• Wen says Beijing ready to hold talks with Taiwan [The Associated Press] "China's Premier Wen Jiabao says Beijing is ready to hold talks with Taiwan on political and military issues aimed at ending hostility with the rival island. In a work report he delivered Thursday at the opening of the annual session of parliament, Wen cheered a significant improvement in ties and a major reduction in tensions over the past year with Taiwan."
• In Crisis, China Vows Openness [Washington Post] "In his first online chat with China's 1.3 billion citizens this weekend, Premier Wen Jiabao tried to charm his audience... It was almost as if Wen were campaigning for reelection, an effort unnecessary in China, where the Communist Party enjoys a monopoly on political power. But as the top legislative body, the National People's Congress, holds its annual meeting Thursday in Beijing, China's leaders acknowledge that these are extraordinary times. "
• Highlights of Premier Wen's gov't work report [Xinhua] "Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is to deliver a report on the work of his cabinet at the opening meeting of the annual full session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, scheduled to start in the Great Hall of the People at 9 a.m. Thursday."

Nasty. Nasty. Nasty. If we didn't have to walk the dogs, we'd just stay inside our (semi) warm living room all day. We know the miserable sleet (or is it freezing rain?) and slippery conditions are forcing some offices to send workers home early today. But winter's icy grip on China is far more serious than some missed work or a slip on the sidewalk. Here's a rundown (and, please, feel free to add to this list in a comment): more ›

Al-Jazeera looks at the development of Sino-Indian relations through the experience of one yogi master's efforts in teaching Yoga in China. Through his short three day visit, visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed 11 wide-ranging agreements with Premier Wen Jiabao. The two Asian giants have raised the target for two-way trade to $60 billion by 2010. China has also assured India that it would ensure the "protection and rational use" of trans-Himalayan water resources that flow to India from the upper reaches of the Chinese Himalayas although no agreement was signed. India and China have also pledged to promote nuclear cooperation, assuring the media that the two were "partners, not rivals", and that the latest development in their relations was not "targeted at any country". more ›

PLUS LEE KUAN YEW AND HIS ROLE IN SINO-SINGAPORE RELATIONS The last week has seen top leaders zipping between China and Singapore to cement ties and sign new deals. Let's take you through the high-profile visits one by one before diving deeper into more detail (Warning: Long article!): Goh Chok Tong visits new Shanghai party chief and the Singapore-Suzhou Industrial Park Last week, Singapore's Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong swung by Shanghai to visit her... more ›

It was too much to watch something like this, kept me vomiting for a long time more ›

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China(ICBC), the world’s largest bank by market capitalization, is buying 20 percent of South Africa’s Standard Bank Group Ltd. Standard Bank is based in Johannesburg and has branches in 18 African nations. The USD $5.5 billion price tag marks the most expensive overseas investment by a Chinese firm to date. Earlier in the week, CITIC Securities, also a state owned company, swapped USD $1 billion worth of equities with Bear Stearns. Both tie-ups are just the latest examples of corporate China’s aggressive international merger and acquisition binge, started back in 2004 when Lenovo bought IBM’s PC business. more ›

Burma's military junta has been showing its true colors this week, firing automatic weapons at peaceful demonstrators and raiding monasteries to beat and kill Buddhist monks. But the junta's criminal disdain for human rights has also cast a harsh light on China, the principal commercial partner, strategic ally, and diplomatic protector of the junta. more ›

Female voice: Bye more ›

PLUS brolly-toting Premier Wen and X-ray of Homer Simpson's brain! more ›

Last Sunday, Beijing took another step in diversifying its mammoth US$1.2 trillion (that's 1,200,000,000,000) foreign reserve by purchasing a US$3 billion stake in US private equity giant the Blackstone Group. more ›

China has moved a step closer to diversifying its US$1.07 trillion in foreign reserves, with the yet-unofficial appointment of two senior officials to head new vehicles that will seek to invest a portion of China's reserves, which are the largest in the world. more ›

We told you about Charlie Fowler and Christine Boskoff a few days ago. This site has proven to be the best source of updates on the search for the two well-known climbers. Unfortunately, none of the updates have included the news we are all hoping to hear. Here is the latest since Dec. 18: more ›

At least that’s what some in the West are accusing China of, so says People's Daily, specifically regarding the country’s dealings with a handful of underdeveloped, but natural-resource-rich African nations. In an article vigorously defending China’s foreign policy initiatives in Africa, the paper flatly rejected China’s role as a colonialist, and instead cited historical ties and friendships and painted a picture of “respect for sovereignty, equality and mutual benefit”. more ›

Ever wonder what world leaders (or maybe the right-hand men of world leaders) talk about when they get together? Fast trains! Really fast trains: more ›

">87,000 for 2005, many of those instances involving farmers being coerced off their land with minimum compensation, the government faces the problem of an increasingly restless rural population. more ›