Duterte goes on 3rd visit to Japan on May 30 and 31

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte will be visiting Japan to speak at the Nikkei-hosted Future of Asia conference in Tokyo on May 30 to 31.

Malacañang said the visit, the President’s third since assuming office in 2016, was seen to expand Manila’s bilateral relations with Japan, although presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said he has yet to go over the agenda of the visit and if a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been confirmed.

Improving trade relations

“The invitation was personally carried here by the representative of the Prime Minister and according to what I heard, when the President accepted that, the representative came here to thank him,” Panelo said.

“Our trade relations would improve” as the Philippines has several projects which were funded by Japan, including a subway line in Metro Manila, the Palace official said.

The President first went to Japan in October 2016, and visited again in October 2017. —Julie M. Aurelio