Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ to visit Australia for PM talks

The Japanese prime minister is preparing to make his first official visit to Australia.

Sanae Takaichi will arrive on Sunday ahead of official talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House on Monday.

The one-on-one talks for the annual leaders’ meeting coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the two countries.

“Fifty years ago our nations laid the foundations for a partnership based on trust, shared values ​​and mutual respect,” Mr. Albanese said. he said.

“Australia and Japan share a strong strategic alignment. Our cooperation is vital to sustaining a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

“Our enduring trade and investment ties underpin our relationship, creating jobs, providing opportunities and delivering economic growth to both countries.”

This will be the fourth face-to-face meeting between the two leaders, whose paths have previously crossed at the East Asia Summit, APEC and G20.

Ms. Takaichi, nicknamed the “Iron Lady” for her admiration for former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, became prime minister in October after previously serving as a minister in the governments of Shinzo Abe and Fumio Kishida.

He called early elections in February and his party achieved a landslide victory.

Ms. Takaichi took a tougher stance against Beijing on cross-Strait tensions, saying the use of Chinese military force in Taiwan would create a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan and prompt Tokyo to resort to military intervention.

Ms Takaichi’s visit coincided with Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s talks with Japanese Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa in Tokyo on Tuesday.

The talks were held as part of a week-long trip to Asia, where trade and energy security are on the agenda.