Kano says trilateral FTA would be an important step

The Yomiuri Shimbun

JEJU ISLAND, South Korea -- Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Michihiko Kano has emphasized his intention to work toward a trilateral free trade agreement involving Japan, China and South Korea.

"An agreement would be an important step [toward creating the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific]," Kano said during an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun and other media on Sunday on Jeju Island, stressing the importance of cooperation with other Asian nations. Kano was on Jeju Island to attend a meeting with agricultural ministers from China and South Korea.

Explaining why the ministry is placing high priority on the trilateral FTA, Kano said: "Our three countries are similar to one another agriculturally. Taking this into consideration, we've also discussed various types of agriculture coexisting with each other."

On that basis, the minister expressed his stance that it would be possible to promote free trade among the three nations by respecting each country's key products.

Under a possible free trade agreement, it is feared that Japanese products will suffer as the nation would import an increasing amount of Chinese products.

When asked about this, Kano said, "Considering China's population, I don't see how it's possible for the country to export a huge amount of products to foreign countries," indicating there is no need for concern.