Sino Japan News Roundup

Happy Monday! In DC, coming of spring is offically in the air.

1. Nuclear power plant construction, among high flying oil prices and global awareness of CO2 emission, is taking off again in China and the US. in Japan, last week, a plant to recycle nuclear wastes has kicked off. (Reuters)

UNITED STATES - Incentives for new nuclear power stations in the latest energy bill. Generators are in line to get $3.1 billion in tax credits to build new nuclear power stations. The industry has been virtually frozen since the accident at Three Mile Island in 1979, the worst such accident in U.S. history, which stirs up the China Syndrome and Jane Fonda saga.

CHINA - Plans to build 30 new nuclear reactors by 2020 to meet its booming energy demand. It has nine reactors producing around 2.3 percent of its power but aims to raise nuclear to four percent within 15 years.

JAPAN - Japan is the world's third largest nuclear generator after the United States and France. Nuclear supplies about 30 percent of its power. The government plans to raise this to 40 percent by building five new power stations by 2010.

2.Pingpang Diplomacy again, after 50 years? China and Japan is marking 5oth anniversary of Takyu (table tennis) diplomacy with Fujihara Ai and competitions of youth players from both countries.

3. 5 hours by train from Beijing to Shanghai in 2010, a shorter trip compared to current 14 hours. After both Japan and German have stirred up so much heat to compete for this meat, Chinese decide to go with their own. Surprised? not me. Play laowai (foreigners) is not a new trick and will be used again and again.