Japanese minister's trip to region aimed at strengthening ties
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Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will visit Thailand, countries in the Mekong region and China to cement ties as well as "set the tone" of Japanese presence in the region, an official from Tokyo said.
Kishida will be in Thailand on Sunday and Monday to meet his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai to discuss a wide range of issues related to bilateral relations. He will also call on Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak to discuss economic ties, the official said.
The minister is also scheduled to deliver a lecture on Asean at Chulalongkorn University on Monday and is expected to highlight Japanese policy in the region.
The stopover in Thailand is part of his regional tour, which runs from today to May 6. The trip will take him to China, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, a statement from the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
This will be the first bilateral visit to China by a Japanese foreign minister in approximately four and a half years, it said.
Tomorrow Kishida is scheduled to hold a Japan-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi as well as meet with other Chinese leaders to exchange views on ways to further improve Japan-China relations.
