China’s Brand
In advance of Beijing hosting the Olympic Games this summer, a lot of people are working to capture how China's brand will be changing. A new book from Harvard University Press, Brand New China quotes one of my early articles at Asia Times. The book looks to emphasize brand development within China, which given the increasingly complicated and difficult trade relationship the country is likely to experience with its existing trade partners in the mid-term, is an important realignment. An interesting review of the book can be read here.China & Innovation
I will have some of my own thoughts up soon about this, but in the mean time, Silicon Hutong has something to say I strongly echo: "But we must recognize that our own all-or-nothing political orthodoxy about the flow of information and ideas does nothing to help China find a safe way into its future. If we genuinely want to see the Chinese people - and not just a privileged few - continue to prosper with a reasonable expectation of improving lifestyles, we need to find approaches that will bring Chinese education into the 21st century in a way that invigorates the system without rending the very fabric of Chinese society."Best of Shanghai
I have a love-hate relationship with Shanghai: it is everything big, vibrant and boisterous about the massive transition China is in the mist of. Consequently, it also has the noise, bumping and over-crowding of a city, country and people on the move, and that is not always an enjoyable experience. I have spent a good bit of time in Shanghai in general, and the last several months have spent the better part of a month in the area. While learning my way around the city, I have found some places that are definitely worth your time to visit should you ever find your way to Shanghai. I have found these sort of lists by people ...China Pictures - December ‘07
Apologies for lack of posting in general - December included another trip to China. More on that later ... I didn't take my nice photo equipment, so these are more utilitarian, in particular the insides of factories toured. The ads I took pictures of - "Impossible is Nothing" are for Adidas' brand in China, and emphasize the collective spirit within China for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. A great example of one of the rare times popular advertising captures something important about culture. Pictures here.Mao’s Myth - The Long March
Separating truth from friction is the keystone upon which insightful biographies and relevant histories need to be built, an endeavor never more fraught with difficulty than when the subject of the historian’s gaze is the centerpiece of a nation’s heritage and founding myth or an individual’s ascent to historical significance. Certainly no country is without its own mythology; most have elaborate ensembles of cultural myth which serve to introduce children to the country’s basic goodness and remind adults of the country’s endearing principles in their idealized form. In Sun Shuyun’s new book, The Long March: the True History of Communist China’s Founding Myth, she gracefully but forcefully goes back and re-examines the foundational myth surrounding the Peoples ...Cuisine in China
I am writing this as a celebration of some really great meals the last week while in Guangzhou in particular. It's also intended to be a reminder that those who think Chinese food consists of fried nuggets of chicken meat of indeterminate origins coupled to sauces that are a vague concoction of soy, hoison and maybe some chili oil misrepresent the incredible opportunities within Chinese cuisine. Derivations of this misunderstanding revolve around what Americans call stir-fries – thrown in sliced bamboo from a can (along with the not so complimentary taste of aluminum), assorted nuts on the top, maybe even a number of mushrooms: that’s a pretty good primer on how Americans view Chinese food. Too ...Boa Mo Garden
This afternoon after our meeting, my hosts took me to Bao Mo Garden. They also provided the ubiquitous moon cake for celebrations. This is, as near as I can tell, a take on Elmer's Glue in the form of a lotus root cake with egg yolk embedded. I had flashbacks to kindergarten, eating boogers and tasting from the glue bottle. The garden was beautiful, and more than made up for the moon cake. Pictures of the Bao Mo are here.Nanjing, China 2007
If you have ever read Iris Chang's The Rape of Nanking you will know the ghosts which haunt Nanjing. I briefly visited the city last week and have some pictures posted for your enjoyment.Shanghai Pictures
Some of my pictures from Shanghai this past week can be seen here on Flickr. Enjoy!New Column Available
My newest column on the Mattel toy recall and how it should impact US companies' imports from China has been published in the upcoming 9/24 IBJ. You'll have to pick it up in a bookstore or be a subscriber to the site. « Previous EntriesAbout MysteriousFaith
“If anyone can show me, and prove to me, that I am wrong in thought or deed, I will gladly change. I seek the truth, which never yet hurt anybody. It is only persistence in self-delusion and ignorance which does harm.”
Themes
Now Reading
Search
Favorites
Personal Writing
Theology
Categories
Meta Data