Kishida seeks closer ties with Africa in bid to woo 'Global South'

Kishida seeks closer ties with Africa in bid to woo 'Global South'

It just little to late for that.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/U.S.-struggles-to-lure-African-nations-over-from-China

"Many countries of the so-called Global South are hurt and suffering from high food and energy prices. The cause of this issue should be traced to Russia's invasion of Ukraine,"

Japanese people are also suffering from these conditions and it can be traced to Kishida's LDP fiscal policies and subsidies that go direct to corporations and bypassing workers.

The LDP will never give up on its Bubble Era dream of outperforming the USA and China on the stage of global influence.

The efforts to throw money around and curry influence appear desperate, but the only one that suffer are the Japanese electorate.

Very promising idea.

Africans would be much better off long-term in an equal partnership with Japan, rather than an inferior relationship with China. As we have seen elsewhere, Chinese will saddle Africa with $Billions in loans - which the Africans will definitely default on - and have chunks of their land repossessed by the Chinese as a result.

Utter nonsense from Kishida, whose speeches are clearly being written by a US State Department chatbot. The cause of food shortages in Africa is European greed and a food system that robs the most vulnerable:

Western Food Imperialism is Starving the Rest of the World

The food system is built on volatile commodity markets and financial speculation. Its foundations are also deeply colonial and imperialist, enabling rich countries to plunder the natural resources, labour forces and agricultural systems of the poor.

Last month (May 2022), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released a report called Europe Eats the World, a sobering account of an inequitable global food system. The report showed that, despite being the world’s largest exporter of agricultural and food products in economic terms, the EU imports far more calories and proteins than its fair share, relying heavily on cheap grain and oil grown in other parts of the world to prop up an unsustainable food system.

Ecologically, the current food trade model in the EU and UK is a disaster. The dependence on imported commodities is driving deforestation on a terrifying scale, with almost 20% of land cleared for soy and palm oil alone. The EU is the largest importer of agricultural commodities associated with deforestation, second only to China. And the average person in the EU and UK consumes 61kg of soy per year, with 90% of it “hidden” in animal products. Considering others are going hungry and the planet is burning, this is staggeringly inefficient – and a highly extractive model that privileges western diets over everything and everyone else.

https://novaramedia.com/2022/06/20/western-food-imperialism-is-starving-the-rest-of-the-world/

Europe Eats the World

https://wwfeu.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/europe_eats_the_world_report_ws.pdf

Why does Kishida think that Japan can act as an intermidiary between African countries and the G7? G7 countries already have relations with African nations. BTW, howz your GW world tour Kishida? Enjoying the food and drinks? With all the money spent on your tour, surely you have something concrete to bring home as omiyage...

Great idea but Japan's hand getting weaker while others like China getting FAR stronger. For Global South, having more options and partners like China POSITIVE.

As China just achieved historic peace with their SHIA & SUNI Muslims Saudi Arabia Iran diplomacy - 1.5 billion Muslims, MANY in AFRICA Celebrate China NOW!

Muslims, little but perpetual WAR to remember from WEST sadly, making Kishida-san's efforts Difficult, case in point, failed state of Libya.

Great idea on paper except…every African country hates USA and G7. They do love China and Russia though.

Help?

Here’s an idea!

I suggest that PM Kishida adopt a couple of African children into a life of luxury that can only be found in the rarefied environment of the top notch politicos…

Even Bob Geldof warned of this at a banking conference around 20 years ago, while Japan was showcasing Asimo - a dancing robot!

Closer ties with Africa !? if and when the west and the super powers and NON African STOP meddling with the internal affairs of African nations for their own benefits only then we will see peace and prosperity in Africa.

As with Ukraine throwing money at Africa while ignoring the needs of the Japanese people is irresponsible!

JICA's (Japan International Cooperation Agency) budget has been flat for years, not even factoring in inflation. Most of the money flows to SE Asia and India in an attempt to exert influence in these areas and help Japanese companies.

From a JICA report from 2020: "Looking at newly committed amounts for Finance and Investment Cooperation by region in fiscal 2019, Asia accounted for 81.6%, Africa 7.9%, and Middle East 7.2%."

https://www.jica.go.jp/english/publications/reports/annual/2020/c8h0vm0000fc7q2b-att/2020_03.pdf

Words are cheap, Mr. Prime Minister.

Toooooo late!!!...

Kishi San, tell you US boss that Global South belongs to BRICS..

@Xavier My wife worked for JICA in Vietnam. Let's just say that you have an overly idealistic concept of the effectiveness and transparency of JICA projects.

I have no clue why China has entered the conversation. All I will say on that is that both China and South Korea are very aggressive in SE Asia promoting investment and projects for companies back home. Japan has no chance to compete on cost. South Korean companies have been successful being cheaper than Japan but better quality than China.

Good idea, Japan is everyday living in 1980s. Hurry to throw money at the countries who desperately need you.

“Global South” is UN-speak for “crappy countries that will never get their acts together”.

Great idea on paper except…every African country hates USA and G7. They do love China and Russia though.

I believe some sources are in order. This is a very old source but seems to indicate the US isn't seen unfavorably. China will be seen unfavorably everywhere it ends up causing default, too.

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2015/07/23/5-charts-on-americas-very-positive-image-in-africa/

Kishi San, tell you US boss that Global South belongs to BRICS..

Really, an acronym owns entire continents? Not likely.

Nice link from 2015 when Obama was president. My favorite recent link about China in African is this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfm0cYZG7E8. (German diplomat meet Namibian President).

Nice link from 2015 when Obama was president. My favorite recent link about China in African is this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfm0cYZG7E8. (German diplomat meet Namibian President).

Are you able to read where I said it was old and asked for something relevant? A video with one leader rambling is not relevant.

"The truth of my post". Now, that is internet trophy winning content there.

The bottomline is that Japan is close to irrelevant when it comes to ODA and any other form of influence in Africa. 8% of total ODA for African isn't going to get you anywhere.

Kishida does have to talk the talk. He is a politician after all. Dismissing the comments of a current president of an African country is certainly an interesting take.

GLOBAL INFLATON, especially FOOD & Energy. Global South including Africa places BIG blame on West's CENTRAL BANKS, including FRB, BOJ, BOE, ECB, etc.

Who can blame them? Favorite talking point of China, Russia, etc. across Africa & elsewhere. Hard to dodge GLOBAL INFLATION subject, good luck Kishida-san!

It's pure kabuki to pretend Japan is not part of the western neo-colonial practice of saddling Africa with loans that can never be repaid, trapping them in a vicious cycle of debt.

Not so many years ago a Koizumi era j-govt minister brazenly described African pleas for debt relief as "giving to many lollies to a child". All current policies are motivated by China and not any benevolent concern. How cynical..

As recently as 2014, Japan along with 10 other countries, voted at the UN AGAINGST measures to support debt relief. BRICs and developing countries can smell these hypocrites and their fake omiyage from afar.

All current policies are motivated by China and not any benevolent concern.

Considering all of the debt is motivated by China it makes sense.

How cynical..

No, cynical would be denying a country's territorial integrity, claiming seas, and pretending to uphold international norms.

Dismissing the comments of a current president of an African country is certainly an interesting take.

There's crackpot leaders in every country. Obrador comes to mind.

No African countries ever complained the so called "Debt Trap" from China. Instead they are aware of IMF and America using the weaponrized USDollars or SWIFT system to make usual political blackmailing at their internal affairs.

The De-Dollarization movement lead by China is in full speed, the African countries were not naive believes the LIES and long time discrimination caused by America. Kishida is a proxy used by the Americans over this trip as a softer approach to Africa!

It is need of time. America is interested in Africa, so is the china and other big countries. Africa is a like a golden duck laying eggs for the benefits of others.

China has put African countries and others in hock for their debts.

@Wallace

Do you know why almost every where in Africa you can see the shadows of Chinese?

Because the African countries doesn't mind owing debts from China, their children will took the burden to pay. The Chinese are not white people, that was the reason why they trusted China. We never run slave trading for 300 years by kidnapping the inhabitants!

$ Denominated Emerging Market DEBT by FAR Largest!

Hence, Global South/Emerging Markets Looking East to China, No More CRAZY Money Printing Central Banks

China only gives money to countries when there it is something they want like minerals or copper ore in Chile. China does not care about the debts.

@Xavier

TICAD was/is aimed at Jpn's long term goal of getting a permanent UN security council seat as opposed to any altruistic concerns.

Nobody in Global South to include Africa remembers these Chinese led Wars, Proxy Wars, Coups, etc. Unlike US NATO Western counter-part's LOUSY track-record.

Very fetching tie Mr Prime Minister. Much brighter than I’d expect from him, wonder if the colour is to support the gay community of its a coincidence, maybe we will never know

People who wholeheartedly believe in accelerationism are the most irresponsible revolutionaries and deconstructionists. They are eager to change the status quo, but they have not thought about what kind of path to choose after changing the status quo.

Within the NATO bloc, the view that the cause was Russia's decision to invade Ukraine holds sway.

Outside the NATO bloc, the view that the cause was America's decision, either in 2013 or 2021, about actions to take in Ukraine is seen as at least as credible a view.

And telling African states that the American/NATO view must be adopted by them will not play well.

China have been building roads and railway for Africa, what have "G7" done other than lectures, as well as the still ongoing French colonial exploitations?

I do give Japan credit for the developments of SE Asia but Africa is way out of its projection

China have been building roads and railway for Africa, what have "G7" done other than lectures, as well as the still ongoing French colonial exploitations?

China has given them debt, too, so it is a two-for-one deal.

Outside the NATO bloc, the view that the cause was America's decision, either in 2013 or 2021, about actions to take in Ukraine is seen as at least as credible a view.

The fact you can't even decide when NATO caused the war about says it all.

And telling African states that the American/NATO view must be adopted by them will not play well.

From my rough count it is about 50/50 condemning Russia/abstaining from the most recent resolution.