Anti-China Olympic Protests Op-Ed: Maybe it’s time to ask what would Nixon do
Genocide Olympics. Tibetan protest Olympics. As the world continues to pelt rotten issues at China left and right in the race towards the Summer Games, somehow the stench is coming back at us. Sure, I get it — the Olympics are a perfect opp for bringing to light the human rights violations within China (Tibet […]
Swept away in the cemetery: China’s Tomb Sweeping Festival
Have you swept the tombs of your ancestors recently? In Chinese culture, April 4th is the Tomb-Sweeping Festival, or Qingming Festival, meaning Pure and Bright Festival. Tomb-Sweeping Festival is on the 15th day from the Spring Equinox and is one of the official public holidays in China starting in 2008. The festival is a time […]
We’re writing a book about China – but still welcome your business
Our blog is taking a little break while Jocelyn works on a book about her experiences in China. However, our business is still running strong. If you’ve got a project that requires writing, Chinese translation, Chinese culture expertise or a combination thereof, we’d love to be of service. Talk to us today!
Throwaway PhDs? The mindless and unfair side of higher education in China
I know a fellow from Taiwan who spent eight years laboring over his PhD — eight years! — in some area of engineering. He now runs a private media company and does real estate on the side, and regrets the years he spent on higher education. Another friend of mine came over here for a […]
Delinquency in China on the rise = a decline in social values?
The number of juvenile crimes in China has risen from 33,000 in 1998 to 80,000 in 2007, according to a BBC report. Robbery, theft, intentional injury, rape, and gang fighting are among the most frequent crimes the delinquents commit. What are the reasons behind the rising juvenile delinquency in China? This essay focuses on the […]
Can a “Moral Models Campaign” Solve China’s Morality Problem?
The Civilization Office of the China People’s Congress Central Committee announced Friday the assistance plan to 14 of the 53 national moral models who are in financial difficulty. The plan involves paying 24,000 RMB to 100,000 RMB to the models for their life assurance, housing cost, tuition, living expenses, daily necessity cost. The moral models […]
We all go down together: lianzuo (collective responsibility) in China
Imagine doing jail time — or worse — just because you were related to the offending party. If you want to understand just how far collectivism goes in China, look no further than lianzuo — or collective responsibility. Throughout China’s 2,000-year feudal history — from at least 7th-century BC all the way to the turn […]
Yahoo in China = prison time? The worst PR ever…
There’s a fine line everyone has to tow when doing public activities in China — that line between absolute freedom and the Chinese government. I touched on this a bit in my previous post on the One China Policy. But what if your concessions result in jail time for a Chinese dissident? That’s what’s at […]