Angry Peoples’ Republic Of China
A new phrase is making the rounds of mockery on China’s Twitter-like social networking platforms: “collapsed and died”. The phrase caught the eye of sarcasm following the death of a watermelon vendor...
View ArticleTiny Times, the movie, and the Chinese Dream
What caught my attention first was the name of the movie: “Tiny Times”. As it turned out, the movie was not about or for children. It’s about the coming-of-age of four college girls sharing their...
View ArticleRumours online and destabilising China
Earlier this month, China girded up for a renewed fight against that sneaky opponent called the online rumour monger. An opponent which, according to the venerable state media, is strong enough to...
View ArticleBo trial gives Chinese a dose of political soap opera
On WeChat, an increasingly popular social networking platform on mobile phones in China, a telling set of photographs on the Bo Xilai case is making the rounds. It’s two sets of vertically aligned...
View ArticleThe first few hours in Urumqi, China’s gateway to central Asia
It is believed that Urumqi is farther away from the sea than any other city in the world. It certainly seems to be far away in more ways than one from any other Chinese city I have been to, well, so...
View ArticleSnake medicine, knives, naan, bbq lamb…all you can pick up in a Urumqi market
The Uyghur medicine doctor felt my pulse and shook his head. My translator had grim questions from him about my mental and physical health: Do I forget things frequently? Is there a problem in my...
View ArticleFacebook, Twitter’s entry into China’s latest free trade zone?
One of the most popular stories this year on TeaLeafNation, a website that tracks what’s happening in China’s vibrant online world, was on the Chinese government lifting the ban on Facebook, Twitter...
View ArticlePublic sympathy for the disadvantaged
A draft government policy on disallowing HIV infected persons from entering public bathhouses and a court’s decision to sentence the wheelchair-bound “Beijing airport bomber” to six years in prison...
View ArticleIf only a smooth political visit could resolve the border issue…
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit apparently went swimmingly well. There were nine pacts, banquet after lush banquet including a rare one by former Chinese leader Wen Jiabao and a visit to...
View ArticleBonhomie, bhangra at Chinese army base; but for how long?
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) training base is located at the foot of the Emeishan Mountain in southwest China. So it was wet, foggy and understandably cold the evening that Indian and Chinese...
View ArticleForeign journalists threatened with possible expulsion in China
I was surprised last week when I went to the busy, no-nonsense Public Security Bureau (PSB) office in Beijing to extend my journalist visa. First, I had to pick up my new press card from the foreign...
View ArticleSex sting in China’s sin city
Sex sells a lot in China. Like, I guess, in most other places where man has left a foot print. (Well, not maybe on the moon. Not yet, anyway.) But because of the sheer size of the county and its...
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Some bizarre stories from China
We use the line “it only happens in India” often as a snide remark and very occasionally to show pride. But going by the strange stories that are often reported from China, the most populous nation in...
View ArticleSome humour in the dark days of the smog
The only silver lining to the stinking smog that’s been hanging over some 15 percent of China including Beijing is that it’s likely to go away. The prediction is that the skies over Beijing will clear...
View ArticleSome humour in the dark days of the smog
The only silver lining to the stinking smog that’s been hanging over some 15 percent of China including Beijing is that it’s likely to go away. The prediction is that the skies over Beijing will clear...
View ArticleKunming killings: a terror attack or a ‘terror’ attack?
The Chinese state media has reacted bitterly against what they called “double standards” of the western media in not describing last Saturday’s grisly knife attacks in Kunming as terrorism. The...
View ArticleChina trains blame gun on Malaysia, sidetracks questions
China has couched them in somewhat diplomatic tones but Beijing’s statements have been sharp and critical of how Malaysia has handled the situation after the Beijing-bound flight MH370 went missing on...
View ArticleMusic censorship in China: To play or not to play
About two hours before his performance in Beijing last Saturday, the first in Mainland China, jazz guitar guru John McLaughlin seemed reasonably happy and excited that he was finally playing in a...
View ArticleThe war for environment on the streets of China
Premier Li Keqiang was recently quoted as saying that the government will wage a war against pollution across China. Increasingly, it seems, that war might be fought on the polluted streets of this...
View ArticleIndian elections might just be too close for comfort for China
Foreign secretary Sujatha Singh happily showed her marked finger to her Chinese hosts when they asked for it during her three-day visit here over the past weekend. After all, Singh was visiting...
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