China to make sex-selective abortions a crime: China is to outlaw the selective abortion of female fetuses to correct an imbalance in the ratio of boys to girls that has grown since the one-child policy was introduced more than 20 years ago.
China's suicide bridge sentinel: A bridge in eastern China that had become a notorious suicide spot has seen a dramatic reduction of deaths in the last year, after one man began voluntarily patrolling it.
Long road to adoptions: Heather, now headteacher at The Drive Community Primary School in Felling, adopted her from an orphanage in Shenzhen, southern China. Ella was just 16 months old when they first met, an emotional experience that will stay with Heather for ever.
China welcomes 1.3 billionth citizen: A baby boy, China's 1.3 billionth citizen, was born at 0:02 Thursday in a Beijing hospital. "Both mother and son are in good condition."
It's a Boy as China Marks 1.3 Billionth Person: China named the first baby born at a Beijing hospital Thursday as the 1.3 billionth person of the world's most populous nation, more than two decades after a one-child policy was introduced to keep its numbers in check. [NYT: Reg. Req.]
China to continue population control efforts: China will continue its population control policy in a long period to come though it has become a low birth rate country, the State Commission for Population and Family Planning said Wednesday.
Reining in World's Largest Population: Official recognition that "The Day of 1.3 Billion" has arrived gives a small cause for celebration. China reached this much vaulted figure four years later than predicted.
Population policy coming of age: . . . All this shows the expertise of policy-makers to strike a balance between population growth, human needs and China's long-term social development.
This editorial cartoon is from China Daily. It shows an over-sized plane labeled "China" and asks, "Can't we fly any higher?" The answer is "No way! Too many passengers!"
Babies from same orphanage adopted by Stratham neighbors: Stratham residents Joe and Melissa Mastin lived within walking distance of Kevin Stickney and his wife, Michelle Dunklee, but the couples had never met. Both families had been working for more than a year with the same Brookline, Mass., adoption agency, China Adoption with Love, and had completed the application process. They first met last fall at a meeting of the Seacoast China Families Support Group while waiting for babies to be referred to them.
China trips build family in Manalapan: Pamela and Rich Stockwell moved to Manalapan from South Carolina just over three years ago. At the time, the Stockwells were a family of three with a daughter they had adopted in China. Now, with the adoption of two more Chinese babies, the family has grown to include two 5-year-olds and one 14-month-old.
'Who's Your Daddy?' is a ratings dud: Television viewers gave a collective shrug to Fox's attempt to turn a daughter's search for her birth father into a game show.
Fox's Daddy Doesn't Draw Crowd: Fox's much-maligned Who's Your Daddy reality special was no match for "Who's your top college-football team?" -- the Nokia Sugar Bowl Monday night -- or Fear Factor on NBC, or Still Standing on CBS, for that matter.
Fox reaches a new low with 'Daddy' show: The process of helping any child grow into a caring and confident adult is hard enough. But to do so in an ever-coarser culture where a person's deep psychological or physical needs are fodder for a game show? It's almost too hideous to contemplate.
Buddha's Warriors: The Story of the CIA-Backed Tibetan Freedom Fighters, the Chinese Communist Invasion, and the Ultimate Fall of Tibet has received very positive reviews from Amazon.com:
Buddha's Warriors is the first book that brings to life Tibet before the Chinese communist invasions and depicts the transition of peaceful monks to warriors with the help of the CIA. . . . Set in a narrative framework but relying heavily on the oral transcripts of the Tibetan men who actually fought the Chinese, Buddha's Warriors tells, for the first time, the inside story of these historic developments, while drawing a vivid picture of Tibetan life before, during, and after Mao's takeover. The firsthand accounts, gathered by the author over a period of seven years, bring faces and deeply personal emotions to the forefront of this ongoing tragedy. It is a saga of brave soldiers and cowardly traitors. It's about hope against desolation, courage against repression, atheism against Buddhism. Above all, it's about what happens to an ancient civilization when it is thrust overnight into the modern horrors of twentieth-century warfare.
Fodor has published a new travel guide for Beijing and Shanghai:
Hike to the top of the Great Wall, sample the street life on a riverfront boulevard, watch the sun set over the Forbidden City, spear a steamed pork dumpling or be soothed in Suzhou's age-old sculpted gardens—Fodor's Beijing & Shanghai, 1st Edition offers all these experiences and more! Our local writers have traveled throughout these cities to find the best hotels, restaurants, attractions and activities to prepare you for a journey of stunning variety. Before you leave for China's fastest growing cities, be sure to pack your Fodor's guide to ensure you don't miss a thing. With a glossary of Chinese phrases, and essays on Chinese culture, this guide is a must for any trip.
Renovated Shanghai Concert Hall to Mark Its 75th Birthday: The Shanghai Concert Hall is gearing up to celebrate its 75th birthday by unveiling a new logo early this month, just three months after its striking return with an almost full concert schedule for the new year.
Confusion Still Reigns Over Road Rules: Local implementation of widely debated national traffic laws went into effect in Beijing this month. According to the regulations, drivers of all motor vehicles in the capital will be liable to pay compensation to pedestrians or cyclists with whom they are involved in accidents. This is regardless of who was at fault.
Size of China's Aid Marks a Policy Shift, but Is Still Dwarfed by That of Richer Countries: China's response to the tsunami disaster is showing the nation's limitations as an aspiring superpower, despite its new and growing influence in Asia. [NYT reg. req.]
