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Japan, US and Europe must act together on China, PM Kishida says

If Russia’s use of force against Ukraine goes ‘unchallenged, it will happen elsewhere in the world, including Asia’, Japan’s prime minister says.

Jan 14 (Al Jazeera) - Japan, the United States and Europe must act in unison on China, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in Washington, DC, during a visit aimed at enhancing Tokyo’s alliance with the US in the face of growing challenges from Beijing.

China is the central challenge for both Japan and the US as China’s vision for the international order differs from the views of Tokyo and Washington in some ways the allies “can never accept”, Kishida said.

“It is absolutely imperative for Japan, the United States and Europe to stand united in managing our respective relationship with China,” the Japanese prime minister said in a speech on Friday at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Russia’s war against Ukraine marked the “complete end” of the post-Cold War world order and if Moscow’s use of force goes “unchallenged, it will happen elsewhere in the world, including Asia”, he said.

“The international community is at a historical turning point. The free, open and stable international order that we have dedicated ourselves to upholding is now in grave danger,” Kishida said.

“We will never allow any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force and we will reinforce our deterrence.” ...continue reading

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