S/ Ishiba Shigeru, Japanese Prime Minister / On the issue of US Steel, strong concerns have been raised in business communities not only in Japan but also in the United States. Such concerns are spreading in both countries, and I expressed my strong request for him to dispel them.

Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru said he made the request to US President Joe Biden during their trilateral online talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Junior.

The issue involves Biden's order to block Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel's plan to acquire US Steel.

The three-way discussions took place to affirm cooperation with one week remaining in Biden's presidential term.

The three leaders exchanged views on the East China Sea and South China Sea situations and reiterated their opposition to attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force, with China in mind.

They also confirmed the continuation of cooperation in fields such as maritime security.