U.S.-China tensions threaten the island of Okinawa

1 big thing

Axios

News

4 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 21 July 2023

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

U.S.-China tensions are at an all-time high and as relations deteriorate, the Japanese island of Okinawa is afraid of getting in the crosshairs. We take a closer look on how the geopolitical tensions are affecting the island. Plus, why the gender pay gap is shrinking. And, a new line of fashion dolls celebrates Latinas in America. Guests: Axios' Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, Emily Peck and Marina E. Franco. Credits: Axios Today is produced by Felix Salmon, Alexandra Botti, Fonda Mwangi, Lydia McMullen-Laird and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected]. You can text questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893. Go deeper: The Japanese island of Okinawa is caught in the middle of U.S.-China tensions Gender pay gap now the narrowest on record New Latina dolls to hit stores as companies diversify toys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Good morning and welcome to Axios Today, it's Friday, July 21st.
0:09.2	I'm Felix Salmon in Vanilla Boudou, today on the show, why the gender pay gap is shrinking.
0:16.1	Plus, a new line of barbiesk dolls celebrates the tinnus in America.
0:21.4	But first, U.S.-China tensions stoke fears on the island of Okinawa.
0:26.9	That's today's one big thing.
0:33.2	This week, Chinese defense minister Li Shangfu said that U.S.-China relations are at their lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic relations.
0:42.2	That's according to a statement released after a meeting with the man who helped to establish those diplomatic ties in the first place,
0:48.4	Centenary and Henry Kissinger, who was Secretary of State during the Nixon administration.
0:53.5	As relations deteriorate, one place fears it will get caught in the middle, the Japanese island of Okinawa.
1:00.3	For this week's politics state of play, a special Axios investigation, funded by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting,
1:07.5	into how geopolitical tension between China and the U.S. is stoking fears in Okinawa.
1:13.4	The tiny island is home to more than 70% of U.S. military facilities in Japan, and the U.S. has been there since World War II.
1:21.4	The Biden administration justifies its presence on Okinawa as a strategic protection of democracy in the region,
1:27.8	but Okinawans have long been using their democratic right to protest the American military bases on the island.
1:34.9	Axios-China reporter Bethany Allen Ibrahimian spoke with Yoshio Yonamune, a 69-year-old anti-base activist in Okinawa resident.
1:43.9	Didn't they say breaking back from the situation?
1:47.7	Yoshio Yonamune is talking about fears Okinawa will again be the front line in a battle between superpowers,
1:53.8	and Bethany told us what makes this island and the Pacific so important into the U.S. strategy in Asia.
2:00.2	It's location is what is so crucial.
2:03.4	It's just about an hour's flight east of Taiwan, is right in between China and Japan,
2:10.4	about halfway. And so that means that in the case of a conflict over Taiwan between the US
2:17.4	and China, the US military facilities there would likely serve a key role in any military conflict.
	...

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