Japanese prime minister cancels Cebu trip

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived last night, but will return to Tokyo tomorrow after the Philippines announced yesterday that the summit of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders has been moved to January due to typhoon "Seniang."

Abe will attend the state dinner hosted by President Arroyo tonight in Malacañang and a ceremony earlier in the day in which Speaker Jose de Venecia will confer on him the Congressional Medal of Achievement for his moves to reconcile Japan with China and South Korea.

"It’s disappointing," he said of the postponement.

Shortly before leaving Japan yesterday, Abe told reporters that "it would have been a precious opportunity to hold talks with China and South Korea and seek further cooperation among the three nations."

Abe was supposed to proceed to Cebu to attend the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Plus Three Summit with dialogue partners Japan, South Korea and China. It would have been his first time to attend an ASEAN summit.

Abe, who took office in September, had planned to hold fresh talks with Chinese and South Korean leaders as he tries to repair relations soured under his predecessor Junichiro Koizumi.

Abe’s planned meetings — a bilateral with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and a trilateral with Wen and South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun — would be rescheduled, the Japanese foreign ministry said.

However, reports said January summits in the Philippines would be difficult for Abe because parliament would be in session and he planned a visit to Europe early in the month.

"The schedules of the Chinese, South Korean and Japanese leaders will also be tight for a long time, so they won’t be able to meet so easily," an unnamed foreign ministry official said.

Bilateral concerns

Mrs. Arroyo and Abe will meet today in Malacañang to discuss bilateral concerns, including Japan’s contribution to the Mindanao peace process, and witness the signing of an agreement lowering the withholding taxes on dividends, interests and royalties between the two countries.

Abe and his wife, Akie Abe, arrived in the country last night at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his first official visit to the country.

Abe’s visit "will further strengthen the close relations between the Philippines and Japan which are celebrating this year the 50th anniversary of the normalization of their diplomatic ties following the Second World War," a Malacañang statement said.

Abe will lay a wreath at the Rizal Monument at 8:45 a.m. and proceed to the Palace for the arrival honors.

After the arrival honors for Abe and his wife at Palace grounds, Mrs. Arroyo and the Japanese leader will have their meeting at the Music Room of the Palace. It will be followed by an expanded bilateral meeting at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room. — Paolo Romero, Pia Lee-Brago, Delon Porcalla, AP, AFP