Japan PM Ishiba Vows to Protect Free Trade System

   Tokyo, April 23 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday pledged to protect the global free trade system during Diet discussions on the tariff measures of U.S. President Donald Trump.
   In a parliamentary debate of party leaders, Ishiba, president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, made the vow as Yoshihiko Noda, president of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, criticized economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa's actions in trade talks with Washington as akin to diplomacy under a tributary system.
   Noda said that "the visual impression" made by Akazawa wearing a cap with Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan is "very negative for Japan."
   Multiple U.S. cabinet members including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attended the tariff talks alongside Trump, Noda said, blasting Tokyo's handling of the negotiations as "too weak and too late" despite Ishiba calling the tariff situation a national crisis.
   "We ran thorough simulations of what would happen following a Trump victory" in last year's U.S. presidential election, Ishiba said. "We'll boost our (negotiation) system, but we don't think it's been inadequate."

(2025/04/23-19:43)