Stories about Chinese from August, 2012
Controversial Tibet Theme Park Project Launched
Tibetan dissidents have described the USD 4.7 billion Chinese project as the “Disneyfication of Tibet.“ The park will first be used to shoot 'Princess Wencheng', a film about the niece of a Tang-dynasty emperor who married a Tibetan king.
Chinese Style Romance
Jing Gao from Ministry of Tofu has translated a Chinese video that explains the material conditions of love relation in China.
Taiwan: ‘National Health Insurance’ System in Crisis
The National Health Insurance system in Taiwan is quite often used as a model for reform in countries where health care depends on private insurance system. Yet, the inconvenient truth unknown to the outside world is that, the seemingly efficient health care system is built upon the exploitation of medical personnel.
Hong Kong: Occupy Central – Before Forced Eviction
The Occupy Central campaign in Hong Kong has lasted for more than 10 months and is probably one of the longest among the worldwide occupy movement. Recently the HSBC obtained a court order to evict the occupants by 9 pm, 27 August, 2012.
Taiwan: Corporate Lawsuit Threatens Academic Freedom
Dr. Ben-Jei Tsuang, an environmental engineer and professor, is the latest victim of a defamation lawsuit brought on by a big corporation, the Formosa Plastic Group, for his research. Dr. Tsuang's defense believes the lawsuit is 'intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense." Many legal experts suggest that Taiwan's current criminal defamation law is in violation of international covenants.
Hong Kong: Campaigning Against Cattle Relocation Policy
Agriculture was vibrant just decades ago in Hong Kong in rural areas, and yellow cattle were a particular feature. Pressure from local government to relocate 8 cattle in Mui Wo Lantau Island has been met with fierce protest by animal rights activists and local residents.
China: Cross-Province Hunting of an Investigative Reporter
"I exposed the official document of Jiansu Funing county which re-appointed 61 criminals back into the civil service." - Investigative reporter, Zhou Xiaoyun, is being hunted by cross-province authorities after exposing a corruption scandal.
Is China's Africa Policy Failing?
The news of a Chinese mining boss being allegedly killed by striking workers in Zambia has caught Chinese netizens' attention, prompting them to compare the working conditions in both countries and question China's policy of 'development-aid diplomacy' in Africa.
China's New ‘Black Five’ Categories – Social Threat or Core Strength?
During the Cultural Revolution in China, the term 'Five Black Categories' was used as a political label for cracking down on five social and political groups. Recently Chinese state media revived the political labels to describe human rights lawyers, underground churches and religions, dissidents, online opinion leaders and social minorities.
China: Hurdler Liu Xiang's Olympic Failure Provokes Fierce Debate
Liu Xiang', the former world-record holder of the 110-meter hurdles and 2004 Olympic champion in the same event, dropped out of the London Olympic Games without clearing a single hurdle in the race. Some Chinese are sympathetic, others are more frustrated by the failure.
China: Dissident Prosecuted for Leaking Staged Suicide Photo
Zhu Chengzhi, a 62 year-old dissident who leaked a photo of Li Wangyang's staged suicide is being prosecuted for state sedition.
Macedonia: Decades-Old International Poetry Festival in Focus
Portugese filmmaker André Soares published a short video documentary about the Struga Poetry Evenings, an international poetry festival held in Macedonia since 1962.