state

www.change.org — Families like Annie and Alex Conrad are separated by arbitrary and unfair actions on the part of US Immigration. Annie moved to the US from China last spring, and had her green card application in process. Everything was going along fine, when an emergency necessitated her return to China to bring her daughter Ella from a previous marriage to the US earlier than planned.

www.facebook.com — The irony is that this Facebook group and all of Facebook is currently blocked, yet the group says this, "While Google holds a record on internet filtering and blocking of contents questioning the US Department of State policies, the so-called torchbearers of "freedom of speech" (whatever that means to them) have been so bold to accuse China of censorship."

www.bostonherald.com — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chinese officials say they will expand high-level talks on economic issues to include troubling security matters as well.

news.bbc.co.uk — Chinese intellectuals have signed an open letter calling for a boycott of state television news programmes. The letter says China's Central Television (CCTV) has turned its news and historical drama series into propaganda to brainwash its audience.

worldchinabridges.typepad.com — China has plenty of reasons to be twitchy over a more active Russia. Its energy interests run counter to Russia's in Central Asia. China has long opposed the arguments that Russia is advancing to defend its actions in Georgia. Russian power in the Far East could hamper China's attempts to dominate, or at least lead, the region. And the two share a long history of conflict and competition.