· March, 2011

Stories about East Asia from March, 2011

China: The Interrogation (A Tale of AI and Revolution)

  31 March 2011

Stainless Steel Mouse, aka Liu Di, has seen many of her peers arrested or disappeared over the past several weeks. Looking at the unusual way in which China's failed Jasmine Revolution began, she has imagined a scenario which mixes fact with fiction.

Tensions Between Korea and Japan Intensified Over Territorial Conflict

  31 March 2011

South Koreans have expressed deep regret over the Japanese government’s decision to endorse middle school textbooks that defined Dokdo island as part of its territory. Reflecting people's anger, Korea's power Twitterer and bestselling novelist, Lee Oi-soo (@oisoo) harshly condemned [ko] Japanese government for approving the new textbooks.

Taiwan: Nuclear Waste on Orchid Island

  31 March 2011

In 1974, the Taiwan Atomic Energy Council decided to store nuclear waste on Taiwan's Orchid Island, where the indigenous Tao people have lived for generations. More than twenty years have passed, the radioactive waste barrels have eroded with rust and it seems that no one is ready to take care of the problem.

Japan: The Tsunami, God and Man

  31 March 2011

A few days after the disaster that killed more than ten thousand people, Italian vice-president of the National Research Council (CNR) Roberto De Mattei and Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara left the Italian and the Japanese blogosphere astounded when they declared that the catastrophe occurred as a manifestation of God’s will. Both in Japan and in Italy bloggers reacted and demanded their resignation.

China: Inflation and Fear

  31 March 2011

Foreseeing the rocket raising inflation, Chinese people are storing up daily necessities, such as Laundry Detergent, at home. Fauna from ChinaSMACK has captured the situation and translated netizens’ response to the inflation fear.

China: Exporting Women

  31 March 2011

China Hush translated an article from a local forum concerning the imbalance in the “importation” and “exportation” of women in China where the gender ratio has already been distorted which results in a “shortage of women”.

Debate about China Model

  31 March 2011

The China Media Project has translated two articles written by Zhang Weiwei, a CCP think tank and Yang Jisheng, an experience retired reporter on their understanding of China Model.

China: Panic buying continues

  30 March 2011

Following panic buying of salt earlier this month, the last few days have seen residents of Shanghai buying up laundry detergent, soap, toothpaste and shampoo out of fear that companies are about to raise prices for those and other similar goods. This photo from angry Shanghai microblogger Yin Zhuonan shows...

China: Red flag on Wall Street

  30 March 2011

Co-founder of Chinese fund management firm CDH Investments Wang Gongquan stopped by the New York Stock Exchange building today to snap a picture of the flag of the People's Republic of China, flying over Wall Street to mark popular Chinese online security company Qihoo 360 Technology‘s IPO. Wang was mocked...

China: Disappearance of human rights activists

  30 March 2011

As the world’s attention is focusing on the Middle East and North Africa, crackdown on human rights activists in China is continuing unabated following online calls for ‘Jasmine Revolution’. C. Custer at ChinaGeeks documented a list of people who have disappeared last month, and Geng He, wife of missing lawyer...

South Korea: Application for Radiation Levels Checkup

  29 March 2011

As minuscule amounts of radioactive iodine and cesium have been detected in South Korean atmosphere, intensifying the already heightened fear over Japan's nuclear crisis, South Korean web developers debuted an Android application enabling citizen to check updated information on radiation levels in the country. Wiki Tree posted [ko] screenshot images...

China: Porcelain Artwork Banned from Shipping out

  29 March 2011

Bigfools.com posts a picture of a piece of porcelain artwork which has been banned by the Ministry of Culture from shipping out to South Korea's Asia Art Exhibition because it would create a image problem for China.

Taiwan: Anti-Nuclear Protesters’ Lonely Quest

  29 March 2011

A fourth nuclear power plant is currently under construction in Taiwan, in Gongliao town, just 40 km away from the capital Taipei. In 1988, eight years after the Taiwan Power Company first decided to build the plant, locals in Gongliao held the first meeting of what became their anti-nuclear organization. In...

China: In Defense of the NY Times and Paranoia

  28 March 2011

Many bloggers and netizens criticized a recent New York Times article on cell phone monitor in China as false as it could not be reproduced by others. C. Custer from ChinaGeeks points out that we could not assume the reporters making thing up because of failed tests.

Japan: Relief Tweets for Refugee Parents

  27 March 2011

As the situation at the nuclear plant Fukushima Daiichi remains unstable and the government warns about the high levels of radioactive iodine and cesium in vegetables and tap water, infants' parents seek reassurance and advice from experts and fellow parents on the internet.

About our East Asia coverage

Oiwan Lam
Oiwan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.

Mong Palatino
Mong Palatino is the South East Asia editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.