China to Launch New Manned Spaceship in 2013-Xinhua

Aileen Wang and Nick Edwards
Reuters
The launch marks a step forward in Beijing's ambitions for a bigger space presence, including construction of a space station by 2020.

Two Rising China Leaders Say Open to Wealth Declarations

John Ruwitch
Reuters
After report on Wen Jiabao's "hidden riches," Guangdong and Shanghai party bosses said officials will eventually have to declare assets.

China's Economy to Overtake U.S. Economy in Four Years, Says OECD

Jospehine Moulds
Guardian
A Paris-based think tank said China's economy will be larger than the combined eurozone economies by year's end and will overtake the US by the end of 2016.

Viewpoint

11.09.12

Pragmatism and Patience

Hamid Biglari
Hamid Bilgari, Vice Chairman of Citicorp, the strategic arm of Citigroup, is a leader in international investment banking. Bilgari says that pragmatism and patience are the dominant qualities exhibited by cultures facing major change, such as...

Debating China’s Economic Future

Nicholas Lardy and Michael Pettis
Wall Street Journal
Is China’s economic growth destined to plunge down to 3% to 4% a year, or can it be sustained in the current 7% to 8% range? China Real Time has asked heavyweight experts Michael Pettis of Peking University and ...

China Leads in Foreign Direct Investment

Jack Perkowski
Forbes
China reclaiming from the FDI leadership had as much to do with the fall off in FDI into the U.S. as it had to do with events in China.

When Madison Met Handan – A Tale of Two Cities

Dinny McMahon and Carolyn Cui
Wall Street Journal
It’s unlikely that many of the 60 Chinese investors who visited Madison in September had heard of the Wisconsin state capital and home of the University of Wisconsin Badgers before agreeing to visit the U.S. Similarly the city of Handan, the Chinese...

Media

11.02.12

Chinese Movie Mogul Promises New Party Leaders Will Open Market to Hollywood

Jonathan Landreth
A wise old cartoon turtle in Kung Fu Panda advises Po, the portly black and white star of the 2004 DreamWorks Animation blockbuster film, not to fret about honing his fighting skills, but rather to focus on the moment and do his...

Postcard

10.30.12

Wenzhou’s Italian Uncles

Ilaria Maria Sala
0039 Ristorante Italia sits in the middle of West Jiangbin Street, one of many long and large stretches of concrete that cross Wenzhou east to west, parallel to the Oujiang River, running next to some of the city’s visible wealth—in the form of...

Viewpoint

10.29.12

Hollywood Film Summit Draws Chinese Movie Moguls

Jonathan Landreth
LOS ANGELES—Hollywood and Chinese movie makers and industry hangers-on will gather Tuesday at the third annual Asia Society U.S.-China Film Summit on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles.At a gala dinner Tuesday night, organizers...

Caixin Media

10.26.12

Below-Belt Blows in Kungfu Restaurant Battle

The crestfallen former chairman of fast-food restaurant giant Kungfu Catering Management Co. Ltd. is awaiting a verdict after a trial on corporate embezzlement charges apparently instigated by his former business partner’s wife.If Cai Dabiao is...

China Condemns NYTimes Wen Jiabao Wealth Story as 'Smear'

John Sudworth
BBC
Beijing said the report that Wen's family has "controlled ... at least $2.7bn" had "ulterior motives."

Billions in Hidden Riches for Family of Chinese Leader

David Barboza
New York Times
Wen Jiabao's son, daughter, younger brother and brother-in-law have become extraordinarily wealthy during his leadership. 

'Iron Man 3': First Footage Reveals New Villian, No China

Julie Makinen
Los Angeles Times
Much touted Disney-Marvel film co-production with Beijing-based studio DMG may ring hollow.

Better Ways to Deal with China

Eduardo Porter
New York Times
Pushing China around like a bulked-up version of 1980s Japan doesn't fit a long-term U.S. objective: drawing China into the club of prosperous, rule-bound and democratic nations.

China's Consumer-led Growth

S.C.
Economist
Official data show that consumption contributed over half of China's growth so far this year, more than investment's contribution.

China Is Wary of U.S. Candidates’ Tough Talk

Jane Perlez
New York Times
Concern among Chinese officials, executives and academics is growing that U.S. attidudes toward China won't cool post-Election Day.

Caixin Media

10.19.12

Tapping into Crowd Power with Website Finance

Investing like an angel now costs no more than an average duck dinner in Beijing.The force driving China’s growing ranks of small-scale angel investors are crowdfunding websites, which offer individuals access to business financing pools for as...

Foxconn Workers Have Fun Sometimes

James Fallows
Atlantic
James Fallows' pics from inside a Chinese factory making many famous Western electronic brands.

U.S. Presidential Debate Sees Candidates Flex China Muscle

Liu Jie
Xinhua
Although the yuan rose nearly 30 percent since 2005, U.S. politicians are still taking jabs at China's currency regime.

Analysis: Lost in Debate - Reality of U.S.-China Ties

Associated Press
U.S. presidential politics vilifying China obscures how deeply entwined the two countries have become. 

Economists Predict Slower Growth for China

Rob Schmitz
Marketplace
Tsinghua University economist Patrick Chovanec thinks China’s actual GDP growth is around four percent.

China and Its Trade Tactics are Coming to the Debates

Sharon LaFraniere
New York Times
China's economic relations with U.S. could feature hotly in next Presidential debate.

Chinese Netizens Debate the Merits of Owning a Luxury Car

Rachel Lu
One couple asks if they can own a BMW on a combined income of $2,100 a month.

Environment

10.16.12

Chinese Boycott Airline China Southern After Mysterious Death of Dog

from chinadialogue
On the morning of October 10, a high-profile lawsuit against China Southern, one of China’s “big three” airlines, opened at Chaoyang People’s Court in Beijing. The plaintiffs? Zhao Nan and Chen Lei, a couple from Tianjin, north China, who blame the...

China Now Eats Twice As Much Meat as the United States

Malcolm Moore
Telegraph
Chinese demand for meat has quadrupled over 30 years and the nation now eats a quarter of the world supply.

American Politics and Chinese Data

Bill Bishop
Deal Book
In the midst of increasingly heated election rhetoric about China, Beijing has released some important economic data as its currency hits record highs. Both Mitt Romney and his running mate, Paul D. Ryancriticized...

China in Hollywood, Hailed and Investigated

Michael Cieply
New York Times
Movie mogul Han Sanping soon will receive an Asia Society award even as U.S. investigators' continue to question Hollywood studios' dealings with Han's company.

China Economic Figures Shore Up Global Markets

Kelvin Chan
Associated Press
Markets rose Monday on news of China's Sept. inflation falling to 1.9 percent from 2 percent in Aug. 

Oxford Stars Building New China Center

JOYCE LAU
New York Times
Oxford University breaks ground on Dickson Poon China Center, with £10 million from Hong Kong philanthropist.

NBA Plans Basketball Facility in China

The Associated Press
Associated Press
The 120,000-square foot NBA Center in Tianjin port near Beijing will house basketball courts, a fitness center and a restaurant and be part of a mixed-use development with housing for 150,000.

Ryan Criticizes Obama Administration China Policy

Thomas Kaplan
New York Times
Romney Republican running mate slams President for delaying report on currency manipulation. 

Reports

10.12.12

Chinese Direct Investment in California

Daniel H. Rosen and Thilo Hanemann
Daniel H. Rosen
Asia Society
To build the case for a robust response to these opportunities and looming risks, this report analyzes Chinese investment in California in depth, mining a unique database for insights about California’s comparative advantages, the Chinese firms most...

Forbes China 100 Richest List

Russell Flannery
Forbes
Forty-five of China’s 100 biggest fortunes slipped from last year’s FORBES ASIA Richest List. 

Features

10.11.12

Will Mo Yan’s Nobel Prize Finally Mean Better Book Sales Abroad?

Jonathan Landreth
Literature in translation in the United States has wide but shallow roots, making English language stars out of the likes of Gabriel Garcia Márquez and Haruki Murakami, but leaving most of China’s writers struggling to take hold. Now, veteran...

Noda Calls for China Talks as Island Spat Threatens Growth

Matthew Winkler, Isabel Reynolds and...
Bloomberg
PM calls for talks to contain economic damage from dispute with Japan's No. 1 trade partner.

Over A Distressed Europe, It's Super China To The Rescue

Kenneth Rapoza
Forbes
China is considering lending even more money to bail out the region’s recessionary economies.

Five Points on the Deeply Flawed U.S. Congress Huawei Report

Graham Webster
Transpacifica
Chinese telecomms firms painted as shady, but evidence to back up allegations is hidden in report's classified sections.

DreamWorks to Make 2-3 Films a Year in China, Eventually

Georg Szalai
Hollywood Reporter
"Kung Fu Panda" creators will ramp up a partnership with Chinese state-run media funds, slowly.

As Romney Repeats Trade Message, Bain Maintains China Ties

Sharon LaFraniere and Mike McIntire
New York Times
China-related holdings by funds in which Mr. Romney has invested are a reminder of how he inhabits two worlds. 

What Han Han's App Means for Chinese Censorship

Liz Carter
By publishing "The One" as an iPhone app, China's superblogger bypassed the State Administration of Radio Film and Television.

Environment

10.09.12

Top Clothing Brands Linked to Water Pollution Scandal in China

from chinadialogue
China is the major hub of the international textile industry, exporting US$200 billion worth of textile and apparel products in 2010—accounting for 34 percent of global exports.It’s provided cheap T-shirts and other clothes to people around the...

Foxconn Labor Disputes Disrupt IPhone Output for 2nd Time

Alexandra Ho and Tim Culpan
Bloomberg
Foxconn Technology Group, the assembler of Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhones, had to stop production for the second time in as many weeks after factory-line workers at one of its plants protested against increased pressure.

Huawei Fires Back at the U.S.

SIOBHAN GORMAN And JURO OSAWA
Wall Street Journal
Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Inc. lashed out Monday at a scathing congressional report, calling allegations that it may be spying on Americans and violating U.S. laws "little more than an exercise in China-bashing."

Glut of Solar Panels Poses a New Threat to China

Keith Bradsher
New York Times
China’s supply of solar panels has grown faster than soaring global demand, sparking a price war.

Ralls vs. CFIUS: What Are the Implications for Chinese Investment?

Daniel H. Rosen and Thilo Hanemann
Council on Foreign Relations
First, this was not a political move by the President to position himself as tough on China, as suggested by some. The timeline of the review through the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and the Presidential...

The Changing Politics of Chinese Trade and Investment

Edward Alden
Council on Foreign Relations
On the same day last week that President Obama was issuing an order blocking a Chinese company from acquiring several Oregon wind farms, the Financial Times had a fascinating story on the changing politics of the U.S...

China’s Wealthiest: When Getting Rich Is Not Glorious

The Economist
Economist
Each year around this time, the Hurun Report, a Shanghai-based luxury publishing and events group, releases its compiled list of China’s wealthiest people. The report not only satisfies the prurient interest of those fascinated with the lifestyles...

“Digital Disaster” Frustrates Would-Be Train Ticket Buyers

David Wertime
It’s a digital disaster. With a Chinese travel crunch looming, China’s online ticketing system is quickly turning into a boondoggle of historic proportions.

China’s Lost Decade

Ian Johnson from New York Review of Books
It’s hard to believe, but just twenty years ago China was on the verge of abandoning the market reforms that have since propelled it to its current position as a world power. Conservatives had used the 1989 Tiananmen massacre to reverse the country’...

What the Foxconn Riot Says About China

Evan Osnos
New Yorker
Day by day, Chinese workers expect better conditions and greater guarantees that when companies go bust, the employees will not. And, yet, China permits no independent trade unions or free collective bargaining. Complaint and mediation procedures...

Caixin Media

09.20.12

Hit TV Show Sings Song of Media Model Success

A reality-talent TV songfest popular in more than forty countries around the world has become an instant hit in China, underpinning enthusiasm for an experimental business model linked to media sector reform.The Voice of China’s debut show in July...

In Car Country, Obama Trumpets China Trade Case

Mark Landler
New York Times
In a vivid display of the powers of incumbency, President Obama on Monday filed a broad new trade case against China at the World Trade Organization, announcing the action in this industrial battleground where Mitt Romney has pressed his argument...

Debunking the China Myth

Yves Smith
Naked Capitalism
But even in the cases where the outsourcing cost savings were significant, the idea that American wages were way out of line with Chinese wages and the only future for American workers was grinding wages lower and lower to compete with China has...

U.S. Files W.T.O. Case Against China Over Cars

Keith Bradsher
New York Times
The United States on Monday filed a broad trade case against China at the World Trade Organization, alleging unfair subsidies for exports of cars and auto parts.

Who Makes China Exports: Local Companies or Foreign?

Valentina Romei and Rob Minto
Financial Times
Another month of disappointing China trade data: on Monday, overall Chinese exports increased just 2.7 per cent in August from a year earlier, and imports dropped 2.6 per cent. Export growth was higher than July’s worrying 1 per cent, but...

Is the 2012 China Stimulus Some Kind of Unicorn?

Kate Mackenzie
Financial Times
Wang Tao at UBS thinks it is not really real: Well, that is what we call a bit of make-believe. Sure, the weak August data seem to have prompted more policy actions by various government agencies and we expect better&...

Buyers Dry Up in China as Economy Slows

Aaron Back
Wall Street Journal
China's soft August trade data could presage further weakness in its key export sector in the months ahead, suggesting that the world's No. 2 economy will continue to slow.The data released Monday showed that China's external and...

Caixin Media

09.07.12

Local Governments Bet Big on New Investment

They’re still hung over from a 4 trillion yuan spending spree initiated by the central government nearly four years ago, but local governments across China are pressing ahead anyway with huge new investment plans.In late August, for example, the...