Latest news with #FunakoshiTakehiro
NHK
14-05-2025
- Business
- NHK
Japan, US to likely hold working-level talks next week on Trump's tariffs
The Japanese and US governments are planning to hold working-level talks next week over US tariff measures. Officials are making arrangements for the talks in Washington, to be followed by negotiations on May 2. The two sides will lay the groundwork for the next ministerial talks on the issue. Japan's top tariff negotiator, Economic Revitalization Minister Akazawa Ryosei, agreed with the US side that they will hold a third round of ministerial talks in mid-May or later after intensive negotiations at the working level. He said at the Diet on Wednesday that a strategic approach needs to be taken after grasping the interests of the partner country and its domestic circumstances. He also said Tokyo will tackle the matter while considering what is the most effective among all options. At the planned working-level negotiations, Japanese officials want to set the schedule for the third ministerial talks. In the past talks, Japan proposed a review of its rules to make it easier to import American vehicles. It also broached expanding imports of corn and soybeans. The US presented a list of what it identified as Japan's "nontariff barriers." Working-level officials are expected to discuss the details of those points and Japan will seek common ground with the US. The Japanese government intends to communicate with the US at various levels. Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Funakoshi Takehiro will visit Washington from Thursday to meet with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. Tariffs will likely be among the topics in their meeting.
NHK
03-05-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Chinese government helicopter enters Japan's airspace near Senkaku Islands
Japan's Defense Ministry says a Chinese government helicopter briefly entered Japanese airspace near the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture on Saturday afternoon. Japan controls the islands. China and Taiwan claim them. Ministry officials say Japan Coast Guard patrollers first detected an official Chinese vessel entering Japanese waters about 22 kilometers off the islands. They say a helicopter then took off from the Chinese ship and flew within Japanese airspace for about 15 minutes. Officials say the Japan Air Self-Defense Force scrambled fighter jets, but did not use weapons or signal flares. The officials believe the Chinese side was reacting to a small Japanese civilian aircraft flying near the islands moments earlier. The Japanese government maintains the Senkaku Islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory, in terms of history and international law. It says there is no issue of sovereignty to be resolved over them. Japan's Defense Ministry says it has lodged a strong protest with China through diplomatic channels and strongly urged Beijing to prevent a recurrence. Vice Foreign Minister Funakoshi Takehiro lodged a similar protest with China's Ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao. This is the fourth time Chinese aircraft have violated Japanese airspace. Three of the incursions took place off the Senkaku Islands, but this is the first time a Chinese government helicopter was involved. The Defense Ministry and the Japan Coast Guard remain on the alert, as official Chinese vessels have been sailing just outside the islands' territorial waters almost on a daily basis.
