Hou Hsiao-hsien
on December 23, 2014
Top Five China Books of 2014
on December 23, 2014
As the editor of ChinaFile’s Books section, I have the privilege of meeting and interviewing some amazing writers covering China today—academics, journalists, scholars, activists. Based on these conversations, we create short videos of the authors describing their inspiration, research, and hopes for their work. Since ChinaFile’s launch in early 2013 we have amassed a library of roughly 150 of these author videos on the site. I invite you to peruse them.
China in Africa: 2014 Year in Review
A China in Africa Podcast
on December 23, 2014
Two thousand fourteen marked another landmark year in Sino-African relations as bilateral trade set new records while political, diplomatic, and military ties strengthened across the board. Yet despite the tangible progress made this year, this burgeoning relationship also began to encounter some of its most significant obstacles as both governments and people across the continent showed significant frustration with Chinese environmental, labor, and corporate social responsibility practices.
Yaxue Cao
on December 23, 2014
Yaxue Cao is the founder and editor of ChinaChange.org, a website devoted to news and commentary related to civil society, rule of law, and rights activities in China. The site works with China’s democracy advocates to bring their voices into English and to help the rest of the world understand what people are thinking and doing to effect change in China. Reports and translations on China Change have been cited or hyperlinked by The New York Times, Time magazine, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Washington Post, The Economist, New Republic magazine, and The Atlantic, and Congressional reports. Cao has published short stories in American literary quarterlies and translations in The New York Times and on the Foreign Policy website. She grew up in northern China during the Cultural Revolution and studied literature in the U.S. She lives in Washington, D.C.
China in 2014 Through the Eyes of a Human Rights Advocate
on December 23, 2014
This time last year, volunteers and I were busy writing and translating articles to prepare for the New Citizens Movement trials.
Ling Jihua: China Investigates Top Aide to Former President
on December 22, 2014
China has launched an investigation into former President Hu Jintao's most senior aide, state media report.
Wild Stock Market Is Detrimental to Reform Efforts
By Hu Shuli
on December 22, 2014
Chinese leaders' pledge to strengthen risk control at last week's Central Economic Work Conference could not be more timely, given the frenzied exuberance in the stock market.
In a statement released after three days of meetings, the leaders took note of the "variety of hidden risks" that emerged alongside the economic slowdown. "The risks can be managed on the whole, but eradicating all of them might take a long time," they said. "We should treat both the symptoms and root causes, and find suitable remedies to the problems."
China Building Base Near Isles Disputed With Japan, Kyodo Says
on December 22, 2014
The dispute over the East China Sea islets—known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese—clouds ties that remain fractious even after Chinese President Xi Jinping met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Beijing last month. Encounters between ships and planes from the two countries have raised the potential for a confrontation.
China Indicts Jackie Chan’s Son on Drug Charge
on December 22, 2014
Beijing police detained the younger Chan at his Beijing apartment in August along with Taiwanese movie star Ko Kai. Police said Chan and Ko both tested positive for marijuana and admitted using the drug, and that 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of it were taken from Chan's home.
China Offers Russia Ruble Help
on December 22, 2014
China says it is willing to provide assistance to Russia following recent sharp drops in the value of its currency, said a senior official, as President Vladimir Putin’s regime faces continuing strains with the U.S. and Europe.