Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura

• An overview of the Cabinet meeting
• Promoting of the utilization of Japanese "Kokushu" (local produced Japanese sake and other spirits)
• The Prime Minister's attendance to the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting
• The meeting of the Aging Society Policy Council
• The restraint of budget disbursements
• The establishment of the National Council for Social Security System Reform

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: I have a number of items to report. I will start by giving an overview of the Cabinet meeting. The meeting approved 17 general measures, as well as the promulgation of laws, cabinet orders and personnel decisions. With regard to statements by ministers, Minister Nakagawa made a statement concerning the General Principles Concerning Measures for the Aged Society and also on the implementation of Suicide Prevention Week for fiscal 2012. The Minister of Finance, Minister Furukawa and I, each made statements concerning the execution of the general account budget from September onwards. Deputy Prime Minister Okada made statements concerning the cabinet order on the National Council for Social Security System Reform and on the cabinet order stipulating the date that is stipulated in the cabinet order of Article 13 of the Act to Promote Social Security Reform. The Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications made a statement concerning the report based on the stipulations of Article 106, Paragraph 25.1 of the National Public Service Act. I made a statement concerning the publication of the status of reemployment of national public servants based on the stipulations of Article 106, Paragraph 25.2 of the National Public Service Act. The Prime Minister made a statement concerning acting ministers while ministers in charge are away from Japan on an overseas visit.

In ministerial discussions following the Cabinet meeting, both Minister Furukawa and the Minister of Finance made statements concerning measures to promote the utilization of Japanese "Kokushu" (local produced Japanese sake and other spirits) at government-sponsored events.

Next, I would like to report that Prime Minister Noda is scheduled to attend the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting tomorrow, September 8, and September 9, which will be held in Vladivostok, Russia. At the APEC Summit in Vladivostok this year, it is expected that leaders will engage in frank exchanges of opinions on a wide range of issues, including trade and investment liberalization and regional economic integration, as well as strengthening food security. Furthermore, there are currently plans for Prime Minister Noda and President Putin of Russia to use the opportunity provided by the APEC summit to hold a bilateral summit meeting, with other bilateral meetings with participating leaders also being coordinated at present.

I would also like to report on the meeting of the Aging Society Policy Council, which was held prior to the Cabinet meeting. Following this meeting, the Cabinet approved the new General Principles Concerning Measures for the Aged Society, which represent the Government's mid- to long-term policy to address issues relating to the aged society. The new general principles call for a transition to a societal structure that recognizes that people now live into their nineties, and they also include various measures that aim to respond to the super-aged society of the future, seeking to create a society in which all people can participate, where aged people support society and where the abilities of the young and women are actively put to use. Moving forward all ministries and agencies will work together to promote comprehensive measures for the aged society. For further details, please contact officials in charge of Policies on Cohesive Society at the Cabinet Office.

Also in today's Cabinet meeting the execution of the general account budget from September onwards, which relates to the restraint of budget disbursements, was approved. Given that the end of the current ordinary session of the Diet is scheduled tomorrow, a situation continues in which there is no prospect for the passage of the bill on special provisions concerning issuance of government bonds. Under the current severe fiscal situation it will be impossible to implement fiscal management without the issuance of government bonds and therefore the Government will continue to make every effort to ensure the passage of the bill. At the same time, given the lack of any prospects for the passage of the bill, it is a fact that if budget execution is implemented as is conventionally the case there are concerns that the resources of general account would be exhausted. It is for this reason that it is necessary to delay the execution of budget items to the greatest degree possible in order to also delay the depletion of financial resources. Today's Cabinet decision stipulates a concrete policy regarding budget execution and the Government expects that each ministry and agency will make appropriate efforts in line with this policy. For further details, please direct your questions to the Ministry of Finance.

I have one more item to report. One of the Cabinet decisions made today that I have just mentioned concerns the National Council for Social Security System Reform, provisions about which are set down in the Act to Promote Social Security Reform. One of these is a cabinet order on the national council, and another is a cabinet order on the deadline for the creation of the national council. Both of these orders have been approved in today's Cabinet meeting. The approved deadline for the establishment of the national council is set as August 21, 2013. The Government will make every effort to ensure that the national council can be established as soon as possible, and based on the three-party agreement the three political parties will engage in consultations concerning the composition of the membership of the national council and other matters. Deputy Prime Minister Okada will be providing an explanation about this issue in his press conference this afternoon. Please direct your questions to him.

Q&As

• Bilateral summit meeting on the occasion of APEC

(Abridged)

REPORTER: With regard to the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, some press reports suggest that plans for a formal bilateral meeting between the leaders of Japan and China have been put off and instead the leaders will spend a short time in informal standing talks. Could you tell us the current status of schedule coordination and the reason when a formal bilateral summit meeting has been put off?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: At the current point the Prime Minister is scheduled to hold summit talks with Prime Minister Gillard of Australia, Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, and will also receive a courtesy call from Secretary of State Clinton of the United States. These meetings are in the process of finalization. With regard to summit talks with other economies, arrangements and scheduling is still ongoing. (abridged) With regard to your question about China, as it is a diplomatic matter I will refrain from making any comment, only to say that schedules are currently being coordinated.

(Abridged)