Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol.65/No.4 i Beijing Review

‘You’re not my type; I’m just being honest with you.” “Need someone to take care of you? Get a babysitter!” These are some of the golden zingers brought to audiences by participants in the dating show Serendipity Will Not Come Too Late. Unlike similar programs focusing on young people, this one hosts senior citizens looking for intimate relationships; for them, age is just a number. Broadcast on Jilin TV, a provincial broadcaster, the show has gone viral for its straightforward and often humorous expressions of participants, whose criteria for their Mr. or Ms. Right range from economic conditions to education attainment and to appearance. The most popular episode received over 10 million hits online. “It departs from the average dating program featuring beautiful and well-educated young people; it’s all about…

China’s economy experienced a strong rebound in 2021, despite sporadic COVID-19 cases at home and external uncertainty. Its GDP expanded 8.1 percent year on year to 114.37 trillion yuan ($18 trillion) last year, well above the annual target of more than 6 percent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on January 17. Per-capita GDP reached around $12,500, exceeding the global average. With steady economic recovery and pandemic control in 2021, China was among the fastest growing major economies. It is estimated to account for more than 18 percent of the world economy and contribute some 25 percent to global GDP growth. The Chinese economy grew 18.3 percent, 7.9 percent, 4.9 percent and 4 percent in the four quarters of 2021, respectively, showing mounting downward pressure. However, the average…

In a simple and traditional building in Beijing’s Dongcheng District, qipao master Li Kan is putting the final revisions on several dresses she has created for her clientele. In the corner of her studio, a finished version daintily dangles from the clothes rack. “We feature both the classic Beijing-style qipao, or cheongsam, and modified ones, catering to women of all ages,” said Li to Beijing Review. Since the traditional Beijing version first graced magazine covers in the early 1920s, this particular style, known for its demure elegance, has gained worldwide fame over the decades. In 2007, it was added to the list of Beijing municipallevel intangible cultural heritage; Li is a fourth-generation inheritor. Li doesn’t watch movies too often, but she has frequently indulged in Wong Kar-wai’s 2000 masterpiece In…

Scientific Advances A list of the top 10 scientific advances in China in 2021 and another similar list for those in the world were unveiled in China. The entries were selected by members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Xinhua News Agency reported on January 19. Among the scientific breakthroughs listed, China’s progress in its first Sun-probing mission stands out. Also on the list is the country’s successful first Mars exploration mission. Other advances include progress in long-term stays onboard China’s space station, research into synthesizing starch from carbon dioxide, research in lunar samples brought back by theChang’e-5 mission, the use of gene technologies in the domestication of wild rice, as well as the prevention and control of the agricultural pest, the…

Guo Chengzhi recently found herself a new hobby—dancing. Before, the 73-year-old retiree’s day consisted mainly of visiting farmers’ markets, cooking, listening to the radio and watching a little TV. But then, square dancing entered her life. “I was never much of a dancer. But when I went to my neighborhood’s park and saw about 50 people all moving in line, stretching or holding their hands up high, I just figured it would be fun; so I gave it a try. And now I’m a regular,” Guo told Beijing Review. “Dancing raises the level of dopamine and we can’t help but be all smiles!” Living in one of China’s coldest provinces, Jilin, where winter temperatures drop to around minus 30 degrees Celsius, Guo still sticks to her hobby during the icy…

Perhaps the most curious thing about COVID-19 is not its complicated pathology, its rapid mutations, the fact that many are infected and remain symptomless while others die, or that some experience a debilitating long version of the disease set in after the initial infection. Rather, in our highly globalized world, the rapid spread and almost universal human encounter with the disease has become a threshold moment in human history. While other pandemics have come and gone in the past, and while scientists promise us COVID-19 is the first of many more to come, most of us will demarcate our lives in two periods: before the outbreak and after. But this is only the shell of the curiosity—the kernel within is that despite the nearuniversal experience, how some societies have dealt…

With the first train pulling out of Beijing West Railway Station at 5:34 a.m. on January 17, China’s 40-day-long chunyun or Spring Festival travel rush, the world’s largest human migration, was officially a fact. From January 17 to February 25, Beijing West Railway Station will handle 3 million passengers over the entire course of chunyun, averaging around 75,000 travelers a day. The peak will fall on January 29, three days prior to the Spring Festival, with some 185,000 train voyagers. COVID-19 control and prevention remains key. Health codes and masks are essential when using public transportation. Beijing West Railway Station has upped its disinfection frequency, including that of the airconditioning system and indoor waiting rooms, with five disinfecting robots deployed in the station’s main corridor. Passengers who do not have…

Washington’s Cold War mindset and obsession with militarism both lead to a dead end. The international situation is changing and a new constellation of forces emerges. Yet the U.S. clings to obsolete geopolitical theories and strategies. Sticking to past strategies and obsolete alliances limits Washington’s flexibility and options amid historic global changes. Can the U.S. have a sustainable future with prosperity if it does not adjust correctly within an international system transitioning to multi polarity, polycentrism and pluralism? Fixations and allegations The militarization of post-World War II (WWII) U.S. foreign policy began in 1950, with a top-secret study by the National Security Council called U.S. Objectives and Programs for National Security. Known as NSC-68, the study was controversial at the time for its fixation on military power. In early 1950,…

‘Facts have shown once again that amid the raging torrents of a global crisis, countries are not riding separately in some 190 small boats, but are rather all in a giant ship on which our shared destiny hinges. Small boats may not survive a storm, but a giant ship is strong enough to brave a storm.” This is how Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted the importance of solidarity during the crisis currently faced by humanity as he spoke at the 2022 World Economic Forum (WEF) virtual session via video link from Beijing on January 17. He called on the international community to foster new opportunities amid crises, open up new horizons on a shifting landscape, and pool great strength to go through difficulties and challenges. After two years of COVID-19,…

The city’s small size hasn’t confined its fame. Gifted with the best of everything needed to create porcelain, it has long been a mecca for both porcelain lovers and makers. Even the name of the town, Jingdezhen, was bestowed on it by an emperor over 1,000 years ago, who was enamored with the ceramics crafted there. Art is ubiquitous in this town, which is located in a mountainous area in Jiangxi Province. Ceramic works of various designs, colors and sizes dominate the city. Since ancient times, it has been a destination for “migrant” craftsmen, who have flocked there seeking a living and recognition in the industry. This tradition has been passed down to modern times. Along with the craftsmen, young designers with innovative ideas also view the city as an…