WORLD NEWS | Japanese PM asks Canada for help on clean energy

OTTAWA, Jan. 13 (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wants Canada to help wean his country off fossil fuels from places like Russia.

Kishida made his first visit to Ottawa Thursday as the head of the Japanese government as part of a tour of other G7 countries.

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Japan holds the G7 chairmanship this year and will host meetings with leaders of some of the world’s wealthiest countries. The group includes the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, as well as the European Union.

Tokyo plans to use the presidency to coordinate with other countries on economic management and punishing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

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Kishida arrived in Ottawa from London late Wednesday and is expected to travel to Washington, D.C., later Thursday.

The visit comes amid a geopolitical alliance between Japan and Canada, both of which have recently identified China as a threat to stability in the region.

Kishida’s arrival marks the first visit to Canada by an Asian head of government since Ottawa launched its Indo-Pacific strategy last November, which calls for closer ties with countries that can counter Beijing’s influence.

A new defense strategy unveiled by Japan last month includes working with allies to fend off threats from North Korea and China and legitimizes Japanese military strikes on enemy bases. Tokyo has increased its military spending by 26% in just one year.

Meanwhile, a regional trade agreement launched in 2018 has helped the two countries expand trade with each other’s markets. Under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, Canada has increased pork and oil exports to Japan, while importing more Japanese machinery and auto parts.

“Trade between our two countries is booming,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a luncheon Thursday for Kishida and business executives.

“We share a vision of peace and prosperity on both sides of the Pacific.”

Kishida told the audience that LNG will play a “key role” in Japan’s energy transition, and Canada’s upcoming LNG export terminal is one example of the many ways Ottawa can help.

“I am very eager to further strengthen cooperation between industry, government and academia in both countries in terms of science, technology and innovation, (digital transformation) and start-ups,” Kishida told attendees in Japanese through an English translator.

“Nuclear power will also play a key role, and we look forward to working together to make the nuclear supply chain more resilient.”

Trudeau said the Canadian government will lead a trade mission to Japan this fall, while Japanese companies interested in mining and electric vehicle battery components plan to visit Canada in the spring. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)