China

1. Take Our Workers, Please, Ben Dolven, Far Eastern Economic Review, February 27, 2003. Several Chinese rural provinces are exporting workers to coastal cities for employment in manufacturing because they are faced with potential unemployment crises. 2. A Power Crisis Looms, Susan V. Lawrence, Far Eastern Economic Review, December 26-January 2, 2003. The author examines issues related to leadership succession in China today. A split leadership contributed to the Tiananmen Square crisis in 1989 and its painful aftermath. The last thing Chinese officials want is another such split, in fact or in image. 3. Holding Up Half the Sky: Women in China, Susan Perry, Current History, September 1998. In this article, Susan Perry discusses how far women in China have come and how far the government will let them go. 4. Removing the Roadblocks to Reform, Mary Jane Skanderup, The World & I, July 2002. China's economic success has given rise to new kinds of nationalism in the contemporary People's Republic of China (PRC) Some segments of society welcome foreign ideas and influences, while others are far more xenophobic. But these diverse attitudes are united by a sense of growing national strength and confidence. The Chinese government is challenged to respond to these distinct nationalist strains in its domestic reforms and its international dealings. 5. The Cities vs. the Countryside, Jing Luo, The World & I, October 2001. A major problem for China today is its huge number of rural migrants, which is increasing at a rate of 20 million per year. The government has vowed to dedicate its tenth Five-Year Plan to improvin small- and medium-sized cities. 6. Generational Transition in China, Joseph Fewsmith, The Washington Quarterly, Autumn 2002. China is experiencing a generational political transformation that began in the 1980s. The further the country moves away from the reality of revolution, the stronger will be the impact of this transformation on leadership behavior and policy. 7. Out of Puff: A Survey of China, The Economist, June 15, 2002. In this in depth survey of China today, James Miles warns that while China stands ready to tackle vital reforms, the world should expect a long wait. 8. The Human Tide Sweeps Into Cities, David Lague, Far Eastern Economic Review, January 9, 2003. David Lague examines the likely consequences of the huge and continuing exodus of rural Chinese to urban areas. It is one of history's biggest population movements. 9. Dam the Consequences, David Murphy, Far Eastern Economic Review, May 23, 2002. David Murphy reports that China is persisting in building the massive Three Gorges Dam on the Min River, despite many compelling environmental, engineering, social, and cultural reasons why it should not. The government loves big engineering projects, and it has squelched public debate on the subject. 10. NBR Briefing: What Does SARS Mean for China?, Neil J. Beck, The National Bureau of Asian Research, May 9, 2003. SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) has killed 514 people in numerous countries since November 2002. Neil Beck assesses the economic and political impact of SARS on China, where the disease started. 11. On Track for a Rail Revolution, David Lague, Far Eastern Economic Review, July 28, 2002. Beijing is investing $42 billion into the country's vast rail network, an ambitious project that aims to create new opportunities for millions of its citizens. David Lague describes this and other plans to improve the country's transportation infrastructure. 12. Images of Dynasty: China's Golden Age of Archaeology, Albert E. Dien, Archaeology, March/April 1999. Only after the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949 did large-scale archaeological investigations take place. This article looks at what has been called "China's gold age of archaeology". 13. Chinese Deadbeats Cringe at the Sound of Mr. Li's Gong, Karby Leggett, Wall Street Journal, September 21, 2000. In China today, a flawed legal system has caught many people in a rising tide of debt, leaving everyone owing something to someone. The job of debt collector is the topic of this article. 14. Hong Kong Solutions, Philip Segal, Far Eastern Economic Review, March 20, 2003. According to Philip Segal, the huge deficit, deflation, and gloom that ong Kong faces needs more than "an upward tweak of the tax rate" to fix the situation. Luckily, he says, there is no shortage of helpful suggestions. 15. Hong Kong: Still "One Country, Two Systems?", Craig N. Canning, Current History, September 2001. Is the "one country, two systems" approach for reunification working in Hong Kong? In some ways, yes; in other ways, no. Craig Canning takes inventory. 16. Rivals More Than Ever, The Economist, March 30, 2002. Will it be Hong Kong or its rival on the Chinese mainland, Shanghai, that will prosper more in the twenty-first century? Hong Kong's lack of dynamic, forward-looking leadership is a hindrance, and Shanghai is the focus of foreign companies hoping to benefit from the opening of China's markets. Still, Shanghai is by no means certain to emerge as the clear favorite. "Freedom of speech and all that", including a sound financial structure, are Hong Kong's strong suits. 17. In Pursuit of Excellence, Kelly Her, Taipei Review, December 2002. More students in Taiwan have access to higher education than ever before, but writes kelly Her, some fear that the quality of education is in decline. 18. Election Reflections, Pat Gao, Taipei Review, March 2002. In this article, Pat Gao considers the various proposals that are being considered for reforming the legislature and the system for electing members. 19. See Me, Hear Me, Touch Me, Heal Me--The Rise of Alternative Medicine, Sinorama, January 2003. While health authorities in Taiwan tend to ignore alternative medicine, in the United States many medical schools offer courses in the subject and the international academic community hold frequent symposia to put the field on a sound scientific footing.