Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe marked the 60th anniversary of Japan's pacifist Constitution yesterday, calling for a "bold review" of the country's postwar pacifism and a revival of national pride.
His remarks came as two newspaper polls showed that a majority of Japanese support amending the Constitution, showing growing support for changes to the current document, which Abe has repeatedly called outdated.
Overhauling the Constitution, written by US occupation forces after World War II to stamp out Japanese militarism, has been a key goal for the nationalistic Abe, who wants to expand the military's role in the world and bolster patriotism at home.
"We face the need to review the Constitution," Abe said in a statement issued yesterday to mark the Constitution's 60th anniversary.
"A bold review of Japan's postwar stance and an in-depth discussion of the Constitution for a `new Japan' is necessary ... to open up a new era," he said. "While keeping in my heart the Constitution's fundamental principles, I am also determined to work ... toward a Japan that instills confidence and pride among its children."
The 1947 Constitution, which bans military force in settling international disputes and prohibits maintaining a military for warfare, has never been altered.
But in a drive that began under former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, the government has been pushing for constitutional changes that would remove some restrictions on Japan's military, including clearly recognizing the country's right to have a standing army.
In separate poll results published yesterday, the Mainichi Shimbun and Nikkei Shimbun newspapers both said 51 percent of those surveyed were in favor of changing the Constitution.
The Mainichi said 19 percent opposed a change, while the Nikkei said 35 percent were against it. It was the first time those supporting a change had topped 50 percent, the Mainichi said.
The Mainichi said it polled 1,085 randomly selected eligible voters by telephone on April 28 to 29, while the Nikkei said it polled 865 voters on April 27 to 29. Neither gave a margin of error.
US President Donald Trump yesterday announced sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on US trading partners, including a 32 percent tax on goods from Taiwan that is set to take effect on Wednesday. At a Rose Garden event, Trump declared a 10 percent baseline tax on imports from all countries, with the White House saying it would take effect on Saturday. Countries with larger trade surpluses with the US would face higher duties beginning on Wednesday, including Taiwan (32 percent), China (34 percent), Japan (24 percent), South Korea (25 percent), Vietnam (46 percent) and Thailand (36 percent). Canada and Mexico, the two largest US trading
China's military today said it began joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence," calling President William Lai (賴清德) a "parasite." The exercises come after Lai called Beijing a "foreign hostile force" last month. More than 10 Chinese military ships approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4km) contiguous zone this morning and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwanese officials said. Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far, one of the officials said. The drills took place after US Secretary
CHIP EXCEPTION: An official said that an exception for Taiwanese semiconductors would have a limited effect, as most are packaged in third nations before being sold The Executive Yuan yesterday decried US President Donald Trump’s 32 percent tariff on Taiwanese goods announced hours earlier as “unfair,” saying it would lodge a representation with Washington. The Cabinet in a statement described the pledged US tariffs, expected to take effect on Wednesday next week, as “deeply unreasonable” and “highly regrettable.” Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said that the government would “lodge a solemn representation” with the US Trade Representative and continue negotiating with Washington to “ensure the interests of our nation and industries.” Trump at a news conference in Washington on Wednesday announced a 10 percent baseline tariff on most goods
THUGGISH BEHAVIOR: Encouraging people to report independence supporters is another intimidation tactic that threatens cross-strait peace, the state department said China setting up an online system for reporting “Taiwanese independence” advocates is an “irresponsible and reprehensible” act, a US government spokesperson said on Friday. “China’s call for private individuals to report on alleged ‘persecution or suppression’ by supposed ‘Taiwan independence henchmen and accomplices’ is irresponsible and reprehensible,” an unnamed US Department of State spokesperson told the Central News Agency in an e-mail. The move is part of Beijing’s “intimidation campaign” against Taiwan and its supporters, and is “threatening free speech around the world, destabilizing the Indo-Pacific region, and deliberately eroding the cross-strait status quo,” the spokesperson said. The Chinese Communist Party’s “threats
RSS