China

The BBC reports that infants in southern China have been taken from parents who exceeded the two-child policy for rural families. Officials exact a fine of $3,000 from parents that breach family-planning laws, an amount that is several times a local farmer's annual income. According to an investigation by the Chinese Southern Metropolis Daily, over 80 baby girls were "confiscated" from families in Guizhou province that could or would not pay the fine, taken into orphanages and later adopted by couples from across Europe and the United States. The fees extorted for adoption totalled $3,000 and were reportedly split between the orphanages and local officials.

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Washington, D.C. isn't the only city facing a rash of problems with its subway system these days.

A Beijing train went into "Explosion Mode" on Sunday as a piece of scrap metal touched the electrically-charged third rail, setting off "two explosions in the tunnel":

Just about every last soul on the train started -- in essence -- crapping out, totally unable to believe that this kind of trauma was happening. The train had just managed to approach Fuxingmen when a third explosion was reported. At this point, people just got out of the train the moment the doors opened and got the hell out of the station. Smoke was pretty much everywhere.

The state news media didn't report the story, but it's probably safe to assume Chinese riders, like their counterparts in the United States, might be avoiding front cars for a while.

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China's reserve currency proposal might be getting the big financial headlines today, but for millions of online games, the People's Republic's crackdown on imaginary gold is a much bigger story.

If you were a level-three dwarf but had insufficient magic points to defeat that nine-headed dragon, what would you do? Many online multiplayer gamers would probably whip out their credit card, buy a few hundred gold pieces for $5 and pump themselves full of magic before venturing into the dragon's lair. Until now.

The practice of intentionally earning and hoarding game currency -- with the ultimate aim of selling it to others for real money -- was declared illegal this week in China, where as much as 80 percent of the world's so-called "gold farming" takes place. The gold farming craze has spawned "an enormous Chinese workforce earning 30 cents an hour playing MMOs and harvesting treasure to supply the major retailers."

In all, InformationWeek reports, nearly $150 million in virtual currency was traded last year. Worldwide, the industry rakes in some $1 billion a year from players eager to make their mark on their favorite fantasy universe online.

Buying gold from the farms might come off as cheating when compared to the honest players who earn gold through their own hard work. But to look at it another way -- isn't this all about entrepreneurial spirit?

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If there were still any doubts about capitalism's arrival in China, this puts it to rest. Wealthy mainlanders are increasingly taking to the grassy fields as polo becomes yet another mode of expression:

The founder of the Nine Dragons Hill Polo Club, today's host in fact, is Steve Wyatt. He says in China polo is becoming the perfect way to show you have made it.

"It is hats, beautiful dresses, finest champagne, whisky and people looking at the best cars," he explains.

Is China learning to trot before it can walk?

Shanghaiist has a very interesting roundup of Web message board reactions to Iran's election from China, a country that knows a thing or two about the government stifling dissent. Many of those commenting faulted the government not for cracking down on the protests, but for bothering to hold sham elections at all, and allowing the protests to get out of hand:

"The Iranian presidential election evolved after decades but now is triggering so many protests and riots; I am not sure how the liberal wings of the party would think? Use the army. Whoever fights against the government should be killed. There are so many people in Iran so killing several hundreds of thousands is not a big deal. What does the army do? Foolish (Iranian government)."

Barack Obama's caution also doesn't seem to have convinced Chinese netizens that the U.S. isn't behind all of this:

"America is always opposed to the other countries' democracy because American politics is a fake democracy; it is really the 'presidential dictatorship.' However, America asks other countries to be 'fake democracies' -- killing the real democracy!" 

...

"When Bush was elected as the American president, he cheated too. But Al Gore was rational and admitted that he lost because of national stabilization. Mousavi has America as his biggest backer but not many Iranian supporters. He should admitted that he lost."

It's a very small sample size and I'm sure not universally representative of Chinese opinions, but telling nonetheless.

(Hat tip: Josh Kucera)