7:21 am

It's easy to forget that Shanghai had a great Opening Up long before the one currently transforming China. From the Treaty of Nanking in 1842 until WWII, Shanghai was the Chinese destination for making a fortune and finding all things western, including furniture. Without catalogues, much less IKEAs, wealthy Shanghai ren would employ well-known gong guan, or "craftsman families", to fashion western-style furniture with local materials and Chinese ingenuity. Working off pictures, sometimes sketches, the gong guan…

2point6billion.com - Foreign Direct Investment in Asia
The Brazil BRIC: Ready to Shine, but Social Issues Still Remain

2point6billion.com

6 Nov 2009 | 2:01 am

The emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China, or BRIC bloc of countries, represent 40 percent of the world’s population and together, a growing economic force. Chris Devonshire-Ellis is traveling to the four BRIC nations to observe the impact these countries are having on one another, and the impact they are having on the world. In this final article he focuses on Brazil. By Chris Devonshire-Ellis Nov. 6 – Brazil is South America’s most influential country, the tenth largest economy in the world and one of the world’s biggest democracies. However, like…
India Bans Foreign Journalists from Covering Dalai Lama Tawang Visit

2point6billion.com

6 Nov 2009 | 1:38 am

Nov. 6 – The Indian government has refused to permit foreign journalists to cover the Dalai Lama’s visit to the Tawang Monastery in Arunachal Pradesh. Requests for permits allowing foreign correspondents to travel to Arunachal Pradesh state were declined, and the government revoked passes previously given to four of them, including two Associated Press journalists. Foreigners require special government permission to visit the mountainous state, which has recently been at the center of border frictions between India and China. The monastery is just a matter of a few hundred yards…
Legatum Institute: India more Prosperous than China

2point6billion.com

6 Nov 2009 | 12:45 am

Nov. 6 – The Legatum Institute, an academic investment group think tank based in London, has just released its latest global prosperity report. The 2009 Prosperity Index values prosperity in a number of ways, and not purely based on economic indicators. They include personal freedoms, quality of life, entrepreneurship, health, education, innovation, governance and social capital in addition to economic fundamentals. In the results, India scored 45th on the index, while China ranked low in 75th place, below even pariah state Venezuela. The reasons for this have to do “in the way…
Pressure Brewing for China in Dollar Scarcity

2point6billion.com

6 Nov 2009 | 12:36 am

Nov. 6 – Resurgent expectations of yuan appreciation have made dollars more scarce in China’s foreign exchange market, tripling six-month dollar funding costs and creating new complications for Beijing’s stable RMB policy. The Economic Times reports that over the past two months, Chinese banks have become eager to sell extra dollars to the central bank, fearing the U.S. currency could fall in value, while their corporate clients are increasingly keen to borrow dollars to buy RMB. This was used to speculate on RMB appreciation or for arbitrage. With expectations of RMB…
Indian Spice Worth More than Gold

2point6billion.com

5 Nov 2009 | 1:33 am

Nov. 5 – The price of gold has been trading at historic highs for the past few months, but in a week where India purchased 200 tons of the commodity from the IMF, it is being outperformed by the price in weight of a staple Indian commodity, turmeric. Turmeric is the golden yellow spice that is an ingredient in many curry powders. Endemic to Southeast Asia and related to the ginger plant, Turmeric is roasted, then ground and used in an array of cuisine preparations. In Erode, the southern city in Tamil Nadu, a 100 kilogram bag of turmeric now costs more than 8 grams of gold. Erode is the…

Xinjiang: Far West China
Picture of the Week: Karakul Lake

4 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

A Beautiful Day at Karakul Lake Along the Karakoram Highway which begins in Kashgar and leads to the town of Tashkurgan on the China-Pakistan border, there is a small lake surrounded by the gorgeous Pamir mountain peaks. It’s very difficult to capture the beauty of Karakul Lake within the frame of a single photo and I wish I could say I have done so here. The water in this lake, which appears to change to a different shade of translucent blue every hour of the day, becomes a crystal-clear mirror when calm. Pretty much the only thing more breath-taking than the majestic daytime scenery at…
Favorite Pit Stops on the Silk Road

1 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned in my years of traveling through Xinjiang and around China, it’s that travel books don’t catch everything. It would be impossible, I realize, but I still think it’s a shame that travelers miss some really cool gems. I’ve become friends with a few foreign small business owners and have come to appreciate the incredible red tape they have to overcome to open their cool cafes. So in my effort to give these guys some free publicity and to help any travelers touring the Silk Road I’d like to share my top three favorite kinds of foreign small…
Picture of the Week: Woodworking in Kashgar

28 Oct 2009 | 5:00 pm

Father and Son share duties at the woodworking shop I came across this cool scene on a small street in the Old City of Kashgar. Among the endless stands and stores selling all sorts of Uyghur antique souvenirs a man and his son patiently chipped away at pieces of wood. The young boy, no older than thirteen years old, used a large axe to break apart the logs while his father worked the lathe using a tiny chisel. After chatting with the both of them for a few minutes I ended up buying two simple candle stands that had since been painted and stained. It wasn’t expensive and these aren’t the…
Opposite End of China back Online

27 Oct 2009 | 7:39 pm

Before there was Far West China...there was The Opposite End of China. For over 8 months I have received numerous emails asking me what happened to Michael Manning and his Xinjiang blog "The Opposite End of China", and for eight months I have given the same response: "I have no idea". He just dropped off the grid and his site was completely shut down. No warning. No response to emails. No nothing. This week, out of the blue, I get a response to an email I sent back in March letting me know that all is well. I'm not sure we'll…
"Mommy, I'm being Brainwashed at School!"

25 Oct 2009 | 5:00 pm

Here in Xinjiang we have some foreign teacher friends whose son attends a local Chinese school. A week ago we overheard one of the most hilarious conversations between this 3rd grade boy and his mother that I have to share. It went something like this: Mom: Are you ok, Michael? You look a little pale. Son: I'm scared, mom. I think they are brainwashing me at school! (this, of course, alarms his mom) Mom: What!? What are they doing to you? Son: They're using some sort of machine at school to brainwash all us kids and they forced me against my will to…

Gruvr.com: China Concerts
Map of China Beijing concerts

7 Nov 2009 | 2:40 am

Click for map of all China Beijing shows or on individual concert maps to set email reminders.
Saturday November 21st: Owl City Beijing, China at Yugong Yishan

7 Nov 2009 | 2:37 am

Yugong Yishan 3-2 Zhangzizhong Rd Beijing, China
Friday 13th: Hanggai Beijing at Mao Livehouse

7 Nov 2009 | 2:33 am

Mao Livehouse Beijing
today! : QuakeSound agency management Beijing at David Tort @ Beijing China

7 Nov 2009 | 2:30 am

David Tort @ Beijing China Beijing
Wednesday December 2nd: KAMIKAZE QUEENS TÖGING at SILO 1

7 Nov 2009 | 2:27 am

SILO 1 TÖGING

The China Observer
Thank You China Law Blog

Joel

4 Nov 2009 | 5:32 am

Special thank you to the China Law Blog for this recent post: “China Retail/I Heart Qingdao” I am fascinated with China as a consumer market. It has 1.3 billion people and if one reaches just one percent of the market….. Joel Backaler over at China Observer blog just came out with a post assessing McKinsey’s newest report on China’s consumer market. The post is entitled, “One Country, Many Markets – McKinsey’s Alternative Method of Analyzing Chinese Consumers,” and it describes McKinsey’s newest innovation of dividing China’s…
One Country, Many Markets – McKinsey’s Alternative Method of Analyzing Chinese Consumers

Joel

1 Nov 2009 | 3:51 am

(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2009/7/28/1248782959908/Shopping-Crowd-in-Hangzho-013.jpg) Back when I first started studying Chinese and traveling to China, my friends and colleagues thought I was crazy. While they were impressed that I was able to gain fluency in a language so different from English, but to them it just seemed more logical to study a “practical” language like Spanish or French. Around the same time as I was learning to differentiate the four tones of Mandarin and cramping my hand writing characters over and over, Western multinationals grew…
China Unicom, Telefonica Complete Mutual Investments

Joel

25 Oct 2009 | 4:00 am

(From China Tech News) According to Telefonica, the leading telecommunications operator in the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking world, the company has completed its stock swap with the Chinese telecom operator China Unicom. Under the agreement signed by Chang Xiaobing, chairman of China Unicom, and Cesar Alierta, chairman of Telefonica, in Beijing at the beginning of September 2009, the two parties agreed to make mutual investments by acquiring shares of USD1 billion from each other. On the completion of this transaction, China Unicom would own a 0.88% stake in Telefonica; while Telefonica…
GM China Sales Surge 56% in Jan-Sept

Joel

11 Oct 2009 | 5:34 pm

General Motors said on Friday that its China vehicle sales in the first nine months of this year jumped 55.6 percent from a year earlier, boosted by Beijing’s stimulus policies and boding well for record sales for the full year. READ MORE
Goldman in talks to buy Geely bonds

Joel

21 Sep 2009 | 6:17 am

An investment arm of Goldman Sachs (GS.N) is in talks with Chinese car maker Geely Automotive (0175.HK), which has been linked with both Volvo and Opel, to buy about $250 million of the company’s convertible bonds and warrants, two sources said. “The two sides have basically agreed on the investment in Geely already, but have yet to work out some technical details,” one source with direct knowledge of the deal told Reuters. Read More

Tai Shan
Uh-oh. It’s Time.

sbryant

6 Nov 2009 | 8:46 pm

The event I’ve been planning for since sometime back in the spring is here. Over the weekend, we will be launching the dark ’til dawn series of designer art lamps, which have been built around my poetry. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the process up to this point, but I must admit that, now that the launch of the collection is upon us, I am quite nervous. The launch will take place over the next 2 days. I will be doing readings both days, with most of the poems coming from my newly released poetry collection Cyborg Chimera. It’s been a real pleasure cooperating with the…
On a Quiet Little Street

sbryant

3 Nov 2009 | 8:26 pm

My plans for brunch with friends over the weekend quickly turned into an outing more filled with excitement than I expected it to be. I was walking along Lingling Road toward Guci Coffee House, situated at the intersection of Wanping Road, just across from the Long Hua Hospital. It is a nice quiet little stretch of road, especially soothing on an autumn morning when the weather has not yet turned cold. There are lots of little food stalls lining the road, with a steady stream of people who live in the neighborhood picking up some snacks. There is a fair bit of foot traffic, but it is not a…
Shanghai Through Other Eyes

sbryant

30 Oct 2009 | 6:38 am

When I first started coming to Shanghai, a Shanghainese friend used to tell me that she had never realized that Shanghai was beautiful until she saw it through my eyes. Having lived here all of her life, she just thought it was another big city. Seeing it through other eyes that were less accustomed to the place made it seem so different to her. One of my friend’s mom is here visiting, and it strikes me that I might have become a little jaded to some of the things that are so fascinating about Shanghai. She’s been recording some of her impressions on her blog, and I’ve had a…
Future X-Cops

sbryant

27 Oct 2009 | 11:26 pm

It’s no secret I am a science fiction fan. And while it might not be such a widely known fact about me, I admit that I am also quite a fan of Andy Lau’s work (both movies and music). That being the case, I suppose that I should not be too ashamed to say I am on the lookout for a DVD of Future X-cops, even though the trailers promise nothing more than a cheesy story and lousy special effects. Still…….. I am watching out for it, ready to pick it up and have a look at the flick, if I can ever find a quiet couple of hours to do so. Science fiction is not nearly as…
A Hero in Suzhou

sbryant

24 Oct 2009 | 1:19 am

Guest post from Julie Loo Suzhou is a water town. It is best known for its gardens and canals. And beautiful maidens. What about the men? Do they have looks that kill? I will not comment on that, as ‘one man’s meat is another man’s poison’. Looks are subjective. But heroic acts are definitely heroic. No question about that. Many people have been to Suzhou, but not everybody had the opportunity to witness a young man rescuing a little boy from the canal. I did. No, it was not a show put up for tourists. It was for real. 伏羲古茶馆 Fu Xi Tea House My friend, Catherine and I were…

Middle Kingdom Life
How Hard Do Foreign English Teachers in China Actually Work?

While foreign teachers employed by Chinese colleges and universities do work the fewest number of hours, the average number of base contract hours was reported as 17.33, SD = 5.2, suggesting that the days of receiving university contracts requiring only 12 to 14 class periods per week of work are rapidly coming to an end. Related, teachers working at private English language schools reported working an average of 26.91 hours per week, SD = 9.93, which is also in excess of what used to commonly be the 16- to 22-hour workweek required by the majority of private English language schools in…
Pros and Cons of Being Married to a Chinese Woman

Although my wife is an associate professor of English in a vocational school and her English is far superior to that of most Chinese teachers, she occasionally has trouble grasping the more subtle qualities of our language. Also, I have a pretty large vocabulary but I can't use it to its fullest because otherwise she would simply not understand me.
Analysis of the Statistical Differences between StatCounter and Google Analytics

This article examines the quantitative differences between StatCounter and Google Analytics across two statistics, page views and visits, for one website over a two month period.
Western Woman Dating a Chinese Man

The main difference is the way we open our relationship to others. For example, as soon as we started dating I told my family and friends back home, and they all were very happy to hear the news. My boyfriend, however, only started to tell his friends quite recently, one by one, and that's about it. He has never told his family and doesn't really have plans to do so for the moment.
Guangzhou To Require Standardized Teaching Certificate

According to a brief report posted on the website Life of Guangzhou, the city of Guangzhou “is to introduce an international training courses (sic) and examination system to those who are interested in teaching English in China.” This appears to be a response to the absence of any accrediting body for the monitoring and [...]

CHINAYOUREN
The Reading Method

Uln

15 Oct 2009 | 5:32 am

I know, I should be studying right now, and not writing posts. But I was just breathing slightly between two sessions of 模拟考试, and I reflected on the fascinating process of learning a new language, and on how, when you have been through it a few times, you end up developing your own secret methods to climb up the long steep ladder. My approach to learning Chinese this year is based on the one I used with my previous languages: The reading method. It can only be used starting from intermediate level. In the case of mandarin, I would say this is not before 2 years of studying at a…
Back to the HSK (2)

Uln

12 Oct 2009 | 11:33 pm

I am back to Shanghai with some interesting anecdotes and some mildly funny pictures of Japan. Unfortunately, I will not be able to post any of that, because this week I am busy with work trips in China, and especially because this is the HSK week. It is just as well, I guess, after all this is not Japanyouren, and there are funnier travel bloggers out there if you are looking for a laugh. Before I disappear for a week into my studying den, let me explain you again this business of the HSK. It is short for 汉语水平考试，or Chinese Level Exam, and it is the official standard to…
Mao, Jiang and the importance of Ideals

Uln

5 Oct 2009 | 9:14 pm

Now that I am in a free internet country, I have taken the chance to look at the CDT website, and I have found this interesting question coming from al Jazira: what would have happened if Mao had lost? I am not in principle against counterfactual history, it can be useful in many cases to see the events from a different point of view. It also makes for lively pub conversations and blog comments. But the basic condition for this kind of exercise to make sense is, in my opinion, that the chain of events analyzed had any chance to have actually happened. For example: it might be interesting to…
First Impressions of Japan

Uln

3 Oct 2009 | 10:36 am

First impressions are usually mistaken, but they are also interesting because the eye is alert to any novelty, and the culture clash is rich with ideas. Warning: this post contains sweeping generalizations. Take it for what it is, and if you are serious about understanding Japan you might want to look somewhere else. I came to Japan quite randomly, I wanted to spend the holidays in a quiet and relaxing place, and in the week of the Chinese National Day, Japan seemed the only place near enough with the right conditions. I am preparing for the high level HSK later this month, and the plan was…
Motherland, I love You!

Uln

1 Oct 2009 | 10:51 pm

I was pleasantly surprised when I booked my last minute flight to Japan, I got a very reasonable price for the 1st October National Day. When I went to Pudong airport I understood why: the streets were empty in Shanghai, nobody flew at that time because they were all at home with the eyes glued to the TV set, watching as thousands of men and women, looking silly in their flowery dresses, marched on Beijing’s Chang An Avenue. I had the chance to watch the parade for 30 minutes as I waited to board my plane. I have to say it was beautiful. Sure enough there were cringeworthy moments,…

ChinaBizGov
Plenty of Lithium Outside China

G. E. Anderson ---

29 Oct 2009 | 6:10 pm

Following up on yesterday's post about electric cars in China, an astute observer pointed out the possibility that China may have already cornered the market on the rare earth metals necessary for hybrid and battery technology. (See comments below this post.)I just happened across this short photo essay at ForeignPolicy.com about Bolivia's supplies of lithium which are estimated to be 50 to 70 percent of the world's known reserves (a figure that surprised even me!). Lithium is, of course, a major component of the lithium-ion batteries used in mobile phones, laptops and most of the electric…
What is a "Preferred Bidder"?

G. E. Anderson ---

28 Oct 2009 | 9:39 pm

News outlets are reporting today that Geely, a HK-listed, "private" Chinese automaker, is the "preferred bidder" for Ford's Volvo unit. (Stories at Bloomberg and WSJ.)I'm a little confused by this announcement. What exactly is a preferred bidder? What is it about the bidder that would lead Ford to approve Geely over another?Correct me if I'm wrong, but when you're trying to unload a money-losing asset while taking as small a loss as possible, wouldn't you be more focused on the bid than the bidder?If I were a Ford shareholder (and I probably am through mutual funds), that's where my concern…
Electric Vehicles: China can do no Wrong. Right?

G. E. Anderson ---

28 Oct 2009 | 5:54 pm

Think Again.This past week, columnists Anil Gupta and Haiyan Wang published an opinion piece in Business Week that dares to go against the flow. While the rest of the world seems ready to declare China the winner in electric vehicle technology, Gupta and Wang explain why China has no real advantage -- a position with which I agree. They make two important points that are worth highlighting:Despite the apparent importance of battery technology for cars in the future, batteries are merely one component among many others. The apparent early success of China's BYD in battery technology (which is…
Mr. Hu, tear down this wall!

G. E. Anderson ---

13 Oct 2009 | 2:31 am

On a day in which China has taken further steps to block social networking applications, I think it appropriate to explain why I use Twitter, and why China is doing itself a disservice by blocking these applications.Twitter is one of those applications that people either love or simply don't understand. I've found few people who remain on the fence about Twitter for long. When I first tried it, I did so because Business Week was raving about it, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. After playing with it for a few minutes, I failed to get the point and didn't touch it again for…
Reciprocity or Market Principles?

G. E. Anderson ---

8 Oct 2009 | 9:34 pm

A story appeared in Bloomberg today that China Minsheng Bank, the largest "private" bank in China, intends to raise its stake in a US-based bank to as much as 50 percent. The company, UCBH Holdings runs the United Commercial Bank of San Francisco which has about $13 billion in assets.Minsheng made its initial purchase of 4.9 percent of UCBH in 2007 and then increased its holding to 9.9 percent in 2008.Assuming Minsheng meets the Fed's requirements in terms of its management capability and the health of its balance sheet, the purchase will probably be approved. It seems only fair that a…

Asian Ramblings
Swan Song

Stevo

3 Nov 2009 | 3:12 am

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; The Second Coming, William Butler Yeats Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Hamlet, William Shakespeare For the Love of Money is The Root of All Evil Timothy 6:10 Let be be finale of seem. The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream. The Emperor of Ice Cream, Wallace Stevens From a fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty “Hi-yo Silver,” I say Peace Out.
A bit ‘o’ travel and meeting the Infamous Paddy

Stevo

26 Oct 2009 | 3:44 pm

I’m back in China. Okay, Hong Kong is China so I never really left. If that’s the case why is there that pesky border? Three days in the city I love to hate. Some times I think that Hong Kong is the city where bitter expats go to die, like an elephant graveyard. It used to be the city that Brits who completely f*cked up fled to the start over. Now? Not so much. The “visa run” is a trip many expats are well acquainted with. Luckily, Shenzhen, China (my home base) is right beside Hong Kong. It’s a very quick trip to one of the world’s financial centers (and…
China Photo: Shopping and Walking

Stevo

21 Oct 2009 | 2:55 pm

Shopping and walking in China Shopping is a pastime enjoyed by many of China’s foreign residents. Clothing, electronics, assorted kitsch items: It’s all affordable. I shot this image last weekend as Mrs. Stevo and I were taking a break from shopping. What attracted me was the lovely and long 4 pm shadows. I bought a shirt and a headband for my torturous adventures in the local gym. Mrs. Stevo purchased a shirt, a yellow number that proclaims “Superstar” or some such statement to the world. Ah, shopping. I hate it yet love it.
A day on Sanmenkou Island, Shenzhen

Stevo

19 Oct 2009 | 2:42 pm

As I was saying, Shenzhen, China is a sprawling city, it’s hard to believe that places like Sanmenkou Island co-exist with monolithic concrete creations. The airport and the Shenzhen’s beaches are separated by 50 km. I’ve been to the beach twice in my almost five years in China. I like the beach, I don’t like public transportation. Luckily, on our October holiday excursion, a friend had a car. Dongchong beach was our destination. From there it was tickets on a small and scary boat across the water to Sanmenkou Island. The boat’s pilot, a Kejia man, has skin the…
A Day at the Beach: A Teaser

Stevo

18 Oct 2009 | 3:00 pm

Beach at Sanmenkou Island, Shezhen, China It’s easy to forget that Shenzhen is more than just concrete. It’s a sprawling city, the east on the South China Sea. Tomorrow: My day at the beach. Stay tuned.

Digital China Guide
China’s Digital Ecosystem is Booming!

The Sina news portal has a headline news story reporting that the total number of internet users in China has reached 338 million, and that the total number of people in China who access the internet by means of their mobile phones has reached 155 million. “At 13:30 in the afternoon on ...
China’s Mobile Internet Update

This post was spurred by a question about the state of the mobile ad market in China. The short answer is I couldn't find any reliable, vendor independent statistics relating to total marketing spend on m0bile in China, nor any reliable data relating to % spend by mobile marketing activity. If ...
China Mobile Internet is Heating Up!

China's 3G Rollout Fuelling a Globally Retracting Market. The mobile space is going to heat up this year in China with the rollout of 3G services. According to Digitimes.com This rollout is actually the main motor fueling growth in an otherwise global market which showed 9% revenue contractions. China Telecom Focus China Telecom's ...
Sorry for the break …

Hi: Just a quick update to appologise for the lack of posts lately. I have started a new role at Starcom and have been quite busy however I will start posting again this weekend!!! Thanks for your patience and support ;) cheers /tim
Latest Report on Internet Development in China

I have just finished reading the latest report from CNNIC titled 23rd Statistical Report on the Internet Development in China [pdf]. Here's a quick summary of the salient points as released by CNNIC. Internet Penetration Rate in China Surpassed the Global Average Level for the First Time According to the report, by the ...

Digital China Guide
China’s Digital Ecosystem is Booming!

The Sina news portal has a headline news story reporting that the total number of internet users in China has reached 338 million, and that the total number of people in China who access the internet by means of their mobile phones has reached 155 million. “At 13:30 in the afternoon on ...
China’s Mobile Internet Update

This post was spurred by a question about the state of the mobile ad market in China. The short answer is I couldn't find any reliable, vendor independent statistics relating to total marketing spend on m0bile in China, nor any reliable data relating to % spend by mobile marketing activity. If ...
China Mobile Internet is Heating Up!

China's 3G Rollout Fuelling a Globally Retracting Market. The mobile space is going to heat up this year in China with the rollout of 3G services. According to Digitimes.com This rollout is actually the main motor fueling growth in an otherwise global market which showed 9% revenue contractions. China Telecom Focus China Telecom's ...
Sorry for the break …

Hi: Just a quick update to appologise for the lack of posts lately. I have started a new role at Starcom and have been quite busy however I will start posting again this weekend!!! Thanks for your patience and support ;) cheers /tim
Latest Report on Internet Development in China

I have just finished reading the latest report from CNNIC titled 23rd Statistical Report on the Internet Development in China [pdf]. Here's a quick summary of the salient points as released by CNNIC. Internet Penetration Rate in China Surpassed the Global Average Level for the First Time According to the report, by the ...

China Private Equity
Shenzhen’s Place in China’s Long History Mixing Sex and Commerce

admin

1 Nov 2009 | 5:39 am

Shenzhen is such a relentless modern city that it’s often hard to discern the influence of 3,000 years of Chinese history and culture. The skyline is so futuristic that it often resembles the home planet of a higher civilization.(See photo above, of the City Center and buildings near CFC’s office). But, of course, this is still a part of China, with all its embedded messages and references to a history longer and richer than any other. It just takes a little wisdom to perceive it. I can’t lay claim to any such wisdom. Luckily, though, I have a friend here who has both the historical…
The Closing of the American Mind: Seeing China As It Was, Not As It Is

admin

26 Oct 2009 | 5:51 am

I recently returned from a two-week stay in the US. I was very busy seeing friends and business colleagues, which means I was also very busy answering questions about China. China occupies a very special place in the minds of many Americans, including many who’ve never been. The level of curiosity in America about China is enormous. This contrasts notably with the indifference with which many Americans view the world abroad. For example, during the 14 years I spent in London, I never found my American friends to be very interested in what life was like in England. Not so China. But,…
How & Where to IPO: Research Article by CFC Published in Chinese Magazine

admin

20 Oct 2009 | 11:37 pm

The current issue of “Corporate Finance Magazine” has a Chinese-language research report written by the China First Capitalmanagement team. It’s the cover story. The title of the report is: “”. It examines some of the right and wrong ways for a Chinese SME to IPO. The article begins on page 10. Download report here We are very happy about the planned opening of trading later this month on the new Growth Enterprise Market (创业板 ) here in Shenzhen. We hope it will give many successful SME new opportunities to go public properly and efficiently. Our goal is that…
The Time of Candied Crabapples and Persimmons: Beijing in Autumn

admin

18 Oct 2009 | 4:23 am

Back in Beijing after an absence of two years. I know enough to expect big changes every time I return to Beijing, a city that is undergoing the most “meta” of metamorphoses. The most noticeable one this time, in the midst of a short and busy stay, is the completion of at least four new subway lines, and a high-speed train to the airport. While crowded, the subway is a far better way to get around than above-ground, where the traffic situation in Beijing continues to worsen. This in spite of the fact that 20% of the city’s cars are kept off the street each weekday. Weekends are a…
How PE Firms Use Tax Arbitrage To Turbocharge Their Profits

admin

14 Oct 2009 | 6:39 am

Private companies the world over share one common trait: a preference for paying as little tax as possible. In Italy, for example, under-reporting of taxable income by privately-owned companies is an accepted national pastime. Italy even created a special national police force, the Guardia di Finanza, just to go after this rampant tax-cheating. They haven’t had much luck, as far as anyone can tell. China is no different, of course. Private companies here will try to organize their affairs in such a way that taxable income is kept as low as is plausibly possible. Business taxes are large…

Konaxis: Business and Industry News in China
China's Wuhan Steel Company Posts 75.79% Fall In Q3 Net Profit

5 Nov 2009 | 9:47 am

The Wuhan Iron and Steel Company Ltd., the listed arm of China's Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Corp., posted a decline of 75.79 percent in net profit in the third quarter this year because of falling sales, reported Xinhua.
Australia Declares End To China Tensions

5 Nov 2009 | 9:45 am

Australia declared an end to diplomatic tensions with China on Monday, and urged Beijing to stay calm when disagreements flare in the media, reported Reuters.
Official: China's Economy Better Than Expected

5 Nov 2009 | 9:43 am

China's recovery is stronger than expected but Beijing will continue its looser lending policies to support growth, Vice Premier Li Keqiang said Monday, reported AP.
Goldman Keeps $85 Oil Target On China’s ‘Robust’ Diesel Demand

5 Nov 2009 | 9:40 am

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. maintained its forecast for crude oil to reach $85 a barrel by the end of this year on “robust” demand for diesel in China, the world’s second-largest energy consumer, reported Bloomberg.
Taiwan, Mmainland China To Negotiate Signing Trade Agreement

5 Nov 2009 | 9:38 am

Taiwan and mainland China are expected to begin formal talks on signing a wide-ranging trade agreement by next spring or earlier after Beijing publicly sanctioned the negotiations, reported AP.

ChinaLuxCultureBiz
We’ve Moved!

chinaluxculturebiz

5 Nov 2009 | 1:41 pm

ChinaLuxCultureBiz is now Jing Daily! Be sure and check us out at our new location. Jing Daily compiles the best in Chinese luxury, culture, business, arts, and investment news from around the world NEW YORK – November 5, 2009 – Jing Daily, the source for the most important and timely news about the business of luxury and culture in China, today announced the launch of its new website (http://www.jingdaily.com). With insight and commentary gathered from the Chinese- and English-language blogosphere and top news sources around the world, Jing Daily offers up-to-date information about…
New Site Launching Soon

chinaluxculturebiz

3 Nov 2009 | 12:59 pm

Stay tuned, ChinaLuxCultureBiz is launching a new site with plenty of new features and even more information on China’s arts, luxury, business, and cultural markets. More information coming this week!
Artprice: Zeng Fanzhi Is China’s New “#1 Artist”

chinaluxculturebiz

27 Oct 2009 | 12:15 pm

Auction Sales From July 1, 2008 To June 30, 2009 Send Zeng To The Top Of The List, As Chinese Artists Make Up 16 Of The Top 50 In The World Zeng Fanzhi is one of the most interesting and top-grossing contemporary Chinese artists of the last 30 years Artxun (Chinese) reports this week that Zeng Fanzhi — one of China’s top contemporary artists — has gained the title of “Number One” Chinese artist in terms of auction prices over the last year, leapfrogging longtime title-holder Zhang Xiaogang. While some of this may be down to the slower pace with which Zhang is…
Diamond Sales Get Huge China Boost

chinaluxculturebiz

26 Oct 2009 | 12:44 pm

Xinhua Reports 12.7% Rise In Imports In First Half Of 2009 To $300 Million As China Eyes Top Spot In Global Diamond Consumption Diamonds are becoming more popular -- and accessible -- every year in China Good economic news in China this year has translated to good news for diamond producers, if figures released recently by China’s news agency, Xinhua, are correct. This year, following a nearly 50% decline in diamond sales in the US and 24% drop in Japan — according to China’s Global Times — China has become the world’s third largest diamond market with $300…
Shanghai’s Luxury Hotel Market Heats Up Ahead Of World Expo

chinaluxculturebiz

26 Oct 2009 | 9:47 am

Construction Of New Hotels, Expansion Of Existing Chains Shows That Shanghai Is Well On Its Way To Becoming Asia’s Top Financial And Business Hub The Peninsula Shanghai is designed to emulate the city's Jazz Age style (Graphic courtesy Peninsula Hotels) Over the past few years, in preparation for the 2010 World Expo, Shanghai has become one of the world’s top destinations for hoteliers looking to get a piece of the Chinese business and luxury traveler yuan. With upwards of 7 million visitors — mainly Chinese — expected at the expo, newly constructed hotels have…

China Internet Watch
Top Search Properties in Asia Pac

Rocky Fu

4 Nov 2009 | 1:48 am

comScore today released its latest report on search activity in the Asia-Pacific region based on data from its qSearch service. Google Sites ranked as the top search destination in Asia Pacific, commanding more than 44% share of searches performed in the region. And, Baidu.com followed with 8.2 billion searches. Searchers in the region averaged nearly 88 searches per person during September. Top 10 Search Properties in Asia Pacific by No. of Searches Google Sites: 44.10% Baidu.com Inc.: 21.30% Yahoo! Sites: 13.80% NHN Corporation: 5.10% Microsoft Sites: 2.80% Lycos Sites: 2.60% Alibaba.com…
NetEase Enters Mobile Race

Rocky Fu

3 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

Everyone wants a piece in capitalizing on China’s recent launch of high-speed 3G services. What’s NetEase going to fight with? NetEase will focus on three areas: augmented reality, which allows users to conduct searches based on mobile phone photos; mobile language translators; and barcode scanning. Source: Reuters Related Posts:Top 10 Mobile Websites in China (Opera Mobile Report)Chinese Spend on Average 4.47 Mins per Day Reading on MobileGoogle to Launch Chinese Voice Search on Mobile
How to Input Chinese without Any Installation with Sogou Cloud Pinyin

Rocky Fu

2 Nov 2009 | 6:46 pm

Sogou just launched a cloud pinyin input application enabling anyone to type Chinese inside browsers without any software installations. Sogou Cloud Pinyin input is based on JavaScript technology, Ajax, and cloud technology. Without any installation, one can input Chinese on any operation systems. It is compatible with all major browsers (IE, Sogou browser, Firefox). Simply go to this page and then drag the icon (as the one shown above) to your status bar; click on it whenever you need Chinese input. The speed is not perfect, slower than desktop applications. And, it doesn’t work well…
TripAdvisor Buying Chinese Travel Search Engine Kuxun

Rocky Fu

1 Nov 2009 | 6:33 pm

Tripadvisor Acquiring Kuxun.com TripAdvisor is buying Kuxun.cn, a Chinese flight and hotel search engine, at an undisclosed amount (the rumor is, it is 12 million USD). TripAdvisor, owned by Expedia, plans to invest over US$50 million in China through late 2011. The budget includes buying Kuxun, launching its own Chinese travel-review Web site, Daodao.com and hiring more staff. According to the company, Daodao had 4 million unique visitors in September. Related Posts:Online Travel still Strong in China: short haul trips most popularBaidu Promotes Japan Travel OnlineVideo: Opportunities and…
Video – Kaiser Guo Brings you Closer to Chinese Netizens

Rocky Fu

29 Oct 2009 | 6:48 am

Tang Dynasty is one of my favorite Chinese rock band. Kaiser Kuo is co-founder of Tang Dynasty who recently gave a speech at University of Nebraska—Lincoln on Chinese netizens. Born in the U. S. to Chinese parents, Kuo lives in China and identifies equally as American and Chinese. Formerly director of digital strategy for the Beijing office of a global advertising agency, Kuo has worked as a technology and business writer for publications such as Time, TimeAsia, China Economic Review, Asia Inc., and the South China Morning Post, and currently serves as an advisor for Youku.com, a leading…

China Hope Live
Today’s commute by the numbers

Joel

5 Nov 2009 | 5:47 pm

What a half-hour’s bike ride during Friday morning rush hour can get you in Tianjin: People who stared at me: 4 People who took no notice of me: hundreds Red lights: 8/11 (meaning I had to stop for 3) Buses I wanted to curse at: all of them, but 4 especially noxious ones in particular Groups of migrant construction workers protesting their late wages: 1 Cars on fire: 1 Buildings I should be able to see but can’t because of the air pollution: dozens? scores? hundreds? Years shaved off my life due to the air pollution: incalculable Five days a week I bike half an hour one way to…
干妈 / 干爹

Joel

4 Nov 2009 | 7:49 pm

Pronounced: gān mā / gān diē Literally: dry mom / dry dad Means: godmother / godfather; ‘adoptive’ mother (figuratively). What one of our Chinese friends called our friend Natalie in reference to our daughter (Natalie is the one who invented “派口”). ©2009 China Hope Live. All Rights Reserved..
What’s in a (Chinglish) name? I’ll tell you…

Joel

3 Nov 2009 | 6:30 am

I like that Chinese people sometimes choose unusual English names or transliterate their names into English (when they can), not because we get to laugh at the occasionally odd results (though that is fun), but because a good Chinglish name often contains some self-expression while still being workable in English (Apple, Moon, Star, Rainbow, etc.); in perhaps an indirect or vague sort of way it expresses part of them and the fact that they’re Chinese and Chinese people do names differently than we do. Why shouldn’t they carve out their own space in the English name landscape? Of…
Chinese love pumpkins

Joel

1 Nov 2009 | 5:27 am

One of my bathhouse buddies got engaged the day before his birthday, which happens to be Halloween. So for his birthday/engagement party/Halloween we carved Chinese love pumpkins! (and one apple): The (”double happiness”) one took forEVer. If you’re really sharp, you’ll notice where we messed it up (see real examples here). Since they just got engaged I thought it’d be nice to give them a Chinese love pumpkin, even if I left out a couple strokes. Someone else carved the smaller pumpkin, which says “” (love). These little Chinese pumpkins are so hard…

ChinaHush
Temporary Rape, the birth of a new vocabulary

Key

6 Nov 2009 | 2:46 am

It all started with the following news report from China News Net: October 29, 2009 China News reported two police associates, being part of the law enforcement knowingly violated the law. They raped a woman while she was drunk and passed out in a hotel. Eventually they could not escape from the moral and legal punishment. Today Zhejiang Huzou Nanxun court came to a first instance verdict. Two defendants were sentenced to three years in prison. Evening of June 10, 2009, two police associates, Qiu (邱) and Cai (蔡) brought Chen (陈) and Shen (沈) who just finished with their college…
“China’s number one voice actress” Shanghai girl jailed for voice acting pornographic novels

Key

5 Nov 2009 | 1:08 am

For those of you who do not know already pornography is still illegal in China. China has been cracking down on “obscene” (yellow) internet content for years now, thousands were arrested and thousands of websites were shut down over the years. However this time the “obscene” content usually described as “disgustingly unsightly” should be described as “disgustingly intolerable to the ear”. Ye Qiantong, (叶倩彤) an online voice actress for Dongting China (www.iListen.cn | 动听中国), her voice was said to be lustful but not obscene, was named “China’s number one voice…
16 people threaten to jump off the bridge together for wages

Key

4 Nov 2009 | 12:37 am

[Daqi] Because of labor disputes with the factory, more than 30 Hunan province contractors from a (beer) brewery in Guangzhou went to the Haizhu bridge (海珠桥) together performed a “jumping off the bridge show”. Police yesterday said, after the investigation 16 people involved in climbing the bridge were punished accordingly. Two organizers were held in criminal custody, 14 others were held for civil detention. The afternoon of November 2, Guangzhou Haizhu bridge was paralyzed. 16 workers climbed on top of the steel frame of the bridge and stayed on top over 3 hours before they were…
More Schoolgirl Violence caught on Video, this time in Fuzhou

Key

3 Nov 2009 | 3:56 am

[DNKB] While the recent Shanghai school girl “Sister Bear (Sister Xiong)” beating incident was not yet subsided. Another heavily discussed school girl beating incident was created. A 4 minutes long video showing four girls and one boy ganging up on one girl while many bystanders just watched recently became popular on many Chinese major websites. Kids in the video were speaking Fuzhou dialect. Netizens said “This group beating scene was even ‘better’ than the Shanghai schoolgirl fight.” Some netizens fleshed out the incident location is in Minhou (闽侯), the northwestern side of…
Singer Chen Lin Jumped off a Building to her Death at age 39

Key

2 Nov 2009 | 1:21 pm

October 31 2009, mainland singer Chen Lin (陈琳) jumped to her death from Dongba Olympic Garden building 701 9th floor (in Beijing). She was 39. Her current husband Zhang Chaofeng (张超峰) when contacted by the reporter said “I feel terrible, even have difficulty breathing”. Chen Lin’s body was found in a garden under the residential building at around 6 in the morning. She was “wearing a surgical mask, a gray jacket, jeans, a hat and a pair of red leather shoes. Her chin was covered with a piece of white gauze.” While the reason of her suicide was still unknown, many people…

Quality Wars
CPSIA Litigation Was Meant for Chinese Factories

A lot has been written recently about CPSIA litigation that is killing small toy makers and workshops in the USA. This is truly an unfortunate consequence of the CPSIA act which was introduced recently and whose main function was to prevent against irrisponsible Chinese factories and US importers who were ...
From Wharton School of Business: Raising the Bar – Can China Meet the Quality Challenge?

Article LINK: Raising the Bar - Can China Meet the Quality Challenge? Excellent reading from Wharton on Quality and China. True experts on doing business here explain recent quality lapses and product recalls. I highly agree with the portrayal of the China quality issue as one that needs serious attention from ...
Pantone Color Checking, Color Verification and QC in China

[caption id="attachment_1074" align="alignleft" width="344" caption="Pantone comparison - Faded book on right"] When working with Chinese suppliers every detail matters; carton size, barcodes and of course...colors! As a buyer or importer it's crucial that you designate clearly and later verify the colors that are used in your products' packaging, materials, product ...
Gold Standard Samples – How to Use Them in Sourcing and Quality Control

An important facet of maintaining quality when sourcing from China is the use of something we call Gold Standard samples. A gold standard sample is the final approval sample that should be received from the factory either before the production begins, or just when it starts. This sample ...
Product Recall of the Week – Paula Deen® Cast Iron Cookware by QVC Inc.,

[caption id="attachment_1056" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Recalled Cast Iron Cookware From China"][/caption] Here is an example of a product where cheap Chinese knock-offs, not properly QCed at the factory level, poses a serious risk to US consumers. If the importer and manufacturer had developed a proper QC checklist and performed rigorous QC and ...

World Bank - China Blog
In Thailand, finding the way back into growth: Step 1, switch the supply chains back on

Frederico Gil Sander

4 Nov 2009 | 9:35 am

As part of its regular monitoring of the corporate sector in Southeast Asia, the World Bank economic team I am part of in Thailand has been working on a short case study of supply chains of Japanese multinational companies (MNCs) in the electrical and electronics (E&E) industry. We wanted to hear directly from firms about how the crisis affected them, how they were able to adjust so quickly to the drop in demand, what the rebound looked like, and what were the prospects going forward to upgrade along the value chain. I have learned a great deal from these interviews, and have become…
China: Robust growth in sight provides room for shift in policy focus

Louis Kuijs

3 Nov 2009 | 8:11 pm

The economic data for the third quarter of 2009, released almost two weeks ago, confirmed an impressive recovery in China’s economy, supported by very large fiscal and monetary stimulus. Real GDP growth rose to 8.9 percent year-on-year in the third quarter. This is clearly good news, for China and many other countries whose economies are benefiting at the moment from strong demand from China. As the World Bank economic team for China (which I'm part of) argues in more detail in the new China Quarterly Update, it also means that it is time to consider a less expansionary macroeconomic…
Growth in China continues to influence East Asia’s economic recovery, two new World Bank reports say

James I Davison

3 Nov 2009 | 8:10 pm

Regionally speaking, developing countries in East Asia and Pacific have rebounded surprisingly quickly from the financial crisis and global recession. But according to a report just released by the World Bank, the regional economic picture isn’t as rosy when China is taken out of the equation. The latest East Asia and Pacific Update report, an assessment of the economic health of the region released every six months, is titled “Transforming the Rebound into Recovery.” The rebound, the report says, was driven in part by large and timely fiscal stimulus spending led by China…
Far from home in China: conversations with migrant workers searching for opportunities in urban centers

Joe Qian

30 Oct 2009 | 8:23 am

Quality Control Inspector Jiang Peng walks on scaffolding along the foundation of the water treatment facility. While traveling through China recently, I had an opportunity to visit the Shanghai Urban Environment project in the emergent suburban district of Qingpu and spoke to a number of workers responsible for the implementation and completion of the project. As with many infrastructure and urban development projects in China, the speed and magnitude can be astonishing, with hundreds of employees working around the clock to ensure timely completion. Work on the facility runs 24 hours a day,…
The world’s resources, at a glance

James I Davison

23 Oct 2009 | 10:40 am

Here’s an interesting and quick item to check out on a Friday. This map gives an attractive, at-a-glace look at some of the world’s key natural resources, organized by country. A couple of things to note that are East Asia-related: China leads more categories (at least on this map) than any other country, including wheat, cotton, gold and rice. Thailand and Indonesia also are represented, as leaders in rubber production. Click map to view large. It's usually worth noting the source of the data used for these types of graphics. The sources named are the CIA World Factbook, the USDA…

GoChengdoo
Annie eats: "vegan chocolate cake"

7 Nov 2009 | 12:45 am

The best thing about this chocolate cake is what it does not have. No eggs or milk, and it's easy to make. ^_^ I found this recipe in the Student's Vegetarian Cookbook, Revised: Quick, Easy, Cheap, and Tasty Vegetarian Recipes. A note on greased vs. ungreased pans: The book says you can mix all the ingredients right in the baking pan, but I always mix them in another bowl and then pour into a foil-lined and greased baking pan. This makes it easier to remove for cooling. Yields 6 to 8 servings Ingredients 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour 1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder 1 tsp baking…
Vote and Win 2009: What's your favorite place in Chengdu?

5 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

It's November, and guess what that means? We're only a month away from the last month of the year. And that means that it's time for you to start voting in the CHENGDOO citylife Annual Readers' Poll. And why should I vote?, you ask. Well, not only is it good to support and recognize the local businesses that provide you with services and products that improve your city life, but also, as my father told me when I came of voting age: IT'S YOUR CIVIC DUTY. If altruistic reasoning doesn't convince you, how about this?: Everyone who spares five minutes to fill out the survey will be entered into a…
Week in review: missing tourists, rebel farmers, nude 'net sensation

4 Nov 2009 | 7:50 am

Four Hungarians have been reported missing at an unnamed mountain in Ya'an's Shinian County. The base lost contact with them over a week ago, and as the group was due back October 31, five rescue workers have begun a search. Shanghai Daily Meanwhile, the search for two Russian tourists buried in an avalanche on Siguniang (Four Girls) Mountain has been suspended. The pair were part of four Russians climbing the mountain on October 28. All were buried in the avalanche, but one was able to dig himself and another out and alert authorities. Continuous snow hampered rescue workers' efforts, and…
ATP Champions tour to bring tennis greats to Chengdu

3 Nov 2009 | 1:55 am

This weekend Chengdu will take a big step closer to being a major sports city by hosting the inaugural Chengdu Open the only Asian stop on the 12-leg ATP Champions Tour. The tournament will be held November 5-8 at the 6,700-seat Sichuan Tennis Centre. Former top world tennis players competing in the Chengdu Open include John McEnroe, Björn Borg, Michael Chang, Pat Cash (added after Mats Wilander pulled out due to injury), Goran Ivanisevic, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Sergi Bruguera and Thomas Enqvist. The round-robin tournament will feature eight players divided into two groups, with the winners of…
What better way to spend a sunny day than in the park?

2 Nov 2009 | 5:25 am

A visit to the River-Viewing (Bamboo) Park in yesterday's sunshine inspired today's post. If the weather remains as unbelievably fabulous as some of the days we've seen in October, perhaps you too should don a pretty dress and big shades, pack a picnic basket and blanket, and have a day out in one of Chengdu's many public parks. People's Park Every Chinese city I've been to has its People's Park (as well as it's People's Road), and Chengdu is no exception. Founded in 1911 in a location as close to the center of Chengdu as any of the city's parks gets, the People's Park is as well-known as…

the China Lightroom blog
张燕 (Zhang Yan): 四季歌 (Four Season Song)

dewang

3 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am

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风华国乐阳春白雪 (Sunny Spring White Snow) 琵琶独奏 (Pi Pa solo) 李晖演奏

dewang

2 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am

Somebody said, “impossibly beautiful.” Another said, “her playing took my ears to another solar system.” One more, said, “most people can not do it even they practice for a whole life time.” Share/Save
张燕 (Zhang Yan): 天涯歌女 (Wondering female singer)

dewang

2 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am

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【风华国乐】琵琶语 (Pi Pa Language) / 蒋彦 (琵琶) 林海 (作曲)

dewang

6 Oct 2009 | 9:08 am

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[风华国乐] 丝绸之舞 – 任洁 [古筝独奏] – 崔安强 [作曲]

dewang

6 Oct 2009 | 9:00 am

Wow! Go, Gu Zheng, go 崔安强! Awesome! Share/Save

Unique China Tours
Bashang Grassland - Unique China Pictures

Ztours

15 Oct 2009 | 11:57 am

Bashang Grasslands, the nearest prairie destination from Beijing, have long been one of the ideal sites to escape the city’s summer heat. Bashang Grasslands is located approximately 240 kilometers north of Beijing and covers an area of 350 square kilometers. These are selected pictures of Bashang grassland another favorite destination for photographing tour in China.
Dongchuan Red Soil - Unique China Pictures

Ztours

4 Oct 2009 | 12:09 pm

Dongchuan, a rural place in the Wumeng Mountainous area, about 180km north of Kunming (Yunnan Province), is one of the most attractive destination for Chinese photographers for its red soil. Although discovered in the mid 1990s, the exact location is kept secret among few Chinese photographers who scooped award-winning photos here. Beside, the place is to small to named on the web, therefore it is not mentioned in even well known travel guides like LonelyPlanet and Rough Guides until recently. The brilliant red soil, the yellow buckwheats and the dramatic skies make the region around…
Guilin Rice Terrace - Unique China Pictures

Ztours

30 Sep 2009 | 2:55 pm

Located in the south of China,not far from Vietnam, Guilin is one of top ten destinations for both local Chinese and foreign tourist. Its unique scenery, the subject of thousands of paintings in China and has been eulogized in countless literary works. One of the Most popular attraction is the rice terraces in Longji which is The terraces look like great chains or ribbons as they wind from the foot to the top of the hill. This ingenious construction makes best use of the scare arable land and water resources in the mountainous area. If you come at the right time of the year, when the paddy…
Kanas Lake Pictures - Xinjiang Altay

Ztours

29 Aug 2009 | 4:09 am

Lake Kanas lies near the Altai mountains, in Xinjiang, China. It is China’s deepest freshwater lake. About 117 different kinds of birds live along it. Kanas Lake will be on of the most beautiful mountain lake you have ever seen. It is the latest lake open to all tourists in China and has attained a reputation as “the tourism pearl of Mountain Altai”. The lake takes on different colors following the four seasons of the year, sometimes it’s crystal blue, sometimes it’s dark green, or even gray, you may find it containing many colors setting off each another at a…
Amazing pictures of Tibet

Ztours

21 Aug 2009 | 7:49 am

Tibet is the highest region on earth, with an average elevation of 4,900 metres (16,000 ft). It is sometimes referred to as the roof of the world. It is one of the least poluted place in China. The eternally snowcapped mountain ranges and vividly green grasslands dotted with high mountain lakes provide the natural setting for the indigenous culture of the Tibetan people. This landscape, its people, and culture, combined with a deep love for the secret and mysterious places. Tibet has an ancient and distinctive cultural tradition and an abundant and colorful heritage of literature and the…

Quality Inspection Blog
How to deal with laboratory tests?

Renaud Anjoran

6 Nov 2009 | 10:56 am

I received a message from a potential client who is starting to import garments into the US. I broke it up in different parts, and I inserted my responses below. It might be helpful to other importers wondering how to comply with their country’s regulations. I have run into manufacturers who ask me if I have a quality manual for testing and are negotiating who is responsible for the testing of the swimwear (manufacturer or my company). There are 2 ways to deal with this: -1- The safe way You get the list of appropriate tests, you select a laboratory (you pay their fees and you receive all…
Internal quality control in Chinese factories

Renaud Anjoran

5 Nov 2009 | 9:34 am

Many Chinese suppliers tell ‘white lies’ to their customers. They think it is the safest and easiest option. They also think foreign buyers don’t suspect it, simply because they are far away and “they don’t know how production works”. I want to write about something else here. In some cases the supplier says something that is true, but the buyer ends up making the wrong conclusion because of erroneous assumptions. Here is an example that happens frequently. The manufacturer says “we do 100% quality check on all our products; I mean piece by piece, it…
Traveling to factories in China

Renaud Anjoran

2 Nov 2009 | 5:43 am

I spend about half of my time traveling, most of the time to industrial areas in China. These days I am a city I had never heard of, in Guangxi province. There was no airport close to my destination point, so I came with a night bus and I am staying in a local hotel (it is quite okay, for rmb100/night). While most foreign business travelers don’t make such choices for their transportation in China, many of them wonder how to save a few hundred dollars every time they come. So I thought I might as well share a few tips. Hotels: If you go to a factory, your hosts can help you find a…
Using penalties effectively

Renaud Anjoran

27 Oct 2009 | 7:35 pm

Some importers can afford to conduct business in a friendly way with their Chinese suppliers. I am thinking of buyers who give regular orders to a few stable vendors, who don’t work under intense timing pressure, and who enjoy a large degree of flexibility (for example, they keep a safety stock in their warehouse). But this is not the case of most importers, who absolutely have to find ways to minimize delays and non-conformities. They need to create a system of incentives that aligns the supplier’s interests and the buyer’s needs. Such a system must have teeth, or Chinese…
Corruption of quality inspectors

Renaud Anjoran

24 Oct 2009 | 7:58 am

This week my company had a booth on a China Sourcing Fair. I noticed that some questions/remarks came back regularly. A few days ago I wrote about importers who ask us the contacts of good factories. Another hot topic was how easily a supplier bribes an inspector. I had in-depth conversations with maybe 15 prospects, and more than half evoked this issue. Here are just two examples: A Mexican importer told me how, two years ago, one of the largest QC firms produced a report that suggested quality was acceptable, but the whole shipment was actually unsellable. He told me he flies from Mexico…

Joop.in
Halloween 2009

Americans celebrate Halloween. I don’t understand what it is about, or what one is supposed to do. Being an outsider, I was surprised to learn that the spooky American tradition is known and celebrated throughout the International community in Shanghai as well. It’s bit different as: Ringing the doors of our Chinese neighbors for trick-or-treating probably [...]
Long Shanghai summers, Ultracapacitors and picnics

A few things that come to mind regarding pollution, climate and China: I’ve received an email telling that Chinese smog is threatening economy and health in Hong Kong, which is a terrible thing. After living in clean, clean Sweden, I do notice the effects that smog can have. At the time of writing, it’s really [...]
Boat trip, Leifeng Pagoda and Yakitori in Hangzhou, China

This weekend we made a small trip of 180km out of Shanghai to see the West lake in Hangzhou China, with 6.5 million people not a small town, but due to the beautiful scenery of the lake and the hillside, it’s a favorite destination for many Shanghainese. For me, it was a trip down memory [...]
Special visitor from Netherlands

I’ve got a special vistior from the Netherlands over this week. Giel Talsma is a former neighbor of mine and we’ve known each other for over ten years. I ran into him when I was in Holland during the summer and I invited him to China, he was excited immediately. After picking him up at the [...]
Gathered influential writers to bring you Asian tech news

I’d like to tell you about a new blog we have launched yesterday. First, let me tell you why we went through all the effort: Personally, I have kept a close eye on developments in countries like South-Korea, Taiwan and Japan over the last years, but have start to observe that India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, China [...]

MyBrownBaby
Help MyBrownBaby Support the Greening Youth Foundation

5 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm

It’s no secret that I’m a total stan for my sister-in-law, Angelou, and not just because she’s smart, accomplished, passionate and fly. I can’t say it enough: She’s an inspiration (and she lets me rock all her shoes, purses, and cute tops!). An attorney by trade, Angelou founded a little over a year ago her own non-profit environmental education program for kids, GREENING YOUTH, to help encourage
The MyBrownBaby Beautiful Mind Writing Contest

4 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm

The written word is sexy as hell to me. I mean, I adore writers and their turns of phrase like a car lover does the fine, sleek lines of a Porsche—like an art lover does the passion and intricacies of a Romare Bearden collage. When I worked in an office, I used to clip magazine articles, quotes, and turns of phrase by some of my favorite writers and hang them up on my wall for inspiration. They
Wordless Wednesday: The Cousins In a New York State of Mind

4 Nov 2009 | 5:31 am

This is, for sure, one of my favorite pictures of Lila, Miles, Mari, and Cole—taken in the middle of Times Square on the first day of one of our family vacations to New York City. We're native New Yorkers, and when we were living there, it was way too hokey to get caught doing the touristy thing. That's for, like, tourists. But then we all moved South, and when we visited home for the first time,
Check Out MyBrownBaby On The Rachael Ray Show!

3 Nov 2009 | 8:28 am

Exciting news! Today, I'm one of four mommies kicking it with the celebrated chef/author/magazine editorRachael Ray on her fabulous afternoon gabfest, The Rachael Ray Show. I joined Rachael, actress Rikki Lake, and three other moms via Skype to talk about all things motherhood—and, true to form, I gave my own unique perspective on what it means to be a mommy in 2009.To get a sneak peak, click
A LETTER FOR MY FATHER: A Daughter Reaches Out to the Dad Who Never Was

1 Nov 2009 | 9:02 pm

By KAREN MARIE MASONDear Daddy,Mama told me your were dead. Except that was way before you actually died. But when I started acting up around age 16 or so—you know, the age when girls start “feeling their oats,” as Mama used to say—you suddenly came alive again, and next thing I knew, I was talking to you on the phone and not much later, I was on a plane to see you. I’m not mad at Mama any more