Statement by Yoshimitsu Kobayashi, Chairman of Keizai Doyukai
On Outcome of US-Japan Economic Dialogue

April 18, 2017

Yoshimitsu Kobayashi
Chairman, Keizai Doyukai

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1. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso had their first U.S.-Japan economic dialogue today. Amid the global tensions escalating especially in the region surrounding Japan, the two have reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Japan bilateral relationship in national security and economy as well as the commitment to cooperate for the regional peace and prosperity. Today’s meeting has launched the practical dialogue toward the robust economic relations. We sincerely welcome the outcome.
2. The decades-long record of trade and investment has made the economies of the U.S. and Japan linked absolutely tight. Both nations share the common interests that are huge and diverse. We expect the creation, under such a common recognition, of region-wide rules of trade and investment and the realization of partnership in the new fields such as energies, infrastructure investments, and cyber, all through the dialogue going forward.
3. We are hopeful that today’s launch of the dialogue will trigger the continued and heart-to-heart discussions from a broad perspective by the leaders of the two nations that share the same value over freedom, democracy, and the rule of law with their roles in the region and the world under consideration.

Japanese version