Japan PM Goes to Vietnam, the Philippines to Talk Tariffs

Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru met with Vietnam Communist Party General Secretary To Lam during an official visit to Hanoi on April 27, 2025. Image via @shigeruishiba.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba left Sunday for a four-day trip to Vietnam and the Philippines, as Tokyo seeks to shore up regional ties after Donald Trump’s tariff onslaught.

Ishiba’s trip comes after China’s President Xi Jinping conducted his own Southeast Asia tour, with Beijing trying to position itself as a stable alternative to the United States as leaders battle to counter Trump’s tariffs.

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by Agence France-Presse

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