China's submarine progress alarms India
Reports of China building a massive strategic naval base capable of housing nuclear-powered submarines on Hainan island in the South China Sea have India on red alert. The fear is not so much that China will launch any offensive against India, but that India is falling far behind in the race to dominate the region's seas. - Siddharth Srivastava (May 8, '08)



Beijing treads a Tibetan tightrope
China's state-run media are gushing over the government's first face-to-face talks with representatives of the Dalai Lama since the March 14 riots in Lhasa, painting a rosy picture of rapprochement and progress. What is not mentioned is Beijing's dilemma, caught between Western pressure, Olympic apprehension and internal hawks who have branded the Dalai Lama "a wolf in monk's robes". - Fong Tak-ho (May 7, '08)

China-bashing is a blind man's game
China's renaissance, arguably the most significant story of our time, offers to the world as much as the world brings to China. Yet some fail to grasp the big picture, and for them, China's re-emergence generates anxiety. The result is anti-Chinese rhetoric and behavior that can only generate anti-Western attitudes within China. Meanwhile Beijing and the West can join forces to solve global problems, and bitter confrontations won't help Sino-Western synergy. - David Gosset (May 6, '08)

SUN WUKONG
Blowing the whistle on
'Big Brother'
Fundamental problems exist in China's railway system, not the least of which is that the behemoth Ministry of Railways is both the monopoly operator and industry regulator for all rail transport. If this system is not restructured, nothing will change, and accidents such as the recent crash that claimed 70 lives will continue. - Wu Zhong (May 6, '08)

Just blame it on China and India
US President George W Bush's implication of China and India in global warming and food shortages shows that the rise of these two countries is a problem for Washington. Especially as Bush's accusations about the global environment and economy can be traced to Western over-consumption and exploitation of resources. - Sreeram Chaulia (May 5, '08)

China runs at its own pace
As part of the original understanding that brought the Olympics to Beijing, the Chinese government promised to make democratic reforms and human-rights improvements. Seven years later, it is fair to say the pledge has not met Western expectations, but that does not mean there have not been reforms in China's "own way". - Fong Tak-ho (May 2, '08)

China's pride versus Western prejudice
The Chinese government did not expect the Olympic Games to be politicized to the extent it has and the result is a big loss for Beijing. It has also damaged the image of China's "harmonious society" and prompted a new wave of Chinese nationalism. Many Chinese now feel that they face, for the first time in many years, Western ideology. - Da Wei (May 1, '08)

    Protests at Carrefour stores in China (AFP)

China's inflation carries long-term risks
Concern in China over rising inflation is justified, given the potential it can have for creating social unrest. Yet failure to recognize the core causes of higher prices, and whether these are imported from the global economy, may lead to the wrong decisions being made and unsought consequences.(Apr 30, '08)

Food prices dim biofuel glow
China's determination to promote biofuels as an alternative to polluting coal and oil is being undermined as growers of the core products find themselves squeezed by the rising cost of agriculture products and government control of fuel prices. (Apr 25, '08)

Olympic paranoia causes visa hurdles
Frustration is building in Hong Kong among travelers and entrepreneurs over new visa restrictions on travel to mainland China. It's clear the cumbersome, impromptu restrictions have arisen from Beijing's concerns over security at the Olympic Games. What's unclear is how the changes make China any more secure. - Kent Ewing (Apr 24, '08)

Musharraf bolsters China-Pakistan bond
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's six-day trip to China was productive and timely for the "all-weather" friends. It's buoyed the beleaguered president's credibility while trumpeting needed international support for Beijing. China is Pakistan's largest arms supplier and it is no coincidence Musharraf's last stop was to speak against extremism in China's restive Muslim province of Xinjiang. - Pallavi Aiyar (Apr 23, '08)

Time to outgrow boycott calls
Chinese, angered at Western criticism of the country over Tibet and calls to boycott the Beijing Olympic Games, have themselves staged boycotts, notably of French products and goods advertised on CNN that are sold in China. Where does it end? With a bad reputation for China, which should have better outlets for its people's angst. - Wu Zhong (Apr 22, '08)

China caught in potash crunch
China has found that its market muscle counts for little when it comes to buying the fertilizer essential to maintain its output of rice and other crops. New contract terms more than doubled the price it pays for shipments from Russia, and competition with other consumers is set to intensify. Suppliers, meanwhile, are seeing their share prices soar. - John Helmer (Apr 21, '08)

Taiwan's defeated party rebuilds
In addition to losing the presidency, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party now has less than 25% of the seats in the legislature. It's been a steep slide for the party, which now needs to figure out where to go, including how to hold on to core voters as well as rebuild its platform to appeal to more people. According to one expert, "They're going to have to start almost from scratch." - Cindy Sui (Apr 21, '08)

BOOK REVIEW
Asia pushes, West resists
The New Asian Hemisphere by Kishore Mahbubani
A turbulent era of de-Westernization has begun in Asia, and Western societies, apprehensive about Asia's galloping modernization, fear the world order built to sustain their domination will be overthrown. This could be a good thing, the enlightening book suggests, if the West could learn to work with, rather than against, Asia's renaissance. - Sreeram Chaulia (Apr 18, '08)

China confronts its Uyghur threat
With international media fixated on riots in Tibet and the Olympic torch relay, Beijing is braced for another potential menace: ethnic Uyghur militants from the far western province of Xinjiang. Four recent incidents highlight a small but determined group of well-funded and well-schooled separatists seeping into China from training camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan. (Apr 17, '08)

  SUN WUKONG
A fight against rot at the core
There has been widespread criticism of the 18-year jail term given to former Shanghai Communist Party chief Chen Liangyu as being too lenient. Certainly, the 61-year-old could have been sentenced to death for the embezzlement of state funds and taking bribes for which he was convicted. More to the point, Chen's imprisonment shows the leadership's determination to combat rampant corruption, right up to the politburo - the power core. - Wu Zhong (Apr 16, '08)

Man at work: Rudd walks Asian tightrope
As seen by his recent trip to Beijing, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd faces a balancing act as he integrates new ally China into Canberra's foreign policy while seeking to define just how Australia fits into Asia. Improving ties with Beijing may sour relations with key ally the United States and long-term main trading partner Japan, as well as cloud ties with India. - Tanja Vestergaard (Apr 16, '08)

China bunkers down behind its great wall
The circus of protests dogging the Olympic torch as it makes its painful and humiliating way around the globe has many believe China will "cave in" to Western protests. The reaction is the opposite. Beijing has hardened its position on Tibet and human rights, and far from the Games being China's international coming-out party, people in China - with US house speaker Nancy Pelosi as the poster demon - are angered. - Kent Ewing (Apr 15, '08)

COMMENT
Italian lesson for the Dalai Lama
Beijing simply is not going to grant Tibet full independence. Recognizing this, the Dalai Lama ought to clear the ambiguity that has followed him for decades and stick to being a religious leader. In many ways, he could seek inspiration for the Italian experience with the Vatican in Rome. - Francesco Sisci (Apr 14, '08)

A new era or a 'made in China' affair?
The 20-minute talk between Taiwan's vice president-elect and Chinese President Hu Jintao at the sidelines of a forum over the weekend has been described as an "ice-melting" meet between the cross-strait rivals. Indeed, much goodwill was expressed - and promised charter flights look to be on track in coming months - but some feel Taiwan played right into Beijing's hands. - Ting-I Tsai (Apr 14, '08)

COMMENT
US candidates ride the China bogey
Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have both seized on China as potentially being able to damage the United States' foreign policy, as well as its economy. They are correct, but for all their rhetoric they avoid naming the US's many problems or offering solutions. - Dmitry Shlapentokh (Apr 11, '08)

SEX IN DEPTH
My big, fat Triad wedding
Hong Kong's sex trade exists under the omnipresent influence of notorious Triad crime syndicates, so what better way to find the facts than to attend a high-ranking Triad wedding? Call it an invitation one couldn't refuse, but the results were intriguing - and as illuminating as the city's famous Wan Chai district on a Saturday night. (Apr 11, '08)
William Sparrow writes a weekly column looking at issues relating to sex in Asia.

Devils and angels in Taiwan
Taiwan's president-elect Ma Ying-jeou spent last weekend honoring his political ancestors: Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and his son, the late president Chiang Ching-kuo. It's the latest move by Ma and his Kuomintang party to polish the tarnished image of the Chiang dynasty and reinstall its name to public places and monuments, and it could influence Taiwan's future by determining how people see its past. - Stephen A Nelson (Apr 10, '08)

Tibet a defining issue for China
The uprising in Lhasa and the ensuing demonstrations in areas of China populated by ethnic Tibetans created a series of issues for the future of the country. These challenges go beyond the simple scope of the protests and far beyond the pressing issue of assuring the peaceful completion of the Beijing Olympic Games in August. The issues are radical - those of history, geography and the role of China in the world. - Francesco Sisci (Apr 10, '08)

SPEAKING FREELY
China's Pacific strategy unfurled
In the words of Premier Wen Jiabao, China's increased engagement with Pacific island nations is not so much about diplomacy as it is "a strategic decision". This embraces maritime and military interests, space technology, natural resources, trade and investment - and the chance to snub Taiwan and the United States at the same time. For China, it's an ocean of opportunity. - Zhang Guihong (Apr 9, '08)

Why Beijing just can't grasp Tibet
Beijing has hoped for years that rising prosperity will convince Tibetans it is the Communist Party, rather than the Dalai Lama, that can ensure a better life. This misunderstanding boils down to an inability to grasp a society in which the spiritual is prioritized over the material. The average Tibetan still believes the Dalai Lama is a living Buddha, and this belief won't be bought off by subsidies and trains. - Pallavi Aiyar (Apr 9, '08)

SUN WUKONG
Courts withdraw
verdict on ATM bandit
The young Chinese migrant worker who stumbled on a faulty but extremely generous ATM machine has been blessed with more good fortune - the life sentence he received for taking an undocumented US$25,000 has been reduced to a five-year stint. The case is a jackpot for observers who note that public opinion is increasingly influencing China's judicial system. - Wu Zhong (Apr 8, '08)

Macau's rotten basket of riches
In the space of a few years, Macau has metamorphosed from a sleepy backwater into the richest place in Asia. New casinos are the driving force and their owners the main beneficiaries. Strip out the gambling money and another reality is evident - the locals are still picking up crumbs from the rich folks' table. - Kent Ewing (Apr 3, '08)

The age of the immigrant spy
International espionage has reacted to the new multipolar world by reinventing the rules of spying. A clear example is the recent case of Chinese-born engineer Chi Mak, who was jailed for plotting to obtain American submarine technology. China and India recruit agents from their diasporas by playing the "shared ancestry" card and tugging at the cultural and patriotic ties that bind immigrants to their homelands. - Sreeram Chaulia (Apr 2, '08)

SUN WUKONG
'Paper tiger' tales shred credibility
A rash of fraudulent reports about the existence of the critically endangered South China tiger has exposed an unbecoming practice of modifying, even forging, news for personal profit and fame. If those who put forth the fake reports, and the local officials who are found to be complicit, aren't dealt with harshly it's likely that less-than-credible reporting will soon become the norm in China. - Wu Zhong (Apr 2, '08)

Cracks emerge in 'Dalai Lama clique'
Beijing's condemnation of anti-China protests in Tibet has incorrectly swept all protesters into the so-called "Dalai Lama clique". It's not so simple: some radical groups - such as the Tibetan Youth Congress - have distanced themselves from the Dalai Lama's "middle-road" approach, and these are the ones Beijing has to observe intently. - Law Siu-lan (Apr 1, '08)

Tibet, China the West: Back to stereotypes 
The riots in Tibet have blown a formidable flicker into China's Olympic flame, and any chance of keeping the sporting event free of politics has been extinguished. All the same, the Games still offer China the opportunity to educate the world on the daunting challenges it faces as a still-developing nation. - Kent Ewing (Mar 27, '08)

Will the real Ma please stand up
For years, the Kuomintang's Ma Ying-jeou has been considered an heir to the presidency of Taiwan. Now that it has come true, and with a trail of contradictory campaign promises in his wake, the nation is left to decipher what kind of leader Ma will become. He already has some telling nicknames, among them "Mr Clean", "Mr Teflon" and "Mr Promises, Platitudes and Pablum". - Stephen A Nelson (Mar 26, '08)

Tibet, the 'great game' and the CIA
The main beneficiaries to the death and destruction in Tibet could be in the United States. For Washington and the Central Intelligence Agency, with its deep involvement with the Free Tibet Movement, this would be a heaven-sent opportunity to create a significant lever against Beijing, with little risk to American interests. For China, the seriousness with which it is treating the unrest is illustrated by the deployment of a large number of important army units. - Richard M Bennett (Mar 25, '08)

Promises and pandas for Taiwan's Ma
Saturday's decisive presidential victory by Kuomintang candidate Ma Ying-jeou was a clear mandate to rule the island and a humbling end for the era of President Chen Shui-bian. But with a sluggish economy, internal party divisions and complex relationships with Beijing and Washington, Ma faces an enormous balancing act. - Ting-I Tsai (Mar 25, '08)

Economic and strait-talk as Taiwan votes
A sluggish economy is of greatest concern as Taiwan heads for the weekend's presidential polls. The island's relations with China, as always, are a key issue, while the ethnic backgrounds of the two candidates - the Kuomintang's Ma Ying-jeou and Frank Hsieh of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party - are a bitter debating point. - Cindy Sui (Mar 20, '08)

BOOK REVIEW
Larger than life
Tell Me a Story by Kevin Sinclair
Sinclair epitomized the swashbuckling, hard-drinking journalists of yesteryear, and his memoir is sure to stir nostalgia for the days of inebriated gatherings of close-knit China scribes in Hong Kong. Sinclair was the leader of the pack, and his descriptions of crazy stories and eccentric personalities are an important backdrop to the history of Hong Kong and China. - Kent Ewing (Mar 20, '08)

SUN WUKONG
Stumbling towards Confucius-ville
As part a Beijing-sponsored "cultural renaissance", the 2,500-year-old teachings of Confucius are back into vogue as a counterbalance to the meteoric rise of modern China. But a plan to erect a US$4.2 billion "Chinese Cultural Symbolic City" in the philosopher's hometown has hardly inspired the peace and social harmony of which Confucius wrote. - Wu Zhong (Mar 19, '08)

Olympic clock ticks for unified Korean team
The two Koreas, which by their very rationales are involved in a highly-charged competition for legitimacy with their other "part-nation", the Olympic Games have been a particularly potent arena for political posturing. As they try to out-do each other in the runup to the Beijing Games over the possibility of a joint Korean team, China has a role to play. (Mar 19, '08)

Now the Tibet blame game begins
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao on Tuesday assured that "social order" has all but been restored in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet scarred by anti-Chinese demonstrations. Beijing is now left to limit the damage from the high-profile disturbances, and is doing so by squarely blaming the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader, for not only instigating the unrest, but also for trying to sabotage China's Olympic dream. - John Ng (Mar 18, '08)

China and India: Oh to be different
Once again, with the unrest in Tibet, Beijing has been caught unprepared and has revealed its inability to deal with dissent and difference, despite the stated goal of creating a harmonious society. In direct contrast, India's diverse polity has flourished against all the odds precisely because of its ability to acknowledge difference. - Pallavi Aiyar (Mar 18, '08)

Olympic flame burns ominously
In just a few months, the Olympic torch is due to pass through Lhasa, the Tibetan capital that has erupted in anti-Chinese violence. Officials in Beijing are adamant that nothing will stop the torch's progress on its way to the opening of the Games in August. Which means, whatever it takes, the protests will be silenced. - Situ Feng and John Ng (Mar 17, '08)

India wakes to a Tibetan headache
The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan government in exile based in India, is reveling in all the attention from the hordes of Western media who have descended on his Himalayan township. For now, Beijing's crackdown on protesters in the Tibetan capital Lhasa plays into his hands as a fierce critic of China. But a delicate three-way diplomatic tango is commencing, involving the United States and China, with India providing the turf - which can only turn out messy for India, as well as for the Dalai Lama. - M K Bhadrakumar (Mar 17, '08)

Rubber chicken for China's sick soul
In China, despite all the hype about greater press freedom and political reform, maintaining the supreme power of the Communist Party is still national priority number one. All the new acronyms and "mega-ministries" unveiled by Beijing last week should not be misconstrued as a grand plan to tackle the country's challenges. In the end, it is all pretty simple: bureaucratic restructuring is what masquerades as reform. - Kent Ewing (Mar 17, '08)

COMMENT
US enters 'checkbook war' with China
With its forces stretched thin in Iraq and Afghanistan and its leader nearing lame-duck status, some might argue the end of the so-called American empire is near. If Washington's influence is dwindling, a new confrontation will emerge in which nations compete in a "cash war" over access to natural resources. In this battle the biggest spender wins, and the US is already being outpaced by Beijing. - Dmitry Shlapentokh (Mar 14, '08)

BOOK REVIEW
Ancient tactics for modern battles
The 36 Secret Strategies of the Martial Arts by Hiroshi Moriya
The ancient Chinese maxims featured in the book encapsulate some of the Far East's most cunning tactics for battle and deception. In the end, it's useful, and surprisingly applicable, advice for how to counter the actions of any tough opponent - be it in contemporary business, politics, diplomacy or sport. - Michael Jen-Siu (Mar 14, '08)

'Terror' attack a warning shot for Beijing
Chinese authorities have linked the foiled hijacking of a plane bound for Beijing to independence fighters in the remote northwestern Xinjiang Autonomous Region, causing much concern about security for the Summer Olympics. The investigation has revealed a spate of other "terror" plots and sent a clear message to the government. - Fong Tak-ho (Mar 13, '08)

China puts its trust in Putinism
More than any other capital in the world, Beijing has closely observed the changing of the guard in the Kremlin. And the Chinese know that with or without President Vladimir Putin, it is only natural for Russia to continue its current policies. There's therefore still work to be done on the Sino-Russian relationship. - Yu Bin (Mar 12, '08)

While China marches, the US guesses
To the US, there's nothing new about China's continuing military development, it's the unsaid intentions behind the buildup that are worrying Washington. Without disclosing its own strategies, Washington wants to know what Beijing is up to. But obfuscation is an art of war, and the Chinese are masters at it. - Law Siu-lan(Mar 12, '08)

Democracy on the dragon's doorstep
No matter what Beijing's censors say, Taiwan's presidential election on March 22 will be a reminder to mainland Chinese that a democratic society flourishes in the "renegade province". The important race, which could write a new chapter in cross-strait relations, has young mainlanders abandoning the hard line of their elders and calling for flexible attitudes and harmonious relations. - Cindy Sui (Mar 11, '08)

Helping Taiwan help itself
If Taiwan continues upgrading its defense capabilities, as appears likely irrespective of March 22 election results, it will be indirectly advancing US interests in the Pacific, both by stalling China's ambitions for regional hegemony and as a partner in any security or humanitarian crises. Carefully managed, a policy of actively helping Taiwan's defense could pay healthy dividends into America's geopolitical accounts. (Mar 10, '08)

China card still wild in White House race
Washington's China policy is expected to soon become a major issue in the White House race, from currency concerns and product safety to military buildup. But despite whatever campaign rhetoric is flung about, there is no getting away from the fact that the most important relationship in the world is taking shape. - Jing-dong Yuan (Mar 7, '08)

The fancy guns are trained on China
Just as the Pentagon and its corporate allies touted the "Soviet threat" during the Cold War to stampede Congress and the American public into supporting ever-increasing spending on advanced weapons, so a hypothetical "China threat" is now being conjured up to achieve the same purpose - and it's costing multi-billions of dollars. - Michael T Klare (Mar 7, '08)

SPEAKING FREELY
Don't be lazy, snooze at work
Asia's culture of napping has reached a new level in China, where the state has authorized sleeping on the job, at least for a little while. It's time to wake up to the age of the "cubicle nap" and experts say the results are eye-opening. Increased productivity, safety and morale surely put to bed any Western notions of the dangers of a work-day doze. - Matt Young (Mar 6, '08)

Icy hand of China corruption bared
The discovery that substandard power poles exacerbated the fatal consequences of China's brutal winter snowstorms has thrust the icy specter of provincial corruption once again into national debate. China's vociferous websites and chat rooms are blasting official corruption and transparency, and it seems President Hu Jintao, for one, is listening. - Zhang Yi (Mar 5, '08)

 SUN WUKONG
Green whirlwind sweeps China
China's National People's Congress this week upgrades its State Environmental Protection Administration into a mega-sized environmental ministry. This is part of a green policy geared to strengthening the country's "toothless tiger" laws. Whether other departments and provinces cooperate is another matter, particularly when their own interests are at risk. - Wu Zhong (Mar 4, '08)

China's cartoon police not amused
The superheroes and cuddly critters of the animated universe face a formidable foe in China's censors. From Superman to Digimon, the state's media watchdog has extended a ban on all foreign cartoons from prime time television. It's Beijing's effort to spur growth in the lagging animation industry, but young consumers find domestic cartoons dull and childish. - Olivia Chung (Mar 3, '08)

China, India, play it again for Uncle Sam
With US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Beijing and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in New Delhi, the US's evolving Asian strategy is on display. Washington is out to convince China and India that each is a privileged partner of the US's global strategies, a part of which is containing a resurgent Russia. Beijing has welcomed the US "invitation", but Delhi is convinced the US is building up Indian capabilities just to make it a counterweight to China. - M K Bhadrakumar (Feb 29, '08)

Hoops and hurdles for Olympic media
A journalistic pentathlon faces reporters eager to cover this summer's Beijing Olympic Games. Those who can overcome restrictions, intimidation, detentions, surveillance and reprimands will no doubt cross a finish line drawn with red tape. And all the while, a controversial database on foreign journalists grows bigger by the day. - Josh Adams (Feb 28, '08)

US prowls for China in the Philippines
With China now becoming the US's greatest potential competitor, Washington needs the Philippines more than ever. Not only is it ideally located, its government has been far more willing than other Southeast Asian countries to align itself with the demands of the US. Thus Washington is steadily transforming and deepening its military presence and intervention in the Philippines in preparation for any face-off with China. In return, Beijing is aggressively courting Manila. - Herbert Docena (Feb 27, '08)

The fun's going out of Chinese festivals
Beijing's efforts to revive traditional celebrations and folk culture are going over like a dud firecracker. Older Chinese say the new festivals just aren't what they used to be, and they're steamed at the loss of handmade snacks, music and artistry. Scholars even frame it as a matter of cultural sovereignty - the South Koreans have already "stolen" one festival. (Feb 26, '08)

Lust knows no end in Hong Kong
Actor Edison Chen and his snapshots of bedroom triumphs with celebrity starlets remains at the center of Hong Kong's juiciest-ever sex scandal, despite his contrite mea culpa and pleas for forgiveness. Now the police have added their own layer to the almost comical bungling that has characterized the steamy saga, ensuring it still has a lot of titillating to do. - Kent Ewing (Feb 25, '08)

BOOK REVIEW
Hong Kong and the oral tradition
The Man Who Owned All the Opium in Hong Kong by Jonathan Chamberlain
Hong Kong's Peter Hui was, at various times, a gambler, a tailor and CIA agent. At one point he also controlled an awful lot of opium. Hui’s remembrance of his riotous life give a rare peek at the Hong Kong of yesteryear - the opium dens, the pool halls, the nightclubs, the casinos and the girls, girls, girls. The protagonist’s triumphs and tragedies underscore the dynamism of the city and the times that shaped him. - Kent Ewing   (Feb 22, '08)

Buffer benefits in Spratly initiative
Protests over President Chen Shui-bian's recent visit to the disputed Spratly Islands overlooked his proposals for joint actions in the area with neighboring countries. A negative response by Southeast Asian claimants on the atolls would fail to recognize the benefits of a Taiwanese presence in the sea-lanes south of mainland China. (Feb 21, '08)

Beijing's new Taiwan strategy: Washington
In a departure from past strategies, Beijing has stopped directing its saber-rattling rhetoric at Taiwan and is now pressuring Washington to do it in its stead. Despite Taiwan's provocative moves, Beijing is remaining calm and quiet. So far Beijing's strategy is proving successful and Taipei has yet to develop a counter strategy. - Ting-I Tsai (Feb 21, '08)

China puppet-play a plus for Koreas
The prospect of a Chinese takeover of North Korea will horrify many onlookers. Yet little could be done to prevent such action and the benefits would be widespread for all parties, including the South. - Andrei Lankov (Feb 20, '08)

Winter debris exposes China's woes
The Chinese government has much rebuilding to do in the wake of the country's savage winter. It also has considerable homework to do on how to avoid a repeat of the dismal forecasting that preceded the storms and absence of disaster management plans that exacerbated their impact. - Kent Ewing (Feb 20, '08)

SUN WUKONG
Toxic brew shrouds State Council shake-up
A scandal involving one of China's worst pollution disasters and alleged plagiarism by a senior environmental official is gathering over plans to shake up the State Council. Thickening the toxic brew, the country's Internet police are giving the allegations free range on even government websites - Wu Zhong (Feb 19, '08)

China stakes much on new stock board
China is resurrecting plans to launch a growth board for listing small companies as a route to encourage more start-ups, further develop its venture capital industry, and soak up liquidity in the booming economy. -> Candy Zeng(Feb 15, '08)

Spielberg's Olympic-size snub
Director Steven Spielberg's decision to pull out of helping plan Olympic Games ceremonies due to China's perceived indifference over atrocities in Darfur never happened as far as Beijing is concerned. The information blackout is the latest awkward attempt by the authorities to hide the wrinkles in its plans for a "harmonious", controversy free Games. (Feb 14, '08)

Wedding bell blues in Taiwan
Despite having a language and culture in common, the Taiwanese government continues to view mainland Chinese brides with suspicion, relegating them to second class status below those from other countries. Politics trumps marital rights, partly because mainland spouses could play an important role in drawing Taiwan closer to China. - Cindy Sui (Feb 14, '08)

Asian arms race gathers speed
In Northeast Asia, the United States, China, Japan, Russia and North and South Korea are investing in war, spending staggering amounts of money in new weapons systems and offensive capabilities. From China's ambitious naval program to South Korea's state-of-the-art fighter aircraft, this buildup on the land, on the seas and in space undercuts all talk of peace and sustains an ever-growing global military-industrial complex. - John Feffer (Feb 13, '08)

SPEAKING FREELY
China's soft power filling a moral void
From Malta to Zimbabwe, no nation is too insignificant or morally bankrupt to qualify for Chinese investment as part of its generous foreign policy machine. But while Beijing has been criticized for shoring up questionable regimes with trade and reciprocal promises of non-interference, the US is no stranger to Faustian bargains - as in Saudi Arabia. For both, the allure is of foreign policy based on naked self interest. - David B Roberts (Feb 13, '08)

SUN WUKONG
Feel the warmth
President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have won hearts and minds for their "people first" approach, even if it comes somewhat belatedly, as with the recent snow debacle. It's a good start for their next five years, but more than photo ops and warm publicity will be needed to deal with harder issues such as the economy. - Wu Zhong (Feb 12, '08)

China threat. What threat?
Since the end of the Cold War, China has become the candidate of choice among "illusionist" hawks looking to justify Pentagon spending. It's a paranoia sharpened by authors and think-tanks who for years have worried over the increased military might of the Middle Kingdom. A closer look reveals why China is not a military threat to America, and in fact Beijing's concerns about Washington's agenda might be closer to the truth. - Henry Rosemont (Feb 11, '08)

Chillin' at a North Korean karaoke bar
While Pyongyang nightlife may be beyond most curious tourists' reach, North Korean restaurants and karaoke bars in China provide a rare chance for foreign guests to experience the real deal and, if not paint the town red, perhaps brush it a tasteful beige. - Sunny Lee (Feb 7, '08)

SPEAKING FREELY
The peacekeeping dragon is on safari
China's growing contribution to UN peacekeeping operations - including in Haiti, which still recognizes Taipei rather than Beijing - now makes it No 11 after France among the 119 troop-contributing countries. But Beijing has not contributed any combat troops to the peacekeeping forces because it is wary of the "China threat" theory. - Yin He (Feb 7, '08)

Racy photos strip heart-throb's image
Hong Kong newsstands are awash with the story of nude celebrity photos found on singer-actor Edison Chen's computer at a repair shop. Whether the pics are bogus or bona fide, at least eight arrests have been made and more than 1,000 "explicit images" seized, including those of four women described as "public figures". Chen says he's sorry, but police say the photos are spreading everywhere. - Justin Mitchell (Feb 6,  '08)

Rats! It could be a tough year
The Year of the Rat will bring mixed blessings to Hong Kong and China, especially when the crucial five elements - earth, wind, fire, water and metal - are factored into the astrological mix. But one significant rodent, Mickey Mouse, is really hoping for a boost in Hong Kong. - Kent Ewing (Feb 6, '08)

Hu tightens grip over Shanghai faction
President Hu Jintao has shaken up the long-standing practice of "Shanghai people running Shanghai" with a mixture of power and relative magnanimity. He's also salted more than half of China's 31 provinces with his underlings to ensure the fail-safe implementation of Beijing's edicts. The test will be whether Hu's appointees can remain loyal while also doing their jobs well. - Willy Lam (Feb 5, '08)

BOOK REVIEW
One mainland, two systems
Rural Democracy in China by Baogang He
An in-depth study of China's rural election system finds that the grassroots semi-competitive polls have given birth to a "mixed regime" that, despite contradictions, fortifies the Communist Party's supremacy. - Sreeram Chaulia (Feb 1, '08)

SPEAKING FREELY
The naked truth about China's censors
For China's new wave of film directors, a slap from the censors is an expected hazard. They're now aware that too much sex, or too much Tiananmen, will land a film on the cutting board. But the rules for art, or even the Internet, are unwritten. Just ask director Lou Ye, who's been barred from making movies for five years after entering a steamy film at Cannes without permission. (Jan 30, '08)

SUN WUKONG
China's need for a firmer hand
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao won accolades for his public, down-to-earth approach to dealing with crises such as the SARS epidemic, but he's also drawn brickbats for his indecisive approach to slowing down the galloping economy. He now has a chance to build a new team as he picks his cabinet in preparation for another five-year term. - Wu Zhong (Jan 29, '08)

India's vision blurs over China
Since the US's return into South Asian affairs after September 11, 2001, India's traditional nemesis - the Beijing-Islamabad entente - has been overshadowed by the Washington-Islamabad alliance. Yet, New Delhi's security community continues to focus on the former relationship, while playing down cooperation with Beijing, which is also worried about tumult in its southern periphery. - Zorawar Daulet Singh (Jan 28, '08)

China moves to expand its reach
China's decision to create a new city administration for the disputed Paracels and Spratlys islands underlines its need to resurrect territorial claims to resources-rich spots. The move has also sparked anti-Chinese demonstrations in Vietnam. (Jan 28, '08)

China's 'Olympic' approach to refugees
China is taking a two-system approach to North Korean refugees as the Summer Olympics draw near. In hopes of making the capital a "refugee-free city", Beijing is quickly issuing exit stamps for North Koreans who've found diplomatic shelter, while also cracking down hard on those who aren't behind embassy or United Nations walls. - Sunny Lee (Jan 25, '08)

China crawls slowly towards judicial reform
Unlike most legal systems, China places the power of constitutional review not in courts, but in the legislature. Though there is no indication the National People's Congress has exercised this power in any systematic or significant way, a new generation of lawyers, judges, scholars and intellectuals is pressuring Beijing to make meaningful judicial review a reality. (Jan 24, '08)

China and the US remain focused
Iran, Taiwan and mutual military issues were top of the agenda at the latest high-level dialogue between the United States and China. Yet the two powers have not made any significant movement beyond their immediate bilateral concerns, let alone truly strategic matters. - Jing-dong Yuan (Jan 22, '08)

US woos a partner over Iran
The United States goes into another meeting with Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany on Iran's nuclear program in an unusually restrained mood. Washington's push for more sanctions has been blunted by a a US government report questioning their economic impact, while Paris is developing an independent line. When push comes to shove, the US has made it clear to Beijing where its loyalties should lie. - M K Bhadrakumar (Jan 22, '08)

India could yet play the 'China' hand
Outwardly it looks as though China-India relations are becoming cozier, but a look at the history of United States-China relations provides a guide for how New Delhi within the next decade may "do a China" on China, by linking up with Washington the way Beijing did with the world's most powerful country in the 1970s. (Jan 18, '08)

China's Bollywood love affair
Beijing's limited foreign film quota, as well as Hollywood's clout, have made it difficult for India's Bollywood films to make deep inroads into China. More Indian films, though, could pave the way for a kind of silver screen detente that would benefit the governments of both countries and their moviegoers. - Debasish Roy Chowdhury (Jan 18, '08)

All bets off on Taiwan's presidential race
With a sweeping legislative win under its belt, Taiwan's independence-opposed Kuomintang party has good reason to be optimistic ahead of the March 22 presidential vote. Not so fast, say Taipei watchers, as all the top candidates carry question marks and Taiwanese elections can be famously dramatic, last-minute affairs. - Fong Tak-ho (Jan 17, '08)

Beijing, Beijing, it's a helluva town
China's fabled capital Beijing is fast losing its luster for some Chinese fed up with its pollution, swelling population, staggering prices, snarled traffic and construction boom. Some are even calling for a new capital - though others are in love with Beijing's chic appeal and are anxious to bask in the rest of the world's approval under the Summer Olympics' spotlight. (Jan 16, '08)

SUN WUKONG
Petty officials with
grand delusions
A flagrant abuse of power by a small Chinese county chief and his police force that challenged Beijing's authority to regulate libel laws spotlights the need for stricter supervision of the country's penny ante officials, who regard themselves as all-powerful "fathers" above challenge or reproach. - Wu Zhong (Jan 15, '08)

Taiwan, and president, take a drubbing
The shock landslide victory by Taiwan's nationalist party over President Chen Shui-bian's party at the weekend's legislative elections is essentially a no-confidence vote in Chen, who has resigned as party chairman. As the losers regroup and the winners try to maintain their new-found momentum, there's trouble ahead for the island's entire political process. - Ting-I Tsai (Jan 14, '08)

China card comes up trumps
The opposition victory in Taiwan is not only a rebuke to the Democratic Progressive Party's failed leadership, the shift could also signal a process of smoothing relations with China, which has been antagonized by lame-duck President Chen Shui-bian's efforts to play the Taiwan identity card. - Jing-dong Yuan (Jan 14, '08)

Indians in China feel left out
The Indian diaspora is 25-million strong, but only some 20,000 live in China. This could explain why Delhi failed to fete them at its annual celebration for overseas Indians, even though the small but growing Indian community in China can help change cultural perceptions of Indians. -Sudha Ramachandran (Jan 11, '08)

Commerce to the fore for Delhi and Beijing
Continuing differences over the China-India border will not prevent commerce dominating the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Beijing next week, when he will have an opportunity to address head on the challenges of promoting cross-border economic ties. - Pallavi Aiyar (Jan 11, '08)

In Bhutan, China and India collide
All's not well in Shangri-la. As the world's newest democracy, the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan has earned high praise from around the globe, but as the country's first elections come to a close the new government has to determine whether the country will stand on its own or become caught between the expanding powers of China and India. - Mohan Balaji (Jan 11, '08)

Ants and pyramids: China scams abound
It was a pyramid scheme with Chinese characteristics that suckered more than a million investors who thought a US$1,300 box of ants would make them a fortune. Its collapse led to the one thing China's leaders fear most, "social unrest" in the form of a demonstration turned riot. Now the authorities are taking official notice of scams. - Kent Ewing (Jan 11, '08)

Hong Kong on the march - again
Just how many people will take part in a march for democracy in Hong Kong on Sunday to protest China's continued attempts to stymie full universal suffrage is anyone's guess. The only certainty is that Hong Kong will get exactly what Beijing wants it to have. - Augustine Tan (Jan 10, '08)

Super! Beijing's ministries go big
As Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao works on building his second cabinet, plans are also afoot to revamp and consolidate a number the government's cluttered, conflicting and often ineffective ministries and commissions. New "super ministry" status will be conferred on several critical areas, including transportation, the environment, energy and development, in an effort to push through measures previously stilted by corruption, in-fighting and indifference. - Willy Lam (Jan 9, '08)

Differing readings of the Bible in China
Following international pressure, Beijing has released a Chinese Christian bookstore owner after he was arrested in November for "illegally" publishing Bibles. While China boasts of being the world's largest publisher of Bibles and a nation of religious freedom, only five faiths are officially sanctioned and believers such as the bookshop owner pray in a gray zone. - Dinah Gardner (Jan 9, '08)

India walks a long road to China
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's three-day visit to Beijing is the first by an Indian premier in almost five years. But despite warming ties and increasingly common interests, the nations share almost as much friction as they do friendship. The real action will go on behind the scenes. - Pallavi Aiyar (Jan 8, '08)

Chinese navy floats three-carrier plan
The People's Liberation Army Navy is believed to have grand plans for three aircraft carrier groups - two of which could be patrolling the seas by 2016. That, along with Chinese air exercises in the East China Sea last September, is not welcome news in Taiwan or Japan, despite Beijing's assurances that it will never "resort to force with the use of carrier vessels". (Jan 7, '08)

China faces a second land revolution
Farmers in three provinces are firing up the Internet with demands for an end to the vaunted communist ideal of collective land ownership. Their anger is aimed at greedy developers and corrupt officials who seize farmland for real estate projects. Though Beijing has taken little official notice, it's a sign of things to come if land-use policy doesn't change. - Kent Ewing (Jan 2, '08)

In China, tension and triumph
China has weathered an overheating economy, increasing inflation, environmental ruin, corruption and trade tensions with the US, all of which will temporarily take a back seat as the Summer Olympics approach. - Kent Ewing (Dec 21, '07)

For Sino-US ties, cautious progress
The maturing relationship between China and the United States has cemented military ties and helped the countries inch closer on the touchy topics of trade, North Korea and Taiwan. But unanswered questions loom, such as how the US will accommodate China's rise to superpower and how well Beijing will accept the existing international order. - Jing-dong Yuan (Dec 21, '07)

There's method in China's peace push
Beijing's new eagerness to join high-profile UN peacekeeping missions is a surprising shift from its hardline noninterference stance to humanitarianism. But along with troops, China is exporting an alternative diplomacy it hopes will serve its agenda as an ascending superpower. Party leaders say "China sets a glorious example," but observers are calling it a global image overhaul aimed at gaining geopolitical clout. - Rebecca Jackson (Dec 20, '07)

China seeks six-party solution on Iran
Washington and Beijing have different takes on Tehran. As the biggest consumers of the Middle East's oil they're both significant stakeholders in its stability, but divergent perceptions and differing historical relations are again placing Iran high on the agenda of Sino-US relations. (Dec 19, '07)

US tweaks stance on Taiwan vote
The United States has altered its opposition to Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian's plan for a referendum over UN membership as "Taiwan" rather than the Republic of China. The US shift to reluctant toleration of the plan seems to be guided by China, but with presidential elections and the referendum still months away, there is time for a rethink. - Ting-I Tsai (Dec 19, '07)

China, Vietnam churn diplomatic waters
The slow-burning dispute over sovereignty of the Paracel and Spratly islands is threatening to flare again. Recent actions have a familiar ring: the award of an oil exploration contract to India's state-owned ONGC; administrative moves over the islands by China; student demonstrations in Hanoi warning of ''hegemony''. New to the picture is that Vietnam is about to take up a seat at the United Nations Security Council. - Andrew Symon (Dec 19, '07)

SUN WUKONG
China's leadership
plays musical chairs
The Chinese Communist Party is moving its provincial leadership pawns around before the government's new State Council, or cabinet, is named in March. Among the contenders are a respected financial princeling and a controversial figure who may have changed his ways after a career that has included media and protest crackdowns. - Wu Zhong (Dec 18, '07)

China leaves the US and India trailing
In an audacious swoop, China has beaten off rivals from the US, Canada and Russia to secure a US$4 billion copper project in Afghanistan, leaving India to build hospitals and schools. And this week, China Petroleum Corporation sealed a $2 billion oil and gas development project in Iran, just as Delhi - at Washington's bidding - slapped banking restrictions on Tehran. By hitching its colors to the US-Israeli bandwagon, India is now paying the price for overlooking the reality that Iran is the only really viable regional power in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. - M K Bhadrakumar (Dec 14, '07)

Russia's east warms to China
A cultural shift is taking place in easternmost Russia, and it's not what Moscow fears. It's not the massive influx of unwanted Chinese long predicted in the press, but a more subtle and unexpected "Sino-ization" of ethnic Russians who are increasingly turning towards China as a land of tolerance and opportunity. - Dmitry Shlapentokh (Dec 14, '07)

China outwits the EU in Africa
On the back of a business-first foreign policy, China is rapidly supplanting Europe as Africa's major trade and development partner. It is an intriguing geopolitical alliance between the world's fastest-expanding economy and the most impoverished continent. Meanwhile, the EU squirms as Beijing's non-interference policy ignores its lofty plans for good governance and sustainability. - Bernt Berger (Dec 12, '07)

Two countries, one survey
A "mirror" opinion survey asking the same questions of US and Chinese citizens and elites shows overall mutually favorable attitudes, but also highlights some growing distrust, especially in the US where negative impressions of China are more widespread. One surprise: Chinese expressed greater concern than their US counterparts over global warming. - Jim Lobe (Dec 11, '07)

UN's welcome mat in Nepal frays
China and India are nervous about the possibility of a six-month extension of the United Nations mission in Nepal, which is also under fire in the troubled country for its increased presence and gaffes over the Maoists. UN representatives counter that they can't be held responsible for problems beyond their assigned role. - Dhruba Adhikary (Dec 10, '07)

In Kunming, an exercise in uneasiness
The first-ever joint military exercise between the armies of China and India is underpinned by decades of distrust. The wary former foes have fought bloody border wars in the past, and now reports of new Chinese incursions coincide inconveniently with war games that analysts are debating as either a military milestone or a purely cosmetic endeavor. - Sudha Ramachandran (Dec 10, '07)

The rape and revision of Nanjing
The 70th anniversary of the fall of Nanjing to Japanese imperial troops has inspired a riot of new films from China, Japan, the US and Europe. The Nanjing Massacre was one of the most galvanizing events of post-1949 China and now