Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Sunday 6th June

In this Bulletin…

- Unemployment pressure helping break gender barriers in China;
- Taiwan computer show a record breaking event; and
- Japan’s new PM facing cabinet selection challenge.

But first we have our Shen Yun quote of the day

[audio]

For more information please visit www.shenyunperformingarts.org.

Our SOH focus on China is next

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Unemployment pressure in China is changing people’s traditional concepts of gender-based occupations.

The education of young children in China has traditionally been seen as a job for women.

Only one per cent of the teachers currently working with young children in Jiangsu Province are male. But a pilot scheme set up in 2010 is working to change that. And seems to be having some success.

Thousands of male secondary school graduates applied for just for 300 state-funded positions at the teacher’s college for childhood education.

Those who are admitted will get a steady job after five years of study.

The Epoch Times has more on why young men are taking on women’s work.

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June 4 2010 was the 21st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. It was also the day publishers announced details of a new diary detailing the events of 1989.

Publishers claim the diary is that of Li Peng. Li was China’s premier at the time of the pro-democracy protests and responsible for declaring martial law in Beijing and sending in the troops.

The son of a senior advisor to Li Peng is behind the book. He said he was given the diary by an intermediary, but refused to say who or how.

There are doubts about the authenticity of the diary although the publishers have tried to address them.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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Organisers of the Computex Taipei computer show say a record $230 million US dollars worth of on-site business was carried out at this year’s event. They say more international visitors than ever before came to the show in Taiwan.

The top five countries and regions most represented by international buyers were the United States, Japan, China, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

Computex Taipei is the biggest computer show in Asia. Taiwan’s External Trade Development Council said they were now aiming to make Computex the biggest computer show in the world.

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According to The Epoch Times some China experts suspect recent publicity about suicide attempts by Chinese workers at Taiwanese manufacturing giant Foxconn is the result of political intervention. Intervention intended to favour Foxconn’s Chinese competitors.

Some facts surrounding the Foxconn suicides have raised questions about whether they were indeed suicides, or perhaps murder.

The way the story has been covered in China’s state media has also made some suspect that Beijing is trying to bring Foxconn down. Especially since Foxconn’s Chinese competitors in the electronics manufacturing sector are backed by the state.

You can find more about the story behind the recent news on the Epoch Times website.

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“You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network”

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The new Japanese prime minister, Naoto Kan, has been tackling his first important test. That of selecting a cabinet to help deal with the immediate political issues Japan faces.

The Japanese people will want to see positive action on the economy. He also has to smooth things over with the US. Relations between the two were strained over the issue of a US airbase stationed on the island of Okinawa.

Parts of the Japanese press have said Japan’s politics have turned a new page. The new prime minister is the first in a decade to come from an ordinary family and not a political dynasty.

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The US has demanded North Korea pay a price for allegedly sinking a South Korean naval vessel. But Washington and Seoul have both called for calm and have been careful to avoid talk of military reprisals.

The lives of 46 South Korean sailors were lost when an explosion sank their ship, the Cheonan.

US, Japanese and South Korean defence chiefs met in Singapore to discuss punitive measures against North Korea. The meeting aimed to put pressure on China and Russia to hold North Korea to blame for sinking the Cheonan.

The next wave of diplomacy regarding the issue is due to come from UN Security Council.

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“Asia Cast… keeping you across the top headlines from Asia and the World.”