Stories about East Asia from January, 2011
China: Domestic national image film
If you found China Red irresistible, check out the kind of Chinese national image film that gets played to a domestic audience, via Joel Martinsen at Danwei.
China: American tweets for Chinese net freedom
Hidden Harmonies blogger DeWang looks at New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's attempt this weekend to challenge Chinese Internet regulations with his microblog: “Look, Chinese people all over believe in Internet freedom. Your version of “freedom” is very much about subversion of state, which the Chinese people understand breaks their...
World: Humor from around the world
George shares with his readers favourite jokes from around the world from an article he read in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from an article written by Joris Luyendijk in “Startwo: Lifestyle”: “Here are some that I as visitor from Africa and any other developing country found so amusing, as it relates...
China: Better metrics for measuring Asian happiness
With Spring Festival just around the corner, Tsinghua University economics professor Andrew Sheng proposes a more enhanced approach to measuring quality of life: We need Stiglitz Report 2.0, with more Asian input.
China: Waiting for Google's next move
Now that it appears former Google CEO Eric Schmidt‘s end of tenure began with split views between him and founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin over the company's future in China, what, asks raventhorn2000 at Hidden Harmonies, comes next?
China: What about Chinese dads?
If you found yourself following the Amy Chua affair, you might want to check out this latest post from Jocelyn Eikenburg, American wife of a Chinese man: Chinese (and Asian) Interracial Wedding Dos and Don’ts.
Video: Shoemakers of the World
Today's videos focus on the artisans around the world still making shoes by hand. From Mexico to Japan: we'll take a look at how different shoes, slippers and sandals are made.
Taiwan: Product placement and the petrochemical industry
If a petrochemical company treats bloggers to a cushy on-site tour, do posts that follow count as corporate astroturfing? What, as some have alleged, if the excursion was funded by the government? And, what if the bloggers weren't shown the whole story?
China: Falun Gong Tiananmen immolation incident ten years on
Following up discussions over why China sees so many acts of self-immolation but none of the response seen in Tunisia, Stainless Steel Mouse notes [zh] that ten years have passed since five Falun Gong protesters led a deadly protest in Tiananmen Square: ‘it didn't lead to a Falun Gong uprising,...
Samsung Released An Optimistic Outlook on Korean Security
Samsung Economic Research Institute(SERI) released its annual report on Korean peninsula's peace in 2011. SERI speculated that the military tension between two Koreas is likely to subside. Read full report[en]. (click pdf icon right next to title)
Singapore: Online transgender beauty pageant
Tru Me is Singapore's online transgender beauty pageant which will be launched next month.
The last rural village in Singapore
The Long and Winding Road revisits the last rural village in Singapore
Singapore's real economy
Reacting to the high ranking of Singapore in the global index of economic freedom, blogger econospeak insists that the prosperous city state is actually a “curious mixture of socialism and state planning with innovative free market approaches.”
Singapore: National Authentication Framework project
techgoondu previews the National Authentication Framework project of Singapore which will go live later this year. Through a single log in, it allows netizens to carry out online transactions with government services and businesses
Singapore: Salary of foreign maids
kaffein-nated from Singapore discusses the mandated increase in the salary of foreign maids while locals continue to wait for a pay increase.
Korean Gov Enforces Its Privacy Regulations on Facebook
Faceboook has agreed to make adjustments on its privacy regulation in Korea as the company rules have failed to meet domestic internet laws. The change may mean more protection on users privacy, but any Korean Facebook users first need to consent to gathering and usage of personal information. South Korea's...
China: CNNIC releases new Internet statistics
Tech blogger William Long has parsed some key stats from a new CNNIC report: With 457 million Internet users, China now comprises 23% of the global online population and 55% of Asia's. Also now in China: 63 mil microbloggers, 49% more online shoppers than last year and a 41% drop...
China: Glenn Beck takes aim at China
In case you missed it, Glenn Beck on Hu Jintao's US visit: Burger King kids meals are a Chinese plot for world domination, and so was Leonardo da Vinci. Turns out, it doesn't add up quite so neatly. Next week: the Chinese run Opus Dei, too.
Laos: Hmong New Year 2011
Lao Voices uploads several video clips of Hmong New Year 2011 celebration through out Laos.
East Timor: Start of budget deliberations
La'o Hamutuk blogs about the start of the 2011 budget deliberations in East Timor.
Blogspot sites blocked in Cambodia
Blogspot sites were blocked in Cambodia after the government ordered several ISPs to shut down the popular anti-government blog KI Media. The websites have since then been "unblocked" but netizens are worried about this unprecedented online censorship in the country