A few links to start off your day. more ›

Not that we have anything against migrant workers, mind you. As long as all the blood is properly screened, there shouldn't be any problems, right? Shanghai health authorities released a report yesterday that claims only 1.17 percent of the city's population are blood donors, and that 70 percent of all blood donations from street donation centers come from non-local migrant workers. Other statistics claim that China's national blood donation rate stands at 0.87 percent, which is lower than the 4.54 percent and 1.01 percent seen in high-income to middle-income countries, respectively. Shanghai's blood reserves are currently in dire straits, with available blood for emergencies being 30 percent lower than what's necessary, and blood type A supplies standing at 35 percent lower than needed. more ›

Last weekend Shanghai Daily put out a call for people with RH negative AB type blood to help an aging local teacher and charity worker. 10 local expats answered the call for donations to help 87-year-old Zhang Jingdi, who was suffering from anemia following an abdominal surgery. AB negative is a blood type more common among Caucasians than Chinese. According to Zhang's family, he is already in stable condition and they will call on the volunteers only if his condition worsens. "We are deeply touched and are grateful to the foreign volunteers," said his son. Thanks to those who stepped up to the call! If any of you are interested in donating so shortages like this don't happen again in the future, you can contact the Shanghai Red Cross Blood Center (their procedures are entirely sterile and safe.) more ›

Our favourite paper, Shanghai Daily, is looking for RH negative AB type blood. Apparently it's to save the life of an 87 year old retired Shanghai teacher who has over the years raised more than 5 million yuan to help people in poverty. Did they think this guy was so famous that they didn't need to name him? Apparently so. Below their announcement in full: more ›

As the dust settles on the Xinjiang unrest of the past few days, reports are coming out about acts of kindness shown by both Uighurs and Han Chinese, presumably in a PR move to show solidarity between the two ethnicities. The Shanghai Daily printed a story today about a math teacher from Shanghai who was attacked in the riots on Sunday: more ›

• The city's environmental work now focuses on drinking water. In one year, if things work out according to plan, Shanghai's water is supposed to be good enough to drink directly from the tap. City officials say that this vision will realized with the completion of the biggest reservoir in Shanghai, the Qingcaosha Reservoir, close to Chongming Island and a new pipe network. Could this be the beginning of the end for bottled water?
• A campaign to get more expats to donate blood has been started by the The Shanghai Blood Centre in a move to build up reserves of uncommon blood types. Rare types such as Rh negative are more common among Westerners than Chinese, and stocks of this blood type are often scarce. So if you know you have a rare blood type, donate ! If you don't, do it anyways.
• Chinese universities are gaining in status, though none of them have yet reached the world's top 100 list. At the top of this year's Top 100 Asia Pacific list, however, we find Shanghai's well known Jiaotong University, up from a previous 14th place.

As part of the city's preparation for the Olympics, Shanghai has enlisted 2200 blood donors, who are to be ready to be called in at any time of day during the Games to donate their blood for free. more ›