"Sinocism is the Presidential Daily Brief for China hands"- Evan Osnos, New Yorker Correspondent and National Book Award Winner
Happy Monday, the summer is winding down here in DC but it is already over in Beijing.
The Essential Eight
1. Don’t Expect Trump’s Canning of Bannon To Reduce US-China Tensions
The Washington Post’s Josh Rogin thinks it will be good for the “globalists” and China:
Behind the scenes, Bannon had been busily operationalizing his plan to win the economic war with China. He spent 50 percent of his time on China, he liked to tell colleagues. Several of his China agenda items will continue to have advocates, including National Trade Council Director Peter Navarro and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.
As Bannon has acknowledged, he was opposed by other top officials, including National Economic Director Gary Cohn and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The Chinese government has also cultivated close ties with Jared Kushner and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, with the help of former secretary of state Henry Kissinger.
The Kushner-Kissinger view holds that the U.S.-China relationship is too complex and important to risk throwing into disarray. They advocate cooperation over confrontation and integration over isolation. China shares that view and wants to set forth a new model of great power relations based on mutual respect and noninterference.
I am not so sure, as there are plenty of Trump appointees and career civilian and military folks who have long wanted to take a much tougher approach to China. The structural problems in the relationship can not be smoothed over by a few happy chats between Javanka, Kissinger and Beijing.
Some Chinese observers even argued that life could get tougher for Beijing without Mr Bannon in the White House because his isolationist views undermined Washington’s standing in Asia and enhanced China’s position as a result.
“It was his nationalist economic agenda that led to the death of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was a huge strategic gain for China, said Zhang Baohui, a professor of political science at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.
On the same day that Mr Bannon resigned, the US opened a formal investigation into China’s alleged theft of American intellectual property. The investigation will take time, but could easily culminate in confrontation between China and America. The Trump administration’s trade team is still led by Bannonite economic nationalists. Robert Lighthizer, America’s top trade negotiator, agrees with Mr Trump that China’s trade surplus with America has to be “corrected”. His White House colleague, Peter Navarro, is the author of a book called Death by China.
The American protectionists are also likely to gain ground because China’s industrial policies are genuinely threatening to key US industries
The immediate impact of any trade war between the US and China would be worse for Beijing, according to a new analysis of multinational companies’ exposure to the Chinese market.
Nor would the export sectors of the US and other major developed countries be significantly affected by an economic slowdown in China, says a report by The Conference Board drawing on export data.
Comment: But there would be political benefits for Xi and the Communist Party as this perfectly fits the narrative if the evil foreigners trying to keep China down and prevent its National Rejuvenation
But as the Trump administration moves ahead on Monday with a new round of long-planned military exercises that involve tens of thousands of American and South Korean troops, computer simulations of escalating conflict and perhaps overflights of nuclear-capable aircraft, the White House is determined to leave the impression the military option is real.
Will Bannon, now back at Breitbart, use the platform to further his China agenda?
- Chinese Communists Salute America’s ‘Cultural Revolution’: the Charlottesville Aftermath – Breitbart:
“While the people are not of one mind, the president is supposed to be the core to rebuild consensus. However, Trump seems to have become exactly where the conflicts start. No matter what he says about the Charlottesville violence, people are not buying it. This reflects the systematic defect of the U.S.,” the ChiComs argue, coming off as mildly sympathetic to President Trump’s predicament in their eagerness to indict American society.
2. USTR Initiates 301 Investigation of China
- USTR Announces Initiation of Section 301 Investigation of China | United States Trade Representative:
“On Monday, President Trump instructed me to look into Chinese laws, policies, and practices which may be harming American intellectual property rights, innovation, or technology development,” said Ambassador Lighthizer. “After consulting with stakeholders and other government agencies, I have determined that these critical issues merit a thorough investigation. I notified the President that today I am beginning an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.”
China’s Commerce Ministry said in a statement [商务部：对美对华启动301调查强烈不满 [ that the move sent the wrong signal to the world, and would be condemned by the international community.
“The United States’ disregard of World Trade Organization rules and use of domestic law to initiate a trade investigation against China is irresponsible, and its criticism of China is not objective,” an unnamed ministry spokesman said.
If the U.S. insists on acting unilaterally under the Trade Act, the Chinese are correct that this would break WTO rules. It would lead to retaliation by China, emulation by others and a cycle of tit-for-tat trade actions that would shrink trade and the world economy.
Before the U.S. damages the trading system by acting unilaterally, White House lawyers should read the fine print of the rule book. The Trump administration can better protect Americans’ intellectual property by working within the WTO.
Mr. Bacchus is a former chief judge of the World Trade Organization’s Appellate Body.
3. Official Directive For Crackdown on Outbound Investments, Now Every Approved Deal Will Need Even More Foreign Scrutiny
Comment: Now every deal that Beijing approves will likely come under much more suspicion, as foreign regulators will need to understand why the Communist Party wants that transaction to happen.
And the new restrictions could impair China’s strategy of trying to win political points with local U.S. officials, such as governors and mayors, eager for foreign investment that can create jobs. At the same time, the rules are unlikely to dampen U.S. officials’ concerns about threats to national security, as they don’t restrict Chinese investment in sensitive sectors like technology.
the council encouraged companies to invest in projects related to the Belt and Road project, Xi’s grand plan to link China with the rest of Asia and Europe through multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects. The new guidelines also encourage overseas investment and cooperation with foreign technology companies, high-tech manufacturers, and energy and agriculture sectors.
三、鼓励开展的境外投资
支持境内有能力、有条件的企业积极稳妥开展境外投资活动，推进“一带一路”建设，深化国际产能合作，带动国内优势产能、优质装备、适用技术输出，提升我国技术研发和生产制造能力，弥补我国能源资源短缺，推动我国相关产业提质升级。
Recent headlines have proclaimed “the end of Chinese transfers”, with the purchase of Southampton FC by Lander Sports’ Gao Jisheng appearing to sneak in just under the deadline. Part 1 (below) will take a look at what the Gao deal means for Southampton – and what fans can reasonably expect – while Part 2 will analyze the wider implications of Chinese takeovers following the latest developments and regulations.
4. India-China Tensions Continue, Video Of Recent Clash Emerges, Water May Ultimately Be China’s Trump Card
Video of the clash, quite intense:
Remember, China is never to blame for these incidents:
Both countries’ troops have been embroiled in an eight-week-long standoff on the Doklam plateau in another part of the remote Himalayan region near their disputed frontier.
Last week, a source in New Delhi, who had been briefed on the military situation on the border, said soldiers foiled a bid by a group of Chinese troops to enter Indian territory in Ladakh, near Pangong lake.
Quite the video mocking Xi Jinping, wonder if anyone will dare show it to him:
This comes a month ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to India from September 13 to 15. The Indian Express has learnt that Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu and his team of diplomats have conveyed Tokyo’s position to New Delhi and Thimphu in the last couple of weeks.
Beijing is fashioning water into a political weapon by denying India flood-related hydrological data since May, even as major flooding has hit the region from Assam to Uttar Pradesh. Data on upstream river flows is essential for flood forecasting and warning in order to save lives and reduce material losses. China’s data denial crimps flash flood modelling in India.
5. Beijing Stirring Up The South China Sea, Will Duterte Regret His Shift?
Comment: Interesting that Beijing is stirring things up at several points on its borders. Could the PLA simultaneously handle clashes with India, fighting in the South China Sea and a new war on the Korean Peninsula?
Something significant is happening in the South China Sea. Philippine media has reported that, over the past week, a flotilla of Chinese fishing vessels, accompanied by PLA Navy frigates and Chinese Coast Guard vessels, have maintained a presence very close to Thitu (which Manila calls ‘Pagasa’), the largest feature occupied by the Philippines in the Spratly Islands.
While none of the territorial claimants to the Spratly Islands have formalised claims to territorial seas from the features they occupy, a close-in naval and paramilitary presence of this nature is still highly provocative, and totally at variance with China’s official narrative that the South China Sea is enjoying a period of relative tranquility following the recent adoption of a framework Code of Conduct between Beijing and ASEAN.
One possible explanation for the flotilla’s sudden and provocative appearance is that Beijing wanted to dissuade Manila from planned construction on Thitu. The Philippine government has said it plans to spend about $32 million on upgrades including a beaching ramp, desalination facilities, and long-overdue repairs to the islet’s crumbling runway. Those upgrades have been delayed, reportedly due to inclement weather, but Lorenzana has made clear that they remain in the pipeline. In light of this week’s events, Manila might feel that those upgrades are even more urgent.
Supreme Court (SC) Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Saturday, August 19, slammed the presence of Chinese ships guarding Sandy Cay, a sandbar near Pag-asa Island (Thitu Island) in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
Comment: Second ship to sustain major damage this summer. Will the reduced capacity impact the ability to conduct FONOPS, other missions in the South China Sea?
6. Rumors About Beidaihe
Comment: We may never know what went on at Beidaihe in the first two weeks of August, but that won’t stop the speculation. The claims that retired leaders had no input do jibe with Xi’s efforts through the corruption crackdown to neutralize the influence of his predecessors. If these reports are correct then take it as another sign that Xi will run the table at the 19th Party Congress. But I am skeptical of reports that claim nothing of substance happened.
One source close to a party elder said the regular meeting did not take place during the conclave earlier this month and the event was purely viewed as a “holiday” for senior party members.
Another senior state media source confirmed that no gathering of present and former leaders took place. “Someone has already mustered full control and elders’ politics has faded out,” the source said. “There was no gathering at the seaside.”
According to an article that Duowei published, the outcome from the recent Beidaihe meeting or “summer summit” indicated that Beijing has finished the final stretch of the preparation that has been planned for the upcoming 19th People’s Congress. One unique phenomenon that materialized at this meeting was the “silence” that the elderly members of the Communist Party of China, who held substantial power during the 1980s and 1990s, displayed, compared to the 18th National Congress in 2012 when several of the elderly members made frequent appearances prior to the conference. The article quoted another Duowei article which stated that it was an indication that China (Xi Jinping) is almost free of “elder statesman politics.”
The original: 末谈国是：北戴河无波 十九大局定？
7. Cambridge University Press Censors “China Quarterly” To Further The Chinese Communist Party’s Campaign Against “Historical Nihilism”
“The China Quarterly is very reputable within academic circles, and it does not promote the positive energy that China wants to see,” said Qiao Mu, a former professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University who was demoted and ultimately left the university after criticizing the government. “Instead, it touches on historical reflection, talks about Cultural Revolution and other errors that China has made in the past. These are things that China does not like and does not want to be discussed.”
Comment: The list of blocked articles. Congrats to those whose work made it.
China has a number of laws and regulations concerning cyber security. The China Quarterly is published overseas. There is no overlap between the two sides. The CUP can enjoy academic freedom under British law. But overseas media reports that it set up a server in China hoping to explore the Chinese market, which has to abide by the Chinese law. As long as the Chinese request was made in accordance with the law, there is no reason to be critical…
The West’s values and interests have been positioned at the core of human society. This is a rule made by the West’s strength. If China becomes powerful and has the ability to maintain its own interests, it is bound to take actions. It is worth noting that China’s Internet laws and regulations are defensive, not offensive to the West.
It doesn’t matter if some articles on the China Quarterly disappear on the Chinese Internet. But it is a matter of principle. Time will tell whose principles cater more to this era.
The original-社评：《中国季刊》的敏感文章被屏蔽刍议
I have been periodically prevented from going to China for some 15 years now because I have written about Xinjiang. (A number of other scholars of Xinjiang, Tibet, and Chinese politics have likewise seen their visa access restricted.) This hurts China as much as it hurts me, since not only am I cut off from China, but the field of Xinjiang studies now carefully avoids interactions with Han scholars from the PRC. With reason, we hesitate to invite them to international conferences and seldom attend conferences in China or share our ideas with them. Chinese scholars and diplomats are quite aware of this problem. A number of Chinese academics, including highly-connected scholar-officials from Beijing think-tanks who directly advise the government, seek me out in Washington D.C. to ask about the newest English-language scholarship on Xinjiang — because they simply can’t get it, or learn about it, in China! Cambridge University Press should not abet this creeping constriction of Chinese access to the intellectual world at large by letting the party-state have its cake and eat it too. If the PRC authorities want to cut off their access to what the world’s scholars are saying — precisely about those thorniest problems where you’d think PRC would be most interested in fresh ideas — so be it. If they want to try to keep their own scholars ignorant of international scholarship, so be it.
My thoughts: Given that the essence of the PRC censorship system is manipulating truth, how can Cambridge University Press and other academic publishers have any confidence in PRC submissions? There is huge pressure in parts of the PRC system to publish in good Western journals, of which Cambridge has dozens. So Cambridge has a lot of leverage and could use it by telling Beijing that these censorship requests violate Cambridge’s core interests of academic freedom and pursuit of the truth, therefore Cambridge is forced to add another layer of review to all PRC submissions, a review that could result in publication delays of months or even years. There will be other constituencies in the PRC system who have a big problem with that outcome; Cambridge should let them work it internally while it maintains its values. Then again, maybe Cambridge University Press’ core interests are not academic freedom and pursuit of the truth but rather money? See this from The Telegraph in 2014 Revealed: Wen Jiabao’s family is behind Cambridge University professorship and this from the Financial Times:
“CUP has enjoyed double-digit, year-on-year growth in China for the past five years. The publisher, which reported sales of £306m in the past financial year, said it had sold more than 3m copies of its leading title in China, an English language course book called Kid’s Box China Edition, over the past eight years. “
8. Another Crackdown On Migrant Schools A Reminder That Beijing Is For Beijingers
Caixin’s cover story this week 【封面报道】打工子弟学校何处去 , excerpt from abridged translation below.
This year, the Beijing municipal government is targeting 100 villages in the city’s outskirts and plans to demolish 40 million square meters of illegal buildings to give way to grassland and forest.
At least two other migrant schools in Zhiquan’s neighborhood have closed this year, while four of the six schools in Xihongmen village, a migrant worker community in southern Beijing’s Daxing district, have shut down, Caixin found.
Several years ago, there were nearly 500 schools for the children of migrant workers. Now fewer than 100 schools for migrant children have survived rounds of clampdowns in Beijing. Nearly 40 of those may close their doors as municipal authorities make good on their pledge to shut down all unlicensed migrant schools by 2020.
Business, Economy And Trade
Herbal Tea Rivals Must Share Trademark, Supreme Court Says – Sixth Tone Both companies behind the drinks — Guangdong Jiaduobao Drink & Food Co. Ltd. (JDB) and Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Ltd. (GP) — used to cooperate until a trademark dispute in 2011. The supreme court said in its verdict Wednesday that both companies “made important contributions” to the Wanglaoji trademark, and ended their legal fight in a draw.
China Unicom, Other Firms in State-Sector Reform Plan See Stocks Rally – Caixin Global “After going through related legal procedures with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and other departments, the CSRC decided to take the private placement in China Unicom’s ownership reform as an exceptional case, and adopt it with previous re-financing regulations that was in effect until February 17,” the CSRC said in a statement late on Sunday.
China to tighten supervision over financing guarantee companies – Gov.cn The State Council also decided to establish an inter-ministerial joint meeting to oversee the financing guarantee business nationwide, including establishing a supervisory management system and guiding local governments to conduct supervision. The establishment of new financing guarantee companies should be approved by supervisory authorities, and the terms of “financing guarantee” should be included in company names.–李克强签署国务院令公布《融资担保公司监督管理条例》
Policies to Rein In Banking Risks Show Early Success – Caixin Global While data suggested initial success, the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) will continue to curb risks in three main areas: interbank transactions, wealth management products and off-balance-sheet transactions, said Xiao Yuanqi, director of the commission’s prudential regulation bureau. In the three months ended June 30, interbank transactions — mostly bills and short-term loans — fell from a year ago for the first time in seven years.
Website Operators to Be Held Responsible for Help-Wanted Scams – Caixin Global Authorities are tightening the screws on job recruitment website operators that let scammers post phony help-wanted ads to dupe young people into joining pyramid schemes.
Wanda to Build Tourist Attractions in Gansu Under Strong Government Backing – Caixin Global Wanda Chairman Wang Jianlin met with Gansu’s top officials on Friday. Currently, the conglomerate has four shopping plazas in Gansu province. It plans to expand by building 10 more plazas in the province, Wang said during his meeting with Tang Renjian, Gansu governor, and Lin Duo, provincial party secretary. But Wang didn’t disclose the amount of the investment, according to local newspaper Gansu Daily. // Comment: Is Wang Jianlin trying to curry favor with Lin Duo?
China to strengthen oversight of ‘regulatory arbitrage’: central banker – Reuters Yin Yong, deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China, told a conference in Beijing on Saturday six forms of arbitrage were problematic. He said they involved differing maturities, credit conditions, investment liquidity, exchange rates, capital and information.
China Home Prices Rise in Fewer Cities as Market Cools – Bloomberg New-home prices, excluding government-subsidized housing, gained from the previous month in 56 of 70 cities tracked by the government, compared with 60 in June. the National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday. Prices fell in nine cities and were unchanged in five.
Politics And Law
China Focus: Documentary inspires by detailing advances in rule of law – Xinhua The six-episode documentary, “Rule of Law in China,” which is being aired by state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), summarizes the progress and achievements in legal reform since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012.–法制中国 // Comment: Not much rule of law if you are a dissident
Gao Zhisheng Disappears – WSJ Family members in exile in the U.S., who talk to him regularly on the phone, say Mr. Gao disappeared from his home in remote Shaanxi province earlier this month. Mr. Gao has been living under house arrest since 2014, surveilled by Chinese security forces. Local police say they don’t know where he is.
New video shows Liu Xiaobo’s widow saying she needs to avoid public eye | South China Morning Post A one-minute video of the widow of Chinese Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo surfaced on YouTube late on Friday, as officials and advocates worldwide call on the Chinese government to release her from an effective house arrest.
China plans to make long march to red tourism sites easier with new roads – Global Times A total of 126 road programs around scenic spots will be initiated to boost red tourism, 90 percent of which will be built in central and western regions of the country, according to the 2017-2020 red tourism scheme released by the Ministry of Transportation.
“学习问答”之习近平“7·26”重要讲话（第一期）–专题报道-人民网 Comment: People’s Daily Q&A on Xi’s July 26 talk to provincial and ministerial-level officials. So far 5 parts.
以“四个伟大”书写时代新篇章—贯彻落实习近平总书记在省部级专题研讨班重要讲话精神系列述评之四–新华网 时代呼唤：“四个伟大”集中体现了党的十八大以来以习近平同志为核心的党中央治国理政新理念新思想新战略，凸显了新的历史条件下中国共产党肩负的使命和担当
Book highlights President Xi’s time in village – China Daily The book, “Xi Jinping’s Seven Years as an Educated Youth,” was a collection of interviews with people who used to live and work with Xi when he was a “zhiqing,” or educated youth, in Liangjiahe village, Yanchuan county, Shaanxi province, from 1969 to 1975…The book was brought out by the Publishing House of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.
In a First in China, a Court Will Handle Proceedings Only on Internet – Caixin Global Starting Friday, the Hangzhou Internet Court began settling cases that emerge from online disputes — the first legal forum in the nation specializing in resolving internet-related claims, whose numbers are surging as the industry flourishes.
Chinese police apologise for detaining patient over hospital food complaint | South China Morning Post The police chief of She county, where Zhang was held, had been suspended and the officer in charge of the case transferred, the bureau said.
Foreign And Defense Affairs
Chinese state media revel in Donald Trump’s Charlottesville woes | The Guardian “Hate and terror are on the rise in America, and such problems are expected to increase,” the English-language website of the People’s Daily said on Thursday, declaring the US “awash in terrible human rights abuses”. The Chinese-language edition of the Global Times, a state-run tabloid, went further with a headline, later softened by editors, that claimed: “The US is heading towards a ‘new civil war’”.
Price Lauds China for Help With Opioid Control – Bloomberg China has been an “incredible partner” in cracking down on synthetic opioids seen as fueling fast-rising overdose deaths in the United States, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said Monday during a visit to the country considered the source of many of the deadly substances sought by addicts.
How a luxury Hong Kong home was used as cover in deal for China’s first aircraft carrier | South China Morning Post Explaining his reason for buying the 22,000 sq ft luxury villa for the first time to non-mainland media, Xu said he was responding to recent accusations circulated on social media that he had “embezzled carrier deal money” to buy it. “Now everyone knows the floating casino is also a cover behind the stealth operation, and it’s not my personal behaviour, but for my country,” he said. “But in the very beginning, I needed to try every means to let the outside world believe the deal was just a pure personal investment.”
歼-15空中撞鸟！飞行员沉着驾机带火着陆 – 中国军视·中国军网 Comment: cockpit video from J-15 that hit flock of birds, had engine fire and forced to land…not clear how much of video a reenactment
Japanese Public Broadcaster Wins Acclaim in China for World War II Documentary | The Diplomat Japan’s NHK broadcasted a program on the crimes committed by Japanese Unit 731 during World War II.
《开讲啦》火箭军“东风第一旅”旅长王锡民：祖国轻易不用咱 用咱就是出重拳（20170818） Comment: strategic rocket forces Dong Feng Brigade #1 Brigade Commander Wang Ximin takes to a CCTV show to discuss the brigade’s work. Interesting that PLA is pushing this “transparency”, good for patriotism…
Hong Kong, Macao And Taiwan
Mainland China snubs ‘Little Olympics’ opening ceremony in Taiwan | South China Morning Post Boycott of event held to mark start of World University Games highlights the increasingly strained relations between Beijing and Taipei
China Lures Young Taiwanese With Better Jobs and Prospects | Time.com China has targeted Taiwan’s educated elite for years, but a recent uptick in job and education incentives suggests a shift in tactics since cross-strait relations soured over Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s refusal to accept Beijing’s policy that the island of 24 million is part of ‘One China’
Tens of thousands protest in Hong Kong over jailing of democracy activists – Reuters Former student leader Lester Shum, who helped to organize Sunday’s rally, said the number of protesters was the highest since the “Umbrella Movement” pro-democracy protests in 2014 that paralyzed major roads in the financial center for 79 days.
Tech And Media
China Tech Workers Wanted: Women Need Not Apply – WSJ Women were paid 30% less than men in China’s internet industry last year, ranking among the most discriminatory lines of work with medicine, media and entertainment, according to Boss Zhipin, which surveyed more than 365,000 pay samples nationwide. Of the 24 board members at China’s big three internet companies— Baidu Inc., Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. —only one is a woman. That’s Wan Ling Martello at Alibaba, the Nestlé SA executive who also sits on Uber’s board.
百度把百度外卖5亿美元贱卖给饿了么，还顺便卖了3亿美元流量呢–虎嗅网 Comment: Baidu sells its food delivery service to Ele.me for 500m USD and a 300M USD traffic deal
微信部分功能出现故障 官方称各项功能已经全部恢复_科技_腾讯网 Comment: Wechat has massive outage Monday
China: ‘Cyber army’ to be developed by President Xi Jinping using ‘web security schools’ | Express.co.uk The Cyberspace Administration of China and China’s education ministry announced plans to “build four to six world-famous cyber-security schools in ten years [from 2017 to 2027]”.
CEO of Cross-Border E-commerce Site Xiu.com Arrested for Smuggling Luxury Goods | Jing Daily On August 16, customs officials in Guangdong province arrested Ji Wenhong, the CEO of a major cross-border e-commerce site Xiu.com. He’s the main suspect in a smuggling case involving luxury goods worth a total of 321 million yuan ($48 million), multiple local Chinese sites have confirmed.
Society, Art, Sports, Culture And History
WendiLetter by Wei Tchou a newsletter devoted to Wendi Deng
China Faces Daunting Challenges as Senior Care Comes of Age – Caixin Global According to the China Research Center on Aging, the value of the nation’s market for elderly consumers is projected to jump to 106 trillion yuan ($15.9 trillion) in 2050, up from 4 trillion yuan in 2014. Playing a key role in the market are senior citizen homes, which in 2016 numbered nearly 140,000 nationwide, up nearly 21% from the year before, according to the central government’s Ministry of Civil Affairs.
When Self-Criticism Was an Order, These Portraits Were Revolutionary – NYTimes.com “Cultural Revolution Selfies,” published in July by New Century Press in Hong Kong, is a collection of portraits depicting Mr. Wang, taken by himself and friends from 1966 to 1976. In Mr. Wang’s photos, there are no choreographed assemblies, no raised fists, no flags. Instead, the images are intensely personal — revealing a playfulness, an absurdity, and a bit of bourgeois indulgence rarely seen in photos from the time.
“失控”的大型游乐设备 二手设备翻新后无证出售 – 深度 – 新京报网 Comment: The Beijing News on all the problems with amusement park equipment in China, If you read this you will never let your child go on any rides other than ones at Shanghai Disney
Zhao Bandi’s party crashed by censorship at the Ullens Center in Beijing On 21 July, the UCCA’s director Philip Tinari posted on Twitter: “While we’re on the topic of the Beijing Culture Bureau (Bieber), see these #ZhaoBandi paintings they banned for import for our upcoming show”, along with the original images depicting surveillance cameras and a neon sign saying China Dream. Part of the Uli Sigg collection, the works were not authorised to re-enter the mainland.
Energy, Environment, Science And Health
Deputy County Head Fired for Lax Environmental Oversight – SixthTone Deputy county head Chen Zengguang’s departure was announced on Aug. 10 and discussed at length during a meeting of the Puyang County government on Monday, according to a Henan media outlet. His firing marks the first time a county-level official has been held responsible for failing to adhere to environmental protection policies since the province launched a clean-up campaign on July 21, distributing promotional materials and scheduling more frequent inspections.
Xi congratulates scientists on expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau – Xinhua The expedition, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, will analyze the impact of environmental change on social development and provide suggestion for the building of a national park in the area.
China Importing More Natural Gas to Keep Up With Demand – Caixin Global The country’s natural gas consumption is projected to grow by 8.1% annually from 2015 to 2030, far outpacing the estimated 2.1% annual growth in global demand, according to a report released Wednesday by a think tank under China National Petroleum Corp.
Books And Literature
A Chinese Poet’s Unusual Path From Isolated Farm Life to Celebrity – The New York Times “I think Yu Xiuhua is China’s Emily Dickinson: extraordinary imagination and a striking power with language,” Shen Rui, a professor at Morehouse College in Atlanta specializing in Chinese literature and feminism, wrote in the preface to “Moonlight Drops on My Left Hand.” For the record, Ms. Yu says she dislikes being compared with Dickinson, whom she has never read. In fact, her grounding in world literature is somewhat lacking, she said on a recent afternoon at her home in Hengdian
Beijing
Beijing solicits opinion on house-renting draft – Xinhua The draft also guarantees the education rights of tenants’ children. It said Beijing residents who do not own houses can apply for their children to receive compulsory education in the area near their rented home, provided that they have lived in the area for at least three years and one of the couple has worked in the area for at least three years. Non-Beijing residents can also apply for their children to receive compulsory education in the area of their rented houses, according to the draft
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