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September 2007 - Posts
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- China unleashes cautious giant onto world's financial markets [AFP]
The low-key ceremony that marked the launch of China Investment Corp. this weekend could reflect the cautious manner in which Beijing intends to unleash the largest fund in history onto the world's financial markets.
- Irish charity calls for boycott of Beijing Olympics [Belfast Telegraph]
Irish charity Trocaire has called for a boycott of next year's Olympics in Beijing, to highlight China's failure to act on the crisis in Burma.
- China Probing Claims of Steroid Enabling [AP]
China says it is investigating charges that makers of illegal steroids in the United States obtained raw ingredients from Chinese factories. Investigators responded to a request for assistance delivered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
- China Bans Bra, Underwear Ads [AP]
China has banned television and radio ads for push-up bras, figure-enhancing underwear and sex toys in the communist government's latest move to purge the nation's airwaves of what it calls social pollution.
- China's premier calls for opposing Taiwan independence in annual National Day speech [IHT]
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called on Taiwan to resist moving toward formal independence from the mainland, speaking Sunday in an annual National Day address traditionally used to appeal for unity between the rivals.
- The junta's enablers in Beijing [The Boston Globe]
Burma's military junta has been showing its true colors this week, firing automatic weapons at peaceful demonstrators and raiding monasteries to beat and kill Buddhist monks. But the junta's criminal disdain for human rights has also cast a harsh light on China, the principal commercial partner, strategic ally, and diplomatic protector of the junta.
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Food for thought this Sunday. From Jiang Xueqin & Brian Keeley's "The Unseen China" shot in 2003 (h/t to China Crossroads):
In this thirty-minute documentary we propose to look at how China's one billion unseen ordinary citizens has been affected by China's economic transition. And we show that corruption in economic reforms has left many Chinese poor and angry.
Be prepared to shed a few tears towards the end!
Part 1:
Part 2: "We follow labor researcher Zhang Yaozu as he visits laid-off workers in northeast China, once the nation's industrial hub and now due to the privatization of state-owned enterprises called China's Rust Belt."
Part 3: "Zhang Yaozu spends a night with a laid-off worker family, and listens to their complaints and concerns. The next morning he visits farmers who've lost their land to greedy developers and corrupt officials."
Part 4: "Using the 2008 Olympics as pre-text Beijing officials have forcibly evicted hundreds of thousands of Beijing residents from their homes. We talk to one such resident Jia Zeshu who's fighting City Hall."
Part 5: "One resident Yang Honglin is about to lose his wife because of Beijing's eviction process."
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 If you thought you've had enough of crazy architectural styles in Shanghai, wait till you see this piano house in Huainan, Anhui. Inside the transparent violin is the staircase to the house upstairs. Apparently, the building has been built by the local government to draw interest to the newly developed area, but from what we can see, it almost looks like it was built in the *sshole of nowhere.
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This pair of brothers, aged 3 years and 1 year 10 months, are barely 1 meter tall, or half the height of their billiard cues. The younger boy even has to tiptoe while playing the game, but my oh my, watch how they go at it! Apparently, after learning how to stand and walk, the third thing they learnt was how to play pool since their father was a professional billiards player!
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20 year old Cuban Dayron Robles stole the show yesterday at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix yesterday with an impressive 13.01 sec at the 110m hurdles event. Together with Anwar Moore of the United States, he trumped Liu Xiang who disappointed a highly expectant home crowd.
Liu's poor performance was to be expected though. Just four weeks ago, he became the first man from China to win a gold at the world championships with a 110 meters hurdles victory. Exhausted from the stellar performance, he had cooled all talk of any home-town heroics prior to yesterday's race:
"There are always many young athletes coming up to challenge you... I saw the video of Dayron Robles performance in Stuttgart. He really did a great job. He is in better shape than me now,"
After the race though, he said Robles may have a hard time breaking his world record of 12.88 seconds:
"Robles ran well tonight. 13.01 is a good result. Since last year, Robles has improved rapidly. But I think it is difficult for people to break my world record."
In the meanwhile, it looks like Allen Johnson, a veteran sprinter and Liu Xiang's longtime rival, may retire after next year's Olympics.
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 Yup, that’s the guy, the face representing millions of Chinese retail investors chasing a red hot market.
Every time, there is a foreign piece on China’s stock market or about rabid Chinese speculators, you can bet that this mug shot is prominently displayed atop the article, thanks to Reuters, apparently. Shanghaiist is wondering if the man is aware of his cult celebrity status. Along similar lines: How well has he done in the market? What stocks is he buying now? Where can we get a pair of glasses like that?
P.S. - The title is a tribute to one of our favorite Simpson's episode
Jay Sheng is Shanghaiist's Business Editor. Email tips, news and gossip about business in Shanghai and China to biz at shanghaiist.com.
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 On Friday, the People’s Bank of China raised mortgage interest rate and hiked minimum down payment needed for purchasing investment and commercial properties. In a joint announcement with China Banking Regulatory Commission, the PBoC said
It is clear that the rapid rise in real estate prices is due to irrational factors and the market risks for commercial lenders are increasing.
Just two weeks earlier, Wu Xiaoling, the vice governor of the PBoC was quoted by China Securities Journal saying that the central bank would only keep a close watch on asset prices and not enact measures in response to their movements. Spoke too soon eh, buddy? We guess that’s why Wu was only the “vice” governor.
Anyhow, effective immediately, mortgage rate for both commercial and investment residential properties (non-primary residence) must be at least 110 percent of the bench mark one year lending rate. That rate currently sits at 7.29 percent, so the new floor for mortgage rate is 8.02 percent. In addition, down payment required for investment properties is now 40 percent, up from the old 30 percent. Commercial properties’ upfront payment is 50 percent, and the buyer must repay the balance within 10 years.
The new rules are a part of Beijing’s continuing effort, now some three years and counting, to rein in runaway real estate prices. Things haven’t exactly gone as planned, housing prices in pretty much every major metro market are at a record high at the moment. Shanghai’s market for example, is up between 400 to 500 percent from where it stood in late 2000, the trough of the last housing cycle that began in 1996.
Jay Sheng is Shanghaiist's Business Editor. Email tips, news and gossip about business in Shanghai and China to biz at shanghaiist.com.
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Hot on the heels of the FIFA Women's World Cup, yet another international sporting event, right here in Shanghai. The Special Olympics will open on 2 Oct at the Shanghai Stadium and run all the way till 11 Oct. We hear from the organisers: Award-winning producer and director Don Mischer has created a spectacular Opening Ceremonies event to mark the official opening of the World Games. The event will include star-studded entertainment, the Parade of Athletes and the culmination of the Final Leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run and lighting of the Special Olympics cauldron. As Mischer describes it, Shanghai Stadium will be transformed into a
place where differences are appreciated and celebrated. The Ceremony will shine a spotlight on the dignity of human life and the beauty of the human soul.
Attracting celebrities, dignitaries, and mass media coverage, the Opening Ceremonies are a highlight of the Games, showcasing the spirit of Special Olympics and the athlete's achievements through the theme I know I can.
This promises to be a star-studded event attended by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Colin Farrell, David Wu, Lang Lang, Karen Mok, Vicky Zhao, Angela Cho, The Silk Road Ensemble, Tan Dun, Quincy Jones, Yao Ming, Yo Yo Ma, Bruce Willis and Zhang Ziyi. Alas, no more tickets are available for the Opening Ceremony but it will be broadcast live on CCTV. And for all you guys that are stuck in town during the October holidays but do not want to be sitting at home like we do, the good news is all sports events will be free and open to the public.
In the meanwhile though, a pitted thread on ShanghaiExpat actually has an interesting local news tidbit: the theme song fo the Special Olympics was originally supposed to be a syrupy duet between mainland crooner Sun Nan and Singaporean songstress Ho Yeow Sun (a megachurch pastor-turned-songstress that is quite a character herself but we'll save the story for another day!), but the organizing committee suddenly jilted them in favor of a team of young Chinese and overseas Chinese musical prodigies lead by veteran American producer Quincy Jones. At the moment, there are no news reports online addressing the change.
In other Special Olympics news, we hear from the Jerusalem Post of how Shanghai's 2,000-strong Jewish community are showing support for Israel's Special Olympians.
Micah Sittig contributed to this story.
Photo from Shanghai Sky.
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Even though today might be Friday, for many of us it isn't the start of the weekend. With the upcoming National Day vacation period approaching, many people are stuck in their offices over the weekend to make up for the extended break. This has carried over into the live music scene, with only a few note worthy shows before the craziness that starts next week. The Jazz it Up week of music continues with a performance tonight by the Shanghai Music Conservatory Jazz band. Out at I Love Shanghai, Didgeridoo lover, Didjelirium will perform, backed by DJ Michael Dean. Things start to pick up on Saturday with the 8th installment of the Back to the Roots party, a must see for any fan of hip-hop, soul or funk. CMCB those, Linkin' Park-esque, rappers from Beijing will be playing out at the Dream Factory. If watching and listening to a man blow on an object made out of brass (or maybe some other metal) is your thing, then don't miss Bob Mintzer and the All-star band who will be wrapping up the Jazz it Up festival on Saturday night. Mintzer is an astounding saxophonist and will be joined on stage by a multitude of Grammy award winners.
Friday - September 28th
SMC Jazz Band - Shanghai Music Conservatory - 6:30pm
Didjelirium - I Love Shanghai - late(50rmb/1drink)
Saturday - September 29th
CMCB - Dream Factory - 8:30pm(40rmb)
Back to the Roots party - 4Live - 10pm(50rmb)
Bob Mintzer & the All Stars - Shanghai Music Conservatory - 7:30pm(100-580rmb)
Shanghai Music Conservatory- 20 Fenyang Lu, 汾阳路20号, 近复兴中路
4Live- Bridge 8, 8 Jianguo Zhonglu 8号桥- 建国中路8号7号楼
I Love Shanghai- 155 East Zhongshan Er Lu
Dream Factory- 68 Yuyao Lu, 余姚路68号，同乐坊内，近西康路
Abe Deyo is Shanghaii's Music Editor. Email tips, recommendations, news and gossip about Shanghai's music scene to music at shanghaiist.com.
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Fresh off the press: A video of the secret police who watched over AIDS, environmental and democracy activist Hu Jia (胡嘉) day and night while they were under house arrest from July last year to March this year has just been released (h/t to CDT).
Who is Hu Jia and why are the powers-that-be watching over him? Perhaps the best summary of Hu's trouble-making activities is found in a report by Jonathan Watts of the Guardian Unlimited when the 34 year old activist was barred from visiting the UK in a "pre-Olympic crackdown" earlier this year: Three years ago, he was detained as he attempted to lay a wreath on Tiananmen square in memory of the victims of the 1989 massacre. In Henan province, he helped to expose the blood-selling scandal that left tens - possibly hundreds - of thousands of villagers with HIV/Aids.
He is an unabashed admirer of the Dalai Lama, who Beijing accuses of "splittism". Last year, he joined a hunger-strike relay by Chinese rights activists that was the first nationally coordinated protest since 1989.
In 2000, Hu Jia was actively involved in Aizhixing (爱之行), founded by another AIDS activist Wan Yanhai (万延海). Wan is another interesting character that this correspondent has had the pleasure of meeting in researching for another story we wrote on China's HIV/AIDS situation. Hu and Wan were both instrumental in exposing the blood-selling scandal that left many villagers with HIV/AIDS in Henan Province. Read Finnish paper Helsingin Sanomat's interesting diary of Hu Jia's 168 days under house arrest in 2006.
In other (not so good) activist news, rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng (高智晟) has once again been detained after writing a letter to U.S. lawmakers asking them to help expose what he called China's "ongoing human rights disaster". We told you last year about the Fangzhou house church in Beijing last year (of which Gao is a member) that was accused of illegal assembly. He was also actively involved in rights issues in the Taishi incident.
Related links
Wikipedia: Hu Jia
Helsingin Sanomat: The Year of the Dog - A Chinese activist's story
Guardian Unlimited: China bars activist from UK visit in pre-Olympic crackdown
Guardian Unlimited: Outspoken Chinese Lawyer Arrested
Gao Zhisheng: Open Letter to the United States Congress
Shanghaiist: Going to church on Sundays is a drag, but this is ridiculous ...
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- Beijing's housing market bubbles [IHT]
Prices for high-end homes in China's capital have been bouncing to record new levels all year, even with dramatically fewer transactions, rental prices flat and many new units empty.
- Beijing Knocks Down Petitioners' Houses [Guardian Unlimited]
Chinese authorities knocked down part of a rundown neighborhood in Beijing on Wednesday where people live, sometimes for months, while petitioning the central government for help fighting grievances in their hometowns.
- Though water is drying up, a Chinese metropolis booms [IHT]
Hundreds of feet below ground, this provincial capital of more than two million people is steadily running out of water. The water table is sinking fast. Municipal wells have already drained two-thirds of the local groundwater. Above ground, this city in the North China Plain is having a party. Economic growth topped 11 percent last year.
- Gardening sets, toy trains made in China recalled [The Boston Globe]
RC2 Corp., a maker of Thomas & Friends toy trains, and five other companies recalled about 670,000 Chinese-made products, almost all because of paint containing lead levels that may exceed US government standards.
- China, refusing to condemn Myanmar, pleads for calm [AP]
China issued an evenhanded plea for calm in Myanmar today after refusing to condemn the military-run government at the United Nations, while European countries urged Beijing to put pressure on its diplomatic and economic ally to stop the violence.
- Cathay, Air China scrap China Eastern bid [AFP]
Cathay Pacific and Air China's parent company abandoned an attempt to block Singapore Airlines from buying a stake in China Eastern, as the battle for the lucrative Chinese market heats up.
Photo from Tim Beckenham.
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For anyone still looking for something to do tonight (Thursday) a couple of options have poked their heads up in the nic' of time. Banana Monkey and Hard Queen, two good local bands are putting on a free concert at 4Live tonight, with things getting started at 8:30pm. After that head to the Antidote party out a C's where the music is always good and the drink freakin' cheap. If funk and jazz fusion is more your thing then Finnish Pekka Pylkkanen and his Tube Factory will headline tonight’s Jazz it Up held at the Shanghai Music Conservatory.
Banana Monkey w/ Hard Queen - 4Live - 8:30pm (free)
Antidote Party - C's Bar - 9pm(free)
Pekka Pylkkanen - Music Conservatory - 7:30pm(80-480rmb)
4Live - Bridge 8, 8 Jianguo Zhonglu, No. 7 (8号桥- 建国中路8号7号楼)
C's Bar - 685 Dingxi Lu, by Yanan Xilu (定西路685号，近延安西路)
Shanghai Music Conservatory - 20 Fenyang Lu, by Fuxing Zhonglu (汾阳路20号, 近复兴中路)
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 The word is out. Shanghai's first nature reserve in Nanhui District's Dongtan area has officially been established. The 40.3 km long beach area will be a haven for birds such as white cranes and little stints. Many migratory birds also nest there each year.
People's Daily assures us that "anyone hunting in the area will be faced with punishment, according to established regulations for wildlife sanctuaries". But it doesn't elucidate what punishment await for those who flout the laws: This means anyone who traps or kills wild animals will forfeit their prey, hunting equipment and income made from the illegal activity. They will also be fined. Serious offenders - defined as a hunter with 20 wild animals - will be treated as criminal cases. Hunters with 50 or more prey will receive a criminal penalty.
Huh? Is this just a case of vague wording on the part of the lawmakers or laziness on the part of the journalist who just doesn't bother to really inform his/her readers? (Probably a bit of both!)
Apparently, the Dongtan area in Nanhui district is not to be confused with the one on Chongming Island, where a huge green eco-city, make that eco-metropolis (if there was such a word), is being built — from scratch. Dongtan on Chongming Island is massive, about the size of Manhattan. The first residential and commercial space will the market in 2010, and by 2050 (one wonders if we'd still be around by then), it will boast of half a million residents — that's more than the population of Miami or Atlanta today. But hey, if they managed to build Pudong out of nothing, they can do it with Dongtan too. The only question that remains is: how much of the "eco" will be in that "eco-city"?
Picture from Juan Freire.
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 Shanghai is back in Beijing's good books. Or so an article published by the People's Daily two weeks ago indicates, claims the Associated Press. The article, titled "Glad to hear the new good tidings from Shanghai", lavished praise on Shanghai for it's recent successes. "A golden breeze refreshes Shanghai; one important, auspicious event after another" gushed the lead article. It is a sign, claims AP, that the fallout from last year's pension scandal has started to settle. As AP points out:
...such propaganda is a cue that top communist leaders have come to a consensus that the scandal was confined to a few "bad elements" and that China's biggest and richest city has Beijing's support.
Shanghai's political rehabilitation might not stop there, if reports of party chief Xi Jinping's (习近平) imminent promotion to the Politburo are to be believed. Reuters is calling Xi a "dark horse" in the race, but earlier reporting presented Xi's eventual promotion as a fait accompli - a promotion that need only be rubber-stamped at the National Congress in October. There are also rumours circulating that Xi, along with other prominent front-runner Li Keqiang, might both be promoted to the Standing Committee - a step above the politburo. If that were the case, Mr Xi might have to leave his position as Shanghai party chief.
When former Zhejiang party secretary and "Princeling" Xi Jinping was parachuted in as new Shanghai party chief following Chen Liangyu's ignominious departure 6 months ago, some saw the appointment as being the perfect compromise that would please both Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin's rivaling factions. Mr Xi was perfect for the job, claimed one family friend because -
He is a very neutral person who has always avoided showing any strong political opinions, neither supporting or opposing people and their policies openly. He is not someone with great charisma, neither will he cause any harm. He is the perfect compromise candidate who would be acceptable to Jiang's 'Shanghai gang'. (via Times Online)
But is Mr Xi as bland and middle-of-the-road as he sounds? A cursory look at his particular pedigree shows we shouldn't be too quick to judge. For one thing, his wife of twenty years - Peng Liyuan (彭丽媛) - is one of China's leading folksingers; and as a "Princeling" taizi (太子), Xi is the closest thing the Communist Party has to royalty.
Xi's father - Xi Zhongxuan (习仲勋) - was not only a revolutionary back before it was cool; he was also a chief architect of China's Special Economic Zones (SEZ's), and perhaps most interestingly, he was the only top official official to stand up for political reformer Hu Yaobang when he came under attack in 1986-87.
Is it possible that Xi junior might have inherited some of his father's panache? Could this "dark horse" turn out to be a trojan horse for fresh and interesting elite Chinese politicking? Shanghaiist is waiting expectantly for the 17th National Congress to reveal all.
Photo of Xi Jinping from gov.ce.cn
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 Spearheaded by drummer Al Gordon, this new club is the latest addition to the Shanghai live jazz and blues scene. It’s a funky little club, literally one room, but it’s a great space and the band is solid. As the name implies, the place is not trying to be another jazz venue; rather they are concentrating on blues, funk, and soul music–and are starting and ending much later than most other venues. Most nights the club will have live music starting around 11pm, with sets running through till 4am. Al has joining him on guitar Eddie Goltz, who also is a great singer, and Peter Phillips from New York on the keyboards. They are encouraging musicians to join them for jam sessions, which is why they intentionally start the gig so late.
The place is serving down-home Southern style soul food, from chitlins to collard greens. They also have a pretty full selection of bottled and draft beers, and of course a full standard bar. Come down and check it out, by the time I write this the new sign should be up outside. It’s located in the same building as the City Diner, on the ground floor (where Eat Drink Man Woman, the Taiwanese restaurant was). That’s just on the corner of Tongren lu and Nanjing lu.
The Blues Room. 146 Tongren Lu. 铜仁路146号
Live music from 11pm to 4am most nights.
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This week's Adoptable Pet from Second Chance Animal Aid, Shanghaiist's adopted animal charity. From the SCAA:
Peanut, is just over a year old and was found when she was just a tiny kitten and needed to be bottle fed. She is very affectionate and enjoys sitting on the sofa with you. Sometimes she likes you to escort her to the food bowl and watch her eat. When she wants a good head-rub or treat she will make funny little "barking" sounds. Peanut gets along well with other cats but she can get out of breath if she plays too hard. She also pants when she is nervous, which might indicate a mild case of asthma. Peanut is best suited for a home where someone is there most of the day and can spend lots of time with her.
Second Chance Animal Aid (SCAA) is a private, non-profit organization and a community passionate about animals. SCAA promotes pet adoption with twice monthly adoption days and a foster care program (but it is not a shelter). You can help! Adopt a pet, become a foster parent or participate in SCAA's many great events. Go to www.scaashanghai.org to learn more. Shanghaiist is an official media partner of SCAA.
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Photo from kidplastik
Share with us how you see Shanghai, or China! Simply post your photos on Flickr, tag them with "shanghaiist", and we'll select one favorite image per day. Or you can simply email your photos to photos[at]shanghaiist.com.
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 If, like us, you're stuck in Shanghai over the National Day holiday (hey, somebody's gotta give everyone else stuck in town something to read and entertain themselves with, right?), we suggest you stay right at home. Because if you haven't been around during any Golden Week, you won't know what a nightmare it is going to be out there.
And the Shanghai Metro is already gearing itself up for a record National Day holiday season, with about 1.2 million extra tickets already printed.
Shanghai Daily has some interesting figures for us:
- The maximum daily turnover of Metro Lines 1, 2, 3, and 4 is expected to surpass 2.8 million people, according to the management, while the daily average will be more than 2.2 million for the holiday starting on October 1.
- The Metro company said the city is seeing a rapidly growing number in subway turnover in recent months.During the first eight months of this year, daily turnover of the four lines in service reached 2.15 million, a record and an increase of 25.6 percent on the same period last year.
- The third quarter of the year sees the most considerable growth as 2.18 million riders on average travelled by the network, jumping 2.7 percent from the second quarter this year and 26 percent from the same quarter a year ago.
Thanks, but it just makes us wanna stay home all the more. Anybody wanna pop by for dinner and DVDs?
Photo from it aint me
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 ... why not get a terracotta one instead? That statue on the right, ladies and gentlemen, is Roger Federer.
French sculptor Laury Dizengremel has been commissioned by the Association of Tennis Professionals to create terracotta warriors of the world's best eight tennis players including
Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, James Blake, and Richard Gasquet to be unveiled at the Tennis Masters Cup, the prestigious circuit ending championship that will be held in our city.
Just as well, since lots of the original soldiers are currently on holiday taking part in the largest exhibition of the terracotta army outside China at the British Museum.
Photo from mikehayes@snet.net
Video below shows Laury Dizengremel at work and interviews with the stars.
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 China Construction Bank’s A share began trading yesterday. The ￥6.45 IPO closed at ￥8.53 , a whopping 32 percent gain, eye popping in any Western markets, but here in China, a big yawn. Two other smaller companies went public on the same day, both advanced 200 percent plus, cha-ching! CCB was the largest China IPO to date(￥58 billion), but that title will soon belong to Shenhua Energy, the nation’s largest coal miner. The offering attracted a record ￥2.6 trillion(USD $355 billion) of funds looking to buy shares. The actual amount raised, based on projected ￥37/share and 1.8 billion shares offered would fall somewhere in the neighborhood of ￥66.6 billion, still a lot of zeros.
On Tuesday, the WTO established an expert panel to probe US complaints that China was not doing enough to protect intellectual property rights. No word whether Meizu’s J. Wong would be called to testify in front of the panel.
While US Department of Commerce wags its finger at China, its Department of Transportation goes business as usual. Also on Tuesday, the DoT gave Delta Airline the go-ahead to begin non-stop service between Atlanta and Shanghai, first of six new routes created between the two countries. San Francisco to Guangzhou on United, Philadelphia to Beijing on US Airways, Newark to Shanghai on Continental, Chicago to Beijing on American, and Detroit to Shanghai on Northwest will go into operation between now and 2009.
Jay Sheng is Shanghaiist's Business Editor. Email tips, news and gossip about business in Shanghai and China to biz at shanghaiist.com.
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 According to anonymous MLB officials, the American professional baseball league is making plans to send a few teams to Beijing to play exhibition games during their pre-season spring training. The games would be held in March, five months before the start of the 2008 Olympics, and take place at Beijing's Wukesong Field, a small stadium with a capacity of 15,000 that will host the Olympiad's baseball events.
The Beijing games are a part of an ongoing effort by Major League Baseball International to expand baseball's popularity beyond its current sphere of influence. The fact that news of the games follows the announcement at the IOC's July meeting that baseball will be dropped from the line-up of sports for the 2012 London Olympics is an eerie coincidence. Actually, over the past few years, the MLB has been expanding its promotion of the sport into Africa and Asia by sending money, equipment and personnel to organize training camps for up-and-coming talent and support existing baseball leagues abroad. The Major League is even putting plans in place to move into Cuba in case of a possible Chinese-style "reform and opening" when Fidel Castro hands power over to his successor.
In China, the MLB worked with the China Baseball Association to run the first ever China Baseball Academy last August. The academy for young Chinese baseball talent took place in Wuxi, Jiangsu, and a documentary about the camp was produced and put on Youtube. The Major League has invested heavily in the Chinese Baseball League (CBL), supplying the teams with equipment and flying them abroad to play in competitive American tournaments. The MLB also sent two experienced coaches to Guangzhou to work with China's national team in preparation for the 2008 Olympics.
Finally, a paragraph from the original AP article lets slip that:
The Yankees were among the team initially interested played in China but decided they would rather wait for regular-season games to be played there.
Does this mean that we will see a season opener in Beijing sometime soon? The Red Sox and A's will kick off their 2008 season in Tokyo next year, so keep your ears open for what could be an Asian double-whammy.
All of this to say that Shanghaiist has already jotted down the date in our Google Calendar and expect to be making a weekend trip up to Beijing sometime in late March. Go Dodgers!
Photo of the Beijing 2007 Int'l Baseball Invitational by sabrisabri.
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 In its second year, the first independent dance festival in China brings lust, desire, sensuality and sexuality to the stage. The Shanghai Dance Festival initiated by Jin Xing exhibits works of dance companies from China, Denmark, Israel, Sweden and Switzerland.
It’s the show we saw from Switzerland, closing Wednesday night (tonight), by the Dutch actor and choreographer Arthur Kuggeleyn that got us hot under the collar. His composition, “Master of Complications” is a bold exploration of society and sex. The show confronts the audience, literally, to decide for itself where boundaries lie between voyeurism, desire, lust, control and restraint. The passive-active portrayal of sexual relationships is cleverly mirrored by the choreographic interaction of dancers and audience.
Kuggeleyn's style uses pulsating rhythms of ritualized movement acoustics and visuals. He calls it "trance dance", a form that oozes sexual energy and builds in a long crescendo. The climax is tomorrow night.
Venue: Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center – Drama Salon. September 24//25//26, 19:30. Tickets: 260 RMB. 288 Anfu Lu near Wukang Lu. Ticket info tel: 6327 0578
Photo by Luca Pedrotti.
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Remember Hairong Tiantian (海容天天), the Chinese blogger, who shot to fame last year by soliciting pictures of limp dicks? She started dabbling with a bit of performance art earlier this year when she joined artist Ye Fu living in adjacent tiny glass rooms, sealed off from one another and the rest of the world, in Beijing's eastern Jiuxianqiao industrial area. Well this time, she has shed her clothes again all in the name of art, in a performance item called 'Lotus' under an exhibition called 99 Tents, 99 Dreams (“99个帐篷，99个梦想”) at the 'Left and Right Art Zone' (左右艺术区) in Beijing.
MORE PICS AFTER THE JUMP
WARNING: MAY NOT BE WORK-SAFE!!!
A member of the audience lights up an incense stick within Hairong Tiantian's tent.
We have been told we're as straight as a Grand Prix circuit and as camp as a row of tents (how apt in this case), but yes we do know a beautiful thing when we see it. This girl does have amazing boobs.
And check out the really fake-looking strategically placed lotus flower.
Gawkers Art lovers gather around to take pictures to sell on the internet ponder over the depth and profundity of Hairong Tiantian's message for mankind with her performance item.
Left: A look at the 99 tents.
Right: The princess finally awakes from her slumber, looking like she dreads it's time to put her clothes back on.
Source
163.com: 海容天天展示裸体行为艺术(组图)
Related links
Shanghaiist: Chinese Internet Idol of the Day: Hairong Tiantian
Shanghaiist: Hairong Tiantian turns heads (and raises them, too?)
Hairong Tiantian's blog on Tom.com
Hairong Tiantian's blog on Hexun
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 Tonight 8pm
NEXTSTEP @ Vintage Living
3F, 2068 Nanjing Xilu, by Yongyuan Lu, T: 6249-0469
Calling all Shanghai entrepreneurs! Come meet new faces and get to know other like-minded individuals at this week's NextStep event which features Tony Mustafa of Essential Finance. All are welcome, no membership required, and no cover charge.
Wednesday 8pm
Shanghai Skate Nights @ Shanghai Concert Hall
523 Yan'an Dong Lu (near Xizang Lu)
The bi-weekly Shanghai SkateNights continues to gather more and more people from China and abroad, and is now enjoying steady riders from Germany, New Zealand, France, Columbia, Iran, Taiwan, Greece, U.S.A., U.K., Spain. This week, join other Shanghai skaters on a 17km trip around Hongkou!
Thursday 9pm
Antidote: The HorrorHouse @ C's Bar
685 Dingxi Lu (between Fahuazhen and Yanan Lu)
It's the 10 RMB beers and drinks again at C's Bar with free entry for sluts, whores, gigolo's, johns, and pimps! Featuring DJ whores Dre Skull, Boya, Ozone, r3, Shanghai_Ultra, Slackerton who will be playing Handjob House, Retropornotrash, Dirty Hip Hop, Songs with Happy Endings!
Friday 8.30pm
Moto GP Madness @ BonBon
1329 Huahai Lu (near Hengshan Lu)
Bonbon will be awash in a sea of red this night as the fastest team on the road bring all the hi-speed thrills and chills of MotoGP down to a heartbeat. Authentic race bikes, team drivers and the hottest team models are on hand giving you a first-hand view of the fastest, most dangerous sport on two wheels. Male 120RMB/ Female 80RMB After 2am 80RMB; OPENBAR 8:30pm - 6:30am
Saturday 7pm
I Love My Bicycle @ I Love Shanghai
1329 Huahai Lu (near Hengshan Lu)
Bike ride across the city with guides from the I Love Shanghai crew, and end the night with an open bar! 200RMB includes rental of the mountain bike, guide, beer pitstop and open bar. 8pm-Midnight. 7pm-Late, RSVP due to limited availability.
Sunday 9pm
Udancecn: A groove of two cities @ MAO
46, Yue Yang Road
Some of the hottest DJ's from Beijing and Shanghai will battle it out at Club Mao this night in two separate battlegrounds. Catch DJ's Dave K, John Yang, Nicole and WolfCandy from Shanghai and Gao Hu and Huang Weiwei from Beijing. RMB100 for open vodka bar!
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 ... at least that is what Shirley Phelps-Roper of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas would have us believe (h/t to Danwei). She recently wrote in to China Daily columnist Raymond Zhou after reading his opinion piece on recent comments by Chinese celebrity Sun Haiying (孙海英) who not too long ago ignited a huge debate with his comments that homosexuality was unequivocally "criminal in nature" ("同性恋就是犯罪“):
Dear Raymond
The very day that Godless China decriminalized the filthy manner of life of the homosexual, they brought wrath upon themselves. God hates China and all her perverse people! You have kicked the standard of God to the curb and you have set about to put your own form of righteousness into place and it is worthless! It is like filthy used tampons!...
...America is doomed!
China is doomed! ...
... But you Raymond have a never-dying soul! If you have any interest in it, you will shut your blasphemous mouth and read every word on the www.godhatesfags.com; www.godhatesamerica.com; www.priestsrapeboys.com and watch the excellent videos of three kinds on the www.signmovies.net page and coming soon, www.godhateschina.com! GET A BIBLE RAYMOND, crack and read it every day - OBEY the commandments of your God and beg HIM for forgiveness with a sincere heart, or you are going to hell and there is NOTHING you can do about it!
Have a nice day!
Yes, in an interconnected world, the previously mutually exclusive universes of a crazed Bible-thumping preacher in Topeka, Kansas and a China Daily columnist can come crashing together. The father of Shirley Phelps-Roper is the virulently homophobic Reverend Fred Phelps, the leader of the church that has an official web presence at GodHatesFags.com. They also run other lovely websites such as TheSignsOfTheTimes.net, AmericaIsDoomed.com, GodHatesSweden.com and GodHatesCanada.com. Known for his fire and brimstone preaching under slogans and banners such as "Thank God for 911," "Thank God for AIDS," "Thank God for Katrina," "Thank God for IEDs," and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers", Phelps has built his church around a core of anti-homosexual theology. While his church only has 71 confirmed members, 60 of whom are related to Phelps through blood or marriage (or both!), they have succeeded in receiving increasing media coverage through channels and shows such as the BBC, Fox News, The Howard Stern Show, The Adam Carolla Show, The Tyra Banks Show and the Hannity and Colmes Show (see video of her interview on the left with Julie Banderas of Fox News which developed into a full-scale on-air screaming match).
 Back to Sun Haiying's statement that homosexuality is "criminal in nature", Raymond Zhou quite rightly points out that the Chinese word he used “罪” (zuì) can be both understood as a "crime" or a "sin". As such it is not quite clear which he was referring to in his statement. What Zhou failed to point out was that Sun himself is a Christian (surprise surprise), and his statement set both Christian and gay websites in mainland China abuzz. Here are Sun's original comments and reactions by various prominent individuals [Translations by Shanghaiist]:
Sun Haiying (孙海英): “同性恋就是犯罪！什么叫同性恋啊，什么叫双性恋啊？这都不是道德堕落、败坏可以形容的，简直是犯罪！这都是违背人性的，都是犯罪！这没有什么好谈的，我决不能认同。”
Homosexuality is crime/sin! What's homosexuality? What's bisexuality? We're not just talking about moral decadence and corruption here -- this is a crime/sin! This is against humanity and a crime/sin! There is nothing to discuss here. I cannot accept it.
“什么同性恋、双性恋、一夜情、包二奶、换妻换偶等现象就是犯罪！我有证据！”
All these things such as homosexuality, bisexuality, one night stands, keeping of mistresses, wife-swopping and swinging are all crimes/sins and I have the evidence!
Renowned sexologist Li Yinhe (李银河): “孙海英的此番言论无知、残忍、没有教养。简直难以置信，在21世纪竟然还有人能说出这样一番话。他的言论令人想起上个世纪的希特勒——他曾把同性恋者关进集中营。同性恋成因可能有先天因素。他说同性恋是犯罪，就像说左撇子是犯罪、身为犹太人是犯罪一样。”Sun Haiying's statement shows he is ignorant, cruel and without education. It is totally unbelievable that someone could actually utter such words in the 21st century. His words remind one of Hitler who banished homosexuals to concentration camps in the last century. Homosexuality is very possibly genetic. For him to say that homosexuality is a crime, it is like saying left-handers and Jews are also criminals simply by being what they are.
Director, film scholar, screenwriter and outspoken gay activist Cui Zi'en (崔子恩): “不读书、不思考、没头脑的人，所以他这么说我并不吃惊，这只能说明他对这个世界缺乏认识，很无知，已经被这个世界淘汰了。”
[The impression he gives me] is that of someone who doesn't read, doesn't think and doesn't have a brain. So it doesn't surprise me that he said what he said. This only goes how little he knows about the world and how ignorant he is. He has already become completely obsolete in this world.
Filmmaker Cheng Qingsong (程青松): “他的言论已经伤害到5000万同志（特指同性恋者），如果大家一起来抵制他的电影或者电视剧，不知道这是谁的损失?”
His statement has hurt the feelings of 50 million homosexuals. If we all banded up to reject his movies and television productions, I wonder whose loss it will be at the end of the day?
Related links
China Daily: Principle or prejudice? [Raymond Zhou]
Youku: 孙海英称同性恋为犯罪 引发众多争议
Westboro Baptist Church: Official website
Li Yinhe: 把尊重同性恋提高到构建和谐社会的高度
Photo of Shirley Phelps-Roper from her Wikipedia entry.
Photo of Sun Haiying from Sina.com.
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From meckleychina: Building with art deco tower at Fujian Lu and Yan'an Dong Lu. Very cool art deco building with corner tower. The building butts right up against the pedestrian overpass of Yan'an Lu. With the always present Bund Center in the back left. Anyone know this building? Is it an office? bank? commercial? apartments?
Share with us how you see Shanghai, or China! Simply post your photos on Flickr, tag them with "shanghaiist", and we'll select one favorite image per day. Or you can simply email your photos to photos[at]shanghaiist.com.
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If you thought mooncakes were only for the old-fashioned, think again. Hoteliers, restaurateurs and even tech companies (yes, you heard that right!) have all jumped onto the bandwagon, creating a bewildering array of mooncakes in the market with ever bolder and imaginative fillings, all in the hopes of capturing a bigger slice of the market. For the sweet-toothed, check out these multi-coloured ice-cream moon cakes from Häagen-Dazs, which you can get now at the Parkson supermarket (at Shanxi Nanlu subway), but if you do decide to go, brace yourself for the crazy queues!
This mid-autumn festival promises to be an intoxicating season at Bakerzin (at 5F, Raffles City) who caught the attention of the alcoholic in us with special mooncakes with such delectable names as Brandied Cherry Truffle Mini Snow Skin and Rum & Raisin Truffle Mini Snow Skin -- all created by the Singaporean pastry maestro Daniel Tay. Ladies are bound to love the Pink Champagne Truffle Mini while the masculine counterpart to this feminine offering is the Single Malt Whisky Truffle Mini.
For the technologically inclined, Nokia has decided to bring tradition up to date with its very own cell-phone mooncakes, made by Starbucks, no less! But before you go making a trip down to your local Starbucks asking for your very edible cell phone, we heard the moon cakes were made as a gift for all their employees. If you do lay your hands on a box of them though, you should be informed Nokia's tech support hotline will not entertain any problems that you may encounter while/after eating the phones.中秋节快了！("Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!")
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 Well, at least Puxi appears to be safe. Thank god for the Huangpu!
When we first saw this at our Kunming hotel, we figured it was just a complementary bootleg DVD of UltraViolet II. But we were excited to discover it was really an XHZLC 40 FIRE ESCAPE MASK! Just in time for the Shanghaiist Halloween Party ... where perhaps the theme should be "Pudong is burning"?
If you would like your very own XHZLC 40 FIRE ESCAPE MASK, contact the Zhejiang-based manufacturer:
Zhe’an Fire-fighting Equipment Co.,Ltd in jinagshan City,Zhejiang Province is one of the main factories producing fire-fighting equipments.Located in the fire-fighting industry park in Jiangshan city,Zhejiang province,wh-ere is the common boundary of Zhejiang province,Fujian province and Jiangxi province,this company is next to No.205 National Road and adjacent to Jianglangmountain,national scenic resort.
Every little boy dreams of being an employee at a fire-fighting industry park.
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 According to recent rumors we've heard, tickets are on sale this week for the biggest show of the year (in our humble opinion), The Beyoncé Experience!
Beyoncé (aka Be | |
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