Russia's partial mobilization is unlikely to bring about a ``dramatic change in the war situation'' - War Research Institute

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

ロシアの部分動員、「戦況に劇的な変化」もたらす公算小　戦争研究所

2022.09.22 Thu posted at 21:20 JST

  （ＣＮＮ） 米シンクタンクの戦争研究所（ＩＳＷ）は２１日の分析で、ロシアのプーチン大統領による部分動員の発表が戦争の流れを劇的に変化させる可能性は少ないとの結論を示した。

ＩＳＷの分析では、予備役の戦闘準備が整うには数週間から数カ月かかるほか、ロシアの予備役はそもそも練度が低いと指摘。国防省が示した慎重な配備の段階をもとに判断すると、ロシア兵が突然押し寄せて戦況を劇的に変化させる事態は考えにくいと述べた。

プーチン氏の命令は兵役を終えた「訓練済み」の予備役の一部を動員する内容だが、数カ月は大した戦力にならないだろうと指摘。死傷者の穴を埋めて現在の兵力を来年も維持するには十分かもしれないが、現時点ではそれすら定かではないとの見方を示した。

さらに「ロシアの兵役期間はわずか１年で、徴集兵が兵士としての技能を学ぶ時間はそもそもほとんどない。この最初の期間の後には追加訓練がなく、時間が経つにつれ身に着けたスキルの劣化が加速する」としている。

Translation

  (CNN) Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of partial mobilization would unlikely dramatically change the course of the war, an analysis by an American think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on the 21st.

 An ISW ​​analysis said it would take weeks or months for reserves to become combat-ready, and that Russia's reserves wre generally poorly trained. Judging by the level of cautious deployment indicated by the defense ministry, it said it was unlikely that a sudden surge of Russian troops would dramatically change the war situation.

 In the content of Mr. Putin's order, it mobilized some of the "trained" reservists who had completed military service, the analysis pointed out that they wouldn't become a significant force in a few months. It said that they might be enough to fill the casualty gap and maintain current strength next year, but even that would be uncertain at this point.

 Furthermore, it supposed that the "Russian military service lasts only one year, and conscripts in the first place have little time to learn the skills of a soldier. There is no additional training after this initial period, and the deterioration of learned skills accelerates over time.”

              So, according to the Institute for the Study of War, the new soldier will not help much to improve the Russian situation in the battlefield. We can observe that in the past weeks, many Russian are trying to leave the country to avoid the military service.

中國生物科技股的潰敗顯示出美國脫鉤帶來增加痛苦

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

China Biotech Rout Shows Growing Pain from US Decoupling Drive

Jeanny Yu

Tue, September 13, 2022 at 2:12 AM

(Bloomberg) -- The latest US effort to reduce reliance on China is striking hard at the Asian nation’s biotech stocks, as investors price in more indications of decoupling between the world’s two biggest economies.

Following US President Joe Biden’s executive order to bolster domestic bio-manufacturing and cut reliance on foreign companies, bellwether Chinese stocks such as Wuxi Biologics Cayman Inc. and WuXi AppTec Co. tumbled at least 16% Tuesday in Hong Kong.

Coming on the heels of US export curbs of advanced chips to China, the latest Biden order underlines stiffening strategic competition between the two nations and adds to the selling pressure on Chinese stocks. With the Asian nation also manufacturing a host of industrial and high-tech products, there are questions over what other sectors may be affected next.

“I think market hasn’t fully priced in such a risk of Sino-US conflicts. That’s why healthcare firms are plunging today,” said Paul Pong, managing director at Pegasus Fund Managers Ltd. “Competition between China and the US in areas including aerospace, AI manufacturing remains fierce and it wouldn’t surprising to see sanctions by US.”

Pharmaron Beijing Co., Asymchem Laboratories Tianjin Co. and WuXi AppTec were the worst performers on China’s CSI 300 Index Tuesday, falling at least 10% each. The benchmark gauge closed up 0.4%. In Hong Kong, Wuxi Biologics tumbled nearly 20%, the biggest drag on the Hang Seng Index.

The Biden administration has been looking for ways to curb investment in China’s industries as the Asian nation ascends as a superpower in advanced technology. Meantime, China has been relentless in its pursuit for tech supremacy, with President Xi Jinping last week renewing calls to step up development.

And defying investor expectations of an improvement from the Trump administration days, tension has remained high with a number of thorny issues unresolved.

Earlier this month, the Biden administration said it will allow Trump-era tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese merchandise imports to continue while it reviews the need for the duties.

The key question facing traders now is which sector will be the next to be targeted by American officials.

The US “could move the sanctions down along the supply chain in the areas that’s already sanctioned, such as semiconductor and biotech segments,” said Dai Ming, Shanghai-based fund manager at Huichen Asset Management. It may also target areas that may threaten US position, such as new energy and AI-related industries, he said.

Any additional sanctions or export restrictions by the US, China’s largest trade partner, will deal a blow to stocks at a time when the economic outlook is under pressure from Beijing’s zero Covid pursuit.

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, a benchmark of Chinese firms trading in Hong Kong, is down more than 19% this year, one of the worst performers among major equity indexes worldwide.

Further US actions are likely to hit tech stocks particularly hard, deepening woes in a sector that saw more than a year of Beijing’s crackdown and faces the risk of being removed from US exchanges.

“I think the tension between the two countries stays and there is a lack of trust about each other’s intention and grand strategies,” said Redmond Wong, a strategist at Saxo Capital Markets.

Translation

(彭博社) - 隨著投資者對世界兩大經濟體脫鉤的更多跡象進去行評價之際, 美國為減少對中國的依賴而採取的最新舉措, 正在猛烈打擊亞洲國家的生物科技股。

繼美國總統拜登發布行政命令以支持國內生物製造並減少對外國公司的依賴後，Wuxi Biologics Cayman Inc.  及 WuXi AppTec Co. 等中國領導者股票週二在香港下跌至少 16%。

在美國限制向中國出口先進芯片之後，拜登的最新命令突顯了兩國之間日益激烈的戰略競爭，並增加了中國股市的拋售壓力。由於這個亞洲國家還製造了大量工業和高科技產品，存在的疑問是接下來還有哪些行業可能會受到影響。

Pegasus Fund Managers Ltd. 董事總經理 Paul Pong 說: “我認為市場還沒有完全消化中美衝突的風險。這就是今天醫療保健公司暴跌的原因”; “中美在航空航天、人工智能製造等領域的競爭仍然很激烈，看到美國的製裁也就不足為奇了。”

北京康龍化成、凱萊英醫藥集團(天津)股份有限公司和藥明康德是周二在中國滬深 300 指數中表現最差的股票，均下跌至少 10%。基準指數收盤上漲 0.4%。在香港，药明生物重挫近 20%，是對恆生指數的最大拖累。

隨著這亞洲國家崛起為先進技術超級大國，拜登政府一直在尋找限制對中國工業投資的方法。與此同時，中國一直在不懈地追求科技霸權，習近平主席上週再次呼籲加快發展。

與投資者的期望對比特朗普執政時期有所改善的預期背道而馳，緊張局勢仍然很高，許多棘手的問題仍未解決。

本月早些時候，在時審查徵收關稅的必要性時, 拜登政府表示，將允許繼續執行特朗普時代對數千億美元的中國商品進口徵收關稅。

現在交易員面臨的關鍵問題是，哪個行業將成為美國官員的下一個目標。

Huichen Asset Management 駐上海的基金經理 Dai Ming 表示，美國 “目標可能會在已經受到製裁的領域，如半導體和生物技術領域，沿著供應鏈向下推進制裁” 。他說，美國還可能針對可能威其脅地位的領域，例如新能源和人工智能相關行業。

作為中國最大貿易夥伴的美國, 任何額外制裁或出口限制，都將會在經濟前景面臨北京零新冠感染壓力之際, 對股市造成打擊。

恆生中國企業指數是在香港交易的中國公司的基準指數，今年以來下跌超過 19%，是全球主要股指中表現最差的指數之一。

美國的進一步行動可能會對科技股造成特別沉重的打擊，加深該行業的困境，該行業經歷了一年多的北京打壓, 並面臨被美國交易所除名的風險。

Saxo Capital Markets的策略師 Redmond Wong 說: “我認為兩國之間的緊張關係會繼續存在，對彼此的意圖和宏觀策略缺乏信任” 。

So, the latest US effort to reduce reliance on China is striking hard at the Asian nation’s biotech stocks. Following US President Joe Biden’s executive order to bolster domestic bio-manufacturing and to cut reliance on foreign companies, leading Chinese stocks tumble in Hong Kong. Obvious the Sino-American competition will continue for sometime.

電池初創公司 ONE 將可削減電池成本，及提供 600 英里的續航能力

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Battery startup ONE aims to slash cell cost, deliver 600-mile range

Mon, September 12, 2022 at 9:08 PM

By Paul Lienert

(Reuters) - Michigan-based startup Our Next Energy [ONE] has unveiled a new anode-free battery pack designed to slash cell cost as much as 50% while delivering up to 600 miles (965 km) of driving range, the company said Tuesday.

This young company hopes to begin producing its Gemini pack at a new 20-gigawatt-hour U.S. manufacturing plant in 2026, founder and Chief Executive Mujeeb Ijaz said in an interview.

Other battery companies are developing anode-free designs, but ONE’s Gemini battery appears to be unique in that it uses cells with two different cell chemistries, including one for everyday driving and a second to extend driving range on longer trips.

The secret sauce is in Gemini’s large-format range-extender cells. While the standard cells use relatively conventional lithium iron phosphate cathodes and graphite anodes, the range-extender cells are anode-free, which eliminates the use of graphite and anode-making equipment.

The cathodes are designed to use a unique blend of lithium and manganese and a much lower percentage of nickel, while eliminating cobalt, according to Ijaz.

“It has been my long-term aspiration to eliminate both nickel and cobalt,” Ijaz said of two key cathode materials in most current electric vehicle batteries that are more expensive and less sustainable than such common materials as manganese.

While the lithium-rich manganese nickel cathodes are still being refined, the current version of the range-extender cells uses cathodes made of nickel, cobalt and manganese.

By eliminating the anode in those cells, ONE says it can slice the cell cost in mass production by $50 per kilowatt-hour — a significant savings over current costs estimated at $100-$110 per kWh.

 “Our goal is to launch the Gemini battery in 2026 with zero cobalt and 26% nickel or less, using manganese as the primary cathode material,” Ijaz said.

ONE's Gemini battery will be displayed Sept. 13-15 at The Battery Show in Novi, Michigan.

Translation

（路透社）- 總部位於密歇根州的初創公司 Our Next Energy (ONE) 週二表示, 將推出了一種新的無正極電池組，旨在將電池成本降低多達 50%，同時提供長達 600 英里（965 公里）的續駛能力。

創始人兼首席執行官 Mujeeb Ijaz 在接受採訪時表示，這家年輕的公司希望於 2026 年在美國新的 20千兆瓦/時製造工廠開始生產 Gemini 電池組。

其他電池公司正在開發無正極設計，但 ONE 的 Gemini 電池似乎是獨一無二的，因為它使用具有兩種不同電池化學成分的電池，其中一種用於日常駕駛，另一種用於延長長途旅行的續航能力。

秘訣在於 Gemini 的大格式增程電池。雖然標準電池使用相對傳統的磷酸鐵鋰負極和石墨正極，但增程電池沒有正極，因此無需使用石墨和製造正極的設備。

根據 Ijaz 的說法，負極設計是一種使用鋰和錳的獨特混合物, 以及用少了鎳，並同時不使用鈷。

“不使用鎳和鈷一直是我的長期願望”, Ijaz 談到目前大多數電動汽車電池中這兩種關鍵負極材料，它們比錳等常見材料更昂貴且更不可持續。

雖然高成份鋰錳鎳負極仍在提煉中，但當前版本的增程電池使用由鎳、鈷和錳製成的負極。

ONE 表示，通過消除這些電池中的正極，它可以將批量生產的電池成本降低 50 美元/千瓦/時 - 與目前估計的100 至 110 美元每千瓦/時的成本相比，可節省大量成本。

Ijaz 說: “我們的目標是在 2026 年推出 Gemini 電池，鈷含量為零，鎳含量不超過 26%，使用錳作為主要負極的材料” 。

ONE 的 Gemini 電池將於 9 月 13 日至 15 日在密歇根州諾維的電池展上展出。

So, a Michigan-based startup Our Next Energy has unveiled a new anode-free battery pack designed to slash cell cost as much as 50% while delivering up to 600 miles (965 km) of driving range. This is good news for the electric car makers.

拜登行政命令去資助美國生物製造業

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Biden executive order to fund U.S. biomanufacturing industry

Mon, September 12, 2022 at 2:08 AM

By Trevor Hunnicutt

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will sign orders on Monday to push more government dollars to the U.S. biotechnology industry, aimed at reducing dependence on China for materials to generate clean energy, weave new fabrics and inoculate populations against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The executive order allows the federal government to direct funding for the use of microbes and other biologically derived resources to make new foods, fertilizers and seeds, as well as making mining operations more efficient, administration officials said.

They did not provide any specifics on how much money would be available, where it would come from or how it would be allocated. Further details are expected at a White House summit on the topic Wednesday.

The U.S. federal government is already a source of funds to biotechnology research and development (R&D) through the National Institute of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies. Overall U.S. funding for R&D has dropped as a percentage of gross domestic product since a peak in the 1950s, a trend Biden has pledged to reverse.

Potential applications range from the biodiesel fuels made by Renewable Energy Group to the COVID vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech or the genetically modified seeds made by Corteva Inc.

"Other countries, including and especially China are aggressively investing in this sector, which poses risks to U.S. leadership and competitiveness," said an administration official who declined to be named previewing Biden's actions.

Biden will discuss the order in Boston Monday, as he speaks about the "Cancer Moonshot," an effort to spur research, create new treatments and cut the death rate from that disease.

Biomanufacturing has been used to generate cancer treatments, including those derived from plants or using re-engineered immune cells.

Biden also will name Dr. Renee Wegrzyn, a longtime science adviser and who most recently served at the biotech company Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Inc, as the first director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, a U.S. government-run biomedical research group.

"Today, we have many of the building blocks needed to make significant progress treating cancer, but we must come together to deliver on the promise," said another administration official.

Biden's son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015 at age 46, something the president has said helps inform his passion for the project.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather Timmons and Aurora Ellis)

Translation

華盛頓（路透社）—美國總統拜登將於週一簽署命令，向美國生物技術行業提供更多政府資金，旨在減少依賴中國所生產的清潔能源、編織用新織物和為民眾接種 COVID-19 大流行的物料。

政府官員說, 行政命令允許聯邦政府直接資助使用微生物和其他生物衍生資源,以製造新的食品、肥料和種子，以及提高採礦作業的效率。

他們沒有提供任何關於可用資金、資金來源或分配方式的細節。預計更多細節將於週三在白宮就該主題舉行的峰會上提供。

美國聯邦政府已經通過美國國立衛生研究院、美國農業部和其他機構, 為生物技術研發 (R&D) 提供資金來源。自 1950 年代達到頂峰以來，美國的總體研發資金佔國內生產總值的百分比已經下降，拜登承諾要扭轉這一趨勢。

潛在應用範圍, 從可再生能源集團生產的生物柴油燃料, 到輝瑞-BioNTech 生產的 COVID 疫苗, 或 Corteva Inc. 生產的轉基因種子。

 一位不願透露姓名的政府官員在預覽拜登的行動時說: “包括中國在內的其他國家正在積極投資這一領域，這對美國的領導力和競爭力構成風險” 。

拜登週一將在波士頓討論該命令，他將談到 “挑戰癌症” ，旨在刺激研究、創造新的治療方法並降低該疾病的死亡率。

生物製造已被用於產生癌症治療，包括那些源自植物, 或使用重新再造的免疫細胞的治療。

拜登還將任命長期科學顧問、最近在生物技術公司 Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Inc. 任職的 Renee Wegrzyn 博士擔任美國政府運營的生物醫學研究機構 Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health 的第一任主任。

另一位政府官員說: “今天，我們擁有在治療癌症方面取得重大進展所需的許多基石，但我們必須齊心協力去兌現承諾” 。

拜登的兒子 Beau 於 2015 年因腦癌去世，享年 46 歲，總統說這事有助於激發他對該項目的熱情。

So, President Joe Biden will sign orders to spend more government money on the U.S. biotechnology industry, aiming at reducing dependence on China for important materials. The Americans believe that China are aggressively investing in this sector, which could pose risks to U.S. leadership and competitiveness globally.

研究顯示: 中國免除非洲無息貸款相當於其向非洲大陸提供的貸款的1%或更少

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

China's waiver of African interest-free loans worth 1% or less of its lending to continent-study

Sun, September 11, 2022 at 9:13 PM

By Rachel Savage

LONDON (Reuters) - China's waiver of 23 interest-free loans to African countries last month amounted to only 1.1% or less of Chinese lending to the continent, a study showed on Monday.

China's foreign ministry said in August it had cancelled 23 loans to 17 African countries that matured in 2021, but did not give further details.

The waived loans were of 10 to 30-year maturities and were worth up to $610 million in total, researchers at Boston University estimated, using a database of Chinese state lending compiled by researchers.

China has waived some loans to African countries since 2000 when it cancelled loans made in the 1980s and 1990s, although it generally takes a harder stance on restructuring lending to developing nations under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) launched in 2013, analysts say.

Chinese state-owned lenders committed to $53.8 billion of loans to Africa between 2000 and 2012, according to the Boston University database, which tracks loans made since 2000, so the loans cancelled last month accounted for a tiny portion.

"(Interest-free loan) provision and cancellation are important diplomatic and symbolic tools in China's lending practices," said the report, by Jyhjong Hwang and Oyintarelado Moses.

They added that the loans are "more akin to foreign policy instruments than bottom line-oriented financial instruments".

Interest-free loans from China to Africa, which have included funding for government buildings, stadiums and hospitals, are usually treated like grants, according to researchers and African government officials.

(Reporting by Rachel Savage; Additional reporting by Martin Quin Pollard and Yew Lun Tian in Beijing; Editing by Susan Fenton)

Translation

倫敦（路透社）- 週一的一項研究顯示，中國上個月免除對非洲國家的 23 筆無息貸款僅佔中國對非洲大陸貸款的 1.1% 或更少。

中國外交部在 8 月表示，已取消對 17 個非洲國家的 23 筆貸款，這些貸款將於 2021 年到期，但沒有提供更多細節。

波士頓大學的研究人員, 使用由其人員編制的中國國家貸款數據庫, 估計豁免貸款為10 至 30 年期限的貸款，總價值高達 6.1 億美元。

分析人士說，中國自 2000 年放棄了對非洲國家的部分貸款, 取消 1980 年代和 1990 年代的借貸。不過在 2013 年發起的“一帶一路”倡議下的貸款，中國通常對發展中國家的重組借貸,取更強硬的立場。

根據追踪自 2000 年以來發放貸款的波士頓大學數據庫，中國國有銀行承諾在 2000 年至 2012 年間向非洲提供達538 億美元的貸款，因此上個月取消的貸款只佔很小的一部分。

由Jyhjong Hwang 和 Oyintarelado Moses 撰寫的報告稱 “（無息貸款）的提供和取消是中國貸款實踐中重要的外交和象徵性工具” 。

他們補充說，這些貸款 “更像是外交政策工具，而不是以底線為導向的金融工具” 。

據研究人員和非洲政府官員稱，中國向非洲提供的無息貸款，包括為政府大樓、體育場館和醫院提供資金，通常被視為贈款。

So, Chinese state-owned lenders had committed to $53.8 billion of loans to Africa between 2000 and 2012, and the interest-free loans cancelled last month accounted for only a tiny portion. Interest-free loans from China to Africa included funding for government buildings, stadiums and hospitals, and were usually treated like grants. I think these loans helped China build up its soft power in the region.

A survey reveals the effect of walking for 2 minutes after meals would lower blood sugar levels

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

食後２分間のウォーキングで血糖値下げる効果　調査で判明

2022.09.07 Wed posted at 07:02 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 食後に２～５分ほど散歩するだけで血糖値を下げる効果があるという研究結果が、スポーツ医学誌に発表された。食後に立っているだけでも、座り続けるよりは血糖値を下げる助けになるとしている。

論文を発表したアイルランドのリムリック大学の大学院生エイデン・バフェイ氏によると、日中を通じ、食後に立ち上がって休憩するだけでも、血糖値は長時間座り続けた場合に比べてが平均９．５１％下がることが分かった。しかし軽いウォーキングをすれば、長時間座り続けた場合に比べて血糖値は平均１７．０１％下がるという。

今回の研究では、座ることと立つこと、歩くことが体内のインスリン濃度と血糖値に与える影響を比較した７件の調査結果を分析した。被験者は、１日を通じて２０～３０分ごとに２～５分立ち上がるか、ウォーキングをするよう求められていた。観察中の活動時間の合計は約２８分間だった。

Translation

(CNN) A walk for 2- to 5-minute after eating could help lower blood sugar levels, according to a study published in the journal Sports Medicine. Standing after a meal, compared to sitting down, could help lower blood sugar levels.

Aiden Buffey, a graduate student at the University of Limerick in Ireland who published the paper found that throughout the day, simply standing up to rest after eating, compared to sitting for long periods of time, could lower blood sugar levels by an average of 9.51%. However, light brisk walking lowers blood sugar by an average of 17.01% compared to prolonged sitting.

The current study analyzed the results of seven studies that compared the effects on insulin levels and blood sugar levels in the body due to sitting, standing, and walking. Subjects were asked to stand or walk for 2-5 minutes every 20-30 minutes throughout the day. Total activity time during observation was approximately 28 minutes.

              So, it is found out that a walk for 2- to 5-minute after eating can help lower blood sugar levels. Standing after a meal can help lower blood sugar levels compared to sitting down. It seems that body movement, even a simple one, could improve our health condition.

Antarctica's ``Domesday Glacier'', if it collapses, sea level will rise several meters - holding on to 'the tip of a finger nail' situation: researchers said

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

南極の「ドゥームズデー氷河」、崩壊なら数メートルの海面上昇も　「爪の先で」持ちこたえている状況と研究者

2022.09.06 Tue posted at 19:45 JST

  （ＣＮＮ） 南極大陸の氷河の一つについて、今後数年間で急速に崩壊する可能性があると研究者らが警鐘を鳴らしている。実現すれば急激な海面上昇を引き起こし、氷河自体消滅する恐れがあるともしている。

当該のスウェイツ氷河は、崩壊の危険が高いことや世界的な海面上昇を引き起こす脅威などから「ドゥームズデー（最後の審判の日、この世の終わりの日）氷河」の異名をとる。５日刊行の学術誌、ネイチャー・ジオサイエンスに掲載された論文によると、地球温暖化に伴い、同氷河は海面下の基部が減退しつつある。このまま融解すれば、数メートルの海面上昇を引き起こす可能性がある。

研究者らはスウェイツ氷河のこれまでの崩壊過程を地図で示した。過去の状態を把握することで、今後の変化についての予測を立てるためだ。

その結果、過去２００年のある時点で、氷河の基部が海底から分かれ、年２．１キロのペースで崩壊していたことが判明した。これはこの１０年余りの間に観測したペースの倍に相当する。

この急速な崩壊は恐らく「ごく最近の２０世紀半ば」に起きた可能性があると、論文の筆頭著者で米サウスフロリダ大学の海洋地球物理学者、アラステア・グレアム氏は報道向けの発表で述べた。

これはスウェイツ氷河が近い将来急速に崩壊しかねない状況にあることを示唆する。ひとたび氷河が海底の尾根を越えてせり出せば、それは現実のものになるとみられる。

論文の共著者を務めた英国南極観測局所属のロバート・ラーター氏によれば、現在のスウェイツ氷河は「まさに指の爪の先だけで持ちこたえている」状態であり、今後の短い時間尺度の中で大きな変化が起きると予想される。氷河の崩壊を食い止めている尾根はそれほど高くはなく、そうした変化は今後１～２年後にも生じる可能性があるという。

スウェイツ氷河は南極西部に位置する地球上でも最大規模の氷河で、その大きさはフロリダ州を上回る。ただ南極西部の氷床はさらに広大で、米航空宇宙局（ＮＡＳＡ）によると、そこに閉じ込められている氷は地球の海面を最大４．８メートル上昇させる水準だという。

Translation

  (CNN) One of Antarctica's glaciers could collapse rapidly in the next few years, researchers warned. If this happened, it could lead to rapid sea level rise and even the disappearance of glaciers.

The Thwaites Glacier was nicknamed the "Doomsday Glacier" due to its high risk of collapse and the threat of global sea level rise. The glacier's subsurface base was receding as the planet warmed, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature Geoscience. If it continued to melt, it could raise sea levels by several meters.

Researchers had mapped the disintegration process of Thwaites Glacier so far. By understanding past conditions, predictions about future changes could be made.

They found that at some point in the last 200 years, the base of the glacier had separated from the ocean floor and was collapsing at a rate of 2.1 kilometers per year. The collapse doubled the pace as observed over the last decade.

The rapid collapse likely occurred "it is very near, in the middle of the 20th century",  the lead author Alastair Graham, a marine geophysicist at the University of South Florida said in a press release.

This suggested that the Thwaites Glacier was in a state of rapid collapse in the near future. If the glacier protruded beyond the ridge of the seabed, that could become a reality.

According to study co-author Robert Larter of the British Antarctic Observatory, Thwaites Glacier was currently "holding on at the tip of its fingernails", and big changes were expected in a short time scale in the future. The ridges that were holding back the collapse of the glacier were not very high, and such a change could occur in the next year or two, he said.

Located in western Antarctica, Thwaites Glacier was the largest glacier on Earth, larger than Florida. But the West Antarctic ice sheet is much larger, according to NASA the ice trapped there could raise global sea levels by up to 4.8 meters.

              So, researchers have warned that one of Antarctica's glaciers could collapse rapidly in the next few years, if this happens, it could lead to rapid sea level rise and even the disappearance of glaciers. This is another shocking prediction on the impact of global warming.

World's first: China grants emergency use permission for inhaled vaccine

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

中国、吸入型ワクチンに緊急使用許可　世界初

2022.09.06 Tue posted at 20:45 JST

 （ＣＮＮ） 吸入型の新型コロナウイルスワクチンが世界で初めて、中国で緊急使用許可を得た。開発した中国の製薬会社、カンシノ・バイオロジクス（康希諾生物股分公司）が４日に発表した。

 ワクチンの名前は「コンビデシア・エア」。吸入器を使って口から投与する。中国の医薬品規制当局が、追加接種での緊急使用を許可した。

 同社の注射型ワクチン「コンビデシア」はすでに中国で使われ、ほかの数カ国でも承認されている。

 世界保健機関（ＷＨＯ）のデータベースによると、吸入専用のワクチンで臨床試験の段階に達したのは、世界でコンビデシアともう１種類のみ。

 カンシノによると、実際に供給が始まる前にまだいくつか規制関連の手続きが必要だという。中国では現在９種類のワクチンが承認されているため、同社は「厳しい競争」を覚悟しているという。

 カンシノは報道発表の中で、コンビデシア・エアが体液と細胞、粘膜を通して強い免疫反応を誘導すると説明した。

 その裏付けとなるデータは示さなかったが、同社が８月に報告した小規模な研究では、中国シノバック・バイオテック（科興控股生物化学）製のワクチン「コロナバック」を２回接種した後で追加接種にコンビデシアを使った場合、３回目もコロナバックを接種したケースに比べて抗体価が高くなったとされる。ただしこの研究では、吸入型で感染や人にうつすリスクをどの程度抑えられるかを調べていない。

 注射型以外にスプレーや滴下、タブレットなどの方法で口や鼻から直接投与するワクチンは、粘膜上の抗体を増やすことでウイルスの侵入や拡散を防ぐ効果が期待され、世界で計十数種類の開発が進められている。

Translation

(CNN) The world's first inhaled new coronavirus vaccine had received emergency use authorization in China. The Chinese pharmaceutical company that developed it, CanSino BIO, announced this on the 4th.

The name of the vaccine was "Combidesia Air", to be inhaled by mouth using an inhaler. China's drug regulator had authorized its emergency use as boosters.

The company's injecting vaccine, “Conbidesia”, was already in use in China and had been approved in several countries.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) database, about inhaling vaccine in the world, only Combidesia and one other had reached the stage of clinical trials.

CanSino said there were still some regulatory procedures to go through before actual supply would begin. With nine vaccines currently approved in China, the company said it expected "hard competition".

In a press release, CanSino explained that Conbidesia Air induced a strong immune response in bodily fluids and cells through mucous membranes.

The company did not provide supporting data, but in a small study it reported in August, it found that in the situation of after receiving two doses of CoronaVac which was a vaccine made by China's Sinovac Biotech Co., if Combidesia was used as a booster dose, antibody titers were reported to be higher than those using CoronaVac as a booster. However, the study did not examine the extent to which inhaled forms could reduce the risk of infection or transmission among human.

In addition to injectable vaccine and vaccines such as sprays, dripping, and tablets, vaccines administered directly through the mouth or nose might easily increase antibodies on the mucous membranes, and were expected to be effective in preventing the invasion and spread of viruses; a total of more than ten types were under development around the world.

So, China will be the world’s first in using inhaled new coronavirus vaccine that is developed by CanSino BIO, a Chinese pharmaceutical company.

Air Self-Defense Force's next fighter - Coordinating with the United Kingdom for common aircraft development

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

航空自衛隊の次期戦闘機 イギリスと共通の機体開発で調整

2022年9月4日 4時58分

航空自衛隊の次期戦闘機をめぐり、防衛省は開発費の抑制などのため、エンジンの共同研究を行っているイギリスと共通の機体を開発する方向で調整を進めています。

航空自衛隊のF2戦闘機の後継となる次期戦闘機をめぐっては、ことし1月から日本とイギリスの大手企業がエンジンの共同研究を始めていて、5月の日英首脳会談では開発に関する両国間の協力の全体像をことしの年末までに合意することで一致しました。

これを受けて防衛省は、次期戦闘機に求める性能がイギリスとほぼ同じで、開発費も抑制できるとして、共通の機体を開発する方向で調整を進めています。

また、共同開発には、戦闘機の開発でイギリスと協力関係にあるイタリアの参加も検討されています。

防衛省は来年度予算案の概算要求に次期戦闘機の開発費などとして1432億円を盛り込んでいて、F2戦闘機の退役が始まる2035年ごろまでに次期戦闘機の配備を始めたいとしています。

Translation

Regarding the Air Self-Defense Force's next-generation fighter, the Ministry of Defense which was already conducting joint research on engines, in order to control development costs was making adjustments to develop a common airframe with the United Kingdom.

Regarding the next-generation fighter that would succeed the Air Self-Defense Force's F2 fighter, major Japanese and British companies had started joint research on the engine since January this year, and at the Japan-UK summit meeting in May they shared the view that they could agree on an overall picture of cooperation by the end of this year.

In response to this, the Ministry of Defense was proceeding with coordination in the direction of developing a common aircraft as its performance requirement for the next fighter was almost the same as that of the UK, and the development costs could be suppressed.

In addition, the joint development was also considering the participation of Italy which had a cooperative relationship with the United Kingdom in the development of fighter aircraft.

The Ministry of Defense had included 143.2 billion yen in the budget request for the next fiscal year's budget proposal for development costs for the next-generation fighter, and wanted to start deploying the next-generation fighter by around 2035, when the F2 fighters would retire.

So, Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force will develop a common airframe with the United Kingdom for it's next-generation F2 fighter in order to control development costs. My understanding it that currently Japan is also using F-35 fighter jet bought from the US.

隨著天然氣價格的上漲，頁岩油公司變得有氣勢

Recently Yahoo New on-line reported the following:

As natural gas prices jump, shale oil firms get gassy

Wed, August 31, 2022 at 4:09 AM

By Liz Hampton

(Reuters) - Natural gas a few years ago was so unwanted that U.S. shale oil producers sold it at cost just to pump more oil. Today, prices are near 14-year highs, and new export terminals are rising along with production forecasts.

The result is an earnings bonanza for companies that once shunned the fuel as an annoying by-product. U.S. benchmark natural gas prices in late August topped $10 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), a level not seen since 2008, and the boom-bust cycles from North American demand appear to have been broken amid surging exports.

The U.S. fuel has become key to Western Europe cutting its reliance on Russian gas. Liquefied gas exports this year have averaged 11.5 billion cubic feet per day, up 18% year-over-year. There are at least four new export projects under construction and nearly a dozen others aiming for financial approvals by 2023. Most of the projects will not add to output for years.

"Two or three years ago, oil companies would not even set a hand in natural gas... it was a negative, it was a nuisance, but it's not today," Jay Allison, chief executive of shale producer Comstock Resources, said at a conference in Denver in August.

CASHING IN

The largest U.S. independent oil producer, ConocoPhillips, reported last quarter that it sold natural gas for an average $10.15 per million cubic feet, up 143% from a year ago. The company does not break out profit contribution from gas.

Chesapeake Energy, which in 2019 spent nearly $4 billion to buy an oil-producer, now plans to sell that property and become a pure-play gas company. It is adding two drilling rigs in the Haynesville gas field and recently signed an agreement to deliver the fuel to Golden Pass LNG, a proposed LNG exporter.

Companies like Conoco that do not hedge gas production are getting the benefit of strong U.S. prices, said Matt Hagerty, a senior analyst for market researcher BTU Analytics, a FactSet company. Hedging is when companies sell future production at fixed prices, which can be lower in a rising market.

BTU has raised its forecast for 2022 gas production for four straight months, with its current outlook 365 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) higher than April's view, while holding its 2022 oil outlook flat.

Not all companies will cash in. Producers including CNX Resources and Southwestern Energy hedged about 60% of their 2022 production, placing a ceiling of around $3 per mmcf. They can either pay to close those hedges, if able, or risk missing out on the price gains, Hagerty said.

U.S. shale gas production is projected to reach 93.84 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in September, up 6.715 bcfd from a year ago, according to the Energy Information Administration. This includes year-over-year volume increases in the three largest fields of 2.6% in Appalachia, 7% in Permian and 13.9% in the Haynesville shale fields.

MORE INVESTMENT

The gains could continue. APA Corp in August said it moved a rig into a West Texas gas field and began drilling again. Three months earlier, it said the field was unlikely to get additional resources. Conoco also said it plans to increase exposure to natural gas, and invest in two LNG projects.

High prices are helping revive asset sales in U.S. gas fields. Exxon Mobil this month said it is selling its Fayetteville shale properties after finding a buyer for North Texas gas that had been on the market for at least a year.

LNG developer Tellurian in July moved to expand its gas holdings, spending $125 million on land to feed a proposed Louisiana export plant. This week, Cheniere Energy disclosed plans to expand its Corpus Christi LNG plant, a move that will take years to complete.

"Natural gas is far, far from a waste product," said Joel Moxley, chief executive at GPA Midstream Association, whose members are seeing a boost from higher volumes on their gathering and processing systems.

"They are making a lot of money at these prices," he said, referring to natural gas producers. The growth will require more pipelines to avoid transportation constraints, he said.

Another change: U.S. gas prices increasingly are set by global demand - not domestic consumption, say experts.

"The U.S. should get used to the likelihood of high double-digit gas prices," said Albert Lin, executive director of Pearl Street Station Finance Lab, which conducts economic analysis related to the energy sector.

(Reporting by Liz Hampton in Denver; editing by Richard Pullin)

Translation

（路透社） - 幾年前，天然氣非常不甚受歡迎，以至美國頁岩油生產商以成本出售它只是為了抽出更多的頁岩油。如今，價格接近 14 年高位，隨著產量預測, 新的出口站增加。

結果是, 那些曾經將燃料視為令人討厭的副產品的頁岩油公司獲得了豐厚的收益。美國基準天然氣價格在 8 月下旬突破了每百萬英熱單位 (mmBtu) 10 美元，這是自 2008 年以來的最高水平，而在出口激增的情況下，北美需求的繁榮-蕭條週期似乎已經被打破。

美國燃料已成為西歐減少對俄羅斯天然氣依賴的關鍵。今年的液化氣出口量平均為每天 115 億立方英尺，同比增長 18%，至少有四個新的出口項目正在建設中，還有近十個其他項目期待到 2023 年獲得財務批准。大多數項目多年之内不會增加產量。

頁岩油生產商Comstock Resources首蓆執行官 Jay Allison 八月份在丹佛一次的會議上表示: “兩三年前，石油公司甚至不會涉足天然氣...... 是一個負面的副產品，是一個麻煩，但今日不是 “。

兌現賺錢

美國最大的獨立石油生產商ConocoPhillips上季度報告稱，其天然氣平均售價為每百萬立方英尺 10.15 美元，同比增長 143%。公司沒有單獨列出天然氣的利潤貢獻。

Chesapeake Energy 在 2019 年斥資近 40 億美元收購了一家石油生產商，現在計劃出售該資產並成為一家純天然氣公司。 它正在Haynesville氣田增加兩台鑽井平台，最近還簽署了一項協議，將燃料運送給在建議中的液化天然氣出口商 Golden Pass LNG。

作為一間市場研究公司 (FactSet), BTU Analytics 的高級分析師Matt Hagerty表示，像Conoco這樣不對沖天然氣生產的公司正在從美國強勁的價格中受益。對沖保值是指公司以固定價格出售未來產品，在上漲的市場中價格可能會較低。

BTU 已連續四個月上調了對 2022 年天然氣產量的預測，目前的展望比 4 月份的展望高出 3.65 億立方英尺/天 (mmcfd)，同時保持其 2022 年的石油展望持平。

並非所有公司都會兌現賺錢。包括 CNX Resources 和 Southwestern Energy 在內的生產商對 2022 年產量的約 60% 進行了對沖，將上限設置為每 mmcf 約 3 美元。Hagerty說，如果可以的話，他們可以支付費用去停止這些對沖的，或者冒著錯失價格收益的風險。

根據美國能源信息署的數據，9 月份美國頁岩氣產量預計將達到每天 938.4 億立方英尺 (bcfd)，比一年前增加 6.715 bcfd。這包括三個最大頁岩油田的產量: Appalachia同比增長 2.6%，Permian增長 7%，Haynesville增長 13.9%。

更多投資

收益可能會繼續。 APA 公司在 8 月表示，它已將一個鑽井平台移入西德克薩斯氣田，並再次開始鑽探。三個月前，它表示該領域不太可能獲得額外資源。Conoco還表示，它計劃增加對天然氣的投資，並投資兩個液化天然氣項目。

高價格正在幫助恢復美國氣田的資產銷售。埃克森美孚本月表示，為已推銷至少一年的北德克薩斯天然氣找到買家而出售其Fayetteville頁岩資產。

液化天然氣開發商 Tellurian 在 7 月開始擴大其天然氣儲備，在土地上花費了 1.25 億美元，為擬建的路易斯安那州出口廠房供氣。本週，Cheniere Energy 披露了擴建Corpus Christi液化天然氣廠房的計劃，這一舉措將需要數年時間才能完成。

GPA Midstream Association首席執行官Joel Moxley說: “天然氣遠非廢物” ，該協會的成員看到其收集和處理系統的產量增加帶來了提振效應。

他說: “他們以這些價格賺了很多錢” ，指的是天然氣生產商。他又說，增長將需要更多的管道以避免運輸上的拘束。

另一個變化：專家說，美國的天然氣價格越來越多地由全球需求決定，而不是國內消費。

從事與能源行業相關的經濟分析的Pearl Street Station Finance Lab的執行董事 Albert Lin說： “美國應該習慣高兩位數的天然氣價格的可能性。”

              So, among the U.S. shale oil producers, a few years ago natural gas was an unwanted by-product that was sold at cost only. Today, gas price is near 14-year highs, and new export terminals are increasing along with production forecasts. I think the high gas price is creating a new business opportunity for the American shale oil producers.

Translation note:

1. Shale oil is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale rock fragments by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock (kerogen) into synthetic oil and gas. The resulting oil can be used immediately as a fuel or upgraded to meet refinery feedstock specifications by adding hydrogen and removing impurities such as sulfur and nitrogen. The refined products can be used for the same purposes as those derived from crude oil. (Wikipedia)

2.FactSet is a type of specialized company that creates flexible, open data and software solutions for over 170,000 of investment professionals around the world, providing instant anytime, anywhere access to financial data and analytics that investors use to make crucial decisions. https://go.factset.com/

3. BTU Analytics, a FactSet Company, combines bottoms-up fundamental analysis with upstream financial research to produce insightful, useful intelligence for investors at every level of the market. (https://btuanalytics.com/)

European study - Sea level to rise nearly 30 centimeters is unavoidable due to melting of the Greenland ice sheet

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

グリーンランドの氷床融解で３０センチ近い海面上昇は不可避　欧州研究

2022.08.31 Wed posted at 10:25 JST

  （ＣＮＮ） グリーンランドの広い範囲で進む氷床の融解により、世界の海面が近い将来、３０センチ近く上昇することは避けられないとする研究結果が発表された。

気候変動の専門誌「ネイチャー・クライメート・チェンジ」で２９日に報告された研究によると、たとえ世界が今すぐ温室効果ガスの排出をやめたとしても、グリーンランドの氷が解け、少なくとも２５センチの海面上昇が起きることは確実とされる。

これは、過去１００年にグリーンランド、南極大陸での氷融解と、海水の熱膨張によって上昇した分を全部合わせた幅にほぼ等しいという。

デンマーク・グリーンランド地質調査所（ＧＥＵＳ）の研究チームは、グリーンランドやその周辺で氷床の変化を観察してきた。すでに起きている気候変動が原因で、グリーンランドの氷床全体の約３．３％、氷の重さにして１１０兆トンが解けることは避けようがないと指摘した。

またこれによる海面の上昇は、今世紀中に気候がどんなシナリオをたどっても同じように起きるとしている。ただし研究チームは、今世紀末までのどの時点で上昇するのかを言明していない。

チームが示した上昇幅はあくまでも最低限の推定値で、温暖化がほぼ確実にこのまま続く前提で考えると、数値はさらに大きくなる。

氷床は気温が高くなれば短時間で解けるほか、端が暖かい海水に触れることで解け出す可能性もある。

米海洋大気庁（ＮＯＡＡ）は最近出した報告書の中で、米国の沿岸部では今後３０年で２５～３０センチの海面上昇が観測される可能性を指摘した。

グリーンランドの気温は１９８０年代以降、１０年に１．５度と、世界平均の４倍のペースで上昇している。

グリーンランドの氷が全部解けたら、世界の海面は約７．６メートル上昇すると予想される。それも世界各地で均一な上がり方をするのではなく、グリーンランド自体のように、引力などの理由で逆に海面が下がる場所もあるという。

グリーンランド北部では、先月１５～１７日に１日当たり６０億トン、オリンピックサイズのプール７２０万面分を満たすほどの氷が解けた。

世界の研究者らによると、気候変動が加速している流れは明らかで、温室効果ガスの排出量がただちに削減されない限り、こうした異常な融解は引き続き激しさや頻度を増していくと考えられる。

Translation

  (CNN) According to a study, the widespread melting of the Greenland ice sheet would inevitably lead to global sea level rise of nearly 30 centimeters in the near future.

According to a study reported Wednesday in the journal “Nature Climate Change”, even if the world stopped emitting greenhouse gases right now, Greenland's ice would melt, and sea level could certainly rise by at least 25 centimeters.

This was roughly equal to the combined extent of ice melt in Greenland and Antarctica; and the rise due to thermal expansion of sea water over the past 100 years.

A research team at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) had been observing changes in the ice sheets in and around Greenland. It was said that about 3.3% of the total Greenland ice sheet, or 110 trillion tonnes of ice by weight, would inevitably melt due to climate change already happening.

The resulting sea level rise was expected to occur in the same way under any climate scenario during this century. However, the research team did not say at what point up to the end of the century that it would rise.

The increase the team indicated was purely a bare minimum estimate, and the numbers would be even higher if we assumed that warming was almost certain to continue.

Ice sheets melt quickly when temperatures rose, and they could also melt when their edges came into contact with warm seawater.

A recent report by the America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that coastal areas of the United States could see sea level rise of 25 to 30 centimeters over the next 30 years.

Since the 1980s, Greenland's temperature had risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius per decade, four times the global average.

If all of Greenland's ice melted, global sea levels could rise by about 7.6 meters. It is said that the sea level would not rise evenly all over the world; conversely in some places such as Greenland itself the sea level could go down for reasons such as gravitational force.

In northern Greenland, between 15th and 17th last month, 6 billion tons of ice melted each day, enough to fill 7.2 million Olympic-size swimming pools.

According to researchers around the world, it was thought that climate change was clearly accelerating, and unless greenhouse gas emissions were cut immediately, these abnormal melts would continue to grow in intensity and frequency.

              So, according to a study, even if the world stops emitting greenhouse gases right away, Greenland's ice will continue to melt, and sea level could certainly rise by at least 25 centimeters. If all of Greenland's ice melts, global sea levels will rise by about 7.6 meters. This prediction is shocking.

日本計劃開發遠程導彈以對抗中國，俄羅斯

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Japan plans to develop longer-range missiles to counter China, Russia

Tue, August 30, 2022 at 9:54 PM

By Tim Kelly

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will develop and mass produce a cruise missile and a high-velocity ballistic missile, it said on Wednesday, as it seeks the ability to strike more distant targets as part of a military expansion aimed at meeting threats from China and Russia.

The procurement plan unveiled in the Ministry of Defence's annual budget request represents a clear departure from a decades-long range limit imposed on Japan's constitutionally constrained Self Defence Forces, that meant they could only field missiles with ranges of a few hundred kilometres.

"China continues to threaten to use force to unilaterally change the status quo and is deepening its alliance with Russia," the ministry said in its budget request.

"It is also applying pressure around Taiwan with supposed military exercises and has not renounced the use of military force as a way to unite Taiwan with the rest of China," it said.

Alarm about China's regional ambitions grew this month after it fired five ballistic missiles into waters less than 160 km (100 miles) from Japan in a show of force after U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visited Taiwan.

The ministry also mentioned North Korea as a threat to Japan.

The budget request is for funding to mass produce ground-launched cruise missiles, an extended range version of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries designed Type 12 missile already in use, to strike ships, and a new, high-velocity glide ballistic missiles capable of hitting ground targets.

The ministry is also seeking money to develop other projectiles, including hypersonic warheads.

The ministry did not give a range for the proposed weapons, or say how many it planned to field, but they would likely be able to reach targets in mainland China if deployed along Japan's nearby southwest Okinawa island chain.

Japan has already ordered air-launched missiles, including the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) made by Norway's Kongsberg, and Lockheed Martin Corp's Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-Off Missile (JASSM) with a range of up to 1,000 km (620 miles).

Unlike with ship or ground-based launchers, however, the number it can fire is limited by how many planes it can put in the air to fire them.

The ministry asked for a 3.6% increase in spending to 5.6 trillion yen ($39.78 billion) for the year starting on April 1, but said the figure would rise after it calculated the cost of new procurement programmes.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government will approve that increased request at the end of the year when it will also unveil a major defence strategy overhaul and new midterm military buildup plan.

Kishida, who has described security in East Asia as "fragile" after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has promised to "substantially" increase defence outlays to prepare Japan for regional conflict.

His ruling Liberal Democratic Party in its upper house election manifesto in July promised to double defence spending to 2% of gross domestic product over five years.

That would make Japan the world's third biggest military spender behind major ally the United States, and neighbouring China.

In addition to increasing stockpile of missiles and other munitions, Japan's military wants to develop its cyber defences, electromagnetic warfare capabilities and space presence.

(Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Translation

東京（路透社）- 日本週三表示，因為它正去尋求可打擊更遠距離目標的能力, 它將開發和大規模生產巡航導彈和高速彈道導彈，作為軍事擴張的一 部分, 旨在應對來自中國和俄羅斯的威脅。

防衛省年度預算申請中所公佈的採購計劃, 明顯背離了對日本憲法約束的自衛隊長達數十年的射程限制，這意味著他們能部署射程達幾百公里的導彈。

該省在其預算請求中表示: “中國繼續威脅使用武力去單方面改變現狀，並正在深化與俄羅斯的聯盟” 。

它說: “中國還通過所謂軍事演習在台灣周圍施加壓力，並且沒有放棄使用武力作為一種方式,將台灣與中國統一起來”。

在美國眾議院議長佩洛西訪問台灣後，中國向距離日本不到 160 公里（100 英里）的水域發射了五枚彈道導彈，以顯示武力，令日本對中國在地區野心的擔憂加劇。

該省還提到北朝鮮是對日本的威脅。

預算請求是提供資金, 為大規模生產陸基巡航導彈、即是三菱重工設計的並已在使用的 12 型導彈的增程版本, 以打擊艦船, 及能夠擊中地面目標的新型高速滑翔彈道導彈。

該省還在尋求資金來開發其他發射体，包括高超音速彈頭。

該省沒有給出建議武器的射程，也沒有說明計劃部署多少，但如果部署在日本附近的沖繩西南島鏈沿線，它們很可能能夠射到中國大陸的目標。

日本已經訂購了空射導彈，包括挪威Kongsberg聯合攻擊導彈（JSM）和Lockheed Martin Corp's的聯合空對地防區外導彈（JASSM），射程可達 1,000 公里（620 英里） 。

然而，它與艦載或陸基發射器不同的是，它可以發射的數量, 是受到有多少架飛機可以在空中發射的限制。

該省要求從 4 月 1 日開始的年度支出增加 3.6%，至 5.6 萬億日元（397.8 億美元），但表示在計算新採購計劃的成本後，這一數字將上升。

岸田文雄首相的政府將在年底批准這一增加的要求，屆時還將公佈一項重大的國防戰略改革和新的中期軍事建設計劃。

在俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭後，岸田曾將東亞的安全描述為 “脆弱” ，並承諾 “大幅” 增加國防開支，為日本應對地區衝突做好準備。

他的執政黨自民黨在 7 月份的上議院選舉宣言中承諾在五年內將國防開支翻一番，達到國內生產總值的 2%。

這將使日本成為僅次於主要盟友美國和鄰國中國的世界第三大軍費開支國。

除了增加導彈和其他彈藥的庫存外，日本軍方還希望發展其網絡防禦、電磁戰能力和太空參与。

       So, Japan will develop and mass produce missiles so as to seek the ability to strike more distant targets to meet threats from China and Russia. This represents a clear departure from a decades-long range limit imposed on Japan’s Self Defense Forces. It seems that Asia has become more dangerous and war cloud is gathering there.