1st of June 2011
The Lion Awakes
Daily News, Culture & Current Affairs about China
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People's Daily
A school that shapes China's future
This might be the most mysterious school in China.
The gates are closely guarded by the People's Armed Police, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Headmasters of this place, a training ground for future leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC), are always one of the country's vice-presidents, if not the president. Former headmasters include Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi and Hu Jintao.
It is also a haven where possible cures for China's economic and social ills are discussed and debated, and where policy trends are set.
Situated next to the Summer Palace, an 18th century imperial retreat in suburban Beijing's northwest, the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China - the Central Party School - is like no other university or college in the country.
China needs public diplomacy strategy for cyberspace
Given its lesser standing in terms of international public opinion compared to the West, China should strive for the right to speak in public diplomacy in cyberspace, strengthen the universal participation of the public diplomacy on the Internet, draw attention to innovative means of public diplomacy in cyberspace, formulate a public diplomacy strategy for cyberspace and proactively build up a national brand.
HSBC Survey: Chinese upbeat about retirement
Up to 67 percent of Chinese believe that they will be better off than their parents after retirement, according to a survey by HSBC. This optimistic attitude puts China in second place following India, which recorded 69 percent — far exceeding developed countries.
In a survey of 17,000 working adults in 17 countries and regions, HSBC found that Chinese feel more hopeful and relieved about their post-work lives, which is attributed to the remarkable economic growth over the past years.
Nearly one in five respondents claimed they were well prepared for retirement. Around 40 percent of participants think that the endowment insurance will become the major source of income during retirement. However, the survey states that Chinese worry about the cost of caring for their aging parents most.
China contributes to stability in West Asia, North Africa
The current political unrest in some West Asian and North African nations has had a notable influence. Keeping a close watch on the development and changes to the situation in such areas, China plays an important role in promoting regional stability.
Since the 1950s, the relationship between China and the Arab world has withstood the test of the ever-changing international and regional landscape. The countries in the region have always maintained friendly relations and extensive and mutually beneficial cooperation with China. The reason is that both sides observe the basic norms of mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs when it comes to international relations.
Non-interference in each other's internal affairs does not mean doing nothing. Since the beginning of the political unrest in West Asia and North Africa, China has expressed concern and kindness to people in those countries. China has made clear that it respects the choices of the public in each country and believes that the people in all countries have the wisdom and strength to solve their own problems and choose a road of development that is suitable to their national conditions.
Drought-suffering province in central China welcomes rain
People in central China's Hubei Province welcomed a down pouring of rain on Tuesday, although it is unclear how much the rain will ease the province's worst drought in 50 years.
Residents in the provincial capital Wuhan witnessed the rain during the morning rushing hour, and according to weather reports released by the provincial meteorological bureau, the rainfall will reach 20 to 70 mm throughout the province.
Experts said since the exact precipitation is still unclear, it is not known to what extent the rain could help ease the drought. Drought has been lingering from last fall, becoming the worst in the province in 50 years.
See Kaixin's - GREEN CHINA
Railways to better link SW China with SE Asia
At a tranquil courtyard in a remote village on the border of China and Myanmar, Ming Yong reviews his market research tour in Singapore and Thailand one month ago.
"Once the rail project is finished, the villagers here can visit Singapore directly by train," says Ming, a businessman from the border city of Ruili in China's southwestern Yunnan Province.
The railway he mentions is the west line of the transnational railway passing through Yunnan Province, which is also a vital component of the pan-Asian railway network.
See Kaixin's - ECONOMIC CHINA
China secures bumper summer grain harvest despite devastating drought
China will reap a bumper harvest of wheat and rapeseed this summer, Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu said on Monday.
The message came amid the worst drought to hit the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in more than 60 years--areas that are key production areas for grain and other crops.
"The bumper harvest of summer grain is of great importance for the entire year's grain production and the national economic development," Han said while addressing a wheat harvest launching ceremony in Henan Province.
Trade unions set wage talks target
Unions will introduce collective wage negotiations by 2013 in at least 95 percent of enterprises set up by Fortune 500 companies operating in the country, a senior union official said.
Among the approximately 4,800 corporations of Fortune 500 companies in China, 93 percent have already established unions, said Guo Chen, a division chief overseeing grassroots organizations with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), the top union organization.
"A greater union presence in Fortune 500 companies is a priority and we will introduce collective wage negotiations in all companies that have unions in the next three years," Guo told China Daily.
Foreign employees in China to enjoy social insurance benefits
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security held a news conference about the Social Insurance Law, and officials from nearly 40 foreign embassies and consulates in China, the International Labor Organization and the United Nations Development Program were invited to attend the conference.
The Social Insurance Law will take effect on July 1, which allows foreign employees working in China to benefit from the same social insurance as Chinese nationals. The law will ensure that workers from countries that have signed bilateral social insurance agreements with China will be able to avoid paying premiums. However, they cannot enjoy Chinese social insurance benefits.
China marks 60th anniversary of Tibet's peaceful liberation
Tibet is an inseparable part of China and its fate has always been closely linked with that of this country, said top political advisor Jia Qinglin at a symposium marking the 60th anniversary of Tibet's peaceful liberation on Monday.
Tibet in western writer's eyes
In the past six decades, Tibet has seen the earthshaking changes. How an open and modern Tibet impressed the westerners?
In 2009, a German writer Tom Kahn published a novel titled "Das Tibet Projekt", meaning "Project about Tibet" in English. This book introduces many true stories of Tibet which are different from what most western countries propagated.
Tom Kahn said, "For most of the westerners, the only way to know about Tibet is via the local media reports, which led to a very narrow negative and one-sided understanding of Tibet. The first impression is half the battle. That's why many westerners are still willing to believe what the western media propagandized Tibet."
"As far as I know, the western journalists required by their own television stations only report certain images of Tibet. Like the German proverb described: 'When you hold the hammer in hand, you will see all the problems like nails.' So those journalists usually dig out the negative news, inside of the positive sides. That's how the one-sidedness reports come out."
In April this year, Tom Kahn visited Tibet invited by Chinese government. During the tour, he saw a different Tibet from what most westerners thought. Overall developments have occured on the plateau region, Tibet. And people are making a good living and are contented.
In Tom Kahn's mind, Tibet is a modern place with great developments. The increasing flight courses, and popularized English and newly built beer manufacturing workshops adopting German technology have added vigor to this holy place.
See Kaixin's - CHINA & TIBET
Western "containment", an outdated kick
By Li Hongmei
"Containment" both as a political term and as a means to countering expansion of rivaling strengths should have put to an end, with the end of the Cold War.
...
But since People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, "containment" has also become the basic formula of U.S. policy toward China. This has not gone unnoticed in Beijing, as, after all, the West is still not ready to accept China’s emergence, and want to thwart its "ambitions" by containing it.
...
Seeing how things stand, it might be true when some US high-ranking officials always state that they have no intention to "contain China’s rise", as there is nothing about China inviting their "containment", at least, it is manifest that China, bent on its economic development and harmonious society buildup, has no intention of "expansion".
Let go of "WuMaoDang" and "50- cent Party"
By Li Hongmei
WuMaoDang (0.5 RMB Party) is Chinese vocabulary for Internet commentators Or Wu Mao (something of 50-cent in English) Internet commentators, people hired to post comments favorable towards the government policies in an attempt to shape public opinion on various Internet message boards. The commentators are said to be paid for each pro-government posting WuMao (0.5 RMB). On the flip side, there is another Internet jargon, WuMeifenDang (50-cent Party) to describe those, inspired by Western values and even sponsored by some anti-China forces abroad, posting comments to vilify and demonize China.
These two newly coined terms in the Internet age are so popular that they have spurred a lively discussion at the just concluded Sino-German Media Forum in Berlin.
China's cyber squad is for defense
By Li Hong
Now that a rising number of militaries are setting up cyber warfare commands to protect their national interests, it is natural for the People's Liberation Army to catch up and launch a similar command responsible for defending China's cyber security.
Last week, the Ministry of National Defense announced the debut of such a squad -- known as the "Cyber Blue Team" – at the PLA's southern Guangzhou Military Command. Although it is made up of merely 30 technology-savvy officers and soldiers, the establishment of the squad is a move in the right direction, targeting one of the most sensitive and largely invisible battle fields in this Internet age.
As information of a country's crucial financials, utilities, satellite and telecommunication facilities and strategic military installations is now linked by one cable – and theoretically accessible to the top-notch hackers – it is important for a sovereign nation to erect the best possible firewalls to deny others' attack. And, in time of conflict, the ability to launch a counterattack to disable the enemy's operations is also indispensable.
The stake will be high if China loses the battle.
China's Power Shortage - FEATURE
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FEATURE - The past is another country as reports take us back in time
How the world media covered events in China three decades ago
To much of the world, China remained a mystery in the summer of 1981, when China Daily came into being.
By 1986, colorful skirts and fashionable sandals had grown common for summer wear in Beijing
Kaixin OpEd: Xiaosui smiled when she saw this picture. She was about the age of the young women in the photo and at university "Yes, it was just like this."
Proposed tax change draws record response
BEIJING - A draft amendment to raise the personal income tax threshold from 2,000 yuan ($306) to 3,000 yuan has drawn a record response after the top legislature published it online to solicit public opinion.
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) put the draft amendment to the Personal Income Tax Law on its website at www.npc.gov.cn on April 25, sparking nearly 240,000 responses.
China's economic surge could boost Japan
BEIJING - China's rapid economic growth and increasing domestic demand are stimulating imports from Japan, a factor that may play an important role in Japan's economic recovery, according to research from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
DHL to expand in western China
HONG KONG - Deutsche Post-DHL's express division will continue expanding its investment in China, especially in the western region, said Ken Allen, chief executive of DHL Express.
"Our business there is growing faster than the rest of the country. We always keep the investments ahead of the demand curve," Allen said, without disclosing further details, in an exclusive interview with China Daily.
Wu Dongming, managing director of DHL-Sinotrans International Air Courier Ltd, a joint venture in charge of DHL's express business in China, said notable business growth was seen in cities in the western and central regions, such as Chengdu, Chongqing and Wuhan.
To meet the growth in business volume, the company will consider scheduling more flights to connect Chengdu and Chongqing with its central Asian hub in Hong Kong, Wu said.
Insurers to add realty investments
The rise comes after revisions to the insurance laws get green light
BEIJING - Around 78 billion yuan ($12 billion) of insurance capital is expected to enter Beijing's "economically affordable" housing market, marking further investment in the property market.
Seven insurance asset management companies, led by China Pacific Insurance Assets Management Co, will raise the sum to fuel development of the construction of low-cost housing in the capital through a debt-financing plan and take land under the control of the Beijing Land Reserve Center as a mortgage, according to sources from the center on Tuesday
See Kaixin's - CHINA REAL ESTATE
Opinion
Powering-up new energy mix
China has abundant reserves of new energy resources and there is great potential for their larger-scale development
Due to the continuous advancement of the country's new energy technologies, the rising costs of fossil fuels and the country's commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, new energy will play a growing role in China's energy consumption structure.
However, whether or not new energy can become a genuine substitute for traditional energy sources in the future will be largely decided by their development costs, the degree of their technological maturity and their effects on the environment.
See Kaixin's - GREEN CHINA
China succeeds in cleaning polluted border river
HARBIN - China has achieved its five-year goal of cleaning up the polluted Songhua River, which flows into the Sino-Russian border river, an environmental official said on Tuesday.
Out of 20 monitoring stations built on the river, 19 have recorded acceptable levels of water quality, according to Hong Yaxiong, president of the Chinese Academy For Environmental Planning. Hong made the remarks on Tuesday while attending a meeting in Harbin, the capital city of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province.
The 1,900-km-long Songhua River originates in the neighboring province of Jilin and flows into the Heilong River, known in Russia as the Amur River. This river runs along the Sino-Russian border.
See Kaixin's - GREEN CHINA
Xinjiang to recruit 9,200 bilingual teachers
URUMQI - China's northwestern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will recruit around 9,200 bilingual primary and middle school teachers this year to promote bilingual education, local education authorities said Tuesday.
Xinjiang will hire 11,502 primary and middle school teachers in 2011 in total, 80 percent of whom can speak both Mandarin and a language of an ethnic group, the region's education department said in a press release.
This is the largest such recruitment in six years for urban and rural schools in 83 counties, cities or districts in the autonomous region, it said.
In an education development plan unveiled last October, the regional government pledged to offer bilingual education in Mandarin as well as Uygur or other ethnic languages for all 2.6 million primary and middle school students of ethnic groups by 2020.
According to the plan, this will help ethnic group students gain a command of the national language upon graduation from high school and prepare them better for jobs or higher education.
UN names Chengdu 'Role Model for Resilient Development'
Chengdu became the first Chinese city to be named "Role Model for Resilient Development" by the United Nations.
The award was presented on May 11, 2011, during the 3rd UN Conference Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction at the Geneva International Conference Center in Switzerland. The lobby of the conference center displayed dramatic pictures of the disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction work of Chengdu following the deadly 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
Words and pictures captured the incredible challenge of a region where 1 million people were left homeless by an earthquake that caused an estimated economic loss of 124.7 billion yuan. Chengdu immediately began responding, leading rescue and renovation work involving 14 million people.
Chengdu 成都) is the capital of Sichuan province, of Southwest China, maintaining sub-provincial administrative status. Chengdu is also one of the most important economic centres, transportation and communication hubs in Western China. According to the 2007 Public Appraisal for Best Chinese Cities for Investment, Chengdu was chosen as one of the top ten cities to invest in out of a total of 280 urban centers in China.
More than four thousand years ago, the prehistorical Bronze Age culture of Jīnshā (金沙) established itself in this region. The fertile Chengdu Plain, on which Chengdu is located, is also known as "天府之国" (Tiānfǔzhi Guó), which literally means "the country of heaven", or more often seen translated as "the Land of Abundance". It was recently named China's 4th-most livable city by China Daily.(Wikipedia)
Clockwise from top: Anshun Bridge on the River Jin; Jinli Street near Wuhou Temple; Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding; and Huaxi campus of Sichuan University
Care bears - Chengdu
The protection of giant pandas is a black-and-white issue for the 'pambassadors' who recently graduated from a training program in Chengdu. Matt Hodges reports
Having spent the previous few days tracking wild pandas in a remote Chinese jungle, Florida resident Ashley Robertson returned to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to find her cubs all grown up.
Robertson, one of six "pambassadors" who graduated from a five-week training program at the base to promote panda protection on Nov 5, found the cubs she had taken care of were bigger, naughtier and devouring stacks more bamboo.
Sweden's Ali Shakorian has a close encounter with a giant panda.
Justice in a makeshift village court
Judge Wu Xiangbo (third left) hears a divorce case with Tribunal Clerk Feng Guangjian in a makeshift court in a village in Xishui county of Northwest China's Guizhou province, May 23, 2011. A Chinese banner reads "Mobile court of Xishui People's Court". A China's national emblem which is usually hung on the wall of a Chinese courtroom is displayed on a table under the banner. Wu and Feng, judges with the People's Court of Xishui County, go to the county's remote villages to hear cases, so that villagers don't have to travel a long distance to a court to submit lawsuits. "It's always been difficult for people living in remote rural areas to make lawsuits, and it's hard to enforce judgment in these areas. (As a result,) A mobile court helps us to hear local cases that are simple and clear," said Wu Xiangbo.
Kaixin OpEd - Barefoot Lawyers?
Drought affects 35 million, no end in sight
BEIJING - The drought that has affected 35 million people and caused an economic loss of almost 15 billion yuan ($2.3 billion) in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River is a persistent "yellow alarm", the National Meteorological Center said on Sunday.
Fishing boats are stranded on grassland, which was once the bed of Poyang Lake — China’s largest fresh water lake, in Jiujiang, East China’s Jiangxi province, on Saturday. Because of a severe drought, the area of Poyang Lake has shrunken to less than half its usual size.
Ten photographers amazed by Tibet
Witness of Tibet Photography Contest and Exhibit
2011 marks the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet, and the magazine China's Tibet and Federation of Literary and Art Circles of Tibet Autonomous Region are jointly holding a "Witness of Tibet, 1950-2010" photography contest. In addition to prizes, all winning works will be exhibited in Beijing and Lhasa in May 2011.
See Kaixin's - CHINA & TIBET & Jambhala (Photographer)
The China Daily website is inviting foreign readers to share their China stories with our worldwide audience. Please send your story with your contact information to:
mychinastory@chinadaily.com.cn.
Photos of the author or the story are also welcome.
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XinHua News
Chinese Vice Premier calls for efforts to develop grassroots-level medical services
BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday called for efforts to develop medical services in rural areas and expand health insurance coverage.
Efforts should be made to reform county-level hospitals and ensure that low-income patients benefit from the country's health care reforms, Li told health officials at a meeting on health care reform, over which he presided.
In an effort to make the country's medical service "equitable" and "convenient," Li urged health authorities to train more doctors, expand the coverage of the country's essential medicine system and ensure that outpatient services are accessible in villages.
President Hu urges efforts to promote strategic emerging industries
BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao has urged efforts to promote the development of China's strategic emerging industries and build them into pillar industries.
Fostering the development of strategic emerging industries will have an overall bearing on the country's economic and social development, Hu said during a group study of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Monday.
See Kaixin's - ECONOMIC CHINA
Vice president's visits to boost economic ties with Italy, Cuba, Uruguay, Chile
BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Vice President Xi Jinping's upcoming visits to Italy, Cuba, Uruguay and Chile will enhance bilateral ties and bolster trade and economic cooperation, a senior official said.
Xi's official visits to the four nations are scheduled from June 1 to 13, during which he will also attend the ceremony marking the 150th anniversary of Italy's unification.
CHINA-ITALY TRADE SURGES AMID CRISIS
"Despite the impact of the global financial crisis and the unbalanced recovery of the world economy, Chinese-Italian trade has kept growing," said Zhong Shan, vice minister of commerce on Wednesday.
Chinese environment minister warns of project approval suspension amid crackdown on heavy metal pollution
HARBIN, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The environmental authorities are entitled to suspend the approval of new projects in a city or a province where heavy metal pollution cases are reported, said China's Environmental Protection Minister Zhou Shengxian on Tuesday.
Zhou made the remarks at a national environmental protection conference held in Harbin, capital of northeast Heilongjiang Province, after a series of lead poisoning cases were reported in several provinces including Zhejiang, Guangdong, Anhui, Yunnan, Hubei and Hunan.
"The central government has showed great determination to tackle heavy metal pollution. We have made a decision that wherever it happens, we will suspend approving new projects and then launch investigations," said Zhou.
China has decided to start a special campaign to crack down on heavy metal pollution this year, according to environmental authorities.
See Kaixin's - GREEN CHINA
FEATURE - China steps up food safety supervision
FM press conference on May 31st
CCTV
US expected to support French candidate for IMF chief
As the race for the top job at the IMF continues, European nations are expected to support a candidate from the region, so as to continue the agency's uninterrupted support to the debt-laden region. But they face challenges from new emerging economies seeking a bigger say in the IMF. Meanwhile, the U.S. is widely expected to throw its support behind French candidate, Christine Lagarde.
Analysts say the new IMF chief is more likely to be European. That's due to two factors. The IMF has been led by Europeans since the global lender's founding, and it's become something of an established tradition. More pressingly, the lingering Eurozone debt crisis has become the IMF's most immediate priority. European countries will put their weight behind a European chief, so as to guarantee the agency's support to the region.
But new emerging economies, headed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, are laying down the gauntlet. In a joint statement, the BRICS countries say the selection of the new IMF chief should disregard the criteria that the successful candidate must come from a European country. They're also calling for a greater representation of developing countries within the IMF.
See Kaixin's - FOLLOW THE DEBATE: The Selection of the next IMF President
Indian PM urges developing countries to stand united for IMF overhauls
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is urging developing countries to stand united, in order to foster reforms at the IMF, and other Bretton-Woods institutions. He adds that this process is not a "one-shot operation."
He said, "The reform of global institutions, and that includes the Bretton Woods institutions, has been high on the agenda of developing countries for a long time. But we have also to recognize that international relations, beyond a point, our power relations, and that those who wield power do not wish to yield ground very easily.
So, I am not very well-informed about what is going on with regard to the successor, to the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, but I do recognize that the struggle for the transformation of global institutions, including the Bretton Woods institutions, is not a one-shot operation. It is a long process, in which all the developing countries have to stand united."
See Kaixin's - The Selection of the next IMF President
Hubei drought may lead to a year of water shortages
As one of the areas worst hit by the drought, Central China's Hubei Province has many paddy fields thirsty for water. CCTV reporter, Shen Le travelled to one village to find out how the dry spell has affected this year's rice harvest.
This is the biggest water reserve in Loukou village. It hasn't rained for more than 3 months and there's very little water left.
Shen said, "Usually it’s the season to fight floods, local villagers would ride on these boats to reinforce dams along the way. However, the drought has reduced water levels significantly, and as you can see, all the boats are stranded."
Studio discussion: A look into sea-faring China
The highlights of today's operation will be a close look at the main structure of the ancient vessel-- the bow, stern, masts, sails, and possibly anchors and cargo cabins.
Many legends surround China's greatest sea-farer Zheng He and his amazing voyages and fleets. All these marvellous feats were accomplished almost 6 centuries ago, much earlier than any western sea-faring nations.
Studio interview: Lessons DPRK can take from China
There's been plenty of reaction abroad on Kim Jong-Il's visit to China, to gauge it, we are joined again by current affairs commentator Zhang Chuanjie.
Q1. Both South Korean and western media say Kim's trip is to study China's economic development, and encourage DPRK to launch its economic reform at home, but some doubt whether the trip achieve this aim. What's your view on this? And what are the factors that hamper economic reform in DPRK?
Q2. There has also been a lot of speculation overseas on the DPRK's nuclear issue. Both leaders have said they want to restart the "six party talks" over denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. However, no new proposal has been made. So what's the major obstacle in restarting the talks? And what driving forces are needed?
Defense Ministry clarifies "Cyber Blue Team"
Some people call it a professional unit of the People's Liberation Army fighting on the Internet. At a recent press conference held by the Defense Ministry, a spokesman clarified the team's role.
Geng Yansheng, Spokesman of Defense Ministry, said, "At present, Internet safety has become an international issue. It not only affects our civil societies but also the military. China is also a victim of Internet attacks. Right now our Internet protection system is still relatively weak. Improving Internet safety is one of the most prominent tasks of our military training. The purpose of the "Cyber Blue Team" is to improve our ability to safeguard Internet security."
The Defense Ministry also emphasized that the "Cyber Blue Team" are not hackers and that the International community should not misunderstand the purpose of it. "Cyber Blue Team" is just a nickname used within the military training routines and is not an actual unit within the PLA.
Yangtze River suffers worst drought in 50 years 
Little rain is expected in the coming 10 days, and high temperatures are likely to hit Central China's Hubei province. The region continues to suffer from the worst drought since 1954.
In central China's Hubei province, Honghu Lake is drying up, making fishing a problem for local residents. Now many fishermen are standing in the water to catch fish, something they had never done before.
This couple just returned from fishing. They have about 10 kilos of crayfish on the boat. The wife says this is a full month's work, but in the past they could catch this much in one day. She says the fish are now drying up on the lakebed.
Reporting from Wuhan: Should Three Gorges Dam be blamed for drought?
For the latest on the severe drought in Hubei Province, we're joined on the line by reporter Fan Qing from Wuhan TV. Hello,Fan Qing, thanks for joining us.
Q1: Could you give us some details on the latest drought conditions there?
Q2: Some blame the Three Gorges Dam for recent deteriorating environmental. How have experts responded to that?
Studio discussion: How will power shortage affect China's economy?
For more on China's power shortage, joining us is Li Yong, Assistant Chairman of the China Association of International Trade. Welcome back to the program Mr Li...
Q1: China has been suffering power shortages more or less on a yearly basis. But it seems this year's shortage has come earlier and is more urgent than before. Why is that?
Q2: The China Electricity Council estimates this summer's shortage might be 30 gigawatts, the worst since 2004. How will it impact the country's industrial sector, and the economy overall?
Q3: What's your suggestions for solving what's become a chronic headache for the authorities?
CCTV insight: Reasons behind power shortage 
For more on China's power shortage, our reporter Guan Xin joins us in the studio. Hello, Guanxin.
Q1: Many provinces in China are facing power shortages. Can you briefly explain to us the current power shortage situation in China?
Studio discussion: What are the criteria for becoming IMF chief?
For more on the race to lead the IMF, we are now joined in the studio by our current affairs commentator, Professor Liu Bao-cheng, from the University of International Business and Economics. Thank you very much for being with us, professor.
Q1: Several European countries are promoting French Finance Minister to be the next IMF leader. But some developing countries say it's time to choose someone from outside Europe. So what exactly are the criteria for becoming IMF chief?
Q2: How will the succession issue affect the future of EU economy, especially the bailout plans for Greece and Portugal?
See Kaixin's - Selection of the next IMF President
Tele interview: Tibet's change in foreigners' eyes
For more on the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet, we are joined on the line by Dawa Tsering from the China Tibetology Research Center.
Q1, Flag raising, playing the national anthem and laying flowers. The ceremony in the morning seemed very simple and short. What was the significance behind it?
Q2, You have talked to many westerners visiting Tibet. What do they say, are the most significant changes that strike them the most?
See Kaixin's - CHINA & TIBET
Reporting from Tibet: Locals' views on Tibet's dev't 
For more on the 60th anniversary of Tibet's peaceful liberation, we cross over to Wang Guan, our reporter in Lhasa，hello, Wang Guan.
Q1: The past 60 years have seen all-round development in Tibet, what do local people say about the profound changes that have taken place in the region?
Q2: You've been in Tibet for a week, how do you see the ongoing modernization drive's role in improving people's lives?
See Kaixin's - CHINA & TIBET
Tibetans re-discover their roots
Monday marks the 60th anniversary of peaceful liberation of Tibet. Over the decades, there have been vastly different views on the merits of the modernization of Tibet being carried out by the central government. CCTV Reporter Wang Guan finds out how development has given Tibetans more choice in life and offers them innovative ways to preserve their culture.
Tibet--one of the most religious places in the world.
Now, on the fast track to modernization...
Modernization has meant an influx of non-religious people from other parts of the country, and subsequent commercialization...
It also means 21st-century infrastructure and perhaps more importantly-- modern-day education.. that gives young Tibetans more possibilities, and better chances to live their dreams.
See Kaixin's - CHINA & TIBET
See Kaixin's - China & Tibet
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.
Graft probe hits telecom giants
A graft probe of the country's telecom industry may widen after high-level officials and executives were detained, causing an outcry to reform the lucrative sector where the monopoly of State-owned companies has long gone unchallenged.
Senior executives in three telecom giants – China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom – were all required to hand in their passports as authorities seemed determined to clamp down on corruption, according to a report by Caixin Magazine on Monday.
Investigators from the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC have been deployed and stationed in all three companies as their anti-corruption campaign is set to last until June, the report said.
Recruiting them young
Along with the study-abroad craze, gaining Party membership has seemingly become the latest trend among a growing number of university students in China.
The phenomenon has also spurred debate: Are the Party membership seekers more like those who go abroad in the hope of advancing their careers, or do they truly share the high-minded values and selfless spirit that is supposed to personify Party members.
Grass-roots candidates rally online
The nation has seen a wave of independent grass-roots candidates seeking to be elected as deputies to local people's congresses, a phenomenon propelled by the Internet and cautiously welcomed by analysts.
The trend started Wednesday with an entry by controversial blogger, writer and sports commentator Li Chengpeng, declaring he would run as an independent candidate in September for deputy to the people's congress of Wuhou district in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
...
"Before I studied the law, I wasn't aware that I had so many political rights," Li told the Guangzhou-based Yangcheng Evening News in a previous interview. "What a pity if I never used them."
Chinese law states that all citizens over 18 have the right to vote and be elected, with the exception of those who have been deprived of their political rights.
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Dialogue
A 30 Minute Current Affairs Programme on CCTV - 9 (In English) where current issues are discussed by experts from China and Internationally:
Multiculturalism and fair social benefits
DPRK's economic development and regional peace
Top leaders of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) pledged to seek stronger bilateral ties and pass on their traditional friendship to the next generation when Kim Jong Il visited China for the third time in the past year. The DPRK is now concentrating on economic development, and regional stability is important for this goal. Pyongyang appreciates Beijing's efforts at pushing for the resumption of the Six-Party Talks and safeguarding peace and stability on the peninsula.
China, Japan, South Korea trilateral summit
Europe struggles to handle crisis
China debates personal income tax
3rd Strategic & Economic Dialogue
Premier Wen's tour of southeast Asia
International News Sources
The Wall Street Journal
Mexican IMF Candidate Calls for Bailout Flexibility
LISBON—Mexico's Agustín Carstens, so far the lone challenger to Europe's renewed claim to head the International Monetary Fund, suggests more flexibility for countries on IMF support programs as he seeks backing in Europe.
The Bank of Mexico governor, the chief rival to France's Christine Lagarde, said the IMF needs someone from an emerging market with experience in handling financial crises.
See Kaixin's - FOLLOW THE DEBATE: The selection of the next IMF President
Beijing Cautiously Raises Power Prices
SHANGHAI—China plans to apply the first broad electricity price increases in around 18 months on Wednesday amid government warnings of looming energy shortages that could be the worst in years.
See Kaixin's - ECONOMIC CHINA
Chinese Fuel Vancouver Home Boom
A fresh wave of Chinese buyers, coupled with Canada's already frothy home prices, has vaulted Vancouver into the ranks of the world's most unaffordable real-estate markets.
See Kaixin's - CHINA REAL ESTATE
Civil Litigation Being Quietly ‘Harmonized’
Stanley Lubman, a long-time specialist on Chinese law, teaches at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law and is the author of “Bird in a Cage: Legal Reform in China After Mao,” (Stanford University Press, 1999).
China’s leadership has put a priority on quieting social tensions and reducing public protests. To help accomplish these goals they have reversed policies of court reform that have been promoted for over two decades. This setback threatens the future of the criminal process, manifested in recent prosecutions, detentions and house arrests of individuals asserting fundamental rights that have been well-publicized outside China.
Louis Vuitton’s Intrepid Effort to Court China’s Tourists
Louis Vuitton is making a pitch to consumers in a spot no Western brand has ventured before: the National Museum of China.
A guide looks in from the entrance of a hall for a Louis Vuitton Voyages exhibition at the National Museum of China in Beijing May 31, 2011. Photo Jason Lee/Reuters
National museum, Louis Vuitton reject criticisms of design exhibition - CCTV VIDEO
The New York Times
As China’s Workers Get a Raise, Companies Fret
HONG KONG — Wages are surging this year in China and among its main low-wage Asian rivals, benefiting workers across the region. But the increases confront trading companies and Western retailers with cost increases and are making higher prices likely for American and European consumers.
The Economist
Liberalism under attack in China
Boundlessly loyal to the great monster
But at least the liberals are fighting back
...
A relative liberal, Wen Jiabao, the prime minister, in a meeting with a visitor from Hong Kong in April, said two forces were causing difficulties for China’s reform efforts. One, Mr Wen said, was “vestiges of feudal society” (party-speak for conservatism). The other, he added, was the “pernicious influence of the Cultural Revolution”. Apologists for that orgy of violence, destruction and persecution in the latter years of Mao’s rule abound in China’s Maoist circles. Qin Xiao, a former chairman of China Merchants Bank and a prominent moderniser, warned in an interview this month that the “evil habits” of the Cultural Revolution were in danger of resurfacing. At least this time, in contrast to earlier hardline crackdowns, some liberals are fighting back.
The Comments on this article in the Economist are most informative.
LINK to the Article in Kaixin with an English Translation
Chatham House
Discussion VIDEO - One Hour
The West and the Rest: the Changing Global Balance of Power in Historical Perspective
Participants
Niall Ferguson, Laurence A Tisch Professor of History, Harvard University and William Ziegler Professor, Harvard Business School
Chair: Professor Michael Cox, Department of International Relations, The London School of Economics and Political Science
TOPIC
With China projected to overtake the United States in terms of economic output within the next ten years, many commentators are speaking of a new 'Asian century' and the 'decline of the West' long ago predicted by Oswald Spengler and others. The speaker will draw on his work on the last 600 years of world history to offer an insight into the changing global balance in terms not only of economics, but also of geopolitics and 'soft power'.
The Myth of the Internationalisation of the Yuan
by
Chi Lo
CEO of HFT Investments Honk Kong
(4Mb PDF File, allow time to download)
Kaixin OpEd: In reponse to the article
Thirty years does not rate as an itch on a rhinoceros’s bum
Beijing has always stated clearly and consistently that China is a developing Economy …. of course it is not strong enough or developed enough to take on the role of a reserve currency.
The people who question this stance, that China is a developing economy, seem to take a schizophrenic approach to China. On the one hand they strenuously demand that China take an international role as the worlds second largest economy. They often demand all sorts of things and all too often show a profound ignorance of China. On the other hand they snigger at China’s first steps to internationalise the Yuan: China, they say, does not have a fully developed economic, bond or banking structure. Its current account is not fully convertible.
Of course its not. The tiny panda bear would be torn to shreds by that rather large and powerful American Eagle if it ventured onto the playing field too soon.
Beijing is clearly taking small steps towards the internationalisation of the Yuan. Whether that results in the Yuan becoming a reserve currency is perhaps not the immediate concern of Beijing.
For the moment bi-lateral trade agreements include the use of the Yuan as a medium of exchange.
That is enough for to be getting on with.
Time frames are important.
The ‘west’ seems to take a caffeine approach. All jerky and immediate.
China seems to take a tea approach. Considered, quiet and patient. A good conversation and a cup of tea in the garden, that is what life is all about.
Discussing a poem by Li Bai beside a pond filled with gold fish (yes, I deliberately separated gold and fish ….. think about it).
Sending a servant out to deal with those impatient tradesmen from across the seas, the wai guo ren, in particular the impatient beautiful ones.
China has been around for around 5,000 years or so. The detail is not relevant and can be debated. The fact is that China has been around for 1,000s of years.
The dark period under Mao does not define China.
In terms of China’s history, thirty years does not rate as an itch on a rhinoceros’s bum.
The rise and rise of China since 1979 has been stellar.
That rise will continue, but it will slow down.
The economic potential of 1.4 billion people has not yet been seen on this planet.
The economic potential of rural China has never been tapped.
The oft reported reply by Zhou Enlai, when asked for his assessment of the 1789 French Revolution - "It is too early to say" is perhaps not fully understood.
Three hundred years is not long in terms of China’s history and it shows clearly the time frames Zhou Enlai considered relevant.
Also, perhaps the French experiment in communism has not yet been played out …. in terms of thousands of years. Perhaps it kicked something off and got the ball rolling, perhaps the ball is still rolling. After all, communism comes at the end of capitalism and capitalism is till the dominant economic philosophy ……. at this time in history.
While the servant deals with the tradesmen, China will contemplate Li Bai and allow things to develop at their own pace.
The outcome is both inevitable and full of possibility.
Where will the Elephant and the Bear be at the end of the 21st century?
Will Europe’s changing demographic demand an about face towards Mecca?
Will the Eagle moult or grow stronger …… or show some maturity and learn to share the planet. (Note: 30 years, 50 years and the rhinoceros’s bum – America has only been a world power for 50 years or so. China was the dominant economic power for 18 of the past 20 centuries.)
The Age
Is Australia in danger of biting the Chinese hand that it feeds?
By John Garnaut
The Australian government, he [Clive Palmer]says, has “racially discriminated” against Chinese investors and he will save them by investing on their behalf.
"They've brought in things like the Foreign Investment Review Board in Australia, which is an outstandingly racist legislation designed to slow Chinese growth, and it's a national disgrace,” he said at the weekend.
Caixin Online
Food Prices May Rise as Rain Fails to Fall
A drought that's damaged rice crops and fish farms in several provinces is slowly affecting consumer food prices
Farms and communities along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River have been parched by the most serious drought in 50 years. Sections of the fertile Northern China Plain and as far west as Gansu Province are drying up as well.
China Raises Non-Residential Power Prices
The NDRC said coal producers will not be permitted to raise their contract coal prices with thermal power plants
(Beijing) -- The National Development and Reform Commission has moved to raise electricity tariffs for non-residential use at an average of 1.67 fen per kilowatt hour in 15 provinces and municipalities, effective on June 1.
Dominique Strauss Kahn and the IMF
Of all failures that haunt the IMF, the one that looms largest comes from its institutional insularity
Those who hoped for serious reform of the International Monetary Fund have to be very disappointed by the allegations of sexual assault against its director, Dominique Strauss-Kahn. If the charges prove true, this will end Strauss-Kahn's efforts at reforming an institution that is badly in need of reform.
Most people around the world do not realize the power that the IMF has in controlling their lives.
See Kaixin's - FOLLOW THE DEBATE: The Selection of the next IMF President
Shanghai's International Board to Launch Soon
A source close to the matter ruled out speculation that Hong Kong-listed mainland companies may be among the first listed companies on the international board
Beijing) – After four years of preparation, the Shanghai Stock Exchange's international board is poised to launch, giving foreign firms a platform for listing on the mainland for the first time.
Beyond a Buyer's Market, Renting Makes Sense
By promoting a rental market and protecting tenants, China can provide more adequate, affordable housing
April housing data from the National Bureau of Statistics not only failed to clear up doubts but added to confusion over where property prices in China may be headed, and whether government market controls are working.
Two things are certain: Market watchers expect prices to remain elevated, and housing demand remains strong.
See Kaixin's - CHINA REAL ESTATE
Analyst: Home Prices to Fall, Gov't Bailout Unlikely
Nie Meisheng, chairwoman of the China Real Estate Chamber of Commerce, said property prices are expected to fall on increasingly tightened policies
(Beijing) -- Property prices are expected to fall by 10 percent as the government will not rush to bail out the market amid inflationary pressures, said Nie Meisheng, chairwoman of the China Real Estate Chamber of Commerce in a forum here on May 29.
Ours or Theirs
By Liu Qing
The incongruous arguments held up by both proponents and opponents of the Western Model's application have ignored the sequence of development in China
Two years ago, a British author, Martin Jacques, published a book titled, "When China Rules the World," which galvanized many to reconsider their notions of China's strategic development. However, Chinese professor Zhang Weiwei's recent best-seller, "China Shock" has not created the same shock and intrigue. China's rise is an indisputable fact. Professor Zhang's most important contribution in this work is his comprehensive overview of the China Model.
Bend the Trajectory, Slow China's Growth
By Andy Xie
After years of breakneck GDP speed, an economic slowdown is beginning that will benefit China long-term
China's economy is slowing from a high base. A further slowdown, probably substantial, is likely in the second half of the year.
Don't be alarmed. This trend is good for China's economy overall, ...
Growing Pains for Child Adoption in China
Some experts want China to change an adoption system that's relied on foreign families and sometimes fosters abuse
Back in 1971, Kay Johnson joined a group of fellow American academics on a trip to Beijing at the invitation of Premier Zhou Enlai. On subsequent journeys, she researched post-Cultural Revolution China and was honored as a "special friend" of the Chinese government.
See Kaixin's:
Awakening to the Whisper by Cathy Crenshaw Doheny
Our World, Our Dream by Cathy Crenshaw Doheny
Asia Times Online
China drops the Gwadar hot potato
By Peter Lee
Reports emerged during Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Gilani's visit to China that Beijing would not only take over operations at Pakistan's Gwadar port in Balochistan province, it would also build a naval base there. The news set off alarm bells around the world, but China promptly issued a denial. Gwadar spells bad economics, premature geostrategic confrontation with the United States and the prospect of becoming the target of a burgeoning insurgency that might be receiving covert support from Washington and New Delhi.
North Korea plays it both ways
By Donald Kirk
Even as Dear Leader Kim Jong-il is visiting the high-tech zone of eastern and northeastern China and enjoying the embrace of President Hu Jintao, United States human-rights envoy Robert King is in Pyongyang on a "fact-finding" mission. The North Koreans are clearly pulling out all the stops to convince both their closest ally and their worst enemy that this time they really want to be good.
Donald Kirk, a long-time journalist in Asia, is author of the newly published Korea Betrayed: Kim Dae Jung and Sunshine.
SINOGRAPH
China syndrome and Strauss-Kahn's fate
By Francesco Sisci
The fate of Dominique Strauss-Kahn (innocent until proven guilty, remember) is globally relevant. If Strauss-Kahn was put away, any belief in China that it was through conspiracy to eliminate a possible political scenario for Europe and the world would push Beijing further away from the West - and at a critical juncture when China would be deciding its strategic course for the next 10 years.
France BRICS up emerging economies
By M K Bhadrakumar
Russia, India and China, core members of the BRICS grouping also comprising Brazil and South Africa, have joined with Western countries that have closed ranks and staked their claim in unseemly hurry to keep the top International Monetary Fund job as their exclusive preserve, in the form of French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde. The saga has badly bruised BRICS and dented its credibility.
China takes IMF back seat
By Antoaneta Becker
Beijing appears unready to take its battle for global recognition to the high echelons of the International Monetary Fund and have its own nominee succeed former managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The domestic consensus seems to be that the current IMF is not the IMF that a Chinese would like to head.
See Kaixin's - FOLLOW THE DEBATE: The Selection of the next IMF President
DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
Is the world too big to fail?
By Noam Chomsky
Just what is taking place both in the decaying industrial heartland of the richest and most powerful country in human history, and in what former United States president Dwight Eisenhower called "the most strategically important area in the world" - the Middle East? And more important, is Earth, as we humans have organized it, too big to fail?
THE ROVING EYE
An extreme traveler, Pepe's nose for news has taken him to all parts of the Pepe Escobar globe. He was in Afghanistan and interviewed the military leader of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, Ahmad Shah Masoud, a couple of weeks before his assassination
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See Over for the 31st of May 2011
CULTURAL CHINA
Articles of interest from the week's news
Insights into China's Society & Cutlure
A selection of photos published
by
CCTV9 - Rediscovering the Yangtze River
Top five boutique and designer hotels in Beijing
Tired of those characterless business hotel chains or comfort-deprived inns? The capital offers some marvelous choices for you. Hotels are no longer a place to sleep, but also a place to experience luxury and uniqueness. For the sake of thorough pleasure, we have selected 5 top boutique and designer hotels to maximize your enjoyment during your time in the capital.
Exotic flavor at Horticultural Expo Garden
Performances by international participating organizations are scheduled throughout the ongoing Horticultural Exposition in China's host city of Xi'an. The photo taken by a CRI reporter on location shows Samba staged by Brazilian dancers.
Truly, madly, deeply
A love story that had its beginnings in 1953 Hangzhou, survives personal and political upheavals, to come to fruition decades later. Liu Zhihua reports
It was in the autumn of 1953 that Danny Li met Yuan Dibao in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and fell in love. But fate intervened forcing the pair to live on two different continents for 54 years. Miraculously, in May, the couple came together again and got married in September.
Their story became a hot news on Chinese newspapers and TV stations. Netizens declared their love "was the purest in the world".
"It was like a dream. I never expected to see him ever again," 83-year-old Li says.
Li was born in Beijing in 1927, to a French mother and Chinese father.
Yuan Dibao, 82, and Danny Li, 83, come together again and get married after separating for more than half a century. Feng Xiao Fei From Dongnan Morning Newspaper / for China Daily
Yuan Dibao and Danny Li in the 1950s. Provided to China Daily
Thirsty Fenghuang town goes in caves for water - CCTV VIDEO
In Chinese, Feng Huang stands for Phoenix. The mythical bird is a good omen of longevity. The town of Feng Huang gets its name from a legend saying these fantastic birds flew over the town and found it so beautiful they hovered over it. Located on the western edge of Hunan Province, Feng Huang's beauty lives up to the story.
Split painting reunited in Taipei - CCTV VIDEO
One of China's best ancient paintings is to be restored. After a separation of 359 years, the two pieces of "Dwelling in Fuchun Mountain," are being brought back together again. To mark the occasion, there will be an exhibition at the Taipei Palace Museum from June 1st to September 5th.
After a separation of 359 years, the two pieces of "Dwelling in Fuchun Mountain," are being brought back together again.
WSJ - A Romantic Twist in China
At a key moment in “A Beautiful Life,” Shu Qi explodes into a teary outburst over her failing relationship with a married executive, who dumps her.
That’s about as spectacular as the action gets in this tear-jerker from director Andrew Lau, who is best known for high-energy action movies. Set against a backdrop of China’s bustling, smoggy capital, “A Beautiful Life” plays out like a 1930s Hollywood soaper: an unlikely romance between an honest Beijing cop, played by Liu Ye, and a materialistic Hong Kong woman, whom he rescues from her self-destructive life.
Shu Qi and and Liu Ye as fated lovers in ‘A Beautiful Life.’
Kicking Up a Stink
On eating cheese in China.
By Fuchsia Dunlop
Food writer Fuschia Dunlop brings stinky European cheeses to Shaoxing, capital of “stinking and fermented” (chou mei) delicacies, and compares tastes with the locals. From Slate (originally published in the Financial Times):
At the Xianheng, a waitress cut the cheeses into pieces, and the assembled tasters began to pick them up with their chopsticks, sniffing and tasting. And where I had been impressed by what cheese and stinky soya products had in common, these culinary professionals were immediately struck by their differences. "Although in some ways you could say the flavours of cheese and fermented beancurd are similar," said Mao, "vegetable stinky foods are very clean and clear in the mouth (qing kou), and they disperse quickly, while milky foods are greasy in the mouth (ni kou), they coat your tongue and palate, and they have a long, lingering aftertaste."
Two other chefs said the cheeses had a heavy shan wei (muttony odour), an ancient term used by southern Chinese to describe the slightly unsavoury tastes associated with the northern nomads. Another said that the selection "smells like Russians". "The difference," he added, "is that the stinky things Chinese people eat give them smelly breath, while stinky dairy things affect the sweat that comes out of your skin."
Kaixin OpEd - A lenghty and informative article, well worth the read.
Taoist Wudang Mountains lure foreigners
SHIYAN, Hubei - On a sweltering afternoon, a group of Europeans in traditional white Chinese shirts and dark baggy pants sit in a big circle on a lawn meditating. After about half an hour, they start to practice tai chi in pairs, pushing each other's hands.
They are from the Wudang Five Dragons Tai Chi School in the Wudang Mountains, Central China's Hubei province. The mountains attract tens of thousands of foreign kungfu fans every year, not only for its deep Taoism culture but also for its legendary Wudang tai chi martial arts.
Unlike other kungfu schools in Wudang, the two teachers are both German, rather than Chinese.
Norman Torok (L) and Ismet Himmet, both from Germany, practice tai chi at the Five Dragons Palace in the Wudang Mountains, Central China's Hubei province
Saving stage beauty
Students and teachers at Peking University are committed to keeping Kunqu Opera, one of the world's oldest and most refined art forms, Han Bingbin reports.
Crowned as the mother to many forms of Chinese opera, Kunqu Opera has been refined by musicians and literati through hundreds of years until it is now considered one of the world's most precise art forms. However, like many old art forms, the opera style is being crowded out by modern artistic tastes. Experts and teachers have realized that the best way to preserve and promote Kunqu Opera is to rely on the vitality of youth and teach and perform it at colleges.
Peking University launched its Kunqu Opera Inheritance Project in 2009, aiming to spread the word among students within five years through performances, lectures and workshops.
单雯 Kunqu Opera -- " The Peony Pavilion • Broken Dream"
Meeting with famous pianist Lang Lang
Virtuoso Pianist Lang Lang has been telling CCTV of the childhood pressures he endured before becoming a worldwide star. The 28 year-old classical pianist is in London for a record breaking concert with 100 children and 50 Steinway pianos. He joined our London Correspondent Richard Bestic to share memories of his childhood and his happiness at inspiring a new generation.
Lang Lang was in playful mood for this unprecedented event.
100 children drawn from the length and breadth of Britain learning from the Master at London's Royal Festival Hall.
See Kaixin's:
- Lang Lang plans Listz Hungarian Rhapsody
- Lang Lang play's Schumann Abegg-Variations
- Lang Lang plays Chopin - Grand Polonaise Brillante Op.22
- Lang Lang plays Chopin's Grand Polonaise brillante
- 10 Questions for Lang Lang
- Lang Lang plays Debussy Prelude "Les Collines D'Anacapri
- Lang Lang plays Beethoven's Sonata Appasionata
- Lang Lang at the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize
- Guo Gan and Lang Lang at Carnegie Hall
- Lang Lang and his father (on Er Hu) play the famous Chinese piece Horse Race
- Lang Lang Encore at the Berlin Phillhamonic
- ANDREA BOCELLI & LANG LANG - Io Ci Saro / I Will Be There
- Lang Lang plays Hungarian Rhapsody No2
- Lang Lang plays Chopin's Valse Brilliante
- Herbie Hancock & Lang Lang play Rhapsody in Blue
- Lang Lang plays Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 1
- Lang Lang plays Liebestraum No.3 in A Flat Minor by Franz Liszt
Video: Touring Hengdian, World’s Largest Outdoor Film Studio
Welcome to “Chinawood,” the world’s largest outdoor film studio in the fastest-growing film market. At more than 2,500 acres, Hengdian World Studios, as it is officially known, is larger than Universal and Paramount Studios combined, boasting a full-scale replica of the Forbidden City, a Qin Dynasty palace and an evening variety show involving volcanic explosions.
An old poem chanted by 1,000 young voices
Pupils sit together whilst reading aloud classical works of Sinology - China Studies - on the ground of Bianbjinglu primary school, Kaifeng city, Central China’s Henan province, May 20, 2011. Nearly a thousand pupils gather to read the ancient traditional Chinese poetry to mark the start of the local “Reading Festival” and the establishment of the Dongfang Youth Sinology Academy in Bianjinglu primary school.
Twenty days in Tibet - VIDEO
If you love a place, it's the people who are responsible - that's what reporter Feng Xin experienced during her 20-day backpack multimedia reporting in Tibet. In her travelogue, she tells you what her biggest barrier was and what struck her most in Tibet.
See Kaixin's - CHINA & TIBET
Stinky corpse flower blooms in Beijing - VIDEO
Flowers are usually popular for their beautiful colors and sweet scents. But there is one flower at the Beijing Arboretum that's attracting visitors for a different reason.
The plant is called the Amorphophallus titanum. But most people know it by its more common name, the corpse flower, because it exudes the smell of rotten flesh.
Originally native to the tropical rainforests on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the plant rarely blossoms, even in the wild. In terms of artificial cultivation, there have been only 134 recorded blooms worldwide. And in China, this is the first.
This plant is now growing by ten centimeters everyday, but its flower is yet to bloom to its full potential, which is when the smell becomes the worst. Park staff expects this flower to fully bloom on May 26 or 27. And once that happens, the flower's full bloom lasts no more than 48 hours.
So if you want to get a closer look – or smell – of the flower that smells like a corpse, you'd better hurry up.
Past and present:Xibe's use of a bow and arrows - VIDEO
The bow and arrow played a big part in the history of human development. Not only are they hunting tools, they are also good fighting weapons. In the developing history of ethnic groups, bows and arrows are very frequently mentioned. Xibe, which is located in Xinjiang's Qapqal Xibe autonomous county, is an example of such history.
1764 AD, Xibe took orders from Qianlong, the emperor of the Qing dynasty, to move west to guard the country’s frontier. Their excellent archery skills made them a very strong group.
Wedding customs exhibited in Ninghai, China's Zhejiang
A decoration for traditional Chinese wedding is seen at a museum in Ninghai, east China's Zhejiang Province, May 18, 2011. A museum in Ninghai, highlighting objects related to the wedding customs in east Zhejiang Province since Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) and Qing Dynasty (1616-1911 AD), opened to public on Wednesday. The wedding customs of east Zhejiang Province was enlisted as one of the national intangible cultural heritages.
See Kaixin's - Marriage in China - Ancient & Modern
Suzhou: Heaven on Earth
Time-tested adages sing praises of Suzhou.
Many cities have slogans to entice you to visit and spend your tourist dollars. These are usually written by some tourism office or travel agency, and no matter how clever or well thought out, they often fall on the deaf ears of seasoned travelers or the cynical.
But there are adages that are time-tested - like this one, which roughly translates to: Up in the sky there is heaven, down on earth there is Suzhou and Hangzhou.
That's a pretty bold declaration when you consider the size of China and the many beautiful places to see within its borders. Yet, Suzhou's beauty has won it boasting rights.
Suzhou, built in 514 BC, has a storied past.
Marco Polo spent time there in 1276 while on the Silk Road. Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War in Suzhou when it was the kingdom of Wu.
Wooden pagoda seeks for world heritage status
TAIYUAN - Authorities in north China's Shanxi Province said Sunday that they would finish the application for the Sakyamuni Pagoda, the oldest wooden structures in the world, by July for it to be included on the UNESCO list of cultural relics by 2013.
The Sakyamuni Pagoda, also known as the Yingxian Pagoda as it was housed in the Fogong Temple of Yingxian County, is the oldest full-wooden pagoda still standing in China and believed to be the oldest of its kind in the world.
Standing 67.31 meters tall, the octagonal pagoda was built in 1,056 AD during the Khitan-led Liao Dynasty.
On-line Dating：A New Craze Sweeping China
Due to the dating pressure, millions of China’s singletons log on dating websites to find love, especially for men, which has been driving a major boom in on-line dating business.
Where does this dating pressure come from? As a Chinese saying goes,”A man should get married on coming of age, so should a woman ” Nowadays, Chinese parents commonly expect their daughters to be married by the time they’re 25 and sons by the age of 30. There’s even a word for those who are not married by the time expected: Shengnan and shengnv, literally a “left-over man” or “left-over woman”. Shengnan and Shengnv are bearing all aspects of pressure coming from their worried and pushy parents as well as their busy jobs. “I was very busy; my life circle was very small” Ada Zhang, one of my ex-colleagues, said, “So I turned to on-line dating, and I made it, now I’m married. I believe everyone can find their true love on the internet” She is just one of millions of Chinese people who are turning to on-line dating as a solution to their relationship woes in a society where the pressure to find a partner can be very oppressive.
According to research by the National Women's Union and Baihe.com in 2010, China currently has 180 million bachelors, 23.8% of who are going on dates arranged by their parents, the rest are looking for dates by themselves. A male netizen makes a joke of his being-busy in his blog,“if I’m not on a date, I must be on the way to it”. Among 180 million bachelors, some ask for dates from matchmakers, some “sneak” into dating agencies in a low profile, some even step out and chat up with girls on the streets, however, up to half of whom are thought to be looking for love on-line.
By Jan, 2011, there are three main stream on-line dating websites: Jiayuan.com with 32 million registered members, Baihe.com and Zhenai.com with 26 million members each, which all together account for nearly half of singletons in China.
Those numbers mean big business. In china, the combination between the immense demand of finding love and the advanced network has started generating the windfall profits. Every on-line site now is like a 24-hour convenient store, collecting and selling their member’s information. What makes people jealous is that those websites are taking in billions of revenues annually, with the annual growth rate at 200%. Every year, there are 20 million singletons who would become the potential clients for the on-line dating sites. According to Time.com, it's estimated that online dating sites attracted three million paying customers in 2010, who collectively spent more than $150 million.
See Kaixin's - Marriage in China - Ancient & Modern
Gan En Store in Sichuan - VIDEO
Liu Anrong runs a store called Gan En Store in Sichuan, which was hit by a massive 8.0 magnitude earthquake three years ago.
She named the store Gan En to show her gratefulness to those who have been offering help to the quake zones.
Old Beijing hutong reopens with new look
After years of renovation, the much noted Xianyukou Hutong in the bustling Qianmen area of downtown Beijing is welcoming visitors with a whole new look.
Xianyukou is literally translated as Fish Street. It's an appropriate name because it was the fish market for old Beijing.
The alley, packed with time-honored brands of Beijing snacks, was once among the most frequently visited places by locals.
See Kaixin's - Beijing Hutongs
Miao ethnic singer Song Zuying debuts in Taiwan
Song Zuying, one of the most capable singers on the Chinese stage, held her first solo concert in Taiwan on Sunday night.
The success of her concerts could blaze a trail for more top singers from the Chinese mainland to perform in Taiwan.
Clad in glamorous costumes, Song Zuying performed a program of Chinese folk songs for her debut in Taiwan.
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