Ishiba, Cambodian Leader Affirm Economic Cooperation
Jiji Press
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, right, shakes hands with his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Manet, in Tokyo on Friday.
Tokyo (Jiji Press) — Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Manet, met in Tokyo on Friday and issued a joint statement announcing an economic cooperation package.
The package outlines items for cooperation, including holding business seminars and setting up investment consultation desks. The two leaders agreed that relevant government bodies of their respective countries will promote cooperation on each item.
At a joint press conference, Ishiba said that Japan will 'support Cambodia's democratic development through various efforts.'
Regarding special fraud groups based in Cambodia, Ishiba noted that his government 'will strengthen cooperation to maintain public security.' Hun Manet responded that Cambodia will continue to cooperate with Japan on the matter by sharing information on international crimes.
The two leaders confirmed that Japan will consider providing free defense equipment to the Southeast Asian country under the official security assistance framework.
They also discussed multilateral trade in light of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
2 hours ago
Japan, Philippines Agree to Strengthen Defense Cooperation
News from Japan Politics Jun 1, 2025 20:50 (JST) Singapore, June 1 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro on Sunday agreed to further strengthen cooperation between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine military amid China's intensified military activities in the East and South China seas. Japan and the Philippines will use the bilateral framework of strategic dialogue between unit operation officers, which the two defense ministers agreed to establish at their meeting in February. At the beginning of Sunday's meeting with Nakatani in Singapore, Teodoro said Japan and the Philippines must enhance deterrence and oppose actions they do not want, with China in mind. The two ministers confirmed the expansion of joint exercises following the signing of a reciprocal access agreement to facilitate visits to each other's country by the Japanese SDF and the Philippine military. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
The Mainichi
9 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Japan, Philippines agree to reinforce ties between defense forces
SINGAPORE (Kyodo) -- The Japanese and Philippine defense ministers agreed in Singapore on Sunday to step up collaboration between their forces in the face of China's maritime assertiveness in the East and South China seas. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, meeting on the sidelines of an annual Asia security forum, also agreed to promote cooperation on arms exports and maintain close communication between the countries' defense authorities. Hailing progress in bilateral cooperation, Teodoro said at the outset of the talks that Japan is a cornerstone for maintaining order in the region. The talks took place after the two agreed in Manila in February to launch a strategic dialogue to intensify unit-to-unit cooperation and set up a high-level framework to promote further defense equipment and technology cooperation. Security ties between Japan and the Philippines, both key U.S. allies, have deepened in recent years, with tensions high in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing are locked in territorial disputes. Chinese vessels have clashed with Philippine ships near disputed shoals in the South China Sea and repeatedly entered waters around the uninhabited Senkaku Islands controlled by Japan in the East China Sea. Tokyo supplied the Philippines with an air surveillance radar system in 2023, the first finished defense product exported by Japan since the easing of its long-held arms trade ban in 2014. Japan has also decided to provide coastal radar systems to the Southeast Asian nation under a new security assistance program launched in 2023 to support the militaries of like-minded countries. Nakatani also met with Australia Defense Minister Richard Marles on Sunday, with the two affirming the importance of their bilateral cooperation.
Yomiuri Shimbun
10 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Ishiba Plans Pre-G7 Summit with Trump as Trade Negotiations Show Promise Following Fourth Round of Ministerial Talks
The Yomiuri Shimbun Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is considering visiting the United States immediately before the mid-June G7 summit in Canada to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump as Japan-U.S. negotiations progress following the Trump administration's tariff measures, according to several government sources. The idea gained momentum after the fourth ministerial-level meeting held in Washington on Friday produced encouraging signs of a potential deal. Economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa will be dispatched to the United States in early June for follow-up talks, and a final decision on the summit will be made once the progress has been assessed. During earlier rounds of discussions, Japan proposed three main steps: expanding imports of U.S. agricultural products, revising non-tariff barriers affecting automobiles and increasing Japanese investment in the United States. At the ministerial meeting on Friday, Akazawa met for about 130 minutes with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Akazawa stressed the value of Japan's proposals and pressed for the withdrawal of the full package of tariffs, including the additional duties on automobiles, steel and aluminum. After the talks, Akazawa told reporters, 'We have confirmed that the discussions toward an agreement are moving forward.' According to a senior Japanese official, the U.S. side showed strong interest in Japan's ideas and urged Japan to develop them one step further. Akazawa is expected to hold another ministerial session in the United States later this week to pave the way for a leaders-level agreement. While one option is to stage the Japan-U.S. summit on the sidelines of the G7 summit starting June 15, a meeting in the United States beforehand is gaining favor because it would allow both sides to focus exclusively on the negotiations. With Trump's birthday falling on June 14, some within the Japanese government hope that announcing an agreement on that day would carry symbolic weight.
