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Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Pakistan praises China’s timely help for flood victims
| Pakistan praises China’s timely help for flood victims |  |  |  |
BEIJING, Dec 25 (APP): The timely Chinese help from all segments of society greatly contributed to mitigate the sufferings of the people hit by worst floods in the history of Pakistan. The Chinese government, entrepreneurs, NGOs, individuals as well as students from universities, colleges and even from schools, all contributed to help their Pakistani brethren in this hour of need. “We are very pleased to receive you and your colleagues at Pakistan Embassy”, said Ambassador Masood Khan while addressing a reception hosted for Mr. Zhou Yushu, President of Hongder College, Inner Mongolia on Friday evening. The students of the college, also running Little London English School had contributed over RMB 150,000 for the flood-affectees.In his address in Chinese Mandarin, Ambassador Khan said that we are very grateful for the Hongdar College and Little London School for the generous assistance given to the Pakistani floods victims. The Hongdar College has very bright future, he said adding that we are looking forward to the promotion of ties between Hongdar College and Pakistani education institutions. Pakistan and China, Ambassador Khan said are close friends, our friendship is all weather and time tested. Referring to the speeches delivered in Chinese language by himself and other counsellors in the reception, Ambassador Khan said it demonstrates love and affections that Pakistani people have for Chinese. Earlier, the President of the College Mr Zhou Yushu said that the recent visit of Premier Wen Jiabao to Pakistan will help further consolidate our all weather, strategic and time tested friendship. He said that Pakistan and China are friends and they share their joys and sorrows. The students of Chinese institutions, he said were touched with the widespread devastation to life and property by massive floods and generously contributed from their pocket money to help floods victims in Pakistan. |
Chinese cultural show marks anniversary of China-Saudi diplomatic ties
RIYADH, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese culture show was put up in the Saudi capital Riyadh as both countries mark the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties. The three-day event, sponsored by the kingdom's Culture and Information Ministry in tandem with the Chinese Culture Ministry, is being organized at Riyadh's huge King Fahd Culture Center. Saudi Culture Minister Abdulaziz Khouja said the show reflected friendly relationship between the two counties, hailing deeply- rooted ties binding his country and China. A 30-strong Chinese delegation, which included artists and musicians, has arrived in Riyadh to take part in the event. Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming paid a landmark visit to Saudi Arabia in early 2010, during which he said both countries are going to boost the two-way trade volume to 60 billion U.S. dollars by 2015. |
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Chinese dialects Vanishing in China
Chinese dialects vanishing in China
Mandarin threatening even native tongues as major as Cantonese
Tongue-tied
While similar to Mandarin, this dialect is distinguished by a strong accent and unique vocabulary that can be unintelligible to non-native ears. A growing cosmopolitan mix and the influx of rural migrants have diluted the dialect in the capital.
Over 1,000 residents staged a rare demonstration in Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong, after officials proposed switching TV programming from Cantonese to Putonghua in July. Parents in Guangdong have been abandoning Cantonese in favour of Putonghua in the belief that Mandarin will help their children achieve better grades in school and also get better jobs.
It used to be the language of the Manchus, China's rulers for more than 200 years from 1644. Sinicisation of the Manchus led to a decline of their language, with Beijinghua and then Mandarin taking its place. Fewer than 100 people speak the language today.
Thousands of Tibetan students in western China protested against proposals to curb or eliminate the use of the language in local schools in October. It was the largest demonstration since the March 2008 riots.
The sixth largest ethnic group in China, with a population of more than eight million, mostly in central Hubei and Hunan provinces. Most, however, prefer to use Mandarin today, leading a Chinese Academy of Social Sciences scholar to predict earlier this week that the Tujia language could become extinct in just 10 years.
BEIJING - CHINA'S numerous native tongues are slowly vanishing, with even major dialects spoken by tens of millions under threat from Mandarin.
The country's three biggest cities - Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou - are seeing their mother tongues increasingly being drowned out, a trend experts believe may not be reversible.
shpeh@sph.com.sg
Additional reporting by Lina Miao
Read the full story in Saturday's edition of the Straits Times.
China bans Chinglish buzzwords created by netizens | |||
| 2010-12-25 13:10:00 | |||
1 ridiculously huge coupon a day. It's like doing Akron at 90% off!www.Groupon.com/Akron | |||
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| All About: New Delhi, Beijing International Studies University, General Administration of Press and Publication | |||
Monday, December 20, 2010
China Tracker WHAT A SUPERPOWER WANTS
What Is The Chinese Dream?
In an event in Silicon Valley, someone asked me: “In one sentence or two, would you tell me what is the Chinese dream?” (as he learned I wrote a book called The Chinese Dream).A simple question, but no simple answers.
When I left China 20 years ago, there was no Chinese dream. I had to leave my country and come to America to pursue my dream of a better future. But today, many young people in China can start their own business and have a lot more opportunities. Even many of my American friends are going to China because of the tremendous opportunities presented there.
As a Chinese magazine editor told me bluntly, “The Chinese Dream is a copy of the American Dream.”
Many middle class Chinese are influenced by the American way of life. They are bombarded by many material temptations and proliferating choices. TV commercials, the Internet, and Hollywood movies give them a rosy picture of the American middle class.
One Chinese blog described it this way: “American middle class people live in a villa with a two-car garage in the suburbs. In front of the house, there is a green lawn. They have 2-3 children, and a dog. The husband goes out to work, and the wife stays at home taking care of the children. On weekends, they drive their SUVs to the countryside for barbecues and camping.”
That is the picture in most Chinese people’s minds of “the American Dream”— owning a big house, driving a nice car, and having a comfortable life. The Chinese middle class wants it all.
In my book The Chinese Dream, I discuss a wide variety of topics related to a rising Chinese middle class and explore the implications in economics, the environment, culture, and politics. For people who do not have time to read the book, here is a peek:
The Chinese Dream is organized in two parts. Part One, “The Making of the Middle Class,” reviews the dramatic changes over the past fifteen years in China that gave birth to the new breed of Chinese middle class that is still emerging.
The Introduction provides an overview of the Chinese middle class and presents the main theme of the book—that the rise of a large Chinese middle class will be a complementary and balancing force in the global community and benefit the world as a whole.
Chapter 1 explores a topic that mystifies many people in the West: how capitalism and communism, two mutually exclusive systems, can exist side by side in China. Through profiles of a state-created bourgeoisie and a communist entrepreneur who wears Playboy shoes and invests in the capitalist stock market, among others, I show how China’s not-so-private sector operates. In reflecting on this complexity of Chinese society, I discuss the differences between Eastern and Western ways of thinking and how they, although seemingly contradictory, can be complementary to each other.
Chapter 2 looks at the impact of globalization on the urban Chinese middle class, known as “white collars.” Among them are a recruiter who gave up her dream to be a reporter, a gay son of former Red Guards, a blogger who drinks Starbucks coffee and studies American business icons, young entrepreneurs who are becoming increasingly westernized, consuming as fast as the money pours in, and many more. Their stories are a microcosm of modern China, full of the contrast of past and present, the conflict of old and new, and collision of East and West.
Another major factor in the growth of the Chinese middle class is the country’s unprecedented urbanization. Chapter 3 features rural migrants who pulled themselves up out of poverty, examines the reasons for this great migration, and discusses potential obstacles—such as China’s rigid household registration and educational systems—to the Chinese middle class’s ability to move up. In this chapter, I also debunk the myth of China’s manufacturing power and challenge people in the West to see beyond our own immediate interests and view China as an opportunity, rather than a threat.
Part Two, “Complexities and Challenges,” discusses the impact of the Chinese middle class on Chinese society, the United States and the rest of the world, how it will change the dynamics of the planet we live in, and why it can lead to a safer and stronger world.
Chapter 4 explores the economic implications of a large Chinese middle class, both for China and for the world. A burgeoning middle class, calculated to reach 600 to 800 million within the next fifteen years, is jumping aboard the consumerism train and riding it for all it’s worth—a reality that may provide the answer to America’s economic woes. The chapter presents ways Western companies can capitalize on China’s enormous consumer market, and argues that the Chinese middle class will be an alternative growth engine for the global economy. As counterpoint to this argument, I deconstruct the myth of China as a superpower.
Although a large Chinese middle class offers significant benefits for the world economy, it will also pose serious challenges to the environment and global warming. Chapter 5 showcases China‘s widespread pollution and looks at both the challenges and opportunities presented by this environmental crisis—problems that the U. S. can help solve. The chapter discusses both the bottom-up environmental movement in the West and the top-down governmental approach in China and presents a case for mutual learning and collaboration.
Twenty plus years after Tiananmen Square, will a growing Chinese middle class push for more democracy? In Chapter 6, I review China’s troubled history of democratic pursuit and interview a former Tiananmen Square demonstrator, an editor for one of China’s outspoken magazines, and other intellectuals and entrepreneurs. The chapter discusses the relationship between the Chinese middle class and the government, and explores the possibility of a democratic China.
China is leapfrogging into the information age. Chapter 7 tells the story of a Chinese Internet entrepreneur who started an e-commerce company that defeated eBay in China. This chapter documents why some companies fail while others thrive in the Chinese market, and illustrates important lessons that multinationals cannot afford to ignore when seeking to do business in China.
China is experiencing a surge in religious beliefs as the country continues to undergo rapid and profound changes. Chapter 8 recounts stories of people’s search for spirituality and their desire to find meaning in life: a jewelry store saleswoman wavering over believing in God, a public relations manager shopping from religion to religion, an entrepreneur who converted to Christianity but is still in doubt, and others. The chapter delves into the government’s attitude towards religion and the middle class’s quest for balance between material and spiritual enrichment.
The book’s Conclusion asserts that middle class Chinese and Westerners are connected by a common set of core values and share many of the same aspirations and dreams. By accepting our interdependence and seeking to learn from each other, we will all benefit. The Chinese middle class is an emerging global force that can serve as a catalyst for a more balanced world for all.
Interspersed throughout are my personal stories and life-changing experiences—my childhood in China, my arrival in the United States, and my visits back to China over the years.
If you have a better definition of the Chinese Dream, please let me know.
(Helen Wang is the author of The Chinese Dream: The Rise of the World’s Largest Middle Class and What It Means to You. Available on Amazonand http://TheChineseDreamBook.com)
Speak Mandarin!!!
www.youtube.com
Take the challenge at www.thechinesechallenge.sg! The Speak Mandarin Campaign 2009 kicks off its 30th Anniversary with a series of television commercials that challenge Singaporeans to be heard in Chinese.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Kindergartners to get first taste of Chinese
Kindergartners to get first taste of Chinese
Dec. 9 at 2:23 p.m.Barrington School District 220 will begin a Mandarin Chinese immersion program for tots through teens next fall, now that the board of education has voted to accept a $1.5 million federal matching grant for the program for five years.
School board members had been mulling over whether to take on the financial and logistical obligations posed by the grant, which was awarded in the summer. They voted 6-1 to proceed at a meeting Tuesday night.
The district will be on its way to becoming the only one in the state to offer Chinese immersion from kindergarten through high school, said Todd Bowen, chairman of the world language department, who secured the grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The grants pays to start classes in the elementary grades, and while Chinese already is offered in middle school and high school, more classes will have to be added to provide for immersion.
The grant requires the district to partner with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where Chinese is taught, to give graduating Barrington High School students an advantage if applying there. And the district also must provide college-level Chinese courses for seniors.
“Our partnership with the University of Illinois will ensure that our students will make significant progress in a K-16 model of where they can become professionally proficient speakers of Chinese with a global vision of the world,” Bowen said Wednesday. “It’s very exciting. The board is taking a step for the future.
“The implementation of the elementary Chinese immersion program will be an outstanding opportunity for Barrington 220 students who will have the possibility of developing professional competence in an Asian language. This program puts Barrington 220 among the leaders in language education in the United States and gives our students a chance to communicate with their peers on the other side of the ever-flattening global map,” he said.
Starting next month, the district will offer a voluntary after-school exploratory program for kindergarten students to introduce them to the language, Bowen said. He said details still are being worked out, but it would be an early gauge of interest in the language and help with classes that will only be offered to kindergartners and first graders next year.
The classes will be at Barbara B. Rose Elementary School in South Barrington. A grade level will be added each year until reaching fifth grade.
Busing, fees and selection criteria for elementary students wanting to take Chinese still are being worked out, said board president Brian Battle.
“We anticipate there will be more interest than the two classrooms for each grade,” Battle said. “We have a demand from our parents for language-based programs.”
The grant will pay to hire a full- and part-time teacher, leaving the district with no significant costs for the program for the five years of the grant, Battle said. Transportation could become a cost unless parents are charged a fee to have their children bused to Rose.
Board member Nicholas Sauer cast the lone “no” vote, expressing concern about taking on a new program when $2.8 million to $3 million in additional budget cuts may need to be made because of declining state aid and higher teacher costs. Last year, the district laid off more than 15 teachers and made other cuts.
“We need to cut the budget or grow taxes in a time when the private sector is contracting and family budgets are contracting,” said Sauer, adding the board does not know how the Chinese program will be funded once the grant runs out.
“My objections were based on that it’s a five-year grant, but the question is how do we fund it? There were financial concerns and logistical concerns.”
While the program most likely will be successful and a great opportunity for students, Sauer said he does not feel it’s the right time to start it.
“We don’t know what the future holds. If we don’t have the monies, we shouldn’t be dependent on a grant. We don’t have the money right now to do it,” he said. ‘Also, it’s a decision our future board will have to be stuck with.”
He also expressed concern over the possibility of an elementary student taking a few years of Chinese only to not be able to continue because the program ends. That could happen, Battle said, as the costs, number enrolled and other factors will be reviewed each year by the board and staff.
“It’s difficult for us to predict what the cost will be five years from now. We’ve got four or five years here. When the grant runs out in 5 years, we’ll see if (the program) has established itself,” among other things, Battle said. “This form of education has some form of benefits. We know that parents in this community have a desire for these language programs.”
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