Robots vs Military Aircrafts

When a Chinese military aircraft crashed and killed all 40 people on board, Japanese media were alert to recent report in Hong Kong that the military airplane is actually new type of Alert Military developed-KJ2000, by Chinese themselves.

China was in negotiation with Israelis in buying the core Radar technology, but because of strong opposition from Washington, Israelis backed off. China has to develop the aircraft on its own. The aircraft would be very useful facing a possible intrusion of air territory.

Just when Sino-US military relations warm up recently, people still can't forget the 2001 EP3 incident between Chinese Air force and American Spy planes, in which a Chinese plane crashed and the pilot was killed, and US plane was forced to land in Hainan Island.

But how about a Robot can do in this case, if there is a robot plane to try out, then there may be no such lose of valuable lives? Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington DC, has a discussion with irobots co-founder and chairman, Helen Greiner, check the video here.

Beyond Yasukuni: one movie at a time

Chinese Movie 鹤乡情 (Crane's Homeland)，directed by Chinese actor Lin Qiang and starred by Lin himself and Japanese actress Nakano Ryoko, had a showcase run in Beijing on June 5th, the World Environment Day.

Based on a ture story, this movie shot scenes in both northwestern China and Japan's Hokaidao. At a press briefing, first time director Lin Qiang said, he hope this moive will draw more attention to protect the special kind of cranes.（丹顶鹤）

The significance of this moive is not only that both Chinese and Japanese artists join in, but the moive is also financed by a Chinese businessman based in Tokyo. Even no one mentioned that how the movie will improve the Sino-Japan ties, but by doing it together, the completion of the moive has prove to the world, that even there are so many obstcles, Yasukuni and others, there is more topics that both Chinese and Japanese share same concerns.

NY Times introduces Mr. Abe and Mr. Fukuda

Over the weekend, an article on New York Times by Norimitsu Onishi, talked about the post-Koizumi politics, especially Mr. Abe Shinzo and Mr. Fukuda Yasuo's candidacy to take power. Again, Yasukuni is a hot debate issue.

Relations with China and South Korea is said to be a topic in this election, especially Sino Japan ties fall into the worst in a decade. However, Most Japanese politicians care more about domestic issues such as widening inequality gap between urban and rural areas than foreign policy, it seems that the Mr. Abe is set to win.

On Today's Washington Post, a feature story describes how over stressed Japanese destress, including bathing in sands.

Shanghai's New attraction

A wax figure museum, named after Madam Tussauds, recently opens door in Shanghai, with a single adult admission priced at 125 yuan, 15 dollars, it is certainly not cheap to see Bill Clinton, Putin, Bruce Lee, Terasa Deng and other 75 wax figures.

But you won't find any Japanese figures, no current Chinese politicians, either. Too sensitive to display? A museum staff assures a TBS reporter that in the future, Japanese figures will have presence in the museum.

China Japan News Roundup

• two Japanese citizens were detained and deported from Xinjiang, China's west Urghur region in April. Xinhua news has a feature disclosing this "illeague" discovery. (Xinhua)
• After Japan agrees to help build energy transportation pipelines for Middle Asian countries, four nations agree to support Japan's bid for UN security council seat. (Xinhua)
• Chinese deputy prime minister Huang Ju returns to work after abstaince from politic scenes for a while. (Asahi Shimbun)
• China releases 10 year(96-06)Environment White Paper, emphasis efforts to protect environment.(Asahi Shimbun)
• As Japan sees China shows flexiblity towards improving ties, Japanese government decides to defreeze the Yen based loan to China. (Yomiuri Shimbun)

Japan's whale hunting targeted

Japan, along with Norway, has refused to give up large-scale whale hunting, has been a target of critizeing campaign from International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) , which has put out billboards and adverstiments attacking Japan's killing whales in New York City, Los Angles and Washington DC subways.

In an article of Washington Post, a Japanese House member from Shimonoseki, a major whalling spot in Japan, Mr. Yoshimasa Hayashi, quoted, "the Japanese people are wondering: Why are whales only focused on in this manner?Beef, pork, chicken are all aminals; people eat them."

World Cup Ticket: China Vs Japan

When a Japanese travel agency asked a Chinese counterpart to arrange tickets for German World Cup games, no one anticipated that there will be a blame game to play out later between themselves.

Max Air Service, based in Tokyo, must be excited when it received 1,200 applications for its tours to Germany to watch the World Cup soccer games. Priced at 500,000 Yen(around $48,000 dollars) per person, the tour received over 1,000 applications. Japanese soccer fans are eager to see their national team to play in German turf.

However, the tickets are not arranged by itself, Japanese company asked a Beijing agency to buy them, 中国国际体育旅游公司, China International Sports Travel, a subsidiary under China State Sports Bureau. The reason seem to be that a state run Chinese company will be able to get the hot tickets.

It turned out that towards the end of May, tickets are still out of Japanese's reach. Seeing that the game will be opening in less than 20 days and getting the tickets are not likely, the Tokyo company canceled the tours. the Company head felt they are "cheated" by the Beijing agency.

On the other hands, Beijing company denied any wrongdoings, and said, all the deposits money of 7.2 million Yens have been returned to Max Air Service.

Who win and who lose? There seems to be multiple lessons learned here.

"サッカーワールドカップの観戦ツアーを東京の旅行会社が中止した問題で、仲介役の中国の旅行会社は、「前金を全額返金した。契約上、なんら問題はない」と反論しています。　「日本側は価格の問題で納得せず、返金を要求してきた。我が社は、これに同意し、すぐ返金の手続きをしました」（中国の旅行会社の会見）　中国の旅行会社は、このように述べ、日本円にしておよそ７２００万円の前金を４月中に返金したということです。　その後、日本側から再度、チケットの購入を求められましたが、「入手できない場合もあり得る」との条件で再契約していたということで、チケットを購入できなかったことは契約上、問題はないと反論しています。"（TBS 01日20:17）