CHINA: Guan Xi – It’s All About Whom You Know, Reports The New York Times
If you’ve ever done business in China, you would be very familiar with the term “guan-xi,” translated as connections. Without any guan-xi, it is nearly impossible to get things done. China is a nation built on guan-xi, a business deal-making strategy embedded in the culture. From a Western democratic perspective, this type of deal making [...]
JAPAN: Are These Stupid Islands Worth the Trouble?
The ongoing disagreement over the Senkaku, or Diaoyu, islands is nothing new to those who follow current events in East Asia, even as both China and Japan have made stumbling efforts at negotiation. the first of which took place on September 25. Despite the storm, the truth is that the exact value of the uninhabited [...]
PHILIPPINES: Arrest Sparks Heated Debate Over Cybercrime Law
You want to hear ridiculous?! Filipino environmentalists and Internet users have rallied behind Esperlita Garcia, an anti-mining advocate who was arrested on libel charges for a critical post on her Facebook. She was arrested despite the Supreme Court’s suspension of the law that was used against her, which was actually enacted 18 months after the [...]
NORTH KOREA: Trying to Save Face With a Stolen Tablet?
The release of North Korea’s new “Arirang” tablet computer is very exciting news, but as with many new gadgets, there is at least one big question. Instead of asking how it compares to competitors or how well it performs, the question is about where it was made. North Korea’s media said a government agency, the [...]
LOS ANGELES: Asia Society Event
This vital regional citizens’ organization has been in the service of improving understanding of Asia in America for decades. Its events, with venues mainly in downtown Los Angeles, bring major international figures, academic experts and even spectacular artists into the spotlight of the community. ‘The New Asia Media’ is an Asia Society member; you should [...]
HONOLULU: Major Journalists from Asia Visiting for U.S. Election
Eight accomplished journalists from various parts of Asia have begun the East-West Center’s special U.S. Presidential Election Reporting Seminar. On the 12-day tour immediately before, during and after the election, the journalists will visit Florida, Ohio and Washington, DC to gain perspectives on the American electoral system and the issues involved in the presidential contest. [...]
SINGAPORE: Advertising Restrictions Hard to Swallow
How much government really is too much? Singapore plans to follow in the footsteps of the UK, South Korea, Denmark, and Finland to encourage healthy lifestyles for citizens by regulating advertisements for fast food, soda, and other food high in sugar, salt, and fat. At the recent launch of the annual National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign, [...]
UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK: UN Secretary General Issues Statement on ‘Conversations with Ban Ki-moon’ Book
November 7, 2012: From UN headquarters in New York, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon commented for the first time on the new book ‘Conversations with Ban Ki-moon: The View from the Top’: “I don’t agree with all of ‘Conversations with Ban Kim-moon’, but that is to be expected. But on the whole, he got my point [...]
ASIA INSIGHT VIDEO NO. FOUR: STEPHANIE GARCIA AND HER VIEW ON AMERICAN JOURNALISM AND SINGAPORE
Professor Tom Plate meets with South-South News
Professor Tom Plate Goes Live With South-South News to discuss his book on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Professor Plate reveals why he decided to write a book on Ban Ki-Moon -- and how the Western media stereotypes the Korean diplomat.
Staff Writer Lauren Chen Reflects on the Death of a Journalist