You can see why the thrower picked this particular grungy specimen to chuck towards Wen Jiabao. More evidence of malice aforethought…..
Unemployment Numbers: II
Further to Austin’s post below, academic Victor Shih out of Northwestern University has a closer look at that 20 million number here. His conclusion on back-of-the-envelope calculation is that China’s real unemployment rate is around 8 percent. Interestingly, that would make it just about the same as the rate in the U.S. right now. Many …
More Migrant Workers Unemployed
The latest official numbers now say that 20 million out of China’s 130 million migrant workers are unemployed. The figure is double what the estimates were just a few weeks ago when I was down in Hunan province talking with people who had returned from factories on the coast because of a lack of work. That was before Chinese New Year. …
Wen Jiabao Gets the Shoe Treatment
China’s Premier followed in the footsteps (as it were) of former (hurray!) President Bush by having someone throw a shoe at him while speaking at Cambridge University. No footage (wire story here) unfortunately so we won’t be able to see his reaction. Probably didn’t miss a beat, knowing him. There’s plenty of footage from youtube (I …
Chinese lawyers to sue over relics auction
Just spotted this: AFP reports that a group of Chinese lawyers is planning to sue auction house Christie’s over its Feb 25-27 sale of two bronze animal heads that were part of the late Yves St. Laurent’s extensive art collection. We’ve been following China’s efforts to locate, purchase and repatriate the 12 zodiac heads, which were …
Heads Up: Internet Addiction in China
A nice piece by Jessie Jiang here.
Barbie Goes to China
Sagging sales in the U.S. have prompted Mattel to market its blonde beauty more aggressively abroad. On March 6, it’s celebrating the doll’s 50th anniversary by opening an eight-story flagship Barbie store in downtown Shanghai, complete with a Barbie bar. That’s right, pink martinis. Read the complete story here.
Our Sex Workers Need Protection
It is reasonable that there be regulation of prostitution, but laws in Hong Kong that were originally designed, at least partly, to prevent sex workers from falling under the control of pimps and organized crime are now killing the very sex workers they were meant to help.
Eight female sex workers have been killed in the past year—two …
The Other Ellis Island
Between 1910 and 1940, roughly one million immigrants—mostly Chinese—passed through the Angel Island immigration station near San Francisco. Unlike Ellis Island, where European immigrants were processed within hours, those at Angel Island were detained anywhere from two weeks to two years, thanks to racist policies under the Chinese …
New Year Mayhem in Beijing
As most people with an interest in China are probably aware, the 26th marked the first day of the lunar new year, ushering in the year of the Ox. I will make no comments about being gored or being bullish but only note that the fireworks frenzy that grips Chinese at this time of year seems to have been even crazier than ever. This may be …
Happy Year of the Ox?
From my colleague Hannah Beech, a look at what the stars have to say about the upcoming year. And below, a photo of Chinese New Year celebrations by the Drum and Bell towers in central Beijing last night.
“Click-to-kill”
Here’s a link to my latest story, on how China’s “human flesh search engines” are occasionally turning against government officials.
China’s Dreary Economic Numbers
From our colleague Michael Schuman in Hong Kong, a look at China’s slowing economic growth.