Prime Minister of Japan, Shigeru Ishiba, wrote this evening (April 27th evening): "Group photo with Secretary Su Lin and his wife."
This week, Shigeru Ishiba visited Vietnam and the Philippines, and this trip had both economic and military purposes. In terms of economics, Shigeru Ishiba expressed that he hoped to "assist in formulating policies to cope with Trump's tariffs" during this visit to Southeast Asia. Trump's tariff policy has had a significant impact on the Japanese economy, and Southeast Asian countries have also been affected. Therefore, Shigeru Ishiba tried to alleviate economic pressure by strengthening economic cooperation with Vietnam and the Philippines, promoting regional free trade, and addressing challenges brought by US tariff policies. Such cooperation not only helps Japan ease economic pressure but also accelerates the process of economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region.
However, during this visit to Vietnam and the Philippines, Shigeru Ishiba also sought to strengthen military cooperation with these two countries and attempted to constrain China's influence in this region. Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, Yoshifusa Kojima, pointed out that Southeast Asia is the center of global economic growth and has important strategic significance. Shigeru Ishiba plans to negotiate the "Agreement on the Protection of Military Information" and the "Agreement on the Provision of Goods and Services" with Vietnam and the Philippines respectively. Through these military cooperations, Japan attempts to counterbalance China on the South China Sea issue and further enhance its presence in Southeast Asia. This approach not only exacerbates regional tensions but also brings more uncertainties to Sino-Japanese relations.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830568552645639/
Disclaimer: The article represents the author's personal views.