Current Events

[Randy W]

Foyuan —“female Buddhist socialite” —  are women who usually post photos, often in seductive poses and sometimes wearing revealing outfits, with some hoping to profit from advertisements and sell products related to Buddhist culture.

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/3049130018739171

[Randy W]

On 9/19/2021 at 9:17 PM, Randy W said:

Authorities in Beijing have find an online gaming company $15,500 for allowing underage players to bypass the government-enforced time limit - 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, as well as national holidays. http://ow.ly/ocvx50GaXMV

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/3043106686008171

Gaming Company Fined for Letting Minors Play Past Their Curfew
The $15,000 fine is the first of its kind since China introduced its strictest gaming limit for underage players.

 

China’s gaming industry association published an agreement between itself and hundreds of gaming and tech companies that will prohibit the latter from offering their games on overseas platforms.

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/3050858895232950

 

Currently, while minors face limited time playing provided by domestic companies, they still can access games available on overseas platforms outside their curfew.

China’s Gaming Body to Bar Local Games on Foreign Platforms
The agreement with over 200 domestic companies is aimed at controlling gaming addiction among young players.

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In late August, Chinese authorities set a three-hour weekly limit on online gaming, while standalone services provided by international providers such as Steam still remain available. Following the agreement, many gaming enthusiasts are worried that access to games from overseas providers may also soon be restricted.

Zhang Yi, CEO of consultancy firm iResearch, told Sixth Tone the move is another step in curbing minors from spending excessive time online. Currently, while minors face limited time playing provided by domestic companies, they still can access games available on overseas platforms outside their curfew.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if overseas gaming platforms like Steam eventually become unavailable in China,” said Zhang. “If (Chinese) minors use overseas gaming platforms, it will be unfair to the domestic game industry.”

He added that if overseas gaming firms want to operate in China’s market, they might need to adapt to China’s regulations and gain authorization from the Chinese authorities.

 

 

 

[Randy W]

Tens of millions of residents in parts of China have had to live without electricity as authorities struggle to cope with a power supply crisis. Since mid-August, 16 of China's 31 provincial-level jurisdictions have rolled out electricity-rationing measures, triggering widespread alarm among much of the population and plunging the country's industrial sector into chaos. Shenyang, the capital of northeastern Liaoning province, is among the cities rationing power. Some residents spoke to the Post about the risks of having to live with no electricity, especially after dark.

from the SCMP

 

 

[Randy W]

A tour operator told Sixth Tone that while camping is more about serving functional needs in an outdoor environment, glamping has become “a product and experience somewhere between high-end hotels and rustic luxury lifestyle.”

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/3053554108296762

Chinese Travelers Embrace the Glamor and Glitz of Glamping
Tour operators say the comfortable style of camping is becoming a popular vacation trend during national holidays.

Night view of a camping site in Jinan, Shandong province, July 2021. Yi Chu/IC

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Last year, posts about glamping witnessed a 271% growth on Xiaohongshu, a trend that has only increased in 2021, according to the company. In July, the number of glamping-related searches in the app was up by 286% compared to the same period last year.

Glamping became so popular on Xiaohongshu that the platform came up with two official hashtags for the holidays this month — “let’s go camping community” and “first camping trip in the autumn” — to ease relevant searches for its users.

 

 

[Randy W]

More on China's power crunch from the Los Angeles Times via Yahoo.

We haven't noticed any issues here in Yulin.

Traffic lights gone dark. Factories shut down. What caused China's power crisis?

The sudden blackouts have highlighted vulnerabilities in China’s power sector and economy. Overreliance on coal and overemphasis on growth, which coincided with rising coal prices this year, created the shortages. Analysts say that poor coordination between China’s energy and economic policies and structural problems in China’s power sector have made matters worse.

Coal prices have skyrocketed as the nation struggles to meet rising demands as it spends on heavy industry, real estate and infrastructure construction to spur economic growth and recovery from COVID-19. A rebound from the coronavirus in the United States and Europe has led to more demands for energy as China's manufacturing industry moves to meet increased orders. Meanwhile, droughts in southwestern China reduced hydropower production, leading to more reliance on coal.

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China's nationwide power crunch has caused drastic electricity cuts. Factories across the country have shifted to reduced schedules or been asked to halt operations, slowing a supply chain already strained by shipping blockages due to coronavirus outbreaks. The crisis had been building through the summer but caught public attention last week when China’s northeastern provinces made sudden electricity cuts to residential areas.

The shortages come at a time when China's leaders are facing complaints from a widening middle class worried about housing, education and prospects for the future. Those worries were underscored in recent weeks by news that one of the country's largest property developers, Evergrande, was $300 billion in debt and facing potential collapse. Analysts say such troubles are signs of deep-set problems in China's slowing economy.

 . . .

Despite pledges that China’s carbon emissions will peak by 2030 and that it will be carbon-neutral by 2060, the country is still the world’s biggest coal consumer and has continued to increase coal consumption in pursuit of economic growth. More than 50% of its energy production relies on coal.
The problem is compounded by a structural problem in China’s energy sector: Power plants buy coal at market price but are not allowed to raise electricity rates on customers beyond small margins set by national planners. When coal is expensive, many plants report “maintenance outages” and reduce or stop operation rather than suffer losses.

 

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Okay, so they're "kicked off"

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday attended the opening ceremony of the 130th session of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, and declared the Fair kicked off in Guangzhou City, capital of south China's Guangdong Province.

from CGTN on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/ChinaGlobalTVNetwork/posts/419881222838689

[Randy W]

Foreigners get Chinese visas this way, 2 people sentenced&fined

from ijobheadhunter Yesterday on Weixin

How to separate the real and fake foreign teachers?

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Recently, Hongkou District Court of Shanghai sentenced two defendants to 8 months in prison, 1-year probation, and a fine of 10,000 yuan, and confiscated the illegal proceeds returned to them for the crime of selling immigration documents.

It is reported that the two people were arrested because they helped foreigners provide application materials to help them obtain work permits and residence-type work permits in China, but the foreigners usually did not have any work contact with their companies.

They just let the foreigners attached to their company and provide them with the materials to apply for work permits and residence permits so that the foreigners can stay and work in China.

According to the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Entry and Exit Administration, foreigners who work in China without obtaining work permits and work residence permits in accordance with the law are illegally employed.

They let two foreigners attached to their company to apply for work permits, and each time they were successful, the foreigners would give them a service fee ranging from 2,000-5,000 yuan, while they fictitiously created jobs and salaries for the foreigners for verification by the relevant authorities.

After hearing the case, the Hongkou Court held that the defendants had both committed the crime of selling entry and exit documents in violation of the entry and exit (border) regulations of the People's Republic of China.

The two can truthfully confess the facts of the crime, and withdraw the illegal income and voluntary prepayment of fines, there is repentance, according to the law can be a lighter punishment and apply probation.

With the increasing standardization of China's immigration management, the crackdown on the three non-permanent people (illegal entry, illegal work and illegal residence) will only get bigger and bigger, and the risk and cost of illegal employment will become higher and higher.

 

▋Source(s): https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/_RY_VjZ9W_d41of_Xd1SUQ

[Randy W]

Since October 15, the entire water town of Wuzhen, called by some as China's Venice, has been transformed into a stage for performance artists to showcase their talent. There, the streets and canals come alive with the sights of carnival, and drama is everywhere to be found. You might even bump into a famous director or actor at the local noodle stand. #WuzhenTheatreFestival #foodwise

from CGTN on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/ChinaGlobalTVNetwork/posts/422289909264487

[Randy W]

As one of the most outstanding and representative figures of “loess school,” Liu Wenxi, dubbed “the People’s Artist,” focused his works on the people living on #LoessPlateau throughout his life. Permanently rooted in the yellow earth of northwest China, he delved deep into the daily lives of the masses and expressed his passion for the leaders, the people and their life through his paintings. With his exquisite skills and expressive brushworks, he created a series of typical artistic images of great significance for the times, which has a tremendous influence on the development of contemporary ink wash figure painting in China.
Art for the People: Liu Wenxi Art Exhibition opened Sunday at the National Museum of China, which systematically displays the artist’s representative artworks and precious documents about his production process and conveys his deep and lasting love for the Loess Plateau and local people. The exhibition will run one month.

from China Pictorial on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ChinaPic/posts/4232159560242734

Edited October 18, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Executives of Hainan Airlines were made to feel the chill as punishment after a passenger sent a photo of an air hostess shivering in the cold while waiting for a shuttle bus, to the management of HNA Group, the parent company of Hainan Airlines, The Paper reports. 
According to an article on the official WeChat account of HNA Group, its other affiliated airlines had begun issuing winter uniforms but Hainan Airlines had not yet taken action. Executives of the airline were asked to stand outside and reflect on how they care for employees.

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/3068225080162998

 

 

 

[Randy W]

A gas explosion in a restaurant in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning province, has left at least one people dead and 33 others injured on Thursday morning, according to the local government. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/videos/679294423031626/

3 killed, over 30 injured in gas explosion at restaurant in NE China's Shenyang

from CGTN

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Media reports citing multiple sources said construction works on the gas pipeline were carried out earlier in the area. The gas company confirmed that construction work took place the previous night.

It is not yet clear whether this was connected to the explosion.

The gas company has reportedly sent workers to the scene to cooperate with the investigation and said an official announcement will be made.

 

 

Edited October 21, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Niu Yu lost her leg in the devastating 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. 
At the age of 11, she was buried under the ruins for 3 days and 3 nights. She lost her brother and 9 friends in the earthquake. It was a miracle that she finally survived.
Now, Niu Yu is 24 years old. On Thursday, she took the stage at Shanghai Fashion Week 2021 with her prosthetic limb to complete her first walk down the runway. 
She dazzled many audience with her confidence and optimistic attitude.
Niu Yu actively shared her life as an amputee to build up a bridge between physical-challenged people in China with the public. #shanghaifashionweek

from CGTN on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ChinaGlobalTVNetwork/posts/426546908838787

 

[Randy W]

Replug: Chinese pianist Li Yundi was detained over prostitution allegations. He was reported by the neighborhood vigilante group known as the “Chaoyang Masses.” The group have been called the “world’s fifth-largest intelligence agency” by Chinese netizens.

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/3071018806550292

 

 . . . and the Global Times weighed in on this

GT editor-in-chief Hu Xijin: Pianist Li Yundi was detained for soliciting a prostitute. He is eating the bitter fruit of his own making. But he should not be paraded for the misdemeanor in the cyberspace. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202110/1237081.shtml

from the Global Times on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/globaltimesnews/posts/4590546764359521

[Randy W]

Parents are divided about the law, which orders them to ease academic pressure on children and promote "family education".

from the SCMP on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/868747847142371/

[Randy W]

Affected by factors such as a drop in temperature and rainfall, some edible agricultural products, especially vegetables, recently saw a continuous price increase in China.
China’s commerce ministry has actively carried out work to ensure supplies and stabilize prices of vegetables, an official said Thursday.
The ministry tracks the market operation of staple goods such as vegetables, meat, grain and edible oil daily. They also closely monitor market supply, demand and price changes in the whole country and areas with sporadic COVID-19 cases, Shu Jueting, spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce, told a press conference.

from China Pictorial on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/ChinaPic/posts/4272420866216603