Results tagged “spies”

• Prepare to fight China, Qaeda figure tells Uighurs [Washington Post] "A prominent al Qaeda militant urged Uighurs in Xianjiang to make serious preparations for a holy war against "oppressive" China and called on fellow Muslims to offer support. Abu Yahya al-Libi, in a video posted on an Islamist website on Wednesday, warned China of a fate similar to that of former communist superpower, the Soviet Union, which disintegrated some two decades ago."
• Inside the Ring [Washington Times] "China's most senior military intelligence official, a veteran of spy operations in Europe and cyberspace, recently made a secret visit to the United States and complained to the Pentagon about the press leak on the Chinese submarine that secretly shadowed the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier in 2006. Maj. Gen. Yang Hui said senior Chinese leaders suspected the Pentagon deliberately disclosed the encounter as part of a U.S. effort to send a political message of displeasure to China's military."
• A Beautiful Life: Mean Streets and Meaner People [NYTimes] "It takes nerve to award Bai Ling a singing role in a serious drama, but nerve may be the one thing “A Beautiful Life” does not lack. Set among the mean streets and meaner people of downtown Los Angeles, this laughably clichéd dive into sexual masochism and hardscrabble survival replaces story with outline and characters with place holders. No wonder Ms. Ling’s breasts are the most animated objects on screen."

• Chinese mainland to hold television fundraiser for Taiwan typhoon relief [Xinhua] "Five TV stations in the Chinese mainland are organizing a televised fundraiser on the coming Thursday to raise money for victims of Taiwan's deadliest typhoon in half a century. A number of the country's biggest names in the entertainment industry will be invited, such as directors Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige and Feng Xiaogang, actors Jackie Chan and Jet Li, actresses Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Xun, as well as sports stars Yao Ming and Guo JingJing. The close-to-four-hour fundraiser are organized by the Shanghai-based Dragon TV, Jiangsu Satellite TV, Zhejiang Satellite TV, Hunan Satellite TV, and Shenzhen Satellite TV. The event will be broadcast live beginning 7:35 p.m. Thursday."
• Chinese Espionage: Britain's MI5 reports epidemic in spying [Examiner] "The almost legendary MI5 British counterintelligence service is said to be deeply concerned over an increase in spying by Chinese operatives in the United Kingdom. Although intelligence experts aren't certain how widespread the problem is, they believe the espionage is rampant and a serious consequence of the global economy."
• Rainwater collection projects gather 24.5 million m3 of rainwater in Beijing [CCTV] "One rainfall may create a new “Kunming Lake” in Beijing. Although rainfall for 2009 has been relatively less than that of prior years, rainwater collection projects across urban and rural areas have been playing a big role. According to statistics from Beijing Water Authority, until August 13, 24.5 million cubic meters of rainwater, equivalent to 21 “Kunming Lakes” had been stored in Beijing. Rivers and lakes in urban areas also stored 18.04 million cubic meters of rainwater, creating a fresh and beautiful sight in Beijing."

Three Chinese men have been sent to federal prison in the U.S. for attempting to leak military tech to China. In separate cases, two men - Tah Wei Chao and Zhi Yong Guo - were charged with trying to export thermal-imaging cameras, and the third - William Chi-Wai Tsu - was charged with illegally sending hundreds of military radar systems circuits to Beijing. In the case of exporting circuits, a catalog from Tsu's Beijing company had pictures of military craft and stated a goal of "facilitat[ing] the building of athe national defense of China." He was given a 40-month sentence. Chao was ordered to serve 20 months and Guo was sentenced to five years. Source: Straits Times

• When China is no. 1 [McKinsey: What Matters] "Less tangibly, we should expect to see a Sinicization of global culture through the influence of Chinese consumers’ tastes. Clothing styles, food flavors, the design and packaging of global brands, music, sports, and entertainment will respond to the draw of the Chinese market. More and more, we should expect to see our youngsters studying Chinese from elementary school. Moving to Shanghai or Beijing to start a career will no longer be an exotic adventure."
• China Rises Again - Part I [YaleGlobal] "The Chinese will continue to treat the economic global as means to a greater end and subordinate to what they consider their primary goal: a prosperous and powerful China that enjoyed respect and influence in the world. They also see the need to redefine universalist values for China and accept whatever is necessary to sustain civilized living, and integrate modern ideas with the best of its own heritage."
• China's irrepressible modern art scene [csmonitor.com] "China sits atop a gold mine of contemporary art that few people have ever seen, either inside or outside the country. An exhibition near Boston unveils an unexpected side of China - colorful, winsome, and touched with a subversive kind of humor."