Time Off

I'll be taking the rest of February off. Transitioning to the new weblog format is taking more time than I thought.

Until then, enjoy these wonderful pictures of China in winter!

Beautiful China

News

US presidential candidates play 'China cards': In a chaotic uproar democrats brought home to Bush's story of "fleeing military service", while republicans tried every means possible to "blacken" John Kerry, the democratic front-runner by saying that the Massachusetts senator "received election campaign fund from China". As the election draws near, signs began to show that the democratic and republican parties would play their "China cards" once again.

US calls on China to help curb spread of WMD: A senior US state department offical on Monday urged China to help curb the spread of weapons of mass destruction but stopped short of criticising Beijing over reports that nuclear weapons designs found in Libya came from China via a Pakistani network.

China Cracks Down on Spammers: The Chinese government is ratcheting up its efforts to fight unsolicited e-mail in a campaign with a distinctly political flavor, but officials face an uphill battle controlling spam.

Fires kill at least 90 people in China : Two fires, including a huge blaze at a crowded shopping centre, killed more than 90 people yesterday, battering China's already dire safety reputation.

News

New Geological Parks on the List: Eight Chinese scenic attractions have become the first group of UNESCO-designated world geological parks.

Chinese Photographers Awarded at World Press Photo: Two Chinese photographers have picked up awards at the World Press Photo 2004, one of most authoritative photography contests in the world.

News

China faces growing drugs problem: China has reported a worsening drugs problem which is said to be costing the country billions of dollars a year.

News

Fever of adopting Chinese children in United States: As statistics indicate there are more than 1.6 million foreign children under 18 years of age adopted by Americans at present. In 2002 alone, more than 21,000 children were adopted, of which, six thousand are Chinese, ranking first. It is estimated that in Washington D.C, capital of the US, there are more than 1, 000 families that have adopted Chinese children.

U.S. Breaks Ground on Embassy in China : The United States broke ground Tuesday for a new U.S. Embassy compound in the Chinese capital, billed by the American government as the largest State Department project ever built on foreign soil.

Mainland won't get involved in Taiwan's election: The Chinese mainland has not and will not involve itself in the election of the Taiwan region, and is not concerned about the election result, said Zhang Mingqing, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

U.S. Concerned About Chinese Missiles: A U.S. defense official said Wednesday that he expressed concern to Chinese officials about their buildup of missiles aimed at rival Taiwan and said Beijing might be damaging its own interests by increasing regional tensions.

Finally on DVD

Big Bird in China is finally on DVD and available through Amazon.com.

News

China Halts Poultry Imports From U.S.: China banned U.S. poultry imports Tuesday to ease growing fears about bird flu, announcing in an emergency notice that any American fowl that have already arrived at its ports would be returned or destroyed. (reg. req.)

China acrobats 'defect' in Canada: Seven acrobats from China's largely Muslim region of Xinjiang are reported to have claimed asylum while on tour in Canada.

Local Stories

More than just a play group: Just five years ago it was a mom who wanted to start a play group. Now, the Families with Children from China play group is probably one of the largest organized play groups in Racine, with about 30 children, an active e-mail list, parent nights and age-specific outings. It's even got kids taking home-based Chinese language classes together.

Couple's prayer answered from China: After almost a year of waiting, the hopes of adopting a Chinese infant are about to come to pass for a lake area couple. "We just heard from the adoption agency," an excited Harry Birdsong said Monday. "We should be on our way to China in about six to seven weeks." Those who know the history of 57-year-old Birdsong and his 41-year-old wife Carol's efforts to adopt shared their enthusiasm. Those becoming aware of the efforts can now understand.

China Related TV Guide

China Sprout posts a much-appreciated weekly guide for China Related TV listings.

Beautiful China

News

China [diaper] business tries to trademark Bush: A Beijing businessman has applied to use the Chinese name of US President George Bush to market his [diapers]. "Back in my hometown in Henan Province, the pronunciation of 'Bushi' sounds exactly like 'not wet'."

Inquiry into China New Year crush: Investigators in China have begun an inquiry into a festival stampede which killed 37 people and injured 15.

China hopes for private airlines: China's first private airline is to be set up this year and will serve western China, according to the technology company behind the project. Yinglian Airlines will be based in Chengdu, the capital of the south-western province of Sichuan.

Rules Set Minimum Wages for Workers: The Ministry of Labor and Social Security Thursday publicized on its website a special regulation on minimum wage that is the first of its kind in China.

Ancient Chinese Technology

The Ancient Chinese Technology webpage includes sections on agriculture, engineering, domestic and industrial technology, mathematics, physics, warfare, transportation, and natural discovery.

Did you know that the Chinese invented matches?

News

Beijing Renovating Tianning Temple: For the first time in more than half a century, two Christian churches will be built in the capital city. At the same time, plans to renovate two ancient temples for Buddhist and Taoist religious rites are in the works.

China refutes report of people inflected by bird flu: A press spokesman with China's Ministry of Health (MOH) here Tuesday refuted a report that there were people infected with the widespread avian influenza on the Chinese mainland.

Premier urges strict bird flu measures: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao urged governments to make preventing the bird flu epidemic a priority. Bird flu prevention is a tough job for China given its vast size, and backward conditions for poultry raising in most rural areas, Wen said.

U.S. Still Concerned Over Human Rights in China: U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who was in China last week, has urged Beijing to clean up its human rights record and discussed releasing more political prisoners on parole.

Q&A—Taiwan's ties with China: China's relationship with Taiwan looks set for another rocky patch as the island prepares for presidential elections on 20 March. A move to stage a referendum on the same day, asking about Chinese missiles, has alarmed Beijing, which worries that Taiwan could use the mechanism to declare formal independence.

News

Bird flu virus spreads in China: China has detected suspected bird flu in three more provinces, amid fears the virus has been under-reported.

Asia's Bird Flu Death Toll Rises to 12: A teenage boy in Vietnam and a woman in Thailand on Monday became the latest deaths from the bird flu as world health authorities sought to confirm the first possible case of human-to-human transmission of the virus. Bird flu has now killed 12 people in Asia and millions of chickens have been destroyed to prevent the spread of the virus. (reg. req.)

Millions of Chinese Watch Super Bowl: China tuned in to an American tradition Monday, with millions turning from morning routines to catch a glimpse of the NFL's Super Bowl live for the first time—and listen to play-by-play and commentary in Chinese. (reg. req.)

Chinese activists evade web controls: Chinese dissidents say that despite the government's best efforts to stop them, they are successfully using the internet to spread their messages ever more widely through the world's most populous country.

Beautiful China