The Water Cube Unveiled, China

Looks awesome.

clipped from news.xinhuanet.com Photo taken on Jan. 28, 2008 shows the exterior view of the National Aquatics Center also known as "Water Cube" in Beijing. The National Aquatic Center was delivered for use on Monday after four years of construction. (Xinhua Photo/Luo Xiaoguang) clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn clipped from www.plasticsnews.com clipped from www.tropolism.com Wacky in a way only state-sponsored architecture can be is the National Swimming Center in Beijing, going up right next to another of H&DM's stadiums (no, not this one). The center is enclosed by what appears to be a wall whose structure is an irregular spaceframe (made to resemble the cellular pattern of soap bubbles) and is clad in what appears to be a frosted or patterened glass. All of this from a wonderful photo gallery at Structurae. The building was conceived by Australian-based PTW Architects. Structural design by Arup, of course. clipped from www.sportsvenue-technology.com clipped from images.google.com

Clinton digs in on toxic toys after China's 'slander' charge

clipped from afp.google.com Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton Friday slammed China for calling her criticism of made-in-China toys "slander," and urged Washington to take "immediate, decisive steps" to protect US children. "This is the same government that just this month revoked the licenses of more than 750 of its toy companies because of quality control problems and ordered another 690 to renovate or improve their facilities, even as it asserted that 99 percent of toy exports met quality standards," Clinton said in her statement. "And the Chinese government's watchdog agency reported earlier this year that 20 percent of the toys made and sold in China pose safety risks. That is unacceptable." Clinton also took up China's claim that the majority of problems with Chinese toy exports were due to "design faults by (foreign) importers and designers." China is the world's top toy exporter, selling 22 billion toys overseas last year, or 60 percent of the globe's total.

China Continues to Export Inflation

Is this going to lead to an inflation tsunami down the road. My vote? Yes.

clipped from blogs.wsj.com Prices of U.S. imports from China rose 0.3% in August, the fourth consecutive monthly rise of at least that magnitude, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this morning. Before May, they had never risen by more than 0.2% in one month since publication of the data began in December, 2003. The increase came in a month when total import prices fell 0.3%, or 0.1% excluding oil. China’s shift from source of deflation to source of inflation appears to reflect a strengthening Chinese currency, upward pressures on wages and other costs there, and rising prices of energy and commodities used to make many Chinese goods. Prices of imports from China are up 1.1% from a year earlier, the BLS said. Total import prices are up 1.9%,or 1.5% excluding oil. – Greg Ip