Tag - security

 
 

SECURITY

The Mountain Pass mine, operated by MP Materials in California, is the only rare earths mine in the United States.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 17, 2024
China’s grip on rare earths undercuts projects from U.S. to Japan
Japan's experience reducing its dependence on China shows that rare earths projects take longer and are more expensive than initially expected.
Ashwini Vaishnav (left), the Indian minister of electronics and information technology, and N. Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Tata Sons, take part in the foundation stone laying ceremony for India's first AI-enabled semiconductor fabrication facilities in Dholera, Gujarat, India, on March 13.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2024
Could India become an alternative to China in the ‘chip war’?
As decoupling from China gains traction, the U.S. and its allies are betting on India for supply chain restructuring and semiconductor development.
U.S. agencies and Congress are increasing scrutiny of China's influence and technology transfers at American universities, fearing Beijing exploits open research to bypass export controls and national security laws.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 8, 2024
Georgia Tech to end China partnerships following concerns over military ties
In May, U.S. lawmakers wrote a letter to Georgia Tech asking for details on its research with China's Tianjin University on cutting-edge semiconductor technologies.
Nippon Steel has responded to the U.S. government concerns by saying it will invest billions of dollars to maintain and boost U.S. Steel facilities that otherwise would have been idled, "indisputably" allowing it to "maintain and potentially increase domestic steelmaking capacity in the United States."
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 6, 2024
U.S. fears Nippon Steel's bid for U.S. Steel could hit vital steel supply
The U.S. government is concerned that U.S. Steel would be less likely to seek tariffs on foreign steel importers if it is under the ownership of the Japanese steelmaker.
Alimentation Couche-Tard’s bid to acquire Japan’s Seven & I Holdings has sparked discussions about Japan’s approach to foreign investment and whether rejecting or accepting the bid reflects an openness to international business.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 4, 2024
7-Eleven deserves more than shareholder supremacy
While Japan should consider investor interests, it should not forsake the broader social and community benefits that its businesses provide.
Seven & I is currently categorized on the Finance Ministry's classification list as a company that conducts "designated," but not "core" businesses.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 3, 2024
Japanese companies cannot use national security cover to block takeovers, official says
Japanese companies cannot use a national security designation as a tool to thwart foreign takeovers, a senior Finance Ministry official said.
There is a significant divide between security experts, who emphasize the unquantifiable risks of geopolitical instability, and economists, who focus on the measurable costs of restructuring supply chains.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 28, 2024
Traditional economics fail the geopolitical test
The seemingly yawning gap between the views of the security specialists and the business and economics types is striking.
The Finance Ministry will apply foreign trade regulations to chipmaking equipment, requiring foreign investors to give prior notice when conducting direct investment in the sector.
BUSINESS
Aug 16, 2024
Japanese government tightens grip on chip supply-chain network
The move comes as Japan tries to revive its own capacity to produce semiconductors as a pillar of its economic security strategy.
Former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi says changes in the international balance of power, along with deepening economic interdependence, have led some countries to attempt to use their economic power to impose their will on others.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 13, 2024
Economic security is about strengthening and sustaining growth, former minister says
The nascent concept goes beyond more regulations and restrictions, says Japan's first economic security minister, Takayuki Kobayashi.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a summit in Bangkok in November 2022. Despite Japan-China relations stagnating in recent years, Xi's administration presents some interesting opportunities for an overture between the two countries.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Aug 12, 2024
Will Japan and China’s relations continue to stagnate?
Japan and China have historically been at odds and relations have stagnated. This pattern can be broken by seizing the moment, one that offers some key opportunities.
Government officials are concerned that businesses are reluctant to report cyberattack damage due to fears about a possible decline in stock prices.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2024
Japan mulls requiring private sector operators to report cyberattacks on infrastructure
The move is designed to prevent cyberattack damage from spreading to other businesses by sharing information quickly.
Technicians assemble a component of the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment at the CERN nuclear research facility in Cessy, France, in March 2007. International cooperation in science is essential for solving global challenges and maintaining innovation.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 30, 2024
Geopolitics threatens science and societal progress
In this world, the prospect of greater controls or reduced international cooperation can only be damaging.
The United Nations headquarters building is pictured though a window with the U.N. logo in the foreground in New York in 2014.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 29, 2024
U.N. cybercrime treaty faces new scrutiny
After seven negotiating sessions to date, criticism of the text has increased.
Run from a two-hectare plot of land in the island's north, LivFresh has been supplying major supermarkets with spinach, lettuce and other green vegetables since 2022.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Jul 24, 2024
Singapore’s homegrown farming dream is beginning to fade
Since the start of 2023, at least half a dozen large farms in Singapore have shut down or scaled back operations.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speak to reporters in Berlin on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 13, 2024
Japanese and German leaders deepen ties with new economic security framework
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and German Chancellor Olaz Scholz agreed on the new mechanism during the Japanese leader's first visit to the country as PM.
Li Genyuan stands by his wheat fields, which form part of an experiment to turn salty land into arable land, in Nanliuhe village, Shandong province, China, in May. Having returned to farming after working for a decade in construction and textiles, he now manages about 67 hectares of fields where corn and soybeans are also grown.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 12, 2024
Xi’s campaign to feed China is turning wasteland into farms
The Chinese president has placed increased emphasis on self-reliance as ties with the West fray and climate change disrupts harvests.
Japan's excessive dependence on certain countries for chip imports is a risk to supply networks, government white paper has warned.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 9, 2024
Government white paper flags Japan's risks of import dependencies
The paper stressed the importance of import source diversification, to prevent excessive dependence that poses a risk to supply networks.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks at a meeting of a government panel on information related to economic security last month as economic security minister Sanae Takaichi looks on.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Jul 9, 2024
New security clearance system to bring Japan in line with other G7 nations
Individuals qualified to handle classified information will receive certification from the government, facilitating easier participation in global research and business.
Chinese EV-maker Nio’s Onvo L60 SUV is unveiled in Shanghai in May. As an EV powerhouse, China should share the fruits of its success with the rest of the world.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 3, 2024
Easy solutions to EU-China tariff dispute
The EU should see the futility of tariffs on Chinese EVs, and China should not retaliate but instead share the fruits of its success in building up its auto sector.
Canada Day is held on July 1 to mark Canada’s founding in 1867. This year, the country celebrates its 157th anniversary among resounding successes and tough challenges at home and abroad.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 1, 2024
Canada at 157: Lots to celebrate, but also to rethink
At 157, Canada is stable and prosperous, but cracks are starting to form. Its citizens think politicians are out of touch and the country holds little sway abroad.

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A store clerk tries to cool things down in front of their shop by spraying a hose.
Is extreme weather changing the way Japan shops?