Top Japan Diplomat Set to Skip G-20 Talks Hosted by India

Isabel Reynolds
·3 min read
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(Bloomberg) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is unlikely to go to a meeting of G-20 foreign ministers in India from Wednesday due to a parliamentary committee meeting he is expected to attend, according to a government official.

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It remains unclear whether Hayashi will be at a Friday meeting of the Quad nations, consisting of the US and Australia, alongside India, according to the official, who asked not to be identified in line with policy. The news was reported earlier by Japanese media, including the Nikkei newspaper. A deputy minister is likely to be dispatched in his place, the reports said.

Japan’s lower house of parliament passed the budget Tuesday and will hand it over for discussions in the upper house. All members of the cabinet are customarily present for the initial sessions of the budget committee, which are planned for Wednesday and Thursday.

Keeping the foreign minister at home for a domestic matter could irritate Group of 20 host India. The move comes as Japan seeks to bolster security and other ties with Narendra Modi’s government amid growing concerns about China’s assertive behavior in the region, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine.

A spokesman for India’s ministry of external affairs did not immediately comment.

“It’s a regrettable decision that means forfeiting a chance to emphasize the importance of the rule of law to the developing countries that take part in G-20,” Goshi Hosono, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker said on Twitter.

The move may be more about internal politics in Japan rather then sending any diplomatic message. Hayashi had already arranged bilateral discussions with some of his counterparts on the sidelines of the meeting, Kyodo News reported.

Hosono, who previously belonged to the opposition Democratic Party, added such decisions to prioritize parliament over diplomacy were often made to please the ruling parties. The LDP is made up of factions that often jostle for position and influence over policy.

“Final discussions are still under way about who will attend from the Japanese government,” Hayashi told reporters Tuesday. “We will in any case convey our views properly as G-7 chair.” He added it was also undecided who would attend the Quad meeting from Japan.

Modi made two trips to Japan last year, the second in September to attend the state funeral for former Prime Minster Shinzo Abe, and he held talks with current premier, Fumio Kishida, on both occasions.

Bolstering ties with India has been a priority for the Kishida government as it seeks partners beyond its sole treaty ally, the US, to counter security threats posed by the likes of China. The Quad is a prominent format for cooperation. It has grown in stature in recent years as a counter to Beijing, which has criticized the group as a “clique” that could stoke a new Cold War.

In addition, Japan and India in January held their first joint military air drills and Kishida’s government is making arrangements to invite Australia and India to the G-7 summit in May to discuss issues including Ukraine, nuclear disarmament and climate change, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Kyodo cited an unidentified Indian government official as saying the decision not to attend would be a negative for Japan’s foreign policy and give the mistaken impression that Tokyo values only the G-7.

--With assistance from Sudhi Ranjan Sen.

(Updates with response from Indian government in fifth paragraph.)

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