PM To Attend NATO Summit; Plans For Liaison Office Rile China

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will attend the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius in July as an invitee. The news comes after Kishida stated to the House of Representatives that Japan would not become a member or semi-member of the defence alliance, but did not deny the prospect of a NATO liaison office being established in Tokyo.

• Earlier in May, Japan's ambassador to the US Koji Tomita, when asked on the prospect of a liaison office, stated, "The point you mentioned is one of the things that we are working on to strengthen our partnership. But I really haven't heard any final confirmation of that, but we are working in that direction,". Kishida also did not confirm the office's establishment, saying that "I am not aware of any decision made".
• China swiftly issued comments condemning any prospect of a NATO regional office, painting the issue as a broader Asian reaction. MoFA spox Mao Ningsaid that, "We want to say that the Asia-Pacific does not welcome group confrontation, does not welcome military confrontation. [Japan should be] extra cautious on the issue of military security [given its] history of aggression".