Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Wednesday vowed closer cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila to help them defend their territories and territorial waters amid concerns over China’s assertive actions in the region.
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Motegi described the 11-member regional bloc as “core” to realizing Japan’s vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, while noting that international order based on the rule of law is facing “various challenges.”
He pledged closer cooperation with ASEAN on economic security, including critical mineral supply chains, as well as support in areas such as artificial intelligence and disaster response.
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Motegi also joined [U.S. Secreatry of State Marco] Rubio and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun for trilateral talks Wednesday, where they affirmed the importance of maintaining a “unified approach” toward North Korea while committing to its complete denuclearization and coordinating against cyber threats, according to the U.S. State Department.
They also emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and noted “with concern” China’s lack of sufficient notification of its recent intercontinental ballistic missile launch into the Pacific Ocean, it said.
During a conference on cooperation among East Asian countries for Palestinian development, Motegi said the Japan-led framework, launched in 2013, is committed to expanding support toward realizing the so-called two-state solution for establishing an independent state of Palestine alongside Israel to resolve their longstanding conflict.
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