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/ 10 December 2008
On the eve of reform, China’s regimented media relied on daily slogans, but 30 years on journalists are pushing the envelope.
During the Olympic Games Gao Benxu hopes to brush up his English by opening up his apartment to a family visiting from abroad.
China has appointed a seasoned diplomat as its special Africa envoy, with a brief to focus on Darfur, the government said on Thursday, amid growing criticism of Beijing’s role in Sudan. ”The Chinese government has decided to name Ambassador Liu Guijin as a special representative for African affairs,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said.
Coal may be Shanxi’s black gold, but it is the peasants of this north Chinese province who have to live with the consequences as their homes sink, water supplies dwindle and pollution worsens. Xiaoqinghe, a small market town perched on top of a hill in Shanxi, has a beautiful name that is somewhat at odds with reality.
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/ 18 October 2006
A gourmet with a taste for the good life, North Korea’s reclusive leader Kim Jong-Il will continue to enjoy his favourite French wines and foreign delicacies despite a United Nations embargo on luxury goods for Pyongyang, analysts say. A thriving black market will likely ensure Kim a steady supply of what he likes best, they said, with smugglers always ready to sneak over the border.
Forty years ago during the Cultural Revolution, it took an edict from China’s then premier Zhou Enlai to protect the Potala Palace from the destruction of the infamous Red Guards. Now a new menace — tourism — threatens the jewel of Tibetan Buddhism, which has come to be the symbol of Tibet.
While China is keen to stress the environmentally friendly aspects of the new railway to Tibet, many are concerned about the line’s impact on the Himalayan region’s fragile ecosystem. China has said 1,54-billion yuan (-million) was spent on railway-related projects to protect the environment, such as 33 crossings especially arranged for the Tibetan antelope, a protected species.
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/ 23 December 2005
Ski season opened in China about a month ago, with skiers and snowboarders flocking to about a dozen stations on the weekends for a few days of carefree careening down the slopes — albeit slopes covered with artificial snow. Nanshan, a 10-slope village is run by private owners looking to cash in on the latest fad to captivate the country’s wealthy urban dwellers.