Aquino to polish ‘statesman’ image in 4-day Japan visit By Michaela P. del Callar 09/17/2011

Aquino to polish ‘statesman’ image in 4-day Japan visit

By Michaela P. del Callar 09/17/2011
President Aquino seeks to launch his statesman image in his twin visits to the United States and Japan after his US visit with Aquino saying he will present a “package” to assist Japan from recovering from the multiple disasters that hit that country last March despite the fact that Japan is already on a recovery stage while the local economy is on a downturn.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Aquino will meet newly installed Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda during the Japan four-day official working visit later this month with discussions focusing on both countries’ political, security and economic relations, as well as pressing regional concerns.

Among the issues likely to be taken up are bilateral trade issues, such as how the economic exchange between the two sides has evolved under a three-year-old free trade agreement, the Mindanao peace process, in which Japan is a key player, and the disputes in the South China Sea might also figure in the talks, it was learned yesterday. Japan, like the United States, is among the several countries batting for unfettered access in the oil-rich area jointly claimed in part or in whole by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20110917hed2.html