Trump calls NYT report on U.S. intrusions into Russia power grid 'virtual act of treason'

Abstract: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has lashed out at The New York Times, saying it engaged in a “virtual act of treason” for a story that said the U.S. was ramping up its cyberintrusions into Russia’s power grid. The Times reported on Saturday that the U.S. has bored into Russian utility systems in an escalating campaign meant to deter future cyberactivity by Russia. It comes as the U.S. looks for new ways to punish Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election and prevent a recurrence. The Times, in its official public relations account, called Trump’s accusation “dangerous” and said it had told officials about the story before it was published and no security issues were raised. The newspaper, basing its reports on three months of interviews with current and former government officials, said this campaign was conducted under new cyberauthorities granted by Trump and Congress. But it also reported that two administration officials believed the president had not been briefed in detail, fearing he might countermand the action against Russia or reveal sensitive information to foreign officials. In a pair of tweets sent Saturday night, Trump asserted the story wasn’t true and denounced reporters as “cowards.” “Do you believe that the Failing New York Times just did a story stating that the United States is substantially increasing Cyber Attacks on Russia. This is a virtual act of Treason by a once great paper so desperate for a story, any story, even if bad for our Country,” he wrote. The story reported the deployment of American computer code into Russia’s grid and other targets to act as a deterrent. The newspaper also said the U.S. Cyber Command, part of the Department of Defense, has explored the possibility that Russia might try to initiate selective blackouts in key states to disrupt the 2020 election. In a second tweet, Trump added about the story: “ALSO, NOT TRUE! Anything goes with our Corrupt News Media today. They will do, or say, whatever it takes, with not even the slightest thought of consequence! These are true cowards and without doubt, THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!” The New York Times’ response also noted that the paper described the article to government officials before publication. “As our story notes, President Trump’s own national security officials said there were no concerns.” The paper said there was no evidence the U.S. had actually activated the cybertools.

russia
donald trump
new york times
utilities
media
u.s .
journalism
espionage
cyberattacks
2020 u.s. presidential election


With U.S. and China spending billions on defense, European air forces risk being left behind

Abstract: PARIS - As European leaders on Monday were preparing to formalize the launch of a next-generation combat jet, analysts warn the continent’s air forces are increasingly being outpaced by American and soon Chinese aerospace industries that are swimming in cash. French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the opening of the International Paris Air Show where the defense ministers of France, Germany and Spain will sign the cooperation framework for the Future Combat Air System. The new jet is part of a broader push to unify Europe’s military might and reduce its reliance on U.S. equipment, and the project will also include drones and cruise missiles. It will be spearheaded by Airbus and France’s Dassault Aviation, which aim to have the plane in the skies by 2040, and other nations might sign on as well. Yet the jet already has a rival on home turf — Britain’s Tempest stealth fighter project, which Italy and the Netherlands have also joined. And European defense spending still lags far behind the billions being spent in the U.S. as well as China, which has made no secret of wanting to bulk up its military muscle. European firms also face much bigger American rivals, underscored by the mega-merger of Raytheon and United Technologies announced earlier this month. “There’s an increasingly glaring imbalance between the way Europe is constructing its aeronautic, space and defense industry, and that way it’s happening in the two blocs that are challenging it, the United States and China,” said Philippe Plouvier at the Boston Consulting Group in Paris. U.S. President Donald Trump has further bolstered defense spending that should reach “an extremely high level this year, $700 billion compared with $200 billion in 2002,” Plouvier said. It has been a boon to industry leaders like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics, not to mention the future Raytheon-UTC. China has also been investing heavily, becoming the second-biggest defense spender last year with some $250 billion. By comparison, the five biggest European nations — Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Spain — spent a combined $200 billion last year, according to IHS Markit analysts. While European firms have also been consolidating, such as the purchase of Zodiac Aerospace by equipment maker Safran, in large part it is a response to dwindling commercial aircraft projects. Airbus, for example, has reined in its research and development ambitions in favor of incremental upgrades to its workhorse A320 passenger jets. “The prospect of fewer big projects is pushing firms to seek out new opportunities . . . to resist pricing pressures” and encouraging mergers and acquisitions, said Nicolas Beaugrand, an aviation expert at Alix Partners. But forging a heavyweight European competitor to U.S. defense giants has proven elusive. Airbus and BAE Systems tried a merger back in 2012 that would have created a massive firm with equally balanced commercial and defense operations, but opposition from Germany scuppered the deal. Then there is the threat of emerging Chinese competition. Even if China’s homegrown aerospace firms are a decade or more away from becoming a threat in the defense sectors, the long development cycles for new technologies mean European companies can’t afford to wait. Analysts point to another problem holding back European players: limited access to cash to finance the development of new technologies that will be key to ensuring the continent’s military deterrents. “When you compare Airbus, Safran or Thales to the big American players, you see that ours have stronger growth, maybe even bigger profits, but on the other hand they don’t generate lots of cash — they use all their cash to finance their growth,” Plouvier said. Airbus produces some $4 billion in free cash flow a year, while Boeing generates around $12 billion. The combination of Raytheon and UTC, bringing together missiles and electronics with Pratt & Whitney engines, will have sales of nearly $75 billion producing some $8 billion in cash flow. “If you don’t have the cash, you don’t modernize, which means less capacity to self-finance research or the digital transformation, so you’re not preparing correctly for the future,” Plouvier said. But European firms often have to accept low profit margins on defense projects, especially when EU nations wrangle over how much each should pay when projects go over budget — as is most often the case. With the A400M military transport plane, for example, Airbus had to negotiate with governments for two years before it could stop the program from hemorrhaging cash because of production difficulties. “You don’t see that in the U.S. All the programs go wildly over budget but the companies still get a profit margin of 15 percent,” Plouvier said. U.S. firms can also use the cash from military businesses to help lower the prices of their commercial aerospace equipment, putting further pressure on European rivals. “That means European players maintain their industrial base not from defense but from commercial aviation. We’re standing on just one foot, on our commercial industry,” Plouvier said.

china
europe
paris air show
future combat air system
airbus
u.s .
weapons
arms-makers
defense procurement


Philippines asks U.N. to make protection of sailors a priority after South China Sea boat collision

Abstract: MANILA - The Philippines has asked the United Nations to make protecting life at sea a priority after the collision this month between a Filipino fishing boat and a Chinese vessel in the South China Sea. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, in a post on his Twitter account, said he authorized the Philippine Embassy in London to make an “appeal” to the U.N. and its International Maritime Organization. He also posted a government statement to the IMO claiming the Filipino boat’s crew “were callously abandoned” and would have “perished” if it not for the assistance from a Vietnamese vessel. Any armed attack on Filipino vessels, or aircraft, would trigger U.S. obligations under the Mutual Defense Treaty, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said, the Philippine Star reported Sunday. Philippines Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has said he believes a Chinese militia ship was likely behind the ramming of the Filipino vessel in the disputed sea on June 9. The Philippines filed a diplomatic protest against China after it said the crew of a Chinese fishing boat sank a Filipino vessel carrying 22 fishermen in the South China Sea, an incident seen as potentially inflaming a dispute calmed by warm ties between the nations’ leaders. China has confirmed that a Chinese fishing vessel was involved in an incident with Filipino fishermen in South China Sea, but denied that it hit their boat and then abandoned them.

philippines
south china sea
china
international maritime organization
u.n .


With future economic payout in mind, ASEAN appears unwilling to get tough on North Korea

Abstract: BEIJING - In the year that has passed since the historic first U.S.-North Korea nuclear summit in Singapore, ASEAN countries have become unwilling to get tough on the hermit state, with some eyeing economic benefits from Pyongyang in the future. The 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have been trying to improve ties with North Korea as the risk of Pyongyang engaging in a military conflict with Washington declines, giving a boost to regional stability. A few companies in ASEAN are paying closer attention to North Korea’s economic potential and are exporting goods there to deepen ties, even though that would constitute a violation of U.N. Security Council sanctions resolutions. At their summit in Singapore on June 12 last year, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed that Washington would provide security guarantees to Pyongyang in return for “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula. But the two leaders fell short of a deal at their second summit in Hanoi from Feb. 27 to 28. The wide gap between Washington’s insistence on denuclearization and Pyongyang’s demand for sanctions relief proved insurmountable. With the denuclearization talks at a standstill for now, North Korea has resumed provocative actions against the United States, such as by firing what appeared to be short-range ballistic missiles in early May. Nevertheless, Trump, who some analysts say is eager to tout diplomatic results during his re-election campaign next year, continues to take a conciliatory approach toward North Korea, voicing hope to continue negotiations with Kim. Pyongyang also seems reluctant to break off talks with Washington to achieve its ultimate goals of obtaining security guarantees from the United States and revitalizing its stagnant economy. “After Trump and Kim met in Singapore, they have said that their personal relations remain good. We don’t expect that military tensions between the United States and North Korea will grow,” an ASEAN diplomat in Beijing said. “North Korea’s missiles and nuclear weapons are not a threat to us. What we are concerned about is whether a U.S.-North Korea clash would threaten security in our region,” the diplomat said. “If the possibility is remote, there is no reason for us to take a hard-line approach that would hurt relations with North Korea. ASEAN member states are seeking stable and neutral ties with the two Koreas.” Shawn Ho, an associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, echoed this view. “ASEAN member states believe it is important to remain neutral in their respective foreign policies,” Ho said. ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. All 10 have diplomatic ties with the North. North Korea’s relations with Indonesia and Vietnam sharply worsened in the wake of the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the leader’s estranged half-brother, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13, 2017. Two women from Indonesia and Vietnam were charged with killing Kim Jong Nam by smearing the deadly nerve agent VX on his face. They were released earlier this year. Since the case has “more or less been resolved,” Pyongyang’s ties with Jakarta and Hanoi “appear to be back to normal,” said Ho, an expert on the Korean Peninsula at the Singapore-based think tank. Malaysia’s relations with North Korea also deteriorated following the apparent assassination. Kuala Lumpur expelled the North’s ambassador, bringing down the curtain on over 40 years of cozy ties. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, however, recently said he is ready to mend ties with Pyongyang. Amid a thaw in ties, “Some businesspeople from various ASEAN member states are interested to explore business opportunities in the DPRK,” Ho said, using the acronym for the North’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. “At the moment, not much business can be done due to the sanctions,” Ho said, but ASEAN sources said there are enterprises in Southeast Asia that have exported goods to North Korea in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. “While we are making every effort to crack down on transactions against the resolutions, unfortunately we cannot say that no company in the ASEAN region is involved in business with North Korea,” one of the sources said. Citing a U.N. Panel of Exports report, the source also said that Singapore-based company T Specialist International and its partner firm, OCN, have been accused of exporting luxury goods to North Korea in the past few years. Japan, which is seriously worried about the North’s nuclear and missile blackmail, has pursued the full implementation of international economic sanctions to force Pyongyang to discard its weapons of mass destruction. “We should cooperate with ASEAN countries to address North Korea,” a Japanese government official said.

asean
north korea
donald trump
kim jong un
nuclear weapons


Trump to raise Hong Kong protests with Xi at G20, says Mike Pompeo

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump will discuss the mass protests in Hong Kong with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, at the upcoming G20 summit, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday. “I think we’ll get the opportunity to see President Xi in just a couple weeks now at the G20 summit. I’m sure this will be among the issues that they discuss,” Pompeo said in an interview with “Fox News Sunday.” “We see what’s happening, what’s unfolding in Hong Kong. We are watching the people of Hong Kong speak about the things they value,” Pompeo added. Trump said last week he hoped the protesters — who have taken to the streets to denounce a controversial extradition law — would “work it out” with China, while stopping short of condemning the legislation which has now been suspended. Pompeo insisted “the president has always been a vigorous defender of human rights” and said Trump’s imposition of widespread tariffs on Chinese goods as part of a trade dispute showed his willingness to confront Beijing. “For an awfully long time under Republican, Democrat presidents, we allowed China to take advantage of us on trade and in other ways. President Trump has pushed back very strongly against them.” This year’s G20 summit will be held in the Japanese city of Osaka from June 28-29.

hong kong
protests
g20
mike pompeo
donald trump
xi jinping
china
rights
osaka
hong kong extradition protests


Hong Kong police begin to clear streets of protesters after massive demonstrations

Abstract: HONG KONG - Hong Kong police and protesters faced off Monday as authorities began trying to clear the streets of a few hundred who remained near the city government headquarters after massive demonstrations that stretched deep into the night before. The police asked for cooperation in clearing the road but said the protesters could stay on the sidewalks. Protesters, many in masks and other gear to guard against possible use of tear gas, responded with chants, some kneeling in front of the officers. The move came after activists rejected an apology from the city’s top leader for her handling of legislation that has stoked fears of expanding control from Beijing in this former British colony. Groups of police, most in normal uniforms not riot gear, sought to clear the roads of metal and plastic barricades to enable traffic to pass through. In some places, the protesters quickly moved to put them back to block traffic. Hundreds of protesters were sitting or lying along a main road through downtown, but they were scattered over a relatively wide area. Activists called on Hong Kong residents to boycott classes and work, though it was unclear how many might heed that call. Nearly 2 million of the city’s 7 million people turned out on Sunday, according to estimates by protest organizers. Police said 338,000 were counted on the designated protest route in the “peak period” of the march. A week earlier as many as 1 million people demonstrated to voice their concern over Hong Kong’s relations with mainland China in one of the toughest tests of the territory’s special status since Beijing took control in a 1997 handover. The scenes were similar to those seen nearly five years earlier, when protesters camped for weeks in the streets to protest rules that prevented the direct election of the city’s chief executive, the top local official. One of the activists arrested after those demonstrations, Joshua Wong, was due to be released from prison Monday. He served half of a two-month jail sentence for contempt. After daybreak Monday, police announced that they want to clear the streets. Soon after, police lined up several officers deep and faced off against several hundred demonstrators on a street in central Hong Kong. The night before, as protesters reached the march’s end thousands gathered outside the city government headquarters and the office of Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who on Saturday suspended her effort to force passage of the bill. Hong Kong residents worry that allowing some suspects to be sent for trial in mainland China would be another of many steps chipping away at Hong Kong’s freedoms and legal autonomy. One concern is that the law might be used to send criminal suspects to China to potentially face vague political charges, possible torture and unfair trials. The protesters are demanding that Lam scrap the proposal for good and that she step down. Protesters are also angered over the forceful tactics by police use of tear gas, rubber bullets and other forceful measures as demonstrators broke through barricades outside the city government’s headquarters to quell unrest during demonstrations on Wednesday, and over Lam’s decision to call the clashes a riot. That worsens the potential legal consequences for those involved. In a statement issued late Sunday, Lam noted the demonstrations and said the government “understands that these views have been made out of love and care for Hong Kong.” “The chief executive apologizes to the people of Hong Kong for this and pledges to adopt a most sincere and humble attitude to accept criticisms and make improvements in serving the public,” it said. Not enough, said the pro-democracy activists. “This is a total insult to and fooling the people who took to the street!” the Civil Human Rights Front said in a statement. Protesters have mainly focused their anger on Lam, who had little choice but to carry through dictates issued by Beijing, where President Xi Jinping has enforced increasingly authoritarian rule. But some were skeptical that having Lam step down would help. “It doesn’t really matter because the next one would be just as evil,” said Kayley Fung, 27. Many here believe Hong Kong’s legal autonomy has been significantly diminished despite Beijing’s insistence that it is still honoring its promise, dubbed “one country, two systems,” that the territory can retain its own social, legal and political system for 50 years after the handover in 1997. After Lam announced she was suspending the legislation to avoid more violence and allow additional debate, Chinese government officials issued multiple statements backing that decision. Lam, however, made clear she was not withdrawing it. She has sidestepped questions over whether she should quit and also defended how the police dealt with last week’s clashes with demonstrators. Lam insists the extradition legislation is needed if Hong Kong is to uphold justice, meet its international obligations and not become a magnet for fugitives. The proposed bill would expand the scope of criminal suspect transfers to include Taiwan, Macau and mainland China. So far, China has been excluded from Hong Kong’s extradition agreements because of concerns over its judicial independence and human rights record. Prosecutions of activists, detentions without trial of five Hong Kong book publishers and the illegal seizure in Hong Kong by mainland agents of at least one mainland businessman are among moves in recent years that have unnerved many in the city.

hong kong
protests
joshua wong
carrie lam
hong kong extradition protests


Pakistan removes ISI spy agency chief after eight months and appoints hard-liner

Abstract: ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Sunday appointed a hard-liner general as new chief of the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency, replacing the agency’s current head, Lt. Gen. Asim Munir, after only eight months on the job. Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, a former senior ISI figure, was appointed director general of the agency, according to a statement by the military’s press wing, which did not explain the reshuffle. The army is arguably the most influential institution in Pakistan, with the military having ruled the country for nearly half of its 71-year history since independence from Britain and enjoying extensive powers even under civilian administrations. By turn, the head of the ISI occupies one of the most important posts in Pakistan. The agency has long been accused of supporting Islamist militants targeting neighbor and archfoe India as well as sheltering the Afghan Taliban and other militants. More recently, the ISI has been accused of muzzling the press, trying to skew last year’s elections and intensifying a crackdown against human rights groups, including the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement, an ethnic rights movement that the military accuses of being funded by neighboring countries. Activists allege a pattern of growing authoritarianism by the military, which they say has become even more influential since Prime Minister Imran Khan swept to power last year. The military denies harboring militants, intervening in politics or stifling dissent. The military’s backers also say Pakistan faces external threats from most of its neighbors, especially India, and is working within the law to defend the country. Hameed was seen to be hugely influential within ISI during his previous stint at the agency, according to analysts. He was one of the figures who brokered the Faizabad agreement in late 2017, when protesters blocked off roads into capital Islamabad, in an incident that further stoked civilian-military tensions. “He is very hard-line,” said Ayesha Siddiqa, an analyst who has also written a book about the military’s business empire, and has been a long-standing critic. “It’s a very hawkish decision. It means the military is not backing down, and it’s going to use more force.” The military did not explain why Munir, who was posted out to lead the Gujranwala Corps, was removed as ISI chief so soon into an expected three-year term.

pakistan
isi
asim munir
faiz hameed
espionage


Hong Kong protests a rare defeat for powerful Chinese president, analysts say

Abstract: BEIJING - China’s powerful President Xi Jinping has been dealt a rare setback with the suspension of unpopular legislation in Hong Kong following massive protests, but Beijing could bite back by tightening its grip on the semi-autonomous city, according to analysts. Hundreds of thousands of protesters returned to the streets of Hong Kong on Sunday, calling for the resignation of the territory’s pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam — even after she suspended a deeply unpopular bill that would have allowed extraditions to the mainland. Xi is not used to such challenges, having consolidated his power and tightened his grip on civil society on the mainland since taking office in 2012. But Hong Kongers defiantly demonstrated en masse in the past week against a bill that was seen as another sign of the Chinese Communist Party’s growing influence in the city, which should enjoy its own laws and certain liberties such as freedom of speech until 2047 under the terms of its handover from Britain to China in 1997. “It’s a massive repudiation of the idea that Hong Kong will be effectively, over time, fully absorbed into mainland China,” said Bill Bishop, publisher of the Sinocism China Newsletter. “The party under Xi has become more worrisome and that’s certainly a rejection of not just Xi but the party overall,” Bishop said. Beijing has sought to distance itself from the unrest, saying the bill was the brainchild of the Hong Kong government and portraying the violent demonstrations last week as a “riot” backed by foreign forces, while censors have worked to block discussion on social media. Experts say Lam would not have pushed the legislation without guidance from her backers on the mainland, and on Monday Beijing said it will “continue to firmly support” the beleaguered chief executive. But Xi himself has been physically distant: Away on a visit to Central Asia as protests turned violent on Wednesday, and returning on Sunday evening when hundreds of thousands flooded the streets again. “This is a defeat for Xi Jinping,” said Victoria Hui, a native Hong Konger and associate professor in political science at the University of Notre Dame in the United States. “People don’t believe that Carrie Lam would on her own accord try to rush through something that is not even in the Basic Law,” Hui said. The state-run China Daily said in an editorial that the bill was put on hold “so as to remove the excuse for the violence being instigated by those who do not have (Hong Kong’s) best interests at heart.” Xi cemented his status as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong when the rubber-stamp parliament abolished presidential term limits last year. But he has encountered a series of challenges since then, with analysts saying he is under pressure over the bruising trade war with the United States and a slowing economy. Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, said the extradition bill’s suspension showed that communist leaders “got scared” about the protest movement’s potential repercussions for the mainland. While Beijing will avoid an obvious harsh crackdown so as to not inflame tensions, it will still apply pressure in more subtle ways, according to analysts. “You will see a redoubling of efforts by the party to squeeze Hong Kong in ways that are not necessarily going to be totally obvious,” publisher Bishop said. The role of the Communist Party and its organizations will likely intensify in Hong Kong, he added. Authorities will likely adopt the same tactic used following the pro-democracy “Umbrella Movement” that shook the city in 2014 by arresting protest leaders, analysts said. “Xi must be very tough. He won’t give in easily,” said Beijing-based political analyst Hua Po, noting that the extradition bill was merely suspended, not dropped. Xi will “wait for the mood of Hong Kong citizens to gradually calm down and then punish a very small number of diehards,” Hua said. The diehards have proved resilient, however. One of the ringleaders of the Umbrella Movement, Joshua Wong, was released from prison Monday after serving a short sentence for his role — and immediately vowed to rejoin the new protest wave. Finally, Lam’s decision to suspend the legislation could also have been a tactical retreat, as Beijing prepares to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of People’s Republic of China on Oct. 1, Bishop said. “A big mess in Hong Kong would really mar that celebration,” he said.

hong kong
protests
china
xi jinping
rights
hong kong extradition protests


Durterte calls for calm over Chinese sinking of fishing boat

Abstract: Manila - The Philippine president has called for calm amid an outcry after a Chinese vessel hit a Philippine fishing boat, which sank and put 22 fishermen in danger in the disputed South China Sea. President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday the June 9 incident at Reed Bank was a “little maritime accident” between two vessels that should be investigated, and that China’s side should be heard. Duterte’s reaction contrasted with that of some of his own officials, including the defense chief, who strongly condemned the Chinese vessel for sailing away as the fishing boat sank at night. Philippine officials said a Vietnamese fishing vessel rescued the Filipinos, who were later brought home by a Philippine Navy ship.

philippines
south china sea
china
rodrigo duterte
maritime accidents


'Explosion' near China-North Korea border causes small quake, say authorities

Abstract: BEIJING - A “suspected explosion” near the China-North Korean border caused a small earthquake on Monday, Chinese seismology authorities said, less than an hour after news broke about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming trip to Pyongyang. According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the 1.3-magnitude earthquake with a zero meter depth occurred at 19:38 PM (1138 GMT) in Hunchun city in northeastern Jilin province. It was unclear what caused the explosion. In the past, nuclear tests by Pyongyang have caused tremors and mini quakes around the northern border China shares with North Korea. In September 2017, a test conducted at North Korea’s nuclear site at Punggye-ri under Mount Mantap triggered a 6.3-magnitude earthquake that was felt across China’s northern border. Chinese seismologists later concluded that Pyongyang’s main nuclear test site had partially collapsed, rendering it unusable, following the massive bomb blast, which the North claimed was a hydrogen bomb test. Experts later cast doubt on that claim, with Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of Strategic Studies commenting that there was “no evidence” that it was unusable. In January 2016, Chinese border residents in northern Jilin province were evacuated from buildings after feeling tremors from a North Korean nuclear test.


China's Xi to make first visit to North Korea as president on Thursday

Abstract: Chinese leader Xi Jinping will make his first visit to North Korea as president on Thursday, state-run media from both countries reported Monday, just over a week before Xi is due to meet U.S. leader Donald Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe separately on the sidelines of the Osaka Group of 20 summit. “At the invitation of Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and president of the People’s Republic of China, will pay a state visit to the DPRK from June 20 to 21,” the official Korean Central News Agency announced in a brief dispatch using the North’s formal name. Chinese state-run media also reported on the visit in what appeared to be a simultaneous announcement of the trip. Coming just ahead of the June 28-29 G20 summit, the visit has fueled speculation that Trump, who is also scheduled to visit South Korea following the G20, could meet Kim at the truce village of Panmunjom at the North-South border. Stalled denuclearization talks between the North and the U.S. are likely to be high on the agenda at talks between Xi and Kim. China, the North’s main benefactor, has urged the two sides to return to the negotiating table after a second Trump-Kim summit collapsed in late February without a deal due to major differences over the scope of North Korea’s denuclearization and potential sanctions relief by the U.S. The state visit will be Xi’s first since he took office in November 2012. The last time Xi visited China’s neighbor and ally was as vice president in June 2008, when he met with the North’s former leader and father of the current leader, Kim Jong Il, as well as other top officials.

china
north korea
xi jinping
donald trump
shinzo abe
kim jong un
g20
nuclear weapons
osaka g20


Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong vows to join protest movement after release from prison

Abstract: HONG KONG - Activist Joshua Wong, who has become the face of Hong Kong’s push for full democracy, walked free from prison on Monday and vowed to join a mass protest movement demanding that the city’s Beijing-backed leader, Carrie Lam, steps down. His release comes as a political crisis in the Chinese-ruled city enters its second week, amid growing uncertainty over the fate of Lam and an extradition bill she postponed at the weekend after it triggered one of the most violent protests in decades. “I will join to fight against this evil law,” said Wong, 22, one of the leaders of the 2014 “Umbrella” pro-democracy protests that blocked major roads in Hong Kong for 79 days. “I believe this is the time for her, Carrie Lam the liar, to step down.” The crisis escalated during Wong’s five-week jail term for contempt of court. Until this month, the failure of the protests to wrest concessions from Beijing, coupled with prosecutions of at least 100 protesters, had discouraged many young people from going back out on the streets. The upheaval comes at a delicate time for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is grappling with a deepening U.S. trade war, an ebbing economy and regional strategic tension. Many residents of Hong Kong are increasingly unnerved by Beijing’s tightening grip and what they see as the erosion of its freedoms, fearing that changes to the rule of law could imperil its status as a global financial centre. Hong Kong has been governed under a “one country, two systems” formula since its return to Beijing, allowing freedoms not granted to the mainland, but short of a fully democratic vote. Protest organizers said almost 2 million people turned out on Sunday to demand that Lam resign, in what is becoming the most significant challenge to China’s relationship with the territory since it was handed back by Britain 22 years ago. The mass rally, which police said drew 338,000 participants, forced Lam to apologize over her plans to push through the extradition bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland China to face trial. On Monday, protest organizers said they wanted Lam to withdraw the bill, release arrested students, drop the official description of Wednesday’s rally as a riot, and step down. Hong Kong opposition politicians echoed marchers’ calls for both Lam and the proposed law to go. “Her government cannot be an effective government, and will have much, much, much difficulties to carry on,” veteran Democratic Party legislator James To told government-funded broadcaster RTHK. “I believe the central people’s government will accept her resignation.” However, the official China Daily said Beijing’s leaders would continue to back Lam, as it lashed out at foreign “meddling” in the crisis. China’s support for Lam will “not waver, not in the face of street violence nor the ill-intentioned interventions of foreign governments,” the newspaper said in an editorial. While Lam delayed the bill, it has yet to be completely shelved. “We cannot accept her apology, it doesn’t remove all our threats,” said social worker Brian Chau, one of several hundred protesters who stayed overnight in the Admiralty district around the government headquarters and legislature. Some demonstrators cleared rubbish left after the vast, but peaceful, march while others sang “Hallelujah,” a gospel song that has become the unofficial anthem of protesters against Lam. The headquarters will stay closed on Monday, the government said. A group of uniformed police stood by without riot gear, in contrast to their appearance during recent skirmishes with protesters.

hong kong
joshua wong
china
hong kong extradition protests


Father of Japanese girl abducted from London to North Korea in 1983 receives letter from Trump

Abstract: KOBE - Akihiro Arimoto, whose daughter Keiko Arimoto was abducted to North Korea at the age of 23 while studying English in London in 1983, said Sunday he has received a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump. Arimoto, 90, had sent a letter to Trump ahead of his visit to Japan in May, during which the U.S. leader met with family members of abduction victims including Arimoto. “Akihiro — I am working hard for you. So is P.M. Abe,” the handwritten letter said, referring to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. “You will win. Great to see you!” the letter continued. Arimoto said the letter was handed to him by a government official. The meeting between Trump and the family members took place in Tokyo on May 27. Arimoto said he was impressed by the earnestness with which Trump listened to him. “I was moved to tears,” Arimoto said. “The letter has encouraged me. I am pinning great hopes on President Trump.”

abductions
north korea
akihiro arimoto
donald trump


Japan group launches website offering real-time predictions of disaster damage

Abstract: Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co., Yokohama National University and Aon Benfield Japan said Monday they have launched a free website that provides real-time predictions for the number of buildings at risk during natural disasters. They expect the cmap.dev website to help users, including local governments, quickly access information about disasters and swiftly establish a response plan. In the event of a natural disaster such as a typhoon, heavy rain or an earthquake, the website will estimate the number of damaged buildings in each city, town and village, using actual weather or seismic data. The forecasts will be updated every hour depending on weather conditions. The website can be accessed in Japanese and English.

disasters
aioi nissay dowa insurance
yokohama national university


Survey finds nearly 50% of Japanese think mandatory use of five days of paid leave is not enough

Abstract: Nearly half of respondents in a recent poll think that mandatory use of at least five paid leave days each year, a measure introduced in April under the working style reform law, still falls short of what is needed. The survey by Jiji Press showed that 48.6 percent of respondents said the number of paid holidays required to be taken is not enough, while 35.6 percent said the number is enough. A total of 15.8 percent said they were not sure. Under the law, which was enacted in June last year, companies are required to have employees who receive 10 days or more of paid holiday a year take at least five of those days during the year. With multiple answers allowed, 50.1 percent of respondents who thought the requirement was adequate said they were satisfied with the number of holidays currently available to them. A total of 44.1 percent said they were concerned about possible problems at work stemming from additional use of paid leave, 19.2 percent were worried about trouble that may be caused to their colleagues and 7.2 percent said they had nothing to do during holidays. The law will also introduce an equal-pay-for-equal-work system that bans unreasonable discrimination based on employment status. Large companies must adopt the system from April next year, and smaller businesses from April 2021. The survey showed that 36.2 percent support the system and 30.5 percent said they generally agree with it. By contrast, 7.4 percent said they oppose the system and 17.5 percent said they generally disagree with it. The interview-based survey was conducted for four days through May 13 and sought responses from 2,000 people aged 18 or over nationwide. Valid answers were provided by 62.8 percent. Meanwhile, an opinion poll by a Tokyo staff placement company has shown that some 80 percent of employees said their working conditions have not changed even after working style reform legislation came into effect in April. Workport Inc. conducted the online survey, mainly targeting registered users of its services, from mid-April to early May. Valid answers were provided by 280 respondents. Those who said the companies where they work have revised their work-related systems stood at 31.1 percent, while 42.9 percent said the opposite. Those who said they had no idea totaled 26.1 percent. Asked whether their own work styles have changed, 79.6 percent said no. Only 7.5 percent noted an improvement, while 12.9 percent reported deterioration. Some respondents said they had changed their methods to improve their working efficiency, while others said taking work home had become more frequent. The survey found that 37.9 percent were not satisfied with the work reform measures under the legislation at all, against 6.1 percent who were satisfied including those who were very satisfied.

surveys
paid leave
work style reform
workers
vacation


Japan Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya apologizes over errors in Aegis deployment survey

Abstract: AKITA - Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya apologized Monday to Akita Gov. Norihisa Satake for errors in the ministry’s geographical survey that was used to select the northeastern prefecture as a candidate for hosting a U.S.-developed missile defense system. “I deeply apologize. I have instructed (officials) to be thorough in preventing a recurrence,” Iwaya told Satake at the prefectural government building. The apology came a week after the Akita governor criticized the ministry’s erroneous survey in connection with the deployment of the land-based Aegis Ashore missile defense system, saying, “We are back to square one on this issue.” “I feel sad rather than disappointed,” Satake told Iwaya. “I would like the Defense Ministry to take this as setting out again from behind the starting line.” Iwaya said the ministry will conduct an on-site survey and consider using experts to correct the figures after numerical mistakes were found in the elevation angles of mountains in the geographical survey calculated based on map data from Google Earth. He also sought the governor’s understanding on the need to deploy the defense system, saying, “We believe Aegis Ashore is essential.” The ministry, which intends to deploy two interceptor batteries to counter the threat of North Korean missiles, has listed a Ground Self-Defense Force training area straddling Abu and Hagi in Yamaguchi Prefecture and another exercise area in the Araya district of Akita Prefecture as potential sites for the systems. Satake told reporters after the meeting that he cannot accept at this point the ministry’s explanation for its selection of the GSDF area in Akita as a potential site. The ministry has said the incorrect information was released after elevation angles of mountains were calculated based on figures measured by a ruler without noticing that the scales of maps used for checking height and distance were different. In the geographical survey released in May, it checked the elevation angles at nine out of 19 candidate locations in the Tohoku region for possible deployment. But angles for all of the nine locations came out steeper than the actual ones. Areas close to high mountains that block radio waves emitted by radar are said to be undesirable for the missile system. In the meeting with Iwaya, Satake expressed concern that the Araya district might have already been decided as a candidate site before the survey was conducted. Iwaya said during the meeting that the ministry was arranging to defer the booking of expenses related to the deployment, including for site preparation work, in its budgetary requests for the next fiscal year starting April. Budgetary requests are set to be submitted by ministries and agencies to the Finance Ministry in late August. Later the same day Akita Mayor Motomu Hozumi said it would likely take two or three years for the city to make a decision on whether to approve the Aegis Ashore deployment. In addition to the erroneous survey, an official at the ministry was caught nodding off when local residents were briefed earlier this month about the numerical mistakes, prompting some participants to demand an apology.

takeshi iwaya
akita
norihisa satake
aegis ashore
defense ministry
yamaguchi


NRA safety license for Sendai reactors legal, Fukuoka court finds, dismissing volcano risk lawsuit

Abstract: FUKUOKA - A district court said on Monday it found nothing illegal with a safety clearance granted to two reactors in Kyushu that were restarted after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis, dismissing a demand for a retraction filed by plaintiffs who said it ignored the risk of volcanic eruptions. The lawsuit was filed by 33 plaintiffs against a license authorizing design changes at reactors 1 and 2 at the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture under tougher post-Fukushima safety regulations. They were the first commercial reactors in the nation to be restarted after the crisis. The plaintiffs argued the Nuclear Regulation Authority gave the green light without sufficiently assessing the potential risk of eruptions at nearby Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture and four other volcanoes. In the first ruling of its kind, the Fukuoka District Court concluded the license issued was not illegal. “Japanese laws on nuclear power do not go so far as to require that regulators consider the impact of a catastrophic volcanic eruption that is impossible to predict and highly unlikely to occur,” Judge Moriharu Kurasawa said. But Kurasawa acknowledged there were “doubts” over the NRA’s standard for volcanic risk assessment, given no methodology exists for accurately assessing volcanic activity. Kyushu Electric Power Co. described the ruling as “appropriate,” but the plaintiffs, who came from 10 prefectures, said they might appeal. During the trial, authorities said that the rules were rational based on the latest analysis and that there was nothing wrong with the approval process. The plaintiffs argued it is difficult to predict exactly when an eruption could occur and how big it could be, and said current safety standards underestimate their impact. “It is regrettable,” plaintiff Ryoko Torihara, 70, of Kagoshima Prefecture said after the ruling. “The lessons of the nuclear accident have not been learned.” Another plaintiff said, “The frequency of a catastrophic eruption may be low, but it could happen tomorrow. I’m very disappointed that the ruling appears to be just following (what) the state (wants to do).” While the government is aiming to bring dozens of reactors back online after the triple reactor core meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 complex led to a nationwide suspension of nuclear power, a number of lawsuits have been filed to stop the drive. The two reactors at the Sendai plant were rebooted in August and October 2015, respectively, after the license was issued in September 2014. A suit demanding an injunction to halt them was rejected by the Kagoshima District Court in April 2015, a decision that was upheld by the Miyazaki branch of the Fukuoka High Court in April 2016. Volcanic hazards have been a major concern in regard to nuclear plant operations, with similar injunction requests filed elsewhere. The Hiroshima High Court in December 2017 halted the restart of the No. 3 unit at Shikoku Electric Power Co.’s Ikata plant in Ehime Prefecture with a provisional injunction, citing the potential hazard from Mount Aso, around 130 km away. But the court later accepted an appeal by the utility to reactivate it, saying worries over a volcanic eruption damaging the unit were “groundless.” In March 2018, the Saga District Court rejected a demand by residents to suspend the restart of two reactors at Kyushu Electric’s Genkai plant in Saga Prefecture due to the risk of a volcanic eruption in the region.

courts
volcanoes
sendai nuclear power plant
kagoshima
mount aso
kumamoto
kyushu electric
energy
earthquakes
nuclear energy


Rugby World Cup organizers tap traditional Japanese art for ticket designs

Abstract: Rugby World Cup 2019 organizers on Monday unveiled their ticket designs for matches for the tournament, bringing a traditional Japanese flavor to what will be Asia’s first-ever hosting of the event. Tickets for the Sept. 20-Nov. 2 tournament will feature rugby action scenes drawn in the style of musha-e, a Japanese art form that more typically portrays warriors in the heat of battle — often fighting against demons and mystical beings. The tickets will come in a wallet featuring the 2019 Rugby World Cup logo alongside traditional Japanese cloud motifs and a list of the eight previous winners. A reproduction of “Irises at Yatsuhashi,” a work by famous artist Ogata Korin painted around the year 1700 on a folding screen, will be printed on the inside of the wallet. Japan Rugby World Cup 2019 Organizing Committee CEO Akira Shimazu said onstage at the unveiling — held at Tokyo’s historic Meiji Memorial Hall — that around 1.4 million of the competition’s 1.8 million tickets have already been sold, with around a third being snapped up by fans overseas. Ticket delivery for the competition, which will feature 48 matches at 12 stadiums around Japan, is set to begin from late July. “These ticket designs are incredibly symbolic for Japanese people and something our international fans are sure to love,” said Shimazu. “They capture perfectly the way in which rugby is viewed here in Japan. The noble warrior, fighting with every inch of their body, mind and spirit, is a fitting comparison to the modern, elite rugby player. “These tickets, along with the specially designed ticket wallet, will make a fine memento for visitors to Rugby World Cup 2019 to treasure for years to come. The sense of excitement fans will feel upon receiving their tickets will only build as we count down the final days until kick-off of this groundbreaking, once-in-a-lifetime Rugby World Cup in Japan.” Japan will play Russia in the tournament’s opening game on Sept. 20 at the Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo. The final will be held at Yokohama’s Nissan Stadium on Nov. 2.

art
musha-e
ogata korin
rugy world cup 2019


Tokyo looking for chefs willing to forgo washoku profits for diplomatic outposts

Abstract: The Foreign Ministry is stepping up the recruitment of chefs to serve as “food diplomats” at Japan’s embassies and other diplomatic outposts abroad to add glamor to government receptions. But the availability of skilled chefs who can meet the daily needs of ambassadors and consuls-general, especially when it comes to washoku (Japanese cuisine), is shrinking amid a tourism boom that is fueling interest in Japanese food even as its popularity grows overseas. “Washoku is becoming a powerful diplomatic tool for Japan,” Foreign Minister Taro Kono said in a Diet speech in January. “In many countries, presidents and prime ministers willingly visit our diplomatic residences, making it important to retain excellent chefs at those venues.” A panel of business leaders, scholars and other advisers in the Foreign Ministry said in a report last August that Japanese diplomatic establishments are expected to “serve the best Japanese cuisine.” But compensation for state chefs is “not necessarily attractive in comparison with that of skillful washoku chefs working in Japan or in Japanese restaurants overseas,” the panel noted. Chefs who apply to work at diplomatic establishments abroad must register with the ministry. Registrations, however, dropped from around 100 a year to 82 in fiscal 2016, and 51 in fiscal 2017. Alarmed by the decline, the ministry plans to work with major hotels and restaurants to make cooking stints at diplomatic establishments a more common part of a chef’s career, a senior official said in the Diet in March. State chefs earn an average of ¥300,000 per month — a salary paid privately by the heads of the diplomatic outposts and partly by the government, which kicks in ¥170,000. Under the fiscal 2019 budget, the ministry will increase the subsidy by as much as ¥30,000, depending on the skill of the chef. In October, the ministry opened Twitter and Facebook accounts to publicize its chefs’ activities via social media and on its website. As of April, the ministry had attracted nearly 10,000 followers, drawn by photos of the chefs’ exquisitely prepared meals. Recent posts contain references to a meal served to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and dishes cooked up for a send-off party held for Cambodian students departing for Japan. In some cases, the work of state chefs has even improved Japan’s diplomatic ties. A soup developed by a chef at the Japanese Embassy in Manila, for example, has become so popular that Philippine Cabinet ministers occasionally drop by to enjoy it, according to the ministry. The Foreign Ministry will continue efforts to secure “key behind-the-scenes diplomats.”


Cabinet support rate falls to 47.6% amid controversy over pension provision, telephone poll shows

Abstract: The approval rate for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet has dipped to 47.6 percent, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday, down from 50.5 percent in the previous poll in mid-May, amid criticism over handling of a financial report that indicated flaws in Japan’s pension system. In the nationwide telephone poll conducted Saturday and Sunday, 53.2 percent approved of Abe’s recent visit to Iran, amid the country’s standoff with Washington over a 2015 deal that curtailed Tehran’s nuclear program, while 33.5 percent did not approve. Respondents in the weekend survey were reached via phone numbers randomly generated by computers. The survey contacted 741 voters on fixed phone lines, and 513 of them gave valid responses. Another 1,256 voters were reached by cellphone. Of these, 517 gave valid answers. The disapproval rating for the Cabinet stood at 38.1 percent, up from 36.2 percent in the May 18-19 survey. Abe is the first Japanese leader to visit Iran in 41 years. He held talks with President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday, hoping to broker dialogue between Tehran and Washington amid growing concern about possible inadvertent military clashes in the region. But Iran said Thursday it would not negotiate with the United States, rejecting Abe’s attempt to serve as a mediator. The survey also showed that 63.8 percent believe they cannot rely on Japan’s public pension system, following the government’s recent backpedaling over an estimate that stated a retired couple would find themselves with a shortfall of ¥20 million under the system if they live to be 95 years old. Only 28.2 percent viewed the pension system as reliable. The estimate was released this month by a panel under the Financial Services Agency and was supposed to be submitted to Finance Minister Taro Aso. But the government Tuesday decided not to endorse the report, with Aso saying it had caused “misunderstanding.” In the survey, 71.3 percent saw Aso’s refusal to accept the report as problematic, against 19.1 percent who did not. The report sparked criticism not only from opposition parties but also within Abe’s ruling coalition, amid concern the issue could affect the House of Councilors’ election, likely next month. The report had been compiled with the aim of encouraging the public to be more proactive in managing and investing their assets, as the country grapples with a graying society and declining workforce that have made it increasingly difficult to secure funds for the pension program, according to government officials. The government is scheduled to raise the consumption tax rate to 10 percent in October from the current 8 percent to cover swelling welfare costs. In the survey, 55.6 percent opposed the planned tax hike, while 39.5 percent approved. Asked about life after retirement, 74.3 percent said they felt anxious about finances, while 22.7 percent did not. Regarding the current state of the economy, 33.2 percent viewed it as deteriorating, 8.1 percent felt it was improving and 56.6 percent said it was unchanged.

pension
polls
shinzo abe
taro aso
donald trump


A year after stabbing, Japan's shinkansen wrestle with balance between safety and convenience

Abstract: A year after a knife attack on a bullet train left one passenger dead and two wounded, authorities and railways are trying to take steps — especially visible ones — to prevent similar crimes. Experts are calling to start baggage inspections at train stations, though railways remain reluctant to do so because of the congestion and inconvenience they would cause. The attack occurred on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line on June 9, 2018, when Ichiro Kojima allegedly attacked two women with a knife on the Nozomi 265 bound for Shin-Osaka Station from Tokyo and fatally stabbed Kotaro Umeda, 38, who tried to stop him. Kojima, now 23, was indicted in November and is awaiting trial. It wasn’t the first fatality on the vaunted shinkansen. In June 2015, a self-immolation aboard another Nozomi train killed a passenger who was sitting nearby. In the wake of the knife attack, Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Central) placed security guards on all shinkansen. “We want to further increase the number of security guards to reinforce security,” JR Central President Shin Kaneko said at a news conference last month, expressing hope that onboard patrols will act as a deterrent. Kaneko said guards had basically been deployed on all Tokaido bullet trains before June and that security will eventually be present for the duration of each run between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations in the future. The bullet trains are also stocked with first-aid kits, shields and sasumata , a two-pronged tool for subduing people that resembles a pitchfork. Because staff did a poor job of communicating during the stabbing last year, the railway installed a group calling system on smartphones that will allow the crew and the control center to speak simultaneously during emergencies. “We have repeatedly held drills and our ability to respond to emergencies is improving,” Kaneko said. The government has also taken measures to improve safety on trains. In December, the transport ministry revised an ordinance to ban the carrying of unpacked knives on trains. It then trialed an airport-style body scanner at Tokyo Metro Co.’s Kasumigaseki subway station in March to see how well it could see through commuters’ clothing. Train safety expert Seiji Abe, a professor at Kansai University’s Faculty of Societal Safety Sciences, said railways should just opt for baggage inspections. “Placing guards on shinkansen is better than doing nothing, but it is impossible cost-wise to have them in all of the cars,” Abe said. “The measures taken so far are mostly focused on how to cope with incidents after they occur,” he said. “Although passenger convenience might be sacrificed to some extent, railways should prepare to introduce baggage inspections.” In the meantime, efforts are being made to develop the technology to conduct baggage inspections in seconds. Anseen, a startup in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, that originated at Shizuoka University, is jointly developing a sensor with a subsidiary of East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) that can scan baggage and show the contents in mere seconds. “Baggage inspections at airports take about 10 seconds, but this technology will shorten the time to four seconds,” said Anseen President Akifumi Koike, 34. “Since it usually takes about two seconds to go through ticket gates at railway stations, four seconds probably won’t cause that much congestion,” Koike said. The firm plans to test the device at World Expo 2025 in Osaka and eventually aims to introduce it at bullet train stations. The Aichi Prefectural Police unit in charge of Nagoya Station — the largest bullet train stop in the Chubu region — has been on the lookout for suspicious people since the shinkansen stabbing last year. In October it conducted a drill with JR Central and the Nagoya Fire Department based on a scenario involving a knife-wielding man in a train. “It is important to cooperate with other organizations,” said Tetsuyuki Matsuda, vice head of the police unit. “We will prepare for contingencies by constantly staying in close contact with them.”

stabbings
shinkansen
bullet trains
ichiro kojima
transportation
police
rail


Abe to promote space debris measures at G20

Abstract: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that his government wants to promote Japan’s proposals on measures against space debris at international venues such as Group of 20 meetings. The proposals, put forward by the Liberal Democratic Party’s special committee on space and ocean development, call for the implementation of technical demonstrations to deal with the issue of space debris and the establishment of international rules. Abe received the proposals from members of the committee, including Chairman Takeo Kawamura, in a meeting at the prime minister’s office. In the meeting, Shinjiro Koizumi, head of the LDP working group on building a legislative framework for space debris, encouraged Abe to promote the proposals at the June 28-29 G20 summit in Osaka. “In this field, Japan can make a real contribution,” Koizumi said.


Japanese fathers spend more time playing with kids, but mothers want more: survey

Abstract: About half of all parents in Japan raising children think today’s young fathers spend more time playing with their kids than their own fathers did, according to a survey by an educational toy maker. Although the survey revealed that fathers are taking a more active part in child-rearing in Japan, most young mothers still want their husbands to spend more time playing with their children. The results of the survey by Bornelund Inc. are based on answers from 1,287 parents in their 30s whose children currently attend kindergarten or nursery school. In the survey, 42.2 percent of respondents said that fathers play with their children two to three days a week, followed by 24.2 percent who play with their children every day and 14.8 percent who play with their kids four to five days a week. In a question about changes in the amount of time young fathers spend playing with their children compared with their own childhoods, 50 percent of respondents said today’s young fathers spend more time with their children during the holidays, while 40.4 percent said the same about weekdays. Meanwhile, 86.9 percent of young mothers who responded to the survey said they want their husbands to spend more time playing with their children. While 58.6 percent of fathers said in the survey that they play with their children when their wives are busy, 73.5 percent of mothers said they want their husbands to play more with the children when they are busy. According to the survey, many mothers want their husbands to exercise or go out and experience nature with their children, saying that the fathers are more suitable for such activities. The survey showed that over 60 percent of mothers are not satisfied with the way their husbands play with their children, with some 80 percent citing the use of smartphones, among other things, while playing with their children as a reason for their dissatisfaction. While an increasing number of fathers are taking part in child-rearing, more and more mothers apparently want their husbands to improve the way they play with their kids instead of simply offering to help, an official of the toy maker said.

children
family planning
marriage
parenthood


Stabbing of Osaka police officer prompts stepped-up security ahead of G20 summit

Abstract: OSAKA - Police on Monday arrested a man suspected of stabbing a police officer multiple times in Osaka Prefecture the previous day and stealing his pistol, an incident that came just days before the prefecture hosts the Group of 20 summit set to be attended by several world leaders. Yujiro Iimori, 33, is alleged to have stabbed the officer, Suzunosuke Kose, 26, with a knife multiple times at a police box in the city of Suita, before fleeing the scene at around 5:40 a.m. on Sunday. He was carrying the gun when he was detained in the nearby city of Minoo, police said. Kose remains in critical condition. Iimori denied the charges, saying, “It is not something I have done,” according to police. “It is because my disease got worse and because the people around me became bitter.” He was carrying a mental disability certificate, investigators said. The violent incident comes as police step up security in the nearby city of Osaka, which will host next week’s Group of 20 summit. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday that he takes the incident seriously. “We will boost security as we are expecting the G20 summit next week,” he said, adding that the incident has left residents greatly concerned. While Osaka police officials are relieved that the suspect has been arrested, they remain troubled that a police officer had his weapon stolen ahead of the G20 summit, adding that identifying measures to stop similar incidents is an urgent task. Police departments across the country have been introducing new holsters designed to prevent officers from being disarmed. Since Kose was using an older-style holster, Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said he will ask the central government to allocate budget to replace such holsters with the new style as soon as possible. Iimori was put on a nationwide wanted list early Monday. The gun was loaded with five bullets when it was stolen, but only four were found in it when Iimori was arrested, police said. No injuries or damage has been reported since the gun was stolen but several people living near the police box where the incident occurred said they heard a sound like gunfire about 20 minutes after the attack. Police are investigating whether it was the sound of the gun being fired. Iimori was apprehended in a mountain forest in Minoo, north of Suita, at around 6:35 a.m. Monday, after images of a person resembling him were recorded on security cameras. When found by police, Iimori was lying on a wooden bench with a backpack under his head. The pistol was inside a plastic bag under the bench, according to police. Authorities had been contacted by Iimori’s father, who said the suspect shown in surveillance camera footage, released by police, appeared to be his son, investigative sources said. The father said his son had been living in Tokyo until shortly before the stabbing. A man resembling the person in the footage had stayed at a hotel in Suita on Friday, the sources added. Kose was apparently attacked after two fellow officers left the police box to respond to an emergency call reporting a break-in at a home. Police had received a call at around 5:30 a.m. from a man at a public pay phone at Kandaimae Station, claiming that his apartment had been ransacked by a burglar. Images from multiple security cameras taken immediately after the call showed a man running toward the police box. The two senior police officers rushed to the apartment on motorcycles, ahead of Kose. As Kose was preparing to follow the two at around 5:40 a.m., he was stabbed seven times with a 15-centimeter cooking knife. One of the stab wounds was to the left side of his chest. He is believed to have been attacked just as he climbed onto his motorcycle, not having had time to draw his gun to defend himself. The motorcycle was found overturned close to where Kose was found bleeding near the police box. The reported break-in later proved to be a false report. One of Kose’s stab wounds showed that the knife blade, which passed through a gap in his bulletproof vest, penetrated his lung and reached his heart, according to investigative sources. The suspect bought a jacket and a pair of trousers at an Aeon supermarket some 5 kilometers from the police box shortly after 9 a.m. Sunday, just after it had opened for the day. An employee at the supermarket made an emergency call to police after noticing that the customer’s hand was bloodstained. The stabbing shocked locals, forcing supermarkets and libraries to close and public events, including flea markets, to be canceled. Police had called on residents to lock their doors and refrain from venturing outside. Iimori, a resident of Shinagawa Ward in Tokyo, had been working part-time as a cleaner at a golf practice range in adjacent Ota Ward since November, according to his co-workers. His father works as an executive at Kansai Television Co. On June 10, he applied for leave, complaining of a mental health problem. Iimori initially planned to take three days off, but later told his boss that it would be difficult for him to go back to work before the end of June. On Saturday afternoon, Iimori telephoned his boss and said that he would likely be able to start working again around June 25. According to former classmates and a Facebook account believed to be his, Iimori graduated from Komazawa University in Tokyo after studying at elementary, junior high and high schools in Suita. Between April and September 2009 Iimori had worked as a seaman apprentice in the Maritime Self-Defense Force. During that time he worked aboard a destroyer but never handled pistols while on duty, according to a Defense Ministry source. In a statement, Takahisa Ishida, head of the Osaka Prefectural Police Department, said, “We apologize for the great worry we have caused local residents and appreciate the information that has been offered to investigators.” Some locals expressed relief following the arrest of the suspect.

stabbings
osaka
police
osaka prefecture
yujiro iimori
suzunosuke kose
suita
guns


Kurdish refugee released on bail after 17 months in detention reunites with family in Tokyo

Abstract: The tears of joy were impossible to contain Monday for the 8-year-old son of Kurdish asylum-seeker Mehmet Colak, who was released on the day after being detained for 17 months at Tokyo Regional Detention House. “I feel so splendid. There are so many things I want to tell my dad,” said his youngest son, whose name is being kept private by his mother for personal reasons. “I want to go to Disneyland. I want to go camping with my dad.” Colak, 39, arrived in Japan in 2004 after fleeing Turkey. He has filed for refugee status four times but all of those requests have been turned down, the most recent being declined Monday. To avoid remaining in Japan illegally, after a short-term visa he held initially on arrival in the country expired, he had applied for provisional release status. The status prohibited Colak from physically leaving Saitama Prefecture, where he had been living with his wife and three sons, but the family was able to remain in Japan. The provisional release program also does not allow asylum-seekers to work as they can under the temporary visas typically granted to those who have not seen a request for refugee status denied. Without an income, the family had been subsisting with help from relatives who are able to work legally in Japan. Then, on Jan. 11, 2018, his provisional release status, which needed to be renewed every two months, was suddenly revoked without explanation. Colak was immediately taken into custody by immigration officials. During his detention he developed significant health problems, including chest pains and severe migraines. In March, his condition deteriorated suddenly and he began to suffer convulsions. But staff at the immigration detention facility in the capital’s Minato Ward refused to send him to a hospital and turned back two ambulances that his family had called in desperation. The detention center’s reluctance to allow him access to medical care beyond the facility attracted considerable public attention. Japan’s detention policy is no stranger to criticism, having been condemned as notoriously callous in its handling of such matters and subject to considerable international criticism. A report published in 2013 by the United Nations Committee Against Torture stated that Japan should “ensure that the detention of asylum-seekers is only used as a last resort, when necessary, for as short a period as possible,” and that it should “introduce a maximum period of detention pending deportation.” Colak’s release was sudden and unexpected, and no reasons have been given for the move. His lawyer, Takeshi Ohashi, said that immigration officials stated there were several reasons for the decision, but that they could not be disclosed. As a condition for his release, the family paid a ¥100,000 bail. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard that he would be released. This 17-month period without my husband has been the hardest time for our kids and me,” said his wife. “One of my kids started sleepwalking, searching for his father in the kitchen, and I had to tell him that his dad is not here.” Colak declined to hold a news conference Monday on his discharge from the detention facility due to fatigue. But speaking briefly, he expressed gratitude to his supporters — including the more than 5,000 people who signed a petition calling for his release. “Thank you so much for the support … please continue (supporting us),” he said.

refugees
turkey
ethnicity
foreign workers
kurdistan
tokyo detention house


Trump still hangs tariff threat over Mexico despite deal

Abstract: STERLINE, VIRGINIA - President Donald Trump on Sunday dangled renewing his tariff threat on Mexico if the U.S. ally doesn’t cooperate on border issues, as Democratic challengers criticized a deal reached to avert the tariffs as overblown. In a series of tweets sent before departing for his golf club in Virginia, Trump defended the deal heading off the 5 percent tax on all Mexican goods that he had threatened to impose Monday, but warned Mexico that, “if for some unknown reason” cooperation fails, “we can always go back to our previous, very profitable, position of Tariffs.” Still, he said he didn’t believe that would be necessary. The tweets came amid questions about just how much of the deal — announced with great fanfare Friday — was really new. It included a commitment from Mexico, for instance, to deploy its new National Guard to the country’s southern border with Guatemala. Mexico, however, had already intended to do that before Trump’s latest threat and had made that clear to U.S. officials. The U.S. also hailed Mexico’s agreement to embrace the expansion of a program implemented earlier this year under which some asylum-seekers are returned to Mexico as they wait out their cases. But U.S. officials had already been working to expand the program, which has already led to the return of about 10,000 to Mexico, without Mexico’s public embrace. “The president has completely overblown what he reports to have achieved. These are agreements that Mexico had already made, in some cases months ago,” said Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, speaking on ABC’s “This Week.” “They might have accelerated the time table, but by and large the president achieved nothing except to jeopardize the most important trading relationship that the United States of America has.” Another 2020 candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, chastised Trump for using tariffs as a threat and operating a “trade policy based on tweets.” “I think what the world is tired of and what I am tired of is a president who consistently goes to war, verbal war with our allies, whether it is Mexico, whether it is Canada,” he said. But acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, speaking on “Fox News Sunday” insisted “all of it is new,” including the agreement to dispatch around 6,000 National Guard troops — a move Mexico has described as an “acceleration.” “This is the first time we’ve heard anything like this kind of number of law enforcement being deployed in Mexico to address migration, not just at the southern border but also on the transportation routes to the northern border and in coordinated patrols in key areas along our southwest border,” he said, adding that “people can disagree with the tactics” but that “Mexico came to the table with real proposals” that will be effective, if implemented. Trump echoed the same in his tweets, insisting the deal was being misrepresented. “We have been trying to get some of these Border Actions for a long time, as have other administrations, but were not able to get them, or get them in full, until our signed agreement with Mexico,” he wrote. “Mexico was not being cooperative on the Border in things we had, or didn’t have, and now I have full confidence, especially after speaking to their President yesterday, that they will be very cooperative and want to get the job properly done.” He also teased the idea that more was agreed to than was announced Friday, saying that “some things” and “one in particular” that had been left out of the release but would be “announced at the appropriate time.” He could have been referring to discussion about Mexico becoming a “safe third country,” which would make it harder for asylum-seekers who pass through the country to claim refuge in the U.S. The idea, which Mexico has long opposed, was discussed during negotiations. But Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard has said Mexico did not agree to it.

tariffs
mexico
donald trump
u.s .
immigration
refugees


American Airlines cancels 737 Max flights through Sept. 3

Abstract: WASHINGTON - American Airlines has canceled all scheduled flights with Boeing 737 Max jets through Sept. 3, extending the grounding of its fleet after two crashes involving the same aircraft model killed 346 people. The airline had previously canceled all 737 Max flights through August 19 as it awaited recertification of the aircraft in the wake of the crashes. In a statement, it said it “remains confident that impending software updates to the Boeing 737 MAX, along with the new training elements Boeing is developing in coordination with our union partners, will lead to recertification of the aircraft soon.” The extension means that American Airlines will have canceled 115 flights since grounding its 14 737 Max aircraft. It said it extended the time frame to allow its clients and crews “to more reliably plan their upcoming travel.” The crashes of a Lion Air 737 Max in Indonesia in October 2018 and of an Ethiopian Airlines jet of the same model in March brought to light malfunctions in the plane’s MCAS anti-stall system. Boeing is working to submit a modified version of the aircraft’s software and hopes to get the approval of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and its counterparts throughout the world. Revelations of close ties between Boeing and the FAA in fielding the Max led to a crisis of confidence among the public and airline pilots as well as some of the other agencies that regulate civil aviation.

american airlines
airlines
737 max
boeing
mcas
aviation
air accidents


G20 ministers end Tsukuba meet with pledge to seek reform of World Trade Organization

Abstract: TSUKUBA, IBARAKI PREF. - Ministers from the Group of 20 major economies wrapped up a two-day meeting on trade and the digital economy on Sunday with a joint statement pledging to pursue an overhaul of the World Trade Organization. “We will work constructively with other WTO members to undertake necessary WTO reform with a sense of urgency,” the statement said. Hiroshige Seko, minister of economy, trade and industry, said that it is significant that specifics concerning WTO reform were included in a G20 ministerial statement for the first time. Improving the organization’s system for resolving disputes was one of the issues raised at the meeting in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture. “We agree that action is necessary regarding the functioning of the dispute settlement system consistent with the rules as negotiated by the WTO members,” the statement said. Foreign Minister Taro Kono said it was a “big feat” for Japan, which places importance on this issue, that the need to address the system was explicitly mentioned in the statement. Tokyo argues that the organization’s appellate body, which makes final judgments, does not effectively settle disputes and has called for change. The body dealt Japan a setback earlier this year when it overturned an earlier decision against South Korea’s ban on imports — introduced in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster — of some fish products from Japan. Seko also noted that G20 representatives confirmed the need to work on resolving trade frictions. The statement, however, did not contain a vow to fight protectionism, which up until last year had been a long-standing collective stance of G20 nations. The chairs’ statement, which was released alongside the communique, noted “many ministers expressed serious concerns about the current tensions surrounding trade.” The ministers did confirm they would strive to realize “a free, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent, predictable and stable trade and investment environment to keep our markets open,” the joint statement said. During Saturday’s sessions, which focused on the digital economy, the G20 ministers agreed on guiding principles for using artificial intelligence and backed the free flow of data based on trust, a vision pushed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The G20 leaders’ summit will be held in Osaka on June 28 and 29.


Chile, citing its own track record in trade, aims to build consensus at G20, APEC meetings

Abstract: TSUKUBA, IBARAKI PREF. - As the United States and China exchange barbs amid a trade war that could drag the global economy into turmoil, a South American country with a solid record in trade engagement is ready to step up to soften the tension, a top Chilean trade official said. Rodrigo Yanez, Chile’s vice minister of trade, told The Japan Times in an interview that his country can demonstrate its leadership at global conferences by building consensus on the importance of trade, as well as on the issue of an effective trade dispute settlement mechanism. He was visiting the city of Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture this past weekend to attend the Group of 20 trade and digital economy ministers meeting. Chile is not part of the G20, but it is among the countries invited to this year’s summit. In November, the country will host the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in its capital city Santiago. “We need to send clear signals to the world of commitment, coordination and goodwill when it comes to successfully addressing and surpassing these tensions and differences,” he said Saturday. “Because our citizens demand so. The stability of growth demands so.” With 26 trade agreements with 64 markets under its belt, the South American country has openly embraced trade. Chile is known as a primary exporter of minerals such as copper and food products including processed salmon. Exports, Yanez said, make up 57 percent of the county’s gross domestic product. Yanez warned that ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions have already had repercussions on the Chilean economy and will hamper its outlook. China and the United States are Chile’s first and second trading partners, respectively. Exports have gone down by 15 percent in the past few months as a direct consequence of the trade dispute, he said. “The level of uncertainty is impacting global growth projections and certainly impacting the price of commodities such as copper,” he said. Chile has shown leadership in the crafting of multilateral trade deals, with a 2006 trade pact between Chile, New Zealand, Singapore and Brunei evolving into the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. Even though the U.S. initially signed the deal under the Obama administration, which would have made it the largest trade deal in the world, U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the country early in his presidency. Spectators say the move symbolized the U.S. retreat from multilateralism in pursuit of protectionist measures encapsulated in his “America First” doctrine. The U.S. since then has opted for bilateral, “reciprocal” trade agreements. Despite the setback, the remaining countries held tight and crafted a successor known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP-11. The trade agreement — covering 13 percent of worldwide trade — went into effect last December. The Chilean vice trade minister expects Chile will fully ratify the TPP-11 “in the next few months” as it is under deliberation in the country’s Senate. Asked about the direction multilateral trade is heading, Yanez said it is heading toward a “pragmatic, ‘plurilateral’ approach” involving fewer countries, something he described as “the second-best solution.” “We are seeing that in the ongoing negotiations, for instance, in e-commerce and others,” he said. While Chile would like to see multilateral-based solutions, “that seems difficult.” During the interview he touched on calls for reforming the World Trade Organization, one of the agendas to be discussed at the G20 summit at the end of the month in Osaka. Some countries have criticized its trade dispute settlement framework as being dysfunctional and ill-equipped to deal with new issues such as digital trade. Yanez said 21 APEC signatories are united on trade facilitation agreement reform, but there are other issues that have yet to be agreed upon. Last year’s APEC summit in Papua New Guinea ended in disarray, with China and the United States colliding head-to-head over trade disagreements with heated rhetoric. Yanez, however, shared his optimistic view that this year might be different, emphasizing that both countries were working toward reaching an agreement at the APEC trade ministers meeting last month. “It was a concern. It is a concern. It will be a concern throughout the year,” he said regarding the fear that this year’s APEC would turn into a battlefield between them. “But what we’ve seen so far among us, in the APEC discussions, is on (a) much more positive tone than last year.” Regarding Japan-Chile relations, Yanez said both countries have long political and commercial ties marked by mutual trust. Chilean exports to Japan grew by 22.4 percent between 2016 and 2017, according to the Japan External Trade Organization. “For us the future of Chile-Japan relations is extremely important and it is also a pillar of our Asia-Pacific projection,” he said.


Japan's January-March GDP upgraded but weak consumption still a concern

Abstract: Economic growth was revised upward to an annualized real 2.2 percent in the January-March period thanks to an upswing in capital expenditure in the nonmanufacturing sector, government data showed Monday, though analysts continued to emphasize the risk of a downturn due to sluggish personal consumption. The data released by the Cabinet Office, revising growth up from the preliminary estimate of a 2.1 percent expansion, did not change analysts’ view that the rise in GDP was due to a technical factor, with imports declining faster than exports and consequently pushing up real GDP. In the three-month period, exports dropped 2.4 percent and imports sank 4.6 percent, as in the initial reading. As a result, net exports — exports minus imports — pushed up GDP by 0.4 percentage point. The government maintains that the world’s third-largest economy is recovering moderately despite an uncertain global outlook amid growing trade tensions between China and the United States. The result was largely in line with the average forecast for 2.0 percent growth by private-sector economists polled by Kyodo News. The data came ahead of a planned hike of the consumption tax in October from 8 percent to 10 percent, a move that could dampen consumer spending. The government has said it will go ahead with the tax increase unless the Japanese economy faces a shock on the scale of the global financial crisis triggered by the 2008 collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. Koya Miyamae, a senior economist at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc., said that the possibility of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government postponing the tax increase appears to have decreased further given the latest January-March GDP data. But he said Abe’s decision is likely be a political one ahead of the House of Councilors election expected in July, suggesting the prime minister could view announcing a postponement as a way to boost the ruling coalition’s prospects in the vote. “Perhaps it is wrong to link (possible) postponement of the consumption tax increase to the assessment of economy,” Miyamae said. The growth in real GDP, the total value of goods and services produced in the country adjusted for inflation, corresponds to a 0.6 percent increase from the previous quarter. Capital expenditure rose 0.3 percent from the previous quarter, improving from the preliminary reading of a 0.3 percent fall, due to stronger spending in the wholesale, retail and services sectors. “(Capital spending in) the manufacturing sector remained sluggish amid concerns of Chinese economic slowdown,” a Cabinet Office official told reporters. Private consumption, which accounts for more than half of the economy, dipped 0.1 percent, unchanged from the initial reading. Many analysts believe the economy was not as strong as the GDP numbers show and that overall capital spending and personal consumption remained sluggish, posing a downturn risk to the Japanese economy. In nominal terms, or unadjusted for price changes, Japan’s economy grew an annualized 3.4 percent, revised up from 3.3 percent. On a quarterly basis, nominal GDP rose 0.8 percent, the same pace as the preliminary reading. The upward revision for the January-March period led to real GDP growth in fiscal 2018 being upgraded to 0.7 percent from 0.6 percent.

gdp
economic growth
cabinet office
japanese economy


Japan's current account surplus in April shrank amid weak exports to China

Abstract: Japan’s current account surplus declined for the second straight month in April to ¥1.71 trillion ($15.7 billion), due partly to sluggish exports to China, government data showed Monday. The surplus in the current account, one of the widest gauges of international trade, marked the 58th consecutive month of black ink, but decreased 9.5 percent from a year earlier. Among key components, the country posted a goods trade deficit of ¥98.2 billion, the first red ink since January, with exports falling 3.7 percent from a year before to ¥6.39 trillion, according to a preliminary report released by the Finance Ministry. “Exports to China including semiconductor manufacturing devices sharply fell in the reporting month” against the backdrop of a slowdown in the Chinese economy amid trade tensions between the United States and China, a ministry official said. Imports rose 6.9 percent to ¥6.49 trillion, as a rise in crude oil prices pushed up the cost of energy imports. Primary income, which reflects returns on overseas investments, logged a surplus of ¥2.13 trillion, up 9.6 percent, as overseas investments by companies increased solidly, the ministry official said. Service trade, which includes cargo shipping and passenger transportation, registered a deficit of ¥312.7 billion, down from ¥442.3 billion the previous year. The travel surplus stood at ¥256.4 billion, almost unchanged from a year earlier, while inbound tourists in April rose 0.9 percent to 2.93 million.

current account
trade
economic indicators


G20 finance chiefs in Fukuoka warn 'intensified' trade dispute could damage global growth

Abstract: FUKUOKA - Amid growing concerns due to escalating tensions over trade, Group of 20 finance ministers ended their two-day meeting in Fukuoka with a shared message: Trade friction is a downside risk for the global economy. While the G20 didn’t fully revert to its traditionally tough stance on protectionism, Japan, as the chair country, has done its part to balance various countries’ conflicting interests, including over trade and digital tax issues, two experts interviewed by The Japan Times said. The communique issued after the two-day meeting in the city of Fukuoka stated that the world economy will likely gain momentum “moderately” later this year — but that risks linger. “Most importantly, trade and geopolitical tensions have intensified. We will continue to address these risks, and stand ready to take further action,” it said. In the past, meetings of G20 finance chiefs have served as a forum for finance leaders to voice their opposition to protectionism. But such language disappeared from the communique starting with the 2017 meeting in light of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy. A senior Finance Ministry official said whether to include the phrase to oppose protectionism was not discussed at all during the session, while Japan had no plans to include it from the beginning. Asked if Japan wanted to include a more urgent message, the official declined to comment. However, the official admitted that it took time to come up with the wording regarding trade. At the Buenos Aires G20 finance chiefs meeting last July, they addressed “heightened trade and geopolitical tensions” as a downside risk. Although the hard stance on protectionism was not mentioned, “I think it was good enough that the communique touched on the trade issue” under the current situation, said Hideki Matsumura, senior economist at the Japan Research Institute. Also, in an apparent attempt to ease trade tensions, Japan made the issue of global current account imbalances one of the main themes of the meeting in order to stress that the trade balance is not the only contributing factor. “At least, this is not something that you can easily resolve through discussing just the trade aspect or making only bilateral efforts,” Finance Minister Taro Aso said during a news conference held after the session on Sunday. The current account of a country covers not only the balance of trade and services but also profits from investments. In general, a higher level of savings contributes to a current account surplus, while a current account deficit is related to high investment. The communique said macroeconomic policies and structural reforms appropriate to each country’s situation are necessary to correct any imbalances. “It seems that Japan has done everything it could on this matter at this point, as it is impossible to include language (in the statement) that directly criticizes the United States,” Matsumura said. But the Fukuoka statement lacked specifics of what to do if the global economy actually takes a hit, Matsumura said. The G20 members have agreed to use “all policy tools,” such as flexible fiscal policies and structural reforms to counter any downside risks. Yet many countries have already taken easy monetary policies, so the central banks can do only a little to sustain the economy, and it’s unclear how big of a fiscal stimulus package the G20 members can afford, Matsumura said. Apart from trade, the creation of new digital tax rules was a hot topic at the Fukuoka meeting. The finance chiefs endorsed an OECD proposal that would change traditional tax practices based on the physical location of companies’ offices so multinational technology firms, such as Google and Facebook, which earn income through cross-border intangible products, could be taxed in a fairer way. The OECD aims to provide outlines for a “consensus-based” solution by January and compile a final version in 2020. Saudi Arabia is the G20 chair country next year but it does not have enough know-how to coordinate these kinds of international tax rules, so Japan’s role in getting the G20 members on the same page was significant, said Takero Doi, a professor at Keio University and well-versed in tax issues. “The January timeline indicates that they are trying to put things together as much as possible while Japan is the chair country,” said Doi, adding that Japan has the ability to act as a go-between when there are disagreements among other nations. The OECD has come up with three proposals for the new rule to allocate taxable profit for countries by taking into account users’ engagement, intangible assets such as data and brands, or economic presence rather than physical presence. Still, whether it will be able to achieve the timeline remains unclear, as it says the target is “extremely ambitious given the need to revisit fundamental aspects of the international tax system.”

g20
fukuoka
trade
taxes
trade war
digital economy