It is early June, and the minds of many Chinese again return to the tragic political upheaval of 1989. Over the next few days, we will translate a number of messages that tries to capture our conflicted feelings towards that violent summer. We especially welcome submissions from those with first-person memory of 1989. He Xin (何新) is a noted Chinese scholar from the '80s, … [Read more...] about Six Four: He Xin's 1990 speech at Beida
reform
China phases out thin plastic bags
In the deluge of earthquake news, something like this that affects daily life in China has managed to slip under the radar. This article describes a situation that people in China are already aware of. At least in Shanghai, it's said that an extra charge will be imposed to get your goods in those familiar plastic grocery bags. Details: The Chinese government is set to ban the … [Read more...] about China phases out thin plastic bags
Political dissent in China – glass half full, or completely empty?
This article from the IHT inspires me to write about a topic that's been on my mind in recent months. The article is about the well-known Tibetan-Chinese writer Woeser. The title of the article alone gives you a pretty good idea of what its going to say: "Tibetan writer alleges harassment by Chinese police..." Woeser lives in Beijing, and is the daughter of a Han Chinese … [Read more...] about Political dissent in China – glass half full, or completely empty?
Shenzhen aims for major political reforms
Many in the West appear unaware that the Chinese political system is reforming itself... (it might be more accurate to say many in the West see the political system in China as old Communists waving their hands and issuing imperial edicts.) The truth is, although the pace of this reform is painfully slow compared to economic reforms, it is happening. One of the more … [Read more...] about Shenzhen aims for major political reforms
Southern Weekly: New rules on "Release of Information"
Transparency in government remains one of the major obstacles in China's social and political reform. The Communist Party has publicly acknowledged the need for more transparency; only in the last 3-5 years has government offices at every level around the country begun to add press departments, issue press releases, and hold regularly press conferences. But this is only one … [Read more...] about Southern Weekly: New rules on "Release of Information"