at 18:30 (JST), April 28

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/20220428183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : japanese yen
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220428_25/

The Japanese yen fell below the 130-mark against the US dollar after the BOJ's announcement on Thursday, extending its decline to the weakest level in 20 years.

Key words : yen bank of japan large-scale
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220428_19/

The Bank of Japan has decided to maintain its large-scale easing measures. That is despite the yen's weakness that could push the cost of imports higher for Japan's businesses and consumers.

The BOJ has also raised its inflation outlook for fiscal 2022, citing surging global prices for energy and other materials.

The bank's policymakers wrapped up their two-day meeting on Thursday.

They agreed to keep their short-term benchmark interest rate in negative territory. They will also continue their asset purchases to hold long-term rates around zero percent.

The BOJ decision is in contrast to the other major central banks, which have been tightening policy to tamp down on inflation.

The BOJ's outlook sees the consumer price index, excluding fresh food, rising to a median 1.9 percent.

This would put the rate very close to the BOJ's inflation target of 2 percent, set in 2013.

The bank's massive monetary-easing measures have been aimed at achieving that goal.

But the policymakers warned that current price rises could weigh on both household incomes and corporate earnings. That is because the inflation has not come with growth in wages and private demand.

Key words : foreign ministry eight directed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220428_04/

Russia's foreign ministry says it will expel eight Japanese diplomats and officials in Moscow.

In Wednesday's announcement, the ministry said they must leave Russia by May 10. It did not disclose any details about them.

The ministry said that directed by the West, the Japanese government has actively criticized Moscow and acted in a way unprecedented in Russia-Japan relations. The ministry also said Japan is responsible for the consequences as it rejected friendly and constructive ties with Russia.

The Japanese government on April 8 announced the expulsion of eight Russian diplomats and officials over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They left Japan on April 20.

In response to Russia's latest announcement, the Japanese Embassy in Moscow said it lodged a protest with the Russian side.

The embassy said Russia resorted to military means and caused the current situation. It also said Russia is wholly responsible for driving Japan-Russia ties into their current state. The embassy added that it can never accept Russia's attempt to shift the responsibility to Japan.

Key words : hayashi protested
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220428_16/

Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa has protested Russia's decision to expel eight Japanese diplomatic workers.

Russia's Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that eight diplomats and officials at the Japanese Embassy in Moscow must leave Russia by May 10.

It described the move as a countermeasure to Tokyo's decision earlier this month to expel eight Russian diplomats and officials over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Hayashi said in a Diet committee session on Thursday that the Russian invasion is a clear breach of international law. He added that the killings of numerous innocent civilians are serious war crimes in violation of international humanitarian law and are absolutely unacceptable.

Hayashi pointed out it is Russia that caused this situation by resorting to military means. He said is it totally unacceptable that Russia has decided to expel Japanese officials, despite being fully responsible for taking Japan-Russia relations to their current state.

Key words : shanghai one month impact
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220428_06/

The coronavirus continues to spread in Shanghai as Thursday marks one month since a strict lockdown began in China's commercial hub.

The number of daily cases has remained above 10,000 in the city. In many areas, prospects for ending strict restrictions seem dim.

Frustration caused by the lockdown is rising among Shanghai people. A video posted on social media shows residents beating pots and pans at windows to protest authorities as they face difficulty obtaining food and daily necessities.

In Beijing, cases started rising last Friday. Authorities decided to conduct three PCR tests for each of about 20 million people -- about 90 percent of the capital's population -- this week.

Restrictions on outings have been introduced in some areas.

In the Chaoyang district of central Beijing, fences more than 2 meters high were installed in areas where the outing restrictions are imposed. Police officers have been mobilized there.

Despite the zero-COVID policy pursued by President Xi Jinping's administration, the coronavirus is spreading in the country, and lockdown and other measures remain in place. Concerns are rising about an impact on the Chinese and global economies through the disruption of supply chains and other factors.

Key words : myanmar guilty
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220427_28/

A Myanmar court has sentenced ousted democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to five more years in prison.
She was found guilty of accepting cash and gold from a top local official.

The verdict is the first in a corruption case against her since the military took power in a coup last year. There have also been a series of other charges.

A spokesperson for the military's governing council said the verdict was handed down on Wednesday. The person says the court found Aung San Suu Kyi accepted $600,000 in cash, and about 11 kilograms of gold bars.

She supposedly accepted the payoffs between 2017 and 2018, when she was the country's de facto leader.

A former Yangon chief minister testified he gave Aung San Suu Kyi the money to get her support for his works in the region.

But pro-democracy activists say the military may have threatened the official into making the statements.

Aung San Suu Kyi has denied the charge, calling it "absurd."

The Nobel peace laureate has now been found guilty on six charges, including incitement and illegally importing walkie-talkies. Her prison term totals 11 years so far.

She stands accused in 10 more corruption cases, as well as others.

Key words : taiwan destroyer
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220427_20/

The United States and Taiwan have announced that a US guided-missile destroyer sailed through the Taiwan Strait.

The US Navy's 7th Fleet announced on Tuesday that the USS Sampson conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit earlier in the day. It said the transit through international waters was "in accordance with international law," and added that the move demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Taiwan's defense ministry also said a US destroyer had sailed through the Taiwan Strait from south to north.

According to the US 7th Fleet, the Sampson is part of a US Navy strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.

The group had been engaged in a joint exercise with Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force in the Philippine Sea and the East China Sea until last week.

US warships have been confirmed sailing through the strait about once a month since the latter half of the term of former US President Donald Trump.

Observers say the announcements by the US and Taiwan are aimed at demonstrating to China that the US military is maintaining its presence in the Indo-Pacific region even amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, China's military condemned the move on Wednesday.

The Eastern Theater Command of China's People's Liberation Army said in a statement, "The US has been frequently carrying out provocative acts to send wrong signals to 'Taiwan Independence' forces, deliberately undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. China is firmly opposed to this."

Key words : indonesia domestic supplies
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220428_07/

Indonesia enforced a ban on exports of palm oil on Thursday to secure domestic supplies amid rising demand for the product in other parts of the world.

Indonesia is the world's biggest palm oil producer, accounting for nearly 60 percent of output. Retail prices of some types of cooking oil have risen by 70 percent from a year earlier, prompting demonstrations against the hikes.

There are concerns that the supply of sunflower oil, which is mainly produced in Ukraine and Russia, may be disrupted amid Russia's invasion. That is causing higher demand for palm oil as an alternative.

The Indonesian government says it will continue the ban until the average price of cooking oil falls to 14,000 rupiah per liter -- about a dollar -- from the current level of around 17,000 rupiah.

If the ban is prolonged, it could lead to a rise in prices of a wide range of goods because palm oil is used in many products, such as food and cosmetics.

Ueno Wataru at the Jakarta office of the Japan External Trade Organization said Japan imported 630,000 tons of palm oil last year, and 220,000 tons of it came from Indonesia. He said the prices of other cooking oils, such as soybean oil, could also soar.

Key words : automaker decline
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220427_35/

Four of Japan's eight major automakers saw a decline in their global output in fiscal 2021 that ended in March. The main cause was a shortage of semiconductors around the world.

Mazda, Nissan and Subaru suffered a double-digit decline from the previous year while Honda saw an 8-percent drop. Their major parts suppliers in southeast Asia were hit especially hard by the coronavirus outbreak.

The other automakers reported an increase in output. Mitsubishi saw a jump of almost 26 percent while figures for Daihatsu and Suzuki also rose. They rebounded from sharp falls in fiscal 2020.

Toyota's global production was up nearly 5 percent backed by growth in North America and Asia. But its domestic output fell to a 45-year low partly due to parts shortages.

An air of uncertainty continues to linger over the automakers. Some factories in Japan had to suspend operations this month after logistics were disrupted at parts suppliers in Shanghai. The Chinese city saw a resurgence of the pandemic.

Key words : britain totoro
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220427_25/

Britain's Royal Shakespeare Company will perform the first-ever stage version of the Japanese animated film "My Neighbor Totoro" in London later this year.

The movie by renowned Japanese animated film director Miyazaki Hayao has been a major hit since it was released in 1988. The fantasy story is about two little sisters living in the countryside, who interact with mysterious creatures.

Hisaishi Joe, who composed scores for the film, came up with the idea for the stage version. The project was approved by Miyazaki. Hisaishi will serve as the project's executive producer and composer.

Actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company and puppets will perform in the stage version.

Hisaishi said he is looking forward to working on the production.

The performances will be held at a theater in London from October through January 2023.