Watch: Bo Xilai During Happier Times, Singing And Laughing In 2007

Bo Xilai and Gu Kailai during happier times
Moving to Chongqing to become its Party Chief was clearly a step up the political ladder for Bo Xilai in 2007, but one figures it must have been bittersweet for him to leave Beijing, where -- judging by this video -- he was beloved by a large number of supporters. The above -- Bo's final speech as the Minister of Commerce -- was posted to YouTube in December 2013, but just recently tweeted out by Helen Gao. Bo would move down south to begin his stint as a member of the Central Politburo, tabbed for sure elevation into the Standing Committee... until, that is, his career and his life veered off track thanks to his wife, Gu Kailai, his former police chief, Wang Lijun, and Neil Heywood, who just had to get himself murdered. Read more »

Pictures Of Bo Guagua As A Young(er) Child

Bo Guagua as a child 8
For those who just can’t get enough of the Bo family saga, China Navis has a fairly extensive collection of photos of Bo Guagua — son of Xilai and Gu Kailai — both as a young child in China and growing up overseas. A lot of these photos you’ve already seen, like the one in which he and his friends pretend to pee on a metal gate, and his graduation photos from Harvard, but others, perhaps not. Take a look at this sampling: Read more »

After Arrest Of Chinese American Microblog Celebrity Charles Xue, Global Times Editor Hu Xijin Reminds Us Why He’s An Ass

Charles Xue
Chinese American angel investor and Sina Weibo celebrity Charles Xue (a.k.a. Xue Manzi, with more than 12 million followers) has been detained in Beijing for "suspected involvement in prostitution," China News reported on Sunday. On August 23, off the tip from a local resident, Chaoyang District police captured Xue along with a 22-year-old woman from Henan province in a residential compound, according to the official weibo of Beijing Public Security Office: Read more »

Chug-Off For Charity Recap: Congratulations And Thanks

Chug-Off for Charity champions featured image
A big thank you to everyone who attended Chug-Off for Charity at Great Leap Brewing on Saturday. We raised 5,000 RMB for Magic Hospital, which will continue its excellent work providing happiness to sick, orphaned, and neglected children in Beijing. The tournament featured 16 teams, but unfortunately we could only have one winner. Congratulations to Go on the Pikies, consisting of Colin (a Dubliner visiting from London) and Tiggi (from Leeds, the manager of Paddy O’Shea’s). Read more »

Is This The Fastest Beer-Chug Ever?

Fastest beer-chug ever?
We're going to have a full recap of Saturday's Chug-Off for Charity at Great Leap Brewing in the morning, but for now, just watch this ridiculous, jaw-dropping performance from Colin of Go on the Pikies in the semifinals of our 16-team tournament. The crowd's reaction says it all: a moment of stunned silence followed by interjections of appreciation and jubilee as we process what we just witnessed. Read more »