Monthly Archives: January 2011

Lang Lang’s Political Career: Following in the Footsteps of Chairman Hu

Posted on January 30, 2011 by MPR

LANG LANG, the Chinese pianist, gives every impression of being a free and easy "musician, not a politician" when he's in the U.S.—but at all times he carries an important political task. As one of the 16 Vice-Chairmen of the … Continue reading →

Posted in culture | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Edelman’s Trust in China

Posted on January 28, 2011 by MPR

A FRIEND who is an investment researcher sent an amusing aside: Edelman, a famous and large consulting firm that should be able to get their hands on proper data, recently posted a survey claiming that the Chinese people's trust of … Continue reading →

Posted in miscellany, society | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Lang Lang’s White House Anti-US Song Choice Applauded

Posted on January 25, 2011 by MPR

Chinese pianist Lang Lang’s choice to play the nationalist anthem “My Motherland” at the White House state dinner continues to provoke debate. Lang Lang himself spoke to NPR recently denying that he attached any nationalist sentiments to the tune, which … Continue reading →

Posted in media, politics | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Chinese Students… Those Poor Chinese Students

Posted on January 22, 2011 by MPR

This past week, amidst all the official bafflegab and self-referential goody feelings during Chairman Hu's visit, an even odder story was unfolding. This wasn't part of the official narrative, and most media didn't pick it up. But we spent quite … Continue reading →

Posted in miscellany | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Gao Zhisheng’s Tortures; New Testimony Released

Posted on January 10, 2011 by MPR

The Associated Press published a 1,500 word piece on Gao Zhisheng today, recounting his plight to date and outlining some of the most recent torture he was put through. There was not much detail on that–he said it was worse than … Continue reading →

Posted in human rights | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Chinese Communist Party – Not Much Change From Yan’an to Now

Posted on January 8, 2011 by MPR

There is a fascinating cable about Xi Jinping that I latterly caught, talking about his personal characteristics, his upbringing, his views of the Party and the New China. People ought to read it. In doing that myself, what stood out were the … Continue reading →

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Was Chinese Village Chief Qian Yunhui’s Death Accident or Murder?

Posted on January 6, 2011 by MPR

The following, regarding the death of Qian Yunhui, is a translation of He Qinglian's article "Was Chinese Village Chief’s Death Accident or Murder?" posted on VOA. She looks at the unethical investigation methods, destruction of evidence, and coercion of witnesses by … Continue reading →

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China Heritage Quarterly 24: Within, a Gem from Liu Ts’un-Yan

Posted on January 3, 2011 by MPR

The new China Heritage Quarterly, a journal edited by Geremie Barmé from the Australian National University, has been out for a while now (since Dec. 22). Its content is always rich, and the editor never troubles himself with demotic appeal. … Continue reading →

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Wen Jiabao’s Name Appears Wrongly in People’s Daily

Posted on January 1, 2011 by MPR

WEN JIABAO's name was written wrongly in the People’s Daily on Dec. 30, in what amounts to a grave ‘political error’ in the world of Chinese official media. On the fourth page in the left hand corner, the second-from-top Chinese … Continue reading →

Posted in media, politics, the Party | Tagged , | 1 Comment