Jottings from the Granite Studio

As Beijing readies itself for the 17th Party Congress, much of the gossip, I mean analysis and speculation, is focused on who will be put in a position to take over power when Hu Jintao retires in five years.
Ah, for the good old days of a major natural disaster portending the death of the leader, [...]

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One of the factors in the sharp rise in population during the 18th century in China was the introduction of new crops from the Americas such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, maize and the peanut. High in calories, these crops could also be grown in poor soil or on terrain unsuitable to rice or grain cultivation.
An [...]

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