Kazuo Shi, head of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP), praised Turkey’s “inspiring” stance on the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war since last February.
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This came on the sidelines of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) in Istanbul, Turkey.
The International Conference of Asian Political Parties, the oldest and largest organization of political parties in Asia, was launched in 2000 in the Philippines and held its biannual conference last week in Istanbul.
“We attach great importance to the position and proposals of the Turkish government on how to solve the issues in Ukraine,” said Shi, a member of the Japanese Parliament since 1996, expressing his condemnation of the Russian war on Kyiv.
He added that he had “a great opportunity to discuss matters with the leadership of the Justice and Development Party on the sidelines of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties.”
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The Japanese representative added, “The Turkish government emphasizes a peaceful and diplomatic solution… This is inspiring.”
He stressed that “the important part is creating the conditions for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to this issue.”
He also praised Ankara’s role in brokering a historic grain deal that was signed in Istanbul by Turkey, the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine.
Days before the agreed expiration date, the grain corridor agreement across the Black Sea was extended for another 120 days, starting from November 19.
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On July 22, Istanbul witnessed the signing of the “Initiative Document for Safe Shipping of Grains and Foodstuffs from Ukrainian Ports” between Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations.
The agreement included securing grain exports stuck in Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea (eastern Europe) to the world to address the global food shortage crisis that threatens a humanitarian catastrophe.
The high-ranking Japanese lawmaker criticized China for what he called its “dominant behaviour,” but warned against isolating Beijing from regional affairs in the Asia-Pacific region.
The head of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) since 2000 said: “We have a view that is highly critical of China’s hegemonic behavior, but excluding the latter is not a good approach to create peaceful conditions in the region.”
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The Japanese official stressed that his party favors the inclusion of China in regional affairs “to create a peaceful framework in the region.”
Xi also spoke highly of the recent East Asia Summit hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), saying it is “a good framework for promoting peace in the region.”
On November 13, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit was held in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, in the presence of the leaders of the United States, Russia and China.
The Association of “ASEAN” is an economic organization founded in 1967 in the Thai capital, Bangkok, and includes 10 countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Democratic Laos, Burma (Myanmar) and Cambodia.
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During his speech, Xi touched on the US-led Quadripartite Security Dialogue, a loose alliance that also includes Japan, Australia and India.
Washington leads the informal Quartet in the region with the aim of containing China’s growing military and economic influence.
For its part, Beijing has blocked these efforts, criticizing any effort to isolate the largest populated country in the world, which is also the second largest economy internationally.
The Japanese representative said: “I have a point of view that strongly criticizes this Quartet.”
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He explained, “If you create a kind of political bloc, you will be trapped within the framework of its diplomatic conditions.”
He believed that the Japanese government’s “comprehensive framework” for peace was “important”.
Xi condemned the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He said, “The Turkish Justice and Development Party enjoyed friendly relations with the late leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (Abe).”
“Of course, sometimes we have different political views,” he added.
Abe was shot dead during a political rally in early July, in an event that shocked the world.
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Shinzo Abe was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history, driving ambitious economic reforms and establishing key diplomatic relations.
Regarding the faltering Japanese economy, he said that “wages are the most important factor in the deterioration of the Japanese economy.”
“Wages are going down… Citizens have lost their income,” he continued.
He pointed out that “the government must use its internal precautions to support the lives of workers.”
Japan is witnessing an increase in the inflation rate to 3.7% last October, which is the highest level since January 1991.
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This rate increased rapidly from 3% last September, mainly due to higher food and raw material prices, according to data from the Japanese Statistics Bureau.
