Blogs » Society » Taiwanese coffee chain 85C plans Mainland expansion

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• Taiwanese coffee chain 85C plans Mainland expansion
• Shanghai's Best All-you-can-eat Dim Sum Deals
• Global Times critical of Ai Weiwei and Elton John bromance
• You Think The Onion Is Wacky? People’s Daily Really, Truly Loves Kim Jong-Un
• Interview: Stand Up Comedian Joe Klocek
• Trailer: 'Dread Spawn (Head Wrong)', Red Dawn without the Yellow Peril
• Presented By:
• BBC interviews Zhu Ruifeng, journalist who broke the Chongqing sex tape scandal
• Laowai Comics: Can’t Handle The Club Right Now
• Should Bo Xilai Be Time’s Person Of The Year? (More Than 90 Percent So Far Say No)
• Dish of the Day: Hairy crab @ Tongchuan Road Seafood Market
• Vintage Footage Of A Smiley Hu Jintao In 1984 Provides A Rare Glimpse Of Him As A Young Charmer
• NGO provides China with home HIV tests
• Taiwanese protest labor reforms by egging the police
• Doha and the Middle East: a climate change security hotspot
• Mid-Week Links: Cabbie returns wallet containing 20,000 cash, Chen Guangcheng is No. 9 on Foreign Policy’s Global Thinkers link, and Shanghai time-lapse
• China looms over Taiwanese media sale
• Asshole ex-boyfriend jailed for spreading naked photos which cost Shandong teacher her job
• A look at the 6 Chinese thinkers on Foreign Policy's Top 100 List
• Will next year's gaokao include a fitness test?

Taiwanese coffee chain 85C plans Mainland expansion Posted: 28 Nov 2012 07:00 PM PST In piping hot competition with Starbucks and McCafe the Taiwanese cafe chain 85Caims to open 100 more branches annually in mainland China by 2017. [ more › ]

Shanghai's Best All-you-can-eat Dim Sum Deals Posted: 28 Nov 2012 07:36 PM PST Date: Nov 29th 2012 11:21a.m. Contributed by: thewooster

Global Times critical of Ai Weiwei and Elton John bromance Posted: 28 Nov 2012 06:00 PM PST The Global Times has published a typically restrained op-ed criticising the recent Ai Weiwei-dedication by Elton John at his Beijing concert. [ more › ]

You Think The Onion Is Wacky? People’s Daily Really, Truly Loves Kim Jong-Un Posted: 28 Nov 2012 07:45 PM PST By TAR Nation The flagship CPC newspaper People's Daily is, well, it's a bit, you know. It's rubbish. The design is terrible, the editorials are as pleasant as a shirt of broken glass and Captain Crunch, they have military equipment on their flash home page every day and their non-CPC related stories have the detached insouciance of a disabled child petting a kitten too hard. But they're still good for a laugh. Chief among these good laughs is their strange and slavish devotion to making North Korea, the worst place on earth, not seem like the worst place on earth. You think editors didn't fall out of seats scrambling to publish, as quickly as possible, The Onion's announcement of Kim Jong-un as Sexiest Man Alive? Then you don't know People's Daily. The jury is out on why People's Daily does this. North Korea is a diplomatic pariah. Wanting to look good in the eyes of North Korea does no good, as hungry people and heavy-handed propaganda seem to be in fresh supply. Perhaps it's the similarity in systems. With the 18th Party Congress over, the papers have been bragging about the Chinese barrel-of-a-gun theory of governance as the greatest thing in politics since kissing babies. North Korea has their back on that front. Whatever the reason, China's mysterious neighbor is treated with a bizarre reverence in the People's Daily's editorial parliament. Obviously, all of these pictures come from North Korea's News Agency, but why, upon why, does People's Daily publish them? Let's delve in. First, "Kim Jong-un Goes to Town" The above are all thumbnails found directly underneath the editorial: "U.S. must remain neutral in South and East China seas: Clinton." These are all photos of Kim Jong-un… being. The dictator strides across the land visiting the nation's top accomplishments like: This… gym. Depressing gym. And, he also goes to this… …mammogram machine. This… …completely and suspiciously empty parking lot. Actually, Kim Jong-un does this little tap dance thing in just about all the pictures. See his foot? What is that? Is it cramping from stepping on necks? Here he is, looking at his lunch: Notice the surprised, amazed and gob-smacked look on everyone else's face. In truth, this is some sort of "restaurant" and Kim Jong-un commented, "The supermarket looks unique and delicate and its display is peculiar. It was built in such a way as to be a model impeccable in any aspect." Judging from the pictures, it is unclear as to whether it's a restaurant or supermarket. It appears to have aspects of both. But, to be honest, you can't expect many North Koreans will tell the difference. Making fun of starving people is a bit wrong, but our next section will show the North Korean people having the most fun of their entire "lives," in "Masses of North Koreans Praising their Great Leader." Here they are in the most perfect human rectangle of all time: This is in a national newspaper, by the way. A NATIONAL NEWSPAPER. These people are standing around to "celebrate" statues of Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung at Kim Il-sung Military University. What a gas. This is scary in an old-school way: This is scary in a sci-fi way: This is scary in a Def Leppard way. Next are North Koreans praising their great leader at a football game, and I'm guessing it'll disturb you a little. So, for those of you wondering how North Korea can exist largely un-harassed between Russia, China and a large part of the US armed forces, the above picture is why: You do not mess with that brand of crazy eyes. A keen eye can notice strange things in some of these pictures, like Kim's crazy leg. Here is one where they have clearly gone tallest to shortest on either side, with Kim Jong-un in the middle. This is, presumably, so he doesn't look like such a short-arse. Also, notice the guy standing next to Chaiman Mao with some sort of tank-commander-cum-sombrero. Little to no thought is put into what People's Daily publishes in regard to these photos. Take the following caption for example: "…recently the country (North Korea) repeatedly appears with a new image as modern infrastructures are built one after another and people lead a better life. Let's figure out a real DPRK through the lens. Believe it or not, there is something more than you know about the country." Oh, simple propaganda. What is it you expect to see? A skyscraper? A subway system? Well… TAR Nation writes the BJC column To Serve People. He's usually around on Mondays.

Interview: Stand Up Comedian Joe Klocek Posted: 28 Nov 2012 06:00 PM PST Date: Nov 28th 2012 4:40p.m. Contributed by: georgiabarnett

Trailer: 'Dread Spawn (Head Wrong)', Red Dawn without the Yellow Peril Posted: 28 Nov 2012 05:00 PM PST Readers in select parts of the US can watch Red Dawn remake/parody Dread Spawn (Head Wrong) in theatres, everyone else will have to make do with the slightly bonkers trailer. [ more › ]

Presented By: Posted: 28 Nov 2012 05:00 PM PST

BBC interviews Zhu Ruifeng, journalist who broke the Chongqing sex tape scandal Posted: 28 Nov 2012 04:00 PM PST BBC's Beijing bureau have landed something of a scoop, the first interview with investigative journalist Zhu Ruifeng since he blew the lid on Chongqing district boss Lei Zhengfu's sexcapades. [ more › ]

Laowai Comics: Can’t Handle The Club Right Now Posted: 28 Nov 2012 02:00 PM PST Laowai Comics is a biweekly webcomic. Beijing Cream is proud to debut its Thursday comic every week. Full archives here. Click to enlarge [Monday's Comic]

Should Bo Xilai Be Time’s Person Of The Year? (More Than 90 Percent So Far Say No) Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:45 AM PST There's no question Bo Xilai has had an eventful year, directly responsible for outrage, consternation, confusion, exhilaration, and joy (he was manna from heaven for China's foreign correspondents). As Time's Austin Ramzy writes, "Bo was favored to win a seat on China's all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee this fall after having boosted his popularity by reviving Mao-era culture, expanding social safety nets and pushing an aggressive and sometimes brutal crackdown on organized crime. But his flashy initiatives angered rivals in China's buttoned-down Communist Party." Right, his wife was also convicted of murdering a British businessman, so that's big. But big enough for Time's Person of the Year? So far, the vast majority of voters say no, probably because most Americans still don't know him from Hu Jintao. (Just a guess.) Bo has a way to go. Also, this guy is beating him: This guy. So, yeah, we don't put much stock in this. But you have until the end of December 12 to vote, so go have yourself that fun. We'll probably broach this topic again before then.

Dish of the Day: Hairy crab @ Tongchuan Road Seafood Market Posted: 28 Nov 2012 07:50 AM PST The fattest part of hairy crab season is here, and you're no doubt teeming with questions. Do I really have to to shell out 500RMB at a hotel for a real Yangcheng Lake hairy crab? Those crabs sold in the baskets on the street for 20RMB a piece can't be authentic, can they? Here's the skinny: [ more › ]

Vintage Footage Of A Smiley Hu Jintao In 1984 Provides A Rare Glimpse Of Him As A Young Charmer Posted: 28 Nov 2012 08:23 AM PST We — you, me, the world — might see outgoing president Hu Jintao as a wan robot less charismatic than a cardboard box, but there was a time during this man's life when he was sprightly, good-humored, and jovial. Let this video — of a speech he gave in 1984, in front of colorful balloons — be proof. It was uploaded two months ago to Youku (embedded after the jump for those in China), uncovered on Twitter yesterday. Ten years old, Hu Jintao took the rostrum as the General Secretary and President of the Communist Party of China. Surely the corrosion of his soul — that personable and simpatico servant of the state – began in the years before his final ascent. We're not sure when his better alter ego died, like a wild bird clipped and caged, its julienned body served up to factions that grew fat with disinterest in China's long power game, but let us take a moment to mourn and remember. Hu Jintao deserves it. He was a human being once, like us — you, me, the world. And let us hope — because he is human too — that Xi Jinping's soul doesn't suffer a likewise transformation, prodigal ruination. Young #HuJintao on video from 1984, a speech full of passion & smile. he's not always robotic – v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDQ… — Offbeat China (@OffbeatChina) November 26, 2012 Hu Jintao too stiff to speak off the cuff?The video in 1984 shows it's years of politics that has stiffened him.t.cn/zj4H7z8 — Ministry of Tofu 豆腐部 (@ministryoftofu) November 28, 2012 He looks like a man running for office. MT @ministryoftofu: Hu Jintao too stiff to speak off the cuff? t.cn/zj4H7z8 — Carlos Tejada (@CRTejada) November 28, 2012 Hu Jintao like you've never seen him before; (1984) v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDQ… — Abdulkadir Alkan 哈康 (@ChinAnalyst) November 26, 2012 R.I.P. Leave your well wishes in the comment section. Note: this image, which may be the best I've seen all week, has a side story that deserves its own post. Luckily, Tea Leaf Nation has written that post: Since its posting on November 23, this simple image has been retweeted over 103,000 times. But perhaps chary of the discussion that would result, censors suspended the threaded comment function on the post. That means that Weibo users do not have an easy way to comment directly on the image or Wang's assertion, which means no ad hocdiscussion forum can form around this very resonant image. …It's ironic that censors would revert to such tactics when faced with an image that could only burnish Chinese leadership in the public's eyes… At least the image was seen far and wide in the Chinese blogosphere, although for Wen's and (especially Hu's) would-be image-makers, it's too little, too late. Just so you understand why that pic of Wen Jiabao & Hu Jintao matters: it was retweeted over 100,000 times. — Emily Tang (@msemilytang) November 27, 2012

NGO provides China with home HIV tests Posted: 28 Nov 2012 07:00 AM PST Ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1st, a Beijing based NGO has offered 200 home HIV testing kits via its website for those afraid to enter the state treatment schemes. [ more › ]

Taiwanese protest labor reforms by egging the police Posted: 28 Nov 2012 06:30 AM PST Freedom of protest in Asia is like a great figure -- if you've got it, flaunt it! The Taiwanese are currently doing just that, taking to the streets with eggs in hand to protest against labor laws. [ more › ]

Doha and the Middle East: a climate change security hotspot Posted: 27 Nov 2012 03:11 AM PST Unrest in the Middle East - such as the ongoing Syrian conflict - is being linked to climate change with growing concerns over water scarcity and agricultural yields. These are turbulent days in the Middle East. Recent intense fighting around Gaza, an ongoing civil war in Syria, and even Iraq is still battered by frequent terrorist attacks. For outside observers this region might seem to be embroiled in a constant political turmoil. At the same time, looming climate change spells a grim forecast for a region already considered one of the world's driest. A number of analysts have looked into possible links between what climate change may bring in terms of political volatility in the region. For a region already scrambling to cope with severe water scarcity, observers see further dwindling of water resources as a central impact of climate change in the region, and one that is compounded by growing demand due to expected population growth and rising living standards. A 2010 UNDP report devoted to the effects of climate change in the Arab region has projected decreased precipitation in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories, adding to longstanding trends of reduction in surface water availability and groundwater reserves as well as recurring droughts and floods in other countries such as Morocco. Closely linked, food insecurity is also considered a significant threat for a region historically known as the Fertile Crescent. According to several studies, higher temperatures, reduction in rainfall, and changes in the spans of seasons are expected to take heavy toll on agricultural yields. Repeated droughts and floods leading to crop failure could in turn be contributing to malnutrition and famine. In addition, sea level rise, an extensive report published in 2009 by the Arab Forum for Environment and Development has shown, could inundate coastal regions, increase soil salinity, and deteriorate aquifers across much of the region's total 34,000 kilometres of coastal zones. Climate change as a "threat multiplier" Most exposed in the Persian Gulf are the small island state of Bahrain, the neighbouring peninsula hosting Qatar, as well as Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. To the shores of the Mediterranean, Egypt is seen as most at risk from sea level rise, as the Nile Delta holds the lion share of its agricultural lands. Simulations by UNEP affiliated GRID-Ardenal show, that a 50 centimetres rise in sea level would affect 4500 square kilometres of cropland and over six million people. Like in other parts of the world, studies focusing on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region foresee climate change impacting a host of other aspects – from human health to migration to gender issues – all eventually interacting in ways that could endanger livelihoods across the region. And when placed in an already troubled political context, these factors could make climate change what analysts call a "threat multiplier" – that is, aggravating existing conditions. In a paper released in December 2007, Friends of the Earth Middle East, formerly named EcoPeace, takes a different perspective. Their analysis highlighted six aspects of pre-existing conditions that could determine the likelihood for anticipated climate change impacts to instigate conflict or rather facilitate cooperation. The list includes factors such as "the existence of water agreements and their degree of sustainability" and "the influence of destabilising economic and political factors, e.g. unemployment and mass migration due to agricultural decline and the large scale flooding of agricultural areas". Conflict in Syria Furthermore, ongoing or future peace negotiations could become further complicated as a result of increasing competition over scarce water resources, a report published in 2009 by the International Institute for Sustainable Development had argued. Looking to 2050, five other potential security threats that the authors list include intensified food insecurity that could be "raising the stakes for the return or retention of occupied land" as well as "forced migration and increased tension on existing refugee populations". "Two years ago, when there was a hike of grain price because of few weather events there were riots in Lebanon which challenged the government," says Wael Hmaidan, director of the Beirut-based Climate Action Network International. "This of course affects who is in the government, the relationships between governments and so on. This also empowers extremists because they benefit from economic difficulties, so fundamentalism will be increasing sharply." But these are not just distant future scenarios. At least two papers, published in February and in August, have looked into the Syrian case and described how a four year long drought had triggered a domino effect culminating in the civil war still raging through the country. Meeting poor agricultural governance and natural resource mismanagement, the drought – considered the worst in Syrian history in over a century – had wrought both a food crisis and an exodus of over 1.5 million rural people to urban centres. For cities already hosting more than two million Palestinian and Iraqi refugees, this new influx meant further strains on an underprivileged population. This drought might not have been the key driver sparking the unrest in Syria. Protesters have perhaps taken cue from preceding uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. However, as a paper published as early as April 2011 suggests, global climate change might have also played a role there. In particular, the paper states, it is weather events such as sandstorms in China, record spring rainfall in Canada, drought – and then bushfires – in Russia and neighbouring countries that have slashed wheat harvests and exports, and in turn sent food prices up. Climate change is of course not the only factor behind rising food prices, the authors are careful to add, and it was not (only) food prices that sent protesters to Tahrir Square. But when trying to unravel the complex circumstances at play, climate change is increasingly becoming hard to ignore. "The Arab Spring would likely have come one way or another," wrote the authors Sarah Johnstone and Jeffrey Mazo of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, "but the context in which it did is not inconsequential. Global warming may not have caused the Arab Spring, but it may have made it come earlier." Framing climate change as a security issue has contributed to raising public and policymakers' awareness. However, some scholars warn, this could backfire. "Climate change is filled with uncertainty," wrote Corinne Schoch of the International Institute for Environment and Development. "As with other highly politicised debates, uncertainty tends to breed anxiety, which could lead to fear and result in a set of policies that merely mirror sensationalist academic and media headlines." Moreover, she contends, securitising climate change risks diverting much needed efforts away from humanitarian responsibilities and vulnerable communities that are most in need of protection. When looking at the causes of climate change, the net contribution of countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in terms of greenhouse gas emissions is fairly small. However, the latest data from the US Department of Energy's Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center show that four of the world's top ten CO2 emitters per capita are Gulf countries. Qatar, host of the ongoing UN climate conference, has been topping the list for several years now. A new era of cooperation? Higher per capita emissions are usually associated with higher degree of a country's economic development. Here, a considerable degree of Gulf countries' wealth stems from their being key players in the global oil supply – the same fossil fuel whose combustion feeds climate change. Similarly, this also suggests that some countries in the region are better positioned, at least potentially, to prepare for the impacts of climate change than others. For instance, in an arid region, where strain on water resources is set to become even harsher, the Gulf states are already operating some of the world's largest desalination plants. Cautiously, some commentators suggest that climate change as a common challenge might also play a role in stimulating cross-border cooperation, either in the form of technology transfer or management of shared resources, predominantly water, and in turn could become a vehicle for rapprochement and peace building. Hmaidan of Climate Action Network International says he would be very pleased to see countries coming together to avert the looming crisis climate change could usher. "But this should happen now," he adds, "because when climate change impacts hit in the future the current conflict situation will not look very beautiful"

Mid-Week Links: Cabbie returns wallet containing 20,000 cash, Chen Guangcheng is No. 9 on Foreign Policy’s Global Thinkers link, and Shanghai time-lapse Posted: 28 Nov 2012 06:22 AM PST Via Washington Post, a map in the new Chinese passport that "shows a version of China that includes disputed territory claimed by India, a vast stretch of the South China Sea, including islands claimed by several other countries, and the entirety of Taiwan." The Beijing Ducks are 2-0 after their 110-102 win in Jilin yesterday. Now that's out of the way, links. Chinese media reacts to Elton John's shout-out to Ai Weiwei: "Obviously, John's unexpected action was disrespectful to the audience and the contract that he signed with the Chinese side. He forcibly added political content to the concert, which should have been nothing more than an entertaining performance. If they had known that this concert would be dedicated to Ai Weiwei, many in the audience would not have come to see this concert. // John's action will also make the relevant agencies further hesitate in future when they invite foreign artists. John himself is a senior entertainment figure, but has raised difficulties for future arts exchanges between China and other countries." [Global Times] An absolutely thorough takedown of Daniel A. Bell, professor of philosophy at Tsinghua University, who thinks Chinese journalists do a better job of reporting the news than Western journalists. "I must admit that I read Bell's essay "Political Meritocracy is a Good Thing" — most readers at The Guardian, unfortunately, would have missed the insider's reference to Yu Keping's "Democracy is a Good Thing" — only after the 18th National Congress. As I read the professor's remarks about how Chinese 'cadres are put through a grueling process of talent selection, and only those with an excellent record of past performance are likely to make it to the highest levels of government,' I immediately thought of Premier-in-waiting Li Keqiang. // Mr. Bell may not know — though he will if he reads our chapter about 'muckraking' on HIV-Aids in China — that Li Keqiang presided over one of the worst Aids epidemics in history. He was responsible for the cover-up of the epidemic, which resulted from a blood trade in which government officials were involved. Does that, I wonder, make Li more or less qualified to deal with this pressing health issue? Should Li's actions to cover up the scandal be construed as 'morally informed judgements'?" [David Bandurski, China Media Project] Chen Guangcheng is No. 9 on Foreign Policy's list of 100 Top Global Thinkers; he was interviewed by Isaac Stone Fish: "If I met Xi Jinping, I would very clearly tell him that any 'powers that be' that don't follow the will of the people and depend instead on oppressing the common people and suppressing the will of the people to protect their rule absolutely cannot last for long. The Communist Party is no exception." [Foreign Policy] Ping An Insurance mulling lawsuit for the NY Times's latest. "In a written statement on Monday, Ping An Insurance (Group) Co of China Ltd said it had 'noted recent media coverage related to the company, which contains serious inaccuracies, facts being distorted and taken out of context, as well as flawed logic.' // It added that it 'will take appropriate legal action commensurate with the damage and adverse impact the media reports have caused to the company.' // Ping An did not name the New York Times Co in the statement, but a Ping An spokesman told Reuters that it referred to a New York Times article published over the weekend." [Reuters] Still waiting on the video. "A Chinese Internet activist says Beijing police have offered to protect him after he revealed a sex scandal involving a Communist party official in the central city of Chongqing. // Zhu Ruifeng broke the scandal on his website November 20, uploading images that he said were from a 2007 video of a Chongqing district party chief having sex with an 18-year-old mistress." [Voice of America] Cab driver returns wallet with 20,000 in cash in it. "Guangzhou has a reputation across China of being one of the country's seedier, more dangerous cities, but that was disproved (if only for a moment) this week after a laowai left a wallet containing over 20,000 RMB plus credit cards and important documents in a taxi in Baiyun District Nov. 24 and had everything returned to him by the driver, according to Guangdong Satellite Television. // The driver told media he had driven about 100 metres when he noticed the passenger had forgotten his wallet after getting out at around 11 p.m. He immediately handed it into the company who eventually returned it to the man around 11:30 a.m on Nov. 26." [The Nanfang] English portmanteaus in China. "Below is a list of the so-called hottest English words on Twitter posted onto Sina Weibo by Gao Xiaosong, famous songwriter and media commentator. Some of them, such as niubility and shitizen, have already entered the Internet vocabulary and come into wide use by Chinese netizens. Others are rather new, but the social phenomena they imply are very familiar to Chinese and anyone that observes China closely." [Ministry of Tofu] Mitt Romney secretly glad he wasn't the one who had to make this sensible announcement. "The Obama administration declined Tuesday to label China a currency manipulator, noting that it has let the yuan rise nearly 10 percent in value against the dollar since June 2010. // The decision came in a twice-a-year Treasury report on whether any other nations are manipulating their currencies to gain trade advantages. Despite its decision, the administration said the yuan remains 'significantly undervalued,' and it urged China to make further progress." [AP] Worst movie ever? Probably. "Well, the Red Dawn remake has finally been released, and it's fucking terrible. Seriously, at just 11% on Rotten Tomatos, it apparently ranks among the worst films in recent memory. I say "apparently" because I haven't actually seen it; don't worry though, I'm still capable of discussing it more intelligently than any of the people we're about to examine." [Charlie Custer, China Geeks] Artist protest in Beijing? "Frustrated artists protested in Beijing's 789 Arts District last week, angry at the lock up of artist Xu Yong's popular 798 Space gallery, as well as arbitrary rent hikes and illegal fees, all made as part of an apparent attempt by the authorities to drive artists out of the area." [Epoch Times] Time-lapse of Shanghai, via  Shanghaiist: Finally… Congratulations to Barbara Demick, Shorenstein Journalism Award winner. [APARC, Stanford] Another tale of Boss Wang, the craziest owner in Chinese professional sports. [NiuBBall] A writer in China muses on her 500th post. [Life on Nanchang Lu] And now, China's resident satire site: "Upcoming 'New York Times' headline about China will be even more boring than the last one, editor vows." [China Daily Show] The Internet, no matter in which country, can drive users batty. [Tea Leaf Nation] Finally, finally… From Sunday's Beijing Marathon, via People's Daily

China looms over Taiwanese media sale Posted: 28 Nov 2012 06:00 AM PST The sale of Taiwanese media holdings to a pro-China group has sparked protests in defense of an independent media. Hong Kong businessman Jimmy Lai has signed a deal to sell the Taiwanese editions of Apple Daily and Next Media, previously known for criticizing China, to a pro-China Taiwanese conglomerate. [ more › ]

Asshole ex-boyfriend jailed for spreading naked photos which cost Shandong teacher her job Posted: 28 Nov 2012 05:30 AM PST A Shandong man has been jailed for maliciously spreading intimate photos of his ex-girlfriend, Deputy Secretary of the Communist Youth League of Jining Vocational Technology College Zheng Yuanyuan (CN). (NSFW after the jump). [ more › ]

A look at the 6 Chinese thinkers on Foreign Policy's Top 100 List Posted: 28 Nov 2012 05:00 AM PST It's that time of year again - Foreign Policy magazine has published its list of the Top 100 Global Thinkers, giving us the chance to see who made the cut for 2012. The top two spots were won by Aung San Suu Kyi and Thein Sein of Burma/Myanmar, and included the annual shout-outs to the Clintons, Bill and Melinda Gates, and Barack Obama. Foreign Policy's list also includes a number of Chinese thinkers, and notably skips a few others. [ more › ]

Will next year's gaokao include a fitness test? Posted: 28 Nov 2012 04:00 AM PST China's Ministry of Education is considering whether to include physical fitness in the country's national college entrance exam, or gaokao. [ more › ]

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