at 18:30 (JST), January 19 (text converter and manual correction with Top Stories)

Asian View

"Asian View" is a five-minute news segment broadcast by NHK WORLD-JAPAN. It features the latest news and deep analysis from Japan and the rest of Asia. Listen to "Asian View" and get the latest information from a region that's playing an increasingly important role in the world.si

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20220119183000_english_1.mp3 

This is Asian view from NHK world-japan. I'm Keiko Kitagawa. Here's a quick look at. What's been making news here in Japan and elsewhere in Asia. 

A surge in coronavirus cases led to declare what's known as a state of quasi- emergency in 13 more prefectures. That includes Tokyo and three neighboring  prefectures. The move allows governors to impose targeted restrictions. Bars and restaurants may be asked not to serve alcohol late at night or to close early. The declaration takes effect Friday and will last until February 13th. Intensive measures are already in place in three other prefectures including Okinawa. New coronavirus infections topped 30,000 nationwide for the first time on Tuesday. 

The Indonesian parliament has approved a bill to relocate the nation's capital from Jakarta to a site on Kalimantan Island. The new city will be called Nusantara. That means "archipelago" in Japanese. The megacity of Jakarta faces problems such as overpopulation and traffic congestion. The government plans to develop 250,000 hectares of land in the jungle of eastern Kalimantan. The aim is to relocate capital functions that are in phases mainly from 2024. 

Toyota motor expects to miss its output target of 9 million units for the fiscal year ending in March. It says the main reason is production costs caused by the global chip shortage. The automaker announced it will temporarily halt operations on 11 assembly lines in Japan next month. Toyota expects its global output for February to be around 700,000 units. That's down nearly 150,000 original projections. 

We're broadcasting from NHK in Tokyo. 

You're listening to Asian view from NHK world-japan. 

The Chinese economy bounced back from the pandemic slumped marked 8.1% expansion in 2021, but the pace of growth is expected to slow this year. Here's with us  to talk about that is Ke Long a senior fellow at the Tokyo foundation for policy research. He's been analyzing the Chinese economy for more than 20 years. 

Ke Long said the Chinese economy has strong fundamentals and could grow more than 6% this year, but that government policies are hampering extension. 

Economic growth in 2022 could be a 5% level or in the worst case less than 5%, If it is lower than the potential growth. The employment situation will deteriorate and joblessness will become a serious issue. 

He said the country's zero-COVID policy has harmed economic activity. The government has ordered city's lockdown. Even if just a few people test positive. Ke  warns that foreign investors could flee the country as more cases of financial problems come to light. Such as the real estate giant Evergrande. 

China's policy makers must disclose information to the market and investors, but they don't do this. This makes investors suspicious because they want to avoid risks. 

Ke also says the country's inflexible diplomatic stance is impeding growth. 

 

Trade with the US Japan and the EU has been increasing. These countries rely on imports of daily use items from China has other countries cannot produce enough. If China was more flexible and cooperative in its diplomatic dealings trade could expand more. 

Ke said what is most needed is greater liberalization. The private companies that birthed to prominence in the 1990s have been leading economic growth. Among them are Evergrande and the tech giant Alibaba, but Beijing has been cracking down on private enterprises in recent years. 

One thing that could help the Chinese economy grow is young people using their imaginations freely and establishing new companies. If this could happen, the economy would keep growing for another 20 or 30 years. But if the government continues to clamp down on freedom, the economy will shrink. So it is important, what kind of policy China adopts. The future of the country depends on it. China is at a crossroads. 

This is Asian view from NHK world-japan in Tokyo. I'm Keiko Kitagawa.