A chronic shortage of natural gas is hurting China’s plan to move away from burning coal to heat homes and offices, raising the prospect of more choking air pollution this winter and beyond. The problem is worst in northern China,… Read More ›
Month: October 2013
China’s land grab in Australia hidden by “corporate veil”
Chinese investors may own less than 1 per cent of Australian farmland, but the true level is not known because it is hidden behind a corporate veil, according to a new report that offers support to the establishment of a… Read More ›
“The Web Behind The Wall” explains China’s complicated startup industry
“The Web Behind The Wall” is an e-book published by TechNode (TechCrunch‘s partner for next month’s Shanghai event) that wants to be “the #1 resource for foreign tech companies to understand China.” The book is a quick but highly informative read about China’s startup… Read More ›
China’s State Council think tank sets out roadmap for reform
A top government think tank has unveiled a detailed road map for a series of far-reaching economic policy changes, in one of the strongest indications yet that the Communist Party intends to stay on the path of reform. The recommendations… Read More ›
Australia abandons Asian Century from foreign policy
The centrepiece of the Gillard government’s foreign affairs strategy – the Australia in the Asian Century white paper – has been largely jettisoned by the Abbott government. Craig Emerson, who as a senior Labor minister was responsible for the white… Read More ›
Chen’s confession: who to trust in China now?
What can you trust in China these days? An investigative journalist who says a well-known company has allegedly been manipulating its financial results? Or the company that denies that point-blank? How about a police force that crosses provincial lines to… Read More ›
Japan to be more assertive against China
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in an interview published on Saturday, said Japan was ready to be more assertive in guarding against what he said might be an attempt by China to use force to attain its diplomatic goals. But a… Read More ›
Boeing gets $20.7 billion worth of 737 Max commitments from China
Boeing has secured commitments for around 200 of its 737 Max aircraft, the upgraded variant of its best-selling short-haul planes, from multiple Chinese customers, said two sources familiar with the deals. The deals are worth a combined $20.7 billion at list… Read More ›
Philippines expects early U.N. ruling on sea dispute with China
The Philippines expects an early ruling from the United Nations’ tribunal on its arbitration case questioning China’s claim on the South China Sea, Manila‘s foreign minister said on Thursday, in the first public announcement of hopes for a swift outcome…. Read More ›
New report says 15% of corruption accusations against China’s officials are made by mistresses
In the early days of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s drive to clean up the Communist Party’s image, disciplinary authorities benefited from the work of a group of accusers with particularly intimate knowledge of corrupt bureaucrats’ nefarious activities: their extramarital lovers…. Read More ›
China has technology to build VTOL J-20 stealth fighter jet
According to Russian Military-Industry Courier weekly and US Aviation News Weekly speculation, China has obtained from Russia the technology for a VTOL fighter jet, and will probably develop a VTOL version of the J-20 stealth fighter jet. The technology was… Read More ›
Australia neglects militarisation of Antarctica by foreign powers, including China
Australian academics have pointed to dangers that Antarctic bases are for the first time being militarised, despite the continent officially being called a land of peace and science. Satellite systems at polar bases could be used to control offensive weapons,… Read More ›
NASA reverses conference’s ban on Chinese scientists
The US space agency has said it will allow Chinese scientists to attend an astronomy conference in California next month, reversing an earlier ban. NASA put the earlier ban down to a misinterpretation of its policy on foreign nationals. Chinese… Read More ›
Hong Kong signs up for Australian undergraduate study and internship plan
Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has signed up the fourth and final destination, Hong Kong, for next year’s trial of the government’s New Colombo Plan, which will send Australian undergraduates into the region for study, internships and long-term diplomacy. “Australian… Read More ›
China: Thick smog blocked road, train, air traffic for two days
Thick smog in Harbin urban areas has caused the closing of primary and secondary schools and expressways. The PM2.5 index has exceeded the maximum range of the metre. After the serious smog on October 20, and the early morning on… Read More ›
Authors accept censors’ rules to sell in China
Chinese readers of Ezra F. Vogel’s sprawling biography of China’s reformist leader Deng Xiaoping may have missed a few details that appeared in the original English edition. The Chinese version did not mention that Chinese newspapers had been ordered to ignore the… Read More ›
Australian government sees Asia as priority over US
Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey has expressed doubts the world has seen the last of the US debt impasse as he urged the United States to get its house in order and signalled a renewed focus on opening more markets in… Read More ›
India, China near pact aimed at keeping lid on border tension
India and China are close to an agreement to stop tension on their contested border touching off confrontation while they try to figure out a way to break decades-old stalemate on overlapping claims to long stretches of the Himalayas. The… Read More ›
Australia’s Governor General meets top Chinese leaders
Australia’s Governor-General Quentin Bryce has met with China’s top political leaders in one of her final overseas tours in the post. Mrs Bryce held meetings last night with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of… Read More ›
Women biggest buyers of voodoo dolls in China
A search for voodoo dolls on China’s online shopping platform Taobao yields thousands of results, with most of the 6,000 comments posted by females, according to the Chengdu-based West China City Daily. Among the voodoo curses are those that target… Read More ›
China’s propaganda cartoon tells how leaders are made
According to a wildly popular online cartoon in China, the answer (to What’s the Secret to China’s Success?) lies in the careful way the country grooms its leaders – a process that supposedly puts the American and British political career… Read More ›
China sends riot police to block new protests by flood victims
Authorities in eastern China dispatched riot police on Wednesday to guard against a resumption of anti-government protests after a day of clashes pitting security forces against thousands of victims of the worst floods in a century. On Tuesday, residents of… Read More ›
Australia backs Japan’s military buildup at risk of upsetting China
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop threw Australia’s support behind Japan’s attempts to shift its military to a more “normal” defence posture in a speech in Tokyo yesterday. Australia’s backing for Japan’s proposed move away from a purely defensive military runs… Read More ›
China got into bed with the U.S. Treasury and can’t get out
The Chinese sure are doing a lot of worrying these days about the stalemate in Washington. Li Keqiang, China’s Premier, told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that he was watching the tussle over raising the government’s debt ceilingwith “great attention” in a… Read More ›
China’s September export growth in surprise slide
China’s export growth fizzled in September to post a surprise fall as sales to Southeast Asia tumbled, data showed, a disappointing break to a recent run of indicators that had signalled its economy gaining strength. China’s exports dropped 0.3 percent… Read More ›
Six wars China is sure to fight in the next 50 years
On July 8, 2013, the pro-PRC Chinese-language newspaper, Wenweipo, published an article titled “中國未來50年裡必打的六場戰爭 (Six Wars China Is Sure to Fight In the Next 50 Years)”. The anticipated six wars are all irredentist in purpose – the reclaiming of what the Chinese… Read More ›
EU-China investment pact of limited but global significance
In the debate about the transatlantic free trade agreement one issue has remained below the radar: the European Union (EU) is shortly to also commence negotiations with China. On October 18, 2013 the EU member states are set to pass… Read More ›
How to defeat the ‘Great Firewall of China’ with an iPhone
Visitors to China are often perplexed to find that they can’t access Twitter, Facebook or other sites. The reason isn’t that they don’t have access to cellular or WiFi networks; instead, it’s state censorship and surveillance courtesy of the Golden Shield… Read More ›
China detains activist amid rights crackdown
China has detained a prominent rights activist for more than two months without formally charging him, his lawyer said on Friday, the latest case in a crackdown on freedom of assembly. The length of Guo Feixiong’s detention exceeds the 37-day… Read More ›
China ups Venezuelan oil investments, but refuses Chavista leaders’ plea for a cash bailout
Back in April, Brazil’s Folha de SaoPaulo ran an article entitled: “The Future of Venezuela Depends on China“ and highlighted this quote: Translation: “If Maduzo wins, he’ll have to regain the confidence of the Chinese.” – TOM O’DONNELL, petroleum consultant Indeed, it is now clear that the… Read More ›
Australian government to drastically lower foreign investment thresholds as bargaining chip against China
Tensions within the Australian government coalition are growing, with the Nationals expected to insist on a lowering of foreign investment thresholds as Liberals push for them to be used as a bargaining chip with China. The Nationals partyroom meeting next… Read More ›
As China workers earn more, American companies shed their optimism
It’s not that American multinationals don’t love China. They do. But for different reasons now. They like the growing middle class. They like the data on luxury spending and on car loving Chinese. What they don’t like is rising wages…. Read More ›
China’s Bo Xilai allowed to appeal against life in jail
A court in eastern China on Wednesday allowed ousted former senior politician Bo Xilai to appeal against a guilty verdict on charges of corruption and abuse of power handed out last month which earned him a life sentence. Bo was… Read More ›
USA tells China to focus on law in South China Sea dispute
US Secretary of State John Kerry encouraged Southeast Asian leaders on Wednesday in their efforts to resolve maritime disputes with China based on international legal principles, rather than by making individual deals as China would prefer. Mr. Kerry arrived in… Read More ›
China Internet crackdown snares Uighur users
China has arrested 139 people in Xinjiang for allegedly spreading jihad, state-run media said Wednesday, as it warns of growing religious extremism in the far western region home to Muslim Uighurs. Beijing has pointed to violent incidents to indicate a… Read More ›
China benefits from Obama’s missed trip, U.S. credibility suffers
President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that China had probably taken advantage of his absence from a summit in Asia this week and he warned that the government shutdown and fiscal debate were hurting U.S. credibility abroad. Obama last week… Read More ›
Australia’s defence forces must gear up for South China Sea, says expert
Naval tensions over territorial disputes in northeast Asia and the South China Sea are nearing the dangerous point where serious incidents or armed conflict could become inevitable, one of Australia‘s most respected strategists says. Paul Dibb, key architect of the… Read More ›
China pivots to Latin America
In September of this year, China announced a $40 billion investment to build a canal through Nicaragua that is to be an incredible engineering marvel. The proposed canal is still in the early stages of development, and was rapidly pushed… Read More ›
China developing 180,000-ton double-hull aircraft carrier
Qianzhan.com said in its report yesterday: China has to put an end to its old practice of following others countries’ footsteps. Sources say that through meticulous engineering and mechanical analysis, China will conduct research and development of the first 180,000-ton… Read More ›
China warns US, Japan, Australia not to gang up in sea disputes
China said on Monday the United States, Australia and Japan should not use their alliance as an excuse to intervene in territorial disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea, and urged them to refrain from inflaming regional tensions. On… Read More ›
How to get a slice of the money flowing out of China
In 2008, I wrote an article for an international business consultancy newsletter that outlined the opportunities associated with Chinese investing abroad. In the article, I wrote that since China commenced opening up in 1979, most international capital flow has been… Read More ›
Dazed and Confucius: Nine common myths about China
Chinese Whispers was once a party game. A message would be relayed in hushed tones through a long line of people and emerge at the other end amusingly garbled. Most of us have found alternative amusements nowadays, but the name… Read More ›
Book review – Is There Life After Facebook: Geopolitics of Technology and other Foreign Policy Essays
The following is a book review of “Is There Life After Facebook: Geopolitics of Technology and other Foreign Policy Essays” by China Daily Mail contributor Professor Anis Bajrektarevic: “Insightful, compelling and original, this book is an exciting journey through the rocky… Read More ›
When dealing with China, beware of those who give you cultural awareness lessons
Being a psychology graduate and an avid traveller, I’ve always been curious in how myths shape individual behaviour and perceptions of cultural identity. For example, a couple of weeks ago I was having a beer with a friend who works… Read More ›
China’s anti-graft storm begins in earnest
Since Bo Xilai was given the verdict of life imprisonment, China’s mass line campaign has been developing into an anti-corruption campaign. On September 24, Reuters reported that China would audit military officials in a move to fight graft. On September… Read More ›
Xi’s neo-Maoist mass line campaign casts a dark shadow over China
China’s mass line campaign is well in gear: self-criticisms are grabbing headlines, ideological warfare against all things foreign is underway and China’s online world continues its descent into digital hell. As it nears its fourth month, the government is trying… Read More ›
China: Two type 054A frigates launched over three days, three more being built
On September 30, a Shanghai web user revealed that a new China-made Type 054A frigate completed fitting-out and was successfully launched. It is said that from September 28 to 30, two such frigates were launched at an interval of only… Read More ›
History shows that Japan and China have very different futures
I’ve frequently come across the view that China is on track to become like Japan but with 10 times the population. It is a form of wishful thinking that drives a great deal of investment in China in the hope… Read More ›
Critics take advantage as China celebrates sensitive 64th birthday
A country’s 64th birthday is usually the sort of humdrum occasion that is briefly marked and quickly forgotten. Not so in China on Tuesday, where the sight of 64s splashed across TV screens and on billboards has been jarring for… Read More ›
China to open door to foreign astronauts
Last month, China surprised the world by announcing that it might be opening its space program to foreign astronauts and multinational collaboration. The announcement came in mid-September, when Yang Liwei (deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency) claimed the… Read More ›
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