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THE
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www.thenanjinger.com MARCH 2019
Volume#9/Issue#5
#83Contributors
Nanjing Nomads
Editorial
Poem
Gateways to the West; 40 Yearsof Nanjing-St. Louis Sisterhood
Sisters are Doing itfor Themselves
Internationalising Nanjing; Helping Hands for the Foreign Community Chompin’ Thru ChinaXigua; International Influence on Chinese Food
StrainerIs that an Onion in My Cup; The Longest TeaLeaf in the World
The TripBeers for Barack and Bourdain in Hanoi
For Art’s Sake5 Steps to Fudging with Finesse
Our Space
The Gavel New Law to Prevent Compulsory Technology Transfer
Metro Map
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Contents
THE
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Introducing some of our contributors, editors & designers
www.thenanjinger.com MARCH 2019
Sponsor 主办单位 SinoConnexion 贺福传媒
Publisher 编辑出版 The Nanjinger《南京人》杂志社
Operating Organization 运营机构 Nanjing Hefu Cultural Media Co., Ltd. 南京贺福文化传媒有限公司
Contributors 特约撰稿人 Zhang XiaohuiMaitiu Brallaghan
Columnists 专栏作家 Francesca LeiperCarlo D’Andrea Matthew Stedman
Editor-in-chief 主编 Frank Hossack 贺福
Executive Editor 副主编 Renée Gray Beaumont 夏蕊
Copy Editor/Marketing Assistant 文案编辑以及营销助理Kristen Wang 王梦娇
Graphic Design and Layout 平面设计与布局 SinoConnexion 贺福传媒 Web: sinoconnexion.com
Concept & Design 构想与设计 封面构想与设计 Roy Ingram
Client Liason Coordinator 客户联络协调员 Nancy Guo 郭蓓
Legal Consultant 法律顾问 Ma Haipeng 马海鹏
General Enquires & Advertising: +86 25 58491159 Email: [email protected]
Volume 9 / Issue 5 / March 2019 “Sister Cities” Copyright 2019, SinoConnexion Ltd. Published in the United Kingdom ISSN 2051-9974
Our Editor-in-chief and Music Critic, Frank Hossack, has been a radio host and producer for the past 34 years, the past 25 of which working in media in China, in the process winning four New York Festivals awards for his work, in the categories Best Top 40 Format, Best Editing, Best Director and Best Culture & The Arts.贺福是我们杂志的编辑和音乐评论员，在过去的34年里一直从事电台主持和电台制片的工作。在中国有近25年的媒体工作经验。工作期间他曾经四次获得过纽约传媒艺术节大奖，分别是世界前40强节目奖，最佳编辑奖，最佳导演奖以及最佳文化艺术奖。
As an Australian journalist living in Nanjing for many years, Renée Gray has a background in research, print and online publishing, taking great pleasure in discov-ering more about Nanjing with every article.作为在南京居住多年的澳大利亚新闻工作者，Renee Gray有着调研以及印刷品和线上出版物的工作背景。她总是乐于在每篇文章里发现关于南京的内容。
Matthew Stedman has spent years living and working in China. He has sold Chinese tea in the UK, and loves dis-cussing the miraculous leaf with new (and suspicious) audiences. He however never feels happier than when researching the product here in beautiful South China.Matthew Stedman在中国生活工作了多年。多年在中英两国从事茶叶贸易的他，喜欢和新读者讨论神奇的东方树叶(虽然有时他的读者保持怀疑态度)。 没什么比在美丽的江南走访品尝各种茶叶更让他开心的事了。
Legal columnist Carlo D’Andrea is Chair of the Legal & Competition Working group of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China; Shanghai Chapter, Coordinator of the Nanjing Working Group of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China and has taught Chinese law (commercial and contractual) at Rome 3 University.法律作家代开乐担任中国欧盟商会上海分会法律与竞争工作组主席，中国意大利商会劳动集团的协调员与曾经在罗马三大担任企业咨询课程中中国商法、合同法的课程教授。
Roy Ingram has over 25 years experience working as an artist and Creative Director. His early career was with agencies in London but for the past eight years he has lived and worked in Nanjing.Roy先生有着超过25年的创意总监和艺术家的工作经历。他早期的职业生涯是在伦敦的一家机构里开始的，但是在八年前他决定来到南京生活工作。
A Nanjing local, Kristen Wang studied Media and Public relations in Newcastle University (UK), has researched social media and online publishing and previously worked for different new media platforms. She is passionate about discovering new stories and helping expats involved in this city. 南京人王梦娇毕业于纽卡斯尔大学，媒体与公共关系硕士学位。她的研究专注于社交媒体和网络发行，在不同的新媒体平台工作。她喜欢发现新鲜事，也希望帮助在南京的外国人融入这里的生活。
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NANJING NOMADS
Your Travels in the Digital Realm
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Scan the QR Code to visit The Nanjinger on WeChat, from where you can download a free PDF of any issue, find a full list of distribution
points for hard copies or arrange a subscription to have The Nanjinger delivered to your home or office!
This magazine is part of a family of English publications that together reach a large proportion of the foreign population living in Nanjing, along with a good dash of locals, comprising:
The NanjingerCity Guidewww.thenanjinger.comFacebook, WeChat, Twitter and Weibo
All of the above are owned and operated by HeFu Media, the Chinese subsidiary of SinoConnexion Ltd. www.sinoconnexion.com
Big year, 2019. China celebrates 70 years of diplomatic relations with Russia, formerly the USSR, as well as 40 years of
official ties with the USA.
The latter was also the year in which Nanjing heralded in her second twin city relationship (or “friendship city” as it is known in China; see why herein), with St. Louis in the American state of Missouri. The Nanjinger charts the history of this landmark relationship on pages 10 & 11.
At time of printing, Nanjing has 20 twins, on all continents, except Antartica (any takers?), with the 21st set to be the city of York in the UK. Join us on a vast journey that explores Nanjing’s global family, from page 12.
Let it also be known that, in order to celebrate such, each of Nanjing’s twins have been invited to design different statues of their cities to go on display in a new park being established in the Hexi part of Nanjing. Can’t wait!
Finally, this month also sees the official opening of an official organisation that has the power of influence with local government, one in which foreigners have a direct say in its operation. Find out all about the one-of-a-kind Nanjing Foreign Affairs Service Association on pages 20 & 21.
Welcome to Sister Cities, from The Nanjinger.
Ed.
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We are Family
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By Maitiu Brallaghan
What is it to be ‘we’?We are sisters, plenty – twenty spreadAcross one vast globe of blues, yellows and greens.Yet, how do I know you?
How do I know you?I know your walls and festivals, bridges and temples, Your many scattered sorrows in shallow graves of loam.Still, how can you know me?
How can you know me?Sure you can see my bricks, my mortar, hills and water Caught in pictures on a pc screen.But what does it mean ‘to know’?
What does it mean to know?Is it not to have mapped out boundaries,Affiliations, exchanged our keys and pleasantries.For how can I understand you?
How can I understand you?You have so many foreign ideals from foreign climesYet maybe ‘we’ means familiar clusters of oh so similar cells…Is this what it means to be me?
Is this what it is to be ‘me’?Linked as we are with our mystical lines of sisterhoodIn a world far apart, drawn close by this bond- maybe it is thisThat it is to be ‘we’?
Side by side or miles apart We are sisters connected by the heart.
Unknown.WSisterse
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Head of Nanjing (Director General of The Nanjing Committee of The Revolution), Chu Jiang, far
right, together with the St. Louis delegation.Nanjing, 2 November, 1979
In 1978, China began her period of Reform and Opening Up (găigé kāifàng; 改革开放). One of the ways China opened up to the world was through the
official forming of city and province “sister partnerships”. Today, Nanjing boasts 20 formal Sister City relationships, of which St. Louis of Mississippi, USA, became the second in 1979. This year, Nanjing therefore celebrates 40 years of formal diplomatic relations with the USA and the city of St. Louis.
In January, 1978, St. Louis established a community of prospective friendship cities. At the beginning of 1979, then Mayor of St. Louis, James Conway, wrote a letter to the then Head of Nanjing, Chu Jiang, detailing similarities between the two cities, which included geography, industry, culture and economy (both cities are major inland ports that lie on the banks of a vast river and were, at the time, highly industrialised, while each is regarded as a gateway to their respective country’s western region). The letter was sent to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the system in place at the time required central approval for all foreign contact. In June of the same year, a delegation from St. Louis flew to Nanjing for the first time. They returned in November, whereupon the document which solidified a formal Sister City relationship was signed in the Nanjing Great Hall of the People.
By Renée Gray Beaumont
40 Years of Nanjing-St. Louis Sisterhood
GAtEwAySto the west
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Li Aijun, Party Secretary / Director General, Foreign Affairs Office of Nanjing Municipal People’s Government
Generally speaking, we have three categories that we use to establish contact with international cities”,
“The first category is when an overseas city initially contacts us. The second is where we look for and choose cities from our side. And the third is related to history; at the beginning of the reform and opening up, the Foreign Affairs Ministry helped us to make the contacts.
“This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationships between China and the United States. So our story and friendship with the city of St Louis also goes with the communication and exchanges between the two countries and people”, said Li. In Xuanwu Lake park, the St. Louis delegation planted four trees around which were colourful ribbons. The tree chosen for the occasion was the Liriodendron that is now only found in China and the USA.
In 1980, Chief of The People’s Liberation Army, Deng Xiaoping, gave permission for a small (six people) delegation from Nanjing to visit St. Louis. Due to limited funds at the time, China only permitted small groups to travel abroad, a tradition that lasts to this day. The first group to visit St. Louis left Nanjing in May 1980 and included the Vice Head of Nanjing, Wang Chubin; it was the very first time the local Nanjing government had visited America. The group were picked up from the airport by St. Louis officials in San Fransisco, who then accompanied them on the entire trip to various cities.
Official Nanjing memoirs that were given to The Nanjinger by local government document how the tour group was treated by the Americans. On the second day, they were treated to a feast, with 500 people from all walks of life. In the 9 days that they were in St. Louis, they visited more than 30 places, including six large corporations, nine factories, some universities, farms, hospitals, museums and shopping malls. They were left with a deep impression of the development of the city, the education, industrialisation and agriculture, calling it, “striking modernisation”.
An attendee said of the conference that took place in Nanjing upon their return, “This report is based on fact, the content is detailed and vivid, down to earth and about daily life. The people said this is the very first time to hear such
a kind of report of a visit overseas, from a representative in the community after the opening up and reform of China. Although we had 3 hours to listen to the report, it just was not long enough. And even though we sat there for 3 hours, we didn’t even feel tired”.
Li told The Nanjinger, “When we get to work on relationships with all the friendly cities, including friendship and sister cities, we do not make any difference between them. Just in terms of the official documents and some official procedures, this makes the only difference”. Understanding why the Chinese refer to Sister Cities as Friendship Cities is important, as it differs from the international process in regard to Friendship and Sister City terminology. “From the beginning the term Sister City originated from the United States, but the Premier at the time, Zhou Enlai, who was the forefather of Chinese diplomacy, noted that in Chinese we call sister ‘jiemei’ (姐妹), which means bigger sister and younger sister; you have a difference in terms of the ages, so that will make it unequal. … So, Premier Zhou suggested that we call it ‘youhao chengshi’ (友好城市), which will be very equal.”
One of the purposes for China to make such relationships was to enhance the understanding and friendship between two cultures. In the late 70s, China did not have any convenient ways of accessing information. Local people only to knew about overseas activity through outdated newspapers, TVs and films. Thus the Nanjing-St. Louis exchanges made big news at that time.
Looking back, Li said, “At that time many Chinese people did not think of the States as a very friendly country, but when the Nanjing delegation got to the States they found it was totally different from what they had thought. They found the States was very developed. Furthermore, the Nanjing people found that we had a very large gap between Nanjing and the States. We needed to work hard to reform, to build our city. … Through contact with other cities we’ve learnt the concept of building a city. For example, environment protection, how to build a city, how to do urban planning of a city and so on, we have learned a lot from our friendly cities”.
said Li Aijun, Head of The Nanjing Foreign Affairs Office, speaking with The Nanjinger in an exclusive interview.
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SIStERSARE DoIn’ IttHEMSELvES
for
By Renée Gray Beaumont & Kristen Wang
Yŏuhăo Chéngshì is not to be confused with the international term Friendship City that which is used by all nations in the initial phase of developing a relationship. At this stage the relationship is considered less formal. Once the relationship has strengthened and both can confirm a desire for a longer term relationship they will transition to sisterly status. The term sister city was first used by America, however, in China, it was the great Zhou Enlai who said that formal city relationships must be referred to as friendship cities (see previous article). The meaning in Chinese is exactly the same as the English term sister cities. Furthermore, these days, the phrase “City Diplomacy” is gaining in popularity, following a 2014 House of Lords debate
in the UK which acknowledged the evolution of Town Twinning into City Diplomacy.
The formal connecting of two cities ensures a long-term partnership that assists the cities in the development of everything from culture to commerce. When deciding on a prospective sister city, ancestral connections are considered along with expatriate communities, historical connections, trade relations, geographical location plus educational and technological advances, etc. When selected, a sister city bond will be formerly recognised by the two cities highest elected officials. At the time of writing, Nanjing has a total of 20 official Sister Cities and 61 Friendship & Cooperation Cities.
When two cities from different countries form a relationship, it is formally recognised as such after both head officials of the cities meet and a ceremony
is held. Americans and Australasians mainly use the term Sister Cities that which describes the official recognition and relationship between two cities of different countries. Britain is accustomed to using the term Twin Towns, while
China will refer to such a relationship as Friendship Cities (友好城市).
Are you familiar with the Chinese term “yŏuhăo chéngshì”? Perhaps Sister Cities or Twin Towns?
SIStERSARE DoIn’ IttHEMSELvES
Are you familiar with the Chinese term “yŏuhăo chéngshì”? Perhaps Sister Cities or Twin Towns?
NAgOyA, Japan (1978) The very first city to formally merge relationships with Nanjing and Jiangsu province was Japan’s fourth largest city, Nagoya. The Japan-China relation was normalised in 1972 with the signing of the Peace and Friendship Treaty and the relationship was formally given sister status in 1978.
Nanjing Square was later constructed in downtown Nagoya’s central park. Two stone pillars from China’s Six Dynasties were sent by Nanjing city as a gift which now stand in the park as representation of the friendship between the two cities.
In February, 2012, Takashi Kawamura, the then mayor of Nagoya made inappropriate remarks regarding the Nanjing Massacre which seriously affected relations between the two cities and countries. Consequently, on the 21 February, Nanjing called a suspension of official exchanges with the Nagoya municipal government. However, The Nanjinger is assured that as of 2019 the relationship is in favour once more.
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ST LOUIS, USA (1979)As the first American metropolis to be tied to a Chinese city, St. Louis, Missouri, joined ranks with Nanjing in 1979. Mayor of St. Louis, James Conway, visited Nanjing and met the Nanjing leader at the time, Chu Jiang, in order to sign the agreement that was witnessed by 5,000 locals.
Nine of the ten Fortune 500 companies based in Missouri are located within the St. Louis metropolitan area, while the city has also become known for its growing medical, pharmaceutical and research presence. St. Louis has two professional sports teams; the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball and the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League.
Conway has said the partnership was “perfect” due to the fact that both cities are on major rivers where agriculture was one of the main industries. 2 November, 2019, marks the 40th anniversary of the St Louis-Nanjing Sister City Friendship. With baseball as the theme, two statues of baseball gloves are to be enacted in each city in commemoration. See the additional article on 40 years of sisterhood, on page 10.
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EINDHOvEN, Netherlands (1985) In 2014, Eindhoven had a population of 419,045 making it the fifth-largest city in the Netherlands. Like Nanjing, the city has been busy internationalising, said to be the influence of its university. Philips and other companies have also helped to create a more mixed population over the last few decades. Due to its high-tech environment, Eindhoven is at the heart of several initiatives to develop this important part of the economy. Nanjing’s sister city relationship with Eindhoven was set up with the assistance of the Philips group.
LEIPZIg, Germany (1988)After German Reunification, Leipzig’s economy developed rapidly, becoming one of the most economically active cities in Germany. The five economic clusters in Leipzig are automotive (and its supply chain), healthcare and biotech, energy and environment, media and creative logistics. Leipzig is also home to a Confucius Institute that promotes studies of Mandarin.
FLOrENCE, Italy (1980)As the capital of Tuscany, the city of Florence has a turbulent political history; from 1865 to 1871, the city was the capital of the recently-established Kingdom of Italy. Florence attracts millions of tourists each year, and the Historic Centre of Florence was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. The city is noted for its culture, renaissance art plus architecture and monuments. Its historical past is similar to Nanjing’s, as well as its UNESCO status.
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DAEJEON, South Korea (1994) Daedeok Innopolis is home to a semiconductor production park, a bio chemical production park, new materials production park and produces 150 kinds of high-tech products. Therefore, Daedeok is known as the “Silicon valley” of South Korea. It is also located in Daejeon.
In 1994, Nanjing and Daejeon established a sister-city relationship. Since then, extensive exchanges and cooperation in science and technology, culture, sports, education and other areas have been promoted. In addition, mutual visits on the topics of science and technology, education, culture and sports are carried out at regular intervals every year, greatly promoting exchange and understanding between both sides.
In 2005, the Daejeon Municipal government opened an office in Nanjing in order to further deepen and strengthen the relationship between Nanjing and Daejeon. Situated in the Nanjing Literature Association, the office has become an important window for Daejeon in Nanjing.
MExICALI, Mexico (1991) Mexicali boasts two international airports, together with highways, railways and three famous institutions of higher learning. A host of foreign invested businesses located in Mexicali include Coco Cola, Nestle, Pepsi, Samsung and Sony.
During the Spring Festival of 1995, the “Friendship Pavilion”, designed by Nanjing architects and built by Mexicali workers, was officially completed. The pavilion is located in the Friendship Square of Mexicali, and it displays the architectural style typical of gardens in southern China. On the rooftop and floor of the pavilion are painted the city flowers of Nanjing and Mexicali; the plum blossom and cotton.
LIMASSOL, Cyprus (1992)Located on the southern coast of Cyprus is Limassol, the second largest urban area in the country, with a metropolitan population of 160,000. The Port of Limassol is one of the busiest in the Mediterranean transit and the largest in Cyprus. It has also become one of the most important tourism, trade and service-providing centers in the area. Limassol is renowned for its extensive cultural traditions and is home to the Cyprus University of Technology. A wide spectrum of museums and archaeological sites are also to be found in Limassol.
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LONDON, Canada (1997)In September 2017, a Nanjing delegation led by the vice Chairman of the People’s Congress, Lin Keqin, paid a visit to London and attended celebrations which marked the 20th anniversary of friendly ties between the two cities. Together with the delegation was the renowned Nanjing Little red Flower Art Troupe. In April and October of the same year, the then Director general of the Urban Development Bureau of London visited Nanjing and dropped in at a host of local businesses.
The Bureau of Education of London has collaborated with Jinling High School in the launching of a project named Direct Express Train to Studying at Canada. Initiated in 2015, the project is mainly targeted at high school students in Nanjing who intend to apply for public high schools in London and other Canadian schools.
PErTH, Australia (1998) Perth is a strong corporate power, being home to approximately 700 Australian Stock Exchange listed companies. There are also currently more than 300 international corporations with offices in Perth that service the oil and gas sector, including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Schlumberger and Apache Energy.
Perth’s geographical position is a key advantage for global businesses, situated in the same time zone as 60 percent of the world’s population (including China) and key international markets, such as Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur. For firms with significant interests in South-East Asian markets, Perth offers a distinct advantage over other Australian cities.
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (1999)Nanjing began communications with Bloemfontein in 1998, after which, in January, 1999, yang Zhi, Member of Standing Committee and Secretary general of Nanjing CPC Committee, led a delegation to Bloemfontein to sign a memorandum of friendship and exchange with the Municipality. In March, 2000, with the approval of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Nanjing and Bloemfontein formally concluded the Friendship City relationship. Bloemfontein is one of the three capital cities with judicial function in South Africa and is Nanjing’s first sister in Africa.
BARRANquILL, Columbia (2001)Secretary general, yang Zhi, of Nanjing, led a friendly working group visit to Barranquilla City, Colombia, in 2000 and signed a memorandum of friendship exchange with then Colombian vice President, Gustavo Bell.
Since then, regular visits between the two cities take place every year to create more opportunities and to exchange views on their respective economies. Culture, education and other cooperative aspects are the focus of the relationship.
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MALACCA, Malaysia (2008)On October 31, 2008, the city and Malacca became sister cities with Nanjing. Mayor, Jiang Hongkun, and Malacca Mayor, Jie Tan, signed a sister city agreement at the 30th anniversary of the provincial friendship city. In 2016, the Nanjing government presented a pair of 1.5-metre tall stone lions to Malacca. These two cities are rich in history and they believe more cultural communication will continuously go on between the two.
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei (2011)The history of exchange between nanjing and Brunei is immense, while the development of the two countries’ friendship has grown stronger and stronger. in 1408, the King of Brunei unfortunately died in China on account of illness. He left his will before his death, which read, “The body is to be buried in China”. Ming Chengzu buried him in nanjing with wang Li and wrote an inscription, helping lay the foundation of communication between the two cities.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1991, due to the presence of the King of Brunei’s tomb, the city of nanjing has frequent exchanges with Brunei. almost every year, Brunei guests come to visit the tomb of the King, with the friendship between the two cities helping to boost tourism, culture and the economy at large.
WINDHOEK, Namibia (2015) Close ties date back to when the region of Khomas in Namibia and China’s Jiangsu Province signed a memorandum of cooperation in 2013, covering tourism, culture, science and technology, as well as economy and trade. The Mayor of Windhoek expressed his hope that Nanjing would provide scholarships in science and technology to the citizens of Windhoek.
Ambassador of China to Namibia at the time, xin Shunkang, said that there should be established channels of communication between the two cities to expand the scope of cooperation to sports, food processing and real estate. Nanjing has also donated 100 sets of solar equipment to Windhoek.
MOgILEv, Belarus (2016)Nanjing and the Belarusian city of Mogiliov established friendly and cooperative city relations in 2014, becoming friendship cities in 2016. In September of that year, the mayors of both cities signed an agreement on establishing a Chinese medicine centre in Mogilev. Since then, the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, the Municipal Health Planning Commission and the Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine have jointly contributed to the Chinese Medicine Centre project.
Mayor Zumarev, who had attended the World Historical and Cultural City Expo that takes place in Nanjing, said, “Chinese medicine is amazing! When I was in Nanjing, I suffered from lumbar pain, and Chinese medicine made it better. So I can fly back to Mogiliov on a long-haul flight.” He said that the establishment of the TCM Centre will not only promote the healthy development of Mogiliov, but also enhance the friendship and cooperation between the two cities.
CONECEPCIÓN, Chile (2018)
On 7 December, Hugo Cautivo Baltierra, President of the Regional Conference of Bío Bío, Chile, and Alvaro Ortiz villa, Mayor of Concepción, met with vice Chairman of the CPPCC, xu Jinwan, and exchanged views on cooperation in the fields of education, medical treatment and humanities. After the meeting, the two went on to sign the memorandum of friendship and cooperation between Nanjing and Concepción.
Concepción is the capital of the Chilean Bio Bio region, located in the Zona Centro Sur, or Central South Zone of the South American country, some 500 kilometres from the nation’s capital, Santiago. The city is the second largest city in Chile and one of the country’s industrial and commercial centers.
BIEN HOA, Vietnam (2018) In May 2018, Nanjing Mayor, Lan Shaomin, met with representatives of Bien Hoa City and signed the “Friendly City Agreement”.
“Nanjing has a great Ming City Wall, and we also have a profound wall culture”, Fan yingyong, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Bien Hoa, said. Ever since 2014, Bien Hoa has been restoring the original architectural elements within its ancient city walls.
During his visit to Nanjing, Fan studied the practices of Nanjing and other historical and cultural cities in the preserving of ancient structures, drawing on her experience in protecting the city wall.
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SHIrAZ, Iran (2018)Nanjing’s official representative, the city mayor, Lan Shaomin, said at the signing of the Sister City agreement, “Shiraz and Nanjing are two historical cities in their countries, namely Iran and China. They have been the capital cities. It shows their major stance and potentials”. Including Nanjing and Chongqing, Shiraz now has a total of six sister city relationships. Shiraz and Nanjing will begin mutual cooperation in the academic, cultural and tourism fields. The two cities have similar gardens, highly accredited universities, and potential for tourist attractions and tourism development. Through signing this agreement, the way is paved for the exchange of knowledge, experience and skills exchange between the two cities, according to the Shiraz Municipality.
Situated on the northern coast of the island of Java, Indonesia is Semarang, a city with profound relations to China, dating back to the 15th century. In Semarang, Chinese footprints everywhere; it is even said that the name Semarang came from the Chinese sailing hero Zheng He. With a population of approximately 1.8 million, Semarang City stretches 5 kilometers along the coast, is the third port in Indonesia, after Surabaya and Jakarta.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two cities was signed by the Semarang Mayor, Hendrar Prihadi, and Mayor of Nanjing, Lan Shaomin, in October, 2018. The partnership is focused around education and scholarship schemes plus tourism. Moreover, Semarang is located along the maritime section of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
SEMArANg, Indonesia (2018) According to incomplete statistics, over the past 40 years, Nanjing has sent more than 2,000 professional groups to her sister cities and has received more than 7,000 visits. Such exchanges have covered industry, agriculture, science and technology, education, culture, health, sports and news. A wide range of fields, such as finance, environmental protection, logistics, tourism and talent training have effectively promoted the internationalisation process of Nanjing. going forward, the breadth and depth of exchanges and cooperation between the cities will further expand, while the 2018 to 2020 goal is to secure 3-4 new friendship cities each year.
By Z
hang Xiaohui, K
risten Wang &
Frank Hossack
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He
lping
Hand
s for the
Fore
ign C
om
mu
nity
IntERnAtIonALISInGnAnjInG
With no effort being
spared this year at raising
the international level of
Nanjing, new non-profit
organisations are popping
up all over the city, in
all divisions of society;
organisations such as the
Nanjing Foreign Affairs
Service Association
(NFASA).
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Until recently, a common misconception was that only first tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai had anything to offer by way of Western food; in Nanjing, 10 years ago most Nanjingers would only be able to name a
few fast food restaurants such as KFC and McDonald’s. Today however, Nanjing is developing with a thriving and international dining scene that complements local cuisine.
From food to linguistics; English is no more the only concentration for language learners. People come to an understanding of more diverse cultures by learning other languages, such as French, german, Japanese, Korean and so on. A bucket load of language exchange events take place on a weekly basis all around Nanjing.
As a hub of education, and in order to attract and encourage more outstanding international students to study and engage in academic research in Nanjing, the government established a “Foreign Student Scholarship” as long ago as 2013. Each year, more than 1,300 foreign students from 83 countries, including those in Asia, Africa and Europe receive scholarships worth a total of over ¥20 million.
This year, however, the mission has switched into overdrive. The “Number 1 Official Document” (一号文) each year released by the municipal government to hone the focus of the city’s work is in 2019 headlined with the word “internationalisation” (国际化).It is with this as a backdrop that 23 March sees the official opening of the NFASA. The rules for the establishing of such an official association in China are many and complex. According to Chinese law, Articles of Association need be drawn up, including first and foremost, the requirement for five “sponsor members”. In the case of the NFASA, the sponsors represent the five fields of culture, commerce, healthcare, education, plus science and technology, all areas in which Nanjing’s foreign community have keen interest. The NFASA’s sponsors are Nanjing Hefu Cultural Media, Sharehouse (Nanjing), Nanjing No. 1 Hospital, Nanjing International School, plus the Nanjing Economic and Technological Development Zone Science and Technology Association.
Back in September last year, the first member representative conference for the new Association was held, at which, in order for the Association to be recognised under Chinese law, representatives reviewed and unanimously approved the “Nanjing Foreign Affairs Service Association Charter (Draft)”, together with the first council members; Chairman of the Board, Cao Wentang; Deputy Directors, Dong Jinming, Wang Shukui, Li Huichuan and He Wen;
Directors, Liu Haining, Dai Jun, and Shi Shouning; plus concurrent Association Secretary, He Wen.
The Association’s mission is to carry out contact, communication and service work, by acting as a bridge between the city’s government organs, enterprises, institutions, schools, communities and other social organisations, as well as individual foreigners in Nanjing. The Association also aims to provide greater convenience for foreigners in Nanjing through assistance with shopping, housekeeping, education, healthcare, etc., so as to improve the livelihoods of foreigners in the city, as well as the city’s overall internationalisation.
Projects being undertaken by the Association to date include working with authorities at Nanjing South railway Station to provide English language signage at the ticket office, an obvious choice given that foreigners in China are virtually bound into collecting tickets in person, unlike locals who may simply use their ID card and/or face. It is hoped that, in time, additional English language may also be employed on the Nanjing public transportation system where currently there remains only Chinese.
Elsewhere, a series of dialogues have been initiated, with the management of Nanjing residential compounds in which live a considerable number of foreigners. By doing such, it is hoped to improve various amenities and services for the international community.
Hence to the physical home of the NFASA, a purpose-built facility in the Xianlin High Tech Innovation Park not far from Nanjing International School. The modern, contemporary design includes a café space (with the provision of operations for such subcontracted out to a third party supplier), an “art corner” that shall feature revolving exhibitions by local artists and a product display area in which is on show some of the many gifts the Foreign Affairs Office has received from Nanjing’s sister cities over the years.
Meetings, training programs, language exchange salons are but three example of uses to which the NFASA event space shall be put. qualifying members of the Association shall be permitted complimentary use of the space for their own events and activities.
In the next steps, NFASA will play a role of contact, guidance and service, to enhance the sense of belonging for foreigners living and working in Nanjing. The Association may also accumulate various resources that are only open to the outside world, and thus make new contribution to the city’s economic and social development, together with the ongoing internationalisation of Nanjing.
There is little that better signifies the
international stature of a city than its airport.
Over the past few years, the number of direct
international flights out of Nanjing Lukou
International Airport has quadrupled.
22
With Renée Gray Beaumont
Chomping
traditionally, being overweight in China was a sign of wealth, as only the rich could afford fatty or sugary foods. It was estimated that the number of undernourished people in China dropped from 386.6 million in 1969 to
142.1 million in 2002, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. Yet, China’s latest nutrition woe is now not a matter of how little people have to eat, but more a matter of how much; high cholesterol and obesity is rising and all fingers are (rightly so) pointed at the Western influence of fast food. While the West has certainly had a negative influence in China with regard to junk food and snacks, it has not always been so bad. China has been open to outside influence for around 2,000 years. As BBC presenter, Ken Hom put it, since the beginning of recorded history, foreigners have helped shape Chinese cuisine in many more ways than one, thanks mainly to agricultural trade. Indeed, hearty staples, such as rice, millet and soybeans were being cultivated long before traders arrived, but it is that which we see on our plates at Chinese restaurants in 2019 Nanjing which really showcases the various influences of the West.
Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) It all begins with the opening of the Silk Road during the Han Dynasty. Traders travelling east and west brought with them not only the seeds of new foods, but fresh ways in which to prepare it. This was when the Chinese perfected the art of fermenting soybeans and pickling vegetables, as well as working with mills that produced wheat for the first noodle production. Merchants during this period brought with them pepper, pomegranate, grapes, walnuts, sesame, watermelon,
cucumber, spinach, carrots, fennel, celery, onion and garlic.
Tang Dynasty (618-907) The Tang Dynasty really was China’s “Golden Age” of exploration and experimentation. Lead by China’s only female Empress and devout buddhist, Wu Zetian, this was an era with a vegetarian focus. The people of the Tang Dynasty popularised wheat, by creating dumplings, cakes and fried dough.
According to Top China Travel, this was when the first known cookbooks and nutritional textbooks appeared, along with Western goods such as leeks, shallots, spinach, lettuce, almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, sugar beets and figs.
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) A period of Islamic and Mongol influence, this was the time when Halal foods, yoghurt and mutton appeared on Chinese tables; as well as Southern European foods, such as peanuts, sweet potatoes and corn, those brought by Portuguese and Spanish explorers. French missionaries brought with them the white potato during the eighteenth century, and soon after, coastal living Chinese adapted peanuts, corn and potatoes to their diet, together with tomatoes, corn, squash and chili peppers from the New World.
The prices of imported goods in today’s China are astronomically inflated and clearly directed toward those of the upper class. Yet, imported foods in China’s past were reportedly mostly eaten entirely by the poorer classes up until the 18th century. China’s elite continued on a diet of meat and vegetables, shaping Chinese cuisine as we know it today.
Thru China
Food to the Chinese is everything. It is that for which life is worth living; no big decisions are made without first a feast,
gatherings are not gatherings without food.
XiguaI n t e r n a t i o n a l I n f l u e n c e o n C h i n e s e F o o d
In last month’s Strainer, I wrote to you from Wales.
Well, I’m back from Wales. But I’m not quite done with the Welsh theme yet. That’s because, you see, this is the month of St. David’s Day; 1 March, precisely.
When St. David’s Day comes around, children in Wales hold a talent show called an Eisteddfod. And every child has to dress themselves as Welsh for the day.
In most cases, that means wearing either a daffodil or a leek in the pocket of a blazer. Sometimes it’s just a daffodil, or a leek-shaped lapel badge.
A leek, by the way, is like a giant spring onion, an upscale scallion. China (north, especially) has similar long green onions, but a leek is wetter, and muddier throughout, like Wales.
So what’s this got to do with tea? you ask.
It’s because the tea leaves I’m drinking this morning look almost exactly like leeks. They’re called Taiping Houkui (太平猴魁), translatable as “Peaceful Monkey Leader”.
Like a leek, there’s that gradation from dark green at the tip to almost white at the root. These green tea “leaves” are not the tiny buds we’re used to; they are a cluster, long enough to span the palm of your hand. Picked in late April, they’re also wider than, say, Anji baicha (安吉白茶).
And did I mention that they’re beautiful? These leaves are almost transparent, so much thinner than any other flattened green tea, thinner than the page you’re reading this on, or the screen of your new Huawei phone. Green, brittle, radiant stained glass.
Houkui has two different monkey-themed legends explaining its name. The production process involves
many, many stages. It has a reputation as one of the green tea greats. And this batch seems to be a good one. It ought to be amazing.
But this is my third encounter. And I’m not yet smitten.
It certainly lives up to the mildness which houkui fans boast about. But is that really such a virtue? There’s clear benefit in a mild medicine or a mild winter. But a mild luxury is like a mild orgasm; what’s the point of that?
This tea requires a huge number of leaves in the cup, and gives little beyond the third infusion.
There’s none of that soapiness which real leeks and spring onions lean towards, nor the grassiness of the most polarising green teas. But what’s left?
Some of the biscuity aroma in the fresh leaves translates into the infused drink. The experience on the tongue is mildly pleasant. But the reputed “floral” qualities are as absent here as they were in my previous two encounters.
(For my first tasting of taiping houkui, I remember blaming my morning toothpaste for the lack of wow. The second was at home, and I blamed the “quality”, seemingly pressed with the same mold as strips of dried toufu.)
So I’m searching for tastes and comparisons. But the aroma comparison I’m thinking of is farms and pigs manure, from my childhood. The mildest hint.
Now, this has been a pretty iconoclastic takedown of a landmark tea. Later, I will feel doubtful of my judgment, as well as feeling (very) ungrateful.
But that pigs manure comparison should not be read as the most damning insult here.
I love those Welsh farms. They really smell of something.
Is that an onion in my cup?
By Matthew Stedman
The Longest Tea Leaf in the World
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The first order of business was learning how to cross the street. There are 5 million motorbikes in Hanoi among a population of about 7 million. They rush in and out of
intersections like floodwaters. Pedestrian crossings are nothing more than something to speed over. Traffic lights serve merely as guidelines.
TripBy Donyell Marshall
TH
E Beers for Barack & Bourdain in Hanoi
Yet a sense of order remains. While walking through Vietnam’s capital city could feel daunting, the onus was still on the motorbikes to not hit pedestrians, not on pedestrians to not get hit by the motorbikes. By the end of my first day in Hanoi, my instinct to hesitate had developed into an understanding that only by walking with a purpose would the motorists anticipate my movements and circumvent calamity.
Each morning began with a cup of egg coffee. The traditional Vietnamese beverage, also known as Cà Phê Trung, is a Hanoi specialty in which
a soft, creamy egg white foam is perched atop a small glass of robusta coffee. Served hot, it’s consumed with a spoon and rests in a small dish of hot water to maintain its temperature. As sweet as any dessert, the unique texture and flavor profile isn’t for everyone, but for those it’s for, it’s an essential start to the day. Try a cup at the humble Giang Café, widely credited with creating the sweet drink in 1946, when milk was scarce and egg yolk filled in as a replacement. A simple sign above a small alleyway signals you’re in the right spot. Walk down to the end and have your life irrevocably changed for the better.
There was a lightness and effervescence to the city that made the simple act of wandering around a satisfying use of the day. Hanoi excels at street food, its broad avenues pulsating with honking cars, storefront venders and street peddlers to create an environment I found exhilarating. There was a sense that, as long as you avoided getting obliterated by a motorbike and had a little money in your pocket, you could do just about anything.
The Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Temple of Literature and Vietnamese Women’s Museum were three of the best historical sites I visited. Each proved instructive in gaining a greater appreciation for Vietnamese culture. The same could be said of the enchantingly bizarre North Vietnamese tradition of water puppetry, which is simultaneously exactly and nothing like what it sounds. The less you know about it the better, but please, please, please do yourself a favor and go.
Bún cha Huong Liên was a given. You can trace pretty much everything about my approach to traveling back to some episode of “Parts Unknown,” so when chef/writer/television personality, Anthony Bourdain, who passed away last year, shared a meal with then President of
the United States, Barack Obama, at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in 2016... let’s just say it checked a lot of boxes for me.
So I wanted to see where it happened. I walked through the Old Quarter for a while as the sun went down. There were a few other people there, mostly Americans, Americans like me, feeling around for psychic resonance, asking the same questions in their minds, namely, Wait, is this the actual restaurant? Or is it that other restaurant, over there? And what even is “bún cha,” precisely?
“Obama?” I asked the cashier at the front sheepishly, and before I could finish, a waitress led me up a narrow staircase to a rear dining room on the second floor. Any sense of mystery vanished immediately. Positioned against the near wall, halfway across a space the size of a large bedroom, sat a stainless-steel table encased in protective glass, complete with empty beer bottles, chopsticks and staged dinnerware. A picture of Obama and Bourdain dining at the exact table hung above, just in case any confusion remained. “Not sure how I feel about this”, Bourdain wrote after posting a photo of the display on Instagram, which of course was the paradox of me being there in the first place; Bourdain selected this nondescript noodle joint specifically because of its unheralded nature. What are the chances I would have eaten there if they hadn’t done it before me?
I decided to cut myself some slack and took a seat at a table to the immediate left of the display, close enough that I would have been able to eavesdrop on their conversation about hot dogs and date nights with Michelle had we been there at the same time. A young waiter set down a bowl of grilled pork and unctuous broth, a plate of greens, a platter of shuddering noodles, and a sweating bottle of Vietnamese Beer. A cigarette butt lay below a “no-smoking” sign. I could see why they liked the place.
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FOR ARTS SAKEwith Francesca Leiper
“Dense Forrest and Layered Peaks” by Ju Ran, Tang Dynasty, British Museum. One of only two surviving works of the foremost landscape master. Fake.
“riverbank” by Dong yuan, Southern Tang, Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Art history would not have happened that way without this painting”. Also fake.
“Drinking and Singing at the Foot of a Precipitous Mountain” by Guan Tong, 10th century, Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Simply magnificent. Truly fake.
All three and many more were in fact the works of Zhang Daqian. Born into a lowly family in Sichuan in 1899, his exceptional talent and good helping of luck led him to become of the most renowned painters and master forgers of the 20th century, if not ever. So how did he do it?
Step 1: SKiLLS. Zhang spend several years of his early career in the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang at the edge of the Silk road, meticulously studying and copying wall paintings, sometimes for up to 14 hours in one day. The murals that he came to know by the back of his hand were exhibited around the world, propelling him into the public eye and equipping him with a repertoire of styles and modes across the history of Chinese painting.
But he was not only skilled at copying the work of others. He also developed a distinct style of his own that was deeply rooted in tradition yet immensely diverse, from the precise portraits to the abstract and expressive. He worked quickly and en masse. In 83 years of his long life, Zhang produced an average of 500 paintings per year.
Step 2: STuff. One might think forgeries nowadays could never pass the scrupulous testing of modern technology, but we must not blindly believe science is the answer. Zhang was well
versed in every asset of painting and fully aware of the importance of materials in making his finest forgeries. The crackled effect of aged silk was to convince its admirers without question, but later would be a trademark of his fakes.
Step 3: faCTS. Any Chinese art historian will tell you of the importance of fact checking – finding records of paintings in ancient catalogues and historic texts to backup attribution. For Zhang this was the ready-made provenance. He knew the paintings that collectors yearned to find – the Ju Rans, Dong Yuans and Guan Tongs – of which few others existed, until…
Step 4: audaCiTy. In case you were wondering if Zhang had time for anything else in life, he was also a great socialiser, constantly travelling the world and surrounding himself with friends and family (allegedly, he had four wives and fathered as many as sixteen children). His innumerable ‘guanxi’ helped him wriggle his paintings into world-renowned collections under the guise of ancient masters; while he himself was the guise of a traditional Chinese literati scholar, with his long cloak, wispy beard and pet gibbon.
Step 5: graCe.Perhaps a bit of ying and yang in life still played on Zhang’s conscience. Besides the reported 10 million dollars he made from his fakes to fuel an opulent lifestyle, he also donated several important works that have enriched collections of Chinese painting globally.
Zhang was an utter genius, whose outrageous behaviour and unmatched mastery won him the utmost respect in his field. His success as an artist has made him one of the most popular selling Chinese painters of his time and, ironically, the subject of today’s forgers. But what forger could ever fudge with the finesse of Zhang Daqian?
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5S T E P S
to Fudging with Finesse
Strong durian and lemon grass greets as the chefs pace like lions up and down the buffet. Mouth watering Malaysian and Singaporean curries, marinated ribs, laksa noodles and matcha crepe filled durian puddings tantalise guests. Top Pastry Chef, Moo, took great delight in showing The Nanjinger his vintage Malaysian ice slicer which sits beside, hands down, the best tiny desserts in Nanjing! The lemon meringue simply melt-in-your-mouth.
Executive Chef, yeoh Chin Foong, who started his culinary career at 14-years old, worked for the Dubai royalty and as the first Asian executive at the great Burj Al Arab. After living in Nanjing for 2 years, he spoke with true passion and excitement about his position here with the team at Panorama, Jumeirah Nanjing. The restaurant is run by a truly international entourage leading passionate young service staff, who are incredibly attentive throughout the entire meal.
Named for its panoramic views of the yangtze river, the restaurant provides a warm ambient atmosphere in an intimate setting. Start with the seafood table or perhaps the salad bar before moving onto mains, pizzas and shwarma, and finally finish with a cheese board and out-of-this-world desserts.
The luxurious Jumeirah group has moved in and single handedly lit a fire up the rear of an already stagnating
Nanjing industry; the hotel buffet. Raising the standard of buffet service to a much needed new level of chic and sophistication, we introduce Panorama, located on the 39th floor of the Zaha Hadid-designed Hexi Jumeirah, Nanjing.
Competitive prices, quality and standard of service are all at fine international level, and for China, impeccable. At ¥298 per person, every guest is allocated half a lobster, one piece of sea bass and unlimited wagyu steak; then a handful of French oysters and home smoked salmon… and we haven’t even got to the buffet yet.
Sticking to the hotel’s “Stay Different” ethos, the restaurant structures its food around a theme of the month; March Malaysia. Considering the restaurant employs top chefs from the very same, you can rest assured the food is as authentic as can be. Staff attire is traditional Malaysian dress and the restaurant is also thus decorated.
GASTRONOMY By Renée鹅 Gray Beaumont
Hotel Buffet Reinvented; And What a View!
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No Worries offers a Brunch, Coffee and Bar service, centred around an Australian menu, with a surrounding seaside atmosphere. The Australian Style Brunch offers a range of hot and cold dishes for under ¥100, such as Eggs Benedict and baked egg or smoked salmon bagel and oat porridge. The coffee, chai and Oatly latés indeed taste authentic, however, they lack in size (flat white) and heat. Personally, I prefer my coffee piping hot!
Come to No Worries for lunch or dinner and enjoy mains of steak, duck, lamb and pasta, couple it with a starter and soup and you have yourself a lovely, reasonably priced “Aussie” meal. No Worries excels at dessert, and they have most definitely mastered the infamous Australian Lamington, that which must be presented moist and fluffy. Try the strawberry and watermelon cake or raspberry and white chocolate mouse. vegan and vegetarian options are available and eyeing the fridge upstairs we also spotted a range of craft beers.
The owner of No Worries has certainly gone out of her way to bring a taste of sunny Australia to cloudy old Nanjing. Eating and drinking here is relaxing and warm. Service staff are attentive and speak English. There certainly is no “big chain” influence to worry about when visiting this homely boutique café.
No Worries is located at 12-2 Shipopoan, near Taipingbei Lu and close to 1912 石婆婆庵12-2号. Tel 17302559093
This month we explored the back streets of Taipingbei Lu on our way to No Worries, a Melbourne inspired café,
located a hop and a skip away from 1912. What makes a café good? What makes it authentic; what does a café have be in order to be taken seriously?
I had plans to meet with a friend for an afternoon coffee. She’s English and new to China. As a barista herself, she is vehemently opposed to big chain spoilers, such as Costa and Starbucks. So with that in mind, I knew exactly where to go. Having been to No Worries once before, I was sure she would be impressed.
Wondering around the neighbourhood, we stepped over discarded sugar cane, blocking path entrances overflowing with garbage and restaurant muck thrown into the street. We dodged e-bikers cutting corners piled high with delivery boxes, fruit and empty crates. Her expectations probably were not very high. yet, as we pressed on down Shipopoan, No Worries revealed itself.
A wide balcony sits above the café’s open bay windows, painted with soft yellow and white beach colours. Stools outside the windows invite customers to sit street side, while sipping coffee in the shade. Yet, that which is most striking is its spacious, modern and fresh feel. Architecturally, it is designed to mingle with nature, be open and feel clean.
30
GASTRONOMY By Renée鹅 Gray Beaumont
No Worries, Mate! Battle of the (Aussie) Brunch; Round 2
guests also enjoy the intimate service of Plat Du Jour; for The Nanjinger we received lobster and Hainanese chicken. All food is fresh, perfectly spiced and abundant. Included in the price of the buffet is a small selection of juices；; for an extra ¥60,； guests can enjoy additional free flow of wine and beer.
More than accommodating for the whole family, the restaurant also holds a cooking class at 18:30 everyday and a “dessert show” at 19:00, whereby chefs allow children and guests to smear piped puree all over a circular table, crack open chocolate balls and light-up the table with dry ice.
All in all, Panorama at Jumeirah Nanjing deserves a ten out of ten for quality, service and bang for the buck. Unfortunately, its location is quite far out, making it quite the trek to find if coming from downtown or xianlin, but get in early and settle in, for it sure is worth it.
Jumeirah Nanjing 南京卓美亚酒店 is located at 2 Yecheng Lu, Jianye District 建邺区邺城路2号. Tel 58780888
Dashuwujie, one of five “Black Pearl” (黑珍珠) restaurants in nanjing, known as the Michelin of China, breaks all
Chinese vegetarian stereotypes. far from being attached to temples that only serve vegan meals for monks, it is surprising to find such a fancy vegetarian restaurant located in Xinjiekou’s deji Plaza, serving creative Chinese dishes combined with western and Japanese cooking concepts.
Stepping inside, i was impressed by the charming decor, the waitress’ welcome with warm greetings and a smile, the delicate flowers on every table and the fresh scent of lily diffused all around. everything spells spring, for which dashuwujie have created a new menu with a light-taste and more than a tint of green.
an interesting and rich appetiser, with multiple layers started us off, while the effort put in to poetically naming each dish is evident; this dish, for example, being called “春意盎然”, somewhat labouriously in english, “Spring blossom is evident everywhere in this world”. Two kinds of raw cauliflowers give it a chewy and crispy texture; sliced sour lemon is accompanied by a salty pepper mix.
dashuwujie also uses a lot of local vegetables to create new dishes. Seleng wormwood, for example, is a nanjing specialty; it and asparagus look exactly like branches, a quality again reflected in the name. in addition, black truffle helps balance both colour and taste, a concept borrowed from “yinyang”.
interestingly, inspiration for dishes is drawn not only from Chinese cuisines, but also from france and Japan. “卷春” (roll of Spring; nice play on words), for example, is quite popular because of its outer layer; made from lotus root, chefs employ a Japanese technique that renders slices thin enough to curl. Meanwhile, just as french cuisine demands a balance of colour, so does dashuwujie. The avocado mousse dessert is a must try; its milky and creamy avocado taste pervading the mouth, while a match of white and green provides for visual and culinary perfection.
according to resident chef, gao Jiafeng, only 5 percent of Chinese people have the opportunity to have a taste the kind of rice served up in dashuwujie, as it is grown on the nutritious black soils (黑土) of Haerbin, while the quality of ingredients employed need be a focus, given their call for a new and healthy lifestyle. as the only Black Pearl vegan restuarant in nanjing, dashuwujie is undoubtedly leading the trend for vegan tastes not only here, but across China too.
Dashuwujie is located on 6F, Deji Plaza Phrase 2, 18 Zhongshan Lu 新街口中山路18号德基广场F617. Tel 86777661/86777662
GASTRONOMY By Kristen Wang
Black Pearl (Michelin)Veggie Heaven in Nanjing
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Branded Content
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Year 1 and Year 2 students at The British School of Nanjing performed “Roald Dahl Revolting Rhymes - Little
Red Riding Hood and the Wolf ”. The audience was enthralled in the performance, and no
one would have expected Little Red Riding Hood did not need to
be saved!
Lil’ RedRiding Hood28 February, 2019
If you would like to see photos from your event on these pages, contact us via [email protected]. Conditions apply.
Run Rabbit Run24 February, 2019
With one keen participant resplendent in a Scottish kilt, the Nanjing Hash House Harriers set off from Baijia Lake to ascend Cuiping Mountain, trying out their new pur-pose-built Hash cups for the all-important beer. Nanjing Hashers are now looking for-ward to their Red Dress Run on 19 May, whereby all profits will be donated to charity.
33If you would like to see photos from your event on these pages, contact us via [email protected]. Conditions apply.
Nanjing International School won their first cup for top school in the North East Asia Mathematics competition (NEAMC),
an annual, international and rigorous 2 and a half days of mathematical challenges aimed at students in
Grade 8 or younger, with an additional emphasis on providing pupils with
opportunities to build teams and friendships with peers from
other schools.
Living byNumbers1-3 March, 2019
34If you would like to see photos from your event on these pages, contact us via [email protected]. Conditions apply.
36
THELegal notes from
The Nanjinger
in association with:D’Andrea & Partners Law Firm
or foreigners aiming to invest in China, much attention must be paid to a big change coming about in legislation that is the Foreign Investment Law (Draft), issued by the National People’s Congress on December 26, 2018, presenting a new blueprint for foreign investment law. The Draft would seem to indicate that the overall legislative goal for the Foreign In-vestment Law has shifted, from its previous highly detailed operational approach to one that is now focused on princi-ples and guidance.
Main Changes
The expected new Draft may be passed and promulgated in the very near future, thus replacing the original three for-eign-invested enterprise laws (the original “three foreign laws” being the People’s Republic of China Foreign Invest-ment Enterprise Law, the Chinese-Foreign Cooperation En-terprise Law of the People’s Republic of China, and the Chi-nese-Foreign Joint Venture Enterprise Law of the People’s Republic of China), becoming the basic law for promoting, protecting and managing foreign investment in China.
The implementation of the national treatment principle for foreigners and the equal management of domestic and foreign investment has caught much attention. In the near future, China’s foreign-funded management model and openness will be fully integrated with countries with high-er levels of openness in the international arena, in order to achieve high-level investment liberalisation and facilitation.
Highlights of the New Draft
Among the highlights of the Draft are clear responses to various long-held concerns from foreign investors, which should go some way to improving the environment for foreign investment and shoring up foreign investors’ con-fidence therein.
(i) National Treatment: Unless otherwise stipulated, na-tional policies to support of the development of enterprises will apply in the same way to foreign-invested enterprises as they do to domestic-invested ones (Article 9);
ii) Prevention of compulsory technology transfer: The terms of any technology cooperation associated with foreign investment shall be determined by all invest-ment parties through negotiation. Administrative means should not be used by administrative agencies or their officers to compel the transfer of technology transfer (Article 22); and
iii) Governmental commitment: Local governments and their relevant departments shall strictly keep all policy commitments made according to law, and perform con-tracts concluded according to law (Article 24).
Comments
The definition of “foreign investment” in the Foreign In-vestment Law (draft) is not very clear. Even though foreign investment includes foreign investors investing in China through laws, administrative regulations or other methods prescribed by the State Council, whether providing more than 1 year of financing for domestic enterprises is included still remains to be further studied and observed. Note that this kind of investment was accepted in previous laws, but has been deleted in the new draft.
The new draft temporarily puts aside issues related to the legality and oversight model of the Variable Interest Entity (VIE) structure, but allows future rule making to address these issues by including comprehensive provisions. It is also speculated that the VIE structure regulation may be temporarily suspended in all aspects or will be imple-mented as a pilot program for certain sensitive industries (such as the private education industry).
The definition of the Foreign Investment Law (Draft) does not distinguish between wholly foreign-owned enterprises and Sino-Foreign joint ventures that have existed for many years. The handling of the convergence of the original laws and the current draft is essential and will bring about a sig-nificant impact to enterprises’ management systems. We therefore look to more detailed and operational regulations to solve this problem.
FNew Law to Prevent Compulsory Technology Transfer
DISCLAIMER
This article is intended solely for informational purposes and does not constitute
legal advice. Although the information in this article was obtained from reliable offi-
cial sources, no guarantee is made with regard to its accuracy and completeness.
For more information please visit dandreapartners.com or WeChat: dandreapartners
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To assist with journey planning, The Nanjinger’s Metro Map includes first and last train times for every station.
