Japan will not send government delegation to Beijing Olympics

Japan will not send a government delegation to February's Winter Olympics in Beijing, it said on Friday, a move likely to deepen tension with China.

The decision follows a U.S.-led diplomatic boycott of the Games over concerns about human rights in China, although Japan has avoided explicitly labelling its move as such.

Japan, while a partner of the United States, also has strong economic ties to China.

Source: Reuters #Dec24

https://reut.rs/3pqUSrS

#Japan #Winter #Beijing #Olympics

Japan turns away from post-WWII pacifism as China threat grows

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is a man on a mission.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, he has imposed sanctions on Moscow, agreed to pursue a nuclear-free world with the Pope and taken a diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia and Europe to rally world leaders to protect democracy.

But it's not just democracy in Ukraine that he's trying to protect - Kishida sees parallels between Russia's actions in Europe and China's expansion in the Indo-Pacific, a region stretching from America's Pacific coastline to the Indian Ocean.

Source: CNN #May22

https://t.co/kn0IOz1zgi

#China #Japan #Russia #Ukraine

#FirstHand #June4
Assembly in #London: #Hongkongers and #Ukranians In Solidarity

Photo album:
https://t.me/BeWaterHK/608?single

At Downing Street, London on June 4th, 2022, Hongkongers and Ukrainians organized a fight against dictatorship assembly. The solidarity movement voices support for the fight for freedom across mainly Hongkongers and Ukrainians.

Exiled activist #NathanLaw, a former legislator in Hong Kong and the founder of #Demosisto, was the first guest speaker of the event. He said to the crowd, "no matter where we are from, we are all escaping from the dictatorship regime."

He said that not only Ukrainians but also Hongkongers have been following the Russian invasion news.

Carman Lau Ka-Man, a former Wong Tai Sin District Councillor in 2019, was the next one to speak, urging overseas Hongkongers to do more when they were able to and to help those in Hong Kong who are suffering in jail or under suppression.

"Perhaps 1989 seems quite long ago, but let's not forget what we did in the year of 2019."

#BenedictRoger, the founder of #HongKongWatch, brings a yellow umbrella to the event, saying the umbrella is not only for rainy weather, but also to symbolise the dignity of the people who fight for democracy and the movement against dictatorship regime.

A Ukrainian representative spoke and emphasised that Ukraine is a geographic buffer between Russia and Europe, protecting the whole Europe from Russia. She urged the world to stop using fuel supplied by Russia in order to stand with Ukraine.

Related News
Remembering June 4th in #Japan
https://t.me/BeWaterHK/599?single

#Resistance #Solidarity #FightForFreedom #RussianInvasion #CCP

#Solidarity #FightForFreedom
#Hongkongers in #Japan Call for International Support through Video

Hongkongers in Japan displayed a video in support of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement in the center of #Shibuya in #Tokyo.

The day #July1 marks the 25th anniversary of the transfer of soveignty of Hong Kong from Britain to China and two years since Beijing's enforcement of the #NationalSecurityLaw in Hong Kong

Reference:
https://twitter.com/williamleewt/status/1542817913107021825

#Handover #FreeHongKong

#Solidarity
#HongKongDiaspora Fights from Abroad

//Hongkongers living in Japan are trying to protect freedoms in the territory they left behind.// 

Watch the video here:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20220701204909434/

Source: NHK #Jul1

#Handover #FightForFreedom #Hongkongers #Japan

Chinese missiles suspected of landing in Japan’s economic zone

//Five ballistic missiles fired by China are believed to have landed in the waters of Japan’s exclusive economic zone (#EEZ) for the first time, Tokyo’s defence minister said.

China held its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan on Thursday, August 4, 2022, following US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-governed island, despite stern warnings from Beijing that the visit should not proceed.

Japan’s EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles (approximately 370km) from the country’s coastline, beyond the limits of its territorial waters and parts of Japan’s southernmost island region Okinawa are close to Taiwan.

“Five of the nine ballistic missiles launched by China are believed to have landed within Japan’s EEZ,” Japanese defence minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters on Thursday.

Japan has “lodged a protest with China through diplomatic channels”, Kishi said, calling the matter “a serious problem that affects our national security and the safety of our citizens”.

The figure of nine Chinese missiles fired was an assessment by the Japanese side, Kishi said, adding that the five missiles that landed in the EEZ appeared to have splashed down southwest of Okinawa’s Hateruma Island. Kishi said it was the first time that Chinese ballistic missiles had landed in Japan’s EEZ.//


Source: Al-Jazeera #Aug4
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/4/chinese-missiles-suspected-of-landing-in-japans-economic-zone

#ChineseMissile #Taiwan #PelosiVisit #Japan

China Claims Missiles Struck All Targets Accurately; Japan Claims Missiles Hit Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone

China had launched missiles at multiple designated zones to the east of Taiwan and had struck all targets accurately, says People's Liberation Army (#PLA) Eastern Theater Rocket Force spokesperson Shi Yi in an announcement in the afternoon of August 4, 2022

These are part of China's announced military exercises from August 4 to 7, 2022, in which its military had designated 6 exercise zones in waters surrounding Taiwan. These are closer to Taiwan than China's military exercises during the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis.

The same evening, Japan's defense minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters that five of China's ballistic missiles had landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone (#EEZ). He had lodged a protest with the Chinese embassy in Japan, demanding the military exercises be halted immediately.

See also:
Chinese missiles suspected of landing in Japan’s economic zone
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/33083

The areas China designated for its exercise is within 30km of areas where Japanese fishing vessels regularly operate, according to an announcement by the fishery association of Okinawa’s Hateruma Island. The association issued a warning to the island's fishermen the day before the exercise. "This is much closer than any regular exercises by Taiwan," the association's spokesperson said in a troubled voice. "The PLA is holding an exercise here for the first time. It's hard to say how it would turn out."

Sources: China Times; UDN #Aug4
https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20220804003539-260409

https://udn.com/news/story/6809/6513222

#ChineseMissile #Taiwan #PelosiVisit #Japan

In March 2023, the Hong Kong National Security Police detained a female student, accusing her of making multiple provocative posts and sharing photos on her social media accounts, including promoting Hong Kong independence.

Source: The Witness; #Jun16

#HongKong #Japan #NSL #NationalSecurityPolice #Student

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️

In March 2023, the Hong Kong National Security Police detained a female student, accusing her of making multiple provocative posts and sharing photos on her social media accounts, including promoting Hong Kong independence.

The 23-year-old student was said to study in Japan. She went back to Hong Kong in March to renew her Hong Kong identity card.

She was charged with one count of incitement and appeared in court for the first time at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court on 16 June.

The defense raised concerns about the jurisdiction of the court to handle the case. They argued that a significant portion of the posts were made outside of Hong Kong and that the prosecution had exceeded the time limit for prosecution. The prosecution responded by stating that the legal disputes were currently awaiting resolution at the appellate court and suggested that the case be adjourned until the appeals process concludes.

Chief Magistrate Peter Law Tak-chuen, who is designated under the National Security Law, granted bail with certain conditions. These conditions included a restriction on leaving Hong Kong, the requirement to delete all social media applications, and the surrendering of related accounts to the police for inspection.

The case was adjourned until August 2nd for further proceedings.

The defendant remained composed throughout the hearing, while her family members shed tears upon hearing the decision. As she left the court, she was accompanied by Deputy Secretary for Transport and Housing, Yau Shing-mu.

Source: The Witness; #Jun16

#HongKong #Japan #NSL #NationalSecurityPolice #Student

https://bit.ly/3JipRzw