A Map of Betrayal, An Ambivalent Double Agent, Torn Between Two Countries

When the Chinese writer Ha Jin came to the U.S. in 1985, he was only planning to stay long enough to finish his graduate degree. After that, he thought, he'd return home and teach English.

But a series of events shocked him into staying permanently, starting with the capture and trial of a Chinese spy named Larry Chin. Chin spent decades infiltrating the CIA, but swore at his trial that he was trying to improve the relations between the two countries.

Larry Chin "claimed that he was basically serving both countries. He used the metaphor 'mother and father' ... really, he was torn by the two countries," Ha Jin tells NPR's Arun Rath.

In 1989, the Tiananmen Square massacre took place. Ha Jin soon decided to settle permanently in America.

In the decades years since, his novels and stories have won him international acclaim and a National Book Award.

His newest novel, A Map Of Betrayal, describes the life of a spy who is deeply ambivalent about spying on America, a country he loves as much as China. There are unmistakable echoes of Larry Chin — and, Ha Jin tells Rath, of the novelist's own experiences.

Please read/listen the interview highlights with Hajin at NPR.

Internet Firm YY Wants To Revolutionise Online Education

The Financial Times calls YY “one of the hottest tech companies you’ve never heard of” and Forbes says there’s “nothing quite like it” in the United States. Investors in YY probably agree. The live broadcasting platform’s stock has more than quadrupled since listing on Nasdaq in late 2012.

As WiC reported in issue 175, YY started out in 2005 as an online portal for China’s gamers. Three years later, it developed a voice-based service allowing gamers to chat over the internet as they slayed monsters or coordinated their Navy Seal missions. The company then added video streaming.

With more than 100 million active users, YY now provides voice and video sessions for a wide range of audiences in music, fashion, sports and personal finance. Tens of thousands of people participate concurrently in some of these online sessions.
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But one of the most popular uses of YY is for karaoke, where one person sings and others follow along or chat together as a group. The best of these amateur singers can actually make money. One of the site’s largest revenue streams is selling virtual roses. Fans can purchase the flowers (Rmb1, or 16 cents, per rose) for the performers they like the most. The roses can then be cashed in for real money, with YY taking a share of the flower fee.

Singers thus have even more incentive to deliver stirring performances. And it can be lucrative. After building up expansive fan bases, some singers have scheduled live concerts on the site. According to YY, the most popular musicians can make $20,000 a month (although admittedly, most people just earn pocket change).

Now YY has a new mission – to teach Chinese to speak better English.

Last month YY announced the launch of 100 Education (100.com), a dedicated portal that focuses on education. The company says it will spend as much as Rmb1 billion on the platform over the next two years. Part of the investment will go towards attracting instructors to take their lessons online, while some will fund video lectures (predominantly English language classes) which will be offered for free at beginner level. Please read more at Week in China.

Monkey King: Vol. 1: Birth of the Stone Monkey

Currently, there are a surprising number of sequential adaptations of prose works, faithful and otherwise, available to readers seeking something other than the super-heroic serial adventures that have dominated the American market for the past half century. One could even argue that we’re in the midst of a Renaissance, if not a dawning Golden Age, of graphic novels based upon titles drawn from the Western canon and genre literature. However, the key term—and primary emphasis—in that statement would have to be upon the word “Western,” since the majority of these books were inspired by works originally written in English.
Fortunately, there are exceptions to every rule, and the release of JR Comics’s Monkey King Volume 1: Birth of the Stone Monkey readily proves that the great tales of any culture can be transformed into accessible, entertaining, even enlightening comics intended for a Western audience.
Monkey King is based upon one of China’s most famous novels, The Journey to the West by Cheng En Wu. Set in a mythic prehistory when men shared their world with gods and demons, Journey focuses on the escapades of the Stone Monkey, a creature born in the explosion of a boulder atop Spring Mountain.

Please go to Forward Reviews to read whole review about Adventures from China Series.

Why is science fiction popular in China?

This past weekend I attended my first World Science Fiction Convention at Chicon 7. During the convention I listened in on several panels about Science Fiction in China. These panels were extremely interesting and very informative. There were discussions of many historical facts and ideas regarding the history of Chinese science fiction, which dates back to the late 1800’s with the first “modern” Sci-Fi novel in 1903. In addition to the history of the genre there were dozens of other topics, three of which really caught my interest.

The first topic (in no particular chronological order) discussed foreign Sci-Fi and Fantasy books that inspired the authors. For the most part these inspirations were the same as any Sci-Fi lover in the US; authors such as Gibson, Bradbury, Clark and others were mentioned. The only notable author specifically mentioned as not well read in China was Lovecraft. The reason given was the lack of a “horror” story tradition in China. This is true as China has many ghost stories typically used to instill moral and ethical teachings rather than frighten.
The second topic was the motivations of modern science fiction authors and readers. During this particular discussion I was struck by what one young author, pen name Xia Jia, said. From her perspective one of the things that draws readers in general, especially young readers, to Sci- Fi is the wish to look forward. She pointed out that much of Chinese literary and television looks to the past. By reading forward-looking novels Chinese readers can think about what may come rather than linger on the past. They can imagine what China will be like in the future.

This is a very powerful and true observation she made. There are so many sub-topics extending from her observation it would require a term paper to cover them all. Instead I will utilize her core point to highlight a pressing problem facing China. Many scholars and observers like to focus on rote learning as the core problem with China’s modern education system. While this is a concern that requires changes I argue it is not the sole area worthy of critique. I believe the 100% focus on past events is actually the key flaw in China’s education system.

Coupled with the fact that 95% of all books, TV shows, and movies are also centered on the past, China faces a lack of forward thinking. The focus on the past rather the future across the education and entertainment aspects of Chinese culture is creating a core component of the current growth and development issues facing China. Most Chinese and foreign observers would agree the lack of homegrown innovation is a core developmental issue in China. I would argue it is not China’s rote learning regimen, acute respect for authority, or family centered societal structure that are inhibiting innovation; it is all of these aspects combined with an educational and cultural focus on the past.

China’s current education and media environment like to focus on highlighting China’s glory days, embarrassments at the hands of foreigners, and how far China has come. Little effort is made to focus on China’s future. If there was more attention given to where China is going and the possibilities of what it can achieve, I believe the other changes required to spur innovation would be more easily attained. By constantly looking backwards, China is harming itself moving forwards.

The third topic revolved around the need to share Sci-Fi across borders. The authors on the various panels spoke of a need to translate more foreign works into Chinese. They pointed out the barely filled need to translate Chinese works into English. Their point is well taken as intercultural and literary exchanges typically lead to greater mutual understanding. I fell this is a wonderful idea and Science Fiction and Fantasy are best suited to take advantage of the opportunity. I for one will be adding my skill to this endeavor.

Overall I think it is wonderful that Sci-Fi in China is fulfilling much of the same role it does in other cultures across the Earth. This only goes to show no matter how large our differences, our similarities are even larger.

If this topic interests you please go to Emily Jiang’s blog at www.emilyjiang.com to read her posts as she shares her notes and thoughts about all four Science Fiction in China panels from Chicon 7.

Read more about China at China Daily Mail