Foreign ministers from Japan and ASEAN on Thursday shared their hope of strengthening relations at a special summit commemorating their 50 years of friendship later this year in Tokyo, aiming to upgrade their ties to more strategic ones.
At their meeting in Jakarta, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his Association of Southeast Asian Nations counterparts confirmed that they will work together closely toward the success of the summit, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry.
Hayashi also said claims about maritime interests and activities should be made based on international law during a discussion on the situation in the East and South China seas, the ministry said, in a veiled reference to China's military and economic assertiveness.
The gathering came as Japan and ASEAN are expected to promote ties to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" from the current strategic partnership, in line with the United States and China, which have each done so as they vie for influence in Southeast Asia.
Hayashi said at the outset of the gathering that Japan and ASEAN aim to "jointly announce a vision that sets out the broad direction" of relations and cooperation during the commemorative summit to be held in Tokyo for three days from Dec. 16.
The upgrading of Japan-ASEAN relations may take place when leaders from ASEAN and its partners gather in Jakarta in September, according to a draft statement of an ASEAN foreign ministerial meeting recently obtained by Kyodo News.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of substantial cooperative ties, which began in 1973 with the establishment of a Japan-ASEAN forum on synthetic rubber.
For half a century, Japan and ASEAN have been working together "as true friends with heart-to-heart relations for peace, stability and prosperity in the region," Hayashi said.
Consisting of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, ASEAN upgraded relations with China to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2021, and those with the United States and India to the same level last year.
Japan's foreign minister is attending a series of meetings with his counterparts through Friday involving ASEAN and partner countries, such as South Korea and China.
Japan has been seeking to step up its involvement with the 10-member regional bloc, and has called for "a free and open Indo-Pacific," with some ASEAN members increasingly becoming concerned about China.
Hayashi strongly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and North Korea's latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch on Wednesday, while airing serious concern over the situation in Myanmar following a February 2021 coup, according to the ministry.
