Press Conferences

Yamamoto, TV Tokyo: Mr. Wu Dawei, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, arrived in Japan yesterday and today he will meet with Mr. Kimihiro Ishikane, Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau. I think this is his first official visit since the beginning of the second Abe administration. Please explain the background to his visit to Japan this time and the message that Japan hopes to communicate to China, which has a key role in addressing the North Korea issue.

Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs: Special Representative Wu will be in Japan during April 4-8 and will be holding discussions with Director-General Ishikane today as you mentioned. I expect the meeting to consist of information and opinion exchanges regarding recent situation in North Korea, including the nuclear weapons test and ballistic missile launch, and confirm collaboration between Japan and China. I am aware that the Chinese side has disclosed similar content for the purpose of the Japan visit.

Yamamoto, TV Tokyo: Do you have plans to meet with Special Representative Wu during the visit?

Minister Kishida: I think Special Representative Wu will be meeting with the appropriate people at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Director-General Ishikane, during his visit. However, no such schedule has been decided for a meeting with me, mainly due to the National Diet schedule.

Chijiwa, TV Asahi: Is the visit by Special Representative Wu this time focused just on the North Korea issue or will there also be discussion of bilateral topics, including your visit to China?

Minister Kishida: I understand that the China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has indicated that the visit by Special Representative Wu will be to discuss the North Korea issue. This is what we expect as well.

Abe, Asahi Shimbun: What is the current state of coordination or review for your spring visit to China?

Minister Kishida: As explained previously, I would like to visit China around the spring. This has not changed, and coordination is continuing. However, nothing has been decided on a specific schedule.

Odanaka, Mainichi Shimbun: I think China’s spokesperson stated that the visit to Japan by Special Representative Wu this time is for a discussion aimed at restarting the Six-Party Talks. What is the Japanese Government’s view of restarting the Six-Party Talks? Please address this point.

Minister Kishida: I would like to refrain from predicting the specific content of this discussion in advance. While Japan thinks the Six-Party Talks offer an effective framework, I think it is important that North Korea first needs to provide forward-looking, constructive attitude toward denuclearization in light of the current situation. I believe clarification of a stance toward denuclearization by the North Korea side is important as the first step.

Kawauchi, Kyodo Press: You are aiming to issue a Hiroshima Declaration that targets realization of a “World without Nuclear Weapons” at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. However, the security environment around Japan is becoming more dangerous, including issues such as nuclear development by North Korea as you just mentioned, and the nuclear umbrella of the United States is becoming more important. How does the Japanese Government intend to fill the gap between the ideal of denuclearization it is advocating and security realities?

Minister Kishida: I have previously explained Japan’s approach of building realistic and blocks, based on an accurate awareness of the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and an objective assessment of the severe security environment. Such efforts will lead t promoting cooperation between nuclear weapon countries and non-nuclear weapon countries, thereby achieving specific results. I have asserted that such effort is ultimately the shortest path to a world without nuclear weapons.

This is Japan’s view. Based on such view, I see the G7 as an important framework because it includes major nuclear weapon countries and non-nuclear weapon countries. The significance of issuing a message from the upcoming G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is to reach an agreement in this framework and sending a unified message to the international community. I therefore do not find any contradiction between the severe security environment and Japan’s practical and realistic efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons. I believe Japan must firmly confirm view that Japan has maintained and boldly call on the international community to pursue efforts, particularly at the current situation where North Korea’s provocative behavior poses a challenge to the nuclear non-proliferation regime in the international community.