Stories about Chinese from July, 2011
China: Double Frontage
On July 27, 2011, Qianjiang Daily's have two versions of its newspaper's frontpage. One is about Wenzhou train crash, the headline said: Today is the fifth day of the accident, 11 lives are still struggling. Add oil! Be strong. The second version is a commercial. Netizens believe [zh] that the...
China: Prominent ‘Independent Candidate’ Denounces Upcoming Elections
Nearly 100 people have now declared themselves independent candidates in upcoming legislative elections in China, but this week alone has seen one of the more prominent would-be politicians announce his withdrawal, and another accuse one city of trying to keep voters away from polls.
China: Outrage at High-Speed Train Crash
A collision between two high-speed trains in China in the evening of July 23 killed at least 35 people and injured over 200. C. Custer at ChinaGeeks has written about the government's cover-ups of the tragedy and railway safety issues, and the outrages that are pouring in China's online community.
China: Bring Your Books to Rural Villages
A prominent Chinese scholar is encouraging netizens to "bring their books to the villages". Now a number of centres have been set up in cities across the country to handle the book donations and collect funds to go towards building libraries in rural areas.
China: Campaigning for the Release of Female Activist Wang Lihong
The Chinese government has been arresting human right activists and political dissidents under the pretext of the Jasmine crack down. Many of the detainees have been released, but female activist, Wang Lihong, has been detained for 117 days with the court finally deciding to prosecute her last week. Netizens are rallying support.
China: Independent Candidates Busy Building Up Support
Amid a crackdown on a small but nationwide movement that has seen Chinese citizens from all walks of life declaring themselves candidates in their upcoming local district-level legislative elections, a few have pressed on, with ads, videos and endless tweets.
China: High-speed rail
Many Chinese raised serious questions about the safety, comfort and efficiency of the new high-speed rail line, in particular after the three malfunctions[zh] in the space of four days (Between July 10-14). (Details from China Media Project)
China: Lawyers Back Candidates Barred From Recent Election
Amid the growing number of people announcing their candidacy in district-level People's Congress elections this year, one story which continues to generate interest is that of Liu Ping in Jiangxi who, along with two other candidates, was prevented from standing in her local election.
China: Exploding Watermelon Is Safe?
Local state media exposed that farmers in China's Jiangsu province are experiencing a problem with “exploding watermelons” due to the overuse of growth enhancing chemicals. The Ministry of Agriculture has recently asserted that the chemical growth enhancer for watermelon is safe, but Chinese netizens are doubtful.
China: Popular Actress Sparks Homosexuality Debate
Homosexuality is not a crime in China and in the past few years the gay community has become more visible in the Chinese online world. Last week, an overseas Chinese pastor's reaction to the legalization of same-sex marriage by the New York State Senate, was echoed by an award-winning actress Lu Liping, and their words have triggered a heated debate.
China: Security Problem of the World's Longest Bridge
China opened the world's longest bridge in Qingdao on June 30, 2011. However, local media found out that the crash barriers haven't been fixed yet. Hundreds of Weibo users criticized[zh] the local government's negligence in quality check.
About our Chinese coverage
Oi wan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
