Taiwan's Lai, ex-Japan minister agree to ensure economic security
TAIPEI (Kyodo) -- Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and former Japanese economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi agreed Wednesday on the importance of building "non-red" supply chains among democratic partners to counter the influence of China-led "red" supply chains, according to Lai's office.
The House of Representatives member, who was defeated by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership election last September, reaffirmed strong ties between Tokyo and Taipei in his talks with Lai, saying Japan's strategic policy is to "never allow Taiwan to become isolated."
Referring to the importance of trilateral cooperation between Taiwan, Japan, and the United States, Kobayashi said the main purpose of his three-day visit to the island through Friday is to exchange views with Taiwan on concrete steps to build supply chains that exclude Communist-led China.
Since their split in a civil war in 1949, China has regarded Taiwan as an inalienable part of its territory and has stepped up military pressure on the island. Beijing denounces Lai as a separatist.
The Taiwan leader expressed confidence that building on the foundation of Taiwan-Japan cooperation, democracies can link their industrial chains to secure global economic resilience and sustainability.
In a separate meeting with Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo, Kobayashi said peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are directly linked to Japan's national interests and that Tokyo looks forward to working with the territory to help safeguard regional peace and stability, according to a Taiwan Defense Ministry statement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
30 minutes ago
- Japan Times
Japan mulls cuts to financial aid for Ph.D. students from abroad
The education ministry is considering limiting the financial support it provides to doctoral students to assist with living expenses so that the funding is only made available to Japanese nationals, according to a draft proposal unveiled by an expert panel on Thursday. The Ph.D. aid program has recently come under fire from some members of parliament, who point out that nearly 40% of those receiving the support are international students despite the fact that the fund aims to foster future human resources in Japan. According to the education ministry, of the 10,564 students who received the aid in fiscal 2024 around 4,125 were international students, including 2,904 from China. The program, known as Support for Pioneering Research Initiated by the Next Generation (SPRING), was started in April 2021 to encourage more people to continue their studies to the doctoral level. The program was launched to tackle a decline in domestic students enrolling in Ph.D. programs due to financial difficulties and concerns over employment prospects, with the goal of fostering the capabilities to drive future innovation. Compared with 10 years ago, for example, the number of Japanese students going into doctoral programs in 2024 was down by 12% while foreign student enrollment increased by 35%. SPRING currently offers students up to ¥2.9 million per year for both research and living expenses, regardless of their nationality. The program has been adopted at 90 universities across the nation, with around 80% of doctoral students at those schools receiving some aid. Under the revised plan, which could go into effect as soon as next April, financial aid that covers living expenses will no longer be offered to international students, given the program's primary goal of encouraging Japanese students to enroll in Ph.D. programs. Financial aid used directly for research, which is, on average, around ¥400,000 per year, would continue to be offered to international students as well. In order to focus support on outstanding students, the amount offered for research would be differentiated depending on the academic and research performance of the student. To attract excellent international students and promote diversity at research institutions, the program is looking to encourage collaboration among universities on globalization efforts. Strengthening measures to help international students find employment after they complete their program of study in Japan is also under consideration. Furthermore, under the revised plan, eligibility for the financial aid used directly for research will be expanded to include working adults with a stable income, to encourage more individuals to explore further studies in the science and technology field. They will not be offered funding for living expenses, but such support will be made available to those who do not receive an income despite being a member of an organization or a company employee. According to the panel, the number of students enrolled in doctoral programs has increased in the past several years, growing from 14,382 in fiscal 2022 to 15,744 in 2024, and recovering close to the levels seen in fiscal 2011. Compared with the previous year, the number of working adults enrolling in Ph.D. programs in 2024 increased by 30, while the number of international students decreased by 118. The expert panel at the education ministry, which was established in April, met for the fourth time Thursday and is expected to submit a midterm report in coming weeks. The panel, which is focused on fostering the next generation of innovators in the science and technology field, is also discussing ways to improve related education in elementary, middle and high schools.
NHK
an hour ago
- NHK
Elderly homes turn to new software to ease burden on workers
Japan's elderly care sector is grappling with a severe shortage of workers. As the job recruitment campaigns ramp up, one home operator is automating technology in the back office to help ease the strain on staff. Sompo Care runs 450 facilities across Japan. A common complaint from its employees is that administrative tasks take up too much time -- distracting them from their main job of caring for the elderly. This month, the operator introduced new software to handle the paperwork -- starting with staff rosters. Employees submit desired times and days off via their smartphones. The system then takes over and automatically creates the shift schedule. Managers report that a job that used to take 10 hours a month can now be done in minutes. That allows workers to focus on caring for residents. Saito Shota, care home director, says: "Creating shift rosters used to take up a lot of our time. Now it's possible to spend that time on staff and residents." Major trading house Sumitomo Corporation developed the software service. It aims to introduce it to about 30 percent of nursing facilities across the country.
The Mainichi
2 hours ago
- The Mainichi
NATO just set its defense spending target at 5% of GDP. Can Japan do the same?
TOKYO -- "Rather than a simple call for military expansion, this probably reflects the issue of how allies respond financially to the burden felt by the United States." A senior Japanese Defense Ministry official offered this analysis of a recent agreement by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members to raise defense and defense-related spending targets to 5% of their GDP. Given that Japan also relies heavily on its alliance with the U.S., the ministry official expressed concern that these developments could affect Japan's own security and budgeting. For decades, Japan's defense spending remained around 1% of GDP. Just two and a half years ago, at the end of 2022, the Japanese government announced plans to strengthen national defense significantly and pledged to increase total defense-related expenditures to 2% of its fiscal 2022 GDP by fiscal 2027. Under its current defense buildup plan, the Defense Ministry has already allocated substantial sums: 5 trillion yen (approx. $34.6 billion) over five years for counterstrike "standoff defense capabilities," including long-range missiles, and an additional 3 trillion yen (approx. $20.7 billion) for integrated air-and-missile defense, including the construction of ships equipped with the Aegis missile-interception system. Japan's total defense-related spending in the current fiscal year's initial budget amounts to 9.9 trillion yen (approx. $68.4 billion, around 1.8% of GDP), clearly approaching but yet to reach the 2% goal. Even amid these already ambitious plans, pressure from the U.S. for Japan to boost spending even further is rapidly increasing. On June 21, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell strongly suggested that America's Asian allies -- explicitly including Japan -- should also raise their defense-related spending to reach 5% of GDP. U.S. Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's third-ranking official, has repeatedly proposed Japan boost its defense budget to 3% of GDP. Additionally, some British media reported on June 20 that Colby had called on the Japanese government to aim as high as 3.5% of GDP. Regarding these reports, a Japanese government official stated, "We've never been formally approached with such requests," but hinted undersurface pressure indeed exists, adding that there are people quietly pushing for an increase within parts of the U.S. government. What matters is the quality of our defense capabilities Even when Japan initially set the 2% target, the government faced criticism for prioritizing numbers over substance. The administration currently remains careful not to focus solely on spending goals. At a June 24 press conference, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani emphasized, "What matters most remains the actual quality of our defense capabilities." Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also highlighted at a June 23 press conference, "The critical point is that we independently determine what we truly need and naturally coordinate closely with our ally, the United States." A Defense Ministry official similarly explained, "It is first vital for Japan to discuss strategic priorities and how to strengthen defense measures. Any discussion about spending targets would come afterward." Nonetheless, the Japanese government clearly referenced NATO countries' numbers when adopting the initial 2% figure. The original recommendation of spending 2% of GDP on defense originates directly from NATO, and Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has repeatedly pointed to NATO practices as a model. Japan formally mentioned the NATO target of 2% in its government policy guidelines formulated in June 2022, as well as in its August 2022 defense white paper. Subsequently, the 2% commitment was written explicitly into the new National Security Strategy approved later that year. Given current fiscal circumstances... Yet skepticism about the feasibility for Japan to reach as high as 5% already exists. Even a simple calculation implies more than doubling current spending plans, prompting some in the Defense Ministry itself to doubt the figure's practicality. One involved official expressed concern, asking, "Can Japan realistically budget those enormous sums considering the present state of government finances -- and even if we did, could we properly execute such spending?" It should be noted that spending expressed as a percentage of GDP includes expenditures beyond just the defense ministry's official budget. Expenses classified as "complementary defense measures" are also included, such as subsidies related to U.S. military bases handled by ministries and agencies other than the Defense Ministry, the budgets of the Japan Coast Guard, cybersecurity-related funding and strategic public infrastructure. While the Japanese government is actively designating and developing airports and seaports as public infrastructure also used for defense purposes, new developments do not require continuous large expenditure and substantial growth in defense-related funding is not expected to continue. The current defense buildup plan ends in fiscal 2027, and this year marks the halfway point of that long-term plan. Within the LDP, discussions regarding the formulation of the next phase of defense expenditure and capability enhancement measures are expected to begin in earnest after the summer House of Councillors election. Reflecting on NATO's latest spending goals, a Defense Ministry official noted, "The NATO agreement will likely serve as a catalyst pushing us toward faster discussions on additional defense strengthening and further defense spending."
