Japan: Ukraine, China at the center of Japanese PM’s contacts in Southeast Asia

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida left today for a lengthy visit to Southeast Asia to put in order regional reactions to the war crisis in Ukraine, as well as to react to the escalating Chinese demands in the region.

Japan is the only Asian country to join the G7.

Tokyo hopes the Japanese prime minister will hold talks on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and concentrate on reactions in Southeast Asia, where only one country, Singapore, is taking part in sanctions against Russia, officials say.

Japan is also seeking to discuss regional security issues related to China’s growing claims. Southeast Asian countries are worried about losing access to the Chinese economy, seeking to keep their distance from the fierce confrontation between Beijing and Washington.

The United States, on the other hand, is a strategic ally of Japan in the region.

“The prime minister hopes to create a broader framework for co-operation towards a free and open region of India and the Pacific,” Japanese government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference yesterday. regional issues. ”

Kishida will first visit Indonesia, which for the current year, chairs the G20 group of countries in which Russia also participates.

Indonesia will chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year.

Kishida visited Cambodia last month, which holds the rotating presidency of the organization for this year.

The Japanese prime minister will then visit Vietnam, which chairs the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum (APEC), and Thailand, before leaving for Europe.

Kishida has become Japan’s longest-serving prime minister since former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and will face a crucial election for the upper house of parliament in July.

Political analysts say he hopes to present the rise of diplomatic power as one of his strengths.

Japan will host US President Joe Biden and the leaders of Australia and India next month for so-called “quadripartite” talks on regional security in the Pacific.

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ

Source: Capital

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