Apologies for the cheesy Susan Boyle comparison in the video and the introduction of the song by a western singer before she launches into it. What impressed me the most about this lady was her great attitude.
Apr 10
minipost-Shanghai’s Singing Chicken Lady
Written by: Steve | Filed under:-mini-posts, culture, music, video | Tags:culture, music, Shanghai
1 Comment » newest
1 Comment » newest
In a Shanghai market, this lady selling chicken said, “If you buy more, I will sing a song for you” and launched into “Amazing Grace”. She’s from a rural village in Anhui province and doesn’t speak or read English. After she finished the song she said, “As long as everybody is happy.” (I hope this translation is correct. If not, please let me know)
Apr 10
minipost-[Translation] Greed Destroyed Bob Dylan’s Concert
Written by: Charles Liu | Filed under:-mini-posts, General, music, News | Tags:Bob Dylan, China, concert, media
24 Comments » newest
24 Comments » newest
Recently there were some news about cancelation of Bob Dylan’s concerts in China. Not surprisingly following the usual Western media narrative the dominate theme was the Chinese government had banned Bob Dylan because of censorship, Tibet, the usual.
However, the Chinese netters have been circulating a different story that appeared February this year (UPDATE: also covered by China Music Update in March). According to a music industry insider, Sun Mengjin, cancelation of Dylan’s China concerts had to do with the steep mark up by original concert rights holder (Brokers Brothers) rendering the concert not financially viable for local promoters, and out-of-control greediness in Chinese concert promotion industry:
Continue reading »
Apr 09
Lin Yu Chun is a contestant on Taiwan’s version of American Idol called Super Star Avenue. He’s quite young, a bit chubby with a bowl haircut, not the most likely candidate for stardom. But he does a dead on impersonation of Whitney Houston and has gone viral on You Tube with over 2 million… 5 million hits.
Apr 01
Political Prisoner?
Written by: Wukailong | Filed under:General, human rights, News, politics | Tags:CCP, government, human rights, politics
196 Comments » newest
196 Comments » newest
This is a follow-up to a post earlier this month, “A political prisoner in Sweden.” I promised to translate the text of the sentence from the original, and have finally finished proofreading and putting in comments.
NOTE: I’ve changed the name of the indicted to his initials (BM). The reason for this is that, despite what he might have done, I don’t want people to find it out just by searching his name. I’m publishing it so that interested people on this forum can use it as a reference.
Mar 26
A Brief History of the Sino-Indian Border Dispute and the role of Tibet
Written by: Maitreya Bhakal | Filed under:General | Tags:Aksai Chin, Arunachal Pradesh, Beijing, British India, China, China's Border disputes, Chinese, history, india, McMahon Line, Simla accord, Simla agreement, Sino-Indian border dispute, South Tibet, tibet, UK
172 Comments » newest
172 Comments » newest
On 3rd July 1914, as Ivan Chen made his way down the steps of the Summit Hall building in Simla, he must have been aware of mixed feelings rising up inside him. He had done something which would have far reaching repercussions; and which would for years be remembered by many people on both sides of the Sino-Indian border, albeit in very different ways – He had just left the Simla conference.
After refusing to sign the agreement himself, he was made to sit in a separate room, and behind his back, was signed one of the most controversial and bizarre treaties in human history – The Simla accord.
For over a century, the intricacies of the border between India and China/Tibet have baffled scholars. In fact, the plot leading to the Simla conference and beyond actually plays just like a thriller movie or book. The sheer complexity of this problem can be judged by the fact that 36 rounds of negotiations have taken place between India and China at different levels since 1981; but they have yet to reach a settlement.
Mar 23
minipost-Media hurdle to intercultural relations
Written by: guest | Filed under:-mini-posts, Analysis, media |
83 Comments » newest
By Bi Yantao (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-23
Updated: 2010-03-23
Amid the latest news that Google may soon pull out of China, some Western media outlets are once again criticizing the country’s Internet regulations and press freedom record.
Just as a Chinese scholar told a reporter from The Guardian, it’s the Western media that mainly instigated Western countries to adopt a hostile attitude toward China. That’s why Chinese scholars think the media have not only failed to promote international dialogue and world peace, but also have become a big obstacle to inter-cultural exchanges.
Continue reading »
Mar 21
One of the more interesting aspects of living in or marrying into another culture is to observe how that culture handles ordinary tasks in an entirely different way from what I had learned growing up in the States. I thought I’d list a few I had seen and see if anyone else can contribute their own. I’d like to hear from every cross cultural combination and from both the Chinese and non-Chinese viewpoints.
Mar 16
Is the Politiburo smoking weed?
Written by: Maitreya Bhakal | Filed under:General, media | Tags:Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, China, media, Telegraph
24 Comments » newest
24 Comments » newest
Surprised? No sir, this is not some comment which a random user made at an online forum. This is the question which The Telegraph poses to its readers, in a recently published article entitled – ‘Is China’s Politburo spoiling for a showdown with America?’.
Now, we are all aware of the severe Cold-Waresque bias against China in large parts of the Western media, amounting to literally a childlike obsession, but this article really takes the cake. The author, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, is in fact the international business editor of the newspaper!
But coming to think of it, in a way it also serves to be a bit of a laugh actually. Nothing beats a taste of good old British comedy. Who knows, we might be witnessing another Mr. Bean or David Brent in the making!
Mar 15
minipost-Letter: Appreciating the Yuen
Written by: guest | Filed under:-mini-posts, Analysis | Tags:China, US, Yuen
25 Comments » newest
25 Comments » newest
There are many articles/news on US accusing China not to appreciate the Yuen. After looking at the arguments from both sides, I have to agree with China.
Continue reading »
Continue reading »
Mar 14
“I am a moderate adviser” – Zhang Hong and the Hukou
Written by: Raj | Filed under:human rights, media, Opinion | Tags:censorship, China, freedom of speech, government, human rights, media, reform
36 Comments » newest
36 Comments » newest
Recently thirteen Chinese newspapers jointly released an editorial on the hukou system in China, in a coordinated attempt to press the National People’s Congress into revising and subsequently abolishing it. You can read the whole thing here in Chinese.
“China has suffered from the hukou system for so long. We believe people are born free and should have the right to migrate freely, but citizens are still troubled by bad policies born in the era of the planned economy and [now] unsuitable.”
However, after the editorial spread beyond its origins with those newspapers, Chinese censors apparently leapt into action (or were instructed to do so), and it was promptly removed from many websites. A special website set up by the Economic Observer to discuss hukou reform also disappeared. Furthermore, one of the co-writers of the editorial, Zhang Hong, was ousted from his position as deputy editor-in-chief from the Economic Observer’s website. It was also claimed that the Economic Observer received a warning from the CCP’s propaganda department. Continue reading »
Mar 13
minipost-Great wall vital for people’s rights
Written by: guest | Filed under:-mini-posts, Letters, Opinion, politics |
7 Comments » newest
(Bi Yantao’s Note: Mr. Yu Jianrong is an outspoken Chinese scholar, whom I highly appreciate. Last December I published a commentary to pay support for him when he received criticism from certain governmental officials. On March 11, 2010, People’s Daily published Mr. Yu’s essay entitled “Great wall vital for people’s rights”, which surprises me a bit considering the governmental nature of the paper. To a great degree, the publication of such a critical article in such a governmental newspaper signals the vitality and hope of China, which many China watchers have failed to capture.)
By Yu Jianrong
Social unrest and mass protests can be prevented if the abuse of power is checked and antiquated rules are appraised.
Continue reading »
Mar 10
Letter from a Chinese netizen to US President Barack Obama
Written by: guest | Filed under:Letters, Opinion |
157 Comments » newest
(Bi Yantao’s Note: Massive thanks to Dr. Sheng-Wei Wang, President of China-U.S. Friendship Exchange, Inc., for guiding me to this letter. In fact, this is the second letter I have came across from Chinese citizens to US President Barack Obama on US’s arms sale to Taiwan. Another letter is written by Mr. Tian Zhongguo, a Chinese veteran. I will not feel surprised if some Western people brush aside this letter by asserting it is masterminded by the Chinese authorities. )
Dear Mr. President,
I’ve heard that you care for the voices of web users. I’ve also noticed that you requested a direct dialogue with web users to answer their questions and concerns during your visit to China last November. Your attention to web users has encouraged me to write to you. I am an ordinary web user from China. What I want to talk to you about is the US’ arms sale to Taiwan, which has raised a heated discussion on the Internet in China. I sincerely hope this letter reaches you, and that you would be able to hear the voice of an ordinary Chinese web user and his wishes for reunification and peace and his nation.
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Mar 10
You Scratch My Back, but I Won’t Scratch Yours
Written by: Maitreya Bhakal | Filed under:Analysis, General, media, Opinion, politics | Tags:Aksai Chin, Arunachal Pradesh, British India, CCP, China, China's Border disputes, history, india, India vs China, McMahon Line, media, politics, Simla accord, Simla agreement, Sino-Indian border dispute, South Tibet, tibet
45 Comments » newest
45 Comments » newest
The two Asian Giants are still not able to figure out the line which divides them – in the longest running border dispute in modern history. This dispute offers interesting lessons on how to, and how not to, handle boundary issues. The analysis of Chinese behavior in the negotiations is doubly important given China’s perception in the west of it ‘flexing its muscles’, and China’s theory of ‘Peaceful Rise’.
About a century ago, Sir Henry McMahon, the then British Foreign Secretary, took a think red pencil and sketched a line between India and Tibet on a map – a line which has resulted in the two most populous nations in the world going to war, costing more than 2000 lives; and which has created enormous mistrust on both sides, especially in India.
Consequently, on 3rd July 1914 was signed one of the most bizarre and controversial agreements ever known to man – The Simla accord, the complexities of which have yet to be unraveled.
Continue reading »
Mar 09
minipost-Akmal Shaikh, Britain’s Double Standards and Lessons for India
Written by: Maitreya Bhakal | Filed under:-mini-posts, Analysis, human rights, media, News, Opinion, politics | Tags:akmal shaikh, capital punishment, death penalty, drug smuggling, government, hanging, india, lethal injection, media, nationalism, politics
5 Comments » newest
5 Comments » newest
The execution of a Britain in China for Drug Smuggling raises some interesting questions – including Britain’s integrity and significant lessons for Indian politicians.
Recently the news was packed with what they called the execution by the Chinese Government of a ‘mentally ill’ Britain. He was caught carrying 4 kgs of Heroin in China. His family (surprise surprise!) said that he was mentally ill. And then human rights groups, which are always more than ready to jump in on denouncing China, picked it up.
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Mar 08
A political prisoner in Sweden
Written by: Nimrod | Filed under:General |
69 Comments » newest
Remember Rebiya Kadeer, the ethnic Uighur woman in China who was alleged to have been in possession of some personal information on local Uighurs and sent those to her husband abroad? Remember how her husband, Sidik Rouzi, at the time was working in Washington, D.C., with the World Uighur Congress, a known separatist organization, and Radio Free Asia, the propaganda arm of the US government started by the CIA and chartered for the sole purpose of destabilizing foreign countries during the Cold War?
Poor Rebiya Kadeer, when she was convicted and sentenced in China for “leaking state secrets”, the indignant people accused China of prosecuting people for political crimes and “suppression”. Now, we learn of yet another poor old Uighur, this time a 62-year-old man named Babur Mehsut, who has been arrested and jailed for “unlawful acquisition and distribution of information relating to individuals for the benefit of a foreign power.”
In Sweden. The arrest was made by Säpo, that country’s secret service.
What was his crime? He passed some information about Uighurs abroad to some Chinese journalists. Right…
Continue reading »
Feb 28
minipost-Happy New Year and an Announcement
Written by: Allen | Filed under:-mini-posts, aside, General | Tags:Happy New Year
17 Comments » newest
17 Comments » newest
Feb 28
minipost-(Letter) Lanxiang Vocational’s Mistaken Identity Traced
Written by: guest | Filed under:-mini-posts, Analysis, News | Tags:Google, hacking, Lanxiang
16 Comments » newest
16 Comments » newest
New York Times recently revealed two schools in China might the be the source of recent Google attack – Jiaotong University (known for its accomplishment in international computing contests) and Lanxiang Vocational School (known for its poor student accommodations, tacky infomercial).
While I have no problem with reports connecting eggheads at Jiaotong University hacking Google, it puzzled me how a 3rd rate voc tech for high school dropouts was implicated. So I decided to dig a little deeper. Continue reading »
Feb 25
minipost-Written Interview with Kalon Tripa Prof. S. Rinpoche
Written by: guest | Filed under:-mini-posts, General, politics | Tags:dalai lama, tibet
66 Comments » newest
66 Comments » newest
Prof. Bi Yantao: Greetings! I am very happy for having this opportunity to ask on issues which are closely followed by the people inside China.
When looking at the Tibet issue, I pay special attention to the term “Greater Tibet”. I have repeatedly read the text of your statement on ‘Greater Tibet’ (including the English version). You said, “Tibet is Tibet. There is no greater or smaller Tibet”. However, the fact of the matter is, during the dialogue process between the Envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Beijing, the issue of one autonomous administration for all the Tibetan people has been raised. Obviously, it seeks to unify Tibetan areas in Sichuan, Yunnan and Qinghai Provinces into the present day Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Given the size of administration, it is indeed a ‘Greater Tibet’. Therefore, on account of that, the ‘Greater Tibet’ which Beijing asserts is not wrong because the reference was made from the present status of Tibet. You have, on one hand opposed the usage of word ‘Greater’ as in ‘Greater Tibet’, while on the other hand, maintained that ‘size should not matter whether big or small’. Are not these two statements contradictory?
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Feb 13
minipost-Universal Rights as National Identity?
Written by: Allen | Filed under:-mini-posts, aside, General, Opinion, politics | Tags:human rights, nationalism, universal rights
25 Comments » newest
25 Comments » newest
Going along with my intention to write about things that are lighter during this New Year’s season, I’d like to share with you an article I came across Time magazine today. The article is titled Why France’s National Identity Debate Backfired. Here is a short excerpt. Continue reading »
Feb 11
(Guest post) The difference in the Indian and Chinese governments’ approach towards Separatism and Development – and what they can learn from each other
Written by: Maitreya Bhakal | Filed under:Analysis, human rights, Opinion, politics | Tags:dissent, insurgency, Maoism, nationalism, Naxal, racism, riot, separatism, Sino-Indian relations
48 Comments » newest
48 Comments » newest
While the Chinese government prefers development over human rights (like freedom of religion and speech), the Indian government, while guaranteeing these rights, neglects development.
Both India and China face the problems of separatism. Indian Naxalite movements and the recent riots and uprisings in Xinjiang and Tibet further highlights the need for respective governments to tackle the issue seriously.
Continue reading »
Feb 08
minipost-Happy New Year, Chen Shui-Bian?
Written by: Allen | Filed under:-mini-posts, Analysis, economy, General, Opinion | Tags:chen shui bian, China, economy, Mainland, taiwan
99 Comments » newest
99 Comments » newest
As the Chinese New Year approaches, I think I should write some lighter posts. So here is something funny I stumbled across on WSJ’s China Realtime Report: Continue reading »
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