Takaichi Eager to Deepen Ties with Vietnam, Australia

Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during her upcoming five-day trip to Vietnam and Australia, hopes to further boost cooperation with the two nations in the security and economic security fields amid China’s growing military and economic coercion. During planned bilateral summits, Takaichi and leaders of Vietnam and Australia are also expected to discuss the tense situation in the Middle East. Japan and Australia are preparing to issue a joint statement highlighting stronger bilateral economic security cooperation. Takaichi will leave Japan on Friday and arrive in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, later in the day. On Saturday, she will hold separate talks with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and president of the country, and Prime Minister Le Minh Hung. The Japanese and Vietnamese sides may discuss Japan’s arms exports, following Tokyo’s recent revision to the implementation guidelines for the country’s three principles on defense equipment transfer. Vietnam boasts one of the world’s largest rare earth deposits. Through the meetings, Takaichi aims to forge a relationship of trust with Vietnam’s new leadership team launched just this month. Also on Saturday, Takaichi is scheduled to deliver a foreign policy address in Vietnam. She is expected to announce plans to promote regional cooperation on economic security and other new challenges by advancing the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” initiative, which was proposed by the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Takaichi will then move on to the Australian capital of Canberra on Sunday and meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese the following day. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Japan and Australia. With Japan regarding Australia as a quasi-ally, the two leaders are expected to confirm that their nations will work together in a wide range of areas, including people-to-people exchanges in addition to economic security. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, in Tokyo on Tuesday. They agreed that the two countries will reinforce their cooperative relations. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]