Has Cosette finally found a reason to smile in China? more ›

Shanghai prosecutors have charged former property tycoon Zhou Zhengyi with misappropriation of funds, bribery and forging value-added tax receipts, said a government source. more ›

In spite of the benefit of being ruled by a "living Buddha," decades of planning and a cost of billions of dollars, parts of the Beijing-Lhasa railway, China's "engineering miracle," are sinking. Specifically, those sections where the project attempts to maintain stability atop the seasonal thawing and refreezing of the permafrost, according to Answers.com, engineers built "elevated tracks with foundations sunk deep into the ground, inserting vertical pipes that circulate liquid nitrogen and cold nitrogen gas into the ground, building hollow concrete pipes beneath the tracks to keep the rail bed frozen, and using metal sun shades." 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 ›

From the story in the Jiefang Daily: more ›

As July 11th approaches, many Shanghai residents are eagerly anticipating the celebration China's newest holiday: Maritime Day. Given the Chinese penchant for celebrating in style, Maritime Day should prove to be a momentous occasion, as 2005 marks the 600-year anniversary of Zheng He's (鄭和) nautical expeditions to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Some even argue Zheng, everyone's favorite eunuch explorer, might have beaten ol' Chris Columbus to the New World. more ›