191 « Week In China

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WiC 191 (May 3, 2013)

China and the World, Talking Point The rise of the Chinese consumer could be just the tonic…

For Charles Gordon – who was later to have his head paraded on a spike around the streets of Khartoum – the looting of the Summer Palace in Beijing ...

Internet & Tech Alibaba faces off against Tencent with Sina Weibo stake

There’s a scene in the current hit film Beijing Meets Seattle when Tang Wei’s character asks to see the driving licence of the man picking ...

Auto Industry VW apologises, as supercar sells in Shanghai

The Shanghai Auto Show is always packed with models, normally of the female variety, and occasionally with unlikely names like Little Beast (see ...

Economy After latest Sichuan quake, recriminations grow

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived in Ya’an a mere eight hours after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the Sichuanese city last week. Striking so ...

Shipping Shipping expert says minus a China boom, industry’s prospects are poor

At the Boao Forum last month the chairman of Chinese shipping giant Cosco raised eyebrows with some of his remarks. When asked about Cosco’s chances ...

Society Christie’s in China auction breakthrough

This week French billionaire François-Henri Pinault returned two bronze animal heads to China. Diligent WiC readers will recall the items were first ...

Entertainment Is Zhang Ziyi an early casualty in the battle of the…

Divas don’t always deliver. That was the message last year, when Simon Cowell, the creator of American Idol, announced that Britney Spears would be ...

Sport Abe’s latest pronouncements won’t improve Sino ties

In November 1994 Japan’s diplomats described their country’s sneak attack on Pearl Harbor as “deeply regrettable”. More bizarrely the foreign ...

History Lessons ‘To carry chastening twigs and beg for forgiveness'

During the Warring States period, Lian Po 廉颇, a military general from the Zhao Kingdom, acceded to the rank of shangqing 上卿 or 'high-ranking ...

Planet China Six Florida businessmen came up with the idea for Hooters in…

Six Florida businessmen came up with the idea for Hooters in 1983 – buxom waitresses wearing tight tops. The owners wondered if their concept would ...

Cartoons Nordic noir

Swedes could be forgiven for wondering if Li Shufu really knows what he wants. After all, Li bought local carmaker Volvo saying he wanted to reduce ...

And Finally Henan supplier in Ghana condom row

On his trip to Africa in March, one of Xi Jinping’s main aims was to reassure regional leaders that China’s growing presence on the continent is a ...