Japan pitches Tokyo as new UN hub while US steps back from world stage
United States increasingly retreats from global leadership,
Japan is positioning itself to fill the void with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike's proposal that the
United Nations shift some of its operations to the Japanese capital.
Advertisement
Koike returned to Japan on Sunday following an official visit to the US, where she addressed the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies in Washington and highlighted Tokyo's emergence as a major player on the world stage.
During her visit, she also met with policy experts at the Hudson Institute think tank, where Tokyo's drive to become a sustainable metropolis was high on the agenda.
On Thursday, Koike held a 15-minute meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the organisation's headquarters in New York. There, she proposed that more of the UN's offices be relocated to cities elsewhere in the world, including Tokyo.
'Tokyo would like to provide various types of support [to the UN],' Koike told reporters after the meeting, highlighting the city's advantages over other locations, such as 'public safety, security and now, with the weak yen, there are other positive aspects to life'.
Advertisement
Guterres acknowledged that his office had 'received offers of cooperation from various countries and regions', but declined to elaborate on the Japanese proposal or whether it might be pursued further.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
8 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
US-China trade talks: why Beijing unexpectedly emerged in a stronger position
Trade relations between China and the United States remain mired in uncertainty after two days of tense negotiations in Sweden earlier this week. But Beijing may actually have emerged in a stronger position as Washington continues to raise tariffs on other global economies, analysts said. A third round of US-China trade talks in Stockholm ended on Tuesday with China announcing that both sides had agreed to extend their 'tariff truce' by another 90 days, while the US side insisted the deal was still pending US President Donald Trump's final approval. That means, if nothing unexpected happens, the US will continue to impose 30 per cent additional tariffs on China after August 12, when the original truce is due to expire. The rate includes 20 per cent of duties Trump announced in the first quarter of the year, which were related to China's role in the fentanyl trade, and another 10 per cent levy imposed in April. But in relative terms, China's tariff rate is starting to look less damaging, as the US moves to impose higher rates on a slew of major trading partners before an August 1 deadline set by Trump. The gap between tariffs on China and various Southeast Asian nations is reducing fast Amitendu Palit, researcher 'It is interesting that the gap between tariffs on China and various Southeast Asian nations is reducing fast,' said Amitendu Palit, senior research fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore.
The Standard
8 hours ago
- The Standard
US economy rebounds in second quarter
North Korea says Kim-Trump ties are 'not bad' but it's not giving up its nuclear weapons
South China Morning Post
9 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire welcome, but festering grievances must be tackled
The unconditional ceasefire agreed to by Thailand and Cambodia that came into force from midnight on Monday is to be cautiously welcomed, and current Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) chair Malaysia is to be commended for enabling this truce. Advertisement China and the United States also played a role in nudging the two Southeast Asian neighbours to end the unexpected escalation in a military conflict over a disputed border that saw the use of fighter jets, drones, tanks and artillery guns. The Cambodia-Thailand conflict has its roots in the colonial borders drawn by France, which occupied Cambodia until 1953. While Thailand has contested this arbitrary demarcation, so far it has not tried to change the border through military force. The border of more than 800km (500 miles) has seen periodic skirmishes, especially over some temples seen as sacred to people on both sides. In 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in Cambodia's favour in its complaint over the ownership of the Preah Vihear temple. Violent clashes erupted near the temple in 2011 , resulting in about 20 deaths and thousands of people being displaced. Cambodia again referred the matter to the ICJ that year, with the court upholding its earlier ruling and awarding Phnom Penh control of the immediate area around the temple in 2013. A Cambodian soldier died during a skirmish in an unmarked border area in May, making bilateral relations even more combustible. Domestic politics and nationalist sentiment only heightened tensions. 03:39 Thailand, Cambodia agree to 'unconditional' ceasefire after 5 days of fighting Thailand, Cambodia agree to 'unconditional' ceasefire after 5 days of fighting The Thai military has played a major role in the country's domestic politics since the first coup of 1932 that ushered in a constitutional monarchy. Ever since, the Thai military has seen itself as the principal guardian of national sovereignty and the monarchy, and it has had a frosty relationship with pro-democracy political parties
