TOKYO - Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean arrived in Tokyo on Saturday (June 9) for a three-day visit, during which he will deliver a keynote at the Nikkei's marquee annual conference on Monday.
DPM Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, will meet Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, other senior Japanese politicians, as well as other conference attendees, the Prime Minister's Office in Singapore said in a statement on Saturday.
Mr Teo is accompanied by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat and officials from the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance.
Among the attendees at this year's 24th Nikkei Future of Asia conference - themed 'Keeping Asia open - how to achieve prosperity and stability' - are Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Kim Dong Yeon, and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh.
Mr Teo takes the place of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as Singapore's representative at this year's conference, the Conference Secretariat confirmed with The Straits Times.
This, the Secretariat added, comes as the Republic kicks into high gear for the historic summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea on Tuesday. PM Lee will be receiving US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whose official title is Chairman of the State Affairs Commission.
The late former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was a regular fixture of the Nikkei conference.
DPM Teo will leave Tokyo on Monday.
