Ishiba leaves for Vietnam, Philippines

"Cooperation between Japan and Southeast Asia is extremely important," Ishiba told reporters at his official residence in Tokyo ahead of his departure for Hanoi, Vietnam, the first destination of his tour.

"China has made unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force," Ishiba said, with the country's maritime expansion in the South China Sea in mind.

"We want to further strengthen security cooperation" with Southeast Asia, he added.

Referring to US President Donald Trump's tariff measures, the prime minister said that Japanese companies operating in Vietnam and the Philippines are also affected by the measures.

He said he wants to hear the opinions of such companies so that they could be reflected in his government's policies.

After arriving in Hanoi later in the day, Ishiba will meet with To Lam, general secretary of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, the country's supreme leader.

He will also visit the Thang Long Industrial Park, where many Japanese companies operate, and hold a roundtable dialogue with officials of such companies.

On Monday, Ishiba will hold talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, during which he plans to convey that Japan plans to make Vietnam eligible for its official security assistance framework for providing defence equipment free of charge to like-minded countries.

Ishiba aims to compile an outcome document touting the strengthening of Japan-Vietnam relations in the security and economic fields.

On Tuesday, Ishiba will fly to the Philippines' capital of Manila and meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., aiming to reach an agreement on starting discussions for forming a military intelligence-sharing pact between the two countries, known as the General Security of Military Information Agreement, or GSOMIA.

He will return to Japan on Wednesday.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

Photo by Reuters