Though originally developed as a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas today is now a global event that tends to transcend religious beliefs. Over the years here in China, particularly with the rapid influx of foreigners to this country, the concept of Christmas has been developing quickly, to the point now where if one is to walk into a store here in the capital today, you're just as likely to hear a Christmas carol as you might be a mando-pop song. This holiday tradition has also evolved into a lucrative time of year for domestic retailers. But what does the development of Christmas here in China mean? Is it simply a sign of China's growing intertwining with the Western world? And should there be concern about a non-Chinese holiday interfering with the traditional Chinese festivals?

Ni hao, you're listening to  People In the Know, your window into the world around you, online at crienglish.com here on China Radio International. In this edition of the show we're talking about Christmas here in China. So let's get started.

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First we'll hear from a foreigner who has taken part in research on Christmas here in China. Dr. Gary Sigley is an Associate Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Western Australia.

(Dialogue with Sigley)

And after a quick break, we'll analyze Christmas here in China from a Chinese and environmental point of view.

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Ni hao, you're listening to  People In the Know, your window into the world around you, online at crienglish.com here on China Radio International. I'm Paul James in Beijing. In this edition of the program we're talking about Christmas and the impact the holiday is having here in China. For more on this we're joined on the line now by Professor Teng Jimeng with the American Studies Center at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

(Dialogue with Teng)

Now let's look at Christmas from an environmental perspective. For this we're joined on the line from Hong Kong by Christina Dean, founder of green2greener.com.

(Dialogue with Dean)

And with that we close out this edition of  People In the Know, online at crienglish.com here on China Radio International. Though Christmas is not a traditional Chinese holiday, most would agree that the idea of togetherness with friends and family, the main purpose of modern Christmas celebrations, is at the core of traditional Chinese philosophy. Questions or comments for us can be sent to people@cri.com.cn.. For Executive Director Zhao Yang and Producers Chen Mo and Xu Yang, I'm Paul James in Beijing. 圣诞节快乐. Merry Christmas. We'll talk to you tomorrow.