BY EFFIE DEANS I don’t think many people in Britain had heard of Wuhan or Hubei province before the present outbreak of Covid-19 (Coronavirus). The fifty largest Chinese cities each has a population greater than two million, yet few of us could name more than two or three. Chongqing, for example, was first settled in 316 BC and has a population of 30 million, but … Continue reading Little Bottle
BY QUENTIN PIGG With the Pope having signed the ‘Sino-Vatican Agreement’ (a treaty which allows the Vatican to appoint Chinese bishops) one could be forgiven for thinking that Christians in Communist China enjoy a kind of freedom only described in the pluralistic Utopian visions of ‘literal consumerists’ – sorry, communists – like the ridiculous Ash Sarkar. But as with any China counterfeit, this holy bound … Continue reading Forbidden Religiosity
BY ANASTASIA CHOO Taiwanese voters re-elected incumbent president Tsai Ing-Wen in a landslide election on Saturday 11th January which translates as a sharp rebuke to Beijing and its attempts to intimidate Taiwan into China’s fold. Tsai won over 8 million votes, or 57% of the vote share, leading her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to a crushing victory with a landslide in presidential and legislative elections. … Continue reading Taixit Holds Strong
BY MEI LIN CHAN The first of October 2019 will mark the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and Beijing is pulling out all stops for a day replete with fireworks, fanfares and a huge military parade. To ensure all goes smoothly, authorities have been ramping up security in the capital (and online) for weeks. During rehearsals for a military … Continue reading Hong Kong Dominates China’s 70th
BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN As I write this piece from Biarritz on the French Atlantic coast, the September sun is shining and waves are crashing down onto the beach in front of the Hotel de la Plage. A dozen or so surfers attempt to gain traction from the occasionally useable waves. The terrace cafe in which I am sitting is much quieter than a month ago, … Continue reading A Postcard from Biarritz
BY ANASTASIA CHOO Donald Trump’s win on 8th November, based on a campaign of fiery and blistering rhetoric often singling out China, sent shock waves around the globe. Mainstream media observed closely as world leaders raced to make that all-important phone call to congratulate the unpredictable political virgin. Some calls were fulsome and some tentatively made but none caused as much furore as the phone … Continue reading One China or Two?
BY ANASTASIA CHOO Andrea Leadsom, who helped spearhead the Brexit Campaign, announced on 18th October a Five-Year post-Brexit plan to boost the British economy by almost £3 Billion through the export of British products. What were her genius “British” products? Tea, jam and biscuits. Tea is from China and the best jam and biscuits tend to herald from France. It’s not difficult to see why … Continue reading Keep Calm, Drink Tea
