Prime Minister Naoto Kan held the tenth meeting of the Council on the Realization of the New Growth Strategy at the Prime Minister's Office.

Discussion took place on the strategy to prevent the hollowing-out of industries and to develop overseas markets, among other matters.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address, "There are concerns that unless we are careful, harmful rumors in the wake of this earthquake disaster could damage Japan's hard-won trust abroad. This may then result in the hollowing-out of industries.
On the other hand, the temporary suspension of the supply chain due to the disaster renewed our awareness that the countries and regions around the world rely on Japan-made parts and components in producing a wide range of products. This showed that Japan can more than fully compete in the world if we work hard at developing original technologies that are high quality and have a competitive edge.
Although there are a number of challenges at hand, including the limitations of the electric power supply, by all means I would like to have a direction hammered out through discussion in this Council for Japan to break through these challenges and achieve growth by bolstering competitiveness as a supplier of a variety of products to the world."