Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will embark on a four-nation African tour next month, a trip widely seen as an effort to counter Chinese and Russian influence on the continent. This will be the first visit to Africa by a Japanese leader since 2016. (NIKKEI ASIA)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is reportedly planning to visit Vietnam this week, according to a visiting U.S. Senator in Hanoi. Washington is hoping to upgrade ties with Hanoi but Vietnamese officials are reportedly anxious the move will upset China. (REUTERS)