The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
China lifts ban on Japanese seafood imports imposed in 2023
BEIJING – China on Sunday lifted its ban on Japanese seafood imports imposed in August 2023 following the release into the sea of treated radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Beijing introduced the blanket ban in a demonstration of its strong opposition to the ocean discharge. The Asian neighbors agreed to begin procedures to resume Japanese seafood imports in May, but it may take a few months until shipments begin following the completion of procedural steps.
TOKYO – Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday he will consider what will be “the most appropriate” framework for his coalition government after a crucial election next month for the House of Councillors where his ruling coalition is seeking to retain its majority.
In an interview with Kyodo News, Ishiba called securing a majority of the 248-member upper chamber a “must-attain” goal but said it is not an easy task, at a time when conservative supporters are increasingly looking to alternatives to his Liberal Democratic Party.
Trump shows no willingness to compromise on Japan auto tariffs
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump made clear in an interview broadcast Sunday that he has no plans to roll back hefty auto tariffs imposed on Japan, despite its strong opposition expressed in now-stalled negotiations.
Trump said his administration is ready to unilaterally send letters “starting pretty soon” to Japan and many other trading partners informing them of tariff rates for their exports to the United States.
TOKYO – Half of Japanese voters want Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s ruling coalition to lose its majority in the House of Councillors in next month’s election, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday.
The nationwide telephone poll conducted Saturday and Sunday found that 50.2 percent of respondents want the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito party to lose their upper house majority, while 38.1 percent want them to retain control following the July 20 election.
BEIJING – China is planning to invite U.S. President Donald Trump to a military parade scheduled for Sept. 3 in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, sources familiar with the matter said Sunday.
The United States, meanwhile, has proposed that Chinese President Xi Jinping visit the country during the same month, coinciding with a U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York, the sources said.
Harley-Davidson Japan faces fine over excessive sales quotas
TOKYO – Japan’s antitrust watchdog is set to fine the domestic unit of motorcycle company Harley-Davidson Inc. around 200 million yen ($1.4 million) for imposing excessive sales quotas on dealers in violation of the antimonopoly law, sources close to the matter have said.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission will also issue a cease and desist order to Harley-Davidson Japan K.K., based in Tokyo, over pressuring dealers by implying their exclusive sales contracts might not be renewed if they failed to meet the quotas, leading some to buy unsold motorcycles themselves.
Hong Kong pro-democracy bloc nears end with last party disbanding
HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s pro-democracy bloc has been virtually blotted out as the last functioning party announced its dissolution Sunday, a day before the territory marks the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-imposed national security law amid increasing doubts over its autonomy.
The League of Social Democrats, considered one of the more radical voices in the city’s opposition spectrum, cited “immense political pressure” as the reason for the party’s unanimous decision, adding that it might have otherwise faced consequences.
Japan’s May industrial output rises 0.5% on month
TOKYO – Japan’s industrial output in May rose 0.5 percent from the previous month, government data showed Monday.
The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines stood at 101.8 against the 2020 base of 100, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report.
Video: Mt. Shinmoe eruption in southwestern Japan