Author Archives: Barry van Wyk

Why is the air quality in Ningbo so bad? A government official explains

Posted on 2012-11-22 by Barry van Wyk

Pollution in Ningbo has apparently been very bad of late, with ubiquitous fog, occasional dust storms and a gloomy dusk hanging over the city like a “layer of cotton yarn”. So the local Modern Express (现代快报) from Zhejiang province decided to try … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Page of the Day, Wildlife, Nature and the Environment | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Why is the air quality in Ningbo so bad? A government official explains

Selfless teacher leaves career in the city for “dream job” teaching rural kids

Posted on 2012-11-20 by Barry van Wyk

When Peng Jun (彭军) graduated in 2011, he was all set for a career in the city and stepping up the ladder of social progress. Yet at a time when the norm is to seek to build your own fortune … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Page of the Day, School and Education, Wildlife, Nature and the Environment | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Selfless teacher leaves career in the city for “dream job” teaching rural kids

The 18th Party Congress is over, let’s have some news

Posted on 2012-11-19 by Barry van Wyk

Now that the 18th Party Congress is over, newspapers all over China are free again to report on whatever they think can make their front pages as interesting and as inviting as possible. So here’s a selection of four front … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Page of the Day | Tagged , | Comments Off on The 18th Party Congress is over, let’s have some news

Xi Jinping: “New start, new expectations, new era”

Posted on 2012-11-16 by Barry van Wyk

Xi Jinping has the biggest and most ubiquitous picture on the front pages of China’s newspapers today, signifying that he is now in charge, unlike yesterday when Hu Jintao’s picture was still all over the front pages. With the new seven-member Politburo … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Page of the Day | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Xi Jinping: “New start, new expectations, new era”

“The CPC 18th Party Congress successfully ended yesterday”

Posted on 2012-11-15 by Barry van Wyk

China’s newspapers went to press today before the new seven-member Politburo Standing Committee under Xi Jinping was presented to the media (see Shanghaiist for a recap). Hence, in uniform anticipation of tomorrow’s big news, they all today simply announced that the 18th … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Page of the Day | Tagged , | Comments Off on “The CPC 18th Party Congress successfully ended yesterday”

Ways of reporting the end of the 18th Party Congress

Posted on 2012-11-14 by Barry van Wyk

The 18th Party Congress ended today, and this naturally dominated the front pages of China’s newspapers, who used a small variety of headlines related to the last day of the Congress, the most common of which were “18th Party Congress … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Page of the Day | Tagged , | Comments Off on Ways of reporting the end of the 18th Party Congress

China’s drones and new aircraft on display at Zhuhai Airshow

Posted on 2012-11-13 by Barry van Wyk

The 18th Party Congress has a more muted presence on the front pages of China’s newspapers today because an event started today that can provide much better visual front page material: the 2012 Zhuhai Airshow. Instead of pictures of Hu Jintao … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Page of the Day | Tagged , , | Comments Off on China’s drones and new aircraft on display at Zhuhai Airshow

Hotly debated at the 18th Party Congress: “What does a fairer China really mean?”

Posted on 2012-11-12 by Barry van Wyk

Various newspapers in China today published headlines that are supposedly based on hot debates at the ongoing 18th Party Congress on the question of how to create a fairer and more equal China. The debates on this issue have come … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and the Economy, Front Page of the Day | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Hotly debated at the 18th Party Congress: “What does a fairer China really mean?”

Q&A with author David Wolf on Huawei, ZTE and China’s telecoms industry

Posted on 2012-11-12 by Barry van Wyk

Beijing-based business strategist David Wolf is the author of a new book on China’s telecoms industry: Making the Connection: The Peaceful Rise of China’s Telecommunications Giants. The book tells the story of how previously unknown companies have emerged from one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and the Economy, Consumer Culture | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Q&A with author David Wolf on Huawei, ZTE and China’s telecoms industry

Hu’s the boss

Posted on 2012-11-09 by Barry van Wyk

The Weibo user Media Man Old Wang (传媒老王) posted a selection of newspaper front pages from November 9, the day after the 18th Party Congress started. He notes that all of these papers are commercial metropolis papers that do not usually carry … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Page of the Day | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Hu’s the boss