No Talks On ADB's General Capital Increase - Japan Finance Minister

SHANGHAI, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (12 May 2002) - Japan's Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said on Saturday that the topic of an increase in the general capital of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had not been brought up by ADB and its member countries.

Asked if there had been informal discussions on the matter, Mr. Shiokawa said; "I heard there are some newspaper reports that ADB President (Tadao) Chino has made a request for a general capital increase to Japan and other member countries. But no such topic has been brought up yet." He made the remarks at a news conference during ADB's 35th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors.

"Should such a discussion emerge, Japan is willing to study what it can do from the viewpoint of strengthening the ADB," he said.

Japan, co-equally with the United States, is one of the two largest shareholders of the ADB, which has now 60 members.

Tsukasa Maekawa
Tel: 1367 188 1061
Email: tmaekawa@adb.org