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

I’ve seen fights, I’ve seen people get robbed and beaten, I’ve seen a woman and child get run over by large dump trucks, I’ve even seen a dead body on the street (at least I think it was dead), I’ve had family tell me about kidnappings they’ve seen, I’ve had family robbed at knife point and I’ve been pick-pocketed numerous times myself.  I’ve had clients tell me about huge gang fights they’ve see while making side excursions in shopping malls!  I even chased down and dragged to the police station two guys who tried to steal my bike once.  But I’ve never seen anything like this before.  Silk Road International

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Now it is time for one final, bold stroke: an announcement that the Dalai Lama is willing to return without any preconditions. Though Beijing has said it would accept him back on those terms, it is possible that the Chinese leadership--mindful of the return of exiles like the Ayatullah Khomeini to Iran--will try to block his path or refuse to live up to its promise to allow the Dalai Lama to go back to Tibet.  TIME » Read More

The Tiananmen Mothers want the government to name the dead, compensate families and punish those responsible. BBC » Read More

"As a widely recognized authoritative English media outlet in China, China Daily has been publishing in the United States since 1983, only two years after it was founded," Qu Yingpu, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily told Xinhua. "But it is the first time we publish a specialized edition for our readers in North America. It is a milestone for us."  Xinhua » Read More

The Tibetan New Year, or Losar, is normally the most festive holiday of the year, when Tibetans burn incense, make special dumplings and set off fireworks. But this year, Tibetans have declared a moratorium on celebrating their own holiday, saying they will instead observe a mourning period for people killed last year during protests against Chinese rule.  LA Times
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