Hong Kong Poised to Become Asia's Big Apple

(NEWSER) - An annual vigil marking the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre brought a record 150,000 people to a park in Hong Kong, the only place in China to mark the event, reports the BBC. “It is something to remember not only for our generation but for the next generation as well,” said an attendee. In Beijing, both traffic and foreign reporters were barred from the square. More»

Action star rethinking his stance on democracy

(NEWSER) - Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan may be picking a fight with a new foe—democracy, the AP reports. Speaking at a business summit today in China, the action star said he wasn't "sure if it's good to have freedom or not. I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want.” More»

Essayist says market reforms are only part of the big picture

(NEWSER) - Conventional wisdom chalks up the economic booms in China and India to their moves toward global capitalism in the '90s. It's a comforting thought for the West, writes Pranab Bardhan in the Boston Review, but the truth is far more complex. The astounding growth in both countries started well before recent market reforms. Bardhan re-evaluates the well-worn myths surrounding the past, present, and future of these economic giants. More»

(NEWSER) - The Chinese government is threatening to crash the American dollar by liquidating its $1.33 trillion in foreign reserves if the US dares impose trade sanctions to force a revaluation of yuan, reports the Telegraph. Two Communist Party officials have given interviews in recent days with stern warnings directed at the US that China is prepared to engage in an economic "nuclear option." More»

Residents demand universal suffrage

(NEWSER) - Hong Kong observed the 10th anniversary of the handover to China today as tens of thousands took to the streets for the now-traditional annual pro-democracy rally. Beijing appears no more amenable to universal suffrage, however—Hu Jintao was in town to swear in the territory's new chief executive and his government, but the Chinese president departed before the march began. More»