The Beijing Olympics came to an explosive end on Sunday night with Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s (張藝謀) less-than-creative closing ceremony. There was a massive fireworks display and hundreds of performers. More than 60 pop stars also took part in the extravagant festivities, with entertainment big shots including Jackie Chan (成龍), Andy Lau (劉德華), Wang Lee-hom (王力宏) and Emil Chow (周華健) all battling to get camera time as they sang songs with schmaltzy titles such as Beijing, Beijing, I Love Beijing (北京，北京，我愛北京).
Though the average screen time for each of these A-list stars was less than one minute, gossip columnists where not slow to point out that they did better than the artists taking part in the opening ceremony, who got no screen time at all due to its sheer length. The Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) caustically commented on the “ambient sounds that served to see off tens of thousands as they vacated the stadium,” to describe the concert telecast from the opening ceremony.
“It didn’t feel nice,” said Chan’s actor son Jaycee Chan (房祖名), commenting on Chan’s discontent over his cursory treatment at the closing ceremony by Chinese-speaking media. Chan was on screen for 45 seconds according to figures released by Southcn.com (南方網), a news Web site. This was significantly better than Stefanie Sun (孫燕姿) who, according to the same source, only garnered one second of screen time. Pop Stop knows it must be hard for Chan, especially considering that the aging kung fu superstar is one of China’s most trustworthy ass-kissers.
One of China’s least favorite celebrities, actress Tang Wei (湯唯), became a citizen of Hong Kong on Monday, a change in status that should allow her to continue her acting career, which had stalled following her performance in Lust, Caution (色戒) in 2007. According to a report posted on Internet site Now News (今日新聞), Tang has had bans placed on her appearing on TV and other media because of her steamy performance in that film. As a citizen of the former British colony, it is suggested, she will now be able to pursue her goal of becoming the next Zhang Ziyi (章子怡).
As for Zhang herself, her acting credentials are in danger of being overshadowed by gossip about her relationship with Vivi Nevo, an Israeli capitalist and major shareholder in Time Warner. She is also working the floor with high-society types, and at a charity party held in Beijing last Friday, the 25-year-old star was spotted exerting her charms on Britain’s former prime minister Tony Blair. Even an unintended reunion with ex Huo Qishan (霍啟山) didn’t cause Zhang to lose her cool. The media-savvy star demonstrated how a lady should act in such an unflattering situation. She politely kissed her old flame and passionately hugged his dad, who happens to be a powerful political magnate in China.
Turning to Taiwanese gossip tidbits, CTTV “talent” contest One Million Star (超級星光大道) alumnus Aska Yang (楊宗緯) might once again be a victim of his own arrogance. Promotions for the DVD recording from his May Taipei Arena (台北小巨蛋) concert, which hit record stores two weeks ago, have reportedly been suspended indefinitely due to continuous squabbling between the crooner and his agent Tehsu International (特許國際). Having decided that he didn’t like the terms he had agreed with Tehsu, Yang fired the assistant the agent had assigned to him and hired a lawyer as a go-between. Pop Stop’s advice to the star: don’t overestimate your staying power. Taiwanese consumers are notoriously fickle. Just look at what has happened to Hello Kitty and the craze for egg tarts. Is Yang heading for the same kind of oblivion?
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
On March 13 President William Lai (賴清德) gave a national security speech noting the 20th year since the passing of China’s Anti-Secession Law (反分裂國家法) in March 2005 that laid the legal groundwork for an invasion of Taiwan. That law, and other subsequent ones, are merely political theater created by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to have something to point to so they can claim “we have to do it, it is the law.” The president’s speech was somber and said: “By its actions, China already satisfies the definition of a ‘foreign hostile force’ as provided in the Anti-Infiltration Act, which unlike
Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the fairest Disney live-action remake of them all? Wait, mirror. Hold on a second. Maybe choosing from the likes of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mulan (2020) and The Lion King (2019) isn’t such a good idea. Mirror, on second thought, what’s on Netflix? Even the most devoted fans would have to acknowledge that these have not been the most illustrious illustrations of Disney magic. At their best (Pete’s Dragon? Cinderella?) they breathe life into old classics that could use a little updating. At their worst, well, blue Will Smith. Given the rapacious rate of remakes in modern
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