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

((i) On the results achieved through Prime Minister Ishiba's series of dialogues with his counterparts in Viet Nam and the Philippines, given that, with regard to foreign policy, this trip brought attention to cooperation deepening in both economic and security matters, and that on the economic front, discussions were held between Prime Minister Ishiba and the prime ministers of both Viet Nam and the Philippines regarding the impact of the tariff measures imposed by the U.S.; (ii) also, as a related matter, on what significance this round of visits held as Prime Minister Ishiba further deepens Japan's ties with ASEAN in the future, in consideration of the exceptional importance Mr. Ishiba has placed on cooperation with ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) thus far; (iii) on how Prime Minister Ishiba will position and follow through on the strengthening of cooperation with Viet Nam and the Philippines achieved during this trip in the area of security, in the greater context of him having reaffirmed this strengthening with the leaders of both countries during his visit and ongoing concerns regarding China intensifying its military activities in the South China Sea while the U.S. Trump administration lessens its engagement with Southeast Asia; (iv) on how Prime Minister Ishiba instructed Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization Akazawa to proceed concerning tariffs, as Minister Akazawa today makes another visit to the United States for a second round of tariff negotiations, and on what Prime Minister Ishiba hopes to achieve through these negotiations and what results he expects to emerge; and, (v) in a related area, on Prime Minister Ishiba's views on the Trump administration newly announcing tariff reduction measures on automobile parts just recently)

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This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Pacific War, as well as the 50th year since the Vietnam War ended. Here in this milestone year, one of the aims of this visit I made to Viet Nam and the Philippines was to look back once again on Japan's relations until now with these two countries, and with the countries of Southeast Asia overall. That was also what I had in mind when I visited the memorial [to honor the Japanese war dead] earlier today.

Beyond a doubt, there exist various chapters in history that we have essentially forgotten, but the other side has not. Because of that, this visit has had the objectives of looking back on the past while also discussing, confirming, and further developing how Japan should cooperate with Viet Nam and the Philippines as we move towards the future.

Allow me to summarize this round of visits in three main points. The first is that it was a trip to build personal relationships with my counterparts. In Viet Nam, which has a collective leadership structure, I had discussions at considerable length with four leaders, notably General Secretary To Lam and Prime Minister Chinh.

In particular, Prime Minister Chinh and I had a meeting, then dinner, and then breakfast together, enabling us to have significantly in-depth and thorough discussions, although I will refrain from commenting on the particular topics we discussed. Similarly, yesterday I spoke with President Marcos at quite substantial length, and we talked to each other very candidly.

As I always say, I consider it really critical to build relations in which both sides want to meet again and continue the discussion. I feel I succeeded in building those kinds of relations, and, as it happens, the four Vietnamese leaders I met with, President Marcos, and I are all from the same generation. We were all born in 1957 or 1958, so we have all lived through the exact same era. I was deeply struck by the end of the Vietnam War, which I watched on television, and I believe that living through the same era, talking about the era we share in common, and discussing the future together is tremendously important. In that regard, it was truly meaningful that we built a rich relationship of trust.

The second point is that this was a trip to build up cooperation in the area of security. A unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force is now underway in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. The question is what we should do to bring about a Free and Open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law.

Specifically, we intend to move further forward in putting our cooperative relationships into concrete form, such as in acquisition and cross-servicing agreements (ACSAs), reciprocal access agreements (RAAs), information security, and Official Security Assistance (OSA).

Today, until just a little while ago, aboard the Mine Sweeper Tender (MST) Bungo and the Mine Sweeper Ocean (MSO) Etajima, I was briefed on the various operations conducted by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and listened to a rundown of future developments. Earlier, members of the Japan Coast Guard provided various kinds of training and guidance to members of the Philippine Coast Guard, and those ships were provided by Japan. We aim to firmly establish peace, stability, and the rule of law in this region by engaging in closer cooperation between our Coast Guards and between the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and other countries' navies. This is a truly meaningful development and my second point.

The third key point about this trip is about our response to the tariff measures imposed by the United States. The tit-for-tat exchange of U.S. tariff measures and China's retaliatory measures has had a profound impact on the global economy and the multilateral trading system. Southeast Asia is the growth center of the world, and each country in the region has its own way of thinking, with Viet Nam and the Philippines each having its own particular take on the issue.

Japan has established 1,000 locations nationwide offering consultation services, with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry at the center of those efforts. Japanese companies overseas are also affected by these Trump tariffs to one degree or another, and it was extremely meaningful to listen to companies operating overseas regarding the kinds of impacts they are experiencing, the kinds of concerns they have, and the kinds of responses they want us to take, as we aim to further enhance our response efforts. In order to bolster our industries' sophistication and resilience, Japan will further strengthen its cooperation with both Viet Nam and the Philippines in the future in new fields such as semiconductors, decarbonization, and energy.

I made wholehearted appeals for support for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan in both Viet Nam and the Philippines. President Marcos spoke happily about how he had visited the opening ceremony of the [Osaka] Expo in 1970 at the age of 14 and I urged him by all means to come visit again. The success of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan really transcends any divisions between the ruling and opposition parties, and we look forward to receiving the backing of the entire government, as well as everyone in political and business circles, and everyone in the media as well.

As for Minister Akazawa, we are at the moment still engaged in various preparations for the upcoming talks. In any event, our fundamental stance will not change in the slightest, regardless of what sort of response the U.S. mounts. We are requesting the removal of the tariff measures that were imposed by the U.S. Now, a handful of specific demands from the U.S. side have been appearing here and there in various media reports, but many of those demands have not been confirmed as to what specifically they entail.

We will listen intently to any such points that are raised, but as I always say, this is not a matter of one side winning and the other side losing. I understand that Minister Akazawa will faithfully convey the importance of Japan and the U.S. joining forces to create jobs and, mindful of the broader global context, together harmonizing our respective roles.