Cradle of Civilization

I don't think Westerns give Chinese civilization the credit it deserves. We tend to focus on Greece and Rome, but we ignore the dynamic history of China. From archaeological findings on human ancestors to the contributions of Chinese civilization, China remains one of the worlds great cultures. I was watching NOVA about the evolution of flowers and southern China is reknowned for its flower species. Westerners should reach for a better understanding of Chinese culture.

China and Japan to ease diplomatic tensions

It is interesting that the NY times has an article about this issue because this is my research topic. China-Japan relations have always been strained because of history, but both nations depend on each other economically. The scenario is similar across the world of diplomacy. Nations weigh economic conditions against their political attitudes. For example, few would celebrate the democratic and human rights record of the Saudi family, but we also really like driving cars. I think the tensions between the China and Japan are even more relevant. Japan has been the powerhouse of Asia before and after the WWII, but with China's economic prosperity and Security Council seat things changing. The result is a delicate balance between contempt and cooperation. Japan seems to be losing face between the two nations. Though Japan is an industrialized democracy, China's economic boom is taking the attention away from Tokyo. Also, Japan is one of the largest monetary contributors to the UN, but still doesn't have a Security Council seat. I think the historical insults will always be apart of their relationship, but that economic dependence will prevent any true hostility.

The Lantern Festival

One of my favorite Chinese festivals is The Lantern Festival ; it is usually on the 15th of

January. Chinese Taoism classifies January 15th as Upper Yuan, July 15th as middle Yuan and

October 15th as lower Yuan, which respectively mark the birthday of the sky, the

earth and man. Since the Lantern Festival is sent on the evening of upper Yuan, it is also

called Upper Yuan Festival . Its main celebration involves appreciating lanterns in

all shapes. That is why it is generally known as the Lantern Festival.

China's Divorce Rate

I found this article on divorce in China. I know a few people had asked this question in class. Divorce, once nearly unheard of in China, has become more common than ever as women gain financial independence and shrug off the diminishing stigma of leaving their husbands. Legal barriers to divorce have fallen away -- couples needed permission from their employers until just four years ago -- and the Internet has become a resource for discontented spouses seeking guidance.
More broadly, experts say, the increase in divorce points to an embrace of individualism in this country, which in many ways remains only nominally communist.
Although it remains lower than in many developed countries, the divorce rate in China has skyrocketed in recent decades. It more than doubled from 1985 to 1995, as the country opened to Western ideas, and by 2005, the rate had more than tripled, to 1.37 couples out of every 1,000 people, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. In cities such as fast-paced Shanghai, the divorce rate is now seven or eight times the rate in 1980, Xu said.
The U.S. divorce rate, by comparison, was 3.7 couples per 1,000 people in 2004. By some estimates, half of all new marriages in the United States will end in divorce.
In the past, many Chinese couples stayed together because of pressure from family members. But that pressure has lessened as the notion of family has changed. Traditional courtyard houses that once contained extended families have been replaced by modern apartment blocks and smaller families.
The most recent revisions came in 2003. Courts no longer automatically reject first-time divorce applications or require long waiting periods before reapplying; people can now get divorced in a matter of minutes.

China bans organ trading

China announced it will add stricter regulations to organ donation in an effort to promote higher ethnical and medical standards in a field plagued by commerical and foreign favoritism, as reported by the Wall Street Journal and Forbes.

About 10,000 transplant operations are performed in China each year, which is second to the United States. And what has become a lucrative industry in China, organ transplants are requested by patients from rich nations such as the U.S., Japan and Israel, which has arguably in turn taken organ transplant opportunities away from needy Chinese patients.

In response to the criticisim, China's State Council issued new changes to organ transplants that will go into effect May 1: "all organ donations in China must be voluntary and approved by doctors and that trade in human organs is forbidden."

These regulations are more formalized and grant greater authority than changes announced by China's Ministry of Health in March 2006.

US-China Trade Confrontation

I do not know where I stand with the US-China trade dispute. On the one hand, I believe the US needs to correct its trade deficit with China and that intellectual property needs to be protected. The US has an important interest in both cases and should hold the Chinese government responsible for enforcement of privacy laws. The slave-labor conditions in the sweatshops where many of the pirated merchandise is made should also be of concern (Though with globalization even non-pirated goods fall under this category). On the other hand, I also believe US companies should reconsider the products they come out with. US companies restructuring their product to make them more appealing then the goods of bootleggers would go further than slowly pursuing them through the WTO. If US companies lower their prices or create a higher quality product, consumers are going to be drawn to the real product rather than a bad quality knock-off. I think this point is illustrated in the RIAAs anger over online downloading. If music companies would focus more on developing talent that create total albums rather than just hit singles, I think a lot more consumers would be willing to buy CDs. I believe it is the same case with consumers through out the globe.

China's lunar ambitions: Rover unveiled

Shanghai unveiled a protocol lunar land rover last week in hopes of being selected for China's first moon landing in 2012. After four years of construction, the space vehicle which was on display at the Chian-United Kingdom space technology seminar was created by research engineers at the Shanghai Aerospace System Engineering Institute.


Similar to the United States' mars land rover "Spirit," the un-named lunar rover is said to travel an average of 100 meters per hour and is 1.5 meters high and weighs 200 kg. "We want to make it better than the early US and Russian rovers," institute director Luo Jian said.


With abilities to climb slopes and avoid obstacles, the rover is engineered to capture 3-D images, transmit real-time motion pictures and collect and analyze soil samples. But despite the announcement, researchers said it is not ready to handle extreme cold temperatures and retain sufficient amounts of solar energy for space travel.

The institute said it also plans to simulate lunar-environment in order to refine the their protocol. Other space institutes in Beijing and China are also working on rovers in hopes of being selected to represent China's space ambitions.

Source: Shanghia Daily

Religious Daoism and Chinese Culture

Religious Daoism is the original native religion of China. It originated and developed in

Chinese Culture, and at the same time, exerted a great influence in the formation of

Chinese Culture. Its influences are apparent in almost all the aspects of Chinese life,

particularly in the fields of sciences of chemistry, mineralogy, boatny, zoology , and

pharmaceutics in East Asia. In conclusion the Daoist idea of immortals has been the

constant theme of Chinese authors: Chinese arts are also closely associated with

religious Daoism. For example things like mirrors, pottery, graphic guides, calligraphy,

figure painting etc..

Daoism

Confucianism was, as we have learnt, the mainstream of Chinese thought for about 2000
years, from the second century BC down to the beginning of the 20th century. The

second greatest influence on Chinese thought was no doubt Daoism, which opposed also
complemented and enlivened Confucianism. Daoism includes philosophical Daoism and

religious Daoism. One of the book that I would like to mention is that philosophical

Daoism referst to the ideas and attitudes put forward in The Classic of The Way and Its

Virtue. Daosim is refers to the ritual worship of the Way developed in the 2nd century.