News from China

My teammate Sonny started doing this on his blog, and I thought it was a good idea for those interested in news from China. ZGBriefs is a site that consolidates various news stories from different sources each week highlighting things happening in China and then sends out a weekly email. Here are a few from these past few weeks:

Quake Leaves 18,000 Homeless in Xinjiang (July 23, 2007, Xinhua)
About 18,000 people have been left homeless after the earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale, which struck a remote county in northwest China last week. The quake, which struck Tekes County, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture in northern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, at 6:06 PM on Friday, destroyed 4,600 houses and damaged 7,800 others, affecting 27,000 people, the prefectural government said. No casualties have been reported, but more than 470 livestock sheds collapsed in the quake, killing about 400 livestock, it said. The quake has caused direct losses of 63.75 million yuan (US$8.3 million). Disaster relief materials such as tents and flour have been transported to the area. The relocated residents are being accommodated with relatives or in tents provided by the government.

China Sees Activists as Olympic Threat (July 23, 2007, AP)
China's intelligence services are gearing up for next year's Beijing Olympics, gathering information on foreigners who might mount protests and spoil the nation's moment in the spotlight. Government spy agencies and think tanks are compiling lists of potentially troublesome foreign organizations, looking beyond the human rights groups long critical of Beijing, security experts and a consultant familiar with the effort said. They include evangelical Christians eager to end China's religious restrictions, activists wanting Beijing to use its oil-buying leverage with Sudan to end the strife in Darfur and environmental campaigners angry about global warming. The effort is among the broadest intelligence-collection drives Beijing has taken against foreign activist groups, often known as non-governmental organizations, or NGOs. It aims to head off protests and other political acts during an Olympics the communist leadership hopes will boost its popularity at home and China's image abroad. "Demonstrations of all kinds are a concern, including anti-American demonstrations," said the consultant, who works for Beijing's Olympic organizers and asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media. The government, he said, is "trying to find out what kinds of NGOs will come. ... What are their plans?" While foreign governments often monitor potentially disruptive groups ahead of big events, Beijing this time is ranging farther afield, targeting groups whose activities would be considered legal in most countries. Officials in China's overseas diplomatic missions are also being tasked to gather information on groups, the consultant said. When The Associated Press reported in May on plans by U.S. and other Christian groups to proselytize at the Olympics, the press officer at China's U.N. mission contacted the AP seeking more information.

In Changing Times, Many Chinese Find Wisdom in Confucius (July 10, 2007, The Christian Science Monitor, by Peter Ford)
Come back, Confucius, all is forgiven. For nearly a century the ancient sage was confined to the intellectual doghouse in the land of his birth. Today he is fast supplanting communism as Chinese rulers, businessmen, and ordinary citizens turn back 2-1/2 millenniums to his teachings to help them cope with the economic and social changes racking their country. "The economy is developing very fast, but people feel the need for wisdom and morality," says Gu Qing, who publishes books on traditional Chinese culture. "Now we've solved the problem of filling people's stomachs, they are looking for something to fill their minds."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20070710/wl_csm/oconfucius_1
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and a story I was VERY happy to hear about...

Starbucks Shuts Controversial Forbidden City Shop (July 14, 2007, AP)
Starbucks has closed a coffeehouse in China's former imperial palace, the company said Saturday, ending a presence that sparked protests by Chinese critics who said it damaged a key historical site. The controversy over Starbucks at Beijing's 587-year-old Forbidden City has highlighted Chinese sensitivity about cultural symbols and unease over an influx of foreign pop culture. Starbucks closed the 200-square-foot outlet Friday after Forbidden City managers decided they wanted all shops on its grounds to operate under the palace's brand name, said Eden Woon, Starbucks' vice president for Greater China. "It was a very congenial decision. We respect what they are doing," Woon said. The Starbucks opened in 2000 at the invitation of palace managers, who needed to raise money to maintain the 178-acre complex of villas and gardens. But critics said it was inappropriate. An anchor for Chinese state television led an online protest, saying the coffeehouse diminished Chinese culture.

If you want the weekly emails, go to www.zgbriefs.com