Photos: League of Legends restaurant opened in Chongqing

Photos: League of Legends restaurant opened in Chongqing
Presented By:
Get Thee to the Theater
Shanghai Shake
Russia to be Xi Jinping's first foreign visit as President
Midweek Music Preview: Feb 20-26 - Sven Väth
China warns new Pope to keep his nose out
China’s Oil Production Outside China To Rival Kuwait and Mexico’s
Shenyang anti-spitting campaign, take two
Stubb's BBQ: Servers more drool-worthy than the BBQ, still worth a visit
US signals new clean technology race with China
Watch: Four month old baby stands unsupported on father's hand
Could Beijing be replaced as China's capital? Let's hope so
China to develop own criteria for diagnosing gaming addiction
BJC’s Year In Sex: Porn Sites That Aren’t Blocked In China, Obama’s Size, Nipple Requirements…
BJC’s Year In Fights: Blogger Throwdown At Chaoyang Park, Sanlitun Madness, Rapist…
BJC’s Year In Traffic: Driving In China, Bicyclists Strewn Everywhere, Real-Life Frogger…
No. Xi Jinping is not 'earning' himself a Nobel Peace Prize
One in three Chinese singles fear marriage, survey
CPPCC Member insults Leung Kwok Hung ‘You aren’t even a fucking Chinese’

Photos: League of Legends restaurant opened in Chongqing

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 08:00 PM PST

In keeping with Taipei's Barbie themed restaurant, and Changzhou's Starcraft & Warcraft themed amusement park, Chongqing now plays host to a League of Legends eatery. [ more › ]

Presented By:

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 08:00 PM PST

Get Thee to the Theater

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 06:59 PM PST

Date: Feb 20th 2013 10:42a.m.
Contributed by: andrewchin

A sneak preview of the next season of expat theater

Shanghai Shake

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 06:49 PM PST

Date: Feb 20th 2013 10:47a.m.
Contributed by: geofferson

Russia to be Xi Jinping's first foreign visit as President

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 07:00 PM PST

Sources in the know say that Russia is to be Xi Jinping's first overseas visit after he becomes President in early March. Xi is due to attend the 5th summit of the leaders from the BRICS nations in South Africa on March 25-27, but will stop off in Russia first ... for pudding with Putin (forgive the awful pun). [ more › ]

Midweek Music Preview: Feb 20-26 - Sven Väth

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 06:00 PM PST

Midweek Music Preview is a rundown of all the events happening on stages across Shanghai. On the docket this week: Sven Väth, one of the masterminds of techno, hits the "stage" of M2 this Saturday. Not "live on stage" music in the classic sense, but a musical highlight nonetheless that should not be missed. Besides that, Yuyintang put together a very meaty package for a special Lantern Festival event with seven bands, raffles and lotsa fun. Live Bar organizes another free Sunday live event. And there's even more going on, so read on for all the delicious details. And if that's still not enough, head over to our calendar for more. [ more › ]

China warns new Pope to keep his nose out

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 05:00 PM PST

Chinese authorities do not seem ready to soothe tensions between Beijing and the Vatican. Beijing called this week for Pope Benedict XVI's successor to keep his nose out of China's business in the future. [ more › ]

China’s Oil Production Outside China To Rival Kuwait and Mexico’s

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 02:25 PM PST

While it is no secret that China's state-owned oil giants, CNPC, Sinopec and CNOOC, have been on a buying spree of overseas assets over the past three or four years, not much consideration has been given outside the industry to … Continue reading →

Shenyang anti-spitting campaign, take two

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 10:20 AM PST

The city of Shenyang is getting tough (or tougher) on spitting and other such unhygienic habits. The Shenyang Evening News front page reports today that 200 specialist hygiene supervisors have been appointed, and they will be able to dish out fines of 20 yuan for each person spitting in public, among other such offences and their corresponding fines.

On 8 October 2010, however, an almost identical headline appeared on exactly the same spot on the front page of the selfsame newspaper, announcing that spitting will now incur a fine of 10 yuan, and 100 specialist hygiene supervisors have been appointed to monitor unhygienic behavior and dish out fines for spitting, among other offences.

So we'll say good luck this time Shenyang, or see you next year for the 3o yuan fine/300 supervisors upgrade.

The main headline on the front page of the Shenyang Evening News from Liaoning province today states boldly that "Spitting anywhere in Shenyang will now incur a fine of 20 yuan". The article explains that authorities have launched a new set of standards for health and hygiene in the city, one of which is the spitting fine, and 200 Hygiene Supervisors have been appointed to enforce the new standards. The 200 supervisors, who even had to pass an exam, will have the authority to impose fines on people for a number of offences. A whole system has been put in place detailing various kinds of offences and penalties; the type and size of the objects you litter, for example, will determine how much you will be fined. The following are some of these offences and the minimum fines that will be incurred:

Littering (minimum 500 yuan fine)
Spitting in public places (20 yuan fine)
Polluting the sidewalk with car wash wastewater (minimum 300 yuan fine)
Using the street as a toilet (便溺) (up to 50 yuan fine), and
Discarding sewage water (minimum 100 yuan fine)

Bad memories: 10 yuan and 100 monitors clearly just wasn't nearly enough

Isn't that just great? Yet sadly, this is not Shenyang's first attempt at improving hygiene. Although today's front page story looks like a brand new effort, the front page of the Shenyang Evening News of 8 October 2010 had an almost identical headline in exactly the same place on the front page. It read: "From today spitting anywhere in Shenyang will incur a maximum fine of 10 yuan".

So in less than two and a half years, the price of spitting in Shenyang doubled! The spitting regulations of 2010 were part of a government campaign in the city called "Clean Shenyang" (清洁沈阳) that was aimed at addressing ten main causes of pollution. As the article from the 2010 newspaper outlines, "The city Patriotic Health Committee has organized 100 specialist supervisors to monitor [littering and spitting and other unhygienic behavior] at ten focal points in the city."

So perhaps now in 2013, with a 20 yuan fine instead of 10 yuan, and with 200 hygiene supervisors instead of 100, Shenyang can exorcise the scourge of spitting? One can only assume that the first attempt was less than successful, so all the best for take two, Shenyang.

Will 20 yuan and 200 supervisors be enough?

Links and sources
Shenyang Evening News (沈阳晚报), 2013: 随地吐痰乱丢杂物将罚款20元
Shenyang Evening News (沈阳晚报), 2010: 今起，随地吐痰最高将罚10元

Stubb's BBQ: Servers more drool-worthy than the BBQ, still worth a visit

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 06:30 AM PST

If you're expecting that down-home Texas BBQ staple whose stage has been baptized by the likes of Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, turn away now. Stubb's Shanghai has little in common with the flagship store in Texas besides the name. But if you want edible BBQ and a pint served by the friendliest/hottest staff in the city, head on down. [ more › ]

US signals new clean technology race with China

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 04:26 AM PST

Who is in the lead in the clean technology race: China or the US?

Climate change was all but ignored by US President Barack Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney during the presidential campaign. So environmentalists were heartened, if not thrilled, when Obama declared at his inauguration a call to action on climate change and clean technology: "We must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries."

But where does the US currently stand in clean energy compared to the unspoken competitor in Obama's speech -- China? And what more can the US do to lead in renewables?

In terms of production and installation of renewable energy resources, the US actually lags behind China. This worries some experts who argue that it is critical for the country to recapture the manufacturing lead.

Read also: A darker side to China's clean tech

It may still lead on innovation in renewables, but even that is in danger of slipping, according to a recent report on clean tech by the Pew Charitable Trust. It says the US is not among the top 10 countries in investment growth rate over the past five years and ranks 10th in the world in its installed clean energy capacity growth rate since 2006.

It is also ranked just eighth among the G-20 nations in terms of investment intensity, which compares clean energy investments with national economic output.

Take wind power. In just a few years, China has outpaced all other countries in installations. For four years in a row China has overtaken the United States in wind energy, according to a February report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. At this rate, China is set to beat its goal of installing 100 gigawatts of wind power by 2015 by a year. (Reality check: About 20-25% of China's capacity isn't hooked up to the grid mainly because grid construction hasn't kept up with wind installations and also due to technical issues, says Tom Pellman, an analyst in Vestas' Beijing office.)

China's great leap

So how did China leapfrog to become a world leader in wind (and solar)? The central government set important national goals to jumpstart the industry: It established targets to reduce its carbon intensity -- that's the amount of energy used to produce a unit of GDP -- and targets for solar and wind power installations. Central and local governments have supported renewables through a variety of subsidies.

In contrast, "US energy policy lacks a clear sense of purpose or direction," says the Pew report.

In wind power, the lack of consistent, long-term support by the federal government hampers growth, says Pellman. Wind companies laid off hundreds of workers last year when it became uncertain whether Congress would renew a critical one-year tax credit. Congress did extend the tax subsidy under the fiscal cliff deal, but just for one more year. Now the US wind industry is pressing for a five-year extension of the credit.

Another problem for US cleantech companies: venture capital has tightened considerably. Last year, global investment in cleantech dropped to US$6.5 billion, a 33% decline, according to Cleantech Group research. Cleantech has proved to be much more capital intensive than investors anticipated. Seeking faster returns, they're betting instead on internet-related companies.

As such, when Chinese companies come calling with money to tap US innovation, cash-strapped American cleantech firms welcome the opportunity. Case in point: Wanxiang's winning bid of US$257 million to purchase the Boston-based car battery maker A123.

Chinese cleantech companies have seen venture capital fall off too, however, the central government is indirectly shoring them up. For instance, in February, in the wake of off-the-charts smog in Beijing and elsewhere, China announced a new national target for solar installations, catapulting it from 21 gigawatts to 35 gigawatts by 2015.

One area where the US is still the envy of China is innovation. "US is certainly the hub for innovative technology," says Chivas Lam, a partner in Qiming Capital in Shanghai. But numerous expert panels say the US should spend two to four times more on energy R&D over its 2012 level of US$4.36 billion.

At the same time, "China is in fact investing in and succeeding in green innovation...[which] could play a crucial role in the global transition to a low-carbon economy," writes Joanna Lewis, an assistant professor at Georgetown University, who examines China's wind industry in her new book, Green Innovation in China.

Innovation battle

China's progress in innovation is fostered, in part, by a variety of collaborative programmes between the two countries. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has a longstanding partnership with Chinese researchers to improve energy efficiency. The San Francisco-based China Sustainable Energy Program, part of the Energy Foundation, supports Chinese research in many areas.

But for US companies, protecting intellectual property and other assets is a major and very real concern. An expert at a major US company said in an interview that he was about to give his Chinese counterparts a tour of a south-eastern utility's distribution centre last year only to be told at the last minute that the Chinese guests would be barred because its system was currently under cyberattack from China.

In a separate example, American Superconductor Corporation has sued Chinese wind turbine maker Sinovel for infringing intellectual property rights.

So who's winning the race in cleantech? It depends on how you measure, says Nathaniel Bullard, an analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Bullard says the two countries are "joined at the hip. We import a lot but we also export a lot." The US imports Chinese solar panels, but it exports capital equipment to make the panels. "We didn't insist on keeping our consumer electronics manufacturing or chip manufacturing. We need a clearer assessment of what constitutes leadership."

It is worth noting that after barreling ahead of the US in solar and wind manufacturing, China is now struggling to cope with overcapacity – as well as accusations of dumping of products on the market in both Europe and the US.

The bottom line for the planet, of course, is whether all this competition in cleantech is slashing carbon emissions. And on that there is a long, long way to go. In 2012, US carbon pollution dropped about 4% to 5,279 million tonnes largely due to a weak economy. China's, however, climbed more than 3% to 8,598 million tonnes, according to estimates by the US Energy Information Administration. Per capita, Americans account for nearly three times more carbon dioxide emissions compared to the Chinese.

Watch: Four month old baby stands unsupported on father's hand

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 05:00 AM PST

A proud father from Shandong province attracted the attention of reporters when he posted a photo of his four month old daughter apparently standing unassisted on his hand. A local TV station sent along a cameraman to film girl, Yue Yue, standing like a boss. [ more › ]

Could Beijing be replaced as China's capital? Let's hope so

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 04:00 AM PST

Overcrowded roads and subways, hazardous pollution, dust storms, ugly buildings, and so on. Beijing isn't looking so hot right now. [ more › ]

China to develop own criteria for diagnosing gaming addiction

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 03:00 AM PST

Chinese authorities have announced plans to develop China-specific criteria for diagnosing and dealing with minors' gaming addiction. Well, the online hitmen, stabbings and detentions weren't working... on to plan B. [ more › ]