Abe's pet strategy watered down to show consideration for China

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's three-day official trip to China through Saturday put priority on conjuring up images of friendliness, despite persistent differences over security and territorial issues.Leading up to talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing, Abe had been discreetly omitting the word "strategy" in public speeches when referring to his pet concept of a "free and open Indo-Pacific," in consideration of China, which has regarded it as having hostile connotation, according to Japanese government sources.The concept, put forth by Abe in 2016, involves…READ FULL ARTICLE