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The meeting that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will have at the White House on Thursday originally seemed like a prime opportunity to have President Donald Trump's ear before he embarked on a trip to China. But now, the war in Iran and Trump's unsuccessful call for Japan and other nations to help protect the Strait of Hormuz means the China trip has been delayed and Takaichi may be likely to get an earful. Trump has repeatedly complained on camera and online that US allies, including Japan, have rejected his request to help safeguard the critical waterway for oil and gas transport. "In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!" Trump exclaimed on Truth Social after his initial call for help was rebuffed. The prime minister acknowledged before she left Japan that she expects her meeting with Trump will be "very difficult." She and her ministers have denied that ...
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is travelling Wednesday to the United States for what she expects to be a "very difficult" meeting with US President Donald Trump after he called on Japan and other allies to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz. The three-day visit to Washington was originally expected to focus on trade and strengthening the US-Japanese alliance as China's influence grows in Asia. It is now expected to be overshadowed by the war the United States and Israel launched against Iran on February 28. "I think the US visit will be a very difficult one, but I will do everything to maximise our national interest and to protect the daily lives of the people when the situation changes daily," Takaichi told parliament on Wednesday, hours before her departure. Takaichi held her first meeting with Trump in October in Tokyo, days after becoming Japan's first female prime minister. A hard-line conservative, Takaichi is a protege of former leader Shinzo Abe, who ...
Japan recorded a trade surplus of 57.3 billion yen (USD 360 million) in February, according to government data released Wednesday, reversing from a deficit a month earlier. Exports grew at a better-than-expected 4.2 per cent in February to 9.57 trillion yen, the Finance Ministry's seasonally adjusted preliminary data show. Imports grew 10.2 per cent on-year to 9.51 trillion yen following a 2.5 per cent contraction in January. Japan posted a 1.15 trillion trade deficit that month. Import costs are likely to rise as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the war against Iran drives up oil and other energy prices. Japan imports almost all its oil, and Brent crude - the international standard - has jumped in recent weeks to about USD 100 a barrel. Geopolitical uncertainty, especially the war in Iran, looms large for Japan's export-reliant economy, but a weak yen is likely to work as a plus. The US dollar has been trading at about 159 yen, when it was below 150 yen a yea
Japan is preparing to deploy its first batch of domestically developed long-range missiles, with their launchers arriving at an army camp Monday as the country accelerates its offensive capability in response to rising challenges in the region. The upgraded Type-12 land-to-ship missiles will be deployed at Camp Kengun in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto by the end of March, completing the process of deployment, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said. Army vehicles carrying their launchers and other equipment arrived early in the morning in a highly secretive mission criticized by local residents who protested outside the camp. Opponents have complained about the lack of transparency and said the deployment would instead escalate tension and make the missiles the target of attacks. The Defence Ministry last year moved up the schedule of the missiles' deployment by one year as Japan accelerates a military buildup in the southwestern region as China escalates tension ..
Asian shares mostly rose in Wednesday morning trading, with Japan's benchmark hitting a record high, as investors were cheered by an overnight Wall Street rally that seemed to reflect optimism about the artificial-intelligence boom. Japan's benchmark surged 1.3% to 58,081.62. That came despite China's move the previous day to restrict exports to 40 Japanese companies and organisations it says are contributing to Japan's "remilitarisation". The reaction was varied with the prices of some listed companies rising, like Subaru Corp and Mitsubishi Materials Corp, while others slipped, including Eneos Corp and Sumitomo Heavy Industries. Analysts said the declining yen worked to boost export shares, such as Honda Motor Co and Panasonic Corp. The US dollar slipped to 155.78 Japanese yen from 155.83 yen. The dollar traded close to 160 yen levels several months ago. The euro cost $1.1784, up from $1.1779. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 jumped 1.1% to 9,122.50. South Korea's Kospi surged 1.7% to ...
China on Tuesday put 20 Japanese companies on an export control list and 20 others on a watchlist, as tensions continue over the Japanese leader's previous comments on Taiwan, the self-governed island Beijing claims as its own. Chinese exporters will be banned from selling dual-use goods, which can be used both for civilian and military purposes, to 20 Japanese companies, according to a statement by China's Commerce Ministry. Companies targeted include multiple subsidiaries of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries involved in shipbuilding and the production of aircraft engines and maritime machinery, as well as divisions of Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Fujitsu, among others. Foreign organizations or individuals are also banned from providing dual-use items originating in China to the 20 entities, the ministry said. "All ongoing related activities must cease immediately," its statement read. A separate list includes 20 Japanese companies for which Chinese exporters are required to submit ..
Last week Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a landslide election that she hopes will allow her to move her nation's policies hard right. On Wednesday she will be reappointed as prime minister by the parliament and form her second Cabinet. It's a formality, but Takaichi will look to use the symbolism of the day to further boost her Liberal Democratic Party as it looks to capitalize on a two-thirds supermajority in the lower house, the more powerful of Japan's two parliamentary chambers. Her goals include an increase in military power, more government spending and strengthened conservative social policies. The power of a supermajority Having two-thirds control of the 465-seat lower house allows Takaichi's party to dominate top posts in house committees and push through bills rejected by the upper house, the chamber where the LDP-led ruling coalition lacks a majority. Takaichi wants to bolster Japan's military capability and arms sales, tighten immigration policies, push ...