Mini-Stimulus to Fuel Reforms

正At the present time,China is in need of economic stimulus,a fact testified to by the struggling branches of some banks and the sluggish manufacturing industry.The country should no longer base its optimistic mood solely on the explosive growth of the information technology(IT)and e-commerce industries.Without the upgrading of its manufacturing sector,China’s economy will     

Why Am I Drawn to a City of Smog?

正STARING out the window on a rainy Sunday,I have to say that life is a bit boring here.By"here"I am referring not to Beijing,but my quiet hometown in the U.K.This is no longer surprising to me.Recently several journalists interviewed me,asking if the thick smog would cause a massive outf low of expats from China.After reading the     

Another Jiawu Year

正THE year 2014 is a Jiawu Year a c c o r d i n g t o t h e C h i n e s e sexagenary cycle.This tradi tional method of numbering days and years adopted by many Asian countries through history no longer has any significance in modern calen drical matters.But it is still relevan in Chinese contemporary astrology and fortune telling.It was during the Jiawu Year 120 years ago that the Sino-Japanese War broke out.Known in China as the Jiawu War,it com pletely reversed the national status o China and Japan,and led to a long term state of war between the two countries.Nowadays,we see constan disputes and friction between China     

A Homecoming

正I first met Dorje Tseten on his daily circumambulation,the ritual of circling a Tibetan Buddhist holy site and praying,along Lingkhor,the sacred path in Lhasa,capital of Tibet Autonomous Region.While he no longer has the agility of his youth,the 84 year old insists on performing his prayer wheel ritual every day.On completion he takes the bus home."I have the card for senior citizens that entitles me to free bus travel,"he said.Dorje Tseten returned to Lhasa from a decades-long exile in 1999.He left