In the aftermath of the Weng'An (Wengan) riots, most newspapers are running with Xinhua's short three paragraph report on the issue. I believe in keeping with recent trends, we will hear a much more detailed analysis and explanation from Xinhua shortly. In the mean time, there have been several online editorials from various newspapers, in some cases perhaps bending official … [Read more...] about The Weng'An Riots: "How hard is it to give the masses the real picture?"
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The Weng'An Riots – Online
The Chinese internet is up in arms over the story of riots in Guizhou province over the weekend. For the most comprehensive news we know so far, I refer you to ESWN's very detailed coverage. There's nothing I have to add. Roland at ESWN mentions that an article at Xinhua forum (连接) has been left open to netizen discussion, in contrast to much tighter standards at Tianya and … [Read more...] about The Weng'An Riots – Online
Is Fiat too clever?
The story of Fiat apologizing to China for its Richard Gere and Tibet themed ad for a new car was first reported on June 20. At that time, I quickly dismissed it as nothing but another blunder by the marketing department of a global company that should have known better. The ad itself wasn't problematic per se. But it was clearly created with Richard Gere's Tibet oriented … [Read more...] about Is Fiat too clever?
"Pressure" for injured athletes
Today's New York Times is running an article titled China Presses Injured Athletes in Quest for Gold. The article starts by discussing diver Hu Jia, who suffered from a detached retina several years ago, putting him at risk for permanent injury. This paragraph about sums up the message behind the article: Pressured by the national athletic system and tempted by the commercial … [Read more...] about "Pressure" for injured athletes
Has the Chinese government sold out China?
The news this morning is of a new resource-sharing agreement in the East China Sea that represents the start of a new era in east Asia. Japan and China has agreed to ignore territorial demarcation for now, and instead focus on extracting oil and gas from fields in the area. Many Chinese see in the agreement a government desperate to buy international peace before the … [Read more...] about Has the Chinese government sold out China?