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China Connection
Join Laura Robertson as she brings you the latest news on Chinese culture, trends, and the Beijing Olympics
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May 9, 2008
Seamless in Seattle
Globalization isn't a new concept, nor is it noncontroversial. It seems rare to find something completely American, but that sentiment could be more a function of the way we define American than a reflection of reality. More...
May 8, 2008
The Olympic Torch Conquers Everest
Politics aside, the images of these ambitious climbers holding the Olympic torch and flags make a powerful impression. In a sense they represent China's ability to conquer the world, overcoming all obstacles. Of course, depending on the audience, t More...
May 7, 2008
China's Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease: Legitimate Threat, or Unnecessary Media Frenzy?
When you compare hand-foot-and-mouth disease with many others, it's fairly innocuous, but the media angle hasn't been primarily medical. It's political. More...
May 6, 2008
Communist Leaders Interested in Religious Media
Which Chinese ocupational group is the most interested in religion? None other than government officials and Communist Party members. More...
May 5, 2008
Chinese Leaders and Dalai Lama Envoys Will Meet Again
China and the Dalai Lama envoy have agreed to meet for another talk, but new negotiations don't necessarily mean that they're closer to a resolution. More...
May 2, 2008
Choosing the Right Battles
Criticism of China is somewhat of a double-edged sword. While raising awareness of human rights issues worldwide is important and necessary, is blaming China for every unjust regime going to achieve the desired result? More...
May 1, 2008
You Thought China Was Safe from the 'Hannah Montana' Photo Scandal? Think Again.
The Miley Cyrus Vanity Fair photo shoot that has sent shock waves through the media this week isn't just tarnishing Disney's family-friendly image in the U.S. Provocative Disney images abroad are also creating quite a stir. More...
April 30, 2008
China's Crush on Obama
Obama's status as Baidu.com's Person of the Month is not so much an endorsement of the candidate or his policies as it is a reflection of the tremendous Chinese interest in the upcoming U.S. presidential elections. More...
April 29, 2008
Thirty Tibetans Sentenced for March Protests
With so much conflicting information, how can we really know the truth? Right now, the only news about Tibet we really have access to is either from the state-controlled Chinese media, or Tibetans who have fled the country. More...
April 28, 2008
Pro-Tibet Flags: Made in China
Manufacturing-powerhouse China has factories producing just about everything, but workers in southern China were still surprised to learn that they were manufacturing one of China's most unwelcome symbols: pro-Tibet flags. More...
April 26, 2008
Interesting China Video of the Week: A Dragon Made of 24,500 Tulips
While China's relations with certain European countries have recently been a little frosty, but many in the Netherlands are celebrating China's Olympic hostingduties with full spring flowers. More...
April 25, 2008
Chinese Leadership to Meet with Dalai Lama Envoy
Many western leaders, including President Bush, have advocated an open dialogue between China and Tibet, but I don't really know what will come of these talks, other than positive public relations for both sides. More...
April 24, 2008
$1.3 Billion Lawsuit for CNN
Since you can never have too many lawsuits, CNN is being sued on not just on one, but two continents. More...
April 23, 2008
China to CNN's Cafferty: Hit the Road, Jack
It's been two weeks since CNN's Jack Cafferty made his infamous goons and thugs remarks, but China's anger with CNN hasn't seemed to die, but China's anger with CNN hasn't seemed to die down. More...
April 22, 2008
China Surpasses the U.S. in Internet Users
While China has over two hundred million Internet users, with improved technology and infrastructure, it's only a matter of time before the number of Internet users is closer to the 535 million mobile phone users, according to official statistics. More...
April 21, 2008
Treading the Waters of Nationalism
The increased nationalism presents a challenge for China when it comes to welcoming hundreds of thousands of overseas visitors for the Olympics this August. More...
April 17, 2008
China Turns the Table on Olympic Boycotts
Nobody wants to be a target of boycotts, especially not China. Rather than accepting foreign condemnation quietly, millions of Chinese are standing together in solidarity, determined to strike foreign critics where they're most vulnerable: financial More...
April 15, 2008
The China Gap
Ironically, instead of creating a bridge between conflicting views of China, the recent press about China has actually expanded the chasm. More...
April 11, 2008
China Weekly Wrap-Up
What a week it's been for China, from terrorist charges to Olympic flames. Here's a small sampling of some of the key China stories for the week. With the Olympics still months away, there will definitely be more to come. More...
April 11, 2008
Clinton, McCain, Obama Weigh in on Olympic Attendance
They might be at odds on many political issues, but when it comes to whether or not the U.S. President should attend the Olympics, all three presidential hopefuls see eye to eye. More...
April 10, 2008
Calls for Olympic Boycott Grow Louder
The torch relay tensions are a strong reminder that China has not met the global expectation to raise human rights standards. On the other hand, the strong international outcry may have the potential to precipitate positive change throughout the country. More...
April 7, 2008
Clinton to Bush: Boycott Opening Ceremonies
Clinton's letter urging Bush to boycott the Opening Ceremonies might severely harm her strong Chinese-American support More...
April 7, 2008
A Scorching Reception for the Olympic Torch Relay
The Olympic torch relay has been a full contact sport, and it's just getting started. . . More...
April 4, 2008
500,000 Visitors. 20,000 Bibles.
The gap in these two numbers pretty much sums up a lot of the friction between the way China and international critics view the religious situation in China. More...
April 3, 2008
An Inside Look at China's Most Beautiful Industry
The dramatic growth of China's beauty and cosmetics industry reflects a sense of optimism within China today. More...
June 6, 2007
China, Climate, and the G8 Summit
This year, in addition to the usual suspects, climate change has made a big splash at the summit, but the eight member countries, as well as other countries present, like China, India, Brazil, and South Africa, are far from reaching consensus. More...
June 4, 2007
Remembering Tiananmen: 18 Years Later
You would think that Tiananmen Square, literally translated "The Gate of Heavenly Peace" would be known throughout the Western world as some type of refuge where people from around the world hold hands singing kumbaya. Instead, it's known for the st More...
June 1, 2007
China's New Arrivals: Cloned Mini-Pigs
They might look like other pigs, but the two mini-piglets birthed in the lab of China Agricultural University last week won't have their second life as bacon or pork chops any time soon. Instead, they might become organ donors for human beings. More...
May 31, 2007
Olympic Politics
Amnesty International has been a very vocal critic of Beijing hosting the Olympic Games, partly due to China's relationship and interests in Darfur. While the CD advertisement provides revenue for China Daily, it's interesting that they're More...
May 27, 2007
An American in Cologne
I didn't go into Peking City to get to the bottom of the situation, but I did notice The Cologne Wailing Wall, a few hundred feet outside the restaurant. In contrast to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and dwarfed the Cologne Cathedral nearby, this wa More...
May 25, 2007
An American in Brussels
During my brief time in Brussels, I had the pleasure of viewing a gallery exhibiting the works of Zhu Wei. His blend of classical Chinese art with modern themes presents a unique perspective. More...
May 23, 2007
One Child Policy Ignites Riots in Guangxi
A recent crackdown of the one child policy sparked a four-day riot in Guangxi Province, located in southwestern China. Several thousand citizens rioting in Bobai Township destroyed government buildings, burned and overturned vehicles, and had numerous cl More...
May 17, 2007
Disney in China: The Saga Continues
Now, instead of fighting copyright infringements in China, Disney is gearing up to launch a new Chinese motion picture: The Magic Gourd. More...
May 16, 2007
The Science of Spitting
China's Capital Ethic Development Committee just completed a comprehensive study on spitting in Beijing, and they're quite pleased with the results. More...
May 15, 2007
Is China on the Brink of a Sexual Revolution?
Though the topic of sex education was once taboo, and still off-limits in some areas, the changing cultural mores have presented a new challenge for educators. Officials in some of China's major cities hope increased sex education will help prevent More...
May 10. 2007
Chinese "Disneyland:" 'Magic Kingdom' or 'Tower of Terror'?
From Nike shoes to Chanel bags to North Face jackets, any foreigner who's been to China has been bombarded with merchants trying to sell 'real' Rolex or Ralph Lauren. More...
May 9, 2007
Big Bumps in China's Baby Boom
All of the ingredients are mixing together to produce a big baby boom for China, but the government's not too happy with these new developments. More...
May 3, 2007
Duck, Duck, Dog?
There are a lot of important China headlines today. From the melamine pet food scandal to the currency debate, global warming concerns, an ongoing intellectual property rights debate . . . . the list goes on and on. More...
April 27, 2007
Beijing Rains are Under Control, But Will Protestors Flood Out Olympic Cheer?
While weather issues in Beijing seem to be under control for the Olympics, there seems to be a new firestorm of activists who are angered by some of China's policies in light of the Olympics approaching. More...
April 26, 2007
Rain, Rain, Go Away!
Instead of letting nature take its course, Beijing scientists will use a process known as "cloud-seeding," to increase rainfall artificially before the Games begin. More...
April 20, 2007
Why I Probably Can't Be a Beijing Taxi Driver
With the Olympics just around the corner, Beijing taxi drivers are now being held to pretty high standards. Last Wednesday Beijing released a new 12-point code, which gives cab drivers some fairly strict codes for hygiene and manners. More...
April 19, 2007
Virginia Tech: The World Reacts
There is no shortage of new information on the lives of the victims, grief of the families, political implication of the events, and so much more. More...
April 13, 2007
Pirates of the Chinese Hutongs
It would be nearly impossible for any tourist to go into a major Chinese city without someone trying to sell you a DVD or C.D. More...
April 10, 2007
Will China's Next Pop Idol Be a "Happy Boy"?
Move over American Idol! While this television phenomenon still continues to dominate American television ratings, its audience has nothing on its successful Chinese counterparts. More...
April 4, 2007
China Puts Bibles in Hotel Rooms for the Olympics
The Gideon Bible remains a staple in most hotel rooms, as ubiquitous as soap or shampoo. But in officially-atheist China, this hasn't historically been the case for obvious reasons. More...
March 28, 2007
Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match . . .
Even though it seems like China would be a single person's paradise, finding a suitable mate isn't as easy as you would think, so many are turning back to a traditional source: the matchmaker. More...
March 22, 2007
厕所在那里？(Where is the Restroom?)
There are so many significant things happening in China right now like the Olympics, continued economic development, high-level congressional meetings, and the list goes on. But instead, today I bring up a topic of a completely different nature; one that More...
March 19, 2007
From Recycling to Riches
With a fortune of about $4.7 billion, Zhang Yin is one of China's richest people, and the wealthiest self-made woman in the world, surpassing even Oprah. So how did she do it? Technology? Transportation? Textiles? Try trash. More...
March 15, 2007
China's Baby Boom, Part II
It's the Year of the Pig, and for many couples in China, this special year also means many piglets! This year, China's birthrate is expected to be about 20% higher this year, which means about 3 million extra births, bringing the number up to a More...
March 12, 2007
China's Baby Boom, Part I
It might seem counterintuitive that China, wtih its booming population of 1.3 billion, should have any problems with fertility. But with a population of only about 1,600, China's giant pandas have been the recipients of substantial efforts of revita More...
December 8, 2006
Inside a Chinese Migrant School
I walked out of the bus into a sea of children who were singing songs and waving balloons, and came face to face with hundreds of children at Beijing's Hua Ao Migrant School. In a single moment, the overwhelming concept of China's 150 million migrants became a reality. More...
December 8, 2006
Inside a Chinese Migrant School
I walked out of the bus into a sea of children who were singing songs and waving balloons, and came face to face with hundreds of children at Beijing's Hua Ao Migrant School. In a single moment, the overwhelming concept of China's 150 million migrants became a reality. More...
December 1, 2006
Does China Have a Place For MySpace?
What do you get when you combine the over 120 million Chinese Internet users with the over 135 million with MySpace accounts? The jury’s still out, but MySpace’s owners hope to bring their phenomenal worldwide success to China. Despite the connections, finances, and popularity of the MySpace universe, will it work in China? More...
November 29, 2006
Dancing in the Streets: China's Hip-Hopping, Break-Dancing Grandmas
While many seniors might be confined to their walkers, one Chinese grandmother break-danced her way to victory. Jin Yingzi, or “Auntie Cool” is nearly 70, and beat out 6,000 competitors in China’s first Silver Age Beauty Contest. More...
November 11 , 2006
Will Midterm Elections Impact China?
You don’t have to be a political expert to know that the past week’s elections can create huge changes for the country, but how will these changes impact our relationship with China? Right now the verdict is split. More...
November 9, 2006
One-Child Policy Prevents 400 Million Births
With 1.3 billion people, China remains the most populous country in the world. But according to a new report from China’s National Population and Family Planning Commission, without the one-child policy, China’s population would exceed 1.7 billion. More...
October 24, 2006
Starbucks Takes on China
Remember the time, only a few short years ago, when you could travel for miles without seeing a Starbucks? It’s hard to imagine now, considering that I pass five different Starbucks on my mile-long walk to work. But now that Starbucks has already conquered the U.S., with 8,800 stores nationwide, it’s set its sights on a bigger target: China. More...
october 17, 2006
China's Green GDP Goals
For the past several years, China’s GDP has grown at a phenomenal rate, but a new report reveals that pollution has cast an ugly haze over the economy. More...
october 10, 2006
China and North Korea's Relationship Takes an Explosive Turn
North Korea’s nuclear tests have erupted within the entire international community, but hit China especially hard. More...
october 3, 2006
Confucian Confusion: Understanding China's Image Abroad
The 8th Annual Chinese Cultural Festival of Washington, D.C. had all of the usual components: an elaborate Chinese opera singer, vibrant dances of Chinese ethnic minorities, and little children in yellow robes showing off their kung fu moves. Then they announced another dancing troop who was a major hit at a recent competition in Beijing. More...
october 2, 2006
Raising the Value of China's Currency
While U.S.-China trade negotiations might seem as riveting and fast-paced as watching a herd of turtles wade through molasses, last week’s events seem to signal positive changes for U.S.-China diplomacy. More...
september 22, 2006
Chinese Government Closes Gender Gap
Rather than changing the one-child policy for less government-intervention, the Chinese government has started a nationwide “caring for girls” campaign that gives financial rewards to families who don’t have sons. More...
September 15, 2006
Chinese Courts Seal Leaks
In an attempt to “enhance the transparency of judicial work,” China’s Supreme People’s Court appointed spokesmen who will prevent sensitive material from leaking to the press. More...
September 12, 2006
China Strengthens its Grip on Foreign Media
China has always had tight control over the press, but new regulations for foreign media have given the state-run Xinhua News Agency control over its competitors. More...
September 11, 2006
Chinese Tourists Clean Up Their Image
With less than two years to go before the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, the Chinese government is sparing no expense to improve Beijing. In a unique public relations move, China’s Spiritual Civilization Steering Committee has launched a campaign to teach tourists better manners. More...
August 31 , 2006
Reality Show Away from Olympic Glory
Most Olympic athletes train for years to develop the physical strength and endurance needed to win a gold medal. But two lucky Chinese citizens may only be a reality TV contest away from Olympic glory. More...
August 29, 2006
Rough 'Justice' for Chinese Activists
What do a missionary aiding North Korean refugees, an activist protecting women against forced abortions, and a New York Times researcher have in common? Extraordinary heroism? A desire to help the public? Maybe so, but last week, Phillip Jun Buck, Chen Guancheng, and Zhao Yan were all subject to the mercy of China’s legal system. More...
August 24, 2006
China's Growing Girth
Believe it or not, overweight people now outnumber those who are malnourished worldwide.Even more surprising: 20 percent of the overweight population lives in China. As China’s economy has grown, so have its waistlines. More...
August 22, 2006
Wal-Mart Allows Labor Unions in China
Since July 29, nineteen of Wal-Mart’s 60 Chinese stores have established their own labor unions, breaking from Wal-Mart’s traditional policy of not allowing employees to unionize. While the impact of this change probably won’t affect the nearly 1.8 million Wal-Mart employees worldwide, this shift has significant implications for many foreign companies in China. More...
august 2, 2006
3,000 Chinese Christians and 500 Police Clash Over Church Demolition
Last Saturday more than 500 police and 3,000 Chinese Christians filled the streets of Hangzhou when government officials demolished a new house church building. More than 20 Christians were injured, and between two and five church leaders arrested. More...
july 19, 2006
Chinese Karaoke Bars Sing a New Song
The Chinese government just announced a new target: the Karaoke Bar. From the American perspective, targeting karaoke bars as hot spots for musical piracy and politically subversive behavior might seem a little misguided. But for many Chinese, karaoke is much more than off-key singing in the late-night hours. More...
july 14, 2006
Redefining 'Made in America'
It seems like a huge oxymoron: a Chinese state-owned company producing British sports cars in Oklahoma, but the Nanjing Automotive Group just announced plans for a new plant in America's heartland.
More...
June 28, 2006
Negotiations between Vatican City and China
What do you get when you mix a religion that controls its state with a state that controls religion? Negotiations between Vatican City and China.
More...
june 23, 2006
China’s Lucrative Relationship with Africa
“Trade Not Aid” has been the recent mantra of African countries, and China has been willing to cooperate with these governments. Unlike many Western countries that restrict involvement with some of the African regimes like Sudan and Nigeria, China prefers to separate its trade relations from a country’s internal politics, no matter what they might be. This approach, in turn, has led to a lucrative relationship. More...
may 25 , 2006
Idol Numbers Pale in Comparision to China's Supergirl
With almost 30 million viewers and more than 63 million votes cast, American Idol has become a phenomenal hit. For the past several weeks, water coolers nationwide have buzzed with predictions of who would win and who would be voted off. But all of the hoopla doesn’t even come close to the success of the Chinese version of the show: The Mongolian Cow Sour Yogurt Supergirl Contest known as Supergirl. More...
May 18 , 2006
China Gives Da Vinci Code Widest Release of Foreign Film
While the Chinese government has given it the widest-ever release of a foreign film in China, critics worldwide have panned it. Cannes Film Festival viewers were laughing and whistling in derision during the “dramatic” climax of the film, and these are the top movie critics, not a group of angry nuns or pastors. More...
april 20, 2006
All the World's a Stage...
And today’s meeting between President Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao was filled with tension and drama, but I couldn’t begin to tell you what Hu said. I was watching the speech on two different 24-hour-news networks, and from what I saw, Hu could have announced a plan to improve U.S.-China relations by forcing every Chinese citizen to eat every meal McDonald’s! (But I’m pretty sure his remarks didn’t refer to fast food.) More...
april 19 , 2006
China's Human Rights Activists: Many Faces, One Mission
For every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction, which makes the protests against Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit no surprise. While Hu negotiates multi-billion dollar deals with Microsoft and Boeing, and discusses U.S.-China policy with George W. Bush, voices of protesters ring out in the background. More...
april 17, 2006
Hu's in Washington
Chinese President Hu Jintao kicks off his official U.S. visit in Washington this Tuesday, but he won’t be in Washington D.C. talking with President Bush, he’ll be in Washington State having a lavish dinner at the home of Bill Gates. More...
april 11, 2006
The Complex Relationship between China and Sudan
On the surface, the global energy demand and Sudanese genocide seem to have very little in common with one another. The demand for oil impacts the whole world, but the Sudanese crisis seems contained within its borders. But increased energy demands from China, India, and Russia have fueled the development of the Sudanese oil industry. This investment has propelled Sudan’s impressive GDP growth rate of 7.7 percent in 2005, one of the fastest in the world. More...
april 7, 2006
China's Great Firewall
The Internet seems to be a giant paradox. It’s supposed to connect us to the world, but it can also make us more isolated. We can buy clothes online without trying them on, groceries without standing in line at the store, and movie tickets without going to the theater. You can even make virtual friends or fall madly in love with someone you’ve never met in person! But the over 111 million of China’s Internet users have an additional dynamic to deal with: the watchful eye of the government. More...
march 22, 2006
Value of China's Currency Debate
This week Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) are in China talking with officials regarding the value of China’s currency in preparation for new legislation that would create a 27.5-percent tariff on all Chinese imports. More...
march 20, 2006
Olympic Cartoon Set to Build Chinese Nationalism
The Olympic spirit continues to build momentum in China, as producers recently announced plans for a new 3-D cartoon series featuring the “Five Friendlies,” the official mascots for the 2008 Olympics. More...
march 16, 2006
Beijing: A New Sense of Legitimacy
I first went to Beijing almost five years ago, and clearly remember the banners and lights in Tiananmen Square when the official announcement was made that Beijing would host the Olympic Games. An overwhelming sense of optimism and pride pervaded that July evening, complete with giggling children running around waving flags, and older women gazing at the Chinese flag through misty eyes. It was as if through hosting the Olympic Games, China was winning a new sense of legitimacy on the global stage. More...
