The lost generation

Adolf Reichwein, an educator, economist and member of the Social Democratic Party, at the notorious 'Volksgerichtshof' in Berlin. Belonging to a resistance movement, he was arrested, sentenced to death and killed at Prison Plötzensee in 1944.

In the German capital, 2013 happens to be the official theme year 'Zerstörte Vielfalt (Diversity Destroyed). Berlin 1933 - 1938 - 1945. A City Remembers'.

Berlin thus marks the anniversary of the seizure of power by the Nazis with a number of exhibitions, events, art performances, public lectures or readings in museums and archives, at important historical sites as well as in rather forgotten corners, in churches or centres of Jewish life and in galleries or universities.

Believe me or not, but there are still fields of study with regard to the Third Reich that are desperately waiting to be thoroughly researched.

One of these fields is the history of China studies in Germany before, during and after the Nazi regime. If you happen to be in Germany's capital for whatever reasons (and able to read a little German), pay a visit to the exhibition 'Verfolgte China-Wissenschaftler, 1933-1945. Die fehlende Generation (Prosecuted China Scholars, 1933-1945. The Lost Generation)'.

Located in the building of the Institute of Sinology / Chinese Studies at Freie Universität Berlin in the campus district of Berlin-Dahlem, this small but valuable poster exhibition documents for the first time the fate and experiences of around 30 China scholars who were either murdered or fled to the US and other places willing and able to give them shelter.

Those who had the sheer luck, stamina, or financial resources to escape Nazi Germany before it was too late had to (or wanted to) live and work in exile for the rest of their lives.

The exhibition makes clear that the relevant administrative bodies in Nazi Germany were extremely efficient in eliminating progressive and creative scholars with wide-ranging academic interests and backgrounds (ethnology, religious studies, language studies, history, art history, or philosophy) and a focus on China who had the bad luck to be Jewish or were political adversaries of the Nazis.

Many of the academics who were lucky enough to get out in time later founded important schools of thought in their respective countries of exile and helped to establish influential centres for research on China in Europe and abroad.

The names of Henri Maspero, Wolfram Eberhard, Karl August Wittfogel, Hellmut Wilhelm, Bruno Schindler, Erich Haenisch or Walter Simon still ring a bell today.

In contrast, the academic works and achievements of Adolf Reichwein above (remembered today mainly as a member of the small German resistance movement, but not so much as somebody with a keen interest in China), of Philipp Schaeffer, Anneliese Bulling, Ruth Krader-Schlesinger or Tseng Tsui-chi are nearly forgotten.

It took German sinology more than 30 years to recover from the destruction and forced brain-drain, and the vibrancy and diversity of the field of research is still dearly missed in many German departments and institutes of Chinese studies.

News from Quartz

Screenshot Quartz

Ever heard of Quartz?

I really like this 'digitally native news outlet'-cum-blog that was established in 2012 and is based in New York's SoHo neighbourhood.

Owned by Atlantic Media Co. (also the publisher of The Atlantic), the stated mission of Quartz is to provide its readers with up-to-date information on the latest trends in the new global economy. The current staff includes veterans of the American news business, such as the publisher, Jay Lauf (formerly at Wired magazine, then with a long stint at The Atlantic) himself, as well as relative newcomers to the scene.

Knowledgeable, creative and truly international, the editors, correspondents and reporters cover current economic trends, discuss the intricacies of international relations and report on new societal, cultural and technological developments.

The minimalist design (thanks for that, too!) and diverse perspectives make this news site a very refreshing (and thankfully quick) read.

The different authors regularly write about the latest in energy politics, tech stuff, the EURO, consumer politics, the future of finance, digital money, borders, cloud computing, debt crises or the mobile web (their current 'obsessions', as they call it).

One of these obsessions is the PR China's current transition that deserves a special column. I would especially recommend the pieces of Gwynn Guilford (general reporter / editor), Lily Kuo (a reporter covering emerging markets) and Adam Pasick (the senior Asia correspondent). Other special sections include - more generally - ideas, markets, tech and lifestyle.

china beats presents :: Summer Fades Away

Don't worry, summer won't fade away soon, it's just a band's name. Not brand new but some nice relaxing post rock by the Chinese band Summer Fades Away from their album 'We Meet the Last Time​,​ Then Departure', released on November 15, 2012, on the Beijing-based label 1724.

Listen below or visit the Bandcamp page to discover more.

The spy who came in from Hawaii

Enjoy a fictional short film of Edward Snowden's days in Hong Kong written by Edwin Lee and Marcus Tsui.

Here is what the film crew has to say about the making of:

'The idea was hatched two days after he revealed his identity, and principal filming began on June 20th. We were also filming on the same day (23rd) when we learned Snowden had left the city. 

Therefore we ramped up production efforts and published our short film "Verax" on the 25th. "Verax" was the alias Snowden used when contacting journalists via encrypted chat services. 

We loved the idea of having Snowden here and the media frenzy it created. We really wanted to make a film based on such real-life news events, especially as it continued to develop. This project really tested our mettle especially when most of us had day jobs.'

For more information, see here.

Brave New World :: The spooks are everywhere!

© The Guardian 2013

We live in strange and really entertaining times. Everything seems to be turned upside down. Friends suddenly becoming not so friendly. Shifting power relations between whole continents and nations. 

Starting with the sudden appearance of the former NSA consultant Edward Snowden. Evidently, he's had enough of spying for the NSA, CIA or FBI and decided to tell the world about it, vividly describing the totalitarian scope of spying activities in the US, Great Britain, France, Germany (and maybe elsewhere) by NSA and other spooks.

Firstly, he popped up in a Hong Kong hotel claiming to be in possession of extremely sensible data. Then a freelancer for The Guardian and a film team entered the scene helping him to reach his intended audience (governments and citizens all over the world).

A few days later, Mr Snowden popped up at the International Airport Sheremetyevo in Moscow again, desperately trying to find a state willing to shelter him from all-American rage. He is still stuck in Mr Putin's empire (who really wants to be dependent on his mercy?).

A new phase in a global power play has begun and it's not finished yet as governments around the world are so afraid of the US that only a tiny minority of Latin American presidents had the courage to say 'No!' to Mr Obama and his spying agencies.

As far as I know, Mr Snowden is still trying to find a safe passage out of Russia to one of the countries that promised to give him shelter (namely Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Bolivia).

Now, let's talk about the PR China.

Time and again in the last three decades, I had to read in Western newspapers, magazines or academic articles that the PR China is bad. Really bad.

A totalitarian (or authoritarian, at least) state. A state that is suppressing its own citizens and especially its own whistleblowers (the courageous people called 'dissidents' in Western media outlets) without mercy. A state and a society that is infected by endemic corruption and official as well as private greediness.

A country that is ruled by the iron fist of an anachronistic Communist Party, a shadowy and powerful People's Liberation Army, a secretive security apparatus and a corrupt court system that all work together to deny Chinese citizens basic human rights, such as the right to voice their anger and desperation publicly, the right to vote and the right to establish political parties or independent labour associations outside the system.

Striking hard against 'normal' criminals, but also against real and imagined political adversaries, such as desperate petitioners seeking justice denied to them in the local court system, outspoken opponents of the policies of the CCP or the ruling elites in general.

But the PR China is also a country - in my view, at least - where a distinct version of socialism with capitalist characteristics (nowadays, rather the other way round) was established after the demise of radical Maoist policies and the return to the global centre stage.

China's leaders didn't envision a 'big bang' to an alternative modernity, but tried to slowly transform a largely agrarian and very poor country into a more modern, prosperous and powerful nation-state.

A state where new markets blossomed after Deng Xiaoping decided to lead China into a new era following the death of the 'Great Helmsman' and the defeat of the infamous 'Gang of Four'. In the 1980s, the Central government still favoured a hybrid economic system to gradually transform a socialist country into a more advanced version of itself.

Nowadays, the PR China is an economic powerhouse where goods (or copies of everything precious and held dear in Western societies at different times in modern history) are produced in enormous quantities for export markets around the globe. But the famous Pearl River Delta or the Yangzi Delta in the East and South are not the preferred destinations of international corporations any more.

Due to steadily rising labour costs, new labour laws and the gradual phasing-out of generous preferential policies for global players, the caravan of international profit-seekers is moving slowly further inland where labour costs are still low and local governments still eager to attract Taiwanese, American or European capitalists.

The central government in Beijing tries to gradually replace dirty export-oriented light industries with capital-intensive, cleaner and more sophisticated industries in the secondary and tertiary sectors.

But the PR China is also a country with an enormous military apparatus. The People's Liberation Army has incredible manpower by now, and also owns the latest technical gadgets, fighters, ships, planes, helicopters, missiles and what not.

The cyber warriors of the Chinese government are responsible for large-scale hacking attacks. The 'Dark Guests' (hei ke, in Chinese), as these cyber warriors are commonly called, wage a war that few adversaries can counter. The different spy agencies of the Chinese army as well as other state spooks in the PR China use sophisticated cyber weapons to shut down foreign servers, spy on new technologies or hack into government web sites.

The Chinese leadership made sure that their spooks were provided with all the necessary tools, gadgets, software and hardware spooks of every denomination and nationality need to do their job efficiently and successfully. Yeah, spies spy - that's their job. No surprise there. With every means at their disposal. Violently or not so violently.

Everywhere in the world. Waging full-fledged war on real or imagined adversaries has indeed become a lot easier (e.g., drones), less time-consuming and comfortable (you don't have to see all the collateral damages, such as bloody remains of small children and decapitated foes) in these times.

After the public release of incriminating data by ex-NSA and CIA consultant Edward Snowden in Hong Kong, nobody can deny the totalitarian tendencies of all (big) global spy agencies (be it the American NSA and CIA, the British GCHQ or other paranoid spooks) any more. And I immediately had the strong urge to cry out loud: No more China bashing from European or American politicians and governments, old or new media or so-called experts! Welcome to the 21st century!

From now on, no politician or government based in the 'free' West has the right to accuse other sovereign states such as the PR China of their (many, in the case of China, I am the first to concur) shortcomings or ideological preferences.

The courage and very old-fashioned belief in values such as freedom of speech, democracy or solidarity of a single American citizen (denounced as a traitor by most Western politicians) has to produce a seismic shift in perceptions of the old world order, international relations and excessive data mining by states, governments or international corporations.

A shift that must be recognized by all governments and also by the citizens of every single nation, for what it is: A not so brave New World. A new world order that came into being much earlier than dumb (or naive) people governed by arrogant, ignorant or just greedy leaders would have thought. Hey, this is the last wake up-call, citizens of the world!

And, by the way, I surely won't suppress my own anger and fury:

Shame on you, Germany (for violating the constitutional rights of your citizens since the end of WWII), shame on you, European Union (for not even trying to give Mr Snowden a chance out of fear the US would retaliate and cancel this or that treaty) and shame on every single state in the EU that forced the plane of the Bolivian president, Mr Evo Morales, to stay put at Austria's Capital Airport because the Big Brothers in Washington were suspecting Mr Snowden might be hidden in the plane.

Thank you, Mr Snowden, for your courage!

If the dust has settled in a few weeks, as it surely will, one important insight will be left: We are all governed by political elites that have no scruples to spy on us or even to betray us to others.

Interview of Edward Snowden in Hong Kong,
Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras for The Guardian

Go, Berlin, go! Go, China, go!

In an earlier post I wrote that China's National Football League teams are notorious for being not extremely successful (among many other things). This also holds true, unfortunately, for the National Team of the PR China. But this rather damning verdict regarding Chinese football in general does certainly not include a very nice, amazing and sophisticated species of football teams: the Humanoids.

At the current World RoboCup in the Dutch city of Eindhoven, there are so so many models you just have to adore. As my alma mater (Freie Universität Berlin, that is) also has five cute and successful models in the game, I am still undecided which team I should go for.

Berlin United - FUmanoids? The team at Zhejiang University with its special breed of football humanoids? The team at Beijing Information Science and Technology University? The team at prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing? Or the nice group at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology?

What a hard decision to make - but see for yourself.


Robot 'Ada' of the FUmanoids



All 5 of the FUmanoids



One of the ZJUDancers (Zhejiang University)



The Team at Beijing Information Science and Technology University



Last but not least: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
(HiroEvolution at RoboCup 2012)

China Uncut and Unrated

You are a photographer yourself? Or just interested in China and her current looks, dynamics and ways of life? You admire professionalism combined with human interest, respect for local traditions and people and never-ending patience?

Then have a look at China Uncut and Unrated. This photo group at Flickr regularly posts gorgeous pictures of nearly every corner of the PR China, capturing the astonishing beauty of the diverse landscapes and different regions, the crazy dynamics and architecture of crawling mega-cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Chongqing, or the interchangeable sights of third-tier cities that still encompass enormous urban and rural spaces and have millions upon millions of inhabitants.

Some photographers specialize in documenting the despair, hopelessness and anger in forgotten corners of the PR China. Rural Gansu or Guizhou are not necessarily nice places to live, raise a family or work. But the portraits of these marginalized people - be it kids, adults or elderly - are not exploitative; they show respect and care for their subjects instead. Pictures of truly amazing people - some of them members of the so-called 'national minorities (shaoshu minzu)' in Southwest China, ordinary people doing ordinary things in small backyards and the different kinds of laobaixing (regular people) in the streets of Nanchang, Qingdao or Chengdu.

Every contributing photo artist has his or her own distinctive style. While some prefer cool black and white shots, others experiment with colours, filters and lenses or concentrate on detailed pictures of nature, architecture, lifestyles or historical artifacts.

For me (being a genuine non-photographer who tends to forget that her latest phone model also has a very good build-in camera), it is amazing what professionals can accomplish with their (expensive, I guess) equipment.

Postscript: My current favourites are Robert Lio, woOly, a-gui, Anders Öfverström, Peter Luginbuehl, Up Against The Wall, Nanbei Fung, China Lost and Found, Ordinary_Folk and SinoLazzer. But that may change quickly as other photographers join in or established group members update their photo pools.

Eye on China and some personal notes

Dear Mr Skywalker,

I will be eternally grateful to you if you keep up your diligent work!

Your very own magazine in Flipboard (I constantly flipped between Feedly, Flipboard and Google Currents for a while, and sometimes still do), fetchingly named Eye on China, is precious to me (and should be to all other China news junkies out there).

As I don't have to read all the other relevant news sites, blogs or news aggregators (such as the ones by The Guardian, The BBC, The New York Times, The New Yorker or The Diplomat) day by day any more, I wish you a very pleasant day. Wherever you are and whoever you are in real life. Thanks a lot for making my work easier and my life more convenient!

And now to the more serious and personal notes. I originally planned to post this recommendation on Tuesday - but two big events sabotaged my very humble plans.

Firstly, as the PoTUS, Mr Barack Obama, and his equally impressive entourage had decided to grace our small town (Berlin, that is) with their presence, I was glued to my TV (and my couch because of the sudden summer heat) to hear his speech. In American English and his very own words. Without translators and so-called experts. Mr President, my sincere thanks to you for teaching our very own Mrs Angela Merkel some minor, but nevertheless invaluable lessons (how to meet and greet, how to think and talk, and how to walk - fast, preferably).

And thanks, again, for being really quick and leaving as scheduled. I was so afraid that our very own Mr President wouldn't let you go. Shaking hands with you again, hugging you, even kissing you. Talking about his very own biography endlessly. For hours and hours. But fortunately, you and your agents had a tight schedule, and you left when it was time to leave.

And oh, by the way, the tabloids here in Berlin still discussed what you said, why you said it, why you took off your jacket, etc., days after this historical event. Perhaps you could call somebody to help them out? To explain some things? History, maybe? Or how to learn a foreign language? But, please, please, Mr President, in simple words such as these: 'Hey, guys and gals at Springer media. American English is not that hard to learn. Even dumb people can do it!'

Finally to the last and very sad note: When I woke up on Wednesday morning, once again fiercely determined to post the recommendation of Eye on China, one of the first faces I saw was the smiling one of Tony Soprano. It took me some minutes to realize that a) I was not dreaming any more and b) that Mr Gandolfini had indeed passed away in Rome. That it was not a hoax by some stupid internet kids (or nerds, if you prefer that term).

© Unknown

So, last, but not least at all: Thank you, Mr Gandolfini, for all the joy you brought upon us.
Have a nice day in heaven!

The next disaster? :: Reflections on Germany, China and the rest of the West

Over the weekend, I was travelling from Berlin to the south-western parts of the country. As the Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) has found some serious challengers in long-distance bus coaches, I decided to take one of the newcomers that usually provides good services, fast drivers and also much cheaper tickets than Deutsche Bahn. It was not the best time ever to travel from the East to the South, believe me.

Perhaps nobody can escape the current photo, video and interview tsunami that sweeps through old and new media on the flooding in large parts of Germany. Old Town districts and small villages in the South, East, North and West threatened by wave after wave of violent masses of water. Whole landscapes, farm areas, bridges and motorways nearly vanishing in water and mud. Small rivers becoming enormous streams and people being evacuated by the thousands. Every able-bodied inhabitant, family members, friends and official Germany such as the Bundeswehr - all are desperately trying to save the last belongings.

Seriously, I did not really expect to drown on my way to the southern parts of Germany, but the sight of water endlessly pouring down the landscapes was a disturbing one nevertheless. The motorways we took were water-free, but just so.

But back to the reason why I was travelling to the South-West. As a native of this beautiful part of Germany (I am shamelessly bragging here), I normally really do enjoy the sights and vistas. Baden (and Württemberg, to a lesser extent, in my view) are truly good places to be born, raised and schooled. Both have a lot of old churches and historical monuments, amazing nature trails and - not to forget - excellent food (if you know where to go).

One of my oldest Chinese friends is currently working in the south-western countryside, and as we had not met for a very long time, we decided to meet half-way between Berlin and the border to Switzerland to save him some time. I can tell you, a Chinese guy who speaks several dialects and languages (Swabian, Mandarin and English) is a real treat for most people in this part of Germany.

A region that is inhabited by a species of people that is renowned for being stubborn, arrogant, conservative and very strict. As my friend had some (Chinese) colleagues with him, my sojourn in this nice little town was a little strange.

Imagine a German Biergarten (beer garden) filled with lots and lots of people on the weekend - bikers in heavy outfits, still sweating cyclists, other travellers and some locals. All trying very hard to have a good time. Drinking wine and beer, and more beer, and more wine. Eating in the Biergarten and enjoying themselves. Even a wedding took place when we stayed there (a rather lame one, by the way; the wedding guests partied until around 1 p.m., and then everybody went to bed).

We enjoyed the relatively high temperatures (up to now, we could not even imagine to see the sun again) and the very fine food, too. For some time, at least. When the first Biergarten customers started to complain about the invasion of so-called 'Schlitzaugen' or 'Chinks' (the common denominator for everybody who looks Asian, making absolutely no difference between Japanese, Korean or Chinese nationalities), I had a really hard time remembering all the stuff my parents taught me once. Behave yourself in public. Do not cross others even if you are right. Be nice to the elderly even if they are so drunk they can't articulate one clear sentence. Respect authorities whoever they are (church, police, politicians and so on).

I do understand that people can feel intimidated by a small group of Yellows and Whites evidently having fun. I really do. Telling each others jokes in three different languages (e.g., 'How do the Chinese vent their anger when challenged by somebody not from the same hometown or region? They cry out loud: "Your brother plays for Guangzhou Evergrande" and "Your nephew plays for Shanghai Shenhua"!' Note: As the Chinese Football League is notorious for having mostly inapt local players, money galore and former football stars from Europe, this is not just a bad joke, but a serious insult.). Laughing loudly. Smoking strong Chinese cigarettes. Being treated like royalty by hotel and restaurant staff.

But what I can not - and never will - accept is the prototypical German (and maybe even European) attitude towards everything that is new, foreign or more dynamic than the natives are used to. Racial, cultural, religious and gender (I admit, I have no idea how many there are right now) prejudices seem to be so deeply ingrained into the German soul (whatever that is) that no sophisticated image campaign, new law or political goodwill will change that any time soon.

Especially threatening to some Germans are the new powers in the Far East - often chaotic, authoritarian, anarchic or just really really big states. China, South Korea, Japan, India and all the other smaller or bigger tigers and dragons (or whatever they are called right now in the West) in the Asian hemisphere have been demonstrating for a very long time that neither parliamentary democracy nor crass Manchester capitalism is incompatible with local cultures, ever-changing political systems or still cherished traditions dating back thousands of years.

Old Europe is slowly withering away, and the old (no, I did not forget about the US) global players and the newly emerging ones in the Far East and Far West will invent, reinvent and ultimately change global habits, lifestyles, technologies and work arrangements.

Like it or not, but get used to it.

OMG :: Reflections on domicide

Last Wednesday, I spent a nice evening at 'The Center for Cultural Studies on Science and Technology in China' of Technical University (TU) Berlin.

You may have heard that TU is a fine place to take classes in urban planning, mathematics, physics, electronic engineering, architecture, technical innovations and other tech stuff. The main campus, located in the heart of Berlin, is impressive and lively, even at the wee hours.

The Center's main focus is on environmental issues, urban planning and science and technology. And it's current head, Dr. Eva Sternfeld, is a widely known and respected practitioner and academic.

Screenshot of the Center's invitation to the workshop

The workshop itself, co-organized by the small but very active German foundation 'Stadtkultur International e.V.', looked promising to me, given my own academic background. And because one of my all-time favourite (German) experts on contemporary Chinese society and politics was giving an impromptu lecture.

But what was really intriguing me was the lecture and new book of Prof. Dr. Qin Shao (The College of New Jersey, USA). Prof. Shao, a renowned China historian, was invited to present results from her latest research project on urban development in contemporary Shanghai. And she also promoted her new book, fetchingly entitled 'Shanghai Gone: Domicide and Defiance in a Chinese Megacity' (Amazon).

Also present was Prof. Dr. Johannes Küchler, professor emeritus for Theory and History of Land Development at 'The Institute for Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning' as discussant. A group of other academics, some official guests, former colleagues, a few students. And me.

After introductory remarks by Dr. Eva Sternfeld, Prof. Shao was invited to show results from her research in Shanghai's new redevelopment zones. And snippets from her book. Rather desperately trying to defend the use of the highly charged term 'domicide' in the subtitle of her book.

To be honest, when I first heard about the lecture and the book, my immediate reaction was: OMG, do you really mean that? Not only speaking as a German and an academic, I am very uneasy (and more than a little furious) every time somebody uses the term 'genocide' (Völkermord) or derivatives lightly to promote his or her own work. In the context of modern China studies, calling urban planning with all its harsh consequences for local culture and local residents 'domicide' is either careless, arrogant or plain dumb.

Some specialists in the social sciences or humanities instinctively shy away from the hardships of fieldwork. Instead, they prefer to bury themselves in archives, libraries, research institutes or 'think tanks' (in German, these are called 'Denkfabriken'; I never really understood why you have to think in a 'tank' or 'Fabrik'). Well, that is their own decision. But it is not for me. I've done that. Boring, dusty and rather demotivating in the end.

Field trips, trying to find locals who are willing and able to give their own accounts of events, on the other hand, are much more rewarding. Better than working in archives and libraries until you nearly drown in old manuscripts, books, maps and journals. Slowly nurturing allergies of all kinds. But, again, that's only me.

Back to the lecture of Prof. Shao. She vividly described the latest developments in Shanghai's redevelopment zones, talked about the forced eviction of local residents, the demolition of their homes, typical actions and reactions of the local state, land-grabbing developers, public security organs and the media. Showed disturbing slides of a bruised woman who had tried to defend her right to stay where she and her family had lived for a long time.

Everybody familiar with Shanghai and the different waves of urban redevelopment during the last decades might still remember the mega-hype when Xin Tiandi (New World) was planned and finally opened to the public. When I first visited the new hot spot for rich Chinese and foreign expats in 2002, I was mildly shocked. Paulaner Brauhaus, chic boutiques, really expensive restaurants and bars galore. My Chinese friends, however, were proud to show us around this latest addition to Shanghai's glorious future.

Later on, Suzhou Creek and nearly every place around the famous / infamous Bund or bordering Nanjing Donglu and Nanjing Xilu became hip and expensive. For local inhabitants, it was a hard time. They were hit by one wave of gentrification after another. Forced to move out, their homes demolished and removed, and often settled in shiny new apartments in the outskirts of Greater Shanghai. Where nobody really wants to live unless they have enough financial and other resources to enjoy it. When the old quarters in Puxi (West Shanghai) were out, the new financial district Pudong on the opposite side of Huangpu river became in. A seemingly never-ending cycle.

But let me come back to the workshop and the following presentation by Prof. Dr. Bettina Gransow of Freie Universität Berlin. As the second invited guest speaker, she demonstrated how work in the field can be done, too. Listening closely what people have to say and staying back when events could lead to grave political and social repercussions for the locals who are directly involved.

In contrast to Prof. Shao's presentation that was thorough, historically informed and easy to understand, Prof. Gransow focused her lecture mainly on Guangzhou's latest efforts to reinvent itself and urban renewal in Old Town quarters in the outskirts of the metropolis. A really charming video by local activists and artists demonstrated that the Chinese, even the more or less marginalized ones, are not just victims but also outspoken, creative and very persistent protesters.

Unfortunately, time restrictions didn't allow Prof. Gransow and the other participants to discuss the different academic theories, approaches to fieldwork and consequences of ever-changing housing reforms, voluntary and involuntary resettlement and massive dislocation of property and people in depth.

News from The Atlantic

Screenshot The Atlantic

Four days ago, the American magazine The Atlantic had a thought-provoking article about the economic, political and social pitfalls of China's breathtaking urbanization rates.

The Atlantic, by the way, is a wonderful news site providing informed analyses of the latest political, cultural and social developments around the globe. Its new China section is always worth a try if you are interested in all things Chinese. And its authors and correspondents (especially former Beijing bureau chief James Fallows) are well-informed and non-biased.

Schiavenza concludes his article:

'Will these moves work? This is the big question in China, and given how quickly things change in the country it'd be foolish making a prediction one way or another. But Li's apparent refusal of the NDRC urbanization proposal at least signals Beijing's unwillingness to plow forward with its usual spending binge and brings hope that the Xi Jinping administration may be more willing than its predecessor to launch needed reforms.'

china beats presents :: China Smokes

You may have heard about it, seen it or even lived through it yourself. A lot of people in China still smoke. Unrelentingly and desperately so, sometimes. Despite all new regulations, fines or orders by city governments, the Chinese can be extremely stubborn if somebody tries to take away their most valued pleasures and habits.

What you may or may not know: there are also many talented young artists in nearly every corner of the Middle Kingdom. From the West to the East, the North to the deep South, China's cultural scenes are vivid and, depending on location, very progressive.

Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, for example, is famous for its pulsating art and music scene. It encompasses breathtaking and internationally acclaimed performance and dance troupes, highly skilled photographers or widely respected art dealers. And it is also a hotbed of experimental musicians of nearly every denomination and origin.

Never heard rap by Chinese artists in Chinese language before?

Why don't you try this one for a start.

New trends in internal migration

A group of migrant workers helping to rebuild Baiyu :: © Josh Chin / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

When I flipped through some of the most interesting news aggregators on China a few days ago, I was struck by the headline of The Contemporary Gold that was circulated via Danwei.

In my former life as a 'serious' inhabitant of the academic ivory tower, I was kind of a specialist on internal and return migration in the PR China. And I never lost touch with recent developments in the fields of rural and urban development, general development issues, international and internal migration, gender and migration, and so on.

At the end of the 1980s, when the latest mass exodus from Chinese villages and backwater towns in Central and West China started, many Chinese and international experts predicted that this 'greatest human migration in world history' would ultimately lead to urban chaos, high crime rates, social disintegration, the development of abject urban slums and rising inequality between different regions and classes.

Developments that had already reached alarming levels in other developing nations, such as India, Bangladesh, South Asian, or African states.

Today, cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Mumbay, Dhaka or Kinshasa, South African townships or still-growing mega-cities such as Bangkok are notorious for unregulated growth, high crime rates and a general sense of despair among its thousands and thousands of new and old inhabitants. Mega-cities in the 21st century are often crowded, chaotic and rather terrifying on first sight.

The PR China, in contrast, has mastered this enormous task remarkably well. There are still many many problems, that's for sure. Urban China and rural China are still separated by the notorious 'Great Wall' of the peculiar Chinese household registration or hukou system.

Whole families are split between rural origins and urban destinations for years to come. Children are often left with grandparents or other relatives in nearly empty villages (kongke cun), because rural parents cannot afford to bring them along to their new abodes at the East Coast where they earn a living.

Inequality between different classes and regions, between Central China, West China and the East Coast, is rising again and the disintegration of the whole social fabric in villages and cities seems to be an inevitable consequence of this kind of massive human migration.

Nevertheless, even if the 'Great Wall' still divides rural and urban China, the notorious household registration or hukou system is still intact and historically inherited problems abound, neither did the CCP disintegrate nor did the Chinese state collapse. Nor is a real challenge to the ruling party-state from the bottom of society in sight.

Many prophets of doom may be surprised that the PR China is still standing and even stronger than before.

China has met the challenges posed by this massive human movement alternatively with 'hard strikes (yan da)' against rising crime, more liberal policies to attract rural talent to growing cities in the East and South, and new initiatives and detailed directives from the top in Zhongnanhai in Beijing via the various provincial and city governments, to the bottom of the rural administrative apparatus and the village cadres (ganbu).

The PR China's adaptability to ever-changing domestic and global trends, be it economic, social or cultural, is really astonishing at times.

Smaller Chinese cities, at least, are often much more liveable than their counterparts in other developing nations, such as India or Bangladesh, to name just a few. And perhaps much more interesting, chaotic (in a positive sense) than many so-called experts in the German and international mainstream media, the global academic world or international TV stations would have it.

For more information on recent trends in internal migration, migrant communities in urban China and gender issues, see the article 'Migrant workers forming “temporary couples" in the cities' by Danwei.

Are the censors really satisfied?

Screenshot Film Press Plus :: Vimeo

Jia Zhangke's 'A Touch of Sin (天注定 Tian zhu ding)' at the International Film Festival in Cannes

The film-maker presented his new work to a seemingly enthusiastic audience, and chances are that he will win one of the much sought-after trophies.

Renowned for his semi-documentary style, his new film 'A Touch of Sin (天注定 Tian zhu ding)' is (if you follow the rather raving reviews by national / international media) an acerbic attack on everything and everybody that is evil in contemporary China - corrupt local ganbu, ecological and human disasters, corruption at different levels of the party and / or state bureaucracy, and an ever-expanding entertainment industry that caters to the newly-rich and hopelessly spoiled as well as to the new / old underdogs.

The prototypical underdogs are the millions and millions of migrant workers who were and still are leaving rural backwaters and forgotten villages in search of the promised lands in the East and South.

Film aficionados might remember Jia Zhangke (贾樟柯) from the 1990s, when he was still a fresh face on the scene and a welcome guest at independent film festivals and in underground circles around the world.

According to the international press corps at Cannes, the film-maker repeatedly stated that he was not required to alter or cut any scenes from the material. And his production company plans to circulate copies widely in the PR China.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen if the new Chinese leadership under president Xi Jinping and premier Li Keqiang is as willing to fight endemic corruption as their predecessors Hu and Wen who had worked hard, sometimes at least, to eradicate one of the enduring evils in Chinese society.

If you are not too afraid of a little blood splatter (Tarantino-like) here and there, look out for 'A Touch of Sin' in your local cinema.

Intro

I was an avid reader of The China Beat from the start and I am much indebted to the masterminds behind it. Hope you don’t mind my borrowing parts of your name. Sorry to see you gone …

In a way, this blog is a deep bow to you and other like-minded souls - specialists on China that neither glorify nor condemn. In short - 'real' old China hands.

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot by reading your articles, books, blogs, news, reviews …

Thanks a lot. Xiexie nimen! Danke!

As a China scholar that has left the academic ivory tower years ago, I am trying to fill a void in the (German-speaking) world of new & old media where China is often either viewed as the new 'red peril' or 'the saviour of it all'.

Topics will cover modern Chinese society, politics, economics, (rural) development, gender politics, etc.

Guest authors are most welcome to share their views and perspectives, so please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Stay tuned for more.