Hello and welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo.
A British Navy aircraft carrier has set sail on a mission to the Indo Pacific.
The ship is scheduled to conduct exercises with Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the forces of other countries with the aim of enhancing deterrence.
The flagship HMS Prince of Wales left Portsmouth in southern Britain on Tuesday, leading a carrier strike group.
Britain is seeking to increase its engagement in the Indo-Pacific against the backdrop of China's growing presence.
London has made the region a permanent pillar of its international policy, citing its growing importance in terms of security and economics. The carrier is scheduled to participate in joint exercises and other activities alongside 13 countries. They include Japan, the United States and Australia. It is also expected to make a port call to Japan this summer and conduct joint exercises with the SDF. The commander of the carrier strike group says he hopes the activities with Japan will lead to closer coordination. Both the carrier and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force fly the F-35 strike fighter aircraft.
It's for close integration of F-35. I think it's a shared understanding of carrier operations, and I think it's a demonstration of both of our navies to be integrated and interoperable within the Indo-Pacific region.
This is the second deployment of Britain's carrier strike group to the region. The first was in 2021, led by another carrier of the same class. And the Trump administration has vowed to strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific with China in mind. Measures include drills like the US-Philippines joint military exercises, which kicked off Monday.
May this exercise embody unity in strength, and herald a promise of peace through preparedness.
A total of over 14,000 troops from the two countries are taking part in the 19-day exercise called Balikatan, or Shoulder to Shoulder in Tagalog. Both forces are conducting live-fire defense training, simulating missile attacks along the Philippine coast facing the South China Sea. They are also carrying out amphibious landing exercises on the northern coastal areas and outlying islands near Taiwan to strengthen joint operational coordination. The US side will deploy the Nemesis anti-ship missile system and unmanned surface vessels to the Philippines for the first time as part of joint training. The missile has a range of over 180 kilometers and is mounted on an unmanned car. The 40th edition of the exercise comes as the Trump administration steps up its efforts to deter China. On his visit to the Philippines last month, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that the Indo-Pacific faces increasing pressure from China and pleds to establish necessary deterrence. And for more on this, I spoke with Jeffrey Hornung. He's a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit think tank.
What do both sides, the US and the Philippines, get out of these exercises?
So, from the Philippine perspective, their armed forces are able to improve their capabilities, improve tactics and skills that will help them to defend their country from a possible attack from an adversary. From the United States perspective, it helps build interoperability with a critical ally, and through the work together, these two forces are able to improve deterrence in the region to send a clear message to potential adversaries that if they try to take actions in the region, that there could be some difficulties if if they do that.
And more specifically, what's the significance of deploying Nemesis there?
So the United States has in the past, prior to exercises and after exercises, has brought in new kinds of systems that have not been in country before, brought them in for beyond the scope of the exercise themselves. What it does is it sends a a deterrent message, a strong deterrent message to a country like China. In the past, they did it with the Typhon last year. This year it's the Nemesis.
But these are capabilities that could be critical, for instance, in a Taiwan contingency or the South China Sea contingency. And and so having them brought in maybe beyond the scope of an exercise does just send a strong deterrent message to China.
But as you know, Trump's tariffs have impacted US relations around the world, including Asia and Europe. How is that going to affect the idea of joint deterrence?
So it's still unclear how the tariffs are going to have an impact on allies' security strategies.
We've seen a lot of US allies both increasing their their relations with the United States and with each other because of a common concern over China. So that concern is not going away. They're likely to still continue their cooperation with one another, which would help with the deterrence. However, there is always the possibility that if these tariffs start to affect defense industrial cooperation, whether that be foreign military sales or development of capabilities with with the United States and others, that could start to have an effect on. Capabilities in the region which could therefore impact the deterrent capabilities of the United States and its allies.
And that would of course include Japan.
Yes, it would. It would, it would improve. It would include Japan. Japan of course is a big importer of US military goods. And so anything that could affect the economic relations between US and Japan, I think.
It's, again, it's still unclear how that's going to have an effect in the long term on the security aspect, the the alliance side of of the relationship.
But there's always the possibility that if tariffs go on for a long time, that that could start to impact what Japan can procure from the United States, what it can develop in on its own.
That's all going to have an impact long term.
Right. Now, some have suggested that we could see military conflict in the Taiwan Strait maybe by 2027. What do you think of that timeline?
So that is a common timeframe that you hear. I'm I'm skeptical of that. For a 2027 decision on whether or not China launches an invasion of Taiwan, if you were Xi Jinping, you would have to be very confident that you will succeed.
Because any invasion of Taiwan is likely to result in a major war, and that could risk the existence of the Chinese Communist Party. If he fails in an invasion of Taiwan, that could result in either his ouster from power or even his life. And so this idea that in two years that he would have certainty that he he could defeat the United States or or have victory over Taiwan without a US involvement, it's. To me, there's there's no clarity that that sort of certainty is there. And so I'm very skeptical.
When I think of 2027, I think of it more as does the People's Liberation Army have the right capabilities?Are they assembling the right capabilities and modernizing their capabilities that they could potentially do something in the future?And so that's sort of looking at how they're modernizing their forces. by 2027, looking at how they're training and exercises. Those are the kinds of things I'm looking at, not whether or not they're going to invade Taiwan in the next two years.
And seeing the latest Chinese exercises around Taiwan, how do you assess China's military capabilities now?
So when I looked at those exercises, I think they're essentially sending two messages.
One, a political message, a very clear political message to the government of Taiwan. To not do anything that skirts on on possible independence. But there's the military message, which is very important. To me, when I looked at the exercises, it shows that the that the PLA is working at integrated operations. They're working at precision strikes. They're working at how to attack Taiwan from multiple directions. And so when you look at the kind of capabilities that they brought to those exercises, where you have ships and aircraft coordinating with missile forces and rocket forces to potentially launch attacks from multiple positions, it shows that they are developing and exercising what is necessary for anti-air campaigns, anti-ship campaigns, amphibious invasions, whether or not they can bring all that together,That's the question. But it definitely shows that they're they're working on the the things that they would need for those that type of operation.
Well, that makes it more important for other countries like the US and the Philippines to continue with these exercises. And what would you say about the significance or the importance of these deterrence?
So from a deterrence standpoint, again, it What the United States is doing with its allies in the region, whether that be Japan, the Philippines, Australia, the more that the United States and its allies work together and train together, exercise together, the more that they send a unified message to China that maybe it's it sparks uncertainty in Beijing that if they launched an invasion. They're unsure what Japan would do, what the Philippines would do, or what the United States could do from those countries. As long as the United States is able to improve the deterrent ability of its allies and improve, and as these allies improve their relationships, their security relationships with one another, it bolsters the peacetime deterrence. So hopefully we never get to a situation where war is actually anoption.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country has not received any formal peace proposal from the United States. He dismissed media reports that Washington has proposed a plan that includes US recognition of Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Ukraine wants a quick and just peace to end the war. We believe an unconditional ceasefire is a necessary step toward this goal.
Zelenskyy said he has not heard any official US proposal and stressed Ukraine will not recognize Russia's occupation of Crimea. Russia unilaterally annexed Ukraine's southern peninsula in 2014. Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had offered to halt his invasion along the current frontline when he met US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff earlier this month. The newspaper said Putin told Witkoff that Moscow could give up its claim to the areas of four eastern and southern Ukrainian regions it does not control.
The script of a canceled speech by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi touts lucrative opportunities for the US to do business in Iran's nuclear industry. Araghchi posted the script on social media on Tuesday following the last-minute cancellation of his address. He'd been scheduled to deliver it at a symposium organized by a US think tank the previous day.
Araghchi said the speech was canceled because it was supposed to include an open Q&A session. He said he wanted to avoid any impact the session might have on continuing US-Iran talks on Iran's nuclear program. The script says Iran plans to increase the number of its reactors from the one it has now to 20. It says this plan means tens of billions of dollars in potential contracts are up for grabs. Observers say Tehran aims to soften US opposition to Iran's nuclear program by using business-based approaches that will appeal to US President Donald Trump.
Major media outlets in India say gunmen opened fire on a group of terrorists in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir, leaving at least 26 people dead.
They say Indian nationals and foreign visitors are among the victims.
The mass shooting occurred on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir, an area claimed by both India and Pakistan. The site is reportedly a popular resort destination.
Footage from there shows armed security forces and military vehicles. On social media, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to those who have lost their loved ones.
He also wrote, quote, those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice, he added. Quote, our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger. In 2019, the Indian government revoked the 70-year-long autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir state and brought the region under its direct control.
Militants opposed to Indian rule have conducted frequent attacks in the area, although it wasn't clear who carried out Tuesday's mass shooting.
Japan's government is preparing for the next round of trade talks with the Trump administration. Tokyo's team wants to convince Washington to drop fresh tariffs before they take effect in less than 90 days. But the new US ambassador to Japan tells NHK that timetable might be a stretch.
It's so complex. That it takes quite some time to be able to examine what one effect will have on other effects down the supply chain. And so, so I think it's we have a meeting coming up at the end of this month that the Japanese negotiators are coming to Washington. I think this is a an excellent time to begin to set sort of an idea of what the time frames might be. But I think that would be extremely optimistic to think it would be in that short period of time.
George Glass spoke with us at his official residence in Tokyo in his first interview since taking his post on Friday. He claimed the Trump administration's tariff measures will have a positive impact on the national interests of Japan, as well as the United States. We had the President of the United States, who, after the first meeting of which he sat in on, came out and said this is going to be his top priority. So everybody's very incentivized to have a situation that both of our economies can grow together and to be able to use this as the example for the rest of the world that they would be able to emulate the deal which we put together.
The ambassador is a businessman from Oregon and a longtime financial contributor to Trump. The president described Glass as highly respected when he appointed him.
Glass also commented on Washington's expectations for Japan's role in terms of security in the Indo-Pacific region.
President Trump's vision of the Indo-Pacific is one that is safe and peaceful and prosperous. Japan plays the critical role in all that. And we need Japan to help with us in all the multilateral relationships that we have going on in the Indo-Pacific.
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Gino Tani from the biz desk.
Thanks, Miki. Leading off this hour's business newscasts, the dollar jumped against the Japanese yen in Tokyo as investors saw signs of relief after US President Donald Trump backed away from threats to fire the head of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell.
The Japanese currency has been trading around the 142 yen level against the dollar on the Tokyo foreign exchange market on Wednesday.
Investors bought back the dollar as the sense of caution over US monetary policy management eased on Trump's shift in tone. The greenback had hit a fresh seven-month low on Tuesday at the 139 yen level.
Trump's stats also helped Tokyo's benchmark stock index rise sharply, ending the day at 34,868, up almost 1.9 percent. The Nikkei 225 also advanced amid expectations of a reduction in trade tensions between the US and China.
Trump expressed optimism on Tuesday that he would make progress with the world's second largest economy. But investors remain cautious about the impact of sweeping US tariffs on Japanese corporate earnings. They are also concerned about whether Washington would urge Tokyo to address the dollar's strength against the Japanese currency at a finance ministers' meeting scheduled for this week.
The International Monetary Fund has revised down its outlook for global economic growth this year. It says behind the change is the growing trade friction caused by US tariffs and retaliation by some trading partners.
The IMF now expects the world economy to grow 2.8 percent. That's down from its previous projection in January by half a percentage point.
The latest forecast is based on dataup to April 4, including the announcement by the Trump administration of what it calls reciprocal tariffs. Japan's growth stands at 0.6%, down half a point. The figure for the United States is 1.8%, marking a significant drop of nine tenths of a point. This is largely due to greater policy uncertainty and a softer demand outlook. China's economy is projected to grow by four percent, down six-tenths of a point.
The IMF says that worsening trade friction might continue to depress growth, and financial conditions could further tighten.
Officials in Japan say they are considering a proposal that would increase imports of American rice as agriculture becomes a key issue between the two countries.
During last week's talks with Japan, the US reportedly listed rice, meat, potatoes and other products as trade items of interest. Japan currently imports about 770,000 tons of tariff-free rice annually, under what it calls the minimum access system.
Last fiscal year, more than 340,000 tons were imported from the US through this program. Japanese officials are considering a plan to increase US rice imports within this existing framework so the impact on Japanese rice farmers would be limited.
Some have also suggested setting import quotas, which were once agreed upon in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations. Other options suggested include increasing imports of US soybeans, corn and other farm goods. The Japanese government is expected to make arrangements in preparation for the next round of talks.
Electric vehicle giant Tesla has posted a massive drop in profit for the first quarter of this year amid the worldwide backlash against CEO Elon Musk.
Tesla reported on Tuesday that its net profit for the January through March period came in at $409 million. That's a 70% fall from the same period last year.
Total revenue stood at $19.3 billion, marking a 9% decline year on year. Operating profit also suffered, sinking 65%.
A major factor is the boycott against Tesla cars in the US, Europe, and elsewhere, and competition with EV makers from China is intensifying.
Musk's involvement in politics sparked the protests and tarnished Tesla's brand image. Musk has served as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, under President Trump. He vowed to cut back his involvement in the department and shift his focus to Tesla at the earnings call conference. Musk said his time allocation to Doge will drop significantly starting in May, as the work is mostly done. But, he added, he will spend one to two days a week on government matters for the remainder of Trump's term.
All right, let's have a look at the markets.
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And that's a look at business news. Miki, I'm going to hand it back to you.
Right, Gene. Thank you for the latest.
Survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings have embarked on a global sea voyage to call for the abolition of nuclear weapons 80 years after the end of World War II.
Passengers on the peace boat voyage spoke to reporters at the Port of Yokohama near Tokyo before departing. Ito Masao survived the bombing in Hiroshima, but lost some of his relatives. The 84-year-old said he's alarmed that nuclear weapons are being used as a threat globally.
We have a sense of mission to convey our concerns to the world again. I will do my best.
Kuramori Terumi, 81, from Nagasaki, said she wants to pass on survivor experiences to the next generation. She added she will support efforts to achieve a nuclear-free world. The survivors will speak about their experiences and mingle with local people at ports of call. There will also be an onboard exhibit about Nihon Hidankyo, a group representing atomic bomb survivors that won last year's Nobel Peace Prize.
The boat will visit 18 countries, including the United States, during its roughly three-month voyage.
Let's check out the weather with our meteorologist Yumi Hirano. Yumi, a spring storm is sweeping across Japan. Tell us more.
Due to the wet weather, the high in Tokyo was a bit cool, under 20 degrees for the first time in 10 days.
While the storm is expected to move away from the mainland into Thursday, the conditions will improve gradually.
So sunny skies will come back to Fukuoka and Osaka. In Tokyo, there is a possibility that rain could persist into the morning, but clear skies will return in the afternoon. The high will be 22, the seasonal average.
Moving to South Asia, India is dealing with back-to-back heat waves this month. The high hit over 46 in one location on Tuesday. Also in Pakistan, the temperatures have exceeded 43 and scorching conditions are posing a health problem.
People in Karachi are dealing with an intense heat wave as temperatures soared above 40 degrees. Weather officials say temperatures are expected to remain 5 degrees above normal for a few days.
Many walkers have been walking around with water tanks to spray and cool down people. Authorities have also asked people to avoid long exposure to direct sunlight.
The conditions are not expected to ease on Thursday. Karachi will see 43 In India, the highs will be 42 in New Delhi and Varanasi. A heat watch and alert are in effect for much of the country, at least into the weekend.
That's all for now. Stay safe.
♫～
And that's NHK Newsline for this hour.
I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo. Thank you for staying with us.
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