Japan's Abe Orders Taiwan Entry Ban Eased Before South Korea and China

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe [Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eun-byeol] As the Japanese government plans to start negotiations next week to ease entry bans on South Korea, China, and Taiwan, Japanese media reported that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has instructed to "prioritize Taiwan over South Korea and China."

According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 12th, when deciding the second group of countries for easing entry bans after Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand last month, Prime Minister Abe ordered that consultations with Taiwan be conducted first.

The Asahi Shimbun analyzed that the instruction to prioritize negotiations with Taiwan, rather than South Korea and China, which have the most active economic exchanges with Japan, appears to be an attempt to ease backlash from his support base by putting forward Taiwan, which conservatives view favorably. Abe’s conservative supporters expect a tough stance toward South Korea and China.

However, diplomatic relations with China, the world’s second-largest economy, and neighboring South Korea cannot be completely ignored. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reportedly expressed concern that "if negotiations do not begin simultaneously, relations with China and South Korea could deteriorate."

Meanwhile, Japan plans to include Brunei and Mongolia among the countries eligible for easing entry bans related to COVID-19. The newspaper analyzed that the Japanese government tried to balance the backlash from the Abe Cabinet’s support base with diplomatic considerations toward South Korea and China.