Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko arrive in Puglia, Italy, on Wednesday for a Group of Seven summit.
21:00 JST, June 13, 2024
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida would announce new sanctions on Chinese companies for supplying materials that could be used for military purposes to Russia, during a summit of the Group of Seven major industrialized countries that started on Thursday, several government sources said.
It would be the first time that Japan has imposed sanctions on companies in China in connection with Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Kishida was expected to make the announcement at a G7 session on Ukraine that day, where he is said to have emphasized Japan’s strong push for sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine, reiterating his recognition of “Today’s Ukraine could be the East Asia of tomorrow. ”
The intended measures against Chinese companies are part of the sanctions against Russia. During the session, Kishida was expected to criticize China’s continued support for Russian aggression through the export of dual-use military and civilian goods. He also reportedly reported that he had conveyed these concerns directly to Chinese Premier Li Qiang during their meeting in Seoul in May.
Kishida was also expected to announce Japan’s plan to host an international conference next year to discuss landmine clearance and other measures as part of its efforts to support Ukraine’s reconstruction by tapping into Japan’s technical expertise.
Against Russia’s repeated attacks on Ukrainian power plants, Kishida would announce that Japan will provide additional power generators and support protection measures for power plants and continue its support in providing non-lethal equipment such as body armor and helmets.
Kishida arrived in Puglia, Italy – the setting for the summit – on Wednesday. During the summit on Thursday and Friday, he would discuss, among other things, the situation in Ukraine, China and the response to generative artificial intelligence. Kishida will then travel to Switzerland on Saturday to attend the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, returning to Japan on Sunday.
