Japan PM Takaichi to travel to South Korea for APEC summit, bilateral talks

TOKYO, Oct 28 (Kyodo/APP/DNA):New Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will travel to South Korea later this week to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, where she is likely to engage in bilateral meetings with participants, the Japanese government said Tuesday.

Takaichi, who took office last week, will visit South Korea for three days from Thursday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said, with a diplomatic source adding she is expected to hold her first meeting with President Lee Jae Myung on the day of her arrival.

At the APEC summit, Takaichi will stress the need to uphold a rules-based, free and fair economic order and reaffirm Japan’s commitment to stronger growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, Kihara said at a regular press conference.

All eyes will be on whether Takaichi, known for her hard-line stance toward China, will hold her first talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Gyeongju starting Friday.

Xi, who plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump later this week, has not sent a congratulatory message on Takaichi’s inauguration, despite having done so for her recent predecessors, the source said. Takaichi and Trump held their first summit in Tokyo on Tuesday.

At the envisioned meeting with Lee, Takaichi aims to emphasize her intention to advance “future-oriented” bilateral ties and hold frequent summits through reciprocal visits by the two leaders, as her predecessor Shigeru Ishiba did, the source said.

They are also likely to affirm the significance of bilateral and trilateral cooperation with the United States in responding to North Korea, sharing concerns over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile development and its military ties with Russia, it said.

At a press conference held on the day of her inauguration, Takaichi described South Korea as an “important neighbor” and expressed her eagerness to meet with Lee soon.