At the latest round of ASEAN summitry, Abe emphasized rapprochement with China even while raising criticisms.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe performed a delicate balancing act regarding China as he attended a series of regional summits this month.
Abe noted repeatedly that during his recent trip to China – the first such official visit in seven years – both sides had agreed to play a constructive role for peace and prosperity of the international community. That did not prevent Abe from raising concerns in a number of key areas.
In Singapore, at a meeting of ASEAN Plus Three on November 15, Abe delivered a pointed message with China apparently in mind when he warned that “substandard infrastructure investments” that fall short of international standards “could compromise sustainable prosperity of the region.” That forum brings members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations together with Japan, China, and South Korea. Abe, according to a Japanese government readout, noted that Tokyo would “promote the development of quality infrastructure that ensures openness, transparency, economic efficiency in view of life-cycle cost, and fiscal soundness including debt sustainability of the recipient countries.”
At the 13th East Asia Summit, held in Singapore on the same day, Abe renewed calls for an effective code of conduct for the South China Sea, where China has been criticized for its land reclamation work in disputed territory. Declaring that Japan had “serious concerns” about the developments, Abe added: “Actions that seek to unilaterally change the status quo through militarization of disputed features threaten the interests of countries that utilize common resources in the South China Sea that support peace and stability of the entire region.
