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Wanna escape the Airopocalypse? Head for Taipei!

Why I have not come here sooner!? During a recent trip to Taipei, it was impossible to stop repeatedly posing myself this question. Having lived in Beijing for four years, I strongly regretted waiting so long before finally discovering the charming capital of Taiwan. After all, the two cities are only a mere three and half hour flight apart. It’s that easy to swap the hazy, bitter Beijing winter for the crystal-clear skies of exotic Taipei. However, when learning from the Wechat updates of Beijing friends that it had snowed in the northern Chinese city on the very same morning of my visit to Taipei, a little confidence in my sense of timing was regained. After all, exploring the calm, sun-kissed streets of Taipei whilst clad in just shorts and a t-shirt sure does beat trudging through Beijing’s grey, slushy snow to the subway station and then fighting your way through the masses for a space on the train during the city’s notorious rush hour. And it’s not just the lack of crowds, clean air and warm weather that make Taipei attractive, but the Taiwanese culture that is also very alluring. Very likely due to the city’s miniscule crime rates, the locals are incredibly friendly and approachable. Smiling faces greet you in the streets. It’s very easy to strike up […]

Uncategorized Dec 16, 2015

Disney Brings Opportunity to Innovate for Chinese Competitors

Slated to open in the first half of 2016, Shanghai’s Disneyland will bring one of America’s most obvious soft power totems to China, with Mickey and crew undoubtedly gearing up to entertain the masses. But how will Disneyland be received upon its arrival? The park’s impending arrival seems to run a somewhat contradictory course to the supposed Chinese stance against Western ideology that has become something of a media meme in recent years, and some have gone as far as to call the park’s arrival “cultural invasion.” Mickey Mouse, Captain America, and an Enchanted Storybook Castle? These would certainly seem on the surface as hallmarks of American (for better or worse, the de facto standard-bearer of Western ideology) soft power and culture, so why now? Why let Disney come to China and bring all the swagger of recently-acquired Han Solo at a time when Western ideology is being demonized in some Chinese circles? As part of President Xi Jinping’s China Dream national rejuvenation plan, certain aspects of China will be needing an upgrade, and this extends to culture and services, two things that Disney does incredibly well…for a price. China seems hell-bent on trotting out the old standbys when it comes to Chinese soft power/culture: Confucius, Peking opera, pandas, and yet another Journey to the West vehicle. These are not […]

ECONOMY WATCH Sep 15, 2015