· December, 2012

Stories about China from December, 2012

International Fast Food Chains Involved in China's Chicken Scandal

  28 December 2012

A number of international fast-food chains are involved in the latest food safety scandal to hit China. Nationalistic voices are reacting by calling for foreign brands to be kicked out of China, while some believe that the government is to blame for the lack of food safety control.

The Personal Lives of China’s New Leaders

  27 December 2012

Xinhua News has published[zh] a series of personal profiles of China's top leaders, including photos of their families, which was rare in Chinese media. The move was seen by many as another indication that China’s new leadership may have a different management style from their predecessors. Offbeat China has more...

What Did Chinese Web Users Search for in 2012?

  25 December 2012

Baidu, the leading search engine in China, has compiled two Top 10 lists —the most-searched terms online in 2012, and the “fastest rising” words or phrases. TeaLeafNation has a detailed analysis on what the lists mean.

China’s hottest “styles” of 2012

  25 December 2012

Because of the Korean pop hit “Gangnam Style”, the English word “style” has been popularized in China in 2012. On Dec 24,a local newspaper published a special round-up of the hottest “styles” on Chinese social media in 2012. The feature includes six categories: “Funny (幽默) Style”, “Strong (实力) Style”, “Emotional (感情) Style”, “Surprising (惊诧)...

Are Dynastic Politics Making a Comeback in East Asia?

  24 December 2012

First, Kin Jong-un took over North Korea after the death of his father. Then, Xi Jinping, the son of a communist politician veteran Xi Zhongxun, was announced the new leader of China. Last week, Park Guen-hye, daughter of South Korea’s longest-ruling dictator Park Chuang-Hee, was elected the new president.Chinese netizens...

China's Environment in 2012

  23 December 2012

From mass protests to trade wars, shale-gas drilling to hazardous cosmetics, chinadialogue has reviewed China's major environmental events in the past 12 months.

How the Chinese Government Uses Social Media in China

  23 December 2012

DANWEI has reported about the statistics and new trends in government use of social media in China based on The 2012 Sina Government Weibo Report[zh]. The report describes what types of government organizations are using Weibo accounts, ranks the most popular ones, and forecasts new trends for 2013.

China Cautioned: “The Internet is Not Outside the Law”

  21 December 2012

On December 18, 2012 China's government backed People's Daily published an article on the front page titled “The Internet is Not Outside the Law”. Most netizens feel disappointed by the cautious note and are worried that there will be more censorship online in the future.

Veteran Director Raises Curtain on China's Arbitrary Film Censorship Policy

  21 December 2012

The screening of controversial film V for Vendetta on the state broadcaster China Central Television has stirred up hope for censorship reform in China. On December 15, 2012, 70-year-old film director Xie Fei, a heavyweight in China's film industry and professor at the Beijing Film Academy, published an open letter on his micro-blog, advocating for the replacement of movie censorship with a rating system.

Chinese Responses to the North Korea Missile Launch

  20 December 2012

Adam Cathcart from Sino-NK has translated and collected a wide range of reports, comments and discussions from Chinese government, media outlets and concerned citizens about the North Korea Missile launch last week on December 12.

Xi Jinping: a hardline nationalist in control of China?

  20 December 2012

South Sea Conversations looks into the new Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping's political speech, in particular his talk about “the great revival of the Chinese nation”'s implication to foreign policy. To me it seems equally possible that Xi Jinping’s “nationalist” rhetoric, backed up by already-conspicuous action against corruption, will...

China:10 Best Weibo Stories of 2012

  19 December 2012

The Chinese internet is a fascinating place. Stories break online everyday. Despite the strong censorship, Chinese internet users are able to keep their sense of humor(and the censors at bay) by creating different buzzwords and memes. As the year comes to an end, TeaLeafNation has collected the 10 most funny and...

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