For Chinese parents - most with just one child - there are plenty of decisions to make about how to spend money on their offspring. And recently more of that money has been going on children's books. As BON's Tony Zhou reports prices for these have been on the rise; and now fewer parents can justify paying so much money for a product that doesn't seem worth it.

Now when holidays come around for Chinese students it doesn't mean the books are put away. Anxious parents and teachers organize homework and holiday study for students to give them an edge in China's super competitive education system.

The highly competitive nature of China's education system means just doing schoolwork is not enough if you want to succeed. And teachers are under pressure too. They're graded on how well their pupils do in exams to enter prestigious middle schools, high schools and colleges

It was supposed to be one of the highlights of the Korean Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo.  Instead, it led to an online war.  It centered around Korean pop sensation Super Junior, an act that routinely sells out major venues each year they come to Shanghai.

Word had gotten round at the Expo that there were 5,000 free tickets on offer, but when fans came to collect, it turned out that most of these had been given out to Korean groups, and only 500 tickets remained. A stampede followed, during which some witnesses said fans of the group began abusing and spitting at police.  This led to an immediate online backlash against Super Junior fans, under an umbrella campaign called 69 Jihad, 6-9 referring to June 9th. 

The campaign was a coordinated attack of “spamming and condemnation of Korean pop fans on well-known forums, and even brought down Super Junior’s official website.

David Moser meets guests to discuss President Obama's upcoming visit to China, and major talking points on Sino-US relations.

About our guests:

Xu Qinduo is a graduate of China's "cradle of diplomats," Beijing Foreign Affairs College, and has a strong interest in Chinese politics and international affairs.  He is co-host of the influential talk show Today on CRI (China Radio International), where he has interviewed a wide-ranging number of guests discussing Chinese politics, culture, and economics.

Jean-Marc Blanchard is an Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at San Francisco State University, and is currently a Visiting Scholar at the  School of International Studies, Peking University.  He is co-editor of two books, China's Multidimensional Diplomacy after 9/11 (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield-Lexington Books, forthcoming, 2010), and Harmonious World and China's New Foreign Policy (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield-Lexington Books, 2008).  He is also a Board Member and Book Review Editor for the Journal of Chinese Political Science.

David Moser meets guests to discuss President Obama's upcoming visit to China, and major talking points on Sino-US relations.

About our guests:

Xu Qinduo is a graduate of China's "cradle of diplomats," Beijing Foreign Affairs College, and has a strong interest in Chinese politics and international affairs.  He is co-host of the influential talk show Today on CRI (China Radio International), where he has interviewed a wide-ranging number of guests discussing Chinese politics, culture, and economics.

Jean-Marc Blanchard is an Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at San Francisco State University, and is currently a Visiting Scholar at the  School of International Studies, Peking University.  He is co-editor of two books, China's Multidimensional Diplomacy after 9/11 (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield-Lexington Books, forthcoming, 2010), and Harmonious World and China's New Foreign Policy (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield-Lexington Books, 2008).  He is also a Board Member and Book Review Editor for the Journal of Chinese Political Science.

I think it is okay if my grandson gets a master's degree. If he is intelligent enough, he could get a doctorate or even a PHD. However, since I am from a rural family, I'm happy if he gets a master's degree.
If I have a child, I hope he or she can get at least a master's degree. The higher your education, the easier it is to find a job. I felt pressured when I got out of school with a junior college degree. I won't let this happen to my child, so I hope he or she can earn a higher degree.

Liulichang is known throughout China and the world for its ancient books, calligraphy, paintings, rubbings, and ink products. Along the street, peddlers hawk snacks, groceries, toys and copper coins, and many other kinds of small commodities. Merchants race to their doors with a welcoming "hello, hello" for all their customers, but they all rack their brains to attract foreigners' attention. Some offer free seal-carving services  and they even can find a perfect Chinese name for you if you like. Some shop owners invite folk artists to their shops such as an 80-year-old heir to the Qing Dynasty's royal embroidery tradition.

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