Are there limits to protest?

In Thailand hundreds if not thousands of red shirted anti-government protesters are donating their blood in order to collect it in bottles to throw at government buildings as a ritual sacrificial offering. They claim this is a demonstration of love for their country.  Is this a protest too far?

On air: Who’s the boss?

After the battles over Taiwan, Tibet, trade, climate change and internet freedom, China-US relations are once more in the spotlight. A recent poll suggests more than half of Chinese people think they’re heading towards a new Cold War.

On air: Is there ever a right time to give up a struggle?

Hi, it’s James here, i’ll be presenting this evening’s show. The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, has announced that he’s abandoning his struggle to persuade China to grant greater autonomy for Tibet. Here’s what he said on Saturday:

“I have been sincerely pursuing the middle way approach in dealing with China for a long time now but there hasn’t been any positive response from the Chinese side … As far as I’m concerned I have given up …”

Should celebrities get involved in global politics?

American film actress Sharon Stone has put her foot in it with these comments on China. Essentially saying the Chinese earthquake might be punishment for the country’s policies on Tibet. Are celebrities better off keeping their mouths shut when it comes to geo-politics? Or do they bring much needed attention and publicity to political campaigns? George Clooney has tried it with Darfur. Sean Penn with the Iraq war. Do we care what they think?

On-Air : An honest debate

Have a read of this and then tell me if you think we should do what Grace was villified for : get Chinese students from outside Tibet and students from Tibet to sit down and talk to each other

Do you want rice with that ?

Thanks to all of you who kept the global conversation going over the weekend with Ros moderating from his trawler off the Cornish coast. Technology’s a great thing isn’t it ?

Hard to move away from the arresting images of the Olympic torch making it’s journey across London yesterday. It reminded one texter to 5 Live of “It’s a Knockout” and it was difficult to know, watching it,  whether it was a brilliant exercise in freedom of speech, or a daft farce (as opposed to a sensible farce, obviously).  

A journalistic boycott ?

We’ve talked about China a lot recently and in every programme the suggestion of a boycott of the Beijing Games always comes up.

Is the western media biased against China?

Hi there, Madeleine presenting today, and we’re asking if the western media is biased against China?

Talking points for 19th March

Two weeks ago in Gaza there were celebrations that a gunman had infiltrated a Jewish seminary in West Jerusalem and killed eight people.  The Palestinian President condemned the attack, but according to a new poll an overwhelming majority of Palestinians support it and other acts of revenge against Israelis.

How should the world react to the trouble in Tibet?

Here are seven possibilities I have seen suggested. Do you support one of them or do you have an alternative?