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On this numerologically auspicious day, 8月8日, we want to highlight the decreasing importance of numbers. China's GDP growth targets have long been the bane of many officials' and analysts' lives. Check our our section below about new policy language in Xi's speeches for a shift in the winds and a positive sign for the 三中全会后 economy.
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  Weekly Readings
On August 1, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) celebrated its 87th anniversary. Birthed at the Nanchang Uprising, the PLA is the party's armed wing----not a national army like most of its modern counterparts----and most of its officers and noncommissioned officers are party members. This week's readings are two of the major essays published in celebration of PLA Day, which provide a good overview of what China's leaders are concerned about regarding the military.
Also, for the last several years, the Jamestown Foundation's China Brief has run articles analyzing Chinese press on PLA Day. An example is here (you can browse around to earlier articles):
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 Weibo Watch
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Yunnan on Monday, the strongest to hit the region in 14 years. The Chinese government reports that 589 dead and 2,401 injured, as rescue efforts continue in the face of heavy rains and nearly impassable roads.
While Weibo users have lit virtual candles for the victims, they have also been frustrated by the media's coverage of the disaster. Soon after the quake, Guo Meimei, the notorious playgirl arrested last month for World Cup gambling, confessed her wrongdoing on CCTV. She also apologized for the damage she has done to the reputation of the Red Cross, which she claimed to work for in 2011. Netizens asked why Guo was getting all this press at a time of national tragedy.
In another blunder, the Global Times questioned reports that soldiers in the disaster zone were cooking noodles in muddy water. The newspaper has been proven wrong and has apologized on Weibo. Even though the story is true, many feel it is a distraction at best. "You media aren't writing this stuff to help in the relief effort, you're just grabbing eyeballs," complains 陈雯雯的小幸福 (http://weibo.com/2209936751/Bh5h4mcf7).
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New policy language in Xi Jinping's speeches
新常态
xīn ch�ng t�i
Translation: the new normal
The new normal seems to have emerged as a term to describe a new economic world in China where quality is more important than quantity. For the last 3 days the People's Daily has run articles explaining the significance of Xi's "new normal." In short, according to the article below, "'新常态'作为中国高层对经济形势的清醒判断和重要定义，对未来宏观经济政策导向有着决定性意义"
This article is worth reading in full for more in-depth analysis:
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 Documentary of the Week
Tea is a fundamental part of daily life in China, from the big canteen that taxi drivers carry with them all day to the high-end tea given as gifts. This week's documentary looks at tea from the point of view of the workers in the tea fields of Fujian. The whole process--from the fields to the drying racks and tasting--is shown here and intertwined with the story of the workers involved.
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 Great Job Opportunity
Hard to find a more fun job opportunity than this. Trust us.
[And if you actually needed our instructions to paste that into your browser, you probably shouldn't apply for a job at Baidu.]
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