media - Australian company buys share Shanghai Daily

An Australian company has very recently bought a 40 percent stake in the Shanghai Daily, sources close to the paper told me, a rumor that still has to be confirmed officially.
It would be a first time as far as I know where a foreign company actually bought themselves into an existing state-owned paper. Just wonder why they bother, since they cannot make a difference at this stage for this loss-making enterprise. Have to poke my nose a bit deeper in this deal.

media - Fahrenheit's premiere in Shanghai

Thanks to the internet and the webloggers' community we could show this afternoon for an informal audience Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11", that is causing so much uproar in the US. Noteworthy is that we actually have beaten the Chinese DVD copiers in speed. Some DVD's of his movie were already available, but of a much poorer quality than our copy.
The movie was worthwhile as a historical document, that might have a profound influence on how people might vote later this year during the presidential elections in the US. Or might not. There was less of Moore himself in the documentary, but his appearance on Capitol Hill (I will not give away the clue here) was one of the highlights in the movie.

economy - Soft landing seems unlikely

A fierce debate is raging behind the governmental curtains in Beijing about what restrictions are needed to force the economy into a soft landing, reveals an interview of the Financial Times with researcher Xia Bin of the State Council's Development Research Centre.
Xia recommends monetarian tools like an interest rate increase, but fears that he is loosing the battle from others who want investment curbs in certain industries like cement and automotive.
That might cause a hard landing, says Xia. Early signs and discussions signal fierce of a rather abrupt halt or even a temporary recession when China's economy really follows its current course.

history - The power of Shanghai Jazz


An absolutely fascinating evening at Sasha's with the Shanghai Foreign Correspondents Club on Shanghai Jazz. The speaker of the evening suddenly introduced a local celebrity that popped up unannounced, the jazz musician Alphonso, or Zhu Heping (peace).
Born on the day in 1918 the First World War ended (hence his given name) he became a musician, supported by his grandmother, whose husband was the owner of Shanghai Power, the first Chinese to do so under foreign law.
Three books and many more articles in Chinese have been written about this famous family, that was the cornerstone of many of the economic and social highlights of those days.
We did not have enough time to ask the talkative Alphonso all the questions we wanted to ask. Apart from some anecdotes during the Cultural Revolution - when hard labor destroyed his hands - there were so many important stories Alphonso could not tell. Interesting was the Shanghai Power button, Alphonso was still proudly wearing on this jacket. It suggests that - although his family must have run into problems by 1949 - there was also a line that continued from his grandfathers empire to today.
So many questions.

Hong Kong - Oops, there was something going on too

I wanted to blog here also about the march for democracy in Hong Kong, but the first reports are coming in, otherwise it would actually have slipped my mind. Between 200,000 and 300,000 people at the start of the march, so that might actually grow to around 400,000 during the march. It is steaming hot.

media - China censors Fahrenheit 9/11 before screening


China might for the first time import officially a documentary, reports state-news agency Xinhua proudly. Unfortunately, the award-winning documentary might have to be censored first, it adds. "Sources indicate there's a strong possibility some of the violent scenes will be cut if "Fahrenheit 9/11" is screened in China."
It reminds of the Chinese translation of the memoires of Hillary Clinton, that was also missing some more sensitive moments in her life. Fortunately, Fahrenheit 9/11 will be available widely in the whole of China by next week, with or without permission from the relevant film authorities.
I still have to explain my Chinese friends what the documentary is about, so it might not be a hit as big as it is in the US.

I had a dream - the WTO column

(Next week in Chinabiz)

Well, it was more a kind of nightmare.
I recognized the hall I was in vaguely from what I had seen on TV in the US. I most certainly recognized the TV-lights that did put the Congressional hearing I was attending as a witness in the spotlight. From some of the pictures at the wall I concluded that John Kerry was president. So it must be 2005, or maybe a couple of years later. Next to me was sitting a lawyer of a larger US law firm, whose task it was to help me.
“Better confess, you are guilty,” he advised me beforehand.

The chairman of the committee waved with a paper. “What do you know about this donation to the fund to elect John Kerry as our president,” he asked. I checked the paper. It was a donation from the Queen Wilhelmina Fund of 373 US dollar, transferred to John Kerry’s elections fund from Hong kong. “We think it is an illegal donation from China.

I could vaguely remember that Fund and that amount of money. In the summer of 2004 the documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11” of Michael Moore had hit the US cinema’s and with a group of people we got together to watch the movie in Sasha’s, the regular drinking hole of the Shanghai Foreign Correspondents Club.”
“That was an illegal gathering, wasn’t it,” asked the chairman. “Well, it was maybe not a legal meeting, but I would not call an illegal meeting,” I tried. “It was more a get-together of 49 of my friends.”
“Better admit, you’re guilty,” said my lawyer. “Do not make your answers too complicated.”
“And you have been watching an illegal copy of the movie at that illegal meeting, isn’t it,” said the chairman, whose head had turned slightly red. “And then you invented the Queen Wilhelmina Fund to disguise the true destination of the money.”
“Well, we only decided later what to do with the money,” I tried.
“And then you illegally move the capital from Shanghai to Hong Kong.” The chairman exploded. “It was only very little money,” I tried.
“Better do not make your story too complicated,” my legal advisor suggested, before I could continue. “He will not get that story about the suitcases anyway.”

That moment my phone went and brought me back to my apartment in Xujiahui and the steamy summer of 2004. “I’m looking for a solid company in China that needs at least twenty million US dollar,” a friend from Hong Kong told me over the phone. I could use that but estimated I would not be considered to be solid enough. “Can’t we settle for a little bit less money?” I tried. “I will check with New York and call you back after the weekend.” I put down the phone.

I desperately tried to get back to my nightmare, but another day had started in Shanghai.

media - Full house for Fahrenheit

We have a full house at Sasha's coming Saturday for the informal viewing of Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11'. No room for news additions anymore.
I just had a glimps at the copy I got now and the quality looks indeed rather reasonable. As some commentors noted: the DVD has no also arrived for sale in Shanghai. Still seems the kind of documentary you have to watch with a crowd.

real estate - The first signs of a crisis

This morning I saw it for the first time in Xujiahui, Shanghai: real estate agents in front of their office poaching potential clients. It reminded me of scene I have seen in Hong Kong in the years after the real estate collapsed and hordes of agents would populate the streets surrounding new projects.
It seems that the real estate bubble at the top-end of the market is in the process of bursting. Keep your eyes open, and those with more than one apartment: start praying for a short crisis.

media - An informal viewing of Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11”

Saturday 3 July 4:00 PM at Sasha’s

For those who cannot wait until Michael Moore’s successful documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11” will appear in China’s cinema’s there will be an early and limited opportunity coming Saturday 4:00 PM at the 3th Floor of Sasha’s at the corner of Hengshan Road and Dongping Road.

There is limited seating for a maximum of 50 people, the first 50 people who RSVP will be notified that they are in; when there is an overwhelming interest, we might consider a second viewing. Please do not come without an confirmed RSVP.

Quality of the copies we obtained is good to reasonable, but do not expect top class viewing results.

We charge a nominal entrance fee of 20 rmb to cover costs and the remainder will go to the Queen Wilhelmina Charity Fund, since getting money legally to any anti-war fund might be rather impossible and will look awkward in congressional hearings.
Drinks are available for 30 Rmb and finger food will be available for free.

Please do RSVP ASAP but no later than Friday 2 July 9 AM fons@chinaherald.net

Media – No US lawyers allowed af Fahrenheit

 

Democrats Abroad in Shanghai unfortunately are backing out of our event, since it might not comply with all IPR-legalities in the US. As journalists we do have the sad duty of checking all information we can get, even if we sometimes get it through technically illegal means. We advise US citizens and lawyers to wear sunglasses during the event, since we will be moblogging it too and we do not want to cause any embarrassing scenes.

 

Media – Fahrenheit has landed in Shanghai

 

We have a copy of Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 now in Shanghai and are preparing for a private viewing on Friday evening for a limited number of people. Members of the Shanghai Foreign Correspondents’ Club and Democrats Abroad will be notified by email. If you want to be included and you are not a member of one of those organizations, please drop me a line. It does not guarantee you a place, only a chance for a place.

We are looking at different venues at this stage. When you have smart suggestions of places for the viewing, please let me know too.

 

media - Fahrenheit is ready for download

Thanks Isaac for this pointer, but now I need a geeky person who can actually do the download. I can organize a room and refreshments, but who is doing the technical stuff?

media - Fahrenheit is moving north

A short updated after my earlier request for information on Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore. Fellow blogger Danwei reports that the bureaucratic Film Bureau is actually working to get the movie allowed into China. This office still has a Sovjet style of operating, so we should not expect anything within this century.
Danwei reports also on the first DVD's seen in Shenzhen. Members of the SFCC and Democrats Abroad are actually thinking of setting up a private screening whenever we can get hold of the first copy.

Blogging – Two comment sections remain

 

As you might see there are two ways to comment on my entries here. Initially I wanted to remove one of the two after doing some testing and pick the best one. The best one is the old one of haloscan.com, because the blogger.com commenting feature required registration and rightfully most people think that is too troublesome.

But every now and then, when the interner filters in China are up and working, the haloscan commenting section disappears. It will come back, but it is still a nuisance. For that reason I decided to keep both working.

Media – Ranking business is booming

 

Forbes is coming with a new ranking of the best business destinations in China, I’m reading in a Xinhua article today. Euromoney China is working on a new ranking of the most admired businesses in China, I have heard, after ranking the most generous philitropist and the hundred richest business people. Who is now going to rank the rankers, I wonder?

international - Europe refuses China status as market economy -FT

"The European Union will refuse to recognise China as a market economy, after an in-depth inquiry by Brussels found the Chinese economy suffering from too much state interference, weak rule of law and poor corporate governance," reports the Financial Times today.
Getting a status as a market economy is high on the agenda of the central government. This weekend Chinese state media cheered as Benin and Togo accepted China as a market economy. New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore accepted this earlier.
"The 15-page interim assessment by the European Commission says that the EU "is committed to granting MES to China", but finds that Beijing has so far only fulfilled one of the five criteria set by Brussels. Unfortunately for China, this criterion - "absence of State-induced distortions in the operations of enterprises linked to privatisation" and the "absence of barter trade" - is the least important," says the FT.

mayday - Mobiles hurt men's fertility

Mobile connected men see their sperm count reduced by as much as 30 percent, reports a Hungarian research, according to an alarmist message by US blogger Jeff Jarvis.
"Those who place their phone near their groin, on a belt or in a pocket, are at greatest risk, new research has revealed." Now guess where most of the 300 million Chinese mobiles are mostly hanging?
The good news is that there is still 70 percent left.

economy - Facing a rough landing

Indications are growing that China's economy is cooling down and that the fallout might have a worldwide effect. The Standard quotes today HSBC economist Qu Hongbin: "'As investment went over the top on the way up, so it will be on the way down,' Qu says. 'In short, the downturn in investment is likely to be severe, as the economy will need a period of subtrend investment growth to work off the excess from the boom.'"
The Strait Times from Singapore follows, South Korean companies keep faith for the long term, but fear a short-term slowdown.
Earlier a falling shipping index also signalled a 'China crisis'.
It looks we are heading for a landing that could be a rough one.

movie - Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11

Has anybody already seen Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 on DVD in Shanghai already?

internet - Shanghai tries to controle internet cafe's - NYT

The New York Times > International > Asia Pacific > Despite an Act of Leniency, China Has Its Eye on the Web: "In recent weeks, Shanghai, China's largest and most Internet-connected city, has quietly introduced a series of controls, arguably the country's most far-reaching yet, and critics fear, a model eventually to be used nationwide. Described by city officials as a measure intended to combat pornography and to bar entry for minors to Internet bars, the Shanghai regulations require customers to use swipe cards that would allow administrators or others to record their national identity numbers and track their Internet use.
The regulations have kicked up little public debate, in part because they have received little publicity here during the planning stage. But fierce protests have appeared online, where many active Internet users are interpreting the new regulations as an extension of the police state. "[end quote]

Key question is how effective these measures can be. Most of the internet cafe's are rather low-margin ventures, that would rather opt for illegality then see their small margins being wiped away by this kind of compulsory features.
The argument about privicy also pops up: The New York Times > International > Asia Pacific > Despite an Act of Leniency, China Has Its Eye on the Web: "Asked if the privacy of Internet users could be infringed, the official said that the Shanghai government had noted the issue, but added that 'Internet bars are public areas, and some experts say that what one says in a public area should not be considered private.''" [end quote]