Ishiba Aims for Conclusion on Corporate Donations by March

Tokyo, Dec. 24 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tuesday that he will aim for a conclusion on the issue of donations from companies and other organizations to political parties by the end of March, as agreed between the ruling and opposition parties.

"We need to further deepen discussions," Ishiba told a press conference after the 27-day extraordinary Diet session ended earlier in the day.

While opposition parties are pushing for a ban on such corporate donations, Ishiba reiterated his opposition to the ban. "We are proposing disclosure (of corporate donations), rather than a ban," he said. "The important thing is to make efforts to increase transparency."

Regarding his envisaged summit with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Ishiba said it is "extremely important" for them to align their basic views on the situation in Northeast Asia to bring the Japan-U.S. alliance to a higher level.

On the possibility of visiting the United States before Trump's inauguration in January, Ishiba said, "I'll look for an appropriate time."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]