What do call-center jobs, military contracting and emissions all have in common? If you guessed "they can all be outsourced," then you're absolutely right! If you then scratched your head and asked "wait a minute - how does one outsource emissions?" don't worry - you're still right. We find it perplexing, too! more ›

• Beijing's hell-bent on making Hainan the world's best beach destination, and they've got an accomplice that was literally banned in the country just a few decades ago: the game of golf. While the island's government gleefully bulldozes ancient villages Cultural Revolution-style, we're just wondering whether or not a Tiger Woods-type scandal is in China's golf future. [Foreign Policy]
• It seems that Americans are now officially scared of the 21st century being China's time to shine. It also seems that they're ambivalent to this prospect. Curious? Yes. But so too is the fact that a major publication is only now reporting on this. [Washington Post]
• This just in! United States and Europe have been pushing China's buttons on a number of controversial issues as of late out of concern that their dominance in matters of international relations may be a casualty of China's rise. [People's Daily]

• The best way to show how hot the earth will be (thanks to global warming)? Strip off your pants in public. 20 people did just that in Guangdong. [Treehugger]
• Xinjiang is continuing to lift communications restrictions, including on international calls and *gasp* the internet? [Xinhua]
• Exactly how much have officials swindled out of China? It's hard to say, but a 2004 study places it at $50 billion USD. And this is before the stimulus. No wonder Beijing keeps on holding corruption conferences. [China Media Project]