Day: February 8, 2022

China fell far short of promises it made to purchase American goods.

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China fell far short of the commitments it made in a 2020 trade deal with the United States, failing to purchase the promised volume of American airplanes, soybeans, energy, services and other products before the end of last year, data released Tuesday morning showed. In a trade agreement signed with former President Donald J. Trump in January 2020, Chinese leaders committed to buying an additional $200 billion worth of American goods and services over 2017 levels by the end of 2021, in addition to other trade commitments. Those targets were…

The Chinese Legislature’s Hidden Agenda

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Advertisement For about a decade, China’s national legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), made real improvements to its transparency. In 2008, it started soliciting public comments once on almost every major bill. Since 2013, it has been asking for comments multiple times for the same bill. In 2015, it codified “legislative openness” as a guiding principle for lawmaking. Most recently, in the summer of 2019, the NPC established a spokesperson’s office to offer greater and more regular disclosure of its legislative activities, including brief summaries of public input on draft…

The Guardian view on Beijing’s Winter Games: a very political contest | Editorial

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Sometimes it takes a single dazzling athletic feat to ignite the Olympic spirit. China’s Winter Games may yet capture the imagination of the world’s spectators. The Tokyo Olympics, though unpopular in Japan due to fears of Covid’s spread, provided welcome diversion for many. Even so, they lacked the energy of previous Games, and so far Beijing’s event is still more muted. Winter sports such as curling lack the broad appeal of sprinting or swimming. China’s commitment to a zero-Covid strategy has kept its citizens well away from the Games, and…

Journalist Who Spoke to Peng Shuai Says Doubts Remain

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Advertisement One of the journalists who conducted the first sit-down interview with Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai said Tuesday that the carefully controlled conversation did not answer questions about whether she can speak her mind or move freely. A Chinese Olympic official was in the room and translated the conversation with Peng, who disappeared from public view for weeks after she made public allegations that a former top-ranked Communist Party forced her to have sex. Her social media post was deleted quickly, and Peng was not seen for a couple…

China’s Star Recruit Eileen Gu Wins Gold in Big Air Skiing Event

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Advertisement “This is one of the happiest days in my life, one of the happiest moments,” Eileen Gu told media after winning gold in the women’s Big Air skiing on Tuesday. Four and a half mid-air rotations on the third and final jump of the competition clinched the top spot for Gu. France’s Tess Ledeux and Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud won silver and bronze, respectively. Big Air was a new sport featured at this year’s Winter Olympics. Athletes earn points from a panel of judges based on the difficulty of their…

How the Beijing Winter Olympics Help Boost the Chinese Communist Party’s Legitimacy

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Advertisement Aside from fake snow and COVID-19, the Beijing Winter Games are controversial for many reasons. They are a potent political symbol of the Chinese state’s ambitions and authority. Held just a year after the triumphalist 100-year anniversary of the Communist Party’s founding, General Secretary Xi Jinping is using the Olympics to showcase to the world that China is powerful and on track to fulfil its Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. How will the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) use the Games domestically to push this narrative and how will it…

China to boost supply of Olympic panda mascots amid shortages

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China’s Olympic committee has pledged to increase production of merchandise after unexpected demand from people looking for a way to get involved in the Games led to shortages of the local mascot. The official mascot, a panda named Bing Dwen Dwen wearing a transparent snow suit, has featured across the Games events and promotions. A large dancing Bing Dwen Dwen appeared in the opening ceremony, while plush toys have been held aloft by athletes on the podium. Its popularity has led to shortages of merchandise across retail outlets, exacerbated by…

John-Henry Krueger Won a Medal for the U.S. but Now Skates for Hungary

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At age 16, John-Henry moved to Salt Lake City to train with the American national team, spending three years there but missing a chance to compete in the 2014 Olympics after contracting the swine flu. Krueger next lived in South Korea, where short track is practically the national sport, and later the Netherlands, joining his American compatriots for only a few months each year on the World Cup circuit. Explore the Games A few months after the 2018 Olympics, Krueger moved to Budapest, this time joining Cole, who was already…