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16:58, 01-Nov-2017
What messages have been sent out from the Duterte-Abe meeting?
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By CGTN's The Point
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held talks with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in Tokyo on October 30.
The two Asian leaders described bilateral relations as entering a “golden age of strategic partnership” as they continue to deepen cooperation on infrastructure and counter-terrorism.
Abe pledged that Japan would support the Philippines with an economic package worth 1 trillion yen (nearly 9 billion US dollars) over the next five years.
Given that China last year also pledged to extend economic assistance to Manila, worth 24 billion US dollars, is Japan trying to counter China’s regional influence with its “yen diplomacy”?
“What the Japanese Prime Minister is doing in the Philippines is not so different from what Japan has done before. Japan has given a lot of aid to various countries in the world,” Victor Teo, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Japanese Studies at the University of Hong Kong told CGTN’s The Point.
He thinks both Japan and China are trying their best to reach out globally beyond their backyards.
“They seek more influence in Africa, in the Middle East and in Latin America,” he added.
Teo emphasized the significance of the Philippines to Japan: “In a sense the Philippines is one of the principal allies of the US ally system in Asia. Japan is very keen to ensure the Philippines, no matter what it does with China, does not move completely into China’s orbit,” he said.
Victor Teo, an assistant professor of the Department of Japanese Studies at the University of Hong Kong. /CGTN Photo)
Victor Teo, an assistant professor of the Department of Japanese Studies at the University of Hong Kong. /CGTN Photo)
At a news conference before flying to Japan, Duterte said someone should talk to DPRK leader Kim Jong-un to convince him that nobody is out to depose him or destroy his country.
Teo said, “Duterte said someone should talk North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. I think when he says someone, he is not actually saying who, but he is actually thinking that could be [Donald Trump]. I think it’s a message for the Americans.”
“The Chinese have made it clear that the North Koreans should talk directly with the Americans. I think from the Japanese perspective, they probably think the same but they want to appear polite to say this to the Americans because the Americans are their principal allies. Here we have the Philippine’s leader making this statement, which in itself is pretty interesting.”
The Point with Liu Xin is a 30-minute current affairs program on CGTN. It airs weekdays at 9.30 p.m. BJT (1330GMT), with rebroadcasts at 5.30 a.m. (2130GMT) and 10.30 a.m. (0230GMT).
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