Japan is making arrangements for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to visit Malaysia and Indonesia in early January, as part of Tokyo’s efforts to confirm the importance of a rules-based international order, government sources said.
The prime minister has decided to give up on his initially envisaged trip to South Korea around the same time due to the confusion caused by a short-lived declaration of martial law there last week, the sources said.
It would be the first foreign trip for Ishiba, who took office in October, besides those on the occasions of international gatherings.
Japan has been deepening ties with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which includes both Malaysia and Indonesia, at a time when China’s influence in the region continues to rise.
Ishiba is expected to explore different timing to visit South Korea, the sources said, as both nations mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties next year.
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/japan-pm-eyes-visiting-malaysia-indonesia-in-early-january
