at 18:30 (JST), November 22

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/20211122183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : international olympic
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211122_07/

The International Olympic Committee says its president, Thomas Bach, has held a video call with Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai.

Peng has reportedly not been seen in public since she made a sexual assault allegation against former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.

The IOC announced on Sunday that the Chair of the IOC Athletes' Commission, Emma Terho, and another member who has known Peng for many years joined the 30-minute call.

Peng reportedly thanked the IOC for its concern about her well-being and explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing.

She reportedly said she would like to have her privacy respected and prefers to spend her time with friends and family right now.

Terho was quoted as saying that she was relieved to see Peng was doing fine, and that Peng appeared to be relaxed. She reportedly said that she offered Peng to stay in touch at any time of her convenience and Peng obviously appreciated the offer.

The IOC says President Bach invited Peng for a dinner once he arrives in Beijing next January and Peng accepted the invitation.

Key words : china downgrade
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211121_12/

China says it has decided to downgrade its ties with Lithuania after the Baltic nation allowed Taiwan to open a representative office under its own name.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced the decision on Sunday, three days after Taiwan said it had set up a "Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania" in Vilnius.

The ministry said in a statement that "the Chinese side expresses its strong indignation and protest against this move, and decides to downgrade its diplomatic relations with Lithuania to the charge d'affaires level."

Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, heads of diplomatic missions are divided into three classes -- ambassadors, envoys or ministers and charge d'affaires.

Countries that have no diplomatic ties with Taiwan usually don't allow the use of the name "Taiwan" out of consideration for China's argument that Taiwan is part of the country. The name "Taipei" is often used.

Beijing recalled its ambassador in August after Lithuania approved the establishment of Taiwan's representative office bearing the name "Taiwan."

In May, Lithuania pulled out of an economic cooperation framework that China had formed with 17 central and eastern European countries.

Vilnius also has provided Taiwan with coronavirus vaccines.

Lithuania's Foreign Ministry released a statement on Sunday, saying that it regrets China's decision "not to return ambassadors and change the level of the diplomatic relations."

The statement also says, "Lithuania reaffirms its adherence to the 'One China' policy, but at the same time has the right to expand cooperation with Taiwan."

Key words : floods 17 people
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211121_03/

Continued heavy rain has caused another round of large-scale flooding in southern India, leaving at least 17 people dead and tens of others missing.

Authorities in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh say torrential rain that has been falling since Thursday has caused major floods in several parts of the region.

Footage shows busses inundated to their roofs and military helicopters rescuing people stranded on the roofs of their vehicles.

The rain has also destroyed many homes in the state.
Search efforts are underway for the missing.

Floods and mudslides triggered by recent heavy rain have caused major damage to India and neighboring Nepal. More than 100 people died in the disasters last month.

Experts cite the impact of climate change as a factor behind the heavy downpours.

Key words : north reacted
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211121_05/

North Korea has reacted sharply to a resolution by a United Nations committee condemning human rights violations in the country.

The resolution adopted on Wednesday was co-sponsored by 60 countries including Japan. It included a call for Pyongyang to immediately return all people its agents have abducted from Japan and South Korea.

A spokesperson for North Korea's foreign ministry issued a statement through the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Sunday.

The statement says North Korea categorically rejects the resolution of the United States and other "hostile forces" as "a grave infringement upon the sovereignty aimed at tarnishing the prestigious image" of the country.

The statement says the countries picking on North Korea's "human rights issue" are "unexceptionally the worst violators of human rights," citing racial discrimination, violence against women and police violence among others.

It also says human rights issue is "misused by some countries as a means for realizing their sinister intentions."

The UN has adopted a resolution condemning the human rights situation in North Korea every year since 2005.

Key words : government release oil
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211121_02/

NHK has learned that the Japanese government is considering releasing oil from the country's reserves to help curb a crude oil price hike in response to the request of the United States.

As of the end of September, the government had reserves equivalent to 145 days of domestic consumption.

Current regulations allow releasing the reserves only in the event of supply shortages or natural disasters. Addressing soaring oil prices is not intended by the scheme.

Government officials say stockpiles can be released within the legal framework if they are deemed surpluses, as domestic oil demand has been on the decline in recent years.

The Kishida Fumio administration is considering supplying oil to the market in concert with the US and South Korea. However, some government officials say the impact on the market would be limited taking the amount they can supply into account.

It would be Japan's sixth such release. In 2011, supplies were provided from the stockpile of the private sector twice -- once after the major earthquake and tsunami in March, and the second due to the worsening situation in Libya in June.

Key words : automaker roll out
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211122_12/

More domestic and international automakers are set to roll out fully electric cars in Japan amid a growing global push for EVs.

Japanese manufacturers Toyota Motor and Subaru will start selling mass-produced EVs for the first time from around the middle of next year.

Nissan plans to introduce a new model this winter that will be offered alongside its current EV flagship, the Leaf.

Sweden's Volvo will launch a subscription service in Japan for a limited number of units. The firm hopes it will appeal to those on the fence about going electric.
Volvo also plans to start selling EVs in the country for the first time in January.

The automaker wants its global lineup to be electric by 2030.

Fully electric vehicles have yet to catch on in Japan. They account for less than 1 percent of the new cars sold in the country.

Key words : wada
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211122_01/

The Japanese costume designer Wada Emi has died. She was 84 years old.

Wada was born in Kyoto. She began her career by making costumes for theater plays directed by her husband.

Wada designed costumes for many international films. She won an Academy Award for costume design in 1986 for her work on Kurosawa Akira's film "Ran".

Wada also won an Emmy Award in 1993 for outstanding individual achievement in costume design.

She continued to work in her 80s.