Must-read China news by Danwei

Apart from the Australian angle, it is interesting because it introduces a Chinese football legend that I had never heard of, a Hong Kong native called Li Huitang. The article says that in 1976, a German football magazine rated Li as being one of the world's five best football players. Li was influential in retirement as well, becoming Deputy Chairman of FIFA in 1966.

So, how come I haven't heard of this guy? He seems like the perfect example of Chinese soccer prowess and we all know that Chinese soccer desperately needs to be reminded about what is possible.

Posted by Joel Martinsen at 2:08 PM | Permalink

"There is only one correct figure you and Xinhua can report, and that is the official figure."

Now clearly it is common practice for the Chinese government to not so much massage statistics as give them a merciless pummelling for the people's consumption but it is rare to see such a glaring admission of governmental deception. According to the SCMP, Zheng was delivering the report (which included the real figure) in English to a multinational audience at the annual meeting of the China Association for Science and Technology in Wuhan. I presume that when he says "you and Xinhua" he is talking to the SCMP reporter directly with naive confidence that his comments would not be reproduced in print.

Posted by Joel Martinsen at 11:35 AM | Permalink

Instead of lecturing Chinese people on how bad they are, Reznor has elected to engage in dialogue. Chinese people are attracted to counterfeit goods for the same reason Americans are attracted to Chinese (and sometimes counterfeit) goods: they're cheaper. He's no fan himself of major record labels and their inflated CD prices. After their last contract album with Universal, NIN going to sell everything online, for "say, $4 an album".

Posted by Joel Martinsen at 11:27 AM | Permalink

There has been a great deal of speculation in media outside China lately that Li Keqiang (李克强), who is currently serving as party secretary in the northern province of Liaoning, will be pegged as Hu Jintao's successor - or "crown prince" (储君) - at the upcoming 17th National Congress. Without a doubt, Li Keqiang is one of the key figures to watch over the next few weeks. But as a note of caution, it would be careless to focus one's attention entirely on Li. Why is that?

Posted by Joel Martinsen at 11:15 AM | Permalink

Food prices ballooned by 18.2 percent in August, followed by consumer goods, which jumped by eight percent. Meanwhile, the prices of non-food products rose 0.9 percent, said the bureau.

Grain prices went up by 6.4 percent, cooking oil prices 34.6 percent, meat and poultry 49 percent, eggs 23.6 percent, aquatic products 6.2 percent, and fresh vegetables 22.5 percent, but fresh fruit prices dipped by 3.3 percent, said the bureau.

Posted by Jeremy Goldkorn at 11:06 AM | Permalink

the Shaanxi Ministry of Education cadre has presented all the identifications to Zhang Lijun and wrapped his hand around the shoulder to explain. But another five or six security guards emerged from a side entrance to the Xi'an International Studies University. They were led by a strong and powerful man over 1.8 meters tall whom I learned later was named Liu Gong. He is the director of the security division of the Xi'an International Studies University.

At this time, there were a dozen security guards. Zhang Lijun challenged again: "What are you? CCTV? If you have the guts, you come over here."

Posted by Joel Martinsen at 11:04 AM | Permalink

Posted by Jeremy Goldkorn at 10:45 AM | Permalink

Posted by Jeremy Goldkorn at 11:49 AM | Permalink

It's not every day that you get to sit and watch a senior Chinese diplomat rip Thomas Friedman 'a new one' (as we say in American colloquial parlance) as all the Chinese members of the audience cheer him on.

Posted by Jeremy Goldkorn at 11:44 AM | Permalink

Lenovo Group Ltd. plans to introduce the first desktop and laptop computers from its new consumer business unit early next year, Chairman Yang Yuanqing said Saturday.

The plan comes at a crucial juncture. Lenovo is trying to sell more personal computers to consumers and small businesses, a faster-growing segment of the PC market in the U.S., and rely less on sales to large companies, particularly in markets outside China. But it faces stiff competition from rivals including Hewlett-Packard Co. and Taiwan's Acer Inc.

Posted by Jeremy Goldkorn at 11:23 AM | Permalink

Liu's point is not subtle: today's foreign scrap exports to China are the moral and economic equivalent of the 19th century opium trade. Or, as the printed materials distributed at the opening put it: "...past opium is today's 'foreign' rubbish."...

Unfortunately, none of the "foreign rubbish" that Liu has installed at the Shanghai Gallery of Art is prohibited under Chinese or international law. That is, none of it is e-scrap. In fact, 99% of it is highly recyclable scrap plastic that fetches strong prices on the open market in China and the developed world.

Posted by Joel Martinsen at 10:18 AM | Permalink