Mid-Week Links: Official Iron Man 3 trailer (with Chinese elements), Agent Zero Gilbert Arenas close to signing with Guangdong, and Hu Jintao at knifepoint

Mid-Week Links: Official Iron Man 3 trailer (with Chinese elements), Agent Zero Gilbert Arenas close to signing with Guangdong, and Hu Jintao at knifepoint
Iron Man 3 and Sino-foreign Film Co-productions: An Update
The Daily Twit – 10/24/12: Huawei, CNOOC & Iron Man, Oh My!
Top 10 Search List (October 24, 2012)

Mid-Week Links: Official Iron Man 3 trailer (with Chinese elements), Agent Zero Gilbert Arenas close to signing with Guangdong, and Hu Jintao at knifepoint

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 07:35 AM PDT

Via Daily Mail: "The 300ft spiral staircase has been installed on the wall of the Taihang Mountains in Linzhou to offer the thrill of mountaineering without the danger."

We're very excited and proud to announce that starting tomorrow morning, Laowai Comics will be appearing on this site every Thursday. If you're wondering whether you should check out LC's impressive backlog of work, the answer is yes. Links will always be here.

Introducing: 2Non.org, Charlie Custer's new project. "China's Property Rights Law and other laws governing land use in China do not expressly forbid forced demolitions and evictions, but they do dictate that 'appropriate compensation' for land, fixtures, and resettlement expenses must be provided by the government, and that these compensatory funds cannot be divided, misappropriated, or embezzled. But these laws have thus far utterly failed to prevent local officials and developers from abusing the system for profit, in part because they are vague and in part because they are enforced only selectively, if at all, in many locations." [2Non]

Another environmental protest. "An environmental protest in a small fishing town in southern China has turned into a protracted, violent nine-day clash between villagers and police, with stones thrown, tear gas deployed, and dozens injured and arrested, witnesses said Monday. // …The most recent incident began with a plan by local officials to build a coal-fueled power plant and a harbor for receiving the shipped coal in the village of Yinggehai, on Hainan island at the southern tip of China. // Fearing that such a plant could devastate the environment, residents, who mostly depend on fishing as their livelihood, began to protest the project Oct. 13." [Washington Post]

7-to-1 is a landslide. "Obama is still very popular in China, and would win 7-to-1 over Romney, according to a poll in Sina Weibo, China's top social media site. But more and more Chinese bloggers are rooting for the Republicans for their 'free market' values and because of an assumption that a Republican president might be more likely stand up to the Chinese government on the issue of human rights." [Asia Society]

"Comfortable" probably as in being able to eat Western meals three to five times a week. "China's online community is agog with discussion after a survey suggested a salary threshold of around 9,000 yuan (US$1,439) per month to enjoy a comfortable life in first-tier cities like Shanghai and Beijing." [Shanghai Daily]

Gearing up for the National Congress, can you sense it? "The subtle dropping of references to late Chinese leader Mao Zedong from two policy statements over the last few weeks serves as one of the most intriguing hints yet that the ruling Communist Party is planning to move in the direction of reform." [Reuters]

China and the US can be successful together. "In recent debates, each presidential candidate argued he is tougher on China than the other. Americans are being sold a bill of goods—that China's growth is the U.S.'s loss. It simply is not true. It is not a zero-sum game. // China's growth—specifically, the huge increase in spending by Chinese, the largest expansion of a consumer market in history—represents one of America's best chances for future prosperity. Imagine 1.3 billion people with annual incomes rising from $4,000 to $12,000 over the next decade. They want brands—often U.S. brands. The U.S. has the resources and intelligence to become China's leading trading partner and capture the benefits." [Bloomberg Businessweek]

We'll be talking more about this soon. "The Beijing-based startup behind the flirty hook-up app Momo is preparing to take it international, with an English version of its iPhone app submitted to Apple last week. The dating app has been picking up users at an incredible rate; I notice it was at 500,000 last December, two million by this March, and 10 million by August. And now? Now Momo has reached 16 million users." [Tech in Asia]

Tibetan farmer sets himself on fire (graphic photos). "Following Tuesday's incident, International Campaign for Tibet sent a photo allegedly showing Dorje wrapped in blankets after the immolation, his neck and head badly charred and swollen. It was not clear whether he was still alive when the blurry, poorly lit picture was taken." [Huffington Post]

Iron Man 3 preview interlude:

Finally…

Rare is the story about Chinese fiction. [Businessweek]

"Off-duty cab driver enjoys pretending to be on-duty." [China Daily Show]

Gilbert Arenas nearing deal with Guangdong Southern Tigers? [NiuBBall]

An average migrant worker turned nationalist rioter. [South Sea China Conversations]

A new blog from chinaSMACK. [japanCRUSH]

Finally, finally…

Via Fergus Ryan via Sina Weibo

Iron Man 3 and Sino-foreign Film Co-productions: An Update

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 06:04 AM PDT

A few weeks ago I wrote about how some foreign film studios were being rather dodgy with the Co-production Law:

Some clever foreign studio executives apparently thought that co-productions were not living up to their potential. They liked the idea of getting around the import quota, but they were also stuck with making movies that were really only suitable for the China market. Although box office numbers here have been growing quickly, the U.S. market is still number one.

The solution? Co-productions in name only, just the bare minimum in terms of Chinese actors, domestic production and China-related story lines.

The question was whether, or for how long, the government was going to allow projects like these to come into China as co-productions without actually living up to the spirit of the law. At the time, it sounded like Iron Man 3 was pushing the envelope, with even the film's director suggesting that the China end of the production might be limited to some background shots over here into which the main stars could be digitally inserted later. Weak.

So now a trailer for Iron Man 3 has come out, and it is bereft of Chinese elements. You never know what the final version is going to look like, but if I was working at SARFT (the government regulator), I would not be pleased.

Julie Makinen has an update in the LA Times:

[W]ith the May 3, 2013 release date fast approaching, and stateside filming — primarily in North Carolina — expected to wrap soon, filming in China has yet to begin.

A person familiar with the film's production said that "Iron Man 3" fully intends to film in Beijing before the end of the year. Production has been delayed in part because of a sprained ankle suffered by star Downey.

Uh huh. Sure. It wasn't so long ago that we were told that the big stars of the film wouldn't be coming here at all. Something smells funny. Julie also came up with this telling quote:

In a phone interview last week, Zhang Xun, president of China Film Co-Production Corp., which is part of the state-run China Film Group and oversees all official co-productions in the country, said it was looking doubtful that "Iron Man 3" would qualify and that no script had been submitted for approval.

"They have not applied for any co-production" status for "Iron Man 3," she said. "If they have already finished filming in the U.S., it might be hard for such a movie to meet the requirement for a co-production. Because you cannot make a film with a few cast members from China and a few scenes in China and expect that to be a co-production."

Right. In other words, stop screwing around and decide whether you want this to be a real co-production or not. As each day goes by, it gets less and less likely. To be fair, time has not run out yet, but this is getting silly.

To make matters worse, Iron Man 3 still has a "Mandarin problem." I've written about the possible inclusion of old-time Iron Man foe a couple times, saying first that since the Mandarin was a Chinese villain, you'd have to be nuts to try and get that past SARFT. But then after rumors surfaced that indeed the Mandarin would be part of the film after all, I sort of ate my words.

Well, it seems as though these guys are trying to have it both ways. The Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley, will indeed be the/a villain in the picture, but at the same time they are trying to pretend he isn't Chinese.

The trailer's footage revealed Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin and splashy special effects such as a cliff-side mansion falling into an ocean.

But though the movie was expected to begin shooting in China this summer, oddly absent from the trailer were any Chinese scenes or characters. (While the Mandarin is of Chinese ancestry in his original comic-book incarnation, Marvel President Kevin Feige has said the movie villain's "specific ethnicity" is intentionally blurred.)

Dude, Kevin, stop bullshitting us. Yes, Kingsley in the Mandarin outfit doesn't look Chinese. And if his name was "Bob the Bastard," I'd even go along with the fiction. But it isn't. This is an established character, and the name you're using is frickin' "Mandarin." Kinda suggests a China connection, doesn't it? Additionally, it looks like the guy is sporting a queue.

Maybe SARFT isn't familiar with the English word "Mandarin"? Or perhaps "Mandarin + queue" will suggest a throwback to the bad old Qing days?

This movie is making me crazy. I've half a mind to let my hair grow back just to check and see whether it's turned grey. Then I can put it into a queue.

The Daily Twit – 10/24/12: Huawei, CNOOC & Iron Man, Oh My!

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 04:50 AM PDT

What? You ask. No links page dominated by the U.S. election, territorial dispute or stats on China's economy? That's right. Today's a throwback to the "good old days" of relatively normal news. Let's start off by going to the movies:

LA Times: 'Iron Man 3': First footage reveals new villain, no China — Julie Makinen has an update on the ongoing Iron Man co-production saga, which I wrote about on three separate occasions. Will they film in China or not? Will they be approved as a co-production by SARFT? What the heck is Dan Mintz planning on doing here? Expect a quick post from me on this tonight/tomorrow (on the co-production side as well as the movie's content).

Wall Street Journal: 'Iron Man 3′ Trailer: Where's China? — Apparently someone else noticed the distinct lack of Chinesification in the trailer.

Forbes: Dazzled By China's $2 Billion Movie Box Office? Try Getting Paid — Slightly different topic, still on movies in China. A very interesting lawsuit is pitting a film producer trying to get his fair share of box office receipts. He is going up against industry behemoth China Film Group. Good luck.

Now for some updates on our favorite Chinese outward investment stories, both of which deserve separate posts (but I'm not going to promise anything!):

Seeking Alpha: The CNOOC-Nexen Takeover Deal Is Now Less Likely To Happen — Malaysia's Petronas had its Canada deal blocked, prompting some folks to say that CNOOC now has an uphill battle.

Shanghai Daily: CNOOC's Nexen bid may succeed — The optimist's view. Also reflected in Reuters: China's CNOOC hopeful on Nexen bid.

Want China Times: US investors file class-action lawsuit against CNOOC — More bad news for CNOOC. They are being sued in the US for failure to properly disclose an oil spill and its effects on the company.

Global Times: CNOOC responds to suit — What misleading statements? Seriously? We'd never do anything like that.

Bloomberg: Nexen Sale Said to Turn on China Backing Canada Deals — As I've said before, reciprocity can be a cold-hearted bitch.

BBC: Huawei offers access to source code and equipment — Huawei does not want to see what recently happened in the U.S. replicated in Australia.

Guardian: Huawei acts to clear its name — More on Huawei's efforts Down Under to allay fears.

And the usual news bits and pieces:

Telegraph: China announces major reshuffle of People's Liberation Army — Get used to some significant moves in the days before the big government meetings. Here's another one, this time on energy, from Xinhua: China issues white paper on energy policy (a link to the full text is in the article).

Bloomberg: The Most Dangerous Thing About China: Americans' Attitudes — Some survey data on both sides of the US-China relationship.

The Hill: WTO moves forward on China auto, and U.S. aircraft trade cases — Negotiation period is over and panels are being set up to hear these disputes. Stay tuned.

New York Times: Better Ways to Deal With China — Great article by Eduardo Porter. The RMB is the wrong target for U.S. policy towards China.

Reuters: Japan, China diplomats meet over island dispute that sparked violent protests — No, it isn't over yet, but at least they're still talking. That's good news, right?

Top 10 Search List (October 24, 2012)

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 12:22 AM PDT

1) 李小璐产女 (Lí Xiáolù chánnǘ, Li Xiaolu gave birth to a baby girl) – Li Xiaolu, an actress famous from the television serial Fendou, gave birth to a baby girl in a private hospital in Beijing yesterday. Chinese story here.

2) 神仙奶奶 (shéngxiānnáinái, unearthly grandma) – a 73-year-old woman in Hubei Province reportedly has not eaten any food for the past 11 years. According to local media reports, she stopped eating any food after a cold in 2000 and has since found her daily five cups of tea and one cigarette quite sufficient. We're skeptical, but check out the Chinese story here.

3) 怕打针小宝宝 (pàdázhēnxiǎobáobáo, a baby scared of needle) – A picture of a 7-month-old baby standing in front of a doctor went viral on weibo recently. The baby stood in the corner, looking absolutely confounded and scared by the incoming vaccine needle. Chinese story here.

4) 都江堰地震 (Dūjiāngyàn dìzhèn, earthquake in Dujiangyan) – An earthquake of 3.4 degree jolted Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province earlier today. Chinese story here.

5) 第四代ipad (dìsìdài ipad, ipad 4) – Surprise! There's a new iPad out. Again. Already. English story here.

6) 美国大选终极辩论 (méiguódàxuánzhōngjíbiànlùn, final round of televised debate for the US presidential election) US presidential campaign shifted from televised confrontation to a frantic dash for votes after the third and final round of televised debates. English story here.

7) 南京十三中跳楼(Nánjīng shísānzhōng tiàolóu, suicide in Nanjing No. 13 High school) - A 17-year-old student jumped off a building in his high school during class break and is currently in ICU. Many students witnessed his jump this morning. He left a note, saying he made this decision all by himself. Chinese story here.

8）国考报名井喷 (guókǎo bàomíng jǐngpēn, numbers of application for national public servant exam peaked) – The application deadline for the national public servant exam is 6pm today, so the numbers of application is erupting, with thousands of applicants fighting for one position in most cases. Chinese story here.

9) 赵雅芝家暴 (Zhào Yázhī jiābào, Zhao Yazhi domestic violence) – A rumor that the actress Zhao Yazhi was abused by her husband has been circulating for more than a week. It was number two on our list last Tuesday.

10) 赵常玲 (Zhào Chánglíng, Zhao Changling) - Zhao Changling, or Zulfiya Chinshanlo, was born Chinese, became Kazakhstani, and will probably return to China later this year, when her five-year contract with the Sports Bureau of Kazakhstan expires. The gold medalist was born in remote, mountainous Daoxian County (Yongzhou city) in Central China's Hunan province in 1993—and not in Almaty, Kazakhstani, as her accreditation information in the 2012 London Olympics showed. She didn't start pro weightlifting training until her parents sent her to a special school in Yongzhou when she was 11. Then one day in 2007, Liang Xiaodong, then the Hunan Provincial Bureau director, summoned Zhao to ask if she was interested in competing in the Olympics – if that meant she would have to change her nationality and play for another country under the so-called "Wolf-rearing Plan" launched by China in a bid to dispatch its athletes overseas to help with the development of its dominant sports there. English story here.