Results tagged “tibet”

According to China, it hasn't banned anybody - especially not foreign visitors - from visiting Tibet during the National Day holiday period, despite reports to the contrary. Liao Yisheng, spokesman for the Tibet Tourist Administration, said that while foreigners couldn't go individually, they could visit as part of tour groups. This was due to high demand, rather than any sensitivities due to the anniversary, he told the Associated Press.

Unsurprisingly, China has banned foreigners from traveling to Tibet in preparation for the 60th anniversary of the PRC. The ban, one of the traditional ways that China attempts to control security around important holidays, will be in effect from September 24 to October 8. If you've been planning a trip to Lhasa, or looking for some new knives, you're going to have to wait until the end of the holidays. Photo: Illuheaven @ flickr

Surprising no one, China's pretty nonplussed about the Dalai Lama's visit to Taiwan, letting it be known yesterday that they "resolutely oppose" it "in whatever form and capacity." Said a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, "The Dalai Lama is not a pure religious figure... Under the pretext of religion, he has all along been engaged in separatist activities." It accused the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan, known for its pro-independence platform, of stirring up trouble by inviting him. The situation makes us feel sorry for Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, who's kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place this time around - on one hand, you've got a populace that already accuses you of being useless and a China butt kisser and on the other hand, you've got... well, China. Source: Xinhua Photo from Taiwan Guide

• China's state broadcaster under fire: The pathetic fallacy [The Economist] "ITS charred hulk looms over Beijing’s central business district, a monument to recklessness. The building is part of a colossal, architecturally extravagant complex being built for the state broadcaster, China Central Television (CCTV). A fire gutted it three months ago, creating an embarrassing eyesore, for which a senior head has now rolled."
• chinese digital love [56minus1] "Meeting people online is not hard: online acquaintances can be made in general-interest BBS forums, through SNS websites, or over IM software. But finding love in these online relationships might be a little awkward, so a wide range of websites have sprung up to help Chinese netizens meet a special someone to spend the rest of their life with, or just to get together for a quick roll in the hay."
• A Peek Into China's Tech Sector (Long Circle) [Web Newswire] "A look at why western companies are seeking support from China's high technology sector companies. Brian Schwartz, a western journalist granted rare access to one of China's offshore development centres in the eastern city of Shanghai shares his impressions. Seizing on the growing outsourcing trend, China has built a number of offshore development centers (ODC). “As a western business journalist, ODCs seemed mysterious. Questions filled my head, such as how an ODC actually operates and how two teams of engineers on opposite sides of the globe can be able to work together to create a successful product.”"

Is it just us or does it seem like China's starting to rack up the swine flu cases faster? A man who returned to Guangdong from a tour in the U.S. and Canada was confirmed to be the country's fourth case of swine flu. He began to display symptoms en route from Hong Kong to Guangdong and was immediately put into quarantine. Meanwhile, an Italian tourist with swine flu symptoms is being treated at a hospital in Tibet. The 23 people traveling with her are now staying at a local hotel under observation. Source: Xinhua

• Party Secretary Indicted, part of Spain's "Universal Jurisdiction" [Xinjiang: Far West China] "Last Tuesday Spanish Judge Santiago Pedráz requested authorization from the Chinese Ministry of Justice to investigate eight Chinese leaders, including the Party Secretary of both Xinjiang and Tibet, on charges of mistreatment of minorities, a charge that involves not a single Spanish citizen."
• Chinese anger at student ID theft [BBC] "There has been outrage in China over reports that a police official helped his daughter get into university by stealing another student's identity. The official, Wang Zhengrong, stole the name and ID number of his daughter's classmate, state media reports. While Mr Wang's child took her university place, the other girl had to spend a year re-taking the exam."
• Taxing fun with (yes!) cell phones [Shenzhen Noted] "One of the events being promoted by the Shenzhen Bureau of Taxation is citizen participation in the 3rd National Tax Collection Text Message Publicity Contest (第三届全国税收宣传短信大赛). I hadn’t realized that the first and second contests had come and gone, but the current contest is open until June 30, 2009. The particularly ambitious can also compete in the ring-tone competition and the multi-media message competition (basically flash for phone)."

• Israeli oranges' faked in China [BBC] "It has now been revealed the fruit, a type of orange-grapefruit hybrid marketed as Jaffa Sweetie, were not Israeli in the first place. The Sweeties were brought to Iran from China, where faking the origin of goods is a common practice. The discovery of apparent Israeli origin caused a stir in Iran."
• Tibetan students protest in China [AFP] "Hundreds of students at a Tibetan school in China's northwest held a daring protest, demonstrating over education conditions, locals and an overseas Tibetan group said Saturday. The protest took place Friday morning among Tibetan students at the Xiahe middle school in Gansu province, the proprietor of a local hotel told AFP by telephone."
• China Falls Short on Olympic Cleanup [ScienceNOW] "When most people think about the Olympic Games, they envision blazing torches, gold medals, and triumphant athletes. But a handful of scientists saw the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to find out what happens when a major industrial city suddenly cuts back on air pollution. The first analysis of this "experiment" concludes that China's efforts produced only a slight improvement in Beijing's air quality."

• The Tiananmen Protestors, Then and Now [China Beat] "China Beat sent out a note to a few scholars and journalists who have carefully watched and written about the events of 1989, asking them to send in short commentaries detailing what they wish more people knew, associated with, or remembered about that spring. We ran the first piece in this limited series, by John Gittings, last week. This is the second piece."
• CNN's Kristie Lu Stout on media and technology [Danwei] "Kristie Lu Stout presents the CNN Today program from Hong Kong on mornings. Prior to that Stout was CNN’s technology correspondent and host of the daily Tech Watch... Danwei talked to the popular anchor about using Twitter live on her show, and her view of technology's use in the media."
• China and Taiwan boost financial ties [Financial Times] "China and Taiwan signed a new set of agreements on Sunday, taking a big step towards opening up their financial services industries to each other and allowing direct investment in Taiwan from mainland China. Negotiators from both sides of the Taiwan Strait met in the Chinese city of Nanjing over the weekend for formal talks aimed at normalising relations between the two former civil war rivals who, before last year, had not held talks for more than a decade."

You know that much hyped Oasis show that got canceled because of guitarist Noel Gallagher's opinion on Tibet? Well, in case you had any doubt, it seems like his opinion may have been a bit overstated.

• 'Empire of the Sun' author J.G. Ballard dies [USA TODAY] "Writer J.G. Ballard, best known for the autobiographical novel Empire Of The Sun, which drew on his childhood detention in a Japanese prison camp in China, died Sunday, his agent said. He was 78."
• No-Drama Obama China Policy [JLM Pacific Epoch] There is no split in the Obama administration when it comes to China policy. Non-naïve, non-ideological, clear-eyed and serious engagement is where this relationship is headed. It looks like Obama will be coming to China after the APEC meetings in November. Look for the White House to use its star-power to reach out directly to the Chinese people.
• Porsche Introduces a Luxury Sedan to the Chinese Market [NY Times] "Company executives said that the car would start at $89,800 in the United States and more, sometimes much more, in countries with higher taxes. The turbo version with a V-8 engine will cost 2.5 million yuan, or $366,000, in China, which has stiff import taxes and heavy taxes on family vehicles with large engines."

• On Foot in the Mystical Mountains of Yunnan [NYTimes.com] "It was for a moment like this that I had made the long journey last fall to northern Yunnan Province from my home in Beijing — which has the dubious distinction of being both one of the most polluted and one of the most populous cities in the world. Back home, looking at a map of the rugged Tibetan areas of western China, my eyes had fallen on the deep river valleys of Yunnan, where three of Asia’s great waterways come tumbling down from their glacial sources in the mountains of the high Tibetan plateau."
• Getty’s $100,000 Tab for Chinese Photos Signals Bargain Time [Bloomberg.com] "Wang Qingsong’s theatrical, large- scale photographs have been a hit with collectors, rising in price to $864,943 from $40,000 since 2006. Now, with prices for Chinese contemporary art eroding, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has purchased three prints by Wang and six by Hai Bo, who contrasts photographs of friends and relatives taken during China’s Cultural Revolution with their recent portraits."
• Sichuan Earthquake Memorial Museum To Cost 2.3 Billion [chinaSMACK] "The complete plans for the Beichuan National Earthquake Ruins Museum that has been the subject of much attention by citizens from all walks of life have been released, with a preliminary budget requiring a ~2.3 billion yuan total investment/cost. The moment the design plan was introduced, it immediately caused huge amounts of heated discussion from all walks of life in society. Some netizens have questioned whether using vast amounts of money to construct a museum amounts to an “image project.”"

Now that the various politically sensitive anniversaries are over in the region, Tibet has been reopened to foreign tourists. China Daily said on Sunday that a group of 11 German travelers had arrived in Lhasa for a six-day tour and would be seeing various key scenic spots before leaving for Nepal. They are the first officially allowed visitors since February, near the start of the Tibetan New Year - which was unofficially boycotted by Tibetans over the government crackdown on riots last year. Source: AP

• 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."

According to several media reports, Xinhua has come out and said that separatists and supporters of the Dalai Lama had "fabricated" a video showing Chinese police officers brutally beating Tibetans after last year's riots. Though Xinhua didn't explicitly state the video, it's probably this one. Google has said it doesn't know the reason for the block, but "We are looking into it and working to ensure that the service is restored as soon as possible." So... we guess we won't be getting the 'tube back until either Youtube takes down the videos or Google finds some way to filter specific content from China IPs. Great.

• China Daily Assails Prisoner Abuses [NYTimes.com] "Inmates in China’s 2,700 pretrial detention centers suffer bullying and torture at the hands of fellow prisoners and police officers, and some experts want a neutral body to take the centers out of police control to curb the abuses, the state-run English-language newspaper, China Daily, reported on Tuesday."
• Safer Battery Technology Gives China an Edge in Developing Affordable Electric Cars [WSJ] "China’s government is beefing up support for the development of 'new energy' cars, because it thinks China can use electric vehicle technology to leapfrog into the forefront of the global auto industry."
• China spearheads surge in state-sponsored executions [The Independent] "Executions of prisoners almost doubled last year - predominantly because of the Chinese government - according to a report by Amnesty International. Death sentences handed down by China for crimes including tax evasion and bag-snatching represented three-quarters of the 2,390 executions carried out around the world, up from 1,252 in 2007. China's resumption of its death penalty programme comes after a dip in executions during the lead up to the Beijing Olympics that were held last year."

• Mandarin Chinese profanity [Wikipedia] "While many offensive words and expletives involve insulting someone's mother, it is also common to show contempt by scorning another person's ancestors. Other Mandarin insults accuse people of not being human. Unlike English, Mandarin words for excrement or feces are less commonly used in slang and insults. Also, there are few parallels to English's blasphemous phrases, such as 'God damn it'."
• NKorea premier ends China visit [AFP] North Korean Premier Kim Yong-Il Saturday wrapped up his first visit to China, which came two weeks before Pyongyang's planned launch of a satellite, the Xinhua news agency reported. Kim's visit, which began Tuesday, was his first since taking office in 2007 and was officially to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
• Earthquake Pandas Go Home (with video!) [BBC] "Eight young pandas have returned to their native Sichuan province, after being relocated to Beijing, following last year's earthquake. Large crowds turned out to visit the pandas on their last weekend in Beijing before they are flown back to Sichuan province. The pandas will have a new home in Sichuan province with indoor air conditioning and outdoor swimming pools."

• Graduates retreat to rural China [Financial Times] "The Communist party has a long tradition of sending young intellectuals into China’s vast rural hinterland, often causing terrible suffering and disastrous economic consequences. But Chinese officials and analysts insist that, this time, things are different."
• Taxi agents threatened with violence [Shanghai Daily] "Wu Runyuan, a spokesman for the Shanghai Traffic Law Enforcement Team, said illegal taxi drivers had bribed janitors and the owners of small stores near the watchdog's office to tip them off when the traffic law enforcement team was going out on a raid. 'We even found a makeshift GPS system had been installed by a worker under one of our cars while it was in for routine repairs, so illegal drivers knew where the vehicle was at all times,' Wu said. 'Again, he was paid to do it.'"
• Chinese airline chief goes missing [Financial Times] "The head of a privately owned Chinese airline has disappeared after takeover talks with flag-carrier Air China broke down and Beijing grounded its fleet. The case is raising fears of a trend towards renationalisation in some sectors in China as state groups use their clout to swallow struggling private competitors."

Danwei recently wrote an excellent post an on a new graphic novel we would love to get a peek at called Tibetan Rock Dog by rock star, Zheng Jun. Zheng Jun, combines his interest in animals, cartoons and music to create a graphic novel that he hopes will "give ourselves the decent childhood we missed, a deluxe childhood that a healthy, happy individual ought to have." Zheng Jun sees the graphic novel as a medium for adults to "enjoy the storied benefits of childhood."

• Karmapa softens stance on China [BBC] "The Karmapa Lama - Tibetan Buddhism's third-highest figure - has spoken of his admiration for Chinese culture. The comment made in an interview with the BBC Chinese Service suggested a willingness to co-operate with China. He said he backed the Dalai Lama's policy of seeking greater autonomy for Tibetans rather than independence, but blamed Beijing for deadlocked talks."
• ExxonMobil to build tech center in Shanghai [Forbes] "ExxonMobil Chemical Co., one of the world's biggest petrochemical companies, said Tuesday it plans to build a technology center in Shanghai to support its business in the region. The project will involve an initial investment of $70 million and the center will be opened in 2010, said the company."
• China, Taiwan grow closer with new surge in tourism [Reuters] "Taiwan has seen a sudden spike in tourism from China, as an effort by Beijing to improve ties helps its political rival battle recession with a long-sought boost to the service sector."

• Tibet's Tense Anniversary [Council on Foreign Relations] "China views Tibet as a backward, feudal, and superstitious society, which has progressed democratically and economically under Chinese rule. Yet human rights watchdog groups regularly cite Chinese abuses in Tibet."
• Lhasa peaceful and quiet on major Tibet anniversary [Xinhua] "The holy city of Lhasa was quiet and peaceful Tuesday, the day marking 50 years since Tibet's democratic reform and the 14th Dalai Lama's flee from his homeland... The life of the average Tibetans seems unaffected even under close watch by foreign press on this special date. There are as many taxies, pedicabs and buses on the roads as usual. Taxi and pedicab drivers, mostly migrants from the neighboring Sichuan Province and central Henan Province, would slam the horn when they saw a potential passenger at roadside."
• Heavy security as Tibetans mark Dalai Lama's exile [Reuters] "China tightened security across ethnic Tibetan areas on Tuesday, aiming to head off potential unrest on the sensitive 50th anniversary of a failed uprising that prompted the Dalai Lama's flight into exile."

• After 15 years, China Soccer Ceases Publishing [China Sports Review] "To adapt a new economic climate, we are to restructure our product. During the restructuring, China Soccer will temporarily cease publishing from March 10. Thank you, our readers, for your support all these years and being along with us."
• NBA May Benefit as China Boosts Sports Arena Plans [Bloomberg] "China’s 4 trillion yuan ($585 billion) of extra spending, announced in November, includes boosts for cultural and sports- related infrastructure. That’s prompting local governments to sound out the NBA about managing future stadiums, said Tim Chen, NBA China’s chief executive officer."
• China to Overcome Global Recession First, Rogers Says [Bloomberg] "China’s reserves allow the government to spend on projects that will make the nation more efficient and competitive as the global economy recovers, said Rogers, the author of 'A Bull in China: Investing Profitably in the World’s Greatest Market.' Signs China is taking steps to liberalize its currency will also benefit the country, he added."

Protesters have clashed with the police in a Tibetan-populated prefecture of Qinghai province. According to state media, dozens of angry people threw small explosive devices at police after a resident was stopped on the road for an identity check. Tensions in the area are running high, since tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of the failed Tibetan uprising. The state report did not say whether the protesters were Tibetan. Source: AFP

Our favorite body image distorting girls dolls have landed a new market to unrealistically represent: Tibet! 300 stylishly clad Tibetan Barbie dolls are now on display at an airport in Lhasa.

• Top Chefs Leave Jean-Georges, Head to HK [Cityweekend SH] "Former Jean-Georges Chef/Partner Eric Johnson and his right hand pastry man, Jason Casey, both veterans of Three on the Bund’s most luxurious dining destination, have wrapped up their multi-year stints under Jean-Georges Vongerichten and will launch their own restaurant, Union J, in a prime location in Hong Kong—on the 2nd floor above the California Club."
• Chinese displaced by Three Gorges Dam protest [AP] "More than 2,000 people displaced by construction of the Three Gorges Dam clashed with police in central China during a protest Wednesday over missing resettlement payments, leaving 30 protesters injured, a Hong Kong-based group said."
• Report: Zhang plans film to mark China anniversary [AP] ""Raise the Red Lantern" director Zhang Yimou plans to make a movie to mark the 60th anniversary of communist China, cementing his shift from a dissident to a government-favored artist. Zhang is still working on the script for the film, China Central Television reported Wednesday."

Shanghaiist reader Oliver Denton has been fact-checking the BBC over its recent story about Oasis canceling the China leg of their tour, which presumably happened because Noel Gallagher appeared at a Free Tibet Benefit Concert over a decade ago (as linked to in a previous post, the promoter insists it was for economic reasons).

• Organized crime ramps up film piracy efforts [Hollywood Reporter] How much terrorism have you funded? "Organized crime is taking on a larger role in film piracy, according to a new report from the RAND Corp. being released Tuesday. And though it could point to only a handful of examples where the profits from piracy have been used to support terrorist activities, the report warns that the terrorist connection could increase in the future."
• China food security 'grim' [Reuters] "A new food-safety law, approved on Saturday in an accelerated process since the milk scandal came to light in September, attempts to fix a fragmentary regulatory system which officials blame for recurring problems."
• China hails “online democracy” as Wen goes live on the Web [China Media Project] "So why do China’s leaders continue to talk about Internet technology as though it is an exciting and viable new alternative to that old-fashioned democratic technology — the voting booth? Because, at risk of sounding like a broken record, the Internet is the perfect distraction. It is a far-reaching medium symbolic of change that party officials can use to push the perception that political change is happening in China and that leaders are more responsive to citizens."

We told you the concerts were off. Now we know why (the band's version of why, at least): The boys from Manchester got Björked, and Liam didn't even get to touch his tambourine. According to a statement released by Oasis, China's Ministry of Culture deemed the band "unsuitable" for Chinese audiences (an no, not because of Heathen Chemistry). So why then? "Noel Gallagher appeared at a Free Tibet Benefit Concert on Randall's Island in New York in 1997."

• Rumor: MySpace to Close China Doors [JLM Pacific Epoch] "Recent rumors have said MySpace China may close down and withdraw from the Chinese market, reports DoNews. Unnamed sources said on Thursday that MySpace China may undergo major restructuring in the near future and adopt media as its new orientation."
• 'Reactionary' Ringtones Spark Arrests In Tibet [NPR] "Police in Tibet have swept markets in recent months looking for banned music. Chinese state media report that police have arrested several suspects for allegedly downloading to their cell phones music that the government considers 'reactionary.'"
• How much are those bronze heads really worth? [Danwei] "I have been studying China's old palace architecture for over 70 years. I think that two out of so many parts of the palace's enormous structure, the zodiac animal heads from the Old Summer Palace don't have much value in themselves. There is nothing remarkable about their cost or craftsmanship. They were just water faucets, and very coarse compared with other artifacts from the Old Summer Palace kept at Peking University and other places. These days, they can be easily manufactured at small factories in Beijing or Guangzhou. The artistic value is just not very high."

• China opens bidding on moon probe technology [Reuters]"China will open competitive bidding so that domestic schools and institutions can help build crucial parts of the country's moon exploration craft, an official newspaper said on Wednesday."
• China launches satellite TV channel to train students, teachers and migrant workers [Xinhua] China Education Television (CETV) is to open a new satellite channel to offer educational services and vocational training for primary and middle school students, teachers, and migrant workers beginning on March 2.

• Deadly sex story puts 2 bloggers in court [Shanghai Daily] "The widow of the late Chinese film director Xie Jin has filed a libel lawsuit against twin-brother bloggers for claiming her husband died while having sex with a prostitute."
• Beijing teen hot-wires bus, causes chaos [AP] "A 13-year-old boy apparently hot-wired a public bus and took it on a joyride in downtown Beijing and crashed it into a dozen vehicles in a scene witnesses likened to a blockbuster movie, state media reported Monday."
• China plans to launch its own 'Google Earth' [China Economic Net]"Compared with Google Earth, the pictures provided by the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping feature higher resolution and cover a wider range of national territory. As long as the place is not subject to significant security restrictions, online users can search wherever they want in the country."