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Liu Shao-qi: It's an anniversary of some sort

no@spam.com (Cam MacMurchy) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:30:00 PST

President Liu died for his cause. He wasn't afraid to speak up to Mao during the Great Leap Forward, when he saw the destruction that was being wrought in the countryside. Liu became disenchanted with communist rule because he saw that the revolution wasn't resulting in the promised utopia for the working class. He wanted changes, he wanted help for peasants, and he knew Mao was the cause of great suffering.

Democracy, China-style

no@spam.com (Cam MacMurchy) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:00:00 PDT

Despire widespread opposition (even racism, perhaps) of Senator Barack Obama, he's never been attacked. Nobody's thrown anything at him. In all of the years Canada's parliament has sat, amid all the raucous debates, nobody has thrown punches (or objects). Is it a security issue, or evidence that democracy will just work differently in China?

Moon mission completely unlike China's... really!

no@spam.com (Cam MacMurchy) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:00:00 PDT

The China Daily's irony department appears to be working overtime after a front-page story chalks up India's moon mission as an attempt at building up the country's "self confidence" after bad international press.

One world - Dream on

no@spam.com (Hugh J.) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:00:00 PDT

The theme was One World One Dream. I got the “One World” part, that’s pretty straight forward. The part that’s still a little fuzzy is the “One Dream”. Exactly what was this dream, and who had it? I've had a few dreams of my own. Allow me to list a few.

Wineries grow, but is anybody going?

no@spam.com (Cam MacMurchy) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:30:00 PDT

The thunder is crackling outside my window as I write this, from a beautiful hotel suite at the Chateau Bodega Langes in Hebei Province. The chateau and winery are stunning, like the Chateau Junding winery in Shandong Province I visited last month. While the wine industry is said to be growing in China, there's not much evidence of it here.

Lost in space

no@spam.com (Hugh J.) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:00:00 PDT

While the rest of the world was watching the global economy teeter on the brink of catastrophe, while more car bombs took the lives of innocent people, and while supermarkets spent the weekend clearing their shelves of anything that even rhymed with melamine, China’s media machine felt it was time for a ‘good news’ story.

Corruption and punishment

no@spam.com (Cam MacMurchy) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:30:00 PDT

After the SARS scandal was blown wide open, China’s leaders promised to do better in releasing important health information to the public. Yet we find that Chinese authorities knew about the melamine in milk products weeks before the public was told. We also find out that the Shenzhen nightclub was operating for over a year without a license or single inspection.

China builds a future while Canadians bicker

no@spam.com (Cam MacMurchy) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:30:00 PDT

I hope this is the lesson the West takes from China: To get things done, you need to set broad goals beyond the next election cycle and begin working to accomplish them.

In general terms, the Chinese seem to work together while we seem to work against each other. The competition out there is fierce and, in many ways, China has already surpassed us.

A proud moment

no@spam.com (Cam MacMurchy) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:00:00 PDT

If China considered this a "coming out party" it must be seen as a success. Any concerns about pollution, human rights, or Tibet seemed to vanish; despite some small banners being unfurled, none of the negative news really stuck.

Is she 16?

no@spam.com (Cam MacMurchy) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 05:00:00 PDT

If - and this is a big if - the gymnasts are deemed to be underage, the fallout will be huge. Forget the fact that medals will be stripped and China may lose face internationally; if they are proven to be underage it will point to an organized cover-up orchestrated in concert with a number of state-run sports associations and the Foreign Ministry, which issued the passports.