February 24, 2008
SAIPAN — Kazuyoshi Miura, a Japanese businessman who has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife in Los Angeles 27 years ago, expressed his dismay at his unexpected detention Saturday in Saipan when he met a Japanese Consulate official Sunday, the diplomat said.
While the Los Angeles Police Department is preparing to transfer Miura to California soon, Miura plans to announce on Monday morning through his lawyer what action he plans to take, Japanese Consul in Saipan Kenji Yazawa said.
"I don't understand why I had to be arrested when my acquittal has been finalized in Japan," Miura was quoted by Yazawa as telling him when they met at a U.S. detention facility.
In 2003, the Japanese Supreme Court acquitted Miura of the fatal shooting of his wife Kazumi in Los Angeles in 1981.
According to Yazawa, Miura seemed to be baffled by his detention, saying, "I have been to Saipan before. Why now?...I want to see my family no matter what happens."
Meanwhile, the LAPD is making arrangements to transfer Miura to Los Angeles from Saipan, a commonwealth territory of the United States, sources with U.S. authorities said.
Miura was taken into custody Friday at Saipan airport when he showed his passport at immigration prior to leaving for Narita airport near Tokyo.
It remains to be seen whether U.S. authorities put Miura on trial, but according to Japanese investigative authorities in Tokyo, U.S. investigators told them the arrest was made on the basis of "fresh evidence."
Miura was at the center of heavy media coverage throughout the 1980s after Kazumi was shot in the head in November 1981 and died about a year later. Miura himself also sustained serious injuries when Kazumi was shot.
In 1985, Japanese police arrested Miura, along with a former actress, on suspicion of attempted murder for insurance money in connection with an earlier assault on his wife in August of 1981.
In 1988, Miura and another man were arrested over her death in the November incident.
The Tokyo District Court sentenced Miura in 1994 to life in prison for murder, ruling that the actual perpetrator of the shooting was a third unidentified person.
But the Tokyo High Court acquitted him of murder four years later, saying no light was shed in court about his alleged conspiracy with an accomplice as well as about the perpetrator of the shooting. That high court decision was allowed to stand by the Supreme Court in 2003.
In 1998, the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal against a sentence of six years in prison imposed for attempted murder in the earlier assault case. Miura was released in January 2001.
While he was fighting his cases in court, he lodged several hundred libel suits seeking damages from newspaper publishers, news agencies, TV broadcasters and magazine publishers. He won many of those suits.
© 2008 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.
Showing posts with label International relations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label International relations. Show all posts
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Japan mulls peacekeeping mission in southern Sudan: report
Feb 16, 2008
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's government is considering sending peacekeeping troops to southern Sudan to help implement a 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of war, a report said Saturday.
But the possible mission would not join the UN-African Union force operating separately to stop the bloodshed in Darfur in the west, the mass-circulation Yomiuri Shimbun said without naming sources.
Japanese troops would be part of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), which is coordinating UN activities in the country, for the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended a 21-year civil war, it said.
Their tasks would include humanitarian assistance, protection of human rights and could also involve tasks such as removing landmines, the report said. It did not mention the size of the possible Japanese mission.
The United Nations says the war killed more than two million people, uprooted four million and made 600,000 flee the country.
The Yomiuri said Tokyo was looking to raise its profile in international security as it prepares to host a summit of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations in July.
Japan is the only G8 country that does not contribute troops to the UNMIS.
The government was unavailable for comment on the report Saturday.
The Yomiuri said the government has judged it could send troops to Sudan under the nation's peacekeeping law, given that an accord has already been signed there.
In 2003 then prime minister Junichiro Koizumi took the landmark step of sending troops to Iraq under a special law, the first time since World War II that Japan has deployed troops to a country where fighting was under way.
Koizumi withdrew the 600-strong troops before leaving office in 2006 but maintained the Kuwait-based air mission, which flies goods and supplies into the war-torn country.
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's government is considering sending peacekeeping troops to southern Sudan to help implement a 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of war, a report said Saturday.
But the possible mission would not join the UN-African Union force operating separately to stop the bloodshed in Darfur in the west, the mass-circulation Yomiuri Shimbun said without naming sources.
Japanese troops would be part of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), which is coordinating UN activities in the country, for the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended a 21-year civil war, it said.
Their tasks would include humanitarian assistance, protection of human rights and could also involve tasks such as removing landmines, the report said. It did not mention the size of the possible Japanese mission.
The United Nations says the war killed more than two million people, uprooted four million and made 600,000 flee the country.
The Yomiuri said Tokyo was looking to raise its profile in international security as it prepares to host a summit of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations in July.
Japan is the only G8 country that does not contribute troops to the UNMIS.
The government was unavailable for comment on the report Saturday.
The Yomiuri said the government has judged it could send troops to Sudan under the nation's peacekeeping law, given that an accord has already been signed there.
In 2003 then prime minister Junichiro Koizumi took the landmark step of sending troops to Iraq under a special law, the first time since World War II that Japan has deployed troops to a country where fighting was under way.
Koizumi withdrew the 600-strong troops before leaving office in 2006 but maintained the Kuwait-based air mission, which flies goods and supplies into the war-torn country.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
SKorea's next president calls for Japan's active role in nuclear talks on NKorea
Feb 12,2008
AP
SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea's next president called on Japan on Monday to play an active role in the international talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programs.
President-elect Lee Myung-bak made the comments to a group of visiting Japanese lawmakers, according to Lee's office. Lee did not elaborate.
North Korea last year promised to abandon its nuclear ambitions in return for the equivalent of 1 million tons of oil and political concessions under an aid-for-disarmament deal reached with the United States, South Korea, China, Russia and Japan.
In October, it pledged to disable its nuclear facilities and issue a declaration on its atomic programs by the end of 2007. The process stalled after North Korea said it provided the U.S. with a list in November, but the U.S. said it was incomplete.
Japan signed the disarmament deal but has since opted out of contributing, citing a lack of progress by North Korea in resolving the issue of abductions of its citizens by North Korea during the 1970s and '80s.
In 2002, North Korea admitted it kidnapped 13 Japanese nationals and allowed five to go home, claiming the other eight were dead. North Korea has since insisted the issue was resolved. Japan, however, believes some may still be alive and has demanded proof of their deaths.
Lee also renewed his stance that he would pursue a future-oriented relationship with Japan, which ruled the Korean peninsula 1910-45.
South Korea and Japan "should actively cooperate" with each other and demonstrate their cooperation by actions, Lee told Japanese lawmakers.
South Korea and Japan are key trade partners, but ties have often been frayed by Japanese leaders' repeated visits to a war shrine that critics say glorifies the country's wartime atrocities.
The two countries are also locked in a territorial dispute over a set of islets.
Lee has said he would not demand any apology from Japanese leaders for past colonial abuses. Lee is set to take office on Feb. 25.
AP
SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea's next president called on Japan on Monday to play an active role in the international talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programs.
President-elect Lee Myung-bak made the comments to a group of visiting Japanese lawmakers, according to Lee's office. Lee did not elaborate.
North Korea last year promised to abandon its nuclear ambitions in return for the equivalent of 1 million tons of oil and political concessions under an aid-for-disarmament deal reached with the United States, South Korea, China, Russia and Japan.
In October, it pledged to disable its nuclear facilities and issue a declaration on its atomic programs by the end of 2007. The process stalled after North Korea said it provided the U.S. with a list in November, but the U.S. said it was incomplete.
Japan signed the disarmament deal but has since opted out of contributing, citing a lack of progress by North Korea in resolving the issue of abductions of its citizens by North Korea during the 1970s and '80s.
In 2002, North Korea admitted it kidnapped 13 Japanese nationals and allowed five to go home, claiming the other eight were dead. North Korea has since insisted the issue was resolved. Japan, however, believes some may still be alive and has demanded proof of their deaths.
Lee also renewed his stance that he would pursue a future-oriented relationship with Japan, which ruled the Korean peninsula 1910-45.
South Korea and Japan "should actively cooperate" with each other and demonstrate their cooperation by actions, Lee told Japanese lawmakers.
South Korea and Japan are key trade partners, but ties have often been frayed by Japanese leaders' repeated visits to a war shrine that critics say glorifies the country's wartime atrocities.
The two countries are also locked in a territorial dispute over a set of islets.
Lee has said he would not demand any apology from Japanese leaders for past colonial abuses. Lee is set to take office on Feb. 25.
Komura vows more active Japan role in U.N. peacekeeping efforts
MUNICH, Feb. 10 (AP) - (Kyodo)
Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told at a multinational security conference held in Munich that Japan is eager to play a greater role in the U.N. peacekeeping operations and consider a permanent law for the overseas dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces for international cooperation.
"Japan, as a 'peace fostering nation,' is committed to fulfilling its responsibility by playing an active role in building peace in the international society," Komura said in a speech before the Munich Conference on Security Policy on Asia's role in building an international stability.
Referring to the actual condition of Japan's participation in the U.N. peacekeeping operations, Komura said Japan needs to do more in making the contribution appropriate to its national power.
"Regarding participation in peacekeeping operations, we believe that there is still room to do more in view of Japan's capacity, and intend to actively promote participation in U.N. missions under the present legal framework."
Japan is also ready to enhance "study on a legal framework necessary to make the most of Japan's human resources in a more flexible manner" for the peacekeeping missions, he said, indicating his country will consider a permanent law that would allow Japan to send the SDF abroad to take part in international peacekeeping missions.
Currently, the SDF can be sent abroad only under an existing law concerning cooperation with U.N. peacekeeping operations or when a special law is enacted for specific purposes, such as in the case of the refueling mission in the Indian Ocean, which requires diet approval before deployment each time.
Japan ranked 82nd in a U.N. tally of manpower dispatched to peacekeeping operations with only about 50 SDF personnel dispatched to the missions of the U.N. Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights and Nepal.
Komura stressed that three pillars are necessary for the stability in the Asian region, namely, continued engagement of the United States, including the U.S. military presence in the region, building constructive and future-oriented relationships among Asian countries and the promotion of frameworks for multi-layered, open and interest- sharing regional cooperation.
With regard to the building of constructive and future-oriented relationships among Asian countries, Komura recognized China's effort in dealing with North Korea as chair of the six-party talks to end North Korea's nuclear drive, and welcomed China playing such "a constructive role" in east Asia.
However, Komura urged China to ensure transparency in the composition of its sharply expanding military expenses to foster regional stability and warned that lack of such transparency may result in increased regional concern, apparently cautioning the recent move by the European Union to remove an arms export ban against China.
Komura also pointed out North Korea's nuclear ambitions and issues concerning Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, as well as tensions between mainland China and Taiwan as destabilizing elements in the region.
The Munich conference is one of the most prestigious international meetings on national security, which comprises government officials, politicians and experts on foreign and security policy from around the world.
It involves some 250 representatives from the United States, Britain, Germany, France and other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as well as from Russia and countries in central and eastern Europe.
Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told at a multinational security conference held in Munich that Japan is eager to play a greater role in the U.N. peacekeeping operations and consider a permanent law for the overseas dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces for international cooperation.
"Japan, as a 'peace fostering nation,' is committed to fulfilling its responsibility by playing an active role in building peace in the international society," Komura said in a speech before the Munich Conference on Security Policy on Asia's role in building an international stability.
Referring to the actual condition of Japan's participation in the U.N. peacekeeping operations, Komura said Japan needs to do more in making the contribution appropriate to its national power.
"Regarding participation in peacekeeping operations, we believe that there is still room to do more in view of Japan's capacity, and intend to actively promote participation in U.N. missions under the present legal framework."
Japan is also ready to enhance "study on a legal framework necessary to make the most of Japan's human resources in a more flexible manner" for the peacekeeping missions, he said, indicating his country will consider a permanent law that would allow Japan to send the SDF abroad to take part in international peacekeeping missions.
Currently, the SDF can be sent abroad only under an existing law concerning cooperation with U.N. peacekeeping operations or when a special law is enacted for specific purposes, such as in the case of the refueling mission in the Indian Ocean, which requires diet approval before deployment each time.
Japan ranked 82nd in a U.N. tally of manpower dispatched to peacekeeping operations with only about 50 SDF personnel dispatched to the missions of the U.N. Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights and Nepal.
Komura stressed that three pillars are necessary for the stability in the Asian region, namely, continued engagement of the United States, including the U.S. military presence in the region, building constructive and future-oriented relationships among Asian countries and the promotion of frameworks for multi-layered, open and interest- sharing regional cooperation.
With regard to the building of constructive and future-oriented relationships among Asian countries, Komura recognized China's effort in dealing with North Korea as chair of the six-party talks to end North Korea's nuclear drive, and welcomed China playing such "a constructive role" in east Asia.
However, Komura urged China to ensure transparency in the composition of its sharply expanding military expenses to foster regional stability and warned that lack of such transparency may result in increased regional concern, apparently cautioning the recent move by the European Union to remove an arms export ban against China.
Komura also pointed out North Korea's nuclear ambitions and issues concerning Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, as well as tensions between mainland China and Taiwan as destabilizing elements in the region.
The Munich conference is one of the most prestigious international meetings on national security, which comprises government officials, politicians and experts on foreign and security policy from around the world.
It involves some 250 representatives from the United States, Britain, Germany, France and other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as well as from Russia and countries in central and eastern Europe.
Australian PM dismisses Japan whaling protests
By James Grubel
CANBERRA, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Australia will continue to photograph Japan's whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said on Sunday, despite Japan's warning of a diplomatic protest over Australia's tough anti-whaling stance.
Rudd said while Australia had strong economic, diplomatic and security ties with Japan, it was also important for Australia to continue to oppose Japan's annual whale hunt.
"Calling commercial whaling scientific whaling is not right, it's not accurate," Rudd told Australian television on Sunday.
Japan considers whaling to be a cherished cultural tradition. Despite agreeing to a whaling moratorium in 1986, Japan is allowed to conduct "scientific" whaling, and plans to hunt almost 1,000 minke and fin whales this Antarctic summer.
Australia, a strong opponent of whaling, has sent a customs ship to monitor Japan's whale hunt and to collect evidence for a possible international court challenge against the hunt.
"We think it's the right course of action to collect that evidence," Rudd said.
"The second part of the process is then to accumulate that evidence with a view to forming a decision about whether it's winnable to proceed with a legal case," he said.
Australia angered Tokyo last Thursday when Environment Minister Peter Garrett released photographs of what he said was an adult minke whale and her calf being towed up the ramp of a Japanese factory processing ship in Antarctic waters.
Japan on Friday said it would send a letter of protest over the photographs and Garrett's comment, that he had "a bit of a sick feeling" after seeing the photographs, saying his remarks were not "level-headed". Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research said it condemned Australia over the photos, saying the release was "emotional propaganda" designed to mislead the public.
Institute Director General Minoru Morimoto said the two whales in the photographs were not a mother and calf, but were part of a random sampling of the Antarctic minke whale population.
Opinion polls in Japan show strong support for whaling and eating whale meat despite international criticism of whaling.
The Asahi Shimbun newspaper poll of more than 2,000 people found 65 percent of respondents said they supported whaling, while 21 percent were opposed. It found 56 percent in favour of eating whale meat and 26 percent were against it.
CANBERRA, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Australia will continue to photograph Japan's whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said on Sunday, despite Japan's warning of a diplomatic protest over Australia's tough anti-whaling stance.
Rudd said while Australia had strong economic, diplomatic and security ties with Japan, it was also important for Australia to continue to oppose Japan's annual whale hunt.
"Calling commercial whaling scientific whaling is not right, it's not accurate," Rudd told Australian television on Sunday.
Japan considers whaling to be a cherished cultural tradition. Despite agreeing to a whaling moratorium in 1986, Japan is allowed to conduct "scientific" whaling, and plans to hunt almost 1,000 minke and fin whales this Antarctic summer.
Australia, a strong opponent of whaling, has sent a customs ship to monitor Japan's whale hunt and to collect evidence for a possible international court challenge against the hunt.
"We think it's the right course of action to collect that evidence," Rudd said.
"The second part of the process is then to accumulate that evidence with a view to forming a decision about whether it's winnable to proceed with a legal case," he said.
Australia angered Tokyo last Thursday when Environment Minister Peter Garrett released photographs of what he said was an adult minke whale and her calf being towed up the ramp of a Japanese factory processing ship in Antarctic waters.
Japan on Friday said it would send a letter of protest over the photographs and Garrett's comment, that he had "a bit of a sick feeling" after seeing the photographs, saying his remarks were not "level-headed". Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research said it condemned Australia over the photos, saying the release was "emotional propaganda" designed to mislead the public.
Institute Director General Minoru Morimoto said the two whales in the photographs were not a mother and calf, but were part of a random sampling of the Antarctic minke whale population.
Opinion polls in Japan show strong support for whaling and eating whale meat despite international criticism of whaling.
The Asahi Shimbun newspaper poll of more than 2,000 people found 65 percent of respondents said they supported whaling, while 21 percent were opposed. It found 56 percent in favour of eating whale meat and 26 percent were against it.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
U.S. rejects linking Japan abductees to North Korea deal
Feb 6, 2008
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States rejects formally linking the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea to diplomatic rewards for Pyongyang's pledged denuclearization, the U.S. nuclear envoy said on Wednesday.
But Assistant Secretary of State Chris Hill told a U.S. Senate panel that ally Japan would not be left "in the lurch" or dealt any unpleasant surprises as Washington moves forward with a nuclear disarmament pact with Pyongyang.
The fate of at least 12 Japanese kidnapped by North Koreans decades ago is a highly emotive issue in Japan and a stumbling block that has kept Tokyo and Pyongyang from normalizing ties.
Japan worries that the United States will remove North Korea from its list of nations sponsoring terrorism before a resolution of the issue. Tokyo has urged Washington to postpone delisting North Korea until it comes clean on the abductees.
North Korea was added to that list in 1988 after one of its agents confessed to blowing up a South Korean passenger jet in late 1987. Pyongyang expects to be delisted for scrapping its nuclear arms programs under a regional disarmament pact.
"I don't think it's in our country's interest or Japan's interest or anyone's interest to make these hard linkages in advance," Hill told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
But Hill said he assured Japan that "we will not have surprises between us and we will work in a way that we come out of this with our relationship strengthened."
Pyongyang admitted in 2002 that its agents had kidnapped 13 Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s, five of whom have since been repatriated to Japan.
North Korea says the other eight are dead, but Tokyo wants more information about their fate as well as information on another four people it says were kidnapped.
Hill told the Senate hearing that he raises the abductees in every meeting with North Koreans.
"I keep in my wallet a list of these people so that in the event that the North Koreans would mention a specific person I would have it right on hand," he said.
Although North Korea has yet to budge in the dispute, Hill said: "They have begun to accept that this is a fundamentally important issue for us and we are not going to leave our ally in the lurch or somehow forget about this problem."
(Reporting by Paul Eckert)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States rejects formally linking the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea to diplomatic rewards for Pyongyang's pledged denuclearization, the U.S. nuclear envoy said on Wednesday.
But Assistant Secretary of State Chris Hill told a U.S. Senate panel that ally Japan would not be left "in the lurch" or dealt any unpleasant surprises as Washington moves forward with a nuclear disarmament pact with Pyongyang.
The fate of at least 12 Japanese kidnapped by North Koreans decades ago is a highly emotive issue in Japan and a stumbling block that has kept Tokyo and Pyongyang from normalizing ties.
Japan worries that the United States will remove North Korea from its list of nations sponsoring terrorism before a resolution of the issue. Tokyo has urged Washington to postpone delisting North Korea until it comes clean on the abductees.
North Korea was added to that list in 1988 after one of its agents confessed to blowing up a South Korean passenger jet in late 1987. Pyongyang expects to be delisted for scrapping its nuclear arms programs under a regional disarmament pact.
"I don't think it's in our country's interest or Japan's interest or anyone's interest to make these hard linkages in advance," Hill told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
But Hill said he assured Japan that "we will not have surprises between us and we will work in a way that we come out of this with our relationship strengthened."
Pyongyang admitted in 2002 that its agents had kidnapped 13 Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s, five of whom have since been repatriated to Japan.
North Korea says the other eight are dead, but Tokyo wants more information about their fate as well as information on another four people it says were kidnapped.
Hill told the Senate hearing that he raises the abductees in every meeting with North Koreans.
"I keep in my wallet a list of these people so that in the event that the North Koreans would mention a specific person I would have it right on hand," he said.
Although North Korea has yet to budge in the dispute, Hill said: "They have begun to accept that this is a fundamentally important issue for us and we are not going to leave our ally in the lurch or somehow forget about this problem."
(Reporting by Paul Eckert)
Pollution in China: China's hazardous exports
Mainichi Daily News
Feb 9, 2008
China has come under strong international criticism for its exports of products and foodstuffs found to contain toxic materials. The governments of many Western countries and Japan have demanded that Beijing take tougher steps to ensure product safety. With the Beijing Olympics coming up in August 2008, the Chinese government is eager to restore the tarnished image of products made in China.
In spring 2007, over 100 people died in Panama after taking cough syrup that was found to contain diethylene glycol that had been manufactured in China. Many dogs and cats in the United States and Canada also died after eating pet food made with ingredients imported from China. And toxic lead was detected in paint used in children's toys, leading to the large-scale recall of such toys. To allay the fears of American consumers concerned about tainted Chinese products, some products sold in US shops now carry a "China-free" label indicating that none of the ingredients are from China.
In Japan, residual pesticides were found in frozen spinach imported from China in 2002. This prompted the introduction of a "positive list" in May 2006 calling for stricter standards regarding agricultural chemicals. Between June 2006 and May 2007, detection of residual chemicals in violation of the Food Sanitation Law has resulted in 761 measures, including the disposal of the contaminated food items. A third of all such products were from China.
Even in China, concern about food safety is growing. This was prompted by a 2004 incident involving fake powdered milk in Fuyang, Anhui Province. Thirteen infants died since 2003 after drinking the contaminated milk. Also in 2004, 14 people died in Guangdong after drinking contaminated alcohol.
These incidents, though, are just the tip of the iceberg. They are caused by unscrupulous merchants who give overriding priority to profits and have no qualms about using illegal or counterfeit ingredients. In July 2007, an uproar erupted over allegations that cardboard had been used to make meat dumplings. This charge itself was later revealed to have been "faked" by a TV station, but the fact that many viewers fell for this story in itself is an indication of the strong concern people harbor about what they eat.
The Beijing government has outlined policies to address these problems and to win back the trust of the international community. In July 2007, China's State Council announced special provisions to strengthen the supervision and administration of safety standards covering foodstuffs and other products. And the following month a supervisory task force on product quality and food safety was established in the State Council, headed by Vice Premier Wu Yi. A nationwide campaign was launched, and a system of food and toy recalls was introduced.
Feb 9, 2008
China has come under strong international criticism for its exports of products and foodstuffs found to contain toxic materials. The governments of many Western countries and Japan have demanded that Beijing take tougher steps to ensure product safety. With the Beijing Olympics coming up in August 2008, the Chinese government is eager to restore the tarnished image of products made in China.
In spring 2007, over 100 people died in Panama after taking cough syrup that was found to contain diethylene glycol that had been manufactured in China. Many dogs and cats in the United States and Canada also died after eating pet food made with ingredients imported from China. And toxic lead was detected in paint used in children's toys, leading to the large-scale recall of such toys. To allay the fears of American consumers concerned about tainted Chinese products, some products sold in US shops now carry a "China-free" label indicating that none of the ingredients are from China.
In Japan, residual pesticides were found in frozen spinach imported from China in 2002. This prompted the introduction of a "positive list" in May 2006 calling for stricter standards regarding agricultural chemicals. Between June 2006 and May 2007, detection of residual chemicals in violation of the Food Sanitation Law has resulted in 761 measures, including the disposal of the contaminated food items. A third of all such products were from China.
Even in China, concern about food safety is growing. This was prompted by a 2004 incident involving fake powdered milk in Fuyang, Anhui Province. Thirteen infants died since 2003 after drinking the contaminated milk. Also in 2004, 14 people died in Guangdong after drinking contaminated alcohol.
These incidents, though, are just the tip of the iceberg. They are caused by unscrupulous merchants who give overriding priority to profits and have no qualms about using illegal or counterfeit ingredients. In July 2007, an uproar erupted over allegations that cardboard had been used to make meat dumplings. This charge itself was later revealed to have been "faked" by a TV station, but the fact that many viewers fell for this story in itself is an indication of the strong concern people harbor about what they eat.
The Beijing government has outlined policies to address these problems and to win back the trust of the international community. In July 2007, China's State Council announced special provisions to strengthen the supervision and administration of safety standards covering foodstuffs and other products. And the following month a supervisory task force on product quality and food safety was established in the State Council, headed by Vice Premier Wu Yi. A nationwide campaign was launched, and a system of food and toy recalls was introduced.
Russian bomber cuts into Japanese airspace: official
by Shigemi Sato
Feb 9, 2008
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan scrambled two dozen military aircraft and lodged a protest, accusing a Russian strategic bomber of entering its airspace over the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo Saturday.
Russia denied the incursion, but the Japanese foreign ministry said it lodged a strong protest with the Russian embassy in Tokyo over the incident, which followed stepped up Russian long-range air patrols over the Atlantic.
"We have asked the Russian government to make a thorough investigation into the matter," a foreign ministry spokesman said.
The Tupolev Tu-95 bomber, which dates to the Soviet era, flew over the rocky isle of Sofugan, 650 kilometres (406 miles) south of Tokyo, for about three minutes from 7:30 am (2230 GMT Friday), the defence ministry said.
The air force scrambled 24 planes, including F-15 fighters and an E-767 radar plane, the defence ministry said.
They gave "a notice, then a warning and another a notice and a warning," a defence ministry statement said. "There was no response."
The Russian bomber then flew back north towards the Russian island of Sakhalin, it said.
Moscow said four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers completed a 10-hour mission over the Pacific on Saturday without violating Japanese airspace and that US fighters were also scrambled during the incident.
"Our strategic aviation planes did not violate Japanese airspace," deputy Russian air force commander Igor Sadofyev told the Russian Interfax news agency.
Alexander Drobyshevsky, a spokesman for the Russian air force, told Russia's ITAR-TASS agency the flights were carried out "in strict accordance with international rules on flying over neutral waters."
"The strategic bombers were accompanied by F-15 fighter jets from the Japanese air force and F-18 fighter jets from the US carrier Nimitz," Drobyshevsky said.
Japan said it was the first Russian violation of its airspace since January 2006.
Russia's Tupolev design bureau said last October it had begun a "serious modernisation" of the Tu-95 strategic bomber, a workhorse of the Soviet and Russian air forces for over 50 years.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in August the resumption of long-range flights in international air space which were abandoned in 1992 amid financial difficulties that followed the Soviet collapse.
The Tu-95 MS was among the planes included in the patrols, which were seen aimed at another attempt by Putin to boost Russian prestige as his presidential term draws to a close.
In the lead-up to Putin's announcement, Russian bombers made increasingly frequent flights near US territory. Britain and Norway were scrambled last summer after Tu-95 bombers were spotted close to Norwegian airspace.
Last week, 14 Russian long-range bombers flew over the north Atlantic in the last of a series of military manoeuvres held off Europe's coasts since December, Russian media reported.
Russia and Japan have had uneasy ties. Last month, Japan also lodged a protest with the Russian embassy after saying that Russian embassy officials wined, dined and gave cash to a Japanese intelligence officer who handed over research information.
Japan and Russia have never signed a peace treaty to formally end World War II due to a dispute over four islands off Japan's northern coast seized by Soviet troops in 1945.
The Japanese government said Wednesday that Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda hoped to visit Moscow early this year and believed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was serious about resolving the island dispute.
Japan, which has been officially pacifist since World War II, is a close US ally and home to more than 40,000 US troops.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Most Japanese Back Antarctic `Research Whaling' in Asahi Survey
By Stuart Biggs
Bloomberg
Feb 8, 2008
Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Most Japanese people support Japan's ``research whaling'' expedition in the Southern Ocean in Antarctica in the face of mounting international opposition, an Asahi newspaper survey shows.
A total of 65 percent of respondents supported Japan's whale hunt in the survey, which the Asahi conducted by telephone on Feb. 2 and 3 among 2,082 registered voters. In the survey, 56 percent supported eating whale meat, with the number rising to 80 percent among men in their 40s, 50s and 60s, the newspaper said.
Opposition to eating whale meat was stronger among younger women, with 58 percent of women in their 20s objecting to the practice, the Asahi said. Overall opposition to Japan's research whaling was 21 percent, according to the survey. The newspaper did not publish the list of questions.
Japan's whaling fleet heads to Antarctica in November each year to kill as many as 1,000 minke and fin whales for what it says is ``scientific research.'' Australia's government is considering international legal action against Japan to stop the hunts, risking antagonizing relations with the world's second- largest economy.
To contact the reporter on this story: Stuart Biggs in Tokyo at sbiggs3@bloomberg.net
Bloomberg
Feb 8, 2008
Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Most Japanese people support Japan's ``research whaling'' expedition in the Southern Ocean in Antarctica in the face of mounting international opposition, an Asahi newspaper survey shows.
A total of 65 percent of respondents supported Japan's whale hunt in the survey, which the Asahi conducted by telephone on Feb. 2 and 3 among 2,082 registered voters. In the survey, 56 percent supported eating whale meat, with the number rising to 80 percent among men in their 40s, 50s and 60s, the newspaper said.
Opposition to eating whale meat was stronger among younger women, with 58 percent of women in their 20s objecting to the practice, the Asahi said. Overall opposition to Japan's research whaling was 21 percent, according to the survey. The newspaper did not publish the list of questions.
Japan's whaling fleet heads to Antarctica in November each year to kill as many as 1,000 minke and fin whales for what it says is ``scientific research.'' Australia's government is considering international legal action against Japan to stop the hunts, risking antagonizing relations with the world's second- largest economy.
To contact the reporter on this story: Stuart Biggs in Tokyo at sbiggs3@bloomberg.net
Two-thirds of Japanese back whaling: poll
AFP
Feb 8, 2008
A day after graphic pictures were released of the Japanese whaling fleet in action in the Southern Ocean, a poll in Japan has shown almost two-thirds of the population supports the practice.
Japan's government says whaling is part of the national culture and it has fought bitterly with Western nations over its annual hunt of some 1,000 whales in the Antarctic Ocean.
The Asahi Shimbun said 65 per cent of Japanese support continuing the whaling programme and that 56 per cent of people backed eating whale meat.
Support for whaling was strong among older men, with close to 80 per cent of men between 40 and 70 favouring eating whale meat.
But the the figure was nearly reversed among Japanese women in their 20s, among whom 58 per cent opposed eating whale.
The Asahi survey comes despite other statistics, often cited by environmentalists, pointing out that most Japanese do not eat whale meat, which is rarely found outside of speciality restaurants and stores.
Consumption of whale meat has decreased to 30 grams per person a year - equivalent to a slice of sashimi - compared with 2.5 kilograms in the early 1980s.
- AFP
Feb 8, 2008
A day after graphic pictures were released of the Japanese whaling fleet in action in the Southern Ocean, a poll in Japan has shown almost two-thirds of the population supports the practice.
Japan's government says whaling is part of the national culture and it has fought bitterly with Western nations over its annual hunt of some 1,000 whales in the Antarctic Ocean.
The Asahi Shimbun said 65 per cent of Japanese support continuing the whaling programme and that 56 per cent of people backed eating whale meat.
Support for whaling was strong among older men, with close to 80 per cent of men between 40 and 70 favouring eating whale meat.
But the the figure was nearly reversed among Japanese women in their 20s, among whom 58 per cent opposed eating whale.
The Asahi survey comes despite other statistics, often cited by environmentalists, pointing out that most Japanese do not eat whale meat, which is rarely found outside of speciality restaurants and stores.
Consumption of whale meat has decreased to 30 grams per person a year - equivalent to a slice of sashimi - compared with 2.5 kilograms in the early 1980s.
- AFP
Japanese support for whaling remains strong
By Julian Ryall in Tokyo
Feb 9, 2008
Two thirds of Japan supports the country's controversial whaling programme, while more than half want the animals' meat to appear on menus, according to new research.
'Shocking' pictures of Japanese whaling
Polling for the leading newspaper Asahi Shimbun suggested that the Japanese public was prepared to shrug off international criticism to support the continued "scientific research" by its whaling fleet. The survey came a day after the Australian government released pictures of a slain minke whale and its calf being hauled aboard a whaling ship.
Of the 56 per cent who support whales being slaughtered for food, the majority were men in their forties and above. Younger Japanese - particularly women - were opposed to the practice.
"The government tells us that there are plenty of whales out there and it is no more terrible than killing cows or pigs for food," said Masaaki Shigeno, a property dealer in his sixties.
"Whale has been an important part of our diet for hundreds of years, so it is part of our culture."
The figures surprised commentators yesterday. They may in part be a reaction to the condemnation that has rained down on Japan in recent weeks.
Feb 9, 2008
Two thirds of Japan supports the country's controversial whaling programme, while more than half want the animals' meat to appear on menus, according to new research.
'Shocking' pictures of Japanese whaling
Polling for the leading newspaper Asahi Shimbun suggested that the Japanese public was prepared to shrug off international criticism to support the continued "scientific research" by its whaling fleet. The survey came a day after the Australian government released pictures of a slain minke whale and its calf being hauled aboard a whaling ship.
Of the 56 per cent who support whales being slaughtered for food, the majority were men in their forties and above. Younger Japanese - particularly women - were opposed to the practice.
"The government tells us that there are plenty of whales out there and it is no more terrible than killing cows or pigs for food," said Masaaki Shigeno, a property dealer in his sixties.
"Whale has been an important part of our diet for hundreds of years, so it is part of our culture."
The figures surprised commentators yesterday. They may in part be a reaction to the condemnation that has rained down on Japan in recent weeks.
Japan mulling possibility of dispatching coast guard to E. Timor
TOKYO, Feb. 8 (Kyodo) - Japan is considering the possibility of dispatching its coast guard to East Timor to take part in the U. N. peacekeeping operations there, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said Friday.
''East Timor is still a newborn country,'' Machimura told a press conference.
''There is a need for coastal security as (such a security system) is still very weak, and I believe there is something Japan can do to cooperate in some way in this area at the initial stage.
'' The top government spokesman said related Cabinet members will discuss what assistance Japan can give to East Timor as well as other countries in need, given that Tokyo's participation in U. N. peacekeeping operations has been limited.
''We will consider the matter carefully among related ministers, not only with regard to East Timor but also whether other possibilities exist, and make efforts so that our country's international presence as a peace cooperation state will be made as visible as possible,'' Machimura said.
He mentioned that the only U. N. peacekeeping operation missions in which Japan is currently involved are in the Golan Heights and Nepal, where the Self-Defense Forces are participating in U. N. activities.
The Japanese police recently returned from East Timor after completing a one-year mission to help reform police management as part of the U. N. peacekeeping operations there.
If the envisaged dispatch to East Timor is realized, it would be the first time for the Japan Coast Guard to take part in U. N. peacekeeping activities.
East Timor gained independence from Indonesia in May 2002 with the assistance of the United Nations, but slipped into unrest last year when nearly 600 disgruntled soldiers out of the 1,400-member army were fired.
(Kyodo)
''East Timor is still a newborn country,'' Machimura told a press conference.
''There is a need for coastal security as (such a security system) is still very weak, and I believe there is something Japan can do to cooperate in some way in this area at the initial stage.
'' The top government spokesman said related Cabinet members will discuss what assistance Japan can give to East Timor as well as other countries in need, given that Tokyo's participation in U. N. peacekeeping operations has been limited.
''We will consider the matter carefully among related ministers, not only with regard to East Timor but also whether other possibilities exist, and make efforts so that our country's international presence as a peace cooperation state will be made as visible as possible,'' Machimura said.
He mentioned that the only U. N. peacekeeping operation missions in which Japan is currently involved are in the Golan Heights and Nepal, where the Self-Defense Forces are participating in U. N. activities.
The Japanese police recently returned from East Timor after completing a one-year mission to help reform police management as part of the U. N. peacekeeping operations there.
If the envisaged dispatch to East Timor is realized, it would be the first time for the Japan Coast Guard to take part in U. N. peacekeeping activities.
East Timor gained independence from Indonesia in May 2002 with the assistance of the United Nations, but slipped into unrest last year when nearly 600 disgruntled soldiers out of the 1,400-member army were fired.
(Kyodo)
Whales didn't know each other - Japan
Feb 7, 2008
JAPANESE authorities have hit back in the public relations war over its whaling program, accusing Australian officials of misleading the public.
The Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) today denied two whales photographed as they were dragged bleeding into the whale processing vessel Yushin Maru, in the Southern Ocean, were mother and calf.
The two whales were unrelated, ICR director general Minoru Morimoto said, and the variance in size showed only "random sampling" in practice.
"The photographs taken by the (Australian Customs vessel) Oceanic Viking and which major Australian newspapers published today shows two minke whales, but they are not a mother and her calf as claimed by the media," Mr Morimoto said.
"Our research program requires random sampling of the Antarctic population, and therefore there will be a range of sizes.
"It is necessary to conduct random sampling of the Antarctic minke population to obtain accurate statistical data."
Mr Morimoto said the smaller of the two whales in the Australian Customs photograph was just over 5m in length, while the larger one was just over 8m.
Both whales were female and they "were not lactating", he said.
"The government of Australia's photographs, and the media reports, have created a dangerous emotional propaganda that could cause serious damage to the relationship between our two countries," he warned.
"It is important the Australian public is not misled into believing false information."
Japan has resisted mounting calls to halt its annual program of slaughtering whales in the Southern Ocean, saying it is part of a scientific program.
Japan to complain to Australia over whale pictures
by Shingo Ito
Feb 8, 2008
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan said Friday it will complain to Australia after the government released graphic pictures of bloody whaling operations, accusing Canberra of stirring up emotions.
Australian media on Thursday prominently aired the pictures taken by an Australian customs vessel showing bleeding whales being dragged onto a Japanese ship after being harpooned in Antarctic waters.
"We had agreed to handle the issue calmly and avoid damaging friendly relations between the two countries," Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi told a news conference.
"However, Australia released pictures of a whaling vessel and made remarks that don't appear calm," Wakabayashi said. "We will express our regret about it and call on them through diplomatic channels to act calmly."
Japan has said the pictures were misleading and did not show a lactating mother and her calf as asserted in Australia.
Australia has taken a leading role in opposing Japan's use of a loophole in an international moratorium on whaling to kill the giants of the oceans in the name of research. The meat is then sold in supermarkets and restaurants.
Japan, which will kill up to 1,000 whales on its current expedition, says its whaling is legal and part of its culture and accuses Western countries, led by Australia, of insensitivity.
"We are considering when we should send the message and at what level," a foreign ministry official added.
Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett said that the pictures gave him a "sick feeling."
"It is explicitly clear from these images that this is the indiscriminate killing of whales, where you have a whale and its calf killed in this way," said Garrett, the former frontman of protest rockers Midnight Oil.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's left-leaning government, which took office in December, has ramped up the pressure against Japan's whaling, which is also harassed by non-governmental activists.
Japan resumed its hunt last week after it was disrupted in mid-January by anti-whaling protests, including the boarding of one of its ships by two activists from the militant Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
Amid the tensions, a poll published Friday said that nearly two-thirds of Japanese back whaling, although support is waning among the young, particularly women.
The Asahi Shimbun, which took answers from 2,082 people, said 65 percent of Japanese support continuing the whaling programme and that 56 percent of people backed eating whale meat.
Support for whaling was strong among older men, with close to 80 percent of men between 40 and 70 favouring eating whale meat.
But the figure was nearly reversed among Japanese women in their 20s, among whom 58 percent opposed eating whale.
The Asahi survey comes despite other statistics, often cited by environmentalists, pointing out that most Japanese do not eat whale meat, which is rarely found outside speciality restaurants and stores.
Consumption of whale meat has decreased to 30 grams (one ounce) per person per year -- equivalent to a slice of sashimi -- compared with 2.5 kilograms in the early 1980s.
The only nations to defy the moratorium outright are Iceland and Norway, which on Thursday authorised its crews to harpoon 1,052 whales in the 2008 season
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Japan resumes annual whale hunt without activists on fleet's tail
TOKYO (AP) -- Japan has resumed its annual whale hunt in waters near Antarctica now that anti-whaling activists have stopped pursuing the country's fleet, a Japanese official said Wednesday.
Japan temporarily halted its hunt in mid-January after confrontations with both Greenpeace and the militant anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd, Japanese Fisheries Agency official Jiro Hyuga said.
Late last month, the vessels each group had sent to pursue the whalers returned to port to refuel. The Japanese fleet decided to resume whaling after the threat of any interference faded, Hyuga said.
Tokyo still plans to take about 900 Antarctic minke whales and up to 50 fin whales this season despite the interruption, said Hideki Moronuki, chief of the Agency's whaling section.
Paul Watson, captain of Sea Shepherd's Steve Irwin, has said he and his crew are "anxious" to return to the chase, and hope to complete refueling and resupplying in Melbourne, Australia, by next Tuesday.
Greenpeace has no plans to dispatch its vessel, the Esperanza, again this season, said Greenpeace Japan spokeswoman Kyoko Murakami. The group claims to have saved more than 100 whales during the two weeks it chased the Japanese fleet.
Japan has staunchly defended its annual killing of more than 1,000 whales, conducted under a clause in International Whaling Commission rules that allows whales to be killed for scientific purposes.
Critics dismiss the Japanese program as a disguise for commercial whaling, which has been banned by the IWC since 1986.
Japan also has a North Pacific mission that kills about 100 minke whales a year.
Japan temporarily halted its hunt in mid-January after confrontations with both Greenpeace and the militant anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd, Japanese Fisheries Agency official Jiro Hyuga said.
Late last month, the vessels each group had sent to pursue the whalers returned to port to refuel. The Japanese fleet decided to resume whaling after the threat of any interference faded, Hyuga said.
Tokyo still plans to take about 900 Antarctic minke whales and up to 50 fin whales this season despite the interruption, said Hideki Moronuki, chief of the Agency's whaling section.
Paul Watson, captain of Sea Shepherd's Steve Irwin, has said he and his crew are "anxious" to return to the chase, and hope to complete refueling and resupplying in Melbourne, Australia, by next Tuesday.
Greenpeace has no plans to dispatch its vessel, the Esperanza, again this season, said Greenpeace Japan spokeswoman Kyoko Murakami. The group claims to have saved more than 100 whales during the two weeks it chased the Japanese fleet.
Japan has staunchly defended its annual killing of more than 1,000 whales, conducted under a clause in International Whaling Commission rules that allows whales to be killed for scientific purposes.
Critics dismiss the Japanese program as a disguise for commercial whaling, which has been banned by the IWC since 1986.
Japan also has a North Pacific mission that kills about 100 minke whales a year.
Japan to ask recipient nations not to divert oil to other purpose
TOKYO, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government decided on Tuesday to ask oil recipient nations benefiting from Japan's resumed refueling mission not to divert the oil to other purpose than anti-terrorism operations.
The Cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda approved the plan in the morning and is scheduled to exchange diplomatic documents on the issue with the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Canada and Pakistan, officials familiar with the affair said.
There emerged allegation later last year inside Japan, condemning that some oil and other supplies provided by Japan had been used by the United States in its operations in Iraq.
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) vessels left home ports in mid January for the journey to resume the refueling mission in the Indian Ocean to support the U.S.-led anti-terrorism mission in and around Afghanistan. The refueling action may be back into order later this month.
The MSDF had been out of the refueling mission for three month since Nov. 1 because of the expiration of an original special measures law authorizing the mission and the void of a new legislation due to political strife.
The ruling coalition managed the new bill through the Diet at last with the help of a controversial and seldomly-used parliamentary rule.
The Cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda approved the plan in the morning and is scheduled to exchange diplomatic documents on the issue with the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Canada and Pakistan, officials familiar with the affair said.
There emerged allegation later last year inside Japan, condemning that some oil and other supplies provided by Japan had been used by the United States in its operations in Iraq.
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) vessels left home ports in mid January for the journey to resume the refueling mission in the Indian Ocean to support the U.S.-led anti-terrorism mission in and around Afghanistan. The refueling action may be back into order later this month.
The MSDF had been out of the refueling mission for three month since Nov. 1 because of the expiration of an original special measures law authorizing the mission and the void of a new legislation due to political strife.
The ruling coalition managed the new bill through the Diet at last with the help of a controversial and seldomly-used parliamentary rule.
Japan Lawmakers Plan North Korea Talks With President-Elect Lee
By Hideko Takayama
Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese lawmakers led by Koichi Kato, former secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, will visit Seoul on Feb 10 and 11 for talks on North Korea with South Korea's president-elect Lee Myung Bak.
The 17-member delegation includes politicians from the biggest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan. The meeting between Lee and the delegation is scheduled for Feb. 11.
``I want to listen to Mr. Lee's policy towards North Korea,'' Kato said in a telephone interview. ``We also want to hear his views on economic policies and international finance.''
North Korea watchers in South Korea and Japan say Lee's policy toward the North is expected to be more business-like in contrast to outgoing President Roh Moo Hyun, who was criticized by conservatives of giving too much aid to Pyongyang as the country was developing a nuclear weapons program.
Kato and Taku Yamasaki, a former vice president of the LDP and another member of the delegation, met Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda last Friday to discuss the visit. Foreign policy should not reflect just one party's perspectives, but the country as a whole, Kato said he told the prime minister. Fukuda is expected to meet Lee after his inauguration on Feb 25.
Lee was born in Osaka, Japan, where his parents were working during the Japanese occupation of Korea, and grew up in Pohang in the southeastern region of South Korea. He became the chief executives of Hyundai Construction at the age of 36. Later he served as the mayor of Seoul.
Japan extended its economic sanctions against North Korea for six months in Oct. 2007, citing a lack of progress in resolving the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s.
North Korea has admitted it kidnapped Japanese citizens, which defectors said were used as language instructors for North Korean spies. North Korea has returned five of the abductees and their relatives, and said they are the only survivors. Japan says 17 were abducted and is demanding a full account of their whereabouts and return.
To contact the reporter on this story: Hideko Takayama in Tokyo at htakayama10@bloomberg.net
Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese lawmakers led by Koichi Kato, former secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, will visit Seoul on Feb 10 and 11 for talks on North Korea with South Korea's president-elect Lee Myung Bak.
The 17-member delegation includes politicians from the biggest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan. The meeting between Lee and the delegation is scheduled for Feb. 11.
``I want to listen to Mr. Lee's policy towards North Korea,'' Kato said in a telephone interview. ``We also want to hear his views on economic policies and international finance.''
North Korea watchers in South Korea and Japan say Lee's policy toward the North is expected to be more business-like in contrast to outgoing President Roh Moo Hyun, who was criticized by conservatives of giving too much aid to Pyongyang as the country was developing a nuclear weapons program.
Kato and Taku Yamasaki, a former vice president of the LDP and another member of the delegation, met Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda last Friday to discuss the visit. Foreign policy should not reflect just one party's perspectives, but the country as a whole, Kato said he told the prime minister. Fukuda is expected to meet Lee after his inauguration on Feb 25.
Lee was born in Osaka, Japan, where his parents were working during the Japanese occupation of Korea, and grew up in Pohang in the southeastern region of South Korea. He became the chief executives of Hyundai Construction at the age of 36. Later he served as the mayor of Seoul.
Japan extended its economic sanctions against North Korea for six months in Oct. 2007, citing a lack of progress in resolving the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s.
North Korea has admitted it kidnapped Japanese citizens, which defectors said were used as language instructors for North Korean spies. North Korea has returned five of the abductees and their relatives, and said they are the only survivors. Japan says 17 were abducted and is demanding a full account of their whereabouts and return.
To contact the reporter on this story: Hideko Takayama in Tokyo at htakayama10@bloomberg.net
Japan to ask recipient nations to use fuel only for antiterror mission
Japan to ask recipient nations to use fuel only for antiterror mission
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
TOKYO — The cabinet endorsed a plan Tuesday to exchange diplomatic documents on Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean with a number of countries, asking that they use the oil only for U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in and near Afghanistan. Tokyo plans to exchange the documents with Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Pakistan and the United States, government officials said.
The move came after the Japanese government came under fire at home over allegations that some of the fuel Japan provided for the Afghan-related operations could have been diverted to unauthorized purposes, such as U.S.-led operations in Iraq, during the previous Japanese mission from 2001 to 2007. The documents ask the potential recipient countries to use Japan's fuel and water in line with the antiterrorism law of Japan and for purposes that would not go against the U.N. Charter, and not hand it over to a third country without Tokyo's advance consent.
© 2008 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
TOKYO — The cabinet endorsed a plan Tuesday to exchange diplomatic documents on Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean with a number of countries, asking that they use the oil only for U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in and near Afghanistan. Tokyo plans to exchange the documents with Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Pakistan and the United States, government officials said.
The move came after the Japanese government came under fire at home over allegations that some of the fuel Japan provided for the Afghan-related operations could have been diverted to unauthorized purposes, such as U.S.-led operations in Iraq, during the previous Japanese mission from 2001 to 2007. The documents ask the potential recipient countries to use Japan's fuel and water in line with the antiterrorism law of Japan and for purposes that would not go against the U.N. Charter, and not hand it over to a third country without Tokyo's advance consent.
© 2008 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.
war with Taiwan, China, Japan, US: conflicts, federation, opportunities, finance, trade
war with Taiwan, China, Japan, US: conflicts, federation, opportunities, finance, trade
by world travel, war, peace, wealth, politics Monday, Feb. 04, 2008
Is a war between Taiwan and China coming? Are US and Japan going to be involved? What is the possible outcome and its effects on global finance, trade, politics, peace, democracy, wealth, jobs? Is federation a good choice for avioding the coming war? Get powerful new ideas from leading thinker George Zhibin Gu.
Federation for Taiwan and China: a powerful way to aviod war and move toward peace and global stability and progress:
China and the New World Order:
How Entrepreneurship, Globalization, and Borderless Business are Reshaping China and the World (Book Excerpts)
by George Zhibin Gu
Foreword by William Ratliff
Publisher: Fultus; October 2006; 248 pages
taken from; http://www.financialsense.com
A New World Order in the Making？
Is a new world order in the making? The answer: yes. Up to now, only about 20% of the world's people have attained solid development, growth, and modernity. Now the rest are catching up at an unprecedented speed. This sudden surge in so many late developers suggests a brave new world in the making.
Several Key Changes
Huge changes are happening, within a vastly expanded sphere for all people and nations. We can identify four in particular.
First, wealth making through industrialization and commercialization has become a universal thing. For a long time, products made in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany dominated global markets. Today, products made in China, Mexico, Vietnam, and Indonesia, among other developing nations, are increasingly flooding the world, changing the global production map again.
Behind this changing map, interestingly, many poor nations have rapidly taken on active roles in the global economy. But their biggest weapon remains low-cost labor, which provides a working platform for cooperation and sharing between the rich and poor nations.
[...]
Chapter 21. Federation: The Best Choice for Taiwan and Mainland China
The realities between Taiwan and mainland China are "economically hot, politically cold." Their ever-increasing economic ties demand far better political relations, not to mention other things. A federation would seem to be a highly feasible solution. Economically, the time is right; politically, it is only a few steps away.
A federal system would mean more autonomy for Taiwan than Hong Kong and Macau enjoy. For Beijing in particular and China as a whole, it would mean the revolutionary concept of a unified China with multiple power centers.
Under a federal system, the island would keep its own government, military, judicial, and other systems. Its political leadership would not bow to Beijing. In short, the relationship would be a political partnership between equals. Both political entities would be subject only to a “federation” law. And anything is open for discussion under the "one China" principle.
Taiwan's Love Affair With the Mainland
Economically, Taiwan and mainland China are well connected. The mainland is Taiwan's biggest trading partner as well as its number-one export market. In 2004, total cross-strait trade reached U.S.$61.6 billion, a jump of 33.1% over 2003; of this, Taiwan's exports accounted for $45 billion, by Taiwan's own accounting.
[...]
Chapter 22. Taiwanese Business in the Mainland
The ongoing business and human flows from Taiwan to the mainland are both natural and inevitable. They follow from the basic economic principle: Humans go where opportunities lie, and so does capital.
To date, Taiwanese businesspeople have made strides in the mainland, with impacts of many dimensions. For one, they have helped to integrate the island’s economy with the mainland’s in all sorts of ways. For another, they have gained huge room for growth. In addition, they are helping to foster a new environment for a possible peaceful resolution of the unity issue.
A Vibrant Taiwanese Force
In the current era, the Hong Kong and Macau business communities went to the mainland far sooner than their Taiwanese counterpart, but the reasons were exclusively political. For Taiwanese residents, traveling to the mainland has been allowed only since 1987. Quickly, cross-strait life changed dramatically. By now, Taiwanese businesspeople have made as much of a mark in the mainland as those from Hong Kong and Macau.
Why has Taiwan Inc. put such huge capital into the mainland despite all the political tensions? Their motive is simple: The mainland offers immense opportunities, much greater than those on the island. Indeed, the early birds have already benefited greatly, which has hastened the rush.
As with their Hong Kong and Macau counterparts, the greatest strengths of the Taiwanese businesspeople come from their vast numbers. Today, most Taiwanese players are small and medium-sized companies. They cover all economic sectors, ranging from consumer products, real estate, and retail to IT and equipment manufacturing.1
These Taiwanese companies are mostly niche players, but they have numerous advantages. They are aggressive and flexible and are quick learners. Being Chinese, they can adapt to the mainland environment very quickly and effectively despite the different political surroundings. The explosive growth in the mainland market has become a new profit and growth haven for them.
[...]
This book consists of 26 chapters, which are organized into eight parts:
I. China’s New Role in the World Development
Ch 1. China's social changes vs tourism
Ch 2. Whose 21st century?
Ch 3. Go east, young man!
Ch 4. Everyone in the same boat
ch 5. Power and limits of later developers
II. The Yuan, Trade, and Investment
ch 6. China's competitiveness vs rising yuan.
ch 7. Where to invest your money?
ch 8. Behind a rising yuan
ch 9. Beyond textile trade wars
III. China’s Fast-Changing Society, Politics, and Economy (in light of Chinese and global history)
ch 10. Lessons from Shenzhen, China's new powerhouse.
ch 11. Hunan province: from red state to supergirl and superrice.
ch 12. A revolution of Chinese professions
ch 13. What is the Chinese bureaucratic tradition?
ch 14. Why does Beijing want to reform?
IV. China’s Banking, Insurance, and Stock Market Reforms
ch 15. The explosive insurance market
ch 16. Chinese banks on the move, finally.
ch 17. lessons from China's stock market.
V. Chinese Multinationals vs. Global Giants
ch 18. The coming of age of Chinese multinationals.
ch 19. Behind Chinese multinationals' global efforts.
ch 20. China's technology development.
VI. The Taiwan Issue : Current Affairs and Trends (federation as an alternate way for unity)
ch 21. Federation: the best choice for Taiwan and mainland China.
ch 22. Taiwanese businesses in the mainland.
a vibrant Taiwanese force.
Hightech.
Other sectors.
What is the next?
Will Spring follow winter?
VII. India vs. China : Moving Ahead at the Same Time
ch. 23. China and India: can they do better together?
ch 24. Uneven development: India vs China.
VIII. The Japan-China Issue : Evolving Relations in Light of History
ch 25. Japanese business in China.
ch 26. Japan's past aggressions vs current affairs.
Author George Zhibin Gu is a journalist/consultant based in China. He has written three other books: 1. China’s Global Reach: Markets, Multinationals and Globalization (Fultus, 2006); 2. Made in China: National and Business Players and Challengers under Globalization and Capitalism (English edition forthcoming, 2007); and 3. China Beyond Deng: Reform in the PRC (McFarland, 1991)
by world travel, war, peace, wealth, politics Monday, Feb. 04, 2008
Is a war between Taiwan and China coming? Are US and Japan going to be involved? What is the possible outcome and its effects on global finance, trade, politics, peace, democracy, wealth, jobs? Is federation a good choice for avioding the coming war? Get powerful new ideas from leading thinker George Zhibin Gu.
Federation for Taiwan and China: a powerful way to aviod war and move toward peace and global stability and progress:
China and the New World Order:
How Entrepreneurship, Globalization, and Borderless Business are Reshaping China and the World (Book Excerpts)
by George Zhibin Gu
Foreword by William Ratliff
Publisher: Fultus; October 2006; 248 pages
taken from; http://www.financialsense.com
A New World Order in the Making？
Is a new world order in the making? The answer: yes. Up to now, only about 20% of the world's people have attained solid development, growth, and modernity. Now the rest are catching up at an unprecedented speed. This sudden surge in so many late developers suggests a brave new world in the making.
Several Key Changes
Huge changes are happening, within a vastly expanded sphere for all people and nations. We can identify four in particular.
First, wealth making through industrialization and commercialization has become a universal thing. For a long time, products made in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany dominated global markets. Today, products made in China, Mexico, Vietnam, and Indonesia, among other developing nations, are increasingly flooding the world, changing the global production map again.
Behind this changing map, interestingly, many poor nations have rapidly taken on active roles in the global economy. But their biggest weapon remains low-cost labor, which provides a working platform for cooperation and sharing between the rich and poor nations.
[...]
Chapter 21. Federation: The Best Choice for Taiwan and Mainland China
The realities between Taiwan and mainland China are "economically hot, politically cold." Their ever-increasing economic ties demand far better political relations, not to mention other things. A federation would seem to be a highly feasible solution. Economically, the time is right; politically, it is only a few steps away.
A federal system would mean more autonomy for Taiwan than Hong Kong and Macau enjoy. For Beijing in particular and China as a whole, it would mean the revolutionary concept of a unified China with multiple power centers.
Under a federal system, the island would keep its own government, military, judicial, and other systems. Its political leadership would not bow to Beijing. In short, the relationship would be a political partnership between equals. Both political entities would be subject only to a “federation” law. And anything is open for discussion under the "one China" principle.
Taiwan's Love Affair With the Mainland
Economically, Taiwan and mainland China are well connected. The mainland is Taiwan's biggest trading partner as well as its number-one export market. In 2004, total cross-strait trade reached U.S.$61.6 billion, a jump of 33.1% over 2003; of this, Taiwan's exports accounted for $45 billion, by Taiwan's own accounting.
[...]
Chapter 22. Taiwanese Business in the Mainland
The ongoing business and human flows from Taiwan to the mainland are both natural and inevitable. They follow from the basic economic principle: Humans go where opportunities lie, and so does capital.
To date, Taiwanese businesspeople have made strides in the mainland, with impacts of many dimensions. For one, they have helped to integrate the island’s economy with the mainland’s in all sorts of ways. For another, they have gained huge room for growth. In addition, they are helping to foster a new environment for a possible peaceful resolution of the unity issue.
A Vibrant Taiwanese Force
In the current era, the Hong Kong and Macau business communities went to the mainland far sooner than their Taiwanese counterpart, but the reasons were exclusively political. For Taiwanese residents, traveling to the mainland has been allowed only since 1987. Quickly, cross-strait life changed dramatically. By now, Taiwanese businesspeople have made as much of a mark in the mainland as those from Hong Kong and Macau.
Why has Taiwan Inc. put such huge capital into the mainland despite all the political tensions? Their motive is simple: The mainland offers immense opportunities, much greater than those on the island. Indeed, the early birds have already benefited greatly, which has hastened the rush.
As with their Hong Kong and Macau counterparts, the greatest strengths of the Taiwanese businesspeople come from their vast numbers. Today, most Taiwanese players are small and medium-sized companies. They cover all economic sectors, ranging from consumer products, real estate, and retail to IT and equipment manufacturing.1
These Taiwanese companies are mostly niche players, but they have numerous advantages. They are aggressive and flexible and are quick learners. Being Chinese, they can adapt to the mainland environment very quickly and effectively despite the different political surroundings. The explosive growth in the mainland market has become a new profit and growth haven for them.
[...]
This book consists of 26 chapters, which are organized into eight parts:
I. China’s New Role in the World Development
Ch 1. China's social changes vs tourism
Ch 2. Whose 21st century?
Ch 3. Go east, young man!
Ch 4. Everyone in the same boat
ch 5. Power and limits of later developers
II. The Yuan, Trade, and Investment
ch 6. China's competitiveness vs rising yuan.
ch 7. Where to invest your money?
ch 8. Behind a rising yuan
ch 9. Beyond textile trade wars
III. China’s Fast-Changing Society, Politics, and Economy (in light of Chinese and global history)
ch 10. Lessons from Shenzhen, China's new powerhouse.
ch 11. Hunan province: from red state to supergirl and superrice.
ch 12. A revolution of Chinese professions
ch 13. What is the Chinese bureaucratic tradition?
ch 14. Why does Beijing want to reform?
IV. China’s Banking, Insurance, and Stock Market Reforms
ch 15. The explosive insurance market
ch 16. Chinese banks on the move, finally.
ch 17. lessons from China's stock market.
V. Chinese Multinationals vs. Global Giants
ch 18. The coming of age of Chinese multinationals.
ch 19. Behind Chinese multinationals' global efforts.
ch 20. China's technology development.
VI. The Taiwan Issue : Current Affairs and Trends (federation as an alternate way for unity)
ch 21. Federation: the best choice for Taiwan and mainland China.
ch 22. Taiwanese businesses in the mainland.
a vibrant Taiwanese force.
Hightech.
Other sectors.
What is the next?
Will Spring follow winter?
VII. India vs. China : Moving Ahead at the Same Time
ch. 23. China and India: can they do better together?
ch 24. Uneven development: India vs China.
VIII. The Japan-China Issue : Evolving Relations in Light of History
ch 25. Japanese business in China.
ch 26. Japan's past aggressions vs current affairs.
Author George Zhibin Gu is a journalist/consultant based in China. He has written three other books: 1. China’s Global Reach: Markets, Multinationals and Globalization (Fultus, 2006); 2. Made in China: National and Business Players and Challengers under Globalization and Capitalism (English edition forthcoming, 2007); and 3. China Beyond Deng: Reform in the PRC (McFarland, 1991)
Italian farmers pin beef hopes on Japanese cows
By Svetlana Kovalyova
Feb 5, 2008
COMAZZO, Italy (Reuters Life!) - A farm near Milan is raising Japanese Wagyu cows to woo meat-loving Italians with the world's most expensive Kobe steaks.
The Italians are hoping the tender, marbled beef will revive falling beef consumption and give their profits a boost.
Described by one chef as "the Ferrari of meat," Kobe has been making inroads in Italy even though it costs about 100 euros ($148.2) per kg to buy. That's twice the price of Italy's Fiorentina T-bone steaks from Chianina cows.
Chocolate-colored Yoko, Waghino and Hirino, stumbling in their stall on a farm just south of Milan, are about a month old and are the first Wagyu calves to be born in Italy. They come from embryos imported from Australia.
They will be meticulously reared and coddled for 2-3 years, with massages and a diet including beer to give them the famous marble-like meat texture webbed with fat veins for the first "Made in Italy" Kobe steak to land on someone's plate.
Matteo Scibilia, chef at a haute cuisine restaurant near Milan and an adviser to Italian retailer Metro, cannot wait to give his connoisseur clients a taste.
"There is a demand for high quality meat. Kobe beef may sell for 300 euros a kilo in a restaurant. It is a niche product, like a Ferrari for meat," said Scibilia, who currently uses imported Kobe beef at his restaurant, Osteria della Buona Condotta.
Fausto Cremonesi, veterinary professor at Milan's Universita degli Studi and a driving force behind the plan to raise Wagyu cows in Italy, said the project is aimed at boosting farmers' dwindling profits as well as reviving demand.
"This meat has very specific qualities. Our goal is to offer it to Italian consumers, to have it arriving fresh to our tables, without traveling thousands of kilometers," he said.
Scibilia said a sight of the raw meat with its trademark marbled fat may put off some health-conscious diners at first, but the tenderness and rich flavor would win their hearts.
Cremonesi said Kobe beef is low cholesterol, rich in antioxidants and its fat is easy to digest.
BEEFING UP PROFITS
Farmers and veterinary surgeons involved in the 42,000 euro pilot project to breed Wagyu cows in Italy believe it will pay off as a grown Wagyu cow may sell for about 100 times more than a typical Italian one.
"It is worth it ... It can turn into a profitable business," said Rosangela Garlappi, a vet who spent sleepless nights when the calves were born at her family farm and one of them fell ill.
Garlappi, who has about 300 milk cattle at her farm, said it was difficult to forecast profits, but any gain would be welcome as a standard milk calf sells for about 0.80-1.20 euros per kilo -- barely enough to cover production costs.
Italian cattle farmers struggled last year to pass on higher animal feed costs on the back of a rally in grain prices, while domestic meat demand fell.
Beef consumption in Italy -- weak in the past few years after a mad cow disease scare -- fell 4.2 percent in the first 10 months of 2007 as food price hikes forced Italians to trim spending, said Italy's major farming body Coldiretti.
Farmers aim to have a Wagyu herd of about 200 cows in Italy in a few years, said Ernesto Beretta, a veterinary researcher who works on the project for Coldiretti.
(Additional reporting by Chikafumi Hodo in Tokyo, editing by Paul Casciato)
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