Latest news with #TheYomiuriShimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Defense Chiefs of Japan, U.S., Australia, Philippines Express ‘Serious Concern' about China's Destabilizing Actions
Hirotaka Kuriyama / The Yomiuri Shimbun The defense chiefs of Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines hold a meeting in Singapore on Saturday. SINGAPORE — The defense chiefs of Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines expressed 'serious concern' about China's continued unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in the East and South China Seas, during their meeting in Singapore on Saturday. The meeting, which lasted for about 50 minutes, was attended by Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro. The four chiefs agreed to hold ministerial-level defense talks on a regular basis to strengthen cooperation between their countries. It was the third ministerial-level defense meeting between the four countries, with the previous one taking place in Hawaii in May last year, and the first under the second administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. At the beginning of the talks, Nakatani called for stronger four-way cooperation between the countries, citing China's intensification of its activities in the East and South China Seas. Hegseth said the four countries need to stand together to seek peace amid China's unprecedented military buildup. After the meeting, the chiefs issued a joint statement that underscored the four countries' 'sustained and significant collaboration to advance a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.' The statement specified four areas for future collaboration: synchronizing priority defense investments, enhancing information-sharing, strengthening cybersecurity and increasing operational coordination and interoperability. The defense chiefs affirmed in the statement that their countries would work together to improve their maritime and air domain awareness while also exploring the planning of joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities in the East and South China Seas. Japan, the United States and Australia also held a trilateral defense chief meeting on the day and agreed to strengthen operational coordination between their command centers.
Yomiuri Shimbun
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
China Displaces Old Foe Japan in South Koreans' Minds Ahead of Vote
Ichiro Ohara / The Yomiuri Shimbun Citizens gather for a rally in Seoul on Saturday. SEOUL(AFP-Jiji) — Shops selling steaming snacks line the streets of Seoul's Daerim neighbourhood, home to thousands of ethnic Chinese, some feeling the pressure from mounting anti-Beijing sentiment ahead of South Korea's election. China has displaced longtime foe and former colonial power Japan in many South Koreans' minds as the country's most distrusted neighbour in recent years. And ahead of Tuesday's vote, anti-Chinese feeling has spread among South Koreans — online, at right-wing rallies and in Seoul's Chinatown. Many of the quarter's Chinese residents, such as 74-year-old Yu Shunzi, flocked to South Korea seeking economic opportunities in the 1990s and 2000s. 'A lot of Koreans still think China is a very backward country and discriminate against Chinese a lot,' she told AFP. Yu, who arrived in 2007 from the northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang, said the situation is so bad that she planned to move back when the economy allowed. 'I want to go home, but with the exchange rate being this low, I'd lose a lot of money,' she said. While former colonial master Japan has long had a difficult relationship with South Korea, Seoul's ties with China have increasingly come under the spotlight. In 2022, polling conducted by Hankook Research showed for the first time that South Koreans distrusted China more than they did Japan — a trend that has continued in recent years. 'No affinity' towards China Former leader Yoon Suk Yeol referred to vague allegations of Chinese spying when he tried to justify his declaration of martial law, which led to his ousting. Conspiracy theories have since run rampant among the South Korean right, fuelling the distrust. But analysts also say that a series of clashes between Beijing and Seoul in recent years over history, territory and defence are the deeper cause of the schism. 'China's growing assertiveness is the main reason behind South Korea's negative views about the country,' said Ramon Pacheco Pardo from King's College London. 'Most South Koreans have no affinity towards today's China,' the international relations professor told AFP. Seoul has long trodden a fine line between top trading partner China and defence guarantor the United States. Relations with China nosedived in 2016 following the South's decision to deploy the US-made THAAD missile defence system. Beijing saw it as a threat to its own security and reacted furiously, imposing a string of restrictions on South Korean businesses and banning group tours as part of sweeping economic retaliation. A series of public spats about the origins of Korean cultural staples such as kimchi, which China had claimed as its own, also left a bitter taste. Yoon's administration deepened that divide, cleaving close to the United States and seeking to improve ties with Japan. 'Under his leadership, Seoul made its position unmistakably clear: it stood with Washington and its allies, not Beijing,' Claudia Kim, assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong, told AFP. Opposition leader and election frontrunner Lee Jae-myung has publicly hinted that a softer line might be in the works if he wins. Beijing won't 'miss the opportunity to improve relations with the South' if Lee wins, Cheong Seong-chang at Seoul's Sejong Institute told AFP, suggesting a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping could even take place. Lee has also raised alarm bells by saying that a future conflict between China and Taiwan would not be South Korea's concern. That could put him on a collision course with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which has made containing China a cornerstone of its bid to reshape the international order. 'Trump's focus on deterring China may lead to a mismatch of foreign policy priorities with Lee,' Edward Howell, a lecturer in politics at the University of Oxford, told AFP. Fake news thrives Compounding deepening distrust of China has been a surge of conspiracy theories. Analysis by AFP revealed many of the most widely-circulated pieces of misinformation tap into fears of meddling by China. Rallies in support of ex-president Yoon have featured calls to oust alleged 'pro-Chinese Communist Party' forces, as well as posters with anti-Chinese slurs and slogans advocating for Chinese nationals to be deported. A recent editorial in Beijing's state-run nationalist tabloid Global Times condemned 'far-right' forces in South Korea for 'stirring up xenophobia' against Chinese people. In Seoul's Chinatown, Li Jinzi, 73, complained about a culture of 'misinformation' that was breeding negative feelings towards her home country. 'Fake news breeds misunderstandings,' she said.
Yomiuri Shimbun
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan, U.S., Australia, Philippines Express Concern over China
The Yomiuri Shimbun The defense ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines attend a meeting in Singapore on Saturday. SINGAPORE (Jiji Press) — The defense ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines have expressed 'serious concern' about China's unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China seas. In a joint statement released after their meeting in Singapore on Saturday, the defense leaders also said they concurred on the importance of regularly convening meetings at the ministerial level to reinforce cooperation and coordination among the four countries. The four are Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro. The defense chiefs confirmed the importance of information sharing in the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region. They welcomed the start of discussions on an information protection agreement between Japan and the Philippines following a summit meeting between the two countries in April. The four also agreed to jointly invest in strengthening the Philippines' cyber security system. Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force and the navies of the United States, Australia and the Philippines have engaged in joint exercises. The ministers agreed to study plans for intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance activities to monitor activities in the East and South China seas, with China in mind. In a press conference after the talks, Japan's Nakatani said, 'It is extremely important for the four countries to deepen cooperation on common issues.' This was the first defense ministers' meeting among the four countries since the talks in Hawaii in May last year. The defense chiefs of Japan, the United States and Australia also held a meeting in Singapore on Saturday. They agreed to cooperate in live-fire training and other activities related to the U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile.
Yomiuri Shimbun
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Ex-National Security Advisor: U.S. Should Work with Allies, Partners on Tariffs
Herbert McMaster WASHINGTON — Herbert McMaster, 62, a former national security advisor during U.S. President Donald Trump's first administration, said in an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun that he hopes the United States will work with allies and partners to put tariffs on China. The following excerpts from the interview have been edited for flow and clarity. *** The Yomiuri Shimbun: What do you think about the current state of negotiations between the United States and China? Was it appropriate for the U.S. President Donald Trump to reduce the tariffs on Beijing from 145% to 30%? Herbert McMaster: Of course, the 145% tariff was just not sustainable. It was an effective embargo on Chinese goods, and there are real legitimate concerns with unfair trade and economic practices by the Chinese Communist Party, as well as real, very significant security concerns associated with China's sustained campaign of industrial espionage and cyber espionage, as well as China's desire to gain control of critical supply chains. So, there's a reason behind the tariffs on China, and I think the reason is to counter Chinese economic aggression and to reduce China's coercive power over our economies. And so what I hope will emerge here is the equivalent of about a 60% tariff on China, when you take into account sectoral tariffs … on certain commodities that it just dumps on the international market, to prevent our companies from succeeding or developing the industrial capacity. This is, of course, steel and aluminum and other commodities, and then also certain hardware and electronics, like solar panels and wind turbines and batteries, for example. And then also other critical sectors, like pharmaceuticals. What he tries to do, and what he has great faith in his ability to do, is to get these big deals that nobody else could get. I think … his effort to get that big deal like in his first administration will fail. That's when you had, actually, pretty well-motivated and effective negotiators like Liu He; they're all gone now. So, all you have are really Xi Jinping die-hards, real hardline Chinese Communist Party officials, and so they're not going to give anything. Yomiuri: Are there concerns about making concessions to China on issues such as Taiwan in exchange for concessions on tariffs and trade? McMaster: What I think Xi Jinping would hope for, is this kind of G2 relationship with the United States, where we grant each other spheres of influence. What China is trying to do is to create an exclusionary sphere of influence in the Indo-Pacific region, while creating new areas of influence across the world that will allow China to rewrite the rules of international discourse in favor of its authoritarian form of governance and its state mercantilist economic model. And if China succeeds in that, then the whole free world loses. Every free-market economy loses, and so what we need is to work together to prevent that from happening. I hope that we put those tariffs in place alongside allies and partners, and I think that's going to be a big element of these renegotiated trade deals. If you look at Donald Trump's agenda, you know, his agenda is homeland security, border security, he is very consistent on that. His agenda is deregulation and economic growth. He wants to invigorate the defense-industrial base. He's all about energy dominance or what we would call energy security, right? And he's about burden sharing and defense. That sounds like Japan's agenda to me. And so, what I would like to see, and I think what Japan can maybe lead in, is to say, 'enough with the negativity. Let's think about the positive agenda.' We have real issues on supply chain resilience. We have real issues on our industrial base and in critical sectors like shipbuilding. The United States isn't going to address any of those issues by itself. It needs Japan, it needs Europe. It needs South Korea on shipbuilding issues and other issues. Yomiuri: Are you concerned that U.S. allies may distance themselves from the country because of high tariffs imposed on them? McMaster: Yes. So, in my book, I would say to President Trump, 'Hey, Mr. President, if we shoot all of our allies to get to China, China wins.' — This interview was conducted by Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers Takashi Imai and Mineko Tokito. Herbert McMaster Following his graduation from the U.S. Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served in the military for more than 30 years. He served as national security adviser, an important post that serves as a command center for the country's diplomatic and security policies, from February 2017 to April 2018, during U.S. President Donald Trump's first administration. Currently, McMaster serves as a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Mie: Tourists Can Experience Training As Ninja in Japan's City Said to Be Ninja Hometown
The Yomiuri Shimbun The writer tries his hand at throwing shuriken at Ninja Museum of Igaryu in Iga, Mie Prefecture. IGA, Mie — The word ninja conjures up images of people clad all in black, operating in secret. Many have envisioned them playing a significant part behind the scenes in Japanese history, but their actual activities and lives remain cloaked in mystery. Anime and movies show ninja dramatically vanquishing their enemies with shuriken ninja stars, but how did they really fight? Seeking answers to these questions, I experienced the real ninja world at Ninja Museum of Igaryu in Iga, Mie Prefecture. The Iga region is believed to be one of the birthplaces of ninja. I thought it would be better to get into the mood before entering the ninja world, so I changed into a rental costume at a kimono shop in the city. Walking along the street in my black clothes, foreign tourists shouted 'Ninja!' at me. When they turned their cameras to me, I felt a little shy but was excited. At the museum, I tried my hand at throwing shuriken stars. Curator Chiharu Koda taught me the basics. You may have seen a ninja holding a bunch of shuriken in the palm of one hand, bringing the other palm together horizontally and rubbing them quickly to perform successive shoots. She said that it is only in anime and manga. 'Actually, you have to throw them like you're flinging them down vertically,' Koda said. According to her explanation, real ninja would hold a shuriken star with the thumb and forefinger at a vertical angle, put a foot forward on the opposite side of the dominant hand, and then throw it fully snapping the wrist, like a baseball pitcher throwing a ball. From stones to shuriken Shuriken made of stainless steel are used for the museum's demonstrations. They're the same model used in shuriken throwing contests, Koda said. They were lighter and smaller than I had expected, and a lot of physical power seemed necessary to throw them a long distance. The Yomiuri Shimbun Shuriken knives stick into a wooden target. I made my first throw toward a wooden plate about five meters away. The shuriken hit the target, but didn't stick into the plate, bouncing back instead. 'The knack is not to rely just on power when throwing, but to minimize the rotation and throw straight,' Koda said. I kept trying and finally made the shuriken stick into the plate. When I could hit near the center of the target, I felt like I had become a real ninja. After more practice, I became able to skillfully use my wrist and stick the shuriken into the plate more often. Once I was finished, I asked Koda about the history of shuriken. Many people likely visualize shuriken as cross-shaped, but Koda said they were not that way in the beginning. The Yomiuri Shimbun The writer passes through a dondengaeshi hidden door. Ninja originally used stones or pieces of kawara rooftiles lying on the ground as impromptu weapons during the Sengoku period, late 15th century to 16th century, she said. From the early Edo period in the 17th century, shuriken became more sophisticated in tandem with the development of martial arts, ultimately resulting in cross-shaped shuriken. 'This resulted from martial arts performers pursuing beauty and functionality in peaceful times,' Koda said. Hidden door Next, I visited the Ninja House, a re-creation of the type of house ninja are believed to have lived in. Inside, subtle tricks are installed everywhere to hide ninja's secret skills, such as methods to mix gunpowder and medicines. Kunoichi Suzu, a guide for the house, showed me around. Kunoichi means 'female ninja.' There's a sword hidden in a part of the floor. A wooden plate pops up when you stomp hard on the side of the threshold and a hidden sword appears. Suzu performed the trick, needing only one second to finish drawing the sword. 'Amazing!' I shouted. The Yomiuri Shimbun Kunoichi Suzu draws a sword which was hidden under the floor. Visitors can also experience such tricks as a dondengaeshi hidden door where part of a wall turns to reveal a secret door. I felt like I had wandered into the world of samurai dramas. 'Ninja tend to be depicted as loving battle in anime and movies, but their real duties were collecting information,' Koda said. Actual ninja are believed to have undertaken tasks of secretly collect information on enemies — castle structures, the storage of war supplies and current movements — to minimize the harm to soldiers on their side. Real images to foreigners Last fiscal year, about 115,000 people visited the ninja museum. Inbound foreign tourists numbered about 26,800, or more than 20% of the total. The Yomiuri Shimbun The writer poses riding on mizugumo, believed to have been a ninja tool used to walk on water. Many were from Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States. Overseas broadcasts of such anime series as 'Nintama Rantaro' and 'Ninja Hattori-kun' have boosted popularity, according to the museum. 'While respecting the images that visitors have in their minds of ninja, I want to present what ninja actually were,' said Koda. I have heard that an old book on ninja skills states that ninja emphasized human relationships and psychology, saying: 'Always smile. Information will come in naturally if you do.' That seems like timeless advice, good for a news reporter too.
