China Connection

Texas Lawmaker Suggests Asian Names Be "Easier to Deal With"

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Is Texas State Rep. Betty Brown (R-Terrell) extremely out of touch with national demographics, or is she the unfortunate scapegoat in a voter registration debate?

At first glance, the former seems a bit more likely, but a closer look reveals a different story. During a hearing on voter registration, she asked Ramey Ko of the Organization of Chinese Americans if Asian voters could have names that are "easier for Americans to deal with."

At a Texas House Elections committee meeting, she asked, "Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese-I understand it's a rather difficult language-do you think it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?"

But Brown's comments don't end there, and most accounts don't include the second part of that statement. She continues, "I'm not talking changing your name. I'm talking about the transliteration, or whatever you refer to it, that you could use for us."

This is a more reasonable request, especially in the greater context of the debate on the voter registration process. Watching the video of this interaction, which you can see here on YouTube, provides a much better context of a debate pertaining to the passage of a bill pertaining to identification in voter registration.

Jordan Berry, Brown's spokesman told the Houston Chronicle that her remarks weren't meant to be racially driven, but instead, a way to "resolve an identification problem." Brown says her suggestion was a way to make it easier for Asian Americans to be identified in the voting process, since their legal transliterated names and the more common names used on their driver's licenses don't always match up.

Texas Republicans have been pushing for increased forms of identification for voting, whereas the Democrats suggest this proposal is a way for the Republicans to stifle certain voters. The Texas Democratic Party has demanded an apology from Rep. Brown, but that doesn't seem too likely at this point.

If she were suggesting that Asian Americans change their names, I wouldn't have much sympathy for Rep. Brown. After all, which names are easier for your average English-speaker to say: Asian surnames like Chan, Lee, and Park, or European ones like Hajossyov, Dobrovsky, or Csornyak?

But that's not what she's implying.

Though she could have chosen her words more carefully, the overall interaction between Ko and Brown seems pretty innocuous. If anything, Brown's question relating to the voter identification for elections in mainland China seems to be a bigger political gaffe.

Even though her comments might not be her most politically savvy, suggesting that someone of any nationality should use the same name on their legal voting documentation that they use on their driver's licenses or other forms of I.D. seems pretty logical. Suggesting that Asian Americans completely change their names so they're "easier to deal with," when people of any other nationality can keep their original names, does not.

Shanghai's Baby Girl Boom

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Since the implementation of the one-child policy, China hasn't exactly been known for its equal male-female birth ratio, but that dynamic is changing in Shanghai. According to city officials, the city's gender imbalance decreased for the first time in eight years.

In 2007 there were 115.2 boys born for every 100 girls. Today it's 114.8 boys to 100 girls. In cases of permanent residents alone, the ratio has dropped to 106.5 boys to every 100 girls.

Is the situation completely equal? Not exactly. The natural distribution for babies is about 103 boys to every 100 girls, so there's still a ways to go until the ratio evens out.

Of course, China has a whole has a long way to go towards evening out the gender imbalance. The 2007 nationwide average was 119 boys to 100 girls. One city, Lianyungang, had a staggering ratio of 163.5 to 100.

The New York Times had an interesting piece on male child abductions in Shenzhen, China, due to the pressure on rural families to have a male heir. For some families, it's actually cheaper to pay for an abducted male child than to face the government fines for having too many children.

The discrepancies between the gender ratios of urban versus rural areas indicate even greater differences nationwide. Bridging this gap between rural and urban areas remains a daunting task for the nation, and while the evening out of the gender ratio in Shanghai is an encouraging sign, it's only a start.

Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease Strikes Again

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 08:00:00 GMT

At least 15 people in China's Shandong Province have died from hand-foot-mouth disease this year, according to local health authorities, bringing the grand total of deaths this year to about 31 children nationwide. On a more positive note, an additional 11,500 cases have been reported in Shandong Province, and about 7,100 have recovered.

I wrote about last year's outbreak here, which had caused 28 deaths between January and May 7 of 2008. Between last January and November, 128 had died from the disease including 40 children. Here are some of my thoughts:

"HFMD isn't some new and mysterious exotic disease. It's about as threatening as a chicken pox. According to the Mayo Clinic description, it's mild and highly contagious, causing sores in the mouth, and a rash on the hands and feet. Young children are most prone to spreading the disease and it usually clears up on its own in about 7 to 10 days.

While I do not have a medical background, from a health perspective alone, it doesn't really make much sense that China's hand-foot-and-mouth disease would receive so much medical attention. When you compare this disease with many others, it's fairly innocuous, especially considering in the U.S. alone, chicken pox affects four million people, including 100 deaths. . . .

It would be one thing if this were a new disease with a lot of variables enshrouded in mystery. That's not the case, however, and I hardly think that a disease with a fatality rate of about 0.17% this year classifies as a "deadly disease." Last year, only 17 of China's 80,000 reported cases were fatal, which would lower the percentage even more to .02%."

Needless to say, this outbreak doesn't even compare to the loss that was to come just seven days after that blog, when the earthquake in Sichuan Province caused at least 70,000 deaths. But the greatest consequence of hand-foot-and-mouth disease isn't the number of citizens who are directly affected by it; it's the way that the health care system and government respond to it.

In recent years, the Chinese government has been harshly criticized for covering up deaths and outbreaks of SARs, bird flu, and even AIDs. Last fall's melamine milk fiasco didn't really assist their reputation for transparency, either.

The multiple reports of deaths and casualties from hand-foot-and-mouth disease this year show a refreshing departure from earlier strategies of trying to cover up health epidemics.

Is it possible that a large number of cases is still underreported? Of course. At the same time, the fact that we're hearing about the growing number of instances of hand-foot-mouth disease is a change from earlier diseases.

The improved openness also bodes well for yesterday's announcement of comprehensive reforms of China's healthcare system. While improved transparency is only a step in the long journey towards health reforms, it's a much-needed step.

China to Have Universal Healthcare by 2020

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 08:00:00 GMT

It's not difficult to find holes in just about any healthcare system, and China is no exception. An underfunded system and quality healthcare to residents in poor, rural areas are two of the biggest concerns when it comes to China's healthcare, which only covers about 30 percent of the population. But a new government effort seeks to change this perception.

China's State Council announced a new plan to provide "safe, effective, convenient, and affordable" healthcare to the entire nation by 2020. They plan to focus on four major areas: public health services, medical treatment, medical insurance, and drug supply, in order to promote this change.

Government leaders already have initial funding in place. In January Chinese leaders allocated $124 billion on health care reforms to take place by 2011, including providing health insurance to 90% of its citizens.

Beyond that, however, there are many unanswered questions. How much funding will be needed to achieve the long-term 2020 goal? How many more medical professionals, hospitals, and clinics will be needed to provide adequate care for the population of 1.3 billion? While the primary objective of completely revamping the healthcare system is noble, is it achievable?

If history is any indication, China is a country that enjoys the challenge of large, ambitious projects. It's undergone dramatic changes, especially over the past thirty years, so a dramatic reconstruction of the healthcare system isn't beyond the realm of possibility. At the same time, this will hardly be an easy process.

More Internet Crackdowns

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:00:00 GMT

It's been quite a year for China Internet watchers, and the number of website closures seems to rise almost as quickly as the number of Internet users.

Once again, China has called for tighter controls on online videos, especially "harmful" political and religious videos. Films, television series, cartoons, and documentaries must also get approval from China's State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT) in order to air online.

On the one hand, these regulations aren't really inconsistent with the existing standards for film and television on the air, but how on earth will SARFT be able to monitor every online video coming from China? There's still quite a solid black market for DVDs and VCDs throughout the country, and most of the items sold aren't exactly SARFT-approved.

Targeting the video-sharing services like tudou.com or youku.com is an easy way, and youtube.com has already been blocked in China on multiple occasions. At the same time, however, there are millions of potential places to post online videos. This simple principle doesn't keep Chinese leaders from trying to purge the Internet of "offensive materials."

In this week's press conference with Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang, he was asked, "Is there any particular offensive material on YouTube right now that causes it to be blocked again?"

The final part of his answer, according to the China Digital Times translation, was quite simple: "The Internet in China is fully open and the Chinese government manages the Internet according to the law. As for what you can and cannot watch, watch what you can watch, and don't watch what you cannot watch."

The statement that China's Internet is "fully open," is hardly without debate. According to Freedom House's new report entitled "Freedom on the Net," of the 15 countries surveyed, only Cuba had a more restrictive Internet policy. Even Iran scored slightly better than China, which doesn't exactly support Qin's claim of an open Internet.

Increased restrictions on online materials also don't exactly back up this claim, either. At this point, however, it seems that China's Internet officials seem to be more interested in monitoring online content than defending their claims of an open Internet.

Hu and Obama: The Highlights

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:00:00 GMT

President Obama and President Hu Jintao had their first face-to-face meeting in London at the G20 Summit. While we don't have all of the details of what was discussed, here are some of the highlights from the White House:

Hu and Obama "agreed to work together to build a positive, cooperative, and comprehensive U.S.-China relationship." What does this mean?

They're launching a "U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue," and dialogues are set to begin this summer. Areas where they seek "to further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation" include "the economy and trade, counterterrorism, law enforcement, science and technology, education, culture, and health."

Military commitments, increased cooperation on other international issues, and a commitment to the "China-US Ten Year Energy and Cooperation Framework" were also agreed upon.

The economy comprised a significant portion of the discussion, and both pledged to strengthen their respective economies while also working together to improve the global economy. Hu was pleased by the U.S. commitment to reform financial regulations, and Obama appreciated China's commitment towards financial development and reforms. At the same time, they both believe more reforms are needed.

Is any of this rosy dialogue surprising? No. If anything, it would be unusual if the two of them engaged in more heated debates. Of course, since we don't have the full transcript of this meeting, we will never really know all of these meeting details.

It will be interesting to see how the U.S. and Chinese relationship evolves, but President Obama has already accepted President Hu's invitation to visit China during the second half of the year, so it's off to a good start.

Obama and Hu to Meet

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:00:00 GMT

It's nearly impossible to separate China's economic interests from those of the U.S. these days. China currently owns about $2 trillion in foreign currency, mainly U.S. dollars, and in 2008 the U.S. and China had $409.2 billion in trade volume. But just because the two countries have many mutual economic interests, doesn't mean they don't have areas of disagreement.

As China's President Hu Jintao and U.S. President Barack Obama prepare to meet for the first time tomorrow, several of their economic differences may surface.

Last week the governor of China's central bank called for the formation of a universal currency that would replace reliance on the dollar or other currencies linked to a specific question. President Obama and others in the U.S. government dismissed this proposal for now, but it got much more traction in this current global economy than it probably would have a few years ago.

Similarly, many in the U.S. Congress have their own complaints about China's currency valuation. While in the Senate, Obama himself was quite critical of the value of China's RMB, which he says is artificially low. Now as President it will be interesting to see how his position evolves.

Chances are, these complaints will take a backseat to fluffier diplomatic issues during tomorrow's meeting. I wouldn't be surprised if much of the dialogue amounts to: "China and the U.S. have differences, but we have so many more mutual interests. Let's focus on those."

Of course, even if some of the significant political and economic differences are glossed over tomorrow, they're not going to disappear any time soon.

Survey Says: Chinese Students Spend Most Time Studying, Least Time Talking to Parents

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:00:00 GMT

A new survey conducted by the China Youth and Children Research Foundation polled about 4,000 high school and vocational school students in China, Japan, the United States and South Korea. While some of the high school frustrations, like finding the balance between work and personal life were pretty universal, there were also some interesting contrasts between the students. Here are a few:

Chinese students spent the most time on homework. Nearly 80% of Chinese students spent at least 8 hours a week in school, and 56.7% spent two or more hours working on their homework. By comparison, only about 25% of U.S. students, 20.5% of Japanese students, and 15% of Korean students had more than two hours of homework each night.

Chinese students spent the least amount of time talking their parents, but have the most respect for them. Only about 54.8% of Chinese students talk "frequently" with their parents, compared to about 82% of Japanese students and 73.8% of U.S. students.

On the other hand, 97% of Chinese students respect their parents, versus 71.5% of Japanese students and 92.9% of U.S. students. Over 20% of Chinese students felt they had no one to confide in, versus about 8% of U.S. students.

Having spent time with Chinese and U.S. high school students, I'm not entirely surprised by some of these differences when it comes to the amount of time spent studying.

In China, your acceptance into college hinges on one massive examination. If you're having a bad day, your chances of getting into your ideal college or studying what you might want to study are extremely diminished.

There's also a far greater emphasis on academic performance, versus other extracurriculars. In the U.S., a "well-rounded" student with glowing recommendations from teachers and various extra-curricular activities will often get into a stronger university than a student who has perfect grades and S.A.T. scores, but not much else.

The statistics about talking "frequently" with parents might be a little bit misleading, since the survey didn't quantify "frequent," but it is a little disheartening to see that at least 25% of students in these countries only have infrequent conversations with their parents, and that many feel that they don't have anyone to confide in.

I'm not sure how the findings of this survey compare to past results, but it will be interesting to see how these results might translate when students enter the job market in the future.

Frivilous Lawsuit of the Week

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Yuan Jiguang is probably one of Liu Xiang's biggest fans. He even bought a car just because the famous Olympic hurdler endorsed it. But after getting into a car accident, he plans to sue Liu for about $150 in damages.

Yuan claims that he wouldn't have purchased his car without Liu's seal of approval, and that celebrities need to be aware of the products they're selling. Granted, even the best-made car can't protect someone from negligent driving, but in his case, the airbags didn't open up when he collided with a truck, causing him to injure his nose.

It's extremely doubtful that Yuan will ever have the opportunity to meet Liu Xiang in court. Celebrities often endorse a wide range of products from athletic apparel to soft drinks to vehicles. They might legitimately believe they're promoting a quality product, but chances are, they might not be quite as excited about it if they weren't getting paid millions of dollars.

While this simple fact might burst the bubble of fans who think they'll be able to play golf like Tiger Woods if they wear Nike clothes and Tag Heuer watches, the sooner they find out, the better.

What would happen if people sued him because they couldn't pay their American Express bills, since he endorses the card? On second thought, it wouldn't surprise me if those types of lawsuits are coming if they haven't already.

Do celebrities need to be responsible for what they endorse? Of course. But at the same time, I highly doubt that Yuan will be getting any money from Liu Xiang any time soon.

China Advocates Global Currency

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Many economists and financial experts have proposals for economic recovery and preventing another global financial crisis, but few proposals are quite as ambitious as one from China's Zhou Xiaochuan, the head of China's central bank. In an essay posted yesterday on the bank's website, he proposed the creation of a universal currency.

This currency, according to Zhou, would be "disconnected from individual nations" and "not only eliminates the inherent risks of credit-based sovereign currency, but also makes it possible to manage global liquidity." The International Monetary Fund (IMF) would regulate this system, which could begin by expanding the scope of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), which are "baskets of currency" consisting of the U.S. dollar, British pound, Japanese yen, and Euro.

SDRs today are primarily used as an account unit in the IMF and other international organizations, but a global currency could be built upon this foundation. Zhou wants to expand the scope of the SDR by establishing a "settlement system between the SDR and other currencies" like the Chinese RMB that he says could expand its use to international trade and finance.

The timing of this proposal is not coincidental, as members of the G-20 are set to meet next week. It also directly follows a similar proposition from Russia. While it's highly unlikely that members of the G-20 will approve this measure, it definitely sends a strong message to the U.S. Dollars comprise the bulk of China's nearly $2 trillion in foreign exchange, making it vulnerable to financial fluctuations in U.S. markets.

We probably won't see any dramatic actions based on the statements of Zhou and others who advocate a universal currency in the short term, but proposals like this might be planting the seeds for more widespread changes down the road.