Press Conference by Prime Minister ISHIBA Shigeru Regarding His Upcoming Visit to Viet Nam and the Philippines

(As Prime Minister Ishiba sets off for Viet Nam and the Philippines as another trip to Southeast Asia, following a trip he made to that region in January this year, on the importance of Southeast Asia for Japan and the aims Prime Minister Ishiba had in mind in selecting those two countries for this visit; and, in the context of China intensifying its maritime expansion in this region, on what concrete outcomes Prime Minister Ishiba is aiming for in the area of security; and, in the context of international economic turmoil in the wake of the tariff measures imposed by the Trump administration, on what kinds of discussions Prime Minister Ishiba wishes to hold with Viet Nam and the Philippines)

In January I visited Malaysia and Indonesia and the prime minister of Lao PDR visited Japan. During my trip this time, I will visit Viet Nam and the Philippines. My reasons for visiting that region are first, that Southeast Asia is the economic growth center of the world, with truly spectacular economic growth in some places. Another reason is that Southeast Asia plays an extremely important role as we work to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, or perhaps I could say it should play such a role, with cooperation between Japan and Southeast Asia being of the utmost significance. My reasoning is grounded in that kind of thinking.

During this visit, in Viet Nam I will have talks with General Secretary Lam, Prime Minister Chinh, and other Vietnamese leaders, and in the Philippines, I plan to meet with President Marcos. For building up our personal relationships of trust, it is of the greatest importance that we talk face to face rather than over the telephone. That being the case, I want to make a meaningful time investment as I speak with my counterparts.

In addition, I plan to exchange views on various bilateral issues and regional and international challenges, and bolster our cooperation. In the South China Sea and East China Sea, China has made unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force, and accordingly, I intend to further strengthen our cooperation with regard to security. Japanese companies have been making investments in both Viet Nam and the Philippines, and at the same time, these countries' industrial structures are becoming increasingly sophisticated. In consideration of this, I also intend to further build up our economic ties.

Moreover, primarily through the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), we will, among other initiatives, work to introduce or expand the use of renewable energies and liquefied natural gas (LNG), while also achieving energy security and decarbonization at the same time. The U.S. tariff measures have dealt a major blow to the economies of both Viet Nam and the Philippines, and in addition there have been major impacts on Japanese companies expanding into these countries. On that account, I intend to give thorough consideration to the views and concerns of Japanese companies operating in these countries and I expect those comments will serve us well as we craft Japan's policies in response to the tariffs imposed by President Trump.

That is all from me.