Anyone who spends a lot of time researching China news (i.e. us) has probably noticed: editors love using the China as dragon metaphor. Heck, just a cursory search for one publication's (The Economist) editorial cartoons immediately brought up three dragons. India gets the treatment too, often being represented as an Elephant or a Tiger, depending on how dangerous they need to sound to Western audiences. Other stereotyped images: Pandas, rickshaw/junk boats and Mao Zedong. Foreign Policy has helpfully compiled a list of China/India cliches for our amusement (and hopefully for future news desks to avoid). But as they note on the last panel, Chinese are suckers for hackneyed imagery too. more ›

And not just because of the extensive and all-encompassing corruption trials last year! Foreign Policy takes a look at the Sichuan city's meteoric rise from just 2 million in the 1960s to a whopping 32 million today, a pace so fast that "its maps are already out of date by the time they are printed," following the story of Yan Qi, a snails snacks seller who has turned her "river delicacy" into a million dollar enterprise. Along the way: Chongqing's history as an army stronghold, it's not quite yet "nouveau" rich and - of course - Bo Xilai, China's political star. more ›

Womp womp, despite the "internationalism" of the Expo, Shanghai didn't manage to break the top ten of Foreign Policy Magazine's Global Cities Index, which ranks cities on several criteria - their influence, culture, innovation and so on. In fact, we were even beat out by Beijing, who at No. 15, was five spots ahead of our No. 20! Our "economic rival/sister," Hong Kong, was way ahead at No. 5. Oh the shame! That having been said, judging from the comments on the site, all of this is contestable - Sure we can admit that New York, London and Sydney are all more "global" than we, but Boston? Really? more ›

While big business helped push America and Europe into accepting China into the WTO, now, rankled by China's increasingly unfriendly economic policies, its withdrawing its support. At least that's what it looks like, according to Daniel W. Drezner at Foreign Policy. China's grown strong, but is now using its strength while "frittering away its geopolitical advantages," and the rest of the world, especially its businesses, are taking note. more ›

Occasional Shanghaiist contributor Sue Anne Tay has a gorgeous and touching photo gallery up on Foreign Policy about the parts of Shanghai being cleared away to make way for its rapid development. more ›

There's a general energy in the air over Obama's upcoming visit. Judging by the many, many taxi and motorcycle drivers who have conversations with us to the effect of "美国好," Obama has become a cultural icon for the Chinese. While the American president represents a polar change in policy and practice for Americans, the Chinese seem to view him as an intelligent and fair man who will directly or indirectly help China in its ascendant world superpower-dom. more ›

It seems that the Chinese government was just getting started when it arrested employees from Rio Tinto this Summer. The newest company in the hot seat is Coca-Cola, which had an ex-employee arrested by the Shanghai police over corruption charges this weekend. more ›

We've been somewhat faithful readers of Foreign Policy for awhile and noticed that they had a couple of articles that either mention or focus on China in their recent issue. Jeff Chang has written an article called It's a Hip-Hop World where he talks about how globalized hip hop has become, and, in this context, mentions Shanghai. More worrisome than a bunch of seventeen-year-olds in baggy pants is information we found in the article on... more ›

Graph from Foreign Policy. more ›

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For more del.icio.us links, visit the Shanghaiist Contribute page, which is updated throughout the day. more ›