The China Environmental Law blog, run by Shanghai-based attorney Charlie McElwee, has praise today for a Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection site that updates water quality data every four hours. Great news of course, but as the post notes, the timely water pollution information isn't as immediately important as air quality data. Let's hope this [...]
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The China Blog - TIME.com
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China Speeds Up Water Quality Reporting
2 Jul 2009 | 1:41 am -
Is the Clock Winding Down for Yao Ming?
2 Jul 2009 | 1:06 amMy colleague Jessie Jiang and I have a story on time.com today about the grim diagnosis of Yao Ming's broken foot, and what some Chinese fans think about the possibility of a career-ending injury for one of the country's biggest sporting heroes. -
Gene Yang's The Eternal Smile
1 Jul 2009 | 1:42 amI've been meaning to post this review for some time! In 2006, Chinese-American cartoonist Gene Luen Yang told us what it's like to grow up as a minority in the United States with such arresting, uncomfortable candor that his American Born Chinese became the first graphic novel named as a finalist for the National Book Award. [...] -
Green Dam: They Told You So
30 Jun 2009 | 11:59 pmSometimes you have to let people simply say, "I told you so..." The announcement yesterday that the government would be "delaying" its ruling requiring all computers sold in China after July 1 to have the allegedly anti-porn software pre-installed is just such an occassion. The gentlemen at the China law blog did indeed write an [...] -
Beijing and New Media: Is the Eye of Sauron Turning to Twitter?
29 Jun 2009 | 6:46 pmThere have been a wide range of comments in various media making comparisons between Tiananmen in 1989 and Teheran today, including one of our own posts, which wondered about the authorities reactions in China. Over at the China Media Project, David Bandurski highlighted a Guangming Daily article which blamed western media forces for stirring up [...]
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WSJ.com: China Journal
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Free Admission for Foreigners Riles Critics
2 Jul 2009 | 4:48 amNot so long ago, foreigners visiting tourist attractions in China could expect to pay special “overseas guest” prices that were often several times higher than prices for Chinese citizens. (Until the mid-1990s, foreigners even had their own currency, known as foreign exchange certificates, or FECs). Nowadays, most places allow foreigners and locals to enter for the same price, even though foreign tourists generally have more disposable income than their Chinese counterparts. A recent trend toward making China’s public museums free to all comers has inspired debate about… -
China Journal Wrap: June Trade Data, Making Up With IMF
2 Jul 2009 | 4:29 am• China’s imports and exports showed year-on-year declines for the seventh consecutive month in June, though month-to-month declines eased. Chinese stocks rallied for a second day, with the Shanghai Composite Index closing up 1.7% at 3060.25, representing a 68% increase since the start of the year. • On the road to reconciliation: China is mending ties with the IMF, after several years in which China blocked the organization’s reviews of its economy. • Will Green Dam get another go? An official from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology… -
East Meets West on New York’s Upper West Side
1 Jul 2009 | 11:10 pmJuly 1: Date of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, anniversary of the return of Hong Kong to mainland Chinese rule, and launch of The WSJ’s new “Summer Scoops Live” series with an appropriately China-related theme. Erstwhile China Journal contributor Geoffrey Fowler (now based in San Francisco) moderated a discussion with two stars of the Chinese art world: Choreographer Shen Wei, founder of the New York-based modern dance group Shen Wei Dance Arts, and artist Cai Guo-qiang, who is perhaps best known for his gunpowder works. They talked about their work on the… -
Scenes From a Protest: The Hong Kong Democracy March
1 Jul 2009 | 10:29 amTens of thousands of Hong Kong residents marched through the city streets to mark the 12th anniversary of the former British colony’s return to Chinese sovereignty, braving temperatures near 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) to make their voices heard. Below are some images from the remarkably well organized event, which appeared to go off without a hitch. Before the march started, democratic legislator and activist “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung encouraged passers-by to bring all their friends and family This T-shirt was a popular choice of attire among participants… -
China Journal Wrap: Positive PMI Data, A Bigger IPO On the Way
1 Jul 2009 | 6:51 am• China’s official Purchasing Manager’s Index, a measure of manufacturing activity, rose in June, indicating improved economic conditions. Buoyed by the news, the Shanghai Composite Index closed up 1.7% at 3008.15, its highest close in over a year. • After approving a couple of small offerings to test the waters for resuming IPOs, Chinese regulators gave the green light to Sichuan Expressway Co for a much larger IPO. The company plans to raise at least 1.4 billion yuan ($205 million). • GM said its auto sales in China were up 38% in the first half of 2009 compared to the…
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CNReviews
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American Hegemony Tied To Football & Transformers!
2 Jul 2009 | 7:38 amChina Daily Review: Two interesting links about China today, both about America (and, of course, how it relates to China). The first is great for anyone looking for a quick chuckle about how power correlates with sports and the second is great for anyone who has seen the latest Transformers movie. Football or Hegemony: Choose One From the monolithic blog that is known as The Huffington Post comes the following hilarious hilarious post in reaction to the FIFA Confederation Cup Finals which saw the unlikely soccer-playing Americans square off against football-playing Brazil and nearly win the… -
Opportunity In China’s 4th-6th Tier Cities & Counterfeit Cigarettes
30 Jun 2009 | 9:53 amChina Daily Review: Two interesting links about China today, both about business. The first is great for anyone looking to do some serious business in China’s huge 4th and 6th tier cities (yeah, we’re not even talking about 2nd or 3rd tier here, we’re talking where most foreigners have never gone before!). The second is great for anyone who has ever bought a pack of cigarettes and thought there was something a wee bit dodgy about it… Business opportunities and insights for the underserved parts of China… Ogilvy & Mather has published a report on China’s… -
Google Needs to Behave To Succeed, Say Chinese Bloggers
30 Jun 2009 | 12:42 amFollowing a CCTV reported that Google China provided easy access pornographic material, which is illegal in China, Google.cn can no longer provide international content from June 22nd. Google.cn was required to restructure its content, that is, delete all the inappropriate content, and report on its clean up efforts to the Chinese government. However, it didn’t end there. On June 24, many Gmail users frantically reported that Gmail was inaccessible in the Mainland. It was later reported the Google Reader and other Google apps experienced blackouts as well. There was much anger on… -
5th Fantasy China National Animation Summit – July 3rd
29 Jun 2009 | 10:20 pmJoin over 35 VCs and 150 animation industry gurus for the 5th Fantasy China National Animation Summit in Shanghai this Friday, July 3rd. The event will discuss new business models and new channels of the animation industry, while also providing a great opportunity for project roadshows of selected enterprises. A few interesting speakers: Craig Halperin, Kung Fu Panda & X2 Pierrot, Naruto & Bleach Wang Wei, Tudou.com A full schedule of speakers and additional details on attendees, venture capitalists, etc. available here (in Chinese). For those interested, limited seats or additional… -
Beggars, Expat Habits, Netizen Revolution, Jackson, & Parkour
28 Jun 2009 | 10:23 pmWeekly Review: Here are five interesting blog posts or news items from the past week that will help you remember that Chinese people are humans too, avoid becoming an ineffectual expat, brace for the netizen revolution, remember Michael Jackson with the Chinese, and find Chinese people who do cool stuff. Credit: MARK RALSTON (AFP/Getty Images) How Dare We Feel Sorry For Ourselves… Richard Burger’s personal blog, The Peking Duck (recently blocked by the GFW), may not be a large blog but it’s definitely one of the oldest English-language blogs about China with a small but…
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Silicon Hutong
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Six Ways to Help Zeebo Succeed in China
5 Jun 2009 | 12:18 amOriental Plaza, Beijing Hiding from the heat 1445 hrs. A few days ago, I explained why I thought Zeebo is going to have a tougher time succeeding in China than we - or Qualcomm, the backer of the cellular game console - may think. Today, my humble suggestions on what Zeebo will need to do to overcome those challenges. 1. Speed the Approval Process Zeebo, the local carriers, and the game developers need to work together to create a fast-track process for game certification and local approval. Otherwise this is going to open the door for the first rival consortium that is able to put such a… -
Zeebo and It's Six Big Challenges in China
1 Jun 2009 | 6:47 amIn the Hutong Looking for a Snack 2020 hrs. In case you missed it, one of the interesting developments coming out of the recent Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco - at least as far as China is concerned - is an interesting item about a new game console called "Zeebo." Brought to you by Qualcomm, the people who invented third-generation wireless technology and the Eudora e-mail client (and many other useful bits of technology,) Zeebo is a game console designed for those of us who cannot afford - or cannot buy - an XboX, Wii, or Playstation. Created with the growing… -
Some Advice for The China-Bound Job Seeker
20 May 2009 | 8:45 pmIn the Hutong Blogging as Work Avoidance 1051 hrs. It is no secret that the economy-class sections of trans-Eurasian and trans-Pacific flights are increasingly filled with refugees from the global financial crisis, people intent on finding new lives and careers in the Wild East. Aimee Barnes has written a post filled with thoughtful advice for these fortune-seekers (Falling in Love with China, and Your Career), and in the spirit of her exercise I want to add the following, posted on The Old Silicon Hutong in January 2006, but even more relevant today: IF YOU’RE GOING TO GO EAST, YOUNG MAN,… -
Four handhelds, three computers, two email accounts, one little problem
20 May 2009 | 7:12 pmStarbucks Pacific Place Dreaming in Kodachrome 1412 hours I'm about to spend a bunch of posts diving into the promise and reality of 3G in China, but before I do, a brief call to all of my friends in the information technology business. Not Different, Just Extreme I sit down at a table and lay them out: A Motorola ZN5 (phone and camera); a Blackberry 8707 (email); iPod Touch (PDA/games/vids); iPod Classic (the music monster.) And THEN I reach for one of two laptops in the bag. I'll admit that I'm hardly typical (I mean, even Steven Lin, aka "Flypig," calls me… -
The Financial News Sidestep
30 Apr 2009 | 11:56 pmIn the Hutong Timing intervals twixt interruptions 1211 hrs. Last year, the Chinese government, in an effort to further formalize the status of foreign financial information providers (i.e., Bloomberg, Dow Jones, Thompson/Reuters, etc) operating in the PRC, assigned the group a regulator: Xinhua, The New China News Agency. The SCIO Bomb The foreign financial information providers (FFIPs, or "fips"), understandably upset that an ambitious local competitor was going to serve as their regulator, cried foul, and the United States, the European Union, and Canada all protested to the WTO. Thus…
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Danwei Media
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Transformers II as American military propaganda
2 Jul 2009 | 5:37 amESWN translates an essay that ran in the China Youth Daily that reads the -
Peking University rejects applicant who faked his ethnicity
2 Jul 2009 | 3:00 amThe Beijing NewsJuly 2, 2009 In the latest development of a case that has received quite a bit of attention over the past week, the admissions office of Peking University announced yesterday that it would not accept the application of He Chuanyang to study at the university's Guanghua School of Management. He had the highest score on the college entrance exam, the gaokao, in Chongqing this year. However, along with thirty other Chongqing students, He was found to have faked his ethnic minority status, which awards 20 bonus points on the gaokao. He himself claimed ignorance of his altered… -
Has China Telecom been green damned?
2 Jul 2009 | 12:03 amDanwei commenter eric left a comment today to alert us to the fact that he was encountering the above message rather the usual "Connection Timeout" notice for certain sites. Is this China Telecom taking inspiration from Green Dam but replacing that software's rabbit mascot with a gopher? eric wrote that access in Shenzhen to CNN and Digg was blocked by this notice. The notice asks you to enter a password if you want to see the "unhealthy" content, and says that it's a notice from "mommy and daddy." Do any Danwei readers have more information on this barrier? Tags: China Telecom, Green Dam… -
Air China will offer direct flights between Beijing and Lhasa
1 Jul 2009 | 10:12 pmFrom AP: Air China will begin offering direct flights from Beijing to Tibet this month, shaving two hours off the current travel time in a bid to boost tourism, state media said Wednesday. The official Xinhua News Agency said the new service to Tibet's capital of Lhasa will depart Beijing daily from July 10. Currently, all flights to Lhasa are routed through Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern China's Sichuan province. Xinhua said the new service was designed to boost tourism in the Himalayan region. The industry took a major hit following the riots in March 2008 when Tibetans protesting… -
A grand day at the park, enhanced by the People's Daily
1 Jul 2009 | 10:05 pmIn the following image of a park in Nanning, Guangxi Province, that ran in the People's Daily on June 26, how many pairs of identical birds can you identify? A park full of clones Click on the image for an enlarged version of "people and nature coexisting in harmony," as the photo is captioned. Zhang Bin, a photojournalist, found six cloned areas, which she pointed out in a blog post: Zhang writes: A photographer friend pointed me to the June 26, 2009 (Friday) edition of the People's Daily, page 14, which had a photo that turned out to have been seriously PS'd. Inspecting it, I noticed six…
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XINHUA NEWS
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Fatal train collision in central China caused by brake failure
1 Jul 2009 | 10:33 pm- -
Aso says Japan-U.S. alliance key to national security
1 Jul 2009 | 10:29 pm- -
A/H1N1 flu cases in Bangladesh rise to 16
1 Jul 2009 | 10:21 pmDHAKA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Sixteen A/H1N1 flu cases have so ... -
Thailand's number of A/H1N1 patients rises to 1,556
1 Jul 2009 | 10:20 pmBANGKOK, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Public Health ... -
Vietnam confirms 26 deaths of dengue fever in first half
1 Jul 2009 | 10:17 pmHANOI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Ministry of Health ...
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EastSouthWestNorth
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The Hong Kong 7/1 March: Media Coverage
1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 amReview of media coverage and numerical estimates for the July 1 marches in Hong Kong. -
The Incomprehensible China And Its Difficult Problems
22 Jun 2009 | 9:00 amTranslation of a blog post about how a Chinese tries to understand China. -
The Shishou Mass Incident
20 Jun 2009 | 9:00 amIn Shishou city, a man died under suspicious circumstances. The police came to seize the body for immediate cremation but thousands of citizens took to the streets to repel them. -
The "Virgin" Schoolgirl Prostitutes of Kunming
6 Jun 2009 | 9:00 amTwists and turns in the case of the two elementary school girls who were arrested as prostitutes but later tested to be "virgins" (or maybe not). -
The Chengdu Bus Fire
4 Jun 2009 | 9:00 amSpontaneous combustion or planned arson? Graphic photos from the fire on the Chengdu bus.
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Shanghaiist
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Today's Links: The Shishou truth, a controversial opinion on Yao Ming, and Hong Kong marches
2 Jul 2009 | 6:00 amShishou official speaks out about riot [China Elections] "A blog entry posted by an official in Shishou has shed more light on the recent events in Shishou city, Hubei province. The blog is maintained by an official named Liu Guolin and details his perspective on the government's containment efforts in Shishou and lessons that can be learned from the handling of the incident. The blog entry marks a surprising break from usual government silence concerning such incidents and tight control usually asserted over official reports." China's smart grid ambitions could open door to US-China… -
Green Dam protesters celebrate censorware twist
2 Jul 2009 | 5:59 amPhoto of Ai Weiwei's Party by Shasha Liu The planned protests against the Green Dam Youth Escort turned into celebrations on Wednesday, when Chinese authorities suddenly postponed their order of the infamous censorware program. In turn, Lots of young Chinese netizens gathered to turn their Green Dam anger into a feast. The event, held in the trendy "Green Zone" in Beijing, was supposed to be a part of a larger Internet boycott against the Green Dam on the day mandatory installs were to begin. But it changed into an all day party as news of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's… -
Music: Indie China Showcase at Yu Yin Tang
2 Jul 2009 | 4:45 amIf you're still coherent after our July 4 Shanghaiist + Boxing Cat Brewery Party this Saturday, head over to Yu Yin Tang for their Indie China Showcase... because nothing follows burgers and beer on July 4th quite like some experimental post-indie math rock that makes you gaze at your shoes. Presented by IndieChina.com, a site founded in 2004 to promote and publish artists, brands, and products from China's independent music scene, the event will host six bands from China, as well as a special guest from Australia. Here's the full lineup: Grace Before Meals - (post-rock) Torte Bus - (folk,… -
US confirms participation in Expo, but funding still unclear
2 Jul 2009 | 3:25 amA flurry of recent activity regarding the US Pavilion at next year's Expo has resulted in US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirming the United States' participation in the Expo after the USA Pavilion organizers announced PepsiCo signing on in a US$5 million deal. However, even with Clinton's support and PepsiCo laying down the cash, it is still unclear exactly how the US plans to finance and implement its plans for the pavilion, which is due at the opening of the Shanghai World Expo in 310 days. The future of the US's involvement in the 2010 Expo has been in doubt for quite a while, as… -
Sleeping can be an art, too!
2 Jul 2009 | 12:30 amWho says that sleeping cannot be creative? A German photographer focused on Chinese people sleeping on the street for the six years he was in China, shooting over 750 photos in all. His photos attracted both media and netizen attentions. This photographer, known only as Bernd, said he hoped that people will not misunderstand him and explained that these photos are not to humiliate anyone, but rather to show Chinese culture in another perspective. Here are some photos from Bernd's website, www.sleepingchinese.com. Bernd told the reporter:…
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Imagethief
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MIIT says reports of Green Dam Youth Escort's demise are greatly exaggerated
2 Jul 2009 | 3:29 amOr so, at least, claims the China Daily:Despite a last-minute delay in implementing Green Dam internet-filtering software, China's authorities and its PC manufacturers said Wednesday they expect the tool will end up on new computers.One day after the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) declared a postponement to the July 1 start date for the mandatory inclusion of "Green Dam-Youth Escort" porn filtering software, an MIIT official said it was only "a matter of time" before the directive took effect."The government will definitely carry on the directive on Green Dam. It's… -
Green Dam Youth Escort vanishes faster than predicted
30 Jun 2009 | 10:51 pmWell, it appears that Imagethief was overly optimistic about Green Dam Youth Escort's longevity. My original prediction was that it would be allowed to die and in six months no one would remember it. Apparently six weeks would have been closer to the mark. Today was the day from which computer manufacturers were to be officially required to include Green Dam Youth Escort filtering software with all computers shipped in China. Instead, after widespread resistance from computer users, computer manufacturers, and most media organizations not called "Xinhua", the Ministry of Industry and… -
Rough for Expo with all those robot fights breaking out in that nameless city
29 Jun 2009 | 3:27 amIn 2007, Imagethief actually forked over 160 RMB so he and Mrs. Imagethief could see Mike Bay's first Transformers movie on the big screen at Oriental Plaza. This was before Imagethief Jr. came along and little things like an evening out or even eating a airlie meal in peace became remote luxuries only whispered about in furtive tones. I don't remember it being 160RMB especially well spent, although it was pretty much what was advertised on the tin, assuming the labelling on the tin read "idiotic robot movie". One of the things I remember about watching the movie was that there were period… -
Why is Imagethief suddenly so popular in Taiwan?
16 Jun 2009 | 7:55 pmMy first post on Green Dam Youth Escort has nearly 16,000 page views so far. This is an unusually large number for a blog where a widely-read post gets somewhere between 1,000 and 4,000 web reads. Oddly, almost all of them seem to come from Taiwan. The Sitemeter screen for the locations of my last 20 visits (and it's been like this for a few days):What's the deal with that? Nothing shows up in the referrals screen of my admin page. -
Communication is the real lesson from the Green Dam Youth Escort fiasco
13 Jun 2009 | 11:10 pmSo Green Dam + Youth Escort blocks images based on skin tone. But what if I like Afro-porn? These, and other important questions are arising now that serious analysts (which is to say, people other than me), have had some time to dig into the capabilities of Jinhui's now infamous software package. The verdict is pretty much as you might have guessed: Green Dam + Youth Escort is a poorly designed rip-off of a foreign nanny-ware product, is unstable, and is riddled with security holes. It is, in short, crapware. I won't go into the gruesome details, but if you're interested I highly recommend…
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China Law Blog
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China's Internet Censoring. Hate To Say I Told You So, But I Told You So....
30 Jun 2009 | 9:07 amBack when the media was getting all hot and heavy (sexual reference intended) on China's plans to require internet filtering software, I did a post, entitled, "Two China Things Of Which We Dare Not Speak (And Sex Is Not One of Them)." In that post, I explained why we virtually never write about proposed laws and why I had not written anything on the filtering software. I gave the following reasons: I do not like writing about proposed laws for the following reasons: 1. There are so many laws already on the books and being enforced that need coverage more. Laws on the books will impact you… -
China's Labor Law. The Bark Is The Bite.
28 Jun 2009 | 8:47 pmGot a call last week from the HR officer of a US company. She was looking for my firm to assist her on a labor law issue. The US company's China WFOE had laid off a female employee who had come back saying she was entitled to ten months pregnancy pay. The employee gave three legitimate sounding reasons for this entitlement. I learned that this employee's yearly salary was about $3600 and that the WFOE was in Shenzhen. I also learned that this employee did not have a written contract and that the WFOE did not have an employee manual. I told the HR officer that for us to research whether this… -
China's Anti-Monopoly Law. One Year On.
24 Jun 2009 | 3:39 amI actually began my legal career as an antitrust lawyer and I though there has so far been no call for it on our China matters, I have very much tried to keep up with China's slowly developing antitrust laws. So I was delighted to sit down (metaphorically speaking) with Josh Gartner Managing Editor of Publications for AmCham China for an interview on recent developments in China's anti-monopoly law. This interview can be heard as an iTunes podcast here and on AmCham's site (gosh, I'm right there with Nancy Pelosi and John Kerry) here. Or you can read the transcription below, stripped of all… -
Registering Your Trademark In The US And China On The Cheap.
22 Jun 2009 | 11:54 pmMany years ago, a very good client of mine (in a China related business) called me in a panic. The client had gone to its regular US corporate counsel and asked about using a trade name on product it would be importing from China. Its corporate counsel said it saw no problems and my client went ahead and imported the product. This turned out to be a bad move. A very bad move. As soon as the product hit the US, it was stopped at customs as counterfeit. Within hours, my client received a fax from one of its direct (and probably most hated competitors), saying that the imported product was… -
China. The News Is Nearly Always Mixed.
17 Jun 2009 | 8:20 amFor the last couple of weeks I have been working on an outsourcing contract for a US/China company seeking to take on a very large China outsourcing project for a rapidly (even now!) growing US retailer. Negotiations have been ongoing with countless revisions. Last night, I received the following email from my client: They signed! Now I'm back in china and quarantined for possible pig flu!! Thanks for your help. Since the inception of this blog, I have refrained from using the old (and badly overused) cliché on China that, "Everything is possible, nothing is easy." I am using it now.
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RConversation
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Green Dam is breached...Now what?
1 Jul 2009 | 9:28 amAs a number of China hands predicted, the Chinese government has postponed its mandate requiring that all computers sold in China must include the Green Dam -Youth Escort censorware by today. Yesterday after the news broke I told the Financial Times: "There's been this impression in the internet industry that when the Chinese government makes a demand, they have to roll over and play dead. The lesson here is that's not necessarily the case." I'll put it more strongly here: The Green Dam episode proves yet again that when companies respond to critics by saying things… -
Some more Green Dam documents...
27 Jun 2009 | 3:30 pmThis photo, posted last week on Twitpic by a pseudonymous blogger claiming to be based in Hangzhou, shows a document included in the box of a new Sony Vaio computer. (Click to enlarge.) It is titled: "Sony Disclaimer Notice Concerning the Green Dam - Youth Escort" Software." The document makes the following points (my summary, not verbatim translation): Green Dam doesn't support a 64-bit operating system, so PC's with the 64-bit OS don't include this software. The software is provided to users in accordance with government requirements. Sony cannot guarrantee the… -
China's censorship blowback
25 Jun 2009 | 8:15 amI'm not sure what the Chinese government is thinking, or whether certain parts of certain ministries and party apparatus have gotten completely out of control. Until recently, it had seemed to me that the Chinese government was managing its censorship system with surprising success: censoring enough (combined with strategic arrests) to keep people from using the Internet to organize a successful nation-wide political opposition movement; but at the same time allowing enough space for online discourse and citizen-muckraking that people have felt freer and more empowered than ever… -
Green Dam's makers fail to fix problems
18 Jun 2009 | 5:04 pmLast week, computer scientists at the University of Michigan, The Open Net Initiative, and an independent group of Chinese programmers all found serious security flaws in the government-mandated Green Dam-Youth Escort software. Earlier this week a Chinese official told the China Daily "that all security problems reported by the professors from University of Michigan had been fixed." Well, not really. The Michigan team has found that while some problems are fixed, more serious security problems remain. Here is the summary of their latest update: Following our initial analysis, the… -
Green Damned
16 Jun 2009 | 9:19 amChinese netizens are certainly having fun mocking the government's mandate for PC manufacurers to install the Green Dam-Youth Escort software. Danwei posted some great pictures of cartoon "green dam girls," greated in the style of Japanese porno manga. This one on the left (click to enlarge) is removing the underwear of "Windows XP Girl". Hecaitou has a lot more. The Guardian, Associated Press, and even the China Daily are now quoting an unnamed Chinese official at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology who says that the installation of Green Dam-Youth…
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All Roads Lead To China
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Chengdu Investment News: July 2, 2009
2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 am1. Investment of 100 million US dollars, Alibaba to build western base in Chengdu On June 29th, the signing ceremony of the western base project of Alibaba Group was held in Chengdu High-tech Zone. It is learnt that Alibaba Group is to invest 100 million US dollars in Chengdu to build the “Alibaba Western Base”, whose business range will cover all related businesses conducted by the Group’s subsidiaries, with such functions as research, calling, background operation and maintenance, management and settlement, disaster recovery and training, etc. The settlement of the Chengdu Operation… -
Open Letter to U.S. Consul General in Shanghai
2 Jul 2009 | 5:21 amAs an American living in China for the better part of 8 years, I have experienced the spectrum of customer service experiences, but my experience earlier this week (July 1) at the Westgate ACS office highlighted that within your own office. On (May 14, 2009) my wife I went to the Westgate office to arrange for the Marriage affidavit. We completed the form, paid 40USD, swore the oath and were given the document; a document which requires little information (name, date of birth, passport number, name of previous spouse, etc), but whose data accuracy is critical (as we would find out 2 weeks… -
China Logistics News Roundup: June 29, 2009
29 Jun 2009 | 10:31 amLogistics Challenges faced by Hong Kong as a maritime and logistics centre Flash Global Logistics Adds 66 Locations in China to Global Network AMB Property Corporation’s Expansion Plans for China Port Hong Kong’s cargo throughput down 17% in Q1 Water Shipbuilding fund confident of target Grand China in ”bulker order spree” Road Private hand in China border roads Rail IBM opens China rail centre, eyes $731 bln in spending Air Newly-launched Tianjin Airlines makes first flight Xiamen Airlines seeks to grow fleet Air China cuts international capacity but plans no… -
Building Collapse in Shanghai
28 Jun 2009 | 10:15 pmThe Chinese web site Sohu reported one of the more bizarre episodes in recent memory, as one building of a multi-phase residential construction project literally fell over in an early morning rain storm killing one person on the construction site. The 13-floor building is – was - located on Shanghai’s Jian Hua Nan Lu in Minhang district and was nearing completion when the accident occurred. It is reported that more than 200 units in the complex had been sold and as news of the collapse spread, angry home-owners began to appear to demand a resolution. This incident brings into clear focus… -
Guanxi Either Retires or Goes to Jail
22 Jun 2009 | 6:13 amGood friend, and frequent commenter, Jay Boyle once said that “Guanxi either retires or goes to jail“, and over the past few years in particular we have begun seeing this as Beijing clamps down on a number of officials for graft. Most recently the removals of Shenzhen Mayor Xu Zongheng and Pi Qiansheng Binhai New Area Investment Zone Director caught my attention as these men were in the drivers seat of major economies, economies that were view as drivers of China’s march to 8% GDP growth. A few notes of where I find these arrests as important: 1) Many firms when entering…
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China Herald
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Green Dam, the Party capitulates - Tom Doctoroff
1 Jul 2009 | 6:56 amTom Doctoroff by Fantake via FlickrTom Doctoroff, North Asia Area Director of JWT advertising firm, describes in The Huffington Post the decision to at least delay the compulsory censorship software Green Dam on PC's shipped in China as an unique capitulation of the Communist Party. De decision was published at the official newswire Xinhua just hours before midnight, when the regulation would have been in force.The central government had crossed a line by upsetting its closest supporters, Tom Doctoroff argues:I have often argued that China, a Confucian society that cherishes order and… -
China travel market grows despite crisis - William Bao Bean
1 Jul 2009 | 12:22 amWilliam Bao Bean by Fantake via FlickrDespite dropping occupations rates in Beijing and later possibly Shanghai, China's travel market is still growing, despite the crisis, says William Bao Bean, partner at Softbank India and China Holdings, according to 4Hoteliers. He sees much future for online bookings.One area that’s been identified by investors is China’s online travel booking. Despite China’s high online penetration rate, only about 10 percent of travel is booked online. But it has grown, and will continue to grow, said Softbank’s Bean. “Two years ago, online was less… -
Organizing CSR-mart 2009 - Rupert Hoogewerf
29 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amRupert Hoogewerf by Getty Images via DaylifeToday the Hurun Report from Rupert Hoogewerf and Ammado organized the first CSR-mart in Shanghai, both organization announced in a press release. Hurun or Rupert Hoogewerf was one of the people giving an opening speech."The Wenchuan Earthquake has been a turning point for CSR in China," says Rupert Hoogewerf, CEO of Hurun Report. "Brands realise now the value of a good CSR programme, not because it is a nice thing to do, but because it is good for their business."Senior decision makers from 56 companies, charities and social ventures participated in… -
Chinese brands take off at home - Rupert Hoogewerf
26 Jun 2009 | 1:37 amRupert Hoogewerf by Getty Images via DaylifeSoft drink Wanglaoji from Guangdong tops the fourth Hurun list of Most Valuable Brands with an estimated USD 540 million of value, writes CCTV on their website. List composer Rupert Hoogewerf, who expanded the list from 50 to 100 Chinese brands, sees that branding is taking off in China, competing with foreign brands on their own territory."Homegrown Chinese brands are beginning to take on a life of their own, despite their lack of international recognition," said Rupert Hoogewerf, CEO of Hurun Report. "It is becoming harder for international… -
Open letter to net nanny and CCTV - Jeremy Goldkorn
25 Jun 2009 | 11:54 pmJeremy Goldkorn by Fantake via FlickrAnnoyed by yet another effort to block parts of the internet - this time including Google - Beijing-based internet entrepreneur Jeremy Goldkorn wrote on his website Danwei to net nanny, name for the collective Chinese efforts to censor the internet, and the country's leading TV channel CCTV.After spelling out what he likes about China:You are making Chinese people look like children on the world stage.You are bringing shame to the People's Republic of China, and the Chinese Communist Party.Whoever made this decision, you have lost face for the Chinese…
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China Photos, China Travel for Charity, Education and Undertanding
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The Top Business Schools in the U.S.
The Top Business Schools in the US for Chinese Students After two year of interviews and research we have compiled our lists of top business schools and Executive MBA (E-MBA) programs for Chinese students looking for study opportunities in America, Australia, Canada, UK, Singapore and New Zealand. We will be listing the ... -
Xi’an, One Of The Oldest Cites In China
Xi'an, once called "Chang'an", ranks the first among the seven ancient capitals in China. And it is regarded as one of the "Four Ancient Civilizations of the World". It has witnessed the rise and fall of 15 dynasties, including the Western Zhou, the Qin, the Han, the Sui and the ... -
Lake Kanas Xin Jiang
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. There is a large population of Tuvans in the area. There have been sightings of large lake creatures in the waters. A video was taken and ... -
Wolong Panda
Wolong National Nature Reserve is a protected area located in Wenchuan country, Sichuan Province.Wolong National Nature Reserve houses more than 150 highly endangered giant pandas.On 5.12 earthquake,3 pandas were missing,5 staff members were killed,14 houses were all damaged. Here is a picture of a panda seeing a policeman after the earthquake. Though the ... -
Chinese Valentine’s Day
It is said that there are two Chinese Valentine's Day,one is on lunar July 7th,the other one is on lunar January 15th which is celebrated as Lantern Festival. It was an interesting 15th day this year. The full moon appeared larger and brighter than usual because it has come closest to ...
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ChinaTechNews.com
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Huawei Opens LTE Lab In Japan
2 Jul 2009 | 2:33 pmChinese telecom equipment maker Huawei Technologies has announced that the company has set up a long-term development lab in Tokyo, Japan. The lab will not only be used as a research and development center for LTE technologies, but also will provide testing and training facilities for the implementation and commercialization of the next-generation wireless technologies. In addition, [...] -
China Mobile BJ: Mobile Phone Numbers Portable For Three Brands
2 Jul 2009 | 2:31 pmAccording to the customer service staff of China Mobile Beijing, its mobile phone numbers now are portable among its three major brands, including GoTone, M-Zone, and Easyown. The company said if users are not satisfied with their current brands, they can apply for other brands and can use the services of other brands once the application [...] -
Fortune VC Invests CNY100 Million In 315.com.cn
2 Jul 2009 | 2:30 pmShenzhen-based venture capital firm Fortune Venture Capital has announced plans to invest CNY100 million in the domestic Chinese B2B e-commerce platform for large-scale trading, 315.com.cn. Founded in 2004, 315.com.cn is mainly engaged in online trading of large-scale products, covering chemical, fuel oil, plastic, steel, and rubber. Compared with C2C e-commerce websites in China such as Taobao.com, [...] -
Green Computers Donated To Chinese Schools
1 Jul 2009 | 7:59 pmLin Jialai, vice director of the China Association for Poverty Alleviation and Development, is pushing for Chinese companies and individuals to donate their used computers to schools in rural areas. CAPAD is launching a special program to turn old and used computers into environmentally-friendly computers through technical means before donating them to schools in rural China [...] -
The9 Expects Its Online Gaming Profit In China To Drop Up To 75%
1 Jul 2009 | 6:14 amThe bad news has not stopped for Chinese online gaming firm The9 Limited, as the company has now filed a Form 12b-25 with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the late filing of its annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2008. On April 16, 2009, The9 announced that it [...]
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Hao Hao Report
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Wanted: 4-5 Westerners to Sit Around and Drink for Free
1 Jul 2009 | 2:49 pmFound this classified on a Guangzhou social networking website, and found it a little confusing. -
Finding True Love: Parental Matchmaking Sundays in Chinese Parks
30 Jun 2009 | 12:28 pmWell, my mom has not had to wait out in a park with my CV yet to try to find me a mate. That being said, I'm 28 years old and still not married...so if she were Chinese, she might start considering it. Every Sunday in parks all over China, concerned parents (and some grandparents) meet with the CVs and personal profiles of their single children and try to find a suitable match for them. read more -
Images: Hong Kong before, now and after
30 Jun 2009 | 8:37 amTomorrow it’s July 1st, our last public holiday until October. Or, if you are concerned for titles: ‘Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day’. To celebrate our fantastic city, why not pay homage to where we have been, are, and where we are headed. read more -
The Newest Counterfeit Craze - Buildings
30 Jun 2009 | 7:28 amAs you may or may not have heard, an apartment building (luckily still unoccupied and under construction) in the compound “Lotus Riverside” in Shanghai’s Minhang district fell over in one big piece on Saturday. How does this happen? Aren’t there inspectors to prevent this kind of thing? read more -
Coming to a supermarket near you: CCP propaganda
30 Jun 2009 | 3:51 amBuying a loaf from Tesco will never be the same again: now it comes with harmonious filling, anti-western topping, a sprinkling of chipped shoulder, and a smiling Tibetan waving a Chinese flag.
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China Digital Times (CDT)
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Shi Pei Pu, Singer, Spy and ‘M. Butterfly’ Dies at 70
2 Jul 2009 | 3:27 pmFrom the New York Times: Shi Pei Pu, a Beijing opera singer and spy whose sexually convoluted love affair with a French Embassy worker created one of the strangest cases in international espionage and was the inspiration for the Broadway show “M. Butterfly,” died in Paris on Tuesday. His death was announced to Agence France-Presse by an aide. Mr. Shi (pronounced Shuh), who was convicted of espionage in France in 1986 along with his lover, Bernard Boursicot, was believed to be 70. He had also been believed for years to be a woman, at least by Mr. Boursicot, who served time in prison after… -
Chinese Police Accused of Killing Suspect in Search of Confession
2 Jul 2009 | 1:36 pmThe Guardian reports on the death of a suspect in police detention: Junior officers have claimed that a senior official told his men to “use violence to control violence” before they interrogated Wan. The official denied the allegation. Local press have also reported claims that heavy publicity surrounding the case – concerning the deaths of six people at a Nanchang hospital – had increased pressure for a result. An unnamed official said a senior officer promised that whoever solved it would be acclaimed as a “second grade hero and model”. According to prosecutors,… -
Chinese Netizens Celebrate Green Dam Delay
2 Jul 2009 | 9:28 amFrom the Chosun Ilbo: Many Internet users in China are celebrating after Beijing delayed implementing its order that Internet-blocking software be installed in all new computers. News of the delay turned a scheduled Internet boycott into an all-day celebration on Wednesday. Hundreds of opponents of the plan flowed in and out of a tucked-away restaurant in Beijing’s Caochangdi art district. The well-known artist and activist Ai Weiwei organized the event. Dressed in neon pink, he walks around posing for photographs and signing T-shirts with slogans protesting the plan. Ai had proposed a… -
China Considers Environmental Tax
2 Jul 2009 | 1:41 amFrom Economic Observer Online: China has edged closer to levying an environmental tax on polluters, but remains divided over how to introduce the tax. Although the idea of reforming the system by which polluters are taxed was first proposed two years ago, it was fast-tracked in May, along with changes to resource and property tax, by the National Development and Reform Commission in its state-council-approved plan for deepening economic reforms. Last week the Economic Observer learned that expert opinions based on research conducted into the proposed tax had started to flow through to… -
US Names New Head Of De Facto Taiwan Embassy
2 Jul 2009 | 1:33 amFrom AP: The United States on Thursday named a career diplomat with wide-ranging experience in East Asia to be the new head of its de facto embassy in Taiwan. The American Institute in Taiwan said William Stanton, currently the No. 2 U.S. diplomat in South Korea, will replace outgoing institute head Stephen Young in August. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said it welcomed the appointment. © Liu Yong for China Digital Times (CDT), 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: U.S. Taiwan, William Stanton Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh
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Zhongnanhai Blog
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Job Posting: UNESCO seeks contract English editor
28 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmThe UNESCO Office Beijing is seeking an experienced editor to proofread and format the ERSEC conference on Sustainable Land Use and Ecosystem Conservation. -
CCTV Anchor Arrested for Spying
11 Jun 2009 | 4:00 amReports circulate online that CCTV anchor Fang Jing has been arrested for spying on behalf of the Taiwanese military. Her colleague A Yi weighs in on his blog with an apparent confirmation of the story. -
Tiananmen Remembered by Thousands in Hong Kong
4 Jun 2009 | 6:30 am"This attitude has left an indelible impact on me, and has shaped my opinion of China and the Chinese people. I have grown to believe that Chinese people do care mostly about money, and they have lost their interest in politics." -
The Square on June 4 - 20 Years Later
4 Jun 2009 | 2:00 am"As I ascended from Tiananmen West station, the first thing I expected to see was an immense amount of security – and I wasn’t disappointed. Amid the thinner-than-usual crowds were the usual contingent of local police and slow marching PLA soldiers." -
Apple OS to include touch screen Chinese handwriting
8 May 2009 | 7:30 pmApple's new version of Snow Leopard is rumored to include Chinese handwriting specific to multi-touch capable machines. Apple is expected to introduce a netbook or touch-screen laptop/tablet later this year.
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Sinosplice: Life
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Chinese-English Bilingual Ambigrams
These have been around a while on Dr. David Moser's website, Cognitive China. Just in case you haven't seen them, though, be sure to check out these Chinese-English bilingual ambigrams. Two samples: Good stuff. See the rest on Cognitive China. -
Michael Jackson Matters to China
I wasn't planning on writing anything about Michael Jackson's passing, but when it came up again and again and again in my conversations with Chinese friends, I was forced to acknowledge something: although the average American pop star goes largely unknown in China, Michael Jackson really mattered to China. Honestly, ... -
How to Pronounce nciku
The online Chinese dictionary everyone is using these days is nciku. Newbies and veterans alike all seem to dig it. The quality of the dictionary entries is a refreshing change from the deluge of unimpressive CEDICT clones. One common difficulty among nciku users of all levels, however, is ... -
10 Vegetables China Taught Me to Love
I've always been good about eating my vegetables, but coming to China was a total game-changer for me, vegetable-wise. Here were veggies I'd long since written off as "nasty," forcing me to reevaluate them in their new oriental guise. And reevaluate I did! In the end, I ... -
Asian Poses is Hilarious
It might make you nauseous, but it's also hilarious: Asian Poses. Via Adam Schokora (via Twitter).
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Managing The Dragon
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China’s Capital Markets: Poised to Develop
1 Jul 2009 | 12:30 amMy role at Institutional Investor’s China Investment Management Summit in Beijing last week was to provide an historical and global perspective to the panel discussion. Here is what I said. I began my remarks by observing that one of China’s biggest problems today is its lack of developed capital markets. At the same time, I pointed [...] -
The Futures Market in China
26 Jun 2009 | 11:09 pmBy Mick Zomnir China’s futures markets began with the trading of commodities futures in 1990 and experienced a quick and steady expansion until the middle of the decade, when loopholes in the regulatory scheme led to problems of fraud and extreme speculation. At that time, a variety of scandals forced the Chinese authorities to clean up [...] -
China Investment Management Summit
24 Jun 2009 | 4:43 amThis week, Institutional Investor Magazine held its 3rd Annual China Investment Management Summit in Beijing. Established in 1967, Institutional Investor, or “II” as it is commonly referred to in the investment industry, is a preeminent international financial publication with a readership of more than 147,000 financial executives in 160 countries. The magazine’s parent also publishes [...] -
More On Hummer
20 Jun 2009 | 8:41 amIt was as if China Daily had read my mind. It too noticed the dearth of information on the Hummer deal since the transaction was first announced in early June. The newspaper more than made up for it, though, with three articles on the subject in Friday’s edition, one day after MTD’s post. A front page [...] -
Hummers In China
17 Jun 2009 | 11:06 pmEver since the initial announcement that a little-known, special purpose vehicle maker in Sichuan Province had agreed to buy Hummer from bankrupt General Motors, news regarding the proposed deal has been scarce. The early reaction was that it was a deal that the Chinese government might very well block. After all, it runs counter to every [...]
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China IWOM Blog- Making Sense of the Buzz
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CIC collaborates with Roland Berger on their new ‘Chinese Consumer Report’
29 Jun 2009 | 7:40 pmI’m very excited to announce that we have contributed a chapter to Roland Berger’s just launched: “think: act, STUDY – Chinese Consumer Report 2009”. You can download the white paper directly here. In this report Roland Berger using their unique RB Profiler tool, analyzed data gathered from over 12,000 interviews and then proceeded to identify eight consumer archetypes for China: the traditionalist, the modern performer, the minimalist, the hedonist, the conformist, the progressive maximalist, the traditional maximalist and the self-centered type. In our chapter, CIC utilizes… -
IWOM watch May: The explosion of online marketing
25 Jun 2009 | 7:55 pmThis May it’s been a online marketing free-for-all! Firstly, we watched as Intel in cooperation with Baidu placed a text advertisement on Baidu’s front page, resulting in Intel’s site to temporarily go offline due to the massive numbers of visitors! Secondly, we look into the popularity of Nokia’s two new viral videos and showed how China’s first multi-channel user interactive mini-series titled “What is An looking for?” (安与安寻) has become a campaign that all the fashion related brands want to participate in. Finally, we take a look at two popular campaigns both which… -
The Launch of CIC’s IWOM Master Dashboard: Some Thoughts
24 Jun 2009 | 6:49 pmJust back from London. I’ve been so busy recently I just haven’t had a chance to really talk much about the dashboard we launched on June 1. With the launch, we have essentially begun to put some of the powerful technology our analysts have been using for years into the hands of our clients. I wanted to share a bit about why we are really excited about this launch. The world’s largest focus group…at your fingertips More than just a simple “buzz clipping” or online reputation tracking platform, IWOM master (IWM) is strategic intelligence for brand communications (see… -
iTV-Asia interview with Agenda’s Magdalena Wszelaki
23 Jun 2009 | 3:48 amI recently interviewed Magdalena Wszelaki, Regional Vice President for Agenda for my Interactive China series on iTV Asia. I’ve known Mag since 2005 when she first arrived in China to work on what came to be award winning campaigns for Pepsi Creative Challenge. She’s been the driver of many a cool campaign/platform since then, including great stuff with Johnson Baby. In the interview, I pick her brain on the development of IWOM in China since that time as well as ideas for the future. To watch the full interview, please see here. Other ITV Asia Interviews: “Interactive China”… -
CIC launches a new white paper series: Making Sense of IWOM
18 Jun 2009 | 2:27 amI’m currently in London, but I do want to mention that we have released a new white paper, the first topic in a 3 part series. Below is taken from the mail we sent out earlier today. I will share more thoughts on this soon. In the meantime, do check it out. ————————————————————– Following the launch of the first Internet Word of Mouth (IWOM) analytics dashboard in China- IWOM master on June1, 2009, CIC is pleased to announce the release of our latest IWOM White…
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China Esquire
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got paul midler’s book in the mail
29 Jun 2009 | 12:33 amChecked my mail the other day only to find a copy of Paul Midler’s book Poorly Made in China: An Insider’s Account of the Tactics Behind China’s Production Game. In it, Paul defines and talks about the problem of quality fade, which I am sure I must’ve talked about last year when I was on a posting rampage. (For those of you who don’t know, quality fade refers to when a factory starts out producing high quality products and then later turns out inferior products by cutting corners to save costs) The Economist already ran a brief review/summary/introduction to the… -
straight talk on trademarks: love it.
23 Jun 2009 | 11:50 amStan Abrams recently did a great post at China Hearsay about trademark registration, which piggybacks on Dan’s post at CLB. So why am I so enamored with this post? Because Stan is saying something that so many attorneys wish we could say to our clients. Not because we hate our clients, but because sometimes it’s easier to give the straight talk rather than give “professional sounding” advice. I compiled key parts of Stan’s post after the jump. I know that times are tough and that legal budgets have been slashed. I don’t really care, but I am aware of this. But… -
baby picture: i just couldn’t resist!
19 Jun 2009 | 7:09 pmI just couldn’t resist doing posting at least one baby picture of Baby China Esquire. I know, its not related to Chinese law, business, non-profits, or society other than the fact that the little baby has Chinese parents… but I hope that you will pardon my excitement! I hope to get back to blogging about my normal blog subjects again soon. -
busy welcoming new life
15 Jun 2009 | 12:26 amJust an FYI, I’ve been very busy and haven’t been able to post. Mrs. China Esquire and I had the privilege (and the responsibility) of bringing Baby China Esquire into the world this past week. As a result, I haven’t been getting much sleep on top of an already rigorous work schedule. I don’t plan to disappear completely, but if my post count remains low for the time being, you know why. I must say, baby is awfully cute! -
the reward for doing human rights work? get disbarred.
28 May 2009 | 4:47 pmThe New York Lawyer had an article yesterday entitled “ Chinese Lawyers Could Be Disbarred for Taking Human Rights Cases“. It should come as no surprise to most readers that stuff like this happens in China. I wasn’t all that surprised. The only interesting twist? Its the judiciary in China that is threatening to disbar attorneys who take up human rights issues. More after the jump. The article reads: China’s judiciary is warning law firms to rein in lawyers who take up human rights and other politically sensitive cases, lawyers said Wednesday, increasing the…
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The Mobinode
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Announcement: MOBINODE Goes TV
28 Jun 2009 | 8:18 amI am thinking of an tech video-blog for a long time. In this post, I said, Blog is not just about text and image, and the audience needs audio and video too. Today, MOBINODE.tv, initiated by Cindy, Snake and Boyuan is ready for public, and on behalf of the team I am very proud to announce that the first video blog focus on Chinese tech industry is launched. Why do we want to do a video blog? In past several months, we’ve been to many conference and events inside and outside China, met many great people and heard loads of interesting stories, and we don’t want all these slipping… -
The Evolution of Dragon’s Web: Copy-to-China, Reformation, Innovation and More
18 Jun 2009 | 10:17 pmAccording to the latest report from CNNIC, we surely see a huge potential on web and mobile market in China. A Massive Market might be the most common description for the Dragon’s web. : 316million Internet users, ~2.9million Chinese web sites; But, the Internet penetration has reached only around 25%; 107million bloggers by end of 2008; 670million mobile subscribers; and ~117million users surfing Internet on their mobile devices. But, considering the population of China, you probably would not be surprised by the figures above. So in this post, I am not going to spend time on these… -
What does an advanced Japanese mobile commerce and entertainment provider do in China?
8 Jun 2009 | 11:35 pmYesterday night at Mobile Monday Beijing #29 Wang Yong, CEO of DeNA China shared with us his humble plans for China. I say humble as Wang must have mentioned 3 times during his presentation that replicating DeNA’s extremely successful Japanese services in China is impossible. Before I will describe why Wang did not expect DeNA to do very well in China I will briefly introduce DeNA. DeNA? DeNA is the biggest mobile social network in Japan. Currently it has 632 employees with a market cap of USD1.5 billion. Their most popular service is called Mobile Game Town (Mobagetown), a service that… -
Maxthon 3.0 Is Coming, Supporting Both Webkit And IE
8 Jun 2009 | 11:19 amTime is flying. It’s been already over two years since I interviewed with Maxthon last time. The Chinese browser market is not that noisy these days, although there are some good new-comers such as TheWorld Browser, Green Browser, 360 Browser, Sogou Browser, TT Browser by Tencent, UCWeb for mobile market (which is invested by Alibaba last week) etc and it is reported that Sina was working with MiscroSoft on its own Sina Browser. “Maxthon was a bit quiet in past two years, but in China, we are even more confident to say that we are the No.1 local browser”, said Jeff Chen, CEO… -
Abang.com: Don’t Bring Your Baggage to China
22 May 2009 | 8:39 pmThere have been so many road kills on the digital highway to China: practically all foreign companies entering the Chinese market have failed miserably. Abang.com, the Chinese subsidiary of About.com the successful network of network of expert ‘guides’, seems to be an exception and is doing quite well. What is their secret, how have they managed to survive and even do well in the Chinese market? These are subjects that moderator David Wolf, CEO Wolf Group, was curious to find out as Matt Roberts, CEO Abang.com China, shared the CHINICT stage with him. From the ground up…
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BDL Media
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Internet Society of China Joins Hands To Fight Spam
23 Jun 2009 | 7:12 pmOriginal article -
51MICE.com Launches Search Directory To Give China's Booming Corporate Travel Market A Chance To Compare The Best Chinese Offerings
26 Mar 2009 | 3:13 pmAimed at China's US$2 billion corporate travel market, 51MICE.com (http://www.51MICE.com) has launched its new beta search website that combines thousands of China's top corporate travel, hotel destinations, and convention venues with the latest deals and offerings to businesses sending their staff on travels around China. MICE is a much-used acronym within the corporate travel industry that means "Meetings, Incentive travel, Conventions, and Exhibitions". Most hotels have MICE managers and MICE directors who assist businesses travelers, exhibition companies, and incentive travel junkets with… -
ChinaNewswire.com Unveils Beta Testing For New Online Media Monitoring And Chinese Press Release Distribution Software
4 Mar 2009 | 2:56 pmMaking sure that corporate press releases both get quickly distributed to journalists and monitoring those releases and the activities of clients becomes faster will soon become much easier as ChinaNewswire.com, China's leading social media press release distribution service, unveils a new Chinese-language beta test of its new software service for clients. Targeting the media needs of large companies, but intending to fall within the pricing range of small and medium enterprises, the new SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) product is being tested by select clients. The testing period should last for… -
Online Media Unveiled To Cover China's Wireless, Telecom, And Mobile Sectors
5 Feb 2009 | 7:00 pmExtending its reach across more booming technology sectors in China, ChinaTechNews.com has now unveiled ChinaWirelessNews.com, a new spin-off website devoted to wireless, telecommunications, and mobile businesses in China. As the first dedicated independent English-language website devoted to covering the wireless and telecom sector in China, ChinaWirelessNews.com delivers daily news brimming with information about 3G licenses, TD-SCDMA, MVAS, mobile phones, RFID, 4G, WCDMA, wireless standards, GSM, PHS, new Chinese regulations, Wi-Fi, WLAN, security, WVAS, and mobile gaming for I.T. -
Chinese Computer Hacking, Cracking, Spamming, Phishing, And Internet Virus News Now Available In English Via TechSecurityChina.com
2 Feb 2009 | 9:30 pmTechSecurityChina.com has officially launched as the first dedicated online English-language publication devoted to covering the technology security sector in China. Good technology security is focused on understanding threats before attackers can exploit flaws on the Internet, and with China playing a more important role in the development of software and Internet tools, it's now more important than ever for I.T. professionals around the world to understand the technology security situation in China. As part of the ChinaTechNews.com group of Chinese-language and English-language Web media…
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China Environmental News Digest
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How Confucianism could curb global warming
27 Jun 2009 | 11:41 pmChina openly debates the role of Eastern thought in sustainability. By James Miller from the June 26, 2009 Via CSMonitor.com Kingston, Ontario - Now here's a curveball to secular Western policy experts: China's intellectuals are openly debating the role of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism in promoting the Communist Party's vision of a harmonious society and ecologically sustainable -
Yellow River dams verge on collapse
19 Jun 2009 | 10:58 pmBy Tan Yingzi (China Daily) Updated: 2009-06-19 10:34 Several dams on branches of the Yellow River in Gansu province are near collapse only one or two years after their construction. Improper construction procedures, disqualified workers, embezzlement of construction funds and mismanagement of local water resource departments are threatening the safety of the dams, according to China Youth -
China suspends 'illegal' hydropower projects for environmental reasons
14 Jun 2009 | 11:22 pmDam construction was started without necessary ecological assessments, says ministry of environmental protection -
China and the environment: Red, green - and black
11 Jun 2009 | 1:11 amThe Guardian, Thursday 11 June 2009 Article history Visiting China a couple of years ago, the American journalist Thomas Friedman conceded that, when it came to climate change, his hosts had a point. Yes, the west had grown rich using dirty old coal and oil, and the Chinese had the right to do the same. "Take your time!" he told a -
China Outpaces U.S. in Cleaner Coal-Fired Plants
11 May 2009 | 11:00 pmDoug Kanter for The New York Times A poster announces a power plant to be built in Tianjin, China. By KEITH BRADSHER Via NYtimes.com TIANJIN, China — China’s frenetic construction of coal-fired power plants has raised worries around the world about the effect on climate change. China now uses more coal than the United States, Europe and Japan combined, making it the world’s
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The Peking Duck
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Is TPD and other sites being blocked to meet quotas?
29 Jun 2009 | 1:03 amInteresting viewpoint on why certain sites that ordinarily would be left alone are now being added to the censor’s list. If the blogger’s hypothesis is true, this site may be permanently blocked in China no matter what I do. Sigh. -
Laowai!
28 Jun 2009 | 7:53 amAll my friends in China know only too well (much too well) how much I love Kunming. As I get ready to leave China in a few weeks, it’s the one place I feel I absolutely must go back to one more time before heading home. I had only one very brief experience in Kunming that I’d have to classify as not entirely delightful, and I always wanted to get it down on “paper.” It was brief, only a few seconds long, actually, but I still think about it. It was in February, and I had just enjoyed a large bowl of Jiang Brothers cross-bridge noodles with the black chicken served… -
Guest Post: “The Good News From Iran Today”
28 Jun 2009 | 6:23 amThe following is a guest post from my friend Bill Stimson. “The Good News From Iran Today” by William R. Stimson It has happened now in Iran like it did in Myanmar a short while back. Common people, secular and religious, cried out with one voice against injustice only to have their rulers bludgeon them back into silence. Today on the internet we hear not a whisper from Iran, save official lies. But we know what is happening. It was told long ago by the great Persian-language poet – Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī – known and loved everywhere today simply as Rumi. A… -
A guest post: Today we are all Iranians
22 Jun 2009 | 8:08 amThe following is a contributed post by my friend from Taiwan Bill Stimson. “Today We Are All Proud Iranians” by William R. Stimson Day by day here in Taiwan I’ve been closely following the internet images of ordinary people crowding the streets of Iran because they touch my heart and make me know that in these days, around the world, we’re all Iranian. In Taiwan, China, America – in all countries everywhere – each and every one of us is having our deepest and truest nature shown us by these grandmothers, daughters, and sons who are out silently and peacefully… -
The Beggar
21 Jun 2009 | 9:59 amEvery workday I follow the same routine, waiting for bus #115 on Gongtibeilu near the Dongsishitiao subway station, heading east. The bus turns right onto Tuanjiehulu, where I used to live in 2002-3, and then zigzags a bit, letting me off on Jintaiixilu a block north of Guanghualu. Everyday the same. I’m usually able to get a seat when I first board the bus. Then, at Tuanjiehu, a lot of people get off but an even larger number of people get on, many of them older men and women. And I always get up and give my seat to one of them no matter how tired I am, and most of the other pre-arthritis…
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China Hearsay
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This is Not Going to End Well
2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 amI have no idea whether this is accurate. The report is from MSNBC News and sounds bizarre: How can an airline pack 40 percent more passengers onto a plane, trim costs by 20 percent and lower airfares for its customers? By offering “standing” seats. Seriously. China’s Spring Airlines, in an effort to handle a growing number of passengers, is considering selling standing-room tickets. A spokesperson said the carrier has been mulling the idea since the beginning of the year. “The process of plane making is really long,” spokesman Zhang Wuan told CCTV. “We… -
China Trademark Problems for iPhone?
1 Jul 2009 | 8:09 amThis is certainly interesting, although I think that there is more going on here than what made it into the news. From Computerworld: A Chinese company that owns the trademark “i-phone” has said it is not in talks with Apple, even though Apple may need the company’s blessing to sell its similarly named iPhone in China. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a company admit that they were in negotiations with a counterpart on any issue, from mergers to litigation. Must be some sort of rule in corporate communications. Admit to nothing — they must have picked this up… -
Tales of Web Editing Gone Awry
29 Jun 2009 | 11:00 pmYou ever hit the “send” button prematurely and allow an email with embarrassing content to go out to the wrong person? That’s the nearest analogy I can come up with for this tale of woe about an editor at the People.com.cn site, but even then it does not do this story justice. The poor bastard put up a story on an individual suspected of human trafficking. The cops were on the lookout, and a photo of the suspect was available. The web editor posted the story and intended to embed the suspect’s pic. The finished product was supposed to look like this: Unfortunately,… -
Virtual Currency Regs
29 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmBeen waiting for some guidance from the government on this issue for several years now, ever since Tencent was smacked around by the government regarding QQ Coin related practices. At the time (2003?), the banking regulators were freaking out, worrying that virtual currencies were acting too much like the RMB. From JLM: China’s Ministry of Culture (MoC) and Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) issued regulations on June 26 to strengthen the supervision of virtual currency in online games, after receiving approval from The People’s Bank of China, reports 163.com. Virtual currency is… -
Quality of Life in Beijing Gets Boost (from Shanghai government)
29 Jun 2009 | 6:00 pmNow this is great news (from China Briefing): The local government is set to launch a program that will give foreign finance specialists incentives to work in Shanghai including lowered taxes, reports Shanghai Daily. The financial talent award is just one of the government’s policies aimed at turning Shanghai into an international financial and shipping hub by 2020. I have an even better idea. Let’s dismantle Beijing’s Financial Street, close all the financial service firms’ Beijing representative offices, and ship all their staff to Shanghai and Hong Kong. Yes, there will…
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The China Sourcing Blog
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Industry Focus: Grinding Media - Risks and Opportunities for Low Cost Sourcing
29 Jun 2009 | 6:00 pmGrinding media (GM) is required for mineral processing operations using horizontal and vertical media mills. Different types of mills require customized grinding media with respect to chemical compatibility, size, viscosity, etc. Due to the complexities of this process, there is a certain amount of risk involved when it comes to sourcing grinding media from low cost countries like China, which is why the low cost sourcing of grinding media will only reach a peak in the coming years.Chinese exports of grinding media have displayed remarkable growth in the last decade, with CAGR of 17.8%… -
EVENTS: Shanghai AD & Sign Technology and Equipment Exhibition
28 Jun 2009 | 10:50 pmThe 17th Shanghai International AD & Sign Technology and Equipment ExhibitionVenue: Shanghai New International Expo CenterDate: 7 - 10 Jul 09Organizer: Shanghai Modern International Exhibition Co., Ltd.Tel: +86 21 6328 8899Briefing:The event will feature over 1,000 exhibitors with an exhibition space of around 100,000sqm. The fair will display the latest industry information as well as… -
EVENTS: Aluminium China 2009
19 Jun 2009 | 2:00 amAluminium China 2009Venue: Shanghai New International Expo CentreDate: 30 Jun - 2 Jul 09 Organizer: Reed Exhibitions (China) Ltd. Tel: +86 10 8518 9070 Briefing: As part of the world renowned ALUMINIUM brand of leading events, Aluminium China 2009 will facilitate the development of China’s aluminium industry and promote fair exchange and competition within the industry. The event is… -
New Tax Rebates: Full List of Commodities
17 Jun 2009 | 1:44 amChina has just increased tax rebates for exporters for the seventh time since August 2008 as part of efforts to support exporters affected by the drop-off in overseas demand. Food companies, electronic and digital media product makers, as well as the ceramics and plastics industries will benefit from the new rebates, according to a statement by the Ministry of Finance. The new rebates are effective from June 1. The China Sourcing Blog has translated the latest list of commodities, and the full list can be downloaded by clicking on this link: ExportVATRebateAdjustment_16Jun09.pdfNearly… -
What Chinese Future for Hummer?
15 Jun 2009 | 12:28 amOn June 2, just a day after General Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, it was announced that the US auto giant reached agreement on selling its Hummer brand to a little-known private Chinese company, Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co., Ltd, a manufacturer of road, construction and energy industry equipment in southwest China’s Sichuan province. So why would a company which mainly produces industrial machinery and has no experience in the passenger-vehicle market buy this famous off-road vehicle brand? While the auto industry in the US and the rest of the world is…
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Silk Road International Blog
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Poorly Made in China, Paul Midler—BOOK REVIEW
29 Jun 2009 | 7:21 amLike a couple other of my favorite books on China, River Town and Mr. China specifically, I’m admitting to you now that the reason that I like this book so much is that this is my life in print.This is what I’ve done for the past 7 years in China—solved other people’s problems, dealt with very “cleaver” Chinese factories and played go-between with suppliers and buyers who are not just from different countries but actually from completely different planets. Poorly Made in China tells the stories behind the products.Unlike Made in China, it’s not an agenda-driven call to political… -
SRI on NPR
22 Jun 2009 | 4:47 pmI did an interview with NPR last week about the shift in status of American buyers in China. We’re seeing that Chinese suppliers are doing much more due diligence prior to accepting orders and have much less trust in foreign buyers since, in the last 18 months, they’ve been left holding the bag more often than not. I’ve shared a couple of stories about this type of thing before. Here’s the NPR link. -
Quarantined! AKA: “Never tell the truth to anyone but your parents.”
18 Jun 2009 | 11:00 pmWhen I was teaching at a university in Chongqing in ‘95 I had a student say something to me that I will never forget, “at least, well, I haven’t forgotten it yet.” She told me that when she was young she had the bad habit of telling the truth. After getting both herself and her family in trouble a number of times her father sternly taught her this lesson, “Never tell the truth to anyone but your parents.” This was one of my first major lessons about how different China really is. There is no “moral code” no “generally accepted… -
Notes from around China
8 Jun 2009 | 2:10 amHad a couple of really interesting discussions about working with Chinese factories today. One was with a Purchasing Manager from the States that buys for his company in China. He says that almost as difficult as dealing with all the unknowns and changes in China is convincing Americans that have not been to China in his company that China really is that irrational and difficult to deal with. For example, the sales team was told that it takes two weeks to produce item XYZ. But in reality over the past year every shipment is at least a week late, if not two. This PM says it’s… -
04/06/2009
3 Jun 2009 | 4:42 pmHave a nice day.
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China Venture News
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July 8: China Cleantech Business Forum
30 Jun 2009 | 12:00 pm© star5112 2Point6Billion (a blog that looks at economic issues in China and India) has a write up online on the upcoming China Cleantech Business Forum. The July 8th forum will be Asia's first c... -
NetworkingForPros.com Puts You on the Web
29 Jun 2009 | 5:40 pm© Dmitry Baranovskiy I've been contributing over the last few months to the content of a vibrant and growing site that points toward the future of the Internet and has profound potential for users... -
Employee Compensation Case Law
29 Jun 2009 | 12:39 pmChina Law Blog had a case study (of sorts) this past week on employee compensation. The article looked at an employee claim for pregnancy leave that was filed after they'd been laid off. The situ... -
Undervalued or Not, the Yuan is Not Likely to Gain Much
28 Jun 2009 | 5:12 pmI came across a couple of articles recently the seemed to complement each other on the relative value of the U.S. dollar and the China's Yuan Renminbi. Nikhil Raheja has an excellent explanation... -
Three US IPO Listings for Chinese Companies
28 Jun 2009 | 3:16 pmSeeking Alpha has an informative write up online at the moment for three Chinese companies that recently released IPOs on the US market. Duoyuan Global Water Inc. listed on the NYSE. The company desc...
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Dan Washburn
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Attention
6 Oct 2018 | 10:28 pmI won't be updating this blog anymore. Please access my new blog (with all the same content) here. -
$800,000 in five months? I really should have studied iTunes App development in high school.
14 Apr 2009 | 1:15 amhttp://www.macrumors.com/2009/04/13/all-time-top-iphone-app-sales-figures-and-estimates/ -
Brazilian President Blames White People For The Economic Crisis
27 Mar 2009 | 2:30 amSorry, 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]
24 Mar 2009 | 12:30 amFor 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 -
Virginia bans most smoking
9 Mar 2009 | 7:30 pm"The home state of Marlboro and the world’s largest cigarette factory has banned most smoking in restaurants and bars." Find your state <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_smoking_bans_in_the_United_States">here</a>. Would love to see PA in the white. http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/03/virginia-bans-m.html?csp=34
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Responsible China
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TheCityFix.com: E-Bike Boom in China
16 Jun 2009 | 8:50 amOriginally posted on TheCityFix.com. From TIME.com: On the Streets of China, Electric Bikes Are Swarming June 14, 2009 By Austin Ramzy In China, electric bicycles are leaving cars in the dust. Last year, Chinese bought 21 million e-bikes, compared with 9.4 million autos. While China now has about 25 million cars on the road, it has four times as many e-bikes. [Compare these staggering figures to more modest numbers from the United States, where more bicycles (2.6 million) were sold than cars and trucks (2.5 million) during the first quarter of 2009.] Thanks to government encouragement and a… -
The Ethics of Trash and Environmental Justice
11 May 2009 | 8:47 pmPhoto by art_es_anna. The Modern Predicament The amount of material needed to sustain the modern world is somewhat ridiculous– and what better way to understand how much substance we buy is there than looking at the trash we produce? For example, in 2005, the United States produced 246 million tons of trash. This is an extremely large amount of trash to visualize and sociologists tell us that the human mind cannot meaningfully grasp numbers higher than a few thousand. A better way to put it into perspective: A blue whale, the largest animal in the world, weighs about 160 tons. Therefore,… -
TheCityFix.com: Will China Dominate the Electric Car Market?
7 Apr 2009 | 8:35 amOriginally published on TheCityFix.com: Chinese car designer Tang Hua unveiled this peculiar electric concept car, named “Detroit Fish,” at the North American International Auto Show in 2008. Photo by GmanViz. Step aside, Japan. Don’t even try, Detroit. China has plans to corner the electric car market. From the New York Times: Chinese leaders have adopted a plan aimed at turning the country into one of the leading producers of hybrid and all-electric vehicles within three years, and making it the world leader in electric cars and buses after that. As it stands now…… -
Call for Papers: 2009 Wuhan International Conference on the Environment
28 Mar 2009 | 2:59 pmCall for Papers: PACE (Professional Association for China’s Environment) is hosting the 2009 Wuhan International Conference on the Environment (WICE, 2009) from June 27-30, 2009 in Wuhan, which is the first experimental city for the development of a “Resource-Saving and Environmentally-Friendly” Eco-Society in China. The aims of this conference are to serve as an interdisciplinary scientific forum to present the most recent advances in environmental science and technology, and to foster integration of the latest scientific development into practical applications for the improvement… -
March 27: PACE “Environmental China” newsletter
27 Mar 2009 | 3:20 pmEnvironmental China Published by PACE (Professional Association for China’s Environment) A weekly update of China’s environmental news and analysis from PACE (www.pacechina.net) By CC Huang Welcome to Environmental China, PACE’s e-mail newsletter devoted to giving interested readers a comprehensive update of news concerning China’s environment. This newsletter will be sorted first with an Opinion section, and then a rundown of news divided into Public/NGOs, Government, and Corporations, with news about each sector’s involvement in China’s environment. Articles…
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ChinaCSR.com
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Green Computers For Chinese Schools
2 Jul 2009 | 12:30 pmLin Jialai, the vice director of the China Association for Poverty Alleviation and Development, proposed at a donation ceremony that Chinese companies and individuals donate unused computers to schools in the rural areas. It is reported that CAPAD is launching a special program, aiming to modify old and used computers into environmentally-friendly computers before donating them [...] -
PepsiCo Opens First Overseas 'Green' Plant In China
1 Jul 2009 | 12:32 pmFood and beverage giant PepsiCo has opened its first overseas "green" plant, in China. The plant is in the western city of Chongqing and is said to be part of PepsiCo's plan to invest USD1 billion in China. The state-of-the-art beverage facility is important to the company's ongoing strategy to expand in emerging markets and broaden [...] -
Employers To Pay Employees Double If No Labor Contract
1 Jul 2009 | 12:31 pmFrom July 1, 2009, a simplified labor contract will be initiated in Tianjin for companies that feature frequent employee changes such as catering units and hairdressing salons. According to China's Labor Contract Law, employers shall sign a labor contract with employees within one month following the establishment of their labor relations. If the employers fail to [...] -
China Campaigns Against "Cultural Irregularities" On The Internet
1 Jul 2009 | 12:30 pmFrom July 1, 2009, China will launch a nationwide special campaign focused on netcafes and computer games that help spread "cultural irregularities". China's Ministry of Culture has issued a circular which states that from July 1 to October 31, the nationwide campaign will be carried out to manage the cultural market. With the approach of the summer [...] -
Chengdu To Protect Women's Rights With New Law
30 Jun 2009 | 12:30 pmChengdu, the capital city of China's Sichuan province, has included the drafting of a new rule dedicated to the protection of women's rights into its legislation plan. According to Zhang Jusheng, a professor from Chengdu University who is also in charge of the drafting of the Chengdu Women's Rights Protection Rule, the new rule has five [...]
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Global Voices Online » China
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China: Shishou official speaks out about riot
2 Jul 2009 | 6:29 amSam Verran from China Elections and Governance translated a blog post written by a Shishou official reflecting on the local government's “mistake” in handling the investigation and riot. -
China: A clean bull returned
30 Jun 2009 | 6:47 pmThe blog hosting website bullog was exiled and blocked early this year. Recently a new website bullock is launched, with a notice that it will strictly adhere to the policy of “no political content”. More from Under the Jacaranda Tree. -
Green Dam and its kinds
30 Jun 2009 | 6:30 pmAngry Chinese blogger explained the problem of Green Dam and reviewed similar censorship software and policy adopted by democratic countries. -
China: The Shishou riots and the uncertain future of Control 2.0
30 Jun 2009 | 6:22 pmDavid Bandurski from China Media Project explains the meaning of control 2.0 and checks how it works / or not works in Shishou riots. -
China's Stimulus Package and its Effect
29 Jun 2009 | 8:25 amChina elections and governance has a series of article on the China's economic stimulus package and its effect. Part one is An introduction to China's stimulus package. Part two is The green dragon soars on the wind: Chinese stimulus and the environment. Part three is Migrant workers and social unrest. The last part is China's Stimulus Package and its Effect on China's SOES: Bad for the Economy and Bad for the Prospect of Democracy.
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Crossroads
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Volunteering in China
15 Jun 2009 | 4:08 amWith the role of volunteers highlighted, catapulted some might say, last year, I have been getting more and more inquiries from the media on the role of volunteers as part of China’s development. One of the more recent interview I participated in was conducted last month following the one year anniversary of the Sichuan earthquake included myself and two other members of China’s NGO community, of CAI and of. conducted on air, we were asked a series of questions (below) that delved into the topic, and due to the depth/ breadth of the questions, I thought I would answer those… -
Beijing Event: Design for the Other 90%
14 Jun 2009 | 8:20 amOn June 25, Frog Design will be hosting the event Design for the Other 90% in China. I learned about the event while meeting with them last week to discuss some of their current projects focused on sustainability, and I would highly suggest those members of the Crossroads Beijing crowd join this event. This discussion will explore market opportunities in 2nd tier cities and beyond and consider some key questions: 1. What are the key opportunities (health care, education, transport, energy, etc.) for international brands in China beyond the 1st tier? 2. What are the best ways to uncover and… -
Sichuan Orphans: Dilemmas between Families, Extended Families, and Regulations
27 May 2009 | 7:45 amBy JoJo It is confirmed by the authorities that there are 650 children left orphaned in the massive earthquake, but only 12 of them have been adopted. Why? Chen Kefu, Deputy Director of Civil Affairs Bureau of Sichuan Province explained that most of the orphans are not willing to leave because they have their own relatives such as grandparents to take the responsibility as guardians, “Orphans enjoy a granted and satisfactory life in hometown.”, he said when invited as a guest to Renmin Daily Online communicating with the netizens on April. 27th. However, the situation may come… -
Caring for Sichuan’s Aged: Red Cross Hetong Nursery Home
26 May 2009 | 8:32 amAs part of our ongoing effort to highlight NGOs who are working to aid those impacted by the 2008 earthquake, we would like to highlight then Red Cross Hetong Nursing Home Also called Ziyan Nursery Home by the name of local community, Hetong Nursery Home provides 24 hours professional care to more than 30 senior citizens in Mianzhu, Sichuan Province. Last September, social workers from Tianjing Hetong Senior Citizen Welfare Association (天津鹤童老年福利协会) came here, trying to build an oasis for aged people survived the catastrophic earthquake. They made it before the Spring… -
Developing Trade Skills in Sichuan: Tai’an Ai Yi Cultural Development Center
20 May 2009 | 8:23 amAs part of our ongoing effort to highlight NGOs who are working to aid those impacted by the 2008 earthquake, we would like to highlight the Tai’an Ai Yi Cultural Development Center. Mission: Sichuan Earthquake has left large numbers of physically challenged people behind. This group of people, especially teenagers has become a social problem locally. Ai Yi has launched its assistance program in Sichuan since June, 2008 who dedicates to helping physically challenged teenagers in Qingchuan to gain access to proper medication and life-skills training. Sichuan Project Overview: The program…
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China Dialogue
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In the US, a changing climate?
1 Jul 2009 | 8:56 amWhat does proposed new legislation in the United States mean for the global fight against climate change? Our writers reflect.[Produced in association with Rutgers Climate and Social Policy Initiative A moment worthy of reflection Last Friday’s approval by the US House of Representatives of the Waxman-Markey bill (or American Clean Energy and Security Act) deserves a moment of quiet reflection. As someone who has followed the internal politics, it is hard to convey quite how dicey this looked a few months ago. The bill is far from perfect: the 2020 target is too low and too many permits… -
A sustainable path for Nepal
30 Jun 2009 | 4:13 amHow can a developing country make sustainability a part of its political constitution? Just over a year since Nepal was declared a republic, Gagan Thapa and Kashish Das Shresth address the country’s need for action on climate change.It has been little over a year since Nepal was declared a democratic republic; the burden of responsibilities weighs more now than ever on the country’s policy-makers. Throughout this time, the conversation among the framers of Nepal’s new constitution has been predominantly – and rightly – about delivering people’s aspirations:… -
“Still waters run deep”
29 Jun 2009 | 2:42 amLi Xiaolin, CEO of China Power, tells Isabel Hilton why she attended the World Business Summit on Climate Change, and why she wants to encourage a new generation of businesspeople.Li Xiaolin is the CEO of China Power International Development Limited and a councillor for the Copenhagen Climate Council. chinadialogue editor Isabel Hilton caught up with her at the World Business Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen. Isabel Hilton (IH): What is the use of the World Business Summit, from a Chinese point-of-view? Li Xiaolin (LX): I am a councillor for the Copenhagen Climate Council, a group that… -
China’s creeping sands
24 Jun 2009 | 5:21 amGrowing sands are transforming China’s arable land, with nearly 20% of the country’s land area classified as desert. A slideshow by photographer Sean Gallagher documents the issue, which affects the lives of an estimated 400 million people.Desertification is the gradual transformation of arable and habitable land into desert, normally caused by climate change or the destructive use of land. Each year, desertification and drought account for US$42 billion loss in food productivity worldwide. It is estimated that nearly 20% of China's land area, some 1.74 million square kilometres,… -
Putting cities at centre stage
24 Jun 2009 | 3:24 amThe world’s cities can be laboratories of low-carbon innovation and need to be factored into a future climate-change framework, says London’s former deputy mayor. Isabel Hilton interviews Nicky Gavron.Isabel Hilton (IH): What do you want from the climate-change talks in Copenhagen in December Nicky Gavron (NG): For the last seven years, I have led on climate change for London. I am keen that the business community recognises the importance of working with city governments very closely in order to make – and to strengthen – the case for the role of cities in delivering…
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China Economic Review - Daily Briefs
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PMI rises in June
The Purchasing Managers' Index rose in June, marking the fourth straight month that manufacturing activity has expanded, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing data from the China Federation of Logistics -
GM China sales surge in 1H
General Motors said on Wednesday that sales in China grew 38% year-on-year in the first half of 2009 on the back of strong demand for small vehicles such as minivans, AP reported. First-half sales stood at 814,442, -
Sichuan Expressway to list in Shanghai
Toll road operator Sichuan Expressway will become the first firm to launch an IPO on the Shanghai bourse this year after a nine-month moratorium on Shanghai listings, the -
CNPC to bid again for YPF
China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) is attempting to revive a failed bid for the Argentinian unit of Spanish energy firm Repsol-YPF in a deal that could be worth up to US$17 billion, the -
Beijing Auto to make Opel bid soon
Beijing Automotive Industry Holding will present a detailed bid to General Motors (GM) for its Opel unit in Europe within a few days, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
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Marc van der Chijs' Shanghaied Weblog
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Eye check in our office
2 Jul 2009 | 6:55 amEvery year all Spil Games Asia and Zlong Games employees get a free health check. One part of that is an eye test, which is performed in our company. Because we had some visitors from Spil Games in Holland, they also could do the eye check (both passed, but one unintentionally tried to cheat because he was wearing contacts - which the doctors found out about right away of course :-).Interesting is that when I left Daimler in 2002 I needed to wear glasses while driving or while watching a movie. Nowadays I don't need my glasses anymore, and today's eye test confirmed that my eyes only have a… -
Job opening at Spil Games Asia: Game Studio Manager in Shanghai
1 Jul 2009 | 3:21 amSpil Games Asia has a job opening for a new manager of our game development studio in Shanghai. If you're interested in this position, here is the job description:SHANGHAI GAME DEVELOPMENT STUDIO MANAGERTasks and Responsibilities:For our Game Development Studio in Shanghai we are looking for a Manager. As the Game Development Studio Manager, you will be responsible for defining, developing, and launching new games (Flash and Shockwave) on our casual gaming portals. You will make sure that our games are accessible and fun, and therefore successful with our target groups (primarily women over… -
Causes of the apartment building collapse
29 Jun 2009 | 10:37 pmOn Saturday I wrote about the apartment building that collapsed (or better: fell over) in Shanghai. Over the past days more details about what may have caused this have become available. As many people suggested substandard construction materials may have been a reason, but that was not the only cause. Initial investigations point at the fact that the developer was excavating an area for a garage under the building (Did they forget to build one? It does not seem logical to first build an apartment building and then build a garage below it). They made a big pile of the earth next to a flood… -
Apartment building collapses in Shanghai
27 Jun 2009 | 6:52 amThis morning I saw some tweets about an apartment building in Shanghai that had collapsed, but only tonight I saw some pictures of what had happened. The building on Lianhua Road, just a few kilometers south of where I live (I go bike riding there sometimes), apparently just fell over!It makes you wonder how safe other buildings in Shanghai are. Luckily there was only one casualty because the building was still under construction. If I would have bought an apartment in one of the other buildings I would seriously reconsider whether to move in or not!Source: Daqi via ESNW Original article on… -
Opening Academic Year 2009 at Maastricht University
22 Jun 2009 | 1:55 amOn August 31 I will give the keynote speech during the Opening of the Academic Year at Maastricht University, the university where I received my masters degree in Business Economics. I am very honored that I was asked by the board of the university to give this speech. I still remember that when I first became a student in 1991 the Dutch prime minister Mr. Ruud Lubbers opened the Academic Year, and at that time I would have never imagined that I would ever get this honor. The theme of the day will be "Innovation and Leadership", so I plan to give a talk related to this.In the morning there…
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Cal Poly MBA Trip
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Days 1 and 2, Fly Out of Los Angeles To Hong Kong and Bangkok And Then On To India (Team 2: Hayes, Merlin-Madrigal, O’Hara, Polydoris)
18 Jun 2009 | 6:35 pm[You can follow our learning and adventures below. If you continue to scroll down, you will see subsequent days of the trip reported by the assigned team. We welcome constructive comments, thoughts, reactions and impressions. - Prof. Carr] Team Two: In what we hope will be an auspicious start to our trip, everyone showed up to LAX on time. “On time,” of course, meaning four hours early. The airport was crowded, the check-in baggage process would have made our Operations professor cringe, and there was no sitting room. But the mood was upbeat – in a few hours we’d be flying over… -
Day 3, New Delhi (Team 1: Healy, Rusing, Travis, Wegemer)
18 Jun 2009 | 5:05 amTeam One: Dipping Our Toes in the Water… of India 6:30 am We awoke to the sounds of New York – traffic, yelling, dogs barking, and Bollywood MTV music videos. Alright, not New York in the geographic sense, approximately halfway around the world in New Delhi, India. Being so far from home causes one to construct a relationship between the things we can and can’t relate to. Our hotel serves as one of the few accommodations available in India. It offers Spartan rooms and a welcome place to rest our weary heads. The essentials differ from American standards, some in unusual ways. We manage… -
Day 4, New Delhi (Team 4: Breneman, Johansing, Larocco, Reyes)
18 Jun 2009 | 5:02 amTeam Four: Today we jumped in our lagoon. After an early morning breakfast we visited a real life ashram. We learned the basic principles of yoga by a reproductive microbiologist from one of the most prestigious universities in India. One of the many analogies that he used involved a lagoon. The lagoon is very much like the rest of the ocean, just as our lives are part of society at large, or so his analogy went. If you jump in and see the lagoon for what it is, you are getting a glimpse of the rest of the ocean too. Through a beginners yoga course we learned how truly flexible an MBA can be. -
Day 5, New Delhi, Agra (Team 7: Chamness, Eves, Miller, Mossman)
17 Jun 2009 | 1:00 pmTeam Seven: The streets of Delhi were relatively quiet in the morning on the way to the Taj Mahal. As the bus moved swiftly through the cows, rickshaws, pedestrians, and broken down cars of Delhi, most people were sleeping or looking at the sights. As we made our way to the outskirts of the city the roads began to open up and we were able to cruise at a relatively high speed while swerving in and out of slow trucks. The road to the Taj Mahal and Agra goes through mostly farmland and small farming towns that are different from rural country roads in the United States. There are slow moving… -
Day 6, New Delhi (Team 3: Cook, Harris, Song, Van Dalen)
17 Jun 2009 | 12:13 pmTeam Three: We started the day the best way possible…Sleeping in! It was much needed and we were happy to start our tour today with good rest and in good spirits. After breakfast we headed to Gurgaon, a city right outside New Delhi where business is booming. Guraon is the 6th largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. It has grown in the last 20 years as a manufacturing, outsourcing and shopping destination due to the demographic shift to younger, more affluent and better educated people. The buildings there were modern and well-maintained. The large crowds of business people moving…
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China Business Blog
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Poll: Can Foreign Firms Benefit From China’s Stimulus Spending?
2 Jul 2009 | 9:15 amRelated entries: Announcements & Events, Business Issues, General, Research, Trading Do you have a view? Please take this poll on LinkedIn.com, and join the conversation: Can foreign firms benefit from China’s stimulus spending? -
Briefly…Top Ten Tweets (From FDI & ODI to Chinese Brands & Green Dams)
29 Jun 2009 | 9:38 amThis weeks highlights from our Twitter feed, include the following stories: Service firms at the fore – RT @fonstuinstra: Chinese brands take off at home – Rupert Hoogewerf http://ff.im/-4soGb 9:58 AM Jun 26th from TweetDeck RMB30.7 bn – RT @sinostream: http://xi.gs/05t0 Green Stimulus Spending Returns to Earth 8:46 AM Jun 26th from TweetDeck (see the related blog post for more) T2 mixer: Coca-Cola to Expand in China Remote Areas http://bit.ly/aEkrf 8:29 AM Jun 26th from TweetDeck IPO’d: China’s first IPO in 10 months details share issue http://bit.ly/CPlh48:13… -
IPO Ho!
29 Jun 2009 | 9:19 amThe IPO has been threatening to return for some time, now there is again Chinese action at home and abroad. Two Chinese firms are listing in New York (The IPO is back RT @China_Daily: Chinese firms issue IPOs on NYSE, 1st in ‘09 http://tinyurl.com/nw63sa 7:09 PM Jun 24th), as China Daily notes: “Chemspec International Ltd., a Shanghai-based maker of specialty chemicals, hopes to raise about US$64.8 million at nine dollars per share in its deal. The ticker symbol for Chemspec is CPC. Chemspec’s deal is being underwritten by Credit Suisse and Citi. Meanwhile, Duoyuan Global… -
Crashing Corruption
29 Jun 2009 | 9:13 amCorruption has raised its head again…but some of it is being won back by the authorities who are, perhaps, worried about stimulus funds being misappropriated – and the associated economic losses, as well as social disharmony (Corruption: China reclaims $4 billion of embezzled public money http://bit.ly/F0PkS). Reuters: “China has recovered 26.77 billion yuan ($3.92 billion) of public money that was embezzled last year, the country’s top audit official said in a report…” Some funds are also being lost by the banks, who may have thought that in the midst of… -
Google Gets Damned
29 Jun 2009 | 9:09 amThere has been much recent news about China’s plan to introduce, by dictat, an internet filtering software on all computers sold in China (Damn dam! RT @China_Daily: Green Dam live date ‘unchanged’ http://tinyurl.com/m2g6pj 6:49 PM Jun 22nd). This has been seen as a problem for both manufacturers and consumers, who want greater freedom to decide what goes onto their machines (not to mention where they go with them thereafter), and many of whom have concerns over the integrity and monopoly of the imposed product. Despite this, China Daily reports that plan is to go ahead:…
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Smart China Sourcing
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China Potential Savings
24 Jun 2009 | 8:55 pmBy Mike Bellamy How much can I expect to save by moving production to China? There is no set formula but there are general rules that apply. Labor intensive products made of readily available materials offer the greatest savings. -
QC - Quality Control
24 Jun 2009 | 8:26 pmBy Mike Bellamy What are some of the key terms and concepts I need to understand regarding Quality control in China? Quality Control (QC): A system that is put in place by a manufacturer to monitor and maintain quality as goods flow from raw materials (Inbound QC or IQC) into semi-finished goods (In Process QC or IPQC) into finished goods ready and packaged for shipment (Final QC or FQC). -
Notes from around China
9 Jun 2009 | 2:57 amBy David Dayton in 'Silk Road International Blog' Had a couple of really interesting discussions about working with Chinese factories today. One was with a Purchasing Manager from the States that buys for his company in China. -
Think You Have A Well Known China Trademark. Think Again.
9 Jun 2009 | 1:57 amBy Dan Harris in 'China Law Blog' China's Supreme Court recently confirmed what my firm has always been telling its clients: if you want to protect your trademark in China, you absolutely must register it in China. -
China Contract Law: Going All Clear on Us Now
9 Jun 2009 | 1:36 amBy Steve Dickinson in 'China Law Blog' One role of China's Supreme Court is to provide guidance on the interpretation of statutes. These interpretations are directed at two fundamental issues.
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Top News
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Deadly bus blaze in SW China deliberate: local police
A blaze that engulfed a bus in southwest China's Sichuan Province, which killed 27 people and injured 74 in early June, is believed to be the work of an arsonist, local police said Thursday. -
China issues detailed measures for yuan trade settlement
China has issued detailed measures to regulate the pilot program for cross-border trade settled in yuan, according to a document released Thursday by the central bank. -
Top Chinese diplomat visits four nations for Korean nuclear issue
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei left Thursday for a four-nation tour to discuss the Korean nuclear crisis, according to foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang. -
China torn by heatwave, rainstorm
The heatwave continues in Beijing and several other northern provinces Thursday, while rainstorms drench at least half of the country. -
CNPC and CNOOC eye Repsol YPF
Money.163.com (July 2, 2009)
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Wangjianshuo's blog
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Hello from Palo Alto
2 Jul 2009 | 11:38 amJust landed. Palo Alto is much nearer than San Jose. This is the first time I stay in Palo Alto. The previous many time, I was always in the San Jose area. Just landed. Stayed at 3200 El Camino Real - the Super 8 Hotel, a cheap hotel that I stayed once the last time. The United Airline UA 858 flight I just finished was the worst experience I had so far. I may write about it. Even the crew felt that it is so bad that they gave many of us a "Please Accept Out Apology" card, and a series number on it. With the card, I can get 10% off from the next international trip, or $150 certificate... When… -
Bye Bye Shanghai for Few Days
1 Jul 2009 | 7:16 pmI just packed everything, and a taxi is waiting downstairs to Pudong Airport. I am leaving for San Francisco Airport, and stay in Palo Alto for some days - near the Stanford university, and be back to Shanghai at night of July 10th. Bye bye Shanghai for a while, and I will be back soon. I don't expect the trip will interrupt blogging - I will just suffer a little bit of time zone difference, and not sure how to keep the one post per day guideline - so I just post "randomly" when I want to. Related Entries: United States Hello from Palo Alto July 3, 2009 Bye Bye Shanghai for Few Days July 2,… -
Checklist for US Trip
1 Jul 2009 | 8:47 amI am heading to US via UA858 tomorrow. As always, I always wait for the last minute to pack up everything. ENFP is not compatible with GTD. The first US trip made me excited for weeks ahead of it, and now, it becomes another working day. However, my personality type always welcomes difference, and loves something new, not routine, and travel (including business travel) is the most exciting thing. The improvement this time is, I made a check list of important things: Passport Credit Card 100 USD cash + some changes. Driver's License and an English translation. Laptop and chargers Mobile phone… -
I am Moving Back to Puxi
29 Jun 2009 | 8:06 amI have lived in Shanghai for 14 years. My first two years was spent in Minghang Campus of Shanghai Jiaotong University. Two years later, I moved back to the Xujiahui Campus of SJTU. That was where my current Baixing office is located - the dorm is about 200 meters from my office building. In 1999, Wendy and I moved to a cheap apartment in Meilong. 3 years later, we very happily moved to the Vanke Waltz Garden near the Caobao Road Metro Station of Metro Line #1. That was wonderful time. The only problem is the noisy Caobao Road. Then we sold out the apartment, and moved to Pudong in 2004. Look… -
Real Estate Price Rises in Shanghai
28 Jun 2009 | 7:01 amThe real estate market in Shanghai enters into another crazy period. No matter how many experts or the government official expected the house price will go down, it continued to raise like crazy. This weekend is another crowded weekend. Out of my window in the apartment in Pudong, I saw batches of house agents bringing their client to visit one house after another. I guess there are about 20 of them. In the morning, when I leave my apartment early, the house agents are already standing at the entrance, and distribute their flyers - some rude one just throw it into our car window. At each…
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Lost Laowai China Blog
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The Seven Habits of Highly Ineffective Expats
22 Jun 2009 | 5:46 amWe’ve all seen them, and chances are we’ve all been them at one point or another. A quick walk to the nearest Starbucks or Metro in China, and you will notice that expats come in all shapes, sizes, and dispositions. In general, most of the laowais living here in the Middle Kingdom are fantastic people trying to make the most of their experiences. However, we all have our down points. I have noticed in strangers, friends, and yes, even myself, seven habits that I think make you a very ineffective expat. My rookie year in China is nearing a close, so I plan on making a New… -
Is Google Being Evil in China?
21 Jun 2009 | 2:45 amThe Chinese government notoriously dislikes any organisation, particularly a foreign one, communicating directly to its people – so it’s little wonder that the story of Google in China has been one of jumping through fiery hoops. This week Google has been under attack in China over internet pornography, especially with regards its ’search suggestions’ drop-down box, which can suggest some salacious terms for fairly innocuous words. For this, Google was “strongly condemned” by the China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Center (CIIRC), which describes itself as… -
An introduction to Jade – Feicui
15 Jun 2009 | 1:09 amJade Market (c) LinksmanJD Fěicuì Not your typical blog post, but I hope you find it useful Everywhere in China you can find Jade. They sell it in street corners, in subway stations, in supermarkets, and in jewelry stores. Some Jade costs as little as 1 yuan and some as much as 100k+ yuan. Whether it’s black, blue, green, yellow or white, Jade is very shiny and alluring, though it’s often a mystery to foreigners and Chinese people alike. So how do you buy Jade without being cheated? I know it can be confusing so here is a brief introduction to “the king of Jade” that is Fěicuì. A… -
Riding the Chinese Railway: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
14 Jun 2009 | 6:41 amI am in some doubt as to where I stand on taking the train for long-distance journeys in China. I have in the past found myself admiring the rail networks ability to transport you to the farthest corners of the country, provided with food, water, and a place to lie down and sleep. On other occasions, I have sat trapped inside a giant rolling sardine can, fighting the urge to jump headfirst out of the window by trying to calculate how long it would take to saw off one of my own legs with a Swiss Army knife. On my recent trip to Wudang Mountain I was clearly presented with what I like about… -
Crazy bus fire in Chengdu
6 Jun 2009 | 7:24 amThe #1 reason I don’t ride the bus (actually #1 is over-crowding – but fuck). Warning: Probably not best to watch this if you are sensitive to rather terrifying images and people screaming. Update June 7, 2009 Here are a few links putting the video in context. What Lessons Can We Learn from the Chengdu Bus Fire? [CRIENGLISH] An Eyewitness Account Of The Chengdu Bus Fire [ESWN] (h/t Neddy) Chengdu Bus #9 Fire [chinaSMACK] (h/t Neddy again) – be warned, chinaSMACK has reposted some truly horrific images of the bus after the fire and the charred remains of those that…
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bezdomny ex patria
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My dog is missing
1 Jul 2009 | 5:06 pmHave you seen this dog? Our dog is missing. He disappeared two days ago, but we weren’t told until six this morning. Sounds like an odd statement, except that he lives with my in-laws out in the countryside where he has space to run around and be a dog. Keeping a dog in a city apartment always seemed a bit cruel to me. So the day before yesterday Zaizai disappeared. My parents in law went out looking for him, but couldn’t find him. We have no idea what happened or where he is, and if any of the neighbours no, they aren’t telling. My wife, who has spent most of the morning in… -
an incident in Xi’an
30 Jun 2009 | 4:23 amYang Hengjun has a post up on his blog that starts with a rather disturbing story, an incident in Xi’an, I hope he won’t mind me translating at least the story here: 6月29日9点45分，我从西安鼓楼后面的回民食物一条街出来后看到路边有闪烁的警车，于是也走过去加入了围观。原来，这 里刚刚发生了一起交通事故，邻省甘肃牌照的一辆白色宝马在从停车位出来时碰一位过路的妇女，两人争执不下，不知道是谁报了警。警察来后协调不成功，正准备 带他们到前面的医院去检查。 At… -
humid rugby
30 Jun 2009 | 12:10 amI don’t get out enough. No, really, it’s true. I spend far too much time in this small corner of the city, and too much of my spare time online avoiding everything offline. Anyway, on Saturday, when my wife was at work thanks to some big, urgent project they’ve been given, and I was all alone, I started thinking about lunch. With spectacular timing, Roubaozi sends me a message, something odd about a rugby game. So we agree to meet for lunch at a nearby restaurant where he would try to persuade him to go watch this mysterious rugby game. Well, having gone, thanks to his dodgy… -
skyscapes
23 Jun 2009 | 5:42 amIt’s been a good couple of days for skyscapes: Clear blue skies, strong clouds. Here are a couple I snapped on my cellphone: That one was taken yesterday afternoon, from the 6th floor of the IT building, looking northwest. Yeah, it’s not the best, but it was taken on my phone, and a little fiddling with Picasa left me thinking the original is as good as it’ll get. Still, not too bad for a phone. Next up: Didn’t bother trying to touch that one up, the original seemed to capture the drama I saw as I walked out the door this morning. Gratuitous Master and Margarita thot:… -
Yeshua’s visit
21 Jun 2009 | 8:38 pmCivilisation: A summer Sunday afternoon in the shade of mature trees with a good book and an ice-cold bottle of beer. In this case the book was Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, the Penguin Classics’ edition of 1997. Between bouts of people watching, contemplation and daydreaming, I read the first few chapters yesterday afternoon. Berlioz and Homeless’s (yes, they translate the poet’s penname, bezdomny) meeting with a mysterious stranger by the Patriarch’s Ponds (Bulgakov took care to use the…
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Pomfret's China
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No Hummer Sale to China?
26 Jun 2009 | 8:32 amHummer's sale to China looks unlikely, says state-run radio -
Have China's Censors Gone Nuts?
11 Jun 2009 | 4:40 pmChina's censors used to practice self-control. Not anymore. -
China's Rising Internet
10 Jun 2009 | 10:21 amTwo Internet uprisings, and China's response to them, tell us a lot about the real state of the country. -
Post 6/4 -- How the CCP Has Stayed in Charge
8 Jun 2009 | 11:59 amHow has the Communist Party stayed in power in China? By giving a lot of people a stake in China's future and crushing the rest. -
A Changing Chinese Tune on North Korea?
2 Jun 2009 | 4:21 pmThere are surprising noises coming from China these days about North Korea. One influential Chinese academic thinks China's policy -- long supportive of the hermit kingdom -- might be changing.
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China Post Online - Taiwan , News , Taiwan newspaper
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U.S. Marines launch major offensive in Afghanistan
2 Jul 2009 | 9:33 am(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Thousands of U.S. Marines poured from helicopters and armored vehicles into Taliban-controlled villages in southern Afghanistan on Thursday in the first major operation under President Barack Obama's strategy to stabilize the country. -
North Korea test-fires 4 short-range missiles
2 Jul 2009 | 9:32 am(ChinaPost.com.tw) - North Korea test-fired four short-range missiles Thursday, South Korea's Defense Ministry said, a move that aggravates already high tensions following Pyongyang's recent nuclear test and U.N. sanctions imposed as punishment. -
Stocks fall as June job losses exceed estimates
2 Jul 2009 | 9:31 am(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Stocks fell Thursday morning after a new report showed more job losses than expected in June. -
Taiwan-U.S. ties not in competition with cross-strait relations: Young
2 Jul 2009 | 9:31 am(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The outgoing American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) director said that ties between Taiwan and the United States are "grounded in the most enduring foundation" and are not in competition with its cross-strait relationship, at a celebration of United States' 233rd birthday yesterday. -
4 new special municipalities to be created by end of 2010
2 Jul 2009 | 9:30 am(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The Executive Yuan (Cabinet) formally approved yesterday a proposal from the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) to restructure the country's existing administrative regions to create four new special municipalities by the end of next year.
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3Q2U
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But they told me to shop...
27 Jun 2009 | 10:43 amDomestic consumption? Yeah right. Not if you are a farmer or a poodle who wants to shop at the Charter Mall in Changchun. Especially if you're a farmer who's a photographer and likes to smoke - with a poodle - who wants to shop at the Charter Mall in Changchun. Source: 我的世界 -
This is just wrong
26 Jun 2009 | 2:32 amI was picking up some magazines for my flight and saw this... Keith Richards with a LV guitar case? LV is not rock and roll. This is all just very wrong. -
SWEPAC
19 Jun 2009 | 6:51 pmI was out at the Expo site yesterday checking out the new stadium. It's looking very impressive. Soon we'll have an international quality sports and performance stadium akin to the Staples Center with an ice rink, a large music venue, lots of sports retail, movie theaters, and plenty of stuff to eat. This is all supposed to be ready by the end of the year. -
If China were a bunch of different countries
1 Jun 2009 | 10:31 pmI found some interesting maps on China at Mutant Palm. One that stuck out was this one, which substitutes China's provinces for the populations of other countries. It really puts into perspective how many people are here. Note: I was with most of these people on the same subway this morning. It took me 4 trains to even get on the damned train. -
How not to go bust fast in China
30 May 2009 | 4:55 pmI saw today where Jiao Tong University is launching a new one month MBA-C (C meaning China curriculum). This sounded kind of interesting until I went to their web page and started reading the course descriptions. What grabbed my attention was - "Special emphasis is given to China related topics..." - How to do business in China ? - How to prevent pitfalls in China ? - How not to go bust fast in China ? - How to make a fortune in China ?!!! I wonder if they offer a course in "How to sell yourself professionally and not look like a cheap infomercial scam to make $8888 from foreigners."
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Thomas Crampton
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Dream Job: Social Media Intern for Phnom Penh Post
2 Jul 2009 | 9:18 amSoutheast Asia’s most awarded newspaper this year by the Society of Publishers in Asia, The Phnom Penh Post, needs a Social Media intern to start as soon as possible. This job is not for everyone. It will be hard work, does not pay and life in Cambodia can be an adventure (The Internet can also be quite slow). You will, however, be joining a team working to build an independent media in a country in need of independent voices and reporting. Similar to the Ogilvy internship I posted earlier, the requirements are based around social media skills, so you must have: - At least 150 followers… -
New editor-in-chief for The South China Morning Post
2 Jul 2009 | 2:37 amThe South China Morning Post just announced a long rumored shift in editorial lineup. Below is the internal memo released a short while ago. Congrats to Reg and David! (Both are friends and David a former IHT colleague.) To: All Staff From: Kuok Hui Kwong Date: 2 July 2009 To all my colleagues, It is with regret that I announce Mr. C.K. Lau’s decision to resign from his position as Editor of the South China Morning Post, after a long and distinguished career with us. C.K. discussed with me a couple of months ago regarding his plan to pursue his personal interests. … -
Social Media Monitoring Tools for Asia
1 Jul 2009 | 10:18 amI recently answered a few questions about Social Media monitoring in Asia for Arun Sudhaman of Media magazine. Arun’s article was an excellent synthesis of many views (I cannot find the link!). Here are my views: Which are the key social media tracking tools (paid and unpaid) that you use, and why? How do they compare in terms of (a) price, (b) functionality and (c) ease of use. Many claims are made, but I have looked at more than a dozen providers and not yet seen a satisfactory regional solution for social media monitoring in Asia, paid or unpaid. For now, the best solutions in many… -
Facebook After You Die
30 Jun 2009 | 10:16 amWith the rise of the Silver Surfer, death and digital assets will be an increasingly important issue. (Sorry, this is inevitable!) A few new websites have started addressing the death: Legacy Locker offers an encrypted password storage service that can be accessed by your loved ones in the event of your death, without going through the courts. (Favorite site feature: The “Report a Passing” button on the homepage) Dead Man’s Switch sends over a series of emails to which you must respond within 60 days or it will release all your passwords (in the presumption that you are… -
Digital Storytelling (Hong Kong University courses)
29 Jun 2009 | 10:35 pmFor anyone interested in going digital, Hong Kong University is offering a series on workshops this summer. The HKU program has uber-blogger Rebecca MacKinnon on staff and offers some excellent digital classes. Diane Stormont will be teaching the online skills training and Rob McBride will be teaching the course on digital storytelling. Here’s the summer’s upcoming programs: Digital Storytelling (Video Editing) - 3-5 & 10-12 July 2009This is a hands-on 5-day course in digital video shooting and editing. Participants will learn to engage in the digital age of multi-skilled…
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techblog86
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BBC Corrigenda
1 Jul 2009 | 5:49 amThose of you who may have been watching my unscheduled TV premiere may have heard me babbling semi-consciously about why Green Dam is wrong, why we can climb over that Great Big Firewall and stuff. I was tuning in as well — the cameralady (let’s no longer do male-only job titles!) let me in on what the BBC was talking about in London. Boom. Guy on TV introduced me as “blogger and radio host”. Yep — I do have a radio gig at Radio Beijing, where I co-do (”guest host”) the travel shows. I’ve been doing this for over a year and a half now — so… -
Real Name: Legit, No Excuse
1 Jul 2009 | 5:38 amAn illegit excuse — that’s probably what you’re thinking of when we’re on about the real name system (实名制). Yes, illegit by all counts — until you come to terms with the fact that a double, virtual you is not exactly what your presence on the Internet is all about. After all, some guy has got to generate the content — in your name. This very short post points out one pointer: your real life does not cease when you tap onto that great big Internet out there. Your real name is part of Facebook and on many Twitter accounts as well. You can’t hide from… -
Why The Internet Boycott Is Less Than Ideal
23 Jun 2009 | 6:32 amIdeal — note that word. Note what happens when two very strong fronts come head to head. We had this about a week ago, when Beijing’s skies turned pitch black right around noon. Bad things happen when two — let’s call “extreme things” — go head to head. In a China that’s just 100 days shy of its Big Sixty (as in the People’s Republic — the whole nation itself claims about five millennia of uninterrupted history), things are already getting pretty sensitive and there’s a fair amount of über-idealism. The latest ideologically… -
[CHINICT 2009] Quick Summary, Day 2, Afternoon Sessions
22 May 2009 | 5:15 amThis post will be updated regularly — we’re starting out with the pics first. Stick around for text updates later in the day. -
[CHINICT 2009] Quick Summary, Day 2, Morning Sessions
21 May 2009 | 8:59 pmThis post will be updated regularly — we’re starting out with the pics first. Stick around for text updates later in the day.
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Simpson's Paradox
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Wesleyan Commencement Speech
1 Jul 2009 | 12:21 pmWhen I went to Bethie’s graduation last month, Anna Quindlen was the commencement speaker. (I know this is not exactly timely, but it took me a while to get my thoughts into a coherent shape) I was really excited to hear her, actually I was more excited about Anna Quindlen than I would have been about last year’s speaker, Obama. All due respect to my Twitter buddy Barack, but I was deeply affected by Object Lessons long before I even knew Obama’s name. I bought Blessings at the bookstore in Wangfujing last year, when English books were a rare and expensive luxury. -
Wonderland Adventures Review
28 Jun 2009 | 3:03 pmI’ve got a new review in the July/August issue of Indie Game Mag, talking about Wonderland Adventures: Mysteries of Fire Island. Simpson's Paradox Wonderland Adventures Review -
Create-a-Mall
24 Jun 2009 | 7:46 pmI don’t think I’m quite the target audience for the new Create-A-Mall, since I don’t really like malls and shopping, but games often take a surprising premise to create a great game. A Nintendo game where you played a paperboy was really popular, DQ Tycoon isn’t like actually working at Dairy Queen, and playing Kudos as an underskilled twenty-year-old waitress was way more fun than actually being one. Unfortunately, Create-a-Mall took mindless consumerism and crossed it with repetitive, challengeless gameplay. You play as Kelly, a corporate drone tasked with leasing stores to… -
Apex
20 Jun 2009 | 2:43 pmBuckwheat Farm is out in Apex, so we drove through old Apex on the way home. Last summer, when we were looking for an apartment, I secretly wanted to live in Apex. Not because I know anything in particular about Apex, just because of Undine Sprague. (Really, it’s hard to work a good Edith Wharton joke into conversation. I think it’s all the suicides.) This is more what I was expecting from North Carolina. These old buildings are North Carolina’s hutongs, something that was once so everyday has becoming car-stoppingly photo-worthy. Like the hutongs, they’re disappearing… -
Harvest Moonlighting
20 Jun 2009 | 2:40 pmLast weekend, Stick and I went out to pick strawberries. We ended up at Buckwheat Farm, where we filled a tray and our mouths with hot red berries. It was summer-day perfection. After half a tray, we started to get hot and sweaty, and the Nintendo games back home in the air-conditioning were starting to look better and better. We were about to pack up and go when we overheard that family next to us, who happened to have brought along the International Strawberry Expert. The International Strawberry Expert scolded his kids for not picking carefully enough, for leaving properly-red berries…
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Absurdity, Allegory and China
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Going South
19 Jun 2009 | 5:05 pmThings have been a litle quiet in here recently. I’ve been struggling with some computer problems over the last two months, which now seemed to be straightened out, though it took more time to correct than I’d thought it would. So now that I have worked that one out, it is time for me to head south for a few weeks for some scheduled maintenance that is a bit overdue. I may post from the road, depending on access, though from here I am not sure what the internet situation will be, since I am still not sure of the itinerary. I hope to be back up and regulary running in a few weeks. -
The Day After
5 Jun 2009 | 12:08 amThere has been so much written about June 4th that I have not even tried to throw my hat into the ring. I have nothing new to add to the mix. I was living in rural Virginia then, in what seems like another life. My daughter was finishing kindergarten, my wife, a librarian in Winchester, and I was a self-employed carpenter staying busy as the Washington metro sprawled into the Shenandoah Valley. It was hard not to be hooked by what was happening on the Square, but family, gardens, sheep, keeping the pickup running, cutting firewood for the winter was what commanded the most of my attention. -
Yeah, But Will It Rain?
4 Jun 2009 | 3:05 amHere is a photo from my north porch at 5;35 this evening. Tall apartment blocks, satellite dishes, a three-sided trash hold, an empty six-story former housing unit (w/satellite dishes), the Tianjin TV Tower and clouds. Ominous looking clouds. Clouds that look like they might contain rain. Could we be so lucky? Rain in early June? It’s happened most other years, just not this year. It’s dark, and I am hopeful, listening for thunder, sniffing at the air. From the north porch in Nankai District, Tianjin -
The Truth Will Get You Blocked
2 Jun 2009 | 3:13 amAt approximately 16:57 this afternoon (June 2, 2009) in Tianjin Flickr flickered off. Actually there was no flicker about it. Someone here in China threw the switch and that was that. Twitter too has flown the coop. In the moments leading up to the June 4th Tiananmen Square 20th anniversary China has decided that too much truth is … well, just too much. So they’ve seemed to scale things way back. These two sites are just the latest, though they are two high profile, popular sites in China. This was expected, and this is just confirmation on what most of us who have been here… -
A Short Story (28 seconds)
31 May 2009 | 2:07 amThe following photo strip is from the distant backgrounds of four photos I shot early Saturday morning (May 30, 2009) along the Xinkai River in Tianjin. I was shooting something else entirely, and which turned out to be of little interest except for the small fragment in each one where these four came from, taken between 6:31:31 and 6:31:59 AM.
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China Bystander
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Purchasing Managers Index Rises In June For Third Straight Month
30 Jun 2009 | 9:19 pmThe monthly Purchasing Managers Index for June makes for a third successive increase, and a further sign that the economy has turned. June’s 51.8 is up from May’s 51.2 and its highest since July 2008. Two aspects caught this Bystander’s eye: first, export sales rose for the first time since July last year, and there was [...] -
A Building Falls In Shanghai
28 Jun 2009 | 8:13 pmA block of apartments under construction in Shanghai just fell over, as if it had been built out of Lego bricks and toppled with the flick of a finger. There is nothing much else to say, or at least until someone finds out why, but the pictures are remarkable. [...] -
Reality Check Advisory
27 Jun 2009 | 2:40 pmWhen the figures are released for June, power generation is expected to show its first monthly increase in eight months. A sign of recovering economic activity, or a byproduct of the hot weather that parts of the country have been experiencing? Calibrate your economic optimism meter carefully. -
Zhou Bangs On About The SDR As World Currency
26 Jun 2009 | 7:41 pmThe People’s Bank of China has found a drum and continues to beat it. In its annual financial stability report, the central bank again calls for a super-sovereign currency to replace the dollar. The bank’s head, Zhou Xiaochuan, has been a cheerleader for this course of action, and caused a stir earlier this year when [...] -
Beijing Starts To Play By WTO Rules. Good.
24 Jun 2009 | 8:36 pmThere was a time when Beijing quietly settled WTO trade complaints against China. In the first five years after joining the organization in 2001, it didn’t contest a single complaint against it. No longer. It says it will contest the newly lodged complaints from the U.S. and the E.U. that it unfairly limits exports of [...]
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Mutant Palm
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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 ...
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China Economics Blog
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WTO looking closely at Chinese trade restrictions
2 Jul 2009 | 1:24 pmAfter spending so long trying to get into the WTO China now spends a long time trying to get around the rules.Even in the face of a global recession or indeed perhaps because of the global recession the US and EU are fighting back over the Chinese restrictions on exports that are aimed at protecting the domestic steel industry.This is really a none issue and will not save global trade. China will dig in and the US and Europe will give up.Duties call [Economist]DESPITE the periodic sighting of green shoots elsewhere in the economy, the landscape of global trade remains resolutely bare. The… -
China, Iraq and the collapse of the dollar
2 Jul 2009 | 1:14 pmA title to chew over that is for sure.This is an interesting New York Times article. The implications are potentially very serious. Imagine China selling up it's US paper - work it through and the dollar is in deep trouble. Will China risk it? Perhaps it will for oil.As Iraq Stabilizes, China Bids on Its Oil Fields [New York Times]HONG KONG — Oil companies from China, the world’s second-largest and fastest-growing consumer of oil, bid aggressively on Tuesday as Iraq began auctioning licenses in six large oil fields.../It is common in the oil industry for initial auction results to be… -
Chinese IPOs are back - but for how long?
2 Jul 2009 | 1:01 pmHere we go again. The thirst of Chinese investors to own stocks appears undiminished despite the recent bloodbath.I have been surprised by the strength of the recovery in the stockmarket and the return of IPOs is an interesting development that needs watching carefully.Thirst-quenching [Economist]IT IS like a downpour after a drought. In 2007 and early 2008, hundreds of Chinese companies worked feverishly with accountants and bankers to prepare for initial public offerings. Their work came to nothing. Collapsing share prices, a contracting economy, unrealistic expectations on the part of… -
University productivity in China
10 Jun 2009 | 1:19 amThere is no doubt that Chinese Universities are rapidly increasing in quality. However, there remains a productivity and quality gap with US and UK Universities. This interesting topic is discussed in a recently China Economic Review paper.I am not keen on the techniques employed in this paper but the results that productivity is increasing but from a low base matches my expectations (always a good sign) :-)Efficiency and productivity growth in Chinese universities during the post-reform periodYing Chu NG and Sung-ko LIaAbstractThe social science research performance of Chinese universities… -
Why Do Institutions of Higher Education Reward Research While Selling Education?"
8 Jun 2009 | 7:29 amOne of the initial motivations for this blog was to ensure that prospective Chinese students wanting to study abroad made sure that they invested wisely in the highest quality education at the top Universities. To that end, the side bar on the right lists some of the top courses in the UK.The Universities listed tend to be the "best" Universities in terms of research. That raises the question of why or if the best research Universities offer the best education.My advice holds. A degree from a "top" University is a signal of the quality of the student (given these Universities are often harder…
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The Green Leap Forward 绿跃进
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The Energy and Climate Registry: A New Initiative Toward Carbon Disclosure in Southern China.
28 Jun 2009 | 4:23 pmA guest post by Lucia Green-Weiskel (pictured right) who describes a groundbreaking initiative in Guangdong to set up a greenhouse gas registry. For the last 20 years there has been a global effort to quantify and more accurately understand greenhouse gas emissions. China and the United States - which together are responsible for 40 percent of the world’s emissions - have been latecomers to the mostly European-initiated efforts to quantify, standardize, manage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. But that is beginning to change as the Chinese government is making… -
Dr. Wang Tao Responds to Questions on Tyndall Centre Report
23 Jun 2009 | 8:20 amLast month, I reviewed the Tyndall Center report on China’s Energy Transition: Pathways for Low Carbon Development and expressed three specific concerns. Since then, I’ve had an opportunity to exchange emails with Dr. Wang Tao (pictured right), one of the co-authors of the report. He has taken time to address my questions and has graciously agreed to have his explanations posted here. Here are the concerns I raised on my last post, rephrased for clarity, and Dr. Wang’s responses. 1. In choosing a global carbon budget for the report’s scenario analysis, a target… -
Geothermal Energy in Beijing
15 Jun 2009 | 6:23 pmToday, we welcome for a guest post (and video…eco-rapping included!) Sustainable John of China’s Green Beat, which is back after a seven month hiatus with this excellent expose on geothermal energy in the Middle Kingdom’s capital. You may not know it looking around Beijing, but not all of the buildings you see are heated with natural gas and coal. Some are heated (and some cooled as well) using geothermal energy. Two main technologies are currently being employed in Beijing to this end: Deep well geothermal Ground source heat pumps China’s Green Beat - Geothermal… -
Senate Foreign Relations Hearing: China will not accept caps, but must be pushed to MRV
12 Jun 2009 | 11:51 amLast Thursday (June 4), the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations conducted a hearing with the self-explanatory title of “Challenges and Opportunities for U.S.-China Cooperation in Climate Change.” An all-star trio of China hands provided testimony: Kenneth Lieberthal of University of Michigan and visiting fellow at Brookings Institution, Elizabeth Economy of Council on Foreign Relations and Bill Chandler of the Carnegie Endowment of International Peace. Although actual testimony (except perhaps Lieberthal’s) did not track the prepared testimonies that are… -
Stern On China: Transparency Is ‘Highly Important’
8 Jun 2009 | 4:43 pmOriginally posted in The Wonk Room. In an exclusive interview with Todd Stern, the U.S. special envoy for climate change, I discussed the challenge of ensuring a successful climate partnership with China, now the world’s greatest annual emitter of global warming pollution. Ahead of his visit to Beijing next week to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Stern was asked if he will discuss the problem of accurately accounting for carbon emissions — known among climate negotiators as “measuring, reporting, and verifying” (MRV). Stern replied that the way China’s actions “might be…
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China Environmental Law
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China Water Quality Data Online
1 Jul 2009 | 9:43 pmAs China Daily is reporting, you can now get “realtime” (it’s updated every four hours) information about the quality of water in some of China’s major rivers and lakes online. The results show pH level and concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO), total organic carbon (TOC), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). When I tried it out, it didn’t appear that “total organic carbon” readings were available for all segments. Unlike air quality reports, surface water readings are a slightly less relevant to one’s day-to-day health. Air is breathed… -
The Good, The Bad, The Bizarre
30 Jun 2009 | 8:23 pmThe Good During the first six months of 2009, Beijing experienced its best air in a decade. Although just how good Beijing’s air is in an absolute sense remains in dispute (for all things Beijing Air, your indispensable source is livefrombeijing), there seems little reason to doubt that air quality has improved on a relative basis lately. How did that happen you ask? Environmental protection experts attributed the improvement of air quality to the reduced emission of pollutants and the after effect of measures taken during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. I love axiomatic responses:… -
China’s Tiger Farms
29 Jun 2009 | 7:33 pmOn the climate front, be sure to read Li Gao’s critique of ACES and Paul Krugman’s defense of “border adjustments” to curb greenhouse gas emissions (I like to think of it as “cap & trade locally, tax globally”). Links to both can be found in the Twitter feed on the left. Today, however, I want to return to one of my favorite themes, Tiger Wine. The BBC News’ The Green Room is running an opinion piece by Debbie Banks entitled “Earning their stripes: A thriving black market for tigers is not helped by farming the animals.” The people… -
China Says: ACES Not Welcome Here
28 Jun 2009 | 10:11 pmAlthough it was initially reported that China “welcomed” the passage by the US House of Representatives of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), it has quickly pulled up the “Welcome” mat. A Xinhua article, which could have been written by Pan Jiahua, ridicules and lambasts the House bill. The US “fell short of taking on its due responsibility as a developed country, much less its self-claimed “leading role” in tackling climate change.” The initiative by Obama to readjust the U.S. policy on saving energy and cutting greenhouse… -
Green Stimulus Spending Returns to Earth
25 Jun 2009 | 11:49 pmI love it when China refuses to play along with its most sycophantic flatterers. You may recall that we discussed HSBC’s bizarre contention that 37.8% (or US$221.3 billion) of China’s stimulus package is devoted to funding “green” projects. These numbers lead to mind boggling claims that “China’s leaders are investing $12.6 million every hour to green their economy.” Wan Bentai, chief engineer at the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), has just slapped these hallucinators across the cheek. He was quoted today to the effect that…
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www.web2asia.com Blog Feed
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Facebook Developer Garage Shanghai
27 Jun 2009 | 1:43 amToday was the second Shanghai Facebook Developer Garage. Congratulations to organizer David Li for a full house at M1NT club and the following great speakers: Wei Zhu, Platform Engineer, Facebook Platform Are Mack Growen, Director, Playfish China, Design of Social Game Ellison Gao, CEO, Five Minutes, Development of Facebook Application Zhang Lijun, Openapilabs Use fbopen for SNS extension Wang Lin, Platform Architect, Taobao, Shop on Facebook, open platform mashup Loc Le, Director of Technology and Vivid Savitri, Creative Director, Trigger Theatrical Games on Web, Social Media and… -
Geeks on a Plane Tour - Shanghai Day 3: TEDx Shanghai 2009
15 Jun 2009 | 8:37 amOriginal Post on CNReviews (Many thanks to Kai Pan for that!) The preliminary comments are taken from our Geeks on a Plane Blog (Big Cheers to Tina Tran).Tina also did a 'Top 10 Geeks on a Plane Experiences' Post. 'Had we traveled as individuals to Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo, it would have taken at least six months to a year to form the bonds and connections that we did in ten days' might best sum up her impressions of this spectacularly successful and rewarding tour. The Geeks rang in the last day of our tour at TEDxShanghai. It was the first TEDx for many of us, and it lived up to the… -
Geeks on a Plane Tour - Shanghai Day 2: Barcamp Shanghai
14 Jun 2009 | 4:30 amOriginal Post on CNReviews (Many thanks to Kai Pan for that!) We're here at Barcamp Shanghai 2009, hosted by The NetCircle at their nifty renovated factory office tucked away in a secluded cul-de-sac on the Suzhou River riverfront. We were hoping to live-blog some of the great mini-presentations going on today from a bunch of cool people but wifi connection was spotty, perhaps partly due to the sheer number of attendees today. Therefore, we had to settle with jotting down notes and our thoughts first, and will be cleaning them up and assembling them into a logical series of posts to be… -
Geeks on a Plane Tour - Shanghai Day 1
13 Jun 2009 | 8:35 amOriginal Post by Girls in Tech (Many thanks to Tina Tran for that!) Our first day in Shanghai coincided with the Shanghai Film Festival, and Christine Lu of Cilantro Media, managed to get the Geeks into the Film Festival after-party at M1NT nightclub. After a night of stargazing (Halle Berry and Clive Owen made an appearance) we can't wait to storm BarCamp Shanghai tomorrow. Our visit to the world's tallest observation desk at Shanghai World Financial Center Girl Geeks: Helen Zhu, Joyce Kim, Adriana Gascoigne, Tina Tran, Jenny Bai -
Geeks on a Plane Tour - Beijing Day 2: Startup2Startup
12 Jun 2009 | 8:33 amOriginal Post by Girls in Tech (Many thanks to Tina Tran for that!) Day two into the China leg of our trip, we spent the day sightseeing. We were blessed with amazing weather, a refreshing breeze and clear blue skies, which everyone tells me is incredible for Beijing. Our sightseeing group of seventeen played "half baked" on the two hour ride to the lush green mountainside. Half baked is a game where two people individually have to say the first word that comes to mind. Then a third person has to combine those two words to come up with a half-baked startup. Today's half-baked winner was…
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China Business Success Stories » China Business
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Getting a Head Start on Your C-SOX Compliance Project in China (Part 3)
22 Jun 2009 | 6:11 amGet IT involved early Information Technology will play a critical role in a successful C-SOX implementation, so it is important that the IT organization understands how they will support this project. The Basic Standard for Enterprise Internal Control specifically mandates the use of IT to reduce risk and increase transparency in… Read the rest of “Getting a Head Start on Your C-SOX Compliance Project in China (Part 3)” or post a comment >> -
Accept the China Challenge
22 Jun 2009 | 5:45 amChina continues to emerge on the world stage as an economic powerhouse, projected to be the world’s fourth largest economy within two years. U.S. companies, especially small to medium enterprises (SMEs), stand to benefit significantly from this growth, assuming that they are prepared to enter this highly competitive environment filled with considerable but manageable risks. Nearly 97 percent of all U.S. exports originate from SMEs—companies with… Read the rest of “Accept the China Challenge” or post a comment >> -
China Economics - The Emerging 2 Track Solution and YOU
18 Jun 2009 | 6:17 amWhat will be the role for international entrepreneurs in China’s emerging 2-track economy? China’s economic development is being pulled in two diverging directions as Beijing struggles to steer a course through this global recession. On one hand, collapsing international demand for Chinese exports has led policy-makers to stimulate the domestic economy with a massive state-directed infrastructure… Read the rest of “China Economics - The Emerging 2 Track Solution and YOU” or post a comment >> -
Olympics STUFF for Beijing, Expo 2010 STAFF for Shanghai!
17 Jun 2009 | 7:35 amThe Beijing Olympics have had a great impact on the city of Beijing, where a large infrastructure refurbishment initiative, fresh developments and a massive English language training campaign have been some of the elements of a drastic change and an amazing source of business opportunities for both local and foreign companies. Shanghai, with its upcoming Universal Exposition in 2010 is going through the same face-list, with the replenishment… Read the rest of “Olympics STUFF for Beijing, Expo 2010 STAFF for Shanghai!” or post a comment>> -
Getting a Head Start on Your C-SOX Compliance Project in China (Part 2)
17 Jun 2009 | 7:13 amGetting started: executive sponsorship The most important criterion for success of the C-SOX compliance project is to ensure the attention and support of the entire organization. Although responsibility for risk management and compliance ultimately sits with the CEO and Board of Directors, forward-thinking companies will push responsibility to… Read the rest of “Getting a Head Start on Your C-SOX Compliance Project in China (Part 2)” or post a comment >>
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Asia Sentinel: Alice Poon Blog
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Declaration of Anti-Green Dam Site Host
29 Jun 2009 | 9:21 pmTranslation of part of a forum post on Anti-CNN.com by the creator of a website which has an almost identical URL (http://www.lssw365.org) as the official Green Dam website (http://www.lssw365.net) but which is aimed at calling for signatures to oppose the censoring software. -
A Rich Country With Poor People
25 Jun 2009 | 5:30 pmA commentary on dwnews.com entitled A Country Whose People Are Poor Cannot Be Called a Rich Country . -
Forced Sale is the Antithesis of Free Market
23 Jun 2009 | 1:39 amThe Hong Kong SAR government’s present proposal to lower the application threshold for forced sale of residential property from 90 percent to 80 percent of ownership interest is its second attempt to attenuate private property right, which is the founding stone of capitalism and a liberal society. -
Some Thoughts on Chinese Traditions
19 Jun 2009 | 7:12 pmIn an exchange of emails with my niece who recently left some comments on my blogpost Must A Girl Marry? , she made further general comments on the issue of traditions. Those comments have inspired me to write this post. [My niece just finished her first degree in archaeology at the University of Toronto and has returned to Hong Kong to do her masters program.] -
Internet With Chinese Characteristics
16 Jun 2009 | 12:17 amA Transcript of Leung Man To’s (梁文道) ifeng.com narration about Hu Yong’s (胡泳) newly published book 眾聲喧嘩 (my translation: The Cacophony of Public Voices ).
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Fool's Mountain: Blogging for China
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A survey: did Britain purposefully create a “democratic” fervor in Hong Kong leading up to the 1997 hand-over?
1 Jul 2009 | 10:40 pmChan wrote the article, “Topics on Democracy (Part 1) — Democracy War Game,” and he argued that Britain purposefully created a “democratic” fervor in Hong Kong leading up to the 1997 hand-over. I think it would be really interesting for all FM participants to answer this yes-no survey and see how everyone responds. (One thing I have come to realize is the debates on here are going way fast most of the time. I think everyone needs to slow down a lot and focus on specific points. Judging from the comments, this Fool’s mountain is huge - trying to move it fast… -
Follow-On Article (2) (for the Sichuan Quake article)
26 Jun 2009 | 11:21 pmNOTE : This is the 2nd and last “follow-on” article of the parent artcle titled : “Putting the Sichuan Quake into Perspective“. This 2nd “follow-on” article, like the 1st one, is NOT meant to be a stand-alone article. I would therefore highly recommend you read that article before starting this one. The parent article is only 1 page long, and should provide the context in which this article should be viewed ( click here to read the 1st article ) As promised, this is the “follow-on” article I was meant to write. As mentioned earlier, this article… -
Chinese Rock n’ Roll!
25 Jun 2009 | 6:56 pmWe’ve done some posts on China and Taiwan music in the past, but those were about the general music scene. Today I’d like to feature two videos created by Brendan Madden, who lives in Qingdao, is a teacher and member of the band Dama Llamas, and keeps up with the scene in northern China. I’ll also feature a few other bands you might not know, and some comments about where I think things are headed. These two mini-documentaries show the trials and tribulations of trying to establish modern music venues in China. So far, the audience has too many non-Chinese expats along with… -
U.S. national debt, China is not the issue
25 Jun 2009 | 12:50 amAs of today, the U.S. national debt is $11+ trillion. When the U.S. media talk about this debt within the context of U.S.-China relations, they usually talk about trade imbalance, currency manipulation, and anxiety over whether China is going to dump her treasury holdings and trigger a collapse of the USD. I’d like to share with you some graphs (based on numbers I got mostly through Wikipedia, and I believe their “ballpark” to be about right): With the U.S. bailouts, Obama’s plan will add $1.7 trillion to the U.S. national debt, bringing the total to $13 trillion by… -
Green Dam Follow up - Stopping China Through the WTO
24 Jun 2009 | 3:33 pmThe Green Dam controversy continues. Most recently, U.S. trade officials also seem to be getting into the act. The following is an excerpt from a recent WSJ report: Senior U.S. trade officials called on China to revoke an order for personal computers to be shipped with Web-filtering software, saying the requirement could conflict with Beijing’s obligations under the World Trade Organization. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke urged the Chinese government to reverse its decision in a joint letter submitted to two Chinese ministries Wednesday. The letter…
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China travel industry news
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ALTM in Shanghai held successfully for 3rd year
2 Jul 2009 | 3:15 pmThe region’s leading luxury travel event celebrates a successful third year in Shanghai, despite economic downturn Asia Luxury Travel Market, the region’s leading event exclusively for the luxury travel industry, took place in Shanghai from 15th – 18th June for the third consecutive year, with exhibitors describing it as “the best yet”. The three day event brought together the top 300 Asian luxury travel buyers from 19 countries, close to 280 exhibitors from 36 countries and over 100 media from 11 countries. The world’s most sought after destinations, ultra-luxurious… -
CIBTM opens hosted, visitor registrations
30 Jun 2009 | 1:40 pmHosted buyer and visitor registrations have opened for ‘The China Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition’. Taking place 08 – 10 September 2009 at Beijing’s China National Convention Centre and co-hosted by the Beijing Tourism Administration (BTA), the event will bring together an expected 4,000 local, regional and international buyers and visitors with more than 250 regional and international exhibitors showcasing destinations, hotels, venues and other products and services. Benefits of the Hosted Buyer program include hosted flights and accommodation and complimentary… -
Singapore Visitor Arrivals for May 2009
30 Jun 2009 | 10:28 amLarge decline in visits from China to Singapore. May used to account for a very large outbound presence thanks to the May Day holiday. However since 2008 this holiday was cut to just 3 days. Singapore should still enjoy short city breaks by Chinese but if we look at the figures, the total for the year may be more than 30% down compared to previous year. However I am sure that Singapore tourist board will aggressively market in China to get the numbers back up. In May 2009, Indonesia (129,000), India (90,000), Australia (59,000), Malaysia (55,000) and P.R. China (52,000) and were Singapore’s… -
China Southern Airlines partners with Asian Games
30 Jun 2009 | 8:00 amAs part of the deal, China Southern Airlines said it will recruit 400 flight attendants to cater for international travellers during the Asian Games, who will also be expected to work as volunteers. “China Southern Airlines is honoured to join hands with the Asian Games as a key sponsor and part of the greatest Games in history,” said Tan Wangeng, president of China Southern Airlines. China Southern carried the most passengers out of any airline in Asia, and the fourth-most in the world in 2008. It has been the biggest passenger carrier in China for thirty consecutive years. via… -
Ctrip: High Hopes, High Valuation, High Risk in current conditions
29 Jun 2009 | 11:30 pmSeekinAlpha thinks Ctrip cannot maintain it’s past performance. Some good points but I think profit margins will not be squeezed as much as the article fears. “Ctrip.com fits the “optimistic” category as the stock is currently nearly 40 times the estimates for this year. The high valuation is largely justified by the expected growth as CTRP continues to capture market share and is expected to grow earnings by 28% next year. The company also recently made a stock purchase of Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc. (HMIN) to increase its stake in the company from…
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Biz China Update - News, Reports
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Greg Norman To 'Design Up To 20 Golf Courses in China'
2 Jul 2009 | 9:40 amVeteran Australian golfer Greg Norman, who has just signed on to help 'revive' the Australian Open tournament, is also in talks to design up to 20 golf courses in China, Sport Business reports. -
CLSA Manufacturing PMI Indicates "Third Successive Month Of Growth"
2 Jul 2009 | 12:15 amGrowth in the Chinese manufacturing sector was recorded for the third successive month in June, according to the CLSA China Manufacturing PMI, which rose to 51.8, from 51.2 in May, to “its highest level since July 2008.” -
Green Dam Implementation Delay "Just A Matter Of Time"
1 Jul 2009 | 7:03 pmChinese state media has responded to international reports that China had backed down from implementing its Green Dam filtering software onto all new computers sold in the country. The new law was originally set to be implemented from today. -
Macau's Exports Fall 53 Per Cent
1 Jul 2009 | 6:53 pmMacau's total exports fell by 53.3 per cent year-on-year in the first five months of 2009, to MOP3.28 bn, according to Macau's Statistics and Census Service.. The value of domestic exports and re-exports declined by 67.5 per cent and 29.9 per cent, respectively. Total imports of goods during... -
After Hong Kong, ASEAN To Settle Trade In RMB
1 Jul 2009 | 6:44 pmChina is very likely to give the green light for companies in Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to settle international trade in yuan with Southeast Asian countries, according to state media.
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Silicon Dragon
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Silicon Dragon: Taiwan tech tour-Southern style
24 Jun 2009 | 3:14 pmSilicon Dragon: Taiwan tech tour-Southern style -
Taiwan tech tour-Southern style
24 Jun 2009 | 1:51 pmThe next episode of the Taiwan tech tour takes place in the Southern Taiwan Science Park. I arrived at the Tainan train station by high-speed rail from Hsinchu (the science park to the north) and a 20-minute highway ride past factories. Only operating for six years, the southern park is newer and smaller than Hsinchu. It's also pursuing a different area of tech--cleantech. Even so, the park is home to 13 integrated circuit companies, 48 optoelectronics producers, 23 in the biomedical area, and 48 in precision machinery along with numerous government-backed research and development centers.In… -
Taiwan Hot Springs
24 Jun 2009 | 1:11 pmThe weekend before my tech tour of Taiwan began, I luckily got to experience the hot springs at the Hotel Royal Chiao Hsi, in the northeastern village of I-lan. Here, just an hour drive and a 14-kilometer tunnel passage from Taipei, I recovered a bit from jet lag, and also found a way to write stories from a Zen-like resort that doesn't offer a writer's chair or desk. It's decorated in Japanese futon style so you can imagine the kind of arrangement I had for writing. I was up Sunday morning at 5 for a delightful hike along the mountain stream that feeds the hot springs--and spotted these… -
Silicon Dragon: Taiwan Tech Tour-Hsinchu
22 Jun 2009 | 10:13 pmSilicon Dragon: Taiwan Tech Tour -
Taiwan Tech Tour-Hsinchu
22 Jun 2009 | 7:21 pmI've recently returned from a wonderfully productive trip to Taiwan, where I had the opportunity to check out what this island nation is contributing to our tech future. Not only did I meet with CEOs of some of the leading technology companies in Taiwan--semiconductor giant UMC, networking equipment company D-Link and PC maker Inventec-- but I also had the chance to interview several entrepreneurs of up and coming companies. Did I find much original breakthrough technology? Some. Indeed, the venture capitalists that I interviewed--from YK Chua from WI Harper and Ben Yang from Pacific Venture…
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Lost Laowai China Blog
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The Seven Habits of Highly Ineffective Expats
22 Jun 2009 | 5:46 amWe’ve all seen them, and chances are we’ve all been them at one point or another. A quick walk to the nearest Starbucks or Metro in China, and you will notice that expats come in all shapes, sizes, and dispositions. In general, most of the laowais living here in the Middle Kingdom are fantastic people trying to make the most of their experiences. However, we all have our down points. I have noticed in strangers, friends, and yes, even myself, seven habits that I think make you a very ineffective expat. My rookie year in China is nearing a close, so I plan on making a New… -
Is Google Being Evil in China?
21 Jun 2009 | 2:45 amThe Chinese government notoriously dislikes any organisation, particularly a foreign one, communicating directly to its people – so it’s little wonder that the story of Google in China has been one of jumping through fiery hoops. This week Google has been under attack in China over internet pornography, especially with regards its ’search suggestions’ drop-down box, which can suggest some salacious terms for fairly innocuous words. For this, Google was “strongly condemned” by the China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Center (CIIRC), which describes itself as… -
An introduction to Jade – Feicui
15 Jun 2009 | 1:09 amJade Market (c) LinksmanJD Fěicuì Not your typical blog post, but I hope you find it useful Everywhere in China you can find Jade. They sell it in street corners, in subway stations, in supermarkets, and in jewelry stores. Some Jade costs as little as 1 yuan and some as much as 100k+ yuan. Whether it’s black, blue, green, yellow or white, Jade is very shiny and alluring, though it’s often a mystery to foreigners and Chinese people alike. So how do you buy Jade without being cheated? I know it can be confusing so here is a brief introduction to “the king of Jade” that is Fěicuì. A… -
Riding the Chinese Railway: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
14 Jun 2009 | 6:41 amI am in some doubt as to where I stand on taking the train for long-distance journeys in China. I have in the past found myself admiring the rail networks ability to transport you to the farthest corners of the country, provided with food, water, and a place to lie down and sleep. On other occasions, I have sat trapped inside a giant rolling sardine can, fighting the urge to jump headfirst out of the window by trying to calculate how long it would take to saw off one of my own legs with a Swiss Army knife. On my recent trip to Wudang Mountain I was clearly presented with what I like about… -
Crazy bus fire in Chengdu
6 Jun 2009 | 7:24 amThe #1 reason I don’t ride the bus (actually #1 is over-crowding – but fuck). Warning: Probably not best to watch this if you are sensitive to rather terrifying images and people screaming. Update June 7, 2009 Here are a few links putting the video in context. What Lessons Can We Learn from the Chengdu Bus Fire? [CRIENGLISH] An Eyewitness Account Of The Chengdu Bus Fire [ESWN] (h/t Neddy) Chengdu Bus #9 Fire [chinaSMACK] (h/t Neddy again) – be warned, chinaSMACK has reposted some truly horrific images of the bus after the fire and the charred remains of those that…
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China Business Daily
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Pierre cardin sells part of business in China
29 Jun 2009 | 7:52 pmOn the 29th, Pierre Cardin announced that it will sell its garments and clothing business in China to two Chinese companies, total 200 million euros.87-year-old Pierre Cardan said that in the past two months, the company has negotiated with Chinese companies on the sale of 32 kinds of authorized products. He pointed out that the sale contract will soon be signed.The spokesman of Pierre Cardin -
Shougang group set up logistics base
28 Jun 2009 | 11:17 pmShougang Group decided to set up steel logistics base in the Foshan city. The project total investment is about 5 billion, the first phase of the project will start in September.The project includes a business center, three deep-processing production lines whose annual output reaching 150,000 tons. It is reported that the warehousing will reach two million tons per year. Within 2 or 3 years, the -
Tencent earned $366.4 million in Q1, net up 94%
13 May 2009 | 11:13 pmChinese Internet portal operator Tencent Holdings Ltd. said Wednesday its first-quarter net profit rose a better-than-expected 94% from a year earlier on higher revenue from Internet services. This figure breaks down into $278 million strictly from sales of Internet virtual goods and related services and $64.3 million from mobile sales of virtual goods and services. The remainder of Tencent's -
1st China-assembled A320 to be tested in May
3 May 2009 | 7:56 pmThe first Airbus A320 aircraft assembled in China is scheduled to make a test flight in May.The flight will be held at Tianjin Airport, where a new runway is being built to facilitate trial flights of all A320 aircraft, Feng Zhijiang, head of the administrative committee of the Tianjin Free Trade Zone, said.Five A320s are currently being put together at the Tianjin final assembly line, the first -
Blizzard partners with NetEase for China opps
16 Apr 2009 | 11:26 pmBlizzard just confirmed it's gone with NetEase for its Chinese licensing, as has been rumoured for the last few days.The9 was the previous holder of the contract.NetEase will now run the Chinese version of World of Warcraft “for a term of 3 years following the expiration of the current license agreement.”“We appreciate the enthusiasm that Chinese gamers have shown us over the years, and we've
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chinaSMACK
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A Laowai’s Persistent Marriage Proposal To A Chinese Girl
2 Jul 2009 | 1:12 amProbably as a joke but funny regardless. Clearly he was well prepared as he had made a sign (”Please marry me!”) just for this purpose. Despite the girl’s reluctance this laowai continuously begged for her hand at marriage, even going as far as threatening to jump at the end. Comments from Youku: Laowai [老外, foreigner], I hereby strongly support you. 阳光射: It is not important if this is real or fake…the important thing to say is…this type of courage is needed when hitting on MM. oО栤葑de杺0o: Vote down, come to China to steal beautiful women, she… -
Medical Care: Netizen Compares Hong Kong To Mainland
1 Jul 2009 | 8:37 amFrom Tianya: A Hong Kong compatriot’s feelings about medical accidents in mainland Summary: A Hong Konger describes her positive experience with the health care system in Hong Kong. [The actual description was pretty lengthy so I have summarized the main points.] While out with her father, she had a bad fall in a shopping mall at Causeway Bay. Within 1 minute, 2 security guards appeared and showed her a lot of attention even though she said that the accident was clearly caused by carelessness on her part. The guards replied that they had the responsibility to attend to her as the… -
Shanghai Building Collapse & Chinese Netizen Photoshops
30 Jun 2009 | 10:44 pmFour days ago, a brand new apartment building in Shanghai collapse. If you have not heard this news, you can find more information here: Building Collapsed In Shanghai (ESWN) Shanghai Building Collapses, Nearly Intact (WSJ) Toppled Minhang building built on discounted land (Shanghaiist) (Click on pictures for larger version). Of course, it did not take a lot of time for Chinese netizens on Mop (and KDS) to make many funny photoshops of this incident. Many popular trends such as Brother Chun and Design chinaSMACK's New T-shirt! Click above for information on designing and voting for the next… -
Fudan Students Run Naked To Celebrate Graduation
30 Jun 2009 | 12:09 amFrom Mop: A group of photographs called “Fudan Students’ Streaking In Celebration Of Graduation” swiftly spread on various major BBS forums. Amongst the photos were two naked Fudan University male graduates make various poses in the middle of the night, even displaying the slogan “The Last Frankness/Honesty” [?]. Comments from Mop: They did something many people want but do not dare to do. Awesome! Their butts are all very sexy. 该ID已经被删除: I have always wanted to run naked (go streaking?) once, but this river crab society does not allow it, sigh! -
Daughter Gives Father Box Of Condoms For Father’s Day
29 Jun 2009 | 6:49 amFrom Shanghaiist: “Belated gift ideas for Father’s Day: Condoms?” [A] 13-year-old Chinese girl gave her single dad a box of condoms as the “ultimate gift for Father’s Day.” According to Netease, the father who received a box of condoms as a present from his daughter on Father’s Day posted a photo of the letter that his daughter wrote (with the condoms next to it) online: “Dad, First of all, Happy Father’s Day! I am going to give a very special present today; I hope that you will not be mad at me! Hehe! (Pig head) I know that you have been…
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China Briefing News
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China to Build Economic Zone in Liaoning Province
1 Jul 2009 | 7:49 pmJul. 2 – China will soon build a 700 square kilometer coastal economic belt in the northeastern Liaoning Province specializing on shipbuilding, petroleum refining, advanced equipment manufacturing, raw materials, high-tech industries and agriculture processing, according to reports. The province is located in the country’s northeast bordering the Bohai Gulf, North Korea, the Yellow Sea, Jilin Province, [...] -
New Issue of China Briefing Examines Compliance and Trade Issues in China
1 Jul 2009 | 3:37 amJul. 1 - In this month’s China Briefing, we take a look at important compliance issues for U.S. business operating in China; specifically the United States’ Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and what American companies operating China need to know about the act. The business environment in China can be fraught with ethical issues and U.S. [...] -
Around Asia: Jul. 1
1 Jul 2009 | 2:29 amJul. 1 - A weekly look at important regional news. China and India to Set Up Direct Hotline India and China are in talks to set up a direct hotline as early as next month. The hotline would connect Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, allowing the two to conduct direct diplomacy. [...] -
Shanghai’s Office Rentals Plunge
30 Jun 2009 | 8:43 pmSHANGHAI, Jul. 1 – Rental prices for the city’s high-grade office spaces have plunged because of rising vacancies aggravated by the global financial crisis and abundant supply of office space. Real-estate services provider, Colliers International, reports that the prices for the city’s Grade A office buildings dropped by 9 percent to RMB7.1 per square meter, or [...] -
Hong Kong, Mainland Businesses to Use Yuan for Trade Settlement
29 Jun 2009 | 7:49 pmJun. 30 - Hong Kong businesses will soon be able to settle international trade in yuan with companies in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Dongguan and Zhuhai starting next month. The agreement was formalized last Monday by Hong Kong Monetary Authority Chief Executive Joseph Yam and the People’s Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan. During the press conference, Zhou [...]
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2point6billion.com - Foreign Direct Investment in Asia
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China-Kazakhstan Pipeline Extension Completed
2 Jul 2009 | 2:39 amJul. 2 – The extension of the major oil pipeline from China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to central Kazahkstan and now the Caspian Sea has passed initial tests. The Kenkiyak-Kumkol pipeline will give China access to more of its Central Asian neighbor’s oil resources in its western regions which begins at the Kenkiyak field managed by the China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC). China has been active in engaging its Central Asian neighbors through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that gives it the opportunity to wield influence over the region’s cash-poor but… -
European Businesses Still Bullish on China
1 Jul 2009 | 2:46 amJul. 1 - The results of the latest European Chamber Business Confidence Survey show that companies remain confident on the potential of the Chinese markets; with plans to continue investment in the country. The annual survey is the sixth to date and tallies answers from more than 300 European companies working in the country. It was done by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China with the cooperation of the Roland Berger Strategy Consultants Greater China. In a nutshell, it revealed that European businesses were adversely affected by the credit crisis but that their domestic losses… -
Thailand Predicts Tourist Growth for 2010
30 Jun 2009 | 11:57 pmTourism in Thailand is expected to grow next year, with foreign arrivals anticipated to hit 14 million, up from 12 million in 2009. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) puts the expected growth down to a stabilization of the political environment, with a recovery due in Q4 this year and a return to normal tourism levels for 2010. Even the 12 million figure may prove beatable given that the more conservative economic climate may result in regional holidaymakers across the sector, both high-end and low cost charters looking at staying within Asia rather than taking more expensive trips to… -
Asia’s First Cleantech Business Forum to be Held in Beijing
30 Jun 2009 | 1:19 amJun. 30 – The first China Cleantech Business Forum will be held on July 8 and aims to bring together investors, venture capitalists, corporate executives, and researchers to work together on cleantech industry projects. The term cleantech refers to products or services that improve operational performance, productivity or efficiency, while reducing energy consumption, waste and pollution. Despite the current credit crisis, overall fundraising for cleantech has remained steady in 2008, with 29 funds raising a total of US$6 billion worldwide. The majority of these cleantech projects have gone… -
China and India to Set Up Direct Hotline
29 Jun 2009 | 2:32 amIndia and China are in talks to set up a direct hotline as early as next month. The hotline would connect Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, allowing the two to conduct direct diplomacy. Similar hotlines already exist between Beijing and Washington and Washington and Moscow. China and India’s long simmering border dispute has heated up again recently, with India planning to increase troop levels and build more airstrips in the remote state of Arunachal Pradesh, a territory that China claims as its own. Indian media meanwhile reported that the Indian…
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ChinaTravel.net Features
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China through My Lens: Hainan Insider
17 Jun 2009 | 10:16 amAmerican expat Elizabeth Kiderlen and Rechard Li Yu, her Chinese photojournalist husband, run the Boao Inn Bed & Breakfast, a cozy four-room inn near the beach in Bo'ao on China's tropical Hainan. Photography is their passion, one they gladly share with guests on their private guided photography tours that put visitors within viewfinder range of secluded beaches, rare flora ... -
Wudang Shan: Kung Fu with a Sweet Mountain View
9 Jun 2009 | 5:10 pmDavid Wei, a 16th generation disciple of legendary Taoist master Zhang Sanfeng, shares insights into the joys of Wudang Shan (not to mention life, love and immortality). A bit of a local celebrity (frequently seen on CCTV, David seems to be known and liked by almost everyone in town; the local chief of police even pulled over to shake his hand) David has studied at the Wudang Shan Taoist ... -
China Through My Lens: Juliette McCawley
26 May 2009 | 3:41 pmJuliette McCawley first started taking pictures after coming to China five years ago. Originally from Trinidad, she found herself moved by the visual feast that is life in Shanghai and has since worked on a variety of photography projects for magazines, charities, news reports and exhibitions. More of her photography can be seen here. ... -
Hungry Dan vs. Shanghai's Friday Muslim Market
25 May 2009 | 5:02 pmHungry Dan delves into Shanghai's Friday Muslim Market in search of fabled super-tasty eats. Will the Market cure the Hungry One's hangover? Only Dan can tell.... On many an occasion, I'd heard tales of a rare vestige of authentic Muslim life still intact amidst the concrete jungle of Shanghai. As the legend goes, every Friday sometime around 11a ... -
China's Great Wall Marathon: Feel the Love
21 May 2009 | 6:29 pmRebekah runs in the footsteps of ancient heroes, finding a race that's more about scenery, solidarity and fun than blood, sweat and tears. "Oooooohh, it's so good, it's so good, it's so good, it's so good, it's so gooooooooooood".... I've got a dance remix of Donna Summers' "I Feel Love" blasting from my iPod and my feet are pounding along to th ...
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China Expat - China Expat City Guide blogs
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Living in Shenzhen
1 Jul 2009 | 6:37 pmIt's kind of like being the baddest boy on the block, but living next to Godzilla. A massive, bustling, international city, Shenzhen is smack dab next to the world's premiere metropolis, Hong Kong. If in similar proximity, Beijing and Shanghai would also lose much by comparison. Of course, there's more to a city than financial centers and property values. For those of us who like a little soul in our cities, we got Shenzhen. At least the Lonely Writers do, and to follow up Shopping in Shenzhen, a comprehensive guide to plumbing… -
A Chinese Baby's First Birthday
29 Jun 2009 | 8:43 pmThe Chinese understand gratitude. After eons of the masses grinding for a daily bowl of rice, they know counting clouds is a waste of time, and counting blessings the only way to keep going. In the West, baby's first birthday is a cause for kitsch and consternation. Shots of junior staring confusedly at his cake are endearing, but soon he'll be mobile enough to stand in front of the TV, and pull things off tables. In China, parents hold their breath for their child's first year of life. After all, precious gifts are so… -
The Chinese
27 Jun 2009 | 2:22 amIn Five Minds for the Future, Howard Gardner, who coined the term ‘multiple intelligences', tells us what qualities will define successful people of the near future. Only those with Respectful Minds, the ability to transcend identifying only with our immediate kind, will be able to establish the trust and common cause necessary for success in the global village. A person with a Respectful Mind "offers the benefit of the doubt to all human beings. As much as possible, she avoids thinking in group terms." A great exercise in… -
The Hidden Village of Guoliang
24 Jun 2009 | 12:19 amIn the heart of Henan's Taihang Mountains lies forgotten Guoliang Cun. Not entirely forgotten, of course, in China a "forgotten" destination can officially mean fewer than ten thousand visitors per day. But far fewer than that disturb this marvelous relic of rough-hewn splendor, and the place truly was forgotten long enough that the term applies more to Guoliang Cun than to most any other Chinese habitation. read more -
Getting to “I do”: The 6 Steps of Ancient Chinese Engagement
21 Jun 2009 | 8:31 pmWedding season is in full swing here in China, and how lucky the brides and grooms. The degree of freedom they've enjoyed leading up to the nuptials would astound their forebearers. The biggest task they face is choosing the right Audi motorcade, and which "videographer" will hang drunkenly out of a van at the front. If you can believe it, not so long ago in China the process leading up to the big day was fraught with a thousand potential landmines of propriety, abstraction, and inscrutable traditional processes, lumped into six general categories. read…
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2point6billion.com - Foreign Direct Investment in Asia
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China-Kazakhstan Pipeline Extension Completed
2 Jul 2009 | 2:39 amJul. 2 – The extension of the major oil pipeline from China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to central Kazahkstan and now the Caspian Sea has passed initial tests. The Kenkiyak-Kumkol pipeline will give China access to more of its Central Asian neighbor’s oil resources in its western regions which begins at the Kenkiyak field managed by the China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC). China has been active in engaging its Central Asian neighbors through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that gives it the opportunity to wield influence over the region’s cash-poor but… -
European Businesses Still Bullish on China
1 Jul 2009 | 2:46 amJul. 1 - The results of the latest European Chamber Business Confidence Survey show that companies remain confident on the potential of the Chinese markets; with plans to continue investment in the country. The annual survey is the sixth to date and tallies answers from more than 300 European companies working in the country. It was done by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China with the cooperation of the Roland Berger Strategy Consultants Greater China. In a nutshell, it revealed that European businesses were adversely affected by the credit crisis but that their domestic losses… -
Thailand Predicts Tourist Growth for 2010
30 Jun 2009 | 11:57 pmTourism in Thailand is expected to grow next year, with foreign arrivals anticipated to hit 14 million, up from 12 million in 2009. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) puts the expected growth down to a stabilization of the political environment, with a recovery due in Q4 this year and a return to normal tourism levels for 2010. Even the 12 million figure may prove beatable given that the more conservative economic climate may result in regional holidaymakers across the sector, both high-end and low cost charters looking at staying within Asia rather than taking more expensive trips to… -
Asia’s First Cleantech Business Forum to be Held in Beijing
30 Jun 2009 | 1:19 amJun. 30 – The first China Cleantech Business Forum will be held on July 8 and aims to bring together investors, venture capitalists, corporate executives, and researchers to work together on cleantech industry projects. The term cleantech refers to products or services that improve operational performance, productivity or efficiency, while reducing energy consumption, waste and pollution. Despite the current credit crisis, overall fundraising for cleantech has remained steady in 2008, with 29 funds raising a total of US$6 billion worldwide. The majority of these cleantech projects have gone… -
China and India to Set Up Direct Hotline
29 Jun 2009 | 2:32 amIndia and China are in talks to set up a direct hotline as early as next month. The hotline would connect Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, allowing the two to conduct direct diplomacy. Similar hotlines already exist between Beijing and Washington and Washington and Moscow. China and India’s long simmering border dispute has heated up again recently, with India planning to increase troop levels and build more airstrips in the remote state of Arunachal Pradesh, a territory that China claims as its own. Indian media meanwhile reported that the Indian…
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Xinjiang: Far West China
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The Beautiful Sounds of Xinjiang
30 Jun 2009 | 4:30 pmI ran across a very interesting website the other day that has a large selection of recordings documenting the beautiful spectrum of Xinjiang culture and music. It's not a new site but it still remains quite relevant today. The media, recorded in 2003 by a man who had been given a grant to travel here for that purpose, offers a rare glimpse into this province that all my writing combined will never be able to do. From the website:My hope is that at least some of the elements in this section- what I like to think of as ‘artifacts’ will have some worldly value for a region, people and… -
Our First Visit to a Chinese Movie Theater
28 Jun 2009 | 4:31 pmLast week the move "Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen" opened in theaters all around China. I watched in envy as groups in Shanghai, including CNReviews and Shanghaiist, organized viewing parties to enjoy the opening. Soon enough, I told myself, the pirated DVD would make its way into our local stores and I would be able to enjoy the movie in the comfort of my home. I was preparing myself for another summer of exciting blockbusters displayed on a small 21" TV. Early Friday morning, however, I awoke to find an exciting email informing me...nay, beckoning me… -
Xinjiang: Headline Roundup
27 Jun 2009 | 12:04 amThis week has been a most interesting week here in China thanks to the ever-evolving Great Firewall. For those unfamiliar with the term, "Great Firewall" refers to the censorship that occurs for those trying to access certain sites within China. This week, for the first time since I arrived here 3 years ago, Google was blocked - effectively cutting my ties to this blog as well as email. While this and other computer frustrations have kept me from updating the blog more than once this week, it has also pushed me to finally decide to purchase a simple bridge to take me over… -
Riding a Camel in the Taklamakan Desert
21 Jun 2009 | 4:30 pmOh, the Xinjiang sun. Even with sunglasses on I was squinting to keep from going blind. My forehead, which during fair weather tends to drip small beads of sweat, now felt like a small waterfall was running down my face. For ten full minutes I hadn't moved from this very spot arguing with a bearded man who was missing a tooth and looked like he hadn't bathed for weeks. I've bargained for quite a few things during my time here in China - heck, I'd even bartered for the shirt and sunglasses I was wearing at the time - but I had never run into a man as stubborn as this… -
Marriage in China: 4 Years and Counting
19 Jun 2009 | 12:10 amYesterday marked the 4th year that my wife and I have been married - three of which have been spent here in Xinjiang, China. While most people insist that "absense makes the heart grow fonder", I am here to say that nothing teaches you more about your spouse than living in a desert with no other foreigners while working at the same school and seeing each other 13 out of 16 hours you're awake. This is a good thing, mind you, not a complaint. 4 years ago yesterday... While bigger cities in China would have offered us more opportunities for a romantic date, the…
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Foreigner Perspective
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Foreigner Perspective: Nanning, China
6 Jun 2009 | 9:07 amForeigner Perspective: Nanning, China In this edition of "Foreigner Perspective," follow host Steven Weathers to the small Southern China town of Nanning. Discover a very famous street where all kinds of animals are served as delicacies. Will Steven eat dog? Watch and see! From: sdweathers Views: 175 5 ratings Time: 04:30 More in Travel & Events -
Interview with Lotay Yang, Founder of Black Card Circle 《老外视线》
6 Mar 2009 | 9:15 amInterview with Lotay Yang, Founder of Black Card Circle 《老外视线》 In this episode of "Foreigner Perspective," follow host Steven Weathers to Los Angeles where he meets Lotay Yang, founder of Black Card Circle. Learn about this unique worldwide network of influencers and learn more how you can get connected. Are you ready? Let's go! From: sdweathers Views: 1186 4 ratings Time: 04:45 More in People & Blogs -
Chen Style Taiji Tai Chi Chuan 《老外视线》
6 Mar 2009 | 6:55 amChen Style Taiji Tai Chi Chuan 《老外视线》 In this episode of "Foreigner Perspective," watch Winser Zhao perform China's ancient art of Tai Chi Chuan, Chen style, in 83 movements. Watch the form from thee camera angles: front, back, and up close. Are you ready? Let's go! From: sdweathers Views: 517 9 ratings Time: 06:00 More in Travel & Events -
Chinese Shrimp Noodles in Xiamen《老外视线》
4 Mar 2009 | 3:58 amChinese Shrimp Noodles in Xiamen《老外视线》 Check out this "Foreigner Perspective" short when host Steven Weathers discovers the local Xiamen snack, shrimp noodles at a small restaurant in Fujian Province. Are you ready? Let's go! From: sdweathers Views: 259 5 ratings Time: 01:40 More in Travel & Events -
Strange Slope in Xiamen《老外视线》
14 Feb 2009 | 3:18 amStrange Slope in Xiamen《老外视线》 In this short "Foreigner Perspective", ride uphill with host Steven Weathers on Xiamen's "Strange Slope" -- a mountain road that mysteriously pulls cars uphill! From: sdweathers Views: 554 2 ratings Time: 00:55 More in Travel & Events
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Gruvr.com: China Concerts
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Map of China Beijing concerts
2 Jul 2009 | 4:44 pmClick for map of all China Beijing shows or on individual concert maps to set email reminders. -
Saturday August 8th: United Groove Theory UGT Pekin at Beer Bellys
2 Jul 2009 | 4:41 pmBeer Bellys Pekin -
Saturday July 18th: First State at 09’CRAZY SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL Shanghai
2 Jul 2009 | 4:38 pm09’CRAZY SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL Shanghai 00008 -
Saturday 4th: KLEVER KILLS KLEVER KILLS BEIJING at PUNK // W, CRAZE!!
2 Jul 2009 | 4:34 pmPUNK // W, CRAZE!! BEIJING -
Thursday July 23rd: Onra Beijing at Live @ Superganbei / UCCA
2 Jul 2009 | 4:31 pmLive @ Superganbei / UCCA Beijing
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The China Observer
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China’s Sinopec makes $7.2B grab for Addax
25 Jun 2009 | 7:22 amJune 24, 2009/The Washington Post China’s Sinopec will acquire oil explorer Addax Petroleum for $7.2 billion, again flexing the country’s economic clout in what would be the largest overseas takeover ever by a Chinese company. China has been aggressively pursuing major acquisitions or investments in commodity companies and the push-back from other countries has just as forceful. Four years ago, China National Offshore Oil Company Ltd. withdrew an $18.5 billion bid for the Unocal Oil Company because of a tremendous backlash in Washington. This month, miner Rio Tinto PLC of… -
Alibaba E-Commerce + China 3G = M-Commerce?
9 Jun 2009 | 6:03 am$200 million US dollars… Wait let me clarify - Alibaba Group announced last week that it intends to spend AT LEAST $200 million US dollars on new acquisitions. Here at The China Observer blog we have examined Alibaba Group’s organizational structure, taken a closer look at its C2C marketplace, Taobao.com, and even checked out the man behind the scenes Jack Ma. I believe this recent announcement is of particular significance because of the possible implications it holds for the future of mobile commerce in China. With the emergence of 3G mobile capabilities in the Chinese marketplace,… -
Treasury Secretary Geithner Gets Good Grades For China Trip
5 Jun 2009 | 9:31 pmJune 2, 2009/WSJ Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner did a good job in carefully handling Chinese leaders during a two-day visit to Beijing, even though worrisome tensions remain just below the surface, U.S.-based policy experts said Tuesday. “Geithner did very well in terms of setting the right tone for constructive discussion,” said Eswar Prasad, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Geithner was “nicey-nicey” in his dealings with the Chinese, said Richard Baum, director of the UCLA Center for Chinese Studies. “And it is appropriate. They’ve done… -
3G in China: Look Towards South Korea for a Glimpse of the Future
4 Jun 2009 | 9:23 amLast week I came across this article while sipping a cup of extra-sweetened Singaporean morning coffee and eating a breakfast of peanut butter toast. I don’t know why but Singaporeans love their toast for breakfast; personally I’d prefer a Beijing jianbing, and then again nothing beats a Taiwanese breakfast, especially of danbing and roucong fantuan, but I digress… The article from the International Herald Tribune, entitled “In South Korea, All of Life is Mobile,” is a nice complement to my previous interview with Asia mobile specialist Benjamin Joffe of plus8star.With everyone… -
Geithner’s First Trip to China
30 May 2009 | 1:41 amMay 28, 2009/Businessweek Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will have much occasion to hear and offer up opinions on one of the most burning questions in U.S.-China relations – how far and how fast Beijing intends to take its apparent strategy for increasing the use of its currency abroad. Geithner travels to China for the first time this weekend. He’s scheduled to visit with a string of Beijing leaders, including President Hu Jintao… READ MORE
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Tai Shan
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The Cherry Orchard
14 Jun 2009 | 5:38 pmLin Zhaohua’s adaptation of The Cherry Orchard just finished its run at the Esplanade. Reviews indicate that local audiences really appreciated the performance, and I can see why — the acting was superb, the set was beautiful, and the script is (of course) a very powerful one. Jiang Wenli and Zhang Yi were especially impressive in their roles. That said, something seemed not quite right in the production. I think it mostly had to do with the venue. The show was staged at the Esplanade Theatre, one of the largest halls in the Esplanade. It is the site where big musical… -
Lion Dance
12 Jun 2009 | 7:36 amThis is a video from a couple of years ago, when there was a big lion dance at the Chicago Graduate School of Business in Singapore. My nephews were in town, so we went down to have a look. It was a lot of fun, but some of the kids found the lions a little scary. -
The Things People Do
5 Jun 2009 | 3:31 amIn China’s big cities, you can always find a park where people gather and enjoy some semblance of nature, and also practice hobbies. You’ll see lots of tai chi, badminton, dancing, and people singing or practicing musical instruments. On weekends, there are often dancing groups where people gather and engage in ballroom style dancing. This can always be lots of fun to watch. I took a picture of the artist below at a park in Shanghai. I really enjoyed watching him. You can see that he is using a brush about a meter and a half or more in length, and doing calligraphy on… -
Dragon Boat Festival
28 May 2009 | 5:36 amTomorrow, we will celebrate Duanwu Jie, or the Dragon Boat Festival, here in Asia. The festival commemorates the poet and scholar Qu Yuan, who lived in the Warring States Period (278 BC). Qu was an exemplary statesman, serving the Chu king so faithfully that when his rival, Qin, took over the Chu capitol, he committed suicide by drowning himself in the river. The local people admired Qu so much that they took boats out into the river, beating loud drums to scare the fish in the river so that they would not eat Qu’s body. As a further means of preventing destruction of their… -
The Rape of Nanjing
26 May 2009 | 1:20 amThis post is reprinted from a blog I kept years ago at a site which is now defunct. Nanjing (Nanking) has a very, very long history — indeed, there are signs it was inhabited before there was a written history in the region. The written records we have date back to the Warring States Period of Chinese history (453-221 BC). And it’s history is a colourful and exciting one. It served as capitol of the nation twice (it’s name means “Southern Capitol,” Beijing meaning “Northern Capitol), once during the Ming Dynasty, and once under Sun Yat Sen’s…
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Foreigner Perspective: 老外视线
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Foreigner Perspective: Nanning, China
6 Jun 2009 | 9:07 amForeigner Perspective: Nanning, China In this edition of "Foreigner Perspective," follow host Steven Weathers to the small Southern China town of Nanning. Discover a very famous street where all kinds of animals are served as delicacies. Will Steven eat dog? Watch and see! From: sdweathers Views: 175 5 ratings Time: 04:30 More in Travel & Events -
Interview with Lotay Yang, Founder of Black Card Circle 《老外视线》
6 Mar 2009 | 9:15 amInterview with Lotay Yang, Founder of Black Card Circle 《老外视线》 In this episode of "Foreigner Perspective," follow host Steven Weathers to Los Angeles where he meets Lotay Yang, founder of Black Card Circle. Learn about this unique worldwide network of influencers and learn more how you can get connected. Are you ready? Let's go! From: sdweathers Views: 1186 4 ratings Time: 04:45 More in People & Blogs -
Chen Style Taiji Tai Chi Chuan 《老外视线》
6 Mar 2009 | 6:55 amChen Style Taiji Tai Chi Chuan 《老外视线》 In this episode of "Foreigner Perspective," watch Winser Zhao perform China's ancient art of Tai Chi Chuan, Chen style, in 83 movements. Watch the form from thee camera angles: front, back, and up close. Are you ready? Let's go! From: sdweathers Views: 517 9 ratings Time: 06:00 More in Travel & Events -
Chinese Shrimp Noodles in Xiamen《老外视线》
4 Mar 2009 | 3:58 amChinese Shrimp Noodles in Xiamen《老外视线》 Check out this "Foreigner Perspective" short when host Steven Weathers discovers the local Xiamen snack, shrimp noodles at a small restaurant in Fujian Province. Are you ready? Let's go! From: sdweathers Views: 259 5 ratings Time: 01:40 More in Travel & Events -
Strange Slope in Xiamen《老外视线》
14 Feb 2009 | 3:18 amStrange Slope in Xiamen《老外视线》 In this short "Foreigner Perspective", ride uphill with host Steven Weathers on Xiamen's "Strange Slope" -- a mountain road that mysteriously pulls cars uphill! From: sdweathers Views: 554 2 ratings Time: 00:55 More in Travel & Events
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Middle Kingdom Life
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Z-visa Letter of Invitation Now “Visa Notification”
A slight change in nomenclature has been causing some confusion for new Z-visa applicants. The former Letter of Invitation is now apparently being referred to as the "Official Invitation Notice," "Visa Notification," or "Visa Issuance Notice Letter/Form" depending on which visa proxy service or Chinese consulate website you happen to ... -
Excellent Satellite TV Package For Foreigners in China
I have a terrible confession to make: I love watching television. When I am not working on the Guide or preparing for a class, I'm watching a favorite show on TV, especially in the evening. I used to be a big fan of Boston Legal until the geniuses ... -
China Mandates Preinstallation of Web Filtering Software
Effective July 1, 2009, computers manufactured and sold in China must contain a web filtering software package known as "Green Dam." According to a June 12th article in PC Magazine, Green Dam is not only based on, appears, and functions like the well-known American software package more... -
Enough
I have a good friend back home who occasionally sends me spiritually-uplifting e-mails usually containing inspirational photos, PowerPoint presentations, touching poems, emotionally-moving stories, and the like. For the most part, I think they are nice but rarely am I as touched as I was when I read the one ... -
Is Chinese Female Preference for Western Men Just A Memory?
In September 2008, the same month the 160-year old investment institution Lehman Brothers filed bankruptcy, the Chinese matchmaking website, Hongniang.com, conducted a series of polls with 6,600 Chinese women married to foreign men. At the beginning of the financial crisis, when the survey study was first run, the average “happiness ...
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CHINAYOUREN
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Crossing the GFW and one interesting Idea
2 Jul 2009 | 10:40 amThis week I had some interesting conversations on other blogs, mostly regarding my state of internet blockdom and the possible actions that a webmaster can take to solve this problem. I will share here some conclusions that might be of interest. Just to make sure we don’t forget anything, I will go first over the most obvious points: 1- If you are any kind of commercial undertaking, or if you depend on your site for a living, please pay attention to what you publish. Sites in English have quite some leeway to publish political content, but the bigger you get the tighter the line will… -
The War of the Internets
2 Jul 2009 | 7:56 amSo there you are. July 1st passed without any major incident and the famous Anonymous Netizens didn’t show up. I am as blocked as ever and the Nutty Nannies of China are still running loose on the web, unimpressed by the headless suit . I cannot say it is a surprise, frankly the chances of anything significant happening were one in a wan*. As I said in a previous post, these anonymous Netizens are not Chinese, but Western, from the mostly American chan boards, in particular chan888 (no link here, I have enough trouble as it is with the GFW to get me the hackers as well). These guys… -
Firefox 3.5 Finally
2 Jul 2009 | 5:16 amIt was about time Mozilla issued their new revision. Ever since Firefox emerged as the big challenger of Explorer many of us switched to this swift browser with the unlimited add-ons. As time passed, we grew so used to all the fox capabilities that it became normal for an internet browser to perform the most various functions: Firefox was my Chinese dictionary, my anti-GFW proxy, my image editor, my wikipedia link, my financial consultant, my bookmark and my fluffy nail brush. It was Jesus, and it was perfect. And then, suddenly,the fox got old. The add-ons started to weight on its worn out… -
Chinese Pirates and Shanghai Stories
1 Jul 2009 | 8:55 amLast night I went to the evening organized by Earnshaw to launch their two latest books: “I sailed with Chinese Pirates” and “Shanghai Story Walks”. I have been a fan of Earnshaw Books since they published the first of their series of reprints, Carl Crow’s “Foreign Devils in the Flowery Kingdom“, my favourite China read of ‘08. Since then they have continued to publish new originals and reprints faster than I could read them, so I jumped on this opportunity to try to catch up. The event was announced - and recommended - on the Shanghaiist… -
The University of Love
29 Jun 2009 | 9:17 pmThis is the imposing main entrance of my favourite university campus in Shanghai: HuaShiDa. I like this entrance because it is very green and very complete, and it has everything from a roundabout sign to a saluting giant Mao, to a construction crane in the background. But what I like most is the inscription: SEEK TRUTH, FOSTER ORIGINALITY, LIVE UP TO THE NAME OF TEACHER Huashida, also know by its complete name as East Normal Uni, has a great campus crossed by a little river and flanked on its Western side by a collection of great barbeque stalls and by the always romantic ChangFeng park.
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ChinaBizGov
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The Blurry Line Between Public and Private
29 Jun 2009 | 2:17 amAccording to my original plans, I should be touring a factory right now. Unfortunately, I'm a bit under the weather, so I have a few moments to post an interesting story about someone else's factory visit. (No, I don't have H1N1 "swine" flu.)A few weeks ago, Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao paid a visit to Geely's automotive factory in Hunan Province. Despite the fact that Geely is not a state-owned enterprise, this visit is not all that surprising. State leaders all over the world pay visits to privately owned businesses from time to time.Standing behind Wen's right shoulder is Li Shufu, founder,… -
How far should governments go to protect us?
20 Jun 2009 | 1:22 amA big difference between doing research back home in Los Angeles and here in China is that I feel like I'm on the clock 24 hours a day. Not that I have had much fun over the past five years that I've been attending UCLA, but when I'm away from home, there's this constant feeling that, for every moment of fun or relaxation I may have here, that's one moment longer that I will be away from home.I guess all of this is to say that, I've been neglecting my blog, and I feel a little guilty about it -- but not so guilty that I'm going to start posting frequently again. Which is a shame because there… -
So Who IS Buying Hummer?
4 Jun 2009 | 4:08 amShort answer: no one really knows, and those who do aren't saying much.The name of the company that appears to be ready to take Hummer off GM's hands is 四川腾中重工机械有限公司, or Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company, Ltd. Their company website is located here, but it has periodically been down ever since the announcement. Apparently a lot of people are curious about this company.I was fortunate enough to catch the website working a few minutes ago, but I'll save you the time. The site (both Chinese and English versions) has only the bare minimum of information… -
Who's Not Buying Hummer / Chery's New not-so-Private Equity
2 Jun 2009 | 9:48 pmWho's Not Buying HummerNews surfaced today that GM has finally found a buyer for its Hummer division. The buyer is Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery, and the undisclosed price is rumored to be in the neighborhood of $500 million.This was preceded by the improbable story back in February that the previously unheard of Sichuan Auto was rumored to be the buyer of Hummer. The management of Sichuan Auto (not affiliated with Sichuan Tengzhong) appeared to have been genuinely perplexed as to how their company, with only $146 million in assets at the time, could possibly buy Hummer.Now it… -
What Happened to GM's China Export Plans?
30 May 2009 | 5:12 amA couple of weeks ago, GM let the world know that it was planning to export small, China-made autos to the US beginning in 2011. At the time, I speculated that this announcement was merely a tactic being used to pressure the UAW in negotiations.Today, the Financial Times is reporting that GM is now planning to build its small car in the US. This is apparently a "concession" it made to the UAW.Ron Gettelfinger, the UAW’s president, told PBS on Thursday that the union had put pressure on GM and on the administration to block GM’s plans to build the small cars in China.GM’s 60,000 union…
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Asian Ramblings
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Chinese sunrise: A new day, A new start
30 Jun 2009 | 3:43 pmMy first sunrise in China, unemployed. As anyone who follows me on Twitter knows, as of June 30, 2009 at 10:19 am (GMT +8) I joined the ranks of the unemployed. My contract ended, they school paid me off and gave me the official release letters. No more will I be hailed with the moniker, “Teacher.” No more students, no more books, no more boss’s dirty looks. For me, as Alice Cooper said, school is out forever. No more teaching English in China, no more being el instructor grande of English as a Second Language. Okay, I’m only temporarily unemployed. I have a job to… -
China Travel: Nanjing
29 Jun 2009 | 1:15 pmThe statue at the Nanjing Massacre Memorial By: Graham Woodring Come the day of departure, my alarm didn’t so much wake me up at 5 AM as let me know that it was time to stop lying around. As I stumbled out into the kitchen to put the kettle on, I noticed an odd sound. Not paying it much heed, I nearly fell in to the shower and washed myself awake. After pulling on my clothes and being slightly more awake, I couldn’t help but wonder what the heck was that incessant noise? When I returned to the kitchen to retrieve my tea, I got my answer: there was a near-torrential downpour. Well,… -
Reflections in the fountain
28 Jun 2009 | 5:40 pmOne night last week I said to myself: Self, you don’t have to go to the gym tonight if you do something useful. Reply to Self: Is drinking beer and eating hashbrowns considered useful? Self: No. Reply to Self: What if I take some photographs? Self: Now you’re talking. This is the fountain by the massive entry gate to my community. A slight breeze, crazy neon: Welcome to China. The beer and hashbrowns were eaten after a number of photos were taken. _________________________________________________________________________ © 2009 Asian Ramblings. Unauthorized use prohibited Why not… -
Teaching Abroad: They’re still standing close to me
25 Jun 2009 | 5:12 pmTeaching English in China is difficult in more ways than one. My popularity with the preteen girl crowd waxed and waned this past term, much to my chagrin. In December I wrote about feeling uncomfortable with the touchy-feely Grade 5 girls. I thought I wouldn’t teach them this term. I was wrong. Coming early to class, crowding me in the hall, hanging on my arm: Extremely uncomfortable. If I was in Grade 5 I’d be in heaven. Alas, I’m a long, long way from the fifth grade. I’m probably closer to fifth grade in my next life than I am in this one. The touchy-feely crowd was strangely… -
Humen China: Opium Ponds and Dormitories
24 Jun 2009 | 4:07 pmA factory dormitory overlooks the ponds where China’s nineteenth century “Drug Zsar” Lin Zexu destroyed 1.2 million kilos of British opium in 1839. The site, part of the Opium War Museum in Humen, China, is still used to symbolic destroy narcotics during anti-drug campaigns. Lin wrote to England’s Queen Victoria and asked: By what right do they then in return use the poisonous drug to injure the Chinese people? Humen, often overlooked by travelers, features two fantastic musuems, and several historic sites including the fortifications used to fight the invading British…
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Digital Marketing Inner Circle
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The9 Online Gaming Profits In China Tank 75%
2 Jul 2009 | 2:50 amThe9 Limited has now filed a Form 12b-25 with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for the late filing of its annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2008. This is just another black mark with investors and the Market in general. As reported by China Tech News, The9 announced on April 16, 2009, that it had learned that Blizzard’s World of Warcraft would be licensed to another China-based online game company following the expiration of the license agreement between Blizzard Entertainment and the The9 on June 7, 2009. World of Warcraft accounts for a… -
Is Digital Marketing Really Lacking Suitable ROI Metrics?
30 Jun 2009 | 3:22 amI was reading a story today written by Marcus Chan and published by Marketing Interactive that proported Digital Marketing was lacking suitable ROI metrics. Given SinoTech Group is a developer and provider of Web Analytics/Buzz Monitoring technology I was generally interested in this perspective and analysis. Marcus’s story was a commentary based on a study called, “The Digital Horizon: A Chasm between Expectation & Execution” undertaken by Eyeblaster and TNS. The study on digital marketing has revealed that 44% of marketers blame a lack of suitable metrics to measure… -
Universal McCann Wins Two New Chinese Briefs
29 Jun 2009 | 10:07 pmAfter a somewhat dry patch for UM, the Agency has picked up The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as its media planning and buying agency ahead of the launch of its educational campaign on infant pneumonia. Media Magazine reported that The CDC, with the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, will launch its campaign to educate domestic audiences on the dangers of the disease and to promote vaccination. The account was awarded to UM following a three-way pitch that involved Mindshare and ZenithOptimedia. Separately, UM China has also been appointed the media agency-of-record… -
ZenithOptimedia Wins TCL’s Media Business
28 Jun 2009 | 10:26 pmAccording to Media Magazine, The Creative Life (TCL), a listed Chinese electrical appliances group, has appointed ZenithOptimedia Guangzhou for its media planning and buying in China, displacing Dentsu Beijing, which held the account for less than two years. The appointment also follows a pitch against Starcom and several local agencies. ZenithOptimedia’s assignment will focus on print and TV to spur audience involvement in the highly popular Mengniu Yoghurt Super Girl contest (a Chinese version of American Idol) on Hunan Satellite TV. I am reaching out to the folks at ZenithOptimedia to… -
What Impact will ‘Green Dam Youth Escort’ have on Advertising in China?
28 Jun 2009 | 2:27 amThere has been a lot of discussion on the moves by the Chinese Government to introduce Internet filtering software on all new PC’s called “Green Dam Youth Escort“) or simply “Green Dam”. What is the impact to those working in the Internet Advertising space? Will Marketers have to worry about Ad campaigns or Search Marketing programs? UPDATE: China announces postponement of rule mandating all computers be sold with Green Dam software http://tinyurl.com/nyh44t For those that have not been following what is happening in China with the introduction of Green Dam, I…
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Digital China Guide
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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 ... -
Welcome To Your Social Economy
This will effect you... We are watching a new economic system develop right in front of us. The future of your business, career path, and political leadership may, amongst other things, be effected. It may help to get a quick primer on the Social Economy. Social Economy 101 I have been thinking quite ...
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Digital China Guide
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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 ... -
Welcome To Your Social Economy
This will effect you... We are watching a new economic system develop right in front of us. The future of your business, career path, and political leadership may, amongst other things, be effected. It may help to get a quick primer on the Social Economy. Social Economy 101 I have been thinking quite ...
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China Private Equity
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Companies That Can IPO & Companies That Should: The Return to IPO Activity in China
30 Jun 2009 | 6:54 amAfter a hiatus of nearly a year, IPO activity is set to resume in China. The first IPO should close this week on the Shenzhen Stock Market. This is excellent news, not only because it signals China’s renewed confidence about its economic future. But, the resumption of IPO activity will also help improve capital allocation in China, by helping to direct more investment to private companies with strong growth prospects. With little IPO activity elsewhere, China is likely to be the most active IPO market in the world this year. How many Chinese companies will IPO in 2009 is anyone’s guess. -
China First Capital’s Report: 如何选择上市的时机和地点, “When and Where to IPO”
21 Jun 2009 | 9:35 pmI’m flying back from China as I write this, and bringing with me something of great value to me personally — even if I can’t claim to recognize every character. It’s the Chinese-language report prepared by my China First Capitalcolleagues on how a Chinese SME can avoid the quicksand and plan a successful IPO. Built on a first draft in English of mine, it’s written specifically for Chinese SME bosses. The report is called “ Download Here: 如何选择上市的时机和地点 “When & Where to IPO for Chinese SME” We prepared the report with the explicit goal to… -
How the Bad IPO Deals Happen: Exploiting the Lack of Information and Knowledge to Bamboozle Chinese SMEs
17 Jun 2009 | 2:44 amIn recent years, a large percentage of all OTCBB IPOs have been for Chinese SME companies. This is largely because too many Chinese SME fall too easily into the pit of investment vipers – the lawyers, accountants and self-described “investment bankers” and “private equity investors” that promote these OTCBB listings, reverse mergers and other schemes concocted by advisors generally for their own self-enrichment. Once caught in the trap, the prospects for the SME are generally pretty bleak. They’ll be bled of badly-needed cash to pay the advisors, bankers and lawyers their fees,… -
Size Matters – Why It’s Important to Build Profits Before an IPO
9 Jun 2009 | 3:23 amMarket capitalization plays a very important part in the success and stability of a Chinese SME’s shares after IPO. In general, the higher the market capitalization, the less volatility, the more liquidity. All are important if the shares are to perform well for investors after IPO. There is no simple rule for all companies. But, broadly speaking, especially for a successful IPO in the US or Hong Kong, market capitalization at IPO should be at least $250 million. That will require profits, in the previous year, of around $15mn or more, based on the sort of multiples that usually prevail at… -
How to Time an IPO – the Right Path to the Stock Market for a Strong Chinese SME
4 Jun 2009 | 6:08 amThe timing of IPO is the most important question for all Chinese SME preparing for a public listing. Unfortunately, the correct answer is often the one most rarely heard. Instead, many investment bankers and advisors in China tell the SME boss that an IPO should be scheduled “as soon as possible”. This is often music to the bosses untrained ears, since they’re wrongly assuming that the proceeds of an IPO will go directly into their pockets – a misconception these same investment bankers and advisors can literally cash in on. They’ll tell the SME boss the “bad” news — that…
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Konaxis: Business and Industry News in China
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Lenovo To Release New Gaming Computers
30 Jun 2009 | 11:03 amComputer maker Lenovo Group announced its plan to introduce a series of new gaming computers in the coming months, as the company decides to focus on the serious gamers who are expected to reach 100 million by the end of this year. The move is expected to widen its presence in the gaming computer market and consequently increase its sales. -
China's Sinopec To Buy Addax Petroleum For C$8.27 Billion
30 Jun 2009 | 10:58 amChina’s Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corp. (SIPC). has made a deal to buy Calgary-based Addax Petroleum for about C$8.27 billion (US$7.24 billion) as China continues to secure overseas energy assets to fuel its economy. -
McAfee Expands For Security Boom In China
29 Jun 2009 | 10:57 amMcAfee sees a boom in China’s security market following the launch of 3G mobile networks. Accordingly, the company is expanding its operations in the country. -
US, EU File WTO Case On Unfair Trade Against China
29 Jun 2009 | 10:49 amThe United States filed an unfair trade case against China before the World Trade Organization. The unfair trade in question is China’s restriction on exports of key raw materials needed for the production of steel, aluminum and other products. -
World Bank Raises China Economic Growth Forecast
28 Jun 2009 | 11:27 amThe World Bank, in its China Quarterly Update, raised its forecast for China's 2009 gross domestic product (GDP) growth from 6.5 to 7.2 per cent , saying there was an apparent success of the government's stimulus package as shown by the improved business outlook from March, when the 6.5 per cent growth forecast was made.
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ChinaLuxCultureBiz
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Pierre Cardin: From Popular Brand In China To Popular Chinese Brand?
1 Jul 2009 | 8:25 pmOngoing Negotiations Over Acquisition of French Brand Pierre Cardin Shows Chinese Luxury Brands Have Sights Set On Rapid Growth Pierre Cardin has become one of the most recognizable and coveted foreign brands in China since entering the market in 1978. Photo (c) CRI English Mixed signals surround the rumored takeover of the Pierre Cardin brand by two Chinese groups, which would — if true — illustrate the speed with which Chinese companies hope to attain global reach and influence. Early reports appeared to suggest that an acquisition of only Cardin’s China operations was… -
Bilateral Trade In Chinese RMB Coming To Hong Kong
29 Jun 2009 | 7:25 pmChina And Hong Kong Get Ready To Begin Bilateral Trade Scheme, Announced Last December. What Will It Mean For Holders Of Portable Chinese Assets Like Art? The internationalization of the RMB could be a huge plus for holders of portable Chinese assets in coming years. Photo © Reuters The internationalization of the Chinese yuan has hit a major milestone, as China’s Central Bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan, and Joseph Yam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, today signed a memorandum in Hong Kong to set off bilateral trade that can be settled in Chinese yuan rather than Hong… -
Chinese Antiques Collectors Rapidly Becoming Global Force
28 Jun 2009 | 6:59 pmUnlikely Collectors In Far-Flung Rural Areas Gaining Notoriety For Massive Antiques Spending Sprees More than 1,000 collectors took part in the Taiyuan antiques fair, held in north China's Shanxi Province. Image © CCTV We have written several times before about the growing role of Chinese art collectors in a number of art classes, from Chinese antiquities to contemporary Chinese art, and as the global downturn affects the buying and collecting habits of more established collectors, antiques dealers from Hong Kong, the UK and the US have flocked to new “fairs” in mainland… -
Dunhill Fuses Brand And Lifestyle In Shanghai
28 Jun 2009 | 9:08 amBar, Part Of Dunhill Flagship Store At Plaza 66, Extends Dunhill’s British Style And Traditional Atmosphere The Aquarium by Kee in Plaza 66, Photo © Shanghai Daily Plaza 66, a sprawling office and mall complex in Shanghai’s Jing’an District, recently unveiled the new Aquarium by Kee bar, part of the Alfred Dunhill flagship store. Designed to be an after-work sanctuary for the area’s businesspeople, the 40-seat bar extends Dunhill’s sophisticated style to every aspect of its decor as well as its drinks list.Unique marketing efforts like this are nothing new to… -
Contemporary Chinese Art Exhibitions Open In South Africa, Canada
25 Jun 2009 | 6:56 pm“Overbrim the East” Exhibition Hits Knysna As O Zhang’s Installation Is Featured In Vancouver Contemporary Chinese artist Zhang Zhengmin will be among the artists featured in the "Overbrim the East" exhibition in South Africa Two new Chinese art exhibitions are set to open in two very different parts of the globe, reflecting the growing internationalization of contemporary Chinese art. Knysna, South Africa is preparing for a unique traveling exhibition of Chinese contemporary art cooperatively organized by the South African National Association of Visual Arts, The…
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China Internet Watch
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2008 China Laptop Market Internet Users Study
25 Jun 2009 | 3:33 am33.3% of laptop internet users (who use laptop to access to the Internet) are from the east area. The details are shown below: The east: 33.3% The south: 23.01% The north: 16.78% The middle: 9.85% The northeast: 7.42% The southwest: 6.17% The northwest: 3.47% The south and middle people are more interested in local brand (mainland China), the northeast pay more attention to the US brands, the south people are more interested in Taiwan brands, the east are more interested in Japanese and Korean brands, and the north are not particularly interested in any country brands. Lenovo brand is the… -
Google China Ordered to End Foreign Site Access
20 Jun 2009 | 12:36 amvia FT.com, Beijing has ordered Google to stop users of its Chinese-language service accessing overseas websites in the biggest blow to the world’s leading search engine in China since it started operating there four years ago. As I tried just now, I was still able to access overseas websites listed on Google.com search results. Related posts:Google China Launched Product Search Beta Google China has announced the beta launch of products...China Search Engine Report 2008 Advertisers and Users Behavior Study China Search Engine Marketing Report 2008 View more presentations from...Dell to… -
Tudou to Launch Internet Millionnair Campaign with Nokia
20 Jun 2009 | 12:31 amChinese online video site tudou.com announced partnership with Nokia to promote online video show “Internet Millionnair” campaign. Whoever answers some questions with internet enabled mobile phone stands a chance to win one million yuan. The campaign, which will start on July 6, 2009, consists of four phases lasting for three and half months. Anyone can become a challenger by logging in www.nokia.com.cn/97 or www.nokia97.mobi and registering personal information. No related posts. -
Baidu Promotes Japan Travel Online
14 Jun 2009 | 9:39 pmJapan now works with Baidu to promote Japan travel online. The deal is said to be over one million yuan. There are about one million Chinese travelling to Japan every year. Japan tourism board starts promoting Japan travel to Chinese, giving individual travel visa to affluent Chinese in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou from this July. Related posts:Baidu Launching Baidu 123 for Senior Citizens Sohu IT reported yesterday that Baidu is testing a new...2008 China Laptop Market Internet Users Study 33.3% of laptop internet users (who use laptop to access...Tudou to Launch Internet Millionnair… -
Google China Launched Product Search Beta
14 Jun 2009 | 7:09 pmGoogle China has announced the beta launch of products search, which covers hundreds of e-commerce websites including its competitor’s online C2C store youa.baidu.com. Google China products search interface is quite similar to that of Google Products search: Not surprisingly, Taobao ranks high in most product specific searches. No doubt Google product search is helpful; yet it takes time to promote it. Related posts:Toocle Launched First B2B Top Search List China’s B2B media platform Toocle launched the first B2B top...Taobao Field Guide Taobao as part of Alibaba Group, is the…
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EngagingChina
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Green Dam stopped
30 Jun 2009 | 9:52 amChina has shelved its controversial plan to install internet filtering software on every PC. A victory for internet freedom? More likely, the government realised the deadline was unrealistic and the technology unlikely to be effective.. -
Death of distance postponed
25 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pmThe oil price has leaped more than 100% since February. Economists may scratch their heads, but in China the inexorably march upward of the oil price in the midst of a recession is cause for more than academic concern... -
IPO fever returns
25 Jun 2009 | 11:28 amThe reopening of China's IPO market is good news for speculators and also the western investment banks and advisers who have seen their fees shrivel in the recent IPO drought.. -
Going underground
25 Jun 2009 | 10:15 amBack in 2005 the EU agreed to cooperate with China on climate change. Four years on and several billion tonnes of CO2 later, the two have finally found a project on which they can cooperate... -
What credit crunch?
25 Jun 2009 | 6:51 amChinese consumers are obeying their government's exhortations to spend more and increasingly they are doing so using plastic. In 2008, the number of credit and debit cards in circulation in China grew 20%...
