Stories about China from November, 2010
Taiwan: National dignity hurt in the Asian Games
On November 17, leading Taiwanese Taekwondo athlete Yang Shu-chun was disqualified from the 2010 Asian Games during a match with a Vietnamese competitor for “wearing non-certified electronic foot equipment” or “electronic socks”. The incident has stirred up a lot of emotions in Taiwan.
China: Reporter steps up to Obama and asks for trouble
At a press conference held by American president Obama in Korea this week, one highly popular young reporter became the center of polarizing controversy at home not due to the content of his question, but in how it was asked.
China: iPadgate
Since October Chinese Customs have started charging a 20% tax for carrying iPhones and iPads across the border even if the products were out of the box and in use. This has caught people by surprise because in recent years shopping tours are one of the most important parts of the cross-border economy between Hong Kong and China.
China: Sanyo workers in Shenzhen stage strike
China Labour Bulletin reports that more than a thousand workers at Sanyo Huaqiang Laser Electronics in Shenzhen’s Longhua district staged a one day strike last week over working conditions and a planned merger with a factory in another district in downtown Shenzhen.
China: Shanghai fire claims 53, local coverage criticised
53 lives were claimed and 43 others remain missing as a result of the tragic fire that ripped through a high-rise apartment block in Shanghai yesterday afternoon. The 28-storey building was undergoing renovations when welding sparks caused the scaffolding to catch fire, eventually spreading to the building itself. City blog Shanghaiist...
Slovakia: Netizens Discuss Chinese Highway Construction Offer
The Slovak minister of transport is reluctant to let the Chinese companies, which offer extremely low prices, enter Slovakia's highway construction market. Tibor Blazko reviews the Slovak netizens' reactions.
China: fire ravages Shanghai apartment block
A high-rise apartment block in downtown Shanghai became engulfed by flames at around 2pm this afternoon. Early reports say firefighters are trying to rescue residents and construction workers still trapped inside the building. Photos from the scene are available here [zh] and here.
China: Sino-India relation
Peter Martin from Sinocentric comments on the two Chinese diplomatic trips to India for persuading India away from Japan and the US’ strategy in encircling China.
China: Perception on national power
Maryannodonnell translated a series of mobile messages about Chinese people's perception of national power and world order.
China: Inflation and social instability
George Chen blogs about the inflation problem in China: in short, high inflation is equated with social instability and that's definitely the last thing the Communist government wants to see.
China: AIDS support group pressured by tax authority
Chinese AIDS activist Zeng Jinyan disclosed in Twitter on Nov. 11 that she was under pressure from tax authority to close AIDS support group, Beijing Loving Source. More info from Under the Jacaranda Tree.
China: Rising prices and rooftop gardens
Rising prices in China have led to grocery shoppers seeking bargains in Hong Kong, but are they also leading to more sustainable consumption?
China: River crab banquet
Rachel Marsden reports on Ai Weiwei's river crab banquet on November 8.
China: Gunshot incident
ESWN translated a local news story about a gunshot incident caused by the death of a woman during child delivery in a hospital in Huilai, Guangdong province.
China: 360 VS. QQ: What about privacy and user rights?
A commercial spat between instant messaging applications Tencent QQ and Qihoo 360 has affected million of users. Although QQ still monopolizes the market, public opinion shows that Chinese Internet users are on the side of Qihoo and are becoming increasingly aware of the averse effects of Tencent's monopoly, and the significance of protecting Internet users' privacy and rights.
Hong Kong and China: Cross-border shopping
George Chen points out that with the inflation in China, many mainland Chinese travel to Hong Kong to buy daily necessity product over the weekend as the price is much cheaper.
China: Comments on Ai Weiwei's River Crab Banquet
Over the weekend, prominent Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei was under house arrest, a move believed to be coming from powerful political figures in Shanghai. Ai had planned to fly to Shanghai to host a goodbye party at his condemned studio on Sunday. Although the authorities say the studio...
China: Red Guards Apologize Forty-four Years Later
ESWN translates a public apology from former Red Guard students to their teachers. Although the Chinese government has admitted that the Cultural Revolution being a disaster, public apology is still rare.
China: Ai Weiwei under house arrest
Controversial and outspoken Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was on Friday placed under house arrest for, it seems, planning to host a dinner for 1,000 people to commemorate the demolition of his Shanghai studio. Meanwhile, updates and images [zh] coming in from Twitter show that many have continued to gather outside Ai's studio...
Japan: Leaked video of collision with Chinese boat
What is believed to be the authentic footage of the collision between the Japanese patrol ship and a Chinese fishing boat has been leaked and uploaded onto Youtube [video, ja]. Several videos taken by the Japanese Coast Guard off the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands were made public showing what happened at...
GM, The Car Transformer in China?
George Chen blogs about GM's business move to make the new electric car in China.
About our China coverage
