Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made her in-person diplomatic debut Sunday, taking part in an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur where she pledged to strengthen cooperation on maritime security, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
The new Japanese leader, who only took office last Tuesday, lauded progress made between Tokyo and the bloc, but said more could be done to promote “peace and stability” in the region — words widely seen as aimed at China, which is embroiled in disputes over the South China Sea with several ASEAN member states.
Takaichi said Japan would beef up its official security assistance in the region as Tokyo seeks to strengthen the defense capabilities of “like-minded” countries amid growing concerns over the regional security environment.
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