More information is emerging in the Chinese authorities' case against British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). To bring you up to speed: the New York Times reported Monday that "high-ranking executives at the company’s China operations used travel agencies as money-laundering shops to funnel bribes to doctors, hospitals, medical associations, foundations and government officials." So much money was being funneled that local travel agencies "would compete for the chance to take part." Four GSK executives -- all Chinese nationals -- were detained.
The above sign appeared in front of a court in Manzhouli, Inner Mongolia recently. As interpreted (and translated) by Ministry of Tofu, it's a not-so-subtle warning to the citizens of the city to behave, or else your anus will look like a puckered, withered flower.
Offbeat China has translated, in full, a Chinese adaptation of a popular fairy tale found in a children's book. The story is amazing, complete with amazing illustrations, and generally reads like an amazing version of a Brother Grimm tale, only funnier. Here's an excerpt:
Let's get this out of the way first: crash-landing on a San Francisco runway seriously damaged Asiana Airlines's reputation.
KTVU, a Bay Area news station, damaged its own reputation by saying the names of Asiana's pilots were "Captain Sum Ting Wong," "Wi Tu Lo," "Ho Lee Fuk," and "Bang Ding Ow." If anything, Asiana should be sending KTVU a bouquet for deflecting attention from the real, shitty pilots who flew Flight 214 into the ground.
The Wall Street Journal revealed on Friday that China's airports are the world's worst for flight delays. "According to FlightStats, which tracks airport statistics, Beijing’s airport ranks dead last among the world’s top 35, with fully 82% of flights failing to leave on time," WSJ reported. "Second worst was Shanghai, at 71%." Numbers, numbers. We could link to a string of posts from our archives with picture and video evidence, but none of it will feel as real as our memories -- after all, we've all experienced the particular nightmare of flying in China.
Flight delays are frustrating, and if you, in the midst of a four-hour delay, have never allowed yourself to think barbarous, shamefully uncivilized and cruel thoughts, it doesn't make you a better person: you're just that smug asshole everyone always wants to punch.
But no one actually does punch you, and have you ever wondered why?
Tang Hui, the mother of an 11-year-old kidnapping, rape, and forced prostitution victim, was sent to a reeducation through labor camp last August for daring to raise her voice to say her daugther's rapists got off easy. The decision sparked outrage, and though Tang only served one week of her 18-month sentence, her case may have been the impetus behind proposed reforms to dissolve forced labor camps.
Citing "extremely bad influences," the police bureau in Tangshan, Hebei province has fired two traffic wardens who were caught on video fighting in an intersection, completely neglecting their job.
Hundreds of residents staged a not-in-my-backyard protest in Jiangmen, Guangdong province on Friday to oppose plans to build a uranium processing plant. SCMP reports that the protest, a restrained and civil affair, was largely organized via social media. The uranium complex, featuring three 30-hectare plants, would have been the nation's biggest, reports NY Times.
The biggest building in the world recently opened in Chengdu, China. The New Century Global Center's colossal undulating roof, which I'd been eyeing from my apartment window these past few months, is visible from any high point in the city. I hadn't known what it was until last week, when relatives informed me through a flurry of news articles that it was part of a 1.7 million square-meter complex that is nearly the size of Monaco, and has an artificial sun.
