Fear of Beijing harassment skews Chinese studies in UK, report says
CLEMENT NGU
August 10, 2025 12:00 JST
LONDON -- Fear of retaliation from Beijing is pressuring academics and students in the U.K. to self-censor, a new report says, leading to "systematic distortion" of China studies at British universities.
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Nikkei Asia
2 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Economists welcome rise in foreign workers in Japan: Nikkei survey
TOKYO -- A Nikkei survey found that a majority of economists believe the increase in the number of foreign residents in Japan will enhance the country's fiscal balance, driven by their tax and social insurance contributions, and help to raise the living standards of the average Japanese citizen. Nikkei, in collaboration with the Japan Center for Economic Research, asked nearly 50 economists to form an Economics Panel in 2024. The economists were chosen based on their academic achievements and influence, taking into account their areas of expertise and the importance of diversity. The panel took up questions related to fiscal and financial issues, as well as Japan's policies regarding overseas nationals. Among the panelists, 66% agreed that an increase in the number of foreign residents in Japan could improve the nation's fiscal balance. They pointed out that having more young foreign workers will help alleviate labor shortages and that such workers will contribute significantly in terms of tax payments and social security premiums. Many panelists emphasized the importance of creating institutional frameworks to make it easier for foreign residents to live in Japan and to address their needs as they grow older. As of the end of last year, Japan had around 3.7 million foreign residents, an increase of 11% from the previous year. While many in Japan believe welcoming foreign workers is essential for the domestic economy, there are concerns that their presence may lead to competition with Japanese workers for jobs and could negatively affect civic order. Nikkei and the JCER surveyed 47 economists about whether increasing the number of foreign residents would improve the living standards of the typical Japanese citizen. The survey was conducted from July 18 to July 28. Seventy-six percent of respondents agreed that it would. Of these, 6% strongly agreed, while 70% agreed. Mari Tanaka, an associate professor of labor economics at the University of Tokyo, said, "An increase in foreign workers will help alleviate shortages of goods and services, as well as rising prices." Most of those surveyed predicted that competition for jobs between Japanese and foreign workers will be limited. Chiaki Moriguchi, a professor of comparative economic history at Hitotsubashi University, stated, "Empirical research has shown that foreign and Japanese workers primarily have complementary relationships [and] that [foreign workers] do not negatively impact the wages or unemployment rates of Japanese workers." Many economists emphasize the benefits of diversity in terms of raising economic growth. "New ideas introduced in workplaces [by foreign workers] can enhance productivity," said Taisuke Nakata, an associate professor of macroeconomics at the University of Tokyo. Concerns have been raised about how having more foreign residents may affect the fiscal balance, particularly welfare payments and nonpayment of social security premiums. However, the survey conducted by Nikkei and JCER revealed that 66% of respondents believe having more foreign workers will help Japan's fiscal balance. A significant proportion of respondents predict a positive impact on Japan's fiscal balance because foreign residents are mostly young. According to statistics released by the Ministry of Justice, people in their 20s and 30s made up 55.9% of all foreign residents in Japan as of the end of 2024. "Greater acceptance of foreigners will boost the ratio of prime-age labor force and result in higher tax revenue and social security contributions," said Hiroyuki Kasahara, a professor of international trade at the University of British Columbia in Canada. Motohiro Sato, a professor of public finance at Hitotsubashi University, added, "Many foreign residents are part of the working generation and contribute more in taxes and insurance premiums than they receive in benefits." Future institutional design will be crucial in determining whether the acceptance of more foreign workers contributes to the stability of Japan's economy and finances over the long term. Sato emphasized that Japan "needs to provide adequate education for foreign nationals' children, and ensure benefits for them in old age." At present, people born overseas make up 3% of Japan's population, while the average in OECD member countries is 11%. In many European countries and others with a long history of accepting immigrants, the costs associated with immigration, particularly the challenge of social integration of foreign residents, have become a concern. "To build a society where individuals from diverse backgrounds can coexist sustainably, it is essential to implement multicultural coexistence policies that include fiscal spending," said Yoshifumi Konishi, a professor of empirical microeconomics at Keio University, emphasizing the need to create long-term institutional arrangements. When the fiscal balance worsens, "paying the insurance premium in advance could be made a requirement for the issuance of resident status, similar to the case in Britain," said Toru Kitagawa, a professor of econometrics at Brown University. The Economics Panel program began in November 2024, with approximately 50 economists evaluating various policies. They respond to questions on topics such as fiscal and financial issues. The program conducts monthly surveys of panelists, who respond according to categories such as "I agree" or "I disagree."
The Mainichi
4 hours ago
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Trump is promising new steps to tackle homelessness and crime in Washington
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump is promising new steps to tackle homelessness and crime in Washington, prompting the city's mayor to voice concerns about the potential use of the National Guard to patrol the streets in the nation's capital. Trump wrote in a social media post that he planned a White House news conference at 10 a.m. Monday to discuss his plans to make the District of Columbia "safer and more beautiful than it ever was before." "The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY," Trump wrote Sunday. "We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don't have to move out. We're going to put you in jail where you belong." Last week the Republican president directed federal law enforcement agencies to increase their presence in Washington for seven days, with the option "to extend as needed." On Friday night, federal agencies including the Secret Service, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service assigned more than 120 officers and agents to assist in Washington. Trump said last week that he was considering ways for the federal government to seize control of Washington, asserting that crime was "ridiculous" and the city was "unsafe," after the recent assault of a high-profile member of the Department of Government Efficiency. The moves Trump said he was considering included bringing in the D.C. National Guard. Mayor Muriel Bowser questioned the effectiveness of using the Guard to enforce city laws and said the federal government could be far more helpful by funding more prosecutors or filling the 15 vacancies on the D.C. Superior Court, some of which have been open for years. Bowser cannot activate the National Guard herself, but she can submit a request to the Pentagon. "I just think that's not the most efficient use of our Guard," she said Sunday on MSNBC's "The Weekend," acknowledging it is "the president's call about how to deploy the Guard." Bowser was making her first public comments since Trump started posting about crime in Washington last week. She noted that violent crime in Washington has decreased since a rise in 2023. Trump's weekend posts depicted the district as "one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World." For Bowser, "Any comparison to a war-torn country is hyperbolic and false." Police statistics show homicides, robberies and burglaries are all down this year when compared with this time in 2024. Overall violent crime is down 26% compared with this time a year ago. Trump offered no details in Truth Social posts over the weekend about possible new actions to address crime levels that he argues are dangerous for citizens, tourists and workers alike. The White House declined to offer additional details about Monday's announcement. The police department and the mayor's office did not respond to questions about what Trump might do next. The president criticized the district as full of "tents, squalor, filth, and Crime," and he seems to have been set off by the attack on Edward Coristine, among the most visible figures of the bureaucracy-cutting effort known as DOGE. Police arrested two 15-year-olds in the attempted carjacking and said they were looking for others. "This has to be the best run place in the country, not the worst run place in the country," Trump said Wednesday. The president called Bowser "a good person who has tried, but she has been given many chances." Trump has repeatedly suggested that the rule of Washington could be returned to federal authorities. Doing so would require a repeal of the Home Rule Act of 1973 in Congress, a step Trump said lawyers are examining. It could face steep pushback. Bowser acknowledged that the law allows the president to take more control over the city's police, but only if certain conditions are met. "None of those conditions exist in our city right now," she said. "We are not experiencing a spike in crime. In fact, we're watching our crime numbers go down."
Nikkei Asia
4 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Hong Kong strengthens Belt and Road links amid US-China tensions
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Oct. 18, 2023. Hong Kong is being positioned as a hub for BRI-related financing. © AP PEGGY YE August 11, 2025 13:32 JST HONG KONG -- Hong Kong is deepening its role in China's Belt and Road Initiative as a finance hub, with Uzbekistan's $1.68 billion national investment fund eyeing the city for a dual listing.
