Sitting While Greeting and Fiddling with Phone... Japanese Prime Minister Faces Criticism for 'Bad Manners'

Prime Minister Ishiba Attends Peru APEC Summit
Sits Greeting and Fiddling with Smartphone
Late for Group Photo Due to Another Event... Flood of Criticism

Shigeru Ishiba, the newly appointed Prime Minister of Japan, has faced criticism at home for actions deemed diplomatic breaches during a recent summit held in South America. On the 21st, the Sankei Shimbun reported, "At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Peru on the 15th and 16th, Prime Minister Ishiba was seen shaking hands with other leaders who were standing while he remained seated, crossing his arms during the meeting, and fiddling with his smartphone."

On the 18th (local time), Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and President Yoon Suk-yeol attending the APEC Summit held in Peru. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

These behaviors were observed multiple times, sparking controversy on social media platforms over what was perceived as 'diplomatic impropriety.' The newspaper criticized Ishiba, noting, "He contrasted sharply with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who watched the event with a solemn expression." Additionally, a scene where Ishiba extended both hands to shake hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping was captured, causing debate within Japan. According to diplomatic protocol, it is customary for both leaders to shake hands with their right hands to demonstrate equality.

Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba and Chinese President Xi Jinping are shaking hands. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

On that day, Ishiba also missed the group photo session at the APEC summit because he was delayed visiting the grave of Alberto Fujimori, the former Peruvian president of Japanese descent who passed away last September. Former Ambassador to the U.S. Shinsuke Sugiyama commented, "Before meetings where dozens of leaders gather, requests for greetings flood in, so Ishiba shaking hands while seated alone cannot be considered a diplomatic breach," but he added, "(The group photo) is an official event, so being late is unacceptable under any circumstances. Traffic congestion can happen anywhere in the world," he pointed out.

The Yomiuri Shimbun expressed concern, stating, "It is uncertain whether Ishiba can build a good relationship with President-elect Trump like former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did." A Japanese Foreign Ministry official also told the Yomiuri Shimbun, "Originally, the new prime minister should have personally gone around to greet others," expressing regret.

Initially, Ishiba planned to stop by the United States on his way back from the South America tour to hold talks with President-elect Trump. However, it is known that Trump has decided, in principle, not to meet foreign leaders before his inauguration in January next year. Regarding this, the Asahi Shimbun pointed out on the 18th, "It appears that the Trump team judged there would be no benefit from an early meeting."