at 18:30 (JST), October 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/20231016183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : wang china opposes
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231016_06/

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has criticized Israel for going beyond the scope of self-defense in its actions against the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

Wang made the remark during a telephone call with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Saturday.

He also told Faisal that China opposes and condemns all acts that harm civilians.

Wang added that Israel should avoid collective punishment of the people in the Gaza Strip.

On Sunday, Wang also had a telephone conversation with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

Wang insisted that the root cause of the situation surrounding Israel and the Palestinians is that the Palestinian people's right to statehood has been set aside for a long time.

The two telephone talks come as fears are growing about further casualties among the Palestinians in the conflict between Hamas and Israel, which is said to be preparing to launch a massive ground offensive in Gaza.

Wang's remarks apparently represent China's intention to call for restraint by Israel.

Key words : japan sending kamikawa
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Key words : peace envoy
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231015_16/

Japan will send a peace envoy to the Middle East as part of its effort to de-escalate the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko told reporters on Sunday that Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace Uemura Tsukasa will be dispatched to the region.

She said the Japanese government will continue to coordinate with the international community and engage relevant parties toward the goal of bringing the situation under control as soon as possible.

She also said over 1,000 Japanese nationals were staying in Israel as of Saturday, and there have been no reports of any of them being harmed so far.

But Kamikawa added that the situation is fluid. She called on Japanese citizens who hope to leave the country to do so as early as possible while commercial flights are still in operation.

She also said a small number of Japanese nationals are staying in the conflict-ravaged Gaza Strip for various reasons. She said the government has been in close contact with these people and is doing its utmost to secure their safety.

The minister said the situation in and around Gaza is becoming even more tense by the minute, with a large number of casualties. She said the government is closely watching the situation with a sense of grave concern.

Key words : putin willingnes
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231016_02/

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his willingness to boost collaboration with China, welcoming Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative aimed at creating a huge economic bloc.

Putin spoke in an interview with state-run China Central Television. It was aired on Sunday ahead of his visit to China this week, his first since Russia began an invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

Putin described Chinese President Xi Jinping as a level-headed, practical and credible partner. The leaders are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of an international forum to be held in Beijing on the Belt and Road Initiative for two days from Tuesday.

Regarding the initiative, Putin said "the primary advantage of China's proposed cooperation concept is that, within the framework of cooperation, no one imposes its will on others."

He said it is "the key difference" between the initiative and "certain projects promoted by other countries with colonialist overtones."

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russia's state-run television that President Putin and President Xi will mainly discuss the world situation during their meeting as Russia and China play a significant role in international affairs.

Key words : western afghanistan 1,000 people dead
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231015_15/

The US Geological Survey says a powerful earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 6.3 struck western Afghanistan at around 8:06 a.m., local time, on Sunday.

The focus of the quake was estimated to be 6.3 kilometers deep.

That was followed 20 minutes later by another temblor with an estimated magnitude of 5.4, which also originated in the west of the country.

On October 7, the area was shaken by two magnitude-6.3 quakes. It was again hit by another magnitude-6.3 upheaval four days later.

The Taliban interim government said the series of quakes has left more than 1,000 people dead and over 2,000 others injured so far.

Local authorities are now investigating whether the latest temblors have brought any damage.

Key words : takeuchi
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231015_01/

A Japanese WHO official in Afghanistan has described the situation there a week after two magnitude 6.3 earthquakes struck the country's western province of Herat.

NHK spoke on Friday with Takeuchi Akiko, who works for the World Health Organization in Afghanistan. Since last Sunday, the day after the disaster occurred, she had provided support to earthquake survivors for four days.

Takeuchi surveyed Herat to assess the extent of damage, and provided public health and medical support.

She said the situation was much worse than she had anticipated, and that village after village has been reduced to rubble.
Takeuchi said many of survivors are women and children as some men had been away from home working when the quakes struck. She said there are cases in which entire families have been lost.

Takeuchi said some people are living in tents and are in need of water and food.

She expressed concerns about malnutrition among children, and the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID and cholera.

Takeuchi said the mental health of people who had lost their loved ones is a challenge, and that they will need long-term care.

As quakes continue to jolt the country, the WHO supports quake survivors by delivering medical supplies and conducting training for psychological care providers.

Takeuchi said the WHO is working to offer sustainable health services in cooperation with other health care groups in the country.

She said she hopes the world community doesn't forget about the Afghan people's plight. She worries the situation there is being overshadowed by the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Palestinian territories.

Key words : china defense minister
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231014_04/

Speculation is rising that the decision-making committee of China's legislature may soon decide to oust Defense Minister Li Shangfu, whose whereabouts have been unknown for more than six weeks.

China's state-run Xinhua News Agency said on Friday that the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress will meet from October 20 to 24 to review bills. It said documents to be submitted also include "personnel appointments and removals."

Defense Minister Li was last seen in public delivering a speech on August 29. Media outlets in the West and Hong Kong have reported that Li could be under investigation for alleged corruption.

Reuters news agency has cited informed sources as saying that Li could be replaced by General Liu Zhenli. He is a member of the Central Military Commission and the chief of the Joint Staff Department.

When the Standing Committee met in July, delegates dismissed Qin Gang as foreign minister just over six months after he was appointed. Prior to the move, Qin's whereabouts remained unknown for a month.

Key words : self-defense US military
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231014_14/

Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the US military began large-scale joint drills on Saturday based on the scenario of defending remote Japanese islands.

The exercise is being held in the southwestern region of Kyushu, the southern prefecture of Okinawa and the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.

About 6,400 personnel from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and the US Marine Corps are involved. The drills will last until the end of this month.

At the opening ceremony held in Kumamoto City, Lieutenant General Yamane Toshikazu of the GSDF said the exercise will directly lead to security in Japan and the Indo-Pacific region.

Brigadier General Adam Chalkley of the US Marine Corps stressed the importance of strengthening the bonds between the US military and Japan's SDF.

During the training, US troops are being deployed to the southwestern remote island of Ishigaki in Okinawa for the first time.

The two sides will confirm procedures for responses in the event of vessels and aircraft approaching the Nansei Islands, including Ishigaki.

GSDF Osprey transport aircraft will fly over Okinawa for the first time and conduct a drill of transporting injured personnel.

Other plans include live-fire drills at training grounds in Hokkaido and the southwestern prefecture of Oita.

Japan and the US apparently aim to ramp up their cooperation with China's growing maritime activities in mind.

Okinawa has asked the country's Defense Ministry to minimize the impact of the drills on people's lives in the prefecture.

Key words : 21 years
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231015_12/

Sunday marks 21 years since five Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea returned to Japan. One of them has called for public support and concrete steps by the government to bring the remaining abductees back home.

The Japanese government says at least 17 of its citizens were abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s.

Hasuike Kaoru, Hasuike Yukiko, Chimura Yasushi, Chimura Fukie and Soga Hitomi were taken to North Korea in 1978. They arrived back in Japan on October 15, 2002, but the other 12 remain unaccounted for.

In an interview with NHK, Hasuike Kaoru said the remaining abductees must be living with unbearable pain and feelings.

He said some may have heard about the deaths of their parents and others are aware that their relatives are growing older.

Only two parents of the officially recognized abductees are alive. They are Yokota Sakie, the 87-year-old mother of abductee Yokota Megumi, and Arimoto Akihiro, the 95-year-old father of Arimoto Keiko.

Hasuike said he hears that both are not well, and that he is frustrated. He said he feels more strongly that the issue must be settled as soon as possible.

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has indicated his willingness to start high-level talks with North Korea under his direct supervision, in order to realize a bilateral summit.

Hasuike reacted positively to the move. He said as relations between the United States and North Korea remain stalled, he believes Japan is determined to take its own initiative.

Hasuike stressed that now is the time for Japan to continuously make the North Korean leader aware of what it can offer to resolve the abduction issue and improve bilateral ties.

He said resolving the issue while the relatives are alive is an important deadline for Japan, and that would be the last chance for the North to resolve it.