According to The Independent, a tourist on vacation in Shanghai noticed the resemblance, and notified Taylor who was furious her work had been so blatantly copied.

“I know it happens and I have had works copied before – they always say it’s a coincidence but in this case it’s absolutely blatant,” said Taylor.

Taylor said her original work (shown below) was specifically created for London with elements evoking the docks, such as its cobblestones and highly-stylized dockyard nail.

Taylor attempted to contact the “artist” who created the Chinese copy, but was unsuccessful.

Located at Dongcheng Riverside Parkland beside the Huangpu River, the replica is not attributed to anyone. According to a reporter at the China Daily, there is no explanation as to why the piece was constructed at the site.

Shanghai municipal sculpture committee member Zheng Jiashi told China Daily that Shanghai highly respects intellectual property rights. Zheng said that if it is confirmed to be a copy, then “it must be taken down”.

Fellow UK artist Anish Kapoor has complained that her 2006 Chicago-based work, Cloud Gate, was plagiarized and exhibited in the Chinese city of Karamay. In 2013, copies of Florentijn Hofman’s Yellow Duck toured Chinese cities after becoming immensely popular with the Chinese public.

The post Copycat Of London Landmark Appears In Shanghai appeared first on The Nanfang.

Education Minister Nick Gibb announced the country had allocated GBP41 million to institute the “maths mastery” policy at 8,000 elementary schools, accounting for over half of all elementary schools in the UK.

“I am confident that the steps we are taking now will ensure young people are properly prepared for further study and the 21st century workplace,” Gibb said. “And that the too-often heard phrase ‘can’t do maths’ is consigned to the past.”

“The significant expansion of the south Asian maths mastery approach can only add to the positive momentum, with thousands more young people having access to specialist teachers and quality textbooks,” he added.

First introduced in UK classrooms in 2014, “Shanghai-style” education focuses on teaching students together as a entire class. The “chalk and talk” approach has teachers give one lesson to the class, explaining each step of a calculation along the way.

Gibb emphasized the need of rote learning among UK students, insisting that multiplication tables be memorized by students at earlier ages. Gibb stated that UK students should spend “more time on high-quality, productive practice” to develop a “deeper, stronger mathematical understanding.”

So far, some 130 Chinese teachers have traveled to the UK to share their teaching methods with UK teachers. The Department of Education hopes to train hundreds of UK teachers within four years.

Reports have suggested UK students lag three years behind their international peers when it comes to mathematics. Last year, a BBC documentary about the teaching exchange revealed frustrations on both sides. Chinese teachers were seen unable to control UK students, while English teachers were heard criticizing Chinese teaching practices.

The post UK Decides Teaching Math Chinese-style is Better appeared first on The Nanfang.

Steve Holdings, the proprietor of the Plough at Cadsden, said nearly 30 Chinese customers came to the pub within an hour on Sunday. Holdings said the Chinese customers all ordered fish and chips accompanied by an India Pale Ale beer, the same food eaten by Xi during his visit.

“We read the news that President Xi visited here and would love to experience the food and drink that Xi tasted,” 26 year-old Chinese student Miao Xin said.

“We all know that fish and chips is called the British national food that you can find everywhere. However, with Xi’s visit, we are curious what is special at this pub,” said another student who had posed for photographs near the seats that Xi and Cameron were seen sitting during their visit last week Thursday.

One Chinese man was so inspired by Xi’s visit that he brought his wife, mother and baby. “After Xi’s visit to the pub, I found the name and location, then brought my family here. We wanted to experience it,” he said.

Restaurants that have been frequented by political leaders, both domestic and abroad, have become trendy places to eat for many Chinese.

Black bean sauce noodles have become a popular house special after US Vice-President Joe Biden visited the frugal Yao’s Chao Gan restaurant during a 2011 visit to Beijing, a move the Chinese media dubbed as “noodle diplomacy”. A 30 year-old tourist named Wu said he dined at the restaurant because of Biden’s visit. “We are here particularly to try what he ate,” he said.

In 2013, president Xi Jinping was seen waiting in line to buy a set of steamed buns at Qing Feng Dumpling Shop in a rare public appearance by a Chinese leader to show solidarity with the common people. Xi’s choice of buns went on to be known as the “Xi set” and has become popular with the shop’s customers.

As for the British pub, it’s increased fame is not going down well with its regular customers, most of whom are locals who live nearby.

The post Xi Jinping’s London Watering Hole Becomes City’s Most Famous Pub appeared first on The Nanfang.

But China Daily has outdone itself to warm UK-Sino relations by publishing not one, but two infographics about ties between the two countries. One of the infographics comes in the form of a video list called “29 Things that Chinese and British Share.”

Insisting that the two countries enjoy an intimate bond due to their vast similarities, the video concludes by saying, “We are now becoming close friends. Cheers, mate!” However well-intentioned the list may be, “29 Things that Chinese and British Share” makes some dubious claims in the name of bilateral friendship and stronger ties.

The video points out that China and the UK have a drinking culture populated by binge drinkers “Who look funny after getting drunk…” as well as suggesting that both Chinese and English food are unhealthy. In addition, the video makes a direct comparison between Winston Churchill and Mao Zedong because they both happen to be leaders “who love smoking and fought against invasions during the war” as well as comparing Chinese national treasure the giant panda and former footballer David Beckham as “the most adorable creatures”.

If that’s not amazing enough, China Daily is willing to joke about the UK and China’s love of tea, a commodity that had caused a trade imbalance and led to two Opium Wars, something that didn’t work out so well for China. There’s one shared similarity between China and the UK not included on the list, but it’s one that both countries can share a laugh over: Hong Kong.

Are China and the UK basically the same thing? Are these two countries destined to be intimate allies to mutually enjoy the benefits of a “golden era”?

The full list is seen below:

29 Things that Chinese and British Share

Youtiao (deep-fried breadstick) on the left, fish and chips on the right)

The blind kung-fu master who played the guqin (Chinese harp) from Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle on the left, Ozzy Osbourne on the right)

Xi Jinping has made soccer mandatory in elementary and middle schools in China, while David Cameron once gifted US President Barack Obama with a ping pong table, albeit one that was manufactured in China

Here’s the video:

The post UK and China Separated at Birth? Chinese Media Compile List of Similarities, Mate appeared first on The Nanfang.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the UK is getting all the attention in Chinese media these days.

Calling Xi’s UK visit a “sign of strong Sino-UK ties”, a China Daily op-ed insists that the resulting bilateral relationship is what “both sides are calling a ‘golden age'”. And to a degree, this is correct.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who has rolled out the red carpet to welcome President Xi, has himself used this term. This past June in a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at Downing Street, Cameron said this year will mark a “golden year” in the UK-China relations while also using it as early as February. Additionally, former Prime Minister Tony Blair increased the rhetoric by saying President Xi’s visit to the UK will usher in a “golden decade” of increased cooperation.

While leaders are using the term, the promise of “golden times” isn’t as apparent in the UK press while the Chinese media is using it constantly.

An op-ed by the People’s Daily Online doubled down, saying, “A new ‘golden era’ of Sino-UK relations and a new milestone in the Sino-EU friendship will be witnessed this golden autumn.” Meanwhile, an op-ed in the Global Times said the diplomatic ties will have glittery ramifications, writing: “Yet the ‘golden time’ will become an innovation in the field of international relations, and the high-level summit this week is bound to be a grand diplomatic feast.”

Another op-ed by the Global Times isn’t flattering to the UK, but is pragmatic about the strategic importance of having such an ally. “As an old empire, the UK has declined, but its foundation is solid. With a special relationship with the US, London knows how to communicate with Washington over China issues,” the Global Times wrote under the heading “Sino-UK ties herald golden time with West”.

The use of “golden” to describe UK-Sino ties has come up so much in the Chinese media that they’re reporting themselves as using it. Writing for CCTV, Shafei M. Hall writes, “The media is a buzz with anxiousness of TV anchors and columnists in expressing what new landmarks this ‘golden era of Sino-UK relations’ will yield.”

But as much as the Chinese press uses the term “golden” when describing UK-Sino relations, the term may have possibly originated from Chinese political circles.

In a speech made this past August, Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming used the term “golden” 13 times in a 1,000 word speech about UK-China relations. Ambassador Liu explained in his speech that “golden time” is a “catch-phrase for this year”, concluding by saying, “Together, let’s embrace the ‘Golden Time’ of UK-China relations.”

Not to be outdone, in a speech given this past July, Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy Commercial Office Jin Xu said Sino-British economic and trade cooperation will soon enter “Golden Times” in the future. “The close and enhanced political mutual trust between China and the UK and the number of high-level exchanges will make 2015 an unusual year,” said Jin.

And in a written interview with Reuters this past Sunday, President Xi Jinping himself used the phrase “golden” when speaking of UK-Sino ties. Xi wrote that a better relationship between the two countries will “enable us to jointly usher in a ‘golden time’ for China-UK comprehensive strategic partnership.”

All told, that’s a lot of emphasis on the the term “golden”. And yet, even though the message appears to be coming through loud and clear, some people aren’t buying it. Despite the promise of “gold”, the Chinese public aren’t so enthused over the idea of China building closer relations with a country it once went to war with.

A poll conducted by the China Daily showed 51 percent of respondents answered “No” to the question, “Do you envision a ‘Golden Era’ for China-UK relations?” By contrast, 40 percent of respondents answered “Yes”.

Some Chinese netizens are likewise suspicious of President Xi’s state visit to the UK due to the shared history between the two countries that ultimately led to China’s “century of shame”. One person wrote, “This meeting is an insult to all Chinese simple, poor, or educated and affluent who lost their lives in the war against the invading enemy. It is an insult to all Chinese who fought for their country in the opium wars…”

Although not part of the “golden” rhetoric, the Chinese media have touched upon these suspicions in order to soothe the Chinese public.

In the China Daily Opinions section, writer Ted Mason hedged his bets on “sleeping with the enemy” by saying, “There are those who argue that a country should concentrate on its own problems rather than visiting the ‘enemy’. To them I say keep friends close and enemies closer.” Mason, who appears to be an ordinary China Daily reader with no official diplomatic capacity, consoled anxious readers by concluding, “I am certain that the UK will welcome President Xi with genuine enthusiasm.”

And in an article called “UK hailed for closer relations with China,” China Daily quoted director of the Dickson Poon China Centre at Oxford University and author Rana Mitter as saying any grievances between China and the UK are long gone. “Yes, of course, 150 years ago, the Opium Wars were a historical disgrace, but I think it is worth remembering that a century later the two sides were allies during World War II.”

We’ll just have to see if the Chinese public can overcome their suspicions of the UK and fully embrace the “golden times” that have been promised.

The post Golden Year? Golden Decade? Golden Times? Chinese Media Loving Xi’s Visit to the UK appeared first on The Nanfang.

As captured in the documentary Are Our Kids Tough Enough? Chinese School by the BBC, the experiment tried to determine if doing things the Chinese way can turn around a British education system with lagging students. However, what mostly happened was a clash of cultures in which teachers and students complained about each other.

Many of the Chinese teachers complained about the undisciplined and unfocused nature of the British students. Science teacher Yang Jun was completely flummoxed when a teenage girl left the classroom in tears upon reading tabloid news about a boy band. “In China we don’t need classroom management skills because everyone is disciplined by nature, by families, by society. I found it difficult to understand such emotional behavior over a pop band,” said Yang.

Meanwhile, 15 year-old Rosie Lunskey also expressed frustration with her new Chinese teachers. “I’m used to speaking my mind in class, being bold, giving ideas, often working in groups to advance my skills and improve my knowledge. But a lot of the time in the experiment, the only thing I felt I was learning was how to copy notes really fast and listen to the teacher lecture us.”

But the controversy didn’t end there. The Chinese teachers also pointed their criticism at the UK social welfare system for causing apathy among its students.

Mandarin teacher Wei Zhao said cuts to the welfare system will motivate students to learn. “Even if they don’t work, they can get money, they don’t worry about it,” said Wei. “But in China, they can’t get these things so they know ‘I need to study hard, I need to work hard to get money to support my family’. If they (the British government) really cut benefits down to force people to go to work, students might see things in a different way.”

Widely available on the internet in China, the BBC documentary caused a lot of discussion among Chinese netizens who looked upon their own experiences with the Chinese education system. Here is some of what they said:

舞者的武者：
Looking at it from another aspect, Chinese students are better able to suffer in silence than students in the UK. 

HHHHHH学院:
It’s like as though by using English-style teaching, the results are supposed to be more innovative. This is just a bunch of crappy students trying to find excuses, and it’s hilarious.

好大一只_蚊：
Actually, I really like the Chinese education system. If it were to become as open and free as the UK system then I think it would turn to rubbish, exploiting the nation’s welfare system.

瓜田澄思：
After the documentary aired, a person from the UK made a post on Twitter saying the vast majority of the students in the film have self-discipline problems, have trouble with comprehension, don’t respect the authority of teachers, and are a disgrace to the UK by losing face. This comment said the UK education system has spoiled these children rotten. If the future of their country is within the hands of these people, then a catastrophe is awaiting. The Chinese and UK systems of education are completely different from each other, and yet they both give rise to a similar concern that they both don’t work.

See Also: 8,000 Chinese Students Expelled from US Schools as They Struggle to Adjust

斯坦福桥的BlueSky：
Chinese and Western education systems each have their own pros and cons, and it’s hard to distinguish who is better or worse at whatever. But there is one thing that is for sure, and that is no matter which system they’re in, lazy people will always be losers!

徐欣V：
It really is just as the teacher said, we don’t have any way to learn the same way as UK students due to the way the things are right now in China. The pressure upon Chinese students to compete with each other is fierce. The population is high. If you don’t work hard, you will get eliminated.

十多年熬一锅粥：
Comparing the two to each other, it’s not a bad idea to use the strengths of others in order to make up for your own shortcomings. So if I were to have incorporated farming techniques as part of my education, I would have become the worst of all students.

古三界：
One way is to perform rote memorization, the other is individualized teaching. One way is to cultivate students to become obedient slaves, the other is cultivate their hobbies and interests.

斑马先生随行笔记：
Many people say that there’s no use to learning mathematics. They say, ‘Do you need to use algebra when buying vegetables?’ I just want to tell these people that upon learning mathematics, you won’t even need to look at the price of vegetables anymore.

大西北的吕先生：
To all the people who say that the Chinese education system has failed, I have to tell you that all the people that have passed through this system will go on to become the cornerstones of society. It may even be that they will become the leaders of China will come from these so-called failed education system. At that time, what are you going to do? Are we all going to die, then?

小小鹿汤圆：
I don’t understand why there are so many Chinese criticizing their own education system as being completely worthless. Other countries find merit and redeeming quality in our education system. Why can’t we be more tolerant and friendly towards our own country?

静夜之轩：
Many of the scientists in laboratories across the USA are from China. Does this not dispel the awful notion that Chinese people are not innovative? The Chinese education system is one where short-term gains can not be met. Even if you were to put US teachers into Chinese high school classes, one week would not be enough time to make an impact upon these students. As well, through the examination you can establish a sturdy base of knowledge as well as providing a way to achieve good results.

forever辰洋：
I don’t know if Chinese-style education in the UK would be at all effective, but I do know that UK-style education practiced in China would be completely useless.

哈哈公主o：
All of a sudden, I feel as though the Chinese-style education isn’t all that bad anymore.

o阿硫克o：
I feel relieved upon reading through the comments. A lot of people seem to understand, while those that don’t aren’t ever likely to understand, no matter which education system they come from. Lots of other countries are starting to study our education system. There will be those people who will invariably belittle and reject our way of learning. I completely believe that the future will belong to China.

allisonlian：
This kind of comparative test is significant. These two education models can increase their strengths through mutual advancement, and is worth exploring.

在自己的故事里成为强者：
Whatever suits the situation of their own country is best. The Chinese education system is not suitable for the UK, while the UK education system is not suitable for China.

L翘翘：
When I was younger I preferred the foreign education system, but now I find myself increasingly in favor of the Chinese system. Some people say that the Chinese education system doesn’t encourage innovation. A person who recently took the gaokao said the questions have all been reformed and don’t ask for the rote answers that were common a few years before. Now, the teacher tells us we should ask if we don’t understand something, and is more prone to discussing things with us. Students who are cultivated to be modest, understanding, and respectful of the authority of teachers will most likely become people who respect the older generation and follow order.

Related:

• Teacher in Foshan sends group text message to parents calling students “trash”
• 70 Students In Shanghai Caught Using Stand-ins To Take Their CET English Exams
• Chinese Spending Big Bucks On Housing In The Name Of Their Children’s Education

The post Chinese React to a Disastrous Experiment of Putting Chinese Teachers in a UK School appeared first on The Nanfang.

Some say it began when Prime Minister David Cameron met with the Dalai Lama in 2012, which naturally outraged officials in Beijing because the spiritual leader is a “splittest” “politician” intent on oppressing Tibetans by returning them to feudalism, thus bringing tremendous harm to the Motherland. (It also “hurt the feelings of the Chinese people”, although with that phrase dropped of late perhaps the Chinese people are developing thicker skin?)

China gave Cameron the silent treatment for a year afterwards, cancelling a high level visit to London and refusing to make senior officials available for Cameron’s visit to Beijing in early 2013, which was ultimately cancelled as a result. A detente was finally reached after the UK came grovelling back, begging for forgiveness, and willing to do whatever it took to get back in Xi Jinping’s good graces. So in the last two years or so, the UK has shown it’s learned its lesson by:

• No more meetings with the Dalai Lama. The UK leadership have distanced themselves from the spiritual leader of Tibet, saying they have “turned the page”;
• Silence during Hong Kong’s Occupy movement. Despite being a party to the Sino-British joint declaration and having administered Hong Kong for 150 years, the government was silent on Hong Kong people’s forceful push for greater political freedoms even though it’s these same rights the UK supposedly supports as “universal values”; and
• Silence after UK MPs were denied access to Hong Kong during Occupy. The Hong Kong SAR government said it would not admit sitting MPs to visit Hong Kong in an unprecedented case that drew little more than a shrug from the UK’s Foreign Office. The most it could muster is China’s decision was “regrettable”.

China, like a teacher that recognizes its student has given up drugs and is studying harder, has given the UK its reward: it has agreed to invest in British power plants and even signed a landmark pig semen deal. (No joke.)

But the UK isn’t finished proving itself yet: Ai Weiwei, an artist-slash-political-dissident-slash-rabble-rouser that China has held under house arrest has been refused a six-month visa to the UK. Officially, it’s because UK immigration said Ai lied on his visa application form when he declared he never had a criminal conviction. He was, however, jailed in China for many months, but was never charged with a crime. Ai says he’s spoken with UK officials but they insist their sources are accurate. Instead of six months, he’s been given 20 days to attend the opening of his latest art installation.

Whatever your views on the Ai Weiwei case — and the details do appear somewhat murky — there is mounting evidence that the UK is losing its moral leadership. I have long argued that the UK, since the sun officially set on its empire, has been punching well above its global weight. The UK makes up a relatively small collection of islands with a population of a mere 63 million, putting it on par with Thailand and Italy, which have much smaller voices in global affairs. Its GDP based on purchasing power parity is 9th globally, behind Indonesia, Brazil, Russia, and India, also states with much less global clout than the UK.

With its relatively small population and economies in Asia booming, the UK will only fall further down the list over time. So then the question becomes: what can the UK offer the world as a smaller, marginal player? One would hope it could offer values, like free speech, liberty, democracy, and social justice. But it appears the UK is happy to sacrifice those in return for access to China, making the UK no different than any other marginal state that develops domestic and foreign policy with Beijing looking over its shoulder.

It’s been a long fall from the top for the United Kingdom. As someone with ancestors from the UK, I take no joy in the country’s marginalization. But if it continues to allow authoritarian regimes to influence policy to this degree, then the UK deserves its diminished position in global affairs.

The post What do the UK and Cambodia Have in Common? Both are Chinese Vassal States appeared first on The Nanfang.

Relatives say the group had their cell phones confiscated and were held without charge for 48 hours. While Chinese authorities have yet to offer an explanation for the detainment, they did inform relatives that the tourists were allegedly watching “terror propaganda” videos in their hotel rooms.

On Tuesday, authorities agreed to release 11 of the 20 detainees after the British and South African consulates intervened. However, they will remain in policy custody until July 19, which is the earliest departing flight out of Ordos.

The remaining detainees include three Britons, five South Africans and an Indian national. They have still yet to be charged. Consulates and charities are working to secure their release, including the South African Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa, who is currently on a state visit to China.

The post UK, South African Tourists Detained in Inner Mongolia Under Suspicion of Terrorism appeared first on The Nanfang.

A helicopter swooped in to rescue a drunken expat from the UK after he became lost and trapped in a heavily forested part of Hong Kong Island.

The 27 year-old man was dropped off on Conduit Road after a night of revelry around 5 o’clock this morning. He apparently lost his sense of direction and walked into a dense part of the forest where he fell down a slope. The man finally called police at 7am after he couldn’t find his way out, saying he was trapped somewhere near Hong Kong’s iconic Victoria Peak. The man said his foot had become entangled in a piece of rope, and he was stuck.

A Panther-class helicopter was sent in as air support to aid firefighters in the rescue, and eventually found him 200 meters away from Lugard Road. The helicopter rescue team took the man to a hospital in Wan Chai.

The victim was described as injured with scratches all over his body. After receiving preliminary medical treatment, the man left on his own accord, presumably to sleep it off.

The post Helicopter Rescues Drunken Expat on Hong Kong’s Victoria Peak appeared first on The Nanfang.

In an uncredited blog published on Sohu Learning, the student writes that discrimination faced by Chinese when abroad isn’t necessarily a sign of the poor morals and character of their own culture, but instead shows the true face of the laowai, a term used to describe any non-Chinese person that is usually from a western country.

The student said Chinese people will internalize criticisms by a laowai about poor behaviour, and reflect on the problems with their own culture. But the student says sometimes it’s just pure discrimination. “Must we make a self-criticism when we are being discriminated against?”

The blog provides many examples of discrimination that Chinese people face everyday when abroad. Betty, an exchange student at the University of Cardiff, says locals weren’t friendly to her because of the way she looked:

At the supermarket, the cashier treats (us Chinese) differently than the other white customers who were standing at the front of the line, treating us indifferently, thinking that she is above us.

Rita, an exchange student at Queen Mary College at the University of London, said foreigners discriminate against Chinese because of their food:

Some foreigners think that Chinese cook food with too much oil and salt, and aren’t clean. If there’s a mess in the common area of the dorm, they blame the Chinese students first.If there’s a mess in the common area of the dorm, they blame the Chinese students first.

Peter, an exchange student at the University of Warwick, said service workers have a problem with the way Chinese treat them:

Cafeteria workers tend to ignore students with an Asian face. They don’t come over when you call them repeatedly. They are intolerant when it comes to our unfamiliarity with eating strange foods. However, when it comes to the locals, they are warm-hearted with smiles.

As the blog points out, the ill-treatment by locals leads to self doubt among Chinese people. If people complain about Chinese behavior, the first thought of a Chinese person is to try and improve. But the author says foreigners have a host of their own problems and shouldn’t be so fast to point the finger at others:

Foreigners are very noisy aboard public transportation. What’s more, they like to host noisy parties at night, disturbing the rest of others.

During times of heavy discounts, laowai can turn shopping centers into a chaotic mess, making it look like looters got there.

Foreigners don’t clean up after themselves after hosting parties in public places. They don’t take their garbage with them after watching a movie in a theater.

The author validates these specific examples with one of his or her own:

I’ve experienced this first hand. No matter if it’s being disturbed by a wild, raucous party held by young people while abroad that won’t let me sleep, or being frightened by foreigners carrying open bottles of alcohol on the London tube late at night, this is the true face of the foreigner.

This “true nature” is something that weighs heavily upon the reserved nature of many Chinese who would rather just bear their problems in silence. But as the author writes, Chinese must face the discriminatory actions of foreigners head-on in order to overcome their problems.

The post Chinese Abroad, Tired of Discrimination, Take Aim at “Partying” Laowai with Low Morals appeared first on The Nanfang.