Summits and good vibes for Xi, Trump, Moon and Kim, but why is Japan still so wary of North Korea detente?
Shinzo Abe wants to chime in on the high-stakes diplomacy, but his concerns are the same as others’ and the US has again taken the lead for its key Asian ally
Asia’s most powerful players Xi Jinping, Donald Trump and Moon Jae-in have been jostling for poll position in the high-stakes negotiations with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un. By the end of the month, all three leaders – and even some of their subordinates – would have sat face-to-face with the young dictator at least once.
But with so many meetings popping up, one cannot help but wonder where Shinzo Abe has been and what the Japanese are feeling?
Kim has met China’s President Xi twice in recent weeks and had a historic summit with South Korean leader Moon last month. He met US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for the second time on Wednesday and is poised to sit down with Trump in the coming weeks.
But Japan’s Prime Minister Abe – a treasured ally of the US – has been cast to the sidelines despite repeated calls to be included and his country being one of the closest neighbours to the nuclear-armed North.
Domestically some media have suggested Wednesday’s trilateral summit in Tokyo between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Abe and Moon was hastily arranged to demonstrate Japan’s relevance in the Korean Peninsula situation. And Abe has not been shy about charming his way into further cooperation.