"Sinocism is the Presidential Daily Brief for China hands"- Evan Osnos, New Yorker Correspondent and National Book Award Winner
- Wedding invitations become bills for young Chinese– (Xinhua) — Receiving a wedding invitation has become like receiving a bill for young people in China, as they are expected to give cash to the newlyweds.Having attended more than five weddings in October alone, Chen Dongfang, whose monthly salary is 2,800 yuan (442 U.S. dollars), spent over 3,000 yuan as cash gifts for his friends.
- China Record Corn Crop Still Failing to Meet Demand for Feed: Commodities – Bloomberg – China reaped its seventh record corn crop in eight years in the harvest now ending. That still won’t be enough to meet demand, driving a fivefold gain in imports as prices head for the highest-ever annual average.
- China Corn Output Jumps 6.7% to Record in 2011, Survey Shows – Businessweek –
- Robert A. Scalapino – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia – Great scholar, died November 1
- People’s Daily warns of “trust crises” between officials, public –
- 骆家辉广州访问残疾学校 客串“英文外教”_资讯频道_凤凰网 – Amb. Locke teaches English at a school for the disabled in Guangzhou
- 铁道部将于20日前拨付工程欠款保证铁路施工_资讯频道_凤凰网 –
- State secrets and auditing | China Accounting Blog | Paul Gillis– In a bombshell of an announcement, Hong Kong listed China High Precision Automation Group (CHPAG) announced the suspension of trading in its shares after KPMG disclaimed an audit opinion on the company’s results for the year ended June, 30. 2011.CHPAG has apparently not provided information that KPMG wants to see.
CHPAG is not a state-owned enterprise. It manufactures automation and horological instruments. CHPAG lawyers determined that giving KPMG the information it requested would violate state secrecy laws. This is a new version of the arguments being put forth for why Deloitte cannot produce its working papers on Longtop to the SEC. It is not clear whether any Chinese regulators were involved in the decision.
- 巨亏48亿：中国远洋的内忧外患 – 产经 – 21世纪网 –
- 攀钢钛业董事长赴美未归，祸起杜邦保密技术？ – 产经 – 21世纪网 – panggang steel chairman zhuang kai went 2 us, has not returned. detained 4 industrial espionage?
- Kleiner Perkins Just Raised $250 Million For A Chinese Investment Fund –
- Foreign spies seeking data on underwater drones – Checkpoint Washington – The Washington Post –
- US Open To Selling F-35 Jet Fighters To India | AVIATION WEEK –
- A Beijing cabby’s view of the world – FT.com – To the passenger on the Clapham omnibus we must add the driver in the Beijing taxicab. The views of the voter trundling across London on the upper deck of one of the city’s red buses has long been a metaphor for the attention British governments should pay to public opinion. Now the Chinese are complaining that they have politics too.
I was introduced to the cab driver by a scholar from Central Party School of China’s Communist party. This is the elite academy where future leaders are trained. Xi Jinping, the school’s present head, is the likely successor to Hu Jintao when the Chinese president steps down next year. In short, these are people worth listening to. - The United States, China, and the Globalization of Science and Technology – Council on Foreign Relations – Author: Adam Segal, Ira A. Lipman Senior Fellow for Counterterrorism and National Security Studies
- China Solar Boom Erodes Technology Edge Backed by U.S. Loans – Bloomberg – China’s success in wresting control of the solar industry is erasing an advantage for U.S. suppliers led by First Solar Inc. (FSLR), which use a rival technology supported with $5.5 billion in government loan guarantees.
- China paper warns of crisis of faith among the people | Reuters– “crisis of credibility” a better translation?China’s top official paper warned on Thursday that the government is facing “a crisis of faith” among its people and urged local officials to win trust in the face of rising discontent.
- 人民观点：筑牢干群关系的“信任基石”–广东频道–人民网– 基层干部处于社会治理的最前沿，直接面对群众，实质担当了党和政府的形象代言人，其能力和作风，都影响着当地群众对执政党的评价。 历数近些年来各地发生的群体性事件，无论是几年前的孟连事件、瓮安事件，还是今年以来发生的增城事件、织里事件，都有着类似特点：原本只涉及相关部门的单体事件，却发展成当事人与非利益关系者共同参与的群体性对抗。其背后的诱因，往往是群众对当地政府及其工作人员缺乏信任。
- In China, ‘Time Is Not Ripe’ for Honest Air Pollution Readings-Fallows – Take-home points for now:
– This is really a big problem for China, which the government is beginning to grapple with;
– There is much more internal protest and contention about the government’s “selective blindness” on environmental issues than outsiders usually recognize. Good for the Chinese journalists, scientists, citizens, and some government officials pushing for change. - Are We Witnessing the Second Coming of Tencent? | iChinaStock –
- Avon’s Cramb gave Citi bribery probe info: source | Reuters – A regulatory investigation into Avon Products Inc was triggered by the cosmetics company’s vice chairman sharing material information about a China bribery investigation with a Citigroup analyst, a person familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Regulation FD investigation began after Citigroup Inc’s Wendy Nicholson published a research report on May 25 citing a meeting with Chuck Cramb, Avon’s vice chairman of the developed market group and interim chief finance officer. - Analysis: Beijing risks public backlash if rescues Europe | Reuters – China’s people have a clear message for their government — don’t even think of saving Europe.
- Five Books about Qing History | Jottings from the Granite Studio – I occasionally get asked to recommend good Chinese history books that are both well-researched but also accessible to a general readership. So as a mild public service, here it is…my 5 Books about the Qing Dynasty.
- China to build the world’s largest underground system – Telegraph – More than 1 trillion yuan (£100 billion) will be spent on building underground networks in 28 cities, according to Gao Yucai, the head of the urban mass transit committee at China’s Communications and Transport association.
Under the current projections, China will build the equivalent of 250 Circle lines by the end of the decade.
Twelve Chinese cities already have metro systems up and running – and Shanghai went from a standing start to having a bigger network than the London Underground in just 15 years. - 人人网新华社主页自称党狗遭关闭（图）_多维新闻网– xinhua page on renren updated to say it is hard to lie everyday, is party’s dog. page removed quickly but not before been seen【多维新闻】11月2日晚，人人网的新华社主页状态一栏改为：“说一次谎话容易，不容易的是天天说谎话，更不容易的是对着全世界天天说谎话。我做到了这一点，不要问我是谁，我只是党的一条狗。”此言一出，网友哗然，纷纷转发围观。然而，此状态很快被和谐，新华社在人人网的主页也被关闭。
- U.S. Intelligence Report Calls China World’s Biggest Cyber Thief – Bloomberg – U.S. intelligence officials called China the world’s biggest perpetrator of economic espionage in a report that says the theft of sensitive data in cyberspace is accelerating.
Hackers and illicit programmers in China and Russia are pursuing American technology and industrial secrets, jeopardizing an estimated $398 billion in U.S. research spending, according to the report released today by the National Counterintelligence Executive, the agency responsible for countering foreign spying on the U.S. government. - Europe ‘will ease pressure on China’s human rights in exchange for bailout’ | Business | guardian.co.uk – Human rights organisations warn that governments are likely to tone down criticism of China’s crackdown on dissidents
- 韩寒等集体告百度侵权 要求在百度首页赔礼道歉_互联网_科技时代_新浪网 – Han Han and other authors sue Baidu for copyright infringement. Baidu will lose in a PR war with Han Han//
中国法院网讯 韩寒、郝群(笔名慕容雪村)、张兵(笔名小桥老树)和韩瑷莲(笔名何马)等作家来起诉百度在线网络技术(北京)有限公司和百度时代网络技术(北京)有限公司，要求两被告立即删除百度文库中的侵权作品，关闭百度文库，连续七日在百度网站首页赔礼道歉并赔偿相关经济损失。日前，北京市海淀区人民法院受理了这16案。 - China Boom-to-Bust Concerns Revealed in Agricultural Bank Slide – Bloomberg – Kerry Stokes made his first billion dollars operating television stations and selling dump trucks in his native Australia. Now, he’s betting a chunk of that fortune on a bank that operates in the backwaters of rural China.
Stokes became one of the cornerstone investors in Agricultural Bank of China Ltd. (1288), whose July 2010 initial public offering was the world’s largest, raising $22 billion. Investors such as Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing and the sovereign wealth funds of Kuwait, Qatar and Singapore joined Stokes, 70, in wagering that the bank will benefit from the rapid development of China’s agrarian inland areas, where growth is already outstripping that of the wealthy coastal cities, Bloomberg Markets magazine reports in its December issue. They agreed to maintain a stake for at least one year. - Han Han: when a culture castrates itself – China Media Project– Continuing our coverage of culture and politics in China in light of the recent “Decision” on “cultural system reforms” released by the Sixth Plenary Meeting of the 17th CCP Central Committee — the annual full meeting of China’s topmost Party leaders — we offer a translation of the latest blog essay by race-car driver and cultural critic Han Han (韩寒).In the essay, Han Han talks about his personal experiences with censorship, which he likens to castration, and offers his own (humorous) reflections on the question of building China as a “cultural strong nation.”
- Shorting China: not a no-brainer | beyondbrics | News and views on emerging markets from the Financial Times – FT.com– That is because the arguments with which Left attacks Qihoo are just not convincing. “Citron Research doesn’t understand Qihoo 360’s business model,” writes Bill Bishop, a Beijing-based independent investor, on his blog.The company’s security software is used by more Chinese consumers than any competitor’s but since 2008, Qihoo has been giving these products away for free. The strategy: to create a loyal customer base which it would then use to make money in other ways such as through website ads and applications. This strategy, and the success Qihoo has had in implementing it, finds no mention in Left’s note.
- Inside the Ring – Washington Times– China is continuing to provide advanced missiles and other conventional arms to Iran and may be doing so in violation of U.N. sanctions against the Tehran regime, according to a draft report by the congressional U.S.-China Commission.。。Computer hackers in China likely carried out the sophisticated cyber-attack against the security company RSA in March, according to the draft annual report of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
“China continues to provide Iran with what could be considered advanced conventional weapons,” the report of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission says.
According to the report, which will be made public Nov. 16, China sold $312 million worth of arms to Iran, second only to Russia, after Congress passed the Iran Freedom Support Act in 2006 that allows the U.S. government to sanction foreign companies that provide advanced arms to Iran.
- Gang-Busting Cop Is One for the History Books in China – NYTimes.com – On the afternoon of July 8, 2010, Wang Lijun, the tall, bespectacled police chief of this southwestern Chinese municipality, ordered the writer Huang Jiren to police headquarters immediately for a meeting.
- Meeting With Chinese, Official Tests Limits Set by Congress – NYTimes.com – A fight over whether a White House official broke the law by meeting with Chinese officials has opened a rare window into how executive branch lawyers, working across administrations of both parties, get around legal limits imposed by Congress.
- Nepal: Self-Immolation Attempt Triggers Crackdown – Authorities in Nepal have stepped up a crackdown on Tibetan refugees after one of them, a woman in her 30′s, attempted to burn herself on Wednesday to protest Chinese rule in Tibet.
- Deposits In, Illegal Loans Out_英文频道 Caixin Online – An Inner Mongolia kidnapping opened investigators’ eyes to weak bank management and illicit money flows
The phone rang late July 19 at the home of Zhang Fenghuai, president of the Bank of China’s Inner Mongolia Branch, and his wife answered.
A voice on the phone told her that a deliveryman with a package was standing outside the front door of their Hohhot home, waiting.
She went to the door. Then she disappeared. - Citing Obscenity, Officials Shut Down 50 Weibo Accounts_英文频道 Caixin Online – The Chinese government recently cracked down on 50 microblogs for disseminating pornographic content, days after officials announced a set of television restrictions aimed at curtailing entertainment programming
Less than a week following the release of controversial new television restrictions, Chinese officials revealed that they have also put some teeth on a newly-created internet agency.
According to an October 31 report by the state-backed Xinhua News Agency, the State Internet Information Office several days ago shut down 50 microblogs for disseminating pornography and other obscene content. - Debt triangles return to haunt Chinese firms | Considered View | Breakingviews – Chinese companies’ robust earnings growth doesn’t tell the full story. Despite strong net income growth, operating cashflow deteriorated sharply in the first half. Many companies increased credit to customers to drum up sales as demand weakened. If those customers can’t pay, the resulting bad debt could hit companies and their lending banks. Similar “debt triangles” haunted Chinese companies in the 1990s.
- 中共党报：干群信任危机考验中共基层政权_多维新闻网– 多维新闻】即将于11月3日出版的《人民日报》观点版将刊发题为《筑牢干群关系的信任基石》的文章。文章指出近些年来各地发生的群体性事件，包括发生在今年的增城事件、织里事件，根本原因就是群众对当地政府及其工作人员缺乏信任。文章警告，必须关注基层干群关系中的“信任危机”。基层干部处于社会治理的最前沿，直接面对群众，是中共和政府的形象代言人，其能力和作风，都影响着当地群众对执政党的评价。基层干群之间的不信任，不仅会令干群关系趋于紧张，更可能促使部分群众逐渐将对个别基层干部的不满，上升为对基层一级政权的不满，导致基层治理陷入“信任困境”：无论基层干部采取什么样的应对措施，都无法取得认可。
- 被认定“不合作者” 党媒总编因批评公权被开除_多维新闻网 – Chen Jieren was a US embassy source exposed in Wikileaks cables
【多维新闻】媒体人、原人民网江苏视窗执行总编辑，因“对政府批评过多”，是“政治不合作者”，近日被人民日报社下令解职。11月1日下午，陈杰人在其个人微博上透露了这一消息。 - Do not Follow Air Quality Data from U.S. Embassy: Official –
- China Defense Blog: Sexist photos of the day: Female airborne scouts — no face paint required. –
- Emperor Corzine’s Goldman clothes – FT.com – The emperor had another thought. After he left the house of Goldman, he had been appointed a senator in the Columbian district, but had never become High Treasurer and been permitted to sign the green banknotes that were used throughout all realms. Other Goldman partners had achieved this office, including Paulson and a wily vizier called Rubin. He envied them.
Emperor Corzine resolved to take over this small trading house and make it a rival to Goldman. That would provoke envy among the merchants who had rejected him and the peasants of New Jersey. The peasants had stormed the emperor’s palace in Trenton one day, led by a rotund baron called Christie, who spoke their language. - The limits of power: Why China is a ‘bad neighbour’ | Firstpost– The Myitsone and Mekong episodes highlight China’s suddenly edgy relations with its southern neighbours. Its good-neighbour policy, it turns out, has steered China’s regional diplomacy into uncharted waters.Indeed, China’s neighbours will not be reliably good to Chinese interests unless and until China begins to provide essential public goods – not just commerce, but also full-fledged regional governance based on the rule of law, respect for human rights, and regional economic growth. Otherwise, ruptures such as those at Myitsone and along the Mekong will recur, deepening China’s sense of isolation and panic.
Zhu Feng is Deputy Director of the Center for International & Strategic Studies, Peking University.
- University of Michigan News Service | Rare Chinese papercuts, liberated from U-M storage room, now on display –
- Jerome A. Cohen: China’s Legal Blindness – WSJ.com – Blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng served 51 months in prison because of his efforts to defend women against forced sterilization by the government. But since completing his prison sentence, he has been imprisoned in his home and abused by police in the town of Linyi in China’s Shandong province for more than a year now. What’s new is that despite strict censorship, the plight of Mr. Chen and his family is attracting attention within China, and sympathizers are traveling from around the country to visit him. They are turned away by plain-clothes police, often violently.
- In China, ‘Time Is Not Ripe’ for Honest Air Pollution Readings-Fallows – Take-home points for now:
– This is really a big problem for China, which the government is beginning to grapple with;
– There is much more internal protest and contention about the government’s “selective blindness” on environmental issues than outsiders usually recognize. Good for the Chinese journalists, scientists, citizens, and some government officials pushing for change.