President Obama has not exactly started out making a great impression that he will bring U.S.-China relations to a new high - what with unwelcomed vague belligerent references against communist and authoritarian governments in his inaugural speech, followed up by now Treasury Secretary's Geithner's sharp tone and use of the legally-loaded term “currency manipulation” in … [Read more...] about Should Obama Learn to Engage the Chinese People through the Internet?
Welcome Year of the Ox – and Happy New Year!
It should be Chinese New Year's Eve or New Year's Day throughout most of the world by now ... so I just want to wish everyone here a very Happy and Prosperous Year of the OX (牛)! According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Ox symbolizes prosperity and is associated with fortitude and hard work. Those born under the influence of the Ox are natural leaders, are dependable, and possess … [Read more...] about Welcome Year of the Ox – and Happy New Year!
Opinion: Dear Mr. Dalai Lama … please tear down this wall!
On January 19, 2009, Tibetan legislators endorsed unanimously a bill designating March 28 as Serfs Emancipation Day, a day designated officially to mark the freeing of 1 million serfs from serfdom 50 years ago. For many ethnic Tibetans, this day represents a celebration of freedom (from cast and class based oppression), economic empowerment, and social and political … [Read more...] about Opinion: Dear Mr. Dalai Lama … please tear down this wall!
Obama sworn in as 44th U.S. President
Today we witnessed again another routine yet extraordinary democratic transfer of power in the world's most powerful country. For many, this particular occasion carries an especially momentous meaning because not only has America elected her first black (should be mixed) president, but Obama has also promised dramatic changes in the role the government plays in domestic … [Read more...] about Obama sworn in as 44th U.S. President
Climate Change: Tibetan Plateau in Peril
Too often when we discuss Tibet, we reflexively focus our attention on the political spat between the CCP and the Dalai Lama. However, Tibet is much more than the current political spat. For one thing: there is the people; the indigenous culture; the land - and of course the important environmental role the Tibetan Plateau plays in regional as well as global environment. The … [Read more...] about Climate Change: Tibetan Plateau in Peril