Thousands March for Democracy in Hong Kong

(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»

End of communism let Wall Street become unhinged: Friedman

(NEWSER) - Wall Street used to be the epicenter of capitalism that the whole world wanted to emulate, but, on a trip to Hong Kong, Thomas Friedman discovers that the American financial establishment has lost its credibility. "We don’t just need a financial bailout," he writes in the New York Times, "we need an ethical bailout." More»

Enraged by delay, democracy activists condemn decision

(NEWSER) - Reacting to years of pro-democracy rallies in Hong Kong, China agreed today to let the territory elect a leader in 2017 and a legislature in 2020, BBC reports. Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang had lobbied Beijing for elections by 2012, but hailed today's news as a "hard-earned opportunity." Activists, however, were outraged over the decade-long delay, AFP reports. More»

He warns that world will be watching during Olympics

(NEWSER) - President Bush yesterday called on Chinese officials to demonstrate a commitment to "greater openness and tolerance" before the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In a speech to business executives in Sydney on the eve of the Asia-Pacific summit, Bush emphasized the need for greater freedoms throughout Asia and warned China that the world will watching during the international games. More»