Watchdog probes disappearance of 40,000 files after Chen resigned

The office of Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou yesterday revealed that nearly 40,000 official documents, including more than 25,000 diplomatic secrets, went missing when Ma’s predecessor Chen Shui-bian stepped down in 2008.

Custody battle auction, bid to lose custody

In Beijing, a couple who is getting divorced is in a custody battle, instead of fighting to win the custody of their 4 year-old son, they fight to lose it.

Japanese artificial hymens are popular in China

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China's Thieves Code

Forgotten benefactor helped hide the movement’s leaders

The man who set up the revolutionary base at Castle Peak Farm is largely forgotten, just like the history of the site he owned.

Peter Lim gives $2m for Hwa Chong scholarship

Former remisier Peter Lim has donated $2 million to Hwa Chong International School’s (HCIS) scholarship fund, one of the largest donations he has made to a school so far.

Casino stake of Ho’s wife rises to HK$8.6b

Angela Leong On-kei, the fourth wife of Macau gaming magnate Stanley Ho Hung-sun, has emerged from the prolonged family fight for control of Ho’s assets with an effective 12 per cent stake in SJM Holdings, worth HK$8.64 billion based on the casino operator’s share price.

Elizabeth Taylor, last of the old-Hollywood screen sirens

Elizabeth Taylor, the violet-eyed film goddess whose sultry screen persona, stormy personal life and enduring fame and glamour made her one of the last of the old-fashioned movie stars, died yesterday at age 79.

The Chinese consumer fails to live up to the world’s hopes

The world is pinning its hopes on the great Chinese consumer.

Smoking ban on way for indoor public places

New regulations on tobacco use to come into effect from May 1

Gaoxian trading halts: a poser

China Gaoxian has joined the string of S-chips that have seen trading of their shares either halted or suspended. While investors are still anxiously awaiting news from the company, speculation is rife on what could have possibly happened. Investor fears stem from accounting irregularities at some China-based firms listed in Singapore.

Hong Kong inquest faults Manila police for hostage slaughter

Philippine police officers contributed to the deaths of eight hostages in the Manila bus bloodbath an inquest jury said yesterday, ruling that they were unlawful killings.

Crucial questions that were never answered

Investigation was impeded by poor handling of evidence and limits on jurisdiction

China can overtake US in 20 years with 8% growth

China could overtake the United States as the world’s largest economy if it maintains annual growth of 8 per cent over the next 20 years, the World Bank’s chief economist said yesterday.

A green pipe dream

Step forward the South-North Water Diversion Project, the much-vaunted, long-awaited silver bullet that is supposed to cure Beijing’s parched state. A relic of the Maoist era - it was Mao Zedong who in 1952 first suggested transferring water from the south of China to the arid north - the scheme called for three routes to funnel water north from the Yangtze River. But, almost 60 years on, none of the routes are close to completion, while the costs continue to rise inexorably.

China’s Shrinking Labour Pool Creating ‘Spoilt’ Workers

“Mama Mia,” the GM of an Italian company lamented to me over lunch in Shanghai, “The corruption I can deal with, but human resource issues are driving me insane. Workers are too short-term focused – 50 percent leave within two months no matter how much money and training we give.”

Man jailed for spreading radiation rumours

Police in eastern China have jailed a man for 10 days and fined him 500 yuan ($76.13) for spreading rumours online that a blast at a quake-damaged Japanese nuclear plant had contaminated Chinese waters, state media said.

US ‘must adjust to China’s rise at World Bank’

The rise of China’s influence in international institutions including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank is inevitable and must be accepted by the United States, according to a US security review of Sino-US ties.

China displays a bold face to world

In the past few weeks, the world has witnessed a more confident and decisive China, evidenced by its large-scale operations to protect its citizens abroad, from the evacuation of 35,860 workers from strife-torn Libya three weeks ago, to the withdrawal of thousands of Chinese nationals from the worst-hit disaster zones in Japan last week.

Amitav Gosh, Indian author’s take on Opium Wars

While the industrial revolution in Britain is hailed for the advent of capitalism, Ghosh, an anthropologist and an historian from Oxford University, says "much of the industrial revolution itself was funded by the opium trade."

Poisoned workers at Suzhou plant demand compensation from Apple

Angry workers suffering from chemical poisoning at a factory that supplies components for Apple iPads say they are taking their demands for compensation and medical care to the central government and Apple chief executive Steve Jobs.

Renault bosses apologise to wronged execs

Top Renault bosses made a public apology to three executives falsely accused of industrial espionage and pledged to forgo their bonuses after the Paris prosecutor said the case was unfounded.

Sleeping disorder affects 15% of Singaporeans

An estimated 15 per cent of the population in Singapore is affected by obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), one of the most common sleeping disorders.

Fears of health risks rise amid Japan crisis

Fears about health risks rose dramatically in Japan Tuesday with news of a greater radiation release and renewed warnings to remaining residents within 20 miles to stay indoors.

China flexed its muscles using U.S. Treasuries

Confidential diplomatic cables from the U.S. embassies in Beijing and Hong Kong lay bare China’s growing influence as America’s largest creditor.

Beijing lowers the bar for judges to make up shortfall

A desperate shortage of judges for grass roots level courts means Beijing is going to be more flexible when considering applications, the Supreme People’s Court said yesterday.

BHP offered to trade China info: Wikileaks

US cables showed CEO made offer to American diplomat

After Egypt’s uprising, China likely to step up control

China, which has been obsessed with political stability ever since it called out its army to crush a massive albeit peaceful protest in Beijing 22 years ago, is likely to step up repressive tactics against its population in the wake of the toppling of Egypt’s president Hosni Mubarak after 18 days of demonstrations.

Wedding bells ringing for money rather than love

Finding the ideal partner is rarely easy but on the mainland - where an estimated 260 million are hunting for a spouse - the process is often more about economics and pragmatism than a desire for romance, a major survey finds.

SingPost to launch digital mailbox in H2

It also announced the sale of its pawn broking business

Rising food prices will spark next big Asian crisis

Forget Egypt for a moment. Skip the water crisis in China. Look past angst on the streets of Bangladesh. If you want to see how extreme the effects of surging food prices are becoming, look to wealthy Japan. So big are the increases that economists are talking about them pushing deflationary Japan toward inflation. Yes, rising costs for commodities such as wheat, corn and coffee might do what trillions of dollars of central bank liquidity couldn’t.

Lim Hock Siew sues “Chronicle of Singapore” editor and related parties for defamation

Former political detainee Dr. Lim Hock Siew, who was detained for close to twenty years, has sued the editor, publisher and printer of “1959-2009: Chronicle of Singapore - Fifty Years of Headline News” for defamation. He has requested for compensation from the respondents and demanded that they desist from repeating false information relating to him.

Railway chief pledges war on corruption

The new party chief of the railways ministry, Sheng Guangzu, has pledged his new team will not become personally involved in the ministry’s lucrative construction contracts, a hotbed for corruption that allegedly led to the downfall of his predecessor.

Court dismisses Tony Chan’s ‘totally dishonest’ appeal

Tony Chan Chun-chuen yesterday lost a second round in his “totally dishonest case” to wrest the fortune of the late Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum from the Chinachem Charitable Foundation.

Average incomes tell a different story

News that China had officially surpassed Japan as the world’s No. 2 economy was greeted with neither surprise nor much cheer by most Chinese people yesterday.

Mainlanders shun Japan amid simmering Diaoyus row

Tourism industry feels the impact of a collision at sea

Renault managers in police custody over spy probe

Carmaker says it may have been duped into paying 250,000 euros for false information

Chinese property ‘bubble’ fuels hard landing fears

The world business elite raised concerns over China’s property prices at its annual get-together in Davos, with some worrying that if the bubble bursts it could hurt growth.

China’s investment makes big imprint on Portuguese world

Risks grow as Chinese companies expand role in Africa, Brazil

‘My father is Li Gang’ case a cue for reform

If anything ought to convince Beijing of the urgency of pursuing justice reforms, it is public scepticism about the administration of the law. This sentiment is finding increasing expression in internet forums. Without respect for the law, the official goal of stability and harmony will be harder to achieve.

China policeman’s son gets 6 years for hit-and-run

A Chinese court sentenced a man who attempted to exploit his father’s senior police rank to flee a fatal road accident to six years in jail on Sunday, state media reported.

Chinese boost prices in world’s auction houses

A Chinese face or two in the crowd at the world’s auction houses often means one thing: the gavel will fall on a price far beyond the seller’s wildest dreams.

China’s first property taxes kick in

China on Friday launched a long-awaited property tax in two of the country’s biggest cities, but the mayor of Chongqing in the southwest warned the measure was not a cure-all for soaring prices.

Carrefour faces fines over mainland prices

Mainland regulators want to fine French retail giant Carrefour 2.5 million yuan (HK$2.95 million), the maximum for overcharging customers, state media reported yesterday.

Carrefour faces fines and refunds over price fraud

French retailer Carrefour says it will refund customers five times the difference between the stated price and the actual amount charged after the authorities said on Wednesday that they had uncovered fraudulent pricing in 11 of its mainland supermarkets.

Profit bliss in wedded splits

New measures aimed at cooling an overheated mainland property market appear to have done the opposite as couples fake marriage or divorce to defeat the rules and buy

China is deep in a hole, but Beijing won’t stop digging

When you’re in a hole, stop digging.

No Car No House Song

Watch in YouTube

Lyrics

Wu Jieping, the doctor who tended leaders, dies

The man who looked after the health of the mainland’s paramount leaders for years, Dr. Wu Jieping, died in Beijing on Wednesday night at the age of 94.

Beijing to track all mobile phone users’ movements

Government to monitor 20m people

China to revamp growth model in next 5 years

If successful, the overhaul could see a slowdown in the country’s economy

Home supply to spike in next few years

Prices and rents may drop in 2013 and 2014 as a result

Moscow turns its military gaze east

New world order has Russia considering China as the enemy, writes Thomas Grove

Property controls distort the market

After several unsuccessful attempts to rein in runaway housing prices, the central government has resorted to restricting home purchases in the hope of dealing the “killer blow” to cool the market.

The flowering of an unconventional revolution

There are no slogans, no banners and no petitions. In fact, to the uninitiated, it is difficult to spot the demonstrations at all.

China’s population now stands at 1.34b

China’s population grew to 1.341 billion by the end of 2010, the National Bureau of Statistics has announced.

Secrets of the last emperor

Pu Yi in a work unit after the revolution


Pu Yi at his marriage ceremony when he was still a teenager.


Pu Yi before his arrest at the end of the war, dressed to impress in uniform and medals.

The famed memoirs of Pu Yi were a lie, its publishers reveal as the real autobiography goes on sale

China to evacuate 30,000 from Libya

China will attempt to evacuate more than 30,000 of its nationals trapped in violence-torn Libya, with the first chartered jet taking off for the North African country yesterday.

Deportation of 14 Taiwanese not about sovereignty

The Philippines’ deportation of 14 Taiwanese to mainland China along with 10 mainlanders, who were believed to be involved in an international fraud scheme, has stirred up a hornet’s nest in Taiwan, with politicians claiming violation of the nation’s sovereignty.

Cannon wants Chinese fugitives returned

Chinese fugitives in Canada should be “repatriated,” Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Wednesday, despite fears over their fate if forcibly returned.

Japan probes WWII prisoner experiment site

The site is linked to Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army, which carried out experiments in germ warfare on prisoners.

The excavation was ordered after former nurse Toyo Ishii spoke out

Oral sex linked to cancer risk

US scientists said on Sunday there is strong evidence linking oral sex to cancer, and urged more study of how human papilloma viruses may be to blame for a rise in oral cancer among white men.

Beijing imposes stiff rule to fight rising property prices

Non-local homebuyers must prove taxes paid for five years

Beijing quiet on venture in disputed Kurils

Chinese analysts see no reason to stop Sino-Russian sea cucumber farm going ahead

Stanley Ho files new lawsuit to reclaim casino stake

Lawyers for billionaire Stanley Ho Hung-sun on Wednesday filed a fresh lawsuit seeking the return of his shares in Lanceford - the company that holds the bulk of his wealth - including his stake in the Macau casino business.

Genghis Khan Red God Mask

No regrets for defiant Tiananmen general

A former People’s Liberation Army general arrested after defying a martial law order to crack down on Tiananmen Square protesters in 1989 says he has no regrets.

China proving to be saviour of the world’s poorest people

Millions benefiting from Beijing’s massive overseas spending

Clean power not always green power

The mainland’s push to adopt alternative energy may have ecological drawbacks

Fake Liquors Flow as Demand Soars for China’s Fabled Sorghum Spirit

If history is indeed written by the victors, then this isolated mountain hamlet in southern Guizhou Province hit the jackpot when Red Army soldiers sought refuge here in the spring of 1935. Exhausted by their long-distance retreat from Nationalist forces, Mao’s guerrillas used the town’s bracing 144-proof liquor to disinfect wounds, tame diarrhea and take the edge off their jangled nerves.

The Chinese Are Coming by BBC

Part 1 of 4

Part 2 of 4

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Part 4 of 4

Nina Wang lover 'dishonest', says Hong Kong court

A Hong Kong appeals court Monday rejected a "thoroughly dishonest" claim by a bartender-turned-fortune teller to the massive estate of late property tycoon Nina Wang.

Japan eclipsed by China as No. 2 economy

Japan surrendered its 42-year ranking as the world’s second-biggest economy to China last year, after data on Monday showed a fourth-quarter contraction caused by weaker consumer spending and a strong yen.

Registration scheme could end in 20 years

The central government could end the mainland’s household registration system that controls the movement of migrant workers within 20 years, according to a top government think tank.

Singapore’s casino bet pays off in extra visitors, revenue

City-state tipped to be Asia’s No 2 gaming centre after Macau

PayPal zooming along in Singapore

Online payment facilitator PayPal has been on a roll in Singapore, growing its user base here 45 per cent year-on-year to 870,000 total accounts by the end of 2010.

Road ahead plagued by culture of greed

New emphasis on structural change in economy subverted by officials’ self-interest

Payout for tour dispute raises legal issues

A mainland couple who fought with a tour guide reportedly received a hefty sum in compensation, sparking a debate about whether this was proper with criminal proceedings then pending.

Why China’s next generation could be fed by Africa

With farmland shrinking fast, the problem of how to feed 1.3 billion is becoming a major worry for Beijing

Japan, US foil Beijing push to end EU arms embargo

Japan and the United States appear to have thwarted a fresh push by China to end the European Union’s long-standing embargo on arms sales to the PLA - for now at least.

Mainland railway and air transport sectors undergo hi-tech revolution

On land and in the skies, the mainland is in the grips of an unprecedented transport revolution that has potentially far-reaching economic ramifications.

Recruiting in China Pays Off for U.S. Colleges

Dozens of other American colleges and universities are seeing a surge in applications (and similar brochures) from students in China, where a booming economy means that more families can pursue the dream of an American higher education.

Living within limits

Asia must reject consumption-led growth and start putting constraints on the use of its resources

Free entry on way for museums, libraries

Thousands of museums and libraries on the mainland are set to give free access to the public under a government proposal that has been widely welcomed.

China restricts smoking in films, TV

China has ordered that smoking scenes in films and television series be restricted, amid concern it is failing to deliver on pledges to help its 300 million smokers kick the habit.

Scandal shows cracks in Taiwan’s spy network

Taiwan’s worst espionage case in 50 years and its failure to track the mainland’s next generation stealth fighter jet J-20 project indicate that the island’s military intelligence capability lags far behind that of its main political rival, military experts say.

China’s Railway Minister Loses Post in Corruption Inquiry

The railway minister of China, Liu Zhijun, has been removed from the top post in the ministry because he is being investigated for corruption, according to a report on Saturday by Xinhua, the state news agency. Mr. Liu is the most senior Chinese official to come under such investigation in years.

Not enough hours in the day for top cop

Interpol chief Ron Noble on what keeps him going and why Singapore was chosen for global complex

Corrupt tobacco boss made bureau a family business

It’s a classic case study in corruption: one man, with two identities, in charge of a government bureau employing more than 20 relatives that spent up to two million yuan (HK$2.36 million) a month on entertainment.

Interpol global complex in Tanglin to be ready by 2013

A building smack in the middle of the busy Tanglin area will become home to international policing agency Interpol’s new global complex.

Stuxnet: How it seeks and destroys

The malicious software which came to be known as Stuxnet was not only the most sophisticated piece of malware ever invented, but it also had a specific target: computers produced by Germany’s Siemens company that are used by Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Carrefour faces tough times in China

# Shopper attacked by two security guards after dispute over prices
# Fined by Chinese government for fraudulent pricing
# Closed three stores in last six months - first closures since entering the country in 1995
# Expansion slowed from high of 112 stores in 2007 to 30 last year

China's High-Speed Rail

Beaten lawyers await apology

Eight lawyers in Heilongjiang who were brutally beaten by court officials while trying to attend a trial on January 24 are still waiting for an apology that might never come.

Land of free spenders

In a skit aired by China’s state-owned CCTV last September, four children - each wearing a national flag representing China, the United States, India and Brazil - were lined up for a race.

War on independent Web cafes worries Net users

A plan to shut down tens of thousands of independent internet cafes across the mainland is stoking fears that officials are further tightening their grip on the circulation of online information.

There’s nothing inevitable about China’s economic rise

Open any major business publication these days and the chances are you will come across an article about how China is destined to overtake the United States as the world’s dominant economy.

Euro recovering its strength, thanks to Chinese debt support

The euro has defied predictions of its demise by rising almost 8 per cent against the dollar since mid-January, in large part owing to Chinese confidence in the debt-ridden euro zone, analysts say.

China saw more people divorce than marry in 2010

A total of 1.96 million couples applied for divorce last year, and only 1.2 million tied the knot, the Legal Evening News quoted the civil affairs ministry as saying.

Answering the call of the Wild Wild East

More young Americans and Europeans are heading to Asia for work and executive education