Japan decides to cut off dependence on supplies from China

Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan Yoshihide Suga. Photo: Nikkei Asian Review

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the Covid-19 pandemic has taught the country a big lesson about the dangers of relying too much on China as the main source of supply for a wide range of products. goods from masks to car components.

That's why the country spent more than 240 billion yen ($2.2 billion) in emergency economic relief this month to support Japanese companies to move production lines home or diversify production facilities to the region.Mr. South Asia, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.

The move has caused Beijing, which had been expecting a change in relations with Japan on the occasion of President Xi Jinping's first visit scheduled this month but postponed. are not satisfied.

But to deal with unusual times, Suga said it was an "important lesson in dealing with crises."

Speaking about the crisis response, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "right-hand man" said that the bureaucracy and disjointed activities of Japanese ministries are hindering the coordination needed to contain the epidemic in the country.

Suga has been a senior spokesman for the Japanese government since December 2012, when Abe returned to power in that year's general election. The announcement of his new Reiwa dynasty chronology has gone viral on the Internet.

He is considered one of the leading candidates to succeed Abe when his term as chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party ends in September 2021.

Here's an excerpt from Suga's interview with the Nikkei Asian Review:

- Did the government anticipate the crisis caused by this Covid-19 outbreak?

- I don't think any country could have anticipated this. Some believe this is the biggest crisis since World War II. All activities must be stopped completely. Fear was overwhelming. This was the first time we had to deal with a disease that had no cure.

First of all, we are determined to prevent an explosion in the number of new cases in the United States and Europe, and to protect the lives and health of the Japanese people as quickly as possible. After that, we made efforts to recover the economy. The top priority is to overcome the crisis without letting any business go bankrupt.

- Currently, travel between countries has decreased significantly, are you worried that narrow thinking will dominate?

- Human activity temporarily stops completely. But in order to recover the economy in the future, it is essential to harness the growth engine abroad.

In the case of medical masks, for example, 70% to 80% of our source is from China. Even if factories in Japan are operating at full capacity, we still lack masks.

As China's economy froze, the Japanese automaker was unable to buy parts and had to suspend operations. We need to end our heavy dependence on a certain country for a particular product or material.

For necessities, we need to move to production in Japan or diversify factories in different countries. This is an important lesson about dealing with crises.

A PCR coronavirus testing site in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, on April 21. Photo: Reuters.

- Did the crisis expose the shortcomings of government administration?

- It is paramount for the government to respond to emergencies. Most officials in Tokyo are competent, but their weakness is specialization. We cannot deal with this crisis without coordinated coordination.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare alone cannot stop the epidemic alone. We need the involvement and coordination of many different agencies, from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to the Self-Defense Force and the Japan Coast Guard action.

Handling the Diamond Princess cruise ship outbreak is quite complex and requires great care. The yacht is registered in the United States, operated by an American company, an Italian captain, and crew members and passengers from 56 countries and regions.

Once the crisis is over, we need to reevaluate how to deal with it from many different aspects.

- In the current context of globalization, we face the risk of many infectious diseases spreading to Japan from abroad, not only from China.

- The Japanese government needs lessons learned and knowledge from other countries and responds quickly. China survived a powerful attack. To control the epidemic, we need to promote international cooperation, including cooperation with China.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping's planned visit is an important opportunity to demonstrate to the world that Japan and China are fulfilling their responsibilities as the world's second- and third-largest economies.

Maintaining a relationship that allows parties to exchange ideas frankly is critical to economic development and security in Asia and beyond.

- What will Japan be like after the Covid-19 pandemic?

- Japan has the ability to succeed on the international stage in many ways. Large corporations and small businesses have hardworking employees, but these human resources are not well utilized.

Organizations and companies are only focusing on themselves and have not taken advantage of external opportunities. We need a legal corridor that can facilitate the full use of this resource.

The principle is to create conditions for individuals to do what they are most capable of. Then people can help each other locally.

If the problem remains unresolved, the central government will intervene. We have won the confidence of the people that the government can accomplish this task.