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A Touch of Poetry
In China I often hear opinions stated as facts, so today I present to you: The two best Chinese poets, Li Bai and Dufu. These two are known by virtually all Chinese people, regardless of their level of...
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China’s golden age depends on openness – Hu is wrong to wall off foreign...
A few weeks ago a Chinese friend told me what worries him the most: a form of Nationalism that asserts China’s natural position is “glorious” and that the country only falls from this status when...
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The case of the effusive businessman – Succeeding in China with charm
For some reason, I’ve been brought to a number of business meetings even though I am in no way a businessman. Yet, I’ve been a part of making decisions related to hiring and forging partnerships. Today...
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The rainy day guanxi fund – Understanding social obligations in China
Yesterday we explored why there is no such thing as instant guanxi, and were reminded that favors are often repaid in ways that we might not expect but have to accept. Today we’ll be looking at why...
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Reform not revolution – Thoughts on the New Citizens’ Movement
Yesterday we posted Xu Zhiyong’s essay calling for a New Citizens’ Movement. Today I want to highlight a few of the aspects that make this piece especially interesting to me, and why I believe this...
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Cultural Jealousy
Li Songjun [name altered] fondles his earring as he speaks, stopping to think every few words. We have been drinking coffee and tea for nearly three hours now, originally meeting for business with our...
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An unpopular argument – it’s not just the government
When it comes to describing China’s challenges, foreigners (myself included) tend to attack the gov’t side of the issue. While the current system does seem to reinforce a number of practices that limit...
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Don’t read too much into the Olympics and other practical advice from Ai Weiwei
Today, we continue our ongoing series on Ai Weiwei’s book, Time and place. A World Without Honor By 2006 China had already tapped Zhang Yimou to direct the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. To...
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Dinosaurs and indoor pools – the lighter side of childhood in China
A few weeks ago I witnessed something that warmed the cockles of my typically icy heart. In China, when one pictures a middle school student, they picture a small child diligently studying behind a...
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Everything you wanted to know about sex in China, but were afraid to ask
When I heard that Richard Burger, of The Peking Duck, had written a book about sex in China, I expected it to be a somewhat scandalous introduction to the topic (he had told me that it wasn’t meant for...
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