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| From left, Japanese Economic Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi,Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo stand for a photo during the U.S.-Japan Economic Policy Consultative Committee (EPCC) at the State Department in Washington on Friday. (File photo by= Tom Brenner/Pool Photo via AP) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] WASHINGTON: Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Friday he will work "tenaciously" to build a broader global consensus to oppose attempts to change the status quo by force in the wake of Russia's war in Ukraine, warning that the "logic of brute force" is gaining traction in the Indo-Pacific, Kyodo reported.
"Russia's aggression needs to go down in history as a clear failure, otherwise it is inevitable that other countries will follow Russia and attempt to change the status quo by force," Hayashi said at a think tank event during his first visit to the U.S. capital since assuming the foreign minister's portfolio in November. Hayashi met with his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken the same day and reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in connection with Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing views as a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland, by force if necessary.
The two also agreed to work further with allies and partners to block bids to change the status quo by force in the Indo-Pacific, Hayashi told reporters after the meeting. Meanwhile, in the Indo-Pacific, he said the "logic of brute force is gaining more traction over the rule of law, and the strategic balance in the region is becoming increasingly challenging" for Japan and the United States.
