(VOVWORLD) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday that Japan has no plans to become a NATO member, but acknowledged NATO’s plan to open a liaison office in Japan.
 Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
The Japanese ambassador to the US said earlier this month that NATO is was planning a Tokyo office, the first in Asia, to facilitate consultations in the region.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called the idea something the Asia-Pacific region "does not welcome," and said “Tokyo should be "extra cautious on the issue of military security".
Mr. Kishida will attend a NATO summit in Lithuania in July, the Kyodo news agency said Wednesday. On the sidelines of the summit in Lithuania, Kishida will hold bilateral talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the plan to open a liaison office in Tokyo.