Media makes us less informed

I was reading in my textbook "China's Political Systems: Modernization & Tradition," by June T. Dreyer. The fascinating part is that China used to be very politically active, just like the US. So mush so that every few years the people would demand a reform. Now the interesting idea was that once TV shows entered China people became more complacent. Now prior to the privatization of Cable the Party used TV as a mechanism for propaganda, but as channels increased companies began to put game shows and other entertainment shows that are popular in places like the US.
Now the benefit that China has noticed is that people care less about their government now that they have all these distractions. People are less concerned about PRC's leaders if they don't know who they are. Consider China has clearly seen a theory that I call a limit of interest and or necessary knowledge. People only have so much time and energy to dedicate to learn about or be concerned about so the media is filling up the previously politically active brain with snippets about the fabulous life of Paris Hilton.
Meaning that the if the government can distract the populace and as long as their policy does not inconvenience to many lives they get a freer ride. It is possible that this is why young people choose not to vote they refuse to dedicate enough time to become informed about politics rather than whether or not dull metallic’s will be fashionable this fall.

I swear I never told a lie

China was criticized three years ago for an intitial cover-up of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)before it spread infecting 8,000 people and killing 800 worldwide.

Currently China is defending itself concerning H5N1 strain of bird flu. According to the NYTIMES- ``The release of the information has been timely, open and transparent,'' Mao was quoted as saying. ``The report by U.S. media is wrong and untrue.''

China has reported 18 infections and 12 deaths.

So the question is, regardless of whether China is telling the truth or not, will anybody trust them? Even though the media has blown a few things out of proportion, China loves a good cover-up. Has Pinocchio's nose grown out too far to go back?


China Denies Bird Flu Cover-Up

Bush's Big Decoy??

At least one person believes that Bush's huge war, crazy agenda, and strange foreign policy are all in fact an enourmous secret strategy to contain China. Yep, that's what Michael Klare believes. Not only does he believe it, but he's published a quite interseting article in the Asia Times (link below) that you can check out. He makes some good points, but doesn't present any new or groundbreaking information. Bottom line: China is big, and we should make sure we can handle its growth.


http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/HD20Ad01.html

ROK

Fu Quanyou is the chief of the general staff of the Chinese Poeple's Liberation Army. Cho Yungkil is the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff of the Republic of Korea's armed forces. The two met and exchanged dialogue on international issues of the two countries.
Mainly the visit and meeting was a goodwill idea and turned out that nothing was really discussed. Think of the dialogue that could have been had! These two countries could combine or at least collaborate to be very powerful in their Asian sphere. However, both China and Korea face the hurdle of reuniting what once was or letting it slip away. Is there any hope that the One Party, Two System philosophy could extend to countries other than Taiwan? What about Korea, do they stand to benefit from more in-depth negotiations and relations with China? With Taiwan? With the U.S.?

http://english.people.com.cn/english/200008/31/eng20000831_49436.html

chosen or hostage?

Gendun Choekyi Nyima, who is 17 years old, is claimed to be, by some, "the youngest political prisoner". Those that say that are part of foreign organizations with ulterior motives. Those motives are to split China up, and to sabatage ethnic unity and internationalise...to serve Tibetan independence. Those that do not believe he is a plolitical hostage, and even some that do, believe that he is the 11th Panchen Lama in 1995, and is said to be one of China's most keenly guarded secrets. It is said that once a lama dies he is reincarnated and takes control of the body of a boy born that same year. Which would put this 17 year old boy in the running to be the reincarnated Panchen Lama. Those that are believed to be him are put through a series of tests which include choosing things that once belonged to a late lama. So which is it? Is he being held hostage by the Chinese government, or is he being protected by them because he is the late Panchen Lama reincarnated?

Taiwan's Biggest Mistake

As this semester and our ongoing discussions about China come to a close, I add one last tidbit of information regarding the ongoing China v. Taiwan, Goliath v. David saga. According to an article I recently came across, perhaps the most fatal of mistakes that Taiwan has commited in its cross-strait confrontation is trusting China. You can read the stats on the link below, but it is obvious that the people of Taiwan have invested so much in the growing bertha that is China's economy, that an attempt at independence would be tanamount to throwing their own money away. As Taiwan puts its assets elsewhere, it stops growing internally, and thus loses its identity in the international production market. This, I think, is an unfortunate situation. It has created a visible political divide among the economic classes in Taiwan; the rich want to be a part of China, the poor don't. Those that have money have given it to China, and well....money talks.


http://www.etaiwannews.com/showPage.php?setupFile=showcontent.xml&menu_item_id=12&did=d_1145441281_12733_9E01067CDFB1CBBD47EF1405CE2E65EC8BB3297E&area=taiwan&area_code=00000

Aviation in China

Recently, China has constructed a successful version of a combat airplane named the Xiaolong/FC-4. This new plane is expected to take the aviation industry in China to new heights, setting the course for the mass production of this first generation fighter.

According to the article in China Daily, this new model is much more advance than any other produced in China for overall quality and combat ability. It is made up of the most superior weapons and electronics systems. Not to mention, it is cost effective and will be accessible for the satisfaction of not only domestic demands, but international as well.

According to a source close to the operation, “It is suitable for the 21st century combat environment.”

Personally, I do not think that the Xiolong/FC-4 is any match for American fighters. But what frightens me is the accessibility of the plane to third world nations due to its cost effectiveness, and, in turn, the threat that it could pose to others. The advancement of war weaponry in threatening countries is an issue that must be taken into serious account.


source:
http://comment.chinadaily.com.cn/articlecmt.shtml?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chinadaily.com.cn%2Fchina%2F2006-04%2F29%2Fcontent_579966.htm&title=Fighter+jet+takes+off+to+new+heights

Women's Status in China

According to the Global Health Council, women in China are often at a disadvantage to men. While previous posts have discussed the role of women and how they are valued as a rare commodity, the gender gap in China tells another story. A report from the United Nations reported that of the 600 million women in China 13% of them are illiterate while only 5% of Chinese men are. Another comparison between genders in China reveals disparity between the genders in politics as well. Only 22% of the legislature in China is composed of women. The disparity between genders in political participation as well as the disparity between education standards reveals some disheartening aspects of Chinese society.

The differences between men and women in societal standards mentioned above can spell some dangers in Chinese society. According Amartya Sen (an economist and Nobel Peace Prize winner) when women are valued and educated in society, it benefits all aspects of society. Poverty levels are improved, as well as an increase in survival rates for births. Sen also states that with a rise in the level of education of women comes a lowering of birth rates, something that the Chinese are always concerned with. When women become educated they have a stronger voice in society and are able to make decisions on every level that benefit society. The disparity between education and political representation of women is something that if improved could spell great things for Chinese society as a whole.

Source: Global Health Council, http://www.globalhealth.org/news/article/5638
Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen

Macao

The One Country, Two Systems seems to be working well in Macao. Ho Hau Wah, a Chief Executive of Macao spoke at a luncheon where he declared "Our national leaders in Beijing have given us their maximum support since the reunification." He also said, "We all deeply cherish the memory of Mr. Deng Xiaoping and his great political vision and extraordinary wisdom that created the right way for the peaceful settlement of the questions of Hong Kong, Macao and eventually Taiwan."

I find this very interesting. From his viwpoint the system is working very well. Of course he would say it is good for him. But the thing that seems unnatural to me about his statement is that he mentions Hong Kong and Taiwan. It just seems like that statement was planted. He is speaking for the body politic of Macao but extends his success to other places where resistence is higher than it was in Macao. Ho also claims that the dropping economy of Macao has hit the bottom and is on the rise as the number of exports and visitor arrivals have both risen significantly.

Read the article attached and see if there is anything fishy to you.

http://english.people.com.cn/english/200008/31/eng20000831_49443.html

Juicin' Up.

IN 1996 the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress presented the finieshed Criminal Procedural Law concerning lethal injections. Beginning in 1979, China began formulating this law and it became effective the first time it was used on January 1st of 1997. This first exectution by lethal injection was in Kunming the capital of China's Yunnan Province.

Isn't it interesting to think that while other countries are taking steps to rid their countries of capital punishment that China is legalizing new ways? Capital punishment is still in effect here in the U.S. but many countries, especially Europe have done away with it. The firing squad is still in effect in China and there may be other methods, but I have not come across them in my research. The offenses as referred to in another post (stealing purses) are much more trivial in my mind than the offenses for which the death penalty is extended in the U.S. Another point to this story is the appeals process of the U.S. versus the time limit given in China. Once the verdict is given, it is much more likely that there will be an execution. It tends to be the case in the U.S. that lengthy (decades) court hearings and debates are the norm for convicted felons. What lead China to adopt the policy of lethal injection?

http://english.people.com.cn/english/200008/31/eng20000831_49455.html

Efforts to Relieve Rural Plight?

According to a Chinese News Agency, a joint effort between the Chinese government and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is promoting a project to provide new technology and greater expertise to poverty-stricken rural areas of China. The four-year project "Alleviating Rural Poverty through Innovative Technologies Transfer," with the help of $4 million will set up a task force to introduce better technology to farmers and provide methods that will increase their income.

Taking this new project into account, as well as an earlier blog regarding the massacre of 70 farmers in a rural province, it seems the Chinese government has somewhat of a double standard here. They are promoting rural farming development on one hand, but taking away the commodity (land) that makes farming possible on the other. I find this to be extremely The UNDP representative in China said "We hope that the project will help generate new job opportunities in local communities and allow agriculture technology experts from government agencies, academies, research institutes, and other organizations to participate more effectively in lifting farmers out of poverty." On the surface, this new program seems to be a positive step, but I don't see how it can accomplish much good, with farmers facing the loss of land to the government. It seems the first step to increasing the wages of farmers in rural areas would not taking away their livelihood. As the daughter of a farmer I know that if his land were ever taken, it would cut him to the core.

Source:http://www.china.org.cn/english/scitech/166402.htm

What is it going to take?

I was recently doing a research paper for another class on the Iranian nuclear standoff and I have been wondering what it's going to take for every member of the Security Council with veto power on the same page to actually deal with Iran effectively. The western powers including the US and the EU countries seem to be together on what to do and want to take action, but China and Russia are not in agreement at all. After the recent report by the IAEA that Iran has done nothing in the past thirty days to comply with UN demands all the Chinese ambassador had to say was "There are a lot of problems in the region and we should not do anything that would cause the situation to become even more complicated." It seems China should be a little more concerned with the sitation than that. I think the entire issue comes down to money. China receives 12% percent of its oil supply from Iran and they will not do anything to cut off that supply including sanctions which other members of the Security Council have brought up. China knows that Iran has no interest in harming the relation the two countries have so they don't need to be concerned with what Iran will do if they develop nuclear weapons. China is under no obligations to come to the aid Israel or any other country Iran has threatened. So the question seems to be what is it going to take for China to join the other members of the securtiy council on finding a solution to this mounting problem? In my opinion I Don't think it's going to happen. China will never be on the same page as everyone else not as long as they're benefitting from Iran right now.

Come Join My Blog

During this semester, we've had some good debates. I think this class is really smart. I would like to continue these discussions. We can talk about all the current events, and keep a good thing going. If you're interested, please post a comment on this post with an email so I can send you an invitation. We can start whenever the first post gets posted. Please help me get this started. That Dude, help your San Diego brother out.

Love, Jimmy

Wages creep up in Guangdong as industries wean jobs from manufacturing

The Chronic shortage of cheap labor available in Guangdong for manufacturing is set to become worse with the tertiary sector beggining to take off. After almost 30 years of breackneck growth, Guangdong is now the recihest province in the mainland with a bigger economy than Hong Kong's. As Guangdong becomes wealthier, living costs are soaring and employers have to offer higher pay for workers. Until two years ago, $112 a month was sufficient for a migrant worker; now even at $150, factories cannot find enough hands. The area is also witnessing a startling change in people's attitudes. Even jobs such as taxi driving, waiting in restaurants, and working as domestic maids-once considered menialp-are more attractive than factory work for many. The labor shortage sweeping the Pearl River Delta will require profound restrcuturing of attitudes and even of the economy.
Now that Guangdong is enjoying a better economy and people are demanding for a better pay, what do you think it should be done by these manufacturing companies in order to not have a labor shortage and still be cost-efficient companies?
source: International Technology Network. Zvolume II, Issue 2. 2006

China's Oil Policies an Example of China's Human Rights Policies

China continues to receive criticism from the west for their investment in oil from other countries with poor human rights records such as Syria, Sudan and Iran. China's defense is that their investment in those countries enhance human rights because it brings the citizens of those countries out of poverty.

The Chinese have always been experts on propaganda and twisting things to make their policies look appealing either to Chinese citizens or other countries. The case of oil is no exception. A recent post spoke of China's economic policies being appealing to Brazil because they enhance human rights because they improve the overall well being of its citizens. To me, they're just a bunch of hypocrites trying to make it look as if they can do no wrong.

The idea of human rights doesn't mean that people have more money. Human rights, according to dictionary.com, are "The basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled, often held to include the right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, and equality before the law." Do China's oil policies enhance life, liberty, freedom of thought and expression or equality before the law? No. Some may argue that these are the human rights that America has created, but I believe everyone should have these rights guaranteed to them and the only reason they sound American is because America has always cherished human rights.

The bottom line is that China's oil policies enhance the quality of life for the governments and the rich of Syria, Iran and Sudan - not necessarily their citizens. No matter how much money these countries get from China, they will still be able to deny any human rights they want to. In addition to being able to deny human rights, they deny them based on race, religion, gender, and other similar traits. China isn't enhancing human rights in those countries. It's just hiding its true face behind a mask as it has done so many times before.




http://www.upi.com/Energy/view.php?StoryID=20060428-105340-6159r

Chinese resent foreing investment as Multi-National Coporations go on a buying spree.

An article done by Inernational Technology Network (ITN) explains that acquistions of Chinese enterprises by Multi-National Corporation (MNC) are increasingly being resented among a growing mood of nationalism. Critics warn that acquistion of promising local companies by MNCs are creating monopolies in a number of sectors. Another worry is that if M&A activity goes unchecked, China would only provide labor in the global supply chain and the ability to innovate would disappear leaving core parts and key technologies completely in the hands of MNCs. This mind-set is partly fueled by persisting resentment over Chinese oil giant CNOOCs failed $18 billion bid for Unocal, and a growing protectionist sentiment in the US and Europe against low-cost Chinese exporters. The Chinese government, however, welcomes foreing investment. Many investors now prefer acquisitions rather than green-field investments. China remains one of the most targeted countries for FDI, recording a total $66 billion in announced deals in 2005 compared to $58 billion in 2004.
I find this interesting since China has welcomed capitalist principles in its economy. But here shows that they have restriction for MNC acquisitions. My only question is: Is China showing with their Invesment restriction that this the furthest they can go with capitalist principles?

Source: International Technology Network. Volume II, Issue 2. 2006

Tricking the South Pacific.

What could China or Taiwan gain from aiding South Pacific Islands? Nothing much but that hasn’t stopped them from building sports stadiums or stopping production on them when political aid moves from one to the other. “China has diplomatic ties with Fiji, the Cook Islands, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Niue, a self-governing country administered by New Zealand. Taiwan is recognised by Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu and the Solomon Islands.” Some islands in order to get more aid will switch between the two although this has created losses as well. “In 2003, Kiribati switched from China to Taiwan, prompting China to halt work on a stadium for Kiribati and to dismantle a satellite-tracking station there.” All that is really bought is U.N. votes, the people that are poor and struggling to survive on islands that are dealing with global warming in a most up front manner, receive none of the aid that either entity sends, since the money is spent mostly on government officials free trips to China or Taiwan. What’s the point?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3648739a12,00.html

Get Off The Phone!

As we all know, cell phones are a huge part of people's lives. I know I can't live without mine. It's as if my whole life is in that little metal box. Well, the Chinese are no different.

Attending a lecture in China, I was surprised at the number of people who left their cell phones on. Throughout the whole lecture, these students were answering their phones, talking non-stop. No one seemed to care. As an American, this seemed highly disrespectful. For some Americans, their hearts jump when their phone starts ringing in class because they are so embarrassed. Why is there such a difference between the cultures? Are they too flexible? Are we too rigid?

Technology and communicating with the outside world seems to be a growing interest in China. The Chinese are on the Internet and learning English. Some of the girls I taught two years ago are still emailing me and asking me to help them come to the United States and to help them improve their English skills so that it is possible. Why do you think they are doing this?

Some people may argue they are trying to be like us. I recall some people on this blog asserting that people throughout the world want to be like us, and that is why they listen to our music and embrace our culture? I don't agree. I think that they are now more able to learn about other cultures. Everything outside of their bubble is foreign to them and they want to hold on to something different. Maybe they are getting more freedoms, and this allows them to feel fine talking on the phone during a lecture, and singing along to Britney Spears. Who knows...

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_39/b3901066.htm

Defining CCP Legitamacy

"When Yuan Shi-Kai proclaimed his emperorship in less than four years after the Republican Revolution of 1911, there almost existed no such a thing as "political legitimacy" in modern China. The failure of the Nationalist government to deliver what they had promised led to a common belief, at least amongst the Chinese Communists, that the Nationalist government by no means could have gained political legitimacy through the efforts of reform and that a revolution was the only way to establish the political legitimacy of a regime. "
--Tak-Hin Benjamin
http://people.brandeis.edu/~hin/POL147a03.html
For all the talk on the blog and in class of Chinese political reform, pluralism, civil liberties, etc.,
I submit that the bottom line on whether a government is legitmate rests solely on whether or not it sucessfully acheives that which is the purpose of government: the prosperity and physical security of the people. Standard of living, due process, rule of law, employment and the like are
conceptualizations that measure how secure is a person's physical freedom, how secure is his property and land, how secure is his ability to become educated, to work, to make a living, how secure he is from arbitrary arrest or torture. Government really has no other purpose than that. While democracy, specifically pluralism and free speech have their virtues, typically there value lies in one's ability to complain against the status quo, to oppose current regimes policies as they affect individual wellness. Should the CCP achieve a decent standard of living for all of its people, in a society free from fear of government oppression, I think the need for pluralism and whether the regime is elected largely becomes moot. Any government that does not "get the job done", thus posesses a legitamacy deficit. The CCP should be warey of the fact that the frustration and struggling of over one billion people will erupt on a massive scale sooner or later.

Organ Harvesting in China

The Epoch Times International has recently confirmed, through private investigation, that China is executing prisoners to harvest their organs for donations in China and abroad. One undercover reporter, sporting a hidden camera, visited the Orient Organ Transplantation Center in Beijing claiming his father needed a liver. The doctors at the center explained that once a match was found, the prisoner would be executed in time for the surgery. It was also discovered that many of the executed were political or religious prisoners. Imprisoned members of the Falun Gong are being used as living organ donors. Many of these “donors” are also Christians that the government has rounded up and detained for practicing without government consent.

The UK’s Times Online reported that Deputy Health Minister Huang Jiefu promised to change the policy. “We want to push for regulations on organ transplants to standardise the management of the supply of organs from executed prisoners and tidy up the medical market,” Huang said.

Most of us realize that this is never going to happen. Prisoners are a fast and effective way to get organs for dieing people. But does that make it right? Especially for those whose only crime was practicing their religion?

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/apr/06042805.html

Comment, I dare you.

Over this last semester of being in this Chinese Government class, and now that the semester is over, I think I can honestly say that I have a pessimistic view of China and its role for the 21st century. I’d say the every country in the world learns from their mistakes and America is certainly no exception but the Chinese government seems to only learn from catastrophes. After reading the history of and politics behind the Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution, the purges and Tiananmen and so on… I don’t think that China is ready to emerge as a political leader of the world for this new century. Even though currently China is on the road to democracy and its reforming and it is going to be a beacon of hope for international trade, I just don’t see the PRC as a legitimate government that will survive the 21st century. However this is just my opinion and would like to know the opinion of the rest of the class if you agree or disagree. Either way it would be fun to know what you all think.

Another Tibetan blog

China currently is housing (holding) the world’s youngest political prisoner and is quite frankly tired of all the human rights groups, Tibetan nationalist and other NGO’s of ridiculing them. The boy had been confirmed by Tibetan Buddhist as being the reincarnation of the Late 10th Panchen Lama, a spiritual leader who died in 1989 and now the boy was supposed to be the spiritual leader of Tibet. But the Atheist Communist felt compelled to keep this potential rascal and troublemaker under house arrest where he receives cultural education to PRC doctrine. However, since Tibet is without a spiritual leader, the Communist were dear enough to provide one for Tibet. A 16 year old Chinese appointed Panchen Lama turned out to be the “real” reincarnation according to Chinese officials, but has tight security wherever he goes for fear of assassination by Tibetan loyalist.
For the sake of Chinese national security, is it right to put under house arrest a teenager who is seen by the government as a potential agitator? We in the U.S. would say “no” it is never right to imprison without justification but, suppose there was a religious group in the States that preached the dismantlement of the government would we imprison them? Currently in Europe, Islamic Imams who preach terrorism are usually deported or placed under house arrest or put in jail. My question is, are these the same types of repression? Are the Chinese digging themselves a grave by imprisoning innocent public figures? Or are they simply doing what needs to be done to preserve their State?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060428/wl_nm/china_tibet_dc_1

China on the Security Council

We all know that China's attitude toward the Iranian nuclear problem, but there is also another problem with big 5; Darfur. One of the worst humanitarian crises of our day is in part being protracted by China's presence on the UN Security Council. China's economic growth has necessitated that it become ever more expansionist in its quest for oil. This expansion has brought Beijing into a relationship with the good folks in Sudan. China currently plays a key role in the development and extraction of Sudanese oil. Khartoum's actions in Darfur, sponsoring Arab militias in a genocidal purge of black Africans, has give rise possible sanctions being considered by the UN.
Yet, with a death toll reaching over 300,000 and millions of people being forced from their homes China still wants to block any Security Council resolutions levying sanctions. This is clearly a result of economic growth at any cost. China does not want to have its oil supply interrupted by something as petty as the wholesale slaughter of an entire group of people. It is reprehensible that one of the five nations entrusted with veto power for world decisions is allowed to pursue such a policy. (The picture is of a girl starving to death because of the violence in Darfur. I know it may be a little much, but I think it is valid to see a concrete result of what China is supporting by not backing sanction efforts).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4917970.stm

China's environmental watchdog only growls when something gets too close to the economy...

At an April 19 seminar on bioresources in Shanghai, Shi Lishan, director of the Renewable Energy Division of China's National Development and Reform Commission announced that China will be switching from using grain as the primary "feedstock" in the production of ethanol to "more economical plant plant material"(sweet sorghum, cassava, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, straw and waste materials such as cellulose are being considered). Shi also announced plans for new production bases in the provinces of Shandong and Heilongjiang as well as the autonomous regions of Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang.

Why did I find this story interesting? Well, I'll tell you...

According to the World Watch Institute article from which I got the above information(URL'd below), China has recently begun a "nationwide campaign" to use ethanol instead of other more costly and enviornmentally hazardous fuels(petroleum). There are a couple of obvious reasons why China would be making such a change. Not only is it a better way to manage their resorces (more grain for eattin'), but the switch to grain will cost less $(all of the above plants are less costly than grain) and ethanol itself is cheaper than petroleum.

There is also an enviornmental aspect of this decision. It's well known that China's industrial cities are some of the most polluted on the planet. In fact, in 1998, a World Health Organization study listed seven cities in China among the top 10 most polluted in the world. That same year, China upgraded the status of its State Environmental Protection Agency to ministry level, thus showing their concern for the issue.

But what are they really concerned about?

China has long been accused of trying to export itself into a healthy economy. While it's obvious that they have pretty much done that, it's also true that they achieved thier economical clout with little, if any, environmental restrictions. But, after studies began to show that China's pollution problem may be costing the country anywhere from seven to 10 percent of its annual GDP, the government suddenly developed a case of environmental awareness. It's amazing how threatening your wallet can make you have a change of heart.

http://www.worldwatch.org/features/chinawatch/stories/20060427-1

Labor in China

I found an interesting article from Washignton Times in which an analysis is made on China's labor situation. This article says that China's wages is increasing throughout Southern east China (the largest manufacturing zone in China and the world). As a consequence of this, executives of the Li & Fung group, a Hong Kong company based in China, have declared that China "is no longer the most cost-effective country in the region," Anoher consquence of this is tha t China's rising costs have generated recent price increases averaging 2 percent to 3 percent for its goods. The article shows that these price increase is seen in non-durable goods such as (food, clothes, shoes etc). The durable goods such as furniture and other household equipment have decreased susbtantially (20% since 1995).
One of the other reason for higher wages is the labor-shortage problem, (already discussed in another post) which is making the middle class swell, economically speaking. But in my opinion, it seems to be not enough for China's population:
"The wages paid by multinational corporations in their largest Chinese factories typically average between $100 and $200 a month. (Minimum wages are less than $80 per month.) Given that Chinese manufacturing employees customarily work 10 hours per day six days a week, the upper limit ($200 per month) of wages paid by multinationals translates into 77 cents an hour. By contrast, U.S. workers in goods-producing industries earn an average wage of $17.72 per hour."
However, the future presents not a really brilliant and prosperous one for Chinese population. A calculation made by Stepehn Roach of Morgan Stanley explains the following:
"....assume the 77-cent wage increases by 20 percent for each of the next five years. (The 20 percent annual increase would represent a significant acceleration over the 12-percent annual average that has prevailed since 1999.) Next, assume that the average U.S. goods-producing wage increases over the next five years by the Blue Chip consensus inflation forecast of 2.5 percent per year. Five years from now, China's top wage would be $1.92 an hour, having increased by $1.15. America's average goods-producing wage would be $20.05 per hour, having increased by $2.33, an absolute rise that is more than twice the absolute increase in the Chinese wage. The U.S.-Chinese wage difference would increase from $16.95 today ($17.72 less 77 cents) to $18.13 five years from now."
Since all these jobs come from overseas, can we infer that US manufacturing companies are hindering Chinese economy? Is this wage increase relatively fair to what Chinese people should be making? Is also this prediction of wage increase in the future relatively fair?

washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20060415-091638-9341r.htm

Surprise, Surprise!

I know it might come as a surprise to many of you, but the Chinese government seems to be contradicting themselves once more. In this semester we've seen many examples, and now for the latest. I was under the impression, and I gather so are many of you from previous blogs, that China is very concerned and proactive about attracting foreign investments and possibilities for economic gain. And why shouldn't they be? Money is great, isn't it? I recently found two articles that surprised me regarding economic growth in China. The first, published April 27, 2006, stated that the Central Bank raised the key lending rate in an effort to curb an investment spree and prevent overheating of the Chinese economy. This is certainly not a bad objective, especially considering that China's all-ready booming economy increased 10.2% in the first quarter. The second article stated also that "the State Council had outlined a decision, made at an executive meeting chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao this month, to avert an overheating economy by tightening controls on fixed asset investment and money supply. " So if the government is worried about overheating, why was it (and this could just be my impression) that Wu's recent visit was strictly based on strengthening ties with America? I admit I'm certainly not the most informed on economic strategies, but does this seem contradictory to anybody else?

http://china.org.cn/english/2006/Apr/167048.htm
http://china.org.cn/english/government/167128.htm

China Pays Louis Vuitton in Yuans

I remember in one of the older posts the subject of copyright infringement was discussed. How the government is not doing their part. Enforcement is not talking place. Street vendors copy and sell big name brands like Gucci, Burberry, Chanel, Prada and Louis Vuitton. How unfortunate for these big companies to be cheated out of their money. I mean it's not like their businesses bring in millions of dollars a year. These companies owners can barely eat with what they are making. These greedy little money hoarding street vendors need to be stopped. The Beijing Court agreed with this logic and ordered the street Silk Market company to compensate each company with 20, 000 yuan($2,500). The companies were hoping for a lot more. Like 500, 000 yuan each. The Chinese courts are great for being fair to little guys like S.S.M company. Can you imagine how much those companies would be awarded in the US. Here is the link to this story

Americans need better manners

I wanted to talk about Hu Jintaos visit to the white house. As I watched the interchange between the two statesmen and I wasn't impressed with what I saw. As the Chinese President was leaving the stage President Bush grabbed his jacket and yanked him in the right way. It looked to me as if Hu was annoyed by Bush's lack of respect.
Since the visit I have not heard the media talk about it. I thought other people must have noticed it too. I then came across this article. In the Asia times article it talks about how Bush's lack of respect for China's head of state could have repercussions. Could the rise in gas prices be a result of Hu Jintaos power in the international economy. Could he have told Iran "raise prices on those Americans, that will teach them."
I think Bush could have been a better leader during Hu's Visit. Things could have been planned better and Bush could have learned a little Chinese to flatter his competitor. We should look to understand other countries before expecting them to comply with the US.

The muzzled media

Facing a lack of popular support, President Hu Jintao is muzzling national media more in recent days, according to an April 21 story by The Associated Press.

A Chinese politics and media scholar reports that "all Chinese journalists to whom I have spoken say that freedom has vastly decreased since" Hu's election.

The scholar, Ashley Esarey of Middlebury College in Vermont, said a survey he led of more than 10,000 Chinese newspaper articles since the 1980s shows a steady decline of government criticism.

Perhaps this is solely because the government is doing less to warrant criticism, but somehow I doubt it. Free press is an essential requirement for a truly modern nation. The press acts as a check on the government and a voice of the people.

Source: Under Hu, China tightening media reins

Overseas Franchisers

China is becoming a very popular country for overseas franchisers. “The Ministry of Commerce issued the Commercial Franchise Operation Administration Regulation last February, which helped standardize the market, enhance transparency and protect the interests of both franchisers and franchisees. Last year, a group of transnational franchisers, such as fast food company Burger King, hotel operator Super 8, restaurant chain Bojangles and Uniglobal Travel, tapped into the Chinese market.”
Franchisers are realizing that the quickest way for brands to enter the Chinese markets is through mergers and acquisitions. This method is desirable because of it’s cost-saving characteristics and high efficiency.
“A survey conducted by CCFA, covering 78 overseas franchise enterprises revealed that nearly half of the overseas franchisers in China are from the United States, while others are from Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong special region, and European nations, such as Germany, France and Italy.”
I think it’s going to be interesting to see how China transforms in the next few years. I expect that their economy will continue to flourish at a steady rate but will the presence of all these franchises help or hinder the economy in the farther future?
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2006-04/21/content_573252.htm

Hu would you choose?

This isn't a true blog per-say, but I thought it was interesting:

"China may remove Mao Zedong's image from its mixed range of banknotes to make room for other heroes, according to the state media."

Delagates to the National People's Congress have suggested faces such as Deng Xiaoping and Sun Yat-Sen; my question is who do you think should make the new bills?

I envisioned this as a question for an opinion poll in a Chinese newspaper and I wondered what the results would be--another Hundred Flowers campaign? Would people 'vote' for Hu Jintao to ensure that they were aligned politically? Would voters for Zhao Ziyang and Hu Yaobang be tracked down and punished?

Just curious if anyone has thoughts about the proposed change.







http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4801486.stm

Yen builds Chinese Infrastructure

In light of the tension between the two Asian giants, I was surprised to learn that since 1979, Japan has regularly been financing highways, airports and other infrastructure in China.
The two countries don't exactly see eye to eye when it comes to politics and ethics. The relationship has been exacerbated by the Japanese Prime Minister's visit to a shrine honoring war dead--including war criminals from WWII and by Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council (always vetoed by China).
Japan and China had officially agreed to end the aid by 2008 (right before the Olympics of course). However, "given the various situations surrounding current relations between Japan and China", Japan has delayed funding decisions for this fiscal year.
I thought this was an interesting if little known fact about the relationship between the two countries. The article didn't mention what percent of the infrastructure was financed through Japanese loans and I am curious what impact this 'delay' has on government budgets and planning commissions. Under the circumstances, I am surprised Japan waited this long to pull funding; China has repeatedly denounced Japan (not without some reason) and the relations have been tense for years. Why now? What are the root causes? What are the impacts on both countries?



http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0568D7BD-EFB9-451D-B317-2FB879E5EFA6.htm

Chinese in Guantanamo?

However many of you knew that there are 22 Chinese nationals being held at Guantanamo Bay?

Last Wednesday, the US government released the information and now China has called on the US to release the prisoners to be tried in the Chinese court system. However, the US has refused because it is likely they would be tortured or killed while in prison in their own country. Most Gitmo prisoners are Uighurs and are suspected to be part of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a militant separatist group Xinjiang Province. We've discussed the ins and outs of the Taiwan issue and we've also touched on Tibet. I just realized tonight that as far as I know, no one has blogged about the unrest in Xinjiang Province.
The Uighurs are Turkic-speaking Muslims distinctly different from the Han Chinese. They became incorporated into China in 1949 and have suffered severe repression from Beijing. Most Uighurs do not consider themselves Chinese, however, some have become militant; there have been several terrorist acts in China for which the ETIM has been blamed. The oppression has picked up since 9/11 when China joined the US on the war against terror, loosely extending the commitment so that they could punish their own dissidents under the the guise that they were 'terrorists' threatening the world peace. I found this particularly interesting; the US was willing to look the other direction on human rights abuses (there are just as many abuses here as in Tibet) in order to have China behind them on the War on Terror.
To bring it back to the article, what do you think about the US refusing to send back the Uighurs? What does it say about the respect for human rights by the US? By China? As a side note, why do you suppose we hear so much about Tibet but so little about the Uighurs? Is it because they are Muslim?

I just found this article thought-provoking and wanted to share it with you guys. My feelings are that it is noble that the US is conscious about the prisoners; but what about all the Uighurs left behind and abandoned when the US quit caring about human rights in Xinjiang (fyi, China was kept out of the WTO for a long time because of abuses in Xinjiang)? I think we ignore this issue because Tibet is just easier to side with; the Dalai Lama and his Peace campaign and all the publicity Tibetans bring them into the limelight. The Uighurs are dealing with the same repressive government, arguably on an even larger scale; but they are Turkic Muslims who have not recently been associated with world peace and so they go ignored. Just something to think about....

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/873E42E6-75EE-43EF-8DB2-481A00919CA9.htm

Self-esteem, Gender, Weight, and the Chinese

This semester, I have been taking a Psychology of Gender class. Recently, we have talked about self-esteem and how that relates to gender. In our book, it mentioned a study of self-esteem in people throughout the world. In every country they looked at, they found that men had a slightly higher self-esteem than women, that is every country except China. In China, women had a slightly higher self-esteem. I found this very interesting. With all the talk about women's rights in China, you would think that it would be the opposite. So are things in China really not that bad for women?

I decided to investigate this issue further, but didn't really find anything regarding gender and self-esteem. Instead, I came across an article which asserts that Chinese teens are getting more depressed. Why is this? It all goes back to weight. They don't want to look like fat Americans. Skinny is in. "Chinese teens who think of themselves as fat, even if they were normal or underweight, are at a greater risk for depression and school-related stress, a new USC study has found."

I met many young Chinese girls during my time over there who were terrified of being fat. Some of them wouldn't even eat the bite-size snickers bars we brought.

Researchers argue that this could be our fault. "In another study published in the March edition of Preventive Medicine, Xie found that Chinese youth's unhappiness with their weight was significantly related to Western media exposure, leading some girls to adopt such unhealthy behaviors as smoking or drinking."

I can't tell you how many times a Chinese girl asked me if she was pretty enough to come to America. What is happening to society? Why is there such an emphasis placed on looks? It's a shame.

What do these findings about weight and looks mean for the Chinese woman's self-esteem. Is she going to join the pack of women throughout the rest of the world? Will men's positive attitudes of themselves surpass these women too?

http://www.rxpgnews.com/research/psychiatry/article_3784.shtml

Ewww Gross

I don't know how many of you have traveled outside the United States, but for those of you who have, if you're anything like me, you love it, but it's always nice to come back home. Foreign countries have different customs, scenery, food, habits, and technology. I'd like to focus on "technology." The technology I am referring to, is the good old water closet, john, potty, crapper... otherwise known as the toilet.

Now, some of you may be wondering why I would post about something so seemingly disgusting (which it is, I admit). I , however, believe this is an interesting issue.

For those of you who have not been to China, you probably haven't encountered the typical Chinese toilet... the squatter. Be glad you haven't. I won't go into great detail about how it is used because I would like to refrain from being utterly gross. I think you can figure it out.

Picture yourself in one of the nicest restaurants you have ever been in. You get up to go to the restroom, to find no seats at all. Nothing but a nice little hole. Needless to say, it is nasty.

Why doesn't China update its toilet technology? Well, apparently they are looking into it. In an article published in 2004, with MSNBC, they discuss this very issue and how it relates to the Olympics coming in 2008. In 2004, the government had spent over $24 million on the toilet reconstruction project in 3 years. They plan on keeping the restrooms cleaner with attendants there constantly cleaning them, as well as turning the hole in the ground into a seat most people are used to. They will then tag a rating system to the restrooms. Restrooms with 4 stars will have changing tables and different sized urinals in the men's restrooms. There could even be lotion and hot towels offered to its patrons.

FYI: One-third of all tourist complaints are about bathroom conditions according to the Beijing Tourism Association. Yikes!

Playing Dirty

China has long refused to allow its currency to float with the market. It is estimated the Yuan is forty percent below market value. This has created a lot of tension from the United States, because it keeps products coming from China cheap and products from the U.S. in China expensive. With the recent visit of Hu Jintao, President Bush hoped to make this issue a top priority. He was unsuccessful to even get Hu to acknowledge the issue.

Why? One problem was the reception of Hu was very disgraceful. Hu was not given the normal reception by having a state dinner, which most dignitaries receive. Hu was given a nice luncheon. Hu got a better reception at Bill Gates.

An even larger slap in the face was the introduction of Hu when he arrived on the East Lawn. Hu was said to be from “the Republic of China” which of course is the name Taiwan goes by. The experience got better, when he was yelled at by a Falun Gong supporter. President Bush did apologize by saying “sorry.” This can be translated four different ways in Chinese. Hope we got the right translation.

How did this entire experience make Hu feel? An observer from China who watched the whole thing illegally in China said, “To summarize my feelings while watching this live news: I felt like I was raped.”

The visit by Hu was a disgrace for the United States. We may have hurt our own interests by insulting Hu during his visit.

http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=20571815

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,192885,00.html

Migration Estimates

A Reuter’s article addressed the growing migrant population in China’s urban centers, particularly Beijing. China’s government expects “one of the fastest migrations in history”- over 400 million people over the next 20 years are expected to move from the countryside. China has seen many migration patterns throughout the country’s history and this expected migration will most likely not be the last. But there are many dangers associated with such a migration, particularly for those urban centers that are crowded already. Unemployment goes up and poverty increases, thus increasing the already large gap between China’s rich and poor population. The article also raises the issue of the education of migrant children. The Dreyer text also noted that children of migrant workers often do not receive education, if they do it is with poor facilities and untrained educators. This contributes to other social problems- when these ill-educated or uneducated children grow up, they don’t have the skills to contribute effectively to society. This will also increase public discontentment with the government, which, although not new to the Chinese government, is still nevertheless undesirable. This also has ramifications for rural areas of the country. I realize that China has an immensely large population- almost beyond my comprehension. But still, I wonder how 400 million people can move and not be missed.
The question is this: how will the Chinese government cope with such a migration? In the past when urban centers were too populated, the government issued coupons for food, which were only redeemable in certain places. I highly doubt that such a plan would be effective now. So what will the government do? Authorities have been quoted saying that they want to limit the population of Beijing to 18 million residents by 2020. This issue needs addressing and it’s great that authorities have a goal. But just how does the government plan to accomplish this? Such a goal is not to be achieved without specific measures to be taken. Maybe they do have specific plans and I’ve just missed them- I welcome any input-but if the issue at hand is to be solved the government needs to take steps now to avoid huge problems of overcrowding and urban slums in the future.

http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=PEK327089

Another Example of How China's Restrictions Hurt its Economy

The video game market in China is growing and is expected to be a $2.1 billion market by 2010. Apparantly, people love to play massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) in Chinese internet cafes and gamers spend an average of four hours per day playing them. Within the next two years the next generation systems like Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are expected to be released in China. With their focus on online gaming, the new systems are sure to be a hit in China. With the relatively new market in China, the growth will be good for the Chinese economy, but are they hurting their own growth?

I don't know if video games are that big of an issue in and of themselves, but they are a good example of how China's restrictions are limiting its economic progress. As stated above, there is a huge demand for video games in China. As with all media, there are government regulations on what is and isn't allowed. Because of this, I would think that there are a lot of video games that would be restricted in China due to excessive violence, sexuality or other reasons. With an industry being able to be $2.1 billion with restrictions, I wonder how much bigger it could be without restrictions.

I believe China would benefit if it got rid of restrictions like these. China is trying so hard to modernize, but with modernization comes individuality, and China will not be able to modernize completely with restrictions on so many things that are designed to decrease individuality.



http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/apr2006/id20060427_029019.htm?chan=innovation_game+room_top+stories

Human Rights Don't Seem to be Much of an Issue

We have gone over a lot of information this semester and I have gone from worrying a lot about China's unfair trade practices (which I still worry about) to worrying more about China's human rights problems. There is no denying that China is on its way to gaining more and more economic power, and even though they definitely have unfair trade practices, I believe they will eventually even out over time. I'd definitely like for it to be sooner than later, but looking at recent trends, I think their trade will become more fair as time goes on.

As for China's human rights, I haven't seen much that has given me much hope for a more free China. China's people are still tortured for speaking out against the government, forced abortions are still happening, there are still only a select few who are allowed to have private property, and the list goes on and on. Hu Jintao's recent visit to the United States seems to imply that the U.S. is more concerned about being able to gain from China's economic success than working with China to guarantee its citizens basic rights. It seems as though most of the talk with Hu was about making sure the United States and China have a mutual understanding as to the future of each others' economies.

The United States has long stood for basic human rights and I believe they are not currently doing enough to push China in that direction. We have more power than anyone else to push the cause of human rights in China. Unlike many people who don't like the idea of China growing so fast economically, I don't have much of a problem with it if human rights can be guaranteed, but until then I don't like the idea of a country with such immoral practices gaining so much power.


http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20060426-090415-1654r.htm

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=22185

Microsoft spurring Chinese economy

Microsoft has made a deal to have China produce $700 million dollars worth of computer software. They also entered a joint venterships and partnerships, where they will be investing $200 million directly into Chinese software companies. Some people will obviously think that this is a horrible idea for all parties, but I don't. This is a win-win situation for both countries. We will help out our country by having less expensive software to sell, the Chinese are going to benefit by having almost a billion dollars coming into their country, Microsoft stockholders will get richer and we will all be happy. I am sure that half of those reading this are getting sick to their stomachs because they think that the Chinese will be forced to make software in tents for 23 1/2 hours a day, but you are wrong. Having big company's like Microsoft influencing production does make a huge difference in these peoples quality of lives. Bravo Microsoft!!!
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-china-microsoft.html

Latin American and China

An article on the BBC website talked about the increasing relationship between China and Latin
American countries (specifically Brazil). The article discussed how China is becoming Brazil's principle dealer in terms of almost everything: oil, gas, and even defense. The reasoning behind this is what is interesting to me. China and Brazil are both arguing that they are becoming closer partners because China has improved it's own human rights so much. A member of the Brazil-China Chamber of Commerce stated that, "China has achieved the greatest victory in the history of human rights... It has removed 400 million Chinese people from poverty". He goes on to advise Brazil to look into the factors that have helped China grow in order to help Brazil do the same.
As you probably guessed, the US is doing all it can to stop this growing relationship between the two nations and prevent it from happening between other nations in Latin America. The Monroe Doctrine has been called up from the dust and it seems as though the US will continue to push the idea that we have the right to intervene. I just wonder if pushing the Monroe Doctrine will only push Brazil and other nations farther away from us rather than bring them closer. I just can't see how trying to stop these nations from getting aid that they need can help our situation. I know the basic argument behind this is that of an ideological battle. It's becoming more of a Democracy Vs. Communism stand and I don't know right now if that's the best stand to be taking. I think that if we want to ensure the safety of our hemisphere, we should be doing more to help those countries get out of poverty than China is. Surviving and increasing economically is more important to them than free and competitive elections. China understands that, and the US doesn't seem to. That's where China has the upper hand.

Making the perfect human

Anqiao, Asahi633, and everyone else worried or pleased with the physical health of the Chinese may soon be seeing China become one of the healthiest nations in the world. In 1995 China created the “Maternal and Infant Health Law.” Basically the law is an effort by the Chinese government to try and eliminate genetic abnormalities from their society. The law requires doctors to test people for genetic abnormalities, and if they test positive the doctor advises sterilization or encourages them not to reproduce. Also, if a fetus tests positive for genetic defects the doctor is to encourage the termination of the fetus. The law doesn’t require parents to terminate the fetus, it only encourages it. (I am sure this makes Darwin happy.)
The most impressive efforts made by China to increase their genetic supremacy, has been their work in genetic engineering. China now spends 1.3% of their GDP or 1.4 trillion dollars a year on genetic research. Research labs have fewer restrictions in China then those in other nations allowing them to carry their research further. Sometime in the future, we may see China producing genetically healthier, stronger, and smarter people.
What does this mean for China? By eliminating genetic defects, their health system won’t be burdened with caring for genetic diseases. We may also see them taking home all the gold medals home after the Olympics if they can create the perfect athletes.
This is a good thing for China and the world. China is breaking new ground in making human existence better by making humans better. Go China!
http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=20356413

'Median Line' in the East China Sea

There is a huge issue arising between Japan and China. Japan wants to establish a ‘median line’ in the East China Sea, the Chinese find unacceptable. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang says, “China did not recognize it in the past. China does not recognize it now and will not in the future” When the Chinese posted a notice “that all unauthorized ship traffic would be banned from March 1 to September 30 in the waters around the Pinghu field due to construction,” the Japanese took it as the Chinese acceptance to enter into a “median line’.

Will this issue cause problems between the two countries again? Will Japan get feed up with the China and think they are being irrational? I think it will be interesting to see if there will be problems because of the old Chinese-Japanese tensions that seem to still exist.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-04/22/content_573941.htm

Falun Gong

After the Falun Gong group, or some would prefer cult, demonstrated their hatred towards Hu Jintao this last week, the question arises what are the intentions of the Falun Gong group. They claim they aren't "anti-China" but a group out to promote a spiritual movement that is good-natured that doesn't pose any threat to people's health or mind. But as a protestor from the religious group threaten Hu with his life last week during a press conference with Bush, I personally question the groups motives. I basically just want to know how people feel on the issue. So post away!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12473694/

The Last Dalai Lama-Citation

Benson's Chinese Gov't & Politics Blog
Sorry, I forgot to include the citation to the article. Here it is. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4942412.stm

The Last Dalai Lama?

Benson's Chinese Gov't & Politics Blog
Following the 1959 exile of the Dalai Lama, many Tibetans look to him as a symbol of their existence. However, the Dalai Lama is mortal. Many people fear that the future inevitable death of the Dalai Lama will also be the death of Tibet. Currently, no other country recognizes Tibet’s government-in-exile. Currently, Tibetans are left to make an important decision. They can choose to personally appoint the next Dalai Lama and continue to insist upon independence at the expense of not being permitted to go back to Tibet; or they can negotiate with China under terms that China will appoint and have more control over the leader, tempting China to relax its conditions upon Tibet. I feel that the later option would be more conducive to pleasing both parties. By compromising, both groups recognize the other’s power and legitimacy. Tibet’s independence is not very plausible, for this reason it would behoove the Tibetans to cooperate on equal terms with the Chinese government.

THIS IS AWESOME!

At the expense of running the risk of drawing a series of gasps from the XX chromosome-bearing members of our class room, I'd be willing to say that if there is one thing Chinese women need...it's bigger...BRAS! Because believe you me with the increase in nutrition and "taking part in more sport" Chinese women's bust sizes have increased an average of 1 cm over the past six years. This is first of all an argument to counter all those irrational fears of women trying to lose weight such as "if I lift, I don't want to bulk up." Believe me honey, I TRY, and I'm not getting anywhere.... *awkward pause* You heard it here, sports make your chest bigger.

Anyway, this is once again symbolic of the miracle/wonder of increased prosperity in a particular nation. Pun intended. Japan in the post war era witnessed similar effects. Tokyo children who went through pubescent growth during the last years of the Second World War were severely shorter than children ten years after the war, or six years prior to its end.

Just in case you're wondering, the average bust size is now 32.89 inches. The overall moral to this story is that exercise and nutrition facilitate the body by allowing it to grow properly and ultimately more attractively. I'm hoping this doesn't single me out as a chauvinist, but at the same time, it is important to give China the credit it is due in busting out of years of poverty and starvation left over from the effects of such events as the 5 year plans and consequent cultural revolution. This may support the claim of a trickle-down effect, not that I'm all about Reagenomics, but if the country gains in GDP/ overall income, the aggregate population may benefit. At the same time, it may speak to China's ability to handle this income in a manner that is beneficial to their constituents.

Dower, John. Embracing Defeat, Japan in the Wake of World War Two. Ch. 4, "Cultures of Defeat"
and
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4942152.stm

China's Big, Fat Problem

Benson's Chinese Gov't & Politics Blog
Right now China is experiencing the perks of modernization as they continue to grow into the world’s fastest developing country. This success, however, does not come without side effects. With this new culture, industry, and technology, comes a new lifestyle. The traditional family home-cooked meals are quickly becoming a thing of the past and being replaced by processed and fast food. In addition, with the drive to have children succeed in school many parents choose to put their kids in cram schools (buxi ban). This means that instead of going outside and playing, kids will sit behind a desk for some 9hours of school. Parents have to work more to be able to pay for these extra programs which take them out of the home even more. This schedule is not only taking its toll on the family but on the overall health of the people.
Currently 18% of China is overweight. Half of adults over 35 also fit in this category. According to the World Health Organization Standard 5-10% of children are obese. These statistics are expected to double within a decade. This problem also contributes to an increase in diabetes and high blood pressure. With a fifth of the world’s total population, can China’s health care provide for such an influx of weight induced health problems? Obesity is a huge societal problem that has ramifications in every aspect of life. China should learn from our mistakes and educate the people about healthy living and even implement exercise programs in schools and in offices. If they take the time and resources to prevent this problem from escalating, it will prevent more social problems in the future.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/760787.stm

China worries about shortage of Breathe-Right Strips©

The Chinese military has been making a number of changes regarding their recruits. One of which is the banning of noisy snorers, "the nasal sound of chronic snorers disturbs collective life". That's what I like to see! Government officials most likely attempting to get rid of their competition for promotions by calling them out on ideological infractions! Snoring was one of many reforms being implemented by the military in order to increase the solidarity and integrity of the Chinese military. But speaking of ideoloy, the military has also seen an increase in the prominence of a meritocracy as the prefered way of organizing. They have increased the restrictions on "fashionable tattoos" and have begun intelligence and drug tests.

The article makes a point of discussing snoring before including the bit referring to intelligence exams (Ah the media, *chuckles); however, if anything this can be seen as positive for both China and Fox news. China's increase in military competence exhibits the growing trend in the willingness of China to substitute devotion to the party and "redness" for intellectual ability and efficacy. I'm impressed. ( I'm sure Sean Hannity just hasn't heard of this yet, but a growth in the functional ability of China can only spell disaster for the United States.)

The ramifications of this are multi-faceted; not only will Chinese troops be less inclined to use their bunk pillows as projectiles, the overall integrity of the military may be taking steps toward a meritocracy. Hopefully, such reforms will also aide in the prevention of nationalist-led punitive action such as the Tiananmen control operation, and lead to a more cautious (or at least efficient) risk-averse military.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4939514.stm

How much progress of intellectual property is being made in China?

How much progress of intellectual property is being made in China? China is the place where you can get luxury goods with a small amount of money. Well, yes. I am talking about fake goods. However, watch out folks. China seems to be harsh on fake goods these days.Here's a story.

Luxury goods firm LVMH has reportedly won a lawsuit against fellow French business Carrefour, which it accused of selling fake handbags in China. As China has pledged to crack down on widespread counterfeiting and piracy, a rash of cases involving alleged counterfeiting of luxury goods have come before Chinese courts in recent weeks and this case is just one of them.
LVMH was awarded $18,700 in damages on Tuesday after a Beijing retailer was found guilty of failing to prevent fake handbags being sold in market stalls on its preminses. Carrefour is not alone in fake goods business. One of Beijing's most popular tourist markets was found to have violated the rights of LVMH and four other foreign fashion labels by selling branded goods without approval.

The Chinese authorities have held up a 20% increase in intellectual property lawsuits over the past year as evidence that they are taking the problem of counterfeiting seriously. As we all know PrePresident Hu Jintao visited to Microsoft. He used a meeting with Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Tuesday to emphasise his country's commitment to protecting intellectual property
rights in China and to penalise violations. However, as this article pointed out, how much progress is being made in China? Also, fake goods market takes up huge portion of industry in China. A lot of Chinese who sell goods targetting foreigners are related to fake goods and they find it is hard to stop earning money from fake goods under the circumstance where tons of
foreign tourists rush to China to buy luxury goods at a bargain. Although this case could be a warning for people in fake goods business we will see the business keeps going on for the time being.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4926654.st

Program has potential to increase social justice

In 11 provinces, China has announced its plans to abolish legal distinctions between urban residents and peasants. This is an attempt to slow the widening gap between the rich and poor, while also reducing present social unrest. Some of these provinces include Guangdong, Fujian and Liaoning. This program is listed as “experimental,” and under it these provinces will enable former peasants to register as urban residents and to have the same rights as city dwellers. Some of these equal rights include housing, education, medical care, and the social security (which city dwellers have primarily possessed). About 200 million peasants have already begun to migrate into urban areas.
Having a market oriented economy has brought forth enormous wealth for China, but has also produced an increased number of social cleavages. During the past several years peasants and migrant workers have protested over corruption, land grabs and environmental degradation, this program has the potential to reduce these uprisings.
This is a reasonable program that is trying to improve the social and living conditions of Chinese citizens that have been trapped in rural area circumstances. Hopefully this program will bring about a higher level of equality in these provinces, while encouraging the government to extend this to all Chinese provinces. It is unsure if China will continue perusing this policy, especially if it leads to a desire for extended rights among citizens. Will this program really succeed, or is it just a governmental attempt to show civil right improvements?

http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=f4115ec0a68d88f05515aad88462d59c&_docnum=1&wchp=dGLzVlz-zSkVA&_md5=bee6df3455eda4aaf74a98bd24e3a167

Allience of Giants

China has been a thorn in the United States side for many decades. We have always had to worry about what the Chinese government was up to and still do today. Recently China has given large amounts of money to Brazil that has been earmarked for infrastructural purposes. Is this any reason to worry? China is doing exactly what the U.S. has done to China, exploit their resources and cheep labor. I think that the U.S. government is just mad they didn’t do it first. There is great economical gain for both parties; especially with the rest of South America. Does the U.S. government think that China has a hidden agenda more than economic gain? Is it that China wants to influence Brazil’s government to communism? I personally do no see the implications of having good trade relations between South America and China.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4872522.stm

Into the dark continent, without a flashlight. (*insert other catchy title that will make you read this here*)

China and I have this really bizarre love-hate thing going on. It's like I'm that girl at the NASCAR circuit that is constantly getting battered but I insist that he still loves me. Somehow I always give that middle country the benefit of the doubt. Recently, however, China's increasing attempts to establish relations with certain countries in Africa has left me with a black eye and seeking help with CAPSA. Ok, enough with the bad allusions to domestic violence. China has been mingling with a couple nations in Africa and their candid attitude toward no-holds-barred capitalistic expansionism and irresponsible foreign policy is leaving me trying to decide which side of the fence I want to be on. Two particular comments by the BBC caught my eye in a recent article;
"China also wants good relations with African countries in order to get their diplomatic backing in Beijing's ongoing wrangle with Taiwan. "

AND

"There are concerns about Beijing's willingness to do business with countries whose governments have been the subject of sustained international criticism like Sudan and Zimbabwe. China insists it is merely trading with these nations and adhering to its policy of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs"

First of all, the Taiwan issue is important; however, by attempting to gain allies and support through economic ties is hypocritical in the context of the second statement. If China is so convinced that it is not mingling with 'internal affairs' of other countries, how should the expect that the issue of Taiwan is legitimate reason for grabbing allies in Africa?!
Furthermore, I'm frustrated by the fact that Taiwan is becoming something China has the guts to seek allies over. Talk about international conflict. Didn't the assassination of Franz Ferdinand teach us anything about "you scratch my back and shoot my enemy and I'll scratch/ shoot yours?" teach us anything?
Furthermore, China "insists it is merely trading with these nations and adhering to its policy of non-interference in other countries' 'internal affairs." I'm less inclined to have a problem when the interests of the United States are encroached upon than I am to be upset when a country defies the U.N. altogether. Granted, the United States has done this on several occasions. Granted, a vast majority of U.S. citizens "is hates them darn foreign varmints!" Nonetheless, the U.N. is the only established international organization that we have to fall back on. If China also fails to criticize Sudan and other human rights violators, they avoid being hypocritical in some regard, but they also sour the legitimacy of the United Nations.
I'm sick and tired of my somewhat racist tendency to imagine the personification of average Chinese businessman being confirmed as someone who likes to talk about money (is greedy), wants virgin girls (is a-moral), and has bad teeth (I don't know what this symbolizes, maybe not taking care of himself) . China, stop beating me when I defend you and get some integrity, even the U.S., a country known for its international hypocrisy has the ability to occasionally say; "oh, murderous genocidal tyrant...nah, guess we'll leave that one alone for awhile... Gan Bei/ Ba-er/ cheers, Kofi."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4931668.stm

Mt Everest

The people who live in Tibet make their living from the Europeans that started climbing the mountain 50yrs ago. The Chinese in Tibet who work as mountain guides carry 15,000 pounds of gear per five people every year. These guides would not go up to the peak of Mt Everest at the beginning because they believed their was a goddess at the top. We can see that other cultures like Europe and the US have changed life in far away place like Tibet. The Tibet people know that mountain climbers feed their economy. Whether or not their is a goddess at the top they know that is their livelihood. Old traditions are being replaced by capitalism. It is a shame. This report was on the the travel channel on sunday april 23rd if you want to find the full story