WASHINGTON: A cooperation agreement by the Philippines, the United States and Japan will change the dynamic in the South China Sea and the region, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Friday (Apr 12), while seeking to assure China it was not a target. “I think the trilateral agreement is extremely important,” Marcos told a … Read more
WILL AUKUS ALLIANCE BECOME JAUKUS? Thursday’s first trilateral summit between the US, Japan and the Philippines adds to the trend of overlapping minilateralism. It follows a summit held at Camp David between the US, Japan and South Korea during Kishida’s visit last year. Even before his current US visit, a joint naval exercise was held … Read more
WASHINGTON: A lucky Japanese astronaut will become the first non-American to set foot on the Moon during one of Nasa‘s upcoming Artemis missions, US President Joe Biden announced Wednesday.The offer to Japan, an opportunity many nations have long dreamed of, came as part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida‘s state visit, and as Washington seeks to … Read more
A spring-themed menu inspired by American and Japanese cuisine and decor evocative of a koi pond are all features of Wednesday night’s White House state dinner honoring Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden are recognizing the long alliance between the United States and Japan with the … Read more
TOKYO : Japan will work to strengthen its defence and diplomatic capabilities to maintain peace, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said on Saturday (Mar 23), according to public broadcaster NHK, adding that military buildups around the country have been growing. Japan is a close ally with the United States and has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, … Read more
TOKYO: Japan’s lower house of parliament passed the government’s budget for the coming fiscal year in a rare Saturday (Mar 2) session, a win for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida whose public support has slumped. The vote ensures that the 112 trillion yen (US$746 billion) budget, including relief funds for the New Year’s Day earthquake on … Read more
TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip maker, said that Toyota Motor Corp will be joining as a new investor of Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), the Taiwanese firm’s majority-owned manufacturing subsidiary in Kumamoto Prefecture on the southwestern island of Kyushu. The TSMC board on Tuesday approved an injection of no more than US$5.26 billion in … Read more
While landing in Tokyo, a Japan Airlines jet hit a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft, causing the passenger jet to explode, killing five Coast Guard members on the other plane. Japan Airlines said all 367 passengers and 12 crew members on the plane were safely evacuated at Haneda Airport on January 2, according to the New … Read more
“Tailwinds are blowing,” said Kazuma Kishikawa, an economist at Daiwa Institute of Research. The Taiwanese company’s US$8.6 billion plant along with other vast spending plans by its peers such as Rapidus and Micron Technology could spur more investment and competition for talent and hence labour market liquidity and wage growth in broader sectors, he said. … Read more
POTENTIAL FOR WIDER IMPLICATIONS It’s likely that if the prime minister does depart, key programmes such as defence and semiconductor spending will be taken up by a successor. But don’t underestimate Kishida’s ability to get things done: Abe, too, dreamed of doubling the defense budget but couldn’t get it passed. Kishida has made it a … Read more
