Review: I Deliver Parcels in Beijing

Hu's first-person account as a courier

I lived in Beijing just before the appearance of smartphones, WeChat and T-Mall, which resulted in the explosion of Chinese people buying clothes and food online and having them delivered to their homes and offices.

Practically overnight people's lives changed -- there was no need to go to the store or restaurant in person, someone did this for you, saving lots of time and effort.

But for those people providing that service, the delivery workers, it was and still is hard work.

We never knew what that experience was like, until Hu Anyan, a budding writer, published his first-hand accounts during the Covid lockdowns.

He worked a string of several low-paying jobs

His descriptions of what it was like to work for delivery companies as well as a string of other lowly jobs were compiled into a book, called I Deliver Parcels in Beijing in 2023 which became a hit and sold 2 million copies, and then was translated into English by Jack Hargreaves.

Hu is not a particularly ambitious person, but likes to do his job well, whatever it may be. He writes mostly about what it's like to be a delivery driver on a trike, and earning less than 2 yuan per package is hard to fathom, considering he had to pick up the parcels from a central warehouse, go to the addresses, go up elevators or stairs to deliver the packages or contact the people to collect them.

That's a lot of work. 

And if the items in the package are damaged or spoiled, he has to compensate out of his own pocket. These drivers also have the stress of people complaining their packages haven't arrived, as well as worrying about getting into an accident on the road.

Readers can't help but sympathise for Hu, and then there is the additional issue of having to deal with his colleagues and managers, many of whom are not collegial or professional, which he recounts in various incidents.

We first meet Hu working in a logistics depot sorting items, re-packing them, and then putting address labels on them. He thinks he can earn more money by working the night shift, but it's physically demanding and also difficult for the body to adjust. 

Delivering parcels is a tedious task for low wages

He describes not only what it's like on the job, but also what he does after work. When he is off work in the early mornings, his mind is still buzzing from working that it takes a few hours to calm down and sleep; he resorts to wandering grocery stores to tired out his body, even though it's already exhausted.

Later in the book he describes working at a convenience store, a bicycle shop, magazine and comic book publishers, and even trying to start his own business selling knock-off trendy clothes and a snack shop.

Hu also works in different cities, from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, to Foshan, Nanning, Dali, and Xiaguan, and even flies to Hanoi, Vietnam to see if he can be an entrepreneur there.

All these jobs with meagre salaries in different cities shows Hu's attempts to try to keep his living costs low, but then salaries are lower in the smaller municipalities; it's a no-win situation when working in a gig economy. 

He also bounces from job to job every six months or a year, probably because he realises he won't be making much more money, or feels he should be doing something else.

Interestingly he says his parents don't push him to work harder or get better jobs, and he does move back with them for a few years. The jobs have also taken a toll on Hu's mental health, making him lose interest in interacting with people, isolating himself. 

It seems that writing has helped him understand his experiences better and how they have shaped him as a person.

There are millions of people doing these jobs for very little pay in China. Is it any wonder they don't make enough money to buy an apartment, let alone save enough to have any safety net? It's a side of China that is rarely talked about, but exists, according to Hu.

Nvidia's CEO Enjoys Noodles in Beijing

Huang tucking into a big bowl of zhajiangmian in Beijing

Nvidia founder Jensen Huang got a big boost in popularity after he was seen eating street food in Beijing during US President Donald Trump's visit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

There are numerous video clips and pictures of Huang in Nanluoguxiang, a street that has some hutongs converted into shops. 

The noodles are served with various toppings 

The Taiwanese-American billionaire held a large bowl of zhajiangmian or "fried sauce noodles", where wheat noodles are topped with ingredients like thinly sliced cucumbers, radish, carrots, or minced pork, and mixed with a fermented soy bean sauce.

"It's so good," he said, taking a bite. 

However, Huang did not like douzhi'er, a fermented mung bean drink that tastes a bit sour and gray-green in colour. It's a traditional Beijing beverage, but not for everyone.

He instead bought a sweet drink from beverage chain Mixue Bingcheng.

Trump brought Huang along at the last minute in the hopes of getting big deals from Beijing, with the Commerce Department clearing 10 Chinese firms to purchase Nvidia's second-most powerful AI chip called the H200.

Musk's son with his viral tiger bag

But in the end China did not allow companies like Alibaba, Tencent and ByteDance to buy the chips, and so Nvidia came away empty-handed, and the market reacted with the stock dropping 4.4 percent on Friday.

Did Huang know this would happen and that's why he thought he'd make the most of the trip by eating street food? Possibly. Or was he in a popularity contest with Elon Musk -- who brought his six-year-old son, whose hand-stitched tiger head-shaped bag went viral...

What billionaires have to do to be popular...

The Chinese Art of Flattering Trump

Trump received an energetic spectacle upon arrival in Beijing

Donald Trump's highly-anticipated visit to China was a lesson in subtle visual clues on how Chinese leader Xi Jinping would treat the American president.

These kinds of state visits are a window into what kind of image Beijing wants Trump to see.

He was greeted in person by Vice President Han Zheng, which Trump probably thought was highly respectful, but in fact Han doesn't have much political power, making his position mostly ceremonial.

Children jumping as they greet Xi and Trump

Nevertheless Trump got the fanfare he wanted as 300 young people dressed neatly in sky blue and white uniforms and white sneakers, waving flags in unison as they shouted slogans.

How very... 1960s...

There was a similar scene outside the Great Hall of the People as younger children jumped frantically up and down waving bouquets, with boys in trousers and polo shirts, the girls in dresses.

Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping and it was overt flattery, as Trump laid the endless adulation on thick, calling him "a great leader" and how "powerful" Xi was, but he kept a poker face.

The state dinner didn't have McDonald's hamburgers (which Trump could have ordered from Alipay or WeChat), and instead he was served a menu of lobster in tomato soup, crispy beef ribs, Peking roast duck, slow-cooked salmon in mustard sauce, stewed seasonal vegetables, and for dessert, tiramisu.

Why not all American apple pie? Oh there was also fruits and ice cream though.

Xi and Trump at the state banquet

For Xi, having Trump in Beijing was the perfect opportunity to showcase China's 5,000 years of history compared to the United States merely celebrating its 250th birthday in July.

Xi showed the American president the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City, both dating back to the Ming dynasty in the early 1400s.

However, what was really interesting was Xi showing Trump Zhongnanhai, a place even ordinary Chinese people have never seen. Zhongnanhai is the compound where senior Chinese officials reside and work. It is adjacent to the Forbidden City as the former imperial garden. 

As they walked through the garden, Xi pointed out the trees and explained they were over 100 years old, some up to 400 years old, again emphasising they were older than the US.

Trump was in awe, and asked if other leaders had toured Zhongnanhai before.

Xi replied very few, except for say, Putin.

Xi gives Trump a tour of Zhongnanhai

When he heard that, Trump beamed.

The Chinese gave the pageantry Trump wanted without making any substantial deals.

Talk about sleight of hand.

Review: Why does iDen & Quanjude Have a Michelin Star?

Lukewarm slices of Peking duck at Quanjude in Vancouver

Have you eaten at iDen & Quanjude Beijing Duck House in Vancouver?

I am still trying to comprehend why this place is the only Chinese restaurant in the city that has a Michelin star -- for the past three years.

Duck soup with seaweed and tofu cubes

This location, across the street from City Hall, is affiliated with the original one in the Chinese capital. That one is considered a "time-honoured brand", with pictures of famous people from Premier Zhou Enlai serving the signature roast duck to American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and toasting President Richard Nixon. There's also a picture of superstar pianist Lang Lang in a group photo with staff.

The hospitality here has well-dressed staff in uniforms, wearing headsets and being very polite to customers transports them back to China, where diners are king. The first time I visited over two years ago, the manager was in a tuxedo brandishing a tablet to take orders.

Originally when the restaurant opened, the price of the menu was so outrageous that many stayed away; there is so much competition in the city for Chinese food, there is no reason why one must eat at Quanjude.

Beef ribs with mushrooms

So the restaurant changed tact and started offering memberships, where members can dine on a set menu for a relatively reasonable price. That time I went when the manager was in a tux, the food, and in particular ingredients were hardly impressive, like jellyfish head with cucumber, and tofu chopped into perfect cubes in a duck soup. You can also finish your meal with a cappucino. Whatever happened to serving premium tea?

While the duck was sliced in front of us table side, it was bizarre that the set menu is portioned for two diners, a very Western concept for a Chinese restaurant, where it is typically family style with a lazy Susan on a round table. Quanjude doesn't have many round tables, they are all rectangular, another strange way of eating Chinese food.

Today I was invited to Quanjude for lunch (by a member), and we managed to be seated at a round table! What was also interesting was seeing the place was pretty full despite the pouring rain. Perhaps the members liked the underground parking and snagged all the free "iDen" parking spots.

 

The highly prized skin eaten with sugar

This time the food quality improved. There was braised beef ribs (Korean galbi cuts) with mushrooms, and stir-fried Romaine lettuce which were pretty good, as well as kaufu or gluten cubes with mushrooms as an appetiser.

We were also treated to an extra dish of prawns covered in a lime green sauce that turned out to be watered down wasabi.

The main event, Peking duck, was not served table side; instead it was already sliced in the kitchen probably much earlier in advance because it was lukewarm at best. Even the slice of prized skin that we dipped in brown sugar was not warm either.

To make up for it, the steamed thin wrappers were hot, but the portion of duck slices was overwhelming based on a portion for two people. Why not just give the table half a duck to share? We had lots of leftovers. Same with the beef.

Prawns covered in a wasabi sauce

Strangely our plates were not replaced when our dessert of cubed jelly with water chestnut and osmanthus arrived; we had no choice but to eat it on a plate covered in savoury sauces.

Again I wonder, why this place is awarded a Michelin star every year. How does it deserve this prestigious accolade? The portions are Western style but the quality is hardly worth raving about. There are many other places in Vancouver like Dynasty and Chang'An that serve roast duck. The presentation at Quanjude might be more refined, but it's been sitting in the kitchen drying out before it is served to diners.

Giving the Michelin star to Quanjude reflects on the judgment of the inspectors who don't seem to understand and appreciate what good Chinese cooking is, especially in Vancouver. Surely after having evaluated Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong for years they would be just as discerning here?

Dessert of jelly with water chesnut, osmanthus

iDen & Quanjude Beijing Duck House, 2808 Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC. Tel: (236) 477 7777

Thoughts on International Women's Day

Carnations for women on International Women's Day

It's International Women's Day and the first thing that comes to mind for me is when I was in Beijing in 2008 and was working in state media.

When it was noon that day, carnations were handed out to the females in the office, and we were told we could leave the office and have a half day off.

What?

It was kind of bizarre, and I said it was OK, I would rather stay, but was told no, it was an order to leave.

I can't remember what I did, but I was disappointed I was not told ahead of time!

A book to consider reading

On the other hand I'm thinking about the concept of "daughtering", where women in the family are expected to manage family dynamics, to organising gatherings to scheduling parents' medical appointments. It's a task that has no monetary value, but is assumed that the daughters will take on this role wholeheartedly.

"Daughtering" was coined by Dr Allison Alford, a clinical associate professor at the Baylor University Hankamer School of Business. She recently wrote a book called Good Daughtering: The Work You've Always Done, the Credit You've Never Gotten, and How to Finally Feel Enough.

She's done a lot of research into this topic, interviewing a lot of women, from the oldest sisters to the youngest, though it is the oldest who is the family anchor, and the other female siblings assist. However when the men decide to pitch in and organise a family event, everyone is in a twitter about how he's made such a lovely contribution. Sound familiar?

Alford says it's important to recognise this "daughtering" concept and that it is not just you doing all the work -- others are too. That said, she believes it is important to show others what you are doing, and that your efforts deserve to be valued.

Along the same vein is my last thought on International Women's Day is America Ferrera's monologue as Gloria in Barbie. It may be given by a fictional character but it resonates:

It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don't think you're good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we're always doing it wrong.

Gloria's monologue in Barbie

You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but you also have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can't ask for money because that's crass. You have to be a boss, but you can't be mean. You have to lead, but you can't squash other people's ideas. You're supposed to love being a mother, but don't talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman but always be looking out for other people.

You have to answer for men's bad behaviour, which is insane, but if you point that out, you're accused of complaining. You're supposed to stay pretty for me, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you're supposed to be a part of the sisterhood.

But always stand out and always be grateful. But never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that but always be grateful.

You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It's too hard! It's too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault.

I'm just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don't even know.

Review: Chinese Lessons

Pomfret's memoir about China from the 1980s

In 1981, 22-year-old John Pomfret was the in the first cohort of American students to study in China. He recounts his experiences living in a dorm with seven Chinese men at Nanjing University, trying to make up for lost time following the Cultural Revolution that upended their lives.

Pomfret chronicles his experiences, and those of his classmates over the decades in his memoir, Chinese Lessons: Five Classmates and the Story of the New China. He writes about the lives of his five classmates, four men and one woman in unflinching accounts about how dirt poor they were, or how their parents or grandparents were tortured or murdered by the Red Guards, and how they were sent down to the countryside, and the only way out was to get into university.

He studied in Nanjing University

Their early lives are so tragic and horrific, but Pomfret believes it's critical to explain this background to readers so that they understand why his classmates individually did what they did later in life. These students were the next generation post-Cultural Revolution who tried to ride China's economic boom in the 1990s and 2000s, with varying degrees of success depending on their idealism or pragmatism.

At the same time Pomfret weaves in his own personal experiences, most notably how people reacted around him as a foreigner; he honestly recalls his sexual desires to meet women, and these memories are endearing but also pretty funny.

Following graduation, Pomfret went back to the United States and began working as a journalist and because of his Mandarin skills he eventually returns to Beijing to work for the Associated Press in the late 1980s.

Pomfret (left) during the 1989 protests in Beijing

The pivotal moment in the book is his account of what he saw and experienced during the 1989 protests in Tiananmen Square, followed by the shocking and bloody massacre on the evening of June 3. It's riveting reading, as he remembers so many details, from riding his bike down alleyways to avoid the tanks to witnessing live gunfire and wounded demonstrators.

Soon after he was accused of having alleged links with student leaders and soon after was expelled from China. As a result Pomfret situated himself in Hong Kong, but was covering all kinds of conflicts in Bosnia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Turkey.

A few years later in 1992 The Washington Post manages to get approval for Pomfret to return to Beijing as the bureau chief and he reunites with his classmates separately to see how they are doing as well as track how China has changed post-Tiananmen.

His Chinese press credentials in China

Throughout the book he touches on topics as family, marriage, the one-child policy, jobs that were attached to work units, the free market economy, buying apartments, and entrepreneurism through the experiences of his classmates. It really gives a good on-the-ground view of what it was like for locals navigating the system.

Towards the end of the book Pomfret writes about marrying and having a child born with health issues, but then soon after a mysterious virus begins to spread. It's SARS. Reading it now, a few years after the Covid-19 pandemic, one can see the similarities of how the virus spread almost exactly the same way, during the Spring Festival, and how the Chinese government dealt with it. We still don't know exactly how it started, let alone SARS.

Pomfret is a journalist I followed during the 2019 protests in Hong Kong; he is a rare old China hand who managed to adapt and understand the city and how it differs from the mainland. Many China journalists who were parachuted into Hong Kong during the protests did not have a firm grasp of how the city and its people are not the same as those in China and so their stories were not as nuanced as Pomfret's.

He writes passionately about China

His writing in Chinese Lessons is straight-forward and at times stark, but also sprinkled with wry humour -- the reader is constantly on this rollercoaster ride of emotions that range from depressingly bleak to suddenly light and hilarious. But one can see his love for the country and its people, as well as the funny quirks of the place.

It's a fantastic first-hand look at the rapid changes in China through not only Pomfret's eyes, but also those of his classmates who were willing to tell their stories not only to him, but to the world.

iPods are Rad Again

Remember the iPod?

Gen Z have been embracing vinyl and cassettes, point-and-shoot cameras, and ditching smartphones for "dumbphones" -- ones without apps or the ability to go online. 

This trend is called Newtro, the revival of retro cultural artefacts in young people's quest to get away from algorithms and technology harvesting as much information from users as possible.

And now Gen Z have recently discovered iPods.

Remember those? 

You could rip CDs and store all the songs in there, along with nascent podcasts that hardly had any sound effects and rough editing, and listen to them on headphones connected to the jack. iPods were a massive step up from Walkmans (cassettes) and Discmans (CDs).

The rest of us have our iPods stuffed in the back of our drawers collecting dust, but these music gadgets can go for as much as $300 these days.

This is my iPod Touch from 2008. I believe it's the first generation.

I actually won it in a lucky draw from Time Out Beijing, otherwise I probably would not have bought it.

But it was so useful in bringing music I wanted to listen to at the gym, and later in Hong Kong listening to podcasts or relaxing music on long commutes.

It could also had internet access, but the memory capacity is so low, you can hardly do anything with it online.

However back then it was just one step away from the iPhone...

Beijing Memory with a Cuppa

"Forbidden City Starbucks" 2001 by Gu Xiong

At the Vancouver Public Library downtown this afternoon I spied this photograph on the eighth floor. 

It's a picture of a building in the Forbidden City where they once had a Starbucks. It's called "Forbidden City Starbucks" taken by Gu Xiong in 2001.

I remember visiting Beijing and seeing it there and thinking it was so odd seeing an American brand in the grounds where emperors used to live. Visitors could sip on cappuccinos next to the Hall of Preserving Harmony.

The Starbucks there opened in 2000, and caused a big uproar from locals and foreigners alike. Seven years later TV host Rui Chenggang penned a blog post railing about the American coffee chain in the Forbidden City, saying it "tramples over Chinese culture".

His blog post led to half a million people signing a petition to have Starbucks removed, which happened about six months later. 

He said he wasn't against Starbucks, as he did drink the brand of coffee, Rui objected to it being in the Forbidden City.

An interesting post script is that in 2014 Rui was detained on suspicion of bribery and sentenced to prison for over five years. But it wasn't until 2024 did he re-emerge, but on YouTube, which is banned in China.

Remembering Jane Goodall

Goodall was fascinated with animals at a very young age

This morning we heard the sad news that primatologist and passionate advocate for animals Jane Goodall died in Los Angeles. She was 91 years old.

My memory of her dates back to 2007 when she visited Beijing as founder of the Roots and Shoots program, where Goodall inspired the next generation to care about the environment where they live through local conservation projects.

This was my blog post on November 18, 2007 when Goodall was 73 years old:

In her youth she dreamed of going to Africa

Dr Jane Goodall has arrived in Beijing for a week-long visit to China.

Known for her ground-breaking research on chimpanzees in Tanzania, Goodall now travels the world some 300 days a year, spreading the word about environmental and animal conservation.

And she specifically focuses her message on young people, which led to the establishment of Roots & Shoots, an education program in 1991. There are now more than 800 of them in 98 countries, with over 300 R&S in China.

Some of these groups, ranging from elementary, secondary and university students came from Shanghai, Dalian and Tianjin as well as Beijing to show Goodall their environmental projects.

They ranged from planting trees in Inner Mongolia, to conserving rain water, feeding bears in a zoo with a pinata filled with fruit, and making crafts out of aluminum cans.

The famous scientist was dressed warmly in a large red coat and her silvery hair tied back loosely in a clip. When she arrived at Beijing City International School Goodall received applause from the students and they practically mobbed her, trying to take pictures and getting her to autograph pieces of paper.

She handled the attention quite well, and visited each of the booths and praised the students for their work.

The event then moved to the theatre where she gave a speech encouraging the audience to continue their conservation efforts as they are the next generation.

She said they were like roots and shoots, like the name of her program, growing and taking root and then breaking through tough barriers to grow.

She studied chimpanzees for decades

Then she told a story about a chimpanzee who was taken from his mother when she was shot dead. He was nicknamed "Old Man" after enduring 15 years of tests scientists conducted on him.

He was left to retire in a zoo on an island with three other female chimpanzees. A zoo keeper called Mark was to look after them but was warned not to get too close because they didn't like humans.

So he fed them by throwing food at them. He later noticed they got excited and hugged each other when he rowed the boat towards them. So Mark gradually brought his boat closer and closer to them until he could hand a banana to the Old Man.

He then stepped onto the island and nothing happened to him. Later on, he and Old Man made physical contact, grooming each other.

Old Man even had a baby chimpanzee with one of the females.

One day Mark was on the island but he tripped and fell on his face near the baby. The mother was horrified and came to rescue it, but not before biting Mark on the neck, thinking he wanted to harm her child. The other females followed her lead, also biting him on the leg and arm.

When Old Man came, Mark thought the chimpanzee would surely kill him. Instead the animal pushed the three females away so that the zoo keeper could get off the island and row back to safety.

Goodall said that if a chimpanzee, after all the years he was treated badly by humans, could bridge the gap and look after a man, we humans who are even more intelligent, should do the same, if not better.

It was a message that resonated with the audience and hopefully that will spur them on to continue their green efforts.

Goodall taught us to care for our community

But the fight for funding, especially non-profit organizations in China is tough. Only foreign companies step up to the plate and make contributions as there's no such thing as tax breaks for charitable donations. Non-profits do get some donations in kind by local companies, but those are few and far between.

The Chinese government is looking at creating a charity law. But this needs to be established soon, otherwise the momentum for non-profits like Goodall's will quickly fade when in fact they're making a huge impression on young people who are eager to make a difference. 

Rereading her story about Old Man, I can already imagine her talking about it in her soft voice that left everyone rapt with attention. 

A few weeks ago she was interviewed on CBC Radio and the host asked her how to have hope in the world when there's so much destruction, war, climate change, and so on.

Goodall replied that one can start by caring about their own community, finding something they want to save or conserve, and looking for others to help out.

When she was young she intently observed what animals, and in her case, chimpanzees did, and from watching them, she gave the rest of us more insight into their lives.

What she was doing was in a way mindfulness, being in the present and focusing on what was happening around her.

I've read she was most comfortable being with animals -- and actually her favourite is not chimpanzees but dogs for their unconditional love.

We are so lucky to have had Goodall in our lives, to remind us to look after the animals and environment around us, and that every little bit of care for them helps not only them, but us do better. We all have the capacity to help, love, nurture and care.

Handing Out Cash in a Potato Chip Bag

Greco (right) handed a potato chip bag with cash to a reporter

A long time advisor to New York City mayor Eric Adams has been suspended from his re-election campaign after she gave cash in an empty potato chip bag to a journalist. For the record it was sour cream and onion flavoured chips.

Winnie Greco, who is ethnic Chinese, met up with The City's Katie Honan at Whole Foods, where Greco at first offered her the chip bag as a snack. According to Honan, she refused, but Greco insisted she keep it, and then the two parted ways.

When Honan got to the subway station, she looked inside and saw that there was a red envelope stuffed with cash -- one $100 bill and several $20 bills.

The red envelope was stuffed with over US$100

She freaked out and called her editor, and then tried to call Greco back, telling her could not take the money and had to return it. But Greco claimed she was not in the area anymore.

The City promptly reported what happened to the city's Department of Investigation, and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn contacted the newspaper's lawyers.

In response, Adams' campaign spokesman, Todd Shapiro said, "We are shocked by these reports," and added "Winnie Greco holds no position in this campaign and has been suspended from all volunteer-related activities."

But it was Greco's lawyer, Steven Brill, who had to somehow spin the narrative to explain the red envelope that made the situation even worse.

He claimed it was common in Chinese culture to give cash to reporters "in a gesture of friendship and gratitude."

"I grant you this looks odd," Brill said. "But I assure you that Winnie's intent was purely innocent."

Honan doesn't know why Greco gave her money

He said her attempt to give money to the reporter might have been "misconstrued" and that she is "apologetic and embarrassed."

Does anyone actually buy this apparent explanation?

The reporter Honan, who covers City Hall, was asked by the CBC if she knew why Greco gave her the money and Honan said she didn't know why.

But the way Brill explains it as a cultural thing just looks terrible, and it also makes it look like all ethnic Chinese reporters accept red envelopes!

For the record no one in Hong Kong gives lai see in Cantonese or hong bao in Mandarin to reporters. It is absolutely forbidden.

However on the Chinese mainland, this practice is very common. Since reporters' base salary is very low, they often pad it by collecting hong bao and writing stories praising whichever companies that gave it to them.

Many years ago in 2007 in Beijing, I witnessed this first hand when I accompanied a reporter to an innocuous event. She was handed a hong bao of 200 yuan, which wasn't much, but the reporter refused it outright.

The public relations person politely tried to explain it was "transportation money" to compensate for the trouble of getting to the event, but the reporter flatly said she didn't need the money because our company would reimburse her for the transportation costs.

It went back and forth for a few minutes until the PR person gave up.

But apparently those covering the oil and gas industry, and probably now electric cars would get very thick red envelopes...

Nevertheless, halfway around the world in New York, why would someone even consider giving out red envelopes to a reporter?

In any event, Greco was already investigated last year by the FBI, and for her close ties to China, and this latest incident will surely be probed further. It's going to be hard for Greco to spin the story out of a sour cream and onion chip bag...

China Marks 60 years of Control of Tibet

Festivities marking 60 years of the Tibet Autonomous Region

There was a big party on Lhasa to mark the 60th anniversary of the Communist Party of China's governance of Xizang or Tibet with a massive parade complete with goose-stepping soldiers, colourful floats and dancers dressed in costumes representing 56 ethnic minorities.

President Xi Jinping was on hand to witness the celebrations. One China expert pointed out Xi's appearance should put to rest any rumours of the leader's health as it would not be a good idea for a 72-year-old with health issues to go to Lhasa, which is at 3,636 metres above sea level.

Xi made his second trip to Tibet since 2021

The last time Xi visited Tibet was in 2021, his first trip there. But interestingly this time Xi did not speak.

Wang Huning, China's No. 4 official, said that since the 18th party congress in 2012, under Xi's guidance and comprehensive plan, "Tibet has entered its best period of development, experiencing the greatest changes and bringing the most tangible benefits to people of all ethnic groups".

During the parade, floats representing several different cities drove past Xi and the audience at the foot of the Potala Palace. 

While China regards this anniversary as one that benefitted Xizang, others see it as six decades of iron fist control over the religious region that used to be governed by the Dalai Lama. 

Military strength on display at the anniversary

In March 1959, the Tibetan spiritual leader fled by foot across the border to India and settled in Dharamshala, where he and his entourage and followers have been ever since.

Six years later the Communist Part established the Tibet Autonomous Region, after Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Guangxi, and Ningxia.

The Dalai Lama has been playing a political game of chess with the CPC over who and where the next leader will be. In early July he said he will have a successor that he himself will appoint and "no-one else has any authority to interfere in this matter".

According to Tibetan tradition, Dalai Lamas are "reincarnated" after they die. 

However, Beijing claims the religious leader's successor would be from inside China and must be approved by the government.

Still Remembering June 4, 36 Years Later

Lighting a candle to remember June 4

The 36th anniversary marking the June 4th massacre did not go unnoticed in Vancouver. This evening a few hundred people converged on David Lam Park in the downtown area to mark the event with speeches, songs and candles.

There were stalls presenting information about what happened to Hong Kong, in particular the 2019 protests, what happened in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, a bust of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, and a poster showing pictures of the candlelight vigil in Hong Kong's Victoria Park every year from 1990 to 2020. There was also a mini Zunzi exhibition featuring his political cartoons.

Speakers including Chow and Giggs hold candles

When the vigil this evening began, organisers spoke about not only remembering the victims who died in Beijing in 1989, but also Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho Chun-yan, and Chow Hang-tung, former organisers of the Hong Kong vigil, who have been in jail for over 1,000 days.

Organisers also said since the vigil was declared illegal in Hong Kong since 2020, it was even more important to be able to mark it in Canada.

People like Dr Diana Lary, professor of Emerita of History at the University of British Columbia spoke about being in Beijing in June 1989 and how she safely returned to Vancouver and pretty much every year since has commemorated the event. 

During her speech she felt most for the Tiananmen Mothers who are in their 80s and don't have any grandchildren, let alone children. Lary also noted how there were many authoritarian governments around the world, and worried about the Canadian government possibly doing more business with China because of our economic situation these days.

Former radio host Giggs, Edmund Wan Yiu-sing also took to the stage in a spirited speech. He encouraged people listening to close their eyes and for 10 seconds think of people in Hong Kong who previously attended the candlelight vigil and imagine them here. 

People place candles in holders

He relayed that Lee recently had surgery, while Ho's health wasn't very good. He told them and Chow that they were not forgotten.

There was also a voice recording of one of the Tiananmen Mothers, who was pleased that others outside China were remembering what happened 36 years ago today.

The big draw of the evening was Alex Chow Yong-kang, who is currently studying his PhD at the University of California, Berkeley. He said June 4th was not only China's history, but the world's history, and Canada's history, as we have marked the event for the past 36 years. 

Chow urged people to not only remember the victims, but also create connections. "We are not here merely to mourn, but to reaffirm our humanity and dignity. The candlelight of memory may eventually dim, but our commitment never will," he said in English.

As he spoke, white candles were handed out, and while the sun was still setting, it wasn't pitch dark yet. Nevertheless, candles were lit and then attendees were encouraged to place them in a candle holder near the stage.

Yes we still remember, and we will continue to do so.

 

Pianist Bruce Liu Dazzles in Vancouver

Standing ovation for Liu in Vancouver

This afternoon I finally got an opportunity to watch piano superstar Bruce Liu perform in Vancouver at the Orpheum Theatre.

I have been following his career ever since he won the International Chopin Piano Competition 2021. It is held every five years and was supposed to be held in 2020, but was delayed by a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Liu was born in Paris to Chinese parents from Beijing and the family moved to Montreal when he was six  years old. Two years later he began learning the piano and already performing by the age of 11.

The VSO warms up for the concert

In 2023 I watched the documentary Pianoforte, and it follows five hopeful pianists as they go through a long, drawn out process of competing for 21 days in one of the oldest piano competitions in the world.

The film shows the intense practicing sessions, the competitors' emotions ranging from fear to confidence, joy and sadness to give the audience an idea of what it's like to have the ambition of becoming a professional concert pianist.

Liu is not one of the five pianists followed in the film, but he is revealed ultimately as the winner and his life completely changed -- immediately touring around the world to show off his immense talent, though he seems to be taking it all in stride.

I missed his concert the last time he was here, and was determined to make sure I caught him the next time -- which was today.

That said I did not get a good seat, sitting back almost in the equivalent of the nose-bleed section. But he's a big star, so prices were high, and not many seats left to choose from.

Liu won the Chopin Piano Competition in 2021

Liu is not in the style of Lang Lang or Yuja Wang (thank goodness). The 28-year-old is very mature, cool, collected, but when he performs, he bursts with energy and you can see his passion for music as well as his talent in tinkling the piano keys.

Led by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra music director Otto Tausk, Liu performed Prokofiev's Concerto No. 3. Liu has said in interviews that he will "improvise" in that he will play the same piece over and over, but in a different way to keep it fresh "because for me every performance is kind of improvisation -- you know, you go to a different place, you meet different people," he said.

"Not in a sense of inventing the notes, but one night a phrase might breathe differently because of the hall or the audience's energy or something personal I feel in the moment."

Bangkok: Chinese Scared of Traveling to Thailand

After Wang's release, he said he hoped to return to Thailand

In Bangkok there was a lot of chatter about how a lot of mainland Chinese tourists are not going to Thailand because of fears of being abducted and taken to scam centres near the border with Myanmar. 

Victims are lured to Thailand by promises of jobs, like the Chinese actor Wang Xing, who thought he was being casted by a major entertainment company. But once they arrive, they are whisked to these scam centres where they are forced to find victims through Whatsapp and other digital platforms and try to scam as much money from them as possible.

15.6 percent drop in Chinese tourists to Thailand

When Wang's situation and eventual release came to light, the Chinese government warned its citizens about the perils of traveling to Thailand, which led to a drop of about 15.6 percent of Chinese tourists in January.

But these warnings are not new -- as far back as 2022 there were rumours that going to Thailand would result in people getting trafficked to Myanmar and losing their kidneys. A year later the blockbuster No More Bets was a fictional account of Chinese tourists forced to work in scam centres.

Nevertheless Wang's story has resulted in lots of Chinese cancelling trips to Thailand and going instead to Japan and Malaysia. 

This is frustrating for Thailand, as it depends on Chinese tourists to help the country recover from Covid. In 2024, more than 6.2 million tourists to Thailand were from China, followed by Malaysians at 4.5 million and Indians at 1.9 million.

Although the Thai government has tried to reassure Chinese tourists that the country is safe to travel, around 10,000 trips from China were cancelled during the Lunar New Year.

After such a negative story about being lured to scam centres, it's not easy to get these millions of Chinese tourists to reconsider traveling to Thailand. 

Scam centres along the Thai-Myanmar border

But perhaps some common sense would help -- stick to touristy spots and avoid wandering in dodgy areas, advice that is universal for all places you are not familiar with.

One expat pointed out he finds Bangkok and Thailand very safe, and doesn't understand how Chinese people could be so easily spooked; but incessant coverage in state media has led them to believe Thailand is a dangerous place without doing research or critical thinking.

However, Beijing may have an ulterior motive to keep its citizens from traveling in general -- to boost the domestic economy by spending at home.

Interestingly most of these scam centres are run by Chinese gangs, though Beijing now has to step in to clamp down on these illegal operations. 

While these scam centres may not be entirely eliminated, the Thai and Chinese governments need to show they are shutting these places down, otherwise the number of Chinese tourists coming to Thailand will slow to a tiny trickle.

US State Department Revises China Page

Trump says Xi will visit the US... will he make the trip?

China isn't too happy with Donald Trump in the White House. It also doesn't help that he appointed Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, who is hawkish on China.

So it isn't a surprise that the State Department has updated its China page with language Beijing isn't happy about.

According to Chinese embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu, the revised page is "distorting truth, denigrating China's foreign policy and touting 'US-China strategic competition.'"

Here are some examples of the differences between the Biden and Trump pages:

The Biden-era referred to...

"Fundamental freedoms"

"Shared challenges such as climate change and global public health crises"

"US assistance to China"

"Advancing the rule of law"

"Investing at home and protecting American workers and businesses"

The need to "work together with democratic allies"

The updated Trump page refers to...

"Principles of reciprocity and fairness"

"Malicious cyber activity"

"China's global trafficking of fentanyl precursors"

US-China trade and investment deficit data

"Forced labor and massive state subsidies"

"Gross violations of human rights"

Three days ago Trump said he was expecting Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit the US, but didn't give a timeline.

He said this to reporters on Air Force One, and added, "it's possible" for the US and China to have a new trade deal, and that would mean having Xi speaking to Trump about easing trade tariffs.

"We'll have, ultimately, President Xi, we will have everybody coming [to the US]," Trump said, while speaking about other world leaders visiting as well.

It's all about the deal... will Xi make the pilgrimage trip?