links for 2007-11-12

Not quite as widely covered (at least in English) as the aftermath of the coalition negotiations was the story of the mediator in the deal-to-be, Yomiuri Shimbun editor-in-chief Watanabe Tsuneo (a.k.a Nabetsune)

China marked “Journalists Day” Thursday with state-run media hailing a new era of increasing press freedom in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, but Western rights groups are largely unimpressed.

Tim O’Reilly’s first foray into China was my third Web2.0-related conference in Beijing in the span of one week.

The Netherlands’ lower house has unanimously passed a resolution urging Japan to apologize for its wartime military’s sexual enslavement of young women in Asia. … also called on the Japanese government to pay compensation to the victims …

China, one of the world’s leading producers of greenhouse gases, launched a government fund Friday to channel money from the sale of emission-reduction credits into environmental projects.

Japan’s trade minister urged China on Thursday not to put the squeeze on Tokyo and other buyers of its rare metals as Beijing tightens its grip on the resources, which are indispensable for Japan’s high-tech industries.

… [Xu Xi] soon discovered that being published in English by a small printing house in her hometown, Hong Kong, did not ensure the interest of the handful of companies based in the United States and Britain that dominate global English-language publishi

By Moisés Naím – What happens when an authoritarian government and thousands of activists go head-to-head at the Olympics? China is about to find out.

Mr. Gates told students and faculty members of Tokyo’s Sophia University that Americans “hope and expect Japan will choose to accept more global security responsibilities in the years ahead.”

Many countries complained U.S. dominance wasn’t discussed enough during the first forum last year, in Athens. China, Iran, Russia and Brazil, among others, won an opening-day panel devoted to “critical Internet resources.”

Beginning last week, all who want to audit classes at Beijing University will have to apply for an audit permit. … The new rule intends to shut the door to educational opportunity on what are being called “society’s wanderers (社会闲散人员).”

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi will visit Iran on Tuesday at the invitation of Iranian counterpart Manuchehr Mottaki

The Chinese government is creating a database with profiles on the thousands of foreign reporters who will be covering next summer’s Beijing Olympics, a top official said in comments published Monday.

A divided committee of Parliament voted Monday to renew a limited version of an Indian Ocean naval mission that was halted by a legislative impasse.