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Message from hmartinez

I am not sure that my post should be under this heading but I will post it anyway. As some may or may not be aware, the bee population in America is facing extinction. The desease is known as CCD (Community Collapse Disorder). It works almost as an AIDS virus in the bee communities and its affect on humans is that fewer of the crops we come to depend on are not getting pollinated. Now the US is hard on the trail of trying to save the bees we do have left, however guess who has faced this extinction and has now learned to cope without these pollinators? If you said China, you would be right. Apparently back in the late 1800's and early 1900's a province of northern Sichoun (spelling may be off) decided to continue their use of pesticides over their crops and as a result all the bees were wiped out. Today, the Chinese farmers use a method of pollinating. It is a method in which they (humans) play the role of the bees. If the US had to do without bees we are looking at a cost of nearly 90 billion dollars to do it ourselves, so the US government is well aware of the importance to save the bees and hopefully now you do to.
More at www.pbs.org

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Message from rgordon

"Once again, I am surprised at the swift, non-debatable action of the government and at the resigned and trusting attitude of China's citizens. It is certainly a different country from the U.S.!" reads this post. But is this attitude changing, and if it is, what role is the Internet itself playing in this change?

rueben gordon

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Message from jchavez

Add locusts to China's list of calamities
Riots -- check. Earthquake -- check. Flood -- check. Plague -- check. Such a concentration of woes in this high-profile year has fanned rumors and superstition.
By Mark Magnier, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 3, 2008
BEIJING -- First there was the freak snowstorm in February. Then the Tibetan riots in March. Then in rapid succession the controversial torch relay, Sichuan earthquake, widespread flooding and an algae bloom that's tarnishing the Olympic sailing venue. Just when it seemed that nothing else could go wrong this year in China, the locusts arrived.

Locusts? What is going on here? The litany of near-biblical woes would seem to lack only a famine, frogs and smiting of the first born.

The Middle Kingdom's parade of problems has threatened to put a major damper on China's anticipated moment of glory less than five weeks before the start of the 2008 Beijing Games.

"This sure has been a weird year," said Ma Zhijie, 20, who works in a coffee shop. "There are so many disasters, it's hard to know what's happening."

Authorities have been working overtime to tackle, contain and spin their way out of each new setback. But the volume of calamities this year would challenge any government, let alone one that has staked so much on pulling off the perfect Olympic Games.

This week, China sent out an all-points bulletin for exterminators. About 33,000 professional pest killers were quickly dispatched to Inner Mongolia in hope of preventing a cloud of locusts from descending on Beijing during the Games.

The vermin apparently hatched a month early because of warmer-than-usual weather and already have eaten their way through 3.2 million acres of grassland in three areas of the countryside. With the capital only a few hundred miles away and the Chinese leadership in no mood to take chances, about 200 tons of pesticide, 100,000 sprayers and four aircraft have been thrown into this battle against the bugs.

the article goes on

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Message from jchavez

China tightens visa restrictions as Olympics near
Instead of the anticipated crush of visitors, tourism is down and some observers fear the restrictions may present a long-term business obstacle.
By Barbara Demick, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 1, 2008
BEIJING -- It was a farewell dinner, Chinese-style.

A dozen people seated around a large table awkwardly picked up morsels of food from a revolving platter and sipped from tall bottles of room-temperature beer. There was a joyless quality to the evening as the dozen or so assembled guests, Britons, Canadians and Americans who had come to China to teach English, contemplated their imminent departure on account of visa restrictions.


Businesses in China take a pre-Olympics hit
"I tell them not to say they're being deported," said Diana Wan, manager of the Shane English School. "This is Chinese government policy. There is nothing we can do about it until after the Olympics."

As the Summer Olympics draw near, foreigners are discovering that the welcome mat they had expected is being abruptly rolled up. Thousands of foreigners have been kicked out before today's deadline as a result of tough new visa policies. Those forced to leave include nondiplomatic support staffers at embassies, migrant workers, freelance writers, artists and students.

Exactly how many foreigners must leave China remains unclear because the government has released minimal information about the changes in visa policy. About 110,000 foreigners are registered as Beijing residents, and about the same number are living and working in the capital with tourist, student or investor visas. Many of those visas expired at the end of June and will not be renewed.

At the same time, most Chinese embassies and consulates are no longer issuing visas with more than 30-day validity and prospective tourists now have to show hotel reservations, plane tickets and other documentation.

Among the persona non grata are many young Westerners attracted by low rents, a lively cafe and bar scene and the buzz of living behind the former Iron Curtain, qualities that made Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, an expatriate favorite last decade.

"We wanted to get into the way of life here," said 24-year-old Natan Doyon, who moved from Britain last year with his girlfriend to teach English to Chinese children. He says his pupils were so upset when he told them he couldn't renew his visa that they begged, "Don't go. We'll help you hide."

He and his girlfriend now plan to try Vietnam.

So many English teachers are being forced to leave that many of the private language schools, the rage lately for children of the upwardly mobile, are closing down for the summer. With only three native English speakers left on its staff, Shane is cutting its summer camp in half and might curtail its fall program. Shane, which is owned by a British chain, advertises that it provides native English speakers.

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Message from ddiaz

I caught most of this documentary hosted by Ted Koppel on Discovery. It seems that in lieu of the Olympics alot of programming (and movies) are being geared towards CHina. Koppel decided to focus on the economy of China which is good since most people (including myself) struggle to grasp just how communist China is. Part one of the doc. show how China's economy is growing-basically becoming the world's factory. The second part of the documentary, called "MAOism v. MEism" explains how China's growing economy is resulting in massive migration to industrialized centers (I believe the city was Chongquing), which in turn is resulting in old norms being challenged, including many communist beliefs. Did anyone else catch the show? Any opinions? I think this would be great for a economics class.

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Message from nblade

I read an article in the LA Times some months ago that approximately 25% of the smog that gets trapped in the L.A. basin is from China. If this is accurate it is quite disturbing. This shows that China's growth is affecting our health because of their lack of environmental regulations.

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Message from anicolai

I also noticed this show and TVO'd it. The third show talks about "the void left by communism and Confucianism." However I haven't been able to watch it yet. I will let you know about my reaction.

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Message from anicolai

HBO is showing a documentary this week called China's Stolen Children. According to the show, 70,000 children are stolen or kidnapped. So many, in fact, that the government can't keep up and there are private "missing children" finders. The problem comes from the one child policy. People want children and can't legally have them, so they buy them. Organized crime is involved. You have to be 20 to get married, and have to be married to get a permit, and have to have a permit to legally have a baby. If the baby is illegal, he/she can't go to school, etc. The show follows one such unregistered baby's parents' search plus some others. Because of the one child policy, females are aborted leading to an imbalance in numbers between the sexes. The child that was stolen that was the primary focus was a boy. The husband's parents, he said, can't forgive him for destroying their hopes for the future. The wife's mom was watching the child so she has feelings she can't resolve. It's all very tragic and interesting. It really sheds a lot of light on the implications of the one child policy.

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Message from ddiaz

Two Killed in Bus Explosions in China

I assume that their are many Chinese citizens who are upset with thier government, but I can't recall having heard anything about terrorist organizations within China. Today, in Kunming, two explosions happened on two different buses injuring 14 and killing 2. Authorities believe it may be the work of Islamic separatists in China!!! Should I be shocked by this? It makes sense that some people in China would be islamic, after all there is a major islamic influence in that area, but I just never put two and two together. Has anyone heard any mention of terrorist groups within China?

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Message from jchristensen

From now until the completion of the Para Olympics, Beijing drivers will drive their cars on alternate days to cut down on emissions. Starting last Monday, owners of cars with license plates ending with odd numbers could drive, on Tuesday, cars with plates ending in even numbers could be on the road. Beijing opened 3 new subways last weekend. For over a month, cars and trucks from areas outside Beijing have been denied access to the city. The manufacturing industry stopped all production two months ago. All building and construction is on hiatus as well.

The smog emissions have dropped since 1 July, but air quality is still poor when measured by Western standards.

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Message from dcolato

I was googling the USC China Institute and found this interesting 2007 article with a nice caricature of Clay:

http://www.lacitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/?id=6013&IssueNum=219

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Message from kkulish

In the NYTimes today, 18 Oct 2008, is the article, "Wary of Islam, China Tightens a Vise of Rules" is a piece about the imposition of rules and ability of people to adehere to their muslim faith.
Communist Party members are barred from entering a mosque.
The government says the rules are a life and death struggle.
Interesting reading as China changes and grows.


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/world/asia/19xinjiang.html?hp
[Edit by="kkulish on Oct 21, 7:25:38 PM"][/Edit]

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Message from dcolato

In today's San Fernando Valley Edition of the Daily News (page A13) there was a report that in order to make inroads abroad Wal*mart is moving to open stores in small rural areas in China. While this seems odd, these "small" cities can have a population of millions. Initially I thought the store would be a smaller version, but once I read about the size of the cities I had to readjust my thinking and remember that population size is a matter of perspective in China. 4 million in the city of Loudi might seem big compared to other countries, but not in China.

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Message from anicolai

By chance I stumbled upon a series of lectures being given at ucla (sorry Clay & you USC types) in its World History Colloquium. http://www.history.ucla.edu/news-events/colloquiums-conferences/world-history-colloquium. Scholarly papers are available for download. You can still catch some of the meetings since they go on for the rest of October. One the papers you can download is "Imagining Pre-Modern China.

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

Contemporary Chinese art is hot. Auction prices are rising and the number of exhibitions is growing. This blog includes links to many exhibitions. It isn't updated as often as it could be, but I think that you may find the existing posts and links to exhibitions interesting:

http://www.chinesevisualculture.com/

One of the highlighted galleries trades on the fame of the 798 art district:
http://www.798avantgallery.com/ Click on the artist link to be able to see slides of their work.

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

I've noted the GlobalPulse web resource from Link TV in the web resources section. Here's a sample from GlobalPulse. They put together a five minute segment that starts with the Stephen Colbert question. Is China our friend or our enemy? Here's the video:

http://www.linktv.org/video/1363

It focuses on how China shot down, unannounced, one of its own satellites.

Here's a segment from our recent documentary which focuses on China's military buildup:
http://china.usc.edu/ShowArticle.aspx?articleID=1194[Edit by="Clay Dube on Dec 9, 5:08:02 PM"][/Edit]

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Message from jbakody

It appears someone in China has a sense of humor more than half a year after the earthquake. A Yahoo article in a December 23, 2008 post, tells an amusing tale of a famous animal in China. The May earthquake in China, the 7.5 magnitude Sichuan shaker, had many devastating effects. But it also resulted in some lighter moments. A pig survived, buried, for 36 days, under rubble and trash. It lived by eating charcoal and drinking rain water. As a result it was voted top honors, in an online poll, of animals “who moved China” this year, according to the weekend edition of the China Daily. Other top animals included a dog that guarded its elderly owner when he was sick and even accompanied him to the hospital, and a cat that almost died of grief when its partner was run over by a car.
An unintended consequence of the pig’s fame, named Zhu Jianqiang (Strong Pig) is that the pig has become fat, lazy and bad-tempered. People visit the pig at a museum but it has become increasingly ungrateful. It’s keepers say it has become fatter and lazier by the day. It used to be taken for walks but now it has become too fat for that exercise. It also blocks people from entering its living quarters.

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Message from shartmann

I found the link Clay provided in GlobalPulse to be very interesting, and I liked Colbert's description of the US and China as Frenemies. I also found it interesting that the BBC did a segment on Bush's trade sanctions regarding China and the emphasis on copyright piracy. It always surprises me how often Hollywood influences politics.

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

The protection of intellectual property is a big issue in the US-China relationship and in China's dealings with other countries. Here is a comical look at some interesting marketing tricks:

Mirror article from Jan. , 2009

This isn't new. I've got a SANY cassette tape from about 1984.

This was discussed in our documentary on US-China relations. Here's a link to that segment and to a page with speeches, reports, and more:

Tensions over Trade (part 2 of "Election '08 and the Challenge of China")

And here is an article from the current issue of US-China Today which examines the problem.

No Brand Names?

What do your students think about piracy? Did the movie producers efforts to stem illegal downloads affect their perception of this (you've seen the trailers -- "illegal downloading is stealing")? Is defending intellectual property important?

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

Hi Folks --
In April 2006, it was a great privilege to travel with a group of Palos Verdes Peninsula teachers to China. We staggered into Shanghai and on our final note, guess who else showed up? The Rolling Stones played in the sports arena just across from the Huating Hotel where we were staying. None of us got to attend the show, but a couple of us made our way to the backstage area (stunningly little security) and Becky managed to get a poster. Back at the hotel, a number of attendees were talking about the show. It seems that mostly it was an ex-pat audience.

Here's a photo that Augapfel took at the concert. He posted it on Flickr with the "creative commons" option permitting it to be used for noncommercial purposes.

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

The stories from Xinjiang this week are grim. Ethnic divisions born of repression and inequality set the stage for the violence that has erupted this week. A protest demanding police attention into the deaths of two Uighurs in Guangdong province turned bloody on Sunday. There have subsequently been assaults by both Uighurs and Han. The government has tried to manage news coverage in the region. Net connections were cut and journalists were herded into convoys for "field trips" to see burned out buses, etc. Unlike Tibet, no special permission is required to travel to Xinjiang, so more foreign journalists were able to reach the region.

Here are a few teaching resources:
SPICE - Ethnic Minorities in China
http://spice.stanford.edu/catalog/ethnic_minority_groups_in_china/

From Silk to Oil (free download)
http://www.chinainstitute.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&PageID=577

Interesting video: On a Tightrope
http://www.onatightrope.org/

Please suggest useful resources and please discuss how you teach about crucial subjects such as ethnic social divisions, nation-making, and human rights.

*******
*******
While the details of the current unrest and efforts to calm it are necessarily incomplete, much is known about region's history and composition. We've had several workshops for teachers on Islam in China. Our next is Sept. 12, 2009. Contact Miranda Ko at mirandak@usc.edu to sign up.

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

Louisa Greve of the National Endowment for Democracy wrote this short review for her colleagues. She's permitted me to post it to the forum.

"On a Tightrope:" Uyghur orphans in a dust-blown city of 200,000. Kids learning the Uyghur tradition of tightrope-walking performances, kids playing schoolyard games, kids singing songs about safeguarding the unity of the motherland and loving the Party as one's mother and father (all this in 2006 or so). Religion is central: multiple scenes of kids shouting in unison their school pledge with the central theme, "we will not practice religion," in accordance with legislation that outlaws anyone under the age of 18 being exposed to religion or religious practice, including by their own parents. Yet in casual conversations on camera, Allah came up more than once. All the classes filmed were taught in Uyghur, which means the film may already be a relic of bygone days, since current gov't policy is pushing to make Chinese the medium of instruction in every elementary school classroom. (Uyghur was already banned several years ago in universities, complete with book-burning to clear out unneeded Uyghur-language textbooks). Depressing, no question, with brief relief in a few touching moments and some sunny individual personalities.

The Endowment hosted an event in May on "East Turkestan: 60 Years Under the People's Republic."
_______________________________
Louisa Greve
Director for East Asia
National Endowment for Democracy
1025 F Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20004-1409 USA
+1 202 378-9700 (phone)
+1 202 378-9573 (direct line)
+1 202 378-9403 (fax)

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

Hi Folks,

Chinese firms are acquiring foreign assets. This acquisition, though, occurred only in the minds of those twisted talented people at The Onion. (My favorite article is about the young lad who has memorized the 26-character alphabet, what's yours?

http://www.theonion.com/content/index

(Presumably there's a permanent link to the 7/20/2009 frontpage somewhere.)

Some articles:

Andy Rooney (or maybe not): http://www.theonion.com/content/video/china_s_andy_rooney_has_some?utm_source=a-section
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/potato_faced_youngster_lauded_for

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/american_consumer_masses_agree_it?utm_source=a-section

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/china_strong?utm_source=a-section

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Message from gkhatkar

It takes a long long time for the resigned and trusting attitude of the people to change-it is a slow maturing process. The change comes with education and awareness of alternate ways and acceptance of varied attitudes. People have a tendency to frustrate and give up in the face of severe opposition.

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

While conditions for most women in China are much better than they were in 1949 or 1979, it's clear that there has been a roll back in real determination to remedy gender discrimination. With China's economic rise, some women have become fantastically rich and powerful. These are often the daughters of powerful officials, but there are exceptions. One of the richest women is Zhang Yin. She became one of the giants in the recycling business. Here's a NY Times article about her:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/15/business/worldbusiness/15iht-trash.4211783.html

Other women are (as those in our seminars know) going into a wide variety of businesses, especially in the service industries (restaurants, beauty salons, and so on).

But in the corporate sector, discrimination remains common. Job advertisements specify that height, weight, and looks are important qualifications. Rich men are taking on girlfriends, and in some cases, men from Taiwan or Hong Kong have dual families, one in their native place and one on the mainland.

Newsweek's Duncan Hewitt uses recent news stories about official support for underage prostitution and other abuses to launch a good discussion of women's position in China today. It errs a bit in being too negative, but his points are well made. What do you think?

http://www.newsweek.com/id/209954/page/1

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

US-China Today has published several interactive graphics that you may find useful and might wish to refer your students to.

1) Map of Africa
This map shows Chinese investments in Africa, recent visits there by Chinese leaders, and Confucius Institutes established there.
http://www.uschina.usc.edu/ShowFeature.aspx?articleID=3436
(scroll down to see the map)

2. Map of Latin America
This map shows two way trade between China and various Latin American countries. It also shows the recent visits to the region by Chinese leaders.
http://www.uschina.usc.edu/ShowFeature.aspx?articleID=3814
(scroll down to see the map)

3. Map of China
This map shows the population of Chinese provinces and regions. Through color coding it indicates population density.
http://www.uschina.usc.edu/ShowFeature.aspx?articleID=3136

4. Chart -- Chinese Ownership of U.S. Federal Government Debt
This chart shows how China's share of American treasury notes has risen over the years.
http://www.uschina.usc.edu/ShowFeature.aspx?articleID=4105

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

We've been encouraging teachers and others to utilize Peter Hessler's Oracle Bones with students to learn about the realities of life in China today. These include migration, gender issues, job insecurity, and more. Here is a link to Fora.tv's version of Hessler's 2006 CSPAN-recorded presentation. It opens with a commercial, then you can navigate to various topics. Fora.tv is technically quite impressive and the video quality is usually better than it is on this segment.

http://fora.tv/2006/05/15/Peter_Hessler

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Message from ehernandez

"Once again, I am surprised at the swift, non-debatable action of the government and at the resigned and trusting attitude of China's citizens. It is certainly a different country from the U.S.! "

Really, as if Americans question every action their government takes. I don't disagree with the premise that China is a totalitarian state but rather with the assumption that we somehow live in an enlightened state where everything is democratic and there is an informed populace. The United States is in many ways more repressive simply because it has fooled its population into believing that the government has their best interests at heart. The world laughs at how naive Americans are and how we fail to challenge our government. At least the Chinese people have stood up and challenged the establishment many times and shed blood in the process on all sides. We think we protest here when we march and chant slogans in front of cameras. The Chinese have done way more with no one in world paying attention.

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Message from abergman

I was reading the current talking points about the 60th anniversary of the 1949 founding of the People’s Republic and I am reminded of how China's current government is so young. Listening to Clay speak last week about old and young nations was interesting. I was one of the ones who voted that America was a young nation. However, compared with only 60 years, we are quite old. It's a reminder that not everything lasts forever, so who knows what holds for our future. I think this would be an interesting comparison in the classroom and a good bridge into China's culture.
On the art front, the massive Monument to the People’s Hero’s in the center of the Tiananmen square, which, features relief sculptures of key moments in China’s official revolutionary history sounds fascinating and would be a good piece for me to bring up when talking to my students about sculptures.

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Message from dcolato

I've just seen some commercials that deal with products with the statement "made in China." In the commercial it emphasizes the tag "made in china..with engineering from Germany" and another "made in china, with product from South America" or something. It's an interesting point to bring to light especially with all the focus on poor quality control articles coming from China these days.

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

Back in 1978, historian Michael Godley wrote about China's first world's fair. It was in Nanjing in 1910. The article "China's World's Fair of 1910: Lessons from a Forgotten Event" begins:

****
FROM before the turn of the century, the great powers held large commercial, industrial and technological exhibitions to show off the fruits of progress and to give their citizens a glimpse of where civilization was headed. World fairs thus provided one window into the future. But it must be remembered that such events also constructed monuments to their own era-an age when jingoism and a paradoxical recognition of the shrinking nature of the globe coexisted before the road to war.
In the final analysis, the grand exposition, with its curiosity about other peoples and nations and its faith nonetheless that mechanical invention would soon make everyone much the same, was a place where imperialists met in thinly disguised competition. How strange it must seem, then, to learn that the last Chinese dynasty, having just discovered the power of nationalism, attempted an international exposition of its own in the summer of I9IO at the same time that the 'Festival of
Empire Exhibition' was booked into London's famed Crystal Palace.

Of course, the 'Nanking South Seas Exhibition' never attained the scale or fame of the grandiose foreign efforts of the epoch. Although the Chinese managed to attract fourteen other nations and to construct a good number of buildings in an impressive
array of architectural designs, the fair was not a complete success. Fortunately, historical significance is a far more relative judgement. In perspective, the Chinese undertaking was as important as the Columbian exposition or the affairs behind British glass because it, too, served as a landmark.

Modern Asian Studies, 197812:3, pp. 503-522.
****

What have you read about the 2010 Shanghai Expo? What is the point of such fairs? Do you know of any important developments tied to such fairs? Does the upcoming expo offer teachers any useful "hooks" or themes to take up with students?

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Message from lclark

Mr. Nelson Liu, a licensed acupuncturist and the father of one of my students, Jason Liu, told me over a week ago about a television series that has been pulled from broadcasting in the PRC because of its controversial presentation of the housing crisis in cities like Shanghai and the complicity of corrupt city officials in profiteering from this shortage. The series, which is approximately thirty hours in its entirety, is entitled Wo Ju (Snail House). Mr. Liu said his wife was able to buy a DVD of the entire series at a video store in Monterey Park. On Monday, 12/21/09, he called to alert me to an article on the subject in that morning's LA Times. The article by John M. Glionna, "China plucks popular 'Snail House' TV show off the air," details the controversy and reactions from Chinese viewers.

One of the most controversial aspects of the series is its focus on the fangnu or "mortgage slaves": young women who become mistresses of government officials in order to secure a place to live. (Apparently young Chinese college graduates and professionals cannot even afford to rent in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.) The "mortgage slave" image may sound like something from a Pearl Buck novel but here's what a Beijing blogger named Beifing says: "The show is famous because it shows a lot of things from real life like being a mortgage slave or mistress. These problems are the problems that people voice. So the government will definitely be sensitive to a show that touches on them." The government response, according to the Times, is that Snail House creates a "vulgar and negative social impact by hyping porn jokes, corrupt officials and sex to woo viewers."

But another internet poster writes, "[The series] is being criticized . . . because all those officials who always talk about morality and righteousness are scared! The more they denounce it, the more corrupted they are!" Another writes, "My situation is exactly the same as [the series]. From the time I wake up, every breath I take, I have to make at least [$70] per day. That's the cost for me to live in this city. All those numbers make me suffocate!"

A young teacher named Selena Liu (no relation to my student or his father) says, "It's a reflection of our real life. In the show, the people work so hard but still can't buy a house. The government doesn't like the show because young people watch it and become even more depressed." A young homemaker, Zhang Han, apparently became a fan of the show and now that it has been canceled she is reading the book on which it was based. "Compared to what I'm reading, the TV was clean," she told Glionna. "The book is very dirty." (Anyone who has read Yu Hua's epic novel Huo zhe [To Live] and then watched Zhang Yimou's politically bowdlerized film version knows that contemporary writers in the PRC enjoy considerably more license than filmmakers do in the area of political commentary and satire.)

Mr. Liu has offered to lend me his copy of Snail House when he and his family are finished watching it. Unfortunately, his version does not have English subtitles. A question for Clay (or anyone else who might know): is there a subtitled version available? And if there is, how can we find it?

Leigh Clark
Monroe High School[Edit by="lclark on Dec 25, 10:01:17 PM"][/Edit]
[Edit by="lclark on Dec 25, 10:05:51 PM"][/Edit]

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Message from lclark

In the "World" section of the Los Angeles Times for Tuesday, December 29, the article by Beijing correspondent John M. Glionna, "China Executes British Smuggler," focuses on the fate of Akmal Shaik, the first European to be executed in China in half a century (according to British activists). Shaik, a British citizen, was arrested in 2007 on a flight from Tajikistan to Urumqi, a city in China's northwestern province of Xinjiang, and charged with transporting almost nine pounds of heroin in a suitcase. He was executed in Urumqi on December 29. Although the PRC is adopting lethal injection as the preferred method of execution, the article speculates that Shaik, in provincial Urumqi, was probably dispatched the traditional way: shot in the head. The article says the PRC executes an estimated 5,000 people a year, more than all other countries combined. (No source is cited, or even alluded to.) Capital crimes include pornography, corruption and drug smuggling. British supporters claim Shaik suffered from bipolar disorder and was trying to write a song about world peace. Shaik himself claimed he was duped into drug trafficking by men who promised him a recording contract. Various people tried to intervene before the execution, including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who spoke with the PRC Prime Minister about the case.

The US was quick to weigh in with opinions. "The case certainly sends a message that China is not interested in international opinion when it comes to criminal cases," opines Joshua Rosenzweig with the US-based prisoners'-rights group Dui Hua Foundation. But Christopher Stone with the Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard counters, "Westerners have a long and disreputable history of seeking exemption from Chinese law for their nationals engaged in drug dealing, going back to the Opium Wars of the 19th Century." According to Teng Biao, a professor of political science and law at China University, most Chinese citizens accept the government's argument that capital punishment acts as a disincentive to lower crime rates. Professor Biao quotes a pithy proverb to illustrate his point: "Kill a chicken, scare off the monkey."

There is abundant historical evidence, of course, especially from 18th-century France and Britain, that no matter how many chickens are killed, and no matter how brutally, capital punishment does not deter impoverished monkeys from committing crimes and may, in fact, make them more ruthless in the commission of those crimes. Britain, a nation that has abolished capital punishment, certainly has a right to criticize the PRC's practice. The US, which continues to practice capital punishment at its own discretion, does not. In fact, as the former world economic leader, the US may very well have set a poor but influential example of how to use all that economic muscle it once had. As teachers know very well, people pay more attention to what you do than what you say or profess.

Leigh Clark
Monroe HS[Edit by="lclark on Jan 18, 10:22:26 PM"][/Edit]

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Message from lclark

The Person of the Year is actually Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke (!). In the issue that announces his selection (December 25-January 04), the reason given is that Bernanke is "the most important player guiding the world's most important economy." Well, okay. But then we turn to the Short List. #2 is Afghan Warlord Stanley McChrystal. But #3 is--surprise of surprises--the Chinese Worker! Given the usual anti-Chinese rhetoric of US media (standard bearers for "the world's most important economy"), it is amazing that the Chinese Worker came in at #3 on the Short List. Even more amazing is what Chinese workers actually did: protect the eight. The Chinese for "protect the eight," according to Time, is baoba. The "eight" is the 8% annual growth rate PRC officials regard as critical for the country's development. The fact that China was able to accomplish this in 2009, of all years, is nothing short of phenomenal. Even Time is moved to describe China as "the world's fastest-growing major economy" (not to be confused with "the world's most important economy").

The article provides short biographies of five factory workers in Shenzhen, an industrial city of 12 million on the edge of China's southeast border, not far from Hong Kong. The five are all young and from smaller provincial cities: Deng Tao (21, Chengde, Hunan), Li Chunying (34, Shaoyang, Hunan), Qiu Xiaoyuan (26, Meizhou, Guangdong), Cao Bin (20, Chengdu, Sichuan) and Peng Chunxia (21, Shaoyan, Hunan). Their stories are also rather similar. They came to Shenzhen seeking excitement or better wages and found both. Some would like to go home if they could afford it, like Li Chunying, who has been doing factory work since she was 16. Some, like Qiu Xiaoyuan, dream of opening a small shop one day. "You can't do [factory work] for your entire life," she admits. However, most are content with a six-day workweek. One day of leisure a week is not much. But, as Peng Chunxia says, "There is work to do."

These are the people who drive China's awe-inspiring economy, the ones who actually make it happen, not the draconian Communist overlords of the American popular, Fox News-driven imagination. So kudos to Time for revealing something of the truth of the Chinese economy for average American readers.

Leigh Clark
Monroe High School

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Message from dmunoz

I heard that in Taiwan, elderly people believe that dogs should be hanged and cats should be thrown in rivers. This way they will take away the bad luck. Death is not good and they want to be away from them. If they are taken in the river bad spirits or death will not return. Younger Taiwanese believe that this is harmful to the environment and criticize this act.

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
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Message from Clay Dube

One of the most astute observers of revolutionary China was a diplomat who used the pen name Simon Leys. I highly recommend his book Chinese Shadows. In 1989 he published an essay, "The Chinese attitude toward the past." It was reprinted in 2008 by the web journal China Heritage Quarterly. The journal itself is a great resource. This is a wonderful essay. Let me share two paragraphs from it:

    "The presence of the past is constantly felt in China. Sometimes it is found in the most unexpected places, where it hits the visitor with added intensity: movie-theatre posters, advertisements for washing machines, televisions or toothpaste displayed along the streets are expressed in a written language that has remained practically unchanged for the last two thousand years. In kindergarten, toddlers chant Tang poems that were written some twelve hundred years ago. In railway stations the mere consultation of a train timetable can be an intoxicating experience for any cultural historian: the imagination is stirred by these long lists of city names to which are still attached the vivid glories of past dynasties. Or again, in a typical and recent occurrence, archaeologists discovered in a two thousand year old tomb, among the foodstuff that had been buried with the deceased, ravioli which were in any respect identical to those that can be bought today in any street-corner shop. Similar examples could be multiplied endlessly.

    "Yet, at the same time, the paradox is that the very past which seems to penetrate everything, and to manifest itself with such surprising vigour, is also strangely evading our physical grasp. This same China which is loaded with so much history and so many memories is also oddly deprived of ancient monuments. In the Chinese landscape, there is a material absence of the past that can be most disconcerting for cultivated Western travellers.... In China, on the contrary, if we except a very small number of famous ensembles (the antiquity of which is quite relative), what strikes the educated visitor is the monumental absence of the past. Most Chinese cities - including, and especially those which were ancient capital cities or prestigious cultural centres - present today an aspect that may not look exactly new or modern (for, if modernisation is a target which China has now set for itself, there is still a long way to go before it can be reached), but appears strangely devoid of all traditional character. On the whole, they seem to be a product of late 19th century industrialisation. Thus, the past which continues to animate Chinese life in so many striking, unexpected or subtle ways, seems to inhabit the people rather than the bricks and stones. The Chinese past is both spiritually active and physically invisible."



I love the notion that the past is within people and not evident in the landscape. You can read the essay at: http://www.chinaheritagequarterly.org/articles.php?searchterm=014_chineseAttitude.inc&issue=014

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Message from abrooks

Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo win China's first-ever Olympic figure skating gold medal in Vancouver...........Pretty impressive !

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Message from abrooks

Expert says it is Unwise for Obama to meet Dalai Lama
It is "unwise" for President Barak Obama to meet with the Dalai Lama because the session would negatively affect American ties with China, says an expert on U.S.-China relations. I wonder what he thinks? What does the Dalai Lama think? Who makes these decisions for the world leaders????

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

Hi Folks,

It was my privilege to visit the BYD plant in Xi'an with a group of Palos Verdes teachers a few years ago. The factory was a bit sleepy, far from the humming place we'd expected or that I saw with another group of teachers in 2008 at Toyota City near Nagoya, Japan. BYD, though, made a big splash at the Detroit auto show last year and has received a large investment ($232 million) from über-investor Warren Buffet. Here's an article about some of what's going on at BYD:

http://english.caing.com/2010/byd/

Wang Chuanfu, BYD's chairman, is now China's richest man.

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Message from dtorres

Interesting point about the Dalai Lama. I dont see the problem of Obama meeting with him. But I suppose since the Chinese government is trying to keep Tibet and not "let it go." I can see how they would be very angry about the acknowledgement Obama is giving him by meeting with him officially. The Chinese always have to save face infront of the world...

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Message from dtorres

I found it interesting China's official remark yesterday about not continuing to sustain the US dollar. China reported that they will stop purchasing US dollars because our economy is too unstable, and we are causing unstable World markets. I find it interesting that they buy US bonds to artificially sustain their yen, and their economy, keeping the yen low so that they can beat US manufacturing, etc. They criticize us, yet they depend on us so much. Maybe Im too idealistic, but I guess I dont understand how all the markets work. I know yesterday they sold some of their US Treasury Bonds and are moving their money into other markets. But they wont be able to get away from the US economy. Even if they invest, lets say into the European market, based on the euro. Inevitably they are all linked to the US economy. What am I not understanding here? [Edit by="dtorres on Feb 19, 10:54:18 AM"][/Edit]

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Message from agalloway

Today's China Daily has a great editorial titled "India Today Is China In 1990". Parts of it are humorous and sound satirical, although the term "tongue-in-cheek" may be better. I had no idea the relationship between India and China was so contentious. Also, there was a link to an article about Brazil "courting and wooing" fellow Latin American countries away from doing business with China. Sounds like China is hedging its bets in Asia, Africa, and South America. One is sure to take hold. At least one.

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Message from lwang

That's what globally economy is about. China is dependent on the U. S. Europe, etc. and vise versa. The Wall Street follows China's economic policy move closely for a good reason.

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Message from lwang

To save face is one thing, but on this issue, it is about China's sovereignty from China's perspective.

Among the four Ts mentioned by Professor Dube, Taiwan and Tibet are regarded as China's "core interests." Historically, a government who can't safeguard its own land is not worth trusting. That's why the late Qin Dynasty rulers were regarded as loosers who brought shame to China's thousands of years' history. For Emperor Qing Shihuang, however, no matter how cruel he was, he was regarded as one of the greatest emperors in China's history because he united China.

The Chinese government can't afford to let its people doubt about its ability on the sovereignty issue of the two Ts.

That's a perspective. Personally, I see no harm that Obama met Dalai Lama.

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Message from bberry

Interesting article about outside influence (U.S., and others) trying to influence china's economic policy.

Wen Jiabao, China's Premier:

"He also repeated the concerns he voiced a year ago, at China’s last legislative session, that the United States is failing to rebuild its own economy and maintain the value of the dollar. Protecting the dollar, which dropped sharply since the global crisis began in late 2008, is a matter of “national credibility” for the United States, he said.

“Any fluctuation in the value of the U.S. currency is a big concern for us,” he said. “I hope the United States will take concrete steps to reassure investors. It is not only in the interests of the investors, but also the United States itself.”

Chinese leaders fear that the United States’ vast budget deficits will lead to inflation that effectively devalues the dollar, and thus the value of China’s vast foreign-currency reserves. Those reserves exceeded $2.4 trillion at the end of 2009, with nearly $900 billion of that in dollar-denominated Treasury bills.

Mr. Wen’s most pointed remarks, however, were aimed at critics of China’s economic policies, led by the United States. Those critics accuse China of keeping the value of its currency artificially low, so that its exports will remain cheap compared to other nations’ competing products. That boosts China’s economy, but at the expense of other trading partners, they say."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/15/world/asia/15china.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&src=ig

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Message from bberry

Mr. Wen was a 'number cruncher' for two decades, so this appears to be his area of expertise.

"Like his superior, Hu Jintao, Mr. Wen scaled the one-party political hierarchy leaving few footprints and making no known enemies. People who have worked with him say he is conspicuous mainly for being fastidious. He lets policy documents sit on his desk for at least three days before signing off, they say, so he can slow-cook the contents in his mind and triple-check the grammar."

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

Hi Folks,

About 7-8 years ago, we offered an NCTA seminar in Hacienda-La Puente. The district has continued to seek ways to increase coverage of China in its offerings. Some of you may have seen the LA Times article about the debate over a Chinese government-funded "Confucius classroom" program there.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/click-here-to-find-out-more-quantcast-chinese-governments-funding-of-schools-language-program-fuels-.html

(One of the children seems to have already been converted to the Trojan cause.)

Finally, a television crew has blown the cover off this effort to corrupt the young.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-june-7-2010/socialism-studies

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Message from kkulish

Just got this news alert, and it is likley unexpected for those of us on the message board, but I did want to log the time it was sent to the world, at least according to the New York Times.

----------------------------

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Sun, August 15, 2010 -- 8:49 PM ET
-----

China's Economy Passes Japan's in Quarter, Becoming the World's Second Largest

After three decades of spectacular growth, China has passed
Japan to become the world's second-largest economy behind the
United States, according to government figures released early
Monday.

The milestone, though anticipated for some time, is the most
striking evidence yet that China's ascendance is for real and
that the rest of the world will have to reckon with a new
economic superpower.

The milestone was reached early Monday, when Tokyo said that
in the second quarter, the Japanese economy was valued at
about $1.28 trillion, slightly below China's figure of $1.33
trillion. The gross domestic product of the United States was
roughly $14 trillion in 2009. Japan's economy grew 0.4
percent in the second quarter, Tokyo said, substantially less
than forecast.

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Message from kkulish

Regarding Dennis's entry about "Made in China is a great story in today's NY Times magazine about the counterfeiting industry operating in Putian, China called "Inside the Knockoff-Tennis-Shoe Factory."

There are great pictures of the fakes and the real deals, and an interesting history of the whole fakes history, stretching back to the famous Stuart George Washington portrait and the fakes spawned in China.

Here's one passage that jumped out at me, and added to me knowledge of the China we know today:

"Beijing’s top intellectual-property officials, meanwhile, seem to disagree over what even constitutes counterfeiting. Last year, a debate occurred between the heads of the State Intellectual Property Office and the National Copyright Administration. The dispute revolved around shanzhai, a term that translates literally into “mountain fortress”; in contemporary usage, it connotes counterfeiting that you should take pride in. There are shanzhai iPhones and shanzhai Porsches.

In February 2009, a reporter asked Tian Lipu, the commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office, whether shanzhai was something to be esteemed. “I am an intellectual-property-rights worker,” Tian curtly replied. “Using other people’s intellectual property without authorization is against the law.” Chinese culture, he added, was not about imitating and plagiarizing others. But one month later, Liu Binjie, from the National Copyright Administration, drew a distinction between shanzhai and counterfeiting. “Shanzhai shows the cultural creativity of the common people,” Liu said. “It fits a market need, and people like it. We have to guide shanzhai culture and regulate it.” Soon after that, the mayor of Shenzhen, an industrial city near Hong Kong, reportedly urged local businessmen to ignore lofty debates about what is and isn’t defined as counterfeiting and to “not worry about the problem of fighting against plagiarism” and “just focus on doing business.” "

This is the link for the complete story:

Inside the Knockoff-Tennis-Shoe Factory

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

Great post Kyle -- intellectual property rights are one of the many zones of contention between Chinese and American authorities and the various commercial interests which seek to influence them.

Here are some links:

US Trade Representative - intellectual property
Page 19 of this "Special 301 Report" issued in April 2010 summarizes why the US is concerned about China. Intellectual property protection is one issue.
http://www.mpaa.org/resources/6a507b67-e219-43a3-a4ce-9788d6f1fb5e.pdf

Here are 2 cases made by US representatives, students may find the way the arguments are presented interesting:
China's legal regime is weak
China restricts access to "copyright-intensive" industries

China's government has a series of reports about its intellectual property protection:
State Intellectual Property Office

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