Northeast Asia Geostrategic Forum

[ahojunk]

Okinawa appeals high court ruling supporting U.S. base transfer plan
SEP. 24, 2016 - 02:55PM JST
Japan Today

TOKYO —

The Okinawa prefectural government on Friday appealed a recent high-court ruling that backed the central government’s move to transfer a key U.S. air base within the southern island prefecture under a plan strongly opposed by local residents.

“The ruling that excessively takes the side of the central government…will leave a serious problem to the future,” Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga said in a statement, referring to the first judicial judgment in the intensifying dispute with Tokyo over a plan to move the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a crowded residential area in Ginowan to the less-populated Henoko coastal area of Nago.

Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, meanwhile, made her first visit to Okinawa since assuming that post in early August and expressed regret to local municipalities over a U.S. military aircraft crash off Okinawa a day before, which she said had stirred “great concerns” among the citizens there.

The crash of the U.S. Marines AV-8 Harrier jet was the latest in a series of accidents involving U.S. military aircraft in Okinawa, which hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Harrier jets, which are capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing, have been involved in 18 accidents since Okinawa reverted to Japanese rule in 1972, including crashes into the nearby sea in 1994 and 1995.

The U.S. Marine Corps announced Friday the temporary grounding of all Harrier jets in Okinawa.

“It is common practice for units to execute operational pauses following a significant mishap,” the Marines said in a statement, adding that all the jets will be “inspected to ensure they meet operational readiness standards”.

The statement did not say how long those planes will be grounded. The Okinawa prefectural government has called for a suspension in the operations of the same jets until the cause of the accident is known.

In the latest incident, the Harrier jet, after taking off from U.S. Kadena Airbase in Okinawa, crashed around 1:55 p.m. Thursday about 150 kilometers east of Cape Hedo at the north end of Okinawa. The pilot was picked up by a U.S. Air Force rescue aircraft.

Before heading to Okinawa, Inada told reporters Friday that the Defense Ministry’s Okinawa bureau has urged U.S. forces in Japan to prevent such accidents.

“I want to call on the U.S. side to handle the operation of airplanes with the utmost consideration for citizens and our country. I would also like to call for thorough safety management,” she said.

During her two-day visit, Inada is scheduled to hold talks with Onaga on Saturday to seek support for the Futenma relocation plan, which is based on an agreement between Japan and the United States in 1996.

The central government has maintained that the plan is “the only solution” for removing the dangers posed by the Futenma base, located in a densely populated area, without undermining the deterrence of the Japan-U.S. alliance. But Onaga and many Okinawans want the base to be relocated outside the prefecture.

The dispute has become a legal fight after Onaga revoked last October his predecessor’s approval for the carrying out of landfill work needed to move the Futenma base.

In a lawsuit filed by the central government, the Naha branch of the Fukuoka High Court said in its ruling on Sept. 16 that the transfer plan is the only way to address safety and noise problems at the base and that the act of revocation was “illegal.”

After the Okinawa prefectural government appealed the ruling, Isao Takeshita, a lawyer representing the prefecture, told reporters, “The lower court ruling goes against the spirit of local autonomy.”

“We expect the top court to go through our arguments carefully and face the matter squarely in reaching a judgment,” he said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference in Tokyo that the government will “take necessary actions” once procedures at the top court begin, while vowing to “act sincerely” over the issue.

Tokyo and Okinawa both agreed earlier to abide by a final ruling on the case, which could be issued within the current fiscal year ending March.

If Okinawa loses the lawsuit, the governor is expected to retract his revocation, paving the way for the central government to resume work to relocate the Futenma base. But Onaga may continue to explore other ways to block progress.

© KYODO

 

[TaiShang]

12th Beijing-Tokyo Forum opens in Tokyo
By Lin Liyao
China.org.cn

The 12th Beijing-Tokyo Forum kicked off on Tuesday in Tokyo with the theme of "Sino-Japanese cooperation for Asian and world peace and development."

Jointly organized by China International Publishing Group (CIPG) and Japan's Genron NPO, the meeting attracted nearly 500 diplomats and experts on Sino-Japanese relations.

Former U.N. Administrator Yasushi Akashi, Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua, State Council Information Office (SCIO) Minister Jiang Jianguo, former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, President of the China-Japan Friendship Association Tang Jiaxuan and CIPG President Zhou Mingwei attended the opening ceremony and gave keynote speeches.

After the plenary meeting, sub-forums on bilateral politics and diplomacy, economy and trade, media exchanges, security and special issues will be held on Sept. 28.

Experts and researchers from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China Foreign Affairs University, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, the University of Tokyo and Keio University are expected to take part in the discussion sections of the meeting.

Initiated in 2005, the Beijing-Tokyo Forum has become an influential non-governmental forum that features high-level dialogues and communication and has played a significant role in promoting mutual trust and understanding between the two countries.

**

Minister Jiang Jianguo urges improving China-Japan ties

China and Japan need to overcome their historical issues and prevent new ones from emerging in order to improve bilateral relations, said Minister Jiang Jianguo of the State Council Information Office at the ongoing Beijing-Tokyo Forum held in Tokyo on Tuesday.

State Council Information Office (SCIO) Minister Jiang Jianguo gives keynote speech during the 12th Beijing-Tokyo Forum, which kicked off in Tokyo, Sept. 27, 2016. [Photo/people.cn]

China-Japan relations have been quite tense in recent years. Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his Japanese counterpart Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the recently concluded G20 Hangzhou summit, where President Xi reaffirmed China's position of improving relations with Japan.

Commenting on that, Minister Jiang said the Beijing-Tokyo Forum is both timely and significant in contributing to improvement of bilateral ties.

Jiang said that both China and Japan should hold onto the stability of their relations. "China-Japan ties have witnessed war traumas in history, but peace, friendliness and cooperation are the new normal and the trend of the times. As the two giants in Asia and the world's second and third largest economy, relations between China and Japan not only affect the well-being of their citizens, but also the peace, stability and prosperity of Asia and the entire world. Therefore holding onto peace, friendliness and cooperation is the only correct way forward for China-Japan relations."

The two sides are currently confronted with complicated issues, including historical ones and newly emerging ones, for instance the South China Sea issue, Jiang said. The two sides need to not only manage their historical issues, but also prevent such new ones from emerging, he said.

The minister urges think tanks, media, business and ordinary citizens of the two countries to further cooperate and contribute to bringing bilateral ties back to a normal track.

 

[ahojunk]

Japan to relax visa rules for Chinese in October
2016-09-28 08:46 | Global Times | Editor: Li Yan


Japan said Tuesday it would relax its visa regulations for visitors from China starting October 17.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told the Forum on Sino-Japanese Relations in Tokyo that the plan that was first announced in April when he visited China. It said the length of stay would be extended from 5 to 10 years for Chinese nationals applying for multiple entry visas for short-term business trips and for cultural or academic activities, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

China's Foreign Ministry said the number of Chinese and Japanese people traveling to each other's country was 4.71 million person/times in 2013.

"Japan tries to promote non-governmental level exchanges, especially when both sides have many disputes and problems on the government-to-government level," Huang Dahui, director of the Center for East Asian Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Tuesday, adding that Chinese people are also expected to form the largest foreign audience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Also starting in October, Chinese graduate students and alumni of the universities of the Ministry of Education of China will be allowed to submit a certificate of student status or graduation, instead of a document, to confirm financial capability previously required, the Japanese Foreign Ministry also said on Tuesday, Xinhua reported.

"Japan needs to open itself to the world to boost economic growth," Huang said. "Aside from attracting tourists, Japan's education market also needs support from China."

 

[ahojunk]

Build trust that lasts, says 'Tokyo consensus'
2016-09-29 09:01 | China Daily | Editor: Feng Shuang

Asian nations need to seek shared vision, ex-Japanese official says

China and Japan need to develop extensive nongovernmental exchanges for the sake of the future of Asia and the world, according to the "Tokyo consensus" issued by the 12th Beijing-Tokyo Forum on Wednesday.

Chinese and Japanese panelists at the forum conceded that their countries are divided on many issues and agreed to work hard on building long-lasting trust between the nation's peoples.

The document called on the two governments to appropriately handle issues and differences involving security and the military. It recommended that the two countries expedite the establishment of a "maritime and air liaison mechanism" in an attempt to enhance mutual trust, reduce suspicion and avoid misjudgments.

Yao Yunzhu, former director of the Center for China-America Defense Relations at the Academy of Military Science of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, said Chinese and Japanese defense ministries have agreed to set up a hotline and to define the methods for contact and a code of conduct for encounters in the air or sea.

"If the mechanism is established, it will, to some extent, prevent military aircraft and warships from dangerous conditions when they run into each other," Yao said. "When contingencies happen, misjudgments will be reduced to avoid unnecessary escalations."

Yoriko Kawaguchi, Japan's former foreign and environmental minister, proposed that countries in Asia search for something that can bind them together, as Buddhism did in the past.

"We need to think about what vision we may share," said Kawaguchi, now a professor of Asia-Pacific studies at the Meiji Institute for Global Affairs.

Cheng Yonghua, China's ambassador to Japan, said the countries need to redefine their perceptions of each other.

"Ultimately, both countries have to realize that they are in an inseparable relationship," Cheng said.

"They should abide by the political agreements on being cooperative partners that pose no threats to each other and support each other's peaceful development. It is important that they should find out a way to get along, which goes with the times and is in the interests of the two peoples."

 

[خره مينه لګته وي]

China urges US, South Korea to halt THAAD missile deployment
2016-10-01 00:38:46 GMT2016-10-01 08:38:46(Beijing Time) Agencies

China on Friday urged the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) to halt the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), an advanced US missile defense system, on the Korean Peninsula.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang called on the United States and the ROK to do more to benefit regional peace and stability, and face up to the reasonable concerns of regional countries, including China.

The ROK reportedly selected a golf course in the southeastern part of the country as the final site for the THAAD missile system. Defense ministers of the ROK and the United States approved the site in month-long evaluations jointly conducted by the allies, ending September 27.

We keep repeating our position that the deployment of the THAAD missile system by the United States and the ROK will not address the concerns of relevant parties, contribute to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, or aid the peace and stability of the Peninsula, Geng said.

The deployment will severely damage regional strategic security interests and harm the regional strategic balance, Geng said.

Geng said China will take necessary measures to safeguard its national security.


Source : english.sina

 

[ahojunk]

S. Korea alters site for U.S. missile shield on rising oppositions
2016-09-30 13:31 | Xinhua | Editor: Xu Shanshan

South Korea on Friday announced a plan to alter a site for the U.S. missile shield, which Seoul and Washington had agreed to deploy in southeastern South Korea by the end of next year, amid strong oppositions from people living in the originally designated site.

Seoul's defense ministry originally planned to announce the changed site in the afternoon after explaining it to residents concerned and lawmakers at about 2:00 p.m. local time (0500 GMT), but the explanations were brought forward as ministry officials unilaterally visited residents in the morning, according to local media reports.

Military authorities of South Korea and the United States jointly announced their agreement in July to deploy one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery at a missile emplacement in Seongju county in North Gyeongsang province.

Seongju residents aroused the bitterest opposition to the closed-door decision without any prior notice and explanation, demanding a re-examination of where the super microwave-emitting radar is sited.

One THAAD battery is composed of six mobile launchers, 48 interceptors, a fire control unit and an X-band radar, which is known to emit microwaves detrimental to human bodies and environment.

On Aug. 4, President Park Geun-hye said she will reconsider the THAAD site, and Defense Minister Han Min-koo visited the Seongju county on Aug. 17, saying that if residents formally ask for a re-designation within the county, the defense ministry will re-consider where the U.S. missile defense system is sited.

Three candidate sites were allegedly under deliberation, but a golf course within the Seongju county was finally designated because two other sites require new infrastructure such as road, electricity and water.

The infrastructure development will require approval for budget from opposition lawmakers, which had expressed objections to the THAAD deployment in South Korean soil as the installation is not in any national interests militarily and diplomatically.

The THAAD battery is believed to be incapable of intercepting hundreds of missiles from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that fly at an altitude of less than 40 km. The THAAD is aimed at shooting down missiles at an altitude of 40-150 km.

The U.S. missile defense system is to be deployed in southeastern South Korea, making it impossible for the THAAD interceptors to defend the capital Seoul and its adjacent metropolitan areas.

China and Russia have strongly opposed the THAAD deployment decision as it breaks strategic balance and boosts arms race in the region. The THAAD's X-band radar can peer deep into Chinese and Russian territories.

The Seongju golf course is reportedly owned by Lotte Group, the country's fifth-biggest conglomerate. Lotte's founding family, including group chairman Shin Dong-bin, has been under prosecutors' investigation for embezzlement, tax evasion and slush funds.

The South Korean military is required to purchase the golf course, allegedly priced at more than 100 billion won (90.5 million U.S. dollars). The direct purchase will also require a parliamentary approval, so local media estimated that the military may seek to exchange other military-owned land for the golf course.

Despite the altered site, residents are expected to continue their opposition to the THAAD deployment as the golf course is away from the originally designated site but is closer to the southeastern city of Gimcheon with a population of about 140,000.

Gimcheon residents, enraged at earlier media reports estimating that the golf course would be designated as a new site, had rallied against the deployment.

They formed a Gimcheon committee for THAAD opposition, having claimed that the site change would represent the negligence of Gimcheon citizens as the alteration came from strong oppositions by Seongju residents.

The committee has said that unless the THAAD battery causes any damage to people and environment as the defense ministry insists, there would be no reason for change in the deployment site.

Gimcheon mayor has reportedly refused to meet military officials visiting the city for explanations about the site change.

 

[TaiShang]

South Korean Lawyers Begin Legal Battle to Stop US THAAD Anti-Missile System

ASIA & PACIFIC 01.10.2016 Sputnik News

South Korean legal experts are planning a constitutional challenge to the proposal by Seoul and Washington to deploy the US THAAD anti-missile defense system in the southeast of the country next year.

On Friday South Korea announced its intention to deploy a US THAAD anti-missile defense system at a golf course in Gyeongsangbuk-do, a region in southeastern South Korea.

In July, Seoul and Washington had chosen the Seongsan anti-aircraft missile base in Seongju, 296 kilometers southeast of the capital, as the site for the system.

However, residents there strongly protested the decision, citing environmental and health hazards including the potentially harmful effects of emissions from THAAD's X-band radar.

Earlier this week, the Defense Ministries of South Korea and the US completed a review into the THAAD deployment, and concluded that the golf course is the best location, since "it is already equipped with the necessary infrastructure for the installation," and could be installed as early as next year, Yonhap News reported.

The golf course is currently owned by Lotte Group, and would cost the government $91 million. Residents of Gimcheon, a city adjacent to the proposed new site, have already threatened to hold "a full-scale protest" if the THAAD plan goes ahead.

However, Seoul and Washington may again be prevented from deploying THAAD, thanks to a planned legal challenge from South Korean legal experts.

South Korean lawyer Kim Jin-hyung of the organization Minbyun (Lawyers for a Democratic Society) told Sputnik that they are preparing a challenge to the proposal, on the basis that THAAD poses a threat to the country's security. "Since the government has identified the place to deploy THAAD, our organization has decided to submit a constitutional challenge and start a lawsuit," Kim Jin-hyung said.

"The deployment of THAAD batteries, which will become a link in the American missile defense system, will provoke a harsh response from China and Russia. This only increases tension and the risk of military conflict in south-east Asia and does not contribute to the security of the Korean peninsula at all." The lawyer thinks that Minbyun has a good legal case based on the South Korean constitution, which states that "all citizens have the right to a healthy and pleasant environment."

"It is necessary to minimize the unconstitutionality of this decision, which violates the right to make independent decisions, the right to a pleasant environment, as well as health rights, granted by the constitution," Kim Jin-hyung said.

The US and South Korea have declared the deployment of THAAD necessary to deter North Korea from further developing its nuclear program. On September 9 Pyongyang announced it had carried out its fifth test of a newly-developed nuclear warhead.

China has stated its opposition regarding North Korea's nuclear tests, and has imposed some sanctions on Pyongyang, in line with UN Security Council resolutions.

However, Beijing is also opposed to the US deployment of THAAD in the region, which it sees as a potential threat to its security amid US efforts to build up its influence and military presence in the Pacific Region. "Like any other country, China can neither be vague nor indifferent on security matters that affect its core interests," the China People's Daily wrote in a commentary on Saturday. "If the United States and South Korea harm the strategic security interests of countries in the region including China, then they are destined to pay the price for this and receive a proper counter attack," the paper continued, although it was no more specific.

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/asia/20161001/1045895885/south-korea-thaad-anti-missile.html

 

[Shotgunner51]

October 5, 2016 4:45 am JST

Fujitsu to sell 'smart' factory systems in China

A monitoring system at a Shanghai Yidian group factory provides real-time information on operations. ​

TOKYO -- Japan's Fujitsu will partner with Chinese group Shanghai Yidian to sell factory management systems in China, where the government is promoting such technology as a way to cope with a shrinking labor force and improve manufacturing quality.

These systems fall into the realm of "internet of things" -- networks of machines, such as factory robots or appliances, that can collect and share data.

The municipal-government-run Shanghai Yidian group comprises nearly 150 companies making electronic components, lighting and other products. Some of the group's factories have already adopted Fujitsu software that allows managers to monitor equipment in real time. These systems track energy usage as well as any problems the machines encounter.​

Fujitsu and Shanghai Yidian will begin their sales effort as early as next year, focusing on coastal manufacturing hubs. The Chinese partner will install the necessary sensors in customers' factories, while Fujitsu will provide the software.​

The Japanese technology group will seek other partners in China to compete for orders nationwide. It aims to outfit 100 factories in three years, which would translate to an estimated 10 billion yen ($97.3 million) in sales for Fujitsu.​

The Chinese government has designated the tie-up between Shanghai Yidian and Fujitsu as a "smart factory" model project, which Fujitsu sees as an advantage in winning new customers.

(Nikkei)

http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Fujitsu-to-sell-smart-factory-systems-in-China

 

[neolithic]

Tencent partners to expand WeChat Pay in Japan

08 JUN 2016

Chinese internet giant Tencent is partnering with Japanese social data provider Hotto Link to roll out its WeChat Pay service to 10,000 stores in Japan by the end of the year.

According to Nikkei Asia Review, only a few Japanese stores have adopted WeChat Pay, which is targeted at Chinese travellers who account for a quarter of all visitors to Japan and spend a lot more than other groups.

Tencent plans to expand to 20,000 stores in Japan and match China UnionPay cards, the most popular payment method for Chinese tourists in Japan, Nikkei reported.

The mobile payment service allows Japanese businesses to promote their products and service and offer discounts via Hotto Link’s page on WeChat. To get started, stores need to download an app on a tablet, which allows them to scan QR codes from customers’ smartphone screens. China Construction Bank handles clearing the transactions.

WeChat Pay also is available in Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, popular destinations for Chinese tourists.

WeChat Pay, which is linked to China’s most popular WeChat messaging app, is used by more than 300 million users in China to pay for everything from taxi fares to convenience store purchases to utility bills. The payment service also works on China’s second-largest e-commerce platform, JD.com, in which Tencent has a 15 per cent stake. It is accepted at more than 300,000 stores in the mainland.

 

[neolithic]

Nippon Express, Alibaba to team up in China-bound shipping

August 2, 2016 2:00 am JST

TOKYO -- Nippon Express will work with e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding to ship Japanese goods to China for around 30% less than current prevailing rates.

The Japanese shipper will transport goods from companies doing business on Alibaba's TMall.com platform to China, while an Alibaba affiliate will handle home delivery. Goods can either be flown across the sea when ordered or shipped by surface in advance and stored in warehouses.

Nippon Express is Japan's largest business-to-business and international shipper, enabling it to hold down costs by purchasing space on ships and aircraft in bulk. In teaming up with TMall, which controls 60% of China's online retail market, the shipper aims to handle half of all online purchases headed there from Japan.

Currently, Japan Post ships 90% of online purchases traveling to China via airmail with its express-mail service. But a fee hike of around 30% in June to 1,400 yen ($13.68) for packages up to 500 grams has raised headwinds to the service's use. Nippon Express will keep fees for similar items around 1,000 yen, aiming to pick up customers put off by the increase. Both services take four to six days for delivery in China.

Nippon Express and Alibaba will also take on the complex business of dealing with customs for companies on TMall. China updated rules on cross-border e-commerce in April and now requires such information as what is being shipped, prices and logistics to be submitted electronically. Nippon Express will be the first Japanese logistics company to create a digital link with Alibaba allowing this data to be combined and submitted in one neat package.

China's cross-border e-commerce retail market is expected to grow roughly twelvefold from 2014 levels to $245 billion in 2020, according to U.S. professional services company Accenture.

A number of Japanese companies are competing to offer better and cheaper shipping options to China, creating new chances for even smaller businesses here to access that enormous market. Yamato Holdings inked a partnership in April with companies including JD.com, TMall's smaller rival, to offer international shipping and home delivery. ANA Holdings plans to offer a service handling everything from customs procedures to delivery starting in September.

Such Japanese products as cosmetics and household goods have gained a sterling reputation for safety and quality in China. Consumers there are on track to buy 2.33 trillion yen ($22.8 billion) in goods from Japan online in 2019, according to the Japanese trade ministry. This is roughly triple the 2015 level.

E-commerce is growing more important to Japanese companies as a source of continuous demand from China. This stands in contrast to consumption by Chinese tourists in Japan, who have been spending less per capita of late.

 

[TaiShang]

S. Korean political heavyweight proposes to halt THAAD discussion
October 10, 2016, Xinhua

SEOUL, Oct. 10 -- A South Korean political heavyweight has proposed to halt discussion on the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) on the South Korean soil.

Moon Jae-in, former chief of the main opposition Minjoo Party who is considered one of the most powerful presidential hopefuls in the opposition bloc, said on Sunday that President Park Geun-hye should temporarily halt the discussion on the THAAD deployment and make diplomatic efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

However, Chung Jin-suk, floor leader of the ruling Saenuri Party, told a press conference on Monday that Moon's proposal will only be in interests of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), expressing his deep disappointment at the potential presidential candidate's security perception.

Such condemnations followed Moon's proposal saying President Park should temporarily stop a comprehensive process for the U.S. missile shield installation and should resume diplomatic efforts to completely dismantle the DPRK's nuclear program.

As South Korea already designated a THAAD site, Moon said, there would be no change in a big picture even with the delayed deployment of the U.S. missile defense system, calling on Park to discuss the issue from a much broader perspective for national interests.

Moon ran for president and closely competed with President Park, then ruling party candidate, in the 2012 election. He is regarded as the most powerful presidential aspirant in the opposition bloc during the upcoming presidential election scheduled for late 2017.

His comments came amid strong oppositions from China and Russia for the THAAD installation in South Korean soil as it breaks regional balance and damages security interests of Beijing and Moscow.

Seoul and Washington announced its decision in July to deploy one THAAD battery in the country's southeastern region by the end of next year despite the objections.

Moon said a fundamental resolution of the DPRK's nuclear issue is to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, offering to urgently freeze Pyongyang's nuclear program and then completely abolish the program.

The political heavyweight stressed the importance of diplomatic efforts, saying either four-way or six-party talks can be resumed to persuade the DPRK to give up its nuclear program diplomatically.

The aid-for-disarmament dialogue, which involves the DPRK, South Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan, has been halted since late 2008.

 

[TaiShang]

US, ROK will pay price if persisting in THAAD deployment
By Zhong Sheng (People's Daily) 16:19, October 08, 2016

Republic of Korea (ROK) on Friday announced a new site for the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile-defense system despite of strong opposition from locals and reasonable concerns of China and other regional countries. The announcement came just days after the US military set the deployment deadline as the end of next year.

The ROK government cited the concerns of the public in Seongju county, the originally-designated site, as the reason for the alteration, but a cite change is not a prescription at all.

Despite the altered site, local public are expected to continue their opposition to the THAAD deployment. In Gimcheon, a southeastern city that is closer to the newly-chosen site, enraged residents have begun a new round of backlash.

As a matter of fact, the ROK government can neither appease the concerns of people from the designated sites, nor persuade its citizens to believe in the so-called effectiveness of the missile shield in protecting its national security.

Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s fifth nuclear test offered Seoul’s plan a new selling point. ROK government, by using the test as a more “convincing” excuse, advertised the so-called necessity to install the THAAD system, cement its military alliance with the US and resist threats through extended deterrence.

However, to avoid further deterioration of tensions on Korean Peninsula, a comprehensive and systematic solution must be found out to address both symptoms and root causes.

Past and present facts have proved that in order to sustain the peace and stability of the peninsula, efforts must be devoted to denuclearizing the peninsula, normalizing the ties between concerned countries, and building a peace and security mechanism for Northeast Asia.

The evolution course of the peninsula also showed that the so-called extended deterrence will only escalate confrontation, aggravate the tension on the peninsula and ultimately place Seoul’s security in a more risking edge.

What’s more, the technical clues also point to a conclusion: it is absurd for Seoul to pursue a sense of security through the THAAD system.

As early as Seoul and Washington announced the decision, experts have pointed out that with a radar range of 1,000 to 2,000 kilometers, the missile shield is designed to shoot down missiles at a relatively high altitude of 40 to 150 km. Given the geographical conditions of the Korean Peninsula, it is ridiculous to use the THAAD missile defense system to “deter nuclear threats from DPRK”.

Therefore, ROK has to realize that its true guardian is by no means one or two hollow weapons like the THAAD system, but a clear awareness of the reality and broader world situation.

Given the sensitive and frail security on the peninsula, the unscrupulous actions by any party may lead to an escalated tension. Against such background, the deployment of the THAAD system by Seoul and Washington will undoubtedly add fuels to the deteriorated tensions on the peninsula.

In fact, even ROK public are not convinced by the reasons given by their government. More and more locals called on the authority to reconsider the reckless decision, blaming the latter’s approval to deploy THAAD system as the culprit for today’s dilemma.

Local media Kyunghyang Shinmun commented recently that the ROK government was stubborn in ensuring national security by deterring DPRK with armament race, but as a result made its public more upset and pulled the country further away from security goals.

The public’s security worries and doubts over the guarantee provided by the US are out of historic backgrounds and reality considerations. Trapping in the whirlpool of the peninsula tension, ROK would be the direct victim with a total turn in its destiny once the situation lost control.

What’s worse, the remote US is by no means reliable helper. In recent years, in order to expand its hegemony, the superpower has fallen into a breaker of international law. Employing a “puppet” strategy, it repeatedly threw other countries or regions into disarray and then escaped unscathed.

China will never change its stance of opposing the deployment of the THAAD system since the missile shield, instead of easing regional tension, will pose serious threat to the strategic security balance of regional nations including China.

Like any other countries, China can neither be vague nor indifferent on security matters that affect its core interests. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China also shoulders a responsibility in maintaining world and regional peace and stability.

The US and ROK have to wake up to the facts that the Korean Peninsula is no place to take risks, and that they cannot afford the cost of such dangerous action. If the US and ROK undermine the strategic security interests of China and other regional countries, then they are destined to pay the price and receive a proper counter attack.

"We will pay close attention to relevant developments, and consider taking necessary actions to protect national strategic security and the regional strategic balance," Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman told a press conference.

"What needs to be stressed is that Chinese people mean what they say,” the spokesman added, underlining China’s determination and stance against the installment of THAAD system.

 

[TaiShang]

China Declines Japanese Protest Over Gas Exploration in East China Sea

Sputnik News
14.10.2016

China has refuted a Japanese protest over China’s alleged revival of maritime gas exploration in the East China Sea. According to Beijing, the exploration activities are being conducted “totally within China’s jurisdiction.”

...

"They are totally within the scope of China's sovereign rights and jurisdiction," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular news briefing.
...

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/asia/201610141046318463-china-declines-japanese-protest/

 

[neolithic]

Japanese film editor seeks root in Jilin
( ejilin.gov.cn )
2016-05-24

Fumiko Kishi, a 96-year-old Japanese film editor, says she felt all kinds of emotions welling up inside her when she visited the Changchun Film Studio Museum, in the city of Changchun, Jilin province, on May 17, and remarked simply "Nothing has changed."

Kishi was referring to some old photos of the days back when she was working with Chinese colleges to develop country's movie industry in the immediate aftermath of World War II at the Northeast Film Studio, Changchun Film Studio’s predecessor in the 1946-55 period.

Fumiko Kishi at a film-shooting site at her early 20s. [Photo provided to ejilin.gov.cn]

She took a careful look at every photo and was especially attracted by one of a house under construction, noting, "I use to live there."

Fumiko Kishi, Japanese film editor, who worked in the 1940s and 1950s for Northeast Film Studio, Changchun Film Studio's precursor, visiting her old work place, now part of a museum, on May 17.

The Japanese film editor was involved in the production of 11 movies, including White-Haired Girl which is based on a Chinese folk tale, right after the establishment of the new China and helped train seven Chinese women as movie editors before returning to Japan in 1953. Kishi worked with her husband and brother for a short-lived Japanese film producer in the Manchukuo puppet state before joining the Northeast Film Studio, which had a total of 84 Japanese staff members by the end of 1946.

Kishi looking at historical photos. [Photo provided to ejilin.gov.cn]

She also wrote a memoir with stories about her film-making experience in Manchukuo and with Northeast Film Studio after World War II for the Changchun Film Studio. During her visit, Kishi also got a look at the site where her office stood, where she did most of her editing work and recalled the spatial arrangement of the place very well, since it is being restored.

Kishi involved in the production of 11 movies including White-Hared Girl, a classical tale. [Photo provided to ejilin.gov.cn]

Zhang Guanglin, deputy Party secretary of Changchun Film Studio said, "Fumiko Kishi is our teacher and our family member and she has made a great contribution to China's film-making. Let's hope all the best for her."

Fumiko Kishi holding hands with Liu Xueyao, a film designer from Kishi's time who was also involved in Bridge, the first film produced in the new China.

 

[ahojunk]

China urges Japan to stop provoking dissension among regional countries
2016-10-22 00:16 | Xinhua | Editor: Wang Fan

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying (Photo source: fmprc.gov.cn)​

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Friday urged Japan to stop inciting regional conflict and play a constructive role in regional peace and stability.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks when asked to comment on reports concerning Japan's stance on the South China Sea issue.

China and the Philippines agreed Thursday that bilateral relations should focus less on differences over the South China Sea issue and more on strengthening cooperation.

A Kyodo report said that Japan, along with the United States, has urged China to respect a rules-based order in the region and avoid taking an assertive posture, such as its building of military facilities in the South China Sea.

Hua said Japan's remarks showed a lack of understanding.

She said the improvement and development of China-Philippine relations, and the return of the South China Sea issue to the right track of bilateral dialogue and consultation, conform to the fundamental and common interests of the two peoples and benefit regional peace and stability.

Some people in Japan often talk about regional peace and stability, but when such a goal is within reach, they become restive and restless, Hua said.

The purpose of Japan's intervention in the South China Sea issue is obvious to all, and people who hold an objective, fair and just attitude will have a clear understanding of Japan's intentions, she said.