The Nanfang / Blog

Jaycee Chan and Kai Ko To Lose Millions in Endorsements

Posted: 08/19/2014 7:23 pm

jaycee jackie chan tea endorsementJaycee Chan and Kai Ko are the latest of a number of celebrities, notably from Hong Kong and Taiwan, that have been charged with drug-related offenses, mostly in and around Beijing. As people wait for the fallout from the arrests, there’s one thing we can be certain of: both celebrities will lose a lot in endorsement money.

Many celebrities make the majority of their earnings from lucrative endorsement deals. Estimates vary, but some sources say the figure tops RMB 70 million a year.

As a rising star, Ko is considerably more famous than Chan, but the two still have 25 endorsement deals between them. Ko has endorsement deals with KFC, Nivea men’s skin cream, Stride chewing gum, Chevrolet cars, Cornetto ice cream, and Maybelline BB skin cream. Meanwhile, Chan has endorsement deals with Yuanye tea, Dove chocolate, and Kangta athletic shoes.

kai ko nivea

But since Chinese television has a zero tolerance towards drug use, it is very likely that all of these commercials will be pulled from broadcast.

Mr Li, who works in entertainment management, gave this estimate:

For a hot young guy like Kai Ko, a single endorsement deal should be worth about RMB four million a year. That means if he currently has 19 endorsement deals, he should be making about RMB six million a month. This does not take into consideration his fee made when performing in movies.

On the other hand, Jaycee’s worth should be lower than Kai’s. It can’t really be calculated, but his six endorsement deals should earn him somewhere around RMB two to three million a year.

CCTV estimated the loss of revenue from cancelled endorsement deals to be worth “hundreds of millions” without providing specifics, while Xinhua made an estimate of RMB 50 million a year.

It’s still too early for this pair to consider a comeback, but even that might be difficult once some time has passed. On August 13, a number of prominent Chinese entertainment agencies publicly signed a contract that blacklisted any talent that used drugs.

In 2011, Jaycee Chan’s father, Jackie Chan, announced that he was leaving his vast fortune to charity, and not to his children.

jaycee chan dove commercial

Before it gets lost to time, here’s a Dove commercial featuring Jaycee Chan and Guo Caijie.

Photos: starpedia77y4, nipicadquan

Haohao

Knife-Wielding Expat Shot Dead By Police in Downtown Foshan [UPDATED]

Posted: 08/12/2014 7:54 pm

foreigner shot foshan A male foreigner is dead after being confronted and shot by police when reportedly wielding a knife and attacking people in downtown Foshan, Guangdong Province.

At around 6pm on August 10 at the entrance to Huangqi Yifu Plaza, a man described as “dark-skinned” was carrying a knife with a blade estimated at 20cm long that he used to chase and stab pedestrians, reports Foshan Daily.

Police from the Nanhai sub-station were dispatched to the scene where they were able to successfully corner the suspect at Huangqi Bridge. When trying to subdue the suspect, police were met with force as the suspect violently resisted arrest and used the knife to attack police.

Police are said to have fired two warning shots to no effect. Police then opened fire on the suspect, who was struck in his right and left legs. Subdued, the man was sent to hospital for medical treatment.

Later that night at 8pm, the man died in hospital. A urine analysis has showed that the suspect was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the assault.

No other casualties have been reported. The nationality of the man is unknown.foreigner shot foshan 01

***

UPDATED 11am, August 13: Pictures from the incident have been added.

There are no reported updates on the police investigation into the man’s death. Here is a link to a news clip of the incident.

Photo: Sina News Video

Haohao

Police Doing Spot Drug Tests at Beijing Bars

Posted: 08/11/2014 11:21 am

dos kolegas beijing barWarranted or not, Beijing bars have a notorious reputation for heavy alcohol and drug use. Just last month, photographs were taken of several expats seen mistreating a man who had fallen unconscious, while a Sanlitun drug bust in May resulted in the arrest of 30 suspects that included 10 foreigners. But are Beijing bars really that bad?

It seems Beijing police think so, and are willing to take extraordinary steps to crackdown on illicit drug use. A tweet sent by Twitter user Stephen McDonell suggests that Beijing police are going into local bars and conducting on-the-spot drug tests on anyone in the premises, both locals and expats:

McDonell describes the urine drug test:

In another tweet, McDonell said he was at Dos Kolegas, a popular local bar known for its live music performances, located north of Chaoyang Park and east of the Sanlitun bar street.

The FDA says a urine drug of abuse home test may be able to determine the presence of any of these drugs: marijuana, cocaine, opiates, methamphetamine, amphetamines, PCP, benzodiazepine, barbiturates, methadone, tricyclic antidepressants, ecstasy, and oxycodone.

Photo: Dos Kolegas

Haohao

China Executes Two Foreigners for Drug Trafficking in Guangzhou

Posted: 07/3/2014 1:22 pm

Two people from Uganda were executed in Guangzhou on June 25 after being convicted of drug trafficking. The remains of two are still in China as officials wait for the families to pay for the cost of transport, reports New Vision.

At the time of arrest, Omer Ddamulira and Andrew Ham Ngobi were carrying 28 kg and 15 kg of cocaine, respectively, say sources at the Uganda mission in Beijing. The cocaine they were carrying was worth $2.6 million.

Charles Wagidoso, Uganda’s ambassador to China, said efforts were being made to return the remains of the two men, both of whom were cremated. The Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Ugandan government does not pay for the transportation of Ugandans who die abroad.

Ministry spokesperson Fred Opolot explained said, “Financially it would be an extremely heavy burden,” but expressed optimism that bilateral agreements between China and Uganda will provide for the transfer of prisoners between the two countries, even for convicted drug traffickers and those who have died.

Ngobi’s wife, Marriam Nabbanja, spent months not knowing her husband had been arrested. She was finally told of her husband’s fate by Interpol, but remains unconvinced of Ngobi’s guilt. She said he was a trouble-free man for three years, adding, “Why didn’t they arrest him at the airport when he was entering if indeed he had cocaine?”

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

Haohao

Guangdong Has China’s Very Own Celebrity Rehab Center

Posted: 06/27/2014 9:46 am

huizhou drug rehab When celebrity Chinese TV writer Ning Caishen, aka Chen Wanning and creator of the popular TV comedy My Own Swordsman (武林外传), and director Zhang Yuan were both caught doing drugs, we figured that they may soon be going to rehab to clean themselves up. Fortunately there’s a place that caters to people just like them: the rich, powerful, and famous — and addicted to drugs.

After news of the two celebrity arrests broke yesterday, Yangcheng Evening News reported that Huizhou “conveniently” houses one of the most luxurious rehab centers for celebrities, entrepreneurs and government officials, the Huizhou Luofushan Patient’s Rehabilitation Center.

Founded in 1992 and boasting a European-style resort decor, the center charges up to RMB 68,000 for a 20 day stay, and includes meals, medication and most importantly, privacy. Because let’s be honest, for celebrities, officials or cash-strapped entrepreneurs, a drug scandal is probably not the kind of attention they want to attract.

huizhou drug rehab

To meet the needs of its high-end clientele, the owner of the rehab center spent RMB 30 million on its renovation in 2013 to turn it into “the most luxurious rehab center” in the Pearl River Delta. Offering a limited 70 king-sized beds with TV and air conditioning, the center charges a minimum of RMB 7,000 per day including meals and medication, the report said.

READ: Drug Crimes by Foreigners in China Up 17%,
Guangdong a Particular Problem

Some of the patients at the rehab center consider it another stop on the party train. Patient Zhang Long (a pseudonym), told a reporter in 2013 while smoking a cigarette:

We’re not allowed to hit the bars or go hang out with our friends. Instead, all we can do is talk with fellow patients about our our “glory days”. I used to be somebody important, made a lot of money, had a lot of friends. Right now, they’re still probably still having fun.

June 26 marked the symbolically-important “International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking”. With a high-profile crackdown on drugs currently making the rounds in China, Zhang Yuan and Ning Caishen could be expecting company.

We could soon have a Chinese version of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.

Here are some more photos of the Huizhou rehab center:

huizhou drug rehabhuizhou drug rehab

READ: Drug Sting At Hotel in Guangzhou Nets 10 Foreigners

huizhou drug rehab

huizhou drug rehabhuizhou drug rehab

READ: Drug-Riddled Guangdong Town Presents Challenge to Police

huizhou drug rehabhuizhou drug rehab

Related:

Photos: huizhou.home77

Haohao

Drug Crimes By Foreigners in China Up 17%, Guangdong A Particular Problem

Posted: 06/26/2014 2:18 pm

Foreigners are committing more drug crimes in China, and it appears Guangdong is one of their favorite spots to operate. There has been a 17% increase in drug-related crimes by foreigners across the country in the past year, with police focusing on Guangdong as a particular problem, reported China Daily.

Liu Yuejin, director of the narcotics control bureau for the Ministry of Public Security, described the drug problem:

“Due to high market demand, the desire for profits, and loose management, foreign drug gangs are active in southern China, including Guangdong and Yunnan provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region,”

READ: Drug Sting At Hotel in Guangzhou Nets 10 Foreigners

There were 1,491 drug-related crimes involving foreigners last year in China, a year-on-year increase of 15.4%. This lead to the arrests of 1,963 foreign drug suspects, an increase of 17.3% from the year before.

Liu said the majority of foreign suspects are of African origin, and they tend to smuggle heroin from the Golden Crescent (consisting of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan) or marijuana and cocaine from Africa and South America.

Cui Qingchao, deputy director of the Guangzhou customs anti-smuggling department, said foreign traffickers are able to cheaply purchase methamphetamine in the Guangdong cities of Lufeng and Jieyang.

READ: Nigerian Man Caught Using Chinese Girlfriend to
Smuggle Drugs Out of Guangdong

Cui said that some African drug suspects serve as “agents” for Pakistani drug lords. Cui goes on to say,

“After obtaining drugs from these drug lords, they usually hire foreign traffickers who hide the drugs in their bodies or luggage. They take the drugs to Beijing and Shanghai or send them to Guangdong and other provinces through express mail services.”

Despite language barriers and a predisposition to commit violence posed by these foreigners, Liu said authorities will increase supervision of foreign residents, especially in Guangdong.

Related:

Photos: Georgia Expunge

Haohao

Drug-Riddled Guangdong Town Presents Challenge to Police

Posted: 06/25/2014 8:00 am

A police raid on Boshe village in December, 2013.

Like other Chinese provinces, Guangdong often launches ill-fated campaigns against corruption, prostitution or terrorism. While some campaigns enjoy moderate levels of success, when it comes to the drug trade, attempts at intervention have been less than stellar. Not to put too fine a point on it, the province’s Deputy Police Chief recently admitted that he is unable to eradicate drug production in Lufeng.

READ: Drug Sting at Hotel in Guangzhou Nets 10 Foreigners

“It will take arduous work over a long period to solve the problem of Lufeng. We are trying to use high-handed measures to clamp down on its drug trade. We hope to see a turning point in the second half of the year,” said Guo Shaobo, Deputy Head of Guangdong Police Department, China News reported.

Locally known as “the fortress”, Lufeng is responsible for one-third of all crystal meth production in China.

READ: Two Middle Eastern Men Swallow RMB 2.25 Million Worth of Drugs,
Arrive in Shenzhen

Located on the coast of the South China Sea, Lufeng is notorious for its meth production. The city’s stronghold of Boshe village, nestled deep in the mountains, provides the perfect hideout for the family-run meth empire.

Suspects run at the first sign of police, while villagers intently watch for any movement on city outskirts. In some cases, villagers organize road barricades to block police from entering, Yangcheng Evening News reported.

The drug trade is an open secret in the village, given that the party chief and some corrupt police officials shield its drug production. In fact, the party chief was named the “biggest drug trafficker” in the region. More than one-fifth of all households are linked to drug production or trafficking, which is the only profitable livelihood for many villagers.

READ: Cops Surround KTV in Dongguan and Arrest 1,000 in Ketamine Raid

Still, even to some experienced policemen, the extent of the village’s drug operation remains shocking. In December 2013, a massive police raid involving more than 3,000 policemen, using helicopters and speedboats, seized three tons of crystal meth and 23 tons of raw materials, South China Morning Post reported.

According to Guo, authorities in Guangdong have seized a total of 14.1 tons of drugs, with a street value of nearly RMB 160 million, since launching “Operation Thunder” in July 2013. The province has busted 320 criminal drug rings, arrested 20,403 people and dismantled 361 drug production bases. In addition to the traditionally known drugs, new drug varieties are surfacing, such as a new drug called Khat or African Tea.

Even with those impressive statistics, the Deputy Police Chief is less than optimistic about his department’s ability to stem the flow of drugs into Guangdong.

Related:

Photos: SCMP, China News

Haohao

17 Year-Old Guangdong Girl Broadcasts Suicide Attempt Over WeChat

Posted: 05/30/2014 1:59 pm

girl wechat suicide attempt guangdong jiangmen drug breakup relationshipsDistraught over a failed relationship, a 17 year-old girl surnamed Fu
broadcast her suicide attempt online using the WeChat social media service, reports the Nandu.

READ: Guangdong Schoolgirl Attempts Suicide Because
Teacher Disapproved of Hairdo

After failing to win the affections of her love interest, Fu cut her wrists in a hotel room in Jiangmen, Guangdong at around 7:50pm on May 28. Fu posted pictures of her bloodied arm online as well as this text:

  • girl wechat suicide attempt guangdong jiangmen drug breakup relationshipsHalf of my heart is bleeding, half of my heart forgives.
  • How long will it take to forget you?
  • As much as this hurts, it doesn’t hurt as much as my heart hurts
  • What am I, in the end? I say other people are retarded, but I am also myself. Chen Xuanlin, I hate you.
  • I’m someone who has never done drugs before, but today, what else is there to do? I love you, Wenjie.
  • I love him, but he doesn’t love me. Love is always like that.
  • I won’t be so foolish again, won’t force it, forcing this won’t result in happiness, I won’t make you stay because of my tears.

An unidentified friend in Fu’s WeChat social circle saw the posts and had the following conversation with her:

girl wechat suicide attempt guangdong jiangmen drug breakup relationships

Friend: What are you up to?
Fu: Killing myself.
Friend: Sister, do you need me to call the police?
Fu: No need, I want to die.
Friend: Dying at such a young age is a tragedy. Where are you right now?
Fu: Haiyi Hotel, Room #505

The friend found Fu at the specified location and notified emergency services, who in turn were able to successfully rescue Fu.

READ: Threatening to Jump, Woman in Zhongshan
Falls Asleep During Suicide Attempt

Fu had used shards from a broken tea pot to make dozens of gashes into her left front forearm. Upon inspection, medical personnel say the cuts are not deep, and that the injuries are not life-threatening.

Police say that Fu had been using methamphetamine before the suicide attempt, but are unsure as to the source of the drug.

Related stories:

Photos: Nandu

Haohao

Top 10 Things To Buy Now that FamilyMart has Opened in Shenzhen

Posted: 05/22/2014 4:33 pm

familymartFor being a hushed secret whispered between expats, Shenzhen kicks ass. It’s rated as one of the best places to live in China as well as being one of the cities in China with the cleanest air. It’s right next to Hong Kong, the weather is nice (if humid and wet), and best of all, it isn’t Beijing or Shanghai.

As more proof of Shenzhen’s ascension to a metropolis of kickassery, the city has now become that much more convenient. Last week, eight FamilyMart stores opened in Shenzhen with further locations to come in Dongguan by the end of this year.

To celebrate this great news, we’re going to provide a run-down of the ten most essential items you’ll be purchasing from FamilyMart—because let’s face it, the one time you really need a FamilyMart is at 3am when you’ve had too much to drink and badly need food.

1. Western Junk Food Knock-Offs

oreas junk food familymartWhen looking for a little sugar fix, you’ll be attracted to the brands that you know and trust (or, at least their logos if you can’t read Chinese). However, there’s something different about it; something’s a little off. It’s not the junk food you’ve become so familiar with…

2. Fruit Sandwichfruit sandwich

If you’re still not over your culture shock, you’re probably going to stick with food you’re familiar with, like the sandwich. How hard can that be to screw up? It’s two slices of bread and some cut fruit, just like your mom used to make.

3. Tea Eggstea egg familymart

And we don’t mean the “virgin boy” type. Tea eggs are always a good purchase because no matter your feelings on how they taste, and no matter the time of day, there are always tea eggs for sale at a convenience store. It’s like as though it’s used as a type of currency a la “take an egg, leave an egg”.

4. Instant Noodlesinstant noodles familymart

There’s a reason why there is usually an entire aisle dedicated to instant noodles, and it isn’t because there is a fundamental difference between any of them. No, the instant noodle is the one reliable food that you can’t screw up, but it does need one thing…

5. Pre-Packaged Chicken Feetchicken feet familymart

No, you don’t make a wish on them like you do on a monkey’s paw. You may not be partial to the delicacy of chicken feet, but you will learn to be more culturally sensitive at three in the morning when you’re ravenously hungry and lack your usual ethnocentric tendencies. You can’t just eat instant noodles on their own, you know.

6. Over-the-Counter Baijiubaijiu familymart

Sure, there’s usually beer available at a convenience store in China, but you want to continue the party, not have a refreshing beverage to cool down. Browse the baijiu section and pick the bottle that looks like it can strip paint off a wall, and you’re set to go.

7. Aspirinaspirin familymart

For tomorrow morning. Buy it now, or wait until you’re dizzy and nauseous.  But, you’ll also be needing…

8. Bottled Waterbottled water familymart

In this day and age, a bottle of drinking water is as necessary as a smartphone. Thirty years ago, who’d have thought that we’d be paying for water and be using portable phones to do everything but make calls?

9. Pepto Bismolpepto bismol family mart

If FamilyMart doesn’t sell this, then what good is it?

10. Condomscondoms familymart

You may need these, perhaps. One day in the future.

With the arrival of FamilyMart, Shenzhen will join Guangzhou as places where you can buy whatever you need at every hour of the day in full disregard of the daily sleep cycles our sad, non-partying forefathers were burdened with.

Thank you, FamilyMart. You’re Japan’s greatest present to China.

Photos: the Beijinger, Daxue Consulting, ChinaDaily, GiantBomb, traveling around the world, wn.com, pzr services, mousetourtravels, dawn.com, xinhua, Bloomberg  

Haohao

Meet the New Drug on the Streets of Guangzhou: Khat, the “Arabian Tea”

Posted: 04/25/2014 4:43 pm

khat arabian tea drug illegal smuggling

The hottest drug on the streets of Guangzhou right has gotten a lot of attention from police, officials, media and parents. Called khat, or by its colloquial names “Arabian Tea” or “Bushman’s Tea“, police are warning the public that it is the equivalent to heroin and its euphoria high will last for two days.

An exhibit called “Reject Drugs, Cherish Life” in Yuexiu District gives the lowdown on the heinous drug that first infiltrated China’s last year through the criminal underground. The exhibit tells us the drug can be consumed by chewing upon the fresh leaves of the catha edulis plant, by drying its leaves and consuming it as a tea, or by grinding the dried leaves into a powder which is then dissolved into water for drinking.

The exhibit goes on to say khat is an extremely addictive drug that produces excitement and hallucinations in its user. Originally from Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, the drug has recently been classified as a nationally-prohibited drug in China that is quickly proliferating in part to its cheap street price: 500 yuan for 500 grams of fresh khat leaves, and 200 yuan for 500 grams of dried khat leaves.

The other reason that has helped spread this drug in China is that khat is so hard to detect. In its form as fresh cut leaves, khat has an appearance exactly like that of amaranth greens/Chinese spinach. In its dried form, khat looks just like the dried green tea leaves that every average Chinese drinks from a huge flask full of hot water every day.

An unidentified worker with the “Reject Drugs, Cherish Life” revealed the depravity of the khat drug ring that plagues Guangzhou through one given example:

“Last year, police uncovered a major khat smuggling ring and its users on Guangyuan Road. Throughout the building lived people of African nationality along with massive amounts of khat. There was an integrated chain of service and use between the drug dealers and users. And, police put an end to this drug hive.”

Community leaders are very concerned about khat’s effect upon the impressionable youth of China. An initiative to warn children about the dangers of khat called “The Little Red Bell“ have been making the rounds in China. khat arabian tea drug illegal smuggling

The concern for the welfare of children intensified recently after police in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province made a startling discovery on April 23. At a drug arrest at a hotel, police found khat packaged in 60 orange drink powder packages with cartoon packaging. The drug is said to dissolve in water, and taste and smell just the same as any other refreshing drink a child would have.

Well, it’s not Krokodil, but to Chinese, it might as well be.

Khat invites controversial opinions from different people. While the use of khat is considered a way of life for generations of people in Somalia, Ethiopia and Yemen, khat is considered a prohibited substance in countries such as the United States, and was only recently banned in the UK on July 2013. The global spread of khat has to do with the migrations of Africans that use it.

The World Health Organization does not consider khat to be seriously addictive, and has been likened by some “to be like coffee“. However, HuffPo alleges that every monetary aspect of the khat market supports the al-Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia.

Photo: Hexun, 10yan

Haohao
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