Japan's Ishiba To Address Regional Affairs At Asean Summit, No Plans To Discuss 'Asian Nato'

TOKYO, Oct 10 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba confirmed on Wednesday that he does not plan to raise the concept of an "Asian NATO" during his participation in upcoming regional meetings in Laos, marking his first overseas trip as Japan's new leader.

During his two-day visit to Vientiane, beginning on Thursday, Ishiba will participate in discussions at the ASEAN Plus Three (ASEAN+3) summit and the East Asia Summit (EAS), focusing on economic cooperation and regional affairs, alongside leaders from ASEAN, China, South Korea and other nations.

"I will forge relationships with the leaders of ASEAN, China, India and others," Kyodo news agency quoted Ishiba as saying during a press conference in Tokyo before his departure.

He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of China, Australia, India, Laos, South Korea and Vietnam on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related meetings.

When asked by reporters after the press conference whether he would discuss his “Asian NATO” vision with other leaders, Ishiba said, "This issue has not been fully debated even within my party, so I will not propose the matter from my side."

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among those expected to attend the meetings in Laos.

The United States (US) will be represented by Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

Ishiba became prime minister on Oct 1, succeeding Fumio Kishida, who served for three years before stepping down following a political fundraising scandal that shook the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Although known for his expertise in defence policy, Ishiba has played down some of his key security proposals since assuming office, including the creation of a NATO-like alliance in Asia, which some believe could serve as a deterrent to China.

His trip follows his decision to dissolve the House of Representatives for a snap election, likely aimed at securing a public mandate to strengthen his position.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The EAS includes ASEAN, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the US.

Ishiba is also scheduled to chair a meeting of a Japan-proposed multilateral framework aimed at promoting decarbonisation efforts in Asia, known as the Asia Zero Emission Community, before returning to Japan on Saturday.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO