Welcome back to NHK Newsline. I'm Kanako Sachno.
Trump–Xi Summit Concludes in Beijing
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have wrapped up their summit meeting in Beijing.
The leaders met for tea and lunch on Friday at Zhongnanhai, a compound in central Beijing, for the Chinese leadership.
00:00:31 話者 11/Xi Jinping
This visit was both historic and symbolic.
We have agreed on a new bilateral relationship of constructive strategic stability.
00:00:45 話者 10/Donald Trump
This has been an incredible visit. I think a lot of good has come of it.
We've made some fantastic trade deals, great for both countries. We feel very similar.
We want that to end. We don't want them to have a nuclear weapon.
We want the straits open.
00:01:07 話者 1
US officials said that during the summit on Thursday, Trump and Xi discussed ways to deepen bilateral economic cooperation.
They included wider access for American businesses to the Chinese market and more Chinese investment in the US.
China says progress was made in trade talks. Trump spoke to Fox News Channel's Hannity.
He says Xi told him Beijing will not provide Tehran with military equipment.
He called the pledge a big statement, and he says Xi wants the Strait of Hormuz to remain open.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent echoed that sentiment.
Speaking with CNBC, he said China relies on the Gulf for about a third of its energy.
He said Beijing will work on the issue behind the scenes while acknowledging the extent of its sway on Iranian leadership.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that the US didn't ask for China's help with Iran.
In an interview with NBC News, he said Washington just made its position clear.
As for Taiwan, he said the subject of US arms sales did not feature prominently in Thursday's talks.
On Friday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson addressed the situation in Iran.
The spokesperson said it's important to reopen the shipping lanes in the region as soon as possible to respond to the call of the international community and jointly keep global supply chains stable and unimpeded.
Trump left China Friday afternoon for the United States, officially bringing the high-profile summit to a close.
Expert Insights on US–China Relations
Earlier, I spoke to Professor Takahara Akio, who specialises in Chinese politics and China's relationship with other countries.
What were you watching for in particular during this summit?
00:02:55 話者 4/Takahara Akio
Well, of course, we would like to know the details of the discussions that they actually had, although, you know, information is still not that much.
But we could see that both sides were determined to make this event a great success.
And I think the two presidents performed very well.
So they were very successful in telling the world that it's OK.
You know, US-China relations are going to be OK, at least for the time being.
00:03:22 話者 1
Right. And now that Trump has wrapped up his visit, how would you analyze what we've seen come out of the talks?
00:03:28 話者 4
Well, it's very interesting that both sides are saying different things.
Like as soon as the meeting ended, Xinhua News Agency, the national agency of China, announced that President Xi told President Trump that Taiwan question is a very important question for China and that virtually saying that you should stay away from Taiwan.
But we are not quite sure what was actually said because what the American side is saying, they're talking about different things when it comes to the Taiwan question.
As you mentioned, Marco Rubio saying that at least the arms sale question did not come up. So I think we need to wait for the details to be revealed.
00:04:15 話者 1
Right. And would you say there were any particular gains that we can say that for either or both sides that they were sort of thinking were particularly big gains for them?
00:04:26 話者 4
At least we can say that things are not going to go for the worse, at least for the time being.
So both sides are very, enthusiastic that things should be better and that there should be more trade, more openness in their economies and better discussions over Taiwan, what have you. So those were very positive signs that we got.
00:04:49 話者 1
Right. And Trump invited Xi to the White House in September.
So how do you see the relationship between them developing, both in the short term and the long term?
00:04:58 話者 4
Well, I'm not sure whether we can say that the relationship is developing because, you know, the two leaders are well aware of the interests of the other side and you know it is basically a kabuki that they've been playing.
But anyhow it's good that they keep on telling each other that you are a great leader and so on and we hope that this will lead to an actual gain and not only for the two countries but for the world.
00:05:28 話者 1
Right. And so Japanese leaders, of course, have been keeping a close eye on these talks.
Is there anything that has developed that would impact Japan?
00:05:36 話者 4
Certainly. You know, on the security side of things, what they actually discussed about Taiwan is of much concern, not only for Japan, but for many countries in the region in particular, but for the world as a whole.
And also on the economic side, what are the new developments in the restrictions over trade. Will there be more openness in trade?
And that's going to affect businesses of the Japanese companies, too.
00:06:05 話者 1
Yeah, OK. And so which particular trade restrictions would impact Japan, do you feel?
00:06:12 話者 4
Well, especially all the high-tech technologies, including the chips, the semiconductors and things, and the manufacturing devices for the chips.
They are very important in Japan's trade with China.
Japan Seeks Briefing from Trump
00:06:29 話者 1
The Japanese government is hoping Trump will tell them how it went.
Officials are trying to arrange a call with Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae after the summit.
A source says the government is particularly interested in regional issues like Taiwan and China's export controls on rare earth elements.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru says they're trying to gauge the outcome of the meeting.
00:06:55 話者 3/Kihara Minoru
The government believes it is important that the US-China relationship contributes to international stability, including Japan's.
We are watching the situation closely with a high level of interest.
00:07:06 話者 1
Kihara didn't specify how Japan plans to communicate with the US.
Cuba Announces Fuel Reserves Exhausted
Cuban officials say the nation's fuel reserves have been completely exhausted.
This comes after the United States imposed an oil blockade aimed at pressuring Havana to carry out political and economic reforms.
In the capital Havana, people have taken to the streets to protest blackouts that can last more than 20 hours a day.
The energy minister said on Wednesday, Cuba is out of fuel oil and diesel.
Vincente de la Olevi said the nation is open to anyone who wants to sell it energy.
But finding alternate supplies is expected to be difficult, as the Trump administration has urged other countries not to export oil to Cuba.
Amid the mounting pressure, officials from Cuba's interior ministry held talks with a US delegation led by CIA director John Ratcliffe in Havana on Thursday.
The government said Cuba intends to expand bilateral cooperation in areas including national security.
Japan Approves Bill Limiting Retrial Appeals
Japan's government has approved a bill that would basically ban prosecutors from appealing court decisions granting retrials.
The draft revision to the Code of Criminal Procedure was approved at a cabinet meeting on Friday.
Prosecutors would not be allowed to file appeals except in rare cases in which they have sufficient grounds.
The bill requires prosecutors to immediately disclose whether they have filed an appeal and if so, why.
It says courts should try to determine within a year whether to accept or reject appeals.
The bill calls for a review once every five years after the amended law goes into effect if deemed necessary.
Critics of Japan's retrial system say the current process takes too long.
One example is the case of Hakamada Iwao, who was sentenced to death for the murder of a family of four in Shizuoka Prefecture.
He was finally found not guilty in October 2024, more than four decades after his first request for a retrial.
The initial government draft, based on a proposal by Justice Ministry's advisory panel, did not include banning prosecutors' appeals.
That version faced strong opposition from the Liberal Democratic Party.
The government took the unusual step of revising the draft three times.
It aims to get the bill passed into law during the current diet session.
Japan May Export Missiles to Philippines
NHK has learned that Japan's defence ministry is considering exporting surface-to-ship missiles to the Philippines.
The development comes a month after Tokyo changed policy to allow transfers of lethal weapons.
Sources say earlier this month, Manila expressed interest in acquiring Type 88 missiles, which have a range of more than 100 kilometers.
Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force plans to gradually replace its arsenal of Type 88 missiles with a new model.
SDF personnel conducted a live-fire drill of the missile in a joint exercise staged in the Philippines in April and May.
The transfer to the Philippines of Japan's Abukama-class destroyer escorts currently belonging to the Maritime Self-Defense Force is also being considered.
Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro said on Friday no decision has been made over the transfers.
He added the Philippines has high regard for Japan's technologies and approach and that the two countries will hold frank discussions at a new working group.
Last month, the Japanese government revised its three principles on the overseas transfer of defence equipment and their implementation guidelines.
The move allows exports of lethal weapons in principle as rules that had restricted outbound shipments to five categories have been abolished.
Teen Arrested in Tochigi Murder-Robbery Case
Police in Japan have arrested a young male on suspicion of murder and robbery after an attack on a family in their home left one person dead.
The suspect claims to be a 16-year-old high school student.
Intruders broke into a house in the town of Kaminokawa in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, on Thursday morning.
They attacked the family with what police suspect may have been a crowbar.
A 69-year-old company executive, Tomiyama Eko, died, and her two sons in their 30s and 40s were injured.
Security camera footage captured this image near the scene on the morning of the incident.
It shows a person in a dark colour holding what appears to be a long-handled object.
Police arrested the adolescent, who said he lives west of Tokyo, near the site shortly after the incident.
Police say he claimed he was asked to join a group by friends in the same grade.
He also said the other attackers fled by car.
The attack occurred despite a stepped-up police presence in the area.
The family had contacted the police three times in April and May to report a suspicious vehicle near their house.
In response, police conducted dozens of patrols day and night until the day before the incident. Residents in the area were also advised to be on the alert.
00:12:35 話者 5
We were keeping a lookout. We were talking about how scary it is.
00:12:41 話者 1
Police say they'll investigate possible links between the suspicious vehicle and the robbery.
They'll also launch a probe to determine if there was any issue with their response after the family contacted them.
BUSINESS
Now for more business stories, here's Ramin Mellegard.
00:12:58 話者 6/Ramin Mellegard
Thank you very much indeed.
Japan Wholesale Prices See Sharp Rise
Now, prices of goods traded between Japanese companies rose at the fastest pace in almost three years in April.
The gains were mostly driven by the higher cost of petroleum products due to the Iran conflict.
The Bank of Japan's preliminary figures show the producer price index rose 4.9% last month from a year earlier. That's the largest jump since May 2023.
Coal and petroleum products such as naphtha and gas oil increased 5.3%.
Chemicals and related products like ethylene and propylene climbed 9.2%.
Nonferrous metals surged nearly 38%.
This includes aluminum imported from the Middle East.
JGB Yields Hit 29-Year High
Now, inflation concerns are also hitting the Japanese government bond market.
Long-term yields hit their highest level in 29 years on Friday.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year JGB touched 2.73 percent.
Brokerage firm Japan Bond Trading says that's the highest since May 1997.
The sharp rise in the April producer price index led to speculation the Bank of Japan could raise interest rates in June.
Another factor is the possibility the government may need to draft a supplementary budget for this fiscal year.
Chief market economist of SMBC Nikko Securities' Maruyama Yoshimasa also points to higher yields overseas.
00:14:38 話者 7/Maruyama Yoshimasa
I believe Japan's fiscal concerns, yield increases abroad, and monetary policy are all factors.
Rising crude prices may affect electricity and gas bills in the coming months, and the Takaichi administration may have to do something.
I think this is causing speculation about a supplementary budget pushing yields up.
00:14:58 話者 6
Japanese Finance Minister Katayama Satsuki on Friday ruled out the immediate need for an extra budget, but she said the government needs to be ready to act flexibly to deal with various risks.
Another Japanese food company is changing its packaging due to troubles getting ink as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.
Food maker Kagome will rework the design of its widely consumed ketchup products.
The new design will have a much reduced illustration of tomatoes.
The transparent section will also be enlarged to cut down on ink.
The company says the new packaging will be on store shelves from around late May.
It will stay there until the ink supply stabilizes.
Other food makers have also been affected.
Flour and pasta maker, Nishin Seifunwelna, will stop printing the cooking time on the tape it uses to bundle its spaghetti.
Pokémon Campaign to Revitalize Ishikawa Tourism
Now, can one of Japan's most famous anime characters help a region recover from an earthquake?
Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan hopes so and is using pokémon in its airport to win back visitors.
Governor Yamano Yukiyoshi says the local airport will be refurbished to show pokémon characters.
Starting July 7, the facility will have the nickname Noto Satoyama pokémon with You Airport.
The campaign will run for three years as part of efforts to draw back tourists to the area, which was hit by a major earthquake in January 2024.
00:16:46 話者 7/Yamano Yukiyoshi/Ishikawa Governor
First, we want to give children in the area a sense of excitement and cheer them up.
We also hope more people will visit the region and that this will bring economic benefits.
00:17:00 話者 6
The airport will also offer a Pokemon-themed food menu at a restaurant.
The campaign is supported by the pokémon With You Foundation.
BIZ PICKS
Now, here's NHK World's Gene Otani with BizBix.
00:17:22 話者 8/Gene Otani
Let's take a look at key business and economic stories in the week ahead.
On Tuesday, Japan will release its gross domestic product for January to March.
Analysts predict Japan's GDP will expand in real terms for the second quarter in a row.
Analyst Warns Inflation May Rise Further
And on Friday, the nation's consumer price index for April will be released.
Back in March, the index excluding fresh food edged up from the same month last year by 1.8%. That was the first acceleration since October.
This was due in part to the price of gasoline amid the conflict in the Middle East.
Momma Kazuo is an executive economist at Mizuho Research Institute.
He believes April's increase will also be a little under the 2% mark.
00:18:11 話者 22/Momma Kazuo
The situation in Iran has really pushed up the price of crude oil.
But there's a delay before that affects the retail price of various goods.
In April, the impact still hadn't hit.
Gas prices have gone up, of course, but the government has splashed out subsidies to keep them in check.
00:18:30 話者 8
Momma says if the Iran situation drags on, inflation will also continue to rise.
00:18:38 話者 22
Wholesale prices have already spiked for petroleum-derived items, such as plastic, paint, packaging supplies, and construction materials.
But it can take six months for an increase in crude prices to be clearly reflected at the consumer stage.
In the next few months, the consumer price index could once again cross over the 2% mark.
And there is a good possibility that in autumn or the end of the year, it could go over 3%.
00:19:08 話者 8
Momma says there's a growing view in the market that the Bank of Japan will raise interest rates twice this year, but he says the turmoil in the Middle East will make that decision difficult.
00:19:22 話者 22
There is the very real possibility of the economy losing steam, and a rate hike would further dampen it more. It's very difficult for the bank to do this right now.
But if price gouging drives up prices, they will have no choice but to raise rates, even if it has a somewhat negative impact on the economy.
The bank may also be forced to act by an excessive weakening of the yen.
It's a difficult balancing act between the economy and prices.
00:19:52 話者 8
The Japanese government has been trying to curb inflation through a range of measures, including the release of oil reserves.
Momma says it is now more important than ever that the government end.
The Bank of Japan share information and their views on the economy.
I'm Gene Otani, and that's this week's Biz Picks.
00:20:14 話者 6
Great stuff.
MARKETS
Now let's get a check on the markets.
♪
And that is it for business news.
Going to hand it back to you.
00:20:47 話者 1
Thanks Ramin.
Takaichi to Visit South Korea for Summit
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae will visit South Korea next week for summit talks with President Lee Jae-myong.
South Korea's presidential office announced on Friday that Takaichi will make a two-day visit to Lee's hometown of Andong from Tuesday.
The office says the leaders will discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in areas such as the economy and public safety.
Their talks will also cover international challenges, including the situation in the Middle East.
Their last bilateral summit took place in January, when Lee travelled to Takaichi's hometown in Nara Prefecture, western Japan.
The presidential office says it hopes that shuttle diplomacy will deepen the bond and trust between the two leaders and strengthen bilateral relations.
Korean Air to Absorb Asiana in December
South Korea's two biggest airlines are set to combine operations in December.
That's when market leader Korean Air will complete the takeover of its next biggest rival, Asiana Airlines.
Korean Air says a new integrated carrier will be launched on December 17.
The announcement was made after the boards of the two companies met on Wednesday.
The integration comes more than five years after Korean Air first announced its plan to acquire Asiana.
The smaller carrier was at the time struggling financially due to the slump in air travel brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
South Korean media say the two carriers had combined sales last year of around 20 trillion won, or roughly $13.4 billion.
The integration will create one of the world's leading airlines.
Analysts say the combined carrier will likely face the challenge of the steep rise in jet fuel prices caused by the Iran situation.
Korean Air reportedly entered emergency management mode in April to promote efficiency in its operations amid the rising fuel costs.
Japan Announces World Cup Squad
There's less than a month to go till the Men's Soccer World Cup kicks off, and Japan has just announced its squad.
Head coach Moriyasu Hajime says he chose 26 members he believes make the best lineup to compete on the world stage.
The squad features many stars currently playing for football clubs in Europe.
Kubo Takefusa is with Spanish club Real Sociedad, and Doran Ritsu plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.
Endo Wataru will be making his third World Cup appearance, this time as captain.
He plays for Liverpool and is hoping to make a comeback from a serious injury.
And 39-year-old Nagatomo Yuto will be joining football's Global Showcase for the fifth time.
One player who didn't make the cut is Mitoma Kaoru.
He was recently injured playing for Brighton and Hove Albion.
The head coach says he wants all of Japan's players, even those not chosen, to focus on the goal of winning the world's biggest football tournament and to grow from the experience.
00:23:59 話者 7/Moriyasu Hajime
There are more players who have competed in the World Cup before.
This makes it possible for the team to demonstrate its strengths and the confidence to deal with any situation that comes up.
We want to do all we can to prepare and give our all to every match.
00:24:20 話者 1
The World Cup opens on June 11.
Japan is already scheduled to face off against the Netherlands, Tunisia and Sweden.
Weather Outlook Across Asia
Now let's take a look at the weather.
Parts of Japan saw intense evening showers this week.
Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano has the latest weekend forecast.
00:24:40 話者 9/Yumi Hirano
We experienced isolated thunder showers on Wednesday and Thursday.
However, a high-pressure system is bringing back dry and calm conditions on Friday.
Sunny skies are expected to continue over the weekend, and temperatures will jump to almost 30.
Tokyo will see 26 on Saturday and 29 on Sunday.
Nagoya may see 30, which is typical of July.
In the bigger picture across East Asia, downpours are expected to continue in southern China, Up to 180 millimeters of rain is possible in Guangdong Province.
Eastern Taiwan could also have downpours.
Heavy rain is possible in Hong Kong. The high in Beijing will drop to 25 due to rain.
Moving to India, temperatures exceeded 40 degrees in the north on Wednesday.
A combination of warm surface temperatures and cold air aloft is bringing intense thunderstorms.
A severe storm caused major damage and disruptions to northern India on Wednesday.
According to officials, more than 100 people died from the weather conditions.
Strong winds uprooted trees and billboards blocking some roads.
Crew members with heavy vehicles, along with locals, worked hard to clear roads and clean up Lita.
Now the storm is moving eastward toward Bangladesh, bringing isolated downpours and strong winds. For the south, heavy rain is continuing in Sri Lanka.
The monsoon season is approaching. Thunder showers are expected in Colombo.
The highs will be 40 in New Delhi and 44 in Varanasi.
That's it for now. Have a nice weekend.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:27:30 話者 1
And that wraps up this edition of NHK Newsline.
I'm Kanako Sachno in Tokyo. Thanks very much for joining us.
checked.
NHK World
00:28:01 話者 99
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