Eccentric Star: A Public Diplomacy Weblog

'Prince Pickles' Puts Friendly Face on Japan's Iraq Deployment

"Cuddly Characters Front Japan's Military Aspirations" - AP (Tokyo), as published by the International Herald Tribune (Paris), 16 February 2007

TOKYO: Prince Pickles, a perky cartoon character with saucer-round eyes, big dimples and tiny, boot-clad feet, poses in front of tanks, rappels from helicopters and shakes hands with smiling Iraqis. [Click through to IHT article for an illustration.]

The cutesy icon hardly calls to mind the Japanese military that conquered and pillaged its way across Asia during World War II, and that is just the way the country's leaders want it.

As Japan sheds its postwar pacifism and gears up to take a higher military profile in the world, it is enlisting cadres of cute characters and adorable mascots to put a gentle, harmless sheen on its deployments.

"Prince Pickles is our image character because he's very endearing, which is what Japan's military stands for," said Shotaro Yanagi, a Defense Agency official. "He's our mascot and appears in our pamphlets and stationery."

Such characters have long been used in Japan to win hearts and minds and to soften the image of authority.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police tries to lighten its stern image with Peopo, which looks like a cross between a rabbit and a space trooper. The cellphone company NTT DoCoMo has a smiley mushroom, while rival KDDI sports a squirrel with headphones.

The Japanese government hopes the same tactic can work overseas.

Foreign Minister Taro Aso has proposed sending animation or cartoon artists abroad as cultural ambassadors, and the government has named a panel of executives to advise ways to market Japanese animation and culture to foreign audiences.

Aso argues that warm feelings for Japanese animation can translate into warm feelings for Japanese foreign policy.

"The more positive images pop into a person's mind, the easier it becomes for Japan to get its views across," Aso said in a speech last year to budding artists at Tokyo's Digital Hollywood University, whom he called the "people involved with bringing Japanese culture to the world."...

For context, see this entertaining April 4, 2006 post to the Mutant Frog Travelogue blog.

US Hopes Navy Port Call to Cambodia Will Build Good Will

As news reports note, the last time the US Navy entered Cambodian waters was the May 1975 Mayaguez incident, when US forces attempted to rescue the crew of a US merchant ship that had been seized by Khmer Rouge forces.

"US Warship Makes Cambodian Port Visit," by Sopheng Cheang - AP (Sihanoukville, Cambodia), 9 February 2007

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia - A U.S. navy warship docked at Cambodia's main seaport Friday, the first port call by an American naval vessel to the Southeast Asian nation in more than three decades.

The USS Gary, a guided missile frigate with 200 officers and crew, was greeted by a team of Cambodian naval officers and U.S. Embassy staff at Sihanoukville, 115 miles southwest of the capital, Phnom Penh.

U.S. Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli said the ship's visit was a sign of the "deepening of the relationship" that "has not always been that good" between the two countries....

Sailors from the USS Gary will spend the weekend taking part in community activities in a village near Sihanoukville, including hosting public health education classes for the villagers, repairing a local clinic and donating toys and clothes to an orphanage, an embassy statement said.

The USS Gary departs Sihanoukville on Tuesday.

"US Ship Makes Historic Return to Cambodia," by Vince Little - Stars & Stripes (Pacific edition), 12 February 2007

The USS Gary arrived in Cambodia on Friday for the first port visit by a Navy ship in more than three decades, the 7th Fleet announced in a news release.

Royal Cambodian sailors stood in formation and many local residents waited on the pier as the Gary — with some 230 sailors — pulled into Sihanoukville harbor....

Crewmembers checked impoverished villagers’ health and painted a clinic in western Cambodia on Saturday, the Associated Press reported, while at a nearby Buddhist pagoda, a team of Navy doctors examined those in a queue of about 200 villagers, some holding their crying babies.

A civil affairs coordinator attached to the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia said the ship’s doctors were set to offer primary health and dental care to about 300 villagers Sunday, according to the wire service report....

The Gary is expected to remain in Cambodia until Tuesday, the Navy announced previously. Sailors are to interact with the local community in activities including sporting events and medical aid. The crew also is scheduled to conduct exchanges with the Royal Cambodian navy.

“We’ve been very pleased so far,” 7th Fleet spokesman Lt. Steve Curry said Saturday. “This has been planned for quite some time. It’s just another routine port visit we do to build partnerships and work on relationships with other countries in the Pacific. … The people in Cambodia are very excited to have the Gary there.”

The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate is assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15 out of Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, part of the 7th Fleet and the Navy’s forward-deployed forces.

“USS Gary’s visit to Cambodia shows not only an expansion, but a deepening of relationship,” U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia Joseph A. Mussomeli was quoted in the releaseas stating. “While this is clearly a military ship and has a military purpose … it also has a humanitarian purpose and a diplomatic purpose.”

Also see:

"First US Ship Visit to Cambodia in 30 Years," by Seth Meixner - AFP (Sihanoukville, Cambodia), 9 Febraury 2007

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (AFP) - The American navy's USS Gary docked in this Cambodian port, becoming the first US military craft to visit the former communist country in more than 30 years.

The visit, which diplomatic sources say is a first step in expanding military ties with Cambodia, comes amid concerns over China's growing influence in the region.

"Symbolically this is very important," said US Ambassador to Cambodia Joseph Mussomeli, who was aboard as the ship came into port.

"It shows how far Cambodia has come and (that it) is taking its rightful place among our community of nations," he said. "Absolutely this shows an expansion, a deepening of relations -- not just military, but humanitarian and diplomatic."...

Mussomeli downplayed the timing of the vessel's visit, which comes as China is expanding its military as well as increasing aid to Cambodia, including military hardware.

Beijing in 2005 gave Cambodia six patrol boats to bolster its ageing navy.

"We do not see this as a competition," the ambassador said....

Cambodian officials said that the Gary's visit did not signify a change in Washington's policy not to supply Cambodia with military materials.

"No equipment," said Navy General Khun Borin, deputy commander of Cambodia's Ream Naval Base.

"Perhaps the United States can receive our officers" for training, he said.

The Gary, a 4,100-tonne guided missile frigate, will remain in port for four days, during which US personnel will provide medical care at a nearby village, as well as provide toys and clothing to a local orphanage.

US sailors will also compete against their Cambodian counterparts in sporting events.

"We are going to engage not only on the military level, but on the community level," said the Gary's captain, Commander Joe Deleon.

For some background on US-Cambodian diplomatic and military relations -- including their public aspect -- see:

"US Opens New Cambodia Mission," by Guy De Launey (in Phnom Penh) - BBC News, 17 January 2006

The United States is opening its first purpose-built embassy in Cambodia on Tuesday.

The new facility is one of the most prominent buildings in Phnom Penh, with a staff of more than 500.

Recently the US resumed military aid to Cambodia for the first time since the Vietnam war, indicating an increasing involvement in the country.

The new embassy is hard to miss. Its black, white and red marble structures occupy an entire block.

It is next to Wat Phnom, the landmark temple which gave Phnom Penh its name.

And while other major embassies in the city are hidden behind towering walls, the US facility makes do with a set of railings. If the plan was to make an impression, it has succeeded....

Some have speculated that the US is trying to counter the increasing influence of other powers in the region. China is now the biggest investor in Cambodia and also provides extensive military aid.

The US has insisted that is not a major concern. But embassy spokesman Jeff Daigle said increased involvement was likely.

"We are ready for expansion and several different agencies have expressed an interest in coming here and opening up offices.

"The bilateral relationship between the US and Cambodia has certainly been growing and deepening and expanding, and so some of these new offices coming in will just be another part of that expansion of the relationship," he said.

My first reaction when I saw that story a year ago was to wonder why on earth we were building such a large embassy in Phnom Penh. I assume the 500-plus staff number includes local employees -- still, I think that's bigger than the US Embassy in Rome was in the mid-80s.

Scholars Fear N-Tests Will Furhter Isolate N. Korean Academics

"Academic Exchanges Harder with N. Korea," by Kelly Olsen - AP (Jeju, South Korea), 30 October 2006

JEJU, South Korea - Fostering academic ties with isolated North Korea, already a challenge, is likely to get even harder after the country's nuclear test, scholars at an international conference said Sunday.

Universities and academic societies in the noncommunist world have sought over the years to develop relationships with educational institutions in North Korea — with their degree of success often linked to the quality of Pyongyang's relations with the outside world.

"Academic exchange with North Korea looks quite difficult these days," said Song Jae-mog, secretary-general of the Japan-based International Society for Korean Studies.

Even under the best of circumstances, contact with North Korea is difficult.

Independent inquiry is problematic and major achievements are attributed to the country's founder Kim Il Sung, or his son and successor, Kim Jong Il.

When North Koreans do manage to attend a conference or get a fellowship, they are usually on a tight leash.

"North Korean scholars normally can't come alone," Song said. "Always they have some guides," he added, referring to official minders sent along to make sure they do not stray....

Song, a professor of linguistics at the Osaka University of Economics and Law, and other scholars spoke on the sidelines of the World Congress of Korean Studies held this weekend in the city of Jeju....

Edward J. Shultz, interim dean of the School of Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Studies at the University of Hawaii, said there were promising contacts with North Korea during the latter years of the Clinton administration, a period of U.S. engagement.

For example, four North Koreans spent a week in Hawaii in early 2001 for a conference. But their visit came just as        President Bush was inaugurated.

"That brought about a major change in American policy, American attitude towards North Korea," Shultz said. "Since then there's been virtually no formal contacts."

Though North America is a virtual no-go area for North Koreans, Europe is less so, according to Kenneth Quinones, a retired State Department Korea specialist, who said there are at least 150-200 people studying there.

"Most of the programs are linked to humanitarian issues such as food, agriculture or language," Quinones, a professor at Japan's Akita International University, said Saturday at the conference, which drew about 100 scholars from around the world — none from North Korea, though attempts were made at an invitation.

Despite the difficulties, meaningful exchange can happen, given the right conditions.

For example, a 2005 academic conference in the Chinese city of Shenyang brought together scholars from around the world, including more than 30 from North Korea and over 40 from the South.

"There were two archaeology panels that turned up some new information or things we didn't know about," said Shultz. "There were some interesting discussions going on. There wasn't a strong, strident party tone."...

Public Diplomacy Benefits Korea, Ex-Minister Says

"Public Diplomacy Is Efficient Diplomacy Tool," by Yoon Won-sup - the Korea Times (Seoul), 4 September 2006

Han Sung-joo, former minister of foreign affairs and trade, said Monday that ``public diplomacy'' helps South Korea's diplomatic and economic activities by influencing people of other countries to favor South Korea.

"Public diplomacy has become an efficient diplomatic tool with the expansion of democracy in the world," Han said in his keynote speech at a two-day seminar to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Korea Foundation in Seoul....

Han picked the Japan Foundation as an excellent example that has successfully conducted public diplomacy.

The Japan Foundation introduced lots of Japanese films to the United States in the 1970s and played a decisive role in changing Americans' negative attitude towards Japan, which bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, he added.

"Traditional diplomacy conducted by the government must be supplemented by public diplomacy, which targets not governments but non-governmental organizations and citizens," he said....

Kwon In-hyuk, president of the Korea Foundation, said, "Cultural exchanges, which highlight the friendly and positive aspects of international relations, enable countries to promote their diplomatic and trade activities."

He went on to say that it also enhances understanding of other cultures, and thus bolsters cooperative relations while upgrading the nation's competitiveness.

The Korea Foundation was established in 1991 to promote a better understanding of Korea in the international community by conducting exchange programs between South Korea and other countries.

Chinese Official Says PD Can Strengthen Ties with Japan (Updated 8/15)

"Forum Highlights Role of 'Public Diplomacy'" - China Daily, as posted to People's Daily Online website, 4 August 2006

A difference in understanding over history has created something of a wall between China and Japan, a barrier that experts and officials from both sides have been trying to break down at the Second Beijing-Tokyo Forum.

"What is really annoying is the 'wall' in people's minds," said Zhao Qizheng, vice-director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), yesterday on the first day of the two-day event.

"We are seriously discussing the China-Japan relationship in an attempt to find solutions to the problems it faces," said Zhao, former minister of the State Information Office. "We can move bilateral relations to a friendly track metre by metre."...

"Sino-Japanese relations are characterized by frosty political ties but active economic exchanges. The cold political wind will discourage economic co-operation," Zhao said.

He suggested that the two countries take advantage of the cultural dimension to push bilateral relations forward. Cultural contacts between the two peoples have long been an important part of China-Japan relations.

For example, more and more Chinese students are studying Japanese as their first foreign language.

Zhao therefore recommended that "public diplomacy" be developed as a new way to strengthen bilateral relations.

Defining public diplomacy, Zhao said it meant contacts between the two countries "beyond diplomatic channels."

"Public diplomacy can explore more channels for interaction between the two peoples. A better understanding between them will serve as a solid foundation for further development of political and economic relations," he said.

Zhao described the visit to China by the seven Japan-China friendship organizations based in Japan in March as a successful example of public diplomacy.

Chen Haosu, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said a lot rests on exchanges between non-governmental organizations.

As the current misbalance of political and economic ties is so abnormal, consultations on an equal footing are needed to help solve problems, he said....

Surveys on China-Japan relations conducted simultaneously in the two countries early this year found that both Chinese and Japanese are well aware of the importance of contacts between the two countries.

More than 72 per cent of Japanese respondents and 92 per cent of Chinese surveyed spoke highly of the people-to-people contacts.

Nearly 13 per cent of Japanese respondents had been to China while only 1.2 per cent of the Chinese surveyed had visited Japan....

Added 15 August - also see:

"Cultural Exchange Way to Mend Sino-Japanese Ties," by Pavil Chachavalpongpun - the Star (Malaysia), 15 August 2006 (credited to The Nation / Asia News Network)

...Putting aside historical baggage and the bewildering factors contributing to the souring of ties [between Japanese and Chinese leaders], there have been attempts to defrost the icy relationship at the non-governmental level. Last week, Japan hosted the second Beijing-Tokyo Forum – a “track two” avenue where influential figures in politics, the media, business and culture came together to find solutions for improving Sino-Japanese ties.

The annual event, jointly organised by China Daily, Peking University and Japanese think-tank Genron NPO, moved to Tokyo this year after its first meeting in China in 2005. With the theme “Building a New Relationship Oriented to Asia,” the forum is open to ideas and proposals on removing the obstacles to better relations....

While resentment is mutually felt between Chinese and Japanese leaders, the Beijing-Tokyo Forum has emerged as a symbol of the common aspirations among the two countries' peoples. About 90 officials and scholars from China and Japan who participated in the event agreed that direct exchanges between both peoples are essential and will serve as a foundation to rebuild trust.

They were cautioned on the possibility that frosty political ties might hamper the two countries' vibrant economic efforts. A main recommendation was to take advantage of the cultural dimension to push bilateral relations forward. Indeed, cultural contact between the two peoples has long been an important element of Sino-Japanese relations. 

For example, more Chinese students are studying Japanese as their first foreign language. The forum thus suggested that “public diplomacy” be developed as a new way to invigorate bilateral ties “beyond diplomatic channels,” such as exchanges between non-governmental organisations.

But regrettably, a recent survey showed that only 13% of Japanese respondents had been to China, while as little as 1.2% of the Chinese surveyed had visited Japan. Of all the respondents, about 43% of the Japanese chose not to visit China because of the poor relationship, and 60% of Chinese had no intention of travelling to Japan.

The Japanese government has now decided to invite 1,200 Chinese high school students to Japan this year to stay with local host families, to have the best possible experience of the country. Tokyo hopes that youth exchanges will help promote long-term friendship with China. 

Despite this public diplomacy, many still doubt whether Chinese and Japanese leaders are serious about mending ties. Political obstacles and emotional stiffness remain powerful factors that could potentially overshadow efforts at the people-to-people level....

[T]his political tension is now being felt throughout the region. The battlefield is no longer limited to North-East Asia. Tension has led to intense competition between China and Japan, as reflected in their “business war” in South-East Asia, the fight for energy in the South China Sea and beyond, and the assertion of soft power to win allies, particularly among their Asean friends.

Thailand's decision to promote the Chinese language in its high schools has made Japan rather uncomfortable. Suddenly, Chinese teachers have arrived in Thailand in large numbers. Similarly, Sino-Myanmar energy cooperation has prodded Tokyo to forge ties with other Asean members, most notably Singapore, in the development of liquefied natural gas.

These examples show how Sino-Japanese rivalry can go far beyond its bilateral context. They also show that the work of track two diplomacy will have to be even more vigorous, given the cool relations at inter-governmental level.

Most Japanese Happy with Outcome of Iraq Mission

"70% Say SDF's Mission in Iraq Benefited Country" - Yomiuri Shimbun (Tokyo), 14 July 2006

Nearly 70 percent of the public think Self-Defense Force activities in Iraq contributed to the country's reconstruction, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey.

Sixty-eight percent of respondents said SDF activities either "substantially" or "to some extent" contributed to Iraqi reconstruction, while 28 percent said they did not.

Fifty-nine percent of the respondents, up eight points from a survey conducted in April, said they highly praised the decision by the Cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to dispatch SDF units to Iraq.

The poll result shows that the public's evaluation of the Cabinet's decision and subsequent SDF activities have been heightened because their activities were supported by both the Iraqi people and the international community. Furthermore, the withdrawal of forces began without casualties.

The survey was conducted Saturday and Sunday on 3,000 eligible voters in 250 locations, with 1,867, or 62.2 percent, providing valid answers.

Half the respondents said they either fully or to some extent agree with the dispatch of SDF units overseas in the future for humanitarian and reconstruction support, while 46 percent opposed such an idea. Among those who said SDF activities contributed to Iraqi reconstruction, 60 percent agreed to any future deployment overseas....

Japan Hurts Own Interests by Alienating World Opinion, Scholar Says

"Japan Needs Better PR, Less Whale Meat," by David Wall (commentary) - the Japan Times, 28 June 2006. Wall is identified as an associate member of the Faculty of Oriental Studies in the University of Cambridge and an associate fellow of Chatham House.

LONDON -- Every year on my annual visit to Tokyo I spend at least one evening drinking sake in a small bar in Shibuya. And every year after I have finished eating one of the dishes the mama-san has put in front of me, while I am talking, there will be a big cheer and a lot of laughter. Yet again I have been tricked into eating whale meat. And every year I wonder why the Japanese are so weak at public relations and unable to attract the respect on the international stage that they believe they deserve. Very odd.

Listening to a Japanese senior politician recently saying that as long as one Japanese consumer wants to eat whale meat the Japanese will continue to kill whales to supply that need makes you wonder if he appreciates how ridiculous he sounds. Very odd.

And doesn't the senior Japanese bureaucrat at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) realize how silly it makes him and Japan seem when he claims a great political and moral victory when he has bought enough votes to ensure a minor victory -- a majority of one for a vote on an intention to return to commercial whaling "sometime in the future"? Very odd.

Just how odd can you get?

Asserting that you have a moral or political right, or even a religious right, to take a position on some international issues is fine, as long as you do not mind what the consequences are if asserting those rights upsets other countries. In recent years Japan has developed its ability to offend other countries by asserting its rights to a fine art.

At a time when Japan is also asserting its right to play a larger role in world affairs and to be taken more seriously, this seems odd....

it is definitely very odd that at a time when Japan wants so much to be taken seriously -- think about the effort it is making to become a member of the United Nations Security Council -- it seems determined to do as much as it can to alienate global public opinion....[Wall cites PM Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni Shrine and Japanese history texts that have offended Chinese and Koreans as examples of Japan needlessly alienating foreign public opinion.]

Norway kills more whales than Japan; Chinese textbooks are worse than Japanese textbooks; the Chinese Communists killed and tortured many more Chinese than the Japanese troops did; the Chinese government supports and approves bloody dictators around the world without quibble; Russia maintains tight control over its colonies in Siberia (colonies it stole from the aboriginals and from the Chinese); the North Koreans treat their own people much worse than they do Japanese abductees; Chinese territorial claims in Tibet, Mongolia and Xinjiang are very questionable; South Korean treatment of women is odious by Western standards (even worse than Japan's), etc.

Global contempt seems to be saved for Japan. Not because it is any worse than most other countries, but because it gets its public-relations wrong, it takes up-against-the-wall positions on globally trivial issues. Even on big issues, Japan takes positions that are arrogant and offensive and loses it support, even when it is right.

The Japanese government, both politicians and bureaucrats, need to take some lessons on style and PR if Japan is to take it proper place on the global stage.

Note to my friends in Shibuya: no more whale meat, please.

New Zealanders Voice Harsher, More Personal Criticism of the US

"Kiwis Have Turned Sour on Americans," by David Cohen - the Christian Science Monitor, June 20, 2006

PALMERSTON NORTH, NEW ZEALAND – When Christopher Hill, America's overseer of Asian diplomacy, recently talked about the need for a better relationship between the United States and New Zealand, he wasn't telling Gregg Smith anything new.

Mr. Smith first arrived here in 2005 to teach at a high school in Dannevirke, a rural town in this North Island farming region not unlike the central California of his youth. The middle-aged American chuckles ruefully as he remembers early impression of New Zealand as a "perfect cultural match" for him.

That changed after verbal abuse from his students about his nationality got so bad that he filed a lawsuit with the country's Human Rights Commission. Smith says he is seeking recognition that the anti-American vitriol has gotten too personal.

Opinions of America have tumbled here - to 29 percent of Kiwis feeling positive about the US in 2004, from 54 percent in 2001. In some ways, the trend mirrors results elsewhere. A new 15-nation poll from the Pew Research Center found double-digit declines in countries as diverse as Russia, India, and Turkey - drops that seem tied to growing pessimism about the Iraq war. (Pakistan - where the US offered aid after last year's earthquake - and China showed slight gains over last year.)

But the depths of dislike expressed in polling here, as well as accounts of personal hostility, is surprising from a people who have fought alongside the US in numerous wars, including Afghanistan, and share cultural values.

"The nastiness of some of the things I've heard from the kids here has to be heard to be believed," Smith says.

His experiences are echoed by some high-profile Americans. Douglas Sparks, who came to New Zealand to oversee the Anglican Church's Wellington Cathedral, suddenly packed his bags two years ago and vowed to never bring his family back. Mr. Sparks said he was the target of anti-US graffiti and his children were taunted by classmates who said they hoped US soldiers in Iraq would be killed.

And the last US ambassador to New Zealand, Charles Swindells, went out with a bang in mid-2005. In his farewell speech, he browbeat some listeners for indulging in "empty, inaccurate criticism of US ideals or actions that offers no constructive alternatives and gives no credit where credit is due."...

Aside from the global unpopularity of the Iraq war, New Zealand still smarts from a decades-old disagreement.

Nearly 20 years ago, New Zealand enacted the world's first statute preventing nuclear-armed and nuclear-powered ships from visiting its shores. The measure, which led to New Zealand's suspension from the ANZUS tripartite defense alliance with Australia, proved popular at home, but it continues to cast a pall on ties with the US.

The relationship has its strengths, however. Both nations are ardent promoters of free trade, and bilateral trade totals $5 billion. Wellington sent aid to Washington after Hurricane Katrina. The countries share a dominant language and religion, and US pop culture plays well in New Zealand.

Some say that common ground may contribute to anti-Americanism here. "As part of young New Zealand's ongoing quest for a national identity, some people find it useful to define themselves against America," says one senior US official....

1 in 10 Korean Youth Would Side with Washington Against Pyongyang

"Poll: Youths Back N. Korea if Attacked" - AP (Seoul), 21 Feb 2006

Nearly half of South Korean youths who will be old enough to vote in the country's next elections say Seoul should side with North Korea if the United States attacks the communist nation, according to a poll released Wednesday.

At the same time, 40.7 percent of the 1,000 young people surveyed said Seoul should remain neutral in the event of hostilities between Washington and Pyongyang, according to the poll by The Korea Times and Hankook Ilbo dailies. Only 11.6 percent said the South should back its longtime U.S. ally.

The poll, conducted Feb. 16-19, surveyed youths between 17 and 23 years old who will be old enough to vote in next year's presidential election. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

The youths named China as South Korea's most important partner for maintaining friendly relations, at 39.5 percent, followed by the United States and North Korea at 18.4 and 18 percent, respectively.

A majority of those surveyed, 54.1 percent, said peaceful reunification was the preferred method for ending the division on the peninsula. But 35.5 percent said the status quo should be maintained if the North and South can peacefully coexist.

"New Generation Leaning Toward China," by Park Song-wu - The Korea Times (Seoul), 21 Feb 2006

Young people in South Korea want the government to have closer relations with China rather than with the United States, North Korea and other countries in Europe, according to the latest opinion poll of 1,000 juniors aged from 18 to 23.

When asked which country South Korea should keep the closest relations with, nearly 40 percent of the respondents chose China. Their second and third choices were the United States (18.4 percent) and North Korea (18 percent).

Most of South Korea's political experts contacted by The Korea Times expressed their surprise since it could mean that the future generation of the country considers China as a more important partner than its traditional ally, the United States.

But Kim Sung-han, professor at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS), said in a telephone interview that the result needs to be considered as the hope of young people to have closer relations with China in the future as South Korea and the United States already have secure ties.

"It's their expression of hope for better relations with China because it is a rising power in the world," Kim said. ``I think they marked China first because they might have thought we already have good relations with the United States."

"North Korea is placed third, but it doesn't need to be argued because the North is our engagement partner," he said.

Those who chose the United States as their most favored state came from supporters of the nation's conservative opposition Grand National Party (28.5 percent). North Korea was selected by high school students (23.1 percent) and residents in the Cholla provinces (21.6 percent).

As to a question about what Seoul should do if Washington tries to move its forces stationed in South Korea to intervene in a possible armed conflict between China and Taiwan, more than half of the respondents said that South Korea should declare "neutrality" because there is actually no way to block the U.S. move....

Upon the future unification of the two Koreas, 54.1 percent of the respondents said that it should be done in a peaceful way. But 35 percent of them said the maintenance of the territorial division is also acceptable if the two sides can coexist peacefully.

Lee Woo-young, a North Korea expert in Seoul, said the poll reflects young South Koreans' "candidness."

"There are still many who would only respond morally in such a poll and just react as they've learned at school," Lee, professor of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said. ``But the poll results also show that the number of people, ready to speak out candidly, is increasing."...

Quality, Not Quotas, Seen as Way to Defend Asian Films' Market Share

"Asian Filmmakers Cool on Quotas to Fight Hollywood Invasion" - AFP (Bangkok), 21 Feb 2006

With their huge budgets and slick marketing machines, Hollywood movies have long cast a shadow over Asia, but filmmakers in the region believe creativity rather than protectionism is the key to boosting local fortunes.

South Korea's booming domestic industry is Asian film's success story of the decade, but the government's decision last month to slash its screen quota for homegrown films has sparked protests over a feared cultural "invasion."...

Domestic filmmakers in the country have earned a 60 percent box office share on the back of the quota system that forces cinemas to screen domestic productions 146 days a year.

That share will be cut in half from July, but even then South Korean filmmakers will enjoy market conditions that are more favourable than those for most of their counterparts throughout Asia.

No screen quotas exist in Hong Kong, Taiwan or the Philippines -- film centres that in their 1970s heyday churned out up to 200 releases a year each, dominated box office takings and spawned homegrown stars that outshone Hollywood's biggest names in their local markets.

In recent years the releases from the three centres combined have barely topped 100.

While South Korean filmmakers see its quota system as the driver behind the "Korean Wave" cultural phenomenon, those in other countries say creativity and investment are better ways to try and win local audiences back from Hollywood blockbusters.

In Thailand, where the film industry has been undergoing a renaissance of late, Nukool Sukthaworn, international business director with CM Pictures International, said that while a quota system would help domestic filmmakers, stronger efforts against piracy and quality productions were just as vital.

"We have Thai and foreign films here, and now it depends on whether you can make a good production yourself or not. If you can ... make a good film, you can survive," Nukool said.

Singapore's cinemas have long been dominated by Hollywood releases but government grants and a growing pool of local talent has seen the industry there begin to sprout.

Kenneth Tan, a movie distributor and member of the Singapore Film Commission, said it would thrive on merit.

"I don't think the quota system is the way to go. The ideal situation is one where local movies can compete on their own merit," he said.

In the cinematic stronghold of Japan, more than 350 domestic films were screened last year -- about half of the total -- and accounted for 41.3 percent of the box office with takings of 81.78 billion yen.

Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-nominated "Howl's Moving Castle" was the runaway leader at the box office ahead of the most recent installments in the "Harry Potter" and "Star Wars" franchises.

More than 100 films were made locally and industry analysts say the number is rising without any need for government help....