Evening Links: Country potatoes, Starbucks, kids + guns

• Education key to Shanghai life
  "Most immigrants who have a high level of education feel at home in Shanghai, a recent survey shows. ... That means not many Shanghai residents today refer to immigrants as country potatoes."
  (tags: china shanghai)
• Hong Kong and Shanghai vie to be China's financial center - International Herald Tribune
  "Hong Kong and Shanghai are locked in an increasingly public struggle to become the main Chinese financial center as a top-level committee in Beijing prepares to meet this month to map out a national financial regulatory strategy."
  (tags: business finance shanghai hongkong china economics)
• Chewing gum ad becomes Sino-Russia sticking point | Oddly Enough | Reuters.com
  China's People's Daily newspaper said the commercial for chewing gum produced by Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. using the "March of the Volunteers" had "harmed the dignity of China."
  (tags: china russia gum)
• Taobao sued over IM trade -- Shanghai Daily
  "TAOBAO.COM, China's largest online auction site, has been sued for allegedly trading in stolen instant messenger accounts."
  (tags: china internet taobao)
• TV host urges Starbucks to leave ancient city -- Shanghai Daily
  "A HOST of China Central Television urged Starbucks to withdraw its outlet from the Forbidden City because its existence spoils Chinese culture, Beijing News reported today."
  (tags: china beijing starbucks)
• High school student in Jiangxi Province arrested for killing classmate with gun
  "His action was prompted when his peers refused to believe that he had a handgun, media reports said yesterday." That'll teach them.
  (tags: china jiangxi violence)
• Sporting 'superstate' China scaring the world: Britain - Yahoo! News
  "China have made no secret of their desire to top the medal tally in Beijing, knocking the United States off its perch, and have been working to close the performance gap with the world's best in key areas like athletics and swimming."
  (tags: china sports olympics beijing 2008)
• Journalist beaten to death in China after mine probe - Yahoo! News
  "A Chinese journalist investigating the nation's dangerous coal mining industry was beaten to death in northern China, his paper has said, amid reports a mine boss ordered the attack."
  (tags: china journalism coal murder journalist)
• Why China may not be an Al Qaeda target..
  "Bin Laden calls his terrorist brothers together and warns them: 'China is the only country in the world which must certainly never be attacked, as the consequences will be devastating for the perpetrators.'"
  (tags: china binladen terrorism)

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