Japan, New Zealand to Bolster Support for Pacific Nations

Sydney, July 25 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and acting New Zealand Prime Minister Winston Peters have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in supporting the development of Pacific nations, New Zealand's government said Wednesday. They reached the agreement at a meeting in New Zealand on Tuesday evening, apparently keeping in mind China's maritime expansion. "Both countries share a commitment to an open, stable and prosperous rules-based regional order," Peters said. Aso, also finance minister, made a side trip to New Zealand after attending a meeting among finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies in Buenos Aires over the weekend. Japan and New Zealand are both members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and the East Asia Summit framework. Aso's visit to New Zealand "underlines the excellent state of our bilateral relationship," Peters said, noting, among other things, that Japan is New Zealand's fourth-largest trading partner. Peters said that he and Aso confirmed their "determination to elevate" the two countries' relationship "to a new level." END