Akihoto Abdicates Thone

Emperor Akihto will abdicate the throne on April 30, 2019. He will be the first Japanese Emperor to do this in over 200 years. The last Emperor to abdicate was Emperor Kokaku during the Edo Period in 1817. He is abdicating as he is concerned that he won't be able to do his duties as the emperor in his declining health as he ages. He is currently 83 years old.

Akihto is allowed to abdicate by his own choice after a law was passed in June of this year to give the emperor the choice to abdicate. This was a historical decision as a sitting emperor couldn't do this before. Part of this law is questioning if a female could rise to be an empress. There hasn't been an empress since Empress Cixi, and that was over 2,600 years ago.


Sources:
1) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/akihito-to-become-first-japanese-emperor-to-abdicate-in-200-years/ar-BBFZjhT?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp

2) http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/08/asia/abdication-law-japan-passes/index.html

Dissappearing Shipwrecks in Asian Waters

Along the coasts in Asia, metal salvagers and recreational salvagers alike are taking shipwrecks apart piece by piece. This is becoming a major issue as it is disrupting the local marine life, as well as destroying parts of history.

There have been international laws passed, protecting some aspects of the wrecks, but that is always hard to enforce as there are some that are in international waters. One of the laws passed in the UN was that unless it was abandoned, the county who's the owner of the ship has exclusive rights to the ship where ever it lies.

There are still some wrecks that are untouched, and one of them was discovered by Robert Ballard who is famous for discovering shipwrecks, his most famous discovery being the R.M.S. Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean. He discovered the HMAS Canberra near Salvo Island.

Ballard is an advocate of the preservation of shipwrecks so we can learn as much from them as possible, since eventually the wrecks will disappear from natural degradation. So by the salvagers wrecking these shipwrecks, they are destroying any chance of extra knowledge to be gained for their own personal gain. It is sickening to see this happening before our eyes.


Sources:
1) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-16/the-race-to-save-dozens-of-wartime-shipwrecks-from-looters/9157016

2) Lost Ships of Robert Ballard by Robert Ballard

Japan Drops One Spot Down in World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Index

The World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) ranks 137 countries and regions based on three stages: factor-drive, efficiency-driven, and innovation-driven. There are also 12 pillars of competitiveness, shown below, that are also considered and has their own rankings:

1. institutions
2. appropriate infrastructure
3. a stable macroeconomic framework
4. good health and primary education
5. higher education and training
6. efficient goods markets
7. efficient labor markets
8. developed financial markets
9. the ability to harness the benefits of existing technologies
10. and its market size, both domestic and international
11. by producing new and different goods using the most sophisticated production processes
12. innovation

This year, Japan has dropped its ranking from number 8 to number 9, being replaced by the United Kingdom. Though Japan has slipped in the GCI, they have moved up a couple spots in the other pillars such as: infrastructure, technological readiness, and macroeconomic environment. 

"Japan slips to No. 9 in World Economic Forum’s competitiveness index". (2017, November 3). Japan Times. Retrieved from https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/09/27/business/japan-slips-notch-ninth-wefs-competitiveness-rankings-137-economies/#.WfyMpWhSyM8

New Zealand to Ban Foreign Home Buyers

Buyer beware. If you were considering purchasing a home away from home in New Zealand, that soon will be impossible. This was announced by their Prime Minister-Elect Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday.

She stated that this will only be applying to non-residents of the country, and only applying to the purchase of existing homes. Non-residents who already own property in the country will not be affected as of right now, but the future of their homes is unknown. 

This is being done as a way to combat the shortage of homes in the larger cities and lower the prices of homes. The law is coinciding with another law on immigration to slow it down to help bring jobs back into their economy, thus allowing more New Zealanders to purchase homes.


Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-41745129 

Australian Citizenship Bill Stalled

Back in April, the Australian government made some changes in the requirement of attaining citizenship; these changes would make the process harder to get citizenship. One of the new requirements was to have advanced English language skills so that the individual would better "integrate" into society. Another is to show proof of being a permanent resident for at least four years and can show that they are a member of the community. As of today, the new bill has faced some backlash and is currently being revised in hopes of getting passed in the future.

Source:
Australia citizenship overhaul hits Senate hurdle. (2017, October 19). BBC. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-41674895

Mobile payments on the rise in China

Cash is becoming less common in China since mobile payment apps have reached the mobile marketplace. The industry has risen to a $5 trillion dollar industry in 2016.

Not only has that industry risen, it means the use of the yen has fallen. It has fallen so much so that the government has stopped producing yen that is over 100 yen, equivalent the $15 American dollars. A disadvantage to this is people are forgetting what cash looks like, and will give out counterfeits in change. Or even claim that you are paying with counterfeit bills.

This trend is now spreading to nearby countries as they are getting pressure from Chinese tourists. This could also negatively impact tourism to the country. As the apps require a Chinese bank account, which tourists are not going to have. What kind of impact will this cause surrounding countries who are beginning to adapt?


Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/08/china-is-living-the-future-of-mobile-pay-right-now.html

23 Dead After Stampede in India

At least 23 people were killed after a stampede at a train station in Mumbai on September 29th. Due to a unexpected rainstorm, commuters gathered together on a pedestrian bridge to shelter themselves from the rain. According to the new article website, Independent, the stampede started from a misunderstanding of a phrase said by a flower seller after their cart had turned over. Witness told police that people heard, "(the) bridge has fallen" instead of "(the) flowers have fallen". The word for bridge (pul) and flower (phool) may sound similar to people and can easily be misheard in a large crowd. Soon after the shouting, a young girl had slipped on the stairway which may have caused the stampede to start. India is known for their overcrowding in train rides but after this incident, many Indians have voiced their concerns and anger towards the government. Instead of spending money on making new bullet trains, the government should be focusing on fixing the commuting and public train issues.

Sources:

"Mumbai bridge stampede began when commuters tragically misheard cries of flower-seller, probe finds". (2017, October 5). Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/mumbai-bridge-stampede-police-probe-deaths-flower-seller-a7980976.html

"Stampede at Indian train station kills at least 22". (2017, October 5). The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/stampede-at-indian-train-station-kills-at-least-22/2017/09/29/704154c0-a50a-11e7-8c37-e1d99ad6aa22_story.html?utm_term=.728714330c4d 

North Korea Claims U.S. Declares War

According to BBC News, Foreign Minister of North Korea, Ri Yong-ho, has accused President Trump of declaring war against North Korea based on a tweet stating that North Korea (and its leader) “won’t be around much longer”. Mr. Ri has also warned the U.S. that North Korea will shoot down U.S. warplanes after some warplanes flew near North Korea’s coast. In response to what Mr. Ri said, White House spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, denies any declaration of war against North Korea.  Many countries have spoken about their concerns over this saying that they want this feud to end before things get out of hands. 

Source:

North Korea crisis: Washington denies 'war declared'. (2017, September 27). BBC. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41395970

Introduction

Welcome to the Asian Pacific blog!

The main purpose of this blog is to share and inform everyone of news from the Asian Pacific region relating to international business and other current events. Throughout the next few weeks, we will look at countries in the Asian Pacific regions such as China, Malaysia, Australia, Bangladesh, and many more. We hope that the contents we share on here will peak your interest encourage you to do your own about countries in this region.