at 18:30 (JST), May 16

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/20230516183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : thailand negotiation
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230516_05/

Thailand's two main opposition parties are set to begin negotiations to form a ruling coalition after emerging victorious in the general election.

Preliminary results released on Monday by electoral authorities showed the Move Forward Party and the Pheu Thai Party came first and second, respectively, at the polls on Sunday.

The Move Forward Party, which calls for the elimination of military influence, has captured 152 seats in the lower house. Pheu Thai, a party affiliated with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, got 141 seats.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's United Thai Nation Party won 36 seats. Prayut led a military coup nine years ago.

Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat declared victory and showed a willingness to become prime minister. He said his party seeks a completely democratic parliament and that it would start coalition negotiations with Pheu Thai and other parties.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who is a daughter of the former prime minister and a Pheu Thai candidate for prime minister, acknowledged that she agreed in a call with Pita that their parties would enter coalition negotiations.

The two opposition parties have a combined majority in the lower house. But they are at odds over some issues, including the lese majeste laws that forbid insulting the royal family, which the Move Forward Party seeks to amend.

It remains to be seen whether the two parties will be able to form a coalition government and replace the pro-military government. Observers say Pheu Thai may lean toward forming a coalition with other parties.

Key words : economic coercion
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230516_01/

Japan and its Group of Seven partners are set to make clear their commitment to countering "economic coercion" in a statement to be announced by leaders during the upcoming Hiroshima Summit.

NHK has obtained part of the draft statement, which touches on economic resilience and security.
Negotiations on the wording of the statement are underway ahead of the summit, which opens on May 19.

The section includes working together with developing countries and other non-G7 partners to advance a range of policies regarding global economic recovery and security.

It also includes the G7's commitment to countering "economic coercion," in an apparent bid to keep China in check. The move refers to an imposition of pressure by a country on its target through such steps as export restrictions. The G7 countries are expected to stress the need to provide support to targeted nations or organizations.

The draft also includes a pledge to build robust and sustainable supply chains to ensure stable supplies of key mineral resources and their products. This is part of efforts to facilitate a shift to clean energy.

Japanese government officials say that apart from the leaders' statement, an outcome document on economic security will likely be released during the gathering.

Key words : security tightening Friday
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230516_02/

Officials in Hiroshima City, western Japan are gearing up for the Group of Seven summit that starts Friday. The city is set to host several world leaders and security is tightening.

Coin-operated lockers at Hiroshima Station were closed off Monday as part of anti-terrorism measures.

One woman who had wanted to use a locker said, "I knew the summit was starting soon, but I didn't think we would lose access to the lockers this early."

Access to the island where the summit's main venue is located is now restricted. Only those with accreditation, including residents, are allowed to enter or leave the area.

One resident said, "I will try to stay home as much as possible during the summit."

Another said, "I hope everything will go smoothly."

The group's leaders are expected to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the situation in the Indo-Pacific. They are also likely to discuss climate change and energy, including assistance to emerging and developing countries collectively known as the Global South.

Key words : nhk poll
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230515_27/

The latest NHK poll shows the approval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio's Cabinet rose 4 percentage points to 46 percent. The disapproval rate was down by 4 points to 31 percent.

NHK conducted the telephone survey involving 2,539 randomly chosen people aged 18 or older over the weekend, and 1,225 people responded.

Of those who approve of the Cabinet, 45 percent said it seems better than other possible ones. Twenty-two percent said it is composed of political parties they support, while 13 percent said they trust Kishida.

Fifty percent of those who disapprove of it said they don't have high expectations for policies by the Cabinet, and 20 percent cited a lack of ability to implement policies. Eleven percent said the Cabinet is not made of parties they support.

Respondents were also asked whether effective debate can be expected to help stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the G7 summit in Hiroshima that starts on Friday. Twenty-eight percent answered they can expect very much, or to some extent, while 66 percent said they don't expect much, or anything at all.

This month Kishida held a summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, following one in March, and agreed to work to improve ties between their countries.

Asked about whether bilateral ties will improve, 53 percent said they think so, while 32 percent said they don't. Fifteen percent did not answer or said they don't know.

The survey asked whether respondents are worried about a possible resurgence of coronavirus infections after the government downgraded the legal status of COVID-19 to the same category as that of seasonal flu this month.

Sixty-four percent said they are concerned very much, or to some extent, while 32 percent said they are not so worried, or not at all.

In March, the government started allowing individuals to decide whether to wear masks indoors and outdoors as an anti-coronavirus measure.

Fifty-five percent of the respondents said they are wearing masks the same as before, while 33 percent said they go without masks on more occasions. Eight percent said they never wear masks.

Asked about how much Japan's economy has recovered compared to pre-pandemic levels, 49 percent said it has almost fully recovered or recovered to some extent. Forty-four percent said it has not recovered so well, or not at all.

Key words : voter india
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230515_41/

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party has suffered a major setback. Voters in Karnataka handed the Bharatiya Janata Party a crushing defeat in state assembly polls. The upset is seen as a bellwether for next year's general election.

The results announced Saturday saw the main opposition Congress party coast to victory.

The Election Commission gave Congress 135 out of 224 seats, while the BJP got just 66.

It was one of the ruling party's worst performances in recent years.

Karnataka was the BJP's only bastion in southern India, and the loss wipes out the party in the region.

Karnataka is the first of the five big states to hold ballots this year. Congress' victory gives the party a much-needed morale boost ahead of the national vote in 2024.

Key words : cambodia opposition
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230516_03/

Cambodia's election committee has disqualified the largest opposition Candlelight Party from participating in general elections in July.

The committee said on Monday that the Candlelight Party -- a major challenger against Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party -- would not be allowed to contest the polls, since it failed to submit necessary documents.

The Candlelight Party is an apparent successor to the defunct Cambodia National Rescue Party, which was forced to disband before the previous general polls. It gained the second largest share of the votes in last year's local elections, after Hun Sen's ruling party.

The decision to disqualify the Candlelight Party is seen as part of efforts by the government to remove major challengers. Experts say this looks like what the government did ahead of general elections five years ago.

Western countries are concerned that the latest development could be a major setback to Cambodia's democracy. Hun Sen's government has continued its crackdown on critics for nearly four decades. Japan has long helped the country hold democratic elections following the end of its civil war.

Key words : chinese court sentenced us citizen
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230515_28/

A Chinese court has sentenced a US citizen to life in prison on espionage charges.

The court in the southeastern city of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province handed down the ruling on Monday for the 78-year-old man. He holds permanent residency in Hong Kong and has a US passport.

The Hong Kong newspaper Sing Tao Daily reports that the man is from Hong Kong and had relocated to the United States.

The newspaper says he served as the head of the Texas branch of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, a group supporting the reunification of Taiwan.

The paper also reports that the man had been engaged in campaigns to promote friendship between the US and China, and greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping when he visited the country in 2015.

Chinese national security authorities reportedly detained the man in Suzhou two years ago. But the court did not disclose any details on the charges.

Key words : Monday marks okinawa return
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230515_25/

Monday marks 51 years since Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa was returned to the country from postwar US rule.

The island prefecture was under American administration for 27 years until May 15, 1972. The United States took control of it in 1945 after the Battle of Okinawa -- one of the most intense ground clashes that occurred during the final stages of World War Two.

Many in Okinawa argue that they still bear a disproportionate burden of the ongoing US military presence. The prefecture hosts about 70 percent of all American military facilities in Japan, even though it accounts for less than 1 percent of the country's total land area.

Residents continue to be plagued by problems stemming from the US bases, including noise from military aircraft and repeated criminal offenses by American service members.

Against this backdrop, Japan is planning to build more Self-Defense Forces facilities in the prefecture to strengthen defense capabilities in its southwestern islands.

It announced last year that it would deploy multiple missile units in Okinawa's main island and the country's western-most island of Yonaguni, which is located just over 100 kilometers from Taiwan. The SDF also opened a new camp on Ishigaki Island in March.

In addition, the government appears to be considering deploying in the area standoff missiles capable of longer-range attacks. Officials explain that such weapons could be used to target enemy positions in counterstrikes.

But those plans are raising concerns among local residents, who strongly fear that their islands could become enemy targets.

More than half a century since Okinawa was returned to Japanese rule, the prefecture is bearing an increasing burden from efforts to beef up national security.