Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As

REPORTER: I have a question about President Trump’s State of the Union address. On January 30, local time, President Trump gave his first State of the Union address to Congress. In his address he stated that the United States’ policy is to continue to place maximum pressure on North Korea. Can I ask for a comment from the Government on President Trump’s address?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Firstly, in the evening of January 30, U.S. Eastern Time, President Trump delivered his State of the Union address. In the address, President Trump emphasized the achievements of his administration, including the tax reforms. He also called for the people of the United States to come together and stated his determination to build a safe, strong and proud America by rebuilding infrastructure, implementing immigration reforms, and strengthening the U.S. military. The President also stressed the need to place maximum pressure on North Korea in order to prevent North Korea from threatening the security of the United States by its nuclear and missile development, while referring to the appalling human rights situation in North Korea. Japan highly appreciates this strong message from President Trump to strengthen pressure on North Korea, while North Korea remains continuing its nuclear and missile development. We will continue to engage in Japan-U.S. and Japan-U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) cooperation, while also cooperating with other countries concerned, such as China and Russia, to place maximum pressure on North Korea to make it change its policies.

REPORTER: In his address, President Trump referred to trade policy, noting that he would aim to “fix bad trade deals and negotiate new ones.” This could be taken as a reference to his desire to renegotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), so how does the Government evaluate the U.S. stance on this point?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: In any event, Japan will continue to surely engage in various exchanges of views through forums such as the Japan-U.S. economic dialogue, discussing matters of concern to both countries in trade and investment and exploring possibilities for bilateral cooperation in individual areas.