Suga took office in mid-September after his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, stepped down for health reasons. By continuing Abe's hard-line stance against South Korea

Japan tells South Korea it will skip trilateral summit over labor dispute

It is called the 'Statue of Peace' installed in the central district of Berlin. This has led to a diplomatic incident between Japan and South Korea. Watch report.

Peace Statue Controversy: Why Japan oppose the 'Statue of Peace'

Japan`s Maritime Self-defense Force conducted anti-submarine drills in the South China Sea on Oct. 9, deploying three vessels including a helicopter aircraft carrier and a submarine, according to the Japanese defence ministry.

The purpose of the exercise was "to boost their tactical capability", the ministry said in a statement, without giving more details on the geographical location of the drills.

The three vessels will stop at Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam over the weekend to replenish supplies, the statement said.

The ministry could not be immediately reached for further comment.

Nearly all of the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea are claimed by China, which has established military outposts on artificial islands in the area. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the sea.

The United States has accused China of militarising the South China Sea and trying to intimidate Asian neighbours who might want to exploit the area`s extensive oil and gas reserves.

China`s state-backed Global Times newspaper, noting the latest Japanese drills, said on Saturday that the frequent conducting of military activities in the South China Sea is not conducive to the security and stability of the area, and is firmly opposed by China.

The Chinese People`s Liberation Army has always kept a high level of alert, defending China`s national sovereignty, security and development interests, said the newspaper, which is published by the People`s Daily, the official newspaper of China`s ruling Communist Party.

The Global Times said Japanese warships had recently carried out activities in the South China Sea, with a helicopter aircraft carrier spotted on satellite on Sept. 5.

On Friday, a Chinese military spokesperson said the U.S. destroyer John McCain had entered waters around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea without China`s permission, and urged the United States to stop "such provocative actions".

Japan`s Maritime Self-defense Force conducted anti-submarine drills in the South China Sea on Oct. 9, deploying three vessels including a helicopter aircraft carrier and a submarine, according to the Japanese defence ministry.

Japan`s Maritime Self-defense Force conducted anti-submarine drills in the South China Sea on Oct. 9, deploying three vessels including a helicopter aircraft carrier and a submarine, according to the Japanese defence ministry. The purpose of the exercise was "to boost their tactical capability", the ministry said in a statement, without giving more details on the geographical location of the drills. The three vessels will stop at Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam over the weekend to replenish supplies, the statement said. The ministry could not be immediately reached for further comment. Nearly all of the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea are claimed by China, which has established military outposts on artificial islands in the area. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the sea. The United States has accused China of militarising the South China Sea and trying to intimidate Asian neighbours who might want to exploit the area`s extensive oil and gas reserves. China`s state-backed Global Times newspaper, noting the latest Japanese drills, said on Saturday that the frequent conducting of military activities in the South China Sea is not conducive to the security and stability of the area, and is firmly opposed by China. The Chinese People`s Liberation Army has always kept a high level of alert, defending China`s national sovereignty, security and development interests, said the newspaper, which is published by the People`s Daily, the official newspaper of China`s ruling Communist Party. The Global Times said Japanese warships had recently carried out activities in the South China Sea, with a helicopter aircraft carrier spotted on satellite on Sept. 5. On Friday, a Chinese military spokesperson said the U.S. destroyer John McCain had entered waters around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea without China`s permission, and urged the United States to stop "such provocative actions".

Japan sends three vessels to South China Sea in anti-submarine exercise

Japan's real wages fall for the sixth straight month due to the coronavirus pandemic bites. Watch report.

Japan's real wages fall: COVID-19 prompts companies to cut costs

For Japan, it was the first time its new prime minister hosted international emissaries. For the United States, it was the first trip to Asia by its top diplomat in more than a year.

So when Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo greeted each other in front of a bank of American and Japanese flags Tuesday in Tokyo, they exchanged what was surely the longest fist bump in their nations’ seven-decade alliance, a nearly 15-second joining of knuckles.

The physicality of the gesture highlighted the importance that both sides put on meeting in person to demonstrate the solidity of their bond in the face of rising challenges from China, even amid a widening coronavirus outbreak inside the White House and Japan’s cautious approach to opening its borders to foreign travelers.

The Tokyo gathering, which included the foreign ministers of Australia and India — the other two members of a strategic partnership known as the Quad — was scheduled before President Donald Trump contracted the coronavirus. The fact that it went ahead, even as many summits have moved online during the pandemic, signaled that parts of the Trump administration value multilateral relationships despite his “America First” agenda.

“Given all the insanity that is going on in Washington, D.C., right now, this is a really positive development,” said Gordon Flake, chief executive of the Perth US-Asia Centre at the University of Western Australia.

“The fact that the U.S. is showing up despite all the other problems in the world and domestic problems in the White House right now shows the level of importance that even the U.S. places on these three key partners,” he added. “Without Japan, India and Australia, there really is no regional response to the security challenges of the coming decades.”

There is little question about from where those challenges are coming.

With Chinese military aggression rising in the region and Beijing cracking down on Hong Kong, the four countries are looking for ways to cooperate in military, economic and technological realms — and deliver a message of solidarity to a watchful Beijing.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-says-china-will-pay-big-price-for-coronavirus-outbreak-333368">Donald Trump says China will pay 'big price' for coronavirus outbreak</a>

As Trump has pulled the United States back from the global stage, China has had a “remarkably fertile environment for growing Chinese influence in the region and undermining the U.S. influence, which is the Chinese objective,” Flake said. Instead, its deepening hawkishness and authoritarianism have “served to alarm the region as a whole.”

Yet only the United States, which has taken an especially hard line against China — pushing relations to their lowest point in decades — seemed willing to name the threat explicitly in Tokyo.

In Pompeo’s remarks Tuesday evening, he said that the Quad’s members needed to protect their people from China’s “exploitation, corruption and coercion,” and he blamed China for a cover-up of the initial coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. A statement about Pompeo’s meeting with the Australian foreign minister, Marise Payne, described their discussions of “China’s malign activity in the region.”

Payne’s comments on Facebook about the meeting with Pompeo did not call out China by name, but her implication was clear.

“Whether it is individual human rights, market-based economies, countering disinformation or building greater resilience into our supply chains,” she wrote, “our common values and interests mean we share a vision for a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

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Diplomats and analysts know well that variations on the catchphrase “free and open Indo-Pacific” — which was invoked in remarks by Payne; Japan’s foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi; and India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar — are all directed at China.

American officials have followed the bellicose example set by Trump, who has bashed China to improve his reelection prospects. The Quad’s other members, mindful of their geographic proximity and economic reliance on China, were more circumspect in their criticisms.

A day before the foreign ministers arrived in Tokyo, Katsunobu Kato, Japan’s chief Cabinet secretary, said that “stable relationships with both the U.S. and China, the two largest economic powers, are extremely important in the international community.”

Japan, aware of the economic might of its largest trading partner and its own limited military options, needs to pursue a delicate balancing act, experts said.

“When we talk about the Quad, some people express their concern about what China might think about it,” said Narushige Michishita, director of the Security and International Studies Program at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo. “If we talk about China in this setting, China would regard this as a containment conspiracy, so this sentiment still remains.”

The Quad, Michishita said, is “about China, but we say it’s not about China. Everybody knows it. China knows it. We don’t have to say it too much.”

Cooperation between the four countries, formally known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, began in 2004 to coordinate disaster relief and humanitarian assistance in the wake of the devastating tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands across Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

But as the grouping evolved into a diplomatic and security partnership that Beijing perceived as a direct effort to contain its rise, Australia and India grew wary of a backlash from China, and the group collapsed.

“It was too early,” said Lavina Lee, a senior lecturer in international relations at Macquarie University in Sydney. The early version of the Quad “was preempting and creating a security dilemma where none existed.”

“But now we’re in a very different phase of history,” Lee said. “Since 2012, China has become much more clearly assertive and aggressive in terms of its territorial aggression and ambitions of where it sees itself in the region, and under COVID conditions that is not letting up at all.”

In June, China and India engaged in their worst border clash in 40 years, and relations between Australia and China have deteriorated since Australia attributed a surge of cyberattacks to Beijing and launched an investigation into allegations of a Chinese government plot to manipulate the country’s politics.

Japan has also grown more vigilant as China has repeatedly sent ships to patrol waters around the Senkaku Islands, administered by Japan but contested by China.

“If you had Venn diagrams and put together all of their definitions, I think you would see a fairly large overlap in how each of those four countries think about security in the region — that there should be freedom of navigation and open trade, and that countries should not be coerced into accepting outcomes that are against their interests,” said Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

While no joint statement was on the agenda for the four nations, they were expected to discuss the possible development of an investment fund to help developing Asian countries with infrastructure projects, a counter to China’s Belt and Road initiative; cooperation on supply chains to reduce reliance on China; the development of 5G networks that do not depend on Chinese technology giant Huawei; and an invitation to Australia to join naval war exercises with the other three countries.

For Japan, it was the first time its new prime minister hosted international emissaries. For the United States, it was the first trip to Asia by its top diplomat in more than a year.

For Japan, it was the first time its new prime minister hosted international emissaries. For the United States, it was the first trip to Asia by its top diplomat in more than a year. So when Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo greeted each other in front of a bank of American and Japanese flags Tuesday in Tokyo, they exchanged what was surely the longest fist bump in their nations’ seven-decade alliance, a nearly 15-second joining of knuckles. The physicality of the gesture highlighted the importance that both sides put on meeting in person to demonstrate the solidity of their bond in the face of rising challenges from China, even amid a widening coronavirus outbreak inside the White House and Japan’s cautious approach to opening its borders to foreign travelers. The Tokyo gathering, which included the foreign ministers of Australia and India — the other two members of a strategic partnership known as the Quad — was scheduled before President Donald Trump contracted the coronavirus. The fact that it went ahead, even as many summits have moved online during the pandemic, signaled that parts of the Trump administration value multilateral relationships despite his “America First” agenda. “Given all the insanity that is going on in Washington, D.C., right now, this is a really positive development,” said Gordon Flake, chief executive of the Perth US-Asia Centre at the University of Western Australia. “The fact that the U.S. is showing up despite all the other problems in the world and domestic problems in the White House right now shows the level of importance that even the U.S. places on these three key partners,” he added. “Without Japan, India and Australia, there really is no regional response to the security challenges of the coming decades.” There is little question about from where those challenges are coming. With Chinese military aggression rising in the region and Beijing cracking down on Hong Kong, the four countries are looking for ways to cooperate in military, economic and technological realms — and deliver a message of solidarity to a watchful Beijing. Also Read | Donald Trump says China will pay 'big price' for coronavirus outbreak As Trump has pulled the United States back from the global stage, China has had a “remarkably fertile environment for growing Chinese influence in the region and undermining the U.S. influence, which is the Chinese objective,” Flake said. Instead, its deepening hawkishness and authoritarianism have “served to alarm the region as a whole.” Yet only the United States, which has taken an especially hard line against China — pushing relations to their lowest point in decades — seemed willing to name the threat explicitly in Tokyo. In Pompeo’s remarks Tuesday evening, he said that the Quad’s members needed to protect their people from China’s “exploitation, corruption and coercion,” and he blamed China for a cover-up of the initial coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. A statement about Pompeo’s meeting with the Australian foreign minister, Marise Payne, described their discussions of “China’s malign activity in the region.” Payne’s comments on Facebook about the meeting with Pompeo did not call out China by name, but her implication was clear. “Whether it is individual human rights, market-based economies, countering disinformation or building greater resilience into our supply chains,” she wrote, “our common values and interests mean we share a vision for a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.” × Diplomats and analysts know well that variations on the catchphrase “free and open Indo-Pacific” — which was invoked in remarks by Payne; Japan’s foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi; and India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar — are all directed at China. American officials have followed the bellicose example set by Trump, who has bashed China to improve his reelection prospects. The Quad’s other members, mindful of their geographic proximity and economic reliance on China, were more circumspect in their criticisms. A day before the foreign ministers arrived in Tokyo, Katsunobu Kato, Japan’s chief Cabinet secretary, said that “stable relationships with both the U.S. and China, the two largest economic powers, are extremely important in the international community.” Japan, aware of the economic might of its largest trading partner and its own limited military options, needs to pursue a delicate balancing act, experts said. “When we talk about the Quad, some people express their concern about what China might think about it,” said Narushige Michishita, director of the Security and International Studies Program at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo. “If we talk about China in this setting, China would regard this as a containment conspiracy, so this sentiment still remains.” The Quad, Michishita said, is “about China, but we say it’s not about China. Everybody knows it. China knows it. We don’t have to say it too much.” Cooperation between the four countries, formally known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, began in 2004 to coordinate disaster relief and humanitarian assistance in the wake of the devastating tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands across Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and South Africa. But as the grouping evolved into a diplomatic and security partnership that Beijing perceived as a direct effort to contain its rise, Australia and India grew wary of a backlash from China, and the group collapsed. “It was too early,” said Lavina Lee, a senior lecturer in international relations at Macquarie University in Sydney. The early version of the Quad “was preempting and creating a security dilemma where none existed.” “But now we’re in a very different phase of history,” Lee said. “Since 2012, China has become much more clearly assertive and aggressive in terms of its territorial aggression and ambitions of where it sees itself in the region, and under COVID conditions that is not letting up at all.” In June, China and India engaged in their worst border clash in 40 years, and relations between Australia and China have deteriorated since Australia attributed a surge of cyberattacks to Beijing and launched an investigation into allegations of a Chinese government plot to manipulate the country’s politics. Japan has also grown more vigilant as China has repeatedly sent ships to patrol waters around the Senkaku Islands, administered by Japan but contested by China. “If you had Venn diagrams and put together all of their definitions, I think you would see a fairly large overlap in how each of those four countries think about security in the region — that there should be freedom of navigation and open trade, and that countries should not be coerced into accepting outcomes that are against their interests,” said Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. While no joint statement was on the agenda for the four nations, they were expected to discuss the possible development of an investment fund to help developing Asian countries with infrastructure projects, a counter to China’s Belt and Road initiative; cooperation on supply chains to reduce reliance on China; the development of 5G networks that do not depend on Chinese technology giant Huawei; and an invitation to Australia to join naval war exercises with the other three countries.

Pompeo’s message in Japan: Countering China is worth meeting face to face

The Quad has been around for 13 years. The aim of the alliance is to contain China's growing aggression. But, the Quad has been shy of saying it out aloud. WION's Palki Sharma tells you why the Quad must move beyond being a symbolic alliance.

Gravitas: Will 2020 be a turning point for the Quad?

Foreign Ministers of India, Japan, Australia, and the US met in Tokyo today. This Quad meeting was seen as an effort to cement the alliance. Can the Quad rise up to take on China? WION's Palki Sharma tells you why the Quad must not play safe now.

Quad Meeting in Tokyo: Can the alliance go beyond words? | Gravitas

All the noise around the QUAD meeting, yet the members could not stitch together a joint statement, not even to condemn their common adversary-China. WION's Palki Sharma asks- What is holding back India, U.S, Japan, and Australia?

Gravitas: Is the QUAD a lost opportunity?

India & Japan has signed an ambitious agreement that provides cooperation in 5G technology, artificial intelligence, and an array of other critical areas.

WION Dispatch: India & Japan finalise pact for cooperation in 5G tech

Four countries have one agenda to stop China's efforts to dominate the Indo-Pacific. China's expansionism threat is not new and neither the 'Quad' or the Quadrilateral alliance between India, Australia, United States and Japan.

However, in the past, the group has been shy of openly declaring its intentions.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-is-the-quad-a-lost-opportunity-333008/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/quad-is-an-idea-whose-time-has-come-but-ideas-need-implementation-333013">Quad is an idea whose time has come. But ideas need implementation</a>

The group met for the first time in 2017 and a few years before this these countries had joined hands for ad hoc relief operations after the 2004 tsunami.&nbsp;

The prime ministers of India, Japan, Australia met with the then US Vice President Dick Cheney.&nbsp;

The first 'Quad' summit happened on the sidelines of the ASEAN Forum.

Since then, the idea of the alliance has been around, made news, but fallen short of taking any substantive action.&nbsp;

A decade later, though, the alliance was resurrected in 2017 and the members of 'Quad' had a working-level meeting.&nbsp;

And now, amid the pandemic, the foreign ministers have met in Tokyo, which reflects a clear sense of purpose, an urgency to take a harder stand against China.&nbsp;

America is not mincing words on China and Australia has named the Asian giant as a threat in its strategic assessment.&nbsp;

Australia's department of defence has said that China is engaged in active pursuit of "greater influence in the Indo-Pacific".&nbsp;

India has already locked in a border standoff with China and since May, New Delhi has imposed curbs on Beijing's investments.

More than 100 Chinese apps have been banned in India.&nbsp;

And, Japan's territorial disputes in the East China Sea have flared up again.&nbsp;

Japan was the country that proposed this alliance and now it has become the host for the meeting of the group's foreign ministers.

<h2>What will the 'Quad' do?</h2>

The US wants the alliance to have a clear military dimension.&nbsp;

Reports suggest Washington is considering inviting air forces of the group's allies for training at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam

The Guam base is a key US military facility in the Pacific and may also be China's first target if hostilities escalate between the two countries.&nbsp;

Last month, the Chinese Air Force released a propaganda video that simulated an attack on the base. But eagle-eyed fact-checkers were quick to point out how Chinese stole clips from Hollywood movies to make this fake video.&nbsp;

In recent months, China has made its intentions clear. It is indulging in more fights and staking a claim on more territories.&nbsp;

The time is right for all the four nations to move beyond being a symbolic alliance.&nbsp;

It must set out clear objectives and each ally must commit to tangible contributions.&nbsp;

They could start by naming China as the common enemy first.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Four countries have one agenda to stop China's efforts to dominate the Indo-Pacific. China's expansionism threat is not new and neither the 'Quad' or the Quadrilateral alliance between India, Australia, United States and Japan.

Four countries have one agenda to stop China's efforts to dominate the Indo-Pacific. China's expansionism threat is not new and neither the 'Quad' or the Quadrilateral alliance between India, Australia, United States and Japan. However, in the past, the group has been shy of openly declaring its intentions. Watch | Also read | Quad is an idea whose time has come. But ideas need implementation The group met for the first time in 2017 and a few years before this these countries had joined hands for ad hoc relief operations after the 2004 tsunami. The prime ministers of India, Japan, Australia met with the then US Vice President Dick Cheney. The first 'Quad' summit happened on the sidelines of the ASEAN Forum. Since then, the idea of the alliance has been around, made news, but fallen short of taking any substantive action. A decade later, though, the alliance was resurrected in 2017 and the members of 'Quad' had a working-level meeting. And now, amid the pandemic, the foreign ministers have met in Tokyo, which reflects a clear sense of purpose, an urgency to take a harder stand against China. America is not mincing words on China and Australia has named the Asian giant as a threat in its strategic assessment. Australia's department of defence has said that China is engaged in active pursuit of "greater influence in the Indo-Pacific". India has already locked in a border standoff with China and since May, New Delhi has imposed curbs on Beijing's investments. More than 100 Chinese apps have been banned in India. And, Japan's territorial disputes in the East China Sea have flared up again. Japan was the country that proposed this alliance and now it has become the host for the meeting of the group's foreign ministers. What will the 'Quad' do? The US wants the alliance to have a clear military dimension. Reports suggest Washington is considering inviting air forces of the group's allies for training at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam The Guam base is a key US military facility in the Pacific and may also be China's first target if hostilities escalate between the two countries. Last month, the Chinese Air Force released a propaganda video that simulated an attack on the base. But eagle-eyed fact-checkers were quick to point out how Chinese stole clips from Hollywood movies to make this fake video. In recent months, China has made its intentions clear. It is indulging in more fights and staking a claim on more territories. The time is right for all the four nations to move beyond being a symbolic alliance. It must set out clear objectives and each ally must commit to tangible contributions. They could start by naming China as the common enemy first.

Quad: A potential force to counter China needs to move beyond symbolism

Watch today in WION Dispatch: The Quad members' relations has been tensed with China. The United States of America has accused China for covering up COVID-19 from the world initially.

WION Dispatch: Quad members' tense relations with China, US accuses China for COVID

United States' Secretary of States Mike Pompeo slammed China over COVID-19 Quad Foreign Ministers' meet in presence of India's Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar. Mike Pompeo also discussed post-COVID world order.

Mike Pompeo slams China over COVID-19 in Quad Foreign Ministers' meet

To counter China's assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, India, the US, Japan and Australia's collective alliance known as 'Quad' agreed to increase coordination for the creation of a free and open Indo-Pacific.&nbsp;

Japan said the Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne affirmed bolstering a free, open and rules-based international order in a statement released after the meeting in Tokyo.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/at-quad-fms-meet-jaishankar-calls-for-respect-for-territorial-integrity-and-sovereignty-332905">At Quad FMs meet, Jaishankar calls for respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty</a>

The four countries also vowed to coordinate in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, the statement said as was reported by Kyodo news agency.&nbsp;

The 'Quad' meeting took place amid China's growing expansionism ambitions in the Indo-Pacific, South China Sea and in eastern Ladakh.

PM Suga in his address said a free and open Indo-Pacific is "widely recognised by the international community as a vision of peace and prosperity of this region," and that his administration's basic policy is to "further continue advancing our members to this end."

"The international community is facing multiple and various challenges. This is exactly why right now is the time that we must further deepen our coordination with as many countries as possible that share our vision," the Japanese PM said.&nbsp;

India's Jaishankar in his opening remarks said since all the members are vibrant and pluralistic democracy, they remain committed to "upholding the rules-based international order, underpinned by the rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation in the international seas, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty and peaceful resolution of disputes."&nbsp;

"Our objective remains advancing the security and the economic interests of all countries having legitimate and vital interests in the region," Jaishankar said.

To counter China's assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, India, the US, Japan and Australia's collective alliance known as 'Quad' agreed to increase coordination for the creation of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

To counter China's assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, India, the US, Japan and Australia's collective alliance known as 'Quad' agreed to increase coordination for the creation of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Japan said the Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne affirmed bolstering a free, open and rules-based international order in a statement released after the meeting in Tokyo. Also read | At Quad FMs meet, Jaishankar calls for respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty The four countries also vowed to coordinate in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, the statement said as was reported by Kyodo news agency. The 'Quad' meeting took place amid China's growing expansionism ambitions in the Indo-Pacific, South China Sea and in eastern Ladakh. PM Suga in his address said a free and open Indo-Pacific is "widely recognised by the international community as a vision of peace and prosperity of this region," and that his administration's basic policy is to "further continue advancing our members to this end." "The international community is facing multiple and various challenges. This is exactly why right now is the time that we must further deepen our coordination with as many countries as possible that share our vision," the Japanese PM said. India's Jaishankar in his opening remarks said since all the members are vibrant and pluralistic democracy, they remain committed to "upholding the rules-based international order, underpinned by the rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation in the international seas, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty and peaceful resolution of disputes." "Our objective remains advancing the security and the economic interests of all countries having legitimate and vital interests in the region," Jaishankar said.

To counter China's assertiveness, Quad calls for 'free' and 'open' Indo-Pacific

Pompeo's trip comes despite the coronavirus crisis gripping Washington, which has seen President Donald Trump and a raft of his closest staff and advisors test positive for Covid-19.

Pompeo hails Japan PM Yoshihide Suga 'Force for good' during his visit to Tokyo

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his American counterpart, Mike Pompeo, on the sidelines of the Quad ministerial meeting on October 6.

QUAD Foreign Ministers' Meet: EAM S Jaishankar says India, US will work for stability in Indo-Pacific

India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have met in Tokyo. While they have been in touch with each other for past few months, amid the COVID crisis--this is the first in-person meeting between the two.

QUAD Foreign ministers' meet: Indian external affairs Min meets US Secy of State

A Japanese man dubbed the "Twitter killer" for luring his victims on social media admitted in court Wednesday to murdering nine people, local media said.

But lawyers for Takahiro Shiraishi, 29, argued the charges should be reduced because the victims -- who had expressed suicidal thoughts -- gave their consent to be killed.

Shiraishi, who is also accused of dismembering his victims and storing body parts in coolboxes, did not contest nine counts of murder, saying they "are all correct", public broadcaster NHK reported.

He is also facing rape charges, according to media reports.

Shiraishi is accused of using Twitter to contact victims aged between 15 and 26 who posted online about taking their own lives, telling them he could help them in their plans -- or even die alongside them.

If convicted of murder, Shiraishi faces the death penalty, which is carried out by hanging in Japan.

But his lawyers want the charges against him reduced to "murder with consent", which carries a&nbsp;prison sentence of between six months and seven years.

In an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun daily, Shiraishi said he disagreed with his lawyers and would tell prosecutors that he had "killed without consent".

"There were bruises on the back of the victims' heads. It means there was no consent and I did it so that they wouldn't resist," he said in comments published on Wednesday.

Shiraishi was detained three years ago by police investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman who had reportedly tweeted about wanting to kill herself.

After she went missing, her brother apparently gained access to her Twitter account, and noticed a suspicious handle.

Police uncovered a grisly house of horrors behind Shiraishi's front door on the morning of Halloween in 2017.

Nine dismembered bodies, with as many as 240 bone parts stashed in coolers and toolboxes, had been sprinkled with cat litter in a bid to hide the evidence.

Shiraishi told the Mainichi Shimbun he "didn't plan on getting caught" and boasted of not being identified until his final&nbsp;killing.

More than 600 people lined up for 13 public gallery seats to observe Wednesday's first hearing, NHK said.

Japan has the highest suicide rate among the Group of Seven industrialised nations, with more than 20,000 people taking their lives annually.

The suicide rate has been falling since it peaked in 2003, however. 
&nbsp;

A Japanese man dubbed the "Twitter killer" for luring his victims on social media admitted in court Wednesday to murdering nine people, local media said. But lawyers for Takahiro Shiraishi, 29, argued the charges should be reduced because the victims -- who had expressed suicidal thoughts -- gave their consent to be killed.

A Japanese man dubbed the "Twitter killer" for luring his victims on social media admitted in court Wednesday to murdering nine people, local media said. But lawyers for Takahiro Shiraishi, 29, argued the charges should be reduced because the victims -- who had expressed suicidal thoughts -- gave their consent to be killed. Shiraishi, who is also accused of dismembering his victims and storing body parts in coolboxes, did not contest nine counts of murder, saying they "are all correct", public broadcaster NHK reported. He is also facing rape charges, according to media reports. Shiraishi is accused of using Twitter to contact victims aged between 15 and 26 who posted online about taking their own lives, telling them he could help them in their plans -- or even die alongside them. If convicted of murder, Shiraishi faces the death penalty, which is carried out by hanging in Japan. But his lawyers want the charges against him reduced to "murder with consent", which carries a prison sentence of between six months and seven years. In an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun daily, Shiraishi said he disagreed with his lawyers and would tell prosecutors that he had "killed without consent". "There were bruises on the back of the victims' heads. It means there was no consent and I did it so that they wouldn't resist," he said in comments published on Wednesday. Shiraishi was detained three years ago by police investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman who had reportedly tweeted about wanting to kill herself. After she went missing, her brother apparently gained access to her Twitter account, and noticed a suspicious handle. Police uncovered a grisly house of horrors behind Shiraishi's front door on the morning of Halloween in 2017. Nine dismembered bodies, with as many as 240 bone parts stashed in coolers and toolboxes, had been sprinkled with cat litter in a bid to hide the evidence. Shiraishi told the Mainichi Shimbun he "didn't plan on getting caught" and boasted of not being identified until his final killing. More than 600 people lined up for 13 public gallery seats to observe Wednesday's first hearing, NHK said. Japan has the highest suicide rate among the Group of Seven industrialised nations, with more than 20,000 people taking their lives annually. The suicide rate has been falling since it peaked in 2003, however.

Japan 'Twitter killer' victims consented to death, lawyers argue

As the tensions between China and Japan increased in the East China Sea, Liu Qingbin, an associate professor said that Beijing offered an olive branch to Tokyo by reducing its naval presence in the area but was snubbed when Japan hired fishing boats to go into the disputed waters, resulting in skirmishes between the two sides.

Your Story: Japan snubs China's olive branch on Senkaku islands

The death of Japanese actor Yuko Takeuchi has once again started a conversation on Japan's high suicide rate. 5 actors have taken their lives in the last 5 months. What explains the rising numbers?

Gravitas: Rise in Celebrity suicides in Japan

Japan snubs China's peace offer | Senkaku islands dispute

Senkaku Islands dispute: Japan snubs China's peace offer

Japanese artist Takahiro Shibata's glasses might be fogging up but it is part of his creation - a one-of-a-kind "ramen mask". With the mask on, the more his spectacles fog, the hotter and steamier the "noodle soup" looks to be, sitting over his mouth.

Japanese artist creates "ramen mask" for foggy glasses

Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday called for better ties with South Korea in talks with President Moon Jae-in, the first in months between leaders of the countries.

Suga, who took office last week, said he told Moon in a phone call that the countries must repair their "difficult" bilateral relations, which are mired in a long-running dispute over issues dating back Japan's occupation of the Korean peninsula.

"To President Moon, I said we must not leave unattended the current extremely difficult bilateral relations, which are being harmed by various problems," Suga told reporters at his office in Tokyo after the call.

But Suga made clear he saw the ball as being in Seoul's court when it comes to resolving the disputes, including over compensation for the use of forced labour by Japan during its wartime occupation.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/continuity-economy-and-militarism-japans-new-pm-yoshihide-suga-has-his-plate-full-328226">Also read:&nbsp;Continuity, economy and militarism: Japan's new PM Yoshihide Suga has his plate full</a>

"Based on Japan's consistent position on various issues, I want to continue urging South Korea to take appropriate actions," he said.

Suga took office last week after the resignation of Shinzo Abe. The call was the first time the leaders of the two countries have spoken since Abe and Moon met last December in China.

Japan and South Korea have long had uneasy diplomatic relations, with ties coloured by the history of Tokyo's brutal colonisation of the peninsula through the end of World War II.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korean-man-strays-in-pyongyang-waters-shot-cremated-by-north-korea-329836">Also read:&nbsp;South Korean man strays in Pyongyang waters; shot &amp; cremated by North Korea</a>

In recent years, Tokyo and Seoul have imposed reciprocal trade sanctions and clashed over a wide range of issues including wartime sex slavery and forced labour.

In 2018, the South Korean Supreme Court ruled that victims of forced labour had a right to seek compensation from Tokyo.

Japan argues the issue was settled by a 1965 treaty that normalised bilateral relations and urged the South Korean government to deal the ruling, which Tokyo said violated the treaty.

Suga said he and Moon also discussed cooperation in the fight against coronavirus, as well as dealing with North Korea, and strengthening policy coordination between the two US allies and Washington.

Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday called for better ties with South Korea in talks with President Moon Jae-in, the first in months between leaders of the countries.

Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday called for better ties with South Korea in talks with President Moon Jae-in, the first in months between leaders of the countries. Suga, who took office last week, said he told Moon in a phone call that the countries must repair their "difficult" bilateral relations, which are mired in a long-running dispute over issues dating back Japan's occupation of the Korean peninsula. "To President Moon, I said we must not leave unattended the current extremely difficult bilateral relations, which are being harmed by various problems," Suga told reporters at his office in Tokyo after the call. But Suga made clear he saw the ball as being in Seoul's court when it comes to resolving the disputes, including over compensation for the use of forced labour by Japan during its wartime occupation. Also read: Continuity, economy and militarism: Japan's new PM Yoshihide Suga has his plate full "Based on Japan's consistent position on various issues, I want to continue urging South Korea to take appropriate actions," he said. Suga took office last week after the resignation of Shinzo Abe. The call was the first time the leaders of the two countries have spoken since Abe and Moon met last December in China. Japan and South Korea have long had uneasy diplomatic relations, with ties coloured by the history of Tokyo's brutal colonisation of the peninsula through the end of World War II. Also read: South Korean man strays in Pyongyang waters; shot & cremated by North Korea In recent years, Tokyo and Seoul have imposed reciprocal trade sanctions and clashed over a wide range of issues including wartime sex slavery and forced labour. In 2018, the South Korean Supreme Court ruled that victims of forced labour had a right to seek compensation from Tokyo. Japan argues the issue was settled by a 1965 treaty that normalised bilateral relations and urged the South Korean government to deal the ruling, which Tokyo said violated the treaty. Suga said he and Moon also discussed cooperation in the fight against coronavirus, as well as dealing with North Korea, and strengthening policy coordination between the two US allies and Washington.

Japan PM urges better ties in call with South Korea's Moon

This is Gundam, a robot from Japanese fiction. Till about a few months ago, Gundam was only confined to Manga, films, merchandise and plastic models. Gundam has now come to life in Yokohama. It can walk, bend a knee. point at the sky and do a host of other things.

But what's Gundam's job? This life-size robot is the centrepiece of the brand's Yokohama factory. It's 18 metres tall. It was supposed to be opened to public on October 1. But the plans were changed and now Gundam fans will have to wait for sometime before they can meet their hero in real-time.

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Life-sized Gundam in Yokohama is now in testing mode.<a href="https://t.co/51HVoraPb7">pic.twitter.com/51HVoraPb7</a>
— Catsuka (@catsuka) <a href="https://twitter.com/catsuka/status/1308068858541023232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The giant above is a showpiece. But there are robots half its size that are fighting real-life enemies. Robots are fighting the Wuhan virus at one of London's biggest train stations. Their weapon of choice is UV light.

The robots work by moving into a room. They automatically map out a room and take a route around the room that is most effective in cleaning and disinfecting that room or a particular room.

The same type of robot is lending a helping hand to Wuhan virus patients in Egypt.

Halfway across the world. Mitra too is doing a fine job. It is helping Wuhan virus patients in India speak to their loved ones. Mitra means friend in Hindi.

Another robot, or rather a dog robot is helping humans avoid high-risk areas. It can be a dangerous terrain or mines, the robot Scar can go anywhere. Scar has 5 camera modules. The robot can observe the environment, take measurements, and even map an area.

Fantasy and reality can easily be fused in the amusing world we live in. It took a pandemic for us to shed our fear of these robots. Not all of them are here to steal our jobs. Some of them are here just to make our lives a little easier.

This is Gundam, a robot from Japanese fiction. Till about a few months ago, Gundam was only confined to Manga, films, merchandise and plastic models. Gundam has now come to life in Yokohama.

This is Gundam, a robot from Japanese fiction. Till about a few months ago, Gundam was only confined to Manga, films, merchandise and plastic models. Gundam has now come to life in Yokohama. It can walk, bend a knee. point at the sky and do a host of other things. But what's Gundam's job? This life-size robot is the centrepiece of the brand's Yokohama factory. It's 18 metres tall. It was supposed to be opened to public on October 1. But the plans were changed and now Gundam fans will have to wait for sometime before they can meet their hero in real-time. Life-sized Gundam in Yokohama is now in testing mode.pic.twitter.com/51HVoraPb7 — Catsuka (@catsuka) September 21, 2020 × The giant above is a showpiece. But there are robots half its size that are fighting real-life enemies. Robots are fighting the Wuhan virus at one of London's biggest train stations. Their weapon of choice is UV light. The robots work by moving into a room. They automatically map out a room and take a route around the room that is most effective in cleaning and disinfecting that room or a particular room. The same type of robot is lending a helping hand to Wuhan virus patients in Egypt. Halfway across the world. Mitra too is doing a fine job. It is helping Wuhan virus patients in India speak to their loved ones. Mitra means friend in Hindi. Another robot, or rather a dog robot is helping humans avoid high-risk areas. It can be a dangerous terrain or mines, the robot Scar can go anywhere. Scar has 5 camera modules. The robot can observe the environment, take measurements, and even map an area. Fantasy and reality can easily be fused in the amusing world we live in. It took a pandemic for us to shed our fear of these robots. Not all of them are here to steal our jobs. Some of them are here just to make our lives a little easier.

Fantasy and reality fuse, with robots in tow

Japan's factory activity extended declines in September largely due to a sharper fall in output, as the world's third-largest economy struggles to stage a robust recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

World's third-largest economy struggles to recover

Reports have suggested that live-firing drills and exercises from the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea to the South China Sea were a diversion for its aggression in Ladakh.

PLA hold military drills in South Asia Sea amid tensions at LAC

At least 18 Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait on Friday. The PLA is planning to launch combat exercises near Taiwan's coast. Japan & U.S. have extended their support to Tsai Ing-wen.

Gravitas: U.S-Taiwan alliance rattles China

Japan’s new premier Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday pledged to contain COVID-19 and retain his former boss’s “Abenomics” growth policies.

Japan consumer prices down at fastest pace in 4 years

Just nine hours after Japan's new minister for administrative reform launched an online system for reporting excessive bureaucracy and red tape, it hit a snag: too many complaints.

Former defence minister Taro Kono, now charged with the reform portfolio, said it had been effectively overwhelmed and would be closed temporarily.

Kono, an enthusiastic Twitter user who regularly interacts with people on the platform, announced the complaints system shortly after he was appointed by newly elected Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday.

"Please send information, such as unnecessary regulations, rules that are making your job difficult and bureaucratic silos that are problematic," he wrote on his Japanese Twitter account.

Not long after, he proclaimed excitedly on his English-language account that the digital complaints box had "received more than 3,000 emails in just hours!"

But the deluge apparently proved too much.

"I received far more emails than I'd expected," he conceded.

"I'm suspending reception of new emails to go through what I've received so far."

Japan's new leader Suga has said dealing with red tape and excessive bureaucracy will be a top priority for him.

Cutting through red tape was also a key plank of the "Abenomics" economic policy of his predecessor Shinzo Abe.

Just nine hours after Japan's new minister for administrative reform launched an online system for reporting excessive bureaucracy and red tape, it hit a snag: too many complaints.

Just nine hours after Japan's new minister for administrative reform launched an online system for reporting excessive bureaucracy and red tape, it hit a snag: too many complaints. Former defence minister Taro Kono, now charged with the reform portfolio, said it had been effectively overwhelmed and would be closed temporarily. Kono, an enthusiastic Twitter user who regularly interacts with people on the platform, announced the complaints system shortly after he was appointed by newly elected Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday. "Please send information, such as unnecessary regulations, rules that are making your job difficult and bureaucratic silos that are problematic," he wrote on his Japanese Twitter account. Not long after, he proclaimed excitedly on his English-language account that the digital complaints box had "received more than 3,000 emails in just hours!" But the deluge apparently proved too much. "I received far more emails than I'd expected," he conceded. "I'm suspending reception of new emails to go through what I've received so far." Japan's new leader Suga has said dealing with red tape and excessive bureaucracy will be a top priority for him. Cutting through red tape was also a key plank of the "Abenomics" economic policy of his predecessor Shinzo Abe.

Complaints overwhelm Japan red-tape hotline hours after launch

Japanese ruling party leader Yoshihide Suga was elected prime minister in a parliamentary vote Wednesday, becoming the country’s first new premier in nearly eight years.

PM Suga's 5-step plan to revive Japanese economy

What does Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga bring to the table? Will he build on the India-Japan friendship which reached unprecedented highs under Shinzo Abe? Palki Sharma Upadhyay gets you a report.

Gravitas: Meet Japan's next Prime Minister

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