25th of February 2011
The Lion Awakes
Daily News, Culture & Current Affairs about China
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China Daily
Moves on way to aid stability, harmony
BEIJING - China will take stronger action to resolve social conflicts and ensure there is a harmonious and stable society, says a senior official in charge of public security affairs.
Chen Jiping, deputy director of the Central Committee for Comprehensive Management of Public Security, made the comment after repeated calls from the nation's leaders for enhanced social management and innovations to resolve such problems.
In the Monday issue of the Beijing-based magazine Outlook Weekly, Chen noted social conflicts were "prominent" and said so-called mass incidents were "frequent occurrences".
He attributed such problems to imbalanced and uncoordinated development that has led to differences between urban and rural areas and to a wide income gap.
"Because social management and services are lagging behind social development, we may frequently face social conflicts," he said.
Chen also listed specific security problems that "we cannot afford to ignore".
Some 12,000 Chinese evacuated from Libya
BEIJING - Some 12,000 Chinese nationals have so far been evacuated from riot-torn Libya, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao said early Friday morning.
Song told reporters about the latest figure at the Beijing Capital International Airport shortly after welcoming back home more than 224 Chinese flying home by taking the first chartered plane sent by the Chinese government to evacuate its nationals in Libya, which arrived at the airport at 2:15 am Friday (GMT 1815 Thursday).
Inflation concerns hit consumer confidence
BEIJING - China's consumer confidence index saw its second consecutive quarterly decline in the last three months of 2010, mainly weighed down by people's expectations of higher inflation, research by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and The Nielsen Company showed on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the index fell to 100 from 104 in the third quarter, according to the research jointly conducted by the Chinese Economic Monitoring & Analysis Center under the NBS and The Nielsen Company.
Rural consumers' confidence remained relatively stable due to their strong faith in job prospects and personal finances while urban consumers' confidence fell, research showed.
Kaixin OpEd – ‘Rural consumers' confidence remained relatively stable’
The driver for China’s economy for the foreseeable future will be Rural China. Rural China is the focus of the next five-year plan.
The three major coastal cities, Beijing, Shanghai, Gungzhou, enjoyed the first wave of growth. This was followed by the second tier cities and so on over the last thirty years.
Rural China took second place and provided the labour to the cities.
There is now a watershed taking place in China.
For the first time in China’s history, rural China is the focus of development and will become a viable alternative to the city.
The enormous potential locked up in Rural China will make the first thirty years seem like an overture the main symphony that will unfold over the 21st century.
See Kaixin's - ECONOMIC CHINA
More China cities to limit home purchases
BEIJING - Three big Chinese cities Thursday unveiled new rules to restrict home purchases in the latest efforts to rein in rapidly rising housing prices.
The governments of Nanchang, Jinan and Yinchuan, all provincial and autonomous regional capitals, prohibited new home purchases by locally-registered families who already own two or more homes and non-local registered families who own at least one home.
The eastern cities of Nanchang and Jinan also banned non-local registered families with no documents certifying they have paid social security or income tax for one year from buying property.
Haikou and Sanya, two major cities in the southern island province of Hainan, were to roll out similar measures this month, the provincial government said Thursday.
See Kaixin's - CHINA REAL ESTATE
China and India to set M&A pace
Rising prices of raw materials are prompting more takeover deals
LONDON - China and India will lead mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in metals and mining in 2011 after global deals rose 89 percent last year.
That's as rivalry for commodities among the fastest-growing economies spurs prices, said Ernst & Young LLP.
"The majors out of India and China will lead the deals," Michael Lynch-Bell, head of mining and metals at Ernst & Young, said in an interview in London. "The Indians are desperate. They are about 10 years behind China. They are really looking for coal and iron ore supply for the next 10 years."
China to account for 8-9% of global M&A deals: JPMorgan
BEIJING - China should account for 8 to 9 percent of global mergers and acquisition (M&A)activity this year, continuing close to its strong levels in 2009 and 2010, according to the head of JPMorgan's China M&A unit, Brian Gu on Tuesday.
Consolidation in the consumer retail, real estate, healthcare, and chemical and industrial sectors is likely to power China's domestic M&A this year, he said.
Aviation sector has high hopes for next 5 yrs
45 airports will be built, 700 planes to join the fleet as blueprint drafted
BEIJING - China plans to invest 1.5 trillion yuan ($228.2 billion) in the aviation industry, building 45 airports and adding 700 new commercial planes, over the next five years to meet surging demand, a top regulator said on Thursday.
The figure is half a trillion yuan more than that for the previous five years, Li Jiaxiang, head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), told a news conference.
By 2015, the country is expected to have 220 commercial airports and its fleet size will expand to more than 4,500 planes, according to Li.
"The ability of the civil aviation sector to serve the national economy and the public will be further strengthened," Li said.
More visits, better care for patients
BEIJING - Beijing health authority is improving its information network about people with serious mental disabilities, a senior health official said at a news conference on Wednesday.
Deng Xiaohong, deputy director of the Beijing municipal bureau of health, said the move is aimed at ensuring there is closer cooperation between psychiatric hospitals and communities, so services can be improved for people with mental health issues.
CCTV
East Africa, China explore new areas of cooperation
NAIROBI, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- The East Africa Community (EAC) and the Chinese government held talks on Wednesday to explore new areas of cooperation and boost trade between both sides.
A statement from the EAC Secretariat said China's Ministry of Commerce Director Department of West Asian and African Affairs Chai Zhijing held discussions with Secretary General of the East African Community Juma Mwapachu on bilateral cooperation. "The Chinese delegation were at the EAC Headquarters to explore areas of cooperation specifically trade and investment opportunities in areas such as agriculture, animal-husbandry, production and processing of mineral and other natural resources, manufacturing, commerce and logistics, and tourism," the statement said.
It noted that the delegation wants to know how China could support and facilitate cross-border infrastructure projects such as transport, communication and power.
CCTV State Council discusses subsidized housing VIDEO
The state council has convened a meeting to discuss the building of government-subsidized apartments.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural development has instructed local governments to start building by the end of October. The meeting will detail policies on the size, requirements and subsidies for rental accommodation.
It will also outline regulations on partial purchase of low-rent houses and the proportion of commercial and low-cost homes.
The central government has vowed to provide 10 million subsidized apartments nationwide to low-income families this year. That figure roughly translates into half the housing floor space sold in 2010.
CCTV Studio interview: Effect on curbing demand of building subsidized homes VIDEO
For more analysis into the building of subsidized homes, let's again talk to our current affairs commentator, Professor Liu Baocheng, from the University of International Business and Economics.
Q1: It's estimated that the construction of 10 million subsidized homes will cost something like 1.4 trillion yuan. Where will such a huge amount come from?
Q2: Many say the government's latest measures have moved from curbing speculation to curbing demand. Do you think that's so, and will this massive building exercise help ease demand?
CCTV Mainland chief negotiator visits Taiwan VIDEO
Chen Yunlin, President of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, has arrived in Taiwan to start his six-day tour on the island. Chen is leading a mainland business delegation to explore expanding business cooperation with Taiwan.
It is the first time for Chen will lead a business delegation to Taiwan. The 50 member group is to investigate the investment environment and business opportunities on the island to help mainland companies enter the island's market and promote industrial cooperation.
They are scheduled to visit four major industrial cities on the island and meet business people there. They also visited a cross-strait business forum in Taiwan. Taiwan opened its market to mainland investors last June after both sides singed the ECFA agreement, a free trade deal between mainland and Taiwan.
But figures show investment from mainland is still disappointing. Mainland investors urge Taiwan to ease restrictions exist to reserve the trickling trend.
CCTV Tele interview: Chen Yunlin's schedule to Taiwan VIDEO
For more on Chen Yunlin's (Chen Yunlin 陈云林is the current chairman of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), the body responsible for negotiations with Taiwan in the People's Republic of China) visit to Taiwan, we're joined on the line by Lu Yuhan, a journalist in Taipei. Hello, Lu Yuhan. Thanks for joining us.
Q1: What's Chen Yunlin's schedule for the visit, and what arrangements are being made by Taiwan for him?
Q2: What is the Taiwan public's reaction to his trip and what are their expectations of the visit?
CCTV Tele interview: Significance of Chen Yunlin's visit CCTV
For more on Chen Yunlin's visit to Taiwan, we're joined on the line by Joanna Lei, who is the managing director of Azul Management . Hello. Thanks for joining us.
Q: What's the significance of Chen Yunlin's visit and how will it affect the cross-strait economic relationship?
CCTV Cross-Straits body meets on business cooperation VIDEO
A business delegation from the Chinese mainland is visiting Taiwan to attend the first meeting of cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Committee which opened Tuesday in Taiwan's Taoyuan County.
A spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council told a press conference in Beijing that during the meeting, six working groups will be established. Yang Yi said ARATS president Chen Yunlin will also pay a six-day visit to Taiwan to learn about the island's agricultural sector.
CCTV China reviews vehicle tax bill VIDEO
The size of your engine will determine what tax you must pay. That is the assessment of China's top legislature after conducting a second reading of a draft law on taxing vehicles and vessels.
At present a one size fits all process is used when it comes to tax and vehicles. If a new tax bill is approved by the National People's Congress Standing Committee during its ongoing session taxes will be charged at seven different levels, depending on the size of the engines. Bigger means you'll pay more while you'll pay less for a smaller car.
CCTV Yang Jiechi visits South Korea VIDEO
Chinese Foreign Minister, Yang Jiechi, has arrived in Seoul for a two-day visit. He'll discuss the resumption of six-party talks on the DPRK nuclear program with South Korea's leaders.
During the meeting with his counterpart, Kim Sung-hwan, Yang said China will continue to make joint efforts with other countries concerned to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Kim Sung-hwan said resuming six-party talks will be based on the DPRK taking responsibility for last year's two deadly attacks, and said that they should take concrete steps in demonstrating its demilitarization commitments.
CCTV Chinese citizens and companies based in Libya VIDEO
China and Libya established diplomatic relations in 1978. About 30-thousand Chinese citizens currently live there, mainly in the capital, Tripoli.
Most Chinese work for railway construction and communication companies, and in the oil industry. Several large Chinese companies have projects in the country.
These include China State Construction International Corporation, the China Rail Group and the China Civil Engineering Construction Company.
As a result of the unrest in Libya, some of the companies' building sites have been vandalized and robbed, and most of them have postponed their operations there.
CCTV Chinese president invited to visit Kazakhstan VIDEO
BEIJING, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao has been invited by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to visit Kazakhstan as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) celebrates its tenth anniversary later this year in the Kazakh capital city of Astana.
CCTV Analysts: Housing prices not likely to fall by much VIDEO
Some expect that dozens of cities in China will step up property market curbing measures in near future. Analysts say these moves may cut trading volumes by 20 to 30 percent. Housing prices may also fall, but not significantly.
Analysts say the curbing measures will encourage more Beijing house hunters to wait and see, and the trading volume will slump in near future - by up to 30 percent. But due to insufficient supply, property prices aren't likely to fall by much. As the measures taken in second and third tier cities aren't as restrictive as those implemented in first tier cities, trading volumes there will only fall by 5 to 10 percent.
See Kaixin's - CHINA REAL ESTATE , where we say much the same thing.
Global Times
The UK taught the world how to produce in the 19th century, the US showed the world how to consume in the 20th century, and China needs to demonstrate how to develop in a sustainable way in the 21st century.
Balancing out negative information
The combination of globalization and the digital age have severely magnified the power of information. How to respond effectively to this smorgasbord of information will test the long-term stability of emerging countries.
As the West is upstream of the world's information flow, if the emerging countries in the low-lying areas cannot handle the information "drought" properly, they will be overwhelmed by the flow from the West.
An important symbol of the "lying low" phenomenon is the lack of confidence among emerging countries in their own self-taught values. The mode of information production in emerging countries merely imitates that of Western society, thus weakening information exchange. It is hard for emerging countries to follow their own way to set their own national political process.
History will judge the information pressure faced by emerging countries, and determine whether such pressure was positive, negative, or both.
For China, the potential of information independence is far stronger than for other emerging countries, but the pressure on China is also clear. There is no need for China to completely remove such pressure, but it should have a strong capability to defend against "information flooding."
China should remove itself from the downstream of information flow. This has the same bearing on national security as the development of national defense forces. With China's increasing power, it will become increasingly impractical to challenge China with military forces, but the possibility of upsetting China with information is significant.
The enhancement of information independence is not only to reduce the deficit of external information exchange. The whole process of information production in China should also steer clear of the traps set by Western values.
The process of creating negative information has been introduced from the West and has taken root. However, Chinese society is much weaker in tolerating this negative information.
We should not try to push back this negative information, as it would be impossible to do so. But if we can learn how to balance negative information, an important security hole of China can be gradually filled.
Unrest tests wisdom of world powers
Revolution in the Middle East may gravely disrupt global development and profoundly change the world's interest structure that was established over the past half-century. The consequences of these changes will not be evenly distributed around the world. As such, how China turns these risks into opportunities will be vital to its rise in the decades to come.
National competition in the era of globalization is more cruel than it seems to be. Changes in global positioning could once be achieved through internal development or regional adjustment, but they now require global "re-identification," which cannot be achieved in a short space of time.
Reading too much into a jasmine bunch
A few people in Beijing, Shanghai and several other Chinese cities attempted to mimic the "Jasmine revolution" Sunday, as highlighted by mainstream Western media. These people, however, are like beggars in the streets - they never fade away, while the rest of the country moves forward.
The revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt have spread in the Middle East, and some in the West want China to become "the next Egypt." This is simply impossible. China is huge and will always contain certain problems. But a few people chanting slogans or throwing jasmine flowers in the street will not slow the country's momentum.
China's government holds the support of the majority of society. Some people do complain - occasionally because they enjoy the thrill of standing up to authority and showing off their bravado - but Chinese society as a whole cannot be represented by these agitated few. There is no collective will for revolution in China.
The Middle East has a place for China
Social revolution is reshaping the Middle East, but China has remained a spectator of this revolution, reducing the diplomatic risks at play. In terms of shaping the future of the Middle East, there is little China can do. The changes in the Middle East do affect the global outlook, with China's interests at play.
Although the US has pretended to support street democracy in the Middle East, its real support lay in a different area to that which was claimed. The US has strongly promoted the expansion of street protests in Tehran, but has not commented on the police repression in Bahrain. The reason for this is that the former is an open enemy of the United States, while the latter is the home of the US Fifth Fleet.
Democracy is more colorful than imagined
The worldwide shift toward democracy is unstoppable. However, with globalization, democracy has become more like a Russian doll: you always see the one on top, but not those hidden inside.
From the perspective of history, the global wave of democratization will remove a Western-focused center of interest.
The beginning of the Egyptian revolution is like a constitutional revolution. There seems to be a wide gulf between Egypt and Western cultures, with some external influences blocked out and some allowed in.
In the future, the US-backed Egyptian military and democrats will compete with the Muslim Brotherhood. It is still too early to assert that Egypt and the Middle East will embark on an anti-American road.
But it is even more foolhardy to conclude that the Egyptian revolution was a victory for the West. The current world order is unfair, just as a nation's richest city is filled with affluent Western influences while many live on in poverty. They will ask: Why?
The late American scholar Samuel P. Huntington wrote in The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century that elections in non-Western countries often induce politicians to come up with the claims that can win the most votes. These often have racist, religious and nationalist hues and will aggravate divisions, leading to more support for anti-Western rhetoric and policies.
For some Muslim countries, Huntington's conclusion is that people there can only choose between anti-democratic secularism and anti-Western democracy.
Dialogue
A 30 Minute Current Affairs Programme on CCTV - 9 (In English) where current issues are discussed by experts from China and Internationally:
Wider impact of food price hikes
Controversy over fireworks in China
Security adversity on China's periphery
See Kaixin's - Tiger Mum - Amy Chua 'Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother'
International News Sources
The Wall Street Journal
Huawei Executive’s Open Letter to the U.S.
The latest disappointment in Huawei Technologies’s efforts to crack the U.S. market — the breakdown of a $2 million deal to buy assets from U.S. startup 3Leaf — has prompted Ken Hu, the company’s deputy chairman, to write an open letter to clarify “long-standing and untrue rumors and allegations.”
Huawei Looks to Lay U.S. Security Concerns to Rest
BEIJING—Frustrated over what it says are unsubstantiated suspicions that it poses a threat to U.S. national security, Huawei Technologies Co. invited U.S. authorities to formally investigate the company.
In an open letter posted on the company's website, Deputy Chairman Ken Hu promises Huawei would "cooperate transparently with all government agencies." The letter follows years of thwarted attempts by the Chinese technology company to crack the U.S. market.
The letter seeks to put a face to Huawei's founder and chief executive, Ren Zhengfei, a former officer in China's People's Liberation Army who seldom makes public appearances. The letter says Mr. Ren ...
China's Stealth Investments in Japan
TOKYO—China's government-wealth investors last year more than doubled their investments in major Japanese blue-chip companies, with combined stakes totaling more than 1.6 trillion yen ($19.4 billion), according to investment-advisory firms and people familiar with the matter.
The stakes—purchased mostly through obscurely named, Australian-registered investment vehicles—appear to be passive, with investors silent on matters of corporate strategy and management. But they highlight China's growing financial clout as well as the growing economic ties between China and Japan. The moves also come at a time when China's economy has just eclipsed Japan's as the world's second-biggest after the U.S.
Between April and ...
Kaixin OpEd – Ummm … if their so ‘stealth’ then why does the WSJ know about them?
China Vows to Protect Chinese in Libya
BEIJING—China vowed to protect the thousands of Chinese citizens living in Libya amid reports of attacks on Chinese companies' facilities in thecountry, highlighting a rising concern for China as its global presence grows: how to protect its people and companies abroad.
Survey: China’s Consumers Losing Confidence
China’s high inflation has shoppers furrowing their brows and gripping their wallets these days.Consumer confidence fell four points to an even 100 in the fourth quarter of 2010, its lowest level since 2009 ...
Piper: Investors Underestimating China iPhone Sales
This morning, Piper Jaffray issues a report that suggests investors are underestimating Apple’s iPhone growth prospects in China and India. The Minneapolis investment bank sees iPhones as the key driver in the Apple growth story in 2011 and 2012, with big sales in both China and India.
Volvo Offers Five-Year Growth Plan
BEIJING—Volvo expects to invest $10 billion to $11 billion world-wide over the next five years to upgrade its products and technology as part of a new strategic plan following its acquisition last year by China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co.
Volvo executives and Geely Chairman Li Shufu are scheduled to present the new global strategy publicly in Beijing on Friday. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal ahead of that event, Volvo Chief Executive Stefan Jacoby outlined the blueprint, which he said is designed to turn the Swedish car maker into a "true" global luxury brand, turn China into ...
China’s Other Problem with Protests Abroad
Talk of a “Jasmine Revolution” online and a subsequent stepping up of censorship by Beijing authorities this week has helped thrust the Internet—microblogging in particular—to the center of the conversation around how China’s government manages problems at home. But as the upheaval in Libya grows increasingly violent, microblogs are also serving to highlight a challenge China faces abroad: The presence of tens of thousands of Chinese nationals, many of them workers for state-owned enterprises, living in potential conflict zones in Africa and elsewhere.
Kaixin Oped: Looks like the journalist, Josh Chin is either a xiang jiao or has an application in to the Nobel Committee in the hope of scoring the million bucks. Another 'lets get on the hit China bandwagon' without any real cause.
Xiaosui, on the other hand, has a real cause to hate the Communist Party, yet she sees it all in the conext of the times and is immensely proud of China.
Then again, she stayed to see the rise and rise of China. She has seen the worst and she has seen the best coming out.
She has a right to complain, but she doesn't.
See Xiaosui's:
The Cultural Revolution through my eyes
The New York Times
Letter from China
Arab Revolts as Viewed From Beijing
By Didi Kirsten Tatlow
BEIJING — The popular uprisings in the Arab world are shaking China.
Kaixin OpEd – Horse twaddle …
Kaixin could easily russle up someone in China to complain about the government, and then edit it.
Kaixin watches the Chinese media daily, via satellite, as well as compiles this News Journal. Kaixin talks to family and friends in China every day. They are all middle-class and well educated. Certainly no talk of revolution and taking to the streets there.
Yes, they bitch and moan about the government over beer or tea, but they are not looking for change any time soon.
Kaixin previously talked about a German journalist who has resided in Beijing for thirty years. She said that at first she reacted to all the people who took her to one side to bitch and moan about the government and tell that the people’s voice had been crushed.
She soon gave up reporting all that, as she found it was mostly garbage.
She has made a career out of responsible journalism. Reporting the facts, as far as she could ascertain them, and trying to present a balanced view. She also criticised when it was called for.
She soon found that China was blossoming, and the colour was coming back to a country that had become grey under Mao’s last years as leader.
So, it is best to take the scribblings of people like Ms DiDi with a grain of salt, in same cases, a whole bag of the stuff.
Caixin Online
Toxic Consequences for China's Cadmium Rice
It's wrong to shrug off reports of heavy metals in China's rice and right to address the core causes of tainted soil
A recent Century Weekly cover story describing the heavy metals contaminating rice in China aroused strong reactions at home and abroad. Readers expressed anger and concern, while many voiced hope for quick action to protect people as well as this crucial staple.
Too many, however, shrugged off the report. They may not have disputed the findings, but felt nothing could be done.
China's Housing Inventory Valued at 75% of GDP
Beijing-based UBS economist Wang Tao singled out the country's property bubble as the largest macroeconomic risk in the coming few years
(Beijing) – The value of China's urban housing inventory is estimated to be equivalent to 75 percent of the country's GDP in 2010, according to Wang Tao, a Beijing-based economist at UBS. The figure is largely viewed by analysts as lower than many estimates.
As the debate over the real estate bubble continues to simmer, some have estimated that China's housing inventory value could be as high as 350 percent of last year's GDP, similar to Japan's 20 years ago just before the property bubble burst.
See Kaixin's - CHINA REAL ESTATE
See Over for the 24th of February 2011
CULTURAL CHINA
Articles of interest from the week's news
Insights into China's Society & Cutlure
CCTV Gala celebrates Hakka festival VIDEO
Tuesday marked an important festival for the Hakka people in China. An evening gala featuring traditional Hakka songs and dances was broadcast live on Tuesday night. Taking place in Taoyuan Gymnasium in Taiwan, the gala was co-sponsored by Fujian province and Taiwan island.
The gala, titled" Song of the Hakka" kicked off with a grand ceremony worshipping the heavens. It was presided over by hosts from Fujian and Taiwan.
Top artists and troupes from both sides of the Taiwan Straits shared the stage.
The Taoyuan Gymnasium was fully packed with some ten-thousand spectators, the majority of whom were Hakka.
WU Chin-Yang, Mayor of Taoyuan County, said, "Taoyuan is one of the counties that have the biggest Hakka population in Taiwan. Many Taoyuan residents have their roots in Fujian province."
'Water gypsies' fear lifestyle sea change
Tanka communities face wave of uncertainty, Shi Yingying reports in Hainan.
Wen Changgao, 45, fishes in the same way his Tanka grandpa did half a century ago - at night with lights ablaze. "The fish follow our boat's light, giving us a better chance of catching them."
But Wen no longer lives on the wooden junk, sailing on the blue expanse for days and nights as his grandfather did. He has moved to terra firma and become one of the "onshore people".
Many things changed with that move. And more profound changes are likely, if plans to expand Sanya, on Hainan island, as a luxury resort proceed. New resort hotels, inns and tourist attractions require land, land where many Tanka now live.
"The older generation never wore socks or shoes because there was no need to; they spent their whole lives at sea," Wen said. "My grandfather used to tell me he never actually stepped on land in his entire life. That's why they ('onshore people') call us 'gypsies on the water'."
These "Gypsies" are widely believed to be descendants of participants in a failed uprising in the latter stages of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 317-420). As part of a peace pact with the authorities, these early Tanka people were forbidden to live on land or marry people from the land, or to become public servants.
Over the dynasties, these restrictions became customs, forming the core of the Tanka identity: People were not only born on the fishing smacks, but also grew up, worked and died there. The boys could only become fishermen and the girls married from one fishing boat to another.
A young member of the Tanka community navigates his boat in waters off Sanya, Hainan province
One for posterity
An NGO is helping China's ethnic groups keep a record of their age-old customs and rituals. Shi Xi reports.
Driving into A'er village in Sichuan province, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences researcher Luo Jihua had a strange feeling. The ancient village has been home to the Qiang ethnic group for nearly 1,000 years.
"Although I am a Qiang, I know so little about my own community," Luo says.
Born and raised in the Beichuan Qiang autonomous county, Luo had always known she was a Qiang but had no idea what set aside her ethnic group, as she went to the same schools and lived the same life as most of her Han friends.
"The school taught me everything except who I was," Luo says.
CCTV Afternoon tea culture in Shanghai VIDEO
It's refreshing. It's elegant and it's convenient. What am I talking about? Afternoon tea. What a great way to grab a peaceful moment in a bustling city.
So on today's feature story, we'll take you to Shanghai to explore the diversity of that city's afternoon tea culture.
Daluo, where you flow - VIDEO
Is there a place where you don't feel walking but flowing? China Daily's multimedia journalist Feng Xin takes you to explore that place: Daluo.
He saved 20,000 Chinese in Nanjing Massacre
Sindberg helped to save nearly 20,000 Chinese in Nanjing Massacre
Sindberg's heroic feat was re-discovered after the diaries of John Rabe were published in 1997
"To us Chinese people, especially the people in Nanjing, he (Sindberg) is a friend in need and a friend indeed, who is entitled to our everlasting gratitude and respect." -- Chinese Ambassador
AARHUS, Denmark -- Bernhard Arp Sindberg, a Dane who helped save thousands of Chinese lives during the Nanjing Massacres of 1937-38, was honored and commemorated on Saturday in his hometown Aarhus, Denmark.
"We remember Mr. Sindberg for his heroic acts during the horrendous Nanjing Massacre, when up to 300,000 Chinese were murdered by Japanese occupation forces," said Rabih Azad-Ahmad, vice mayor of Aarhus, at the ceremony.
"As a Dane and a member of the City Council, I am very proud to know that a fellow Dane from Aarhus found the courage to stand up against the Japanese occupation forces, and by doing so, saved the lives of thousands of Chinese," Azad-Ahmad said.
"And I am grateful that Sindberg proved that even in the most difficult times, there is always the little glimpse of hope."
See Kaixin's - Nanking Nanking
Emperor's private collection opens in New York + VIDEO
Currently showing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City showcases about 90 works of art created for the emperor Qianlong (1736-95), a man whose desire to unify "all under heaven" is clearly noted in the extravagance of this loan exhibition organized by the Peabody Essex Museum.
Sky lanterns light up the sky at a square in Pingxi, a rural district in the eastern part of New Taipei city, Taiwan, Feb 17, 2011. People in Taiwan celebrate the annual Lantern Festival by flying sky lanterns, which are made of oiled paper and bamboo frame, and contains a candle or other lighting inside.
Students read excerpts of Confucius' analects during a memorial ceremony at the Confucius Temple of Nanning, capital of Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Feb 20, 2011. More than 2,600 students from Fuzhuang School, mostly children of migrant workers, took part in a memorial ceremony for Confucius here on Sunday, to mark the start of a new semester.
Mausoleum find rekindles ancient horse legend
XI'AN - The bones of 80 horses unearthed from the mausoleum of a Chinese emperor who lived more than 2,000 years ago have rekindled an ancient legend about blood-sweating "heavenly" horses from central Asia.
The skeletons were found in two sacrificial pits within the mausoleum of Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-8 AD) in Xingping city, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, said Yang Wuzhan, a researcher with the provincial archeological institute.
Yang and his team began excavating the two pits in September 2009, but had published few of their findings until Monday.
Each of the two pits was a huge cavern containing 20 caves - each "guarded" by two stallions and a terracotta warrior, Yang said.
'Naked' Marriage - Shanghai
As a young girl from Shanghai, Fan Fan used to dream: she would meet a handsome, kind man, he would lavish romantic gifts on her, their families would approve, and after a blissful wedding they would move into a large penthouse apartment that her doting husband had bought for her. Like I said...that was her dream.
As a pretty woman in Shanghai, it wasn’t that she was short of suitors. “A lot of boys liked me,” she quietly giggled, “but most of them were stupid. I guess I just care more about love than money.”
She finally found a man she loves, but with his salary, he could never afford an apartment in Shanghai. She admitted, in a serious tone, “He might not even have money to buy me a ring... But I can accept a ‘naked marriage.’ I think he is a good man.”
Don’t get too carried away. By “naked,” Fan Fan doesn’t mean they won’t wear clothes at their ceremony. It’s a Chinese expression (裸婚) that means getting married with no house, no car, no diamond ring and no proper wedding ceremony. With the insane housing prices in China today, it’s a growing trend that makes quite a bit of sense, especially for people like Fan Fan and her boyfriend. But my contacts in Shanghai tell me that most girls in the city aren’t going to get married without a place to call home... their home.
See Kaixin's - Marriage in China: Ancient & Modern
CCTV Sweet Ball festival held in Qingdao VIDEO
The annual Festival of Sweet Ball -- a traditional snack food in north China, is being held in the costal city of Qingdao. The sweet event has attracted many people from home and abroad.
Sweet balls are sticks of sugar-coated haws. Different kinds of sweet balls are showcased here, which enable visitors to taste a variety of this delicious snack. Children come together with their parents to participate and enjoy the fun.
Maotai Riddle: Pricier in China, cheaper abroad
BEIJING - Foreign luxury products have monopolized the shopping list of Chinese tourists heading overseas for years, but more Chinese tourists are grabbing up Chinese brands sold on foreign markets, since they are sold at lower prices.
When a man surnamed Li, a clerk from a foreign company in Beijing, returned from the United States after visiting his family, he brought home several bottles of Moutai, one of the best known Chinese liquor brands.
"It is much cheaper abroad, many of my friends also buy high-end tobacco and wine of Chinese brands from overseas," Li said.
CCTV Universities pioneer new entrance tests VIDEO
A new type of entrance exam is being pioneered by some of China's top higher learning establishments. It's hoped the process will be more convenient for applicants applying from remote areas and also ease pressure on students taking enrollment exams.
The tests are being conducted in 29 sites around the nation. The new exams mainly focus on testing student's knowledge, potential, and practical and analysis capabilities, which is different from the tradition college entrance examination. The old exams focussed on general knowledge taken from text books and used a grade point average to select candidates.
CCTV Panda mother and cub adapt to new home in Sichuan VIDEO
A panda and her young cub have moved into their new home at a wildlife sanctuary in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The pair is adapting well to life in captivity, where they will spend the next two years before being released into the wild.
Cao Cao started her training program last summer at Wuloong Panda Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Just a month later, she gave birth to her first cub. The pint-sized male panda has been in special care ever since.
Huang Yan, Deputy Engineer of Giant Panda Protection and Research Center, said, "The panda cub has had little contact with people since his birth. He sleeps in the open air, despite the chilly weather. The good news now is that he no longer relies on pandakeepers to survive."
CCTV Ullens' collection's planned $16.7 m sale at Sotheby in Hong Kong VIDEO
Sotheby's in Hong Kong is to offer 106 works from the famed collection of Guy Ullens. The Belgian ranks as one of the most noted collectors of Chinese contemporary art and founded the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing in 2007.
The Belgian Baron has been collecting Chinese contemporary art for the last 30 years and the works all date from the 1980s and early 90s - before China's contemporary artists aroused significant attention in the West.
The auction is expected to earn up to 16.7 million US dollars with a likely focus on Zhang Xiaogang's 1988 triptych "Forever Lasting Love", which bears a presale estimate of 3.2 to 3.8 million.
Other highlights include key early works by Zhang Xiaogang, Mao Xuhui, and Zhang Peili, which were first shown in the seminal 1989 "China/Avant-Garde" exhibition.
Chinese mummy on display in Philadelphia
A 3800-year-old mummy is on show during the "Secrets of the Silk Road" exhibition, featuring archeological findings in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region at the museum of Pennsylvania University in Philadelphia, Feb 18, 2011. It is the third leg of the exhibition in the US, which will last until March 28, 2011.
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