柬埔寨受中國資助的運河破土動工，並表示將「不惜一切代價」建造該運河 (2/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Cambodia breaks ground on China-funded canal and says it will be built 'no matter the cost' (2/2)

Sopheng Cheang And Aniruddha Ghosal

Sun, August 4, 2024 at 11:45 p.m. PDT·4 min read

(continue)

The canal will promote “national prestige, the territorial integrity and the development of Cambodia,” Manet said, adding that the country had built bigger and more expensive infrastructure projects before. But this “historic” canal was different and had nationwide support, he said.

“We will build this canal, no matter the cost,” he said.

He emphasized that while the canal would be jointly built by Chinese and Cambodian companies, the latter would have a 51% majority share and thus maintain control. Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol confirmed that the Chinese state-owned construction giant China Road and Bridge Corporation had landed the contract to build the canal.

The U.S.-based nonprofit Stimson Center has warned that the canal would cause “significant transboundary impacts to water availability and agricultural production in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.” The region is where 90% of rice exported from Vietnam is grown.

The Cambodian government has dismissed these concerns.

Earlier in April, Vietnam had asked Cambodia to share information about the canal. “We have asked Cambodia to collaborate closely with Vietnam and the Mekong River Commission in sharing information and assessing the project’s impacts on water resources and ecosystem in the Mekong Delta region."

Cambodia is a key Chinese diplomatic partner, helping dampen criticism of Beijing within the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, several of whose members, including Vietnam, are engaged in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.

China's outsized presence can be seen in the numerous Chinese-funded projects, hotels and casinos dotting the Cambodian landscape. China’s state banks have financed airports, roads and other infrastructure built with Chinese loans. Nearly 40% of Cambodia’s over $11 billion in foreign debt is owed to China.

In June 2022, China and Cambodia broke ground on a naval port expansion project that has raised concerns from the U.S. and others that it could give Beijing a strategically important military outpost on the Gulf of Thailand. Hun Sen in 2019 reportedly granted China the right to set up a military base at the Ream Naval Base. He has long denied that, saying Cambodia’s Constitution prohibits foreign military facilities.

Translation

（繼續）

馬奈表示，這條運河將提升“柬埔寨的國家威望、領土完整和發展”，並補充說該國此前曾建造過規模更大、成本更高的基礎設施項目。但他說，這條「歷史性」運河與眾不同，並得到了全國的支持。

他說:「我們將不惜一切代價建造這條運河」。

他強調，雖然該運河將由中國和柬埔寨公司共同建設，但後者將擁有51%的多數股權，以維持控制權。副總理Sun Chanthol證實，中國國營建築巨頭中國路橋公司已獲得建造該運河的合約。

總部位於美國的非營利組織Stimson Center警告說，這條運河將「對越南湄公河三角洲的水資源供應和農業生產造成重大跨境影響」。越南出口的米90%產自該地區。

柬埔寨政府駁回了這些擔憂。

四月初，越南曾要求柬埔寨分享有關運河的資訊。 “我們已要求柬埔寨與越南和湄公河委員會密切合作，分享資訊並評估該項目對湄公河三角洲地區水資源和生態系統的影響。”

柬埔寨是中國的重要外交夥伴，有助於挫減東南亞國家聯盟十個成員國對北京的批評，包括越南在內的多個成員國與中國在南海存在領土爭端。

中國特大的影響力可以從遍布柬埔寨的眾多中資項目、酒店和賭場中看出。中國國有銀行為用使中國貸款去建造的機場、道路和其他基礎設施提供了資金。柬埔寨超過110億美元的外債中近40%是欠中國的。

2022 年 6 月，中國和柬埔寨一 起為一個軍港擴建計劃破土動工，該計劃引起了美國和其他國家的擔憂，擔心該計劃可能會讓北京在泰國灣擁有一個具有重要戰略意義的軍事前哨基地。據報道，洪森於2019年授予中國在雲朗海軍基地建立軍事基地的權利。他長期以來一直否認這一點，並稱柬埔寨憲法禁止外國軍事設施。

              So, Cambodia despite environmental concerns and the risk of straining ties with neighboring Vietnam will build the Funan Techo canal that connects the capital to the country’s south coast, giving it access to the Gulf of Thailand. Cambodia hopes that the canal will lower the cost of shipping goods to the country's sole deep-sea port, Sihanoukville, and reduce reliance on Vietnamese ports. I am wondering how far this canal will affect Vietnam environmentally and economically.

柬埔寨受中國資助的運河破土動工，並表示將「不惜一切代價」建造該運河 (1/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

Cambodia breaks ground on China-funded canal and says it will be built 'no matter the cost' (1/2)

Sopheng Cheang And Aniruddha Ghosal

Sun, August 4, 2024 at 11:45 p.m. PDT·4 min read

PREK TAKEO, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia broke ground Monday on a controversial, China-funded canal to link the capital Phnom Penh to the sea, despite environmental concerns and the risk of straining ties with neighboring Vietnam.

The $1.7 billion, 180-kilometer (111 miles) Funan Techo canal is planned to connect the country’s capital with Kep province on Cambodia’s south coast, giving it access to the Gulf of Thailand. Cambodia hopes the 100-meter (328 feet)-wide, 5.4-meter (17.7 feet)-deep canal will lower the cost of shipping goods to the country's sole deep-sea port, Sihanoukville, and reduce reliance on Vietnamese ports.

The project highlights the outsized role that China plays in Cambodian politics and economy. Meanwhile, concerns remain about the potential environmental impacts of the canal, especially on the flow of the Mekong River, which feeds millions of people across six countries through its fish and the agriculture that it sustains.

The project has Vietnam worried, both about the effect on its Mekong Delta rice-growing and about Cambodia moving out of its orbit, said Nguyen Khac Giang, an analyst at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

“There is a concern that most of the Cambodian exports might be diverted from the current route, crossing the Vietnamese border to Vietnamese ports and moving away from that to Cambodian ports,” he said.

But Hanoi has expressed its concerns quietly, if at all, Giang said. Given the "complex historical legacy" between Cambodia and Vietnam — despite strong bilateral ties, the two nations have a contentious relationship — Vietnam is reticent to openly criticize Cambodia lest it be seen as impinging on its neighbor's sovereignty, he said.

Analysts say that the infrastructure project is in part an effort by Cambodia’s ruling elite to invigorate support for Hun Manet, who last year took over the wheel of government from his father, Hun Sen, who led Cambodia for 38 years.

The government declared Monday — also Hun Sen’s birthday — a holiday so Cambodians could participate in the “celebration in a joyful, crowded and proud manner.” Thousands of people wearing t-shirts with photographs of the father and son began gathering at the canal site, that was covered in Cambodian flags. Billboards promoting the economic benefits of the canal dominated the countryside.

(to be continued)

Translation

柬埔寨PREK TAKEO（美聯社）— 儘管有環境問題以及與鄰國越南關係緊張的風險，柬埔寨週一破土動工了一條有爭議的、中國資助的運河，該運河將首都金邊與大海連接起來。

耗資 17 億美元、全長 180 公里（111 英里）的 Funan Techo 運河計劃將柬埔寨首都與柬埔寨南海岸的白馬省連接起來，使其能夠通往泰國灣。柬埔寨希望這條寬100公尺（328英尺）、深5.4公尺（17.7英尺）的運河能降低運往該國唯一深海港口西哈努克港的貨物成本，並減少對越南港口的依賴。

該計畫凸顯了中國在柬埔寨政治和經濟中所扮演的巨大角色。同時，人們仍然擔心運河對環境的潛在影響，特別是對湄公河流量的影響，湄公河的流動, 透過漁業和農業養活了六個國家的數百萬人。

新加坡ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute分析師Nguyen Khac Giang表示，該計劃讓越南感到擔憂，既擔心其對湄公河三角洲水稻種植的影響，也擔心柬埔寨脫離其軌道。

他說：“有人擔心，柬埔寨的大部分出口可能會從目前的路線轉移，即由去穿過越南邊境到達越南港口，改為轉移到柬埔寨港口出口。”

但Giang說，河內已經悄悄地表達了自己的擔憂（以任何方式）。他說，鑑於柬埔寨和越南之間「複雜的歷史遺產」- 儘管兩國關係密切，但兩國之間的關係存在爭議 - 越南不願公開批評柬埔寨，以免被視為侵犯鄰國的主權。

分析人士表示，該基礎建設計劃在某種程度上是柬埔寨統治菁英為鼓舞對洪馬奈的支持而做出的努力。洪馬奈由曾領導柬埔寨 38 年的父親洪森接掌政府。

政府宣布週一（也是洪森的生日）為假期，以便柬埔寨人可以「用歡樂、熱鬧和自豪的方式參加慶祝活動」。數千名穿著印有父子照片的 T 恤的人開始聚集在運河現場，運河上覆蓋著柬埔寨國旗。宣傳運河經濟效益的廣告看板遍布鄉間。

（待續）

南海：北京在有爭議的永興島上開設五金店

Recently Yahoo new on-line picked up the following:

South China Sea: Beijing opens hardware store on disputed Woody Island

South China Morning Post

Sat, August 3, 2024 at 2:30 a.m. PDT·3 min read

China has opened a hardware store on a disputed South China Sea island, according to the local government, as Beijing ramps up efforts to expand civilian facilities and cement claims in the strategically important waterway.

Covering an area of about 100 square metres (1,076 square feet), the Xinyi Hardware Store is located on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands, a contested archipelago known in Chinese as the Xisha Islands and in Vietnamese as the Hoang Sa Islands.

The store, situated next to the cargo terminal of the Sansha Yongxing Airport, opened for business on Thursday, according to the government of Sansha city, which oversees the Paracels as well as the Macclesfield Bank and the Spratly Islands - another disputed archipelago known as the Nansha Islands in Chinese.

According to the Sansha government, the store provides "several thousand" products, including electrical items, fire safety equipment, water pipes, door and window accessories and paint.

Wang Hailong, deputy manager of Sansha Tianqin Service Management, which is in charge of civilian services on the island, said the company spent about two months on market research "to understand what kind of hardware is needed by soldiers and civilians on the island and nearby".

Located about 300km (186 miles) from the southern island province of Hainan, Woody Island, known as Yongxing Island in China, is the largest outcrop among the 30 or so islands that make up the Paracels. The archipelago is controlled by Beijing but also claimed by Taipei and Hanoi.

To assert its claims to the resource-rich waters, Beijing in 2012 announced the establishment of Sansha city on Woody Island to administer the disputed South China Sea islands and features.

Since then, Beijing has steadily stepped up efforts to expand both civilian and military facilities on the island, which Chinese media said would become "an unsinkable aircraft carrier in the South China Sea".

In 2017, an Israeli satellite imagery company captured a photo of HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles on Woody Island. Beijing has not confirmed the deployment.

The island has a post office, banks, a meteorological observatory, schools, a library, parks, hospitals and power plants.

It is also home to a civil-military airport on the island, which features a 3,000-metre take-off runway that can accommodate a fully loaded Boeing 737 airliner, and a 5,000-tonne wharf.

According to the latest census, the island had a population of 2,333 as of November 2020.

Infrastructure construction on Woody Island has often sparked protest from rival claimants, particularly Vietnam.

A hotpot restaurant opened on Woody Island in April of last year in a move that drew Hanoi's ire. The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at the time that the country was "working to ensure its sovereignty and jurisdiction over the waters to protect its legitimate rights".

Translation

據當地政府稱，中國在南海一個有爭議的島嶼上開設了一家五金店，北京方面加大力度擴建民用設施，並鞏固對這條具有重要戰略意義的水道的主權主張。

Xinyi 五金店佔地約 100 平方公尺（1,076 平方英尺），它位於 Paracel Islands 群島的永興島上, 是一個有爭議的群島，它中文稱為西沙羣島，越南語稱為黃沙群島。

據負責監管Paracels群島、馬格斯菲爾德淺灘和 Spratly 群島 - 另一個有爭議的群島，中文稱為南沙群島的三沙市政府稱，這家商店位於三沙永興機場貨運航站樓旁，於週四開業。

根據三沙市政府介紹，該商店提供「數千種」產品，包括電器、消防安全設備、水管、門窗配件和油漆。

負責島上民用服務的三沙天勤服務管理公司副經理 Wang Hailong 表示，該公司花了大約兩個月的時間進行市場調查，「了解島上及附近的軍民需要什麼樣的物件」 。

Woody Island 距離中國南部島嶼的海南省約 300 公里（186 英里），在中國被稱為永興島，是Paracel 群島 30 多個島嶼中最大的露出地面的岩石。群島由北京控制，但台北和河內也聲稱擁有主權。

為了維護對這資源豐富水域的主權，北京於 2012 年宣佈在永興島上設立三沙市，以管理有爭議的南中國海島嶼和地物。

此後，北京穩步加大力度擴建島上的民用和軍事設施，中國媒體稱其將成為「南中國海一艘不沉的航空母艦」。

2017年，以色列一家衛星影像公司在永興島上拍攝了HQ-9 地對空飛彈的照片。北京尚未證實這項部署。

島上有郵局、銀行、氣像台、學校、圖書館、公園、醫院和發電廠。

島上還有軍民機場，擁有可起降滿載波音737客機的 3,000 公尺起飛跑道和 5,000 噸級碼頭。

根據最新的人口普查，截至 2020 年 11 月，該島人口為 2,333 人。

永興島的基礎建設經常引發敵對聲索國的抗議，尤其是越南。

去年四月，一家火鍋店在永興島上開業，此舉引起了河內的憤怒。越南外交部當時表示，該國「正在努力確保對該海域的主權和管轄權，以保護其合法權利」。

              So, China has opened a hardware store on a disputed South China Sea Island to ramp up efforts to consolidate claims in this strategically important waterway. I am wondering what could Vietnam do in response to the situation.

A layer of diamonds up to 18 km thick may be hidden beneath Mercury's surface, new research has found

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

厚さ１８キロのダイヤモンドの層、水星の地下に存在する可能性　新研究

2024.08.02 Fri posted at 15:30 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 最大１８キロの厚さのダイヤモンドの層が水星の地表の下に隠れている可能性があることが、新たな研究で分かった。水星は太陽系で最小の惑星で、太陽の最も近くに位置する。

これらのダイヤモンドは、およそ４５億年前に水星が誕生して間もなく形成されたとみられる。水星は、塵（ちり）やガスの渦が高温高圧の環境下で結合して惑星となった。

この時、生まれたばかりの惑星の表面には、深部のマグマの海から浮かび上がった黒鉛で出来た地殻があったと考えられる。

今回研究チームは、実験によってこの環境を再現。使用した機器は通常、極端な圧力をかけた場合の物質の反応を調べるためのものだが、同時に合成ダイヤモンドの製造にも使われる。これによって水星のマントルの深部で想定される高温、高圧の環境を作り出せるという。

研究チームはシリコンやチタン、マグネシウム、アルミニウムを含む合成混合物を黒鉛のカプセルに入れ、初期の水星内部における理論上の組成を再現した。その後、カプセルに地球上の約７０００倍の圧力をかけ、温度も最大２０００度にまで上昇させた。これは数十億年前の水星の地殻付近で発生していた圧力、温度の条件に重なる。

研究者らが溶けたサンプルの化学的組成などを電子顕微鏡で調べたところ、カプセルを形成していた黒鉛はダイヤモンドの結晶に変わっていたという。

水星は太陽系の中で地球に次いで最も密度の高い惑星であり、その内部は巨大な金属の核（コア）が全体の８５％を占める。ベルギーのリエージュ大学の地質学部を統括し、今回の研究結果を報告する論文の共著者でもあるベルナール・シャルリエ氏によれば、水星は月や火星と比較して科学者の間での知見が極めて限られている。ただ他の地球型惑星と異なり、太陽に非常に近いことから酸素量が極端に少なく、それが化学的な組成に影響を与えているという。

米航空宇宙局（ＮＡＳＡ）によるこれまでの調査から、水星は炭素が豊富で、その表面が灰色なのは広範に存在する黒鉛に由来することが分かっている。黒鉛は炭素で形成される。ダイヤモンドもまた純度の高い炭素で出来ており、特定の温度と圧力の下で作られる。

過去のデータで確認されていた水星における硫黄の存在もまた、今回実験を行う上での重要な知見となった。地球の条件と異なり、硫黄が豊富な水星の環境を再現した実験では、硫黄を含まない場合よりもサンプルの融点が下がった。シャルリエ氏によれば、高圧に対して比較的低温という条件は、安定的なダイヤモンドの形成にとって好ましいものだという。

研究論文では、上記の二つの要因から水星でダイヤモンドが形成される可能性があると結論する。

ダイヤモンドの層の厚さについて、研究では１５～１８キロとしているが、これはあくまでも推測に過ぎないとシャルリエ氏は警告する。水星の核が依然として冷え続けるのに伴って、ダイヤモンドの形成は今なお続いているからというのがその理由だ。

それらのダイヤモンドは採掘できるのかという疑問に対し、同氏は将来技術が進歩しても不可能だろうとの見方を示す。ダイヤモンドが埋まっているのは深さ約５００キロの地点だからだ。

それでも、地球で起きている現象から類推するなら、水星でも地下深くのマントルが溶けて発生した溶岩の一部が地表に上昇する際、ダイヤモンドを運んでくると考えるのは合理的だとシャルリエ氏は指摘する。

Translation

  (CNN) A layer of diamonds up to 18 km thick might be hidden beneath the surface of Mercury, the smallest planet in the solar system and the closest to the sun.

These diamonds were thought to have been formed shortly after Mercury was born about 4.5 billion years ago. Mercury was formed when vortices of dust and gas combined under high temperature and pressure to form a planet.

At that time, the surface of the newborn planet was thought to have had a crust made of graphite that rose from an ocean of magma deep down below.

This time the research team through experiments recreated the environment. The equipment used was usually used to study how materials react when subjected to extreme pressure, but it was also used to produce synthetic diamonds. This would allow them to create the high temperature and high pressure conditions expected deep in Mercury's mantle.

The team put a synthetic mixture containing silicon, titanium, magnesium, and aluminum into a graphite capsule to recreate the theoretical composition of the interior of early Mercury. They then subjected the capsule to pressures about 7,000 times that of Earth and increased the temperature to a maximum of 2,000 degrees. This corresponded to pressure and temperature conditions that existed near Mercury's crust billions of years ago.

When the researchers examined the chemical composition of the molten samples using an electron microscope, they found that the graphite that formed the capsule had turned into diamond crystals.

Mercury was the second densest planet in the solar system after Earth, and its interior was made up of a huge metal core that made up 85% of its total volume. According to Bernard Charlier, head of the geology department at the University of Liège in Belgium and co-author of the paper reporting the results of this research, scientists had very limited knowledge of Mercury compared to the Moon and Mars. However, unlike other terrestrial planets, Mercury's close proximity to the Sun could mean that the amount of oxygen would be extremely low, which might affect the planet’s chemical composition.

The studies by NASA so far had shown that Mercury would be rich in carbon, and that its grey surface was due to the widespread presence of graphite. Graphite was formed from carbon. Diamonds were also made of pure carbon and were formed under certain temperatures and pressures.

The presence of sulfur on Mercury, confirmed by previous data, was also an important finding for the current experiment. Unlike conditions on Earth, experiments that replicated Mercury's sulfur-rich environment lowered the melting point of samples compared to the environment without sulfur. According to Charlier, with the high pressure, the relatively low temperature was favorable for the formation of stable diamonds.

The paper concluded that these two factors made it possible for diamond to form on Mercury.

The study estimated that the diamond layer would be 15 to 18 kilometers thick, but Charlier warned that this was merely a guess. This was because diamonds were still forming as Mercury's core continued to cool.

When asked whether these diamonds could ever be mined, Charlier said it would be impossible even with future technological advances, since they were buried at a depth of about 500 kilometers.

However, Charlier noted that, based on what was happening on Earth, it would be reasonable to assume that on Mercury, when the mantle deep underground melted and some of the lava rose to the surface, diamonds too could be brought along.

              So, according to research, a layer of diamond up to 18 km thick may be hidden beneath the surface of Mercury, estimating that this diamond layer would be 15 to 18 kilometers thick and at a depth of about 500 kilometers. It is reasonable to assume that some diamond may be brought up to the surface as lava rises to the surface. I am wondering will this research attract human to explore the possibility in obtaining diamond from Mercury.

印度提供3億美元貸款以加強越南海上安全，稱它為重要合作夥伴

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

India offers $300 million loan to build up Vietnam's maritime security, saying it is a key partner

Ashok Sharma

Thu, August 1, 2024 at 3:05 a.m. PDT·2 min read

NEW DELHI (AP) — India on Thursday offered a $300 million loan to build up Vietnam’s maritime security, as the two sides said they want to double their trade and investment within five years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh that India considers Vietnam a key pillar of its policy toward Southeast Asian nations and an important partner in its Indo-Pacific vision.

After their talks, Chinh told reporters the world faces fierce security challenges but there are opportunities for cooperation.

"The Asia Indo-Pacific region is a locomotive for growth, but it is also where major politics is taking place fiercely," he said. "We need an approach and methodology that is global and upholding multilateralism."

The prime ministers said both sides wanted to further their cooperation in defense and other areas such as semiconductor and green technology, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and climate action.

Modi and Chinh virtually inaugurated the “Army Software Park” in Vietnam, an educational facility set up with India's help to train Vietnamese soldiers in digital skills.

Bilateral trade between the two countries in 2022 grew 27% and reached $14.14 billion. Indian exports to Vietnam touched $6.7 billion, while Indian imports from Vietnam amounted to $7.44 billion in the same period, India's Ministry of External Affairs said.

Indian exports to Vietnam include iron and steel, cotton, cereals, meat and fishery products, electrical machinery and equipment, automobile parts, cement, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

India’s import basket from Vietnam mainly includes electrical and electronic equipment, inorganic chemicals, machinery and mechanical appliances, copper and rubber, coffee and tea, spices, iron and steel.

India’s investments in Vietnam are estimated at around $1.9 billion in energy, mineral exploration, agriculture, information technology and other areas, according to the country's External Affairs Ministry.

Vietnam has invested over $28.55 million in India, mainly in pharmaceuticals, information technology, chemicals, and building materials.

Translation

新德里（美聯社）— 正當印度和越南雙方表示希望在五年內將貿易和投資翻倍之際, 印度週四提供越南了3億美元的貸款，以加強越南的海上安全。

莫迪總理向來訪的越南總理范明正(Pham Minh Chinh)表示，印度認為越南是其對東南亞國家政策的關鍵支柱，也是其印太願景的重要夥伴。

會談後，Chinh 對記者表示，世界面臨嚴峻的安全挑戰，但也存在合作機會。

他說：“亞洲印太地區是增長的火車頭，但也是主要政治激烈發生的地方” ; “我們需要一種全球性的、維護多邊主義的處理方針和方法。”

兩國總理表示，雙方希望進一步加強在國防以及半導體和綠色技術、人工智能、雲端運算和氣候行動等其他領域的合作。

莫迪和 Chinh 為越南虛擬的「陸軍軟件園」揭幕，這是一個在印度幫助下建立的教育設施，用於培訓越南士兵的電子化技能。

2022年兩國雙邊貿易成長27%，達141. 4億美元。印度外交部稱，同期印度對越南的出口額達 67 億美元，而印度從越南的進口額達 74.4 億美元。

印度對越南的出口包括鋼鐵、棉花、穀物、肉類和漁業產品、電氣機械和設備、汽車零件、水泥、化學品和藥品。

印度從越南的進口組合主要包括電氣和電子設備、無機化學品、機器和機械工具、銅和橡膠、咖啡和茶、香料、鋼鐵。

據印度外交部稱，印度在越南的投資估計約為 19 億美元，涉及能源、礦產勘探、農業、資訊技術和其他領域。

越南對印度投資超過2,855萬美元，主要投資領域為醫藥、資訊科技、化工、建材等。

So, India has offered a $300 million loan to build up Vietnam’s maritime security, as the two sides want to double their trade and investment. India considers Vietnam a key pillar of its policy toward Southeast Asian nations and an important partner in its Indo-Pacific vision. It seems that Vietnam is having good relationship with all major countries, at least on the face of it, from China, the US, Russia to Japan. China is Vietnam's indispensable ally as both are practicing Communism, but Vietnam and China have sovereignty issues in the South China Sea, and is wary of any coercive actions by this powerful neighbor. Therefore, in terms of national sovereignty, Vietnam needs the United States to contain China's actions in the region to safeguard its sovereignty in the South China Sea.

To strengthen new drug development capabilities, Prime Minister: "To create more than 10 companies with a value of over 10 billion yen"

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

新薬開発力強化へ 首相“価値100億円以上の企業 10社以上に”

2024年7月30日 19時12分

政府は国内での新薬の開発力を強化するため、国内外の製薬企業などから意見を聞く会合を開き、岸田総理大臣は、新薬開発に関わるスタートアップ企業への投資を増やし、価値が100億円以上の企業を2028年までに10社以上生み出すことを目指す方針を表明しました。

政府は、新型コロナの感染拡大時にワクチンや治療薬開発で海外に後れをとったことなどを踏まえ、新薬の開発力を強化したいとしていて、30日、総理大臣官邸で国内外の大手製薬会社や、研究機関、患者団体など関係者から意見を聞く「創薬エコシステムサミット」と名付けた会合を開催しました。

この中で、岸田総理大臣は「医薬品産業を成長産業と位置づけ、必要な予算を確保し、国内外から優れた人材や資金を集結させることで、日本を世界の人々に貢献できる『創薬の地』としていく」と述べました。

そして、2028年までに新薬開発に関わるスタートアップ企業への民間投資額を2倍に増やし、価値が100億円以上の企業を10社以上生み出すことを目指す方針を表明しました。

政府は、海外の企業とも連携して治験を行える国内拠点の整備や、海外で使われている小児用や難病などの薬が国内で使えない「ドラッグ・ロス」の解消にも取り組むことにしていて、会合では官民の連携に向けて、来年度、新たな協議会を創設する方針も確認しました。

 

日本の創薬の現状は

厚生労働省によりますと、世界の医薬品市場に占める日本発の医薬品の売上高は、年々減少傾向にあり、2014年には1割を切ったほか、新型コロナの感染拡大時にはワクチンや治療薬の開発で海外に遅れをとりました。

また、海外で承認されている薬が国内で使えない「ドラッグ・ロス」も問題となっていて、小児用や難病などの薬86品目で、患者が少ないためにデータが取りにくかったり、採算性が低かったりすることを理由に、国内での治験が行われていないということです。

このため、ことし5月に政府の有識者らによる会議がまとめた新たな戦略では、国による人材育成や研究への支援の強化に加え、治験の環境整備や、規制のあり方の見直しなど、国内外から人材や資金を呼び込むための仕組みを構築する必要性が指摘されました。

今回のサミットはこれを受けて開催されたもので、政府は海外の製薬企業などから国内での事業展開や、投資に当たっての障壁を聞き取るほか、日本で進められている研究の情報を提供するなどして、日本を世界に肩を並べる「創薬の地」とすることを目指すとしています。

Translation

In order to strengthen domestic new drug development capabilities, the government held a meeting to hear opinions from domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies, and Prime Minister Kishida announced a policy to increase investment in startup companies involved in new drug development and aimed to create by 2028 more than 10 companies with a value of over 10 billion yen.

In light of the fact that Japan fell behind other countries in vaccine and treatment development during the spread of COVID-19, the government wanted to strengthen new drug development capabilities, and on the 30th, a meeting called the "Drug Discovery Ecosystem Summit" was held at the Prime Minister's Office to hear opinions from major domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies, research institutes, patient groups, and other related parties.

In this meeting, Prime Minister Kishida said, "We will position the pharmaceutical industry as a growth industry, secure the necessary budget, and bring together excellent human resources and funds from both within and outside Japan, making Japan a 'drug discovery center' that can contribute to the people of the world."

Also, the government announced a policy to double private investment in startup companies involved in new drug development by 2028, aiming to create more than 10 companies with a value of over 10 billion yen.

The government also planned to work with overseas companies to develop domestic bases for clinical trials and to eliminate "drug loss," where drugs used overseas for pediatric use or for intractable diseases could not be used in Japan. At the meeting, the government also confirmed its intention to establish a new council next year to promote public-private collaboration.

The current state of new drugs development in Japan

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, sales of pharmaceuticals originating in Japan in the global pharmaceutical market had been declining year by year, falling below 10% in 2014, and at the time of the spread of the new corona infection, Japan lagged behind overseas in the development of vaccines and therapeutic drugs.

In addition, "drug loss," where drugs approved overseas could not be used in Japan, was also a problem, and 86 drugs for pediatric use or intractable diseases were not undergoing clinical trials in Japan because of the difficulty in collecting data due to the small number of patients and low profit.

For this reason, a new strategy compiled by a government panel of experts in May pointed out the need for the government to strengthen support for human resource development and research, as well as to create mechanisms to attract talent and funding from both within and outside of Japan, such as improving the environment for clinical trials and reviewing regulations.

This summit was held in response to the above, and the government aimed to make Japan a " drugs development hub" that would stand shoulder to shoulder with the world by listening to overseas pharmaceutical companies and others about the barriers they faced in expanding their business and investing in Japan, as well as providing them with information on research being conducted in Japan.

              So, sales of pharmaceuticals originating in Japan in the global pharmaceutical market fell below 10% in 2014. In order to strengthen domestic new drug development capabilities, Japan announced a policy to increase investment in new drug development with an aim to create by 2028 more than 10 companies with a value of over 10 billion yen each. All along Japan has been good at providing heath care services.