at 18:30 (JST), August 11

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/20220811183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : Kishida church rectify
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220810_25/

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has shaken up his Cabinet. He says his new lineup will address challenges at home and abroad.

He said, "I have established an experienced and capable LDP-Komeito coalition government that has the ability to overcome what is said to be the most difficult time in several decades. We are faced with various historic challenges at home and abroad such as the coronavirus, Ukraine crisis, US-China tensions over Taiwan and global surge in prices."

Out of 19 ministers, five remain in their posts, including Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa.

The lineup also includes five former ministers, including Hamada Yasukazu, who will return as defense minister.

Nine others will be serving as Cabinet ministers for the first time.

Kishida says he appointed people who agreed to inspect and rectify any connections to a religious group previously known as the Unification Church. Public support for Kishida has dropped as ties between the group and members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party come under the spotlight.

The suspect in the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo reportedly told police he held a grudge against the religious group and believed Abe had ties to it.

Three members of the Cabinet have admitted that they paid fees for gatherings related to the religious group. They include Internal Affairs Minister Terada Minoru.

Key words : china success
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220810_24/

China says it has completed its military drills around Taiwan, which began last week following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

The military's Eastern Theater Command, which is in charge of the East China Sea, made the announcement on Wednesday.

It says its series of joint military operations in the sea and airspace around Taiwan had successfully completed various tasks and effectively tested the integrated combat capabilities of the troops.

However, the military command also says it will keep a close eye on changes in the situation in the Taiwan Strait. It adds that it will continue to carry out training and organize regular combat readiness patrols in the direction of the Strait in an effort to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Chinese military had announced it would conduct the drills until Sunday, but in fact it continued them through Monday and Tuesday.

Key words : chinese government paper
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220810_19/

The Chinese government says in a white paper that it will pursue the peaceful unification of Taiwan but will not renounce the use of force.

The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the State Council Information Office released the white paper titled "The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era" on Wednesday.

The release follows US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan last week.

The white paper says, "Taiwan is part of China. This is an indisputable fact supported by history and the law."

It says the country is now more confident in and capable of achieving the goal of complete national unification than ever before.

The paper also says, "Peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question and the best approach to realizing national reunification." But it adds China "will not renounce the use of force."

The paper also says some anti-China forces in the United States "deliberately distort the nature of the Taiwan question," and that their intention to obstruct China's unification "should be thoroughly exposed and condemned."

Key words : unification church name change
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220810_22/

The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, says there were no political interventions nor irregularities in the approval process for its name change in 2015.

Tanaka Tomihiro, head of the Japan branch of the religious organization, held a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday. He last spoke to reporters on July 11 following the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.

Tanaka said group members are taking seriously the media reports that say the suspect in the shooting was motivated by a grudge against his group. He apologized on behalf of the group for causing controversy.

Some have pointed out problems with regard to the Cultural Affairs Agency's decision to permit the group, which has often been criticized as an anti-social cult, to change its name 7 years ago. The critics speculate there may have been political intervention.

Tanaka said his group had repeatedly consulted the government agency about the name change, but the agency's unfavorable response did not change. He explained that his group decided that it would take legal action if its application was rejected, then declared its intention to officials with a written statement by a legal expert.

Tanaka pointed out that relations between politicians and his group or its affiliates are being viewed as problematic, but explained that his group joined hands with politicians who take a clear stance against communism in order to build a better country.

Tanaka also referred to the reported troubles between the group and its followers over large sums of donations. He said that after the apprehension of some followers in 2009, the group has made efforts to tighten compliance so that its members will not take socially or legally problematic actions.

He said the number of civil lawsuits filed with the group have dropped from 78 in 1998 to five this year.

But a liaison group of lawyers which provides consultations to former followers says troubles involving the group are continuing. The lawyers say they received about 2,600 requests for advice between 2010 and last year, and damage claims totaled 13 billion yen, or about 96 million dollars.

Key words : senior official opposition
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220810_20/

A senior official with Taiwan's largest opposition party is visiting China as it wrapped up large-scale military drills near Taiwan. The visit is being criticized by Taiwan's ruling party.

A group led by Andrew Hsia, deputy chairman of the Kuomintang, or KMT, flew to China on Wednesday for a trip scheduled to last until August 27. The group plans to visit Fujian and Guangdong provinces, as well as Shanghai, to interview Taiwanese businesspeople and students living there.

Hsia told reporters on his departure that the trip had been organized since June, and China's military drills had been unexpected. He stressed the importance of maintaining communication and proceeding with courage, despite the current difficulties.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council expressed regret over the visit, saying the KMT had rejected its request to cancel it. The council raised concerns that the KMT's actions could aid Beijing's plan to force Taiwan into unification by military threats.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party condemned the KMT over the trip. It says the timing is bad and it is causing confusion that could harm Taiwan's internal unity and the understanding of the international community.

Observers say the KMT may be trying to strike a balance in its relations with the United States and China. Party leader Eric Chu visited the US in June to strengthen ties with Washington.

It is uncertain whether Hsia will meet with Chinese government officials during his trip.

Key words : kim prevail
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220811_10/

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says his country has prevailed in its fight to contain the coronavirus.

North Korea's ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported that Kim delivered a speech at a meeting on anti-epidemic measures held in Pyongyang on Wednesday.

Kim said no new infections of the coronavirus have been recorded across the country for 12 straight days. He said North Korea has achieved its goal of making its territory free of the virus.

North Korea reported its first case of the coronavirus in May. A daily tally of "fever cases" topped 390,000 during a peak period. But Pyongyang says it has been zero since July 29.

Kim expressed his intention to ease antivirus measures, including lockdowns. He also told the meeting that no coronavirus vaccines have been administered in the country.

Kim's declaration is apparently aimed at stressing his achievements before the anniversary of North Korea's foundation next month. It is also believed that he wants to restart trade in a full-fledged manner to rebuild the country's economy.

Key words : foreign visitor
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220810_02/

Japan's Immigration Services Agency says only about 8,000 foreign tourists arrived in June and July.

The country eased its anti-coronavirus border controls and reopened to foreign holidaymakers on June 10 for the first time in about two years.

The number of arrivals is capped at 20,000 per day.

Tourists from 102 countries and territories including the United States, South Korea and China are allowed to come, but only in group tours.

The agency says 252 foreign tourists came to Japan in June and about 7,900 in July.

The Japan Tourism Agency says around 8,500 foreign tourists have applied to arrive between last Friday and August 31.

Officials say one possible reason for the low number of foreign holidaymakers is that China still restricts overseas travels by its citizens.

They also cite the time-consuming process needed to travel to Japan, as all tourists are required to obtain a visa and show a negative PCR test result.

European and US travelers prefer to travel individually as opposed to joining group tours.

Although the country is in the middle of the seventh wave of infections, the tourism industry is hoping that a weaker yen will encourage more foreign tourists to visit Japan.

The country used to accommodate more than 30 million foreign visitors annually before the pandemic.