Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

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REPORTER: Since the inauguration of the second Abe administration, it has often been said that Japan-U.S. relations have become more robust, including through summit meetings. Discussions on whether it is necessary to further strengthen the Japan-U.S. Alliance and the directions of missile defense policies and security strategy are currently forced to be suspended. How does the Government intend to advance these discussions? Please share your recognition on these points.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: As was also confirmed at yesterday’s Japan-U.S. summit telephone talk, based on the personal relationship of trust between Prime Minister Abe and President Trump, Japan-U.S. relations are more robust than ever before. Continuous efforts are needed to further advance the Japan-U.S. Alliance. I believe that is a matter of course. Regarding the discussions of security policies, at this point in time, I would like to refrain from making any comments that presume when, specifically, a conclusion is to be reached. In any case, in light of the increasingly severe security environment surrounding Japan, the Government will continue to engage in in-depth discussions on this subject, within the scope of the existing Constitution and under an exclusively defense-oriented policy , while also taking into account the discussions of the ruling parties, including the recent proposal  made by the Liberal Democratic Party.

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REPORTER: As part of the policy package that the Prime Minister recently announced, he also touched upon enhancing PCR and antigen test  capacities. What is the current screening capacity in terms of PCR and antigen tests, and by when will the Government reach its target of increasing capacity for antigen tests to 200,000?
 
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: First of all, I understand that efforts are being made to enhance screening capacity and, according to the review results announced by local governments on August 7, the daily capacity is 52,000 for PCR tests, 26,000 for rapid kit  antigen tests, and 8,000 for quantitative  antigen tests. Going forward, the Government aims to secure sufficient screening capacity before the arrival of the seasonal influenza period , in accordance with the new direction for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) countermeasures  that was decided by the Novel Coronavirus Response Headquarters  last week.

REPORTER: You just mentioned that this is to be done by the seasonal influenza period. The numbers you stated are still very far from the target of 200,000. Do you see a realistic prospect of actually securing that amount in time?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: We are currently taking various steps to secure 200,000 tests, including placing orders for equipment and manufacturing the tests.