Karaoke Restrictions

卡拉OK限制 China’s Ministry of Culture introduced the “national karaoke content management system” in recent years to determine every song’s play count.  The system grew out of the desire to collect payments for songs’ copyrights.  Zhengzhou, Henan served as one of the test cities for the device. Almost half of the original 110 karaoke centers in [...]

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Growing Houses

“种房” Government-financed development projects in China regularly necessitate demolishing buildings. Owners of any bulldozed dwellings receive compensation for losing their homes. Farmers in rural areas have learned to take advantage of this system. They find it more profitable to just construct buildings on their fields, anticipating future projects. Cultivating housing units proves more economically advantageous [...]

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A World Wide Web?

一个环球网？ Internet usage in China is complicated. Asia already houses the largest Internet network in the world. Amidst exponential growth, access remains monitored. The Chinese Government maintains that restrictions over their country’s online content are necessary. If it grows unchecked, the Internet will hinder China’s efficiency and success. (Here is an excellent account with diagrams [...]

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The Chinese Government’s First Gay Bar

中国政府的首间同性恋酒吧 China’s Government took a step to simultaneously fight AIDS and liberalize their culture’s attitude towards homosexuality. On World AIDS day, they opened a gay bar. This serves a few purposes. First and foremost, it is a means to conduct HIV/AIDS tests. Across the country, a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation HIV program offers financial [...]

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Chairman Obama

奥巴马主席 Barack Obama’s celebrity expanded into several new markets since his election. “ObaMao” or “Maobama” t-shirts hit stands in China last year, but disappeared prior to President Obama’s visit to Asia. With an interest in Chairman Mao combines and an appreciation for President Obama’s intentions, I felt compelled to buy one of these shirts. Initially, the [...]

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Statistics in China’s Favor

统计在中国青睐 China’s mounting power stood out during Barack Obama’s time in Asia. A weakening U.S. only compliments their supremacy. Owning $800 billion of U.S debt along their assessment of a fragile dollar certainly helped China’s confidence. Dick Cheney saw President Obama’s low bow to Japan’s Emperor Akihito as a cause for the U.S.’s position, exclaiming, [...]

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Overseas, President Obama Encounters Different Issues with a Town Hall Meeting

在国外，奥巴马总统发现了大会堂的不同问题 Earlier this week, President Obama delivered a speech and answered questions in Shanghai. Only one local television network broadcasted the event in China. The station’s website declined to stream the recording. Portions of the dialogue on free speech and unrestricted Internet access likely compelled this censorship. The content of President Obama’s remarks was otherwise [...]

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Political Rock Band?

政治摇滚乐队? Maybe not yet. The local government scolded a karaoke bar in Taizhou Zhejiang Province for an ad with Mao Zedong holding a microphone. Traditional political songs like “Ode to the Motherland” played under the advertisement. The effort did, however, quite successfully attract crowds. A political version of Rock Band might expand their consumer base. [...]

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“Developing” China

“发展”中国 Development is a spectrum. Growth is not a dichotomous variable. There are no actual definitions for “developed” versus “developing” countries. These UN designations are simply “intended for statistical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgment about the stage reached by a particular country or area in the development process.” At what point does [...]

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