The government's top spokesman on Wednesday welcomed the nomination of Henry M. Paulson Jr. as new U.S. Treasury secretary, saying he hopes Paulson will help contribute to stable economic growth worldwide.
"As with the former U.S. Treasury secretary, Mr. Snow, I hope that Mr. Paulson will display his talent in managing the U.S. economy, which has considerable influence on the world economy," Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said. "I hope we will continue to build good relations and that Japan and the U.S. can mutually contribute to the stable development of the world economy."
Japan is the world's second-largest economy behind the United States and a leading U.S. trade partner.
Treasury Secretary John Snow resigned Tuesday and President George W. Bush nominated Goldman Sachs CEO Paulson as his replacement. Paulson, who also is chairman of Goldman Sachs, called the U.S. economy "truly a marvel, but we cannot take it for granted. We must take steps to maintain our competitive edge in the world."
Paulson has much "experience in the business sector" and is "well-versed in Japanese corporations," the spokesman said.