Hao Hao ReportThe best China news and blog posts

The latest transfers of central and provincial government officials indicate that a major reshuffle is in the offing.

Introducing the Hao Hao Reporter Revenue Sharing Program. You've all helped build this site into something cool and for this, I'd like to reward you.

Initially I wanted to buy everyone a bottle of Er Guo Tou, but reason stepped in and presented me with this idea instead. By simply filling in your Google Adsense ID on your Profile Info page you'll begin having your ads displayed on all full-story pages of links you've submitted and/or will submit.

Six local officials in Hengyang City ((衡阳市), Hunan Province (湖南) will lose their party and government posts after falling asleep during a convention commemorating 30 years of Reforms and Opening Up on December 18.

John, of Sinosplice/Chinesepod/ChinaBlogList fame, has hit the big time. Watch out Da Shan, John's more likable and (according to his limited female readership-and mom) much more handsome.

On his own blog John hits on a point about profiles like this and how Chinese English-language media are always gunning to get us laowai "in a corner" and interview us. I applaud John for getting in a good quote or two that don't just "sell up" China and Chinese culture.

China's Ministry of Commerce has granted five cities the status of national software base:

1. Guangzhou

2. Nanjing

3. Hangzhou

Health experts say tobacco consumption is hitting alarming rates in China. World health officials estimate that one-third of the male population under the age of 29 is likely to die from tobacco-related illnesses. But officials in the communist government have said the country - the world's largest producer and consumer of tobacco products - cannot afford to stop smoking. VOA's Luis Ramirez has more from Beijing.

The first post of a series of interviews we're doing at Lost Laowai focusing on prolific bloggers in the English-language China blogsphere. To start things off we turned to blogger and ChinesePod host John Pasden.

John over at Sinosplice hasn't found the solution to the YouTube block, but he's got a pretty darn good alternative - Stage6. According to John, though it doesn't have the numbers, Stage6 does have higher quality and faster download times.

Check out the post for a few links to some Stage6 videos about China.

Officials participated the conference of Third Session of the Fifth Sacred Mountains of China on December 25 in Hunan Province, which aims at applying the titles of World Heritage. These officials are from the State Ministry of Construction and Housing for urban and rural areas, from Hengyang City government, and from relative offices of Mount Tai Shan, Hua Shan, Songshan and Hengshan.