at 18:30 (JST), November 17

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/20211117183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : joint drill first time
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211116_28/

Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force says it conducted a joint drill with the US Navy in the South China Sea on Tuesday, sending a submarine to take part in such an exercise for the first time.

The MSDF announced that in addition to the submarine, two destroyers and a patrol plane took part in the drill. The US Navy sent a destroyer and patrol aircraft.

The exercise reportedly included anti-submarine training, which involved tracking a sub navigating underwater.

It's unusual for the whereabouts and activities of submarines to be disclosed, because their mission is undetected surveillance and patrol.

The MSDF says it is the first time Japan and the US have conducted a joint drill in the South China Sea with a submarine.

China has been stepping up its presence in the South China Sea by such means as building artificial islands to set up military bases.

The United States has been trying to counter such moves by creating a new security framework in the Indo-Pacific region, encompassing the South China Sea.

Observers say the joint drill is designed to underscore the Japan-US partnership and its aim of realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, and also to keep China in check.

Key words : arrested three people
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211117_09/

Police in Japan have arrested three people on suspicion of illegally exporting sonar equipment to Chile. The high-performance system could be used for military purposes on submarines.

Hyogo prefectural police arrested Haraguchi Koshi , a former director of Tokyo-based Sonic Corporation, and two others.

Sources close to the investigation say the suspects are thought to have exported the sonar system to Chile in July 2020 in violation of Japan's foreign currency exchange law.

Sonar systems use sound waves to detect objects under water. They are often deployed on fishing boats. But those with a detection range of over 5,120 meters could be used for military purposes, such as on submarines.

In Japan, exporters must obtain permission from the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry to ship these high-performance devices.

Investigators say the suspects were not authorized by the government to export the system.

Key words : beijing restriction
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211117_03/

The city authorities of Beijing are stepping up coronavirus restrictions ahead of the Winter Olympics to be held in February.

Starting on Wednesday, all people arriving in Beijing must present negative coronavirus test results taken within the previous 48 hours.

Beijing continues its tight restrictions on the entry of people from areas where any community infection has been confirmed in the past two weeks.

The city authorities also plan to strictly control meetings and events involving people from various areas.

China has undertaken a zero-COVID policy to thoroughly implement measures against the coronavirus. But infections have been spreading in various parts of the country since mid-October.

In the seven days through Monday, more than 300 new cases of domestic infections were confirmed, mainly in the northeastern city of Dalian.

China is hosting its first Winter Olympics from February 4.

Key words : myanmar nonviolent movement
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/1805/

“Oni”, not his real name, is a 24-year-old man who has taken part in some of the activities. He and his comrades detonated explosives at police quarters. He returned to Yangon in June after receiving military training in an undisclosed ethnic-controlled area. He said he had frequently joined street protests in the city until he saw one of his close friends get shot and killed. Oni decided peaceful methods were no longer the answer. “We had protested peacefully for two months, but the military killed people using heavy artillery,” he says. “I was so emotionally hurt by their unjust killing. And I know the armed revolution needs more manpower, so I decided to join them.”