Press Conferences

Mr. Toshihide Ando, Foreign Deputy Press Secretary: Mr. Wang Yi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister for the People’s Republic of China, will pay a Working Visit to Japan from April 15-17 upon invitation by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. This year is the 40th anniversary of the conclusion of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China, and along with the visit to China in January by Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, the arrival of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang thus realizes for the first time in nine years mutual country visits by the foreign ministers of Japan and China.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang will take part in a Japan-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with Minister Kono on April 15, and is scheduled to attend the Fourth Japan-China High-Level Economic Dialogue on April 16, which will be chaired on the Japanese side by Foreign Minister Kono and on the Chinese side by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang. Japan anticipates a beneficial exchange of opinions about the approach to Japan-China relations, various regional and international issues such the North Korea issue, and cooperation in a broad range of areas, including economic areas.

Japan hopes that the visit by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang will provide valuable outcomes such as bilateral visits by the country leaders and deeper cooperation between Japan and China in the international community.

Foreign Deputy Press Secretary Ando: Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD, is visiting Japan during April 11-13.

Secretary-General Gurría will meet with government officials and others during his visit and plans to attend the Seminar on Quality Infrastructure co-sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the OECD Development Centre, a seminar co-sponsored by the OECD with Keidanren, the OECD Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC), and the Japan Center for Economic Research, and the third Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety sponsored by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

During this visit, Japan hopes to confirm again the importance with Secretary-General Gurría of maintaining and strengthening the multilateral trade system, ensuring fair competition conditions, and building quality infrastructure that adheres to international standards. Additionally, at the seminar on quality infrastructure, Japan looks forward to experts from various countries and international organizations deepening discussion on the importance of building quality infrastructure that adheres to international standards, and expects to promote cooperation with the OECD in this field.

TBS, Makino: The visit schedule for State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang lasts through April 17. Is something planned on the 17th?

Foreign Deputy Press Secretary Ando: Specific schedules besides those mentioned in the opening remarks are still being coordinated.