A top contender to lead Japan’s ruling party suggested that a trade renegotiation with the US could be on the table if the deal doesn’t serve Japan’s interests.
“We must stand our ground if anything unfair that is not in Japan’s interests comes to light in the process of implementing the deal,” Sanae Takaichi said on Sunday with regard to a $550 billion Japanese investment fund that was part of an agreement to lower US tariffs. “That includes a potential renegotiation.”
The right-leaning Takaichi made the comments during a live Fuji TV show, less than a week before the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is set to elect its new leader from five candidates.
Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has topped recent polls of LDP lawmakers on whom they will be voting for in the upcoming leadership race, while other surveys show that Takaichi is popular among rank-and-file members.
About 30% of lawmakers are considering voting for Koizumi, according to surveys conducted by Sankei newspaper and broadcaster JNN. Current Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi came in second, and Takaichi was third, according to the poll conducted by Sankei, which also showed that about 20% were still undecided.
If none of the contenders win a majority in the initial round of voting, the top two candidates with the most ballots will enter a runoff race, fighting over a total of 342 ballots, of which 295 will be cast by lawmakers and 47 will be cast by the regional branches of the LDP.
Koizumi praised the trade deal with the US in the Fuji TV broadcast.
“If any issues arise, they will be discussed at the appropriate level,” he said.
During a separate live show on public broadcaster NHK on Sunday morning, the five contenders also weighed in on President Donald Trump’s potential visit to Japan in late October, saying they will strive to build personal ties with Trump and highlight the importance of Japan-US relations. The new LDP leader may meet with Trump next month should he make a visit to Japan ahead of an EC leaders meeting in South Korea, as reported by local media.
Hayashi emphasized continuity from the current Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s administration as he would seek to build “a solid relationship of trust” with the US leader.
“I hope to work together with him to Make America Great Again and bring back the middle class,” he said, adding that he planned to collaborate with Trump to create more jobs in the US in areas including manufacturing.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
