JUST IN: PM Fumio Kishida Addresses Joint Meeting Of Congress, Pledges Japan's 'Firm Alliance'

5 months ago

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addressed a joint meeting of Congress, and reaffirmed Japan's commitment to its alliance with the United States. He also spoke of the importance of US-Japanese cooperation in preserving freedom globally.

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Transcript

00:00Members of Congress, I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you His

00:06Excellency Kishida Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan.

00:30Mr. Speaker, Madam Vice President, Honorable Members of the United States Congress, Ladies

01:00and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you. I never get such

01:07nice applause from the Japanese Diet.

01:22And let me introduce my wife Yuko, who is in the gallery.

01:30Thank you.

01:44The fact that I married Yuko should give you great confidence in all my decisions.

01:51I am truly honored to speak here in this seat of democracy and before you, the representatives

02:02of the American people.

02:07Nine years ago, the late Prime Minister Abe, who was a close friend of mine, stood in this

02:15very spot and gave an address titled, Toward an Alliance of Hope. I was foreign minister

02:27in his cabinet at that time, and I was deeply struck to witness the bond between our two

02:36countries.

02:40Since childhood, I have felt a connection to the United States, perhaps because I spent

02:50my first three years of elementary school at P.S. 20 and P.S. 13 in Queens, New York.

03:11Even though I was the only Japanese student there, my classmates kindly accepted me and

03:20helped me immerse myself in a new culture.

03:25We arrived in the fall of 1963, and for several years my family lived like Americans. My father

03:33would take the subway to Manhattan, where he worked as a trade official. We rooted for

03:43the Mets and the Yankees and ate hot dogs at Coney Island. On vacation, we would go

03:50to Niagara Falls or here to Washington, D.C. I remember things that were strange and funny

04:13to a little Japanese boy, like watching the Flintstones.

04:21I still miss that show, although I could never translate Yabba-Dabba-Doo.

04:39After 60 years, I have a message for the good people of Queens. Thank you for making my

04:47family and me feel so welcome. I have never forgotten it.

04:55So, I speak to you today as a long and close friend of the United States. I know that the

05:02National Park Service is undertaking a rehabilitation project in the Tidal Basin. I know that the

05:33gesture of friendship, Japan will provide 250 cherry trees that will be planted there

05:44in anticipation of the 2050th anniversary of your independence.

06:03As you might also remember, the 1964 World's Fair was held in Queens. Its symbol was a

06:17giant unit sphere, and the fair's theme was peace through understanding. And yet, we also

06:25know that peace requires more than understanding. It requires resolve.

06:39The U.S. shaped the international order in the post-war world through economic, diplomatic,

06:47military, and technological power. It championed freedom and democracy. It encouraged the stability

07:07and prosperity of nations, including Japan. And when necessary, it made noble contributions

07:16and sacrifices to fulfill its commitment to a better world.

07:29The United States' policy was based on the premise that humanity does not want to live

07:37oppressed by an authoritarian state, where you are tracked and surveilled and denied

07:48from expressing what is in your heart and on your mind.

07:56You believe that freedom is the oxygen of humanity. The world needs the United States

08:14to continue playing this pivotal role in the affairs of nations.

08:25And yet, as we meet here today, I detect an undercurrent of self-doubt among some

08:36Americans about what your role in the world should be. This self-doubt is arising at the

08:47time when our world is at history's turning point.

08:56The post-Cold War era is already behind us, and we are now at an inflection point that

09:05will define the next stage of human history. The international order that the U.S. worked

09:15for generations to build is facing new challenges, challenges from those with values and privileges

09:25and principles very different from ours. Freedom and democracy are currently under

09:34threat around the globe. Climate change has caused natural disasters, poverty, and displacement

09:46on a global scale. In the COVID-19 pandemic, all humanity suffered. Rapid advancement of

09:55advances in AI technology have resulted in a battle over the soul of AI that is raising

10:05between its promise and its perils. The balance of economic power is shifting.

10:15The global South plays a greater role in responding to challenges and opportunities and calls

10:23for a larger voice. Turning to Japan's own neighborhood, China's current external stance

10:35and military actions present unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge, not

10:44only to the peace and security of Japan, but to the peace and stability of international

10:52community at large. While such a challenge from China continues, our commitment to upholding

11:02a free and open international order based on the rule of law, as well as peace, will

11:10continue to be a defining agenda going forward.

11:21As a Hiroshima native, I have devoted my political career to bringing about the world without

11:34nuclear weapons. For years, I have worked to revitalize the non-proliferation of nuclear

11:52weapons treaty regime so that we can gain momentum in pursuit of the aspiration. But

12:02there exists an imminent danger of nuclear weapons proliferation in East Asia. North

12:09Korea's nuclear and missile program is a direct threat. The issue of abductions by North Korea

12:25remains a critical issue. North Korea's provocations have impact beyond the region. It has also

12:33exported its ballistic missiles to support Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine,

12:46greatly increasing the suffering of the Ukrainian people. Russia's unprovoked, unjust, and brutal

12:54war of aggression against Ukraine has entered its third year. As I often say, Ukraine of

13:12today may be East Asia of tomorrow.

13:24Furthermore, Russia continues to threaten the use of nuclear weapons, which has contributed

13:45to worldwide concern that yet another catastrophe by nuclear weapon use is the threat of nuclear

13:54war. In this reality, close coordination between Japan and the U.S. is required more than ever

14:07to ensure that the deterrence our alliance provides remains credible and resilient.

14:24New forms of oppression are being imposed on the world. Freedom is being suppressed

14:35through digital technologies. Social media is censored, monitored, and controlled. There

14:42are growing cases of economic coercion and so-called debt-trap diplomacy, whereby the

14:58economic dependency of nations is exploited and weaponized. Facing such rapidly changing

15:06pressures, how do we continue to safeguard our common values?

15:19I want to address those Americans who feel the loneliness and exhaustion of being the

15:28country that has upheld the international order almost single-handedly. The United States

15:35is not the only country in the world that feels this way. I understand it is a heavy

15:40burden to carry such hopes on your shoulders. Although the world looks to your leadership,

15:50the U.S. should not be expected to do it all unaided and on your own.

16:06Yes, the leadership of the United States is indispensable. Without U.S. support, how long

16:21before hopes of Ukraine would collapse under the onslaught from Moscow?

16:36Without the presence of the United States, how long before the Indo-Pacific would face

16:56even harsher realities?

17:01Ladies and gentlemen, as the United States' closest friend, the people of Japan are with

17:10you side by side to assure the survival of liberty.

17:30Not just for our people, but for all people. I'm not saying this out of my strong attachment

17:48to America. I'm an idealist, but a realist too. The defense of freedom, democracy, and

18:01the rule of law is the national interest of Japan. The Japanese people are fully committed

18:11to these barriers. I do not want to leave our children in a society where human rights

18:21were suppressed, where political self-determination is denied, where our lives are marked by the

18:30monitor by digital technology. I know you don't either. Upholding these barriers is

18:46both a cause and a benefit for our two countries, as well as for the generations to come across

18:54the world.

18:57Right now, Japanese and U.S. service members are working side by side to deter aggression

19:07and ensure peace. I admire them. I thank them. And I know I speak for all of us when I say

19:23they have the gratitude of both our nations.

19:46On the spaceship called Freedom and Democracy, Japan is proud to be your ally. I hope you

19:53appreciate it.

19:55We are on deck. We are on task. And we are ready to do what is necessary. The democratic

20:07nations of the world must have all hands on deck.

20:14I am here to say that Japan is already standing shoulder to shoulder with the United States.

20:30You are not alone. We are with you.

20:45Japan has changed over the years. We have transformed ourselves from a reticent ally

21:00recovering from the devastation of World War II to a strong, committed ally looking outward

21:08to the world.

21:14Japan has transformed its national security strategy. Uncertainty about the future stability

21:25of the Indo-Pacific region caused us to change our policies and our very mindset.

21:33I myself have stood at the forefront in making our bilateral alliance even stronger.

21:51In 2022, we announced that we would secure substantial increase of our defense budget

22:03by fiscal year 2027 to 2% of GDP, possess counter-strike capability, and improve cybersecurity.

22:21Today, the tolerance that our alliance provides is stronger than ever. Bolstered by U.S. extended

22:33deterrence for Japan, Japan has taken strong sanctions against Russia in the wake of its

22:45aggression against Ukraine.

23:02We have announced over $12 billion in aid to Ukraine, including anti-drone detection

23:18systems. This is part of NATO's aid package. And yes, we are even working with NATO on

23:26the other side of the world from us.

23:34I might add that in February, I helped a devastated Ukraine get through these agonizing times.

23:41I hosted the Conference for Ukraine's Economic Growth and Reconstruction. Japan will continue

23:48to stand with Ukraine.

24:19As the geopolitical landscape changed, and as Japan grew in confidence, we expanded our

24:38outlook beyond that of being America's closest ally. We first became really interested in

24:48the regional partner of the United States, and now we have become your global partner.

24:56Never has our relationship been so close, our vision and approach so united.

25:04Today, our partnership goes beyond the bilateral. Examples include trilateral and quadrilateral

25:25cooperation among the U.S., Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia.

25:33India and the Philippines, as well as cooperation through the G7 and with ASEAN.

25:44Three leaders of the U.S., the Republic of Korea, and Japan convened at Camp Davis last

25:53summer to inaugurate a new era of our partnership.

26:04From these various endeavors emerges a multilayered regional framework where our alliance serves

26:21as a force multiplier. And together with these like-minded countries, we are working to realize

26:29a free and open Indo-Pacific.

26:44Here in this chamber, we should have strong bipartisan support for these efforts.

26:59Japan believes in U.S. leadership, and we also believe in the U.S. economy. Japan is

27:18the number one falling direct investor in the United States. Japanese companies have

27:26invested around $800 billion, creating almost 1 billion American jobs.

27:43These are good jobs, with half a billion jobs in the U.S. and around the world.

27:56At home, I am embarking on a set of initiatives called a new form of capitalism to drive the

28:10Japanese economy. The public and private sectors are joining hands to transform the social

28:18challenges we face into engines of growth.

28:24Wage increases, capital investment, stock prices, all have attained levels not seen

28:35for 30 years. The Japanese economy is now making strides by capitalizing on these new

28:47unprecedented and major changes. A growth-oriented Japanese economy should also spar even greater

28:59investment in the United States. And we can then help boost the global economy to steer

29:07it toward a strong growth trajectory in the years to come.

29:25Just yesterday, President Biden and I demonstrated our commitment to leading the world on the

29:33development of the next generation of emerging technologies such as AI, quantum, semiconductors,

29:44biotechnology, and clean energy.

29:50And the scope of our bilateral cooperation expands to space as well, illuminating our

30:07path toward a brighter and more hopeful tomorrow.

30:13The TV broadcast of Apollo 11's lunar landing of 1969 is still shared into my memory. Japan's

30:27lunar lander mission in January achieved the first pinpoint landing in history.

30:35Yesterday, President Biden and I announced that the Japanese national will be the first

30:50non-American astronaut to land on the moon on the future Artemis mission.

31:04And we have two astronauts with us today. Would Mr. Hoshide and Mr. Tani please stand?

31:35Mr. Akihiko Hoshide has flown to space three times and served as commander of the International

31:54Space Station for five months in 2021.

32:05Next to him is Mr. Daniel Tani. He is a retired Japanese-American astronaut who has conducted

32:18six spacewalks and in his two missions logged over 50 million miles.

32:35Which is a lot of frequent fire points.

32:50Mr. Hoshide and Mr. Tani are living symbols of our collaboration in space and we will

32:58have many more such collaborations in the future.

33:14Let me close with this final thought. I want you to know how seriously Japan takes its

33:22role as the United States' closest ally. Together, we carry a large responsibility.

33:35I believe that we are essential to peace, vital to freedom, and fundamental to prosperity.

33:42Bonded by our belief, I pledge to you Japan's firm alliance and enduring friendship.

34:13A global partner for the future. We are your global partner today and we will be your global

34:26partner in the years ahead.

34:34Thank you for inviting me. Thank you for your hospitality. And thank you for the role you

34:46play in the world.

35:03Thank you.

JUST IN: PM Fumio Kishida Addresses Joint Meeting Of Congress, Pledges Japan's 'Firm Alliance'

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