Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As

REPORTER: I have a question regarding the summit meeting between China and Taiwan. It has been announced that on November 9, President Xi Jinping of China and President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan will hold their first summit meeting since China and Taiwan split. What is the view of the Government of Japan?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: First of all, Japan considers that the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait are critically important for the region and the world. Japan hopes that the issues concerning Taiwan are solved peacefully through direct dialogue between the parties. That has been Japan’s position to date. In this regard, we will continue to closely follow the developments related to the situation.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: I have a question in connection with the issue of China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea. United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter held talks with the Minister of National Defense of China and communicated U.S. intentions to continue patrol operations around the artificial islands. Can you please share your comments?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The Government of Japan has expressed its support for the U.S. view in regard to this matter. The issues concerning the South China Sea are directly linked to regional peace and stability, and are shared concerns of Japan and the United States as well as the region. We will continue to hold Japan-U.S. joint exercises. We believe that it is vital for Japan and the United States to conduct free navigation for the peace and stability of this region. Therefore, the Government has expressed support for the recent U.S. operations.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: On November 2, local time, the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution that Japan submitted on the elimination of nuclear weapons. The United States, the United Kingdom, and France abstained, while China voted against the resolution. What does the Japanese Government make of the fact that the resolution failed to obtain the support of nuclear states?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: First of all, the Government of Japan sees great significance in the fact that this resolution was adopted with the support of many member states, which numbered 156 countries, on this milestone year of the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings, and furthermore, as tensions rise between nuclear-weapon states and non-nuclear-weapons states, resulting in the failure of the final document’s adoption at the NPT Review Conference in May. However, it is regrettable that of the nuclear-weapon states, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France abstained, and that Russia and China voted against the resolution. Under these circumstances, Japan will continue to make efforts to obtain the understanding and cooperation of both nuclear-weapon states and non-nuclear-weapon states on practical and concrete measures. As the only country to have ever suffered atomic bombings, Japan remains committed to working towards a world free of nuclear weapons.

(Abridged)