Nov 20 (NHK) - Japan's Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has expressed his eagerness to develop cooperation with China and other nations after a series of summit meetings in South America.
Ishiba held a news conference in Brazil after attending the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Peru and the Group of 20 summit in Brazil.
He spoke about one-on-one summits he had with the US, South Korean and Chinese leaders on the sidelines of the APEC forum. He said he had candid discussions with them and took the opportunities to build and deepen personal relations.
Ishiba said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping found themselves on the same page in discussions.
He said Japan will work together with China to promote frequent bilateral communication and visits at all levels, including the summit level. He expressed his hope that such efforts will help reduce challenges and pending issues and will enhance cooperation and coordination between the two countries.
Ishiba said he stressed the importance of a free and open international order based on the rule of law through the APEC and the G20 summits.
He explained his proposal at the G20 forum for Japan to share its disaster prevention efforts with other countries. He said disaster prevention is a top priority for Japan and that his country will contribute to overcoming the vulnerability in some countries or regions.
Ishiba talked about the agreement with Brazil 50 years ago by former Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei to jointly develop a vast Brazilian savanna known as Cerrado. Ishiba calls Tanaka his political teacher.
Ishiba said the joint project successfully turned the barren area into a major area for soybean production in about 25 years. He said such efforts are the foundation for the peace and prosperity of the world and Japan, indicating that Japan will continue to build relations with emerging and developing economies.
