In the Satellite Technology Race, China Hitched a Ride from Europe
on December 22, 2013
The Beidou navigation system—developed with E.U. help—is a striking example of Beijing’s global dragnet for military know-how.
Li Ruigang’s CMC Buys Stake in Caixin Media
on December 22, 2013
China Media Capital, a $833 million venture capital fund with connections to Rupert Murdoch, Time Warner and Jeffrey Katzenberg, has bought a stake in Caixin Media, one of China’s leading independent news organizations.
China Lashes Out at Japan Defence Plans
on December 21, 2013
Japan will increase military spending by 2.6 percent over five years, leading China to accuse Tokyo of raising tensions.
Despite Baucus Nomination, Critics Cite Void in China Lineup
on December 21, 2013
With his appointment of Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana, a seasoned Senate free-trader as his new ambassador to Beijing, President Obama has chosen an emissary who faithfully reflects his priorities with China, which have tended to emphasize jobs and other economic issues.
The New Face of Chinese Propaganda
on December 21, 2013
Not too long ago, the party’s Propaganda Department was renamed the Publicity Department. Old militant expressions like “overthrow,” “thoroughly destroy” and “strike hard,” and images of muscular workers and peasants in heroic postures, have been replaced by gentler illustrations of villagers in tranquil communities, surrounded by traditional paintings and handicrafts.
Top Chinese Security Official Is Investigated
on December 21, 2013
Li Dongsheng, a vice minister of public security, is being investigated by the Communist Party for “suspected serious law and discipline violations,” according to Xinhua, the state news agency.
‘Community Corrections’ and the Road Ahead for Re-Education Through Labor
on December 20, 2013
Chinese and foreign observers welcomed the recent announcement that the Chinese government will “abolish”—not merely reform—the administrative punishment system known as re-education through labor (RTL).
Rectifying Chinese Names
on December 20, 2013
Living in a community of China watchers, we are unceasingly assaulted by words and phrases for which definitions are unclear, or ambiguous, or over which there is controversy or disagreement. And so, bearing Confucius’ admonition that the most important thing for understanding China is “to call things by their right names,” Kaiser and Jeremy set out this week to do exactly that with a show all about rectifying names in Chinese.
Chinese Literature Online
The Importance of Archiving ‘Born-Digital’ Books in a Print-Censored Culture
on December 19, 2013
In July of last year, Brixton, U.K.-based novelist Zelda Rhiando won the inaugural Kidwell-e Ebook Award. The award was billed as “the world’s first international e-book award.” It may have been the first time that e-writers in English from all over the world had been invited to compete for an award, but for e-writers in Chinese such awards have been around for well over a decade.
Chinese Admiral to U.S. Navy: ‘We Will Block You’
on December 19, 2013
On December 5, the U.S. missile-carrying cruiser Cowpens almost collided with a Chinese ship in international waters. The Cowpens was observing the maiden voyage of China’s new aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, when a vessel accompanying it cut across the Cowpens’ bow less than 200 yards away, forcing it to change course. Chinese and U.S.
