Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers questions during a House of Councillors Budget Committee session on April 6, 2026. (Mainichi/Akihiro Hirata)
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is arranging visits to Vietnam and Australia during Japan’s long Golden Week holiday period from late April to early May. The aim is to strengthen bilateral cooperation in a wide range of fields, including security and the economy, with a focus on China’s military expansion and economic pressure. The Mainichi Shimbun answers some questions readers may have about the issue.
Question: What topics will be discussed in the summit meetings if the visits take place?
Answer: The focus will be on strengthening cooperation in the security field, considering China’s increased maritime presence in areas such as the East China Sea and the South China Sea. Enhancing the supply chain for critical minerals like rare earths will be an important theme in economic security cooperation.
Q: What is Takaichi’s perspective on the visits?
A: It has been 10 years since former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed the diplomatic policy of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” in 2016. Takaichi is considering using these visits as an opportunity to announce a new diplomatic policy.
Q: At this stage, is it still just in the “planning” phase?
A: Yes. The final decision on whether to proceed with the visits will be made while closely monitoring the tense situation in Iran. A senior official from the prime minister’s office stated, “We are preparing for the visits, but there is a possibility of reconsideration depending on the situation.”
(Mainichi)
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