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Congratulations to Hanoi: One Thousand Years Young;  and Congratulations to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam



Happy Birthday to Hanoi this week. A Great City for One Thousand Years.

United, Strong, Young, Ancient and Undefeated
Photos from Internet

Peng Liyuan

乌龟。 议院。

from Xinhua News Service DPRK & China Film

DPRK releases film to commemorate Chinese volunteers
PYONGYANG, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The film "Brotherhood" produced by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) made debut on Monday to mark the 60th anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV)'s entry into the front of the Korean War.

The film, which lasts for about 90 minutes, shows the courage, heroism and great internationalism of the CPV and the brotherhood between peoples of the two countries by telling of CPV martyr Huang Jiguang's brave story in the Korean War.
Hong Kwang Sun, chairman of the DPRK National Film Commission, said before the premiere that the CPV's heroic feats were still shining as a model of noble internationalism and fraternal friendship, and were always remembered by the DPRK people and army.
The film was proposed by and produced under the direction of top leader Kim Jong Il, said Hong.
The National Film Commission, which made "Brotherhood," is now preparing for the first film to be jointly produced by the DPRK and China to further strengthen cultural communication and cooperation between the two countries, according to Hong.
Editor: Yang Lina

After Mr Hu, Mr Xi

In contrast with the current Chairman Hu Jintao, Mr Xi has a more integrated political-military resume. Mr Hu's forte is in engineering and indeed social-economic engineering on a grand scale, a fact which has made the current Chairman and Premier Wen Jiabo a very good combination, as Wen also has a strong engineering background. I will provide details of the expected next Prime Minister at a later time.

The Chinese system has placed Mr Xi as Mr Hu's deputy for a few years now so even though they have different approaches to the market and to a range of ideological issues, they have worked very well as a team already in overseeing the massive developments of their nation. Mr Xi's elevation does signal a more assertive China in terms of politcal and military presence in the future especially in North Asia. Meanwhile the extensive Chinese investment inter-linking with SE Asian countries continues at a very rapid pace in terms of provision of high speed rail infrastructure; functionally integrating all land-linked SE Asian countries to particular China cities of rising economic growth.

Mr Hu has done an outstanding job in presiding over and directing the current China Flow and has done this with the assistance of Mr Xi for some years so the handover of real power should be a very smooth, and profoundly secure one. I'm guessing, but I presume it means a slight move for China to the Right in terms of Neo-Confucian directions for the future; some more flexibility with a range of individual and religious freedoms (for belief systems with core Confucian, or at least integrative Chinese ethical elements) whilst at the same time a significant bolstering of China's military defence capacity far beyond even recent investments in the 'whole brand new navy' etc currently underway.

It makes sense. North Asia is the most 'tectonic' place in the world terms of a potential international military conflagration and a far more assertive China should not only counter any potential for future chaos, it will in fact pre-emptively bring security and abiding peace and growth in the region even if instability and chaos is better for American interests there.

The future, at first for Asia, is not about American or European Globalism, or communism or capitalism, per se. It's all really about Neo-Confucianism rising. This will benefit China and do no harm to others, and all of Asia will benefit; as is The Way of China.

Peng Liyuan a highly respected opera, traditional, folk and army singer in China. Peng is a very strong supporter of the Peoples Liberation Army and is greatly respected by the PLA and is seen throughout China as a unifying element in the future

China _ Asia's next First Family 2012 onwards Xi Jinping & Peng Liyuan




Mr Xi brings extensive political and military integration to the next Presidency, strengthening links with all political facets and those of the Peoples Liberation Army.  He is known for strong leadership, economic planning and redistribution and is highly opposed to official corruption. There are two main schools regarding economic development. The Shanghai school promotes very free entrepreneurial capitalism focused in already wealthy centres whilst the other school promotes a more equal distribution of wealth, especially focusing on the Western areas, to bring relative wealth in rural areas concomitant with the explosion of wealth on the Eastern Coast. Mr Xi is a supporter of the latter school of thought.Ms Peng is a very famous and revered singer in China.

 

China VP in line to be next leader - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

China VP in line to be next leader - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

My idea of heaven Short Film by Lisa Wang-Fitzpatrick... Bangkok, Koh Lanta, Rockhampton, Nanjing, Xiamen China

Yukio Mishima's Temple of the Golden Pavilion



I've just finished reading this novel for the first time. It's very good though not as 'direct line' as some of Mishima's shorter novels; and it's written in the first person narration which is different again. It's a fascinating insight into what, I guess, we call neuroticism, per se; but really also into the human condition in terms of why it's so easy in every generation for wars to happen. It's a good study of the deep desire to find meaning within neurosis and then to find meaning in the overthrowing of all its causal indices, in pursuit of a kind of apolitical apocalyptic liberty.


He's a great writer, for sure. That he lived at all is remarkable, that he wrote so damn well is an enormous gift. He writes of things few other writers do and with an acuity and detail that is really astounding. He illustrates the powerful rage and lust to otherthrow the binding immoral ordinary and in this way does give insights as much into what is currently called factional terrorism and also the neurosis bordering upon real psychosis that keeps leading America, and the UK and various satllites like Australia, so willingly into profoundly destructive conflicts; seeking meaning in hubris and in the deaths of Iraqis, Afghanis etc and all under the pretext of that notional liberty and the sick righteousness of these current Dark Ages.



North Korea's Heir: Kim Jong Un next to father at parade

North Korea: Maoist Neo-Confucianism (Right Wing), Central Socialist Core, State Capitalism,Korean Juche, a waning America, a bankrupt and humbled Japan, a restive and politically split South Korea, and & Old Colonial Remnant Catholic Shamanism, elevating the Revered Mother. Now that's a combination the world just hasn't seen before. Real Year of the Tiger change.





The Most Significant Statement of Political intent from Pyongyang for many decades; regarding Brilliant Comrade Un

"Our people take pride in the fact that they are blessed with great leaders from generation to generation," Yang said.

"Our people are honoured to be led by the great president Kim Il Sung and the great general Kim Jong-il. Now we also have the honour of being led by General Kim Jong-un."

So, Kim Jong Un, the youngest son, the fierce and stubborn fighter, heavy smoker and drinker, schooled in the International West...he did it. He got there. He's it...and his Mum was Japanese. Of honoured Korean wrestler lineage, for sure, but a Japanese citizen, and a beautiful and evocative dancer from Osaka; and now Revered Mother. Remarkable world... and on 10/10/2010 as well and in the Year of the Tiger. Wow! Change.
I'd be betting that it was the torpedoing of the South Korean navy ship that really clinched it for him. An old painful debt repaid proportionally and in kind to his Brothers of the South. Family business. No one else's business at all.

"Change Has Come to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea..."

Brilliant Comrade Un - From Al Jazeera

North Korea has begun three days of celebrations to mark 65 years since the founding of the country's Communist Workers' Party.




For the first time, international media outlets, including Al Jazeera, are getting a rare glimpse inside the communist state - where the celebrations are being broadcast live from the capital, Pyongyang.



The festivities, which culminate in a massive military parade in capital, Pyongyang, on Sunday, are not only to mark the anniversary of communist rule.



North Korean officials are expected to use the weekend's celebrations to declare the historic handover of power from ailing leader Kim Jong-il to his son and heir apparent, Kim Jong-un.



But there was no confirmation that Kim Jong-un would join his father in presiding over Sunday's parade from a viewing platform at Kim Il-sung Plaza.



The parade was expected to be aired live on North Korean state TV in an unusual departure from broadcasting norms in North Korea, where any broadcasts are heavily censored.



"They are going to try to prove that their military might is nothing to be underestimated," Yoo Ho-yeol, a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University in Seoul, said.



Festivities



On Saturday, North Korea's top leadership gathered at May Day Stadium for speeches celebrating the occasion.

Later in the evening, Kim Jong-il brought dancers at the gymnastics extravaganza known as the Arirang mass games to tears by making a rare appearance, accompanied by Kim Jong-un and visiting top Chinese Communist Party official Zhou Yongkang.



Kim Jong-il waved to the crowd, drawing a frenzy of applause from onlookers, in what is believed to be his first appearance at the Arirang spectacle in years.



The two Kims' appearance turned the Arirang show - part theatre, part circus, and involving some 100,000 performers - into a VIP event attended by wartime heroes, foreign dignitaries and the international press, who were given front-row seats.



The festivities began on Friday night with fireworks that lit up the sky over central Pyongyang.



Students danced across the city's plazas and brass bands played "Please Receive the Best Wishes of the People," the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.



Yang Hyong Sop, a senior official in the country's ruling party, told the Associated Press news agency on Friday that North Koreans will be honoured to follow Kim Jong-un.



"Our people take pride in the fact that they are blessed with great leaders from generation to generation," Yang said.



"Our people are honoured to be led by the great president Kim Il Sung and the great general Kim Jong-il. Now we also have the honour of being led by General Kim Jong-un."



Kim Jong-il announced his youngest known son's appointment to two important political posts late last month in what was regarded as the first step in his succession plan.



The senior Kim came to power when his father died of heart failure in 1994, setting in motion the communist world's first hereditary transfer of power.



He was officially chosen as successor in 1972, when he was elected to the party's central committee, and the same scenario could hold true for his son.



The question of who will take over from the elder Kim, believed to suffer from a host of ailments, is important to regional dynamics as well as security, because of North Korea's active nuclear and missile programmes, and regular threats it makes against rival South Korea.



Kim Jong-il rules under a songun (military-first) policy with a 1.2 million-member armed services.

Re Kim Jong Un today

The remarkable thing is the opportunity that the change enables. With China as its loyal friend and adviser in terms of developing the DPRK along lines of the China Model of State Capitalism, it wouldn't take very many years, maybe two decades, for the DPRK to emerge as a very powerful, modern state engaged with the world, nuclear-equipped and at peace, and at the same time significantly influencing economic and military decisions in the tectonic North Asia Region. I think this is maybe what the West, Japan and South Korea fear most... not a mad hermit kingdom but rather a strong and still centrally socialist competitor in all areas, fast paced economic growth, and legitimately assertive in terms of resolution of old land and sea borders established by the now waning Americans. This is not American Globalism, this is Asia for Asia in a possible blend of neo-Confucianism (the other Neo-Cons), State Capitalism, Centralist Socialism, Juche, Korean Royalty and old traditional Shamanism. With porous borders with the People's Republic and with Russia, trade routes become very easy and could be very expansive. The North has massive and untapped resources. I wish them well. I hope they find their own radical and proud way forward. I think it may be very fast if Un can survive his own rise. It's not an easy system.

Pyongyang Today from NYTimes

SEOUL, South Korea — The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, attended a massive military parade with his youngest son and designated successor on Sunday as the ruling Communist regime celebrated the 65th founding of its Workers’ Party.




The son, Kim Jong-un, wearing a dark suit despite his recent promotion to four-star general, watched the festivities and reviewed squads of goose-stepping troops with his 68-year-old father and other senior politicians and generals. The event was held in Kim Il-sung Square, named for Kim Jong-un’s grandfather, the founder of the North Korean state.



Video footage from the celebration in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, showed tens of thousands of performers and soldiers arrayed in what was said to be the largest such event in the country’s history. For the first time, a few dozen Western media organizations, including some American outlets, were allowed to attend the festivities and report live from the square.



The elder Mr. Kim, who is said to be in poor health after apparently suffering a stroke in 2008, has hurried the succession of Kim Jong-un in recent weeks. At a landmark Workers’ Party meeting last month, Kim Jong-un was made a general and received two significant positions in the party.



Other members of the Kim family and the leader’s inner circle also received new posts and promotions as the leadership hierarchy was reshuffled to provide Kim Jong-un with mentors and supporters as he solidifies his power.



Little is known about Kim Jong-un, who is believed to be 27 or 28. He is the youngest of Mr. Kim’s three sons — the older brothers were uninterested or deemed incapable of leadership — and he attended school for a time in Bern, Switzerland. He is known to speak some English, and he likely speaks German as well. Until last month’s party meeting, very few pictures of him had been seen in public.



The Workers’ Party anniversary is typically a major national holiday in North Korea, with citizens receiving food handouts from the government. The theme of the celebration Sunday was heavily military, befitting Kim Jong-il’s guiding philosophy of songun, or military first. Nuclear-armed North Korea has a huge standing army, with 1.2 million soldiers, and its border with South Korea is one of the world’s most heavily militarized.



There was no immediate reaction from the South Korean government to Sunday’s parade in the North, but the conservative administration of President Lee Myung-bak has taken a hard line against North Korea, and relations between the two countries remain strained. The South blames a North Korean torpedo attack for the sinking of one of its naval vessels, the Cheonan, an incident in March that killed 46 sailors. The North has denied any role in the sinking.

Jang Song Taek, on the far right in the top picture, with Kim Jong Il

“Her husband was a tall, slender, handsome man…as soon as they arrived, Kim Jong-il introduced us. ‘This is my younger sister, Kim Kyong-hui. This is Madame Choi. Say hello.’ Kyong-hui introduced herself first, then her husband said, smiling, ‘How do you do? I’m Chang Song-taek.”–Choi Eun-hee





“…he was clever and opportunistic in his own self-interest.”– Hwang Jang Yop on when he met Jang at KISU





The election of Jang Song Taek as NDC Vice Chairman on 7 June 2010 reaffirmed his status as one of the regime’s most important personalities. For the time being Jang remains as one of KJI’s primary political managers.


Mr. Jang’s four-decade career, charismatic personality and his personal ties across Party, government and the military make him the ideal manager of a hereditary succession campaign. He is also the regime’s most viable option, should the accession of Kim Jong Un become unpalatable.

Pyongyang 2010

Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un and the China Model -from BBC

North Korea has begun the process of political succession in the same idiosyncratic manner it has developed over the decades.
Just as the founder of the state, Kim Il-sung ("The Great Leader"), brought his son Kim Jong-il to the fore 30 years ago, so Kim Jong-il ("The Dear Leader") has now made clear his choice of his youngest son Kim Jong-un (to be known as "The Brilliant Comrade") to be his successor.
The difference may lie in the timing. Kim Jong-il's elevation to the status of heir apparent was in 1980, but it was not until his father died in 1994 that he formally took over power.
It seems unlikely that Kim Jong-un, who is about 27 will have to wait that long.

The present leader, who is 68, is widely thought to be a sick man, who may well have suffered a stroke in 2008. There has been speculation that the reason for delaying the present gathering of the ruling Workers' Party for a fortnight, a remarkable and slightly humiliating change for the North Korean leadership, was that he was ill once again.
If Kim Jong-il's health is indeed failing fast, this may explain why an apparently wide-ranging reshuffle of the leadership structure has emerged at this party meeting.
Hand of China
In the space of a few hours his son, Kim Jon-un became a four-star general, deputy chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party, and a member of the Central Committee.


To bolster his position, the younger Kim's aunt, Kim Kyong-hui, was also made a general, as well as a member of the politburo.
Her husband, Chang Song-taek, is head of the National Defence Commission, and is usually regarded as the power behind the throne.
Behind this may lie a determined effort to assert the control of the Workers' Party over the military, who have traditionally been the leading power in North Korea.
If that is so, it seems likely that the hand of China lies behind much of this. The leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, rather than the foreign ministry, seems to be in charge of China's policy towards North Korea.
There have been clear signs that China would like North Korea to develop in very much the same way as China itself did in the 1970s and 80s, leading to the rampant and highly successful state-controlled capitalism of recent years.
The main architect of this change was Deng Xiaoping. Interestingly, his only formal official position for years was his control over the military committee of China's Communist Party: not very different from the most important of the young Kim Jong-un's new jobs.

China clearly wants reform in North Korea. The signs are that China is prodding North Korea down the path it took itself: control of the military by the Communist Party, and a gradual opening up of the economy to market forces.


To a very small extent, this already seems to be happening. People are being allowed to sell their produce openly in the streets, and at night the police no longer break up the illegal markets held in the darkened streets, as they did until recently.

It may not sound much, but it is very much the way the process began in China, a little over 30 years ago.

Kim Jong Un Centre Stage

Kim Jong Un on the Rise

A top North Korean official has made the first public comments that leader Kim Jong-il is likely to be succeeded by his youngest son, Kim Jong-un.
Yang Hyong Sop, a senior official in the ruling Workers' Party, made the comments during an interview with the Associated Press in Pyongyang.
Kim Jong-un was promoted to top political and military positions at a rare party meeting last month.


The younger Kim's succession would cement the family dynasty.


Kim Jong-il, thought to be in poor health, came to power in 1994, following the death of his father, Kim Il-sung.
Kim Il-sung founded the nation of North Korea in 1948 on policy of self-reliance, and built a cult of personality around him and his son.
Four-star general
Speaking at the start of celebrations to mark the 65th anniversary of the Workers' Party on Sunday, Mr Yang said: "Our people take pride in the fact that they are blessed with great leaders from generation to generation.
"Our people are honoured to be led by the great president Kim Il-sung and the great general Kim Jong-il. Now we also have the honour of being led by General Kim Jong-un," he said.
Celebrations get under way in Pyongyang to mark the 65th anniversary of the Workers' Party Little is known about Kim Jong-un, other than he is thought to be about 27 years old and was educated in Switzerland.
The world had its first up-to-date glimpse of the young man last month when state media published a photograph and video footage of him at the party's first congress for 30 years.
At the ceremony in Pyongyang, Kim Jong-un was made vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party and was appointed to its central committee.
He was also given the rank of a four-star general.
These promotions have added to the intense international speculation that the younger Kim is being groomed to succeed his father.
Pyongyang is holding three days of celebrations to mark the 65th anniversary of the Workers' Party.

Officials say they will be biggest of their kind in the nation's history.
The ceremonies are expected to include a firework display on Friday evening, and culminate in a huge military parade in Kim Il-sung Square on Sunday.

Prime Minister of Peoples Republic of China,Mr Wen In Europe Now

When the Orient meets the Occident


By Chen Jie (China Daily)




BEIJING - Although Italy and China established diplomatic relations only 40 years ago, culturally the two empires, located at opposite ends of the Silk Road, have known each other for 2,000 years, Fan Di'an, dean of the National Art Museum of China, said at a press conference in Beijing, where the Chinese Culture Year in Italy was announced on Sept 29.







A visitor looks at artifacts from 17th century Italy during an exhibition about Matteo Ricci, an Italian Jesuit priest and cultural ambassador who lived in China from 1582 until his death in 1610. The exhibition featured in this file photo was held in June and July at the Nanjing Museum in Jiangsu province. [Photo/Xinhua]





The cultural event will begin on Oct 7 with a concert performed by the China Philharmonic Orchestra at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Premier Wen Jiabao and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will attend the opening concert.



Dong Junxin, director of the bureau for external cultural relations at the Ministry of Culture, said the yearlong event will be the largest cultural activity China has launched in Europe following the Chinese Culture Year in France in 2003 and the Europalia China Arts Festival in Belgium in 2009.





"Italy and China both have great history, splendid art and each country has made a significant contribution to world civilization," Dong said.



"Ever since we established a diplomatic relationship in 1970, we've sought to develop all aspects of exchange and communication. The Chinese Culture Year in Italy will be our largest event to date.



"It is not only a platform for showcasing the diversity of Chinese culture to enable the Italians to know more about the Chinese," he explained. "It is also an opportunity to display a confident, open-minded and diverse China."



Riccardo Sessa, Italian ambassador to China, said the Italians and, indeed, many Europeans, knew about China through Marco Polo's pioneering journey to Asia in the 13th century.



He said he hopes the Chinese Culture Year in Italy will present a new opportunity for Italians to learn about not only Chinese culture and history, but also the dynamics of modern China.



Under the baton of Yu Long, the China Philharmonic Orchestra, which Gramophone magazine regards as one of the top 10 symphony orchestras in the world, will perform a concert that combines classical Italian opera and traditional Chinese music.



The first program, East Meets West in Operas, will feature artists from the Peking Opera, who will perform traditional Chinese arias, while the Italian bel canto vocalists will sing arias by Rossini and Puccini.



The renowned violin concerto Butterfly Romance will be performed by the Chinese violinist Lu Siqing, who won first prize in the prestigious Paganini Competition in Italy in 1987.



The program also includes the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Verdi's opera Nabucco, followed by the Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower.



In May 2008, the China Philharmonic Orchestra played the same piece under Yu's baton for Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.



"The orchestra and I feel honored to return to Rome," Yu said in between rehearsals in Beijing. "Music is a unique, universal language that can help people from different nations, races and cultures to understand and respect each other.



"As musicians, we would like to do our part - playing music - to make China and its people, who love peace and pursue happiness, better understood in the world. The program interprets the harmony between China and Italy."



Following the opening concert, the Chinese Culture Year in Italy will feature hundreds of events in music, dance, drama and theater, as well as the folk and visual arts. Exhibitions will form a major part of the event, because Europeans are accustomed to attending museums, said Chen Ping, director of the bureau's Western Europe department, who is in charge of the event.



Fan, who will supervise the exhibitions in Italy, said there is a long history of communication in the visual arts between the two countries, adding the Italian artist Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766), a court painter for more than 50 years during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), was the first to bring Western oil painting to China.



In the 20th century, many Chinese artists traveled to Europe to learn oil painting, spending time in both Rome and Florence. Italian oil painting and sculpture have had a great impact on Chinese artists, while Chinese brush painting, calligraphy, architecture and gardening have, in turn, influenced their Italian counterparts.



According to Fan, Italian and Chinese art both have long histories, distinguished traditions and a flair for innovation.



The exhibitions in Italy will try to cover Chinese art throughout history, with each show having a specific theme and focus, she said.



There will also be lectures and seminars where Italians can learn more about Chinese art and culture.

Xinhua News-China and North Korea

BEIJING - China is ready to work closely with the new leadership of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to cement bilateral friendly cooperative ties, said Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Friday.
Xi made the remarks while addressing a reception at the DPRK embassy in Beijing to mark the 65th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).
Xi said over the past 65 years, people of the DPRK had made remarkable achievements in overcoming difficulties, safeguarding national sovereignty and building Korean-style socialism.
He said General Secretary of the WPK Kim Jong Il had led the party and people to be self-reliant, to struggle arduously and to make great achievements in the cause of building a strong and prosperous socialist country.

"We believe that under new leadership of the WPK, the DPRK people will see greater progress in developing its economy, improving living standards, achieving peaceful national unification and expanding foreign relations," said Xi.

China was glad to see the continuous consolidation and development of bilateral ties nurtured by generations of state leaders and the joint efforts of the two peoples.

Xi also recalled Kim Jong Il's two China trips this year, in which the DPRK leader had reached important accords with General Secretary Hu Jintao of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

"We are willing to join hands with the DPRK new leadership to further promote China-DPRK friendly cooperative relations in a spirit of carrying forward the tradition, looking forward to the future, developing good-neighborliness and friendship and boosting cooperation," Xi said.

Happy Anniversay

Diaoyu

BEIJING, Oct. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu has called for concerted efforts from Japan to maintain relations between the two countries.
Ma says the Diaoyu Islands and their adjacent islets have been Chinese territory since ancient times.
Last month, Japan detained Chinese fishermen and seized their ship in waters off the Diaoyu Islands. It insisted on performing what it called "domestic judicial procedure."
--------------------------------------------------

Now the US is going to put its naval presence to shore up support for Japanese fears of their own growing weakness in the area. As the Chinese said: "Well, the US won't do anything, but it can show up".

Meanwhile Russia and China are working together on the issue of these islands as they have always been contentious, although always Chinese.

High level Russian delegates are working with the Chinese government to try to get Japan to accept reality and to have discussions. Meanwhile the Americans continue to support Japanese right-wing nationalists, as is to be expected.

All the Chinese wish to do is to make their historical case and maintain dialogue. Not such a bad thing. The world has changed. China has no need at all to back away from its own legitimacy in the matter. 

Great Books about New China #1



And this, by Mark Leonard is an exceptional non-fiction book; very up to date and very readable.



Thirst For Love by Yukio Mishima

This is a very good book. Mishima's understanding of the human condition is quite remarkable.
The next one of his on my reading list is: The Temple of the Golden Pavilion

Kim's son gets N Korea party posts - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

Kim's son gets N Korea party posts - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

Profile: Kim Jong-un - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

Profile: Kim Jong-un - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

Kim Jong Un, Today in Pyongyang, suitably on the Far Left of the image



 On the far left, seated, 28 year old Brilliant Comrade & 4 Star General Kim Jong Un, New Vice Chairman of the Workers Party of Korea's Central Military Commission. Change has come to Korea...