Komeito’s Exit Raises Concerns over Summit Diplomacy of Japan

Tokyo, Oct. 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Foreign Ministry is worried about the impact of Komeito’s exit from the Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling coalition on the country’s upcoming summit diplomacy. While a series of summit meetings are scheduled from late this month and U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to visit Japan also in late October, full-fledged preparations for these diplomatic events have been delayed as it is unclear when the Diet, Japan’s parliament, will elect a new prime minister to succeed outgoing Shigeru Ishiba. “We are not sure when a parliamentary election for a new prime minister will be held,” a senior official at the ministry said. “We cannot decide how to proceed with the upcoming summit diplomacy” unless a new prime minister is picked, the official added. Currently, it remains to be seen when an extraordinary Diet session in which the next prime minister is elected will be convened. After Ishiba in early September announced his decision to resign, former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi was elected LDP president to succeed him earlier this month. Komeito decided Friday to withdraw from the ruling coalition due to a large gap between the two parties’ stances over the issue of politics and money. The diplomatic schedule for Japan’s next prime minister is packed. A series of summits related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are slated to start Oct. 26 in Malaysia, in which the new Japanese leader would make his or her diplomatic debut. Trump is seen visiting Japan Oct 27-29, with the Japanese and U.S. governments working to set up a meeting between Trump and Japan’s new prime minister for Oct. 28. With an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit scheduled to take place in South Korea from Oct. 31, Japan may arrange a bilateral summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the multilateral meeting. Senior Japanese government officials, including from the Foreign Ministry, have already briefed Takaichi, who may be elected the next prime minister, on the diplomatic schedule. Once a new prime minister takes office, the ministry aims to speed up preparations for the events while confirming the new leader’s wishes and foreign policies. But when the new administration will be formed remains uncertain. Senior LDP officials hope to elect the next prime minister as early as possible since the major diplomatic events draw near. Uncertainty looms over the prime minister nomination election, however, as Komeito decided to pull out of the ruling coalition. “We’ll make thorough preparations for President Trump’s visit to Japan,” a senior Foreign Ministry official emphasized. But another government official sounded pessimistic, saying, “The U.S. president’s visit would be postponed if Japan remains unable to pick a new prime minister.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]