Beijing (dpa) – China’s Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday lowered the growth target for China this year to “approximately 7 per cent.” The sobering projection was in his report presented at the opening of the …
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Atmosphere of fear expected to dominate China’s annual parliament
Beijing (dpa) – Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to “comprehensively apply strictness in governing the party.” If anyone was in doubt of that, they needed to look no further than the at least 36 senior …
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China’s military corruption threatens Communist Party, analysts say
Beijing (dpa) – China’s Red Army, founded in 1927, holds a lofty place in Chinese Communist Party lore as a band of peasants, bandits and idealists who used guerilla tactics to stave off Japanese invasions …
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Students in China rail against government restrictions
Beijing (dpa) – Foreign relations student Cai is no fan of being told what books he can – or rather cannot – study for his degree at the North China Institute of Science and Technology. …
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Novelist Chan Koonchung on rifts and desire for belonging in China
A renowned Chinese author has published a novel exploring the tension between Han Chinese and Tibetans. He tells dpa in a Beijing interview how he copes with censorship and what government officials warned him about …
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Difficult transition ahead as China’s coal consumption drops
As China’s coal consumption drops for the first time in years, environmentalists and experts say China can seize the opportunity to reform a polluting industry. Beijing (dpa) – China, the world’s largest consumer of coal …
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China’s VPN crackdown a bad sign for online freedom, analysts say
Beijing’s recent clampdown on virtual private networks, used to get around internet restrictions, is mostly a political measure aimed at Chinese citizens, not foreigners, experts say Beijing (dpa) – China is upgrading its internet controls, known collectively …
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Chinese economic growth slowest in 24 years
Beijing (dpa) – China’s economy grew last year by 7.4 per cent, the weakest growth in 24 years, according to official figures released Tuesday. The annual growth figure missed the government’s target of 7.5 per cent …
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Car-buying limits spark national debate in China
Major Chinese cities are restricting the numbers of new cars on the road in an attempt to tackle the twin urban headaches of pollution and congestion – but are they doing any good? Beijing (dpa) …
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Here’s what’s next for Hong Kong’s embattled democracy movement
GlobalPost — Pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong have entered their third month, with protesters in parkas and toques now camped under Christmas lights. But while some vow to step up confrontations with police, protest leaders are …
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China changes foster parenting rules to improve quality of care
New regulations for foster care could benefit children in the long term, experts say, but may make scarce foster families even rarer Beijing (dpa) – Five-year-old Jian Jian was abandoned at a shelter as a …
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Corrupt former Chinese officials hiding out in Western countries
Beijing (dpa) – A former vice minister tasked with steering China’s economy was reportedly holding a fake Australian passport, an airline ticket to Sydney and about 2 million dollars in cash when he was arrested …
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Hong Kong’s protests: Poor conversation
The city’s leader suggests democracy could give the poor too much power From the print edition, The Economist – IT WAS a scene that must have made China’s leaders squirm with uncomfortable memories. On October 21st senior …
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Hong Kong’s protests: Chipping away
From the print edition, The Economist – MORE than two weeks after failing to shift pro-democracy protesters with tear gas and pepper spray, police in Hong Kong have begun to step up pressure on the …
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Police and pro-democracy protesters clash in Hong Kong
Hong Kong (dpa) – Police were struggling to keep crowds off main roads in Hong Kong late Friday after nearly three weeks of demonstrations for open elections in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. Protesters in the “Occupy” movement used …
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More argy-bargy: Hong Kong heats up again
The Economist, Analects – MASKED men attacked pro-democracy protesters for the second time in as many weeks on the morning of October 13th in Hong Kong’s Admiralty business district. The scuffles prompted bankers walking to work …
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Thousands return to Hong Kong streets in protest
Sylvia Hui and Joanna Chiu, Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Thousands of protesters poured into a main road in Hong Kong for a pro-democracy rally late Friday, reviving a civil disobedience movement a day …
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Hong Kong protests: Ebbing but maybe not ending
Analects, The Economist – THE number of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong has shrunk from tens of thousands at the demonstrations’ peak to a few hundred scattered across three districts of the city, as people return …
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Hong Kong street brawl reveals limits of protest leadership
A large but mostly ‘leaderless’ movement is struggling to control supporters scattered throughout the city Al Jazeera America – Hong Kong protest leaders watched helplessly from afar as hostile mobs destroyed encampments and attacked demonstrators in …
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Profile: Prominent figures in the Hong Kong democracy movement
Hong Kong (dpa) – Over the past week, thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong have blocked government buildings as well as major roads in five key districts of the Chinese territory. The protests have been …
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Hong Kong students shelve talks with government after mob attacks
By Joanna Chiu and Benjamin Garvey Hong Kong (dpa) – Protest leaders shelved scheduled talks with the Hong Kong government Friday after opponents to pro-democracy demonstrations destroyed a rally site and drove away protesters in …
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What Beijing really fears: Hong Kong protests spreading across the country
HONG KONG, GlobalPost — Hundreds of pro-democracy protesters turned their backs on the Chinese flag Wednesday morning as it was flown over Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor in celebration of the country’s National Day holiday. Tens …
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Protesters to HK boss: Quit or we occupy buildings
HONG KONG, Associated Press — Student leaders of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong warned Wednesday that if the territory’s leader doesn’t resign by the end of Thursday they will step up their actions, including occupying …
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Hong Kong protesters try to win over tourists
HONG KONG (AP) — The luxury boutiques of Hong Kong’s Tsim Shai Tsui district are so mobbed with vacationing Chinese customers that store owners have put up red velvet ropes to control the crowds. Pro-democracy …
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Pro-democracy “Umbrella Revolution” spreads in Hong Kong
By Joanna Chiu with reporting from Erin Hale, dpa Hong Kong (dpa) – Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong said Monday they would continue their occupation of key parts of the metropolis, despite warnings from officials …
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Hong Kong Activists Start Bigger Protest Amid Standoff
By Joanna Chiu and Kelvin Chan for the Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong activists kicked off a long-threatened mass civil disobedience protest Sunday to challenge Beijing over restrictions on voting reforms, escalating …
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Hong Kong students on strike
See more of my coverage of Hong Kong and Macau for The Economist here. THOUSANDS of students in Hong Kong are boycotting classes this week to lie on sprawling lawns outside government headquarters and discuss topics such as “post-totalitarianism” and George Orwell’s …
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Chinese internet giant Alibaba launches Asia IPO roadshow
Hong Kong (dpa) – Chinese online retailer Alibaba Group kicked off its Asia roadshow Monday in Hong Kong, to promote an initial public offering that could become the biggest in history. The internet giant continues with a …
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Chipping In – Protests in Macau
The Economist – KNOWN for its casinos and conservative society, the city-state of Macau is a magnet for the rich in search of decadent fun. It is rarely the site of political protest. But on August 25th …
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Hong Kong’s unofficial poll: The votes are in
Analects, The Economist – ORGANISERS announced on Sunday night that nearly 800,000 Hong Kong people had voted in a 10-day unofficial referendum to pressure Beijing to allow “genuine” universal suffrage in the city’s next elections. …
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Hong Kong referendum: Voting to vote
Analects, The Economist – MORE than 400,000 votes were cast online Friday in the first day of an unofficial city-wide referendum on democratic reforms in Hong Kong, according to organisers, who have alleged that forces …
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Hong Kong’s politics: No paper tiger
Analects, The Economist – PEOPLE in Hong Kong have responded with alarm, and some defiance, to a white paper issued by China’s leaders about the city’s political future. In rallies outside Beijing’s representative office in Hong …
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Bitcoin in Hong Kong: Still different
The Economist, print edition – INSIDE the world’s first Bitcoin store in Hong Kong, a visitor from Tokyo hands over a wad of thousand-dollar bills and waits for a clerk to process the transaction on …
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Where the Flame Still Burns
The Economist – DESPITE choking heat, a record number of more than 180,000 people gathered in Hong Kong tonight, according to organisers, for the annual candlelit vigil to remember people killed when the Chinese armed forces suppressed the …
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Remembering Tiananmen Square
The Economist, Analects–HONG Kong is braced for what may be the most politically charged protest since May 21st, 1989, when 1.5m people flooded the streets. That was eight years before the city returned to Chinese rule, …
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Stop the Traffic
Commentary for Herizons magazine. Views expressed are my opinions only. Before I moved to Hong Kong, I had planned to write about the domestic helpers whose cheap live in labour helped the city’s economy flourish from …
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Hong Kong begins destruction of huge stockpile of seized ivory
Hong Kong (dpa) – In a bid to curb the illegal poaching of elephants, Hong Kong on Thursday began incinerating 28 tonnes of confiscated ivory, the largest amount destroyed anywhere in the world. Secretary for …
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Book Review: Leftover Women, by Leta Hong Fincher
Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China by Leta Hong Fincher Zed Books 4 stars Joanna Chiu In China’s biggest cities, well-educated women in their 20s are turning down promotions at work or …
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Journalism in Hong Kong: Beat the Press
From the print edition of The Economist – As he got out of his car on the morning of February 26th Kevin Lau Chun-to was approached by a man who stabbed him in the back and …
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Erwiana Sulistyaningsih abuse case
Indonesian domestic helper Erwiana Sulistyaningsih returned home with “cuts, burns and bruises” all over her body on January 10, and has since accused her Hong Kong employer of inflicting the abuse. Police investigations have been …
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China tightens watch on growing e-commerce sector
E-commerce has been growing by leaps and bounds on the mainland but the laws regulating this sector are only just beginning to catch up. In the space of just three years, online sales on the …
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Exclusive: Money still can’t buy my love, says Gigi Chao after tycoon father doubles ‘dowry’ to HK$1b
Even a billion dollars would not be enough to find a man that Gigi Chao, the lesbian daughter of property tycoon Cecil Chao Sze-tsung, would be willing to marry. “I don’t think my dad’s offering …
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Indonesian helper, 23, in critical condition after alleged beatings by Hong Kong employers
Hong Kong police have refused to pursue an investigation into the case of an Indonesian domestic helper who has been left in a critical condition after she was allegedly abused and beaten by her Hong …
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Boomtown for bitcoin?
With its appetite for entrepreneurship, cryptocurrency experts argue, Hong Kong is uniquely placed to exploit disruptive financial technologies. By Joanna Chiu and Danny Lee When 16-year-old Casper Cheng Tsz-chun of the New Territories started creating, …
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Bangkok residents debate democracy ahead of looming city shutdown
Reporter Joanna Chiu took to the streets to find out what city residents think of the latest political developments Thousands of anti-government protesters will march through Bangkok this week to build momentum ahead of their …
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Chat app accused of censoring Chinese users
Mobile phone users in Hong Kong may not be surprised to hear that one of the three most popular mobile-chat applications in Asia systematically censors politically-sensitive content and may also have network security flaws. A …
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Beijing’s antigraft crackdown forces foreign firms to rethink business practices in China
Creating guanxi – relationships or connections – used to be a reliable way for multinational firms to break into the China market. Several big names, including two of the world’s largest financial institutions – JPMorgan and Zurich …
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Chinese firms in Hong Kong ‘more open to diversity’
As mainland firms continue to expand into Hong Kong, leading female professionals say this offers an opportunity for more women here to earn seats in the boardroom. “Companies in China tend to learn very quickly …
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China’s emerging women’s movement
In the stifling heat of Shanghai last June, Xiaoyan walked through a subway passage wearing a black cotton sheath from head to toe with only her eyes showing. Her friend wore a black face covering …
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Business is buzzing for online sales of sex toys
With China expected to overtake the US in online spending this year, university graduates have found success by abandoning traditional career paths to start internet sex-toy companies. When Chris Wu was studying abroad at the …
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Lawyer provides advice to China’s LGBT community
Born in 1974 during the last days of the Cultural Revolution, Zhou Dan grew up in a society where being gay was regarded as a crime and a mental illness. Back then, the only information …
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China’s women professionals challenge workplace inequality
Women professionals on the mainland face more sex discrimination now than they did 20 years ago, studies say, and support groups inspired by Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In are sprouting up in Beijing …
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Weekend getaway to Taiwan’s east coast
Within a few hours of touching down in Taipei, my train pulls into a place where palm trees sway between rice paddies, and sloping mountain ranges trace the vibrant green coast. Minutes after stepping off the …
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Beijing can ‘help bring stability’ in Middle East
China stands a good chance of becoming an effective mediator in Middle East conflicts but its increasing importance in the region threatens America’s interests , a leading Middle East scholar and former adviser to US …
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Chinese gay rights forum breaks new ground
Gay rights have come a long way in the mainland since homosexuality was a crime, until 1997, or classified as a mental illness, until 2001. Last month, Beijing hosted its second annual conference for LGBT …
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China’s Constitutional Crisis
The Atlantic magazine — In 2008, a group of Chinese intellectuals drafted a manifesto demanding deep reforms and calling for the implementation of constitutionalism in China whereby the Party’s power would be restrained by a higher …
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Underground Christianity: Lamb of God
“You see: the more persecution, the more the church grows,” said Pastor Samuel Lamb in 1993. Before he was jailed for 20 years in 1958, fewer than 400 worshippers attended his underground church, Damazhan. When …
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Hong Kong’s parallel trade: days of wine and milk powder
The Economist – Wine and milk, it really should go without saying, do not mix. These days bountiful supplies of both are sloshing about in Hong Kong, a special administrative region which enjoys lean rates of taxation on its …
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Bo Xilai trial coverage
Follow SCMP’s live coverage here. My contributions to SCMP’s coverage: “Diehard supporters make their presence felt outside Jinan court” By Keith Zhai and Joanna Chiu A heavy police presence was not enough to stop some …
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Beijing tells Asean to be realistic in hopes for South China Sea code of conduct
All parties with territorial disputes over the South China Sea should have “realistic expectations” and take “a gradual approach” to a proposed code of conduct aimed at defusing maritime tensions in the region, China’s foreign …
