China's modern history has, amongst other things, proven the power of words. Mao in particular turned the country upside down with his "capitalist roaders", "counter-revolutionaries" and other accusations. Amongst Mao's "achievements" was to turn the word "intellectual" into one of derision and suspicion. Yet since his demise the concept of the intellectual has regained a measure of respect and dignity in public discource. But now the worm is turning again.

In a move intended to muffle the voices of some of China's most prominent and independent scholars and activists, hard-line elements in the new Hu Jintao government are seeking to eradicate the concept of "public intellectuals" in China.
A new "gray list" has been created, sources say, of historians, economists, writers, environmentalists, and other Chinese who have offered a critical voice or been influential in recent years in Chinese society outside official circles, and who have started to be referred to as "public intellectuals."...

Public intellectuals in China are known for opposing brutal police practices; for promoting greater citizen participation, AIDS awareness, freer speech; and for advocating environmentally friendly policies.

Propaganda ministry officials are now seeking to eliminate the concept of public intellectuals, and to stop Chinese media from creating lists of such persons as a commercial enticement to buy their publications. In recent weeks, official warnings have gone out to state-run newspapers, magazines, and TV urging limits on the use of those who have been heard under the "public intellectual" moniker.

Closing your eyes doesn't make the problems go away.

Asia by Blog is a twice weekly feature at my blog, posted on Mondays and Thursdays (the latest edition is here and the full archive here).

The following is a digest of highlights from the past month's Asia by Blog series. This has been cross-posted at Winds of Change.

The round-up has four key areas of focus:

* China, Taiwan & Hong Kong: Politics, Economy & lifestyle, History sport & culture, Information
* Korea & Japan
* South-East Asia
* Asian Miscellany

China, Taiwan and Hong Kong

Politics

* She defected to China in the 1940s, now American nuclear physicist Joan Hinton is finally getting her green card in China.
* Former WaPo Beijing bureau chief John Pomfret's thoughts on China. John Quiggin wonders is China on its last legs, just as Suharto's was at the end? Check the comments for some thoughtful rebuttals. Personally I think not.
* There has been several ethnic based riots in China in the last few months. There were riots in Henan and in Inner Mongolia, although the band involved in the latter is "ugliest collections of musicians ever assembled since the Traveling Wilburys. Perhaps even the Moody Blues." Fabian has more. More trouble in China's regions: this time a huge troop deployment to control protests over a new dam project. Stephen notes another ethnic riot, this time over kebabs. The CCP is worried about protests and wary of following the Soviet Union. Yet more riots in Guangdong, though this time not ethnic based. The increase in unrest may be due to improved communications.
* A kinder, gentler kind of authoritarian.
* Hemlock (on Monday) picks apart the pleading of HK's pampered public servants.
* Over 3 million people go to Beijing in September to petition for their cause: a look at the system, its vagaries and its inefficiencies. China is going to reform its petitioning system.
* If re-unification issues don't start a war between Taiwan and China, maybe Taiwanification of increasingly rare Chinese brides will.
* Taiwan's opposition leader is certifiably mad.
* China's worries about energy see it prepared to trade away integrity for supplies. Is China's energy diplomacy working? And what about water security? Thomas Barnett worries that while China rapidly secures energy sources and strategic alliances, America is being left behind.
* As part of its energy security and economic push China's role in Central Asia is building.
* Several experts have looked at the prospects for Sino-US relations and potential changes in America's Taiwan policy.
* An interesting contrast in attitudes to wealth and police power in Hong Kong and China.
* A change in the history curriculum for schools in Taiwan reflects Chen's growing push towards independence through the creation of a more distinct Taiwanese culture. From the other side of the Strait, a concise view of Chinese mainstream thinking on Taiwan.
* Colin Powell's parting thoughts on China.
* The US Congressional Executive Commission on China has a Political Prisoner Database. That it exists at all, let alone being so comprehensive, is a reminder of the evil that still lurks in China.
* China may have missed out on World Cup football, but they've found a new one to play with against their old friends Taiwan.
* Andres has a great post covering likely political parties and systems if China had free elections.

Economy and Lifestyle

* A good look at China's economic and foreign exchange policy. There's far more for China to consider and worry about in floating its currency than the US trade deficit. Is China getting ready to shift its exchange rate regime?
* Jeff looks at industrial safety and lack thereof in China.
* Hong Kong's Disneyland is costing more than you think.
* China's emerging middle "stratum".
* China's economic numbers just don't add up.
* Wal-Mart has given in and allowed Chinese trade unions to operate in its stores. Another world first for China.
* 5 Chinese workers protested about not being paid their wages. They went to jail for their troubles. And 24 peasants were beaten up by their boss for asknig for their wages.
* China raised its interest rates for the first time in 9 years.
* China is clamping down on its leaky capital account.
* As part of China's adjustment to a market economy, it is also getting its first corporate lawyers, with all the entails. To think China went 5,000 years without them. But there's proof China's economic boom will soon end. And a market tip on China's currency and rates.
* Hostage negotiation Chinese style.
* Despite their protestations to the contrary, China's economy is still very much a planned one, not a market one. But at least in small ways the rule of law is starting to take hold.
* Ellen looks at sophisticated Chinese counterfeiting schemes - so advanced the counterfeiters are claiming patents themselves! Fakes are a notorious problem in China, the latest being fake Government bonds. But hats off to this guy, who passed himself off as the long dead founder of modern China, Sun Yat-Sen! You can't even trust if the coffee is real anymore.
* New York's port is coming back...thanks (partly) to China.
* Are China's economic policies even more orthodox than America's?

History, Sport and Culture

* A must read: the death of Chinese humour.
* Look through this fascinating list of changing terms used in Chinese papers over the past 50 years. It tells you a lot about the changes the country has gone through in that time.
* While China's soccer is a mess, it's really becoming a modern nation now it is getting its own football hooligan law...but the law isn't just about football.
* The Great Wall of Silence about suicide.
* Why use English signs in China?
* Brilliant title: Bonfire of the bourgeois vanities...Running Dog takes an excellent look at the madness of the Cultural Revolution. In Beijing it's the hottest book at the moment, because it's expected to be banned: Zen Insight. On the same topic comes this excerpt of a similar book on what life was like in those crazy times. Fabian looks at Mao's Little Red Book and its value.
* A creative writing assignment results in some keen insights and differences between Western and Chinese thinking. Matthew also has an interesting clash in the classroom and finds it says a lot about how much China has and hasn't changed in the past twenty years.
* John neatly demonstrates a fundamental difference between Chinese and Western concepts of truth, with the help of some eggs and introduces false modesty as another explanation of the differences.
* Unique Chinese names have forced authorities to limit the number of characters that can be used to a mere 12,000.
* For a first hand account of one journalist's travels through the heart of China, check out Dan Washburn.
* Hong Kong's Alexander the Great.
* Taking the time to enjoy living in China, rather than just criticising it. Similar to what I was getting at here.
* The author of The Rape of Nanking, Iris Chang, committed suicide. Via Kirk comes this detailed and moving look at her life. There were two very different reactions to her passing in Japan.
* Tom (another who's not happy with US Immigration. America's stringent visa policy is costing ever-more: half of the Chinese delegates to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas were refused visas and many of their compatriots and firms withdrew in solidarity.

Information

* We Observe the World is a project by Chinese journalism students, bringing to the world first hand opinions by China's next generation. Joe Bosco is behind the project.
* Via Fons, the Globe and Mail looks at the impact of the internet of China's youth. Could the USA be doing more to help the net in China?
* First it was the free lunch, now the (almost) free ride is about to go in Hong Kong, as are disgusting newspaper photos.
* Mixing politics and profits can be tricky, as the China Youth Daily is discovering. The crackdown on Guangzhou's press continues.
* Andrea has some thoughts on how the Western media reports on China. Also a look at the "frames" and narratives through which many journalists look at China.
* Playing cat and mouse with China's media censors.
* China's war against online porn continues while the old-fashioned kind is out on display.
* Having trouble getting people to see your movie? Not in Shenzhen.
* Judging by the numbers China's newspaper industry is booming. But from the inside the view is not as rosy. China has also made reporting easier - it's listed 8 central and 24 local media websites as the officially approved ones. Being a Chinese reporter isn't easy. Amongst other injustices they don't even get Reporters' Day off. The path to riches is not through newspaper reporting.
* Andres reports on a talk by noted blogger Dan Gilmour and others in Shanghai on the effects of technology on media. Also a look at three factors hampering development of Chinese cyberspace. Slowly and quietly China's bloggers are emerging, says Dan Gilmour. Another example of the emerging digerati in China is the Niu Niu incident, or maybe a blogger's eyewitness murder report. Yet more on the boom in Chinese blogging.
* The Economist keeps it simple and quotes Confucius...or do they?

Korea and Japan

* A mystery Chinese submarine was in Japanese waters, perhaps searching for natural gas, but was, after a fashion, chased away. China urged calm while Japan went mad with questions without answers. More proof of the seriousness China is taking its energy security. Winston Marshall has a good and detailed look at the incident and the broader Sino-Japan dynamic. Between China and Japan sorry can be the hardest word. With the APEC meeting in Chile the two countries' leaders are getting ready for a summit. A duet of "Yellow Submarine"? Matthew has Mao's thoughts on the starting point.
* The China/Japan rivalry is the real threat to Asian security, according to Fabian. While the two are clearly rivals, they also depend upon each other far more (especially economically) than the antagonists in the previous Cold War. Also a look at US troops in Japan and their affect on China and the region.
* Condi Rice's thoughts on North Korea. Adamu reports some interestingly different views on the North, its future and how it is not a threat.
* South Korea is no longer the sex utopia for US troops it once was.
* The always fascinating Far Outliers has an excerpt looking at the Greater East Asia War and the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, which was to include Hawaii.
* Jodi looks at a shocking form of discrimination against HIV positive non-Koreans.
* Seoul will remain Korea's capital (forcing some to drink) and Infidel uses the decision to look at the regional rivalries and disparities within the two Koreas. Oranckay looks at the same thing from a political view. Infidel also looks at the economic and political preparations for Korean unification.
* Japan is contemplating allowing Empresses.
* Korea has the fourth highest suicide rate after Hungary, Japan and Finland. Marmot's found a common factor between all four countries.
* Japan's aging population may not be all bad news.
* When he's not busy ruling with an iron fist, Kim Jong-Il likes to blog. It may not last long: South Korea is moving to block many pro-North websites.
* Japan's forces in Iraq will extend their tour of duty.
* Terrorists took a Japanese hostage in Iraq, but Koizumi will not withdraw troops. Joi Ito has an interesting slant on the Japanese reaction.
* If you thought being North Korean was hard, try being a gay North Korean.
* Japan, famous for its low crime rate, finds its prisons are over-crowded. Although with only 61,500 odd prisoners out of a population of 127.3 million, the reputation is intact.
* South Korea's Government is trying to work out what to call North Korean escapees. NKZone has a look about why these "economic migrants" are desperately trying to escape. The recent court-martial of Robert Jenkins also provides an insight into living in NK.
* Japan's working girls work on getting a-head.
* Japan's Iraqi hostage was found dead after Japan steadfastedly refused to remove troops from Iraq. Japan's people are behind PM Koizumi in staying firm on its Iraq policy.
* Even North Korea's fast food sucks.
* An excellent look at how Japan's culture holds it back.
* The Norks are ready to test a missile which can reach the United States, while the people prepare for famine.
* "Korea without kimchi is still Korea".
* Meet Charisma Man...more examples here. Maybe he should start with this line.
* The people of North Korea aren't as passive and compliant as commonly believed.
* America has drawn up its red lines for North Korea. Kirk has an interesting discussion with a Japanese bureaucrat about dynasties and North Korea.
* A Chinese nuclear (yellow) submarine may have entered Japanese waters. Jodi wonders if China is really the threat?
* Thomas P. Barnett (via NK Zone) asks why does Pyongyang and Taipei run America's relationship with China?
* Did (newly unionised) Wal-Mart help bring down those Kim Jong-il pictures? More seriously Bradley K. Martin asks if the move is a brand protection strategy. Kimchi GI points out the top NK general wouldn't be in Cuba if something was going on.

SE and Other Asia

* Indian Hindu nationalism as dangerous as Islamic fundamentalism.
* Thai monks know how to party.
* Like that other rising Asian power, India's military needs to modernise.
* Thailand's PM is facing a tough choice in dealing with the southern violence. A dubious report linking Malaysia's PAS and Thailand's southern Muslims is dealt with by Myrick.
* India is following China's lead in worrying about energy security.
* Anwar returns to Malaysia.
* SBY spells out his plans for Indonesia and Macam-Macam takes a look at the answers.
* Singapore is the only developed nation at the bottom of the world press freedom rankings. They're not happy about the company they keep. An insider's view on Singapore's press, by the Straits Times former global-affairs columnist, covering everything from Singapore's racism to its censorship.
* Steven notes the similarities between the Ukraine elections and a certain SE Asia island nation.
* Philippines tax avoidance scheme: religion.
* Singapore's getting "safer", and Hicky rightly worries about cameras in the classroom. And Singapore's opposition leader has lost his appeal against a defamation case.
* India's Government is trying to ban detailed maps of the country.
* Mahathir interfering in the internal affairs of another country? It might be against "Asian values" but it didn't stop him.
* India sees China as a strategic threat and containment strategies will not work in the longer term.
* Pol Pot's cremation site is now a tourist attraction.
* Asian reactions to Arafat's death.
* Indonesia comes clean on its spying of Australia during the East Timor crisis. It was also the 13th anniversary of the Dili massacre.
* Outsourcing has even hit India's idol business.

Miscellany

* A look at the rise of Asian film-making.
* The Far Eastern Economic Review is to close, which isn't a surprise. There have been other media lay-offs this week, and ex-editor Philip Bowring has an "obit" for the FEER.
* At last, proof of the long-held theory.
* Quentin Tarantino's going local. He could get these guys to write the script.
* Fabian has the first installment of his weekly round-up of Maoist insurgents around the world, plus he lists former Maoists or Marxist-Leninists and where they are now. And meet the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, a (you guessed it) Maoist party based in, of all places, France.
* The mouthless cat turned 30. She turns up in interesting places and of course she's got a blog.
* Another reason why Coke is it.
* America's visa restrictions are costing it billions each year.
* Rory gives us a lesson in what not to cook: a fried kimchi and ham sandwich. It has to be seen to be believed. The Mohamed Ali of eating is a scrawny Japanese man.
* Everything you want to know about Hello Kitty, and some things you don't as well.
* I am so glad I did not go to university in Hong Kong.

The WHO caused a fuss earlier this week with dire warnings of a flu pandemic, most likely via bird flu. Scary stuff and one that is rightly getting a lot of attention.

Meanwhile China is already on the edge of a major health crisis. Tomorrow is World AIDS Day. The head of the China AIDS Prevention and Control Council has estimated only 10% of HIV positive citizens have been identified. According to the official statistics (which are thought to underestimate the problem) China has 840,000 HIV positive people. But only 90,000 had registered with the Government for treatment. A Health Ministry survey shows widespread ignorance about AIDS in China. The survey concludes that AIDS patients are not the enemy but ignorance, fear and discrimation are the biggest obstacles in AIDS prevention and control. Easy to say, difficult to do.

Update: China has also just reported its AIDS cases are growing at 40% per year.

As part of a scheme to develop affordable housing the HK Government sold prime land in Hunghom to developers. The apartment blocks were finished in late 2002, by which time the scheme (called the Home Ownership Scheme or HOS) was suspended as part of Government attempts to revive HK's property market. The towers thus sat empty for over a year. At the start of 2004, with the property market now in an upswing, the developer forfeited the Government compensation offered due to the suspension of HOS. Instead the developer paid a land premium (a kind of windfall tax) to the Government and took full possession of the blocks. And now, exactly two years later, the developer has proposed the inevitable: it is going to demolish these brand new, never lived in flats and will rebuild the blocks as luxury apartments instead. Estimated windfall to the developer: HK$6 billion!

Green groups are protesting the massive amounts of waste from the project. The developer has responded that it will "recycle" 95% of the 190,000 tonnes of waste. They've even taken a helpful 2 page spread in the SCMP to explain themselves, complete with green headlines, an "artist impression" a defense of its actions under headlines "A difficult dilemma", "Optimal land use" and "Social and economic gains". Curiously no mention of the expected massive profits.

The advert even contains a "Recycling flow chart". When they say recycle, what they actually mean is everything will be sold on the Mainland - the toilets, baths, kitchens, faucets, doorknobs, steel, aluminium, wood, crushed concrete. Everything. "Only a few thousand tonnes" of non-recycleable materials are destined for landfill and the developer will make donations to compensate.

The real scandal is how the Government has allowed this to happen. The advert correctly states:

From the time we purchased the project to announcing today's decision to redevelop, every step has been reasonable and lawful. This is also a decision in our shareholders' interest.

Update: John (an ESF student made good) points out a deluded BBC article praising another of HK's magnificently wasteful property projects: Cyberport. Reading the report you'd think it was heaven on Earth. Which it most certainly is if you enjoy a vast office block with no-one in it, a hotel no-one stays in and a massive taxpayer gift to a favoured tycoon. See this post for more on this residential property development masked as a technology park.

Hong Kong is a city where the Government specialises in finding creative ways to waste money. But one is under severe threat. The ESF's taxpayer subsidy may finally disappear and force the ESF to compete on a level playing field with the other international schools in HK. Not before time.

Hong Kong's education system has three major strands: the public system, the private "international" schools and the English Schools Foundation (ESF). Last week Hong Kong's Audit Commission wrote a damning report on the ESF. It criticised the poor financial condition and troubled governance of the foundation. The ESF has responded by defending itself and its subvention (government subsidy). The problem is the arguments don't stack up.

The ESF is:

Established by Ordinance in 1967 with just two schools to provide a "modern liberal education", the ESF now runs 19 schools - five secondary schools, ten primary schools, three kindergartens and a special school. There are over 55 different nationalities in the Foundation's schools...The curriculum, leading to the internationally recognised qualifications of GCSE and GCE "A" Level is adapted to Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific region. ESF's 680 teachers are highly qualified with experience of the U.K. and other international school systems.

The report details plenty of failings in the corporate governance. This report details the lack of records, generous allowances, poor financial managed and overpayment of remumeration. The amount of waste of taxpayer money and school fees is staggering and to its credit the new ESF management is already dealing with many of these issues. That things were allowed to get this bad almost borders on criminal. Any company with these kind of issues would be hauled over the coals. The ESF gets a "must try harder" wrap on the knuckles. That's the advantage of being in education - you can always use the "think of the children" defence even if it has nothing to do with it.

The Audit Commission report was done at the behest of the ESF itself and was called a "value for money" audit. While the report has not said it in so many words, it is clear the ESF does not offer good value for the taxpayer dollars invested. The ESF has pleaded that it is a special case and has listed its reasons why it should continue to receive the subvention when its competition, the other international schools, do not receive a penny. The ESF already runs one primary school that receives no subvention money at all, which seems to belie many of its arguments. If they can run one without the subsidy, why will the world fall in if the others are weaned off the Government's teat as well?

Before we look at the ESF's pleading it is important to consider another issue. The ESF actively competes against private international schools. The subvention allows the ESF to charge lower fees, pay higher wages and attract better teachers. It creates an uneven playing field and gives the ESF a huge advantage in the battle for resources and students. As a parent sending my children to international schools, I understand why the Government does not subsidise them. However from my anecdotal experience the education at ESF schools does not differ from the schools my children attend, with one difference. My school fees are much higher.

The ESF's response to the report can be found here. The ESF disputes that changing its status to international schools should affect their subvention. This is because the ESF differs from international schools in a few ways, which include historical reasons, a special "Hong Kong context" in the curriculum, a non-selective approach, catering to students of all abilities and support for the Government school system. The ESF caters to many nationalities and has a majority of students who's families are "local". It upheld "excellence in English usage...by native English teachers". They warn of the costs of withdrawing the subsidy, which includes a potential decrease in quality and stability of teachers, lower enrolments, foreign families relocating outside of HK and (best of all):

potential damage to Hong Kong's target to become Asia's World City. The ESF believed that it made an important contribution to HK's positioning as an international city, by attracting foreign capital and experitse.

It seems the Government is slowly moving towards dismantling the subvention and finally turning the ESF into the collective of international private schools it actually already is. It will mean fee rises, upset parents, more teacher pay cuts and resignations and political pressure. It will also mean that all the international schools start fighting on a level playing field. Hmmmm....free competition without Government interference and subsidies. What a great advertisement for Hong Kong as Asia's World City.

China's dodgy economic statistics have lead to such absrudities as this. China's leadership is doing something about it. Jiang Zhenghua, a vice-chairman of the NPC, has called for a revamp of China's Statistics Law to stop provincial authorities doctoring data. Mr. Jiang wants to beef up the penalties and give the law real bite. The scale of the problem? Between 2001 and 2003 more than 59,000 violations of the law (ie false reports) were discovered, but not one official was fired or even demoted. That's because the regional bosses have the same interest as the official doctoring the numbers: they want the numbers to look good. The law will likely be changed because the central Government, not surprisingly, finds it difficult to steer China's economy without good data. It is like driving a friggin' big truck with one eye closed.

Hong Kong's lawyers are working hard to enhance their standing. Firstly it was Roddy Murray and his colleagues' defence of his ancient right to a drink. Now solicitor and politician Paul Tse has been fined for protesting wearing a bathing suit in Central. I fully expect to see the Law Society start patrols of all HK beaches to stop this outrageous behaviour. Having seen a few lawyers in their swimming trunks I can only thank the powers that be.

A brief visit to the lucky country saw me strategically crammed into the very last row of Cathay Pacific's overnight flight from Sydney to HK last night. Somewhere over the ocean the pilot came over the intercom: "Ladies and gentlemen, I am very sorry about this but despite our best efforts we are going to land about 45 minutes early." And sure enough we landed at HKIA at 4:15am, exactly 45 minutes before our scheduled arrival time.

There's not much open at the airport at the time of day. Not much at all.

As an aside there's absolutely nothing better than Sydney in the summertime. It's heartening to see that skimpy bikinis and cleavage are "in", so to speak.

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. Previous editions can be found here.

This edition contains HK's ripoff Disneyland, potential Chinese political parties, fake coffee, Wal-Mart giving in to China and bringing down Kim Jong-il, a neat summary of the Taiwan problem, The Economist getting Confucius wrong, a 6 point plan for NK, a letter from a former Straits Times writer, everything you wanted to know about Maoists today plus plenty more...

Hong Kong, China and Taiwan

• Wayne thoroughly covers the upcoming Taiwanese Legislative Yuan elections.
• Ellen says if re-unification issues don't start a war between Taiwan and China, maybe Taiwanification of increasingly rare Chinese brides will.
• Hong Kong's Disneyland is costing more than you think.
• China is clamping down on students following Falun Gong...in South Africa.
• Is China on its last legs, just as Suharto's was at the end? Check the comments for some thoughtful rebuttals. Personally I think not.
• Andres has a great post covering likely political parties and systems if China had free elections.
• New York's port is coming back...thanks (partly) to China.
• Did the Cultural Revolution lead to the current cosseted generation of Little Emperors?
• You can't even trust if the coffee is real anymore.
• Glutter says goodbye to Jim Wong.
• Thomas Barnett looks at how Greater China (ie including HK and Taiwan) is eclipsing China as a Great Power, at least economically. He also looks at how China's growing consumer market is changing how foreign investors view it and the fall-out of a Chinese recession.
• Wal-Mart has given in and allowed Chinese trade unions to operate in its stores. Another world first for China.
• The crash of a China Eastern plane in Inner Mongolia has sparked a round of xenophobic reactions.
• Google is testing a Chinese translation tool.
• As part of its energy security and economic push China's role in Central Asia is building.
• Hemlock (Thrs entry) neatly sums up the Chinese leadership's Taiwan problem.
• ACB's Rabbit Hole series continues with the excellent Understanding China which broadly looks at Chinese people's likes and dislikes, Energy and the facts on MSG.
• If she's plainly dressed, she's a cop not a hooker.
• John's follow-up to his look at differences between Chinese and Western notions of honesty introduces false modesty as another explanation.
• Famous Chinese sex blogger Muzi Mei turns up...in Germany.
• America's stringent visa policy is costing ever-more: half of the Chinese delegates to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas were refused visas and many of their compatriots and firms withdrew in solidarity.
• More on the boom in Chinese blogging.
• Thanksgiving means snowtime in Xi'an.
• Shanghai is downsizing itself.
• Are China's economic policies even more orthodox than America's?
• A guide to women in Hangzhou.
• The Economist keeps it simple and quotes Confucius...or do they?

Korea and Japan

• Nick Eberstadt has a 6 point plan that could (and should) be the basis of Bush's new North Korea policy. Why do all things North Korean revolve around the number 6? Rebecca MacKinnon isn't convinced by Bush's statement that the 5 countries on talks with North Korea are united. Others say the NK problem should be only resolved by Koreans themselves, which would be fine if they didn't have nukes. The Norks themselves just want to get along and "co-exist". It's all just a game to some.
• Did (newly unionised) Wal-Mart help bring down those Kim Jong-il pictures? More seriously Bradley K. Martin asks if the move is a brand protection strategy. Kimchi GI points out the top NK general wouldn't be in Cuba if something was going on.
• Despite haltering attempts at rapprochement from the leaderships, Japan's stock is falling with ordinary Chinese citizens.
• The Norks are ready to test a missile which can reach the United States, while the people prepare for famine.
• China again asked Japan PM Koizumi to stop visiting the Yasukuni Shrine to war dead, including war criminals. Sean rightly points out Japan has done lamentably little in showing true remorse and redressing its war crimes.
• A cheating scandal in South Korea's exams. Jodi explains the huge pressure these schoolkids are under. Duophony asks why do the students think it was OK?
• It's a helluva way to find your father.
• 66% of Japanese women said they had been groped on trains or the station. Lee thinks he might know why.
• In Japan it might be worthwhile filling in those feedback forms.
• The origins of the word kamikaze.
• Via Gord comes this account of Liberation Day celebrations in North Korea.
• Japan is stepping up its role in Japan-US defense relations.

SE and Other Asia

• India's Government is trying to ban detailed maps of the country.
• Steven notes the similarities between the Ukraine elections and a certain SE Asia island nation. He also reprints a great letter (also at Mr Brown and Singapore Commentator) from Pranay Gupte, the Straits Times former global-affairs columnist, covering everything from Singapore's racism to its censorship.
• Is India instinctively socialist?
• Al-Jazeera is setting up a base in Malaysia.

Miscellany

• Fabian has the first installment of his weekly round-up of Maoist insurgents around the world, plus he lists former Maoists or Marxist-Leninists and where they are now. And meet the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, a (you guessed it) Maoist party based in, of all places, France.
• Reason not to work as zookeeper number 201: horny elephants can kill.
• A couple of Hong Kongers have found Noah's Ark...with one little problem.
• The vibrating condom should hook up with this guy.
• Very un-PC toothpaste.
• The Wu-Tang Clan, hip-hop and the link between China and growing up black.

Two Chinese universities have suspended a free condom handout. The handout was part of an anti-AIDS drive. China's young are experiencing a sexual revolution but the country's traditional conservatism is clashing with both this changing culture and efforts to control AIDS. Something has to give - hopefully China will start to overcome its puritanical streak in time.

Hong Kong's stock market is in the midsts of another frenzy: each day another company announces the magic word and its share price rockets. The word? Macau. It has the only legal casinos in all of China which have been recently opened to competition. Suddenly the stock market has realised 1 billion gambling mad Chinese have only one place to lose their hard earned money. For example yesterday Cyber On-Air Group announced it was paying HK$1.2 billion for the hotel and casino operations in Macau of its parent Chow Tai Fook. Its share price rose 541 percent, from under $2 to $12 a share. Another example is Stanley Ho's plans to sell some of his personal casino interests to Melco. That and a gaming joint venture with Australia's PBL saw the share price rise from just over $2 in September to $10 now before they were suspended.

I have one question for all those eager buyers of these shares. Why do you think Stanley Ho and Cheng Yu-tang's Chow Tai Fook are selling?

Some contend that China's economic progress will undermine the Communist Party's grip on power. The WaPo has a story titled China's lost generation coddles its young that explains why it won't happen anytime soon:

As a growing economy produces new wealth and a spreading middle class in China, the epochal Cultural Revolution has receded to the distant past in just one generation. The millions of urban youths who were forced to abandon their books and live their teenage years with peasants have grown into indulgent middle-aged parents, eager to spare their children not only the deprivation, but even the knowledge of what happened during those tumultuous years...

Partly out of embarrassment that they played a role in a discredited political experiment, parents from what has been called the Lost Generation have turned their offspring into the Coddled Generation. In the process, whatever lessons were to be learned from the political madness that seized China then have largely been lost on today's students, who have grown up taking stability and economic well-being for granted.

The Lost Generation's eagerness to forget the bitter past and concentrate on China's material achievements helps explain why the ruling Communist Party retains its monopoly on power. Parents are focused on bettering their children's lives and their children are living in a time of loosened controls and economic progress. (my emphasis)

China makes 29 billion pens a year. Now we know what they use them all for: signing deals with Cuba.

Last night I finally met the man on who my wife has been lavishing large amounts of cash and attention: the vet. His clinic was hosting a talk by a noted animal behaviourist. I walked in and was greeted by an Armani-suited, Cartier-glasses, Rolex watch wearing man who introduced himself with a broad smile and a hearty handshake. I gently noted it was interesting almost everybody was already seated and waiting, given the starting time was 7:30pm and it was exactly 7:30pm. I joked it seems funny that when it comes to dogs* everyone is punctual whereas if this had been a financial seminar it would start an hour late. Chukles all round.

Not 5 minutes later the vet stands up. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's funny how everyone is punctual for a talk on dogs; if it had been about money this would start an hour late." Hey! That's my joke. First you take my money, now you take my jokes. Careful, bucko, I know where you work.

The behaviourist starts his talk, titled "Preparing your dogs and cats for being left alone." He covered seperation related behaviours (not anxiety, that term is passe), how to recognise them and how to anticipate them. It included some amusing videos of dogs causing havoc. Finally he turns to how to deal with these problems. He said,

"If these other treatments fail we now have pharmacological methods to deal with these behaviours. A common prescription for dogs is Prozac or Valium."

Maybe it's just me. Dogs on Prozac. That's going to keep me smiling all day.

* _{In theory the seminar also covered cats, but really who cares about the feckless felines?}

He's hired.

Last week it was fake Chinese Government bonds. Now it is fake coffee. I hate the stuff so this one is for that legion of coffee addicts:

If you happen to be in Chengdu city and buy a cup of Blue Mountain coffee, which is currently one of the most sought-after coffees in the world, you might pay anywhere from 35 Yuan (US$4.20) to 120 Yuan (US$14.50) for a cup. What’s the catch, besides the price? You’d be buying a fake cup of coffee.

For a long time now, suppliers have struggled to meet the demands for Blue Mountain beans. Of the coffee shops in Chengdu, 80 percent advertise Blue Mountain coffee. That’s 2,000 cups of fake Blue Mountain coffee per day in Chengdu. Now even the fake Blue Mountain-style coffees made from cheap Brazilian and Guadeloupe beans are in short supply.

Demand creates its own supply.

There is no monopoly on ugliness but the workers in the tower next door to mine are making a damn fine attempt at cornering the market.

A guide for the Asia by Blog series.

If you have additional questions please leave them in the comments and I will answer them in this post.

Q: How often does Asia by Blog appear?
A: Typically every Monday and Thursday.

Q: Why did it not appear this week?
A: I am doing this on my own and in my spare time. If I am on holidays, sick or too busy it may not appear. Instead try surfing the blogs in the "Featured Asian", "Hong Kong" or "Asian" blogrolls and having a look at what they are saying.

Q: Can you notify me of new editions?
A: Please send an email to simon-at-simonworld-dot-mu-dot-nu and I will add you to the email notification group.

Q: How do you compile it?
A: Without giving away too many secrets, I read the blogs off my Hong Kong, Featured Asian and Asian rolls and add links to those entries I find interesting.

Q: How can I submit an entry or my blog?
A: You cannot. What you can do is send me an email and I will look at the post and/or your blog. If you are posting about the current events in Asia then there is a good chance I will add a link in an upcoming edition. If you are posting about what you had for lunch last week, a link is unlikely. You can get a feel for the kind of entries that get linked by reading past editions here. Alternatively follow some of the links and blogs that are on the various rolls and start linking to them. Often I find entries by following links at other blogs and posts.

Q: How can I repay you for your efforts?
A: Great question. There are several ways. Firstly help promote the Asia by Blog series, either by linking it on your own blog or mentioning it to others who are interested in Asia (this is also a good way for me to notice your blog and start linking to it). Secondly I have an Amazon wishlist with plenty of items for you to choose from. Thirdly I take all major credit cards.

Hong Kong's newest white elephant will "soon" be open for business. Hong Kong Disneyland opens on September 12th next year. The good news is the park will be the cheapest Disney in the world...except on "special days". A better name would be "days when you are actually likely to go", such as weekends, public holidays, golden week holidays and all of July and August. On those days the price jumps 20%. Once inside gastronomic delights await, also at "special" prices. But this is a "soft opening" with only a few rides will be open. It is full price but the rest of the park is not due to open for another year or more.

The press release gushes:

The park has so far created 11,400 jobs during construction and another 18,000 are expected to be created in phases by opening day. The theme park is also forecast to inject HK$148 billion into Hong Kong's economy.

Visitors expected in Year One: 5.5 million
Visitors expected in 2020: 10 million
Size of Complex: 299 acres
Size ratio of Florida's Disney World to HK Disneyland: 100:1
Money spent by HK Government on Infrastructure: US$1.7 billion (Ed.- this number is now US$2.8 billion)
Cost of 57% equity stake in the Park: US$417 million

The sloppily drawn contract between Disney and Hong Kong does not even have a clause preventing Disney from opening other parks in China. Also not mentioned in the press release are the massive cost over-runs due to dioxin in the soil at the Penny Bay site (and more besides from FoE) and the pollution problem means the slight change in the orientation of the park will still not give any views for much of the year. Chalk it as a win for Disney shareholders and a massive loss for Hong Kong. What's worse is now we've got the West Kowloon boondoggle.

Hong Kong: home of astute investment, big Government, white elephants and wasted money. This makes HarbourFest look like child's play. Mike Rowse is getting hauled over the coals for that debacle. For Disneyland, you get this...

Mickey learns of the size of Henry Tang's (HK Financial Secretary) subsidy.

NOTE: Read more about Hong Kong Disneyland.

The 2004 Weblog Awards have started the nomination phase...and there's a Best Asian Blog. Now this is the bit where you follow Brian and nominate me. The vote begging will come later.

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. Previous editions can be found here.

This edition contains Chinese vs Western truth, troubles with US immigration policies, a new football game, Chinese bloggers, what you can really see from space, dead conmen, the death of US troops' sex utopia and a new indoor Thai tourist spot plus plenty more...

Hong Kong, China and Taiwan

• John neatly demonstrates a fundamental difference between Chinese and Western concepts of truth, with the help of some eggs.
• Jiao Guobiao (writer of the "Declaration Against the Central Propaganda Bureau") gives an interview saying it is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak up, while the SCMP (sub req'd) reports Beijing has banned media discussions of the role of intellectuals in China's development.
• Thomas Barnett worries that while China rapidly secures energy sources and strategic alliances, America is being left behind.
• The path to riches is not through newspaper reporting.
• Chris deals with Jonathan Fenby's Dealing with the Dragon.
• I am so glad I did not go to university in Hong Kong.
• Tom (another who's not happy with US Immigration - maybe Taiwan-bound Roy could help) breaks down China's trade figures.
• The US Congressional Executive Commission on China has a Political Prisoner Database. That it exists at all, let alone being so comprehensive, is a reminder of the evil that still lurks in China.
• More dam trouble brewing.
• China may have missed out on World Cup football, but they've found a new one to play with against their old friends Taiwan.
• Slowly and quietly China's bloggers are emerging, says Dan Gilmour. Another example of the emerging digerati in China is the Niu Niu incident, or maybe a blogger's eyewitness murder report.
• In China's classless society, being a soldier has privileges.
• The flipside of the China bubble: over-capacity and over-supply.
• Jeff looks at industrial safety and lack thereof in China. For example: China produced 35 percent of the world's coal last year, but reported 80 percent of the total deaths in coal mine accidents. Again muddied stats make it difficult to find the truth.
• Acupuncture beats drugs. If it didn't work, it wouldn't sill be around.
• You can't see the Great Wall in space. But you can see the Great Brown Cloud.
• Fakes are a notorious problem in China, the latest being fake Government bonds. But hats off to this guy, who passed himself off as the long dead founder of modern China, Sun Yat-Sen. He extorted over 500,000 yuan!

Korea and Japan

• North Korea's changing pictures means little (Andy's not optimistic either) and is furiously denied by the Norks. The source of the story isn't pure, notes Marmot (who also has a great story about a previous picture debacle in the North). There are always strange things going on there - it's when they stop it is time to worry. NK Zone is rounding up theories (and asking for more)
• While on NK, Adamu reports some interestingly different views on the North, its future and how it is not a threat.
• South Korea is no longer the sex utopia for US troops it once was.

SE and Other Asia

• An insider's view on Singapore's press.
• A look at the historical interaction between India and China.
• Thailand's newest tourism venture: visiting maximum security prisoners.
• Singapore is seeing a rapid rise in new HIV infections, but control efforts are stymied by outdated laws banning homosexuality.

Miscellany

• He might be ready for Chinese opera, but is Chinese opera ready for him?
• The Mohamed Ali of eating is a scrawny Japanese man.
• What a question.

We will fight them in the halls, we will fight them on the benches, but we will never surrender.

Why did the English bother fighting World War 2?

Mrs M and I went to that rarest of Hong Kong social occasions: a dinner party. Amongst the guests was a newly arrived upper middle-class Englishman, a well-to-do financial type from the "suffering the colonies until we find local chaps half-competent enough" school. While condensending to break bread with Antipodeans, he clearly saw Hong Kong as something to be endured rather than enjoyed.

The conversation progressed as it typically does at these things: the foibles of local living, the folly of Americans, the idiocy of George W., a few lewd jokes and quietly competitive kiddie-comparisons. For the most part I bit my tongue, knowing I was out-numbered, out-flanked and out-drunk. Yet not once but twice this man slipped in anti-semitic insults. I missed the first, but Mrs M clearly heard it and gave me that meaningful dinner party husband/wife look, which could mean anything from "you have parsley in your teeth" to "Mayday, Mayday, Eject, Eject!" Having missed the comment and being male I had no idea what this look meant, but I knew I would be fully de-briefed after the event to what I assumed was my faux-pas. Later the conversation drifted towards Bill Clinton and inevitably Monica Lewinsky. Our gentleman, with clear vile in his voice, called her "that ugly, money-grubbing, Jewish girl" in the midsts of his diatrabe. Mrs M and I immediately shared that meaningful look. A line had been crossed. We were now in a difficult situation and did the only thing we could without completely embarrassing our hosts. We made our hasty apologies and left, disappointed an otherwise enjoyable night was tarnished by the ignorance of an English twat.

If I had said we were Jewish our learned friend would no doubt have gushed apologies and "it's OK, you're the good kind of Jew". I cannot taint all Brits with the anti-semitic brush. But the incident confirmed my impression that for many upper and upper-middle class Englishmen (and women), this kind of quiet anti-semitism is fed to them with their silver spoon. At least he proved Tony Blair correct in one sense: the classless British society is here. It's just not in the sense they imagined.

Karaoke, the drunkard's confidence meter, was invented in 1971 by a keyboardist named Daisuke Inoue. He now spends his days selling his cockroach killing machine and detegent-free washing water, and has no regrets for failing to patent what is now a multi-billion dollar industry. From the interview:

His company came to boast annual sales of 10 billion yen, 95 million dollars at current rates. But the lifestyle proved too much for Inoue.

"It was luxury-induced depression. I had been a salesman talking directly to customers but was suddenly given a monthly salary of 3.5 million yen [US$34,000] and no real job," he said.

"I began to suffer headaches and was unable to move to go to office," he said, recalling the months in the early 1990s he served as nominal "chairman" of the company.

China and Taiwan are already at war. Vanuatu, previously a typical semi-dysfunctional Pacific island state, is now a diplomatic football. Last week the PM plumped finally for Taiwan after two weeks of dithering. Naturally that pissed China off. Vanuatu's cabinet then voted to reaffirm the original recognition of China, which doesn't say much for the PM. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denies that Vanuatu has changed its mind. Vanuatu's cabinet has told the PM to ask China for more "assistance".

Either Vanuatu is conducting a bizarre auction or they are attempting to become the first country on Earth to recognise both Taiwan and China.

Some high and low lights from this week's reading:

• The pithy and pugnacious Paul is back! Having resurrected the blog and co-opted Jen in the bargain, we await the pixilated pearls to come. Is it a co-incidence that homicidal maniac in training Bill returned at the same time? No, it is not. Where are Mulder and Scully?
• Next time Mrs M asks what she should make for dinner, I'll point her this way.
• Shandy finds women and fortune-telling are a bad mix.
• The Blog Awards season will soon be upon us. Check the 2004 Weblog Awards site for details.
• Is it just me or do they look like father and son?
• Even if MSM isn't sure how to treat blogs, Rusty says there are others who think they are worthy of death threats.
• Jim's setting up a new political party.
• Condi's to do list is already done...and this is just to fix up State, let alone policy.
• Check out some of the great new blogging talent at the Showcase.

There is a gathering sense of excitement over hints of change in North Korea. It's misplaced.

Firstly the facts. North Korea is not a font of information, but here is the speculation: Kim Jong-il was said to have disappeared from public life, grieving for his wife and Bush's re-election. Some of Kim Jong-Il's portraits were removed from public places, perhaps on his own orders. Finally, the media stopped referring to him as the "Dear Leader", instead listing his myriad other titles.

Bloggers have been all over it. Roger Simon was getting excited, saying this might be the start of a freedom movement in NK. Mega Pundit calls it a North Korean revolution. Dean reports Kim may have just survived an assassination attempt and it is forcing Kim into making reforms. Alisa says this all justifies Bush's NK policy. Glenn is puzzled by what it all means. Conrad notes if it is true then Kim's second career in the PGA is set.

Predictably North Korea is calling it a Yankee plot. Joshua notes the least likely scenario is some kind of Pyongyang Spring or NK perestroika. Marmot noted the pictures have been down for some time.

Let's look at a few things. This is the most secretive Government in the world. It has been ruled by the Kims for 60 years in tyrannical fashion. The abuse of human rights, the famines, the death camps, the secret development of nukes are well known. North Korea is insular, cult-driven with a philosophy of Juche (self-reliance). You are telling me that because of Bush's re-election and some heart-ache this despot, who has been born and bred to rule, is now just quietly keeling over and giving the game away? I doubt it. When KJI first assumed the leadership there were doubts over his grip on power. That was 10 years ago. Until this week (albeit with the caveat of limited information) no-one doubted absolute control rested KJI's hands. Over that time he has cemented control by appointing loyalists into positions of power. There is and has never been anything like an effective opposition in NK. Even if the top military brass were originally wary of KJI, he has put his own generals in charge. Let me repeat that point. There is no likely source of opposition to Kim's rule. The only way KJI will lose power is if he gives it up himself. There is no coup, no opening up, no new dawn.

I do hope that these are signs that things are changing in NK. Perhaps KJI has gone through an uncharacteristic change of heart and decided to give the game way. But I fear co-incidences and rumours are being spun into something greater. People are adding one plus one and getting 78. You needcold, hard and irrefutable proof before you can get excited.

Forget about American cultural imperialism, now it's Chinese cultural imperialism taking over Asia.

China's long standing (5 years and counting) Golden Week holidays may be abolished. These week long holidays, one around Labour Day and the other National Day, see the entire country literally shut down and masses either go on holidays or home. They were introduced to boost domestic consumption and tourism after the Asia crisis. The holiday results in huge pressures on the transport and tourism industries, as anyone who has toured China during those weeks can attest. It is a time of price gouging, crowded trains, full hotels and impossible to visit tourist spots.

They will be missed.

After two weeks of building headline panic, Hong Kong's Caritas Hospital has announced the mystery virus striking 32 children in its care is parainfluezna virus. This exotic illness, which the best of the hospital's medics could not diagnose for two weeks, is the second most common form of infection in children and infants.

My confidence in Hong Kong's medical establishment just took another massive dive.

It was Vanuatu's turn earlier this month; now it's Antigua. I'll bet you never realised China's Government is so interested in cricket it has paid for a cricket stadium in Antigua for the 2007 World Cricket Cup. Total spent: US$23 million, plus an additional US$600,000 on "sports aid". China is extremely active in using foreign aid for political ends. That money could be better used improving China's domestic infrastructure, helping dislocated migrants, the unemployed, the impoverished or demographic changes. But the race to tie up small nations in the dollar diplomacy war takes precedence.

Sometimes competition produces perverse results. Taiwan and China's dollar diplomacy is a perfect example.

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. Previous editions can be found here.

This edition contains Chinese corporate lawyers, the death of Chinese humour, Colin Powell's thoughts on China and Condi Rice's on North Korea, China's water woes, Taiwan's history changes, the factors hampering the development of China's cyberspace, a new member of the axis of evil, Martha in Vietnam plus plenty more...

Hong Kong, China and Taiwan

• A must read: the death of Chinese humour.
• ACB has started a journey down the rabbit hole: a collection of observations on China, based on the breaking of the laws of physics. So far up are Time and Space, with Light and Sound to come.
• As part of China's adjustment to a market economy, it is also getting its first corporate lawyers, with all the entails. To think China went 5,000 years without them. But there's proof China's economic boom will soon end. And a market tip on China's currency and rates.
• Colin Powell's parting thoughts on China.
• Andres reports on a talk by noted blogger Dan Gilmour and others in Shanghai on the effects of technology on media.
• A piece of history at the HKCC.
• Hong Kong's Chief Executive is against the proposed democracy referendum. Which means no more mangoes (Thurs 18th Nov entry). Nevertheless moves are afoot to start Hong Kong's independence movement.
• Is China's energy diplomacy working? And what about water security?
• A review of Zhao Ziyang: Power Struggle in China 1986-88 with some amazing insights into China at a crucial time.
• Lest you doubt it, China still firmly believes in Big Brother.
• China's soccer dreams are at an end already.
• A change in the history curriculum for schools in Taiwan reflects Chen's growing push towards independence through the creation of a more distinct Taiwanese culture. From the other side of the Strait, a concise view of Chinese mainstream thinking on Taiwan.
• A look at the "frames" and narratives through which many journalists look at China.
• More riots, this time in Guangdong, though this time not ethnic based. The increase in unrest may be due to improved communications.
• Ellen looks at sophisticated Chinese counterfeiting schemes - so advanced the counterfeiters are claiming patents themselves!
• Tom trashes HK's (il)Liberal Party's opposition to a minimum wage.
• China is going to reform its petitioning system.
• Some observations from a businessman visiting China.
• Three factors hampering development of Chinese cyberspace.

Korea and Japan

• Kim's pictures are coming down and he's no longer the "Dear Leader". Somehow I don't think it means much.
• Between China and Japan sorry can be the hardest word. With the APEC meeting in Chile the two countries' leaders are getting ready for a summit. A duet of "Yellow Submarine"? Matthew has Mao's thoughts on the starting point.
• Is South Korea going to take Iraq's place in the Axis of Evil? Showing up your American hosts never helps your lobbying efforts. It's OK, because South Korea has a new ally anyway.
• The human cost of NK's kidnappings of Japanese citizens.
• Meet Dr. Hwang Woo-suk, professor of vet studies and soon to be (Korean) ruler of the world.
• The always fascinating Far Outliers has an excerpt looking at the Greater East Asia War and the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, which was to include Hawaii.
• A look at Condi Rice's thoughts on North Korea.
• The status NK refugees handed over to the Chinese police by the Shanghai American school is still unresolved.
• It's important to pick your battles.
• Japan is contemplating allowing Empresses.

SE and Other Asia

• Myrick has an idea on how to improve Singapore's crack troops. Maybe they could use human Pac-Man for training.
• India is following China's lead in worrying about energy security.
• Martha's lucky she doesn't live in Vietnam.
• The most expensive office rents are not where you think.
• Singapore's not happy about the company it keeps in terms of media freedom.

Miscellany

• Japan, home of all things electronic, has proof of their tech savvy. 45% change their ringtones monthly.
• Find out where most of your spam comes from.
• Everything you want to know about Hello Kitty, and some things you don't as well.
• Quiz time: dog treat or Chinese herb?

Back in June Richard noted the 10th anniversary of the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. That post has assumed a life of its own, with some of the key players (such as Bill Wasz) constantly contributing to the comments stream and with plenty of information flowing, albeit with various agendas to push. Joe Bosco, who has in a previous life covered the case closely, has additional contributions to make (plus check his site for further OJ info).

It is incredible how sometimes the internet and blogs bring people with information together.

China is notorious for its prolific fakes of goods of all kinds, but particularly fashion and software/DVDs. But now it's getting serious: fake government bonds.

The HK Government has denied that the US will station FBI agents in its consulate to fight against piracy in Hong Kong. Why not? It makes sense for the FBI to place people close to the problem. HK's efforts have been effective and it is harder to find pirate software and DVDs in the city these days. But not too hard. Anyone who's been here for more than a few days knows exactly where to go. At worst a quick trip to Shenzhen instead, a mere 45 minutes from Central, and all the fakes in the world can be yours. Although I haven't seen fake bonds there.

Yet.

Last night's World Cup deciders finished with China beating HK 7-0, but it wasn't enough as Kuwait beat Malaysia 6-1, thus ending China's advance and China coach Arie Haan's career. There was a glimmer of hope at half time as reports of a 1-1 scoreline at the Kuwait game, but by the end the perverse result in the China game was that both teams effectively lost, both leaving the ground dejected and lamenting missed opportunities. What will hurt more is the advance of South Korea and Japan. The SCMP* finds the silver lining:

The only plus point is that China needs a crisis in its football. It needs to go back and sort out the missed opportunity of the Black Whistles affair of 2001-2002. The one referee to confess, the one referee to provide his country with the chance to get to the heart of corruption, Gong Jianping, died of cancer this year while serving a 10-year prison sentence. The problems outlived him.

For all the money the China Football Association has invested in foreign coaches, the time long passed when they should back what they invested in "the coaches expertise" and get the team the kind of five-goal hammerings against the French that Japan and South Korea used as springboards for considerable improvement prior to the 2002 World Cup.

China has a huge advantage in attempting to secure such fixtures: the entire corporate world wants a slice of the mainland, and that interest will open doors. But first you have to knock.

* _{This is the same paper that in today's World section has two headlines that read: Hed Here. Not just once, but twice. What kind of "quality" paper lets such a mistake get through? Or were the layout and sub-editiors asleep last night? They could have been if they had read the paper.}

1. Please read this email guide if you want to avoid this.
2. Do not turn and leave the printer or photocopier as soon as a paper jam occurs, waiting for some magical fairy to come and fix it for you. Fix it your God-damn self. These days the machines practically hold your hand to fix the jam. You will not get hurt. I promise.
3. Do not turn and leave the printer or photocopies once it runs out of paper, waiting for some magical fairy to come and replace it for you. Do it your God-damn self.
4. Do not turn and leave the water fountain once it is empty, when there are plenty of bottles on the griound. If you think they are "too heavy to lift", may I recommend you never try picking up a baby.
5. Work out who are morning people and who are not. Do not be overly conversation and friendly with the non-morning people until they have either (a) had at least one coffee or (b) it is after 11am.
6. Do not wait until the last few seconds before a person is leaving for the day to ask inane questions that could wait until the morning. And in the morning, check point 5.
7. Yes, I'm on the phone. That's why the earpiece is attached to my ear and why I'm talking to seemingly no-one.
8. Waiting over my shoulder will not make me finish my phone call any earlier.
9. If I keep buying the chewing gum that seems to sustain hundreds of people in the office each day, it wouldn't hurt for you to occassionally buy some yourself (that one's for you, Aaron).
10. I like my co-workers, but I love my family. If it's a choice between spending more time at work or basking in the warm glow of my family's love, guess which it will be.
11. If someone leaves a message for me, it would be handy to get it once I get back to my desk, rather than a week or so later.

All of China's sporting eyes will be focussed on one event tonight: the clash between China and Hong Kong in the World Cup soccer qualifying tournament. As previously mentioned, minnows Hong Kong face a desperate China who need to win by at least 2 more goals than Kuwait's likely win over Malaysia. The Chinese team is "restless". Hong Kong's coach has said "(we) will try our best and we will resist all outside factors". China's coach is upbeat, as well he might given he'll be out of a job if they don't make it through. Suspicions of a fix linger. The police in Guangzhou, where the match will be held, are getting ready for riots (and we all know how China's police can react in such situations). China's already embattled soccer authorities face humiliation and worse should they not make it through to the World Cup, especially given expectations like this from journalist Lily Xiang- Li (via SCMP):

"It will be bad news for Chinese soccer: for players, coaches, for sports newspapers, for everyone involved in Chinese football. It will be very unfortunate for soccer fans because in the next World Cup there will be no Chinese team".

Go Hong Kong.

You are part of an emerging economy, rapidly growing wealthier and becoming a world power. To go with your new found status you buy a car financed with a loan from one of the Big Four Chinese banks. And it turns out that one in every two of you can't afford the repayments. In other countries big banks with default rates higher than 50% on their auto loans would be at the very least intensively audited by the authorities. In China they get ready to float them on the stock exchange.

China now officially "regrets" its nuclear submarine's intrusion into Japanese waters last week, blaming it on a technical mishap. Which doesn't bode well for both the submarine's captain and the PLA's navy but is great news for Taiwan.

But what is it about the word "sorry" that is so hard for Asia governments? China very deliberately chose the word regret, and Japan deliberately didn't push the matter any further, accepting the apology as is. Being sorry in Asia is not easy. Japan has expressed "regret" over its WW2 actions but China has never accepted that as enough. This time around Japan is demonstrating to China that regret can be the same as sorry. It won't wash, but no doubt the point has been noted.

JC got her first chain letter yesterday. She's not yet 4 years old. I'm just waiting for her spam to start...

If you only read one post about China this year, you should read more blogs. But if it really has to be just one, make it this excellent essay by David Moser titled "Stifled Laughter: How the Communist Party killed Chinese humour". A small taste:

It is ironic that China, with the world’s largest population, also wastes more human resources than any country on earth. An entire generation of talent was effectively lost during the Cultural Revolution. And it could be argued that, since 1949, China has metaphorically shackled and silenced all its Lenny Bruces, Mort Sahls, Richard Pryors, Dick Gregorys, Eddie Murphys and Margaret Chos. Of course, all cultures are different, and such potential Chinese comedic geniuses would have undoubtedly produced standup comedy with “Chinese characteristics”. The pity is that we will never know what that comedy might have been like.

If crosstalk is dying, it is not because of inexorable market forces, or because of some ineffable cultural difference. It is rather the fault of the Communist Party, whose paranoia and pathetic sense of dignity has produced a media environment in which nothing truly humorous can ever arise and flourish. It is the Party that killed the laughter. And this is truly no laughing matter.

Glenn Reynolds reports on the poor treatment of a former Egyptian ambassador's wife at the hand of the US INS. Andres follows up with his own tales of the poor treatment the US Foreign "Service" in China, not just with US citizens but especially with Chinese trying to get visas. It is a common topic in these parts, something I've covered both in small and big ways. America is missing out on creating a great bridge to countries such as China through educating Chinese students and encouraging Chinese tourists. In China US visa approvals for mainland travellers are down 40% from the 2001 with 25% fewer applicants.

What seems ironic is the US Foreign Service has a reputation for being a bastion of (by American standards) left-wing thought. As any fans of The Diplomad would know, mentioning the "R" word* in the service is a likely career-thwarter. But it appears the US Foreign Service rarely practices the tolerance it preaches. It can be argued they are simply implementing policy. It doesn't wash. Security is important but tight visa restrictions does not mean rude behaviour and disdain. The USA spends millions on PR for itself but causes itself far more damage when foreigners have to contend with poor service from the Foreign Service and INS. It is a common problem amongst English speakers (within which I generously include American) to treat non-English spreakers as ignorant fools who require slow, loud and simple words to made points understood. You would have thought those in the Foreign Service would recognise this intolerance and rise above it. Apparently not.

Could the appointment of Condi Rice as the new Secretary of State see a change in this attitude? She clearly is close to George W. and has solid anti-terror credentials. Here's hoping she is able to force a sea change in attitude at US consulates and embassies around the world. It won't be easy given the Service's likely hostile reaction to their new boss. But for America's sake she needs give it a try. It does huge damage to America's reputation abroad.

* _{Republican, of course.}

Vanuatu has spent the past couple of weeks trying to decide if it is recognising China or Taiwan. Finally it has made it's mind up and is going with Taiwan. What high principle drove the decision?

They [Vanuatu] are caught in a diplomatic war of recognition between China and Taiwan, which accuse each other of using "dollar diplomacy" to woo allies. A Vanuatu government official said Taipei had offered US$30 million in aid.

There is no better sign of economic hubris than plans to build the tallest tower in the world. If you ever wanted proof of a looming economic slowdown China, this is it.

A newspaper has selected 55 "new" terms relating to economic life in China in honour of the 55 years since the founding of the PRC. The first part includes words such as "white collar", "CBD", "sea-election", "laowai" and "internet". The second part includes "green label", "soft landing", "market economy", "audit storm", "redployment of the laid-off" and "petty bourgeoisie". The entire list makes interesting reading, as a reflection of the changes the country has gone through, especially in the past 20 years.

Moreover there is a review of "13 keywords of economic reform", which recounts some of the major economic changes in China since 1994. It really is amazing to take stock of how far China has come in such a short space of time.

Hemlock is primus inter pares amongst Hong Kong's blogging community. His daily writings inevitably combine wit and charm in skewering the great and good of HK and his HK Blog Guide remains a great reference (although it's time for an update).

But now the game is on. HKMacs started by pondering if this could be the work of more than one? John Swaine picks up the baton and delves into the topic in depth (both links via Shaky), drawing from the archives the few crumbs Hemlock has left as to his identity. Previously I noted an interview he gave to Slate, naming his price as a couple of pints of lager. I'd say John's analysis is interesting but Hemlock has in times past mentioned the IFC mall and its splendour as well as frequently mentioning the Pacific Coffee there, unless he picks up his cuppa while passing from his Mid-Levels flat at Perpetual Oppulence Mansions on the way to his office. The puzzle remains as to the true identity of the Big Boss as John rightly points out the similarities to both Canning Fok and Richard Li. Both seem to fit, and the Big Boss could easily be Mr. Fok and the seldom-mentioned son Richard Li.

And that's where I draw a line under the inquiry. The beauty is that Hemlock chooses to remain anonymous, for good reason. There's no point trying to find out who he is, for that would simply end one of the best journals on the web today. Fact or fiction is besides the point. So let's just leave it at this: Hemlock is a great writer and a discovery worth making on his own terms.

It was inevitable, but another downside of China's emergence as a market economy and the expansion of its economy has seen the first corporate lawyers in China. 700 legal advisors have gone through a 2 year program and are now able to call themselves corporate lawyers instead. With a population of 1.3 billion, that keeps the lawyer per capita ratio at a comfortable 0.00005%. You have to wonder how China has managed so far without them?

Now we know who to blame for any Chinese slowdown now.

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. Previous editions can be found here.

This edition contains Chinese condoms, sexless Singaporeans, the death of an author, Japan's aging population, Chinese subs in Japan, North Korean study, a WaPo bureau chief's thoughts on China, progress on the Kurils and plenty more...

Hong Kong, China and Taiwan

• Richard reports on the former WaPo Beijing bureau chief John Pomfret's thoughts on China.
• Hong Kong: One country, two systems, lots of legal junkets.
• An interesting contrast in attitudes to wealth and police power in Hong Kong and China.
• The author of The Rape of Nanking, Iris Chang, committed suicide. Via Kirk comes this detailed and moving look at her life. There were two very different reactions to her passing in Japan.
• Is China getting ready to shift its exchange rate regime?
• The not-always-reliable Epoch Times is reporting on a push to free former Premier Zhao Ziyang from house arrest.
• Hong Kong's known as the stress capital of Asia. But help is on the way.
• The CCP is worried about protests and wary of following the Soviet Union. The difference being China has far more history and is more culturally homogenous than the Russian-dominated USSR.
• Unique Chinese names have forced authorities to limit the number of characters that can be used to a mere 12,000.
• For those Chinese working overseas and thinking of returning to China, Wang Jianshuo has some useful thoughts.
• Sex sells: interestingly named condoms, China's sexual prowess and FHM is pushing the limits, although it appears rumours of a China Playboy are just that.
• The secrets of HK prison life revealed.
• What is Chinese for Yahoo? What about hip-hop?
• China's foreign policy charm offensive continues, this time with Jakarta. Some in China think the US is trying to restrict access to regional natural resources and China is becoming more active in its diplomacy throughout Asia to counter it. Not just ASEAN either, but in Central Asia as well, as they seek to counter looming energy shortages.
• Another sign that China is catching up to Japan: death by overwork.
• Andrea has some thoughts on how the Western media reports on China.
• How did I miss the 2004 Miss Chinese Cosmos Pageant?
• Who'd have thought Vanuatu is worth fighting over?

Korea and Japan

• Japan's forces in Iraq will extend their tour of duty.
• North Korea's in the wars again, so to speak. It's economy is falling apart (via Joe). Marmot comprehensively covers two American experts' comments on Korea. Thomas P. Barnett (via NK Zone) asks why does Pyongyang and Taipei run America's relationship with China? And the South continues to do its best to take every negotiating tool off the table in a "stunningly naive" speech, but Jodi notes a slight softening of NK's stance.
• At least those in the North can surf the net.
• A mystery Chinese submarine was in Japanese waters, perhaps searching for natural gas, but was, after a fashion, chased away. China urged calm while Japan went mad with questions without answers. More proof of the seriousness China is taking its energy security. Winston Marshall has a good and detailed look at the incident and the broader Sino-Japan dynamic.
• There's reminder about subs for South Koreans as well.
• What to get the academic that has everything? How about a degree from North Korea's Kim Il-Sung University.
• Some helpful Japanese insults for you.
• Japan's aging population may not be all bad news.
• Some progress on Japan's dispute with Russia on the Kuril Islands.
• For fans of Sumo, the origins of the top rank yokozuna.
• Woojay has a three part series on Korea and Koreans, based on personal experience but full of astute observations: part one on education and self-expression; part two on repression and pressure in high school; and part three on the Recoil Effect, anti-communism education and lives and society in transition.
• The North Koreans are getting some radios. I wonder if they'll be sending batteries too?
• Crazy Japanese products department: Recyclable bras and lap dancing pillows.

SE and Other Asia

• Asian reactions to Arafat's death.
• Indonesia comes clean on its spying of Australia during the East Timor crisis. It was also the 13th anniversary of the Dili massacre.
• Singapore aims to beat AIDS without talking about sex. Very enlightened.
• Outsourcing has even hit India's idol business.

Miscellany

• No wonder they think Westerners are crazy (via Marmot).
• Tonight on the menu is rat du jour.
• That's why it's called the Great Wall.

The new BBC line-up has taken a step up.

I have previously discussed the two China's: the rich coast and the poor inland. An example of the differences between the two are neatly outlined in the nutritional imbalances faced by Chinese people. On one hand there are those getting rich and fat on the coast, enjoying fast food and Western diets and resulting in a boom for the weight-loss industry. On the flip side the vast rural poor still battle malnutrition, including iodine deficiency (720 million affected), lack of iron and vitamins.

So on one hand Chinese people are getting too fat, and on the other too thin. McDonalds need to start sending Big Macs into the interior.

China has long had a system of public examinations for public service positions as a method to ensure the best and brightest are recognised despite class and wealth. Public officials are powerful and often accumulate wealth through means fair and foul. Accordingly there has been a long tradition of taking the short cut via corruption in obtaining public posts. Such trade also makes the office holders beholden to whoever sold them the position, thus cementing the leader's power base as they move up the ranks.

The People's Daily has an intereview with a professor who specialises in researching corruption (that should tell you something about the extent of the problem). Professor Hu points out 4 "new" features to the buying and selling of official posts:

1. Scope Enlargement: once you're an official you can accumulate wealth through "unfair means".
2. Business Marketisation: there are high and low seasons for trading, but it happens 24/7. Peak season is usually when a leader is running for office. The prices of the same office will vary depending on "location, time and human relations". I assume the latter is who you work with. At the moment we've shifted from a seller's market to a buyer's market.
3. Diversified ways: Cash alone isn't enough. At festivals the buyers of offices bring offerings (wine, fruit, cigarettes) to the leaders, or they try buttering up the wives or kids of the leaders. Alternatively they take up the same hobbies, or play and deliberately lose at mahjong or golf, or taking the leader on an overseas trip, or paying for overseas study.
4. Amount on a scale: the trading is so common place that package deals are done, where several positions are doled out in a single session.

It all bears an uncanny resembelence to working in any large Western company.

Hong Kong's Government is going to put up a new sign outside the HKCC for motorists on Wong Nai Ching Gap Road: Keep watching the skies. It's just another reason why Asia's roads remain the world's deadliest. What is scary is over 600,000 people a year die on Asia's roads, or 50% of the world's total road deaths each year, despite having only 16% of the world's traffic. The reasons? Poor roads, inexperienced drivers and high numbers of mopeds and motorbikes. Nothing about cricket balls, though.

Update: I have it on good authority that Mr. Butt is a devout Muslim. Being Ramadan he was fasting and did not drink during the entire 35 overs. Impressive.

As my friend pointed out, until the weekend who even knew they played cricket at the Hong Kong Cricket Club?

And here I was thinking it was only bloggers who did it in pyjamas. But it is also Shanghai bikies...

The semi-regular look at the links that matter:

• Plenty have wondered if Arafat has died of AIDS (and what about the quilt?). Someone knows the truth. Best headline of the week goes to Ace. Hemlock (Friday entry) has the solution to the problems of the Middle East, which Harry nicely summarises. As Giles has mentioned, the temptation for Israel to invite itself to the funeral and knock off his co-terrorists must be huge.
• Phil looks at the rise of Hong Kong blogs.
• The Battle of Fallujah is being comprehensively covered by Joe at Winds of Change. It is a massive and detailed summary of what's happening, why it's happening and what people are saying about it. It is also a demonstration of the power of blogs at their best.
• Some people are too smart for the navy. Some people are too smart to be reporters.
• Every day you should learn at least one new thing. I've got your weekend covered. And here's the perfect anti-rant to remind you some real humans still exist in the blogosphere.
• Ilyka has discovered new monuments in flyover country. You should read her other posts over the last few days as well - thank God she's kicked the Sims 2 habit.
• Next time you have some beggar rattling the tin at you, throw this in their face and then carry on ignoring them safe in the knowledge that economics backs you up.
• Cheer up: all that melting of polar ice caps will help your hip pocket. Do the world a favour and help global warming along.
• Wikipedia has its jumping the shark moment.
• The historian who wrote The Rape of Nanking, Iris Chang, committed suicide aged 36. TML reflects on the book and the suicide.

The Star Ferry from Hong Kong Island to TST and back is the best value journey in the world. In terms of time and money, nothing else comes close.

What the hell is gonig on with Vanuatu? For the past couple of weeks it has been struggling to decide whether the recongnise Taiwan or China. At the start of the week they were in the Taiwan camp. Now China seems to think they've won, but Taiwan's not so sure. Even the NYT is on the case.

Just to remind you of the stakes here, Vanuatu is a small group of islands in the South Pacific, population around 200,000, of whom 15% follow the Jon Frum Cargo Cult. It's this kind of high quality diplomatic tussling that keeps so many civil servants employed in Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

China is again hinting it may allows it currency a little more freedom in its peg against the US dollar, although they clearly feel little pressure in the short term to do so. The large trade deficit America has with China is an going factor in the relations, even though the weakening US dollar is already working to reverse the huge US trade deficit. In September the trade deficit between China and US was $15.5 billion for the month. The US also had deficits with Japan ($6.1 billion), the EU ($7.7 billion), Canada ($5.3 billion) and OPEC ($6.7 billion). In other words, everybody.

While eventually liberalising China's currecy is the right way to go, it is important to look at the facts before saying it should be done to help correct the US-China trade deficit. You see, China runs a small trade surplus, overall. China takes raw materials, and being the world's manufacturer, it turns them into products it sells to Wal-Mart. Then it uses the money from that trade to buy things it wants, like Japanese cars or by travelling overseas. Even if China were to float its currency, it is unlikely to appreciate much on the back of trade flows. Speculative flows are a different story...

An extensive breakdown of China's trade stats is here. Tables 5 and 6 are particularly telling.

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. Previous editions can be found here.

This edition contains Chinese Playboy, Superman, Alexander the Great, yellow submarines, hungry wedding guests, worried Hawaiians, and plenty more...

Hong Kong, China and Taiwan

• Fresh from turning Clark County Republican, The Guardian has an in-depth look at China this week. Chris picks some of the better articles. And for a first hand account of one journalist's travels through the heart of China, check out Dan Washburn. Dan has an unforgettable bus ride. He's posted a new batch of photos from his journey across China.
• Hong Kong's Alexander the Great.
• China's labour shortage has forced 5 cities to team up and a Government paper on improving working conditions for migrant workers. The labour shortage is forcing better conditions and pay for these workers. My God, it's the market in action! Also there are 100 million peasants who have not joined trade unions in China and there are 4 major ways their rights are violated.
• In the old days it was paper and pen. Now there's a new way to pass exams.
• China's economic numbers just don't add up.
• Judging by the numbers China's newspaper industry is booming. But from the inside the view is not as rosy. China has also made reporting easier - it's listed 8 central and 24 local media websites as the officially approved ones. Being a Chinese reporter isn't easy. Amongst other injustices they don't even get Reporters' Day off.
• A look at China's Africa strategy. Most of China's foreign policy is being driven by one thing at the moment: oil. Also a look at dissent within China.
• Stephen notes another ethnic riot, this time over kebabs.
• Superman would feel at home in Shanghai.
• Several experts have looked at the prospects for Sino-US relations and potential changes in America's Taiwan policy.
• Is the end in sight for the one-child policy?
• China's clamping down hard on Tibet (via Enzo and RFC)
• China may be getting its own version of Playboy.
• A quick primer on Chinese geography.
• Taking the time to enjoy living in China, rather than just criticising it. Similar to what I was getting at here.

Korea and Japan

• A Chinese nuclear (yellow) submarine may have entered Japanese waters. Jodi wonders if China is really the threat?
• America has drawn up its red lines for North Korea.
• The people of North Korea aren't as passive and compliant as commonly believed.
• Old Korean culture meets the new. And now all things Korea are big in Japan.
• South Korea's social revolution and what next for US-South Korean relations.
• There is a justification for student homicide in Korea.
• Fly Korean Airlines, get a jolt.
• Kirk has an interesting discussion with a Japanese bureaucrat about dynasties and North Korea.
• South Korea's sports coaches have been learning some disturbing tricks from their Northern friends.

SE and Other Asia

• Pol Pot's cremation site is now a tourist attraction.
• In Singapore lecturers don't need to worry about cameras in the classroom. It's their contracts they need to worry about.
• A dubious report linking Malaysia's PAS and Thailand's southern Muslims is dealt with by Myrick.
• Thailand's PM Thaskin is carrying on an Asia taxpayer tradition.
• In Nepal, the media are being intimidated by the Maoists.
• Philippines tax avoidance scheme: religion.
• SBY spells out his plans for Indonesia and Macam-Macam takes a look at the answers.
• No food at Pakistan weddings.

Miscellany

• From World War 2, the dismal choice the Hawaii's residents faced in light of Japanese thoughts of invading the islands.
• America's visa restrictions are costing it billions each year.
• Not only is it the International Year of Rice, it's almost over!
• A gap in cultural understanding.
• For all you RSS freaks, now you can get the cute version. A Hello Kitty version can't be far off.
• After all those links, something a little easier on the eyes.
• Happy Deepavali.

It's funny coz it's true.

(via Harry)

It gives new meaning to "All rise".

Hong Kong's Electoral Affairs Commission has decided the September LegCo polls were not compromised by the various minor mistakes that took place. What they overlooked was despite democrats winning 60% of the vote they won only 40% of the seats. It's the system that's flawed.

Update: Phil reaches the same conclusion.

The secret behind China's success in gymnastics has been revealed at last: start 'em young.

Warning: only for non-Americans or those Americans with a sense of humour. If that's not you, try this instead.

(via Da)

In the light of your failure to elect a human as President of the USA. And thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchial duties over all states, Commonwealths and other territories. Except Utah, which she does not fancy.

Your new prime minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who Have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders) will appoint a minister for America without the need for further elections.

Congress and the Senate will be disbanded.

A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium". Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and 'neighbour', skipping the letter 'U' is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters. You will end your love affair with the letter 'Z' (pronounced 'zed' not 'zee') and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix
"ise". You will learn that the suffix 'burgh is pronounced 'burra' e.g. Edinburgh. You are welcome to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you can't cope with correct pronunciation. Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up "vocabulary". Using the same twenty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up "interspersed". There will be
no more 'bleeps' in the Jerry Springer show. If you're not old enough to cope with bad language then you shouldn't have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary then you won't have to use bad language as often.

2. There is no such thing as "US English". We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize".

3. You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents. It really isn't that hard. English accents are not limited to Cockney, upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier). You will also have to learn how to understand regional accents - Scottish dramas such as "Taggart" will no longer be broadcast with subtitles. While we're talking about regions, you must learn that there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the county is "Devon". If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American States will become "shires" e.g. Texasshire, Floridashire, Louisianashire.

4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys. Hollywood will be required to cast English actors to play English characters. British sit-coms such as "Men Behaving Badly" or "Red Dwarf" will not be re-cast and watered down for a wishy-washy American audience who can't cope with the humour of occasional political incorrectness.

5. You should relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen",
but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.

6. You should stop playing American "football". There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American "football" is not a very good game. The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your borders may have noticed that no one else plays "American" football. You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football. Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which is similar to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancies). We are hoping to get together at least a US rugby sevens side by 2005. You should stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the 'World Series' for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.15% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. Instead of baseball, you will be allowed to play a girls' game called "rounders" which is baseball without fancy team strip, oversized gloves, collector cards or hotdogs.

7. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous in public than a vegetable peeler. Because we don't believe you are sensible enough to handle potentially dangerous items, you will require a permit if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 2th will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called "Indecisive Day".

9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean. All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts. You will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go Metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips. Fries aren't even French, they are Belgian though 97.85% of you (including the guy who discovered fries while in Europe) are not aware of a country called Belgium. Those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps". Real chips are thick cut and fried in animal fat. The traditional accompaniment to chips is beer which should be served warm and flat. Waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.

11. As a sign of penance 5 grams of sea salt per cup will be added to all tea made within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this quantity to be doubled for tea made within the city of Boston itself.

12. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all, it is lager. From November 1st only proper British Bitter will be referred to as "beer", and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as "Lager". The substances formerly known as "American Beer" will henceforth be referred to as "Near-Frozen Donkey Piss", with the exception of the product of the American Budweiser company whose product will be referred to as "Weak Near-Frozen Donkey Piss". This will allow true Budweiser (as manufactured for the last 1000 years in Pilsen, Czech Republic) to be sold without risk of confusion.

13. From December 1st the UK will harmonise petrol (or "Gasoline" as you will be permitted to keep calling it until April 1st 2005) prices with the former USA. The UK will harmonise its prices to those of the former USA and the Former USA will, in return, adopt UK petrol prices (roughly $6/US gallon - get used to it).

14. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns or lawyers. The fact that you need so many lawyers shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults.If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.

15. Please tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us crazy.

Tax collectors from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to 1776).

Thank you for your co-operation.

I'm reading Tim Blair when I notice one of his blog ads. I click on it, not believing that Australian tax money could be wasted on such a thing. But I was wrong. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Australia's Public Toilet Map.

I am sooooo glad I got a tax refund this year.

Update: And it's part of Australia's National Continence Strategy. Some countries are waging wars on terror, and we're waging a war on toilets. Talk about flushing money down the toilet.

It's long been known that China's economic statistics are rubbish and tell you little about the true state of the economy. Here's some more proof. When you add up the weighted average of each province's GDP growth, you get an annual GDP figure of 13.5%. The nationally reported figure is 9.7%. Even more interestingly, only one province out of 31 reported a number below the national figure, and when added together the provincial GDP numbers by value are almost 20% higher than the national figure of 5.88 trillion yuan (about US$750 billion). The provinces calculate these numbers independently of the central Government, but the scale of the differences are so alarming that Beijing is sending investigation teams to some provinces.

The stats are falsified for all sorts of reasons. Telling the truth has little benefit in China. Instead provincial officers are trying to make their province look better and prove the leadership of each province is delivering economic growth. On the other hand the national Government is trying to slow China's rapid economic growth to check rising inflation and to prevent a crash. Thus national figures duly reflect a slight slowing in the national economy. China's former Premier Zhu Rongji made assertions that the national numbers are the correct ones and launched efforts to correct false numbers. It doesn't seem to have helped.

Yet another road-bump China needs to get right as it moves to becoming a market economy. A Government cannot manage a vast economy without knowing what's going on. Or perhaps it's for the best: maybe China is undergiong the biggest experiment in laissez-faire economics the world has ever seen. Ironic for a Communist Government, but it seems to be working so far.

Just over a year ago Robert Kissel was murdered and his wife, Nancy, was arrested for the crime. It briefly hit the headlines in Hong Kong and then rapidly fell from view. Phil has been following the case, reporting on Nancy's first court appearance (after a delay), another brief appearance, the delay in the trial date, a summary of HK's legal system, and he noted the hunt for information on the case via Google and other means due to the general media silence on the matter.

The lack of media coverage of this case has been staggering. Like it or not, a murder of an expat, allegedly by his wife, shuold be big news. But this story seems to have been deliberately buried by the English press (read the SCMP) despite keen interest from many of its readers. Instead of filling its pages with puff pieces they should actually try reporting stories their readers want to see.

There is still very little information on the trial. If the SCMP won't do it the job, I will. Any information about the case will be gratefully received.

Update: When you have Xinhua reporting how Tung Che-hwa has sung the praises of your newspaper, you know its turned from a journal of record and investigation to a Government mouthpiece.

I've established a category of the Kissel case with all the relevant posts on the topic.

In the day to day grind of commenting and criticising China it is easy to forget what a magnificent place it is. A country of 1.3 billion resourceful and intelligent people, rapidly rising living standards, 5,000 years of history and culture, stunning beauty, sensational and varied cuisine, fierce patriotism, a widespread yet culturally unified diaspora. As a country it has often succeded in spite of itself, overcoming poor rulers, invasions, natural and man-made disasters - a testament to the tenacity of its people and the strengths of the system that has more or less remained the same for hundreds of years.

That is why the rule of the Communist Party has been such a mixed blessing for China. The chaos that proceeded it and the bitter divisions of the civil war, combined with overcoming the Japanese in Manchuria and World War 2 gave way to a strong central Government run by a madman. That the CCP remained in power after Mao's demise shows the effectiveness of the reign of terror. Thankfully later leaders, particularly Deng Xiapong, did more for people by starting a process of economic liberalisation. That has lifted literally millions out of poverty far more quickly and effectively than years of Western aid has for other "Third World" nations. That economic liberalisation has also sowed the seeds for duplication in the political sphere, despite the best efforts of the Communists. China ceased being a Communist economy years ago and it will one day (hopefully soon) cease being a Communist polity as well. It is the very least the country and its people deserve.

The Washington Times is reporting that China is contemplating relaxing or removing the one-child policy, although only a few weeks ago Beijing said there would be no change in the short-term. The policy, while effective in controlling China's population, is regularly avoided through a combination of bribes, beding the rules and helpful doctors. It has also had huge demographic consequences, including an over-representation of males in the population and the emergence of a generation of "Little Emperors", better described as pampered spoilt little brats.

China will eventually have to change its population policy to address its aging population and distorted sex ratio, with consequences for China's attitude to both abortion and homosexuality. And to catch up with the reality on the ground. In the longer term it will help sustain and even increase China's rate of economic growth. It is a policy who's time has come, and who's benefits are now outweighed by its costs: economic, social and personal.

Update: via David comes this look from the perspective of the children themselves, part of The Guardian's new China section (also via Richard). The Globe and Mail set the benchmark for this intensive coverage; I'm betting the Guardian won't match it, but it will be interesting to see them try.

The SCMP this morning reports Beijing's anti-corruption People's Procuratorate is investigating Lucent and other foreign telco equipment makers, a notorious area for corruption over the years. Lucent has handed over an 800 page report into possible breaches of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Back in April Lucent fired four of its most senior executives in China, including the CEO of its Chinese subsidiary. This is the tip of the iceberg.

The penalties for corruption in China include the death sentence.

Yasser Arafat is (almost) dead (or is he?), perhaps from AIDS. Now the leaders of the PA are heading to Paris to preside over his death, although his wife is trying one last attempt to hold him to ransom. Everyone's waiting, and some are even getting ready to make the most of his passing.

But an opportunity is being missed here. Instead of letting one of his flunkeys be there to flip the switch at the end, why not put it up on Ebay and auction off the right to be the one to put an end this terrorist's life? The proceeds could go to the victims of the various homicide bombs that have killed Israeli civilians over the years. If I knew how to set it up on Ebay, I would.

Any bidders?

(thanks to CF)

There has been a gathering movement in Hong Kong to have a referendum on universal suffrage for elections in 2007/8. Funnily enough, neither China nor HK's Government think it a good idea. What's ironic is the deputy director of China's Liason Office in HK (a sort-of embassy/big brother operation) is citing the Basic Law as a reason against having a referendum:

"The move [advocating a referendum] is against the Basic Law. They [the politicians] are playing with fire...Everybody would know their [democrats] hidden objectives,'' he said. "They just want to use this practice to overrule the decision made by the National Peoples' Congress Standing Committee.''

Stephen Vines looks at why the HK Democrats are fighting a losing battle to have a referendum. Quite simply there is no way the CCP can fathom anything like a referendum. Direct elections are uncontrollable, unlike (for example) HK's Legco system. Even worse, the CCP know the likely answer from such a vote will be directly contrary to what they have already decided. Once you let the voting genie out of the bottle, you cannot put it back.

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.

This edition contains China's petitions system, simulated nukes for North Korea, energy security for the Middle Kingdom, the many seasons of China, Japan's bursting prisons, Japan's working girls, Singapore's new security efforts and a sandwich you need to see to believe, plus plenty more...

Hong Kong, China and Taiwan

• China's Olympic preparations are taking a bottoms-up approach. They are going to be lucky Games.
• Hemlock (on Monday) picks apart the pleading of HK's pampered public servants.
• Over 3 million people go to Beijing in September to petition for their cause: a look at the system, its vagaries and its inefficiencies.
• Taiwan's opposition leader is certifiably mad.
• More trouble in China's regions: this time a huge troop deployment to control protests over a new dam project.
• There's far more for China to consider and worry about in floating its currency than the US trade deficit.
• China's worries about energy see it prepared to trade away integrity for supplies.
• Getting wealthy in China and India also means getting fat.
• Via Fons and Andrea comes a new China aggregator: Watching China.
• It only took 130 years, but the fire is finally out.
• There are more than four seasons in China.
• China's war against online porn continues while the old-fashioned kind is out on display.
• Matthew has an interesting clash in the classroom and finds it says a lot about how much China has and hasn't changed in the past twenty years. It also highlights how powerful words remain in a country like China.
• Having trouble getting people to see your movie? Not in Shenzhen.

Korea and Japan

• The China/Japan rivalry is the real threat to Asian security, according to Fabian. While the two are clearly rivals, they also depend upon each other far more (especially economically) than the antagonists in the previous Cold War. Also a look at US troops in Japan and their affect on China and the region.
• Infidel looks at the debate over South Korea's National Security Law.
• When he's not busy ruling with an iron fist, Kim Jong-Il likes to blog. It may not last long: South Korea is moving to block many pro-North websites.
• South Korea has found a new place to search for minerals: the North.
• Japan, famous for its low crime rate, finds its prisons are over-crowded. Although with only 61,500 odd prisoners out of a population of 127.3 million, the reputation is intact.
• America has simulated dropping 30 nukes on the North. By my estimates, that would leave exactly nothing to actually invade, while nicely wiping out the millions of impoverished North Koreans. Mutually Assured Destruction.
• South Korea's Government is trying to work out what to call North Korean escapees. NKZone has a look about why these "economic migrants" are desperately trying to escape. The recent court-martial of Robert Jenkins also provides an insight into living in NK.
• Japan's working girls work on getting a-head.
• Japan's people are behind PM Koizumi in staying firm on its Iraq policy.
• Those popular gluttony contests don't always end with just a full stomach.

SE and Other Asia

• Singapore's getting "safer", and Hicky rightly worries about cameras in the classroom.
• Singapore's opposition leader has lost his appeal against a defamation case.
• India sees China as a strategic threat and containment strategies will not work in the longer term.
• Gunboat diplomacy in Cambodia (admittedly over one hundred years ago, but it just proves nothing ever changes).

Miscellany

• If this stuff works why haven't I seen a Cambodian body builder?
• Don't forget to check out all the good news (yes, good news) coming out of Iraq, with Arthur's 14th edition of his excellent series. Otherwise try touring the world by blog.
• The Countdown has begun.
• Rory gives us a lesson in what not to cook: a fried kimchi and ham sandwich. It has to be seen to be believed.

The depravity and special madness that is infactuation with Hello Kitty has reached an all time low in Hong Kong. The SCMP reports the theft of 250 Hello Kitty stickers attached to advertisements for 7-Eleven stores from MTR (train) stations right across Hong Kong. Officials from 7-Eleven have declined to press charges, no doubt because the adverse publicity. Which is fine - I'm prepared to make citizen's arrests if I ever see such a disgrace. We really need to cure this city of its collective insanity when it comes to this marketing gimmick before social order collapses completely. I am hoping my lobbying of the HK Government to introduce "Kitty free zones" in the city will pay dividends soon, although judging by the collection of stuffed toys on the bureaucrat's window-sill, my chances are slim.

What do you get when you mix clever marketing, packaging, a catchy name, a pill to fix a self-induced problem and the end to the dreaded hangover? KGB dietary supplements. Developed, alledgedly, by a St. Petersburg Military Medical Academy, the marketers have developed a back-story that the powder was used by KGB agents to relieve the effects of big drinking so they could extract secrets.

The SCMP thought this such an important story they devoted a full quarter page 7 column spread on the product, including photo and breakout box with some information gleaned from the same article I found by a quick Googling this morning. Has the paper fallen on such hard times that it has to get its reporters to write non-paid advertisements? Apparently so.

Australia is often called the Lucky Country. If only they could find a way to monetise luck...well helpfully China has come to the rescue, again. A Beijing man has paid US$215,000 for the ultimate lucky phone number: 133 3333 3333. Imagine the prank calls and phone spam the man's going to be deluged now everyone knows his number.

The nuclear issue in Iran is rapidly approaching a key deadline. Yet China has already stated it will block referral of the issue to the UN Security Council, during a visit to Iran by China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing. Instead Li said "Chian supoprts a solution in [the] framework of the IAEA", which has so far done precicely nothing to stop Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. Not co-incidentally, China signed a massive oil and natural gas deal with Iran about a week ago. The terms of this deal are considered generous to China, according to The Economist (sub req'd).

China places a far higher value on energy security than is often realised. It is a sign of China's geopolitical immaturity that it cannot see past its short-term interests and its battle for oil in place of standing up to weapons proliferation or genocide in Sudan. Until that time China will never achieve the position of a first-rate world power.

UPDATE: New-ish blog Survived SARS also looks at the issue and China's "self-interested but procedurally sound" position.

To the makers of clothes for babies: velcro, not press studs.

Time is having a look at the Bush agenda for Asia for the next four years. As you'd expect there's nothing new. On China Bush needs to cement relations with President Hu, continue working with them on North Korea and avoid protectionism in dealing with the trade surplus. In return Bush might hope for Chinese political reform, but that is extremely unlikely to happen in the next 4 years. On Korea it is clear the North were hoping for a Kerry victory. Now there will be an escalation in the tensions with the North likely to continue to push brinkmanship and testing American limits. There is a wedge at the moment between Ameriac and the others in the 6 party talks, and the North will exploit those differences. It wouldn't surprise if the North provoked a deliberate crisis and the USA will need to consider more assertive options such as sanctions, a blockade or military action. There's more on Afghanistan/Pakistan, the Asian economy and the outsourcing debate, with many Asia economies relieved the protectionist rhetoric of Kerry didn't succeed.

What is interesting is the two major areas that are ommitted from the analysis: South Korea and Japan. The movement of US troops based in South Korea, Japan's push to be more assertive diplomatically and Japan's economic recovery are all also important Asia issues for the next Bush administration. Bush's re-election means at the moment it is business as usual. The main indication of changes will only come once he announces his new Secretaries of State and Defence and new National Security Advisor.

Regular readers will be aware of my passionate hatred of Lemon Diet Coke (LDC). I noted a while back that the vending machine at the old office always seemed to have LDC left long after everything else left.

We moved to a new office a month ago...

...and still it's the only thing left long after anything drinkable is gone. Oh God, why do you mock me so? I may have to revert to water. The horror!

Note: you may not be able to see it properly in the picture but every other drink in the machine is gone except LDC.

Taiwan is one interesting place. Existing in a diplomatic limbo-land, where it can't even be sure if it has ties with Vanuatu, with a menacing and huge neighbour who claims it is a province and not an independent nation, it's going to send people a little crazy. Add in a Presidential election that was decided by 0.2% of the vote after an attempted assassination attempt on the incumbent and a flurry of lawsuits from the losing team, it gets crazier still. Thankfully Taiwan's High Court has decided the opposition's lawsuits have no merit. What's disturbing is KMT (the Taiwan opposition) chairman Lien Chan said, according to the Taipei Times:

Anyone has the right to murder the president if the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) loses its High Court Lawsuit today, KMT chairman Lien Chan told a meeting to the KMT Central Standing Committee yesterday...Lien said: "No one is so great that people cannot touch him. As long as we see anyone who makes frauds or unlawful actions, every one could put this guy to death."

Still, in a country where a man can jump into a lion's den and try and convert the beasts to Christianity (again via MM), such craziness may be par for the course. The man jumped in saying "Jesus will save you...Come and bite me!" Thankfully one of the lions obliged. Lien Chan needs a session in the den, too.

There are about 6 billion people in the world, many of whom live in poverty*. So it is somewhat astounding to discover that China will make 29 billion pens this year, rising to 35 billion next year. Like most office workers, I lose pens on a regular basis (so much for the paperless office), but 29 billion pens? That's something to write home about.

* _{You never see a pen in the picture of the desperate and impoverished. Flies, malnurished kids and dust. But no pens.}

When he's not busy ruling with an iron fist, it seems Kim Jong-Il has time to tip his hand at blogging.

Looks like he's a busy guy - he's updated his Live Journal site too.

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.

This edition contains riots in China, kimchi, Chinese women's attitudes to sex, tourism in the wrong places, a pre-emptive strike on Australia, Quentin Tarantino's scriptwriter and another use for Coke, plus plenty more.

Hong Kong, China and Taiwan

• There has been several ethnic based riots in China in the last few months. There were riots in Henan and in Inner Mongolia, although the band involved in the latter is "ugliest collections of musicians ever assembled since the Traveling Wilburys. Perhaps even the Moody Blues." Fabian has more.
• China is clamping down on its leaky capital account.
• Playing cat and mouse with China's media censors. It's easy to write articles in Chinese papers: just take a travel guide and type.
• Chinese women like sex.
• Hostage negotiation Chinese style.
• A kinder, gentler kind of authoritarian.
• The Great Wall of Silence about suicide.
• Despite their protestations to the contrary, China's economy is still very much a planned one, not a market one. But at least in small ways the rule of law is starting to take hold.

Korea and Japan

• "Korea without kimchi is still Korea".
• As Korea gets richer, its people travel far and wide. Perhaps too far.
• What happens to North Korean defectors after they arrive in the South? (Although some get 30 days in the brig...but some question the timing).
• Meet Charisma Man...more examples here. Maybe he should start with this line.
• Diplomacy might not be working, but the South and North can at least talk about business.
• Korea's successful soccer team in the 2002 World Cup seems to have had a little help.
• Pampered protected pooches.

SE and Other Asia

• Amongst others a Filipino has been taken hostage in Iraq.
• Mahathir interfering in the internal affairs of another country? It might be against "Asian values" but it didn't stop him.
• Singapore's bloggers were written up in The Straits Times. Hicky was interviewed for the piece, as was Mr. Brown.
• Indonesia launches a pre-emptive strike on Australia.

Miscellany

• Quentin Tarantino's going local. He could get these guys to write the script.
• The mouthless cat turned 30. She turns up in interesting places and of course she's got a blog.
• Another reason why Coke is it.

The IHT has a piece on the decline of US influence in Asia. It concludes:

When it comes to writing the diplomatic history of the Bush administration, the war in Iraq and American fears of terror will dominate. But it will also certainly be recorded that this was the period when American influence in Asia, the driving force of the region in the second half of the 20th century, began its downward spiral and America did not see it.

Instead the changes in Asia and the US attitude to it can be seen as a gradual rebalancing of the world after 50 years of recovering from WW2 and the Cold War. Now countries are able to shoulder more of the diplomatic and defence burden for themselves. There is less need for a superpower's presence in the region as the region matures. It's a sign of Asia growing up.

UPDATE: Via CDN, another piece on the same lines from Asia Times.

Personally, if I was in the military, having drinking problems, worried about being thrown into hazardous duties, and being in fear, my first course of actions would not be to tie a white t-shirt on my gun and defect to North Korea.

Marmot thinks a 30 day suspended sentence is OK. Infidel has a better punishment in mind. Shadow of the Olive Tree questions the timing both of his surrender and the sentencing. Personally he deserves far worse than this. Desertion is one of the worst crimes possible in the military; he potentially aided and abetted the enemy. Politically it might be difficult for the US, especially with Japan, but justice isn't about appeasing diplomatic nicities. It's about being done and being seen to be done. You do the crime, you do the time.

They pulled out their troops from Iraq to free a hostage. They banned their nationals from travelling to Iraq, even stamping their passports "Not valid for travel to Iraq". It hasn't helped: another Filipino has been kidnapped.

Worryingly the Philippine Government is already seeking contact with the kidnappers, no doubt to start negotiation over the ransom. Retreat and stamps don't protect your citizens in places like Iraq. Securing the nation, defeating the terrorists and getting on with the elections in January will. It's a shame the Philippine Government has turned its citizens into targets through its actions.

**Must credit Simon World**

Send in the lawyers! Clear evidence of massive electoral fraud in New Mexico. Absolute scandal. Huge numbers of dead people and Mexicans voting.

Click the extended entry for proof...

Check the Precincts reporting...

Entered in OTB.

A few weeks back I reported on a speech by John Zogby here in Hong Kong. Turns out he got it wrong on several counts:

• Undecideds: turns out they probably did vote, given the rise in turnout, but they didn't break for Kerry as expected. Zogby said the candidates get 47% each just for showing up. If you take that then the undecideds broke at least 50/50 or even more for Bush. Obviously he could persuade them.
• Tactics: Bush won Missouri 54/46, Colorado 53/47 and Arizona 55/45. Looks like Kerry got it right to give up on each of those.
• Turnout: The conventional wisdom was a higher turnout benefits Kerry. Clearly that wasn't the case. Total votes is 115-120 million, well up on 2000, and far above Zogby's critical level of 107 million for a Kerry win. Bush is well ahead in the popular vote so clearly these extra voters broke far more for Bush than expected. The expected jump in the youth vote turned out to be a fantasy. Compensating for them in polling clearly lead to misleading poll numbers.
• Bush's numbers: What does it say for the Democrats when Bush's job approval, country direction and deserve re-election numbers all were net negative and he still won?

He got it right on some things too:

• Key States: New Hampshire went to Kerry; Bush is tied or ahead in Iowa. Florida wasn't as close as expected, nor was Pennsylvania...but Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin are all close.
• The Running: The race was Kerry's to lose. And he lost. The Democrats could go one of several ways from here. If they go the Hilary for 08 route, they're stuffed. If they go the Edwards route, they'll have a shot, if Edwards can use the next 4 years to craft an effective political machine and message.
• Nader: No impact, as expected.

Elsewhere, another look at where Zogby went wrong (via D/P).

India: Population 1.065 billion. Per capita GDP (at PPP) US$2,900. Election result within 24 hours with no major disputes or lawsuits.

USA: Population 293 million. Per capita GDP (at PPP) US$37,800. Polls not yet shut, but already dead people voting, disenfranchisement, tyres slashed, intimidation,, broken voting machines, disputes over registration and eligibility, armies of lawyers ready to go to court (in fact they've already begun).

Progress is a wonderful thing.

Giles is following today's real battle.

UPDATE: Looks like its all over and Bush has won. After the oncoming blizzard of what went right/wrong, what the hell are 90% of blogs gonig to talk about for 4 years?

Second UPDATE: This time it looks like the vote is outside the margin of lawyer. So Bush actually has secured a mandate this time without having to worry (not that he did) about claims of "stolen" elections or being "selected not elected". I've no doubt it won't alter his style, but it will certainly help the Democrats. How? Because instead of concerntrating on the bitterness of the 2000 election loss and putting up a "not Bush" candidate, they can concerntrate on becoming a political party that stands for something rather than against everything.

Third UPDATE: CNN have FL2K fever and are refusing to call it, coming up with all sorts of convoluted ways this election could still be close, all coming down to Ohio. Here's a handy way to work out it's all over. This C-SPAN map has a breakdown of each state. It's scoring Bush at 249 electoral college votes (do they give out degrees at that college? beer nights? great pranks?), with 270 needed to win. Kerry has 221. I am following a simple rule: I am going to give each state to whomever is in front right at the moment:

New Mexico (5 votes) - Bush (by 23,000 votes)
Nevada (5 votes) - Bush (by 2,000 votes)
Iowa (7 votes) - Bush (by 12,000 votes)
Wisconsin (10 votes) - Kerry (by 27,000 votes)
Michigan (17 votes) - Kerry (by 104,000 votes)
Ohio (20 votes) - Bush (by 104,000 votes)
Hawaii (4 votes) - Kerry (by a ukulele and lei-lei)

Final score: 286 Bush; 252 Kerry

Last time it was hanging chads; this time its absentee votes. CNN are alleging up to 300,000 absentee ballots in Ohio - these need to split better than for 2 to 1 for him to catch up. It's over. Move on.

Fourth UPDATE: It seems that CNN has learnt the old sports broadcasting trick - whenever the result is clear, make it murky so you keep the viewers. A close race keeps viewers, declaring a winner sees everyone switch the TV off. At least Wolf Blitzer's been getting a decent amount of exercise walking between the TV wall and the too small panel desk. I'll bet Larry King's enjoying that.

Fifth UPDATE: Last time the networks all called it too early and got egg on their face. This time the exit polls have got it horribly wrong, despite four years of improvement, learning, remodelling and reworking. Seriously, someone needs to get fired.

Another look at the map and you can really see why there's this talk of "two Americas". The West Coast, the Yankee North East and probably most of the Great Lakes are Democrat territory. The entire South and Mid-West are Republican. The split in the country is geographic, not anything else. The only "battleground" states are those on the edge of each of these regions. Interesting.

Rajan makes a great point on US elections. America has elected county and state officials looking after the ballot in a bottom-up process, whereas most other democracies have a top-down approach. That's why there are so many different methods of voting, so many voting disputes and so much confusion. The solution is obvious; switch to a top-down system...such as in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even with the best of intentions, an elected official in charges of elections is going to give the appearance of bias.

CNN just gave Michigan to Kerry, with 78% of precincts reporting and Kerry 1.84 million to 1.75 million, a gap of 90,000 votes. Ohio admittedly has a higher population, but with 97% of precincts reporting Bush is at 2.7 million votes to Kerry's 2.58 million, a gap of 102,000 votes. You do the math. Ohio and the election are Bush's.

Sixth UPDATE: John Howard won. George W. Bush has won. Both from the Right and strong supporters of the war in Iraq. Both underestimated yet both winning clear mandates. Only Tony Blair to go...

Seventh UPDATE: I'll bet Mike Moore is feeling like sh!t right now.

The riots in Henan have highlighted the growing problem of China's minorities. Today the SCMP reports hundreds of security officials closed down a rock concert at a university in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region because they feared protests against plans to develop the grave of Genghis Khan. Once the 2,000 students had been dispersed the security officials locked down all the local schools and imposed a curfew. There are more details of the clampdown and the protest at the South Mongolian Human Rights Center.

In yesterday's Asia by Blog I linked to a piece by Richard on the clashes in Henan province. Via Enzo comes this article that China imposed martial law to control the situation, and they've imposed a military blockade and news blockout as well. The fighting began late last week when a taxi driver, being a Muslim Hui, killed a Han girl aged 6 in a car accident. This quickly spiralled into an orgy of violence, although the exact numbers are subject to dispute. Estimates of between 7 (AP) and 148 (NYT) killed, over 5,000 involved, perhaps as many as 30,000. This AP report has interviews with some of the residents.

Infidel has an interesting excerpt from a reoprt looking at the significance of this dispute:

The violence between the Hui and Han is an example of the greater underlying socio-economic problems that Beijing faces. Under Mao, the Chinese adopted a policy of transmigration, inspired by Stalin's policies in the Soviet Union. Chinese from the ethnic Han majority were settled in different minority areas to dilute other ethnic groups and thereby reduce sectarian sentiments.
This experiment in social engineering created more problems than it solved. For one thing, the Han majority, which now represents 92 percent of the Chinese population, soon came to dominate the regions to which they were moved. That, along with China's skyrocketing economic growth of recent years, has exacerbated ethnic tensions. Although disturbances involving the Hui, the fourth largest ethnic group in China, have not been common, Chinese economic growth has widened the gap between rich and poor, especially in the countryside. (The Hui have grievances stemming from the distribution of resources, which they perceive to be in favor of the Han.)

Beijing has responded to these tensions by trying to appeal to Chinese nationalism, downplaying the country's multiethnic identities and replacing them with a collective Chinese identity.

One other thing to note. For all of China's attempts to restrict information on these events, news leaks out. This riot occured late last week and now it's all over the New York Times, Reuters and according to Google at least 241 news outlets. China's ability to control news isn't what it was.

Only one day to go until the US Presidential election is over...or maybe not. Either a result will be known by 9pm Eastern (9am Hong Kong time) or the result will be decided in that most American of ways: in the courtroom.

A quick look at what various people in the region are saying about the election:

• Former Chinese Foreign Minister and Vice Premier Qian Qichen slammed Bush and US strategy, calling America suffering from "its own cocksureness and arrogance". However there are some questions whether this piece was really by Qian.
• The Tapei Times has a look at where each of the candidates sits on Asian issues, as does the Jakarta Post. The only issue to get real play in the campaign has been North Korea, where Kerry believes in opening bilateral talks concurrently with the 6 party talks. Kerry believes in being more "flexible" (i.e. appeasement) in concessions to the Norks, whereas Bush maintains solid in demanding the North show signs of good faith first. Surprisingly China hasn't been much of an issue. Bush has been subtly talking about the growing challenge of a rising power, whereas Kerry has framed the talk in terms of outsourcing, the trade deficit and the yuan. On Taiwan, despite what the article says, both candidates basically agree. Japan and South Korea are non-issues and while Bush has good relations with Koizumi, a Kerry White House wuold probably maintain the same stances as the current administration. The big issue for both of these countries is the redeployment of the large number of US troops in each country. Kerry is opposed to the withdrawal of forces from South Korea. Neither candidate has any apparent strategy or stance on South East Asian issues such as piracy, terror in the Philippines and Thailand, and Burma to name a few.
• The Standard doesn't expect any changes in policy towards Hong Kong and China regardless of who is elected.
• In terms of regional leaders Koizumi, Arroyo and Howard likely favour Bush; Roh of South Korea and SBY in Indonesia are likely to favour Kerry.
• The South China Morning post manages to cram two cliches into one headline: "It's neck and neck down to the wire".

Now a look at what various bloggers in the region are saying:

• Tom has a look at Kerry's email interview with a Hong Kong paper, including accusing Beijing of blocking HK's democratic aspirations. Tom is a Kerry man.
• Andres is for Bush, particularly because of the War on Terror.
• Marmot has a cartoon from Korea's Chosun Ilbo which manages to break the world record for political incorrectness.
• Richard a Kerry man, just like the CCP. Here's his official endorsement.
• Conrad's always been a Bush man...if he votes.
• Rajan thinks Kerry will win it but hopes he doesn't.
• Infidel has the first part on his choice - Kerry. Infidel updates and finally reveals his choice. It wasn't Biff.
• Joseph is for Kerry, as is Ellen.
• Giles has a handy guide to the candidates positions in one short sentence.
• Hemlock answers "What would Jesus do?" and enjoys the experience.
• Sean's following Virginia Postrel and voting for Bush.
• Cathartidae is confident of a Kerry victory.
• Matthew thinks a Bush win is better for China, although at least one class of Chinese students think Kerry is better both politically and economically.
• Matthew Stinson isn't voting for either Bush or Kerry; Lost Nomad is unimpressed by both candidates.
• Harry almost literally puts it on the line, although he's not impressed with the election at all. But still, he makes a prediction.

I'll add more throughout the day. Leave a comment or link back to here if you've got a post on the topic.

Personally, I think Kerry will win and the result will be known quickly. That way I get my money from the two rabid Republicans here at work.

Finally, there are plenty of places you can follow the election. The Command Post will be covering the whole thing with reports from bloggers in every state and constant updating. Check and compare it against those of mainstream media and see how and if bloggers can do it better. I suspect with Michele driving it the coverage will be a welcome improvement. Joe has a massive summary of the mainstream media's coverage of the election and other important issues. You can also follow this election night cheat sheet (via Raw Prawn).

The SCMP reports the results of an online poll of Chinese women and their attitudes to sex. Three quarters were satisfied with their sex lives, although on average they had sex 6 or 7 a month, compared to 10 to 15 times a month for American women. 2.5% described themselves as lesbians and 3.7% as bisexual.

Both Professor Cao [vice-chairman of the Chinese Medical Association] and Mr Ma [survey director] said they were surprised at the level of sexual knowledge among the women surveyed.

"They were good at answering questions about climaxes and sensitive points," Mr Ma said.

It started as a cheap icon on a purse in 1974. Now it has made Sanrio over US$1 billion and polluted anything that moves since. She has no mouth and has a male friend, Dear Daniel, with whom she has an ambigious relationship. Even worse, she has gone from a kitchy marketing icon into a mental disease.

Happy birthday, Hello Kitty. Now be a good cat and die.

Update: Holy Internet, Batman. Hello Kitty has a friggin' blog, according to Joi Ito.

There's plenty of talk and comment on the appearance of OBL's video just days before the US Presidential Election. I'm not impressed. I'm waiting for Karl Rove's masterstroke, when finally a video is broadcast by the one really behind it all.

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.

This edition contains the consequences of unpaid wages in China, an American nuclear scientist who defected to China, profits and politics don't mix, being gay and fast food in North Korea, Singapore's unfree press and more...

Hong Kong, China and Taiwan

At last, proof of the long-held theory.

show comments right here »

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While I applaud your aesthetic appreciation for what is gorey versus what is beautiful, the recent newsroom information piece about not being able to use police scan radios is about more than just protecting people's privacy and not putting gorey pictures on the news.

It's more about the squelching of press freedoms and the larger climate of inhibitions being put on the press in Hong Kong.

Research into the problem will surface more than just this petty squabbling over photos that depict death and gore. It's not even about that.

It's about the government's ability to reinterpret laws, and overextend laws that prohibit freedom of information.

As a blogger, you should be concerned, not relieved, that you won't be able to see death in teh paper.

Moral judgements about aesthetics win no cases for the future of Chinese or English language journalism.

In short, wake up.

Posted by hk at November 1, 2004 03:34 PM

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HK, couldn't disagree more. It's becoming common in Hong Kong for everyone to cry "press freedom" on anything and everything. That's a shame when there are serious and real press freedom issues in this city. The police radio incident is NOT such a case. Firstly the police necessarily should have secure communications, just like the military have. There are good operational reasons for this. Sceondly what about privacy concerns. In many places, including those with high press freedom, there are restrictions on what papers can report and print. These restrictions include the laws of libel and the laws on privacy. I agree these can be a deilcate balance: Singapore often abuses its libel laws to browbeat its press. Nevertheless there is a balance of rights to be struck, and it should not come down singly on the side of the press at the expense of all else.

I have not seen a case where the press having access to the police radios have benefited the people of Hong Kong or the cause of press freedom other than to display a gruesome car crash or to pry in a celebrity's accidents.

In short, this is not a case of press freedom being restricted.

Posted by Simon at November 1, 2004 04:36 PM

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Sure it is.

Police mention on the radio that more officers are n eeded to regulate teh problems with ballots on election day.

Journalists get there first, see the real situation.

Believe me, I've been wracking my brain having to study all these media law cases for my journalism degree, i am aware of the press freedom issues affecting hte city.

And this one stands in with them.

Police never use operational language over insecure radio. They have another set of equipment for that.

Posted by hk at November 2, 2004 02:19 AM

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Posted by Simon at 17:10
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PC Nelson

No, not the policeman. Via Tony comes Lord Nelson in the modern era and why he said "Kiss me, Hardy."

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Posted by Simon at 16:57
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Top Referers for October

Thank you kindly to everyone that linked and visited in October. It was a record month, thanks to the Zogby post. I've omitted hits from search enginges and from Real Clear Politics, even though they sent a tonne of traffic this way as well. The Top 10 referers to this site in October were:

Andrew Sullivan
Instapundit
In DC Journal
Silent Running
Winds of Change
Wizbang
The Command Post
Marmot
Hemlock's HK Blog guide
Gweilo Diaries

Please visit them all.

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Andrew Sullivan? He used to make some sense once in a while, then he decided being gay was more important than not being blown up. There's a double entendre their somewhere.

Posted by germaine greer at November 1, 2004 01:47 PM

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their = there.

Posted by germaine greer at November 1, 2004 01:57 PM

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Test test.

Posted by Simon at November 3, 2004 05:06 PM

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Posted by Simon at 16:41
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In sickness and in health

One downside on China's poor regulation and copious piracy (not the "oh-ahoy there" kind, either) is when ithe products are medicines. A study estimates 190,000 die and 2.5 million are hospitalised due to improper medicine use. Pharmacies are barely regulated and there is widespread ignorance about medicines in China.

And China's crackdown on internet cafes has seen the closure of 1,600 of them between February and August this year along with 100 million yuan in fines. This was out of a total of 1.8 million internet cafes inspected. Did they really inspect that many internet cafes in 6 months? Working 7 days a week that would required almost 43,000 inspections a day. Even with China's vast internet censorsing army, I find it hard to believe they managed to actually visit that many cafes...unless China has the most efficient public servants in the world.

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Posted by Simon at 09:31
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Cats and dogs

There are cat lovers and dog lovers and never the twain shall meet. In this case, I'm on the taxi driver's side.

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Posted by Simon at 09:17
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Things worse than Gitmo

The holding of suspected terrorists at the US base at Guantanamo Bay has attracted widespread attention, in part for the conditions of the prison. But for some it's a damn site better than being sent home. Amongst the detainees are around 12 Uighurs from the Chinese province of Xinjiang. The US State Department is trying to find a third country to take these soon to be released men as they understandably don't want to return to China. The province of Xinjiang has experienced a massive clampdown by China under the guise of the "war on terror" for some time. China has of course demanded the US return the men.

Gitmo must seem a holiday camp compared to what awaits them in China.

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I suspect that many of the detainees are in the same tough situation. A return to their country may be tantamount to a death sentence.

If there are some Taliban conscripts in detention, I hope they are sorted out soon and sent on their way. However, most of the detainees are Taliban thugs or al-Qaeda. I have no sympathy for either.

Posted by Rob at November 1, 2004 10:12 AM

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Posted by Simon at 09:08
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