Yesterday, the pair of Giant Pandas Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan finally arrived in Taiwan. More than just normal "diplomatic pandas," Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan's represents the culmination of much political wranglings between the Mainland and Taiwan that included formal rejections of the pandas in 2005 by ex-President Chen Shui Bian (now formally indicted for graver crimes, … [Read more...] about Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan Arrive in Taiwan!
General
China's 30-Year Journey of Reform and Opening Up
China's journey of reform and opening up over the last the last 30 years have definitely been, if nothing else, colorful and eventful. Last week, Chinese officials marked the 30 year anniversary of China's reforms and opening up with a series of meetings and speeches. … [Read more...] about China's 30-Year Journey of Reform and Opening Up
Direct Flights between China & Taiwan Begin
It's about time! Per Mark McDonald at the International Herald Tribune: Shortly after dawn Monday, a passenger plane took off from Shenzhen, China, bound for Taiwan. The 80-minute flight across the Taiwan Strait marked the first regular cross-strait traffic since the end of the civil war in 1949 and another dramatic step in the improvement of relations between the … [Read more...] about Direct Flights between China & Taiwan Begin
Is there a moral crisis in Mainland China?
On my trip to Mainland China a couple of weeks ago, I happened to run into an old family friend who used to be my mom's acupuncturist (who has since retired). Despite having emigrated from the Mainland to the U.S. almost forty years ago, she still loves China - and has continually made her annual trip back to her home town for over three decades. And this time - true to form, … [Read more...] about Is there a moral crisis in Mainland China?
The Xintai Mental Institute Scandal
A couple of days ago, the Beijing News reported how local officials in Xintai - a city in the eastern province of Shandong - locked up citizens in mental hospitals to prevent them from making journeys to Beijing to alert central government officials of local injustices going on in Xintai (see original story - and english version translated by Global Voices). … [Read more...] about The Xintai Mental Institute Scandal