Politics
Biden's Indo-Pacific shift under scrutiny with AUKUS alliance
Drawing a close to the 20-year war in Afghanistan, U.S. President Joe Biden is turning his eyes on the intensifying competition with China, bringing into play new mechanisms like the "Quad" group of Australia, India, Japan and the United States as well as a security partnership among Australia, Britain and… Read
PM hopefuls rally local support with focus on tourism, agriculture
Four candidates running to become Japan's next prime minister stepped up their campaign on Saturday to broaden support among grassroots members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party ahead of a party presidential election this week. The latest round of the LDP leadership race draws a contrast with previous ones as… Read
Digital Agency exec punished; minister returns month's salary over dining
A senior Digital Agency official has been reprimanded over repeated wining and dining by a private company, and digitalization minister Takuya Hirai will voluntarily return a month's salary after joining the official for one of the meals, the top government spokesman said. Of three occasions on which Koichi Akaishi, the… Read
China lodges protest against Japan over Taiwan's bid to join TPP
China has lodged a protest against Japan after it welcomed Taiwan's filing of a formal application to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement. Beijing urges Tokyo to "carefully" handle the issue related to Taiwan's possible participation in the TPP and avoid further damage to bilateral ties, the Chinese Embassy… Read
Biden hosts Indo-Pacific leaders as China concerns grow
Meeting with the leaders of India, Australia and Japan, President Joe Biden declared Friday that the U.S. and other members of the Indo-Pacific alliance known as "the Quad" are showing they "know how to get things done" in an increasingly complicated corner of the globe. Biden and his fellow leaders-… Read
Suga tells U.N. Olympics were symbol of global unity
At a U.N. General Assembly meeting packed with global gloom, Japan's outgoing leader highlighted what he cast as a moment of inspiration: the Tokyo Olympics, controversially held in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. "While humanity has been faced with immeasurable hardships, the Tokyo 2020 Games proved to be a… Read
All 4 Japan PM hopefuls welcome Taiwan's bid to join TPP
All four candidates vying to succeed Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga welcomed Friday Taiwan's application to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, a move sure to provoke China. In an online town hall meeting for Wednesday's presidential election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, vaccination minister Taro Kono,… Read
3 Japan PM hopefuls urge elderly to stay on job for pension system
Three of the four candidates for Japan's next prime minister on Thursday encouraged more elderly people to stay on the job and contribute to the public pension system in a bid to ensure its sustainability amid the country's rapidly aging population. Former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, former internal affairs minister… Read
Tensions grow as U.S., allies deepen Indo-Pacific involvement
With increasingly strong talk in support of Taiwan, a new deal to supply Australia with nuclear submarines, and the launch of a European strategy for greater engagement in the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. and its allies are becoming more assertive in their approach toward a rising China. China has bristled at… Read
Japan opposes Russia's plan for tariff-free zone on disputed isles
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Thursday he told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov during their talks in New York that Tokyo cannot accept Moscow's proposal to launch a tariff-free special economic zone on disputed islands. During their meeting, held on the fringes of the U.N. General Assembly sessions, Lavrov… Read
