“Great Firewall” or not, Chinese Web surfers have overtaken the intertubes and so, it turns out, has their mother tongue. The stats are in: Chinese is poised to outpace English as the dominant language online.
China
China’s Robot Waiters: No Tipping Necessary
A restaurant that opened this month in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong uses robots for waiters, boosting efficiency and providing further proof that human beings are superfluous. Machines don’t grumble over tips. And …
Royal Wedding Commemorative China Now on Sale
Break out those credit cards — plates and cups commemorating the vows of two people you’ll never meet are on sale!
Quotes: Liu Xiaobo on Freedom of Speech
“Freedom of expression is the foundation of human rights, the source of humanity, and the mother of truth.”
-LIU XIAOBO, Chinese dissident and winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, in a statement delivered last year; Liu did …
China Invents Own Peace Prize, Is Mocked By Taiwan
There are a couple things the Chinese Communist Party dislikes: Criticism, for one. Also, Taiwan. The folks at Next Media Animation don’t seem to care. They’ve created a video that mocks much of what the Middle Kingdom holds …
Who Needs Nobel: China Launches the Confucius Peace Prize
It’s been a tough month for China’s PR machine. First Beijing had to figure out what to do about its belligerent pals in North Korea, and now, as all eyes turn to Oslo for this week’s Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, the …
Peace-ful Protest: List of Countries Boycotting Nobel Grows
If you, like China, think that the Nobel committee is a bunch of “clowns” who are “orchestrating an anti-China fuss” you can add yourself to the growing list of 19 countries who are banning Friday’s awards ceremony in Oslo, Norway.
Wildfire in Tibetan China Kills 22: Was Rescue Response Too Slow?
A grassland blaze in southwest China killed at least 22 workers who were trying to extinguish the flames. Another three were severely burnt.
Quotes: The Nobel Committee Will Honor Liu Xiaobo at Ceremony
“There is going to be a large picture of Liu and there is going to be an empty chair, which we notice is seen as a very powerful symbol.”
GEIR LUNDESTAD, the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s executive secretary, on how the committee …
Chinese Train Hits A Record Breaking 300 MPH
A passenger train in China hit a record speed of 302 mph Friday, the fastest speed ever recorded by a conventional commercial train.
The Korean Skirmish: How Bad Was It Really?
Over the decades, it’s proven to be quite difficult to decipher the motives behind Kim Jong Il’s decisions. But one thing’s for sure, experts agree that the North’s attack yesterday against the South’s Yeonpyeong island …
Dalai Lama to Retire as Head of Tibetan Government
Tibet’s spiritual leader plans to step down as head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, his spokesman said.