Seems like a simple enough question. Actually... while the question of what it means to be Chinese is very simple, it is all of the numerous, equally valid answers that make the issue complicated. We have to accept that there are different answers for different people. Here is one answer, translated from a post written by an American-raised Chinese on MITBBS (原贴): I was … [Read more...] about What does it mean to be Chinese?
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Weng'an Riots: How the state media hurts China
The central government did many things right in response to the Weng'an riots. Beijing's campaign to treat "sudden incidents" with more openness was also obvious; a full news conference revealing the government's version less than 2 days after the riot is pretty unheard of by Chinese standards. Reporters from around the country and world flooded into Guizhou without … [Read more...] about Weng'an Riots: How the state media hurts China
The Prospects of Democracy in China
Our guest Youzi has given us a kernel for further discussion in one of his comments: And even within China, between different provinces and peoples are tremendous psychological differences, perhaps even greater than those between two countries. As time has passed, as the people’s living standards have grown and as awareness of personal rights has woken… if the traditional … [Read more...] about The Prospects of Democracy in China
On China and Religion
For different cultural, political and historical reasons, the Chinese government officially recognises Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism as religions. As in the realm of commerce, medicine, the legal profession or any other human endeavours, China, like many nations and for her own reasons have chosen, as it is her right, to lay down a legal and regulatory … [Read more...] about On China and Religion
"Chocolate City" – Africans seek their dreams in China
This feature article (文章，published Jan 2008) from the Southern Metropolis Daily provides a candid, street-level view of the lives of African traders in China. I translate this article to provide some depth to the discussion of racism in China, as seen in this previous thread. In an era when China-Africa relations are making headlines in Western newspapers, it's time to hear the … [Read more...] about "Chocolate City" – Africans seek their dreams in China