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Some vital advice for US president

Just two days before US President Barack Obama's visit to Japan on his four-nation tour of Asia, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japan's militarist past which honors 14 Class-A war criminals. On Tuesday, 146 Japanese lawmakers visited the shrine again. A couple of days before that, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera attended a ceremony to begin construction of a radar base on Yonaguni Island, just 150 km from China's Diaoyu Islands.

Obama's Japan visit unlikely to be fruitful

On Oct 3, 2013, the White House announced that President Barack Obama had cancelled plans to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting because of the US government shutdown. Ever since the US administration had been crafting plans for Obama to visit Asia.

Quality matters in US-Japan ties

To maintain security, one usually has only two options. The first is to strengthen oneself, and the second is to look for powerful partners to maintain a stronger position vis-a-vis others. In international relations, the former means building defense capabilities so that one state can attack another to maintain its security, while the latter uses a variety of security alignments, including entering alliances.

High on hype, low on expectations

US President Barack Obama's four-nation East Asian tour from Wednesday is aimed at pushing forward Washington's "pivot to Asia" policy. First, his visits to Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines show the US is determined to consolidate its military presence and use its diplomatic power to ensure the success of the policy.

Uncomfortable bedfellows

The US and Japan will haggle over who gets what as they each look to use their security alliance to their own ends

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End incidents involving chengguan officers

Furious, people gathered quickly, surrounding a vehicle used by urban patrol officers, or chengguan, and attacking it with sticks, bricks and other objects. They even overturned an ambulance that came to offer medical aid to the injured.

Stronger environment bill

WILL THE AMENDED LAW ON ENVIRONMENTAL protection add teeth to the watchdogs and provide the public with a weapon to wage war against polluters?

Protect employees from overwork

Liu Xianjun, a 33-year-old engineer, was recently found dead in his room in Dongguan, Guangdong province; records show he worked 190 extra hours in March alone.

Navy sailing with the times

Wednesday marks the 65th anniversary for the founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy of China. Over those years, the Chinese navy has grown from almost nothing into a formidable force with both comprehensive defense capabilities and strategic deterrence potential.

P5 should help make NPT a success

Editor's Note: