logo
'Japanese-first' party Sanseito denies ties with Russia

'Japanese-first' party Sanseito denies ties with Russia

Straits Times17-07-2025
Find out what's new on ST website and app.
Sanseito Party secretary general Sohei Kamiya delivering a campaign speech ahead of the July 20 upper house elections in the town of Kunitomi, Miyazaki prefecture.
Tokyo - A populist party surging in the polls ahead of July 20's national elections in Japan has denied any ties to Russia, after one of its candidates gave an interview to Moscow state media.
Japanese politics has long been dominated by the centre-right Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), with populist groups remaining on the fringes.
But the right-wing Sanseito party is riding a wave of popular support for its inflammatory 'Japanese-first' platform including opposition to globalism, immigration and foreign capital.
Opinion polls suggest it could win more than 10 upper house seats, up from two now, in an election where Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's coalition risks losing its majority.
Sanseito's latest controversy surrounds a rookie candidate known only as Saya, who gave Russia's Sputnik news agency an interview that was then published on its Japanese edition's X account on July 14.
The sudden appearance on Sputnik sparked a storm of confusion that fuelled speculation on social media that Sanseito was Russia-friendly.
Asked if the party had any special ties with Moscow, Sanseito head Sohei Kamiya told an internet news programme on July 15: 'We don't. Not at all.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Fatal abuse of Myanmar maid in Bishan: Traffic Police officer sentenced to 10 years' jail
Singapore HSA launches anti-vaping checks near 5 institutes of higher learning
Singapore Kpod vapes, zombie kids: Why it's time to raise the alarm
Singapore NEA monitoring E. coli at Sentosa beaches after elevated bacteria levels delays World Aquatics events
Life First look at the new Singapore Oceanarium at Resorts World Sentosa
Opinion The workplace needs to step up on mental health to match Singapore's efforts at the national level
Singapore Singapore Zoo celebrates reptile baby boom, including hatchings of endangered species
Business Market versus mission: What will Income Insurance choose?
'Not with Russia, China or America. We don't. We keep balanced diplomacy with any country', Mr Kamiya said.
'To say we're pro-Russia just because she appeared on Sputnik ... I think that's just too simplistic', he said.
Kamiya attributed Saya's Sputnik appearance to 'human error', saying he had no knowledge this was being organised.
He clarified that a staffer with no authority had told Ms Saya without prior consultation with the party headquarters that she was allowed to accept Sputnik's interview request.
Sanseito's stance on Russia has come under scrutiny before, after Mr Kamiya said Moscow shouldn't be held entirely responsible for the war in Ukraine.
'Russia's military invasion was of course bad, but there are forces in the US that drove Russia into doing that,' he said July 15.
'So I said once that it's not fair to say Russia is the only bad guy here, and then people began saying I'm pro-Russia', he added.
Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiko Aoki said July 16 that 'Japan is also becoming a target' of foreign election interference through social media and other means, according to local media reports.
The European Union has banned Sputnik along with other Russian state media for 'disinformation and information manipulation'.
The news agency has also been sanctioned by the United States. AFP
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

US senator wants Musk to block use of Starlink by financial fraud groups in Southeast Asia
US senator wants Musk to block use of Starlink by financial fraud groups in Southeast Asia

Straits Times

time27 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

US senator wants Musk to block use of Starlink by financial fraud groups in Southeast Asia

Find out what's new on ST website and app. U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) speaks during an event at NHTI Concord Community College in Concord, New Hampshire, U.S., October 22, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo WASHINGTON - A Democratic senator on Monday urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to block transnational criminal groups in Southeast Asia from using Starlink satellite internet service to commit fraud against Americans. Senator Maggie Hassan cited recent reports that Starlink is being used to facilitate fraud against Americans by a broad range of transnational criminal organizations operating "scam compounds" in Southeast Asia. The U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network said these groups defrauded Americans out of billions of dollars, she added. "Scam networks in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, however, have apparently continued to use Starlink despite service rules permitting SpaceX to terminate access for fraudulent activity," Hassan wrote in a letter to Musk seen by Reuters. "SpaceX has a responsibility to block criminals from using the service to target Americans." SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment. For years, criminal networks have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people to scam compounds across Southeast Asia, including many along the Thai-Myanmar border, where victims are forced to work in illegal online schemes, according to the United Nations. "While most people have probably noticed the increasing number of scam texts, calls, and emails they're receiving, they may not know that transnational criminals halfway across the world may be perpetrating these scams by using Starlink internet access," Hassan wrote. Since February, Thailand has halted electricity, internet, and fuel supplies to five Myanmar border areas, including Myawaddy, in a bid to disrupt the scam centers, which have become an escalating regional security concern. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thailand, Cambodia agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row Asia Gunman kills 5 near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole: BCA to conduct independent probe, act against any non-compliance Singapore Foreign workers who rescued woman from sinkhole given tokens of appreciation Singapore COE quota up 2.6% to 18,701 for August-October period Business SIA's first-quarter profits fall by 59%; airline group sees volatile times ahead Singapore Ong Beng Seng set to plead guilty on Aug 4 in case linked to ex-transport minister Iswaran Singapore Jail for former pre-school teacher who tripped toddler repeatedly, causing child to bleed from nose International pressure to shut down the scam centers intensified following the abduction of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was kidnapped after arriving in Thailand in January. He was later rescued by Thai police, who located him across the border in Myanmar. Criminal networks, mainly emanating from China, are known to run several of these scam centers, including those in the Myawaddy region, according to the United States Institute of Peace. REUTERS

Who buys the F-150s, and more Japan deal mysteries
Who buys the F-150s, and more Japan deal mysteries

Business Times

time27 minutes ago

  • Business Times

Who buys the F-150s, and more Japan deal mysteries

The long-awaited trade deal between the US and Japan has investors celebrating after months of uncertainty. But as the song goes, nagging questions always remain. Who is going to buy the 'cars, SUVs (sport utility vehicles) and trucks' that President Donald Trump has promised to sell? Who is going to purchase the 100 Boeing jets? And what possible structure could the US$550 billion fund, allegedly financed by Tokyo with 90 per cent of profits going to the US, actually take? Answers are sorely needed, not just because of an already growing comprehension gap between the countries over what was actually agreed, but to inform South Korea and other close US allies who are trying to wrap up similar deals before Aug 1. Let us start with autos, long the main source of Trump's dissatisfaction with Tokyo as well as the largest single cause of the trade deficit. The White House fact sheet (if indeed it can so be called) declared that 'longstanding restrictions on US cars and trucks will be lifted, granting US automakers access to the Japanese consumer market'. Of course, US carmakers have enjoyed unlimited access to the Japanese market for decades. As I noted in April, the problem is that US cars just are not good enough for the local consumer – and Detroit largely is not interested in trying to muscle its way into a hyper-competitive market dominated by domestic players. Tokyo can try making it a little easier to import US vehicles, such as simplifying inspection procedures, but it cannot rebuild cities to fit the bloated models US automakers favour. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Around 84 per cent of streets in Japan are municipal roads with an average width of just 3.7 m. Even if Tokyo gave everyone a Ford F-150 pickup, its 2.4 m width would prevent two from passing on narrow streets. Hence, cute minivans and kei cars – Japan's smallest expressway-legal 'light vehicles' – dominate while, as my colleague Liam Denning said this week, 'US automakers do not, in general, make an adorable little anything.' In any case, Japan's auto market has been shrinking for years, with new cars sold down about 20 per cent from a 1990s peak. Automakers constantly fret that young people are losing interest in learning to drive, while the growing numbers of elderly citizens are encouraged to return their licences. But more significant is what form the US$550 billion investment fund will take. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the 'innovative financing mechanism' was key to Tokyo getting a deal at all. But neither side seems to agree on what it looks like. The idea first surfaced in May when the Financial Times reported that SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son had suggested a joint sovereign wealth fund. The White House calls it an 'investment vehicle' that will 'rebuild and expand core American industries'. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, however, refers to a combination of equity, loans and guarantees that will be led by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and guarantees by Nippon Export and Investment Insurance. That sounds more like overseas development aid than a wealth fund – though few could argue American infrastructure might actually benefit from that. Trump now promises Japan will 'give us 90 per cent of US$550 billion'. Tokyo is saying that applies to projects where 90 per cent of investment is from the US – in other words, profits are proportional. Does the figure include funding already pledged, such as SoftBank's promised US$100 billion? Who knows? Indeed, a leaked photo from the talks shows what looks like a proposal from Japan for a US$400 billion fund, crossed out with US$500 billion handwritten on top. That proposal also suggested a 50 per cent profit share. Is this just repackaged existing spending into a simple PowerPoint slide? After all, Japan already invested US$783 billion in the US in 2023, and Ishiba pledged in January to boost that to US$1 trillion in the future. The problem is that at some stage, this needs to be worked into actual policies. And this is where Ishiba's rush to agreement might come back to bite, especially if he is no longer in the job when the talks get down to details – something that, despite his denials , still seems all but certain after the drubbing his Liberal Democratic Party took in recent upper house elections. There are plenty of parts of the deal that do make sense. The 100 Boeings can find a home at the country's airlines, though Japan has admitted the number includes at least some already-planned purchases. With Japan as the world's largest buyer of liquefied natural gas, Tokyo's participation in the Alaska project always seemed logical. Even if the two sides do not seem to agree on what they decided on defence, Japan needs to spend more and the US is the logical seller. Above all, it is encouraging to see the White House, after all these months of tense relations, again describe its ally as the 'cornerstone of peace in the Indo-Pacific'. But with all these questions – and Washington continuing to hold the threat over Japan's head with a quarterly evaluation of its compliance with the deal – the market's sigh of relief might still be premature. BLOOMBERG

Philippines' Marcos pushes more social programmes, jobs after election setback
Philippines' Marcos pushes more social programmes, jobs after election setback

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Philippines' Marcos pushes more social programmes, jobs after election setback

Find out what's new on ST website and app. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr delivers his annual State of the Nation address to Congress on July 28. MANILA – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on July 28 the recent midterm elections showed the public's discontent over issues ranging from poverty to power cuts, pledging to do more to create jobs and attract investment in the last three years of his single six-year term. 'If only data will be the basis, the economy is doing well. Inflation has slowed down and employment has increased,' Mr Marcos said in his annual State of the Nation address to Congress. 'But this is irrelevant if Filipinos are suffering.' In June, the government lowered its 2025 growth forecast to a range of 5.5 to 6.5 per cent from a previous goal of 6 to 8 per cent, underscoring concerns about the impact of the global trade war. While that pace is among the fastest in South-east Asia, it is not enough to create the opportunities needed for a relatively youthful population that exports graduates and skilled workers to every corner of the world. 'The message from the election is clear to me. The people are frustrated and disappointed with the government especially in key services,' Mr Marcos said, announcing plans to expand the distribution of cheap rice, as well as to provide more scholarships and other assistance. 'The lesson is clear: We need to do better, we need to be faster,' he said. In May's midterm elections, Mr Marcos' allies performed worse than expected. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thailand, Cambodia agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row Asia Gunman kills 5 near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole: BCA to conduct independent probe, act against any non-compliance Singapore Foreign workers who rescued woman from sinkhole given tokens of appreciation Singapore COE quota up 2.6% to 18,701 for August-October period Singapore Ong Beng Seng set to plead guilty on Aug 4 in case linked to ex-transport minister Iswaran Singapore HPB looking for vaping, smoking counselling services for up to 175 secondary school students Singapore Jail for former pre-school teacher who tripped toddler repeatedly, causing child to bleed from nose The president is now trying to unite a nation that has seen deep divisions over his rivalry with Vice-President Sara Duterte , whose family enjoys strong support in the south. 'Let's set aside our differences,' Mr Marcos said. A court decision on July 25 removed the threat of a Senate trial for Ms Duterte, who denied charges including an apparent death threat against Mr Marcos. She appeared to have skipped the speech. Protesters march towards Congress where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is delivering his State of the Nation address on July 28, 2025. PHOTO: AFP The address comes days after Mr Marcos met with President Donald Trump at the White House, where he secured a marginal cut in a threatened tariff to 19 per cent from 20 per cent. Mr Marcos, whose country is strongly aligned with the United States, also made a pitch for more international investment. 'My single, resounding message to the international business community is this: The Philippines is ready,' he said. 'Invest in the Filipino. Our cavalcade of dependable and hardworking Filipinos, innately skilled, adaptable and possessed with a heart for service, are here ready to work and succeed with you.' he said. BLOOMBERG

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store