Tokyo, 28 March, /AJMEDIA
China’s financial hub Shanghai starts 9-day COVID lockdown
SHANGHAI – China’s financial hub of Shanghai came under lockdown for nine days starting Monday, with each half of the city to be shut down in turns to conduct mass COVID-19 testing, sparking fears about the outlook for the world’s second-largest economy.
In Shanghai, which has a population of around 24.9 million, the number of new infections with the novel coronavirus exceeded 2,000 both on Friday and Saturday, hitting a record high, as the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads.
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Japan vows to boost post-COVID development cooperation with Africa
TOKYO – Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Sunday he pledged to boost post-COVID era development cooperation with nations in Africa, where China’s clout has been growing, as a two-day virtual meeting with his African counterparts closed.
Hayashi said he and representatives from about 50 African countries also shared the importance of transparent and fair development financing amid concerns about Beijing’s “debt trap,” in which recipient countries of Chinese investment are saddled with massive loans they cannot repay.
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Myanmar’s military chief vows to “annihilate” anti-coup forces
NAYPYITAW – Myanmar’s military chief Sunday vowed to “annihilate” anti-junta forces and their supporters, saying there is no room for negotiations with such groups.
Speaking before over 8,600 troops gathered for an annual military parade marking the 77th annual Armed Forces Day, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said the military will not negotiate with the opposition groups, which it calls terrorist groups.
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PM Kishida says Ukraine crisis may lead world to greatest postwar crisis
TOKYO – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens to shake the very foundation of international order and could potentially lead the world to “the greatest crisis” since World War II, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Sunday.
Japan would not rule out any options to fundamentally strengthen its defense capabilities, as the government aims to revise the National Security Strategy, a long-term guideline, by the end of the year, and two other key documents on its defense buildup, Kishida said in a speech at a graduation ceremony of the National Defense Academy.
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Japan funds for farmers to offset trade pacts underused for 5 years
TOKYO – Japanese government subsidies for agriculture and other industries affected by major free trade pacts, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, were underutilized for five years from the start of the initiative in fiscal 2016, according to government data.
The government had allocated a budget of over 2 trillion yen ($16.4 billion) to support the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors from fiscal 2015 to fiscal 2021, exposed to competition from foreign rivals under new trade deals.
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Biden slams Putin as he rallies free world to support Ukraine’s fight
WARSAW – U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin following the invasion of Ukraine, while rallying countries to support Kyiv in what he believes to be part of a larger fight between democracies and autocracies.
“We must commit now to be in this fight for the long haul. We must remain unified today and tomorrow and the day after, and for the years and decades to come,” Biden said in a speech in Warsaw that wrapped up his four days in Europe to affirm with leaders of the West their unity in responding to Russia’s aggression.
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FOCUS: Japanese energy firms brace for possible supply cut from Russia
TOKYO – Japanese gas and energy firms are closely monitoring the developments of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, with some eyeing non-Russia players as alternative suppliers on concerns Moscow may reduce or suspend its natural gas supply in retaliation for Western sanctions on the country.
To prepare for potential supply disruptions from Russia and other emergencies, Hiroshima Gas Co. is considering purchasing liquefied natural gas from Malaysia and other producers, while Osaka Gas Co. plans to bring forward gas procurement from the United States or Australia.
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Honda’s Asimo robot to retire after 20-year career wowing public
TOKYO – Honda Motor Co.’s Asimo humanoid robot will retire on Thursday, ending its 20-year career of wowing the public with walking and dancing demonstrations at a showroom at the automaker’s Tokyo headquarters.
Since its debut in 2000, Asimo has become a symbol of Japan’s pioneering robot technology, mastering the abilities to run, hop on one leg, speak sign language using five fingers and pour coffee into a paper cup from a tumbler.
