Last week Chinese authorities rescued 500 people–many of them children–from brick factories in Shanxi. The workers had been sold to these kilns by unscrupulous labor agencies and then kept there against their will as slaves, working 18 hours a day under the constant threat of physical abuse. All the while, authorities in the province turned a blind eye to the goings-on at the kilns. (ESWN has translations of Chinese media reports on the incident. Some of the details differ from later accounts in the domestic and foreign press.)
Earlier this month, a group of distraught parents stormed the kilns trying desperately to rescue their children, only to meet stiff resistance from the usual suspects–thugs hired by the kiln owners with support from corrupt local officials.
Frustrated and frantic, the parents went online, writing an open letter and posting it on Dahe. Eventually the letter ended up on the popular Chinese website Tianya and the subsequent internet frenzy forced the government’s hand. Police raided the kilns and freed the workers. As of this week, 168 people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Such was the outrage that even the normally Kool Aid-soaked editors of the China Daily felt compelled
Following up on a piece that I posted over at The Peking Duck, US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), commissioned by Congress in 2000, concluded its first 2007 meeting this past week. According to a report in today’s Asia Times, the meetings covered a range of topics but focused primarily on three key issues: China’s January 11 ASAT (anti-satellite test), how to convince China to comply with WTO guidelines, and whether or not US policy should continue to rely on the assumption that economic incentives will lead to increasing democratization in China.
The tone of the Asia Times report was not optimistic. It described the ASAT test as an unannounced and frankly provocative gesture, calling the move “strategic escalation.” Meanwhile, at the same time testimony over China’s non-compliance with WTO was being given at the meeting, trade representatives from the United States, Europe, and Canada were busy bringing China before the WTO over unfair duties on auto parts. Finally, in a statement given before the panel, long time China watcher Jim Mann sounded pessimistic over the prospects of China changing course significantly even over the long term. (See “Jim Mann: ‘What if China Doesn’t Change?“)
UPI reports: “Five South Korean female short track players raised signs reading, “Mount Paekdu is our (Korean) territory” during an awards ceremony Wednesday.” The incident is the latest in a series of back and forth sniping between China and Korea in a variety of media including competing op-ed pieces, ‘scholarly’ articles, and even teledramas over the historical status of the China-North Korea border. The South Korean skaters raised the signs as they received silver medals at the 2007 Winter Asian games being held this week in Changchun. The 2750 meter/9022 foot volcanic mountain has long been the center of border disputes between the Chinese and Korean governments.
Paekdu 백두산, also spelled Baekdu, is known as Changbai Shan 长白山 in China and can be found in Chinese geographical texts dating back to the shanhai jing 山海經 “Classic of Seas and Mountains.” During the Qing, the Kangxi emperor designated the mountain as the birthplace of his clan, the Aisin Gioro, and annual rites were held at the mountain to celebrate the origins of the ruling dynasty.
Several Korean dynasties considered the mountain sacred including the Goguryeo (37 BCE – 668), and Balhae (698-926) both of whose origins were the subject of
After this week’s earthquake off the coast of Taiwan, bloggers and the media reported on the internet outages/slowdowns between the PRC and the rest of the world. The funniest take on the subject has to be from Ryan’s (“The Humanaught”) Life in Suzhou Blog:
Apparently, and this is from the not-too-creditable “customer service” representative at CT, all of China’s access to the Internet at large runs through Taiwan… man was that some shitty planning – and a helluva chip the ROC can play should things get nasty between the two siblings.
PRC: “Um, we’d really like you to come back and be a part of your motherland.” ROC: “But we believe in a multi-party system and don’t like to spit.” PRC: “Fine, have it your way. We’re going to attack you tomorrow.” ROC: “If you do, you’ll only be able to access Mainland-produced porn.” PRC: “Please disregard, have a nice day.”
Funny stuff out of Jiangsu province.
I’ve tried to stay out of the fray on the current political dispute in Taiwan. First, I’ve never been there. Second, there are bloggers out there far more in touch with the state of affairs in Taipei than I am.
But yesterday on CDT, I read a Financial Times piece on Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian’s plans to “freeze” the current ROC constitution and adopt a new one.
Mr Chen’s comments indicate he could adopt a more audacious course in strengthening Taiwan’s separation from China before he steps down, an approach which would unsettle cross-Strait relations after more than two years of relative quiet.
Mr Chen triggered warnings from China and the US in late 2003 and again in early 2004 when he first proposed a new constitution and pushed for Taiwan’s first island-wide referendum.
His remarks appear designed to regain support among Taiwanese nationalist voters, a group his ruling party badly needs to win over before a series of forthcoming elections.
As the article notes, the original constitution was written in the wake of World War II while the KMT was still on the mainland. For example, the current version is not
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