Hanoi, May 2 -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Saturday that the country intends to take "an even more proactive role" in maintaining a "free and open" Asia-Pacific region.
"I am renewing my determination to fulfil Japan's responsibilities, and indeed, to play an even more proactive role than ever before in building an international order based on freedom, openness, diversity, inclusiveness and the rule of law," Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a speech to university students in Hanoi, which was streamed by Japan's public broadcaster NHK.
The remarks were made by the Prime Minister in Vietnam that highlighted Tokyo's long-standing regional strategy, which has often drawn criticism from China.
During her visit to Viet...