Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida yesterday told Asian leaders that ensuring peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait was important for regional security, and that China is increasingly escalating tensions in the region.
Addressing the ASEAN summit in Cambodia, Kishida voiced “serious concern” over the human rights situation of the Uighur people, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“There has been continued, increasing actions by China in the East China Sea that violate Japan’s sovereignty. China also continues to take actions that heighten regional tension in the South China Sea,” the statement quoted Kishida as saying.
Photo: AP
A day earlier, Kishida also underlined the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait at the summit, Tokyo Broadcasting System TV reported.
Kishida was concerned about China “trying to change the status quo with military force and carrying out economic threats,” it reported, adding that this was the first time the prime minister has discussed Taiwan-related issues at an ASEAN summit.
To help ASEAN member nations revive their economies after the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan promised to provide loans totaling ￥29.5 billion (US$212.5 million).
Photo: AFP
The loans were announced in part due to Beijing’s growing economic clout among ASEAN member countries, the report said.
Kishida hopes to invest in high-quality infrastructure in these countries to extend Japan’s influence and win support in the event of a conflict breaking out across the Taiwan Strait, the report said.
Yesterday, Kishida, US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol vowed a unified, coordinated response to North Korea’s threatening nuclear and ballistic missile programs, with Biden declaring that their three-way partnership is “even more important than it’s ever been” as the North is stepping up its provocations.
The three leaders met separately before sitting down together on the sidelines of the summit in Cambodia.
The meeting was heavily focused on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s recent escalations, although Biden said that they would also discuss strengthening supply chains and preserving peace across the Taiwan Strait, while building on the countries’ support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
Biden had also planned to seek input from Kishida and Yoon on managing China’s assertive posture in the Pacific region.
“We face real challenges, but our countries are more aligned than ever, more prepared to take on those challenges than ever,” Biden said. “So I look forward to deepening the bonds of cooperation between our three countries.”
Yoon and Kishida discussed the ongoing displays of aggression by North Korea, which has fired dozens of missiles in the past few weeks.
The launches include an intercontinental ballistic missile 10 days ago that triggered evacuation alerts in northern Japan, and the allies have warned of a looming risk that the isolated country might conduct its seventh nuclear test in the coming weeks.
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