Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has begun a tour of Malaysia and Indonesia as part of his effort to further strengthen defense and economic ties with Southeast Asia as threats from China rise in the region.

Japan and Indonesia have pledged to deepen economic and defense ties during a visit by the Japanese prime minister amid heightened global geopolitical tensions.

Dr Taizo Miyagi of Chuo University told The Straits Times that while the relationship that Japan has built with Asean since the end of World War II has been a “great asset for its diplomacy”, Japan’s presence in the region has inevitably weakened relative to China’s.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba arrived in Indonesia on Saturday to meet President Prabowo Subianto at Bogor Palace. The leaders discussed strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between Japan and Indonesia,

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his wife Yoshiko arrive in Indonesia for an official visit from January 10–11, 2025.

The Japanese prime minister visited Indonesia and Malaysia, as part of efforts to integrate the Southeast Asian nations into Tokyo’s preparations for a catastrophic US-led war against China.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba says he is interested in contributing to President Prabowo Subianto's government programs.

Tokyo. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday began a trip to Malaysia and Indonesia as part of an effort to strengthen defense and economic ties with Southeast Asia as China's threats grow in the region.

The tour of the two Southeast Asian countries marks Ishiba's first overseas trip since taking office in October.

Japan will give Indonesia two high-speed patrol boats, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Saturday, as Tokyo seeks to boost regional maritime security cooperation in the face of competing territorial claims with China. Ishiba made the pledge during a visit ...

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to the media, ahead of his tour of Malaysia and Indonesia, at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Jan. 9, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP) Japanese Prime ...

Under the new U.S. administration of President Donald Trump, the future of Japan-U.S. relations will hinge on whether Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will be able to build a relationship of mutual trust with Trump.