The Prime Minister of Japan wants a free and open Asia

Mrs. Takaichi reiterated her “determination to assume Japan’s responsibilities and, in truth, to play a more active role than ever in the construction of an international order based on freedom, openness, diversity, inclusivity, and the rule of law” during a speech to students in Hanoi.

In a context of “intensifying geopolitical competition” and “acceleration of technological innovation,” the Japanese government chief urged Asian countries to strengthen their “resilience” and their ability to “determine their own future.”

Both countries are concerned about Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and seek to safeguard against the consequences of US trade policies by expanding their economic and security ties.

However, Hanoi aims to maintain good relations with all major global powers through its traditional approach of “bamboo diplomacy,” while Tokyo has seen its frosty relations with Beijing deteriorate significantly in recent months.

First mentioned a decade ago by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, mentor of Mrs. Sanae Takaichi, the idea of a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region has since been adopted by many partners and allies of the United States seeking to contain China’s influence in the region.

Beijing has criticized this initiative as a thinly veiled attempt to promote a bloc confrontation, with the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lin Jian, accusing Tokyo of “rekindling confrontation between camps.”

In her speech, Mrs. Takaichi, without directly mentioning Beijing, warned against “excessive dependence on a single country for essential goods,” stating that this often results from “abnormally low prices” and calling for “fair competition conditions.”

She also emphasized the importance of open sea lanes, stating that “regional supply chains rely on safe and free navigation at sea.”

During her first visit to Vietnam, the Prime Minister signed agreements to strengthen cooperation in energy security, supply chain resilience, and innovation.

The two countries agreed to work more closely on “economic security, including (in the areas of) energy, important mineral resources, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and space,” Mrs. Takaichi said after meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung.

Japan is the main provider of public development aid to this Southeast Asian country and an essential investor and trading partner.

Last year, for the first time, bilateral trade exceeded $50 billion.

The two countries also have a strategic partnership that they agreed on Saturday to take into “a new phase of development,” Mr. Hung said after the meeting.

He specified that six agreements covering technology, climate change preparedness, information, and communication were signed.

The two leaders also “reaffirmed the importance of resolving disputes in the South China Sea peacefully, based on international law,” he added.

Last November, Sanae Takaichi, whose country hosts 60,000 US soldiers, suggested that Tokyo could intervene militarily if China attacked Taiwan, triggering a furious response from Beijing, which saw it as an attack on its sovereignty.