https://www.scmp.com/rss/9656/feed Joshua Eisenman is assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin and senior fellow for China studies at the American Foreign Policy Council. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Last month, US National Security Adviser John Bolton unveiled “Prosper Africa”, the Trump administration’s new US strategy towards Africa. Surprising many, however, the plan's focus was less about Africa and more on China. Bolton said Africa is experiencing the “disturbing effects of China’s quest to obtain more political, economic, and military power” and described the continent as part of China’s plan to advance “Chinese global dominance”. China’s “predatory practices”, he said, pose a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2183622/china-has-nothing-fear-americas-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2183622/china-has-nothing-fear-americas-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jan 2019 19:05:13 +0000 Over the past few months, a new and divisive word has begun provoking debate across China. That word is niguo, translated as "your country", and it is the most prominent of a new lexicon of words that both mainland and overseas Chinese are using online to distance themselves from the injustice, bigotry and bad behaviour that have become commonplace in China. Lacking an open arena within which to freely express their opinions on important matters that affect their lives, a new generation of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1875266/its-your-country-not-mine-chinas-new-language-discontent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1875266/its-your-country-not-mine-chinas-new-language-discontent?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Nov 2015 08:06:39 +0000 Reaching out to Africa may have been the start of US President George W. Bush's pre-campaign promotion drive. But, for China, Africa is more than public relations; it is a key component in a larger plan to develop energy resources, export markets and support in the international community. China has cultivated relations with African nations using economic, political and military support. Chinese funds and expertise aided in various projects, including the Nigerian rail system's US$520 million... https://www.scmp.com/article/422108/giving-america-lesson-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/422108/giving-america-lesson-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Budding scientists have only limited opportunities to conduct experiments in overcrowded classrooms. Instead, students are often forced to watch, read or hear about the mysteries of science, which is like learning to swim without getting wet. This summer, though, sees several opportunities for Hong Kong students to paddle in these intriguing waters. In July, the British Council will unveil its Science Alive Festival, a two-hander which consists of the Science Exhibition and Dazzled, a... https://www.scmp.com/article/417149/tangible-gain-hands-science?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417149/tangible-gain-hands-science?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Legislators fear the number of prosecutions for minor offences will slowly drop off The hygiene points system for public estates will fail if those responsible for enforcing it are too lenient, a legislator warned yesterday. Legislator Michael Mak Kwok-fung, also deputy chairman of Legco's health services panel, said the government should step up enforcement by ensuring that officers pursued offenders in teams. One of the members should take pictures as evidence. 'This is one way to avoid... https://www.scmp.com/article/417109/strict-enforcement-hygiene-rules-urged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417109/strict-enforcement-hygiene-rules-urged?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday threatened to cancel a two-day visit to Tokyo next week if Japan's ambassador did not apologise for calling the Philippines a dangerous place. With surprising candour, ambassador Kujiro Takano on Thursday told a group of foreign correspondents: 'I've a hard time sleeping at night in the Philippines because I'm always worried' for the safety of Japanese nationals and tourists who are in 'constant danger'. 'Many Japanese get the impression that the... https://www.scmp.com/article/417131/arroyo-threat-cancel-tokyo-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417131/arroyo-threat-cancel-tokyo-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 The government will consider offloading more of its loans to help reduce the budget deficit, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Frederick Ma Si-hang said yesterday. Mr Ma was speaking after finalising a deal with the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation, to which the government has sold housing loans for civil servants worth $4.8 billion. After signing an agreement for the sale, Mr Ma said the transfer was the first step in the government's asset-sales programme to reduce the $70... https://www.scmp.com/article/417133/home-loans-sold-reduce-deficit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417133/home-loans-sold-reduce-deficit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Bob Kull's research may be unconventional, but it has wide-spread support from the University of British Columbia, a leading university in Canada. 'Bob's research is located in a university where innovative dissertations are supported by a significant number of faculty,' said Professor Carl Leggo, of UBC's Faculty of Education. Kull's advisers are drawn from a wide range of disciplines - biology, commerce (the adviser from that faculty studies environmental factors that promote and inhibit... https://www.scmp.com/article/417151/multi-disciplinary-approach-research-made-project-possible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417151/multi-disciplinary-approach-research-made-project-possible?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Controversial plans to raise the first registration tax on cars moved closer to law yesterday, with signs that independents will join the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong in backing the bill. Financial Secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung announced in his budget in March that tax brackets would be raised to up to 150 per cent of the value of the car, prompting an angry reaction from motor traders. Before the budget, tax levels were between 40 and 60 per cent. The government has... https://www.scmp.com/article/417134/lawmakers-move-closer-backing-car-tax-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417134/lawmakers-move-closer-backing-car-tax-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Tourism Board lashed for delay in issuing travel text message The Tourism Board yesterday sent out text messages on mobile phones announcing the lifting of the WHO's travel advisory against Hong Kong - a week after the decision was made public. Some criticised the move as 'slow off the mark'. Advertising copywriter Marcus Yao Chi-wing said: 'When I read the message I was baffled for a few minutes. I thought how funny - the telecom operator is sending a message that is a week late. What is... https://www.scmp.com/article/417110/who-news-better-late-never?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417110/who-news-better-late-never?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 A Shanghai jewellery shop that featured in a popular television series alleges it was defamed in one of the episodes, but says it is prepared to negotiate a resolution to the dispute rather than go to court. Hot Ladies is a Chinese version of the US television hit Sex and the City. Broadcast on a Shanghai satellite channel, its popularity has rocketed it to top-ranking position in the prime-time slot. The series, produced by Beijing-based China International TV Corporation, shows the... https://www.scmp.com/article/417139/jewellery-shop-claims-it-was-defamed-popular-tv-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417139/jewellery-shop-claims-it-was-defamed-popular-tv-show?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 The government has cut its forecast for economic growth in Hong Kong by half because of the devastating impact of the Sars outbreak. Hong Kong's gross domestic product, which had been expected to grow 3 per cent this year, faster than last year's 2.3 per cent, is now likely to expand by just 1.5 per cent, government economist Tang Kwong-yiu said yesterday. The forecast suggested that the beginning of an economic recovery had been shattered by Sars, especially its impact on the tourism and... https://www.scmp.com/article/417144/virus-impact-halves-hk-growth-forecast-15pc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417144/virus-impact-halves-hk-growth-forecast-15pc?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Come July, about six million families in India's four biggest cities face a stark choice: pay US$155 for a set-top box that would allow them to watch the cable channels they now enjoy for about US$4 a month - or be forced go without. The government is determined to regulate the unruly cable industry. Consumers are now at the mercy of neighbourhood cable operators who increase their monthly charges for a cable connection arbitrarily, and force them to pay for channels they do not want by... https://www.scmp.com/article/417132/india-ready-pull-plug-cheap-cable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417132/india-ready-pull-plug-cheap-cable?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Veteran actor and singer George Lam Chi-cheung was taken to hospital suffering suspected neck injuries after plunging down a hole on stage during a concert at the Coliseum last night. Audience members at the concert by Lisa Wang Ming-chuen were shocked when guest singer Lam, in the middle of his first song, disappeared down the two-metre hole. A stage elevator which raises performers into view had been lowered, creating the hole. Lam was taken to the private St Teresa's Hospital in Kowloon... https://www.scmp.com/article/417122/george-lam-plunges-down-hole-during-song?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417122/george-lam-plunges-down-hole-during-song?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 A court hears that two directors allegedly deceived lawyers to release money from buyers of the flats Two top executives of the property firm behind the failed Villa Pinada project appeared in Eastern Court yesterday accused of plotting to deceive a law firm into releasing funds deposited by the buyers of the Tuen Mun complex. Gold-Face Holdings' managing director Tai Chi-wah, 47, and financial controller Lim Hau-chun, 50, faced a joint charge of conspiracy to defraud between December 10, 2001... https://www.scmp.com/article/417117/villa-executives-accused-plotting-siphon-funds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417117/villa-executives-accused-plotting-siphon-funds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Although there were seven new cases announced yesterday, the number of Sars hospitals has been cut The central government yesterday declared that the Sars epidemic was being brought under control, as the number of infections had stabilised in recent weeks. Gao Qiang, the vice-executive minister of health, yesterday said the number of designated Sars hospitals in Beijing would be reduced from 19 to seven, with about 2,000 beds reserved for Sars victims. The State Administration of Tourism... https://www.scmp.com/article/417142/central-government-declares-chinas-outbreak-under-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417142/central-government-declares-chinas-outbreak-under-control?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 A writ claims three company shareholders attempted to avoid paying a share of damages in a personal injuries judgment Three company shareholders sold off properties worth $32.2 million for only $5 in an attempt to evade paying damages over the fatal collapse of a canopy in Aberdeen nine years ago, a High Court writ alleged yesterday. Newspaper vendor Mo Yee, 76, was crushed to death when the 21-year-old canopy of New Best Restaurant in Aberdeen gave way. Eight people, including four children... https://www.scmp.com/article/417114/asset-shuffle-alleged-canopy-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417114/asset-shuffle-alleged-canopy-case?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 But the IMF, in its annual report, says the city faces short-term challenges The Hong Kong government should reduce spending and introduce a consumption tax in order to deal with challenges to the economy including Sars, deflation and the budget deficit, the International Monetary Fund said yesterday. In its annual health check on the Hong Kong economy, known as an Article IV report, the IMF also said it expected the city's gross domestic product to grow 2.2 per cent this year. The report,... https://www.scmp.com/article/417135/hk-financial-system-good-shape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417135/hk-financial-system-good-shape?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Solo travellers from Guangdong are allowed in from July; Tung says the safety of Hongkongers will not be threatened A million more people from Guangdong are expected to visit Hong Kong every year when restrictions on individual travel are lifted in July. The long-awaited lifting of restrictions on Guangdong tourists coming to Hong Kong other than in group tours was announced yesterday by Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa. The news follows the decision of the National Tourism Administration to... https://www.scmp.com/article/417143/new-rules-expected-bring-surge-visits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417143/new-rules-expected-bring-surge-visits?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 A van driver whose sex life suffered after his pelvis was crushed between two vehicles was awarded $3.3 million in damages yesterday. Ghulam Hussain, 31, was given $100,000 to cover the future costs of buying the anti-impotence drug Viagra after Mrs Justice Verina Bokhary found the drug would 'put him ... in the position that he would have been in, but for the wrong done to him'. Another van driver, Lam Wah-chau, had reversed his vehicle and pinned Mr Hussain to a car which was parked on... https://www.scmp.com/article/417112/van-driver-wins-33m-after-crash-impacts-sex-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417112/van-driver-wins-33m-after-crash-impacts-sex-life?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Sars medic Tse Yuen-man's story is providing inspiration and education Schools in Hong Kong are using a memorial booklet telling the story of Sars-fighting doctor Joanna Tse Yuen-man to motivate and inspire students. Tse, the first public hospital doctor to die from the disease, was one of the first to volunteer to work in a Sars ward in Tuen Mun Hospital. She was infected while trying to resuscitate a Sars patient, and died on May 13. A spokeswoman for Tse's family said: 'Her story is about... https://www.scmp.com/article/417121/heroic-doctors-life-model-students?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417121/heroic-doctors-life-model-students?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 With the Sars season now behind us, let's make 'fresh air' our guiding principle for whatever educational and recreational pursuits we might choose for our children and family to follow during the forthcoming summer vacation. After weeks under the grip of Sars - social activities restricted severily - it's time to break the mould and ensure that we all do something out of the ordinary this year. The expression 'fresh air' refers not only to the atmospheric benefits of the great outdoors, it... https://www.scmp.com/article/417148/breathing-new-life-your-language-learning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417148/breathing-new-life-your-language-learning?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Officials say the move to lower costs will not compromise the official headcount A mini-census planned for 2006 will sample fewer people than usual to save costs, in a move that officials said will bring Hong Kong in line with international trends. The sample of people surveyed will drop from one in seven citizens to one in 10. A veteran pollster agreed with the move to bring the headcount for the by-census closer to practices in other countries. The by-census is held every 10 years, five... https://www.scmp.com/article/417137/census-sample-be-cut-2006?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417137/census-sample-be-cut-2006?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Sars may have derailed many plans for the summer exodus, but those who have uprooted and headed abroad before recommend that others do the same. Joyce Lau Cheuk-ling, 16, a student from St Stephen's Girls' College, Mid-Levels, spent last summer in Finland. 'Most of my friends went to the usual places like Australia, Canada, England, and the US. I wanted to go somewhere more interesting and exotic,' she said. She later visited Sweden and Estonia. 'Both are like places in fairy tales. I was ... https://www.scmp.com/article/417150/travels-still-among-best-teachers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417150/travels-still-among-best-teachers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Organisers want $1 million to promote a giant street parade and month-long carnival next year Gay and lesbian organisations are seeking government funding to push forward a plan to create Hong Kong's first month-long celebration of gay pride. Three groups have joined forces to draft a proposal to seek $1 million in funding to kick-start the event, which is tentatively scheduled for October next year. The plans call for a 'Pride Hong Kong' celebration every two years, a month of activities... https://www.scmp.com/article/417108/gay-groups-press-festival-funds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417108/gay-groups-press-festival-funds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 But a lobbyist says it is more important to teach people it is wrong to trade relics New regulations on the protection of cultural relics will help the mainland fight the illegal trade in antiquities, but increasing public awareness is more important, a campaigner says. The State Council on Thursday promulgated comprehensive regulations on protecting China's cultural heritage. They aim to block the illegal export of antiquities and impose more specific rules against damaging ancient... https://www.scmp.com/article/417138/rules-introduced-curb-smuggling-antiquities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417138/rules-introduced-curb-smuggling-antiquities?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Japan's prolonged recession is bringing about changes in people's way of life - particularly for men, who are having to adjust to new roles and change their behaviour. Sachiko Ito, 44, from Tokyo, is glad her husband, Kazuya, lost his job last year. At first she did not like having him around the house all the time. Like many Japanese men of his generation, he expected his meals to be cooked for him and the washing and ironing done. 'Then, one day I told him he was no longer a shogun, but a... https://www.scmp.com/article/417124/house-husbands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417124/house-husbands?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 The DAB adds to growing pressure for a Sars investigation with legal powers Pressure on the government to set up an independent investigation into its handling of the Sars outbreak mounted yesterday when legislators passed a motion calling for a commission of inquiry. In a surprise move, the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong backed the motion, which was passed with 32 votes in favour, and nine abstentions. It was the first time the party had moved against the government on a... https://www.scmp.com/article/417145/legco-call-outbreak-inquiry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417145/legco-call-outbreak-inquiry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 When I returned to Hong Kong in 1974 after 14 years in the United States, first as a student and later as a journalist with The New York Times, I was looking for some extra-curricular involvement. I had been an activist in New York, both in Chinatown and in the larger Asian-American community, and wanted to do something meaningful. Before long, I became a volunteer worker for Hong Kong's greatest activist, Elsie Elliott. Mrs Elliott - that was in the days before she married Andrew Tu Hsueh-kwei... https://www.scmp.com/article/417126/happy-birthday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417126/happy-birthday?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Veteran Canto-pop singer Ken Choi Fung-wah has launched a $3.5 million lawsuit against music giant Sony over a royalties dispute. In a High Court writ filed yesterday, Choi said that after he was dropped by the company in June 1989, he understood that it would stop distributing and selling his recordings. However, he claims Sony Music Entertainment (Hong Kong) Ltd continued to profit from the recordings without his permission and did not pay any royalties. Choi claims to have suffered losses... https://www.scmp.com/article/417113/singer-ken-choi-sues-sony-music?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417113/singer-ken-choi-sues-sony-music?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Environmental bureaus along the Yangtze river have been urged to crack down on water pollution, as the first part of the Three Gorges Dam reservoir is filled tomorrow. The notice issued by the State Environmental Protection Administration (Sepa) yesterday demanded the environmental agencies of Chongqing municipality and the provinces of Hubei, Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan strictly enforce water quality control measures to protect the US$25 billion Three Gorges Dam, Xinhua said. Tomorrow, the... https://www.scmp.com/article/417140/officials-tackle-yangtze-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417140/officials-tackle-yangtze-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Shanghai will ease strict quarantine rules from Monday, with only those who have come into contact with suspected or confirmed cases of Sars being placed in isolation. Local officials revealed for the first time yesterday that Shanghai had quarantined nearly 29,000 people in a bid to control the outbreak despite having only eight confirmed cases. By comparison, Beijing also quarantined about 29,000 people but official figures show its number of confirmed cases is more than 2,500. Shanghai... https://www.scmp.com/article/417141/shanghai-easing-its-quarantine-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417141/shanghai-easing-its-quarantine-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Dripping water helps spread disease, doctors say, but the hazard will not be punished under the new public hygiene points system Leaky air-conditioners are a big factor in the spread of disease and should be grounds for eviction from public estates, doctors and environmentalists said yesterday. They urged the government to add such leaks to a list of offences on the public housing hygiene points system, introduced to prevent a repeat of the Sars outbreak. Kwok Ka-ki, convenor of the Action... https://www.scmp.com/article/417123/put-leaking-air-cons-eviction-list-say-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417123/put-leaking-air-cons-eviction-list-say-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 Veteran Canto-pop singer Ken Choi Fung-wah has launched a $3.5 million lawsuit against music giant Sony over a royalties dispute. In a High Court writ filed yesterday, Choi said that after he was dropped by the company in June 1989, he understood that it would stop distributing and selling his recordings. However, he claims Sony Music Entertainment (Hong Kong) continued to profit from the recordings without his permission and did not pay any royalties. Choi claims to have suffered losses and... https://www.scmp.com/article/417111/singer-ken-choi-sues-royalties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417111/singer-ken-choi-sues-royalties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 By Muslim standards, Afghanistan's Taleban regime was extreme. Its literal interpretation of the holy book, the Koran, wound the clock back 14 centuries to a time when there were few human rights or political freedoms. The Taleban, the first target of the United States-led war on terrorism, was overthrown by military force for providing sanctuary to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. As alarming as support for terrorists was, so were beliefs which include a rejection of science, the... https://www.scmp.com/article/417125/rising-voice-modern-muslims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/417125/rising-voice-modern-muslims?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000 China experts in the US and the Bush administration's policymakers have become uncharacteristically tongue-tied regarding the future of the Sino-US relationship - in stark contrast to the clarity of the debate during the second Clinton administration. In fact, in the late 1990s, China watchers simplified their rhetoric by using surprisingly plain terms. One group, critical of China's human-rights policies and fearful of the mainland's strategic objectives and threat to Taiwan, was dubbed the... https://www.scmp.com/article/416934/bush-policy-worth-waiting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/416934/bush-policy-worth-waiting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 May 2003 16:00:00 +0000