Kyodo News Digest: May 29, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 29 minutes ago - 09:19 | All, World, Japan
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Rubio says U.S. to "aggressively" revoke visas of Chinese students
WASHINGTON - The United States will "aggressively" revoke visas of Chinese students, including those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in sensitive fields, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday.
In a statement, Rubio also said, "We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong."
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Nissan to raise 1 tril. yen by issuing debt, selling assets: source
TOKYO - Ailing Nissan Motor Co. is planning to raise around 1 trillion yen ($7 billion) by issuing corporate bonds and selling assets to secure funds as it approaches a massive bond redemption, a company source said Wednesday.
Nissan and its affiliated companies face the redemption of roughly 780 billion yen in corporate bonds during the current fiscal year through March. It also requires funds to cover costs related to plant closures and other restructuring measures.
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Japan eyes closer ties with Philippines, Cambodia via security aid
TOKYO - Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya expressed eagerness to enhance ties with the Philippines and Cambodia through security aid as he met separately with their top diplomats in Tokyo on Wednesday, in the face of China's growing influence in Southeast Asia.
On the economic front, Iwaya agreed with Enrique Manalo from the Philippines to further cooperate in infrastructure development, while he underscored the importance of enhancing the multilateral free trade system with Cambodia's Prak Sokhonn, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
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Japan, U.S., Australia to agree to set up defense consultation body
TOKYO - The defense chiefs of Japan, the United States and Australia are expected to agree to establish a senior official-level consultation body to discuss their forces' collaborative operations at their meeting later this week in Singapore, Japanese government sources said Wednesday.
The planned talks on the fringes of the three-day Asia Security Summit, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, in the city-state from Friday will come as the three Indo-Pacific democracies have become more vigilant against China's maritime assertiveness in the region.
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China removes remaining buoy from Japan's exclusive economic zone
TOKYO - China has removed a buoy it had installed inside Japan's exclusive economic zone off a remote southwestern island, the Japan Coast Guard said Wednesday, meaning all such objects that had irked Tokyo have been cleared from its EEZ.
The Japanese government said in December that it spotted a new buoy south of Yonaguni Island, which is located about 100 kilometers from Taiwan. But on its website on Wednesday, the coast guard referred to the buoy east of Taiwan as "nonexistent."
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BOJ's unrealized bond loss widens to record 28 tril. yen at end-March
TOKYO - The Bank of Japan said Wednesday its unrealized loss on its Japanese government bond holdings widened to a record 28.62 trillion yen ($198 billion) at the end of March, reflecting rising yields as the central bank continued interest rate hikes.
The loss tripled from an unrealized loss of 9.43 trillion yen a year earlier. The BOJ has raised its key policy rate three times since March 2024 when it shifted from unorthodox monetary easing toward monetary policy normalization.
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Japan gov't vows reserve rice supply to countryside amid price spike
TOKYO - The government on Wednesday vowed to deliver lower-priced stockpiled rice it releases as a counter to surging prices more broadly and stably to consumers in rural areas, after it suspended taking orders from major retailers to make room for smaller ones.
About 70 major retailors made requests to buy reserve rice from the farm ministry, bringing the total to over 200,000 tons, or about two-thirds of the 300,000 tons up for sale, a day after the launch of a new release scheme on Monday.
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Int'l short film fest kicks off in Tokyo with focus on diversity, AI
TOKYO - One of Asia's largest film festivals kicked off Wednesday in Tokyo, with this year shining light on tales about diversity and the emergence of generative artificial intelligence.
Japanese actor and festival president Tetsuya Bessho and guests including South Korean actor Oh Man Seok from the hit drama series "Crash Landing on You" took to the stage at an opening ceremony of the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, which showcases five categories whose winners can qualify for next year's Academy Awards.
Video: Osaka Expo-designated Indonesian National Day celebrations
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Japan rules out defense deal in return for US tariff easing
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Japan eyes more rice exports as domestic consumption set to decline
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