Newsworthy: Christmastime in China

Many of the Christmas decorations that adorn American homes, shopping centers, and public places are actually made in China (where Christmas exists primarily as a commercial holiday).

A major wholesale market for Christmas goods is located in the city of Yiwu, in Zhejiang Province. The brief article below introduces you to some of the vendors in the Christmas market in Yiwu:

http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/shop/yiwu-twoandahalf-hours-christmas-889738

This video tour takes you around the market and introduces some of the buyers, who come not only from the U.S. but from around the world to buy Christmas goods for resale in their home countries:

http://tinyurl.com/ybkj3rp

Meanwhile, the manufacturing city of Dongguan in Guangdong Province has seen an upsurge in the demand for Christmas goods which in turn has created a shortage of workers:

http://157.166.224.109/video/news/2009/12/23/n_china_labor_crunch_xmas.cnnmoney/

The situation this year is a far cry from the economic downturn in 2008 which caused massive layoffs in the toy factories of Dongguan:

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1862717,00.html

Happy Holidays and see you back here in 2010!

Newsworthy: Cultural Diplomacy and Censorship

The Frankfurt Book Fair, the largest book trade event in the world, recently became the focus of controversy on account of a public tug of war between cultural diplomacy and censorship, and between China's status as the "honored guest" at the Book Fair and the simultaneous presence of Chinese dissident writers. The planning between the fair's organizers and Chinese publication officials had been in the works since 2006 and covered delicate topics such as whether or not political dissidents, government critics, or other controversial figures such as the Dalai Lama or Rebiya Kadeer could be present. The controversy began at a conference preceding the Book Fair, titled "China and the World — Perceptions and Realities," over the participation of two Chinese dissident writers. Despite the fact that the Chinese government relented on the issue of whether or not to allow dissidents and government critics to attend the Book Fair, German newspaper headlines proclaiming "China, the Unwelcome Guest" left members of the Chinese delegation feeling unfairly criticized and unwelcome.

An article about the Frankfurt Book Fair can be found here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/19/world/asia/19books.html?hp=&pagewanted=all

The official website for "China - Tradition and Innovation, Guest of Honor 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair" can be viewed here:

http://www.fbf2009china.com/frankfurteren/Index.html

Newsworthy: China's National Day

October 1, 2009 marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. News coverage of the National Day festivities is beginning to trickle in. The following article from the Wall Street Journal reports on the grand military parade that progressed toward Tiananmen Square in Beijing, as well as changes in National Day celebrations over the years that reflect growing prosperity and modernization in China:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125436303133555023.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLTopStories

The following piece from the BBC reflects upon 60 years of change in China through personal interviews and reminiscences:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8281431.stm

Finally, an audio slideshow provides a fascinating analysis of modern Chinese art from propagandist images of the Mao era to the 21st century international marketplace. The theme of change that is evoked elsewhere in the news media on this occasion is nowhere more apparent than when viewing the dramatic transformation in visual imagery between then and now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8279176.stm

Newsworthy: Lucky Day

September 9 (9/9) is considered an auspicious day because the number 9 (jiu) in Chinese is a homonym for the word meaning "for a long time." Therefore, the two 9s taken together mean "long-lasting." The fact that the year is 2009 adds to the auspiciousness of the day.

The couple pictured in this link was just one out of tens of thousands in China who chose to marry on this day because of its auspiciousness:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8246078.stm

The article below discusses how local officials responded to the great demand for weddings on 9/9/09:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8245765.stm

However, I wonder how well a Wednesday wedding would go over in the U.S., auspicious day or not!

Newsworthy: Obama to Visit China

From the Wall Street Journal, news that President Obama will visit China in November as well as an overview of current issues facing U.S.-China relations:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125093347603651425.html

Newsworthy: Dogs in India, Looking for Love

Newsworthy, or at least noteworthy, is the practice of matchmaking for pet dogs owned by the newly affluent in India. Not only do the dogs become members of the family, but their owners also try to find them mates, replicating the human family structure. At the same time, this practice cuts into the profits of professional breeders.

Sometimes, pets can tell us so much more about their owners than they realize!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/world/asia/18delhi.html?ref=asia

Newsworthy: Half the Sky

"Half the sky" is a reference to Mao Zedong's (1893–1976) famous statement that "Women hold up half the sky," indicating his public views on gender equality. (There has even been a women's talk show on Chinese television called "Half the Sky.") The following article from the New York Times Magazine by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn analyzes the startling impact of microfinance and other initiatives aimed at women in developing countries, including those in Asia:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23Women-t.html?_r=2&hp=&pagewanted=all