New Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made her in-person diplomatic debut on Sunday at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur, pledging to strengthen cooperation on maritime security, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. She lauded progress between Tokyo and the bloc but emphasized that more could be done to promote peace and stability in the region.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, October 27, marking her first in-person diplomatic outing just days after taking office. The new Japanese leader pledged to bolster cooperation with ASEAN members on maritime security, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, while highlighting Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy.
Takaichi praised the progress achieved between Tokyo and the bloc but stressed that more efforts are needed to foster peace and stability in the region—a statement widely interpreted as a reference to China, which is locked in territorial disputes over the South China Sea with several ASEAN countries. Keywords from the event include ASEAN-Japan relations, the Philippines, China, and Southeast Asia.
Having assumed office only last Tuesday, Takaichi's participation underscores her early focus on regional diplomacy amid rising geopolitical tensions. The pledges aim to deepen ties in trade, security, and technology, positioning Japan as a key partner in countering external pressures in the Indo-Pacific.