Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide arrived in Vietnam on his first international trip

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide landed on the afternoon of Sunday, October 18 at Noi Bai International Airport, starting his official tour of Vietnam and Indonesia.

Suga’s first international trip as Japanese leader comes amid concerns about Beijing’s growing aggression in the region.

“I want to firmly establish a partnership (with Vietnam and Indonesia) to recover from (the consequences) of the new corona virus,” he said before boarding the plane with his wife, Mariko. to go to Vietnam.

Suga’s trip to Vietnam, this year’s president of the 10-member ASEAN bloc, and Indonesia, the bloc’s largest economy, took place over four days, starting on Sunday.

ASEAN members, including many who have territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, are concerned about hostility from their main economic counterparts and also fear getting stuck. Tense confrontation between the United States and China.

However, Suga is likely to avoid expressing the fierce anti-China stance, used by his American counterparts.

Japan needs to strike a balance between deep economic ties with China and security concerns, including Beijing’s efforts to enforce its claims on the disputed islands with Tokyo. in the East China Sea.

Suga’s trip comes at a time when Japan is working to diversify its supply chain and reduce dependence on China, with more production in-house or redeployment in Southeast Asian countries. .

“I recognize that ASEAN is a very important key partner in building a free and open Indo-Pacific, which Japan is promoting,” said Mr. Suga. “As a country in the Indo-Pacific region, Japan is committed to contributing to the region, and I will clearly convey this point of view to people inside and outside our country.”

During Suga’s trip, Japan is expected to sign a defense technology and equipment transfer agreement with Vietnam, as part of an effort to boost exports of Japanese-made military equipment.

This is also a sign that Mr. Suga will clearly follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, in the diplomatic field.

According to the plan, Suga will remain in Vietnam until October 20.

The official welcome ceremony is scheduled for the morning of October 19, with talks with the Prime Minister of the host country, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and the signing ceremony of the text, the press conference will take place on the same day.

Vietnamese media said that Mr. Suga plans to greet the Secretary General and President of the State, Nguyen Phu Trong, and meet with other high-ranking officials.

NHK reports that Prime Minister Suga will also have a talk at a university in Hanoi where he will discuss Japan’s foreign policy with Asean.

It is known that while you are in Vietnam, you will also visit the Temple of Literature and the Women’s Museum.