ID :
184701
Thu, 05/26/2011 - 18:03
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/184701
The shortlink copeid
Japan to seek recovery through open economy policy: minister
TOKYO, May 26 Kyodo - Japan will pursue recovery from the devastating March 11 quake and tsunami by keeping its economy open and drawing investment and workforces from around the world, Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto said Thursday.
Speaking at a banquet following a seminar on the Asian economy in Tokyo, Matsumoto said the earthquake ''reminded us of the importance of close partnerships between the Japanese and global markets'' and vowed that Japan will continue to seek free trade arrangements with its partners.
The minister also said it is ''worth considering'' setting up ''special zones for recovery'' in areas ravaged by the March disasters, where preferential tax treatment, economic incentives and deregulation measures will be implemented, to attract foreign investment.
He also called for the return of foreign workers, students and tourists to Japan to help the nation's recovery process.
Up to 10,000 out of about 30,000 foreign trainees in the disaster-hit Tohoku region have left the country since the quake, and the number of Japan-bound foreign visitors dropped more than 60 percent in April from a year earlier, the minister said.
Matsumoto said although Japan has decided to postpone a decision on whether to join negotiations for a U.S.-backed Pacific free trade pact due to the March calamities, he believes the country should make up its mind on the issue at an early date.
''I think it would be meaningless if we fail to choose the timing at an early stage to reflect our intentions in negotiations'' on the so-called Trans-Pacific Partnership, which currently involve nine Asia-Pacific economies, he said.
The nine countries, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, aim to agree on the outline of the TPP by November, when leaders from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum will gather for a summit in Hawaii.
Japan was originally scheduled to reach a conclusion on whether to join the TPP talks by around June, but the decision will be delayed as the country is now focusing on recovery from the March disasters.
Matsumoto also apologized for the ''insufficient information'' provided by Japan on the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, but said that Japan is safe and open for business and travel.
He said the government of Japan ''never thought of hiding information'' in the initial stages and that it is a ''misunderstanding'' that wide areas of the country are severely contaminated with radiation.
The foreign minister also said Japan is considering hosting an international conference next year on how to cope with large-scale disasters and bidding for a U.N. conference on disaster reduction in 2015.
Speaking at a banquet following a seminar on the Asian economy in Tokyo, Matsumoto said the earthquake ''reminded us of the importance of close partnerships between the Japanese and global markets'' and vowed that Japan will continue to seek free trade arrangements with its partners.
The minister also said it is ''worth considering'' setting up ''special zones for recovery'' in areas ravaged by the March disasters, where preferential tax treatment, economic incentives and deregulation measures will be implemented, to attract foreign investment.
He also called for the return of foreign workers, students and tourists to Japan to help the nation's recovery process.
Up to 10,000 out of about 30,000 foreign trainees in the disaster-hit Tohoku region have left the country since the quake, and the number of Japan-bound foreign visitors dropped more than 60 percent in April from a year earlier, the minister said.
Matsumoto said although Japan has decided to postpone a decision on whether to join negotiations for a U.S.-backed Pacific free trade pact due to the March calamities, he believes the country should make up its mind on the issue at an early date.
''I think it would be meaningless if we fail to choose the timing at an early stage to reflect our intentions in negotiations'' on the so-called Trans-Pacific Partnership, which currently involve nine Asia-Pacific economies, he said.
The nine countries, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, aim to agree on the outline of the TPP by November, when leaders from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum will gather for a summit in Hawaii.
Japan was originally scheduled to reach a conclusion on whether to join the TPP talks by around June, but the decision will be delayed as the country is now focusing on recovery from the March disasters.
Matsumoto also apologized for the ''insufficient information'' provided by Japan on the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, but said that Japan is safe and open for business and travel.
He said the government of Japan ''never thought of hiding information'' in the initial stages and that it is a ''misunderstanding'' that wide areas of the country are severely contaminated with radiation.
The foreign minister also said Japan is considering hosting an international conference next year on how to cope with large-scale disasters and bidding for a U.N. conference on disaster reduction in 2015.
