On air: Google v China: Who is the winner?

Google’s been talking about leaving China since January when it became the victim of a cyber attack and discovered human rights activists’ email accounts had been hacked. Now it’s done it. Google is redirecting Chinese users to its unrestricted Hong Kong site.

Who’s afraid of the Dalai Lama?

Meeting with the Dalai Lama has been hanging over  Obama since he took office. And much to China’s annoyance Obama has now met with him.

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize he has a reputation for promoting peace. 

But Zhang Qingli, the Communist Party Secretary in Tibet has said ‘The Dalai Lama is a wolf wrapped in a habit, a monster with human face and animal’s heart’.

On air: Who’s the boss?

After the battles over Taiwan, Tibet, trade, climate change and internet freedom, China-US relations are once more in the spotlight. A recent poll suggests more than half of Chinese people think they’re heading towards a new Cold War.

A dog’s breakfast..

There are reports the Chinese are to take dogs (and cats) off their menus.

The regulations – if they are approved – have been 11 years in the making and anyone eating pets could face 15 days in jail.

On Air: Should Google pull out of China?

Google is considering closing down its operations in China following several “highly sophisticated” cyber attacks on its services and disputes with authorities over censorship.

Google wants to run an “unfiltered” search engine in China. But should Google have allowed itself to be censored in the first place?

On Air: Should all drugs smugglers be executed?

China has defended the execution of British man Akmal Sheikh, the first European citizen to have been executed in over 50 years.

Despite  much global condemnation , China’s decision to stand it’s ground has also attracted praise – from outside China.

“Sorry not to join the liberal wailing: heroin traffickers deserve to die,” writes Leo McKinstry.

Did China hijack Copenhagen?

Whilst talks on who’s to blame for climate change might be over for now, talks on who’s to blame for Copenhagen failing are just beginning.

“China is at the heart of Copenhagen’s failure,” says the editorial in Le Monde

Should Barack Obama have allowed himself to be censored?

If by speaking to China’s youth, President Obama was attempting to smuggle in a bit of democracy into China, then he’s failed according to this blogger. Here’s why:

‘Chinese authorities declined the White House’s request to have the town hall broadcast nationally. Each of the 400-plus students had to attend a pre-talk “lecture and meeting” to learn their talking points. Chinese news sites that originally reported Obama’s remarks about an open Internet and universal rights were quickly censored.’

Hypocrite  or wise move? Is  allowing himself to be censored the sacrifice  President Obama has to make to have China on side?

Has China become the world’s best problem-solver ?

Rwandan President Paul Kagame.”The Chinese bring what Africa needs: investment and money for governments and companies, -China is investing in infrastructure and building roads”

The “west” gets  short shrift from the Rwandan leader in an article with a German newspaper..

“Western firms have to a large extent polluted Africa and they are still doing it”

and he claims that European and American investment is inextricably linked with aid.

His words come a few days after China won praise for it’s talks with North Korea to bring them back to the negotiating table.

On air: Is shared power better than a superpower?

The dynamics of world power appear to be changing. President Obama is about to speak at the UN and he’s going to call for other countries to take more responsibility for tackling the world’s problems.