Not just left vs right: Political spectrums in Asia

More than half a billion people in Asia were eligible to vote in elections this year. What informs their decisions at the ballot box? The Asia Media Centre asked six experts about different political spectrums in Asia...

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Amnesia prevails in China 30 years after Tiananmen Square

Many young Chinese have never come to know anything of what happened during those turbulent months of May and June 1989, writes John Minford, who was Professor of Chinese at the University of Auckland from 1987-1991.

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The 'Asian Zone': Kiwi sports stars find opportunities in Asia

From rugby to basketball, a growing number of top Kiwi athletes and coaches are looking to Asia in a bid to find the next big break in their careers. Siobhan Downes reports on some of those who have made their mark in Asia.

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What has media in New Zealand been reporting about Asia? Here's a roundup of stories from the past week. 

• US olive branch pushed away by China
  NEWSROOM
     
• Where the Pacific fits in the security debate
  NEWSROOM
   
• Tiananmen thrown down China's memory hole
  NEWSROOM
   
• After a long silence: A letter to a lost friend in Xinjiang
  THE SPINOFF
   
• What's all the fuss about Huawei?
  RADIO NZ

• NZ beef exporters recover lost market share in Japan as CPTPP kicks in
  NZ HERALD 

• What on earth is China's Belt and Road?
  RADIO NZ
     

The Australia-based Lowy Institute has released its second annual Asia Power Index, tracking shifts in the distribution of power in the region. Here's a roundup of media coverage.

• Five big takeaways from the 2019 Asia Power Index
  LOWY INSTITUTE
     
• New Zealand's international influence surges thanks to Jacinda Ardern's leadership 
  NEWSHUB
     
• New world order: How Jacinda Ardern elevated New Zealand's influence
  SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 
   
• Short of war, US can't help but lose to China's rise in Asia, says think tank Lowy Institute
  SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST 
   
• Japan the new 'leader of the liberal order in Asia', top Australian think tank says
  THE JAPAN TIMES 

“Countries whose policies are viewed as being anti-migrant or anti-refugee in the current climate — such as America and Australia — are in some ways more generous than our own.”

Radio New Zealand journalist Gill Bonnett was selected to take part in the East-West Center’s 2019 Jefferson Fellowships programme, which had the theme 'Migration Policy and Public Sentiment'. She reports back on her experience.

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Nepal: Overcrowding on Mount Everest

Nepal is considering a review of its rules about who can climb the world's highest mountain after one of the deadliest seasons ever. At least 11 climbers have died, in part due to increased congestion on the mountain.

China: Talking about Tiananmen Square

From giant rubber ducks to codes made from playing cards, internet users in China have come up with creative ways to circumvent strict censorship surrounding the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. 

Indonesia: Chris Hemsworth shows off his Bahasa

While promoting his new film Men in Black: International, actor Chris Hemsworth impressed fans in Bali by speaking Bahasa Indonesia. The Australian star revealed he had studied the language at primary school and high school.