Kyodo News Digest: June 28, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 17 minutes ago - 09:00 | All, Japan, World
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan, U.S. agree to continue tariff talks as July deadline looms
WASHINGTON - Japanese and U.S. negotiators agreed Friday to continue talks toward a tariff deal that will be beneficial to both countries.
Japan's government said its top tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick held talks in Washington, with each side reaffirming its position during "fruitful" discussions on trade expansion, nontariff measures and economic security cooperation.
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Japan gov't asks operators to address disinformation before election
TOKYO - Japan's government on Friday asked major platform operators to help counter harmful social media posts in an effort to prevent disinformation and defamation targeting candidates ahead of a nationwide parliamentary election next month.
The request by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications came as both the ruling and opposition camps emphasized the need to address disinformation during elections, though they have yet to agree how strictly the issue should be regulated.
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Nobel committee chair to visit Hiroshima, Nagasaki in July
TOKYO - Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, will visit the atomic-bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki next month and may meet with atomic bomb survivors, a source close to the matter said Friday.
Frydnes will arrive in Hiroshima on July 21 and later head to Nagasaki, likely visiting memorial museums and other sites related to the bombings, according to the source.
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Senior China military officer removed from top defense body
BEIJING - China's parliament has voted to remove senior military officer Miao Hua from the nation's top defense body during its session through Friday, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
In November, Miao was suspended from his position as a member of the Central Military Commission for "serious violations of discipline." The Chinese military leadership has been engulfed in a corruption scandal since around the summer of 2023.
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U.S. State Secretary Rubio's 1st visit to Japan eyed for July
TOKYO - Japan and the United States are arranging for U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to make his first visit to Japan early next month, a Japanese government source said Friday, with U.S.-imposed tariffs and the Middle East situation expected to be key topics.
The trip is being arranged as part of Rubio's travel to Asia to attend a series of foreign ministerial meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia from July 8 to 11, according to the source. He also plans to visit South Korea.
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Iran envoy urges A-bombed Japan to stand against U.S. attacks
TOKYO - Iranian ambassador to Japan Peiman Seadat has urged Tokyo to stand against U.S. and Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities in his nation after President Donald Trump's remark likening the U.S. attacks to the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The ambassador said in a recent interview with Kyodo News that the comment is an "insult" not only to Iran, but also to Japan, the world's only country to have suffered atomic bombings.
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U.S. tariff rate hits historic level of 25.9%: Japan trade report
TOKYO - The effective U.S. tariff rate on all imports rose to as high as 25.9 percent under President Donald Trump, surpassing levels not seen since the protectionist policies of the Great Depression, the Japanese government's annual trade report showed Friday.
The U.S. tariff measures as of early April, including an increase in the levies on China to 145 percent, reached a "historic scale," the Japanese trade ministry said, adding that frequent changes in Trump's trade policy are creating "heightened uncertainty."
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Rice imports to Japan surge in May, 3.5 times FY 2024 total
TOKYO - Private sector imports of tariffed rice to Japan in May were 3.5 times the total volume brought in during all of fiscal 2024, revised government trade data showed Friday, as soaring prices of domestic rice have spurred demand for cheaper alternatives.
According to the Finance Ministry's trade statistics, revised from a preliminary report issued earlier this month, 10,605 tons of tariffed rice were imported in May, a sharp increase from 115 tons in the same period last year. The United States, which accounted for 7,894 tons, was the largest source, followed by Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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The Mainichi
16 minutes ago
- The Mainichi
Japan wrestling with US tariff talks as July deadline looms
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- Japanese and U.S. tariff negotiators agreed Friday to continue talks in pursuit of a deal that will be beneficial to both countries, but significant differences apparently remain in areas such as Washington's treatment of its key Asian ally's automotive industry. Japan's government said its top tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick held talks in Washington, with each side reaffirming its position during "fruitful" discussions on trade expansion, nontariff measures and economic security cooperation. Akazawa, however, did not meet the press following the tariff meeting as he had done after his previous six with U.S. Cabinet members. He was also hoping to hold another separate meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, but the Japanese government stopped short of saying whether one was arranged. The meeting between Akazawa and Lutnick, which lasted about an hour, took place as U.S. President Donald Trump and his trade team increasingly suggest they could give trading partners that are currently negotiating more time for talks beyond early July, when the administration's 90-day pause on so-called reciprocal tariffs is set to expire. Bessent said Friday that the Trump administration could complete negotiations with key trading partners by Sept. 1. In a Fox Business interview, Bessent said, "I think we could have trade wrapped up by Labor Day" if the United States can make "10 or 12" deals among its 18 highest-priority trading partners and seal "another important 20 relationships" with new agreements. Japan is among the group of 18 trading partners, also including the European Union, India and South Korea, with which the Trump administration has prioritized making deals. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt also said at a press briefing on Thursday that the 90-day pause for negotiations could be extended. On Friday, when asked what he might do with the suspension, set to expire July 9, Trump said, "We can do whatever we want. We could extend it. We could make it shorter." "I'd like to make it shorter. I'd like to just send letters out to everybody: 'Congratulations, you're paying 25 percent,'" he added during a press conference at the White House. Akazawa arrived in Washington on Thursday for his seventh round of ministerial meetings on tariffs. His visit through Saturday comes after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Trump failed to strike a deal last week when they met on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit in Canada. The 90-day pause applies only to country-specific tariffs under Trump's reciprocal scheme, covering about 60 trading partners that have notable trade surpluses with the United States. It does not affect his baseline duty of 10 percent, targeting imports globally. Japan is facing an additional country-specific tariff of 14 percent, for a total rate of 24 percent. However, the Trump administration's additional tariffs targeting the automotive industry, which are not subject to the pause, have been a particular concern for Japan. The administration raised the tariff rate on imported passenger vehicles by 25 percentage points to 27.5 percent in early April, a measure that has already severely impacted the industry in Japan.
Yomiuri Shimbun
32 minutes ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
DeepSeek Faces Ban from Apple, Google App Stores in Germany
FRANKFURT, June 27 (Reuters) – Germany's data protection commissioner has asked Apple AAPL.O and Google GOOGL.O to remove Chinese AI startup DeepSeek from their app stores in the country due to concerns about data protection, following a similar crackdown elsewhere. Commissioner Meike Kamp said in a statement on Friday that she had made the request because DeepSeek illegally transfers users' personal data to China. The two U.S. tech giants must now review the request promptly and decide whether to block the app in Germany, she added, though her office has not set a precise timeframe. Google said it had received the notice and was reviewing it. DeepSeek did not respond to a request for comment. Apple was not immediately available for comment. According to its own privacy policy, DeepSeek stores numerous pieces of personal data, such as requests to its AI program or uploaded files, on computers in China. 'DeepSeek has not been able to provide my agency with convincing evidence that German users' data is protected in China to a level equivalent to that in the European Union,' Kamp said. 'Chinese authorities have far-reaching access rights to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies,' she added. The commissioner said she took the decision after asking DeepSeek in May to meet the requirements for non-EU data transfers or else voluntarily withdraw its app. DeepSeek did not comply with this request, she added. DeepSeek shook the technology world in January with claims that it had developed an AI model to rival those from U.S. firms such as ChatGPT creator OpenAI at much lower cost. However, it has come under scrutiny in the United States and Europe for its data security policies. Italy blocked it from app stores there earlier this year, citing a lack of information on its use of personal data, while the Netherlands has banned it on government devices. Belgium has recommended government officials not to use DeepSeek. 'Further analyzes are underway to evaluate the approach to be followed,' a government spokesperson said. In Spain, the consumer rights group OCU asked the government's data protection agency in February to investigate threats likely posed by DeepSeek, though no ban has come into force. The British government said 'the use of DeepSeek remains a personal choice for members of the public.' 'We continue to monitor any national security threats to UK citizens and their data from all sources,' a spokesperson for Britain's technology ministry said. 'If evidence of threats arises, we will not hesitate to take the appropriate steps to protect our national security.' U.S. lawmakers plan to introduce a bill that would ban U.S. executive agencies from using any AI models developed in China. Reuters exclusively reported this week that DeepSeek is aiding China's military and intelligence operations.
Asahi Shimbun
35 minutes ago
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: Trump's crude law of might remark takes my breath away
The Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima's Naka Ward. Photo taken on Oct. 12, 2024 (Asahi Shimbun file photo) Fleet Adm. William Leahy (1875-1959) served as U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's chief of staff during World War II. In his postwar memoirs published in 1950, he condemned the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, noting that 'the use of this barbarous weapon was of no material assistance in our war against Japan.' Many Americans believe the bombings hastened the end of the war and saved countless lives. But Leahy obviously had other thoughts. The interpretation of historical facts is never simple. Leahy pointed out, 'The Japanese were already defeated (by a naval blockade and conventional bombs) and ready to surrender.' Now, how about this comment by U.S. President Donald Trump? Gloating over the recent bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities, he declared, 'I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki. But that was essentially the same thing. That ended the war.' I took this to understand that Trump justifies the use of those heinous weapons. The sheer crudeness of his 'law of might,' which is without even the slightest trace of sensitivity to history, takes my breath away. The Japanese government has responded with the chief Cabinet secretary's comment to the effect, 'We are aware of (Trump's) remark.' Tokyo's surreal 'consideration' for Washington is beyond ridiculous. The U.S. attack against Iran was in clear violation of international law. It went ahead without a shred of evidence of an imminent threat posed by Iran's nuclear development, not to mention that the matter was never referred to the United Nations. The rule of law is fundamental to peace. When that collapses, the very foundations of our society suffer massive damage. Referring to the huge civilian toll in the atomic bombings, Leahy observed, 'In being the first to use it, we had adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages.' Who are the barbarians of our present era? --The Asahi Shimbun, June 28 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
