Australia is set to join the Malabar trilateral naval exercise comprising India, Japan and US. The naval exercises will have all 4 Quad members now.

News Alert: Australia to join Malabar naval exercise for the first time

Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga is in Vietnam amid Chinese aggression in South China sea. The two countries have reached on agreements to strengthen security and economic ties.

Japanese, Vietnam PMs agree on importance of peace

Japan is likely to join the United States and Europe to regulate the “Big Tech” companies.&nbsp;

Kazuyuki Furuya, chairman of Japan's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) told Reuters on Monday that the country could also initiate a probe into mergers and dealings that involve Fitbit, a fitness tracker company.

If the scale of any merger is unprecedented, the country intends to launch investigations.

"If the size of any merger or business-tie up is big, we can launch an anti-monopoly investigation into the buyer's process of acquiring a start-up (like Fitbit)," he further told Reuters.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/twitter-issues-clarification-following-backlash-for-showing-jk-in-china-336376" hreflang="en">Twitter issues clarification following backlash for showing J&amp;K in China</a>

He added that Japan is closely observing similar moves in the world, especially Europe. ”We're closely watching developments including in Europe”, he added.

In August 2020, European Union regulators had initiated an investigation into a potential deal between Google and Fitbit. Alphabet’s Google was set to lock a $2.1 billion deal to counter Apple and Samsung in the wearable market.

After this move, the country will be able to effectively challenge market abuses by the four Big Tech companies - GAFA, or Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon which are currently under scrutiny in Europe and the United States.

Furuya further told Reuters that GAFA companies follow similar business practices globally, and called global coordination “crucial”.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/chinese-hackers-targeting-biden-and-trump-are-faking-mcafee-software-google-336251" hreflang="en">Chinese hackers targeting Biden and Trump are faking McAfee software: Google</a>

"This is an area I will push through aggressively. “We'll work closely with our US and European counterparts, and respond if to any moves that hamper competition”, he said.

Furuya took charge of the position in September, and also suggested that they would also be observing Japan’s phone market.

Japan is likely to join the United States and Europe to regulate the “Big Tech” companies. Kazuyuki Furuya, chairman of Japan's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) told Reuters on Monday that the country could also initiate a probe into mergers and dealings that involve Fitbit, a fitness tracker company.

Japan is likely to join the United States and Europe to regulate the “Big Tech” companies. Kazuyuki Furuya, chairman of Japan's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) told Reuters on Monday that the country could also initiate a probe into mergers and dealings that involve Fitbit, a fitness tracker company. If the scale of any merger is unprecedented, the country intends to launch investigations. "If the size of any merger or business-tie up is big, we can launch an anti-monopoly investigation into the buyer's process of acquiring a start-up (like Fitbit)," he further told Reuters. Also read: Twitter issues clarification following backlash for showing J&K in China He added that Japan is closely observing similar moves in the world, especially Europe. ”We're closely watching developments including in Europe”, he added. In August 2020, European Union regulators had initiated an investigation into a potential deal between Google and Fitbit. Alphabet’s Google was set to lock a $2.1 billion deal to counter Apple and Samsung in the wearable market. After this move, the country will be able to effectively challenge market abuses by the four Big Tech companies - GAFA, or Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon which are currently under scrutiny in Europe and the United States. Furuya further told Reuters that GAFA companies follow similar business practices globally, and called global coordination “crucial”. Also read: Chinese hackers targeting Biden and Trump are faking McAfee software: Google "This is an area I will push through aggressively. “We'll work closely with our US and European counterparts, and respond if to any moves that hamper competition”, he said. Furuya took charge of the position in September, and also suggested that they would also be observing Japan’s phone market.

Japan likely to join US, Europe in regulation of Big Tech companies

Japan's new prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, leaves today on his first overseas foray since taking over from Shinzo Abe last month, heading to Vietnam and Indonesia.

Japan opens another anti-China front; PM Yoshihide Suga departs for Vietnam

Japan's Fukushima plant holds 1.2 million tonnes of radioactive water. Disposing it is crucial to decommissioning the plant. Japanese media reports indicate the government has found a possible dumpsite - the Pacific Ocean. Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you more.

Gravitas: Japan to dump radioactive water in the sea

Ever since the end of Second World War, Japan has adopted a determined policy of not having conflict and confrontation with any nation. People of Japan today certainly regret Japan’s participation in Second world War and consider it as a historical mistake.&nbsp;

The defense expenditure in Japan has since been kept to a minimum and its entire focus is on scientific, technological and industrial advancement. With such proactive pursuits, Japan has achieved spectacular growth and now remains one of the most respected and admired countries in the world.

Unfortunately, it appears that China would not allow Japan to live in peace.

The Senkaku island dispute has been dug up by China. It claims ownership and in doing so, ends up provoking Japan. To what extent will Japan be able to resist China's moves?

Apart from Japan’s commitment to the cause of peace, the problem for Japan in dealing with China is huge level of Japanese investment in China and the high volume of trade.

Almost every large company in Japan has deep involvement in China. Japan cannot ignore this while tackling China

Japan would certainly like to avoid friction with China but there needs to be reciprocity from China in this approach.

In recent years, China has constantly given signals that it wants to dominate in every way. Though US President Donald Trump declared a trade war with China to check its aggressive plans, no country including Japan has extended active support to the US in this effort.

Attracted by the large Chinese market and wary about safety of its investment in China, every nation wants to avoid confrontation with China. While President Trump has taken the bull by the horn, no one knows whether the next President of the USA, (if President Trump was to lose the election) would adopt the same policy of tough measures with China.&nbsp;

In such a situation, Japanese government is in a spot as to how to go ahead with China. At the same time, Japan cannot surrender its sovereignty over Senkaku islands to China.

China certainly knows the Japanese government’s predicament. It would certainly not mind conducting a limited war with Japan, knowing fully well that the USA and other West European countries will not go to Japan’s defense beyond a certain point.

With what appears to be a reckless government in China, Japan has now entered in the QUAD alliance. However, it is still not known to what extent the QUAD alliance would help Japan in the event of military conflict.

Certainly, Japan now has to take measures to defend itself against China’s aggression. It faces the most serious challenge to its policy of confrontation with none.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Ever since the end of Second World War, Japan has adopted a determined policy of not having conflict and confrontation with any nation. People of Japan today certainly regret Japan’s participation in Second world War and consider it as a historical mistake.

Ever since the end of Second World War, Japan has adopted a determined policy of not having conflict and confrontation with any nation. People of Japan today certainly regret Japan’s participation in Second world War and consider it as a historical mistake. The defense expenditure in Japan has since been kept to a minimum and its entire focus is on scientific, technological and industrial advancement. With such proactive pursuits, Japan has achieved spectacular growth and now remains one of the most respected and admired countries in the world. Unfortunately, it appears that China would not allow Japan to live in peace. The Senkaku island dispute has been dug up by China. It claims ownership and in doing so, ends up provoking Japan. To what extent will Japan be able to resist China's moves? Apart from Japan’s commitment to the cause of peace, the problem for Japan in dealing with China is huge level of Japanese investment in China and the high volume of trade. Almost every large company in Japan has deep involvement in China. Japan cannot ignore this while tackling China Japan would certainly like to avoid friction with China but there needs to be reciprocity from China in this approach. In recent years, China has constantly given signals that it wants to dominate in every way. Though US President Donald Trump declared a trade war with China to check its aggressive plans, no country including Japan has extended active support to the US in this effort. Attracted by the large Chinese market and wary about safety of its investment in China, every nation wants to avoid confrontation with China. While President Trump has taken the bull by the horn, no one knows whether the next President of the USA, (if President Trump was to lose the election) would adopt the same policy of tough measures with China. In such a situation, Japanese government is in a spot as to how to go ahead with China. At the same time, Japan cannot surrender its sovereignty over Senkaku islands to China. China certainly knows the Japanese government’s predicament. It would certainly not mind conducting a limited war with Japan, knowing fully well that the USA and other West European countries will not go to Japan’s defense beyond a certain point. With what appears to be a reckless government in China, Japan has now entered in the QUAD alliance. However, it is still not known to what extent the QUAD alliance would help Japan in the event of military conflict. Certainly, Japan now has to take measures to defend itself against China’s aggression. It faces the most serious challenge to its policy of confrontation with none. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Will Senkaku Island dispute lead to China-Japan war?

The coronavirus pandemic has turned one Japanese theme park into a new workplace for teleworkers. On Thursday (October 15), Yomiuriland, an amusement park in Tokyo, launched an "amusement workstation" package to include a business working area next to its pool, and a ride on its observation Ferris wheel with a portable WiFi router.

Office in a ferris wheel - Japanese amusement park offers rides as remote workspace

Tensions between China and Japan are also rising amid the East Asian dispute, Japan has now unveiled a massive 3000-tonne submarine known as 'The Big Whale' submarine. Watch report.

Japan unveils 'The Big Whale': Tensions rising between Japan and China

Eight countries have signed an international pact for moon exploration called the Artemis Accords, NASA announced on Tuesday as the U.S. space agency tries to shape standards for building long-term settlements on the lunar surface.

Eight nations sign NASA's international agreement for Moon exploration

Japan's underground "Parthenon," a cavernous complex charged with protecting Tokyo from catastrophic flooding -- a risk experts warn is growing as the climate changes,

Your Story: Japan invests heavily in flood-protection structures

Japan may not attend a leaders' meeting with South Korea and China this year unless "proper measures" are taken in a dispute with South Korea over compensation for wartime forced labour.

Ties between the two Asian neighbours soured after South Korea's Supreme Court in 2018 ordered a Japanese steelmaker to pay compensation for forced labour, which prompted Tokyo to impose export curbs on some key high-tech materials.

South Korea is set to host the trilateral summit, held roughly once a year, but Kyodo news agency quoted diplomatic sources as saying it would be "impossible" for new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to visit unless Japan's concerns over the issue were addressed. This view had been conveyed to South Korea.

The South Korean Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that Nippon Steel Corp should pay compensation to four South Koreans for forced labour during World War Two, and a lower court in 2019 approved the seizure of part of the assets of the company.

Nippon Steel filed an appeal against the ruling in August.

Japan argues the ruling violates international law because all claims for compensation rising from Japan's 1910-1945 colonisation of the Korean peninsula were settled under a 1965 treaty.

Suga, who took office last month, called for both countries to repair their frayed ties in his first conversation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

But Suga also later said Japan would "continue to firmly seek appropriate action from South Korea".

Japan may not attend a leaders' meeting with South Korea and China this year unless "proper measures" are taken in a dispute with South Korea over compensation for wartime forced labour.

Japan may not attend a leaders' meeting with South Korea and China this year unless "proper measures" are taken in a dispute with South Korea over compensation for wartime forced labour. Ties between the two Asian neighbours soured after South Korea's Supreme Court in 2018 ordered a Japanese steelmaker to pay compensation for forced labour, which prompted Tokyo to impose export curbs on some key high-tech materials. South Korea is set to host the trilateral summit, held roughly once a year, but Kyodo news agency quoted diplomatic sources as saying it would be "impossible" for new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to visit unless Japan's concerns over the issue were addressed. This view had been conveyed to South Korea. The South Korean Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that Nippon Steel Corp should pay compensation to four South Koreans for forced labour during World War Two, and a lower court in 2019 approved the seizure of part of the assets of the company. Nippon Steel filed an appeal against the ruling in August. Japan argues the ruling violates international law because all claims for compensation rising from Japan's 1910-1945 colonisation of the Korean peninsula were settled under a 1965 treaty. Suga, who took office last month, called for both countries to repair their frayed ties in his first conversation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. But Suga also later said Japan would "continue to firmly seek appropriate action from South Korea".

Japan may not attend summit in Korea due to wartime labour dispute

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;

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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

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