Foreign names of China projects under fire

Hong Kong

THERE is a Vancouver Forest in Beijing, a Thames Town in Shanghai and an Oriental Yosemite in Dalian, China.

China's suburbs have been filling up lately with housing developments whose names and architectural styles are meant to evoke the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, anywhere but China. And the authorities don't like it.

Minister of Civil Affairs, Li Liguo, said on Tuesday that "bizarre" names that "damage so…