16 November 2011 Los Angeles — Real-life diplomacy reveals, as Lord Palmerston, twice British prime minister (1855-8, 1859-65), famously put it: “We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow.” Over the decades…
Full Article PACIFIC PERSPECTIVES: Vietnam on the Positive side, Asia on the American MindWhy would UNESCO’s participation in the Sharjah International Book Fair make the headlines of one of the leading English Dailies of UAE and the Gulf States- The Khaleej News? On October 31st, UNESCO, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, granted Palestine’s bid for full membership in the organization. In response, by the U.S., as expected, announced cutbacks UNESCO funding, leaving the organization short $65 million USD for the end of the year budget…
Full Article UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Book Fair finds a benefactor in Al Qasimi
Chinese Netizens understand that its government controls every form of the media. State censorship is the norm, and Chinese people have come to accept that. Even so, Chinese Netizens regard the internet as a better reflection of reality than traditional media. Through their personal blogs, they are able to express…
Full Article China Blog Blotter – Issue #3 Freedom of Speech on the InternetThe great contemporary artist Enoki Chu was inspired to become a painter after an unfortunate motorcycle accident. Chu decided to challenge himself and began exhibiting his paintings in 1965 to 1970 in the Kobe-based Niki-kai exhibitions. One of his artistic inspirations was the infamous Marcel Duchamp, who is notorious for (among…
Full Article JAPAN: Cityscapes of Iron
The Asia Media Interview HOW DANGEROUS IS CHINA’S MILITARY BUILDUP? An Exclusive Interview with Tang Fei, former Premier of Taiwan and Career Air Force Officer. Interviewed by Tom Plate, Asia Media’s Editor in Chief No one can be certain, of course, but Tang Fei’s guess may be better than almost…
Full Article TAIWAN: Tang Fei Video InterviewPress Council of India (PCI) Chairman, Justice Maskeney Katju, recently made statements condemning the Indian media as well as Indian journalists. Such strong sentiments coming from the PCI chief are sparking varied reactions…
Full Article INDIA: Famous Justice Stirs the Media PotIn a recent, and seemingly controversial, article in the Opinion section of the prominent Pakistani newspaper The Dawn, author Ardeshir Cowasjee wrote an article about the failures of the Pakistani government and people in light of a famous book written by the late American author Barbara Tuchman titled The March of Folly (1984)…
Full Article PAKISTAN: Author Wonders — Have We Learned the Lessons of the Past?In Australia, journalist Andrew Bolt of the Herald Sun, the highest-circulating daily newspaper in the country, has been found guilty of contravening the Racial Discrimination Act of 1975 by publishing articles that were deemed offensive to light-skinned Aborigines…
Full Article AUSTRALIA: Freedom of Speech versus Cultural SensitivityThe issue of nuclear energy has been hotly debated amongst the citizens of Japan following the March 11 disaster. One the views that has been frequently voiced is the opinion that Japan should turn away from nuclear energy altogether…
Full Article JAPAN: Newspaper Raises Questions About Nuclear Export PolicyIn Bahrain, unknown assailants who were wearing masks attacked a journalist named Jamal Zuwayyed, a politician also writes as a columnist for the Akhbar Al Khalee.
Full Article BAHRAIN: ‘Journalist’ Attack Raises Issues Due to Paper’s CoverageA recently published article in China Daily by Natalie Thomas discusses the recent success of Charlie Custer in taking on the role of relaying information about current events in China…
Full Article CHINA: Advice on How to Understand the Chinese In Bits and BytesAccording to the prominent Seoul-based daily newspaper Korea Times, Kim Yong-hwa, head of the North Korea Refugees Human Rights Association of Korea, witnessed a North Korean defector shot to death by North Korean border guards on Chinese soil shortly after the defector crossed a border river…
Full Article NORTH KOREA: Border Guards Shoot Defector on Chinese SoilWant Want Group, a Taiwanese conglomerate initially known for its food production, is currently in the process of purchasing China Network Systems, one of Taiwan’s leading cable television companies…
Full Article TAIWAN: Want Want’s Appetite IncreasesThe International Press Institute (IPI) is a global organization comprised of members in more than 120 countries
Full Article INDIA: Two Crusading Magazines Recognized for Excellence