at 18:30 (JST), January 25

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/20220125183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : china human rights hong kong
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220125_01/

China is reacting sharply against Japan and the United States over a recent online summit in which the leaders of the two nations discussed human rights issues in China.

At a news conference on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian announced that China had lodged strong complaints with Washington and Tokyo.

He criticized the two leaders, saying they once again attacked and unjustly slandered China and violently interfered with the country's internal affairs. He said China "deplores and rejects this, and has lodged solemn diplomatic representation with the two countries."

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and US President Joe Biden met virtually last Friday.

They both expressed opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas and any economic coercion, apparently with China in mind.

They also shared serious concerns about the situation in Hong Kong, and the human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Furthermore, they underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.

Kishida and Biden agreed to coordinate closely in addressing various issues related to China.

Zhao told reporters that issues concerning Taiwan, Xinjiang region, and Hong Kong are purely China's internal affairs and meddling by any country or outside force is unacceptable.

He stressed no one and no nation should underestimate the Chinese people's resolve to protect the country's sovereignty and territory.

Key words : china fighter unveiled
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220125_03/

Taiwan's defense ministry has for the first time confirmed that China's new type of electronic warfare fighter jet flew into its air defense identification zone, or ADIZ.

The ministry says J-16D fighter jets were among the 13 Chinese aircraft that entered a southwestern part of Taiwan's ADIZ on Monday.

The J-16D was unveiled at last year's air show in China's southern province of Guangdong. It is capable of neutralizing opponents' radar and communication systems.

The official newspaper the People's Liberation Army Daily says the J-16D has comprehensive and integrated capabilities in terms of reconnaissance, attack and defense.

The paper said in November that the jets were already in use for practical training.

An official at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research points out that the J-16D poses a threat to Taiwan's security, since it can not only disrupt radar systems like previous aircraft, but also destroy them with missiles.

Key words : taliban officials
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220125_04/

The Taliban and officials from Western countries have held talks in Norway on the serious humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Taliban officials, including acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, are in Europe for the first time since the group retook control of Afghanistan last August. They were invited by the Norwegian government.

The delegates were in Oslo on Sunday and talked with human rights activists who evacuated Afghanistan.

This was followed by talks the next day with officials from Western nations, including Britain and Germany. They discussed Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis. The attendees also included US special representative Thomas West.

Muttaqi revealed after the closed-door talks that the topics included humanitarian support and the economy.

He said his side made proposals for the fields of the economy and education, and shared information with other countries.

They are scheduled to meet again on Tuesday.

Western officials will likely demand an improvement in Afghanistan's humanitarian situation as a condition for support. Taliban representatives are expected to call for frozen Afghan assets overseas to be released.

Key words : maritime self-defense 300
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220124_26/

A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship has left for Tonga to deliver relief supplies.

The MSDF transport vessel Osumi departed from its base in Kure City, western Japan, on Monday afternoon with about 300 crew members on board.

A high-pressure cleaning machine to remove volcanic ash was loaded onto the ship earlier in the day along with drinking water and other supplies.

Osumi is also carrying an air-cushioned landing craft and a CH47 transport helicopter, for use if ports in Tonga have been damaged or are inaccessible.

The vessel is due to arrive at waters off the South Pacific nation in about two weeks.

Last Thursday, Japan's Defense Ministry dispatched two Air Self-Defense Force C130 transport airplanes to deliver drinking water to Tonga.

Key words : expand 34 tighter
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220125_18/

Japan's coronavirus panel has approved the government's plan to expand areas where quasi-emergency measures are in place to stem the spread of the coronavirus and prevent a strain on healthcare.

The restrictions will be in effect in 18 more prefectures from Thursday to February 20. Intensive measures already in place in Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima prefectures until next Monday will be extended until February 20.

As a result of the move, 34 of Japan's 47 prefectures face tighter anti-coronavirus restrictions. The 18 added prefectures are Hokkaido, Aomori, Yamagata, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Ishikawa, Nagano, Shizuoka, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Shimane, Okayama, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita and Kagoshima.

The Cabinet Office's state minister in charge of coronavirus measures, Kikawada Hitoshi, explained on Tuesday that the prefectures requested the measures.

He said the alert for the situation of infections and medical care was judged to be at level two, and that case counts are rising quickly. He said if the spread of infections continues at this rate, healthcare may soon shoulder a heavy burden.

Kikawada said many people are still testing positive in Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima, and there are concerns that healthcare could be even more burdened depending on the future situation of infections.

The government plans make the decision official after briefing the Diet in advance and holding a question-and-answer session.

Key words : organizer bubble
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220124_23/

Organizers of the Beijing Winter Olympics say they have found the first coronavirus case among national team members that entered China on Sunday.

The organizing committee said on Monday that the case was identified from PCR tests of 529 Olympic-related people at an airport in Beijing the previous day.

The committee did not disclose which team the athlete or official belongs to. It revealed that three people who were not members of a team also tested positive at the airport.

The committee also said that more than 38,000 tests were conducted on Sunday inside the so-called bubble separating Games-related personnel from the public. Two infections were confirmed from among those tests.

From January 4 through Sunday, 43 coronavirus cases were found at the airport and 35 inside the Olympics bubble.

Key words : unmanned
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220124_15/

Japanese telecom giants are working on a novel way to keep communications up and running during disasters. They are developing flying base stations that could maintain cell phone service.

The firms are working on a system called High Altitude Platform Station, or HAPS. The technology places communications equipment on autonomous aircraft to serve as relay stations.

SoftBank is pouring resources into developing a solar-powered aircraft. The company is issuing bonds this month worth 30 billion yen, or over 260 million dollars, to fund the project.

Around 40 of the aircraft could provide coverage for communications across Japan.
SoftBank first aims to put the system to use overseas in 2027.

Wakikawa Ryuji, SoftBank's Head of Advanced Technology Division, says, "We'd like to work out what we need to do, such as creating rules regarding safety and cost, to turn this into a business within five years."

Meanwhile, NTT Docomo has successfully tested with European aircraft maker Airbus sending radio waves from an unmanned aircraft.

Telecom firms believe that flying base stations will also be useful in developing countries that lack communications infrastructure.