China

1. 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 golden age of archaeology."2. The Mao Industry, Michael Dutton,Current History", September 2004.Mao Zedong has been transformed from China's Great Helmsman into a pop icon and, now, a marketing tool. Attaching the name of Mao to a product (museum, restaurants, watches, songs, etc.) is a good way to sell it.3. Inside the New China: Part communist, part capitalist-and full speed ahead, Clay Chandler,Fortune", July 2002.China's economy is a bundle of strength and weaknesses, but there is no way China can turn back from economic reform. China's rise as a major trading colossus has been more of a boon than a threat to its industrial partners.4. Let Us Speak!, Chris Richards, National Interest", 2004.In China today, there is more freedom to communicate dissent than ever before, but there are still strictly forbidden areas of discussion. China's hundreds of thousands of associations, travel abroad, and a market economy are helping to open up China.5. China's Voice Now Rises from the International Stage, Nicola Bullard,National Interest", 2004.China is positioning itself to be both an economic and political leader in the international community in the twenty-first century. While it is assuming an important role in the leadership of the most powerful economies, it is also leading many developing countries to stand up against both the European Union and the United States.6. Inside the New China: Little Emperors,Clay Chandler, Fortune".China's only children are lavished with presents, attention, food, and praise; but they are also pressured to perform well in school. They are the trend setters, and in the newly wealthy China, they make full use of the Internet to learn about the outside world. Their pursuit of individuality may soon find them expressing their own opinions on political issues.7. China Fears a Baby Bust, Don Lee, Los Angeles Times", December 6, 2004.The one-child policy has perhaps become too successful in cities, with a risk of China not producing enough children.8. 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.9. Home Alone, Catherine Bennett, The Guardian", November 9, 2004.China's generation of one-child families have nurtured materialistic, selfish, and often obese 'little emperors.' They are also hard-working, competitive, creative, and self-sufficient.10. Probably One: A Generation comes of Age under China's One-Child Policy, Claudia Meulenberg, World Watch", September/October 2004.China's one-child policy is widely accepted throughout China, especially in the cities. The focus is now moving away from population control to emphasizing the quality of care for children. Concerns about too few children to support a growing numbers of elderly parents and grandparents, and too few girls is leading to policy changes.11. Rural Wastelands: Rivers Run Black and Chinese Die of Cancer, Jim Yardley, New York Times", September 12, 2004.River water is becoming too toxic to touch, much less drink. Severe air pollution is contributing to respiratory illnesses that claim the lives of as many as 300,000 people a year.12. Urumqi Dispatch: Purple Haze,Joshua Kurlantzick, The New Republic", August 30, 2004.Urban air pollution is causing serious health problems. Rural areas are suffering from water pollution and the loss of agricultural land to the desert. An environmental movement is organizing to respond to these problems.13. Can China Keep the Lights On?,Clay Chandler, Fortune", February 23, 2004.China's rising energy needs has led Beijing to seek alternative oil supplies, including in Latin America and Russia.14. Quest for Oil, Susan Jakes, Times Bonus Section", December 2004.In an effort to feed its rapidly developing industries and consumerism, China is buying oil from all over the world. This is causing world crude oil prices to rise.15. China's Africa Strategy: Out of Beijing, Stephanie Giry, The New Republic", November 15, 2004.China's policy in Africa is shaped by a desperate need for oil and other resources, as well as a need to develop markets for its goods. China is competing with the U.S. for these resources and markets, and their support of the brutal Sudanese government is particularly troubling.16. Love your liposuction. Tout that Tummy Tuck. Flaunt the Fake Nose, Mark Magnier, Los Angeles Times", August 21, 2004.China's newly rich are increasingly paying for plastic surgery, and now China has the world's first Miss Plastic Surgery beauty contest. No place for those with natural beauty.17. The Latin Americanization of China?, George J. Gilboy and Eric Heginbotham, Current History",September 2004.China is trying to address the deteriorating conditions in the countryside, in part because the suffering peasantry is now becoming a suffering migrant population clogging the cities. As in Latin America, the state may not be able to address this new social crisis fast enough to avoid widespread social unrest.18. Where the Broom does not reach, the dust will not vanish, Chris Richards, National Interest", 2004.Rural migrants who leave the countryside to work in factories face appalling labor conditions; but China needs to keep its costs of production low so that the economy can continue to grow and absorb these migrant laborers.19. Discontent in China Boils into Public Protest, David J. Lynch, USA Today", September 14, 2004.Angry at being dispossessed of their land without adequate compensation by local officials undertaking massive urban development in the countryside, China is awash in tens of thousands of mass protests. Violent repression of protests is becoming increasingly common.20. Beijing's Ambivalent Reformers, Bruce J. Dickson, Current History", September 2004.The composition of the leadership has changed to reflect the new issues and concerns facing China. "Red capitalists" are a growing percentage of the party membership, although it is less valuable than it used to be for them. For those who do not challenge the party, it is far less intrusive and less pervasive.21. Nationalist Fervour Runs Amok, Geoffrey York, The Globe and Mail", October 25, 2004.Growing hostile nationalism directed at Japan and the U.S. seems to have taken the place of communist ideology as a unifying force.22. Tiananmen: Victory for Capitalism, Richard Spencer, The Spectator", June 12, 2004.China is full of contradictions, a right-wing communist country. The crackdown on Tiananmen demonstrators in 1989 made China safe for capitalism, not socialism.23. Squeezing Profits from Propaganda, Susan V. Lawrence, Far Eastern Economic Review", July 10, 2003.The Chinese Communist Party continues to reform the media largely by commercializing it. But, although the media now responds to market forces, the party retains editorial control.24. Where are the Patients?, The Economist, The Economist", August 21, 2004.Because of the sudden outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in 2003, and the rapid spread of HIV carriers in China, the government is trying to assure that country people once again have access to basic healthcare. Privatization of healthcare has so far not provided the solution.25. Manufaketure, Ted C. Fishman, The New York Times Magazine", January 9, 2005.Counterfeiting and copyright violation play a key role in China's economic growth Although China has many laws that prohibit commercial piracy and counterfeiting, enforcement is generally weak, with serious consequences for advanced economies. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/09/magazine/09COUNTERFEIT.html?ex=1106370084&ei=1&en=07f5245ba7e73627.26. China Rising: How the Asian Colossus is Changing our World, This is a series of essays by well-known authors, Foreign Policy", January/February 2005.Jonathan Spence, Martin Wolf, Minxin Pei, and others discuss how China is changing the world. Authors ask whether China is more interested in economic development than war, whether China can rise peacefully, and whether China needs to be 'contained.'27. The Emperor Is Far Away: Understanding the Challenges Faced by the New Leadership, Harvard International Review", Summer 2003.<BLOCKQUOTE>In this interview, Ezra Vogel discusses China's efforts to embrace globalization after hundreds of years of isolation; the government's treatment of the Uighur and Tibetan minorities, internal migration, and other problems facing China's leaders.28. The Defense of Xinjiang: Politics, Economics, and Security in Central Asia, Chien-peng Chung, Harvard International Review", Summer 2003.Since September 11, 2001, China has become increasingly focused on separatism, fundamentalism, and terrorism, especially in China's northwest region, Xinjiang. It has joined with Russia and Central Asian republics on its borders to address the issue.Hong Kong Articles29. A big awakening for Chinese rivals: Hong Kong and Shanghai look afar, Kai-Yin Lo Lo, International Herald Tribune", January 20, 2005.The rivalry between Hong Kong and Shanghai extends far beyond business, to the arts and design, tourism, and life style. Shanghai is investing heavily in culture and convention business, but Hong Kong is still more attractive to businesses because of its business culture.30. One Country, Two Systems: Getting Beyond Boundaries, William Overholt, South China Morning Post", July 16, 2003.Overholt addresses the significance of the successful July 1, 2003 demonstrations against the bill to amend Art. 23 of the Basic Law. He emphasizes the importance of defining the boundaries where China's rights to govern end and Hong Kong's begin in 'one country, two systems'.31. The Hong Kong Legislative Election of September 12, 2004 TESTIMONY, William H. Overholt, Corporation Before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China", September, 2004.Overholt assesses the fall 2004 elections in Hong Kong, especially as they relate to a push for democratization in the 2007-08 elections. There is frustration with the pace of democratization, but at the same time a consensus that confrontation with China over this would be counterproductive.32. Hong Kong: 'One Country, Two Systems' in Troubled Waters, Craig N. Canning, Current History", September 2004.Beijing's concern that if Hong Kong were allowed to have a referendum on democratization, Taiwan would insist on a referendum on independence, is the "Taiwan factor" in China's refusal to allow direct elections in 2007-08 in Hong Kong.Taiwan Articles33. See Me, Hear Me, Touch Me, Heal Me--The Rise of Alternative Medicine, Teng Sue-feng, Sinorama", January 2003.While many authorities in Taiwan tend to ignore alternative medicine, in the United States a number of medical schools offer courses in the subject, and the international academic community hold frequent symposia to put the field on the sound scientific footing.34. US-CHINA: QUEST FOR PEACE: Part 10: Taiwan a deal-breaker for US security, Henry C K Liu, Asia Times On Line", February 12, 2004.This article summarizes the basic positions of the United States, China, and Taiwan, which have led to an impasse in the triangular relationship. It looks at issues of US moral imperialism, whether Taiwan would really ever fight for independence, and Beijing's view of keeping the status quo. Available at: http://atimes01.atimes.com/atimes/China/FB12Ad05.html.35. The Men in Black: How Taiwan Spies on China, Wendell Minnick, Asia Times On Line", February 26, 2004.Taiwan has an extensive spy network gathering data on the China Mainland that has successfully determined how many missiles China has aimed at Taiwan. It relies primarily on human spies rather than electronic intelligence gathering. Available at: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/FB26Ad05.html.36. Constitutional Diplomacy: Taipei's Pen, Beiojing's Sword, Alan M.Wachman, Asia Program Special Report: Taiwan's Constitutional Reform", (Washington D.C.: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars), No. 125 (November 2004).President Chen Shui-bian's proposal to write a new constitution, or revise the old one, is really about the conflict with China as to whether Taiwan is a part of China or a separate country. Beijing now identifies this proposal as equivalent to declaring independence. Washington's approach has impeded a resolution of this dispute. Compromise by all three actors is necessary for a solution.37. They Can't Handle the Truth, Mark Magnier, LA Times", February 28, 2005.Taiwan's media go all out for a story, even if the facts aren't there. Reformers don't have much clout in a culture that's so freewheeling.