ZGBriefs | March 10, 2016

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Featured Article

The business of censorship: Documents show how Weibo filters sensitive news in China (March 3, 2016, Committee to Protect Journalists)
A set of documents provided to CPJ by a former employee in Weibo's censorship department however, sheds light on how the site must tread a fine line between appeasing government censors and encouraging users to keep posting to its site.

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Government / Politics / Foreign Affairs

How Xi Jinping Views the News (March 3, 2016, China Media Project)
It will take many months to unpack the implications of the new and comprehensive media policy Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined on February 19, and many more to understand and observe its real impact. For the time being, we can rely on the various explications appearing in official state media to help cut shovel through the slush of official discourse.

Chinese Propaganda Machine Places Hopes in Cartoon Rappers (March 4, 2016, The New York Times)
The fun and joy that Xinhua is searching for reflects a quandary facing China's leadership: As Xi navigates a difficult phase of his administration, his messaging machine — for decades one of the Communist Party's most crucial levers of power — has been struggling to make itself heard.

Behold, people of China: The four known times Xi Jinping has cried (March 4, 2016, The Washington Post)
Until this week, however, the Chinese had yet to know: “For whom does Uncle Xi shed his tears?”

Xi Jinping: A Cult of Personality? – A ChinaFile Conversation (March 4, 2016, China File)
What is behind Xi's efforts to cultivate a cult of personality? How significant is it to the shape of Chinese politics going forward?

5 Takeaways from China’s New Policy Programs (March 5, 2016, Wall Street Journal)
One addition this year is the release of the latest five-year plan laying out economic and other goals for 2016-2020. The thicket of policies lands at a pivotal moment. Chinese leaders are confronting a stubbornly slowing economy in need of an overhaul for more sustainable long-term growth. Here are five takeaways from their plans.

Two Meetings, Three Hands (March 7, 2016, From the West Courtyard)
I once had a professor explain to me the relationship between the Party, the NPC, and the NPPCC by means of a ditty that described what each does with their hands.

China corruption crackdown 'netted 300,000 in 2015' (March 7, 2016, BBC)
Some 200,000 officials were given what was called "light punishment", while more severe penalties were taken against a further 80,000. President Xi Jinping has made a campaign against corruption a centrepiece of his governing agenda.

Whack-a-Tiger: Xi Jinping Clobbers Corrupt Officials in New Video (March 7, 2016, China Real Time)
The Chinese Communist Party’s ever-expanding propaganda arsenal includes rap songs, psychedelic music videos and cartoons of President Xi Jinping. Now, a Chinese animation studio has taken things one step further – by taking on Mr. Xi’s domestic political opponents by name. A new animated video making the rounds on China’s state-run media depicts a cartoon version of Mr. Xi vanquishing officials with a mallet, whack-a-mole style.

As China’s NPC Meets, Here Are Four Danger Signs to Watch for in the Nation’s Economy (March 7, 2016, TIME)
As China’s National People’s Congress meets in Beijing, the state of the world’s second largest economy is a cause for concern.

Two Hong Kong Booksellers Return Under Dubious Circumstances (March 7, 2016, TIME)
On Friday, Hong Kong police released a statement confirming that Lui had returned to the territory and that he had requested they terminate the investigation into his disappearance; a virtually identical notification came on Sunday upon Cheung’s return. Authorities offered no further comment, but past reports suggest the two men may have been let out on bail.

Year After Detentions, Chinese Feminists Mark Setbacks and Progress (March 7, 2016, The New York Times)
But while the women and their lawyers continue to protest the lack of resolution in the public disorder charges against them, Ms. Li welcomed a victory in a cause that feminists have advocated for more than two decades: China’s first law against domestic violence took effect on March 1. Taken together, the two issues reflected a society where there is progress even as feminists struggle to advance women’s rights amid tightening restrictions on public advocacy.

Picture China: National People’s Congress Convenes in Beijing (March 7, 2016, China Real Time)

China Says It Won’t Budge on South China Sea Sovereignty (March 8, 2016, TIME)
China’s foreign minister took a hard line Tuesday on the country’s claims to virtually all the South China Sea, saying Beijing won’t permit other nations to infringe on what it considers its sovereign rights in the strategically vital area.

In Rare Act of Leniency, Chinese Dissident Lawyer Is Released, Flown to U.S. (March 8, 2016, China Real Time)
A Chinese lawyer detained in a nationwide sweep of legal activists last year was released and flown to the U.S., in a rare act of leniency that contrasts with the treatment of a dozen other lawyers and legal assistants still being held.

South China Sea Buildup Brings Beijing Closer to Realizing Control (March 8, 2016, The New York Times)
American officials are increasingly worried that the buildup, if unchecked, will give China de facto control of an expanse of sea the size of Mexico and military superiority over neighbors with competing claims to the waters. That, some say, could prompt a regional arms race and increase the risk of conflict.

Minitrue: 21 Rules on Coverage of the Two Sessions (March 9, 2016, China Digital Times)
The Central Propaganda Department issued 21 rules for reporting on the annual “Two Sessions” of the legislative National People’s Congress and advisory Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, which convened in Beijing last week.

Religion

Chinese Kaifeng Jews Seek New Lives in Israel (March 3, 2016, NBC)
Yue Ting finally went "home" to Israel this week. She had been looking forward to the day for years — where she comes from there are no synagogues or rabbis. "Our ancestors are Jews … I have to be here," said Yue, a 25-year-old primary school teacher who intends to become an Israeli citizen along with four other women from her hometown of Kaifeng in Henan province.

‘I Can’t Stay Out of This’ — Two Statements on the Zhang Kai Case (March 3, 2016, China Change)
Translated statements by Li Xiaoming and Wang Yi

Tibetan Monk, 18, Dies After Self-Immolation to Protest Chinese Rule (March 3, 2016, The New York Times)
A young Tibetan monk died this week after setting himself on fire in Sichuan Province to protest Chinese rule, according to a Tibet advocacy group. It was the first known act of self-immolation in a Tibetan area of China since August.

Patience Needed (March 4, 2016, From the West Courtyard)
As I have reflected on effective methods for reaching Chinese with the gospel, it seems that one theme keeps recurring: the need for patience. Without patience, coupled with perseverance, we are not likely to have a lasting impact on our Chinese friends or upon their society. Let me explain.

We Walk This Road Together (March 8, 2016, Chinese Church Voices)
Shortly after Pastor Gu was removed, the choir sang the song “We Walk This Road Together” during one of the services. Video of the choir was posted to China Christian Daily.

A Forgotten People (March 9, 2016, From the West Courtyard)
The latest issue of China Source Quarterly shines a spotlight on a people often overlooked in China. According to the latest nationwide figures, China has nearly 83 million people with disabilities.

Society / Life

These Drone Photos Show the Density of High-Rises in Hong Kong (March 5, 2016, PetaPixel)

Body found in Chinese lift month after it was switched off (March 6, 2016, BBC)
A woman's body was found inside a lift in China a month after it was improperly switched off, a regional government statement said. Her body was found in a residential building in the central city of Xian. The lift had been turned off by two maintenance workers on 30 January. The body was found when other workers arrived on 1 March. Police are treating the death as involuntary manslaughter. Several people have been arrested.

Beijing streamlines its visa procedures (March 7, 2016, China Daily)
A new online visa and permit application service for foreigners in Beijing is set to be launched on Tuesday by the city's Public Security Bureau. It will simplify procedures for obtaining documents and shorten approval time. Foreigners will be allowed to apply for a visa, a stay permit or a residence permit through the public service section of the website, according to a statement on Sunday by the bureau's Entry and Exit Department.

Video: China's agony over missing passengers on MH370 flight (March 7, 2016, BBC)
Some believe the incident is a huge conspiracy and their relatives are still alive. Many of them have been left feeling helpless and desperate, and are still looking for answers.

Photos: The Dizzying Cityscape of Hong Kong (March 7, 2016, The Atlantic)

Case of College Student Suspected of Killing Mother Raises Morals Debate (March 8, 2016, Caixin Online)
The case of a Peking University economics student wanted by police on suspicion he killed his mother has prompted a debate about the moral education of China's students and how universities are run.

Looking to the new generation (March 9, 2016, China Daily)
The government is preparing to further deepen reform of the national policy on planned parenthood to ensure a stable workforce and continued growth.

Economics / Trade / Business

The Chinese Communist Party’s richest man is now the biggest owner of US movie theaters (March 4, 2016, Quartz)
The deal puts AMC into the top spot in the US movie-theater industry, with 8,380 screens in over 600 theaters across the country. It also puts even more of the US entertainment industry into Chinese control, as deep-pocketed Chinese tycoons seek partnerships with Hollywood studios, gaming companies, and digital-effects studios.

China’s ‘Bad Banks’ Need a Lifeline, NPC Delegate Says (March 8, 2016, China Real Time)
With soured loans piling up amid China’s economic slowdown, the country’s “bad banks” are now in urgent need of fresh funds, a delegate to China’s National People’s Congress said in a proposal released Monday.

Chinese exports plunge 25% in February (March 9, 2016, BBC)
Chinese exports have seen their sharpest drop in almost seven years, adding to concerns over the health of the world's second largest economy. Exports dropped sharply by 25.4% from a year earlier, while imports fell 13.8%.

China's smog-choked steel city readies for six-month flower show shutdown (March 9, 2016, The Guardian)
Steel mills in Tangshan – a city of about 7 million inhabitants in China’s steel-producing heartlands – reportedly sent prices rocketing by nearly 20% on Monday, after going on an unexpected shopping spree for the commodity ahead of an enforced shutdown later this year.

Education

Internet is the new classroom for life-long learning (March 8, 2016, China Daily)
Online education is growing. More than 1,000 online education start-ups have been established since 2014 in China, according to news.pedaily.cn. It is one of the most popular fields where entrepreneurs and venture capitalists flock together on account of the absence of geographic restrictions, a high degree of standardization, and economies of scale from reuse of content.

Health / Environment

Record high for organ donations (March 8, 2016, China Daily)
The number of organ donors in China reached 2,766 last year, and more than 10,000 surgeries were performed, outnumbering the total for 2013 and 2014, Huang said.

Science / Technology

China to build second railway line into Tibet (March 4, 2016, The Guardian)
China announces five-year development plan, including plan to link Lhasa with Chengdu in China’s south-west.

History / Culture

A video: Guangzhou street life in the 1960s (March 5, 2016, Everyday Life in Mao’s China)

44 Beautiful and old maps of China (March 7, 2016, China Underground)
Mapmaking is an ancient art in China. Since the Warring States period (5th century BC) Chinese people began to study cartography.

WATCH: Black and white footage brings the streets of Beijing in the 1920s back to life  (March 7, 2016, Shanghaiist)
The 14-minute-long film is a part of a Canadian collection featuring scenes from the streets of Peking during the 1920s. The movie covers a wide range of affairs, from the traffic to the temple fairs, from kids playing in the street to locals enjoying a meal.

Arts / Entertainment / Media

How China Won the War Against Western Media (March 4, 2016, Foreign Policy)
In a country which ranks a dismal 176 out of 180 for media freedoms, comes in last in an 88-country ranking for Internet freedom, and which operates the largest state propaganda apparatus in the world, the conversation regularly centers around perceived media bias elsewhere. The ubiquity of this idea is the result of what has been one of Chinese state media’s most successful propaganda campaigns — so effective that the term “Western media” in Chinese often has a negative connotation.

Time, Money, Ambition: Inside China's Bid For Global Soccer Power (March 7, 2016, NPR)
The wave of huge spending is China's latest step in its bid to become a global soccer power. With the backing of President Xi Jinping, an avowed soccer fan, and no shortage of investment money, the country has the political will and naked ambition to propel soccer into a starring role on the world stage.

No More Drama: China’s TV Insiders Lash Out at Censorship During Legislative Gathering (March 8, 2016, China Real Time)
The Chinese public is mourning the government’s recent tightening of restrictions on TV content — and so are several of the country’s most famous TV professionals, who are voicing their frustration during China’s annual legislative meetings in Beijing. Zhang Guoli, one of China’s best-known actors and producers, said Monday that he and his peers had started to back away from making TV dramas due to increased government restrictions.

China magazine Caixin defiant on censorship of article (March 9, 2016, BBC)
Prominent Chinese financial magazine Caixin has highlighted censorship of its content, in a rare defiant move against the government. It claimed on Monday, in an article published on its English-language website, that censors had deleted an interview on the issue of free speech. But by Tuesday evening that article appeared to have been deleted as well.

Travel / Food

Pizza Hut Introduces Its Own Durian Pizza in China (March 7, 2016, Isidor’s Fugue)
Normally in a city such as Jieyang I would want to immerse myself in the local food offerings as much as possible. But I have been here long enough that I found it reasonable to sacrifice a meal to give Pizza Hut's durian pizza a try.

Traveling to Yangshuo – Our guide (March 7, 2016, Sapore di Cina)
Are you familiar with the karst hills of Guilin and Yangshuo? If not it’s simple: if you’re in China take out a 20 Yuan banknote and look at its printed design!

How Chinese Food Became Hip in America (March 8, 2016, Asia Society)
At Asia Society’s 2016 National Chinese Language Conference from April 28-30, Andrew Coe will join a panel to discuss bridging cultures through food. Ahead of the conference, Coe spoke with Asia Blog about how Chinese food got hip and how shifting demographics of Chinese people in the United States have changed the culinary landscape since his book came out.

Take a sneak peek inside Shanghai Disneyland with this batch of just-released photos! (March 8, 2016, Shanghaiist)
You've seen it from afar, you've seen it from above. Heck, you've even seen the lackluster metro station attached, but now, 100 days until the grand opening, you finally get the chance to see inside Shanghai Disneyland.

AT LONG LAST! Tibet's first KFC finally opens in Lhasa (March 9, 2016, Shanghaiist)
At last, KFC has opened its first location in Tibet, right in downtown Lhasa. While China already has over 5,000 KFC franchises, it has taken them some 29 years to finally reach the "Roof of the World" and provide its people with some of the Colonel's famous fried chicken that they have apparently been clamoring for.

Language / Language Learning

Chinese I wish I knew before arriving (March, 2016, World of Chinese)
As many find, even after studying Mandarin for over three years, alighting from the plane I found myself ill-prepared in the language department. For those in a similar situation, the following tidbits will hopefully help you avoid the confusing and embarrassing situations for which the classroom does not prepare you.

Events

National Chinese Language Conference (Asia Society)
The National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC) provides a high–profile platform for sharing new ideas and best practices in the fields of Chinese language teaching and learning, Chinese arts and culture, and U.S.–China educational exchange. The ninth annual NCLC is organized by Asia Society and the College Board and will be held in Chicago, IL, April 28–30, 2016.

Image credit: Weibo Phone, by Julien Gong Min, via Flickr