Rupert Wingfield-Hayes. BBC Asia Correspondent, based in Taipei. Previously Tokyo, Jerusalem, Moscow, Beijing.
Taipei. Taiwan.
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This Congolese man is staring at the severed hand and foot of his 5 year old daughter - punishment for not collecting enough rubber for Belgian King Leopold II. Today people are complaining because a statue of King Leopold has been taken down in Antwerp.
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If you’re worried about eating Japanese seafood because of the water release from Fukushima, then you’d better stop eating seafood from anywhere.
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Thankyou to everyone who has messaged me about my "goodbye" piece to Japan. The response has been truly overwhelming. I'm very gratified so many of you think i got it about right.
bbc.com/news/world-asia-6383…
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This morning I spoke directly to professor Kentaro Iwata - who was on the #diamondprincess yesterday. His testimony is absolutely damning.
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I certainly have not apologised. @SatoMasahisa please withdraw your incorrect statement.
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Noses in the trough. Yesterday it was well connected construction companies wining and dined each other with Tohoku reconstruction funds, today it's the extraordinary (and wasteful) way tax payers money is distributed to companies hit by Covid.
reuters.com/article/us-healt…
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And for those who say this is Japanese government propaganda - take a look at the tritium discharge from La Hague reprocessing facility in northern France in to the English Channel - it is 10 thousand terabequerels annually. 450 times more than Fukushima.
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Japan - the only place in the world using the English phrase “over-shoot”. What does it mean?
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This is remarkable and truly excellent news - and I'll admit - not what I expected, given the very limited social distancing and stay at home messaging (and testing) in Japan. Let's hope the April figures are equally good.
Tokyo has not seen an increase in deaths during the coronavirus outbreak, a sign Japan has been relatively successful in keeping infections under control despite limited testing. japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/0…
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The Qing empire. Taiwan is there. So is all of Mongolia, much of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and a vast swathe of Eastern Russia. But for some reason only Taiwan has become an inalienable part of the Chinese motherland.
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My response to this is that all our camera people in Japan are Japanese. They are an incredibly talented and versatile team who not only film beautiful pictures but also edit them, fly drones, run live positions, all with far fewer resources at hand than big Japanese channels
This is a very interesting thread about the cinematic style of filming used in the widely-shared BBC report on Washima. The BBC's camerawork is very different from the way Asahi TV filmed the same town on the same day:
piped.video/CRGeKt4-Zoo?si=u7Bc…
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For anyone coming to the Rugby World Cup who gets confused by Japanese toilets. Here's a quick guide.
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I don't want to say "I told you so" but this was totally predictable - and the Japanese government appears to have frittered away two months doing nothing to prepare for it.
apnews.com/9140ddd7283d534d8…
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It's taken longer than i hoped to get this finished and approved for publication. But i am very glad this piece is now on our website - this issue needs much more discussion. So many parents and children in Japan are in pain.
bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-5…
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China has 6% primary forest cover. Japan has 20% primary forest cover. china's reforestation program is impressive, but it is from a very low base and is largely plantation.
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worth reading whole thread.
Word is that Trump wants to sign a peace treaty w/ N Korea in Singapore to have a dramatic 'win.' As is predictable by now w/ Trump tho, this is more hype than substance. The NKs have long sought a peace treaty, just as they have a POTUS summit. TRUMP IS GIVING STUFF AWAY, not /1
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Japanese family court re-affirms the unwritten rule - that child abduction in Japan is ok - as long as you are the first one to do it. Very sad day for Vincent - and for his children.
english.kyodonews.net/news/2…
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@SatoMasahisa please correct your statement. I certainly have not apologised.
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10 Hey Jake, my point is not to endorse or condemn what's going on at Fukushima, but to point out the rank hypocrisy of China for hyping the fear around this when it has it's own large nuclear program and is discharging large quantities of radionuclides in to the sea.
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This is happening one and a half years in to a pandemic in one of the richest countries in the world, with one of the most advanced healthcare systems in the world.
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"The Japanese constitution makes it impossible for the government to order a Covid-19 lockdown". So often said and heard, but completely untrue:
japantimes.co.jp/opinion/202…
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This is Takeshita-dori in harajuku this afternoon - extraordinary contrast with the scenes in london, New York and elsewhere.
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There are very, very few people in the BBC i can say, hand on heart, everybody loved. George was at the top of that very short list. He was simply a very decent, generous, lovely man without grandeur or ego, despite being one of the best journalists of his generation
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cameraman inside sipping coffee, nice and dry. Reporter - standing in the bloody rain getting soaked. the glamorous life.
How to safely report a typhoon.
Correspondent @wingcommander1 stands outside.
I stand inside.
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When my editors first asked me to write about Taiwan's micro-chip industry i had no idea the story of how it all began would be so fascinating.
bbc.com/news/world-asia-6721…
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So what does the new "state of emergency" mean for Tokyo? Not a great deal according to my wildly unscientific ramble around Shibuya on my bike today. Certainly not the 70-80 percent drop PM Abe says his measures are supposed to produce - not even close.
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Covering the hualien quake the last few days two things have stood out, the impressive resilience of the built environment (compared to 25 years ago) and the amazing speed of the rescue and recovery effort. Truly impressive
bbc.com/news/world-asia-6873…
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Carrie was the first person to offer me a "proper" job at the BBC, as her producer in China. She has been an inspiration ever since - her deep love for the people and culture of China has shone through her reporting for 30 years. A real loss to the BBC.
#BBC my last day on air. After 33 years, time to do something new. Proud of a few things: told the China story, fought for a fair workplace, gave away the back pay I won, wrote the book. But most of all grateful to audiences and brilliant colleagues. THE BEST. I’ll miss you. X
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I know for people in Taiwan this is old news, but when i came here last year for the first time after Covid, this really caught my attention - Gogoro's electric scooters and their battery swapping network - so I went for a ride.
bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-6…
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The Economist at its cutting best : "If monarchy did not exist, nobody would invent it. It transfers power through a mechanism which promotes congenital defects rather than intelligence. It is sexist, classist, racist." Ouch!
economist.com/international/…
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My latest on why the US is quietly moving to re-arm Taiwan, with a sense of increasingly urgency. FYI - not my headline. 😄
bbc.com/news/world-asia-6728…
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Here is the other story - on Tohoku reconstruction funds. will anything be done about this? will anyone be prosecuted? Will be interesting to see.
asahi.com/ajw/articles/13581…
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The BBC camera people in Japan are all Japanese, they work with fewer resources than Japanese TV stations, and not only do all the filming but also all the editing (not separate jobs in the BBC) it is a testament to their skill and creativity.
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According to some of my detractors, Japan has changed, i just haven't noticed it. Nor too has the lower house of parliament by the look of things.
There’s been a bit of talk lately about what has changed in Japan and what hasn’t. This photo of the Lower House Steering Committee (a pic that will be used in a pamphlet for visitors to the Diet!!!) shows what should have changed but hasn’t. Sigh. #Japan #男女平等 #manel 🇯🇵
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Taiwan has a population of 23.9 million making it the the 57th most populous state on earth. But its journalists are not allowed through the doors of the UN building in New York.
“Taiwan citizens used to be allowed into this building and they’re not allowed now. How did that change?”
I hope journalists continue to ask these questions at the @UN next week because my dad enjoys laughing at these videos with me.
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North Korean cameraman in street outside st Regis Hotel Singapore. Only camera allowed in street
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Incredible. Off the south coast of Ireland.
The mighty fin whale 🐋
The second largest, and the fastest whale on the planet.
I’ve had this shot in my head for 3 years, with the dolphins bow riding in front, so getting this on Wednesday was incredible.
Even more so, it was filmed here in the Celtic Sea. @DJIGlobal
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don't worry it's all under control. those mask are in the mail.
nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/b…
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Congratulations to Yuan Yang on becoming the first every Chinese born candidate to be elected to the British parliament!
Good morning from me, my brother, and Haohao the dog! Today’s the day to vote for change in Earley, Woodley, Shinfield & Whitley 🌹
#DogsAtPollingStations
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My look at Taiwan identity as the island prepares to vote
bbc.com/news/world-asia-6792…
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This doesn't seem too difficult to comprehend. If you ask people to stay at home - but offer them no alternative to financial disaster - they will keep going to work.
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Hello Japanese government - 50% asymptomatic. So not testing is still fine right? - you know exactly how big the epidemic is right?
edition.cnn.com/2020/04/01/e…
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3) In addition - Japan is accepting on site monitoring of this process by the IAEA, on an ongoing basis. Every other country in the world provides data to the IAEA on a voluntary basis, with many sites providing estimates or no data at all - including most of China's facilities.
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A reminder of Vincent's story - and the story of tens of thousands of other parents in Japan, denied the basic human right of contact with their children.
“She’s kidnapped your children... you’re never going to see them again”
Vincent Fichot went on hunger strike after his Japanese wife disappeared from the family home with his two children three years ago
bbc.in/37lH4EQ
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2) The IAEA has set international standards for the release of radionuclides in to the environment. Those include tritium, but also many others, including Carbon14 and Iodine 127 and 129. The release from Fukushima will be far below those maximums.
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Aboard the USS Ronald Reagan in the Sea of Japan - with the Theodore Roosevelt and Nimitz along side.
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Rumours are swirling that Hong Kong government may be about to withdraw the widely hated extradition bill. Watch this space.
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This is exactly what Japan is NOT doing. Since Feb 1st Japan has only tested 16.5K people. A tiny fraction of other countries. Why? Because Japan has a law mandating all those who test positive must be hospitalised - regardless of their condition.
"We have a simple message for all countries:
test
test
test.
Test every suspected #COVID19 case.
If they test positive, isolate them & find out who they have been in close contact with up to 2 days before they developed symptoms & test those people too"-@DrTedros #coronavirus
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two years on still one of the best moments in live tv broadcasting.
Two years sinece political scientist and professor @Robert_E_Kelly and his daughter Mina walked into our lives like
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The Japanese government bungled the quarantining of the Diamond Princess. Now, is it doing the same with the spread of the virus across the rest of Japan? Why is it not testing more people?
nytimes.com/2020/02/29/world…
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President Trump is questioned by an (Australian) journalist who hasn't been inducted in to the "respect the office of the president and don't ask even vaguely probing questions" school of American TV journalism.
piped.video/watch?time_conti…
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Going through some of my dad's old stuff and found this 50 year old edition of the Times. Think I might frame it.
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One of the best things about the BBC is that it has people like @BBCCarrie who really know their s....t. Unfortunately an encyclopaedic knowledge of China and fluent mandarin, plus being one of the best interviewers anywhere is not enough to get paid the same as male colleagues.
The BBC’s superb China editor steps down over equal pay after discovering she is paid 50% less than male counterparts @bbccarrie #istandwithcarrie bbc.com/news/uk-42598775
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Kim Jong-Un's personal aircraft is an Ilyushin 62M. It may be old, but it is a solid bit of Soviet engineering, and can fly 10,000km un-refuelled. That means it can easily reach Singapore. Stockholm and Geneva are also (just about) within reach.
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Perhaps it is being fed by the government's messaging and media - which repeatedly portrays the danger to Japan as coming from "outside". But the athletes at the olympics pose a tiny danger compared to the natural spread of Delta variant in an unvaccinagted population.
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NHK has woken up to the discrimination inflicted on Japan's hundreds of thousands of long term foreign residents by the coronavirus travel ban. Surely this could be solved by testing and a 14 day compulsory quarantine as Hong Kong is doing.
nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/b…
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2/2 One young father who was there with his wife and baby summed up the thinking: "the governnent is taking measures to keep the athletes seperate from Japanese people, so i feel completely safe". This deeply flawed logic seems to pervade much of Tokyo now.
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Thanks for reading, but please don't draw the conclusion there's no future there. i love japan very much and think it has huge potential. But without substantial change in the way the economy and politics runs, that potential will remain unrealized.
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For those who doubted the claims of parents made in our recent tv story on child abdcutions in Japan - here is a much longer newspaper piece - with many additional details
smh.com.au/world/asia/their-…
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In The Washington Post - a no holes barred assault on the Tokyo Olympics.
washingtonpost.com/sports/20…
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Autumn is the best season in Japan by far, and JR East has just announced it is offering all foreigners in Japan (resident or non) 3 day unlimited shinkansen passes for just 12,000 Yen. Woopie! Seeya!
japantoday.com/category/feat…
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How can so many foreign acts be headlining an event In Tokyo in September while the government is refusing long term residents the right to return to their homes and families and jobs here?
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In the age of Xi it seems even the most sophisticated Chinese officials feel they have show their loyalty by peddling this sort of misinformation. But it does feel rather self defeating.
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My very rough take: Taiwan has a ruling party (DPP) which many voters are unhappy with. An opposition party (KMT) whose founding ideology is no longer relevant, but is yet to find a new one. And an insurgent party (TPP) that appeals to those who are tired of both, especially DPP.
During the open discussion held in front of media cameras, New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih of #KMT and Taiwan People's Party Chairman Ko Wen-je, blamed each other for the failure to decide the order of a joint presidential ticket. #TaiwanElection
focustaiwan.tw/politics/2023…
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Amazing day in Hong Kong today - huge crowds (not 2 million but still extraordinary) here is our piece about what happened
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1/2 I was not inside the stadium last night, i was outside on the streets, in Shinjuku Gyeon, Harajuku and at the rings. There were huge crowds of good natured people enjoying the evening, taking selfies. But they seemed to be displaying a profound cognitive dissonance.
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This is a really important conversation that Japan needs to start having. There is a deafening silence over sexual violence and harassment towards women in this country.
metropolisjapan.com/japan-sa…
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Don’t worry - the only people targeted by This new law are all 7.5 billion of you.
Can foreigners be charged under #NationalSecurityLaw for #HongKong?
CGTN's @chen1126 takes a closer look at the matter. #ChinaInfluencer
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The last state of emergency in Japan ended on March 24th. The virus immediately came surging back and less than a month later we're in another state of emergency - but only for two weeks - until the IOC chief arrives. Is this a strategy or magical thinking?
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The Long Goodbye. my take on the royal abdication taking place later today:
bbc.com/news/world-asia-4809…
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This is the piece we shot at the end of last week with the Dr Kazuma Tashiro and his remarkable and dedicated team, who are really keeping people alive who can't get in to hospital.
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What's it like to ride with the US Air Force as they practice dog-fighting over South Korea? See it today on @BBCWorldNews.
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this series by @motokorich and @nytimes is full of wonderful tidbits and historical anecdotes. Well worth reading all of them.
nytimes.com/2019/04/29/world…
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Does this remind you of anywhere else? This is the graph for confirmed infections in Tokyo - sadly it suggests things are about to get much worse.
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For those who think TV journalism is glamorous, here is the great @BowenBBC showing how to use the old "hotel bath towel and pillow" technique.
More glamour of life in journalism. Voicing my script tonight in an echoey hotel room in a studio built by @cswift2 #livingthedream #livingmybestlife
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Japan and the USA solidly at the back of the field when it comes to testing for Coronavirus. Why? These are both rich countries with modern health care systems. what do the governments in Tokyo and Washington not want to find out?
The number of #coronavirus tests per capita in #SouthKorea is simply phenomenal. Sure, it will look like you have more cases this way. But this is about public health and transparency. People have the right to know if they have the virus and act accordingly.
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The British government is finally reacting to what is going on in Xinjiang. One has to ask what took it so long? @TheJohnSudworth @ProducerKathy and our team in Beijing have been reporting on the gross human rights abuses against Uighurs for two years.
bbc.com/news/uk-politics-534…
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this tweet is deliberately provocative. But it does beg the question - what are the PRC's territorial claims really based on? because any dispassionate look at them shows they are highly selective.
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Japanese government advice - don't do these things. I see people doing all of these all around me in Tokyo every day. Parks are full of cherry blossom parties, pubs, cafes and restaurants full. nightclubs are still open for goodness sake! and as Jake says: the Tokyo subway.
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I should be in Hanoi - but it seems someone in Pyongyang didn't want me there, and Vietnam obliged. Very sad to be missing part 3 of this Korean drama - but I am sure that @BBCLBicker @pakhead @BBCJonSopel and the rest of the BBC team will keep you all adequately informed ;)
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