tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041245107012836932024-03-14T08:36:25.633+05:30India's China Blog<center>Welcome to Maitreya Bhakal's Blog - a discussion about Current Affairs, Past Affairs, and Foreign Affairs - especially about India and China</center>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-50074238420399330852020-10-28T20:54:00.002+05:302020-10-28T20:56:58.488+05:30Countries refuse to toe US line on China<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A key determinant of a superpower’s global status is how many allies it can boast of. Every bully needs its sidekicks. Since World War II, the United States has managed to create a vast alliance network over the world – ready to be deployed whenever it wishes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Most US allies are white-majority, developed nations, frequently being partners in crime with the US in invading and sanctioning non-white, developing countries. During the 2003 US invasion of Iraq for example, many of them lined up for literally invading and occupying a sovereign nation on false pretenses. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qFLDsieNZpU/X5mL38EX-RI/AAAAAAABE2Y/bsPxZcX2xQ4b_CBQUD8i2TfLkNPJLXd_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/1682eef4fd3643bcad7a7c8104b822f5.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qFLDsieNZpU/X5mL38EX-RI/AAAAAAABE2Y/bsPxZcX2xQ4b_CBQUD8i2TfLkNPJLXd_QCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h225/1682eef4fd3643bcad7a7c8104b822f5.jpeg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-size: xx-small;">Souce: Getty Images</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yet, in recent years, US efforts to garner allies against China seem to be hitting a roadblock. Many nations are tired of US bullying and are pushing back. Much to the US regime's chagrin, the global order today is not as divided and partisan as it was during the Cold War. By politicizing every issue and forcing nations to pick a side, the superpower finds itself rapidly losing allies to China. </span></p><p><span></span></p><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2020/10/countries-refuse-to-toe-us-line-on-china.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-10533597888042001192020-10-06T18:10:00.001+05:302020-10-07T15:09:32.249+05:30Li Wenliang: Some Whistleblowers are More Equal Than Others<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br><br> A single death is a tragedy, while that of a million, just statistics, goes a popular saying. For the western media, that has long forgotten the millions of deaths caused by US wars, the tragic death of one man in China couldn’t have come at a better time.<br><br>While the whole of China expressed condolences over the unfortunate demise of Dr. Li Wenliang, the western media erupted in glee. Just as Schadenfreude over the epidemic was losing momentum, here comes a “whistleblower” who tried to “warn” the government about the outbreak, but was “silenced” – all catnip to the western media.<br><br>So western journalists – who generally care little about Chinese lives – got busy. The first step, as with most reporting on China, was to ignore the facts (truth, after all, is the first casualty of propaganda war).</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="470" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oa6a4BbZKwE/X3xkAmNBQwI/AAAAAAABEec/10-H0vy0NXUF5394n_Y2hNVZVBImRar0QCLcBGAsYHQ/w376-h400/fx1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="376"></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo Credit: Lancet</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Blowing hot air</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br>The word “whistleblower” generally applies to someone who tries to warn the public – which Dr. Li didn’t do. He posted in a private WeChat group that seven “confirmed” cases of SARS were reported from the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan. He also warned group members not to spread the information further – the exact opposite of whistleblower behavior.</span></div><div><span></span></div><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2020/10/li-wenliang-some-whistleblowers-are.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-11227525962362101582020-10-05T02:10:00.006+05:302020-10-06T18:12:44.090+05:30US and COVID-19: Death, Denial, and Dog whistling<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is often said that the average American cares only about three things: his Gun, his God, and his Hamburger. Unfortunately, neither is particularly useful in a health crisis. For it is in this once-in-a-century pandemic that we see the true face of America. <br></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In order to determine a country’s true national strength, it helps to look at how its people and leaders behave during a crisis. COVID-19 has killed more Americans than all US invasions of all nations since World War II. With more than 200,000 deaths and 7 million cases, the world’s most powerful nation is also the worst hit.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wq4Bn6flrII/X3ougliOaaI/AAAAAAABEdg/3Fih2XKbqWgut9QBzllBx8eJEppKN1T4QCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h225/1589238346807.jpg" width="400"></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""NB International Pro", Helvetica, "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", sans-serif" style="color: #656568; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image credit: Axios</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b style="font-family: verdana;">Freedom over lives</b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Initially, few in America took the pandemic seriously - whether the people or the regime. After all, this wasn’t an enemy they could just pray or shoot away (or bomb), like they usually did. People even protested against wearing masks, openly flouting social distancing guidelines and even having parties. Americans openly – and proudly - disobeyed health guidelines designed to keep the nation safe. No wonder the US lacks an efficient public health system – it simply doesn’t have enough public trust.</span></p><p><span></span></p><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2020/10/us-and-covid-19-death-denial-and-dog.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-48257072000337621322020-03-21T21:43:00.004+05:302021-06-10T13:27:11.944+05:30Language Manipulation in Western Propaganda on China<div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br></span></div><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Read this article on <a href="https://maitreyabhakal.medium.com/language-manipulation-in-western-propaganda-on-china-b0c7549a302e" target="_blank">Medium</a></span></i></div><div><i><br></i></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">China doesn't fire officials, it "purges" them</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Corrupt Chinese officials don't get convicted for corruption, they "lose power struggles"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana;">China doesn't punish corrupt officials, it "nets" them</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Chinese leaders don't strengthen laws, they "concentrate power"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana;">China doesn't give out loans, they "trap" countries in debt</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">China has "state media outlets", other countries have "public service broadcasters"<br></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">China does "propaganda", other countries do "communications"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Chinese leaders don't want their country to prosper peacefully, they are "obsessed with stability"<br></span></li></ul><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2020/03/language-manipulation-western-media-china.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-9175321935648019572020-02-05T11:16:00.000+05:302020-03-21T23:16:10.581+05:30An Outbreak of Sinophobia and Schadenfreude in the West<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Sinophobia goes more viral than the virus</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Nowhere is man freer than on the field of battle, where it is a matter of life and death, wrote Leo Tolstoy. One way of determining people’s morality is by observing their reactions during a crisis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Western audiences have offered three types of reactions to the recent virus outbreak in China: Sympathy, Sinophobia, and Schadenfreude. Sane westerners, one hopes, empathized with the victims, wishing the outbreak ends soon. Racists took advantage of it to indulge in stereotypes and memes. The third category, the western media, was delighted with the opportunity to insult the Chinese government.</span></div>
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</div></div><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2020/02/virus-china-sinophobia-schadenfreude.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-54232520539454561552019-05-12T17:51:00.005+05:302020-08-30T19:09:25.904+05:30Why the Western Media Ignored the Death of Wei Shaolan, a "Comfort Woman" for Japan<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span face=""><br></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span face="">Wei Shaolan was a Chinese woman forced into sex slavery by Japan in the 1940s. Until 2015, she was one of the only eight such women still alive - euphemistically called "comfort women" by wartime Japan.</span></span></span><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: verdana;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span face=""><span style="letter-spacing: 0.1px;">She </span><a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1148626.shtml" style="letter-spacing: 0.1px;" target="_blank">died on 5th May in Guilin</a> at the age of 99 years. </span></span></span><span style="color: #202124;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wei Shaolan</span></td></tr>
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</span></div></div><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2019/05/wei-shaolan-was-chinese-woman-forced.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-38676079618947292182016-02-08T19:52:00.000+05:302016-11-22T19:50:40.774+05:30Happy Accidents: US Bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br>My favorite newspaper published an <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/china/21690097-poor-china-so-vast-and-so-sensitive-world-hurt" target="_blank">article</a> recently about the use of the phrase "hurting the feelings of the Chinese people" and its various forms in the Chinese press. While the phrase and the article were locked in relentless competition over which is more useless, my attention was drawn to something entirely tangential: a reference to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_bombing_of_the_Chinese_embassy_in_Belgrade" target="_blank">US bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999</a>. </span><br>
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</div><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2016/02/us-bombing-chinese-embassy-belgrade.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-82437836628177445462016-01-02T17:53:00.000+05:302016-11-28T17:30:42.922+05:30WTF Comparison of the Day: India vs China in Innovation<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Patents filed by China in 2013</b>: 704,936<br><br><b>Patents filed</b><b> by India from 1960 to 2013</b>: 129,529</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Yes - The number of patent filings by China in 2013 is more than the filings by India from 1960 to 2013! </i></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br></i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The number of filed patents is perhaps the best metric to capture a country's innovation index. Thus, while China has decided to surge ahead, India has decided to surge behind. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Narendra Modi, the globetrotting Indian Prime Minister, whose party received an overwhelming victory in the recent elections, thinks that <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/genetic-science-existed-in-ancient-times-modi/article6545958.ece" target="_blank">genetic science existed in ancient India</a>. Many of his countrymen and women truly believe him. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Look Ma, No Democracy!</b></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">India is widely considered an innovation hub - a <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/india-is-worlds-most-promising-innovation-hub/" target="_blank">better center of innovation</a> than even the US and China. Criticisms of Chinese successes - which is actually jealousy in disguise - is focused almost solely on the government and its 'authoritative' rule.</span><br>
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<a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2016/01/india-vs-china-innovation-patents.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-58467553545550032412015-12-28T17:11:00.002+05:302016-01-02T18:49:27.006+05:30WTF Comparison of the Day: A Tale of Two Bridges<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Bridging the divide?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandra%E2%80%93Worli_Sea_Link">Bandra-Worli Sea Link, India</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Total Length: 5.6 kms (3.5 mi)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Construction time: 10 years</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;"><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangzhou_Bay_Bridge">Hangzhou Bay Bridge, China</a></b></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;">Total Length: 35.7 kms (22 mi)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;">Construction time: 4 years</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The former both started and ended later than expected. The estimated cost was $99 million - but it ended up costing the taxpayer $240 million. Much of this was due to a weapon that is misused as much as it is used: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_interest_litigation_in_India">Public Interest Litigation</a>.</span><br />
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Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-3233458414359562792015-12-06T14:36:00.002+05:302016-04-01T01:54:59.729+05:30China and Media Bias: Guilty Until Proven Guilty<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mistrial by Media</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is often said that obfuscation is the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">purpose of journalism. And when China is involved, journalism gets reduced to a free-for-all orgy - wherein the journalist knows that absolutely anything will be believed as long as China is being portrayed as the villain.</span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It all starts with the Presumption of Guilt. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Nothing that China ever does is enough. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A few examples:</span><br>
<a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2015/12/china-media-bias-guilty-until-proven-guilty.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-23876285686701485972012-07-29T01:50:00.000+05:302016-10-22T17:42:37.576+05:30The Tragicomedy of Errors: China, British Imperialism, and the Opium Wars<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
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<b>Julia Lovell finds something funny in the Opium Wars</b></div>
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Great Britain has many reasons to feel great about itself. Its empire was the largest in history and covered over a fifth of the world's population. It had more colonies than any other European power. It came, it saw, it divided, and it conquered.</div>
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It raped and it reaped, it slaughtered millions of people, massacred entire populations, and caused civil wars with impunity. Racism was its state policy. It sucked the life out of its colonies and reduced them to what we now call third-world nations. It drew and redrew boundaries and created whole new countries randomly on a whim. Most conflicts in the world today can be traced back to British Imperialism: the Kashmir issue, the <a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.in/2010/03/brief-history-of-sino-indian-border.html" target="_blank">Sino-Indian border dispute</a>, Tibet, Palestine, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Sudan - the list goes on. </div>
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Yes - Great Britain can be proud. It had the largest empire in the world. It had managed to keep its European competitors in check. There was no known threat to its global dominion. It seemed that Great Britain was destined to rule the world.</div>
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</div><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2012/07/opium-war-china-british-imperialism-julia-lovell-tragicomedy-errors.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-10510951837906858202012-07-07T23:40:00.001+05:302016-02-15T16:04:03.812+05:30Quote of the day: Mapping a lie<div style="text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Were you using the wrong maps again?</span></i></div>
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<i>- </i>Ma Xiaotian, deputy head, PLA General Staff</div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._bombing_of_the_Chinese_embassy_in_Belgrade" target="_blank">US bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade</a> remains a stark reminder of how US actions can go...well, largely the way it
wanted them to. Not so much the attack itself, which had "accidentally" gone awry, but the American
government's control over the reporting of the attack in the media, which went exactly as the US and NATO wanted it to go, most of
it blindly parroting the US view.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">According
to the US government, the attack was the result of "bombing
instructions...based on an outdated map". Ma Xiaotian, referring to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_NATO_attack_in_Pakistan" target="_blank">NATO attack</a> that killed 25 Pakistani
soldiers last November, <a href="http://blog.gmfus.org/2012/05/23/seizing-opportunities-with-a-less-reserved-beijing/" target="_blank">made</a> the above priceless <a href="http://www.jamestown.org/programs/chinabrief/single/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=39593&cHash=d95eeaf36ffb61428966b69fce6d753a" target="_blank">remark</a> at a recent meeting of US and Chinese officials last year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Absolutely priceless. Must've taken the wind right out of their sails. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I wonder why this didn't reach the mainstream press. Did the US government suppress it? It can if it wants to. The bigger question is why the Chinese press didn't pick up on it.</span><br />
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Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-75370663671092712012-04-14T11:29:00.000+05:302016-01-02T18:36:32.535+05:30Quote of the Day: Censorship Affects People's Livelihoods<br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<a href="http://www.bigthink.com/ideas/how-to-censor-the-internet-in-china-2?page=all" target="_blank">Big Think: The Long Arm of China's Internet Police:</a></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><i> </i></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<i>“So much of <span class="il">the</span> censorship relates <span class="il">to</span> things that have a real impact on
people’s livelihoods. <span class="il">The</span> societal and human cost of
censorship is heartbreaking.”</i></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
- <a href="http://www.freedomhouse.org/expert/sarah-cook" target="_blank">Sarah Cook</a>, Freedom House</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Quite. One can see why so much of censorship has a </span><i style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">real</i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> impact on people's lives. After all, how can Chinese teenagers feel safe and secure without access to Facebook or Twitter? How can the Chinese people be expected to survive when their own government won't allow them to watch more than 20 Hollywood movies a year? How can they sleep at night knowing that they cannot search for images of the Dalai Lama?</span><br style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I can't imagine how the Chinese people can go on living under such an oppressive government. Truly heartbreaking.</span> </span><br />
<br /></div>
</div>
Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-39469147481958287342012-04-14T11:20:00.001+05:302016-01-02T18:36:18.621+05:30Quote of the Day: Fighting Corruption = Sowing "fear in the city"<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/12/world/asia/bo-xilai-scandal-and-the-mysterious-neil-heywood.html?pagewanted=all" target="_blank">The New York Times</a><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/12/world/asia/bo-xilai-scandal-and-the-mysterious-neil-heywood.html?pagewanted=all" target="_blank">: </a><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/12/world/asia/bo-xilai-scandal-and-the-mysterious-neil-heywood.html?pagewanted=all" target="_blank">Briton’s Wanderings Led Him to Heart of a Chinese Scandal</a>:</div>
</div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<div>
<i>(Bo Xilai's) handpicked police chief, Wang Lijun, who sowed fear in the city with
an unshackled crackdown on organized crime that won Mr. Bo national
attention, was also under scrutiny. </i></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
How dare the police strike fear in the city by organizing a
crackdown against organized crime? Don't they know that citizens feel
safe in the presence of crime? Yes - the <i>entire city</i>, <i>in general</i>, is now more fearful as a result of the police doing its duty and fighting crime.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
What the article really meant was that the crackdown sowed fear in <i>criminal</i>'s hearts. But remember - its the <i>New York Times</i> we're talking about. Journalists working for such a prestigious newspaper could hardly be expected to soil their lofty minds with something as inconsequential as semantic common sense.</div>
Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-80678969803811081062012-02-03T12:32:00.000+05:302016-01-02T18:35:48.372+05:30The Economist and the South China Sea: It is "complex" if I can't understand it<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>The Economist</i> is often held prisoner by its own prejudice arising from its whatever-China-does-internationally-is-wrong stance, and a recent article on the South China Sea disputes proves it. Behold the latest offering from intellectual dungeons of the <i>The Economist</i>: <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21546033" target="_blank">"The devil in the deep blue detail".</a></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Sadly, but not surprisingly, the newspaper warns against the dangers of viewing the dispute through cold war lenses, </span>and then proceeds to do exactly that. <span style="font-size: small;">In a nutshell, the article can be summed up as follows: <i>China is the bad guy</i>. (Of course, that applies to <a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.in/2011/11/china-libya-and-political-bullshittery.html" target="_blank">most</a> <a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.in/2011/12/soccer-mocker-getting-kick-out-of.html" target="_blank">articles</a> <a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.in/2011/12/economist-and-chinas-soft-power-et-tu.html" target="_blank">about China</a> that </span><span style="font-size: small;">it</span><span style="font-size: small;"> publishes).</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br>
</div><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2012/02/economist-and-south-china-sea-it-is.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-79955268895816773622012-01-25T03:30:00.000+05:302016-10-13T21:43:10.447+05:30Five reasons why China will not invade Taiwan<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<br></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<i></i><br></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">‘So solidly built into our consciousness is the concept that China is conducting a rapacious and belligerent foreign policy, that whenever a dispute arises in which China is involved, she is instantly assumed to have provoked it.’</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">— Felix Greene, 1965.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br></span>
<br>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When a bully nation (also known as a superpower) is engaging in full hegemonic display, another country with increasing clout and international status can raise <span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">apprehension</span></span>. When countries are used to a bigger country settled for some years in a bullying position, someone starting to come close to that level of power raises various concerns.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This rise is often wrongly construed as a zero-sum game: the newcomer </span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">challenging</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> the bully's position. In such a case, the existing bully, in its efforts to manipulate popular conceptions about the unknown newcomer, will (hypocritically) spread the myth that the newcomer is, and always has been, overtly aggressive. This myth-making, with the existing bully's greater hold on communication channels (media, international organizations, UN etc.) can negate the effect that the newcomer might have in balancing the bully's hegemony. The newcomer's assurances about its peaceful rise will then be dismissed as deception. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The focal point of the bully's containment policy will be to encourage and manipulate various types of pawns against the newcomer. If such pawns already exist, then they will be fostered and strengthened, and in case they don't, new ones will be created. As Stephen Walt </span><a href="http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/11/21/sino_american_rivalry_a_chinese_view" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">terms</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> it, "a competition for allies" will then commence. </span></div>
<br>
</div><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2011/08/analysing-cross-strait-relations-and-5.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-28191922727084144042011-12-17T12:57:00.000+05:302016-01-02T18:32:59.197+05:30The Soccer Mocker: The Economist gets a kick out of ridiculing Chinese football<div class="tr_bq" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br></div>
<div class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I discussed in my <a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2011/12/economist-and-chinas-soft-power-et-tu.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, <i>The Economist</i> has published two special articles about China as part of its special Christmas-holiday double issue. I discussed the <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21541714" target="_blank">first of the two</a> in my last post, and intend to discuss the second one here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In "<a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21541716" target="_blank">Little Red Card</a>", <i>The Economist</i> mocks China's attempts at becoming a
proficient footballing nation, and, no pun intended, gets a kick out of
it. Even the mention of the efforts of
the Chinese government in this direction, which are indeed noteworthy
when they are compared to India (the only country that can actually be
compared to China in this regard) is done as if doing a favor.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<br>
</div><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2011/12/soccer-mocker-getting-kick-out-of.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-7899397826102663582011-12-17T12:27:00.000+05:302016-01-02T18:32:42.548+05:30The Economist and China's Soft Power: Et tu, Sun Tzu?<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>A pathetic attempt to discredit Sun Tzu as an instrument of Chinese Soft Power</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As part of its Christmas-holiday double issue, <i>The Economist </i>has published two articles about China: <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21541714" target="_blank">one</a> about its Soft Power and <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21541716" target="_blank">another</a> about the dismal state of Chinese football. John Micklethwait, the Editor-in-Chief, describes the double issue as one in which <span style="font-size: small;">"Journalists write about odd subjects, pet subjects, any subjects that took their fancy during the year and that did not fit into the normal run of our coverage." Well, "odd" is certainly not the word that can be used to describe the two above, as they actually fit into the standard <i>Economist</i> rhetoric about all its China-related reporting. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and even the "pet subjects" that "</span><span style="font-size: small;">did not fit into the normal run" of their coverage are not far different from, well, their normal coverage.</span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In "<a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21541714" target="_blank">Sun Tzu and the art of soft power</a>" (</span><span style="font-size: small;">I intend to discuss the second article in my next post)</span><span style="font-size: small;">, the newspaper questions, without offering an alternative, the validity and usefulness of using Sun Tzu as an instrument of Chinese Soft Power. A couple of idiotic points stand out in the analysis. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br></span>
<br>
<a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2011/12/economist-and-chinas-soft-power-et-tu.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-25683561179836442822011-12-01T13:30:00.001+05:302016-01-02T18:48:17.678+05:30India v/s China: We've got Facebook! What've you got?<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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<br></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An interesting analysis in TIME magazine, to the extent that it tries to be an analysis:</span></div>
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</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2099180_2099179_2099178-1,00.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The ChIndian Century</span></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And don't forget to check out these two accompanying arguments, one for India and one for China:</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2099180_2099179_2099176-1,00.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Case for India: Free to Succeed</span></a><br>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2099180_2099179_2099175,00.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Case for China: The Power of Planning</span></a><br>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I plan to blog about this general issue sometime soon.
Right now however, I just can't help commenting on just two points for the time
being, particularly because many westerners have humongous misconceptions about these issues. Almost every article on the topic contains at least a
reference to these two fallacious points. </span></div>
<div>
</div><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2011/12/india-vs-china-weve-got-facebook-whatve.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-34047945895849754612011-11-15T19:02:00.001+05:302016-09-28T18:36:02.114+05:30China, Libya, and Political Bullshittery from The Economist<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Economist, my favorite newspaper, has been engaging
in its own peculiar style of political bullshit reporting about Chinese foreign policy nowadays. Take a look at <a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2011/10/hypocrisy-and-west" target="_blank">this</a>:</span><br>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>It is not just in Sri Lanka that the hypocrisy of Western attitudes has rankled. In China, a commentary in Global Times, a Beijing newspaper, highlighted another aspect of it: “<a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Print.aspx?tabid=99&tabmoduleid=94&articleId=673073&moduleId=405&PortalID=0" target="_blank">The more urgent question is why the countries that led a righteous crusade against Qaddafi, and rightly or wrongly are now triumphing in his defeat, are the very same that up until recently were busy trying to be his friends?</a>” So, of course, was China. But two hypocrites do not make a right.</i></span></blockquote>
<a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2011/11/china-libya-and-political-bullshittery.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-85622033597150148542011-08-19T18:04:00.000+05:302016-02-08T20:16:17.942+05:30All your Schadenfreude are belong to us?<div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<b>Lecturing others amounts to </b><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;"><b><i>schadenfreude</i>. </b></span></span><br>
<span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;"><b>Wait. What?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div style="color: black; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: none medium; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: none medium; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;">An interesting phenomenon seems to be in the air. With the current financial crisis in America and unrest in Britain, it appears that multiple western media outlets cannot resist the temptation to interpret China's and other countries' responses in terms of "<i>Schadenfreude</i>". Although not as amusing as <a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2010/03/is-politiburo-smoking-weed.html">accusing the politburo of smoking weed</a>, it certainly has all the qualities that characterize the distinct flavors of garrulous western reporting about China and Asia in general. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: black; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;"><br></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;">In response to the crises in Washington, Xinhua, in a much cited phrase</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;"> (One that the international media has gone completely gaga over)</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;">, called upon the US to "cure its addiction to debt" . This was <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21526398">interpreted</a> by <i>The Economist</i> as </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;"><i>schadenfreude</i>, claiming that "regional celebrations" have erupted in Asia over the debt crisis. It further crowed:</span></span></span></div>
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</div><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2011/08/all-your-schadenfreude-are-belong-to-us.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-27589726010688172092010-06-09T16:54:00.029+05:302016-01-02T18:31:18.469+05:30India at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 and its significance in Sino-Indian Relations<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In the midst of the concrete and steel jungle that is the Shanghai World Expo, stands the Indian Pavilion, the 'greenest' of them all, offering an unprecedented opportunity to further improve Sino-Indian relations</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b> and India's Soft Power in China.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Expo has finally come to China. A largely-forgotten event in most parts of the world, it has been rejuvenated, on a scale which no other country could even dream of. A record number of 192 countries and 50 organizations have registered, the highest in the Expo's history. Most people hadn't even heard of the expo until it came to China. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The verdict is clear - The Expo needed China as much as China needed the Expo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It has been described by the Chinese government as "<span style="font-size: small;">a great gathering of world civilizations", and is an excellent opportunity </span>to improve ties between two of the oldest - India and China. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Indian pavilion</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Indian Pavilion is a massive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupa"><i>stupa</i></a> (pronounced <i>stuup</i>, with an slightly elongated <i>u</i><i>)</i>, resembling specifically the <i><a href="http://www.culturalindia.net/monuments/sanchi-stupa.html">Sanchi Stupa</a> </i>built during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurya_Empire">Maurya</a> Dynasty (322-185 BC) by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashoka">King Ashoka</a> (pronounced <i>Ashok</i>). </span><br>
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</div><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2010/06/india-at-shanghai-world-expo-2010-and.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-4630014974475922922010-04-17T23:17:00.030+05:302016-01-02T18:29:31.904+05:30China mine disaster: A 'Miracle' rescue or a Miracle rescue?<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We all know about the <a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2010/03/is-politiburo-smoking-weed.html">irresponsible reporting and bias</a> that many elements in the western media have against China, but when they start using mine disaster survivors to further their 'agenda', then it simply borders on the inhuman. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few days ago, about 115 miners were<a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2010-04/06/content_9687582.htm"> rescued</a> from a flooded mine in China's Shaanxi Province, in what is the latest in a string of disasters which have plagued China's mining industry in recent years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, the way in which the rescue was reported by some elements in the western media is quite interesting.</span></div>
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</div><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2010/04/china-mine-disaster-miracle-rescue-or.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-39050310540544212812010-03-26T20:41:00.022+05:302022-12-15T15:25:59.602+05:30A Brief History of the Sino-Indian Border Dispute and the role of Tibet<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;">On the 3rd of July, 1914, as Ivan Chen made his way down the steps of the Summit Hall building in Simla, he must have been aware of mixed feelings rising up inside him. He had done something which would have far-reaching repercussions; and which would for years be remembered by many people on both sides of the Sino-Indian border, albeit in very different ways - He had just left the Simla conference.</span><br>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;">After refusing to sign the agreement himself, he was made to sit in a separate room, and behind his back, was signed one of the most controversial and bizarre treaties in human history – The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simla_Accord_%281914%29">Simla accord.</a></span>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;">For over a century, the intricacies of the border between India and China have baffled scholars. The plot leading to the Simla conference </span><span style="font-size: small;">and beyond </span><span style="font-size: small;">is a textbook example of diplomacy and back-handed politics at work, and plays just like a thriller </span><span style="font-size: small;">book or </span><span style="font-size: small;">movie. The sheer complexity of this problem can be judged by the fact that 36 rounds of negotiations have taken place between India and China at different levels since 1981; but they have yet to reach a settlement.</span></span></span><br>
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</div><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2010/03/brief-history-of-sino-indian-border.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504124510701283693.post-69713834373357278932010-03-16T22:53:00.008+05:302016-01-02T18:25:57.117+05:30Is the Politiburo smoking weed?<div id="top" style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Surprised? No sir, this is not some comment that a random user made at an online forum. This is the question that <i>The Telegraph</i> poses to its readers, in a recently published <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/7442926/Is-Chinas-Politburo-spoiling-for-a-showdown-with-America.html">article</a> entitled – ‘<i>Is China’s Politburo spoiling for a showdown with America?</i>’.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, we are all aware of the severe Cold-waresque bias against China in large parts of the Western media, amounting to literally a childlike obsession, but this article really takes the cake. The author, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose_Evans-Pritchard">Ambrose Evans-Pritchard</a>, is in fact the international business editor of the newspaper!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But coming to think of it, in a way it also serves to be a bit of a laugh actually. Nothing beats a taste of good old British comedy. Who knows, we might be witnessing another Mr. Bean or David Brent in the making!</span></div>
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</div><a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/2010/03/is-politiburo-smoking-weed.html#more"><br> Continue Reading »</a>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.com