Japan could scale back its support of the US in Afghanistan by ending naval assistance to vessels involved in ground missions there under a ruling party proposal that officials predicted yesterday would gain legislative approval.
Since 2001, Japan's navy has been providing fuel for coalition warships under an anti-terrorism law that has been extended three times. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has strongly pushed for another extension to the mission, which expires on Nov. 1.
However, Fukuda has been forced to make concessions because of strong resistance from the opposition bloc, which controls one of parliament's two chambers.
A new draft law, submitted to the opposition on Friday, would clearly limit the mission to naval refueling and supplying of water to vessels participating in the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom's maritime patrol missions in the Indian Ocean.
"Under the new law, there will be no refueling to ships providing support for ground operations [in Afghanistan]," Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said yesterday on a public broadcaster NHK talk show.
"The Indian Ocean is an important passageway for much of the world's oil, and tankers passing through could fall victim to terrorism," Komura said. "Providing security there is valued highly by the international community, and we will continue to provide logistical support."
According to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) Web site, the draft law would rule out search and rescue missions, as well as humanitarian relief efforts.
It was not immediately clear how seriously US ground operations in Afghanistan would be affected under the draft law.
The LDP had hoped to secure a quick compromise with the opposition over the draft law before the mission expires. But the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan has demanded a full legislative debate, raising speculation the government will not meet the Nov. 1 deadline.
The Democrats are critical of the mission because they say the US-led Afghan campaign has not been properly sanctioned by the UN.
They also say the mission violates the pacifist Constitution.
Opposition lawmakers have also alleged that oil supplied by Japanese ships was diverted to US operations in Iraq, triggering public outrage.
Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba said yesterday that the government remained confident it can win backing of the opposition, which controls the Diet's upper chamber.
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese