TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio on Thursday unveiled a plan to appoint over 10,000 personnel across the country to promote digitalization.

“We aim to resolve challenges including the falling population, aging society and deindustrialization by utilizing digital capabilities,” Kishida said in a lecture organized by Jiji Press-affiliated Research Institute of Japan.

Kishida indicated that the government will draw up a plan to develop digital infrastructure throughout the country, such as 5G mobile and fiber-optic networks.

“Through public and private investment, we’ll make large-scale, high-volume digital services available wherever you are in Japan,” the prime minister stressed.

On next summer’s House of Councillors election, Kishida said its main issues will include his initiative for “new capitalism,” as well as measures against the coronavirus.

As president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, he vowed to press ahead with party reform, mentioning his pledge in the party leadership election earlier this year to limit the terms of party executives to three years at the longest.

Meanwhile, the prime minister said he will work to strengthen Japan’s defense capacity with “all options on the table, including the possession of an ability to strike enemy bases.”

Labeling his foreign policy approach as “new-era realism diplomacy,” Kishida underscored his emphasis on universal values such as human rights.

He reiterated his eagerness to visit the United States at an early date to have talks with U.S. President Joe Biden.

JIJI Press