The Sinocism China Newsletter 03.15.15

"Sinocism is the Presidential Daily Brief for China hands"- Evan Osnos, New Yorker Correspondent and National Book Award Winner

Today’s Links:

AnchorTHE ESSENTIAL EIGHT

1. Premier Li Keqiang meets the press – Xinhua videos of his answers

Related: Chinese Premier Vows Tougher Regulation on Air Pollution – NYTimes.com Mr. Li took one reporter’s question about air pollution, which mentioned the banned documentary, “Under the Dome,” and he acknowledged that there was a gap between the government’s efforts and public ire about pervasive smog. Continue reading the main story..“This is a concern that is uppermost on all people’s minds,” Mr. Li said in response to a question from a Huffington Post reporter, who asked about the government’s struggle to clean up the environment. // video of the original question by Matt Sheehan

Related: China’s Li Vows to Prop Up Growth as He Seeks Painful Reform – Bloomberg Business The government will deploy “targeted macroeconomic regulations” if growth drifts toward the limit of its range and cuts into jobs or income, Li told reporters at his annual news conference today. Stripping the government of some powers may face resistance from vested interests but is crucial, he said. “This is not nail-clipping — it’s wrist slashing,” Li told reporters at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. “It’s like taking a knife to one’s own flesh.”

2. China Focus: Top political advisor highlights CPC leadership, “Four Comprehensives” – Xinhua At the closing meeting of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Yu, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, said the Chinese people are en route towards the realization of the Chinese dream of great rejuvenation under the leadership of the CPC. Political advisors must unwaveringly uphold the Party’s leadership, strengthen confidence in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and build consensus among the public in order to bring together “positive energy” for the implementation of the strategic layout of “Four Comprehensives,” he said. The “Four Comprehensives,” unveiled by Chinese President Xi Jinping, refer to comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society, deepening reform, advancing the rule of law and strictly governing the Party. // odds looking better and better that the 4 Comprehensives will be enshrined as Xi’s main theoretical contribution

Related: President Xi Jinping’s ‘comprehensive’ list fails to add up at China’s National People’s Congress | South China Morning Post When the premier began to read the report to the nearly 3,000 delegates – the report was also broadcast live on television – he included, rather than missed out, the line about “strict enforcement of discipline”. The drafting of the report can take up to two months, involve dozens of think-tank staff and requires meticulous planning on behalf of officials, so it’s hard to know what caused the error. Was it recklessness on behalf of the report’s proof-readers? A miscommunication between the State Council’s General Office and the Secretariat of the Communist party’s central committee? Or even a rushed job by the party’s publicity department, before Xi had finalised his theory? // was it just “three comprehensives” while the NPC report was being drafted?

Related: 习近平同人大代表、政协委员共商国是纪实-新华网 奏响“四个全面”的时代强音 ——习近平总书记同出席全国两会人大代表、政协委员共商国是纪实

Related: China Headlines: China’s Xi shines at 2015 “two sessions” – Xinhua The annual “two sessions,” which bring together the full assembly of legislators and political advisors from March 3-15, have seen Xi — himself a deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC) — participate in panel discussions with lawmakers and advisors. Each time, the president spoke of exciting prospects, expounding on a vision widely referred to as the “Four Comprehensives.” The popular catchphrase, first coined by Xi last year, is an umbrella term for comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society, deepening reform, advancing the rule of law and strictly governing the Party.

3. China puts tech bill that concerns West on hold: U.S. official-Reuters looks like Obama’s talk with Xi and a united front among tech companies may have gotten Beijing to blink…glad to look to have been wrong in saying that Beijing would not bend… // / The law would require technology firms to hand over encryption keys, the passcodes that help protect data, and install security “backdoors” in their systems to give Chinese authorities surveillance access. One industry source, who requested anonymity, said the move gave companies “some breathing room, but not complete relief” because the bill could be picked up again at any point as only the standing committee — not the full parliament – was needed to pass a law. But another was optimistic that was the end of the matter. “The Chinese are not ready to kick out all foreign companies, and because they weren’t ready to take that step, they backed off,” said a U.S. technology industry expert, who asked not to be identified to avoid complicating his employer’s dealings in China. “You can bet that the next steps will be something that tightens up somewhere but doesn’t cause this level of pain.”

4. China: Action to be taken if deadly bombing happens again – Xinhua No further deadly stray fire incidents should happen or the Chinese military will take “firm and decisive action” to protect the safety of its people, senior Chinese military leader Fan Changlong said on Saturday. Fan, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while speaking with Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Defense Services over the telephone, after a bomb dropped by a Myanmar warplane on Friday killed four Chinese in southwest China’s Yunnan Province. Fan called on Myanmar to seriously investigate the incident, and urged the Myanmar side to severely punish the perpetrators, as well as apologize to and compensate the families of the victims.

Related: China in military warning to Myanmar after bomb kills four farmers | South China Morning Post A villager living 3 km from the sugarcane field, identified by her surname, Zhang, was quoted by news portal thepaper.cn as saying that the bomb was dropped just as villagers were cutting down the crop. “We heard a Myanmar military aircraft approaching, and then there was explosion,” she said. “We got to the scene after half an hour and found body parts scattered [over the field].” Myanmar’s military aircraft had stepped up their activities during the past week, she said

Related: 党媒评缅甸北部乱局:中国应主动出面调停,防域外大国做文章澎湃国际澎湃新闻-The Paper 3月14日晚,人民日报海外版“侠客岛”刊文解读指出,这次局势升级并非独例,在大国战略竞逐东南亚地区的态势下,中国政府应主动发力。文章说,在长达2000公里的中缅边境,有一半左右的边境线并不在缅甸中央政府的控制范围,政局相当不稳。譬如,在2013年,缅甸政府军同克钦军激烈交火期间,就有多次炸弹落入中国境内的情况发生。中缅边境不仅是两国贸易交往的频繁之地,也成为地方武装盘踞的基地。 文章认为,在中国力推的“一带一路”建设重要战略上,缅甸是南方“新丝路”的主攻方向,缅北冲突长期化给中国带来最大的战略代价。如何寻求边境稳定,确保中国大西南通向印度洋的战略通道畅通,关系到全局。为此,中国政府的确应该超越口头言辞上的愤慨和谴责,积极“出击”,改变之前被动、消极的外交政策,积极推动和参与缅北和平进程。而这种调停完全可以更为大胆、有力,完全没必要藏着掖着,这才符合中国外交的新常态。全文如下:”

Related: 缅甸老街成“死城” 缅北战地白天打仗晚上对骂新闻腾讯网 14岁的果敢男孩杨老五在中缅边界的麦地河安置点已经呆了1个多月。30多天里,他和家人在用竹子与油布搭成的简易帐篷中渡过,早春时节的云贵高原,夜里的气温降到5摄氏度以下。山间不时刮起一整狂风,将简易公路的风沙刮得漫天飞舞。 缅甸果敢地区发生武装冲突以来,累计有6万余人次缅籍边民出于自身安全考虑进出中缅边境一线。

Related: 国防部:缅甸军机再越境将坚决采取措施应对新闻腾讯网 范长龙指出,缅方要认识到问题的严重性,严肃认真对待此事,严惩肇事者,向死伤者家属道歉并赔偿,向中方作出交代。范长龙明确要求,缅军高层要严格管控约束部队,绝不能再次发生此类事件。否则,中国军队将采取坚决果断措施,保护中国人民生命财产安全。 敏昂莱表示,缅方理解中方感受,将尽快派人与中方一起进行认真调查,妥善解决问题,追究相关人员责任。缅军愿与中方一道全力推进两国两军友好合作。 范长龙强调,希望缅方从维护中缅两国两军关系大局出发,妥善处置有关事件,共同维护中缅边境地区安全稳定。

Related: 高清:实拍中缅边境线上的难民营新闻腾讯网 pictures from a Kokang refugee camp

5. In China, a Building Frenzy’s Fault Lines – NYTimes.com lots of rumors of a PLA connection to Kaisa  //  With the $450 million raised in the initial public offering, Kaisa embarked on an aggressive expansion into 20 more cities. It formed a partnership with Marriott hotels and announced plans to build one of the world’s tallest buildings. Kaisa shares skyrocketed, helping lift the fortunes of its Western patrons, including the Carlyle Group, an American private equity firm. Then came the fall.

6. Macau’s Economy Shrinks 17.2% After Casino Revenues Fall – Bloomberg Business Chinese President Xi Jinping’s anti-graft campaign prompted high rollers to avoid the world’s biggest gambling hub during the peak Lunar New Year holiday period, leading to the city’s worst monthly decline in gaming revenue in February. Tighter restrictions on visas and cigarette smoking have also deterred vacationing gamblers.

Related: Wall St Macau delusion has gone too far – Business Insider See, Xi doesn’t care if the island’s economy suffers as long as he gets the cleaner, less corrupt China he’s been working for. That’s what his anticorruption drive is about. That’s why there are more cameras in casinos to scare high rollers. That’s why even the once untouchable nephew of Macau scion Stanley Ho was arrested along with 99 prostitutes in a sting at Ho’s Casino Lisboa. It’s because the old Macau is dead.

7. North Korea’s growing economy — and America’s misconceptions about it – The Washington Post The extensive range of commercial activity suggests that it would be wrong to think that China’s leadership is now so annoyed with Kim Jong Un, who took control of North Korea at the end of 2011 after the death of his father, that it is tightening the economic screws on the young leader next door. This is a very sensitive part of China — during a week of reporting along the North Korean border, Washington Post reporters were monitored by police — and doing business with North Korea is a very sensitive subject.

8. No, China’s Not About to Collapse | The Diplomat Rand’s Tim Heath  //  Perhaps it is not coincidental that predictions of the party’s impending collapse have traditionally surged at major inflection points in the history of the PRC. The last major wave of pessimism occurred at the turn of the century, when China also faced economic slowdown, political demoralization, widespread unrest, and bitter factional infighting. The symptoms may have been correctly perceived, but the prognosis proved faulty. The party’s adaptation and resilience surprised observers and disproved the gloomy predictions. China has similarly reached a key inflection point, one in which the policy challenges possibly surpass those of the turn of the century. Beijing will continue to face massive political, economic, ecological, and other challenges. The party could well fail to carry out needed reforms and ultimately collapse at some point. But with China on the cusp of achieving a centuries-long ambition of national revitalization, observers would be well served to exercise caution in once again assuming the nation’s leadership and people would so readily scuttle such an historic opportunity in favor of a return to the humiliations and agonies of national dissolution that the country has struggled for so long to escape.

 

AnchorBUSINESS, ECONOMY AND TRADE

Global manufacturing: Made in China? | The Economist China’s economy is not as robust as it was. The property market is plagued by excess supply. Rising debt is a burden. Earlier this month the government said that it was aiming for growth of 7% this year, which would be its lowest for more than two decades—data this week suggest even this might be a struggle (see article). Despite this, China will continue to have three formidable advantages in manufacturing that will benefit the economy as a whole.

China tycoon warns on corruption purge – FT.com  Li Hejun, head of thin film solar manufacturer Hanergy Group, has catapulted to the top of Chinese rich lists thanks to a spectacular rise in the shares of its Hong Kong-listed entity. He called for “relevant legislation” to address the fallout from businessmen’s detentions at this week’s meeting of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body that includes some of China’s richest private entrepreneurs.

China’s minister of transport shares take on carpooling apps-TechInAsia Today Yang Chuanming, China’s Minister of Transport, answered a set of questions from Beijing Times reporters about the nation’s taxi industry. There’s no need to read into his comments too deeply – government officials often stick to the government line in public. But it’s still interesting to hear a Chinese state official chime in on issues that are sweeping the globe. When asked if if private cars would ever be permitted to operate for commercial use, Yang said, “Never.”

1万亿置换债券地方自发自还经济频道财新网 江苏、湖北、四川、广东、浙江、北京、上海、贵州置换规模较大,置换债券偿还存量债务必须严格逐笔对应债务项目

China State Broadcaster Targets Volkswagen Over Consumer Complaints – WSJ In a preview of its annual programming to commemorate World Consumer Rights Day, China Central Television said on its website that Volkswagen reached the top spot for consumer complaints, with more than 2000 consumers reporting problems with various car models in recent days. The company has “refused to recognize quality defects,” CCTV said, adding that many owners of VW Sagitar sedan complained about problems with the model’s rear axle.

内蒙煤老板被债主拘禁山沟53天 因近视未逃脱新闻腾讯网 Ordos mine boss kidnapped by creditor and held in a mountain gully for 56 days  //  中新网鄂尔多斯3月13日电 (张瑾娴 黄英)13日,记者从鄂尔多斯市东胜区公安分局获悉,当地煤老板张军(化名)被债主拘禁于陕西省府谷县周边的荒僻山沟。债主张大磊(化名)在山沟中搭设帐篷而居,电话威胁张军家属还钱。最终,张军被东胜警方成功解救。3月6日,鄂尔多斯东胜警方经多番侦查,在陕西境内成功解救被非法拘禁53天的个体煤矿董事长张军。当场抓获张大磊、奥小军(化名)等2名陕西籍犯罪嫌疑人,缴获电警棍、控制绳、铁笼、铁链锁等作案工具。3月12日,另一名犯罪嫌疑人王某归案。

 

AnchorPOLITICS AND LAW

两会传递新政策扫描(政策解读·速递)–时政–人民网 People’s Daily on the various measures out of NPC that address people’s livelihood issues  //  今年两会期间,从退休、养老金到高考,再到利率市场化、税收法定,一系列与群众利益息息相关的政策推进时间表被公布。

一汽集团公司董事长徐建一被调查_凤凰资讯 Chairman of First Automotive Works (FAW) Xu Jianyi under investigation

云南省委副书记仇和被查 涉嫌土地腐败政经频道财新网 Yunnan Deputy Party Secretary Qiu He under investigation, Caixin says related to Kunming land dealings  //  财新记者获悉,仇和被查一事,牵扯昆明土地城建系统的腐败问题。消息人士对财新记者表示,此时宣布,大部分云南代表团成员感觉有些突然。今日上午10点,第十二届全国人大会议第三次会议结束后,仇和还坐车回到了云南代表团的驻地——职工之家。据财新记者了解,前两天,仇和的秘书还曾与人讨论,回云南后,省委常委会议等工作安排事宜。

Xinhua Insight: China revises Legislation Law, paving way for legal reform – Xinhua The Legislation Law, enacted in 2000 and considered a foundation of China’s legal system, regulates how national laws, government regulations and local laws come into shape and which organizations hold the legislative power in the country.

Police shot dead two Uygur women before railway knife attack, report say | South China Morning Post Police shot dead two ethnic Uygur women who resisted arrest and detained more than a dozen Uygur men during a late-night raid in a village outside Guangzhou just hours before the knife attack at the city’s main railway station on March 6, which left 13 people injured, witnesses said. Residents of Xiniujiao – or Rhino Horn – village who witnessed the police raid told the Sunday Morning Post that more than 100 officers, some of them armed, had swooped on the suspects during the Lantern Festival on March 5.

习近平:腐败往往始于几杯酒几张卡新闻腾讯网 2015年全国两会,习近平下团成了另一种形式的“走基层”。上海团、江西团、广西团、吉林团,面对几个具有鲜明地域特征的省份,他除了有针对性地谈感受,也同时说到一些共性的发展问题。这次两会,人民日报全媒体平台(中央厨房)小厨,有机会现场聆听总书记的一系列谈话。经过小厨这几天认真梳理,发现有四个高频词非同一般,诸位可以从中看出习近平的牵挂和关切。 这是一篇较长的独家报道,先给大家透点猛料。以下两点可都是总书记在两会上说的,但你在别的报道中肯定没见过: 1、“我正在集中思考‘十三五’规划。这是实现全面小康的规划,是实现第一个百年目标的规划。” 2、“几顿饭,几杯酒,几张卡,温水煮青蛙,不知不觉,一失足成千古恨。”

二月河谈与王岐山交情:我们没私交 就见过3次新闻腾讯网 Eryuehe. one of Wang Qishan’s favorite authors, on the need for public participation and oversight to fight corruption  //  新文化:您的意思是说酷刑能遏制腐败吗? 二月河:不能。朱元璋时代,对贪官的惩处非常严厉,贪60两白银就“剥皮实草”。武则天时代也对贪腐官员严惩,但还是有官员贪腐。还是我之前说的,只要有财富的集中,就会有腐败的问题。 新文化:您不赞同高薪养廉。酷刑不行,高薪也不行,那您觉得什么才可以呢? 二月河:我跟你们记者举过宋朝的例子,那就是高薪不能养廉的例子。我觉得古代反腐最大的问题,就是民众参与不进去。我们现在就做得很好,有中纪委的网站,民众可以更多参与进去,比过去写信方便多了。 新文化:光靠群众监督和举报,恐怕不能杜绝腐败吧? 二月河:我觉得反腐,更多的要从舆论监督、人民群众参与、制度完善这几个角度来解决。不是说除了杀一儆百就没有别的办法了,我们应该更高层次、更多角度地思考这个问题。

新自由主义思潮的真实面目_求是网 Nanjing Normal University Professor Wang Yonggui writes in Red Flag about the “true face” of neoliberalism // 新自由主义是近些年来在全世界产生巨大影响的一种社会思潮。新自由主义的基本观点及“核心价值”是什么?怎样认清其本质及其影响?认清新自由主义思潮的真实面目,对深入贯彻落实“四个全面”战略布局思想,特别是把握好全面深化改革的正确方向具有重要意义。

 

AnchorFOREIGN AND DEFENSE AFFAIRS

British Leader Diverges From U.S. on China Policy and Military Spending – NYTimes The “special relationship” with Britain has been a cornerstone of American policy for generations, but in a tough election campaign, David Cameron, Britain’s Conservative prime minister, has distanced himself from the United States on two critically important issues — military spending and China.

Breaking rank: military graft no longer taboo topic in China | South China Morning Post Jingdong Yuan, a professor with the University of Sydney’s Centre for International Security Studies, said Xi was trying to address problems within the PLA that were undermining not only its image but also its ability to fight and win wars. “Clearly, [the campaign] suggests Xi is determined to weed out corruption and that he will use demotions and prosecutions to serve as a deterrent against future such behaviour,” Yuan said.

郭正钢被专机押京透露了啥信息?–奇之傅的博客–凤凰网博客 3月13日,一则题为“曝两大军老虎案情进展 军方高层罕见出招”的凤凰视频,再次引起了笔者的关注。报道称:“据香港媒体报道,原浙江省军区副政委郭正钢,是在两会前夕由总政保卫部的专职军官从杭州用专机押送到北京去的……”。 看完这段视屏,不知何故,居然使人不由自主地联想到了美国惊悚大片《空中监狱》。在反腐风暴和以往的执行军纪过程中,从华夏各地被押送到京的违法违纪军人恐怕绝不止郭正钢,然而,可有几人享受过用专机被押送的“待遇”?倘若这段视频报道准确无误,那么,仅从这个与众不同的细节,笔者以为它起码向外界透露出了以下两个重大信息:

Wonder if this letter about Li Zhanqi, the “PAP’s Gu Junshan”, is legit? 武警众知情军官愤怒上书 习主席并全军官兵们: 有“武警谷俊山”之称的交通水电部队司令刘占琪被双规近一月,回想那日情景,我部就是一派欢乐的海洋,大家难耐兴奋之情,燃放鞭炮,更有人高呼习主席万岁!从刘占琪家中整整抄出一亿二千万现金,一座银行金库啊!我部官兵与全军指战员一样无不感到震惊!愤怒!羞耻!拔出萝卜带出泥,这刘占琪绝非孤案,他背后隐藏着一个巨大阴险的利益团伙,习主席和中央军委要严防该团伙欲盖弥彰,销毁证据,大事化小,逃出生天。 现将刘占琪发迹之路公之于众,习主席倡导的群众路线,就是要群众都负起监督之责,撑起恢恢天网,将我军中的黑恶势力一网打尽!不管他们是谁,职务有多高,在依法治军的今天,都不能逃脱军法的严惩!

Ex-NSA director: China has hacked ‘every major corporation’ in U.S. – Mar. 13, 2015 Mike McConnell, who served as director of national intelligence under President George W. Bush, made the comments during a speech at the University of Missouri on Thursday. “The Chinese have penetrated every major corporation of any consequence in the United States and taken information,” he said. “We’ve never, ever not found Chinese malware.”

Commentary: U.S. meddling on South China Sea betrays pirate-style sense of insecurity – Xinhua In its intentional description of peacefully developing China as a threat, the United States, notwithstanding the world’s strongest military might and a long history of military aggression, is displaying a perverted sense of insecurity. This pirate-style mind-set will only make things worse, both in the settlement of the South China Sea disputes and in the handling of other international affairs. Outside meddling on the South China Sea issue from the United States and other like-minded countries is not welcome, as it will serve nothing but to sow discord, stoke tension and thus hinder the search for a peaceful solution.

Commentary: In face of interest, alliance sometimes fragile – Xinhua Other than the U.K., there are at least 27 bidders intending to be AIIB founding members, spanning East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, to Oceania. All have shared the vision of faster-than-average growth in the years to come in Pacific Asia. The AIIB, and similar organizations, have, understandably, left the U.S. uneasy, with the incumbent power choosing to use the rhetoric that the AIIB will undercut institutions such as the World Bank.

Chinese PHD expelled for ‘illegal missile research’ – Norway’s news in English Two academics expelled from a Norwegian University were suspected of carrying out secret research to help China build advanced high-speed missiles, Norway’s Police Security Service (PST) has claimed.

 

AnchorHONG KONG, MACAO AND TAIWAN

Is Hong Kong’s academic freedom under Chinese attack? – The Washington Post “We are very worried about the erosion of freedom of expression in Hong Kong — we see this happening in the media and it is now happening in academia,” said Dora Choi Po-king, an associate professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and member of a new “Concern Group” of academics. Hundreds of academics signed a petition letter this month expressing their concerns about “political intervention” in the territory’s universities and “a serious threat to academic freedom, one of the core values held dear in Hong Kong.”

 

AnchorTECH AND MEDIA

中兴高级副总裁吴海卷入联通腐败案遭追逃公司频道财新网 ZTE SVP Wu Hai on the lam after being implicated in China Unicom corruption investigation  //  消息人士透露,2012年9、10月,为了搞好中国联通的客户关系,吴海涉嫌分三次向中国联通网络建设部有关领导行贿近百万

 

AnchorSOCIETY, ART, SPORTS, CULTURE AND HISTORY

Meet the Buddhists Who Hate the Dalai Lama More Than the Chinese Do | Foreign Policy Dorje Shugden is an obscure trickster spirit, believed to have originated in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, in the 17th century. And though the spirit’s followers in the Western world probably number only a few thousand, they’ve been surprisingly successful at generating attention for themselves and their campaign to discredit the Dalai Lama. Recently, Bloomberg, Reuters, and the Washington Post, among other outlets, have covered the Shugden followers’ protests, and in a measured tone — surprising for the absurdity of the Shugden followers’ claims. In its Feb. 6 edition, Newsweek put the Dalai Lama on its cover with the headline “Relentless: The Real Dalai Lama.” A Shugden supporter gleefully handed me a photocopy of the article, in part because the article included the subheading “False Dalai Lama” — the same chant Shugden followers make at protests.

A Comedian Who Delivers in English, Gaelic and Mandarin – NYTimes Des Bishop, no relation  //  Yes, he told them, he really did grow up in Flushing, Queens, largely before the influx of Chinese immigrants to the Main Street area. Yes, he moved to Ireland at age 14 and went on to become one of the country’s best-known comedians, even performing some of his humor in Gaelic. Yes, he decided two years ago to move to China as his latest “immersive” stand-up project. And yes, he was now moving back to Flushing, hoping to crack or, perhaps, establish the neighborhood’s comedy scene.

Badges of Chairman Mao Zedong (毛主席像章), The Cult of Mao and The “Cult” of Xi Jinping | Sinocism I wrote this for my Johns Hopkins SAIS Masters Thesis in May 1995. My advisor was Alice Miller. I decided to repost the paper given the current surge in media discussion about a growing “cult of Xi Jinping”. There are cults and there are “cults”, and so far what is going on with Xi Jinping looks absolutely nothing like what happened under Mao Zedong. Perhaps that will change and I am missing obvious signals, but so far I just do not see it.

Tombs unearthed in central China province – Xinhua A well-preserved bronze sword was one of the rarer discoveries, said Han, who added that it was well preserved due to the local soil condition. Archaeologists say the treasures in the tombs can help researchers to better study the shape and structure of tombs, culture and customs between Warring States Period and East Han Dynasty.

 

AnchorENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE AND HEALTH

Organ transplants: Spare the bullet | The Economist Persuading the public to donate remains a problem. Many Chinese adhere to a traditional belief that the body has to be kept intact to show respect for ancestors. A senior official at a provincial branch of the Red Cross Society of China, the agency responsible for the donor scheme, says that a lucrative backdoor trade in executed prisoners’ organs will be hard to stop. He says hospitals, middlemen and court officials all benefit from it. They have often ignored a regulation passed in 2007 that requires consent from a deceased donor’s family.

Tibet from Space · Maptia Astronaut photographs of the Earth provide an out-of-the-ordinary view that enables one to view the Tibetan landscape defined by watersheds instead of man-made drawn lines on a map. As such, they are a valuable resource for understanding the unique geography and ecology of the Tibetan Plateau and Himalaya.

 

AnchorEDUCATION

Resources Professor Moss Roberts of New York University, translator of The Three Kingdoms (三国演义), the Dao De Jing (道德经), and other Chinese books, wrote extensive notes on basic Chinese grammar. He has kindly offered to share these notes with students and teachers of Chinese. Although the notes were written in conjunction with the textbook Integrated Chinese, they can be used by students of other beginning textbooks of Chinese and may be of interest to Intermediate students as well. These notes can be accessed below:

Faust To Headline ‘Your Harvard’ Talk in Beijing | News | The Harvard Crimson “President Faust looks forward to joining nearly 450 alumni, friends and faculty in Beijing this weekend to celebrate Harvard’s many connections to China at the latest event in the Your Harvard series,” Jeff Neal, Faust’s spokesperson, wrote in a statement early Friday. “Early next week, she also will give an address to students and faculty at Tshinghua University.”

 

If you like Sinocism please spread the word using this link.

Follow me on Twitter @niubi for updates between newsletters

Send comments/tips/complaints to bill@sinocism.com

And if you really like Sinocism, feel free to donate some money, with Bitcoin or a credit card. Thanks.