Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As
 
REPORTER: I have a question about the Japan-U.S. summit telephone talk that was held last night. It is said that the two leaders were in complete agreement on the need to maintain pressure on North Korea. Could you tell us about the purpose of the telephone talk last night, its outcomes, and also what message they wished to send to the Republic of Korea (ROK) and North Korea?
 
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Firstly, in the summit telephone talk, the leaders engaged in a candid exchange of views for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. The talk was extremely significant as the leaders shared their recognition on the situation in North Korea, engaged in discussions on steps toward the denuclearization of North Korea, and confirmed that the Japan-U.S. Alliance is unwavering.
 
REPORTER: What sort of message did this summit telephone talk seek to send out to the ROK and North Korea?
 
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: During the talk, the two leaders confirmed the Japan-U.S. Alliance is extremely robust, and also that they will continue to place maximum pressure on North Korea, which continues to pursue nuclear and missile development. It was also confirmed that it would not be possible to engage in meaningful dialogue with North Korea without the premise of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization. In that sense, the meeting was good as the two leaders sent such a message.
 
REPORTER: I have a related question. According to the U.S. media, President Trump stated that he had gained Prime Minister Abe’s agreement to expand Japanese investment in the United States, following the summit telephone talk last night. Does the Government share the same understanding?
 
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Firstly, during the telephone talk last night, the leaders shared the recognition on economic relations that productive dialogue is taking place between Deputy Prime Minister Aso and Vice President Pence, that, over the past year since the inauguration of the Trump administration, Japanese companies have announced investment that will create 25,000 new jobs in the United States, and that it is hoped that investments by Japanese companies will further increase as a result of the Trump Administration’s tax reforms. These were the views shared in the telephone talk. I would like to refrain from going into further details about what was discussed.
 
(Abridged)