Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
Prime Minister Kan Yoshihide is planning to visit India and the Philippines during Japan’s long vacation starting in late April, and has already coordinated the trip, depending on the outbreak, Kyodo News reported on Wednesday (April 7), according to several government sources familiar with the matter.
Through this trip to India and the Philippines, Japan will cooperate with the two countries to counter the growing threat of the Chinese Communist Party and to reach a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
In recent years, the Chinese Communist regime has been eager to expand its influence on both the military and economic fronts. In response to this challenge, Kan has placed considerable emphasis on the Quadrilateral Alliance (Quad, also known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) between the United States, Japan, Australia and India.
In November last year, Kan met with Australian Prime Minister Morrison.
On April 16, Kan is expected to travel to the United States to meet with President Biden. According to Japanese media reports, one of the goals of the talks is to reach an agreement on cooperation in expanding foreign infrastructure development. The two leaders will discuss promoting high-speed 5G networks, hydrogen clean energy, and other high-quality infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific countries as a counterweight to the Communist Party’s “Belt and Road” initiative.
Japan hopes to start face-to-face talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as soon as possible after his visit to the U.S., thus strengthening the mechanism of the quadrilateral alliance.
According to the report, India has recently strengthened its relations with Japan and the United States due to tensions with China over border disputes, and the Philippines has also hardened its attitude toward the Chinese Communist Party over sovereignty in the South China Sea.
April 29 to May 5 is Japan’s “Golden Week” holiday. Kan hopes to take this opportunity to visit India and the Philippines and meet with their leaders to strengthen the practice of freedom and openness in the Indo-Pacific region.
Before that, Japan and India had signed the Mutual Supply of Supplies and Services Agreement (ACSA) between the Self-Defense Forces and the Indian Army in September last year. Under this agreement, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the Indian Armed Forces can share supplies such as food, fuel and spare parts during joint exercises, as well as use each other’s transportation services and military facilities. Kyodo noted that economic ties, including the digital sector, will likely be strengthened at the summit talks.
On this trip, Kan is expected to meet with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the 10th anniversary of the conclusion of the strategic partnership. The visit will be an opportunity to further strengthen ties.
Recent Comments