Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering a visit to Australia during Golden Week to affirm bilateral cooperation on stable energy supplies and rare earths amid Middle East tensions. Diplomatic sources said she expects to meet Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese to reach an agreement on critical minerals supply chains. Topics will also include safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and regional security.
Diplomatic sources said Friday that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering a visit to Australia during Japan's Golden Week holiday period from late April to early May. She is expected to meet Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the first such trip by a Japanese leader since October 2022. The visit coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Japan-Australia friendship and cooperation treaty, amid challenges from China's economic coercion and Japan's struggles due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Iran war.
Takaichi hopes to affirm cooperation on economic security, given Australia's deposits of critical minerals and rare earths, as well as its role as a major supplier of liquefied natural gas and coal to Japan. An agreement on bolstering supply chains for critical minerals is expected at the summit. The leaders may also align on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, and reaffirm the need to enhance joint exercises under a bilateral reciprocal access agreement.
Takaichi is also considering a visit to Southeast Asia during Golden Week. As Japan marks 10 years since the launch of the "free and open Indo-Pacific" initiative by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2016, there are plans to communicate its evolution amid China's growing assertiveness in the region.
