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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (R) and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez shake hands in Madrid on June 29, 2022. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan PM seeks major upgrade of NATO partnership after Russia’s war
MADRID – Japan intends to upgrade its partnership with NATO significantly after Russia’s war against Ukraine as the security of Europe is inseparable from that of Asia, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday, hailing the Western alliance’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.
Kishida attended a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Spain as the first Japanese leader to do so, highlighting the expanding reach of an alliance that faces challenges posed by Russia and China.
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NATO labels China a challenge for 1st time in alliance guidelines
MADRID – The North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Wednesday defined China as a challenge for the first time in its updated guidelines, while also singling out the increasing threat from Russia as the post-Cold War peace in Europe has been shattered by the war against Ukraine.
NATO issued the new Strategic Concept during its summit in Madrid, marking the first update since 2010 of the document that typically spans about a decade. It says that threats are now “global and interconnected” and developments in the Indo-Pacific, where Beijing is increasing its military and economic clout, could affect Euro-Atlantic security.
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FOCUS: Japan’s perilously low birthrate a forgotten election issue
TOKYO – Geopolitical and economic concerns are dominating headlines ahead of the upcoming House of Councillors election, putting the critical issue of Japan’s stubbornly low birthrate on the backburner at a time when it needs to be front of mind for the government.
Experts on social and family issues stress the urgent need to create an environment that encourages people to have more children and seriously prevent a “future crisis” through investment in child care and other initiatives.
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Japan, South Korea, U.S. eye deeper security ties in 1st summit in 5 yrs
MADRID – Japan, South Korea and the United States agreed Wednesday to strengthen their security cooperation over North Korean nuclear and missile threats, according to the Japanese government, as leaders from the countries held the first such trilateral meeting since 2017.
The gathering took place as the change of the South Korean government in May is creating fresh impetus toward improving the soured bilateral ties between Tokyo and Seoul. It also comes amid speculation that Pyongyang’s first nuclear test since 2017 could occur at any time.
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Japan says China built another gas drilling facility in contested sea
TOKYO – Japan’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday confirmed that China has finished building a new drilling facility for gas fields in a contested area of the East China Sea for the second time in two weeks.
The facility is located on the Chinese side of a Tokyo-proposed median line separating the nations’ exclusive economic zones in the sea, according to the ministry, which lodged a protest with the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo.
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U.S. 1st-quarter GDP contraction revised down to 1.6%
WASHINGTON – The U.S. government revised downward on Wednesday the country’s economic contraction for the January to March period by another 0.1 point to an annualized real 1.6 percent.
The latest GDP data, revised down from a second estimate released in May, mainly reflects a downward revision of personal spending growth from 3.1 percent to 1.8 percent, according to the Commerce Department.
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Toyota domestic output drops on parts crunch due to Shanghai lockdown
TOKYO – Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday its domestic output in May fell 28.5 percent from a year earlier to 144,204 vehicles, declining for the third straight month due to a global chip shortage and a parts supply crunch caused by a COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai.
The rate of decline was the biggest since January when domestic output fell 32.2 percent from the previous year, the major Japanese automaker said.
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Football: Takumi Minamino joins Monaco from Liverpool in 18 million euro deal
LONDON – Japan attacker Takumi Minamino has joined Monaco from Liverpool in a reported 18 million euro ($19 million) deal, the French Ligue 1 side announced Tuesday.
The 27-year-old signed a four-year contract with Monaco, who will appear in the third round of qualifying for this year’s Champions League after finishing third last season in the French top flight.
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