Homer Simpson Visits A Foxconn Factory “Somewhere In China”

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In case you've forgotten, The Simpsons is set to begin its 24th season this Sunday, which is an amazing accomplishment no matter much you've complained about its last 15 seasons as being "not what it used to be." As a preview, the producers have released this short -- viewed 2.7 million times already in four days -- to satirize the good ol' American election process. Read more »

Watch: Wukan Documentary By iSun TV

The Wukan protests that began last year over illegal land seizure might have seemed, at the start, unspectacular, merely another in the hundreds of rallies that happen every year in China. But with each passing day — and each development reported breathlessly by embedded reporters — the demonstrations revealed themselves to be a bit more... Read more » Read more »

Wang Lijun Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison, Might Be The Most Interesting Man In China

Wang Lijun infographic
Via John Saeki Wang Lijun, who will forevermore be known as “flamboyant” in Western media, was sentenced to 15 years in prison today on four counts, “defection” probably being the gravest. That he did not get a more severe sentence is interesting, and bodes unwell for his one-time comrade Bo Xilai, with whom he will... Read more » Read more »

Japan Knocks China Out Of FIBA Asia Cup, Netizens React As Only They Know How

Japan Knocks China Out Of FIBA Asia Cup, Netizens React As Only They Know How
The Chinese Basketball Association doesn't take the FIBA Asia Cup very seriously, as a glance at this year's roster will show: every player under 22 years of age, playing against several countries' senior-level teams. But what happens when your team gets paired against Japan in the knockout round amid nationalistic protests back home against this very country? Read more »

Cop Shoots Self-Immolating Villager In Housing Dispute. Wait, What?

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We know that some cops carry firearms in China — certainly the special-duty officers, and security personnel in highly sensitive areas — but it’s rare enough that I’ve never actually seen an officer holding a gun in all my years here. So you can imagine my surprise upon hearing this story, headlined, “Villager shot dead... Read more » Read more »

Some Small Act Of Bureaucratic Kindness

Bureaucratic kindness
By Jim Fields Recently, I went to Tianjin on a one-day business trip. In the morning, a co-worker picked me up from my apartment at Yonghegong. After completing my business-related tasks, I bid farewell to my colleagues (who had more to do) and took a cab to the local railway station, where I planned to buy a... Read more » Read more »

Chengguan Chase Down Farmer Before Beating Him

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You know, it's not that we don't sympathize with chengguan, China's street-level urban management officers. We get that they have a tough job, and encounter scoundrels and freeloaders on a weekly, if not daily, basis. But every single week, we see a video of chengguan somewhere behaving as poorly as the people they're supposed to police. And what are supposed to do about that? Read more »