Asia embraces heroes

HONG KONG — From the fighter pilot who became a national hero to millions of Chinese to the aging Philippine matinee star who turned his hand to politics to the elderly Japanese man who climbed Mount Everest, a slew of previously unknown personalities have charmed Asia this year.

Of those who got Asia talking in 2003, few probably were feted by as many as Yang Liwei, China’s first man in space.

The 38-year-old fighter pilot officially was given the title “Space Hero” by military chief Jiang Zemin after his successful orbit of Earth in the Shenzhou V spacecraft in October.

But even without the title, Mr. Yang became a figure of worship to millions of Chinese when he emerged from his capsule after touching down in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia.

Never heard of before, the father of one was welcomed by hundreds of fans when he toured China, Hong Kong and Macau shortly after the mission, and Mr. Yang’s image has been used on merchandise to such an extent that Chinese space officials have had to step in to stop people cashing in on his fame.

They have registered his portrait, name and signature and threatened legal action against anyone who makes money on him.

Mr. Yang’s Chinese rival in celebrity status is probably Yao Ming, the lofty basketball player who takes to the court for the Houston Rockets. The 7-foot-6-inch young man from Shanghai has had a dream year, averaging 15.5 points and 8.4 rebounds a game for his team and bringing in huge fan interest from Asia.

In the political arena, two unlikely candidates have emerged in the region as potential leaders for their countries.

In the Philippines, the man known as the “king of movies,” Fernando Poe, has declared himself a candidate for the presidential elections next year. And in Australia, a politician who once broke a taxi driver’s arm during a scuffle over a fare is seen as the Labor Party’s greatest chance of ruling the country in years.

Mr. Poe’s move from matinee idol to politician is all the more remarkable because of his lack of education and political experience. Yet, the 64-year-old high-school dropout, considered the John Wayne of the Philippines, has headed off incumbent Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in recent surveys.

In Australia, Mark Latham, viewed as a working-class intellectual, has emerged as the new generation of Labor leader required to oust the conservative government led by Prime Minister John Howard.

But Mr. Latham, 42, has some rough edges — he has described President Bush as the “most incompetent and dangerous” U.S. president of modern times.

The SARS virus, which swept through Asia early in the year, also brought several unheralded personalities to the fore. First among them was Carlo Urbani, the man who alerted the world to the mysterious pneumonialike illness.

As the World Health Organization’s top infectious-disease specialist in Vietnam, Mr. Urbani led the battle against severe acute respiratory syndrome from the front line but died after contracting the illness.

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