Showing 1 - 10 of 11
Time for a Seoul-Tokyo peace pact
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 12/08/2019
» I love kimchi and I love ramen. I love the bushido way of life and Japanese humility, and I love South Koreans' resilience and devotion to education that helped them lift their country from poverty after World War II to become an Asian economic powerhouse. And in my opinion, both South Koreans and Japanese are among the nicest people in the world.
We deserve a year-end break
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 24/12/2018
» What a year it's been, riddled with natural and manmade disasters, not to mention the antics of Donald Trump. Between his landmark summit with North Korea's leader and the lingering trade war with China, the US president's second year in office has been an eventful one for Asia.
Smoked out? Not yet
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 19/11/2018
» No one disputes that cigarettes can kill. Each year smoking accounts for 7 million deaths worldwide -- that's seven times more than those attributable to the world's deadliest animal, the mosquito.
A restaurant with a soul
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 08/10/2018
» Back in the glory days of Patpong in the 1970s and 1980s, before the night market arrived, Mizu's Kitchen was one of the hottest places in Patpong Soi 1 in Bangkok.
Dark enough for you?
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 20/08/2018
» 'Dark tourism" is an interesting concept that did not come to my attention until I watched a Netflix series recently. Few countries actively promote offbeat or slightly dangerous pursuits but it's a niche with potential, if managed carefully -- even if it's hard to explain to your insurer.
Save us from climate deniers
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 30/07/2018
» Are natural disasters happening more frequently or are we just hearing more about them because we live in a communication-saturated world?
Asia's memorable World Cup
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 09/07/2018
» The World Cup approaches its semi-final round this week minus any African or Asian contenders, but Asian teams did much better than I thought they would. I do not think I was the only observer who erred on the side of pessimism before the tournament started with a record five Asian teams.
Asia gets its kicks
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 18/06/2018
» There was no shortage of excitement in the world last week, what with Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un shaking hands and pledging to work toward peace on the Korean Peninsula. But the number of people tuning in to the "summit of the century" was probably eclipsed two days later when the World Cup kicked off in Russia.
America the unwelcoming
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 28/05/2018
» If you saw the recent Asia Power Index complied by the Lowy Institute, you may have been surprised to see the United States ranked above China as the pre-eminent power in Asia in 2018. One major factor giving America the edge was "cultural influence".
Enjoy the calm while it lasts
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 23/10/2017
» China's economy slowed marginally from 6.9% growth in the first half to 6.8% in the third quarter but is still on course to beat Beijing's full-year target of 6.5%. It was the sort of good news Communist Party bigshots were waiting to hear, coming a day after President Xi Jinping's stirring three-hour speech to their twice-a-decade congress.