Koizumi pledges 'sincere, open' partnership with Southeast Asia
Koizumi pledges 'sincere, open' partnership with Southeast Asia
Agence France-Presse, Manila
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi pledged on Wednesday at
the start of his Southeast Asian tour to cooperate more closely
with the region in a "sincere and open" partnership.
Koizumi was speaking after talks with Philippine President
Gloria Arroyo in Manila, the first stop of his week-long trip to
the region.
Aside from the Philippines, he will visit four other key
members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) --
Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
"I conveyed my message that we would like to cooperate with
ASEAN as open and sincere partners so that we can act together
and advance together in the future," Koizumi told a joint news
conference with Arroyo after their talks at the Malacanang
presidential palace.
He said: "We were able to confirm our common understanding on
various issues and agreed to continue our cooperation. This is
significant and wonderful for the two countries, ASEAN and the
entire region."
Arroyo said they agreed on the need for ASEAN and Japan to
forge closer links in addressing issues and problems affecting
the region.
"I welcome Prime Minister Koizumi's new foreign policy vision
for East Asia," Arroyo said.
She backed Koizumi's effort to revamp the troubled Japanese
economy, saying Tokyo's recovery was key to growth in the entire
region.
During his flight to Manila, Koizumi told reporters he planned
to use the ASEAN trip to express his readiness to take concrete
action for Japan to become a true partner of ASEAN.
Tokyo wanted to demonstrate that "a friend in need is a friend
indeed," he said.
"As a frank partner, I would like to look for cooperative
relations, considering how Japan-ASEAN ties can contribute to the
peace and stability of the international community," he added.
Small numbers of uniformed police and members of Arroyo's
Presidential Security Group guarded the motorcade route as about
50 anti-Japan demonstrators gathered near a central Manila park
where Koizumi laid a wreath by the monument of national hero Jose
Rizal.
The leftists and women's groups were protesting Japan's
occupation of the Philippines in World War II.
"Never again will Filipinos accept Japan's new bid to
establish itself as an imperialist power in the region," said a
leaflet they distributed at the site.
On Thursday, Koizumi flies to Kuala Lumpur to meet Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad before moving on to Bangkok on Friday
to meet Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Koizumi will hold talks with Indonesia's President Megawati
Soekarnoputri in Jakarta on Saturday and meet Singaporean Prime
Minister Goh Chok Tong on Sunday before returning to Tokyo on
Jan. 15.
Koizumi also welcomed a planned free trade accord between
China and ASEAN while hinting at his hope for the conclusion of a
similar agreement between Japan and the 10-member grouping.
"I hope the move will help expand the development of both
China and ASEAN members," he said.
Asked if he would propose a free trade agreement with ASEAN
during his trip, Koizumi said: "We need to hold dialog,
considering much closer relations in cooperation in the future."
In November, Japan was left out in the cold when China and
ASEAN agreed to create the world's most populous free trade bloc
within 10 years, covering two billion consumers.
Japanese news reports have said Koizumi will propose an action
plan to form a comprehensive economic alliance, including free
trade accords, with ASEAN members.
In October, Japan and Singapore completed negotiations to
launch a bilateral free trade accord, the first ever for the
world's second-biggest economy.
On the same day the Philippines has approved Japanese firm
Kirin Brewery Corp.'s bid to purchase a stake in local food and
beverage giant San Miguel Corp., a presidential spokesman said on
Wednesday.
The "interim agreement" was reached with San Miguel chief
executive Eduardo Cojuangco and would be finalized before a
special stockholders' meeting on Feb. 27, spokesman Rigoberto
Tiglao told reporters.