The last week turned out to be a watershed in the geopolitical landscape of the Indo-Pacific region with Japan and USA deciding to take their strategic partnership to an unprecedented level in the backdrop of Chinese expansionism. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida travelled to Washington last week for a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden, the first state-level visit to America by a leader from the East Asian nation in nearly a decade. On the occasion the first-ever trilateral summit among the U.S., Japan and the Philippines was also organised. Addressing the US Congress Kishida stated, “Japan is already standing shoulder to shoulder with the United States” in safeguarding international order. The visit also strengthened economic bonds. Simultaneously, the USA is also engaging with China with senior officials visiting Beijing. Coinciding with this German chancellor is also on a trip to China to push for open & fair competition. Meanwhile, SE Asia’s most powerful economy Singapore will see Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong taking over as the PM from May 15.
On topic: Japan’s Kishida bolsters U.S. alliance with Washington trip
Nikkei Asia | 14th April 2024
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida traveled to Washington last week for a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden, the first state-level visit to America by a leader from the East Asian nation in nearly a decade. Kishida was especially keen to address Congress, aides say, trying to show both sides of the aisle that Japan is ready to step up as a global partner in upholding the international order. He also engaged in historic trilateral talks with the U.S. and the Philippines, as well as attending a state dinner featuring billionaires and pop stars.
U.S.-Japan-Philippines hold first trilateral, with ‘many more’ to come
Nikkei Asia | 12th April 2024
The first-ever trilateral summit among the U.S., Japan and the Philippines was held at the White House on Thursday (April 11), with all three leaders signaling that many more meetings would follow in the years to come. “We gather today in Washington as equal partners and trusted friends, united by the vision we share of a free and open Indo-Pacific and international order based on international law — a vision we pledge to advance together for decades to come,” a joint vision statement issued after the meeting said.
US has upheld world order almost alone, gets lonely and exhausting: Japan PM
India Today | 12th April 2024
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, addressing US lawmakers, said the United States must continue to play a leading role in international affairs amid new challenges. Underscoring that the US does not have to single-handedly shoulder the burden of upholding the international order, he said, “Japan is already standing shoulder to shoulder with the United States”.
Biden-Kishida summit drives home U.S.-Japan economic union
The Japan Times | 15th April 2024
As the global spotlight shifts from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden’s closely watched and much-choreographed summit, and each leader returns to their respective domestic challenges, there is little doubt that they successfully projected an image of unity on the economic front. Many of the official comments made by the pair focused on underlying compatibility between the two nations, as they sought to reassure skeptics that their countries’ relationship extends beyond political leaders amid concerns that a return of former U.S. President Donald Trump to the White House could test these strong bonds.
PM Lee’s handover to DPM Wong: Is a snap GE on the cards?
The Strait Times | 15th April 2024
The announcement that Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will take over as prime minister on May 15 may indicate that a general election could be called “sooner rather than later”, say some political observers and pundits. With international geopolitical conflicts and domestic issues such as cost of living and housing at the forefront of Singaporeans’ concerns, they added it is likely that the general election will be held by the end of 2024.
Senior US diplomats hold ‘frank and constructive’ talks with Chinese officials
South China Morning Post | 15th April 2024
Senior Chinese and American diplomats held “frank, in-depth and constructive” talks on Monday (April 15) aimed at boosting exchanges and managing their differences, according to the foreign ministry in Beijing. Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, and Sarah Beran, the National Security Council’s senior director for China and Taiwan affairs, met foreign vice-minister Ma Zhaoxu as part of their three-day visit that ends on Tuesday (April 16). Both sides agreed to continue engaging in the hope of stabilising and developing relations, according to the foreign ministry. The talks also covered issues such as the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean peninsula.
In China, Germany’s Olaf Scholz calls for ‘open and fair’ competition as differences weigh on trade
South China Morning Post | 15th April 2024
A call for “open and fair” competition between European and Chinese automakers, along with visits to clean-energy firms, during German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s China trip reflect how there is room for improvement in the two countries’ US$207 billion annual trade, even as threats mount from de-risking calls and political pressure.
