Asia

Before Sherlock: An Ancient Chinese Sleuth's Enduring Appeal

12:19pm October 25, 2013

by Anthony Kuhn

The sleuthing exploits of Judge Dee, a character based on a seventh-century Chinese official, are gripping new audiences as new generations of writers, movie directors and storytellers tell his tale and build on his legend. His stories continue to inform ordinary Chinese people's understanding of justice and law.

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Indian And Chinese Leaders Sign Border Agreement At Summit

8:07am October 24, 2013

NPR's correspondents in Shanghai and New Delhi, Frank Langfitt and Julie McCarthy, talk with Steve Inskeep about a recent summit between Indian and Chinese leaders. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang signed an agreement on border cooperation, but had little else of significance to show at the end of their meeting.

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The Chinese border town of Suifenhe is a port of entry for almost all of the hardwood coming from the Russian Far East. Russia is the world's largest exporter of timber, but illegal logging is a growing problem.

World News

In Russia's Vast Far East, Timber Thieves Thrive

8:11am October 23, 2013

by Corey Flintoff

The demand for Russia's high-value timber is fueling organized crime, government corruption and illegal logging. The hardwood often ends up as flooring and furniture in the United States, Europe, Japan and China.

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Human Rights Group Investigates Drone Strikes In Pakistan

6:53am October 22, 2013

Amnesty International released a new report on Tuesday on U.S. drone strikes along Pakistan's chaotic border region with Afghanistan.

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World News

Report Estimates 30 Million People In Slavery Worldwide

5:35pm October 18, 2013

Audie Cornish talks to Kevin Bales, a professor of contemporary slavery at the University of Hull and lead author of the 2013 Global Slavery Index. The first-time report by the Walk Free Foundation estimates that there are nearly 30 million people in slavery across the globe.

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China Experiences Surprise Drop In Exports

4:31am October 14, 2013

by Frank Langfitt

Chinese exports dropped point 0.3 percent in September from a year earlier. It was the worst performance in three months. Analysts think much of the drop was due to plunging demand from Southeast Asia. Investors have been pulling money out of the region on concern the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut bond purchases and the money supply will tighten.

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A zoo in central China's Henan province swapped a dog — a Tibetan mastiff like the one shown here — for a lion, in another story that recently swept Chinese cyberspace.

Too Weird To Be True? In China, You Never Can Tell

5:47pm October 09, 2013

by Frank Langfitt

Foreign news coverage of China is often deadly serious: corruption, pollution and the like. Then there's the funny and bizarre that often goes viral — like the zoo that swapped a dog for a lion. A number of websites are making these offbeat and satirical tales increasingly available in English.

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President Obama listens as Chinese President Xi Jinping answers a question after a bilateral meeting in California on June 7.

World News

Asian Allies' Anxieties Rise Amid Washington Paralysis

7:24pm October 08, 2013

by Frank Langfitt

President Obama cancelled a planned trip to Asia this week to deal with the political crisis at home. That's disappointed — even worried — some of America's friends in the region who are counting on the United States to stand up to an increasingly assertive China.

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The university is currently located on the leafy campus of East China Normal University. Next year, NYU Shanghai will move to a 15-story building in the city's financial district.

For Some NYU Students, A Sweet Deal To Study ... In Shanghai

9:58am October 08, 2013

by Frank Langfitt

New York University's new Shanghai campus is the first Sino-U.S. joint-venture university. Chinese students get a Western education without leaving home. American students get to live and study in China, with many enjoying big breaks on tuition and other costs.

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In May, a large piece of the General Motors Building in Manhattan was purchased by a Chinese real estate developer.

Asian Investors Find Hot Market In U.S. Properties

9:51am October 08, 2013

by Jackie Northam

Sales in commercial real estate in the U.S. have soared over the past year. Asian nations, particularly China, are scooping up trophy properties and investing in some large, long-term development projects at a record pace.

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