Fighter Malfunction Affects Civilian Flights in Okinawa

January 31, 2017January 31, 2017 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ASDF, Naha, Okinawa

A Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15 fighter aircraft lost a tire while taking off at Naha Airport today, causing the runway to be blocked for more than two hours. At least 60 civilian flights and 3,800 passengers were affected by the incident. One of four F-15s had to abort take-off at around 1:20pm when a tire peeled off the front wheel, leaving the fighter stranded on the airport’s single runway. The aircraft was removed after repairs shortly after 3:00pm. In

Culture Regional

January 23, 2017 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment pinyin, Zhou youguang

Picture from a Communist Chinese website. Chinese Communist Party officials quashed plans for a grand farewell for late scholar Zhou You-guang, in his hometown of Changzhou Saturday, January 21, 2017. The 111 year-old scholar, known as “the father of pinyin” passed away January 14, just one day after his eleventy-first birthday. Beijing let Changzhou know who’s boss by insisting that only family members and friends could attend his funeral, and no outsiders or media were allowed. It was a quiet

Regional

December 29, 2016December 30, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Beipan River Bridge, China

Today saw the official opening of the Beipan River Bridge Duge in China’s remote Western Province of Guizhou. It marks a world record with a height of 564 meters from the bridge-deck to the Beipan River below. The river marks the border between Yunnan and Guizhou provinces and is part of the G56 Hangzhou–Ruili Expressway between Qujing and Liupanshui. The eastern tower has a height of 269 meters, which also makes it the 10th tallest bridge in the world. Construction

sinkhole in Hakata City Fukuoka Prefecture

Regional

November 8, 2016November 8, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Fukuoka, Japan, sinkhole

Subway construction work caused a sinkhole to open next to JR Hakata Station in the capital of the Fukuoka prefecture. The sinkhole has swallowed a major road, causing power and gas supply disruptions, and threatening nearby buildings. The sinkhole first appeared at around 5:15am. Residents and office workers around the sinkhole were evacuated at 9:45am after the sinkhole expanded and showed signs of threatening buildings. Power outages have affected the Bank of Fukuoka’s online systems and caused disruptions to ticketing

Breaking News Regional

October 23, 2016October 23, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment bombs, Utsunomiya

A series of explosions rocked the city of Utsunomiya (宇都宮市), 100 kilometers north of Tokyo, this morning, leaving one dead and three injured. The deceased has been identified as a 72 year-old retired military officer. Two vehicles, and a building were incinerated according to video and images on media and social networking sites. Police arrived on the scene at around 11:30am Tokyo time. Kyodo reports among the three injured, one is in a critical condition. The explosions occurred near a

Regional

October 16, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment China space program

China is set to launch a manned space flight tomorrow from a site in Gansu Province. Local tour operators are offering a chance to view the launch with tickets priced from 300 to 500 RMB. Tourists from outside of China, including those from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, are not allowed to purchase tickets. China has four space launch sites, and the site in Gansu Province is used for the launch of military satellites, manned space flights, and intercontinental ballistic

Regional

July 28, 2016July 28, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment armed-robbery, Jilin-Province, North-Korea

Five North Korean soldiers on border-guard duty crossed into China on July 23, committing armed robberies in two villages. Two were detained after a shootout with Chinese military police this morning, July 28, while three are still on the run. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, authorities in Jilin Province told residents to be on the alert and to try to avoid going out at night until the three men are caught. Several Chinese military police officers were injured

map showing Japan's exclusive economic zone

Regional

May 23, 2016May 23, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment fishingdisputes, japn-taiwan, maritecooperation, territorialdisputes

Taiwan’s new government has wasted no time in negotiating with Japan to resolve territorial disputes over fishing grounds that has plagued relations between the two island nations in recent years. Executive Yuan spokesperson Tong Zheng-yuan(童振源), announced today, Monday, May 23, that the two sides had reached consensus on establishing a bilateral maritime-affairs cooperation dialogue mechanism. It is planned to hold the first formal dialogue before the end of July, and it is hoped a preliminary agreement can be reached, not

Regional

May 4, 2016May 4, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment chinesenavy, propaganda, spratlyislands

China is continuing to assert its dominant position in the South China Sea. Today the Chinese military announced that the Chinese naval ship Kunlun Shan had docked on Fiery Cross Reef (Yongsha Island) for Labor Day celebrations. According to press announcements, the purpose of the mission was to transport a troupe of 50 entertainers to the islands to cheer up the troops and workers stationed on the isolated archipelago, but analysts will read a lot more into the visit. The

An artists impression of a floating nuclear power station

Regional

April 25, 2016April 26, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment China, floatingnuclearpowerstation, nuclearpower, southchinasea

China’s Global Times reported Friday that state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation has plans to build a fleet of floating nuclear power stations to support maritime operations, including those in the South China Sea, where China has built up a series of artificial islands. In January, Xu Dazhe, the director of the China Atomic Energy Authority, told reporters that China was planning to develop floating nuclear energy plants. Xu said that developing nuclear power-generating capacity was part of the country’s five-year

Daniel Russel, Assistant Secretary of State

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April 23, 2016April 23, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Asia Pacific, China, geo-politics, Taiwan, US State Department

Daniel R. Russel, Assistant Secretary of the US State Department Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs reiterated that the USA supports a democratic Taiwan, and stands for universal values and human rights. The statement was made at The University of Southern California during a conference of China and East Asia analysts under the banner of “China’s Growing Pains.” Mr Russel emphasized that “China policy is a subset of our Asia policy, and not the other way around.” “The context

Regional

Fighter Malfunction Affects Civilian Flights in Okinawa

Beijing Gives the Hush Order on Scholar’s Funeral

World’s Highest Bridge Opens in China

Sinkhole Opens in the Middle of Japanese City

Retired Defense Officer Killed in Japan Blast

Foreigners Banned @ China Space Launch

North Korean Soldiers On the Run in China: Shootout with Chinese Police

Taiwan and Japan Establish a Maritime Affairs Dialogue to Avoid Fishing Disputes

China Warship Docks in the Spratly Islands

China Wants Floating Nuclear Power Plants in the South China Sea

US Supports Democratic Taiwan amidst “China’s Growing Pains”