From NPQ, a series of articles on China. From Dissent, back to the future: China gets Beijing and Shanghai ready for the 2008 Olympics and 2010 Expo. From Foreign Policy, the battle of Beijing: What happens when an authoritarian government and thousands of activists go head-to-head at the Olympics? China is about to find out. Despite predictions to the contrary, the Internet has not brought about abrupt political change in China and is not likely to do so anytime soon. Its significance and implications for Chinese society lie elsewhere. Textbook case: Study Marxism, Leninism, Mao Zedong's thought—and Bill Gates. A review of Return to Dragon Mountain: Memories of a Late Ming Man by Jonathan D. Spence. From Derive, the demolition of Star Ferry Pier: Hong Kong has branded itself as "Asia's World City", yet by demolishing historical features to make way for shopping malls and tourist kitsch, it is becoming just another Asian megalopolis.
