Expats Grapple With Surging Costs in China

James Carney, a 27-year-old New Yorker, who’s been living in southern Chinese city Shenzhen for the past 16 months, says he’s feeling the pinch from rising living costs.

China to drink more white wine

White wine consumption in mainland China is set to rise significantly over the next five years, according to a study undertaken by analysts Wine Intelligence.

Beijing wants to keep its people in state of ignorance

Five months ago, Beijing’s Environmental Protection Bureau, spurred on by data released by the American embassy, adopted tightened standards and began disseminating information on extremely fine particles in the air capable of penetrating deeply into the lungs - particles that have been linked to respiratory diseases and lung cancer.

Challenges as China’s firms eye investments offshore

Chinese companies are cashed up and looking for prospects overseas but cultures can pose a problem

Luxury Shanghai hotels dump dodgy dim sum

Several luxury hotels in Shanghai scrambled to throw out dim sum made by a local supplier after finding out it did not have a licence.

A look at how Hong Kong has changed since 1997

Pretty much the entire fabric of society in Hong Kong has changed since the city and its surrounds returned to Chinese sovereignty 15 years ago, as the following figures show.

City Harvest Church founder faces the music

$23m financial irregularities alleged; church funds used to support wife’s music career

Home Electricity Audit

Link

California winemakers tap into growing Chinese market

The global downturn hit Doug Hill's family-run Napa Valley winery hard. But the third-generation California farmer's hopes for recovery are strong -- fuelled by heady growth in China.

Living with a toxic time bomb

Underneath many new office blocks and luxury apartments in cities on the mainland lies a hidden menace - the land they stand on is heavily tainted

Bo’s top aide left out of leadership

Xu Ming, who oversees Chongqing’s emerging hi-tech development zone, and propaganda chief He Shizhong have been dropped from the standing committee

Chinese Data Mask Depth of Slowdown, Executives Say

As the Chinese economy continues to sputter, prominent corporate executives in China and Western economists say there is evidence that local and provincial officials are falsifying economic statistics to disguise the true depth of the troubles.

At US hotels, Chinese treated to comforts of home

Major hotel brands are bending over backward to cater to the needs of the world’s most sought-after traveller: the Chinese tourist.

Top PLA officers must report assets

Move was initiated by Hu Jintao and is consistent with his efforts to expose and combat corruption

Aung San Suu Kyi's Speech at the British Parliament

Preparing for the main event

Manila is considering special legal action to pursue its territorial claims against Beijing over Scarborough Shoal, but the risky, complex strategy may backfire

Is the Rush Into Myanmar Creating a Bubble Economy?

In a country where reportedly a quarter of the population lives in poverty and 70 percent live without electricity, a bubble sounds like an odd way to describe what is happening in a part of Myanmar. If the ultimate trophies for international investors are the nation’s rich resources, such as natural gas, tungsten and gems, let’s just call it a gold rush.

China tests troubled waters with $1 billion rig for South China Sea

China has spent nearly $1 billion on an ultra-deepwater rig that appears intended to explore disputed areas of the South China Sea, one of Asia’s most volatile hotspots and where the United States is strengthening ties with Beijing’s rival claimants.

PLA should shift its allegiance to the state rather than the party

The Chinese Communist Party’s control of the People’s Liberation Army is so sensitive that discussion about whether the military should instead put the state first is rarely heard. But with the tussle for senior positions within the party in its final stages, the matter is being aired in the official army newspaper and is sneaking onto microblogs. For the nation to prosper and move confidently forward, the generals and their troops have to be politically neutral. It is a process that must be gradual and will take time to evolve, so open debate is necessary and important.

China suffering from oversupply of luxury homes

China’s luxury property market faces a large oversupply, with significant unsold inventory in the market, according to John R Carter, Managing Editor, Asia & Managing Director, China at Market News International (MNI).

France warns over extradition

French Foreign Ministry asks Cambodia for ‘clarifications on the motives’ for arrest of architect

Why fume now at U.S. over air data?

Beijing has publicly demanded the American embassy stop publishing pollution figures, saying it is a sovereign matter of China’s internal affairs

Petitioner ‘poisoned’ for land complaints

Friends say Mao Qiping was injected with toxic chemical and killed by thugs for leading grievance campaign against local officials over confiscation

Female University Student with 13 Knife Wounds Ruled a Suicide

As if the Chinese police hasn't spun enough unbelievable stories.

Read more...

Jim Rogers sues dentist

An American billionaire, a permanent resident here, is suing his dentist over a treatment that has left little for either party to smile about.

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi speaks of family’s ‘sacrifice’

Aung San Suu Kyi made an emotional return to Britain on her 67th birthday Tuesday, visiting her former home of Oxford and speaking of the “sacrifice” her family were forced to make.

China advisers urge govt to relax property curbs

China’s top advisory body called on the government to relax property market restrictions to keep the economy growing, a newspaper said on Wednesday, the first such proposal by advisers to steady a weakening house market.

African fury over death in custody

100 block busy Guangzhou street and throw bricks during angry protest after Nigerian dies in police station after fighting with a taxi driver over fare

Police put the squeeze on massage spas

Workers must wear approved uniforms, under tightened regulations

Space City in the desert not so secret

The birthplace of the nation’s missile and space programmes - and still one of the most active launch pads - has become a lot more transparent

Taiwan tycoon quips he will buy Diaoyu islands

Terry Gou says he plans to purchase disputed atolls; develop them with three parties in ownership row

Vessel plumbs new depths

Manned submersible successfully tested its ability to dive to, and stay, around 7,000 metres. While at the Mariana Trench, the craft conducted sea research.

China property rebound may spell danger

A pickup in residential real-estate sales should actually be seen as a negative indicator that could force an about face on the part of Chinese policy makers, analysts said Tuesday.

Morality campaign ‘doomed to fail’

New books to educate cadres on values are useless without rule of law and democracy, critics say

Cambodia arrests Frenchman linked to Bo Xilai scandal

A French architect with ties to disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has been arrested in Cambodia, the French embassy said Tuesday, in a new twist to China’s biggest political scandal in decades.

US House ‘regrets’ Chinese Exclusion

The House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution Monday decrying a law -- more than a century old -- that prevented Chinese people from immigrating to the United States.

Could Burma be the next emerging market miracle?

In Rangoon's hotel lobbies anticipation is high. Brash Australian miners rub shoulders with hard-nosed American private equity investors. Indonesian infrastructure specialists and Japanese salesmen scout out the terrain.

One-third of accused have no lawyers

With limited funds and manpower, legal groups cannot help all

How did T.T. Durai clear $4m debt to NKF?

A businessman, an architect and younger brother rallied to ex-charity chief’s aid

AGC releases statement on Woffles Wu case

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) released a statement on Sunday morning outlining the reasons behind the charges pursued against Dr. Woffles Wu.

The physics behind Bruce Lee’s one-inch punch

Late star’s famous move, a display of lethal power and lightning speed derived from wing chun, shows velocity can generate greater kinetic energy than mass

Saturation coverage in nation’s media

Lift-off with first woman astronaut is biggest event since 2008 Olympics for TV and newspapers

Astronauts get stellar send-off

Thousands of well-wishers cheer on three crew members of Shenzhou-IX, who headed to orbit in high spirits despite the tough tasks ahead of them

Two big steps for China in space

Shenzhou-IX rocket not only carries nation’s first woman astronaut, but crew will embark on tricky manual docking with orbiting module

Bordeaux Firsts of 2003

The last time I reviewed Bordeaux 2003, it was the non-Firsts in March last year. A host of the 2003s (non-Firsts) were tasted, and my conclusion then was that most of them were not ready unless you could not contain yourself.

As Singapore Loosens Its Grip, Residents Lose Fear to Challenge Authority

Those accustomed to thinking of this booming city-state as a bastion of apolitical strivers and shopaholics might be stunned by the burst of civic activism sweeping this crowded flyspeck of an island.

Arrested spy compromised China’s U.S. espionage network

A Chinese state-security official arrested this year on allegations of spying for Washington is suspected to have compromised some of China’s U.S. agents in a major setback that angered President Hu Jintao, sources said.

Submersible sets new China dive record

A manned Chinese submersible on Friday set a new record for the country’s deepest ever sea dive at 6,000 metres (19,685 feet), state media said.

Mercury found in China baby formula

Chinese dairy maker Yili said it had started recalling batches of baby formula after authorities found they contained high levels of mercury, in the latest food safety scare to hit the country.

Luxury property market has 'practically collapsed'

Given present market conditions, it is less likely that the government will roll out new property cooling measures, said economist Chua Hak Bin from Bank of America Merrill Lynch (Singapore).

Women has Virgina Operations to Revivie Sex Life

About 10 years ago, she caught sight of her nether regions in a mirror and began obsessing about how "dark" it was.
It bothered the management consultant so much that she began losing interest in sex.
She eventually decided to go for labiaplasty to reduce the size and lighten the colour of her labia.

Read more...
Different types of procedures for women
Like a virgin again

China poised for most ambitious space mission yet

China will launch three astronauts, including a mother of one who flies transport planes, to live and work on a space station for about a week, a major step in its goal of becoming only the third nation with a permanent base orbiting Earth.

Yangon looking prepared for flood of investment, tourism

Singapore presence strongly visible from umbrella shelters to publications

The art of keeping land idle in China

Beijing revises rules but enforcing them against developers is another issue

Mainland media must clean up its act

Hu Shuli says the practice of a pay-off in return for good press hurts journalists’ credibility and undermines their role as a public watchdog, to society’s detriment

China’s banks in no position to launch fresh lending stimulus

2012 is not 2009, and a below-the-surface shift in the financial landscape means the way the country responded to the last crisis cannot be repeated this time

China Property Bounces Back, but Analysts Are Worried

China’s property sector, which has suffered from seven consecutive months of price declines after a slew of government tightening measures, is staging a surprising turnaround, boosted by the central bank’s recent monetary policy easing.

Billions needed to keep market fresh

If Beijing is to meet its target of halving food waste, it will have to invest in cold chain facilities, say experts

16 medical officials investigated for graft

Hospital chiefs and department heads at centre of corruption inquiry in Shenzhen

Late-term abortion forced on woman

Shaanxi family planning officials are alleged to have abducted and later forced a seven-month pregnant female to abort her foetus against her will this month

Shortcut to a home-grown Ferrari

Chinese car makers are hiring foreign designers in an attempt to build globally recognised brands

Kunming Changshui Airport

Read more...

Broken pole repaired by China Telecom with adhesive tapes

‘Bo prostitute’ lies made public hate me, says Zhang

Film star Zhang Ziyi says defamatory reports claiming she had sex with disgraced former Chongqing party secretary Bo Xilai for money, made her the object of hatred, contempt and ridicule, according to a writ filed in the High Court.

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi sues paper over sex claims

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi has sued Hong Kong's leading newspaper the Apple Daily and its sister weekly Next Magazine over reports that she prostituted herself with senior Chinese officials.

Strong demand from Singapore buyers for Nusajaya projects

Read more...

Veteran China graft lawyer to work for ousted Bo's wife

The family of Gu Kailai, the Chinese leader's wife suspected of murdering a British man and igniting a political firestorm, has hired a Beijing lawyer experienced in defending officials accused of corruption to work for her, two sources have said.

 Read more...

Reforms open Myanmar tourist floodgates

The hotels are full or eye-wateringly expensive, creased dollar bills are worthless and credit cards are widely refused -- welcome to Myanmar, Asia's next big tourist destination.

Read more...

In Chinese Murder Mystery, Take 2 for Big Scene

In the chill of late January, around the time Chinese were celebrating the Lunar New Year, the police chief of this foggy south-western metropolis pressed Bo Xilai, the ambitious Communist Party official who ruled the area, with evidence that Mr. Bo’s wife had been involved in a murder.

Consensus on two fewer seats at the top table

There has long been debate about what is the right number of seats on the Politburo Standing Committee, and some sources say the leadership has recently reached a consensus on reducing this from nine to seven.

Battle for power

The downfall of Bo Xilai has opened up the competition in the most important leadership change in decades - and maybe even cleared the way for a dark horse

Nation’s auction houses take on the big players

For centuries the art world was dominated by establishment auction firms such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s, but now the mainland has five in the top 10 by revenue

Louis Vuitton passe for China’s super chic

Daisy Liu epitomises China’s obsession with luxury brands: her shoes are Guiseppe Zanotti, her brooch Chanel, a floral Hermes scarf is stylishly knotted over one shoulder. She won’t, however, tote a monogrammed Louis Vuitton handbag ever again.

Crunch time for rule of law in China

Jerome A. Cohen says the outcome of one of China’s key challenges in the next stage of its development - the moulding of a society ruled by law - may well hinge on the selection of security chief Zhou Yongkang’s successor

Calls for June 4 rethink grow in party ranks

Some mainland scholars see signs of support, possibly at a high level, for a vindication of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protesters; others not so sure

Bubble alert: Watch this (industrial) space

Investors rush in, seeking huge rentals, but big supply in pipeline may hit yields

Beijing anti-graft team on trail of casino losses

Beijing has major Macau casinos in its sights as it seeks hard evidence of bribery and money laundering amid a snowballing investigation into a senior banker and a secretive businessman on the mainland.

Aussies red-faced over secret war plan against China

On the eve of his first visit to China as Australia’s Defence Minister yesterday, Mr. Stephen Smith was forced to deal with the embarrassing revelation that his country’s 30-year security blueprint included a secret plan for war with China.

No Arguments - Ajahn Brahm

Chinese Drivers Pose Fresh Risks for Foreign Insurers

"People like us who buy Ferraris don't care too much about insurance because we buy cars for speeding," said Li, in his twenties and the son of a Pearl River Delta factory owner, as he took delivery of a new 5 million yuan ($787,500) 458 Spider, his fourth red Ferrari. "If we crash, we just throw them away."

Read more...

Odd twist in China stock index evokes crackdown

In an unlikely coincidence certainly unwelcome to China’s communist rulers, the stock benchmark fell 64.89 points Monday, matching the numbers of the June 4, 1989 crackdown in the heart of Beijing.

Robots lift China's factories to new heights

The giant orange robotic arms that swiftly weld together car frames at the Great Wall Motors factory in Baoding might seem like the perfect answer to China's fast-rising labour costs - they don't ask for a raise, get injured or go on strike.

Nick Bartman’s investigation of fake wine, other IPR issues in China

In March of 2010, I met Nick Bartman twice in Beijing to talk about wine and intellectual property rights (IPR) in China. At that time, Bartman was investigating the scale of IPR infringements, including fake wines, in China and had started The Wine Protection Group in an effort to get major industry players to pool their resources.

Retired SPH Editor: The problem with Singapore’s media

I am publishing this post, dear reader, because I believe that Singaporeans place too much trust in our mainstream media to deliver “the truth”. It really irks me that Singapore’s media keeps patting itself on the back, when it suffers from several problems, not least a pro-government bias. So, I have decided to show six very clear examples of poor journalism. Each one is different, but together they highlight everything that is wrong with our media. Please scroll to the middle of this post to see them. Or, if you permit some preliminary yakking, then read on here….

Exploration ambitions reach new depths

Manned deep-sea submersible heads off in attempt to set a Chinese record for the deepest dive - 7,000 metres down in the West Pacific’s Mariana Trench

Hints of a Rift Between Myanmar’s Political Reformers

The first trip abroad in more than two decades by Myanmar’s opposition leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, appears to have strained her crucial relationship with President U Thein Sein, who is leading the country’s transformation from military dictatorship to embryonic democracy.

911 In Plane Site - ALL MEDIA LIED ON 9/11!

Dark chocolate cuts heart deaths

Australian researchers have found that eating a block of dark chocolate daily over 10 years has "significant" benefits for high-risk cardiac patients and could prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Beijing Exhibiting New Assertiveness in South China Sea

In tropical waters off the coast of the Philippines, a standoff between half a dozen Chinese fishing boats, two Chinese law enforcement vessels and an aging Philippine Navy ship recently attracted a lot of attention in Washington, Beijing and other capitals across Asia.

China's wine industry: the numbers

Part of his role as a lecturer at the Beijing University of Agriculture has Li Demei casting his eye over how the wine industry in China is developing, and he said Thursday he thought that, in the forseeable future at least, the country would continue to rise as an importer of wines rather than an exporter.

Experts say Chinese wine industry still needs time to mature

The wine industry itself would have us believe that China will soon be the "largest vineyard" in the world but a group of wine experts told a seminar Thursday they remained unconvinced by the claim.

Which way now for China?

Brahma Chellaney says the Communist Party’s sudden about-face on Bo Xilai and rising popular discontent are signs that China is at a political crossroads, with five potential scenarios

Is China’s culture holding back its scientists?

The nation produces research faster than Western nations, but little of it is top-quality, and it loses some of its best minds to freer countries

Hong Kong wine traders try to offset export drop

A dramatic slowdown in the growth of wine exports to the mainland is forcing traders to come up with new business strategies to maintain Hong Kong’s position at the centre of the trade in Asia.

Another mainland owned supercar crash

   It's one of the rarest and most expensive cars in the world and the favourite marque of British superspy 007 James Bond.
   The top-of-the-range racer has a massive 750 horsepower and a top speed of more than 320km/h.
   It is thought to be owned by a mainlander, and has a list price in the UK of £1.4 million (HK$16.7 million).
   Only 77 of the One-77 model have been built and they have all been sold, making the car one of the most sought-after on the planet.
   A spokesman at Aston Martin's headquarters in Britain confirmed that an Aston Martin One-77 crashed in Hong Kong.
   "This type of supercar is made for the track, not for normal road use," he said. "Many drivers who buy them can't handle the car, as it has too much horsepower for them.
   "They don't have the skills or experience to control them. It's more than likely this was the reason behind this crash."

Copy of Alpine Hamlet opens to jibes

A group of Austrians whose scenic mountain village has been copied down to the statues by a Chinese developer attended yesterday’s opening in China for the high-end residential project. But they were still miffed about how the firm did it.

Asia to be base for 60 pc of U.S. fleet

Defence chief Panetta says majority of America’s warships will be in Asia-Pacific by 2020 but China has nothing to fear; it’s no big deal, PLA general says

Clinton won’t comment on spy case

Secretary of state refuses to discuss the detention of Chinese aide accused of passing information to US

Homebuyers just want a fair deal

Angry about losing up to 30pc of their investments as Beijing’s property curbs force down prices, rallies turn violent as protesters demand compensation

Another banker caught in ABC graft probe's net

Officer from mid-sized mainland lender arrested for indirect links to corruption suspect Yang Kun