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Shakespeare in Shanghai? The Bard takes China by stormA sold-out tour of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” ended in Beijing last week. Meanwhile, a Chinese publishing house has nearly finished translating Shakespeare’s works into Mandarin – both signs of the English playwright's surging popularity in China.
In Korean kingdom, there shall be no Kim Jong-uns but oneReverence toward the name of the young god-king in Pyongyang means that newborn babes and ordinary citizens must change their name, if shared with Kim.
Corruption index: Despite anti-graft campaign, China's ranking suffersTransparency International ranked China 100th out of 175 countries on its annual Corruption Perception Index, sliding it down from 80th place last year. The new rankings reflect poorly on President Xi Jinping's widespread efforts to clamp down on corruption.
Why is China feeling unloved? Look to Hong Kong and Taiwan.The ongoing student-led occupation of Hong Kong streets, and an electoral drubbing of the pro-China party in Taiwan on Nov. 29, are both about China keeping its distance.
Amid Hong Kong violence, moms make hot soup to woo offspring homeStudent protesters again defied police and surrounded official buildings to show it is the government and not the Hong Kong people they are targeting. Many parents are trying to get their kids off the front lines.
Taiwan election surprise: Voters reject China-friendly ruling KMT partySpurred by discontented youth, the island shifted from political 'blue' to 'green' as the Nationalists lost key mayor races in Taipei and Taichung. The election outcome may create more distance in Taiwan-China relations.
2,000 years and 23 dynasties later, China to end state monopoly on saltWhat Confucian scholars in 81 B.C. could not change, today's market forces may. But what to do with 10,000 jobs in the table salt monopoly?
Will Taiwan shift from 'blue' to 'green'? Taichung mayor is bellwether raceThe blue Nationalists have run Taiwan's No. 3 city for years. But Lin Chia-lung, a Yale-educated mayoral candidate for the green opposition Taiwan-first party, may change that after tomorrow's election.
Taiwan election: Wild, wooly, and partly a referendum on ChinaThe Taipei mayor's race is the most watched, but there are 10,000 offices to fill on Nov. 29. The races are marked by mud-slinging and new debates over Chinese nationalism and Taiwanese identity.
China pushes more people to say, 'See you in court'The Central Committee focused its annual plenary meeting last month on promoting 'socialist rule of law' among Chinese. In one village, a lawyer who is part of the government's push helped resolved a dispute over a fish pond.
Hong Kong protesters resist eviction from camp. Are more clashes to come?With the help of tear gas, police cleared demonstrators from Argyle Street in the district of Mong Kok prior to a larger eviction set for Wednesday. Protesters say China is not fulfilling an earlier promise for democracy in Hong Kong.
Why does the 'Hunger Games' have Thailand on edge?Pro-democracy activists in Thailand have used a symbol from the dystopian movie franchise to signal their anger at the country's coup – and military rulers have had enough.
As Taiwan prepares to vote, China peers closely over its shoulderGone are the days of bellicose speeches and saber-rattling by Beijing. Ahead of Taiwan's Nov. 29 local elections, China exerts influence through strategic spending, travel discounts for those returning to vote, and trade delegations.
China-Taiwan relations hit low point. 'Same bed, different dreams'?After spending lavishly on Taiwan incentives, China is worried the island isn't moving swiftly enough towards unification. Democratic Taiwan didn't like China's attitude toward Hong Kong student protests for universal suffrage.
As economic doubts grow, Japan's Abe seeks fresh mandate from votersThe prime minister has called a snap election for Dec. 14 and postponed a highly unpopular tax hike. Japan's economy slipped into recession this week, raising questions about Abe's centerpiece 'Abenomics' initiative.
Both sides save face in Hong Kong as 'Umbrella' barricades come downAfter a court order, students and city officials cooperated to unblock access to a skyscraper downtown. But whether the 'Umbrella Movement' will peacefully disperse all over Hong Kong is unclear.
Will Kim Jong-un face mass crimes prosecution at The Hague?A UN vote today to hold North Korea accountable for years of systematic 'unspeakable atrocities' could move the Hermit Kingdom and its leader closer to indictment for crimes against humanity.
Okinawa elects leader determined to halt new US Marine air baseTakashi Onaga backs moving the US military entirely off Okinawa. He would scrap a deal already forged between Japan and the US to shift Futenma air base to a new location, but Prime Minister Abe has the ultimate say.
'People's choice' Widodo eyes major spending reform in IndonesiaThe new president plans to slash electricity and fuel subsidies, which would penalize Indonesia's wealthier consumers, in order to spend more on health and education.
Obama and Aung San Suu Kyi: A pragmatic US shift on 'the Lady'?President Obama is in Myanmar, where US policy has long backed the democratic aspirations of Nobel Peace Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi. But as the state slowly opens, must the White House cool its ardor?
