Stories about China from April, 2013
Marijuana in China
Chengdu Living has an interesting post on the potential disappearance of relatively free weed smoking atmosphere in China as the police has recently started to crack down on Marijuana trade.
China Earthquake Donation Protected by Spell
Hong Kong based inmediahk.net's Facebook page shared an image circulated widely on Chinese social media which shows spells written on money, that says, “This is a donation for a Ya'an earthquake victim, those who dare to misuse this money will go to hell.”
Red Cross’ China Scandal – This Time About Sex
While Chinese people still remember Red Cross China's corruption scandal during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, a new scandal has exposed, this time it also involves Guo Meimei, a then “manager at China Red Cross”, showed off her fancy sports cars and luxury handbags on Sina Weibo in 2011. This time...
Chinese Dream: To Become the Father of an American
Seeing Red in China has translated current affair commentator, Jia Jia's Chinese dream. Nowadays, most Chinese middle class want to see their daughters and sons going to the U.S and become Americans.
Chinese Corruption Spreading to Hong Kong “Like SARS & Avian Flu”
A misconduct scandal implicating Timothy Tong, the former chief of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), has Hong Kong and mainland Chinese people worried that ubiquitous corruption in China has spread to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Boycotts Donations for Sichuan Earthquake
HK Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s call for donations to China’s quake-hit Sichuan province has been denied by legislature due to overwhelming opposition by Hongkong citizens.
Chinese and Western Media Bias Claims in Xinjiang “Terrorist Attack”
A terror incident took place in Bachu County of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on April 23 2013, in which 15 police officers and community workers were killed and 6 suspects were shot dead. Chinese media outlets depicted the incident as a terrorist attack and criticized western media for not using the term "terrorists" to describe the suspects.
Social Media’s Role in the Sichuan Earthquake
ChinaFile and TeaLeafNation analyzed the important role social media has played in the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake that has killed 208 people. Social media's instant reactions to the quake has made a difference when compared to the coverage of the 2008 earthquake dominated by China's state media.
Cheap Gold Puts China in a Frenzy
Mainland Chinese tourists tempted by the plunging price of gold emptied Hong Kong's local banks and jewelry shops over the weekend of the precious metal.
China Says ‘No’ to Japan's Earthquake Aid Offer
The Chinese government has turned down Japan’s offer to help with relief efforts following an earthquake in China's southwest Sichuan province that left at least 193 people dead and more than 12,000 injured.
“Tell Everyone I'm not Free”
The wife of jailed Chinese Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo has been seen in public for the first time on April 23 after years under house arrest.On her way to the trial of her brother who has been accused of real estate fraud, she shouted to the public: “Tell everyone I'm...
Hong Kong Hit by Gold Tourism
As the price of gold drops worldwide, mainland Chinese Tourists travel cross the border to Hong Kong to clear local banks and jewellery shops. See Hong Wrong for story detail.
Legal Checklist For Doing Business in China
Is Your Company Bribing Anyone? The United States vigorously enforces its Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which penalizes improper payments to foreign officials by US companies. In certain situations, US companies can be liable under the FCPA for payments made by their Chinese partner. Canada and most European countries have...
Hong Kong Man Arrested for Cursing China's President with Graffiti
The excessive use of police force in the recent arrest of a man who wrote graffiti cursing the Chinese President has outraged many in Hong Kong.
Chinese Earthquake as Seen on Weibo
Offbeat China looks into the distribution and discussion on China's social media on the recent 7.0 earthquake in Sichuan Ya'an: Unlike many of China’s typical disaster reporting from traditional media that focuses more on government officials’ whereabouts and works, these netizens who are at the front line of disaster relief...
Chinese President Xi Jinping's ‘Fake’ Taxi Ride Fools State Media
China's state news agency is backpedaling on a report it endorsed that appeared in Beijing-backed Hong Kong newspaper about Chinese President Xi Jinping hailing a taxi last month in order to chat with the cabby about the issues of the day, calling the piece "fake news".
Netizens Tell Red Cross China to Get Lost
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Lushan county of Ya'an city in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 8:02 AM local time today. The Red Cross Society in China posted in its official micro-blog [zh] expressing its concern over the disaster. However, many Chinese netizens who still remember the organization's corruption scandal...
No More Apologies – Japan's Facebook Users Share ‘Fake’ Propaganda
A thousand Japanese Facebook users unknowingly endorsed and shared a fictitious image that claimed to be an official publication and highlighted the negative impact Japan's apologetic stance in history has on the country's children.
China Censors Film Director's Censorship Slam
Feng Xiaogang, one of the most famous movie directors in China, when giving a speech when he accepted the honor of Director of Year from the China Film Directors Guild on 12 April, criticized the censorship system in Chinese movie industry. However, in the video showing his speech, the word...
East Asia's Appetite for Eels Pushing Species to the Brink
During Japan's sweltering midsummer it's traditional to eat a plate of golden-brown broiled unagi kabayaki, or broiled eel. But the tradition is now at risk. Skyrocketing demand for glass eels, once considered a high-brow delicacy, is pushing Japanese fishermen to exhaust the population and causing prices to soar.
Podcast:China-Africa Relations Through Social Media
The China in Africa Podcast discusses how social media is influencing China's engagement in Africa.
About our China coverage
Oi wan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
