Chinese Follies Are All Too Familiar

Culture of piracy leads to illegal copying, unrelated spin-offs

(NEWSER) - The titles are unintentionally hilarious—Harry Potter and the Big Funnel, Harry Potter and the Chinese Porcelain Doll—but China's thriving piracy industry is no laughing matter. The Times looks at the phenomenon of "Harry" knockoffs, a problem so widespread that one estimate puts the percentage of illegal books for sale at 40%. More»

Nearly 20% of domestic consumer products can't meet quality standards

(NEWSER) - The Chinese government acknowledged today what people around the world suspected—many products manufactured by the world's largest exporter of consumer goods are unsafe. One-fifth of its manufactured wares fail to meet government safety standards, a regulatory agency said in a posting on its website. Despite the findings, which did not cover exports, spokesmen continue to tout Chinese product safety. More»

Rebound to spur calls for currency revaluation

(NEWSER) - China's exports rose 17.7% in December, ending a 13-month drop in trade and stealing the title of 'world's largest exporter' from Germany. The year-on-year surge is seen as a sign that China's hard-hit manufacturers have made it through the financial storm. But it's not all good news for China, as the rebound is sure to reopen the debate over the country's currency. More»

Latest targets: chickens and tires

(NEWSER) - US-China trade tensions escalated yesterday when Beijing announced it was investigating whether the US dumped auto parts and chicken products onto the Chinese market, the LA Times reports. An expert calls the retaliatory move, which comes days after the White House slapped a 35% import tariff on Chinese tires, "a turning point in US-China relations, likely to represent a trend toward subtle, if not overt, forms of protectionism from both sides." More»

(NEWSER) - Chinese furious about a lead smelting plant that has sickened some 600 children stormed the factory yesterday after a suicide attempt by teenager who feared she had been poisoned, reports the Wall Street Journal. Some 150 children have been hospitalized due to lead poisoning near the plant in northwest China's Shanxi province. Protesters busted down the factory gates and trashed trucks. Most of them dispersed after police arrived. Plant activities have been suspended. More»