Newspaper readership has been in a steady decline since the 1990’s. This was due to competition from radio and television at first and then the internet. The last of these is now being used as a tool to reverse the loss of revenue. To make up for fewer readers of their paper editions, major dailies have begun to charge for downloads. One publication that does not have a revenue problem to contend with is the China Daily which can be found on the net at www.chinadaily.com.cn. It has the support of its government to disseminate knowledge of China throughout the world. As such, articles of interest that one would have to pay for elsewhere, can be obtained here for free. A word of caution is in order. Since this publication is an instrument of the Chinese government, news about that country should be read with some skepticism. That said, I found the articles to be very well written. I also came upon obvious bias in an article about Tibet and a few others. However, I appreciated the chance to read about major news stories from the perspective of the Chinese themselves.
The site contains much more than just news about China. It includes business and international reports, as well as, sports, entertainment, and others. The most recent edition that I downloaded had articles about the Nigerian oil industry, Rio Tinto’s mining operation in Australia, and current tensions in US China relations. The business section includes graphs and corporate reports of listed companies. For those wishing to trade with Chinese companies, there are good links where one can search or post their requirement. My personal favorites are the sections with photos. The site has many of them and they are some of the best that I have seen.
As China becomes more important in world affairs, the need to learn more about what is happening in that country becomes paramount. There is no doubt that our proximity to the United States has enabled us to take advantage of its dominant economy. We must now shift our focus to a country that is rapidly growing in strength and in ability to make major investments outside its borders. Its influence is re-emerging and being aware of what is happening in that country is one way to take advantage of the new opportunities this presents. If there is any doubt as to why one should spend time reading articles published in China itself, think of any articles about Canada written by foreign correspondents. How accurate were they? I am certain that the same can be said of news about China. Whether one is considering trade with that country or not, an occasional review of this site is certain to reveal new and worthwhile information.
China Daily (www.chinadaily.com.cn)
Reviewed by William Petryk, CMA
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