Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hopes to bridge the differences between Western and Southeast Asian approaches to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a trip to Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the U.K.
While Europe, the United States and Japan have taken tough actions against Russia, many Southeast Asian nations are reluctant to impose sanctions due to their close relations with Moscow.
Kishida is considering visiting the countries during the Golden Week holiday period, from the end of April to early May.
The focal point of his visit would be how much cooperation he can elicit from the Southeast Asian countries, including on sanctions against Russia.
The trip would be Kishida’s second visit to other parts of Asia since he took office in October last year. On his first visit, in March, he went to India and Cambodia.
In the envisaged trip, Kishida plans to exchange views mainly on the Ukraine situation and China’s hegemonic moves.
Japan has slammed Russia for its attack on Ukraine. Whenever Europe and the United States have announced sanctions against Moscow, Japan has followed suit.
“It’s important to share with other Asian nations a view that we mustn’t allow any change to the status quo by force,” Kishida has said.
“The Quad” nations of Japan, the U.S., Australia and India are slated to hold a summit in Japan in late May, while a meeting of the leaders of the Group of Seven major powers will take place in Germany in late June. At the meetings, Kishida is expected to report the results of his trip to Southeast Asia.
It is unclear, however, whether he will be able to produce the intended results.
Vietnam has maintained friendly ties with Russia for a long time. It abstained last month from voting on a U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s invasion. Kishida is likely to face difficulty in securing Vietnam’s agreement to impose sanctions on Moscow.
Indonesia is serving as this year’s Group of 20 chair, while Thailand holds the presidency of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum this year. As the U.S. is calling for the removal of Russia from the G20 forum of advanced and emerging economies, Kishida may raise the matter when he visits Indonesia.
But it is uncertain whether the presidency holder, the task of which is to balance conflicting interests among member countries, will adopt a similar position to that of Japan, the U.S. and Europe.
On the trip, Kishida will also meet with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for the first time since conversing on the sidelines of an emergency G7 meeting in Brussels in March.
The two are expected to affirm cooperation over the war and discuss the proposed lifting of U.K. import restrictions on Japanese food, as well as the London’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) regional free-trade deal.
During his trip to Southeast Asia and the U.K., Kishida will be hoping to confirm cooperation to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific region, with China in mind.