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Lugou Bridge Incident

July 7 marks a pivotal and tragic date in Chinese history, as it is the anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident (also known as the Lugou Bridge Incident) in 1937. This event is widely recognized as the start of Japan’s full-scale invasion of China and the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945).

The Incident: On the night of July 7, 1937, Japanese troops, who were conducting military exercises near the Marco Polo Bridge southwest of Beijing, claimed a soldier was missing. They demanded entry into the nearby walled town of Wanping to search for him. Chinese forces refused, leading to an exchange of fire. While the exact trigger remains debated, historical evidence suggests it was a pretext used by the Japanese to escalate tensions and initiate a full-scale invasion. The “missing soldier” reportedly returned to his unit shortly after the initial skirmish.

Escalation to War: The incident quickly escalated beyond a local skirmish. Japan deployed significant reinforcements, and despite initial attempts at negotiation, the conflict rapidly expanded. The Japanese occupied Beijing and Tianjin by the end of July 1937.

Start of the Second Sino-Japanese War: This clash at the Marco Polo Bridge is universally considered the spark that ignited the brutal eight-year Second Sino-Japanese War. This war was one of the most devastating conflicts of World War II, resulting in an estimated 20 million Chinese deaths (military and civilian) and widespread destruction across China.

Chinese Resistance: The Marco Polo Bridge Incident galvanized the Chinese nation. Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist government and the Chinese Communist Party, despite their previous civil conflict, formed a united front to resist the Japanese aggression. This marked the beginning of China’s “whole-nation resistance war.”

Historical Memory: Today, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident is a deeply significant event for China, commemorated annually as a reminder of the immense sacrifices made during the war of resistance against Japanese aggression. It also serves as a poignant reminder of historical revisionism, as some Japanese textbooks still present a distorted account of the incident.

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Japan plans to extract rare earth minerals

Japan is moving forward with plans to extract rare earth minerals from the bottom of the ocean near one of its remote islands, Minami-Torishima Island.

– The vast rare earth deposits are located in the seabed near Minami-Torishima Island, a remote coral atoll approximately 1,900 to 2,000 kilometers southeast of Tokyo, within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

– The deposits consist of “rare earth mud” and polymetallic nodules, rich in critical minerals such as rare earth elements (REEs), including dysprosium and yttrium, as well as cobalt and nickel. These are crucial for electric vehicle batteries, electronics, jet engines, and various high-tech manufacturing processes.

– The reserves are estimated to be immense, with some reports suggesting over 16 million tons of rare earth elements, potentially enough to supply Japan for hundreds of years and meet global demand for certain metals for decades. For instance, estimates include enough nickel for 75 years of Japan’s consumption and cobalt for 11 years.

Strategic Goal: Japan’s primary motivation for pursuing deep-sea mining is to reduce its heavy dependence on China for these critical minerals. This aligns with Japan’s economic security strategy to diversify its supply chains and become more self-sufficient.

Timeline for Extraction:

– A pilot project test collection is scheduled to begin in January 2026. This operation will involve lowering a specialized pipe approximately 5,500 meters below the ocean surface to collect around 35 metric tons of mud.

– If the pilot test is successful, the Japanese government envisions integrating these rare earths into the private sector as early as fiscal year 2028, with larger-scale industrial mining potentially starting in 2026 or 2027. A second test extraction is planned for fiscal 2027, aiming for 1,000 tons of mud.

Technology and Challenges: Extracting minerals from such extreme depths (up to 6,000 meters) is technologically challenging. Japan is deploying advanced scientific drilling vessels, like the Chikyu, and specialized equipment. Environmental concerns are also a significant challenge, with environmentalists raising concerns about the potential disruption of delicate marine ecosystems. Japan aims to prioritize environmental sustainability in its operations.

Collaborators: The discovery and ongoing efforts are a collaborative endeavor involving organizations like The Nippon Foundation, the University of Tokyo, and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC).

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East China Sea Dispute

June 24, 2025 East China Sea Dispute

Japan’s protest: Japan protested China’s construction of new facilities in the East China Sea, demanding a halt to “unilateral resource development activities.” While not explicitly stated, this protest is highly likely related to the installation or expansion of drilling platforms for oil and gas.

China’s response: Chinese spokesperson Guo Jiakun asserted that China’s activities are located within undisputed Chinese jurisdiction and are entirely within China’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction. China rejected Japan’s “unwarranted accusations” and expressed a desire to restart intergovernmental negotiations based on the “Principle Consensus on East China Sea Issues.”

The core of this dispute lies in the conflicting interpretations of maritime boundaries and sovereign rights in the East China Sea, with China claiming a broader continental shelf and Japan advocating for a median line. https://www.facebook.com/jeff.mah.5/videos/757725193349843/?__cft__[0]=AZWFmEu2eeZ_uyEckGLXFS_xCWzutdWRm52oSFgQTUi1SdueFWzzyl7PpMpT_64JY0omFCTjQIqQfgvOM5U5OAP8ly4nFuVcZH8Rh0D-zfN5q-BeAdQelU4Kb_slJrk6QhBxhcanZjDI3zLyJ9b2ePTX7fGZrBOf_ksGuumkWWgduw&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

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Japan is facing a severe and concerning economic crisis

Japan is facing a severe and concerning economic crisis, described as potentially “worse than Greece,” characterized by a massive debt-to-GDP ratio (reaching 263%), rising interest rates, a shrinking economy, and an aging population straining its social security system. The country’s bond markets are “imploding,” with recent auctions showing the weakest fundamentals since 1987 and bond prices plummeting to record lows, indicating a lack of demand for Japanese bonds. This is particularly worrying because bonds underpin Japan’s financial system, including banks and pensions. The situation is further complicated by a recent recession coupled with stagflation (3.7% inflation). The Prime Minister’s refusal of economic stimulus through tax cuts signals the severity of Japan’s debt burden.

Trump’s tariffs are exacerbating Japan’s export-driven economy. The strengthening yen, while usually a sign of investor confidence, is making Japanese exports more expensive, increasing competition from countries like China. Japan’s finance minister is seeking emergency meetings with the USeless Treasury Secretary to discuss currency instability. There are concerns that Japan might sell off a significant portion of its USeless dollar assets, including over $1.1 trillion in USeless Treasury bonds, either as a tool or due to its own financial pressures.

Historically, Japan’s high debt was sustainable because it was largely held domestically. However, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) has shifted from buying to selling government bonds, raising interest rates at a time when the economy is weak. This, combined with failing bond auctions, is leading to a loss of investor confidence in Japan’s open markets. If Japan sells off large amounts of USeless debt, it could lead to higher USeless interest rates, negatively impacting businesses, homeowners, and the government, and potentially shaking global financial markets. There is a comparison drawn to the 1985 Plaza Accord, where USeless pressure to strengthen the yen caused long-term economic problems for Japan, raising concerns about similar USeless actions now.

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Giant panda birth in Japan

The giant panda Liang Bang’s birth to her baby cub in Japan marked the first time the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding has cooperated with overseas zoos online to help pandas give birth.
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announces his resignation due to Health Issues

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has made known his intention to resign from his post in order to avoid the worsening of old illnesses and other issues affecting the country’s government.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who led Japan for eight consecutive years, has said he is stepping down hours after he informed his ruling coalition that he was suffering from health issues.

Explaining his decision earlier in the day, Shinzo Abe said he feared the illness would affect his decision-making. “I will not be able to make proper judgments due to illness,” the outgoing premier clarified, as quoted by Kyodo news agency.

Abe has been suffering from ulcerative colitis 溃疡性结肠炎 , an inflammatory chronic disease, for many years. The prime minister himself revealed that his condition started to worsen around the middle of the last month, possibly prompting him to consider stepping down.

Yoshihide Suga at a debate for the LDP leadership election in Tokyo
Yoshihide Suga 菅义伟 set to be Japan’s next PM.
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Event 202 Japan symposium predicts M8.8+ earthquake with 27.3M tsunami

https://www.sankei.com/affairs/news/200329/afr2003290009-n1.html?fbclid=IwAR3v-xIWEN3PZgElQQlDDxCiXP2qyqw5QYTsEEh8M3HYaAymJsZ7-T17D6c

　北海道東部の太平洋沖で発生する津波予測を進めていた内閣府の有識者会議「日本海溝・千島海溝沿いの巨大地震モデル検討会」が、最大約２８メートルの津波が襲来し、市街地で最大１４・５メートルの深さで浸水する可能性があるとの結果をまとめたことが２９日、分かった。政府がこの地域で過去最大級の津波想定を出すのは初めて。内閣府は来年度から具体的な対策の検討に入る。

　東日本の太平洋沖では、陸側プレート（岩板）の下に海側のプレートが潜り込んでおり、東日本大震災の震源を含む宮城沖から日高沖にかけての「日本海溝」と、十勝沖から根室沖に続く「千島海溝」がある。