DuYa 渡鴉
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Today's edition covers the following topics:
Featured Articles
International Relations & Military
Domestic Issues
Ideology & Domestic Politics
Business & Economy
Science & Tech
Education & Language
Ethnicity, Religion & Gender
Entertainment
Society & Offbeat
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Danny
FEATURED ARTICLES
Portrait of a Beijinger: Raise the Red Flag
China Channel
A car collector builds an empire of Communist relics
Luo Wenyou felt his comrades’ eyes burn into him. Fresh out of high school, the soft-spoken teenager tried to look busy on his first day at the Chengde public security bureau. His father’s connections had given him an “iron rice bowl”, a job for life in China’s civil service. It was a safe port in the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, but Luo felt awkward in his oversized uniform. When the police chief promised Luo he’d be Hebei’s top cop within a decade, it did little to ease the 18-year-old’s nerves.
After a bumpy start, Luo began to settle into his routine. He even seemed to take the swagger of officialdom in his stride. By 21, he had bought his first car: a powder blue FSO Warszawa. He polished its chrome grille and wheels twice weekly. When the radio signal was strong, he felt like he was chauffeuring a PLA band. The only rival for Luo’s affection was his passenger on weekend trips to the countryside, his girlfriend Yang Yijun.
Xi’s Long March on American Democracy
Foreign Policy
The United States can’t sit back and watch as China quietly colonizes the West.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is leading a Maoist Long March to achieve his dream of global power. Instead of retreating from Chiang Kai-shek’s forces, as Mao Zedong did, Xi is instead retreating from the Chinese people’s hopes for democratic reform, freedom of expression, protection of human rights, and economic liberalization. Xi is exporting his brand of colonialism with Chinese characteristics through soft power means, on a road toward achieving his hard power ends.
This was clear in Xi’s recent address at the National People’s Congress. “We are resolved to fight the bloody battle against our enemies,” he declared on March 20, “… with a strong determination to take our place in the world.” And as he embarks on a march toward lifelong dictatorship of the world’s most populous country, his strategic window of opportunity may seem boundless.
The United States must shut that window.
The woman China wants you to ignore
The Sydney Morning Herald
You can understand her frustration. More and more of Rebiya Kadeer's family have been rounded up into Chinese Communist Party re-education camps. She was once one of the richest women in China, a successful retail entrepreneur, a member of China's National People's Congress, Beijing's model member of its Uighur minority. Today she lives in exile in America accused of sedition for championing Uighur rights. Thirty-seven of her clan members, including 11 children under the age of 10, are locked up. How many of her family are free? "None," the slight, 71-year old grandmother answers matter-of-factly.
She's at liberty because, as the face of the world's Uighur ethnic minority, the US has granted her residency as protection from Chinese government repression.
Most Uighurs live in China's remote north-west province of Xinjiang. They are an ethnically Turkic people who call their land East Turkestan and practice Islam. She's been called the Muslim Dalai Lama.
Beauty Boys: The Chinese Men Changing the Face of Makeup
Sixth Tone
More men are adding cosmetics to their daily routine — but these glamorous guys sometimes receive ugly reactions.
Wang Yuepeng is still angry about the first time he tried to buy a Dior lipstick.
“Are you going to use it?” Wang recalls the female salesperson asking dubiously, after staring at him for a few seconds. Wang was already addicted to makeup — he’d begun experimenting with it in high school when he spent 15 yuan ($2) on a concealer at the grocery store in a bid to cover his acne.
“What’s wrong with me using it?” Wang retorted angrily. Nearly a decade later, his face still scrunches into a frown as he recalls their interaction.
Much has changed since Wang’s teenage years in central China’s Henan province. The 25-year-old with dyed olive-green hair is now a professional makeup artist and one of the few well-known male makeup vloggers in China. He boasts nearly 2 million followers online, where he posts video tutorials on everything from applying double eyelid stickers and eyeshadow to making cosmetics last longer. While most of his followers are women, he believes that one day, wearing makeup will be as common among men in China as it is in South Korea and Japan.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & MILITARY
THE U.S.
US innovation widens the trade deficit with China
World Affairs Journal
The Trump administration is conflating intellectual property theft and the trade deficit, two issues that require different solutions
Middle East emerges as possible energy winner in US-China spat
The Times of India
subtitle
US-China trade: Xi warns against 'Cold War mentality'
BBC
Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned against a "Cold War mentality" as he vowed to open up parts of the country's economy.
TAIWAN
China firmly opposes U.S. arms sales to Taiwan: spokesperson
XinhuaNet
See also:
US approved sale of submarine parts to Taiwan to make money, not arm island, analysts say
South China Morning Post
Taiwan could be left in even more vulnerable position amid US-China tensions: report
Taiwan News
A recent article by the Washington Post speaks of Taiwan's challenges over rising US-China tensions
Xi calls for jointly advancing peaceful reunification of motherland
China Global Television Network
Chinese media reveals Beijing's fear of a possible constitutional referendum in Taiwan
Taiwan News
China's state-backed propaganda mouthpiece Global Times calls the anticipated 2019 referendum an 'unrealistic dream,' fears it would be a 'disaster'
GENERAL MILITARY
China ready to strengthen international defense cooperation: defense minister
People’s Daily Online
Asia's Hottest Stock Is a Bet on China's Military Expansion
Bloomberg
- Hong Kong-listed AviChina makes training jets and helicopters
- Every analyst that tracks the company rates it a buy
China’s second aircraft carrier to undergo sea trials on Navy Day: reports
Global Times
OTHER
China’s Vast Intercontinental Building Plan Is Gaining Momentum
Bloomberg
See also:
China’s global vision may not be altruistic, but offers an alternative to US-imposed economic desperation
Hong Kong Free Press
Syria 'chemical attack': China opposes use of chemical weapons, supports UN's role
China Global Television Network
China eyes Vanuatu military base in plan with global ramifications
The Sydney Morning Herald
See also:
Vanuatu denies Chinese approach to set up military base
South China Morning Post
Exposing China’s Actions in the South China Sea
Council on Foreign Relations
China is increasing its administrative control over the South China Sea. The U.S. government should initiate information operations that hinder China’s ability to expand and consolidate its control of the South China Sea and the airspace above it.
See also:
China’s defense facility on its Nansha Islands is not targeting any country
China Global Television Network
Kim Jong Un's 21-car train was packed with gifts and much more
Nikkei Asian Review
North Korean leader strengthens his hand as he wrestles China away from US
China, Austria can work together to promote European economic integration
Global Times
Premier meets with Dutch king
Gov.Cn
DOMESTIC ISSUES
HONG KONG
45 civil groups decry Hong Kong’s ‘deteriorating rule of law and human rights environment’ in UN submission
Hong Kong Free Press
‘McRefugees’ urge Hong Kong gov’t to address homelessness, as NGO says issue has worsened
Hong Kong Free Press
China’s global vision? A rosy future for us, and huge debts for everyone else
Hong Kong Free Press
OTHER
How Eco-Farming Is Lifting a Chinese Village Out of Poverty
Sixth Tone
A community-based project in rural Hunan is enriching locals and attracting consumers with pesticide-free rice.
Fears parts of world's longest sea bridge are floating away
The Guardian
Construction of 55km bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macau and China involves building artificial islands, parts of which seem to be coming unstuck
China black market demand for ‘cocaine of the sea’ pushes two marine species closer to extinction in Mexico
South China Morning Post
The lucrative black market for totoaba swim bladders - prized in Chinese traditional medicine - have turned the Gulf of California into a battleground
Asia's longest river floods sea with plastic waste
Al Jazeeera
China's environment ministry plans to address the 1.5 million tonnes of plastic the Yangtze River carries out to sea each year.
IDEOLOGY & DOMESTIC POLITICS
Jordan Peterson And China’s ‘White Left’
SupChina
To what extent have the Chinese embraced the ‘12 Rules for Life’ author?
China launches campaigns to clean up cultural environment
XinhuaNet
China has launched three campaigns against illicit cultural content to foster a "positive" and "healthy" cultural environment.
Beijing Sperm bank demands donors love China and support the Communist Party leadership
Hong Kong Free Press
Beijing’s only sperm bank has set loyalty to the Communist Party as a prerequisite for donors, in a sign that China’s increasing emphasis on ideological training is being extended to the womb.
No escape: The fearful life of China's exiled dissidents
Al Jazeera
Activists, journalists and critics of Chinese leadership and authority tell stories of surveillance and threats abroad.
China: Spies, Lies and Blackmail
Al Jazeera
How China controls its citizens inside and outside the country where no criticism or dissent is allowed.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Xi Jinping’s defence of globalisation and open markets: key takeaways from Chinese leader’s speech to Boao Forum
South China Morning Post
The Chinese president repeated his commitment to opening up the economy and made a number of veiled swipes at Donald Trump as threat of trade war looms
See also:
China's Financial Opening Isn't Quite What It Seems
Bloomberg
Can President Xi Jinping convince the world at Asia’s Davos that China really is open for business?
South China Morning Post
Graphics: Xi's four proposals for further opening up
China Global Television Network
Why China’s new economic commission cements Xi Jinping’s grasp on levers of power
South China Morning Post
Policy-making body institutionalises party’s control over direction of world’s second largest economy
China's Alarming Debt Pile Could Finally Stabilize This Year
Bloomberg
- The leverage ratio has already peaked and will decline: Mizuho
- Analysts surveyed see debt-to-GDP unchanged at 260% this year
SCIENCE & TECH
Alibaba’s Jack Ma Challenges Mark Zuckerberg to ‘Fix’ Facebook
Bloomberg
Jack Ma, the billionaire co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, urged Mark Zuckerberg to tackle the growing criticism aimed at Facebook Inc. by regulators and users around the world, and “really take it seriously.”
Why We Can’t #DeleteWeChat
Elephant Room
Media around the world has buzzed enough about WeChat’s innovative features, yet few had deconstructed WeChat's success to its basics.
China To Purge Online Video Services
China Media Project
When it comes to intensifying controls on online content, the people have once again spoken. Or so claims China’s broadcast regulator in an action announced earlier this week, demanding that two of the country’s most popular media platforms […] put a freeze on video uploading services for new account holders and be subjected to a purge of existing programs.
China’s Biggest Food Delivery App Buys China’s Biggest On-Demand Bike Service
SupChina
Dianping.com […] has been furiously adding features this year in an effort to compete with Didi Chuxing, China’s biggest car-hailing app, […] the largest investor in Ofo, one of China’s two major on-demand bicycle companies. Today, Meituan bought Mobike, the other leading on-demand bike company.
Hangzhou Sets Up $1.6B Government-backed Blockchain Fund To Invest In Start-ups
China Money Network
A RMB10 billion (US$1.6 billion) government-backed blockchain fund, dubbed Xiong An Global Blockchain Innovation Fund, has been launched in the Chinese city of Hangzhou to invest in innovative firms using blockchain technology.
Chinese Uber rival Didi launches in Mexico, recruits drivers
Reuters
Chinese ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing has publicly launched in Mexico with a website advertising its service to drivers and passengers, setting the stage for a potentially expensive showdown with rival Uber.
China's SenseTime valued at $4.5 billion after Alibaba-led funding: sources
Reuters
Chinese facial recognition technology developer SenseTime Group Ltd has tripled its worth in less than a year after a funding round, led by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, valued it at about $4.5 billion, people with knowledge of the matter said.
App based on BeiDou satellite system to launch in May
e-China News Service
A map app based on the self-developed BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, or COMPASS, is expected to be launched on May 1, according to thepaper.cn.
Chinese market targeted by scammers who set up fake QR codes to divert payments
South China Morning Post
Three accused of using fake labels to skim off customers’ mobile payments
EDUCATION & LANGUAGE
More to tackle in China’s autism education space
China Global Television Network
While China has stepped up efforts to tackle special education in recent years, challenges still remain for the local autism community.
See also:
"Dress Blue Day" in Hong Kong to raise public awareness of autism
XinhuaNet
New Private University Breaks China’s Mold
Sixth Tone
Approval for private institute Westlake University signals a shift in China’s public-dominated tertiary sector.
See also:
China is setting up its own version of America’s Caltech to rival US in innovation
South China Morning Post
AI training program enters Chinese universities
China Global Television Network
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key aspect of technology in China, and universities in the country are ramping up their training programs to meet the growing demand for AI experts. A special five-year AI talent training program was unveiled on Tuesday by the Ministry of Education to help with that mission.
Feature: Morocco sees growing enthusiasm for learning Chinese language
XinhuaNet
Wolf's milk, a slime mold attractive to young Chinese?
Language Log
ETHNICITY, RELIGION & GENDER
Chinese professor sacked after sexual assault claim, as China's #Metoo struggles to be heard
The Telegraph
A second Chinese professor has been sacked by his university after allegations of historic sexual misconduct were made, as China's own brand of '#Metoo' struggles to gather pace.
See also:
Academic Exploitation in China: Online Voices Help Three Victims Speak from beyond the Grave
What’s On Weibo
A sexual harassment case reexamined 20 years later
Global Times
China’s Uber Apologizes After Sexual Harassment Claim Goes Viral
Sixth Tone
China Focus: China pledges to protect freedom of religious belief
XinhuaNet
China pledged to continue to respect and protect its citizens' freedom of religious belief in a white paper published Tuesday.
See also:
Religions Must be 'Subordinate' to Communist Party, Says China
Radio Free Asia
China’s Campaign Against Uighur Diaspora Ramps Up
Foreign Policy
In its attempts to control Uighurs abroad, the Chinese government is holding families hostage.
See also:
China Sends Prominent Muslim Poet For Ideological 'Re-education'
Radio Free Asia
China Bans Online Bible Sales as It Tightens Religious Controls
The New York Times
The Chinese government has banned online retailers from selling the Bible, moving in the wake of new rules to control the country’s burgeoning religious scene.
See also:
Hong Kong cardinal seeks conservative help to block a Vatican-China deal
Reuters
China insists selecting Catholic bishops no breach of religious rights
The Sydney Morning Herald
'Two or three illegal' church crosses torn down in central China
Channel News Asia
Two Chinese militants among seven killed in anti-terrorism operation in Afghanistan
South China Morning Post
Mission led by Afghan National Army’s 209th Shaheen Corp took place in Badakhshan province, close to China border
See also:
China saw 16-fold increase in returning jihadists in 2017, analyst says
South China Morning Post
Leslie Cheung: Asia's gay icon lives on 15 years after his death
BBC
For the past 15 years fans of tormented superstar Leslie Cheung, one of the first celebrities to come out as gay in Asia, have gathered at Hong Kong's Mandarin Oriental Hotel to mourn the day he took his own life.
See also:
Gay Romance ‘Call Me By Your Name’ Pulled From Beijing International Film Festival
SupChina
ENTERTAINMENT
China Box Office Overtakes North America in First Quarter of 2018
Variety
China’s theatrical box office overtook North America to become the biggest in the world in the first quarter of this year.
See also:
Why Chinese Filmgoers Don’t Buy Hollywood’s Values Anymore
Sixth Tone
China Film Quota Talks Could Be a Casualty in Trump’s Trade War
Variety
MLB and Tencent form new strategic partnership to live stream games in China
e-China News Service
Major League Baseball and Tencent Holdings Limited have formed a new strategic partnership to live stream MLB games and MLB highlight programs in China.
SOCIETY & OFFBEAT
Collage: China’s Week in Photos, April 2-8
Sixth Tone
A selection of the week’s best photos by Sixth Tone’s visual editors.
See also:
In Pictures: Boozy rugby fans show off fancy dress at Hong Kong Sevens
Hong Kong Free Press
Organisers says thousands attended Hong Kong’s first adult carnival as family group raises concerns over ‘sexual liberation’
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong’s first-ever adult carnival has attracted criticism from an outspoken family concern group over its “sexual liberation” theme.
See also:
89-year-old nude model keeps posing with pride despite opposition from family
People’s Daily Online
In China, older men strike a pose in modelling classes
Asia One
At the beginning of the new semester, Harbin Elder University welcomed its new students. Its new course in male fashion modelling has attracted much attention. Every Monday morning, 34 students, who on average are older than 60, enter the classroom, all wearing the same uniform - white shirt, black trousers and black leather shoes.
Kuaishou Deletes Teen Mom Content Following Media Pressure
Sixth Tone
CCTV had previously called out livestreaming site for allowing teen pregnancy to be glorified.
How China’s ‘Coke Boy’ became the real thing 10 years after surviving deadly Sichuan earthquake
South China Morning Post
Survivor of 2008 disaster who told rescuers ‘I want a cold coke’ after being pulled from rubble is now working for soft drinks giant
China’s 2018 New Marriage Law? Online Discussions on ‘Three Child Policy’ and Lowering of Marriage Age
What’s On Weibo
Alleged changes to China’s marriage law have set rumors going on Chinese social media about a ‘three-child policy.’
Resting in the Deep
Sixth Tone
China’s funeral rites are undergoing a sea change.
See also:
Fear of Dying Alone Spurs Seniors to Plan Own Funerals
Sixth Tone
Yi people aim to catwalk out of poverty through traditional fashion shows
Global Times
Donning a rooster-shaped hat, a flower-patterned blouse and pair of black, white and pink trousers, Li Ruxiu swaggers on the catwalk like a supermodel. Li, 56, is one of the models on "Yi Embroidery Street" in Yongren County, southwest China's Yunnan Province. She was employed by the county government last year to showcase clothes made by the Yi people, an ethnic minority, in Yongren's Zhizuo Village. The village is one of the poorest areas in the country.