THREE sweet angels from China, Japan and India have sparked an intense global discourse – the essential meaning of being Chinese, moral decadence and sex.

The debate has its spin-offs as well: uprightness of race, illegitimate children, half-breeds, extra-marital affairs, refusing a porn star entry into a country and sex and dressing in movies.

The trio have become the most debated on television, radio and the Internet in many countries, mostly attracting a relentless barrage of criticism, many crudely racist, and countless curses.

Top of the controversy heap - for weeks running - is the half-black Oriental angel Lou Jing, a 20-year-old theatre student, born to a Chinese mother and an African-American father whom she has never met.

She is followed by Maria “Miyabi” Osawa, 23, a half-Japanese and half-French-Canadian adult movie actress who has triggered the latest controversy in Indonesia over her scheduled arrival on Wednesday for a comedy film shoot.

“The moralists and religious purists are out again, imposing their own morals on society all over a porn star acting in a comedy,” said Heryanto, an Indonesian media commentator.

They see Miyabi as a symbol of moral decadence, so infectious that her presence would only erode youths’ morality.

“They want her denied entry to Indonesia.” (see accompanying story) Tamil actress Bhuvaneswari, 33, who was arrested in Chennai on suspicion of operating a brothel, maintains a high interest among Tamil movie fans worldwide.

“Her latest threat to blow the lid off a sex scandal involving other actresses, politicians, senior government officials and wealthy businessmen, including from Malaysia and Singapore, has got the rumour mill running at full speed,” says Kay Ravi, an entertainment magazine editor in Chennai.

That China, the world’s largest and most populous country (over 1.3 billion people), is engaged in the topic of racism involving Lou Jing has got the interest of the world.

Lou Jing rocketed into the public consciousness last month when she took part in an American Idol–esque TV show, Go! Oriental Angel.

Her ordeal began as soon as her mother shared their family’s story on the reality show. Her mother's Chinese husband was said to have divorced her after she delivered Lou Jing.

China affairs observer KL-based Amanda Xing-Myhill interpreted the racist slam on Lou Jing:

“It could be because of China’s status as a mostly mono cultural giant that’s only just opening up the world. The topic of racism in China is touchy and testy.

“Just asking the question of whether most Chinese people are racist can cause the web to go into overdrive.”
Xing-Myhill said it is normal for China’s sensitive issues to be thrashed out by netizens long before they reach the heavily censored mainstream media.

“I am not surprised that Lou Jing’s ethnicity has been the subject  of severe criticism, mainly racist.
“China is a deeply conservative and in some ways a racist society that is fanatical about discussions on the colour of your skin .”

Xing-Myhill says Lou Jing will struggle to gain acceptance in such a society and wondered why the producers of the show failed to weigh the consequences before letting her on.

However, the marketing gurus for the series could hardly have dreamed of a better gimmick guaranteed to attract eyeballs: a girl of mixed race, brought up by a single Chinese mother, struggling to gain acceptance in a deeply conservative, some would say racist, society.

The strategy worked — perhaps too well. In August, Lou’s appearance on the show not only boosted viewer numbers but also sparked an intense nationwide debate about the fundamentals of being Chinese.

Vice list talk of Chennai

ACTRESS Bhuvaneswari’s claims have rocked the South Indian film industry with a huge debate raging both in traditional and new media on the “sins of Kollywood and Tollywood”.

The media has been relentlessly trying to get the police to confirm a list provided by Bhuvaneswari, 33, that contains names of popular actresses involved in her sex trade.

The editor of a newspaper has been arrested for publishing the names of actresses allegedly involved while the Tamil film industry is said to be taking her claims seriously.

Malaysian and Singaporean businessmen said to be financiers of movies and television serials are also thought to have been implicated by Bhuvaneswari.

Bhuvaneswari, who has been accused of operating a brothel, has threatened to blow the lid off a sex scandal involving other actresses, politicians, senior government officials and wealthy businessmen.

Her much anticipated tell-all memoir will disclose the secrets about several Tamil models and actresses who are allegedly involved in her sex racket.

The 33-year-old, known for her saucy roles, was detained by Chennai police last week with two models believed to be working for her.

Bhuvaneswari has acted in a number of films including the role of a call girl in Shankar's Boys and Bharathi Raja's serial Therkathi Ponnu