Balancing

Awarded Photos of 2015 Harmonious 北京 (Běijīng) in the Eyes of Foreign Friends. Photo: George Doupas.

As you don’t want coffee, can I offer you mokaccino?

China has marked “National Security Education Day” with a poster warning young female government workers about dating handsome foreigners who could turn out to be spies. [Read more].

• Associated Press in Berlin, Beware of 'Dangerous Love' with foreign spies, China tells its women, The Guardian, April 20, 2016

A woman walks past a poster in 北京 (Běijīng) warning against foreign spies. Photo: Ng Han Guan/AP.

Night People

A well-known Chinese civil rights lawyer has been taken into police custody after sharing information about the Panama Papers on social media, human rights groups have said. 葛永喜 (Gé Yǒngxǐ), an outspoken attorney known for defending underground church leaders and political and social activists, was taken from his home in 佛山 (Fóshān), a city in southern China, at about midnight on Thursday by five plain-clothes policemen, according to activists and his lawyer. [Read more].

• Tom Phillips, Panama Papers: China detains lawyer after he shares details of leaders online, The Guardian, April 15, 2016

葛永喜 (Gé Yǒngxǐ) was taken from his home by five plain-clothes police officers, according to his lawyer and activists. Photo: Facebook.

Eighth Wonder of the World

• Vincent Kolo, 巴拿馬文件 八名中共領導上榜 (Panama Papers point to eight Chinese leaders), RedChinaCn.net, April 11, 2016

Family members of at least eight of China’s current and former political leaders appear in the ”Panama Papers”, including relatives of 习近平 (Xí Jìnpíng), 刘云山 (Liú Yúnshān) and 张高丽 (Zhāng Gāolí). In China’s political system, such inside scoops often play an important role in power struggles between factions inside the Party. Here’s the reason for the desperate government censorship of media coverage. [Read more].

Image courtesy of RedChinaCn.net

貧富差距

• 资产转移是特色路线的自然后果 (Offshore money transfers are a natural consequence of the bad way undertaken), RedChinaCn.net, April 6, 2016

As a matter of fact, Chinese people has long been well aware that national money is concentrated in the hands of a few (inequality ratio of 5% against 95%). The problem does not arise today, but it stems from the longstanding betrayal of ideals and values by Party leadership. [Read more].

Artwork © Alizadeh-Art

遠程過程調用 (Remote Procedure Call)

• 习近平最新“批示” 保持沉默、不变应万变 (Xí Jìnpíng’s latest “instructions” are to remain silent, maintaining the status quo), RedChinaCn.net, April 5, 2016

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, after a day and a night and a day of hard thinking, came to the conclusion that it was better not do anything. 习近平 (Xí Jìnpíng), after listening to each excerpt and reporting, dictated his line of march; his “instructions” are to remain silent, maintaining the status quo. [Read more].

法律之前人人平等

• 机密文件披露中国精英的海外资产 (The disclosure of confidential documents unveils the offshore holdings of the Chinese élite), RedChinaCn.net, April 5, 2016

The documents show that at least five current and former members and relatives of Standing Committee of Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee hid money offshore through shadow companies based in the British Virgin Islands and the Cook Islands, including the current President 习近平 (Xí Jìnpíng), the last Premiers 温家宝 (Wēn Jiābǎo) and 李鹏 (Lǐ Péng), as well as the last Chinese President 胡锦涛 (Hú Jǐntāo) and the late leader 邓小平 (Dèng Xiǎopíng). [Read more].

这些文件包括国家主席习近平的姐夫在海外与他人合伙的地产公司注册资料，以及前国务院总理温家宝的儿子、女婿注册的BVI（英属维尔京群岛）公司。 | The files would appoint President 习近平 (Xí Jìnpíng)’s brother-in-law as well as former Premier 温家宝 (Wēn Jiābǎo)’s son-in-law as shareholders-managers of shadow companies based in the British Virgin Islands. Image courtesy of RedChinaCn.net.

人皆生而平等

• Los “papeles de Panamá” alcanzan al presidente chino Xí Jìnpíng y a Bó Xīlái, 7días.com.do, April 4, 2016

The “Panama Papers” point to President of China 习近平 (Xí Jìnpíng) and 薄熙来 (Bó Xīlái) 北京 (Běijīng) – Relatives and intimate friends of four major political leaders in China, including the current President, 习近平 (Xí Jìnpíng), and the deposed leader 薄熙来 (Bó Xīlái), are named in the Panama Papers, that are creating turmoil around the world. In the case of China, whose government has not so far come to notice for any statement relating to the leaks, the documents would indicate that the brother-in-law of the President 习近平 (Xí Jìnpíng), 邓家贵 (Dèng Jiāguì), became the sole shareholder/Director of two shadow companies based in the British Virgin Islands in 2009, when his relative was already Vice President. The brother-in-law of 习近平 (Xí Jìnpíng) had already appeared involved in opaque businesses in 2014, due to another leak of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the same network that has just released the Panama Papers, as well as an article by Bloomberg in 2012 which also created much controversy. As for 薄熙来 (Bó Xīlái), former Minister of Commerce and former leader of 重庆 (Chongqing) municipality, the Panama Papers appointed the French architect Patrick Henri Devillers, intimate friend of both 薄熙来 (Bó Xīlái) and his wife 谷开来 (Gǔ Kāilái), for having acted as their front-man managing a company also based in the British Virgin Islands. He secretely bought for 薄熙来 (Bó Xīlái) and his wife, through the company, a luxury villa worth $3.2 million dollars in the South of France. Both the villa and Devillers’ testimony were introduced as evidence at the show trials against 薄熙来 (Bó Xīlái) in 2013 and 谷开来 (Gǔ Kāilái) in 2012, when the Chinese courts sentenced both to life in prison (he on bribery and corruption charges, she on murder charge too). [Read more].

薄熙来 (Bó Xīlái) and 谷开来 (Gǔ Kāilái)
Photo: The China Times

Ignoratio elenchi

From left: 薄熙来 (Bó Xīlái) and 习近平 (Xí Jìnpíng) while chatting together like old friends. Photo: eulam.com.

Pilgrimage to 重庆 (Chóngqìng)

Jumping the Shark

北京 (Běijīng), China: Hostesses pose in 天安门广场 (Tien’anmen Square) before Saturday’s opening session of the National People’s Congress. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP.

春節 (Chinese Lunar New Year)

北京 (Běijīng), China: A woman pulls her daughter on a trolley before catching a train to head to their home town to celebrate the lunar new year. The Year of the Monkey begins on 8 February. Photo: Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images.

Lose to Win

Artwork © carvingbackbone

人生最好的礼物是免费的。
Rénshēng zuì hǎo de lǐwù shì miǎnfèi de.
The best gifts in life are free.

No Stone Unturned

Photo © hersley

千方百计，竭尽所能。
Qiānfāngbǎijì, jiéjìn suǒ néng.
Leave no stone unturned.

Celestial equator

Artwork © rockgem

将心比心。
Jiāngxīnbǐxīn.
Put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

Answering unconventional questions

“You cannot judge a person by his fame (obviously, except for politicians)”. “No”. “Thoughts. Ongoing thoughts”. “Well, I wouldn’t know how to tell you”. “Who are you?”. “...”. “I don’t know”. “Maybe”. “I just passed by to change some things”. “The only thing that’s changed is everything”. (Quoted in the Apple iPhone 6s’s advertisement). “Somewhere in the world”.

孔子的作品
Short prose by Confucius

Artwork © gilad

No Dead Ends

Hong Kong (香港), China: A campaigner for the Hong Kong Vegetarian Society lies on a mock plate as a meat dish. Photo: Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images.

山崩 (Landslide)

深圳 (Shēnzhèn), China: Rescuers continue to search for missing people at the site of a landslide at an industrial park. Photo: 毛思倩 (Máo Sīqiàn)/新华通讯社 (Xīnhuá News Agency)/Corbis.

Winter solstice

The Dōngzhì Festival or Winter Solstice Festival (Chinese: 冬至; pīnyīn: Dōngzhì; literally: “the extreme of Winter”) is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese and other East Asians during the Dōngzhì solar term (winter solstice) on or around December 22 (according to East Asia time). In 2015, the festival falls on Tuesday, December 22. [From Wikipedia].

A street vendors dressed as Santa Claus selling balls of glutinous rice (湯圓) on occasion of the Winter Solstice Festival, thus adding a Christmas atmosphere. Photo: kwongwah.com.my.

A Breath of Fresh Air

北京 (Běijīng), China: Artist 孔宁 (Kǒng Níng), wearing a costume made of orange plastic horns, tries to raise awareness of the capital’s hazardous smog. Photo: Damir Sagolj/Reuters.

1,000 White Face Masks

北京 (Běijīng), China: Artist 孔宁 (Kǒng Níng) shows off her wedding dress made of nearly 1,000 white face masks. Her art project is aimed to improve the awareness of 北京 (Běijīng) air pollution. Photo: 东方IC (ImagineChina).