2019年5月17日金曜日

at 20:00 (JST), May 17

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and China's top diplomat have agreed to further improve bilateral ties through the Chinese president's planned visit to Japan next month.


Nissan Motor has announced President Hiroto Saikawa will hold on to his post under a new plan to shake up management at the scandal-plagued automaker.


North Korea's ruling party newspaper has warned that the lowest rainfall since 1917 could worsen food shortages.


https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20190517200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : Abe diplomat have agreed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190517_32/

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and China's top diplomat have agreed to further improve bilateral ties through the Chinese president's planned visit to Japan next month.

Abe met Chinese Communist Party Political Bureau member Yang Jiechi on Friday in Tokyo. Yang oversees China's foreign policy.

The key topic was President Xi Jinping's planned visit in late June to attend the Group of 20 summit in Osaka.

Abe said he will welcome Xi's visit at the start of Japan's Reiwa era and during the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. He said he is looking forward to talking with the Chinese president.

Abe added that he hopes to further develop Japan-China ties through Xi's visit now that relations between the two countries are back to normal. He also said he hopes to launch a new era in Japan-China relations.

Yang said that China hopes the G20 meeting will be successful. He said he is convinced that relations between the two countries will continue to develop in a healthy, stable manner.


Key words : Kono agreed speed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190517_30/

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and a top-ranking Chinese official have agreed to speed up preparations for Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Japan and attend the Group of 20 summit.

Kono met Chinese Communist Party Political Bureau member Yang Jiechi on Friday in Tokyo. Yang oversees Beijing's foreign policy.

Kono said Japan will welcome Xi at the G20 summit in Osaka to show that bilateral relations are significantly improving.

Yang said ties between the two countries have returned to normal. He said exchanges and cooperation are expanding day by day with frequent high-level talks.

He also said that China fully supports the G20 summit.

Kono and Yang discussed North Korea and reaffirmed that they will continue working together to achieve denuclearization and resolve the abduction of Japanese citizens.


Key words : Nissan has announced
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190517_36/

Nissan Motor has announced President Hiroto Saikawa will hold on to his post under a new plan to shake up management at the scandal-plagued automaker.

The company decided to review and reform its management in the wake of a series of allegations of financial wrongdoing involving its former chairman, Carlos Ghosn.

With Saikawa being retained as president, attention will now focus on how he will clarify his own responsibility for the scandal and for Nissan's sharp business downturn.

In another move, Jean-Dominique Senard will remain as a board member. He is the chairman of Renault, Nissan's alliance partner and top shareholder.
Renault CEO Thierry Bollore will be newly appointed to Nissan's board.

Honorary chair of the Japan Business Federation, Sadayuki Sakakibara, was floated as a candidate to serve as chair. But he is not expected to assume the post.

The number of board members will be increased by three to 11. Outside directors will rise from three to seven, giving them a majority presence.

Renault has been pushing for a merger, over the objections of Nissan executives.

With two people from the French carmaker on Nissan's board, it remains to be seen how the rift will play out.

Proposals from an interim committee, that includes outside directors, provided input to the management reform plan.

The automaker hopes to get the changes approved at a general meeting of shareholders in June.


Key words : in charge of trade talk
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190517_18/

Japan's minister in charge of trade talks says the United States will not ask Japan to limit exports of automobiles and parts to the US.

Several US media outlets have reported that the Trump administration may ask Japan and the European Union to limit auto exports in return for delaying new tariffs.

Toshimitsu Motegi said on Friday that Japan is against measures that hamper free and fair trade, and has repeatedly said so to the US.

Motegi said he spoke with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer about the matter, and Lighthizer said the US won't make such a request.


Key words : north warned newspaper
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190517_25/

North Korea's ruling party newspaper has warned that the lowest rainfall since 1917 could worsen food shortages.

Friday's edition of the Rodong Sinmun quotes a weather expert as saying that the average rainfall for the country was only 56.3 millimeters between January 1 and May 15. That's about 40 percent of the usual level.

The expert added that it will not rain enough to overcome the drought, and the current weather conditions may continue until early June.

The World Food Programme said in a report issued earlier this month that last year's harvest in North Korea was the worst in a decade.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has indicated that food aid should be sent to North Korea despite the stalled talks on denuclearization.

But Moon's initiative may face opposition as the North recently resumed ballistic missile firing in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.


Key words : lawyer leader
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190517_11/

A lawyer for the leader of a group opposed to the North Korean regime has denied that the group raided the country's embassy in Spain in February.

NHK interviewed the lawyer, Lee Wolosky, at a law firm in New York City on Thursday. Wolosky represents the leader of Free Joseon, a group dedicated to the overthrow of the government in Pyongyang.

Spanish authorities have placed the leader, a US resident of Korean descent, on an international wanted list in connection with the incident at the North Korean Embassy in Madrid. Media at the time reported that armed men tied up and questioned embassy personnel, and stole computers.

The dissident group later issued a statement acknowledging its involvement in the incident. But the statement said they were invited into the embassy.

During Thursday's interview, the attorney said there is video footage of the group's leader and embassy personnel having a friendly conversation in the embassy. But he said publicizing the footage could endanger those concerned.

Wolosky suggested that embassy personnel had contacted the group in an attempt to seek asylum. He insisted that the North Korean government fabricated a break-in story to cover up what happened inside the embassy.

North Korea has denounced the incident as an act of terrorism. The dissident group says it has shared information with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.


Key words : US commerce affiliates rejected in
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190517_22/

The US Commerce Department has put China's Huawei Technologies and its affiliates on its so-called Entity List.

Earlier this week, the Department banned US firms from selling electronics components to Huawei without government approval. The 68 affiliates now covered include regional entities in more than two dozen countries, including Japan.

American firms are barred from doing business with companies on the Entity List without specific approval. The latest move follows a significant decision announced on Wednesday.

The Commerce Department said Huawei is engaged in activities that are contrary to US national security.

Officials said any request to do business with Huawei or others on the list will be rejected in principle.

The Department's decisions are expected to make it difficult for Huawei to procure semiconductors and other electronics parts made by American firms.

Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso expressed concern about the possible impact on Japanese firms.

Aso said as global supply chains are now very complex, Japanese businesses should be prepared for some kind of impact, which could be either direct or indirect.

The Trump administration appears intent on increasing its pressure on Huawei as the trade conflict with China continues to escalate.


Key words : Japanese companies doing
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190517_31/

Japanese companies doing business with China's Huawei Technologies are working to get detailed information on a decision by the US to ban American firms from selling parts to the telecom equipment maker without government approval.

Huawei says it is doing business with at least 100 Japanese firms. The company says it procured items worth 6.6 billion dollars from Japanese firms last year, and plans to do the same for 8 billion dollars' worth of parts this year.

Observers point out that if the latest move by Washington affects Huawei's product development, that could have impact on the Japanese firms.

Kyocera, a supplier of electronic parts to Huawei, and Japan Display, which produces liquid crystal displays for smartphones and other items, are reportedly collecting information and evaluating the possible impact.

Murata Manufacturing says it will closely monitor the situation, while Panasonic says it is investigating the details of the US move and will comply with the US measure.


Key words : Diet enacted
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190517_24/

Japan's Diet has enacted a law to severely restrict the use of drones over facilities of the US military and the Self-Defense Forces.

The legislation, which aims to prevent terror attacks using drones, was passed by a majority vote in the Upper House on Friday.

The prime minister's office and nuclear power plants have already been designated as no-fly zones.

The new law also effectively bans the flying of drones around airports and competition venues during the Rugby World Cup later this year and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Police will be allowed to confiscate drones that enter restricted zones.

The Upper and Lower House panels that deliberated the legislation adopted a supplementary resolution. This requests the government to avoid excessive restrictions to ensure press freedom and the public's right to know.


Key words : Sony put aside
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190517_15/

Sony and Microsoft announced on Thursday that they have put aside their rivalry and formed a strategic partnership on video game streaming.

They say Sony will stream its game software using cloud services provided by Microsoft's data center.

They plan to integrate Sony's cutting-edge image sensors with Microsoft's AI technology to enhance services.

Online streaming enables users to play games without game consoles.

US tech giants Apple and Google are planning to join the competition in game streaming services.

Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft, each with their own consoles, have so far been dominant in the gaming industry.


Key words : convenience
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190517_21/

A major Japanese convenience store operator says it will launch a new loyalty program this fall in a bid to tackle the industry-wide problem of food waste.

Seven-Eleven Japan says it will encourage customers to buy food that's nearing its expiry time by rewarding them with points to redeem against other purchases.

The program will cover items with short shelf lives including boxed lunches, bread and deli items. They will automatically qualify around 5 hours before they're due to be withdrawn.

Seven-Eleven officials say they aim to cut the cost of throwing away food and help stores that are struggling financially due to rising labor costs. More than 20,000 outlets nationwide will take part in the scheme.

Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko said "I'm aware that Seven-Eleven Japan aims to increase sales and profits while reducing the amount of food it throws away. Tackling the problem of food waste is important for society".

Rival convenience store operator Lawson says it plans to trial a similar scheme at some outlets from June.


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