Latest news with #WorldExposition
The Mainichi
3 hours ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
EU leader aims to elevate ties with Japan to 'new level' at summit
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- European Council President Antonio Costa said Tuesday the European Union aims to "upgrade" its relationship with Japan to "a new level" through an upcoming summit in Tokyo, focusing on trade and security. Costa said in an interview with Kyodo News that the EU and Japan will "continue to work together, standing up for the international rules-based order and free and fair trade," amid concerns over high U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump. Costa, who assumed his post in December, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are set to hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo on Wednesday after visiting the World Exposition in Osaka in western Japan, where the interview was held. At the meeting, the leaders are expected to announce the creation of a "Japan-EU Competitiveness Alliance" to bolster their industries by advancing trade and economic security cooperation, according to diplomatic sources. Costa said that the new partnership will be "the most important deliverable" from the summit, and that the EU and Japan must work not only to tackle their common challenges but also pursue "the profit of our synergy, of our cooperation." "Japan is our closest partner in the Pacific," Costa said, adding that he will discuss with Ishiba the possibility of the 27-member bloc's cooperation regarding a vast trans-Pacific free trade agreement that involves Japan, Britain and 10 other nations. On the defense front, Costa emphasized that the EU will ramp up collaboration with Japan to make both Europe and the Asian nation "better equipped." He added that security in the Pacific and Europe is "interlinked," referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. North Korean troops have been sent to support Moscow's war efforts. After staying in Japan, Costa and von der Leyen are scheduled to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday.
Yomiuri Shimbun
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
U.S. Seeking Best Deal for Americans in Talks with Japan: Bessent
Washington, July 21 (Jiji Press)—U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on television Monday that the United States will seek the best deal for itself in tariff negotiations with Japan. 'Our priorities are not the internal workings of the Japanese government,' Bessent told U.S. broadcaster CNBC. 'Our priorities are giving the best deal for the American people.' The treasury secretary's remark came after Japan held an election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the country's parliament, on Sunday. He had previously said that the poll was a constraint on reaching an agreement. Bessent's remark appeared to keep Tokyo in check as it sought a review of U.S. automobile tariffs. The U.S. government has sent out notices to trading partners about tariff rates it plans to implement from Aug. 1, in a bid to draw out concessions in negotiations. 'A higher tariff level would put more pressure on…countries to come with better agreements,' the treasury secretary said. He added that he did not discuss trade when he held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and chief trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa during his visit to Japan last week for the World Exposition in the western Japan city of Osaka.
Kyodo News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: July 20, 2025
TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Voting underway in Japan for upper house race, with focus on majority TOKYO - Voting got underway on Sunday in Japan's House of Councillors election, with all eyes on whether the ruling coalition can maintain its majority amid public frustration over rising prices and growing support for emerging parties. The outcome of the election will have a strong bearing on the fate of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's minority government, as failure to retain control of the upper house would make parliamentary deliberations even more difficult and could potentially cost him the premiership. ---------- Ishiba seeks last-minute voter support, raps "irresponsible" politics TOKYO - Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Saturday made a last-ditch attempt to secure voter support for his struggling ruling party, warning that short-sighted and "irresponsible" politics will decay Japan, in an apparent swipe at opposition forces. Ishiba made the remark as media polls indicate his Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, the Komeito party, may lose their majority of the House of Councillors in Sunday's election. ---------- Japanese man provided info to intelligence agency: Chinese court BEIJING - A Japanese businessman, who was convicted earlier this week by a Chinese court for engaging in spying, provided information to an intelligence agency and received rewards, sources familiar with Sino-Japanese relations said Saturday. On Wednesday, the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court sentenced the Astellas Pharma Inc. employee in his 60s to three years and six months in prison for espionage activities, but the verdict did not touch on specific details of how he acted illegally in China. ---------- Japan eyes tariff talks in U.S. next week before Aug. 1 deadline OSAKA - Japan's top tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said Saturday he intends to visit the United States possibly early next week for an eighth round of trade talks, before a 25 percent tariff on Japan comes into effect on Aug. 1. "I want to continue working to find common ground that both sides can agree on," Akazawa told reporters at the World Exposition in Osaka where he was accompanying U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, his counterpart in the talks. ---------- S. Korea ex-president Yoon indicted for power abuse over martial law SEOUL - South Korea's former President Yoon Suk Yeol was indicted on Saturday on additional charges of abuse of power over his declaration of martial law last December. The special counsel team investigating Yoon, led by special prosecutor Cho Eun Suk, said the former president is accused of violating the voting rights of Cabinet members by summoning only a select few to a meeting where the imposition of martial law was decided. ---------- Ichiro expects to get nervous in Hall of Fame speech SEATLE - Baseball Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki said Friday he expects to get nervous when he makes a speech in English during the July 27 induction ceremony at Cooperstown, New York. "I'm the type of person who gets really nervous when speaking in front of people, so I'll definitely get nervous," the former Seattle Mariners icon revealed in an online press conference. ---------- Video: Beat the heat with grilled eel on "doyo-no-ushi-no-hi," or the midsummer day of the ox
3 days ago
- Business
Akazawa to Visit Washington Next Week for Tariff Talks
News from Japan Society Jul 19, 2025 20:11 (JST) Osaka, July 19 (Jiji Press)--Japanese chief tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said Saturday that he plans to visit Washington at the beginning of next week at the earliest for bilateral tariff negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. He is aiming to advance the negotiations so as to avoid the United States' imposition of a 25 pct reciprocal tariff on all imports from Japan, which is due to come into effect on Aug. 1 as announced by Trump. Akazawa, also economic revitalization minister, revealed his travel plan to reporters after attending a ceremony related to the United States' "national day" event at the World Exposition in the western Japan city of Osaka on Saturday and meeting the visiting U.S. presidential delegation, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The Japanese minister said that there were no tariff discussions at the day's ceremony and luncheon. The Japan-U.S. negotiations apparently have stagnated, partly due to Japan holding an election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the country's parliament, on Sunday. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Kyodo News
3 days ago
- Business
- Kyodo News
Japan eyes tariff talks in U.S. next week before Aug. 1 deadline
OSAKA - Japan's top tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said Saturday he intends to visit the United States possibly early next week for an eighth round of trade talks, before a 25 percent tariff on Japan comes into effect on Aug. 1. "I want to continue working to find common ground that both sides can agree on," Akazawa told reporters at the World Exposition in Osaka where he was accompanying U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, his counterpart in the talks. The visit to the United States for tariff talks would be Akazawa's first in three weeks and would come in the aftermath of Japan's House of Councillors election on Sunday, in which the ruling bloc could lose its majority amid dissatisfaction over rising living costs. Akazawa said he and Bessent had "strengthened our trust" during the latter's visit as head of a presidential delegation to the expo. While no formal tariff talks took place, Akazawa declined to say whether they exchanged views on the levies. The comments came a day after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Bessent told him he believes the two sides can reach a "good" deal during a roughly 30-minute meeting at the premier's office. Japan has struggled to gain concessions from the United States on tariffs, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying earlier this week that reaching an agreement by the Aug. 1 deadline may be difficult. After seven visits to the United States by Akazawa and failure to reach a deal by a mid-June meeting between Trump and Ishiba at the Group of Seven summit, Washington notified Tokyo of a planned 25 percent tariff rate by letter in early July. Among tariff measures already implemented by Trump and proving a sticking point in bilaterial negotiations is the 25 percent levy on imports of vehicles to the United States. It is seen as a serious blow to the Japanese economy's growth-driving auto sector.
