Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the United States has been accustomed to being the superior partner in Sino-US relations.

When there is trouble between the two countries, China claims it reacts with restraint. Such restraint was used after the US bombing of China's embassy in Yugoslavia in 1999 and the George W. Bush administration's announcement of its decision to sell arms to Taiwan in 2008.

However, times are changing. When the US announced its latest arms sale to Taiwan, Beijing showed a stronger reaction. In a broad simultaneous response from departments, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, NPC and CPPCC, it halted military exchanges, imposed sanctions on US companies and warned of noncooperation on nuclear issues involving Iran and DPRK.

A dispute over natural gas below the East China Sea, between China and Japan raised its head again this weekend in talks between the two countries. Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada told his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, that Tokyo would take "action" if China violated a 2008 agreement on joint gas exploration projects. During the talks, Okada also urged China to start discussing details about the deal to jointly develop the gas fields.

Although the two countries reached a broad agreement in 2008 on joint development of the resources, progress has been slow. And Japan has accused China of drilling for gas in violation of the agreement. Okada warned that Japan might start its own drilling if China violated the agreement. China has insisted that it has the right to begin drilling under the agreement.

David Moser meets the founder of the popular English blog Danwei.org to talk about the unique perspective of English blogs in China, and their impact on access to China-related information.

About our guests:

Originally from South Africa, Jeremy Goldkorn has worked in the Chinese media and advertising for more than a decade. He is the founder of Danwei.org, which is one of the most cited English websites covering the Chinese media.  Goldkorn has outspoken viewpoints on China's media and Internet industries and is frequently interviewed by the Chinese and Western press for his views on media developments.  He has recently been speaker for BT Global CIO Conference, Columbia University's Weatherhead East Asian Institute's China Day, CLSA's Shanghiai Investor's Forum, JP Morgan, Picnic Amsterdam, Ad:tech in Shanghai and Beijing, Beijing University, and the Communications University of China. Goldkorn has also been involved in some of the milestone events in the recent growth of Sino-African relations, including acting as media consultant for the South African president during the 2006 Forum on China Africa Cooperation.   

Michael Anti is a Chinese journalist and political blogger, known for his posts about freedom of the press in China.  Michael has broad experience with both American and Chinese journalism. Most recently he worked as a researcher at the New York Times Beijing bureau. He graduated from Nanjing in 1995 and majored in Industrial Electrical Automation, but turned to newspapers in 2001. He has been a commentator for the Huaxia Times, correspondent of the 21st Century World Herald, war reporter in Baghdad in 2003, researcher at the Washington Post Beijing Bureau, columnist for the Southern Metropolis Daily, and publisher of the Far and Wide Journal. He is the recent recipient of a Wolfson press fellowship at Cambridge University, and Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University.
 

David Moser meets the founder of the popular English blog Danwei.org to talk about the unique perspective of English blogs in China, and their impact on access to China-related information.

About our guests:

Originally from South Africa, Jeremy Goldkorn has worked in the Chinese media and advertising for more than a decade. He is the founder of Danwei.org, which is one of the most cited English websites covering the Chinese media.  Goldkorn has outspoken viewpoints on China's media and Internet industries and is frequently interviewed by the Chinese and Western press for his views on media developments.  He has recently been speaker for BT Global CIO Conference, Columbia University's Weatherhead East Asian Institute's China Day, CLSA's Shanghiai Investor's Forum, JP Morgan, Picnic Amsterdam, Ad:tech in Shanghai and Beijing, Beijing University, and the Communications University of China. Goldkorn has also been involved in some of the milestone events in the recent growth of Sino-African relations, including acting as media consultant for the South African president during the 2006 Forum on China Africa Cooperation.   

Michael Anti is a Chinese journalist and political blogger, known for his posts about freedom of the press in China.  Michael has broad experience with both American and Chinese journalism. Most recently he worked as a researcher at the New York Times Beijing bureau. He graduated from Nanjing in 1995 and majored in Industrial Electrical Automation, but turned to newspapers in 2001. He has been a commentator for the Huaxia Times, correspondent of the 21st Century World Herald, war reporter in Baghdad in 2003, researcher at the Washington Post Beijing Bureau, columnist for the Southern Metropolis Daily, and publisher of the Far and Wide Journal. He is the recent recipient of a Wolfson press fellowship at Cambridge University, and Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University.
 

 

Nick, I mean Agent Nick, must find a 6000-year-old person (that's right, a 6000-year-old person). If you want to know if he succeeds or not, you have to watch the episode.

Agent Nick sets a fish free, and acts out scenes from classic Chinese novel "Dream of the Red Chamber."

Agent Nick passes out in the middle of nowhere and gets dragged along the road for like, a good 3km. He also completes his final mission (for the time being, at least), which makes him go crazy and run around in public, screaming like a maniac.

In this episode, Agent Nick's missions take him on a wild goose--er, chicken--chase, to find a rooster whose call can be heard in three countries simultaneously. Oh yeah, he also has to find a shirt made of corn.