The alliance between Japan and the United States has acquired particular significance especially under the current security conditions in the Indo-Pacific region, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told the Newsweek media outlet in an interview published on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th April, 2021) The alliance between Japan and the United States has acquired particular significance especially under the current security conditions in the Indo-Pacific region, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told the Newsweek media outlet in an interview published on Monday.
Last week, Suga discussed various political issues with US President Joe Biden in Washington, becoming the first foreign leader to meet with him since taking office. It was also a first visit to the US for Suga, who assumed office in September 2020.
"The alliance between Japan and the United States, which is tightly bound by universal values, including freedom, democracy, fundamental human rights, as well as the rule of law, has served as an important foundation for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the international community. And against the backdrop of the current regional situation, and the security environment that has become even more severe, the importance of our alliance has reached new heights," Suga said.
The politician noted that he intended to use the Tokyo-Washington partnership "as the linchpin" to further promote the concept of the "free and open" Indo-Pacific area, as well as regional stability and security.
Suga also added that stable ties between Japan and China were important not only for the region but also for the whole international community. When asked about the possible visit of China's President Xi Jinping to Tokyo, which was previously scheduled for May 2020 before being canceled due to COVID-19, Suga said the matter was not on the priority list yet.
"On the possible state visit to Japan by President Xi, at this moment, we must concentrate on the resolution of the pandemic, and we are not at a stage to coordinate any specific dates," he explained, adding that the policy toward the stabilizing of bilateral relations with Beijing was still "of great importance."
Over the past weekend, China said it considers the concerns voiced by Biden and Suga over Beijing's activity in the South China Sea, the human rights situation in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and support to peace in Taiwan, as interference in China's domestic matters.
