Just a concert, nothing more – Dylan plays it safe in China debut

Although he turns 70 in May, Dylan was spry and in good voice, rocking the harmonica and the organ with a verve that had the mostly Chinese crowd up and clapping.

In an analysis of global trends in science, the UK’s Royal Society predicts that China can overtake the US as the world’s dominant publisher of scientific research by 2013, the Guardian reported last Monday. The news soon spread to other websites. Some people think this is another sign of China’s rise. However, does the rapid digital growth of scientific papers really have practical significance?

Profiting from piracy: Robin Li’s problem is China’s problem

Baidu’s billionaire co-founder and CEO Robin Li, the richest man in China with $9.4 billion (61.5 billion yuan), has faced a swell of criticism that he built his fortune in part by allowing others to steal from the poor.

Can the US feed China? – Expert worries Americans farming for Chinese

Would a growing China add risks and pressures to the global food supply? A recent article in the Washington Post by Lester Brown warns that China is losing a long battle to feed its growing population on its own, as old deserts grow, as new ones form and as more and more irrigation wells go dry.

Energy crisis – Nuclear panic and oil demand make China rethink energy security

The Chinese government’s recent decision to suspend approval for new nuclear facilities after the Japanese nuclear crisis suggested a Chinese energy policy in crisis, a March 17 editorial in Financial Times said.

The coproduction conundrum

Expectations were turned on their heads a little at Tuesday’s seminar “Europe/China: More Film Coproduction for a New Step of Cooperation” at Hong Kong FilMart.

Housewives reemerge – Chinese women opting out of the workforce

For many years, staying at home without a formal job was viewed as shameful for women in China; but now a shift in outlook is seeing many urban women publicly expressing a desire to quit the workforce.

Farmers go online to sell produce

For years, Wang Yulan and her husband drove their three-wheeled vehicle to an outdoor market near Beijing to sell broccoli, peppers, eggplants and tomatoes grown on their small plot of land.

Meet Mr Average – Research finds 28-year-old Chinese man the world’s most typical person

Many would consider themselves the average Joe, but a recently National Geographic identified a 28-year-old Han Chinese man as possessing the world’s most typical face.

Go East, gold diggers – Marrying rich Chinese as an investment?

China’s rich are catching the world’s attention. Investors with project ideas want their money; schools looking for endowment money want their children; foreign governments want to sell them passports; and, as Forbes recently reported, singles want their hand … in marriage.