Page 24 - Hello Philippines January 2016 'A' Issue

24 www.hello-philippines.com INTERNATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS January 2016 – No. 01 • UK & Europe Edition
Japan PM Abe’s cabinet approves
largest defence budget

TOKYO - Prime Minister Shinzo cooperation between Japan and the China and other parts of Asia. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C), accompanied by Finance Minister Taro Aso (R) and Economic Revitalization
Abe’s cabinet on Thursday approved United States,” a defence ministry “We hope Japan can take history Minister Amari Akira, attends a cabinet meeting at his official residence in Tokyo on December 24, 2015. AFP Photo
Japan’s biggest ever annual defence official told reporters.
budget, as the country bolsters its as a mirror and stick to the path aggressive colonial and military and four V-22 Osprey—crossover
military amid territorial rows and Japan is also wary of a possible of peaceful development,” foreign campaigns through the end of World aircraft that have the manoeuverability
concerns over China’s expanding naval escalation of tensions with China, ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a War II. of helicopters and the range of planes.
reach. where steady hikes in defence spending regular briefing when asked about the
have raised concerns in Tokyo and budget. Japan is particularly wary of China, Japan and China have routinely
The cabinet approved 5.05 trillion Washington. which is seen by several countries in butted heads over the ownership of
yen ($41.8 billion) in defence spending In September Abe pushed the region as becoming increasingly the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku Islands,
for the next fiscal year starting in China’s navy, air force and coast contentious security bills into law in a aggressive in various sovereignty which Beijing claims as the Diaoyus.
April, with the focus on strengthening guard have increased activity in waters move to boost cooperation with the US. claims, including the dispute over
protection of a string of southern near Japan in recent years as Beijing island ownership with Tokyo. Beijing is also expanding its military
islands, including Okinawa, that seeks to more actively project its The legislation, which could see heft and reach, with annual double-
stretch from Japan’s mainland to growing military power in the region Japanese troops fight abroad for Among the items on the defence digit defence budget increases and its
waters near Taiwan. and back up its claim in a territorial the first time since the country’s ministry’s shopping list are 17 SH- first aircraft carrier entering service.
dispute with Tokyo over a group of wartime defeat 70 years ago, sparked 60K naval patrol helicopters, with a
The allocation is part of a record uninhabited islands in the East China tens of thousands to protest outside combined price tag of 102.6 billion yen. China’s Hong called his country’s
96.7 trillion yen national budget that Sea. parliament. military policy “defensive in nature”
will now be sent to parliament for It also wants three Global Hawk and added its spending is “within a
debate and approval early next year. China reiterated on Thursday its But the Japanese defence official drones, six hi-tech F-35 stealth fighters reasonable range.” n AFP / December 24, 2015
frequent call for Japan to heed the said the new budget, which was
The defence budget is 1.5 percent lessons of its Word War II aggression in requested in August, does not yet
higher than the current fiscal year reflect the recently passed legislation,
which was the previous record high, though added the ministry will study
and marks the fourth straight annual if the new laws will require bigger
increase in spending. budgets in future years.

The trend reflects the hawkish Abe’s Abe is also pushing to amend
attempt to build a military more active Japan’s pacifist constitution, though
and collaborative with the United opinion surveys suggest the public is
States, its biggest ally. wary of change.

“We expect the latest procurement His defence strategy has also
would contribute further to provoked unease in China and South
Korea, which were victims of Japan’s

Authorities investigate head of China Telecom – govt
BEIJING, China - The head of off and he had not responded to firms, who jealously guard their
China Telecom, one of the nation’s multiple calls, it added.
big three telecoms firms, is under prerogatives, to toe the party line,

In August, after 11 years as reducing resistance to structural
investigation for “severe disciplinary chairman and party secretary of reforms intended to bolster the
violations”, the government said China’s second largest telecoms slowing economy.
Sunday, the latest high-profile target provider China Unicom, Beijing
in a corruption crackdown. Beijing announced it had begun

announced Chang would head investigations into the country’s
News of the probe into Chang China Telecom.
Xiaobing, 58, was given in a telecom industry earlier this year,

That decision, Caijing said, was while Chang was still at China
statement on the website of the made despite widespread rumors Unicom.
Central Commission for Discipline that the executive was under
Inspection, the watchdog of the investigation. After conducting an internal

ruling Communist Party. graft investigation, the Communist

It sparked speculation about an Party can punish alleged offenders
The term is normally a imminent tie-up between the two internally or expel them and pass
euphemism for graft.
industry leaders and the third major them on to courts for trial, where
Chang had been “taken away”, player, China Mobile.
according to an article in the conviction is virtually guaranteed.

In April the state news agency The government is also
respected business magazine Xinhua reported that China was investigating other state-controlled
Caijing, which added that he considering merging scores of its sectors, notably energy. The
Demand for rhinoceros horn—made of keratin, which is also found in hair and nails—has boomed in Vietnam disappeared just days before biggest state-owned companies country’s oil companies long served

and China, where it is valued for its supposed medicinal properties ©AFP Photo/Tony Karumba a meeting of the state-owned to create around 40 national as a power base for Zhou Yongkang,

N. Korean diplomat expelled from company planned for December 28. champions from the existing 111. the highest ranking official to be
South Africa for rhino horn trade A memo saying the meeting
Authorities have been pursuing convicted of corruption during the
would be postponed was issued on a hard-hitting campaign against current campaign.
JOHANNESBURG – A North Korean driving a vehicle with a South African the evening of the 26th, the article allegedly crooked officials since

diplomat has been expelled from South diplomatic registration. Most recently the party’s
said. Chang’s phone was switched President Xi Jinping took office in inquisitors have cast their eyes
Africa for alleged illegal trading in rhino South Africa’s News24 said the

horns, a South African foreign ministry diplomat was arrested after 4.5 2013, a crusade that some experts over the financial sector, detaining

spokesman said Thursday. kilogrammes (10 pounds) of rhino have called a political purge. several high-level executives after a

“We can confirm that this diplomat horn and $99,300 (91,000 euros) in Several high-profile business stock market rout this summer.

has been expelled. He left the country cash were found in his car. The news leaders have been caught up in the This is not the first wave of

on the 11th of December,” Nelson website added that Mozambican police web of graft investigations after investigations to hit the telecoms

Kgwete told AFP. released the man on $30,000 bail. authorities pledged they would turn industry.

Kgwete said the diplomat was South Africa’s rhino poaching their efforts to the state-owned The country also probed the

arrested in neighbouring Mozambique epidemic saw a record 1,215 rhino enterprise system, a bulwark of top three telecoms operators in

in May on charges related to rhino killed last year for their horns, which is graft that has resisted multiple 2010 and 2011, forcing mid-level

horn smuggling. used as a traditional medicine in some attempts at reform. executives and above to surrender

At the time of arrest, he was parts of Asia. n AFP / December 24, 2015 The campaign is seen as an their passports. n AFP / Published /

Chang Xiaobing. AFP file photo. attempt to force executives of state December 28, 2015 / 6:59 am