| Japan's Economy Shrinks At Fastest Pace Since Earthquake Bloomberg Japan's economy shrank last quarter as exports tumbled and consumer spending slumped, putting pressure on the central bank to add stimulus and hurting Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's record as he prepares for elections. Gross domestic product fell an ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Japan PM eyes snap election after backing US-led trade pact Reuters TOKYO (Reuters) - Under growing opposition pressure to keep a promise to call an election "soon",Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda looks to be leaning toward calling a vote as early as next month, after pledging backing for a controversial U.S ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Japan Curbing China Investment as Feud-Weary Firms Flee Businessweek Along with Koito, Japanese parts-makers including Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. (5802) and Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. are rethinking plans to expand in China, where Toyota's sales plunged 41 percent in September as demonstrations over disputed East ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Japan's political kingpin cleared of funding conspiracy Xinhua TOKYO, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Japan's political kingmaker Ichiro Ozawa was cleared by the Tokyo High Court on Monday of misreporting political funds, following a lengthy courtroom battle during which Ozawa unwaveringly maintained his innocence. The high ... See all stories on this topic » |
| China criticizes Dalai Lama's comments during Japan visit over island dispute ... Washington Post BEIJING — China on Monday accused the Dalai Lama of allying with Japanese right wingers in an island dispute as a way of attacking China and blamed him for glorifying a wave of self-immolations among Tibetans. The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader's use ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Most Emerging Stocks Drop as Japan Economy Offsets China Exports Bloomberg Most emerging-market stocks fell as declines in Indian factory output and Japanese gross domestic product overshadowed faster Chinese export growth. The yuan climbed to a 19-year high. About three stocks declined for every two that rose in the MSCI ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Japan aims for half of rare earth supplies from outside China Reuters TOKYO Nov 12 (Reuters) - Japan is to diversify its sources of rare earths away from China and expects to get half its supplies of the elements from countries other than China from the middle of next year, Trade Minister Yukio Edano said on Monday ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Japan DPJ Reaches Preliminary Deficit Bond Deal With Opposition Businessweek The ruling Democratic Party of Japan reached a preliminary deal with the two main opposition parties on legislation to fund the rest of this year's budget. The agreement calls for revising spending plans for the current fiscal year ending in March that ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Japan facing 'monetary cliff' MarketWatch (blog) “The extent of the weakness was in line with September industrial production and other data, and should lend credence to the view that Japan is headed for a recession, in our opinion,” economists at Nomura said after the data. Japan's economy has ... See all stories on this topic » |
| How debts and double-dealing sparked Japan-China islets row Reuters OMIYA, Japan (Reuters) - The road to China's breakdown in relations with Japan began here - a sleepy Tokyo suburb that is home to the reclusive real-estate investor at the centre of the explosive property deal that enraged Beijing. Surrounded by ... See all stories on this topic » |
東京前線︰前途黯淡的台日漁權談判
日本將釣魚台（日本稱尖閣諸島）國有化後，經過十六次交鋒卻無疾而終的台日漁業談判，終於出現一線曙光，將來的談判到底會出現什麼樣的結果，答案可能還是相當悲觀，因為台灣高層有一股強烈的反日勢力，日本農水省的官僚對台灣也有強烈的不信任感。
台日漁業談判自一九九六年到二○○九年一共談了十六次，每次台灣方面提出的要求，日方的答案幾乎全部一樣，雙方沒有交集，也沒有談判意願，最後變成每年一次的例行性「聯誼會議」，○九年以後乾脆停擺。
但 這次不一樣，中國爆發的歷來最大反日浪潮，不論是中國人民自願的，還是中共官方炮製的，都讓日本大吃一驚，台灣漁船也跟著大舉前往釣魚台海域抗議，但台灣 和中國不一樣，重點毋寧擺在台灣漁民的漁權問題。日本政府判斷，如果不再和台灣重啟漁業談判，馬英九政府可能在釣魚台問題上和中國聯手抗日，因此日本希望和台灣重啟漁業談判，以阻止國共聯合抗日。
在釣魚台問題上，日本的立場是「尖閣諸島是日本的固有領土，沒有主權糾紛問題」，最近亞歐會議在寮國召開時，日本首相野田佳彥也和中國外長楊潔篪當場槓上。
本月六日「朝日新聞」報導，「台日漁業談判可能有困難」，理由是台灣高層有人主張在將來的共同文書上明記「釣魚台主權仍有爭議」，但這違背日本的基本立場，很難被接受。
據 了解，日本外務省有誠意和台灣進行漁業談判，但必須和主權問題切割，日本政府相關單位也很了解所謂「台灣內部高層」是哪一號人物。一名外務省官員表示，不 和主權切割就無法談漁業，如果「台灣內部高層」硬要將漁業談判和主權扯在一起，結果就只是談判從十六次增加到十七次而已。
在過去的十六次談判中，日方認為台灣對近海漁業沒有一套有效的管理辦法，漁船在捕魚時也沒有遵守規矩，這也是每次談判時農水省水產廳態度強硬的理由。
面對即將到來的第十七次台日漁業談判，由於是在中國大規模反日運動之後，成功的機率不小，但若馬政府「內部高層」不針對改善漁船的捕魚秩序，而一味堅持國共合作、聯手抗日的思維，則此次台日漁業談判的前途仍相當黯淡。
Japan economy contracts as global slowdown hits exports
Japanese car makers have seen their sales in China slide after the anti-Japan protests
Japan's
economy contracted in the July to September quarter, as a global
economic slowdown and anti-Japan protests in China hurt its exports,
while domestic consumption remained subdued.
Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 3.5% from a year earlier.Compared with the previous three months, the economy contracted 0.9%.
The weak data is likely to put pressure on the government to boost stimulus measures to spur growth.
"There are risks from both domestic and external factors," said Tatsushi Shikano, senior economist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities in Tokyo.
"As such, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will stand ready to ease monetary policy again, and it would not surprise me if the BOJ eased again by the end of this year."
Heading for recession?
Japan's economy, the world's third-largest, has been trying to recover from last year's earthquake and tsunami, which caused widespread destruction in the country.
However, its recovery has been hampered by a combination of factors.
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“Start Quote
Yasuo Yamamoto Mizhuo Research InstituteThe decline in exports seems large. Consumption and capital expenditure were also weak, showing that both external and domestic demand are weak”
A slowdown in key markets, such
as the US and eurozone has hurt demand for its exports, one of the
biggest drivers of Japanese growth.
Slowing growth and anti-Japan protests in China - Japan's biggest trading partner - have further impacted its export sector. To add to its woes, the debt crisis in the eurozone and weak recovery in the US have seen many investors flock to safe-haven assets such as the yen, resulting in the Japanese currency strengthening against the US dollar and the euro.
The yen has risen 5% against the US dollar since March this year and 8.5% against the euro during that period.
That makes Japanese goods more expensive for American and European consumers, hurting the earnings of the country's exporters.
To make matters worse, attempts by policymakers to boost domestic demand have had little effect. Private consumption fell 0.5% in the July to September quarter, from the previous three months.
Analysts said that given these factors the economy was likely to shrink further in the current quarter and enter a technical recession.
"The decline in exports seems large. Consumption and capital expenditure were also weak, showing that both external and domestic demand are weak," said Yasuo Yamamoto, senior economist at Mizuho Research Institute in Tokyo.
"Economic data deteriorated sharply from September, and this means Japan is already in recession," he added.
Focus on yen Faced with slowing external and domestic demand, Japan's central bank has taken various steps to try and spur growth.
Continue reading the main story
Earlier this month, the BOJ extended its
asset purchase programme by 11 trillion yen ($138bn; £86bn). Under the
programme, the central bank buys bonds to keep long-term borrowing costs
down.
It also said that it will offer unlimited loans to banks to encourage lending in an effort to boost domestic consumption.However, analysts said the measures were unlikely to have a major effect, not least because firms were holding back expansion plans in the wake of an uncertain economic environment.
"There is very little demand for credit. In fact Japanese firms are holding back on capital expenditure," Junko Nishioka, the chief economist of RBS Securities in Tokyo, told the BBC.
Ms Nishioka added that policymakers instead needed to focus on measures that will help weaken the yen, as the uncertain global economic environment was likely to see the Japanese currency, which is seen by some as a safe-haven asset in such times, remain strong.
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