Archive: August 10, 2008 - August 16, 2008
Taiwan and China Bond Over Baseball, Pandas
The warming relations between Taiwan and the mainland were evident Friday as the two sides met for an Olympics baseball match in the Chinese capital. In an a spectacularly suspenseful game during which the "Go Taiwan!" cheers were as loud as those for "Go China!," the teams remained tied at...
August 15, 2008; 7:15 AM ET | Comments (1)
Another Free Tibet Protest
Activists managed to display a "Free Tibet" banner for an hour at the new headquarters of China Central Television on Friday before they were taken away. Students for a Free Tibet said five Americans were detained in the latest protest by the group, which has managed to get around the...
August 14, 2008; 10:23 PM ET | Comments (5)
Shopping on Silk Street with Bush Sr. And Other VIPs
Beijing's Silk Street Market is one of the capital's most beloved tourist destinations, but it's not for its silk. It's for the knock-offs--the LV purses, Dolce & Gabbana dresses, Tommy Bahama shirts, Ugg boots. A few weeks before the Olympics began, Chinese police swept through the streets and said...
August 14, 2008; 9:20 AM ET | Comments (0)
IOC To China: Don't Hinder Journalists
The International Olympic Committee criticized Chinese security officials who detained and manhandled a British journalist as he was covering a pro-Tibet protest on Wednesday. "The IOC does disapprove of any attempts to hinder a journalist who is going about doing his job seemingly within the rules and regulations," IOC spokeswoman...
August 14, 2008; 8:19 AM ET | Comments (14)
New Security Checks at Tourist Spots
Chinese officials announced that they would strengthen security checks at popular tourist destinations in the wake of Saturday's attack on the in-laws of the U.S. Olympic men's volleyball coach. Guards will use handheld metal detectors to suspicious check people and their baggage, said Wang Zhifa, a deputy director of the...
August 13, 2008; 11:50 AM ET | Comments (0)
Beijing Police Detain, Rough Up Journalist
As Beijing police were scrambling this afternoon to whisk away the latest group of Free Tibet protesters near the Olympic Park, they also detained and roughed up a British journalist attempting to cover the demonstration. "I was shouting, 'I'm a British journalist," said John Ray, a correspondent for Britain's Independent...
August 13, 2008; 8:30 AM ET | Comments (5)
Opening Ceremony Dancer Possibly Paralyzed and Other Scoops by Chinese Media
Beijing officials are going to great lengths to detain, search and intimidate foreign journalists reporting on the Olympics. But it's Chinese media outlets that are breaking the most damaging stories. One day after Beijing Radio revealed that the angelic girl who performed "Ode to the Motherland" during the Opening Ceremony...
August 13, 2008; 8:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
After Friend Disappears, Ji Sizun Confronts Police and is Detained Himself (Updated)
When the Chinese government announced at the end of July that it would set up special zones where people could demonstrate during the Beijing Olympics, it seemed almost too good to be true. For months, the country had been under fire from critics who accused it of trying to...
August 12, 2008; 9:00 PM ET | Comments (3)
Actor Jonathan Kos-Read On Foreigners in Chinese Soap Operas
Jonathan Kos-Read, 35, is an American soap opera actor and heartthrob in China. He speaks with us about China's evolving relationship with foreigners and the changing portrayals of foreigners in Chinese TV and films. --Ariana Eunjung Cha...
August 12, 2008; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Opening Ceremony Lip Sync Controversy
The adorable, pig-tailed girl who sang "Ode to the Motherland" during Friday's Opening Ceremony for the Olympics was lip syncing. The real singer's face was apparently deemed "not suitable" by officials organizing the games. In an interview with Beijing Radio, Chen Qigang, musical director for the ceremony, said a member...
August 12, 2008; 9:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
Chinese 'Cheer Squads' Fill Empty Seats
Chinese officials said today that they are busing in spectators to fill up venues that have remained partially empty during sporting events. "If they find that there are not enough people, or if they find that there are too many empty seats, they organise some cheerleaders," said Wang Wei, the...
August 12, 2008; 4:02 AM ET | Comments (3)
Christian Activist Escapes Police Detention (Updated)
A Christian activist reported missing after he was confronted by security officials while en route to a church service attended by President Bush has escaped police detention, his brother said Monday. Hua Huilin said his brother Hua Huiqi hoped to be able to tell President Bush the people praying with...
August 11, 2008; 5:24 AM ET | Comments (5)
China Daily: Attacker Who Killed U.S. Tourist Was Former Factory Worker
Here's the link to an article in the China Daily, the state-run, English-language newspaper, that provides more details about the man who killed one American tourist and seriously injured another in Beijing on Saturday. Some excerpts... The attacker was identified as 47-year-old Tang Yongming from the eastern city of Hangzhou,...
August 10, 2008; 4:51 AM ET | Comments (0)
