Press Conference 3 September 2002

1. Introduction
2. Visit by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi to the United States of America
3. Meeting between Minister of Foreign Affairs Kawaguchi and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tang Jiaxuan of the People's Republic of China
4. Appointment of Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi as Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
5. Emergency assistance to the Republic of Korea
6. Speech by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)
7. Visit to Japan by General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party Nong Duc Manh of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
8. Question regarding Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to North Korea
9. Question concerning Foreign Minister Kawaguchi's visit to China
10. Question on Japan-China relations

1. Introduction

   Assistant Press Secretary Jiro Okuyama: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Jiro Okuyama, and I am Assistant Press Secretary and Director of the International Press Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I succeeded Mr. Daisuke Matsunaga at this post on 19 August.

   Due to the absence of Mr. Hatsuhisa Takashima, Press Secretary and Director-General for Press and Public Relations, who is now in Johannesburg, and because of the reassignment of Mr. Joji Hisaeda, former Deputy Press Secretary and Deputy Director-General for Press and Public Relations, who was appointed as Consul-General of Japan in Atlanta yesterday, I am speaking here today.

   We expect Mr. Takashima to start his press conference appearances from around 27 September because of various foreign ministerial and prime ministerial visits, which are scheduled for this month.

   First of all, I would like to say to you that I would like to cultivate a good working relationship with the non-Japanese press dispatched to Tokyo, and I hope that you will kindly extend your cooperation in this respect.

2. Visit by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi to the United States of America

   Mr. Okuyama: I have several announcements to make today. The first one is regarding Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi's visit to the United States of America.

   Foreign Minister Kawaguchi will visit the United States, if circumstances permit, from 12 to 19 September. First, she will stop in New York to speak at the 57th Session of the United Nations.

   Foreign Minister Kawaguchi will also engage in exchanges of views with UN personnel as well as VIPs from various countries on a bilateral basis. Furthermore, she will engage in multilateral discussions, including the G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

   We have scheduled the Japan-US foreign ministerial meeting toward the end of the afternoon of 13 September, in New York. Also, in New York as well as in Washington, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi will have discussions with high officials of the US Government, academics, and others.

   Related Information (Japan-The United States Relations)
   
3. Meeting between Minister of Foreign Affairs Kawaguchi and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tang Jiaxuan of the People's Republic of China

   Mr. Okuyama: The second point-and I shall be very brief on this because it has already been announced-is that before Foreign Minister Kawaguchi goes to New York, she will visit the People's Republic of China from 8 to 10 September to have bilateral discussions with Minister of Foreign Affairs Tang Jiaxuan of the People's Republic of China.

   Related Information (Visit to the People's Republic of China by Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs)
   
4. Appointment of Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi as Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO)

   Mr. Okuyama: I would like to refer you to the recent statement by Foreign Minister Kawaguchi on the appointment of Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi as new Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The press release is dated 1 September and states that the Government welcomes Dr. Panitchpakdi's appointment.

   Related Information (Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi on the Appointment of Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi as New Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO))
   
5. Emergency assistance to the Republic of Korea

   Mr. Okuyama: We have sent some emergency assistance to the Republic of Korea. The government decided on 30 August to extend emergency assistance in kind, equivalent to approximately 16.7 million yen, comprising 10 tents with a capacity of 20 people, 75 sleeping mats, 20 portable 2,000 liter water tanks, 10 portable 3,000 liter water tanks, 10 water purifiers, and 30 carpenters' kits, all to be sent to the Republic of Korea in response to the recent flood in the country.

   We have confirmed that the goods have already arrived in the Republic of Korea and were handed over to the authorities concerned. This will be confirmed in about 20 minutes by Ambassador Terada in Seoul, who will officially hand over the list of the items that I have described to the Foreign Ministry authorities in Seoul.

   Related Information (Emergency Assistance to the R.O.K. for Flood Disaster)
   
6. Speech by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)

   Mr. Okuyama: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has delivered a speech in Johannesburg on the occasion of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). We have received news that the conference itself has already reached an agreement on the Plan of Implementation and we welcome this.

   Prime Minister Koizumi delivered his speech in English, in which he underlined certain points, such as Japan's long insistence on the importance of human resources development, and also the strategy that we put forward in the process leading up to the Johannesburg Summit, which we call "Global Sharing". Japan, like other countries in the international community, is ready to extend a hand of partnership for the development of the developing world.

   Related Information (Johannesburg Summit 2002 The World Summit on Sustainable Development)
   
7. Visit to Japan by General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party Nong Duc Manh of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

   Mr. Okuyama: Lastly, we are expecting a visit from General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party Nong Duc Manh of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, from 2 to 5 October. Further details are in the press release, which was handed to you earlier.

   Related Information (Visit to Japan of His Excellency Mr. Nong Duc Manh, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam)
   
8. Question regarding Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to North Korea

   Q: It was reported in the newspapers today that Prime Minister Koizumi will propose to the North Korean side, in his upcoming visit, a mutual waiver of property claims. Can you confirm this?

   Mr. Okuyama: I cannot confirm this. We have been preparing for the visit of Prime Minister Koizumi to North Korea in the hope that the visit will lead to the solution of pending issues between Japan and North Korea and that this visit will also provide important momentum to the normalization of relations between the two countries, and will thereby make an important contribution to the peace and security of Northeast Asia.

   It is ultimately up to Prime Minister Koizumi's own judgment what he will discuss with General Secretary Kim Jong Il. We see so much speculation, but we can only say that it is speculation, and I would rather refrain from commenting further and feeding this speculation.

   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
   
9. Question concerning Foreign Minister Kawaguchi's visit to China

   Q: In the upcoming visit of Foreign Minister Kawaguchi to China, what kind of message will she deliver to the Chinese side in relation to Prime Minister Koizumi's own visit to China, which has been an issue widely discussed in the Japanese media?

   Mr. Okuyama: Because China is a very important friend of Japan, we generally expect that exchange between the two countries is something very desirable. But, as of this moment, there are not yet any firm plans for Prime Minister Koizumi to visit China, and we also do not know what kind of outcome relating to this possible prime ministerial visit will come out of Foreign Minister Kawaguchi's upcoming visit to China.

   Related Information (Visit to the People's Republic of China by Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs)
   
10. Question on Japan-China relations

    Q: On 22 September in Beijing, there was a scheduled ceremonial event relating to tourism exchanges between Japan and China, and they had expected a turnout of about 5,000 people. This schedule was affected, in the first place, by Prime Minister Koizumi's suggested visit in the course of September of this year. But then a little later on, Prime Minister Koizumi himself said that he would postpone his visit to a certain time after November. This was something that went on with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, with the initiative of Minister Ogi and her counterpart in China. Also, there had been discussions between US Secretary Evans and his Chinese counterpart regarding certain tourism exchanges between the two countries. Is it not a kind of dual diplomacy with an absence of the Foreign Ministry in the mediating role, between Japan and China, in deciding various high-level schedules? I hope that the Foreign Ministry will take a stronger initiative in the conduct of bilateral relations between Japan and China.

    Mr. Okuyama: We think that bilateral exchanges between two countries such as Japan and China can be and should be as diverse as they are now. Japan, for its part, consists of various strata: The government sector is different from the private sector, and it is a natural and a desirable thing for the two countries to have various exchanges and between different sectors in the society. We regard this as a natural thing. As for the criticism of the Foreign Ministry in a role of dual diplomacy-this is not the case.

    Related Information (Japan-China Relations)