Kishida’s speech highlights support for children as an investment for the future

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will pledge to secure funding for policies to combat Japan’s declining birthrate in his speech at the opening of a regular parliamentary session next week, a draft of the speech showed on Wednesday.

While the government has been criticized for lacking countermeasures that have an immediate effect, Kishida will stress the need to increase public support for child-rearing by describing such policies as “the most effective investment for the future.”

Kishida will also apologize after four of his ministers resigned over scandals in the span of about two months last year, according to the draft speech, due Monday. As for diplomacy, he will reiterate Tokyo’s intention to enhance its alliance with the United States amid China’s growing military and economic influence.

Annual births in Japan are likely to have dipped below 800,000 for the first time last year, according to a government estimate.

At a New Year’s press conference earlier this month, Kishida vowed to focus on child-related policies this year. But it remains to be seen how the government will cover the costs of the policies.

The government will “consider how (parents) can be stably supported by society as a whole while making various efforts,” the draft says.

The 150-day Diet session will begin as Kishida has seen his cabinet’s support ratings plummet due in part to connections between many lawmakers from his ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church, known for its aggressive solicitations for donations. and other fundraising practices.

Kishida is likely to promise to understand the harm inflicted by the victims of the controversial religious group and improve the government’s consultation system for them.

On national security, Kishida is ready to express his willingness to compile a sufficient budget after the government decided in December to nearly double its annual defense spending to around 2 percent of gross domestic product over the next five years. on par with NATO members.

Tokyo has decided to acquire enemy base attack capabilities to deter attacks on its soil amid growing military threats from neighbors such as China and North Korea.

But at the same time, Kishida will reiterate his hope to establish “constructive and stable” relations with China through dialogue, according to the draft.

As Japan holds this year’s chairmanship of the Group of Seven countries, the prime minister will show his willingness to demonstrate the group’s unity at his May summit in his home constituency of Hiroshima as the world order is threatened amidst Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.