Press Conference by Foreign Press Secretary KITAMURA Toshihiro
Ministry of Foregn Affairs of Japan
Wednesday, July 30, 2025, 4:15 p.m. Ministry of Foreign Affairs
This is a provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only.
Opening Remarks
The Third Tokyo International Law Seminar
Foreign Press Secretary KITAMURA Toshihiro: I have an announcement at the outset.
As already announced in the press release, from August 4 to 8, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) will organize the third Tokyo International Law Seminar at the United Nations University, in Shibuya, Tokyo.
This Tokyo International Law Seminar provides a series of international law lectures by leading researchers and prominent practitioners for officials from the Indo-Pacific region, Japanese lawyers, and international law researchers. This Seminar aims to strengthen the rule of law in the region as well as human resources development in Japan in the field of international law.
Back to back with the Seminar, "Asia Cup," one of the largest international law moot court competitions in Asia which deals with public international law in general and has been held annually in Japan, will continue to be held for students from Asian countries.
The Ministry hopes that the Tokyo International Law Seminar will continue to contribute to the realization of peace guided by the rule of law by providing a forum for the sharing of knowledge and the fostering of networks among international law experts and practitioners.
That concludes my opening remarks.
U.S.-China Consultation, Japan-U.S. Consultation on U.S. Tariff Measures
Nikkei Shimbun, BABA: I would like to ask about the negotiations on tariff measures. The U.S. and China have agreed to extend the suspension of tariff measures for another 90 days. The tariff consultations and trade relations between the U.S. and China have an impact on Japan's economy and diplomacy. What is your view on the development of the US-China consultation? Please also tell us how MOFA intends to work toward ensuring U.S. implementation of the reciprocal tariffs of 15% and other measures agreed upon in the Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations.
Press Secretary KITAMURA: First, regarding the U.S.-China trade consultations, the Government of Japan, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is following up these developments properly.
While already announced by both the U.S. and China respectively, the Government of Japan will continue to closely monitor related developments with great interest, including those concerning the recent U.S.-China consultation. We intend to thoroughly examine the impact and respond appropriately.
Regarding the question on the Japan-U.S. agreement, as a general principle, the creation of a joint document is not necessarily required when making political agreements between nations. In fact, looking at other countries' agreements with the U.S. on tariff measures, I understand that joint documents have not been published between the U.S. and Vietnam or the Philippines.
That said, regarding the consultations between the U.S. and Japan, these consultations have been conducted since this April. They have been taking place against the backdrop of the historical context of the long-standing Japan-U.S. trade relations, and reaching a conclusion was by no means easy.
However, through exchanges between Prime Minister ISHIBA and President Trump during their summit meetings in February and June of this year, as well as a series of summit telephone talks in between, and after accumulating discussions at the ministerial level, as you are all aware, we were finally able to reach an agreement that serves the national interests of both countries, following the exchange between Mr. AKAZAWA Ryosei, Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization of Japan, and President Trump on July 22. Because the negotiations took place until the very last minute, no joint document was created.
Furthermore, whether or not to create a joint document is a matter involving the other party, and I understand that the U.S. is conducting tariff-related negotiations with many countries even after the agreement with Japan as you mentioned in your earlier question about the U.S.-China consultation. We believe it is necessary to take these various circumstances into consideration.
What is most important going forward is that both Japan and the U.S. make efforts to implement the agreement. In particular, what is needed on the U.S. side for tariff reductions are domestic measures on the part of the U.S., such as the issuance of executive orders. Therefore, it is important to first urge the U.S. side to take such measures promptly, and we have already been making such efforts to the U.S. side.
Furthermore, in Japan, as Chief Cabinet Secretary HAYASHI already stated at the Chief Cabinet Secretary's press conference yesterday morning, going forward, we understand it is important to first convene the Comprehensive Response Taskforce on U.S. Tariff Measures at an early stage, ensure that the relevant ministries and agencies coordinate appropriately and properly manage the progress of implementation of the Japan-U.S. agreement, including the reduction of U.S. tariff rates.
In any case, the Government of Japan will continue to maintain close communication with the U.S. side and urge them to take necessary measures.
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