JFK Miller

Recent Actions

• Posted Is Bin Laden in China? to Shanghaiist
  Well no he isn’t, but this recent AFP report has some Beijing kids getting their sugar fix on confectionery inspired by the cave dwelling terrorist rock star to welcome in the new year among the drums and dragons in Long Tan Park: For those with a sweet tooth, sugared Osama Bin Laden-shaped candies were on offer along with rat-shaped lollipops. What a charming vignette. Even more charming is the fact that six and a half...
• Posted If you can keep your head when all about you … to Shanghaiist
  Four Chinese from Hubei have just opened a restaurant in the world's most dangerous city — Baghdad — reports the London Times. Edited highlights: “I'm happy to have them here,” said Jassim Mohammed, their landlord. “If they were British or American both they and myself would have been kidnapped and beheaded days ago.” The new tenants have wisely decided not to serve sweet and sour pork. They have decorated the restaurant with Chinese lanterns, photographs...
• Posted Do China’s leaders really want to bond like Bill? to Shanghaiist
  China’s party officials have been learning the niceties of diplomatic protocol according to this recent FT report:“The person tasked with transforming these officials into Little Mr and Miss Manners was Laura Efurd, deputy assistant to former US president Bill Clinton. Unsurprisingly, one of Efurd's presentation slides instructs her students on the art of The Hug, as made famous by Clinton.” We imagine it would have looked something like this: Powerpoint slide 1: How to hug...
• Posted Will China win the Olympics? to Shanghaiist
  By JFK Miller Of course! Xinhua has already called it for the home team (on Christmas Day, in fact): “China is widely expected to beat the United States and Russia to top the medal standings of the 2008 Olympic Games.”...
• Posted Beijing Olympics: Jingo all the way to Shanghaiist
  By JFK Miller Just 200 days away from the Olympics brings this piece of unbridled jingoism from China’s premier news source: “BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Just 200 days away, the Beijing Olympics is poised to be the most memorable Games in history.” Now that’s not what you call “managing expectations.” Most memorable? Don’t you think it’d be safer to downplay expectations just a teeny-weeny bit? What if the Olympics turn out to really not...