PEOPLE & POINTS

"It is not true [when] some say our missile test-firing is a violation of the moratorium, because we had placed a temporary halt on missile firing when talks were being held to improve relations with the United States and Japan at that time." North Korea's UN Ambassador Han Song Ryol on his country's plan to test fire a long-range missile     

Xu Chongde on Quota of Women Deputies to NPC

In 2007 women in China have heard an inspiring piece of news:"Of deputies to the 11th National People Congress(NPC),the pro- portion of women deputies shall not be lower than 22%."This is a provi- sion of Decision on the Number of Deputies to, and Election of,the 11th NPC adopted by the 10th NPC at its Fifth Session concluding on March 16. Says Luo Chunhua,a deputy to the NPC and a     

Love Goes Beyond National Boundaries

On March 26, 2003, four girls of different nationalities made a special trip to Beijing, and went straight to the Tongzhou District Care Center where they had volunteered to work with disabled orphans.Sunny Lee Yang, Karine Teon, Ashwini Rao and Arisa lizuka are from the USA, France, India and Japan respectively. They are all students at the Singapore International School. In February this year, they saw a report on the Tongzhou District Care Center on CCTV's "China Reports." They were all so deeply moved by the backgrounds of the members of this special "family." that all four girls decided to cancel their social practice in Vietnam and come to China instead.     

Don＇t Let the Yasukuni Shrine Shatter Sino-Japanese Relations

正JAPANESE Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid homage on December 26,2013 to the Yasukuni Shrine,so further imperiling the already fragile security situation in East Asia.Abe later told media representatives that the purpose of his visit was to report to deceased ancestors on the government’s performance over the past year,state his resolve to carry out reforms,and pledge that Japan"will never go to war again."     

The Decline of Washington

正Washington and Tokyo issued a joint statement on April 24 during U.S.President Barack Obama’s Japan tour,claiming that the Treaty of Security and Safeguard Between Japan and the United States extends to"all the territories under the administration of Japan,"including the Diaoyu Islands.And"the United States opposes any unilateral action that seeks     

Japan Bids Farewell to Pacifism

正ON July 1,2014,Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration adopted a cabinet resolution to"reinterpret"the constitution and so allow the country to exercise collective self-defense.Since Abe took office in December 2012,his administration has consistently sought to break with the restrictions of Article 9 of Japan’s pacifist constitution,which renounces"the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes."The resolution in effect reflects Abe’s ultimate aim.Although the Abe administration has issued specific restrictions on the right to collective self-defense,and there are constraints on Japan’s use of military force,this reinterpretation nonetheless marks a turning point in Japan’s histori-     

The International Protection of Women＇s Human Rights： with Emphasis on UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

1. The International Protection of Women＇s Human Rights： Emergence of CEDAW
For a long time, women＇s rights have been excluded from traditional discourse on human right. The traditional discourse on human rights has developed without considering its impact upon women. Transforming this discourse to a perspective that will consider the needs and vindications of women is absolutely essential.1 Although international efforts addressing women＇s issues presumed to be associated with women began in the nineteenth century, it was in the postwar period that such activity gained a coherent focus under the auspices of United Nations.     

Evasive Maneuvers?

<正>The Japanese PM had a lot to say in his latest speech to U.S.Congress.But how much of it can one take on faith?By Liu YunyunAhead of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's speech to U.S.Congress on April29,commentators remained optimistic,if guardedly so.The speech was historic in that it made Abe the first Japanese leader to address a joint meeting of Congress and the eyes of the world were hence upon him.It was widely hoped that Abe might candidly address Japan's World War II(WWII)history,so as to allay fears that the two-time prime minister is attempting to pursue a neo-revisionist agenda,as suggested by changes recently made to state-approved textbooks that phrase Japanese war crimes in decidedly passive terms.The Japan Times quoted Japan expert and former U.S.Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage as stating everyone will be"looking to see if Mr.Abe can put history behind him."The newspaper also quoted former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama who warned the     

Are We Getting Any Closer？.

The collective title of the four articles comprising this issue's Special Report is "Safeguarding 'Half of the Sky'." The women reporters that wrote these articles are all from Beijing - one of China's foremost metropolises. The education they received, which stressed that they were born equal to men, was of a standard that affords them the economic independence to decide whether to stay single or play the role of responsible householder.     

Huddle Together

The European Union (EU) and Japan signed the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement(EPA) in Tokyo on July 17,mark-ing the creation of one of the world's largest free trade blocs covering 600 million people and constituting around 30 percent of the global GDP. Leaders from both sides have high expec-tations for the EPA. European Council President Donald Tusk described it as a "light in the dark-ness" for international trade while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the EPA "shows the unwavering political resolve of Japan and the EU to lead the world as flagbearers of free trade amid growing protectionism."     

Does Being a Big Power Mean Paying a Big Bill? Japan''''s UN funding proposal appears to disguise political motives

Japan, which is increasingly frustrated that it has not been granted a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, has found a new outlet of displeasure against the world body. On March 10, Japan proposed to the UN General Assembly budget committee, which     

Abe''''s Political Views

Abe discussed much about his views of politics and diplomacy in his election program, showing that he means to be a tough party president and prime minister. First, on the issue of constitutional revision and collective self-defense right, Abe strongly advocates completely revising the Constitution to remove the limit that Japan can only exercise military power in self-defense. At the same time, by enacting a law, Japan would be able to send its self-defense forces overseas at any time. Abe claims that Japan should break     

Reflection of feminism in modern China —— Reflection of feminism in modern China

The women＇s liberation movement in China started after the first opium war and it took shape with the aim of protecting the race and salvaging the country. Doubtlessly, the emergence of modern feminism opened the precedent in the theory of women＇s liberation in China and exerted a profound and far-reaching influence on women＇s liberation afterwards. But we must face up to the fact that there was some traps or misunderstanding of modern feminism, which were unfavorable for realizing women＇s rights and such influence was long, so much so that till today we are still seeing its existence. It is, therefore, necessary to have a full reflection of modem feminism, unveil the original meaning of women＇s rights and make women＇s rights return to human rights in order to make the development of women＇s fights continue.     

Chinese Tea to the World

Drinking Tea is said to spread to Japan from China in the 6th century. Every step in Japanese tea ceremony is part of old and graceful ritual.Oolong tea is enjoying a favourable market in Japan and has become an indispensable soft drink for Japanese in pop-top cans. China's Oolong was first chipped to Japan in large volume in 1981. The 1980s witnessed an astonishing spread of Oolong tea in the market, partly stemming from the belief of Japanese women that Oolong tea is good for keeping fit and dieting.     

What's Behind the Lowly Status of ‘Sold in China?'

<正>It has been reported that during this year’s Spring Festival holiday in February,Chinese tourists spent a total of 6 billion yuan($958mil ion)in Japan.Apart from snatching up Japan’s famous electronic products,they also splashed out on domestic appliances—notably toilet lids According to Japanese media outlets,toilet lids almost fell out of stock in Japanese shops owing to the run on the product.The splurge on toilet seats available in Japan that feature built-in     

Exposing Dalai Lama As a Dishonest Person

The Dalai Lama is an honest man, a certain Western politician once said.Is that true?Let's look at the Dalai Lama's recent"appeal to the Chinese people"and find out. In his appeal on March 28,the Dalai Lama said he can guarantee ethnic Han peo- ple"he has no intention to split Tibet from China or cause a rift between the Han and Tibetan peoples."On the contrary,he"has constantly pur- sued a solution to the Tibet issue on the basis of lasting and mutual benefit between the Han and Tibetan groups."     

A Descendant of Nanjing

正IN August of every year,the Japan-China Friendship Association organizes a touring exhibition around Japan themed"Expose War for Peace."Exhibits include historical photos and objects relating to the Japanese war of aggression against China.The 2014 three-day exhibition started on August 10 and concluded on August 12 at the Nagoya Civic Assembly Hall.Thirty-nine non-governmental organizations provided extensive historical WWII     

“Modern” Girls On and Off Screen

The first generation of women film stars in China created a huge sensation in what was then a male-dominated society. Their images appeared on bill- boards and posters, and their voices were heard on the radio endorsing a wide range of products. These movie goddesses made it clear to their Chinese sisterhood that "modern" women did not consider expressing their personali- ties as immodesty.The majority of Chinese movie actresses presented themselves in a European style: high-heeled shoes and…     

A Fly in the Ointment

<正>Sometimes I feel that being a foreigner in China is akin to being forced to wear a sandwich—board in Chinese saying"hey,look at me!"on the front and"Take as many embarrassing pictures as you want!"on the back.Yes,the same type of sign that Charles Dickens described as being"a piece of human flesh between two slices of paste board."This is no exaggeration,especially during     

CLEARING AWAY THE ICE China and Japan are on the right path to developing a "culture of trust"

"If Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to China last October was an ice-breaking journey, I hope that my visit to Japan in April will be an ice-melting one," Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said at a press conference on March 16 con-cluding the annual session of the National People's Congress.