Politics
Leaders of South Korea, Japan share concerns over Russia-North Korea ties
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shared concerns over growing ties between Russia and North Korea and agreed to continue their security cooperation, a statement from Yoon's office said on Thursday. The two leaders, who are attending the NATO summit for the third consecutive… Read
Japan, S. Korea leaders meet to discuss N. Korea
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met Wednesday to discuss North Korea's growing military threat and possibly its deepening relations with Russia. Kishida and Yoon will likely confirm in Washington the importance of close communications toward a successful 60th anniversary next year of the… Read
Japan destroyer sailed into China territorial waters despite warnings
A Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer temporarily sailed into Chinese territorial waters off the country's eastern province of Zhejiang last week, despite repeated warnings by Chinese vessels, diplomatic sources said Wednesday. The Suzutsuki, tasked with monitoring Chinese military drills on the high seas, navigated into Chinese waters on July 4,… Read
Japan PM leaves for U.S., Germany for summits amid security concerns
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida left for Washington on Wednesday to attend a NATO summit to confirm cooperation with the alliance in addressing the increasingly severe security challenges posed by Russia and China. During his five-day overseas trip through Sunday, Kishida is also slated to visit Germany for talks with… Read
Japan must strengthen NATO ties to safeguard global peace, PM says
Russia's deepening military cooperation with North Korea has underlined the need for Japan to forge closer ties with NATO as regional security threats become increasingly intertwined, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told Reuters. In written remarks ahead of his attendance at a NATO summit in Washington DC this week, Kishida also… Read
Ex-senior diplomat in Tokyo becomes de facto U.S. envoy in Taipei
Raymond Greene, the former U.S. deputy chief of mission in Tokyo, assumed the role of de facto U.S. ambassador to Taiwan on Tuesday, according to the top American agency on the island. It is Greene's third posting in the territory, having last served as deputy director of the American Institute… Read
To counter China, NATO and its Asian partners are moving closer under US leadership
In the third year of the war in Ukraine, NATO is set to deepen relations with its four Indo-Pacific partners, which, although not part of the military alliance, are gaining prominence as Russia and China forge closer ties to counter the United States and the two Koreas support opposing sides… Read
Philippines says pact with Japan takes defense ties to unprecedented high
The Philippines hailed an "unprecedented" high in defense ties with Japan after the signing on Monday of a landmark military pact allowing deployment of forces on each other's soil in the face of China's increasingly assertive stance in the region. The Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), the first of its kind… Read
'Pace is too slow.' Women gradually rise in Japanese politics but face deep challenges
Eight years ago, Yuriko Koike became the first woman to lead Tokyo, beating her male predecessor. She won her third term as governor Sunday, and one of her closest rivals was a woman. Multiple women competing for a top political office is still rare in Japan, which has a terrible… Read
Japan and Philippines sign defense pact in the face of shared alarm over China
Japan and the Philippines signed a key defense pact Monday allowing the deployment of Japanese forces for joint military exercises, including live-fire drills, to the Southeast Asian nation that came under brutal Japanese occupation in World War II but is now building an alliance with Tokyo as they face an… Read
