"The Chinese government has never really learnt how to 'speak.' You see a lot of politically correct language, and too little self-criticism. Subjects like Wang Lijun are deemed too sensitive to even be touched upon. China is generally a country that does not too bad on the whole, and the hard results are out there. If something has happened, we should talk about. The more you refuse to talk about it, the more you shroud the matter in mystery. But when you choose to talk about it, people think, oh, it's just that. Society needs criticism all the time. The more the government criticizes itself, the less the public will criticize it. The more good news there is on official media, the more bad news and rumors there will be on Weibo. That's just how things balance up." more ›

It looks like Michelle Bachmann isn't the only person who thinks America should be more like China. Former president of the Service Employees International Union Andy Stern thinks so too. In a recent op-ed on the Wall Street Journal, he waxes lyrical over China's "superior economic model" which he witnessed first-hand during a recent trip here. Stern argues that the ability to plan -- something he thinks America has lost -- is what makes China tick: more ›

Hans Rosling, Professor of International Health at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden speaks to Thomas Crampton about the rise of China and how the world has not quite come around to understanding its magnitude and significance. An excellent communicator and engaging speaker who's great at putting figures into perspective. If you're interested to hear more, watch him debunking third-world myths in this presentation he gave at TED. more ›

The sky was a rare blue yesterday, so we decided it was high time to check out the views from the top of Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC). The observation deck has been getting consistently good reviews even priced at 150 RMB (to get to the 100th floor) and with the added convenience of getting to queue for hours. So we've been avoiding the place for a few months waiting for the hype and novelty to die down a little. more ›

A week ago, Shanghaiist hung out with tech blogger, author and podcaster Robert Scoble of Fast Company and other participants of the China 2.0 Tour, enjoying the amazing view of Shanghai from Vue Bar at Hyatt on the Bund. Since then, he's been on a whirlwind tour around China, visiting places like Suzhou, Wuxi, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and now Hong Kong. In this video, he talks to Thomas Crampton about what he's seen and learnt on this trip and how the China of today differs from the China that he saw twelve years ago on his first visit here. more ›