October 04, 2004

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Asia by Blog

Asia by Blog is a twice weekly feature, posted on Monday and Thursday, providing links to Asian blogs and their views on the news in this fascinating region. Please send me an email if you would like to be notified of new editions. Previous editions can be found here.

Reminding you there's more to the world than two old white guys debating...

Hong Kong, China and Taiwan

  • Tom discusses the possibility that China might start dumping their US dollar investments, with the inevitable "blame Bush" angle. Problem is where else will they go? The yuan is pegged only against the US dollar - it would be taking a hell of a gamble to start investing in Euros or even (perish the thought) Yen instead. China and Japan are hostages of their large US dollar holdings. Dumping them only hurts themselves.

  • The Qing dynasty also had an Idol show.

  • Could being anti-triad mean being anti-democracy? And what does Marx have to say about the Tiger of Jordan?

  • Adam has an open letter to Google. Would you rather not have Google News in China at all? (Jeremy agrees, as does the WSJ.)

  • The oil price is so high they're even singing about it.

  • Taiwan's looking at getting offensive weapons but Winston Marshall doesn't think it will change the strategic balance.

  • Jodi points out China celebrated National Day by speeding up its death machine.

  • There were riots in Spain last week over Chinese shoes.

  • Expect a new flurry of old stories about China.

  • Get an inside look at what China's NPC delegates are talking about.

  • The authors of the now banned Study of Chinese Peasants have just won a major European prize.
  • Korea and Japan

  • The Canadians haven't stuffed up the North Korean hostage situation, yet. ACB has plenty more on the situation.

  • The wrong people have remembered South Korea.

  • Marmot has more reactions on the passing of the North Korean Human Rights Act in the US. And Matthew Stinsons' Hollywood analogy of North Korea exposes the futility of the South's Sunshine Policy. For an interesting contrary view on living in North Korea, try Part 1 and Part 2 at Dog Stew.

  • John Kerry hasn't ruled out pre-emptive North Korean strikes; he's kept the same position on the subject: the wrong one. Andy says the 6 party talks are the only game worth playing. Kevin also questions if President Kerry would be up to the task now Bush has sent the US Navy to patrol the Sea of Japan? Joshua explains clearly why there is bipartisan hatred of Kim Jong-Il in America to the misguided people at OhMyNews. Shape of Days wonders how China would react to the Kerry plan?

  • Following up on his earlier post on what to do about North Korea, Power Politics addresses some other proposals.

  • The Bank of Japan has quietly bought out the private sector banks' share portfolios. So now the BoJ are punting shares, rather than the banks. Doesn't really solve the problem, does it? Also Joe has a wrap-up of stories from Japan over the weekend.

  • One Japanese export made good in America.

  • The future is here for school kids in Japan. It sounds scary until you realise that mobile phones are extremely effective personal locators as well.

  • Japan's cops can't cope. Thank God their crime rate is so low or they'd be in real trouble.
  • SE and Other Asia

  • Brunei is imitating Hong Kong: votes that mean nothing.

  • John Berthelsen argues that Philippines foreign worker remittances makes the Philippine Government lazy.

  • There's gold I tells ya, gold!

  • Jeff Ooi is fighting back against a front page attack.

  • Mr Brown gets involved in the pi-sai debacle. And via Mr Brown, I discovered the egg is near for Singapore.

  • Is Pakistan preparing for the famed October surprise?
  • Miscellany

  • When you've finished here, go have a look at what the rest of the world is blogging about.

  • Rajan asks that age old question that puzzles so many in Asia.

  • Spirit Fingers is doing the police's job for them.

  • They're good enough to die, but not good enough to be British.

  • Heartbreak for Adam.

  • Lost Nomad discovers why Asians are better at maths.
  • posted by Simon on 10.04.04 at 04:40 PM in the Asia by blog category.




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    Asia By Blog
    Excerpt: Does Bush and Kerry debate(s) fascinate you? Are you, the American, European, or Japanese reader aware about the real issues at stake in the upcoming US Presidential Elections? Then you need to read Simon's regular feature - Asia by Blog.
    Weblog: See Lai
    Tracked: October 4, 2004 06:45 PM


    The 10 Spot
    Excerpt: Ten things you might not have seen on the wondrous interweb... Dean Esmay interviews SwiftVet Van Odell, who served as a gunner's mate in the same unit as John Kerry and who served with him longer than anyone else did...
    Weblog: Wizbang
    Tracked: October 5, 2004 02:17 AM


    "Would you rather not have Google News in China at all?"
    Excerpt: Is the question Simon asks me in his recent Asia Blog roundup. Yes, and here's why: I have been working in China for five years. You know who the worst people are? No, not the policemen who have confiscated my property and fined me for doing nothing mo...
    Weblog: Brainysmurf
    Tracked: October 5, 2004 10:43 PM


    Comments:

    Simon,

    I fully understand there are people who don't care about the outcome of the presidential election in the United States. Or are bored with it all.

    However, from all indications, more people worldwide are following this American election than any other in U.S. political history. For those of us who feel it important that we address it now, knowing full well that folks wanting to read about China and East Asia will stay away from our sites posthaste, I want to just politely nudge ya and say, hey, why pick on us publicly? We're just doing what comes natural. In 30 days we'll be writing about China and every other thing Asian again.

    Of course, some visiters may never come back to read it. But that's what makes things go 'round and 'round and keeps us sharp.

    All the best,

    Joseph

    posted by: Joseph Bosco on 10.05.04 at 01:35 AM [permalink]

    "China and Japan are hostages of their large US dollar holdings."

    Very accurate judgment! Many entrepreneurs believe that the peg is *hurting*.

    History reminds us that all great empires couldn't believe they failed.

    Cheers!

    posted by: Ron on 10.05.04 at 08:31 AM [permalink]

    Joseph: I understand the intense interest in the election campaign. My point is in the interim there's plenty else going on in the world. Secondly and more likely to upset you, there is in fact little difference in the policy substance between Bush and Kerry; the differences are one of style.

    posted by: Simon on 10.05.04 at 11:01 AM [permalink]

    If only that were true, Simon. Kerry has been a long time deficit hawk (he's my Senator) and Bush promised 4 years ago that his tax cuts wouldn't create a deficit. I knew Bush was lying through his teeth and in 4 years he's taken a public surplus and turned it in to a half-trillion dollar yearly deficit.

    Move a half-trillion dollars a year from the private investment zone to the public treasuries and it will create substantial differences...

    posted by: Tom - Daai Tou Laam on 10.05.04 at 05:35 PM [permalink]

    Tom: do you really think Kerry can make all his promises and hope to reign in the deficit. It will come down to reducing the deficit OR fulfilling his promises, as it will for Bush. So again, they are effectively the same, it's just that Bush has already shown his preference for spending whereas Kerry might actually do something about the deficit. Then again, he might not.

    posted by: Simon on 10.05.04 at 05:46 PM [permalink]

    I am an American and the election of Kerry will have grave implications for Taiwan, a nation I have come to care about. Kerry is insane enough to actually promote the "one country two systems" method, where as George W. Bush at least wants to maintain the status quo.

    I am neither Democrat nor Republican and usually do not care much for politics, but this time around, the stakes are just too high to ignore.

    posted by: Alex on 10.07.04 at 10:33 AM [permalink]




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