at 20:00 (JST), March 05 (Autoscroll)

South Korea's presidential office says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is attending a banquet with the members of a South Korean delegation.

Thousands of delegates from around China are in Beijing for the start of the National People's Congress.

11 companies including Toyota have jointly set up a farm to launch a hydrogen fueling stations for fuel cell cars.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20180305200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : south attending
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180305_31/

South Korea's presidential office says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is attending a banquet with the members of a South Korean delegation.

This is the first time since Kim became North Korea's leader that he's met South Korean government officials.

The 10-member delegation arrived in Pyongyang on Monday afternoon. It was sent by President Moon Jae-in and is led by Chung Eui-yong, the head of the Blue House National Security Office.

The delegation includes the chief of the National Intelligence Service, Suh Hoon.

Ri Son Gwon, head of North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, greeted the delegation when it arrived in Pyongyang.

Its 10 members are scheduled to meet senior North Korean officials and stay in Pyongyang until Tuesday.

Key words : special envoy persuade
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180305_19/

South Korea says the country's special envoys to North Korea will attempt to persuade Pyongyang to show that it intends to abandon its nuclear program so as to pave the way for dialogue between the North and the United States.

Unification Ministry spokesperson Baik Tae-hyun spoke to reporters on Monday before President Moon Jae-in's special envoys were due to fly to North Korea in the afternoon.

The 10-member delegation led by the head of the National Security Office, Chung Eui-yong, will spend 2 days in Pyongyang. The delegates include the chief of the National Intelligence Service, Suh Hoon.

This is South Korea's first such delegation since 2007.

They are scheduled to meet North Korean senior officials and are expected to carry a letter from Moon. It remains unknown whether the delegation will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Baik said he hopes that the delegates' visit will create an environment that leads to the fundamental resolution of issues on the Korean Peninsula and sustainable development in inter-Korean relations.

Baik said it is important to help facilitate talks between Washington and Pyongyang, which could lead to denuclearization of the peninsula.

The US government is demanding that North Korea clearly show it intends to give up its nuclear program as a precondition for bilateral talks.

But Pyongyang has said it will not accept such bilateral talks.

Key words : Suga response
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Key words : thousands around China
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180305_21/

Thousands of delegates from around China are in Beijing for the start of the National People's Congress.

The annual event gives a glimpse at what to expect from the world's second largest economy in the year to come. This year's meeting comes with political change -- it's expected that President Xi Jinping will be allowed to stay in power indefinitely.

Premier Li Keqiang delivered the keynote speech.
One of the big issues is the slowing economy.
He has set the growth target for this year at around 6.5 percent -- the same as last year's target.

But that is lower than the actual GDP growth of 6.9 percent seen last year.

Leaders have been putting more emphasis on economic stability instead of rapid growth.

Li says he is making financial risk prevention a key economic priority. He pledges to curb debt from companies and local governments.
He's also expected to map out policies to address environmental issues -- including air pollution.

Getting rid of presidential term limits is high on the agenda.

The current rule is that the President and Vice-President cannot serve more than two consecutive terms.

If the constitutional amendment is approved, President Xi could remain in his post after his second term ends.

And attention is focused on whether Xi's close ally, Wang Qishan, will be appointed Vice President despite his retirement from the party's Politburo last October.

The congress will also discuss setting up a national supervision system to fight corruption -- it would include increasing surveillance on not only Communist Party members but also all civil servants. Xi's anti-corruption drive has also been seen as a way to tighten his grip on power.

And according to the country's budget report, China's defense budget will grow by 8.1 per cent this year, meaning it will spend around 170 billion dollars.
This falls in line with President Xi's military modernization and buildup plans.

The only country that has a larger defense budget than China is the United States.

Key words : Suga urge
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180305_29/

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Monday that the country will urge China to improve transparency in its defense policy.

At a news conference on Monday, Suga was asked about this year's expected growth in China's defense spending.

Suga said the government is certainly aware that China's defense spending has been growing rapidly for many years.

He said Japan continues to be greatly interested in the matter and will monitor related developments.

Suga added that, through dialogue and exchanges, the country will request that China make its defense policy more transparent.

Suga also mentioned that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of a bilateral peace and friendship treaty with China.

He said the government remains committed to continuing its work with China for the full-scale improvement of bilateral ties.

Key words : US Vietnam
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180305_28/

A US aircraft carrier has arrived in Vietnam for the first such port call since the end of the Vietnam War.

The USS Carl Vinson, based in San Diego, California, made a stop at the central coastal city of Da Nang on the South China Sea on Monday. The ship was accompanied by a cruiser and a destroyer.

This is the first port call by a US aircraft carrier to Vietnam since 1975.

The United States has been criticizing China for its militarization of the South China Sea, including the construction of a runway, radar and other facilities at 7 outposts on reefs in the disputed Spratly Islands.

Observers see the US port call as aimed at keeping China in check by demonstrating the deepening defense relationship between Vietnam and the United States.

Key words : Toyota
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180305_34/

Japanese automakers are betting on their choice for the ultimate eco-friendly cars, fuel cell vehicles. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan have teamed up with energy companies to build a network of hydrogen fueling stations.

The 11 companies set up a new entity, Japan H2 Mobility. The plan is to build additional 80 hydrogen stations across Japan over the next 4 years with investment from banks covering some of the costs.

A fuel cell vehicle uses hydrogen and oxygen to generate the electricity that powers its motor.

The byproduct of the process is only water.

Toyota and Honda already have models available for purchase or lease, but they have yet to catch on.
One issue is the price tag, around 65 thousand dollars.

Another problem is a shortage of hydrogen stations, currently with less than 100 across the country.

Key words : Insight hydrogen filling station
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Key words : Tsuji 3rd nomination
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180305_18/

Japanese makeup artist Kazuhiro Tsuji has won an Academy Award in the category of makeup and hairstyling for his work on the film "Darkest Hour." It was his 3rd nomination.

He shared the award with 2 colleagues.

In the film, Gary Oldman plays British Prime Minister Winston Churchill standing up to the Nazis in the World War Two.

Tsuji has been building his career in the United States after studying makeup techniques as a teenager. He has worked on many movies, including one by the famed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa.

He is the first Japanese to win an Oscar in the category.

Key words : Tokyo stock
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180305_25/

The Tokyo stock market closed the day with another low, due to US President Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs on steel and other imports.

The Nikkei average ended at 21,042 yen on Monday, down 139 points from Friday's close. That marks the 4th straight day the key stock index has fallen.

The Nikkei sank to its lowest level in about 5 months.

The broader TOPIX index ended at 1,694, down 13 points.

Market sources say concerns over the global repercussions of the tariffs prompted sell orders, pushing the Nikkei below the 21,000 yen mark at one point on Monday.

They say projections that a far-right group that is skeptical of the EU will win more seats in Italy's election on Sunday also caused risk-cautious investors to sell stocks.