One of the most important relationships in this world just might be the relationship between the two behemoth power-states: China and the United States. This is a relationship between a seasoned country with a vibrant and complicated history of over two-thousand years, and a much younger, more modern state of…
Category: East Asia
China: Is Sexy Mandarin a Foul Language?
Attention American horn-dogs! Want to learn Mandarin? Enjoy ogling half-naked Chinese women? Great! Now you can learn Mandarin and be titillated by lingerie models all in the privacy of your own home. Forget about the difficulties of this complicated language. Sexy Mandarin’s “teachers” seek to instruct and entertain you. Soft…
SOUTH KOREA: Cyber Kitty Attacks Major Newspapers
Just days after North Korea threatened South Korean media outlets with retaliation for critical coverage, the databases of two of South Korea’s major newspapers, The JoongAng Ilbo and its sister paper The Korea JoongAng Daily, were hacked into by username IsOne, whose identity is still a mystery. The Korea JoongAng Daily reported that…
CHINA: Pollution Quarrel Fueled by Social Media
On June 5th, Chinese officials made clear that foreign embassies had better cease publishing their ownreports and estimates on the air quality of China. Beijing has been especially irritated by the increasingly high-profile U.S. Embassy Twitter feed, which tracks pollution in Beijing and has accumulated more than 19,000 followers. Such numbers have garnered much official…
JAPAN: Fukushima Prime Suspect? The Former Prime Minister!
Ever since March of last year, media finger-pointing over the Fukushima nuclear-power plant disaster has been relentless and endless. But behind the scenes, a special panel was working hard to try to sort the mess out fairly and authoritatively. Now that panel’s draft report has surfaced, and its main conclusion is…
JAPAN ALL DECKED OUT IN DECO: 1920-1945
JAPAN ALL DECKED OUT IN DECO: 1920-1945
JAPAN ALL DECKED OUT IN DECO: 1920-1945
JAPAN: Mainichi Uncovers Clandestine Nuclear Power Meetings
Energy production has been a pressing issue for Japanese politicians and journalists lately, especially as the summer heat approaches. Concerns over possible obligatory blackouts have fueled debates regarding the future of the nation’s nuclear facilities. In light of these ongoing discussions, The Mainichi, Japan’s third leading daily, obtained documents earlier…
CHINA: Cyber Crime Surveillance Increases with Internet Use
The Internet is extremely vast, virtually limitless. This fact makes cyberspace starkly different from the physical world, particularly when it comes to crime, and begs the question: Can a government successfully regulate the Internet? According to Shanghai police, the number of online crimes in China is growing quickly as online…
TAIWAN: Media Coverage Lacking in Bo Xilai Scandal
Reports of the Bo Xilai political scandal that is currently unfolding in China have been intentionally incomplete and superficial. Taiwanese media has focused solely on sex scandals and individual corruption, instead of addressing the serious political crisis that is afflicting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). At the heart of the…
CHINA: Playing ‘Not Nice’ With Al Jazeera
How did a journalist wind up in the headline herself? Al Jazeera’s Beijing correspondent Melissa Chan has become the first foreign journalist to be expelled from China in 14 years. In her recent interview with the LA Times, Chan stated that she is ‘not exactly sure what prompted her expulsion after five…
NORTH KOREA: Media Helping Them to Get New Messages
“Illicit” and “smuggled” are two words that could easily describe goods making their way into North Korea. Many products, such as low-cost TVs, DVD players, and other equipment, are being smuggled into North Korea from China. A recent, excellent U.S. State Department-commissioned study, “A Quiet Opening: North Koreans in a Changing Media Environment,” reveals…
CHINA: Cheap Brothels, Expensive Societal Bill
Sex trafficking is one of the most discussed topics in China today, but does prostitution fall under the same category? Sex trafficking is a form of business that illegally trades and sells human beings, predominantly women, for commercial sex exploitation. The victims of sex trafficking have no control over their fate. Prostitution, on the…
CHINA versus PHILIPPINES: Media Reports of Tension
Since April, China and the Philippines have been involved in a tense dispute over Huangyan Island in the South China Sea, and the Filipino media has been quick to defend its nation’s legitimacy in the region. The quarrel was initiated with the recent Philippine harassment of Chinese fishermen who sought harbor on the…
NORTH KOREA: Now Broadcasting Live
North Korea’s young new leader, Kim Jong-un, has embarked on yet another (relatively) shocking endeavor. The micro-managed state-controlled television company has initiated the occasional live broadcast. Under the late Kim Jong-il, such communication was nonexistent due to a high risk of technical difficulties and “mishaps.” Since his death four months…