at 18:30 (JST), August 30

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/20220830183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : pakistan
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220829_36/

Tens of millions of people in Pakistan have been hit by flooding from heavy monsoon rains.

The downpours began in mid-June. Pakistan's disaster-management authorities say the death toll topped 1,000 on Sunday. The country is seeking assistance from the international community.

Flash flooding has washed away villages and crops. Around 33 million people and close to a million structures have been affected.

The government has sent soldiers to work with local authorities on rescue and relief operations. The army chief has called for support from abroad, saying the Pakistani people are in a very difficult situation.

The floods have hurt agriculture as well. The southern province of Sindh has lost almost all its cotton and rice crops, while half the sugarcane yield is damaged. The country's economy will likely be badly hit as a result.

Key words : russia scale
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220829_11/

The Russian defense ministry says large-scale military exercises in the country's Far East will be pushed back two days and will start on Thursday. The ministry says 13 countries, including China, India and Mongolia, will take part in the drills.

The ministry announced the date change on Monday, a day before the drills were scheduled to begin. The Vostok exercises are held every four years in Russia's Eastern Military District. They will run through September 7.

It is unusual for the dates of the exercises to be changed, but the ministry did not give a reason.

Russia apparently wants to demonstrate cooperation with the militaries of the participating countries to keep the United States, Japan and other nations in check. China first took part in the exercises in 2018.

The drills will be held at seven training grounds instead of 13 as initially announced. They include those on Etorofu and Kunashiri, two of the four islands Japan calls the Northern Territories.

Russia controls the four 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.

The Russian defense ministry says more than 50,000 soldiers will take part in the exercises. About 300,000 military personnel participated in 2018. The reduction is believed to be due to troops in the Russian Far East being sent to fight in Ukraine.

Key words : china air force
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220830_03/

China's air force has revealed that a new type of tanker aircraft conducted refueling operations during a joint aerial patrol with Russia in May.

People's Liberation Army Air Force officials told reporters that the YU-20 aerial tanker was deployed to the patrol over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea to refuel Chinese J-16 fighter jets.

Officials had not previously disclosed the participation of YU-20 in the May joint mission, which also featured H-6K bomber craft.

The air force also released footage of an in-flight refueling operation. But it is unclear when and where it was filmed.

China's state-run Xinhua news agency reports that the YU-20 is a next-generation tanker aircraft and will help reinforce the air force's ability to launch long-range operations.

Ohara Bonji, a senior researcher at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, said that, with the help of refueling aircraft, Chinese warplanes will be able to fly a longer distance and conduct operations across wider areas.

The former Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force officer warned that the development could pose a threat not only to Taiwan, but also to Japan and other Asian countries.

Key words : opposition party funeral
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220829_18/

A senior official of Japan's leading opposition party has called for Prime Minister Kishida Fumio to appear before the Diet to explain why the government is holding a state funeral for former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.

The Diet affairs chief of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Azumi Jun, made his request at a meeting with his Liberal Democratic Party counterpart, Takagi Tsuyoshi, on Monday.

Azumi told Takagi that the entire budget for the state funeral remains unclear and public opposition to the government-funded memorial service is strong.

Takagi is said to have responded that he acknowledged Azumi's request.

The Cabinet earlier decided to allocate about 1.8 million dollars from the reserve fund of this fiscal year's budget for the state funeral on September 27.

Some LDP members argue that Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu should be in charge of Diet deliberations on the state funeral. The ruling party is expected to coordinate with the government on how to respond to the opposition request.

Azumi told reporters that if Kishida refuses to explain his decision to use taxpayer money, the price he and the LDP will have to pay will be bigger than they imagine.

Azumi urged Kishida to be honest with the public.

Earlier on Monday, Azumi met his counterpart at the Japanese Communist Party and agreed that the two parties will cooperate on policies for which they can find common ground.

Key words : coast guard south survey
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220830_10/

The Japan Coast Guard has protested demands by South Korea that it call off a survey in Japan's exclusive economic zone off the western prefecture of Nagasaki.

The coast guard says one of its ships was conducting a seabed survey off the Goto Islands on Monday afternoon when a South Korean coast guard vessel radioed the demand.

The site is about 110 kilometers northwest of the island of Meshima.

Japanese officials say the South Korean side claimed the area was within its waters and that the survey was illegal. It told the Japanese ship to leave immediately.

The Japanese side responded that its ship was engaged in legitimate research in Japan's EEZ. It urged the South Korean ship to stop making the demand and move away from the Japanese vessel.

The South Korean vessel has reportedly made the call seven times at intervals of 60 to 90 minutes as of Monday. The Japan Coast Guard is continuing its survey.

Coast guard officials say this is the fourth time South Korea has made such demands, and the first since January last year. They lodged the protest through the Foreign Ministry.

The coast guard began the survey in mid-August and plans to continue it until the end of September, as scheduled.

Key words : honda teaming up
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220830_14/

Japanese automaker Honda is teaming up with a major South Korean battery maker to open an electric vehicle battery plant in the US.

The facility is part of Honda's efforts to speed up a shift to producing only electric and fuel cell vehicles.

Honda will hold a 49 percent stake in the 4.4-billion-dollar project. LG Energy Solution will get the remaining 51 percent.

The firms will start producing EV batteries at the plant in 2025. These will be supplied to Honda factories in the US and other areas of operation.

Honda has announced it plans to make all models in its lineup electric or hydrogen-powered by 2040.

The company is now accelerating this shift in the US, which accounts for about 30 percent of its sales.

Honda is the latest Japanese automaker to build an EV battery plant in the US. Toyota plans to get a facility into operation in 2025.

Key words : parked aircraft
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220829_33/

A company that makes devices that supply power to parked aircraft says it is developing a product that can help reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. Tokyo-based AGP says the device runs on lithium batteries. Most other units are powered by diesel.

The company tested the device at Narita Airport on Monday. It was connected to a Boeing 767. Workers opened cargo doors and turned on the cabin lights.

AGP says the mobile unit's batteries can power a parked aircraft for up to an hour and a half. It also can reduce CO2 emissions to a third of what diesel-powered units generate.

The company aims to put the device into practical use around 2024. It is also considering using renewable energy to recharge its batteries.