月: 2023年3月

1. Western analysts say Russia’s offensive in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk may be losing steam as Ukrainian troops continue all-out resistance. Russian private military firm Wagner Group and Ukrainian forces are locked in a fierce battle for full control of the Ukrainian stronghold of Bakhmut. 2. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has told his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba that Beijing intends to play a constructive role in bringing about a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. China’s Foreign Ministry said the two ministers held telephone talks on Thursday. The ministry quoted Qin as saying he had expressed concern about an escalation of the Ukraine-Russia crisis and the possibility of it getting out of control.
3.Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol have agreed to resume the so-called shuttle diplomacy between the leaders of the two countries. Such mutual visits have not taken place in more than a decade.

1. The Japanese Prime Minister and South Korean President are holding talks in Tokyo. Kishida Fumio and Yoon Suk-yeol are hoping to improve strained relations between the countries, as North Korea speeds up its nuclear and missile development. Yoon is the first South Korean president to visit Japan in 12 years – excluding international gatherings.
2. Japan’s defense ministry says the suspected intercontinental ballistic missile fired by North Korea on Thursday likely had the capacity to travel as far as 15,000 kilometers. That is enough to reach the entire US mainland. There is a high possibility that it was what’s known as a lofted missile. 3. A senior White House official has spoken about the US drone that went down into the Black Sea, after it has a physical encounter with a Russian jet. He said the device might never be recovered.

1. Economic data released by China on Wednesday show the world’s second-largest economy picking up at the beginning of this year, following the end of the “zero-COVID” policy. The National Bureau of Statistics says retail sales in the first two months rose by 3.5 percent from the same period a year ago. It was the first increase after three straight months of declines going back to October of 2022. 2. Japan’s annual wage negotiations are set to peak on Wednesday, when many companies will respond to labor unions. Many unions are having their demands met, but the question is whether workers at not only big firms but also smaller ones will be given persistent pay raises. 3. Japan’s Upper House has stripped a member of the chamber of his status as a lawmaker for failing to attend a single Diet session. On Wednesday, the Upper House plenary session voted 235 to one to expel opposition Seijikajoshi 48 Party member GaaSyy. He will no longer be a lawmaker.

1. South Korea’s military says North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles on Tuesday morning. This comes one day after US and South Korean forces began joint military drills. 2. US President Joe Biden has pledged to do whatever it takes to contain the fallout from a pair of banking collapses. He is working to restore confidence after the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.
3. China’s President Xi Jinping is reportedly planning a visit to Russia next week for talks with his counterpart Vladimir Putin.

1. Nobel Prize-winning Japanese novelist Oe Kenzaburo died of old age on March 3. He was 88. Oe won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1994, becoming the second Japanese author to receive the honor after Kawabata Yasunari.
2. China’s President Xi Jinping has reiterated his determination to push for the reunification of Taiwan in a speech to the National People’s Congress. Xi said he will advance the process of the reunification of the motherland, stressing that China will firmly oppose pro-independence and secessionist activities and the interference of external forces. 3. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed confidence that his forces will successfully defend the strategic city of Bakhmut from Russia. The city is a Ukrainian stronghold in the country’s eastern region of Donetsk.

1. Policymakers at the Bank of Japan have wrapped up their two-day meeting on Friday, the last one for Governor Kuroda Haruhiko. Reflecting on the past 10 years, he called monetary easing a success, and said the potential of Japan’s economy had been fully demonstrated. 2.Twin panda cubs at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo are being prepared for independence from their mother starting on Friday. Male Xiao Xiao and female Lei Lei will be 21 months old on March 23. Wild pandas become independent of their mothers around the age. 3. The latest polls in South Korea show that almost 60 percent of the respondents are against the government’s plan for settling the wartime labor issue with Japan. The plan announced on Monday says a government-backed fund supported by donations from domestic companies is to compensate people who say they or their relatives were forced to work for Japanese firms during World War Two. The survey shows that 35 percent of the respondents support the plan, saying it is good for the national interest and relations with Japan. But 59 percent said they are against the plan as it does not include apologies and compensation from Japan.

1. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will visit Japan for two days from next Thursday to hold summit talks with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. It will be the first visit to Japan by a South Korean president in about four years.
2.Japan’s Lower House has endorsed the appointment of economist Ueda Kazuo as the new governor of the Bank of Japan. Ueda, a former BOJ policy board member, is to replace Kuroda Haruhiko, whose term ends on April 8.
3. International Women’s Day demonstrations have taken place in Turkey, Peru, Brazil and many other parts of the world, calling for advances in women’s rights.

1. Japan’s Imperial Household Agency has resumed processions of horse-drawn carriages for newly appointed foreign ambassadors, after a three-year suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic. A procession is held when newly appointed envoys present their credentials to the Emperor. Office workers and foreign tourists were seen taking pictures and videos as the carriage passed through a tree-lined avenue in the business district.
2. Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip have flown kites to mark the 12th year since the massive earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan’s northeast. The kite flying event started in 2012 with the support of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA. The event has since been held annually except for 2020, when it had to be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. 3. Japan’s tourist industry is struggling with a shortage of workers as demand for travel surges in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government organized job fair in a bid to help companies affected. More than 30 businesses, including bus companies and hotel operators, sent recruiters to the fair on Wednesday. Job-hunting university students and workers seeking to switch jobs visited corporate booths, where they were briefed on the work and wages.

1. The Japanese government has approved a draft of revisions to the immigration law and related legislation. The draft of revisions to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act was approved at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
2. Japan’s launch of its new flagship H3 rocket ended in failure after the second-stage engine didn’t ignite and the mission was aborted. According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, about eight minutes after liftoff it was announced that ignition of the second-stage engine had not been confirmed.
3. Britain’s Financial Times newspaper is reporting that Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is planning to meet with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the United States in April. The article published Monday says. “Several people familiar with the situation said that Tsai and McCarthy had agreed to meet in the US because of Taiwanese security concerns.”

1. South Korean officials have unveiled a plan to settle a longstanding issue with Japan. They say South Korean companies will compensate people who say they were forced to work during World War Two. Foreign Minister Park Jin said, “We are willing to develop the relationship between South Korea and Japan to a higher level, to a more future-oriented one.”
2. South Korea’s government has disclosed plans to halt the process of its complaint with the World Trade Organization against Japan while discussions proceed on Japan’s export restrictions. South Korea’s industry ministry announced on Monday tat Seoul and Tokyo agreed to conduct bilateral consultations on export control issues.
3.The head of Japan’s largest business group says the organization will consider new programs to step up cooperation with its South Korean counterpart, following Seoul’s announcement of a plan to settle the wartime labor issue between the two countries.