August/September

ChinaBites
Volume 1, Issue 6 - August/September 2012 他山之石可以攻
Welcome to the sixth issue of ACYA’s monthly ChinaBites, an offbeat and
somewhat alternative coverage of Chinese current affairs, pop culture,
and language. If you missed them, click here for previous issues. If you
have any questions, suggestions, or contributions to ChinaBites, please
send an email to neil.thomas@acya.org.au
Media Watch
Migrant Workers Out-Earn Grads—Asian Correspondent (6 August)
A study has found that the majority of China's college graduates earn
less than migrant workers. 70% of recent university graduates earn
less than 2,000 Yuan per month, whilst the average migrant worker
earns 2,049 Yuan. There exists massive surpluses of university graduates. 58% of the Class of 2012 remain unemployed, but there are still
shortages of unskilled labour and blue-collar workers.
Patriotism In Hong Kong After Island Landing—Wall Street Journal (16 August)
A group of Hong Kong activists landed on the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, waving Chinese flags and singing China's national anthem. Hong Kong netizens quickly applauded them
for their bravery, with locals argued that the Diaoyu/Senkaku landing has proved just how
patriotic Hong Kong residents are. This is perhaps somewhat surprising, given that the Hong
Kong government's recent plans to implement national education had been heavily criticised
by many Hong Kong residents as CCP “brainwashing”. The activists were later charged by
Japanese authorities for violating immigration regulations.
Miss China Crowned Miss World—Globe and Mail (18 August)
Yu Wenxia, an aspiring music teacher, has been crowned Miss
World 2012. The final round of the competition took place on
Chinese home soil in the northeastern city of Ordos. Despite its
oft-repeated 'ghost town' moniker, the region is rich from coal
mining, and the former city of “Ordos” located nearby is still
home to most of those destined to live in the new “Ordos”.
“China Wins Miss
World 2012”
China's Infrastructure Questioned Over Collapsed Bridge—Facing China (27 August)
A newly constructed bridge in Harbin has collapsed, resulting in the deaths of three people.
This now comes as the sixth bridge collapse in China in only this year. China has recently undertaken heavy investment in all manner of infrastructure projects, leading to an overwhelmingly large number of new transport networks and structures being constructed at an alarming speed. However, as can be seen, the rapidity of this boom has come at the price of accountability and safety, and the question very much remains as to whether high-quality and
long-lasting infrastructure can be provided at a rate commensurate to China’s growth.
Man Buys 2,000 Buckets Of KFC To Protest Hygiene Standards—
Daily Mail (7 September)
A wealthy businessman from Beijing who was outraged whilst on a
business trip to Wuhan to discover that staff members at a local
KFC were making burgers without gloves or face masks, and, when
his protestations about hygiene were ignored, subsequently bought
2,000 family buckets to block the entrance of the store, saying “I
wanted to warn people what sort of food they were eating.”
Occupy Hong Kong Protestors Cleared From HSBC—Asia One (11 September)
Remaining Occupy Hong Kong protesters have been cleared by police from the HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong. After the Occupiers ignored an eviction notice issued in late August,
HSBC obtained court permission to forcibly remove the protesters after from its premises.
Similar to the initial Occupy Wall Street protests in the USA, the Hong Kong Occupy protests
have come at a time of growing popular resentment in the city regarding the close ties between government and big businesses. The activists were eventually removed nearly a year
after they first set up tents in the heart of Hong Kong's financial hub.
Taiwanese Universities Experience Lack Of Interest From Mainland Students—China Realtime Report (12 September)
“Chinese students not interested in Taiwan”
Following the decision last year that Taiwanese universities would
be allowed to admit students from Mainland China, Taiwan's Ministry of Education has reported that this autumn only 987 Mainland students enrolled to fill the up to 2000 spots on offer. Strict
regulations, lack of scholarships, and the island's rowdy politics
have all been cited as possible reasons for such low enrolments.
Taiwanese On Working Holiday Visas In Australia Criticised—ChinaSmack (21 September)
One of the major institutions facilitating Chinese and Australian contact is the working holiday visa, which has entitled a great many Chinese, Hong Kong and Taiwanese people to a gap
year to work and travel around Australia. But as a social trend, how are the young people
who take advantage of this opportunity looked upon in their homelands? Recent articles
online have shown a tendency for some older Taiwanese to perceive their youth as excessively materialistic in their enjoyment of opportunities abroad, but others see it as an exciting
opportunity to throw of the shackles of their ordinary work start afresh abroad.
Porn Star To The Rescue?—The Economist (22 September)
Japanese adult actress Sora Aoi has appealed for Sino-Japanese
friendship amidst current tense relations regarding territorial
claims by posting an image of calligraphy reading “JapaneseChinese friendship” to her 13 million Weibo followers, generating
150,000 both positive and negative comments. Her popularity in
China was evinced when a placard at anti-Japanese protests read
“Diaoyu islands belong to China; Sora Aoi belongs to the world.”
Health Tourism Booming In China—China Daily USA (24 September)
As the number of middle-class and wealthy Chinese who are entering middle-age and becoming aware of the importance of disease prevention continues to grow rapidly, they are increasingly venturing overseas for medical treatment, citing superior medical technology and
post-treatment care services as the primary reasons. Money is a secondary concern for these
medical travellers, as the most popular destinations being swept up in this new Chinese medical tourism boom are Japan for cancer screening and Switzerland for anti-ageing therapy,
manifesting an interesting inverse as to what is understood by “medical tourism’ in the West.
Chinese Popstar Dating 12 Year-Old—Daily Life (25 September)
An unlikely romance has lately been unfolding to the public via
Weibo: 24-year-old male Chinese popstar Zhang Muyi is dating
Akami Miki, a 12-year-old child model. They often declare their
love on Weibo, and have received an avalanche of supportive
comments. Some netizens believe the relationship is purely a
publicity stunt, an accusation that both parties have denied,
although it has coincided with the launch of their careers.
“Pressure on the
剩女们 to keep
up is mounting”
CCP Declares Indisputable Sovereignty In New White Paper—Xinhua (25 September)
The Chinese government has issued a new White Paper regarding the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, asserting indisputable Chinese sovereignty. Titled “Diaoyu Dao, an Inherent Territory
of China”, it maintains the position that plans by the Japanese government to “purchase” the
islands violate China's territorial sovereignty, historical facts and international law. The
White Paper formally outlines the Chinese government’s commitment to upholding territorial
integrity and reasserts that the islands have long been under Chinese jurisdiction.
Culture Watch
ARTIST OF THE MONTH: 寂寞夏日 / Lonely China Day
Lonely China Day are a well-known indie/neo-prog rock band
from Beijing who have frequently been compared to Sigur Ros in
Western media for their use of droning guitars and non-English
lyrics, with many lines being drawn from ancient Chinese poetry.
Their ambitious first album Sorrow was released in 2007, and
was followed up in 2010 by This Readily Assimilative People, an
ideologically-loaded album that embodies a grand sound reminiscent of Radiohead. Particularly recommended is “Rise Up”.
MOVIE OF THE MONTH: 太阳灿烂的日子 / In The Heat Of The
Sun (1994)
Based upon the novel Wild Beast (动物凶猛) by Wang Shuo (王
朔) and directed by veteran lead actor Jiang Wen (姜文), the
film is set in Beijing during the Cultural Revolution and tells a
dreamy and romanticised story based loosely upon the director’s own experiences of a gang of roguish youth free amidst
the tumult of the times to do as they please, and the tribulations of the youthful romance between lead character Monkey
and female lead Mi Lan. It was the first PRC movie to win Best
Picture at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Awards.
HISTORY OF THE MONTH: The First Taiwan Strait Crisis
On 3 September 1954, following the amassing of ROC troops on
the islands of Quemoy and Matsu in the Taiwan Strait in purported preparation for recapturing the Mainland, a move prompted
by Eisenhower’s lifting of Truman’s 1950 7th Fleet neutralisation
of the Taiwan Strait, PRC forces began intensively shelling both
Quemoy and Matsu, and eventually mounting operations that
succeeded in claiming the closer Tachen and Ichiangshan Islands.
On 12 September, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff advised nuclear retaliation to eliminate Communist China and restore the ROC, although in the end the ROC only benefited a mutual defence treaty
and, following PRC gains, bombing subsided in April 1955.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH: Deng Xiaoping
Chinese (Simplified): 邓小平 (Dèng Xiǎopíng)
Born: 22 August 1904
Died: 19 February 1997
Paramount Leader of the PRC: 1978—1992
“ 致富光荣 ”
“Zhìfù Guāngróng”
“To get rich is glorious”
Following 1989, Deng saw a gradual dwindling of his power base as a growing formalist faction increasingly opposed his reform agenda. After his formal stepping down from Chinese
politics, and taking advantage of the passing away of successor and ideological rival Jiang
Zemin’s greatest ally, Li Xiannian, in 1992 Deng launched his pivotal Southern Tour (南巡) ,
making speeches and garnering local support in favour of further economic opening, and
through the influence of which this came eventually to be cemented in official policy.
Language
成语 (chéngyǔ) of the Month — 对牛弹琴— Duì Niú Tán Qín
“To play the lute to a cow”
In ancient China there lived a musician called Gong Mingyi, who
was a master of the qin (琴). One day, he saw a cow grazing outside his home and was so moved by the scene that he ran outside
to a play to the cow. He played beautifully and was intoxicated by
his music, but the cow paid no attention and continued to be
immersed in eating grass. This puzzled Gong Mingyi, who could not understand why the
cow was so indifferent to his brilliant playing. In modern Chinese, to “play the lute to a cow”
means that someone speaks or writes without considering their audience, generally with
the connotation they have overestimated their audience and are talking over their heads.
E.g. 跟法盲讲法律简直就是对牛弹琴!
网语 (Wǎng Yǔ) of the Month — 我勒个去— Wǒ Lè Gè Qù
“What the hell” / “WTF” (but not in an offensive way!)
Similar to the Chinese expressions “我靠” and “我操”, this
term, born on World of Warcraft servers, has become extremely popular in the contemporary Chinese youth lexicon, and is
used in a lighthearted way to provide a linguistic outlet for a
shock of some kind—it’s probably what you’d say if you saw the
guy in the photo to the right! E.g. 我嘞个去，你什么时候开始
有这凶残能力嘞 ！
俚语 (Lǐyǔ) of the Month — 水军 — Shuǐ Jūn
“Water army”
Literally an archaic term for the navy or waterborne troops, in
modern Chinese this word is used to refer to individuals, groups,
and dedicated public relations companies that can be hired to
create biased online comments on popular and influential websites and forums for the purposes of manipulating popular opinion on a particular subject, and which are often hired by commercial entities in need of generating a promotional buzz and
solidifying their reputation, or wishing to anonymously attack
their competition. Members of the “water army” are typically
university students, the unemployed, and the disabled. Returns
for companies using the “water army” for promotion are high,
but exposed users have been subject to commercial lawsuits.
Questions or comments? Please email neil.thomas@acya.org.au
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