China to host Pacific island countries' envoys amid growing outreach
SYDNEY -- China's top diplomat is set to host Pacific island leaders on Wednesday as Beijing seeks to weaken Taiwan's diplomatic standing in the region.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet with 11 of his counterparts and representatives from Beijing-friendly Pacific countries at the third China-Pacific Island Countries (PICs) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the southern city of Xiamen.
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Japan Times
an hour ago
- Japan Times
Hong Kong opposition party disbands, citing 'immense' pressure
One of Hong Kong's last remaining opposition parties has officially disbanded, its leader announced Sunday, citing "immense political pressure" as Beijing's yearslong crackdown on dissent transforms the semiautonomous Chinese city. The League of Social Democrats (LSD), founded in 2006, championed democratization and grassroots issues in Hong Kong's legislature and on the streets. Its lawmakers were known for their colorful heckling and symbolic protests in legislative sessions, which included lobbing bananas and fish sandwiches. It is the latest opposition party to cease operating after Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020 to end democracy protests that had brought the financial hub to a standstill. "In the face of immense political pressure and after careful deliberation — particularly with regard to the consequences for our members and comrades — we have made the difficult decision to disband," LSD said in a statement. Party chair Chan Po-ying said the decision had been unanimous as the group had "no other choice." Asked if pressure had come from Beijing's middlemen, Chan declined to elaborate. Democratic dreams dashed At the height of its popularity in 2008, LSD held just three seats, but it was responsible for helping mainstream a more radical pro-democracy agenda. After the imposition of the national security law, the city's political opposition dwindled, with most democracy campaigners jailed or overseas. The Civic Party closed in 2023, and in February, the Democratic Party began winding down. Regina Ip, convenor of the Hong Kong government's cabinet, said last week that it was a "good thing" that these opposition parties were disbanding. "All these parties have done great damage to Hong Kong and to the proper functioning of (the Legislative Council)," she said. Authorities have since overhauled the electoral system to ensure only Beijing loyalists can hold office. Chan said she had no "false hope" of liberalization. "I don't think Hong Kong will go forward to the democratic system in the near future," she said. According to the party, its bank accounts were closed in 2023, adding to operational difficulties. Six party members have been jailed over the past five years, including Chan's husband and one of LSD's founding members, "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung. He remains behind bars after being found guilty of subversion last year in Hong Kong's largest national security trial. 'Domino effect' Another LSD member jailed in the same case, Jimmy Sham, was released from prison last month. At the press conference, he described the group as Hong Kong's first political party to adopt LGBTQ+ equality as part of its core platform. "I sincerely hope that in the future, there will still be voices in society that speak out for the marginalized," Sham added. In recent years, LSD had limited its public activities to a Sunday street booth in a shopping district where a handful of activists handed out flyers while filmed by police. Vice-chairperson Dickson Chau recalled that some passersby would make small signs of support, such as offering him a friendly nod or a beverage. But operating in the current political environment has taken a personal toll. "These four years, I constantly worry about someone (knocking on) my door to arrest me or do a house search ... and when I just walk around the streets, I need to worry, is it a sensitive date?" Chan warned of a "domino effect," saying that her group would not be the last to fold. She urged the public "on the one hand to survive, and on the other hand to try to exercise our rights as citizens."
Kyodo News
an hour ago
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: June 30, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 14 minutes ago - 09:00 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- China lifts ban on Japanese seafood imports imposed in 2023 BEIJING - China on Sunday lifted its ban on Japanese seafood imports imposed in August 2023 following the release into the sea of treated radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. Beijing introduced the blanket ban in a demonstration of its strong opposition to the ocean discharge. The Asian neighbors agreed to begin procedures to resume Japanese seafood imports in May, but it may take a few months until shipments begin following the completion of procedural steps. ---------- Japan PM to consider best governing framework after July poll TOKYO - Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday he will consider what will be "the most appropriate" framework for his coalition government after a crucial election next month for the House of Councillors where his ruling coalition is seeking to retain its majority. In an interview with Kyodo News, Ishiba called securing a majority of the 248-member upper chamber a "must-attain" goal but said it is not an easy task, at a time when conservative supporters are increasingly looking to alternatives to his Liberal Democratic Party. ---------- Trump shows no willingness to compromise on Japan auto tariffs WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump made clear in an interview broadcast Sunday that he has no plans to roll back hefty auto tariffs imposed on Japan, despite its strong opposition expressed in now-stalled negotiations. Trump said his administration is ready to unilaterally send letters "starting pretty soon" to Japan and many other trading partners informing them of tariff rates for their exports to the United States. ---------- 50% want Japan ruling bloc to lose upper house majority: Kyodo poll TOKYO - Half of Japanese voters want Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition to lose its majority in the House of Councillors in next month's election, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday. The nationwide telephone poll conducted Saturday and Sunday found that 50.2 percent of respondents want the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito party to lose their upper house majority, while 38.1 percent want them to retain control following the July 20 election. ---------- China to invite Trump to Sept. military parade marking WWII victory BEIJING - China is planning to invite U.S. President Donald Trump to a military parade scheduled for Sept. 3 in Beijing's Tiananmen Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, sources familiar with the matter said Sunday. The United States, meanwhile, has proposed that Chinese President Xi Jinping visit the country during the same month, coinciding with a U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York, the sources said. ---------- Harley-Davidson Japan faces fine over excessive sales quotas TOKYO - Japan's antitrust watchdog is set to fine the domestic unit of motorcycle company Harley-Davidson Inc. around 200 million yen ($1.4 million) for imposing excessive sales quotas on dealers in violation of the antimonopoly law, sources close to the matter have said. The Japan Fair Trade Commission will also issue a cease and desist order to Harley-Davidson Japan K.K., based in Tokyo, over pressuring dealers by implying their exclusive sales contracts might not be renewed if they failed to meet the quotas, leading some to buy unsold motorcycles themselves. ---------- Hong Kong pro-democracy bloc nears end with last party disbanding HONG KONG - Hong Kong's pro-democracy bloc has been virtually blotted out as the last functioning party announced its dissolution Sunday, a day before the territory marks the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-imposed national security law amid increasing doubts over its autonomy. The League of Social Democrats, considered one of the more radical voices in the city's opposition spectrum, cited "immense political pressure" as the reason for the party's unanimous decision, adding that it might have otherwise faced consequences. ---------- Japan's May industrial output rises 0.5% on month TOKYO - Japan's industrial output in May rose 0.5 percent from the previous month, government data showed Monday. The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines stood at 101.8 against the 2020 base of 100, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report. Video: Mt. Shinmoe eruption in southwestern Japan
The Mainichi
3 hours ago
- The Mainichi
China lifts ban on Japanese seafood imports imposed in 2023
BEIJING (Kyodo) -- China on Sunday lifted its ban on Japanese seafood imports imposed in August 2023 following the release into the sea of treated radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. Beijing introduced the blanket ban in a demonstration of its strong opposition to the ocean discharge. The Asian neighbors agreed to begin procedures to resume Japanese seafood imports in May, but it may take a few months until shipments begin following the completion of procedural steps. The move apparently reflects China's interest in improving ties with Japan at a time when it is engaging in a trade war with the United States. Chinese customs authorities said in a public notice that long-term international monitoring of the water discharge and independent sampling by China "showed no abnormalities." On the premise that the Japanese government is committed to ensuring the quality and safety of seafood exports to China, Beijing has decided to "conditionally resume" imports, the authorities said. However, China will keep restrictions on food imports from 10 Japanese prefectures including Fukushima and Tokyo, which were imposed after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the nuclear disaster. For the resumption of China-bound seafood exports, Japanese facilities that process and preserve marine products must be registered, while the products must pass radiation checks. In September last year, the two governments agreed to gradually resume seafood trade on the condition that third-party countries monitor the water release from the nuclear plant. Following the agreement, China collected marine samples near the Fukushima plant under the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
