上禮拜五的日韓論壇，感謝ISH的朋友鼎力相助，我的論壇辦得還可以，感覺我那天心臟都要跳出來了，但是看到大家在我苦苦哀求下都提早出現，我好感動喔~~謝謝大家，論壇可以成功真的都靠大家的友情，我真的很高興有你們大家幫我。
不過，老闆啊，不要因為我日本韓國論壇辦得太好，在稱讚我的論壇成功的同時，還說既然這麼成功就多辦幾次，嗚，我工作很多耶！I am the victim of my own success. Alas!
*Project Progress*
Last Friday, October 12, 2007, IMTD successfully hosted the 6th Japan-Korea dialogue. There were in total 9 participants, including 2 Japanese students, 5 Koreans and two Americans. The topics covered in the dialogue were comfort women, North Korea, Japan’s constitution reform, Japan military intention or perception of its expansion, the opinions about the reunification of two Koreas, and Dokdo/ Takeshima. The dialogue was dynamic. Among 5 Koreans, three are EFL students and they are a bit shy. However, they did spoke their view briefly, and one of them was able to talk a lot more and contributed a lot to the conversation. I enjoyed myself in this dialogue for I also learned many things that only the Japanese and Korean youth would know.
Due to the time limit, the talk ended around 7PM and there were still some topics that we could not tackle. Several suggestions were made regarding the format and the process of the dialogue. One Japanese student suggested that we break down into small groups next time so that the Japanese or Korean student can talk to his counterpart more thoroughly. The other suggestion was to host this dialogue in a more organized way; one Korean student expressed that the topics drifted and the student did not feel that was relevant to the Japan-Korea conflicts. Last but not least, one participant wished that we can actually host the event elsewhere because a more central location might attract more people. I will organize another Japan-Korea dialogue before the end of my internship with IMTD.
In about two weeks, IMTD will host the Cross Taiwan Strait Dialogue. I am preparing it and I am doing the networking now. Several students are interested. I might be able to invite some visiting scholars at CSIS. I will have the agenda and the flyer ready hopefully by the end of the week.
Vice President of Taiwan replied to IMTD on Monday. She expressed that she is glad to see what IMTD is doing and she is glad to stay in touch. It was a pity that she does not have Parris Chang’s email and contact, but she said she can ask the staff to track it down for us.
*News on Northeast Asia*
Japan took action in Burma protest
As the leading aid donor to Burma, Japan has been criticized in the past for failing to take a harder line against the military government. Japan is now halting $4.7m in funding for a human resources center in Burma, as economic pressure mounts on the military government. This funding represents one sixth of the total aid that Japan is giving to Burma; however, Japan did not stop all aid, remaining Burma’s leading trade partner. (BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7046267.stm)
China’s National Congress
The National Congress of the Communist Party of China is held every 5 years. The 17th Congress is taking place in October and will continue for a week. President Hu Jintao, also the general secretary of the communist party, made a keynote speech. He pointed out that the party has fallen short of people’s expectations. He criticized the corruption of some party leaders. The major themes of the 17th congress are promoting “social harmony” and “scientific development”, building a well-off society and consolidation of President Hu’s position. (BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7044418.stm)
