Asianews January 17- 23,2014

January 17-23, 2014

Tumultuous

year ahead for Northeast Asia

Contents January 17-23, 2014

❖ Politics

❖ Weekly Briefing

❖ Economy

Tumultuous year ahead for Northeast Asia

Shutdown of Bangkok

2014: Firmer growth expected

Contents January 10-16, 2014

❖ Science

❖ Business

❖ Business

❖ Entertainment

Farming in space

DIY beauty gurus put their best face forward

Korean heiresses and their luxury empires

Legendary star-maker

Contents January 17-23, 2014

❖ Entertainment

❖ Food

Datebook

Mascot rebel with a cause

The indisputable pho

Happenings around Asia

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January 17-23, 2014

WEEKLY BRIEFING

ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS SET UP TENTS AS THEY PREPARED FOR A MASSIVE RALLY AIMED TO SHUT DOWN BANGKOK UNTIL THE YINGLUCK-LED GOVERNMENT STEPS DOWN.

SHUTDOWN of Bangkok by a massive throng of anti-government protesters who filled the streets in the capital, a mounting up from over two months of demonstrations, in a bid to overthrow the Yingluck Shinawatra-led government. More than 10,000 police and 8,000 military personnel were deployed amid fears that the protests will result in a civil war in Thailand's capital.

January 17-23, 2014

ANTI-GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS IN LUMPINI PARK PREPARING FOR THE RALLY IN THE MORNING OF JANUARY 13.

WEEKLY BRIEFING

January 17-23, 2014

AERIEL VIEW OF PATHUMWAN INTERSECTION AS PROTESTERS SPILLED INTO THE STREETS OF BANGKOK IN A BID TO FORCE THE YINGLUCK SHINAWATRA-LED GOVERNMENT TO STEP DOWN.

WEEKLY BRIEFING

WEEKLY BRIEFING

January 17-23, 2014

AFP

RISING cost of living in Malaysia has become a cause for concern for many people as they began 2014 with price hikes in electricity tariffs and highway tolls, along with other essentials such as sugar, as part of the government's efforts to reduce the country's fiscal deficit this year.

THE STAR

CHINESE TOURISTS POSING IN FRONT OF A GIANT GREAT WHITE SHARK REPLICA IN SYDNEY HARBOUR, AUSTRALIA. CHINESE TOURISTS, REPORTED TO BE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF TRAVELLERS IN THE WORLD LAST YEAR, ARE EVADING JAPAN AS POLITICAL TENSIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES CONTINUE MOUNTING.

DECREASING number of Chinese visiting Japan, as political tensions between the two countries remain high following Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's controversial visit to the Yasukini Shrine on Dec 26, 2013.

HIKE IN TOLL PRICES ARE AMONG THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCREASE IN COST OF LIVING IN MALAYSIA.

January 17-23, 2014

WEEKLY BRIEFING

China destroyed 6 metric tonnes of confiscated ivory in Dongguan, Guangdong province, in what conservation groups considered a landmark move to discourage illegal ivory trade, protect wildlife and raise public awareness.

CHINA DAILY

A BIBLE PRINTED IN THE MALAY LANGUAGE

The Selangor State Religious Authority (Jais) in Malaysia siezed 300 Bibles printed in M a l ay, a n d o t h e r n a t i v e languages, during a raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia premises, sparking uproar among members of the public accusing Jais of violating basic human right to freedom of religion.

OFFICIALS DESTROYING CONFISCATED IVORY IN A BID TO DISCOURAGE ILLEGAL IVORY TRADE.

January 17-23, 2014

POLITICS AFP

Tumultuous year ahead for Northeast Asia

JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE VISITS THE CONTROVERSIAL YASUKUNI SHRINE ON DEC 26, 2013, PROMPTING PROTESTS FROM NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES THAT WERE VICTIMS OF JAPAN'S WAR CRIMES.

POLITICS

January 17-23, 2014

AFP

SONG SANG-HO THE KOREA HERALD SEOUL

N IN THIS FILE PHOTO, THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY AIR FORCE PUTS ON AN AIR DISPLAY TO MARK ITS 60TH BIRTHDAY IN BEIJING ON NOV 15, 2009.

ortheast Asia faces another tumultuous year, as geostrategic rivalries are expected to intensify while Pyongyang’s nuclear programmes continue to pose a threat to the region.

Tokyo’s long-simmering territorial rows with Beijing and Seoul may further escalate with none of the countries willing to budge.

Diplomatic friction between Japan and its neighbours is also likely to increase after its leader Shinzo Abe’s visit to a controversial war shrine in Tokyo late last month.

The US is expected to reinforce its strategic shift toward Asia, which could further aggravate tension with China.

Beijing suspects that Washington seeks to encircle it militarily through a closer-knit network of its allies and other partners.

Experts are calling on the concerned nations to exercise more restraint and prudence and enhance communications both bilaterally and multilaterally to promote regional stability— and to preserve Asia’s economic vibrancy.

January 17-23, 2014

POLITICS

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP

THIS FILE PHOTO TAKEN ON OCT 24, 2007, SHOWS MEMBERS OF THE CHINESE NAVY, A DIVISION OF THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATIUON ARMY, SHOUTING WHILE MARCHING DURING A WELCOMING CEREMONY AT THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE IN BEIJING.

January 17-23, 2014

POLITICS

MARK RALSTON/ AFP

A NORTH KOREAN SOLDIER STANDS GUARD ON THE BANKS OF THE YALU RIVER WHICH SEPARATES THE NORTH KOREAN TOWN OF SINUIJU FROM THE CHINESE BORDER TOWN OF DANDONG ON THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF FORMER LEADER KIM JONG-IL, ON DEC 17, 2013.

January 17-23, 2014

POLITICS

WOOHAE CHO/AFP

SOUTH KOREAN CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS SET FIRE TO EFFIGIES OF JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE ON DEC 27, 2013, DURING A PROTEST TO LODGE A COMPLAINT AGAINST ABE VISITING THE YASUKUNI WAR SHRINE.

POLITICS

January 17-23, 2014

“2014 could be a very interestiing year, and a year very difficult to predict. We can certainly hope to avoid the worst developments, though we need to be preparing for them because they could still happen,” said Bruce Bennett, a senior defence analyst at the RAND Corporation.

“If South Korea and the US are not better prepared for North Korean attacks on the ROK (Republic of Korea), North Korean collapse, Korean unification or Chinese intervention into North Korea, the consequences could be very serious.”

Above all, the Sino-Japanese relationship will be a crucial variable when it comes to regional security.

“A game of chicken has been unfolding, with China and Japan stuck in their territorial dispute over the East China Sea islets.

Limited armed clashes could occur between them,” said Nam Chang-hee, a security expert at Inha University.

“But the US may reaffirm its security commitment to the region as part of its pivot to Asia and seek to ease tension between the two countries.”

Growing NK uncertainties

In 2014, North Korea’s military threats are expected to continue unabated as its leader Kim Jongun adheres to its nuclear programme while possibly seeking to strengthen internal unity through provocations.

Seoul officials say that there is a high possibility that Pyongyang will engage in provocations between late January and early March, a period during which the two Koreas’ separate regular war drills are likely to escalate tension. “(North Korea) goes to war without notice,” Kim said during his recent military inspection, further raising tension on the peninsula.

Analysts are calling for Seoul to improve its military readiness, noting the brutal, unpredictable nature of the despotic ruler that was underscored in the recent execution of his uncle Jang Song-thaek for conspiring to overthrow the regime.

“His actions suggest that Kim does not understand the need for national leaders to show restraint in their actions—a worrying behavioural pattern,” said Bennett.

“To maintain the appearance of empowerment required of North Korean leaders and to divert attention away from internal political and economic problems, Kim could well turn to provocations, as his father did in 2009 and 2010 when Kim Jong-il was so ill and appeared weak.”

Two years after taking power, the biggest task for Kim will be to rebuild the North’s debilitated economy, given that worsening poverty would likely erode the public’s loyalty to the dynastic ruler.

POLITICS

January 17-23, 2014

But the prospect of economic improvement in the isolated state remains bleak due to international sanctions for its past nuclear and missile tests, and strained ties with South Korea, the US and even its only major ally, China.

Kim’s ongoing reign of terror, seen in the recent purges and executions of officials, is also expected to stifle creative ideas for reform and openness, which are integral to economic development.

The North’s unreliable business behaviour, particularly in the operation of the inter-Korean industrial complex in its border town of Gaeseong, has also made it an unattractive destination for foreign investors.

“Kim has failed to produce substantial progress with the North Korean economy over the last two years—there has been neither significant improvement in the economy nor reforms that might bring improvement,” said Bennett.

“With the execution of Jang Song-thaek (who had spearheaded economic projects with China) and the anticipated replacement of many of his people, it would appear that the economy could get even worse in the coming years.”

Despite fears of future provocations, some analysts raised the possibility that the North might launch a “charm offensive” this year to reach out to neighbouring states with the aim of addressing its festering economic problems.

“In 2014, Pyongyang may lean toward economic development and reform, and seek to deepen economic exchanges with the outside world, as it has already established itself militarily through nuclear armament,” said Kim Heung-kyu, a professor of politics and diplomacy at Sungshin Women’s University.

“The North would strive to enhance relations with China and Russia and also make conciliatory gestures to Japan and the US, while isolating the South. It may

make a gesture to the South as well, but its genuine focus will be on ameliorating its own image and keeping the South in check.”

Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korean studies professor at Dongguk University, also said that economic development to improve the living standards of starving people would be a top priority for Kim. “As the period of mourning for Kim’s father ends, the true era of Kim Jong-un will unfold in the new year. His focus will be on improving the people’s livelihoods, for which he may have to improve ties with the South,” he said.

“If Kim’s efforts to shore up the economy fail, then there will be a possibility of provocations to deflect public anger at the regime.”

China’s territorial ambitions

For China, 2014 will be another challenging year as its long-simmering territorial row with Japan

POLITICS

January 17-23, 2014

over a chain of islands in the East China Sea, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, is expected to further escalate.

Although Beijing will try to avoid letting the dispute have an adverse effect on its economy and regional stability, it is unlikely to make concessions on issues of territorial integrity, which it regards as an area of a “core” interest, analysts said.

“As China views the chain of islands as part of its inherent territory, it is unlikely to easily back down. The Sino-Japanese conflict may continue or escalate in the new year,” said Kim of Sungshin Women’s University.

“While taking into account domestic nationalist sentiment and China’s hard-won prestige as a great power, China may make cautious moves to protect core interests and allay tension with Japan.”

Territorial integrity is one of the six core interests defined in Bei-

jing’s foreign policy whitepaper published in September 2011. The core interest represents China’s efforts to secure the breakaway regions of Tibet and Xinjiang, regain control of Taiwan and maximize maritime interests in the East and South China Seas.

The five other core interests are national sovereignty, security, social and political stability, unification and sustainable development.

To secure territorial integrity, China may continue to beef up its military hardware in the New Year. Beijing believes Tokyo’s push for a full-fledged military, collective self-defence and a stronger alliance with the US is intended to contain China’s rise and could hurt its interests.

China’s military buildup has been a source of tension as neighbouring states suspect that it seeks to unilaterally expand its territory or sphere of influence further into the Pacific, as seen in its recent de-

marcation of an air defence zone.

Beijing’s maritime assertiveness, especially in the South China Sea, where vital sea lines of communication converge and untapped resources are buried, has led to limited military conflicts with Vietnam and the Philippines.

The prevailing concern in the region is that China may seek to alter the status quo, restrict maritime rights such as the freedom of navigation and destabilise the security landscape in East Asia.

Some analysts say China’s growing sensitivity over its national pride could strengthen its propensity toward a hard-line stance over territorial disputes, particularly with Japan.

Looking back to a Sino-centric regional order hundreds of years ago, China has long sought to rebuild its national pride, which was hurt by a series of foreign invasions starting in the 19th century.

From the 1840-42 Opium War to China’s defeat in the 1894-95

POLITICS

January 17-23, 2014

Sino-Japanese War and Imperial Japan’s invasion during World War II, traumatic events have long disturbed the nation.

Some analysts also point out that the plethora of domestic challenges facing the Xi Jinping government may prevent it from risking a serious escalation of territorial conflicts.

Those challenges include a slowing economy, income disparities, an economic divide between inland and coastal areas, rural development, political corruption, and increasing popular demands for political participation and political reform, including the need for the Chinese Communist Party to establish a more democratic modus operandi.

But in Chinese history, domestic conundrums did not always deter military action. Just a year after the foundation of communist China, it had not yet secured internal stability when it fought against the US in the Korean War in the early 1950s.

In 1962, China went to war with India when it was reeling from the

Great Leap Forward, a botched campaign to industrialise and collectivise China’s economy.

Then, in 1969, China engaged in an armed border conflict with the Soviet Union despite the extreme ideological upheavals of the Cultural Revolution, the notorious movement to enforce communism by removing all traces of capitalism from Chinese society.

To fend off containment threats from the US-Japan security alliance, Beijing is expected to seek a deepening of diplomatic relations with South Korea and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

“China would actively seek closer diplomatic ties with neighbouring states as a way to head off what it perceives as an attempt by the US and Japan to militarily encircle it,” said Suh Jin-young, professor emeritus at Korea University.

“To insulate itself from pressure

by Japan and the US and advance further into the world, improving

relations with neighbouring states will be of greater importance than at any other time for Beijing.”

Building a “new type of great power relations” with the US will also be a crucial foreign policy challenge for Beijing.

The new relationship will have to be based on mutual respect for each other’s “core interests”. Washington and Beijing may face difficulties in shaping this relationship due to their conflicting positions on human rights issues, Taiwan and territorial conflicts in the South China Sea, analysts said.

Washington’s push to deepen its military and diplomatic engagement in the Asia-Pacific region could also impede the efforts in building a mutually agreeable relationship.

America’s strategic refocusing on the region comes as China has become increasingly assertive since 2008, when the West suffered from a global financial crisis while China continued its growth and reaffirmed its confidence in its socialist system.

POLITICS

January 17-23, 2014

Japan’s push for a ‘normal state’

In the face of a more militarily assertive China and a nuclear-armed North Korea, Japan is expected to push for heavier armament and collective self-defence with the long-cherished goal of becoming a “normal state”.

Japan’s military buildup may increase tension with South Korea and China, two major victims of its wartime aggression which have long fretted about Japan’s possible reversion to militarism.

This year, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is likely to further advance his nationalist agenda, including lifting Japan’s self-imposed ban on collective self-defence—the use of force to aid an ally being attacked—while prioritising economic revitalisation, a critical source of political legitimacy, analysts said.

“As (the Abe government) built the basic outline of its securi-

ty policy last year, it will work to flesh it out in concrete terms this year. Tokyo is expected to further bolster its military hardware and spending,” said Park Young-june, a Japan expert at Korea National Defense University.

“On the economic front, Tokyo will introduce a series of policies to share the fruits of economic recovery with regular workers and consumers, while continuing to seek economic revitalisation in line with the so-called ‘Abenomics’ stimulus policy”.

Amid China’s increasing assertiveness over the chain of islands in the East China Sea, Japan has strived to expand the restricted role of its military and strengthen the treaty alliance with the US in a way that challenges its war-renouncing constitution.

In particular, with a drive for what Abe terms “active pacifism”, the prime minister has sought to alter Tokyo’s interpretation of Article 9 of the US-drafted constitu-

tion to assume a greater security role in the region and beyond.

The pacifist clause blocks Japan from waging war and possessing potential war materials. It has long served as a basis for Japan’s long-standing, strictly self-defence-based security policy, which some have derided as part of an opportunist scheme to bolster its economic clout.

To institutionally support the country’s armament, Tokyo has recently created the National Security Council.

On December 17, Japan also approved its first-ever national security strategy to “proactively contribute to world peace”; a 10-year defence guideline putting forward a policy direction to back up the strategy; and a five-year plan for military procurements to better safeguard its far-flung islands.

Under these plans, Japan seeks to establish its first marine unit, increase defence spending and procure early-warning aircraft, spy

POLITICS

January 17-23, 2014

drones, more surveillance planes and warships, and in-flight tankers.

This year, Tokyo also plans to review its self-imposed ban on arms exports to help boost the defence industry, and to revise the US-Japan defence cooperation guidelines to reflect the changing security conditions.

Critics say all these plans represent a disturbing departure from pacifism, particularly when nationalist politicians show a lack of atonement and remorse for Japan’s wartime atrocities, including the sexual enslavement of women.

Backed by approval ratings of more than 50 per cent, Abe is expected to try harder in 2014 to put into practice his conservative agenda, which some analysts say could sink if Tokyo’s planned sales tax increase damages the economy.

Tokyo may also seek to strengthen security cooperation with Washington and regional partners like South Korea and

Australia to counter what it perceives as threats from China.

Abe’s pursuit of a “strong Japan” comes as the country struggles to revive its national pride, undermined by a prolonged economic malaise, social anxiety from a series of natural disasters and the rise of once-weak neighbours such as China and South Korea.

For some four decades after its defeat in World War II, Japan had strictly adhered to pacifism under the so-called Yoshida Doctrine, a postwar national strategy focusing on economic growth and restoration of international trust based on security backing from the US. Named after Yoshida Shigeru—a former prime minister who laid the groundwork for Japan’s postwar foreign policy—the doctrine had embraced pacifism to build Japan, at the time a defeated, pariah state, into an economic powerhouse, while depending heavily on the US for security at

the expense of its national pride.

The Yoshida Doctrine included the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, under which Japan vowed not to manufacture or possess nuclear arms or allow their introduction into the country.

It also included the Three Principles of Arms Exports, which banned the export of weapons to communist states, which were subject to UN-imposed arms embargos, and nations embroiled in armed conflicts. Japan had also limited its defence spending to less than 1 per cent of its gross national product.

But this mercantilist doctrine began to lose its viability as Japan faced growing pressure to make more contributions to global stability in the 1990s—a turbulent post-Cold War period fraught with ethnic, religious and other sociopolitical conflicts. At the time, Japan’s financial support for world peace was much derided as “checkbook diplomacy”. ¬

January 17-23, 2014

ECONOMY

Despite the more complex global environment, Asia is expected to remain a growth leader

A CONTAINER VESSEL LEAVES THE PASIR PANJANG PORT IN SINGAPORE. A DOUBLE-DIGIT RISE IN NON-OIL EXPORT TO CHINA IS CONTRIBUTING TO BRISK EXPORT SALES FOR THE CITY-STATE, WHICH IS PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN DRIVING THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR.

ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP

Galloping toward steady growth

ECONOMY

January 17-23, 2014

AFP

KARL WILSON China Daily Sydney

A

sia is setting out into the New Year in reasonably good shape as global economic growth shows signs of renewed life, many experts say, while holding out a mild warning for the countries not to be excessively optimistic.

Most economies in the region expect to post steady growth in the year, with the world’s largest economy, that of the United States, showing amelioration.

“Plenty of headlines predict 2014 will bring robust global growth, well above historical trend,” said Frederic Neumann, co-head of Asian economic research with HSBC, in a note.

“At last, a flickering light at the end of the long, dark tunnel.

SHOPPERS IN TOKYO’S SHIBUYA DISTRICT. THE IMPROVING ECONOMY IN JAPAN IS ONE OF THE REGIONS’ BRIGHT SPOTS AND IS DUE TO EFFORTS AIMED AT DRAGGING THE COUNTRY OUT OF THE DEFLATION.

And yet, amid the festivities, it might be worth observing a little temperance … we’ve been here before,” he added.

Financial markets over the last three years expected growth to be higher than was eventually delivered.

Despite some reports that Europe may have turned the corner, most analysts are still not convinced the worst is over.

However, data from the US point to an improvement in economic conditions, which prompted the Federal Reserve to announce on December 19 that it would begin cutting back on its quantitative easing (QE) programme in January.

Outgoing chairman Ben Bernanke said the Fed would cut its monthly bond purchases from US$85 billion to $75 billion.

Since the global financial crisis began in November 2008, the US had introduced a series of QE programmes in an effort

ECONOMY

January 17-23, 2014

to kick-start the US economy and drag it out of the worst financial crisis since the depression of the 1930s.

The current round (QE3) began in September 2012 with the Federal Reserve buying $85 billion in mortgage-backed securities a month.

Promising signs ahead

The Guardian recently said that QE3 “has added $1.1 trillion to the Fed’s balance sheet and critics have worried about unintended consequences like a housing bubble or artificially inflated stock markets”.

Over the summer of 2013, global markets went into a tailspin when Bernanke hinted he may begin tapering the QE programme sooner rather than later.

Asia was not immune from the fallout, although analysts say the impact on markets from the Fed’s announcement will be limited.

An encouraging factor is the recent budget agreement by the

US Congress to restore about $65 billion in automatic spending cuts, removing the threat of another partial government shutdown.

“The agreement still has some way to go but it is a good start nevertheless,” says economist Joseph Zveglich.

“It has removed another layer of uncertainty over the US economy,” says Zveglich, assistant chief economist with the macroeconomics and finance research division of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

“Hopefully we can now stop lurching from one temporary deal to another and get more stability behind US growth and more certainty around the country’s fiscal situation,” he adds.

Speaking to China Daily Asia Weekly from the ADB office in Manila, Zveglich says all the economic indicators now coming from the US are pointing to reasonably strong growth in 2014.

“I don’t expect we will see any major impact from tapering,” he

says. “The Fed has given plenty of warning and guidance and markets have priced the risk. That is not to say we won’t see some reaction … we probably will. But I doubt it will be on the same scale as we saw in the summer.”

The ADB in its outlook supplement in December 2013 raised its 2014 growth forecast for the US from 2.4 to 2.6 per cent.

The multilateral bank also raised its 2014 growth forecast for China, from 7.4 per cent to 7.5 per cent. India will remain unchanged at 5.7 per cent with Asia as a whole at 6.2 per cent compared with 6 per cent in 2013.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its regional outlook has said it expected Asia to “remain the world’s economic growth leader”.

“We are essentially optimistic that, despite the more complex global environment, Asia will remain a growth leader,” said Anoop Singh, director of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific department.

ECONOMY

January 17-23, 2014

Asia’s economy as a whole is expected to grow from 5.1 per cent in 2013 to 5.3 per cent in 2014, while emerging Asia is projected to grow from 6.3 per cent to 6.5 per cent in 2014.

Growth in China is projected to decelerate to 7.6 per cent in 2013 and 7.3 per cent in 2014 as structural forces move China steadily onto a lower growth plane, according to the IMF. Japan’s improved economic situation has been a bright spot in the region as the so-called Abenomics programme—a stimulus package—has reignited the economy and is starting to lift the country out of chronic deflation.

Financial conditions have eased markedly as a result of the exchange rate depreciation and the asset price rally triggered by quantitative and qualitative monetary easing, noted the IMF. In India, the fallout from recent financial stress might have contributed to greater vulnerability of

corporate and bank balance sheets and a further downward revision of growth forecasts, which were already very low in historical context, the IMF said.

“This reflects persistent supply constraints and slow progress on structural reforms. Despite weak demand, however, food prices will likely keep headline inflation close to double digits,” it said.

The ADB says an improving growth outlook in Japan and the US, paired with stronger-than-expected performance in China, support a steady growth outlook for developing Asia in 2014.

Rob Subbaraman, chief economist for Asia (excluding Japan) at Nomura, believes the time has come for Asia’s policymakers to shift their focus towards financial stability over growth.

“Strong capital inflows, systematically loose monetary policy and a neglect of supply-side reforms have weakened Asia’s economic fundamentals since 2008,” he said in Nomura’s outlook for 2014.

“Rather than seeing it in the positive light of global rebalancing, the much larger shrinkage of current account surpluses in Asia than elsewhere is symptomatic of Asia’s worsening fundamentals.”

He said it was Asia’s turn to go in for austerity to soften domestic demand while ensuring more sustainable growth.

“Even with a recovery in exports, we expect Asia's (excluding Japan), total GDP growth to fall below 6 per cent in 2014—in other words, Asia will rely more on the rest of the world for growth, not vice versa,” Subbaraman said.

A new phenomenon that they anticipate is growing unevenness among Asia’s economies, in terms of growth, fundamentals and central bank actions opening up the biggest disparities in decades, he added.

Subbaraman said in the last five years, Asia had made the “costly mistake of neglecting supply-side reforms, such as relaxing restrictions on foreign direct investment

ECONOMY

January 17-23, 2014

(FDI), removing government fuel subsidies, accelerating privatisation, opening up services sectors, lowering employment protection and liberalising capital markets”.

“These reforms can be painful in the short run, but are essential in the long run to boost productivity and competitiveness—and they are even more pressing in Asia, given half the region is facing rapidly aging populations and as the low-hanging fruit of productivity gains from economic ‘catch-up’ are becoming less plentiful.”

He added that evidence was building about how Asia has squandered this opportunity, raising the risk of countries becoming stuck in middle-income traps.

Sanjay Mathur, head of economics research Asia (except Japan) with RBS, said he expected Asia to grow by 6.5 per cent in 2014, moderately up from 6 per cent in 2013.

The main reasons for the modest acceleration are firmer growth in external demand from the US and

the European Union, as well as the ongoing pick-up in China’s growth, Mathur added.

“The region’s business cycle has become closely intertwined with China’s, predominantly due to the latter’s rise as a key export market.

However, support from China’s growth is least apparent in India, Indonesia and Malaysia, as they are least linked up to China via export,” he said in a note.

The primary driver of growth in 2014, in his view, will be external and not domestic demand.

He said inflation in India, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia is likely to be elevated, but due to policy developments.

David Carbon, chief economist with DBS, sees growth in the US rising from around 1.6 per cent in 2013 to 2 per cent in 2014.

“This should put a little positive slope back into the Asia-US export picture,” he said.

Despite the turmoil in Europe and the US since the global finan-

cial crisis in 2008, Asia has had to fend for itself, Carbon said in a note.

During that timeframe, he estimates, Asia has added “1.25 Germanys to the economic map”.

“That’s not small beer,” Carbon said. “Even with slower (7.5 per cent) growth in China, Asia ‘adds’ another Germany every four years. That Asia could drive its own growth used to strike many as heretical. Today, it’s conventional wisdom.”

Regionally, the good news is that China continues to grow at a 7.7 to 7.8 per cent rate and is beginning to show signs of stronger private demand, he added.

“India’s current account deficit has narrowed to 2 per cent of GDP and Indonesia’s private consumption growth remains solid at 6.1 to 6.2 per cent year-on-year,” he added.

DBS expects Asia’s growth in 2014 to be 6.4 per cent. ¬

SCIENCE

January 17-23, 2014

Farming in space Growing food in space could assist in the success of human colonisation

SCIENCE

January 17-23, 2014

PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

BIOSPHERE 2: A 1.27-HECTARE ENCLOSED ARTIFICIAL ECOSYSTEM, IN THE DESERT, NEAR TUCSON, ARIZONA.

ZHANG LEI China Daily Beijing

S

pace, in the words of Captain James T. Kirk, is the final frontier.

However, although the human colonisation of space is central to the dreams of many aficionados of science fiction, only the most fanatical would contend that humans will achieve that ambition any time soon.

The problems are manifold, ranging from solar radiation and

frigid temperatures to the provision of adequate supplies of oxygen, food and water. Supplying space stations is almost prohibitively expensive. The United States spends between US$10,000 and $100,000 to transport every kilogramme of food it sends into space, and the huge distances between Earth and our nearest neighbours would render a resupply programme almost impossible, even if humans were able to establish successful settlements outside Earth's atmosphere.

Now, however, it's hoped that research undertaken by a team of scientists at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics will provide some key answers to one of the problems—that of growing plants in space.

At their laboratory, called Yuegong-1, or Moon Palace, the scientists simulated a lunar environment—replicating the differ-

SCIENCE

January 17-23, 2014

ences in temperature and gravity—to conduct experiments into the cultivation of plants and micro-organisms in an extraterrestrial environment.

The researchers used a limited number of resources; food, water, oxygen, soil, livestock, and, most important, plants with a strong resistance to the types of radiation found in space.

IDEAL BREEDING CONDITIONS

The team, headed by professor Liu Hong, is reported to have conducted successful tests on more than 10 plant varieties, including wheat, rice, soybeans, peanuts and peppers. Rice was the most-tested plant because it has a wider range of variations and the "space environment" provides ideal breeding conditions.

The model mimics the life cycle found on Earth; mature plants

provide oxygen for survival, while decomposing human and animal waste, rich in essential amino acids and nitrogen, is used as a powerful fertiliser to promote the growth of more plants. To complete the cycle, atmospheric regeneration, water purification and the treatment and recycling of waste also take place.

While Liu declined to elaborate on the test procedures, such as the amount of oxygen and water used in the tests or the specific type of soil that would have to be carried into space, she said more details are likely to be made public after the Spring Festival holiday, which falls at the end of the month.

For Li Yinxin, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Botany, exo-cultivation is theoretically feasible.

Li, who in 2002 was a team leader in a project to construct life-support systems in the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea,

said that, in theory, all life-support systems are the same, irrespective of whether they are situated on an island or in outer space.

"The model (at Yuegong-1) is called a Bio-regenerative Life Support System, otherwise known as a Controlled Ecological Life Support System. Chinese scientists have been working on this project for more than 30 years with the aim of finding plants capable of sustaining their growth cycles through adaptation to a previously unfriendly environment," she said.

Fu Dezhi, deputy director at CAS' South China Botanical Garden, who has spent more than 10 years researching space-cultivation programmes, said the project is of theoretical significance and has a practical value.

The approach centres on analysis of crop mutations prompted by the exo-environment. The genetic variations induced by high levels of radiation and a weak gravitational

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January 17-23, 2014

pull, such as chromosomal changes and alterations to the structure of plant DNA and chemistry, can produce beneficial mutations, including new strains with higher yields and an improved resistance to pests.

HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP

Although the results can be highly variable, Darwin's theory of the "survival of the fittest" suggests that the surviving plants will be capable of adapting through mutation and ultimately forming a harmonious relationship with the exo-environment.

Last year, China completed its ninth series of experiments into exo-cultivation. "We've been working on hydroponic cultivation, using a closed or semi-open space, to grow edible plants," said Fu. He was unable to elaborate further because the details of the project are classified, but he emphasised that success is often dependent on close

cooperation between exo-scientists and botanists.

"First, we have to select the appropriate growing media, usually an agar nutrient. The selected plants must have highly efficient photosynthetic processes so they will absorb some carbon dioxide, but release large amounts of oxygen," he said.

"They must also have a continuous growth cycle and high sustainability, be nutritious and taste good.

They shouldn't cause environmental pollution or any other unwanted effects, and should be capable of growing in limited amounts of sunlight or artificial light."

In 2012, two test subjects from the China Astronaut Research and Training Centre spent 30 days living in Yuegong-1. In the 36-square-metre self-contained lab, Tang Yongkang and Mi Tao breathed oxygen produced by the Chinese cabbages and lettuce being grown under the powerful lights. They also picked 30 to 50

grammes of fresh vegetables for their daily meals.

The test proved that in a planted area of just 13.5 sq m, the "human to plant" exchanges of oxygen and carbon dioxide, in tandem with technology to control the internal equilibrium of the plants, can provide enough oxygen to sustain human life. The plants, which must share a symbiotic relationship, replenish the supply of oxygen while disposing of the harmful carbon dioxide produced during respiration.

In Russia, experiments have been conducted in simulated exo-environments for 14 years.

The results indicate that 63 sq m of plant life can provide roughly 70 per cent of the daily food intake of three people.

Chinese scientists originally investigated the properties of a type of single-cell algae with high levels of carbon dioxide absorption and oxygen release, but the "food" produced had an unpleasant taste

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January 17-23, 2014

and relatively low nutritional value.

Research to identify plants with a strong absorption capability plus a large number of nutrients is an ongoing project and attention has now shifted to mushrooms, yeast and different varieties of algae, including chlorella. Azolla, a plant from the aquatic fern family, is likely to come under scrutiny during the next batch of tests.

Li Yinxin proposed using the human waste from containers on manned spacecraft as a medium to conduct tests into cultivation in high-salt soils.

"Astronauts' body fluids and excrement usually contain high concentrations of salt, especially nitrogen, but plants generally can't survive in a high-salt environment.

If we can collect these specific data, the targeted research will be more effective. My experience of working on islands suggests that chenopodiaceae (also known as "Goosefoot", a family of plants that includes beetroot and spinach, which also have

very high tolerance of salty soil) may be suitable because islands are also high-salt regions. We also cultivated salicornia (succulents that also display a high resistance to salt) on some of the Xisha Islands and achieved a high survival rate," she said.

SIMULATION VS REALITY

Despite the success of the experiments at Yuegong-1, the simulated environment is not the real thing, of course. Liu Hong was reluctant to say the tests were conducted in an exact replica of the lunar environment because it's so difficult to produce the high levels of radioactivity found on the moon, along with its low gravity.

Liu told Southern Metropolis that the experiments were extremely difficult to conduct; the plants had to undergo wide fluctuations in temperature, from -1750C to 1200C, and although the tests were conducted in a simulated envi-

ronment, there's always the possibility of unknown variations in space.

New Scientist reported that next year NASA intends to send canisters to the moon containing oxygen, which will be used to germinate seeds embedded in nutrient-infused filter paper.

Despite the success of the Yuegong-1 project, professor Liu Huajie of Peking University who participated in the Biosphere 2 project—a 1.27-hectare, enclosed artificial ecosystem in Oracle, Arizona—was not optimistic about the prospects for exo-cultivation.

"Judging from my experiences with Biosphere 2 and also from an evolutionary perspective, the likelihood of real success on the moon is small. The motivation behind the experiment is understandable, but it underestimates the unique nature of Earth as Gaia—the mother of life —which is irreplaceable. Humans should abandon their fantasies about space migration and take better care of Earth." ¬

DIY

BUSINESS

January 17-23, 2014

beauty gurus put their best face forward

TV celebrities create new labels with reasonable price

GAN TIAN China Daily Beijing

PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

A STUDY SHOWS CHINESE CONSUMERS ARE WILLING TO PAY MORE FOR ECO-FRIENDLY BEAUTY PRODUCTS.

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January 17-23, 2014

I TAIWANESE NIU ER IS ONE OF THE SUCCESSFUL SELF-TAUGHT BEAUTY EXPERTS WHOSE LABELS ARE POPULAR WITH CONSUMERS.

n recent years, China's cosmetics market has seen a rise in the number of homegrown brands developed by self-taught beauty experts.

Some of the most popular ones are Naruko by Niu Er, J Plus by Li Jing and Afrella by Nic Peng. These beauty gurus used to help customers make the right choices in an overcrowded cosmetics market.

Taiwan guru Niu Er is one of the first people to develop a personal beauty brand. His label Naruko now is a US$10 million business, offering lotions, facial creams and serum products.

Niu first appeared on the scene in 2003 as a beauty consultant on a Taiwan TV show to teach women how to use cosmetics correctly.

After graduating from a medical college in Taipei, Niu happened to read a recruitment ad from Arwin Group, which specialises in beauty products. Joining The Body Shop in 1994 as a salesman, Niu officially started in the beauty business.

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January 17-23, 2014

BEIJING-BASED TV HOST LI JING, WHO CREATED J PLUS.

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January 17-23, 2014

"When I was studying in college, a friend said to me jokingly: 'Look at your face! Your pores are so big that ants could live in them!' It was then I decided to learn about cosmetics," Niu says.

His interest in developing beauty products, however, did not begin until years later. Having worked for The Body Shop and Sisley, Niu was invited by a company to study some of the ingredients for creams.

"I gained experience in developing beauty products during this period. In 2009, finally, I created the Cream of Jingcheng. Then there was Naruko, and then there was Ampm," Niu says.

Naruko's products reflect what Niu learned from his experience working for big labels. He uses sustainable elements from different plants and develops them for different purposes.

Niu's success story is similar to that of Beijing-based TV host Li Jing, who created J Plus.

As a TV celebrity, Li says she has to work under great pressure and has to look good while doing it. So on her talk show, she always recommended beauty products she found good to her audience.

She decided to start her label J Plus at the end of 2009. The label is known for its 4-D facial mask, which "feels like you're wearing a plant mask when you apply it".

Using her influence, Li promotes her brand on her talk show, emphasising its natural elements. It has a strong fan base.

Nic Peng, also known as "Brother Nic", found fame with his blog ranking the top 100 skin creams. "It was a tough job, and I had to use 10 creams within one or two months," Peng says.

As part of this process, Peng reviewed the creams and expanded his portfolio by writing more stories with different angles. In July 2009, Peng launched his own label Afrella.

With so many labels in the Chi-

nese market, why do consumers choose these labels? College student Wang Hongyi thinks she has the answer.

"Their products are not expensive, and they have a good reputation," Wang says.

She adds most of Naruko's products are priced at under 500 yuan ($80)—a very competitive price in the cosmetics market.

J Plus and Peng's products are priced no higher than 300 yuan.

"I hope my brand will become an international one in the future. There is so much space for homegrown beauty labels to grow," Niu says.

According to China Hairdressing and Beauty Association, local brands built by beauty gurus account for nearly 14 per cent of the market.

"The strongest feature is the founder who creates this label. Usually, they attract consumers with good price and, most importantly, their reputations," says beauty products analyst Zhang Yi. ÂŹ

BUSINESS

January 17-23, 2014

Korean heiresses and their luxury empires LEE JI-YOON The Korea Herald Seoul

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January 17-23, 2014

ILLUSTRATION BY PARK GEE-YOUNG

LEE SEO-HYUN, SAMSUNG EVERLAND

S

outh Korea’s big family-owned businesses have long devoted themselves to building the world’s best electronics, cars and ships. Usually, the male heirs guide these flagship operations.

Even for chaebol daughters, the glass ceiling in corporate Korea is hard to shatter So their sisters have found a way to build their own empires in a sector previously untapped by their fathers or grandfathers—the luxury business.

Though it is unclear

whether the decision was the result of a power game with their brothers or because of their own taste, a slew of female chaebol scions are more recently venturing into the soaring high-end fashion and confectionery businesses.

Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee’s two daughters, Boo-jin and Seo-hyun, are key figures who wield mind-boggling power in the nation’s luxury market, while brother Jay-yong is most likely to take over the tech giant.

The elder sister Boo-jin leads the Samsung-affiliated Hotel Shilla and its lucrative duty-free business. She won the business rights to Louis Vuitton’s first airport outlet in Incheon International Air-

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January 17-23, 2014

ILLUSTRATION BY PARK GEE-YOUNG

CHANG SEON-YOON, LOTTE GROUP

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January 17-23, 2014

ILLUSTRATION BY PARK GEE-YOUNG

CHUNG YOO-KYUNG, SHINSEGAE

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ILLUSTRATION BY PARK GEE-YOUNG

LEE BOO-JIN, HOTEL SHILLA

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port in 2011. The French fashion house last year logged the largest profits among brands selling at the airport, worth almost 70 million won (US$66,000).

Seo-hyun was recently named president of Samsung Everland to oversee the fashion business that was formerly under Cheil Industries. Under her leadership, Samsung has earned the sales rights of luxury brands such as Theory, Issey Miyake, Balmain and Valextra.

She also spearheaded the launch of the fast-fashion brand 8ight Seconds to challenge Spain’s Zara and Japan’s Uniqlo.

Chung Yoo-kyung, daughter of Shinsegae Group chairwoman Lee Myung-hee and vice president of Shinsegae,

has also expanded her presence in the fashion and other high-end businesses at the retail giant.

Shinsegae has purchased buildings in the posh district of Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, since 2001 under the names of the group chairwoman and her daughter. And the buildings are now occupied by luxury fashion brands that the group has secured the sales rights for over the past decade.

Thanks to the efforts, the group’s fashion unit Shinsegae International boasts the largest number of fashion brands, including Armani, Maison Martin Margiela, Marni, Dries Van Noten, Moncler and Givenchy.

Chang Seon-yoon, granddaughter of Lotte

Group chairman Shin Kyuk-ho, has operated a retail company called Bliss since 2010 as she jumped into the wine and restaurant business.

She already has more than 10 years of experience in overseeing luxury brands while working at Lotte Department Store.

During the time, she also led the establishment of Lotte Avenuel, a store building dedicated solely to hip, luxury brands, which has also become a hot spot for Japanese and Chinese travellers.

“Their business size would not be comparable to the flagship arms operated by their brothers,” said an industry source.

“But they are elevating the overall brand awareness of the manufacturing-driven big businesses.”

But their expansion using powerful distribution channels and funding from other profitable subsidiaries within the group is also under scathing public scrutiny.

Last year, some chain bakeries owned by chaebol daughters were forced to abandon the business amid growing criticism that they were hurting momand-pop shops through unfair competition.

Now self-employed importers of luxury items are also seeking to ban their excessive entry into the market.

“Importing luxury items or fashion brands does not make big money. Big companies just want to earn the reputation,” said a business man who owns an import company. ¬

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January 17-23, 2014

Legendary star-maker The life and times of a Hong Kong movie mogul Run Run Shaw

RAYMOND ZHOU China Daily Beijing

R

un Run Shaw, media mogul and philanthropist, died at his home in Hong Kong on the morning of Jan 7, 2014.

Arguably the greatest and longest-operating force in Chinese-language film and television, Shaw was 107, according to the traditional counting method used in his hometown.

He was instrumental in manoeuvring the Chinese film industry from silent movies to talkies, from black-and-white to colour, from talking to singing and dancing, and from a female-dominated genre to a male-dominated kung fu fight fest.

He later switched from movies to television.

In his personal life, Shaw evolved from counting the pennies to lavishing his money on worthy causes, such as education and healthcare.

January 17-23, 2014

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: STEPHEN CHOW, TONY LEUNG CHIU-WAI, JACKY CHEUNG, CHOW YUN-FAT, ANDY LAU, AND MAGGIE CHEUNG ARE A FEW OF THE A-LIST STARS MINTED FROM TVB ACTING CLASSES OR SHOWS.

ENTERTAINMENT

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January 17-23, 2014

His longevity was matched by his industry and dogged commitment to the rules. His populist aesthetics kept him in touch with the grassroots a lot of the time and his movies reinforced traditional Chinese values, rather than blazing new trails or conquering new frontiers.

Shaw's career spanned many decades. He started in movie distribution and exhibition before moving into production, turning himself into the biggest film producer in the Chinese-speaking world for a long period.

When his movie industry career began to slip, he found a new realm in television, and his influence is still felt today, along with the stars he minted.

For an emerging generation in China that has never heard of Shaw's contribution to the country's cinema, his name often features prominently on the buildings where they absorb knowledge, a testament to his

enormous generosity to educational and other charities.

Younger sibling

Run Run Shaw began his movie career doing odd jobs for his elder brothers' company, the equivalent of a mailroom clerk in Hollywood, but with a much more versatile role. He had just finished high school at an US-run establishment in Shanghai and his father expected him to go on to college. But Shaw seemed to love what he was doing at Tianyi Film Co., rotating through every job, including scriptwriter, actor, director and, finally, cinematographer, a role in which he excelled.

Run Run's eldest brother founded Tianyi in 1924. The company quickly grew into one of the top three film studios in Shanghai through its adaptations of Chinese folk tales that reinforced traditional moral values, which ran counter to the enlight-

enment movement of the day.

This populist strategy in subject matter continued through all the ensuing incarnations of the brothers' entertainment empire.

In 1926, six major studios formed an alliance to boycott Tianyi. Distributors that wanted to show movies made by the six studios had to agree not to show anything from Tianyi.

Partly to deflect the competitive pressures and partly to forestall the possible fires of war from the north, the Shaw brothers decided to explore the market in Southeast Asia, where there was a sizeable ethnic Chinese population. The 19-year-old Run Run and older brother Runme were sent to negotiate with cinema owners and companies.

The two brothers pleaded with exhibitors to show the prints they had brought with them. They rented a horse-drawn carriage and toured the rural areas. Their hard work paid off; soon they were buying up cinemas. The first few years in Southeast Asia,

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January 17-23, 2014

known as the South Seas in China, "gave me so much that was of benefit for the rest of my life", as Shaw later recalled. One of the explanations for his English name, Run Run, comes from that period, when the young man ran around endlessly in his attempts to start a business from ground up. A different explanation, which he endorsed, is the phonetic similarity of Run Run and Renleng, his real given name.

Success allowed Tianyi to shift production to Hong Kong when Japanese bombs began to fall on Shanghai in 1932. Run Run's insistence on adopting sound technology—he made a perilous trip to San Francisco to purchase equipment— resulted in one of the first Cantonese-language films, The Platinum Dragon. The movie was a blockbuster and paved the road for the Shaws' expansion.

The backbone of their business was still in distribution and exhibition across Southeast Asia and

by 1939, they owned 139 movie theatres in the region. Their movie empire was eventually crushed by the Japanese invasion of Asia.

Hong Kong legend

Run Run Shaw was aged 50 when he moved permanently from Southeast Asia to Hong Kong. Dissatisfied with his older brother's management style, the younger man bought him out, including the purchase of more than 74,320 square metres of land in Clearwater Bay. In 1957, Run Run put his big dream to work. He launched Shaw Brothers Productions and broke ground in a seemingly remote suburb, constructing Movietown—a vertically integrated all-in-one facility that was clearly modelled on a Hollywood studio.

The studio took seven years to come to completion, with 1,500 employees and four soundstages in the first phase. Everything required for movie making, oth-

er than the negatives, could be achieved on the premises.

As with Tianyi in Shanghai, the Shaw Brothers encountered fierce competition from other studios, especially Motion Pictures & General Investment Co., known as MP&GI. The two studios would wrangle for talent, but their fights over the same stories were even more spectacular. When Shaw heard that MP&GI was making The Butterfly Lovers, which had a plot similar to Romeo and Juliet, but was based on a folk story, Shaw rushed his own version into production and finished it in just two weeks.

Not only did Shaw steal his rival's thunder, but he created a runaway hit entitled The Love Eterne, which has acquired a similar stature to that enjoyed by Singin' in the Rain in Hollywood.

Shaw reached a compromise with MP&GI in March 1963. Three months later, Loke Wan Tho, the owner of MP&GI, and his lieutenants were killed in an air accident

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January 17-23, 2014

in Taiwan, essentially leaving the Shaws as the only major players in the Hong Kong film industry.

Run Run Shaw started two trends that left indelible imprints on Chinese-language cinema by grooming two unknown genres into pioneers and giants. The first was female-dominated musicals, with Diau Cham (1958) as his opening salvo. Director Li Han-hsiang took two strands, traditional Chinese opera and the Hollywood musical, and fused them into a unique genre that swept the Chinese-speaking world (other than the Chinese mainland, which remained closed to all imports, apart from a handful of government-controlled productions).

When the musicals started winding down in the late 1960s, Shaw gave a directorial opportunity to the erstwhile film critic Chang Cheh to make the kind of movies he had dreamed of. The result was a spate of martial arts films, starting with One-Armed Swordsman (1967), which were so revolutionary they

completely upgraded the genre, and the ripple effects are being felt even today.

Studio system

Shaw followed a studio system that employed talent at a time when the Hollywood studio system was disintegrating and beginning to use agency-based talent. He signed long-term contracts with newcomers, but refused to let them share the profits from huge hits. This strategy helped him to control costs but was also the cause of major talents, such as Li Han-hsiang, leaving him—after Li had found fame. Shaw sued, but when Li failed to launch his own film business in Taiwan, Shaw took him back, a move uncharacteristic of Chinese employers.

As the global film industry moved away from the rigid employment system, Shaw's way of doing things resulted in missed opportunities and the loss of many talented individuals. When Bruce Lee returned

to Hong Kong to begin his film career, he approached Shaw first and asked for US$10,000 for a picture.

Shaw wanted to reduce the actor's fee by 75 per cent, and he was offended that an untested newcomer had the chutzpah to name his own price. In an about turn, Lee joined another studio, Golden Harvest, which had just been founded by Raymond Chow, a long-time Shaw lieutenant. The rest is history.

Shaw had lured Chow from journalism in 1959, and groomed him to be his right-hand man. However, when Shaw hired Mona Fong, a singer popular in Southeast Asia at the time, Chow sensed he was being sidestepped. He founded Golden Harvest in 1970 and quickly became Shaw's biggest competitor.

While working for Shaw, Chow's laissez-faire management style provided an antidote to Shaw's more hands-on approach and was more in line with the trend for so-called independent productions.

In the 1970s, Shaw enjoyed

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January 17-23, 2014

bouts of successes, such as Li Han-hsiang's erotic genre and historical movies set during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Generally, though, Shaw's film business was going downhill, and market share shrank from 60 per cent in the company's heyday to just 10 per cent. The film production unit all but folded in the mid-1980s, only producing the occasional film every few years.

Hong Kong's film industry enjoyed one more decade of boom and glory, but Shaw was not part of it. However, Shaw Brothers made news in 2000 when it sold a film library containing almost 800 titles to Celestial Pictures for $84 million.

Celestial digitally refurbished the movies and released them via channels such as DVD and television.

TV dominance

If Shaw misjudged the final golden age of Hong Kong cinema, he was prescient about the

dawn of the television business.

As his influence in movie production waned in the late 1970s and early '80s, his investment in Television Broadcasts Ltd. grew constantly. Eventually, he became the largest shareholder and, in 1980, when the original owner died, Shaw assumed control and turned TVB into the world's largest privately owned producer of Chinese-language TV content.

Shaw leased his own vacant film production facilities to his television production company.

He employed his old strategies, such as programming self-produced content and rarely buying shows from outside sources.

Again, the management of cost and talent was his forte, and the policy of preemptive strikes first used in 1930s Shanghai and perfected in the 1960s was once again employed. When rival ATV was making a series about Genghis Khan, TVB jumped ahead with its own version. Unlike the

film market, Shaw's TV dominance has never been challenged in Hong Kong, and TVB has enjoyed market share as high as 80 per cent throughout much of its existence.

One byproduct of his TV empire are the big-name stars that have towered over Chinese-language cinema in recent decades. Luminaries such as Chow Yun-fat, Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Stephen Chow are all graduates of Shaw's TVB actor training classes, while others, such as Maggie Cheung, Leslie Cheung, Jacky Cheung and Leon Lai, were discovered in singing contests or beauty galas organised by TVB, a veritable star-making machine only rivalled in the Chinese-speaking world by the state-owned China Central Television, and then only during the past decade.

Philanthropist

Shaw's work ethic is often credited as the main reason for his success. For much of his

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January 17-23, 2014

LIU JUNFENG

life, he worked 16-hour days.

He would watch the "dailies" of every film in production and write his feedback on a sheet of paper. He would review every story and script under development. He said his entertainment was the same as his job, which was watching movies. Unverified reports suggest that he had watched more movies than any other person alive. Before the age of 80, he would view 600-700 feature films every year—his record was nine movies in a single day.

He said he watched all kinds of movies to understand the zeitgeist and know what was popular at the time. He would judge a project by its box-office potential and would never become involved for purely aesthetic reasons. When directors made money for him, though, he would grant them greater leeway in terms of subject matter and budget.

Shaw's rigidity in employee compensation was in sharp contrast to his spendthrift ways in philanthro-

THIS 'YIFU' BUILDING AT A CAMPUS IN YICHANG, HUBEI PROVINCE, IS ONE OF THE 5,000 BUILDINGS ON THE NATION'S COLLEGE CAMPUSES BEARING RUN RUN SHAW'S CHINESE NAME MANY STUDENTS MOURNED HIS DEATH.

py. In 1973, he launched a charity foundation with the emphasis on education. "China has poverty and needs lots of money to develop education," he once said.

More than 5,000 buildings in China's college campuses bear Shaw's Chinese name, "Yifu", which he took as an adult. His brothers also adopted new names.

Now, students are so accustomed to seeing "Yifu" that many believe it to be a generic name for a building.

Shaw's donations to the world of education were not limited to the Chinese mainland, but also spread to Hong Kong and the Western world. Universities such as Harvard, Stanford, MIT and

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January 17-23, 2014

Oxford have all benefited from his money.

Another recipient of his largess was the medical sector.

Again, that's evident from the names of many hospitals and individual buildings. Shaw also gave large amounts for the protection of cultural heritage sites such as the Dunhuang Grottoes.

In 2000, Shaw launched an ambitious award for the scientific community, providing $1 million for each of three award categories deemed neglected by the Nobel Prize.

Shaw had four children: Vee Meng, So Man, So Wan and Vee Chung. He married Mona Fong in 1997 when he was 90, 10 years after his first wife, Wong Mei Chun, also known as Lady Lily Shaw, passed away. He thought that it was the "right thing to do" for both women. ¬

Run Run Shaw and kung fu star Bruce Lee in an undated photo taken in early 1970s. Shaw’s film ignited a global kung fu craze, but he failed to see Lee’s potential.

At a glance Three key dates in the life of Run Run Shaw 1958: Sets up Shaw Brothers Productions and Movietown in Hong Kong 1973: Launches Television Broadcasts Ltd., which becomes Hong Kong’s premier TV station and one of the world’s biggest producers of Chinese-language programming 2002: Launches the Shaw Prize, an international award for astronomy, math and life sciences, with individual prizes worth as much as $1 million

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January 17-23, 2014

M as c o t r e b e l with a cause SHOJI ICHIHARA The Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo

H

e has a cult following, admires Ozzy Osbourne, is shunned by authorities and has just released a debut single. The year 2013 was a year to remember for Funasshii, the iconic mascot with seemingly endless energy and witty ripostes.

But during an interview with the unauthorised mascot of Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, Funasshii showed a more serious, down-to-earth side—and also revealed what makes this zany mascot thrive in an industry dominated by more conventional and reserved characters.

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January 17-23, 2014

Funasshii claims his real name is Funadius IV, born on July 4, 138, and is aged 1,875. Funasshii maintains he has no gender and arrived on Earth by the order of Nashigami (God of the pear) to help boost the flagging economy and promote pears, which is a local specialty of Funa-bashi.

shouting “Hyahhaaa”, as he often does. Wildly swinging his body, he jumped up and down as if he had powerful springs loaded inside his body. After sitting on a chair, he pounded the table in front of him with both hands several times. He appeared extremely excited.

To my surprise, however, Fu-

Quirky mascot Funasshii unbowed by detractors, vows to keep spreading the Funabashi word His popularity soared after appearing in Asahi Soft Drink Co. commercials. He has since received a number of offers to appear in TV programmes. In August, Funasshii reached a new high by winning first place in the “2013 general election for local mascots”.

At a press conference to announce the release of his debut CD, Funasshii burst into the room,

nasshii spoke very politely once he opened his mouth.

“Thank you for coming here today,” he said.

When we talked face-to-face, Funasshii sounded quite intellectual.

He likes Western pop music and is deeply interested in current affairs.

His official theme song, titled “Funa, Funa, Funasshii”, is quite inspirational. The song lyrics go

something like: “Even if I’m thrown away and kicked by others, it’s OK because I’ll stand up again.”

Since he “showed up on Earth” in spring 2012, Funasshiii has had his share of hardships. He offered to take part in promotional events in Funabashi, but nobody showed much interest because he was not an “officially approved local mascot”.He ended up recording his own videos in local parks and tourist spots and posted them online.

He continued trying to take part in events organised by the city government or the local chamber of commerce and industry, as well as citizens festivals, but he was always refused. Undeterred, he often showed up at such events uninvited. His indomitable spirit shone through. Just as he sings in his theme song, “It’s OK because I’ll stand up again.”

The song also goes: “You may feel depressed to hear others talking

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January 17-23, 2014

about you, but you should go on without worrying about them.”

Funasshii’s explanation at the press conference helped me understand this part better.

“Living as a human, you may feel stressed or depressed from time to time. I want you to listen to this song when you feel like that, and hopefully it’ll make you think there’ll definitely be something good,” Funasshii said.

Funasshii talking in such a serious tone is a stark contrast to his usual wacky statements and behaviour people are more used to seeing.

Looking back over the past year in which his popularity skyrocketed, he said it rated “hyakuten nasshii” (100 out of 100).

However, as we kept talking, his more serious side began to peek out from within.

“I’ll probably have nothing better than [the CD release],” he said. “I think this is Funasshii’s limit. I’m at my peak now.”

Asked about the possibility of releasing a second single, Funasshii immediately said, “Probably not.” He seems to be quite realistic when it comes to grasping where he stands.

Funasshii set his sights on appearing on the NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen (Red and white song contest) broadcast on New Year’s Eve as a singer. Alas, this dream went unfulfilled though he appeared on the programme as a guest.

“I wanted to take part, but no offer came from the programme,” he said sadly. “It’s probably because they see a problem with my conduct.”

Yet, Funasshii has other lofty ambitions—and is planning to spend more time on the screen.

“I want to do a job that involves filming in locations overseas. First of all, I want to go to Taiwan,” he said.

Why Taiwan? “It’s overseas, yet it’s still pretty close to Japan, and I want to soak in a hot spring,” he said. Funasshii seems to love hot springs.

Perhaps he needs a little rest. I assume he is a bit tired because he puts so much energy into activities to energise others. After he takes a break, I think we’ll see an even more powerful Funasshii. It should be worth the wait. ¬

ENTERTAINMENT

January 17-23, 2014

5 quick questions with the quirky Funasshii.

Q: Who’s your favourite singer?

A: I like Ozzy Osbourne, vocalist of British rock band Black Sabbath.

Q: Who do you consider to be your rival singer?

A: British heavy metal band Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford.

Q: What’s your favourite TV station?

A: Al Jazeera, a satellite TV station based in Qatar. It helps me learn about what is happening in the world and to do futures trading.

Q: Rumour has it that you’re actually from Kanagawa Prefecture.

A: What are you talking about?

I have heard one of my family members is from Yokosuka [in Kanagawa Prefecture], but I often walk around the Dobuita-dori shopping street.

Q: How much do you earn a year?

A: My hourly wage is 274 yen or about US$2.60 (read as fu-na-shi in Japanese) multiplied by the number of hours I work. That’s all I earn.

January 17-23, 2014

COVER FOOD STORY

PHO BO, OR BEEF SOUP NOODLES

The indisputable pho The Vietnamese pho soup dish has been described as many things, including a 'bowl of heaven' and Vietnam's 'contribution to human happiness'

January 17-23, 2014

PHO GA, OR CHICKEN SOUP NOODLES

COVER FOOD STORY

COVER FOOD STORY

January 17-23, 2014

NGUYEN KHANH CHI Viet Nam News Hanoi

A

favourite dish of the Vietnamese, the pho noodle soup, has been described as a "bowl of heaven" by US online news site, The Huffington Post.

It listed the dish—which includes rice noodles and thinly sliced beef or chicken in broth, sprinkled with aromatic herbs— as one of the 12 "must trys" for globe trotters.

"There are many delectable treats out there, to be sure. Here's just a sampling of some delicacies whose truest, most scrumptious forms you will only come across while travelling," said the article.

The late Vietnamese writer Thach Lam wrote that the local cuisine was a delicacy of the capital. Long queues and people sit-

ting on small plastic stools outside shops selling pho is a common sight in the mornings in Hanoi.

"Pho is a specialty of Hanoi.

You can taste it in other places.

But the pho is better in Hanoi than anywhere else."

Visit the capital, especially in the early morning, and you're likely to see people queuing up and sitting on plastic stools at street stalls for a hot bowl of pho.

"I have been eating pho almost every morning and a few times throughout the day since I was a little boy," said Hanoi resident Bui Tuan Hai. He added that although he has tasted the dish in other cities like HCM City, Hong Kong, Sydney and Brisbane, there is nothing like Hanoi's original pho.

"This is not just a dish, it is a culture that I miss when I am away from home," he said.

For Canadian restaurant owner Donald Berger, a nice large bowl of Hanoi pho bo (beef soup

noodles) or pho ga (chicken soup noodles) for breakfast is a great way to start the day with his Vietnamese wife and their son.

"Pho is light, not fattening yet nutritious, delicious and fragrant with Vietnamese spices. It is also really good for lunch and late night," said the chef.

"Vietnamese have a funny saying about rice and pho: rice is like the wife you have at home, but pho is best outside (meaning the mistress!)," he added.

So renowned is the pho, CNN reporters Helen Clark and Karryn Miller have also recommended it as the first thing travellers to Vietnam must taste.

"What list of Vietnamese cuisine would be complete without pho? It's almost impossible to walk a block in Vietnam's major cities without bumping into a crowd of hungry patrons slurping noodles at a makeshift pho stand," they were quoted saying.

COVER FOOD STORY

January 17-23, 2014

Cultural icon

Pho is considered a national treasure; so much so that the soupy dish even warranted a conference several years ago, covering the social, culinary and historic aspects of the dish.

"Pho was very special, almost a 'status' food. We loved it because it had everything we valued—rice noodles, broth, meat and vegetables. It was complete, nutritious, infinitely delicious and yet so easy to digest that we could eat it morning and night, day after day," said Huu Ngoc, an expert on Vietnamese culture.

In his book Bat Pho Hoa Giai (literally translated as “pho— conciliation in a bowl of noodles”), Ngoc uses the dish to illustrate a meeting between American and Vietnamese war veterans in the capital city.

"Pho—a specialty of Hanoians — has been presented to every corner of the material and spiritual life of human beings and has witnessed current affairs… That's a food of a cultural category," he wrote.

In their jointly written book Vietnamese Street Food, Tracey Lister and Andreas Pohl describe the pho as "glorious and undoubtedly the most famous and quintessential Hanoi street food", and as Vietnam's "contribution to human happiness".

However, it remains a mystery who created the dish, and many theories abound.

In another book, Pho, a Specialty of Ha Noi (2006), co-written with American author Lady Borton, Ngoc claims that the birthplace of pho was in the village of Van Cu in Nam Dinh Province.

Villagers do not know who creat-

ed it. But they say that in 1925 a villager named Van moved to Hanoi and opened a pho stall.

The dish was also adopted in the south in the late 1950s, when it crossed the border of the then-divided Vietnam. However, the recipe changed in the process. In HCM City and other places in the southern region, the dish is served in larger bowls, with the addition of aromatic herbs and fresh bean sprouts. It's often served with extra condiments such as sugar and hoisin sauce.

However, To Hai, who considers himself a "pho purist", in order to taste the best, the dish should stay true to the Hanoian style: a simple, soup that has a deep, rich, meaty and lightly spiced flavour, with a subtle hint of sweetness.

"The secret to a great pho is the broth—the broth will make or break your soup," he said ¬

January 17-23, 2014

DATEBOOK

√

¬ Hong Kong Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival This annual chamber music festival has grown from humble beginnings—a simple four-concert lineup—five years ago, to an all-star powerhouse programme. This year, in conjunction with their fifth year anniversary, the festival will see an impressive lineup of international performers such as world renowned violinists Vadim Repin and Akiko Suwanai.

While the focus will be on works by German Romantic composer Johannes Brahms, the repertoire will also include pieces by Mendelssohn, Schumann and Beethoven among others.

Where: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall/Hong Kong Jockey Club Amphitheatre, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts When: Until January 23 Info: www.pphk.org

DATEBOOK

January 17-23, 2014

¬ Kuala lumpur

¬ Shanghai

Ken Yang's Paris-Kuala Lumpur

Works in watercolour by Shao Jiarong

PORTRAITS OF MALAYSIAN DIGNITARIES AND ROYALTY PAINTED IN THE WESTERN TRADITION.

Having lived in Paris for years, Ken Yan's ParisKuala Lumpur art show is a homecoming of sorts for the Malaysian artist.

The intriguing exhibition features European baroque themes with a touch of Malaysian essence infused.

When: Until January 31 Info: www.timeoutkl.com/art/events /Ken-Yang--Paris-Kuala-Lumpur

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Watercolour artist Shao Jiarong’s best work is currently being featured at Shanghai’s One Xintiandi Club. The watercolour artist was born in 1936 and was a founding professor in the art department of Nantong Normal University. He was known for taking students on sketch trips to ancient water towns in Anhui province and the Yangtze Delta. Such landscapes have also provided endless inspiration for his own creations. A total of 55 pieces are on show, consisting of watercolour paintings and prints.

Where: One Xintiandi Club When: Until January 20

DATEBOOK

January 17-23, 2014

¬ Singapore

¬ Dhaka

My Fair Lady in Singapore

Dhaka Art Summit

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The Dhaka Art Summit, which according to The New York Times “puts Bangladesh on the Arts map”, is back for its second edition, after a successful pilot run last year.

This year's summit will focus on the contemporary art scene of the South Asian region, featuring five exhibitions by local and international curators.

Dubbed as the world’s greatest musical, "My Fair Lady", comes to the Lion City for the first time. Based on George Bernard Shaw's 1912 play "Pygmalion", and made popular on the silver screen in 1964 starring Audrey Hepburn, the well-loved musical about the relationship between Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl, and the snobbish phonetics professor Henry Higgins' attempts to turn Eliza into a "proper lady" in three months, this rendition of the much-loved play is set to delight its audiences.

Where: Mastercard Theatres, Marina Bay Sands When: February 11-23 Info: www.sistic.com.sg

Where: Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy complex, Shegunbagicha When: February 4-9 Info: www.dhakaartsummit.org