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NHK
7 hours ago
- NHK
Albanese, Xi agree to strengthen bilateral ties in Beijing talks
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has met with China's President Xi Jinping during a six-day visit to the country. The two leaders held talks in Beijing on Tuesday and agreed to strengthen bilateral ties. Xi said the lesson for the bilateral relationship is that "a commitment to equal treatment to seeking common ground while sharing differences, pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation serves the fundamental interests of our two countries and our people." Albanese said his country values the relationship with China and will "continue to approach it in a calm and consistent manner, guided by our national interest." The meeting came against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's sweeping trade tariffs. China is Australia's largest trading partner and the two leaders agreed to maintain an open dialogue. Albanese said he raised concerns over the Chinese navy's live-fire exercises in waters between Australia and New Zealand in February. The prime minister said Xi responded by saying both countries conduct exercises.
Japan Today
12 hours ago
- Japan Today
Japan PM to meet Bessent on Friday, Yomiuri says
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is arranging to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Tokyo on Friday, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Tuesday, ahead of an August 1 deadline to strike a trade deal with the United States. A separate Yomiuri report said European Union leaders will visit Ishiba later this month to sign an "alliance" advocating global free trade, seeking multilateral ties as U.S. tariffs add to trade risks. Bessent is set to travel to Japan to attend the U.S. national day at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, scheduled for July 19, skipping a concurrent Group of 20 finance officials meeting in South Africa, U.S. Treasury said last week. Bessent would lead the U.S. delegation, which will also include Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, according to the White House. Japan's top tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa is also expected to meet with Bessent, Yomiuri added, citing an unnamed government source. Despite seven U.S. visits since April, Akazawa has yet to secure a trade agreement with Washington. Reuters has not independently confirmed these planned meetings during Bessent's Japan trip. This would mark the first high-level meeting between Tokyo and Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump last week sent a letter to Japan raising tariffs on Japanese imports to 25% from August 1. Separately, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa will meet Ishiba in Tokyo around July 23 and launch a "competitiveness alliance" scheme, Yomiuri reported. The EU, facing 30% tariffs, has accused the U.S. of resisting efforts to strike a trade deal and warned of countermeasures. The new EU-Japan framework will note their commitment to "a stable, predictable, rules-based, free and fair economic order" to counter Trump's tariffs and China's rare earth export restrictions, Yomiuri said, citing draft statements. The statement could also mention EU-Japan tie-ups in areas such as rare earth and battery supply chains, natural gas investments, defense industry dialogues and satellites, the newspaper added. The U.S. and EU officials' Japan visits come at a sensitive time for Ishiba with his ruling coalition seen losing its majority in Sunday's upper house election, according to recent polls. Having already lost the lower house majority in October, a second electoral defeat could significantly undermine Ishiba's political standing while potentially strengthening opposition parties that advocate for tax cuts and looser monetary policy. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Yomiuri Shimbun
14 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
U.S. Tariff Notice: Unreasonable to Make Demands That Only Benefit One's Own Interests
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump failed to reach agreements with most countries and regions by the July 9 deadline it set for reviewing 'reciprocal tariffs.' This demonstrates the fact that it is unreasonable for Trump to push for high tariffs while only considering his own country's interests. In April, the United States imposed a baseline tariff of 10% on imports from all countries and regions but suspended the imposition of additional tariffs for 90 days. During this period, the United States had been negotiating with other countries in an attempt to reach tariff agreements. However, negotiations stalled, and the United States announced a 25% tariff rate on imports from Japan and South Korea, as well as tariffs rates specific to other countries in Asia. Additionally, despite reports of negotiations progressing with the European Union, the United States notified the EU of its plan to impose a tariff rate of 30%. Furthermore, the United States notified Canada of its intention raise tariffs from 25% to 35%, citing Canada as a major source of synthetic drugs entering the United States. Notifications on tariff rates were sent to 25 major countries and regions, with the implementation date set for Aug. 1. This will be the next deadline for negotiations. So far, the United States has reached tariff agreements with only two countries — the United Kingdom and Vietnam. Negotiations can only be said to have stalled because the United States is disregarding mutually beneficial relationships. Countries and regions have made their stances known that they cannot accept the United States' unilateral policy. The U.S. government should take the negotiation situation seriously. In the first place, the Trump administration's unilateral imposition of high tariffs on trading partners is a clear violation of World Trade Organization agreements. It is important for Japan to further cooperate with other countries, especially those in Europe and Southeast Asia, and to continue to push the U.S. government to revise its high tariff policy. On Sunday, Trump said, 'They're all changing their ways very, very rapidly,' referring to negotiations with Japan. The U.S. president has repeatedly criticized Japan for its auto and agricultural markets being closed. The Japanese government is seeking to reach an agreement by Aug. 1. However, some think that this will be difficult due to differences over the revision of automobile tariffs. The possibility cannot be denied that the high tariffs of 25% will be imposed. The Japanese government needs to seek common ground through persistent negotiations with the United States, on the premise that the free trade system will not be significantly undermined. Meanwhile, the United States has announced it will impose tariffs of up to 50%, the highest tariff rate among the newly notified countries, on Brazil, with which the United States has a trade surplus. It appears that Trump was frustrated by such issues as a former Brazilian president, with whom Trump has close relations, being indicted on such charges as an attempted coup. It is only natural that the Brazilian side strongly objected to this as interference in its internal affairs. This is another example of the irrationality of Trump's tariffs. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 15, 2025)
