Eastern Asia
Japan’s new government seeks to refashion US alliance
By John Chan, November 4, 2009
In the lead-up to US President Barack Obama’s first visit to Japan, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has signalled that his government is wanting to readjust the country’s longstanding alliance with ...
South Korean government cracks down on workers’ rights
By Terry Cook, October 26, 2009
Following the suppression of the 77-day occupation of the Ssangyong Motor plant at Pyeongtaek in August, the government has broadened its offensive against the rights and conditions of the working cla...
Tensions between India and China flare again
By John Chan, October 23, 2009
The immediate spark was a visit by the Indian prime minister to the northern state of Arunachal Pradesh. The trip provoked a protest from Beijing, which disputes Indian control of the area, resulting ...
Signs of the US dollar’s demise
By John Chan, October 19, 2009
An article the Independent on October 6 entitled “The demise of the dollar” is credited with adding to the recent weakness of the US dollar and the rise of gold prices.
Western media steps up pressure on China over Iran
By John Chan, October 8, 2009
As US pressure escalates against Iran over its nuclear programs, a distinct anti-China undercurrent has appeared in the media over Beijing’s resistance to backing punitive new sanctions against Tehr...
Sixty years after the Chinese Revolution: Lessons for the working class
By John Chan, October 1, 2009
Communist Party bureaucrats today will join hands with the representatives of global capitalism in toasting the formation of the Peoples Republic of China. These celebrations are not at variance with ...
Former Taiwanese president jailed for life
By John Chan, September 23, 2009
In a highly political court decision on September 11, former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian was sentenced to life imprisonment, fined $6.1 million and stripped of his civil rights.
Anti-government rally on third anniversary of Thai coup
By John Roberts, September 21, 2009
The opposition is demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his Democratic Party-led government.
World Economic Forum: False hopes in a China-led recovery
By John Chan, September 18, 2009
Corporate leaders and officials gathered in Dalian to pay homage to China as the bright spot of global capitalism. However, closer examination reveals that the Chinese economy is just as fragile as it...
Democrat government installed in Japan
By Peter Symonds, September 17, 2009
The Hatoyama government is the end product of a lengthy process that followed the break-up of the post-war relationships in the 1970s and 1980s. Powerful sections of the establishment concluded that a...
US-China trade tensions sharply escalate
By John Chan, September 16, 2009
In a move that threatens to trigger a major trade conflict, US President Barack Obama last Friday signed an order to impose a 35 percent tariff on Chinese-made tyre imports over the next three years.
Japan: Democrats prepare to slash public spending
By Peter Symonds, September 11, 2009
Even before it is sworn into office, the Hatoyama government is preparing to make deep cuts to the previous government’s stimulus spending.
