Why is China piling on the pressure with increasing naval operations near Japan?

By Liu Zhen Chinese naval vessels have ramped up pass-through operations as tensions between Beijing and Tokyo continue to rise. On Monday, a Chinese naval Type 054 destroyer sailed southeastward between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island, heading towards the Pacific Ocean, while another travelled eastward through the Osumi Strait, Japan’s defence ministry said on Tuesday. […]

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Tokyo ‘closely monitoring’ backlash from China, Japanese PM tells lawmakers

By Vanessa Cai in Shanghai and Orange Wang One month after the Taiwan contingency remarks that set off the diplomatic firestorm with China, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan would “closely monitor” the situation and respond appropriately. Takaichi delivered these remarks during a session of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, on Tuesday morning. She was addressing […]

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3 PLA warships sailed past Japan amid row over PM Takaichi’s Taiwan comments

By Alcott Wei in Beijing Beijing sent a Type 055 destroyer fleet to the south of Japan on Tuesday, according to Tokyo, just days after comments about Taiwan from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi drew a strong reaction from Beijing. Japan’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that three Chinese ships, including a Type 055 destroyer, […]

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Japan keen to boost imports of high-value apparel from Bangladesh while logistics a key hurdle

Japanese apparel importers are now considering Bangladesh as a key sourcing destination for high-value and fashionable garments, as the country’s capacity in producing such items continues to improve. Representatives of the Japan Textile Importers Association (JTIA) expressed its interest during a meeting with BGMEA leaders yesterday in the capital’s Uttara, according to a press release […]

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Japan’s PM says no plan to renegotiate $550 billion investment package with US

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Saturday (1 November) that she had no plans to renegotiate a $550 billion investment package deal reached with the United States. “I believe that even if the prime minister changes, promises made between governments should not be altered,” Takaichi told reporters at the end of a week of […]

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Japan’s Nobel wins shine light on worrying brain drain, especially to ‘generous’ China

By Julian Ryall Japan’s scientific community is celebrating two Nobel wins this week, but the accolades have also reignited concern over the country’s ability to retain its top researchers amid growing competition from overseas. The wins have renewed scrutiny of the country’s research system, with observers citing poor funding, job insecurity and rigid institutions as […]

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Japan’s Takaichi eyes expanding coalition

Japan’s incoming new prime minister Sanae Takaichi has approached an opposition party with a view to expanding the governing coalition to give it a working majority in parliament, reports said Tuesday. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its longstanding junior partner Komeito have been in a minority in the lower and upper chambers since recent […]

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