TOKYO: There are concerns within the Japanese government and ruling Liberal Democratic Party that Prime Minister Kishida Fumio's cancellation of a visit to Central Asia could stall Japan's diplomacy towards the region.
Foreign Minister Kishida had been scheduled to visit Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia for four days starting on Friday, but announced the cancellation of the visit the day after the Japan Meteorological Agency issued an emergency alert on Thursday stating that the risk of a massive earthquake occurring in the Nankai Trough had increased.
Many in the government and LDP say the decision is understandable as the prime minister has prioritised responding to the growing earthquake risk, but others regret that Japan has missed an important opportunity to increase its presence in Central Asia, China and Russia's backyard.
“We will adjust our planned visits to the countries in a timely manner,” Foreign Minister Kishida told reporters at the prime minister's office on Friday night. “There is absolutely no change in our intention to actively promote relations with these countries,” he added.
Russia has historical ties with Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, while China has been increasing its influence in the region in recent years through its Belt and Road Initiative.
Four of the five countries, excluding Turkmenistan, are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a framework led by China and Russia.
Foreign Minister Kishida held the first summit meeting in Kazakhstan to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the dialogue framework between Japan and the Central Asian countries, and issued a joint statement emphasizing cooperation in a wide range of areas, in an attempt to create a rift between the five Central Asian countries, China, and Russia.
They also hope to bring along executives from about 50 Japanese companies to demonstrate cooperation from the private sector.
But those plans were halted by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck off the southwestern coast of Miyazaki prefecture on Thursday, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue an emergency alert on the possibility of a massive earthquake in the Nankai Trough.
At a press conference on Friday, Foreign Minister Kishida commented on the cancellation of his Central Asia tour, “As the person responsible for the country's crisis management, I must take the utmost care in preparation for any eventuality.”
Former LDP cabinet ministers suspect that the prime minister may have made the decision ahead of the LDP presidential election, in which he is expected to seek re-election.
Foreign Minister Kishida spoke by phone with Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Friday night and explained the reasons for the cancellation of the visit. A senior Japanese government official said the two Central Asian leaders expressed understanding, with one of them expressing concern about the impact of the earthquake. Foreign Minister Kishida is scheduled to hold telephone talks with the remaining leaders on Monday.
Meanwhile, a former LDP cabinet minister said, “There's no doubt that he violated etiquette.”
Foreign Minister Kishida is expected to seek another opportunity to hold a summit with the five Central Asian countries. A government source emphasized that the Japan-Central Asia summit “has only been postponed, not canceled.”
However, it is not likely to be easy to change the date of the summit, especially with the LDP presidential election scheduled for September.
Only two Japanese prime ministers have visited Central Asia in the past: Junichiro Koizumi in 2006 and Shinzo Abe in 2015.
“It's a once in 10 years opportunity for a Japanese prime minister to visit (Central Asia),” a senior Foreign Ministry official said. “We don't know when the next opportunity will come.”
Jiji Press
