U.K. faces final Brexit showdown in Parliament at start of June

Abstract: LONDON - Theresa May has set a date for her final Brexit showdown, promising to bring her deal back to Parliament at the start of June. Talks with the opposition Labour Party haven’t yielded an agreement, but she is hoping members of Parliament, stung by voter revolts, will back her in order to end a process that is tearing both main parties apart. “It’s time for Parliament to make a decision,” Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay told the BBC. “The country needs to move forward. Business needs to have certainty.” In reality, May has run out of options. She opened talks with Labour seven weeks ago, arguing that nothing else had worked. Her Conservative Party was furious. But the talks didn’t deliver a breakthrough, and it was never clear that they could deliver a majority. The next stage of May’s plan, as it was announced in April, was moving to a series of indicative votes if the talks failed. That appears to have been shelved. Instead, in the week of June 3, while U.S. President Donald Trump is in the U.K., she will put before Parliament the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB), which would write her deal into law. The government said this is “imperative” if the bill is to pass before Parliament goes on vacation in July. Treacherous terrain The WAB has been repeatedly postponed since last year as May has tried to find a majority in Parliament for her deal. She has failed three times to get the House of Commons to support it. Some Conservatives, and her allies in Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, oppose it because of the “Irish backstop” section dealing with Northern Ireland’s border. If the bill is defeated, May can’t bring it back again without ending this parliamentary session and starting a new one. This would require a review of her party’s agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party, under which the DUP backs the Conservatives on confidence and budget votes. It would also raise the prospect of defeat on votes on the government’s legislative program. In reality, it would almost certainly mean a new prime minister. Even May, who has survived so many bruising defeats, would struggle to argue she should stay on as Conservative leader if her deal is voted down. Opposition stand May set out her plan to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in an hourlong meeting in Parliament on Tuesday evening. He told her that Labour wouldn’t back the bill without a formal agreement, according to a person familiar with their discussions. According to a Labour statement, Corbyn “raised doubts over the credibility of government commitments, following statements by Conservative MPs and Cabinet ministers seeking to replace the prime minister.” The government promised to bring back more proposals Wednesday, Labour said. It is very hard to see how the bill will pass without Labour support. The last time May asked Parliament to approve her deal, on March 29, it rejected it by 344 votes to 286. On that occasion, even though key Brexit supporters, including Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, gave in and voted with the prime minister, 34 other Conservatives still voted against. It was this intransigence that led her to begin talks with Labour. ‘Default legal position’ May’s only hope is that the results of next week’s European elections are so bad that Conservative and Labour MPs decide they need to get Brexit done. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Tuesday expressed the hope that the likely victory of Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party, which wants to leave the EU without a deal, would shock his colleagues into line. But because many of them want the same thing as Farage, it is actually likelier to harden their resolve. The Democratic Unionist Party, whose 10 MPs prop up May’s minority government, made clear that it wasn’t shifting position. “What has changed?” asked its Westminster leader, Nigel Dodds. “Unless she can demonstrate something new that addresses the problem of the backstop, then it is highly likely her deal will go down to defeat once again.” Labour MPs might also see reason to move. Brexit is tearing them apart, too, and they failed to benefit from the Conservatives’ woes during the recent local elections, instead losing seats. There were faint signs of hope for May on Tuesday evening. Labour’s Lucy Powell sent a tweet that suggested she wanted Labour to back a deal: “The most likely outcome without the cross party consensus is ‘no deal.’ That’s the default legal position for October and is a dead cert with a new Tory PM.” But for many Labour MPs, the defeat of May’s deal, and her removal and a replacement with a leader who has little more chance of getting anything through Parliament, is a necessary step toward the fresh referendum that they want in order to reverse Brexit. And for Corbyn, it is a step toward a general election that could see him running the country.

eu
u.k .
brexit
theresa may
jeremy corbyn


Venezuelan security services block opposition lawmakers from legislature

Abstract: CARACAS - Venezuelan security forces blocked opposition lawmakers from entering the National Assembly Tuesday, ramping up pressure on supporters of Juan Guaido two weeks after his failed uprising against President Nicolas Maduro. Deputies said members of the National Guard, who provide security for the building, along with police and SEBIN intelligence agents blocked access to the opposition-controlled National Assembly. The move came as Amnesty International said it believes the Venezuelan authorities have committed crimes against humanity in their crackdown on anti-government protests, and urged the International Criminal Court to investigate. “SEBIN agents, using the excuse that there’s an explosive device within the facilities, took over the federal palace. We’re surrounded by intelligence agents,” lawmaker Manuela Bolivar told AFP. Opposition leader Juan Guaido tried to incite an uprising against Maduro on April 30 but only around 30 members of the armed forces joined him, and the revolt quickly petered out. It did however spark two days of deadly clashes between protesters and security forces. Since then, the Maduro regime has ramped up pressure on Guaido’s allies and supporters. Deputy parliament speaker Edgar Zambrano was arrested by SEBIN agents last week and stands accused of “treason, conspiracy and civil rebellion.” He is one of 14 opposition lawmakers — the latest four on Tuesday — charged by the regime-dominated Supreme Court over the failed rebellion and branded as traitors. One of the 10, Luis Florido, fled to neighboring Colombia while three other lawmakers sought refuge in diplomatic facilities. Guaido — the National Assembly president — has accused Maduro of trying to dismantle the legislature. “They’re trying to hold the legislative power hostage while the dictator entrenches himself alone in a palace where he shouldn’t be,” Guaido said on Twitter. He has previously accused the socialist leader of terrorism for his heavy-handed response to demonstrations. Amnesty said Maduro’s government responded with “a systematic and widespread policy of repression” in late January, when anti-government protests swept the country after Guaido declared himself acting president. The London-based rights group said at least 47 people were killed during the protests from Jan. 21 to 25. At least 33 were shot dead by the security forces, and six by government supporters. “Eleven of these deaths were extrajudicial executions,” said Erika Guevara, Americas director for Amnesty International, who presented a report in Mexico City, following February’s fact-finding mission to Venezuela. Some Maduro opponents were tortured while 900 people, including children, were arbitrarily detained, Amnesty said. “The nature of the attacks … the level of coordination by the security forces, as well as the signs of similar patterns in 2014 and 2017, leads Amnesty International to believe that the Venezuelan authorities committed crimes against humanity.” Maduro himself “knew about these public and appalling acts and took no measures to either prevent or investigate them,” Amnesty added in its statement. Guaido’s declaration that he is the country’s legitimate acting president, which has been supported by more than 50 countries, plunged Venezuela into a political crisis. It came about after the National Assembly branded Maduro a usurper over his controversial re-election last year in polls widely regarded as fraudulent. The oil-rich, cash-poor country has been stricken by recession and a humanitarian crisis in which almost a quarter of its 30 million population is in urgent need of aid, according to the United Nations. The U.N. also says that more than 2.7 million people have fled the country since 2015. Those remaining behind face shortages of basic necessities such as food and medicines, and failing public services including water, electricity and transport. From early Tuesday, the security services cordoned off the building housing the National Assembly. Bullet-proof vehicles and a tow truck were parked in the surrounding streets. “This is a recurring theme. It’s not the first time it’s happened,” said Bolivar, who claimed this was part of “a policy to weaken the Assembly” and “intimidation” related to the power struggle between Guaido and Maduro, who retains the support of the armed forces. The National Guard previously reported finding explosives when congress opened for the year on Jan. 5. “Whether it’s in a square, in the annex buildings, under a bridge, the Assembly will sit and there will be a session,” said congressman Luis Stefanelli.

rights
venezuela
elections
nicolas maduro
juan guaido


Amid Persian Gulf tensions, unclear threats raise risks of miscalculation and conflict

Abstract: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Murky claims of sabotage to oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. A drone attack on a pipeline in Saudi Arabia. A U.S. aircraft carrier strike group steaming toward an unspecified threat. The events roiling the Persian Gulf in recent days have the potential to affect everything from the price of a gallon of gas to the fate of nations. And for those feeling confused by it all, don’t worry: Everyone else seems to be puzzled too, raising the possibility of a miscalculation. Just as what sparked the rapid series of events remains unclear; so does the reason for the White House deploying warships and B-52 bombers to the region. Days later, Iran marked the anniversary of President Donald Trump withdrawing the U.S. from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers by announcing it also would begin backing away from the accord. It set a 60-day deadline for Europe to offer it a better deal before it would begin enriching uranium to higher levels that the West fears could allow it to obtain atomic bombs. On Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Iraq said the State Department had ordered all nonessential, nonemergency government staff members to leave the country right away amid escalating tensions with Iran. “We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended, really, on either side but ends with some kind of conflict,” British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said recently. The main threat Hunt referred to was any confrontation between the U.S. and Iran. This has been brewing ever since Trump, who campaigned on tearing up Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal, came to office. After pulling out of the deal last year, the U.S. began a maximalist pressure campaign against Iran. It re-imposed sanctions. It created new ones, for the first time naming a part of a country’s armed forces a terrorist organization and squeezing Iran by threatening sanctions on any nation importing its crude oil.For a year, Iran negotiated with European signatories to the deal to find a way to allow it to continue its trading. Those efforts have yet to bear fruit. Meanwhile, Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton — who once gave paid speeches to an Iranian exile group promising that Iran’s government would be overthrown — issued the statement announcing the aircraft carrier would be deployed. The deployment sends “a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force,” Bolton said. Iran announced May 8 it would back away from the nuclear deal. Four days later, on Sunday, everything suddenly changed. A pro-Iran Lebanese satellite channel falsely claimed the Emirati port of Fujairah was ablaze after explosions — reports quickly carried by Iranian state media and semi-official outlets. Hours later, the United Arab Emirates issued a vague statement alleging four ships “were subjected to sabotage operations.” By Monday, it was clear something had happened. One of the four oil tankers affected, a Norwegian-flagged ship, clearly had a hole punched through its hull. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the other three did as well. But Emirati and U.S. officials refused to speak on record to journalists. Satellite images obtained by The Associated Press later showed no visible major damage to the vessels, which included two Saudi tankers and an Emirati vessel. On Tuesday, there still were no clear answers — but many questions. Where did the Lebanese channel get its information about the explosions? What damaged the ships? And why won’t anyone identify suspects involved in the alleged sabotage? Suspicion, but not publicly verifiable evidence, has fallen on nearby Iran. The Shiite power has an incredibly tense relationship with Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Trump told reporters he would “absolutely” be willing to send troops to the Middle East but has not planned for that and hopefully won’t have to plan for that. In Tehran, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, cautioned: “Neither we, nor them, is seeking war. They know that it is not to their benefit.” Still, Iran has been threatening to close off the Strait of Hormuz if it can’t sell its own oil on the global market. The strait is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil traded at sea passes. Additionally, over 30 percent of the world’s liquefied natural gas trade also travels through it. The UAE is developing Fujairah with an eye to possibly avoid having to send crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz. Now, suddenly, Fujairah is a target. On Tuesday, a pipeline in Saudi Arabia that allows it to likewise avoid the strait became a target as well. Yemen’s Houthi rebels, with whom Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been fighting a bloody war since March 2015, launched a drone attack on the east-west pipeline, which carries nearly 5 million barrels of crude oil a day to the Red Sea. The kingdom shut down the pipeline in response, causing a spike in global oil prices. Such attacks routinely cause higher global oil prices, which mean profits for producers and higher prices for consumers. But threats to the global oil market in the Persian Gulf also have been a U.S. national security priority since 1980. The U.S. fought the Gulf War in 1991 to push Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s forces out of Kuwait, a major OPEC member. That war gave birth to the vast network of military bases the U.S. now has around the Persian Gulf, bases that Iran regards warily as the USS Abraham Lincoln heads toward the Strait of Hormuz. B-52 bombers from Louisiana already are flying missions in the region. “Iran could actually view some of this as being a potential buildup for some type of offensive action,” said Becca Wasser, a Washington-based RAND Corp. analyst specializing in Persian Gulf security. “It raises the risk of accidental escalation. Because the U.S. and Iran don’t have clear lines of communication at the moment, everything can be perceived in a very different light than one side is intending.” She added, “Something that would usually be a smaller issue could bloom into something much larger and much-more serious.”


Facebook restricts Live feature, citing New Zealand shooting

Abstract: SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook Inc. said on Tuesday it was tightening rules around its livestreaming feature ahead of a meeting of world leaders aimed at curbing online violence in the aftermath of a massacre in New Zealand. A lone gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in the city of Christchurch on March 15 while livestreaming the attacks on Facebook. It was New Zealand’s worst peacetime shooting and spurred calls for tech companies to do more to combat extremism on their services. Facebook said in a statement it was introducing a “one-strike” policy for use of Facebook Live, temporarily restricting access for people who have faced disciplinary action for breaking the company’s most serious rules anywhere on its site. First-time offenders will be suspended from using Live for set periods of time, the company said. It is also broadening the range of offenses that will qualify for one-strike suspensions. “Following the horrific recent terrorist attacks in New Zealand, we’ve been reviewing what more we can do to limit our services from being used to cause harm or spread hate,” Guy Rosen, Facebook’s vice president of integrity, said in a statement. He added that technical innovation is needed to get ahead of the kind of “adversarial media manipulation” seen after the New Zealand mosque massacre, such as users modifying videos in order to slip past filters. “One of the challenges we faced in the days after the attack was a proliferation of many different variants of the video of the attack,” Rosen said. “People — not always intentionally — shared edited versions of the video which made it hard for our systems to detect.” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the change addressed a key component of an initiative, known as the “Christchurch Call,” she is spearheading to halt the spread of violence online. “Facebook’s decision to put limits on live streaming is a good first step to restrict the application being used as a tool for terrorists, and shows the Christchurch Call is being acted on,” she said in an email from her spokesman. Facebook did not specify which offenses were eligible for the one-strike policy or how long suspensions would last, but a spokeswoman said it would not have been possible for the shooter to use Live on his account under the new rules. The company said it plans to extend the restrictions to other areas over coming weeks, beginning with preventing the same people from creating ads on Facebook. It also said it would fund research at three universities on techniques to detect manipulated media, which Facebook’s systems struggled to spot in the aftermath of the attack. Ardern said the research was welcome and that edited and manipulated videos of the March 15 mosque shootings had been slow to be removed, resulting in many, including herself, seeing it played in Facebook feeds. Facebook has said it removed 1.5 million videos globally that contained footage of the attack in the first 24 hours after it occurred. It said in a blog post in late March that it had identified more than 900 different versions of the video. Ardern is due to lead a meeting, with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday, that seeks to have world leaders and chiefs of tech companies sign a pledge to eliminate violent content online. “There is a lot more work to do, but I am pleased Facebook have taken additional steps today alongside the Call and look forward to a long term collaboration to make social media safer by removing terrorist content from it,” she said. In an opinion piece in the New York Times on Saturday, Ardern said the “Christchurch Call” would be a voluntary framework that commits signatories to put in place specific measures to prevent the uploading of terrorist content. Ardern has not made specific demands of social media companies in connection with the pledge, but has called for them “to prevent the use of livestreaming as a tool for broadcasting terrorist attacks.”

violence
new zealand
social media
facebook
jacinda ardern


Yemen's Houthi rebels hand over security of key Hodeida port to 'coast guard': U.N.

Abstract: HODEIDA, YEMEN - Yemen’s Houthi rebels have handed over security of key Red Sea ports to the “coast guard” but much work remains to remove military equipment, the U.N. said Tuesday. The rebel pullback is part of a hard-won truce agreement struck in Sweden in December between Yemen’s Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Houthis. But the government has accused the insurgents of merely handing over the ports to their own forces in different uniforms. The U.N. said Sunday it had been monitoring the withdrawal of the Houthi rebels from the Hodeida, Saleef and Ras Issa terminals. A U.N. team was there on Tuesday to verify the redeployment. Its head, Gen. Michael Lollesgaard, welcomed the handover “of the security of the ports to the coast guard,” according to a U.N. statement. “There is still a lot of work to be done on the removal of the manifestations, but cooperation has been very good. “U.N. teams will continue to monitor these initial steps in an impartial and transparent manner.” Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote on Twitter that the rebels “have completed their commitment in implementing the first phase of redeployment. The city’s port serves as a lifeline for millions in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country, which has been pushed to the brink of famine by more than four years of devastating war. Last year’s deal was hailed as a breakthrough that offered the best chance so far of ending the war in Yemen, where a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is fighting on the government’s side. The agreement stipulates a full cease-fire, followed by a withdrawal of rival forces from the city of Hodeida and its surroundings. But although the violence has largely stopped in Hodeida, there have been intermittent clashes and the promised redeployment of the warring parties away from the front lines has failed to materialize. Lollesgaard said Yemen’s warring parties were continuing to express their commitment to the truce deal. “Full implementation of this agreement is critical for returning peace and stability to Yemen, and ensuring effective humanitarian access into the country where million continue to be in need of life-saving assistance,” he said. The Yemen conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since the Saudi-led military coalition intervened in support of the beleaguered government in March 2015, according to the World Health Organization. The fighting has triggered what the United Nations describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with 3.3 million people still displaced and 24.1 million — more than two-thirds of the population — in need of aid. The U.N. Security Council is due to hear a briefing on Hodeida on Wednesday amid increased Gulf tensions following a Houthi-claimed drone attack on two pumping stations on a major pipeline. The attacks were “a response to the aggressors continuing to commit genocide” against the Yemeni people,” Abdulsalam tweeted. The 1,200-km (750-mile) pipeline reportedly hit on Tuesday serves as an alternative for Saudi crude exports if the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf were to be closed. Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait in case of a military confrontation with the United States. The reported pipeline attacks came after the UAE said four ships, including the two Saudi oil tankers, were damaged in “sabotage attacks” off the emirate of Fujairah, close to the Hormuz, on Sunday. Saudi Arabia said its two tankers suffered “significant damage” but there was no oil spill.


Trump denies planning to deploy 120,000 troops to counter Iran threat

Abstract: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Monday rejected a report that he is considering sending 120,000 troops to counter Iran, but didn’t rule out deploying “a hell of a lot more” soldiers in the future. “I think it’s fake news,” Trump said of a New York Times report that the White House is considering a plan to send 120,000 troops to the region as part of a tightening pressure campaign against the Iranian government. “Now, would I do that? Absolutely. But we have not planned for that,” Trump told reporters. “Hopefully we’re not going to have to plan for that. If we did that, we’d send a hell of a lot more troops than that.” The Pentagon has already dispatched an aircraft carrier and nuclear-capable bomber planes to the region in the last few days. According to the Times report, the 120,0000 troops under consideration would not be used to invade Iran, something that planners say would require much bigger numbers. But such a huge deployment would reverse Trump’s push throughout his presidency to reduce the U.S. military presence abroad and to wind down what he says have been failed wars in the region. Despite that stance, his government has taken an increasingly hard line with Iran, a longtime foe of the United States and key U.S. allies Israel and Saudi Arabia.


U.S., France, Norway to join probe into attack on tankers anchored off UAE port

Abstract: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Three Western countries will be part of an investigation into mysterious “sabotage attacks” on ships in the Gulf, an Emirati official said on Tuesday. The official, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the United States, France and Norway were involved in the investigation along with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The official said the investigation into Sunday’s incident was launched with the support of the Western experts. The ships — including two Saudi oil tankers, an Emirati ship and the Norwegian tanker Andrea Victory — were docked in the sea off the coast of Fujairah, the official added. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE gave details on the nature of the attacks or accused anyone of responsibility. Fujairah port is the only Emirati terminal located on the Arabian Sea coast, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, through which most Gulf oil exports pass. Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait in case of a military confrontation with the United States. The United States has already strengthened its military presence in the region, including deploying a number of strategic B-52 bombers in response to alleged Iranian threats. Shiite-majority Iran rivals Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia for influence in the Middle East, with the two taking opposing sides in multiple regional conflicts, including in Yemen. On Tuesday, drone attacks claimed by Iran-aligned Yemen rebels shut down one of Saudi Arabia’s major oil pipelines, further ratcheting up Gulf tensions after the sabotage of the ships. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude exporter and OPEC kingpin, said two pumping stations had been targeted early Tuesday. Houthi rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote on Twitter that the attacks were “a response to the aggressors continuing to commit genocide” against the Yemeni people. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in the Yemen war to bolster the internationally recognized government’s efforts against the Houthis in March 2015.

conflict
france
u.s .
yemen
saudi arabia
iran
norway
uae


China's Xi says 'no clash' of civilizations amid U.S. trade war in wake of controversial State Department comments

Abstract: BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping declared Wednesday there was “no clash” of civilizations and denounced racial supremacy as “stupid” amid tensions with the United States and concerns over Beijing’s rising global power. His remarks came after a top-level U.S. official last month described the rivalry between China and the U.S. as “a fight with a really different civilization and a different ideology.” Kiron Skinner, the director of policy planning at the U.S. State Department, put it in racial terms, telling a security forum that China was the first U.S. “great power competitor that is not Caucasian.” “Thinking that one’s own race and culture are superior, and insisting on transforming or even replacing other civilizations is stupid in its understanding and disastrous in practice,” Xi said at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations in Beijing. “There is no clash between different civilizations, (we) just need to have the eye to appreciate the beauty in all civilizations,” he added, without mentioning the United States. Xi’s speech comes less than a week after trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing took a turn for the worse, with the U.S. hiking tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese merchandise and targeting duties on $300 billion more. On Monday, China retaliated with an announcement that it would raise tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods from June 1. The two countries are locked in a battle for global influence, with diplomatic and economic tensions ranging from U.S. military aid to self-ruled Taiwan to criticism of Beijing’s “Belt and Road” global infrastructure program. China’s rising influence has also raised alarm bells in Asia, especially as it continues to assert its vast territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea and East China Sea. Last month, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte warned Beijing to back off from a Manila-held island in the South China Sea, threatening possible military action if Beijing “touched” the island. In his speech Xi also called for unity among Asian nations, saying that “Asian people look forward to an open and integrated Asia.” “We hope that all countries will jointly build an Asian community of shared future … for humanity,” while adhering to the spirit of openness, promoting trade and utilizing financial resources, Xi said. “It is unwise to try to transform other civilizations, thinking its own civilization is superior,” Xi added, in an apparent jab at the United States under President Donald Trump, which has urged China to change political and business practices Washington considers unfair. “On the foundation of the brilliant achievements obtained by our ancestors, we will … strive to continue writing the new glory of Asian civilizations,” he said.

china
u.s .
xi jinping
donald trump
trade war


In Philippine elections, last bastion of opposition appears to fall to Duterte allies

Abstract: MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies appear to have overwhelming leads in elections for the Philippine Senate, one of the opposition’s last bulwarks against a brash populist leader accused of massive human rights violations. Preliminary results, comprising 94 percent of returns from Monday’s midterm elections, showed at least eight candidates endorsed by Duterte were leading in races for 12 seats in the 24-member Senate. Official Commission on Election results are expected to be declared in about a week. Only four of the 12 incumbent senators consider themselves members of the opposition. Those leading include Duterte’s former national police chief, Ronald dela Rosa, who enforced the president’s crackdown on illegal drugs, a campaign that left thousands of suspects dead and drew international condemnation. Monday’s vote is seen as a gauge of public support for Duterte, who is midway through the single six-year term Philippine presidents are allowed under the constitution. His drug crackdown, unorthodox leadership style, combative and sexist joke-laden outbursts, and contentious embrace of China have been the hallmarks of his presidency. Duterte’s three children were also expected to win races for mayor, vice mayor and a congressional seat representing their southern home region of Davao city. The 74-year-old maverick leader first carved a reputation as an extra-tough mayor of the city who hunted drug addicts and criminals on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and carried the nickname “Duterte Harry'” after the gun-slinging Clint Eastwood film character. “Undoubtedly, the Duterte magic spelled the difference,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a news conference. “The overwhelming majority of the electorate have responded to the call of the president to support those whom he said would help pass laws supportive of his goal to uplift the masses of our people and give them comfortable lives.” Manila-based analyst Ronald Holmes, however, said that except for dela Rosa and Duterte’s longtime aide Bong Go, who entered politics for the first time without their own established bases of support, other leading administration senatorial contenders earned votes based on their own political track records. The flip side of Duterte’s perceived endorsement strength was the weakness of the opposition ticket and its campaign, said Holmes, who heads Pulse Asia, an independent pollster that predicted the dominance of Duterte’s senatorial bets. Another analyst, Richard Heydarian, said many Filipinos seem more open to authoritarianism due to failures of past liberal leaders from long-established political clans. Such a mindset has helped the family of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos make a political comeback — the latest through the senatorial bid of one of his daughters, Imee Marcos, who was endorsed by Duterte and whose vote tally in unofficial results indicated a victory. Duterte, who has shown little tolerance for critics, especially those who question his drug campaign, aimed for stronger leverage in the traditionally more independent Senate to bolster his legislative agenda. That includes the return of the death penalty, lowering the age for criminal liability below the current 15, and revising the 1987 constitution primarily to allow a shift to a federal form of government — a proposal some critics fear may be a cover to remove term limits. Last year, opposition senators moved to block proposed bills they feared would undermine civil liberties. The handful of incumbent opposition senators whose seats were not up for election could potentially get backing from leading independent aspirants to veto Duterte’s emerging majority in the upper chamber. At least seven senators are needed to block any proposal by Duterte’s camp to revise the constitution, which was passed with anti-dictatorial safeguards in 1987, a year after Marcos was ousted by an army-backed “people power” revolt. “While we expect dissent to continue, we hope that that same be demonstrated with fairness and within the bounds of the law, as well as with deference to the leaders duly chosen by the electorate,” Panelo said. Aside from the drug killings, protests and criticism have also focused on Duterte’s gutter language and what nationalists say is a policy of appeasement toward China that may undermine Philippine territorial claims in the South China Sea. Opposition aspirants consider the Senate the last bastion of checks and balances given the solid dominance of Duterte’s loyalists in the lower House of Representatives. Voters in Monday’s elections made their choices for 18,000 congressional and local posts, including 81 governors, 1,634 mayors and more than 13,500 city and town councilors in 81 provinces. In the Manila metropolis, younger mayoral candidates defeated three long-entrenched political clan leaders, including former President and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, who lost to Isko Moreno Domagoso, also a former movie actor. The elections were relatively untroubled, despite pockets of violence in southern Mindanao region, which is under martial law as government forces hunt down Islamic State group-linked militants and communist insurgents.


Outback farmers lead the charge as climate heats up Australia election

Abstract: BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - As Australians head to the polls this week after the country’s hottest-ever summer, Outback farmers — walloped by epic fires, floods and heat waves — are leading the fight against climate change and making it one of the election’s key issues. With one of the world’s worst pollution records per capita and a prime minister who paraded a lump of coal through Parliament, no one would mistake Australia for a progressive ecological haven. But after a prolonged drought, raging bush fires and “once-in-a-century” floods, many Australians now fear the country is ill-equipped to tackle climate change. The northeast battleground state of Queensland bore the brunt of the summer’s extreme climate conditions and is ground zero for changing Outback attitudes. Insurer AIG estimated that between 2007 and 2016 natural disasters cost the state roughly 11 billion Australian dollars a year ($12 billion), with the bill only increasing since then. Slash and burn When Simon Gedda’s family took over a farm about two-hour drive from Rockhampton, Australia’s “beef capital,” 50 years ago, they did what any other Queenslander cattle grazier household would do. They stripped out the trees, cut back the grass and sprayed chemicals to make farming easier. But rising costs and concern about climate change have prompted Gedda to move away from high-impact methods. And when a Category 4 cyclone struck his property in 2017, he joined the 5,000-member advocacy group Farmers for Climate Action. “The headwaters of our creek received 40 inches (100 centimeters) of rain in 14 hours,” he said. “It wasn’t any old flood. It was something that was totally unbelievable. “This is exactly what the scientists have been telling us.” In the face of government inaction, Gedda and other farmers are pushing forward with their own climate initiatives in a bid to protect their livelihoods. Denis Couture, whose tomato and chili-growing operation in Bowen is a short drive from Australia’s most northerly deepwater coal port terminal, is shunning fossil fuels and using solar panels and batteries. “Renewable energy in Australia is abundant. There’s wind everywhere, there’s solar everywhere,” Couture said, pointing to the sky above the so-called Sunshine State. Poor agricultural practices and deforestation have degraded the soil and are major drivers of climate change. But Queensland farmer Simon Mattsson believes landowners can help by removing carbon from the atmosphere and putting it into the soil. “If Australia is to have any hope of maintaining good agriculture production, we need a healthy soil,” said Mattsson, who is diversifying his crops to improve soil quality. Changing attitudes Queenslanders are not alone in expressing concern about climate change, or frustration about Canberra’s apparent reluctance to tackle the issue. A nationwide survey by the Australia Institute found that more than half of respondents believe the country is “facing a climate emergency” and support more policy action. The push for change is so strong that analysts believe climate policies by Australia’s two major parties — the ruling right-wing Liberal-National coalition and left-leaning Labor — might determine this and future elections. But Queensland is also a center for coal mining. More than 20,000 people are employed in the sector in the central region of the state alone. Even politicians who accept the scientific evidence on climate change are reluctant to put those jobs at risk or risk donations from the mining industry and its unions. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said Australia will meet its international obligations under the Paris climate agreement, but not “in a way that puts our kids’ economic future at risk.” His party’s hard right ousted his predecessor, Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, in August, amid plans to embed carbon emission targets in law. Labor, meanwhile, has committed to sourcing 50 percent of energy from renewables by 2030. But the party, backed by trade unions, is also cautious about plans to fully phase out mining. How both parties fare in Saturday’s vote could determine their environmental policies, and reshape how they campaign in rural areas in future elections. “I think that climate change is right smack in the middle of the electoral agenda from now on,” said Griffith University’s Queensland political analyst Paul Williams. “Any major party that ignores it will not be taken seriously.”

climate
australia
elections
coal
emissions
climate change


Magnitude 7.5 quake hits off Papua New Guinea; tsunami warning lifted

Abstract: CANBERRA - A shallow magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck close to Papua New Guinea’s remote island of New Britain on Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey said, triggering a tsunami warning for parts of the Pacific that was later lifted. The offshore quake hit around 33 km (20 miles) east of the town of Rabaul at a depth of around 10 km at 1058 p.m. local time, the USGS said. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties in the area. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said hazardous tsunami waves were possible within 1,000 km of the quake’s epicentre along the coasts of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. It later said the threat had passed, based on available data. The Japan Meteorological Agency said early Wednesday that the quake posed no tsunami risk to Japan. A 7.5 quake hit Papua New Guinea some 900 km further west in February, killing at least 100 people.


In Taiwan, same-sex couples plan weddings even as they await decision on right to marry

Abstract: TAIPEI - At the cake shop they run in Taipei, Shane Lin and Marc Yuan are planning their upcoming wedding as they expectantly await Asia’s first gay marriage law — but a last-minute push by conservatives could scupper their dreams. The pair, who met and fell in love at college, are among hundreds of same-sex couples who have made reservations to register with government agencies on May 24 for what they hope will be a marriage. That is the deadline set by Taiwan’s top court to allow same-sex couples to legally wed. In a landmark 2017 ruling, judges said denying gay couples the right to marry violated the island’s constitution. The court gave lawmakers two years to make marriage equality happen or see it enacted automatically if they failed — a move that promises a new milestone for Asia. For gay couples like Lin, 31, and Yuan, 30 — who decided to tie the knot as they celebrated their tenth anniversary — the ruling allowed them to start planning for their big day. “Taiwan may often be overlooked internationally but the things we have done are visionary and with purpose, which we can be proud of,” said Lin, referring to the ruling. Yet with less than a fortnight to go, Taiwan’s LGBT community still don’t know what marriage equality will look like because the legislation has yet to be conclusively decided. Gay rights groups hoped the government would simply amend the civil code marriage clauses to include homosexual couples, a move they said would grant the truest form of equality. But President Tsai Ing-wen’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) dithered for months after the ruling, tabling no proposed law or changes. Opponents mobilized and organized a series of referendums in November, in which voters comprehensively rejected defining marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman, weakening the government’s legislative hand. The fight for same-sex marriage has finally landed in the legislature where, on Friday, three rival bills will be voted on just a week before the deadline. The most progressive bill — which most gay rights groups have begrudgingly backed — is the government’s. It is the only one to use the word “marriage” and offer some limited adoption rights. Conservatives have tabled two other versions which noticeably avoid the word marriage, and offer something closer to same-sex unions with no adoption rights. The most conservative version even enabled close relatives to legally challenge a union — although that clause was withdrawn earlier this week following an outcry. “When it comes to equality and human rights, everyone should be the same. Why should our marriage be given a different name?” said Lin. The ruling DPP holds a comfortable majority but no one knows which way the voting will go, especially given elections are just eight months away. On Tuesday, Tsai urged people to back her government’s bill, saying it respected both the court’s judgment and the referendum. Lesbian couple Huang Ting-yu and Hsueh Ya-chieh, from New Taipei City, fear the fight for equal rights will stumble if the Cabinet’s bill fails. “You will have more problems in life when you don’t have your basic rights. That’s why in same-sex marriage, we are striving for equality and same rights as everyone else,” Huang said. The couple, both engineers aged 28, got together shortly after the 2017 ruling. Following a whirlwind romance, they agreed to marry six months in. They plan to register on May 24 and host a wedding banquet in September. For Lin and Yuan, adoption and surrogacy are also pressing issues: they hope to have one biological child and one adopted child. “We hope that Taiwan can quickly enact a law to allow surrogacy. Another thing which is most important is that we can have the same rights and privileges as heterosexual couples in adoption,” Lin said. The government’s bill only allows gay couples to adopt the biological children of their partner. The other bills only grant limited guardianship rights for existing children. In the last decade, Taiwan has been one of the most progressive societies in Asia when it comes to gay rights, staging the continent’s biggest annual gay pride parade. But the island remains a staunchly conservative place, especially outside urban areas. Yuan, who described being attacked at school for his “feminine” demeanor, said he remains hopeful “things will get better and better.” “I believe Taiwan will keep progressing and there will be more amendments in the future to make the gay marriage law better,” he said.

taiwan
rights
lgbt
sexuality
marriage
same-sex marriage


Volunteers prepare to be the face of inclusive 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Abstract: While athletes will take center stage at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, volunteers — including people with disabilities — are expected to play a significant role in supporting spectators and others who will flock to the games. “Please show your support until the end,” Yoshihiro Muramatsu said as he handed out commemorative bags to attendees at the main entrance of a para -ekiden long-distance road relay at Tokyo’s Komazawa Olympic Park in March. Muramatsu, a first-year student at the Tsukuba University’s Acupuncture and Physical Therapy Teacher Training School in Tokyo, volunteered at the event, where teams of runners and para-athlete runners passed the sash over an 18.74-kilometer course. The 28-year-old Muramatsu, who lost his vision when he was a junior high school student, has applied to volunteer at next year’s Summer Games. “You don’t really come across a chance in your life when you can be involved in the Olympics and the Paralympics,” he said. It is seen as key that volunteers with disabilities work in tandem with others around them at the Tokyo Games, which start in less than 500 days. At the ekiden event, Muramatsu was part of a team with five able-bodied volunteers, who warned him when he needed to take extra care while performing his duties. “People let me know when a woman or a child was coming. I was able to bend down when handing (the bags) to people in a position that was easier for them to reach,” he said. Organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have received more than 200,000 applications from prospective volunteers, far exceeding their target of 80,000. At the 2012 London Games, about 2,800 people, or 4 percent of some 70,000 total volunteers, had disabilities. The organizing committee will hold orientation and interviews until late July, and will notify applicants by around September whether or not they have been accepted, based on desired roles and needs that must be fulfilled. The volunteers, who will provide support at facilities such as sports venues and the athletes village, are in principle expected to work eight hours a day for 10 days or more. Individual municipalities will solicit more volunteers. At interviews held on April 10, the organizing committee prepared tablet devices for those with hearing disabilities. The tablet acted as a interpreter and displayed a written version of what an interviewer said. The devices are likely to come in handy in regional areas where sign language interpreters are in short supply. “There are occasions when we have to care for people on an individual basis. We would like to devise ways of choosing the roles and positions best suited to volunteers’ needs, so they can be assured of giving full effort to their tasks,” an organizer said. Some interviewees said they are unable to carry objects because of physical disabilities, or asked not to be exposed to sunlight due to other ailments, according to organizers. Shinji Takuwa, a 56-year-old man with a hearing disability, hopes to volunteer at the games to show his appreciation for the support he received when he competed as a swimmer. “I have been an athlete in the past, so I want to repay the kindness by supporting the games,” said Takuwa, from Chiba Prefecture. He volunteered at a recent marathon event in the prefecture, where he was in charge of an automated external defibrillator in case of an emergency. Using a smartphone provided by organizers, he traveled the course on a bicycle. Takuwa was able to respond swiftly to an emergency call from headquarters, he said. Masaya Ninomiya, an adviser at the Nippon Foundation Volunteer Support Center, said, “We don’t need to brand people with disabilities as those in need of support. Many people want to volunteer, so I think people can apply their various skills in the places that suit them best.”

volunteers
disability
tokyo 2020 olympics


Japan aims to cut dementia cases among over-70s by 6% in next six years

Abstract: A numerical goal will be set for the first time for reducing the number of people in Japan with dementia, with an eye to cutting incidence among patients in their 70s by 6 percent over the next six years, government sources said Wednesday. The development came a day after the Geneva-based World Health Organization published its first guidelines on the prevention and management of the disease. The move by Tokyo is aimed at curbing an anticipated rise in social security expenses, by promoting prevention and delaying the onset of the disease. The government plans to state its goals in a new outline of policies to tackle dementia set to be released this summer, they said. The government will hold a meeting Thursday with experts in fields related to the disease and present its plans, the sources said. Under current policies the government emphasizes creating a society where people can live comfortably even if they develop dementia, symptoms of which can include a decline in cognition and memory loss. But under the plan the government will also begin to focus on prevention, as a health ministry estimate predicts some 7 million people — or 1 out of 5 aged 65 or above — will suffer from dementia in 2025 as the country’s population rapidly grays. Specific measures for disease prevention include holding exercise lessons at local community centers, as it has been found that physical activity and social engagement could help prevent the disease, the sources said. At the same time the government will promote research into the disease, as current scientific evidence on preventing dementia is insufficient, the sources added. In 2015, the government compiled a national strategy to support dementia patients by organizing local “dementia supporters” — people who have knowledge of the disease and are able to provide help to sufferers and their families. Approximately 25 percent of those over 65 may have dementia by 2060 if the incidence rate for the disease remains static, according to a report published by Toshiharu Ninomiya, a professor specializing in public health at Kyushu University. That figure would increase to 33 percent if the rate of dementia diagnoses increases over time. In recent years Japan has seen a number of fatal car accidents caused by the elderly, as well as those with dementia. In one case last year, an elderly woman in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, ran over four people, killing one, when she ran her car through a red light. During her trial she claimed that she had a mild case of dementia. Some 55,000 drivers aged over 75 were suspected to be experiencing the symptoms of dementia when they renewed their licenses in 2018, according to a report published by the National Police Agency in March. In 2017, a new law came into effect requiring elderly drivers to go through a stricter screening process. A further 531,000 people were judged to be experiencing a decline in their cognitive functions. In total, roughly 25 percent of drivers over 75 who underwent screening last year were suspected to be experiencing some level of cognitive impairment. The report also found that about 26,000 people didn’t renew their license after being diagnosed with dementia by a doctor. On the other hand, 14,000 drivers renewed their licenses having not received such diagnoses. The rate at which those over 75 have been involved in fatal car accidents has also almost doubled in recent years. Some 13.5 percent of fatal crashes were caused by drivers aged 75 or older in 2016, up from 7.4 percent in 2006.The WHO’s report on dementia puts physical activity at the top of its list of recommendations for preventing cognitive decline. Stopping smoking, following a healthy diet and avoiding harmful use of alcohol were also among the recommendations in the report, which was titled: “Risk reduction of cognitive decline and dementia.” Treatment for hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes also lowers the risks, the report said. Neerja Chowdhary, a WHO expert, said that the study had not looked at smoking marijuana and did not include environmental factors, although there was some evidence of a link to pollution. Chowdhary also said there was too little evidence of a link with poor sleep to include it in the recommendations. Vitamins and supplements were not useful and could even be harmful if taken in high doses, she said. But there was less evidence that cognitive training or social activity would stave off the onset of the disease, and insufficient evidence that antidepressant medicines or hearing aids could help.

disease
aging
elderly
who
dementia
traffic accidents
mental health


Japan plans to create 10 billion 14-digit phone numbers as 5G era nears

Abstract: The communications ministry plans to create for assignment some 10 billion 14-digit phone numbers starting with the code “020.” With the commercialization of fifth-generation, or 5G, superfast mobile communications fast approaching, 11-digit numbers are expected to run out as early as fiscal 2022. The plan to introduce the new numbers, by the end of 2021 at the latest, was proposed at a recent meeting of a panel of experts. It was accepted by the three major mobile phone operators — NTT Docomo Inc., KDDI Corp. and SoftBank Corp. After hearing public comments, the ministry will draw up a report on the matter as early as June and make necessary preparations, including a ministerial ordinance, by the end of this year. New numbers will be allocated to the major carriers early if they finish work to update their systems ahead of schedule. Currently, 11-digit numbers starting with “090,” “080” and “070” are used for mobile phones, including smartphones. For “internet of things” devices, 11-digit numbers starting with “020” have been used since January 2017. According to the ministry, about 32.6 million of the 80 million numbers starting with 020 had already been assigned to major carriers as of the end of March this year.


Health insurance in Japan to cover new cancer therapy that costs ¥33 million

Abstract: A government panel on Wednesday approved coverage of a new therapy to treat leukemia and other hematologic cancers, which currently costs ¥33.49 million ($305,000), under national health insurance, in a move that would significantly ease the burden on patients. The drug Kymriah will be produced and sold by Novartis Pharma KK, a Tokyo-based unit of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG, and is expected to carry the highest price tag of any single drug in Japan. Coverage is set to be available from May 22. But the decision by the health ministry panel may raise concerns about the impact on the country’s ballooning medical care costs as Japan’s population rapidly grays. The one-time therapy, which works by genetically modifying a patient’s immune cells so that they launch an all-out attack on the disease, is considered effective on patients for whom existing treatments do not work. Under the nation’s public health insurance system, a policyholder usually shoulders around 10 percent to 30 percent of the cost incurred at medical institutions, with the remaining amount covered by the policy in exchange for monthly premiums. There is also a cap on monthly medical payments depending on a policyholder’s income. For example, a patient with an annual income of between ¥3.7 million and ¥7.7 million would have to shoulder costs of roughly ¥410,000 a month in order to be treated with Kymriah. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry estimates that the number of patients eligible to use the drug will total 216 a year at most, and will generate an annual revenue of ¥7.2 billion. Clinical tests of Kymriah, including those involving Japanese patients, have shown that around 80 percent of those suffering from leukemia and some 50 percent of those with lymphoma saw significant improvements in symptoms. Those eligible to use the drug include children, those 25 or younger with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia and patients of any age with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, who are not able to be cured using other anti-cancer drugs.

medicine
health
cancer
leukemia
insurance
therapy
kymriah
novartis pharma kk


Health insurance law revised to limit coverage to Japan residents

Abstract: The Diet enacted a legislative revision Wednesday to make the national health insurance program largely applicable only to workers and their dependents residing in Japan. The revision to the health insurance law is aimed at blocking use of the system by foreigners who have never lived in Japan, including relatives of soon-to-arrive laborers, as the country starts to accept more foreign workers to tackle labor shortages in the rapidly aging country. If non-working spouses of public pension recipients living in Japan also wish to receive a spousal pension, the revised law now specifies that they too must reside within Japan. Wednesday’s amendment covers eight sets of laws related to the social security system, mainly in the field of medical services. Japan’s previous employee health insurance system offered cover for workers’ dependents living abroad, but authorities had faced difficulties in checking whether they were actually kin, or financially dependent, on the workers. If children in the families of those residing in Japan and registered for insurance are temporarily overseas for study or work, they will continue to be eligible for health insurance coverage regardless of nationality. The health ministry will introduce ordinances to stipulate who can access such exceptions. The revised law also enables people to present national ID cards, known as My Number cards, in place of the standard health insurance certificates issued by the state-run program. The government aims to link state medical and nursing care databases and provide anonymized information to research organizations and drugmakers, among others, for a fee. As it faces a graying population and falling birthrate, Japan has introduced a new visa system starting last month to attract foreign workers into labor-hungry sectors, including construction, farming and nursing care. The move marked a major policy shift for the country, which had in the past effectively granted working visas only to doctors, lawyers and other highly skilled people with professional experience.


LDP creates code of conduct for its lawmakers, in hope of preventing gaffes

Abstract: Amid a spate of verbal flubs that have plagued the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has created a code of conduct for its lawmakers — warning them to watch their mouths to prevent blunders from affecting their political careers. LDP officials have sent out a notice to party members advising them to exercise caution while making remarks, according to an official overseeing the party’s campaigns, who spoke to The Japan Times by telephone on Wednesday. The official asked that his name be withheld. “The notes are aimed to instruct (lawmakers) to act to prevent misunderstandings; they are to caution them to choose words carefully and communicate accurately what they want to express so that they are understood correctly,” he said. He said the notice was shared with all lawmakers within the party and was based on the content of a lecture by a public speaking expert delivered to the LDP lawmakers earlier this year, which was compiled into a single A4-sized sheet of paper. The notice reportedly touched on topics that need extra care, including personal views on historical interpretations and political ideology, gender and sexual minority issues, remarks related to accidents and disasters and comments about illness and old age. Slip-ups among ministers in Abe’s administration, followed by their retractions and apologies, had become increasingly routine but have started to exceed what the public is willing to accept. Former Olympics minister Yoshitaka Sakurada resigned last month after remarks that offended people affected by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. At a fundraising event, Sakurada suggested that an LDP lawmaker from the northeastern region was more important than the region’s recovery. Sakurada now wants to share the lessons drawn from his own blunders with other lawmakers. At a political gathering held in Tokyo on Tuesday, he called on LDP officials to “train lawmakers that won’t follow suit” after his own gaffes. “Use them as a bad example,” he said. Mio Sugita, another LDP lawmaker, drew a fierce backlash after labeling the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community “unproductive” in terms of childbirth, and warning that a society that accepts same-sex relationships risks “increasing unhappy people.” Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso once advocated using the Nazi party’s tactics to amend Japan’s pacifist Constitution during a speech to an ultranationalist group. Mishaps are not limited to LDP lawmakers. On Tuesday, opposition lawmaker Hodaka Maruyama was expelled from his party amid growing criticism over his remarks on the possibility of Japan waging war with Russia to regain control of a group of islands at the center of a territorial spat. But the LDP has already lost two seats in a by-election for nationwide representatives in April. And amid Abe’s push toward a constitutional revision, further blunders could hinder the party’s efforts to retain its current two-thirds supermajority in the Upper House, which is at stake in the July election.

ldp
gaffes
yoshitaka sakurada
mio sugita


Japan fears lawmaker's 'war' gaffe may impact isle talks with Russia

Abstract: Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui, leader of Nippon Ishin no Kai, has reiterated his condemnation of recent remarks by a lawmaker in the party suggesting war as a way for Japan to recapture four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido. House of Representatives lawmaker Hodaka Maruyama, 35, a member of Nippon Ishin, made the comments while accompanying former Japanese residents of the islands on their four-day visa-free visit there through Monday. If a resolution demanding Maruyama’s resignation were to be submitted to the Diet, Nippon Ishin would support it, Matsui said Wednesday. The party leader had said Tuesday that Maruyama should resign, and Maruyama was expelled from the party. “It’s outrageous for a Diet member to have made such remarks and it’s also an extremely grave issue from a diplomatic standpoint,” Matsui told reporters following the party’s decision to expel Maruyama. “He should now step down as a lawmaker.” According to a senior party official, Nippon Ishin learned of the remarks through a phone call from the Prime Minister’s Office. Observers suggest there is concern in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration that Russia may further toughen its stance in bilateral territorial negotiations following the remarks. Tokyo hopes to calm the situation by clearly condemning the comments, and clarifying its stance afresh that Japan hopes to settle the issue peacefully. The remarks were “extremely regrettable,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference Tuesday morning. “There is no change to the government’s stance of aiming to resolve the territorial issue through diplomatic negotiations,” Suga said. It is rare for the top government spokesman to comment on a gaffe by an opposition lawmaker. Suga reiterated his condemnation of Maruyama at an afternoon news conference the same day, saying, “It’s obvious to anyone that the comments were inappropriate.” Maruyama should take responsibility for his remarks, Suga added. Maruyama said Tuesday he will continue to serve as a lawmaker, posting a message on his Twitter account saying, “While working independently, I will try to realize my remaining policies one by one.” He had apologized and retracted his remarks. Tokyo claims that the islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, were seized from Japan by the former Soviet Union at the end of World War II. The territorial dispute has prevented Tokyo and Moscow from concluding a peace treaty to formally end their wartime hostilities. On Monday, Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of Russia’s upper house of parliament, criticized Maruyama’s remarks as “the worst (he) had heard” in connection with Japan-Russia relations. “We hope to conduct the bilateral (territorial and peace treaty) negotiations in a situation (that is) as calm as possible,” Foreign Minister Taro Kono told a news conference Tuesday. “I don’t think the remarks will have any positive impact.” Moscow’s toughening stance on the bilateral talks may be behind the administration’s sensitivity to Maruyama’s gaffe. At their summit in November last year, Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to accelerate the negotiations based on the 1956 Japan-Soviet joint declaration. But since the summit Moscow has started to take a firmer stance on the issue. Concluding a broad agreement in the bilateral negotiations during the Group of 20 summit in Osaka in late June was initially tipped as a possibility but this is now highly unlikely, and Japan’s government has been forced to overhaul its negotiation strategy. “We have to prevent Maruyama’s remarks from affecting the negotiations,” Mitsuhiro Miyakoshi, state minister in charge of Northern Territories affairs, told a news conference Tuesday. The 1956 declaration called for the handover of two of the four islands — the Habomai islets and Shikotan — to Japan after the conclusion of a peace treaty. The document had no reference to the other two islands — Etorofu and Kunashiri.

nippon ishin no kai
russia
territorial disputes
gaffes
hodaka maruyama


Chiba girl who died after mistreatment reported sex abuse before being released to parents, sources say

Abstract: CHIBA - Mia Kurihara, who died in January following a series of alleged assaults by her father, was released from protective custody despite suspicion that he had sexually abused her, local government sources admitted Tuesday. According to the sources, the 10-year-old girl had told child welfare center officials during interviews in 2017 that her father, Yuichiro Kurihara, had woken her up at night and pulled her pants down. Kurihara, 41, has already been indicted on assault-related charges after his daughter was found dead in the bathroom of their home in Noda, Chiba Prefecture. She said her underwear also slipped down, and that when she told him to stop and pulled her pants up Kurihara had told her other family members “will notice if you say (something) like that,” according to the sources. During the interviews, which were conducted while she was in protective custody at the Kashiwa child welfare center, the girl also gave accounts of physical abuse by her father, such as him covering her mouth and nose with his hands while she was asleep. The center ended her protective custody even though a doctor said she had been subjected to assaults as well as sexual abuse and was suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. The national and prefectural governments are now looking into whether the decision at the time was appropriate. Mia was taken into protective custody at the center on Nov. 7, 2017, after she reported in a school questionnaire that her father “bullied” her. But as she started saying she wanted to go home, the center concluded that the abuse was not serious. It ended her protection as of Dec. 27 that year so she could stay with relatives, and she was allowed to return home on Feb. 28, 2018. The girl’s 32-year-old mother, Nagisa Kurihara, has also been indicted on a charge of assisting in assault. The case has revealed an apparent lack of coordination among authorities and questionable responses. Officials in local governments apparently failed to share information on the family despite the abuse allegations, and a local education board provided a copy of Mia’s complaint to her father. Welfare officials also failed to check on the girl’s safety after her protective custody ended.

children
abuse
child abuse
chiba
yuichiro kurihara
mia kurihara
noda
nagisa kurihara


Hiroshima parents decide school dress codes, but many don't realize it

Abstract: A 45-year-old Hiroshima woman recently sent a text message to the Chugoku Shimbun newsroom that read: “A dress code at the elementary school my son goes to specifies that boys must wear shorts. Some students in higher grades feel embarrassed about exposing their legs. Isn’t the shorts-only dress code out of date?” Her complaint raises further questions: Who decides what one can wear to school? And what is a school dress code in the first place? The public school in question, as a general rule, has a dress code requiring boys to wear shorts. Students can wear long trousers only when they are sick, and doing so requires a note from a parent. “There are some schools with dress codes allowing pupils to wear long pants at the discretion of parents. Why is there inconsistency?” the woman said. According to the Hiroshima Board of Education, a dress code, or “ kijunfuku ” in Japanese, is different from a school uniform, the latter of which requires students to wear specific clothes, while a dress code merely exemplifies a standard on what kind of clothes are “desirable to be worn” by students. None of the public schools in Hiroshima have uniforms. So is it up to each school to decide their dress code? Surprisingly, the answer is no. “Parents collectively determine the dress code, incorporating feedback from their schools,” said Shigenori Yamagoshi, the education board’s general affairs director. As far as enforcement goes, Yamagoshi said, “It is inappropriate for a school to unilaterally decide on a dress code and make it a rule.” In the fiscal year that ended in March, the Chugoku Shimbun surveyed all 142 schools in the city. Of the 128 that responded, 82 schools, or 64 percent, said they have a dress code — out of which 73 schools, or about 90 percent, said they recommend boys wear shorts. Regarding pants, 14 out of the 73 schools said students can wear them whenever they want, while 48 schools, or more than 60 percent, set a condition that students can wear long pants “only if they are sick and have a note from legal guardians.” Thirty-four schools say students are allowed to wear long pants on cold days. Multiple answers were allowed in the survey. The schools in the survey said that, in general, parents collectively determine a dress code. At the same time, they are not sure whether their Parent Teacher Association is involved in such discussions. Regarding enforcement, many schools said they have not discussed a possible revision. It is entirely plausible that because of a lack of awareness, parents falsely believe that schools unilaterally determine a dress code, making it a de facto school uniform. But despite a lack of awareness on the part of many, parents have been involved in the process of deciding a dress code before. At Kasugano Elementary School, which opened nine years ago in Hiroshima’s Asaminami Ward, that proved to be challenging. A woman involved in the process reflected that “it was incredibly difficult for me to make everyone understand that there are differences between school uniforms and dress codes.” It is difficult to universally specify which clothes children can wear to school. “Every time I see my son going to school wearing shorts in cold weather shivering, I wonder why it is impossible to dress according to the weather,” a guardian of another public elementary school student said. Every child reacts differently to variable weather conditions. Along those lines, some girls who feel uncomfortable wearing skirts might prefer to wear long pants. In the end, parents collectively need to understand that they are primarily tasked with deciding what clothes children can wear to school. Concerns and dissatisfaction can be resolved through discussion . In doing so, the hope is that parents and schools can come up with a standard that is flexible to each child’s needs, both physically and psychologically.


Foreign day care worker reported for physical abuse against children in Kitakyushu

Abstract: A foreign worker at an unlicensed day care facility in Kitakyushu has been reported for physical abuse against children while on duty, and the allegations were confirmed Tuesday by municipal officials. The incident came to light when video footage showing the man slapping a 2-year-old on his back was posted on social media. According to the Fukuoka-based Nishinippon Shimbun, the teacher is a Canadian in his 40s. Following the revelation, which has shaken the local community, Kitakyushu officials met Tuesday evening with parents of the children that attend the day care facility to explain the situation. According to the officials, the incident in which the male teacher slapped the toddler occurred in either February or March. They said they had learned about misconduct taking place at the day care facility from a phone call in April, but when they contacted the facility’s operator to ask if any such incidents had taken place, they were met with denials. The officials later conducted an on-site inspection and confirmed the allegations, according to the Nishinippon report. The man was reportedly seen hitting children on their backs or bottoms, forcibly putting books in their mouths and pulling their clothes, and that such incidents would occur on a daily basis. The day care facility takes care of children between the ages of 1 and 6, and employs English-speaking workers to familiarize the children with English conversation. The man has been working full time at the facility for about five years but was suspended for his misconduct Tuesday, the Nishinippon reported. The city ordered the operator to take measures to prevent such incidents from happening again. “We’re going to provide more guidance from now on,” the city officials said.


Police find and arrest missing driver of Kyoto post office parcel van

Abstract: KYOTO - The driver of a post office delivery van carrying dozens of parcels who went missing along with the van last week in Kyoto was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of embezzlement, police said. The arrested man was identified as Kazuki Shouno, 27. The small van left a local post office in the city on May 9 and the driver had remained unaccounted for since then, Japan Post Co. said. The police found the delivery vehicle around 1 p.m. Wednesday in a coin-operated parking lot in the city’s Higashiyama Ward and discovered Shouno sleeping inside. The driver belongs to an Osaka Prefecture-based contractor to Japan Post. The company contacted police on Friday seeking help in locating the driver.


Tokyo court orders owner of car with TV-equipped navigation system to pay NHK fee

Abstract: The Tokyo District Court on Wednesday ruled that the owner of a car with a navigation system capable of receiving television signals should pay the monthly subscription fee for public broadcaster NHK. It was the first court ruling on whether car owners should pay NHK fees for TV-equipped navigation systems. The broadcast law obliges anyone who possesses a TV signal receiver to sign a contract with Japan Broadcasting Corp., commonly known as NHK. In the case, a woman living in Tochigi Prefecture filed a suit against NHK over the subscription fee. During the trial, she argued the navigation system was unable to receive TV signals when her car was in the parking space outside her home and she did not purchase the system to watch television. But presiding Judge Hiromi Morita said there was no evidence that TV signals could not be received as claimed and the court could not rule out the possibility that the navigation system had been partly purchased for the purpose. The ruling came after the Supreme Court in March ordered owners of cellphones with TV functionality to pay the subscription fee. NHK charges about ¥2,500 per month for terrestrial channels.


Acting U.S. defense chief hopes to help mend Japan-South Korea ties in first visit to Tokyo next month: sources

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan plans to travel to Japan in early June, making his first visit to the country since taking up the post in January, sources familiar with the plan said Tuesday. Shanahan, whom President Donald Trump intends to nominate as his defense secretary, is also considering visiting South Korea prior to arriving in Japan, the sources said. With the planned visits to the two U.S. allies, the Trump administration is apparently aiming to strengthen trilateral security cooperation at a time when Tokyo and Seoul are finding it difficult to mend ties soured over historical disputes and recent incidents. During a planned visit to Tokyo on June 3 and 4, Shanahan and Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya are expected to focus on measures to strengthen defense cooperation in outer space, cyberspace and on electronic warfare, in response to China and Russia’s efforts to boost their respective capabilities, the sources said. Iwaya and Shanahan are also likely to discuss recent short-range missile launches by North Korea and the denuclearization of Pyongyang. Shanahan may meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as well. The Pentagon chief is considering visiting Seoul on June 2 and 3 after attending an Asian defense forum slated for May 31 to June 2 in Singapore, according to the sources. Tensions have been running high between Japan and South Korea since a South Korean destroyer allegedly locked its fire-control radar on a Japanese patrol plane last December, in addition to friction over long-standing wartime issues. During the planned trip to Seoul, Shanahan and South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo are expected to discuss bilateral defense cooperation, including how to run joint military exercises going forward, as the Trump administration continues denuclearization negotiations with North Korea. In his address at the Singapore gathering, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, on June 1, Shanahan is likely to spell out how the Pentagon will play a part in putting into operation the administration’s strategy of a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to organizers. Shanahan has been acting defense secretary since January, after Jim Mattis stepped down in December over policy differences with Trump. Shanahan became deputy defense secretary in July 2017 after serving as senior vice president for supply chain and operations at Boeing Co.

defense
security
south korea
u.s.-japan relations
patrick shanahan


Top Japan and U.S. trade officials speak over phone in run-up to Trump visit at end of May

Abstract: Economic revitalization minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer held informal telephone talks for the second straight day Saturday, sources said. They agreed to hold working-level talks to speed up bilateral trade negotiations ahead of a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump late this month, the sources added. Trump is set to visit Japan as a state guest May 25-28. Motegi and Lighthizer confirmed that their countries’ negotiators will gather to discuss how the negotiations should progress and what topics should be handled. The negotiators are trying to smooth the way for discussions on tariff cuts and their elimination for agricultural products and vehicles, as well as on digital trade issues. Motegi and Lighthizer met in mid-April to mark the start of ministerial talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement.

shinzo abe
trade
u.s.-japan relations
donald trump


Kuala Lumpur in talks with Tokyo for Malaysians to join new blue-collar visa programs

Abstract: SINGAPORE - Malaysia is in talks with Japan on sending blue-collar workers to the country under a new visa program that was launched in April, official sources have said. The two countries are aiming to strike a deal as early as July this year, when Malaysian Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran will visit Tokyo for the signing of a memorandum of cooperation (MOC), it was learned Saturday. The memorandum is intended to provide a basic framework for information-sharing for the recruitment of blue-collar workers in specified sectors to work in Japan, which is in need of more foreign workers due to a rapidly aging population and low birthrate. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is scheduled to visit Japan later this month to discuss the details. Japan on April 1 implemented the visa system to bring in more foreign workers to the country, marking a major policy shift from its traditionally strict immigration rules. Foreigners with certain Japanese language and job skills can now apply for a resident status called Specified Skilled Worker No. 1, which grants working rights in 14 sectors, such as construction, farming and nursing care, for up to a total of five years. Proficient laborers in two sectors — construction and shipbuilding — can further extend their stay by earning the Specified Skilled Worker No. 2 status. It allows holders to bring in family members and has no limit on the number of times they can renew their visa. So far, Japan has signed such MOCs with the Philippines, Nepal, Mongolia, Cambodia and Myanmar. It is still negotiating with China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. “We are working with the Japanese government to formulate an MOC on sending workers to Japan as they have opened up 14 sectors to foreigners,” said a Malaysia government official familiar with the negotiations. “We are hoping to sign it in Japan in July. It’s in the final stages, hopefully it can be done,” the official said. The two sides have not yet agreed on which sectors will be open to Malaysian workers, the official said, adding that the plan could potentially open up 50,000 jobs to the country’s nationals. As to why Southeast Asian country is attracted to the program, the official said that although the government in Kuala Lumpur is making efforts for the Malaysia economy to become more advanced, it also believes the government must support those willing to go abroad to earn a better salary. The official said that a small study found that Malaysians are willing to upgrade their skills to join any sector open to them in the visa system, adding, also, “They are excited, as the higher starting salary is a major draw.” An official at the Japanese Embassy in Malaysia said that the country is full of friendly people who like Japan. “It would be great if they could work in Japan,” the official said. According to data from the International Labor Organization, about 1.4 million Malaysians from among a total population of about 29 million people work abroad, the majority in neighboring Singapore and smaller numbers in Australia and the United States. Despite the prospects of higher salaries in Japan, there have been concerns recently about harsh working conditions of foreign trainees, with a government survey revealing such problems as being paid less than the minimum wage, the risk of accidents and suicides. To address fears of exploitation, the Japanese government has issued an ordinance requiring employers to pay wages equivalent to or higher than those of Japanese nationals. Their payment should be made directly to the workers’ bank accounts so that the records will serve as evidence they are properly paid. Entities that want to hire foreign workers must clear requirements such as not allowing the involvement of brokers who collect large sums from foreigners seeking to work in Japan.


OECD report recommends Japan embrace technological innovation, entrepreneurship to expand agricultural productivity

Abstract: OSAKA - With Japanese food products becoming increasingly popular with foreign tourists, especially those from Asia, the country’s agricultural sector has a bright future if it can change its policies to embrace technological innovation and entrepreneurship, an OECD report on the country’s agricultural productivity and sustainability has concluded. “Our advice to Japan is: ‘You need to speed up the pace at which you move away from protection, invest more in sustainability, productivity, including research and development and other forms of innovation,’ ” said Ken Ash, director of trade and agriculture at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in an interview with The Japan Times just prior to the report’s release Saturday. And, he said, Japan must “prepare the agricultural sector for the unexpected shocks that are likely to become larger and more frequent with climate change.” “We’re not ringing alarm bells. We’re doing something at an earlier stage. We’re saying that as the climate changes, governments need to get ahead of this and mitigate potential problems. Preventative actions will be cheaper and more effective than remedial actions. This is, fundamentally, the signal we’re trying to send to Japan,” Ash added. The report notes that Japan’s agricultural sector has significant room for improvement in environment performance. Japan has one of the highest nutrient surpluses among OECD countries. Runoff from overuse of fertilizers creates a nutrient surplus, which is not only economically inefficient but also risks polluting the air and water with chemicals like ammonia. Other issues are affecting Japan, including its aging and declining population, which has hit its agricultural sector particularly hard. Currently, 56 percent of farm managers are now over the age of 65. Ash noted that Japan’s farmers have always been old, partially because farms are small businesses and the intergenerational transfer (of farms) tends to happen within the family, often when the farmers’ children are in their mid-40s. “In Japan, there is a concern about attracting young people into agriculture. Many who grew up on a farm and left felt they couldn’t make a decent living by remaining,” he said. “Enabling them to make a living with decent working conditions is crucial. This is why we put a lot of emphasis in our report on R&D, innovation, technology transfer, and education to allow farms to become more profitable.” New policies that make it easier for farmers to get the latest technology, and not just agricultural technology, is needed for Japan. Ash said that, as in other countries, what young farmers in Japan want is access to the latest technology, to talk to IT people and to get the latest software. “They want their personal farm performance data to be grouped with similar data from other farmers so they can learn the best practices and which mistakes to avoid,” Ash said. “We don’t hear these things from the 55-, 65- or 75-year-old farmers, but we sure hear them from farmers in their 20s and 30s. Ash said they can feel they are being held back by limited access to new technologies, and the fact they live in the countryside, where there may, or may not be, high-speed internet access, is also a problem. A more open agricultural policy, the OECD says, will help spur new technological changes that can help Japanese farmers on the international stage. “In Japan, agriculture policy has long isolated farmers from international competition. Unintentionally, it also isolated the sector from technological developments and innovation,” Ash said. “Opening up is not just about markets. It’s opening up to new technologies, whether they come from the IT sector in Japan or the agricultural sector in the U.S.,” he noted. Allowing individual farmers more freedom in deciding what crops to grow and policies that expand their choices, especially in terms of more access to financing, are also important. Traditionally strong government control over farming policies and agricultural cooperatives like Japan Agriculture, which have long provided banking services, insurance and farming supplies, creates a situation that limits individual choices, the OECD says. “Governments shouldn’t presume to know what’s best for any particular farmer. Farmers should have the freedom to decide what to produce in response to market demands, as opposed to some government regulation that says ‘Thou shalt produce X, Y, or Z.’ The same applies to farmers looking to access commercial credit or short-term funding, Ash says. “What we argue is that, in Japan, there isn’t always as much choice as there might be, and that more choice will allow Japan to be more competitive internationally.”


China still 'cautiously optimistic' on U.S. trade talks despite new tariffs

Abstract: BEIJING/WASHINGTON - China and the United States have agreed to hold more trade talks in Beijing, Vice Premier Liu He said as U.S. President Donald Trump ordered his trade chief to begin the process of imposing tariffs on all remaining imports from China. Liu voiced a measured optimism on reaching a deal, but said there were “issues of principle” on which China would not back down. “Negotiations have not broken down,” Liu, China’s chief negotiator in the talks, said in Washington on Friday, according to state television on Saturday. “Quite the opposite, I think small setbacks are normal and inevitable during the negotiations of both countries. Looking forward, we are still cautiously optimistic.” Liu’s optimism was tempered by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who told CNBC on Friday that there were no further talks with China planned “as of now.” Trump wrote on Twitter on Saturday that he thinks China felt they were being “beaten so badly” in the recent negotiations that they may as well wait for the 2020 presidential election “to see if they could get lucky & have a Democrat win — in which case they would continue to rip-off the USA for $500 Billion a year.” “The only problem is that they know I am going to win,” Trump wrote on Twitter, “… and the deal will become far worse for them if it has to be negotiated in my second term. Would be wise for them to act now, but love collecting BIG TARIFFS!” The United States escalated a tariff war with China on Friday by hiking levies on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods in the midst of last-ditch talks to rescue a trade deal. Trump had delayed the tariffs as negotiations between Washington and Beijing were progressing. On Friday, Trump issued orders for the tariff increase, saying China “broke the deal” by reneging on earlier commitments made during months of negotiations. China strongly opposes the latest U.S. tariff hike, and as a nation, has to respond to that, Liu told a small group of Chinese reporters in the video clip. “Right now, both sides have reached mutual understanding in many things, but frankly speaking, there are also differences. We think these differences are significant issues of principle,” Liu said. “We absolutely cannot make concessions on such issues of principle.” He added that talks would continue in Beijing, but gave no details. Underscoring a lack of progress in the talks, Trump ordered a further escalation of tariffs. Trump’s move would subject about $300 billion worth of Chinese imports to punitive tariffs, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement Friday. Lighthizer said a final decision has not been made on the new duties, which would come on top of an early Friday tariff rate increase, to 25 percent from 10 percent, on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. China’s widely-read Global Times newspaper, which while published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily newspaper does not speak for the government, said in a Sunday editorial that the United States has “seriously underestimated China’s endurance.” “Washington tried to bring up terms that either harmed the sovereignty and dignity of China, or that were seriously unequal and unrealistic. Those requests have made the negotiations more difficult,” the paper said. Three differences remain between the two countries, according to China’s account of the latest talks. One of those is over tariffs, Liu said, according to a transcript of the Q&A published by Phoenix, a Hong Kong-based television station that is close to Beijing. China believes that tariffs were the genesis of the trade dispute, and that if both sides wanted to reach an agreement, then all tariffs must be eliminated, Liu said. The second is about procurement, on which an initial consensus was reached between the leaders of the two countries in Argentina late last year. The two sides now have differing views on the volumes, Liu said. The third is over how balanced the text of the draft agreement should be, he said. “Every nation has its dignity, so the text ought to be balanced,” Liu said. Sources said this past week that China had deleted its commitments in the draft agreement that said it would change laws to resolve core complaints of the United States: theft of U.S. intellectual property and trade secrets; forced technology transfers; competition policy; access to financial services; and currency manipulation. Liu denied the accusations of China’s reneging on promises, saying China thought it was normal to make changes before a final deal. Both sides had differing views on how to phrase it, he said. Liu said he hoped this issue would be resolved, so it was unnecessary to “overreact” to that point. Similar to Liu, Chinese state media said China would not give in on its core interests. “China clearly requires that the trade procurement figures should be realistic; the text must be balanced and expressed in terms that are acceptable to the Chinese people and do not undermine the sovereignty and dignity of the country,” the People’s Daily newspaper said in a commentary Saturday. The trade war has weighed on the Chinese economy. When asked about domestic concerns over how the latest tariffs could further pressure the economy, Liu said he was optimistic about China’s economy in the longer term, adding that it had entered an up-cycle after bottoming out somewhat last year. He said he believed the Chinese economy would maintain a stable and healthy trend despite some downward pressure, and that China had ample room for fiscal and monetary policy maneuvers. On Monday, hours after Trump said he intended to raise tariffs, the Chinese central bank cut the amount of reserves that some small and medium-size banks need to hold, freeing up more funds for lending to cash-strapped firms.

china
u.s .
trade
xi jinping
tariffs
donald trump


METI and JETRO to boost e-commerce support for Japanese firms via Japan Mall websites

Abstract: The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will increase support for companies trying to sell products abroad by opening more Japan Mall sites on major foreign e-commerce sites, officials said. The support program was launched in Singapore and other nations on a trial basis in fiscal 2018 in cooperation with the state-backed Japan External Trade Organization. Under the program, trading firms buy products, such as food and cosmetics, from Japanese firms for sale via Japan Mall. This system allows small firms to avoid the risk and expense associated with storing supplies in foreign countries. So far, 40 small companies have been marketing some 200 items, including chocolate. “We had a good response,” a senior ministry official said. When fiscal 2019 began in April, the ministry moved to add Japan Mall websites to major online shopping sites in 18 countries including China, the United States and Germany. In China, the world’s largest e-commerce market, METI will team up with industry behemoth Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and other companies. JETRO will support procurement of Japanese products that Chinese websites hope to sell, such as daily goods and cosmetics. In the United States, the second largest e-commerce market, METI hopes to develop the market for Japanese food by opening a dedicated site on Rakuten USA, which is under the umbrella of Rakuten Inc. It also plans to support online sales of sake and other Japanese products in EU members Germany and France. The European Union’s economic partnership agreement with Japan took effect in February. JETRO will advise small firms on export procedures that have been simplified for the EPA and plans to support online sales of Japanese wares in Chile, Vietnam and other members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, better known as TPP.