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2011/01/20
Kan, Edano speak to reporters
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On January 20, Prime Minister Naoto Kan responded to reporters’ questions at the Prime Minister’s Office. He referred to the figures announced the same day indicating that China’s GDP had grown by 10.3% in real terms over 2010, and that it is almost certainly set to overtake Japan in terms of nominal growth rate, saying “The Japanese economy still has great underlying strength. I view the continued growth of the Chinese economy as an advantage for Japan.”
Kan also commented on his New Year’s foreign policy speech, saying, “It was a good opportunity for me. I believe it was valuable for me to be able to arrange and set forth my thinking on foreign policy.”
Furthermore, Kan commented on the summit that had taken place on January 19 between the leaders of the United States and China, with the two sides agreeing to continue to cooperate closely to ensure a peaceful, stable and nuclear-free Korean peninsula. He stated, “I feel that it is extremely desirable for the leaders of the United States and China to thoroughly discuss such kinds of regional and global issues.”
On the same day, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano held a press conference at the Prime Minister’s office. In response to a reporter’s question regarding the debate over comprehensive reform of the tax and social security systems, he stated, “Ministers are making remarks about the prospects [of achieving this] from their various perspectives, but nothing has yet been concretely or definitely decided. The actual timing [of implementation] will also become clear, as we proceed to discuss the content [of the reforms.]”
Edano was asked whether the government intended to draw up a proposal that would include a range for raising the consumption tax. He indicated that the focus of the debate should not be on the question of raising the consumption tax, stressing, “We need to determine the final content [of the proposal] through the process of carrying out debate from the perspective of determining what the ideal shape of the social security system should be.”
In response to a question asking what message the Prime Minister intended to deliver in his speech setting forth his foreign policy direction, Edano stated, “I believe that it is important for Japan and for the Japanese people for the Prime Minister to communicate that the Kan Cabinet is carrying out its diplomacy based on a sound foreign policy direction.”
Edano stressed that the Kan administration was engaging in efforts to strengthen its communication ability, saying, “It is important for us to use a whole variety of opportunities, not simply Diet debate, to inform the Japanese people of the thinking of the Cabinet, and this [speech by the Prime Minister] is one example of this.”
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