22nd January 09

The Australian

Chinese censors remove a few key words

CHINESE authorities censored Barack Obama's inauguration speech to remove his critical references to communism and the silencing of dissent. In the Chinese-language version made available on leading domestic websites such as Sina and Sohu, the word "communism" was removed from the sentence: "Recall that earlier generations faced-down communism and fascism, not just with missiles and tanks but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions."

The Age

In turbulent China, woman fashions better life online
Richard Spencer, Beijing

A CHINESE woman who became depressed after several personal setbacks said she rediscovered her optimism after deciding to "sell her life online". After a year in which her business failed and her country suffered repeated misfortune, Chen Xiao, 26, no longer knew what to do with herself. As a last resort, she decided to put her fate in the hands of users of a popular Chinese website.

Asia Times Online
China's military awaits new satellites
By Peter J Brown

China wants to become the next big player in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology. Zhang Xiaojin, director of the astronautics department at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, recently confirmed that China will complete its new Beidou 2 or "Compass" GNSS consisting of 30 more satellites before 2015, with 10 or more new Compass satellites scheduled for launch over the next two years.