Asia by Blog is a regular feature providing links to Asian blogs and their views on the news in this fascinating region. Previous editions can be found here.

**Note: The Daily Linklets posts will also contain links to interesting China, Asia and other news and views./Note**

China, Taiwan and Hong Kong

• China has been cracking down on usage of university BBS sites and on reporting and journalists. Rebecca MacKinnon interviews Shanghai blogger Isaac Mao on the crackdown while ESWN wonders if China needs a net nanny?
• Thomas Friedman on China...and gets it completely wrong.
• The shennanigens over Hong Kong's next Chief Executive are causing all sorts of confusion. Beijing has managed to get Hong Kong to ask for a re-interpretation of its perfectly clear Basic Law.
• The Chairman says: RTFM.
• Mad dogs and Chinamen.
• The China hype disease hits the IT world.
• Richard's back and sharing Princess Lea's thoughts on China. He's got some great photos and posts from his trip.
• Coals to Newcastle, rice to China.
• The disreputable Lester Brown is rehabilitated by China.
• China's 50 most beautiful people.
• Further hints of changes in China's exchange rate regime.
• The doctor who exposed the SARS cover-up has been released from house arrest.
• Why you cannot trust your TV news.
• Looks like Condi had fun in China.
• Taiwan's adult DVD industry is coming under pressure. Taiwan produces 80% of all adult CDs and DVDs, so this is a major economic step.
• Billmon parallels two Cultural Revolutions. Thankfully only one cost 30 million lives. Update: Jonathan Dresner at Cliopatria eloquently rips into Billmon's facile comparison. What's wrong with all these people?
• China is now suffering its Sudan food dye scare. But is it worth being scared?
• Andrew McManama-Smith takes issue with Chalmers Johnson's Coming to terms with China article.
• More on China's anti-secession law. A reaction to a comparison between the China/Taiwan situation and the American Civil War lead to Bingfeng's response. Interesting debate.
• Noted dissident Rebiya Kadeer was released by China.
• The China/Rhode Island connection.
• A look at the military capabilities on either side of the Taiwan Strait. Bill Roggio looks at the potential for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
• Is Taiwan a country?

Korea and Japan

• Did America mislead its allies over North Korea's sale of nukes to Libya?
• China is pressuring NK to return to nuclear talks.
• Dodgy Japanese PIs.
• Fukouoka in Japan suffered a massive earthquake. Japan's Government has compiled a handy map of earthquake risk.
• A scam that works in Tokyo but not New York.
• Japundit reviews the new book Race War: White Supremacy and the Japanese Attack on the British Empire.
• Talking about sex in Korea. While we're at it, what about spouse-swapping.
• Mutli-nationals invade Japan...in 1643. More recently, Christian missionaries in North Korea.
• Debate over Japan's missile defense ability versus its constitution. Joe Jones clarifies the issue: Japan can shoot missiles aimed at Japan, but not at its allies.
• Japanese name trivia.
• It was the tenth anniversay of the sarin gas attack in Tokyo's subway. Todd Crowell also looks at the attack and its aftermath.
• A Japanese sub has been found off Hawaii.
• Bobby Fischer is saying sayionara to Japan and heading for Icelandand some are happy to see him go...also read about a beautiful brown mind.
• The moonlighting career of North Korean diplomats may soon be at an end.

SE and Other Asia

• There's virgin markets, and there's virgin markets.
• Xiaxue makes it big and sets off a meme.
• Cambodia tries to save its past.
• A Singaporean judged has blocked an AIDS awareness concert on the grounds it will promote a gay lifestyle, which is "against the public interest".
• America and Burma. It's tricky times for ASEAN too with Mynamar due to take over the chairmanship.
• India and Indonesia are getting closer.
• If you're a Singaporean taxpayer: Ha-ha.
• Rumours of a joint Singapore-Taiwan military exercise are just that.
• How the Straits Times Interactive paid model is shooting itself in the foot. Are you listening SCMP?

Miscellany

• Jodi on the fine line between nationalism and racism.
• If your going to buy a scream machine, make sure it screams in the right language.
• Chewing your way to bigger breasts...I assume for women only.
• It used to be to cut one's nose off in spite of your face. Tragically now it's all about eyes and corneas.