- 72% of Americans Support Strengthening Japan's Defense Capabilities
From November 18 to 24, following the U.S. presidential election, a joint public opinion poll conducted by the Yomiuri Shimbun and Gallup via telephone revealed that 72% of Americans support strengthening Japan's defense capabilities, a 7-point increase from the previous survey in 2022.
This is believed to be influenced by factors such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's increased military activities.
Regarding the basic foreign policy stance that the new Trump administration, set to launch in January next year, should prioritize, 61% of Japanese respondents (down from 70% in the previous survey) favored "international cooperation," surpassing the 21% (up from 10%) who supported "America First."
In the U.S., 57% (up from 56%) supported "America First," while 39% (down from 40%) favored "international cooperation."
Meanwhile, a high percentage of respondents believe that the U.S. should play a leading role in the international community, with 73% in Japan and 78% in the U.S. expressing this view.
Compared to a similar survey conducted in 2018, this sentiment remained nearly unchanged in Japan but rose by 19 points in the U.S.
- Japanese Government Urges Vigilance Against North Korean Cyberattacks
According to Yomiuri, on December 24, the National Police Agency (NPA) of Japan and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced that the cyberattack in May, which resulted in the theft of approximately 48.2 billion yen worth of Bitcoin from the cryptocurrency exchange company DMM Bitcoin, was linked to the North Korean hacker group TraderTraitor (TT).
The Japanese government has urged vigilance against similar methods.
According to the NPA, in late March, TT targeted a male employee of Ginco, a Tokyo-based company that manages cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals for DMM Bitcoin.
Posing as a recruiter from a legitimate company on LinkedIn, the hacker contacted the employee, saying, "We are impressed with your skills. Please review this program," and lured him into clicking a URL, which infected his device with malware.
TT is believed to be part of the North Korean military’s Reconnaissance General Bureau-affiliated hacker group Lazarus.
This marks the first confirmed case of damage attributed to TT in Japan.
This is also the eighth instance of Japan's government issuing a "public attribution," explicitly naming the perpetrators behind a cyberattack.
The NPA's Cyber Special Investigation Unit and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department are investigating the incident for violations of Japan’s Unauthorized Computer Access Act.
3. Japan-China Foreign Ministers Talk Resumed
On the 25th, Foreign Minister Iwaya visited China as Japan’s foreign minister for the first time in a year and eight months.
In Beijing, he held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (a member of the Communist Party’s Politburo).
The two ministers reaffirmed the promotion of a “strategic mutually beneficial relationship” that seeks to advance the interests of both Japan and China.
They also agreed to resume intergovernmental discussions at an early date regarding the import of Japanese beef and rice.
Additionally, they discussed issues such as North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, the situation in Ukraine, and the Middle East, agreeing to continue dialogue on regional issues and global challenges.
Meanwhile, according to the Japan Coast Guard, a buoy marked with “China Meteorological Administration” and other inscriptions was discovered south of Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture earlier this month.
Minister Iwaya lodged a protest, stating, “This is unacceptable for our country and serves only to negatively impact Japan-China relations.”
China had also deployed buoys within Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) last July and this June.
Minister Iwaya also expressed grave concerns regarding China’s unilateral activities and resource development in the East China Sea, including the area around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.
He further called for the prompt lifting of restrictions on Japanese seafood imports and requested cooperation in ensuring the safety of Japanese citizens residing in China.
Following their talks, the two ministers participated in a “Japan-China High-Level People-to-People and Cultural Exchange Dialogue,” where discussions focused on topics such as tourism exchanges.
The Japanese side announced measures to relax visa requirements for Chinese visitors to Japan.
These include introducing a new 10-year multiple-entry tourist visa and extending the maximum stay for group tours from 15 days to 30 days, aiming to encourage more Chinese tourists to visit Japan.
4. Latest Movement Of Toyota VS. Honda/Nissan/Mitsubishi
This month, the management integration of Honda and Nissan was finalized.
If Mitsubishi Motors joins as planned, the combined annual research and development expenses of the three companies will amount to approximately 2 trillion yen, surpassing Toyota Motor Corporation’s 1.3 trillion yen.
The aim of forming the “three-company alliance” of Honda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi is to pool their funds, technologies, and ideas to survive the major transformation currently underway in the automobile industry.
On the other hand, according to Yomiuri, Toyota Motor Corporation has entered final negotiations with Chinese authorities to build a new factory in Shanghai for producing electric vehicles (EVs) under its luxury brand, Lexus.
Unlike joint ventures, this will be a wholly-owned factory, with operations targeted to begin as early as 2027.
If approved, it will become the second wholly foreign-owned factory in China after Tesla, the American EV giant.
In China, the market share of foreign automakers has been steadily declining, and companies like Honda and Nissan have decided to reduce production.
However, Toyota is taking steps to strengthen its development and production capabilities.
Toyota views the Chinese market as likely to lead the world in EVs and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) in the future.
The construction of the new factory is also expected to create employment opportunities, providing benefits to the Chinese government, which is grappling with economic stagnation.