Duterte and Abe met on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit here in Vientiane.
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President Duterte has accepted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s invitation for him to visit Japan, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.
In response, Abe said, “With a view to enhancing mutually beneficial strategic ties, cooperation and exchange should be promoted from a wide-ranging perspective in order to build a stable and cordial relationship”.
To a degree, Xi’s comments to Abe at the G-20 summit may also have been aimed at preventing tensions from overshadowing a prestigious gathering, said Shi Yinhong of Beijing’s Renmin University, one of China’s best-known worldwide relations scholars.
Japan, he said, should “exercise caution in its words and deeds” on the South China Sea issue, so as not to disrupt the improvement of Sino-Japanese ties.
Xi recently hosted a summit of the Group of 20 big economies in Hangzhou, China. Prime Minister Abe also explained that a trainee from Djibouti will be received this year under the ABE Initiative and that Japan has chose to implement 140 million yen in food aid to Djibouti, to which President Guelleh expressed his gratitude.
Last July, a Hague-based tribunal voided China’s sweeping territorial claim in the South China Sea but the Chinese government refused to recognize the decision.
China has repeatedly asked Japan to stop interfering in the South China Sea row.
Japan had been seeking an early start to the air-maritime communication mechanism, but China only agreed to quicken the pace of discussions on the issue.
The two leaders discussed further strengthening and diversification of trade and investment ties.
The next major opportunity to test the state of relations will come in November at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Peru, when Abe and Xi will likely meet again.
“Although the time for this summit was limited, we could hold deep talks”, Abe told reporters afterward.
“The two leaders agreed on the necessity of continuing law enforcement cooperation and projects which will strengthen maritime capabilities of the Philippines”, the DFA said.
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But both leaders stuck to their positions over the dispute over tiny isles in the East China Sea, controlled by Japan, which calls them the Senkaku, but claimed by Beijing as the Diaoyu.
