[Title] Press Conference by Prime Minister Ishiba regarding His Visit to Malaysia and Indonesia and Other Matters

(On Prime Minister Ishiba's impressions as he wrapped up his visit to Malaysia and Indonesia; on the outcomes attained during this trip and on future issues from the standpoint of responses to China; also, in regard to diplomacy with the United States, in light of third-party comments that President-elect Trump has only limited interest in Southeast Asia and against a backdrop of uncertainty emerging in regional security, on the U.S.'s relationship with the Southeast Asia region and on the current state of affairs of coordinating a meeting with Mr. Trump)

Within Japanese diplomacy, our relationship with ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is of the utmost importance. In the context of the increasing uncertainty we see in the international situation, my perception is that, as Japan engages in diplomacy going forward, it is absolutely imperative for us to build up our relationship with Southeast Asia while fostering relations of trust.

Taking this view of matters, I intend to visit each of the countries of the Southeast Asia region individually, separate from international meetings such as ASEAN-related meetings or APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) meetings. In selecting my destinations for this trip, I decided to visit the two countries of Malaysia, a country experiencing remarkable growth, and Indonesia, which has also achieved exceptional growth and is one of the world's most prominent nations in terms of both the size of its population and the scale of its economy.

I consider it immensely important that both countries have economies achieving highly impressive growth and both are Islamic countries.

I engaged in various exchanges of views with Prime Minister Anwar during my time in Malaysia and with President Prabowo during my stay in Indonesia. In each case, we spent considerable time talking one on one, and we also participated in small group and expanded meetings.

First of all, in the area of security, my counterparts and I agreed we will advance our cooperation in concrete form through Official Security Assistance (OSA) and maritime security cooperation. This cooperation with Indonesia and with Malaysia is, in other words, something bringing peace and stability to the Southeast Asia region, which ultimately also makes a tremendous contribution to the peace and security of Japan. This can be called security -- security within the realm of defense. That is the first point.

The second point is energy security, which is exceedingly important for Japan. Japan has built up mutually beneficial relationships with regard to the supply of energy over quite a long timeline, notably in the supply of LNG (liquefied natural gas). My counterparts and I saw fully eye to eye in continuing this into the future.

Taking this visit as an opportunity, we also confirmed our intention to work towards decarbonization via various means, including through the use of hydrogen, ammonia, CCUS (carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and storage), geothermal energy, and mineral resources, among others, with AZEC (the Asia Zero Emission Community) serving as the axis for our efforts.

We also had a considerable exchange of views regarding cooperation in the areas of food security and agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.

My fellow leaders and I also discussed relations with the United States of America, relations with China, and various outstanding concerns such as our assessments of the current state of affairs, as well as the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, along with other matters. We were fully in accord in our stance that Japan must continue to engage in close communication with both Malaysia and Indonesia. We will act in cooperation in order to maintain a free and open international order.

It was my first visit to both of these countries in 34 years. Last time, as a second-term Diet member, I visited on an overseas observation tour organized by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Youth Division. It was 34 years ago that I came here with others in the Youth Division, including fellow then-second-term legislator Mr. TOKAI Kisaburo, now Chairman of the Political Reform Headquarters (of the LDP), and Mr. SUZUKI Shunichi, now Chairman of the General Council (of the LDP), then in his first term in the Diet.

I have felt quite amazed and also moved at the way both countries have achieved such phenomenal development. Going forward, it will be imperative for Japan to make greater efforts to strengthen our relations with both countries, whether we consider energy, security in terms of defense, or food security.

There are a great many things that Japan can do on behalf of these two countries. There are also numerous areas in which Japan would like to receive assistance from these two countries. This is not simply a matter of the economy; relationships of trust are also of extreme importance. I imagine you in the media covering my visit here may have also felt this while you were here, but the question is, does Japan regard Malaysia and Indonesia as highly as those two countries regard Japan? The expectations towards Japan are really quite intense.

Economic development has certainly been quite profound, but the expectations held towards Japan are also exceptionally strong. And yet how much do we in Japan recognize and value these two countries? I have felt very keenly that there are a number of points we need to rethink.

There was a question about relations with the United States. The next president, Mr. Trump, will be taking office soon. For Japan, our relationship with the United States is of the utmost importance. Accordingly, I intend to have a meeting with Mr. Trump at the nearest possible time, taking into account our schedules on both sides.

As for the degree to which Mr. Trump is interested in the Southeast Asia region, I will have to actually have discussions with him to see. That said, seeing during this visit the way in which both Malaysia and Indonesia have developed, I really think that being diplomatically engaged in this region going forward is of the utmost consequence for Japan and for the United States as well. I'd like Mr. Trump and I to share the recognition that Japan and the U.S. joining hands in cooperation to help bolster the peace and stability of this region also contributes tremendously to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region as a whole, as well as the peace and stability of the entire globe.

(On how Prime Minister Ishiba intends to face and engage with opposition parties as the ruling party with responsibility once the ordinary Diet session begins; on how the Ishiba administration will, during the upcoming ordinary Diet session, take on the issues of the electoral system, the system of married couples using separate surnames, and donations from corporations and organizations; and on the possibility of holding elections for both Houses of the Diet on the same day and the potential for forming a grand coalition with opposition parties)

My administration's stance during the upcoming ordinary Diet session will be no different than the stance we took during the extraordinary session of the Diet. Insofar as we are a minority ruling party, there is no change in the circumstances that there is no way for a bill or draft budget to pass without the support of members of opposition parties. We would like a large number of opposition party legislators to agree with us, and towards that end, we need to have those who supported opposition parties think, "what the government is proposing is the most reasonable," or else we won't be able to win the support of legislators in opposition parties. We are not asking them to accept everything we offer without reservation. But for those supporting opposition parties or independents without any party affiliation, we will offer thoroughgoing explanations of our positions so that they arrive at the conclusion that "what the government has proposed makes the most sense."

As for the issues of the electoral system, the system of married couples using separate surnames, and donations from corporations and organizations, it is important to first have the various political parties and factions hold sincere discussions, so at present, we as the government will not say anything that prejudges the outcome of those discussions. Once earnest discussions are held and an outcome is reached, the government will take all necessary responses. That is how we will approach this.

As for holding elections for both Houses of the Diet on the same day -- a "double election," as they say -- and as for forming a grand coalition, if you take a look at the transcripts of all the press conferences I've done, or the records of all my remarks, nowhere will you find that I uttered even the first letter of the words "grand coalition," nor will you find me anywhere uttering so much as the first letter of the words "double election" even a single time. Never once have I so much as breathed either phrase. That being the case, insofar as we are a minority ruling party, I have said that we need to gain substantial support from outside the ruling parties.

With regard to dissolving the House of Representatives, while I have indeed confirmed the provisions for dissolution under the Constitution, again, nowhere have I articulated even the first part of the first syllable of either a "grand coalition" or a "double election."

In each and every circumstance in which I find myself, I will act in good faith and respond to all Diet situations to the best of my ability. I will end my remarks here.