The Red Laowai (红老外) — yes, that shirtless dude in New York that's been singing communist propaganda songs such as “My China Heart"《我的中国心》, "Without the Communist Party, there is no New China"《没有共产党就没有新中国》and "Oriental Red"《东方红》and putting his videos online — has done it again. This time, he has put his shirt on, created a music video and he's singing Jay Chou and rapping. The song 止战之殇 (The Wound That Ends War) is an anti-war song in......

They say the Germans invented the art of bureaucracy but the Chinese perfected it. This may be true if a recently compiled list on Tianya forum is anything to go by — it contains over 3,000 permits/licences/fees a Chinese citizen may be subjected to through the course of his/her life. China Digital Times translates just a handful of them, and as they correctly pointed out, some sound reasonable while others just make you go huh:......

What did Mattel do to stop the toys? by Fons Tuinstra of China Herald: Even a hundred TV-shows cannot hide that something is seriously wrong in the way quality control is done in this country. And yes, there is now a fair amount of China-bashing going on, but that is very well deserved China-bashing. But the question what Mattel, and other companies, have been doing to stop this scandalous export of faulty products is a......

China to be world's third largest economy China's sizzling economy grew even faster in 2006 than previously reported, the government said Wednesday, moving it closer to overtaking Germany as the world's third-largest and possibly adding to fears of overheating. China falling short on energy-saving goals China is falling short of its goals in a campaign to boost energy efficiency in its fuel-guzzling economy - the world's No. 2 oil consumer - but is starting to......

China's west swelters under record high temperatures. Westernmost China's Xinjiang region was under a blistering heatwave Sunday, with the mercury hitting as high as 44.8 degrees Celsius (112.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in Turpan city, a local official said. Analysts warn China vulnerable to a Japan-style debt meltdown. Today, China could be ripe for a crisis of its own that might resemble the collapse of Japan's "Bubble Economy" in the early 1990's and have enormous global impact,......

What does $205.6 million in cash look like? Here are pictures of the cash and guns seized from the Mexico City residence of Zhenli Ye Gon, who is one among six Chinese suspects from a gang, which prosecutors say illegally imported n-acetyl pseudoephedrine. Now, just imagine 205.6 Demi Moores rolling around in it.Low-key vibe to Shanghai festival. Despite Sharon Stone's presence, the opening frames of the Shanghai Film Festival were unashamedly local and curiously low......

The hostage crisis at the Putuo KFC two nights ago was a shining triumph for the Shanghai police, who managed to kill the bad guy and save the migrant worker's little four-year-old girl. Now, you can relive the glory with this account of the proceedings (in Chinese). Although we would have preferred to see Samuel L. Jackson or Kevin Spacey handle something of this danger, there was some local talent on hand. One of the......

From the Scotsman: SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Chinese quality watchdogs have seized 46 toy guns from a Wal-Mart store in Shanghai because they looked "too realistic", state media reported on Thursday. Five types of toy guns, including pistols and a machinegun, seized from the U.S. retailing giant's outlet in Pudong district, violated colour standards, the Shanghai Daily said, citing the local bureau of quality and technical supervision. According to a Chinese report on the same matter,......

We imagine we aren't the only people a little skeptical of the armor-clad and heavily armed guards that accompany the vehicles that transport money to and an from various banks in China. The guards are almost always very young and fresh-faced and look as though they might have, the day before, occupied a seat at a local internet bar playing Counter-Strike and urinating in an empty Coke bottle. We always try to steer clear of......

Call us stupid (you wouldn't be the first person) but we were kind of confused upon reading this Shanghai Daily story: Two old pillboxes in Changning District will be demolished after they were branded traffic hazards and environmental nuisances. When we hear the word "pillbox," we think of Bob Dylan and hats and, well, boxes that you put pills in. The story didn't provide a definition of the word, so we looked it up. Turns......

As 2006 ends and 2007 begins, the -ists look back not at the past week, but at the past year. So here it is, your Best of 2006 Spectacular. And from all of us at the -ists, happy New Year! Austinist was all about controversy as new construction to increase urban density ran rampant in 2006, as did threats to the city's image from gigantic corporations looking to set up shop in town, leading to......

That's what one report suggests is happening, as certain domestic Chinese brands are unable to renew their contracts on Nanjing Lu despite being willing to pay whatever increase in rent was necessary. The three companies detailed in the report are casual fashion company Metersbowne (美特斯邦威) , Shanghai based underwear maker Three Guns (三枪), and traditional Chinese beauty and health products maker Herborist (佰草集). These stores have been told by their landlords that when their rental......

It seems that charming Shanghai has become the creative and commercial object of affection for yet another famous Tom (after Cruise and Friedman, of course) and is now featured as one of the backdrops for Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent. The fourth title in the Splinter Cell series is newly available on the Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii, and the PC, and bears the name and coveted approval of noted author, bass fisherman and Sith......

Regarding yesterday's afternoon siesta taken by Shanghai's Pudong International Airport, one informed reader offered the following scenario: The Pudong Airport thing is the long running battle between PLA Air Force and airport authority about payments from airport to air force -- they've now stepped up the squeeze. We remembered reading something about this before, so we did a search of our Gmail archive and found the September 28 weekly update from the fine folks at......

If you're hiking, consider charging up your iPod, as Seattlest finds out that a man lost during a hike was found by the glow of his iPod. That cleverness seems to be devoid in cops who were using police cruiser instant messaging clients - although we imagine IMs "so are you nakie" to be included in cop shows, just for realism. If only the cops were busting the Hummer-driving jerk who made a poor parking......

Jagshemash! Borat is a hit. It's getting rave reviews, grossing millions, and definitely the most quotable thing we've seen in ages. But Borat seems to have missed most of the -ist cities, and we were all wondering how the film would have been different if he'd made his way around the world on the -ist tour. In Shanghai, Borat would be observing Inane Learnings of Penis Photos for Make Benefit Glorious Flat World of Handmade......

We'd heard a lot of hype about Hong Kong director Johnnie To's (杜棋峰) new film Exiled (放逐), not least of all because it was one of three Chinese language films that competed at the Venice Film Festival (against new works by Jia Zhangke and Tsai Ming-liang). We just watched the DVD, and if ultraviolent action and stylish gunplay is your thing, then this is the movie to watch. The plot is simple: 1998 Macau, right......

Torontoist visits the site of a new Frank Gehry structure, stalks "the elusive Bahamas streetcar", and watches Tom Green get surgery. Phillyist rejoices in the Phillies' wild card chances, mourns the injuries sustained by Eagles defensive end Jevon Kearse, and goes pirate on our asses. SFist notes that Guns and Roses were in town, that San Franciscans are taking over reality TV, and that the San Francisco Chronicle's skills of original nomenclature could use some......

As a kid, Shanghaiist was a video arcade fiend. Looking fondly back on that Golden Age of video game entertainment, plenty of hard earned allowance and Chinese New Year money would have been better off being saved in a bank account rather than being flushed down a coin slot. The Mortal Kombat bloodlust was just too strong to resist! Remember that ego-inflating boost of self-esteem that came with whupping someone's ass for only 25 cents?......

Admittedly, we attended the Black Eyed Peas show with a detached sense of superiority -- but ask anyone, even those of us who don’t “get” hip-hop, it was, to quote the girl behind us, “a show that made my summer”. Parts of the show that made us forget about those annoying glow sticks? will.i.am’s “I’m not Wyclef” drum performanceFergie (looking directly at our crew) grabbing her, erm …lovely lady lumps“Put your phones up, put your......

Yesterday when Shanghaiist arrived at work, the boss said, "pick up a copy of yesterday's China Daily. They've got a story about the gun holdup on [colleague's name]'s flight to Beijing." Holdup? Gun? On an airplane? In China? Let's be clear. The holdup was really a delay. But there was still a man, who claimed that -- because of his position as an "officer" -- he could carry a loaded gun on a domestic flight.......

LAist has so much fun this week! They go to E3, where they overhear the timeless remark "Man, this is where nerdy girls get laid." Is that a promise? They also give us this week's best CDs and make us realize that LA is the best place to use Zillow. Ah, Houstonist. They're biking to work, that is, if they can figure out how to get there. That's right, Mapquest says "Houston had the......

Shanghaiist probably knows a little more about China than the Chicago Sun-Times. Giving them the benefit of the doubt on that one. The city does to have a music scene. Don't even front like they don't. They also have Dorito bananas. What they don't have is any more tolerance for jaywalkers. Bostonist sees Boston and Somerville each whip out their art and face off. A plagiarized novel is the gift that keeps giving, and Johnny......

Have you ever heard of Henrik Stenson? He's a very good golfer, but not exactly a household name (unless, of course, you are from Sweden). He is, however, the highest ranked golfer participating in this week's BMW Asian Open in Shanghai. Ernie Els, Luke Donald and David Howell all pulled out of the tournament, citing one ailment or another. It's leading some to wonder: Are the world's top athletes allergic to Shanghai? You may remember......

Kerry Shen, model...

Have you heard the one about the easily offended Chinese tourist? It goes something like this: Three-hundred-forty-four Chinese guests at a resort in Malaysia took offense to the cartoon image of a pig's head that appeared on their breakfast meal vouchers. They thought it was a "demeaning" personal attack. The hotel says it was high season for Muslim travelers and the restaurant workers were trying to distinguish the pork eaters from the non-pork eaters. Evidently......

Get your squirt guns ready, folks. Everyone's favorite crazy man Tom Cruise will bring his freak show to Shanghai this November to film the "climactic final scenes" of Mission: Impossible III, according to Variety.com: While it is an open secret in China that the pic and star Tom Cruise will be in town, attempts to confirm this on the record have met with regular denials. Chinese insiders say the wall of silence can be maintained......