North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un has agreed to have a dialogue with Japan "any time", Seoul's presidential office said Sunday, two days after the historic North-South Summit.&nbsp

Kim had a word with South Korea president Moon-Jae-in on Friday after which Moon had relayed Kim’s remark to President Shinzo Abe in a telephone call Sunday morning.

Abe told Moon that Tokyo intends to work to hold a bilateral summit with Pyongyang, adding that he hopes Moon will mediate if necessary, the Blue House said.

Reports also said that Moon also discussed the abductions of Japanese nationals during the summit adding that it was their primary focus. The abduction case remains a critical issue to any talks between Japan and North Korea. Tokyo officially recognizes 17 people as having been kidnapped by the North in the 1970s and 1980s. Five of them were returned in 2002, but the North insists eight have died and the other four never entered its territory.

The Japanese and South Korean leaders agreed to cooperate so the North will take concrete actions toward denuclearization, Abe said.

Following the telephone talks, Abe met with Suh Hoon, director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, who visited Tokyo to brief Abe on the landmark summit.

In a separate teleconference late on Saturday, Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump also agreed that North Korea needs to take concrete action toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

He said they recognized the need to closely follow developments related to North Korea in the talks held a day after the historic inter-Korean summit between North and South Korea.

The summit -- only the third-ever between the leaders of the two neighbours -- came ahead of Kim's planned meeting with US President Donald Trump after months of tensions sparked by North Korea's nuclear and long-range missile tests last year. 
&nbsp

Kim had a word with South Korea president Moon-Jae-in on Friday after which Moon had relayed Kim’s remark to President Shinzo Abe in a telephone call Sunday morning

North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un has agreed to have a dialogue with Japan "any time", Seoul's presidential office said Sunday, two days after the historic North-South Summit. Kim had a word with South Korea president Moon-Jae-in on Friday after which Moon had relayed Kim’s remark to President Shinzo Abe in a telephone call Sunday morning. Abe told Moon that Tokyo intends to work to hold a bilateral summit with Pyongyang, adding that he hopes Moon will mediate if necessary, the Blue House said. Reports also said that Moon also discussed the abductions of Japanese nationals during the summit adding that it was their primary focus. The abduction case remains a critical issue to any talks between Japan and North Korea. Tokyo officially recognizes 17 people as having been kidnapped by the North in the 1970s and 1980s. Five of them were returned in 2002, but the North insists eight have died and the other four never entered its territory. The Japanese and South Korean leaders agreed to cooperate so the North will take concrete actions toward denuclearization, Abe said. Following the telephone talks, Abe met with Suh Hoon, director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, who visited Tokyo to brief Abe on the landmark summit. In a separate teleconference late on Saturday, Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump also agreed that North Korea needs to take concrete action toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. He said they recognized the need to closely follow developments related to North Korea in the talks held a day after the historic inter-Korean summit between North and South Korea. The summit -- only the third-ever between the leaders of the two neighbours -- came ahead of Kim's planned meeting with US President Donald Trump after months of tensions sparked by North Korea's nuclear and long-range missile tests last year.

North Korea willing to talk to Japan at 'any time'

President Donald Trump today said the US was in direct talks with North Korea "at a very high level" ahead of his planned summit with Kim Jong-un.

Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have not spoken directly, the White House said, but the US president confirmed that Washington and Pyongyang had been in contact at "very high levels" to prepare for a historic meeting between them.

The Washington Post reported that CIA director Mike Pompeo had met Kim on a secret trip to the North over the first weekend of April, shortly after he was nominated to be secretary of state.

Both the White House and the CIA declined to comment on the report.

The two countries were looking at five potential venues for the summit, "but it is not in the United States", Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago where he was hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

"We've also started talking to North Korea directly. We have had direct talks at very high levels -- extremely high levels -- with North Korea," Trump said before a restricted bilateral meeting with Abe.

"I really believe there's a lot of goodwill.&nbsp;A lot of good things are happening. We'll see what happens. As I always say, we'll see what happens. Because ultimately, it's the end result that counts, not the fact that we're thinking about having a meeting or having a meeting," he said.

Asked about the location of the potential venues, Trump confirmed that they were outside the US.&nbsp;China, North Korea, South Korea, and Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas are seen as possible locations.

"We have not picked a site yet, but we've picked five sites where it's potentially going to be. We'll let you know fairly soon. Let's see what happens. We'll either have a very good meeting or we won't have a good meeting. Maybe we won't even have a meeting at all depending on what's going in," he said.

Panmunjom was the site of the signing of the 1953 armistice and will be the location of the April 27 summit between Kim and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in.

Officials from the two Koreas were to meet Wednesday in preparation, after Seoul's culture minister -- who sat next to Kim at a K-pop concert in Pyongyang earlier this month -- said Tuesday that Seoul "thinks that the inter-Korean summit should lead to the signing of a peace treaty".

The US president said irrespective of whether the meeting happens or not, there was mutual respect for each other between the two countries.

"I look forward to meeting with Kim Jong-un. And hopefully, that will be a success. Maybe it will be, and maybe it won't be. We don't know. But we will see what happens. But I can say this: They do respect us. We are respectful of them. We are going to see what happens," Trump said.&nbsp;In his remarks, Abe said prior to the small group discussion at the one-on-one session, the two leaders already had a very in-depth discussion focusing on the issue of North Korea and also the economic issues.

"On those two points, we actually successfully forged a mutual understanding. So, I'm very happy to see the outcome of our one-on-one discussion," he said. Abe said the planned meeting between South Korea and North Korea was made possible with the help of Trump who successfully pressured Pyongyang into softening its stance.

"Since the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, we have observed major change in terms of North Korea's behaviour. Background of this change is Donald's (Trump) unwavering conviction, as well as the determination that you demonstrated in addressing the issue of North Korea.&nbsp;So your stance made it possible to achieve this major change," he said.

"As a matter of fact, the US has the overwhelming military power in the world.? By using this strength, you have been effectively applying the overwhelming level of pressure against North Korea. And this, actually, successfully led to the outcome that we have already observed," Abe said.

The Japanese prime minister expressed hope that the US-North Korea summit meeting yield tangible progress toward resolving a wide range of issues, from nuclear issues, missile issues to the abductions issue.

"So this will be a historic meeting, and I certainly hope that there will be progress on these fronts," he said. Trump said he will bring up the abductees.&nbsp;

The US President also thanked the Chinese President Xi Jinping for playing a "constructive" role on the issue of North Korea.

"He's been incredibly generous.&nbsp;They have never been this way with the United States. I think they have more respect for us, perhaps our leadership, but for us than they've ever had before," he said.

"President Xi has been very strong on the border, much stronger than anyone thought they would be. I'd like them to be stronger on the border. But he has been at a level that nobody ever expected. The goods coming into North Korea have been cut down very substantially. As you know, 93 per cent of the goods coming into North Korea come through China, come through the border," Trump said.

'I really believe there's a lot of goodwill. A lot of good things are happening. We'll see what happens,' said Trump. He and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un are slated to meet soon

President Donald Trump today said the US was in direct talks with North Korea "at a very high level" ahead of his planned summit with Kim Jong-un. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have not spoken directly, the White House said, but the US president confirmed that Washington and Pyongyang had been in contact at "very high levels" to prepare for a historic meeting between them. The Washington Post reported that CIA director Mike Pompeo had met Kim on a secret trip to the North over the first weekend of April, shortly after he was nominated to be secretary of state. Both the White House and the CIA declined to comment on the report. The two countries were looking at five potential venues for the summit, "but it is not in the United States", Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago where he was hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "We've also started talking to North Korea directly. We have had direct talks at very high levels -- extremely high levels -- with North Korea," Trump said before a restricted bilateral meeting with Abe. "I really believe there's a lot of goodwill. A lot of good things are happening. We'll see what happens. As I always say, we'll see what happens. Because ultimately, it's the end result that counts, not the fact that we're thinking about having a meeting or having a meeting," he said. Asked about the location of the potential venues, Trump confirmed that they were outside the US. China, North Korea, South Korea, and Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas are seen as possible locations. "We have not picked a site yet, but we've picked five sites where it's potentially going to be. We'll let you know fairly soon. Let's see what happens. We'll either have a very good meeting or we won't have a good meeting. Maybe we won't even have a meeting at all depending on what's going in," he said. Panmunjom was the site of the signing of the 1953 armistice and will be the location of the April 27 summit between Kim and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in. Officials from the two Koreas were to meet Wednesday in preparation, after Seoul's culture minister -- who sat next to Kim at a K-pop concert in Pyongyang earlier this month -- said Tuesday that Seoul "thinks that the inter-Korean summit should lead to the signing of a peace treaty". The US president said irrespective of whether the meeting happens or not, there was mutual respect for each other between the two countries. "I look forward to meeting with Kim Jong-un. And hopefully, that will be a success. Maybe it will be, and maybe it won't be. We don't know. But we will see what happens. But I can say this: They do respect us. We are respectful of them. We are going to see what happens," Trump said. In his remarks, Abe said prior to the small group discussion at the one-on-one session, the two leaders already had a very in-depth discussion focusing on the issue of North Korea and also the economic issues. "On those two points, we actually successfully forged a mutual understanding. So, I'm very happy to see the outcome of our one-on-one discussion," he said. Abe said the planned meeting between South Korea and North Korea was made possible with the help of Trump who successfully pressured Pyongyang into softening its stance. "Since the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, we have observed major change in terms of North Korea's behaviour. Background of this change is Donald's (Trump) unwavering conviction, as well as the determination that you demonstrated in addressing the issue of North Korea. So your stance made it possible to achieve this major change," he said. "As a matter of fact, the US has the overwhelming military power in the world.? By using this strength, you have been effectively applying the overwhelming level of pressure against North Korea. And this, actually, successfully led to the outcome that we have already observed," Abe said. The Japanese prime minister expressed hope that the US-North Korea summit meeting yield tangible progress toward resolving a wide range of issues, from nuclear issues, missile issues to the abductions issue. "So this will be a historic meeting, and I certainly hope that there will be progress on these fronts," he said. Trump said he will bring up the abductees. The US President also thanked the Chinese President Xi Jinping for playing a "constructive" role on the issue of North Korea. "He's been incredibly generous. They have never been this way with the United States. I think they have more respect for us, perhaps our leadership, but for us than they've ever had before," he said. "President Xi has been very strong on the border, much stronger than anyone thought they would be. I'd like them to be stronger on the border. But he has been at a level that nobody ever expected. The goods coming into North Korea have been cut down very substantially. As you know, 93 per cent of the goods coming into North Korea come through China, come through the border," Trump said.

US in direct talks with North Korea 'at a very high level': Trump

Japan's foreign minister was in South Korea for a rare visit Wednesday, armed with a list of issues Tokyo wants to push onto the agenda of a looming summit between North and South Korea.

The first such visit in more than two years comes at a time of frenetic diplomatic activity in Northeast Asia, ahead of the North's planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump.&nbsp

North Korea's young leader Kim Jong Un met Chinese President Xi Jinping in his first overseas trip last month.

Japan has largely remained on the sidelines, with suggestions last month of the third summit between Kim and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe quickly petering out.

Instead, Tokyo has found itself forced to rely on the US and South Korea to tackle its concerns regarding the North, which last year test-fired several missiles that flew over Japan, sparking security concerns.

Tokyo's top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said "it is extremely important that Japan, the US, and South Korea share information and coordinate closely" ahead of the two summits.

Foreign minister Taro Kono will meet with his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha on Wednesday morning.&nbsp

As well as Pyongyang's "nuclear and missile issues", Kono has said he will try to ensure that "the abduction issue will be talked about in the North-South summit".

He was referring to Japanese citizens abducted by the North's agents in the 1970s and 80s in a bid to train spies in Japanese language and customs before overseas missions.

The North regularly excoriates Japan over its brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.

But ties between the South and Japan have also remained sour for years due to the controversy over historical issues left unresolved -- including Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II.

Seoul has urged Tokyo to take legal and moral responsibility, while Japan says that the issue was resolved when the two nations reached a controversial deal in 2015 to offer compensations to the victims.&nbsp

Suga said Japan's foreign minister would seek to boost a "forward-looking" bilateral relationship despite the row.

Kim is set to meet Moon on April 27 for a third-ever summit between the two neighbours, and is expected to talk with Trump in May or early June.

Japan -- a key Asian ally of the US and host of 50,000 American troops -- had long supported Trump's hardline position to press Pyongyang to abandon its widely-condemned nuclear and missile weapons programmes.

But Trump's sudden decision to open dialogue with Kim reportedly stoked concerns over whether Japan was being ignored in the regional push to engage the unpredictable North.

The first such visit in more than two years comes at a time of frenetic diplomatic activity in Northeast Asia, ahead of the North's planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump

Japan's foreign minister was in South Korea for a rare visit Wednesday, armed with a list of issues Tokyo wants to push onto the agenda of a looming summit between North and South Korea. The first such visit in more than two years comes at a time of frenetic diplomatic activity in Northeast Asia, ahead of the North's planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump. North Korea's young leader Kim Jong Un met Chinese President Xi Jinping in his first overseas trip last month. Japan has largely remained on the sidelines, with suggestions last month of the third summit between Kim and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe quickly petering out. Instead, Tokyo has found itself forced to rely on the US and South Korea to tackle its concerns regarding the North, which last year test-fired several missiles that flew over Japan, sparking security concerns. Tokyo's top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said "it is extremely important that Japan, the US, and South Korea share information and coordinate closely" ahead of the two summits. Foreign minister Taro Kono will meet with his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha on Wednesday morning. As well as Pyongyang's "nuclear and missile issues", Kono has said he will try to ensure that "the abduction issue will be talked about in the North-South summit". He was referring to Japanese citizens abducted by the North's agents in the 1970s and 80s in a bid to train spies in Japanese language and customs before overseas missions. The North regularly excoriates Japan over its brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula. But ties between the South and Japan have also remained sour for years due to the controversy over historical issues left unresolved -- including Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II. Seoul has urged Tokyo to take legal and moral responsibility, while Japan says that the issue was resolved when the two nations reached a controversial deal in 2015 to offer compensations to the victims. Suga said Japan's foreign minister would seek to boost a "forward-looking" bilateral relationship despite the row. Kim is set to meet Moon on April 27 for a third-ever summit between the two neighbours, and is expected to talk with Trump in May or early June. Japan -- a key Asian ally of the US and host of 50,000 American troops -- had long supported Trump's hardline position to press Pyongyang to abandon its widely-condemned nuclear and missile weapons programmes. But Trump's sudden decision to open dialogue with Kim reportedly stoked concerns over whether Japan was being ignored in the regional push to engage the unpredictable North.

Japan Finance Minister to voice North Korea concerns in rare Seoul visit

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to visit the United States April 17-20 for talks with President Donald Trump, he said on Monday.

Abe said he would ask Trump to bring up the issue of past North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens, during the US president's expected summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told his plan on Monday

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to visit the United States April 17-20 for talks with President Donald Trump, he said on Monday. Abe said he would ask Trump to bring up the issue of past North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens, during the US president's expected summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Japan PM to visit US from April 17 to 20 for talks with Trump

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen the bilateral ties.

Swaraj, who was here on a three-day visit, also conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Abe.

"EAM @SushmaSwaraj called on Japanese Prime Minister @AbeShinzo today morning in Tokyo. EAM conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi to PM Abe," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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EAM <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SushmaSwaraj</a> called on Japanese Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/AbeShinzo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AbeShinzo</a> today morning in Tokyo. EAM conveyed the greetings of PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> to PM Abe. PM Abe said that ???? traditional friendship are characterised by heart-to-heart bonds and blessed with a huge potential for growth <a href="https://t.co/jN8GWI4Nau">pic.twitter.com/jN8GWI4Nau</a>
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/979533350871252993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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During the meeting, Abe told Swaraj that the traditional friendship between the India and Japan was characterised by "heart-to-heart" bonds and blessed with a huge potential for growth.

"PM Abe said that India-Japan traditional friendship is characterised by heart-to-heart bonds and blessed with a huge potential for growth," Kumar tweeted.

Swaraj, who was on her first visit to Japan in the capacity of the External Affairs Minister, had reached Tokyo on Wednesday to attend the ninth India-Japan Strategic Dialogue.

She met her counterpart Taro Kano yesterday and the two leaders reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties.

Describing the meeting as "very productive", Swaraj said her trip had laid a sound foundation for Modi's visit to Japan for the next bilateral Annual Summit later this year.

Hours after meeting Abe, Swaraj departed from Tokyo, concluding her first official trip to Japan.

"Sayonara! EAM @SushmaSwaraj departs from Tokyo after her first official visit to Japan for the 9th #IndiaJapan Strategic Dialogue," Indian Embassy in Tokyo tweeted.

Earlier yesterday, Swaraj met Chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party Policy Research Council & former Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.

Swaraj also addressed a gathering of Indian diaspora at the Vivekanand Cultural Centre in Tokyo.

According to official figures, Japanese FDI in India during 2016-17 was $4.7 billion, an increase of 80 per cent over the last year.

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Tokyo: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj meets Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. <a href="https://t.co/eJdb7w8oaS">pic.twitter.com/eJdb7w8oaS</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/979538175780638720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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During the meeting, Abe told Swaraj that the traditional friendship between the India and Japan was characterised by "heart-to-heart" bonds and blessed with a huge potential for growth

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen the bilateral ties. Swaraj, who was here on a three-day visit, also conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Abe. "EAM @SushmaSwaraj called on Japanese Prime Minister @AbeShinzo today morning in Tokyo. EAM conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi to PM Abe," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet. EAM @SushmaSwaraj called on Japanese Prime Minister @AbeShinzo today morning in Tokyo. EAM conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi to PM Abe. PM Abe said that ???? traditional friendship are characterised by heart-to-heart bonds and blessed with a huge potential for growth pic.twitter.com/jN8GWI4Nau — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) March 30, 2018 × During the meeting, Abe told Swaraj that the traditional friendship between the India and Japan was characterised by "heart-to-heart" bonds and blessed with a huge potential for growth. "PM Abe said that India-Japan traditional friendship is characterised by heart-to-heart bonds and blessed with a huge potential for growth," Kumar tweeted. Swaraj, who was on her first visit to Japan in the capacity of the External Affairs Minister, had reached Tokyo on Wednesday to attend the ninth India-Japan Strategic Dialogue. She met her counterpart Taro Kano yesterday and the two leaders reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties. Describing the meeting as "very productive", Swaraj said her trip had laid a sound foundation for Modi's visit to Japan for the next bilateral Annual Summit later this year. Hours after meeting Abe, Swaraj departed from Tokyo, concluding her first official trip to Japan. "Sayonara! EAM @SushmaSwaraj departs from Tokyo after her first official visit to Japan for the 9th #IndiaJapan Strategic Dialogue," Indian Embassy in Tokyo tweeted. Earlier yesterday, Swaraj met Chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party Policy Research Council & former Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida. Swaraj also addressed a gathering of Indian diaspora at the Vivekanand Cultural Centre in Tokyo. According to official figures, Japanese FDI in India during 2016-17 was $4.7 billion, an increase of 80 per cent over the last year. Tokyo: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj meets Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. pic.twitter.com/eJdb7w8oaS — ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2018 ×

Sushma Swaraj meets Japanese PM Abe, conveys PM Modi's greetings

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, his ratings battered by a scandal over suspected cronyism, is hoping a series of summits including one with US President Donald Trump will restore his popularity ahead of a crucial ruling party leadership contest.

Abe is expected to meet Trump around April 18 in Washington to discuss Trump's planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in late May. Tokyo has also not ruled out a meeting with Kim Jong Un.

"Mr Abe is the most pro-active on foreign policy among Japanese prime ministers and wants to use that," a ruling coalition lawmaker told.

"Especially ahead of the September Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election, he wants to appeal to voters through his meetings with Trump and Putin."

Abe's ratings have fallen sharply due to the scandal over the sale of state-owned land to school operator Moritomo Gakuen, to which Abe's wife had ties, and after a finance ministry admission that documents about the deal were altered.

The slide in his ratings has clouded his prospects of winning a third, three-year term as LDP president, victory in which would set him on track to become Japan's longest-serving premier, a position he's held since 2012.

The LDP leader is virtually assured of being prime minister since an LDP-led coalition holds a majority in parliament.

Abe is hoping his diplomatic performance will distract voters from the domestic scandal.

"He's trying to change the conversation and the chances are it will work," said Gerry Curtis, an emeritus professor at New York's Columbia University.

"On Monday, the betting was Abe would probably announce that he isn't running for a third term. Today, the betting is he will get a third term," he said.

But much depended on opinion polls and whether new allegations of misconduct emerged, Curtis added.

In addition, success at summits is by no means guaranteed.

"Of course, there are risks," the coalition lawmaker said. "Politics is a world of 'no risk, no return'."

Trump has blindsided Tokyo twice in recent weeks, first by announcing that he would meet Kim Jong Un and then by declining to exclude ally Japan from tariffs on steel and aluminium.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono told Reuters on Tuesday that the two allies were "completely in sync" on North Korea but concerns persist that Trump may do a deal that protects US interests but leaves Japan vulnerable.

On the trade front, Tokyo is pressing Washington to exempt Japan's steel products from the levies and pushing back against demands for a two-way free trade agreement, a stance the government repeated forcefully on Thursday.

Abe may have little concrete to offer Trump on trade other than restating plans, already in the works, to boost defence spending and buy US military equipment.

The Japanese leader may also find it tough to get concessions from Putin in a decades-old row over islands seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War Two. The dispute has kept Moscow and Tokyo from signing a peace treaty.

"Putin is just playing the game," a former senior Japanese diplomat said while adding that even a small breakthrough in the dispute would be a "great success" for Abe.

Any meeting between Abe and Kim Jong Un would be tricky, and forecasts that one will happen are premature, another ruling party lawmaker said.

To gain kudos, Abe needs progress on the emotive issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea decades ago, but North Korea would likely want economic aid in return.

Japan's stance, however, has been that aid can only be resumed if the two countries normalise diplomatic relations, which depends on the North abandoning its nuclear and missile programmes as well as resolving the abductee issue.

The slide in his (Abe's) ratings has clouded his prospects of winning a third, three-year term as LDP president

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, his ratings battered by a scandal over suspected cronyism, is hoping a series of summits including one with US President Donald Trump will restore his popularity ahead of a crucial ruling party leadership contest. Abe is expected to meet Trump around April 18 in Washington to discuss Trump's planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in late May. Tokyo has also not ruled out a meeting with Kim Jong Un. "Mr Abe is the most pro-active on foreign policy among Japanese prime ministers and wants to use that," a ruling coalition lawmaker told. "Especially ahead of the September Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election, he wants to appeal to voters through his meetings with Trump and Putin." Abe's ratings have fallen sharply due to the scandal over the sale of state-owned land to school operator Moritomo Gakuen, to which Abe's wife had ties, and after a finance ministry admission that documents about the deal were altered. The slide in his ratings has clouded his prospects of winning a third, three-year term as LDP president, victory in which would set him on track to become Japan's longest-serving premier, a position he's held since 2012. The LDP leader is virtually assured of being prime minister since an LDP-led coalition holds a majority in parliament. Abe is hoping his diplomatic performance will distract voters from the domestic scandal. "He's trying to change the conversation and the chances are it will work," said Gerry Curtis, an emeritus professor at New York's Columbia University. "On Monday, the betting was Abe would probably announce that he isn't running for a third term. Today, the betting is he will get a third term," he said. But much depended on opinion polls and whether new allegations of misconduct emerged, Curtis added. In addition, success at summits is by no means guaranteed. "Of course, there are risks," the coalition lawmaker said. "Politics is a world of 'no risk, no return'." Trump has blindsided Tokyo twice in recent weeks, first by announcing that he would meet Kim Jong Un and then by declining to exclude ally Japan from tariffs on steel and aluminium. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono told Reuters on Tuesday that the two allies were "completely in sync" on North Korea but concerns persist that Trump may do a deal that protects US interests but leaves Japan vulnerable. On the trade front, Tokyo is pressing Washington to exempt Japan's steel products from the levies and pushing back against demands for a two-way free trade agreement, a stance the government repeated forcefully on Thursday. Abe may have little concrete to offer Trump on trade other than restating plans, already in the works, to boost defence spending and buy US military equipment. The Japanese leader may also find it tough to get concessions from Putin in a decades-old row over islands seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War Two. The dispute has kept Moscow and Tokyo from signing a peace treaty. "Putin is just playing the game," a former senior Japanese diplomat said while adding that even a small breakthrough in the dispute would be a "great success" for Abe. Any meeting between Abe and Kim Jong Un would be tricky, and forecasts that one will happen are premature, another ruling party lawmaker said. To gain kudos, Abe needs progress on the emotive issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea decades ago, but North Korea would likely want economic aid in return. Japan's stance, however, has been that aid can only be resumed if the two countries normalise diplomatic relations, which depends on the North abandoning its nuclear and missile programmes as well as resolving the abductee issue.

Turning to diplomacy, Japan's Abe hopes to change channel from scandal woes

Nearly half of Japanese voters believe Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should quit to take responsibility over a cronyism scandal and cover-up that have sent his support sliding, according to an opinion poll released on Monday.

Suspicions have arisen about a sale of state-owned land at a huge discount to a nationalist school operator with ties to Abe's wife, Akie, setting off the biggest political crisis Abe has faced since returning to power in 2012 and prompting protestors to call almost nightly for him to quit.

Abe has denied that either he or his wife intervened in the sale or were involved in altering documents related to the deal, in which mention of his and Akie's names were removed.&nbsp;

According to a public opinion survey covered by the liberal Asahi newspaper at the weekend, 48 percent of those polled said Abe and his government should quit, compared to 39 percent who said that wasn't necessary.

Those who said they supported Abe slid to 32.6 percent, down 11.7 percentage points from a month ago, while those who said they did not rose 13.2 percentage points to 54.9 percent.

Asked why they supported him, the largest number - 37.8 percent - said it was because his government "seems better than others," a reflection of the fragmented opposition and voter memories of the rocky tenure of the rival Democratic Party of Japan, one part of the reason Abe has managed to stay in power as long as he has.

No margin of error was given for the poll, in which 66.7 percent of 1,606 people contacted responded.

Asked about the land sale scandal in a parliamentary committee on Monday, Abe reiterated that as head of the government he was responsible for voters losing trust in his administration but repeated his denial that either he or his wife had been directly involved in the land sale.

According to a public opinion survey, 48 percent of those polled said Abe and his government should quit

Nearly half of Japanese voters believe Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should quit to take responsibility over a cronyism scandal and cover-up that have sent his support sliding, according to an opinion poll released on Monday. Suspicions have arisen about a sale of state-owned land at a huge discount to a nationalist school operator with ties to Abe's wife, Akie, setting off the biggest political crisis Abe has faced since returning to power in 2012 and prompting protestors to call almost nightly for him to quit. Abe has denied that either he or his wife intervened in the sale or were involved in altering documents related to the deal, in which mention of his and Akie's names were removed. According to a public opinion survey covered by the liberal Asahi newspaper at the weekend, 48 percent of those polled said Abe and his government should quit, compared to 39 percent who said that wasn't necessary. Those who said they supported Abe slid to 32.6 percent, down 11.7 percentage points from a month ago, while those who said they did not rose 13.2 percentage points to 54.9 percent. Asked why they supported him, the largest number - 37.8 percent - said it was because his government "seems better than others," a reflection of the fragmented opposition and voter memories of the rocky tenure of the rival Democratic Party of Japan, one part of the reason Abe has managed to stay in power as long as he has. No margin of error was given for the poll, in which 66.7 percent of 1,606 people contacted responded. Asked about the land sale scandal in a parliamentary committee on Monday, Abe reiterated that as head of the government he was responsible for voters losing trust in his administration but repeated his denial that either he or his wife had been directly involved in the land sale.

Nearly half of Japanese think Abe should quit over land sale scandal

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has once again come under fire regarding the cronyism and document tampering scandal on Monday.

Certain specific groups across Japan staged multiple protests demanding the resignation of Abe for his wife Akie Abe&#39;s alleged involvement in a kindergarten scandal.

Abe on Monday accepted the blame for the scandal which involved the tampering of certain official documents.

As per the Straits Times, Abe said that his superiors had told him to change certain background section of official documents Osaka land sale as they were supposedly too specific. He also said that he did not act alone but along with the instructions given by Finance Ministry.

&quot;The ultimate responsibility lies with me as the head of the administrative branch. I would like to apologise once again,&quot; Abe told Parliament. &quot;We take seriously the fact that this is a situation that has shaken public confidence in the entire administration.&quot;

Japan&#39;s Finance Ministry admitted last week that 14 documents about the Kindergarten land deal were found to be tampered with and the land was sold with the help of the Prime Minister&#39;s wife at lower rates.

Further on Monday another set of papers surfaced which showed a range of price negotiations done in regard to the dubious land deal which had been removed from the papers submitted to the parliament earlier.

In response to it, Abe denied of being involved in the forgeries conducted and said he &#39;had no clue of the documents&#39; existence to begin with.

The scandal centres around a 2016 purchase of a state-owned land at Osaka in Japan which had been sold at one-tenth of its actual price to a person named Yasunori Kagoike to build a kindergarten school.

As per certain media reports, Akie Abe had facilitated Kagoike to purchase the land illegally at a lower price thus inviting charges under cronyism which includes partially awarding jobs and other political advantages to the relatives.

Further Kagoike also claimed to receive &yen;1 million donations from Akie Abe for the development of the school, a claim which has been strenuously denied by Shinzo Abe.

Abe had also been accused of giving preferential treatment to a kinder school operator named Kake Gakuen who allegedly opened a veterinary school with the funds meant for the play school.

As the scandal unfolded National Tax Agency chief Nobuhisa Sagawa who presided over the Financial Bureau at the time of the tampering resigned on March 9 the same day when a bureau official committed suicide who was also a part of the investigation team.

There had also been reports that a politician of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party earlier pressurised an education board to provide details of a lecture that was scheduled to be delivered by the whistle-blower of the kindergarten scandal.

Abe on Monday accepted the blame for the scandal which involved the tampering of certain official documents

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has once again come under fire regarding the cronyism and document tampering scandal on Monday. Certain specific groups across Japan staged multiple protests demanding the resignation of Abe for his wife Akie Abe's alleged involvement in a kindergarten scandal. Abe on Monday accepted the blame for the scandal which involved the tampering of certain official documents. As per the Straits Times, Abe said that his superiors had told him to change certain background section of official documents Osaka land sale as they were supposedly too specific. He also said that he did not act alone but along with the instructions given by Finance Ministry. "The ultimate responsibility lies with me as the head of the administrative branch. I would like to apologise once again," Abe told Parliament. "We take seriously the fact that this is a situation that has shaken public confidence in the entire administration." Japan's Finance Ministry admitted last week that 14 documents about the Kindergarten land deal were found to be tampered with and the land was sold with the help of the Prime Minister's wife at lower rates. Further on Monday another set of papers surfaced which showed a range of price negotiations done in regard to the dubious land deal which had been removed from the papers submitted to the parliament earlier. In response to it, Abe denied of being involved in the forgeries conducted and said he 'had no clue of the documents' existence to begin with. The scandal centres around a 2016 purchase of a state-owned land at Osaka in Japan which had been sold at one-tenth of its actual price to a person named Yasunori Kagoike to build a kindergarten school. As per certain media reports, Akie Abe had facilitated Kagoike to purchase the land illegally at a lower price thus inviting charges under cronyism which includes partially awarding jobs and other political advantages to the relatives. Further Kagoike also claimed to receive ¥1 million donations from Akie Abe for the development of the school, a claim which has been strenuously denied by Shinzo Abe. Abe had also been accused of giving preferential treatment to a kinder school operator named Kake Gakuen who allegedly opened a veterinary school with the funds meant for the play school. As the scandal unfolded National Tax Agency chief Nobuhisa Sagawa who presided over the Financial Bureau at the time of the tampering resigned on March 9 the same day when a bureau official committed suicide who was also a part of the investigation team. There had also been reports that a politician of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party earlier pressurised an education board to provide details of a lecture that was scheduled to be delivered by the whistle-blower of the kindergarten scandal.

Shinzo Abe under fire over Kindergarten scandal

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday remained steadfast that he and his wife were not involved in a discount land-sale deal that has seen the opposition call for the resignation of his key ally, Finance Minister Taro Aso.

Abe and Aso have come under fresh pressure over the ministry`s admission this week that it had altered documents related to the sale of state-owned land at a steep discount to a school operator with ties to Abe`s wife, Akie.

Suspicion of a cover-up could slash Abe`s ratings and dash his hopes for a third term as leader of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Victory in the LDP September leadership vote would put him on track to become Japan`s longest-serving premier.

Copies of documents released by the finance ministry on Monday showed that references to Abe, his wife and Aso were removed from the ministry`s records of the sale to school operator Moritomo Gakuen.

&quot;When you look at the documents even before they were altered, it is clear that my wife and I were not involved,&quot; Abe told an upper house budget committee on Wednesday, a statement echoed by chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga.&nbsp;

Abe has said he would resign if evidence were found that they had.

According to the ministry documents, a comment from Moritomo Gakuen citing Akie Abe as telling him, &quot;This is good land so please proceed,&quot; was removed. Yasunori Kagoike, the former head of Moritomo Gakuen, and his wife remain in custody after being arrested last July over the deal.

Asked about the reference on Wednesday, Abe said: &quot;I checked with my wife and she says she said no such thing. My wife was neither the person in charge of establishing the school nor Mr Kagoike`s boss, so naturally, she would not have made such a remark.&quot;

Abe and Aso told parliament they had never instructed officials at the finance ministry to alter the documents.

The scandal has caused a stalemate in parliament, with opposition parties boycotting debate on the next fiscal year`s budget, potentially delaying reforms to boost long-term economic growth.

On Wednesday, a senior LDP politician told opposition counterpart Kityomi Tsujimoto that the LDP would call former National Tax Agency chief Nobuhisa Sagawa to testify, a move previously opposed in return for the opposition returning to the budget debate, an opposition party official said.

Sagawa headed the ministry division that submitted the documents before he became tax agency chief in July, appointment critics saw as a reward for his efforts to diffuse the issue with his statements to parliament last year.

Tsujimoto, who belongs to the Constitutional Democratic Party, countered by asking that Abe`s wife appear as well, the opposition party official said. She did not receive a reply.

Abe and Aso (the Finance Minister) told parliament they had never instructed officials at the finance ministry to alter the documents

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday remained steadfast that he and his wife were not involved in a discount land-sale deal that has seen the opposition call for the resignation of his key ally, Finance Minister Taro Aso. Abe and Aso have come under fresh pressure over the ministry`s admission this week that it had altered documents related to the sale of state-owned land at a steep discount to a school operator with ties to Abe`s wife, Akie. Suspicion of a cover-up could slash Abe`s ratings and dash his hopes for a third term as leader of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Victory in the LDP September leadership vote would put him on track to become Japan`s longest-serving premier. Copies of documents released by the finance ministry on Monday showed that references to Abe, his wife and Aso were removed from the ministry`s records of the sale to school operator Moritomo Gakuen. "When you look at the documents even before they were altered, it is clear that my wife and I were not involved," Abe told an upper house budget committee on Wednesday, a statement echoed by chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga. Abe has said he would resign if evidence were found that they had. According to the ministry documents, a comment from Moritomo Gakuen citing Akie Abe as telling him, "This is good land so please proceed," was removed. Yasunori Kagoike, the former head of Moritomo Gakuen, and his wife remain in custody after being arrested last July over the deal. Asked about the reference on Wednesday, Abe said: "I checked with my wife and she says she said no such thing. My wife was neither the person in charge of establishing the school nor Mr Kagoike`s boss, so naturally, she would not have made such a remark." Abe and Aso told parliament they had never instructed officials at the finance ministry to alter the documents. The scandal has caused a stalemate in parliament, with opposition parties boycotting debate on the next fiscal year`s budget, potentially delaying reforms to boost long-term economic growth. On Wednesday, a senior LDP politician told opposition counterpart Kityomi Tsujimoto that the LDP would call former National Tax Agency chief Nobuhisa Sagawa to testify, a move previously opposed in return for the opposition returning to the budget debate, an opposition party official said. Sagawa headed the ministry division that submitted the documents before he became tax agency chief in July, appointment critics saw as a reward for his efforts to diffuse the issue with his statements to parliament last year. Tsujimoto, who belongs to the Constitutional Democratic Party, countered by asking that Abe`s wife appear as well, the opposition party official said. She did not receive a reply.

Japan PM Abe denies involvement by him, wife in discount land sale

Japan is considering a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, local media reported, as diplomatic efforts to engage Pyongyang ramp up.

The reports come after the surprise announcement that US President Donald Trump plans his own talks with the North Korean leader, part of fast-paced diplomatic developments following an Olympic detente.

However, there have been no public proposals of talks by either Pyongyang or Tokyo.&nbsp;

Japan&#39;s Kyodo news agency reported a potential Abe-Kim summit late Tuesday, citing unnamed government sources who said the talks could be part of a new approach by Tokyo to dealing with the North.

Hours later, Jiji Press reported a similar story, saying Tokyo fears being left behind in dealing with the North if talks proceed between the isolated nation and South Korea and Washington without Japan&#39;s involvement.

&nbsp;A&nbsp;foreign ministry spokeswoman said she could not confirm any concrete plans for a summit.

But she added &quot;we will be studying our policies from the viewpoint of what is most effective&quot; to resolve the issues of North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile programmes as well as the abduction of Japanese citizens by Pyongyang.

Earlier this week, South Korean envoy Suh Hoon visited Tokyo to brief Japan&#39;s leadership on the fast-moving diplomatic process that saw an announcement last week of a historic US-North Korea summit to discuss Pyongyang&#39;s denuclearisation.

Suh, the chief of South Korea&#39;s National Intelligence Service, on Tuesday met with Abe but it was unclear if he brought a message from the North Korean leader to propose a summit with Japan.

Media reports and experts say Tokyo fears it may be left out of developments around North Korea, and worries that the issue of abducted Japanese citizens is being sidelined.

But the possibility of an Abe-Kim summit also comes as the Japanese premier faces a growing scandal at home over the sale of government land to one of his supporters, and an apparent cover-up of the deal by the finance ministry.

Abe rose to political prominence on his calls for a tough line on North Korea, particularly over its abductions of Japanese citizens.

Japan, a close US ally in the region, is in the &nbsp;firing line of North Korean missiles and saw two fly over its territory in 2017, sparking outrage and lifting tensions to fever pitch.

The last Japanese prime minister to meet a North Korean leader was Junichiro Koizumi, who met Kim&#39;s father Kim Jung Il in Pyongyang in 2004.

Japan is considering a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

Japan is considering a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, local media reported, as diplomatic efforts to engage Pyongyang ramp up. The reports come after the surprise announcement that US President Donald Trump plans his own talks with the North Korean leader, part of fast-paced diplomatic developments following an Olympic detente. However, there have been no public proposals of talks by either Pyongyang or Tokyo. Japan's Kyodo news agency reported a potential Abe-Kim summit late Tuesday, citing unnamed government sources who said the talks could be part of a new approach by Tokyo to dealing with the North. Hours later, Jiji Press reported a similar story, saying Tokyo fears being left behind in dealing with the North if talks proceed between the isolated nation and South Korea and Washington without Japan's involvement. A foreign ministry spokeswoman said she could not confirm any concrete plans for a summit. But she added "we will be studying our policies from the viewpoint of what is most effective" to resolve the issues of North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes as well as the abduction of Japanese citizens by Pyongyang. Earlier this week, South Korean envoy Suh Hoon visited Tokyo to brief Japan's leadership on the fast-moving diplomatic process that saw an announcement last week of a historic US-North Korea summit to discuss Pyongyang's denuclearisation. Suh, the chief of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, on Tuesday met with Abe but it was unclear if he brought a message from the North Korean leader to propose a summit with Japan. Media reports and experts say Tokyo fears it may be left out of developments around North Korea, and worries that the issue of abducted Japanese citizens is being sidelined. But the possibility of an Abe-Kim summit also comes as the Japanese premier faces a growing scandal at home over the sale of government land to one of his supporters, and an apparent cover-up of the deal by the finance ministry. Abe rose to political prominence on his calls for a tough line on North Korea, particularly over its abductions of Japanese citizens. Japan, a close US ally in the region, is in the firing line of North Korean missiles and saw two fly over its territory in 2017, sparking outrage and lifting tensions to fever pitch. The last Japanese prime minister to meet a North Korean leader was Junichiro Koizumi, who met Kim's father Kim Jung Il in Pyongyang in 2004.

Japan's Abe weighing talks with North Korea's Kim: Reports

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-compulsory-linking-of-aadhaar-with-bank-accounts-mobiles-extended-indefinitely-35673" target="_blank">Supreme Court: Compulsory linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts, mobiles extended indefinitely</a>

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended indefinitely till the judgement is pronounced the compulsory linking of Aadhaar numbers with bank accounts and mobile phones.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-ousts-secretary-of-state-tillerson-cia-director-mike-pompeo-to-take-over-from-him-35689" target="_blank">Trump ousts Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, CIA director Mike Pompeo to take over from him</a>

US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that that CIA Director was taking over from Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.&nbsp;Trump added that Gina Haspel would lead the CIA.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nine-crpf-jawans-killed-in-a-maoist-attack-in-chhattisgarhs-sukma-district-35669" target="_blank">Nine CRPF jawans killed in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nine-crpf-jawans-killed-in-a-maoist-attack-in-chhattisgarhs-sukma-district-35669" target="_blank">Maoist</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nine-crpf-jawans-killed-in-a-maoist-attack-in-chhattisgarhs-sukma-district-35669" target="_blank"> attack in Chhattisgarh&#39;s Sukma district</a>

At least nine CRPF personnel were killed and three others injured when Maoists blew up an anti-landmine vehicle in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, said a senior police official.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-president-bidya-devi-bhandari-re-elected-to-second-term-in-office-35685" target="_blank">Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari re-elected to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-president-bidya-devi-bhandari-re-elected-to-second-term-in-office-35685" target="_blank">second</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-president-bidya-devi-bhandari-re-elected-to-second-term-in-office-35685" target="_blank"> term in office</a>

Nepal&#39;s first woman president Bidya Devi Bhandari was today re-elected for a second term in office.&nbsp;Incumbent President Bhandari defeated Nepali Congress leader Kumari Laxmi Rai with an overwhelming majority in the presidential election.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/japan-considers-seeking-summit-between-pm-abe-and-north-korea-leader-source-35690" target="_blank">Japan considers seeking summit between PM Abe and North Korea leader: Source</a>

Japan is considering seeking a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents decades ago, a government source who was briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.&#39;

&nbsp;

Supreme Court: Compulsory linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts, mobiles extended indefinitely The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended indefinitely till the judgement is pronounced the compulsory linking of Aadhaar numbers with bank accounts and mobile phones. Trump ousts Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, CIA director Mike Pompeo to take over from him US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that that CIA Director was taking over from Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. Trump added that Gina Haspel would lead the CIA. Nine CRPF jawans killed in Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district At least nine CRPF personnel were killed and three others injured when Maoists blew up an anti-landmine vehicle in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, said a senior police official. Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari re-elected to second term in office Nepal's first woman president Bidya Devi Bhandari was today re-elected for a second term in office. Incumbent President Bhandari defeated Nepali Congress leader Kumari Laxmi Rai with an overwhelming majority in the presidential election. Japan considers seeking summit between PM Abe and North Korea leader: Source Japan is considering seeking a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents decades ago, a government source who was briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.'

WION Evening News Brief, March 13, 2018

Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe, on Friday, welcomed the announcement of the meet between US President Donald Trump and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un.

&quot;I highly appreciate North Korea`s change that it will begin talks on the premise of denuclearisation,&quot; Shinzo Abe said, adding that he planned to visit the United States to meet Trump &quot;as early as April&quot;.

Japan has been cautious about a recent Olympics-driven rapprochement on the Korean peninsula. The Japanese Prime Minister noted on Thursday that &quot;talks for the sake of talks are meaningless.&quot;

Abe sounded positive about the planned Trump-Kim summit. He also described the event as &quot;the achievement of cooperation between... Japan, the US, and South Korea to maintain great pressure&quot;.

&quot;We will keep putting maximum pressure (on North Korea) until North Korea takes concrete actions toward denuclearisation in a manner that is perfect, verifiable and irreversible.&quot;

According to Abe, there is no change in policy for Japan and the US.

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Japan has been cautious about a recent Olympics-driven rapprochement on the Korean peninsula

Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe, on Friday, welcomed the announcement of the meet between US President Donald Trump and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un. "I highly appreciate North Korea`s change that it will begin talks on the premise of denuclearisation," Shinzo Abe said, adding that he planned to visit the United States to meet Trump "as early as April". Japan has been cautious about a recent Olympics-driven rapprochement on the Korean peninsula. The Japanese Prime Minister noted on Thursday that "talks for the sake of talks are meaningless." Abe sounded positive about the planned Trump-Kim summit. He also described the event as "the achievement of cooperation between... Japan, the US, and South Korea to maintain great pressure". "We will keep putting maximum pressure (on North Korea) until North Korea takes concrete actions toward denuclearisation in a manner that is perfect, verifiable and irreversible." According to Abe, there is no change in policy for Japan and the US. (With inputs from ANI)

Japan's Prime Minister hails and welcomes Trump-Kim summit 

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Wednesday pledged to attend the&nbsp;Winter Olympics in South Korea, ending speculation he would snub the event after an emotional war of words with Seoul over a deal on wartime sex slavery.

&quot;I would like to attend the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics to cheer on Japanese athletes if conditions allow me to do so,&quot; Abe told the conservative Sankei Shimbun newspaper.

&quot;The Olympic Games is a festival for peace and sports and Japan is poised to host Tokyo 2020,&quot; he was quoted as saying, referring to the Summer Games in the Japanese capital.

Jiji Press and the Yomiuri Shimbun daily also reported Abe is set to attend the opening gala of the Winter Olympics hosted by the South Korean city on February 9.

Abe had previously hinted he might skip the event to concentrate on passing a national budget bill, in a move widely seen as posturing after a spat with Seoul over the decades-old row.

The issue of women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops in World War II has roiled relations between the neighbours -- both US allies and both threatened by nuclear-armed North Korea.

The issue is a highly emotional one in Seoul while a majority of Japanese feel they have atoned enough for the country&#39;s wartime aggression including the comfort women issue, after numerous apologies and statements on the war.

But South Korea sparked anger in Japan by hinting at a review of a landmark 2015 deal that Tokyo believes buried the issue once and for all.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;d like to meet with President Moon (Jae-In),&quot; Abe was quoted as saying, adding: &quot;I would like to tell him directly that we can by no means accept South Korea&#39;s unilateral request for additional measures concerning the deal over the comfort women issue.&quot;

Moon recently urged Japan to offer a &quot;heartfelt apology&quot; to the victims.

Ousted president Park Geun-Hye&#39;s government struck the deal with Japan under Abe, under which both countries said the issue was resolved &quot;finally and irreversibly&quot;.

Under the deal -- that included a fresh Japanese apology -- South Korea promised not to raise the issue again and Japan transferred 1 billion yen (now $9 million) to a foundation dedicated to supporting the victims.

&nbsp;

Media reports claim that Abe is set to attend the opening gala of the Winter Olympics hosted by the South Korean city on February 9

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Wednesday pledged to attend the Winter Olympics in South Korea, ending speculation he would snub the event after an emotional war of words with Seoul over a deal on wartime sex slavery. "I would like to attend the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics to cheer on Japanese athletes if conditions allow me to do so," Abe told the conservative Sankei Shimbun newspaper. "The Olympic Games is a festival for peace and sports and Japan is poised to host Tokyo 2020," he was quoted as saying, referring to the Summer Games in the Japanese capital. Jiji Press and the Yomiuri Shimbun daily also reported Abe is set to attend the opening gala of the Winter Olympics hosted by the South Korean city on February 9. Abe had previously hinted he might skip the event to concentrate on passing a national budget bill, in a move widely seen as posturing after a spat with Seoul over the decades-old row. The issue of women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops in World War II has roiled relations between the neighbours -- both US allies and both threatened by nuclear-armed North Korea. The issue is a highly emotional one in Seoul while a majority of Japanese feel they have atoned enough for the country's wartime aggression including the comfort women issue, after numerous apologies and statements on the war. But South Korea sparked anger in Japan by hinting at a review of a landmark 2015 deal that Tokyo believes buried the issue once and for all. "I'd like to meet with President Moon (Jae-In)," Abe was quoted as saying, adding: "I would like to tell him directly that we can by no means accept South Korea's unilateral request for additional measures concerning the deal over the comfort women issue." Moon recently urged Japan to offer a "heartfelt apology" to the victims. Ousted president Park Geun-Hye's government struck the deal with Japan under Abe, under which both countries said the issue was resolved "finally and irreversibly". Under the deal -- that included a fresh Japanese apology -- South Korea promised not to raise the issue again and Japan transferred 1 billion yen (now $9 million) to a foundation dedicated to supporting the victims.

Japan PM Abe 'to attend Olympics' despite sex slave spat

Eleven countries aiming to forge an Asia-Pacific trade pact after the United States pulled out of an earlier version will sign an agreement in Chile in March, Japan&#39;s economy minister said on Tuesday, in a big win for Tokyo.

Trade officials had been meeting in Tokyo to resolve rifts including Canada&#39;s insistence on protections for its cultural industries such as movies, TV and music.

An agreement is a win for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe&#39;s government, which has been lobbying hard to save the pact, originally called the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

In one of his first acts as US&nbsp;president in January 2017, Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the original 12-nation treaty.

Abe has painted the deal as a spur to growth and reform in Japan and a symbol of commitment to free and multilateral trade at a time when Trump stresses &quot;America First&quot; policies.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Canada&#39;s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the agreement the &quot;right deal&quot;.

Canada&#39;s trade minister said in a statement it included an improved arrangement on autos with Japan and the suspension of intellectual property provisions that had been a concern.

The timing of the deal is significant for Canada, which is trying to diversify its exports. US, Canadian and Mexican negotiators opened a key week-long round of talks to modernize NAFTA on Tuesday.

The US&nbsp;Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) expressed concern the pact could put overseas demand for US&nbsp;wheat &quot;at serious risk,&quot; saying Japan imports an average of 3.1 million tonnes of wheat from the United States a year.&nbsp;

After TPP-11 is fully implemented Japanese import tariffs on Canadian and Australian wheat would fall by some $65 per tonne, they said in a statement.

&quot;If nothing else, this announcement should serve as a rallying cry for farmers, ranchers and dairy producers calling for the new trade deals we were promised when the president walked away from TPP,&quot; said NAWG&#39;s president Gordon Stoner.

Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the new Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), or TPP-11, would be an &quot;engine to overcome protectionism&quot; emerging in parts of the world.

He added Japan would explain the importance of the deal to Washington in hopes of persuading it to join.

Ministers from the 11 countries, including Japan, Australia and Canada, agreed in November on core elements to move ahead without the United States, but demands by countries including Canada for measures to ensure the deal protects jobs blocked a final agreement.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said last week the new agreement would leave a door open for eventual US&nbsp;participation.

Canada, which wanted protection of its cultural industries, and Vietnam, which has worried about labour protection rules, will exchange separate side letters with other members on those topics at the time of the signing, Motegi said.

Trade officials had been meeting in Tokyo to resolve rifts

Eleven countries aiming to forge an Asia-Pacific trade pact after the United States pulled out of an earlier version will sign an agreement in Chile in March, Japan's economy minister said on Tuesday, in a big win for Tokyo. Trade officials had been meeting in Tokyo to resolve rifts including Canada's insistence on protections for its cultural industries such as movies, TV and music. An agreement is a win for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government, which has been lobbying hard to save the pact, originally called the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In one of his first acts as US president in January 2017, Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the original 12-nation treaty. Abe has painted the deal as a spur to growth and reform in Japan and a symbol of commitment to free and multilateral trade at a time when Trump stresses "America First" policies. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the agreement the "right deal". Canada's trade minister said in a statement it included an improved arrangement on autos with Japan and the suspension of intellectual property provisions that had been a concern. The timing of the deal is significant for Canada, which is trying to diversify its exports. US, Canadian and Mexican negotiators opened a key week-long round of talks to modernize NAFTA on Tuesday. The US Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) expressed concern the pact could put overseas demand for US wheat "at serious risk," saying Japan imports an average of 3.1 million tonnes of wheat from the United States a year. After TPP-11 is fully implemented Japanese import tariffs on Canadian and Australian wheat would fall by some $65 per tonne, they said in a statement. "If nothing else, this announcement should serve as a rallying cry for farmers, ranchers and dairy producers calling for the new trade deals we were promised when the president walked away from TPP," said NAWG's president Gordon Stoner. Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the new Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), or TPP-11, would be an "engine to overcome protectionism" emerging in parts of the world. He added Japan would explain the importance of the deal to Washington in hopes of persuading it to join. Ministers from the 11 countries, including Japan, Australia and Canada, agreed in November on core elements to move ahead without the United States, but demands by countries including Canada for measures to ensure the deal protects jobs blocked a final agreement. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said last week the new agreement would leave a door open for eventual US participation. Canada, which wanted protection of its cultural industries, and Vietnam, which has worried about labour protection rules, will exchange separate side letters with other members on those topics at the time of the signing, Motegi said.

Trans-Pacific trade pact, without US, to be signed in March: Japan

Japanese authorities confirmed Tuesday that a second pilot was killed in a military helicopter crash a day earlier, after identifying a body part retrieved from near the crash site in the country&#39;s southwest.

The Apache helicopter crashed Monday in a residential area in Saga province, with authorities initially saying co-pilot Hiroki Takayama had been killed and lead pilot Kenichi Saito was missing.

But the defence ministry confirmed Tuesday that Saito had also been killed in the crash after identifying a body part found by rescue workers.

&quot;The body part is now identified at local police as the pilot,&quot; a defence ministry spokesman told AFP.

The helicopter crashed in seven minutes after takeoff, slamming into and setting on fire a house that was completely destroyed in the accident.

An 11-year-old girl was in the house at the time, but survived with minor injuries.

Video footage captured by a camera in a nearby car showed the helicopter dropping from the sky almost vertically, with its nose pointing directly towards the ground.

The crash site was just 300 metres (1,000 feet) from a local elementary school and sent a thick plume of grey smoke rising from in between the rooftops of local houses.

The AH-64 Apache attack helicopter was conducting a test flight after routine maintenance at the time of the accident and had taken off from a Self-Defence Forces (SDF) base, according to the defence ministry.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his government would investigate the incident.

&quot;It is very regrettable that the Self-Defence Forces, which should protect the people&#39;s lives and peaceful living, threatened their safety and caused tremendous damage,&quot; he told a parliamentary session.

&quot;I apologise sincerely,&quot; Abe added.

The defence ministry said it has suspended the flight of all 12 of its AH-64 helicopters for inspections.

The incident revived memories of a 2016 crash in which a Japanese air force jet with six people aboard went missing in mountainous terrain.&nbsp;

Their bodies were later recovered.

There has also been a string of accidents involving US military helicopters that have fuelled opposition to their presence in the country.

The latest was a UH-1 helicopter that was forced into an emergency landing last month on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa.

Japan&#39;s SDF have been banned from waging any kind of combat beyond defence of the nation since the US-imposed constitution of 1947 that followed the carnage of World War II.

But despite the limits on the scope of its military activity, Japan nonetheless boasts an impressive array of weaponry with highly trained personnel. 
&nbsp;

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his government would investigate the incident

Japanese authorities confirmed Tuesday that a second pilot was killed in a military helicopter crash a day earlier, after identifying a body part retrieved from near the crash site in the country's southwest. The Apache helicopter crashed Monday in a residential area in Saga province, with authorities initially saying co-pilot Hiroki Takayama had been killed and lead pilot Kenichi Saito was missing. But the defence ministry confirmed Tuesday that Saito had also been killed in the crash after identifying a body part found by rescue workers. "The body part is now identified at local police as the pilot," a defence ministry spokesman told AFP. The helicopter crashed in seven minutes after takeoff, slamming into and setting on fire a house that was completely destroyed in the accident. An 11-year-old girl was in the house at the time, but survived with minor injuries. Video footage captured by a camera in a nearby car showed the helicopter dropping from the sky almost vertically, with its nose pointing directly towards the ground. The crash site was just 300 metres (1,000 feet) from a local elementary school and sent a thick plume of grey smoke rising from in between the rooftops of local houses. The AH-64 Apache attack helicopter was conducting a test flight after routine maintenance at the time of the accident and had taken off from a Self-Defence Forces (SDF) base, according to the defence ministry. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his government would investigate the incident. "It is very regrettable that the Self-Defence Forces, which should protect the people's lives and peaceful living, threatened their safety and caused tremendous damage," he told a parliamentary session. "I apologise sincerely," Abe added. The defence ministry said it has suspended the flight of all 12 of its AH-64 helicopters for inspections. The incident revived memories of a 2016 crash in which a Japanese air force jet with six people aboard went missing in mountainous terrain. Their bodies were later recovered. There has also been a string of accidents involving US military helicopters that have fuelled opposition to their presence in the country. The latest was a UH-1 helicopter that was forced into an emergency landing last month on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. Japan's SDF have been banned from waging any kind of combat beyond defence of the nation since the US-imposed constitution of 1947 that followed the carnage of World War II. But despite the limits on the scope of its military activity, Japan nonetheless boasts an impressive array of weaponry with highly trained personnel.

Second Japan pilot confirmed dead after army helicopter crash

Gujarat is set to roll out the red carpet for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he arrives here tomorrow along with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

The two leaders will hold a roadshow, which will begin from the city airport and end at the Sabarmati Ashram, a journey of eight kilometres.

Around 50 stages will be erected on the roadside along the stretch and people from different states of the country will welcome Netanyahu.

The two leaders, who hit it off during Modi&#39;s visit to Israel in July last year, the first by an Indian prime minister, would visit two centres of excellence and inaugurate another such facility.

&quot;Around 50 stages have been built along the roadside on the eight-kilometre stretch. Cultural programmes will be performed by troupes of different states as well as ethnicity to welcome the guests,&quot; Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation&#39;s standing committee chairman Pravin Patel said.

&quot;The Indian Jewish people will also welcome the two leaders,&quot; he said.

The city, especially the stretch from the airport to the Sabarmati Ashram, has been decked up to welcome Netanyahu along with his wife Sara.

Modi and Japanese premier Shinzo Abe had also held a joint roadshow during the latter&#39;s visit here in September last year. The Indian premier had shown Abe and his wife around at the Sabarmati Ashram.

They had also spent some time at the Sabarmati Riverfront, developed during Modi&#39;s tenure as Gujarat chief minister.

Modi had also accompanied Chinese President Xi Jinping and his spouse to the riverfront during the latter&#39;s India visit in 2014.

&quot;According to the tentative schedule, Modi and Netanyahu would first visit the Sabarmati Ashram on their arrival here tomorrow. Both the dignitaries will be accorded a grand welcome,&quot; Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had earlier said.

From the Ashram, Modi and Netanyahu would go to &#39;iCreate&#39;, an autonomous centre of excellence near Bavla town close to the city, Rupani said.

&#39;iCreate&#39; was formally launched in 2011 by Modi when he was the chief minister. The institution mentors budding entrepreneurs and guides them to set up start-ups, according to an official.

The Israeli prime minister will also present Modi a special gift -- the Gal-Mobile water desalinisation and purification jeep the two leaders rode at Israel&#39;s Olga beach last year.

There will be a live demonstration of desalination of sea water that the two prime ministers will witness through video conferencing from the iCreate centre on Janaury 17.

The jeep is said to cost around 390,000 shekels (approximately USD 111,000).

The two leaders would then proceed for a Sabarkantha- based centre of excellence for agriculture established by Isreal. They will inaugurate a research facility for cultivation of dates in Kutch by remote control from Sabarkantha, the chief minister had earlier said.

Netanyahu and Narendra Modi will hold a roadshow from the airport to Sabarmati Ashram, a journey of eight kilometres

Gujarat is set to roll out the red carpet for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he arrives here tomorrow along with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. The two leaders will hold a roadshow, which will begin from the city airport and end at the Sabarmati Ashram, a journey of eight kilometres. Around 50 stages will be erected on the roadside along the stretch and people from different states of the country will welcome Netanyahu. The two leaders, who hit it off during Modi's visit to Israel in July last year, the first by an Indian prime minister, would visit two centres of excellence and inaugurate another such facility. "Around 50 stages have been built along the roadside on the eight-kilometre stretch. Cultural programmes will be performed by troupes of different states as well as ethnicity to welcome the guests," Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's standing committee chairman Pravin Patel said. "The Indian Jewish people will also welcome the two leaders," he said. The city, especially the stretch from the airport to the Sabarmati Ashram, has been decked up to welcome Netanyahu along with his wife Sara. Modi and Japanese premier Shinzo Abe had also held a joint roadshow during the latter's visit here in September last year. The Indian premier had shown Abe and his wife around at the Sabarmati Ashram. They had also spent some time at the Sabarmati Riverfront, developed during Modi's tenure as Gujarat chief minister. Modi had also accompanied Chinese President Xi Jinping and his spouse to the riverfront during the latter's India visit in 2014. "According to the tentative schedule, Modi and Netanyahu would first visit the Sabarmati Ashram on their arrival here tomorrow. Both the dignitaries will be accorded a grand welcome," Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had earlier said. From the Ashram, Modi and Netanyahu would go to 'iCreate', an autonomous centre of excellence near Bavla town close to the city, Rupani said. 'iCreate' was formally launched in 2011 by Modi when he was the chief minister. The institution mentors budding entrepreneurs and guides them to set up start-ups, according to an official. The Israeli prime minister will also present Modi a special gift -- the Gal-Mobile water desalinisation and purification jeep the two leaders rode at Israel's Olga beach last year. There will be a live demonstration of desalination of sea water that the two prime ministers will witness through video conferencing from the iCreate centre on Janaury 17. The jeep is said to cost around 390,000 shekels (approximately USD 111,000). The two leaders would then proceed for a Sabarkantha- based centre of excellence for agriculture established by Isreal. They will inaugurate a research facility for cultivation of dates in Kutch by remote control from Sabarkantha, the chief minister had earlier said.

Red carpet welcome awaits Netanyahu in Ahmedabad

A panel the size of a laptop computer fell off one of the Japanese prime minister&#39;s jumbo jets, the defence force said on Friday, a potentially embarrassing mishap amid concern over the dangers posed by parts falling off US military aircraft based in Japan.

Officials noticed the panel was missing from the Boeing 747, one of two jetliners used by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for foreign trips, after it flew from Tokyo to its base on the northern island of Hokkaido on Thursday, a spokesman for the Japan Air Self Defence Force (ASDF) said.

The part, measuring 38 cm (15 inches) by 20 cm, has not been found. It is an access panel near the pylon connecting one of the engines to the right wing. 
&quot;There was no sign of it on the runways so it&#39;s going to be very difficult to locate,&quot; the spokesman said.

A recent string of incidents involving US aircraft based on Japan&#39;s southern island of Okinawa prompted Japan&#39;s Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera on Tuesday to ask his US counterpart James Mattis to implement measures that would prevent any recurrences.

Those incidents, which included a window falling from a helicopter onto a school playground last month, have fuelled public opposition to the U.S. presence on the strategically located island at the edge of the East China Sea.

The air force would conduct an investigation to determine why the panel had fallen off Abe&#39;s plane, the ASDF spokesman said.

The two government jumbos left Tokyo on Friday carrying Abe, government officials and Japanese business representatives on a six-day trip to Eastern Europe, including stops in Estonia, Lithuania, Serbia and Romania.

Abe did not board the 747 that lost the panel.

Japan has ordered two Boeing 777 planes to replace the ageing jumbos after March 2019. It also plans to switch to ANA Holdings for maintenance work from rival Japan Airlines Co.

Officials noticed the panel was missing from the Boeing 747 after it flew from Tokyo to its base on the northern island of Hokkaido on Thursday.

A panel the size of a laptop computer fell off one of the Japanese prime minister's jumbo jets, the defence force said on Friday, a potentially embarrassing mishap amid concern over the dangers posed by parts falling off US military aircraft based in Japan. Officials noticed the panel was missing from the Boeing 747, one of two jetliners used by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for foreign trips, after it flew from Tokyo to its base on the northern island of Hokkaido on Thursday, a spokesman for the Japan Air Self Defence Force (ASDF) said. The part, measuring 38 cm (15 inches) by 20 cm, has not been found. It is an access panel near the pylon connecting one of the engines to the right wing. "There was no sign of it on the runways so it's going to be very difficult to locate," the spokesman said. A recent string of incidents involving US aircraft based on Japan's southern island of Okinawa prompted Japan's Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera on Tuesday to ask his US counterpart James Mattis to implement measures that would prevent any recurrences. Those incidents, which included a window falling from a helicopter onto a school playground last month, have fuelled public opposition to the U.S. presence on the strategically located island at the edge of the East China Sea. The air force would conduct an investigation to determine why the panel had fallen off Abe's plane, the ASDF spokesman said. The two government jumbos left Tokyo on Friday carrying Abe, government officials and Japanese business representatives on a six-day trip to Eastern Europe, including stops in Estonia, Lithuania, Serbia and Romania. Abe did not board the 747 that lost the panel. Japan has ordered two Boeing 777 planes to replace the ageing jumbos after March 2019. It also plans to switch to ANA Holdings for maintenance work from rival Japan Airlines Co.

Wing panel falls off Japanese prime minister's jumbo jet

There&rsquo;s been precious little good news from Asia these days. Washington and Pyongyang continue to trade threats of war. Right-wing nationalist Shinzo Abe won re-election as prime minister in Japan last month. Major storms have hammered several countries in the region, most recently Typhoon Damrey in Vietnam.

And now, in the wake of those typhoons comes a mighty wind from the United States. Donald Trump, in the longest foreign trip of his presidency, is currently visiting South Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. The silver lining on this Ugly American Tour: Trump probably won&rsquo;t start a war in a region where he&rsquo;s currently travelling.

Lost among all this bad news has been some very good news out of Asia. It hasn&rsquo;t received much media attention here, probably because it only peripherally involves the United States. Last week, South Korea and China ended a yearlong spat over the deployment of a US missile defence system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). China, believing the system to be designed to eliminate its nuclear deterrent, punished South Korea economically for welcoming THAAD. Now a new government in Seoul, led by liberal president Moon Jae-in, has announced that it would not add to the existing THAAD system or participate in the proposed regional missile defence that Washington wants to set up. That was enough for China to re-engage economically.

It&rsquo;s a delicate balance for South Korea, to maintain its alliance with the United States and yet repair relations with China. The Trump administration is much happier with the passive-aggressive attitude of Tokyo - passively accepting US hegemony while aggressively pursuing an offensive military posture - than with Seoul&rsquo;s somewhat more independent position. Witness the time Trump lavished on Abe on this current trip including a round of golf. South Korea, meanwhile, had to make due with a brief stopover and a strident lecture by the president before the national assembly.

Here&rsquo;s a radical idea for China and South Korea: Forget Donald Trump, forget the United States and forget the Cold War divide in Northeast Asia. The two countries ought to build on their newly repaired relationship. They can make like Germany and France after World War II. But instead of a new regional order based on coal and steel, Beijing and Seoul should establish something completely new: An Asian Environmental Community that promotes renewable energy and sustainable growth.

A new geopolitical moment

Much has been made of Trump&rsquo;s reeling in of American influence around the world, at least on the soft-power side of things, and China&rsquo;s eager efforts to capitalise on the new global opportunities. Perhaps future historians will look back at this moment as the time when China began to replace the United States as the anchor of the international community. Or perhaps they will identify this era as the moment when everything began to unravel, from the EU to the UN.

But let&rsquo;s imagine a different scenario in which the threat of climate change plays the same integrative function as alien invaders in Hollywood films. The planet is at risk: Let&rsquo;s all fight the common enemy together!

True, the world so far hasn&rsquo;t gotten the message. This week the latest round of meetings began in Germany to discuss the commitments made in the Paris Climate Agreement two years ago. The Trump administration, aside from a few token representatives, has been conspicuously absent. Also, absent was any real hope that the agreement would achieve its goal of keeping the rise in global temperature from hitting a 2 degrees Celsius increase above pre-industrial levels.

Reports The New York Times: &ldquo;No major industrialised country is currently on track to fulfil its pledge, according to new data from the Climate Action Tracker. Not the European Union. Not Canada. Not Japan.&rdquo; Even if they do meet their commitments, it still won&rsquo;t be enough. According to a recent Nature study, even if humans stopped all use of fossil fuels immediately, the planet would still register a 2 C degrees increase by 2100.

Not even the announcements that both Syria and Nicaragua will join the Paris Agreement, leaving Trump&rsquo;s America as the only outlier, can alleviate this grim news. The Maldives, Mumbai and Miami are sinking: It&rsquo;s time to make plans to move to Mongolia.

Room for improvement

Enter South Korea and Japan. Here are two economic powerhouses - in the most economically dynamic region of the world - with great PR on climate change.

&ldquo;Tackling climate change is a shared mission for mankind,&rdquo; Chinese Premier Xi Jinping said at the launch of the Paris Agreement. &ldquo;Let us join hands to contribute to the establishment of an equitable and effective global mechanism on climate change, work for global sustainable development at a high level, and bring about new international relations featuring win-win cooperation.&rdquo;

Sounds good. And China has pushed forward with impressive investments into renewable energy - $360 billion by the end of the decade - along with stopping the construction of over 100 new coal-fired power plants. Although China is set to reach peak emissions a decade or more before its 2030 goal, the country remains the largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, having surpassed the United States in 2007. In 2015, it released nearly twice as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as did the United States, and coal still supplies two-thirds of its energy needs. In other words, China has a long way to go before it can claim substantive leadership in stopping global warming.

South Korea has also talked a good game. Former president Lee Myung Bak created the Global Green Growth Initiative, now a multilateral body based in Seoul, to promote sustainability. In 2009, Lee told the UN: &ldquo;To proactively respond to climate change, Korea adopted &lsquo;Low Carbon Green Growth&rsquo; as a guiding vision for our nation and a strategy for further development. We are currently working to enact a Framework Law on Green Growth and establish a Five-Year Plan for Green Growth. Thereby, we will not only transform our economic and industrial structures but also change our very lifestyles to become more future-oriented.&rdquo;

In reality, however, South Korea backtracked from the pledges made during the Lee era. Under his successor Park Geun-hye, now awaiting trial on charges of corruption, Korea made a U-turn on greenhouse gas emissions and decided to rely even more heavily on coal for energy generation. As a result of this change of policy, the Institute for Climate Change Action declared South Korea one of four global &ldquo;climate villains&rdquo; at the end of 2016.

In other words, both China and South Korea have made impressive commitments to lower the global thermometer even as they continue to be a big part of the problem. But let&rsquo;s focus on the future. There&rsquo;s a new government in Seoul and China has a chance to replace the United States as the global leader on this issue. So, let&rsquo;s take it to the next level.

Asian environmental community

When France and Germany formed a new partnership in 1950, the architects had much grander ambitions than simply coordinating the production of coal and steel. They wanted to ensure a peaceful Europe. In his famous declaration that year, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman made the case for cooperation with former enemy Germany:

<q><cite>Five years, almost to the day, after the unconditional surrender of Germany, France is accomplishing the first decisive act for European construction and is associating Germany with this. Conditions in Europe are going to be entirely changed because of it. This transformation will facilitate other action which has been impossible until this day.</cite></q>

There are good arguments for including Japan in a new Asian Environmental Community from the very beginning. Particularly, at the municipal level, Japan has made great strides in reducing its carbon footprint. However, there&rsquo;s considerable resistance in Korea to greater foreign policy coordination with Japan. Japan has outstanding territorial disputes with both China and South Korea. And the Abe administration is focused on breaking out of its constitutional restraints on fielding an offensive military. For all those reasons, it would be best to focus first on achieving consensus between Seoul and Beijing.

So, what would this new Asian Environmental Community do? Both South Korea and China set rather unambitious targets under the Paris Agreement. Their first task would be to establish a more ambitious agenda for cuts in carbon emissions. There&rsquo;s no reason why both countries can&rsquo;t follow the example of Uruguay, which has managed to wean itself almost entirely from oil imports over the last two decades. The economic benefits should be attractive to both Seoul and Beijing: The cost of electricity has dropped considerably in Uruguay, the sustainable energy sector generates more jobs than the oil sector and the country now exports its (clean) energy to its neighbours. Both China and South Korea have traditionally relied on imported oil and gas; this kind of import substitution should appeal to both liberals and conservatives.

Next, the two countries could partner on a much more thoroughgoing greening of OBOR, not just incorporating some sustainable elements but ensuring that the new transportation lines, ports and power plants are carbon neutral. Yes, the massive undertaking has already started, with nearly 1,700 projects over the last three years. But it&rsquo;s still at the beginning stages, with plenty of future investment to green. But a new Asian Environmental Community could be more ambitious still.

Just as Robert Schuman imagined that the coal and steel agreement between France and Germany would bring a broken Europe back together, at least the western half of it, the partnership of China and South Korea could offer a way for Asia to sidestep its myriad disagreements and come together around the one thing that all countries can support. As with early European cooperation, the environmental partnership would be mutually beneficial. Coordinated production of renewable energy - solar panels, wind turbines - could take advantage of economies of scale to bring down prices even more. Generation of clean energy for export could help energy-poor countries go beyond their Paris commitments.

And all this cooperation might just spill over into other realms, making resolution of territorial disputes, economic disagreements, and even North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear program that much more likely. Never has Northeast Asia been more in need of a virtuous circle of engagement.

Asia set the standard for electronics, internet connectivity and formind-blowingly telescoped economic development. Now it&rsquo;s time for China and South Korea to establish a new global green benchmark. The world is desperate for mind-blowingly telescoped environmental development. Let Asia lead the way again.

This&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/asia_pacific/china-south-korea-climate-change-paris-agreement-news-01990/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article</a>&nbsp;has been originally published in Fair Observer.

Image Credit: testing / Shutterstock

China and South Korea could be game changers on climate, creating a more peaceful region in the process by establishing a new global green benchmark

There’s been precious little good news from Asia these days. Washington and Pyongyang continue to trade threats of war. Right-wing nationalist Shinzo Abe won re-election as prime minister in Japan last month. Major storms have hammered several countries in the region, most recently Typhoon Damrey in Vietnam. And now, in the wake of those typhoons comes a mighty wind from the United States. Donald Trump, in the longest foreign trip of his presidency, is currently visiting South Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. The silver lining on this Ugly American Tour: Trump probably won’t start a war in a region where he’s currently travelling. Lost among all this bad news has been some very good news out of Asia. It hasn’t received much media attention here, probably because it only peripherally involves the United States. Last week, South Korea and China ended a yearlong spat over the deployment of a US missile defence system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). China, believing the system to be designed to eliminate its nuclear deterrent, punished South Korea economically for welcoming THAAD. Now a new government in Seoul, led by liberal president Moon Jae-in, has announced that it would not add to the existing THAAD system or participate in the proposed regional missile defence that Washington wants to set up. That was enough for China to re-engage economically. It’s a delicate balance for South Korea, to maintain its alliance with the United States and yet repair relations with China. The Trump administration is much happier with the passive-aggressive attitude of Tokyo - passively accepting US hegemony while aggressively pursuing an offensive military posture - than with Seoul’s somewhat more independent position. Witness the time Trump lavished on Abe on this current trip including a round of golf. South Korea, meanwhile, had to make due with a brief stopover and a strident lecture by the president before the national assembly. Here’s a radical idea for China and South Korea: Forget Donald Trump, forget the United States and forget the Cold War divide in Northeast Asia. The two countries ought to build on their newly repaired relationship. They can make like Germany and France after World War II. But instead of a new regional order based on coal and steel, Beijing and Seoul should establish something completely new: An Asian Environmental Community that promotes renewable energy and sustainable growth. A new geopolitical moment Much has been made of Trump’s reeling in of American influence around the world, at least on the soft-power side of things, and China’s eager efforts to capitalise on the new global opportunities. Perhaps future historians will look back at this moment as the time when China began to replace the United States as the anchor of the international community. Or perhaps they will identify this era as the moment when everything began to unravel, from the EU to the UN. But let’s imagine a different scenario in which the threat of climate change plays the same integrative function as alien invaders in Hollywood films. The planet is at risk: Let’s all fight the common enemy together! True, the world so far hasn’t gotten the message. This week the latest round of meetings began in Germany to discuss the commitments made in the Paris Climate Agreement two years ago. The Trump administration, aside from a few token representatives, has been conspicuously absent. Also, absent was any real hope that the agreement would achieve its goal of keeping the rise in global temperature from hitting a 2 degrees Celsius increase above pre-industrial levels. Reports The New York Times: “No major industrialised country is currently on track to fulfil its pledge, according to new data from the Climate Action Tracker. Not the European Union. Not Canada. Not Japan.” Even if they do meet their commitments, it still won’t be enough. According to a recent Nature study, even if humans stopped all use of fossil fuels immediately, the planet would still register a 2 C degrees increase by 2100. Not even the announcements that both Syria and Nicaragua will join the Paris Agreement, leaving Trump’s America as the only outlier, can alleviate this grim news. The Maldives, Mumbai and Miami are sinking: It’s time to make plans to move to Mongolia. Room for improvement Enter South Korea and Japan. Here are two economic powerhouses - in the most economically dynamic region of the world - with great PR on climate change. “Tackling climate change is a shared mission for mankind,” Chinese Premier Xi Jinping said at the launch of the Paris Agreement. “Let us join hands to contribute to the establishment of an equitable and effective global mechanism on climate change, work for global sustainable development at a high level, and bring about new international relations featuring win-win cooperation.” Sounds good. And China has pushed forward with impressive investments into renewable energy - $360 billion by the end of the decade - along with stopping the construction of over 100 new coal-fired power plants. Although China is set to reach peak emissions a decade or more before its 2030 goal, the country remains the largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, having surpassed the United States in 2007. In 2015, it released nearly twice as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as did the United States, and coal still supplies two-thirds of its energy needs. In other words, China has a long way to go before it can claim substantive leadership in stopping global warming. South Korea has also talked a good game. Former president Lee Myung Bak created the Global Green Growth Initiative, now a multilateral body based in Seoul, to promote sustainability. In 2009, Lee told the UN: “To proactively respond to climate change, Korea adopted ‘Low Carbon Green Growth’ as a guiding vision for our nation and a strategy for further development. We are currently working to enact a Framework Law on Green Growth and establish a Five-Year Plan for Green Growth. Thereby, we will not only transform our economic and industrial structures but also change our very lifestyles to become more future-oriented.” In reality, however, South Korea backtracked from the pledges made during the Lee era. Under his successor Park Geun-hye, now awaiting trial on charges of corruption, Korea made a U-turn on greenhouse gas emissions and decided to rely even more heavily on coal for energy generation. As a result of this change of policy, the Institute for Climate Change Action declared South Korea one of four global “climate villains” at the end of 2016. In other words, both China and South Korea have made impressive commitments to lower the global thermometer even as they continue to be a big part of the problem. But let’s focus on the future. There’s a new government in Seoul and China has a chance to replace the United States as the global leader on this issue. So, let’s take it to the next level. Asian environmental community When France and Germany formed a new partnership in 1950, the architects had much grander ambitions than simply coordinating the production of coal and steel. They wanted to ensure a peaceful Europe. In his famous declaration that year, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman made the case for cooperation with former enemy Germany: Five years, almost to the day, after the unconditional surrender of Germany, France is accomplishing the first decisive act for European construction and is associating Germany with this. Conditions in Europe are going to be entirely changed because of it. This transformation will facilitate other action which has been impossible until this day. There are good arguments for including Japan in a new Asian Environmental Community from the very beginning. Particularly, at the municipal level, Japan has made great strides in reducing its carbon footprint. However, there’s considerable resistance in Korea to greater foreign policy coordination with Japan. Japan has outstanding territorial disputes with both China and South Korea. And the Abe administration is focused on breaking out of its constitutional restraints on fielding an offensive military. For all those reasons, it would be best to focus first on achieving consensus between Seoul and Beijing. So, what would this new Asian Environmental Community do? Both South Korea and China set rather unambitious targets under the Paris Agreement. Their first task would be to establish a more ambitious agenda for cuts in carbon emissions. There’s no reason why both countries can’t follow the example of Uruguay, which has managed to wean itself almost entirely from oil imports over the last two decades. The economic benefits should be attractive to both Seoul and Beijing: The cost of electricity has dropped considerably in Uruguay, the sustainable energy sector generates more jobs than the oil sector and the country now exports its (clean) energy to its neighbours. Both China and South Korea have traditionally relied on imported oil and gas; this kind of import substitution should appeal to both liberals and conservatives. Next, the two countries could partner on a much more thoroughgoing greening of OBOR, not just incorporating some sustainable elements but ensuring that the new transportation lines, ports and power plants are carbon neutral. Yes, the massive undertaking has already started, with nearly 1,700 projects over the last three years. But it’s still at the beginning stages, with plenty of future investment to green. But a new Asian Environmental Community could be more ambitious still. Just as Robert Schuman imagined that the coal and steel agreement between France and Germany would bring a broken Europe back together, at least the western half of it, the partnership of China and South Korea could offer a way for Asia to sidestep its myriad disagreements and come together around the one thing that all countries can support. As with early European cooperation, the environmental partnership would be mutually beneficial. Coordinated production of renewable energy - solar panels, wind turbines - could take advantage of economies of scale to bring down prices even more. Generation of clean energy for export could help energy-poor countries go beyond their Paris commitments. And all this cooperation might just spill over into other realms, making resolution of territorial disputes, economic disagreements, and even North Korea’s nuclear program that much more likely. Never has Northeast Asia been more in need of a virtuous circle of engagement. Asia set the standard for electronics, internet connectivity and formind-blowingly telescoped economic development. Now it’s time for China and South Korea to establish a new global green benchmark. The world is desperate for mind-blowingly telescoped environmental development. Let Asia lead the way again. This article has been originally published in Fair Observer. Image Credit: testing / Shutterstock

Let Asia lead the way on climate change

&nbsp;Every American president has a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/president-trump-throws-an-entire-box-of-fish-food-into-precious-koi-carp-pond-23588"> </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/president-trump-throws-an-entire-box-of-fish-food-into-precious-koi-carp-pond-23588">favorite</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/president-trump-throws-an-entire-box-of-fish-food-into-precious-koi-carp-pond-23588"> foreign leader. For Donald Trump, it seems to be Japanese</a> Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The two leaders toasted their <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/time-for-patience-on-north-korea-is-over-says-trump-23581">&quot;bromance&quot; on Monday as they wrapped up two days of golf,</a> burgers and serious talks on trade and North Korea.

The two men have met face-to-face six times since Trump was elected US&nbsp;president a year ago and had 16 telephone conversations. They&#39;ve played golf twice, once at Trump&#39;s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and again on Sunday outside Tokyo.

Abe recalled how his grandfather, then-premier Nobusuke Kishi, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower began the tradition of US-Japan golf diplomacy 60 years ago.

&quot;When you play golf not just once but two times, the person must be your favorite guy,&quot; Abe said ahead of a formal banquet with Trump on Monday. He added that never had two Japanese and American leaders forged such a close bond in just one year.

Abe was the first foreign leader to meet Trump after his election last November, a win that caught Tokyo off guard after many had expected Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton to win and worried about Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; rhetoric.

Trump told the dinner guests that for protocol reasons, he shouldn&#39;t have met a foreign leader before his inauguration - but when he tried to call Abe to wave him off, the Japanese premier was already on a plane to New York.

&quot;We have to spend more time together because I enjoyed every minute of it even though he (Abe) is a very tough negotiator,&quot; Trump said. &quot;We will be back soon.&quot;

Trump and Abe are hardly the only US&nbsp;and Japanese leaders to bond. Ronald Reagan and Yasuhiro Nakasone set the gold-standard for friendly ties between leaders of the two allies back in the 1980s, when they famously called each other by the nicknames &ldquo;Ron&rdquo; and &ldquo;Yasu&rdquo;.

George W. Bush and Junichiro Koizumi also bonded during Koizumi&rsquo;s 2001-2006 term as Japanese premier, playing ball, eating BBQ at Bush&rsquo;s Texas ranch, and visiting Elvis Presley&rsquo;s Graceland mansion, where Koizumi crooned Elvis tunes.

Diplomatic experts said the personal chemistry between Abe and Trump appeared real, but also noted that forging warm ties were in a way a diplomatic necessity for Japan, which ultimately relies on the US&nbsp;nuclear umbrella for its security. 
&nbsp;

Abe recalled how his grandfather, then-premier Nobusuke Kishi, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower began the tradition of US-Japan golf diplomacy 60 years ago.

Every American president has a favorite foreign leader. For Donald Trump, it seems to be Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The two leaders toasted their "bromance" on Monday as they wrapped up two days of golf, burgers and serious talks on trade and North Korea. The two men have met face-to-face six times since Trump was elected US president a year ago and had 16 telephone conversations. They've played golf twice, once at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and again on Sunday outside Tokyo. Abe recalled how his grandfather, then-premier Nobusuke Kishi, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower began the tradition of US-Japan golf diplomacy 60 years ago. "When you play golf not just once but two times, the person must be your favorite guy," Abe said ahead of a formal banquet with Trump on Monday. He added that never had two Japanese and American leaders forged such a close bond in just one year. Abe was the first foreign leader to meet Trump after his election last November, a win that caught Tokyo off guard after many had expected Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton to win and worried about Trump's "America First" rhetoric. Trump told the dinner guests that for protocol reasons, he shouldn't have met a foreign leader before his inauguration - but when he tried to call Abe to wave him off, the Japanese premier was already on a plane to New York. "We have to spend more time together because I enjoyed every minute of it even though he (Abe) is a very tough negotiator," Trump said. "We will be back soon." Trump and Abe are hardly the only US and Japanese leaders to bond. Ronald Reagan and Yasuhiro Nakasone set the gold-standard for friendly ties between leaders of the two allies back in the 1980s, when they famously called each other by the nicknames “Ron” and “Yasu”. George W. Bush and Junichiro Koizumi also bonded during Koizumi’s 2001-2006 term as Japanese premier, playing ball, eating BBQ at Bush’s Texas ranch, and visiting Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion, where Koizumi crooned Elvis tunes. Diplomatic experts said the personal chemistry between Abe and Trump appeared real, but also noted that forging warm ties were in a way a diplomatic necessity for Japan, which ultimately relies on the US nuclear umbrella for its security.

Trump wraps up Japan visit over golf, burgers and trade talks

U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up his tough rhetoric against North Korea when he arrived in Japan on Sunday, saying that the United States and its allies are prepared to defend freedom and that &#39;no dictator&#39;&nbsp;should underestimate US&nbsp;resolve.

Trump kicked off a 12-day Asian trip and is looking to present a united front with Japan against North Korea through meetings with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe amid heightened tensions over Pyongyang&rsquo;s nuclear and missile tests.

He told reporters on Air Force One en route to Asia that North Korea would figure prominently in discussions during the trip. He also singled out trade, which he said had been &#39;badly handled&#39;&nbsp;in the region for years.

Trump has rattled some allies with his vow to &#39;totally destroy&#39;&nbsp;North Korea if it threatens the United States and his dismissal of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a &#39;rocket man&#39;&nbsp;on a suicide mission.

&ldquo;No dictator, no regime, no nation should ever underestimate American resolve,&rdquo; Trump told hundreds of cheering US&nbsp;and Japanese troops in camouflage uniforms gathered at Yokota Air Base, just west of Tokyo, soon after he arrived.

&ldquo;Every once in a while, in the past, they underestimated us. It was not pleasant for them, was it?&rdquo; said Trump, who wore a leather bomber jacket as he addressed the troops.

North Korea&rsquo;s recent actions, including several missiles that overflew Japan and Pyongyang&rsquo;s sixth and largest nuclear test, have raised the stakes in the most critical international challenge of Trump&rsquo;s presidency.

<iframe data-integralas-id-9156c4a1-f918-a000-8681-5266851aa6d7="" frameborder="0" height="2" id="google_ads_iframe_/4735792/us.reuters/world/article_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/4735792/us.reuters/world/article_2" scrolling="no" srcdoc="" title="3rd party ad content" width="2"></iframe>Recent drills over South Korea by two US&nbsp;strategic bombers have further raised tensions.

&ldquo;We will never yield, never waver and never falter in defense of our freedom,&rdquo; Trump said.

He told reporters earlier on Air Force One that a decision would be made soon on whether to add reclusive North Korea to a list of state sponsors of terrorism.

His administration also planned to take a different approach to dealing with the issue after years of what he termed &#39;total weakness&#39;, although he did not give any details.

&ldquo;We want to get it solved. It&rsquo;s a big problem for our country and the world, and we want to get it solved,&rdquo; he said.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters before Trump&rsquo;s arrival that he welcomed the visit as a chance to deepen bilateral ties by building upon the &ldquo;friendship and trust&rdquo; between the two leaders, fostered by several meetings that included a round of golf in Florida earlier this year.

&ldquo;I hope we will be able to have thorough discussions about international issues, including North Korea,&rdquo; he said.

Trump and Abe were to play golf on Sunday afternoon at a course to be used during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, followed by dinner. More discussions were set for Monday.

Trump also said he planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip, the longest Asian tour by any US&nbsp;leader since George H.W. Bush in 1992.

&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s expected that we will meet,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We want Putin&rsquo;s help on North Korea.&rdquo;

Trump wants a united front with the leaders of Japan and South Korea against North Korea before he visits Beijing to make the case to Chinese President Xi Jinping that he should do more to rein in Pyongyang.

Trade will factor heavily during Trump&rsquo;s trip as he tries to persuade Asian allies to agree to policies more favorable to the United States, a point Trump emphasized.

A centerpiece of the trip will be a visit to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Danang, Vietnam, where he will deliver a speech in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which is seen as offering a bulwark in response to expansionist Chinese policies.

&ldquo;One of the things we&rsquo;re going to be very focused on is trade because trade has not been done well for 25 years by the United States with this part of the world, with any part of the world,&rdquo; he said on Air Force One.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to be discussing reciprocal trade. Fair, free but reciprocal,&rdquo; he said.

Trump kicked off a 12-day Asian trip and is looking to present a united front with Japan against North Korea through meetings with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe amid heightened tensions over Pyongyang?s nuclear and missile tests.

U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up his tough rhetoric against North Korea when he arrived in Japan on Sunday, saying that the United States and its allies are prepared to defend freedom and that 'no dictator' should underestimate US resolve. Trump kicked off a 12-day Asian trip and is looking to present a united front with Japan against North Korea through meetings with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe amid heightened tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile tests. He told reporters on Air Force One en route to Asia that North Korea would figure prominently in discussions during the trip. He also singled out trade, which he said had been 'badly handled' in the region for years. Trump has rattled some allies with his vow to 'totally destroy' North Korea if it threatens the United States and his dismissal of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a 'rocket man' on a suicide mission. “No dictator, no regime, no nation should ever underestimate American resolve,” Trump told hundreds of cheering US and Japanese troops in camouflage uniforms gathered at Yokota Air Base, just west of Tokyo, soon after he arrived. “Every once in a while, in the past, they underestimated us. It was not pleasant for them, was it?” said Trump, who wore a leather bomber jacket as he addressed the troops. North Korea’s recent actions, including several missiles that overflew Japan and Pyongyang’s sixth and largest nuclear test, have raised the stakes in the most critical international challenge of Trump’s presidency. Recent drills over South Korea by two US strategic bombers have further raised tensions. “We will never yield, never waver and never falter in defense of our freedom,” Trump said. He told reporters earlier on Air Force One that a decision would be made soon on whether to add reclusive North Korea to a list of state sponsors of terrorism. His administration also planned to take a different approach to dealing with the issue after years of what he termed 'total weakness', although he did not give any details. “We want to get it solved. It’s a big problem for our country and the world, and we want to get it solved,” he said. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters before Trump’s arrival that he welcomed the visit as a chance to deepen bilateral ties by building upon the “friendship and trust” between the two leaders, fostered by several meetings that included a round of golf in Florida earlier this year. “I hope we will be able to have thorough discussions about international issues, including North Korea,” he said. Trump and Abe were to play golf on Sunday afternoon at a course to be used during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, followed by dinner. More discussions were set for Monday. Trump also said he planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip, the longest Asian tour by any US leader since George H.W. Bush in 1992. “I think it’s expected that we will meet,” he said. “We want Putin’s help on North Korea.” Trump wants a united front with the leaders of Japan and South Korea against North Korea before he visits Beijing to make the case to Chinese President Xi Jinping that he should do more to rein in Pyongyang. Trade will factor heavily during Trump’s trip as he tries to persuade Asian allies to agree to policies more favorable to the United States, a point Trump emphasized. A centerpiece of the trip will be a visit to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Danang, Vietnam, where he will deliver a speech in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which is seen as offering a bulwark in response to expansionist Chinese policies. “One of the things we’re going to be very focused on is trade because trade has not been done well for 25 years by the United States with this part of the world, with any part of the world,” he said on Air Force One. “We’re going to be discussing reciprocal trade. Fair, free but reciprocal,” he said.

Trump lands in Japan, says US and allies are prepared to defend freedom

Japan&#39;s Shinzo Abe was re-elected prime minister on Wednesday after his ruling bloc&#39;s big election win last month and days ahead of a visit by US&nbsp;President Donald Trump that is expected to be dominated by concerns over a volatile North Korea.

Abe, 63, took office in December 2012, promising to reboot the stale economy and bolster defence.

His Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition retained its two-thirds &#39;super majority&#39;&nbsp;in parliament&#39;s lower house in the Oct. 22 election, reenergising his push to revise the post-war, pacifist constitution.

Abe was expected to reappoint current cabinet ministers and tell them to compile an extra budget for the year to March 31, 2018 focusing on child care and boosting productivity.

In a telephone conversation on Monday, Abe and Trump agreed to work together on steps to counter Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and missile development.

Trump told Abe &#39;He is looking forward to his visit to Japan, that Japan and America are 100 percent together and there is no room to doubt the Japan-U.S. alliance.&#39;&nbsp;Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters.

The two leaders have developed a close personal relationship since Trump was elected, and plan to play golf together during Trump&#39;s Nov. 5-7 visit to Japan. 
&nbsp;

Abe, 63, took office in December 2012, promising to reboot the stale economy and bolster defence.

Japan's Shinzo Abe was re-elected prime minister on Wednesday after his ruling bloc's big election win last month and days ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump that is expected to be dominated by concerns over a volatile North Korea. Abe, 63, took office in December 2012, promising to reboot the stale economy and bolster defence. His Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition retained its two-thirds 'super majority' in parliament's lower house in the Oct. 22 election, reenergising his push to revise the post-war, pacifist constitution. Abe was expected to reappoint current cabinet ministers and tell them to compile an extra budget for the year to March 31, 2018 focusing on child care and boosting productivity. In a telephone conversation on Monday, Abe and Trump agreed to work together on steps to counter Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development. Trump told Abe 'He is looking forward to his visit to Japan, that Japan and America are 100 percent together and there is no room to doubt the Japan-U.S. alliance.' Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters. The two leaders have developed a close personal relationship since Trump was elected, and plan to play golf together during Trump's Nov. 5-7 visit to Japan.

Shinzo Abe re-elected prime minister of Japan after big election win

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gambled by calling a snap election &ndash; and he has won big.

Voters handed Abe&rsquo;s Liberal Democratic Party a sweeping victory in the Oct. 22 balloting for Japan&rsquo;s House of Representatives.

The call for the election came in late September after North Korea had just fired another test missile, with its longest delivery system yet. Over the past months, North Korea has tested six missiles, with each test either falling into the Japan Sea or passing over Japan to land in the Pacific. This latest missile flew over Japan&rsquo;s northernmost island of Hokkaido before falling into the Pacific Ocean. North Korea&rsquo;s leader, Kim Jung Un, used strong threats after this missile test, saying that he hoped to see Japan sink into the sea. Abe and his hawkish, conservative coalition have been attempting to rebuild Japan&rsquo;s military capabilities and to scrap its WWII-era constitution that prohibits aggression.

Based on my research in Japanese politics, I believe the party&rsquo;s electoral victory spells trouble for peace in Asia.

Re-arming the military

Abe&rsquo;s agenda has taken shape in a number of ways. In August, his minister of defence submitted a historic budget request that violates a decades-old unwritten principle. The principle is for Japan&rsquo;s defence budget to never be larger than 1 per cent of GDP. This principle was part of the commitment made after WWII to forever renounce military aggression.

The new budget request is a whopping 5,255 billion yen in military spending (US$48.1 billion) or 2.5 per cent of Japan&rsquo;s GDP for the fiscal year 2018. The request includes new land-based missile defence systems to monitor space and provides auto-warnings for missile launches. This technology would assist in detecting potential missile launches from North Korea, and could theoretically intercept them.

In September, the Japanese Navy launched the ship &ldquo;Myoko&rdquo; that will patrol the Japan Sea between Japan and Korea. It will guard against potential missile fires by North Korea with anti-missile defence capabilities, identical to those of the U.S. Navy. At the launch, Abe said that the &ldquo;increasingly severe security environment&rdquo; posed by North Korea and China must be &ldquo;squarely faced&rdquo; by Japan. He referred to the environment awaiting the Myoko&rsquo;s crew as a &quot;raging sea&quot;.

Many in Japan anticipate the role of Japan&rsquo;s military will soon change to respond to North Korea. Increasing military spending in the budget now may lead to future increases and spending on more offensive weapons. For example, two years ago, Japan and the U.S. renegotiated their security alliance. Japan agreed to come to the aid of its most important ally if the U.S. or one of its allies were to come under attack. A discussion on changing the Japanese Constitution&rsquo;s WWII prohibition of aggression is likely to be revived.

Destabilising the region

The requested increase in military spending in August had an immediate effect on the region and possibilities for peaceful relations.

A spokesperson for China&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted China&rsquo;s concern over the new plan and accused Japan of inflating the threat posed by China in order to take a more offensive stance in Asia.

The relationship between China and Japan is already tense. The two nations are engaged in a dispute over the Senkaku Diaoyutai islands in the East China Sea. This disagreement flared up last summer when China stepped up military activity near the islands. Then in February, President Trump reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to come to Japan&rsquo;s aid with conventional and nuclear weapons in a statement signed by both leaders.

Abe&rsquo;s victory confirms that Japanese people take these threats seriously. Their fears may play into a developing brinksmanship between Japan and North Korea that could, in my opinion, implicate the United States.

Trump will visit Asia in November, and his stay in Japan includes a visit with Japanese who were abducted by North Korea during the 1970s and &lsquo;80s. Doing so may open old wounds with North Korea &ndash; the stories of abduction provoke strong feelings for the Japanese people who will be reminded of North Korea&rsquo;s past offences. Prospects for a peaceful resolution with North Korea are becoming more slim, strengthening Abe&rsquo;s case for building out Japan&rsquo;s offensive capabilities.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/japans-vote-for-abe-could-worsen-prospects-for-peace-with-north-korea-china-86173" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

The USA's aid for Japan's military might narrow the prospect of solving Japan's issues with China and North Korea

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gambled by calling a snap election – and he has won big. Voters handed Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party a sweeping victory in the Oct. 22 balloting for Japan’s House of Representatives. The call for the election came in late September after North Korea had just fired another test missile, with its longest delivery system yet. Over the past months, North Korea has tested six missiles, with each test either falling into the Japan Sea or passing over Japan to land in the Pacific. This latest missile flew over Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido before falling into the Pacific Ocean. North Korea’s leader, Kim Jung Un, used strong threats after this missile test, saying that he hoped to see Japan sink into the sea. Abe and his hawkish, conservative coalition have been attempting to rebuild Japan’s military capabilities and to scrap its WWII-era constitution that prohibits aggression. Based on my research in Japanese politics, I believe the party’s electoral victory spells trouble for peace in Asia. Re-arming the military Abe’s agenda has taken shape in a number of ways. In August, his minister of defence submitted a historic budget request that violates a decades-old unwritten principle. The principle is for Japan’s defence budget to never be larger than 1 per cent of GDP. This principle was part of the commitment made after WWII to forever renounce military aggression. The new budget request is a whopping 5,255 billion yen in military spending (US$48.1 billion) or 2.5 per cent of Japan’s GDP for the fiscal year 2018. The request includes new land-based missile defence systems to monitor space and provides auto-warnings for missile launches. This technology would assist in detecting potential missile launches from North Korea, and could theoretically intercept them. In September, the Japanese Navy launched the ship “Myoko” that will patrol the Japan Sea between Japan and Korea. It will guard against potential missile fires by North Korea with anti-missile defence capabilities, identical to those of the U.S. Navy. At the launch, Abe said that the “increasingly severe security environment” posed by North Korea and China must be “squarely faced” by Japan. He referred to the environment awaiting the Myoko’s crew as a "raging sea". Many in Japan anticipate the role of Japan’s military will soon change to respond to North Korea. Increasing military spending in the budget now may lead to future increases and spending on more offensive weapons. For example, two years ago, Japan and the U.S. renegotiated their security alliance. Japan agreed to come to the aid of its most important ally if the U.S. or one of its allies were to come under attack. A discussion on changing the Japanese Constitution’s WWII prohibition of aggression is likely to be revived. Destabilising the region The requested increase in military spending in August had an immediate effect on the region and possibilities for peaceful relations. A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted China’s concern over the new plan and accused Japan of inflating the threat posed by China in order to take a more offensive stance in Asia. The relationship between China and Japan is already tense. The two nations are engaged in a dispute over the Senkaku Diaoyutai islands in the East China Sea. This disagreement flared up last summer when China stepped up military activity near the islands. Then in February, President Trump reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to come to Japan’s aid with conventional and nuclear weapons in a statement signed by both leaders. Abe’s victory confirms that Japanese people take these threats seriously. Their fears may play into a developing brinksmanship between Japan and North Korea that could, in my opinion, implicate the United States. Trump will visit Asia in November, and his stay in Japan includes a visit with Japanese who were abducted by North Korea during the 1970s and ‘80s. Doing so may open old wounds with North Korea – the stories of abduction provoke strong feelings for the Japanese people who will be reminded of North Korea’s past offences. Prospects for a peaceful resolution with North Korea are becoming more slim, strengthening Abe’s case for building out Japan’s offensive capabilities. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Japan's vote for Abe could worsen prospects for peace with North Korea, China

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has once again proved that he is a shrewd political strategist who understands Japanese politics better than his rivals. His latest controversial decision to hold snap elections to the House of Representatives one full year earlier than required raised many eyebrows in Japan and many analysts called it a risky gamble.

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<h5>Mr Abe&rsquo;s ruling Liberal Democratic Party- Komeito coalition scored a dramatic victory capturing more than two-thirds majority seats in the Lower House.</h5>
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Already enjoying more than two-thirds majority in the House, it was doubted whether he could even retain the existing strength leave alone the question of bettering it. When Abe took the decision to call the snap elections, he thought that it would be the usual &ldquo;rubber stamp elections&rdquo; which he could easily win as he had done in 2014. Though subsequently many developments like the rise of Ms Yuriko Koike as a challenger seemingly created some hiccups. Finally,&nbsp;Mr Abe&rsquo;s ruling Liberal Democratic Party- Komeito coalition scored a dramatic victory capturing more than two-thirds majority seats in the Lower House.

This victory, fifth successive win in national elections since 2012, will strengthen Mr Abe&rsquo;s position within his own party and even ensure his re-election as party president for the third term in September 2018 and his continuance as the Prime Minister until 2021. Some of his detractors within the party who could have challenged him now look very much weakened by&nbsp;Mr Abe&rsquo;s victory.

He is likely to be the longest-serving post-war prime minister of Japan. It is to be noted that the next major national election he will face will be in the summer of 2019 which will elect&nbsp;half the members of the House Councilors. It means that he will have ample time to initiate and implement some of his long-cherished goals like amending the Constitution, denuclearisation of North Korea, and enhancing the consumption tax from 8 per cent to 10 per cent by 2019.

In particular, Mr Abe will show utmost circumspection while dealing with the constitutional amendment which has posed the greatest challenge to successive governments in the past. He knows that since the issue can fuel a great deal of heat within the country, he has to move carefully to work out a national consensus before taking any hasty step. Winning 310 odd seats in the elections is not the same as winning the hearts of the people. In fact, many public opinion surveys taken after the election results conveyed the message that about 45-50 per cent of the people surveyed expressed their disagreement with Mr Abe&rsquo;s policies.

The Japanese Constitution lays down that any amendment to the Constitution needs to be approved by the two-thirds majority of both Houses and that it has to be endorsed by the people in a national referendum. Mr Abe knows that post-war Japanese pacifism has been centered on this Article and large segments of Japanese people strongly believe that this provision has given considerable stability to the reemergence of Japan as a strong peace-loving democratic state since 1952.

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<h5>Mr Abe is likely to remain in power for four more years augurs well for the rapidly advancing India-Japan partnership.</h5>
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Mr Abe will respect the strength of the people&rsquo;s sentiments and explore all possibilities to mould a national consensus on the issue. It will take time, but it would need careful handling.&nbsp;For instance, there are many elements in his own party who are not fully convinced about changing the Constitution. Further, his own political ally the Komeito Party has long expressed its reservations to the constitutional amendment. To what extent it is going to cooperate with Mr Abe will remain to be seen. In addition, while seeking to amend the Constitution, he has to give careful considerations to how other Asian neighbouring countries would respond to it.

Finally, the fact that Mr Abe is likely to remain in power for four more years augurs well for the rapidly advancing India-Japan partnership. He has been one of the strongest pillars of the bilateral ties since 2006. In particular, his close relations with Mr Narendra Modi have contributed to the deepening of the bilateral partnership since 2014. Mr Abe&rsquo;s recent summit meeting with Mr Modi at Ahmedabad in September 2017 marked a major milestone in their relations.

With Shinzo Abe in power, India-Japan relations will prosper and that will benefit India

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has once again proved that he is a shrewd political strategist who understands Japanese politics better than his rivals. His latest controversial decision to hold snap elections to the House of Representatives one full year earlier than required raised many eyebrows in Japan and many analysts called it a risky gamble. Mr Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party- Komeito coalition scored a dramatic victory capturing more than two-thirds majority seats in the Lower House. × Already enjoying more than two-thirds majority in the House, it was doubted whether he could even retain the existing strength leave alone the question of bettering it. When Abe took the decision to call the snap elections, he thought that it would be the usual “rubber stamp elections” which he could easily win as he had done in 2014. Though subsequently many developments like the rise of Ms Yuriko Koike as a challenger seemingly created some hiccups. Finally, Mr Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party- Komeito coalition scored a dramatic victory capturing more than two-thirds majority seats in the Lower House. This victory, fifth successive win in national elections since 2012, will strengthen Mr Abe’s position within his own party and even ensure his re-election as party president for the third term in September 2018 and his continuance as the Prime Minister until 2021. Some of his detractors within the party who could have challenged him now look very much weakened by Mr Abe’s victory. He is likely to be the longest-serving post-war prime minister of Japan. It is to be noted that the next major national election he will face will be in the summer of 2019 which will elect half the members of the House Councilors. It means that he will have ample time to initiate and implement some of his long-cherished goals like amending the Constitution, denuclearisation of North Korea, and enhancing the consumption tax from 8 per cent to 10 per cent by 2019. In particular, Mr Abe will show utmost circumspection while dealing with the constitutional amendment which has posed the greatest challenge to successive governments in the past. He knows that since the issue can fuel a great deal of heat within the country, he has to move carefully to work out a national consensus before taking any hasty step. Winning 310 odd seats in the elections is not the same as winning the hearts of the people. In fact, many public opinion surveys taken after the election results conveyed the message that about 45-50 per cent of the people surveyed expressed their disagreement with Mr Abe’s policies. The Japanese Constitution lays down that any amendment to the Constitution needs to be approved by the two-thirds majority of both Houses and that it has to be endorsed by the people in a national referendum. Mr Abe knows that post-war Japanese pacifism has been centered on this Article and large segments of Japanese people strongly believe that this provision has given considerable stability to the reemergence of Japan as a strong peace-loving democratic state since 1952. Mr Abe is likely to remain in power for four more years augurs well for the rapidly advancing India-Japan partnership. × Mr Abe will respect the strength of the people’s sentiments and explore all possibilities to mould a national consensus on the issue. It will take time, but it would need careful handling. For instance, there are many elements in his own party who are not fully convinced about changing the Constitution. Further, his own political ally the Komeito Party has long expressed its reservations to the constitutional amendment. To what extent it is going to cooperate with Mr Abe will remain to be seen. In addition, while seeking to amend the Constitution, he has to give careful considerations to how other Asian neighbouring countries would respond to it. Finally, the fact that Mr Abe is likely to remain in power for four more years augurs well for the rapidly advancing India-Japan partnership. He has been one of the strongest pillars of the bilateral ties since 2006. In particular, his close relations with Mr Narendra Modi have contributed to the deepening of the bilateral partnership since 2014. Mr Abe’s recent summit meeting with Mr Modi at Ahmedabad in September 2017 marked a major milestone in their relations.

What Japan & India stand to gain from Shinzo Abe's victory

Fresh off a decisive election victory, Japan&#39;s leader pledged today to tackle what he called Japan&#39;s two national crises, the military threat from North Korea and an aging and shrinking population.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a news conference that he is committed to protecting the Japanese people&#39;s prosperity and peace from any contingency. He also referred to the Japanese kidnapped years ago and believed still held by North Korea.

&quot;I will pursue decisive and strong diplomacy to tackle North Korea&#39;s missile, nuclear and abduction issues and put further pressure to get it to change its policy,&quot; he said.

His ruling coalition was returned to power in elections yesterday for Japan&#39;s more powerful lower house. Abe said the result showed &quot;strong support&quot; and thanked the people for backing stability and his government&#39;s policies.

He promised a comprehensive package by the end of the year to deal with Japan&#39;s demographic challenges, including investments in education, productivity improvements, and pension system reform.

Abe called them Japan's two national crises

Fresh off a decisive election victory, Japan's leader pledged today to tackle what he called Japan's two national crises, the military threat from North Korea and an aging and shrinking population. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a news conference that he is committed to protecting the Japanese people's prosperity and peace from any contingency. He also referred to the Japanese kidnapped years ago and believed still held by North Korea. "I will pursue decisive and strong diplomacy to tackle North Korea's missile, nuclear and abduction issues and put further pressure to get it to change its policy," he said. His ruling coalition was returned to power in elections yesterday for Japan's more powerful lower house. Abe said the result showed "strong support" and thanked the people for backing stability and his government's policies. He promised a comprehensive package by the end of the year to deal with Japan's demographic challenges, including investments in education, productivity improvements, and pension system reform.

After election win, Shinzo Abe says his priorities are North Korea and ageing Japan

A powerful typhoon left five dead, two missing and dozens injured in Japan today, moving northward off the Pacific coast after millions struggled to the polls for a national election.

Authorities advised thousands living in coastal areas or near rivers to evacuate to shelters before Typhoon Lan, described as &quot;very large and very strong&quot;, hit Tokyo and surrounding regions early Monday morning.

The typhoon left the Japanese archipelago by about 9:00 am after making landfall in Shizuoka southwest of Tokyo six hours before, the weather agency said.

The storm, which had already dumped torrential rain over much of the country during the weekend, packed gusts up to 162 kilometres per hour, the meteorological agency said.

Train operators suspended some commuter trains in Tokyo suburbs early today and cancelled some &quot;Shinkansen&quot; bullet trains in northern Japan after a blackout left passengers stranded overnight in the country&#39;s central region.

Nearly 300 flights scheduled for Monday have already been cancelled, public broadcaster NHK said, after strong winds forced 500 flights to be grounded Sunday.

Some ferry services in western Japan were also cancelled as the weather agency warned of high waves, landslides, and floods across the Japanese archipelago.

The typhoon claimed its first victims Sunday as a male passer-by died when scaffolding collapsed on him at a construction site in Fukuoka in western Japan.

A 70-year-old man was found dead after he dived into the sea to grab a rope from another vessel as he attempted to escape from his troubled boat, a coastguard told AFP.

Two more people were missing after landslides in Osaka and Wakayama prefectures, private broadcasters FNN and TBS reported.

At least 89 people were injured across the nation, while an 85-year-old man was unaccounted for after his house was hit by landslides, NHK said, while the government confirmed 17 injuries.

Television footage showed rescuers tugging a rubber boat carrying an elderly woman in a residential area in Chiba southeast of Tokyo as a flooded river engulfed the area.

Toyota Motor said it would suspend operations at all domestic plants today.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered his minister in charge of disasters to be ready to mobilise rescue and evacuation forces, including troops.

&quot;In order to protect people&#39;s lives, the Abe cabinet will unite and do its best to provide an emergency response to a disaster,&quot; he told reporters.

Voters in the capital braved torrential rain and driving wind on election day, but turnout across the country was expected to be only a fraction higher than the all-time low, boosted largely by people voting early to avoid the typhoon.

Near complete projections, Monday showed Abe&#39;s ruling conservative coalition was on track to win a two-thirds &quot;super-majority&quot;.

The foul weather did affect the election, with ferries to a remote island in the west cancelled due to high waves, forcing officials to suspend the counting of votes there.

On Saturday, voters on remote southern islands in the path of the storm cast their ballots early, heeding a call from Abe.

At least 89 people were injured across the nation

A powerful typhoon left five dead, two missing and dozens injured in Japan today, moving northward off the Pacific coast after millions struggled to the polls for a national election. Authorities advised thousands living in coastal areas or near rivers to evacuate to shelters before Typhoon Lan, described as "very large and very strong", hit Tokyo and surrounding regions early Monday morning. The typhoon left the Japanese archipelago by about 9:00 am after making landfall in Shizuoka southwest of Tokyo six hours before, the weather agency said. The storm, which had already dumped torrential rain over much of the country during the weekend, packed gusts up to 162 kilometres per hour, the meteorological agency said. Train operators suspended some commuter trains in Tokyo suburbs early today and cancelled some "Shinkansen" bullet trains in northern Japan after a blackout left passengers stranded overnight in the country's central region. Nearly 300 flights scheduled for Monday have already been cancelled, public broadcaster NHK said, after strong winds forced 500 flights to be grounded Sunday. Some ferry services in western Japan were also cancelled as the weather agency warned of high waves, landslides, and floods across the Japanese archipelago. The typhoon claimed its first victims Sunday as a male passer-by died when scaffolding collapsed on him at a construction site in Fukuoka in western Japan. A 70-year-old man was found dead after he dived into the sea to grab a rope from another vessel as he attempted to escape from his troubled boat, a coastguard told AFP. Two more people were missing after landslides in Osaka and Wakayama prefectures, private broadcasters FNN and TBS reported. At least 89 people were injured across the nation, while an 85-year-old man was unaccounted for after his house was hit by landslides, NHK said, while the government confirmed 17 injuries. Television footage showed rescuers tugging a rubber boat carrying an elderly woman in a residential area in Chiba southeast of Tokyo as a flooded river engulfed the area. Toyota Motor said it would suspend operations at all domestic plants today. Yesterday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered his minister in charge of disasters to be ready to mobilise rescue and evacuation forces, including troops. "In order to protect people's lives, the Abe cabinet will unite and do its best to provide an emergency response to a disaster," he told reporters. Voters in the capital braved torrential rain and driving wind on election day, but turnout across the country was expected to be only a fraction higher than the all-time low, boosted largely by people voting early to avoid the typhoon. Near complete projections, Monday showed Abe's ruling conservative coalition was on track to win a two-thirds "super-majority". The foul weather did affect the election, with ferries to a remote island in the west cancelled due to high waves, forcing officials to suspend the counting of votes there. On Saturday, voters on remote southern islands in the path of the storm cast their ballots early, heeding a call from Abe.

Typhoon leaves five dead after lashing Japan on election day

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, buoyed by a huge election win for lawmakers who favour revising Japan`s post-war, pacifist constitution, signalled a push towards his long-held goal on Monday (October 23) but will need to convince a divided public to succeed.

While addressing a press conference he said: &quot;We must explain it (the revision of the constitution to the public) after achieving a concrete plan in the Commission of the Constitution, as I don`t see the results of this general election as a reflection of public opinion regarding the revision of the constitution.&quot;

Parties in favour of amending the US-drafted charter won nearly 80 per cent of the seats in Sunday`s (October 22) lower house election, media counts showed. Four seats remain to be called and final figures are expected later on Monday.

Abe said he wanted to get other parties on board, including Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike`s new Conservative Party of Hope and was not insisting on a target of changing the constitution by 2020 that he floated earlier this year.

Any revision of the constitution requires support from two-thirds of the members of each chamber of parliament and a majority in a public referendum, with no minimum quorum.

Amending the charter`s pacifist Article 9 would be hugely symbolic for Japan. Supporters see it as the foundation of post-war democracy but many conservatives view it as a humiliating imposition after Japan`s defeat in 1945.

It would also be a victory for Abe, whose conservative agenda of restoring traditional values, stressing obligations to the state over individual rights and loosening constraints on the military, centres on revising the constitution.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Any revision of the constitution requires support from two-thirds of the members of each chamber of parliament and a majority in a public referendum, with no minimum quorum

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, buoyed by a huge election win for lawmakers who favour revising Japan`s post-war, pacifist constitution, signalled a push towards his long-held goal on Monday (October 23) but will need to convince a divided public to succeed. While addressing a press conference he said: "We must explain it (the revision of the constitution to the public) after achieving a concrete plan in the Commission of the Constitution, as I don`t see the results of this general election as a reflection of public opinion regarding the revision of the constitution." Parties in favour of amending the US-drafted charter won nearly 80 per cent of the seats in Sunday`s (October 22) lower house election, media counts showed. Four seats remain to be called and final figures are expected later on Monday. Abe said he wanted to get other parties on board, including Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike`s new Conservative Party of Hope and was not insisting on a target of changing the constitution by 2020 that he floated earlier this year. Any revision of the constitution requires support from two-thirds of the members of each chamber of parliament and a majority in a public referendum, with no minimum quorum. Amending the charter`s pacifist Article 9 would be hugely symbolic for Japan. Supporters see it as the foundation of post-war democracy but many conservatives view it as a humiliating imposition after Japan`s defeat in 1945. It would also be a victory for Abe, whose conservative agenda of restoring traditional values, stressing obligations to the state over individual rights and loosening constraints on the military, centres on revising the constitution.

Shinzo Abe signals on revision of constitution

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on his re-election and said he looked forward to further strengthening the relations between the two countries.

Abe got a resounding victory in the snap polls held yesterday, with his LDF-led coalition winning a two-thirds majority in the lower house of Parliament.

&quot;Heartiest greetings to my dear friend @AbeShinzo on his big election win. Look forward to further strengthen India- Japan relations with him,&quot; Modi tweeted.

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Heartiest greetings to my dear friend <a href="https://twitter.com/AbeShinzo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AbeShinzo</a> on his big election win. Look forward to further strengthen India-Japan relations with him.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/922300769432494081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Modi and Abe share a great relationship and have met several times over the last three years.

Abe was in India recently for the annual summit meeting with Modi.

PM Modi said he looked forward to further strengthening the relations between the two countries

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on his re-election and said he looked forward to further strengthening the relations between the two countries. Abe got a resounding victory in the snap polls held yesterday, with his LDF-led coalition winning a two-thirds majority in the lower house of Parliament. "Heartiest greetings to my dear friend @AbeShinzo on his big election win. Look forward to further strengthen India- Japan relations with him," Modi tweeted. Heartiest greetings to my dear friend @AbeShinzo on his big election win. Look forward to further strengthen India-Japan relations with him. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 23, 2017 × Modi and Abe share a great relationship and have met several times over the last three years. Abe was in India recently for the annual summit meeting with Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates Shinzo Abe on re-election

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe swept to a resounding victory in a snap election Sunday and immediately vowed to &quot;deal firmly&quot; with threats from North Korea that dominated the campaign.

Abe&#39;s ruling conservative coalition was on track to win more than 310 seats in the 465-seat parliament, according to a projection from public broadcaster NHK, handing the premier a two-thirds &quot;super-majority.&quot;

This allows nationalist Abe to propose changes to pacifist Japan&#39;s US-imposed constitution, which forces it to renounce war and effectively limits its military to a self-defence role.

Abe said the comfortable election win had stiffened his resolve to tackle North Korea&#39;s nuclear threat, as the key US regional ally seeks to step up pressure on Pyongyang after it fired two missiles over Japan in the space of a month.

&quot;As I promised in the election, my imminent task is to firmly deal with North Korea,&quot; said Abe, who is now on course to become the country&#39;s longest-serving leader.

&quot;For that, strong diplomacy is required,&quot; stressed the 63 year-old, who has courted both US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Abe said he would &quot;deepen&quot; debate on the divisive constitution issue in parliament but stressed: &quot;I don&#39;t plan to propose (changes) via the ruling bloc alone. We&#39;ll make efforts to gain support from as many people as possible.&quot;

As results came in, television images showed jubilant victorious lawmakers bowing deeply before punching the air with cries of &quot;Banzai&quot;, the Japanese equivalent of three cheers.

&#39;Very severe result&#39;&nbsp;

Millions of Japanese braved torrential rain and driving winds to vote as a typhoon lashed the country, with many heeding warnings to cast their ballots early.

&quot;I support Abe&#39;s stance not to give in to North Korea&#39;s pressure,&quot; said Yoshihisa Iemori as he cast his ballot in a rainswept Tokyo.

Abe&#39;s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) benefited from a weak and splintered opposition, with the two main parties facing him created only a matter of weeks ago.

Support for the Party of Hope founded by popular Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike fizzled after an initial blaze of publicity and was on track to win around 50 seats, according to the NHK projection with a handful still to call.

Speaking from Paris where she was attending an event in her capacity as leader of the world&#39;s biggest city, a sullen-faced Koike said it was a &quot;very severe result.&quot;

&quot;As the person who launched the party, I will take responsibility,&quot; pledged Koike.

The new centre-left Constitutional Democratic Party fared slightly better than expected but still trailed far behind Abe with a projected 50 seats.

&quot;The LDP&#39;s victory is simply because the opposition couldn&#39;t form a united front,&quot; political scientist Mikitaka Masuyama from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, told AFP.

&nbsp;&#39;Sink&#39; Japan&nbsp;

The short 12-day campaign was dominated by the economy and the global crisis over North Korea, which has threatened to &quot;sink&quot; Japan into the sea and engaged in a war of words with Trump.

Hawkish Abe stuck to a hardline stance throughout, stressing that Japan &quot;would not waver&quot; in the face of an increasingly belligerent regime in Pyongyang.

But many voters said reviving the once-mighty Japanese economy was the top priority, with Abe&#39;s trademark &quot;Abenomics&quot; growth policy failing to trickle down to the general public.

&quot;Neither pensions nor wages are getting better... I don&#39;t feel the economy is recovering at all,&quot; said 67-year-old pensioner Hideki Kawasaki.

Although voters turned out in their millions to back Abe, he enjoys only lukewarm support and surveys showed his decision to call a snap election a year earlier than expected was unpopular.

&quot;I totally oppose the current government. Morals collapsed. I&#39;m afraid this country will be broken,&quot; said 84-year-old voter Etsuko Nakajima.

&#39;I&#39;m quite disappointed&#39;&nbsp;

Koike briefly promised to shake up Japan&#39;s sleepy political scene with her new party but she declined to run herself for a seat, sparking confusion over who would be prime minister if she won.

In the end the 65-year-old former TV presenter was not even in Japan on election day.

&quot;I thought that I would vote for the Party of Hope if it&#39;s strong enough to beat the Abe administration. But the party has been in confusion ... I&#39;m quite disappointed,&quot; said 80-year-old pensioner Kumiko Fujimori.

The campaign was marked by a near-constant drizzle in large parts of the country and rallies frequently took place under shelter and a sea of umbrellas.&nbsp;

But this did not dampen the enthusiasm of hundreds of doughty, sash-wearing parliamentary hopefuls, who have driven around in minibusses pleading for votes via loudspeaker and bowing deeply to every potential voter.

Abe's ruling conservative coalition was on track to win more than 310 seats in the 465-seat parliament, according to a projection from public broadcaster NHK, handing the premier a two-thirds 'super-majority'.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe swept to a resounding victory in a snap election Sunday and immediately vowed to "deal firmly" with threats from North Korea that dominated the campaign. Abe's ruling conservative coalition was on track to win more than 310 seats in the 465-seat parliament, according to a projection from public broadcaster NHK, handing the premier a two-thirds "super-majority." This allows nationalist Abe to propose changes to pacifist Japan's US-imposed constitution, which forces it to renounce war and effectively limits its military to a self-defence role. Abe said the comfortable election win had stiffened his resolve to tackle North Korea's nuclear threat, as the key US regional ally seeks to step up pressure on Pyongyang after it fired two missiles over Japan in the space of a month. "As I promised in the election, my imminent task is to firmly deal with North Korea," said Abe, who is now on course to become the country's longest-serving leader. "For that, strong diplomacy is required," stressed the 63 year-old, who has courted both US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Abe said he would "deepen" debate on the divisive constitution issue in parliament but stressed: "I don't plan to propose (changes) via the ruling bloc alone. We'll make efforts to gain support from as many people as possible." As results came in, television images showed jubilant victorious lawmakers bowing deeply before punching the air with cries of "Banzai", the Japanese equivalent of three cheers. 'Very severe result' Millions of Japanese braved torrential rain and driving winds to vote as a typhoon lashed the country, with many heeding warnings to cast their ballots early. "I support Abe's stance not to give in to North Korea's pressure," said Yoshihisa Iemori as he cast his ballot in a rainswept Tokyo. Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) benefited from a weak and splintered opposition, with the two main parties facing him created only a matter of weeks ago. Support for the Party of Hope founded by popular Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike fizzled after an initial blaze of publicity and was on track to win around 50 seats, according to the NHK projection with a handful still to call. Speaking from Paris where she was attending an event in her capacity as leader of the world's biggest city, a sullen-faced Koike said it was a "very severe result." "As the person who launched the party, I will take responsibility," pledged Koike. The new centre-left Constitutional Democratic Party fared slightly better than expected but still trailed far behind Abe with a projected 50 seats. "The LDP's victory is simply because the opposition couldn't form a united front," political scientist Mikitaka Masuyama from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, told AFP. 'Sink' Japan The short 12-day campaign was dominated by the economy and the global crisis over North Korea, which has threatened to "sink" Japan into the sea and engaged in a war of words with Trump. Hawkish Abe stuck to a hardline stance throughout, stressing that Japan "would not waver" in the face of an increasingly belligerent regime in Pyongyang. But many voters said reviving the once-mighty Japanese economy was the top priority, with Abe's trademark "Abenomics" growth policy failing to trickle down to the general public. "Neither pensions nor wages are getting better... I don't feel the economy is recovering at all," said 67-year-old pensioner Hideki Kawasaki. Although voters turned out in their millions to back Abe, he enjoys only lukewarm support and surveys showed his decision to call a snap election a year earlier than expected was unpopular. "I totally oppose the current government. Morals collapsed. I'm afraid this country will be broken," said 84-year-old voter Etsuko Nakajima. 'I'm quite disappointed' Koike briefly promised to shake up Japan's sleepy political scene with her new party but she declined to run herself for a seat, sparking confusion over who would be prime minister if she won. In the end the 65-year-old former TV presenter was not even in Japan on election day. "I thought that I would vote for the Party of Hope if it's strong enough to beat the Abe administration. But the party has been in confusion ... I'm quite disappointed," said 80-year-old pensioner Kumiko Fujimori. The campaign was marked by a near-constant drizzle in large parts of the country and rallies frequently took place under shelter and a sea of umbrellas. But this did not dampen the enthusiasm of hundreds of doughty, sash-wearing parliamentary hopefuls, who have driven around in minibusses pleading for votes via loudspeaker and bowing deeply to every potential voter.

Shinzo Abe cruises to 'super-majority' win in Japan vote

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to work together to raise pressure on North Korea, Yasutoshi Nishimura, a deputy chief cabinet secretary, said on Monday.

Abe and Trump spoke by telephone after the Japanese premier&#39;s ruling coalition scored a big win in an election on Sunday.

Nishimura told reporters that Abe and Trump were planning to play golf together on Nov. 5, when Trump makes his first visit to Japan.

&nbsp;

Abe and Trump spoke by telephone after the Japanese premier's ruling coalition scored a big win in an election on Sunday.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to work together to raise pressure on North Korea, Yasutoshi Nishimura, a deputy chief cabinet secretary, said on Monday. Abe and Trump spoke by telephone after the Japanese premier's ruling coalition scored a big win in an election on Sunday. Nishimura told reporters that Abe and Trump were planning to play golf together on Nov. 5, when Trump makes his first visit to Japan.

Abe, Trump agree to raise pressure on North Korea: Japan government

A powerful typhoon barrelled toward Japan on Sunday, prompting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to order his government on alert as millions struggled to the polls for a national election.

Typhoon Lan, described as &quot;very large and very strong&quot; by Japan&#39;s meteorological agency, was packing gusts up to 216 kilometres (134 miles) per hour Sunday afternoon in the Pacific south of Japan.

The storm, which has already lashed large areas of the Japanese archipelago, was moving northeast and may hit Tokyo or surrounding regions Monday morning.

Strong winds forced airline companies to ground more than 380 flights, while some train and ferry services in western Japan were cancelled due to the storm, local media said.

Abe ordered his minister in charge of disasters to be ready to mobilise rescue and evacuation forces, including troops.

&quot;In order to protect people&#39;s lives, the Abe cabinet will unite and do its best to provide an emergency response to a disaster,&quot; he told reporters.&nbsp;

Several local governments in Osaka and other prefectures issued evacuation advisories, urging residents living near the coast, rivers and hillsides to move to shelters.

The weather agency separately warned of high waves, landslides and floods in central and western Japan.

Voters in the capital braved torrential rain and driving wind on election day, as opinion polls indicate Abe is on course for a comfortable win.

Analysts say that if the weather affects turnout, it is likely to benefit Abe, whose conservative voters are seen as more determined to cast their ballots.

Voting was delayed by some 20 minutes in Kochi in western Japan when landslides blocked a road.

Ferries to a remote island in the west were cancelled due to high waves, forcing election officials to suspend the counting of votes there.

On Saturday voters on remote southern islands in the path of the storm had cast their ballots early, heeding a call from Abe.

Analysts say that if the weather affects turnout, it is likely to benefit Abe, whose conservative voters are seen as more determined to cast their ballots

A powerful typhoon barrelled toward Japan on Sunday, prompting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to order his government on alert as millions struggled to the polls for a national election. Typhoon Lan, described as "very large and very strong" by Japan's meteorological agency, was packing gusts up to 216 kilometres (134 miles) per hour Sunday afternoon in the Pacific south of Japan. The storm, which has already lashed large areas of the Japanese archipelago, was moving northeast and may hit Tokyo or surrounding regions Monday morning. Strong winds forced airline companies to ground more than 380 flights, while some train and ferry services in western Japan were cancelled due to the storm, local media said. Abe ordered his minister in charge of disasters to be ready to mobilise rescue and evacuation forces, including troops. "In order to protect people's lives, the Abe cabinet will unite and do its best to provide an emergency response to a disaster," he told reporters. Several local governments in Osaka and other prefectures issued evacuation advisories, urging residents living near the coast, rivers and hillsides to move to shelters. The weather agency separately warned of high waves, landslides and floods in central and western Japan. Voters in the capital braved torrential rain and driving wind on election day, as opinion polls indicate Abe is on course for a comfortable win. Analysts say that if the weather affects turnout, it is likely to benefit Abe, whose conservative voters are seen as more determined to cast their ballots. Voting was delayed by some 20 minutes in Kochi in western Japan when landslides blocked a road. Ferries to a remote island in the west were cancelled due to high waves, forcing election officials to suspend the counting of votes there. On Saturday voters on remote southern islands in the path of the storm had cast their ballots early, heeding a call from Abe.

Approaching typhoon affects Japan election, Shinzo Abe likely to benefit

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe&#39;s ruling coalition was on track for a big win in Sunday&#39;s election, media exit polls showed, potentially re-energising a push towards his cherished goal of revising the post-war, pacifist constitution.

Abe&#39;s Liberal Democratic Party-led (LDP) coalition was set to win 311 seats, keeping its two-thirds &quot;super majority&quot; in the 465-member lower house, an exit poll by TBS television showed. Some other broadcasters had the ruling bloc slightly below the two-thirds mark.

A hefty win raises the likelihood that Abe, who took office in December 2012, will win a third three-year-term as LDP leader next September and go on to become Japan&#39;s longest-serving premier. It also means his &quot;Abenomics&quot; growth strategy centred on the hyper-easy monetary policy will likely continue.

The US-drafted constitution&#39;s Article 9, if taken literally, bans the maintenance of armed forces. But Japanese governments have interpreted it to allow a military exclusively for self-defence.

Backers of Abe&#39;s proposal say it would just codify the status quo. Critics fear it would allow an expanded role overseas for the military.

The LDP&#39;s junior partner, the Komeito, is cautious about changing the constitution, drawn up after World War Two, but media have forecast that the LDP and pro-revision opposition parties are on track for the two-thirds majority needed to begin to make changes.

Abe said he needed a new mandate to tackle a &quot;national crisis&quot; from North Korea&#39;s missile and nuclear threats and a fast-aging population. He called the poll amid confusion in the opposition camp and an uptick in his ratings, dented earlier in the year by suspected cronyism scandals.

A new conservative party, the Party of Hope, led by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, was jostling with a new liberal opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, for the top opposition spot, the exit polls showed.

Koike&#39;s party had lost steam from early in the campaign, while the CDPJ picked up momentum.

Abe's Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition was set to win 311 seats, keeping its two-thirds 'super majority' in the 465-member lower house, an exit poll by TBS television showed

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition was on track for a big win in Sunday's election, media exit polls showed, potentially re-energising a push towards his cherished goal of revising the post-war, pacifist constitution. Abe's Liberal Democratic Party-led (LDP) coalition was set to win 311 seats, keeping its two-thirds "super majority" in the 465-member lower house, an exit poll by TBS television showed. Some other broadcasters had the ruling bloc slightly below the two-thirds mark. A hefty win raises the likelihood that Abe, who took office in December 2012, will win a third three-year-term as LDP leader next September and go on to become Japan's longest-serving premier. It also means his "Abenomics" growth strategy centred on the hyper-easy monetary policy will likely continue. The US-drafted constitution's Article 9, if taken literally, bans the maintenance of armed forces. But Japanese governments have interpreted it to allow a military exclusively for self-defence. Backers of Abe's proposal say it would just codify the status quo. Critics fear it would allow an expanded role overseas for the military. The LDP's junior partner, the Komeito, is cautious about changing the constitution, drawn up after World War Two, but media have forecast that the LDP and pro-revision opposition parties are on track for the two-thirds majority needed to begin to make changes. Abe said he needed a new mandate to tackle a "national crisis" from North Korea's missile and nuclear threats and a fast-aging population. He called the poll amid confusion in the opposition camp and an uptick in his ratings, dented earlier in the year by suspected cronyism scandals. A new conservative party, the Party of Hope, led by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, was jostling with a new liberal opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, for the top opposition spot, the exit polls showed. Koike's party had lost steam from early in the campaign, while the CDPJ picked up momentum.

Japan PM Abe's ruling bloc on track for big win in election: TV exit polls

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