Is Business
China assesses its gold strategy
A key issue addressed by Chinese leaders at the National People's Congress this week is whether to let the country's currency rise to help restructure the domestic economy and rebalance the global economy. An important factor will be the role gold will play within the basket of China's reserves.
(Mar 10, '10) US ponders China's Southeast Asian rise
China's recent growth has entwined its economy more closely with those of neighbors in Southeast Asia, a trend strengthened by a free-trade agreement that came into effect this year. That is encouraging a re-evaluation in the United States of what this means for its own role in the region.
(Mar 09, '10) China hangs fire on Iran-Pakistan pipeline
As China continues to consider joining the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, with or without India, the United States needs to understand that Beijing's eventual decision will have repercussions across Asia.
(Mar 08, '10) US Congress picks at China's holdings
Politicians in the United States are concerned at the amount of US debt held by China - about US$1 trillion. Yet the amount may say little about Beijing's motives and everything about Washington's lack of political willpower and, as congressmen heard last week, the influence on them of companies with multinational interests.
(Mar 03, '10) Georgia toasts China growth
Georgian exporters of wine and water hit hard by the 2006 closure of the border with Russia, their most important market, turned to Asian markets for relief. The imminent opening of the border now offers a chance to build sales back up to previous levels, but the likes of Singapore and China perhaps offer a more reliable long-term bet.
(Mar 03, '10) Greater China
China has a Congo copper headache
China's US$9 billion barter deal to develop infrastructure in return for concessions on copper and cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo was seen as a win-win for Chinese companies and the African nation. But the project has fallen foul to the impoverished but resource-rich nation's Western creditors, setting China on a roller-coaster ride that could yet derail the "deal of the century".- Peter Lee (Mar 10, '10)
SINOGRAPH
Different takes on coping with change
Chinese filmgoers flocking to the futuristic American blockbuster Avatar are leaving their government-sponsored historical epic Confucius in its wake. The two movies are reflections of how different cultures respond to times of great transformation.- Francesco Sisci (Mar 10, '10)
Beijing seeks a shift in geopolitics
Beijing is pushing hard to change the rules of the global geopolitical game, envisioning a more powerful role for China. Although its ongoing tussles with the United States over issues including Taiwan, Tibet and trade are nothing new, China wants Washington to know it won’t be shy about playing hardball, given its much-enhanced global clout.- Willy Lam (Mar 10, '10)
'Bless you Mr Obama' on Myanmar
While the West boycotts Myanmar, Chinese influence is spreading across the country. But strong strategic reasons now exist for the United States to intensify its dialogue with the junta, and for President Barack Obama to change policy on a "boutique" issue that, as a former aide to opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi put it, is "starving our people''.- Stanley A Weiss (Mar 09, '10)
SUN WUKONG
Limp arm of the body politic
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference traditionally opens the annual political gabfest that is now taking place in Beijing. Even as its members remain toothless advisors and as public discontent with them grows, there is every reason for the Communist Party to keep the anachronistic body alive.- Wu Zhong (Mar 09, '10)
The PLA raises its voice
People's Liberation Army officers are increasingly making outspoken remarks on the hard line they feel China should take, particularly towards the United States. While their fiery rhetoric seems a natural outgrowth of the military's rising domestic influence, political leaders may also have planted the statements to surreptitiously rock the boat on strategic issues.- Peter J Brown (Mar 08, '10)
Wen plugs concerns over stimulus exit
China faces a "complicated situation'' through which to steer an economy emerging from the effects of global economic slowdown, although conditions have improved since the dark days of last year, Premier Wen Jiabao has told the National People's Congress. A pledge to maintain 8% growth and policy momentum to boost economic turnaround mean Beijing is unlikely to close the taps on fiscal stimulus unless inflation concerns overwhelm.- Olivia Chung (Mar 05, '10)
NGOs with Chinese characteristics
China's Education Ministry urged university students against volunteering for the programs of Oxfam International's Hong Kong arm, characterizing the organization as ''ill-intentioned". While it remains unclear whether the democratic leanings of Oxfam's head in the territory provoked the warning, it shows that, no matter how big or well-known, NGOs operating in China must toe the line.- Kent Ewing (Mar 05, '10)
SINOGRAPH
A new battle for Confucius
Chinese philosophers Confucius and Mozi engaged in fierce debates in the fourth and third centuries BC and Mozi was possibly more popular, but by the 19th century he was all but forgotten. In the past few decades Mozi's works have regained some popularity, and will gain more with a major new translation into English of his works. Of particular interest are his insights into military strategy.- Francesco Sisci (Mar 03, '10)
China all at sea over Japan island row
Taking aim at Japan's plans for the remote Okinotori Island, China has argued that Tokyo cannot create an economic zone there as atolls or reefs do not have an "independent economic life". But Vietnam is crying foul, saying Beijing argued the exact opposite regarding Hanoi's claims in the East Sea. China now hopes the world will overlook the dozens of other little "Okinotoris" dotting the South China Sea.
- Peter J Brown (Mar 03, '10)
US aims to turn China over Iran sanctions
The diplomatic battle over UN sanctions against Iran has shifted to Asia. Tehran in recent days has lobbied Tokyo, and the United States has finally turned its attention to China, the holdout power with a veto on the Security Council. As the US case has been unpersuasive on how sanctions could benefit China, two US envoys head there this week in an attempt to bring Beijing around to the US way of thinking.- Peter Lee (Mar 03, '10)
For religions, cyberspace is where it's @
The Dalai Lama embraced social networking on his recent visit to America after Twitter's founder opened a feed for the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. Within a day, @DalaiLama had almost 50,000 followers. The Dalai Lama joins many other leaders of the world's religions who are enthusiastically going into cyberspace to spread their messages.
- Saransh Sehgal (Mar 03, '10)
SUN WUKONG
Jiang gives China something to think about
The elevation of Jiang Zemin's ideas, including the Three Represents, to a body of "Thought" in the same manner as Mao Zedong's philosophies may grant the former supreme leader a status that can be likened to that of the Great Helmsman. Whether Jiang still wields significant post-retirement political influence is another matter.- Wu Zhong (Mar 02, '10)
Feud boils over at Hong Kong 'canteen'
The family owners of Hong Kong's rarified Fook Lam Moon restaurant are serving up the city's latest high-value domestic feud instead of celebrating an elevated Michelin ranking. Brother Five is suing Brother Seven over words that appear to have been thrown into the wrong pot at the "canteen for the rich".- Kent Ewing and Olivia Chung (Mar 01, '10)
Charter 08 and China's troubled liberalism
Charter 08, published at the end of 2008, was a clarion call for a new march to democracy that showed the progress that had been made in Chinese liberal and democratic thought since the 1989 democracy movement. However, the jailing of one its chief writers, Liu Xiaobo, has silenced many who share the charter's values and aspirations.- Feng Chongyi (Feb 25, '10)
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