Chinalyst - China blogs in English http://www.chinalyst.net Your China Blog Community en Thu, 17 May 2012 08:35:02 +0800 Drupal TotalFeeds Module Chinalyst - China blogs in English http://www.chinalyst.net http://www.chinalyst.net/files/chinalyst-red.png 101 32 Video: Rude Laowai arguing with Chinese on a train :: Lost Laowai http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/expat-stuff/bad-laowai/video-rude-laowai-arguing-with-chinese-on-a-train/ Yet another for our “Bad Laowai” category. From Shanghaiist: A video now going viral on iFeng.com shows a white blonde male putting his feet over the seat before him and a Chinese female passenger’s head on a train from Shenyang to Beijing. It is not clear what happened before the start of this video, but the woman was clearly irritated by the man’s behavior. She stood up, turned around, and hit the man’s feet with a magazine, saying “you are a big shame to your country.” (“你真给你国家丢人”) However, the foreign man showed no intention to move his feet away and instead called the woman’s beating a “a massage.” The woman finally threw her magazine at the man as the man hurled other insults at her, saying she was “Shabi” (傻屄: “silly c*nt”). (read more) Read this article on the community site

Yet another for our “Bad Laowai” category.


From Shanghaiist:

A video now going viral on iFeng.com shows a white blonde male putting his feet over the seat before him and a Chinese female passenger’s head on a train from Shenyang to Beijing. It is not clear what happened before the start of this video, but the woman was clearly irritated by the man’s behavior. She stood up, turned around, and hit the man’s feet with a magazine, saying “you are a big shame to your country.” (“你真给你国家丢人”)

However, the foreign man showed no intention to move his feet away and instead called the woman’s beating a “a massage.”

The woman finally threw her magazine at the man as the man hurled other insults at her, saying she was “Shabi” (傻屄: “silly c*nt”). (read more)

]]> Thu, 17 May 2012 02:08:00 +0800 The Humanaught http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/expat-stuff/bad-laowai/video-rude-laowai-arguing-with-chinese-on-a-train/ china videos humour videos viral viral videos Chinese Student Expats in America Part 2 :: Interactive Expat http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InteractiveExpat/~3/Te-7ZTDB9bU/chinese-student-expats-in-america-part.html After my first post about Chinese student expats in America, a reader followed up with some additional questions for LaLa.Here are the questions from the reader and LaLa's answers: I wondered, she (LaLa) mentioned that we don't wash our fruit, does that mean we don't scrub it with bleach? Or that we don'thaveto wash off pesticides?I meant Americans just rinse the fruit and vegetables in water or they do not do it at all.(Later LaLa also mentioned she understands that food scares and questionable food handling practices are much less common in the States than compared to China and that she understands that the US has much less concern about these things overall.)Are there any habits that Americans have that she finds impolite or disgusting? Is there anything we should know NOT to do when interacting with a Chinese Expat?There is something that really shocked me at beginning, but I do it now. It's neither impolite nor disgusting to me. The first time I was in BOA, I didn't know how to seal the envelope. Because in China, glue is always provided. I asked a banker, she pointed to her mouth, I didn't understand. Then I asked again. She showed me how to do, using saliva. This is thought to be inelegant to use saliva in public in China (I know this is ironical because many Chinese spit in public).Interesting point that she brings up here. It would be unthinkable to do this in China. First, because most envelopes in China are not made with adhesive, and secondly, Chinese people would think its gross/unsafe to lick an envelope.Is she surprised at the party atmosphere from many of the American students? Does she feel Americans take college for granted?Haven't attended any parties held by American students. I heard its crazy, but many young Chinese in big cities are also crazy now. I don't know about American teenagers. But I found that American graduates are really interested in doing research. Not like most of Chinese graduates, they think higher education is a way to better life. For example higher education guarantees higher salary. Chinese tends to evaluate people by something that can be summarized as a number, such as grades and ranks of universities. It's easy to compare the numbers, and they want to make these numbers to be as precise as possible. In US, grades are letters, but in China, the grades are scaled between 0 and100, and 99 beats 98. These results is that the Chinese compete intensely to go to high ranked universities. People in a higher ranked university are thought to more competitive. This is why entrance exams are so important: how you do in that three days decides the rest of your life.What are some funny misunderstanding that she might have had with English idioms?No problems about the English idioms, but about how to read some names that are not English words originally, for example, "SanJose" and"Baja Fresh".Since I know LaLa pretty well, I must say her English is much better than she thinks it is. As a native English speaker though, I never thought of the difficulty foreign expats must have learning how to pronounce and understand many of the Spanish words we have adopted into our culture. This is especially true in California, where I live.LaLa is also a much better sport than I ever was when I was an expat in China. She will always try something once and if she doesn't care for it, she will never make a big deal out of it. I wish I was like that! Like this? Please tell a friend and follow :) Read this article on the community site

After my first post about Chinese student expats in America, a reader followed up with some additional questions for LaLa.
Here are the questions from the reader and LaLa's answers:

I wondered, she (LaLa) mentioned that we don't wash our fruit, does that mean we don't scrub it with bleach? Or that we don't have to wash off pesticides?
I meant Americans just rinse the fruit and vegetables in water or they do not do it at all.
(Later LaLa also mentioned she understands that food scares and questionable food handling practices are much less common in the States than compared to China and that she understands that the US has much less concern about these things overall.)

 Are there any habits that Americans have that she finds impolite or disgusting? Is there anything we should know NOT to do when interacting with a Chinese Expat?
There is something that really shocked me at beginning, but I do it now. It's neither impolite nor disgusting to me. The first time I was in BOA, I didn't know how to seal the envelope. Because in China, glue is always provided. I asked a banker, she pointed to her mouth, I didn't understand. Then I asked again. She showed me how to do, using saliva. This is thought to be inelegant to use saliva in public in China (I know this is ironical because many Chinese spit in public). 
Interesting point that she brings up here. It would be unthinkable to do this in China. First, because most envelopes in China are not made with adhesive, and secondly, Chinese people would think its gross/unsafe to lick an envelope. 

Is she surprised at the party atmosphere from many of the American students? Does she feel Americans take college for granted?
Haven't attended any parties held by American students. I heard its crazy, but many young Chinese in big cities are also crazy now. I don't know about American teenagers. But I found that American graduates are really interested in doing research. Not like most of Chinese graduates, they think higher education is a way to better life. For example higher education guarantees higher salary. Chinese tends to evaluate people by something that can be summarized as a number, such as grades and ranks of universities. It's easy to compare the numbers, and they want to make these numbers to be as precise as possible. In US, grades are letters, but in China, the grades are scaled between 0 and100, and 99 beats 98. These results is that the Chinese compete intensely to go to high ranked universities. People in a higher ranked university are thought to more competitive. This is why entrance exams are so important: how you do in that three days decides the rest of your life. 

What are some funny misunderstanding that she might have had with English idioms?
No problems about the English idioms, but about how to read some names that are not English words originally, for example, "San Jose" and "Baja Fresh".
Since I know LaLa pretty well, I must say her English is much better than she thinks it is. As a native English speaker though, I never thought of the difficulty foreign expats must have learning how to pronounce and understand many of the Spanish words we have adopted into our culture. This is especially true in California, where I live. 
LaLa is also a much better sport than I ever was when I was an expat in China. She will always try something once and if she doesn't care for it, she will never make a big deal out of it. I wish I was like that!

Like this? Please tell a friend and follow :)


]]> Tue, 15 May 2012 01:48:00 +0800 Milan http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InteractiveExpat/~3/Te-7ZTDB9bU/chinese-student-expats-in-america-part.html CTP Podcast: International Perspectives on Bo Xilai Case :: http://www.chinatalkingpoints.com/ctp-podcast-international-perspectives-on-bo-xilai-case/ Download audio file (the-bo-xilai-scandal-and-the) … [visit site to read more] Read this article on the community site

Download audio file (the-bo-xilai-scandal-and-the)
… [visit site to read more]

]]> Tue, 01 May 2012 22:29:00 +0800 Eric Olander http://www.chinatalkingpoints.com/ctp-podcast-international-perspectives-on-bo-xilai-case/ ccp china corruption global outlook media party podcasts politics Chinese Student Expats in America :: Interactive Expat http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InteractiveExpat/~3/OcT0zXy9LCQ/chinese-student-expats-in-america.html The US is seeing a boom in Chinese student enrollment. My hometown's university is the destination of many Chinese post graduates, looking for an opportunity to do postdoctoral research or work on their Masters or PhD degrees. There's also a growing number of Chinese undergrads joining the student ranks. Chinese students are now the number one group of foreign students at UCDavis.As word spreads that UC Davis ranks among the top public universities in the United States, it's becoming an attractive option for students facing intense competition to get into China's best schools. Freshman Lei Xue didn't get into Beijing University, considered China's premier school. Xue, 18, went online and researched American universities gaining prestige in China as springboards to careers on either side of the Pacific. "More and more Chinese students are thinking about studying abroad because the quality of education here is better," Xue said. "In China, there are big lectures with too many students, and it's much easier to pass." Xue, an economics major who whips around campus in green camouflage flip-flops on her neon-yellow bike, studies six hours a day. She said she does far more work than her friends in China. "China's grading policy depends on the finals," she said. "Here our grades include attendance, midterms, finals and class work." Beijing University is much cheaper – about $950 a year – but after a month in Davis, Xue believes she's better off, even at a cost of about $54,000 a year, including room, board, health insurance and other expenses. That would have been unthinkable for many Chinese five years ago, but as the country's economy and population grow, city and coastal properties are soaring in value and more Chinese are cashing in to send their kids to U.S. schools. Xue said that is how her family is paying. "We sold our old house in Changsha," a city of 6.5 million in Hunan province. "It's not easy; it's based on our savings," she said during a break between her four Monday classes. "My father's a research scientist; my mother's a CPA." Salaries are also going up in China, said Xue's statistics classmate Yanan Hu, an international relations major. His father works as a government inspector and his mother runs transportation services and an electronics business. "I plan to work for the Chinese foreign service," said Hu, 19, who moved to San Francisco as a high school exchange student to prepare himself for college in the United States. -- Sacramento Bee (November 7, 2011) With this influx of Chinese students seeking better jobs, a westernized education and a slice of the American dream, I wondered what it's really like for a Chinese student to leave China and be an expat in the U.S.Fortunately, a Chinese friend was willing to help me out. LaLa (as she preferred to be called in this interview), is about 30 years old has been married 5 years. She came to California to get her PhD without her husband who was also studying in the U.S. but at a different university. LaLa and her husband sacrificed a newly wed life together for the sake of their education and would only see each other on vacations and holidays. Now that LaLa has finished her research, she moved across country to be with her husband while she works on her dissertation. Here's our interview done by email. While brief, Lala's answers to the questions can be informative, especially if you are familiar with Chinese culture and read between the lines. Where are you from in China? And how did you get the opportunity to study outside of China and how do Chinese people view the opportunity to study in the US? I am from Hunan, not a rich province. I have a big family including my grandparents, uncles, aunties, parents and cousins, and I went to a university in Beijing, and had been living there for 7 years, in the on campus dormitories, 3-4 people sharing a bedroom. I applied for universities in US in 2007 and got a fellowship offer so I came to US. Until 1-2 years before I applied, Chinese people, especially college students, were enthusiastic to seek for any opportunities to go to developed countries. But in 2007, it was noticeable that a lot of college students found more opportunities in China, like work for top companies, like Microsoft, Google, Baidu, Sina, or work for government, which provides very nice benefit after retirement and discount for buying apartment. What field did you study and why? I am in Computer Science field, the reason is simple because I studied programming since I was 12. Did you have any culture shock experiences when you came to the US? What were they? Likes/dislikes? No really shock experiences, but I did find many life style differences and culture differences(I doubt these differences are Davis-specific). One thing is that American people don't wash fruit before they eat....hard to imagine this in China. No food is safe in China, poor Chinese people. And the recreation ways are different, Chinese people like shopping, but US people like sports. Did Americans make you feel welcome when you arrived? How did they treat you? Most Americans are friendly, but there are still some Americans who don't want to talk to people who can't speak English well like me. In China, you should not expect people treat you well, but in US, most people are nice, so the mean persons are very "outstanding". At least, international students are treated well in school. From a Chinese person's perspective, what would you tell another Chinese person if they wanted to come to the US? The living environment in US on average is much better than in China. For any Chinese person, if they don't miss Chinese food or their family very much, they would find their life in US more enjoyable. Later, I will ask Lala to continue the interview, where I ask her some more specific questions. If you would like to propose some questions, let me know. Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/07/4035042/chinese-are-now-the-largest-group.html#storylink=cp Like this? Please tell a friend and follow :) Read this article on the community site

The US is seeing a boom in Chinese student enrollment.

My hometown's university is the destination of many Chinese post graduates, looking for an opportunity to do post doctoral research or work on their Masters or PhD degrees. There's also a growing number of Chinese undergrads joining the student ranks. Chinese students are now the number one group of foreign students at UCDavis. 


As word spreads that UC Davis ranks among the top public universities in the United States, it's becoming an attractive option for students facing intense competition to get into China's best schools.

Freshman Lei Xue didn't get into Beijing University, considered China's premier school. Xue, 18, went online and researched American universities gaining prestige in China as springboards to careers on either side of the Pacific.
"More and more Chinese students are thinking about studying abroad because the quality of education here is better," Xue said. "In China, there are big lectures with too many students, and it's much easier to pass."
Xue, an economics major who whips around campus in green camouflage flip-flops on her neon-yellow bike, studies six hours a day. She said she does far more work than her friends in China.
"China's grading policy depends on the finals," she said. "Here our grades include attendance, midterms, finals and class work."
Beijing University is much cheaper – about $950 a year – but after a month in Davis, Xue believes she's better off, even at a cost of about $54,000 a year, including room, board, health insurance and other expenses.
That would have been unthinkable for many Chinese five years ago, but as the country's economy and population grow, city and coastal properties are soaring in value and more Chinese are cashing in to send their kids to U.S. schools.
Xue said that is how her family is paying.
"We sold our old house in Changsha," a city of 6.5 million in Hunan province. "It's not easy; it's based on our savings," she said during a break between her four Monday classes. "My father's a research scientist; my mother's a CPA."
Salaries are also going up in China, said Xue's statistics classmate Yanan Hu, an international relations major. His father works as a government inspector and his mother runs transportation services and an electronics business.
"I plan to work for the Chinese foreign service," said Hu, 19, who moved to San Francisco as a high school exchange student to prepare himself for college in the United States. -- Sacramento Bee (November 7, 2011)
With this influx of Chinese students seeking better jobs, a westernized education and a slice of the American dream, I wondered what it's really like for a Chinese student to leave China and be an expat in the U.S. Fortunately, a Chinese friend was willing to help me out. LaLa (as she preferred to be called in this interview), is about 30 years old has been married 5 years. She came to California to get her PhD without her husband who was also studying in the U.S. but at a different university. LaLa and her husband sacrificed a newly wed life together for the sake of their education and would only see each other on vacations and holidays. Now that LaLa has finished her research, she moved across country to be with her husband while she works on her dissertation. 
Here's our interview done by email. While brief, Lala's answers to the questions can be informative, especially if you are familiar with Chinese culture and read between the lines. 
 Where are you from in China? And how did you get the opportunity to study outside of China and how do Chinese people view the opportunity to study in the US?
I am from Hunan, not a rich province. I have a big family including my grandparents, uncles, aunties, parents and cousins, and I went to a university in Beijing, and had been living there for 7 years, in the on campus dormitories, 3-4 people sharing a bedroom.  
 I applied for universities in US in 2007 and got a fellowship offer so I came to US. Until 1-2 years before I applied, Chinese people, especially college students, were enthusiastic to seek for any opportunities to go to developed countries. But in 2007, it was noticeable that a lot of college students found more opportunities in China, like work for top companies, like Microsoft, Google, Baidu, Sina, or work for government, which provides very nice benefit after retirement and discount for buying apartment. 

What field did you study and why?

I am in Computer Science field, the reason is simple because I studied programming since I was 12.  



Did you have any culture shock experiences when you came to the US? What were they? Likes/dislikes?


No really shock experiences, but I did find many life style differences and culture differences(I doubt these differences are Davis-specific). One thing is that American people don't wash fruit before they eat....hard to imagine this in China. No food is safe in China, poor Chinese people. And the recreation ways are different, Chinese people like shopping, but US people like sports. 



Did Americans make you feel welcome when you arrived? How did they treat you?
Most Americans are friendly, but there are still some Americans who don't want to talk to people who can't speak English well like me. In China, you should not expect people treat you well, but in US, most people are nice, so the mean persons are very "outstanding". At least, international students are treated well in school. 

 
From a Chinese person's perspective, what would you tell another Chinese person if they wanted to come to the US?

The living environment in US on average is much better than in China. For any Chinese person, if they don't miss Chinese food or their family very much, they would find their life in US more enjoyable.

Later, I will ask Lala to continue the interview, where I ask her some more specific questions. If you would like to propose some questions, let me know. 

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/07/4035042/chinese-are-now-the-largest-group.html#storylink=cp
Like this? Please tell a friend and follow :)


]]> Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:51:00 +0800 Milan http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InteractiveExpat/~3/OcT0zXy9LCQ/chinese-student-expats-in-america.html Common China Manufacturing questions answered :: http://www.china-works.co.uk/blog/2012/04/common-china-manufacturing-questions-answered/ Common China Manufacturing questions answered There are some questions that we get asked by most customers, so we thought it would be helpful to share these on our blog: 1. How long are Chinese lead times? Lead times will vary by the size and type of the order, but 90% of production orders manufactured by China Works normally take around 30-35 working days. Tooling takes a similar amount of time for most orders. Most projects have a learning curve, so we would normally add another week or two to initial orders – to account for unexpected issues or problems. 2. How long will our order take to ship over? This depends on the shipping type, but a rough rule of thumb is as follows (the following figures are provided for China to UK) Shipping normally takes 35 days door to door Airfreight normally takes 7-10 days door to door Courier normally takes 3-5 days door to door 3. What additional costs should be added to the factory’s price? The factory’s price is normally ex-works or FOB (Free on Board). Ex-works means the price of the goods at the factory gates, so shipping, UK and China handling, duty and VAT need to be added. FOB means the price of the goods delivered to your ship or plane so shipping, UK handling, duty and VAT need to be added. All of the additional charges can be provided by a Freight Forwarder (if needed we can recommend a couple of Freight Forwarders that we’ve worked with for years) Some factories (normally those that makes off-the-shelf standard items) offer terms on a DDP (delivered duty paid) basis, which means the price delivered to your door. This is however less common than ex-works or FOB. 4. How can I calculate duty for my product? Duty is dependant on the type of good being shipped over. To find out the duty for your product you need to work out the relevant Commodity Code (Customs and Excise can advise, or look online). In our experience (of bringing over plastic or metal components) duty is normally in the range of 3-6%. Duty needs to be added to the ex-works price and unlike VAT is non-refundable. 5. How can I estimate shipping costs? If a factory quotes ex-works or FOB, then you’ll need to work out door to door shipping costs. These can be a little chicken and egg in that you won’t know how heavy or big your order is until it’s ready. However it should be possible for your factory to estimate the order weight/volume, meaning any Freight Forwarder should be able to provide door to door quotes. Note that shipping costs can vary a lot (up or down) over time and you will realise economies of scale as you start shipping greater volumes (a 20′ container is around £1500 – £2000; a 40′ around £2500 to £3000). 6. What are the normal payment terms? The majority of factories will require 50% upfront to kick-off an order. The remaining 50% is typically then due once the order is complete, or before the goods lands in the UK. Some factories will allow you to pay the remaining 50% when you’ve inspected the goods, but this is very rare for first time orders. Payment terms can be improved with factories as you develop a longer term working relationship. 7. How do you make your money? We charge £30 per hour for initial investigations, factory selection and providing a quotation. A typical job takes 5-15 hours, so a customer can expect to pay in the region of £150 – £450. Once the customer has progressed to order we (or our partners) add a commission of 10-20% to the factory prices based on the order volume and service level required. 8. Is it better to go to factories direct or via a China sourcing agent This depends on on your level of experience in dealing with Chinese suppliers, the type of goods you’re buying and how much time you have to dedicate to the project. If you’re buying standard items and have many years of buying experience you may be better off buying from factories directly. On the other hand if you’re buying complex OEM goods, and/or are new to China sourcing you may be better served by an agent. Agents will also have existing factory relationships, which you can leverage (rather than finding them yourself on China sourcing directories). 9. What minimum order quantity is required? Most factories will require an order of at least $5,000 to proceed. Some will produce smaller orders, but this may not give you priority over other customers resulting in project delays. A normal order size for China Works is in the $10,000 – $20,000 region, with some orders much small and some much bigger 10. What do China Works do? We help customers manage their end to end China manufacturing projects from initial factory sourcing, quotations, samples, tooling, production orders, quality control and logistics. We were founded in 2006 and have since built up a comprehensive network of factories in the greater Shanghai area, specialising in the production of plastic, metal, woods, glass and ceramic components. 11. Where are you based? We have a team of 7 engineers based in Shanghai and a team of 3 client managers and product designers based in London. Our Shanghai team are fluent in English and our customers are welcome to discuss their projects with them or the UK team 12. Is China suitable for inventors? Yes and no! Over the years we have worked with over hundred inventors and in the majority of cases it is probably better for these customers to start their production in the UK. This will give them more control over their project, while it’s still in it’s early stages and subject to change. Also most Chinese factories are looking for volume, which is something that most inventors are not typically in a position to provide. Exceptions to this rule are for inventions where the designs are complete; production can only take place in China; and initial order quantities are expected to be reasonably high We hope the above helps with your China manufacturing project, and feel free to contact the China Works team if you want to discuss in any more detail Read this article on the community site

Common China Manufacturing questions answered

There are some questions that we get asked by most customers, so we thought it would be helpful to share these on our blog:

1. How long are Chinese lead times?

Lead times will vary by the size and type of the order, but 90% of production orders manufactured by China Works normally take around 30-35 working days. Tooling takes a similar amount of time for most orders.

Most projects have a learning curve, so we would normally add another week or two to initial orders – to account for unexpected issues or problems.

2. How long will our order take to ship over?

This depends on the shipping type, but a rough rule of thumb is as follows (the following figures are provided for China to UK)

Shipping normally takes 35 days door to door

Airfreight normally takes 7-10 days door to door

Courier normally takes 3-5 days door to door

3. What additional costs should be added to the factory’s price?

The factory’s price is normally ex-works or FOB (Free on Board). Ex-works means the price of the goods at the factory gates, so shipping, UK and China handling, duty and VAT need to be added. FOB means the price of the goods delivered to your ship or plane so shipping, UK handling, duty and VAT need to be added.

All of the additional charges can be provided by a Freight Forwarder (if needed we can recommend a couple of Freight Forwarders that we’ve worked with for years)

Some factories (normally those that makes off-the-shelf standard items) offer terms on a DDP (delivered duty paid) basis, which means the price delivered to your door. This is however less common than ex-works or FOB.

4. How can I calculate duty for my product?

Duty is dependant on the type of good being shipped over. To find out the duty for your product you need to work out the relevant Commodity Code (Customs and Excise can advise, or look online). In our experience (of bringing over plastic or metal components) duty is normally in the range of 3-6%. Duty needs to be added to the ex-works price and unlike VAT is non-refundable.

5. How can I estimate shipping costs?

If a factory quotes ex-works or FOB, then you’ll need to work out door to door shipping costs. These can be a little chicken and egg in that you won’t know how heavy or big your order is until it’s ready. However it should be possible for your factory to estimate the order weight/volume, meaning any Freight Forwarder should be able to provide door to door quotes.

Note that shipping costs can vary a lot (up or down) over time and you will realise economies of scale as you start shipping greater volumes (a 20′ container is around £1500 – £2000; a 40′ around £2500 to £3000).

6. What are the normal payment terms?

The majority of factories will require 50% upfront to kick-off an order. The remaining 50% is typically then due once the order is complete, or before the goods lands in the UK. Some factories will allow you to pay the remaining 50% when you’ve inspected the goods, but this is very rare for first time orders. Payment terms can be improved with factories as you develop a longer term working relationship.

7. How do you make your money?

We charge £30 per hour for initial investigations, factory selection and providing a quotation. A typical job takes 5-15 hours, so a customer can expect to pay in the region of £150 – £450. Once the customer has progressed to order we (or our partners) add a commission of 10-20% to the factory prices based on the order volume and service level required.

8. Is it better to go to factories direct or via a China sourcing agent

This depends on on your level of experience in dealing with Chinese suppliers, the type of goods you’re buying and how much time you have to dedicate to the project. If you’re buying standard items and have many years of buying experience you may be better off buying from factories directly. On the other hand if you’re buying complex OEM goods, and/or are new to China sourcing you may be better served by an agent. Agents will also have existing factory relationships, which you can leverage (rather than finding them yourself on China sourcing directories).

9. What minimum order quantity is required?

Most factories will require an order of at least $5,000 to proceed. Some will produce smaller orders, but this may not give you priority over other customers resulting in project delays. A normal order size for China Works is in the $10,000 – $20,000 region, with some orders much small and some much bigger

10. What do China Works do?

We help customers manage their end to end China manufacturing projects from initial factory sourcing, quotations, samples, tooling, production orders, quality control and logistics. We were founded in 2006 and have since built up a comprehensive network of factories in the greater Shanghai area, specialising in the production of plastic, metal, woods, glass and ceramic components.

11. Where are you based?

We have a team of 7 engineers based in Shanghai and a team of 3 client managers and product designers based in London. Our Shanghai team are fluent in English and our customers are welcome to discuss their projects with them or the UK team

12. Is China suitable for inventors?

Yes and no! Over the years we have worked with over hundred inventors and in the majority of cases it is probably better for these customers to start their production in the UK. This will give them more control over their project, while it’s still in it’s early stages and subject to change. Also most Chinese factories are looking for volume, which is something that most inventors are not typically in a position to provide.

Exceptions to this rule are for inventions where the designs are complete; production can only take place in China; and initial order quantities are expected to be reasonably high

We hope the above helps with your China manufacturing project, and feel free to contact the China Works team if you want to discuss in any more detail

]]> Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:53:00 +0800 chinaworks http://www.china-works.co.uk/blog/2012/04/common-china-manufacturing-questions-answered/ Having a Baby in China :: Interactive Expat http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InteractiveExpat/~3/nUIGr0qYH7A/having-baby-in-china.html Here's another question I got today from Kristene in Seattle, WA USA: Myra, Hi, my name is Kristine and I currently live in Seattle, WA with my husband. His job has recently offered a job opportunity for him in Beijing and I am not sure where to turn for some advice. We are currently trying for our first baby which gives me some hesitation on moving to China. I saw that you moved back to the states before you had your son and I didn't know if you could offer me any incite. Thanks for your question and for taking the time to look at my blog! The following will be a mix of my personal experience/advice and even though I don't know your entire situation, I hope we'll have enough in common so that it's helpful to you. There were a few reasons why we decided to return to the US for our son's birth. First, we didn't have health insurance that would cover prenatal and birth expenses in China. A Chinese friend and I when I was almost 7 months pregnantin Beijing. I looked ready to pop even then! For the first seven months of my pregnancy, we did stay in Beijing and I paid for a prenatal package through Vista Clinic which is in the CBD area. It was Western style care where everyone spoke English. When I went there for my appointments, I almost forgot I was in China. I felt like I needed that. It was our first child, and I wanted to make sure I could have clear communication with my OB. The package was around a $1000 US, and covered everything up to birth. I was very happy with the quality of care I received from my doctor. Prenatal care and birth at a Westernized hospital, like AmCare or Beijing United, was anywhere from $15,000-30,000 and we definitely could not afford that out of pocket. So a return to California was made more financial sense for us. Second, our son was the first grandchild and great grandchild on either side of our families. It was such a big deal, we wanted both of our families to feel like they were as involved as possible. And lastly, I was a bit hesitant to try to give birth in China since I didn't know what to expect with the whole birth process. I decided I would be much more comfortable giving birth at a facility in my hometown that had an excellent reputation for supporting natural birth and water birth. I was happy my doula was with me and all my family was so close, so they could see me and our son as soon as he was born. I know the decision we made was right for us and I wouldn't change anything about my entire pregnancy and birth experience. The care I received in China was excellent. If I ever moved back to Beijing, and found myself pregnant again, I am confident I could stay there now that I know what to expect and the options I would have. Some things to think about before you make this big decision to move to China if you're trying for a baby: 1. What will your visa status be for you and your husband? Will you have a Z or F visa? If so, then it should be fairly easy to get a visa for your child after it would be born. After birth, you are given a period of time to get in touch with the US Embassy to get a passport and Certification of US Citizen Born Abroad (birth certificate) for the baby. Then, you must complete paperwork for a Chinese visa for the baby. 2. What kind of health insurance will you have? Will it cover any hospital of your choice? 3. If you have health insurance that covers Chinese hospital care only or do not have health insurance at all, would you feel comfortable receiving prenatal care and giving birth in a Chinese hospital or spending the money to go to a Western hospital? I have a friend who is pregnant in Beijing right now, and she has decided to stay there for the birth. Her husband found a Chinese hospital that accepts foreign women and has experience with them (in that they know us foreign women have different ways of doing things sometimes and they're cool with that). It sounds like the she is receiving excellent care and since they both speak Chinese, I doubt they will have any communication problems with the doctors and staff if English is not sufficient to clearly communicate something. Consider too that Chinese and Western birth practices can be very different when deciding which kind of hospital to choose. It will take planning and a lot of investigation into your options. be prepared to do a lot of homework. If you decide to move to China, ask other expat moms lots of questions. You can even tour and check out different hospitals before you are pregnant. There's no wrong choice when it comes to deciding to have a baby in China or the US...the options are endless! Even though it's a little older, Beijing Kids magazine had a good article about pregnancy and expats here. Thanks for your question! If you have more, don't hesitate to ask. :) Like this? Please tell a friend and follow :) Read this article on the community site

Here's another question I got today from Kristene in Seattle, WA USA:


Myra,
Hi, my name is Kristine and I currently live in Seattle, WA with my husband. His job has recently offered a job opportunity for him in Beijing and I am not sure where to turn for some advice. We are currently trying for our first baby which gives me some hesitation on moving to China. I saw that you moved back to the states before you had your son and I didn't know if you could offer me any incite.
Thanks for your question and for taking the time to look at my blog! 
The following will be a mix of my personal experience/advice and even though I don't know your entire situation, I hope we'll have enough in common so that it's helpful to you.
There were a few reasons why we decided to return to the US for our son's birth. First, we didn't have health insurance that would cover prenatal and birth expenses in China. 
A Chinese friend and I when I was almost 7 months pregnant
in Beijing. I looked ready to pop even then!
For the first seven months of my pregnancy, we did stay in Beijing and I paid for a prenatal package through Vista Clinic which is in the CBD area. It was Western style care where everyone spoke English. When I went there for my appointments, I almost forgot I was in China. I felt like I needed that. It was our first child, and I wanted to make sure I could have clear communication with my OB. The package was around a $1000 US, and covered everything up to birth. I was very happy with the quality of care I received from my doctor. Prenatal care and birth at a Westernized hospital, like AmCare or Beijing United, was anywhere from $15,000-30,000 and we definitely could not afford that out of pocket. So a return to California was made more financial sense for us. 
Second, our son was the first grandchild and great grandchild on either side of our families. It was such a big deal, we wanted both of our families to feel like they were as involved as possible. 
And lastly, I was a bit hesitant to try to give birth in China since I didn't know what to expect with the whole birth process. I decided I would be much more comfortable giving birth at a facility in my hometown that had an excellent reputation for supporting natural birth and water birth. I was happy my doula was with me and all my family was so close, so they could see me and our son as soon as he was born. 
I know the decision we made was right for us and I wouldn't change anything about my entire pregnancy and birth experience. 
The care I received in China was excellent. If I ever moved back to Beijing, and found myself pregnant again, I am confident I could stay there now that I know what to expect and the options I would have.
Some things to think about before you make this big decision to move to China if you're trying for a baby:
1. What will your visa status be for you and your husband? Will you have a Z or F visa? If so, then it should be fairly easy to get a visa for your child after it would be born. After birth, you are given a period of time to get in touch with the US Embassy to get a passport and Certification of US Citizen Born Abroad (birth certificate) for the baby. Then, you must complete paperwork for a Chinese visa for the baby. 
2. What kind of health insurance will you have? Will it cover any hospital of your choice? 
3. If you have health insurance that covers Chinese hospital care only or do not have health insurance at all, would you feel comfortable receiving prenatal care and giving birth in a Chinese hospital or spending the money to go to a Western hospital? 
I have a friend who is pregnant in Beijing right now, and she has decided to stay there for the birth. Her husband found a Chinese hospital that accepts foreign women and has experience with them (in that they know us foreign women have different ways of doing things sometimes and they're cool with that). It sounds like the she is receiving excellent care and since they both speak Chinese, I doubt they will have any communication problems with the doctors and staff if English is not sufficient to clearly communicate something. 
Consider too that Chinese and Western birth practices can be very different when deciding which kind of hospital to choose.
It will take planning and a lot of investigation into your options. be prepared to do a lot of homework. If you decide to move to China, ask other expat moms lots of questions. You can even tour and check out different hospitals before you are pregnant. 
There's no wrong choice when it comes to deciding to have a baby in China or the US...the options are endless!

Even though it's a little older, Beijing Kids magazine had a good article about pregnancy and expats here.

Thanks for your question! If you have more, don't hesitate to ask. :)

Like this? Please tell a friend and follow :)


]]> Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:53:00 +0800 Milan http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InteractiveExpat/~3/nUIGr0qYH7A/having-baby-in-china.html Introducing Leiden Weibo Corpus :: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConfusedLaowai/~3/z3iaygC2jfM/ My inner linguistic nerd is going crazy right now. This post released today from a member of Sinoglot, Daan, reveals that he has created a large Weibo corpus. For those not familiar with term, a corpus is a large body/collectinos of text, often used in linguistic research to study trends, frequency, discoure analysis and other interesting data. The LWC is an annotated linguistic 100-million word corpus containing 5.1 million messages from Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter-like microblogging service. It’s freely available online at http://lwc.daanvanesch.nl/. I’m a sucker for context lately. Whenever I want to see how a word is used, I go straight to Jukuu.com, instead trying to find the meaning boundaries with a dictionary. This tool by Daan will be an awesome new arsenal in contextual information, especially colloquial online writing. There are some useful stat pages as well, like a frequency list. It will be interesting to see how this differs other frequency lists. I already see a word, 分享, popping in at number 50 that you won’t find in other corpuses that high up, like Jun Da’s fiction corpus. 分享 means to share. You’ll see it everywhere on Weibo and social networking websites. Almost like retweet from Twitter. Have a look around and start exploring. I’ll bet you’ll find something interesting. Read this article on the community site

My inner linguistic nerd is going crazy right now. This post released today from a member of Sinoglot, Daan, reveals that he has created a large Weibo corpus. For those not familiar with term, a corpus is a large body/collectinos of text, often used in linguistic research to study trends, frequency, discoure analysis and other interesting data.

The LWC is an annotated linguistic 100-million word corpus containing 5.1 million messages from Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter-like microblogging service. It’s freely available online at http://lwc.daanvanesch.nl/.

I’m a sucker for context lately. Whenever I want to see how a word is used, I go straight to Jukuu.com, instead trying to find the meaning boundaries with a dictionary. This tool by Daan will be an awesome new arsenal in contextual information, especially colloquial online writing. There are some useful stat pages as well, like a frequency list. It will be interesting to see how this differs other frequency lists. I already see a word, 分享, popping in at number 50 that you won’t find in other corpuses that high up, like Jun Da’s fiction corpus. 分享 means to share. You’ll see it everywhere on Weibo and social networking websites. Almost like retweet from Twitter.

Have a look around and start exploring. I’ll bet you’ll find something interesting.


]]> Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:26:00 +0800 Confused Laowai http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConfusedLaowai/~3/z3iaygC2jfM/ learn chinese learning techniques Li Bingbing: Gucci’s Chinese torchbearer :: http://www.chinafashiontrends.com/2012/04/26/li-bingbing-guccis-chinese-torchbearer/ The brand was new in China then, having opened its first shop when Tom Ford was at the helm in 1996. At last count there were over 46 stores across china, six in Shanghai alone, its success mirroring Li Bingbing’s own rise to stardom. When creative director Frida Giannini was looking for a face for Gucci in China, Li Bingbing, was the natural choice – obviously a genuine fan of the brand. “I’m a Gucci girl!” She said proudly when the Telegraph met her on Saturday at the cocktail party to launch the new campaign for bags, jewellery and watches on the day Gucci presented its first ever show in China. She is a similar age to Giannini and does not have the passive beauty of some of the younger Chinese ‘it’ girls. “I really like the attitude in the pictures,” she says. “It’s very tough.” She strikes the pose, slightly narrowing her eyes and staring into the distance. “No excuses, no frills, it’s just Gucci. “It was like celebrating the New Year when I bought those first pieces when I was a student because I really loved the brand,” she recalls. And she keeps everything she buys and carries on wearing them. “It’s something that is worth keeping for a long time mainly because of the historical value of the designs. I feel I own a piece of Gucci history.” “The fashion world in China is still very young and developing but with the help of these large brands such as Gucci coming in, it is influencing a lot of creativity that is here. I trust there will be influential Chinese designers in the future.” Source: Fashion Telegragh UK   Read this article on the community site

The brand was new in China then, having opened its first shop when Tom Ford was at the helm in 1996. At last count there were over 46 stores across china, six in Shanghai alone, its success mirroring Li Bingbing’s own rise to stardom.

When creative director Frida Giannini was looking for a face for Gucci in China, Li Bingbing, was the natural choice – obviously a genuine fan of the brand.

“I’m a Gucci girl!” She said proudly when the Telegraph met her on Saturday at the cocktail party to launch the new campaign for bags, jewellery and watches on the day Gucci presented its first ever show in China.

She is a similar age to Giannini and does not have the passive beauty of some of the younger Chinese ‘it’ girls.

“I really like the attitude in the pictures,” she says. “It’s very tough.” She strikes the pose, slightly narrowing her eyes and staring into the distance. “No excuses, no frills, it’s just Gucci.

“It was like celebrating the New Year when I bought those first pieces when I was a student because I really loved the brand,” she recalls.

And she keeps everything she buys and carries on wearing them. “It’s something that is worth keeping for a long time mainly because of the historical value of the designs. I feel I own a piece of Gucci history.”

“The fashion world in China is still very young and developing but with the help of these large brands such as Gucci coming in, it is influencing a lot of creativity that is here. I trust there will be influential Chinese designers in the future.”

Source: Fashion Telegragh UK

 

]]> Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:12:00 +0800 NicoleChen http://www.chinafashiontrends.com/2012/04/26/li-bingbing-guccis-chinese-torchbearer/ fashion trends Delivering Dior to the Chinese Luxury Consumer Via DiorMag Chinese Edition :: http://www.chinafashiontrends.com/2012/04/26/delivering-dior-to-the-chinese-luxury-consumer-via-diormag-chinese-edition/ This March, Dior launched an online fashion magazine through their website filled with articles, images, current news and product galleries divided into various sections. With this new digital venue, the brand hoped to pose itself as a storyteller, entertainer, and purveyor of high luxury. Now, a third edition of the magazine has been published in Mandarin in honor of the haute couture collection Dior is presenting this week in Shanghai. It offers, among many other features, a behind-the-scenes look at the couture collection. “For a global fashion brand like Dior, you cannot be in the luxury industry and ignore China,” said Christine Kirk, CEO of Social Muse Communications, Los Angeles. “China has become a world hub for luxury brands because there is demand there. Affluent Chinese buyers look to luxury brands when making their purchases so this is a natural fit for Dior.” Some features the publication has released include an article called “An Affair to Remember” that looks at Dior’s ties to China through history. A “Countdown to Shanghai” gallery was also posted, allowing readers to see a fashion show invitation and sketches of the some of the designs that will be featured. The magazine is also promising pictures of celebrity guests at the show to build anticipation. “The digital channel is cheaper and quicker than any other option, so from that standpoint, digital is by far the right way to go,” said Vic Drabicky, New York-based premium and luxury brand digital strategist. “I would also say most luxury brands tend to lag behind the overall marketplace when it comes to digital marketing. Perhaps this is Dior noticing that trend and trying to adopt the digital channel quicker than their competitors. It supports any offline efforts they have and any stores they have, so by adding the digital channel, it gives Dior another way to communicate with customers in the region.” Other luxury brands, like Neiman Marcus Group and Chanel are exploring how to reach China in the Digital Age. Neiman Marcus took a $28 million stake in Glamour Sales Holding, a private ecommerce company rooted in Asia, and Chanel chose Tokyo as the host of its 113-photo exhibit taken by creative director Karl Lagerfield. The brand also created a complementary e-exhibition. “With one of the world’s largest populations, buying power in China is extraordinary,” Ms. Kirk said. “Delivering Dior to the Chinese consumer in a digital format they expect will positively impact Dior’s bottom line overall. Asian countries have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to technology and innovation. The Chinese consumer is used to receiving their information on-the-go and in a mobile or online environment.” Source: Red Luxury Read this article on the community site

This March, Dior launched an online fashion magazine through their website filled with articles, images, current news and product galleries divided into various sections. With this new digital venue, the brand hoped to pose itself as a storyteller, entertainer, and purveyor of high luxury. Now, a third edition of the magazine has been published in Mandarin in honor of the haute couture collection Dior is presenting this week in Shanghai. It offers, among many other features, a behind-the-scenes look at the couture collection.

“For a global fashion brand like Dior, you cannot be in the luxury industry and ignore China,” said Christine Kirk, CEO of Social Muse Communications, Los Angeles. “China has become a world hub for luxury brands because there is demand there. Affluent Chinese buyers look to luxury brands when making their purchases so this is a natural fit for Dior.”

Some features the publication has released include an article called “An Affair to Remember” that looks at Dior’s ties to China through history. A “Countdown to Shanghai” gallery was also posted, allowing readers to see a fashion show invitation and sketches of the some of the designs that will be featured. The magazine is also promising pictures of celebrity guests at the show to build anticipation.

“The digital channel is cheaper and quicker than any other option, so from that standpoint, digital is by far the right way to go,” said Vic Drabicky, New York-based premium and luxury brand digital strategist. “I would also say most luxury brands tend to lag behind the overall marketplace when it comes to digital marketing. Perhaps this is Dior noticing that trend and trying to adopt the digital channel quicker than their competitors. It supports any offline efforts they have and any stores they have, so by adding the digital channel, it gives Dior another way to communicate with customers in the region.”

Other luxury brands, like Neiman Marcus Group and Chanel are exploring how to reach China in the Digital Age. Neiman Marcus took a $28 million stake in Glamour Sales Holding, a private ecommerce company rooted in Asia, and Chanel chose Tokyo as the host of its 113-photo exhibit taken by creative director Karl Lagerfield. The brand also created a complementary e-exhibition.

“With one of the world’s largest populations, buying power in China is extraordinary,” Ms. Kirk said. “Delivering Dior to the Chinese consumer in a digital format they expect will positively impact Dior’s bottom line overall. Asian countries have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to technology and innovation. The Chinese consumer is used to receiving their information on-the-go and in a mobile or online environment.”

Source: Red Luxury

]]> Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:50:00 +0800 NicoleChen http://www.chinafashiontrends.com/2012/04/26/delivering-dior-to-the-chinese-luxury-consumer-via-diormag-chinese-edition/ fashion trends industry news Michael Kors Opens Beijing Store, Plans Further China Expansion :: http://www.chinafashiontrends.com/2012/04/26/michael-kors-opens-beijing-store-plans-further-china-expansion/ Michael Kors store has finally arrived in Beijing. The Beijing store is the brand’s fifth store in China, and its largest. The 2,400-square-foot store, which opened earlier this month, is located in the Shin Kong Place shopping  mall. The store carries accessories and ready to wear from both the Michael Kors line and the Michael Michael Kors collection, a more accessible line. “This city has such a fabulous energy. It  has rapidly developed into  a mecca for modern, cosmopolitan, global  style, which makes it a  perfect match for my design sensibility,” the  designer said. He describes his design aesthetic as “pragmatic indulgence.”  His clothes are luxurious, but classic and  flattering. The company expects to open a slew of stores in the greater China region, including 15 stores in the mainland. “We intend to open 15 stores in Greater  China this year. Over the next three to five years, we will have 100  stores open in this market,” said Michael Kors Holdings chairman John Idol. “We think we’re perfectly positioned to be one of the largest  luxury-goods companies in China,” said Idol. Michael Kors stores will be located in metropolitan centers like Beijing and Shanghai, and in  smaller cities such as Chengdu, Shenyang and Nanjing. Source: Red Luxury Read this article on the community site

Michael Kors store has finally arrived in Beijing. The Beijing store is the brand’s fifth store in China, and its largest.

The 2,400-square-foot store, which opened earlier this month, is located in the Shin Kong Place shopping  mall. The store carries accessories and ready to wear from both the Michael Kors line and the Michael Michael Kors collection, a more accessible line.

“This city has such a fabulous energy. It  has rapidly developed into  a mecca for modern, cosmopolitan, global  style, which makes it a  perfect match for my design sensibility,” the  designer said. He describes his design aesthetic as “pragmatic indulgence.”  His clothes are luxurious, but classic and  flattering.

The company expects to open a slew of stores in the greater China region, including 15 stores in the mainland.

“We intend to open 15 stores in Greater  China this year. Over the next three to five years, we will have 100  stores open in this market,” said Michael Kors Holdings chairman John Idol. “We think we’re perfectly positioned to be one of the largest  luxury-goods companies in China,” said Idol.

Michael Kors stores will be located in metropolitan centers like Beijing and Shanghai, and in  smaller cities such as Chengdu, Shenyang and Nanjing.

Source: Red Luxury

]]> Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:41:00 +0800 NicoleChen http://www.chinafashiontrends.com/2012/04/26/michael-kors-opens-beijing-store-plans-further-china-expansion/ fashion trends industry news Giving ChinesePod the deserved listen :: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConfusedLaowai/~3/1IwXAYta3LE/ Some kinds of media just don’t gel with certain language learners. Back in 2010, when I was still studying Chinese in undergrad classes, I gave ChinesePod a try. It just wasn’t for me. It was slow, not interesting and I just didn’t learn anything. But it wasn’t ChinesePod’s fault, it was mine. I took a terrible approach. Here’s why. I wanted to listen to everything, from the start. Looking back now, what a dumbass mistake. I started with some of the newbie dialogues, like “How have you Been?”. I found it so slow and boring. I gave up after listening to two podcasts. Silly me. Now last week I decided to check out ChinesePod again to see if I can get into it. I went straight to intermediate. Didn’t even touch newbie or elementary. I don’t get enough listening/speaking practice here in South Africa, so it’s something I need to work on. The intermediate level is excellent for me. The density of Chinese, mixed with the excellently timed English help from John is brilliant. Now I’m kicking myself for only doing this now. I’m putting the podcasts on my phone now and my morning walk to the lab on campus is exactly the right time for my walk. Read this article on the community site

Some kinds of media just don’t gel with certain language learners. Back in 2010, when I was still studying Chinese in undergrad classes, I gave ChinesePod a try. It just wasn’t for me. It was slow, not interesting and I just didn’t learn anything. But it wasn’t ChinesePod’s fault, it was mine. I took a terrible approach. Here’s why.

I wanted to listen to everything, from the start. Looking back now, what a dumbass mistake. I started with some of the newbie dialogues, like “How have you Been?”. I found it so slow and boring. I gave up after listening to two podcasts.

Silly me. Now last week I decided to check out ChinesePod again to see if I can get into it. I went straight to intermediate. Didn’t even touch newbie or elementary. I don’t get enough listening/speaking practice here in South Africa, so it’s something I need to work on. The intermediate level is excellent for me. The density of Chinese, mixed with the excellently timed English help from John is brilliant. Now I’m kicking myself for only doing this now.

I’m putting the podcasts on my phone now and my morning walk to the lab on campus is exactly the right time for my walk.


]]> Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:02:00 +0800 Confused Laowai http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConfusedLaowai/~3/1IwXAYta3LE/ chinesepod learn chinese learning techniques podcasts Benny’s 3-Month Mandarin Mission: A Follow Up :: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConfusedLaowai/~3/ABDWV1_NuIQ/ Benny’s Mandarin mission ended about two weeks ago. Here is his post and interview with John from Sinosplice. I did a big post when he started his mission, detailing my thoughts and concerns about learning Chinese in 3 months. Like many others, I was skeptical. Why wouldn’t one be? I talked about specific Chinese problems, but I also detailed my thoughts on why I think it’s hard to compare learning methods and an inherent paradox in the subjectivity of learning languages. The video above is his “last” video with John. I’m impressed, but for more than just his ability that he acquired in 3 months. Before his Mandarin mission, I was skeptical about his program and felt he was arrogant and had a dismissive attitude towards me and other commenters. The Mandarin missions was close to home as this a language I have learned myself, so seeing his progress made me realize just how much effort he put in. What I saw from other people, on reddit, on his videos, on his blogs, wherever, was that no matter what Benny did, people consistently bashed him. Yes, he did not make his initial goal of C1.Yes, reading Chinese is still a big part that he has to acquire.Yes, his accent is not hundred percent.Yes, he stumbles now and then and his first video was painstakingly slow. BUT, seriously, look at what he has done, he managed to spend every single day working hard. Extremely hard to achieve the C1 goal and gained some good conversational Chinese in the process. That’s the whole point. Aim high. Reading Chinese will come with more exposure and accent is a problem that can be fixed. I admire his tenacity, perseverance, patience and most of all courage to face such intense public scrutiny. That is what I learned the most from following his Mandarin mission and have gained a lot of respect, because of it. If it was me, I’d have crawled into a ball a long time ago. But, I feel, we have a responsibility to promote and uplift each other, even when we have extreme cases such as Benny, who makes “outrageous” claims. I have long since tried to look past the content of people’s goals and actions, but rather try and understand the attempt behind it. This is another case. The beauty is in the attempt, not the content. Well done Benny, I applaud you and hope your travels in China will be a fruitful experience and reap the benefits of all the hard work you’ve put in in the last three months. Read this article on the community site

Benny’s Mandarin mission ended about two weeks ago. Here is his post and interview with John from Sinosplice. I did a big post when he started his mission, detailing my thoughts and concerns about learning Chinese in 3 months. Like many others, I was skeptical. Why wouldn’t one be? I talked about specific Chinese problems, but I also detailed my thoughts on why I think it’s hard to compare learning methods and an inherent paradox in the subjectivity of learning languages.

The video above is his “last” video with John. I’m impressed, but for more than just his ability that he acquired in 3 months.

Before his Mandarin mission, I was skeptical about his program and felt he was arrogant and had a dismissive attitude towards me and other commenters. The Mandarin missions was close to home as this a language I have learned myself, so seeing his progress made me realize just how much effort he put in.

What I saw from other people, on reddit, on his videos, on his blogs, wherever, was that no matter what Benny did, people consistently bashed him.

Yes, he did not make his initial goal of C1.
Yes, reading Chinese is still a big part that he has to acquire.
Yes, his accent is not hundred percent.
Yes, he stumbles now and then and his first video was painstakingly slow.

BUT, seriously, look at what he has done, he managed to spend every single day working hard. Extremely hard to achieve the C1 goal and gained some good conversational Chinese in the process. That’s the whole point. Aim high. Reading Chinese will come with more exposure and accent is a problem that can be fixed.

I admire his tenacity, perseverance, patience and most of all courage to face such intense public scrutiny. That is what I learned the most from following his Mandarin mission and have gained a lot of respect, because of it. If it was me, I’d have crawled into a ball a long time ago. But, I feel, we have a responsibility to promote and uplift each other, even when we have extreme cases such as Benny, who makes “outrageous” claims.

I have long since tried to look past the content of people’s goals and actions, but rather try and understand the attempt behind it. This is another case. The beauty is in the attempt, not the content. Well done Benny, I applaud you and hope your travels in China will be a fruitful experience and reap the benefits of all the hard work you’ve put in in the last three months.


]]> Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:46:00 +0800 Confused Laowai http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConfusedLaowai/~3/ABDWV1_NuIQ/ general learning mandarin Hello world! :: http://www.sinohotelreservation.com/?p=1 Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging! Read this article on the community site

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2012 07:42:00 +0800 Winser Zhao http://www.sinohotelreservation.com/?p=1 uncategorized In the Heat of the Sanya Sun (Part 1) :: http://www.thebchand.com/thebchand/?p=1564 It has been a while (over a year according to my last entry) since I last sat down to type out a post. Although I’ve been remiss in my blogging responsibilities does not mean I have been doing my due diligence. Over the course of the last year I have actually collected  ((and continue to collect)) almost one legal manilla folder’s worth of notes, stories and ideas that I hope to eventually add to this space. No promises on a timetable or schedule of postings as life/work/commitments have a funny way of influencing ones blogging time especially when blogging for blogging’s sake. And so … Late last month, I was at a conference in South China for a few days. After the conference, I decided on a few days of R&R and since I was so close1 decided on Sanya. I arrived in Sanya and transferred directly to Yalong Bay where my frequent flyer miles had got me a good deal at a major five star resort. What I found when I arrived at the resort was that I was correct in thinking that there would be no tourist crowds but incorrect in not figuring out the plethora of conferences and conference attendees. Sanya, as it turned out, has become a veritable magnet for business and government junkets.2 In fact on my arrival the lobby was packed with at least two groups of conference attendees numbering about 50 each group. As I lined up to check in I discovered a truly unique circumstance that I ran into again and again over the course of the four days that I was there … namely that the attendees spoke freely about issues that I would think they wanted to keep absolutely private. I’m not sure why it was so … maybe they figured I couldn’t speak Chinese (although they most didn’t seem t o care about the other Chinese people that were within close earshot) or perhaps they just did not care who heard them. In any event, I overheard a lot (perhaps too much) at almost everywhere I decided to go be it the beach, bar, restaurant, hallway, elevator … and even the plane. At one point, I  began to think that this was an episode of Punk’d and at any moment Ashton Kucher3 would pop out and say, “Gotcha.” What follows is my rough chronicle of some of the conversations that I remember4 Beach Bar Beers, the G-side Always Wins and the End of the Innocence After settling into my room, I decided to go check out the environs. I headed to the beach but before I got there decided that my reconnoitering would be better after a beer or two so I pulled up a stool at the beach bar and ordered a drink. I was the only guest at the bar at first but halfway through my beer two youngish Chinese guys came in and sat at the two stools directly to my right. I did not pay much attention to them but one keep mentioning a “neibu ziliao”5. Now, in the work that I do, I am often told by Chinese partners that certain materials we use are or come across are “neibu ziliao” which means that it is for our eyes only and not meant for outside distribution. Naturally, after hearing the mention of “neibu ziliao” my interest was piqued. As I mentioned above I did not have to try hard to overhear the conversation as these two guys made no attempt to lower their voices. 4 beers later what I learned was that the guys were apparently customs officials. The internal memo that they were talking about detailed a situation where Beijing had recently determined a certain good was contraband and therefore had to be seized from henceforth. The problem was that the sale of the product was fairly common in the jurisdiction where the customs officials worked and prior to the directive from Beijing no one really considered it illegal nor did anything to stop its trade. The internal memo apparently went on to explain how local customs officials/police, prosecutors and courts were worried because all eyes were on them due of the abundance of the product available locally … they worried that because there was no precedent for them to follow, nor prior cases to give them guidance if they tried and failed would that failure become the precedent for other areas to fight against the regulation thereby destroying the plans of Beijing to control the product … in short they had no clue what to do although Beijing was demanding positive results. Stuck, the officials sought advice from Beijing. After some consideration, Beijing responded … telling the heads of the local court, customs and prosecutor’s office that they needed to harmonize their efforts and come out with resolution that could be used elsewhere in conformity to the results that Beijing wanted to see. And so the courts, customs and prosecutors got together and hashed out a plan: (1) customs officials would raid the largest dealers of the product and arrest all leaders; (2) prosecutors would authorize the arrests without any analysis of whether the arrests were done according to procedure or lawful and charge the defendants with the charge of smuggling the product and (3) the courts, regardless of any defense that might be offered, would find the defendants guilty as charged. Once the details were worked out between the courts, customs and prosecutors … the parties set out to accomplish the task which apparently they were successful at doing. Those initial cases apparently now provide the precedent and guidelines for all other cases nationwide that deal with regulation of that particular product. A perfect end to much needed policy goal. It seemed to me the reason why the two guys next to me where discussing that internal memo was because they were recently hired to their positions out of school and were discussing how the memo was contrary to all the ideals and principles they had learned in school on rule of law and ethical standards. In school while their professors emphasized all these ideals and principles but in real life they are just words. I also figured that at this time of year there wouldn’t be much in terms of tourist crowds Sanya, to my surprise, had a huge population of Russian tourists … so much so that almost every shop is bilingual—Chinese and Russian or whoever the current host of the show is with some minor changes internal memo Read this article on the community site

It has been a while (over a year according to my last entry) since I last sat down to type out a post. Although I’ve been remiss in my blogging responsibilities does not mean I have been doing my due diligence. Over the course of the last year I have actually collected  ((and continue to collect)) almost one legal manilla folder’s worth of notes, stories and ideas that I hope to eventually add to this space. No promises on a timetable or schedule of postings as life/work/commitments have a funny way of influencing ones blogging time especially when blogging for blogging’s sake. And so …

Late last month, I was at a conference in South China for a few days. After the conference, I decided on a few days of R&R and since I was so close1 decided on Sanya. I arrived in Sanya and transferred directly to Yalong Bay where my frequent flyer miles had got me a good deal at a major five star resort. What I found when I arrived at the resort was that I was correct in thinking that there would be no tourist crowds but incorrect in not figuring out the plethora of conferences and conference attendees. Sanya, as it turned out, has become a veritable magnet for business and government junkets.2 In fact on my arrival the lobby was packed with at least two groups of conference attendees numbering about 50 each group. As I lined up to check in I discovered a truly unique circumstance that I ran into again and again over the course of the four days that I was there … namely that the attendees spoke freely about issues that I would think they wanted to keep absolutely private. I’m not sure why it was so … maybe they figured I couldn’t speak Chinese (although they most didn’t seem t o care about the other Chinese people that were within close earshot) or perhaps they just did not care who heard them. In any event, I overheard a lot (perhaps too much) at almost everywhere I decided to go be it the beach, bar, restaurant, hallway, elevator … and even the plane. At one point, I  began to think that this was an episode of Punk’d and at any moment Ashton Kucher3 would pop out and say, “Gotcha.” What follows is my rough chronicle of some of the conversations that I remember4

Beach Bar Beers, the G-side Always Wins and the End of the Innocence

After settling into my room, I decided to go check out the environs. I headed to the beach but before I got there decided that my reconnoitering would be better after a beer or two so I pulled up a stool at the beach bar and ordered a drink. I was the only guest at the bar at first but halfway through my beer two youngish Chinese guys came in and sat at the two stools directly to my right. I did not pay much attention to them but one keep mentioning a “neibu ziliao”5. Now, in the work that I do, I am often told by Chinese partners that certain materials we use are or come across are “neibu ziliao” which means that it is for our eyes only and not meant for outside distribution. Naturally, after hearing the mention of “neibu ziliao” my interest was piqued. As I mentioned above I did not have to try hard to overhear the conversation as these two guys made no attempt to lower their voices.

4 beers later what I learned was that the guys were apparently customs officials. The internal memo that they were talking about detailed a situation where Beijing had recently determined a certain good was contraband and therefore had to be seized from henceforth. The problem was that the sale of the product was fairly common in the jurisdiction where the customs officials worked and prior to the directive from Beijing no one really considered it illegal nor did anything to stop its trade. The internal memo apparently went on to explain how local customs officials/police, prosecutors and courts were worried because all eyes were on them due of the abundance of the product available locally … they worried that because there was no precedent for them to follow, nor prior cases to give them guidance if they tried and failed would that failure become the precedent for other areas to fight against the regulation thereby destroying the plans of Beijing to control the product … in short they had no clue what to do although Beijing was demanding positive results.

Stuck, the officials sought advice from Beijing. After some consideration, Beijing responded … telling the heads of the local court, customs and prosecutor’s office that they needed to harmonize their efforts and come out with resolution that could be used elsewhere in conformity to the results that Beijing wanted to see. And so the courts, customs and prosecutors got together and hashed out a plan: (1) customs officials would raid the largest dealers of the product and arrest all leaders; (2) prosecutors would authorize the arrests without any analysis of whether the arrests were done according to procedure or lawful and charge the defendants with the charge of smuggling the product and (3) the courts, regardless of any defense that might be offered, would find the defendants guilty as charged. Once the details were worked out between the courts, customs and prosecutors … the parties set out to accomplish the task which apparently they were successful at doing. Those initial cases apparently now provide the precedent and guidelines for all other cases nationwide that deal with regulation of that particular product. A perfect end to much needed policy goal.

It seemed to me the reason why the two guys next to me where discussing that internal memo was because they were recently hired to their positions out of school and were discussing how the memo was contrary to all the ideals and principles they had learned in school on rule of law and ethical standards. In school while their professors emphasized all these ideals and principles but in real life they are just words.

  1. I also figured that at this time of year there wouldn’t be much in terms of tourist crowds
  2. Sanya, to my surprise, had a huge population of Russian tourists … so much so that almost every shop is bilingual—Chinese and Russian
  3. or whoever the current host of the show is
  4. with some minor changes
  5. internal memo
]]> Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:40:00 +0800 laosan http://www.thebchand.com/thebchand/?p=1564 Pantry by the Co-op, Shanghai :: http://www.thethirstypig.com/2012/04/11/pantry-by-the-co-op-shanghai/ Location Rating Pantry by the Co-op90 Nanyang lu, Xikang lu, Jing’An District, Shanghai南阳路90号近西康路+86 21 3255 7271pantry@bytheco-op.com, http://bytheco-op.com/Monday – Friday 7:30-18:30, Saturday & Sunday 8:30-17:00 2 PigsPrice Range 2 $/¥/NT What is the PantryThe Pantry is a small shop in the Jing’an district of Shanghai. They sell unique food items, like sandwiches, cookies, bagels, baked goods, and jams & jellies. The Pantry is a cooperative between a few small home-grown businesses, including Trencher Sandwiches, Strictly Cookies, Spread the Bagel, OMG Bakery, and Amelias’ Marketplace. This great idea is perfect for each of these speciality goods, since they have a permanent place to sell their goods, rather than open a full-time store on their own. You’ll find some of these vendors at the jishan farmer’s markets and other restaurants and stores throughout Shanghai. Amelia’s – jams and chutneysomg Bakery – cupcakesSpread the BagelStrictly CookiesTrenchers – British Style Sandwiches What did I eat?I have a special place in my tummy for cookies, so naturally Strictly Cookies was what I was drawn to. Since they were closing, I bought up the rest of the peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, and chocolate cookies. I have to admit, I didn’t even think about the price, till I left. But I realized that these cookies weren’t that cheap – at 5 for 35 RMB. Last time, I tried bagel with cream cheese, which I remember right on the spot. They’ll toast it and spread the cream cheese for you. I like that. What I wish for. . . I really hope the pantry grows and expands, since I wish their hours would increase. But I know the bulk of their business goes to breakfasts and lunches. Perhaps in the future, they could offer some seating for sandwich and lunch crowd, but their current location is just way too small. The Last WordSince I haven’t had the sandwiches, other baked goods, or the jams & Jellies, I really can’t judge the other items. I like the idea of combining forces to have this little shop for these specialty food items LinksThat’s Shanghai, Twitter, Shanghai Family, Untour Shanghai, City Weekend, Time Out Shanghai, Dianping, City Weekend Blog Post, Four Square Click on the Pictures below to enlarge Read this article on the community site

Some of the great jams & jellies

Location Rating Pantry by the Co-op
90 Nanyang lu, Xikang lu, Jing’An District, Shanghai
南阳路90号近西康路
+86 21 3255 7271
pantry@bytheco-op.com, http://bytheco-op.com/
Monday – Friday 7:30-18:30, Saturday & Sunday 8:30-17:00 2 Pigs
Price Range 2 $/¥/NT

What is the Pantry
The Pantry is a small shop in the Jing’an district of Shanghai. They sell unique food items, like sandwiches, cookies, bagels, baked goods, and jams & jellies. The Pantry is a cooperative between a few small home-grown businesses, including Trencher Sandwiches, Strictly Cookies, Spread the Bagel, OMG Bakery, and Amelias’ Marketplace. This great idea is perfect for each of these speciality goods, since they have a permanent place to sell their goods, rather than open a full-time store on their own. You’ll find some of these vendors at the jishan farmer’s markets and other restaurants and stores throughout Shanghai.

Amelia’s – jams and chutneys
omg Bakery – cupcakes
Spread the Bagel
Strictly Cookies
Trenchers – British Style Sandwiches

What did I eat?
I have a special place in my tummy for cookies, so naturally Strictly Cookies was what I was drawn to. Since they were closing, I bought up the rest of the peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, and chocolate cookies. I have to admit, I didn’t even think about the price, till I left. But I realized that these cookies weren’t that cheap – at 5 for 35 RMB.

Last time, I tried bagel with cream cheese, which I remember right on the spot. They’ll toast it and spread the cream cheese for you. I like that.

What I wish for. . .
I really hope the pantry grows and expands, since I wish their hours would increase. But I know the bulk of their business goes to breakfasts and lunches. Perhaps in the future, they could offer some seating for sandwich and lunch crowd, but their current location is just way too small.

The Last Word
Since I haven’t had the sandwiches, other baked goods, or the jams & Jellies, I really can’t judge the other items. I like the idea of combining forces to have this little shop for these specialty food items

Links
That’s Shanghai, Twitter, Shanghai Family, Untour Shanghai, City Weekend, Time Out Shanghai, Dianping, City Weekend Blog Post, Four Square

Click on the Pictures below to enlarge
More jams & jellies from Amelia'sThe big blackboardCupcakes from OMG BakeryBagels from Spread the BagelSome of the great jams & jelliesJust one of the yet-to-be-eaten cookies.. . .YUM!Here are some placemats they also sellThe shop has a small town General Store feelOMG Bakery can prepare a nice array of baked goods for deliveryWeekly specials are posted on the window of the shopThe storefront of the Pantry

]]> Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:50:00 +0800 thirstypig http://www.thethirstypig.com/2012/04/11/pantry-by-the-co-op-shanghai/ 2 pigs american bakery cupcakes farmers' markets price range 2 $/¥/nt sandwich shanghai Fizz & Baozi event raises funds for Shanghai charity :: http://www.thethirstypig.com/2012/04/11/fizz-baozi-event-raises-funds-for-shanghai-charity/ On March the 29th, the Shanghai’s Food and Beverage industry and community got together for a fund-raising event at Bar Rouge and raised more than 15,000 RMB for charity! At the Shanghai Bund’s most famous hotspot, Bar Rouge, the cream of the crop in the F&B industry congregated for a drink of Fizz and a few Baozi in good company and to enjoy an evening of conviviality offered by the people, who know best: hoteliers! But the event was not all about fun, as part of the ticket sales proceeds went towards the Dream Shanghai Charity (http://www.charitydreamshanghai.com/shh-main/), a charity dedicated to help orphaned children born with cleft lip and palate, and to provide pre- and post- surgical care to abandoned babies suffering from surgically correctable deformities. Fizz and Baozi will be back this fall for its fifth edition. Read this article on the community site

The Fizz

Wanna buy a raffle ticket?Shanghai has an active and diverse F&B community. . . . This annual event is held this year at Bar Rouge. Bar Rouge recently went through a massive renovation.The FizzRaised 15,000 RMB in one night!

On March the 29th, the Shanghai’s Food and Beverage industry and community got together for a fund-raising event at Bar Rouge and raised more than 15,000 RMB for charity!

At the Shanghai Bund’s most famous hotspot, Bar Rouge, the cream of the crop in the F&B industry congregated for a drink of Fizz and a few Baozi in good company and to enjoy an evening of conviviality offered by the people, who know best: hoteliers!

But the event was not all about fun, as part of the ticket sales proceeds went towards the Dream Shanghai Charity (http://www.charitydreamshanghai.com/shh-main/), a charity dedicated to help orphaned children born with cleft lip and palate, and to provide pre- and post- surgical care to abandoned babies suffering from surgically correctable deformities.

Fizz and Baozi will be back this fall for its fifth edition.

]]> Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:58:00 +0800 thirstypig http://www.thethirstypig.com/2012/04/11/fizz-baozi-event-raises-funds-for-shanghai-charity/ announcement shanghai Changing Geography Of China’s Brandscape :: http://www.rayally.com/?p=1602 Photo: Ray Ally When most people talk about China, they often think of it as one country. After all Mao Tse-tung and the communist party have spent the last 60 years trying to unite the country. Creating one party, one political system and introduced one language, Putonghua (common speech) to achieve this goal. However, for those of us that live and work in China, we think of it as being made up of smaller countries called provinces. Many of these are bigger than European nations, with far larger populations and have their own language dialect, customs and traditions. When foreign brands first came to China they had a global “one brand fits all” approach to the market. Many of them learnt through calamity that this approach didn’t work. To succeed in China they had to tailor their brand positioning and products to suit a diverse Chinese consumer. What really illustrates this scale and diversity is when you look at a map showing China’s topology. You begin to understand how nature has played its part in separating China and diving it into a country of two halves. The prosperous and developed lowlands of the East compared with the undeveloped and mountainous desert regions of the West. On a macro level this may be an over simplistic view of the country. So you need to look deeper at a micro level to really understand the diversity of the region that is the size of Europe. As each province has its own people with their unique tastes and requirements for products and brands. One trends that is having a big impact on the landscape is the rapid urbanisation of China. It now has more than 160 cities with populations of over 1 million and 10 megacities of more than 10 million. This urbanisation is creating a growing wealth across the country, which has a big impact on how people perceive brands. At the low end of the market, consumers are enticed by quality and value proposition brands, that give added value and better results. The middle classes are still seeking aspirational brands with deliver higher performance to improve their lives. While at the top end the wealthy elite still use brands to show off and display their wealth and social status. One thing is clear; that as China develops in the next 10 years these differences will become more polarised. To be successful in the future, brands will have to cater for a more urban and affluent population. But with more regional focus on the diversity of the consumers in China’s rapidly changing brandscape. Read this article on the community site

Photo: Ray Ally

When most people talk about China, they often think of it as one country. After all Mao Tse-tung and the communist party have spent the last 60 years trying to unite the country. Creating one party, one political system and introduced one language, Putonghua (common speech) to achieve this goal.

However, for those of us that live and work in China, we think of it as being made up of smaller countries called provinces. Many of these are bigger than European nations, with far larger populations and have their own language dialect, customs and traditions.

When foreign brands first came to China they had a global “one brand fits all” approach to the market. Many of them learnt through calamity that this approach didn’t work. To succeed in China they had to tailor their brand positioning and products to suit a diverse Chinese consumer.

What really illustrates this scale and diversity is when you look at a map showing China’s topology. You begin to understand how nature has played its part in separating China and diving it into a country of two halves. The prosperous and developed lowlands of the East compared with the undeveloped and mountainous desert regions of the West.

On a macro level this may be an over simplistic view of the country. So you need to look deeper at a micro level to really understand the diversity of the region that is the size of Europe. As each province has its own people with their unique tastes and requirements for products and brands.

One trends that is having a big impact on the landscape is the rapid urbanisation of China. It now has more than 160 cities with populations of over 1 million and 10 megacities of more than 10 million. This urbanisation is creating a growing wealth across the country, which has a big impact on how people perceive brands.

At the low end of the market, consumers are enticed by quality and value proposition brands, that give added value and better results. The middle classes are still seeking aspirational brands with deliver higher performance to improve their lives. While at the top end the wealthy elite still use brands to show off and display their wealth and social status.

One thing is clear; that as China develops in the next 10 years these differences will become more polarised. To be successful in the future, brands will have to cater for a more urban and affluent population. But with more regional focus on the diversity of the consumers in China’s rapidly changing brandscape.

]]> Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:53:00 +0800 Ray Ally http://www.rayally.com/?p=1602 uncategorized glo London, Shanghai :: http://www.thethirstypig.com/2012/04/09/glo-london-shanghai/ Location Rating glo London乌鲁木齐路1号 近东平路1 Wulumuqi Lu, near Dongping Lu+86 21 6466-6565shanghai@glolondon.comwww.glolondon.com 1 PigsPrice Range 2 $/¥/NT What is glo Londonglo London made a big splash in Shanghai’s restaurant scene with a multilevel spot with a bakery, grill restaurant, lounge bar, and rooftop bbq space. Located in the hip french concession xuhui district, glo London strives to serve all, even with a pizza delivery service. I decided to try the restaurant after I kept noticing glo, after passing by so many times. What did I eat?Tonight, we just choose to share the large Specialty Sharing Meat Platter for 2. It was a lot of meat. It included the Manuka fillet, half BBQ chicken, half a slab of BBQ baby back ribs & the unique chargrilled lamb chops. I didn’t care for most of it, except the chicken. I liked the chicken, which was juicy and not dry, more than the steak or anything else. The baby back ribs, usually my favorite, could have been more tender. Constructive CriticismUnfortunately, I wouldn’t choose to order this dish again. It was way too much food. Plus, the meats weren’t done right. The steak should have been devoured first, since it got kinda cold after just sitting there. The ribs weren’t that tender – so much that I had to really use a knife to cut through it. The Last WordI would only return to glo for drinks. Perhaps I would stop by the 1st floor bakery to check it out. But other than that. . .its not a place I would recommend to others for dining. Rating1 PigsPrice Range 3 $/¥/NT LinksShanghai Stuff, City Weekend, Fight Nite Blog, Smart Shanghai Listing, Smart Shanghai Radar, Trip advisor, Frenzied Palate, Shanghai Fun Party, Timeout Shanghai, That’s Shanghai, Enjoy Shanghai, Shanghai Dolls, Asia-City, Trip Advisor, Skimbl, Dianping Listing, Xiao Mi Shu Click on the Pictures below to enlarge Read this article on the community site

The big potato wedges were pretty good

Location Rating glo London
乌鲁木齐路1号 近东平路
1 Wulumuqi Lu, near Dongping Lu
+86 21 6466-6565
shanghai@glolondon.com
www.glolondon.com 1 Pigs
Price Range 2 $/¥/NT

What is glo London
glo London made a big splash in Shanghai’s restaurant scene with a multilevel spot with a bakery, grill restaurant, lounge bar, and rooftop bbq space. Located in the hip french concession xuhui district, glo London strives to serve all, even with a pizza delivery service. I decided to try the restaurant after I kept noticing glo, after passing by so many times.

What did I eat?
Tonight, we just choose to share the large Specialty Sharing Meat Platter for 2. It was a lot of meat. It included the Manuka fillet, half BBQ chicken, half a slab of BBQ baby back ribs & the unique chargrilled lamb chops. I didn’t care for most of it, except the chicken. I liked the chicken, which was juicy and not dry, more than the steak or anything else. The baby back ribs, usually my favorite, could have been more tender.

Constructive Criticism
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t choose to order this dish again. It was way too much food. Plus, the meats weren’t done right. The steak should have been devoured first, since it got kinda cold after just sitting there. The ribs weren’t that tender – so much that I had to really use a knife to cut through it.

The Last Word
I would only return to glo for drinks. Perhaps I would stop by the 1st floor bakery to check it out. But other than that. . .its not a place I would recommend to others for dining.

Rating
1 Pigs
Price Range 3 $/¥/NT

Links
Shanghai Stuff, City Weekend, Fight Nite Blog, Smart Shanghai Listing, Smart Shanghai Radar, Trip advisor, Frenzied Palate, Shanghai Fun Party, Timeout Shanghai, That’s Shanghai, Enjoy Shanghai, Shanghai Dolls, Asia-City, Trip Advisor, Skimbl, Dianping Listing, Xiao Mi Shu

Click on the Pictures below to enlarge
The interior of glo London's 2nd floor grill restaurant.That's where they prepared the meat dishes.Speciality Sharing Meat Platter for 2 - A combination of the house special meats including Manuka fillet, half BBQ chicken, half slab of BBQ baby back ribs & our unique chargrilled lamb chops - 568 RMBThe lamb chopsThe big potato wedges were pretty goodLots of meat . .. . almost too much. . .The bar looked like it had a good selection of spirits.I like the 3rd floor lounge. The big soft comfy couches seemed to be inviting.The 3rd floor lounge

]]> Mon, 09 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +0800 thirstypig http://www.thethirstypig.com/2012/04/09/glo-london-shanghai/ 1 pig american bakery barbeque price range 3 $/¥/nt shanghai steak Simple Calculations Lecture One :: http://mylaowai.com/2012/04/02/simple-calculations-lecture-one/ Life can, in many ways, be reduced to simple mathematical equations. Pythagoras can be credited (or blamed) with first coming up with this concept. Pythagoras was an ancient Chinese philosopher from the Chinese province of Samos who believed that all things could be reduced to mathematical concepts. His work was taken seriously by other Chinese philosophers and mathematicians from the Syrian and Egyptian provinces, and today form the basis of Development With Chinese Characteristics and the Great Hu’s Scientific Development Concept. One such example is as follows: Where R(B/d) is bowls of rice per day is equal to (the length of the day, less the time in hours spent sleeping), divided by the interval between meals in hours. Thus, we have the following simple calculation:R(B/d) = (24-12)/2R(B/d) = 6Simply put, the average Chinese requires six (6) bowls or rice per day in order to function normally. This rice intake powers the important activities of sleeping and planning the next bowl of rice. quod erat demonstrandum. Read this article on the community site

Life can, in many ways, be reduced to simple mathematical equations. Pythagoras can be credited (or blamed) with first coming up with this concept. Pythagoras was an ancient Chinese philosopher from the Chinese province of Samos who believed that all things could be reduced to mathematical concepts. His work was taken seriously by other Chinese philosophers and mathematicians from the Syrian and Egyptian provinces, and today form the basis of Development With Chinese Characteristics and the Great Hu’s Scientific Development Concept. One such example is as follows:

Where R(B/d) is bowls of rice per day is equal to (the length of the day, less the time in hours spent sleeping), divided by the interval between meals in hours.

Thus, we have the following simple calculation:
R(B/d) = (24-12)/2
R(B/d) = 6
Simply put, the average Chinese requires six (6) bowls or rice per day in order to function normally. This rice intake powers the important activities of sleeping and planning the next bowl of rice.

quod erat demonstrandum.

]]> Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:12:00 +0800 MyLaowai http://mylaowai.com/2012/04/02/simple-calculations-lecture-one/ ask mylaowai ‘Investigation of the Actual Implementation Status of the ‘Two Evidence Rules’ :: http://www.outofmyface.com/2012/03/09/121/ Renmin University Professor Chen Weidong recently put notes online from a conference he moderated on the current implementation status of the Two Evidence Rules, which were released in 2010. Participants from academia and practice, courts and law enforcement, all voiced their optimism about the new rules before airing their many concerns and complaints. Below is a hasty and sloppy translation of his notes.（barbarically translated from the original Chinese  which was written by Chen Weidong and Chai Yufeng) ‘Investigation of the Actual Implementation Status of the ‘Two Evidence Rules’ Current Operation and Obstacles to Implementation of the “Two Evidence Rules” The ‘two evidence rules’: current operation and feedback. From the statements of meeting participants, we learn that the operation of the two evidence rules has generally proceeded well since their promulgation: On the one hand, the quality of case management in both capital cases and ordinary criminal cases has increased noticeably, and in practice, exclusion procedures have been initiated and there have been cases of excluding evidence;  coerced confessions and other illegal evidence gathering activities have met a certain amount of restraint. At the same time, the legal outlook of personnel from the police, prosecutors and courts is continuously evolving and their evidence consciousness grows incrementally stronger. At the local level, the Court President of the High People’s Court of Hainan Province, DONG Zhiliang, indicated that the Hainan court system has strictly applied and implemented the two evidentiary rules,  and the 2011 annual report stated that all death penalty cases sent to the Supreme People’s Court for final review were approved. Vice-President of the Hainan Intermediate Court, Feng Ming, stated that since “the two evidence rules” have come into effect, the rate of appeals from basic level court first-instance trials, the rate of corrections by intermediate courts of basic level courts’ first-instance cases, and the rate of corrections by the high court of intermediate level courts’ first-instance cases have all decreased. Vice-President Du Yusu of the Xi’an Intermediate Court and Chief Prosecutor Li Zhong of the Ningbo prosecutors’ office also said that the ‘two evidence rules’ were conceptually advanced and balance human rights protections and crime fighting, while also making clear the value of proper procedures. Dai Changlin, Chief Judge of the Supreme People’s Court’s (SPC’s) third criminal tribunal, indicated that after  the’ two evidentiary rules’ took effect, the quality of evidence at investigation, indictment and trial coming from every level of judicial organ across the country showed improvement. For example, in the SPC’s final review of death penalty cases and other serious criminal cases, there was a clear decrease in the number of cases returned for further hearing because the facts were unclear and evidence insufficient . Chen Guoqing, the director of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate’s (SPP’s) legal policy research room, indicated that the two evidentiary rules, particularly the exclusion of illegal evidence, play an important cautionary and guiding role in the legal collection of evidence. While confirming the positive significance of the two evidence rules, experts from theoretical circles also raised pertinent criticisms. First, the two evidence rules differ in the effectiveness of their implementation.  Professor Long Zongzhi  of Sichuan University and Vice-President Du Yusu of the Xi’an Intermediate Court both put forward that the implementation of the ‘Evidentiary Rules for Death Penalty Cases” was more effective than that of the “Rules on the Exclusion of Illegally Obtained Evidence”. The primary reason is that the former relates to operational standards on techniques for evidence gathering, examination of evidence, and approval of evidence, and is thus relatively easy for judges to understand, grasp and utilize; while the latter concerns the conflicting standards of the values of excluding evidence, which is difficult for judges to get a handle on and implement. 其次,《非法证据排除规定》在执行过程中存在诸多问题。根据海口、西安、廊坊、宁波等地与会法官、检察官代表的发言总结,实践中主要存在的问题是法院“不敢排、不想排、不能排、不会排、排不动”,检察院“有监督之名、无监督之实,事前无法预防非法取证,事后无法证明取证合法”等现象,其中既有条文规定的缺陷,也有实践方面的障碍。 Secondly, several problems exist in the course of implementing the “Exclusionary Rules.” According to meeting participants from Haikou, Xi’an, Langfang, Ningbo and other areas, and the summary statement of the procuracy representatives, the biggest problems in practice are that courts “don’t dare to exclude, don’t want to exclude, can’t exclude, won’t exclude, and exclude to no effect”; procurators “supervise in name only, but don’t actually supervise, have no ability to prevent the illegal collection of evidence before the fact, and have no ability to prove the legality of evidence collection later. “ Finally, there are problems with the use of evidence gathered through technological investigative methods.  Meeting participants began a discussion of provisions in the “Evidentiary Rules for Death Penalty Cases” and “Draft Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law” relating to technological and covert investigation techniques, but the disagreement amongst courts, public security organs and scholars on the  use and rehabilitation[1] of evidence gathered through technological methods remained quite large. Obstacles to the application of the “Exclusionary Rules” First, judicial independence has not yet been realized. Participants widely felt that the basic reason that it is difficult for judges to exclude illegally acquired evidence is a lack of strong adjudicatory independence. As to ensuring institutional adjudicatory independence, Vice-President Du YuSu of the Xi’an Intermediate Court and Chief Judge Zheng Lanqing of the Hainan High Court’s first criminal tribunal, both felt that the structure of the current criminal procedure, and its weak position for the courts, leaves the courts with insufficient authority and capacity to lead; adjudicatory personnel generally don’t dare to exclude evidence.  As to updating the concept of adjudicatory independence, Professor Long Zongzhi  of Sichuan University raised the issue of judicial ethics, and Qinghua University Professor Zhang Jianwei felt that improper judicial practices should be abolished and not taken in and accepted as part of the national conditions. Second: the relationship between public security organs, procuratorates and courts. According to article three of the  “Exclusionary Rules” , the people’s procuratorates when performing review for approval of arrests or indictment, also have a duty to exclude illegal evidence. Yet participants from the procuracy reported that they also face great pressure when excluding illegal evidence. For example, Chief Procurator Li Zhong, of the Ninbo City, Beilun District Procuratorate, put forward that the procuratorate is the bridge that connects the courts and the public security organs, but , procurators at once have no channel through which to supervise the investigatory organs’ evidence gathering activities, methods or procedures, and thus, when they are approving arrest or indictment , they have no idea, whether illegal evidence gathering occurred.  At the same time, the system of reporting between higher and lower courts also puts the procurators in truly weak position during the course of tiral that ultimately creates splits between investigation, approval of arrest and prosecution. Third:  Pressure from performance evaluation indices and case time limits: Participants from the People’s Courts felt that trial time limits are another major reason that trial judges are unwilling to exclude evidence. Vice-President Feng Ming of the Haikou Intermediate Court expressed that judges spend a large amount of time investigating sentencing evidence, mediating attached civil suits, and verifying certain evidence, so that case time limits are extremely tight.  Vice president Du Yusu of the Xi’an Intermediate Court also expressed that the intermediate court judges have large case loads with little time to try them, and that case closure rates and case handling times are an important assessment indicator that effectively pressures judges to not actively initiate evidence exclusion procedures. But, Beijing University Professor Wang Jiancheng said that as a newly enhanced system, the exclusionary rules naturally require increased judicial investment, otherwise we’ll be confronted with the awkward situation of a decrease in lawsuit efficiency. Fourth:  system of accompanying regulations for the exclusionary rules. Participants from practice and theoretical circles all readily emphasized the need to create a system of accompanying regulations for the exclusionary rules. From a big picture perspective, Professor Long Zongzhi of Sichuan University said that considering the current national conditions we should strengthen prevention measure to effectively prevent illegal evidence gathering behavior from happening, and not merely rely on the evidence exclusion procedures. Beijing Normal University Professor Song Yinghui specially emphasized the need to further refine and make more explicit the provisions of the Exclusionary Rules.  At the micro-level, The Ministry of Public Security’s Legal Affairs Bureau Director Sun Maoli said that the public security offices have spared no expense in their efforts to control and contain the use of torture to extract confessions, for example separating case handling and rest areas and having 24 hour continuous a/v recording in the case handling areas. Scholars Wang  Jiancheng, Wang Minyuan, Song Yinghui  all mentioned that China should develop its system of guiding cases and that the National People’s Congress Legal Affairs Committee should make unifying legislative interpretations. Deputy Director Shi Xianzhi of the SPP  case management office  and Chief Procurator Li Zhong of the Ningbo City, Beilun District Procuratorate felt the system for simultaneous a/v recording of interrogation should be further improved. ZheJiang Gongshang University  Professor Tan Shigui felt that we need to establish a system for allowing lawyers to be present during interrogations, clarify criminal suspects’ right to requrest a health examination,  and clarify methods of sanctioning investigatory personnel who don’t appear in court to testify. Professor Long Zhongzhi felt that the exclusionary rules should be used together with rules on hearsay evidence. On Understanding the “Two Evidentiary Rules” and the Draft Criminal Procedure Law Amendments                         The Substantive Rules on the Exclusion of Evidence First, how should one understand the exclusionary rules? Unlike [their counterparts in] Western nations where the rule of law is advanced, China’s exclusionary rules were created under the weight of China’s unique history and seek to use exclusion of testimony to effectively contain the use of torture to extract confessions and the occurrence of unjust, wrongly-decided cases; and the exclusion of physical evidence is in no way at the center of the exclusionary rules. This results in the targets of exclusion being divided into testimony and physical evidence, the period of exclusion being extended across the investigation, approval of arrest, and indictment phases,  and the duty to exclude being entrusted to investigatory personnel and procurators. As to whether the above characteristics are reasonable and sensible,   meeting participants offered differing opinions. On the one hand, the majority of those working in practice generally discussed the exclusionary rules in the context of Chinese criminal adjudication and were not yet aware of this issue, while expert scholars raise the differences between exclusion of evidence in China and abroad. China Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Researcher Xiong QiuHong said that we use exclusionary rules at three levels: Macro, middle and micro: The broad sense of exclusion of evidence is the same as admissibility of evidence; at the middle-level itss the same as prohibitions on evidence gathering found in German law; and the narrowest meaning is that found in the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution’s  exclusion of physical evidence obtained through illegal searches and seizures. Professor Zhang Jianwei of of Qinhua University felt that we must not confuse the exclusionary rule with the voluntary confession rule and  Beijing University Professor Wang JianCheng expressed that exclusion of evidence only refers to exclusion by judges and that procurators are concerned with  the issue of ‘entry’ of evidence, not exclusion. Secondly, how should we understand the exclusion of testimonial evidence? The Exclusionary Rules and the draft amendments to the CPL both regulate techniques for  obtaining illegal testimony. Representatives from practice had questions as to the definition and scope of “use of torture to extract confessions” and “threats, enticement, trickery”.  The academics offered an explanation and response. Concerning “use of torture to extract confessions and other such illegal methods”, Sichuan University Professor Long Zhongzhi indicated that we need to make clear whether ‘disguised’ torture is  considered ‘use of torture to extract confessions’, and also that the scope of the ‘other such’ needs to be settled. China Renmin University Professor Chen Weidong and Beijing University Professor Wang Jiancheng felt that the phrase“other such” found in the Exclusionary Rules only includes physical punishment, threats, enticement and trickery, while the ‘other such’ found in the Draft CPL amendments could be interpreted  expansively, including physical punishment, cold, hunger, sun exposure, burning, freezing, boiling and other indirect or psychological torments. Beijing Normal University Professor Song YingJun, however, feels that we cannot simply think that “use of torture to extract confessions and other such…” should include all of the above illegal evidence gathering techniques, but  we should still strictly delineate and specify what is meant by “other such”. As to “threats, enticement and trickery,”  Professors Long Zongzhi and Song Yinghui discussed this question in detail. The former primarily summarized the problems in practice:  Since the two evidence rules came on the stage, ‘high-intensity’ torture to extract confessions has been somewhat reduced, but non-traditional torture and many forms of illegal evidence gathering have accumulated and increased so that in practice we now see threats and coercion, illegal methods of acquiring testimony that will always be difficult to eliminate. “Enticement and trickery”  occur in many forms,  and offering enticements is difficult to distinguish from ‘being lenient to those who confess’.  Use of ‘second confessions’ [confessions that repeat the content of a tainted confession but are not directly connected with illegal behavior[2]] is a regular occurrence. The latter (Song Yihui) focused more on responding to the doubts of those in practice. If ‘threats’ reach the level of being inhumane and unethical, or enticement and trickery directly determine the content of a statement, then the confessions should all be excluded because they could lead to wrongfully decided cases. Also, there should be a absolute prohibition of repeat interrogation and ‘second confessions’. Further, how should we understand the exclusion of physical evidence? Experts participating in the meeting largely felt that exclusion of physical evidence should proceed with caution. Researcher Wang Minyuan said that special caution is needed as to exclusion of physical evidence in capital cases. Professor Wang Jiancheng felt that the phrase “severely influence judicial fairness” found in the draft amendments to the CPL is too vague, illegal physical evidence is only limited to evidence acquired by illegal searches that violate citizen’s rights in their home[3] and unauthorized surveillance that violate’s citizens’ privacy rights.[4] Finally, how should we understand exclusion of evidence and acquittal? Xi’an Intermediate Court Vice-President Du YuSu, Sichuan University Professor Long Zongzhi, and Langfang Intermediate court, Second Criminal Tribunal Chief Judge Xu Bing, all said that the relationship between excluding evidence and reaching a not-guilty verdict is difficult to get a handle on, even if the illegal evidence is excluded, it is very hard to announce an acquittal. Hainan High Court first criminal tribunal Chief Judge Zheng Lanqing, said that basic level court judges don’t really care whether evidence is illegal, but care only that the criminal acts were done by the defendant and that they can convict. China University of Politics and Law Professor Gu Yongzhong said that exclusion of evidence and its consequences needn’t all be addressed in a single strike, and that situations exceptions can be generated. Procedural rules for the Exclusion of Illegal Evidence Professor Fan Chongyi of the China University of Political Science and Law raised the problem of ‘situating’ the procedures for exclusion of evidence,  and participants had two types of view:  One view feels that this is a “trial within a trial” or ‘case within a case” and procedures should be constructed according to procedural rules. Zhang Zhihui, Director of the Department for Judicial Reform at the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, said that the problem addressed by evidence exclusion procedures is  whether or not evidence gathering activity was legal, trial procedures address the question of whether the crime was committed by the defendant, the two are qualitatively different and should proceed separately. Another view is that this is not an independent procedure and is just a component of the ordinary trial procedure.   Professor Gu Yongzhong felt that we don’t need to establish independent exclusion procedures- judicial resources and judicial customs don’t allow for it.  Professor Tan Shigui felt that Chinese courts don’t bear the burden of proof and that further, judges verify evidence either a piece at a time, in groups or altogether, and that if you want an independent approval procedure , making decisions would be quite difficult. There was also controversy amongst participants  as to the timing of exclusion, and  there were three viewpoints: pretrial exclusion, exclusion during tiral, and exclusion after trial. On the side of pre-trial exclusion, Professor Wang Jiancheng felt that an exclusion procedure should be setup before the start of the trial proper, which would allow consideration by the docketing judges. On the side of exclusion during the trial, because article 181 of the draft amendments to the CPL has expanded the pretrial conference system, Professor Gu Yongzhong of the China University of Political Science and law and Director Zhang Zhihui of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate Department of Judicial Reform mentioned that the function of the pre-trial  conference is to help judges hear the comments of both parties before the start of adjudication, and to determine the key points and scope of in-court inquiry, to plan and design courtroom trial procedures before the fact, and is in essence just a type of preparation before holding court. As such, judges can begin investigating illegal evidence during the pre-trial conference, but cannot take any substantive actions. Illegal evidence should be excluded during the trial. On the side of exclusion after trial, Zhang Zhihui, Director of the SPP’s Department of Judicial Reform felt that it should be clarified whether or not the parties have a right to request that evidence be excluded after the trial has concluded.  If a suspect or defendant has not requested that evidence be excluded throughout the indictment decision, the pre-trial conference and course of trial, he should be restricted from appealing on this basis after the conclusion of trial. Participants also disagreed on the method of excluding evidence. The people’s courts and people’s procuratorates are both faced with the question of by what means to exclude evidence. From the courts, Haikou Intermediate Court Vice-President Feng Ming and Langfang Intermediate Court second criminal tribunal Chief Judge Xu Bing said that the people’s courts have four methods for excluding evidence, the trial judges exclude evidence, collegial tribunals exclude evidence, department heads exclude evidence and adjudicatory committees exclude evidence. Exclusion takes three forms: oral exclusion, exclusion by judicial declaration and exclusion in the verdict. The law should offer clarification. From the procuratorates, The SPP Case Mananagement Office Deputy Department head Shi Xianzhi and Ningbo City Beilun district procuratorate chief procurator Li Zhong said that the law should also clarify the method by which the people’s procuratorates should exclude evidence during the indictment decision, externally procuracy organs use direct exclusion and exclusion by hearing, while internally four methods are used, the exclusion by the procurator prosecuting the case, exclusion but the chief prosecutor, exclusion by people’s supervisors (人民监督员)and exclusion by the procuratorial committee. The law should offer clarification. As to the burden of proof in exclusion of illegal evidence: regarding whether or not the defendant and his attorney bear the burden of proof. The Exclusionary Rules and the Draft Amendments to the CPL both dictate that when initiating procedures for the exclusion of evidence the defendant has the duty to provide ‘clues or evidence’. Professor Wang Jiancheng feels that this should not be understood and as a burden of proof, but should be understood as meaning that the suspect should provide clues and has the right to provide evidence.  Professor Tan Shigui however, feels that in practice courts essentially bear a certain burden to prove that the evidence gathering procedures were legal and that this burden should be carried by the prosecution. The procuracy organs bear a burden of proving that evidence gathering procedures were legal during inquiries into illegal evidence, but whether the draft amendments to the CPL should clearly list the means by which the procuracy may prove this was controversial. Professor Chen Weidong of China Renmin University felt that the draft should clearly enumerate concrete methods by which the procuracy may make proof. On the Standard of Proof, Haikou Intermediate Court Vice-President Feng Ming said that the standard is that the procuracy’s proof that evidence was legally obtained must be sufficient and reliable, not  that evidence proving exclusion must be sufficient and reliable. Langfang Intermediate Court second criminal tribunal Deputy-Chief Judge Xu Bing said that the law should make clear the relationship between ‘eliminating reasonable doubt’ and ‘inner faith’(内心确认)， to help basic level  court judges understand and master these two standards of proof. Article35 of the ‘Rules of Evidence for Death Penalty Cases’ on the use of technological evidence in practice. Public security Department, 12th division, Section-head Jie Fang introduced the basis for the scope of technological investigations, the state of use in practice of evidence acquired by technological investigation methods, and the 12th Division’s preliminary plans regarding the Draft Amendments to the CPL’s provisions on technologic investigations. Shanghai City public security technological investigation team, Deputy-team leader, Wang LinJin introduced the special characteristics of technologic investigatory evidence-gathering measures in practice, particularly explaining that these measures are a type of replacement for[other] investigative techniques and that technological evidence is a kind of fortifying evidence, and that further, its approval process is quite rigorous and its use quite cautious. Expert Scholar participants widely agreed that  technological investigative methods have both a  political and secretive quality, but had differing opinions on how evidence gathered by these techniques should be used and “rehabilitated”. Nanjing Normal University Professor Li Jianming felt that the draft amendments to the CPL should clarify ‘relevant regulations’, ‘strictly approve’ and other provisions’ meanings. Professor Chen Weidong felt that regular evidence and technologic evidence should be distinguished as they have different methods for examining the evidence. Research Fellow Xiong Qiuhong felt that the secret nature of technologic investigation methods doesn’t indicate that the evidence itself is at all mysterious, evidence obtained through technological evidence methods can apply the ‘two evidence rules’ just like any other evidence. Long Zongzhi, Wang Jiancheng, Fan Chongyi, Wang Minyuan and other professors all felt that technological investigation methods should be brought within the legal system, that public security organs should  approach technologic investigations from a legalistic perspective and separate them into internal work regulations and regular principle regulations, the former could be decided by the public security organs and needn’t be publicly disclosed while the NPC legal affairs committee would take the lead in formulating the latter. From the Two Evidence Rules to the new Criminal Procedure Law。 Participants also commented on the integration of the ‘two evidence rules’ into this round of criminal procedure law reforms. Participants widely felt that the ‘two evidence rules provided useful reference and assistance for the CPL reforms. CASS researcher Ji Xiangde said that the 1979, 1996 and now the current  CPL  reforms reflected three major transitions in the Chinese criminal procedure system and the gradually  establishment of exclusionary rules was a major manifestation of this. After the new CPL  is passed, we should continue to reform and perfect the relevant content in the two evidence rules in accordance with the revised law and use more concrete and more practicable interpretations to put the new CPL into effect. [1] 转化： Literally conversion is used in the original Chinese to indicate evidence that was originally tainted by illegal investigation techniques, but is in some way rehabilitated to make it admissible. [2] http://www.aisixiang.com/data/42094.html [3] Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, Article 39:  The home of citizens of the People’s Republic of China is inviolable. Unlawful search of, or intrusion into, a citizen’s home is prohibited. [4] Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, Article 40. The freedom and privacy of correspondence of citizens of the People’s Republic of China are protected by law. No organization or individual may, on any ground, infringe upon the freedom and privacy of citizens’ correspondence except in cases where, to meet the needs of state security or of investigation into criminal offences, public security or procuratorial organs are permitted to censor correspondence in accordance with procedures prescribed by law.   Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Tumblr Stumble Digg Delicious Read this article on the community site

Renmin University Professor Chen Weidong recently put notes online from a conference he moderated on the current implementation status of the Two Evidence Rules, which were released in 2010. Participants from academia and practice, courts and law enforcement, all voiced their optimism about the new rules before airing their many concerns and complaints. Below is a hasty and sloppy translation of his notes.（barbarically translated from the original Chinese  which was written by Chen Weidong and Chai Yufeng)


‘Investigation of the Actual Implementation Status of the ‘Two Evidence Rules’

Current Operation and Obstacles to Implementation of the “Two Evidence Rules”

The ‘two evidence rules’: current operation and feedback.

From the statements of meeting participants, we learn that the operation of the two evidence rules has generally proceeded well since their promulgation: On the one hand, the quality of case management in both capital cases and ordinary criminal cases has increased noticeably, and in practice, exclusion procedures have been initiated and there have been cases of excluding evidence;  coerced confessions and other illegal evidence gathering activities have met a certain amount of restraint. At the same time, the legal outlook of personnel from the police, prosecutors and courts is continuously evolving and their evidence consciousness grows incrementally stronger.

At the local level, the Court President of the High People’s Court of Hainan Province, DONG Zhiliang, indicated that the Hainan court system has strictly applied and implemented the two evidentiary rules,  and the 2011 annual report stated that all death penalty cases sent to the Supreme People’s Court for final review were approved. Vice-President of the Hainan Intermediate Court, Feng Ming, stated that since “the two evidence rules” have come into effect, the rate of appeals from basic level court first-instance trials, the rate of corrections by intermediate courts of basic level courts’ first-instance cases, and the rate of corrections by the high court of intermediate level courts’ first-instance cases have all decreased. Vice-President Du Yusu of the Xi’an Intermediate Court and Chief Prosecutor Li Zhong of the Ningbo prosecutors’ office also said that the ‘two evidence rules’ were conceptually advanced and balance human rights protections and crime fighting, while also making clear the value of proper procedures.

Dai Changlin, Chief Judge of the Supreme People’s Court’s (SPC’s) third criminal tribunal, indicated that after  the’ two evidentiary rules’ took effect, the quality of evidence at investigation, indictment and trial coming from every level of judicial organ across the country showed improvement. For example, in the SPC’s final review of death penalty cases and other serious criminal cases, there was a clear decrease in the number of cases returned for further hearing because the facts were unclear and evidence insufficient .

Chen Guoqing, the director of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate’s (SPP’s) legal policy research room, indicated that the two evidentiary rules, particularly the exclusion of illegal evidence, play an important cautionary and guiding role in the legal collection of evidence.

While confirming the positive significance of the two evidence rules, experts from theoretical circles also raised pertinent criticisms.

First, the two evidence rules differ in the effectiveness of their implementation.  Professor Long Zongzhi  of Sichuan University and Vice-President Du Yusu of the Xi’an Intermediate Court both put forward that the implementation of the ‘Evidentiary Rules for Death Penalty Cases” was more effective than that of the “Rules on the Exclusion of Illegally Obtained Evidence”. The primary reason is that the former relates to operational standards on techniques for evidence gathering, examination of evidence, and approval of evidence, and is thus relatively easy for judges to understand, grasp and utilize; while the latter concerns the conflicting standards of the values of excluding evidence, which is difficult for judges to get a handle on and implement.

其次,《非法证据排除规定》在执行过程中存在诸多问题。根据海口、西安、廊坊、宁波等地与会法官、检察官代表的发言总结,实践中主要存在的问题是法院“不敢排、不想排、不能排、不会排、排不动”,检察院“有监督之名、无监督之实,事前无法预防非法取证,事后无法证明取证合法”等现象,其中既有条文规定的缺陷,也有实践方面的障碍。

Secondly, several problems exist in the course of implementing the “Exclusionary Rules.” According to meeting participants from Haikou, Xi’an, Langfang, Ningbo and other areas, and the summary statement of the procuracy representatives, the biggest problems in practice are that courts “don’t dare to exclude, don’t want to exclude, can’t exclude, won’t exclude, and exclude to no effect”; procurators “supervise in name only, but don’t actually supervise, have no ability to prevent the illegal collection of evidence before the fact, and have no ability to prove the legality of evidence collection later. “

Finally, there are problems with the use of evidence gathered through technological investigative methods.  Meeting participants began a discussion of provisions in the “Evidentiary Rules for Death Penalty Cases” and “Draft Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law” relating to technological and covert investigation techniques, but the disagreement amongst courts, public security organs and scholars on the  use and rehabilitation[1] of evidence gathered through technological methods remained quite large.

Obstacles to the application of the “Exclusionary Rules”

First, judicial independence has not yet been realized. Participants widely felt that the basic reason that it is difficult for judges to exclude illegally acquired evidence is a lack of strong adjudicatory independence. As to ensuring institutional adjudicatory independence, Vice-President Du YuSu of the Xi’an Intermediate Court and Chief Judge Zheng Lanqing of the Hainan High Court’s first criminal tribunal, both felt that the structure of the current criminal procedure, and its weak position for the courts, leaves the courts with insufficient authority and capacity to lead; adjudicatory personnel generally don’t dare to exclude evidence.  As to updating the concept of adjudicatory independence, Professor Long Zongzhi  of Sichuan University raised the issue of judicial ethics, and Qinghua University Professor Zhang Jianwei felt that improper judicial practices should be abolished and not taken in and accepted as part of the national conditions.

Second: the relationship between public security organs, procuratorates and courts. According to article three of the  “Exclusionary Rules” , the people’s procuratorates when performing review for approval of arrests or indictment, also have a duty to exclude illegal evidence. Yet participants from the procuracy reported that they also face great pressure when excluding illegal evidence. For example, Chief Procurator Li Zhong, of the Ninbo City, Beilun District Procuratorate, put forward that the procuratorate is the bridge that connects the courts and the public security organs, but , procurators at once have no channel through which to supervise the investigatory organs’ evidence gathering activities, methods or procedures, and thus, when they are approving arrest or indictment , they have no idea, whether illegal evidence gathering occurred.  At the same time, the system of reporting between higher and lower courts also puts the procurators in truly weak position during the course of tiral that ultimately creates splits between investigation, approval of arrest and prosecution.

Third:  Pressure from performance evaluation indices and case time limits: Participants from the People’s Courts felt that trial time limits are another major reason that trial judges are unwilling to exclude evidence. Vice-President Feng Ming of the Haikou Intermediate Court expressed that judges spend a large amount of time investigating sentencing evidence, mediating attached civil suits, and verifying certain evidence, so that case time limits are extremely tight.  Vice president Du Yusu of the Xi’an Intermediate Court also expressed that the intermediate court judges have large case loads with little time to try them, and that case closure rates and case handling times are an important assessment indicator that effectively pressures judges to not actively initiate evidence exclusion procedures. But, Beijing University Professor Wang Jiancheng said that as a newly enhanced system, the exclusionary rules naturally require increased judicial investment, otherwise we’ll be confronted with the awkward situation of a decrease in lawsuit efficiency.

Fourth:  system of accompanying regulations for the exclusionary rules. Participants from practice and theoretical circles all readily emphasized the need to create a system of accompanying regulations for the exclusionary rules. From a big picture perspective, Professor Long Zongzhi of Sichuan University said that considering the current national conditions we should strengthen prevention measure to effectively prevent illegal evidence gathering behavior from happening, and not merely rely on the evidence exclusion procedures. Beijing Normal University Professor Song Yinghui specially emphasized the need to further refine and make more explicit the provisions of the Exclusionary Rules.  At the micro-level, The Ministry of Public Security’s Legal Affairs Bureau Director Sun Maoli said that the public security offices have spared no expense in their efforts to control and contain the use of torture to extract confessions, for example separating case handling and rest areas and having 24 hour continuous a/v recording in the case handling areas.

Scholars Wang  Jiancheng, Wang Minyuan, Song Yinghui  all mentioned that China should develop its system of guiding cases and that the National People’s Congress Legal Affairs Committee should make unifying legislative interpretations.

Deputy Director Shi Xianzhi of the SPP  case management office  and Chief Procurator Li Zhong of the Ningbo City, Beilun District Procuratorate felt the system for simultaneous a/v recording of interrogation should be further improved. ZheJiang Gongshang University  Professor Tan Shigui felt that we need to establish a system for allowing lawyers to be present during interrogations, clarify criminal suspects’ right to requrest a health examination,  and clarify methods of sanctioning investigatory personnel who don’t appear in court to testify. Professor Long Zhongzhi felt that the exclusionary rules should be used together with rules on hearsay evidence.

On Understanding the “Two Evidentiary Rules” and the Draft Criminal Procedure Law Amendments                        

The Substantive Rules on the Exclusion of Evidence

First, how should one understand the exclusionary rules? Unlike [their counterparts in] Western nations where the rule of law is advanced, China’s exclusionary rules were created under the weight of China’s unique history and seek to use exclusion of testimony to effectively contain the use of torture to extract confessions and the occurrence of unjust, wrongly-decided cases; and the exclusion of physical evidence is in no way at the center of the exclusionary rules. This results in the targets of exclusion being divided into testimony and physical evidence, the period of exclusion being extended across the investigation, approval of arrest, and indictment phases,  and the duty to exclude being entrusted to investigatory personnel and procurators. As to whether the above characteristics are reasonable and sensible,   meeting participants offered differing opinions.

On the one hand, the majority of those working in practice generally discussed the exclusionary rules in the context of Chinese criminal adjudication and were not yet aware of this issue, while expert scholars raise the differences between exclusion of evidence in China and abroad.

China Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Researcher Xiong QiuHong said that we use exclusionary rules at three levels: Macro, middle and micro: The broad sense of exclusion of evidence is the same as admissibility of evidence; at the middle-level itss the same as prohibitions on evidence gathering found in German law; and the narrowest meaning is that found in the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution’s  exclusion of physical evidence obtained through illegal searches and seizures. Professor Zhang Jianwei of of Qinhua University felt that we must not confuse the exclusionary rule with the voluntary confession rule and  Beijing University Professor Wang JianCheng expressed that exclusion of evidence only refers to exclusion by judges and that procurators are concerned with  the issue of ‘entry’ of evidence, not exclusion.

Secondly, how should we understand the exclusion of testimonial evidence? The Exclusionary Rules and the draft amendments to the CPL both regulate techniques for  obtaining illegal testimony. Representatives from practice had questions as to the definition and scope of “use of torture to extract confessions” and “threats, enticement, trickery”.  The academics offered an explanation and response.

Concerning “use of torture to extract confessions and other such illegal methods”, Sichuan University Professor Long Zhongzhi indicated that we need to make clear whether ‘disguised’ torture is  considered ‘use of torture to extract confessions’, and also that the scope of the ‘other such’ needs to be settled. China Renmin University Professor Chen Weidong and Beijing University Professor Wang Jiancheng felt that the phrase“other such” found in the Exclusionary Rules only includes physical punishment, threats, enticement and trickery, while the ‘other such’ found in the Draft CPL amendments could be interpreted  expansively, including physical punishment, cold, hunger, sun exposure, burning, freezing, boiling and other indirect or psychological torments.

Beijing Normal University Professor Song YingJun, however, feels that we cannot simply think that “use of torture to extract confessions and other such…” should include all of the above illegal evidence gathering techniques, but  we should still strictly delineate and specify what is meant by “other such”.

As to “threats, enticement and trickery,”  Professors Long Zongzhi and Song Yinghui discussed this question in detail. The former primarily summarized the problems in practice:  Since the two evidence rules came on the stage, ‘high-intensity’ torture to extract confessions has been somewhat reduced, but non-traditional torture and many forms of illegal evidence gathering have accumulated and increased so that in practice we now see threats and coercion, illegal methods of acquiring testimony that will always be difficult to eliminate. “Enticement and trickery”  occur in many forms,  and offering enticements is difficult to distinguish from ‘being lenient to those who confess’.  Use of ‘second confessions’ [confessions that repeat the content of a tainted confession but are not directly connected with illegal behavior[2]] is a regular occurrence.

The latter (Song Yihui) focused more on responding to the doubts of those in practice. If ‘threats’ reach the level of being inhumane and unethical, or enticement and trickery directly determine the content of a statement, then the confessions should all be excluded because they could lead to wrongfully decided cases. Also, there should be a absolute prohibition of repeat interrogation and ‘second confessions’.

Further, how should we understand the exclusion of physical evidence? Experts participating in the meeting largely felt that exclusion of physical evidence should proceed with caution. Researcher Wang Minyuan said that special caution is needed as to exclusion of physical evidence in capital cases. Professor Wang Jiancheng felt that the phrase “severely influence judicial fairness” found in the draft amendments to the CPL is too vague, illegal physical evidence is only limited to evidence acquired by illegal searches that violate citizen’s rights in their home[3] and unauthorized surveillance that violate’s citizens’ privacy rights.[4]

Finally, how should we understand exclusion of evidence and acquittal? Xi’an Intermediate Court Vice-President Du YuSu, Sichuan University Professor Long Zongzhi, and Langfang Intermediate court, Second Criminal Tribunal Chief Judge Xu Bing, all said that the relationship between excluding evidence and reaching a not-guilty verdict is difficult to get a handle on, even if the illegal evidence is excluded, it is very hard to announce an acquittal. Hainan High Court first criminal tribunal Chief Judge Zheng Lanqing, said that basic level court judges don’t really care whether evidence is illegal, but care only that the criminal acts were done by the defendant and that they can convict. China University of Politics and Law Professor Gu Yongzhong said that exclusion of evidence and its consequences needn’t all be addressed in a single strike, and that situations exceptions can be generated.

Procedural rules for the Exclusion of Illegal Evidence

Professor Fan Chongyi of the China University of Political Science and Law raised the problem of ‘situating’ the procedures for exclusion of evidence,  and participants had two types of view:  One view feels that this is a “trial within a trial” or ‘case within a case” and procedures should be constructed according to procedural rules. Zhang Zhihui, Director of the Department for Judicial Reform at the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, said that the problem addressed by evidence exclusion procedures is  whether or not evidence gathering activity was legal, trial procedures address the question of whether the crime was committed by the defendant, the two are qualitatively different and should proceed separately. Another view is that this is not an independent procedure and is just a component of the ordinary trial procedure.   Professor Gu Yongzhong felt that we don’t need to establish independent exclusion procedures- judicial resources and judicial customs don’t allow for it.  Professor Tan Shigui felt that Chinese courts don’t bear the burden of proof and that further, judges verify evidence either a piece at a time, in groups or altogether, and that if you want an independent approval procedure , making decisions would be quite difficult.

There was also controversy amongst participants  as to the timing of exclusion, and  there were three viewpoints: pretrial exclusion, exclusion during tiral, and exclusion after trial.

On the side of pre-trial exclusion, Professor Wang Jiancheng felt that an exclusion procedure should be setup before the start of the trial proper, which would allow consideration by the docketing judges.

On the side of exclusion during the trial, because article 181 of the draft amendments to the CPL has expanded the pretrial conference system, Professor Gu Yongzhong of the China University of Political Science and law and Director Zhang Zhihui of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate Department of Judicial Reform mentioned that the function of the pre-trial  conference is to help judges hear the comments of both parties before the start of adjudication, and to determine the key points and scope of in-court inquiry, to plan and design courtroom trial procedures before the fact, and is in essence just a type of preparation before holding court. As such, judges can begin investigating illegal evidence during the pre-trial conference, but cannot take any substantive actions. Illegal evidence should be excluded during the trial.

On the side of exclusion after trial, Zhang Zhihui, Director of the SPP’s Department of Judicial Reform felt that it should be clarified whether or not the parties have a right to request that evidence be excluded after the trial has concluded.  If a suspect or defendant has not requested that evidence be excluded throughout the indictment decision, the pre-trial conference and course of trial, he should be restricted from appealing on this basis after the conclusion of trial.

Participants also disagreed on the method of excluding evidence. The people’s courts and people’s procuratorates are both faced with the question of by what means to exclude evidence.

From the courts, Haikou Intermediate Court Vice-President Feng Ming and Langfang Intermediate Court second criminal tribunal Chief Judge Xu Bing said that the people’s courts have four methods for excluding evidence, the trial judges exclude evidence, collegial tribunals exclude evidence, department heads exclude evidence and adjudicatory committees exclude evidence. Exclusion takes three forms: oral exclusion, exclusion by judicial declaration and exclusion in the verdict. The law should offer clarification.

From the procuratorates, The SPP Case Mananagement Office Deputy Department head Shi Xianzhi and Ningbo City Beilun district procuratorate chief procurator Li Zhong said that the law should also clarify the method by which the people’s procuratorates should exclude evidence during the indictment decision, externally procuracy organs use direct exclusion and exclusion by hearing, while internally four methods are used, the exclusion by the procurator prosecuting the case, exclusion but the chief prosecutor, exclusion by people’s supervisors (人民监督员)and exclusion by the procuratorial committee. The law should offer clarification.

As to the burden of proof in exclusion of illegal evidence: regarding whether or not the defendant and his attorney bear the burden of proof. The Exclusionary Rules and the Draft Amendments to the CPL both dictate that when initiating procedures for the exclusion of evidence the defendant has the duty to provide ‘clues or evidence’. Professor Wang Jiancheng feels that this should not be understood and as a burden of proof, but should be understood as meaning that the suspect should provide clues and has the right to provide evidence.  Professor Tan Shigui however, feels that in practice courts essentially bear a certain burden to prove that the evidence gathering procedures were legal and that this burden should be carried by the prosecution.

The procuracy organs bear a burden of proving that evidence gathering procedures were legal during inquiries into illegal evidence, but whether the draft amendments to the CPL should clearly list the means by which the procuracy may prove this was controversial. Professor Chen Weidong of China Renmin University felt that the draft should clearly enumerate concrete methods by which the procuracy may make proof.

On the Standard of Proof, Haikou Intermediate Court Vice-President Feng Ming said that the standard is that the procuracy’s proof that evidence was legally obtained must be sufficient and reliable, not  that evidence proving exclusion must be sufficient and reliable. Langfang Intermediate Court second criminal tribunal Deputy-Chief Judge Xu Bing said that the law should make clear the relationship between ‘eliminating reasonable doubt’ and ‘inner faith’(内心确认)， to help basic level  court judges understand and master these two standards of proof.

Article35 of the ‘Rules of Evidence for Death Penalty Cases’ on the use of technological evidence in practice.

Public security Department, 12th division, Section-head Jie Fang introduced the basis for the scope of technological investigations, the state of use in practice of evidence acquired by technological investigation methods, and the 12th Division’s preliminary plans regarding the Draft Amendments to the CPL’s provisions on technologic investigations. Shanghai City public security technological investigation team, Deputy-team leader, Wang LinJin introduced the special characteristics of technologic investigatory evidence-gathering measures in practice, particularly explaining that these measures are a type of replacement for[other] investigative techniques and that technological evidence is a kind of fortifying evidence, and that further, its approval process is quite rigorous and its use quite cautious.

Expert Scholar participants widely agreed that  technological investigative methods have both a  political and secretive quality, but had differing opinions on how evidence gathered by these techniques should be used and “rehabilitated”.

Nanjing Normal University Professor Li Jianming felt that the draft amendments to the CPL should clarify ‘relevant regulations’, ‘strictly approve’ and other provisions’ meanings. Professor Chen Weidong felt that regular evidence and technologic evidence should be distinguished as they have different methods for examining the evidence. Research Fellow Xiong Qiuhong felt that the secret nature of technologic investigation methods doesn’t indicate that the evidence itself is at all mysterious, evidence obtained through technological evidence methods can apply the ‘two evidence rules’ just like any other evidence. Long Zongzhi, Wang Jiancheng, Fan Chongyi, Wang Minyuan and other professors all felt that technological investigation methods should be brought within the legal system, that public security organs should  approach technologic investigations from a legalistic perspective and separate them into internal work regulations and regular principle regulations, the former could be decided by the public security organs and needn’t be publicly disclosed while the NPC legal affairs committee would take the lead in formulating the latter.

From the Two Evidence Rules to the new Criminal Procedure Law。

Participants also commented on the integration of the ‘two evidence rules’ into this round of criminal procedure law reforms. Participants widely felt that the ‘two evidence rules provided useful reference and assistance for the CPL reforms.

CASS researcher Ji Xiangde said that the 1979, 1996 and now the current  CPL  reforms reflected three major transitions in the Chinese criminal procedure system and the gradually  establishment of exclusionary rules was a major manifestation of this. After the new CPL  is passed, we should continue to reform and perfect the relevant content in the two evidence rules in accordance with the revised law and use more concrete and more practicable interpretations to put the new CPL into effect.


[1] 转化： Literally conversion is used in the original Chinese to indicate evidence that was originally tainted by illegal investigation techniques, but is in some way rehabilitated to make it admissible.

[2] http://www.aisixiang.com/data/42094.html

[3] Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, Article 39:  The home of citizens of the People’s Republic of China is inviolable. Unlawful search of, or intrusion into, a citizen’s home is prohibited.

[4] Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, Article 40. The freedom and privacy of correspondence of citizens of the People’s Republic of China are protected by law. No organization or individual may, on any ground, infringe upon the freedom and privacy of citizens’ correspondence except in cases where, to meet the needs of state security or of investigation into criminal offences, public security or procuratorial organs are permitted to censor correspondence in accordance with procedures prescribed by law.

 

]]> Sat, 10 Mar 2012 07:54:00 +0800 jeremy daum http://www.outofmyface.com/2012/03/09/121/ A slap between spouses: Can law solve the problem? :: http://www.outofmyface.com/2012/02/29/a-slap-between-spouses-can-law-solve-the-problem/ translated from Chongqing Morning Post, February 29, 2012   “Moral questions aren’t well suited for reliance on the legal system.” With the opening of the Two Sessions close at hand,  National People’s Congress Representative and Dean of Chongqing University Law School, Chen Zhonglin’s, comments include one disapproving of the idea of creating new legislation to fight domestic violence. Yesterday afternoon, the Chongqing Morning Post interviewed Chen Zhonglin after the close of Chongqing Net’s microblog (weibo) forum on the two sessions. “Law is for the protection of the most basic social morality; don’t hurt people, don’t do bad things, these are a few widely recognized basic morals.”  Chen Zhonglin said that as of today a number of provinces and municipalities have put out ‘good samaritan’ laws, a few places have made it against the law to not help those in desperate need, and this is actually just making a legislating morality. Chen Zhonglin told us of a specific case.  Not long ago, he attended a symposium on legislation addressing domestic violence. One of the main points was creating new legislation to control domestic violence. “There were a lot of people, including me, who voiced their disagreement.”Chen Zhonglin stated two reasons for disagreeing: First, the current laws and regulations already contain clear rules on domestic violence such as abusing a family member; Second, can matters between family members, like when a couple is fighting and the husband slaps his wife in a moment of anger, be resolved through the law? Only if you don’t want this family intact. Chen Zhonglin said that in relationships between family members, tolerance, forgiveness, support are more important and necessary for creating a family. Domestic violence prevention legislation has already been entered into the this year’s work plan. Domestic violence prevention legislation has already been incorporated into this year’s legislative work plan. This information revealed  on the 27th,  when the All-China Women’s Federation （ACWF） opened a forum on the prevention of domestic violence, by someone affiliated with the NPC legal-working committee. Data from 2009, All-China Women's Federation On the 27th, the All-China Women’s Federation released statistics from the third survey of women’s status in Chinese society. In the course of their marriage, 24.7% of married women have suffered some form of domestic violence. The ACWF department of rights and interests indicated that 86% of respondents felt that domestic violence was illegal behavior, and a large majority supported special domestic violence legislation. Wang Shizhou, a professor of criminal law at Beijing University who has long been interested in domestic violence legislation, said that anti domestic violence legislation already has a quite solid intellectual and social foundation and it should be fairly easy to put into place quickly. Our reporters learned from the NPC’s official website that the legal working committee’s director of planning, Wu Gaosheng, and 6 colleagues have already begun  investigation and argumentation on domestic violence legislation. Beginning in 2008, the ACWF has continued for 5 years in providing input to the NPC , to formulate a comprehensive social domestic violence law including prevention, control, assistance, education and corrective methods. But, over the years, these efforts have always bumped up against the obstacle of traditional social thoughts such as ‘domestic violence is a private family matter’ and progressed slowly. Against this background  where the national domestic violence legislation has been forever delayed and never forthcoming, Hunan and 28 other provinces or municipalities have put forth their own specialized domestic violence regulations or official policies.   Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Tumblr Stumble Digg Delicious Read this article on the community site
translated from Chongqing Morning Post, February 29, 2012  

“Moral questions aren’t well suited for reliance on the legal system.” With the opening of the Two Sessions close at hand,  National People’s Congress Representative and Dean of Chongqing University Law School, Chen Zhonglin’s, comments include one disapproving of the idea of creating new legislation to fight domestic violence.

Yesterday afternoon, the Chongqing Morning Post interviewed Chen Zhonglin after the close of Chongqing Net’s microblog (weibo) forum on the two sessions.

“Law is for the protection of the most basic social morality; don’t hurt people, don’t do bad things, these are a few widely recognized basic morals.”  Chen Zhonglin said that as of today a number of provinces and municipalities have put out ‘good samaritan’ laws, a few places have made it against the law to not help those in desperate need, and this is actually just making a legislating morality.

Chen Zhonglin told us of a specific case.  Not long ago, he attended a symposium on legislation addressing domestic violence. One of the main points was creating new legislation to control domestic violence. “There were a lot of people, including me, who voiced their disagreement.”Chen Zhonglin stated two reasons for disagreeing: First, the current laws and regulations already contain clear rules on domestic violence such as abusing a family member; Second, can matters between family members, like when a couple is fighting and the husband slaps his wife in a moment of anger, be resolved through the law? Only if you don’t want this family intact. Chen Zhonglin said that in relationships between family members, tolerance, forgiveness, support are more important and necessary for creating a family.

Domestic violence prevention legislation has already been entered into the this year’s work plan.

Domestic violence prevention legislation has already been incorporated into this year’s legislative work plan. This information revealed  on the 27th,  when the All-China Women’s Federation （ACWF） opened a forum on the prevention of domestic violence, by someone affiliated with the NPC legal-working committee.


Data from 2009, All-China Women's Federation

On the 27th, the All-China Women’s Federation released statistics from the third survey of women’s status in Chinese society. In the course of their marriage, 24.7% of married women have suffered some form of domestic violence. The ACWF department of rights and interests indicated that 86% of respondents felt that domestic violence was illegal behavior, and a large majority supported special domestic violence legislation. Wang Shizhou, a professor of criminal law at Beijing University who has long been interested in domestic violence legislation, said that anti domestic violence legislation already has a quite solid intellectual and social foundation and it should be fairly easy to put into place quickly.

Our reporters learned from the NPC’s official website that the legal working committee’s director of planning, Wu Gaosheng, and 6 colleagues have already begun  investigation and argumentation on domestic violence legislation.

Beginning in 2008, the ACWF has continued for 5 years in providing input to the NPC , to formulate a comprehensive social domestic violence law including prevention, control, assistance, education and corrective methods. But, over the years, these efforts have always bumped up against the obstacle of traditional social thoughts such as ‘domestic violence is a private family matter’ and progressed slowly.

Against this background  where the national domestic violence legislation has been forever delayed and never forthcoming, Hunan and 28 other provinces or municipalities have put forth their own specialized domestic violence regulations or official policies.

 

]]> Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:42:00 +0800 jeremy daum http://www.outofmyface.com/2012/02/29/a-slap-between-spouses-can-law-solve-the-problem/ Chuhehanjie! :: http://www.truthfromfacts.com/2012/03/05/chuhehanjie/ Something to check out on my next visit to Wuhan is the “Chu River / Han Street” area (chuhehanjie, 楚河汉街). Basically, they took the point where the tunnel under the Yangtze River comes out in Wuchang and extended the road across the Sha Hu, the large lake in the middle of Wuchang between the (even larger) East Lake and the river. In the section of the road between the two lakes they squeezed in a canal and a Jianghan Lu-style walking street, complete with the Euro-style architecture and narrow streets of the foreign settlement area in Hankou. It appears to have opened on October 1, 2011 and is not even on most maps yet; Google’s satellite view show the area in the early stages of construction. Could end up being just a cheesy shopping center, but it looks much more ambitious and clever than Wuhan Tiandi (which was disappointing and mostly empty the last few times I visited, though I hear it’s now more lively due to a lot of new apartment and office buildings going up around it). More links and pics, mostly in Chinese: http://www.cnhubei.com/xwzt/2011/twolake/index.shtml http://www.eemap.org/id/137477 http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2011-10/04/c_122119490_33.htm http://jinzi306198963.banzhu.net/article/jinzi306198963-14-3054690.html http://www.echinacities.com/wuhan/city-in-pulse/han-jie-shopping-area-along-the-chuhe-river-opens-soon.html The last link, which is in English, boasts that the street will have “the biggest Starbucks in Asia, the biggest McDonald’s in China, the Nike global image store, and a Michelin Restaurant!” I will definitely be hitting the McDs and Starbucks but will skip the Michelin restaurant (doubt they can beat reganmian, mianwo, shaokao, and all my other Wuhan street food favorites) and get my “Nikes” from the guys in the dark alleys around Jianghan Lu. Share This Read this article on the community site

Something to check out on my next visit to Wuhan is the “Chu River / Han Street” area (chuhehanjie, 楚河汉街). Basically, they took the point where the tunnel under the Yangtze River comes out in Wuchang and extended the road across the Sha Hu, the large lake in the middle of Wuchang between the (even larger) East Lake and the river. In the section of the road between the two lakes they squeezed in a canal and a Jianghan Lu-style walking street, complete with the Euro-style architecture and narrow streets of the foreign settlement area in Hankou.

It appears to have opened on October 1, 2011 and is not even on most maps yet; Google’s satellite view show the area in the early stages of construction. Could end up being just a cheesy shopping center, but it looks much more ambitious and clever than Wuhan Tiandi (which was disappointing and mostly empty the last few times I visited, though I hear it’s now more lively due to a lot of new apartment and office buildings going up around it).

More links and pics, mostly in Chinese:

http://www.cnhubei.com/xwzt/2011/twolake/index.shtml

http://www.eemap.org/id/137477

http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2011-10/04/c_122119490_33.htm

http://jinzi306198963.banzhu.net/article/jinzi306198963-14-3054690.html

http://www.echinacities.com/wuhan/city-in-pulse/han-jie-shopping-area-along-the-chuhe-river-opens-soon.html

The last link, which is in English, boasts that the street will have “the biggest Starbucks in Asia, the biggest McDonald’s in China, the Nike global image store, and a Michelin Restaurant!” I will definitely be hitting the McDs and Starbucks but will skip the Michelin restaurant (doubt they can beat reganmian, mianwo, shaokao, and all my other Wuhan street food favorites) and get my “Nikes” from the guys in the dark alleys around Jianghan Lu.

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]]> Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:50:00 +0800 SHTig http://www.truthfromfacts.com/2012/03/05/chuhehanjie/ economy food mcdonald's in china wuhan Roy interviewed on TravelTalkRadio in the US about China’s luxury travel outbound market :: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChinaContact/~3/zt8mEEgrleE/TTR_RoyGraff_feb26_12_seg02_03_14min40sec.mp3 Read this article on the community site


]]> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0800 ccontact http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChinaContact/~3/zt8mEEgrleE/TTR_RoyGraff_feb26_12_seg02_03_14min40sec.mp3 audio Looking for Sanity for SaaS contracts – an Epilogue :: http://www.chinalawandbusiness.com/2012/02/looking-for-sanity-for-saas-contracts-an-epilogue/ I had just finished up my series entitled Looking for Sanity for Saas Contracts (parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) when I received an issue of PLC Intellectual Property & Technology from Practical Law Company in the mail.  Guess what’s on page 34?  An detailed checklist for SaaS agreements that shows what the Client/Customer position should be and what the Vendor/Provider position should be.   It’s a 5 page checklist.   The authors (here, here and here) write: SaaS offers many potential benefits, including, reduced cost and efficient delivery of software applications.  However, before entering into a SaaS agreement, customers must understand how SaaS services are provided and the associated technical and legal issues. So far so good, though I have my doubts that many lawyers will really understand the technical issues.  That’s what your IT staff is for if they aren’t already involved in the negotiations. They continue: The following chart identifies key issues typically featured in a SaaS agreement and positions that both a customer and provider may consider for each issue.  While the chart highlights certain important considerations for a typical SaaS arrangement, each agreement must be tailored to reflect the partis’ particular needs and interests. I call B.S. on this.  This is basically saying that a “fair” contract is one that will meet in the middle of these sets of positions.  Baloney.  This is the sort of drivel that leads to unnecessarily protracted contract negotiations because overly cautious lawyers are heeding the advice of so-called experts. Unlike Mr. Classen’s article, I’m going to address this checklist point by point in a series of posts to come next month.  Stay tuned. Author’s note: I actually do like PLC as a service, so I am not denigrating that.  Just the perspective of the authors of this checklist, of whom I note that only one has any real tech experience in addition to 1 year of his practicing law. Read this article on the community site

I had just finished up my series entitled Looking for Sanity for Saas Contracts (parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) when I received an issue of PLC Intellectual Property & Technology from Practical Law Company in the mail.  Guess what’s on page 34?  An detailed checklist for SaaS agreements that shows what the Client/Customer position should be and what the Vendor/Provider position should be.   It’s a 5 page checklist.

 

The authors (here, here and here) write:

SaaS offers many potential benefits, including, reduced cost and efficient delivery of software applications.  However, before entering into a SaaS agreement, customers must understand how SaaS services are provided and the associated technical and legal issues.

So far so good, though I have my doubts that many lawyers will really understand the technical issues.  That’s what your IT staff is for if they aren’t already involved in the negotiations.

They continue:

The following chart identifies key issues typically featured in a SaaS agreement and positions that both a customer and provider may consider for each issue.  While the chart highlights certain important considerations for a typical SaaS arrangement, each agreement must be tailored to reflect the partis’ particular needs and interests.

I call B.S. on this.  This is basically saying that a “fair” contract is one that will meet in the middle of these sets of positions.  Baloney.  This is the sort of drivel that leads to unnecessarily protracted contract negotiations because overly cautious lawyers are heeding the advice of so-called experts.

Unlike Mr. Classen’s article, I’m going to address this checklist point by point in a series of posts to come next month.  Stay tuned.

Author’s note: I actually do like PLC as a service, so I am not denigrating that.  Just the perspective of the authors of this checklist, of whom I note that only one has any real tech experience in addition to 1 year of his practicing law.

]]> Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:12:00 +0800 chinaesq http://www.chinalawandbusiness.com/2012/02/looking-for-sanity-for-saas-contracts-an-epilogue/ Looking for Sanity for SaaS Contracts (part 3 of 5) :: http://www.chinalawandbusiness.com/2012/02/looking-for-sanity-for-saas-contracts-part-3-of-5/ A few more thoughts: Understand the Industry Standards Know the industry standards.  I already talked about limitation of liability and indemnity the last time around, but this applies to a lot of other terms too.  The SaaS/cloud industry is not that difficult to understand.  Want some easy advice?  Log onto salesforce.com and read their master services agreement.  That will give you an idea of what the rest of the industry is like. IP Related Issues Two more things I want to highlight: first, IP ownership.  A lot of procurement departments think that they can put SaaS vendors on their own paper, which often include work-for-hire provisions that would force all IP to become the customers.  Hold your horses: SaaS is all about a company hosting the application for a client in their environment.  The industry standard is that where a company owns the infrastructure, does the development, and maintains it all, then the SaaS company owns all rights and licenses it to the buyer (or provides access to the buyer). Some vendors have gone to the other extreme and starting claiming that SaaS services have nothing to do with IP, and not granting any license or even an IP related indemnity.  That’s absolute nonsense, but it’s also a response to buyers trying to grab IP.  This includes source code escrows.  These are not, and should not be, standard for a SaaS/cloud contract. SLAs and credits The standard in the industry that the client or customer has to make a request for SLA credits.  This is and has always been the norm.  I’ve always needed to monitor my web hosting service at Site5 to make sure that I am above the 99.9% uptime, and when they are below, it’s my job to request the credit.  But for someone who isn’t familiar with the industry, this is often what happens in discussions: Buyer: So you’re telling us that if there is downtime, we need to request a credit?Vendor: Yes.Buyer: Don’t you monitor downtimes on your end?Vendor: Yes.Buyer: Then shouldn’t you just give us the credit automatically?Vendor: No. You need to request a credit.Buyer: (*silence*) That doesn’t seem right. Y-y-you should do that for us…   It’s-It’s-It’s your job to do it. (In a tone has been increasingly akin to, “that’s not fair!”)Vendor: I’m sorry you feel that way, but we just can’t do that. You need to go through our process. Let me give you a couple of reasons why the industry doesn’t: 1) if you didn’t notice the downtime, and you’re a business, the truth is that it probably didn’t hurt your business.  If you’re a business where downtime is critical, then you’ll know very soon when something is down and have a Priority 1 ticket into client services.  2) IT normally tracks server uptime, not finance.  Finance departments are overburdened in most companies as is—no one is going to ask finance to track refunds on top of that when most finance departments I know have a hard time just paying the bills on time.  It makes zero business sense.  3) Businesses don’t want to give revenue away.  On the flip side, it’s hard enough to get clients to pay on time. Bottom line: get used to it, it’s the way the industry works. In SaaS, there is usually no “burn-in” period, like some would have you believe.  Mr. Classen’s article states: Service-level credits should be apply after an initial “burn-in” period during which the services provider can bring the company’s systems online without worrying about financial penalties.  The “burn in” period should be no longer than 60 days… Now I appreciate the pro-company stance, but this is a remnant of the 80’s and 90’s where burn-ins were required on PC hardware.  There is no burn in for most SaaS and cloud services.  (Yes, new servers can be problematic, but that should be part of downtime in SLA)  Either you should be sandboxing or testing in a test environment or before going live, or you expect the thing to work (like SuccessFactors).  If you’re migrating to Amazon Web Services, you better be testing those servers before flipping the hard switch. I’d love to have this clause in my company’s contract–but we handle payment card processing for Clients.  Imagine if we had a 60 day burn in during an MMO launch—a Client could lose millions on our downtime easily. Don’t believe everything you read. Next time, I’ll try to give some more practical advice. Read this article on the community site

A few more thoughts:

Understand the Industry Standards

Know the industry standards.  I already talked about limitation of liability and indemnity the last time around, but this applies to a lot of other terms too.  The SaaS/cloud industry is not that difficult to understand.  Want some easy advice?  Log onto salesforce.com and read their master services agreement.  That will give you an idea of what the rest of the industry is like.

IP Related Issues

Two more things I want to highlight: first, IP ownership.  A lot of procurement departments think that they can put SaaS vendors on their own paper, which often include work-for-hire provisions that would force all IP to become the customers.  Hold your horses: SaaS is all about a company hosting the application for a client in their environment.  The industry standard is that where a company owns the infrastructure, does the development, and maintains it all, then the SaaS company owns all rights and licenses it to the buyer (or provides access to the buyer).

Some vendors have gone to the other extreme and starting claiming that SaaS services have nothing to do with IP, and not granting any license or even an IP related indemnity.  That’s absolute nonsense, but it’s also a response to buyers trying to grab IP.  This includes source code escrows.  These are not, and should not be, standard for a SaaS/cloud contract.

SLAs and credits

The standard in the industry that the client or customer has to make a request for SLA credits.  This is and has always been the norm.  I’ve always needed to monitor my web hosting service at Site5 to make sure that I am above the 99.9% uptime, and when they are below, it’s my job to request the credit.  But for someone who isn’t familiar with the industry, this is often what happens in discussions:

Buyer: So you’re telling us that if there is downtime, we need to request a credit?
Vendor: Yes.
Buyer: Don’t you monitor downtimes on your end?
Vendor: Yes.
Buyer: Then shouldn’t you just give us the credit automatically?
Vendor: No. You need to request a credit.
Buyer: (*silence*) That doesn’t seem right. Y-y-you should do that for us…   It’s-It’s-It’s your job to do it. (In a tone has been increasingly akin to, “that’s not fair!”)
Vendor: I’m sorry you feel that way, but we just can’t do that. You need to go through our process.

Let me give you a couple of reasons why the industry doesn’t: 1) if you didn’t notice the downtime, and you’re a business, the truth is that it probably didn’t hurt your business.  If you’re a business where downtime is critical, then you’ll know very soon when something is down and have a Priority 1 ticket into client services.  2) IT normally tracks server uptime, not finance.  Finance departments are overburdened in most companies as is—no one is going to ask finance to track refunds on top of that when most finance departments I know have a hard time just paying the bills on time.  It makes zero business sense.  3) Businesses don’t want to give revenue away.  On the flip side, it’s hard enough to get clients to pay on time.

Bottom line: get used to it, it’s the way the industry works.

In SaaS, there is usually no “burn-in” period, like some would have you believe.  Mr. Classen’s article states:

Service-level credits should be apply after an initial “burn-in” period during which the services provider can bring the company’s systems online without worrying about financial penalties.  The “burn in” period should be no longer than 60 days…

Now I appreciate the pro-company stance, but this is a remnant of the 80’s and 90’s where burn-ins were required on PC hardware.  There is no burn in for most SaaS and cloud services.  (Yes, new servers can be problematic, but that should be part of downtime in SLA)  Either you should be sandboxing or testing in a test environment or before going live, or you expect the thing to work (like SuccessFactors).  If you’re migrating to Amazon Web Services, you better be testing those servers before flipping the hard switch.

I’d love to have this clause in my company’s contract–but we handle payment card processing for Clients.  Imagine if we had a 60 day burn in during an MMO launch—a Client could lose millions on our downtime easily.

Don’t believe everything you read.

Next time, I’ll try to give some more practical advice.

]]> Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:38:00 +0800 chinaesq http://www.chinalawandbusiness.com/2012/02/looking-for-sanity-for-saas-contracts-part-3-of-5/ Quote of the day 62 :: http://strandedmariner.com/2012/02/12/quote-of-the-day-62/ “If you think it is expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you employ an amateur” – Red Adair Filed under: Quotes Tagged: job, red adair Read this article on the community site

“If you think it is expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you employ an amateur” – Red Adair

Filed under: Quotes Tagged: job, red adair

]]> Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:42:00 +0800 Stranded Mariner http://strandedmariner.com/2012/02/12/quote-of-the-day-62/ quotes Charles Darwin :: http://strandedmariner.com/2012/02/12/charles-darwin/ It’s his 203rd birthday today. Filed under: History Read this article on the community site

It’s his 203rd birthday today.

Filed under: History

]]> Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:39:00 +0800 Stranded Mariner http://strandedmariner.com/2012/02/12/charles-darwin/ History Assignment: China - "The Week That Changed The World" :: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ichinaforum-recent/~3/KvTxwFKOVHo/assignment-china-week-changed-world Mike Chinoy read more Read this article on the community site


Mike Chinoy
assignmentchina.jpg


read more


]]> Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:51:00 +0800 ichinaforum http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ichinaforum-recent/~3/KvTxwFKOVHo/assignment-china-week-changed-world journalism media Quote of the day 61 :: http://strandedmariner.com/2012/02/07/quote-of-the-day-61/ Don’t get too excited if you finish a jigsaw puzzle in 6 months and the box says 2 to 4 years. - Anonymous Filed under: Quotes Tagged: jigsaw puzzle Read this article on the community site

Don’t get too excited if you finish a jigsaw puzzle in 6 months and the box says 2 to 4 years.

- Anonymous

Filed under: Quotes Tagged: jigsaw puzzle

]]> Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:52:00 +0800 Stranded Mariner http://strandedmariner.com/2012/02/07/quote-of-the-day-61/ quotes It’s been a while – SKAFFOLD Launches :: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/com/UtilityComputingDotChina/~3/zC-1kt3jfVI/its-been-a-while-skaffold-launches It’s been a long while between posts. In the interim the following has happened: - Gone through a public company’s voluntary administration and subsequent exit - Started consulting more and bringing some up to date Infrastructure and Linux love to Australia - Bought a house - www.skaffold.com went live!  Check it out. I will get back into this now that things start to settle down.  A bit to also talk about in China and most importantly now that I am in Australia.  I am gaining a better understanding of China as I can compare and contrast.  A whole new insight so to speak.   Read this article on the community site

It’s been a long while between posts.

In the interim the following has happened:

- Gone through a public company’s voluntary administration and subsequent exit

- Started consulting more and bringing some up to date Infrastructure and Linux love to Australia

- Bought a house

- www.skaffold.com went live!  Check it out.

I will get back into this now that things start to settle down.  A bit to also talk about in China and most importantly now that I am in Australia.  I am gaining a better understanding of China as I can compare and contrast.  A whole new insight so to speak.

 

]]> Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:50:00 +0800 SinoPeach http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/com/UtilityComputingDotChina/~3/zC-1kt3jfVI/its-been-a-while-skaffold-launches business development china tech horizon the cloud Return to the Peach Blossom Spring (Chapter 2) :: http://www.guanximaster.com/other/661/return-to-the-peach-blossom-spring-chapter-2/ When Jin passed through the long passage, he noticed that he could not see light from the village behind him when he turned his head back to look. A current seemed to propel his boat quickly through the tunnel, and he shot out the other side with a splash, finding himself in the ocean, with a rocky shore on one side and the wide, wide ocean to the other. Read this article on the community site

When Jin passed through the long passage, he noticed that he could not see light from the village behind him when he turned his head back to look. A current seemed to propel his boat quickly through the tunnel, and he shot out the other side with a splash, finding himself in the ocean, with a rocky shore on one side and the wide, wide ocean to the other.

]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:42:00 +0800 Jason http://www.guanximaster.com/other/661/return-to-the-peach-blossom-spring-chapter-2/ American Football is the most watched sport in America and growing! :: http://nstanosheck.blogspot.com/2012/01/american-football-is-most-watched-sport.html According to Wikipedia: ...The Super Bowl has frequently been the most watched American television broadcast of the year. Super Bowl XLV played in 2011 became the most watched American television program in history, drawing an average audience of 111 million viewers and taking over the spot held by the previous year's Super Bowl, which itself had taken over the #1 spot held for twenty-eight years by the final episode of M*A*S*H. The Super Bowl is also among the most watched sporting events in the world, mostly due to North American audiences ... 2011's Super Bowl XLV holds the record for total number of U.S. viewers, attracting an average audience of 111 million viewers, making the game the most viewed television broadcast of any kind in U.S. history. From The Nielson Company: Prime-time television viewership numbers compiled by The Nielsen Co. for Dec. 26-Jan. 1. Listings include the week's ranking and viewership for the week. The Top 5 programs were: "Sunday Night Football," NBC, 27.62 million viewers "Sunday Night Football Kickoff Show," NBC, 21.23 million viewers "Monday Night Football," ESPN, 15.64 million viewers "60 Minutes," CBS, 14.45 million viewers "Football Night in America", NBC, 14.44 million viewers From Orange County News: Prime-time NFL football draws its biggest audience in 15 years ... "Sunday Night Football" drew the largest audience in its six seasons on NBC. From NFL Communications: 49ers-Ravens on Thursday Night Football most-watched game ever on NFL Network ... Ranks as Thanksgiving’s all-time No. 1 show on cable & tops 2010 NFLN Thanksgiving game by 50 percent. Clearly not a game in decline, no matter what some Soccer elitists would like to claim (And I love soccer too!) Read this article on the community site

According to Wikipedia:

...The Super Bowl has frequently been the most watched American television broadcast of the year. Super Bowl XLV played in 2011 became the most watched American television program in history, drawing an average audience of 111 million viewers and taking over the spot held by the previous year's Super Bowl, which itself had taken over the #1 spot held for twenty-eight years by the final episode of M*A*S*H. The Super Bowl is also among the most watched sporting events in the world, mostly due to North American audiences ... 2011's Super Bowl XLV holds the record for total number of U.S. viewers, attracting an average audience of 111 million viewers, making the game the most viewed television broadcast of any kind in U.S. history.

From The Nielson Company:

Prime-time television viewership numbers compiled by The Nielsen Co. for Dec. 26-Jan. 1. Listings include the week's ranking and viewership for the week. The Top 5 programs were:
  1. "Sunday Night Football," NBC, 27.62 million viewers
  2. "Sunday Night Football Kickoff Show," NBC, 21.23 million viewers
  3. "Monday Night Football," ESPN, 15.64 million viewers
  4. "60 Minutes," CBS, 14.45 million viewers
  5. "Football Night in America", NBC, 14.44 million viewers

 From Orange County News:

Prime-time NFL football draws its biggest audience in 15 years ... "Sunday Night Football" drew the largest audience in its six seasons on NBC.

From NFL Communications:

49ers-Ravens on Thursday Night Football most-watched game ever on NFL Network ... Ranks as Thanksgiving’s all-time No. 1 show on cable & tops 2010 NFLN Thanksgiving game by 50 percent.

Clearly not a game in decline, no matter what some Soccer elitists would like to claim (And I love soccer too!)





CNBLUE Vol. 1 - First Step (Limited Edition)

]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:26:00 +0800 haojies http://nstanosheck.blogspot.com/2012/01/american-football-is-most-watched-sport.html I LOVE The NFL PRO BOWL! :: http://nstanosheck.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-love-nfl-pro-bowl.html I love it! The best of the AFC vs. the best of the NFC. A forced 4-3 Defense (which I prefer to the 3-4 even though Green Bay runs it exclusively). In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League (NFL). Since the merger with the rival American Football League (AFL) in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference (AFC) against those in the National Football Conference (NFC). Unlike most other sports leagues, which hold their all-star games during (roughly) the halfway point of their respective regular seasons, the Pro Bowl is played at the end of the NFL season. The NFL's all-star game has a tattered image. It is the only major all-star game that draws lower ratings than its regular-season games. However, the biggest concern of teams is to avoid injuries to the star players. The first "Pro All-Star Game," featuring the all-stars of the 1938 season (as well as three players from the Hollywood Stars and Los Angeles Bulldogs, who were not members of the league), was played on January 15, 1939 at Los Angeles's Wrigley Field. The NFL All-Star Game was played again in Los Angeles in 1940 and then in New York and Philadelphia in 1941 and 1942 respectively, after which the game was suspended due to World War II. The concept of an all-star game would not be revived until 1951, when the newly rechristened Pro Bowl played at various venues before being held at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii for 30 consecutive seasons from 1980 to 2009. The 2010 Pro Bowl was played at Sun Life Stadium, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV, on January 31, the first time ever that the Pro Bowl was held before the championship game, with the conference teams not including players from the teams that will be playing in the Super Bowl. The 2011 Pro Bowl was played again in Hawaii, but again held during the week before the Super Bowl. The 2012 game is also scheduled for Hawaii. Currently, players are voted into the Pro Bowl by the coaches, the players themselves, and the fans. Each group's ballots count for one third of the votes. The fans vote online at the NFL's official website. There are also replacements that go to the game should any selected player be unable to play due to injuries. Prior to 1995, only the coaches and the players made Pro Bowl selections. In order to be considered a Pro Bowler for a given year, a player must either have been one of the initial players selected to the team, or a player who accepts an invitation to the Pro Bowl as an alternate; invited alternates who decline to attend are not considered Pro Bowlers. Being a Pro Bowler is considered to be a mark of honor, and players who are accepted into the Pro Bowl are considered to be elite. The Pro Bowl head coaches are traditionally the head coaches of the teams that lost in the AFC and NFC championship games for the same season of the Pro Bowl in question (not the case for the 1980 and 81 seasons played in 1981 and 1982). However, for the 2010 and 2011 Pro Bowls, a new rule was presented: The teams that lose in the divisional playoff game with the best regular-season record will have their coaching staffs lead their respective conference Pro Bowl team. If the losing teams of each conference had the same regular season record the coaches from the higher-seeded team will get the Pro Bowl honor. This was, presumably, to allow the coaches more time with the players while the Pro Bowl is held during the week before the Super Bowl, since the conference championship losers would only have one week to prepare as opposed to three weeks when the Pro Bowl was held the week after the Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl has different rules from other NFL games to make the game safer. No motion or shifting by the offense Offense must have a tight end in all formations Offense can’t have 3 receivers on a side Intentional grounding is legal Defense must run a 4-3 at all times No press-type coverage except inside the 5 yard line No blitz Not allowed to rush a Punt, PAT or FG attempt No calls can be challenged Players can tweet to Twitter on the sidelines and locker room The teams are made of players from different NFL teams, so using their own uniforms would be too confusing. The players each wear the helmet of their team, but the home jerseys and pants are either a solid blue for the NFC or solid red for the AFC, while white jerseys with blue or red accents, respectively, for the away team. While it has been speculated that the color of Pro Bowl jerseys is determined by the winner of the Super Bowl, this is untrue. The design of Pro Bowl uniforms is changed every two years, and the color and white jerseys are rotated along with the design change. This has been Pro Bowl tradition since the switch to team specific helmets, which started with the January 1979 game. The two-year switch was originally created as a marketing ploy by Nike, and has been continued by Reebok, who won the merchandising contract in 2002. The early Pro Bowl, contested by the National Football League's Eastern and Western Division stars and played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, featured the same uniforms from the 1950s to mid-1960s; the Eastern team wore scarlet jerseys with white numerals and a white crescent shoulder stripe, white pants with red stripe, red socks, and a plain red helmet. The Western team wore white jerseys with royal-blue numerals and a Northwestern University-style triple stripe on the sleeves, white pants with blue stripe and socks and a plain blue helmet. Perhaps oddly, the Eastern team, wore home dark jerseys, although the host-city team, the Los Angeles Rams, were members of the Western Conference. From January 1967 to January 1970 both teams wore gold helmets with the NFL logo on the sides; the Eastern helmets featured a red-white-red tri-stripe and the Western a similar blue-white-blue tri-stripe. In fact the players brought their own game helmets to Los Angeles, which were then spray-painted and decorated for the contest. (For the 1970 game the helmets featured the 50 NFL logo, commemorating the league's half-century anniversary.) In the earliest years of the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, the players did not wear their unique helmets, as they do now. The AFC All-Stars wore a solid red helmet with a white A on it, while the NFC players wore a solid white helmet with a blue N on it. The AFC's red helmets were paired with white jerseys and red pants, while the NFC's white helmets were paired with blue jerseys and white pants. Two players with the same number who are elected to the Pro Bowl can now wear the same number for that game. This was not always the case in the past. The 2008 Pro Bowl included a unique example of several players from the same team wearing the same number in a Pro Bowl. For the game, Washington Redskins players T Chris Samuels, TE Chris Cooley, and LS Ethan Albright all wore the number 21 (a number normally inappropriate for their positions) in memory of their teammate Sean Taylor who had been murdered during the 2007 season. The Pro Bowl even has the best of the best cheerleaders cheering on the sides of the fields! Read this article on the community site

I love it! The best of the AFC vs. the best of the NFC. A forced 4-3 Defense (which I prefer to the 3-4 even though Green Bay runs it exclusively).

In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League (NFL). Since the merger with the rival American Football League (AFL) in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference (AFC) against those in the National Football Conference (NFC).

Unlike most other sports leagues, which hold their all-star games during (roughly) the halfway point of their respective regular seasons, the Pro Bowl is played at the end of the NFL season. The NFL's all-star game has a tattered image. It is the only major all-star game that draws lower ratings than its regular-season games. However, the biggest concern of teams is to avoid injuries to the star players.

The first "Pro All-Star Game," featuring the all-stars of the 1938 season (as well as three players from the Hollywood Stars and Los Angeles Bulldogs, who were not members of the league), was played on January 15, 1939 at Los Angeles's Wrigley Field. The NFL All-Star Game was played again in Los Angeles in 1940 and then in New York and Philadelphia in 1941 and 1942 respectively, after which the game was suspended due to World War II. The concept of an all-star game would not be revived until 1951, when the newly rechristened Pro Bowl played at various venues before being held at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii for 30 consecutive seasons from 1980 to 2009. The 2010 Pro Bowl was played at Sun Life Stadium, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV, on January 31, the first time ever that the Pro Bowl was held before the championship game, with the conference teams not including players from the teams that will be playing in the Super Bowl. The 2011 Pro Bowl was played again in Hawaii, but again held during the week before the Super Bowl. The 2012 game is also scheduled for Hawaii.

Currently, players are voted into the Pro Bowl by the coaches, the players themselves, and the fans. Each group's ballots count for one third of the votes. The fans vote online at the NFL's official website. There are also replacements that go to the game should any selected player be unable to play due to injuries. Prior to 1995, only the coaches and the players made Pro Bowl selections.

In order to be considered a Pro Bowler for a given year, a player must either have been one of the initial players selected to the team, or a player who accepts an invitation to the Pro Bowl as an alternate; invited alternates who decline to attend are not considered Pro Bowlers. Being a Pro Bowler is considered to be a mark of honor, and players who are accepted into the Pro Bowl are considered to be elite.

The Pro Bowl head coaches are traditionally the head coaches of the teams that lost in the AFC and NFC championship games for the same season of the Pro Bowl in question (not the case for the 1980 and 81 seasons played in 1981 and 1982). However, for the 2010 and 2011 Pro Bowls, a new rule was presented: The teams that lose in the divisional playoff game with the best regular-season record will have their coaching staffs lead their respective conference Pro Bowl team. If the losing teams of each conference had the same regular season record the coaches from the higher-seeded team will get the Pro Bowl honor. This was, presumably, to allow the coaches more time with the players while the Pro Bowl is held during the week before the Super Bowl, since the conference championship losers would only have one week to prepare as opposed to three weeks when the Pro Bowl was held the week after the Super Bowl.

The Pro Bowl has different rules from other NFL games to make the game safer.

  • No motion or shifting by the offense
  • Offense must have a tight end in all formations
  • Offense can’t have 3 receivers on a side
  • Intentional grounding is legal
  • Defense must run a 4-3 at all times
  • No press-type coverage except inside the 5 yard line
  • No blitz
  • Not allowed to rush a Punt, PAT or FG attempt
  • No calls can be challenged
  • Players can tweet to Twitter on the sidelines and locker room

The teams are made of players from different NFL teams, so using their own uniforms would be too confusing. The players each wear the helmet of their team, but the home jerseys and pants are either a solid blue for the NFC or solid red for the AFC, while white jerseys with blue or red accents, respectively, for the away team. While it has been speculated that the color of Pro Bowl jerseys is determined by the winner of the Super Bowl, this is untrue. The design of Pro Bowl uniforms is changed every two years, and the color and white jerseys are rotated along with the design change. This has been Pro Bowl tradition since the switch to team specific helmets, which started with the January 1979 game. The two-year switch was originally created as a marketing ploy by Nike, and has been continued by Reebok, who won the merchandising contract in 2002.

The early Pro Bowl, contested by the National Football League's Eastern and Western Division stars and played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, featured the same uniforms from the 1950s to mid-1960s; the Eastern team wore scarlet jerseys with white numerals and a white crescent shoulder stripe, white pants with red stripe, red socks, and a plain red helmet. The Western team wore white jerseys with royal-blue numerals and a Northwestern University-style triple stripe on the sleeves, white pants with blue stripe and socks and a plain blue helmet. Perhaps oddly, the Eastern team, wore home dark jerseys, although the host-city team, the Los Angeles Rams, were members of the Western Conference. From January 1967 to January 1970 both teams wore gold helmets with the NFL logo on the sides; the Eastern helmets featured a red-white-red tri-stripe and the Western a similar blue-white-blue tri-stripe. In fact the players brought their own game helmets to Los Angeles, which were then spray-painted and decorated for the contest. (For the 1970 game the helmets featured the 50 NFL logo, commemorating the league's half-century anniversary.)

In the earliest years of the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, the players did not wear their unique helmets, as they do now. The AFC All-Stars wore a solid red helmet with a white A on it, while the NFC players wore a solid white helmet with a blue N on it. The AFC's red helmets were paired with white jerseys and red pants, while the NFC's white helmets were paired with blue jerseys and white pants.

Two players with the same number who are elected to the Pro Bowl can now wear the same number for that game. This was not always the case in the past.

The 2008 Pro Bowl included a unique example of several players from the same team wearing the same number in a Pro Bowl. For the game, Washington Redskins players T Chris Samuels, TE Chris Cooley, and LS Ethan Albright all wore the number 21 (a number normally inappropriate for their positions) in memory of their teammate Sean Taylor who had been murdered during the 2007 season.

The Pro Bowl even has the best of the best cheerleaders cheering on the sides of the fields!


CNBLUE Vol. 1 - First Step (Limited Edition)

]]> Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:28:00 +0800 haojies http://nstanosheck.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-love-nfl-pro-bowl.html 2012 america football insane ramblings My AFC Team for 2012: The Miami Dolphins :: http://nstanosheck.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-afc-team-for-2012-miami-dolphins.html I love the placement of the uniform stripe on the Miami Dolphins' uniforms. I think the future of the uniform stripe is right there at the end of the sleeve with the trend of sleeves getting shorter and shorter every year. The Miami Dolphins just took the Green Bay Packers' Offensive Coordinator and made him their head coach. Matt Flynn will either be franchised by the NFC's Green Bay Packers and traded or become the hottest free agent in the NFL. Either way, logic says he goes to the AFC's Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins already have a number 10, so the question is, will Matt Flynn take over #10 as a 'Fin, or will he change numbers? Either way, Matt Flynn will join the ranks of my favorite non-Packers players in the NFL: Troy Polamalu and Rob Gronkowski. I just will have more love for the Miami Dolphins than either thePittsburghSteelers or the New England Patriots! Hey, we could maybe even have a Green Bay Packer vs. Miami Dolphins Super Bowl next year! I'd love it! Read this article on the community site

I love the placement of the uniform stripe on the Miami Dolphins' uniforms. I think the future of the uniform stripe is right there at the end of the sleeve with the trend of sleeves getting shorter and shorter every year.

The Miami Dolphins just took the Green Bay Packers' Offensive Coordinator and made him their head coach. Matt Flynn will either be franchised by the NFC's Green Bay Packers and traded or become the hottest free agent in the NFL. Either way, logic says he goes to the AFC's Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins already have a number 10, so the question is, will Matt Flynn take over #10 as a 'Fin, or will he change numbers?

Either way, Matt Flynn will join the ranks of my favorite non-Packers players in the NFL: Troy Polamalu and Rob Gronkowski. I just will have more love for the Miami Dolphins than either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the New England Patriots! Hey, we could maybe even have a Green Bay Packer vs. Miami Dolphins Super Bowl next year! I'd love it!


CNBLUE Vol. 1 - First Step (Limited Edition)

]]> Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:27:00 +0800 haojies http://nstanosheck.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-afc-team-for-2012-miami-dolphins.html 2012 america football insane ramblings Stop SOPA :: http://www.21cb.net/stop-sopa/ This is a placeholder page for this website’s Stop SOPA message. Read this article on the community site

This is a placeholder page for this website’s Stop SOPA message.

]]> Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:55:00 +0800 msuen http://www.21cb.net/stop-sopa/ China's med-tech market to grow 17% in 2012 | MassDevice.com :: http://chinawakes.blogspot.com/2012/01/china-med-tech-market-to-grow-17-in.html January 12, 2012 by MassDevice staff The Chinese medical device market is slated to grow 17% in 2012, survey says. MASSDEVICE ON CALL —China's medical device market is set to grow 17% in 2012, according to a Citigroup hospital survey. Major medical equipment in the Chinese market include medical monitors and life support, diagnostic imaging, in vitro diagnostics and therapeutic systems. GE Healthcare (NYSE:GE) leads the Chinese medical equipment market, but in orthopedics and drug-eluting stents, Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and Stryker (NYSE:SYK) take the lead, according to the report. Sign up to get our free newsletters delivered straight to your inbox Similar entries White House defends Obamacare insurance mandate in Supreme Court brief | MassDevice.com On Call Supreme Court adds Medicaid challenge to docket | MassDevice.com On Call Raising the Medicare eligibility age would save $148B | MassDevice.com On Call Medtronic ups the ante on Capitol Hill lobbying | MassDevice.com On Call FDA clears Smith & Nephew's Pico pocket NPWT device | Regulatory Roundup Citigroup's survey, which was based on responds from 383 Chinese hospitals across 29 provinces and cities, also named med-tech titans Philips (NYSE:PHG) and Siemens (NYSE:SI) as leaders in China's med-tech market. Domestic manufacturers such as Mindray Medical (NYSE:MR), Wandong and Aeon have tapped into the market with the sale of market of patient monitors, anesthesia machines and radiography machines. The 2012 growth will be largely due to bigger budgets and planned infrastructure upgrades from Chinese hospitals, according to analysts. State lawmakers push Supreme Court to uphold Obamacare More than 480 state lawmakers plan to file a brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold President Obama's health care reform law, according to TheHill.com. The group includes at least 1 lawmaker from every state, including the 26 states whose attorneys general are suing to overturn the law's individual insurance mandate. Read more Device detects cancer cells before they become tumors University of Missouri researchers' photoacoustic device can detect cancer cells before they become tumors, according to a press release. The laser-induced ultrasound system will soon be available to scientists for cancer studies and will be tested in clinical trials for the early diagnosis of metastic melanoma. Read more Stanmore Implants launches personalized knee replacement system Stanmore Implants Worldwide launched the first patient-specific modular knee implant system. Stanmore's system combines robotic bone preparation with a patient specific design gathered during CT scans. Read more Med-tech causes Iowa fire A fire in Waterloo, Iowa was likely caused by a malfunctioning medical device, according to the WCF Courier. The fire, which caused nearly $20,000 in damages at an assisted living facility, started when unattended medical equipment was left on a resident's bed. Read more News Well, Distribution, Exports, Healthcare Reform, Oncology Login to post comments Printer-friendly version Citigroup Johnson & Johnson Medtronic Mindray Medical International Ltd. Philips Healthcare Siemens Stryker Corp. GE Healthcare Permalink via massdevice.com US and EU medical technology companies need to start making plans to take their products to China before the country is able to develop its own medical device national champions. Once the country has the capacity to develop everything themselves, the West should expect their products to be largely shutout of what will be the world's largest market one day. Read this article on the community site
January 12, 2012 by MassDevice staff

The Chinese medical device market is slated to grow 17% in 2012, survey says.

MassDevice On Call

MASSDEVICE ON CALL —China's medical device market is set to grow 17% in 2012, according to a Citigroup hospital survey.

Major medical equipment in the Chinese market include medical monitors and life support, diagnostic imaging, in vitro diagnostics and therapeutic systems.

GE Healthcare (NYSE:GE) leads the Chinese medical equipment market, but in orthopedics and drug-eluting stents, Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and Stryker (NYSE:SYK) take the lead, according to the report.

Sign up to get our free newsletters delivered straight to your inbox

Citigroup's survey, which was based on responds from 383 Chinese hospitals across 29 provinces and cities, also named med-tech titans Philips (NYSE:PHG) and Siemens (NYSE:SI) as leaders in China's med-tech market.

Domestic manufacturers such as Mindray Medical (NYSE:MR), Wandong and Aeon have tapped into the market with the sale of market of patient monitors, anesthesia machines and radiography machines.

The 2012 growth will be largely due to bigger budgets and planned infrastructure upgrades from Chinese hospitals, according to analysts.

State lawmakers push Supreme Court to uphold Obamacare
More than 480 state lawmakers plan to file a brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold President Obama's health care reform law, according to TheHill.com. The group includes at least 1 lawmaker from every state, including the 26 states whose attorneys general are suing to overturn the law's individual insurance mandate. Read more

Device detects cancer cells before they become tumors
University of Missouri researchers' photoacoustic device can detect cancer cells before they become tumors, according to a press release. The laser-induced ultrasound system will soon be available to scientists for cancer studies and will be tested in clinical trials for the early diagnosis of metastic melanoma. Read more

Stanmore Implants launches personalized knee replacement system
Stanmore Implants Worldwide launched the first patient-specific modular knee implant system. Stanmore's system combines robotic bone preparation with a patient specific design gathered during CT scans. Read more

Med-tech causes Iowa fire
A fire in Waterloo, Iowa was likely caused by a malfunctioning medical device, according to the WCF Courier. The fire, which caused nearly $20,000 in damages at an assisted living facility, started when unattended medical equipment was left on a resident's bed. Read more

Permalink
via massdevice.com

US and EU medical technology companies need to start making plans to take their products to China before the country is able to develop its own medical device national champions. Once the country has the capacity to develop everything themselves, the West should expect their products to be largely shutout of what will be the world's largest market one day.

]]> Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:33:00 +0800 Brian T. Edwards http://chinawakes.blogspot.com/2012/01/china-med-tech-market-to-grow-17-in.html Han Han’s anti-censorship tactic: publish padding before the point :: http://transpacifica.net/2012/01/13/han-hans-anti-censorship-tactic-publish-padding-before-the-point/ Han Han, the influential writer, race-car driver, and now social commentator, tells Southern Metropolis Weekly (English | 中文) that some of his recent commentary was designed to deflect the immediate deletions that come with controversial statements on Chinese web platforms: Q: You once said that the first two essays were padding, while the last essay was the end goal?A: If you only write the last essay (including ), it will surely be deleted.  When something gets deleted, it has no value.  You can boast on the heroes’ honor roll that you wrote another censored essay and that you were victimized once again.  Many rightists rank themselves on the basis of the degree of persecution.  This is a somewhat pathetic ranking.  The ultimate height in sexual intercourse is the climax.  You cannot let someone climax as soon as they read it.   You need your padding. 南都周刊：你曾说前面两篇文章是铺垫，后面一篇才是目的？ 韩寒：你光写后面一篇文章，包括现在的《我的2011》，肯定会被删掉的。当一个东西被删掉了，就没有什么价值了，也只能在英雄谱上把自己说得更牛一点— 老子又写了一篇被删掉的文章，老子是受害者。很多右派是按照被迫害的程度来排资历高低的，他们已经形成了一种比较病态的排序。性爱的最高境界就是高潮，你不能让人家直接看完就到高潮了，你得有你的铺垫。 The interview is a good read, as Han Han takes on the rightists, the leftists, and the intellectuals. The three essays in question: “On Revolution,” “On Democracy,” and “On Freedom“—followed by “My 2011.” Each of these was translated and posted on Roland Soong’s indispensable East South West North. Read this article on the community site

Han Han, the influential writer, race-car driver, and now social commentator, tells Southern Metropolis Weekly (English | 中文) that some of his recent commentary was designed to deflect the immediate deletions that come with controversial statements on Chinese web platforms:

Q: You once said that the first two essays were padding, while the last essay was the end goal?
A: If you only write the last essay (including ), it will surely be deleted.  When something gets deleted, it has no value.  You can boast on the heroes’ honor roll that you wrote another censored essay and that you were victimized once again.  Many rightists rank themselves on the basis of the degree of persecution.  This is a somewhat pathetic ranking.  The ultimate height in sexual intercourse is the climax.  You cannot let someone climax as soon as they read it.   You need your padding.

南都周刊：你曾说前面两篇文章是铺垫，后面一篇才是目的？

韩寒：你光写后面一篇文章，包括现在的《我的2011》，肯定会被删掉的。当一个东西被删掉了，就没有什么价值了，也只能在英雄谱上把自己说得更牛一点— 老子又写了一篇被删掉的文章，老子是受害者。很多右派是按照被迫害的程度来排资历高低的，他们已经形成了一种比较病态的排序。性爱的最高境界就是高潮，你不能让人家直接看完就到高潮了，你得有你的铺垫。

The interview is a good read, as Han Han takes on the rightists, the leftists, and the intellectuals.

The three essays in question: “On Revolution,” “On Democracy,” and “On Freedom“—followed by “My 2011.” Each of these was translated and posted on Roland Soong’s indispensable East South West North.

]]> Sat, 14 Jan 2012 09:35:00 +0800 gwbstr http://transpacifica.net/2012/01/13/han-hans-anti-censorship-tactic-publish-padding-before-the-point/ uncategorized Sorting out a dubious report on China in Africa :: http://transpacifica.net/2012/01/13/sorting-out-a-dubious-report-on-china-in-africa/ Well, this doesn’t look good. American University Professor Deborah Brautigam has written a detailed criticism of a think tank commentary about Chinese agricultural investment in Mozambique, and if her conclusions are correct, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and its author have some explaining to do. First a caveat: I am not a specialist in Chinese–African relations, and I have only a passing familiarity with the issues and personalities involved here. Nonetheless, there are a few things I can say based on Brautigam’s report. The original commentary speculated (in the headline) that the Zambezi Valley in Mozambique might be “China’s first agricultural colony,” and Brautigam notes that the report became influential in China–Africa discussions. “The problem,” she writes: “very little of what was written in this sensational commentary appears to be real” (emphasis original). Indeed, she argues that many of the most prominent claims in the commentary either conflict with data or seem to be based on rumors. In some cases, interviews in Mozambique even failed to turn up people familiar with the rumors. The full post is worth a read, but two things jump out at me. The role of peer review. Brautigam notes that the CSIS piece was not subject to peer review, but what caught my attention was the sense that peer review is not necessarily effective in this situation. Indeed, a reviewer told Brautigam to better account for the “research” by Loro Horta that she finds so lacking. This is a reminder that peer review can sustain misguided ideas as well as quash them. Now just who are we talking about? The assumptions of agency built in to the Horta piece, as excerpted by Brautigam, could potentially be their own red flag. “China” is framed as an actor, often a unitary one, in discussing the supposed involvement of Chinese interests in Mozambique: China has been requesting large land leases to establish Chinese-run mega-farms and cattle ranches. … China is committed to transforming Mozambique into one of its main food suppliers …An analysis of China’s activities in the valley in the past two years provides some strong indication of China’s long term intentions. When commentary lacks precision regarding who’s doing what among the roughly one-fifth of the world that lives in China, and instead frames the country as a unitary actor with “intentions” or “activities,” it’s unclear to me how much actual information can be communicated. At best, the reader is supposed to trust the writer to simplify with understanding and integrity. Explaining the specific mechanics is a far more persuasive way to go, and if the specifics are unclear, the honest move is to explain what is left uncertain. Read this article on the community site

Well, this doesn’t look good. American University Professor Deborah Brautigam has written a detailed criticism of a think tank commentary about Chinese agricultural investment in Mozambique, and if her conclusions are correct, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and its author have some explaining to do.

First a caveat: I am not a specialist in Chinese–African relations, and I have only a passing familiarity with the issues and personalities involved here. Nonetheless, there are a few things I can say based on Brautigam’s report.

The original commentary speculated (in the headline) that the Zambezi Valley in Mozambique might be “China’s first agricultural colony,” and Brautigam notes that the report became influential in China–Africa discussions. “The problem,” she writes: “very little of what was written in this sensational commentary appears to be real” (emphasis original). Indeed, she argues that many of the most prominent claims in the commentary either conflict with data or seem to be based on rumors. In some cases, interviews in Mozambique even failed to turn up people familiar with the rumors.

The full post is worth a read, but two things jump out at me.

The role of peer review. Brautigam notes that the CSIS piece was not subject to peer review, but what caught my attention was the sense that peer review is not necessarily effective in this situation. Indeed, a reviewer told Brautigam to better account for the “research” by Loro Horta that she finds so lacking. This is a reminder that peer review can sustain misguided ideas as well as quash them.

Now just who are we talking about? The assumptions of agency built in to the Horta piece, as excerpted by Brautigam, could potentially be their own red flag. “China” is framed as an actor, often a unitary one, in discussing the supposed involvement of Chinese interests in Mozambique:

China has been requesting large land leases to establish Chinese-run mega-farms and cattle ranches. … China is committed to transforming Mozambique into one of its main food suppliers …An analysis of China’s activities in the valley in the past two years provides some strong indication of China’s long term intentions.

When commentary lacks precision regarding who’s doing what among the roughly one-fifth of the world that lives in China, and instead frames the country as a unitary actor with “intentions” or “activities,” it’s unclear to me how much actual information can be communicated. At best, the reader is supposed to trust the writer to simplify with understanding and integrity. Explaining the specific mechanics is a far more persuasive way to go, and if the specifics are unclear, the honest move is to explain what is left uncertain.

]]> Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:10:00 +0800 gwbstr http://transpacifica.net/2012/01/13/sorting-out-a-dubious-report-on-china-in-africa/ africa-china center for strategic and international studies china china-africa uncategorized Huntsman and fear of China – ‘the new expat message’? :: http://transpacifica.net/2012/01/11/huntsman-and-fear-of-china-the-new-expat-message/ Creative Commons photo by saucy_pan Noted, from ChinaSolved (emphasis mine): When Huntsman says, “America First” he means “and not China”. His message is that he’s seen what can happen if the global status quo doesn’t shift – and that this is scary to the US.  Moreover, he’s in a position to do something about it.  He has seen the enemy – or at least the rival – and it’s China. This is the new expat message.  In the 2000s,  China pros said “I can open that China opportunity”.  In the coming decade, their  line will be, “I can help you keep the Chinese at bay.” I don’t have time to evaluate this, but such a shift would be interesting, if unsettling. My initial sense is that there have always been “China experts” who said they would defend the United States and others “against” China. The difference now may be that those people are being drawn from the ranks of individuals who actually speak Chinese and have actually been there. This kind of stance is only possible if you have a very dark strategic view or if you never spent enough time speaking with people to lose the fear narrative. Expat enclaves can only encourage this us–them viewpoint. Read this article on the community site

Creative Commons photo by saucy_pan

Noted, from ChinaSolved (emphasis mine):

When Huntsman says, “America First” he means “and not China”.

His message is that he’s seen what can happen if the global status quo doesn’t shift – and that this is scary to the US.  Moreover, he’s in a position to do something about it.  He has seen the enemy – or at least the rival – and it’s China.

This is the new expat message.  In the 2000s,  China pros said “I can open that China opportunity”.  In the coming decade, their  line will be, “I can help you keep the Chinese at bay.”

I don’t have time to evaluate this, but such a shift would be interesting, if unsettling. My initial sense is that there have always been “China experts” who said they would defend the United States and others “against” China. The difference now may be that those people are being drawn from the ranks of individuals who actually speak Chinese and have actually been there.

This kind of stance is only possible if you have a very dark strategic view or if you never spent enough time speaking with people to lose the fear narrative. Expat enclaves can only encourage this us–them viewpoint.

]]> Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:56:00 +0800 gwbstr http://transpacifica.net/2012/01/11/huntsman-and-fear-of-china-the-new-expat-message/ china china-u.s. expatriates expats uncategorized Buying Out Your Chinese Supplier? :: http://www.foreignentrepreneursinchina.com/2012/01/buying-out-your-chinese-supplier/ China Law Blog has published a post about foreign companies that try to buy out their Chinese suppliers. Dan Harris makes very enjoyable reading out of a very serious topic. You can read his post entitled here: “Buying A Chinese Company. Why China Deals Don´t Get Done” This is what you will learn from his article:Very common practises for Chinese companies are:-to under report employee wages to the government-to underpay taxes-to pay the rent under the table.Which may be easy to get away with as a Chinese company but not as a WFOE. So, if you are considering buying out your Chinese supplier, life will be a bit different for you. As a WFOE, your company will probably be wanting to play by the rules (and you better do it because as a foreign company you will be closely scrutinised) and the profits your supplier was making will be imposible to replicate as you will:-end up paying double the amount your supplier was paying in wages and benefits-pay all your income taxes-have to increase booked rental costs This is the short version. Read the original post here to get really interesting details and some cost estimates. I will only add that it is indeed widely known that these practises are common. Some of these issues I will also mention in the second part of “A China Joint Venture Survival Guide” that is coming soon (Check my first post on the topic here) Do you have any stories about buying out a Chinese company? Read this article on the community site

China Law Blog has published a post about foreign companies that try to buy out their Chinese suppliers. Dan Harris makes very enjoyable reading out of a very serious topic. You can read his post entitled here: “Buying A Chinese Company. Why China Deals Don´t Get Done”

This is what you will learn from his article:
Very common practises for Chinese companies are:
-to under report employee wages to the government
-to underpay taxes
-to pay the rent under the table.
Which may be easy to get away with as a Chinese company but not as a WFOE.

So, if you are considering buying out your Chinese supplier, life will be a bit different for you. As a WFOE, your company will probably be wanting to play by the rules (and you better do it because as a foreign company you will be closely scrutinised) and the profits your supplier was making will be imposible to replicate as you will:
-end up paying double the amount your supplier was paying in wages and benefits
-pay all your income taxes
-have to increase booked rental costs

This is the short version. Read the original post here to get really interesting details and some cost estimates.

I will only add that it is indeed widely known that these practises are common. Some of these issues I will also mention in the second part of “A China Joint Venture Survival Guide” that is coming soon (Check my first post on the topic here)

Do you have any stories about buying out a Chinese company?

]]> Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:23:00 +0800 Clara Muriel Ruano http://www.foreignentrepreneursinchina.com/2012/01/buying-out-your-chinese-supplier/ "Down: Indie Rock in the PRC" Accepted into Thin Line Film Festival :: http://shanghaijournal.squarespace.com/journal/2012/1/11/down-indie-rock-in-the-prc-accepted-into-thin-line-film-fest.html I open the 2012 annals of this website with the exciting news that our rock doc has been accepted into the Thin Line Film Festival in Texas.  The screening of the film will take place on Friday evening Feb 11 at 8 pm.  For more details on this film festival, visit the Thin Line Film Festival website. Read this article on the community site

I open the 2012 annals of this website with the exciting news that our rock doc has been accepted into the Thin Line Film Festival in Texas.  The screening of the film will take place on Friday evening Feb 11 at 8 pm.  For more details on this film festival, visit the Thin Line Film Festival website.

]]> Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:25:00 +0800 shanghaidrew http://shanghaijournal.squarespace.com/journal/2012/1/11/down-indie-rock-in-the-prc-accepted-into-thin-line-film-fest.html Issue 9 Has Arrived :: http://www.tctype.com/?p=507 After a long delay, we have completed issue #9. Seeing as it is a lucky number, we probably should have gone with a nine dragon theme for the cover, but we elected to use an image of the pagodas of Guilin. Perhaps we’ll save the dragons for the new year and our 10th issue. This issue features prose from Andrea Bangert and Travis Lee; poetry from Rob Schanckne, William Wright Harris, and R. Joseph Capet; and Lucas Klein’s translations of poetry from Xi Chuan 西川. Download your PDF copy today. Related posts: Issue 6 Has Arrived Happy New Issue! First Issue Read this article on the community site

After a long delay, we have completed issue #9. Seeing as it is a lucky number, we probably should have gone with a nine dragon theme for the cover, but we elected to use an image of the pagodas of Guilin. Perhaps we’ll save the dragons for the new year and our 10th issue.

This issue features prose from Andrea Bangert and Travis Lee; poetry from Rob Schanckne, William Wright Harris, and R. Joseph Capet; and Lucas Klein’s translations of poetry from Xi Chuan 西川.

Download your PDF copy today.

Related posts:

  1. Issue 6 Has Arrived
  2. Happy New Issue!
  3. First Issue

]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:28:00 +0800 Chinamatt http://www.tctype.com/?p=507 uncategorized Andrew Reich, InTouch CEO and Quality Wars author, Speaks at AmCham Shanghai and Shanghai CHAINA Conference :: http://www.quality-wars.com/2011/11/14/andrew-reich-intouch-ceo-and-quality-wars-author-speaks-at-amcham-shanghai-and-shanghai-chaina-conference/ InTouch CEO, Andrew Reich, has been busy this month, participating in several events in the Shanghai area. On November 2nd, Andrew spoke at the 3rd annual CHaINA conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Shanghai. Andrew led the workshop entitled Quality Control in the Supply Chain – The Long-term Play through 2020 which was attended by [...] Read this article on the community site

InTouch CEO, Andrew Reich, has been busy this month, participating in several events in the Shanghai area. On November 2nd, Andrew spoke at the 3rd annual CHaINA conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Shanghai. Andrew led the workshop entitled Quality Control in the Supply Chain – The Long-term Play through 2020 which was attended by [...]

]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:05:00 +0800 ChinaQualityGuru http://www.quality-wars.com/2011/11/14/andrew-reich-intouch-ceo-and-quality-wars-author-speaks-at-amcham-shanghai-and-shanghai-chaina-conference/ Performing Final Inspection at less than 100% Packed :: http://www.quality-wars.com/2011/12/23/performing-final-inspection-at-less-than-100-packed/ I often get asked by my clients: “at what point should we have an inspection of the goods in the factory?”.  This is a good question.  In this post I am referring only to what we call a “Final Inspection”.  This generally indicates that the majority of goods have been produced in the factory (in [...] Read this article on the community site

I often get asked by my clients: “at what point should we have an inspection of the goods in the factory?”.  This is a good question.  In this post I am referring only to what we call a “Final Inspection”.  This generally indicates that the majority of goods have been produced in the factory (in [...]

]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:05:00 +0800 ChinaQualityGuru http://www.quality-wars.com/2011/12/23/performing-final-inspection-at-less-than-100-packed/ The use of Gantt Charts in Production Monitoring :: http://www.quality-wars.com/2012/01/10/the-use-of-gantt-charts-in-production-monitoring/ Being involved in a wide range of production monitoring projects in China, it’s important that we’re efficient and use the right tools, in order to manage the projects effectively.  One tool that we use, especially in the fabrication of industrial projects (but with applications for commercial and consumer products as well) is called a Gantt [...] Read this article on the community site

Being involved in a wide range of production monitoring projects in China, it’s important that we’re efficient and use the right tools, in order to manage the projects effectively.  One tool that we use, especially in the fabrication of industrial projects (but with applications for commercial and consumer products as well) is called a Gantt [...]

]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:05:00 +0800 ChinaQualityGuru http://www.quality-wars.com/2012/01/10/the-use-of-gantt-charts-in-production-monitoring/ Booksigning on Jan 17th with John Hung: Does a man need a stint in jail to complete his life experiences? :: http://www.blacksmithbooks.com/blog/?p=1340 Read this article on the community site

]]> Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:24:00 +0800 blacksmith http://www.blacksmithbooks.com/blog/?p=1340 A China Joint-Venture Survival Guide. 22 Facts and 22 Practical Tips. :: http://www.foreignentrepreneursinchina.com/2012/01/a-joint-venture-survival-guide-22-facts-and-22-practical-tips/ Joint-Ventures (J-V) in China can go well, and can also go very wrong. When the latter is the case, problems come up from where you less expect them. “Mike Smith” (not his real name) spent two years in rural China supervising his employer’s interest in a Chinese joint venture where they were the majority partner (deal signed before he landed there). His case falls within the second category I’ve mentioned (I would in fact say that all that could go wrong went wrong) but that has given him invaluable lessons on how to ensure things are done right. He has also met on the way a number of joint-ventures facing quite similar challenges to the ones he experienced. We met to talk about his time representing the foreign partner and I’ve drafted a series entitled “A Joint-Venture Survival Guide” composed of three posts based on his experiences, opinions, tips and comments . A Joint-Venture Survival Guide (I).(First 8 Facts and 5 Tips) Some introductory thoughts1. China is a noble and good society… but when it comes to doing business, the value system changes. Ripping off a foreigner may be seen as a clever thing rather than a bad one. 2. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are in a universe of their own. Drive just 100 km away into central China and reality changes. It is a hardship environment and corruption is readily encountered. 3. You may have successfully set up joint-ventures and businesses in other countries. Do not assume China is going to be the same. You are lost without an expert if you are going to deal with a local partner.“My company had successfully set up J-Vs across the world, and nowhere did they face the situations they faced here. They assumed they knew it all, and that was a big mistake”. “The Essentials”4. The foundations for your success will be laid before you sign the deal.Preliminary work is essential, and I cannot stress this enough. Once you have signed you are helpless. And later on, once your million dollars are in China, you will not be able to get them out unless you exit the J-V. There is plenty of room for disaster so make sure you dig into every single hole to figure out where the problems may be.! Tip: This is the time to get as much information as you need. You need to be able to access all books, information about operational manual, … You may hear the somewhat overused sentence “What is the problem? Don´t you trust me?”. Well it is not about trust, it is about business, and companies that have nothing to hide will share the information with you. 5.Confidentiality and know-how protection will be difficult in a small cities. All the legal issues about this will be judged in the city in which it happens, which means that if you have a company in Shanghai and someone “copies” your product in Ningxia, the legal procedure will be carried out in Ningxia so you will be dealing with all the difficulties of operating in a place that is not a business hub.! Tip: We are a European SME. If that is also your case you canhave free brief advice from the European Chambers of Commerce. Also a free advice for intellectual property, copy right, etc in China IPR SME Helpdesk. 6. A GOOD consultant/advisor: Priceless.You need real in-depth expertise to pull this one off successfully:! Tip: “J-V conflict resolution and dissolution in China is really complicated compared to other countries. Consultant/Advisor companies have an instinct for knowing the real situation” 7.[On consultants] … But find the one suited to your size“The reality on the ground for SMEs is quite different to that of MNCs. We don’t have their leverage and muscle power and we deal with different issues/situations. It is essential to get on board a very good consultant but I wouldn’t recommend one of the big ones. I think they are better suited for big companies.”! Tip: MNCs are often interested in high tech, setting up R + D centres, the pharmaceutical industry, medical issues and they will find some decent protection from the Local Government. In the case of SMEs that do business outside big business hubs, protection will be very difficult to guarantee and there will be unimaginable issues unless they hire the right consultant/advisor. And believe me, consultant/advisor big names will not help you to find the back door of your J-V. 8. Sign the right “pre-nup”You obviously don’t want your relationship to go wrong, but if things happen you need to have put in place the right “break-up” conditions.! Tip: Always use the Chinese or Hong Kong Arbitration Court. Most companies feel more comfortable with international arbitration, but what do you do when your Chinese partner doesn’t show up or doesn’t comply with the resolution? It needs to be done in China or Hong Kong where the resolution will be mandatory and enforceable. Coming soon “A Joint-Venture Survival Guide (II)” with more interesting and useful tips to help you navigate a J-V negotiation. Do not forget to subscribe Your email:   Read this article on the community site

Joint-Ventures (J-V) in China can go well, and can also go very wrong. When the latter is the case, problems come up from where you less expect them. “Mike Smith” (not his real name) spent two years in rural China supervising his employer’s interest in a Chinese joint venture where they were the majority partner (deal signed before he landed there). His case falls within the second category I’ve mentioned (I would in fact say that all that could go wrong went wrong) but that has given him invaluable lessons on how to ensure things are done right. He has also met on the way a number of joint-ventures facing quite similar challenges to the ones he experienced.

We met to talk about his time representing the foreign partner and I’ve drafted a series entitled “A Joint-Venture Survival Guide” composed of three posts based on his experiences, opinions, tips and comments .

A Joint-Venture Survival Guide (I).(First 8 Facts and 5 Tips)

Some introductory thoughts
1. China is a noble and good society… but when it comes to doing business, the value system changes. Ripping off a foreigner may be seen as a clever thing rather than a bad one.

2. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are in a universe of their own. Drive just 100 km away into central China and reality changes. It is a hardship environment and corruption is readily encountered.

3. You may have successfully set up joint-ventures and businesses in other countries. Do not assume China is going to be the same. You are lost without an expert if you are going to deal with a local partner.
“My company had successfully set up J-Vs across the world, and nowhere did they face the situations they faced here. They assumed they knew it all, and that was a big mistake”.

“The Essentials”
4. The foundations for your success will be laid before you sign the deal.
Preliminary work is essential, and I cannot stress this enough. Once you have signed you are helpless. And later on, once your million dollars are in China, you will not be able to get them out unless you exit the J-V. There is plenty of room for disaster so make sure you dig into every single hole to figure out where the problems may be.
! Tip: This is the time to get as much information as you need. You need to be able to access all books, information about operational manual, … You may hear the somewhat overused sentence “What is the problem? Don´t you trust me?”. Well it is not about trust, it is about business, and companies that have nothing to hide will share the information with you.

5.Confidentiality and know-how protection will be difficult in a small cities. All the legal issues about this will be judged in the city in which it happens, which means that if you have a company in Shanghai and someone “copies” your product in Ningxia, the legal procedure will be carried out in Ningxia so you will be dealing with all the difficulties of operating in a place that is not a business hub.
! Tip: We are a European SME. If that is also your case you canhave free brief advice from the European Chambers of Commerce. Also a free advice for intellectual property, copy right, etc in China IPR SME Helpdesk.

6. A GOOD consultant/advisor: Priceless.
You need real in-depth expertise to pull this one off successfully:
! Tip: “J-V conflict resolution and dissolution in China is really complicated compared to other countries. Consultant/Advisor companies have an instinct for knowing the real situation”

7.[On consultants] … But find the one suited to your size
“The reality on the ground for SMEs is quite different to that of MNCs. We don’t have their leverage and muscle power and we deal with different issues/situations. It is essential to get on board a very good consultant but I wouldn’t recommend one of the big ones. I think they are better suited for big companies.”
! Tip: MNCs are often interested in high tech, setting up R + D centres, the pharmaceutical industry, medical issues and they will find some decent protection from the Local Government. In the case of SMEs that do business outside big business hubs, protection will be very difficult to guarantee and there will be unimaginable issues unless they hire the right consultant/advisor. And believe me, consultant/advisor big names will not help you to find the back door of your J-V.

8. Sign the right “pre-nup”
You obviously don’t want your relationship to go wrong, but if things happen you need to have put in place the right “break-up” conditions.
! Tip: Always use the Chinese or Hong Kong Arbitration Court. Most companies feel more comfortable with international arbitration, but what do you do when your Chinese partner doesn’t show up or doesn’t comply with the resolution? It needs to be done in China or Hong Kong where the resolution will be mandatory and enforceable.

Coming soon “A Joint-Venture Survival Guide (II)” with more interesting and useful tips to help you navigate a J-V negotiation.

Do not forget to subscribe

Your email:

 

]]> Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:43:00 +0800 Clara Muriel Ruano http://www.foreignentrepreneursinchina.com/2012/01/a-joint-venture-survival-guide-22-facts-and-22-practical-tips/ For Cough and Cold :: http://styleshanghai.blogspot.com/2012/01/for-cough-and-cold.html Just came back from 28 Celsius temp to now 5 C in Shanghai. I often get cough and cold this way and again no voice. These two are recommended by my friends here. They have instructions at the back in English. Read this article on the community site

Just came back from 28 Celsius temp to now 5 C in Shanghai. I often get cough and cold this way and again no voice. These two are recommended by my friends here. They have instructions at the back in English.

]]> Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:57:00 +0800 mahreez http://styleshanghai.blogspot.com/2012/01/for-cough-and-cold.html CCTV Chinese New Year's Gala :: http://tonysbeijingreview.blogspot.com/2012/01/cctv-chinese-new-years-gala.html This month will mark the start of the Year of the Dragon, and the renewal of a traditional rite of the Chinese family New Year celebration. Hundreds of millions of television viewers will watch the state-run TV network's annual variety show. The CCTV Chinese New Year's Eve gala is an entertainment marathon, produced live at the China Central Television main studio in Beijing. It is a broadcast that has, over the years, been designed to unite the country in much the same way that old American TV shows like "Sabado Gigante" and "The Ed Sullivan Show" did in the 1960s and 1970s. While the American TV universe has exploded to include a thousand channels of entertainment, Chinese viewers still basically receive around 3 dozen channels, virtually all government-controlled. In the end, people in China watch what their government wants them to watch. On the night before the Chinese New Year, the people are supposed to watch 4 consecutive hours of state-sanctioned music, dancing, comedy, and speechmaking. For Americans and other foreigners who wax nostalgic for such programs of their youth, the CCTV show isn't so bad. The content recalls Sunday evenings watching mop-topped British pop singers, wise-cracking puppet mice, and acrobats spinning plates on sticks. I happen to spend a lot of time at CCTV and get to see the Chinese performers rehearsing for this mega-colossal supershow, and can't help but admire their hard work and dedication. Yet each year, the Gala exposes a generational split in modern Chinese society that's impossible to ignore. Young Chinese cannot bear to watch this show. They feel that it's old-fashioned and out-of-sync with their lives, not to mention the expectation that it is required viewing in the family living room next to their parents, grandparents, and cousins. Yuk! Kids who express their preference to play video games or surf the internet until the midnight fireworks start are harshly reprimanded. The youngsters would rather lock themselves in their rooms in silence rather than watch ethnic dances and lame magicians, or hear patriotic songs. It's roughly like forcing a skater punk in the USA to sit down and listen to Pat Boone and Lee Greenwood, amid the occasional sketch comedy of Red Skelton (if he was still alive) and rip-roaring, down-home bluegrass from Dixie. Of course, the truth is that when these kids in China grow up to become adults, it's expected that they sit down in the living room with their children, and watch this very same show 20 years from now. And they probably will. On the other hand, nothing like MTV has ever reached the vast majority of Chinese youth, but music videos on the internet have. One gets the feeling the fireworks have yet to begin. Read this article on the community site


This month will mark the start of the Year of the Dragon, and the renewal of a traditional rite of the Chinese family New Year celebration. Hundreds of millions of television viewers will watch the state-run TV network's annual variety show.

The CCTV Chinese New Year's Eve gala is an entertainment marathon, produced live at the China Central Television main studio in Beijing. It is a broadcast that has, over the years, been designed to unite the country in much the same way that old American TV shows like "Sabado Gigante" and "The Ed Sullivan Show" did in the 1960s and 1970s. While the American TV universe has exploded to include a thousand channels of entertainment, Chinese viewers still basically receive around 3 dozen channels, virtually all government-controlled. In the end, people in China watch what their government wants them to watch. On the night before the Chinese New Year, the people are supposed to watch 4 consecutive hours of state-sanctioned music, dancing, comedy, and speechmaking.

For Americans and other foreigners who wax nostalgic for such programs of their youth, the CCTV show isn't so bad. The content recalls Sunday evenings watching mop-topped British pop singers, wise-cracking puppet mice, and acrobats spinning plates on sticks. I happen to spend a lot of time at CCTV and get to see the Chinese performers rehearsing for this mega-colossal supershow, and can't help but admire their hard work and dedication.

Yet each year, the Gala exposes a generational split in modern Chinese society that's impossible to ignore. Young Chinese cannot bear to watch this show. They feel that it's old-fashioned and out-of-sync with their lives, not to mention the expectation that it is required viewing in the family living room next to their parents, grandparents, and cousins. Yuk!

Kids who express their preference to play video games or surf the internet until the midnight fireworks start are harshly reprimanded. The youngsters would rather lock themselves in their rooms in silence rather than watch ethnic dances and lame magicians, or hear patriotic songs. It's roughly like forcing a skater punk in the USA to sit down and listen to Pat Boone and Lee Greenwood, amid the occasional sketch comedy of Red Skelton (if he was still alive) and rip-roaring, down-home bluegrass from Dixie.

Of course, the truth is that when these kids in China grow up to become adults, it's expected that they sit down in the living room with their children, and watch this very same show 20 years from now. And they probably will.

On the other hand, nothing like MTV has ever reached the vast majority of Chinese youth, but music videos on the internet have. One gets the feeling the fireworks have yet to begin.

]]> Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:22:00 +0800 tperkins http://tonysbeijingreview.blogspot.com/2012/01/cctv-chinese-new-years-gala.html China and Kim Jong Il :: http://tonysbeijingreview.blogspot.com/2012/01/china-and-kim-jong-il.html Upon receiving the news of North Korean strongman Kim Jong-Il's death, China's leading internet video site, Youku.com, carried a black banner at the top of its home page. It's a mark usually reserved for disasters in China. It showed up during the recovery from the devastating Sichuan earthquake in 2008, and again earlier this year after the Wenzhou high-speed train crash. But Kim Jong-Il? His departure from the world stage was hardly a disaster. I could not believe that China actually wanted its people to join in the mourning for this knucklehead. China shares a weird kinship with North Korea, or the DPRK, as we're told to call it. There's a common political and social ideology, but really, that's about it. Yet, a lot of Chinese are envious of the impoverished Hermit Kingdom. Either secretly or overtly, they wish China was more like North Korea, closed to public scrutiny, locked-down from foreign influence, belligerent to its neighbors. When the North Koreans told the foreigners in Pyongyang to take a hike during the mourning period for Kim Jong-Il, you could almost hear Chinese hands applauding the move. The whole big-brother / little-brother relationship between China and the DPRK would probably be OK, except for the fact that Kim Jong-Il had a few flaws. He starved his people, closed-off all international access, rejected technology that would have helped economic development, backed the kidnapping of foreign nationals, shelled and killed islanders in rival South Korea, exploded nuclear weapons, and launched short-range missiles over Japan. This guy was a wrongheaded deadbeat from start to finish, and the Chinese should have been happy to see him go. If China wants to be all buddy-buddy with the region's most destabilizing nation, fine. But it's hardly the mark of world leadership, even third world leadership. Read this article on the community site


Upon receiving the news of North Korean strongman Kim Jong-Il's death, China's leading internet video site, Youku.com, carried a black banner at the top of its home page. It's a mark usually reserved for disasters in China. It showed up during the recovery from the devastating Sichuan earthquake in 2008, and again earlier this year after the Wenzhou high-speed train crash. But Kim Jong-Il? His departure from the world stage was hardly a disaster. I could not believe that China actually wanted its people to join in the mourning for this knucklehead.

China shares a weird kinship with North Korea, or the DPRK, as we're told to call it. There's a common political and social ideology, but really, that's about it. Yet, a lot of Chinese are envious of the impoverished Hermit Kingdom. Either secretly or overtly, they wish China was more like North Korea, closed to public scrutiny, locked-down from foreign influence, belligerent to its neighbors. When the North Koreans told the foreigners in Pyongyang to take a hike during the mourning period for Kim Jong-Il, you could almost hear Chinese hands applauding the move.

The whole big-brother / little-brother relationship between China and the DPRK would probably be OK, except for the fact that Kim Jong-Il had a few flaws. He starved his people, closed-off all international access, rejected technology that would have helped economic development, backed the kidnapping of foreign nationals, shelled and killed islanders in rival South Korea, exploded nuclear weapons, and launched short-range missiles over Japan. This guy was a wrongheaded deadbeat from start to finish, and the Chinese should have been happy to see him go.

If China wants to be all buddy-buddy with the region's most destabilizing nation, fine. But it's hardly the mark of world leadership, even third world leadership.

]]> Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:02:00 +0800 tperkins http://tonysbeijingreview.blogspot.com/2012/01/china-and-kim-jong-il.html Going Back to Shanghai :: http://styleshanghai.blogspot.com/2012/01/going-back-to-shanghai.html I spent the holidays in the Philippines which meant I got two weeks free of cold windy temperature. And as I have a few hours left before my flight, I thought of doing some articles on my Hubpages. I wrote an article on how to buy stuff from Taobao. It's not really detailed but more of a summary. Don't worry you'll get it easily. My friend taught me how to do them on Yahoo Messenger, and I didn't Read this article on the community site

I spent the holidays in the Philippines which meant I got two weeks free of cold windy temperature. And as I have a few hours left before my flight, I thought of doing some articles on my Hubpages. I wrote an article on how to buy stuff from Taobao. It's not really detailed but more of a summary. Don't worry you'll get it easily. My friend taught me how to do them on Yahoo Messenger, and I didn't

]]> Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:50:00 +0800 mahreez http://styleshanghai.blogspot.com/2012/01/going-back-to-shanghai.html Breaking your ESL contract in China :: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/teachabroadchinafeed/~3/6MypslSfFRk/ Obtaining a work visa in China has become considerably more difficult during the past few years. It is no longer possible in most places in China to have a tourist visa (L-visa) converted into a working permit. And while it used to be possible to have this processed in Hong Kong, the Chinese government is [...] Read this article on the community site

Obtaining a work visa in China has become considerably more difficult during the past few years. It is no longer possible in most places in China to have a tourist visa (L-visa) converted into a working permit. And while it used to be possible to have this processed in Hong Kong, the Chinese government is [...]

]]> Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:14:00 +0800 rvance http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/teachabroadchinafeed/~3/6MypslSfFRk/ chinese government hong kong keeping it real with the boss work visa ChinaBlogTweets Twitter Updates for 2011-12-25 :: http://www.chinabusinessservices.com/blog/?p=1969 The china-business-tweeps Daily is out! http://t.co/xkyWjQ4I ▸ Top stories today via @chinacontact @managingdragon @zhongnanhai # The china-business-tweeps Daily is out! http://t.co/xkyWjQ4I ▸ Top stories today via @chinahush @chinasmack @maxhenry # Merry Christmas everyone! # Stats RT @ChinaDailyEU: Drive…for transparent data: The National Bureau of Statistics will collect data directly… http://t.co/bBMCZACz # ODI power RT @BullishChina: [...] Read this article on the community site

The china-business-tweeps Daily is out! http://t.co/xkyWjQ4I ▸ Top stories today via @chinacontact @managingdragon @zhongnanhai # The china-business-tweeps Daily is out! http://t.co/xkyWjQ4I ▸ Top stories today via @chinahush @chinasmack @maxhenry # Merry Christmas everyone! # Stats RT @ChinaDailyEU: Drive…for transparent data: The National Bureau of Statistics will collect data directly… http://t.co/bBMCZACz # ODI power RT @BullishChina: [...]

]]> Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:35:00 +0800 Jeremy Gordon http://www.chinabusinessservices.com/blog/?p=1969 Pishan Incident: Hotan Re-visited? :: http://chinaletter.blogspot.com/2011/12/pishan-incident-hotan-re-visited.html It has been reported that as a result of a "kidnapping" by an Uyghur "terror gang" Chinese police in Pishan, Xinjiang have been involved in a rescue operation that resulted in the death of seven Uyghurs, one policeman and injuries to four others.The incident in Pishan, which is a rural cotton farming town in the Hotan Prefecture and near the major city of Hotan, occurred on Wednesday night Read this article on the community site

It has been reported that as a result of a "kidnapping" by an Uyghur "terror gang" Chinese police in Pishan, Xinjiang have been involved in a rescue operation that resulted in the death of seven Uyghurs, one policeman and injuries to four others.The incident in Pishan, which is a rural cotton farming town in the Hotan Prefecture and near the major city of Hotan, occurred on Wednesday night

]]> Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:47:00 +0800 stephen.sullivan@gmail.com http://chinaletter.blogspot.com/2011/12/pishan-incident-hotan-re-visited.html Double up: China Wine & Spirits acquires DT Asia :: http://www.grapewallofchina.com/2011/12/29/double-up-china-wine-spirits-acquires-dt-asia/ By Jim Boyce China Wines & Spirits (CWS) acquired fellow distributor DT Asia last month and while the news is a bit dated I thought I would post it anyway. From the press release: “[The move] reinforces CWS position on the market, with a larger and stronger portfolio of Icon brands such as Champagne Deutz, [...] Read this article on the community site

By Jim Boyce China Wines & Spirits (CWS) acquired fellow distributor DT Asia last month and while the news is a bit dated I thought I would post it anyway. From the press release: “[The move] reinforces CWS position on the market, with a larger and stronger portfolio of Icon brands such as Champagne Deutz, [...]

]]> Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:32:00 +0800 boyce http://www.grapewallofchina.com/2011/12/29/double-up-china-wine-spirits-acquires-dt-asia/ jim boyce Beijing Lists 17 Industries Most in Need of Talent :: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chinadecoder/~3/QtQdkfyYdyA/ Beijing issued its "12th Five Year Plan Human Resource Development Plan" on Wednesday, marking 17 industries most in need of qualified personnel over the next five years. The plan identified more than 280 specific categories of professionals needed across fields including new generation information technology, new energy vehicles, and aeronautics ... Read this article on the community site

Beijing issued its "12th Five Year Plan Human Resource Development Plan" on Wednesday, marking 17 industries most in need of qualified personnel over the next five years. The plan identified more than 280 specific categories of professionals needed across fields including new generation information technology, new energy vehicles, and aeronautics ...

]]> Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:08:00 +0800 jrosen http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chinadecoder/~3/QtQdkfyYdyA/ Web Comic :: http://chunzhu.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/web-comic/ Well, I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb so I no longer have any opinions about politics. However, I am working on a web comic. If you’re interested, here it is: http://fasttallgrowup.blogspot.com/ Read this article on the community site

Well, I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb so I no longer have any opinions about politics. However, I am working on a web comic. If you’re interested, here it is: http://fasttallgrowup.blogspot.com/

]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:17:00 +0800 chunzhu http://chunzhu.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/web-comic/ china comic uncategorized web Holiday phobia :: http://hannahthedrifter.blogspot.com/2011/12/holiday-phobia.html Read this article on the community site
]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:45:00 +0800 Hannah http://hannahthedrifter.blogspot.com/2011/12/holiday-phobia.html A Christmas Carol, my Ass :: http://www.uglychinesecanadian.com/?p=4121 The BBC produced a 3 part series on Racism a few years back.It was part of the season of programmes broadcasted on the BBC marking the 200th anniversary of the Slave Trade Act 1807, a landmark piece of legislation which abolished the slave trade in the British Empire. The series explores the impact of racism ... Read this article on the community site

The BBC produced a 3 part series on Racism a few years back.It was part of the season of programmes broadcasted on the BBC marking the 200th anniversary of the Slave Trade Act 1807, a landmark piece of legislation which abolished the slave trade in the British Empire. The series explores the impact of racism ...

]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:05:00 +0800 the UGLY Chinese Canadian http://www.uglychinesecanadian.com/?p=4121 bbc British christianity crime documentary event evolution german imperialism india jamaica namibia nazis politics racism slavery Masked girl comes to the rescue for Beijing beggars :: http://www.timeoutbeijing.com/features/Blogs/14152/Masked-girl-comes-to-the-rescue-for-Beijing-beggars.html A young lady wearing tight clothes, a black silk cloak and a blue mask appeared on Christmas Eve in Beijing to distribute food and clothing to homeless people on the streets. Read more Read this article on the community site

A young lady wearing tight clothes, a black silk cloak and a blue mask appeared on Christmas Eve in Beijing to distribute food and clothing to homeless people on the streets. Read more

]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0800 Time_Out_Beijing http://www.timeoutbeijing.com/features/Blogs/14152/Masked-girl-comes-to-the-rescue-for-Beijing-beggars.html