· November, 2012

Stories about Chinese from November, 2012

Spotlight on China's ‘Re-education Through Labour’

  28 November 2012

Ren Jiayu, a former village official in Chongqing, who was sentenced to re-education through labour for criticizing the government was released and put under the spotlight of state-controlled media. Many believe it is a showcase for upcoming reform in China after the 18th National Chinese Communist Party Congress.

Why Are Government Jobs in China So Popular?

  27 November 2012

More young people sat the National Public Servant Exam this year in China than ever before. Some believe young people seek job security while others worry the private sector is getting less competitive, threatening the country's economic development and reform.

Mistresses – China's New Corruption Warriors

  27 November 2012

In the past week, two corruption cases have been exposed, not by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China (CCP), but by the mistresses or second wives of the corrupted officials.

Did News Story on Riches of China's Premier Weaken Reformists?

  21 November 2012

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabo’s final days in office have been tainted by allegations that his family has used their power and influence to amass a personal fortune. The scandal also prompted China’s netizens to speculate on the internal struggle within the Communist Party.

300 Km Long March Against Rare Earths Refinery in Malaysia

  19 November 2012

To stop the Australian rare earths mining company, Lynas Corporation from operating a rare earths refinery in Pahang, Malaysia, a group of activists started a 300 km march, dubbed “the Green Walk”, from Kuantan to the Parliament in Kuala Lumpur on November.

Even Under New Leadership, China Looks Bleakly to the Next Decade

  18 November 2012

The week-long 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China finally came to an end on November 14, 2012. A new generation of leaders, headed by Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, took over from the previous leadership headed by Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao. One Chinese social media user comments, "Ten years ago, people had so much hope for a new pollcy, but the result was just disappointment. Ten year later, we don't have any hope, thus there will be no disappointment."

Laid-off Workers Turn from Victims to Debtors in Taiwan

  12 November 2012

Taiwan's Council of Labour Affairs (CLA), a government body in charge of protecting labour rights, wants to sue workers who were laid-off by private factories sixteen years ago. The council seeks money from the Legislative Yuan to bring legal action against more than 2,000 workers, who they say never returned the 'loan' the government offered as compensation for being laid off.

China: Intellectuals Debate Politics of Nobel Prize in Literature

  6 November 2012

Chinese writer Mo Yan won the Nobel Prize in Literature with the Chinese government's blessing. The achievement has stirred debate among Chinese intellectuals, with some believing that literature should be detached from politics, while others having pointed out that when it comes to China, literature is always about politics.

Nasty China Style Hits One Million

  5 November 2012

The most popular satire of Korean K-pop “Gangnam Style” in Hong Kong goes to “Nasty China Style”, which has reached more than 1 million views in about two weeks. The remix does not have fancy dancing steps, but the Chinese red army performance and its highly satirical lyrics (some may...

Water Pollution Threatens Lives in Inner Mongolia's Tengger Desert

  3 November 2012

Members of the Yellow River 10-Year Investigation team have begun reporting on the situation regarding water pollution in the Tengger Desert of Inner Mongolia. The team pointed out that black industrial water emitted by a coal chemical processing factory in the industrial district has been contaminating the desert's underground water, destroying the local herders' homeland and endangering the lives of those in the desert.

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Oiwan Lam
Oi wan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.