welcome to nhk world "newsline." japanese government officials are looking to their counterparts in china to help contain north korea and punish it. a senior diplomat has travelled to beijing for discussions. north korean authorities conducted an underground nuclear test last week, and they're threatening more action. the head of the foreign affairs will head to china. japanese diplomats say he'll call on the chinese to help adopt a new u.n. security council resolution, authorizing more sanctions against north korea. he's also expected to ask to persuade north korean

authorities not to conduct anymore nuclear or missile tests. the problem is chinese leaders urge their allies to hold off on the test, but president north koreans did it anyway. now some people in china want their government to rethink their relationship. here's more from beijing. >> reporter: north korea conducted the nuclear test while people in china were celebrating the lunar new year. a spokesperson for china's foreign ministry criticized the action. >> translator: we have released a strong statement regarding north korea's nuclear test. we have made it clear that china is resolutely opposed to this kind of action. >> reporter: this footage was shot in a city in northeast china. people can be seen strolling and going about their business across the border in north korea. the close proximity of the two countries raises concerns in china that its neighbor's nuclear program could undermine security. xi jinping has opposed the nuclear tests. he discussed peace and security on the korean peninsula with a

special envoy from south korea. he said china continues to maintain that eliminating nuclear arms and prevents perforations of mass weapons. >> translator: china should be tougher on north korea. nuclear weapons are deadly. i think we should solve this problem by imposing diplomatic sanctions. >> translator: china is too lenient on north korea. our national security and interests are at stake. we should stand more firmly

against the north koreans. >> reporter: but many of china's newspapers took relatively cautious positions on the issue. one called for tightening sanctions against the north. china has not shared close ties with its neighbor, but now that china has achieved the world's second largest gdp, it's got priorities to maintain steady economic growth. tensions created by north korea's nuclear program could threaten that goal. >> we spoke with our reporter in beijing and asked how china is reacting. >> chinese officials seem stunned and bitter.

a chinese expert on security issues explains. >> translator: right up to the last moment, china's foreign ministry had tried to talk the north out of the test. north korea's action amounts to a diplomatic challenge against china. china has lost face diplomatically. it's an extremely troubling incident for chinese officials. >> there is only so much china

can do to influence what north korea decides, but china can still have some influence with its exports and food aid. for instance, after taking into account international reaction, china could cut energy supplies and limit trade. this would result with provocative pressure against the north. but harsher sanctions are believed to be a long way off. he's the professor again. >> translator: it's the north korean people who would have to pay the price for sanctions. spring will soon arrive in north korea. it will be an off-crop season, and the supply of crude oil will be tight, so china will carefully study what sanctions to take. >> chinese officials want to avoid driving the north korean regime into a corner. that would result in the country's collapse. they fear that would cause a massive number of north koreans

to pour into the northeast. the result would be chaos. the chinese are seeking a negotiated settlement to the north korea nuclear program through the six-party talks. the chinese are long-time allies of north korea. they also share the talks. china will try to bring a peaceful settlement to the nuclear program.

people across japan have seen the picture of the smog that's covered beijing. they've heard suggestions that pollution is headed their way. some people aren't waiting to prepare for the worst. more from nhk world. >> reporter: residents of tokyo opened their doors to find something obscuring their view. turned out to be snow. still, they are worried about something else in the air. >> translator: i'm scared of the fact that it's difficult to protect myself. >> translator: i hear that it's much smaller than pollen and could go inside my body. so i'm very concerned. >> reporter: people across china have returned home after the new year. their cars are pumping out fumes

of exhaust and factories are spewing their own emissions. chinese authorities are warning about fine particles in the air. they say the levels will likely increase in some areas later this week. people across japan fear all the pollution is making its way here. many are picking up appliances to clean the air they breathe. like this electronic store in tokyo, people usually buy air cleaners for hay fever but air pollution is giving customers another reason to look at them. >> translator: we've been receiving lot was calls from

customers asking which air cleaner model can deal with the fine particles. >> reporter: air cleaner sales are up 30% this month compared to the same period last year. others have their own interests in the appliances. executives from a south korean appliance company paid a visit to a japanese manufacturer. japanese workers produce an air cleaner that generates static electricity that can absorb even fine particles. >> translator: we haven't achieved this level of technology, high performance equipment is in hot demand in south korea, so we would like to introduce it. >> translator: people are getting more nervous, not just in japan but also in china and south korea. a number of inquiries we're getting from those countries have been increasing. >> reporter: official from the japanese environment ministry are working on early warning system. they collect data from around the country every warning and issue warnings if necessary.

>> translator: the public's concern is growing. the ministry will deal with the issue properly. >> reporter: ministry officials plan to introduce guidelines by the end of the month to try to prevent any related health problems. they say they want to be prepared for whatever comes. japan posted a record trade deficit with china, due to strained bilateral relations and a slowing economy. it is just about double the amount of 2011 the shortfall topped the previous record set in 2005. exports to china amounted to $145 billion, down more than 10% from the previous year. the first drop in three years, falling exports of cars and machinery were the main factors. imports rose roughly $190 billion, attributed to smartphones and meat. fewer visitors came to japan in january. the number dropped for the first time in 11 months. people in japan's northern most island say they don't want a nuclear plant near them. they asked the government to stop building the facility. electric power development company is constructing the plant in oma.

the town is 23 kilometers by sea from hokkaido. work was stopped after the 2011 quake. it was resumed in 2012. cities submitted their request to the central government. >> translator: i don't think there's any need for the construction to go forward. >> the mayor also said people are worried about the safety of the plant because it's just across the water. city officials say they are considering filing a lawsuit to demand a stop to the construction. japanese companies are teaming up to take part in an off shore development project. they sent up a joint group to build a huge oil rig. the group includes five machinery makers and shipbuilders. >> translator: we have established this group hoping to

provide a place where enthusiastic engineers from various companies can come and work together. i hope they will pool their knowledge and ideas and help develop the technology that we need. >> well, as a first step, the group will develop technology for building a facility called the logistic hub off the coast of rio de janeiro. that's where the brazilian government's $100 billion oil development project is under way. this oil field is located some 2,000 meters under the sea and several hundred kilometers offshore. they're hoping to build a rig the size of three soccer fields combined. it would be equipped with living quarters for 200 workers and big storage facilities for equipment. the development of seabed resources is in progress around the world on the back of strong economic growth in emerging countries. already companies in south korea, china, and other countries are participating in overseas offshore oil development projects. this is the first joint effort by japanese companies to win a

contract for such a project. shocking reports have emerged about the voyage of a group of asylum seekers whose boat was rescued off slri lanka. we have more details from bangkok. >> almost 100 people died during the two month ordeal from starvation and dehydration. survivors said there were muslims from near the border between myanmar and bangladesh. the boat was found drifting in waters off of sri lanka. survivors appeared weak and thin. others in the group were not so fortunate. a police spokesperson told reuters the captain and 90 others died. their bodies were thrown into the sea. the group reportedly set off with one month supply of food and water but they were adrift for double that time after the

ship's engine failed. survivors said they were hoping to reach indonesia or australia. they identify themselves as muslims. the united nations has estimated that some 800,000 refugees were living in myanmar.

refugees from myanmar are living in thailand. they cross the border to free persecution by the former military regime. the japanese government last month decided to provide vocational training for refugees. about $100,000 have been earmarked for the program. this is april camp for myanmar refugees on the thai border. they have high hopes for their country's democratic reforms. maintenance for agricultural machines and computer skills are two of the subjects. the goal is to help refugees lead independent lives after they return to myanmar. machine maintenance training began on monday. a group of refugees learned how to handle small engines used in tractors and other machineries. the 14 trainees come from seven different refugee camps in thailand. they have been instructed to

pass on their knowledge to others living in the tents. >> translator: the skills i learned will help me in the future. i want to pass on what i acquired to other refugees. >> translator: people who lived for so long in refugee camps may finally get the chance to return to their homeland. the japanese government decided to fund the job training scheme, so refugees will be better equipped for their life back in myanmar. >> reporter: the japanese government hopes the training project will enable refugees going home with less discouragement and for the refugees the lessons they learn will help them contribute to society when finally they can return. a plan for the first cross border high-speed railway in southeast asia has been officially unveiled.

it will connect singapore to malaysia's capital city in 19 minutes. competition to win orders for construction will be fierce. >> it's going to be a game changer. it will transform the way people interact, the intensity of our cooperation and the degree to which we become interdependent on each other and have stakes on each other's success. >> our two countries will look at each other differently and the opportunities are boundless between our two countries. >> singapore's prime minister and his counter part announced a plan on tuesday. japanese firms would likely step up efforts to win the contract but will have to compete against

rivals from germany, south korea and china. that wraps up our bulletin. home remains a dangerous place in afghanistan. nearly 3,000 civilians died last year because of armed conflict and terror attacks. there is a decrease of 377 from 2011. it marks the first decline since u.n. officials began to survey six years ago. they attribute the drop to few irsuicide bombings and a decline in aerial attacks. about 80% of victims died in attacks by the taliban and other insurgents including roadside bombings. attacks by multinational forces or afghan security troops were

responsible for 316 deaths or about 11% of the total. western and arab nations are leading donors to palestinians. but due to the current economic down turn, the present level of economic assistance is insufficient to meet needs. palestinians are turning to asia to gain knowledge and experience from the region which will lead to economic growth. we explain. >> reporter: these people in the gaza strip are jubilant after being provided new homes. saudi arabia finances the construction. nearly half of the 4.3 million residents in palestine are refugees. they lost their land and homes through the establishment of

israel and during arab/israeli wars. many nations have provided money through u.n. organizations of those in difficulty. assistance was built schools and hospitals. palestinians want to change their dependence on foreign aid. last year, the u.n. general assembly upgraded palestine's status to nonmember state. this has motivated residents to try and stand on their own, even under israeli occupation. the spotlight has shifted to the experience in technology from emerging nations in asia, which have achieved economic growth after winning independence. >> money is important. but what's more important is

education and knowledge, and we need to know how you have done that, and we need them to share their experience. >> reporter: this farmer in the west bank crushes date palm leaves that grow in abundance in palestine. the leaves once had no use. >> translator: we just burnt them and threw them away before. >> reporter: but now he ferments them to feed cattle. he learned the mess method last year from experts who joined a study program in malaysia. japan recently provided the know how to the country in the 1990s.

it now costs the farmer almost nothing to feed his cattle. he no longer buys expensive feed. he says that his sheep produce more milk and better quality meat. >> translator: it's important to learn from experience, as well as to receive financial support, experience creates more income. >> reporter: officials are holding training courses for palestinians and the japanese government supports efforts of countries that it happened in the past as it assists other nations in need. this man is a consultant assisting palestinians. >> reporter: providing technology rather than goods and

developing human relations are very important. japan is good at this type of assistance, rewarding and gives us a great sense of achievement. >> reporter: still, the israeli occupation still cast as a shadow. israel imposes restrictions on construction involving palestinians. assistance from asia still faces many hurdles to clear. but these barriers may turn into a path that lead palestinian to stand on their own feet once again. wohei tsuji, west bank, gaza strip. many expected rain, but lower temperatures led to snow in tokyo. rachel ferguson has more on what to expect in japan and the rest of the world. rachel. >> snow showers certainly going to be a thing of the past as we head into wednesday. the system bringing showers pulling the way toward the east. however, much more significant snowfall will be coming to you in tohoku and hokkaido. as much as 40 centimeters in the next 24 hours.

millimeters of additional rainfall. you are seeing that in the red. temperatures, 21 in taipei. 6 in shanghai. started to warm up a little bit in eastern china.

tokyo, 9 degrees and seoul, fighting to get above the freezing mark there. okay. on to the americas we go. a low pressure system moving down along the pacific coast, and it's going to be bringing some snow to you in the four corners, travel inland, and see 30 centimeters on the upper elevation. another snowstorm over the great lakes region and pushing on there ontario into quebec. this one also very, very strong winds. you could see significant snow. but it will be starting to settle down. i might add it heads further to the northeast. you will be seeing snow in new england and quebec as well. it is going to be quieting down a little bit in intensity there.

you will notice some temperatures feeling very intense indeed. especially in the northern plains and the upper midwest. chicago, minus 6 is the high. and minus 23 in winnipeg. up to 8 degrees today, we expect to see that fall once again as the system comes in. on we go into europe, and it's quite a quiet day for you in the british isles and france. down to the south of iberia, weakens off to the east. another round of precipitation by thursday. snow across poland and germany, fairly light. 5 centimeters, but quite widespread. a slightly more aggressive system from the balkans to turkey. that will bring you snow and thunderstorms. here are your temperatures on your wednesday. minus 2 in stockholm. minus 7 in moscow. and freezing point in moscow and kiev. and here is your extended forecast.

back in 30 minutes with more of the latest. i'm gene otani in tokyo. from all of us here at nhk world, thank you for joining us.