Talking Point

The ‘Little Emperor’ dynasty

The one-child policy remains in force, a generation on
Apr 3, 2009 (WiC 9)

It costs a little over $200,000 to give a child a middle-income upbringing in the US, according to figures released last year by the US government. Parents in the UK will need to find an additional $75,000 for the same task, the Daycare Trust ...

Feeling deflated

Is deflation the next fire China’s leaders must fight?
Mar 27, 2009 (WiC 8)

China’s State Council and the moon goddess Chang’e have shared a preoccupation with soft landings in recent weeks. Chang’e has given her name to the lunar probe mission that culminated in a deliberate crash landing on the moon. China’s ...

Coke deal gone wrong

Why the Ministry of Commerce has blocked Coca-Cola’s bid for Huiyuan
Mar 20, 2009 (WiC 7)

Zhu Xinli, founder of China Huiyuan Juice Group, has argued that there is little place for sentiment when it comes to selling companies. In his view, they should be “raised as a son but sold like a pig.” It turns out that the Chinese ...

Sick of bad food

The Chinese government tries to get to grips with food safety breaches
Mar 13, 2009 (WiC 6)

Reheating food, as many WiC readers will be aware, is not always an advisable culinary tactic; it can lead to the occasional bout of nausea. China’s National People’s Congress will be hoping that its own work last week in rehashing the ...

Country road

There are 20 million unemployed workers in the countryside. Any solutions?
Mar 6, 2009 (WiC 5)

If you want to get an idea of how basic life is in the Chinese countryside, it is worth devoting a couple of hours to watching Not One Less. Zhang Yimou’s award-winning movie is made in a documentary style with real rural folk playing ...

Steeling for tough times

Mergers announced in China’s giant steel industry
Feb 27, 2009 (WiC 4)

Andrew Carnegie, a tycoon who knew a thing or two about the steel industry, once proclaimed: “The nation that makes the cheapest steel has other nations at its feet.” China has taken that mantra to heart – which is why the government has ...

Power struggle

China’s electricity industry is on the cusp of a revolution
Feb 20, 2009 (WiC 3)

Catastrophe was often imminent for Captain Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise. At such moments he would radio down to his engine room – normally as hostile Klingon lasers shook the ship violently – and insist on “more power” ...

In need of water

The recent drought points to serious water problems
Feb 13, 2009 (WiC 2)

According to Chinese numerology, ‘eight’ is associated with ‘wealth’. But wealth is the last thing that farmers are expecting in the eight Chinese provinces currently dealing with drought. How serious is the ...

Job train-ing

Why 2009 will be the year of the train in China
Feb 6, 2009 (WiC 1)

Not since Stephenson’s Rocket crawled between Liverpool and Manchester at 12 miles per hour has a country got so excited about railways. Of course, this being China, those railways have to be bigger and better. A couple of years ago China ...

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