at 18:30 (JST), June 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/20220622183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : upper house election underway
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220622_14/

Campaigning is now officially underway in Japan's Upper House election. Voting day is set for July 10. It's being seen as a barometer of public opinion on the current government nine months in.

Candidates are expected to debate how to deal with surging prices in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Foreign and security policies are likely to be other key topics in their campaigns.

Members of the Upper House are elected for six-year terms. Elections are held every three years, with half of the seats up for grabs.

This time there are 124 seats plus one extra to fill a vacancy from the other half.

Seventy-five will be decided based on electoral districts from across Japan.

The remaining 50 seats will be filled by people elected through proportional representation.

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says his ruling coalition aims to maintain its majority in the Upper House. That would require winning at least 56 of the open seats.

People will also be watching to see if members of the ruling coalition and other parties in favor of amending the Constitution will hold two-thirds of the house.

They would need that level of support in both houses to put any proposal to a national referendum.

The official campaign continues through July 9, one day before the election day.

Key words : nuclear deterrence opening
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220622_04/

States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Vienna have stressed its significance amid growing nuclear threats from Russia, on Day 1 of their first progress meeting.

The three-day meeting of parties to the UN treaty opened on Tuesday.

Chair Alexander Kmentt of Austria said in the opening remarks that "all indicators for nuclear weapons are pointing in the wrong direction," expressing his worries about accelerating debates on nuclear deterrence and the rising threat of the use of such weapons.

The New Zealand delegate said Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat to use nuclear weapons has brought the world once more "to the brink of a nuclear catastrophe."

Kmentt said 33 non-members have expressed their intention to attend the meeting as observers, and some countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, will deliver speeches on Day 2.

The US, Russia, China and other nuclear-armed states have not joined the treaty. Neither have Japan and some other nations under a nuclear umbrella.

Key words : hiroshima mayor
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220622_09/

Russian President Vladimir Putin has hinted throughout the military operation in Ukraine that his forces could use nuclear weapons. Delegates from nations that have signed the UN treaty, which bans the use of such weapons, are warning about the dangers.

On the opening day of the three-day meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons on Tuesday, the chair of the event, Alexander Kmentt of Austria, expressed his concerns about the accelerating debates on nuclear deterrence and the rising threat of the use of nuclear weapons.

One of the States Parties, The New Zealand delegate, blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for issuing a nuclear mobilization order.

New Zealand Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Phil Twyford said, "His threats to use nuclear weapons and Russia's illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine have brought us once more to the brink of a nuclear catastrophe."

Russia, the US, China and other nuclear-armed states have not joined the UN treaty. Japan and some of the other nations that are under "nuclear umbrellas" have also declined to join. But the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are attending the meeting. Both mayors stressed that nuclear weapons need to be prohibited.

Hiroshima Mayor Matsui Kazumi said, "It is imperative to have the nuclear armed states deepen their understanding of the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons and the uncertainty of nuclear arsenal management by willing additional states parties to this treaty."

Nagasaki Mayor Taue Tomihisa said, "At this time, the risk of another Hiroshima and Nagasaki is mounting. We must come together under the Hibakusha's motto of 'Make Nagasaki the last atomic bombing site.'"

Thirty-three non-members have expressed their intention to attend the meeting as observers; and some countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, will deliver speeches on the second day.

Key words : china major buyer
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220621_37/

China has emerged as a major customer for Russian energy products as other buyers shy away. Its imports of crude oil and liquefied natural gas rose significantly in May.

China's customs authorities say the country imported 8.4 million tons of crude oil from Russia last month, up 54.8 percent from a year earlier.

Imports of Russian LNG rose by 54.3 percent.

China's crude oil imports from Russia initially decreased after the invasion of Ukraine. But one expert says the price drop since then may have spurred Chinese firms to buy more.

Beijing has refused to back sanctions against Moscow and said its policy is to keep trading with the country.

China's overall imports from Russia topped 10.2 billion dollars last month. That is a 5-year high, and up 79.6 percent year on year.

But exports to Russia fell by 8.6 percent. Chinese exporters may be trying to avoid becoming targets of sanctions.

Key words : 7 million fled medical care
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20220608210617673/

Many evacuees from Ukraine are in need of medical care. But it has been difficult for medical teams in the field to get an overview of the situation and to assess critical needs. Japan has experienced many disasters, and is putting into action the lessons it has learned.