Japan finance minister calls for investment from Australia

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has called for increased investment from Australia in response to rising geopolitical tensions. In a video address at the Nikkei Asia Forum in Sydney, Katayama emphasized the importance of Australia-Japan ties as a stabilizing force in the region, particularly amid increasing fragmentation.

Australia's role in providing energy and minerals was highlighted as indispensable. Katayama expressed hope that more investors from Australia would take advantage of Japan's reforms to facilitate overseas firms, noting that over 50 such institutions, including Australian ones, have entered Japan in the last five years. The minister stressed that as economic cooperation deepens, the role of finance in supporting investment and capital flows becomes increasingly crucial.

Katayama stated her commitment to pursuing sustainable growth and long-term value creation through continued reform, with the aim of strengthening economic and financial cooperation between Japan and Australia. The Nikkei Asia Forum in Sydney, the fourth such gathering in Australia, focused on the future of Australia-Japan relations in a rapidly changing and volatile world marked by the norm-breaking presidency of U.S. President Donald Trump and China's continued rise.