China

Hong Kong’s ‘Che’ Points at the Collapsing Facade of Elitist Hong Kong

Yoichi Shimatsu

Far from being a devout Christian, Longhair is the chieftain of the League of Social Democrats (LSD), a band of revolutionaries known for stormy protests that often end with activists being wrestled to the pavement by hordes of policemen. Despite the conservatism of this hard-nosed city, his confrontational tactics have won the affection of poorer residents, who have re-elected him over the past 10 years to voice their grievances as a parliamentarian in the city’s Legislative Council (Legco). 

The Struggle for Identity and Fairness in Hong Kong

Yoichi Shimatsu

The leadership and activist numbers are coming from Generation ’97, young people born during the 1997 handover of the then-British Crown colony to Chinese sovereignty. These youngsters, most still in the secondary level (high school), are finding themselves at the forefront of a populist struggle for electoral rights. They are motivated by anxieties about local identity and a consequent need for better representation, reflecting attitudes that differ subtly but significantly from the traditional opposition parties. 

How China Became the World’s Second-Largest Art Market

Veronica Mendez

Fast-forward 20 years later, and China now possesses the second-largest art market after the U.S.  . In the October 28, 2013 New York Times, Barboza, Bowley and Cox reported that China’s auction revenues reported revenue of $8.9 billion, and China’s native Poly Auction house has risen to become the third-largest auction house in the world, behind Christie’s and Sotheby’s. 

Obama Vows Support for the Philippines But Won’t Counter China

Kristine Angeli Sabillo

Asked if the US will defend the Philippines in case territorial disputes in the South China Sea escalate, Obama said, “Our goal is not to counter China; our goal is not to contain China. Our goal is to make sure that international rules and norms are respected, and that includes in the area of maritime disputes.” He said the US welcomes China’s “peaceful rise” amid its “constructive relationship” and “enormous trade” with the nation.

Flight MH370 and the Reality of Human Helplessness

Sandip Roy

We expect tragedy, whether its man-made or natural, to come fully illustrated - collapsed buildings, mangled limbs, charred bogies of trains, airplanes crashing into skyscrapers in front of our horrified eyes. Flight MH370 has none of that. Days after the tragedy we heard about a "yellow object" floating in the sea. Perhaps an oil slick. But all we have seen on 24-hour television is the footage of anxious families huddled in Beijing airport, glued to cellphones.

 

 

How Corruption Stymies Economic Growth and Sparks Unrest

Mark Goebel

Recent impressive growth notwithstanding, corruption also threatens to hold back India’s and Brazil’s drive to join the ranks of the world’s developed countries, and has brought Venezuela and Ukraine to the brink of political collapse. Even China, this century’s economic star, is being handicapped in its long-term quest to overtake the U.S. economically by corruption, so much so that China’s new supreme leader, President Xi Jinpang, has made stamping it out one of the main priorities of his time in office.

 

Why Vietnam Should Stand Up to Expansionary Beijing

Jonathan London

No country in the world is as experienced as Vietnam is in coping with China. Indeed, for Vietnamese, maintaining stable and minimally friendly relations with Beijing poses formidable and unremitting challenges. During waves of Chinese expansion, these challenges are doubly difficult. On one hand there is the need to deal with an aggressive neighbor in sensitive but self-respecting ways, without unduly compromising national sovereignty and interests. 

New Generation of American Expats Flocks to Asia

Andrew Lam

Like millions of other Americans, Ted, who also found a new career working in the high-tech end of the film industry, fled America and reinvented himself overseas. And nowhere is the expat invasion more evident than in East and Southeast Asia. In Hong Kong alone the number of American expats is estimated to be 60,000 in 2009, though many say that number is much higher.That is almost the number of expats living in mainland China, which is somewhere around 72,000, according to the Chinese census.  

Recent Court Ruling In China Sparks Debates Over Labor Camps

Zhao Yinan

For Tang Hui, who was once put behind bars under the controversial re-education through labor system, the ruling by a Hunan court on Monday is a case of justice done. But some lawyers and legal experts believe the decision signals that the controversial penalty system, in place since 1957 and commonly known as laojiao, which can confine people for up to four years without an open trial, is coming to an end.

How Congress Went Hog Wild Over a Chinese Bid to Purchase Smithfield

George Koo

When Shuanghui, China’s largest pork producer, made an offer to buy Smithfield, it should have been a straightforward business transaction. Smithfield is America’s largest pork producer. By acquiring Smithfield, Shuanghui would be positioned to fill China’s rising demand for more pork. What should have been a simple win-win deal is becoming a lot more complicated thanks to Congressional review. As presented at the hearing, the humble bacon has suddenly risen to become an ominous threat capable of imperiling the security of the United States. 

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