“You Speak Very Good Chinese,” NDRC Chairman Tells Female Australian Reporter [UPDATE]

“You Speak Very Good Chinese,” NDRC Chairman Tells Female Australian Reporter
Turns out, nope -- at least in terms of content. But on Saturday afternoon, one reporter attracted an equal amount of attention at an 18th Party Congress press conference. She stood up, took the mic, and asked a nearly minute-long question in Mandarin, and then wryly said, "I'll translate for myself." A few chuckles came out of the erstwhile catatonic crowd.

CCTV Reporter Suffers Total Brain Meltdown During Live Interview About National Congress [UPDATE]

Oops
This interview never gets off on the right foot: the lag between the anchor and the reporter is a full five seconds, causing the anchor to make a “Why haven’t you acknowledged my greeting?” face. Reporter Feng Yuxian, live from Dubai (that’s the Dubai Tower Burj Al-Arab Hotel in the background), then delivers her correspondence... Read more »

No One Can Resist The Animal Magnetism Of Hu Jintao

Fuck it fuck everything GIF
China Daily: “Hu’s report gets nationwide attention.” No, seriously, it says that. RFH has a theory that the people who organize the National Congress intentionally make it as boring as possible to test the outer limits of what “watchdog” journalists are willing to tolerate before they throw up their hands, a la: Chinese media, however,... Read more »

Obama Is An Inspirer Of Nations, Particularly China, And Provides Good Material For English-Language Study

Obama's distant nations
Whatever your feelings about American politics, it’s hard to argue that Barack Obama doesn’t shine on the big stage with the lone spotlight. The man knows how to deliver a message, and it’s liable to be heard as clearly halfway around the world as by those closest to him. According to Tea Leaf Nation: In his... Read more »

Pictures From The 18th National Congress

18th National Congress
As we prepare to begin the second day of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, here’s a roundup of some pictures from Day 1 and prior. Our coverage so far: Clinging to life; Twitter accounts attacked. More via China Digital Times, MSNBC and Sina.

Security Officer Dies After Working 30 Consecutive Hours Preparing For 18th National Congress

Shenyang officer's wife
The rapidly approaching 18th National Congress has claimed is first victim. Ren Changlin, 53, suffered a heart attack during his 30th consecutive hour at his post at a security bureau in Shenyang, Liaoning province on October 30. He “threw himself into the work,” notes Shenyang Daily. There’s no indication that Ren was forced to work so... Read more »

Uh Oh, They’re Handing Out Red Armbands In China Again

Red armband
We are, in spite of everything (slower Internet, mostly), looking forward to the upcoming National Congress that starts next Thursday, because it means we’ll get to see silliness such as pictures of photojournalists taking pictures (WHO WATCHES THE WATCHERS’ WATCHERS???), and there’s always the chance that someone will literally die out of boredom. One thing we are... Read more »