News

Gale, sandstorm assail northern China: Pictures

"Three-good" student system under revision: The "three-good" student honour system is being revamped after 50 years extolling the virtues of good morals, hard study and sporting excellence.

Melting snow wrecks 10,000 houses in northwest China: Nearly 10,000 houses have been destroyed and more than 25,000 damaged by flooding and landslides caused by melting snow in China's northwest Xinjiang region.

'China still highly repressive': More than 500 Chinese human rights activists have sent an open letter to the European Union urging it not to lift its arms embargo on China.

Local Story

Kinkaid student finds a new sibling in Chinese Sister: Every page of Just Add One Chinese Sister (Boyd Mills Press, $16.95) has a dozen memories for Conor McCarthy. The picture book he wrote with his mother, Patricia McMahon, recounts the family's adoption of Claire. Conor, 17, celebrated his 12th birthday in China during the family's 16-day odyssey to make Guan Yu, who was living in a home for children, part of their world. Conor chose the name Claire for his new sister, who turns 8 on Wednesday.

News

Vendors, Buyers Still Reserved on New Silk Alley: Beijing's old Silk Alley was one of the most popular destinations for visitors, famous for its silk products and fashionable fake designer clothes at cut-rate prices. The crowded, open-air market closed amid controversy in January this year, but was resurrected on Saturday in a brand-new building.

Rice Urges China to Embrace Religious Freedom: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged China Monday to embrace religious freedom and think about political reforms to match its economic opening. [NYT: free reg. req.]

In Life on the Mekong, China's Dams Dominate: China's ravenous appetite for hydroelectric power at home and its thrust southward into Southeast Asia in search of trade is changing the very character of the Mekong. [NYT: free reg. req.]

China has higher female employment rate: A study conducted by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor shows that the rate of Chinese female private business owners is higher than the world average, with more than 11 out of 100 females aged from 18 to 64 running a business.

China Related TV

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

Amazon Guide

waitingformymaimai on Amazon.com has posted a guide, "So you'd like to... adopt from China." Give it a look!

Beautiful China

Local Story

Chinese adoption story is an odyssey of love: As Julie and Craig Gaines strolled the streets of Nanchang, China, unexpected and remarkable episodes began to develop and kept recurring. People would walk up to them and lay a gentle hand on their just-adopted daughter, Emma Li, and, with a universal smile, utter in English, "Lucky baby."

The "One Child" Grows Up

When 'Little Emperors' Become Parents...: [In] 2004, there were 80 million families with only one child across China, according to Beijing-based Research Centre for Population Information. More than 6 million only-children from these families have entered the typical marriage and childbearing age range of between 26 and 35.

New Children's Book

Just Add One Chinese Sister is a new children's book for ages 4-8.

This lively picture book, based on a true story, is about an American family's adoption of a little Chinese girl. The story is told partly from the perspective of the girl's older American brother, Conor. As the book begins, Mommy and toddler Claire are having fun making a scrapbook about Claire, with photos, papers, and bits and pieces that show how the family went to China to get to know a little girl named Guan Yu and how they brought her home with them and, at Conor's suggestion, added Claire to her name (Claire Guan Yu). Enlivening the family's stories are Conor's journal entries, beginning with his anxiety and jealousy, and then gradually revealing the siblings' bond. The story is in the details, which are honest about Claire's initial fear and, later, her mischief and the joyful family love. Expressive watercolor artwork, in bright hues, depicts the warm and intense feelings. Adoptive families will welcome this.

Taiwan

One blogger evidently thinks the US has been a bit soft on China's law giving its military a legal basis to attack Taiwan if the island moved toward independence.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave China a stern warning today regarding their military buildup and publicly expressed plans to conquer Taiwan: "If you attack and conquer Taiwan using excessive force, we just might get annoyed. Maybe even irritable. For a while, anyway."

See a news article about Rice's statement here.