FEATURED ARTICLE
Urbanizing Chinas Ethnic Minorities (August 14, 2013, Andrew Stokals)
Chinas urbanization push has been in the headlines recently. Of course after 30 years, Chinas urbanization is not exactly fresh news. But recent reports of opposition to Chinas urbanization plan underscore just how integral urbanization is to the most pressing issues facing China now: 1. Maintaining economic growth through consumer spending, 2. Reducing the income disparity between urban and rural areas, 3. Growing Municipal and local government debt. One area that receives less attention is the issue of forced urbanization in ethnic minority regions, such as those home to Tibetan and Uighur populations.
GOVERNMENT / POLITICS / FOREIGN AFFAIRS
In Mess Bo Left, an Opportunity for Beijing (October 25, 2013, China Real Time)
While digging through the mountain of claims will not be an easy task, it presents the Chinese leadership with an opportunity to demonstrate to police, prosecutors and courts nationwide that illegalities committed in the course of criminal prosecutions will not be tolerated.
Chen Guangchengs family to visit him in US (October 26, 2013, South China Morning Post)
The mother and brother of blind activist Chen Guangcheng, who escaped house arrest and sought refuge in the US embassy in Beijing, have been granted visas to visit him in New York.
China Signals Unprecedented Policy Changes on Agenda at Plenum (October 27, 2013, Bloomberg)
Chinese Politburo member Yu Zhengsheng said reforms to be discussed at a Communist Party meeting next month will be unprecedented, adding to signs that leaders are resolved to spur far-reaching policy changes. Yus comments, made in a speech at a forum to promote relations with Taiwan, were reported by the official Xinhua News Agency on Oct. 26. Yu is ranked fourth in the seven-strong Politburo Standing Committee headed by party chief and President Xi Jinping.
Tiananmen: Why is the square so politically sensitive? (October 29, 2013)
Whether the crash is an accident or a suspected suicide attack by Uighur separatists from the Xinjiang region, the mere fact that it happened in front of Tiananmen Square has inevitably turned it into a political story. That is because of the uniquely political nature of the square. It is indeed one of a kind in the world. The word Tiananmen means "gate of heavenly peace". However, it is anything but heavenly peace.
China labels Tiananmen incident a 'terrorist attack,' arrests 5 (October 30, 2013, Los Angeles Times)
More than 48 hours after a car plowed down pedestrians and burst into flames at Beijings Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government broke its near-silence on the incident and characterized it as a terrorist attack. Chinese state media on Wednesday identified the people in the car as members of one family- the driver, Usmen Hasan; his mother, Kuwanhan Reyim; and his wife, Gulkiz Gini. All three were killed, along with two tourists. Chinese authorities also said five people were arrested as accessories in Beijing on Monday night.
Tiananmen Attack Spotlights Chinas Beleaguered Uighurs (October 30, 2013, Tea Leaf Nation)
If Xinjiangs troubles seemed remote to residents of Beijing, the Oct. 28 attack brought them much closer to home. This is the first time that Ive ever felt so close to a terrorist attack, remarked one user of Sina Weibo, Chinas Twitter. Another tweeted, My God, they can do this in front of Tiananmen? Im very worried all of the sudden, how do they prevent this type of attacks in the future? Vehicle inspections?
Tiananmen Square 'terror plot' raises security stakes (+video) (October 30, 2013, Christian Science Monitor)
If the authorities are correct, the incident would represent an unprecedented assault on the iconic heart of Beijing, the entrance to the Forbidden City where hangs a portrait of Mao Zedong. It raises questions about the scale of discontent among Chinas ethnic and religious minorities and about possible shortcomings in the Chinese governments usually iron-fisted security apparatus.
Bulldozed (October 30, 2013, Analects)
The fate of the "bulldozer mayor" of Nanjing is the subject of intense gossip. As the head of this one-time imperial capital of 8m people, Ji Jianye had a reputation for brash infrastructure projects, conducted with speed if not sensitivity.
Editorial Hints at Xis Challenge (October 30, 2013, China Real Time)
An editorial this week in the Chinese Communist Partys main propaganda mouthpiece may offer a hint of the types of changes Xi Jinping and his comrades are likely to put on the table at a key Party meeting next month. But those proposals could face tough resistance by entrenched Party interests with deep personal and political stakes in opposing reform.
China slams "dangerous provocation" by Japan by shadowing sea drill (October 31, 2013, Reuters)
China's Defence Ministry said on Thursday it has lodged a formal diplomatic complaint over what it called "dangerous provocation" by Japan for shadowing Chinese military exercises in the western Pacific. […] Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said that a Japanese naval and air patrol disrupted a Chinese live ammunition military drill last Friday, without giving the precise location. Yang also said Japanese patrols of ships and aircraft were gathering information about the exercises.
Chinese Officials Apologize for Gross Photoshop Ineptitude (October 31, 2013, China Real Time)
Shamed by a chorus of outrage and ridicule on social media, local officials in central China have apologized for a very shoddy piece of Photoshop work. A picture posted online by the government of Ningguo, a small city in Anhui province, showed the deputy mayor and his colleagues towering above the citys oldest resident while paying their respects to her at a festival earlier this month. One-hundred-and-three-year-old Cheng Yanchun, looking smaller than a Hobbit, is squeezed into the bottom right hand corner of the image; next to her, a botched fade-out effect makes it look a little like the oversized local leaders have risen from the dead.
Slideshow: Tiananmen Cleanup (October 29, 2013, Caixin)
Popular tourist area quickly reopened the same day after five people were killed and 38 left injured following attack.
RELIGION
Why Marriage Retreats are Important (October 30, 2013, Chinese Church Voices)
The article translated below is about a talk given by a Beijing pastor on the growing popularity and importance of marriage retreats.
SOCIETY / LIFE
Response to a Citys Smog Points to a Change in Chinese Attitude (October 24, 2013, The New York Times)
Action plans in Harbin, Beijing and other cities, along with broad national policies meant to curb air pollution announced last month, signal that some officials are serious about tackling the chronic problem. On Thursday, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said it was sending inspection teams to cities across China for the winter to ensure that environmental regulations were enforced.
Wikipedia China Becomes Front Line for Views on Language and Culture (October 27, 2013, The New York Times)
The Chinese-language version of Wikipedia has become more than an online encyclopedia: it is a battlefield for editors from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong in a region charged with political, ideological and cultural differences.
Property Measures Drive Divorces in China (October 30, 2013, China Real Time)
Couples in Beijing are splitting at a record pace, and dodging the taxman is part of the reason. […] The larger-than-usual rise in divorces could be attributed to the property policies, said Li Ziwei, vice president of the Beijing Marriage and Family Building Association. People are thinking of their own interests, and if a divorce enables them to save on paying taxes, or to qualify to buy an additional home, whos to judge them?
Guilt and shame in Chinas media (October 30, 2013, China Media Project)
As all eyes turn to the mysterious jeep that burst into flames this week near the Tiananmen Gate, the fate of New Express journalist Chen Yongzhou is bound to fade into the background. But we must remember not to forget Chens story. It has, very possibly, all the makings of a cliff-hanging crime thriller and we are barely into the first chapter.
China's population policy unchanged (October 30, 2013, Xinhua)
China's population policy remains unchanged, according to the country's family planning authority.The publicity department of the National Health and Family Planning Commission made the remarks in response to online reports that "China will relax the current policy by allowing more couples to have two children nationwide," said the Wednesday edition of the Beijing Times.
Air Pollution Drives 50% Drop in Visitors to Beijing (October 31, 2013, China Real Time)
Beijing residents arent the only ones turned off by how smoggy their skies get. According to a state media report, the citys notorious pollution is also deterring tourists. Visitors to Chinas capital declined by roughly 50% in the first three quarters of the year compared to a year earlier, according to a report in Beijing Youth Daily based on a survey of domestic travel agents (in Chinese).
Chinese censorship's dangerous subtlety (October 31, 2013, The Guardian)
As China's citizens use the web to protest and share information, the authorities' assault on internet "rumours" is only the most visible part of the clampdown
10 injured after quakes in NE China (October 31, 2013, Xinhua)
Ten people were injured when two earthquakes shook Songyuan City in northeast China's Jilin Province on Thursday morning, said local government authorities. Those with serious injuries have been sent to local hospitals.
EDUCATION / HISTORY
Xia Yeliang: The China Americans Don't See (October 25, 2013, The Wall Street Journal)
A Peking University economics professor who was sacked for his political views explains the underside of elite Chinese higher education.
Chinese students a new funding source for U.S. high schools (October 26, 2013, Los Angeles Times)
In looking abroad to fill seats, Yosemite is following the lead of underpopulated high schools in Maine and upstate New York, among other places. The number of tuition-paying foreign students in American public high schools has jumped from a few hundred nationwide in 2007 to nearly 3,000 last year, according to federal statistics obtained by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel. With newly prosperous families eager to educate their children in the West, China has become the latest frontier in public school financing.
DONG: Honor without a code (October 29, 2013, Yale Daily News)
If cheating is not allowed, the test is not fair! On June 8, 2013, the last day of the college entrance examination in China, thousands of angry parents besieged the Zhongxiang No. 3 High School in Hubei Province and harassed test monitors who tried to crack down on cheating in the most important annual test in China. For these parents and children, cheating had little to do with honor: it was simply crucial for survival.
Ghostly journey through Hong Kong's old Wan Chai district (October 30, 2013, BBC)
Look at the skyline and all you see of Hong Kong is an ultra-modern city with glistening buildings scraping the clouds or hugging the harbourfront in weird and wonderful shapes. But lurking in between them are pockets of old Hong Kong soaked in a history at risk of being forgotten, as new buildings and developments shoot up, says Mak Tak-ching, the man organising a tour of the "haunted" spots in Hong Kong's old Wan Chai district.
Peking, a Memory (October 30, 2013, The China Story)
In this short piece, the author fondly reflects on the sensory elements and architecture of Peking.
More mainland higher education institutions exempt HK students from exams (October 31, 2013, Xinhua)
Hong Kong Education Bureau welcomed Thursday the Ministry of Education of China's announcement of detailed arrangements on the admission scheme of Hong Kong students to mainland higher education institutions for 2014. Seventy-five mainland higher education institutions will admit Hong Kong students based on their results in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination.
HEALTH
Chinese hospital staff protest over stabbing of doctors (October 28, 2013, The Guardian)
Several hundred hospital staff have staged a rare protest in southern China against attacks on medical workers after a patient stabbed three doctors, killing one of them. The workers assembled outside the Wenling City No 1 people's hospital, in the south-eastern province of Zhejiang, holding signs reading "Uphold justice" and "Guarantee medical staffers' safety". "We are still protesting and demanding that the government and the hospital management ensure the safety of the doctors," said a woman who refused to give her name. The protest came after a knife-wielding patient who was being treated in the emergency department stabbed the three doctors on Friday. Dr Wang Yunjie died and the other two were wounded, Wenling police said.
ECONOMICS / BUSINESS / TRADE
Taiwan's services agreement with China triggers concerns (October 27, 2013, BBC)
China has opened up 80 types of industries in its booming services sector to Taiwanese companies, while Taiwan has opened up just 64 industry sectors, including Chinese medicine wholesale.Businesses in Taiwan like banks, travel agents, hospitals, and securities firms, among others, will be able to provide more services across a wider area of China.
U.S. Asks China to Team Up on Oil (October 31, 2013, China Real Time)
Over the past five years, China has amassed hundreds of millions of barrels in strategic petroleum reserves. Now the U.S. wants China to work with it to coordinate releases of those barrels when needed to help ensure oil market stability.
SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY / ENVIRONMENT
Experts: Yangtze ecology collapses (October 23, 2013, china.org.cn)
The fish species in the upper branches of the Yangtze River have declined dramatically in recent years, imposing a severe warning on the rivers ecological system which has been much endangered, the Ministry of Agriculture revealed recently. According to a collaborative report led by the ministrys Yangtze River Fishery Resources Management Commission Office, the ecological system of the upper branches of the Yangtze River has collapsed and as a result many precious fish species are now on the brink of extinction.
China providing space training (October 29, 2013, Asia One)
China is providing training for space professionals from developing economies, enhancing their capacity in satellite operations and space technology application. "Hundreds of space engineers and scientists from several countries including Pakistan and Nigeria have received training in China since 2005," Li Lan, deputy general manager of the communications satellite division of China Great Wall Industry Corp, said on Monday. China Great Wall Industry Corp is the country's only commercial provider of international launch services and satellite in-orbit delivery.
ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT
When Western Journalists Loved China's Communists (October 25, 2013, The Atlantic)
A Shanghai exhibit on the 1930s commemorates an almost-forgotten era of foreign reporting on China, but what it leaves out is more significant.
Sinica: Chinese Literature in Translation (October 27, 2013, Pop-Up Chinese)
This week, Sinica is delighted to be joined by Linda Jaivin and Alice Liu for a discussion on Chinese literature in translation.
Forging an Art Market in China (October 28, 2013, The New York Times)
When the hammer came down at an evening auction during China Guardians spring sale in May 2011, Eagle Standing on a Pine Tree, a 1946 ink painting by Qi Baishi, one of Chinas 20th-century masters, had drawn a startling price: $65.4 million. No Chinese painting had ever fetched so much at auction, and, by the end of the year, the sale appeared to have global implications, helping China surpass the United States as the worlds biggest art and auction market. But two years after the auction, Qi Baishis masterpiece is still languishing in a warehouse in Beijing. The winning bidder has refused to pay for the piece since doubts were raised about its authenticity.
Top Chinese film-maker says country's censors are 'ridiculous' (October 31, 2013, The Guardian)
Prominent Chinese director Feng Xiaogang has spoken out against the restrictions imposed by the country's censorship bureau, calling them "ridiculous". Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter as he promoted his latest film, Back to 1942, in Los Angeles, Feng said that the changes demanded by censors are a "great harm" to individual films and "a headache to all the directors".
FOOD / TRAVEL / CULTURE
Skiing Muztagh Ata, China (October 27, 2013, Summit.org)
Three months after climbing and skiing from the summit of Muztagh Ata, I feel like the trip has finally set in. What sticks out most in my mind are a few key themes: How wild and untamed this region of the planet is; The incredible generosity of the local people, despite their poverty; The value of persevering through difficulty and uncertainty
A Professional Photographers View of Xinjiang, China (October 31, 2013, Far West China)
Last month I connected with a professional photographer named Antony Watson who recently led a photography expedition here to Xinjiang. Intrigued by the expedition and mesmerized by his photographs, I asked if hed be willing to share his experience and tips for amateur photographers like me and he graciously agreed.
BOOKS
China Story Yearbook 2013: Civilising China (October 31, 2013, The China Story)
The following is an edited excerpt from the introduction to the book, Engineering Chinese Civilisation.
RESOURCES
Jesus Film App (iTunes)
Jesus Film Media is the digital expression of The JESUS Film Project, it is an extension of the overall vision to reach everyone, everywhere by equipping people to use our tools and resources in new ways! Finding just the right film resource or tool has never been easier. We are excited to share the entire JESUS Film Project library with you on your smart phone. Through the robust search feature users have the ability to find our resources by country, language name, theme, and title of the film. You will have access to films in over 1,100 languages!
Image credit: Zhangjiajie, by Sarah Hisa, via Flickr