Another week has passed and another eclectic round of news has been spreading across the web.  From TV show bans to art-related arrests to historic findings, here’s a round-up of this weeks normal, strange and highly-discussed news.

1) The Normal

Chinese Tourists Re-elect France as the ‘King of Shopping’

 
Source: AP

According to a 2010 survey carried out by the Global Refund Group, Chinese tourists spent over 650 million Euros worth of duty free goods (about 6.13 billion RMB). The report also showed that foreign tourists spent around 30 million Euros (about 28.3 billion RMB) on duty-free goods in France in 2010. This marked a 35% increase on 2009 figures, mainly driven by increased tourism from Chinese tourists. Russian tourists ranked second, spending around 220 million Euros (2.07 billion RMB) on duty free products.

Ministry of Health Backtracks on Organ Donation Form

A recent interview from a spokesman of the Ministry of Health revealed that plans to introduce a system urging new drivers to donate their organs in the event of their deaths were going to be pushed back.

The move comes merely weeks after initial reports cited the system would be introduced by the end of this year, which faced sharp criticism from residents in cities were the form was tested. The senior health official further stated that the absence of a coordinated organ donation system, as well as a general lack of understanding from the population would lead to a delay.

China currently faces a crisis in the availability of organs, with 1.5 million yearly demands, and only 10,000 donations.

Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Rail Trial Operations under Way

On May 11th, trial runs for the new high-speed train linking Beijing and Shanghai began. Expected to last until June, passengers will then have the option of buying tickets for the two new trains available: the 250 km/hour train and the 300 km/hour train.

2) The Strange

Performance Artists in Live Sex Act Detained for 1 Year

On March 20th, performance artists involved in an exhibit entitled ‘Artwhore’ have been detained by police and may be held for up to one year. 57 year old Cheng Li, was found engaging in the act of coitus with a female artist, at the Tongzhou Museum of Contemporary Art in Songzhuang. The pair, completely naked during the ‘performance’ and during arrest, were watched by awe-struck onlookers, several of whom filmed the event or took photos with phone cameras.

Shells from World War II Found in Inner Mongolia

 
Source: Qinghua

A clutch of 190 shells dating from WWII were discovered in a field in China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region. The site, suspected of being once used by the Japanese during the onset of WWII, is currently being scoured by explosive experts.

3) The Discussed

Violence in Beijing Apple Store

Around 3pm on Saturday May 7th, Sanlitun Village’s flagship Apple Store was consumed by chaos. A foreign man armed with a pole clashed with customers queuing up outside. According to several witnesses present at the scene, he dragged one young man to the floor, and pushed a middle aged woman over. One man also received injuries to the head amid the scuffle. The store’s glass door was smashed as a result of the conflict, and resulted in an influx of crowds into the store to see what was happening. Chaoyang police are currently carrying out investigations.

Hospital Caught Selling Human Placenta in Guangzhou

A hospital in Guangzhou is currently under investigation from authorities for the suspected trading of human placenta. An inside source reported nurses from the departments of obstetrics and gynecology kept placentas from women just having given birth in a fridge, selling them for 20 RMB each. The Red Cross Hospital of Baiyun District will face punitive measures if claims are substantiated.

The traffic of human placenta, which is considered by some to be a rich source of nutrients, was banned in 2005 by China’s Health Ministry.

TV Spy Programmes Out; Pro-Party Programmes In

To mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party, all crime series, spy shows or time travel thrillers will be taken off the air for a duration of three months. Instead, they will be replaced by programmes recounting the founding of the party.
 

Related links
The Normal, the Weird and the Discussed: News from Around China
China News Watch: Interesting News from Around China
Beijing Watchdog News Round-up: Foot and Mouth, New Apps and More

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Keywords: selected news China art sex arrests Beijing tv show bans China News round-up China