Dear Slate, yes there are chocolate bars in China
How AIDS in China is spreading
Shanghaiist Scrabble: We have a winner!
New sex change rules for China
Two now executed over melamine milk scandal
- Kashgar's Old Town Bulldozed; Is Uyghur Culture in Danger? [FarWestChina - gfw] "Within the narrow alleyways of this Old Town lie thousands of years of Kashgar’s history. Aged wooden doors and cobblestone paths have witnessed the passage of innumerable donkey carts, small Uyghur children and, in recent times, many foreign tourists. On the outside, these mud-brick walls seem at peace with their place in history but just beyond the padlocked door a crippling truth emerges. Squinting through the cracks in the doorway it is possible to see that these walls no longer house Uyghur inhabitants. Instead, they hide the heartbreaking destruction of Kashgar’s Old City. Over two-thirds of the city has already been leveled. History has been replaced by rubble; donkey carts by bulldozers."
- Chinese Singing Show To Go On, With a New Name and Conditions [WSJ] "While hugely popular, the shows also triggered hot debates. Some celebrated them for representing the victory of grassroots culture over official or elite culture, while others believed the show just encouraged young people to seek out overnight fame. Along with popularity came increased government scrutiny. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (Sarft) released a series of specific measures to regulate entertainment programs (particularly talent shows) in 2007 and a planned 2008 season of Super Girls was cancelled. A spokesman for Hunan Satellite Television told the media late last month that a revival of the televised singing competition had been approved by the Sarft, though not without several conditions attached."
- Singapore promotes Mandarin [Danwei] "According to a survey conducted on incoming primary students by the Singapore Department of Education, the number of Chinese-language households in Singapore has been declining since the 1990s. Today, only 40% of households use Chinese as a primary language, while English-language households have climbed from 26% in 1990 to 60% today. To reverse this trend, the Singapore Promote Mandarin Council launched The Chinese Challenge on March 30, fun quizzes that let Singapore citizens and permanent residents personally experience the breadth and depth of Chinese culture, deepen their understanding of Mandarin, and improve their grasp on the language."
- Detroit, not Shanghai, is still the centre of the car universe [Telegraph] "There's a lot of hype about the Chinese car industry right now. With Detroit on its knees and Tokyo in retreat, companies like Shanghai Automotive, Geely, Chery and BYD are being touted as the next generation of manufacturers, the heirs to GM, Ford and Toyota. Part of this hype is based on the future - Warren Buffett has taken a ten per cent stake in BYD because he thinks its electric batteries will lead the way - and part of it is based on the present. The Chinese car market is now the largest in the world. On both counts, however, the hype is unjustified."
- China 'easing stance' on Taiwan [Al Jazeera] " Taiwan's president has said China is showing signs of softening its policy on the island's future, in a statement marking the first anniversary of his presidency. Beijing now places greater importance on preventing the formal independence of Taiwan than insisting it be united with the mainland, Ma Ying-jeou said on Wednesday."
- China's gender imbalance 'likely to get worse' [Guardian] "The problem of too many men and not enough women in Chinese villages is likely to become much worse, a leading researcher in the field has warned. China has 32m more men aged under 20 than women, according to a paper published last month by Therese Hesketh, of University College London. Her latest research suggests that rural areas - where the imbalance is at its greatest - will be further affected because women are "marrying out" into cities."
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The Guardian article has a misleading headline. It's line of causality is all messed up. 1. Rural women marry city men 2. Gender imbalance in the countryside worsens. This is true. However, it goes on for several more steps. 3. Rural population declines (no one to marry = no one to have kids with) 4. Rural women who marry in urban areas likely take on norms of urban areas (meaning they are much less concerned with having male children)
So in the end what we have is shrinking rural population (something that has happened in every nation that has industrialized) and women moving to less sexist places. Unless one mythologizes the rural life, I don't really see a problem with any of this other than short term awfulness in dying villages.
Ma is trying to overcome poor approval by claiming China is showing signs of softening. Softening is removing or stopping new missiles from eploying across from ROC