Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, in his diplomatic debut on Thursday, expressed eagerness to forge closer ties with ASEAN members while voicing concerns over China's maritime assertiveness during meetings in Laos with Southeast Asian nations and their regional partners.During the ASEAN Plus Three summit in Vientiane, joined by Japan, China and South Korea, Ishiba voiced opposition to "unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion" anywhere in the world, citing the "increasingly severe" security environment in the region, according to the Japanese Foreign Minist…READ FULL ARTICLE
