Politics
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Aso urges G20 to renew commitment against protectionism
Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso on Thursday urged the Group of 20 major economies to renew their commitment to cooperation in the face of rising protectionism. Speaking at the G20 meeting of deputy finance ministers and deputy central bank governors before the finance leaders' meetings under Japan's chair later this… Read
BOJ warns Japan faces new risks as population shrinks
Japan faces unforeseen risks in guiding economic policy as its population of about 126 million ages and declines, the governor of its central bank said Thursday. Bank of Japan Gov Haruhiko Kuroda told fellow financial leaders at a G20 symposiumThursday that policies must be devised to prevent the shrinking population… Read
Lavrov asks why Japan only country in world that can't accept results of World War II
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that Moscow and Tokyo are still "far from being partners" despite renewed efforts to resolve a decades-old conflict over disputed islands. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are to meet in Moscow next week for talks on The four… Read
Japan's defense chief calls for space, cyber cooperation with U.S.
Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya and U.S. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan agreed Wednesday to cooperate in new domains of warfare like outer space and cyberspace in a veiled response to China's quest for military supremacy in such areas. Iwaya and Shanahan also affirmed full enforcement of U.N. sanctions on… Read
Ex-PM Noda forms new opposition group in lower house
Former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda formed a new in-house group in the lower house on Wednesday with six other lawmakers, vowing to serve as a bridge between the two major opposition parties ahead of the upper house election in summer. "We have to take a toll on the Liberal Democratic… Read
Merkel, Abe, other leaders to attend Davos forum as Trump sits out
World Economic Forum executives say Germany's Angela Merkel, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Shinzo Abe of Japan will be among dozens of heads of state and government attending its annual Davos event. Forum executives offered a preview Tuesday of the Jan 22-26 gathering of political, business, cultural, academic and other elites,… Read
S Korea says Japan showed no definitive proof of radar lock-on
The South Korean Defense Ministry on Tuesday said Japan failed in talks the previous day to provide definitive evidence backing its claim that that a South Korean warship locked its radar on a Japanese plane. Speaking at a news briefing, ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun Soo also said that in Monday's… Read
Gov't, ruling bloc look to convene regular Diet session on Jan 28
The government and the ruling bloc are seeking to convene a regular Diet session on Jan 28 to end the session before Japan hosts the Group of 20 summit in late June, sources close to the matter said Tuesday. Under the schedule, the 150-day regulation session will begin after Prime… Read
Moscow says Japan must recognize all Kurils as Russian
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday after meeting his Japanese counterpart that Tokyo must recognize Moscow's sovereignty over all of the disputed south Kuril islands in order for peace talks to continue. The two diplomats met for the first time since leaders of Japan and Russia agreed last year… Read
S Korea, Japan remain at odds over radar lock-on row
The defense authorities of South Korea and Japan remained at odds on Monday over an alleged radar lock-on incident involving a Japanese patrol plane and a South Korean warship that has chilled already frosty ties between the two countries. Both sides said after the working-level talks in Singapore that they… Read
