Direct Flights Between Taiwan and Mainland

July 4 saw the first direct flights between Taiwan and the Mainland since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. That's likely a turning point in the relationship of the two sides across the Taiwan Strait because in those direct flights saw the first Mainland tourists who are anxious to visit.

These weekend flights were made possible by the recent election of Ma Ying-yeou as Taiwan's leader. He said he would seek further opening by extending these weekends events to daily affairs before the end of the year.

Cotai Strip

Sheldon Adelson is a visionary. He came to Macau. He dreamed of the Cotai Strip that would equal or even exceed its counterpart in Las Vegas. That vision is coming true gradually. Already, the gaming revenues of Macau has exceeded that of Las Vegas in 2007.

This almost didn't happen because he didn't get a gaming concession. Only after some political manoeuvres, he got a sub-concession. In a recent trial in the US, it was revealed that in 2000 Mr. Adelson used his connections in the US Congress to convince them not to interfere in Beijing's bid for the 2008 Olympics. Beijing was grateful and he got his sub-concession.

In this case, one wrong made it right. If Adelson didn't get a license, I don't think Cotai would become the way it is.

A Review of the CCTV Tower

The CCTV Tower in Beijing is almost finished. My review is in:

CCTV Tower

It’s a word-class spectacle of an institution of mindless stupidity,

demonstrating how the modernism of a bold architect led to a bureaucrat's wicked dream of greatness, built on monopoly money generated from a propaganda machine.

A pure form but complete lack of content, meaning and soul, displays a strange bastard of quickly-acquired wealth and unthinking Westernization.

A shinning edifice without a slightest hint of Chineseness, ironically hosting the nation’s supposed cultural custodian,

reveals an alien, rigid ideology imposed from above, ever ready to suppress the native aesthetics of a great and ancient civilization.

The sense of its structural instability indeed foretells the inevitable downfall of an absolutist, unaccountable fantasy.

(Photo: Simon Elegant/Time China Blog)

President Hu Jintao Chats

The other day Chinese President Hu Jintao went to the newsroom of the People's Daily, the Chinese Communist Party official newspaper. While there, he chatted online with some Chinese netizens on the Strong China Forum, one of the newspaper's online forums.

While the netizens posted more than 300 questions, the President only answered three unoffensive ones: Do you go on the Internet? What do you do on the Internet? Do you read the many suggestions to the government posted by netizens?

The President's answers were as follow. I use the Internet often, though not every day. The Strong Country Forum is one of my must-read sites. I read domestic and international news. And I pay attention to netizens' suggestions on improving the work of the government and party

Five minutes later it was all over and the President was ready to go.

Fuel and Electricity Prices Rise 18%

The other day, China raised its fuel and electricity prices by 18%. It was a shocker because people didn't expected it. And the government hadn't explain its policy. It's reasonable to think consumers were very angry and they should.

The central government's economic decision-making has become very erratic and could lead to social instability.

Diaoyutai Dispute

Taiwanese are angry at Japan because its navy crashed into and sank a Taiwanese fishing boat in the waters around the disputed Diaoyutai Island. They have the right to be. More.

Taiwan Gets Direct Flights and Tourism

Taiwan finally gets direct flights and tourism agreements from the Mainland. Taiwan really needs them because its economy is being marginalized without closer links to the Mainland. More ...

Death of A Panda

AP/Seattle Times:
"Nearly a month after she was killed when China's devastating earthquake collapsed the wall of her enclosure, 9-year-old Mao Mao was laid to rest Tuesday in a quiet corner of the Wolong panda-breeding center."

First Track: Taiwan SEF Chairman Comes to Town

Chinapost.com:
"Chairman Chiang Pin-kung of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) will hold a historic meeting with his Chinese counterpart Chen Yunlin in Beijing today to secure the pacts on the launch of regular weekend charter flights across the Taiwan Straits and the expanded visits of Chinese tourists to Taiwan."

Yao Ming Establishes Foundation for Schools in Sichuan

Zhang Ziyi Raises Funds for Quake Relief

South Koreans in Beef Protest

Bloomberg.com:
"South Korean President Lee Myung Bak is facing the biggest test of his four-month-old administration after the entire cabinet offered to resign because of mounting public protests against the resumption of U.S. beef imports."