at 18:30 (JST), March 09

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/20230309183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : china red line mao
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230308_31/

China says it has lodged a complaint against the United States over a reported plan for talks next month between Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Britain's Financial Times newspaper on Monday reported that Tsai and McCarthy agreed to meet in the US state of California in April. The newspaper said Tsai plans to stop in the US during a trip to Belize and Guatemala early in the month.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a news conference on Wednesday that China is seriously concerned about the transit plan. She said China "lodged solemn representations with the US side and asked them to clarify."

Mao reaffirmed the Chinese government's stance, which describes Taiwan issues as at the very core of China's core interests. She said Taiwan is "the first red line" that must not be crossed in China-US relations.

Mao also warned that China strongly objects to any form of official exchange between the US and Taiwan, and any form of contact with what China calls Taiwan's independence forces.

Key words : annual survey second
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230308_13/

An annual survey on the working environment for women has ranked Japan second from the bottom among a group of the world's richest economies.

Britain's Economist magazine released its latest glass-ceiling index on Monday, ahead of the UN-designated International Women's Day on Wednesday.

The magazine ranked 29 of the members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development based on 10 indicators, such as gender pay gaps and labor-force participation rates.

Japan was in 28th place. The country ranked lower than the OECD average in a majority of the indicators. It has the lowest percentage of women in managerial positions and in parliament.

South Korea ranked at the bottom.

The Economist said, "Japan and South Korea, where women must still choose between a family or a career, fill the bottom two places."

Iceland topped the rankings. The country ranked above the OECD average in most of the indicators and has higher ratios of women on company boards and in parliament.

Sweden and Finland followed Iceland at second and third place, respectively.

Key words : food market
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230308_32/

Japanese food-maker Kewpie, best known for its yolk-rich mayonnaise, is launching a plant-based brand. The company says it was inspired by consumers' growing concern for the environment.

Two Green Kewpie products will hit shelves next week, including a Caesar dressing made without anchovies or mayonnaise.

Kewpie Director Hamasaki Shinya says, "There's a global movement towards sustainability, and we're hoping this will become a strong brand that gives us a wider international presence."

Kewpie says it plans to expand the lineup and is targeting 10 billion yen, or about 73 million dollars, in annual sales by 2030.

The plant-based food market is heating up in Japan. Rival food giant Kagome, best known for its ketchup, is already selling a ready-to-eat egg-free omelet-and-rice meal.

Key words : philippines scrambling
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230308_37/

Authorities in the Philippines are scrambling to contain what could be the biggest oil spill in the country's history.
Oil from a sunken ship is washing ashore across wide areas about 200 kilometers from the capital, Manila.

Residents and coast guard personnel are working around the clock to clean up the shores on and around Mindoro Island.

The spill is coming from the MT Princess Empress, a tanker under the Philippine flag that sank last week following engine trouble. It was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial oil.

All 20 crew members were rescued.

The authorities have declared a state of calamity and imposed a fishing ban affecting around 18,000 fishers in 60 villages.

Experts are also concerned about the effects on marine biodiversity. Tourism officials warn that the oil is tainting the waters of popular diving destination.

The Coast Guard installed oil boom on Wednesday to contain the mess. Recovery operations on the tanker have begun.

The government got in touch with Japan over the weekend to request help to bring the spill under control.

Key words : bangladeshi explosion
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230308_36/

In the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, authorities say an explosion has killed at least 17 people.

The blast occurred in a seven-story building on Tuesday in the capital's busy commercial district. Local officials say at least 120 people were injured.

Fire officials say the building's first two floors were severely damaged. The cause hasn't been determined, but police say it might have been accumulated gas. Rescue operations are underway, and officials say the death toll could rise as some people are still missing.

Bangladesh's health minister told reporters an investigation was being carried out by police and detectives to determine the cause of the incident.

Key words : arrested genetic
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230308_23/

Tokyo police have arrested five people in relation to the suspected illegal breeding and sales of genetically modified fluorescent killifish, or medaka.

The suspects include Masuda Tomio, the owner of a killifish shop in Kasukabe City, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

The police say the five people are suspected of illegally breeding and selling the genetically engineered fish from 2021 through last year.

Transactions involving living modified organisms are restricted under a law based on an international agreement called the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The law is aimed at preventing adverse effects on biological diversity and the environment.

The police say the killifish in question came from a university laboratory. Researchers there had developed genetically modified fluorescent killifish for use in research.

A graduate student at the lab took about 30 killifish eggs out of the facility from 2009 through 2010. The fluorescent killifish has become popular among fish enthusiasts and were sold repeatedly.

The police say about 50 people had been in possession of such killifish, including the five who were arrested, and that about 1,400 fish were confiscated in the latest search.

They say all of the suspects have admitted to the charges. No negative effects have been confirmed on the ecosystem. The police have called on the public to be careful of such illegal sales.

Key words : arrested social soy sauce
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230308_30/

Japanese police have arrested three people who posted on social media a prank at a sushi restaurant that included one of them putting his mouth on a soy sauce dispenser spout.

Police said on Wednesday they arrested 21-year-old Yoshino Ryoga and two teenagers on suspicion of obstructing the restaurant's operation.

Police say the three carried out the prank at a Kura Sushi conveyor-belt restaurant in Nagoya City, central Japan, on February 3. The police say Yoshino put his mouth on the spout.

The restaurant submitted a damage report to police.

Investigators say the three are believed to have become acquainted through social networking services. The investigators have not disclosed whether the arrested admitted to the charge.

In Japan, there have been other cases of uploaded videos showing malicious pranks at conveyor-belt sushi restaurants.