Defense-related discussions should be separate and distinct from tariff negotiations with Washington, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Monday, after a weekend in which various compromises aimed at bridging the gap with the United States were floated, such as buying more U.S. soybeans.
“Tariff negotiations are tariff negotiations. National security discussions are national security discussions. If we don’t keep them separate, I believe we risk distorting the essence of each issue,” the prime minister told the Upper House Budget Committee on Monday morning.
“I do not believe that tariff negotiations and national security issues should be linked and considered together,” he said.
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