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Courting anxious allies, Japan pitches stability and strength in Asia
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Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi waves as she departs from a RAAF base in Canberra on May 5.
PHOTO: AFP
Javier C. Hernández, Damien Cave and Tung Ngo
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to Vietnam and Australia over the past few days had all the trappings of a standard diplomatic tour. She showered her hosts with praise and gifts, including prized Japanese melons. She snapped selfies with students in Canberra and tried her hand at playing traditional drums in Hanoi.
But by the time Ms Takaichi departed the Australian capital on May 5, it was clear the trip had been far from routine. It was the opening pitch for Japan as a force for stability and strength in a region increasingly rattled by China’s aggressive posturing and US President Donald Trump’s volatile foreign policy.
