at 18:30 (JST), March 07

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.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20230307183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : H3 rocket failed large rocket
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230307_19/

Japan's launch of its new flagship H3 rocket ended in failure after the second-stage engine didn't ignite and the mission was aborted.

The H3 lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan at 10:37 a.m. Tuesday on what was to be its maiden flight. It was scheduled to place an Earth observation satellite into orbit about 17 minutes later at an altitude of about 675 kilometers.

According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, about eight minutes after liftoff it was announced that ignition of the second-stage engine had not been confirmed.

At around 10:52 a.m., it was announced that the rocket had been ordered to self-destruct. JAXA is investigating the cause of the problem.

The last failed launch took place in October and involved the Epsilon-6 rocket.

The H3 is a successor to the H2A. The new flagship rocket is Japan's largest with a maximum height of 63 meters.

It is the first large rocket that Japan has developed in about 30 years. The aim was to increase payload capacity to 1.3 times that of the H2A, while cutting the current launch cost by roughly half.

Co-developers JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have spent more than 200 billion yen, or about 1.5 billion dollars, since they launched the project nine years ago.

The first H3 rocket was initially slated to lift off in fiscal 2020. But the date was pushed back due partly to difficulties with the development of the new main engine.

The rocket was scheduled to launch on February 17, but liftoff was aborted due to an anomaly detected in the first-stage system. JAXA said measures had been taken to address the problem.

Tuesday's failed launch is likely to have a considerable impact as the H3 rocket is considered key to Japan's future space development.

Key words : taiwan military weapon
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230307_02/

Taiwan's defense minister says talks are underway with the United States over plans to keep a stockpile of US military weapons and ammunition in Taiwan.

Chiu Kuo-cheng acknowledged this during a parliamentary committee meeting on Monday.

He was asked by an opposition party member about the possibility of Taiwan being asked to allow the US to move some stockpiles currently in other parts of East Asia, such as Japan and South Korea, to Taiwan. Chiu said that the discussions are underway.

The US National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2023, which was signed into law last year, authorizes the president to establish a contingency stockpile of munitions and other items for Taiwan.

The US and western allies have so far been able to provide weapons and other supplies to help Ukraine counter Russia's invasion. But they could have a tough time doing so for Taiwan, if Chinese troops impose an air and sea blockade in the area.

Chiu's acknowledgement of the talks with the US over the stockpile plan is widely seen as an attempt by Taiwan to deter Beijing from taking provocative actions in the region.

Key words : sister warning
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230307_08/

The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has issued a warning to the United States and South Korea ahead of the joint military drills, which the two countries are scheduled to kick off next week.

Kim Yo Jong released a statement through the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday.

She said North Korea always keeps an eye on the activities carried out by the US and South Korean militaries. The two countries will start engaging in large-scale military drills on March 13.

Kim said the Pacific does not belong to the United States or Japan. She warned that any military response to North Korea's strategic weapons tests will be regarded as a "clear declaration of war."

She added that the North is "always on standby to take appropriate, quick and overwhelming action at any time" according to the country's judgment.

Kim had warned in a statement last month that North Korea could use the Pacific as a "firing range" in response to US actions.

Key words : huge fire bangladesh
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230306_43/

A massive fire has torn through a crammed refugee camp for Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh.

Local authorities say Sunday's blaze in the southern district of Cox's Bazar gutted 2,000 huts, leaving 12,000 people homeless. No casualties were reported. Local media say the cause of the fire is unclear.

A female refugee said she had taken her mother to see a doctor, and when she came back "everything was on fire."

"We couldn't save any of our belongings," she said.

The UN Migration Agency is assessing victims' needs. Their lives were hard enough before the fire.

An estimated 1 million Rohingya stay in camps in Cox's Bazar. More than 700,000 crossed the border from Myanmar in 2017, when the military launched brutal crackdowns against them after police outposts were attacked.

The camps are densely populated with poor sanitation. They are also prone to blazes like the latest one. A huge fire two years ago killed at least 15 people and destroyed 10,000 homes.

Two years after the military coup in Myanmar, the Rohingya see no prospect of returning.

Key words : at least 10 indonesia malaysia
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230307_42/

Bad weather and damaged communication lines have hampered search and rescue efforts after a massive landslide struck a remote island in northern Indonesia.

The country's disaster mitigation agency said the slide occurred Monday morning on Serasan Island, part of the Natuna archipelago in the South China Sea.

The agency said scores of houses were buried under mud and debris. At least 10 people have been confirmed dead, 8 others injured and 42 missing. More than 1,200 people have evacuated the area.

The annual monsoon season has triggered disasters around the region. Tens of thousands of people were forced from their homes in neighboring Malaysia, where downpours have been causing floods since last week.

Key words : south long-standing
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230306_29/

South Korea's government has disclosed plans to halt the process of its complaint with the World Trade Organization against Japan while discussions proceed on Japan's export restrictions.

South Korea's industry ministry announced on Monday that Seoul and Tokyo agreed to conduct bilateral consultations on export control issues.

The ministry stressed that the decision does not mean that South Korea will withdraw the complaint. It said if the issue does not progress well, the process may resume again.

The ministry pledged to pursue efforts to resolve the dispute. It said that both countries wish to bring the situation back to what it was before Japan tightened export controls in 2019 on high-tech materials to South Korea.

Seoul filed a complaint with the WTO in 2020 in response to Japan's move, claiming it violated international trade rules.

The announcement of Seoul's decision to suspend its complaint came as the South Korean government earlier on Monday announced a plan to settle its long-standing issue with Japan over wartime labor compensation.

The administration led by President Yoon Suk-yeol aims to improve ties with Japan.

Key words : seoul ditch
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230307_04/

Seoul's recently announced solution to a wartime labor compensation dispute with Japan has drawn mixed reactions from people in South Korea.

The ruling People Power Party said the measure announced by the government of President Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday is a courageous first step toward resolving the issue.

The plan is to have a South Korean government-affiliated foundation pay damages in place of Japanese firms to people who say they or their family members were forced to work for the companies during World War Two. The companies were ordered by South Korea's top court in 2018 to pay compensation to the plaintiffs.

Some family members also reacted positively to the plan, saying they want the issue to be quickly settled in whatever way possible.

However, one of the plaintiffs rejected the government's plan and pledged not to receive any money from the proposed foundation. Activists supporting the plaintiffs rejecting the plan held a rally in central Seoul, calling on the government to ditch the latest plan.

South Korean media say President Yoon is expected to visit Japan this month for talks with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. Yoon is also reportedly planning to attend the upcoming G7 Hiroshima summit as an observer in May, following a trip to the United States in April.

Key words : tokura future
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230306_37/

The head of Japan's largest business group says the organization will consider new programs to step up cooperation with its South Korean counterpart, following Seoul's announcement of a plan to settle the wartime labor issue between the two countries.

Tokura Masakazu, the chairman of the Keidanren, or the Japan Business Federation, held a news conference on Monday.

He said he appreciates that the Japanese government welcomed South Korea's plan for a solution and better bilateral ties. He also said he believes Tokyo is looking at the future and wants to work with Seoul to address the rising geopolitical risks.

Tokura also said the Keidanren will consider programs to strengthen cooperation in economic and other fields jointly with the Federation of Korean Industries.

He said he hopes future-oriented projects by two countries' business sectors will help improve bilateral ties even if it takes time.

Tokura pointed out that Japan and South Korea have similar problems, such as energy security and aging populations. He noted that his organization will explore what it can do in a wide range of fields.

Key words : self-defense shut down venue
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230306_26/

Japan's defense ministry plans to shut down large-scale coronavirus vaccination venues in Tokyo and Osaka operated by the Self-Defense Forces at the end of the month.

The ministry says bookings have declined to only about 20 percent of maximum capacity.

The ministry has entered discussions to hold a closing ceremony, with Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu in attendance.

These sites were set up to accelerate the coronavirus vaccine rollout in May, 2021. Operations were suspended six months later, but the Tokyo site resumed vaccinations in January last year and the Osaka site restarted in February to deal with the surge of the Omicron variant.