Tokyo, 25 May, /AJMEDIA/
North Korea fires 3 ballistic missiles: South Korean military
SEOUL – North Korea fired three ballistic missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, just a day after U.S. President Joe Biden concluded his first Asia trip since taking office.
Japan also confirmed North Korea launched a series of projectiles that were believed to be ballistic missiles, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida telling reporters before entering his office that the government was collecting information.
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14 children, 1 teacher die in Texas school shooting rampage
LOS ANGELES – At least 14 children and one teacher were killed in a shooting rampage at an elementary school in the southern state of Texas on Tuesday, U.S. media reported, citing Gov. Greg Abbott.
The gunman, identified as an 18-year-old high school student, also died after the incident that took place in Uvalde, about 120 kilometers west of San Antonio and close to the Mexican border.
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China, Russia fly 6 bombers over waters near Japan during Quad summit
TOKYO – Six Chinese and Russian strategic bombers conducted a joint flight Tuesday over waters near Japan in what Japan’s defense minister believes was a protest against a Quad summit held in Tokyo, prompting Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force to scramble fighters in response.
China and Russia flew the bombers over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the Pacific from the morning to the afternoon, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry, when Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hosted a meeting with the leaders of the United States, Australia and India.
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Quad vows $50 bil. investment in Indo-Pacific to counter China clout
TOKYO – The leaders of Japan, the United States, Australia and India on Tuesday vowed to extend more than $50 billion in infrastructure aid and investment in the Indo-Pacific over the next five years, while making clear that a change of status quo by force anywhere is unacceptable in the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The message that came out from the in-person summit of the Quad group, the second of its kind, reflected the four countries’ renewed push for a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” as Russia’s military aggression heightens concerns over a similar situation occurring in a region where China has grown assertive.
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FOCUS: Indo-Pacific alignment against China still elusive despite Biden trip
TOKYO – U.S. President Joe Biden’s trip to Asia sought to put on full display the robust bilateral alliances with Japan and South Korea, as well as the evolving Quad partnership with Japan, Australia and India in the face of the looming security threats and economic challenges posed by China.
But the development of a deeper and broader alignment across the Indo-Pacific that can push back against China’s assertiveness seems to remain elusive, as indicated by the mixed response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the vagueness of a just-launched U.S. economic engagement initiative in the region.
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Kishida, Modi vow to beef up ties to keep Indo-Pacific free, open
TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, reaffirmed Tuesday their commitment to building a free and open Indo-Pacific by beefing up defense ties to keep an increasingly assertive China in check.
The two leaders also pledged to deepen bilateral relations in economic, cultural and other realms, the Japanese government said, with this year marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and India.
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Japan tops world tourism ranking despite COVID restrictions
DAVOS, Switzerland – Japan on Tuesday came out ranking highest on a list of destinations in a 2021 travel and tourism development report by the World Economic Forum, despite the country being closed to foreign tourists due to restrictions against the coronavirus.
Topping the list for the first time, Japan ranked highly for its cultural resources and in several infrastructure categories, with the United States ranked second and Spain third.
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Japan, Australia leaders eye stronger defense ties as China looms large
TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and new Australian leader Anthony Albanese agreed Tuesday to deepen bilateral defense and security cooperation, as both nations confront the challenges posed by the rise of an assertive China in the Indo-Pacific region.
In their first in-person meeting since Albanese was sworn in as Australia’s prime minister on Monday, the two leaders strongly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and shared the view that the crisis should never be replicated in the Indo-Pacific, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.