Gyeongju, South Korea — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi concluded her three-day visit to Gyeongju for the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, highlighting candid dialogue with the leaders of South Korea and China as a significant diplomatic success.

Speaking at a press conference following the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on November 1, Takaichi, who is just twelve days into her premiership, emphasized the importance of engaging with Japan's "important neighboring countries." "It was a valuable opportunity to speak with responsible leaders," she said, adding that "we also had honest conversations with important neighboring countries such as China and South Korea."

The Prime Minister's trip to Gyeongju marked the completion of a whirlwind diplomatic debut that also included the ASEAN summit and a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Japan. Takaichi framed her foreign policy as one that "blooms in the middle of the world," stating that her initial diplomatic efforts had gotten off to a "solid start."

She affirmed that her participation in the APEC summit and the preceding diplomatic engagements allowed her to put into practice her key principles: advancing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), elevating the Japan-U.S. Alliance, and building trust with major regional players through open dialogue.

A concrete outcome of the summit she noted was the decision for Japan to host APEC in 2031.

During the press conference, Takaichi was pressed on the fairness of Japan's agreed-upon $550 billion investment in the United States, particularly in comparison to South Korea's separate U.S. investment commitments. The Prime Minister, who had previously raised concerns about potentially "unequal" aspects of the Japan-U.S. trade agreement during her campaign, declined to comment directly on the South Korea-U.S. agreement, stating that "it is not appropriate to compare them uniformly" given the different situations of each country.

However, she was firm on Japan's commitment to the existing bilateral trade pact: "The agreement between the U.S. and Japan is an intergovernmental commitment, and it should not be changed just because the Prime Minister has changed." This statement appeared to moderate her earlier stance, where she had suggested a possibility of renegotiation if the investment process harmed Japan's national interests. The $550 billion investment, primarily targeting key U.S. industries like semiconductors and critical minerals, was a core component of the trade agreement reached between Japan and the U.S. in July.

Takaichi concluded her remarks by noting the significance of the diplomatic progress made, emphasizing the renewed commitment to developing a future-oriented and stable relationship with South Korea.

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