Tokyo, 10 December, /AJMEDIA/
Countries rally behind democracy in U.S.-led summit amid China’s rise
WASHINGTON – Dozens of world leaders rallied behind U.S. calls to uphold democracy and human rights as President Joe Biden on Thursday hosted a virtual summit to counter challenges posed by authoritarianism seen in countries such as China.
The “Summit for Democracy,” which brings together over 100 countries and regions for two days through Friday, has added to tensions between the United States and China, with Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island which Beijing claims as its own territory, among the invitees while China was not.
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Japan PM calls on like-minded nations to defend democracy, key values
TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday called for like-minded nations sharing the universal values of democracy, freedom and rule of law to jointly counter attempts to undermine them, as he attended a U.S.-hosted summit on democracy.
During the virtual meeting, Kishida vowed to provide $14 million to international organizations to ramp up efforts to respect human rights in the corporate sector, which has come under increased scrutiny by shareholders.
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G-7 split over diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics
TOKYO – France broke with other Group of Seven industrialized nations Thursday, saying it will send high-level officials to this winter’s Beijing Olympics after the United States, Britain and Canada announced they would diplomatically boycott the event.
The split came when France’s education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said France “will not do it,” a day after Australia, Britain and Canada said they would engage in a diplomatic boycott following the United States’ lead, citing China’s human rights record.
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Hitachi wins order to build next-generation high-speed trains in UK
TOKYO – Hitachi Ltd. will become the first Japanese company to build next-generation high-speed trains in Europe, announcing Thursday its involvement in a deal to build and maintain trains for the High Speed Two (HS2) railway project in Britain.
A fifty-fifty joint venture between Hitachi Rail Ltd., the Japanese conglomerate’s subsidiary, and its French partner Alstom has signed contracts with HS2 to design, build and maintain 54 next-generation high-speed trains for 1.97 billion pounds ($2.6 billion), the two companies said in a press release.
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Japanese firm acquitted in deadly Taiwan train derailment: report
TAIPEI – A Japanese firm was found not guilty by a Taipei court on Thursday for a derailment of an express train that killed 18 people in 2018, local media reported.
The Central News Agency reported that the Taiwan Railways Administration had filed a lawsuit against Sumitomo Corp. and its affiliate in Taiwan seeking NT$612 million (US$22 million) in compensation.
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Japan PM calls on nuclear weapons states to boost transparency
TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday called on all nuclear weapons states to increase transparency in their capability as he pledged his utmost for the adoption of a final document at a U.N. conference on nuclear nonproliferation.
Born into a family from the western Japanese prefecture of Hiroshima whose capital was devastated by a 1945 U.S. atomic bombing, Kishida told a nuclear disarmament meeting Japan will take the lead in bringing nations with differing positions on nuclear arms together to focus on promoting coordination in efforts toward a world free of such weapons.
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Myanmar shadow gov’t seeks help from Japan lawmakers for recognition
TOKYO – A parallel government formed by Myanmar’s pro-democracy forces in its fight against the junta urged a cross-party group of Japanese lawmakers on Thursday to lend support for it to gain recognition in Japan as a legitimate governing body.
Duwa Lashi La, acting president of the National Unity Government of Myanmar, said in a virtual meeting with the cross-party group that supports democracy in the Southeast Asian country that the parallel government will establish a representative office in Japan to counter the Myanmar Embassy in Tokyo, which is under the influence of the military government.
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Motor racing: 2-time Indy 500 champ Sato shifts teams for 2022 season
TOKYO – Two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Takuma Sato has changed teams ahead of the 2022 IndyCar Series, joining Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing-Honda in a deal announced Thursday.
The 44-year-old spent the past four seasons driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, earning three wins with the team, including his second Indy 500 crown in 2020.
