China looms large as NATO allies debate expanded role in Asia

Artwork from Global Times

JAKARTA/TOKYO (Bloomberg): Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is among Asian leaders seeking to enhance ties with NATO during a key summit in Lithuania next week. Yet the alliance is split on what exactly that looks like as they grapple with how to deal with China.

Kishida will use the opportunity to stress the need for relations between Japan and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to be stronger, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Friday, despite objections from Beijing over the alliance’s activities in the region. Kishida will be joined in Vilnius by leaders from South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.