Top products from r/China

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Top comments that mention products on r/China:

u/sinofaze · 1 pointr/China

I'm surprised their level of English is low, as you suggest, because one of the requirements of Chinese government for exchange-students is to pass an IELTS standards-test. However, it could be their parents found a more....financial alternative, if you get my meaning.

You're doing the right thing with using Google-translate, especially if you are using Windows language bar (they write in Chinese in Google-translate).

May I recommend installing google-translate app on your cell-phone and installing this app- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pleco.chinesesystem&hl=en

Pleco will allow your Chinese friends to write in Chinese Hazi, which pleco can translate.

WARNING: Chinese-made dictionaries are very corrupt- i.e Chinese student writes a hanzi-word he wants translated, it comes out gibberish. Comedy at best, bloody frustrating other times. Insist on using Google.

Good idea to embrace their Mandarin. I recommend downloading this- http://kickass.to/pimsleur-ladyfae-12-languages-t7763469.html (deselected other languages to save GB-space). Learning Chinese takes some devotion but its very rewarding, at the least.

I recommend learning Chinese songs to bridge the gap. Chinese love singing or hearing songs. Teresa Teng's "tian mi mi" is a good start (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwNy03cDcGA). Here are the lyrics- http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/t/teresa_teng/tian_mi_mi.html They're easy to learn. Go to www. chinasmack.com for more songs (ignore the tabloid-news crap, its all reactionary-BS).

China has KTV bars here where people have singing-parties. So take them to a karaoke bars, if any, as they'll be the closest alternative. Or just book an empty classroom for an impromtu KTV-party.

Follow Chinese TV shows, such as Scarlet Heart (步步惊心 )- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cSzi064h-A&list=PL38225A73B22EEF00 This may be a bit out-dated now but get them to show you what TV shows they like.

They will love online gaming. Most popular games in China are LOL, WOW and CS. Get yer laptop out, start gaming, you hero.

Chinese men LOVE billiards. Get yer cue-stick and off you go.

Read books, particularly Theodore H White's "Thunder out of China" and this one- http://www.amazon.com/The-Tragedy-Liberation-Revolution-1945-1957/dp/1620403471 This will give you an unbaised awareness of what China is all about. Seriously, its criminal how we are not taught what's in these books in school!

Teaching them English is a wonderful opportunity for you and looks great on your CV. These kids will most likely be there for only a short-term so don't expect much progress.

One thing you must know: dump that sterotype of Chinese students being highly-educated. That only happens in Shanghaii, which is a separate city-state and gives the most pre-conceived idea of China. Education in China is extremely under-resourced, chaoticly-adminisitered and heavily-nepotistic.

Here some ideas for simple english lessons for you- follow @polarbackup suggestion, "talk smack about their teachers". This can teach them comparitives- "he is the FATTEST", "he is the SMARTEST", "he is bigger than...", so forth. Draw flashcards with carictures of their teachers or people, write out some verbs (big, bigger, biggest/pretty, beautiful, most beautiful, etc.). BOSH! you gotta lesson.

How about this? Take them to a supermarket. Divide them into groups of two or more. Give each group a copy of your shopping list and a basket, instruct them to find all the things on the list within a certain time, give them handouts with dialogue to use ("excuse me, do you know where the __ is?"). First group back within time with the correct basket of goods wins a prize. KABLAM! A lesson. (and quite possibly your shopping done).

This is a great thread you've opened up here and I wish you all the best of luck. Please keep it going.

Post here for more teaching info, lesson ideas or any questions.

u/ting_bu_dong · 1 pointr/China

https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Politics-Jinping-Era-Reassessing/dp/0815726929/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481368442&sr=8-1&keywords=cheng+li

Book.

Edit: Pretty good book. Level headed. Here's an excerpt.

>BROAD CHALLENGES CONFRONTING THE XI LEADERSHIP
The tension between Xi’s concentration of individual power and China’s past practice of collective leadership has become especially significant at a time when the country is confronting many daunting challenges. Over the past several decades, China has been beset by growing wealth disparities, repeated industrial and environmental disasters, resource scarcity, public health and food safety crises, frequent instances of social unrest, and a manual labor shortage in some coastal cities, coinciding with high unemployment rates among college graduates. China’s economy faces serious and interrelated problems, including mounting local debt, the proliferation of shadow banking, overcapacity in certain industrial sectors, and a growing property bubble. The old development model, which relied on export-driven and cheap labor-oriented growth, has come to an end. Chinese labor costs have risen rapidly, and the country can no longer tolerate the previous growth model’s severe damage to the environment, including the pollution of air, water, and soil. But the new consumption-driven, innovation-led, and service sector–centric model has yet to fully take flight.

>Of course, Xi and his generation of leaders did not create these problems; they have largely inherited them from their predecessors. In fact, Xi’s bold economic reform agenda has sought to address many of these issues. Some argue that factional deadlock in collective leadership led to the Hu-Wen administration’s ineffectiveness during the so-called lost decade, when seemingly little could be done to counter rampant official corruption and the monopolization of SOEs. This rationale has apparently bolstered the case for Xi’s more forceful personal leadership.61 If a more balanced factional composition in the PSC leads to infighting, political fragmentation, and policy deadlock, why should China not organize leadership so that power is concentrated in the hands of Xi and his team? If collective leadership assigns each PSC member one functional area and thus leads to political fragmentation and poor coordination, why should more power not be given to the general secretary? If local governments have been the main source of resistance to reform initiatives, why should Zhongnanhai not establish the Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms at various levels of government to facilitate policy implementation? This line of thinking seems to explain the basis for the six-to-one split of the current PSC and Xi’s twelve top leadership posts.
But in consolidating power, Xi also runs a major political risk: If he cannot deliver what he has promised as part of his economic reform agenda, he will not have anyone else with whom to share the blame. The recent stock market crisis in China and the very strong government interference in order to “save the market” reflect Xi’s political vulnerability and his sense of urgency. Xi’s popularity among the general public, including the majority of the middle class, is always subject to change if China’s economic conditions deteriorate.

>Furthermore, Xi’s inclination for monopolizing power has alienated a large swath of China’s public intellectuals, especially liberal intellectuals. They were particularly dismayed in the early months of Xi’s tenure by orders instructing them not to speak about seven sensitive issues: universal values, freedom of the press, civil society, civil rights, past mistakes by the CCP, crony capitalism, and judicial independence.62 In public discourse, some of these topics remain very sensitive or even taboo. Media censorship has tightened under Xi’s leadership, as has the state monitoring and management of research institutes, universities, and NGOs.

>It should be noted that Xi’s politically conservative and economically liberal approach to governing mirrors the method preferred by his predecessors, who always seemed to take one step forward economically while taking a step backward politically. During his famous “Southern Tour” (南巡, nanxun) in 1992, Deng called for greater market reform and economic privatization, while continuing to crack down on political dissent. Jiang broadened the CCP’s power base by recruiting entrepreneurs and other new socioeconomic players, a formulation known as the “Three Represents” (三个代表, sange daibiao), while launching a harsh political campaign against the Falun Gong, an emerging religious group. Hu’s populist appeal for a “harmonious society” sought to reduce economic disparities and social tensions, all while tightening police control of society, especially in regions with a high proportion of ethnic minorities.

>And yet, Xi seems to face deeper and rougher political waters than any Chinese leader since Mao, with the very survival of the party-state resting in his hands. With the revolution in telecommunications and social media, the way China’s authorities manage domestic political issues—from human rights and religious freedom to ethnic tensions and media censorship—has increasingly caught the eye of the Chinese public and the international community. Xi’s decision to prioritize economic reforms may be strategically sound, but he may not be able to postpone much-needed political reform for too long. Xi must make bold, timely moves to implement political reforms—including increasing political openness and expanding the role of civil society—and address issues that are currently preventing China from blossoming into a true innovation-driven economy.
Likewise, Xi’s ambitious anticorruption campaign has not come without serious political risks. Though popular among the Chinese public, this ad hoc initiative may ultimately alienate the officialdom—the very group on which the system relies for steady governance. Ultimately, Xi’s limited crackdown on official corruption should not serve as a replacement for reinforcing the rule of law, adopting institutional mechanisms like official income disclosure and conflict of interest regulations, and, most important, taking concrete steps to establish an independent judicial system in China. Otherwise, it will only be a matter of time before a new wave of official corruption leaves the public cynical about Xi’s true intentions and the effectiveness of his signature campaign.
From an even broader standpoint, China’s history under Mao and Deng was one of arbitrary decisionmaking by one individual leader. This method is arguably unsuitable for governing a pluralistic society amid increasingly active interest group politics. Despite its deficiencies, collective leadership generally entails a more dynamic and pluralistic decisionmaking process through which political leaders can represent various socioeconomic and geographic constituencies. Bringing together leaders from contending political camps with different expertise, credentials, and experiences contributes to the development of more-effective governmental institutions. Common interests in domestic social stability and a shared aspiration to further China’s rise on the world stage may make collective leadership both feasible and sustainable. In this sense, Xi can modify and improve the system of collective leadership, which is still largely experimental. But it would be pretentious and detrimental to attempt to replace most of the rules and norms that have governed elite politics over the past two decades. One simply cannot turn the clock back to the old days of the Mao era, when China was far less pluralistic and far more isolated from the outside world.

u/Whitegook · 2 pointsr/China

To be fair there's some truth in what you are saying. Tibet was a tribute nation to various dynasties since something like the 14th century, however I don't think any of them directly controlled Tibet - and they especially did not control the Tibetan Buddhist religious organization (for better or worse). It was more like frequent symbolic gift giving and emperors asking lamas sometimes to give off good impressions to their people other times as a way to show face while receiving gifts. Source

u/GlobalViewerFan · 2 pointsr/China

Hello OP, I too am looking for a community that engaged in discussions revolving around Chinese politics. I don't think this one, or Sino are good at that. This one seems to be more complaining about living in China with the occasional politics topic, and Sino seems like it is run by Chinese bots praising everything China does. Anyways PM me if you find a community that discusses politics. In terms of getting a better understanding; I think you should read this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Politics-Jinping-Era-Reassessing/dp/0815726929/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

u/xiaojinjin · 4 pointsr/China

Kind of tough to pick just one, as China is vast and there are so many differect aspects of the society worthy of being explored.

I really enjoyed Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside, which was a pretty solid caricature of just about every type of foreigner you meet in China, and a well written story as well, a bit like a more modern, more dynamic River Town.

I think the two most common answers to this question are River Town, by Peter Hessler, and Factory Girls by his wife Leslie Chang. Both are excellent but tackle very different parts of contemporary Chiense culture.

A touch of sin was already mentioned, and it's a very, very good movie. So I'm mentioning it again. If you haven't seen it, go watch it.

u/Gapwick · 2 pointsr/China

Last Train Home. It follows a young girl who leaves home to find work in a factory, as well as her parents who have already done so. It has some truly heartbreaking scenes, but it's also beautiful, and it paints a picture of migrant workers and their situation that is much more nuanced and personal than any I've seen outside of the book Factory Girls (which everyone should read). Easily one of my favourite documentaries ever.

u/trashpile · 4 pointsr/China

Jonathan Spence's Search for Modern China is a nice overview of recent-ish stuff. Spence's other works are also pretty fantastic.

u/blood_pony · 2 pointsr/China

I know you're looking for films, but Jonathan Spence is extremely thorough in his writings, and simply tells the story without injecting his opinion.

French sinologist Lucien Bianco's Origins of the Chinese Revolution does a pretty good job too of articulating post-Qing to early Mao times.

u/ezsmashing · 1 pointr/China

"Peanut" was also the CIA (back then still the OSS)'s code name for Chiang.

Interesting thing to note is that picture of him addressing the troops, he was doing that in pretty much fluent (at that time Beijing-hua) Chinese.

If anyone is really interested in this whole period the book "Burma Road" is packed with a lot of information and stories about this period: http://www.amazon.com/The-Burma-Road-China-Burma-India-Theater/dp/0374117403

u/BR-49 · 2 pointsr/China

If you can't trust the Chinese people to figure out to get "reasonably rich," why can you trust the (fairly large) set of Chinese people that make up the bureaucracy? Especially when economics scholarship has shown that the strongest growth in China's multi-decade surge took place when the government exercised the least control, not the most?

u/hawk_222b · 1 pointr/China

The Penguin History of Modern China
is a great overview and very easy to read.

One of the best books on the subject I've read is
The Search for Modern China by. Jonathan Spence but it is very dry.

u/HakanAzeri · 1 pointr/China

As a Sinology graduate, I thoroughly recommend anything by Frank Dikotter.

He's essentially one of the leading authorities on the PRC's history.

Another recommendation would be Yang Jisheng's excellent investigative work, "Tombstone": https://www.amazon.com/Tombstone-Great-Chinese-Famine-1958-1962/dp/0374533997

So far, the only non-horrifically biased media work that I can think of that portrays China during WWII would be 《南京!南京!》by Lu Chuan.

u/susiew0ng · 1 pointr/China

Read China Underground by Zachary Mexico. Awesome book; one of my faves about modern China. It explains all this kind of gnarly Chinese counter-culture stuff, including the cigarette burns.

u/DerpyDogs · 4 pointsr/China

3/5 for the quality of the fanfic, but thanks for putting in the effort on the write-up.

But, if you actually want to read about what happens check out the excellent book by Ian Easton 'The Chinese Invasion Threat: Taiwan's Defense and American Strategy in Asia'.

https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Invasion-Threat-American-Strategy/dp/1546353259

https://thediplomat.com/2017/11/chinas-playbook-for-conquering-taiwan/

Somebody (CIA lol) leaked the PLA manual on the Taiwan question to Easton. His analysis was the basis for this book.

u/thenwhatissoylentred · 2 pointsr/China

you should read some books! jonathan spence's search for modern china is a good broad introduction.

u/Underwood2016 · 4 pointsr/China

Read this:
https://www.amazon.com/Poorly-Made-China-Insiders-Production/dp/0470928077

Chinese manufacturers are really good at negotiating and they take “nice guys” to town all the time.

u/Graham_Whellington · 3 pointsr/China

[https://www.amazon.com/Search-Modern-China-Third/dp/0393934519/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487811047&sr=8-1&keywords=the+search+for+modern+china](You need this book) and [https://www.amazon.com/China-Henry-Kissinger/dp/0143121316/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487811112&sr=8-1&keywords=On+China](this book)

It is impossible to answer your question without understanding the "Century of Humiliation." A lot of that is still prevalent in modern China, and those two books will be some solid go-tos. Spence focuses on China; Kissinger discusses the United States.

Edit: I have no idea why it is not formatting correctly.

u/[deleted] · 3 pointsr/China

New Books:
on Contemporary China
Chinnovation
Reads somewhat similar to Silicon Valley success stories: huge ideas that are changing the world, with a Chinese accent.

History:
The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang

This is a very important book to understand the Sino-Japanese relationship. Even when some question the historic facts, esp numbers, it is a strong reflection to the mentality the Chinese people go through ever since.
If you are too lazy to read through, there is one edition with mostly (disturbing) photos.
The Rape of Nanking: An Undeniable History in Photographs

A Nazi involved in saving refugees in Nanking who had the habit of keeping a diary.The Diaries of John Rabe
This is one of the sources of Chang's book, written by a westerner.
Chang committed suicide and now she has a memoir
The Woman Who Could Not Forget: Iris Chang
(This is the new book that really got me carried away to list related literature)

I wish I could be more helpful and list more books on other aspects of China. Yet it is so sad to think about heavy history so I have to refrain from writing more. My apologies.

u/y1ng_k0 · 2 pointsr/China

No, I totally agree with you that a surprise attack is impossible. I'm trying to make the point that surprise is necessary and maybe one of the biggest deterrents of an invasion. I'm not sure about the history of amphibious assaults but I think of D-Day and Normandy and necessity of surprise to succeed.

Ian Easton, a China expert, wrote an entire book about this possible scenario titled, The Chinese Invasion Threat: Taiwan's Defense and American Strategy in Asia. He says that the PLA,

"favors a minimal warning, rapid invasion campaign that employs deception and surprise to land on the island and overrun Taipei, securing the government’s capitulation before U.S.-led coalition forces could decisively engage.”

They've actually outlined and updated the scenario recently at FP.com. And they do mention the 1-million men invasion. The article says that PLA command believes they would need to attack and secure the island in no more than two weeks. Any longer and they assume the battle lost. It also assumes a lot of other things like anticipating and defending against US and Japanese counter campaigns.

Additionally, I'm not sure if it's been mentioned but another issue the PLA has to consider is Taiwan Straight is weather conditions:

"The invasion will happen in April or October. Because of the challenges posed by the strait’s weather, a transport fleet can only make it across the strait in one of these two four-week windows."

Anyways, interesting article, lays out everything that's been discussed in greater detail and fancy charts.

u/jp599 · 3 pointsr/China

http://www.amazon.com/Xi-Jinping-Governance-English-Language/dp/1602204098/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453368098&sr=8-1

"I've also bought copies of this book for my colleagues. I want them to understand socialism with Chinese characteristics."

—Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Facebook

u/rogerwilco42 · 3 pointsr/China

Poorly Made in China: An Insider's Account of the Tactics Behind China's Production Game
https://www.amazon.com/Poorly-Made-China-Insiders-Production/dp/1491552549

u/diehard1972 · 6 pointsr/China

Agree. I'm just not sure the way we're headed it won't happen. But the Thucydides's Trap is real and historically proven. If you haven't read the book by same name by Graham Allison, you should. Harvard Prof level book.

u/yurikastar · 1 pointr/China

One way of understanding it is:

There is a lack of adequately paying jobs in the countryside, coupled with high birth rates and the move to more modern farming methods meaning less labor is required for the land (which is reduced in size due to urbanization).

Additionally, much of the non-agricultural work which existed in more rural areas before the start of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), what were called Town and Village Enterprises (TVEs), has moved towards the east coast (concentrating many jobs in those areas), been unable to continue (for numerous reasons, this book by Huang Yasheng discusses it), or been closed down (from rural industry, to dance troupes, to loads of random crap). In the pre-Reform period there was more of a spread of industry, and in the 1980s there was a vibrant Town and Village Enterprise movement, things changed with the move towards concentrating modern jobs on the east coast in SEZs.

This leads to a surplus (too much) of labour (people who can do work) in rural China.

Now, others could probably do farming if they wished, but in many small villages I have visited, the number of those farming there is just low enough that people can use farming to live and make some money. If many people choose to continue to do rural labour (farming) in the areas they are from income would be so low that people would need to leave (as they have).

But, there are many other reasons (cultural, sociological, gender) why people leave rural areas outside of the 'labour surplus' idea and what are called neoclassical economic theories of migration

u/CapitalistMarxist · 2 pointsr/China

not exactly the same, but this is a good, and rather critical story of a guy who acts as an intermediary for American companies looking to source their products in China.

http://www.amazon.com/Poorly-Made-China-Insiders-Production/dp/0470928077/ref=pd_sim_b_10?ie=UTF8&refRID=0S9FG1D4SEAXDG1NYV7R

u/x0vash0x · 1 pointr/China

On China by Henry Kissinger is the first book to start out with.

I don't know any real comparative political approaches, but another book that outlines the general Western Thinking at that time, like /u/imaspacesuit suggested, is End of History and the Last Man. Realize that End of History was originally written in 1992 and it outlines the neoliberal perspective of the late 1980's and early 1990's after the fall of the Soviet Union:

>What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such: that is, the end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government.
>
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_History_and_the_Last_Man

The whole existential threat that the neoliberal world order is trying to wrestle with is whether China proving this thesis wrong, or does it just need more time, or does it need to be forced or coerced to realize the end of history?

Edit: The Wikipedia links a good article from 2008 from Fukuyama which talks about China. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/22/AR2008082202395.html

>Not so fast. We are certainly moving into what Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria labels a "post-American" world. But while bullies can still throw their weight around, democracy and capitalism still have no real competitors. The facile historical analogies to earlier eras have two problems: They presuppose a cartoonish view of international politics during these previous periods, and they imply that "authoritarian government" constitutes a clearly defined type of regime -- one that's aggressive abroad, abusive at home and inevitably dangerous to world order. In fact, today's authoritarian governments have little in common, save their lack of democratic institutions. Few have the combination of brawn, cohesion and ideas required to truly dominate the global system, and none dream of overthrowing the globalized economy.

This is what scares so many today: China could potentially dominate and overthrow the globalized economy and world order. The more time goes on, the more strength China gets, and the more brawn, cohesion and ideas required to truly dominate the global system, and might dream of overthrowing the globalized economy.

u/gaoshan · 0 pointsr/China

This is a good book about the subject: The Rape of Nanking. Covers everything you are asking about.

To get an idea of how big of a raw nerve this book struck try reading some of the 1-star reviews. A mishmash of insane people, Japanese right wing revisionists and even a few people apparently posing as Chinese. Side note: the author committed suicide about 7 years after this was published.

u/mddking · 0 pointsr/China

>https://www.amazon.com/Tombstone-Great-Chinese-Famine-1958-1962/dp/0374533997/

Yes, you can think that those people die because ccp's awful policies Indirectly. And how do you know that ccp were willingly and actively trying to purge those people? And to those murderers who knowingly and consciously kill iraqis, what do you wanna say to them? if you already wanted to grill ccp on the fireplace, what will you do to those US soldiers and their commanders?

u/jump_hour · 4 pointsr/China

everything you cited is literally change, many of them negative.

not even getting into veracity of the statements, when you pay your bills, does your bank balance stay the same? lmk what bank you use.

edit, as to veracity: 5G, EVs, and HSR, but you already knew that. not an issue of 'catching up', i.e. adopting past technologies

social engineering examples of govt initiative: social credit system, facial tracking, 2 child policy

doom and gloom gordan chang, yea china would be really effed if it played by market rules. how does inflation work when the govt sets the prices? Cabbage shortage 2015-16, farmers got their prices capped. stock market was and can be suspended at drop of more than 3%. Bank accounts can be frozen if ppl try to withdrawal.

belt and road is power play for geo-politic and not economic values. and china has been hemorrhaging cash from SOEs for decades, wheres the collapse.

https://www.amazon.com/Coming-Collapse-China-Gordon-Chang/dp/0812977564/