Violence and atrocities : asia

Showing posts with label asia. Show all posts

Friday, November 11, 2022

During his trip to Asia, President Joe Biden will meet leaders of Japan and South Korea to discuss the nuclear program of North Korea

White House informs that US President Joe Biden will meet Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan and South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol during his forth coming trip to Asia. The meeting would be in Cambodia on Sunday, Nov. 13. This is when the US President will attend the ASEAN and the Group of 20 industrialized nations. Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House said - "The three leaders would work to continue enhancing trilateral cooperation throughout the Indo-Pacific, particularly in regard to our joint efforts to address the ongoing threat posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.” Biden to discuss North Korea nuclear threat with Japan, South Korea leaders. In October, North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile. It went soaring over Japan for the first time in five years. There was a warning for residents to take cover. It also prompted Biden to assure the Prime Minister of Japan about the "ironclad" commitment of America to the defense of Japan.

In view of these developments, warplanes of South Korean and the U.S. practiced bombing a target in the Yellow Sea. In addition, fighter jets from the United States and Japan conducted joint drills over the Sea of Japan. Recently, a U.S. official told a media outlet that China and Russia could use their influence with North Korea to ensure that it abandons its testing of nuclear bomb. Biden last visited Asia in May. At the time, administration officials said they were in the final stages of a policy review on North Korea. It was also keen to encourage greater trilateral cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo on that issue. Incidentally, there is a U.N. Security Council ban on North Korea from conducting nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches. There are also sanctions on Pyongyang with the objective of cutting off funding for such programs.

Monday, November 7, 2022

Japan rearming itself to deter China in East Asia

In order to boost its defense setup, Japan has recently signed a security pact with Australia. Its purpose is to boost practical defense cooperation between the two nations. Japan wants to re-arm itself in the next five years to deter China in East Asia. This partnership has come soon after Xi Jinping took charge as the leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for the third term. In October, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and Australian PM Anthony Albanese confirmed the significance of a "free and open Indo-Pacific.” This is in conformity with the vision advocated by late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The agreement between Japan and Australia came with the concern mounting that China may intensify its military provocations against Taiwan following an unprecedented third term by Xi Jinping. Incidentally, after World War II, the defense policies of Japan have always been governed by pacifism. That concept is changing as Japan steps up its efforts to build its arms and ammunition to counter modernization of China's military. Japan Likely To Rearm By 2027 As China-Taiwan Tensions Heighten: Reports. Beijing appears rattled by Japan's newly developed bonding with Taiwan and it has described such bonding as dangerous.

A media report quotes Yoji Koda, a former commander of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force fleet, saying that Tokyo's trust in Beijing is vanishing. He attributes this to the rapid military build-up by Beijing and its flouting of an international court ruling that rejected China's claim over the South China Sea. Moreover, tensions have increased between Japan and China over the territory known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan. Another factor is the disturbance in key shipping lanes that might arise if China takes over Taiwan. These shipping lanes supply nearly all of Japan's oil and many other materials it uses for manufacturing.

Thursday, September 29, 2022

US Vice President Kamala Harris on a visit to South Korea and will visit the Demilitarized Zone DMZ also

US Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Asia to attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. There she met leaders of South Korea and Australia. She has plans to visit the Demilitarized Zone DMZ. This zone divides the two Koreas and the North responded by firing two short-range ballistic missiles into the waters off its east coast. The launch of these weapons was from the Sunan area of Pyongyang. This is according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The missiles covered a distance of about 224 miles, reached an altitude of 19 miles and attained a speed of about Mach 6. This is equal to six times the speed of sound. Kamala Harris visits DMZ amid tension over North Korean missile launch.

Kamala Harris met President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea. The White House said the two leaders could discuss issues like the threat posed by the North, the “importance of peace” in the Taiwan Strait, cooperation on economics and technology etcetera. While in Seoul, she also met a group of female industry leaders. She would later proceed to the DMZ. This is described as one of the world’s most heavily armed borders. It has been a regular destination for Presidents and vice presidents of the United States during their official visits to South Korea. Once there, she would interact with service members, and receive a briefing from US commanders. Launch of this missile happens to be the 20th such launch of North Korea this year. This is based on a count maintained by a media house. Speaking on board the USS Howard at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan, Harris heaped criticism on the recent missile launch of North Korea. She described them as “part of its illicit weapons program which threatens regional stability and violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions.” Incidentally, the US and South Korea have been conducting joint naval exercises featuring the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier.