Latest news with #Nikkei
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First Post
an hour ago
- Politics
- First Post
Japan quietly prepares for China-US conflict in Pacific, builds bomb shelters near Taiwan
The Japanese government plans to begin subsidising long-term evacuation facilities in the Sakishima archipelago, at the southwestern end of the Nansei Islands, starting next year read more Illustration showing the nine-dash line on a map of a disputed area of the South China Sea on a laptop in Lao Cai province. File Image/AFP As China's threat over the Pacific gains momentum and with Taiwan's independence at stake, Japan is quietly preparing itself for a possible US-China war. A key ally of Washington, Japan, will begin building bomb shelters next year on its remote islands close to Taiwan, as it fears that territories located far west could be targeted by Beijing. A report by Newsweek says the Japanese move comes as an acknowledgement of the complex reality. Japan is already hosting the most American troops anywhere in the world outside of US territory. This simply means, especially against the pattern of the recent West Asian crisis, that a US-China conflict is certainly bound to spill over. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD China has been making territorial claims over the democratically governed Taiwan and considers the island-nation part of its own. These claims have been repeatedly rejected by Taipei, but the more it pushes back, the more force Beijing exhibits. China has not ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its ambit, giving rise to concerns of the country's expanding influence over the region. This move follows increased Chinese military activity near Taiwan and past incidents, such as Chinese missiles landing near Yonaguni in 2022, which alarmed local residents and prompted Japan to expand its military presence there. What does the Japanese plan entail? The Japanese government plans to begin subsidising long-term evacuation facilities in the Sakishima archipelago, at the southwestern end of the Nansei Islands, starting next year. The first shelters will be built on Yonaguni, the country's westernmost inhabited island, located less than 70 miles from Taiwan. According to Japan's Nikkei newspaper, additional bomb shelters, designed to support stays of up to two weeks, will be constructed on nearby islands, including Iriomote, Ishigaki, Tarama, and Miyako by spring 2028. Meanwhile, Okinawa, Japan's largest southwestern island, hosts around 30,000 of the 54,000 active-duty American service members. The US Navy, Air Force, Army and Marine Corps have bases on the Pacific node and participate in joint military exercises with Japan regularly. While Tokyo plans to relocate people from these islands to the mainland, way before the hostilities begin, official estimates suggest that evacuating over 100,000 civilians via sea and air could at least take a week. Therefore, the emergency shelters would provide temporary refuge to Japanese people. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What US has said Japan's expedited efforts to shield itself from any forthcoming Chinese attack are not based on isolated assumptions. US officials say Chinese President Xi Jinping has directed his military to be prepared to seize Taiwan by force by 2027. However, whether China's military readiness will align with its political will remains uncertain. Beijing officials maintain that Taiwan remains a central issue in US-China relations. Last month, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said at the Singapore Defence Summit that China's military was 'rehearsing for the real deal,' and that an attack 'could be imminent.' His claims were slammed by Beijing, which accused him of stoking regional tensions.
The Market Online
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Market Online
@ the Bell: Truce, data, and deals drive market moves
Canada's main stock index took a stumble on Friday, following a record high reached earlier in the session. Markets in both Canada and the US were lifted by the continued stability of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, along with a series of economic reports that strengthened expectations for potential interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve later this year. Meanwhile, US stocks moved upward to end the week, indicating a possible continuation of recent market momentum. Investor optimism was further supported by the anticipated release of the Fed's preferred inflation measure and news of a US-China agreement aimed at accelerating the delivery of rare earth materials vital to numerous industries. The Canadian dollar traded for 72.83 cents US compared to 72.86 cents US on Thursday. US crude futures traded $0.30 higher at US$65.54 a barrel, and the Brent contract rose $0.20 to US$67.93 a barrel. The price of gold was down US$13.18 to US$3,382.33. In world markets, the Nikkei was up 566.21 points to ¥40,150.79, the Hang Seng was down 41.25 points to HK$24,284.15, the FTSE was up 63.31 points to ₤8,798.91, and the DAX was up 383.92 points to €24,033.22. The material provided in this article is for information only and should not be treated as investment advice. For full disclaimer information, please click here.
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Nikkei Asia
14 hours ago
- Business
- Nikkei Asia
Japan fentanyl report will not affect US talks: foreign minister
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said that Japan will never tolerate the manufacture or export of illegal drugs. (Photo by Kana Baba) KANA BABA TOKYO -- A Nikkei report that uncovered Japan's role in the fentanyl supply chain is unlikely to affect Japan-U.S. trade discussions, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Friday. "At this stage, I do not think that this will have any impact on Japan-U.S. relations or talks," Iwaya said at a news conference.
Business Standard
16 hours ago
- Automotive
- Business Standard
Japanese markets ends at 6-month high
Japanese markets ended at a six-month high amid hopes the U.S. will extend the deadline for reciprocal tariffs. The Nikkei average jumped 1.43 percent to 40,150.79, marking its highest closing level since December 27. The broader Topix index settled 1.28 percent higher at 2,840.54. Technology stocks followed their U.S. peers higher, supported by positive news around easing tensions in the Middle East and expectations for Fed rate cuts this year. Tokyo Electron surged 4.3 percent and SoftBank Group rallied 2.5 percent. Defense-related Kawasaki Heavy Industries soared 6.2 percent on expectations of increased defense spending in the country. Automakers Honda, Toyota and Nissan all gained around 3 percent, tracking a weaker yen as Tokyo's CPI data for June 2025 revealed a milder inflation trajectory than anticipated.
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
ET Market Watch: Markets gain for 4th day, oil & gas lead the rally
Transcript Hi, you're listening to ET Markets Radio, I am your host Neha V Mahajan. Welcome to a fresh episode of ET Market Watch -- where we bring you the latest news from the world of stock markets every single day. Let's get to it: Indian Markets Logged 4th Straight Gain, here's What Drove the Rally The Sensex rose 303 pts to close at 84,058 The Nifty gained 89 pts, ending at 25,637 The rally was supported by oil & gas stocks and positive global cues Top Gainers & Losers Jio Financial was the top Nifty gainer, up 3.9% Asian Paints climbed 3.15% Tata Consumer dropped 2.13%, the biggest loser In the broader market, Himadri Chemical surged 11.8%, while TD Power fell over 6% Sector Snapshot The Oil & Gas index jumped 1.19% Gains were seen in Pharma, Healthcare, and PSU Banks Realty, IT, and FMCG sectors ended in the red Global & Currency Cues Japan's Nikkei rose 1.43%, while Dow & Nasdaq were up nearly 1% The rupee strengthened by 25 paise to 85.49, aided by falling crude Focus is on the US Core PCE inflation data for further direction CRUDE Brent settled at $67, and WTI at $65.7 Despite the uptick, crude was headed for its worst weekly drop since March 2023 Even though markets closed the week on a strong note, it is time to be cautious ahead.
