China

The rise of hegemony in the Eastern world

Ever since the first countries began to form and interact, there has always been the need for one of the players in the political game to rise to the top of the heap. This hegemon generally calls the shots for the collective group of countries and takes a major role in forming the overall course of events in history. This position naturally changes as the years roll by, as countries rise and fall or gain and lose prominence and power. In recent centuries, the West has been the hegemon in one form or another, going from France to the British Empire to the

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Conversation - April 27 2013 2:12 pm EDT

Shout - Josh - Sat, 04/27/2013 - 11:12

I think the foreign tax thing is the big one here. The government will likely never be able to figure out a way to tax good that are purchased from different countries. We will just shift our shopping to rely even more on China/Hong Kong for many things (you can already order a ton of stuff online with fast ePacket delivery from USPS - see like everything on eBay). It will take longer to arrive but for some that is not an issue. Just one more way the big guys are trying to kill the little guys I suppose... #Josh

The Kaesong dilemma

The Kaesong Industrial Complex has, since 2004, been one of the only symbols of cooperation and unity between North and South Korea. This industrial project was organized by the South with the intention of providing jobs for more than 50,000 DPRK workers. The South agreed to provide the technical expertise and the North would staff the complex.

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Ethnic strife in Chinese Xinjiang region

China does not have the strongest record of treating the ethnic minorities of its country with much respect. Many of the violations either border on human rights abuses or cross that line. One of these minorities is the native people of Xinjiang, the Uighur. This time the mistreatment has led to a death toll of 21.

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Heightened tension on the India-China border

Most countries near China seem to have problems with the massive country at one point or another, usually involving some sort of border issues. Both sea boundaries and land boundaries remain constantly disputed with no resolutions ever seeming to be reached. This time around, India has been forced to deal with the issue, which has lead to a troop build-up on both sides of the questionable borderline in the Himalayan Ladakh region.

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China’s shifting view of North Korea

Traditionally, the country of China has been the primary backer of the North Korean regime, no matter how out of control they got. They've been there since the 50s, in for the long haul, but the continued saber-rattling by the small communist DPRK appears to be wearing China thin.

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Japanese soul food, bento boxes and Ryokan feasts

On a side street in the town of Sakai, a small restaurant sits emblazoned with welcoming banners full of kanji characters. Inside, two low tables are embedded with long, metal warming trays and seat no more than 20. Across the small space, two chefs chop and stir over a low griddle, pouring out round batters of eggy batter filled with seafood, wagu beef and vegetables in various combinations before spreading sauces on top.

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Lawmakers want to change California environmental law

The Governor of California wants to make it easier for California businesses and agencies to build in the financially strapped state, but his efforts are unlikely to actually create any meaningful change. California has long been a proponent of the environment as clean beaches and sunny skies are a hallmark of its tourism appeal.

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A message to the UN on Syria

The war in Syria has been ongoing for more than two years now. As the months pass and the body count increases, the United Nations has, unsuccessfully, been trying to think of something they can do to help. The majority of countries seem to be in favor of helping the rebels in the conflict, but most attempts at action on that front have been blocked by Russia and China, who are backing President Assad. But as the time stretches on the ability of the many organizations dedicated to providing

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