Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the rules-based international order amid Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and China’s growing military and economic weight.
As reported by Kyodo NewsDuring talks at Singapore’s Changi Airport following a six-day visit to Africa, Kishida told Lee that negotiations on an agreement that would allow the transfer of defense equipment and technology between the two countries are progressing, according to the Ministry of Defense. Japanese Foreign Affairs.
“We want to strengthen cooperation on security and defense,” Kishida declared, while advocating deepening cooperation in areas such as start-ups and building resilient supply chains.
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Kishida and Lee also discussed the war in Ukraine and the situation in the East and South China Seas, where Beijing has stepped up its territorial claims, including to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands.
“The two leaders agreed to continue cooperating to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law,” the ministry stated.
Kishida passed through Singapore after leaving Mozambique, the last leg of his tour of four African countries. He met Lee for lunch for about 75 minutes while his government plane refueled.
Kishida’s tour of Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique came amid an effort to strengthen ties with the “Global South,” a term that encompasses developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, ahead of the Group’s summit. of the Seven to be held in Hiroshima later this month.
