Students take to the streets against Beijing as another self-immolation hits Tibet

TIBET - CHINA

In Luchu region, a family man kills himself by fire to protest against Chinese occupation. Some 89 suicides have been recorded in the past few months. In Qinghai, medical students protest against 'patriotic education,' with 20 injured, four seriously.

Lhasa (AsiaNews) - A 31-year-old married father of two set himself on fire this morning in eastern Tibet to protest against Chinese occupation and to demand the return of the Dalai Lama. A source relayed the information to Tibetan website Phayul, thus raising the number of suicides to 89. Elsewhere, protesters took to the streets to demonstrate against the authorities' iron fist policies.

The latest tragedy took place near a government building in Luchu region. Tsering Tashi left a wife, Choekyong Tso, and two children Dorjee Kyi, 7, and Kalsang Dolma, 3. His is the third self-immolation in ten days, the 27^th in the month of November alone.

Beijing "not happy" about Elton John's dedication to Ai Weiwei

CHINA

The Ministry of Culture has published a note in which it admits: "We did not like his choice, but he is a very popular singer. There is little we can do." Retaliation, however, is feared, such as that which hit Western artists after Bjorn's pro-Tibetan concert. The dissident: "Surprised and happy."


Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The Chinese Ministry of Culture has described as "unfortunate" the decision made yesterday by the British singer Elton John, who decided to dedicate his whole concert in Beijing to the prominent dissident Ai Weiwei. In a statement, the ministry said it was "disappointed" that the dedication occurred but admitted, however, that "not much can be done about it, given that Elton John is a very popular musician."

During the performance in front of over 12,000 spectators in the Wukesong Arena, the sports hall where in 2008 the Olympic basketball tournament was held, the British singer said that his show was dedicated to the 55 year-old designer and icon of the opposition to the communist regime who "I met just before going on stage."

South China Sea, China will allow the boarding of foreign ships

CHINA - PHILIPPINES - VIETNAM

After new passports with distorted maps, the communist regime announced that the Coast Guard of Hainan province can dock and control vessels for non-Chinese "who illegally enter territorial waters." The reference is to the maritime areas that Beijing is trying to snatch unilaterally from other governments in the area.


Beijing (AsiaNews) - The Chinese central government will allow the police in the southern province of Hainan to board and control foreign ships that enter into what Beijing (one-sidedly) now regards as its own territorial waters. The reference is to the disputed areas in the South China Sea, which China is trying to snatch from the governments of Taiwan, Vietnam, India, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines.

The new law will go into effect January 1. According to the China Daily - a government newspaper - the rules will allow the coast guard of the province (consisting of a group of islands) to "board and make an inspection of those foreign ships illegally entering Chinese waters. Entering those waters without permission, damaging coastal defensive positions and threatening national security are illegal acts."

Wen Jiabao and NY Times still at odds over corruption accusations

CHINA

Ping An Insurance, one of China's largest insurance companies, could sue the US paper over a second article saying that the premier used its influence to avoid the company's break-up with a windfall peaking at US$ 2.2 billion for both himself and his group.


Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The Chinese government and The New York Times are still at odds over an article in early November that suggested that the family of Premier Wen Jiabao had accumulated massive wealth. Ping An Insurance yesterday said that it is considering taking legal action for another report published on Saturday, about its president asking Wen to avoid financial losses.

The New York Times, in a follow-up article, said that in 1999 Ping An chairman Ma Mingzhe wrote to Wen and later met his wife at a time when the authorities were envisaging new rules that could have led to Ping An's break-up.

Korea, the presidential elections "have become a struggle between good and evil"

SOUTH KOREA

With the withdrawal of Independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, who has promised to support the Democrat Moon Jae-in, the contest for the vote on December 19 becomes a head-to-head challenge against the Conservative Party candidate, Park Geun-hye. The Executive Secretary of the Bishop's Conference: "On the one hand, there is the opportunity to move forward towards a better society; on the other, there's the specter of a wicked society."


Seoul (AsiaNews) - The presidential elections of December 19 "have now become a struggle between good and evil. On the one hand there are those who want a more just and caring society towards the people, on the other hand there are the usual populists who make empty promises, clad in seductive words." The Executive Secretary of the Korean Bishops' Conference explained to AsiaNews the upcoming electoral contest in the light of the independent candidate's withdrawal.

Taiwan proposes “sharing” the Diaoyu / Senkaku to avoid tensions

TAIWAN - CHINA - JAPAN

President Ma Ying-jeou has launched a peace offering to the governments of mainland China and Japan: "Going forward in this way we risk an escalation that no one wants and that is not helpful. Let's go back to the negotiating table, leaving aside the issue of sovereignty and transforming it from a missed opportunity into an opportunity. "


Taipei (AsiaNews) - The way to resolve the standoff over the disputed archipelago in the East China Sea - which the Chinese call "Diaoyu" and the Japanese "Senkaku" - "passes through dialogue. Sovereignty is a concept that by its very nature is indivisible: for this reason, in this case it must be set aside in favor of a common sharing of the archipelago's resources. " This is the recipe presented by the President of Taiwan, the Nationalist Ma Ying-jeou, to parties to the dispute.

The Communist Party's new leaders: helmsmen, victims and executioners

CHINA

Xi Jinping suffered during the Cultural Revolution; Yu Zhengsheng saw six members of six family die. However, the new leader proudly extols the party's achievements in the past years. Promising to fight corruption and red tape, he forgot advice about internal democracy, sharing the wealth and support from the private sector. He owes his election to the 'Shanghai clique,' which defends the interests of the princelings and corporate monopolies.


Rome (AsiaNews) - Appearing moved and modest, a smiling Xi Jinping, the new general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), introduced himself and the other six members of the Standing Committee of the Politburo. Like their leader, Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli, looked like school boys at the end of their end-of-year play.