ASEAN countries skeptical of Japan PM Ishiba's 'Asian NATO'

New leader shelves idea that has little support at his first regional summit

Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other countries including Japan, China and South Korea met in the Laotian capital of Vientiane on Oct. 10. © AP

YUKI FUJITA, Nikkei staff writer

October 11, 2024 02:19 JST

VIENTIANE -- New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's vision for a NATO-style security framework in Asia is not finding a receptive audience in Southeast Asia, amid worries that it could deepen divisions within ASEAN over how to deal with China.

During last month's ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, Ishiba advocated for a collective security arrangement among Asian countries with shared values to strengthen deterrence against China.