Here is the official response from the organizing committee of the Beijing Games to director Steven Spielberg’s decision to withdraw as an artistic adviser to the opening ceremonies:

We have taken note of media reports. Mr. Spielberg expressed his wish to make a contribution to the Beijing Olympic Games, and was given a certificate of

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Earlier this week we mentioned the recent release of three journalists who had been imprisoned in China and whether that means conditions are improving for press freedom. The journalist group Reporters Without Borders doesn’t think so. Today they released their annual report on global press freedom. While it covers 2007 and thus doesn’t …

After months of discussion and speculation, Steven Spielberg has announced he’s dropping out as an artistic advisor for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics. The director cited the ongoing bloodshed in Darfur and says that Beijing needs to do more to urge Sudan to stop the fighting there. Sudan’s government bears …

Days after a Hong Kong reporter was released from a Chinese jail, another Chinese journalist has been freed. Yu Huafeng, an editor at the Southern Metropolis Daily, was released Friday after serving four years of a 12-year sentence for embezzlement. That conviction was seen by many as punishment for groundbreaking reporting his paper did …

On Wednesday I had a chance to hang out with some migrant workers who were stuck in Guangzhou because of the severe winter storms. Here’s the piece I wrote about it, and below is a short clip I shot of Li Xiao, Guangdong general manager for Hengda Real Estate, offering a toast and holiday bonuses to employees who weren’t able to go …

Here’s a quick piece following up our recent coverage of the problems caused by the huge winter storms in south and central China. And for those of you who missed it, the TIME Asia cover story from last week, “China’s Perfect Storm.”

As the response to the storms unfolds, I find myself agreeing with some of our commentators who say that …

As much as I’ve tried, it’s been hard to avoid the Edison Chen sex-photo scandal for the past few days. The case has dominated headlines and gossip circles. A friend of mine estimated that three-fourths of the Hong Kong population has seen the photos by now. In the dark? Here’s what happened: last week, pornographic photos that …

Last fall we mentioned a non-profit group, Our Chinese Daughters Foundation, that helps orphanages in China. The harsh winter is making conditions in China’s orphanages increasingly difficult, and they have sent out a new appeal for help. I’ve posted the request below:

Friends,

We have all seen the news reporting the terrible weather

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This is a picture of China’s youngest political prisoner, as she has been dubbed evocatively, Hu Qianci, daughter of activists Hu Jia and Zeng Jinyan, about whom we have written often. It’s from Zeng’s blog (here, though as ever those inside China have to watch out for GFW), which she is still managing to update despite being held …

On Monday the number of people stuck in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou trying to catch a train was roughly equivalent to the population of Cleveland. By the time I got there yesterday the numbers were down from 500,000 to 150,000, closer to Chattanooga. I spent a few hours talking with people about what it’s like waiting in the …

A quick survey: how do you say “doughnut” in Chinese? A web search reveals the following results:
1. zha mian bing quanr 炸面饼圈
2. zha mian quan 炸面圈
3. you zha quan bing 油炸圈饼
Yep, I’ve got donuts on my mind. Not because Krispy Kreme lures me in every other time I’m in Causeway Bay, but because Dunkin’ Donuts …