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Is It Bribery, or Business As Usual in China?

2007-09-20 Caijing Magazine

German and U.S. investigations of multinational Siemens have helped pull back a curtain to reveal common business practices in China – from kickbacks to phony consultants – considered unethical and often illegal in western countries.

By staff reporters Li Qiyan and Zhang Zhuo

German industrial conglomerate Siemens is a respected and well-liked corporate citizen in China, but its reputation has been shaken by allegations of unethical business transactions in connection with a Shanghai investment.

The emerging case that threatens to tarnish Siemens China – a company with 46,000 employees at 130 facilities and 2006 sales topping 50 billion yuan – points to wide gaps between declared corporate ethics policies and real-life business practices in China, and differences between Chinese and western legal strategies for tackling company corruption. (more…)

刘**晓*波：昨日丧家狗 今日看门狗——透视当下中国的“孔子热”

中国人热炒大国崛起，由经济崛起发展为文化崛起，由满世界撒钱到软实力输出。在国 内，继“读经热”、“祭孔热”、“儒教热”之后，央视“百家讲坛”掀起“读孔热”，为了重建中国的道统；在海外，中共投资大建“孔子学院”，为了向外输出 软实力。一种压抑百年的天下心态的发泄，让孔圣人在海内外连成一线，“孔子热”愈演愈烈。

在这种热潮的背后，我看到的不是古典文化的复 兴，而是崇圣传统的复活，是官方主导的极端民族主义的一部分。因为，六四后，官权一方面奉行的反自由化反和平演变，另一方面主导和煽动爱国主义，爱国主义 已经成为中共现政权意识形态的支柱之一，配合着官方的“小康盛世”之喧嚣是民族主义的泛滥。比如，《2005中国曲阜孔子国际文化节祭孔大典祭文》的结尾 写道：“小康初成，大同在梦。欣逢盛世，强国威风”，就是民族主义和盛世福音的双重奏的典型文本。 (more…)