NI 423 - June, 2009

China in charge

A note from the editor

I remember the Cold War with no warmth. It was a time of paranoid rantings. In one corner sat the capitalist ‘running-dogs’ (the United States); in the other, those ‘communist bastards’ (the USSR). Ignoring the poor inside and outside their countries, both sides threw ever-increasing fortunes at an arms race doomed to fail. Russia collapsed under the weight of it.

Today – as China’s influence on the world overtakes that of the United States – paranoid rantings are returning to international debate. In my country, Australia, there’s public disagreement between the intelligence and defence forces about whether we need to ramp up our military to defend ourselves from the Chinese. Putting aside the rather awkward reality that the Chinese outnumber Australians 60 to 1, the good news is that China gives no indication of wanting to take up arms and expand beyond the boundaries it already claims. It doesn’t need to. This magazine should help to explain why.

‘Emerging superpower’ is just one of those buttons that, when pressed, provokes extreme reactions in governments. In China, ‘dissenter’ is another. Twenty years ago this month, Chinese tanks rolled over protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. The picture of a young man standing alone in front of one of the tanks was – and still is – beamed around the world. It is a potent symbol of the power of protest, celebrating the bravery of individuals who stand up against the full force of government to claim their rights. It is a timely reminder, for it is not just in China where repression rages. This month’s Special Feature, ‘You are being watched’, reports on surveillance tactics being used by police and special forces on picket lines from New York to New Zealand. Tiananmen Square may be closer to home than you think.

Chris Richards for the New Internationalist co-operative.
www.newint.org

The big story

Ruth Kapi points to the devastation created by the Chinese-led Ramu Nickel mine project.

The pipeline through the rainforests - like so much of the equipment used for the mining development - is stamped ‘Made in China’.

NI 423 - June, 2009

China in charge

A note from the editor

The big story

Chris Richards meets ‘Capi-communism’ – the Chinese version of capitalism that’s plundering Papua New Guinea.

Features

Throw away the guns. Nick Young reports on the conquering power of Chinese culture.

Facts and figures about China’s growth and what it costs.

China’s aid and arms are promoting one-party governments, argues Rebecca Tinsley.

A guide to who’s running the show in China.

Egyptian economist Gouda Abdel-Khalek talks with Rowenna Davis about China’s political plays in the Middle East.

Resource wars? Climate armageddon? What business-as-usual in China will mean for the rest of the world.

Chinese investors may bring manufacturing back to the West, discovers Libby Tucker.

Police surveillance and intimidation of political activists is hitting new heights. Olly Zanetti dodges the long lenses to expose Big Brother’s latest attack on the right to protest.

Lezak Shallat discovers why Latin Americans are learning Chinese.

Blogs

How to go slow between Bristol and the River Thames

Opinion

Back in the country after a two-month trip, Mgcini Nyoni is shocked to see the fear and hunger of his fellow-Zimbabweans.

Currents

In Rio, a wall is being built to separate the slums from the city

Saudi judge upholds the arranged marriage between an eight-year-old girl and a 47-year-old man.

Belarusian journalists ‘gagged’ by draconian censorship laws

Transnational food company found modifying all its rice to evade price controls

Despite growing evidence, the Kenyan Government evades accountability for murder

Concern over the Canadian Government's handling of Canada’s tar sands

Regulars

Drug prohibition doesn’t work. Time to legalize instead, argues Rachel Godfrey Wood.

Facts, figures and statistics of Trinidad & Tobago

Khaled Hasan captures life working in Bangladesh’s brickfields.

Maria Golia ponders Egypt’s attitude towards sexuality.

by Polyp

Ed Stocker talked with the Iraqi filmmaker

Film, Book & Music Reviews

Listeners familiar with the harder sounds of Yothu Yindi are in for a surprise. The 12 songs on Gurrumul display an altogether softer side of their author.

A selection of post-election South African reading.

Accompanied by a wide range of sound for this latest outing – jazzy horns, strings and the kamele ngoni (harp) played by trusty sidekick Benego Diakite – Seya is an album that simply flows.

A multi-layered tribute to the human spirit – beaten but not broken, and laughing drunkenly in the face of adversity.

More than a sports film: Sugar explores the American Dream, competitiveness and simple human values.

Directed by Jamie J Johnson, yes, it is about Eurovision, and many of the songs are appalling, but what comes over is the solidarity between the contestants, and how un-egotistical they are.

Site map:

Find us:

Contact us: