Japan PM defers Phl official visit

The Office of the President understands the decision of the Office of the Prime Minister to postpone the planned Official Visit of His Excellency Suga Yoshihide to the Philippines

President Rodrigo Duterte supports the decision of Japan’s Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide to postpone his official visit to the Philippines scheduled from late April to early May, Malacañang said Wednesday.

Duterte’s spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque said the postponement was due to the persisting threat of Covid-19 and “therefore, deserves support.”

“The Office of the President understands the decision of the Office of the Prime Minister to postpone the planned Official Visit of His Excellency Suga Yoshihide to the Philippines,” Roque said through a statement.

“Defeating the coronavirus pandemic is high on both the Philippines and Japan’s agenda and remains a key point of cooperation. The decision to postpone a planned official visit based on this ground, therefore, deserves support,” he added.

The Palace official said the country remains confident that the strategic partnership and broad cooperation between Manila and Tokyo would continue to “strengthen,” even as “we jointly and individually” work to address the pandemic.

Suga’s visit was intended to reaffirm the bilateral cooperation between the Philippines and Japan as the two countries mark the 65th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

Duterte had a 25-minute phone call with Suga last December, where he invited his Japanese counterpart to visit the Philippines “as soon as circumstances allow” it.

Duterte and Suga exchanged views on various issues such as the maritime dispute in the South China Sea and the conflict in the Korean Peninsula during their conversations.

Defeating the coronavirus pandemic is high on both the Philippines and Japan’s agenda and remains a key point of cooperation.

This month, the Japanese leader was also expected to visit India and meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time in person to discuss their bilateral collaboration in cybersecurity, among others.

Japan and India were part of a group known as the “Quad,” which also includes the United States and Australia.

Quad leaders have earlier pledged to work to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region, as well as cyber and economic security amid China’s growing clout in the region.

The recent spike in Covid-19 cases in Japan has strained its medical systems, prompting the government to impose a fresh state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka and Hyogo prefectures.

The Philippines and India were also grappling with the resurgence of coronavirus infections.