Shenzhen at 30 – What’s next for the nation’s special economic zone?

August 26 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the country’s first batch of special economic zones. Shenzhen was one of them, and the gvernment is now mapping out how the city should develop in the years to come.

A tale of two economic giants – What does it mean now that China has overtaken Japan?

AChina rises, Japan stalls. The biggest news in global media this week was China officially overtaking Japan as the world’s second largest economy.

Soft is the new hard – Govt uses celeb film ad to boost China’s image

China presented itself through a 15-minute video that showed the nation is well on its way to ushering in an era of prosperity. But more than anything else, many believe real soft power lies in the well being of a country’s culture and people.

The next generation – How will Internet-savvy teens affect the nation?

A recent CNN article about Chinese teens said they are often labeled “lazy, promiscuous, confused, selfish, brain damaged and overall hopeless.”

Dawn of Chinese domain names

Top-level Internet domain names will soon include Chinese characters after the body that oversees their assignment approved the proposal last week.

Heightened war on corruption – New regulation requires officials to declare assets

The government on July 11 issued new anti-corruption rules that require all government and state-owned company officials to report their investments, incomes and assets, Xinhua News Agency reported.

New foundation aims to add transparency to Chinese charities

Some of the world’s most recognized philanthropists gathered in Beijing this past week for the launch of the China Foundation Center, a new organization that aims to help increase the transparency of Chinese charities, which have struggled with public suspicion of mismanagement and even corruption.

White men wanted – Job ad shows Chinese love-hate for foreigners

In China, white people can be rented. There is opportunity here even for a Westerner with no skills. If you’re a white male and have a nice suit, you can get a job that pays well – and which requires no work. However, under the surface, the Chinese have a love-hate relationship with foreigners that is underreported.

Sex ratio discrepancy declines – Baby steps to narrow gender imbalance

While news outlets tend to get hysterical about the country’s gender imbalance problem, latest statistics suggest a much more optimistic view: in 2009, there were 119.45 male newborns for every 100 females, down from 120.56 in 2008.

Painful World Cup – China watches from the sidelines again

It might be the most populous country in the world, and the one with the most potential, but China seems incapable of locating 11 soccer players who can make it to the World Cup.