Abe ready to boost diplomatic efforts after Cabinet revamp

August 5, 2017

TOKYO- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is now ready to step up diplomatic efforts to strengthen international pressure on North Korea to stop provocations, following a cabinet reshuffle carried out on Thursday. The biggest diplomatic and security challenge for the new Abe administration continues to be issues related to North Korea, which is accelerating its development of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

In the cabinet shake-up, Abe appointed Taro Kono as foreign minister. Kono is a former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs and has close ties with the US Congress.

Itsunori Onodera returned as defense minister, the post he served in from December 2012 to September 2014.

With the help of the two ministers well-versed in diplomacy and national security affairs, Abe hopes to put together a stronger international coalition against Pyongyang by seeking cooperation from China and Russia, sources familiar with the situation said.

Another focal point in Abe diplomacy is how to add momentum to improvements in Japan's bilateral relationships with China and South Korea, analysts said.

The prime minister plans to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia, in early September and attend a UN General Assembly meeting in New York in late September.

Kono is arranging talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of meetings related to the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations that will be held in Manila from Sunday.

By utilizing these opportunities, Japan aims to seek cooperation from other countries in efforts to prevent further provocative actions by North Korea, according to the sources.

In dealing with North Korea, the Japanese government will continue to work in step with the US government in line with their shared policy of putting more pressure on the reclusive state.

Japan hopes to hold a so-called two-plus-two security meeting with the United States involving their foreign and defense ministers as early as mid-August, to discuss ways to strengthen their joint exercises and missile defense systems, the sources said.

But Abe government officials are concerned that the administration of US President Donald Trump may press for concessions from Japan in a bilateral economic dialogue forum to be held in the autumn by linking security issues with economic negotiations, the sources said.

At a meeting with Abe in July, Trump pointed to a need to correct trade imbalances between their countries, prodding Japan to buy more liquefied natural gas and defense equipment made in the United States. Jiji Press