China-Related Thanksgiving Headlines
Turkeys Spread Wings in China
With more and more foreigners expatriating to China, this time of year, Turkey farms both in the mainland and abroad are cashing in. The China Daily reports that China imports around 100,000 tons of turkeys per year, 40% of which are sold during the Thanksgiving season. While Kung Pao Turkey and Turkey Fried Rice have yet to catch on in China (or be invented), mostly all of the turkeys imported to China end up in the homes of foreigners or in the restaurants in which foreigners eat. But as one Beijing-based Turkey farmer told the China Daily, “While very few Chinese people eat turkey now, the number is growing.”
China Denies Access to U.S. Aircraft Carrier
If the Thanksgiving holiday had a Scrooge, it would be China. From a Reuters story Wednesday, 8,000 U.S. airmen and sailors will be stranded in the South China Sea for Thanksgiving this year as China refused permission for the ship to dock in the Hong Kong harbor, where many of the crew members’ relatives are waiting to greet them. The move comes as a surprise to the U.S. military who could not get a clear explanation from China’s authorities. Reuters speculates that the move could be in response to George Bush’s meeting with the Dalai Lama last month or the U.S. intention to sell Taiwan a $940 million upgrade to its missile system. So all you Americans out there away from your families for Turkey Day, be thankful you’re not on an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea.
‘I’m Thankful for my Garbagemen’
In Hangzhou on Wednesday, university students celebrated the American holiday by giving thanks to the city’s sanitation workers. While China technically doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, apparently Hangzhou’s students thought the American holiday would be a good excuse to make red paper hearts to present to their garbagemen. While paper hearts are nice, I’m sure these street sweepers would have foregone these gifts for a good old American 4-day weekend.
Barbie Contracts Lead Poisoning
And finally, filed under “strange,” “stupid” and “anti-China” comes a new internet political ad from the the Campaign for America’s Future calling for the resignation of America’s Consumer Product Safety chairwoman Nancy Nord. The ad blames Nord for the rash of toxic toys made in China entering the American consumer market. As Fox News points out, a slew of anti-China consumer ads are hitting the internet in preparation of “Black Friday,” the official beginning of the American holiday season. In the ad, Barbie and Ken engage in a wild night of make-up sex and a week later, Barbie comes down with a disease. While the viewer is made to think it might be an STD, it turns out to be lead poisoning. Anyone who’s seen Ken naked knows he’s not giving anyone an STD.
I like how the cell phones glued to their heads say “Made In China.” Nice touch.