Hey, guess who paid a visit over the weekend? Wen Jiabao, who came to Shanghai as part of an inspection tour of east China. The Premier took the opportunity to call for a more balanced and energy-efficient economic development model, especially important considering China's plans to cut CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 40 to 45% by 2020. How? Through the magic of better technology. While we've never been quite convinced that tech would be the easy button on our environmental problems, we're always happy for a chance to see Grandpa Wen! more ›

Martin Jahnke, the man who threw a shoe at Chinese premier Wen Jiabao has now been cleared of any offense. Prosecutors had tried to get Jahnke charged for "using words and behavior likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress," and presented evidence from three Chinese students at the lecture (probably fenqing), police and the security staff. But the court found what was presented insufficient and declared Jahnke not guilty. While we didn't really buy that it was a "legitimate protest," as Jahnke had stated - honestly, yelling stuff and throwing a shoe? Please. - we're glad the courts were sensible in this decision. The judge warned Jahnke that the verdict should not be viewed as the court condoning his misbehavior and told him to conduct himself better in the future. Source: Telegraph UK more ›

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›