PM Fumio Kishida vows to deepen Japan-Asean ties amid China’s assertiveness
- Kishida said during the Japan-Asean Summit that Tokyo will promote cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region
- He also discussed concerns over North Korea, the South China Sea and Myanmar in his first meeting with the Asean bloc as prime minister
Xi-Asean summit boosts China’s plan for closer ties with Southeast Asia
Referring to his past efforts to enhance Japan’s ties with Asean during his tenure as foreign minister between 2012 and 2017, Kishida said he continued to value the relationship with the 10-member bloc.
“This time, as prime minister, I will work closely with Asean and strongly promote efforts toward realising a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said.
He also said Japan would steadily promote cooperation for the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, an initiative aimed at maintaining peace, freedom, and prosperity in the region, and that it shared the same values as Japan’s vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
As 2023 marks the 50th year of Asean-Japan friendship and cooperation, Kishida said Japan plans to hold a special summit at that time to take the relationship to a “new stage”.
Asean in uncharted waters as it snubs Myanmar junta chief
Kishida was quoted by the Foreign Ministry as telling his Asean peers that Japan shares the group’s deep concern about any moves challenging the rules-based maritime order in the region and strongly opposes such acts, in a veiled criticism of Beijing.
He also said North Korea was threatening the peace and security of the region and the international community by launching ballistic missiles, and asked members for their help in resolving North Korea’s past abductions of Japanese nationals, to which members expressed support.
Kishida urged Myanmar’s military leaders to respond constructively.
Asean consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Kishida said Japan has provided 5.5 billion yen (US$48 million) for the Asean Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases, which was launched last year, and that Tokyo will continue to provide its full support for the facility.
Moon said South Korea has vowed to allocate US$5 million this year to the Covid-19 Asean Response Fund to facilitate vaccine supplies to the region.
Kishida attended the Asean-related summits amid campaigning for Japan’s general election on October 31.