General - Popular

www.npr.org — There's no such thing as a free lunch -- or so the economic theory goes. But that's no longer the case for Xie and the 25,000 poverty-stricken children in China who now receive a free meal, thanks to the "Free Lunch for Children" charity campaign set up by a Chinese journalist.

www.isidorsfugue.com — A story about a young lady from Sichuan province who shared the excitement of her first payday in Shanghai. Especially when her experience is compared to those who are less fortunate in China, an invaluable lesson can be learned.

www.cnngo.com — I’m American, not Chinese.
I refuse to even use the hyphenated term Chinese-American.
I was born in the United States and raised in Los Angeles. Though some ABCs (American-born Chinese) want to be recognized as “real Chinese,” I don’t.
In fact, I’d imagine it would be offensive to the Chinese if I were called a “real Chinese.” It would be a total lie.

www.npr.org — In 1978, the farmers in a small Chinese village called Xiaogang gathered in a mud hut to sign a secret contract. They thought it might get them executed. Instead, it wound up transforming China's economy in ways that are still reverberating today.

www.lostlaowai.com — Hannah Lincoln guest posts her response to Jonathan Levine's article on working in China, "Go East, Young Man", in which she examines Levine's claims that China offers a treasure trove of opportunities for foreigners.

seeingredinchina.com — This year a crowd of economists and social spectators have started to wonder aloud if 2012 will be the year China’s system collapses (to be fair, this is an annual tradition). This time they are pointing to mass incidents, economic troubles, growing evidence of corruption, a Grand Canyon sized gap between rich and poor, and scandals that seem to rock the country on a bi-weekly basis.

www.businessinsider.com — Although the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival as its more commonly called in China, is still several weeks away, the start of the country's peak travel period, known as the "Spring Rush", has already begun.

www.project-syndicate.org — Global opinion surveys over the last three years consistently indicate that many are turning their backs on the West and – with hope, fear, or both – see China as moving to center stage. As the old joke goes, optimists are learning to speak Chinese; pessimists are learning to use a Kalashnikov.

seeingredinchina.com — Even though Christmas has just passed, the major gift giving season approaches in China: Spring Festival (it is also a major time for illicit gifting). Giving and receiving gifts in China is something of an art, and the ritual can be as important as the gift itself.

www.amnesty.org — The Chinese government responded to a burgeoning civil society by jailing and persecuting people for peacefully expressing their views, holding religious beliefs not sanctioned by the state, advocating for democratic reform and human rights, and defending the rights of others. Popular social media sites remained blocked by China’s internet firewall.