Current Events

[Randy W]

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/1570821646570023/posts/2875002802818561/

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A new “self-discipline” guideline formalizes 15 rules of conduct Chinese celebrities are expected to comply with, including vague, subjective warnings against “undermining national unity,” “jeopardizing social morality,” and “harming cultural traditions.”

New ‘Self-Discipline’ Rules Could Blacklist China’s Celebrities
Expert says an official regulation aimed at holding celebrities to a higher moral standard than laypeople could disproportionately target women.

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In the guideline published Friday, the China Association of Performing Arts, a nonprofit organization under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, unveiled 15 rules of conduct celebrities will be expected to comply with from March. The rules include illegal acts such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as well as more vaguer, more subjective warnings against “undermining national unity,” “jeopardizing social morality,” and “harming outstanding cultural traditions.”

Stars of film, screen, and stage who are deemed to have violated the rules will face a “joint industry boycott” for at least one year. To resume their careers in entertainment, violators will have to apply for approval from the association, which will then supervise them as they take part in compulsory professional education and community service to rehabilitate their image.

 . . .

Because of the authorities’ apparent preoccupation with morals, Liu says she’s worried about the shrinking space for creativity and broad discussion in China’s entertainment industry. “In artistic and literary fields, the work that’s most inspiring is sometimes the depiction of an unacceptable, alternative desire,” she said.

While not all of the 15 rules of conduct violate Chinese law, the China Association of Performing Arts has the legal authority to impose its own rules on the entertainment industry.

 

 

[Randy W]

from the WSJ

China Arrests Journalist on Suspicion of Sending State Secrets Overseas

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The arrest of Cheng Lei, an anchor for the Chinese government’s English-language television news channel, comes about six months after she was detained by local authorities on Aug. 13. Ms. Cheng’s detention and the evacuation of two other Australian reporters from China weeks later illustrated the dangers that journalists can face while working in the country.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it has repeatedly raised concerns about her situation with senior Chinese officials before her arrest on Friday. Those concerns included her welfare and conditions of her detention.

Ms. Cheng was educated at Australia’s University of Queensland and has worked for CGTN since 2012, according to her LinkedIn profile at the time of her arrest. Australian embassy officials have visited Ms. Cheng six times since she was detained, most recently on Jan. 27. 

 . . .

Within weeks of Ms. Cheng’s detention, Bill Birtles, the Australian Broadcasting Corp.’s Beijing-based correspondent, and Michael Smith, based in Shanghai with the Australian Financial Review, were pulled out of China following a diplomatic standoff that saw the pair seek refuge at Australian diplomatic missions while officials negotiated their exit.  
Two Canadian citizens continue to be held by Chinese authorities some two years after they were detained within hours of each other in two Chinese cities, just nine days after Canadian authorities arrested Huawei Technologies Co. Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou at the behest of the U.S.—an incident that has embroiled Canada in a broader diplomatic row between Washington and Beijing.

 

 

[Randy W]

from Yahoo and Reuters

Chinese regulators call in Tesla over customer complaints

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Chinese government officials have met representatives from U.S. electric carmaker Tesla Inc over reports from consumers about battery fires, unexpected acceleration and failures in over-the-air software updates, a regulator said on Monday.

 . . .

"We will strictly abide by Chinese laws and regulations and always respect consumer rights," a company representative said in a text message, adding that Tesla accepted the guidance of the Chinese government departments.

Tesla is building Model 3 electric sedans and Model Y sport-utility vehicles at its Shanghai factory. It sold 15,484 China-made vehicles in January.

The industry ministry in May urged Tesla to ensure consistency in its China-made vehicles after some Chinese customers complained about less advanced computer chips in their cars.

 

 

[Randy W]

from Shenzhen Pages on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/305447029839943/posts/1272182439833059/

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The #Guangdong provincial #religious organizations decided that from February 10 to February 26th, all religious venues and places of worship in the province are suspended from opening to the public, and collective religious activities are suspended.

[Randy W]

from theSixth Tone on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/1570821646570023/posts/2875885929396915/

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Chinese authorities didn’t get the baby boom they have been hoping for after last year’s stay-at-home orders during the pandemic, as the country saw 15% fewer registered births than 2019.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Martin B]

2 hours ago, Randy W said:

from theSixth Tone on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/1570821646570023/posts/2875885929396915/

I'm curious what it will take to turn this around.

The cost of living and cost of raising a child are incredibly high in China relative to local salaries.

In my wife's hometown a newer 2br condo goes for 1million RMB, whereas the average salary is 3000rmb/month. 4000-5000rmb/month would be considered very high. Even with both parents working fulltime, it's difficult to make the numbers work, without lots of financial support from parents and an incredibly frugal lifestyle. And then you need to rely on parents to subsidize the marriage and raise your kids which (IMO) comes with a lot of issues.

With 80% of Chinese wealth now tied up in real estate, it's a lose-lose situation. The high housing prices are probably the number one deterrent for having kids. But anything the government does to bring housing prices down will result in pandemonium and massive "wealth" loss of those who made it big by simply buying an apartment in a T1/T2 city in the early 2000s...

 

 

[Randy W]

from the Global Times

Fire in China’s last remaining primitive tribe under control, only 4 straw huts remain intact

 

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A raging fire which engulfed Wengding village – a national 4A tourism resort, late Sunday, in southwestern China’s Yunnan Province has been bought under control as of 11:15 pm. Out of 105 straw huts of the village inhabited by the Wa ethnic minority, only four remain intact. 

Villagers told thepaper that the characteristic straw huts have all but been destroyed. 

 . . .

Considered to be the last primitive tribe in China, the village has traditional architecture and straw huts built by the Wa ethnic group. Many of the structures in Wengding were designated as provincial cultural relics by Yunnan Province in 2012.

Wengding, in Wa language, means a place of clouds and mists; Weng means water and Ding means connection, meaning water of connection. It is part of a tribal cultural tourist area in Mengjiao Nationality Township, Lincang City in Yunnan Province. The scenic spot is also part of the Nangunhe National Park, bordering Myanmar, rising to an average altitude of 1,500 meters.
 
The folk customs of Wengding Wa village are the epitome of the cultural inheritance and development within the entire Wa area, the birthplace of the world's Wa culture. They are also the last living representatives of Chinese tribal culture, and a living museum of Wa culture.

 

 

Edited February 15, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

China vs. India from Al Jazeera on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera/videos/748272892473854

[Randy W]

from the Sixth Tone

 

China’s Box Office Smashes Holiday Record as Crowds Pack Cinemas

• With fewer Chinese traveling over the Lunar New Year due to COVID-19, the country’s cinemas have raked in over 6 billion yuan in just five days.

People line up at the entrance of a cinema in Beijing, Feb. 13, 2021. People Visual

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A number of factors are contributing to the record cinema attendances this year, but the most important appears to be the historically low number of people traveling over the holiday due to the COVID-19 crisis. Ahead of the Lunar New Year, Chinese authorities urged people to “celebrate in place” to prevent a surge in infections, with many local governments ordering new arrivals to provide negative nucleic acid tests and self-isolate.

The policies have left many people with more spare time than usual over the holidays, and some appear to be filling it by visiting the cinema multiple times. A Shanghai resident surnamed Ding told Sixth Tone she had already seen two of the seven new movies released this holiday and planned to see another over the next few days. 

But finding tickets at a reasonable price has become a challenge, according to Ding. Many cinemas in Shanghai have hiked prices significantly, forcing her to travel across town to find cheaper screenings.

“The theaters near me are selling tickets for around 150 yuan, but I got mine for only 60 yuan,” Ding said.

An employee at the cinema in Jing’an District surnamed Lin told Sixth Tone the theater had been packed every day during the holiday. If Shanghai’s virus-control measures didn’t prevent movie theaters filling auditoria above 75% capacity, the number of visitors would “certainly be even higher,” he added.

 

 

[Randy W]

It's been absolutely warm here all month

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/1570821646570023/posts/2886901071628734/

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Many parts of China experienced record-breaking temperature highs for the typically cold month of February, another extreme weather-related event that meteorologists say will likely become more frequent as a result of climate change.

Edited February 25, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

from Goldthread on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/342615829579497/posts/1080070729167333/

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The product is actually a Chinese chamber pot that was used in homes before modern plumbing became widely available. One seller priced it at $60, more than 10 times its usual cost in China.

The listings advertised various uses for the pot, including as a wine bucket. / Photo: Amazon

One of the listings is still available on the Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20210222154026/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X4577VV

from the SCMP
Bowls for spit marketed as fruit baskets by Chinese sellers on Amazon for up to 20 times the local price

• Also traditionally used as chamber pots, the bowls, known as ‘tan yu’ in China, have been seen online marketed as ‘Chinese traditional antiques’
• An investigation found the Amazon sellers were mostly based in mainland China, according to addresses attached to sellers’ profiles

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Hawking their unique wares, online sellers neglected to mention their real use, with one suggesting the “fruit basket” would allow users to enjoy a nostalgic trip back to the 1960s.

The vessels are typically painted with a pair of mandarin ducks and the Chinese character xi which means happiness. They are often given as gifts to newlyweds.

 

 

Edited March 1, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

This might get a little more money - from the Smithsonianmag

Porcelain Bowl Bought at Yard Sale for $35 Could Sell at Auction for $500,000

The blue-and-white vessel is a rare Ming dynasty dish dated to the early 15th century

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Angela McAteer, head of Sotheby’s Chinese art department, tells CNN that the unnamed owner “didn’t haggle over the $35 asking price.”

Soon after purchasing the piece, he sent a picture of it to auctioneers, who verified its status as an “item of historical significance,” per Metro’s Jack Longstaff.

 . . .

“In every respect,” says the listing, “this delicate bowl is a quintessential Yongle product, made for the court, showing the striking combination of superb material and painting.”

Speaking with CNN, McAteer adds that the bowl boasts an “incredibly smooth porcelain body” and a “really unctuous silky glaze [that] was never replicated in future reigns or dynasties.”

 

 

[Randy W]

No more "flaunting wealth"

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/1570821646570023/posts/2891956117789896/

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In a notice Friday, Douyin — the Chinese version of TikTok — said six kinds of content including “flaunting wealth,” promoting money-worship, and “making fun of the poor” are now banned on the short-video app.

[Randy W]

from the NY Times

China Appears to Warn India: Push Too Hard and the Lights Could Go Out

As border skirmishing increased last year, malware began to flow into the Indian electric grid, a new study shows, and a blackout hit Mumbai. It now looks like a warning.

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Four months later and more than 1,500 miles away in Mumbai, India, trains shut down and the stock market closed as the power went out in a city of 20 million people. Hospitals had to switch to emergency generators to keep ventilators running amid a coronavirus outbreak that was among India’s worst.

Now, a new study lends weight to the idea that those two events may well have been connected — as part of a broad Chinese cybercampaign against India’s power grid, timed to send a message that if India pressed its claims too hard, the lights could go out across the country.

The study shows that as the standoff continued in the Himalayas, taking at least two dozen lives, Chinese malware was flowing into the control systems that manage electric supply across India, along with a high-voltage transmission substation and a coal-fired power plant.

 

 

[Randy W]

from Goldthread on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/342615829579497/posts/1083145342193205/

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In China, fans and media outlets have claimed Chloé Zhao’s Golden Globe win as their own. But the “Nomadland” director’s background defies national and cultural borders.

 . . . and the SCMP

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Chloé Zhao wins Golden Globe for best director

With Nomadland, Chinese filmmaker Chloé Zhao made history at the Golden Globes as the first Asian woman to win the best director award.