Wednesday, April 18, 2018, 12:00 - 14:00
Kazuo Shii, Executive Committee Chairperson, Japanese Communist Party
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.
The Japanese Communist Party (JCP) has advocated a "democratic revolution" over the years by forging electoral alliances with other opposition forces in a futile attempt to overthrow the dominant conservative government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which it criticizes as subservient to the United States.
Now it has come up with a proposal to Abe on how to solve the crisis over the nuclear ambitions of North Korea, a regime it has disdained as a totalitarian dictatorship. JCP chairman Kazuo Shii called on the premier on April 9 to present the proposal, ahead of an inter-Korean summit in late April and a meeting in May between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Abe has been adamantly emphasizing "pressure" to tame Japan's northern neighbor.
In a nutshell, Shii's proposal, which has also been sent to other governments concerned, calls for a peaceful solution through dialogue – not a military action – along with efforts to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and build a permanent peace structure in Northeast Asia.
Shii comes to the FCCJ to explain the global initiative. He may also touch on domestic politics half a year after the JCP nearly halved its seats to 12 in the 465-seat House of Representatives in a snap election. Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner retained a supermajority while the opposition camp struggled through reorganization.
A graduate of Tokyo University in physical engineering, Shii joined the JCP as a student in 1973. Shii, now 63, has been elected to the lower house nine times since 1993. He has frequently appeared in TV political debates, particularly after becoming the JCP secretariat chief in 1990. He took over the party's helm in 2000.
Please reserve in advance, 3211-3161 or on the website (still & TV cameras inclusive). The charge for members/members' guest is 1,750/2,700 yen; non-members eligible to attend may pay in cash by e mail reservation (front@fccj.or.jp). (Menu:Chicken with Mustard and Rosemary) Reservations canceled less than one hour in advance for working press members, and 24 hours for all others, will be charged in full. Reservations and cancellations are not complete without confirmation. For meal service, please enter the room by 12:25.
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