17 « Week In China

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WiC 17 (May 29, 2009)

Dollars and sense

Economy, Talking Point Talk of the yuan replacing the greenback is overblown

Almost 65 years ago, the US treasury secretary had some big news for President Roosevelt. “England is broke,” Henry Morgenthau told a shocked FDR. ...

The visible hand

Economy Government announcements are still key for Chinese stocks

Last week was one for reminiscing about former stock market glories, as far as much of the Chinese financial press was concerned. In particular it ...

All talk, no action

M&A Landmark Chinese acquisition unravels in Taiwan

It had the look of a done deal – right up until it was suddenly undone. China Mobile’s offer to buy a 12% stake in Far EasTone, the largest ...

Shop till you drop

Economy A new consumer finance law seeks to boost retail spending

"No debts, completely carefree” goes an old Chinese saying. But China’s government is now encouraging its citizens to ditch that old mindset and ...

Chinese Character A foreign multinational managed with Chinese characteristics

What does it take to be a successful CEO of a foreign firm in China? Well, perhaps you have to be Chinese for a start. Zhang Jianwei – the CEO of ...

Society China cracks down on narcotics

Ian Dury and the Blockheads summed it up well with their chart topping song, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll in 1977. The road to fame and ...

Society Protests over Huangzhou’s famed lake

Huangpu Park in Shanghai is famous for a sign that never even existed. Until 1928 Chinese people could only enter the park if accompanied by a ...

Entertainment The Bird's Nest profits from Puccini

Zhang Yimou has become a difficult man to pigeon hole. He first found fame directing movies such as Raise the Red Lantern and Not One Less. He then put ...

Red Star Li Ning

Li Ning, the “prince of gymnastics” as he is known in the mainland, is the most famous gymnast in modern China, having won over 100 medals in his ...

Most valuable player

Sport Will China deal keep LeBron James in Cleveland?

LeBron James hopes to pip Tiger Woods to become the world’s first billion-dollar sports star. Reaching out to a billion-plus new basketball fans ...

Soho’s golden age

Property The high profile developer scoops up distressed buildings in Beijing and…

Whenever the subject of China’s property market comes up in the WiC office, images of Johnny Depp’s compass in Pirates of the Caribbean spring to ...

A river runs through it

Environment Jilin City is in the news again and not in a…

The city of Jilin’s tourism man must be tearing his hair out. His new tagline – “On the banks of the Songhua River” – looked like a good one, ...

The dance goes on

China and the World China and Brazil pair up on the global stage

Samba’s rhythms are often alluring ones. Too much so for the Portuguese missionaries of colonial times, who shuddered at the dance’s physical ...

Planet China If you are feeling suicidal, but unable to go through with…

If you are feeling suicidal, but unable to go through with it, Lai Jiansheng could be the man to contact. The 66-year old ex-soldier made headlines ...

Quite a character

Cartoons Quite a character

In the Western political world, dignity is often in short supply. The current parliamentary expenses scandal in the UK is humiliating local lawmakers, ...

Athens on the Yangtze

And Finally China experiments with voting systems, including one from ancient Greece

Say ‘Chinese Democracy’ to most Americans and they will think you are referring to an album by Guns N’ Roses. But surprisingly enough China is ...