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March
Japanese foreign minister Hayashi to visit China on Saturday
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan's foreign minister will visit Beijing for two days from Saturday to discuss a range of issues, including the detention of an Astellas Pharma Inc (4503.T) employee, the minister said.
Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters he would meet Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang during the visit for "an honest and frank discussion to create a constructive and stable relationship".
The visit comes after the close U.S. ally Japan announced plans to restrict exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, aligning its technology trade with a U.S. push to curb China's ability to make advanced chips.
Also clouding ties is the case of a Japanese man employed by Astellas Pharma who a company spokesperson said this week had been detained in China for unknown reasons.
The Japanese government has asked Chinese authorities to release the man, media reported.
"We plan to make our position clear on a range of issues including these during my visit to China," Hayashi said on Friday when asked if he would raise the issue of the Astellas employee and the release of water from the wrecked Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Several of Japan's neighbours are alarmed by a plan by the Japanese utility that runs the crippled nuclear power station to release more than a million tons of radioactive water from it into the sea.
The utility and the Japanese government say the water, which has been mainly used to cool reactors in the aftermath of a 2011 tsunami that crippled the plant, has been treated, filtered and diluted and is safe.
Hayashi's visit to China follows talks between leaders of the two countries in November, the first in almost three years.
At the time, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he conveyed his concerns over China's increasing maritime military presence but also said the two leaders agreed to reopen diplomatic channels of communications including a visit by Japan's foreign minister to China in the near future.
China sees Hayashi's visit as important and in the interests of good ties, Mao Ning, a spokesperson at the Chinese foreign ministry, told a regular briefing in Beijing.
"China and Japan are close neighbours and it is in the common interest of both countries and the region to maintain healthy and stable relations between the two countries," Mao said. (Reuters)
March
Japan unveils fresh childcare plan but funding unclear
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan's government laid out a fresh plan on Friday to boost childcare over the coming three years to stem a relentless drop in the country's birth rate, a move that may lead to another big spending package and strain its already tattered finances.
Under the plan, the government will take steps such as expansion of child allowances to be given without income limits.
While the government has earmarked 6.1 trillion yen ($45.90 billion) for steps to arrest the declining number of children, a senior ruling party lawmaker was quoted by media as demanding an additional 8 trillion yen to fund the new measures.
"A boost to child allowances alone could cost 2-3 trillion yen. It sounds like the same old spending spree, which did not necessarily help turn around the birth rate," said Takahide Kiuchi, a former central bank board member and now an economist at Nomura Research Institute.
"The government may end up issuing extra bonds, arguing that education-oriented bonds help future generations."
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has repeatedly vowed to double childcare-related spending but has steered clear of elaborating on details, which he said will firm up in June when the government decides on a mid-year key policy roadmap.
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Friday Japan must come up with a "permanent source of revenue" to fund childcare policies, but voiced caution over the idea of issuing extra debt.
Ranil Salgado, the International Monetary Fund's Japan mission chief, urged Tokyo to target such financial incentives towards low-income households.
"Everyone acknowledges childcare support is important given Japan's need to boost the growth rate. But we still believe those measures could be, or any support, should be targeted," he told an online briefing on Friday.
Japan is among the world's fastest ageing societies, with the number of newborns falling below 800,000 for the first time, having peaked at 2.09 million in 1973 during the second baby boom.
The declining trend has been blamed for intensifying labour shortages and pushing down Japan's long-term growth potential.
Some analysts see the latest plan as a sign Kishida is trying to shore up support and gearing up to call a snap election in coming months, to solidify his standing within the ruling party.
"Opposition parties also have no objection to boost childcare spending," said political analyst Atsuo Ito. "Both sides appear to join in a race to boost reckless spending." (Reuters)
March
Singapore sees rare travel delays as tech problem hits immigration checkpoints
Written by Nur Yasmin
A technical glitch at entry points into Singapore led to rare delays at one of the world's busiest airports on Friday, with snaking queues and disgruntled passengers for several hours as automated immigration lanes suffered problems.
The city-state's immigration authority said it had "resumed normalcy" at checkpoints by 4 p.m. local time (0800 GMT) and was investigating the cause of the disruption, after earlier reporting "system slowness" at selected checkpoints, including, Changi Airport and two land border crossings with Malaysia.
Changi, one of the busiest gateways in the world, had warned passengers to expect delays and authorities urged postponement of non-essential travel.
It handles nearly 150,000 passengers a day while about 300,000 people cross daily at the Woodlands and Tuas causeways linking Singapore with Malaysia.
Posts on social media since late morning showed long queues at the airport with lines at immigration counters out of the departure hall and past check-in counters. One traveller described it as "very chaotic".
Reuters journalists at the airport said the normal service had resumed by mid afternoon. (Reuters)
March
Jailed Malaysian ex-PM Najib Loses Final Bid To Review Graft Conviction
Written by Nur Yasmin
Malaysia's top court on Friday dismissed a bid by jailed former prime minister Najib Razak to review his corruption conviction over the multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB, ending Najib's judicial efforts to challenge the guilty verdict.
Najib became the first Malaysian premier to be imprisoned after Malaysia's Federal Court upheld a guilty verdict and 12-year prison sentence handed down to him by a lower court.
Najib, 69, can no longer challenge the conviction in court, but he has applied for a royal pardon which if successful could see him released without serving the full 12-year term.
Federal Court Judge Vernon Ong said a five-member panel voted 4-1 to dismiss Najib's application to review the conviction.
There was no miscarriage of justice in the top court's decision last year, he said, adding that a review was granted only in "very limited and exceptional circumstances".
"In the final analysis, and having regard to all circumstances, we are constrained to say that the applicant (Najib) was the author of his own misfortunes," Ong said.
Najib's lawyer Shafee Abdullah said there was a possibility of another action in court due to the dissenting view of one judge.
"As a result of the minority judgement, there is an avenue that is open," Shafee told reporters. He declined to say what action his client would pursue.
U.S. and Malaysian investigators have said some $4.5 billion was stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) - co-founded by Najib during his first year as prime minister in 2009 - and that more than $1 billion went to accounts linked to Najib.
Various recipients of the siphoned 1MDB funds used the money to buy luxury assets and real estate, a Picasso painting, a private jet, a superyacht, hotels, jewellery, and to finance the 2013 Hollywood film "The Wolf of Wall Street", investigators have said.
Najib suppressed Malaysian investigations of the wide-ranging 1MDB scandal during his leadership even as global probes continued, but was charged after he lost a general election in 2018.
The British-educated son of Malay nobility held the premiership from 2009 to 2018, when public anger over the graft scandal brought election defeat.
He was found guilty by a high court in 2020 of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering for illegally receiving about $10 million from SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB. He lost all his appeals.
Najib faces three other trials related to graft at 1MDB and other government agencies.
The former premier has consistently pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. (Reuters)
March
China stages combat patrols after warning Taiwan about U.S. speaker meeting
Written by Nur Yasmin
Nine Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait's median line on Friday carrying out combat readiness patrols, Taiwan's defence ministry said, days after Beijing threatened retaliation if President Tsai Ing-wen meets U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
China, which claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory despite the strong objections of the island's government, has been angered by what it sees as stepped up U.S. support for Taiwan.
Tsai arrived in the United States on Wednesday, stopping off on her way to Central America.
She is expected to meet McCarthy in Los Angeles on her way back to Taipei in April, and China on Wednesday threatened unspecified retaliation if that meeting were to go ahead.
Taiwan's defence ministry said the nine Chinese aircraft crossed at points in the north, centre and south of the strait's median line, which used to serve as an unofficial buffer between the two sides.
Taiwan's armed forces responded using its own aircraft and ships to monitor the situation using the principle of "not escalating conflicts or causing disputes", the ministry said.
"The communist military's deployment of forces deliberately created tension in the Taiwan Strait, not only undermining peace and stability, but also has a negative impact on regional security and economic development," it said in a statement.
The ministry condemned what it called "such irrational actions".
There was no immediate response from China.
Tsai, on her first U.S. stopover since 2019, told an event held by the Hudson Institute think tank in New York on Thursday that the blame for rising tensions lay with China, according to excerpts of her comments reported by her office.
"China deliberately raises tensions, but Taiwan always responds cautiously and calmly, so that the world can see that Taiwan is the responsible party in cross-Strait relations," she said.
'ALL PREPARATIONS'
A senior Taiwan official familiar with security planning told Reuters the Chinese aircraft had only "slightly" encroached across the median line, and that no unusual movements by Chinese ships had been stopped.
China staged war games around Taiwan last August following the visit to Taipei of then U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and has continued its military activities near Taiwan since though on a reduced scale.
The Taiwan official said China was unlikely to repeat such large exercises as it was in the middle of a "charm offensive" towards foreign political and business leaders, and an escalation of military tension would send "conflicting messages" to the world.
"Having said that, we have made all preparations in case China reacts irrationally," the source said. "The more the international community pays attention to Taiwan, the more upset they get."
Speaking to reporters in Taipei earlier on Friday, Premier Chen Chien-jen said Taiwan was a "democratic country" with the right to go out into the world.
"I hope that China will not find pretext to provoke," he said, when asked about Beijing's retaliation threat.
"China's authoritarian expansion will in fact cause unnecessary trouble, so we here again make this call, hoping that China can reduce its provocative actions."
China has never officially recognised the median line, which a U.S. general devised in 1954 at the height of Cold War hostility, although the People's Liberation Army had until very recently largely respected it. (Reuters)
March
China says Australia-Britain-US nuclear submarine cooperation may spark arms race
Written by Nur Yasmin
Nuclear submarine cooperation between Australia, the United States and Britain may may spark an arms race, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday.
"Once 'pandora's box' is opened, the regional strategic balance will be disrupted, regional security will be seriously threatened," said Tan Kefei, a spokesperson at the Chinese defence ministry, during a regular press briefing.
The United States, Australia and Britain this month unveiled details of a plan to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines from the early 2030s to counter China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific.
"China firmly opposes the establishment of the so-called 'trilateral security partnership' between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. This small circle dominated by Cold War mentality is useless and extremely harmful," Tan said.
Tan added such cooperation was an extension of the nuclear deterrence policy of individual countries, a game tool for building an "Asia-Pacific version of NATO" and seriously affected peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. (Reuters)
March
Kazakh PM Smailov Set To Keep Job After Election
Written by Nur Yasmin
Kazakhstan's ruling Amanat party nominated Alikhan Smailov, prime minister since January 2022, for the same position on Thursday, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's office said, meaning he was certain to retain the job.
Smailov, 50, and other cabinet members resigned automatically after the March 19 snap parliamentary election, and Tokayev now needs to appoint a new government. (Reuters)
March
Australia passes law forcing firms to disclose gender pay gap
Written by Nur Yasmin
Australia on Thursday passed legislation requiring firms with more than 100 employees to publish their gender pay gap from early next year, as part of the Labor government's attempts to improve working conditions for women.
In 2023, Australia's national gender pay gap was 13.3%, according to official data.
"On current projections it will take another 26 years to close the gender pay gap," Minister for Women Katy Gallagher said in a statement.
"Women have waited long enough for the pay gap to close – this government will not let them wait another quarter of a century."
Britain made it mandatory in 2017 for all companies with more than 250 employees to report the difference in earnings of male and female staff. The European Union enacted similar legislation in 2021.
Australia's parliament earlier this month passed legislation increasing paid parental leave to 26 weeks, shared between both parents. (Reuters)
March
North Korea executes people for South Korean videos, drugs - report
Written by Nur Yasmin
North Korea executes people for drugs, sharing South Korean media, and religious activities as it stifles its citizens' human rights and freedom, its rival, South Korea, said in a report on Thursday.
South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, based the 450-page report on testimony collected from 2017 to 2022 from more than 500 North Koreans who fled from their homeland.
"North Korean citizens' right to life appears to be greatly threatened," the ministry said in the report.
"Executions are widely carried out for acts that do not justify the death penalty, including drug crimes, distribution of South Korean videos, and religious and superstitious activities."
Reuters could not independently verify the South Korean government's findings but they were in line with U.N. investigations and reports from non-governmental organisations.
North Korea has rejected criticism of its rights conditions as part of a plot to overthrow its rulers.
The report gave details of rampant state-led rights abuses in communities, prison camps and elsewhere, including public executions, torture and arbitrary arrests.
Deaths and torture regularly occur in detention facilities and some people were summarily executed after being caught trying to cross the border, the ministry said.
The report came as South Korea seeks to highlight its isolated neighbour's failure to improve living conditions while racing to boost its nuclear and missile arsenals.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said the report should better inform the international community of the North's "gruesome" abuses, saying North Korea deserved "not a single penny" of economic aid while it pursues its nuclear ambitions.
The approach by the conservative Yoon is a distinct departure from that of his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who faced criticism for his less outspoken position on the North's rights as he sought to improve ties and build rapport with its leader, Kim Jong Un.
The Unification Ministry is required by law to make an annual assessment of the North's rights situation.
Nearly 34,000 North Koreans have settled in South Korea but the number of defectors has fallen sharply because of tighter border security.
North Korean arrivals hit an all-time low of just 63 in 2021, amid COVID-19 shutdowns, before edging up to 67 in 2022, ministry data showed. (Reuters)
March
New Zealand defence minister says military needs more resources amid growing challenges
Written by Nur Yasmin
New Zealand's military will require big investment as it faces new challenges and greater expectations from regional allies, the country’s new defence minister, Andrew Little, said Thursday.
“I think when you look at the geostrategic situation we have in the Pacific at the moment, I think the longer-term challenge is that our partners and neighbours will say to us: ‘we expect more’,” Little told Reuters in an interview.
“The frequency of climate change events or weather events will only grow…. And then there is working with partners to project a posture that is defensive,” he said.
Little confirmed that the White House's Indo-Pacific coordinator, Kurt Campbell, this month had raised with him the possibility of New Zealand's becoming a non-nuclear partner of AUKUS.
The United States is "certainly keen to have New Zealand engaged but it’s not a decision I get to take alone,” he said. “In the next few weeks as we start to shape up some of the long-term (defence) questions for us; AUKUS will be one of them.”
New Zealand’s involvement in AUKUS would signal a further warming in relations between New Zealand and the United States. The countries are not official allies.
Little said that whatever New Zealand decided in terms of engaging with AUKUS, it was important that the defence force was equipped to work with its Australian counterparts.
New Zealand, which spends roughly 1.5% its of GDP on its military, is undertaking a defence policy review as the country grapples with regional geopolitics and climate change. Little said he expects to receive the first results of the review in the coming weeks.
The Defence Force has been struggling with record attrition in part because of low pay, which has forced the navy to idle three of its ships and to retire its P-3 Orion fleet early.
Resources are so thin, Little said, that if a second significant event had occurred while the Defence Force was responding to the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle in February, it would have struggled to respond.
Little said stopping people from leaving and attracting ex-Defence Force members back with higher pay was key. He said he did not know yet know what money this year's budget would allocate for the military.
He said that although New Zealand had made some investments already, the government needed to consider more, especially for the country's navy. (Reuters)