Too rainy for you? Blame the government.
Shanghai summers are hot and humid, sometimes unbearably so. Last summer, the city’s high temperature remained above 95 degrees for a record 40 days in a row. And sorry Shanghai dwellers, summers aren’t likely to get better any time soon, because — as we all know — Shanghai is also one of the most polluted megacities in the world. What little bit of ozone our sky has left will likely be burned away soon. Automobile sales here are growing at a record pace — even though the roads are already overcrowded and the city has about one parking lot downtown — and factory emissions go largely unchecked. Oh, the country is also in the midst of an energy crisis because the government forgot to figure out how it was going to power its economy’s historic growth. Last summer, Shanghai experienced a series of power shortages because too many people were using their air conditioners at the same time.
But, have no fear, people of Shanghai. The government is coming to our rescue. It has a plan to solve all of our problems. The government’s going to make it rain, baby.
06.20.2004, 1:28 PM · News, Observations, Politics · Comments (10)
i challenge you to a personality contest
i generally avoid reading the chinese media … because, well, it’s the chinese media. but during lunch yesterday at rendezvous cafe — my new favorite shanghai slop house — i happened to glance at a china daily. and now, dare i say it, i think i might be addicted … because, well, it was hilarious. unlike most newspapers, state-run chinese newspapers aren’t bogged down with real news stories. they don’t confuse readers by offering two sides to every story. hell, sometimes they don’t report on stories at all — thus saving readers valuable time.
all this free space allows chinese newspapers to print some pretty weird shit. the onion ain’t got nothing on these guys.
03.20.2004, 11:27 PM · Humor, News · Comments (5)
so much news about china, so little time
i know i’ve left you hanging for several weeks now. so in case you were wondering, china cut its diplomatic ties with kiribati.
and the posturing and finger-pointing across the strait reached new, shrill heights with the contested referendum vote that started with bold talk of bolstering taiwanese democracy, and predictably ended in a compromise that created more ambiguity on taiwan’s integral position as china’s democratic territory that runs itself and seems to have diplomatic status, but not really. after needlessly getting their panties in a wad for a few days, the CCP was able to take satisfaction in the subsequent dissatisfaction of the pro-independence taiwanese.
the WHO cautions china as the country is moving quickly in testing its SARS vaccine. and it all started with the eccentric eating habits of those southerners.
an interesting, if not questionable move, as larger chinese cities are arguably already struggling to accommodate their burgeoning populaces:
China encourages mass urban migration (ft.com)
it could very well be that you don’t care one bit about all of this boring talk about chinese banks and bad loans. but china news will take an interest in this extremely important subject, not only because it is of great interest to the editor. and to standard & poor. sorry for you, just skip over the section if it puts you to sleep.
not one to disappoint, this edition of china news will close out with a little communist-sponsored safe sex, the next chinese model, china’s silicone wonder and rapping mao.
DISCLAIMER: the views expressed by the news editor do not necessarily reflect those of the shanghai diaries … but they probably do. no, the news editor is not dan. yes, the news editor is sometimes too busy to post editions of china news on a more regular basis. deal with it.
11.30.2003, 2:16 PM · News
i love china. honest, i really do.
combine an irresistible urge to procrastinate and an oncoming stream of sarcasm, and you get another issue of china news. good for you, of questionable benefit for me. but china news is all about the readers, the masses of you that are surely out there.
to get things started, the most laughably obvious statement of this edition: China admits it can do more to combat piracy (straitstimes.com)
a couple more rather pressing issues that china still considers to be less important than making plans for shenzhou reloaded and shenzhou revolutions:
China’s bad loan disposal worries Moody’s (ft.com)
Epidemic threatens to devastate China’s economy (globeandmail.com)
the CCP, being the pr darling that is has always been, throws yet another tantrum over taiwan’s latest outrage: a visit to the states combined with formalizing diplomatic relations with that international political giant kiribati (where exactly is this?). quick, see if you can jump to conclusions about taiwan’s clear moves towards independence as fast as china has.
winning this edition’s “most ballsy foreigners” award, read this story to learn how to very effectively use history to step on china’s toes. read this story to learn how to very effectively step on hong kong’s toes after trying the same thing before and nearly getting hk’s top communist bureaucrat torn to shreds by over half a million angry protestors.
like cabbage? the chinese used to. see how this ap writer managed to get a story published on the historical significance of chinese cabbage:
China’s appeal for cabbage withering (news.yahoo.com)
DISCLAIMER: the views expressed by the news editor do not necessarily reflect those of the shanghai diaries … but they probably do. no, the news editor is not dan. yes, the news editor is sometimes bitterly cynical. deal with it.
11.08.2003, 10:11 AM · News
bush vs. china
in this first edition of china news, president bush comes out looking like a surprise winner as he actually decides to put more stock in expert advice rather than interest group demands. suddenly, pushing for the revaluation of the chinese yuan as the top priority on the china-bashing agenda seems like a bad idea. read it to believe it:
Why Bush Won’t Bash China (caltradereport.com)
keep in mind that dubya’s prime, newsworthy competition consisted of SARS and the chinese communist government (aka gungho for shenzhou) which finally decided to acknowledge the existence of poverty and homelessness in china. a step in the right direction, but a miniscule step that has taken far too long. making an empty gesture of assitance and deciding not to throw beijing’s homeless in jail does little to help the problem. in fact, it doesn’t do much good for the CCP’s image, either:
China finally opens its eyes to surging homeless crisis (chicagotribune.com)
DISCLAIMER: the views expressed by the news editor do not necessarily reflect those of the shanghai diaries … but they probably do. no, the news editor is not dan. yes, the news editor is sometimes in a cranky mood. deal with it.
11.05.2003, 12:31 PM · News
blame china: part 473
Commission: China’s manipulation of its currency hurting US economy (news.yahoo.com)
WASHINGTON (AFP) - An independent review panel has determined in a report sent to the US Congress Wednesday that China is manipulating its currency, to the great detriment of US industry.The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, after hearing the testimony last month of economists, academics business and labor leaders and lawmakers, determined that “China, in violation of both its (International Monetary Fund) and (World Trade Organization) obligations, is in fact manipulating its currency for trade advantage.
The panel recommended in its report to the US Congress that the Treasury Department “immediately enter into formal negotiations with the Chinese government” over its currency the yuan, which the commission estimates is undervalued by between 15 and 40 percent.
Meanwhile a US lawmaker introduced legislation Wednesday calling on the George W. Bush administration to repeal permanent normal trade relations with China, saying the policy is destroying US manufacturing and threatens to eliminate US service industry jobs as well.
the gut reaction from a close friend: “so it’s ALL china’s fault. can you imagine if suddenly things from china started to cost 15-40% more? or if we just stopped receiving their exports at a large scale? what happened to all the economists who would say that just revaluing the yuan isn’t likely to help america’s manufacturing sector, because there are other problems at the heart of the job losses? argh.”
10.16.2003, 11:02 PM · News · Comments (1)
another reason not to eat fast food
bombs over hubei (news.yahoo.com)
the explosions were “planned.” good detective work.
09.23.2003, 6:42 AM · News
drew barrymore fights crime in henan … and other news
Squad of Chinese “Charlie’s Angels” act as bait to nab rapists (news.yahoo.com)
Policewomen in central China’s Henan province are tossing aside their uniforms and donning high heels, mini skirts and low-cut blouses in hopes of luring and nabbing rapists. The women are part of a special squad of young, attractive female officers recently formed by the city of Zhengzhou’s police department to serve as bait for sex assailants. … “In the past, we had male police officers dress up as women. They thought women were too weak to perform such work. But the men were not very convincing,” Liu said.
09.15.2003, 9:35 PM · News · Comments (3)
from the “it’s about time” department …
hong kong declares war on smoking (smoking, on an extended vacation in shanghai, could not be reached for comment)
bush’s job approval rating goes down (meanwhile, queer eye for the straight guy ratings continue to soar)
09.07.2003, 4:45 PM · News
worth reading: the dark underside of china’s economy
from the New York Times …
HANGZHOU, China — Migrant workers are China’s untouchables. They are assumed to be behind every unsolved crime. They are the yokels on the street corners of every city, barely able to speak Mandarin Chinese, wide-eyed with fascination or fear.They are also the dark underside of China’s economic success, which has been marked by annual growth of 8 percent for more than a decade and exports to the United States growing so fast that they have surpassed Japan’s. In general these people are vulnerable, pliable, cheap to employ and easy to suppress.
click here for the entire story.
09.07.2003, 2:00 AM · News
worth reading: will china’s boom go bust?
from the New York Times …
GUANGZHOU, China, Sept. 3 — Looming through the gray smog of every big Chinese city these days, high above the incessant rattle of jackhammers, are the construction cranes, slowly swinging back and forth over huge steel and concrete boxes wrapped with fine lattices of bamboo scaffolding.The question here and across the country, though, is how much longer the cranes will stay busy, and with them an economy that is powering a big chunk of the world’s growth and terrifying trading partners from Tokyo to Washington to Brussels.
While this week’s visit by Treasury Secretary John W. Snow has focused attention on the value of China’s currency, the yuan, the worry in China is that the economy is overheating.
click here to read the rest.
09.07.2003, 1:54 AM · News
i’ll believe it when i see it
from today’s new york times …
SHANGHAI — For many tourists, one of the indelible images of China is that of the cutie-pie baby wearing the pants with the giant hole on the bottom. If their timing is right, the tourists might even catch a toddler relieving himself, right on the street.Visitors may find this disgusting, or delightful, but they may not see such sights much longer, at least in the cities. China’s famous split pants may soon be eclipsed by the disposable diaper.
Urban consumers are embracing the diaper and turning China into one of the world’s fastest growing markets. Annual sales for some brands are climbing by 50 percent or more. Upscale stores are no longer carrying split-pants outfits, but rather shelf after shelf of diapers. Just about all of the babies who grace China’s sleek parenting magazines are wearing diapers.
click here for the entire story.
08.05.2003, 1:12 PM · News · Comments (6)
