Japan has pledged to strengthen cooperation on energy security and the fight against online scams during a meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China and South Korea.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi outlined Japan’s commitment during the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry. China was represented by Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying, who attended on behalf of Foreign Minister Wang Yi, while South Korea was represented by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun.
In his opening remarks, Motegi said the combined economies of the ASEAN Plus Three countries now account for more than a quarter of global GDP, highlighting the group’s growing role in supporting regional and global stability.
He reaffirmed Japan’s support for ASEAN’s central role, unity and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), a regional initiative aimed at promoting peace, freedom and prosperity.
Motegi added that Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision shares many of the same principles as the AOIP and said Tokyo would work closely with China and South Korea to advance the initiative through ASEAN Plus Three cooperation.
According to Japan’s Foreign Ministry, participants also stressed the importance of strengthening regional energy supply networks amid ongoing developments in the Middle East.
The ASEAN Plus Three framework was established following the 1997 Asian financial crisis to enhance practical cooperation between ASEAN member states, China, Japan and South Korea. The group’s leaders last met at a summit in Malaysia in October.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Motegi also held talks with newly appointed British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, expressing hope that Japan and the United Kingdom would continue working together to address global challenges under Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s new government.
He also met Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro, with both sides exchanging views on regional and international issues, including developments in the South China Sea, where competing territorial claims involve China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
