Japan's prime minister vowed Saturday to do more to ensure a "free and open Indo-Pacific", using a speech in communist Vietnam to tout a regional strategy that has long rankled neighbouring China.
"I am renewing my determination to fulfil Japan's responsibilities and... to play an even more proactive role than ever before in building an international order based on freedom, openness, diversity, inclusiveness, and the rule of law," Sanae Takaichi said in an address at a Hanoi university.
kAmx? 2? 6C2 @7 Q:?E6?D:7J:?8 86@A@=:E:42= 4@>A6E:E:@?[ 2446=6C2E:?8 E649?@=@8:42= :??@G2E:@?Q[ E96 y2A2?6D6 AC6>:6C 42==65 7@C pD:2? 4@F?EC:6D E@ 4F=E:G2E6 QC6D:=:6?46Q 2?5 E96 23:=:EJ E@ Q56E6C>:?6 E96:C @H? 7FEFC6Q]k^Am
kAmy2A2? 2?5 ':6E?2> D92C6 4@>>@? 4@?46C?D 23@FE r9:?2VD E6CC:E@C:2= 4=2:>D :? E96 t2DE 2?5 $@FE9 r9:?2 $62D[ 2?5 3@E9 92G6 D@F89E E@ 96586 282:?DE &$\5C:G6? EC256 5:DCFAE:@?D 3J 3C@256?:?8 64@?@>:4 2?5 D64FC:EJ E:6D]k^Am
kAmqFE w2?@: 2:>D E@ DE2J @? 8@@5 E6C>D H:E9 2== 8=@32= A@H6CD E9C@F89 :ED EC25:E:@?2= Q32>3@@ 5:A=@>24JQ 2AAC@249[ H9:=6 %@<J@ 92D D66? :ED 2=C625J 7C@DEJ C6=2E:@?D H:E9 q6:;:?8 56E6C:@C2E6 >2C<65=J :? C646?E >@?E9D]k^Am
kAm%92E >2<6D ':6E?2> 2 DEC:<:?8 49@:46 @7 G6?F6 7@C 2 y2A2?6D6 7@C6:8? A@=:4J DA6649 E@FE:?8 2 DEC2E68J 324<65 3J (2D9:?8E@? 2?5 4=@D6=J 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 &$ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A]k^Am
kAmu:CDE 2CE:4F=2E65 2 564256 28@ 3J %2<2:49:VD >6?E@C $9:?K@ p36[ E96 :562 @7 2 Q7C66 2?5 @A6?Q x?5@\!24:7:4 92D D:?46 366? 6>3C2465 3J >F=E:A=6 &$ A2CE?6CD 2?5 2==:6D D66<:?8 E@ 4FC3 r9:?2VD :?7=F6?46 :? E96 C68:@?]k^Am
kAmq6:;:?8 92D D=2>>65 E96 :?:E:2E:G6 2D G6:=65 2EE6>AE E@ AC@>@E6 3=@4 4@?7C@?E2E:@?[ H:E9 r9:?6D6 7@C6:8? >:?:DECJ DA@<6D>2? {:? y:2? 244FD:?8 %@<J@ @7 QDE:CC:?8 FA 4@?7C@?E2E:@? 36EH66? 42>ADQ]k^Am
kAmx? 96C 255C6DD $2EFC52J[ %2<2:49: D2:5 D96 H2D FA52E:?8 E96 5:A=@>2E:4 G:D:@? 7@C 2 Q492==6?8:?8Q ?6H 6C2]k^Am
kAm(:E9@FE ?2>:?8 q6:;:?8 5:C64E=J[ D96 H2C?65 282:?DE Q6I46DD:G6 56A6?56?46 @? 2 D:?8=6 4@F?ECJ 7@C 4C:E:42= 8@@5DQ[ D2J:?8 E9:D @7E6? C6DF=ED 7C@> QF?5F=J =@H AC:46DQ 2?5 42==:?8 7@C 2 Q=6G6= A=2J:?8 7:6=5Q]k^Am
kAm$96 2=D@ F?56CD4@C65 E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 @A6? D9:AA:?8 =2?6D[ D2J:?8 QC68:@?2= DFAA=J 492:?D 2C6 F?56CA:??65 3J E96 D276 2?5 @A6? ?2G:82E:@? @7 D62Q]k^Am
k9am\Â %2:H2? E:89EC@A6 \k^9am
kAm{@?8 4@?D:56C65 2 r9:?2 92H<[ %2<2:49: 5C6H 2 D92CA C63F<6 7C@> q6:;:?8 :? }@G6>36C H96? D96 DF886DE65 E92E 4=@D6 &$ 2==J y2A2? >:89E :?E6CG6?6 >:=:E2C:=J E@ E9H2CE 2?J r9:?6D6 2EE6>AE E@ E2<6 %2:H2?]k^Am
kAmr9:?2[ H9:49 C682C5D 56>@4C2E:4 %2:H2? 2D A2CE @7 :ED E6CC:E@CJ 2?5 92D ?@E CF=65 @FE FD:?8 7@C46 E@ 2??6I :E[ DF>>@?65 y2A2?VD 2>32DD25@C[ H2C?65 r9:?6D6 4:E:K6?D 282:?DE G:D:E:?8 y2A2? 2?5 :>A@D65 EC256 C6DEC:4E:@?D]k^Am
kAmy2A2?[ H9:49 =:<6 @E96CD :? E96 C68:@? 92D E6CC:E@C:2= 5:DAFE6D H:E9 r9:?2[ 92D >@G65 E@ 566A6? D64FC:EJ 4@@A6C2E:@? E:6D[ :? A2CE:4F=2C H:E9 E96 !9:=:AA:?6D]k^Am
kAm%2<2:49:[ @? 96C 7:CDE G:D:E E@ ':6E?2> D:?46 364@>:?8 AC:>6 >:?:DE6C :? ~4E@36C[ 2:>D E@ 566A6? 3:=2E6C2= 4@@A6C2E:@? @? 6?6C8J D64FC:EJ 2?5 DFAA=J 492:? C6D:=:6?46 2>:5 >2;@C 5:DCFAE:@?D DE6>>:?8 7C@> E96 |:55=6 t2DE 4C:D:D]k^Am
kAmy2A2? :D ':6E?2>VD =2C86DE AC@G:56C @7 @77:4:2= 56G6=@A>6?E 2DD:DE2?46 2?5 2 <6J :?G6DE@C 2?5 EC25:?8 A2CE?6C[ H:E9 EH@\H2J EC256 DFCA2DD:?8 Sd_ 3:==:@? 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 =2DE J62C]k^Am
kAm%2<2:49: >6E $2EFC52J H:E9 !C:>6 |:?:DE6C {6 |:?9 wF?8 2D H6== 2D E@A =6256C %@ {2>[ E96 r@>>F?:DE !2CEJ 3@DD H9@ =2DE >@?E9 3642>6 AC6D:56?E 2D H6==]k^Am
kAm%96J 28C665 E@ 25G2?46 E96:C 9:89\=6G6= DEC2E68:4 A2CE?6CD9:A E@ 2 Q?6H A92D6 @7 56G6=@A>6?EQ[ wF?8 D2:5[ 2?5 :?<65 D:I 28C66>6?ED DA2??:?8 E649?@=@8J[ 4=:>2E6 AC6A2C65?6DD 2?5 :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 4@>>F?:42E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 EH@ D:56D 2=D@ 28C665 E@ 566A6? D64FC:EJ 4@@A6C2E:@? 2?5 QC6277:C>65 E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 C6D@=G:?8 5:DAFE6D :? E96 $@FE9 r9:?2 $62 E9C@F89 A62467F= >62?D 32D65 @? :?E6C?2E:@?2= =2H[Q 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 ':6E?2>6D6 AC:>6 >:?:DE6C]k^Am
kAm!C:@C E@ 96C DA6649[ %2<2:49: D2:5 Q':6E?2> 9:89=:89ED DEC2E68:4 D6=7\C6=:2?46 H:E9 2 A@D:E:G6 2?5 24E:G6 6IE6C?2= 7@C6:8? A@=:4JQ]k^Am
kAmQ%96C67@C6[ :?4C62D:?8 4@@A6C2E:@? H:E9 ':6E?2> :D 6IEC6>6=J :>A@CE2?E 7@C E96 C62=:D2E:@? 2?5 AC@8C6DD @7 W2X 7C66 2?5 @A6? x?5@\!24:7:4Q]k^Am
kAm%2<2:49: H:== EC2G6= E@ pFDEC2=:2 27E6C 56A2CE:?8 ':6E?2> @? $F?52J]k^Am
kAm3FC\EJ>^2>:k^Am
