The United States is poised to confront China directly with its land reclamation program. The RAND Corporation’s Mark Cozad joins me this week to discuss. The sad tale of Korea’s grandmothers turning to prostitution to make ends meet. Plus more regional news, next.
United States poised to confront China’s island building
This week the Financial Times reported US warships would sail sometime in the next two weeks within the 12-nautical mile radius China claims as its sovereign territory in the South China Sea. Beijing particularly didn’t like that and Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, “We will never allow any country to violate China’s territorial waters and airspace in the Spratly Islands, in the name of protecting freedom of navigation and overflight.”
To get an idea of what we may see and the long term implications, I spoke with Mark Cozad, Senior Defense Policy Analyst with the RAND Corporation.
The sad tale of South Korea’s grandma prostitutes
Today, prostitution is illegal in South Korea — at least that’s what the law says on the books, but in reality, it’s a flourishing industry despite red light districts disappearing. Cities are filled with massage parlors, room salons, and love motels where the world’s oldest profession prospers.
Another aspect of South Korean society that isn’t oft spoken of is the number of elderly living in abject poverty – neglected by their families and society. As the old saying goes, desperate times calls for desperate measures, and many elderly grandmothers turn to prostitution not only make ends meet, but to have some sort of human connection.
I love my parents, but don’t tax me on them
In 2013, China passed a law aimed at encouraging filial piety (the giving of respect, caring for, and honoring one’s parents), mandating that those who live apart from their elderly parents visit them frequently. Now the Guangzhou Daily newspaper reports a beauty salon chain wants to promote good moral values among its employees, so it’s forced them to give part of their salary to their parents.
Rapists getting their just desserts
This week a pair of stories surfaced, detailing how rapists, are finally getting their just desserts. First in India, police said they have arrested the primary suspect in a sexual assault on a four-year-old girl. The baby was raped and then slashed with a blade before being abandoned by railway tracks. Then, Australian police officers get lucky and find film footage implicating five men in the range rape of a young teen.
China arrests Hackers at United States’ request
It was no big surprise that when Chinese President Xi Jinping went to DC, cyber security was on the menu. As reported, the deal reached didn’t garner a lot of trust, since what was repeated at press conferences was the same old rhetoric about how nations shouldn’t pilfer another country’s technology for personal gain and if there were accusations, the offending country would look into it and report back.
This past week, US intelligence and law enforcement agencies drew up a list of hackers the United States wanted arrested as a show of good faith… And you know what? China did.
UPDATE: India’s beef murder rip society apart, Prime Minister calls for unity
On October 1st’s Asia Brief, it was mentioned how a 50-year-old man in India was beaten to death and his 22-year-old son was severely injured after it was rumored the family had been eating beef. Authorities looking into the crime verified the victim had been storing mutton as the daughter who witnessed the beating said and not beef as was rumored. Charges of rioting and murder have been levied against at least 10 people, out of whom six have already been arrested.
Riding on the wings of dinosaurs in Japan
In East Asia, Japan is home to both Disneyland and Universal Studios. This week, the Universal announced plans for a new attraction that honestly made my inner child scream out in joy. Dubbed “The Flying Dinosaur,” it will do, just what it says.
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