China
So what if the iPad hasn’t launched in China yet…
While the launch of the iPad in China is continuously postponed - its release has most recently been assured for the end of May - Apple fans in the country, like our Observer Christophe, have so far had no problem getting hold of the genuine tablet computer. Read more...
Commitment in clothes
How can you tell the difference between a serious couple and "just good friends" in Korea, China or Japan? Easy. A pair of really committed lovers will be wearing the same outfit. Read more and see the photos...
China’s “Good Samaritan” turns Party into a laughing stock
Lei Feng is the Chinese Communist Party's favourite do-gooder. The late comrade has been unknowingly representing good behaviour since he died in 1962. Each year, a day is held to encourage his enviable virtues. But this year, the legend has been employed by one web user to make a mockery of the Chinese Communist Party; with his very own blog. Read more...
Google gets around the great firewall, but Chinese Web users are left behind
"Cannot display the web page".
Since early Tuesday, Web users attempting to access Google's Chinese website have been redirected to the search engine's Hong Kong version. It looks almost exactly the same, but the big difference is that it's uncensored. One of our Observers in Shanghai, Isaac Mao, explains what difference, if any, it will make to Chinese web users. Read more...
Can you ban people from going out in pyjamas?
Leaving the house in your pyjamas is nothing unusual in Shanghai, where locals blame their not getting dressed on high temperatures. In May this year however, when Expo 2010 begins in the city, the local authorities are planning to crack down on public pyjama-wearers. The slogan for their campaign: "Be civilized for the Expo, don't wear your pyjamas outdoors". Read more...
Why sleeping on a hospital floor can make you money in China
The people in this photo are waiting for the hospital they're sleeping in to open so that they can buy a ticket to see the doctor. They won't go to the appointment though; they'll simply sell their ticket to a scalper, who will then sell it to someone who actually needs it, for a much higher price. Read more...
Chinese dogs: out of the frying pan, into the dyer
China will consider bringing an end to the consumption of dogs and cats in April when legal advisors are to brief Beijing on the legality of the unusual delicacy. Read more...
China’s tobacco sponsored schools
The World Health Organisations (WHO) estimates that a third of the world's smokers live in China. Cigarette brands are such an integral part of the establishment, that even infant schools carry their names. Read more...
Chinese Google fans dare to demonstrate in Beijing
A few dozen supporters of Google, placards in hand, made their way to the Beijing office yesterday in support of the American giant, who for the first time, is standing up to the Chinese government. Read more...
Chinese web users pay respects to Google
Google is making a remarkable stance against the Chinese government. The US company is threatening to pull out of China after they discovered that the Gmail accounts of Chinese activists had been the target of "highly sophisticated cyber attacks"; suggesting that the government is guilty of trying to hack into dissidents' accounts. They also said that they were tired of following the country's state censorship policies, which the company adopted in early 2006.
