China’s parade to end all parades

Amid news that millions of migrant workers are roaming the Chinese countryside unemployed, a severe drought affecting eight breadbasket provinces and state authorities admitting that 2009 could be a year of unprecedented social unrest

The war that changed China

Thirty years ago today, China invaded its one-time Communist ally Vietnam to “teach it a lesson”, to the delight of Beijing’s newfound friend, Uncle Sam, which was still smarting from having lost its own Vietnam War.

For area Tibetans, a somber New Year

It’s been a rough year for Charlottesville’s Tibetan community, which watched in shock as anti-Chinese occupation protests and the Chinese government’s subsequent political crackdown wracked their home country

Will the Ox be as auspicious as the Rat?

One question immediately comes to mind: will the Ox be for Beijing as auspicious as the Rat? Nobody contests that the Olympics were a resounding success; Beijing however forgot to mention some darker aspects of the Rat Year