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☆ Japan Business Leaders Return to China Seeking to Bolster Cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Japanese economic delegations had visited China every year since 1975, but those visits lapsed during the COVID-19 era when China largely shuttered its borders due to its stringent pandemic policies. During their visit this week, the Japanese business delegates, which included Masakazu Tokura, chairman of the powerful Keidanren, as the Japan Business Federation is known, are due to meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday. Japan is heavily reliant on China, where Japanese companies have for years invested in building manufacturing supply chains and forged relationships with local partners. China last year arrested a Japanese executive, an employee of the drugmaker Astellas Pharma, on suspicion of espionage. The move has had a chilling effect on business, Japanese officials say.

Persons: Masakazu Tokura, Premier Li Qiang, Fumio, Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, Gamble, Ryan Woo, Miyoung Kim, David Dolan, Michael Perry Organizations: Japan Business, Premier, Pharma, Procter, SK, Nidec Corp, Toyota, Nissan Locations: BEIJING, China, Japan, United States, Kishida, Greater China, Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo

☆ Japanese fete LGBTQ progress, demand marriage rights as G7 summit looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Masako Mori, a special advisor to Kishida on LGBTQ affairs, attended, but did not mention same-sex marriage in brief remarks before the parade began, instead urging "greater understanding of LGBTQ." Crowds lined the sidewalks, waving rainbow flags and shouting "Happy Pride" at marchers, who included a group from Taiwan - the only Asian nation with same-sex marriage. Kishida in February sacked an aide who sparked outrage by saying people would flee Japan if same-sex marriage was allowed, but the premier remains noncommittal about same-sex marriage, even as polls show some 70% of the public in favour. Allowing same-sex marriage would require amending the civil code. The situation has long limited the talent pool for global firms, but even traditional Japanese companies now find their international competitiveness endangered without diversity, including LGBTQ rights.

☆ With backing from business lobby, Japan PM calls for workers' pay hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Above all, wage hikes that beat price hikes are needed," Kishida told an annual gathering of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which lays out its policy agenda for this year. "The wave of wage hikes must spread to small firms and local areas to enhance competitiveness amid heated competition to attract workers" amid labour shortages, Kishida said. While achieving "structural wage hikes," Kishida pledged to continue to take steps to curb energy and food prices to ease the pain of inflation on households. Masakazu Tokura, head of Japan's biggest business lobby Keidanren, expressed support for the wage push. Moreover, the small companies that provide most of Japan's jobs generally can't increase pay, business owners, economists and officials say.

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