GREENSBORO: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio Kishida on Friday inspected an automotive battery plant of Toyota Motor Corp. under construction in North Carolina and a factory of an aircraft unit of Honda Motor Co. in the southern U.S. state.

The visits are aimed at highlighting the contributions of Japanese companies to the U.S. economy through investment and job creation, and publicizing Japan-U.S. cooperation over supply chains.

Meeting with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper over lunch on the day, Kishida said that the Toyota and Honda plants symbolize modern-day Japan-U.S. cooperation regarding supply chains and advanced technologies.

At the Toyota plant, officials of the leading Japanese automaker told Kishida that the company has invested about 13.9 billion dollars to date, adding that the automotive battery plant, which is slated to start operating in 2025, is expected to create more than 5,000 new jobs.

Tetsuo Ogawa, president and CEO of Toyota Motor North America Inc., emphasized that the unshakable relationship of trust between Japan and the United States is making business continuation possible.

At the Honda Aircraft Co. plant that develops and make small business jets, Kishida inspected the manufacturing process with executives of the company.

Also on Friday, Kishida met with officials of Japanese firms operating in the United States. The Japanese government “will continue strongly supporting efforts by Japanese companies in order to reinforce Japan’s growth potential,” he told the corporate officials.

North Carolina was picked for Kishida’s destination as it is a swing state where a fierce battle is expected in the U.S. presidential election in November between current President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

Kishida is visiting the United States as a state guest from Monday. He flew to North Carolina on a Japanese government plane Thursday after meeting with Biden and delivering a congressional speech in Washington.

“Japan is the world’s largest investor in the United States, creating a large number of jobs and contributing to the development of local communities,” the prime minister told reporters Thursday. “It’s very important for Japan and the United States to promote their investment in order to drive the global economy.”

JIJI Press