Japan's two largest parties failed to agree yesterday on continuing a naval mission in the Indian Ocean, dealing a setback to the government, which has pledged to support the US-led "war on terror."
With legislation allowing support for the "anti-terror" mission expiring tomorrow, the refueling on Monday of a Pakistani destroyer was likely to be Japan's last contribution to the military effort for the time being.
The suspension comes amid growing opposition to the "war on terror" across countries which are part of the coalition that is battling a deadly insurgency by remnants of the extremist Taliban regime ousted in 2001.
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda failed to reach a breakthrough in a meeting with opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa, who has vowed to fight the legislation allowing Japan to provide fuel and other support to forces in Afghanistan.
"I asked for his party's cooperation regarding the new anti-terrorism bill and explained the situation, but as of today we did not reach any agreement," Fukuda told reporters.
Ozawa, who is famed as a shrewd politician and is pushing for an early general election, has said that a pacifist Japan should not be part of "American wars."
"I told him that I cannot approve of it," Ozawa told reporters. "We need to have principles, which means that unless it's part of UN operations, it would not be possible."
Fukuda argues that Japan, as the world's second-largest economy, must play a greater role in global security. His predecessor, Shinzo Abe, abruptly resigned last month in part because of his failure to extend the mission.
The opposition won one house of parliament in July elections on a backlash over a series of domestic scandals under Abe, giving the bloc power to stall legislation.
The Japanese public has been split over the naval mission and the opposition has highlighted scandals at the defense ministry, including the former top bureaucrat's admission that he had accepted gifts from a military contractor.
A recent Kyodo News survey found that 46.4 percent of the public supported the naval deployment while 42.9 percent were opposed, with the rest undecided.
Ozawa rejected appeals from Western nations, Pakistan and Afghanistan to support the mission, including a personal visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
‘CROWN JEWEL’: Washington ‘can delay and deter’ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Taiwan, but it is ‘a very delicate situation there,’ the secretary of state said US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change to Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or extortion and would maintain that policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Hugh Hewitt Show host on Wednesday. The US’ policy is to maintain Taiwan’s “status quo” and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion, Rubio said. Hewitt asked Rubio about the significance of Trump earlier this month speaking with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at the White House, a meeting that Hewitt described as a “big deal.” Asked whether the meeting was an indication of the
‘RELATIVELY STRONG LANGUAGE’: An expert said the state department has not softened its language on China and was ‘probably a little more Taiwan supportive’ China’s latest drills near Taiwan on Monday were “brazen and irresponsible threats,” a US Department of State spokesperson said on Tuesday, while reiterating Washington’s decades-long support of Taipei. “China cannot credibly claim to be a ‘force for stability in a turbulent world’ while issuing brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan,” the unnamed spokesperson said in an e-mailed response to media queries. Washington’s enduring commitment to Taiwan will continue as it has for 45 years and the US “will continue to support Taiwan in the face of China’s military, economic, informational and diplomatic pressure campaign,” the e-mail said. “Alongside our international partners, we firmly
KAOHSIUNG CEREMONY: The contract chipmaker is planning to build 5 fabs in the southern city to gradually expand its 2-nanometer chip capacity Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday confirmed that it plans to hold a ceremony on March 31 to unveil a capacity expansion plan for its most advanced 2-nanometer chips in Kaohsiung, demonstrating its commitment to further investment at home. The ceremony is to be hosted by TSMC cochief operating officer Y.P. Chyn (秦永沛). It did not disclose whether Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and high-ranking government officials would attend the ceremony. More details are to be released next week, it said. The chipmaker’s latest move came after its announcement earlier this month of an additional US$100 billion
Authorities yesterday elaborated on the rules governing Employment Gold Cards after a US cardholder was barred from entering Taiwan for six years after working without a permit during a 2023 visit. American YouTuber LeLe Farley was barred after already being approved for an Employment Gold Card, he said in a video published on his channel on Saturday. Farley, who has more than 420,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, was approved for his Gold Card last month, but was told at a check-in counter at the Los Angeles International Airport that he could not enter Taiwan. That was because he previously participated in two
RSS