Page 62 - Japan

World leaders land in Hiroshima for G7 meet, Ukraine war high on agenda

World leaders landed in Hiroshima on Thursday for a Group of Seven meeting, the site of the world's first atomic bomb attack, with Russia's war in Ukraine expected to be high on the agenda. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida kicked off his summit diplomacy by meeting with US President Joe Biden after his arrival at a nearby military base. He was due to hold talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak a bit later in the day, before the three-day summit opens on Friday. The Japan-US alliance is the very foundation of peace and security in the Indo- Pacific region, Kishida told Biden in opening remarks. We very much welcome that the cooperation has evolved in leaps and bounds, he said. When our countries stand together we stand stronger and I believe the whole world is safer when we do," Biden said. The US president exited Air Force One in heavy rain and briefly greeted troops on arrival at the nearby Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. As G-7 attendees made their way to Hiroshi

US debt limit: There's 'work to do', says Biden as he heads to Japan

US President Joe Biden said there is "work to do" on the global stage as he headed to Japan on Wednesday to consult with allies on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's assertiveness in the Pacific at the same time that a debt limit standoff looms at home. With high-stakes talks to head off a federal default underway in Washington, Biden pledged to remain in "constant contact" with negotiators in the capital city while he conducts international diplomacy. The president departed Washington aboard Air Force One a day after scrapping plans for a historic stop in Papua New Guinea and a key visit to Australia amid the showdown with House Republicans over raising the federal debt limit. The three-nation trip had been meant as a triumphant global leadership showcase, and instead threatened to become a truncated reminder of how partisan disagreements have undercut US standing on the global stage. "I have cut my trip short in order to be here for the final negotiations and sign the deal .

Russian conduct unchanged with Western warships in east Med: US commander

A U.S. Navy commander said Wednesday there is no significant change in the conduct of Russian aircraft and warships toward Western naval and air assets in the eastern Mediterranean as Moscow's war in Ukraine grinds on. Cmdr. Peter C. Flynn said that Russian warplanes and naval vessels have been conducting themselves professionally, like other military forces in the region, and there's been no indication of any heightened aggression or hostility. We obviously study what is going on in theater and you know that certainly plays a role in what we do and what we prepare for, but not a significant change in the attitude of Russian forces, Flynn told The Associated Press aboard the USS Arleigh Burke. The destroyer, one of the United States' most capable warships, is docked at Cyprus' main Limassol port. Russia has a naval base in Tartus, Syria, the only such facility that Moscow has outside the former Soviet Union. In 2017, Moscow struck a deal with Syrian President Bashar Assad to extend

Biden to miss Quad meet: A look at the group and its significance

Quad, formally known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is a group of four like-minded, democratic countries which include the United States of America, India, Australia, and Japan

Japan's economy expands at annualised real 1.6% in Jan-Mar quarter of 2023

Japan's economy expanded at an annualised real 1.6 per cent in the January-March quarter of 2023, the government said in a report on Wednesday

Japan's economy rebounds on healthy consumption as Covid restrictions ease

Japan's economy grew at an annual pace of 1.6 per cent in the quarter through March as private demand rebounded after COVID-19-related restrictions were eased, according to data released on Wednesday. Real gross domestic product, which measures the sum value of a nation's products and services, grew 0.4 per cent in January-March on-quarter in the world's third largest economy, the government Cabinet Office said. That was the strongest GDP growth pace since April-June 2022 marked a 1.1 per cent growth. It was also better than the market consensus forecast of 0.2 per cent. The annualised pace shows what the growth would have been if what was marked during the quarter had continued for a year. The biggest contributor to growth was private demand, surging an annual 3.1 per cent, with consumer spending and private investment showing a healthy rebound. The recent opening of borders to tourists and other incoming travel has also helped consumption perk up. Public demand grew at an annuali

US Prez Biden to meet PM Modi in Japan on the sidelines of G7 summit

US President Joe Biden would meet the prime ministers Narendra Modi of India and Anthony Albanese of Australia on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Japan, the White House said on Tuesday on the eve of the president leaving on his now-curtailed foreign trip. "He (Biden) will also have the opportunity to meet with the leaders of the other members of the Quad, Prime Minister Modi of India and Prime Minister Albanese of Australia as well," John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, told reporters at the White House during his briefing on the G7 trip. Biden heads to Hiroshima, Japan to participate in the G7 summit. "Since the president took office, revitalising our alliances and partnerships, and reestablishing America's leadership around the world has been one of his top priorities," Kirby said. "Thanks in no small part to his hard work during the G7, you will see that our allies and partners are more united than ever. Over

Japanese govt greenlights household electricity price hike by 7 power firms

The Japanese government has endorsed seven major power companies' plans to raise household electricity prices from June.

PM Modi to visit Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia from May 19-21

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia from May 19 to 24, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Tuesday. Modi will be in Japanese city of Hiroshima from May 19 to 21 for the G7 summit. The MEA said the prime minister will speak at G7 sessions with partner countries on subjects such as peace, stability and prosperity of a sustainable planet; and food, fertiliser and energy security. From Japan, Modi will then travel to Port Moresby where he will host the third summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation jointly with Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape on May 22, the MEA said in a statement. On the third and final leg of the trip, Modi will visit Sydney in Australia from May 22 to 24 to attend the Quad summit. The summit, being hosted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, will also be attended by US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "The summit provides an opportunit

S Korea, Japan use G-7 to push improvement in ties long marked by animosity

Amid the high-level efforts to deal with a raft of global emergencies, this weekend's Group of 7 summit of rich democracies will also see an unusual diplomatic reconciliation as the leaders of Japan and South Korea look to continue mending ties that have been marked for years by animosity and bickering. At first glance the two neighbours would seem to be natural partners. They are powerful, advanced democracies and staunch US allies in a region beset with autocratic threats. The continuing fallout, however, from centuries of complicated, acrimonious history, culminating in the brutal 1910-1945 Japanese colonization of the Korean Peninsula, has resulted in more wariness than friendship. A big part of the sudden recent shift in tone is a shared focus on China's growing aggressiveness, t he threat of North Korea's fast-improving arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles and deep worry about how Russia's war in Ukraine is influencing both issues. Some diplomatic nudging by Washington, which

China, Russia increasing military collaboration, Japanese minister warns

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed concern on Saturday about Russian and Chinese military cooperation in Asia and said the security situation in Europe could not be separated from that in the Indo-Pacific region since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Speaking at a meeting of European and Indo-Pacific foreign ministers in Sweden, Hayashi said Russia's war in Ukraine had shaken the very foundation of the international order and must face a united response by the international community. Otherwise, similar challenges will arise in other regions and the existing order which has underpinned our peace and prosperity could be fundamentally overturned, Hayashi said. Japan firmly backs Ukraine in the war but China says it remains neutral while declaring a no limits relationship with Moscow and blaming the US and NATO for provoking the conflict. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in March at the same time as Chinese President

Kishida, counterparts from G-7 to issue statement on economic coercion

Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida and his counterparts from the Group of Seven (G7) leading democracies are seeking to issue a separate statement with language opposing economic coercion

PM Modi meets CEO of Japanese semiconductor firm, discusses tech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had a productive meeting with Toshi Shiabata, the CEO of Japanese semiconductor firm Renesas Electronics and discussed various aspects of technology and innovation in the field of semiconductors.The Japanese company's CEO called on PM Modi on Friday.Replying to a tweet by Renesas Electronics, the Prime Minister tweeted, "Had a productive meeting with Mr Toshi Shibata, CEO of @RenesasGlobal. We discussed aspects relating to tech, innovation and India's strides in the world of semiconductors."Earlier, Renesas Electronics posted on Twitter that Toshi Shibata met the Indian Prime Minister to discuss the role of the semiconductor industry and how it contributes to India's vision for a digital future."Our CEO Toshi Shibata met with India's PM @narendramodi to discuss the role that our industry plays & how we can contribute to India's vision for a digital future. We're committed to enabling #semiconductor ecosystem and digital infrastructure in ...

S Korea, Japan holds working-level meeting on Seoul's Fukushima inspection

South Korea and Japan held working-level consultations on Friday to discuss details of Seoul's inspection of Tokyo's plan to discharge contaminated water from crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant

Sitharaman meets IMF chief Georgieva on sidelines of G7 meet in Japan

She is on a two-day visit to Japan. The G7 meeting is taking place in Niigata

FM Nirmala Sitharaman invites Japan's business leaders to invest in India

India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday invited Japanese investors and business leaders to explore investment opportunities in the country, saying that New Delhi is easing a lot of restrictions and ensuring overall ease of doing business in its walk towards Amrit Kaal. Indian government describes 'Amrit Kaal', as the 25-year period culminating in the centenary of the country's independence. Sitharaman is on a two-day official visit to Niigata, Japan, to attend a G7 meeting. India is an invitee to G 7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting. Interacting with a group of investors and business leaders on the theme of 'Rising Investment Opportunities: Destination India', Sitharaman talked about the initiatives of the Indian government towards building India in 'Amrit Kaal'. She further said the Union Budget presented by her in February was prepared keeping in mind the needs of the next 25 years to help India become a developed nation by 2047. Referring to

Japan tech investor SoftBank Group sinks into second year of losses

Japanese technology investor SoftBank Group reported Thursday a loss of 970 billion yen (USD 7 billion) for the fiscal year that just ended the second year in a row of red ink. Tokyo-based SoftBank Group Corp. racked up a 1.7-trillion-yen (USD 13-billion) loss the previous fiscal year. The latest results came from massive losses on its investments, called the SoftBank Vision Fund, amid a global plunge in technology shares. The gains from transactions in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba were not enough to offset the investment losses, the company said in a statement. Sales for the fiscal year, which ended in March, rose 6 per cent from the previous fiscal year to 6.57 trillion yen (USD 49 billion). SoftBank invests in a sprawling array of companies, including Uber, DoorDash, T-Mobile and Arm. But the value of its holdings declined during various economic uncertainties, including the US banking crisis and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to SoftBank. The company, which was

G7 Finance Ministers to meet in Japan to tackle threat from US debt ceiling

The financial leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy nations will meet in Japan beginning on Thursday as a standoff over the US debt ceiling looms as one of the biggest potential threats to the global economy. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said one of her priorities in Niigata, a port city on the Japan Sea coast, would be to emphasise the importance of resolving the standoff over the national debt. I will underscore the importance of Congress acting to resolve the debt limit to maintain America's economic leadership and protect the global economy, Yellen said in a tweet Thursday. Yellen also is bound to be seeking to reassure her counterparts over recent bank failures that have raised worries over risks for the global financial system. The finance ministers and central bank governors are meeting for three days ahead of a G-7 summit later this month in Hiroshima. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he and congressional leaders had a productive meeting Tuesday on trying to r

FM Nirmala Sitharaman leaves for 2-day visit to Japan to attend G 7 meeting

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday embarked on an official two-day visit to Niigata, Japan, to attend a G7 meeting. India is an invitee to G 7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting. "During her visit, FM Smt.@nsitharaman will also have multilateral and bilateral engagements with her counterparts, besides a roundtable meeting with business leaders and investors," a finance ministry tweet said. During her trip, she will address investors and business leaders in Tokyo. Besides, she will address a seminar on 'Economic Policy in Pursuit of Welfare' at the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting while two other sessions--Tackling Immediate Challenges Facing Developing Countries and Strengthening International Cooperation for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth. The G7 is a forum of leading industrialised nations--Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Representatives of the European Union are alway

Japan Parliament passes bill to amend immigration law to deport foreigners

Japan's lower house of Parliament on Tuesday passed a contentious bill to amend an immigration law allowing authorities to deport foreign nationals who apply for refugee status multiple times.