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“High tariffs will not bring economic prosperity," Ishiba told a
global forum in Tokyo. “A prosperity built on sacrifices by
someone or another country will not make a strong economy.”
Japan seeks to work with the U.S. on investment, job creation
and manufacturing high quality products for the prosperity of
America and the rest of the world, he said.
His comment comes as Japan’s chief tariff negotiator Ryosei
Akazawa travels to Washington, D.C., for a fourth round of talks
aiming to convince the U.S. to drop all recent tariff measures.
So far Japan has not been successful in gaining U.S. concessions
and is reportedly considering purchases of more U.S. farm
products and defense equipment as bargaining chips.
Later Thursday, Ishiba telephoned U.S. President Donald Trump to
touch base ahead of the talks in Washington. The two leaders now
have “deeper understanding about each other,” Ishiba told
reporters, though there is no change to Japan’s position on the
tariffs. He declined to give further details.
Akazawa told reporters that defense equipment purchases could
“come into view” during the talks because Japan's purchases of
defense equipment would contribute to the U.S. trade surplus,
though he said Japanese security policy is not subject to "a
deal” with another country.
Ishiba, in his speech, also called on other countries in Asia, a
global hub of growth, to show “the importance of rules-based,
free and fair economic order," and said the way to demonstrate
that is to promote the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement
for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP.
The 12-nation CPTPP includes Japan, the United Kingdom, New
Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico,
Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The U.S. is not a member.
Ishiba pledged that Japan will work toward further expanding and
upgrading the framework, which he said not only contributes to
the economy but also to peace and prosperity.
While Tokyo is strengthening economic ties with Southeast Asia
and Europe, Japan still considers the United States as its
lynchpin of security policies.
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