February 2016

Regulators Leave Wealth Management Industry Unplugged

Loosely Supervised, Banks and Financial Firms are Taking Big Risks with Investors' Funds

on February 24, 2016

Financial market supervisors admit that gaping holes pockmark the regulatory fences they’ve built in recent years to control the wealth management industry and protect its investors.

By occasionally introducing new rules and regulations, supervisors such as the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) and the China Bank Regulatory Commission (CBRC) have tried to mend these fences and even erect new ones.

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China’s Increasingly Muffled Press

on February 24, 2016

The Chinese media have never had much freedom to pursue muckraking stories. Now, President Xi is going extraordinary lengths to rein the press in further.

Media

Censorship, Journalism

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Possible Radar Suggests Beijing Wants ‘Effective Control’ in South China Sea

By Michael Forsythe on February 24, 2016

China may be building series of radar facilities on artificial islands, which would help it to establish “effective control” over sea and air.

Military, Technology

South China Sea

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Gate-Crash! China’s New Housing Rules Irk the Gilded Classes

By Hannah Beech on February 24, 2016

New directive says roads in private housing estates should “gradually open up” to the public.

Law, Science, Urban Life

Urban Development

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China Could Win World Cup Within 10 Years, Says Sven-Göran Eriksson

By Tom Phillips on February 24, 2016

Ex-England manager says huge investment starting to pay off as Xi Jinping vows to turn China into footballing superpower.

Society

Soccer, World Cup

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A Misty-Eyed Ode to China's Leader from a Deputy Editor

By John Sudworth on February 24, 2016

A poem written by deputy editor at Xinhua in tribute to President Xi has gone viral, although that should not be taken as a sign of literary merits.

Society

Xi Jinping

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Theft of Guide Dog Underlines China’s Spotty Disability Record

By Austin Ramzy on February 24, 2016

The theft of one 7-year-old black Labrador in Beijing on Monday has provoked an unusual outcry.

Society

Disabilities, Dog Theft

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China/Africa Vs. China/South America

A China Africa Project Podcast

By Eric Olander, Cobus van Staden & more on February 24, 2016

China’s engagement in Africa is often seen by many observers in a vacuum without a broader understanding of how the relationship compares to Beijing’s strategy in other regions of the world. South America, in particular, provides an interesting contrast for how China’s engagement is both similar to what it’s doing in Africa but also highlights a number of fascinating distinctions.