Tony Hong
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International Symposium ‘China’s Soft Power in Africa’ 4th & 5th Sep 2014 at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China
March 29, 2014
International Symposium on: ‘China’s Soft Power in Africa: emerging media and cultural relations between China and Africa’ An international symposium on ‘China’s Soft Power in Africa: emerging media and cultural relations between China and Africa’ will be held on 4th and 5th of September 2014 at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. This is a …
China’s Complex Trade Deficit
March 19, 2014
By David Symington, MA Student at Fudan University. Well China recently posted a trade deficit – a rare event – and it has, predictably, spooked many commentators. The Wall Street Journal’s China Real Time blog wrote however, that there may be more to the trade figures than meets the eye. The blog wonders if the …
The Desolation of Smog
March 9, 2014
By Dr. David O’Brien, Assistant Professor, School of Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Recently a Chinese general provoked online scorn when he claimed that Beijing’s foul air was the best defence against US laser-guided weapons. People’s Liberation Army Major-General Zhang Zhaozhong told state-television that “Laser weapons are most afraid of …
Global Art in China
March 1, 2014
By Felicity Woolf, Studying an MA in Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. On a trip to Shanghai last week we decided to visit the Power Station of Art, a newish space for contemporary art opened in 2012 to house the Shanghai Biennale. It has received a bit of attention from …
Chengdu’s creative spaces – cultural diamonds or lead balloons?
February 21, 2014
By Philip Crosbie, PhD candidate, School of Asian Studies, University College Cork. As one of Chinas emerging cities in the south-west, Chengdu is quickly becoming one of the most prosperous and talked about cities in the country’s landscape of urban development. Most projections forecast that Chengdu is becoming a key area of domestic and foreign …
Chinese Intellectuals’ Thinking on Reforming Ethnic Policies
February 14, 2014
By Dr .Julie Yu-Wen Chen, Department of Government, University College Cork. While the Western media offer us a channel for understanding what’s going on with ethnic relations in China, sometimes partial media coverage and an overreliance on English sources/perspectives give us an impression of a China that is indifferent to its various minorities. What is …
‘Too Much Politics Not Enough Tennis’, say bloggers.
February 5, 2014
By Dr. David O’Brien, Assistant Professor, School of Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Last Thursday night 704 million people in China sat down to watch the same television programme. The annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala is by far the most watched television show in the world and though often mocked …
Another economic milestone but does it actually mean anything?
January 25, 2014
By Dr. David O’Brien, Assistant Professor, School of Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. In a matter of weeks China is very likely to surpass the United States and officially become the world’s leading trading nation. According to official figures the value of China’s imports and exports in 2013 reached $4.16 …
The Changing State of English Education in China
January 15, 2014
By Daryl Johnson, PhD student in Applied Linguistics, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China. English language has a tempestuous place in Chinese history. During and shortly after the Opium Wars, English was seen as the language of ‘barbarians’ and later during the Cultural Revolution, it was the language of the enemy capitalists and a symbol …
Not Everyone Loves Social Media
January 9, 2014
By Dr. Shixin Ivy Zhang, Assistant Professor in Journalism Studies, School of International Communications, University of Nottingham Ningbo China. The most popular term in 2013 may be ‘phubbing’, a combination of ‘phone’ and ‘snub’. This term was coined by Macquarie Dictionary team in Australia in 2012. It refers to the annoying habit of snubbing someone …