Japan must cut US dependence in security, energy, food: PM Ishiba

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said his country needed to wean itself from US dependence in key areas such as security, food and energy, as Tokyo faces the prospect of new American tariffs in three weeks. Talking to a TV news programme, Prime Minister Ishiba said, if they think Japan ought to follow what America says as they depend heavily on them, then Tokyo need to work to become more self-sufficient in security, energy and food, and less dependent on Washington. He commented when asked about his remark, made during a speech on Wednesday, that tariff negotiations with the United States were a battle in which national interest is at stake and Japan won’t be taken lightly. US President Donald Trump notified Prime Minister Ishiba on Monday that Washington will impose tariffs of 25 per cent on Japanese imports from 1st of August, but hinted at opportunities for additional negotiations.