Must-read China news by Danwei

VOA reports on a tense press conference where Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu told foreign reporters that not abiding by rules could mean the cancellation of their work visas:

In a tense news conference Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu accused some journalists of deliberately inciting trouble while covering pro-democracy protests.

She warned those journalists accused of flouting the rules could not be protected under Chinese media laws.

Jiang said, however, that journalists who respect the rules will have the protection of the law.

She said there is no law to protect those who journalists who create what she described as "disturbances".

Jiang spoke after Chinese police warned foreign journalists this week to obey new restrictions on covering rallies called by an on-line protest campaign, or risking having their work visas canceled.

The New York Times also has a report.

Posted by Alice Xin Liu at 1:33 PM | Permalink

China Media Project:

While the arguable non-story of China’s “Jasmine protests” enjoys excited and widespread coverage internationally, boiling over into a tug-of-war over the very real harassment of foreign journalists in China, there is one potentially great big story missing from everyone’s agenda — the mysterious death of Chinese college student Zhao Wei (赵伟).

And yet, the chilling story of Zhao Wei, who was very possibly murdered by railway authorities on his way home to Inner Mongolia during the Spring Festival rush more than a month ago, goes to the very heart of the issues and anxieties that are of most immediate relevance to all Chinese, and could contribute to demands for change.

How can the government ensure safety of life and property for ordinary Chinese? How can Chinese find justice in a society where special interests can get away — possibly quite literally in this case — with murder?

Posted by Jeremy Goldkorn at 2:28 PM | Permalink

An interview with "artist, curator, writer, and director of the Shao Foundation, China’s cultural renaissance man Ou Ning [who] is also an acclaimed documentary filmmaker."

Posted by Jeremy Goldkorn at 5:56 PM | Permalink

The China Daily :

Police and firefighters have raised their vigilance levels in the capital ahead of the impending annual conventions of the country's top legislature and top political advisory body.

Measures to safeguard the sessions include a ban on unscheduled flying objects near the city and scheduled non-stop police patrols and intensified checks on traffic hubs such as subway stations…

…Meanwhile, a local newspaper reported on Monday that Beijing police had imposed a ban on any flying activities for sports, entertainment or promotional purposes within a 200-km semi-diameter of Tian'anmen Square from March 2 to March 15.

Posted by Jeremy Goldkorn at 2:16 PM | Permalink

Thoughts on the subject by Jiang Ping (江平), legal scholar and former president of the China University of Political Science and Law, translated by China Elections.

Posted by Jeremy Goldkorn at 1:58 PM | Permalink

China Digital Times provides a translation of Ran Yunfei's last post before his arrest.

Posted by Alice Xin Liu at 1:11 PM | Permalink

Jen Ambrose looks at some peculiarities of China's rental housing market:

I told him about our experience in Shenzhen with our apartment that sold while we were still living in it. It was then ans still is now hard for me to understand how our rent could be at least 3000 RMB less than the landlord's mortgage (we later learned an even higher number for the mortgage, like closer to 5000 RMB more. The selling price was more than US$250,000.

I could not grasp the disparity between rent and mortgage, nor the incentive to buy, and especially the incentive to buy multiple apartments as many people did (and still do). These weren't income properties but investment properties. It seemed the only money to be made is on future appreciation that would only come into being at resale.

Posted by Joel Martinsen at 11:31 AM | Permalink

Malcolm Moore writes for the Telegraph about rising denim prices in China:

As a result, Mr Atkins, the Hong Kong-based denim expert, warns that high street fashion have may have to slow down in pace a little. The days of so-called "throwaway fashion", where stores could sell garments cheap enough to be worn for a just a few months and then discarded, could be over, he said.

"Companies should be very scared, as throwaway fashion is now dead," he claimed. "For years they wanted to get more and pay less. They have pillaged the system in China. But now they are going to suffer."

In a follow-up, he notes an additional factor: Chinese jeans labels are paying top dollar for much of the supply.

Posted by Joel Martinsen at 11:24 AM | Permalink

Adam Cathcart invokes the name of Leighton Stuart and digs through the Huanqiu comment forums to read the implications of US Ambassador Huntsman's visit to the Wangfujing demonstrations last week.

Posted by Joel Martinsen at 11:16 AM | Permalink

Sunday in brief:

Premier Wen Jiabao yesterday took part in a hastily announced chat with netizens in which he talked about various problems in China. The chat was hastily announced, but not new: this is the third year running Wen has chatted to netizens in the lead up to the annual sessions of China's legislative bodies known as the liang hui.

There were no protesters in Wangfujing but plenty of cops and plenty of foreign journalists, some of whom got beaten up.

In Shanghai there seemed to be a crowd of citizens who had show up expecting something to happen and a few were bundled off by police.

The The Financial Times has published a comprehensive report of yesterday's events by Kathrin Hille and Patti Waldmeir.

Posted by Jeremy Goldkorn at 9:46 AM | Permalink

Posted by Jeremy Goldkorn at 8:32 PM | Permalink