pm visit in japan

Japan, Philippines agree to hold talks on reciprocal troops pact

[1/2] Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida signs the guestbook beside Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos at Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines, November 3, 2023. Aaron Favila/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing Rights

• Kishida, Marcos concerned about "unacceptable" maritime conduct
• Reciprocal troop pact would benefit regional security - Marcos
• Kishisa to address Philippine Congress on Saturday

MANILA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The leaders of Japan and the Philippines on Friday agreed to start negotiations on a reciprocal troop access deal, strengthening military cooperation amid rising maritime tensions in the region and an increasingly assertive China.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr had agreed to work together closely with the United States, and, in a veiled reference to China, shared concern about "unacceptable" attempts to "unilaterally change the status quo by force" in the East and South China Seas.

"A further decision was made to start negotiations on a reciprocal access agreement and we agreed to further strengthen trilateral cooperation," Kishida, who was on an official visit to the Philippines, told a joint press conference.

Both the Philippines and Japan, two of the United States' closest Asian allies, have taken a strong line against what they see as aggressive behaviour by Chinese vessels amid decades-old disputes over maritime sovereignty.

Japan does not have any claim to the South China Sea, but has a separate maritime dispute with China in the East China Sea.

The troop pact would follow a similar deal the Philippines has with the United States, called the Visiting Forces Agreement, which provides a legal framework under which the U.S. maintains a constant but rotating military presence in the Philippines, largely for training exercises.

"We are cognisant of the benefits of having this arrangement both to our defence and military personnel and to maintaining peace and stability in our region," Marcos said of a pact with Japan.

Tokyo has Reciprocal Access Agreements with Britain and Australia, and also hosts the biggest concentration of U.S. forces abroad.

Marcos also said Japan gave a 600 million yen ($4 million) grant to the Philippines under its Overseas Security Assistance (OSA) programme to help boost his country's efforts in securing coastal radars.

Japan's decision to expand the scope of international aid to military-related projects follows Tokyo's announcement in December last year of a doubling of defence spending in five years as it confronts regional security challenges from China and an unpredictable North Korea.

Ahead of the visit, the Japan defence ministry announced the delivery of the first air surveillance radar system to the Philippine military as part of a 2020 contract.

"Under the increasingly severe and complex international situation, we are deepening our cooperation in the area of security," said Kishida.

Reporting by Karen Lema and Mikhail Flores; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Nick Macfie

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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40 Hours, 23 Engagements: PM Modi's Visit To Japan For Quad Meet

Prime minister narendra modi will join us president joe biden and prime ministers of australia and japan at the quad summit in tokyo on may 24..

PM Modi will spend one night in Tokyo and two nights in the plane travelling. (File)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have 23 engagements, including meetings with three world leaders, in around 40 hours of stay in Japan where he will join US President Joe Biden and prime ministers of Australia and Japan at the Quad summit in Tokyo on May 24, official sources said.

They said PM Modi during his visit will have business, diplomatic and community interactions.  He will interact with at least 36 Japanese CEOs and also with hundreds of Indian diaspora members.  

The prime minister will spend one night in Tokyo and two nights in the plane travelling, the sources said.  

PM Modi will have bilateral talks with Biden and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida during the summit which is taking place amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He will also hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart.

While announcing the prime minister's participation in the summit, the External Affairs Ministry had said, "At the invitation of Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the third Quad Leaders' Summit in Tokyo on 24 May 2022 along with President Joseph R Biden Jr. of the US and the Prime Minister of Australia."

The forthcoming Quad summit provides an opportunity for the leaders to exchange views about developments in the Indo-Pacific region and contemporary global issues of mutual interest, the MEA had said.  

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"The leaders will review the progress of Quad initiatives and working groups, identify new areas of cooperation and provide strategic guidance and vision for future collaboration," it added.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Bangladesh PM seeks defense cooperation on 4-day visit to Japan

Bangladesh’s prime minister left on a trip on Tuesday to Japan, the U.S. and the U.K. to build defense cooperation with Tokyo and explore new partnerships with the two major Western powers, officials said.

Diplomatic observers said the visit to Japan was significant as Tokyo looks to expand regional partnerships to counter Beijing’s influence in the Indo-Pacific. Meanwhile, the trip to the U.S., they said, was a chance for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to demonstrate that all is well between Dhaka and Washington despite an impression to the contrary.

Faruk Khan, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs, told BenarNews that Japan is the “most trusted development partner of Bangladesh.”

“This visit will open up new opportunities for Bangladesh: Japan for the first time offers Bangladesh cooperation in the defense sector,” he said, without elaborating.

Hasina was supposed to visit Japan in November, but Tokyo canceled at the last moment without giving a reason.

The cancellation came soon after Dhaka summoned the then-Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh over his statement to the media about rigging in the South Asian nation’s 2018 general election. That vote returned Hasina’s Awami League to power for a third consecutive term.

On this four-day trip, Hasina is scheduled to meet with the Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday. 

Officials of the two countries are expected to sign eight agreements or memoranda of understanding. The agreements will be on agriculture; the construction of a metro rail; industrial upgradation; ship recycling; customs issues; intellectual property; defense; and information and communication technology and cyber security.

Hasina’s trip to Japan, which was the architect of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific concept, comes a day after Dhaka for the first time made public its own outlook on the region.

Dhaka, too, “envisions a free, open, peaceful, secure and inclusive Indo-Pacific for the shared prosperity for all,” according to a copy of the outlook document obtained by BenarNews.

Dhaka’s outlook also sees as guiding its strategy all United Nations treaties and international conventions, as they are applicable, including the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“Our policy is we would not align with any military pact against anyone as our foreign policy is friendship to all, malice to none,” Khan said.

Bangladesh is caught in the middle of a geopolitical battle between China and the U.S. as they vie for supremacy in the Indo-Pacific region, analysts said. And Beijing and Washington are seeking influence in the non-aligned South Asian nation. 

But Bangladesh needs both nations for its economic development and has to balance its relationships with them.

PM Hasina is scheduled to fly to Washington from Japan, arriving in the U.S. on April 29. A day later, she is scheduled to attend an event marking 50 years of the Bangladesh-World Bank partnership. She is to meet executives of the U.S.-Bangladesh Business Council a day later.

Khan said Bangladesh expects the U.S. visit would open new opportunities.

“Bangladesh has earned the confidence of the World Bank and the U.S. by constructing the Padma Bridge without the support of the World Bank,” he said.

“We have proven our capability – that we can implement our projects with our own funding. At the same time, we have achieved more than 5% economic growth when most of the countries of the world grew by 3%,” he said.

Bangladesh’s ties with the World Bank had soured over the funding for the bridge project. The World Bank had agreed to provide U.S. $1.2 billion to build the bridge, but ended the commitment alleging corruption related to financing the project.

Bangladesh then pledged to build the bridge itself.

Hasina’s trip also comes amid concern expressed by Washington “about violence against and intimidation of the media and civil society,” ahead of the national election scheduled for December or January 2024.

Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department said “free and fair elections and respect for human rights in Bangladesh are critical as we seek to deepen our bilateral relationship.”

Just a day before these comments, Hasina lambasted Washington in parliament, saying it was working to bring an undemocratic party to power in her country in the upcoming election.

The Bangladesh PM did not name which so-called undemocratic party she believed the United States wanted in power. She also accused Washington of supporting corrupt people in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, former Foreign Secretary Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury said Hasina’s visits would be significant and important.

“The Japan visit is not only important for bilateral relations but also for Bangladesh’s multilateral relations. [What is] interesting is that Japan for the first time is offering defense cooperation with Bangladesh,” he told BenarNews.

Chowdhury said Japan had announced investing in Bangladesh to tap the huge combined market in Bangladesh and the northeastern states of India.

Japan has been funding the construction of Bangladesh’s first deep sea port in Matarbari in the Bay of Bengal with a view to serve the landlocked northeastern states of India. Tokyo is also the financier of Dhaka’s metro rail and the third terminal of Dhaka airport.

“Japan is a big economic power. … Maybe Japan is investing more in Bangladesh to counter the influence of China in the Bay of Bengal which is a part of the Indian Ocean,” Chowdhury said.

Separately, Munshi Fayaz Ahmad, a former Bangladesh envoy to China, said Hasina’s U.S. and U.K. trips would enhance relations with those countries.

Critical remarks by the U.S. and other western officials about Bangladesh’s elections, human rights and democracy gave an impression among the people that Bangladesh’s relations with the U.S. were “not good,” Ahmad told BenarNews.

“Making critical comments is a strategy in diplomacy. Both the Western countries and Bangladesh follow such a practice. U.S.-Bangladesh relations are very good,” Ahmad said.

“The U.S. needs Bangladesh for its strategic interests and Bangladesh needs the U.S. for her own interests. [But] Bangladesh needs the U.S. more than the U.S. needs Bangladesh.”

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Japanese prime minister visits Biden at the White House

Michele Kelemen

President Biden welcomes Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House. The visit marks Japan's increasing military posturing amid concerns about China, North Korea and Russia.

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

President Biden capped a week of high-level diplomacy by hosting Japan's prime minister at the White House today. Japan recently decided to start its biggest military buildup since World War II. And the Biden administration is all for that as it tries to work with allies to counter Chinese aggression in the region. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Rome, Paris, London and Ottawa before arriving at the White House, touting his new national security strategy and big budget increases for defense.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRIME MINISTER FUMIO KISHIDA: (Speaking Japanese).

KELEMEN: Calling President Biden Joe, the Japanese prime minister said the two countries must play a greater role together on the world stage. Biden said the two are closer than ever. Just this week, the Defense Department announced plans for a new marine force on Okinawa, one that would be more agile and able to respond to or deter Chinese military threats against Taiwan. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced plans to cooperate with Japan in space.

ANTONY BLINKEN: I think what you're seeing in real time is an alliance that is modernized. And the United States and Japan are working in lockstep to be prepared for the emerging challenges in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

KELEMEN: The big challenge is China, but Russia's war in Ukraine has also shaken the global order.

NORIYUKI SHIKATA: Today's Ukraine could be tomorrow's Asia.

KELEMEN: That's Noriyuki Shikata, a Cabinet secretary for public affairs in the prime minister's office.

SHIKATA: If you allow a change of status quo in Ukraine, there could be other attempts to change the status quo in other parts of the world, including in Asia.

KELEMEN: Meaning Taiwan?

SHIKATA: Including Taiwan.

KELEMEN: He told NPR that China's more assertive behavior is not the only reason that Japan is embarking on a military buildup. North Korea continues to launch missiles in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Japan is president of the council this month, but getting anything done there is difficult since Russia and China have veto power. Shikata says the Japanese government will focus on new defensive capabilities.

SHIKATA: Prime Minister Kishida announced his intention for Japan to equip itself with so-called counterstrike capability for defensive purposes. This is to deter aggressions or the use of force against Japan.

KELEMEN: How to pay for this is still under debate, and Japan's government is facing domestic blowback for a talk of tax hikes. Japan also has to walk a fine line not to provoke China. A Chinese government spokesman commenting on the announcement from Washington this week said any cooperation between the U.S. and Japan should not harm the interests of third parties. Shikata says Japan and the U.S. want stability, especially around Taiwan.

SHIKATA: We are seeing eye to eye between Japan and the United States. That peaceful settlement, based on dialogue on the Taiwan Strait issues, should be pursued.

KELEMEN: The Biden administration often describes its approach to China with three words - invest, align and compete. This week's meetings were all about aligning with a key regional ally, Japan. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington.

Copyright © 2023 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Japan’s prime minister tours Philippine patrol ship and boosts alliances amid maritime tensions

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, sits on the bridge of the BRP Teresa Magbanua ship at the Philippine Coast Guard headquarters on Saturday Nov. 4, 2023 in Manila, Philippines. (Ezra Acayan/Pool Photo via AP)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida boards the BRP Teresa Magbanua ship at the Philippine Coast Guard headquarters on Saturday Nov. 4, 2023 in Manila, Philippines. (Ezra Acayan/Pool Photo via AP)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, visits the BRP Teresa Magbanua ship at the Philippine Coast Guard headquarters on Saturday Nov. 4, 2023 in Manila, Philippines. (Ezra Acayan/Pool Photo via AP)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, visits the BRP Teresa Magbanua ship at the Philippine Coast Guard headquarters on Saturday Nov. 4, 2023 in Manila, Philippines. (Ezra Acayan/Pool via AP)

Japan Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Shohei Ishii, right, and Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, left, visit the BRP Teresa Magbanua ship at the Philippine Coast Guard headquarters on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023 in Manila, Philippines. (Ezra Acayan/Pool Photo via AP)(

Japan Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Shohei Ishii, left, and Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, right, visit the BRP Teresa Magbanua ship at the Philippine Coast Guard headquarters on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023 in Manila, Philippines. (Ezra Acayan/Pool Photo via AP)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the first Japanese premier to address a special joint session of the Philippine congress, gestures as he delivers his speech at the House of Representative in Quezon city, Philippines on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. The leaders of Japan and the Philippines agreed Friday to start negotiations for a key defense pact that would allow their troops to enter each other’s territory for joint military exercises. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, Pool)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers his speech at the House of Representative in Quezon city, Philippines on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. The leaders of Japan and the Philippines agreed Friday to start negotiations for a key defense pact that would allow their troops to enter each other’s territory for joint military exercises. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, Pool)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, delivers his speech, the first for a Japanese premier to address a special joint session of the Philippine congress, at the House of Representative in Quezon city, Philippines on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. The leaders of Japan and the Philippines agreed Friday to start negotiations for a key defense pact that would allow their troops to enter each other’s territory for joint military exercises. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, Pool)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, applauds beside Senate president Juan Miguel Zubiri, left, and House speaker Martin Romualdez at the House of Representative in Quezon city, Philippines on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. The leaders of Japan and the Philippines agreed Friday to start negotiations for a key defense pact that would allow their troops to enter each other’s territory for joint military exercises. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, Pool)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the first Japanese premier to address a special joint session of the Philippine congress, delivers his speech at the House of Representative in Quezon city, Philippines on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. The leaders of Japan and the Philippines agreed Friday to start negotiations for a key defense pact that would allow their troops to enter each other’s territory for joint military exercises. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, Pool)

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MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Japan’s prime minister boarded a Philippine patrol ship on Saturday in a symbolic show of support as Tokyo shores up regional alliances to counter China’s assertiveness in maritime disputes with its neighbors.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to the Japanese-built BRP Teresa Magbanua, which was docked at the Manila harbor, capped his two-day visit to Manila. He held talks with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday to strengthen defense ties amid their countries’ shared concern over China’s behavior.

“I truly hope that this will lead to regional peace and prosperity as well as a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Keshida told top Philippine government and coast guard officials aboard the Magbanua, one of the two biggest patrol ships of Manila’s underfunded coast guard.

Japan has provided a dozen patrol ships to the Philippines in recent years, including the 97-meter (318-foot) -long Magbanua. Manila’s coast guard largely uses the ships for sovereignty patrols and to transport supplies and rotating navy and marine personnel to nine Philippines-occupied island, islets and reefs in the strategic South China Sea.

That has put the Philippine ships on a collision course with China’s massive coast guard and navy fleets in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety. Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also lay claim to parts of or the entire sea passage, a key global trade route.

The Philippines has strongly protested the Chinese coast guard’s use of blinding laser light and water cannon in separate incidents this year and its blockade that led to two minor collisions last month near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

In August, as the Magbanua tried to approach the shoal, which has been surrounded for years by China’s vessels, its crew saw a Chinese coast guard ship maneuver into blocking position with its 70 mm armament uncovered, according to the Philippine coast guard.

In their talks on Friday in Manila, Kishida and Marcos agreed to start negotiations for a key defense pact called the Reciprocal Access Agreement that would allow their troops to enter each other’s territory for joint military exercises.

The Japanese premier also announced that coastal surveillance radars would be provided to the Philippine navy under a new security grant program that aims to help strengthen the militaries of friendly countries..

Japan has had a longstanding territorial dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea.

In the first-ever speech by a Japanese premier before a joint session of the Philippine Congress on Saturday, Kishida pledged to continue helping bolster the capability of the Philippine military and maritime agencies.

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PM Modi concludes Japan visit; returns to Delhi after attending Quad Summit in Tokyo

The summit in tokyo was the fourth interaction of quad leaders since their first virtual meeting in march 2021, in-person summit in washington dc in september 2021 and a virtual meeting in march 2022..

PM Modi arrives in New Delhi after participating in Quad Summit in Tokyo

• PM Modi, along with leaders of the Quad nations, took part in the fourth interaction of the leaders
• The interaction saw criticism of Russian military action in Ukraine
• During the summit, leaders reiterated their commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific

The Summit in Tokyo was the fourth interaction of Quad leaders since their first virtual meeting in March 2021, an in-person Summit in Washington DC in September 2021 and a virtual meeting in March 2022.

At the Quad Summit, PM Modi highlighted India's consistent and principled position on the need for cessation of hostilities, resumption of dialogue and diplomacy.

PM Modi, along with the leaders of the Quad nations, took part in the fourth interaction of the leaders, which saw criticism of Russian military action in Ukraine, from Australia, Japan and the United States.

During the summit, the leaders reiterated their shared commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and the importance of upholding the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful resolution of disputes.

They exchanged perspectives on developments in the Indo-Pacific and the conflict in Europe.

On the sidelines of the Quad Summit, the prime minister on Tuesday had bilateral meetings with US President Joe Biden and new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He will also have a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

On the first day of his visit to Japan on Monday, the Prime Minister had a series of engagements. 

He participated in the event to launch the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity and chaired a business roundtable in Tokyo. 

He also interacted with members of the Indian community. 

(With inputs from ANI)

Also Read | Quad discusses energy prices, food security, announces $50 bn for Indo-Pacific | Top points

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PM Narendra Modi’s Japan visit: Making the most of diplomatic opportunity

The prime minister’s meetings provided the opportunity for a political assurance that india was not only open to business, but ready to listen to japanese businessmen, facilitate their work and welcome their added investments..

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Suzuki Motor Corporation adviser Osamu Suzuki during a meeting in Tokyo. PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tokyo for the Quad summit shows how effective management of time can lead to positive results. The visit was mainly for the in-person Quad summit. There was also an opportunity for bilateral meetings with the principals of the other Quad countries.

This provided PM Modi the opportunity to meet his host, PM Fumio Kishida who had been to India in March for the 14th India-Japan annual Summit. It was also the occasion to meet with US President Biden in person for the first time since the Ukraine crisis. The two leaders have held virtual conversations on a few occasions.

It was an occasion for the Quad leaders to meet with the new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who had just unseated Scott Morrison's party. Morrison was a staunch supporter of Quad and AUKUS. There would be consternation about whether the Australian Labour Party now in power would continue to abide by the same line of thinking. Albanese in his opening remarks at the Summit assuaged that.

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Bilateral meetings are the clear by-product of a plurilateral meeting like the Quad. For the additional time that PM Modi was in Tokyo on 23 May, he utilised it as if he was on a bilateral visit to Japan. It may be recalled that his last in-person visit to Japan was in October 2018 for the 13th annual summit. Between 2018 and 2022, the annual summits were virtual and PM Modi had no occasion to visit Japan. Therefore, to make up for a lost time, it was wisely decided to meet with Japanese businessmen and entrepreneurs as well as the Indian diaspora.

During PM Kishida’s visit to India in March, he had announced that the target of Japanese FDI now was yen 5 trillion in the next five years. Essentially, this averages out to an anticipated FDI of about $2 billion per annum from Japan. This is a large volume and continuing reforms in India and engagement with Japanese companies will help in fulfilling these targets.

A review of the list of 34 companies from Japan that met with PM Modi shows that many of them are already in India, and well settled. They are the ones who are now likely to expand their footprint which will contribute to this larger augmentation of Japanese FDI. They have had better experiences in India. The meeting that the PM had with the Advisor to Suzuki Motor Corporation, Osamu Suzuki, was telling. He is the original big investor in India. Now he is quite old and moved into an advisory position. The fact that he called on the PM shows a vote of confidence. Maruti Suzuki in fact is one of the largest expanding investors in India, moving beyond automobiles into related sectors including EVs.

The PM’s meetings provided the opportunity for a political assurance that India was not only open to business but ready to listen to Japanese businessmen, facilitate their work and welcome their added investments.

Similar was the meeting with the diaspora. Since 2018, the Indian diaspora in Tokyo has not had an occasion to meet the PM. It was important that the PM took out the time to meet with them and convey to them the changes in India and what role he expected from this expanding Indian diaspora in Japan. Much like what he said to the diaspora in Copenhagen, so in Tokyo, he expects the diaspora to contribute to nation-building, to a better understanding of India among their host countries, and to increase host country tourism and exchanges with India.

The Indian diaspora in Japan mainly works for Japanese or international companies. They are embedded into their host systems and in a better position to present the Indian point of view, culturally and economically. This makes a very big difference. Many Japanese companies have adopted the model of US companies by sending their Indian employees living in Japan or even in their overseas offices to guide their operations in India. This is where the Indian diaspora can continue to play a major role.

Where the perspectives are concerned the Quad summit came on the heels of another shock in the world. The previous Quad summit took place following the Covid-19 crisis which was a natural disaster. The Quad stepped up to cooperate and help the partners as well as the Indo-Pacific countries in several ways.

This time, the shock of the Ukraine crisis and the sanctions imposed by the US and its allies on Russia are the major challenges. The world economy had not recovered from the Covid crisis. Now additional shocks are piled up upon it. Though the Quad summit did not assign blame for it, there was no unanimity on whether Russia alone was to blame for all the ills that were striking the globe right now.

In India's view, China remains the main threat. The Quad summit served to refocus attention on the Indo-Pacific and the role of China. India continues to have China unrelenting in resolving the border issue or reducing force levels even after agreements. The Taiwan issue is now reaching crisis levels; the US is strongly nudging Japan to do more in case of an emergency and itself looking at how Taiwan can be protected in case of a Chinese assault. Japan is facing more frequent incursions by Chinese ships into the Senkaku Islands. Chinese and Russian ships are now exercising more frequently between Honshu and Hokkaido Island in Japan. A Chinese aircraft carrier has moved closer to Okinawa and exercises there. Chinese threats to Japan are increasing.

Where Australia is concerned, it would like to have China ease the sanctions imposed on it and have streamlined exports to attain pre-Covid levels. This may not happen in a hurry but meanwhile, the Solomon Islands in Australia’s zone of influence, have more or less signed off to be a Chinese ally and allow Chinese military access and activity. They are also preventing access by others. Other South Pacific countries may be similarly infected.

Australia needs to enhance its influence and act more decisively to persuade its friends in the South Pacific that China is not a trustworthy ally.

Thus, all the Quad partners have clear problems with China. While the question is often raised that it is the new government in Australia whose commitment to challenge China may be in doubt, it is often the United States whose intention remains in doubt. The United States has wilfully undertaken to paint Russia as the world’s enemy number one, reducing attention on China. Their efforts to wean China away from Russia include certain concessions; the tariff barriers that Trump had raised with China, the Biden administration has slowly restored. The confrontational position of the United States with China is more circumspect than before. Quad partners will assess whether the Americans can be a trusted ally against China. They seem to be more interested in defending Taiwan rather than the Indo-Pacific.

The Americans tried to show that they were serious about the Indo-Pacific by announcing the Indo Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)consultations, which they called a partnership for prosperity. The US brought the IPEF to the attention of all interlocutors but left Japan to flesh it out. Wisely, instead of rushing through a system of accession to the IPEF, and asking countries to join straight away, without being clear on what they were entering, they are now consulting.

What is announced is a framework for discussions and consultations that will ensue. Due to this, it has become easier for India to say yes. India agreed to be consulted, rather than sign up to IPEF, parts of which we’re certainly uncomfortable with.

The IPEF, interestingly, is like a large RCEP without China, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, but with the addition of the United States and India. However, it is not a trade pact and does not offer trade access to the US market. It is essentially a TPP-like instrument trying to raise the standards and quality and security of critical technologies.

Its framework overlaps in some ways with the Quad preferences, which broadly cover climate, critical technologies, semiconductors, quality infrastructure and dealing with Covid. There are a host of others including hydrogen for green shipping, cybersecurity, and the like. Many of these core ideas may resonate in the IPEF. It remains to be seen how many of these can be brought into focus and proceed to clear commitments.

The writer is a former Ambassador to ASEAN. Views expressed are personal.

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Published on: May 26, 2022 08:23:21 IST

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Japan and Philippines, Wary of China, Look to Expand Military Ties

An agreement, driven by the shared view that Beijing increasingly poses a threat to the region, would give Tokyo access to bases and make it easier to conduct joint drills.

By Sui-Lee Wee and Camille Elemia

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan said on Friday that his country would start formal talks with the Philippines to allow the deployment of Japanese troops to the Southeast Asian country, further strengthening ties between two countries that have embraced each other as bulwarks against China.

“We share serious concerns on the situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea,” Mr. Kishida said, referring to Beijing’s increasingly assertive actions in the region. “The attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force is unacceptable.”

Mr. Kishida’s announcement came after a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines, at the beginning of a two-day visit to Manila. It was Mr. Kishida’s first trip to the country since he took office in 2021.

The countries are locked in territorial disputes with Beijing — the Philippines in the South China Sea and Japan in the East China Sea — and they flank Taiwan, the self-governed island that China has vowed to reclaim by force.

The proposed pact, known as a reciprocal access agreement, would give the Japanese military access to bases in the Philippines and make it easier to conduct more joint drills.

The two countries began exploring the idea for such an agreement in 2015, but the issue has taken on greater urgency as they have found themselves increasingly confronted by a more assertive China, with Mr. Marcos saying the pact would help maintain “peace and stability in our region.”

Japan plans to give coastal radar systems worth about $4 million to improve the Philippine Navy’s capabilities as part of its official security assistance program, Mr. Kishida said.

Japan announced in April that the Philippines would be the one of the main recipients of the aid program and has provided Manila with coast guard vessels, satellite communications systems and air surveillance radars.

The two countries have relations that go back at least six decades. Japan is the biggest backer of infrastructure projects in the Philippines, providing aid for projects such as the subway in Manila, as well as bridges and railways around the country.

Military ties took off in 2012, after Shinzo Abe took office as the Japanese prime minister, and continued even under President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines.

Much of the deepening engagement also involves the United States, a treaty ally of both the Philippines and Japan. The three countries have participated in large-scale military exercises and conducted drills in the South China Sea since the beginning of the year. On Friday, both Mr. Kishida and Mr. Marcos said they wanted to strengthen the trilateral cooperation.

Mr. Marcos, who took office in June 2022, succeeding Mr. Duterte, has adopted a muscular foreign policy approach, seeking alliances and restoring the Philippines’ military ties to the United States and others to counter China.

In the Philippines, there is broad popular support for Japan’s involvement, despite its brutal occupation during World War II. Dindo Manhit, the president of Stratbase ADR, a research organization based in Manila, said the group’s surveys showed that Japan was the most trusted country in the Philippines, after the United States.

“Every time the U.S. suddenly blows hot and cold, Japan has been consistent,” he said.

Beijing claims 90 percent of the South China Sea, some of it hundreds of miles from the Chinese mainland, in waters surrounding Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines.

In the past decade or so, China has asserted greater control over the region, using the Paracel and the Spratly island chains to expand its reach by building and fortifying outposts and airstrips.

That has alarmed much of Asia and the United States, which says it has a vested interest in maintaining freedom of navigation in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. China’s military buildup and increasingly aggressive maritime actions have raised questions about its intentions in the region and its willingness to comply with international law and norms. Beijing says its actions are in accordance with the law because it has “indisputable sovereignty” over these islands in the South China Sea.

Those concerns are felt perhaps most acutely in the Philippines, where fishermen have been blocked by Chinese vessels and Manila has been prevented from fully exploring oil and gas deposits within an area that an international tribunal ruled to be part of its exclusive economic zone.

Tensions have recently escalated between the Philippines and China in the disputed waters. Last month, Chinese ships collided with a Philippine coast guard vessel and a supply boat in the South China Sea, prompting condemnations from countries including Japan and the United States, which reiterated that it would come to the aid of the Philippines if it came under armed attack.

On Saturday, Mr. Kishida is set to address a joint session of the Philippine congress. He will be the first Japanese prime minister to do so.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the distance over which China has asserted control in the South China Sea. Some of the waters it claims are hundreds of miles from the Chinese mainland, not thousands of miles.

How we handle corrections

Sui-Lee Wee is the Southeast Asia bureau chief for The Times. She was part of the team that won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for public service for coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. More about Sui-Lee Wee

Japan and Philippine leaders agree to negotiate defense pact and boost ties amid China's aggression

The leaders of Japan and the Philippines have agreed to start negotiations for a key defense pact that will allow their troops to enter each other’s territory for joint military exercises

MANILA, Philippines -- The leaders of Japan and the Philippines agreed Friday to start negotiations for a key defense pact that would allow their troops to enter each other’s territory for joint military exercises. The move is part of efforts to strengthen their alliance in the face of China ’s alarming assertiveness in the region.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is on a two-day visit to Manila, also announced after holding talks with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that a coastal surveillance radar would be given to the Philippines through a grant. The country is the first beneficiary of a newly launched Japanese security assistance program for allied militaries in the region.

Additional Japanese patrol vessels, defense equipment and radars would be provided to strengthen the Philippines’ law enforcement capability at sea, Kishida said. Japan has supplied a dozen patrol ships in recent years to the Philippines, which are now largely using them to defend its territorial interest in the disputed South China Sea.

Japan has had a longstanding territorial dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea. There has been a series of tense confrontations, meanwhile, between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and navy ships in the disputed South China Sea.

Two weeks ago, China’s ships separately blocked then hit a Philippine coast guard vessel and a supply boat near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. Japan immediately expressed its strong support to the Philippines and the United States renewed its warning that it’s obligated to defend its treaty ally if Filipino forces come under an armed attack in the contested waters.

“We shared serious concerns about the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea and that attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force is unacceptable,” Kishida said, through a translator, in a televised news conference with Marcos on Friday night.

Marcos said the proposed defense pact to be negotiated by the Philippines with Japan, called the Reciprocal Access Agreement, would be beneficial “both to our defense and military personnel and to maintaining peace and stability in our region.”

On Saturday, Kishida will become the first Japanese premier to address a joint session of the Philippine congress, underlining how the Asian nations' ties have transformed since Japan’s brutal occupation of the Philippines in World War II.

He's scheduled to visit a Japanese-funded Manila subway project Saturday and board one of a dozen Japanese-built coast guard patrol ships docked in Manila before leaving for Malaysia.

"We look forward to the address of a leader of a nation that is a robust trading partner, a strong security ally, a lending hand during calamities and an investor in Philippine progress,” Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said.

Kishida's government unveiled plans in December to build up its security and defense — including counterstrike capability — in a major shift from the country’s self-defense-only principle adopted after the last world war.

Under the new strategy, Japan will utilize its huge development aid to support efforts by poorer nations like the Philippines to strengthen their security capabilities and improve safety at sea as China flexes its military muscle in the region.

Kishida said he and Marcos Jr. agreed to press efforts to reinforce the three-way security ties of Japan, the United States and the Philippines.

Those objectives dovetail with Marcos Jr.'s thrust to strengthen his country’s external defense after a series of tense confrontations between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and naval ships in the disputed South China Sea.

President Joe Biden has also been strengthening an arc of alliances in the region to better counter China’s assertiveness.

The Reciprocal Access Agreement to be negotiated by Japan and the Philippines would allow Japanese and Philippine troop deployments to one another for military exercises and other security activities that could serve as a deterrent to aggression in the region, including joint patrols in the South China Sea.

If finalized, the accord would be the most significant boost in the alliance of Japan and the Philippines in decades.

Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. Associated Press journalists Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila contributed to this report.

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Japan PM Kishida arrives in Philippines on official visit

Posted: November 3, 2023 | Last updated: November 3, 2023

MANILA (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in the Philippines on Friday for a two-day official visit aimed at boosting defence and security ties at a time of heightened tension in Philippines-China relations.

Kishida will meet President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the presidential palace to discuss a range of issues, including the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing have had several confrontations.

"Among the specific issues to be discussed are the West Philippine Sea, trade and investment, and Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA)," Marcos' office said ahead of Kishida's visit.

"They will also exchange views on major regional, international, and United Nations issues affecting the region and the world."

Japan does not have any claim to the waters, but has a separate maritime dispute with China in the East China Sea.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea and its growing military presence there has fuelled concern in Japan and the West, with the United States holding regular air and naval patrols to ensure freedom of navigation.

Ahead of the visit, the Japan defence ministry announced the delivery of the first air surveillance radar system to the Philippine military as part of a 2020 contract between the Philippines' defence department and Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

In February, Marcos and Kishida agreed in Tokyo that their militaries would cooperate in disaster relief, an agreement seen as a step towards a broader pact that could allow the countries to deploy forces on each other's soil.

Following that meeting, Marcos said he saw no reason why the Philippines should not have a troop pact with Japan if it would boost maritime security.

On Saturday, Kishida will speak before the Philippine Congress.

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

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Lawmakers expect economic benefits from Japan PM’s visit

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter

CONGRESSIONAL leaders in the Philippines are upbeat that Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Fumio Kishida’s visit to Manila this weekend will not only strengthen bilateral ties but also bring forth economic benefits for both countries.

Highly anticipating Mr. Kishida’s speech before the Special Joint Session of the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives on Nov. 4, Senate President Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said the Japan leader’s visit will “strengthen cooperation between two allies in confronting common challenges.”

In a Viber message on Wednesday, Mr. Zubiri confirmed that 17 senators will be attending the joint session of Congress.

In a statement, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez expressed optimism that Mr. Kishida’s visit will create new opportunities for the Philippines and Japan to cooperate in various fronts.

“We are optimistic that through our discussions, new pathways for collaboration and development will emerge, promising enhanced opportunities and a brighter future for all Filipinos, here and in Japan,” Mr. Romualdez said.

He added that the visit symbolizes the longstanding bond between the two countries “built on mutual respect, shared values, and a unified vision for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.”

A trilateral relationship among the Philippines, Japan and the US has emerged amid China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Along this line, Mr. Zubiri said he expected Mr. Kishida to push for the Reciprocal Access Agreement with the Philippines to allow both our troops train in Japan and the Philippines for better cooperation and interoperability.

The Senate leader is also looking at the possibility of Japan taking over “the failed projects of the Chinese government,” referring to the Philippines’ recent withdrawal of interest in official development assistance (ODA) deals with China.

Since the funding of big-ticket projects through China’s fund assistance has not materialized, Mr. Zubiri told reporters via Viber: “Let’s let Japan handle these projects.”

He stressed that Japan is the Philippines’ “largest bilateral source” of ODA, citing Department of Finance (DoF) data that it has amounted to $14.139 billion or P7.77 trillion over a 20-year period spanning three presidencies from 2001 to 2020.

Upon his scheduled arrival in Manila, Mr. Kishida will be meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Nov. 3 to discuss economic and security cooperation, the Palace said on Tuesday.

During his visit to Japan in February, Mr. Marcos expressed openness for a reciprocal military access agreement aimed at facilitating the presence of visiting forces if it would help defend Filipino fishermen in Philippine waters.

When Mr. Marcos visited to Tokyo last April, Japan also pledged P250 billion in aid to the Philippines in the next two years in its bid to reach middle-income status by 2025. — with a report from John Victor D. Ordoñez

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• What's so special about Japan PM Fumio Kishida's this India visit?

What's so special about Japan PM Fumio Kishida's this India visit?

Visual Stories

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko prepare to leave Haneda airport in Tokyo Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. Kishida began a two-day visit on Friday to the Philippines, where he’s expected to announce a security aid package and upcoming negotiations for a defense pact in a bid to boost Tokyo’s alliances in the face of China’s alarming assertiveness in the region. (Kyodo News via AP) Uncredited

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Japan’s prime minister began a two-day visit on Friday to the Philippines, where he’s expected to announce a security aid package and upcoming negotiations for a defense pact in a bid to boost Tokyo’s alliances in the face of China’s alarming assertiveness in the region.

After a red-carpet welcome at the Malacanang Palace in Manila, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was set to hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on bolstering overall relations, primarily defense ties. China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea will be high in the agenda, Philippine officials said.

Two weeks ago, China’s ships separately blocked then hit a Philippine coast guard vessel and a supply boat near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. Japan immediately expressed its strong support to the Philippines and the United States renewed its warning that it’s obligated to defend its treaty ally if Filipino forces come under an armed attack in the contested waters.

On Saturday, Kishida will become the first Japanese premier to address a joint session of the Philippine congress, underlining how the Asian nations' ties have transformed since Japan’s brutal occupation of the Philippines in World War II.

Kishida said in a departure speech in Japan that he would outline Japan’s diplomatic policy for Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines.

Political Cartoons

"I hope to confirm our pursuit toward a world where the free and open international order based on the rule of law is maintained and human dignity is protected,” he said.

He's scheduled to visit a Japanese-funded Manila subway project Saturday and board one of a dozen Japanese-built coast guard patrol ships, which the Philippines now largely uses to defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea , before leaving for Malaysia.

"We look forward to the address of a leader of a nation that is a robust trading partner, a strong security ally, a lending hand during calamities and an investor in Philippine progress,” Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said.

Kishida's government unveiled plans in December to build up its security and defense — including counterstrike capability — in a major shift from the country’s self-defense-only principle adopted after the last world war.

Under the new strategy, Japan will utilize its huge development aid to support efforts by poorer nations like the Philippines to strengthen their security capabilities and improve safety at sea as China flexes its military muscle in the region.

Kishida also aims to foster three-way security ties involving his country, the United States and the Philippines, Japanese officials said.

Those objectives dovetail with Marcos Jr.'s thrust to strengthen his country’s external defense after a series of tense confrontations between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and naval ships in the disputed South China Sea.

President Joe Biden has also been strengthening an arc of alliances in the region to better counter China’s assertiveness.

A highlight of Kishida’s visit would be the launch of a Japanese security assistance for friendly militaries in the region — with the Philippines as the first recipient, a Japanese official said without elaborating ahead of Kishida’s visit to Manila. The official spoke at a briefing on condition of anonymity set by the foreign ministry. The new security aid would likely be used to provide Japanese-made non-lethal equipment like radars, antennas, small patrol boats or infrastructure improvements, rather than advanced weapons.

Kishida and Marcos are also expected to announce an agreement to start negotiations for a defense pact called Reciprocal Access Agreement, the Japanese official said.

Such a defense agreement would allow Japanese and Philippine troop deployments to one another for military exercises and other security activities that could serve as a deterrent to aggression in the region, including joint patrols in the South China Sea.

Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.

Copyright 2023 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrives in India on 2-day visit; here's what's on agenda

Since the last Summit meeting held in March 2022 between India and Japan, now is a significant time to engage on a bilateral level as both New Delhi and Tokyo are holding the Presidencies of the G20 and G7, respectively.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to arrive in India for a two-day trip on today i.e. on 20 March. The leader's visit to the national capital is seen as a great opportunity to review the bilateral ties between the two countries.

Kishida has said that a new plan on Free and Open Indo-Pacific will be annouced during his two-day visit to India and will present concrete ideas about the future of it at "this historical turning point."

As per the official Twitter handle of the Japan PMO, “This year, Japan holds the G7 presidency while India chairs the G20. Prime Minister Modi and I will exchange views on the role our two countries should play as we work to resolve mounting international challenges."

The Prime minister's office also added, "I also intend to further strengthen the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan. In addition, during my stay in India, I will announce a new plan related to the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). I will set out in concrete terms my thinking regarding how the future should look for the Free and Open Indo-Pacific, which is at a historic turning point."

Earlier on 10 March, he had said, “As leaders of the G-7 and G-20, I want us to communicate closely in an effort to strengthen cooperation." 

The partnership between both countries ranges in multiple areas like defence and security, trade and investment, S&T, Education, healthcare, and critical and emerging technologies.

During Kishida's visit to India, converging interests on important global challenges, such as food and health security, energy transitions, and economic stability, can be worked on by the two nations.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that Japan is a "very important partner", and he stressed that India looks forward to the exchange of views.

"We look forward to the visit of the honourable Prime Minister of Japan that's on Monday. As you know, Japan is our very important partner. We have annual summits with them and this is part of that. They are also partners in plurilateral and multilateral constructs so we look forward to a rich discussion. We look forward to the exchange of views," the MEA spokesperson had said.

"Prime Minister had gone to Japan last year. Prime Minister Kishida had come here so we look forward to taking forward those discussions but what will be the talking points, what will be the outcomes let the leaders talk about it. I think it's pretty far too soon to judge that," Arindam Bagchi said.

However, he did not reveal details regarding the talking points of the discussion that will take place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart.

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida will visit India from March 20-21. During the visit, he will hold a meeting with PM Narendra Modi. The two leaders will discuss bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest, the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official release on March 10.

India and Japan share 'Special Strategic and Global Partnership'. India-Japan relations were elevated to 'Global Partnership' in 2000, 'Strategic and Global Partnership' in 2006, and 'Special Strategic and Global Partnership' in 2014.

Regular Annual Summits have been held between India and Japan since 2006 (the last Annual Summit was held in March 2022 in New Delhi).

Japan is a very close partner with which we have both an Annual Summit and a 2 2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting. with which India has an Annual Summit and a 2 2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting.

New Delhi and Tokyo are also a part of the Quadrilateral Strategic Dialogue (QUAD), alongside Australia and the US. It is a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and the United States that is maintained by talks between member countries. The Quad is dedicated to working with regional allies who support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Furthermore, the Defense cooperation between the two nations has also emerged as one of the key areas of engagement.

The successful conduct of the first fighter jet exercise "Veer Guardian" in January 2023 in Japan between our two countries was a significant milestone. This was followed closely by the 4th "Dharma Guardian" army exercise, which was conducted for the first time in Japan.

Maritime security cooperation including Navy-to-Navy cooperation has seen significant progress with a large number of exercises being conducted. In November last year, India took part in the International Fleet Review in Japan and the Malabar exercise off the Coast of Japan. This was preceded by the JIMEX between our two navies in September.

In terms of commercial and economic ties, the bilateral trade between India and Japan stood at USD 20.75 billion last year, which was the largest ever.

Japan is also the 5th largest investor in India as a large number of Japanese companies are exploring opportunities in India in several sectors.

Moreover, India and Japan have an Industrial Competitiveness Partnership (IJICP) under which both countries are cooperating to promote industrial cooperation between the two countries.

A Roadmap under IJICP (India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership) was launched at the Annual Summit held in New Delhi in March 2022.

The meeting of the IJICP took place in Tokyo on 28 February 2023. The meeting was co-chaired by the Secretary, of DPIIT from the Indian side and the Vice Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry from the Japanese side.

Japan and India launched a Clean Energy Partnership during the Annual Summit held last year. It aims to promote energy cooperation between Japan and India through diverse and realistic energy transitions utilizing all energy sources and technologies to ensure energy security, carbon neutrality and economic growth.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Russia foreign minister plans Japan visit within next few months

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov plans to make a visit to Japan within the next few months, with the trip's schedule already being discussed with Tokyo.

"The visit will definitely take place," Lavrov said.

But Lavrov remained firm in his position regarding a disputed group of islands lying off Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido, saying they are the "indivisible territory of Russia."

The dispute over the sovereignty of the islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, has posed a major hurdle to the countries signing a peace treaty in the more than 70 years since the end of World War II.

Tokyo claims the Soviet Union seized the islands illegally soon after Japan's surrender in August 1945, while Moscow argues it did so legitimately.

Regarding peace treaty negotiations, Lavrov underscored that since such a document would now be signed in the 21st century, it should demonstrate more than signaling the end of the war, and instead pave the way for the development of future Japan-Russia relations.

He expressed his support for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policy of signing a peace treaty before commencing talks on remaining issues, and said Russia had provided a draft text to Japan.

But Lavrov also voiced concern that Japan's status as an ally of the United States is proving to be an obstacle to bilateral relations between Tokyo and Moscow, adding that should U.S. missile-defense systems be deployed in Japan, it would be considered a threat to his country.

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Time in Japan vs Moscow

Moscow, Russia

Moscow, Russia time is 6:00 hours ahead of Japan

Japan time to Moscow time converter

Announce an event across time zones, the best time to call from japan to moscow.

When planning a call between Japan and Moscow, you need to consider that the territories are in different time zones. Japan is 6 hours ahead of Moscow.

If you are in Japan, the most convenient time to accommodate all parties is between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm for a conference call or meeting. In Moscow, this will be a usual working time of between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm.

If you want to reach out to someone in Moscow and you are available anytime, you can schedule a call between 1:00 pm and 5:00 am your time. This time span will be between 7:00 am and 11:00 pm Moscow time.

Quickly and easily compare or convert Japan time to Moscow time, or the other way around, with the help of this time converter. Below, you can see the complete table of the conversions between Japan and Moscow.

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