Just when you thought it was safe to poke around the Chinese internet, the Chinese Communist Party releases a new “rap” video promoting Party Secretary Xi (“Big Daddy Xi”) and all the wonderful things he has done this past year. The Wall Street Journal wrote about the video on their China Real Time Report blog: The […]
When the Media Come Calling
Here’s a pro tip for those of you living in China or planning to travel there. If you are approached by a member of the Chinese media (either national or local) and asked to give an interview or just answer some “quick” questions, JUST.SAY.NO! I was reminded of that when I saw this cringe-worthy video […]
I Love a Parade
I’m actually ambivalent to parades in general, but I must admit to having a strange fascination with Chinese military parades. I’m not sure why, but perhaps it’s because they are multi-layered and there are interesting things going on at every level. On Thursday, September 3, China held it’s 14th grand military parade in Central Beijing. While […]
Chinese Dreaming
For the past few months I have had the song “California Dreaming’” stuck in my head. I blame Chinese president Xi Jinping and his propagation of the notion of a “Chinese Dream.” It has become a feature of political culture in China that each new leader puts forth a slogan that he hopes will define […]
Hu Was the Leader of China. Now Xi Is.
Two weeks ago, the Communist Party of China (CPC) completed it’s 18th National Congress, at which a new set of leaders was appointed. The nine-member Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) that sits at the apex of Party power and thus effectively rules the country was reduced to 7 members, and all but 2 of the out-going […]
