Pre-briefing on the Subic Leader's Meeting
 |
Speaker : | Mr. Hiroshi Hashimoto |
| Title : | Spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan | |
| Date: | 25 November 1996 | |
| Time : | 11:00 -- 11:30 | |
| Location : | Meeting Room 6, PICC Manila, Republic of the Philippines |
Press Conference
25 November 1996
- Press conference announcements
- Indonesia's National Car Program
- Information Technology Agreement
- Investment issues
- Development issues for APEC
- Participation of other economies in APEC
- Press conference announcements
- Diversity of the region
Spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan Hiroshi Hashimoto: Good morning ladies and gentlemen. First of all, I would like to explain what Japan expects from the Leaders Meeting. I will touch on three items. One is related to the diversity of the Asia-Pacific region. All of us know that the histories, cultures, political institutions vary among the APEC members. They talked about the need to strengthen cooperation. This APEC is only one forum where the Leaders can gather together and exchange views freely. In this sense, APEC is very important, and the importance of the Leaders Meeting has been increasing since the Blake Island Meeting. - Strengthening the world's free trading system
Spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan Hiroshi Hashimoto: Secondly, this year's APEC is particularly important in the context of strengthening the world's free trading system, bearing in mind that the Singapore World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Meeting will be taking place soon. WTO compatibility is one the of the most important principles of APEC. All of us are aware that the issues of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) and the participation in WTO by APEC members have been highlighted up until now. There is a big possibility that the Leaders will also talk about this. If APEC can contribute to further strengthening freer trade, I think the significance of the talks among the Leaders is very big. The third point is that it is important to note that Leaders have had the opportunity to conduct bilateral talks. Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto of Japan met several Leaders this time, and those talks were very useful. Those three things are what, in a general sense, Japan expects from the Leaders Meeting. - The subjects of discussion which Japan is
interested in
While we do not know what the Leaders are talking about now, there are several points which Japan is interested in. One is related to consolidation of the Asia-Pacific community. As I explained to you, APEC is characterized by its diversity; therefore, it is very important for the members to engage in exercises on how to communicate with each other. The Japanese side has announced its possibly small contributions in this respect, that the Asia-Pacific Information Infrastructure Technology Center will be established in Kobe early next year in order to pursue joint research and development of technology and applications for interconnectivity and interoperability between networks that operate within the Asia-Pacific region. This is just a small example on how to communicate with each other. This can be called the "software" of the issue of strengthening the APEC community. If we talk about the "hardware" of strengthening the APEC community, we can cite the ITA issue as a concrete example. Japan is glad that the ministers emphasized the importance of the ITA in the statement issued yesterday. The next subject that Japan is interested in is the environment. Last year in Osaka, Japan proposed to put into the long-term agenda of APEC the interrelated wide-ranging issues of the effect of the region's first expanding population and rapid economic growth on food and energy, as well as on the environment, which in turn, could become a possible constraining factor toward growth. Under the subtitle of "Food, Energy, Environment, Economic, growth, Population" (FEEEP), the ministers talked on this subject. Environmental issues can be sensitive, and there is a possibility that there are differences of opinions, especially among the developed and developing members. But, if we look at the geography of the Asia-Pacific region, we understand that the members share the Pacific Ocean, making the marine environment a common asset. Therefore, the members and the Leaders are able to have the opportunity to discuss how to cooperate among the members on the preservation and the utilization of marine resources. - Direct investment in the Asia-Pacific region
Spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan Hiroshi Hashimoto: The third subject is investments. We understand that there are differences of opinions on this important issue, especially, in regard to rule making. In this sense, investment can be a sensitive issue. However, it is very important to talk and exchange views on this. Already at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), talks are going on, and Japan proposes to start this issue as an educational process under the WTO with the establishing of a working group. We hope that this will be discussed at the Singapore Ministerial Meeting. Maybe some APEC members want to discuss this under other international fora. However, both developed and developing members can benefit from direct investment. Therefore APEC should address this important issue and Japan is glad that the Ministerial Statement touched on this subject. And, the other subject is infrastructure. Already, at the Ministerial Meeting, the importance of infrastructure development has been emphasized by many members. Especially, this time, cooperation between the private sector and public sector has been emphasized. Japan proposed cooperation between export credit agencies. This idea has been put into the Ministerial Meeting and if the Leaders can exchange views on how to promote the improvement of infrastructure by the private sector, I believe it will be very useful. That is what I can explain to you on the ongoing Leaders Meeting. Prime Minister Hashimoto will hold a press conference today at 18:30. I believe he will be happy to brief you on the Leaders Meeting and I will like to encourage you to come to the press conference. Prime Minister Hashimoto articulates what he thinks and he is a very charming person. He always tries to answer your questions in a straightforward way, so I am sure you will enjoy the press conference. If there are any questions, I would be delighted to answer them for you.
- Diversity of the region
- Indonesia's National Car Program
Q: Have you raised the National Car issue with the Indonesians at this meeting?
Spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan Hiroshi Hashimoto: At this Leaders Meeting, I do not think so.
Q: But you have raised it at the WTO?
Spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan Hiroshi Hashimoto: We have already had a round of talks under the WTO. We said that we would like to continue to talk on this subject under the WTO umbrella, but we have not set up a date for the next round of talks. - Information Technology Agreement
Q: There are reports that President Clinton is going to try to tighten up the language of the Information Technology Agreement to get a slightly stronger commitment. He is going to bring this up at the Summit. Is Prime Minister Hashimoto going to support him on that?
Spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan Hiroshi Hashimoto: Japan has already been cooperating with the United States of America on the ITA. But, this does not mean that Japan wants to gang up -- I do not know whether that is the right word or not -- with the United States to impose our will on the other members who have some reservations about this. The most important thing is that Japan, on its own, has been explaining to those members the importance of the ITA. We believe that those members can benefit from the ITA if they talk about the export of goods in the information technology field, which has been increasing to Japan, the United States, etc. Therefore, we are glad that the phrase has been worked out in the Ministerial Meeting. Last night, President Fidel Ramos of the Republic of the Philippines seemingly asked the other members to look at the draft of the Declaration by the Leaders and they briefly exchanged views on this. There seemed that there was no controversy on the content of the Leaders Declaration. As far as the wording of the Leaders Declaration is concerned, I do not think there will be difficulty. But, I am not sure what President Clinton will actually tell his colleagues or has told his colleagues at the Subic Meeting. - Investment issues
Q: I am not quit clear how much progress has been made on the investment issue; as you say, there are many different views among them. Does Japan think it will be possible to go forward from this meeting with specific recommendations to the Singapore WTO Meeting?
Spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan Hiroshi Hashimoto: We are glad that investment has been touched upon and it has been included in the Ministerial Statement. But, at the same time, we have been advocating to set up a working group under the WTO on this issue. We are still not sure whether our proposal will be adapted at the upcoming Ministerial Meeting in Singapore or not, but we will do our best to do so. It is a working group on trade and investment under the WTO, so that the WTO can start the so-called "educational process" on what to do, how to do about the inter-relations of trade and investment in the future. - Development issues for APEC
Q: Dr. Mahathir and I think one other leader have talked about the need for APEC to get more deeply involved in development issues rather than just trade and investment. Some people might argue that organizations like the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are already in business to do that. Does that idea find any sympathy with the Japanese Government, that APEC should become some sort of development forum?
Spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan Hiroshi Hashimoto: Japan has been long advocating that the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment should go side by side with economic and technical cooperation. We describe that those two should be two wheels on the same axle. The reason why we say so is again related to the diversity of the Asia-Pacific region; there are developing members in this region, and we should ask them to accelerate liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment. In this sense, we believe that still, they need some kind of economic and technical cooperation. So we emphasize that those two should go side by side so that, by 2020, the developing members can fully liberalize trade and investment. But, we have never advocated that APEC should become an institution of development. I do not think that any member of APEC advocates that. - Participation of other economies in APEC
Q: The Malaysian Prime Minister has supported the idea of Russia entering APEC. In your opinion, in the opinion of the Japanese Government, is Russia qualified for membership in APEC?
Spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan Hiroshi Hashimoto: As for new membership, Japan already stated that if a consensus is made, if the moratorium is lifted, Japan supports the participation of the Republic of Viet Nam and the Republic of Peru in APEC. As far as the Russian Federation's participation is concerned, the Russian side has approached Japan with this request and Japan said that it would take into consideration the Russian request. On the basis of this, we will approach this issue of Russian participation.
Q: Can you be more deliberate?
Spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan Hiroshi Hashimoto: The Ministerial Meeting just issued a new formula about the membership. I cannot tell you further the position of the Government of Japan on this than what I explained to you.
Q: You mentioned Viet Nam and Peru. What is the Government of Japan's position on Myanmar?
Spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan Hiroshi Hashimoto: As far as those two countries of Viet Nam and Peru are concerned, we support them, but apart from that, we have not made any positions. Thank you very much.
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