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China's annual economic growth surged to an 11- year high of 11.9 percent in the second quarter, cementing expectations for tighter policy to keep the world's fastest-growing major economy from overheating.
In cities nationwide, recruiters are prowling university campuses and expatriate hangouts in search of aspiring variety show performers, game show contestants, and film extras.
Pretty much any kind of foreigner will do, with one exception: "They definitely prefer people that don't look Asian," says American expatriate Ben Ross.
In recent weeks, Party officials have ratcheted up pressure on Chinese media to mind their political P's and Q's in the run-up to the all-important 17th National Congress. For Party leaders, the question of how China can put on its best face as international attention turns to the political session in Beijing now takes on fresh urgency.
This month, Chinese Journalist, a monthly magazine published by Xinhua News Agency that, along with People's Daily's News Line, is responsible for conveying the "management spirit" of state propaganda ministers, ran a piece about how media can convey to the world the great achievements of the Chinese Communist Party - by employing "the facts", no less.
Part memoir, part social commentary, part call to action, A China More Just is a penetrating account of contemporary China through the life of one attorney. Its selection of writings takes readers from a village in rural China to urban courtrooms, mountainside torture chambers, and the halls of a reluctant government. A China More Just is at once witty and raw, touching and wrenching, sober and playful.
(proxy required on the mainland)In the latest example of the puzzles and paradoxes coming from China's top leadership on the question of information openness, the vice-minister of China's State Council Information Office -- the office taking the lead in expanding censorship of the Chinese internet -- told China Central Television late last week that local leaders were 'naive' in trying to suppress negative news.
I oftentimes tell the story of a Shanghai expat apartment dweller who was in the process of renegotiating his lease when the apartment's top of the line office chair broke. The apartment dweller told the landlord he would re-up on the lease if the landlord would replace the chair. The landlord agreed and the deal was signed. Next day, the landlord dropped off a two dollar metal folding chair.
Dulled by censorship and dehumanized by all the other bad news out there, what seem matters of life and death to us can come off as stories of a developing country's aches and pains within China. Mainland journalists who have been tracking product safety issues for years tend to frame the situation in stoically historic terms that often dovetail into the "world's factory floor" defense.
But why are local officials so scared of Xinhua reporters? Surely they are just cuddly little things who only say nice things about the Chinese government. Actually it seems local government officials are genuinely scared of them, much more so than local newspaper reporters. A significant proportion - I have no idea of the figure - of Xinhua stories are for internal eyes only, passed up to the central leadership....Often Xinhua reporters play the "I'll tell on you" card to encourage local officials to start opening up. It is surprisingly effective.
The new audio tour is hit and miss. First off, I miss Roger Moore's 007 delivery and cheeky style. But the new system automatically does deliver an explanation as you approach a particular area. This is great because you don't have to follow any "turn left," "go forward," "put your right foot in take your right foot out,"-style directions. You look at a building and presto! A kindly older Chinese woman - who sounds suspiciously like Wu "There's 5000 years of Chinese history, Mr. Paulson" Yi - gives you a lot of decent information (she harps a bit about the 1900 Allied invasion against the Boxers, but it's pretty mild.)
The Chinese state oil giant, CNOOC, has won permission to search for oil in part of Somalia, underlining China’s willingness to brave Africa’s most volatile regions in its hunt for natural resources.
The Chinese company’s deal with Somalia’s transitional federal government gives it exploration rights in the north Mudug region, some 500km north-east of the capital. (article behind paywall)