Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Attend APEC

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:36 JST, November 14, 2023

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will visit San Francisco from Wednesday to Sunday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

The announcement was made by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno during a press conference on Tuesday.

“In addition to promoting free and open trade and investment, the prime minister will actively lead discussions on important issues such as strengthening supply chains,” Matsuno said.

Kishida is expected to attend a Thursday summit meeting of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity — a new economic-zone initiative led by Washington — to confirm close cooperation on the issue.

The prime minister also is scheduled to participate in a discussion event Friday with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Stanford University. The two leaders are expected to exchange opinions on decarbonization and other topics relating to cutting-edge technology, with the aim of demonstrating Tokyo and Seoul’s improving bilateral relations.

It is likely that Kishida will also meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping while in the United States.

Beijing has banned imports of Japanese marine products over the ocean release of treated water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.

Kishida intends to explain about the safety of the treated water based on scientific evidence and demand that China’s lift its embargo.