deanzaZZR comments

Of course you reach out. It's the wise thing to do. Think of it as a trial balloon. Certainly Wang didn't think there would be an immediate positive response, but given the trajectory of this Trump administration, a wise country plays the medium and long-term game.

Any sound coming out of Zhongnanhai in Beijing?

蟋蟀

My point is that 60,000 tons of additional rice is all show and does not address the immediate need of Japanese consumers now paying close to twice what they did last year for Japan's national food, rice.

Do you care to address this very concrete issue?

My tax dollars are being spent on this crap? Give me a break.

@wallace Fascinating

Here's what DeepSeek said about reporting method in Japan.

"Clarifying Your Data:

7.2–7.3 million metric tons (2022–2023 estimates) refers to brown rice (milled), not unmilled paddy rice (momi)."

And next brown white rice conversion

"Typical Conversion Rate

90–92% yield:

100 kg of brown rice → 90–92 kg of white rice (8–10% weight loss during milling).

Example: Japan’s 2023 brown rice production of 7.3 million tons would yield ~6.6–6.7 million tons of white rice."

Applying the 90% factor we now have 6.48 million tons of white rice. So the marginal import of 60,000 tons from the USA represents an increase of less than 1%, so yay?

You are free to provide actual numbers if you are trying to make a point.

@wallace Wikipedia shows 10.3 million tons in 2022. So I did check with DeepSeek which says 7.3 million tons in 2023. Anyway, I will go with your lowest number, 6 million.

A marginal increase of 60,000 tons would be an increase in the rice supply of 1%, so yay?

Japan harvests more than 10,000,000 tons of rice.

This proposal would increase imports from the USA by 60,000 tons.

LOL

One proposal involves increasing the amount imported from the United States to around 410,000 tons from the current 350,000. Japan currently imports approximately 770,000 tons globally every year tariff-free, the sources said.

That's not going to happen. Your obsession with 4 large rocks in the East China sea populated by goats is commendable.

China doesn't stand a chance, unless it immediately announces recognition of the Senkakus as Japanese territory

Repeat after me, trade wars are good and easy to win.

More accurately Chinese customers will not purchase these imported models given the 125% tariff rate applied to all USA sourced products.

The company was forced earlier this month to stop taking orders from mainland customers for two models

Hegseth will be unceremoniously dumped late Friday. The news cycle will be saturated with the Pope's burial. Good riddance.

This jives with the US dollar getting hammered.

"US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a closed-door investor summit on Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s tariff war with China is unsustainable and that he expected the situation to de-escalate, Bloomberg News reported."

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3307508/us-treasury-chief-says-tariff-war-china-unsustainable-and-he-expects-it-ease?utm_source=rss_feed

The 90 countries in 90 days claim seems to be running well behind schedule even now, just out of the blocks so to say.

The base tariff currently is 10% with higher 25% tariffs on automobiles, steel and aluminum. Factor in 145% for Chinese products and inflation is quickly building.

If Trump does impose high tariffs

The Homeland Security Secretary cannot secure her handbag. You can't make this up.

Also, who walks around with $3,000 in cash unless you plan to purchase a cheap motorcycle or an expensive used computer, for example.

Trump stands firmly behind Hegseth until the late Friday afternoon firing. Just wait.

India of all countries getting preferential treatment is hilarious. Modi and the BBC are doing a good sales job, you have to admit.

@dbsaiya Somehow you forgot to add the large trade surpluses Japan has enjoyed with the USA for decades. Last year the trade surplus with the USA was a whopping $68 billion. This is the number simple brained Trump focuses on.

If it's your job and you represent the well-being of 120 million you sure as hell do and find the courage to make a firm handshake.

She's back! Spreading the same old lies.

Republic of China

People's Republic of China

One China, two different interpretations.

Chinese on both sides of The Strait are perfectly able to work it out peacefully. Former colonialists need not apply.

If he was a navy man I would say something about loose lips ...

What a clown.

I am not much of a hard liquor drinker but I did pick up a few bottles when Japanese whiskey was first gaining a reputation a decade or so ago and prices were more reasonable. Certainly a quality drink. Now I'll hit a bar in Haneda Airport when I am traveling that has a nice selection. Sadly they never have Hibiki 17 yo. (Lost in Translation)

@Mr. Kipling That the screed remains visible says plenty about moderation here.

That's a very wide paint brush you are using there as usual. Certainly it is not all flowers and bunny rabbits. Having weak institutions and legal systems is a problem for Africa. I find this a very balanced resource on the issue.

https://chinaglobalsouth.com/

My main point is that millions of Chinese are working alongside Africans on the continent. Can that be said for Americans or Japanese?

It's not a matter of being "weak" or "strong". Judges need to impartially base rulings on the Constitution and case law.

Sorry, Donald.

I have no experience with this sort of thing but those prices seem very inexpensive. It is sad that Japan has been brought to this because of 3 decades of stagnant growth.

Much Cold War mentality is reflected in the comments. Africa has a young and growing population and will be a huge economic growth engine if there is peace and stability.

China has worked together with Africans since the establishment of the PRC. See the Non-Aligned Movement. See China's opposition to SA's apartheid regime. Many young Africans had full-ride scholarships at the university I taught in Beijing. According to a recent China & Global South podcast there are now 3 million Chinese running small businesses such as manufacturing, dry goods and grocery stores in Africa providing vital services. This is China's strength on the continent.

Here's another executive order. With an inactive Congress, let's call it what it is, a monarchy.

Fortunately for California there are several large national marine sanctuaries. California's government plays a strong role in managing healthy populations of salmon and Dungeness crabs, for example. I do not seeing that changing anytime soon.

I imagine there could be plenty of overfishing in Alaska which will be a shame.

Did the shrine get as much as the "pocket money" Ishiba gave his staff?

@JboneInTheZone I will help by using simple language.

The American occupiers exercised sovereignty over Senkaku/Diaoyu following WW2, effectively handing it over to Japan in 1972.