Japan eyes bigger role in central Asia with first leaders’ summit

TOKYO – Japan will host leaders from five Central Asian nations, convening the first summit at the highest level as the resource-rich region draws growing interest from global powers.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will host top officials from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan for a two-day gathering starting on Dec 19.

The schedule includes an official reception, a business forum and a series of leader-level meetings aimed at tightening economic, security and infrastructure cooperation.

For Japan, the summit is a chance to elevate its presence in a space long dominated by other global powers.

In the past year, the EU held its first Central Asia summit in Uzbekistan in April, Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Kazakhstan in June to advance Belt and Road investment, Russia’s Vladimir Putin attended a summit in Tajikistan in October, and President Donald Trump hosted his inaugural meeting with Central Asian leaders in November.

Each of these gatherings has produced multibillion-dollar deals, showing how the region – long seen as Moscow’s backyard – is attracting fresh capital and diplomatic attention from a widening array of global players.

The five Central Asian countries hold vast mineral resources, including gold, rare earth elements and uranium – materials critical to defence programs and the energy transition.

Their location between Russia, China, South Asia and the Middle East makes the region a strategic corridor for infrastructure and trade.

China has overtaken Russia as the region’s largest trading partner, though Moscow still ranks second in most of these places.

The Central Asia nations are also seeking closer ties with Group of Seven countries such as Japan, as they work to diversify their economic and security relationships after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and the sanctions against Moscow that followed.

Japan and the five Central Asian nations have maintained a dialogue framework since 2004, holding 10 foreign minister-level meetings over the past two decades.

The Tokyo summit this week marks the first time that framework is being elevated to the leaders’ level.

The meeting also comes as tensions with China linger. Beijing, angered by recent comments from Ms Takaichi

suggesting Japan could intervene militarily

if China were to attack Taiwan, has been seeking diplomatic backing from European and South-east Asian governments.

That leaves Tokyo looking to broaden international support of its own.

Whether regional issues will surface at the summit will be up to the leaders, Mr Toshihiro Kitamura, press secretary of Japan’s Foreign Ministry, said on Dec 18, when asked if Tokyo intends to raise its dispute with China.

“As a rule of thumb, Japan does not intend to use this summit as an occasion for propaganda. If China is discussed, Japan will convey the facts, including that Japan’s position has not changed and Japan is seeking a stable and constructive relationship with China,” he added.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in Tokyo for meetings with Emperor Naruhito and Ms Takaichi. BLOOMBERG