The Chinese media isn’t writing much about Syria’s crisis. Certainly less than it did Egypt’s (and that wasn’t a great deal either). However, the two most useful reports I have found offer contrasting opinions.
Neither article is especially revelatory. Most intriguing though is the relative absence of quotes from Chinese academics who have clearly decided to steer clear of any public debate.
The first article comes from Caixin online. Ni Weifeng, a young journalist, writes the more confrontational of the two articles.
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It was China’s Prime Minister Wen Jiabao himself who denied a link between events in China and the Middle East. The fact he issued a denial was remarkable enough, not least at the high-profile National People’s Congress back in March.
I’ve looked at the risks in April’s China Insider and posted it as a free sample. (Follow this link to the samples page).
My favourite statistic? The average Chinese is 10-years older than the average Middle East resident. (The gap is nearly 20-years when compared to the average Yemeni). The 15 to 24-year old population is also in decline.
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Diane Singerman’s work on marriage costs in Egypt is among my favourite reports on the region. (Yes, I’m biased towards economics. But I’d rather read 10 similar reports than ‘yet another’ political editorial).
It’s a common complaint among Arab men that they can’t get married until they have a job, house, and preferably, a car. (The difficulties in buying a house are worsened by the limited use of mortgage credit).
So, here’s an interesting article from the New York Times arguing much the same in China. It tells the story of a young professional who was rejected by several women, and a dating agency, on the grounds he doesn’t own a home.
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