a blog about soybean cake and other essential topics
Melinda Liu of Newsweek captures the essence of U.S.-China relations in 2009 by visiting a flag factory, which makes – of all things – the Stars and Stripes.
Liu has been a longtime observer of China and picked just the right place to illustrate how change can happen fast.
Similar to other journalists and analysts, she notes that China holds $800 billion in U.S. debt.
Dan Chung, a staff photographer with the Guardian, has filed some remarkable videos about China, including this one of Beijing construction.
We often see the end result of the glittering towers of China. He spent time to look at the people who put those skyscrapers together.
Many – if not all – of the workers in this video are likely migrants, who travel from China’s towns and villages to the big cities in search of work.
If you didn’t see, The New York Times notes concern in Japan about China’s economic rise in Asia – and the world. The article notes that China is expected to become the world’s second-largest economy next year.
If you didn’t see, I noted some of the underlying ideas in this post about a country’s place in the world.
Recently, I included Chung’s other work – a nice, down-to-earth video about Chinese lanterns – in this entry, about those red lanterns that can light up the night.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Chinese President Hu Jintao stands in a Hongqi, or Red Flag, limousine on Oct. 1, 2009 as part of the celebrations for China's 60th anniversary of communist rule. Photo source: Xinhua
As I stood in a retail store in Seattle, I glanced at my BlackBerry Curve to get a summary of news headlines.
I spotted one describing the grand parade in the People’s Republic of China on Oct. 1 to mark 60 years of communist rule.
The Associated Press story carried this topper about the Beijing celebration: “Communist China marks 60 years with tanks, kitsch.”
China has changed dramatically in its 60 years under its communist leaders. The economy has surged. More people have better lives, including home and car ownership, traveling to other countries and sending their kids overseas for college.
As analysts pointed out to the media, the parade’s spectacle of floats, soldiers, military equipment and fighter jets was geared toward a domestic audience. It pumped people’s pride.
Of course, the entire world watched – including analysts in capitals around the globe.
But kitsch? Was that the most accurate word to use in this context?
Years ago, I took this photograph during one of my China trips. A week ago, I found it in a file.
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