Chinese - Language of Luxury

New York's exclusive shops are recently looking for Chinese speaking staff, thus coping with an increasing number of well-to-do Chinese tourists.

Wealthy Chinese buyers not only dominate by number (about 300.000 this year) but as well by average travel spending which is higher than that of any other foreign country's visitors to the U.S.A..



New York's top shops representing the most appreciated luxury labels are now trying to attract Chinese customers by offering them an appropriate atmosphere consisting of Chinese staff or, at least, Mandarin speaking employees and special programs for such customers. N.Y.'s Montblanc center, for instance, even invited famous Chinese pianist Lang Lang for a concert dedicated to their Chinese target group. Besides, they are selling a special edition of their expensive pens decorated with a dragon, thus reminding the actual year of the dragon.

According to Chinese visitors, luxury products are cheaper in New York than in Beijing or Shanghai which would explain the remarkable spending rate per visitor. [Source: CNN]



I can't help to add a personal remark: This reminds me of the days, years ago, when I applied for a job at a globally involved employer in Germany. When it came to the point of foreign language knowledge, I mentioned Chinese among other idioms I had some knowledge of, and they told me: "You can't get anywhere with Chinese" ("Mit Chinesisch können Sie nichts werden"). Nowadays, it rather seems to me that we can't get too far on a global level without Chinese. - As to Chinese travellers on their shopping tour to New York I would add: This time it's not some nouveaux riches from post-communist Russia but quite a number more ...
By the way, my blog contains several other blogspots dealing with the increasing influence of China and the Chinese language. You are invited to have a look at them:

U.S.A. - China's Bitch ?

Chinese Language Flooding the Web

China's Internet - 500 Million Users




New York based Chinese Lifestyle Website:

Egypt - الأحكام في قضية مبارك - Anger at Mubarak Verdict - مصر

Latest UPDATE merged into text !

Tens of thousands of protesters are now assembling on Tahrir Square in Kairo and elsewhere after an Egyptian law court ruled a life sentence for former president Mubarak who thus evaded a death sentence. His sons and security officials were considered as "not guilty".

While the Muslim Brotherhood and their candidate Morsy immediately called for protest, Morsy's competitor in the presidential elections, Mubarak's former prime minister Shafiq, declared the Mubarak verdict as "just" and added that "nobody should stand above the law" [quotation from CNN, Arabic text below quoted from Al-Jazeera].

أحمد شفيق: الحكم ضد مبارك يثبت ألا أحد فوق المساءلة

Ahmed Shafiq: The verdict against Mubarak confirms that there is nobody above the [(juridical) interrogation].


Mohammed Morsy speaking on Tahrir Square in Kairo:

المرشح الرئاسي محمد مرسي يعقد مؤتمراً صحفياً للتعليق على الأحكام في قضية مبارك

Presidential candidate Mohammed Morsy summons a press conference on the subject of verdicts in the Mubarak case.

محمد مرسي: مطلوب أدلة اتهام حقيقية و تحقيق قضائي على أعلى مستوى للقصاص العادل

Mohammed Morsy: Arguments [or: proofs and witness reports] are being requested for [any] authentic accusations and the juridical investigation on the highest level [in that case of] punishment of the righteousness [or: justness].

حزب النور ثاني أكبر الأحزاب تمثيلا في البرلمان المصري يصف الأحكام بأنها صادمة

The Al-Nar Party, being the second biggest party represented in Egypt's parliament, is considering the verdicts as shocking.


Parents, relatives and friends of "martyrs of the revolution" are deeply shocked by the Mubarak verdict which shows that Egypt has not yet reached the goal of its revolution:

The day before: Public rage against presidential candidate Shafiq. Participants in demonstration holding up their shoes in protest:

[Sources: CNN and Al-Jazeera, English and Arabic channel]

---

Additional information by Al-Arabiya TV:

- News on June 1-2, 2012:

محاكمة القرن.. مبارك والعادلي إلى السجن مدى الحياة

اشتباكات عنيفة داخل قاعة المحاكمة وخارجها فور مغادرة المتهمين والقضاء

Violent conflicts inside the courtroom and [people] boiling [with rage] at the outside when the accused and the court left.

- News on June 3, 2012:

خبراء قانون: علاء وجمال مبارك سيحصلان على البراءة

Legal information: Ala'a and Gamal Mubarak will be considered as innocent.

قالوا إن من بين الخيارات إنقضاء الدعوى بالتقادم أو الانقضاء بالتصالح

It has been reported that among other options [there might be] an end of process [due to] a limitation period or the termination by means of [reaching a settlement].


Ala'a and Gamal Mubarak at court.

---

Latest election news from Al-Jazeera's Arabic website on June 3, 2012:

باحث: الغرب وإسرائيل يفضلان شفيق

Investigator [says]: The West and Israel are preferring Shafiq [as new Egyptian president].

When Al-Jazeera quoted an " eminent German investigator and expert in politics باحث وخبير سياسي ألماني بارز ", they referred to " Udo Steinbach, director of the Asian and African Center at Marburg University مدير مركز آسيا وأفريقيا بجامعة ماربورغ أودو شتاينباخ ".

Portrait of Prof. Dr. Udo Steinbach

News from People's Network, Beijing, on June 4, 2012:

埃及前总理称穆兄会将会把埃带回“黑暗时代”

Egypt's former prime minister [Shafiq] states that the Muslim Brotherhood could carry Egypt back into a "dark era".

News from Al-Arabiya on June 4, 2012:

واصل المرشح الرئاسي أحمد شفيق اختراقه لملفات لم يتعرض لها منافسه. فبعد خطابه في المؤتمر الصحافي، أمس الأحد، عن عدة قضايا وهجومه اللاذع على جماعة الإخوان المسلمين ومرشحها محمد مرسي

Presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq is continuing to enforce his [claim] that he never [used] the [secret] dossier of his competitor - [at the time of] his speech in the press conference, last sunday, and when he prepared the juridical [comment] as well as his acrid attack at the Muslim Brotherhood and their candidate Mohammed Morsy.

Egypt مصر - Morsy or Shafiq مرسي او شفيق

As first results on May 26 already indicated, there will be a second ballot to decide between Morsy, the presidential candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Shafiq, the former prime minister of ousted president Mubarak. This ballot should take place on June 16 and 17, 2012.

مرحلة الثانية : 16 و17 يونيو القادم

وجاء مرسي في المركز الأول بنحو 5 ملايين و764 ألفاً و952 صوتاً، وشفيق في المركز الثاني بـ5 ملايين و505 آلاف و327 صوتاً، فيما حلّ حمدين صباحي ثالثاً بنحو 4 ملايين 820 ألفاً، وعبدالمنعم أبوالفتوح رابعاً بحوالي 4 ملايين 650 ألفا، وجاء عمرو موسى في المركز الخامس بحوالي مليونين و588 ألفاً 850 صوتاً.

Latest Election Results:

Mohammed Morsy 5.764.952 votes
Ahmed Shafiq 5.505.327 votes
Hamdeen Sabahi 4.820.000 votes
Abdel-Moneim Abu al-Fatuh 4.650.000 votes
Amr Moussa 2.588.850 votes

[Source: Al-Arabiya, Arabic website, May 28]

Elections in Egypt انتخابات الرئاسة المصرية - First Results النتائج الأولية

سباق الرئاسة
Race for Presidency

فرز 95% من الأصوات بانتخابات الرئاسة المصرية و النتائج الأولية تشير إلى حتمية خوض جولة ثانية

The counting of 95% of the votes in the presidential elections of Egypt and first results are indicating the necessity to enter into a second round [of voting].

حزب الحرية و العدالة يدعو التيارات السياسية في مصر إلى الحوار من أجل إنقاذ الثورة

The Party of Liberty and Justice is calling [all] political currents in Egypt [to participate] in a dialogue in order to save the revolution.

First results of the presidential elections in Egypt are seeing Mohammed Morsy, candidate for the Party for Liberty and Justice in the lead with 25% of the votes, followed by Ahmed Shafiq, last prime minister of the Mubarak era, who gained 24%.

Morsy and his party are representing the Muslim Brotherhood:

A rather low result of 11% reached Amr Moussa, the former secretary general of the Arab League.

Two further candidates: Hamdeen Sabahi (20%) and Abdel Moneim Abu al-Fatuh (17%)



Latest news from Saturday, May 26:
Independent candidate Hamdeen Sabahi has lodged a complaint at the central election committee because of irregularities that happened during the voting. Two other candidates joined him. The necessity of a final ballot becomes even more visible.

---

Latest News from Syria:

The Massacre of Houla

Al-Jazeera Arabic TV: On Friday, May 25, Syrian military killed 92 persons comprising 32 children in Houla, community in the outskirts of Homs. Syrian state television blamed "terrorists" for that massacre.

Pictures were shown on Sunday morning, May 27, in the frame of "Revolution Talk", a special broadcast by Al-Jazeera on their Arabic channel. In that program participated Abdel-karim al-Sharida (below), president of the Arabic organization for human rights from Amman/Jordan, among other participants from Beirut/Lebanon, Doha/Qatar and Homs/Syria.

Report of Al-Arabiya on May 26:

الإمارات تدعو الجامعة لاجتماع عاجل حول مجزرة سوريا

مجلس التعاون الخليجي يدين "المجزرة" ويتابع بقلق بالغ التطورات المؤسفة

The Emirates are calling the [Arab] Ligue to an urgent meeting on the Syrian massacre.

The Council of Cooperation for the Gulf feels obliged on the matter of that "massacre" and is following with increasing concern such sad development.

According to Al-Arabiya the death toll of the Houla massacre should have reached "more than 106"
[ راح ضحيتها أكثر من 106 أشخاص من المدنيين]

Elections in Egypt الانتخابات في مصر

Mubarak lurking from behind !

Today, about 50 million Egyptian voters are called to participate in the first democratic presidential elections while 300.000 members of police and armed forces are being deployed to provide secure proceedings. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has arrived in Kairo as an independent observer.

Al-Jazeera Arabic TV is continuously reporting from Kairo, Alexandria, Gizeh and other places while the unpredictable outcome of the elections will be overshadowed by severe differences within the Egyptian society, only to mention the influence of Islamist representatives who have been refused acceptance as legal candidates.

Polls did not start closing until 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) after authorities ordered a one-hour extension. A second day of polling is to be held on Thursday, with preliminary results expected on Sunday.

Views of Presidential Elections in Egypt:

لجان الاقتراع في مصر تغلق أبوابها في اليوم الأول من الانتخابات الرئاسية Voting [committees] in Egypt are closing their doors on the first day of the presidential elections.

فاروق سلطان
رئيس اللجنة العليا للإنتخابات الرئاسية في مصر Farouk Suldan, president of the high commission [in charge of] the presidential elections in Egypt.

Acts of Violence on Election Day (May 23):

Headline of Al-Arabiya TV:
إغلاق مراكز اقتراع بمصر.. واشتباك بين أنصار مرشحين
ارتفاع عدد المصابين في انتخابات الرئاسة إلى 13 مصاباً
Voting centers in Egypt are closing, ... Washington is among the supporters [of the elections] ... Toll of victims [due to violence] during the presidential elections has risen to 13.

Image below: A damaged election poster for Amr Moussa, former secretary general of the Arab League and who gave up his position to take chances in the Egyptian elections. Nevertheless, he still seems to be one of the most appreciated candidates.

Same goes for Ahmed Shafiq (below), a former minister under Mubarak. He came under attack from protesters who threw stones and shoes at his convoy as he voted at a Cairo polling station.

During the first day of election one Cairo policeman was reported to be shot in a gunfight between followers of different candidates.

Competitors in the Presidential Elections:

(Top-Left to Right): Mohammed Mursi (Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party) , Abdel Moneim Abu al-Fatuh (Independent), Hamdeen Sabahi (Dignity Party).
(Bottom-Left to Right): Amr Moussa (Independent), Khaled Ali (Independent) and Ahmed Shafiq (Independent).

Private U.S. Company Launched Spacecraft

First step to commercializing space transport.
SpaceX, a California based private company, has launched a space module that is expected to dock at the international space station ISS as soon as next Friday. According to news reports from CNN and BBC, their new space vehicle should be less expensive than the outdated spaceshuttle which is no longer available after NASA stopped that program.

Charles Bolden (image below), NASA administrator for the ISS project, stated that America would remain the leading nation in space flight, even though a private company took over. Recently, U.S. space flight relied on Russia that provided their carrier system.

Assembly of space module at SpaceX laboratories:

Maritime Incident between North Korea and China

Chinese daily reporting on the arrest of Chinese fishermen by North Korea [Source: NHK Japanese TV]

The arrest of 29 Chinese fishermen by North Korean forces could serve to prove how unpredictable the regime in Pyongyang really is. As the Democratic Republic of North Korea has been continuously fostered by China since it came into being, it sounds strange that such incident could ever happen. After China decided to deliver an answer to Pyongyang and that should not have hurt too much, North Korea announced the "happy end" of that story:

朝方称我被扣渔船及船员已全部获释返回

"The North Korean side has stated that our fishing boats and boat crews that have been detained are already entirely released and [sent] back."
[Source: People's Network, May 20, 2012]

Meanwhile, the maritime incident of Huangyan Island in the South China Sea remains to be solved as territorial claims of, both, China and the Philippines have created a problem of general importance. For further information look at a related blogspot of mine.

Solar Eclipse over Asia and U.S. Westcoast

Partial eclipse of the sun as observed in Beijing:

Iran - Charges against " Zionist " Spies

Latest news by Al-Arabiya TV on May 13, 2012:

إيران تصدر أحكاماً على 13 متهماً بالتجسس لإسرائيل

Iran brings about charges against 13 [persons] accused of espionage for Israel.

جندهم جهاز "الموساد" للعمل عبر القنوات الفضائية لنشر الدعايات الكاذبة

They were recruited by the apparatus of "Mossad" for the operation of [satellite] channels in the propagation of fake propaganda.

أبلغت الشعبة 15 لمحكمة الثورة بطهران أحكاماً بحق 13 شخصاً بتهمة التجسس لصالح الكيان الصهيوني

Section 15 of the Revolutionary Tribunal [on behalf of the regime in] Tehran summoned [for justice] 13 people being accused of espionage in favour of Zionism.

Iranian Mossad Aide:
" Terrorist engaged in attack on fortunate hero [nuclear scientist] ".
[Source: German TV channel on May 12, 2012]

South China Sea - Rising Tensions between Beijing and Manila

In this blogspot I quote different Chinese sources highlighting the actual rise of tensions between China and the Philippines. While China is still "policing" the South China Sea, Western powers and their East-Asian allies are increasingly interested in unrestricted traffic in China's "swimming pool".

Recent Development: Chinese and Philippine vessels have been locked in a high seas stand-off since China's PLA Navy prevented a Philippine warship from arresting crews of Chinese fishing boats near the Scarborough Shoal, also known as Huangyan Island, on April 8.

Reports in Japan said five Chinese warships – including two guided missile destroyers, two frigates and an amphibious landing ship – had passed through waters close to Okinawa moving to Philippine reefs.

Beijing also issued a travel advisory warning its citizens to keep a low profile while being in the Philippines.

As the dispute escalated, Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, met senators in a push to ratify a treaty that would bolster legal backing for US naval patrols in dispute regions such as the South China Sea.
[Source: The Telegraph, London]

UPDATE from People's Network on May 16, 2012:

人民网5月16日电据外交部网站消息，2012年5月16日，中国外交部发言人洪磊主持例行记者会，就中日海洋事务高级别磋商、黄岩岛事件等答问。…… 洪磊首先发布[对黄岩岛的]消息：

People's Network telegram on May 16, based on news from the website of the foreign affairs ministry: On May 16, 2012, Hong Lei, the spokesman of China's ministry of foreign affairs, presided over a regular meeting of journalists, answering [their] questions on advanced consultations on the highest level regarding general maritime affairs between China and Japan. [Questions were answered as well regarding] the incident at Huangyan Island. ... Information [on Huangyan Island] released by Hong Lei in the first place:

问：中方对黄岩岛当前事态有何评论？将采取什么新的措施应对？

答：我们在黄岩岛当前事态上的立场是明确的。我们强调，黄岩岛是中国的固有领土，中国对此拥有无可争辩的主权，菲方应切实尊重中国的领土主权。同时，中方通过外交协商解决当前事态立场没有变化。

Question:
Is there any Chinese comment on the current situation of Huangyan Island ? Will the [military] command resort to some new responsive steps ?

Answer:
In the current situation of Huangyan Island, our position is clear-cut. We emphasize that Huangyan Island is China's inherent territory. China has there indisputable sovereign rights. The Philippines should earnestly respect China's territorial sovereignty. In the meantime, China tries to settle the current situation by means of diplomatic consultations while [its] position hasn't changed.
........................................................................................

UPDATE from People's Network on May 14, 2012: 菲称永不同意中方对黄岩岛要求 旅游业吁结束对抗 The Philippines state they would never approve of China's claim of the Huangyan Island [area] while tourism industry is pleading for an end of the fighting.

For additional background information on the South China Sea dispute, please refer to an earlier blogspot of mine dating back to January 2012:

New U.S. Strategy - Chinese View

People's Network, Beijing, quoting China's Journal of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) 《解放军报》 on May 12, 2012:

解放军报： 南海挑衅者希望中国因怒而战

Journal of the People's Liberation Army: Those who are provoking in the South [China] Sea are hoping that China gets angry enough to wage war.

近日，中菲黄岩岛事件成为南海问题的焦点。中国政府理性、克制和审慎的外交应对，似乎并未得到菲律宾政府的认可，菲方甚至大有孤注一掷、硬扛到底的味道。菲方这种狂妄、无礼和无知的言行，无疑使和平解决黄岩岛事件的前景充满变数，激起了中国民众的极大愤慨，考验着中国政府应对危机的战略智慧。

Recently, the incident of Huangyan Island [Yellow Rock Island] between China and the Philippines became a central issue of the South [China] Sea question. [As] the reasonable, self-restraint and careful diplomatic answer of China's government seemingly not obtained approval by the Philippine government, the Philippine side is now reaching for high risks on a single venture, obstinately [preferring] a final taste [of the matter].

The presumptuous, impolite and ignorant words and deeds of the Philippine side undoubtedly sent a perspective full of variables to the peaceful settling of the Huangyan incident and is stirring up China's masses to the utmost indignation, [thereby] putting at test the strategic knowledge of China's government when it comes to respond to [that] crisis.

.......................................................

People's Network, Beijing, quoting China's Global Broadcasting Network in Chinese 《全球华语广播网》 on May 12, 2012:

印度首次卷入南海问题争端 劝诫中菲保持克制

India for the first time involved in the conflict of the South [China] Sea issue. - Admonishing China and the Philippines to maintain self-restraint.

........................................................

"Defend Yellow Rock Island !"

Philippine Piranha Claiming Yellow Rock Sandbank