\s tension at sea. japan's defense minister says chinese navy crews locked their radar on a japanese destroyer on international waters. welcome to nhk world "newsline." japanese government officials have launched a protest with chinese authorities over a potentially dangerous incident at sea. they say crews on a frigate locked their weapons radar on a japan self-defense force destroyer. they say it happened in the east china sea near islands both

countries claim. >> translator: using this kind of radar, known as weapons radar, is an extremely unusual act. the japanese government believes that the situation could have become extremely dangerous. >> the defense minister revealed the incident happened on the morning on january 30th. the vessels were about three kilometers apart. he also says government analysts are investigating a separate incident from earlier in january. they suspect a chinese navy frigate locked its weapons radar on a self-defense force helicopter. japan and china have been locked in a dispute over the senkaku islands. the territory is in a area potentially rich in natural resources. japan controls the islands, china and taiwan claim them. the japanese government nationalized the islands last september. chinese surveillance ships have

been navigating in and out of japanese waters near the territory ever since. the disagreement has affected diplomatic relations and trade. the foreign minister is condemning the recent action in the east china sea. >> translator: we have lodged a protest through diplomatic channels, both in tokyo and beijing. >> he says chinese government officials told his ministry they're trying to confirm what actually took place. he says japan will urge china's leaders to prevent this kind of incident from happening again. security analysts are trying to figure out the consequences of what happened out at sea. earlier i spoke with bonji ohara, a former navy captain with japan's self defenses force. so, how serious do you consider this incident? >> yes, it irious act because using radar, which can control the weapon, means they will attack, intentional attack these ships.

usually the naval ships have two types of radars. >> okay. >> generally one is for navigation, or searching target. another is the fd radar used for controlling the weapons. this time the chinese ship used this radar pointed to japanese ships on the helicopter. >> fc radar means fire-controlled radar? >> yes. >> why would crews on a chinese frigate train their weapons radar, especially fc radar, on a sdf destroyer? >> i think the -- there are two possible scenarios. >> okay. one is the chinese side just wanted to provoke japanese ships. another is the chinese ship perceived the japanese action was danger, so they wanted to

warn japanese ship, wanted to stop the japanese ship's action. but in both scenario there is perception gap. this is the problem, i think, because if chinese side just wanted to provoke japanese, chinese side didn't recognize using fc radar was not serious, but japanese side feel very serious, big deal. another scenario, the japanese side recognize they were keeping the distance, safe distance. >> yes. >> but if chinese side feel that was danger, so they wanted to warn there was a perception gap too. i think this perception gap is

the most important thing in this issue. >> what needs to be done to diffuse this situation? >> i think the -- both japanese and china has to have activity to understand each other. or else similar kind of issues will occur even in future. >> what kind of activity are you talking about? joint naval exercises or -- >> i think difficult to conduct exercise now, but both sides have to keep discussing and also the personal exchanging and have to discuss with each other face to face. they have to see the operation on the ships so they can understand the perception of each other. >> talking to us earlier.

bonji ohara, former captain with japan's maritime self-defense force. weather authorities in china say the smoggy, polluted air is having a clear impact on people's health. 40% more people than usual are suffering from respiratory diseases, particularly children. data recorded from last month has been released. they say a thick fog containing hazardous substances, observed for 14 days in beijing. lingered for 23 days in the coastal province of gzangzhou. that's the longest time since records began in 1961. weak winds have let pollution from vehicles and factories concentrate. serious air pollution has affected 600 million people or half the country's population. scientists in japan have

been monitoring the smog. they are concerned it could blow over to their country. they haven't found anything too far out of the ordinary. but people in towns are raising their guard. here is our report. >> reporter: residents of fukoga in western japan are becoming more and more worried of china's fog. it about 890 kilometers from shanghai. scientists say wind could bring fine particulate matter called pm 2.5. officials in the city show particulate higher than average readings. the highest reading was 1 1/2 times above the government standard.

>> reporter: officials are stepping up their pollution monitoring efforts. they have set up measurements at ten sites and will post the latest readings to the government's website. officials in fukoga city are going one step farther and will offer pollution forecasts. they already have six measuring pots and they plan to set up three more. the people in charge say they will notify residents by e-mail if it looks like the density of pollutants will exceed national standard. >> translator: forecasting is quite important to limit effects. we can advise residents to wear masks. and take other preventive measures.

>> reporter: it's not just people in western japan who are worried. residents in other areas also say they are concerned. computer models suggest china's smog could affect a wide region. this simulation shows how pollutants could spread across japan, as well as the korean peninsula and other parts of asia. japan's environment ministry has begun publishing pollution readings from various points around the country. but traffic to the site is high, and people are having a hard time accessing the data. experts say it's unlikely that china's pollution will cause serious problems for people in other countries. they advise people with as in and other respiratory conditions to stay indoors when particle readings are high. chiaki ishikawa, nhk world. not everybody in china is

able to air their opinions. protesters are demanding freedom of speech. the dispute between government officials and journalists triggered the rallies. protesters said sensors told editors of a newspaper to write a new year's editorial. authorities promised to back away from censorship but the protesters say they're not satisfied. we have the story. >> reporter: the communist party wields a heavy hand over chinese media. what made the protesters protest? we interviewed a man with inside information. he used to be a leader at nanfang zhoumo and has access to the publisher. he says that the editorial department changed after there was a new appointment of a

propaganda speech. >> translator: journalists have to submit all their stories to the propaganda department. the journalists are told what to do and what not to do. all reports are subject to censorship. when i drop into the editorial department, many confide their grievances to me. >> reporter: protesters have been in front of the newspaper's office for four days. many are young and criticize government control over the news and the political system. among them was this 24-year-old man.

li comes from a farming village about two hours from guangzhou. he became interested in western democracy while attending university. often he accesses foreign media websites. li took part in protests, hoping for reform of china's media. >> translator: free exchange of opinions doesn't mean bringing down a particular person. i want to make china an equal society where people are free to have diverse opinions. >> reporter: reports say the chinese authorities promise to stop the censorship to rein in the protests. on january 18th, before lunar new year's day, journalists of nanfang zhoumo got together.

they looked back on the past year. during those 12 months, authorities made sure more than a thousand articles never made it to print. awards for good reporting were handed out, but on the issues of censorship, the highest-ranked editors was silent. now nanfang zhoumo's reporters cannot comment about their job on websites going public places. >> translator: everybody feels a lot of pressure. it will be settled shortly but i can't say anything now. >> reporter: despite the restrictions, a reporter agreed to be interviewed incognito. >> translator: most reporters are dissatisfied with the outcome, but as long as we work with the chinese media, we have to accept restrictions. some journalists in the chinese media may believe in complete

freedom of speech with no government interference, but those people would lose their jobs. that is the reality. >> reporter: more chinese citizens, including young people in particular, are having doubts about their country's government-controlled media. there is a growing demand for more freedom in journalism. under the new leadership by xi jinping, the chinese authorities would see more clashes with media. populous, prosperous, pushing ahead. china's rise brought it wealth, power and problems. an income gap divides its people. pollution threatens their health and disputed seas strain relations with its neighbors. find out of the challenges china faces. on "newsline." transportation officials may

be getting closer to figuring out what caused a boeing 787 dreamliner to make an emergency landing in western japan last month. they say the main battery shows signs of uncontrolled thermal reaction called thermal runaway. officials with the transport safety board conducted an examination of the battery. they say all eight of its lithium ion cells were damaged by extreme heat. some aluminum and copper parts had melted. lithium ion batteries contain flammable liquid that allows them to store more electricity. experts say batteries have devices to prevent overcharging. investigators will continue to examine the battery and the plane's electrical system to determine what triggered the thermal runaway. faa authorities ordered bowing to stop flying 787s last month, but company officials asked for permission to conduct test flights to investigate the battery problems. bank of japan governor

masaaki shirakawa is stepping down sooner than anticipated. he visited the prime minister and later told reporters he informed the prime minister of his decision to resign march 19th. the boj's chief term is scheduled to end april 8th. shirakawa will resign with two governors. >> translator: i conveyed my intention to resign to the prime minister. i told him i want to step down early because the two boj deputy governors are leaving office on march 19th. our simultaneous resignations will open the way for the central bank to start with a clean slate on the same day. >> shirakawa became governor in 2008. he's been working to defeat deflation with a string of monetary easing measures. in response to abe's demand, the boj issued a joint statement with the government last month, setting an inflation target of 2%.

the yen's decline is proving to be a boom for toyota maker. they will post the first operating profit in five years due to the currency's weakness. they revised upward. they say they're expecting a profit of about $1.6 billion, that's quite a clafrpg frhange w months ago. november, they predicted a loss of more than $200 llion. managers say the weakening the yen since mid november will improve export margins and push up profit by $1.5 billion. they note that cost cutting efforts at factories have also been a help. managers have raised the profit outlook for the toyota group by 9.5% in yen terms to more than $12 billion. this includes revenue from overseas operations. they're now more confident that company will be able to maintain the domestic production target

of three million vehicles if the yen stays at current levels. an islamic leader in bangladesh has been sentenced to life in prison for atrocities dating 40 years. we have the story from bangkok. >> abdul mullah is the leader of the main islamic party. a war crimes tribunal handed him a life sentence on tuesday, prompting violence on the streets of dakar. abdul was guilty of atrocities committed during the war of independence with pakistan in 1971. jamar e-islami is suspected of massacres in the conflict that left 3 million dead. supporter of the party have reacted with anger and a nationwide strike will be extended through wednesday. shops and schools closed and traffic was at a standstill. home made bombs were set off and some clashed with police.

the government established the war crimes tribunal in 2010. jamar e-islami was a key player in the former government. they say the crimes are politically motivated. a pakistani girl shot for advocating women's rights and education has released a video thanking people for their support. she recorded the message before undergoing another operation at a hospital in the united kingdom. >> i'm getting better day by day. it's because of the prayers of people, and because of these prayers, and because of these prayers, god has given me this new life. >> malala shot in the head by the pakistani taliban as she left school last october. the 15-year-old was critically wounded and flown to britain for treatment. malala discharged last month, but on saturday, back in the

hospital for another five-hour operation. doctors reconstructed the left side of her skull, with a metal plate. they also inserted a small electronic device to restore her hearing. the message released was the first since the attack. she expressed determination to continue the fight for the education of women and girls. >> i want to serve. i want to serve the people, and i want every girl, every child to be educated. >> reporter: the hospital says malala's most recent surgery was successful and her condition is stable. doctors expect malala will be able to leave hospital soon, although she will remain in britain to continue rehabilitation. china is taking steps to strengthen its ties with asean. on tuesday, it officially kicked off a project with malaysia, building joint industrial parts to strengthen trade and investment.

nhk world attended the launch. >> reporter: the ceremony took place at quantum city in the center of the state. this is where the two sides will joint the malaysian industrial park. malaysia expressed hope that the project would deepen relationships with china, its largest trading partner. >> this industrial park marks a new chapter in a relationship between our two countries. a relationship that has matured and blossomed beyond expectations. >> under the agreement, the two sides will also build a second industrial park in china. the goal is to expand bilateral trade by exporting products made at the two locations. the industrial park in china will be located in the port city of qinzhou and kuantan in the

south of the country. china's growth in 2012 was below 8% for the first time in 13 years as the debt crisis weighed on global growth. rising labor costs have made companies less willing to manufacture in china exports are suffering. the so-called factory of the world needs a new economic model to power its growth. >> translator: the two industry parks will compliment each other so both sides can croft. such cooperation is unprecedented. >> china and malaysia see the venture as a win/win. china wants to boost exports to manufacturing companies in asean, and malaysia wants a bigger foothold in the vast chinese market. as china looks for ways to strengthen its own economy, it

sees the combined population of 600 million of asean as a potential solution. china's attempts to strengthen ties with southern neighbors are likely to continue. nhk world, malaysia. that wraps up our bulletin. city officials in tokyo and surrounding areas are rushing on to put on tire chains and preparing snow thawing agents. rachel ferguson with details on that. we're likely to get another significant snowfall. third of the season in tokyo. 10 centimeters is forecast. as for some regions, you could see up to 20 centimeters and 30 on the mountains, upper elevations. chilly across much of the country. a real gust of cold air coming down with a winter system. temperatures rebounding, another

system coming across from the korean peninsula. it will brew over the city of japan and head to hokkaido and northern honchu. more wintry weather here. 4 degrees in tokyo. a big drop there. chilly, likely to rebound on thursday. 1 degree in seoul and 3 degrees in beijing. conversely. thursday and friday are looking just to fall to subzero highs for both beijing and seoul. seoul getting down to minus 8 on thursday, be prepared for that really quick cooldown. and chongquing, 17 degrees, warmer than usual this time of the year in the americas, another significant snowfall in the cascades and northern rockies, looking for some slick and snowy mountain passes, that

could make for a bit of dangerous driving and freezing rain forecast as well. likely to be light, that said, pretty unpleasant stuff and can be dangerous. and an alberta clipper across the great lakes that will bring you five centimeters of snow. the system is fairly quick, so that shouldn't give too much of a problem there. and down toward the south. rain starting to clear up across the gulf states. but it is going to be back. another system coming in thursday and friday and it will be accompanied by more severe thunderstorms too. take a look at temperatures, minus 3 in toronto. 2 degrees in new york city. minus 17 in winnipeg. frigid across the central and eastern portions of the northern tier of the continent. not bad here out west and to the south. mid 20s in houston and mexico city and miami.

all right. into europe, this large system continues to rotate just over the british isles. it will be coming down and headed to the southeast. so it will dump some pretty significant snowfall across western and central locations. up to the north as well. getting yours, and accompanied by strong winds. and gusts up to 100 kilometers per hour. i would expect delays and cancelations, check your colitis cancellations, check your flights and train timetables before you leave to do any real traveling there. as it heads to the south conditions better toward the north. good news here, but the precipitation and colder air will reach to the southeast by thursday. temperatures then for your wednesday, 5 degrees in london and 6 in paris. 1 degree in stockholm and moscow. warmer here and meanwhile, athens at 16 and cooling down in rome, 1 degree. here is your extended forecast.

we'll be back in 30 minutes with more news. i'm gene otani in tokyo. from all of us here at nhk world, thank you for joining us. have a great day, wherever you are.

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