Yes, after seeing the clip above, the only thing I’m waiting for is an actual online video game in which a person can go to Google maps (or some version of them), pick out a car and drive it (virtually) in a city just like this great video from Honest Directors.

Such a video game might actually exist. But you know, I’m a bit old school. I might be out of the loop.

Ah, yes: Google maps. You can do much with them these days. I actually still have paper maps of China, if you can believe that.

In fact, the whole online world has created a cavalcade (if you will) of online information that can inundate and wash over someone or something rather quickly.

A minor point: TechCrunch is certainly a leader in online news and blogging, especially with that AT&T news. But, um, the image used with this post is somewhat dated. I like the idea and understand it. I also like the old no matter what form it takes.

But the uniforms and equipment are much more modern. There’s also a huge push for more modern buildings – in some areas and in some cases, that has created, well, some discussions.

You know: Out with the old. In with the new. Or something like that.

I gotta run. And if I could merge reality with the imagined – or the layers and ideas between those two realms – I’d do so in a car which zooms down the street on Google maps.

Since I don’t get back to China as often as I’d like, I plan to watch construction, as projects develop, with the help of, yes, Google maps.

As a side note, I like color, too, especially the lucky color of red. And fun is good, as are serious topics.

In December, I wrote about Edith Macefield, the late Seattle resident, and her refusal to take $1 million from a developer for her house. That prompted crews to build around that structure.

Her actions later sparked online chatter in China – about a homeowner in Seattle who said no to developers – because a Chengdu area woman ended her life when she was forced to move so developers could begin work.

As you can see in the video and story from The New York Times, the issue remains hot, especially among ordinary people who are being pushed from their homes.

In China, a “nail house” is one in which the owner refuses to leave and make way for development. Fair compensation for the property is often a sticking point.

Certainly, I appreciate The New York Times for covering this issue, especially since its journalists were detained, and for letting people embed the video on websites.

UPDATE: The Times was letting people embed this video after I first saw it. But the company has since removed the code from its website. I should add that my site is free of advertisements.

MORE: One working theory – which sounds very plausible – about why some Chinese government leaders are putting so much pressure on homeowners to leave so that skyscrapers and modern structures can be built is because the more modernization an area or city has, the more likely officials will receive a promotion.

My wife spotted a Chinese online article that talked about this. We’re trying to track that down to provide a link.

But one saying appearing in some online articles refers to having some change in one year but having a larger amount of change in three years. Meaning: There is a goal, of sorts, to raise skyscrapers within three years.

If that goal is met, then, Chinese officials can present that fact, as well as point to shiny, soaring buildings, to senior leaders in hopes of receiving a better job at a higher government level.

All of this is just another example of the rapid, eye-catching change in China.

That one man in The New York Times video talked about how the masses are feeling the pinch of these evictions and new construction.

One interesting note is that Chinese leader Mao Zedong often used the phrase, “Serve the People.” In fact, that phrase is on a wall at Zhongnanhai, the headquarters for the senior Chinese leadership.

And in the video, that large Chinese character on those brick walls and painted in red is “chai.” Its meaning: Demolish.

Also: Sad news regarding a factory in China where iPhones are made.

On Monday, Hummer ended producing the boxy all-wheel drive vehicles. Photo source: super-cars-wallpaper.blogspot.com

The fascinating arc of the Hummer – the big, boxy all-wheel drive vehicles that came to symbolize the strength of the United States – ended Monday when the last model was driven from the assembly line.

NBC News reported the end of the production line for Hummer.

An offer from a Chinese company in Sichuan province to buy the brand and continue selling Hummers never cleared approval from Chinese regulators.

Given China’s mountainous terrain and truly rugged areas – remember, people refer to many of its Western provinces as the mountaintop of the world – I was certain there were the elite in that country who would want to drive one and roll over the rocks beneath them.

That country’s new elite - whether they’re in business or government - really are participating in a new awakening. Years ago, I spotted people, presumably the more privileged, driving Toyota Land Cruisers in China’s mountainous regions to get around. 

With Chinese regulators nixing the purchase, General Motors stopped production.

The popular H2 model began showing up in the U.S. market in 2002.

In 2002 and 2003, I worked as a journalist across the street from a Hummer dealer. I saw them sitting in a row, waiting for customers to drop by and snatch them up.

I visited and chatted with a Hummer representative about H2 sales. His answer: Good.

He showed me a national wire story about the federal government offering tax deductions, at the time, to independent businesspeople who owned cars, vans or trucks over a certain gross vehicle weight.

I poked around and interviewed a Seattle-area accountant. His calculation: An independent businessperson could write off nearly $38,000 from the purchase of a H2, which could cost $50,000 to $60,000.

Of course, the national uproar was brewing because Detroit-based automotive writers had produced articles pointing out this loophole.

I did what any regional newspaper reporter would do – I localized the story.

What I found out was that the gross vehicle weight deduction, essentially, for just a very heavy vehicle, was intended for small businesses, such as a painting or construction company.

Those employees lug thousands of pounds of equipment and supplies from location to location as part of their legitimate business duties.

But the loophole, which was allowed at the time, enabled real estate agents or doctors who ran their own business to buy the bulky, all-wheel drive Hummers and take the deduction.

The loophole has since been closed.

Yes, even in 2002, there was tension and criticism given that heavier vehicles, which by definition, typically have lower fuel mileage than a lighter sedan.

Even earlier this year, the Hummer came under some legitimate and sharp comments from Vanity Fair blogger Christopher Bateman.

Read his blog entry, but here’s one of his takes:

It was a slow, unwieldy behemoth, and it was not particularly attractive aesthetically. It was all but intended to intimidate other drivers, to exercise a kind of military hegemony on the road. It practically goes without saying that it was the ultimate fuck-you to the environment, something that seemed to delight many of its owners, some of whom plastered theirs with bumper stickers celebrating war and global warming. And it was a terrible long-term business investment by GM. With the death of the Hummer, America has a chance to forever bury the perverse cultural forces that gave birth to it and made it popular.

As Chinese companies look to acquire others, I was a bit surprised that regulators in that country blocked the sale.

Bateman raises legitimate questions about the vehicle. But many Chinese companies these days are in hot pursuit of luxury.

Perhaps, and this is speculation, regulators looked at the economics of the vehicles and also knew that there is concern that the Chinese economy might overheat, especially as people borrow from banks to finance multiple real estate purchases.

While China’s real estate market is soaring and people really are participating in the free market, there are concerns of a bubble.

On Hummer’s official website, models can still be purchased.

In summer school years ago, I enrolled in an economics class. The instructor enjoyed talking about the big SUVs that people bought.

His analysis was that gas really wasn’t that expensive at that time because people still flocked to dealerships and bought big SUVs.

He would only be convinced, he said, of high gas prices once the popularity of SUVs dropped in the United States.

Years later, Hummer, in many ways, fits that description.

I guess the other question is: Do we need all-terrain vehicles that are as big as Hummers?

Or is this the result of a product not faring so well in the free market?

Yes, I have written about the end of things – paper airplane tickets and toilets in Seattle. I am very aware of how the free market and technologies in it have transformed the journalism world.

I suppose the answer to the Hummer question depends on where you live, what your needs are and how much you want to spend on gas.

But given the Great Recession, the worst in about 70 years, it is easy to see why the trend for more fuel-efficient vehicles is growing.

Add to that the growing awareness of the environment and what humans have done to it.

When I’ve traveled in China’s outback – its rugged mountains – I often rode in rickety-old buses. People next to me smoked cigarettes. The buses might have been so old that they used leaded fuel.

Yes, I know China these days is pushing for more greener fuel technologies.

But at the time, in the mid-1990s, I hopped on board the buses that were available. I’m glad they took me to my next destination.

The areas that I had the opportunity to visit were remote and truly opened my eyes to how others live. These areas are probably more traveled these days.

But I thought: If this bus breaks down and I’m stranded – even far from a village or township – how would I get back to places with lots of people and food?

While my hiking boots were in good shape, I only carried so much water and food in my backpack.

A friend traveled in the mountains of Sichuan once and the weather was so cold that yaks were dying in large numbers and the restaurants where she stayed in the mountains were open but had no food.

She finally made it out to Xining, a city in Qinghai province, by hitching a frigid ride in a 1950s or 1960s era truck.

Given that context, yes, I would take a ride in a Hummer or Land Cruiser or even on a bicycle if I became stranded in a remote part of the world.

In the movie, Kekexili, a member of an anti-poaching unit that patrols the Qinghai-Tibet region caught a man who trafficked in indigenous animals whose numbers were dwindling.

The movie is based on a true story. In it, the poacher who was caught later walked from the mountains and back to civilization.

Fortunately, all the buses I rode on in China made it to their destinations.

A man lifts corn in December 1975 at a commune in Hubei province. Photo posted on tianya.cn.

With Guangxi's mountains serving as a backdrop, a race takes place in July 1978. Photo posted on tianya.cn.

The odds and ends that I had to chase for the past few days – basic stuff, really – have kept me busy. So, that’s why, in blog terms, I’ve asked for a few days whether or not it’s Friday. I’ll be right in a few days.

Of course, the news continues.

The high-level U.S. delegation that visited Beijing this week was apparently so large with more than 200 people that 48 vehicles – presumably, black, shiny and of the sedan or SUV type – were needed to accommodate members for the strategic and economic dialogue.

The meetings touched upon currency, the global economy and North Korea. They ended Tuesday with, as The New York Times reported, little progress.

But modern times. Modern talks, including challenges for the United States.

Which prompted me to ask: What about China’s recent past?

High-level talks with Chinese leaders who support a “soft” power approach to world affairs are part of the picture as the country plays a greater international role. That “soft” power, as I’m sure foreign government and business leaders have discovered, really can be wrapped in strong, tough packaging.

It is easy so say many things about China these days. But one thing which I think many will agree upon: A tremendous wave of change has washed over the country.

That’s why I like scaling back the scope to a few decades or so.

Months ago, my wife and I were scanning some Chinese websites, when these images – some of which you see here – popped up on tianya.cn.

Given that the images were made from the 1950s to the 1970s – a period which covered China’s tumultuous Cultural Revolution – it is safe to presume that government-backed photographers had a hand in presenting what you see.

Though many had no choice but to live on government communes during this experiment, it certainly was not a romantic period for many people.

That being said, the black-and-white images are stark, capturing moments in time that show us in the 21st century what people did while a camera was present. You’ll notice that many photographed wore big smiles just at the right moment when the shutter clicked.

It seems to me that this is the life that Chinese leader Mao Zedong envisioned for his people – and a reflection other than smiling people watching an arm-wrestling contest was not something he would have welcomed.

These images also help explain, to an extent, China’s drive for modernization and why so many in that country are striving to get what they can, in terms of material goods and opportunities.

Economic disparities – not only on an international level but also among citizens in a nation – do need to be addressed. An imbalance can lead to more tension. And “rebalancing” is a word that some U.S. officials used openly during this visit to China.

For me, the glimpse into the past is what makes the images so fascinating. I’m sure that if I track down people who lived through this era, of life on a Chinese commune, they might say that it differed from what the photographs depict.

Of course, I have the luxury of typing these words during a different era and from the comfort of a house.

And don’t get me wrong: There is much luxury in China these days. Again, a sharp contrast to the images you see here.

I would acknowledge the images’ photo source or which photographer made them. But that tianya.cn post does not include that information.

If you like images of China, here are some noteworthy pictures from photographer Lu Guang. As you might have seen last year, I’ve always liked old-style photographs from China.

In 1958, members of a Zhongshan-area commune take to the water for rowing practice. Photo posted on tianya.cn.

During the summer heat of 1963, two members of a commune in the Shanghai area participate in an arm-wrestling match. Photo posted on tianya.cn.

In the spring of 1957, a man performs on a horizontal bar in a county described as Hui Macheng. Photo posted on tianya.cn.

Members of the Jiangsu Hui commune cross water by pulling themselves across ropes during the summer of 1975. Photo posted on tianya.cn.

In 1958, a member of a commune in Liaoning province serves as a "vault." Photo posted on tianya.cn.

Fireworks and crowds in Beijing's Tiananmen Square mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China in October 2009. There are some reports that the square is no longer China's largest. Photo source: Xinhua

Oh, boy.

On the day that my thoughts turned to Tiananmen Square, in the sense of the vast public space near the Forbidden City and which is so central to China, comes word (in English, too) of an eyebrow-raising news story. It certainly prompts questions as to whether some Chinese people are lost in the new awakening occurring there. Or possibly, is a new push for privacy and freedom emerging?

It involves a former college professor, who in Mandarin would be addressed as “jiao shou.” But as my wife reminded me, some in China have taken to chat rooms to describe this instructor as “jiao shou.”

The pronunciation is the same. The Chinese characters are different. When these other Chinese characters are used, people are calling the person a “shouting animal” – essentially, a wild animal.

I’ll stick to Tiananmen Square and one of the more intriguing possibilities that I thought would never happen – that other public squares are larger in square meters than the symbolic center, or heart, of the People’s Republic of China.

Could it be true?

Mind you, Tiananmen Square covers 440,000 square meters and is the place where leaders – including President Hu Jintao and others – gather each year to mark the beginning of the Chinese Communist Party leading the country.

The large portrait of Mao Zedong looks down on all who pass in the square or those going to and from the Forbidden City. Zhongnanhai, the central headquarters for senior Chinese leaders, is nearby.

Military troops and others march in front of the leaders, nation and thanks to the Internet and television feeds, the world. Last year, Hu stood in a Chinese-made Red Flag limousine and addressed the troops as comrades.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and other senior leaders gathered in October 2009 to watch the festivities in and around Tiananmen Squre that marked the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. Photo source: Xinhua

Symbolically, the message was clear about who had the privilege to conduct such a review and the power to call soldiers, sailors, airmen, militia women and others in colorful, traditional garb for a grand review (see the embedded video from photojournalist Dan Chung).

Last year, in March, Chinese lawmaker Zhou Xiaoguang told reporters that Tiananmen Square – which blossomed as a central meeting place after the Communists gained control of the country – was no longer the largest in the country, and by extension, the world, according to a Xinhua article.

The Chinese news agency quoted him as saying:

Even some small townships have created squares 20,000 square meters bigger than the Tian’anmen square.

It appears that China’s race for luxurious, oversized construction apparently has pushed Tiananmen from the No. 1 spot on the list of largest public spaces on Earth.

From the Xinhua dispatch:

After a thorough investigation into the situation, the lawmaker said that a number of medium and small cities and townships have become craze in constructing mammoth government buildings with fairyland-like artificial lakes and squares….In China, there has been a long tradition of constructing oversized architects, such as mausoleums, palaces, dams and great walls, to show off the leaders’ merits.

The news article also identified Zhou as chairman of the Neoglory Group in Zhejiang province.

Zhou also did not list any of the squares that apparently are bigger than Tiananmen. But the news story carried a Xinhua tag to it and it was posted on China.org.cn.

China.org.cn is the authorized portal for China and has the support of the State Council Information Office.

There is no doubt that China can be a competitive place – what with 1.3 billion people or 20 percent of the world’s population and limited opportunities.

But if this is true, it’s fascinating that the competitive edge for the world’s largest square did not come from some other upstart country or mature one. Rather, the competition was internal – from townships and smaller cities.

In the sense of nationalistic pride, one could understand if the world’s largest square sprouted up in Shanghai, presuming the space was there. For years, senior Chinese leaders have favored the city, especially in shaping it as a regional, and possibly global, financial capital.

Keep in mind that Expo 2010 is going on in Shanghai.

For those who need a conversion from the metric system and presuming that my calculation is correct, Tiananmen Square covers 4,736,120 square feet. The China Daily has reported that is equivalent to 63 football fields.

Xinhua reported that it can hold more than 1 million people, meaning every single person in San Francisco could fit. For Seattle residents, the square could hold, in rough terms, two times the city’s population.

And you thought your high school graduating class or company photo had a bunch of people.

The space which is now Tiananmen Square was created in the 15th century as royal space for the Forbidden City, Xinhua noted. The gate itself – or Tiananmen – was built in 1417 during the Ming Dynasty.

Though it was originally a royal space, it became one for the public.

As part of the May Fourth movement in 1919, students arrived to oppose imperialism. They wanted a stronger Chinese government.

People gather in front of Tiananmen during the May Fourth movement in 1919, when students protested imperialism. Photo source: Wikipedia

In the 1920s, it was an open area where people of various backgrounds could gather, according to political scientist David Strand.

In his book, Rickshaw Beijing: City People and Politics in the 1920s, he writes on Page 172 (which has footnotes):

During the twenties Beijing was the site of social movements, such as feminism, mass nationalism, and unionism, which gave new political meaning to public spaces like the area outside Tianan Gate. In the 1920s Tiananmen ‘square’ was not yet a square in the formal architectural sense. The local press referred to the spot as the ‘empty space outside Tianan Gate.’ Filling this space periodically with townspeople (shimin) and citizens (gongmin) projected an evocative, albeit fleeting, image of municipal and national solidarity. Since many other ‘public’ settings, like temples, guildhalls, teahouses and parks, were either restricted to private or corporate memberships, charged fees, or required purchases of food or drink, spaces opened up to all by the pressure of social movements were critical to the generation of a truly ‘mass’ politics.

Mao had the area expanded after he took power, which was 60 years ago.

Today, you can stroll through Tiananmen Square and keep in mind all of the historic moments that have happened there in China’s long history.

It’s long been a popular place for kite flyers and a place for visitors to stand for souvenir photographs.

It apparently is so big that people get lost in it and need to contact the police for help, the China Daily reported in 2006.

That year, during the country’s National Day holiday – a popular time for sightseeing – a reported 3,700 people became lost in Tiananmen Square, according to police and cited in the press.

From the China Daily article:

Long queues formed at lost-and-found centres, which broadcasted messages alerting lost people where to meet. Police also provided broadcast and telephone services. Some lost visitors gave up looking for loved ones and police provided public transport information so they could return home. Cleaning workers were kept busy having to remove 113.8 tons of rubbish on the square in the first three days of the holiday, 20 times the usual daily amount, according to the Beijing News. 

My wife and I did a quick search of the Internet to find out what other Chinese squares might be larger than Tiananmen. We found other squares, including Xinghai Square in Dalian.

One Dalian tourism site reports that it’s 45,000 square meters and apparently Asia’s largest municipal square.

But using that number, Tiananmen Square is larger at 440,000 square meters.

It’s also unclear as to whether that 45,000 square meters area only covers the yellow star or includes the landscaped portion in the second photo.

That travel site about Dalian notes:

It is almost three times larger than Tiananmen Square.

Whichever square is the largest, Tiananmen will still be central to the People’s Republic of China.

It always will be.

One Chinese man reportedly has more than 20,000 items that relate to Tiananmen Square.

And one Chinese science fiction writer envisions that Tiananmen Square will feature prominently in 2069, which will be the 120th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

How so?

Chinese astronauts, this writer says, will be able to salute Tiananmen Square from the moon.

Stay tuned.

For years, this was the typical view that ordinary people saw of Zhongnanhai, the government compound in Beijing used by senior Chinese leaders. Google maps, especially the Earth view option, has changed that. Photo source: beijing2007.wordpress.com

So, do you remember the recent Google in China row?

The one earlier this year in which the Silicon Valley-based search and technology giant made global news with reports of hacked email accounts and possibly stolen code? The company – which questioned operating a filtered site in the rapidly-growing country – later decamped its mainland China search engine operations to Hong Kong.

Well, in an interesting twist, it looks like the California technology wizards have scored a point (or two) for transparency regarding Zhongnanhai, the compound near the Forbidden City that many in the senior Chinese leadership call home.

How so?

Satellite images on Google maps permit viewers to see over the walls of the compound, where many in China’s leadership meet and reside.

In a way, it’s not a super secret that this complex exists. People living in and visiting Beijing know it’s there – right near the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.

The U.S. government posted images of former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez’s visit to Zhongnanhai in 2006. Chinese media outlets have published photographs.

Back in 1999, on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Time Asia ran an insightful article about Zhongnanhai, complete with palace intrigue, a black-and-white photograph of leader Mao Zedong rowing a boat in a lake behind the walls and notes about protesters standing outside at various times.

For the power elite in China, the article noted, Zhongnanhai has always been a coveted destination:

Getting into Zhongnanhai has always been hard work, and once you’re in, staying there has never been easy. Thinkers, economists and rebels have all vied to be received there by party leaders.

And I know international reporters have visited and likely have taken photographs to show others.

But as GlobalSecurity.org noted in its description of the Chinese government compound:

Although foreign visitors cannot enter the complex, they can examine it from the exterior.

There are guards around the entrances, such that once when I visited years ago, I saw one telling a person to put a video camera away.

The fact that almost anyone with access to Google maps – including users of Google.com.hk, the site to which mainland Chinese users are directed after they go to Google.cn – can now peer over the walls is, well, something that probably has come to the attention of the security detail responsible for keeping everything calm.

I’m sure, if given the choice, Chinese security officials would prefer that the aerial images not be available to, well, the public.

Think about it this way: Long before a satellite could hover in space and transmit images back to Earth so that Google could repurpose (to use that word) them for daily use by ordinary people, the Chinese government had essentially what was a moat around Zhongnanhai.

As we know, moats have long been a convenient way of telling someone in an unspoken, visual way that you’d like some space.

If you have never seen over the compound’s walls or the moat inside, have a look below:

View Larger Map

If the map is not showing up as an embedded image, click on “View Larger Map” to see it in a Google window.

Of course, some in China and other parts of the world might question whether Google’s use of these aerial photographs invade other people’s privacy.

I’m sure that if a company based in another country decided to post aerial images taken of the United States, well, there would be lively chatter about what was happening.

I suppose for the senior Chinese leadership – or at least their security officers - it could be much worse.

First, as we know, there are underground pathways under nearby Tiananmen Square. Google maps to my knowledge has not put those online for the world to see.

Second, Google actually could have add three-dimensional graphics to Zhongnanhai.

The technology giant did so with the nearby Forbidden City (scroll to the right in the Google map above) to give viewers a virtual sense of visiting one of the most famous places in China.

The Great Wall received graphic treatment from Google as well.

Google also added graphics to the White House in Washington, D.C.

I’m sure enough people, including students, were curious enough to see what the White House looked like with walls that Google decided to proceed with it.

By the way, the Grand Canyon takes on a fascinating look with Google Earth maps.

So does the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Hong Kong’s skyscrapers certainly stand out with the Google Earth maps.

By the way, if you can at some point, it’s good to actually visit a place in person. You get a sense of the smell, the people, the noise, the lights, the vibe.

Virtual traveling is a great introduction. But it’s not until you’re physically in a place and realize that everyone around you doesn’t speak English that it sinks in how big the world is.

You also start to wonder how you’re going to order food.

Anyway, the Google maping system hasn’t always won fans around the world.

But the fact that you could see an aerial view of Zhongnanhai also has been possible since last year – even before Google went public with the hacking attempts, which were believed to have originated in China.

I noted the aerial view of the Forbidden City last year. At the time, the middle line that can be seen from above in the Forbidden City fascinated me – it still does.

Only recently did I think about the map system and Zhongnanhai in the context of the Google in China issue.

The images show that technology and its backers can sometimes push the boundaries of what governments want – or like.

As the Google in China issue unfolded earlier this year, company executives talked about running an unfiltered search engine in that country.

Some Chinese writers and government officials responded by saying that Google had to follow the law in China and that there is never a true free flow of online information.

But in the case of the satellite maps, though, the Google techies have proved a point – all you have to do is look.

One difference, though, is that when you use Google maps to view your own home, you know what time of day the camera took the picture.

All you have to do is see if your cars are out front.

UPDATE: I forgot to say that the International Forum in Tokyo is on Google’s list of graphically-enhanced buildings.

As I was looking for it and surveying Tokyo’s skyline, I realized that Google Earth maps remind me of what artist Rob Carter did on Vimeo.

Yes, Seattle’s Space Needle stands in 3-D glory on Google as well.

While some English signs in Shanghai might be poorly translated and humorous, the Chinese city boasts numerous skyscrapers and has become a financial capital. Photo source: www.simple-chinese.com

From the looks of it, The New York Times story about butchered or poorly-translated English phrases in China is making the rounds in a big way, judging from the fact that it’s one of the Gray Lady’s most emailed stories since being published on Sunday.

The article, which carries a Shanghai dateline, includes some egregious examples of words and phrases that are embarrassing, incorrect, offensive and need to be fixed. Some translations can make you chuckle – especially if you’re a native English speaker.

Two examples:

• Slip and fall down carefully
• Keep off the lake

The way I translate the signs: “Be careful of falling” and “Please don’t go in the lake.”

There are more examples - so read the article.

I think the Times story offers a reasonable explanation as to why these words are missing letters and why phrases have new or convoluted meanings: Laziness and bad computer translations.

But while the focus – in and of itself - is humorous to many outside of China, the article might have been more insightful had it included more context of China’s place in the world in 2010 and the extent of English in that country.

I chalk part of the “Chinglish” phenomenon to the fact that China has an enormous population (if you haven’t noticed) of 1.3 billion.

In China, it’s easy to run into hundreds of thousands of people, if not millions, on short notice. Because there’s an economy of scale, of sorts, in terms of people.

You can have millions of people who speak and write English well or relatively well.

That’s acknowledging that English is a second language and many of these speakers might not have had the opportunity (yet, at least) to study and live in the United States, England, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

Likewise, it’s easy to encounter millions of Chinese who have not mastered English to where they can communicate with native speakers or realize that a translation is wrong.

Of course, there are those who might not even care if a Chinese sign has been translated correctly.

Yet, it is very possible to encounter Chinese people who have studied overseas, can navigate their way in both Mandarin and English and serve as key translators at government or business meetings or for international tour groups.

As in, from the perspective of an English-only speaker visiting China:

Don’t leave me! I need your help to order food, buy local train tickets and read all these Chinese characters for me!

I am aware that a growing number of expatriates in China are fluent in Mandarin and really have a strong grasp of China’s history and nuances.

This is a good thing – just as more ethnic Chinese people speak other languages, including English.

I haven’t checked the Chinese chat rooms in regards to reaction to this article. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it served as fodder for true questions and criticism about why it ran without additional context in such a prominent U.S. publication.

Such as: People in a country trying to make an effort to help non Chinese speakers have a better understanding of the signs in front of them.

I suppose it’s easy to overlook intent and focus only on the result.

My sense about this article rests on the fact that many Chinese people are quite sensitive to how the outside world views them and the country.

The Anti-CNN Website gained popularity a few years ago, especially when many Chinese thought CNN’s coverage in 2008 of turmoil in Tibet and the prelude to the Beijing Olympics was biased.

The Times article quoted Wang Xiaoming, a Chinese Academy of Social Sciences scholar who specializes in English, about the poorly-translations and watching reaction from her foreign-born colleagues:

They didn’t mean to insult me but I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

Yes, there is a drive to clean up “Chinglish” in China.

But consider this: Many Chinese are fully aware that foreign countries have occupied or invaded China in past centuries – that there is a perception (read toward the bottom of the post) that the country has been historically weak or considered by some as backwards.

So when you have The Times playing up this “Chinglish” article – which points out errors – it probably strikes a nerve among many Chinese.

This sensitivity could explain why there is so much strength displayed during China’s National Day Parade each year and, until recently, that Chinese expatriates would gather to welcome President Hu Jintao during foreign trips.

I’d argue that “Chinglish” is only part of the overall China picture in 2010.

Had this article appeared in the late 1980s or early 1990s, I could understand that it was more central in the context of a country opening up to the world.

But in recent years, the world has seen:

• China hold at least $800 billion in U.S. debt.
• Chinese leaders say no to the United States.
• The U.S. and China exchange barbs regarding the environment.
• The Chinese Navy gain advanced capabilities.
• Chinese companies buy Volvo and older Saab technology.
• IBM personal computers become Chinese-owned Lenovo.
• Baidu, which is similar to Google, soar.
• More Chinese students studying in the United States. 
• Chinese students paying full tuition at U.S. schools and colleges.
• China invest significantly in Africa.
• Government-backed language programs, under the Confucius Institute, open in the world.
• A Chinese commercial airplane being developed.
• Home-buying boom occur, with concerns of a bubble. 
• High Chinese savings rates, attracting media and academic attention.
• Expo 2010 open in Shanghai – with GM showcasing its new electric vehicle.

I’m still trying to figure out where Chinese companies and the government get all of that money to spend.

From an outsider’s perspective, I have seen or heard about high amounts of spending, especially among the new growing elite.

Another way to look at the ”Chinglish” issue is that there are a large number of people in China who are striving to learn and master English.

They know that it’s the language of business, at least for now, and central to academic studies worldwide.

Yes, there are probably some in China who might not want to fix an English mistake – hey, it is more work – or might not realize that a true error had occurred.

But I do know that people in China take great strides to help others (myself, included) pronounce and write Chinese characters correctly.

I suppose a similar article could have been done by a Chinese reporter based in the United States. It might have looked at whether native English speakers are succeeding in pronouncing Mandarin – a tonal language - correctly.

Guess what?

Many native English speakers are accustomed to a non-tonal language.

What do you think that Chinese reporter could write about?

I understand that many expatriates in China are frustrated by “Chinglish.” You either get used to the mistakes, ignore them or set out to correct every single one that you see.

Besides, living, studying and traveling in China can have its trying times.

If you’re an expatriate, you can lose your sense of who you were in your home country. You want confidence in a new place.

And if you’re always lost in a sea of Chinese characters and people speaking Mandarin or their regional dialects, it is very easy to hone in on all those poorly-translated English signs.

I’m not saying this is the experience of The Times journalist. I’m saying that this is a possibility of what could happen.

There are many topics to question in China. But “Chinglish” might be one that should be in the middle or bottom of the pack. 

A word of advice: If you see the Chinese menu photographed in The Times and don’t like chicken with bacteria in it (48 yuan or about $7 USD), you always can opt for the minced beef soup.

The English is not only spelled out clearly and correctly for non-Chinese speakers. But it’s also cheaper – at 25 yuan or about $3.70 USD.

As for me: I’d order the chicken.

The bacteria listed on that menu are actually various types of mushrooms.

It’s probably delicious – so much so that you might send friends back home an email about the food.

In English, of course.

The world’s party is happening in Shanghai – at Expo 2010.

And China’s “The Crown of the East” is turning heads at Expo 2010, which runs through the end of October.

Officials estimate 70 million people will attend. In many ways, the entire Expo 2010 symbolizes much of China – big, beautiful, complex, meaningful, modern, traditional and head-scratching.

In a nod to Fark, here’s a quick rundown of observations:

COLORFUL: Yahoo-branded Chinese websites go with colorful images, including fireworks.

BOUNTIFUL: Xinhua, China Daily and People’s Daily devote much space to Expo 2010. Xinhua’s online layout stands out.

PAVILION SEARCH: Find the one from your home country.

NOTEWORTHY: The Chinese government spent $45 billion on Expo 2010, reportedly more than the Beijing Olymics in 2008.

FACTOID: Last year, World Bank said it would invest $45 billion to speed up global economic recovery. Also, in 2009, FDIC asks U.S. banks to pay $45 billion to boost cash reserves.

GREENWORTHY: Chinese media report says Expo 2010 fireworks were free of smoke and milk boxes used for 2,000 seats for VIPS.

IMAGE WORTHY: Yahoo’s English site goes with nearly 200 photos of Expo 2010.

YUM: Xinhua offers special section – in English – on Shanghai snacks, including steamed bun with crab inside.

A JAVA COMPLAINT: French journalist asks for stronger-tasting coffee but says all is modern.

SHOPPER ALERT: Opportunities await, especially on Nanjing Road.

SHOPPER PROTECTION: Shanghai sends English-speaking attorneys to Expo 2010 to resolve consumer complaints (if they surface).

BUILDING WISE: Macau makes pavilion in shape of a jade rabbit, which in Chinese mythology stands in front of ”nantianmen” as its pronounced in Mandarin.

In the Monkey King, one of China’s most famous tales, “nantianmen” is the door leading to Heaven, separating life on Earth and an ever-lasting world.

Shanghai is home to White Rabbit candy (which has had a few problems in recent years).

CROSS-STRAITS WATCH: Chinese President Hu Jintao shakes hands and poses for photographs with Guomingdang officials, or KMT, from Taiwan.

NOTEWORTHY II: Apparently, first time in 40 years that Taiwan has participated in an Expo.

BUDGETWORTHY: Chinese officials said $45 billion makes for nice and simple event - budget could have been larger.

CUBA AT THE EXPO: Pavilion of U.S. neighbor reportedly will feature cigars and Cuban-style cocktails.

NORTH KOREA WATCH: If you can’t get into that country on a visa, you can walk to its pavilion.

COCA COLA PAVILION: It exists – with wind-proof metal blinds.

JAPANESE ROBOT: At least one, measuring 130 centimeters in height, will be on display in a Japanese industry pavilion (photograph is below).

CHINESE ROBOTS: The Shaanxi pavilion has robots depicting Emperor Xuanzong from the Tang Dynasty. Fast-foward to robots that can be journalists and can cook Chinese food.

USA PAVILION: It apparently received early good marks. The structure is pictured below.

PAVILION OF FUTURE: Artist’s rendition, pictured below, shows books. Hopefully, it includes the iPad or HP Slate.

VEHICLES OF THE FUTURE: GM is showcasing its new electric car, produced with a Shanghai partner, at Expo 2010. Images are from GM.

OLDER: In the 1990s, Chinese tourists flocked to Windows of the World in Shenzhen to see replicas of global monuments. Clearly, in many ways, Expo 2010 eclipses that theme park.

NATIONAL DAY 2010: Chinese citizens usually have a week-long vacation. They might head to Expo 2010.

WORTHY: Who says China doesn’t have fun things to do? China knows how to throw a world party.

AIRFARE: Hainan Airlines flies directly from Seattle to Beijing. 

SAD: The New York Times and other media outlets report attacks on school-age kids in China. Help needed.

THOUGHT INDUCER: The Gray Lady quotes U.S. architect in China as saying:

The Expo won’t make architectural history….But this is a more sustainable approach. The Water Cube is being eaten alive by acid rain.

SIDE NOTE: This incident in Houston doesn’t sound good.

LAST NOTE: Thanks for reading this post!

Chinese President Hu Jintao is greeted by a friendly crowd on a trip to Germany in 2007. Photo source: Xinhua

When Chinese President Hu Jintao landed in Washington, D.C. earlier this month to attend a nuclear summit, one group of flag-waving greeters apparently did not show up at the airport: Throngs of ethnic Chinese.

That fact might have been overlooked by some observors in the United States.

Security at the Washington, D.C. summit was tight, as the Washington Post reported, and that might have contributed to a report about the lack of a welcoming crowd.

But Xinhua, the Chinese news agency, moved a story (use Google translation tool for English) about the absence of beaming, cheering Chinese, reporting that Chinese officials did not want to inconvenience Chinese expatriates living in the Washington, D.C. area.

So, Hu’s touchdown in the United States was much more low key.

As Xinhua reported:

President Hu Jintao and other central leaders fully understand that the hard work of overseas compatriots, decided to simplify the arrangements.

Why is this important?

In recent years at least, senior Chinese officials typically have been welcomed during international arrivals not only by their host governments but also by Chinese expatriates and overseas students.

They waved flags, held banners with warm words and clapped as he prepared to go to his next destination.

The reaction to this recent request to continue with daily life was, well, appreciation for senior Chinese officials.

Xinhua included this comment from Zhu Li Chong, identified as chairman of Chinese Associations in New York:

The patriotism of overseas Chinese can be expressed through a variety of ways, each point of our motherland are encouraged by progress and change. 

The official explanation might need some parsing because – as we’ve seen from recent Chinese history – senior officials know that having 20 percent of the world’s population can be an asset when the goal is to drum up support, often at short notice.

It could very well be that the Chinese leader did not want ethnic Chinese in the United States to take time off from their jobs or classes to gather and greet him.

President Hu Jintao lands in the Washington, D.C. area in 2006 before visiting with then President George Bush. Photo source: Xinhua

But the Chinese leader’s visit occurred at a time when “soft power” are the words of choice.

They are used to tamp down global perception that China – its government and the country – is rising incredibly fast and might overshadow other countries, including the United States.

It’s not just the United States that has concerns. Neighboring countries in Asia – Japan, for instance – are following China’s rise in the world.

There is nothing wrong with a country leaving the past and growing economically and politically in the world.

The United States experienced this growth, especially following World War II.

The difference, I think, is that countries are a bit uncertain about China’s new rise and how it will affect them – and that senior Chinese leaders are truly capable, in many ways, of achieving their goals.

So, how will those goals – which sometimes are opaque – affect other countries, the environment and the global economy?

China’s naval fleet is becoming more modern, as The New York Times reported, capable of acting as a forward-power force.

The valuation of the Chinese renminbi remains a hot topic, especially with trade deficits and exports.

From the Chinese perspective, this rise might be welcomed, given how many in that country are aware of how China has been perceived as a weak nation for centuries.

A case in point was last year’s 60th National Day parade in Beijing: Analysts noted that the extravaganza of people and military vehicles served the purpose of rallying Chinese in the country.

But Westerners and others around the world, no doubt, paid attention to what cameras captured.

Dan Chung, a photojournalist with The Guardian, posted this excellent clip from that event.

So, by having a crowd of enthusiastic Chinese expatriates waiting for Hu to land in the United States might have drawn too much attention to the country’s global position in 2010.

Keep in mind that on paper, in many ways, the country is strong economically.

Its economy has grown for years, more Chinese can afford nicer apartment homes and cars, real estate prices are booming and the numbers of Chinese students attending universities in the United States, European countries and Australia are growing.

Yes, there are many areas – such as helping rural residents and the tens of millions of migrant workers - that China needs to work on.

But China in 2010 is very much different than a decade or so ago.

As a side note, I actually enjoy seeing Chinese crowds line the streets or gather at the airports in the United States to welcome Hu.

In 2006, when he stopped in the Seattle area and before visiting Washington, D.C., busloads of people lined the downtown streets.

It gave me a new experience.

There were critics, too.

Some jockeyed for space on the streets to put their banners in front of ones which they disagreed.

When the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual and political leader, visited Seattle in 2008, a large group of ethnic Chinese gathered at the University of Washington to exercise their First Amendment rights protected in the United States.

It’s fair to say that the crowd opposed the Dalai Lama.

As I’ve said before, President Barack Obama has issued an invitation to the Chinese leader for a visit – a state one, I presume – this year.

When that event rolls around, I wonder who will show up to greet the Chinese leader.

When I spotted The Seattle Times story about the Confucius Institute officially opening in Seattle to further Mandarin studies, I perked up. Knowing more languages always opens doors.

The Institute, as the Times reported, has ties to China’s Ministry of Education. But I also thought of a saying in Chinese: One eye open, one eye closed.

The way I interpret it, it means that you keep one eye closed in case, well, things that might be questionable pop up but you still want a long-term relationship. Yes, you look the other way.

You keep one eye open whenever the news, information or financial offer will benefit you.

I have long argued that better relations between the United States and China are needed, that large-scale tensions between the two countries will have an adverse effect and innocent people in both countries will be caught in the middle.

Language is one way to bridge gaps. I know: I studied Mandarin in China and later used it to travel through the country - its big cities, mountainous areas and rural towns.

But these days, especially given the critical thinking skills that is fostered at schools in the West, this relationship needs to be examined in closer detail – what given the Google in China case, the country’s fast and clear rise in the world and the fact that senior Chinese government officials like to achieve their goals.

Chinese government officials these days are fond of talking about “soft power.” But as “soft power” circulates more in global affairs, keep in mind that it’s legitimate to ask questions.

But one lesson that has surfaced: You’ll certainly feel less heat if the Chinese government considers you to be a friend.

That might have been the path that Seattle educational and state leaders took on Monday during a ceremony in Seattle to hail the official opening of the Confucius Institute of the State of Washington.

What I found fascinating, though, in the coverage were some of the comments from officials. They reflected a context from the 1990s.

China’s economy, its cities, purchasing power and growing elite have changed dramatically since then – I would think the comments from U.S. counterparts would have reflected that.

I recognize that the people who were quoted in the Times are probably bright, articulate people. It also might have been the way that the comments were put in context in that article.

Here are two examples of what I’m talking about.

The article quoted Michele Anciaux Aoki of the Washington state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The institute is ‘about opening up China….It’s a two-way street.’

Arguably, though, when world-famous architect Rem Koolhaus has designed the CCTV building in Beijing, the country is open.

Add to that the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the Expo 2010, held in Shanghai, and that just about every single business around the globe is aware of China’s truly awesome market power and potential.

When Chinese tourists and officials stop off to shop for designer goods in New York City and Paris – and also help spread money across borders – it’s safe to say that China is open.

I understand that not all Chinese can take advantage of China’s open doors. But a large number of Chinese can pursue new opportunities.

And is it a two-way street?

You could probably find an answer to that in Google’s recent experience of discovering hacked accounts, security problems with Google code and Chinese government.

If it was a two-way street, wouldn’t the other 30 estimated companies that reportedly had their software or servers hacked or compromised come forward to publicly say so?

As Google learned, the Chinese government delivered criticism quite fast. 

It’s more accurate to say that working in China is a street in which the Chinese government will allow certain actions but is very willing to stop others.

The government also will act in its own interests when it deems necessary. There have been reports of Chinese businesses asking for their Western partners to share technology before a deal goes through.

James McGregor, a China expert who has lived there for decades, an author and a former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, wrote in January that some international businesspeople in that country felt that they had been “bamboozled by the system.”

Jack Welch, the former chief executive of General Electric, put it in blunt terms on CNBC in March.

Xu Lin, a Chinese education official whose group Hanban operates the Institute, attended the Monday celebration.

She reportedly told Seattle students, who spoke Mandarin:

You will be the pioneers between China and the United States.

If you were a parent, teacher or U.S. government official, that probably sounded like the right thing to say to boost warmer relations.

Even if you can speak fluent Chinese and are from the Seattle area, the better way to be a true pioneer between the two countries would be to understand the thinking of senior Chinese government officials and be on good enough terms to talk about global issues – including sensitive ones – in a constructive manner.

In other words, the issue of U.S.-China relations is beyond the mere teaching of Mandarin and Chinese culture, especially in 2010.

Singing songs in Chinese is a good start – and cute when U.S. kids do it. But very quickly, as many kids in China realize, life can become competitive – and in adulthood, some do whatever it takes to get on top of the heap.

What should be taught to native English speakers studying Mandarin is a deep sense of Chinese history, the ability to negotiate with business or government partners in China and the awareness that senior Chinese government officials enjoy getting what they want.

Tall order for youths?

Well, China has the ability to do that.

Besides, it would be dishonest for teachers in the United States to stress only side of what is expected to become the world’s second-largest economy and not give a full picture.

Equally, it would be dishonest for teachers in the United States to give students a scrubbed version of U.S. history.

Of course, there are many good, honest people in China. There are bad apples – all countries have them.

In the West, we teach kids that poor behavior – lying, cheating, corruption, intimidation and stealing – will not be tolerated, that there are better ways to achieve your goals than to take these shortcuts.

They are deeply rooted in U.S. history, in our sense of ethics, in what communities deem to be right or wrong behavior.

Many economists argue that the market will not reward those who pursue such paths.

This ought to be one of the underlying lessons that U.S. schools should stress to students who are learning Chinese, especially with help from the Confucius Institute.

More people in the United States should study Mandarin. It’s a beautiful language. Chinese characters are an art form.

Knowing Chinese will help people better understand how residents in the world’s most populous country view the world.

As a country, China is gorgeous, kinetic - even though parts are polluted. It has a long history of brilliant scholars.

You can climb a Chinese Buddhist mountain, and if crowds are not there, possibly talk with a monk all by yourself.

But U.S. citizens who can speak Mandarin should not turn their heads – or close their eyes – when something dishonest or harmful to the public falls before them.

In English or Mandarin, they should say something.

Yes, I do have thoughts about Confucius.