Ishiba Vows to Protect National Interests over U.S. Tariff Talks

   Tokyo, July 2 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba vowed to protect his country's national interests over tariff talks with the United States, at a televised debate among leaders of ruling and opposition parties on Wednesday.
   "We need to protect our national interests at all costs," Ishiba, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said in the debate at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo.
   The debate was held before the start on Thursday of the official campaign period for the July 20 election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament.
   Asked about the possibility of his ruling coalition losing its Upper House majority, Ishiba said, "We'll obviously take any results seriously and gravely."
   The ruling bloc gave up its majority in the House of Representatives, the lower parliamentary chamber, in last year's election.

(2025/07/02-20:12)

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