Food safety in China has always been a concern but that concern has been whipped up into an international frenzy recently by the media. Abroad, the concern is about the safety of Chinese imports. Here in China, there was a kafuffle about an investigative report that purportedly showed dumplings made of cardboard being sold in Beijing.

Now a new food class must be approached with caution. In Beijing again, a “high-ranking” South Korean diplomat died after eating a sandwich from a shop near his office. He suffered a stomach-ache and diarrhea after ingesting the food item.

The Beijing hospital conducting the postmortem said only that results would be out in a month.

This makes me rethink the wisdom of having eaten a sandwich I just bought from a shop near my office.

I originally came across this article on the website of the Straits Times, Singapore’s main paper, which is pay-only, and there were some comments left by readers. Since Beijing will be host to plenty of tourists and foreigners next year, their comments might be worth reading: (more…)

The newly revitalized Shanghai Foreign Correspondents’ Club (facebook link) has been organizing some interesting and useful events lately, thanks to a new board.

It invited Kerry Brown, a scholar (now a fellow at the think tank Chatham House in the UK, though he has even lectured at Inner Mongolia University), former diplomat and now author of a new book on our favorite subject, for a talk at Arch on Changshu Lu. It’s called Struggling Giant: China in the 21st Century, and it’s published by Anthem Press.

The venue was rather cramped, but the talk went well - Brown made a few very good points about China from an outside observer’s point of view. We’ll be running an interview with him soon about his ideas on China. Here are some key points from his Shanghai FCC talk:

-China’s strategy of inviting foreign investment was primarily to facilitate technology and knowledge transfer; this has failed, so FDI is now no longer the yardstick the central government uses for provinces

-Foreigners tend to look at China in an ahistorical way, despite the country’s long history and attendant baggage

-NGOs are increasingly tolerated by the government as a way to help plug holes in a tattered social safety net

-Beijing’s control over the provinces is brittle – it can snap quickly and “the whole thing could fall apart tomorrow,” he said

-There’s no clear candidate for the top job when the Party Congress convenes this autumn, unlike previous leadership transitions

-What keeps Hu Jintao up at night? Not economic stability; not human rights and foreign government criticism. He’s worried about income disparities, including the great underclass of 200 million migrant workers, who are disenfranchised in almost every way. And since there’s no democracy, no one really knows what in the world they are thinking.

We overlooked the Christian Science Monitor’s excellent series of articles from a couple weeks ago titled “Is China Good for Africa?”, which you can read here. More than the typical hand-wringing stories about how China’s all-time high in trade with Africa (US$55 billion last year and counting) is propping up corrupt and evil regimes and unfair to locals (though there’s a fair share of that as well), the series also looks at the more mutually beneficial outcomes and China’s experimentation with internationalism and soft power through things like its own version of the Peace Corps. Definitely worth a read if you missed it the first time. A few excerpts: (more…)

Many readers may be blissfully unaware of the ongoing NBA playoffs in the US, but I suspect many more in China are watching them along with me, and now I have an excuse to write something on a somewhat related note, so bear with me.

We’ve written before in this space about calls to boycott the 2008 Olympics for reasons tied to either human rights in China or involvement with unsavory regimes like that of Sudan. At the time, it was since-defeated French presidential candidate Francois Bayrou proposing a boycott of the Games. Now, an article in the New York Times’ sports section (reached through the always interesting Freakonomics Blog) tells us of Ira Newble, a basketball player previously known to me only as an obscure bench-warmer (read: not a very good player) for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. Newble is trying to enlist support from his fellow pro athletes to talk up ditching Beijing next summer. Like Bayrou, Newble was moved by the Darfur situation, and the perception that “China holds the key” to improving it. From the article:

The result is a letter, signed by Newble and most of his teammates and released last week, that takes aim at China, which supplies the Sudanese government with money and weapons. China, in turn, is a major importer of Sudan’s oil.

The letter reads in part, “We, as basketball players in the N.B.A. and as potential athletes in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, cannot look on with indifference to the massive human suffering and destruction that continue in the Darfur region of Sudan.” It concludes with a plea to the Chinese government “to use all available diplomatic resources and economic pressure to end the agony of Darfur, and to secure access for U.N. peace support personnel.”

Predictably, “most of his teammates” does not include star Cavalier LeBron James, who is a marketing phenomenon in China and is said to be learning Mandarin in his spare time (scroll down). I’d be interested to see if this attracts the attention of Sudan-born Chicago Bull Luol Deng (who, by the way, has been a breakout star in these playoffs).

But as we’ve said before, the chances of any movement to boycott Beijing 2008’s success are fat indeed. What interests me, though, is how far word of this spreads, given the NBA’s popularity in China, and whether anything gets mentioned about it on a Chinese blog or fan site. If you see anything at all about this on the Chinese internet, let us know! (For easy searching, Newble’s Chinese name is 艾拉-纽贝.)

Premier Wen Jiabao wrote in an article in the People’s Daily this week that democracy in China will only emerge once the socialist system matures, which could take up to 100 years.

Wen’s comments concentrated on two areas: what China needs to do now, and the reality of what China is ready for. Since China is not yet a mature socialist society, the reasoning goes, it is not ready for democracy. Running through the article is a common theme the Communist government is quick to remind us of: China is still a developing country. Of course this is true, but one cannot help but view it as an excuse not to provide real answers.

But it is a familiar line. China’s leaders have always been swift to smother criticism of their authoritarian style, saying that the current socialist system is not incompatible with democracy, it just needs time to mature, in this case 100 years or so. Currently, the central government refers to its National People’s Congress as a part of the democratic process. Wen subjectively labels China’s current socialist market economic system and legal system as not “perfect enough,” stating that “social injustice and corruption,” still exist. It’s good that he’s aware of the problems, but his comments on social injustice do not address how the opaqueness of the current political system contributes to these problems, nor does he provide any details as to how the so-called maturing process will take place.

Leaders in Beijing may theorize that the road to democracy for China goes through a “mature socialist system”, and that “a highly developed democracy and a complete legal system are inherent requirements of the socialist system and important symbols of a mature socialist system,” but reality shows a flaccid foundation for any hope of real answers from Beijing. Wen says China will democratize in its own way as it opens up. Hopefully, such openness will extend beyond just the economy.

This is the third in a series of entries that Alfred Romann will post from India in the coming weeks.

As India’s middle class grows, it creates new markets for a whole range of consumer goods, from mobile phones to cars.

For manufacturers across the globe, the prospects are bright. After all, there are some 700 million poor people across the country and they are all potential buyers if their incomes grow.

All these people have more pressing problems than when they will buy their first microwave oven but that’s a discussion for another post.

Despite – or maybe because of – widespread poverty, India has incredible opportunities for mass producers like China. Corporations such as Haier are expanding their markets by leaps and bounds powered by growth that is expected to hit close to 10% this year.

However, Haier’s ambitions come up against a deeply-held belief on the streets of Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad that Chinese goods are cheap and poorly made.

It is interesting to note what Indians buy as they grow richer.

Market studies by Haier, a successful global supplier of home electronics and white goods, show that the first thing on the shopping list is entertainment, most likely a new or first TV set. Second is a new set of wheels, maybe a scooter. Third, finally, is a refrigerator. Air conditioners are somewhere below, and microwave ovens feature well down the list.

It is an unusual pattern, but one directly linked to one of the biggest challenges facing the country: poor infrastructure. What good is a fridge that only works the few hours a month when the electricity is on?

Better to have a TV and snatch what valuable hours of prime time are available.

If 2006 was a year when Hollywood warmed up to China as a locale for romantic period pieces and action extravaganzas, 2007 could be the year of the Japanese invasion epic, and it’s already looking ugly. The Rape of Nanking, a co-production between the Jiangsu provincial government and a US studio, is starting production. Supposedly based on the late Iris Chang’s historical account of the atrocity, the film will seek to give victims the “Schindler’s List” treatment, according to one official. For that lofty goal they might have done well to hire someone other than Simon West, director of noisy, no-brow slam-bangers like “Con Air” and “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” (think of him as Michael Bay lite), to helm the project. I’m sure it will be tastefully done.

There will be several other movies about the massacre coming out this year (I was approached last night by someone looking for Western extras for a ballroom scene in one of them), the 70th anniversary of the invasion. Some may prove useful, others less so. But perhaps none will be quite as tasteless or inflammatory as Japanese director Satoru Mizushima’s planned “The Truth About Nanjing”, which he says he hopes will prove accounts of the event to be grossly exaggerated by the Chinese government:

“This will be our first effort to correct the errors of history through a film,” director Satoru Mizushima said at a Tokyo hotel, joined by a group of conservative lawmakers and academics who support the project.

China’s Foreign Ministry responded, basically, that it knows quite well what happened, thank you very much, and it is up to Japan to admit it when it feels it is ready to grow up. The most telling bit, however, was the following:

Ms Jiang added, however, that the controversy would not derail the latest bilateral talks aimed at improving ties due to end at the weekend.

“China and Japan have both attached great importance to the dialogue, and the two sides will exchange views on mutual relations and issues both sides are concerned about,” she said.

So have relations moved beyond easily wounded pride and overreaction to the same old slights? Maybe. We’ll know more when we see which films make into general distribution on the mainland.

An interesting story this morning in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required, or read our brief for free): state broadcaster China Central TV (CCTV) will ban all images of pigs in its broadcasts to avoid offending Muslims:

“China is a multi-ethnic country,” the network’s ad department said in a notice sent to ad agencies late Tuesday. “To show respect to Islam, and upon guidance from higher levels of the government, CCTV will keep any ‘pig’ images off the TV screen.”

Sounds odd - at least at first. Isn’t the pig China’s favorite animal to eat, not to mention a traditional symbol of prosperity, luck and fertility? And since when has the government been especially cautious about offending Muslims? The article answers your questions:

Chinese TV’s ban comes in the wake of the killing of 18 Muslims by police in the country’s remote northwest earlier this month. The government accused the men of being terrorists. Muslim activists have called for an independent investigation.

The policy shift offers a window on the inner workings of China’s governmental machinery, known for its surprise edicts and abrupt shifts in regulation. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the ban applies just to ads or to all TV content. And some analysts said the government could still reverse itself, or offer exceptions to the ban.

Advertising-industry executives in China say senior Communist Party leaders recently told CCTV that references to pigs should be avoided to prevent conflicts among ethnic groups. CCTV’s move was then announced to advertisers just as many were finalizing their spots for the holiday, which begins Feb. 18.

What’s next? Calling off the Year of the Dragon to avoid negative imagery associated with the mythical beast by some foreigners? At least advertisers will be able to air their piggy commercials on provincial and local TV networks, the article says. It ends with this classic line from Ma Yunfu, vice chairman of the China Islamic Association:

“We don’t want to see any misunderstanding like the one 12 years ago,” during the last Year of the Pig, says Mr Ma. At that time, Mr Ma says, some newspapers published a tale in which a pig saves the life of Muhammad. “That aroused a lot of anger,” he says.

While Hu Jintao is not required, as George Bush is, to deliver a State of the Union address each year, his deputy Wen Jiabao fired off the modern Chinese equivalent over the weekend.

While Bush, as the president of a democracy, has to contend with the public reaction to the unpopular war in Iraq, Wen has the luxury of knowing that even though his words have influence - and he must be careful not to disturb the markets - he and his comrades are not in danger of losing power anytime soon. And so he could safely assure everyone that, yes, even though the economy is busting loose and the banks are stuffed with greenbacks, all is well.

The market certainly thought so. Traders were happy simply to have no more legislation restricting this or that kind of investment, and the Shanghai Composite nearly hit 3,000. One wonders, however, how they will interpret today’s news that preferential tax status may be stripped from foreign firms this year. My guess is they won’t be that phased if it happens.

Joel Martinsen at the always informative Danwei.org has posted a few translated comments recently made by Kou Xiaowei, vice-director of the A/V and internet division of GAPP (General Administration of Press and Publications), taking back an earlier statement that there would be a “real-name” system imposed on online gaming, similar to other mandatory registration systems on the way for blogs, message boards, and online music and video sites. Actually, he didn’t so much take it back as outright deny that any such statement had ever been made. Danwei has more:

At last year’s conference, Kou Xiaowei had this to say:

A “real-name system” has three sub-systems: One, a registration system that discriminates according to ID information; Two, an inquiry system that is open to the community and can allow parents to check whether their children are playing games; Three, a confirmation system that has the cooperation of the PSB to confirm the registered information.
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A “real-name system” will definitely be written into law.

When it was floated last year, the “real name” system encountered resistance from adult gamers who resented being subject to the same rules and fatigue systems as minors. But with a few age-related changes, the identification portion of the anti-addiction system that Kou expects to be implemented industry-wide in April or May is basically identical to the one he spoke of last year.

As it turns out, the real denial isn’t that there will be a system requiring online gamers to submit their real names and identity numbers — that’s definitely going through — it’s that it won’t be called a “real name system” (实名制). You really have to admire the sheer chutzpah here, but while the government has shown an increased effort to inject PR into its message, it is light years behind its net-savvy citizens.