As Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga gears up for his trip to Washington late next week, one potential discussion topic could throw a wet blanket over his excitement: Japan’s role in advocating for human rights through diplomacy.
As much as Tokyo is elated over having the first foreign leader to meet U.S. President Joe Biden in person since his inauguration and reaffirmation of Washington’s commitment to national security cooperation, there are worries that the meeting could be used by Biden to compel Suga to augment the Japanese government’s contributions to defending human rights in Asia.
Although the top diplomats of both nations view themselves as defenders of human rights, the reality is much more complex — the two are not entirely on the same page on how to approach the issue. Indeed, while Japan has expressed concerns over China and Myanmar, it is the only member of the Group of Seven that has not deployed sanctions, citing the lack of a legal basis domestically.