Kyodo News Digest: July 11, 2025
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan, U.S., Philippines reaffirm importance of navigation freedom
KUALA LUMPUR - The foreign ministers of Japan, the United States and the Philippines on Thursday reaffirmed the importance of freedom of navigation as they discussed the situation in the East and South China seas amid Beijing's aggressive maritime behavior.
In the first trilateral ministerial meeting involving the three countries since President Donald Trump's return to the White House in January, the ministers confirmed their opposition to any unilateral actions toward attempting to change the status quo "by force or coercion," the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
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Japan seeks free, fair trade in talks with ASEAN amid tensions
KUALA LUMPUR - Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya called for a "free, fair and open" international economic order in his talks Thursday with his ASEAN counterparts in Malaysia, amid trade tensions stemming from the threat of steep U.S. tariffs against Japan and the group's members.
Noting the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations is "at the center of global growth," Iwaya said Japan is eager to strengthen cooperation with the regional bloc, adding its role has been "increasingly important for regional peace and prosperity."
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Japan, U.S. top diplomats agree to support bilateral tariff talks
KUALA LUMPUR - Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday agreed to support bilateral tariff negotiations, following President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 25 percent tariff on Aug. 1.
The two top diplomats, who met on the sidelines of ASEAN-related regional meetings in Kuala Lumpur, confirmed that they will back ministerial talks aimed at reaching a "mutually beneficial" deal, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
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Chinese fighter jet flies close to Japan SDF plane: Japan gov't
TOKYO - A Chinese fighter jet flew close to a Japan Air Self-Defense Force aircraft over international waters in the East China Sea, Japan's government said Thursday, in a move that could strain ties between the two countries.
Following the close encounters within 70 meters between a Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber and an ASDF YS-11EB electronic intelligence aircraft on Wednesday and Thursday, the government said it expressed "serious concerns" to China, calling for preventive measures.
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Japan urges China to ease export curbs on critical minerals
KUALA LUMPUR - Japan's Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya urged his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Thursday to ease Beijing's export restrictions on critical minerals, including rare earth elements used in semiconductors, expressing "strong concern" over the negative impact of the curbs on Japanese firms.
Iwaya, who met with Wang on the fringes of regional gatherings in Malaysia, also called on China to remove the remaining import ban on Japanese food items imposed in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
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Japan seeks "future-oriented cooperation" with ASEAN, 2 neighbors
KUALA LUMPUR - Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Thursday called for boosting "future-oriented cooperation" among the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Japan, China and South Korea, building on a similar accord reached by the three non-ASEAN countries in March.
At the outset of the ASEAN-plus-three meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Iwaya said the trilateral process involving Japan, China and South Korea has "synergy effects" with the three nations' collaboration with the regional bloc.
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World Expo water shows to resume after sanitizing legionella bacteria
OSAKA - Water shows at the World Exposition in Osaka will resume on Friday, after a monthlong suspension due to the detection of high levels of legionella bacteria in the venue's seawater.
Expo organizers said Thursday they have decided to restart the shows after taking measures to improve water quality including sanitization. Following an examination, the level of legionella in water from the Water Plaza, a large seawater reservoir, was confirmed to be below the allowable limit under their guidelines.
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Bullet train services temporarily halted around Tokyo amid downpour
TOKYO - Shinkansen bullet train services in and around Tokyo were temporarily halted Thursday evening due to a torrential downpour, as the country's weather agency issued multiple heavy rain warnings.
Services on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line were stopped between Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama stations from around 7:20 p.m. to 8:05 p.m. after rainfall in the area met rain gauge thresholds, while those for the Tohoku Shinkansen Line were also briefly suspended between Tokyo and Sendai stations, according to JR Tokai and JR East.
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Video: ISS connected to Osaka Expo venue via live broadcast
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