How should the US view China's developing relations with her neighbors? Should the US modify its foreign policy toward these same nations in light of their changing Relationships with China?
Clearly, the US must encourage relations that serve to reduce security concerns and improve the economic well-being of all parties involved. From stability comes peace, and it is in everybody's best interests for China to maintain peaceful relationships with her neighbors. By the same token, the US must discourage hostile overtures from China to her weaker neighbors.
The US is already actively participating in China's huge economic growth by opening manufacturing concerns that employ thousands of Chinese workers at a fraction of the US labor cost. India has the next great opportunity for growth as the US is poised to take advantage of the low cost of manufacturing in that country (possibly at China's expense?).
Since some of China's neighbors have Muslim populations, the US would do well to reconsider its position on Iraq. Improved relationships and an end to hostilities in this country could only help improve the relations with China's neighbors, and perhaps influence China to stop persecuting its own Muslim population.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Uyghur Minority Chafing Under Chinese Oppression
In an article published April 15, 2008 from Khotan, China entitled, "A Second Restive Minority Faces China's Heavy Hand," the author argues that while Tibetan protests have grabbed headlines, the social unrest among China's 8 million Muslim Uighurs in the resource-rich far western territory have gone virtually unnoticed by the press.
Despite reports of police shootings and arrests at a protest demanding Uighur independence on March23, the world has paid little notice. China is doing its best to downplay ethnic tensions that threaten national security as well as the upcoming Beijing Olympics, claiming that the state has stabilized ethnic areas.
Human rights activists disagree. Nicolas Bequelin, a researcher for Human Rights watch in Hong Kong, claims China's policies are alienating, and that they are "efficient in that political political repression works. But they have ethnic tensions."
While Han Chinese live and work beside their Uighur neighbors, the interaction ends there. Muslims report discrimination, and are discouraged from practicing any religion. It is in the best interest of Han China to try to assimilate the Uighurs into their culture in order to protect their hold on the oil, coal, and mineral reserves in Uighur territories. However, their methods of assimilation border on the extreme - maintaining one's ethnic identity is not encouraged. People who attempt to help Muslims often end up dead at the hands of police during interrogation.
To further their aims, the Uighur people have created the World Uyghur Congress to draw attention to the plight of the Uighur people. To this point, they have been successful at maintaining the elements of their society that set them apart from the Han Chinese. How long the Han Chinese will allow this to continue is another story.
Susan
Despite reports of police shootings and arrests at a protest demanding Uighur independence on March23, the world has paid little notice. China is doing its best to downplay ethnic tensions that threaten national security as well as the upcoming Beijing Olympics, claiming that the state has stabilized ethnic areas.
Human rights activists disagree. Nicolas Bequelin, a researcher for Human Rights watch in Hong Kong, claims China's policies are alienating, and that they are "efficient in that political political repression works. But they have ethnic tensions."
While Han Chinese live and work beside their Uighur neighbors, the interaction ends there. Muslims report discrimination, and are discouraged from practicing any religion. It is in the best interest of Han China to try to assimilate the Uighurs into their culture in order to protect their hold on the oil, coal, and mineral reserves in Uighur territories. However, their methods of assimilation border on the extreme - maintaining one's ethnic identity is not encouraged. People who attempt to help Muslims often end up dead at the hands of police during interrogation.
To further their aims, the Uighur people have created the World Uyghur Congress to draw attention to the plight of the Uighur people. To this point, they have been successful at maintaining the elements of their society that set them apart from the Han Chinese. How long the Han Chinese will allow this to continue is another story.
Susan
Monday, April 7, 2008
Child Labor Scandal in Shanxi
In an article posted June 18, 2007 entitled "China: Child Labour Scandal Exposes Gross Corruption," Antoaneta Bezlova detailed the ordeal endured by 32 migrant workers who had been forced to work as slave laborers in a brick kiln for over a year. The workers were routinely beaten and starved, and were forced to handle hot bricks bare-handed, and were so filthy that the grime could be scraped off their bodied with a knife.
What's even more shocking is the revelation that, over the last few years, at least 1,000 children between the ages of eight and 16 have been enslaved in the brickworks in the Shanxi province. It is no coincidence that the brickworks is owned by by the son of the Communist Party chief. Local police ignored illegal labor practices due to an agreement between the police and local officials.
Fathers of the kidnapped children claim that their children were kidnapped and sold to the factory bosses for 500 yuan each. The laborers were forced to work and live in unbelievable squalor. "The places those children lived in were worse than dog kennels," said Chai Wei, a father of a missing child, upon searching several brickworks searching for his son. He described children sleeping on wooden planks, and walls covered with excrement. He and other fathers were horrified at what they saw on their rescue efforts, and get no help whatsoever from the local police.
The discovery of webs of provincial slave labor coincides with the development of new labor laws designed to protect workers from local labor abuses. Unfortunately, many local officials chose to ignore directives from the central government. Workers' advocates argue that directives will only be enforced if independent labor unions are allowed to form.
Based on what I have learned in this class, I am not surprised that child labor or slave labor exists in China. China is a country with little respect for human life or human rights, so why should we expect them to treat migrant worker or their children well? They also have no respect for the law, and corruption is just as rampant as ever. As long as there is profit to be made from slave and child labor, they Chinese will find ways to circumvent any "laws" they can put on the books.
Susan
What's even more shocking is the revelation that, over the last few years, at least 1,000 children between the ages of eight and 16 have been enslaved in the brickworks in the Shanxi province. It is no coincidence that the brickworks is owned by by the son of the Communist Party chief. Local police ignored illegal labor practices due to an agreement between the police and local officials.
Fathers of the kidnapped children claim that their children were kidnapped and sold to the factory bosses for 500 yuan each. The laborers were forced to work and live in unbelievable squalor. "The places those children lived in were worse than dog kennels," said Chai Wei, a father of a missing child, upon searching several brickworks searching for his son. He described children sleeping on wooden planks, and walls covered with excrement. He and other fathers were horrified at what they saw on their rescue efforts, and get no help whatsoever from the local police.
The discovery of webs of provincial slave labor coincides with the development of new labor laws designed to protect workers from local labor abuses. Unfortunately, many local officials chose to ignore directives from the central government. Workers' advocates argue that directives will only be enforced if independent labor unions are allowed to form.
Based on what I have learned in this class, I am not surprised that child labor or slave labor exists in China. China is a country with little respect for human life or human rights, so why should we expect them to treat migrant worker or their children well? They also have no respect for the law, and corruption is just as rampant as ever. As long as there is profit to be made from slave and child labor, they Chinese will find ways to circumvent any "laws" they can put on the books.
Susan
Sunday, March 30, 2008
China's Wild Youth
According to the article "Bad Company" by Matthew Forney/Yinchuan, posted on Time.com 11/4/02, China's youth have gown increasingly violent. Teenage gang members hurl explosive devices at enemies, assault and rape citizens, and murder authority figures such as teachers. They have a taste for drugs, rock music, and believe they owe the world nothing. They also make up China's fastest growing criminal group.
Experts see a moral vacuum as the driving force behind this trend. Chinese youth are disillusioned with the ideals of Communism, and religion has been discouraged by the government. Divorce rates are rising, families are crumbling, and after-school activities and team sports are all but nonexistent. These children form gangs like their Western counterparts as a way of filling an emotional void. As a result, three-fourths of youth involved in crimes are also involved with a gang, many with ties to criminal syndicates. Shan Guangnai of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences commented, "With this many kids going bad, it looks to me like society is falling apart."
Unfortunately, the government does little to keep kids out of gangs. Since there are few juvenile detention centers, teen offenders are housed with adult criminals, which provides the teens useful contacts in the criminal world. These kids become the petty thugs who work for loan sharks once they're released. They learn new methods for beating and torturing clients who won't pay protection money, and while many say they won't kill, most agree that they would cut off fingers if necessary.
Some parents are able to afford to pull police strings on behalf of their children, but most are not. Once in the system, it is difficult for them to get out and go straight. They want to be important, to be a leader, but chose the path that sends them toward an uncertain future. For them, a violent death is often a foregone conclusion.
Based on what we have studied concerning China's youth, it appears that while they have more opportunities than ever, they are squandering their potential on lives of decadence and violence, of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Increased affluence of some has led to resentment by those who have not yet made it. The lax moral code encourages the pursuit of money above all else, and indulgent parents encourage sloth and laziness by providing for their able-bodied offspring long after they could provide for themselves (much like the spoiled children of America!).
Fortunately for China, this does not apply to all Chinese youth. As long as there are more children who are taught to value education above violence, and right from wrong, China will have a future. If the scale ever tips in the other direction, the entire society will implode. It's up to the parents to set good examples, and the youth to decide which path they will take.
Experts see a moral vacuum as the driving force behind this trend. Chinese youth are disillusioned with the ideals of Communism, and religion has been discouraged by the government. Divorce rates are rising, families are crumbling, and after-school activities and team sports are all but nonexistent. These children form gangs like their Western counterparts as a way of filling an emotional void. As a result, three-fourths of youth involved in crimes are also involved with a gang, many with ties to criminal syndicates. Shan Guangnai of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences commented, "With this many kids going bad, it looks to me like society is falling apart."
Unfortunately, the government does little to keep kids out of gangs. Since there are few juvenile detention centers, teen offenders are housed with adult criminals, which provides the teens useful contacts in the criminal world. These kids become the petty thugs who work for loan sharks once they're released. They learn new methods for beating and torturing clients who won't pay protection money, and while many say they won't kill, most agree that they would cut off fingers if necessary.
Some parents are able to afford to pull police strings on behalf of their children, but most are not. Once in the system, it is difficult for them to get out and go straight. They want to be important, to be a leader, but chose the path that sends them toward an uncertain future. For them, a violent death is often a foregone conclusion.
Based on what we have studied concerning China's youth, it appears that while they have more opportunities than ever, they are squandering their potential on lives of decadence and violence, of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Increased affluence of some has led to resentment by those who have not yet made it. The lax moral code encourages the pursuit of money above all else, and indulgent parents encourage sloth and laziness by providing for their able-bodied offspring long after they could provide for themselves (much like the spoiled children of America!).
Fortunately for China, this does not apply to all Chinese youth. As long as there are more children who are taught to value education above violence, and right from wrong, China will have a future. If the scale ever tips in the other direction, the entire society will implode. It's up to the parents to set good examples, and the youth to decide which path they will take.
Friday, March 21, 2008
China: World Superpower?
China's incredible growth has led to some pretty incredible growing pains, as well. Stories of civil unrest, widespread unemployment, environmental disasters, and human rights violations fill the news. Why then, with all these weaknesses, is China still considered a contender for superpower status?
One word: greed. International investors are making incredible amounts of money utilizing the cheap, plentiful labor available in China. Social conscience and the environment are trivial concerns if making more money is at stake, so these issues are whitewashed by the Chinese government and are overlooked by those making an economic killing in China today.
The company for which I work has seen factories in America shut down and their equipment sent to China, where it will be operated for 1/15th the wage of an American worker. We send American workers (they get a bonus if they are willing to do it) over to China to teach them how to take their jobs away from them. We were told originally that the Chinese would only be servicing markets in Asia. This, of course, has not been the case. Plants will continue to close in America as long as the cheap Chinese labor can be exploited.
As long as there is profit to be made, China will be exalted. Once they reach the level where they are no longer profitable, they will be cast aside, much like Mexico and Central America (anybody remember NAFTA?), for the next big thing (India?).
It also cannot be ignored that China, in the meantime, has built up a strong military presence in Asia. With little concern for its own people or its own environment, how can China be expected to become a responsible player on the world stage? If China is going to truly succees, there must be an effort to address its obvious weaknesses. Otherwise, China's weaknesses will affect not only China, but the world as a whole.
Susan
One word: greed. International investors are making incredible amounts of money utilizing the cheap, plentiful labor available in China. Social conscience and the environment are trivial concerns if making more money is at stake, so these issues are whitewashed by the Chinese government and are overlooked by those making an economic killing in China today.
The company for which I work has seen factories in America shut down and their equipment sent to China, where it will be operated for 1/15th the wage of an American worker. We send American workers (they get a bonus if they are willing to do it) over to China to teach them how to take their jobs away from them. We were told originally that the Chinese would only be servicing markets in Asia. This, of course, has not been the case. Plants will continue to close in America as long as the cheap Chinese labor can be exploited.
As long as there is profit to be made, China will be exalted. Once they reach the level where they are no longer profitable, they will be cast aside, much like Mexico and Central America (anybody remember NAFTA?), for the next big thing (India?).
It also cannot be ignored that China, in the meantime, has built up a strong military presence in Asia. With little concern for its own people or its own environment, how can China be expected to become a responsible player on the world stage? If China is going to truly succees, there must be an effort to address its obvious weaknesses. Otherwise, China's weaknesses will affect not only China, but the world as a whole.
Susan
Sunday, March 2, 2008
More Power for SEPA
The article, "China Environment Agency Gets More Power" was posted to Google News on February 29, 2008 by Henry Sanderson.(http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5icPw8BwDs4EYOrcM2Xe3KOGqPw5gD8V44VN01).
This article describes how China's government is increasing the authority of its environmental watchdog agency in an attempt to slow the rampant pollution associated with China's rapid economic growth. SEPA is to be upgraded to a full Cabinet ministry with a bigger budget and more people, and is part of a government restructuring approved this week by the Communist Party leadership. As environmental problems are among the biggest that China faces, this action should help SEPA, formed in 1998, enforce rules that, in the past, were often ignored.
"SEPA in recent years has been trying to do a lot with very little," said Alex Wang, director of the China Environmental Law Project at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "The challenge that SEPA faces now first and foremost is insufficient resources and authority."
With Beijing set to host the Olympics in August, the world has been awaiting a response from China on how they plan to deal with the city's notoriously dirty air. It is estimated that China's air and water pollution cost about $100 billion a year — 5.8 percent of its economic output — mainly through health costs. The government spends 1.35 percent of the gross domestic product on environmental protection.
Despite its new powers, SEPA is still likely to face resistance from local governments whose first priority is to stimulate economic growth and protecting factories that pay tax revenues. Also, since local environmental officials will still answer to provincial or local governments, the new ministry is expected to be understaffed for the task policing the environment.
I agree that this is a huge step in the right direction for China, as long as SEPA is allowed to have some real authority, and that their new powers aren't allowed to evaporate following the Olympics this summer. I would probably beef up the staff in order to ensure that the policing tasks can be adequately carried out, and make sure the local governments are required to be on board. They need to be aware that not only will it benefit China to "clean up her act" and keep it clean, but the entire world will benefit as well.
Susan
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Global Economy Encourages Rebates to Chinese
Refrigerators and the Global Economy
According to an article posted by Reuters on 2/20/08 (“China Farmers to get Fridges, TV’s to Boost Consumption” by Jason Subler), China recently initiated a government program to subsidize 13% of the cost of the purchase of refrigerators, televisions, and mobile phones for rural families in Shandong and two other provinces. At first glance, this seems to have little to do with globalization or the global economy. But look at the motives behind the rebate, and the Chinese government suddenly looks less altruistic.
The rebates are not simply the government’s way of improving the lives of China’s 740 million rural poor, who have not enjoyed the benefits of China’s booming economy. Rather it is a way to encourage them to spend their money on goods produced by Chinese factories. With the possibility of a U.S. recession decreasing the demand for Chinese products overseas, it has become critical that China balance its economy and become less dependent on exports and foreign investments. Chinese economists fear they are facing the end of the boom that kept China’s economy increasing at a rate of 10% annually.
To ease the transition to a more consumer-driven economy, China is taking drastic measures. They have cancelled the agricultural tax, cancelled feed for primary education, and are putting together a form of health insurance targeted at the rural citizens. They are also seeking to close the gap between urban dwellers (annual income of 13,786 yuan) and rural dwellers (annual income of 4,140 yuan) in the hope of diffusing social unrest.
Qian Wang, who is an economist with JP Morgan Chase in Hong Kong, sees increasing sales of consumer goods as a positive sign for China. “The authorities’ medium-term strategic policy focus on stimulating domestic demand, especially amid growing concerns about the global economy, should provide additional firm support for domestic consumption,” reported Wang.
So, while the end result is an improvement for some (only 22% of rural households in China had a refrigerator in 2006), it is hardly the result of China’s concern for its poor. This unprecedented action would never have occurred had it not been for China’s awareness of their current dependence on foreign exports. Yuan Shanchun, the first recipient of the subsidy, however, isn’t complaining about motives. “Who can believe it? How come the government is giving us money to buy things?” he asked. “This is like free food falling from the sky!”
According to an article posted by Reuters on 2/20/08 (“China Farmers to get Fridges, TV’s to Boost Consumption” by Jason Subler), China recently initiated a government program to subsidize 13% of the cost of the purchase of refrigerators, televisions, and mobile phones for rural families in Shandong and two other provinces. At first glance, this seems to have little to do with globalization or the global economy. But look at the motives behind the rebate, and the Chinese government suddenly looks less altruistic.
The rebates are not simply the government’s way of improving the lives of China’s 740 million rural poor, who have not enjoyed the benefits of China’s booming economy. Rather it is a way to encourage them to spend their money on goods produced by Chinese factories. With the possibility of a U.S. recession decreasing the demand for Chinese products overseas, it has become critical that China balance its economy and become less dependent on exports and foreign investments. Chinese economists fear they are facing the end of the boom that kept China’s economy increasing at a rate of 10% annually.
To ease the transition to a more consumer-driven economy, China is taking drastic measures. They have cancelled the agricultural tax, cancelled feed for primary education, and are putting together a form of health insurance targeted at the rural citizens. They are also seeking to close the gap between urban dwellers (annual income of 13,786 yuan) and rural dwellers (annual income of 4,140 yuan) in the hope of diffusing social unrest.
Qian Wang, who is an economist with JP Morgan Chase in Hong Kong, sees increasing sales of consumer goods as a positive sign for China. “The authorities’ medium-term strategic policy focus on stimulating domestic demand, especially amid growing concerns about the global economy, should provide additional firm support for domestic consumption,” reported Wang.
So, while the end result is an improvement for some (only 22% of rural households in China had a refrigerator in 2006), it is hardly the result of China’s concern for its poor. This unprecedented action would never have occurred had it not been for China’s awareness of their current dependence on foreign exports. Yuan Shanchun, the first recipient of the subsidy, however, isn’t complaining about motives. “Who can believe it? How come the government is giving us money to buy things?” he asked. “This is like free food falling from the sky!”
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Spielberg Off Olympics, China Angry
An article by Tini Tran (Associated Press Writer) recently appeared condemming Hollywood director Steven Spielberg's decision to quit the Beijing Olympics over the Darfur crisis. In reaction, China's state-controlled media has set off a groundswell of criticism from the Chinese public.
Last week, the Spielberg withdrew from his role as an artistic adviser to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Summer Games, because he felt China was not doing enough to press for peace in the troubled Sudanese region.
The Chinese are angry, accusing Speilberg of breaking his promise to the Chinese people and using the Olympics as a tool to make a statement about Darfur. "A biting front-page editorial Wednesday in the overseas edition of the People's Daily, the Communist Party's official newspaper, blasted Spielberg for his decision.
"A certain Western director was very naive and made an unreasonable move toward the issue of the Beijing Olympics. This is perhaps because of his unique Hollywood characteristics," it said.
Over the weekend, the Guangming Daily, also published by the Communist Party, ran an editorial saying Spielberg "broke his promise to make his contribution to the Beijing Olympics and betrayed the Olympic spirit."
He "is not qualified to blame China because he knows nothing about the great efforts the Chinese government has made on Darfur," it said."
Last week, the Spielberg withdrew from his role as an artistic adviser to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Summer Games, because he felt China was not doing enough to press for peace in the troubled Sudanese region.
The Chinese are angry, accusing Speilberg of breaking his promise to the Chinese people and using the Olympics as a tool to make a statement about Darfur. "A biting front-page editorial Wednesday in the overseas edition of the People's Daily, the Communist Party's official newspaper, blasted Spielberg for his decision.
"A certain Western director was very naive and made an unreasonable move toward the issue of the Beijing Olympics. This is perhaps because of his unique Hollywood characteristics," it said.
Over the weekend, the Guangming Daily, also published by the Communist Party, ran an editorial saying Spielberg "broke his promise to make his contribution to the Beijing Olympics and betrayed the Olympic spirit."
He "is not qualified to blame China because he knows nothing about the great efforts the Chinese government has made on Darfur," it said."
In light of our recent readings, this reaction is not surprising. What's next, an outbreak of violence against cinemas that play American movies? A full-scale student protest in Bejing? An attack on the American Embassy? We'll see.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Popular Surgery Banned in China
China bans leg-lengthening surgery(AFP)Updated: 2006-11-05 09:24
BEIJING - China has banned leg-lengthening surgery that a largely unregulated beauty industry has been offering to customers who want to be taller.
"Leg-stretching surgery for the image conscious has been banned by China's Health Ministry after a spate of botched operations," the Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.
A patient recovers after having an operation to lengthen his leg at a hospital in China's eastern city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang province in August 2002. China has banned leg-lengthening surgery that a largely unregulated beauty industry has been offering to customers who want to be taller. [AFP]
The operation involves breaking the patients' legs and stretching them on a rack, and has led to several cases of disfigurement, Xinhua said, citing the health ministry.
Hospitals that conduct at least 400 orthopedic operations a year and offer post-surgery care and rehabilitation will be allowed to carry out such operations in future, but only on strictly medical grounds, according to a ministry circular.
The surgical procedure, popular among young Chinese professionals who believe height will help them climb the career ladder, was developed in Russia to help patients with birth defects such as dwarfism.
Botched operations carried out by unauthorized beauty clinics have left many patients physically and psychologically scarred, Xinhua said, without detailing the injuries.
Ten people, enticed by a promise of "height surgery without pain," were reported to have been disfigured after they underwent the operation last year at a Beijing hospital.
The health ministry said hospitals must in future tell patients about the risks involved, while only qualified personnel would be allowed to carry out the procedure.
Friday, February 1, 2008
China's New Democracy Wall
Fast-growing Internet is China's new 'Democracy Wall'
Economic growth triggers unfettered communication
By Catharin Dalpino
(CNN) -- The expansion of the Internet in China has unmistakable implications for relations between the Chinese citizenry and the state.
Although Internet users make up a slim percentage of the population -- informal estimates put the number of users at up to 7 million -- they are the fastest growing client base in the world. From 1997 to 1998, the number of Chinese users rose by 75 percent.
Economic growth has loosened state control over every aspect of the Chinese media, but the introduction of telecommunications -- the "citizens' media" -- offers the most immediate chance for unfettered communication.
Because technology offers a cloak of anonymity, some Chinese see the Internet as a successor to the Democracy Wall of 1978, when Beijing citizens called for political reform through public notices posted on a university wall in Beijing.
The government responded to the threat last year by regulating the Internet and blocking hundreds of sites.
Chinese users quickly learned to circumvent these controls with proxy servers, however, and often relay information too sensitive for China-based sites by e-mail from offshore sites.
The government has also learned to use the Web for its own political and public relations purposes. In July, it set up a site to criticize the Falun Gong movement. Falun Gong members had been using the Internet to publicize the group's teachings and to organize anti-government protests.
The Internet has figured in key issues in China, even when there is no internal debate. After the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia last spring, for example, Chinese hackers broke into the Web site of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and replaced the text with anti-American graffiti.
Apart from thorny issues of freedom of expression, the Chinese government is well aware of the commercial possibilities of the Internet. China.com, the Web site operated by the official Xinhua News Agency, set off a frenzy of international speculation when its stock was offered in July.
An even greater international impact is expected once China joins the World Trade Organization and international telecommunications companies have greater access to the Chinese market, effectively ending the state-owned China Telecom monopoly.
Catharin Dalpino is a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution. From 1993 to 1997 she was U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for human rights.
Economic growth triggers unfettered communication
By Catharin Dalpino
(CNN) -- The expansion of the Internet in China has unmistakable implications for relations between the Chinese citizenry and the state.
Although Internet users make up a slim percentage of the population -- informal estimates put the number of users at up to 7 million -- they are the fastest growing client base in the world. From 1997 to 1998, the number of Chinese users rose by 75 percent.
Economic growth has loosened state control over every aspect of the Chinese media, but the introduction of telecommunications -- the "citizens' media" -- offers the most immediate chance for unfettered communication.
Because technology offers a cloak of anonymity, some Chinese see the Internet as a successor to the Democracy Wall of 1978, when Beijing citizens called for political reform through public notices posted on a university wall in Beijing.
The government responded to the threat last year by regulating the Internet and blocking hundreds of sites.
Chinese users quickly learned to circumvent these controls with proxy servers, however, and often relay information too sensitive for China-based sites by e-mail from offshore sites.
The government has also learned to use the Web for its own political and public relations purposes. In July, it set up a site to criticize the Falun Gong movement. Falun Gong members had been using the Internet to publicize the group's teachings and to organize anti-government protests.
The Internet has figured in key issues in China, even when there is no internal debate. After the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia last spring, for example, Chinese hackers broke into the Web site of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and replaced the text with anti-American graffiti.
Apart from thorny issues of freedom of expression, the Chinese government is well aware of the commercial possibilities of the Internet. China.com, the Web site operated by the official Xinhua News Agency, set off a frenzy of international speculation when its stock was offered in July.
An even greater international impact is expected once China joins the World Trade Organization and international telecommunications companies have greater access to the Chinese market, effectively ending the state-owned China Telecom monopoly.
Catharin Dalpino is a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution. From 1993 to 1997 she was U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for human rights.
For the Men...FYI From RealAge
Follow This Eastern Beverage Wisdom
The land that brings us giant pandas, the Great Wall, and amazing cuisine also serves up a mean cup of prostate protection. Yep, green tea -- long touted by the Chinese for its medicinal benefits -- could cut a man's risk of advanced prostate cancer by half. How much do you need to drink? More ProtectionIn a study, men who drank 5 or more cups of green tea per day had half the risk of advanced prostate cancer compared with men who sipped less than a cup a day. Another way to keep the prostate healthy: Avoid a diet high in saturated fat and include plenty of fruits and veggies in your diet.
More Great News on GreenGreen tea can also help:
§ Revive aging skin cells.
§ Boost your brain power.
§ Battle creaky knees
§ Keep your heart healthy.
Basically, we can't say enough about green tea. So grab yourself a cuppa!
The land that brings us giant pandas, the Great Wall, and amazing cuisine also serves up a mean cup of prostate protection. Yep, green tea -- long touted by the Chinese for its medicinal benefits -- could cut a man's risk of advanced prostate cancer by half. How much do you need to drink? More ProtectionIn a study, men who drank 5 or more cups of green tea per day had half the risk of advanced prostate cancer compared with men who sipped less than a cup a day. Another way to keep the prostate healthy: Avoid a diet high in saturated fat and include plenty of fruits and veggies in your diet.
More Great News on GreenGreen tea can also help:
§ Revive aging skin cells.
§ Boost your brain power.
§ Battle creaky knees
§ Keep your heart healthy.
Basically, we can't say enough about green tea. So grab yourself a cuppa!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Moving Manufacturing to China
I work for PennEngineering, and this article was taken directly from their website. The italics are mine. The facility where I work has seen many of its machines and product lines leave to furnish the Chinese factory with equipment and work. We can only speculate how long it will be until everything goes.
PennEngineering Automotive Fasteners
Continuing with its long history of providing innovative fastening and assembly solutions, PennEngineering now offers an extended line of fasteners to the automotive industry.
PennEngineering Automotive employs a unique manufacturing and distribution methodology based on manufacturing of high strength fasteners in Penn’s wholly owned manufacturing subsidiaries in mainland China, supported by sales, product inventory, distribution services and customer technical assistance strategically located in close proximity to its global customers.
PennEngineering is one of the first company’s in the world to develop the ability to manufacture high strength fasteners in China that meet today’s demanding global automotive quality standards. Both of PennEngineering’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in China have been certified to meet ISO/TS 16949, the global automotive standard for quality systems.
Utilizing the advantages of low cost China manufacturing, Penn is uniquely positioned to provide reduced product cost at the same or better quality level, as compared to its Western competitors who are locked in to high manufacturing & distribution cost structures. Penn’s local service centers provide its customers with close personalized service as well as assurance of continuity of supply of product from its China operation.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Unit 1 Lesson 2
Do you believe that a widespread and cataclysmic event such as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution could occur again in China today? Why? Why not?
It is entirely possible that an event similar to the Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution could occur again in China Today, but it will be likely centered around a "cult of prosperity" rather than a "cult of personality". Despite its best efforts, China is becoming Westernized at an alarming rate as more and more American companies open factories on Chinese soil. The company for which I work recently built a manufacturing plant in in Kunshan to take advantage of the abundant cheap labor ($1.00/hour in China vs. $16.00/hr in US for a screw machine operator). More jobs are available, and suddenly, more people have the means to own the things they want.
Unfortunately, owning things in China (at least since the 20th century) did not bode well for the owner. As many as five million landowners were killed in the land reform of the 1940's in an attempt to bring prosperity to the impoverished peasants. It is not outside the realm of possibility to imagine modern-day rural dwellers who have not fared as well as their urban countrymen falling under the influence of another Mao. As Mao said himself, "When you go out to develop and engage in a mass movement or to lead a mass struggle, the masses will do as they wish and they will create their own leaders in the course of the struggle...". A new leader could rise up from the ranks of the those opposed to the Westernization of China, or, just as easily, from those who crave more of a Western lifestyle.
As in Mao's day, the revolutionaries will likely come from the youth, specifically students. Whether they will have an impact depends on whether they can gain support within the military, in order to circumvent another Tienanmen Square tragedy. Change, almost revolutionary, has come to China in the last decade. Time will tell whether this will be a bloodless revolution.
It is entirely possible that an event similar to the Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution could occur again in China Today, but it will be likely centered around a "cult of prosperity" rather than a "cult of personality". Despite its best efforts, China is becoming Westernized at an alarming rate as more and more American companies open factories on Chinese soil. The company for which I work recently built a manufacturing plant in in Kunshan to take advantage of the abundant cheap labor ($1.00/hour in China vs. $16.00/hr in US for a screw machine operator). More jobs are available, and suddenly, more people have the means to own the things they want.
Unfortunately, owning things in China (at least since the 20th century) did not bode well for the owner. As many as five million landowners were killed in the land reform of the 1940's in an attempt to bring prosperity to the impoverished peasants. It is not outside the realm of possibility to imagine modern-day rural dwellers who have not fared as well as their urban countrymen falling under the influence of another Mao. As Mao said himself, "When you go out to develop and engage in a mass movement or to lead a mass struggle, the masses will do as they wish and they will create their own leaders in the course of the struggle...". A new leader could rise up from the ranks of the those opposed to the Westernization of China, or, just as easily, from those who crave more of a Western lifestyle.
As in Mao's day, the revolutionaries will likely come from the youth, specifically students. Whether they will have an impact depends on whether they can gain support within the military, in order to circumvent another Tienanmen Square tragedy. Change, almost revolutionary, has come to China in the last decade. Time will tell whether this will be a bloodless revolution.
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