An election? During the country house opera season?

Thoughts on art and nature from Albrecht Dürer (b otd 1471):
'Nature holds the beautiful...Beauty lies even in humble, perhaps ugly things, and the ideal, which bypasses or improves on nature, may not be truly beautiful in the end.'
'Simplicity is the greatest adornment of art.'

May 22nd marks 20 years since the last Japan-North Korea summit, that btwn PM Koizumi & Kim Jong-il.

So, timely look at fraught Japan-North Korea relations in the latest IISS News Japan Memo podcast with expert guests Naoko Aoki Joseph Dempsey & University of Warwick ‘s Chris Hughes.

Today marks 20 years since last 🇯🇵🇰🇵summit.

‘For North Korea, with the backing of China…and Russia…there is no need to seriously negotiate with Japan.’

日朝探る対話（上）拉致解決、世界分断が阻む　最後の首脳会談から20年：日本経済新聞 nikkei.com/article/DGKKZO…

'But the size and scope of China’s EV-oriented industrial policy would make even the most-devoted dirigiste policymaker blush.'

Luke Patey in the Wire, with a great forthcoming chart from the CSIS team

1/x

Good Noah Smith piece on different ways to think about Chinese exports.

In this #JapanMemo episode, Professor Chris Hughes from University of Warwick, Naoko Aoki and Joseph Dempsey join Robert Ward to share their insights on Japan and North Korea. They discuss abductions, missiles and nuclear issues.

🎧: go.iiss.org/4dFAABS

This morning’s rush hour in the Cotswolds…

Taiwan’s President Lai: “I…call on China to cease their political and military intimidation against Taiwan, share with Taiwan the global responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as well as the greater region…” japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/05/2…

An unexpected problem plaguing Japan’s hotel industry right now is tourists leaving behind unwanted suitcases.

The aptly named Hotel Niwa in Tokyo decided to repurpose them as planters and is currently growing everything from
komatsuna to melons on their roof:

Chart from this week’s Economist showing the spaghetti bowl of overlapping Exclusive Economic Zone claims in the South and East China Seas.

‘The Fujian, China’s newest aircraft carrier, returned to port…Its debut marks a new milestone in a military modernization effort the likes of which has not been seen anywhere since WW2.’

Chinese aircraft carrier's voyage hints at plan for 'post-US' navy asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Chines…

Yes, but wld quibble over plural ‘decades’. In 2000s 🇯🇵lifted off rocks by 🇨🇳’s growth. 🇯🇵also implemented institutional/political reforms—& maintained social cohesion despite post bubble wealth crash.

China must learn from Japan’s ‘lost decades’ via Financial Times
on.ft.com/3wFoloc

The friendship between China and Russia has been scaling new heights. While Western countries can rest easy that there are limits to the relationship, China is ultimately keen to underwrite the Russian regime’s survival econ.st/3QL7iIg 👇

Two charts from this week’s Economist - no. of mtgs btwn Xi and foreign leaders (spoiler alert: Putin has had the most) and China’s exports of semiconductors and chip mfg kit to Russia.

Many nuclear, missile, and abduction issues bedevil Japan–North Korea ties.
I had the privilege of discussing these with Robert Ward, Joseph Dempsey, and Prof. Chris Hughes on the Japan Memo podcast by IISS News. Listen here: iiss.org/podcasts/japan…

The Japan-North Korea relationship is complicated, coloured by security issues of course, but also the unresolved issue of 🇯🇵 citizens kidnapped by 🇰🇵. On this 🌟Japan Memo podcast, our brilliant experts Prof Chris Hughes, Naoko Aoki & Joseph Dempsey unpack 🇯🇵 🇰🇵 relations🎧👇

This morning’s exercise - good to see the sheep back.

Piece makes fair point that the China-Japan-ROK summit w find people-to-people exchange easiest to agree on. Otherwise, trilat headwinds incl DPRK diffs, territorial disputes, econ security…

日中韓首脳、経済・安保で摩擦抑制　4年半ぶり会談へ：日本経済新聞 nikkei.com/article/DGXZQO…

Major European wars impact the international order—Russia’s war against Ukraine is doing just this. Witness the forging of new relations/catalysing of existing relations since 2022–China/Russia strategic partnership, Russia/North Korea security ties, Sweden/Finland joining NATO,