Ishiba to launch new regional economic initiative
The initiative is aimed at helping Japanese companies expand operations in these areas, while contributing to economic development there. It will be included in a joint statement to be adopted at the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, set for Aug. 20-22 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Ishiba will chair the conference, which will bring together African leaders to discuss measures to support the region.
Under the prime minister's new initiative, which is part of Japan's push for a free and open Indo-Pacific, Tokyo plans to expand its focus of regional economic cooperation beyond regions east of India such as Southeast Asia.
The Japanese government also aims to counter China's growing economic influence on Africa.
In particular, Tokyo plans to help Japanese firms operating in India and the Middle East expand trade and investments in Africa. It will take steps, including providing aid and hosting forums, to build a free and fair economic area across the regions.
"We will set up a framework for economic development through collaboration with India and the Middle East, rather than one-on-one links with Africa, to bring benefits to Japan," a Japanese government official said.
Participants to the TICAD conference are expected to reaffirm the importance of free trade in the face of steep U.S. tariffs.
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Japan Today
an hour ago
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S Korea's Lee praises partnership but urges Japan to face history
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday vowed to seek forward-looking, mutually beneficial cooperation with Japan while calling on the neighboring country to "squarely face up to" the "long and fraught" history the two countries share. Speaking at a ceremony in Seoul to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of Japan's colonial rule, Lee said Japan is "an indispensable partner," though "unresolved" historical issues still leave some South Koreans suffering, without detailing such issues as forced labor during the colonial period. In his first such Liberation Day speech since taking office in June, Lee pledged to hold frequent meetings and "frank dialogues" with Japan through "shuttle diplomacy" involving reciprocal visits by the two leaders, ahead of his two-day visit to Tokyo starting Saturday to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Courts in South Korea have ordered several Japanese companies to compensate South Korean plaintiffs over wartime forced labor. But the companies have rejected compensation, with the Japanese government claiming all historical issues stemming from its colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula were settled under a 1965 treaty that normalized bilateral ties. Lee, previously known for his tough stance on wartime issues, has adopted a pragmatic approach in diplomacy since being sworn-in and shown willingness to implement solutions from the former administration of Yoon Suk Yeol to compensate the plaintiffs through a government-backed fund, instead of urging involved Japanese firms to pay directly. On Thursday, Lee said "comfort women" -- who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during the war -- have yet to enjoy freedom and peace of mind even though 80 years have passed since South Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule. "I will do my utmost to fully restore the honor and dignity of the comfort women victims," Lee said in a video message during a government-sponsored event to remember the issue. The comfort women issue has repeatedly soured relations between the two countries, even after they agreed to settle the matter "finally and irreversibly" in an accord in 2015. That agreement was later invalidated by the liberal administration of then President Moon Jae In, with South Korean courts ruling in favor of women seeking compensation from the Japanese government. Regarding North Korea, Lee emphasized his willingness to reduce tensions and restore trust. He stated that "everyone knows that long-drawn-out hostility benefits people in neither of the two Koreas," and that "peace is the foundation of a secure daily life." He vowed to take gradual steps to restore a military accord with North Korea that was signed in 2018 by Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, to halt hostile military activity along the inter-Korean border. The agreement was partially suspended by Yoon. As part of Lee's conciliatory approach, the South Korean military has not played any loudspeaker propaganda messages toward North Korea since June. The South Korean military said last week that it confirmed North Korea has begun dismantling loudspeakers that are used to blast noise along the border. But North Korea denied this Thursday, with Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un and a senior ruling party official, saying Pyongyang has "no will" to improve ties with Seoul, in a statement carried by the state-run media. © KYODO
The Diplomat
an hour ago
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Why Ishiba Shigeru Is Not Resigning
A conventional understanding of Japanese politics holds that Ishiba Shigeru, whose party suffered a major setback in the July upper house election, must step down. Since becoming prime minister, he has lost three high-stakes elections in succession: the lower house election last October, the Tokyo assembly election in June, and now the upper house election. 'Three strikes and you're out' – that's how former LDP Secretary-General Motegi Toshimitsu put it. He was among the first senior party figures to openly call for Ishiba's resignation. Historically, all Liberal Democratic Party prime ministers who lost their majority in an upper house election – Uno Sousuke in 1989, Hashimoto Ryutaro in 1998, and Abe Shinzo in 2007 – resigned shortly thereafter. Major newspapers such as Yomiuri and Mainichi have reported that Ishiba's resignation is now a matter of time. However, based on Ishiba's public statements, there is no indication that he intends to resign. The day after the election results were confirmed, Ishiba announced his commitment to preventing political stagnation in the face of ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States and a worsening security environment – an announcement widely interpreted as a public declaration that he would remain in power. Since then, whenever questioned by the press or during Diet deliberations, he has categorically denied any intention to step down as prime minister, even accusing the media of misreporting his position. Even after facing a shouting crowd of fellow party members, Ishiba – at least for now – appears determined to soldier on. Technically speaking, the results of an upper house election do not determine who becomes prime minister in Japan. The prime minister is selected during a special session of the Diet, which is convened after a lower house election or following the resignation of the Cabinet. Some within the LDP say that the party rules stipulate a 'recall' clause, which allows them to redo a presidential election to select a new leader. But the rules in the book have never been tested, and there is a high bar for it to be enacted. Borrowing Ishiba's own words from 2007 about then-Prime Minister Abe: 'Unless he says he wants to quit, you can't make him quit unless you follow the proper procedures.' However, there are more substantial reasons that may have emboldened Ishiba to ignore his foremost critics – primarily conservative factions – who are pressuring him to resign. First, the public does not appear to be particularly concerned about whether Ishiba remains prime minister. Polls indicate that a majority of respondents believe Ishiba does not need to step down, and that number rises when the sample is limited to LDP supporters; according to NHK 69 percent of them prefer the Ishiba administration to continue. Based on these polling results, two hypotheses can be drawn. First, public frustration seems to be directed more toward the LDP as a party – whose image remains tarnished by the political funds scandal – than toward Ishiba as an individual. Second, the LDP's diehard conservative base has largely abandoned it, thereby increasing the relative influence of moderate factions who tend to support Ishiba's political style. This passive public support may have instilled in Ishiba a sense of responsibility to remain in office. Ironically, although conservative members of the LDP are calling for Ishiba's resignation, their efforts may be undermining their own cause. For nearly two decades, Japanese conservatives have been Ishiba's archrivals, and the distrust between them is mutual. Reports suggest that their attempt to force Ishiba from power may have only strengthened his resolve to stay, as he views them as the primary reason for the LDP's recent electoral losses – particularly given that a significant number of them have been implicated in the slush fund controversy. There are many roadblocks ahead for Ishiba as he fulfills his responsibility to govern. First, the loss of both houses in the Diet means he can no longer hide behind the cloak of responsibility – he will have to concede even more ground to the opposition. Some parties have openly refused to cooperate with Ishiba, though they imply they may reverse course if he fully embraces their demands. For example, Democratic Party for the People (DPFP) leader Tamaki Yuichiro stated that he will not 'cooperate with an Ishiba administration that does not fulfill its promise,' leaving room for collaboration once Ishiba begins accommodating Tamaki's party. However, with the growing influence of big-spending parties following the upper house election, Ishiba – whose fiscal hawkishness arguably cost him the election – will need to swallow some bitter pills if he hopes to pass legislation or allocate budgetary resources to his signature policy goals. The potential loss of his right-hand man may plunge Ishiba's government into jeopardy. Moriyama Hiroshi, the LDP secretary-general, is one of the most powerful figures within the party. In addition to being the de jure number two, he has leveraged personal ties cultivated during his tenure as chairperson of the Diet Affairs Committee to build a legislative alliance that enabled Ishiba to pass the annual budget and subsequent laws without a majority in the lower house – effectively making Moriyama the de facto prime minister, some have argued. Nevertheless, there are growing calls within the party for someone to bear responsibility for the election defeat. Moriyama, who spearheaded the campaign, is widely seen as the sacrificial lamb, and he appears to understand his fate. If Moriyama were to resign, it is highly doubtful that he could be replaced by an equally seasoned politician capable of assisting Ishiba in managing opposition forces in both houses. And even if a replacement were found, it would be risky for that individual to commit themselves to the Ishiba administration, which may be turning into a sinking ship. Nobody truly knows whether Ishiba means what he says – except Ishiba himself. He may indeed resign at any moment but appears to be maneuvering toward an honorable end game. As a devoted Christian, Ishiba may even interpret his current circumstances as a divine calling. Notably, the subtitle of his campaign book, published before he became prime minister, was 'My Policy, My Destiny.'
Japan Today
an hour ago
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China slams Japan lawmakers' Yasukuni visits
China on Friday slammed visits by Japanese lawmakers to Yasukuni Shrine and a ritual offering sent to it by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, saying it reflects Tokyo's "erroneous" stance toward its history of aggression." The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo also said in a statement the reverence shown by the Japanese politicians indicates "the lingering ghost of Japanese militarism" and "further exacerbates the strong concerns and doubts of its Asian neighbors and the international community about Japan's direction." Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato and farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi paid tribute at the Shinto shrine in Tokyo to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. Yasukuni, which honors convicted war criminals along with the war dead, is viewed as a symbol of Japan's past militarism by its Asian neighbors. Separately, top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi urged Japan to "face history squarely" on Friday, saying only by doing so "can we prevent ourselves from going astray again." At a press conference after a foreign ministers' meeting between China and Mekong nations in Yunnan Province, Wang asked Japan to "make the right choice," saying "some forces" in the neighboring country are still trying to "glorify and deny" war aggression as well as "distort and falsify" history. He also said such behavior is a "challenge to the U.N. Charter, the postwar international order, the conscience of mankind, and the people of all the victorious nations" in the war, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. As another nation that suffered under Japan's aggression, South Korea expressed "deep disappointment and regret" over ritual offerings to Yasukuni Shrine sent by "responsible leaders of Japan," namely Prime Minister Ishiba as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and others, as well as visits to the shrine by the two Cabinet ministers. Claiming the shrine "glorifies Japan's war of aggression," the South Korean Foreign Ministry in a statement said the Japanese leaders should demonstrate "their humble reflection and sincere remorse" for history, which it says serves a foundation for the development of future-oriented bilateral relations based on mutual trust. Meanwhile, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said in a Facebook post that the former Axis powers in the war including Japan have become "free and democratic nations" and their postwar development demonstrates that freedom and democracy are "the common foundation for the international community to establish lasting peace and prosperity." Lai said, "When authoritarianism expands again, we must remember the lessons of World War II, remain steadfast in our resolve, and unite to prevent aggression and ensure the survival of freedom and democracy." His comments were made as the self-ruled island faces increased military pressure from mainland China, which claims the territory. © KYODO
