Malacañang said yesterday that President Duterte will most likely visit Japan in May after the mid-term elections primarily to attend a regional conference.
The Japanese media has reported that Duterte will attend the 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo on May 30 and 31 sponsored by Nikkei.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that has heard about the particular visit but said he would confirm it first.
“I heard that, too. Yes, I think so. Yes,” Panelo said. “Parang narinig ko sa Protocol, hindi ko pa… But I will confirm that,” he added.
Kyodo News has said a diplomatic source privy to the development revealed that a letter has been sent to Nikkei from Duterte accepting the invitation.
It said that organizers are still working on which day Duterte will speak at the conference with the theme “In search of the new global order – overcoming the chaos.”
The President’s trip to Japan in May will come a month after the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China late April.
Duterte was supposed to attend the Nikkei conference in Japan last year but cancelled his appearance. Duterte was also scheduled to fly to Tokyo in June 2017 but had to cancel again because of the Marawi City siege.
Aside from the conference, Nikkei revealed that the Philippines and Japan are trying to set a summit between Duterte and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
This would be Duterte’s third time to visit Tokyo since becoming president in 2016. Duterte last visited Japan in October 2017 to visit Abe and congratulate him for winning the elections.
Duterte had a private audience with Emperor Akihito during his second visit.
The Chief Executive has been strengthening diplomatic ties with Japan, winning $9 billion in aid from Tokyo in 2017.
The Japanese government is supporting a number of infrastructure projects in the Philippines, including the country’s first-ever subway line in Metro Manila, which will be modeled on Tokyo’s underground transit services. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)