Japan PM Suga planning visits to India, Philippines from late April

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is planning visits to India and the Philippines during the Golden Week holidays from late April, government sources said Wednesday, as Japan looks to strengthen ties in Asia to counter China's growing clout.Japan seeks to reaffirm cooperation with the countries over its vision of a "free and open Indo-Pacific" region through the trips, which are subject to changes depending on the coronavirus situation.The framework known as the Quad -- consisting of Japan, the United States, Australia and India -- has increasingly become the focus of efforts to counter China's…READ FULL ARTICLE