Why is China Still Messing with the Foreign Press?
ANDREW J. NATHAN, ISABEL HILTON, JONATHAN LANDRETH (& authors)To those raised in the Marxist tradition, nothing in the media happens by accident. In China, the flagship newspapers are still the “throat and tongue” of the ruling party, and their work is directed by the Party’s Propaganda Department. That’s the first...
China’s Cyberattacks — At What Cost?
JAMES FALLOWS, DONALD CLARKE, ORVILLE SCHELL (& authors)James Fallows: Here are some initial reactions on the latest hacking news.We call this the “latest” news because I don’t think anyone, in China or outside, is actually surprised. In my own experience in China, which is limited compared with many of yours, I’ve seen the...
Developmental Fairy Tales
ANDREW F. JONESIn 1992 Deng Xiaoping famously declared, “Development is the only hard imperative.” What ensued was the transformation of China from a socialist state to a capitalist market economy. The spirit of development has since become the prevailing creed of the People’s Republic,...
Road Show Media Bandits Squeeze IPO Hopefuls
CAIXINBuying media silence is a common first step toward an initial public offering in China that siphons billions of yuan every year from companies seeking investors in Shanghai and Shenzhen. The phenomenon has been documented by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC)....
Changing Media, Changing China
SUSAN L. SHIRK (EDITOR)Thirty years ago, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) made a fateful decision: to allow newspapers, magazines, television, and radio stations to compete in the marketplace instead of being financed exclusively by the government. The political and social implications of that...
Public Passions
EUGENIA LEANIn 1935, a Chinese woman by the name of Shi Jianqiao murdered the notorious warlord Sun Chuanfang as he prayed in a Buddhist temple. This riveting work of history examines this well-publicized crime and the highly sensationalized trial of the killer. In a fascinating...
Anxiety’s Remote Control
HU YONGThe Chinese government agency that English speakers know as SARFT has several monikers. Its full name is the State Administration for Radio, Film, and Television. Literally translated, its Chinese name, guangdian zongju, is more like the "General Office for Radio, Film...