Asia by Blog is a twice weekly feature, usually posted on Monday and Thursday, providing links to Asian blogs and their views on the news in this fascinating region. Previous editions can be found here.

This edition contains China-Japan tensions, the flipside of globalisation, Tron in Japan, a ban on Nike, political and legal changes in North Korea, Indonesia's most wanted, Santa for big boys, and a blogger you should know, plus plenty more...

The 2004 Asia Blog Awards have begun. There are plenty great Asian blogs so go and check some out. Also the voting has begun in the World Blog Awards, including the Asia section. You can vote once a day and I have been nominated amongst some elite company. So go nominate and vote; then check out the links below...

The round-up has four key areas of focus:

• China, Taiwan & Hong Kong
• Korea & Japan
• South-East & Other Asia
• Miscellany

China, Taiwan and Hong Kong

• Tibet, two book reviews, Chinese history textbooks and New York Times all come together and circle the age-old question of what is truth?
• West Wing does Taiwan.
• The China-Japan relationship is the key one in Asia. ACB has a thorough look at recent developments. Meanwhile the two countries are playing games over specks in the Pacific, thanks to their struggle over engergy. Could it be an intractable problem?
• Is Europe falling for the dragon in place of the eagle?
• China's newest tourism destination: the USA. I can't see it taking off with such high deposits and the same visa restrictions.
• IBM sold its PC-making business to Chinese group Lenovo. Fons says this is an example of the other side of globalisation - Chinese firms being moer assertive in world business.
• Der Spiegel looks at human rights in China.
• China is blaming bad timing for cancelling an international meeting on workers' rights. "The Death of Communism in China is vastly mis-under-exaggerated".
• Richard has more on the clampdown on "public intellectuals" in China.
• A Nike commercial starring LeBron James has caused massive offense in China and been banned. Jodi sees the incident as an example of American ignorance of China. Nike has apologised, although the controversy was probably contrived to generate publicity.
• China's Enron?
• Selling kidneys for money - not just an urban myth.
• A soccer game has been banned for referring to Taiwan and Tibet as seperate regions. Good job they didn't see this.
• John has a potato-potato moment.
• Running Dog on Western propoganda about China.
• The best hot dog in Shanghai.
• A solution for the US dollar crisis is at hand. We just have to wait a week to find out what it is. It's a problem that even stumps Nobel prize winners.

Korea and Japan

• Is Kim Jong-il undertaking political reform in NK? And the NK criminal code is being reformed.
• President Roh went on holidays...to Iraq.
• Korean condoms aren't changing.
• The cream of Korea watchers have written a report on solving the NK nuclear crisis.
• There's logic behind NK's "surprises".
• A look at Japan's postwar military policy.
• Sean looks at the drop in results for Japanese students in a global study. Hong Kong students did well but don't think much of school. Japanese schools can be tough too. Gord looksat the pressures on Korean students.
• Tron comes to Japan.
• North Korea handed over remains of Japanese abductee Megumi Yokota. Except it's not her.
• A high ranking NK defector?
• Happily ever after for Charles Jenkins and his family.
• The Hawaiian who conquered Japan, and how Sumo adapted to TV.
• Oranckay wonders about the latest accusations over politician Lee Chul Woo's alleged membership of the NK Workers' Party.

SE and Other Asia

• Meet Indonesia's most wanted. Jakartass has links to the documents.
• Hicky says goodbye to fellow blogger and author Grace Chow.
• Rezwan is happy and proud to be living in Bangladesh.

Miscellany

• Some recommendations for students of English.
• Shouldn't burger models sample the products they push?
• Stately rodents.
• Santa for big boys.