TOKYO: The Sixth “Saudi-Japan Vision 2030” Ministerial Meeting was held in Tokyo on Tuesday under the auspices of the Saudi Ministry of Investment and the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
On the Japanese side, Nishimura Yasutoshi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Yamada Kenji, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, participated in the meeting, with Nishimura making the opening speech.
On the Saudi side, Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Investment, gave an opening address, and was joined at the meeting by the Saudi ambassador to Japan, Naif Al Fahadi.
The minister said that Saudi Arabia is “very keen on promoting and strengthening this strategic partnership with Japan as a reliable partner.”
Al-Falih said that the Saudi-Japan Vision 2030 meeting came just before Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s state visit to Japan from Nov. 19-21.
The minister said that 89 of the initiatives from the vision are “being materialized, with some already completed.” He added that it was important to not only to ensure the quantity of these initiatives, but to also emphasize their quality.
Al-Falih said Saudi Arabia aims to be one of the world’s fifteen largest economies by the end of this decade. “The Saudi economy is already expanding at 10.2 percent in the first three quarters of 2022,” he explained. “That is the fastest growing rate among the G20 economies.”
“We now have over 40 industrial cities, already developed and many of them are hosting Japanese who are doing very well in the industrial sector,” he said. Al-Falih added that Japanese companies can invest in virtually all sectors of Saudi Arabia.
When it comes to space exploration, the Saudi minister said that the Kingdom has developed a new space strategy to join the “top ten space nations by 2030 and become a global space champion.”
“We will prioritize commercial returns from our space program, and bolster your competitiveness and increase our share of the space market and we would love to see the Japanese aerospace exploration agency JAXA participate in our space program,” he added.
Al-Falih told the audience at the Saudi-Japan Vision 2030 meeting that Saudi Arabia plans to significantly increase gas production capacity including producing and exporting LPG, which is key to the Japanese economy.
“We are investing here in Japan with Showa Shell initially, now with Idemitsu, But we will also invest in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Blue and green hydrogen are also important for Saudi Arabia’s agenda, Al-Falih said. “Blue and green hydrogen are being invested in in Saudi Arabia at a scale nobody else is doing, and we started the discussion with our Japanese counterparts more than ten years ago.”
Al-Falih said he signed an MOU when he was last in Japan and helped join forces with the Japanese led hydrogen council to signify and ARAMCO.
“In NEOM, the world’s largest hydrogen project is being built and ARAMCO is investing to produce 11 million ton of blue hydrogen that is being done in coordination and consultation with Japanese companies,” he explained.
Al-Falih congratulated Japan on its progress made for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, adding that Saudi Arabia is actively working on hosting Expo 2030 in Riyadh.
Nishimura, who is also chairman of the Japan-Saudi Parliamentary Friendship League, welcomed the Saudi delegation and emphasized the importance of the two countries’ relationship.
“For Japan, which imports approximately 40 percent of its crude oil from Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia is the most important partner in terms of energy security,” he said in his opening remarks. “I would like to once again express my gratitude for the stable supply of crude oil over the long term. I also expect Saudi Arabia to take a leadership role in stabilizing the international crude oil market as the situation in Ukraine makes the global energy supply and demand uncertain.”
“In addition, the socio-economic reforms and mega-projects promoted by Saudi Arabia’s leadership have become even more important as new growth drivers for the Middle East and for realizing the global trend toward carbon neutrality. Japan will contribute to the economic and social reforms of Saudi Arabia through the Japan-Saudi Vision. Together with the people of Saudi Arabia, we will further accelerate and further expand our efforts.”
Nishimura explained that since the Fifth Ministerial Meeting two years ago, “steady progress” has been made. He went through some of the representative initiatives which included cooperation in the field of clean energy.
“[Clean energy] is important for the oil-free reform that Saudi Arabia is aiming for. Last month, JOGMEC and Saudi Aramco signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement in the field of hydrogen and ammonia. We will accelerate cooperation toward the realization of a sustainable society,” he said.
Nishimura added that demand for housing construction is “strong in Saudi Arabia.”
“A Japanese building materials company has started a project to manufacture and supply houses in Saudi Arabia using a concrete 3D printer in cooperation with a Saudi conglomerate,” he said.
The Japanese minister said they are proceeding with a plan to establish an R&D center in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture, to accept and train around 100 Saudi engineers annually. He added that they will “contribute to the realization of a digital society with Japanese technology in specific fields such as construction.”
Another representative initiative includes cooperation in new fields that capture the social reforms of Saudi Arabia.
In the entertainment field, e-sports competitions between the two countries were held in both Japan and Saudi Arabia. Also, at the 2nd Saudi Anime Expo held in Riyadh last month, many Saudi and Japanese cosplayers dressed as Japanese anime characters such as ‘Dragon Ball’ and ‘Kimetsu no Yaiba’.
“It is a great pleasure that Japan’s content industry is contributing to economic and social reform, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will continue to support this field,” he said.
“Finally, I would like to express my respect for the leadership of everyone in attendance and the efforts of all the organizations involved in supporting the project, ‘Shukran Jazeelan‘ (thank you very much)” Nishimura concluded by thanking his guests in Arabic.
The event was concluded by Minister Nishimura’s closing remarks, whereupon the delegations moved to another room for signing of agreements and the exchange of gifts.
Sixth ‘Saudi-Japan Vision 2030’ Ministerial Meeting takes place in Tokyo
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Sixth ‘Saudi-Japan Vision 2030’ Ministerial Meeting takes place in Tokyo
- Saudi Arabia is “very keen on promoting and strengthening this strategic partnership with Japan as a reliable partner,” said Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Investment
- He congratulated Japan on its progress made for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, adding that Saudi Arabia is actively working on hosting Expo 2030 in Riyadh
China’s deployment of ‘monster ship’ alarming, says Philippine security official
- Manila has lodged a protest over the presence of the 165 m long vessel Chinese coast guard vessel 5901
“We were surprised about the increasing aggression being showed by the People’s Republic of China in deploying the monster ship,” National Security Council spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said in a press conference on Tuesday.
Manila has lodged a protest over the presence of the 165 m long vessel Chinese coast guard vessel 5901, which was spotted 77 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales province, and demanded its withdrawal from the EEZ, Malaya said.
“It is an escalation and provocative,” Malaya said, saying the presence the vessel was “illegal” and “unacceptable.”
The Philippine Coast Guard said it had deployed two of its largest vessels to drive away the Chinese vessel.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday that its coast guard’s “patrol and law enforcement activities” were “reasonable, lawful and beyond reproach.”
Tensions between the Philippines, a US treaty ally, and Beijing have escalated over the past two years due to overlapping claims in the South China Sea.
In 2016, an international tribunal ruled China’s claims to large swathes of the disputed waterway had no basis, a decision Beijing rejects.
China’s expansive claims overlap with the EEZs of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The disputed waterway is a strategic shipping route through which about $3 trillion of annual commerce moves.
'Not for the poor': Indonesians in capital face housing, commute woes
- Residents of the megalopolis of 11 million are finding it impossible to climb the property ladder
- The price of a Jakarta house is on average 20 times higher than an employee’s annual salary
JAKARTA: Scrolling on social media, Indonesian moviegoer Jessica Sihotang stumbled across a film depicting a fellow woman in her 30s struggling to make the dream of buying a Jakarta home a reality.
Nearly two million like-minded Indonesians tuned in to watch the protagonist’s house-hunting journey when “Home Sweet Loan” was released last year, the movie’s producer said.
Residents of the megalopolis of 11 million are finding it impossible to climb the property ladder, as space shrinks and prices rise, forcing them to seek faraway homes that come with arduous commutes.
The movie sparked widespread chatter among Jakartans, as its main character’s grievances resonated with their own long-held housing woes.
“I can relate so much. I’ve been thinking about it for the past 10 years,” said Sihotang.
“I want to have my own house, but my savings have never been enough even just for the down payment,” added the 35-year-old university admissions worker.
Jakarta is where Indonesia’s growing wealth gap is most evident — with unofficial slum housing sitting below shiny new apartment complexes and skyscrapers.
Less than two-thirds of Jakartans own a home, according to Indonesia’s Central Statistics Bureau, the lowest figure compared to other provinces.
Sihotang said she cannot afford a home within 60 kilometers (37 miles) of her job.
“I have to find side hustles for additional income, or maybe try my luck for a few years abroad” before buying a property, she said.
The price of a Jakarta house is on average 20 times higher than an employee’s annual salary, a University of Indonesia survey in June found.
Jakartans like Rizqi Arifuddin have resorted to buying a house in neighboring provinces.
The office worker in one of Jakarta’s main business districts commutes by train for an hour from his home in West Java province.
He then jumps on a motorcycle taxi for another half an hour to reach the office.
“I can never afford a house in the city. Even researching the prices makes me upset,” he said.
With limited space available in the cramped capital known for its brutal traffic jams, prices have skyrocketed.
Housing complexes are now being built further from the city to meet demand.
“This is the reality, people are now competing for places which at least have access to mass transportation,” said Yayat Supriyatna, an urban planner from Trisakti University in Jakarta.
“Jakarta is not a place for the poor,” he told AFP.
Some Indonesians like Muhammad Faris Dzaki Rahadian and his wife have chosen to rent, rather than buy, a property close to work.
“Even with our joint income, it is still not affordable,” said journalist Rahadian, 27.
“I don’t think buying is a rational option.”
To address the housing crisis, the government will require employees from 2027 to contribute three percent of their salaries to a savings fund which they can use for housing.
But it has angered Indonesians who think it won’t be enough — or that it could be taken from them by a government many distrust.
“Who’s going to benefit? It seems to me that people are getting constantly pressured,” Supriyatna said.
Despite the grim housing market, some are still holding on to their dreams.
“Having a house, no matter how small is a symbol of peace of mind for me,” Sihotang said.
“It will give me peace when I’m old.”
Fire-ravaged Los Angeles in path of dangerous Santa Ana winds
- Santa Ana winds could reach 75 mph, threatening firefighting efforts
- At least 24 people dead, 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed
LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles firefighters braced for high winds overnight into Tuesday, gusts that could fuel two monstrous wildfires that have already leveled entire neighborhoods, killed at least two dozen people, and burned an area the size of Washington, D.C.
Dry, dangerous Santa Ana wind gusts reached 30 to 50 mph (48 to 80 kph) later on Monday, but the red flag warning was not due to start until 10 p.m. PST (0600 GMT) with the peak winds that could hit 75 mph (120 kph) starting around 4 a.m. Tuesday (1200 GMT), said David Roth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.
More than 8,500 firefighters attacked the fires from the air and on the ground, preventing the conflagrations at either end of Los Angeles from spreading overnight.
“This setup is about as bad as it gets,” and Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told Angelenos, “We are not in the clear.”
Officials said the state was pre-positioning firefighting crews in vulnerable areas, not just in Los Angeles but also in other Southern California counties that were also under elevated fire danger.
The two main wildfires erupted last week, fueled by hurricane-force winds bringing dry air from the inland deserts.
At least 24 people have died in the fires since then, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner reported.
The wildfires have destroyed or damaged more than 12,000 structures, turning entire neighborhoods into smoldering ash and piles of rubble, leaving an apocalyptic landscape.
As of Monday, more than 92,000 people in Los Angeles County were under evacuation orders — down from a previous high of more than 150,000 — while another 89,000 faced evacuation warnings.
The Palisades Fire, which wiped out upscale communities on the western flank of Los Angeles, burned 23,713 acres (96 square km) and was 14 percent contained, a figure representing the percentage of the fire’s perimeter that firefighters have under control.
The Eaton Fire in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains east of the city consumed another 14,117 acres (57 sq km) and was 33 percent contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) reported.
A third fire of 799 acres (3.2 sq km) north of town was 95 percent contained and three other fires in the county have been fully brought under control in recent days.
The Eaton fire damaged the Altadena home of Lorraine Bryan, 63, and destroyed two other dwellings on her property. She told Reuters she worries about getting additional doses of insulin that she needs to manage her diabetes.
“I’m worried about insurance and about rebuilding and getting back on my feet,” Bryan said Monday, standing in the doorway of her charred home. “I need my medication. I’m trying to see who can help us.”
Death and arrests
Deputies are finding human remains every day as they search through burned-out parts of Altadena, where the Eaton fire first ignited, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
“It is a very grim task,” Luna said, adding that he expected the confirmed death toll to rise in the days ahead.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has said the firestorm could rank as the most devastating natural disaster in US history. It is already the costliest wildfire in terms of insured losses.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman on Monday said 10 people had been arrested in connection to the fires. Nine people were arrested for residential burglaries of fire-stricken areas. One other person was arrested for arson, for allegedly attempting to light a tree on fire in the city of Azusa, about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
US Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, said during a Monday press conference there was “a special place in hell” for looters.
Flanked by law enforcement personnel, he added: “And if the folks behind me have anything to say about it, there’ll be a special place in jail for you too.”
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was sued on Monday on claims that it failed to properly manage water supplies critical to fighting the deadly Palisades Fire, a court filing showed. Residents who sued allege the department should have maintained water in a nearby reservoir, which was dry at the time the fire first erupted last Tuesday.
Aid and politics
“Our hearts ache for the 24 innocent souls we have lost in the wildfires across Los Angeles,” said US President Joe Biden, who announced additional disaster assistance for California, covering costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures.
But top Republicans in the US Congress are considering imposing conditions on disaster aid, accusing the state’s Democratic leadership of mismanaging water resources and forests.
California Governor Newsom and other top Democrats in the state have come under withering criticism for their handling of the fires.
President-elect Donald Trump planned to visit the disaster zone after he is inaugurated next week, a source familiar with the planning said.
With thousands of homeowners facing a costly rebuilding, large commercial banks including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America have announced plans to ease mortgage repayment conditions for the afflicted. Insurers are looking at historic losses.
US lawmakers urge Biden to extend TikTok Jan. 19 ban deadline
- Biden could extend the deadline by 90 days if he certifies ByteDance is making substantial progress toward a divestiture but it is unlikely ByteDance could meet that standard
WASHINGTON: Two Democratic lawmakers on Monday urged Congress and President Joe Biden to extend a Jan. 19 deadline for China-based ByteDance to sell the US assets of TikTok or face a US ban.
The Supreme Court held arguments Friday on Tiktok and ByteDance’s challenge to the law. A lawyer for the companies, Noel Francisco, said it would be impossible to complete a sale by next week’s deadline.
He said if banned, the short video app used by 170 million Americans would quickly go dark and “essentially the platform shuts down.”
Biden could extend the deadline by 90 days if he certifies ByteDance is making substantial progress toward a divestiture but it is unlikely ByteDance could meet that standard.
Senator Edward Markey said he planned to introduce legislation to delay the deadline by which ByteDance must sell TikTok or face a ban by an additional 270 days.
“A ban would dismantle a one-of-a-kind informational and cultural ecosystem, silencing millions in the process,” Markey said Monday.
“A TikTok ban would impose serious consequences on millions of Americans who depend on the app for social connections and their economic livelihood. We cannot allow that to happen.”
President-elect Donald Trump has asked the court to delay implementation of the law, arguing he should have time after taking office on Jan. 20 to pursue a “political resolution” to the issue.
Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat, on Monday urged Biden and Trump “to put a pause on this ban so 170 million Americans don’t lose their free speech. Millions of Americans’ livelihood will be ended if this ban takes place.”
If the court does not block the law by Sunday, new downloads of TikTok on Apple or Google app stores would be banned but existing users could continue to access the app for some period. Services would degrade and eventually stop working as companies will be barred from providing support.
The White House did not immediately comment.
China mulls potential sale of TikTok US to Musk, Bloomberg News reports
Chinese officials are mulling a potential option that involves the sale of TikTok’s US operations to billionaire Elon Musk if the company fails to fend off a potential ban, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Chinese officials prefer that TikTok remain under the control of parent Bytedance, the report said, adding that the company is contesting the ban with an appeal to the US Supreme Court.
Under one scenario, Musk’s social media platform X would take control of TikTok US and run the business together, the report said, adding that the Chinese officials have yet to reach any firm consensus about how to proceed and their deliberations are still preliminary.
TikTok declined to comment, while Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment. X could not immediately be reached for a comment.
The Cyberspace Administration of China and China’s Ministry of Commerce, government agencies that could be involved in decisions about TikTok’s future, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Last week, the Supreme Court seemed inclined to uphold a law that would force a sale or ban of the popular short-video app TikTok in the United States by Jan. 19, with the justices focusing on the national security concerns about China that prompted the crackdown.
