China Travel, News and Lifestyle
Reading
The Next Empire – China in Africa
Apr 13th
Back from a two-year hiatus we bring you an article from The Atlantic, The Next Empire, written by Howard French, former Shanghai bureau chief for the New York Times. Howard travels through Africa and explores its relationship to China.
All across Africa, new tracks are being laid, highways built,ports deepened, commercial contracts signed—all on an unprecedented scale, and led by China, whose appetite for commodities seems insatiable. Do China’s grand designs promise the transformation,at last, of a star-crossed continent? Or merely its exploitation? The author travels deep into the heart of Africa, searching for answers.
The article is very in-depth and carries a generally more positive tone towards the China-Africa relationship in comparison to other articles on the topic. Someone at The Atlantic should have proofread this though. There are spaces missing here and there…
New York Times: New Power in Africa
Aug 28th
New York Times, known for its quality articles and one of my favorite news sources, has launched a new article series about the increasing Chinese influence in Africa.
China’s Young Elite – The “Me” Generation
Jul 31st
I recently read a very interesting TIME article called China’s Me Generation about the young elite (dubbed the “Me” Generation by author Simon Elegant) in China and their relation to life, money and politics.
This article struck a chord with me. The lifestyle of the young Chinese elite is one really feasible and respectable and has certainly motivated me to work harder towards my goals. Author Simon Elegant was also spot-on regarding the political standpoints of young Chinese. Contrary to some popular western journalism that blatantly bashes the Chinese government when it comes to politics, this article explores the current situation in a genuine and personal setting. This is definitely an article worth reading.
See excerpt:
Because of China’s one-child policy, instituted in 1978, this is the first generation in the world’s history in which a majority are single children, a group whose solipsistic tendencies have been further encouraged by a growing obsession with consumerism, the Internet and video games. At the same time, today’s young Chinese are better educated and more worldly than their predecessors.
[Via China Law Blog]
