New rules restricting foreign investment in cultural products and media in China were issued this week by five different government bodies including the Publicity aka Propaganda Department, and the State Administration of Radio Film and TV.
Danwei reader Thomas McGrenery sent in some comments about a story on this subject in the International Herald Tribune (link below):
Salient quotes:""In principle, there will be no more domestic approvals for foreign satellite television channels", the rules also state."
"[P]artly spurred by the promotion of a new boss at the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television".
As pointed out in the article, this will probably loosen up again in about a year or so after the new guy has stopped proving he's boss, Hollywood producer style.
Don't know where this leaves the BBC's previously touted mainland channel. That wasn't necessarily satellite-based, but it doesn't bode well for them.
There is an interesting angle to the story that the IHT article does not mention:
Xinhua's Chinese language report about the new rules was the lead story on the state-owned news agency's website today, with the headline pictured above, which means 'Cultural industries: some types of foreign investment allowed, some types banned'.
According to the report, the new rules are called 'Suggestions about the amount of foreign investment in cultural industries' (关于文化领域引进外资的若干意见). In other words, the 'rules' are not laws. They are not even regulations..
Of course, when you are SARFT or the Propaganda Department, you don't need laws to do whatever the hell you want especially if it involves shutting down a foreign-invested media business, but the use of the word 'suggestions' displays a clear lack of commitment to these rules.
That may be because CCTV will be bankrupted after constructing its new Rem Koolhaas designed headquarters, in which case foreign investment might suddenly seem attractive again.
2. China and US agree to block G-4 (Japan, Germany, Brazil and India) UN council expansion plan
3. The first batch of duty-free fruit from Taiwan arrives in Beijing
4. Beijing announces areas with weather most suitable for habitation (Changping, Fangshan, Huairou and Haidian)
5. China national men's basketball team apologizes to Chinese fans for riot with Puerto Rico team at the Stankovic Continental Champions Cup
The article is well worth a read if you are interested in China's progress (or lack thereof) in creating its own intellectual property rather than merely being a huge factory.
The picture speaks for itself.
The good beer-drinking folk of Harbin have built a fountain which spurts out beer! All in order to celebrate the local Beer Festival!!
My flight is already booked.
Thanks to Run Doggie Dog for the link.
前2天BlogLines闹水管工的时候，尝试将BlogLines上的RSS书签通过OPML迁移到了NewsGator上：NewsGator的确有很多独到之处，通过汇总后的RSS，每篇BLOG都有反相连接(incoming link)的统计：
而每天被反相连接最多的文章就成了热点：
A request to Danwei readers:
Do you read or use the From the Web box on the top right of the Danwei home page (which has its own RSS feed)?
Is it useful? What do you think of it?
Please send email to jeremy -at- danwei.org. All responses will be highly appreciated.
我从来从来没有忍受过这么长的会议采访，即便两会，也是可以进去、可以拿消息、不用像这样起早摸黑却一无所获。朝核问题六方会谈竟然谈了10天还要谈，再谈下去，五国代表真的有空在北京找二奶了。真的，坐在钓鱼台新闻中心，我连到朝鲜大使馆上访的心都有了（也闪过恐怖主义念头，但当前反恐，还是不说最好）。
其实绝望的不仅仅是我。秦刚昨天新闻发布会的时候，有气无力、皮笑肉不笑，我想他心里也苦。明明是朝鲜死不肯签，还要给丫揩屁股。中国明白，这次要是不让小金签了这个协议，这个六方会谈的游戏就彻底完蛋了，下面的牌就是美国出了。
可是对付一个流氓该怎么办？昨晚朝鲜代表团长重申了他的意见：朝鲜要保持和平利用核能的能力。呵呵，骗谁，你核武不就是从这个和平利用核能突破的吗？再说了，你穷成这个样子，用的着什么核电站吗？其实一句话，就是朝鲜希望通过耍流氓得到奖赏，却不接受任何惩罚。
既然你这个观点从头到尾都没变，大家还谈什么谈？早点破裂记者也痛快，我上周末就不会落掉头文字C（皮划艇赛）了。
中国也真可怜，知道不解决朝核后患无穷，给日本制造发展核武借口，而朝鲜局势恶化，中国东北又成为难民首选之地。但是流氓政权都他妈有性格，中国都把大家留在北京11天，二奶都快有了，但朝鲜就是不签，那还不是会谈完蛋？话又说回来，签又怎样？以前也不是没签过，不是小金一句话就撕毁了吗？
破裂也好。这次美国可是积极配合，韩国也投怀送抱，日本也没太捣乱，这次再失败，中国政府应该认清朝鲜小金的本质了吧。稳固好东北政局、做好对朝鲜断油断粮、让联合国出钱安置朝鲜难民的准备吧。有了这个彻底不听话的流氓邻居，中国还是应该有些对朝新思路，否则简直是被朝鲜牵着鼻子玩、美国在旁边看热闹。明明是没实力解决，却给人家误解故意庇护朝鲜。
既然韩国这10年内大概都不想统一朝鲜，那么美国注定是要逼迫小金下台、换人上台的，不管用什么方法。因为这个小金实在是不可谈判的主。既然朝鲜历来是中国藩属，是不是中国应该干涉朝鲜内政先？新政权亲中总比亲美好吧？即便不行动，也首先要翻脸吧？否则朝鲜对中国吃拿卡要，还整天不听话，中国不就是一个凯子？
中国的那些学者，也别整天唇齿相依了，嘴巴都给这个流氓依肿了吧，还是上折子提一些实际的对付朝鲜的方法吧。