at 18:30 (JST), March 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/20220322183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : kishida strongly
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220322_18/

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says Japan strongly protests Russia's suspension of bilateral peace treaty talks.

The move follows the Russian foreign ministry's announcement on Monday that it is not willing to continue the dialogue with a country that holds an "explicitly unfriendly position" toward Russia.

Tokyo has imposed sanctions on Moscow over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Kishida on Tuesday called Moscow's move unacceptable. He said the current situation is the result of Russian aggression, and it is extremely unjust to shift the blame of the consequences onto Japan-Russian relations.

Kishida said Japan's aim to resolve a territorial issue with Russia and conclude a peace treaty remains unchanged.

Japan and Russia never signed a peace treaty after World War Two because of the territorial issue over four islands, which are known as the Northern Territories in Japan.

Russia controls the islands. Japan claims them. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory. It says the islands were illegally occupied after World War Two.

Kishida also said he is not considering revising projects related to Russia in the government's fiscal 2022 draft budget. The budget includes funding for Japanese firms taking part in the joint projects.

Key words : southern china passenger plane crash
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220321_27/

China's state-run Central Television says a Boeing 737 carrying 132 people has crashed in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China.

It says the passenger plane belongs to China Eastern Airlines. TV reports say a forest fire is taking place in the city of Wuzhou in the region.

No details about causalities have been released.

According to a domestic website, the plane is likely China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735, which left Kunming at 1 p.m. local time and was headed to Guangzhou in Guangdong Province.

Key words : gradually ease
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220322_06/

The Japanese government plans to gradually ease coronavirus restrictions and promote social and economic activities after lifting quasi-emergency measures for all prefectures on Monday.

The measures were lifted in 18 of the country's 47 prefectures, including Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. This is the first time in more than two months that no prefecture is under a state of quasi-emergency, which allows governors to urge bars and restaurants to close early or stop serving alcohol.

Government officials plan to maintain and bolster the medical system, testing ability and stocks of medicine to prevent another surge in case numbers.

At the same time, officials want to enable people to get back to their normal lives as much as possible. They plan to encourage the use of vaccination passports at eateries and event venues and for traveling.

They have also decided not to restrict close contacts of an infected person from going to work, depending on the situation in the area.

Even if quasi-emergency measures are applied again, events could be held with full capacity if the organizer's plan to reduce infection risks is approved by the local government.

Key words : south relocate
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220321_06/

South Korea's president-elect has announced his plan to relocate the presidential office. Yoon Suk-yeol says the current office called "Cheong Wa Dae", also known as the "Blue House", is a "symbol of imperial power."

Yoon held a news conference on Sunday and said he will move into the defense ministry compound immediately after his inauguration on May 10.

The ministry is in Seoul's central Yongsan district, about 5 kilometers south from the presidential office. Yoon promised Cheong Wa Dae will be fully opened to the public.

He had said while campaigning that the president should work closely with his aides and communicate with people more frequently.

He admitted that some parts of the defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff will have to relocate to make room for the presidential office.

Yoon mentioned his awareness of people's concern that he may be rushing the relocation with only 50 days before the start of his term. He said it will become even more difficult to break free from the Cheong Wa Dae, once he assumes office as president.

Some media outlets suggest the relocation may create gaps in national defense. But Yoon dismissed the idea, saying he will complete the relocation as efficiently and quickly as possible, so as not to disrupt national security.

Key words : zero-covid
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220321_25/

Cities in China are enforcing the country's zero-COVID policy to contain the largest rise in cases after the initial stage of the pandemic in 2020. The infection surge started across the nation at the beginning of this month.

Public health authorities say 4,331 new community infections, including cases without symptoms, were confirmed on Sunday.

Shanghai, the country's most populous city, closed Disneyland park from Monday until further notice amid a rise in local asymptomatic infections. It also suspended access to some residential areas and is carrying out mass PCR testing of residents.

Changchun, a major city of Jilin province, is home to about 50 Japanese-affiliated companies, including carmakers and auto parts manufacturers.

Toyota Motor has been suspending factory operations since March 14. Strict restrictions on movement are in force in the city. Jilin province has reported its highest number of cases so far in March.

Meanwhile, production resumed at most businesses in Shenzhen in the southern province of Guangdong on Monday. Business largely reopened in the IT industry hub after three rounds of city-wide PCR tests were conducted to bring the outbreak under control. Companies are taking anti-infection measures.

Key words : hong kong partially
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220321_26/

The government of Hong Kong has announced plans to partially ease its rigid coronavirus-related measures starting next month. The move is seen as aimed at easing dissatisfaction among both business operators and residents.

Stringent anti-infection measures, similar to those in China, are in place in the territory.

But Hong Kong has been hit by a massive outbreak of the Omicron variant of the virus since the end of last year. More than one million confirmed cases, accounting for one out of every seven residents, have been counted.

Some experts have hinted at the likelihood that nearly half of all residents have already been infected.

Against this backdrop, the government on Monday shared the view as Hong Kong "having gone through the peak" of the coronavirus outbreak.

It announced the city will lift flight bans on nine countries, including the United States and Britain on April 1. The quarantine period for travelers arriving in Hong Kong will be shortened to seven days instead of 14.

From late April onwards, a ban on night-time dining as well as closures of movie theaters, sports gyms and other facilities are to be lifted in phases.

Other strict measures, such as a ban on meetings of five or more people, will likely continue to be in place, suggesting that daily lives will not be normalized for the time being.

Key words : scientist
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220321_13/

A team of scientists in Japan says it has developed a relatively simple method to visualize the movements of a person's muscles and joints.

The technology uses artificial intelligence to produce three-dimensional images.

Conventional motion-capture technology is used for analyzing athletes' movements to improve their performance, among other purposes. But the method requires the use of sensors and other special devices, as well as data analyses by experts.

The study group at the University of Tokyo says its new system can create 3D images more simply by using four cameras remotely connected to an AI-equipped computer network.

The group says the technology analyzes subjects' images taken by the cameras, assesses positions of their joints, and puts the data into models to construct 3D images of their skeletal frames and joint movements.

It also displays muscles in different colors to indicate their amount of physical activity.

Once the cameras are correctly set up, the system does not require special equipment or experts' assistance to record subjects' movements.

University of Tokyo Senior Researcher Nakamura Yoshihiko is a member of the research group. He said he hopes the new system will go beyond the conventional applications and be used for such purposes as supporting rehabilitation and training amateur athletes.