3rd March 09

The Australian

Millions of Chinese migrant workers lose jobs

LAST week's announcement by Pacific Brands that 1850 Australians were to lose their jobs to China spread gloom among workers at large-scale local manufacturing industries. But in reality Chinese migrant workers are faring much worse. More than the equivalent of the whole population of Australia, 20-30 million people, have already lost their jobs and thus also their housing in the factory towns.

The Age

Chinalco and Rio chiefs fly in to sell $30bn China splurge

CHINA'S state-owned Chinalco and Rio Tinto have kicked off a high-level charm offensive designed to win over investor and political support for Chinalco's $US19.5 billion ($A30 billion) plunge into Rio.

Things are looking up in this topsy-turvy world
Peter Hartcher

When economies fall sharply, the first reflex of governments is to turn inwards in fear. History shows this to be exactly the wrong thing to do - protectionism helped turn the Great Crash of 1929 into the Great Depression of 1930-39. In the first months of this downturn, scores of countries took small steps towards closing off some of their markets, and it seemed nothing had been learnt. But last week two extraordinarily heartening things happened. First, China sent a giant buying mission to Western Europe. Chinese government media said they carried purchase orders worth some $US2 billion ($3.1 billion).

The International Herald Tribune

Top bid on disputed Yves Saint Laurent bronzes was a protest from China

The apparent winning bidder for two prized Chinese sculptures in a Paris auction surfaced Monday, a Chinese collector and auctioneer who said it was his patriotic duty to refuse to pay the $40 million he had pledged. Cai Mingchao said at a news conference in Beijing that he had made the anonymous successful bids last week for the 18th-century bronzes, the heads of a rat and a rabbit. Cai described himself as a consultant with the Lost Cultural Relics Recovery Program, a nongovernmental group that seeks to bring looted artifacts back to China. In the days leading up to the sale, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing had said the bronzes were part of China's cultural patrimony and demanded their return. A group of Chinese lawyers tried to block the auction with a lawsuit, but a French court allowed the sale to proceed.

Kaixin – a fundamental principal at common law is that stolen goods remain stolen goods. Title is not gained through purchase by a third party. Hence, if you buy a cheap video off the street and it is found to be stolen, the original owner can claim the video back. The thief had not gained title to video, merely possession. Hence he/she was not able to pass on that title. It is therefore breathtaking that a French court found otherwise. It must have based it decision on spoils of war or the like. However, the sculptures had been stolen, that is certain. As stolen property at no stage could true title be obtained by any purchaser, at law or morally. The Chinese nation retained and retains title. The sculptures should be returned to the people of China, their rightful owners.

Asia Times Online

SUN WUKONG
A revolutionary rallying cry for students
By Wu Zhong, China Editor

HONG KONG - The Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976 launched by late chairman Mao Zedong is officially refuted as 10 years of political and social chaos, the most serious political mistake committed by the great helmsman in his life. Ironically, it seems Beijing now has to call on Mao's wisdom in its efforts to help ease the problem of worsening unemployment among university graduates. Reading Chinese newspapers, one often comes across a Cultural Revolution slogan: "Go to work in the countryside and mountainous areas!"