カテゴリー: News

In the first half of 2016, Viet Nam recorded visits by more than 4 million tourists. The country has a lot to recommend it; beautiful beaches, great food, an ancient culture and affordable prices. The port of Hoi An in Quang Nam Province has been described by Lonely Planet Guides and “…one of Viet Nam’s most important tourist centres.” And apparently for good reason.

The Old Town of Hoi An was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. The UN chose it for its unique cultural heritage that, in addition to indigenous culture, shows strong Chinese, Japanese and European influences. UNESCO cited Hoi An as an excellent example of a 17th and 18th century Asian trading port, noting its wooden buildings, well-laid out streets and port.

Visitors to Hoi An have the choice of museums, temples, restaurants, beaches, night markets and ample shopping. Numerous day-trips are available for exploring the surrounding countryside. Convenient access to Hoi An is available from Da Nang.

Photo: Maarten Thewissen via flickr

                               by David Parmer/Tokyo

Last month, in May 2016, Apple’s Tim Cook made his eighth visit to China since becoming CEO in 2011. The news in China that greeted Mr. Cook was not all good, but not all bad either. The bad news first: the Chinese government (or one agency thereof) closed down two of Apple’s moneymakers; iTunes movies and books, after only six months of operation. And there is a significant slowdown in iPhone sales in Apple’s second largest market after the US. Looking at the short term it is easy to wring one’s hands, call foul and cash out of Apple. 

Or one could accept the bad news as speed bumps and as temporary, and partner with Chinese companies while settling in for the long game. Well, that looks like what Apple, under the direction of Mr. Cook, is doing. Recently Apple has made two major agreements with Chinese companies (“deals” in Trump-speak) both focusing on the long term.

First, Apple introduced Apple Pay to the Chinese market by partnering with China’s only domestic bankcard company, Union Pay, making mobile payments a snap for Apple product owners. Next, Apple boldly ignored its Silicon Valley neighbor, Uber, and voted with its checkbook for Didi Chuxin, Uber’s main China rival in the ride-hailing business. The check Apple wrote was for $1 billion. (For the record, Bloomberg Technology reports that Didi now operates in 400 Chinese cities and has 14 million registered drivers.)

Just about a year ago (May 2015) Mr. Cook did an interview with China’s domestic CCTV in which he noted:

“We’ve created over three million jobs in China.”

When the interviewer suggested that Apple might compete down-market, Mr. Cook replied:

“Our strategy is always to make the best product.”

So do Apple and Mr. Cook like China? Apparently so. The question now is what is Apple’s next move, and will China regulators cut them some more slack on what they can and can not sell in the China market?

CCTV Interview YouTube

Photo: Tim Cook, Weibo

Text source: PM’s website Japan

Photo: PM of Japan and Cabinet (no alteration)

The first Lancang Mekong Cooperation Leaders’ meeting was held on March 23, 2016 in Sanya on China’s Hainan Island. Leaders from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam as well as China attended. The purpose of the meeting was to promote economic and social development and support the ASEAN community. All parties involved have an important stake in the management of the Mekong River, (called Lancang in China) which begins in the Tibetan plateau and flows through the six countries represented, finally emptying into the South China Sea.

The meeting was designed to promote cooperation in a full menu of areas (See Sanya Declaration for complete details). Such targets include:

• Promoting high-level exchanges
• Promote dialogue between parliaments, government officials defense and law
• Enhance cooperation against terrorism, trans-national crime, and disasters
• Advance China-ASEAN cooperation

At the meeting China offered the Southeast Asian countries 10 billion Yuan ($1.54 billion) in loans over a three-year period. It was also agreed that the Leaders’ Meeting should be held every two years, and that the venue for the next meeting would be Cambodia.

Sanya Declaration, China MOFA: http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/t1350039.shtml

Photo: ENGLISH.GOV.CN

 

 

On May 7, 2016 Kim Jung-un, Supreme Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea opened the Seventh Congress of the Worker’s Party of Korea. Presented here is the full text of Mr. Kim’s welcoming address to delegates and observers to the Seventh Congress.

Dear delegates,

Today we are holding the historic Seventh Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea amid the grand struggle in which the whole Party, the entire army and all the people, filled with iron nerves and confidence to achieve the final victory of the Juche revolution as soon as possible, are making an all-out, general onward march courageously, thwarting all manner of threats and desperate challenges by the imperialists.

Reflecting the infinite loyalty and ardent reverence of delegates, Party members, service personnel and all other people across the country, I would like first to extend the noblest tribute and greatest glory to the great Comrades Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il who are the founder and builder of the WPK, incarnations of the mightiness of the invincible WPK, and eternal leaders of our Party and people.

Comrades,

During the period under review our Party and people have waged a sacred yet arduous struggle to defend socialism and propel the cause of the Juche revolution victoriously under the wise leadership of the great President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il.

In this period our Party’s ranks have been deprived of such anti-Japanese revolutionary war veterans as Kim Il, Choe Hyon, O Paek Ryong, O Jin U, Choe Kwang, Rim Chun Chu, Pak Song Chol, Jon Mun Sop and Ri Ul Sol, who, holding the great leaders in high esteem, devoted themselves entirely to the country and people on the long road of the Juche revolution.

And they have been bereft of many faithful revolutionary comrades, including Ho Tam, Yon Hyong Muk, Kim Jung Rin, Ho Jong Suk, Kim Kuk Thae, Kim Yong Sun, Kim Yang Gon, Jon Pyong Ho, Pak Song Bong, Ri Chan Son, Ri Je Gang, Ri Yong Chol, Kang Ryang Uk, Ri Jong Ok, Kim Rak Hui and An Tal Su, who worked with devotion for the strengthening and development of our Party and the victory of the socialist cause.

We have also lost Jo Myong Rok, Kim Kwang Jin, Kim Tu Nam, Jon Jae Son, Yun Chi Ho, Ri Tong Chun, Kim Ha Gyu, Ri Jin Su, Sim Chang Wan and other precious comrades-in-arms in the Songun revolution who performed heroic exploits in the struggle to strengthen and develop the revolutionary armed forces.

In addition, Ri Sung Gi, Im Rok Jae, Chon Se Bong, Paek In Jun, Yu Won Jun, Ri Sang Byok, Pak Yong Sun and other academicians, professors, doctors, writers, People’s Artistes and People’s Athletes, who bent all their energies and wisdom to developing science, culture and the arts, and sports, and Han Tok Su, Choe Tok Sin, Ri In Mo, Rim Hon Sik, Kim Kwang Thaek and other unforgettable revolutionary comrades and pro-reunification, patriotic figures passed away.

These people devoted their all unsparingly to the victory of the cause of the Juche revolution, reunification of the country and national prosperity, in loyal support of the WPK and the leader; the brilliant victory of our revolution and the present glory of the socialist country are attributable to their priceless blood and self-sacrifice.

To the memory of the anti-Japanese revolutionary war veterans, patriotic martyrs, unforgettable revolutionary comrades-in-arms of our Party and pro-reunification, patriotic figures who laid down their precious lives in the struggle for socialist construction, national reunification and the cause of global independence, I propose to observe a minute’s silence.

Comrades,

The Seventh Congress of the WPK has been convened at a historic time when the phase of leap forward in implementing the cause of the Juche revolution is being opened up.

The last decades since the Sixth Congress of the WPK were characterized by grim struggle and glorious victory on the part of our Party and people.

During the period under review the situation of our revolution was very grave and complex.

In the unprecedentedly hard times when the world socialist system collapsed and the allied imperialist forces concentrated their anti-socialist offensive on our Republic, our Party and people were compelled to fight against them single-handed.

The imperialists strained the situation constantly for decades to keep our people from living at peace even for a moment and blocked all the pathways to economic development and existence through all manner of blockade, pressure and sanctions.

In the face of harsh and manifold difficulties and ordeals and the hardships and sufferings worse than those during a war, our Party and people were united more firmly around the Central Committee of the WPK, holding the President and the General in high esteem as the centre of unity and leadership, and made strenuous efforts to defend and advance the socialist cause, following only the revolutionary line of Juche put forward by the great leaders as they braved the storm of history without the slightest hesitation or vacillation.

As there were the wise leadership of the President and the General and the might of single-hearted unity of the WPK, the army and the people around the leader, we were able to etch proud victories in history, smashing the schemes of the allied imperialist forces to stifle the Republic at every step and safeguarding the red flag of socialism and the gains of the revolution to the last.

During the period under review, the WPK embodied the Juche-oriented line of party building of General Kim Jong Il to become a powerful body, ideologically pure and organizationally integrated, in which oneness has been achieved in ideology and leadership and to develop into a motherly party assuming the responsibility for the destiny of the masses of the people, an ever-victorious party with seasoned and sophisticated art of leadership and a steel-strong and promising revolutionary party.

This year when the Seventh Congress of the WPK is held, our service personnel and people achieved great successes in the first hydrogen bomb test and the launch of earth observation satellite Kwangmyongsong 4 which served as landmarks in the nation’s history spanning 5 000 years, thus raising the dignity and might of Juche Korea to the highest level possible; in high spirits, they conducted a dynamic 70-day campaign of loyalty to perform great feats and make unprecedented labour successes in all fields of socialist construction.

All the service personnel and people throughout the country displayed the spirit of carrying out the policies of the WPK to the death in response to its militant call for launching the 70-day campaign, thereby making the greatest successes and leap forward in all sectors of the national economy and achieving the brilliant result of exceeding the targets of the campaign set by the WPK.

During the campaign, the electric-power, coal-mining and metallurgical industries and rail transport sector strove hard for increased output and transport to bring about a surge in production, and many units in different sectors of the national economy including the machine-building, chemical, building-materials and light industries and agriculture raised a strong wind to ensure modernization and domestic production of our style and bring about an upswing in production, thus making the distinguished achievement of carrying out the first half-year and yearly national economic plans ahead of schedule.

Our heroic working class of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, scientists and technicians waged an unyielding struggle on the principle of giving priority to self-development to develop and manufacture new machines and equipment based on local efforts and technology, thereby presenting them as gifts to the Congress of the motherly Party. Others across the country wonderfully completed lots of major construction projects, which will be highly conducive to developing the economy and improving the people’s living standards, in a short span of time before the Congress to send reports of loyalty to the Central Committee of the WPK.

Those in the national defence science sector that played a magnificent prelude to this meaningful year with a thrilling explosion of Juche Korea’s first hydrogen bomb went on to create momentous miracles in defending our national dignity and sovereignty, thus topping off the 70-day campaign and opening wide the door to the Seventh Congress of the WPK, full of pride in being victors.

All sectors and all units, burning their hearts with ardent loyalty to the WPK and extraordinary patriotic enthusiasm, sped up the grand revolutionary march to celebrate the Seventh Congress of the WPK as a glorious meeting of victors. This fully demonstrated the firm faith and will of our service personnel and people who are triumphantly building a thriving nation before the eyes of the world by smashing the hostile forces’ vicious manoeuvres geared to sanctions and strangulation, and displayed to the world the indomitable spirit, daring grit and inexhaustible strength of heroic Korea.

The numerous eye-opening events that happened one after another in the run-up to the meaningful Congress of the WPK–all these achievements are permeated with the precious sweat, ardent passion and unassuming effort of the Party members who have always thrown in their lot with the WPK and adorned the golden age of socialist construction with uninterrupted revolutionary upsurges.

I would like to extend heartfelt thanks and militant greetings, on behalf of the Central Committee of the WPK, to all the delegates, Party members, service personnel of the Korean People’s Army and other people, who have adorned the sacred history of the WPK with hot blood and sweat of patriotism and made a great contribution to celebrating the Seventh Congress of the WPK as a meeting of victory and glory by clasping the weapons of revolution, hammer, sickle and writing brush with a burning conviction to travel one road for ever following our Party.

On the occasion of our Party’s significant Congress my warm greetings go to the Anti-imperialist National Democratic Front, Korean Social Democratic Party, Chondoist Chongu Party, south Korean people, Chongryon (General Association of Korean Residents in Japan) and other overseas Koreans’ organizations and all the compatriots abroad that are working hard for the country’s reunification and prosperity.

On behalf of the Congress of the WPK, I also extend warm thanks and greetings to political parties and organizations, Juche idea study groups, friendship and solidarity organizations and personages from all walks of life in different countries of the world and representatives of diplomatic missions and international organizations in the DPRK, that have rendered positive support and encouragement to our revolution and sent congratulatory messages, letters and baskets of flowers to the Seventh Congress of the WPK.

Comrades,

The Seventh Congress of the WPK will sum up the brilliant successes and invaluable experience our Party and people have gained during the period under review and put forward the strategic line and tasks to keep ushering in a great golden age of socialist construction and the direction of advance of our revolution.

This Congress of the WPK will be a historic occasion for setting up another milestone in the struggle for the development of the glorious Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Party and the accomplishment of the cause of socialism.

3 467 delegates have the right to vote in this Congress and 200 delegates have the right to address it; all of them are present here as they have been elected at the conferences of the WPK at different levels.

Among them 1 545 are delegates of Party officials and political workers, 719 delegates of service personnel, 423 delegates of state administrative and economic officials, 52 delegates of officials of working people’s organizations, 112 delegates of officials in the sectors of science, education, public health, culture and the arts and the mass media, 786 delegates of hardcore Party members involved in field labour, six anti-Japanese revolutionary war veterans and 24 former unconverted long-term prisoners.

Of them 315 are women.

Present at the Congress are also 1 387 observers.

Fully convinced that this Congress of the WPK will perform its work satisfactorily backed up by high political enthusiasm of all delegates to be a historic meeting that will leave an outstanding mark on the development of our Party and revolution and a meeting for general advance to hasten the final victory of the cause of the Juche revolution, I declare the Seventh Congress of the WPK open.

________________________________

Photo and Text: Rodong Shinmun

“We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country. It’s the greatest theft in the history of the world.”

(Huffington Post, May 2, 2016)

“China is killing us, they are devaluing their currency.”

(CNN, March 17, 2016)

” I’m not saying they’re stupid. I like China. I just sold an apartment to someone from China for fifteen million dollars. Am I supposed to dislike them?”

(ABC News 16 June 2015, Trump Presidential Campaign announcement)

“Their leaders are smarter than our leaders.”

(Bloomberg Politics video, June 16, 2015)

“We are rebuilding China.”

(Bloomberg Politics video, June 16, 2015)

“We want deal.”

(South China Morning Post, 26 August 2016. Trump in Dubuque, Iowa. Trump putting on Pidgin English accent to signify Asian speech.)

 

 

 

 

Photo: Gage Skidmore via flickr

Not everyone was charmed by U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Cuba in March 2016, least of all former Cuban President Fidel Castro. In an open letter published by the newspaper, Granma, and entitled “Brother Obama,” Castro instructed the president on Cuban history, the history of imperialism vis-a-vis Cuba. He noted the invasion by counter-revolutionaries at the Bay of Pigs, touched on South Africa and Angola and finished with the passages printed here below. He quotes Obama’s offer of friendship and calls them “the most sweetened words” and affirms that the history of enmity can not be forgotten, that Cuba will not give up its historic revolutionary gains and that Cuba can go it alone in terms of producing food and material riches.

The bottom line is that for many reasons President Fidel Castro believes that Cuba should reject the olive branch and hand of friendship extended by President Barack during his Cuba visit.

From April 16–19, the Cuban Communist Party will hold its 7th Party Congress. One thousand delegates from local and provincial levels will meet to discuss a number of issues. Surely the Obama visit and the future economic and political future of Cuba will be at the forefront. Is Dr. Castro’s view that of the majority, or will other voices be heard? We will soon have a pretty good idea.

____________________________________________________

“Obama made a speech in which he uses the most sweetened words to express: “It is time, now, to forget the past, leave the past behind, let us look to the future together, a future of hope. And it won’t be easy, there will be challenges and we must give it time; but my stay here gives me more hope in what we can do together as friends, as family, as neighbors, together.”

 I suppose all of us were at risk of a heart attack upon hearing these words from the President of the United States. After a ruthless blockade that has lasted almost 60 years, and what about those who have died in the mercenary attacks on Cuban ships and ports, an airliner full of passengers blown up in midair, mercenary invasions, multiple acts of violence and coercion?

Nobody should be under the illusion that the people of this dignified and selfless country will renounce the glory, the rights, or the spiritual wealth they have gained with the development of education, science and culture.

 I also warn that we are capable of producing the food and material riches we need with the efforts and intelligence of our people. We do not need the empire to give us anything. Our efforts will be legal and peaceful, as this is our commitment to peace and fraternity among all human beings who live on this planet.”

 

Photo and Full Text of Castro Letter: Radio Cadena Agramonte

 On April 7, 2016 Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, 61, was sworn in as Vietnam’s first new prime minister in 10 years. Phuc’s predecessor, Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung had held the post for two 5-year terms. Prime Minister Phuc, a former deputy prime minister became a politburo member in 2011. The country faces several challenges in the near future including relations with China and the economy. Vietnam signed the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement in February 2016, and her current economic growth target is set at 7% (6.7% last year).

Prime Minister Phuc made a short inaugural speech. The English text is below. (With link to PM Vietnam website).

Once again, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the National Assembly for electing me as Prime Minister. This is my great honor and huge responsibility delegated by the Party, the State and the people.

I will exert all possible efforts to serve the Fatherland and the people for the ultimate goal of building the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam with rich people, and strong, democratic, equitable and civilized country.

As the head of the highest State administrative agency, which exercises the executive power and is the executive body of the National Assembly, the whole Cabinet members and I will try our best to build a strong, united, unanimous, effective and efficient Government with drastic activities; wholeheartedly serve the people with all our might; successfully fulfill the functions and tasks as prescribed by the Constitution and law under the leadership of the Party, the supervision, cooperation and support of the National Assembly, the State President, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front, and the whole people.

The Government and the Prime Minister will continue to uphold the fine traditions and achievements gained by the previous Government tenures, seriously be attentive to the comments and aspirations of the compatriots and voters nationwide, strain every nerve to overcome shortcomings and weaknesses; strive for successfully realizing socio-economic development targets and tasks; comprehensively accelerate innovation and international integration; focus on administrative reform, create a more favorable investment and business environment; promote democracy; strengthen disciplines in the State administrative apparatus and the whole society as well; improve the effectiveness of combating wastefulness and corruption; resolutely and perseveringly struggle to firmly safeguard independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity; take care for the material and spiritual life and ensure people enjoy a full, happy and safe life.

I have the honor to thank Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and former Prime Ministers for their great contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation.

With my sincere sentiments, I would like to offer a bouquet to Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung, wishing him good health and further contributions to the nation.

Thank you./.

Speech Full English Text on PM Vietnam Website

Photo: PM of Vietnam Website

At a regular news conference in Beijing on March 31, China’s MOD spokesman, Senior Colonel, Yang Yujun pointed the finger at Japan for its reinforcement of Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture.Yang stated that while it is usually Japan that criticizes China about the South China Sea, it is now Japan that is reinforcing territory that is only 100km from the Chinese territory of Taiwan.

Okinawa’s Ryukyu Shimpo reported on March 29th that 160 Japanese Self Defense Troops will be stationed on Yonaguni Island to operate the costal observation base consisting of a radar unit, and observation unit and a communications and intelligence unit.

The Q&A regarding this point is shown here. (For the ministry’s full post, please click the link below.)

Q: On 28th this month, the Defense Ministry of Japan deployed a coastal monitoring force on the Yonaguni Island. And right after that, on 29th, the New Security Law of Japan also took effect. Mr. spokesman, how would you comment on this series of actions by Japan?

A: You’ve raised a very good question. Actually, we indeed noticed that recently, the Japanese side had been very active in the military arena. We also noticed that Japan had loudly accused China of the so-called militarization on the islands and reefs in the South China Sea. And it was quite delighted to do so. But today, let’s see what Japan did on the Yonaguni Island, which is just 100 kilometers and more from Taiwan of China and also the Diaoyu Islands. I also noticed that, according to media report, there were only two policemen and ten rounds of ammunition on the Island in the past.

But now, Japan suddenly deployed additional 150 self-defense force personnel and it also said that for the next step it would deploy a rapid reaction infantry regiment. So while the Japanese side constantly accused other side, how would it account for its own actions? Japan also liked to take “freedom of navigation” as an excuse to accuse other side. The South China Sea is very broad. If China’s deployment of necessary defense facilities on its islands and reefs is blamed for “undermining freedom of navigation”, what should Japan’s action be called when it strengthened military deployment around the narrow Yonaguni-Iriomote Channel, which is an international water channel connecting the East China Sea and the West Pacific?

 China MOD Press Conference (English)

Photo: China MOD

Story: Japan Ryukyu Shimpo