Today's Links: Blistering growth, China-bashing and suicide bombers

• GDP grows 11.9% in second quarter
  China's annual economic growth surged to an 11- year high of 11.9 percent in the second quarter, cementing expectations for tighter policy to keep the world's fastest-growing major economy from overheating. Beijing also blistered ahead, growing at 12.1% in the same period.


• Vatican: Beijing bishop a ‘very good’ candidate
  Despite not being chosen by the pope, the new Beijing bishop is a “very good” candidate, the Vatican said Wednesday — further evidence of the Roman Catholic Church’s efforts to reach a compromise with China over the contentious nomination of bishops.


• Official urges truthful reporting from foreign media
  China's top quality control chief urged foreign media to stick to the truth in reporting during an interview with CCTV on Wednesday, a second time in a few days for him to lash out at some foreign media exaggerating China's food safety problems and stirring consumer panic.


• IMF economist: China-bashing used inappropriately
  The International Monetary Fund's new economist, Simon Johnson, said on Thursday China-bashing was used "excessively and inappropriately" by politicians as an excuse to protect domestic markets.
  


• Suicide bomb attack jolts China into realising the risks of global ambition
  China was reminded of the harsh realities of its newly acquired status as a global power yesterday when a suicide bomber attacked a convoy of its workers in Pakistan.


• China says business licenses revoked
  China's product safety watchdog said Friday that it had revoked the business licenses of several firms at the heart of food and drug safety scares and banned them from exporting their products.


• Letter from China: The history of heroes retold with tea leaves
  Out of nowhere, Lin Biao, Mao Zedong's No. 2 during the 1960s, disgraced and largely forgotten, has come to national attention. What, if anything, does that mean?


• Macau beats Vegas at its own game
  Chinese cash helps former Portuguese colony overtake US city's gaming revenues.

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