Prime Minister Fumio Kishida outlined his vision for Japan's ties with Latin America in a speech Saturday that capped off visits to Brazil and Paraguay as Tokyo looks to deepen relations with emerging and developing nations while trying to counter China’s growing clout in the resource-rich region.
Nearly 10 years since former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the region, the last Japanese leader to do so, Kishida vowed to work together with these countries — part of what is commonly referred to as the “Global South” — to tackle challenges such as economic disparity and climate change.
At the same time, the prime minister, who was accompanied by a large business delegation, pledged to back Japanese companies operating in the region.