TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide pledged to do all he can to hold next year’s Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games safely, at an online summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum on Friday.

The Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics have been postponed by one year to 2021 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Suga also stressed his policy of promoting free trade to help rebuild the global economy, which has taken a hit from the pandemic. Trade and investment liberalization based on international rules, and the enhancement of connectivity will support the free and open Indo-Pacific, he said.

To help establish the proposed Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, an economic integration initiative among the 21 APEC member economies, Japan aims to expand the membership of the Trans-Pacific Partnership multilateral free trade pact, Suga said, showing his hope for the return of the United States, which withdrew from the TPP framework in 2017.

Suga said that it is necessary to maintain and strengthen the multilateral free trade system, underlining the importance of reforming the World Trade Organization, which came under fire for becoming unable to perform its functions properly following US-China trade friction.

Suga also explained his administration’s determination to promote digitalization and achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in Japan by 2050.

He vowed to strengthen the virtuous cycle of environmental protection and economic growth by making maximum use of innovations.

The Japanese leader also showed the country’s hope to lead the international efforts to diversify energy sources and ensure stable energy supplies.

JIJI Press