Archive for November, 2007
Thousands Of Military Students Riot Over Diplomas
Thursday, November 29th, 2007Thousands of students at a military academy were told their diplomas would not be recognized, and the campus erupted into violence. Windows have been smashed, iron gates mangled, and police cars have been overturned. Interesting story…
China Post: Students riot at China military academy over claims degrees not to be recognized
Salem News: Thousands Riot at Chinese […]
Survey: Elderly Avoid “Made In China” In Greater Numbers
Monday, November 26th, 2007The Center For Media Research agrees with a point made in my last post, that there is a connection between age and whether a consumer is looking to avoid products made in China. Their survey suggests 38% for those age 18-24 will be looking to avoid toys made in China, and the rate for those […]
Alibaba Launches New Website - “Alimama”
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007You just can’t make this stuff up! Alibaba has launched a new website - Alimama.com. This sister - spousal? - website is just further proof that the company doesn’t know what it’s doing. I’ve tried to figure out what the website is about and after two news pieces and some minutes on the website, […]
Hillary Clinton: I’m Tough On China
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007In an effort to show she has foreign policy chops, Hillary Clinton is now trying to convince us that she’s tough on China. She was quoted today as saying : “I went to Beijing in 1995 and stood up to the Chinese government on human rights.”
Seriously, was that a joke? It was her own husband […]
China At The Movies: Lust, Caution, And Jackie Chan
Thursday, November 15th, 2007Jackie Chan has to be a little pissed off these days. Ang Lee’s sexy film “Lust, Caution” has pulled in over US$11,000,000 playing in China in just two weeks, which is a lot of cash in this new market. Chan is a prolific talent, having made between “Rush Hour 1” and “Rush Hour 3” no […]
China Sports: NBA Slam Dunks, MLB Can’t Get To First Base
Tuesday, November 13th, 2007Sports has been making a big push in China these weeks, with Major League Baseball (MLB) sending over Cal Ripken, Jr. to pitch to the kids. Recent weeks have also seen the “NBA China Games”, which was an exhibition match between two major teams broadcast to over 200 countries.
The Chinese are fantastic lovers of sports, […]
Cigarette Smuggling: Alibaba & The Forty Thieves
Sunday, November 11th, 2007Last week, a reader of this website dropped a note to point out that Alibaba.com supports tobacco smugglers. Turns out the suggestion is true, and I wonder if this says something about the company’s business model.
In case you’re not aware, by the way, Alibaba’s stock price shot up on its initial public offering, but then […]
Chinese Diplomats Pressure Canada’s CBC, Television Program Pulled
Thursday, November 8th, 2007Forget about this business with the Dalai Lama and what his appearance in China was supposed to say about Canadian resolve - the Chinese embassy in Canada has just succeeded in getting the Canadian Broadcast Company to stop the CBC from airing a program on Falun Gong.
Personally, I couldn’t care less about Falun Gong - […]
Blair Visits China, Collects $300,000 For Saying “Ni Hao”
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007Tony Blair passed through South China on a tour that lasted a reported three hours. Stopping at Guangda, a luxury real estate development, he gave a speech to a large group of government officials, bankers and various other bigwigs, and for his efforts the former British Prime Minister was paid a whopping $300,000 speaker’s fee. […]
Porsche: Car Maker Sees Fast Growth In China
Tuesday, November 6th, 2007In July, I stopped by a Porsche dealership in Shanghai, and one of the sales people told me the company sold around 2,000 units in China last year. Today, I just ran across some comments made by the marketing chief at Porsche, and the company is estimating at least 3,500 units for China this year. […]
China’s Emergence Is Affecting Canada-US Trade
Tuesday, November 6th, 2007While the US remains Canada’s most significant trade partner, China’s emergence has led to a decline in trade between the two North American countries. Exports from Canada to the US declined to 79% from a peak of 87% in 2002. China’s voracious appetite for resources is one cause of the decline. A weaker US dollar […]
Blame Game: China Suggests That Mattel Is 85% At Fault
Tuesday, November 6th, 2007Chinese toy manufacturers are now looking to sue Mattel for damage done to the industry’s reputation. Should be loads of fun, but what struck me most was the perceived justification and emphasis on “percentages”:
Mattel recalled more than 21 million China-made toys from the market…but an investigation later showed 85% of the products were recalled because […]
Taiwan Says 30% Of Mainland Electronics Substandard
Monday, November 5th, 2007Taiwan is claiming that 30% of the computer and electronic products it imports from Mainland China are substandard. Among items highlighted in a recent press-conference were fluorescent bulbs, electric razors and computer components. Taiwan’s government has set up a task force to increase product safety. Taiwanese electronics makers undoubtedly want to see consumers purchase domestic […]
Democracy Is Dead: The Meaning Of China’s Successful Rise
Sunday, November 4th, 2007Some time ago, I told a friend that China’s success would one day lead newspapers to declare that, “Democracy Is Dead!”
We had been taught in school that democracy/capitalism was the only successful political model and that other systems simply didn’t work. A piece has been written on the subject by Howard French in the International […]