TOKYO, Nov 13 – Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will travel next week to the Philippines and China for meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, respectively, the government said Friday.
Takaichi is set to leave for the four-day trip on Monday, the government said, with arrangements also underway for the leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the United States to hold a meeting of their so-called Quad grouping in Manila.
Speaking at a regular press conference, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said Takaichi’s itinerary is scheduled to include a Japan-ASEAN summit on Tuesday. She is also set to co-chair a meeting of the Asia Zero Emission Community, a decarbonization framework launched by Japan, with the Philippines.
It would be the first summit of the Quad, viewed as a counterweight to China’s growing influence, since September 2024. Diplomatic sources have said Tokyo is also sounding out Washington about a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Takaichi in addition.
Ozaki said ASEAN is a “key pillar in realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific,” referring to the vision advocated by Japan amid China’s growing clout. Japan will “strongly communicate its position of promoting concrete assistance and cooperation,” he added.
Takaichi will then travel to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen for the APEC summit to be held on Thursday to discuss regional economic issues including trade, energy resilience and artificial intelligence.
Arrangements for bilateral meetings with various leaders during the trip are underway, Ozaki said.
