South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, in his first full summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo, yesterday stressed the importance of setting aside differences and cooperating in common areas, as the leaders showcased their efforts to develop friendly ties.
The neighbors face common challenges from the US, their mutual ally, and Lee’s visit to Japan might help him prepare for his crucial first summit in Washington tomorrow with US President Donald Trump, mainly on trade and defense issues.
Japan and South Korea could cooperate in many areas, but also have conflicts, because they are so geographically close, Lee said.
Photo: AFP
At a time when global trade and security are shaken, it is more important than ever for the two countries with shared principles to cooperate, he added, calling for increased dialogue through “shuttle diplomacy.”
His Tokyo visit before Washington is well received by Japanese officials, who see it as a sign that Lee is placing great importance to relations between the two neighbors whose ties have repeatedly been disrupted by historical disputes.
Ishiba on X wrote that Lee’s trip to Tokyo was the first destination of his foreign trip since taking office in June.
He welcomed Lee’s arrival at the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office and posted photos on social media.
The two leaders first met in a closed, small group of officials before summit talks with expanded groups.
The Asia Group Japan branch associate Rintaro Nishimura said the timing of Lee’s visit showed “his way of pragmatic diplomacy,” with a focus on bilateral and trilateral relations with the US.
For the two leaders, yesterday’s talks were largely symbolic and aimed at highlighting their friendship and focusing on exchanges, as this year also marks the 60th anniversary of normalizing their diplomatic ties, he said.
Possible outcomes of the meeting include fast-track entry visas for South Korean travelers and working holiday programs.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss mutual concerns, including North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, and China’s growing assertiveness in the region.
SILENCING CRITICS: In addition to blocking Taiwan, China aimed to prevent rights activists from speaking out against authoritarian states, a Cabinet department said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday condemned transnational repression by Beijing after RightsCon, a major digital human rights conference scheduled to be held in Zambia this week, was abruptly canceled due to Chinese pressure over Taiwanese participation. This year’s RightsCon, the world’s largest conference discussing issues “at the intersection of human rights and technology,” was scheduled to take place from tomorrow to Friday in Lusaka, and expected to draw 2,600 in-person attendees from 150 countries, along with 1,100 online participants. However, organizers were forced to cancel the event due to behind-the-scenes pressure from China, the ministry said, expressing its “strongest condemnation”
Taiwan’s economy grew far faster than expected in the first quarter, as booming demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications drove a surge in exports, spilling over into investment and consumption, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday. GDP growth was 13.69 percent year-on-year during the January-to-March period, beating the DGBAS’ February forecast by 2.23 percentage points and marking the most robust growth in nearly four decades, DGBAS senior official Chiang Hsin-yi (江心怡) told a news conference in Taipei. The result was powered by exports, which remain the backbone of Taiwan’s economy, Chiang said. Outbound shipments jumped 51.12 percent year-on-year to
DELAYED BUT DETERMINED: The president’s visit highlights Taiwan’s right to international engagement amid regional pressure from China President Willaim Lai (賴清德) yesterday arrived in Eswatini, more than a week after his planned visit to Taiwan’s sole African ally was suspended because of revoked overflight permits. “The visit, originally scheduled for April 22, was postponed due to unforeseen external factors,” Lai wrote on social media. “After several days of careful arrangements by our diplomatic and national security teams, we successfully arrived today.” Lai said he looked forward to further deepening Taiwan-Eswatini relations through closer cooperation in the economy, agriculture, culture and education, as well as advancing the nation’s international partnerships. The president was initially scheduled to arrive in time to celebrate
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) yesterday said the US faced a choice between an “impossible” military operation or a “bad deal” with Tehran, after US President Donald Trump disparaged Iran’s latest peace proposal. Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire came into effect on April 8, with only one round of direct peace talks held so far. Iran’s Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported that Tehran had submitted a 14-point proposal to mediator Pakistan, but Trump was quick to cast doubt on it. “I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but
RSS