China Reform Monitor: No. 944
Beijing profits from booming tobacco industry;
Cities resist social security tax on foreigners
Beijing profits from booming tobacco industry;
Cities resist social security tax on foreigners
When the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad was engulfed by the “Arab Spring” last March, many waxed optimistic that regime change in Syria wouldn’t be long in coming. But ten months into the ensuing civil war, Assad’s regime shows no signs of fading away quietly. To the contrary, it has doubled down on repression, waging an extended campaign of official brutality against its own people in its bid to remain in power. As of mid-January, the death toll from Syria’s uprising had topped 6,000, with no let-up in sight.
US sells China high-tech telescope to track satellites;
Hackers steal info from 100 million Chinese netizens
Beijing strikes oil exploration deal in Afghanistan;
China makes further inroads in Nepal
Continuing protests, and the Kremlin's response;
U.S., Russia to expand cooperation in cyberspace