(* This is a provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only. The original text is in Japanese.)

Press Conference by Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura

Date: Friday, February 29, 2008, 9:15 a.m.
Place: Briefing Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main topics:

Concerning Contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM)
Taiwan Issue
Incident of Health Hazard Thought to be caused by Chinese-made Frozen Dumplings

1. Concerning Contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM)

Minister:
Japan will contribute about 21.3 billion yen to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). This Fund was established after Japan raised issues on these three major infectious diseases at the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit. With the upcoming contribution, Japan will have contributed a total of 850 million US dollars to the Fund.

Currently, about five million people die every year from these three major infectious diseases. In light of this, health issues including these diseases, will be placed as one of the key agenda items of the upcoming G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, and we intend to implement appropriate and well-planned measures to deal with such issues.

Related Information (Press Release)

2. Taiwan Issue

Question:
When you met US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her visit to Japan, did you discuss the Taiwan issue? If so, what did you talk about in particular?

Minister:
The Taiwan issue was not on the agenda of the talks with Secretary Rice. Neither side referred to the issue.

Question:
In association with the referendum regarding Taiwan's entry into the United Nations (UN) Prime Minister Fukuda said, "It is not good that tension is rising and if any situation unilaterally leads to a change of current circumstances, I cannot support such situation." Mass media in both China and Japan interpret these words that the Government of Japan cannot support the proposed referendum regarding Taiwan's entry into the UN. What is your view on this issue?

Minister:
I regard this issue as referred to by Prime Minister Fukuda. More precisely put, I cannot support a situation that would unilaterally change the current circumstances. My idea is literally represented as this, no more, no less.

Related Information (Taiwan)

3. Incident of Health Hazard Thought to be caused by Chinese-made Frozen Dumplings

Question:
Chinese public security authorities have stated their view that there is very little possibility that pesticide contaminated the dumplings in China. Commissioner General of the National Police Agency Hiroto Yoshimura and others are strongly objecting to this statement. What are your thoughts on how the two sides can reach agreement on this issue from here?

Minister:
I do not think that they are necessarily objecting to the statement that the possibility is low, but in any case it is a fact that the views held by the investigative authorities in the two countries are somewhat different in the current situation. However, going forward I want to see continued cooperation between the two countries on the investigation in order to identify the cause of the incident. That's all. I hope to see that "all's well that ends well," even if there are a number of difficulties along the way.

Question:
As things stand it seems there is quite a gap between the perceptions of China's public security authorities and that of Japan's police authorities. How does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deal with this issue?

Minister:
I do not think that it is appropriate for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which does not have expertise in such matters, to comment on the approach taken by the investigative authorities of the two countries in the course of the investigation, to say "You should change that." I think that the most important thing is for the investigative authorities of the two countries to further their cooperation and to identify the cause of the incident.

Question:
Of course it is possible that the facts are different in each country but there has been an exchange of words with China saying "Japan's attitude is regrettable" and the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency stating "We cannot ignore the Chinese opinion" and so on. What are your thoughts about this?

Minister:
Surely we have to make every effort to put these problems behind us and cooperate closely in the investigation to identify the cause of the incident. That's all I can say.

Question:
You have been pointing out for some time that public sentiment in Japan and China is extremely sensitive. What impact do you think this incident will have on Japan-China relations overall?

Minister:
The people of Japan are extremely concerned about food safety and the governments of Japan and China are committed to a mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests, but there are some areas of sensitivity in public sentiment in both Japan and China so in order to avoid causing a negative impact or causing bad feelings among the public in each country, it is necessary to mount a thorough response to the food safety problems of both sides. There are two parts to this response. First, make thorough efforts to identify the cause of the incident itself. Then, at the same time, consider what steps need to be taken from a food hygiene perspective so that this kind of incident does not occur again. I do not think we can take the attitude that if we can achieve either one of these goals then that is satisfactory. We have to achieve them both.

Question:
The Chinese side said that it wants to send the head of the quarantine authority in China to Japan on Monday to meet with four government ministers, including Foreign Minister Koumura, to explain the current incident. Please tell us whether or not you have had a request from China to this effect and if so, how you have responded to it.

Minister:
I have heard that the head of the quarantine authority is going to come to Japan. I have not yet heard anything about what the content of the discussions will be.

Question:
Now that public sentiment is sensitive in both countries because this problem has occurred, what are your thoughts regarding the official visit by President Hu Jintao to Japan?

Minister:
Basically, Japan and China have not yet decided a precise date but Japan is to receive an official visit of President Hu Jintao from China and I also would like to welcome him to our country in as good an atmosphere as possible. However, without direct relations whether or not President Hu Jintao is welcomed in Japan in a good atmosphere, the interest of the people of Japan concerning food safety is extremely high. Therefore, not relating this issue to the visit by President Hu Jintao, first of all, from the concern on food safety and security, Japan and China will cooperate closely and be engaged thoroughly both in identifying the cause of the incident and working on future countermeasures to prevent a recurrence as two wheels on the same axle.

Question:
Is it reasonable to suppose that the timing of the visit will not be determined taking into account the state of progress on this problem?

Minister:
I think that won't be the case at all. I do not think that the timing of the visit will be decided based on the state of progress of this problem.

Question:
Regarding the visit to Japan of the head of the quarantine authority, if it takes place I think it could be seen as an attempt by China to close the curtain on the matter. What do you think about that view?

Minister:
Regarding that kind of view, I guess that it could not be possible to close the curtain on the matter without identifying the cause of the incident. And I do not believe that the Chinese side is thinking that way.

I think this is an issue regarding how the people of Japan and the people of China feel about food safety and security, not a question of whether the two governments involved close the curtain on the matter or not. Surely the governments of the two countries have to continue making every effort to cooperate over how to best provide their people with food safety and security.

Question:
I would just like to confirm one point. Do you think the problem will be resolved just by the investigative authorities of the two countries cooperating to identify the cause of the matter, just by dialogue between the investigative authorities of the two countries so to speak?

Minister:
There is both the issue of identifying the cause of the incident from the perspective of food hygiene, and the question of how to build systems in the future that will give the people food security. Therefore cooperation by the investigative authorities of the two countries to identify the cause of the incident is a necessary condition for resolving the problem but that alone is not sufficient.

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