Louisa Lim

Five Years After A Quake, Chinese Cite Shoddy Reconstruction

Louisa Lim — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:05:00 +0000

Five years after the massive Wenchuan quake in China's Sichuan province left about 90,000 dead and missing, allegations are surfacing that corruption and official wrongdoing have plagued the five-year-long quake reconstruction effort.

The official press is full of praise for how "all Chinese have a reason to be proud of what the concerted efforts of the entire nation achieved in creating a new life for the survivors."

But an NPR investigation shows that behind the impressive facade the old problems still

Chasing The Chinese Dream — If You Can Define It

Louisa Lim — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:47:00 +0000

Forget about the American dream. Nowadays, the next big thing is the Chinese dream.

From Police Chief To Political Office, Jobs Are For Sale In China

Louisa Lim — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:36:00 +0000

China's new president, Xi Jinping, who was formally elected Thursday, is already engaged in his own anti-corruption campaign, threatening to go after the key players — the tigers as well as the flies.

Confronting the issue is a matter of political self-interest and survival for China's new leaders. The problem is how to root out corrupt officials when so many are quite literally invested in the system.

Consider the case of Huang Yubiao, a Chinese real estate millionaire with a charitable streak.

National People's Congress Opens, Prepares For Leadership Change

Louisa Lim — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:18:00 +0000

On the opening day Tuesday, Premier Wen Jiabao delivered his version of the State of the Union address. He's due to step down next week. The annual legislative meeting marks the official transition to power of a new leadership team under Xi Jinping.

'China's Leonard Cohen' Calls Out Political Corruption

Louisa Lim — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 08:20:00 +0000

Zuoxiao Zuzhou is a Chinese singer whose accented, croaky voice is hardly ever in tune. But for his fans he's the voice of a generation — one of the very few voices who dare to speak out.