#which is apparently common to do in the Guangdong province

[babyjeep]

I’ve just learned about ghost marriages. Feeling many emotions at once about this.

[jo-shanenewzealand]

Queenstown to Haast

Day 6 – 4/10/2019

Queenstown farewelled us with a lovely cloudy morning, and a brisk seven degrees. No breeze early on meant that it was still quite pleasant. Packed and out of the Novotel by eight thirty with Jan in tow, Brett and Justine were to join the trip from here on in so there would be five of us now in two vehicles.

First thing first, we had to fuel up. Not knowing where a servo was, we headed out of town toward our first stop Arrowtown, running into a Shell a few kilometres out along Frankton Road. The cost of fuel here was ludicrously expensive, $2.51 per litre for 91 Unleaded fuel. Almost twice the price of home. We put $144 in the car.

Located in the Arrow Basin, the Arrowtown area was originally frequented by Maori tribes looking for food and pounamu, a variety of jade or greenstone. Sometime around the 1860's, a couple of Europeans turned up and established farms in the area. By 1862 a Maori shearer and a couple of others found gold in the Arrow River and a small shanty town called Fox's soon appeared. Fifteen hundred miners took up the cause by the end of 62 and during January 1863 the first escort of 340 kilograms of gold left town. By 1865 much of the "easy" gold had gone and the miners left for the newly opened West Coast Goldfields. With the town's economy on the ropes, the local government invited Chinese miners to take up residency on Arrowtown's outskirts and mine what was left. This arrangement lasted until 1928.

Arrowtown was less than half an hour from Queenstown so we were there for breakfast just after nine. We parked just around the corner from Buckingham Street, the main street and had a brief look around. The first place we passed, the Old Post Office Café looked good for a feed so we settled in for a hearty meal, followed by some window shopping up the main street on our way to the Chinese shanty town up the other end. Jan wasn’t up to the walk and stayed behind.

The Old Post Office Café

Queen Justine

The main street with all of the old shops (touristy) was only a couple of hundred metres long. It didn't take too long to get there as much of the stuff we weren't interested in. At the street's end, the road dropped away to a dirt track that led down to Bush Creek Reserve where a business or two, toilets and a car park provided facilities for people there for a look or to embark on one of the many walking trails that commenced there. We were there for a look around and at the western end of the reserve was the remnants of the Chinese shanty town.

A section of the Chinese settlement

A reconstructed local dunny

Apparently, as previously mentioned, the Chinese workers were invited by the local government to keep the fossicking alive. About eight thousand Chinese came to this and other gold mining sites around the Otago and Southland areas between the late 1860's and the 1880's to seek their fortune. They came not as settlers but to make money and return home. Early Chinese came from the Victorian goldfields but they soon started streaming in from the Cantonese province of Guangdong, mostly young blokes with poor upbringings. They came from the tropical and monsoonal south of China to the bitterly cold south of New Zealand. All for five to six times the annual wage that they would earn at home.

At first, they were welcomed but as their numbers swelled and their commercial interests expanded, resentment set in. Fearing that New Zealand could be colonised by an inferior race, the New Zealand government introduced laws discouraging Chinese immigration which culminated by imposing a one hundred New Zealand pound entry fee.

As the gold ran out and the European goldminers left the town, the harassment lessened. By the 1890's most Chinese miners had returned home with many others heading to find gold elsewhere. Many had been in Arrowtown so long that when they returned home, they lost touch with their families and had outlived their own generation. Some of them returned to New Zealand. By 1900 less than twenty miners still occupied the shanty town, the last one, Ah Gum dying in 1932.

Located on the banks of Bush Creek, the settlement is now a mix of both relics of which no more than foundations and a few rocks remain and reconstructions of the original humpies giving one an impression of what the Chinese had to endure during their gold mining days.

Bush Creek

Having finished looking around, we walked back through the main street to the vehicles and headed back to Arrow Junction, turning left along the Gibbston Highway and within a few hundred metres was again turning let onto Crown Range Road where The Zig Zag, a series of hairpin bends, took us up over six hundred metres to where the land plateaued out to Crown Terrace. At this point, where The Zig Zag finished, a parking area off of the last bend provided plenty of room for us, and plenty of others, to pull over and get some great views back down to Arrowtown, Queenstown and the airport runway. While we were there a large passenger plane flew between the peaks surrounding the Kawarau Valley, buffeted all the way down to the airport.

Arrowtown from halfway up The Zig Zag

View back to the airport from the top

The next part of our journey took us through higher territory and ski area, travelling along the Cardrona Valley until we reached Wanaka, a small town on the southern fringe of Lake Wanaka. We stopped here for another break with the intention of food and a drink. The place was quite busy with tourists though, with parking spaces at a premium. The first impressions were nice with the carpark being on the lake's edge and surrounded by lovely landscaped parkland and gardens. Once we crossed the road we had a different impression. The town seemed like another alpine village that was geared up for the ski season. Not much else there except a couple of bars, places to sign up for bungy jumping, white water rafting and such and the usual souvenir shops. Justine needed some stuff from a seven eleven type shop and was given some advice about the place from Wendy, pronounced Windy. She did her shopping and we moved on. Jo bought some outfits for the upcoming baby.

The shores of Lake Hawea was just outside of Wanaka, through Albert Town and past the outskirts of Lake Hawea Village. The lake lay parallel to Lake Wanaka only separated by Mount Bourke and Isthmus Peak on the southern end and Sentinel and Terrace Peaks to the north. Further up the Hunter River flowed into Lake Hawea and the Makarora River fed Lake Wanaka. Due to the friendlier topography, the road skirted the western shoreline of Lake Hawea to about halfway along where it cut through the peaks via The Neck and then followed the eastern shoreline of Lake Wanaka until we reached, and passed Makarora.

Lake Hawea from the roadside viewing area

It was at this point we separated. Brett and Justine travelled ahead while Shane, Jo and Jan stopped at a couple of places to look around. They were going to stop with us but were put off by the rain. After looking at our photos later, Justine regretted not stopping.

The first stop was recommended a week or so earlier by the barmaid in Timaru. She couldn't remember exactly where the Blue Pools were but they were up near Haast Pass, just follow the signs. And so we did. Although not knowing what to expect, before long the signs appeared as she had told us. The weather by this point was miserable. Windy and a constant drizzle tending to rain. We braved it anyway and headed to the Blue Pools, a fifteen to twenty minute walk through wild looking forest that belonged in Jurassic Park or something, densely vegetated and covered in thick moss.

Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings? The large downhill pathway to the pools

A half a kilometre along the track through the forest, we hit a suspension bridge that took us across the Makarora River and further on to a second suspension bridge that sat on top of the Blue Pools.

The pools weren't too blue today, the weather didn't allow their azure colour to dominate. It was a darker and greener colour but no less impressive with salmon swimming around. The pools were created by rocks and sand being washed down in flood from the glacier fed waters of the Blue River, where it intersected the Makaroa. 

 The not so Blue Pools

Just beyond, a large gravel bank adjacent allowed people to climb down the embankment and access the water. The wet weather made it amazing. A young couple were doing just that, posing to each other for some memorable photos. The bank was also covered in small towers of the rounded river boulders that were scattered around. This was a common sight through these areas. We must have picked a good time to arrive as although the carpark was fairly full, the track wasn't. It was a different matter on return. As soon as we stopped on the second suspension bridge we started to get crowded out. By the time we were back at the bridge over the Makaroa, there was a queue on both ends of the bridge to cross it. After a little bit of toing and froing, we managed to cross and within fifteen minutes were back in the car and continuing our journey.

The large gravel bank at the confluence of the rivers

Within no time we were out of the thick vegetation and forest for the next stop, Cameron's Flat for a brief toilet stop. The flat was low enough to have signs warning of flood risks. Named after Charles Cameron, reputed to have crossed over Haast Pass two days before its eponym, Julius von Haast was supposed to have crossed, the area was wide and relatively flat and was a popular camping area for the more modern explorers. A little further on again and we crossed the ranges through an unassuming Haast Pass and into West Coast territory. Here we left the Makaroa headwaters heading south,  passed Thunder Creek Falls and followed the Haast River headwaters heading north. Within a few kilometres the valley opened up and the Haast River collided with the Landsborough and pushed west, towards the coast. For almost forty kilometres, we followed the river along the southern bank to the Haast township.

Thunder Creek Falls

The weather had turned for the worse, well and truly heavy enough to get us wet. Only one road led into Haast, it intersected Highway 6 from both ends of the town. We entered from the southern end, past a couple of motels and ended up at the Hard Antler, the local pub. Just as we pulled over, so did Brett and Justine from the other direction. They had travelled over the river for a look and turned back. After a short conversation it was decided to look for our accommodation, but not before a quick beer. Women had to park their broomsticks at the door.

Hard Antler

It just so happened that the Heritage Park Lodge was right next door, about a hundred metres away so we booked in, unpacked and headed back for dinner. In the rain. Good feed, good night and good atmosphere. Particularly the lamb shanks that were recommended by the chef to Justine when they were both having a durry outside during our afternoon visit.

She hasn't eaten all day. Not a bad appetite for an old girl

One of the locals

Tomorrow, we head back north to Hokitika and looking forward to it.

[emedhelp]

Outrageous menu from Wuhan’s market shows live koalas, peacocks, wolf pups & over 100 wild animals on sale

Update (11:50pm): A 66-year-old Chinese national in Singapore was confirmed to be infected with the Wuhan virus on Jan. 23. According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), the man from Wuhan arrived in Singapore with nine others on Jan. 20. The 10 of them stayed at Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort. We spoke to a Chinese tourist staying there.

The novel coronavirus outbreak has led to a lockdown in Wuhan to contain the virus within the megacity and has claimed 17 lives and infected over 600 people so far, according to the Chinese authorities.

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Reports are pointing to wild animals kept for sale in one Huanan Seafood Market as the likely source of this new coronavirus.

Wuhan pneumonia coronavirus has same ‘ancestor’ as SARS, animals suspected to be source

Snakes now pinpointed as likely source of China’s coronavirus

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Over 100 wild animals sold at epicentre of virus outbreak

An image circulating around shows an outrageous range of exotic animals sold at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, where the virus possibly originated from.

It is apparently a menu taken from the said market, featuring a wide variety of game meat and livestock.

I volunteer to translate Public Livestock Wild Game menu items and prices:

Live Sika Deer 梅花鹿 6000元 Live ostrich 活鸵鸟 4000元 Live peacock 活孔雀 500元 Live #civet cat 活果子狸 130元 Crocodile tongue 鳄鱼舌 45元/1斤 Camel meat 骆驼肉 25元/1斤 Bull testicles 牛蛋 12元/1斤

— CIAspy (@CIAspy) January 22, 2020

The menu features a mix of over 100 live animals and their meat, which includes live koala, Chinese Giant Salamander, camels, ostriches, peacocks, and wolf pups.

According to the menu, a live peacock was sold at RMB500 (S$97) each, a live Sika deer cost RMB6000 (S$1167) and a live koala cost RMB70 (S$13.60).

The menu also promotes services such as live slaughtering and delivery.

Photo by Muyi Xiao/Twitter

Live animal markets such as the one in Wuhan are breeding grounds for viruses, as animals of various species are kept in close proximity with one another and some viruses can jump from one host to another, according to Business Insider.

The sources of these animals are uncertain.

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Live animal markets not uncommon in China

Live animal markets selling both dead and live animals of different species are common in China, existing in areas such as Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, and Shandong Province.

What led them to consume exotic animals has to do with their cultural beliefs that wild animals are more nourishing than reared ones.

Also, a significant number of Chinese people still view consuming exotic animals as a public display of social status.

For example, this bowl of soup is made of bats which sound like an auspicious Chinese word “福” (“Fu”) which means fortune and good luck.

新年快樂 要死吃多點吧！ pic.twitter.com/r06hwwMm1f

— Liberty (@Hongkong3333333) January 22, 2020

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#WuhanSARS 中國人咁食野味， 滅族不遠已 pic.twitter.com/yW0Ja6plIp

— chunglinpeng (@Fightin49203206) January 23, 2020

现在病毒传播怎么严重 丝毫没有人去反思到底是什么原因导致病毒传播 吃野味 ���动禽类销售都可能 更可恨的是 今天走在街头还看到有流动禽类销售 pic.twitter.com/MeeCfSuNQp

— Ashesily (@shangenjoy) January 23, 2020

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The virus outbreak has since led to public outrage over the consumption of wildlife.

Posters like this have been circulating online to urge the Chinese government to ban the sale of wild animals at food markets for the sake of public health and biodiversity.

Image via Weibo.

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Top photo via Liberty/Twitter and @阎小骏/Twitter

[fuzzyglittermoon]

Eating in China: You should know that!

Eating in China: You should know that!

In addition to the foreign culture and beautiful landscapes and structures, the culinary side of China is one of the main reasons why so many tourists from all over the world travel to China. A land that stretches far out in all directions and combines several climatic zones that offer the driest deserts and highest mountains in the west, rainforests in the south, coastal areas in the east and an icy north, of course also has many different tastes. To capture all the different tastes, dishes and local specialties, you would probably have to write several books!

Beijing is a very good place to eat through the "different provinces", because people from all over China and also from all over the world live here. All these people also bring their traditions and local food to the capital. Thus, Beijing has become a collection pot of both Beijing and North China specialties, as well as local specialties from all over China and the world: 兰州 拉面, 四川 火锅, 桂林 米粉, Korean Barbecue, American Burgers, Italian Pizza & Pasta ...

Because food is so cheap in China and the Chinese are used to eating outside, there are restaurants, supermarkets and small mobile food stalls almost everywhere. If you do not know what to do with your friends, just make an appointment for dinner, everything else will be there ...

The biggest differences within China's kitchen rather salty (北 咸) in the north, sweet in the south (南 甜) in the north one eats noodles (北面), in the south rice (南米). Logically, this is apparent from the climatic conditions: the south is wetter and warmer, so more suitable for growing rice; the north is hot and dry (in winter cold and dry), so more suitable for grain.种啥 吃啥 (what you plant, you eat) in the south there is a lot of fruit and vegetables all year round, in the north mainly Chinese cabbage comes to the table in the winter (or greenhouse yields) In the north one often eats much and simply, south rather little and fine in the south there are many local differences (Sichuan, Yunan, Guangdong ...), not in the north in the south you eat a lot of cake (南 糕), in the north rather dry pastry (similar to flatbread) (北 饼)

The breakfast in China

The street in front of the big office buildings in Chaoyang District in Beijing is shrouded in the fog of street vendors keeping warm in large pots 粥, 豆腐 脑 and 豆浆. One usually chooses one of these three common "soups" served in bowls.粥 is a rice porridge that usually has little flavor. There are, however, a lot of modern deviations. It is best to go to "orr 和 一 品 粥" ("Porridge Jiahe") and try the different tastes like Mango-Zhou, Blueberry-Zhou (summer only) etc. Another common deviation is the 小 米粥, a millet porridge.豆腐 脑 is tofu in a (in the north of China) salty sauce.豆浆 is soy milk, for which fresh soybeans and water are best mixed, with or without sugar, as desired.

There are, depending on the provider, more or less selection. What is usually everywhere: 油条 (fried wheat sticks), 包子 (Baozi), 饺子 (Jiaozi), tea or soy sauce eggs, various 饼 (Bing) with various fillings (beans, meat, vegetables ...) and smaller vegetable dishes.

带走 (takeaway) for small (mobile) stalls, there are usually 手抓 饼 (a rolled "pancake") or 煎饼 (a kind of salty "pancake"). These pancakes are available at any time of day as a snack, even if you get out of the bar at three o'clock in the morning, the small stalls are still lined up.

[fmservers]

Recapping the TechCrunch China Shenzhen 2018 event

This year we returned to Shenzhen, the Chinese city known as the world’s ‘Silicon Valley for hardware,’ for an event that was packed full of future-looking discussions, innovative startups, experienced founders, VCs and more.

We love Shenzhen. Sure, Beijing has Zhongguancun and Shanghai has its international and diverse entrepreneurial community. But Shenzhen has a certain je ne sais quoi, an energy that pervades the entire city. Maybe it’s the great weather or maybe its youth of the place — both the residents and the age of the city itself — but every time we come to this southern city, we’re amazed by the people, projects, and companies thriving here.

#Shenzhen, not Beijing or Shanghai, is the forerunner of Chinese innovation, says @ganglu, founder and CEO of TechNode #tcshenzhen @technodechina #reshapinginnovation pic.twitter.com/7ZX2o2Cpg1

— TechNode (@technodechina) November 19, 2018

This year was no different. From blockchain smartphones to battling robots, from hackathons to VC speed dating, TechCrunch Shenzhen saw over 5,000 registered attendees and 150 startups showing off their stuff. It was a whirlwind of great ideas and a glimpse into the future of technology in China and beyond.

Here are some highlights from the two-day conference and hackathon — you can check out our the Technode Twitter account or #tcshenzhen for more:

Hackathon

#hackathon at #tcshenzhen @TechCrunch @TechCrunchCN pic.twitter.com/LZYH76HAW6

— TechNode (@technodechina) November 18, 2018

Teams of four to six people — some were total strangers before the hackathon — came together to create proofs-of-concept to complete blockchain challenges. Winners included teams who came up with novel ways to record transactions, verifying the history of vaccines, preventing payment fraud, and — perhaps the most unique — a hardware controller for CryptoKitties as well as a Pokemon Go-like game for the crypto pet platform.

24 hours in Shenzhen: Hardware town takes on blockchain hackathon challenge

Main stage

Spanning two days and covering a wide range of topics, the main stage saw some of China’s leading technologists and businesspeople talk about where the cutting edge is, for both consumers and businesses.

Smartphones and hardware

Huang Wang, CEO at Huami. Image Credit: TechNode/TechCrunch

Huami Corporation’s Chairman and CEO Wang Huang spoke about the future of wearable devices. Huami, a company that is backed by Xiaomi, listed on the New York Stock Exchange in February this year. Last year, Huami shipped 18.1 million units of smart wearable devices globally and it claims to have a total registered user base of 56.1 million.

The once low-profile Chinese flexible display company, Royole grabbed headlines over the past two weeks by becoming the first company to launch a foldable smartphone, beating Samsung in the process.

While the smartphone-tablet hybrid stoked much anticipation among ‘flexphone’ aficionados, Royole CEO Bill Liu said that this is just the beginning. For him, the potential of flexible display technology expands far beyond the world of smartphones.

Speaking about projections for the future of mobile. Phil Chen, the decentralized chief officer at HTC, spoke about the company’s much-hyped blockchain phone and its shifting focus to blockchain and crypto.

So, is the blockchain-powered phone a hype or it is something potentially revolutionary?

Chen said with crypto and blockchain he saw, for the first time, tech’s potential to disrupt big centralized companies. Smartphones are the most accessible and ubiquitous devices where most of our data is generated, he argued.

Laidian talks about power bank sharing. Image Credit: TechNode/TechCrunch

The sharing economy is not dying, it’s just transforming, said Ren Mu, chief marketing officer at smartphone power bank sharing company Laidian Technology.

“The apparent death of the sharing economy is actually the death of the term as a concept—not the business model,” Ren explained. “As the tech ecosystem becomes impatient, and treats the sharing economy as just a novel and innovative noun, real implementations are beginning to penetrate our lives.”

What do fighting robots and hip hop have in common?

Well, it’s not a trick question. According to the CEO of media company The Makers (创客星球), Archie Ru, they’re both niche interests with the potential to gain huge audiences among China’s youth.

Ru is referring, of course, to how hip-hop fever swept the nation after streaming platform iQiyi released its surprise hit show Rap of China last year. The series kickstarted previously unknown artists’ careers while introducing new fashions and phrases to Chinese audiences.

Artificial Intelligence and big data

TechCrunch Shenzhen Fireside Chat: AI in New Retail. Image Credit: TechNode/TechCrunch

Suning Technology Group, China’s leading home appliance and digital device retail giant, will focus more on practical applications in use cases, instead of heavily investing in fundamental research, said Jack Jing, the company’s COO.

“Consumer-driven companies, and startups too, could hand over fundamental research work to professional tech teams. Efforts saved shall be paid to implementations,” Liu explained, adding that it is China’s diverse use cases that encourage companies to adopt data supported implementations.

(Image Credit: TechCrunch China)

Amid headlines of the impending arrival of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on China’s roads, Michael Shu, general manager of the Auto Intelligent Ecology Institute at Chinese automotive manufacturer BYD, says the technology should be viewed with a level head.

“We need to look at self-driving cars with a calm eye,” he told attendees at our Shenzhen event.”Driverless cars need to become more mature, rules and regulations still need to be formulated, and ethical issues need to be solved.”

Greater Bay Area integration

Hong Kong Cyberport’s chief public mission officer, Toa Charm. (Image credit: Bailey Hu/TechNode)

China’s proposed Greater Bay Area (GBA) — which spans Hong Kong, Macau, and nine cities in southern Guangdong Province — represents a “golden moment” for innovation provided political and regulatory hurdles can be overcome, a senior official of Hong Kong-government backed Cyberport said at the event.

Speaking on the sidelines of the show, Toa Charm, chief public mission officer for the innovation and digital tech hub, said closer collaboration is needed in order to realize the full potential the GBA represents for sectors such as fintech.

Blockchain

A #blockchain boom cooldown may not be entirely a bad thing. For one, "many bullshit projects will die," says Edith Yeung of @500Startups. Catch the ongoing discussion at TechCrunch Shenzhen's blockchain side-stage. #tcshenzhen @technodechina pic.twitter.com/LP2Gg4YpSs

— TechNode (@technodechina) November 20, 2018

For the third event in a row, TechCrunch China hosted a blockchain side stage. Covering a range of topics that spanned the current, bearish market to government application, blockchain security and payments, the side stage gave a comprehensive overview of the current state of the industry and technology.

From left: TechNode editor-in-chief John Artman and panelists Patrick Dai, Jack Liu, and Edith Yeung. Image credit: TechCrunch 中国

“One day in crypto is like a year in any other technology space.”

That statement from 500 Startups partner Edith Yeung’s statement seemed a fitting evaluation of the state of play right now.

This time last year, Bitcoin’s value was close to $10,000. After the value peaked to nearly $20,000, it — and other cryptocurrencies — have seen a rocky slide south. As of the second day of the show, Bitcoin had dropped below $4,500 and set a new low for this year. But panelists at TechCrunch’s blockchain side stage remained largely optimistic.

One of the many promises of blockchain technology is that it allows users to store and exchange valuable information in a secure and tamperproof way. But how secure is blockchain really?

David Lancashire, founder of Saito, and Sarah Zhang, founder of Points discussed blockchain’s vulnerabilities and long-term security issues during a panel on TechCrunch Shenzhen’s blockchain side stage.

From left: TechNode reporter Christopher Udemans, Eximchain CEO Hope Liu, and senior advisor at Fantom Foundation Dai-Kyu Kim.

Blockchain is the best mechanism currently available to deal with the problems in the supply chain, said senior advisor at Fantom Foundation Dai-Kyu Kim. His comments come at a turbulent time for the global supply chain.

Joined by EximChain CEO Hope Liu, Kim was part of a panel discussion at TechCrunch Shenzhen that was foused on blockchain’s applications in enhancing the global supply chain.

Startup Alley

Startup Alley is perhaps the most exciting part of any TechCrunch conference, and the Shenzhen event was no different. Spread between the two stages, startups showed off a range of products with hints at where technology is moving to. Highlights included:

TechNode reporter Nicole Jao fearlessly plunges face-first into Yi-Yuan Intelligence's AI device, a skin assessment tool aimed at beauty salon customers. See it at Startup Alley. #tcshenzhen @technodechina #reshapinginnovation #startupalley pic.twitter.com/p5CTyavy5h

— TechNode (@technodechina) November 19, 2018

Technode reporter @ChrisUdemans tried out Walnutt's Spectra electric skateboard at #tcshenzhen. No injuries reported yet. Stay tuned! @technodechina #startupalley #reshapinginnovation #skateboarding pic.twitter.com/FG32JNsrHS

— TechNode (@technodechina) November 19, 2018

When E-unicycle meets E-skateboard: Mars Robertson from Poland and Ha Hao were mastering their portable personal vehicles, and managed ‘not’ to crash into each other. #FutureofMobility #tcshenzhen #startupalley #reshapinginnovation pic.twitter.com/5Wl3lyVkqd

— TechNode (@technodechina) November 20, 2018

#Morus created the first dryer for home use that adapts vacuum drying technology and it only takes 15 mins to dry up to 5 items under body temperature – reducing damage to fabrics and 70% of time spent on traditional dryer. #reshapinginnovation #tcshenzhen pic.twitter.com/vbgnEs2HUz

— TechNode (@technodechina) November 20, 2018

We tried out #WT2Plus, a real-time earphone translator that supports 20 languages and 7 accents. The device does need users to speak louder and clearly, but the translation works pretty well. Employees Alex Qin and Kazaf Ye claim the device can guarantee 95% accuracy. #tcshenzhen pic.twitter.com/RklkwFNjyU

— TechNode (@technodechina) November 20, 2018

Come explore all the latest innovations from #China to the world at #startupalley. #tcshenzhen #reshapinginnovation #techcrunch pic.twitter.com/UezRnddnXq

— TechNode (@technodechina) November 19, 2018

Zero to hero: A scaled-down superman model takes 4 days to make from printing to painting, according to the co-founder of a @kickstarter "modular 3D printer" project, Elvis Li. Check it out at Startup Alley! #tcshenzhen @technodechina #startupalley #reshapinginnovation pic.twitter.com/yyIIv9cOaJ

— TechNode (@technodechina) November 19, 2018

VC Meetup

Entrepreneurs in line ready to pitch their big ideas to VCs. #10minstoimpress #VCmeetup #tcshenzhen #reshapinginnovation #startups pic.twitter.com/h2S9oLMvH7

— TechNode (@technodechina) November 19, 2018

Over 20 different VC funds and over 120 entrepreneurs met at TechCrunch Shenzhen for “speed dating” sessions. Each entrepreneur had the chance to pitch their big idea to some of the best VCs in China.

Ten minutes. Set N’ GO! #Entrepreneurs pitched their products and services to local and international VCs at #tcshenzhen’s VCmeetup. More than 50000 and 1100 VCs have participated this section of @TechCrunchCN in the past 5 years. #10minstoimpress #reshapinginnovation pic.twitter.com/Cuz3FXyI0X

— TechNode (@technodechina) November 20, 2018

Startup competition

Drawn from 300 contestants, 20 finalists, and 100,000 online votes, 12 teams took the stage to pitch their startup to our panel of expert judges.

Congrats to the winners, who will be shortlisted as candidates for Merck China Accelerator, a program that focuses on collaboration between startups and Merck’s innovation ecosystem.

Big data track: Yunxing Chuangxin

New retail track: Beika Keji

Blockchain track: Wanwugongsuan

Via John Artman https://techcrunch.com

[anchorarcade]

China: What to Know About the 19th CCP Congress

http://ryanguillory.com/china-what-to-know-about-the-19th-ccp-congress/

China: What to Know About the 19th CCP Congress

In the dead of night, late last month, the enormous portrait of Communist China’s founder Mao Zedong that hangs over Beijing’s Forbidden City was replaced. A yellow crane stealthily swapped his towering visage with a near-identical, though fresher, replica. One could forgive the “Great Helmsman” for wanting to look his best at this time. Because, on Wednesday, just across the vast stone plain of Tiananmen Square upon which he gazes, China’s current “core leader,” President Xi Jinping, is poised to elevate himself to a standing not seen since Mao left the political stage.

Related

While China doesn’t have democratic elections like those of the West, its ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has elaborate protocols for filling leadership positions, with the next five-yearly shake-up beginning Oct. 18. The 19th Congress of the CCP will see some 2,000 delegates gather in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, where they will select a 200-member Central Committee, as well as a roughly 25-member Politburo. But the key decision-making body is the apex Politburo Standing Committee (PSC), which typically numbers between five and nine of China’s most powerful figures.

Of course, most of the key decisions have been made in the shadows prior to this political gathering. Nevertheless, there will be various factions vying to advance their own agendas, and whichever one wins will have a huge effect on the health of the world’s second biggest economy over the next half-decade and beyond. Xi, of course, will be central to it all.

This is what you need to know:

What are we looking for?

There’s no doubt that Xi Jinping will be confirmed in his second five-year term as CCP General Secretary, and thus also as president. The real question is who will join him on the PSC. There are rumors that Xi may chose a smaller PSC of five stacked with loyalists, though that may cause resentment elsewhere in the party. Most expect Xi to continue with the current seven-member committee, but perhaps with a couple of ardent supporters to bolster his position. If he does go to five, says Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies at King’s College London, “Then we are looking into the eyes of a real autocrat.”

Isn’t this all scripted anyway?

Mostly, though there could be curveballs. Although the written rules governing the CCP’s distribution of power are loose, there are various conventions. One is that top officials aged 68 or older must retire. But Xi’s key ally, Wang Qishan, who heads the government’s sweeping anti-corruption purge, is 69. Xi might break with the age protocol to keep Wang on the PSC. But doing so would gnaw away at the institutionalization that staves off accusations of outright dictatorship, not to mention irk younger cadres who would see their own promotion chances shrink. There are rumors that Xi could even perform a double-whammy of replacing Premier Li Keqiang with Wang, who could help to push through his economic reform agenda. But what Xi wants to do, versus what he feels he can get away with, is tempered by political expedience of these moves, as well as external factors, such as suggestions that Wang’s health may be fading. “Xi Jinping has needed Wang Qishan up to this point to keep the party in line,” says Prof. Steve Tsang, Director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London. “If Xi Jinping does not feel confident enough to let him go, then breaking the retirement rule would be a price worth paying.”

Who are the cadres to watch?

According to the age-limit convention, five of the seven PSC members are due to be replaced. The most attention will be on any younger additions, as tradition dictates that at this “mid-term” Congress two or three candidates capable of remaining in the PSC for the next three Congress — so in their early-50s — are blooded. These include the heirs apparent, who will assume the General Secretary and Premier roles at the leadership changeover at the 20th Congress in 2023. (At the 17th Congress in 2007, Xi and Li were promoted to the PSC). The most common name touted is Hu Chunhua, party chief of Guangdong province, who was promoted to the Politburo in 2012. Sun Zhengcai, who served as the party secretary of the central megacity of Chongqing, was another top pick until his purge last month. His replacement in Chongqing is Chen Min’er, 56, formerly party chief of the southwestern province of Guizhou. Chen, a long-standing Xi confidante, was odds on to be named to the 25-strong Politburo, but due to Sun’s fall could move straight into the PSC. “Sun had not openly, publicly, strongly articulated his support for Xi,” says Tsang. “He just paid it lip service. And [his removal] sends a very clear signal for insiders: ‘you are with us, or you are against us.’”

What does it mean for China?

How the 19th Congress plays out will influence how far Xi can roll out his reform agenda. His first term was mostly occupied with political reform — the anti-corruption campaign, which the nation’s anti-graft watchdog says has punished 1.34 million lower-ranking officials — and foreign policy matters. These include expanding claims in the South China Sea and building up China’s global presence through his Belt and Road Initiative: a rekindling of the ancient Silk Road via a trade and infrastructure network across Eurasia and Africa. But further economic liberalization is needed to propel China forward and avoid the dreaded “middle-income trap” that oft blights newly developed economies. That means reducing the reliance on unwieldy state-owned enterprises, which suffer overcapacity and are the source of many of China’s environmental woes. However, such enterprises have proven a main instrument of growth over the last few decades, and helped China weather the worst ravages of the 2008 global economic crisis. As such, many key figures remain resistant, particularly those in the camp of Premier Li. “The fundamental policy issue is the role of the market,” says Brown. “The key thing to note when these new leaders walk out is whether they are supportive of marketization or against.”

What does it mean for the world?

So far, Xi has maintained a very strong role for the CCP and for state-owned companies in the economy. There’s been some progress for foreign investment, but investors would like to see state-dominated sectors opened to private business, the privatization of smaller state enterprises and the revamping how larger ones are run, plus more foreign competition particularly across the heavily protected service sector. “What’s interesting will be whether we see a definitive move in one direction or another,” says Nicholas Consonery, head of Asia geopolitical intelligence at FTI Consulting business advisory firm. Xi has also sought to shore up his personal position by appealing to nationalist domestic policies. However, these chafe against what he is trying to achieve internationally, especially building good will for his Belt and Road Initiative. It’s possible that a stronger Xi may throttle back on his administration’s nationalist excesses, allowing it to capitalize on geopolitical goals. Much will depend, though, on whether Xi is able to push through much-needed reforms of China’s bloated armed forces.

What about Xi personally?

In 2016, Xi won official recognition as the party’s “core” leader and “supreme commander” of the national armed forces, placing him on a level with Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. The next rung would be the enshrining of his personal political philosophy in the national constitution, as “Xi Jinping thought.” Only Mao has previously had this honor bestowed. (“Deng Xiaoping ‘theory,’” considered a lesser nod, has been included, while Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao both had their trademark philosophies added but without their names attached at all.) What “Xi Jinping thought” actually means is its own huge question. However, the key takeaway is that the stronger Xi is personally the easier he can push through reforms necessary for the health of the nation and, by extension, the party as its fundamental organ of government. “There are so many administrative reforms needed to make this ‘China Dream’ happen for the middle class, where there’s going to be big discontent if these things are not delivered,” says Brown. “If the middle class walk then that’s not something [the CPP] can survive.”

What’s the wildcard scenario?

There are persistent rumors that Xi is angling to stay on past his ten-year term, and as such may not appoint any young “groomed” leaders to the PSC. This would be a massive departure from protocol, prompting accusations of a lurch toward outright dictatorship, and damage the CPP’s claims of institutionalization. Much depends on how Xi — and China — performs over the next five years. A series of crises amid a worsening economic outlook would render such a gambit impossible. But if Xi can implement reform and steady the ship then it might not be so farfetched. “Xi’s an ambitious man who sees great value in himself,” says Tsang. “He’s almost certainly planning to stay on past ten years, but the question is: How?”

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China: What to Know About the 19th CCP Congress

http://ryanguillory.com/china-what-to-know-about-the-19th-ccp-congress/

China: What to Know About the 19th CCP Congress

In the dead of night, late last month, the enormous portrait of Communist China’s founder Mao Zedong that hangs over Beijing’s Forbidden City was replaced. A yellow crane stealthily swapped his towering visage with a near-identical, though fresher, replica. One could forgive the “Great Helmsman” for wanting to look his best at this time. Because, on Wednesday, just across the vast stone plain of Tiananmen Square upon which he gazes, China’s current “core leader,” President Xi Jinping, is poised to elevate himself to a standing not seen since Mao left the political stage.

Related

While China doesn’t have democratic elections like those of the West, its ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has elaborate protocols for filling leadership positions, with the next five-yearly shake-up beginning Oct. 18. The 19th Congress of the CCP will see some 2,000 delegates gather in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, where they will select a 200-member Central Committee, as well as a roughly 25-member Politburo. But the key decision-making body is the apex Politburo Standing Committee (PSC), which typically numbers between five and nine of China’s most powerful figures.

Of course, most of the key decisions have been made in the shadows prior to this political gathering. Nevertheless, there will be various factions vying to advance their own agendas, and whichever one wins will have a huge effect on the health of the world’s second biggest economy over the next half-decade and beyond. Xi, of course, will be central to it all.

This is what you need to know:

What are we looking for?

There’s no doubt that Xi Jinping will be confirmed in his second five-year term as CCP General Secretary, and thus also as president. The real question is who will join him on the PSC. There are rumors that Xi may chose a smaller PSC of five stacked with loyalists, though that may cause resentment elsewhere in the party. Most expect Xi to continue with the current seven-member committee, but perhaps with a couple of ardent supporters to bolster his position. If he does go to five, says Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies at King’s College London, “Then we are looking into the eyes of a real autocrat.”

Isn’t this all scripted anyway?

Mostly, though there could be curveballs. Although the written rules governing the CCP’s distribution of power are loose, there are various conventions. One is that top officials aged 68 or older must retire. But Xi’s key ally, Wang Qishan, who heads the government’s sweeping anti-corruption purge, is 69. Xi might break with the age protocol to keep Wang on the PSC. But doing so would gnaw away at the institutionalization that staves off accusations of outright dictatorship, not to mention irk younger cadres who would see their own promotion chances shrink. There are rumors that Xi could even perform a double-whammy of replacing Premier Li Keqiang with Wang, who could help to push through his economic reform agenda. But what Xi wants to do, versus what he feels he can get away with, is tempered by political expedience of these moves, as well as external factors, such as suggestions that Wang’s health may be fading. “Xi Jinping has needed Wang Qishan up to this point to keep the party in line,” says Prof. Steve Tsang, Director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London. “If Xi Jinping does not feel confident enough to let him go, then breaking the retirement rule would be a price worth paying.”

Who are the cadres to watch?

According to the age-limit convention, five of the seven PSC members are due to be replaced. The most attention will be on any younger additions, as tradition dictates that at this “mid-term” Congress two or three candidates capable of remaining in the PSC for the next three Congress — so in their early-50s — are blooded. These include the heirs apparent, who will assume the General Secretary and Premier roles at the leadership changeover at the 20th Congress in 2023. (At the 17th Congress in 2007, Xi and Li were promoted to the PSC). The most common name touted is Hu Chunhua, party chief of Guangdong province, who was promoted to the Politburo in 2012. Sun Zhengcai, who served as the party secretary of the central megacity of Chongqing, was another top pick until his purge last month. His replacement in Chongqing is Chen Min’er, 56, formerly party chief of the southwestern province of Guizhou. Chen, a long-standing Xi confidante, was odds on to be named to the 25-strong Politburo, but due to Sun’s fall could move straight into the PSC. “Sun had not openly, publicly, strongly articulated his support for Xi,” says Tsang. “He just paid it lip service. And [his removal] sends a very clear signal for insiders: ‘you are with us, or you are against us.’”

What does it mean for China?

How the 19th Congress plays out will influence how far Xi can roll out his reform agenda. His first term was mostly occupied with political reform — the anti-corruption campaign, which the nation’s anti-graft watchdog says has punished 1.34 million lower-ranking officials — and foreign policy matters. These include expanding claims in the South China Sea and building up China’s global presence through his Belt and Road Initiative: a rekindling of the ancient Silk Road via a trade and infrastructure network across Eurasia and Africa. But further economic liberalization is needed to propel China forward and avoid the dreaded “middle-income trap” that oft blights newly developed economies. That means reducing the reliance on unwieldy state-owned enterprises, which suffer overcapacity and are the source of many of China’s environmental woes. However, such enterprises have proven a main instrument of growth over the last few decades, and helped China weather the worst ravages of the 2008 global economic crisis. As such, many key figures remain resistant, particularly those in the camp of Premier Li. “The fundamental policy issue is the role of the market,” says Brown. “The key thing to note when these new leaders walk out is whether they are supportive of marketization or against.”

What does it mean for the world?

So far, Xi has maintained a very strong role for the CCP and for state-owned companies in the economy. There’s been some progress for foreign investment, but investors would like to see state-dominated sectors opened to private business, the privatization of smaller state enterprises and the revamping how larger ones are run, plus more foreign competition particularly across the heavily protected service sector. “What’s interesting will be whether we see a definitive move in one direction or another,” says Nicholas Consonery, head of Asia geopolitical intelligence at FTI Consulting business advisory firm. Xi has also sought to shore up his personal position by appealing to nationalist domestic policies. However, these chafe against what he is trying to achieve internationally, especially building good will for his Belt and Road Initiative. It’s possible that a stronger Xi may throttle back on his administration’s nationalist excesses, allowing it to capitalize on geopolitical goals. Much will depend, though, on whether Xi is able to push through much-needed reforms of China’s bloated armed forces.

What about Xi personally?

In 2016, Xi won official recognition as the party’s “core” leader and “supreme commander” of the national armed forces, placing him on a level with Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. The next rung would be the enshrining of his personal political philosophy in the national constitution, as “Xi Jinping thought.” Only Mao has previously had this honor bestowed. (“Deng Xiaoping ‘theory,’” considered a lesser nod, has been included, while Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao both had their trademark philosophies added but without their names attached at all.) What “Xi Jinping thought” actually means is its own huge question. However, the key takeaway is that the stronger Xi is personally the easier he can push through reforms necessary for the health of the nation and, by extension, the party as its fundamental organ of government. “There are so many administrative reforms needed to make this ‘China Dream’ happen for the middle class, where there’s going to be big discontent if these things are not delivered,” says Brown. “If the middle class walk then that’s not something [the CPP] can survive.”

What’s the wildcard scenario?

There are persistent rumors that Xi is angling to stay on past his ten-year term, and as such may not appoint any young “groomed” leaders to the PSC. This would be a massive departure from protocol, prompting accusations of a lurch toward outright dictatorship, and damage the CPP’s claims of institutionalization. Much depends on how Xi — and China — performs over the next five years. A series of crises amid a worsening economic outlook would render such a gambit impossible. But if Xi can implement reform and steady the ship then it might not be so farfetched. “Xi’s an ambitious man who sees great value in himself,” says Tsang. “He’s almost certainly planning to stay on past ten years, but the question is: How?”

Source link