Japanese media reported on the 13th that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is seeking dialogue with the leaders of major countries, including the United States and Russia, on the occasion of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China next week.
Prime Minister Takaichi appears to be trying to use the international stage, where multilateral talks are held one after another, to convey his position on China and Russia to the United States, a key ally, to keep them in check, and to seek to improve the strained situation by meeting directly with the leaders of China and Russia, with whom relations have cooled.
Kyodo News reported that Prime Minister Takaichi asked the United States to provide an opportunity for dialogue with President Donald Trump at the ASEAN Summit held in Manila, Philippines on the 16th.
As the possibility of a summit meeting between the United States, China, and Russia was discussed at the APEC summit scheduled in Shenzhen, China immediately after the ASEAN Summit, it was interpreted as an attempt to emphasize in advance Japan's position toward China and Russia, with which Japan continues to have difficult diplomatic relations.
In Shenzhen, President Trump and President Xi Jinping are expected to hold their third bilateral meeting this year on the occasion of APEC, and attention is also paid to whether a trilateral meeting between the United States, China and Russia will be held.
In Japan, following the ruling Republican Party's crushing defeat in the U.S. midterm elections, there is a sense of crisis that President Trump may rapidly become closer to China and Russia in order to achieve results in diplomacy with less influence from the National Assembly.
Prime Minister Takaichi appears to be trying to secure an opportunity for a bilateral meeting with President Trump by taking advantage of the coordination of the 'Quad Summit', a cooperation framework between Japan, the United States, Australia, and India in the Philippines, and to keep the close diplomatic relations between the United States, China, and Russia in check, and to show off the solidity of the U.S.-Japan alliance.
Prime Minister Takaichi requested an opportunity for dialogue with President Trump from the U.S. before and after the meeting between President Trump and President Xi held in May and September, and had a brief meeting or phone call.
However, Kyodo News predicted that Prime Minister Takaichi's request may not be accepted this time due to President Trump's tight schedule for his stay in the Philippines.
In addition, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Prime Minister Takaichi is seeking dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of the APEC summit held in Shenzhen, China on the 18th and 19th.
According to reports, it is unclear whether the Russia-Japan summit will take place as there is still no clear answer from Russia.
If talks with President Putin are successful, Prime Minister Takaichi is expected to demand the early release of a Japanese reporter from a Hokkaido newspaper who was arrested and detained by Russian intelligence authorities a month ago.
In addition, it is expected that Japan will convey Japan's position on the situation in which four production bases owned by Japan Tobacco Industry (JT)'s overseas business subsidiaries in Russia are temporarily under the management of Russian companies, threatening their management rights.
It is difficult to predict whether the meeting will take place, but if it does happen, there is a possibility that Russia will demand Japan's support for Ukraine or a review of the sanctions against Russia that the Japanese government joined after the Ukraine war.
Yomiuri explained that the Japanese government is trying to seek communication at the summit level as President Putin is increasing the level of pressure on Japan, such as by visiting Etorofu Island in the Kuril Islands, which is involved in a territorial dispute with Japan, in August.
The Japanese government is also secretly pursuing a summit meeting with China, whose relations have been greatly strained since Prime Minister Takaichi made a statement in the National Assembly last year suggesting "intervention in Taiwan in case of emergency."
However, it is observed that the possibility of a successful meeting is slim due to China's request for correction of Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks.
Yomiuri analyzed that although Chinese Prime Minister Li Chang will attend the ASEAN summit, he will not attend the ASEAN+Korea-China-Japan summit or the East Asia Summit (EAS) to be held on the 17th, and that there is a small possibility of him contacting Prime Minister Takaichi, who is attending these meetings.
