Stories about China from July, 2012
China: Bizarre Power Triangle – Sina, the Government and Netizens
Ever since the advent of Internet in China, the Chinese government has either tried to embrace it or control it. The upsurge of social media in the country has introduced two other characters into the story-Chinese netizens and leading Internet company Sina. Find out more about this often bizarre power triangle.
Hong Kong: Tens of Thousands Rally Against ‘National Education’
The new “red” elementary school curriculum controversy continues to ferment. In the past week, parent groups have joined in with concerned student and teacher groups to stop the government from introducing the new curriculum this September.
China: ‘Violent’ Pipeline Protest in Qidong
Violence that broke out during a protest against a pipeline construction project in China's Qidong province has split opinion online. The project would channel wastewater from a Japanese owned paper mill into the sea and has raised environmental concerns.
Language War in the Hong Kong Book Fair
A Cantonese-Mandarin language war broke out in a talk given by movie director Pang Ho-cheung for the 2012 Hong Kong Book Fair. To serve the big mainland Chinese market, the organizer arranged the talk to be in Mandarin. This provoked the anger of Hongkongers given they are the majority of...
China: Chinese Alcohol
Derek from 300 shots at Greatness explains to his readers the ingredients behind different types of Chinese Baiju (Chinese Vodka).
China: Ai Weiwei's Tax Evasion Case
In April last year, prominent artist Ai Weiwei was detained by the Beijing authority without giving any reason and eventually state-run media said that he was under investigation for tax evasion, bigamy and ‘spreading porn. In June 2011, Ai was asked to pay 12 million yuan ($1.85 million) in back...
China: Blogger Shorts SINA to 8% Shares Plunge With a Tweet
On July 16, famous Chinese blogger Isaac Mao wrote on Twitter that he would be shorting $SINA everyday, in reaction to SINA Weibo's (a Chinese microblogging platform) deletion of his user account. His message was delivered to investors from all around the world and next day SINA's NASDAQ listed price dropped by 8%.
China: Draft Rule to Prohibit Citizens from Monitoring Air?
A draft rule on the management of environmental monitor [zh] may result in the prohibition of citizens and NGOs from monitoring the air quality in China. Charles Zhu from Tea Leaf Nation explains the background of the rule and politics at play.
China: State-run Media's English Forum
Beijing Cream looks into the “harmonious” interaction of a newly launched English Forum under State run media, Xinhua's website.
China: Netizens Reaction to National Education in Hong Kong
Ministry of Tofu reports on mainland Chinese netizens comment and discussion on the debate about national education in Hong Kong. Many of them are sympathetic with the students and criticize the brainwashing nature of the new curriculum.
YouTube Show Brings China's Social Media to an English Audience
Want to know what’s going on on China’s social media but cannot speak Chinese? Keep on reading, then. It’s been four months since Elle Lee (@ElleIconLee) and Casey Lau (@hypercasey) opened a Youtube channel to broadcast Weibo Today, a weekly online show spotlighting trending topics from China's social networks in English. We talked to Elle Lee about their show.
China: Rage over Chengguan Again
Another bloody conflict involving Chengguan has spread around in Weibo last week. This time a woman peddler was hit by a glass bottle by the city management officers at Fuzhou city. To show their support, netizens fought with the web-censor to get the message out. Tea Leave nation has the...
Hong Kong: Former SCMP Journalists’ Open Letter to the Paper's CEO
23 former South China Morning Post journalists and editors issued an open letter to the paper’s group executive director, Hui Kuok, expressing their concern that critical coverage of China is being abandoned in order to please the Communist authorities in Beijing. (via Asia Sentinel)
China: Shifang Government Goes From Angel to Satan in Crackdown?
Chinese bloggers try to understand why the Shifang government went from angel to satan by brutally and savagely cracking down on a peaceful week-long NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) protest in a small city in southwestern China's Sichuan province.
Angola, China: Netizens Discuss New Development Ghost Town
The government of Angola hired a Chinese company to build 750 expensive apartments in Kalimba, about 30km outside the capital Luanda. Despite rich natural resources, many people in Angola live in abject poverty and cannot afford these apartments. Will Kalimba become Africa's biggest ghost town?
South Africa: Chinese Account of Attacks on Foreign-Owned Businesses
On June 27 riots started in Botshabelo in reaction to the eviction of street vendors, and the rioters attacked and looted foreign-owned businesses. In the following days the attacks spread to nearby Thaba Nchu. A Chinese employee of a factory in Thaba Nchu gave an eyewitness account.
China: Political Attribution of Next Generation Leaders
Sinostand evaluates the political attribution or ideological spectrum of the new leaders in the Politburo Standing Committee after the Chinese Communist Party’ 18th Congress in this fall.
Foreign Migrant Workers in China
French photographer Benoit Cezard has taken a series of photos in which Caucasians pose as migrant workers, such as such as street vendors and sanitation workers in China. Jing Gao from Ministry of Tofu translated the story and netizens’ reaction on the photo presentation.
Hong Kong: Netizens’ Reaction on New Zealand Infant Milk Powder Shortage
The resentment towards mainland consumers in Hong Kong keeps alleviating. The Hong Kong netizens’ reaction on infant milk powder shortage problem in New Zealand is probably more intense that the New Zealanders.
China: Fist-fight Dating
The argument between two prominent microbloggers, Wu Fatian, a male pro communist party academic and Zhou Yan, a female liberal journalist had ended up in a fist-fight dating in a park in Beijing, attracting many to attend, including artist activist Ai Weiwei. The female has won, then police and web...
Hong Kong: New “Red” Elementary School Curriculum Flames Concern
Under pressure from mainland China, Hong Kong's elementary schools have to start a new curriculum on "national education." Recently revealed, its module on the "China model" is full of political propaganda, such as the claim that one party dictatorship is more effective than any other democratic political system.
About our China coverage
Oi wan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
