Today's Links: Piracy funds organized crime, China's food security is a mess and "online democracy" is a distraction
- Organized crime ramps up film piracy efforts [Hollywood Reporter] How much terrorism have you funded? "Organized crime is taking on a larger role in film piracy, according to a new report from the RAND Corp. being released Tuesday. And though it could point to only a handful of examples where the profits from piracy have been used to support terrorist activities, the report warns that the terrorist connection could increase in the future."
- China food security 'grim' [Reuters] "A new food-safety law, approved on Saturday in an accelerated process since the milk scandal came to light in September, attempts to fix a fragmentary regulatory system which officials blame for recurring problems."
- China hails “online democracy” as Wen goes live on the Web [China Media Project] "So why do China’s leaders continue to talk about Internet technology as though it is an exciting and viable new alternative to that old-fashioned democratic technology — the voting booth? Because, at risk of sounding like a broken record, the Internet is the perfect distraction. It is a far-reaching medium symbolic of change that party officials can use to push the perception that political change is happening in China and that leaders are more responsive to citizens."
- Chinese Manufactures on the Brink of Failure [Caijing] "Overseas markets, which absorbs the majority of Chinese products, have been cutting orders since November - not only the major buyers of the G3, the storm eye of the current global crisis, but more so emerging economies, where deep troubles are only beginning."
- China advisory body defends Tibet crackdown [AP] "China was right to crack down hard on rioters in Tibet last year, but needs to better explain its policies to the rest of the world, the country's main government advisory body said Tuesday."
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