Tuesday, December 15, 2009

You Decide: Obama, Xi Jinping and Japanese Emperor






Amid the uproars caused by both the two photos. One is heavy criticized by conservatives in the U.S. for "forehead banging to the floor" bow to the Japanese Emperor Akihito. And another on in Japan, where the visit of Chinese vice President Xi Jinping and his meet with the Japanese Emperor has been criticized for "Political using of the Emperor".

(credits: Mark Silva for the Obama_bows_Emperor, the Xi Jinping one was taken by representatives from the office of the Japanese royal family)

Enough of the media noises, now is your turn to decide the two photos, which do you agree? Comment the below...

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Items of Interest

China, Ghana explore new ways to further collaboration. The Chinese ambassador Yu Wenzhe told an audience in Accra, Ghana. (GBN News)


Obama handpicked Nanfang Zhoumo (Southern Weekend) for only interview with a Chinese media while he visited Beijing last month, and now the top editor of Southern Weekend had been punished for that. You bet some one in top is not happy about it. (Reuters)


Thiland finds a plane full of weapons from North Korea en route to a third country. (Reuters)


After 10 year hilatus, China, two Koreas and the U.S. will start new round of Peack Talks. (Reuters)
Is North Korea desperate or a gesture for liver branch in the year of soccer world cup where North Korea will be a part of after decade of absense?


Fake receipts are creating huge problems and posign grave threats to Chinese economy. (TBS News)


A rule of 30 day advance notice was broken when Chinese vice president Xi Jinping wanted to pay a visit to Japanese Emperior, and Hatoyama administration pressed the office of Emperior to receive Mr. Xi. Should the rule be bent for the Chinese? A debate is on in Tokyo. (TBS)


Hatoyama's right hand man Ozawa took a 600-puls delegate visited Beijing. With or without a 30 day notice, Hu Jintao sit down with Ozawa and the two shared plenty of plesantries. (TBS)


The U.S. and Japan agree to open each other's sky. (TBS)


Still want more Maguro (raw Salmon fish filet famous for making shushi), it may not be there tomorrow. Japan signs the first international treaty to limit the fishing of Maguro in Pacific occean. (TBS)

Friday, October 02, 2009

Rio de Janeiro Wins, My Memory of Beijing Bid 16 Years Ago

I can only image how emotional people are when the IOC president announced the name, Rio de Janeiro!

Sixteen years ago in Xi'an, around the same time in 1993, the day when I got up at 3am along with many many coworkers, and we were all standing outside amid early morning chill and watching anxiously the only TV set available for the whole work unit, many of us were young and feeling strong about the Beijing's bid to host the 2000 Olympic games.

Finally the moment came, the president opened the exactly same envelop, I remember clearly the envelop because they all had the five ring mark. I held my breath, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.

I had to look around to ease the breathlessness, and found that my colleagues, young in their 20s, many fresh out of schools and went through the 1989 Tiananmen student pro-democracy movement, looked just as tense as if they were ready to jump up and grape someone in their throats.

All in a sudden, no one utter a single word. Some of us even closed their eyes. But all ears were on the mouth that uttered the simple words....

I announce the host city for the 2000 Olympics......(the envelop was opened) The moment was unbearable long and enduring.

Sydney!
OHHHHH.......Aaaa...........

Everyone looked confused and in denial. We turned to each other, as if the opponent has a answer for the obvious question: How come for we put so much hope, it could be busted like a balloon?

Still in disbelieve, people disappread into the predawn darkness, all the excitment, anexity, wish went along with them.

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Hello From Accra

It has been one full month before I finally have a feel of settling down in Africa.

The coldest month here is August, with daily temperature around 25C (85F)so I am grateful for the pleasant change from sizzling hot DC. Now is also the cigar butt end of a raining season, so the sky is mostly overcast with only one short rain fall during the whole month.

Due to limited manufacturing factors in Ghana, most stuff are imported from Europe, China, Mideast and the U.S., the prices are quiet high considering the national average income is around $510. However, local produce are very reasonable, for example, 1 cedi ($1=1.46 cedis) can buy you a big bunch of fresh bananas, and locally grown vegetables are also inexpensive.

Billed the friendliest people in Africa, Ghanaian I met are hardworking, warm and ready to help. According to a local media who did a study on how friendly the people really are, there is a price you pay for the friendliness. They found that when one person entered a supermarket and asked for something in a nice way, no immediate services were tended. However, when asked for the same thing in a more bitchy way, the service was fast and professional.

I certainly can relate that to getting my internet service installed. After three weeks of back and forth, almost daily telephone calls to many different people who all seemed to be in charge but couldn't answer my questions, one trip matching down to the phone company and paying the service upfront, I got a fully functional internet access Today.

I can't help but comparing China with Ghana, I wonder, are there more to the development models that put China ahead?

More to come, stay tuned.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

China Japan In Africa

Dear Readers and Friends,

As many of you know, I am off to Africa to spend 2 years in Ghana and leave on August 3rd. The last few weeks have been a stressful whirl of activities --I just finished packing out and saw the giant 20 foot moving track pulling away from the house this evening.

It has been a great learning experience writing and covering about Sino-Japan relations and I plan to continue to do so with my ultimate efforts. It is something I desire to do more and more.

Even more exciting is a new angle will be added to the topic, an African angle. I intend to see how China and Japan are spreading love in this continent, how locals view the two cultures, and whether the foregin aids and youth volenteers from the coutries are winning hearts and minds in Africa?

You are invited to onboard this journal, and I will update and share information on this blog, as I have been doing. However, I encourage you to be a part of it, any questions on your mind that you'd like to ask, anything you'd like to know about Beijing and Tokyo Policies are impacting African people's lives, and whatever in you mind?

However, as it is always has been, this blog has taken a chunck of time from me. I have every intention and will make every effort to update it on a regular basis, hopefully on a daily basis if I have something worthly to share. I appreciate your understanging and encouragment.


I look forward to the new adventure along with you


Brian Yang

Thursday, June 18, 2009

North Korea Saga

Chinese media reports that North Korea's Kim is having a worsening situation, his successor is his third son Jyowun.


It seems that the Chinese side was annoyed by recent media reports that North Korea's next great leader-- the third son of Kim Jung Il has recently visited China. Foreign Ministry spokesman denied the report as the James Bond fiction. (TBS)


North Korea enters the final round for the FIFA World Cup to be held in South Africa in 2010, the first in 44 years.


Too much North Korea for the U.S. top diplomat? Hillary Clinton fell on the way to meet Obama and hurt herself.


I will be on vocation from June 20 and will return on July 6. I will be updating the posts by then.


Have a great summer time to all of you!

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Nanjing! Nanjing! Japan Missing To Dissing?

Chinese movie about the Nanjing Massacre-Nanjing! Nanjing May 23 was shown in Shanghai, and over 250 Japanese students and employees were invited to attend and voice their opinions afterward. 47 percent of Japanese participants felt the movie will be a hard sell in Japan,and one female Japanese said she was not sure how much truth to the movie.
(Asahi News)


Lawyer John Roos was reported to be the Obama's ambassador to Tokyo, the news has stirred up a short wave across Japanese politics. LDP OB Yamazaki Taku told TBS that the Roos has no Japanese experience nor Northeest Asian security past. One Japanese blogger called it a Japan Dissing, dubble from Japan Bassing, Japan Passing, Japan Missing. (Yomiuri News)


Japan becomes the fourth most Flu cases in the world, after Mexico, U.S., Canada. (Yomiuri News )
I wonder doese that mean Japan is too close to the U.S., physically and psychologically?


Chinese will send personel to the Moon around 2025-2030. (Mainichi News)


Wang Dan, the June Forth Tiananmen student leader criticized Japan for being half-hearted when comes to support democratic movement in China. (Mainichi News)


China proposes a Free Trade Agreement among Beijing, Tokyo and Souel. (Mainichi News)


Beijing asks UN to consider a sea shelf development zone between China and Japan, could lead to new conflicts between the two energy craving countries. (Mainichi News)


THAT's this week's China Japan News.

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

New Flu, May Fourth, Children's Day

China and Mexico engages a diplomatic war over flu handling. China just sent charter plane to put 200 people out of Mexico, and Mexico government has asked citizens to leave China.


China quarantines 25 Canadian students even without them showing flu symptoms. (TBS News)


Hong Kong still quarantine suspects in a hotel, with security guards around the hotel.


Hong Kong's Baodiao group members were stopped by police from going to Diaoyu Island(Senkaku), where both China, Japan and Taiwan claim as territory. (Yomiuri News)


China marks the 90th anniversary of May Fourth Movement, CCP secretary Hu Jintao ask youth to be patriotic. (Yomiuri News)


May 5 is Children's Day in Japan. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent a warm message, which is a unusual and extra gesture to Japan.(Yomiuri News)

Saturday, May 02, 2009

Flu Interrupts Golden Week For Japanese And Chinese

It is now Golden Week in Japan, however, no break for both Japanese and Chinese health workers. Even the two countries have not reported any confirmed H1N1 flu cases, however, they seem to all feel that is inevitable.

In Japan, as many as 50,000 travelers are scheduled to return home from overseas trips on May 6, the government is waiting nervously and making every possible measure to prevent virus landing to the island.

In China, president Hu Jintao held a first ever highest level official meeting to discuss the issue, after the 2003 SARS outbreak, no one can blame China for not doing enought this time. The current May day three day weekend is also not helping the matter, and it is traiditonal travelling time for millions. May day also starts a summer seasion where many migrants to go out to look for works and people get married.

At the April 30 meeting between Japanese PM Aso Taro, who was visiting Beijing, and Hu Jintao, both men confirmed the two countries to join hands to fight the new H1N1 flu pandemic togehter.

No Yasukuni and what so ever mentioned.

Will the flu thing bring the two contries together? the real challeng will be the end of the May, when a civil group Baodiao, Protecting Diaoyu (Senkaku) island, where both China, Japan and Taiwan claim as own terrotrity, will come from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macro to bound for a trip to the island. the group had asked both Chinese and Taiwanese military for protection from possible intervention of Japanese Marine ships.

Will it Diaoyu (Senkaku) become a trilate issue again?

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Aso's Yasukuni Gift Causes China's Black Eye

Japan's Aso Taro did what he did last year at the Autumn Festival, and spent 50,000 yen and gave the same gift to the annual Spring Festival to Yasukuni Shrine. However, Beijing raised voice this time and asked Aso and Japan to deal with Yasukuni issue with a more cautious manner.

Aso is scheduled to visit Beijing next week.

The Yasukuni issue is again put on the table.

Japan obviously doesn't want to anger China right before Aso's trip, and Cabinet Secetary Kawamura brashed off and said Tokyo is not concerned about negative impact to the visit.

However, Yakukuni is to Sino-Japan Relations, just like Tibet to Sino-French one, is unavoidable and up front whenever the leaders from the two sides meet. Sarkozy rushed to repair ties with Beijing with a eye on potential economic benefits. Aso didn't have to make too much efforts, thanks in part to fromer PM Abe Shinzo's ice melting trip to Beijing. However, the issue is pretty much still up and front.

Will the trip be affected? I don't think so. However, a shadow has cerartainly casted when Aso meets Hu Jintao late this month.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Major News On China and Japan

China looks increasingly to dump the dollars it holds. As the largest holder of the U.S. currency, China moves to hedge the dollar position with other currencies.


China is leading the way in Latin America. China has been negotiating deals to double a development fund in Venezuela to $12 billion, lend Ecuador at least $1 billion.


At the same time, more talks on China leading the world out of the recession, instead of Japan and Europe.


Japan will issue the largest ever national debt in 2009 to pay for economic stimulus package


Japan considers to sponsor unemployed Japanese in Brazil


China's GDP grows by 6.1, a big drop for China. (Not for everyone else)


Japan significantly relaxes regulation to lure more Chinese tourists


China opens rehabilitation facility for internet addicts

Friday, April 10, 2009

Japan in DC

It is certainly the Hanami (cherry blossom viewing )and Sakura Matsuri season. In Washington DC, the cherry trees were in full blossom a few days ago, and a street festival has taken place last saturday. However, the Japan and Asian flavor can be seen around the town. here are the same places you can take a bit:

The screening of film Okuribito (the departures) at DC International Film Fest. The movie surprised everyone by winning this year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.


An excellent morden art exhibit (FREE! too) from chinese artists is on display at the Meridian International Center.


If you are not in DC, here are some news for the weekend reading:


China establishes a new Japan study center in Tsinghua University(Japanese)


Tnkwo former high ranking Chinese Communist Officers call for re-evaluation for Hu Yaobang, the former CCP secretary. (Japanese)

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Haruki Murakami's Beautiful Piece on Human Vs. System

A beautiful piece from popular Japanese writer Haruki Murakami popped up in Yomiuri News March 17. Murakami was in Jerusalem to receive an award. During his reception speech, he reflcted his own doubt before deciding to come to Jerusalem for the award, Murakami also mentioned his dad, who once fought for the Emperior in China, and died last year with a daily routine to pray for all the dead in the War. Murakami's most moving part, is his reflection on human's struggle aginst "System", in which he described as egges thorwn to a wall.

Here is the excert from the Yomiuri News story. (I put the bold and Italic for emphase purpose)

"In Japan, a fair number of people advised me not to come here to accept the Jerusalem Prize. The reason for this, of course, was the fierce battle that was raging in Gaza.

Any number of times after receiving notice of the award, I asked myself whether traveling to Israel at a time like this and accepting a literary prize was the proper thing to do, whether this would create the impression that I supported one side in the conflict, that I endorsed the policies of a nation that chose to unleash its overwhelming military power. This is an impression, of course, that I would not wish to give.

Finally, however, after careful consideration, I made up my mind to come here. One reason for my decision was that all too many people advised me not to do it. Perhaps, like many other novelists, I tend to do the exact opposite of what I am told.

Please do allow me to deliver one very personal message: "Between a high, solid wall and an egg that breaks against it, I will always stand on the side of the egg."

Yes, no matter how right the wall may be and how wrong the egg, I will stand with the egg. What is the meaning of this metaphor? In some cases, it is all too simple and clear. Bombers and tanks and rockets and white phosphorus shells are that high, solid wall. The eggs are the unarmed civilians who are crushed and burned and shot by them.

It carries a deeper meaning. Each of us is, more or less, an egg. Each of us is a unique, irreplaceable soul enclosed in a fragile shell. And each of us, to a greater or lesser degree, is confronting a high, solid wall. The wall has a name: It is "The System." The System is supposed to protect us, but sometimes it takes on a life of its own, and then it begins to kill us and cause us to kill others--coldly, efficiently, systematically.

My father died last year at the age of 90. He was a retired teacher and a part-time Buddhist priest. When he was in graduate school, he was drafted into the army and sent to fight in China. As a child born after the war, I used to see him every morning before breakfast offering up long, deeply felt prayers at the Buddhist altar in our house. He was praying for all the people who died, he said, both ally and enemy alike. Staring at his back as he knelt at the altar, I seemed to feel the shadow of death hovering around him.

My father died, and with him he took his memories, memories that I can never know. But the presence of death that lurked about him remains in my own memory. It is one of the few things I carry on from him, and one of the most important.

We are all human beings, individuals transcending nationality and race and religion, fragile eggs faced with a solid wall called The System. we have any hope of victory at all, it will have to come from our believing in the utter uniqueness and irreplaceabilityIf of our own and others' souls and from the warmth we gain by joining souls together."

If You perfer to read the whole speech with both Japanese and English translation, here is the link.

Enjoy Your Day!

Friday, February 20, 2009

Beyond Yasukuni--We are Three Years Old!

Since Feb. 10, 2006, I started the very first post, in which the purpose of Beyond Yasukuni was laid out, it has been over three years.

During the time, we have seen more than three Japanese Prime Minister coming and going, Koizumi, Abe and Fukuda, now Aso is fighting a uphill battle as well. In China, economic change is not a sea change, but an ocean change, however, politically, the old system is still intact.

Just when the three year birthday came, the same day, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Beijing. She started the trip in Japan and end in China. No one doubts that she is paying the greatest attention to these two Asian countries.

Three years later, we are seeing more problems, not less. Such as Why Washington ever needs Tokyo any more, considering Japan's lack of political will to take bold initiatives and declining overseas assistance? Why the U.S. relies more on China now than ever, considering the dire global economic situation and not Japan, still the second largest economy in the world? Why the hell Clinton chose Japan as her first destination at all, among all the mounting issues facing the new Obama administation?

Why? Why? Why?

But I want to ask what, what should the three countries do to work together to solve the economic crisis? What Japan can bring to the table and how Tokyo can step forward, instead of increasing isolation? What areas such as energy consumption and climate change that the three parties can lead the world forward?

Just because of these questions, the very blog-Beyond Yasukuni still has the reason to go on, and I plan to continue writing and updating on everyday's trilateral issues. Simply put, we are still not Beyond the past and we do need to do it to move forward.

Thanks for being patient with me and for the past three year's company. Beyond Yasukuni, Happy Birthday!

Any wishes for me? Leave me a comment!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Even McDonalds On Sale


Tonight, I drove by a nearby Mcdonalds, saw the big banner saying, "$2 Big Mac, $4 Big Mac Meal!"

Wow, you know how thing goes when Mcdonalds is on Sale!

Sports and Politics

Looking back to 2008, one of the biggest event to China would be the Beijing Olympics. During the seven years leading to August 8, 2008, Beijing went through a facelift. And looking forward, many years later, people will possibly still attribute some big impacts to China to the 14 days.

Indeed, the relationship between sports and politics like water and milk. Dr. Victor Cha, former U.S. National Security Council Asian Director, explained in today's briefing to introduce his new book on sports and politics in Asia.

Why Asia?

According to Dr. Cha, Sports are particularly politicized in Asia for the reasons:
1. frequency, such events as BJ Olympics are truly big and significant events to not be politicized
2. So many resolved historic issues in the region
3. developments associated with big sports events

Regarding BJ Olympics, Cha pointed that there are four benchmarks: first being perform well, which China leads with the most gold medals, second being host well, Atlanta is not good, Sydney is good, BJ is good, too. Third being Clean Air, which had made such a huge issue before the games and the expect ion was so low that no one cared too much any more during the games. Fourth being marginalized demonstrations, which China effectively avoided and controlled.

Cha also pointed out that on 08/08/08, the opening day, Russia invaded Georgia, which was godsend good news to BJ Olympics, as all in a sudden a news cycle start that people turn attention away from Beijing, all the bad news such as Tibet issue activists, underaged gymnasts, lip sync,etc are not on the top news worldwide any more.

Even like many people, he thinks the BJ games were just too perfect, not organic. Next games in London will certainly turn the games back to real games, However, Cha did point out that the profound impacts to China are probably yet to play out.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Horror in a New Year

Happy New Year!

A 4 year girl was found dead and her body was separated in Guangzhou, China. An unemployed man in his 30s was arrested for the murder, and the police is investigating further on other related missing children cases. It could lead to a serial child eating criminal. (Yomiuri News)


A new dispute is going on between Japan and China regarding East China Sea's gas reserve, China is developing one of the four in dispute, and it has stirred up protest from Tokyo. (Yomiuri News)


The Pingpong Diplomacy's 30th birthday, Beijing is hosting a competition to celebrate relationship with the U.S. in January 1, 1979. (Xinhua News)


China publish a Microsoft software piracy criminal with 6.6 years sentence. (Asahi News)


China's People's Daily reports that over 2.1 billion yuan in bribery has been reported by various levels of officers, and the number of these who didn't report could be much higher. (Asahi News)
 
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