Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Saturday pledged to play an even “more proactive” role in the Indo-Pacific, in an update of Japan’s decade-old regional security and economic strategy during a speech in Hanoi.
“In this region, which holds the key to the future peace and stability of the international community, I am reaffirming my resolve to fulfill Japan’s role — as we have always done, and indeed, be more proactive than ever — in building an international order based on freedom, openness, diversity, inclusivity and the rule of law,” Takaichi said in a livestreamed speech to university students in Hanoi.
Takaichi’s address, which showcased Japan’s revamped “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy” (FOIP), comes as Tokyo looks to shore up ties in Asia to counter China’s clout and offset uncertainty about the U.S. that has grown under President Donald Trump.
