Blogs » Politics » Is Winter Coming For The Chinese News Media?

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• Is Winter Coming For The Chinese News Media?
• China: Good Englishman in Xian
• China: Trial of Former Chongqing Police Chief Wang Lijun
• While we’re on the issue of sovereignty, let’s talk about Tibet
• TLN Editor On The Stream: Understanding China’s “Online Patriots”
• London Exhibit: My Tiananmen
• The Indonesian Education Dilemma: High Test Scores or Genuine Learning?
• China: Are Overloaded Vehicles to Blame for Harbin Bridge Collapse?
• China: Return of Maoists in Anti-Japan Protests Brings Anxiety
• China Probing Protest Outside U.S. Embassy
• Cross Strait Agreement Opens Trade Relations, Dances Around Sovereignty
• Chen Guangbiao is selling cans of air!
• The Daily Twit – 9/20/12: Stop Me If You’ve Heard This Before
• Details of the Trials of Wang Lijun
• Gary Locke's Car Attacked in Beijing
• China: Writer said “I am a Traitor”
• China, US: Anti-Japan Protesters Stop Ambassador's Vehicle
• Pictures: Body painting show at Nanjing real estate trade fair
• How Americans See China
• China’s Female Imams

Is Winter Coming For The Chinese News Media? Posted: 20 Sep 2012 10:30 PM PDT Tea Leaf Nation's Yueran Zhang explores the shifting winds in the Chinese news media, where a number of "personnel earthquakes" have seen influential members of the country's independent media leave or be forced out of their positions this year: On July 18, the publication's president and vice editor-in-chief were dismissed for unspecified reasons. Some rumors said the direct cause might be the Daily's interview with Sheng Hong (@盛洪微博), president of Tianze Economics Institute, which was published in May. In the interview, Prof. Sheng acutely criticized the monopoly of state-owned companies in certain markets. The misfortune has also befallen other media brands. On July 16, the editor-in-chief of the News Express Daily (@新快报) was forced to resign because of unspecified "sensitive" contents it had published. On August 23, the Oriental Vanguard (@东方卫报) published on its front page a feature article titled "Liu Xiang knew, officials knew, China Central Television knew, only the audience was waiting vainly for the legendary moment." The article said that official heads of the Chinese Olympic Team, China Central Television (CCTV) and Liu Xiang himself had all known beforehand that his severe injury might render him unable to finish the preliminary heats of the Olympic Men's 110-meter Hurdles, and CCTV had prepared four commentating plans accordingly. The report caused the editor-in-chief, the assistant editor-in-chief and the so-called "news supervisors" (新闻总监) to be dismissed. Although the government's control over news media has always been tight, the range and intensity of the purge this year has been rarely seen, suggesting that the censors' controlling hand is tightening. As Wang Keqin (@王克勤), a former investigative journalist famous for his coverage of AIDS spread and illegal mining plants, comments, "It's getting colder. The winter is approaching." Wang's comment is especially profound considering that earlier this year, many claimed that "the spring of Chinese media" was coming after the state-owned, usually conservative People's Daily (@人民日报) published a series of op-eds calling for political reforms, widely read as a hint that China's news-control bureaus were liberalizing. However, this interpretation proved too optimistic, with purges beginning in July. Zhang's piece stirred up a lively debate in Chinese social media, even drawing comments from journalists such as Liu Jianfeng who had received mention in the article: For some readers, the reality of Chinese journalism revealed by the article deepens their hopelessness. @时评人黄国胜 is one of them, writing, "It's so difficult to be an authentic journalist in China!" More directly, @新闻已死 (whose handle name literally means, "the news is dead") declares the "death of Chinese journalism." "There is no 'news' in China, only 'propaganda.'" Even more saddened are those who used to work in journalism. They said the piece reminded them of their unpleasant past. @高压锅老窝 writes, "If you worked in the media industry for a few days, you would not trust anything." @雪峰NO1 attributes the mistrust to the tradition of telling lies in Chinese journalism. "Journalism is a high-risk occupation. Maybe just by accident, a disaster can befall you. Unless you follow your superior and tell lies, you are punished. It's the destiny of journalists." … With the persistence and idealism he still holds, Liu rejects the pessimistic notion that Chinese journalists could pursue nothing but "dead journalism." "Don't be so pessimistic. There are always still courageous and uncompromised reporters who tell the truth. Those who claim that 'there is no news in China' are the ones who cannot endure the pressure and give up. If your pieces are killed, you can still publish them online. Is there worse outcome than being fired? As far as I know, many dare to do that." © Scott Greene for China Digital Times (CDT), 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: censorship, independent media, media control, microblogging, self-censorship, sina weibo, state media Download Tools to Circumvent the Great Firewall

China: Good Englishman in Xian Posted: 20 Sep 2012 07:57 PM PDT Peter Barefoot from ChinaSMACK translated a local media's feature story of a British engineer, Tony, who founded the "Yellow River Soup Kitchen" in Xi'an in 2005 and has distributed food to the homeless people there regularly since then. Written by Oiwan Lam · comments (0) Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper

China: Trial of Former Chongqing Police Chief Wang Lijun Posted: 20 Sep 2012 07:26 PM PDT Samuel Wade from China Digital Times sums up local and overseas report on the two-day trial of former Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun, who seek shelter in the U.S embassy briefly and exposed the murder of British citizen Neil Heywood. Written by Oiwan Lam · comments (0) Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper

While we’re on the issue of sovereignty, let’s talk about Tibet Posted: 20 Sep 2012 06:03 PM PDT The other day, I highlighted China's argument for why it should be considered the rightful owner of the Diaoyu Islands - in short: Military aggression should not be rewarded with new territorial claims Treaties signed under duress should not be acknowledged Historical claims should be the major determining factor in ownership, giving special priority to "first come, first serve" Claims made by other gov'ts on land that is already being administered by another power are "illegal" So, while we're on the issue of sovereignty, let's take a look at why China claims Tibet as its territory (according to the somewhat misnamed site, Chinahumanrights.org) The peaceful liberation in May 1951 freed Tibetans from the fetters of imperialistic encroachment to enter a new epoch. Certain members of the ruling class, however, were unwilling to acknowledge the trend of historical development and dreamed to preserve serfdom. In March 1959 they started an armed rebellion intended to fragment the country. The central government, under the approbation and support of the Tibetan people, took decisive measures to disbanded local government of old Tibet and suppress the rebels and at the same time carryout democratic reforms in Tibet… Or in other words, the Chinese military forced Tibetans to sign an unequal treaty, giving the Chinese rule over a land that prior to China's claim had been settled first by an independent people. Even by the Chinese account, Tibet had an independent gov't as recently as 1959, where as the last time China administered the Diaoyu islands was 1895. So, given the similar nature of these claims, one might expect for the protests made by Tibetans to be treated with the same understanding and support as protests against Japan made by Han Chinese. This was Beijinger's protest against Japan last week (credit to Sinostand for the pics): And here is how authorities responded to protests for a free Tibet (these pictures are mild compared to what reports from Tibetan groups suggest have happened in other confrontations) Now a Chinese Nationalist might be encouraged to argue that the protests in Tibet were cracked down on because of their violent nature. A Toyota dealership set on fire as a part of Anti-Japanese protests And that the Central gov't should not listen to "foreign forces" (Tibetans in exile), even though Foreign Minister Hong Lei said of the recent protests, "Whether the Japanese side takes seriously China's position, listening to the just appeal of the Chinese public and adopting correct attitude and actions, will affect the development of the situation," Now, I know that it is not surprising for China (or any country) to hold one set of ideas for a foreign country, and another for themselves, but perhaps the next time the issue of the Diaoyu Islands comes up with your angry Chinese friend, you can tell them you completely agree, and then ask them to fight for a Tibetan sovereignty with their new found passion for "indisputable facts" and international law. Filed under: Current Events Tagged: China, Han Chinese, Tibet

TLN Editor On The Stream: Understanding China’s “Online Patriots” Posted: 20 Sep 2012 05:18 PM PDT When it comes to the conflict between China and Japan over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands, who speaks for today's China? Is it the Chinese protesters who have smashed Japanese-made cars and attacked Japanese stores and restaurants in the mainland? Is it the netizens who have urged calm and restraint? Or those netizens who say they are itching for war? And why exactly did those protests turn so violent, so fast? Those questions are impossible to answer definitively, of course. But TLN editor David Wertime, joined by columnist and researcher Michael Anti, freelance writer Helen Gao, and others from China and Japan's blogosphere took their best shot this afternoon on Al Jazeera's The Stream, an innovative online show with a strong social media component. TLN is especially grateful to all those guests joining from Asia, where it was the middle of the night. The discussion was nonetheless animated and interesting; we invite our dear readers to have a look.

London Exhibit: My Tiananmen Posted: 20 Sep 2012 05:35 PM PDT A multimedia, cinematic exhibit exploring Tiananmen and its aftermath opens at London's Hundred Years Gallery tomorrow. In My Tiananmen: The Polyphonic History, classic films such as Lou Ye's Summer Palace and newer pieces like Shu Haolun's No. 89 Shimen Road will be complemented by artist Francis Chen's original work, including her short film Fireworks of 1989. From the website remotegoat: The exhibition is about the notion of history—Tiananmen as a drastic exemplification—which is experienced by individuals, later resides in personal memories, and of which the emotional overtones transform across generations. To shed light on the dialogue and dialectic of the cross-generational memories and its representation in films and videos, the exhibition is conceived in a polyphonic manner. Each of the three parts stands for a passage of perceiving or comprehending history as part of our lives, distinct yet contrapuntal to each other. Altogether they form a texture which reflects the complex of the relations between history and the persons who made and are made by it. Originally scheduled for just two days, the exhibit will now run through September 27. More information about the video installation, film screening and live events that comprise the exhibition is available from My Tiananmen's Tumblr site. © Anne.Henochowicz for China Digital Times (CDT), 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: 1989 protests, film, London, Lou Ye, shu haolun, Tiananmen Download Tools to Circumvent the Great Firewall

The Indonesian Education Dilemma: High Test Scores or Genuine Learning? Posted: 20 Sep 2012 01:41 PM PDT Memo #175 By Anna Dall -  adall1 [at] usc.edu.au Anna Dall receives a warm welcome by staff at a Lombok school Indonesian students perform consistently poorly in international surveys. In the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey, more than half of 15-year-old students were found to be lacking sufficient skills in reading literacy to enable them to participate actively and effectively in society, to be functionally literate. The background to this dire situation is complex. But the examination system may be an important contributing factor. Indonesian education is focused on tests, and in particular on the all-important national exams, that millions of Indonesian high school students take. The exam is of crucial importance and the pressure on students is huge. Students have even been known to commit suicide after failing the exam. Cheating is commonplace. Exam results are used to evaluate teachers. Therefore they teach to the test and an enormous amount of time is devoted to test preparation. Since the national exams are multiple choice, rote teaching and learning are the methods generally used, and simple cognitive skills take precedence over more complex skills involving analysis, evaluation, critical thinking, and problem solving. Many teachers themselves find this highly unsatisfactory, but believe their hands are tied. Schools are strongly affected by the students' exam performance. Achievement outcomes affect funding, the school's reputation, and capacity to attract students. Thus corruption is allegedly rampant. Teachers and principals have often been reported to support student cheating. The opposition against the national exams is widespread, among educators and parents. There is even a Supreme Court ruling to suspend the implementation until there is equal educational infrastructure across the country, to no avail. The national examination system is intended to improve student performance. Instead, it seems Indonesian education is held in an iron grip by an assessment system, with low validity and low reliability, which ensures that teaching and learning remain at a low cognitive level. A number of reforms are currently being implemented to improve education in Indonesia.  The addition of an assessment system that rewards teachers and students for genuine learning would add to the positive impact and constructively support the shared goal of authentically improved student performance. Anna Dall was awarded a PhD for her thesis "A Cross-National, Comparative Study of Cultural Factors Underpinning 15-Year Old Students' Performance in Reading Literacy in Finland, Sweden and Indonesia". She currently resides in Indonesia. If you enjoyed this memo, subscribe to our e-newsletter for free and receive new memos 2+ times per week via email. The motto means "to be of honourable character and to achieve is my determination" Links: A Cross-National, Comparative Study of Cultural Factors Underpinning 15-Year Old Students' Performance in Reading Literacy in Finland, Sweden and Indonesia. University of the Sunshine Coast, 2012. (PhD Thesis by Anna Dall) Cheating Front and Center as National Exams Begin, Jakarta Globe, April 16, 2012. Questioning National Exams and the Politics of Gatekeeping, The Jakarta Post April 21, 2012. Cheating during National Exams in Seven Provinces, tempointeractive, April 20, 2012. Indonesian Education: Teachers, Schools, and Central Bureaucracy, June 2005. (Book by Christopher Bjork) Related Memos: Our other Memos on Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

China: Are Overloaded Vehicles to Blame for Harbin Bridge Collapse? Posted: 20 Sep 2012 07:53 AM PDT On August 24, 2012, a highway bridge in Harbin city in China's Heilongjiang province suddenly collapsed, leaving three dead and five injured. Yesterday the investigation report came out which stated that the collapse was caused by overloaded vehicles. It seems that no one believes in the so-called expert report, but first of all, let's take a look at the video taken by citizen eyewitnesses soon after the bridge collapsed: Local media outlets pointed out that in the past ten years there have been more than 85 news reports [zh] about collapsed bridges. Some netizens have pointed out that this fact is related to corruption in the construction tendering process. Truth digger's micro-blog post [zh] about construction tenders has been re-posted more than 21,600 times in 3 weeks: 【不垮是奇迹】大桥由国家投资18亿公开招标，中标的不会建桥，也没能力建桥，以15亿转包；承包的也不会建桥，以12亿转包；转承包的也不会建桥，以10亿转包；承包的有能力建桥，可是10亿不够啊，于是拿1亿来贿赂工程监理，1亿收买验收部门，7亿来建桥，赚1亿。桥不垮，诞生一个人类建筑史上的奇迹。 [It would be a miracle if the bridge did not collapse] Let's say the central government invests RMB 1.8 billion [approximately USD 1.2 billion] for bridge construction. The company that wins the tender does not know how to build the bridge and contracts it out with a RMB 1.5 billion bid to a sub-contractor; the sub-contractor does not know how to build the bridge and contracts it out again with a RMB 1 billion bid. Finally the sub-sub-contractor knows how to build the bridge but RMB 1 billion is not enough. So it spends RMB 0.1 billion to bribe the quality control officials, another 0.1 billion to bribe the quality verification department. Eventually it spends 0.7 billion on building the bridge while making 0.1 billion profit. If the bridge remains sound and safe, this would be a architectural miracle in human history. Without addressing the real problem, even the official media outlet People Daily questioned [zh] the so-called expert report in its micro-blog comment: 【微评论：事故调查要回应"百姓常识"】同样是超载，为何轮胎和车架没事儿，桥却塌了；同样是大桥，为何卢沟桥承重430吨，哈尔滨高架桥却无法承受420吨？群众的常识或许未必科学，但既然是调查通报，既然为了惩前毖后，就要回应常识，而非自说自话，笼统给出"各项指标均符合设计要求"的结论。 [Micro comment: The investigation should answer to people's common sense] If it is overloading, how come the tyres and the bodies of the vehicles remained intact while the bridge collapsed. How come Macro-Polo bridge could support up to 430 tons of weight while the Harbin bridge could not support 420 tons of weight? People's common sense may not be scientific. But if the investigative report is to prevent future disasters from happening, it has to address people's questions rather than putting the investigation in abstract terms like "all indications showed that the construction is up to standard requirement of the design". More than 1,400 micro-bloggers joined the discussion on the People's Daily's comment thread: 木木山风oliver：就算我缺乏常识都能看出来问题, 专家是被"招安"了的, 连说句真话都不敢? oliver: Even though I am not very knowledgable, I can still see the problem. The experts have surrendered and dare not to speak the truth. 小白杨514341：几辆车造成的超载，假如不超载但是塞车呢？？？几百辆车。。。不敢想象 514341: A few vehicles had resulted in the overloading. What if in the case of traffic jam when there are hundreds of vehicles on the bridge at the same time… what would have happened? rocky的小围脖：笑话！既然"各项指标均符合设计要求",而现在桥又塌了，那就应该追究设计单位的责任！调查组并不缺少专业知识，缺少的是直面问题的勇气！ rocky: This is a joke! If it is really the fact that "all indications showed that the construction is up to standard requirement of the design", now that the bridge collapsed, the responsibility should lie with the design unit. The investigation team has so many experts in it, but they lack the courage to speak the truth. 韩飞1985sunshine：现在是怎么回事？桥塌了怪车，车坏了怪路不好？政府部门吃屎的？为何处这种结论？当人民群众是傻子？ 1985sunshine: What happen to our country? Blame the vehicles for the collapsed bridge? So if the vehicles broke down, should we blame the road? The government department are good for nothing? How can they accept this kind of conclusion? They see people as idiots? 小黄的树洞：把责任全推给死者，受害车辆变成肇事车辆，他的桥倒是无瑕可寻，无耻无下限。 Tree cave: Blaming the dead ones for the incidents, the victims have become the trouble bearers. There is nothing wrong with the perfect bridge, what can be more shameless than such conclusion? 一塌糊涂两眼泪：由此可见！反对贪腐比所谓爱国保岛更重要！否则，人民将无一寸土地，无任何权利！ shedding: Now we can see anti-corruption is more important than the protect Diaoyu Island act [refering to tension between China and Japan over the disputed Diaoyu Islands]. Or else people won't have any rights in our homeland. 纵横四海6263：派100辆超载车去日本，破坏他们的交通体系 Four seas 6263: Let's send 100 vehicles to Japan and collapse their transportation systems. Written by Oiwan Lam · comments (0) Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper

China: Return of Maoists in Anti-Japan Protests Brings Anxiety Posted: 20 Sep 2012 06:55 AM PDT Maoist protesters became a major spectacle in the series of anti-Japanese protests in China that took place between September 15 - 18, 2012, with Chairman Mao's portraits and nostalgic slogans praising the nation's founder standing out in the crowds. To many intellectuals the Maoists' return to the Chinese political scene carries the bitter memories of the rounds and rounds of political campaigns and prosecutions, such as the Cultural Revolution, in Chinese history. That's why the incident of an 80-year-old man being beaten up by a Maoist Professor Han Deqiang during the rally in Beijing on September 18, has caught a lot of attention on Chinese micro-blogging platforms in the past few days. Maoist leftists in the anti-Japan protests Lao Ye shared [zh] his observations in his micro-blog about the return of Maoists in the anti-Japan Rally in Beijing: The Maoist protesters stood out in the anti-Japan rally with their red banner and Chairman Mao's portraits. Photos from Lao Ye on Weibo. 【从"小平您好"到"毛主席，人民好想您"】9月18日，北京学生和群众举行抗曰游荇。毛泽东的画像和标语异乎寻常的多。有学生打着"毛主席，人民好想您"的横幅。84年学生打着"小平您好"的横幅，曾作为历史的一个标志。但是今天，没有看到任何人举邓的画像或标语。这种变化值得关注 [From "Xiaoping Nihao" to "Chairman Mao, People really miss you"] On September 18, among the Beijing students and mass demonstrators, quite a number of them were holding Mao's portraits and banners. One of the most popular banners was "Chairman Mao, people really miss you". Back in 1984 students were holding "Xiaoping nihao". The banner had become a historical sign of a new era [economic reform]. Today, we can't see anyone holding Deng's portraits or slogans. Such change has some implications. Incidentally, a drama happened during the rally in Beijing. While the Maoist protesters were chanting "Chairman Mao, people really miss you", an 80-year-old anti-Japan protester yelled at them: "Miss my ass!" One of the protesters beat up the old man and called him a "traitor". A blogger later identified [zh] the attacker to be Han Deqiang, a famous Chinese nationalist and founder of Maoist website "Utopia", who teaches at the Beihang University in Beijing. Later, an aggressive statement [zh] written by Han was circulated widely in many blogs and forums: 我一向反對打人，一向主張和平說理。但是，遇到不講理的人，遇到造謠、誹謗、污蔑開國領袖，破壞中國人民團結，給日本當漢奸的人，我忍無可忍，不能再忍！寧可為此被拘留，也不能讓這等漢奸放肆、猖獗！…… 在群情激憤聲討小日本、想念毛主席的游行隊伍中，不容許出現這種明目張膽的漢奸言論。今後如果在游行隊伍中遇到這樣的漢汗，該出手是我還會出手！犯了法的，我認罪伏法，但絕不認錯。 Usually I am against violence and pro rational and peaceful discussion. But when confronted with someone unreasonable, who makes defamatory remarks to our nation's founder with the intention to destroy Chinese people's unity and to serve the Japanese interest as traitor, I could not remain silent. I would rather be arrested than letting them showing off and creating a scene… This rally is an occasion to protest against little Japan and to remember Chairman Mao, I would not allow the presence of such outrageous traitor's talk. If I come across this again in future rally, I would do the same thing. I broke the law, I would accept its rule. But I would never apologize. You may find it surprising that quite a number of netizens have actually expressed their supports for Han [zh]: @张宏良：【支持韩德强正义之举，坚决打击汉奸】全世界所有国家都有捍卫信仰自由的权利，美国一部影片侮辱了伊斯兰的信仰，形成世界反美风暴。为什么唯独中国人民没有信仰自由？没有信仰毛主席的自由？没有捍卫自己信仰的自由？为什么专门立法允许任意侮辱毛主席？而人民群众却没有任何捍卫自己信仰的法律权利？ Zhang Hongliang: [Support Han Deqiang's just action in cracking down on the traitor without hesitation] Every country has rights to defend their religion. The American film that insulted Islamic belief has resulted in waves of anti-US protests. Why only in China don't we enjoy religious freedom? Why can't we have the freedom to believe in Chairman Mao? And the right to defend our beliefs? How can we allow the law to give liberty to those people who insult Chairman Mao? While people don't have the legal rights to defend their beliefs? 天马101：红潮的来临，摧毁了一切妄想变色中国的阴谋破产。美国及一切国内西奴走狗妄图在中国的阿拉伯自由之春没有迎来。却迎来了一场一切反动派谈之色变的毛泽东思想大潮。这不是以他们意志为转移的，人民向往的春天之风使他们始料不及！也一定会让那些过高估计中国汉奸西奴力量的外国势力重新评价中国人民！ Tianma101: The red wave has destroyed the conspiracy that attempted to change China. The United States and its slaves in China attempted to bring the Arabic Spring to China but what they see now is a big wave of Maoist thought returning and the anti-revolutionaries' faces have turned pale. Such a wave cannot be changed with their will. People have created their own spring. This would make the foreign powers re-evaluate the influence of their slaves in China. 汪海林：事实上，近年来毛左被捕被禁言的不少，一有机会依旧上街公开打出旗帜和画像，这种勇气是yy公知所不能比的，敢于上街亮出身份并表达自己政治观点，是脱离键盘党和嘴炮党的必经之路。 Wang Hailin: The fact is in the past few years, many Maoist opinions have been repressed and censored. It is thus very courageous for them to take the opportunity and bring their banners and Mao's portraits to rally in the streets. To express one's opinion in the street is a concrete step [of action] rather than mere online talking. Of course there are also opinions against the aggressive Maoists; below is a selection of skeptical voices [zh]: 范晓杨：与日本的军国主义相比，毛左给中国带来的危害更大，更值得我们警惕 Fan Xiaoyang: When compared with Japanese militarism, the harm that Maoist Leftists have brought to China is much bigger. We have to be aware of this. 伯林2011：毛时代让中国人的智力、道德以及整个社会的文明水准都急剧倒退，可以说是前所未有的野蛮时代。然而在这几天的闹剧之中，仍只有毛式语言能堂而皇之的粉墨登场。乌有等网站虽曾被封，但毛左的言论自由度依然很大，他们可以公然叫嚣杀汉奸，公开打人，相比之下，自由派则备受打压，文明和民意不能上街。 Berlin2011: During Mao's era, the intelligence and morality of the society and civilization was regressing rapidly. We can even say that we entered a dark age of barbarianism. In the past few days, only the Maoists could appear in the protest scenes. Even though Utopia had been blocked several times, Maoist Leftists enjoy freedom of speech to a large extent. They could call out loud for the killing of traitors and even beat up people. On the other hand, the liberal is repressed. They could not express their ideas in the rally. 张林峰微博：【政治生态】2012是毛左势力走向衰落的开始。毛左势力将呈现极端化、暴力化与边缘化特征。他们也即将迎来内部分化的阶段。 Zhang Lifeng: [Political ecology] The Maoist leftists are losing their power in 2012. That's why they have become so extreme, violent and marginalized. They will probably have internal conflict and will spilt up soon. Written by Oiwan Lam · comments (0) Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper

China Probing Protest Outside U.S. Embassy Posted: 20 Sep 2012 08:31 AM PDT Chinese authorities are investigating a Tuesday incident in which a group of protesters harassed U.S. ambassador Gary Lockein his car outside the U.S. embassy. From Bloomberg Businessweek: State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. has registered its concern with China both in Washington and Beijing, and Chinese authorities have expressed regret over the incident. Nuland said the preliminary U.S. assessment was that the car was "a target of opportunity" for protesters who had gathered outside the nearby Japanese Embassy. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a regular news briefing Wednesday that the incident was "an individual case," but that China was investigating it. The incident came amid heightened vigilance for American diplomats following violent attacks on U.S. embassies in Libya, Yemen and Egypt. The embassy in Beijing said it has asked China's government to do everything possible to protect American facilities and personnel. Dissident artist Ai Weiwei filmed the incident and posted the above video to Youtube, according to The New York Times, which also posted several photos and tweets that Ai had added about the incident.  Professor Joseph Chung of Hong Kong's City University told Voice of America that the protest likely took Beijing by surprise: "This is of course embarrassing for the Chinese authorities. I do not think that the Chinese authorities would like these events to occur," says Cheng, who added that it was likely just a coincidence that it happened during a visit by U.S. defense chief Leon Panetta. "Naturally, any cars belonging to foreign embassies or foreign diplomats might be a target of harassment very near to the Japanese embassy." See also CDT coverage of the recent anti-Japan protests. © Scott Greene for China Digital Times (CDT), 2012. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Ai Weiwei, anti-Japan protests, Beijing, Gary Locke, Sino-U.S. Relations, U.S. embassy, youtube Download Tools to Circumvent the Great Firewall

Cross Strait Agreement Opens Trade Relations, Dances Around Sovereignty Posted: 20 Sep 2012 07:13 AM PDT This looks good, but real problems remain On August 9, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait made yet another stride towards economic cooperation by signing the Cross-Strait Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement. The agreement is the culmination of the most recent official trade talks, and provides a framework for settling trade disputes, shortening the time needed for products to clear customs, and granting legal protections for Taiwanese or Chinese businessmen who are arrested by the authorities on the other side. Unsurprisingly, some netizens on both sides of the strait were wildly optimistic about the latest agreement, anticipating that removing these barriers to trade will encourage the flow of investments. @鑫KOU's comments on Sina Weibo, China's twitter, were indicative: "We welcome our Taiwanese friends to come and do business together with us!" [1] A number of netizens, like @小江琪, agreed with statements made by officials like Taiwan's former representative for cross-strait relations Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛). Ms. Lai has pointed out that while the agreement "is not a panacea and can't resolve every problem, it is building a safe first step and an important foundation for the protection of Taiwanese and Chinese businessmen." [2]   Former Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan (left) Some netizens, however, were a bit more reserved, comparing the agreement to the early years of the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between China and Hong Kong. For example, @北方思想库 said that "the agreement is pragmatic, down-to-earth, matter-of-course; we see that pragmatic solutions are becoming the trend in cross-strait relations. But from another point of view, that the two sides were able to agree this time can be illustrated by the idiom 'loud children get the candy.'" [3] Still other netizens like @天津卫老爷子 mocked the shortcomings of the agreement, joking that the most important accomplishments of the new agreement will involve the social behavior of businessmen: "Taiwanese businessmen who love entertaining and socializing must be careful, because the agreement includes a 24-hour notification mechanism for drunk-driving and being caught with prostitutes—the Chinese authorities will notify family members within a day." [4] Problems ahead? Many acknowledged that there is much more work to be accomplished before the two sides can have truly open and balanced trade relations. The trading volume remains very uneven, with more than US$120 billion of Taiwanese investments in China but only about US$300 million of Chinese investments in Taiwan. In addition, negotiators at the trade talks could not avoid the pervasive question of Taiwan's national sovereignty. Taiwan insisted throughout the talks that Taiwanese businessmen in China be given the right to a third-party arbitrator in the case of business disputes. Beijing simply refused, given that the right to third-party arbitration in China is currently only reserved for foreign business entities. Since China does not recognize Taiwan as a foreign state, granting Taiwanese businesses these rights was out of the question. In the final agreement, Taiwanese businessmen were given the right to use Taiwanese arbitrators, but not third-parties. One netizen @半岛鸟ER addressed this as the elephant in the room, saying that although no one wants to bring up issues of national sovereignty in economic talks, ignoring it is equivalent to both sides burying their heads in the sand. "The sovereignty issue is a diplomatic issue, so understandably they wanted to avoid it in trade negotiations. But if people keep using this as an excuse, it is just typical self-deception." [5] The corner of a Taiwan-themed shopping arcade in China Furthermore, some netizens felt that the agreement was nothing more than a façade by the two governments to pretend to be working toward economic cooperation. In the weeks following the agreement many netizens doubted the actual effect of the agreement, mentioning aggravations faced by Taiwanese businessmen planning to invest in China. For instance, @don1705 posted about last-minute disputes that almost stopped Beijing's "Taiwan City" shopping center from opening. "Even though the investment protection agreement went into effect, problems for investors continue to occur. More than a hundred Taiwanese businesses had intended to move into the mall and start operations in May, but the mall developers unexpectedly raised issues with the lease…many businesses that had already invested more than tens of millions of dollars were worried for their investments. Because the mall is owned by mainland Chinese entities, the Taiwanese investors are merely tenants without any protection. [6] With such mixed feelings about the usefulness of the investment agreement, perhaps netizen @dragonballz1994's question is on everyone's minds: "In the blink of an eye we finally have had eight trade talks, and we signed the investment protection agreement…in this time, things have changed but are we closer or farther apart? Friendlier or more distant?" [7]   Footnotes    (? returns to text) 欢迎台湾的朋友来合作！? 两岸投资保障和促进协议并非万灵丹，无法解决所有问题，但"建置了安全的第一步"，成为台商及陆商保障重要基础。? 务实发展，脚踏实地，水到渠成，客观条件驱动才是两岸关系的发展总趋势。 其他观点 、本次陈江会签署的协议说明：爱闹腾的孩子有糖吃。? 但对不少喜爱应酬交际的台商来说，却是一大警惕，因为协议里头纳入了24小时通报机制，未来台商因酒驾、嫖妓遭捕，陆方将依规定，在一天内通知大陆家属。? 在涉及主权问题上的外交场合，如此避免当然有理由，但如果这个理由一直成立的话，那就是典型的掩耳盗铃。? 雖然簽署兩岸投資保障協議，但糾紛屢見不鮮，逾百家台商有意前往設攤，不料因開發商傳出租糾紛，讓5月要營運的「北京台灣城」，突然停擺，連帶30家已投逾千萬資金的台商，擔心血本無歸。受害的台商抱怨，由於該商場是由陸商經營，因此台商角色像「房客」，未受保障。? 眨眼已经是第八次江陈会，投保海关协议也终于签了…物转星移，更远或更近、更亲或更疏??

Chen Guangbiao is selling cans of air! Posted: 18 Sep 2012 11:55 PM PDT Chinese high-profile philanthropist and entrepreneur Chen Guangbiao has caused controversy again, after he began to sell canned fresh air which was only seen in fiction before. Chen claimed that the air is collected from low-pollution areas, such as Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet in southwest and northwest China, and the collecting process is simple with his invented can where a chip is placed inside to read the air quantity and trigger the can to close itself automatically when the negative oxygen ions swung into the can reach a certain concentration. Chen registered a named for his products, called "Good Person Chen Guangbiao," and sell each can at 4 to 5 yuan. Chen boasted that each can of fresh air his company collected is equivalent to 5 oxygen tanks commonly seen in the hospital, and inhaling it is good for people's health. He also added that the business is to arouse public awareness on environmental protection, and he will donate part of earnings to the Chinese military to defend the Diaoyu Islands! (Chen Guangbiao ever put up an ad on NYTimes to assert China's claim to Diaoyu Islands.) But the move received negative feedback online. Many netizens criticized it another publicity stunt Chen planned, and questioned Chen's right to sell air. Besides, no one can ensure that the air was collected from the areas Chen claimed.

The Daily Twit – 9/20/12: Stop Me If You’ve Heard This Before Posted: 20 Sep 2012 07:08 AM PDT So I looked over my list of China news stories I flagged throughout the day for this post, and it occurred to me that with only a couple of exceptions, most of the articles cover ongoing topics. In other words, nothing much new happening over here, just updates. Maybe that's a good thing. What with the spat with Japan, crazy rumors about the health of the country's leaders, and the usual trade disputes, we could all use a moment to relax. So put your feet up, open a bottle of wine, put on some music, and read on, safe in the knowledge that nothing here is going to freak you out: Shanghai Daily: Japanese car production at a standstill — As I mentioned earlier in the week, there will be a lot of cleaning up to do following the anti-Japanese protests. The private sector will take some time to get back to normal. MarketWatch: Anti-foreigner sentiment hurts the economy — This article is not just about protest in China, but about nationalistic fervor across the world and how it negatively impacts globalization and liberalization. Some very good food for thought, particularly for foreign investors. Want China Times: Proview to be liquidated despite victory in Apple case — I keep saying that this story is over, and then something else happens. But actually, this is not exactly unexpected. After Proview failed to get 400 million bucks out of Apple, the writing was on the wall with respect to bankruptcy. This was inevitable. Financial Times: China: running short of water — OK, definitely not a new story. China's water woes are well known. The wrinkle here, though, is how this will effect the energy sector and production facilities. Hint: it's not good news. The Economist: Trade and the campaign - Chasing the anti-China vote — Discussion of the recent dual WTO cases filed by China and the US, and how this is being driven by the US election. Nothing new here, but a good analysis. Forbes: The Missing $1 Billion In The US Trade Complaint — Speaking of the auto parts dispute, Jack Perkowski takes a look at the numbers and concludes that the case is bullshit (I'm loosely paraphrasing). Seeking Alpha: Is China The Biggest Malinvestment Case Of All Time? — Economic doom and gloom story. Short version: China doesn't spend money very well because it is a command economy. It will therefore crash and burn (sometime). CNN: Manufacturing growth slows in China — More bad news, but not terrible and not surprising. PMI still under 50, but perhaps the slowdown has slowed down, if you catch my meaning. I could better illustrate what's going on with calculus . . . if I understood calculus. Wall Street Journal: Formerly Full Steam, China Shipping Risks Running Aground — Let's call this one of the "new" news stories of the day. It's another slow economy piece, which definitely isn't new, but it's the first article I've read about effects on shipping, so in my book, that qualifies as groundbreaking. Note: aside from the headline, the article contains no painful nautical puns or word play. Want China Times:  Citron Steps Up Fight Against Chinese Entrepreneurs — The epic battle between investor Kai-Ful Lee and short seller Citron is proceeding apace. Sounds like the two sides are now lawyering up, perhaps in anticipation of a defamation case. Just between you and me, I'm enjoying the hell out of this. And the end of the day, though, I hope for Mr. Lee's sake that he has evidence showing that Citron made false statements in bad faith. Bloomberg: Microsoft Said to Ask China to Stop Piracy at Four Firms — Microsoft has had remarkable success here working with the government to stop piracy at government offices. Today's story involves four SOEs, including China Post. © Stan for China Hearsay, 2012. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us Post tags:

Details of the Trials of Wang Lijun Posted: 20 Sep 2012 06:37 AM PDT Xinhua has published a detailed nine-page account of Wang Lijun's trial, held in Chengdu on Monday and Tuesday this week, for defection, abuse of power, corruption and "bending the law for selfish means". "I acknowledge and confess the guilt accused by the prosecuting body and show my repentance," Wang said in his final statement at court. "My acts were crimes, and I hope the serious impacts (caused by my acts) both at home and abroad would be eliminated through the trial. Meanwhile, I hope the trial will issue a warning to society and let more people draw lessons from me," he said. "For the Party organizations, people and relatives that have cared for me, I want to say here, sincerely, 'I'm very, very sorry, I've let you down,'" Wang said. Speaking to The New York Times, Wang's lawyer endorsed the Xinhua account as, for the most part, a faithful record of the proceedings. It offers some explanation for the unannounced early start of what, it was initially reported, would be an "open" trial: The Chengdu Municipal Intermediate People's Court held a closed-door trial on Monday for Wang on the charges of defection and abuse of power and an open trial on the charges of bribe-taking and bending the law for selfish ends on Tuesday. Despite the gravity of these crimes, Xinhua explained, Wang's sentence is likely to be somewhat reduced because of his "meritorious reporting" of others' criminal acts. These others may include his former superior, fallen Chongqing Party chief Bo Xilai, who for the first time was officially linked to the events surrounding his wife's murder of Neil Heywood. The Xinhua account describes what would turn out to be a pivotal moment, soon after which Wang fled to the U.S. consulate in Chengdu; Bo is not named, but his identity is clear. Relevant testimonies from witnesses showed that on Jan. 28, Wang Lijun reported to the then leading official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Chongqing Committee that Bogu Kailai was highly suspected in the Nov. 15, 2011 Case. On the morning of Jan. 29, Wang Lijun was angrily rebuked and slapped in the face by the official. Guo Weiguo, who was present when Wang Lijun was slapped, said in the interrogation record that "the conflict was made public after Wang Lijun was slapped." That Bo was told of his wife's crime and failed to bring it to light appears to implicate him in the cover-up for which Wang and four other police officers have already stood trial. Observers disagree, however, over what the episode's inclusion in the official record means for Bo's fate. From The Guardian: […] Kerry Brown, an expert on Chinese politics at the Sydney-based Lowy Institute for International Policy, said the party could still deal with Bo's case internally, adding: "It seems to have been very rigorous in keeping Bo's malfeasance apart from Gu's. "That kind of story [about the confrontation] was so well known that it was hard not to try to address it." He added: "I can't see any big gains from totally trashing Bo now. Not going for the jugular might be more sensible, particularly at the moment." But others have read it as a sign of possible criminal proceedings. June Teufel Dreyer of the University of Miami told Bloomberg, for example, that "the nuggets are the clues which could lead to a Bo Xilai indictment later on. They have very cleverly left the door open with several phrases." The Financial Times' Kathrin Hille wrote that this interpretation is consistent "with information recently given to senior party members. Lin Zhe, a professor at the Central Party School, said the main point that the internal investigation had found Mr Bo guilty of was helping to cover up for his wife." The Wall Street Journal's Deborah Kan discussed the issue with Jeremy Page, who concluded that an announcement on Bo's fate is likely "in the next couple of weeks, or immediately after [the] National Day holiday". The final section of the Xinhua account is devoted to emphasising the investigation and trial's thoroughness, fairness and strict adherence to procedure: Gu Mingan, a professor with the Law School of the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics as well as an observer at the trials, said the two sides made full efforts to raise and cross-examine evidence during the trials, and the court scrupulously heard the opinions of the prosecutors as well as the defense counsel, fully reflecting the judicial concept of the equality of the prosecution and the defense, and safeguarded the sanctity of law. After the trials, Wu Qunfang, a resident from the Taoyuan community in the Chenghua District of Chengdu, said that after the trials they have fully understood the beginning and subsequent development of Wang Lijun's case. "We believe that all is equal before the law and expect a fair verdict from the people's court," Wu said. Global Times elaborated, stressing the inevitability of justice in China and invoking a favourite recent theme, the awesome "moral whip" of online scrutiny. Those who commit crimes, regardless of the power or position they hold, will not escape punishment. Wang's case has strengthened this faith among the public and served as a serious deterrent in the country. Wang's trial will drive forward China's political system, as it has highlighted the urgency of checks and balance of power. Confusion still exists over the case, but people are gradually believing more that justice will eventually trump over any privilege. Confidence is built on more criminal officials being firmly punished, on the influential emergence of online supervision and the rising voice of individuals via Weibo. But the Xinhua account leaves some questions unanswered. Siweiluozi wondered, for example, what evidence exists that Wang had applied to the U.S. for asylum, justifying the charge of defection. [… W]hat I really, really want to know now, though, is what is the prosecution's evidence for this? Do they have the application for asylum? If so, how did they get it? Or is their evidence of this fact Wang's confession? If the evidence for Wang's asylum application is based solely on his confession, then this should be insufficient grounds to convict under Chinese law, since Article 46 of the Criminal Procedure Law states, in relevant part: A defendant cannot be found guilty and sentenced to a criminal punishment if there is only his statement but no evidence. To be clear, I am not saying that Wang will (or even necessarily should, within the terms of Chinese criminal justice) be acquitted of defection. I'm merely pointing to what I think is an interesting question regarding evidence. Put simply: what is the evidence to back up this charge? Unfortunately, I'm not optimistic that I will ever see either the verdict in this trial or, through some other means, the evidence disclosed in sufficient detail. Xinhua's description of Wang's actions after he was drawn into Gu's conspiracy, such as secretly keeping hold of evidence against her, shows his acute awareness of being on treacherous ground. But according to a profile of Wang's earlier career by The Telegraph's Malcolm Moore, he had known for many years that his position was precarious: As early as the late 1990s, when Mr Wang was a star policeman in the city of Tieling, in Liaoning province, he spilled his fears to Zhou Lijun, the script writer of "Iron Blooded Police Spirits", a television drama series based on his career. "I was in a bath house with Wang Lijun in Fushun, Liaoning, and we were both sitting naked in the hot tub," Mr Zhou recalled on his blog. "And he said: 'I know exactly what I am, I am just a piece of chewing gum in the officials' mouths. They will chew me up and when they find there is no taste anymore they will spit me out onto the ground, and God knows whose shoes I will be sticking to by that time.'" […] "Everybody has some sort of mental problem," Mr Wang told Mr Chen, his biographer. "I dream about a normal life, but it is not possible. I am struggling between glory and confusion, but I will not let myself collapse. I may be wiped out by certain powers, or die when I am still young, but history will remember me." © Samuel Wade for China Digital Times (CDT), 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: abuse of power, Bo Guagua, Bo Xilai, Chengdu, Chongqing, corrupt officials, corruption, defection, Global Times, gu kailai, justice, legal system, Neil Heywood, rule of law, Wang Lijun, Xinhua Download Tools to Circumvent the Great Firewall

Gary Locke's Car Attacked in Beijing Posted: 19 Sep 2012 07:19 AM PDT According to UK's Telegraph, around 50 Chinese mob attacked Gary Locke's car right at the entrance to the US Embassy in Beijing. The car was damaged, but Locke was able to escape after Chinese guards intervened. The attack took place under the backdrop of China's dispute with Japan over Diaoyu Islands. A State Department spokeswoman reaffirmed US's position that the islands were covered under Article V of the security treaty between US and Japan, a stance seen by China as bias. A few days earlier, the US Defense Secretary Panetta visited Japan on an unscheduled stop on his Asia trip, and announced deployment of one more anti-missile system. Although Panetta stressed that the system was targeting North Korea, the timing clearly was very sensitive in the height of the Sino-Japanese dispute. Panetta also is extending his China stop from 2 days to 4 days. While evidences had surfaced that violent protests against Japan and Japanese interests in dozens of cities across China were led by official securities forces disguised as mobs, rumor has it that the attack on Locke was a job done by the same group of people. It's revealing to notice that anti-Japanese protests, which had caused damages of billions of dollars in dozens of cities, 'evaporated' all in a sudden without major police crack-down. And then it came the attack to US Ambassador.

China: Writer said “I am a Traitor” Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:10 AM PDT Sijia Song from Tea Leaf Nation has translated a Chinese prominent writer, Li Chengpeng's latest blogpost: "Confessions of a Traitor". The post has received more than 200,000 views and 19,000 comments in less than two days on Sina Weibo. Written by Oiwan Lam · comments (0) Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper

China, US: Anti-Japan Protesters Stop Ambassador's Vehicle Posted: 19 Sep 2012 11:27 PM PDT A YouTube video uploaded by Weiwei Ai shows how a group of Chinese anti-Japan demonstrators stopped United States Ambassador Gary Locke's vehicle at the back of the US embassy to protest against America's foreign policy. Above is a screen capture of the moment. Written by Oiwan Lam · comments (0) Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper

Pictures: Body painting show at Nanjing real estate trade fair Posted: 19 Sep 2012 04:53 PM PDT A summer real estate trade fair kicked off on September 20 in Nanjing. In a bid to attract attention and potential buyers, an exhibitor staged a body painting show on its stand. The model, wearing a mask there, stripped topless for an artist to paint a national flag over her breasts.

How Americans See China Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:11 AM PDT As the Obama administration takes to the W.T.O ahead of the presidential election, political analysts Richard Wike and Bruce Stokes discuss the gulf between expert and public views of China from the U.S., based on recent Pew polling. From CNN: [… W]hen asked which country represents the greatest danger to the U.S., more Americans volunteer China (26 percent) than name any other country, including Iran and North Korea. And about half (52 percent) view China's emergence as a world power as a major threat to the U.S. […] Nevertheless, the public is divided on what to do about China: 28 percent want the next president to build a strong relationship with Beijing, 24 percent want him to be tough with China on economic and trade issues. […] But, for the most part, foreign affairs experts are far less concerned than the general public about issues related to China. Less than half of the retired military officers and less than a third of the other experts view China's emergence as a world power as a major threat to the U.S.Fewer than four in ten say the loss of U.S. jobs to China, the U.S. trade deficit with China, China's growing military power and China's policies on human rights are very serious problems for the U.S. © Mengyu Dong for China Digital Times (CDT), 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, presidential election, Sino-U.S. Relations, United States Download Tools to Circumvent the Great Firewall

China’s Female Imams Posted: 19 Sep 2012 11:49 PM PDT At China File, Kathleen McLaughlin describes China's women-led mosques which, having weathered varying fortunes since the 17th Century, are now struggling to compete with the growing range of opportunities for young Hui Muslims elsewhere. Sangpo, a dusty hamlet about two hours from the capital of China's landlocked Henan province, is home to about 5,000 people, some 95 percent of whom are Hui Muslims. The Hui, China's third-largest ethnic minority, number nearly 10 million followers of Islam in China. Many are direct descendants of Arab traders on the Silk Road who married local Chinese women, but the Hui today are mainly identified through their religion rather than by ethnic characteristics. Packed into this town are six mosques run by women, whose congregants are all female, and only five headed by men—an imbalance the women point out with pride, and a rarity among Muslim communities in China, let alone the rest of the world. This is the heart of a Hui Islamic practice that has been studied, derided, picked apart, and admired by scholars of Islam and of China. There are a few female imams elsewhere in the world, including in Spain, Turkey, and the United States, but for the Hui of Henan, the practice is not an oddity. Rather, it is a widely accepted part of religious life among women that is tolerated by men. A short film on the female imams by McLaughlin and Sharron Lovell can also be found at ChinaFile. China's other major Muslim group, the Uygur (who numbered around 8.6 million, compared with 9.2 million Hui, according to the 2000 Census), also faces serious challenges. Chinese authorities recently staged an exhibition in Istanbul to reassure concerned Turks that all is well. From Matthew Brunwasser at PRI's The World: The exhibition features traditional songs and dances by two Muslim performing groups. The Uygur dancers are dressed in intensely colorful costumes as they perform tightly choreographed songs and dances. But unlike the music, and the rosy picture painted by the government official, life for Uygurs in China isn't especially joyful. "I don't want to speak Chinese," says a Uygur émigré I spoke to at the performance. She didn't want to use her name, fearing reprisals against her family in Xinjiang. She says the Chinese government is trying to wipe out the Uygur language. "I'm afraid for the future. I fear for the Uygur language that everyone will forget it everywhere it's only Chinese," she says. The woman says the Chinese government is trying to assimilate Uygurs by force, eliminating Uygur-language education and giving economic opportunities only to the majority ethnic Han Chinese. Kaifeng, noted in McLaughlin's article as a training centre for imams, is also home to a community of Chinese Jews descended from 11th Century traders. © Samuel Wade for China Digital Times (CDT), 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: hui, islam, kaifeng, muslim, muslims, religion, Silk Road, Uyghurs, women leaders, Xinjiang Download Tools to Circumvent the Great Firewall

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