Press Conference by Prime Minister Kishida Regarding His Attendance at the Upcoming Japan-China-Republic of Korea Trilateral Summit Meeting and Other Matters

[Provisional translation]

(On the significance and the aims of the Japan-China-Republic of Korea Trilateral Summit Meeting, which is being held for the first time in four and a half years; on how Prime Minister Kishida will engage with his counterparts at the summit regarding the release of treated water into the ocean, North Korea, and other issues of trilateral concern; on the aims of the summit)

From now I will head to Seoul to attend the Ninth Japan-China-Republic of Korea (ROK) Trilateral Summit Meeting. Four and a half years have passed since our last trilateral meeting. During that time, there have been dramatic changes in both regional affairs and the situation in the wider international community. Against that backdrop, I consider it highly meaningful for the region that the leaders of our three nations, which bear major responsibility for regional peace and prosperity, will meet under the same roof and discuss the direction of trilateral cooperation as well as various challenges related to the region and the international community as a whole. I will engage in candid and straightforward discussions with ROK President Yoon Suk Yeol and Chinese Premier Li Qiang and I hope we will see eye to eye on future-oriented practical cooperation. I will work in cooperation with President Yoon as he chairs this summit so that our ninth trilateral summit produces a successful outcome and leads to the revitalization of our trilateral process.

As for your question about the Japan-China bilateral summit, I have been informed that the bilateral meeting has been set for this evening. Although Premier Li Qiang and I held informal talks in Indonesia last September, this is our first time to have a formal meeting together. I intend to engage in this meeting from a broad perspective, thoroughly confirming our direction of pursuing a mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests and constructive and stable Japan-China relations, as I confirmed with President Xi Jinping during our summit meeting this past November. That is all for now.