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Japan approves new climate, energy and industry policies through 2040

Japan approves new climate, energy and industry policies through 2040

Japan's government approved on Tuesday new targets to cut the country's greenhouse gas emissions through 2040, alongside a revised energy plan and an updated industrial policy for the same period.
The measures, which seek to bolster long-term policy stability for businesses, focus on promoting decarbonization, ensuring a stable energy supply and strengthening industrial capacity to drive economic growth.
Under the new climate policy, Japan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% from 2013 levels by 2035 and by 73% by 2040, extending its 2030 goal of a 46% cut.
The emissions-cutting target sparked calls for deeper reductions from experts and ruling coalition members when it was first proposed, as the world's fifth-biggest carbon emitter struggles to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.
Despite more than 80% of 3,000 public comments supporting a more ambitious target, the environment and industry ministries finalized the goal without changes, citing prior deliberations by climate experts.
As part of global efforts to combat climate change, Japan plans to submit its new target, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, to the United Nations this month.
The revised energy policy aims for renewables to account for up to 50% of Japan's electricity mix by fiscal year 2040, with nuclear power contributing another 20% as the country pushes for clean energy while meeting rising power demand.
Japanese utilities have struggled to restart nuclear reactors since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, limiting nuclear power to just 8.5% of Japan's electricity supply in 2023.
The new energy plan removes the previous goal of minimizing reliance on nuclear and calls for building next-generation reactors.
A new national strategy integrating decarbonization and industrial policy through 2040, aligned with the emission target and energy plan, was also approved by the cabinet.
It aims to develop industrial clusters in areas rich in renewable energy, nuclear power, and other low-carbon power sources.
However, uncertainties are emerging around Japan's policies, as the domestic offshore wind market, a key driver of renewable energy growth, faces headwinds from inflation and high costs, recently prompting Mitsubishi Corp to review three domestic projects.

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Foreign bloggers help China spread propaganda, analysis finds
Foreign bloggers help China spread propaganda, analysis finds

Voice of America

time13-03-2025

  • Voice of America

Foreign bloggers help China spread propaganda, analysis finds

Foreign bloggers who praise China rapidly gain popularity and millions of followers on Chinese social media platforms. VOA examined the facts and spoke with experts to shed light on the government's efforts behind the phenomenon. "It is a long-standing tradition of the Chinese Communist Party to use foreigners to voice its propaganda for added credibility," said Mareike Ohlberg, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund. Foreign influencers cooperate with the Chinese government, the media and third parties to create and boost content that supports government narratives, Ohlberg said. One of the most common topics that foreign influencers focus on is whitewashing human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The U.N. Human Rights Office and groups like Amnesty International estimate that more than 1 million people – mostly Uyghurs – have been confined in internment camps in Xinjiang. 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He amassed 12.89 million followers on Douyin, where he posts short video clips praising life in China. In November 2023, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute wrote that in China, Fulafu has 'become a household name through his ostentatious displays of affection for China,' identifying him as a Chinese government propagandist. Kokolevskiy does not make commercial ad disclaimers. However, CMGM, an outlet covering China news, reported in January 2021 that he received advertisement contracts within 15 days for NetEase's "Heavenly Oracle" mobile game and online retailers Pinduoduo and Tmall. The companies paid about $11,000 for each ad, bringing Fulafu's advertising revenue up to about $33,000 for January 2021 alone, according to the report. Like Fulafu, dozens of foreigners grew to stardom on the Chinese internet during the last decade, Ohlberg said. Among them is Gerald Kowal, known also as Jerry Guo, an American who has risen to popularity in China after an interview with state-owned CCTV in 2020. At the time, Kowal had been posting series of short videos critical of New York City authorities' handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also repeated debunked conspiracy theories, claiming, for example, that the U.S. military brought the coronavirus to China. CCTV broadcasted his interview from New York live. The China Newsweek magazine profiled Kowal in May 2020 as 'one of the most influential internet celebrities,' calling him a 'war correspondent' for his videos from pandemic-stricken New York. Third-party promoters The success of a large number of foreign influencers is closely tied to multichannel networks or MCNs, which are third-party organizations that promote the growth of certain content creators, operating behind the scenes. 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The bloggers were asked to record their experiences on video and share them online. China's state-controlled media outlets boost such bloggers, presenting them to domestic audiences within the narrative of a prosperous nation under the Communist Party. For example, the Xinhua News Agency's series in 2024 on foreign internet celebrities in China showed videos of influencers from all over the world walking the streets of China's major cities praising their 'cleanest streets in the world" and "efficient garbage disposal system." In using these foreign bloggers, the Chinese Communist Party wants to show that life in China is not what rights groups and China's critics abroad say it is. The government exploits the idea that unless 'you come and see, you have no right to judge,' the German Marshall Fund's Ohlberg said. The core of this idea is 'very hypocritical,' Ohlberg added, because 'the Communist Party allows these people to go only where it wants them to go and see only what it wants them to see. And if you're critical, you certainly won't get the opportunity to go on a field trip.'

Can the US pry Russia away from China?
Can the US pry Russia away from China?

Voice of America

time13-03-2025

  • Voice of America

Can the US pry Russia away from China?

Western politicians have repeatedly called on China to limit or cease tacit support for Russia's bloody war against Ukraine. In response, China's leadership insists it is committed to peace and respect for the territorial integrity of other nations. But unlike most United Nations member states, China has never condemned Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and their military-diplomatic partnership — from joint bomber flights near the U.S. state of Alaska to votes in the U.N. Security Council — has only helped the Kremlin overcome its international isolation. While President Donald Trump has said he has good personal relations with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, there is a consensus among experts in Washington that the China-Russia partnership poses a threat to U.S. interests, and that while Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, tried to establish a strategic dialogue with China, the Trump team appears to be prioritizing normalized ties with Russia while punishing China over trade. As the White House talks about the possibility of restoring economic cooperation with Russia, some of its officials are hinting at lifting or reducing the sanctions Washington has imposed on Moscow in recent years. Charles Hecker, an expert on Western-Russian economic ties and risks, and author of the book Zero Sum: The Arc of International Business in Russia, says some Western companies will quickly return to Russia if sanctions are lifted, particularly those involved in energy, metals and minerals. 'There's only so much oil in Norway, and there's only so much oil in Canada; the rest of it is in some countries that have a very high-risk environment,' Hecker told VOA's Russian Service. 'And so, these kinds of companies are accustomed to business in these sorts of places, and they have the internal structures to help protect them. You know, there are energy companies doing business in Iraq right now. And I don't want to compare Russia and Iraq, but they are high-risk environments.' Still, Hecker cautions, their return to doing business in Russia wouldn't signal an overall U.S.-Russian rapprochement — let alone a fracturing of Sino-Russian relations. 'I think it will be very difficult for the West to pull Russia away from China,' he said. 'Allowing Western companies back into Russia doesn't necessarily change President Putin's hostility towards the West. President Putin remains antagonistic towards a Western-dominated political and economic system, and he has said over and over again that he wants to create an alternative political and economic environment – an alternative to the West. 'Part of that alternative includes China,' he added. 'You have never heard President Putin say anything ideologically against China. And the two are now important energy partners.' Limited popular domestic appeal U.S.-based FilterLabs analyzes public sentiment in regions where polling is problematic. According to a recently published assessment of popular attitudes expressed on Russian and Chinese social media networks, Sino-Russian relations are 'full of underlying tensions, mistrust, and diverging interests.' One of the report's authors, Vasily Gatov, told VOA its research found that 'the Chinese and Russian populations are far from happy with this alliance of their authorities.' "China does not perceive Russia as a reliable, safe and equal partner,' he said. 'Russia annexed the Amur Region from China; Russia adopted a completely colonial policy towards China during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Therefore, in my opinion, it is entirely possible to consider historical frictions as a vulnerability.' A media analyst at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Gatov also noted that, despite the Kremlin's expectations, China's economic presence inside Russia today remains 'several times smaller' than that of either Europe or the U.S. before Russia invaded Ukraine. Thus, while Russian and China have overlapping interests, they are not 'marching in lockstep.' "They are very different, they have very different geopolitical focuses, very different political philosophies,' he said. Other experts, however, question the Filterlabs findings, warning that random Russian and Chinese opinions online are of limited value, especially as those casting the insights aren't likely to influence policy. "People who have the time and desire to comment on things on social media do not have much influence on how state policy is conducted,' Alexander Gabuev, director of the Berlin-based Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, told VOA. 'And these people certainly do not have much influence on whether China transfers components for Russia's weapons or takes certain military technologies from it, since the people who comment on this simply do not have real knowledge of what is actually happening.' Gabuev added that 'the Chinese leadership has reasons to think that they have something to take from Russia in terms of military technology,' suggesting that China is extremely interested in gaining Russian experience in countering Western weapons during Russia's war in Ukraine. 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Attacks, Ugandan troops undermine South Sudan minister's assurance of calm
Attacks, Ugandan troops undermine South Sudan minister's assurance of calm

Voice of America

time11-03-2025

  • Voice of America

Attacks, Ugandan troops undermine South Sudan minister's assurance of calm

Michael Makuei Lueth, South Sudan's information minister, has publicly dismissed concerns about the country's instability, claiming that rumors and social media fuel the fears. That claim is false. Several events on the ground and key assessments directly contradict Lueth's assertion. United Nations assessment The United Nations has reported that the situation in South Sudan has deteriorated significantly. According to U.N. reports, tensions have been rising due to internal conflict, particularly between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those aligned with Vice President Riek Machar. The U.N. has also highlighted the fragile nature of the 2018 peace agreement that ended South Sudan's civil war, with fighting taking place in regions such as Upper Nile and Nasir. Attacks on UN personnel On March 7, a U.N. helicopter evacuating South Sudanese troops was attacked, resulting in the deaths of U.N. personnel and several South Sudanese soldiers, including a senior general. This attack highlights the ongoing violence and risks to personnel operating in South Sudan. Regional military involvement The Ugandan military has deployed its special forces to assist South Sudan's government in securing Juba and addressing growing instability. This move underlines the severity of the situation; deployment of foreign troops is usually a sign that the situation has reached a critical point. Militia activity and political tensions The 'White Army' militia, associated with Machar's forces, overran an army base in Nasir on March 4, killing soldiers and taking control of the city. This event is part of a larger pattern of militia activity throughout the country, fueling fears of renewed civil war. In addition, political tensions between Kiir and Machar are running high, with arrests of generals linked to Machar. US travel advisory The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 4 travel advisory for South Sudan, the highest warning possible. This advisory specifically states that there is a 'greater risk of life-threatening danger.' The United States has advised Americans not to travel to South Sudan due to the presence of armed conflict and ordered nonessential personnel to leave the country. International Crisis Group The Brussels-based International Crisis Group, or ICG, said, 'Tensions are running dangerously high in South Sudan.' The ICG has raised concerns over the possibility of renewed civil war, especially with militias such as the White Army taking control of strategic areas such as Nasir. The ICG also warned that fighting in Upper Nile could spill over into other regions, including Sudan. The 2013-2018 civil war in South Sudan claimed the lives of some 400,000 people. Conclusion Lueth's claim that there is no fear and that the situation is under control is false. Independent and international assessments provide a much different picture. These sources indicate a rapidly deteriorating security situation, with growing violence, political instability and the possibility of renewed civil war. The presence of foreign military forces, such as the Ugandan special forces in Juba, along with the U.S. travel advisory, further underscore the serious and escalating nature of the crisis in South Sudan.

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