People wear masks to prevent the COVID-19 epidemic in Osaka, Japan. Photo: Kyodo/VNA Accordingly, commercial centers are allowed to fully operate on weekdays, but the opening hours are shorter and still have to maintain restrictive measures on weekends, only opening restaurants or shops. areas selling daily necessities. In Tokyo and Osaka, all shopping centers of Isetan Mitsukoshi Company and H2O Retail Group fully reopened on June 1. The Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka has also reopened for the first time since it was closed on April 25. 2 hours before the park opened, a long line of people waited in front of the gate. As planned, the park is only open on weekdays and continues to be closed on weekends. Park officials estimate the number of visitors to the park can be up to 5,000 each day and have installed partitions between dining tables at the park’s restaurant. In addition, park staff will also suggest that visitors leave the park at different times to avoid crowding. On the same day, Japan also decided to cancel a football friendly match against Jamaica after 10 players of the Jamaican team could not board the plane due to problems related to testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. According to the Japan Football Association (JFA), only half of the players in the Jamaican football team were allowed to board the plane, while 10 players were unable to board the plane due to problems with testing measures for the SARS virus. -CoV-2. The JFA did not give details, but according to Jamaica’s Gleaner newspaper, the country’s players currently playing in England did not have PCR test results – which is one of the requirements for entry to Japan. Copy. Meanwhile, according to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Tel Aviv, on June 1, Israel lifted all social restriction measures after more than a year of application, because the COVID-19 epidemic situation had decreased to near the average level. often. Accordingly, Israelis no longer have to present a “green card” certifying that they have been vaccinated or have immunity when setting foot in crowded places in enclosed spaces such as restaurants and bars; agencies and offices are no longer limited to the number of employees present at the same time; Crowded events, both indoor and outdoor, are no longer limited to the number of participants. Currently, only a few regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control remain in effect, including the mandatory wearing of masks in enclosed spaces and mandatory isolation for those entering the country. However, Israeli authorities are considering lifting the mask wearing rule in the next few days. The regulation of wearing masks when outdoors has been lifted since mid-April. After the intensive vaccination campaign, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Israel has decreased rapidly, currently only 4-5 cases / day, compared to the peak of over 10,000 cases / day. The number of cases being treated also decreased to 350 cases. Israel has completed vaccination against COVID-19 for over 70% of eligible subjects and is planning to vaccinate children 12-15 years old.

People in Tokyo, Japan, May 7, 2021. Photo: THX/VNA Faced with the fact that many businesses operating in the above fields have complained about the serious effects of having to close partially or completely when the current state of emergency was imposed at the end of April, last week, The government of Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has issued new guidelines aimed at balancing controlling the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and reviving the already ravaged economy. Accordingly, commercial centers are allowed to fully operate on weekdays, but the opening hours are shorter and still have to maintain restrictive measures on weekends, only opening restaurants or shops. areas selling daily necessities. In Tokyo and Osaka, all shopping centers of Isetan Mitsukoshi Company and H2O Retail Group fully reopened on June 1. The Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka has also reopened for the first time since it was closed on April 25. 2 hours before the park opened, a long line of people waited in front of the gate. As planned, the park is only open on weekdays and continues to be closed on weekends. Park officials estimate the number of visitors to the park can be up to 5,000 each day and have installed partitions between dining tables at the park’s restaurant. In addition, park staff will also suggest that visitors leave the park at different times to avoid crowding. On the same day, Japan also decided to cancel a football friendly match against Jamaica after 10 players of the Jamaican team could not board the plane due to problems related to testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. According to the Japan Football Association (JFA), only half of the players in the Jamaican football team were allowed to board the plane, while 10 players were unable to board the plane due to problems with testing measures for the SARS virus. -CoV-2. The JFA did not give details, but according to Jamaica’s Gleaner newspaper, the country’s players currently playing in England did not have PCR test results – which is one of the requirements for entry to Japan. Copy./.

On June 15, the Department of Health of Ninh Binh province deployed the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination including 14,330 doses for priority subjects according to Resolution No. 21 of the Government; of which there are more than 8,000 doses for the 1st injection, the remaining more than 7,000 doses are for the 2nd injection cases when they are eligible for injection 8-12 weeks apart. The second phase of COVID-19 vaccination at the Children’s Hospital of Ninh Binh province. Photo: Hai Yen/VNA. Dong Thap province deployed Astra Zeneca vaccine for the 3rd phase of COVID-19 disease, with 30,000 doses allocated from the Ministry of Health, of which 27,000 doses are expected to be injected in the first dose and 3,000 doses in the second injection. prescribed in accordance with Resolution 21/NQ-CP of the Government, including: Subjects who are absent or delayed in injection in the 2nd round; frontline force for epidemic prevention and control; essential service providers; Teachers and administrative units often come into contact with many people. Master Tran Van Hai – Director of the Center for Disease Control of Dong Thap province said that this activity was carried out urgently and earlier than the original plan from July 5. Dong Nai province will use 17,450 doses to inject the second dose for more than 20,000 people. The remaining 11,450 doses will be administered to about 13,500 people in priority groups. The duration of the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination in the province is expected to last from June 12 to June 30. Vaccination sites at 170 health stations in communes, wards and towns… COVID-19 vaccine fund received VND 5,126 billion According to the Management Board of the COVID-19 Vaccine Fund, as of 5pm on June 15, the fund has received 5,126 billion VND (including foreign currency conversion) with a total of 306,791 organizations and individuals contributed. Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phuc said that the COVID-19 vaccine fund operates not for profit, uses capital for the right purposes and in accordance with the provisions of the law, ensuring publicity and transparency. Economical, efficient. The Fund is subject to the inspection, inspection and audit of financial activities by state management agencies in charge of finance and State Audit; supervision of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the community. According to the Ministry of Finance, to vaccinate 75 million people, about 25,200 billion VND is needed; in which the budget has already prepared more than 14,000 billion VND and needs about 11,000 billion VND more. Japan will provide 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam On June 15, Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi announced that the country would directly and freely provide 1 million doses of a domestically produced COVID-19 vaccine under license from AstraZeneca Plc. (UK) for Vietnam. Speaking at a regular press conference in Tokyo, Minister Motegi said that Japan has received requests for vaccine support from many countries and regions. According to Motegi, Japan made the decision to grant a COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam based on a comprehensive review of the epidemic situation in Vietnam, the shortage of vaccines and the relationship between Vietnam and Japan. Minister Motegi said the above batch of COVID-19 vaccine will be shipped from Japan to Vietnam on June 16. Earlier, on June 2, Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide announced that Japan would provide 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to other countries. In addition to providing vaccines, Japan also plans to help developing countries build cold storage chains, allowing the transport and storage of vaccines at low temperatures. On the afternoon of June 15, Vietnam had 213 new cases of COVID-19 On June 15, Vietnam recorded 402 new cases. As of 6pm on June 15, Vietnam had a total of 9,566 domestic cases and 1,646 imported cases. Number of new cases from April 27 to now: 7,996 cases, of which 1,765 patients have been announced to be cured. Screening test for people with COVID-19. Photo: VNA. There are 23 provinces (Yen Bai, Quang Ngai, Dong Nai, Quang Ninh, Quang Nam, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Nam Dinh, Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang, Son La, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Thai Nguyen, Hung Yen, Hai Phong, Tay Ninh, Gia Lai, Bac Lieu, Dien Bien, Dak Lak, Dong Thap, Tra Vinh) have not recorded new cases for 14 days. The number of tests from April 29, 2021 to now, has done 2,171,076 samples for 4,818,269 turns of people. Currently, the number of negative cases for SARS-CoV-2 is 497. To date, Vietnam has recorded 61 deaths related to COVID-19. The number of cured cases is 4,543 cases.

People wait to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in Tokyo, Japan on May 24, 2021. Photo: AFP/VNA According to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Tokyo, speaking at a press conference after announcing the extension of the state of emergency for nine provinces on May 28, Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide emphasized his determination to deploy COVID-19 vaccine vaccination for people under 65 years of age, including those with underlying medical conditions, starting at the end of next month. Regarding vaccine supply, Prime Minister Suga affirmed that the government will ensure the necessary amount of vaccine for the vaccination campaign with 100 million doses expected to arrive in Japan by the end of June and another 100 million doses to be added. September. The specific vaccination time of each locality will be decided on the basis of the positive results of vaccination for people over 65 years old, and the location can also be expanded to implement in the workplace. jobs or universities. Prime Minister Suga said the Japanese government will do its best to soon return to normal life for the people with efforts to speed up the pace of COVID-19 vaccination. Currently, the vaccination rate is around 400,000-500,000 times/day, but from June it will be increased to 1 million times/day. Japan started the COVID-19 vaccine vaccination campaign in February, basically giving enough shots for medical staff who are the frontline force against the epidemic. With the operation of two large-scale vaccination centers in Tokyo and Osaka from May 24, as well as positive results from the negotiation to buy vaccines, the Japanese government is expected to be able to vaccinate the entire population. the entire population from the end of June, 1 month earlier than originally planned. In addition, children will also be included in vaccination after the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has licensed Pfizer’s vaccine to expand the vaccination age from 12-15 years old. . Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical company Modena has also submitted clinical data to the MHLW and may be approved for injections in subjects 12 years of age and older next month.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide speaks at the National Assembly. (Photo: Kyodo) Congress Japan on May 12 passed a law that will create a new government agency next September, with the function of promoting digital apps . The new agency will have about 500 people, of which 120 include information technology engineers. Under the new law, the government will remove personal seals (also known as hanko) from official documents and allow the use of digital data instead of paper documents. Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide’s government hopes that with this agency, Japan will increase the application of digital at central and local agencies to improve service quality. Under the new law, Japan will upgrade computer systems at central and local agencies, and enact a nationwide general law to protect personal information. Increased exchange of personal information can cause data leaks and other risks, so the digital application law will also provide privacy protections. Prime Minister Suga’s government has given high priority to digital reform as Japan seeks to strengthen administrative reform through the use of information technology.

On April 23, Japan declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and three western provinces, in the context of the country facing a wave of epidemics. COVID-19 when only 3 months from the Olympics Olympic will take place. Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said that an emergency will be in place in Tokyo and Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo prefectures. According to Economic Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, the state of emergency will last from April 25 to May 11. In particular, restaurants, bars, karaoke bars serving alcoholic beverages will have to close, while sporting events will take place without audience. Violations will be sanctioned according to the new rules. Department stores, movie theaters and other businesses over 1,000 square meters will also close, while offices and businesses have to make it easier for employees to work from home. Even so, schools continued to open. According to Minister Nishimura, Japanese officials want people to limit travel as much as possible, so it needs strong, concentrated and short-term restrictions. Execution wave state of emergency this time affects nearly a quarter of the Japanese population and will last through “Golden Week” (29 / 4-5 / 5). Therefore, the tourism industry and the service business are expected to suffer a lot. Meanwhile, the Mayor Tokyo Yuriko Koike said authorities would recommend that shops and buildings turn off signs and advertising lights at night to let the city “fall into the dark”, thereby making residents less likely to go out into the street . Besides, Ms. Koike also suggested people who do not live in Tokyo should not come to this city if possible./. People in the Japanese capital Tokyo. (Photo: AFP / VNA)

Foreign Ministry spokesman Trieu Lap Kien.

“The oceans are not Japan’s trash, the Pacific is not Japan’s sewage trench. The world does not have to pay the price for Japan’s discharge of radioactive water. On some Japanese officials say,” “Nothing will happen even if you drink this”, please drink first, then we will talk, “Foreign Ministry spokesman Trieu Lap Kien said at a press conference on the 14th. / 4.

“We call on the Japanese side to be aware of their responsibilities, to adhere to a scientific approach, to fulfill international obligations and to take into account the serious concerns of the world community and neighboring countries. and the people of our own country, “added the Chinese diplomatic representative.

Earlier, on April 13, the Japanese government announced a plan to discharge more than 1 million tons of radioactive contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific.

According to the roadmap, the discharge will begin in about two years, and the entire process is expected to take decades.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that the decision to release polluted water into the Pacific was the “most realistic” and “inevitable” option to achieve the recovery of Fukushima “.

Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso affirmed that this water source has been treated, diluted, will be very safe, drinkable, and said that Japan should discharge water sooner.

About 1.25 million tons of water has accumulated in the area of ​​the Fukushima nuclear plant after the tsunami hit in 2011.

The amount of radioactive water is increasing by about 140 tons per day, is currently stored in more than 1,000 tanks and is expected to run out of storage space by next fall.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other third parties will be involved in the plan, ensuring the discharge of treated wastewater in Fukushima into the sea is carried out. transparent way.

In a recent statement, the IAEA confirmed to support this decision, because radioactive elements, except tritium, will be removed from the water or reduced to a safe level before being discharged. The IAEA has also shown that nuclear plants around the world use a similar process to treat wastewater.

However, Japan’s discharge has met with opposition from fishing communities in this country as well as concerns from neighboring countries such as China and South Korea.

South Korea expressed “serious concern” that the Japanese decision would have a direct and indirect impact on the safety of its people and the surrounding marine environment.

South Korea urged Japan to provide more information on its wastewater discharge and said it would measure and monitor the radiation itself.

The above comments of Mr. Konstantin Roginsky, deputy director of the Institute of Oceanography of the Russian Academy of Sciences shared with the media on April 13.

“The amount of wastewater announced by the Japanese side is a small amount. This is a drop of water in the ocean. Even in the worst case, if the wastewater is poorly treated, this heavy water will sink to the bottom and lie at a depth of 5-6-8 km, ”said Mr. Roginsky.

The waste water is planned to be discharged into the ocean, not posing a threat to the ecosystem of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, because the currents in that area go from north to south in the direction of the Russian scientist. Japan”.

The wastewater discharge will begin in about two years and the entire process is expected to take decades. (Image: Reuters)

According to Roginsky, the discharge of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant does not pose a threat to the Sea of ​​Japan, which is separated from the Pacific by islands of Japan. “US naval bases are much more harmful to Japan’s coastal fisheries,” added Roginsky.

“About 1.5 million tons of wastewater will be dumped into the ocean. Accordingly, the water is diluted, losing its natural salinity. This can be more harmful to marine organisms than it is with poor radiation release. They are used to living at a certain salinity, at a certain depth, in a certain chemical composition of water, ”explained the Russian expert.

Also commenting on the contemporary Japanese announcement of the discharge of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the expert of the Federal Council on Agricultural Policy – Food and Environmental Management, Ms. Natalia Sokolova undertook that if the wastewater is properly purified, there will be no radioactive threat to Russia.

“Right now, the amount of liquid accumulated is very large. Most of it is regular water. If purified from all harmful impurities, including tritium, the wastewater can be safely discharged into the oceans, as well as the coastal waters of other countries will not be affected. “, Ms. Sokolova shared with Sputnik.

According to the ecologist, discharging water from nuclear power plants is a common process for operating plants. But Fukushima is an emergency, so it is not known whether or not an operation will be able to proceed. It will become clear by 2023 whether wastewater can be filtered to the required parameters.

“Rigorous laboratory analyzes should be performed during the entire wastewater purification process. Two years prior to discharge is called approximate figure. I am sure that the Japanese government will make a decision on the outcome of the wastewater purification process. So far, these are just plans and the reality is that not all wastewater can be 100% purified ”, believes Ms. Sokolova.

Japan insists it is safe to discharge water from the plant as it has been treated to remove most of the radioactive elements and will be diluted. (Image: Reuters)

Meanwhile, Dmitry Lisitsyn, President of the Far East (Russia) environmental protection organization, said that the discharge of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan would lead to radioactive pollution. was brought to the heart of the North Pacific, where Pacific salmon are inhabited.

“The Fukushima nuclear power plant is located on the Pacific coast of Honshu Island. When radioactive pollution enters the Pacific off the coast of Honshu, they are quickly transported to the northeast by the Kuroshio currents, then into the North Pacific stream. All polluted wastewater is sent directly to the North Pacific. How does this threaten Russia? The fish forage in the North Pacific, then infiltrate the Russian table and there will be more before the polluted wastewater completely disappears, “RIA quoted Mr. Lisitsyn.

Lisitsyn noted six Pacific salmon species live in the Far East. They spawn in rivers, feed and grow in the ocean. Specifically in the central region of the North Pacific. This is exactly the site where this pollution was done.

What does the IAEA say?

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi, welcomed the decision of the Japanese Government to discharge wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea and promised that the organization would assistance to avoid negative consequences.

“I welcome Japan’s announcement of how they will treat wastewater stored at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The IAEA will work with Japan before, during and after discharge to help ensure this is done without negatively affecting health and the environment, ”wrote Grossi on Twitter.

According to Mr. Grossi, the controlled discharge of water into the sea is regularly used by nuclear power plants operating in the world and in the region, they comply with strict environmental safety standards and regulations. .

The start of wastewater discharge is expected to be around 2023. At the current rate of storage in reservoirs, all available reservoirs will be filled by the end of 2022.

Earlier, speaking at a press conference on April 13, Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide announced that it would discharge more than 1 million tons of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, saying that the discharge of water into Thai waters Binh Duong was the “most realistic” and “inevitable” option to achieve the recovery of Fukushima.

To be sure, the two leaders will also discuss how to deal with a rising China, North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs, climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Narrow a large cognitive gap

For now, the Biden administration will put an emphasis on promoting cooperation with allies, including Japan, and this is warmly welcomed by America’s allies. .

However, as China continues to rise and the US is urging its allies to assume greater responsibility in international affairs, there is a danger of a large gap between the US and Japan. awareness.

Although Japan is very concerned about China’s behavior, in recent years Tokyo has maintained a cooperative rather than an adversarial approach.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide (left) and US President Joe Biden (right) will discuss many ‘hot’ issues. (Source: AP)

In October 2018, former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo visited Beijing, and Japan signed memoranda of understanding with China on more than 50 joint projects related to infrastructure construction in third countries. .

Chinese President Xi Jinping was scheduled to make a state visit to Japan in April 2020, but the tour was subsequently postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under Prime Minister Suga, figures of “doves” and “hawks” toward China in Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) often fought for influence.

The hawks have sought ways to postpone Xi Jinping’s state visit when it comes to Xinjiang and Hong Kong issues. LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai, a supporter of Prime Minister Suga, opposed the delay, but the visit is not expected to take place in 2021.

Although Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi urged China to resolve the Xinjiang issue, Tokyo still shied away from imposing economic sanctions on its neighbor because of its lack of legal frameworks. like that.

Therefore, the US should prepare mentally that Japan will adopt a more moderate approach towards China. Japan will certainly continue to strengthen the role and mission of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) within the framework of the Peace Constitution and the US-Japan alliance.

At the same time, Japan will also seek a clear commitment from the United States to avert Chinese military provocations, especially around the Senkaku Islands (which China also claims and calls for). Diaoyu) after China passed a new Customs Law last month, granting China’s coast guard the right to use weapons.

Analysts say the US will certainly be disappointed if it wants Japan to take significantly more aggressive military action against China. Although Japan passed a security law in 2015 that allowed the SDF to engage in limited collective defense activities, constitutional restrictions essentially forbid Japan from using force for purposes of does not involve defense.

Furthermore, the Japanese public still supports Article 9 – the peace clause – in the Rape and has little desire for the SDF to engage in combat missions that pose a risk of casualties.

Get cooperation back on track

About North Korea, both leaders advocated adopting a tough approach. Unlike his predecessor, Donald Trump, Mr. Biden is not too close to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Mr. Suga will be anxious to express his tough stance towards North Korea in the face of domestic public opinion when asking for US assistance to repatriate Japanese citizens previously kidnapped by North Korea.

President Biden had to find a way to reassure the US-Japan-Korea trilateral partnership that Trump has ignored. The key bottleneck here, however, remains tensions between Japan and South Korea over forced labor – issues that have engulfed the enthusiasm of cooperation between the two countries even though they share a common desire to curb the chapter. North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

Addressing climate change and fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic will be a “fertile ground” for the US-Japan to promote cooperation.

Regarding climate change, President Biden quickly brought the US back to the Paris Agreement and is scheduled to hold a climate summit with 40 world leaders from April 22-23.

Prime Minister Suga pledged that Japan will reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050.

Since the financial institutions of the US and Japan lead the world in supporting the use of coal, under the leadership of these two countries, it is likely that the world will be promoted to transform energy, without using fuel. fossils that turn to renewable energy could eventually forge clean energy partnerships.

With regard to Covid-19, Since Japan and the US have a long history of cooperation in international health, the lack of cooperation between the two countries in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic is surprising. A lot of people fear that the Tokyo Olympics will turn into a super infectious event this pandemic.

More communication against Covid-19 did not yield much results. This includes Japan’s use of a supercomputer in an AI-based Covid-19 study, American doctors’ experience in treating Covid-19 patients, and the logistics of government vaccination. Mr. Biden.

Japan and the US could also support more multilateral efforts, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the EU-operated Covid Tool Access Accelerator, to help stop the spread of spread globally and vaccinate people around the world before the emergence of resistant mutations.

The US-Japan summit provides an important opportunity to get bilateral cooperation back on track. However, to best strengthen cooperation and close the perception gap, these two allies should not shy away from discussions regarding thorny issues.

(according to EastAsia Forum)