JAPAN: CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER MEETS JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI

Record ID: 389332

  • Title: JAPAN: CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER MEETS JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI
  • Date: 12th November 2004
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (NOVEMBER 12, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTGRAPHY **) CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER WALKING THROUGH LOBBY OF PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE CAMERAMAN JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI ENTERING TO MEET SCHWARZENEGGER VARIOUS OF MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (English) SCHWARZENEGGER SAYING: "You are really popular" (SOUNDBITE) (Eng
  • Embargoed: 27th November 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVAEYKM91CW6B7SL62RAXPFWA2UY
  • Story Text: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger meets Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
    California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger met Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Friday (November 12) to drive home his message that the time is ripe to strengthen economic ties.
    The Hollywood superstar and former Mr. Universe has long been popular in Japan and the Prime Minister's office was swamped with reporters.
    Some say the visit to Japan with a trade delegation could also be aimed at showing off Schwarzengger's diplomatic prowess as a prelude to a possible presidential campaign in 2008.
    Friends have said Schwarzenegger would ultimately like to be president and he has expressed support for a change to the U.S. constitution to allow foreign-born Americans to be president.
    And Koizumi was clearly impressed.
    "You are really popular," Schwarzenegger told Koizumi as cameras clicked at the two shaking hands.
    "So are you. You are more popular than Bush," he said.
    Japan is already California's biggest foreign investor and second-largest trading partner after Mexico.
    Ties between the two economies are already tight, as a handy fact sheet provided by the governor's office attests.
    Japanese firms employ a quarter of all Californians who work for foreign-owned companies; Japan is the third-largest importer of California goods and services; and 590,000 Japanese visited California in 2003.
    "There's a better business environment now because we stripped away a number of the obstacles so this is why we always say this is a new California and there's a new Japan. So I think it's a good opportunity for us to work to strengthen our economic ties and also our inter-cultural ties," Schwarzenegger told reporters.
    But while officially the promotional tour is all about tourism and agriculture, among the companies on Schwarzenegger's radar screen is Toyota Motor Corp.
    Media reports have said he wants the world's most profitable car maker to consider using its California plant to manufacture the popular Prius hybrid petrol and electricity-powered car.
    -ENDS-
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