Japan and EU envision satellite network to cut reliance on US, SpaceX
TAKASHI TSUJI
BRUSSELS -- Japan and the European Union look to develop an extensive communications satellite network, a draft agreement for the Japan-EU summit on July 23 shows, part of an effort to reduce reliance on U.S. companies like SpaceX.
The two sides would create the network by launching and jointly operating small satellites.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NHK
3 hours ago
- NHK
Nissan to cease auto production at mainstay plant in Japan
Japanese automobile manufacture Nissan Motor has announced that it will cease vehicle production at its mainstay Oppama plant near Tokyo as part of its restructuring efforts. The struggling Japanese automaker said on Tuesday that production at Oppama in Kanagawa Prefecture will be halted at the end of March 2028. Nissan also said it would transfer production to facilities run by the company's unit in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan. It said the research center, the crash test site and other facilities on the plant's compound will be retained and will continue to operate as before. The carmaker said it will consider a wide range of options on how to utilize the plant in the future. To achieve its restructuring target, Nissan earlier announced that it will cut its group-wide payroll by 20,000 workers and reduce the number of factories by seven in and outside Japan. Nissan President and CEO Ivan Espinosa told reporters: "It was a difficult decision for both myself and the company. However, we believe it is necessary for Nissan to overcome its current challenging situation and return to our growth trajectory." The Oppama plant, which began operation in 1961, rolled out many of Nissan's signature models, such as the Bluebird and the March. However, in the face of slumping business in recent years, the plant's low operation rate was posing a major challenge. The plant currently employs around 2,400 people. Nissan said it will retain the workforce until the end of March 2028 and notify workers as soon as the company comes up with specific future plans. Nissan said vehicle production will also be terminated at a Nissan subsidiary's Shonan plant near Tokyo. Espinosa said, "There will be no other reduction or consolidation of vehicle production sites in Japan." He added Nissan will announce any decision on the closure of overseas production bases at the appropriate time.


NHK
5 hours ago
- NHK
South Korea, China react sharply to descriptions in Japan's defense white paper
South Korea has protested Japan's description of the Takeshima Islands in the Sea of Japan as an inherent part of Japan's territory in its latest annual defense white paper. South Korea controls the islands. Japan claims them. The Japanese government says South Korea is illegally occupying them. A South Korean foreign ministry spokesperson issued a statement on Tuesday, after the white paper on defense policy was presented to a Cabinet meeting in Japan. The spokesperson called the islands Dokdo, and claimed South Korea's sovereignty over them. The spokesperson expressed a strong protest, and called for immediate withdrawal of the description in the white paper. The spokesperson also said the South Korean government will respond firmly to any provocation by Japan over the islands. The country's foreign ministry says it summoned Iseki Yoshiyasu, a senior diplomat at the Japanese embassy in Seoul, to deliver a protest on Tuesday afternoon. Iseki reportedly told South Korean officials it is clear that the Takeshima Islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory in light of history and international law, calling the protest by Seoul unacceptable. China has also reacted sharply to the white paper, which expresses strong concern that Beijing's increased military activities could have serious impact on Japan's security. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters on Tuesday that the white paper contains a wrong perception of China, interferes in the country's domestic affairs unfairly, and seeks to play up the so-called "China threat" narrative. The spokesperson said China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition, and added that Beijing has already lodged a protest with Tokyo. Lin called China's military activities legitimate and justified.


Yomiuri Shimbun
6 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Ishiba Likely to Meet with Bessent in Tokyo This Week; U.S. Treasury Secretary to Attend Expo Event
Arrangements are being made for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is scheduled to visit Japan to attend an event at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo in Osaka on Saturday, it has been learned. Bessent is the chief negotiator for the Japan-U.S. talks on tariffs imposed by the United States on Japanese products. According to Japanese government sources, Ishiba hopes to make progress in the negotiations as the Aug. 1 deadline nears. A meeting is being planned to take place in Tokyo on Friday, the sources said. Ryosei Akazawa, minister in charge of economic revitalization and Japan's chief negotiator, is also expected to meet with Bessent. Bessent will participate in an event for the U.S. national day at the Expo as the head of the U.S. delegation.