Wandering China

AN 'OVERSEAS CHINESE' STUDENT'S JOURNEY INTO DISCOVERING THE IMAGINATION OF CHINA.

February 13, 2012 • 12:43 am 0

Chinese village experiments with democracy [AFP/AsiaOne]

Seemingly stimulated by the Wukan incident: China rolls out an official disclosure of democracy, perhaps a little ahead of time.

They’ve been having elections such as these for a while but the key difference is now the elections are no longer closed-doors.

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Chinese village experiments with democracy
AFP
Source – AsiaOne, published February 12, 2012 

A Chinese man casts his vote as thousands of residents take part in the voting for their first-ever open democratic elections for the village committee in Wukan, in Shanwei city, south China's Guangdong province on February 1, 2012, after they protested for months in autumn in 2011 against their allegedly corrupt leaders. Residents in Wukan won rare concessions after they faced off with authorities for more than a week in December in a row over land and graft, including pledges to hold free village polls. Photo: AFP

SHANGHAI – A Chinese village which staged an extraordinary rebellion against authorities last year has taken a key step in a process to freely elect its own governing committee, residents said Sunday.

Thousands of residents of Wukan in the southern province of Guangdong voted Saturday for more than 100 representatives who will put forward candidates for a seven-member village committee to be elected in March, they said.

The move followed protests by the village last December when they faced off with authorities for more than a week in an uproar over land grabs. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: AFP, AsiaOne, Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, Chinese Model, Corruption, Democracy, Government & Policy, Mapping Feelings, New Leadership, Peaceful Development, Politics, Public Diplomacy, Social, The Chinese Identity, The construction of Chinese and Non-Chinese identities, Wukan

February 6, 2012 • 2:51 am 0

China’s Wen urges ‘open’, ‘fair’ village elections [AFP/Yahoo]

Today is the Shangyuan Festival (上元节), commonly known as the Yuanxiao Festival (元宵节). It marks the 15th and final day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, thus completing the run of the Spring Festival. This day to the Chinese culture, is about cultivating positive relationships between people, families and nature. This act is traditionally  believed to be responsible for returning the light to each year.

With the return of the light, today we witness a spark toward the paradigmatic shift in the organisation of the Chinese: The Wukan uprising has created a resounding gong upward the chain of command, insofar as international+overseas-Chinese media coverage and the attention that central government has had to pay on the matter, and the compromise they’ve had to yield to the peasants.

Perhaps it’s time for blanket value judgements of China as communist to be reconsidered as Wen pushes for open elections at the village level, a departure from the previously closed-door elections  ’…because if there is no procedural democracy, then there is no real democracy.‘

It is also pertinent to note that despite the unrest that’s been generated from the social turmoil of the land grabs, the Wukan residents have at least been portrayed by both international and local media to still be supportive of the communist party.

For more on the elections, check out this Businessweek report here.

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China’s Wen urges ‘open’, ‘fair’ village elections
AFP
Source – Yahoo News, published Feb 6, 2012

China’s Premier Wen Jiabao called for open and democratic village elections in comments published Sunday, after unfair polls were part of the reason behind a rebellion against officials in south China.

Residents in Wukan village in the southern province of Guangdong faced off with authorities for more than a week in December in a row over land and corruption and won rare concessions including pledges to hold free village polls.

China — a one-party state where top leaders are not elected by the people — nevertheless allows villagers across the country to vote for a committee to represent them, but the process is often tainted with corruption and scandal. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: AFP, Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, Chinese Model, Culture, Democracy, Domestic Growth, Government & Policy, Influence, Mapping Feelings, Nationalism, Peaceful Development, Politics, Reform, Social, Soft Power, Strategy, The Chinese Identity, The construction of Chinese and Non-Chinese identities

January 17, 2012 • 2:03 am 0

‘VIP’ Chinese Pandas arrive for new life in France [AFP]

Chinese public diplomacy: Pandas as agents of diplomacy and proxies for international relations.

And now, the French get a piece of panda action despite repeatedly ‘hurting the feelings’ the Chinese in recent times. Threatening to snub the Beijing Olympics, the disturbance of the Paris leg of the torch relay by pro-Tibetan militants, and the making of the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen come to mind.

Panda diplomacy has existed as far back as the 7th century AD with Tang dynasty Empress Wu Zetian sending a pair to the Japanese emperor. One thing not reported here is that the Pandas are not ‘given’ for an indefinite period. They’re typically on ten year loans with a standard loan fee of $1m and a provision that any offspring during the loan are property of the PRC.

For more, check out Pat Nixon and Panda Diplomacy.

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‘VIP’ Chinese Pandas arrive for new life in France
AFP
Source – Yahoo News, published Jan 16, 2012

PARIS (AFP) – Two Chinese pandas got a red-carpet welcome Sunday when they arrived in Paris for a new life in a country zoo after Beijing put aside its differences with France and extended the hand of bear diplomacy.

The giant black and white bears — dubbed Very Important Pandas by the French media — arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport from Sichuan province in the “Panda Express”, a Boeing 777 specially decorated with a panda motif.

China’s ambassador to Paris, a French member of parliament and zoo staff were on hand to greet them before the pair were whisked off in a truck with a police escort to their new home among the chateaux of the Loire valley. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: AFP, Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, Chinese Model, Culture, European Union, France, Government & Policy, Influence, International Relations, Mapping Feelings, Media, Panda Diplomacy, Peaceful Development, Politics, Public Diplomacy, Soft Power, Strategy, The Chinese Identity, The construction of Chinese and Non-Chinese identities, Tourism

August 30, 2011 • 1:30 am 0

Mooncake tax sparks uproar in China: reports [AFP/Google]

So, the mooncake, both a symbol for defiance against Mongol invaders and staple in Chinese celebratory food culture is about to get taxed. Apparently, the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau (I did not see an indication of this from visiting their website, however) are making employees pay a personal income tax on moon cakes offered by their employers during the Mid-Autumn Festival,  the second most important on China’s lunar calendar after the Chinese New Year – the result? Public dissastifaction of course mediated by China’s twitter and facebook hybrid Weibo – which found that 96 percent of users opposed the tax on the sweetmeat, and many Chinese said they would prefer not to receive them at all.

‘The moon cakes, which are Chinese bakery products traditionally eaten during the festival, are considered a non-cash employee benefit that are normally included with personal income, and consequently the tax might be imposed if total income exceeds the minimum personal income tax threshold…’ See - Moon cake tax proposal stirs debate (Global Times, August 29, 2011)

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Mooncake tax sparks uproar in China: reports
AFP
Source – Google News, published August 29, 2011 

BEIJING — A decision by Beijing authorities to impose tax on mooncakes, a delicacy given as gifts for the Mid-Autumn Festival, has sparked an outcry in the Chinese capital, reports said Monday.

The cakes — heavy pastries containing sweet lotus seed paste — will from this year be considered a non-cash benefit and subject to income tax, the Global Times said, citing the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau.

A poll conducted by the microblogging service Weibo found that 96 percent of users opposed the tax on the sweetmeat, and many Chinese said they would prefer not to receive them at all. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: AFP, Beijing Consensus, Chinese Model, Culture, Domestic Growth, Economics, Google News, Government & Policy, Inflation, Lifestyle, Media, Population, Social, The Chinese Identity, The construction of Chinese and Non-Chinese identities

July 27, 2011 • 1:24 am 0

Race to the bottom: Chinese sub dives 5000 metres [AFP/The Age]

“If a craft like this improves China’s ability to collect oceanographic data, that’s going to improve its submarine capability and I suspect that will be seen as troubling by the United States in particular,” Mr Medcalf said, adding that China could use the data to better hide submarines that can launch nuclear weapons.

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Race to the bottom: Chinese sub dives 5000 metres
AFP with Glenda Kwek
Source – The Age, published July 26, 2011

Jiaolong ... the sub that can dive to 7000 metres. Photo: China Daily

A Chinese submersible has conducted the country’s deepest manned dive ever as it seeks to exploit the vast resources of the ocean floor.

The Jiaolong undersea craft – named after a mythical sea dragon – reached 5038 metres below sea level in a test dive in “an international area” of the Pacific ocean, the official Xinhua news said, citing the State Oceanic Administration (SOA).

Chinese technical capabilities have gathered pace in recent decades, exemplified by a fast-growing space program that in 2003 made China just the third nation to conduct manned space flight. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: AFP, Beijing Consensus, Influence, Infrastructure, International Relations, military, Modernisation, Research, Resources, Strategy, Technology, Territorial Disputes, The Age, U.S.

July 18, 2011 • 1:30 am 0

Beijing lashes out as Obama meets Dalai Lama [The Age/AFP]

Every meeting the U.S. has with the Dalai Lama urks the Chinese as it takes up significant mindshare in popular imagination. As China grows in its use of public diplomacy, this act of the U.S. meeting and giving ‘face’ to Tibet, no matter how significant in its application, is taken as the U.S. not giving face to China.

For more, the Tibet Sun’s headlines are all about this meeting today.

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Beijing lashes out as Obama meets Dalai Lama
Beijing
Source – The Age, published July 18, 2011

The Dalai Lama speaks to the media after his first meeting with US President Barack Obama in February last year. Photo: AFP

CHINA has lashed out at Washington after US President Barack Obama welcomed the Dalai Lama to the White House, saying the meeting has damaged relations between the two countries.

”Such an act has grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs, hurt the feelings of Chinese people and damaged the Sino-American relations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a written statement yesterday.

Mr Obama’s meeting with the Tibetan spiritual leader was a low-key affair, held away from the Oval Office where presidents traditionally meet world leaders. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: AFP, Beijing Consensus, Chinese Model, Democracy, Domestic Growth, Human Rights, Influence, International Relations, Media, Politics, Public Diplomacy, Resources, Social, Soft Power, Strategy, Territorial Disputes, The Chinese Identity, The construction of Chinese and Non-Chinese identities, Tibet, U.S.

July 2, 2011 • 1:52 am 0

China’s Hu warns corruption will cost Communist Party [Channel News Asia]

2011 and the birthday ‘dragon’ celebrates with a double edged sword of pomp and humility: the winner of the 20th century Chinese civil war re-asserts its position and vision celebrating its 90th birthday.

Humility and legitimacy rhetoric – In a keynote address (Hu: CPC must serve the people – China Daily, July 1, 2011) at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, three key points were made as Hu Jintao reminded Chinese leaders that alienation from the people (like how all previous dynasties fell since time immemorial, losing the mandate of ‘heaven’ (one can say the mandate of consent today) means the people always feel empowered to fight back).

Acknowledging the party is confronted with growing pains in the rapidly interconnected and glocalised landscape – he warned that incompetence lead to a divorce from the people and that corruption had to be seriously addressed and that democracy with Chinese characteristics was essential for the way forward.

1. Biggest political asset – Maintaining close ties with the people

2. Democracy vital – Without it there can be no socialism and socialist modernization

3. Young people – They represent the future and hope of the Party

The Pomp as I have highlighted in several posts building up to this day – ‘China, which likes to mark official anniversaries with pomp, has already released a star-studded patriotic film, launched a flagship high-speed rail link, and opened the world’s longest cross-sea bridge ahead of the party fete.’

President Hu Jintao (C), Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Wu Bangguo (R), and Premier Wen Jiabao are photographed with outstanding Party members and workers at the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, July 1, 2011. Photo by Xu Jingxing / China Daily

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China’s Hu warns corruption will cost Communist Party
AFP
Source – Channel News Asia, published July 1, 2011

BEIJING: Chinese President Hu Jintao on Friday warned on the 90th birthday of the ruling Communist Party that it still faced “growing pains” and that rampant corruption could lead to a loss in public confidence.

Hu made the comments in a keynote address at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to party leaders and members gathered to celebrate the anniversary of the CCP’s founding in 1921.

“The whole party is confronted with growing pains,” Hu said, telling the thousands-strong audience that “incompetence” on the part of some members and their “being divorced from the people” had created problems. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: AFP, Beijing Consensus, Channel News Asia, Charm Offensive, Chinese Model, Communist Party 90th Anniversary, Corruption, Crime, Culture, Democracy, Economics, Environment, Government & Policy, Greater China, Human Rights, Influence, International Relations, Media, Nationalism, New Leadership, Politics, Population, Public Diplomacy, Reform, Social, Soft Power, Strategy, The Chinese Identity, The construction of Chinese and Non-Chinese identities

June 16, 2011 • 10:50 am 0

China to step up fight against plastic addiction [The Age]

Better days ahead? As the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, these steps are brighter ones indeed. A check with Worldwatch Institute confirms this – China Reports 66-Percent Drop in Plastic Bag Use. If China can pave the way, that surely is a strong step towards showing itself as a positive world leader.

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China to step up fight against plastic addiction
AFP
Source – The Age, published May 29, 2011

China will expand a ban on free shopping bags, state media said, as it tries to further curb its addiction to plastic in a bid to rid the country of “white pollution” that clogs waterways, farms and fields.

Bookstores and pharmacies nationwide will soon be forbidden to give out free plastic bags, joining the ranks of supermarkets that have had to charge for shopping bags since June 1, 2008, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

On that day, China also banned the production, sale and use of ultra-thin plastic bags, becoming one of only a few nations around the world to take such tough measures. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: AFP, Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, Culture, Domestic Growth, Economics, Green China, Influence, Lifestyle, Politics, Public Diplomacy, Reform, Social, Strategy, The Age, The Chinese Identity, The construction of Chinese and Non-Chinese identities

May 29, 2011 • 6:00 am 0

China must avoid force in Mongolia: Amnesty [AsiaOne]

Find the report here - MONGOLIA: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2011 (published May 13, 2011)

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China must avoid force in Mongolia: Amnesty
AFP
Source – AsiaOne, published Sat, May 28, 2011

Photo – Reuters

BEIJING – Leading rights group Amnesty urged China Saturday to avoid a violent crackdown on ethnic Mongolian protesters, who have engaged in five days of protests against Chinese rule in Inner Mongolia.

Chinese authorities have ordered martial law in some areas in Inner Mongolia, in the nation’s north, where thousands have taken to the streets during five days of protests until Friday, the group said in a statement.

The unrest was sparked by the May 10 death of a Mongol herder, allegedly run over by a truck driven by a member of China’s dominant Han ethnic group. Amnesty said the truck driver had been arrested and charged. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: AFP, Beijing Consensus, Censorship, Charm Offensive, Chinese Model, Culture, Domestic Growth, Ethnicity, Human Rights, Inner Mongolia, Jasmine Revolution, Media, military, Nationalism, People, Politics, Population, Social, Territorial Disputes, The Chinese Identity, The construction of Chinese and Non-Chinese identities

May 18, 2011 • 1:36 pm 0

China our ‘best friend’: Pakistan PM [Straits Times]

Pakistan declares China its best friend as China was quick,and the first to show its support of Pakistan after the killing of Osama bin Laden by US Navy SEAL Team 6  in Operation Neptune’s Spear. ‘Both countries also see each other as an important counter-balance to India. To Pakistan, Beijing represents an uncritical friend, ready to provide aid, investment and military assistance.’

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China our ‘best friend’: Pakistan PM
Declaration comes amid tense ties with the US
Source – Straits Times, published May 18, 2011

Source - Straits Times

BEIJING: In an apparent dig at the United States, Pakistan’s prime minister declared China his country’s best friend as he began an official visit to China yesterday.

China, noted Mr Yousuf Raza Gilani, was the first country to show its support of Pakistan after the killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces in the northern Pakistani city of Abbottabad.

His statement came amid soured ties with Washington over the raid, which is expected to nudge Islamabad even closer to Beijing, an old ally. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: AFP, AP, Beijing Consensus, Charm Offensive, Chinese Model, India, Influence, International Relations, military, Pakistan, Politics, Public Diplomacy, Straits Times, Strategy

Calendar

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Good Reads

A History of Hong Kong (Welsh, rev. 1997)

Behind the Open Door: Foreign Enterprises in the Chinese Marketplace (Rosen, 1999)

Beyond the Chinese Face: Insights from Psychology (Bond, 1991)

Charm Offensive: How China's Soft Power is Transforming the World (Kurlantzick, 2007)

China and the Chinese Overseas (Wang, 2003)

China Off Center - Mapping the Margins of the Middle Kingdom (Blum & Jensen, 2002)

China Wakes (Kristof & Wudunn, 1995)

China's Transformations(Jensen & Weston, 2007)

Chinas Unlimited (Lee, 2003)

China’s Security Interests in the 21st Century (Ong, 2007)

Chinese among others - Emigration in Modern Times (Kuhn, 2008)

Chinese Kinship (Chao, 1983)

Chinese Nationalism (Unger, ed. 1996)

Chinese Strategic Culture and Foreign Policy Decision-Making (Feng, 2007)

Dialetic of the Chinese Revolution (Ci, 1994)

Don't Leave Home - Migration and Chinese (Wang, 2001)

Integrating China into the Global Economy (Lardy, 2002)

Interpreting China’s Grand Strategy - Past, Present and Future (Swaine & Tellis, 2000)

Kinship, Contract, Community & State (Cohen, 2005)

Re Orient - Change in Asian Societies (Vervoorn, 2006)

The Gare of Heavenly Peace: The Chinese and their Revolution, 1895-1980 (Spence, 1986)

The Great Chinese Revolution: 1800-1985 (Fairbank, 1987)

The Overseas Chinese of South East Asia (Witzel and Rae, 2008)

The Paradox of China's Post-Mao Reforms (Goldman and Macfarquhar, ed. 1999)

The Real Chinese Question (Holcombe, 1901) **

Understanding China: A guide to China's Economy, History, and Political Structure (Starr, 1997)

Understanding China and India - Security Implications for the United States and the World (Lal, 2006)

Weaving the Net: Conditional Engagement with China (Shinn, ed., 1996)

Where Underpants Come From: From Checkout to Cotton Field - Travels through the New China. (Bennett, 2008)

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