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Japan PM Suga cancels planned visit to India, Philippines

The trip, which had been scheduled from late April to early May, was intended to reaffirm Japan's cooperation with the two countries in achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific, as the nations look to counter China's military buildup and growing assertiveness in the region.

News Desk (Kyodo News)
Tokyo, Japan
Wed, April 21, 2021

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Japan PM Suga cancels planned visit to India, Philippines Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga waves next to his wife Mariko as he leaves for his first official overseas visit as PM, to Vietnam and Indonesia, at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan Oct.18 (Reuters/Kyodo)

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rime Minister Yoshihide Suga has called off a planned visit to India and the Philippines, government sources said Wednesday, apparently due to a resurgence of coronavirus infections in Japan.

The trip, which had been scheduled from late April to early May, was intended to reaffirm Japan's cooperation with the two countries in achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific, as the nations look to counter China's military buildup and growing assertiveness in the region.

In India, Suga was expected to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time in person and discuss promotion of bilateral collaboration in many fields including outer space and cybersecurity.

Through the meeting with Modi, Suga also planned to solidify a security framework consisting of Japan, India, Australia and the United States -- collectively known as the Quad -- seen as a counterweight to China's growing clout in the region, according to the sources.

Japan and India have also decided to postpone their foreign and defense ministerial talks scheduled this weekend in Tokyo due to a rapid increase in coronavirus cases in India.

Suga's visit to the Philippines was aimed at marking the 65th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The recent spikes in coronavirus cases in Japan have put a heavy strain on the medical systems in some areas, leading the government to consider imposing a fresh state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka and Hyogo prefectures.

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