Day: December 24, 2023

While China-Russia economic and diplomatic ties advance, their cultural bond flourishes with ballet, theatre and music

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Analysts said this push for cultural exchange acknowledged how cultural diplomacy helped public opinion and perceptions that might show Russia in a more positive light in China. 02:46 Russian prime minister travels to China to ‘elevate cooperation’ Russian prime minister travels to China to ‘elevate cooperation’ Chevik sees up close how the two cultures interact as she tours Russian players in China. She also has experience directing Chinese performers on the production’s Chinese version. “Working with Chinese actors was very interesting,” she said. “The way the actors were able to…

Naver’s Rookie robots-on-wheels test new ways of office working

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At a Starbucks in the futuristic headquarters of Naver, South Korea’s biggest internet company, a line of robots is on standby to fetch coffee for the company’s employees. About 100 robots on wheels — called Rookies — wander around the offices, carrying out simple tasks such as delivering meals and parcels and testing the boundaries of human interaction with machines in one of the first examples of a robot-friendly building. Naver has been experimenting with integrating service robots into office life for more than a year in the 36-storey building…

Why China is keeping its distance as Russia and North Korea cosy up

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Beijing, a close partner of both Pyongyang and Moscow, has remained low key about the growing alignment between the two, repeatedly saying that their cooperation was a matter between the two sides and that China would not interfere. It has also been muted in its reaction to reports that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had proposed inviting North Korea to participate in three-way naval drills with China. Observers said China was cautious about being drawn into a trilateral axis with Russia and North Korea, fearing it could trigger a “new…

Lao Christians given permission to celebrate Christmas

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Christians in Laos are preparing to celebrate Christmas more freely this year after the Lao Evangelical Church received permission to do so from the Ministry of Interior, several believers told Radio Free Asia. In the past, Christians across the country had to get permission from their village and district authorities – approval that was not granted in many cases. Even though Laos has a national law protecting the freedom of religion, Christians have been restricted, persecuted and sometimes attacked in the one-party communist country with a mostly Buddhist population. Earlier…

Gao Yaojie obituary

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When walking down a narrow alley in a small north Chinese village in the mid-1990s, Dr Gao Yaojie heard a child crying desperately for its mother. “When I entered,” she later recalled, “I saw that the mother had hanged herself and the body was stiff.” The father had already died and the family was destitute after being defrauded by quack doctors. In another village in Henan province, half the houses hung white paper emblems outside to signify a death. The villagers called it the “nameless fever”, and orphans were left…

The Evolution of Identity in Taiwan

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The problem of identity is the most important issue in Taiwanese politics, occupying the center stage for both presidential campaigns and cross-strait relations. In recent years, there has been a notable decline in Chinese identification in Taiwan. This decline is the result of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s monopolization of Chinese identity since the 1970s. Beijing’s goal is to use Chinese nationalism and cultural appeal to draw Taiwan closer to the mainland. However, it backfires by pushing Taiwan away; Taiwanese people are searching for an alternative identity to demonstrate…

Diehard Chairman Mao fans to mark his birthday with ‘red songs’

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Changzhou Revolutionary Song Troupe leader Dai Cheng has been to the birthplace of Mao Zedong in Hunan province “countless times.” The museum at Shaoshan is traditionally a focal point for celebrations of Mao’s birthday on Dec. 26, and Dai often takes his choir there to fill the air with rousing revolutionary songs, sometimes holding an all-night vigil for his political hero. “Six or seven years ago, for three consecutive years, we stayed up from Dec. 25 to sunrise on the 26th, ringing in the New Year with a vigil for…

National security: China warns military buffs not to photograph classified equipment

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It said the images could potentially expose sensitive information such as technical details and progress in military equipment, such as aircraft carriers, and be used by “hostile foreign forces” to analyse combat effectiveness. They could also put defence planning at risk by revealing key information such as location of deployments and frequency of use of the military equipment. 01:29 What is known about the Fujian, China’s first home-designed aircraft carrier What is known about the Fujian, China’s first home-designed aircraft carrier The ministry said there had been cases in recent…

Beijing Records Most Hours of Sub-Zero Temperatures in December Since 1951

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BEIJING —  China’s capital Beijing has broken its record for hours of sub-zero temperatures in December dating back to 1951, after a cold wave swept swathes of the country and brought blizzards in its wake, sending temperatures towards historic lows. Northern and northeastern parts of the country have experienced a record-breaking chill since last week, with some areas in the northeast hitting minus 40 Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit) and below as biting cold air flowed down from the Arctic. As of Sunday, a weather observatory in Beijing had recorded more…