The fenqing are to most patriotic Chinese youth what the meth-riddled KKK rednecks on Jerry Springer are to the Republican party.  They are wildly overrepresented on the internet, and the web gives this whacked-out fringe a powerful megaphone that amplifies their voices and adds to their self-importance.  Jottings from the Granite Studio » Read More

At just 31 years old, Rui Chenggang has emerged as the media face of Chinese capitalism: young, smart and, to the dismay of some, deeply nationalistic.  New York Times » Read More

Old China hands will tell you that Chungking Mansions has lost much of its edgy charm since its lifts were refitted five years ago, a nostalgia that seems more like a death wish when you see what the current elevators have to cope with. At 6pm on a Saturday afternoon, the queues stretch back down Chungking's fluorescent-lit tunnels. There are Indian touts and their Filipina girlfriends, exhausted backpackers, serene middle-aged American couples, don't-mess-with-me Russians and African women in voluminous printed dresses. They could be extras from Blade Runner forced into a fire drill. Financial Times Chinese » Read More

The gaming industry has been slammed by the global downturn, and unrest among the growing jobless ranks could grow. Beijing is stonewalling a U.S. request to open a consulate there to look after U.S. interests, worried that U.S. diplomats would actually stir up trouble.  China Rises » Read More

While pursuing criminal charges connected to the February 9 fire that gutted the Television Communication Center -- part of CCTV’s new complex -- investigators have focused on possible financial corruption involving high-level executives.  Caijing » Read More