By Julian Ryall The United States is backing Japan’s entry into the Aukus security pact, with analysts calling it a long-overdue move to harness Tokyo’s advanced defence technology and bolster Western military cooperation with a key ally in the Indo-Pacific. Quoting an unpublished US State Department report to Congress, Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Washington […]
Read MoreBy Julian Ryall Tokyo will close all six of its government-funded Japan Centre offices in Russia – long tasked with promoting trade, language education and business ties – citing major changes in bilateral relations and the view that their mission has run its course. While Japanese officials framed the move as a functional decision, analysts […]
Read MoreBy Julian Ryall Less than 24 hours after Shigeru Ishiba announced his resignation as prime minister, Japan’s ruling party faces a leadership contest that few seem eager to win and even fewer to survive, as it lays bare internal rivalries. Few within Japanese politics were truly taken aback when Ishiba confirmed his decision to step […]
Read MoreAgence France-Presse India and Japan will “shape the Asian Century”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, on a visit expected to secure billions of dollars in Japanese investment and an upgrade to security ties. “India and Japan’s partnership is strategic and smart. Powered by economic logic, we have turned shared interests into shared prosperity,” […]
Read MoreBy Julian Ryall More than 90 per cent of low-income households in Japan are struggling to afford food for their children due to surging prices and stagnant wages, according to a new survey. The report published last week by international NGO Save The Children also shows that around 60 per cent of these households have […]
Read MoreBy Julian Ryall South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s push for closer ties with Tokyo has upended expectations in Japan, with analysts describing his outreach as a pragmatic shift that could reshape the tone of bilateral ties long coloured by historical disputes. Lee is due in Japan on Saturday for a two-day summit with Prime Minister […]
Read MoreBy Maria Siow Japan is positioning itself as a partner offering a transparent and “human-centred” approach to development in Africa, providing an alternative to China’s economic influence through what analysts describe as a rules-based and mutually accountable model. Unveiling a proposal to create a regional economic zone linking the Indian Ocean to Africa, Japanese Prime […]
Read MoreBy David D. Lee In Seoul’s hip Hongdae neighbourhood, 19-year-old Choi Jae-eun is already deep in conversation with her friend about the latest anime drop on Netflix. The pair are making their way to Animate, a shop inside AK Plaza whose shelves overflow with Japanese manga, anime figurines and limited-edition merchandise. Pop-up stalls themed around […]
Read MoreBy Park Chan-kyong South Korea and Japan could use their coming bilateral summit to project stability to Washington, which was simultaneously imposing high tariffs on its allies while seeking their cooperation to counter China, analysts said. The summit, scheduled for August 23 in Tokyo, will be the first full bilateral meeting between South Korean President […]
Read MoreBy Maria Siow Japan’s recent dispatch of warships to New Zealand – its first in nearly 90 years – signals Tokyo’s intention to take on a greater security role in the region and counter what analysts call increasing Chinese “geopolitical opportunism”. Carrying more than 500 crew, the two Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyers docked in Wellington […]
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