Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed concerns over the increasing military cooperation between China and Russia at the meeting of European and Indo-Pacific foreign ministers held in Sweden on May 13.
While speaking at the meeting of the European and Indo-Pacific foreign minister in Sweden, Minister Hayashi said the security situation in Europe could not be separated from that in the Indo-Pacific region, and Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has had its negative impacts.
Hayashi further added that Russia’s war in Ukraine had “shaken the very foundation of the international order” and must face a united response by the international community. Otherwise, similar incidents will arise in other regions of the world, where security and peace will be replaced with chaos and war.
Furthermore, Hayashi accused Beijing of continued and intensifying unilateral efforts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas by force, and increasing military activity around Taiwan.
The situation in Europe and Indo-Pacific are interrelated in his view. “Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the security situation in Europe and Indo-Pacific is described indistinguishable,” Hayashi said.
Moreover, Japan firmly backs Ukraine in the war but China says it remains neutral while declaring a “no limits” relationship with Moscow and blaming the United States and NATO for provoking the conflict, instead seeking ways for negotiations and political settlement to end the ongoing crisis.
Meanwhile, the US and other NATO member states including the UK and Germany have been continuously supplying arms to Ukraine to fight against Russian aggression.
