at 18:30 (JST), October 12

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/20211012183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : china state-run drill
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211011_31/

China's state-run television has disclosed footage of the Chinese military conducting a drill recently in the eastern province of Fujian. Observers say the drill was apparently held with the supposition of landing on Taiwan.

CCTV aired footage of troops on boats landing on shore and firing shots. The exercise also involved a drone.

A commander at the scene said that the drill sought to prove the capability of the operation by implementing all the procedures drawn up for combat.

The release of the footage comes as Chinese military aircraft have continued to enter Taiwan's air defense identification zone recently.

On Sunday, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen expressed resolve to strengthen defense capabilities in a speech during celebrations for Double Ten Day, which Taiwan considers its founding day. She stressed that there should be absolutely no illusions that the Taiwanese people will bow to pressure.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Ma Xiaoguang harshly responded to Tsai's remarks. He said the speech advocates Taiwan's independence and instigates confrontation, while scheming with outside forces to provoke with its plot for independence.

Key words : talks china india
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211012_02/

Chinese and Indian military officials met on Sunday in a bid to ease tensions along their disputed border, but failed to overcome their differences.

Tensions remain elevated due to a series of sporadic clashes in areas along the border between the countries, which is also known as the Line of Actual Control, or LAC.

Both sides suffered casualties in a clash that occurred in the frontier region of Ladakh in June of last year.

The countries withdrew their troops from the disputed area in February of this year, and have since been engaged in talks to defuse the situation. But the talks between their military commanders on Sunday ended in a stalemate.

The Chinese side said it showed sincerity, but that the Indian side insisted on unreasonable and unrealistic demands, adding difficulties to the negotiations.

The Indian side said the situation along the LAC was a result of China's attempts to unilaterally change the status quo, and that this is a violation of bilateral agreements.

Indian media outlets reported that Chinese and Indian troops recently came face-to-face in northeastern India. The Chinese side said its personnel were unreasonably obstructed when carrying out a regular patrol.

During a meeting last month, the countries' foreign ministers shared the view that progress was being made in bilateral talks. But it remains to be seen how both countries will try to resolve the issue.

Key words : poll approval
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211011_24/

The latest NHK opinion poll shows that Japan's new Cabinet led by Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has an approval rating of 49 percent. The Cabinet was launched on October 4.

The initial approval rate is 13 percentage points lower than that of the Cabinet launched by Kishida's predecessor, Suga Yoshihide, in September 2020.

At the same time, the approval rate went up 19 percentage points compared with the last opinion poll for the Suga Cabinet.

The survey conducted by telephone from Friday to Sunday targeted 3,328 people. Of those polled, 1,921 people, or 58 percent, responded.

While 49 percent of the respondents said they support the Kishida Cabinet, 24 percent said they do not.

Among those who support the Kishida Cabinet, 38 percent said it seems a better alternative to other possible Cabinets, while 19 percent said it's a Cabinet of the party they support. Another 17 percent replied they trust Kishida.

Among those who disapprove of the Cabinet, 32 percent said they have no expectations for its policies, 18 percent said it is not a Cabinet of the party they support. Another 15 percent said they prefer a different Cabinet.

Key words : cop15
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211012_01/

The 15th conference of parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, known as COP15, opened in the southern Chinese city of Kunming on Monday.

The talks are aimed at adopting a new global biodiversity framework to replace the one with the 2020 target date adopted at the 2010 conference in Aichi, Japan.

The biennial meeting opened after a one-year postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic. More than 190 countries and territories are listed as parties to the convention.

At the opening ceremony, Chinese Vice Premier and COP15 chair Han Zheng highlighted his country's achievements in protecting biodiversity. He said natural reserves on land in China account for 18 percent of the country's land area, above the target set in Aichi.
He also cited as an example of progress a 10-year ban on fishing in the Yangtze River, home to numerous indigenous species.

The conference is split into two parts to mitigate the risk of coronavirus infections. The first part is mostly made up of online ministerial talks and will continue through Friday. The second part will include face-to-face meetings to finalize a new framework and will be held from late April to early May next year.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a video message at Tuesday's session. Observers say China is attempting to present itself as a country that mediates conflicts of interest between developed and developing nations over a new biodiversity framework.

Key words : kim restore
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211011_22/

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expressed his determination to restore the country's economy, hinting that it is still in a grim state.

The ruling Workers' Party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on Monday that Kim made a speech marking the 76th anniversary of the party's founding on Sunday in front of senior party officials.

Kim pledged to solve the people's food, clothing and housing problems.

He stressed his determination to rebuild the country's economy in line with the five-year plan agreed upon at the party congress in January.

The country is apparently in dire economic condition due to sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council and continued trade restrictions resulting from anti-coronavirus measures.

In his speech, Kim did not mention his country's relations with the United States and South Korea, as well as the country's nuclear and missile development programs.

The North Korean leader delivered another speech at the Supreme People's Assembly on September 29. The speeches seem to be aimed at tightening his control within the party and government.

Key words : 217
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211011_25/

A group of 217 people has applied for certification as survivors of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which gives them free medical care.

They filed their applications at the municipal offices of Hiroshima and surrounding areas on Monday.

On August 6, 1945, immediately after the bombing, they were exposed to "black rain" that contained radioactive materials emitted by the bomb.

At the time of the bombing the 217 people were outside a government-designated zone that would have allowed them to receive medical benefits reserved for survivors.

In July, the Hiroshima High Court ordered the central government to issue an atomic bomb survivor health booklet to a group of plaintiffs who experienced the rain outside the area, making them eligible for free medical care.

The government has also said it plans to recognize those who were exposed to the rain but didn't join the lawsuit.

The 217 people who applied for certification on Monday were not involved in the suit.

An 80-year-old applicant residing in Hiroshima City said she was exposed to the black rain when she was 4 years old.

She said she wants authorities to issue the certificate as soon as possible.

Hiroshima City official Shishido Chiho said the central government has yet to present concrete criteria for relief measures but that the city will screen the applications as far as it can.

Key words : sugihara
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211012_05/

A square in Jerusalem has been named after a late Japanese diplomat who saved thousands of Jews during World War Two while working in Lithuania.

Sugihara Chiune issued transit visas for Jewish refugees fleeing persecution by Nazi Germany. About 6,000 Jews are believed to have been saved by what became known as "visas for life."

On Monday, about 70 people attended a ceremony to dedicate "Chiune Sugihara Square."

The participants included Sugihara's 72-year-old son Nobuki, who lives in Belgium, and Jewish people who were saved by the visas, along with their families.

A 94-year-old Jewish man said that in many parts of the world, important things are named after great people for what they did, and it's wonderful to have a place to remember Sugihara in a neighborhood of Jerusalem.

Sugihara's son said his father just did what he could do because he felt pity for Jewish people gathering outside the Japanese consulate.

He said his father probably never imagined that so many visa recipients would manage to survive, leading to tens of thousands of descendants.