Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae spoke in Vietnam on Japan’s foreign policy, defending the idea of a free and open Indo-Pacific. She notably mentioned three priority areas, including the strengthening of energy supply chains, in an increasingly tense international context.
Ms Takaichi spoke on Saturday at a university in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital.
The concept of a free and open Indo-Pacific was first proposed 10 years ago by then-Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.
Ms. Takaichi said that despite considerable developments in the region, this principle remains unchanged. She added that Japan will play a more active role in building an international order based on freedom, transparency and the rule of law.
She then insisted on the need to face new realities, notably the intensification of geopolitical competition and the acceleration of technological innovation.
The prime minister said Japan would focus its efforts on three priority areas. The first is to strengthen supply chains for energy and critical resources. Research and development in artificial intelligence will be encouraged, as will the improvement of submarine cables and other infrastructure.
The second objective is to increase the membership of more countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement in order to expand the rules-based economic order. Japan also wants to establish rules to avoid depending on certain countries for its essential resources.
Ms. Takaichi cited security cooperation as a third priority. She said Japan would support strengthening maritime security capabilities through its Official Security Assistance (OSA) program.
