Overseas Chinese Web Guide

Category: China

  • Expo 2010 上海世博 Drinks

    If you are attending the 2010 Expo in Shanghai, China, you are not permitted to bring liquids into the facility. If you are cost conscious, you may bring an empty water bottle and refill it for free at many of the water stations located through out the Shanghai World Expo grounds. Alternatively, Coca-Cola is selling cold beverages at its many concession stands. Most drinks, including soda, orange juice and water, are ¥3-5元, an extremely reasonable price considering how much beverages normally cost at U.S. amusement parks.

  • Marketing, Propaganda or Marketing Propaganda

    During a recent trip to China, I stopped by a store in Wuxi that displayed this slogan:

    Wuxinees Admire Virtues and Wuxi is A Trustworthy City For Consumption

    I am certain that the sign would have been better off without the English translation. The sign isn’t suffering from the typical “Chinglish” problem. Instead, the slogan seems like a line taken out of a Cultural Revolution poster with the effect that it instantly breeds suspicion and distrust. And, this is not just a Chinese issue. When any salesperson starts bragging about how trustworthy they are, clutch your wallet or purse tightly, real tightly because someone is about to get fleeced.

  • Website Banned in China

    Whenever I read about the Great Firewall of China, I always assumed that it was blocking the other guy. However, during a recent visit to China, I discovered that I was the other guy.

    I tried to access the Overseas Chinese Web Guide from multiple locations within China and simply could not reach the website. It definitely was not a server issue. Was it the complaints about how melamine contamination was damaging China’s reputation and future? Not sure. Regardless, I also wasn’t able to access Facebook behind the Great Firewall of China, so I know that I’m in good company.

  • Not Just a Nation of Knock-Offs

    New York Times: China Drawing High-Tech Research From U.S.:

    For years, many of China’s best and brightest left for the United States, where high-tech industry was more cutting-edge. But Mark R. Pinto is moving in the opposite direction.

    It’s one thing for a Chinese engineer to return back to China for better career opportunities. However, when a CTO of a major American company relocates to China, that really caught my attention. I still remember the misplaced fear in the 80s that Japan Inc. will surpass our economy. That didn’t happen. The other instructive point from the New York Times article is how it shreds the long-time rap against Asian countries: the one about being a nation of copiers. If the R&D and innovation is moving to China, watch out.

  • Wei-Chuan Chinese Cookbooks

    After having some success with Wei-Chuan’s Chinese Cuisine (中国菜), I decided to pick some some of the other Wei-Chuan cookbooks to diversify, namely Chinese Snacks (點心專輯), Chinese Cuisine: Beijing Style (北京菜) and Chinese Cuisine: Shanghai Style (上海菜). I really like the bilingual cookbooks produced by Wei-Chuan. While I prefer to read through recipes in English, I like the title of the dishes to be in Chinese because I am more familiar with the Chinese names. I also like that I can consult with the Chinese recipe if the English directions are unclear.

    Last weekend, I made the 糖醋瓦塊魚, which was inartfully translated to Sweet and Sour Fish Tiles. Another reason why I like the Wei-Chuan cookbooks is because the recipes all include a color photo of the final dish. If I had to rely on the awkward English translation, I probably would not have attempted the dish. Anyways, the recipe called for 1 T. of brown vinegar. Since I was unsure what was brown vinegar, I looked at the Chinese recipe which listed 鎮江醋. The bottles I see at 99 Ranch are labeled Chinkiang Vinegar, not Brown Vinegar. So, having the Chinese recipe with the English translation really helped in this instance.

    I did notice that in some instances the Chinese and English recipes differed. Specifically, the Chinese recipe for 槽溜魚片called for 味精, but its English translation did not. I guess the translator was aware that Americans are not exactly fond of MSG. However, this cultural sensitivity theory fails if you look at all the dishes in the Chinese Snacks book that requires lard or shortening. I guess that’s the only way to make pastry dough light and flakey, but it’s definitely not a product I stock in the kitchen.

  • Nanking

    I’m watching Nanking on Hulu.

    Considering the nature of this documentary, Hulu really shouldn’t be showing advertisements, especially Japanese car ads.

  • Sustainable Construction

    AP is reporting that the Bird’s Nest stadium will be converted into a shopping and entertainment complex. Funding the construction of an athletic stadium is one thing. But finding a stable source of income to pay for ongoing maintenance is another.

  • President Obama’s Controversial Inaugural Address

    During the broadcast of President Obama’s inaugural address, CCTV panned out when the President said the “c” word – communism. Not exactly one of the seven dirty words. However, if you read the inaugural address, you will realize that CCTV overreacted. President Obama said:

    Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

    Of course, the fascism comment refers our victory against Nazi Germany in World War II. As for communism, I’m pretty sure that Obama was talking about the Cold War with the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union collapsed. Again, we won, they lost. I’m not positive that “faced down” applies to the Korean War where the US fought to a standstill or the Vietnam War where the US departed in defeat. So, just because Obama talks about communism, it doesn’t mean he’s talking about China.

  • Melamine Contaminated Chinese Food Products

    Each day, government officials worldwide are announcing that more and more Chinese food products contain melamine. The good news is that someone is testing all the products, obvious or not, for melamine contamination. The Voice of America reported that latest products recalled include Koala brand chestnut and chocolate flavored cookies, Nabisco Ritz cracker cheese sandwiches and rice crackers. The lesson here is that nothing is safe. Rice crackers contain milk? Even I wasn’t expecting that. Time to be extra careful.

  • Don’t Follow the White Rabbit

    A few days ago, I spotted this post: Tainted Milk in China; No Threat in US. However, that headline is not entirely accurate. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a Health Information Advisory that “there is no known threat of contamination of infant formula manufactured by companies that have met the requirements to sell such products in the United States.”

    1. No Known Threat. First, “no known threat” is not the same as “no threat.” We are talking about milk production here and not terrorism. Some farmer is not going to release a video threatening to poison the milk supply with melamine. So, the government and the public, more often than not, will not become aware of specific threats to the food supply until someone has already been seriously injured or killed.
    2. Infant Formula. Secondly, the Health Information Advisory was limited to the contamination of infant formula and not to other milk or milk-based food products. So, while infant formula may be “safe,” that doesn’t mean that melamine contamination posed no threat in the United States. In fact, right after I read that, my immediate thought was to wait and see. I did not believe that melamine contamination was an isolated incident. However, I wasn’t expecting the situation to unravel that quickly. Today, the FDA announced the recall of my beloved White Rabbit creamy candy (小白兔奶糖) because of melamine contamination. Fortunately, I had not indulged in those in quite a few years. The FDA also announced the recall of Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea, also because of melamine contamination.
    3. Met the Requirements. Finally, the FDA didn’t say that all infant formula was not knowingly unsafe. (Yes, that is a double negative, but not knowingly unsafe is not the same as safe.) Instead, the FDA limited its declaration to infant formula manufactured by companies that have met the requirements to sell such products in the United States. So, infant milk formula produced by companies that have followed applicable laws and regulations is not knowingly unsafe. But, we really have no idea which companies are following the “requirements to sell such products in the United States” now, do we? Is the Health Information Advisory less reassuring than when you first read it?

    This melamine contamination issue is very serious because there is no meaningful way to distinguish between safe and unsafe food products. Take for example the Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea recall. King Car Food Industrial Co. Ltd. produces Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea. King Car is a Taiwanese company that used a non-dairy creamer manufactured by Shandong Duqing Inc., a Chinese company. Let the implications of that sink in a bit. First, the melamine contamination scandal implicates products made by companies outside of China. Secondly, the source of contamination was a non-dairy creamer. So, either the “non-dairy” wasn’t really non-dairy, or products other than milk are also contaminated. Yikes. So, even if you wanted to boycott food products manufactured in China, you will not necessarily be safer because companies located outside of China may be using China-sourced ingredients.