Tokyo, 13 April, /AJMEDIA/
Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is planning to visit three Latin American countries and the Caribbean nation of Barbados from late April, government sources said Wednesday, as Japan explores more cooperation with developing countries before hosting a Group of Seven summit next month.
In addition to Barbados, Hayashi will travel to Paraguay, Peru, and Chile to discuss issues such as the global food supply crisis resulting from the Russian war against Ukraine and China’s increasing influence in the developing world.
While some countries have announced their decision to switch diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China in recent years, Paraguay has maintained its ties with the self-ruled island, which China considers its territory.
Only 13 nations, including seven from Latin America and the Caribbean, have recognized Taipei as a legitimate government.
Ahead of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan aims to ramp up collaboration with the “Global South,” the sources said, referring to developing countries worldwide, most of which have tried to avoid taking sides over the war in Ukraine.
In January, Hayashi visited Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, and Argentina, while Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is scheduled to tour Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, and Mozambique from late April to early May.
