East Asia

The South Korean government wants to change SOFA, the Agreement on the Statute of the armed forces in the area. The decision arose out of two recent incidents of sexual violence, allegedly carried out by US soldiers. The treaty will not be at the center of the official summit in Washington between Obama and Lee.

The US upper chamber passes a bill against currency manipulation to stop the wave of low cost Chinese goods flooding the US market. The bill is not expected to get through the lower house. Xinhua warns the move might trigger a trade war. Meanwhile, Chinese exports decline.

Vice-ministers sign deal that ends months of tensions between Communist allies. It calls for immediate steps and a long-term solution to limit the claims of other nations, including Japan and the United States. Chinese President Hu Jintao meets Vietnamese Communist Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong.

Polls for District People’s Congress in the southern province of Guangdong won by Guo Huojia and Li Youzhou by a wide margin, both committed to fight against the forced requisitioning of land. But in another district, the police arrest and beat an independent candidate. And the population rebels against violence.

A sovereign fund buys shares worth 200 million yuan in China’s biggest banks in order to help the banking system stave off the crisis and the loss of confidence. However, the sector’s problems are structural. One of its elements is the apprehended real estate bubble. Meanwhile, hundreds of Chinese companies are going bust and not paying their workers’ salaries.

Ngaba, in Sichuan, is a hotbed of anti-Chinese protest by Tibetans. Two young monks choose to die for Tibet’s cause, and the town responds by shutting down to pay them their respect. Instead of dialogue, Beijing sends police to patrol the area.

The Russian prime minister and presidential candidate flies to the Chinese capital for a state visit. Top of the agenda energy issues and the stalemate on prices of exports, which the two nations seem to want to solve as soon as possible. A "new relationship" to counter the global influence of West.

In a video link with Cape Town on Desmond Tutu’s 80th birthday, the Buddhist spiritual leader uses irony as a weapon. “Some Chinese officials describe me as a demon so naturally some fear... the demon,” he said miming horns on his head with his fingers. Speaking about South Africa’s refusal to grant him a visa, he said that such an attitude is immoral, born out of fear of China.

China’s president claims the Communist Party is Sun Yat-sen’s faithful successor. However, in Taiwan scholars note that the mainland has not yet implemented one of Sun’s ideal, democracy. Taiwan’s president says the Republic of China is a reality of the present, not the past.

Some say that he might have died of torture and lack of medical care. A year after his release from prison, he is in forced isolation in his house with his wife and six year old daughter who can not go to school. Anyone who tries to contact him, is beaten and arrested. Shandong authorities have built a prison-house for him. Wrwf appeal and petition for news of Chen’s health.

The two powers have moved in unison against the UN resolution on Syria, but behind the facade their rivalry in energy and military might grows.

The South African Government has denied a visa to the Buddhist leader, who will speak tomorrow at the celebrations for the 80th birthday of the African Nobel laureate, via videoconference. The Archbishop's wrath: "The government is defending their commercial interests, it is worse than the apartheid government. But let it beware." For two years, China has been the largest trading partner of Pretoria.