Karen Mok and Huang Yi (and Jaycee Chan) at premiere of "Eagle Shooting Heroes 2011"

Karen Mok was still in bouquet throwing and ring showing mode at the Shanghai premiere of "Eagle Shooting Heroes 2011" She clearly had plenty of practice in Italy. She looked relaxed and happy to be there which may mean she is relaxed and happy or can do a good job acting she is. Either way it makes for good photo ops.

Xinhua

Vivian Chow and Sammi Cheng save Africa

A quick detour from our usual fare of celebrity fluff:

Vivian Chow has long been committed to World Vision and its child sponsorship program, having raised funds and given concerts or them over the past 10 years. She and Sammi Cheng flew out to East Africa recently to bring some publicity to the death by starvation and faced by children there. World Vision is a powerful force among aid organizations in the United States where it raises a lot of money using images like these:

In the U.S. and the UK this is called poverty porn--Vivian and Sammi would be replaced with the appropriate actresses and singers, still surrounded by not-quite starving Somali or Kenyan kids, rescued by the "whites in shining armor". Image of white western aid workers flying in to save starving African children are the norm with black Africans as victims and white foreigners as their saviors. World Vision is using the same images as western aid, only these are Asians as the savior instead of Americans or Europeans.

Owen Barder, a long time aid worker, manager and much respected commentator discusses of the World Vision tactic of "adopting" a child in an impoverished land and how it is pernicious although seemingly necessary in his blog:

[A] broader problem, with the citizens of rich countries who seem to be unwilling to sacrifice a tiny part of their income to help a fellow human being unless they feel some sort of personal connection with the recipient. This is charity of a Dickensien sort: not a system of social justice and protection, but throwing some coins to a beggar in the street and expecting to be lavishly thanked.

World Vision or its supporters including Sammi Cheng and Vivian Chow aren't the problem, of course--but they aren't the solution either. World Vision raises money in Hong Kong; they would like to have their donors "sponsor" children in the PRC by sending World Vision $35.00 per month per child but those who make such decisions in Beijing aren't interested. One reason may be that World Vision is a very Christian humanitarian organization; another that China's image would be harmed if seen as being dependent on aid from foreigners; a third that the People's Republic has a very well defined and generally well executed strategy of tying aid to poor countries with Chinese investments in those countries. A good review of the politics and economics of this is The Dragon's Gift by Deborah Brautigam.

Images from Yahoo China. World Vision website. More cogent thoughts on all this from Texas in Africa, Good Intentions are not enough and Jason Stearns who asks if we really need white people to save Africa.

Charlene Choi goes to school, Li Bingbing in pink, Tang Wei for Bulgari

Charlene Choi wields huge syringe to vaccinate Hong Kong kids against HPV:

Apparently in Hong Kong, like most of the world, public health initiatives like vaccination of children against human papillomavirus isn't a matter of political controversy as it in other places--or at least one other place, the United States. Charlene Choi was looking relaxed and lovely while appearing as ambassador for the "primary and secondary students in Hong Kong HPV vaccine program", the sixth year she has served in that capacity.

Xinhua ran the story.

A few days before Charlene dropped in at the graduation of Emperor Academy first-generation college students in creative entertainment (I think, based on an inadequate translation) to hand out diplomas and look quite fetching in an eclectic outfit. The Academy is sponsored by Emperor Entertainment Group, a mega talent, producing and financing conglomerate in Hong Kong.

Sina had the story.

Li Bingbing celebrated the end of filming for the comedy "I Do" at at press conference with co-stars Sun Honglei and Duan Yihong. In a hot pinkish dress and leather elbow length gloves, she was every inch the movie star at work unlike Charlene Choi who was able to dress down for her more low key events.

Xinhua and China.org

In other fluffy movie star news, Tang Wei, sporting an asymmetrical hair style, fronted for yet another Bulgari show/exhibit/reception. Bulgari is well entrenched in China as a luxury brand--one of the reasons LVMH bought out the Bulgari family is to increase its already significant penetration in China.

Tang Wei images from Xinhua. Jing has some background on Bulgari in China along with speculation of them appointing a local celebrity as brand ambassador. Tang Wei would probably be the frontrunner--she has been ubiquitous with them recently.

Mass incident in China: Fan Bingbing attends a lingerie brand conference

The PRC Ministry of Public Security was trying out a new crowd control tactic for mass incidents: let crowds get really close to someone famous so they stand transfixed. There was a test run recently when word got out that Fan Bingbing would be at a brand conference for women's underwear. Possibly to the disappointment of the other attendees (who look to be 90% young men) she was wearing her new favorite dress, a red frock with white polka dots that she wore at the Busan International Film Festival.

A bit later, unlike most of her public appearances documented by the press, Fan Bingbing looked relaxed and may even have been enjoying the event.

Ifeng; Yahoo China

Carina Lau and others at Ferragamo, Beijing

The Italians were busy as well. Ferragamo had quite a front row for their Spring/Summer 2012 show in Beijing. That's CEO Michael Norsa flanked by Carina Lau and Gigi Leung.

Huang Yi and Terri Kwan each chose a knockout short dress and looked very summery.

Carina Lau and Gigi Leung went with a more buttoned-down, rich lady with a bit of pizzaz on the town look:

Zhang Yuqi knocked it out of the park with perfect makeup and accessories along with a can't miss blue suit.

Sina; Zimbio

Zhou Xun and Yao Chen in Beijing for Chanel

Chanel was out in force in Beijing over the weekend, bringing a couple of rising stars to its show at the National Art Museum of China. Zhou Xun got 36 hours leave from shooting "Cloud Atlas" in Berlin so she could fly to Beijing and appear as Chanel's Asian spokesperson. The timing was so tight according to Xinhua that she did her makeup on the elevator on the way up to the event.
Note to Chanel: black clothing against a black backdrop may not be the best way to photograph your products.

Checking the score of the big game:

More at Xinhua; Sina. Top picture from Chanel-news

Yao Chen was also in the house checking out the exhibit catalog. She was one of the headliners when the show was on display in Shanghai earlier in the year.

More overly art-directed pictures at Xinhua