Cup of Cha
This is China

The Olympics have, as hoped, put Beijing in the spotlight. My sister and some other friends are coming before the games, something I am not sure would have seemed as interesting or achievable without them. One reason for this is that for many the first thing that comes to mind when they think of China [...]

Continue reading “Welcome Olympic Guests” »

When you first arrive in China the challenge is always figuring out what you can and cannot do in mixed company. But after a long enough time in the country the difficulty slowly becomes what is appropriate for American, not Chinese, society.
In the beginning I found it bizarre that many Chinese spit bones onto the [...]

Continue reading “Forgetting Cultural Etiquette” »

The rhetoric and tactics that Hillary Clinton has pushed on China policy demonstrate everything that is wrong about her campaign, and herself as a politician. Publicly advocating that President Bush should boycott the opening ceremony in response to a pu-pu platter of offenses by the Chinese Government would not only fail to help promote progress [...]

Continue reading “Clinton’s Dangerous China Stance” »

With stunning deftness, the Chinese Government has managed to completely change the topic from, why so much of the world is so upset with the the country’s official policies, to…Jack Cafferty and CNN. In the process the government has incited enough nationalism to make a Frenchman blush. How did the topic move from human rights, [...]

Continue reading “China do get PR: All Hail Anonymous Nanjing Resident” »

I’m going to list several insults with the author and target deleted, and you decide which is the most offensive. Let’s call it a test of perspective:

war criminal
the Devil
a wolf with a human face
goons and thugs
Satan
someone who makes junk
son of a motherless goat

I’m going to go out on a limb here, but “goons and [...]

Continue reading “The Meaning of China and the Press Blame Game” »

Slate has an interesting take on the torch relay from Anne Applebaum. I don’t agree with all of her conclusions, and I think parts of it show the bias of someone looking from afar (note: my use of “bias” is not the same as my Chinese brethren). Yet she nonetheless makes some good points. She [...]

Continue reading “The Harsh Spotlight” »

If you had any doubts that the Chinese media campaign to convince its population that there are three threats to the stability of China (Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang) is working, let me dispel those notions. Recently I was chatting with a 20-something, highly-educated Chinese friend of mine about the Olympics. She said she was looking [...]

Continue reading “The Tibetan，Taiwanese Terrorists and the Scourge of Nationalism” »

In a move that demonstrates the increasing power that Cup of Cha has with the Chinese Government, news outlets are reporting that dog meat restaurants are being forced to shut down in the nation’s capital. Loyal reader “OtherRichard” passed along this article from Sky News.
The move comes a week after popular blog Cup of Cha [...]

Continue reading “No Dog Meat During Olympics” »

Here’s a Beijing picture that won’t be showing up in the 2008 Olympics guide:

I’ve heard it tastes like hedgehog.

Continue reading “That’s a Bunch of Dog Meat!” »

In the great spirit of “Queuing Day,” the one day each month when Chinese are supposed to line up instead of pushing one another, China has announced “No Spitting Day.” If only I were joking. But the best part is China Daily’s  description of the charming habit. Note that the passage hits the holy trinity [...]

Continue reading “Spitting: Even “Kate and Leo” Do It!” »