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New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Japan Flexes Its Military Muscle at China, and Trump
The ship-slaying missiles of the Japanese army's Seventh Regiment are mounted aboard dark green trucks that are easy to move and conceal, but for now, the soldiers are making no effort to hide them. Created a year ago, the fledgling regiment and its roving missile batteries occupy a hilltop base on the island of Okinawa that can be seen for miles. The visibility is intentional. The Seventh is one of two new missile regiments that the army, called the Ground Self-Defense Force, has placed along the islands on Japan's southwestern flank in response to an increasingly robust Chinese navy that frequently sails through waters near Japan. 'Our armaments are a show of force to deter an enemy from coming,' said Col. Yohei Ito, the regiment's commander. China is not their only target. The display is also for the United States, and particularly President Trump, who has criticized Japan for relying too heavily on the presence of American military bases for its security. The missiles are part of a defense buildup that is central to Japan's strategy for appealing to President Trump. While Tokyo is now deep in negotiations with Washington over lifting new tariffs, its top priority is improving security ties. On Friday, Japan's trade envoy, Ryosei Akazawa, met for two and a half hours in Washington with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick, the secretary of commerce, for talks on a tariff-lifting deal that will probably see Tokyo promise large purchases of energy, computer chips and weapons. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Times of Oman
24-03-2025
- Climate
- Times of Oman
Thousands evacuated as wildfires continue to spread in western Japan
Tokyo: Firefighters in western Japan are continuing their efforts to extinguish forest fires that broke out in Okayama and Ehime prefectures, forcing around 2,800 people to evacuate their homes, amid growing fears that the flames could spread to other residential areas. Aerial footage showed Ground Self-Defense Force helicopters participating in the firefighting efforts, according to Kyodo News. The fires, which broke out on Sunday, burned about 250 hectares of land in the cities of Okayama and Tamano, while the fires in Ehime had consumed 119 hectares in Imabari by this morning. Although no injuries have been reported so far, local authorities reported the burning of several homes in Okayama Prefecture. Emergency teams are continuing to assess the damage and take additional measures to protect residents and prevent the situation from worsening. Japan regularly suffers from forest fires, especially during dry seasons with strong winds. The climatic factors and mountainous terrain make fires spread quickly and are difficult to control.
