Xili Bro, the vagabond of mix-and-match, reunited with family after 10 years – China News

The latest in a slow trickle of reports describing child abduction and trafficking in China swept through the tight communities of families -- many of them in the New York area -- who have adopted children from China. For some, it raised a nightmarish question: What if my child had been taken forcibly from her parents?

During Chinese New Year, the most often heard question for Chinese young people: “Are you dating someone now?” The most often heard New Year’s wish: “Wish you could bring a date home next Chinese New Year.” The most often heard news from relatives: “Look, *** has a date now.” Families’ marriage-forcing (bi hun, 逼婚) is a real headache for young Chinese.

A 40-year-old in Guangzhou has had an extramarital affair with a rich woman. Pregnant, the rich woman offered 30 million yuan (US$4.5 million) to the wife, asking her to divorce her husband. The news of the wife’s resolute refusal spread quickly all over the neighborhood. Most people think it was dumb of the wife to turn down the offer.

Future historians may well agree that the 21st century Silk Road first opened for business on December 14, 2009. That was the day a crucial stretch of pipeline officially went into operation linking the fabulously energy-rich state of Turkmenistan to Xinjiang Province in China's far west. China's economy is thirsty, and so it's drinking deeper and planning deeper yet.