· May, 2009

Stories about China from May, 2009

Taiwan: Chinese tourist arrested for spying

  31 May 2009

A Chinese businessman, visiting Taiwan as a tourist, was arrested for taking photos of a military facility in Taipei. The Far-Eastern Sweet Potato discusses the security implications. The Foreigner in Formosa comments on how he was released without bail.

China: Police harassment

  29 May 2009

Joel Martinsen from DANWEI translated Ai Weiwei's blog posts on how he was harassed by security “rice streamers” (meaning stupid polices) and lawyer blogger Liu Xiaoyuan's article explaining Ai's rights. Ai Weiwei's blogs hosted on Sina and Sohu have been suspended.

China: Deng Yujiao Case Reporters Assaulted

  29 May 2009

ESWN translated local forum news reporting on the assault of Southern People Weekly magazine reporter Wei Yi when he tried to interview the maternal grandmother of Deng Yujiao – the nail beautician who stabbed to dead a local government official in defense of sexual assault.

Hong Kong: SC group censored June 4th special feature

  29 May 2009

Daisy, an editor from Esquire, a lifestyle magazine under South China media group in Hong Kong, disclosed in her blog that the top management banned the publication of 15 pages June 4th special feature in its latest issue. The top rank company staff, after looking at the layout, said the...

China: 2009 Chinese Internet Research Conference

  28 May 2009

The 2009 Chinese Internet Research Conference started yesterday (May 27) at the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania. Ethan and Lokman have written their first day notes on the presentations in the conference in their blogs at My heart's in Accra and Global voices, one world. You...

China: Chinese study abroad students not welcomed back

  28 May 2009

Some local netizens are criticizing students returning from abroad for bringing swine flu back home. Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated a conversation between students studying abroad and local netizens on the antagonistic sentiment brought by the swine flu.

Palestine: Israeli Armed Police Disrupt Literature Festival

The Palestine Festival of Literature is a traveling cultural roadshow touring across the West Bank, in Palestine, from May 23 to 28. The aim is to take literary activities to Palestinians, who aren't allowed to travel under the occupation. However, the opening was marred when armed Israeli police ordered the theatre where the event was hosted to shut down. Bloggers from around the world reacted to the incident.

China and Hong Kong: June 4th protest T-shirt design

  26 May 2009

Every year on the Sunday before the anniversary of June 4th Incident (Tiananmen Square, 1989), people in Hong Kong would demonstrate to call for justice. This year, the 20th anniversary rally will be on May 31st. Moreover, on the evening of June 4th, there will be a candle night vigil...

China: Yingde Mass Incident

ESWN compared the official version and forum citizen report on the Yingde mass incident – a protest against government corruption and exploitation of overseas Chinese refugees from Vietnam who settled in Yingde in 1970s.

China: Should journalists be tried for bribery?

  26 May 2009

David Bandurski from China Media Project looked into into the trial of Fu Hua, a journalist, who was charged with bribery for accepting 5,000 yuan in exchange for a list of sources for a story about construction problems at an airport in Jilin Province. As David Bandurski pointed out the...

China: New development on Deng Yujiao's murder case

  25 May 2009

A concern group has been formed in Beijing to give support to Deng Yujiao, a nail beautician who stabbed a government official when defending herself from sexual assault. Joe Martinsen from DANWEI translated two statements, one by the government, one by Deng's lawyers, which gave very different story of Deng's...

China: A turmoil triggered by T-shirt

  22 May 2009

Lawyer Liu Shihui's T-shirt, on which a quote is printed, seems to have the power to attract police and disturb the social order. Below is a partial translation of Liu's blog entry about his experience in Guangzhou.

Taiwan: Minister encounters protest at WHA

  20 May 2009

Some Taiwanese students protested against the Taiwanese Health Minister Yeh Ching-chuan (葉金川) who is attending the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva. The students claimed he was selling out Taiwan by allowing the use of the designation Chinese Taipei at the WHA. The View from Taiwan looks at how the...

China: Future school safety, but not the past

  19 May 2009

David Bandurski from China Media Project looked into the education ministry's recent project on “secondary and primary school safety” and noticed that there was no mention at all of the collapse of shoddily constructed schools in last year’s Wenchuan earthquake.

China: The democracy movement since 1989

  19 May 2009

During the last mother's Day weekend on May 10th, a number of intellectuals in Beijing organized a seminar discussing 20 years of the democracy movement in China. This is a very significant event in breaking the long silence among intellectuals on the June 4th student movement, as well as in...

Hong Kong: Donald Tsang, please die!

  18 May 2009

Last week, the public was outraged by the Chief Executive Donald Tsang‘s remark on June 4 Incident in the Legislative Council's policy address in May 13. When asked about his personal view on the vindication of June 4 student movement, he answered: I understand Hong Kong people’s feelings about June...

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