Recently I’ve posted links to a few videos on the Asia Society’s China Green page. Here’s another worth checking out. It’s a look at the controversial development of a largely rural island in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.
Propaganda Battles
Last week I was on the road and thus missed out on an entertaining and unexpectedly illuminating media slapfest in Beijing. For fight fans who missed this clash, here’s a recap. Last month Peter Foster of the Telegraph wrote a short piece about a government campaign to boost patriotism ahead of the 60th anniversary of the People’s …
Video: A Cemetery’s Waitlist
Americans Adopting Fewer Chinese Babies
The number of Chinese babies adopted by American families has dropped by 50% since 2005, mainly due to stricter adoption policies Beijing rolled out in 2007. Here‘s the full story, also out in the current issue of TIME Asia.
Ma Ying-jeou’s First Year
Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou is keeping his promise to aid his island’s stricken economy through stronger mainland links. But cozying up to Beijing carries political risks. Here‘s my colleague Michael Schuman’s latest story on Ma, out in the latest issue of TIME Asia.
Zhao Ziyang’s Memoirs (Yes, You Read That Right)
Here’s a link to a fascinating story (and a great scoop) by my former colleague and friend Adi Ignatius (he’s now helming the venerable Harvard Business Review) about the about-to-be-published memoirs of China’s former premier Zhao Ziyang. Zhao was dismissed and confined to house arrest after he refused to agree to Deng Xiaoping’s order …
Ai Weiwei Transcript; For Real This Time
Apologies. Mr. Hi-tech here managed to wipe out the transcript. Here it is for real this time after the jump (SE is me asking the questions, by the way):
Ai Weiwei: Interview Transcript
As my colleague Ling mentions below, we have a story out to mark the anniversary of the Sichuan earthquake that focuses on the efforts of the artist Ai Weiwei to record an accurate toll of school children who died.
Though we have spoken to him again a few times since, the main interview was done in mid April. For those interested, it …
Ai Weiwei and the Earthquake
The Sichuan earthquake struck one year ago today. Here‘s Simon’s story on artist Ai Weiwei and his project to document every child killed in the disaster.
Lu Chuan’s City of Life and Death
Two years after shooting began, Lu Chuan’s (Kekexili, The Missing Gun) $12 million Hong Kong-China co-production, City of Life and Death （南京！南京！)，finally opened on the mainland on April 22 and in Hong Kong on May 7. It’s not easy to take on a subject like the Nanjing massacre—Iris Chang’s Rape of Nanking is still …
Swine Flu in China and the U.S.: Different Reactions
A slightly bizarre story here out of the United States about differing reactions to the news that China’s first swine flu victim is a graduate student at the University of Missouri. Here in Beijing, the health authorities have indeed gone into overdrive. I have received three sets of text messages asking anyone who was on board the …
Taking a Stand at Sea
Beijing’s official response to the latest confrontation between Chinese “fishing boats” and a U.S. navy surveillance vessel (see our post below) goes some way to confirming that this problem is going to be around for a while and could get ugly. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said the ship was breaking international and Chinese law by …
China Releases Student Quake Death Figures
During a press conference in Chengdu today the Sichuan provincial government announced that 5,335 students died or remain missing after last year’s devastating earthquake. The collapse of a large number of schoolhouses was one of the most significant and sensitive stories in last year’s quake. Many parents alleged that official …
